The Walker in Fire

Deathwatch: Ignition #9

by Peter Fehervari

The hive world of Sarastus harbours many secrets, and now many fugitives from the Imperium as well – a rogue Adeptus Mechanicus priest has absconded with several xenos biologis samples, prompting the Inquisition to order an intervention by the Deathwatch. The Salamanders Firedrake Garran Branatar forms part of a specialist Terminator kill-team sent to delve into the darkness beneath Sarastus, bringing the flame and fury of his Chapter in equal measure. But Branatar brings with him the shadowed legacy of his own past as well...

Read it because
It's Terminators in a hive world, hunting a tech-priest, and the main character has a secret that could affect the mission.

Genres: Science Fiction, Short Stories, 40k, Fiction

36 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 25, 2016

Reviews

[Alina Zabiyaka · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘I walk in fire, as fire walks in me.’

Once upon a time, young Miss Tythe from Requiem Infernal dreamed about the Emperor’s fabled Space Marines coming to her moribund home. Well, the Astartes do indeed arrive one day – though much too late to be of any help to its original citizens...

In this Deathwatch #9 quick read we return, with bated breath and trepidation, to hive world Sarastus first introduced in Fehervari’s debut story Nightfall; the whole planet is cursed, tainted and steeped in eternal darkness. By coming to the main Hive Carceri, the Terminator Kill Team Sabatine follows an order of a mysterious Inquisitor Escher whom the warriors have never met in person. Ostensibly they are here to purge the heresy of a Xenarite magos from forge world Stygies, but their actual goal is a different one… For it turns out that the valiant Adeptus Astartes are nothing but sacrifices – mere variables in the inquisitor’s shadowy schemes.

The kill team’s warriors come from Chapters both famous and little-known or previously unexplored. By no means is this an ideal Deathwatch squad, but still a hugely interesting bunch of Space Marines, consisting as it is of several starkly differing characters:

- White Consul Cato Thandios, Watch Sergeant: your typically dutiful and pious Astartes; curiously, the kill team’s name is the same as his Chapter’s homeworld.
- Salamander Garran Branatar, humane yet ferocious, hails from the most sympathetic First Founding Chapter. Also he is the second Fehervari character existing in miniature form (along with Commander Farsight). Actually, of all the squad Garran demonstrates the greatest resolve – but like his comrades, he is harried by shadows, ghouls and ghosts both material and immaterial. The Salamander is unable to trust anyone but his own self, while striving futilely to come to terms with his violated past – and in this regard strongly resembling Toland Feizt from the aforementioned Requiem Infernal.
- Angel Resplendent Icharos ‘Evil Neighbour’ Malvoisin: a nonpareil craftsman from a brotherhood of warrior artists. Deceptively lighthearted yet deeply guilt-ridden, his behavior and occasional utterances definitely herald the beginning of the schism within his Chapter (‘Perhaps we condemn ourselves…’) Plus, he is the only teammate whom Garran unquestioningly trusts like a friend – albeit probably shouldn’t…
- Black Wing Sevastin: dark, mystical, cagey and reclusive. Interestingly, like Thandios and Malvoisin he also belongs to a “split” Chapter – but his case is altogether more sinister, so who can say which side he took? And could he possibly have sensed the presence on Sarastus of the same daemonic power that had perhaps all but doomed the Black Wings?..
- Brother of a Thousand Anzahl‘Number’-M636: soulless, mechanized, solitary and vaguely Teutonic – quite possibly like the rest of his obscure thousand brethren.
- Black Shield/Carcharodon Hauko: a dry and sullen outcast who had just happened to be a little “too soft” for his predacious Chapter.
- and, last but not least, Aion Escher: an enigmatic and elusive Ordo Xenos inquisitor with a particular interest in Sarastus (among other places).

To quote Branatar, all of them (himself included) are hiding something, which gives the story that additional level of intrigue. But what hope of the future does the Imperium have if its most elite servants act behind smoke and mirrors, trusting no one? Truly, everything is just
‘Secrets and lies, Garran,’ Athondar whispered sadly. ‘They will eat the Imperium from the inside out.’
‘You’re not wrong, shadow,’ Branatar agreed.

