Clash of Titans
As the dust of the battle died down around him an infuriated Russ searched out for Jonson. He charged through the surrounding Dark Angels, who recognizing a primarch in anger, wisely let him pass. Jonson was seated with his close advisers and captains, already planning the total pacification and maintenance of the planet and discussing their next campaign in the Allisores. Russ stormed in, livid with fury and incensed at Jonson sitting so casually after having cheated him of his honour. Unable to control his fury, Russ swung his mighty fist as Jonson turned to look up at him. The blow caught Jonson squarely on his jaw and sent him sprawling over the table, maps, data slates and other paraphernalia flying in all directions. The Dark Angel commanders, taken aback at first instantly recognized the feud between the brothers and stepped back. Jonson slowly rose to his feet. He looked up at Russ as anger and frustration built up slowly. In his eyes, Russ and his spacewolves owed his legion their lives. He had overcome Durath in single combat and proven his martial skill. He had taken the fortress with precious few casualties as Russ needlessly rushed headlong in to the enemy's fire-lanes. Finally, he had been indignantly struck without a challenge being called. The lion of Caliban took up the challenge and charged Russ. The two mighty mortals began a personal combat that lasted throughout the night and the next day. Walls were torn down and structures demolished as the two superhumans fought each other to a stand still. Horus himself had expertly tutored both primarchs in the art of combat. Russ was stronger than Jonson but Jonson faster and more nimble. Equally matched, each sought out the others weakness while protecting their own. They fought not only for their own pride but for the legion's honour too. After the long night and day of combat, with both men close to exhaustion, Russ realized the folly of their deeds, and seeing the humour of their actions stood up and began to laugh. For him, honour was satisfied! They had been equally matched. But to the taciturn Jonson, it was not to be. His anger at Russ' actions only worsened as he considered the initial blow to be a treacherous one. He lashed out at the laughing Russ with a mighty double handed blow that threw the Fenrisian primarch off his feet and in to unconsciousness. As the surrounding Dark Angels burst in to a victory chant the shocked spacewolves quietly carried their prostrate primarch away. By the time Russ awoke, the Dark Angels had departed to take part in the Allisore campaign and the feud between the Angels and the Wolves had been firmly established. The grudge has survived ten thousand years and although it is carried out in a spirit of kinship and brotherly competitiveness, it is carried out ritually to this day. Every time a Dark Angel and Spacewolf force is deployed together a champion chosen from each chapter would challenge each other to imitate the combat between the primarchs.
END of CHAPTER III |