Chapter 468 Preface: Wolves' Blood is an Oath
After the fall of the primarch Horus Luperkar, the air of mourning has filled our flagship for a long time.
The Astartes I saw during the day were still carrying out their usual tasks, walking on their fixed tracks, like they were little tin soldiers dancing in a music box, as long as the Empire existed Turn those clockworks, and they will move on the same trajectory endlessly: leaving on the transport ship from one short battle after another, and after spending a period of real time, they will reappear in the hangar with slightly faded walls. Here, he raised his arms like a sky eagle and then lowered them. He returned to the compartment to maintain his body for a period of time and wait for the next collective action.
These metaphors were written by my memoirist companion, and since the fall of Luperkar, the interest in his words has faded too much. Lord Horus's deep sleep caused a certain temperament in us to fall into a long silence. I think I haven't heard real laughter for a long time, the kind of hearty laughter that is excessive and needs to be reprimanded by an officer, and unrestricted slapstick, as well as the friendship marks left on the face.
I have never actually witnessed one of these, Messati said they were incomparable, Calcaci said they scratched and scratched.
I heard that even the servitors are no longer assigned related cleaning tasks. They no longer need to apply cleaning foam on the top of their right tentacles, and hold a bucket and artificial fiber cloth on their left side. Is this true? No matter what, I think that at least before Lord Horus wakes up, I will have a rare chance to see the lights of the arena come on again.
All circumstances are not good news for me, and it is in this way that Lord Horus's "temporary departure" - we all use this mild wording now, just like words It was as if the power could touch reality - the influence it brought directly and irresistibly enveloped my body.
Because I am not keen on war, and I am not good at depicting war.
I was brought aboard the Vengeful Spirit more than a hundred years ago because I was under the orders of the Iron Hands of the Tenth Legion (or was it an order? I tend to be an order, because I was paid, and (twice) had forged a reliquary they requested. My skill impressed the commander, and I am beyond grateful to the Iron Hands for the opportunity.
One day two extraordinary mortals knocked on the door of my room in Terra. One was wearing a black robe and the other had white hair. When I opened the door, they were still arguing about whether I should go to the fourth place. Legion or the Sixteenth Legion, and my choice is the latter.
The reason is actually a bit absurd. I confused the Iron Warriors and the Iron Hands, so I decided to go to the Luna Wolves to find inspiration for myself that I had never seen before. But even though I figured it all out quickly, I never regretted it - wanting to visit other legions was another thing entirely, and I can't deny how much I wanted to visit Prospero's Great Pyramid visit.
I admire the atmosphere of the Vengeful Spirit, even though I know we were never one of them.
But it all ended after Lord Horus was assassinated.
The Shadow Moon Wolf has lost the king of the wolf pack, or in other words, the god of wolf shepherds. It's like the center of a complex knot suddenly burns out, and the remaining knots are on the verge of unraveling.
The era of closeness is over, and the bond between wolves has become as thin as hair. Perhaps the Luna Wolves are only one step away from falling apart, and Lord Horus's awakening is still infinite. Far. In such a season, war suddenly became the most effective means to maintain the 16th Legion as a whole.
In these days, there is only war.
It was at this time that a noble warrior found me in the design hall of the Vengeful Spirit. His face is broad and his outline is stretched, similar to Horus in human form and spirit, both possessing a level of classical elegance. The vague solemnity solidified this face, transforming him from a person similar to a handsome stone sculpture to a lifelike stone sculpture.
Hasta Sejanus, Crescent Moon of the Council of Four Kings. I was flattered by his arrival.
He came here with a commission. I am not sure whether it is an order or an order this time, because I told him first that I would not ask for any reward, just as a consolation gift in this special season. What's more, I told him that there is no need for money and trade in the Spirit of Vengeance.
He smiled at me, and even though I have lived with them for more than a hundred years, I still feel proud of this fleeting, shadow-like smile. Sejanus told me that he needed five rings, with moon themes, for new moon, half moon, gibbous moon and full moon, with the fifth ring for a moonless night.
I think I know who all these rings will be given to, except for the fifth one. I hesitated among "The Twister" Mallowhurst and several other well-known generals, not sure who Sejanus had in mind. I wish I could confirm this. character. temperament. The silver ring I design must be custom made to fit the hand it will go on.
When Sejanus came for the second time, I mustered up the courage to ask him. Unexpectedly, he sat down next to me - still so huge, like a hill on a satellite, towering impressively near me. A slight trace of a mild-smelling detergent used for cleaning was revealed. I realized he had just returned from a war.