Concerning the story’s literary merits, I’ll say it is a great example of Peter’s writing proficiency – a masterly tale in which predictably brutal fighting is very well balanced against the heroes’ – bitter and often surprising – inner reflections, doubts and memories. In Fehervari’s universe the surroundings artfully reflect the characters’ essence and state of mind. After all, ‘A man can fall forever, on a fallen world’ and, alas, none of the surviving Astartes shall leave Sarastus unchanged... With brilliantly presented images, dialogues and vivid action scenes Peter also explores his characters’ true motives for entering the Deathwatch – which are not as pure and selfless as may initially seem (like redemption, absolution or oblivion).

All of this makes The Walker in Fire a real dark gem amongst Warhammer short stories and shall certainly appeal to the fans of both Deathwatch and Mechanicus as well as Fehervari’s talent in general. And of course bear in mind that as always in Peter’s works, some of the characters’ names (which, as we know, reflect souls!) have rather interesting connotations. Also, despite being a standalone Deathwatch story it has its fair share of subtle aftereffects and connections to the author’s other tales all brought together in an intricate Coil. For example, you can learn about the grisly unforeseen ramifications of Inquisitor Escher’s ‘project’ on a certain backwater world from another story, A Sanctuary of Wyrms…

[YuriNotGagarin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since the beginning of Horus Heresy series most of the Warhammer 40k stories (Space Marines in particular) inadvertently becoming a little bit too much lusory. Whlist this is not totally bad situation, it's always fine to see some good old grim darkness of the far future. Mr. Fehervari works always have plenty of it, and Walker of Fire isn't an exception here.
I rated it 'amazing' and I think it was the best part of the whole DW series, with Garran Branatar winning a 'best character' trophy for his really well-written, deep and complicated background.
P.S. Sorry for my lack of skills in written English :)

[Evgenii Dzenov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frankly, when I grabbed this story I was expecting just some really short, fiery but typical action similar to all other stories about Salamanders that I have read previously.

To say that I was utterly wrong would be a huge understatement. I saw not just some mighty Space Marines as they are often portrayed but trans-human men. The difference between them and all other standard human characters of W40k looked so big and unbridgeable. Fantastic.

The other thing that I really liked is the way how author described the war that ravaged the planet and the warriors who waged it. It could not be won but those marines were following their purpose nevertheless. The goals of the mission were impossible to achieve and those mighty giants were obviously struggling not only to destroy the enemy but to they were also fighting with the despair, apathy and fear lurking eternally within their souls. Feelings that they were supposed to not know.

And the ending of this story... A Space Marine has done things that seem to defy everything that the brotherhood of Astartes and its Codex stand for and he has just left without a single thought.

He did not send a short and competent report, he did not praised the unnamed deity, he did not make the last oath of moment and did not reload his weapon.

He just did what he did. End of the line.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus claimed that teleportation was instantaneous, but nothing was certain in the warp, least of all time...For Garran Branatar, the passage brought only shame.”

I’ve always been intrigued by teleportation in sci-fi universes. One moment you’re here and the next moment you’re there. But is it really you who shows up on the other side? Perhaps it is some perfect (or less than perfect) re-creation of you? Walker in Fire’s (WIF) opening made me think for the first time about the mind during teleportation.

Shame of losing a comrade plagues the protagonist during the immeasurable time he spends in the warp. Upon arrival, the vivid dreams evaporate and he joins his fellow Kill Team members in a state of solemn melancholy.

The brooding tone of this story is a pleasure like looking out the window at a grey, rainy day. This wasn’t my favorite of Fehevari’s stories so far, but to his credit he took material that easily could have been boring bolter porn and made it into a deep, crisis of faith story. You feel the emotions of these marines and the author once again does a nice job with world building.

WIF is a quick read and will expose you to a variety of well- and lesser-known factions in Warhammer 40k. The Adeptus Mechanicus, Deathwatch, Salamanders, White Consuls, Brotherhood of a Thousand, Angels Resplendent, and Black Wings all make appearances.

As a fan of the Adeptus Mechanicus, this book is a must-read. You get a sense of how they fight from this story, but the more interesting aspect that WIF introduces is the semi-heretical Xenarite sect who are obsessed with unlocking the secrets of alien technology. It is this sect that drives the plot and forms the connection to Sanctuary of Wyrms and ultimately Fire Caste.

The end of this story alludes to another of Fehervari’s works, “Crown of Thorns”. And the internet has told me that the setting of WIF is the same as Fehervari’s “Nightfall”. Neither those or any other story are required to enjoy WIF. But I would recommend picking this up AFTER reading Sanctuary of Wyrms.

My only criticism of this story is that it left me with a few unnecessary questions. The fate of multiple characters is left open and the secrecy of the mission’s objective even between the Kill Team members seemed unwarranted to me.

A good addition to Fehervari’s body of work.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kind of a boring story with non-stop action of Space Marines killing mutants and admech. The main plot twist is that the target that we don't know anything about was meant to be rescued and not killed. The whole story feels meaningless, with no mysteries or chaos connections. The salamander explodes his favorite flamethrower and that's why he's a walker in fire. Kind of lame all around.

[Tyberius · Rating 5 out of 5]

Somtimes you just gotta Flame On

[Anthony Giordano · Rating 5 out of 5]

"In The Walker in Fire, we follow Garran Branatar, a Salamander Firedrake attached to a Deathwatch Terminator kill-team (designated Sabatine), as they embark on a mission to "locate" a rogue Adeptus Mechanicus magos who has absconded with some xenos samples.

I was very intrigued to see what Fehervari's take on the Salamanders would be; I know precious little of their lore as is. When you reduce them to their simplest terms; their gimmick is their fire motif, and in terms of philosophy, they are more concerned with the protection of man than other Chapters. I've never read any of the books, since the Salamanders usually fall under Nick Kyme's purview. Plus, I don't like green as a Chapter color (I know, you can't refute that logic, right?).

Fehervari has truly made Branatar one of his own trademark characters. While keeping the basic tenets of the Salamander code of conduct, as well as the strong senses of pride and duty that are integral to an Astartes, Branatar wrestles with bottomless valleys of shame and loss. Primarily, the cross he bears relates to the loss of a battle brother during an ugly campaign against the Dark Eldar. Forever encumbered by loss and shame, Branatar sees and hears this fallen brother, Athondar, wherever he goes. As a perennial revenant, Athondar follows Branatar down his ultimate path, towards either "absolution or oblivion".

As far as the narrative itself goes, The Walker in Fire leans more towards an accessible, straightforward actioner, much in the way other Fehervari works like Nightfall and Vanguard were. This is not to insinuate in any manner whatsoever that the work is constrained to anything so simplistic as a completely linear narrative. Fehervari weaves masterful twists, turns, and interconnections to all of his other works here. So, even though this is an action-heavy piece, it is still a strand in the spiderweb-like, labyrinthine, Warp-twisted Cat's Cradle of a story arc which he has been working on since Fire Caste.

I need to make a thankful shout-out here: usually I am serviceable at deducing some of Fehervari's riddles and Easter Eggs, but this time, a lot of clarification was provided by frequent blog visitor/poster Lucius Eternal. Thanks as always, my friend!

I say this because Fehervari has outdone himself here, answering many lingering questions, and, of course, positing so many more."

You can read my full review here:

http://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/20...

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

To tie-in with the Kill Team Cassius set, eleven short stories were commissioned to focus on each member of the team. "The Walker in Fire" follows Garran Branatar, the Salamander member of the team, as it tells a mission he undertook to the planet Sarastus as a member of Kill Team Sabatine.

Something I appreciated about the story is that, besides Garran, the kill team is composed of lesser-known Chapters. The kill team possesses members from the White Consuls, Angel Resplendents, Black Wings, Brotherhood of a Thousand, and a Blackshield (that may be a Carcharadon). It's nice to see lesser-known chapters get to share the spotlight from time-to-time.

Unfortunately, Garran comes off as less compelling than his watch-brothers. Haunted by one of his deceased battle-brothers, he has the potential to be but is outshined by the others, especially by Icharos Malvoisin of the Angels Resplendent. However, I will say that Garran seems to be the only character in Fehevari's stories to brush up against the Dark Coil and escape without being changed by it.

Also, speaking of Malvoisin, it was nice to see his brush with the Coil, starting his start of darkness that would lead to him meeting the Undying Martyr and reforming the Angels Resplendent into the Angels Penitent. It's these connections that make reading Fehevari's stories so much fun.

Overall, I enjoyed "The Walker in Fire" but it was hampered by its protagonist being outshined by others, though it is because of these supporting characters that the story is elevated above being a run-of-the-mill story.

[Nike Grass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutly liked it!

Peter creates a dark, grim, but very interesting stories, and you just can't break away from the book!