A war against what? I thought, are they still those restless people? Those fanatics who surrender their brains to others?
No, actually they are all the same. Everyone will definitely entrust their pride to something, maybe it is a creation in their own hands, maybe it is an idea that they are proud of. It's the same as a creed. Whichever thing you put your mind on is your own choice.
Sejanus said that the fifth ring belonged to Gavier Loken. Although Horus Luperkar is currently far away in Terra, the Luna Wolves cannot be separated. All work still needs to continue, and all facilities are still operating. What greets the returning Wolf Shepherd must be a thriving wolf The group still has the faith to shout to the moon.
The fifth person of the Shadow Moon Council is a brand new decision. An unusual reform. An inspiring symbol.
And they really need a companion who can maintain a calm vision in the chaos and accompany them to continue to fulfill their fighting oath.
It's a good thing that Sejanus never lacks the courage and vision to take the first step. But for some reason, as I listened to him, I felt a pang of sadness.
The fact that Horus Luperkar was sleeping touched me for the second time, this time more fiercely, like a rushing moonlit river rushing towards my head, and the river water hit me like a pale iron block. On the body. I thanked Sejanus for the information, and when I said goodbye to him, I felt he was even more lost than I was.
I think this is because he is taking on the sole responsibility of the Legion Commander, yes that is what he is doing. And a mortal may be no different to them than an automatic tape recorder, and talking about problems to a living person is not as silly as talking to oneself into a tape recorder. Memoirs was a compromise choice, and he happened to have a commission to entrust to me.
When I was drawing the drawings, I kept thinking about how I would arrange each pattern to make them fit the needs of Sejanus and the Shadow Moon Council. This is a semi-mourning meeting, and I won't make the heraldry too fancy. But it can’t be too plain, as that will make everything less unique.
Sejanus came to visit us for the third time. I was ashamed to tell him that the mold side had been unable to meet the schedule recently, and I couldn’t even get a batch of samples. He told me it didn't matter, and after a while he asked if I would be interested in designing something simpler.
“We decided to promote the association system,” he said, shrugging sadly, “to stabilize our internal friendship. The tactical characteristics of the Luna Wolves are suitable for the development of associations, and a single individual is not enough to withstand the current situation. The storm within the empire. The warrior association needs a more universal mark for each of us to belong to. "
I thought about many ideas, we discussed shoulder pads, badges, emblems, Cuffs, necklaces, rings.
“Where are the coins?” I said. "The moon is carved on the front and the wolf head is carved on the back."
"Why?"
"In the myth of my hometown, each of us needs a coin to hand to the boatman to cross the river of sorrow."
Sejanus smiled, The smile is very shallow. His eyes sparkled.
“Please,” he said.
The river of sadness. When I said these words, I accidentally thought of the Word Bearers.
You can't blame me for this. The Word Bearers' reputation has become so loud in the universe that even a person like me who doesn't hear what's going on outside the portholes knows how much waves the Nicaea incident has caused in the galaxy. . They're a sad bunch, we all say so.
Especially those who have true words, those who have unpredictable thoughts.
The first person to support Perturabo becoming Warmaster, the first person to oppose Perturabo, and the first person to be put under house arrest by Perturabo using his authority as Warmaster. .
This contrast of ups and downs has been spread in the hands of the imperial propaganda machine, and this kind of conflict that contains countless secrets is what people like to talk about in the tavern after a day of work. When one of my fellow memoirists held up the Book of Holy Words and told me that she too was opposed to the revision of Imperial Truth, I looked at her in horror, wondering how she could say such a thing. "Aurelion punished himself with molten armor," she said, "which many of us believe was his penance for electing Perturabo."
"I'm not one of many of you," I said bitterly, not liking to think too much about the implications. "Besides, I like Perturabo. He is the ultimate goal of us designers. So you'd better not criticize him in front of me, otherwise I will say that Lorgar Aurelion burned so many cherished legacy of the old night. What a waste."
She suppressed the rest of her words. She was actually very talkative without mentioning the Book of Psalms.
I breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help but think to myself - even a memorizer holds this view.
The coins for the Warrior Guild were quickly designed, as this was required for mass production, and I simplified the heraldic markings, which made everything easier. The mold factory sent a sample of the coin. The finished product is about the same size as a Space Marine's knuckle. The heraldic seal is clearly engraved, and its toughness and hardness are also commendable.
I await the next time Sejanus comes to me so I can tell him that I have fulfilled his commission.
He never came, and my anticipation gradually turned into worry. I discovered that I was afraid that the Crescent Moon of the Shadowmoon Council would die in some unknown battle, and sometimes that's what happened.
Or, we all know that the recent subspace environment is not peaceful, with storms all around, navigators frequently sending feedback that the way forward is unclear, and astropaths screaming and blowing their heads off. . The Sun Star Territory was completely enveloped by the chaotic force field, except for the Word Bearers who bravely charged in without fear of death.
Yes, they recently ran away from the Iron Warriors, moving at an astonishing speed, and it took them a few weeks to complete the subspace route that took several months. Simply a religious miracle.
You can imagine how angry the Fourth Legion was.
In short, I hope that Sejanus did not crash because of this. It would be a pity and would make me suddenly feel that the world is meaningless.
Privately, I am a firm believer in the truth of the Empire. This does not mean that I do not believe in the existence of spiritual energy, but it means that I believe that above everything, there is no supreme will that exists in all things, and our destiny is not determined by an absolute existence. As for those powerful beings under our control, they are just beings that we don’t understand.
The ancient Terra sage said - as if it were a heresy, perhaps - the ancient Terra sage said that if God did not exist, then everything would be allowed.
Therefore, fate no longer serves as an excuse for our actions. We cannot explain our actions by saying that this is God's will. Those who do good may not necessarily have a good ending, and those who abide by morality may not necessarily receive awards. Without God to guarantee these things, the world would just exist.
Despite this, I still ambivalently hope that Sejanus can get results worthy of his efforts. If God can really guarantee that good will come to you, then let Him do it. I thought pessimistically.
“That was a mistake,” said Calcacia as we chatted. “The master of the Fourth Legion should not have been the Warmaster.”
"Watch your words. Even if you think this position should belong to Lord Horus..."
"No, you are wrong, I just don't think this position should exist. The Council of Terra is rising, The center of power in the empire is shifting, and the core of political focus has shifted from violence to economics and internal administration. At this time, it is necessary to give a single warlord command of the force of millions of troops..."
"You should go to the gate of the palace. Post your limericks so we don't have to listen to what you say here."
"Because my insights will elevate my status?"
"Because your eloquence will get you in the head. Sent to the point of the Custodes’ spear.”
"No, let's think about it. The great emperor didn't even divide the duties and responsibilities, except for the sentence that the Warmaster will be the leader of all legions... This is the entire commission. You see, they also attached the authorization to the planetary governor. Gift eight hundred pages of documents and regulations..."
"I think you drank too much," said Euphrates, "really."
"But that's it," I said, "that's the deal. It’s already here.”
It was at this moment that the world began to shake, the lights on the ceiling went out in an instant, and a roar of anger surged from the bottom of the world with strong hatred. As if with a bang, black light exploded brightly in front of my eyes, taking away everything I could think about. I rolled to the ground, terrified.
Did the Spirit of Vengeance hit an asteroid? Or is the world finally destroyed?
Soon after, the lights came on again, and the radio told us to calm down. A violent storm had just broken out in the subspace, which had some impact on the real universe, but everything was recovering quickly. Don't worry, everyone, you must believe in the power of the emperor. All kinds of things.
When Sejanus found me for the last time, I should have breathed a sigh of relief, but his look made me feel completely tense. Devastated, in disbelief. If only these words could be applied to a Space Marine without being considered blasphemy.
I gave him the five rings. He thanked me, but absentmindedly, leaving me feeling unfulfilled.
When I handed the coin to him, he was obviously more interested. He held up a coin and rubbed it between his fingers to observe its texture.
“We originally decided to use this coin to support the oath of war,” Sejanus said. “A drop of blood on the moon represents purity like the moon; a drop of blood on the head of a wolf represents conquest and destruction.”< br>
"Oh, good..." I didn't know how to answer. "Would you like to try it next time in actual combat?"
He was silent for a while. "Of course." he said.
“Are you going to fight again?”
“Yes.”
“Where is the need for pacification operations again?”
"Yes...and no. We finally contacted Terra and got a new instruction."
I didn't dare to ask what it was, but fortunately Sejanus spoke himself.
"Prospero," he trembled, "Terra declares that Magnus has betrayed the Imperium of Man and destroyed any hope for the throne. Next, our target is Prospero. ”
(End of this chapter)