Warhammer 40k: Shattered Steel Soul

Chapter 468 Preface Wolf Blood Oath

After the fall of Primarch Horus Lupercal, the atmosphere of mourning has been pervasive in 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 tin soldiers dancing in a music box. As long as the Empire was still turning those springs, they would move endlessly on the same track: leaving from one short-distance battle after another on a transport ship, reappearing in a hangar with slightly burnt and faded walls after a period of real time, raising their arms to make a sky eagle and then putting them down, returning to the compartment to maintain their bodies for a while, waiting for the next collective action.

These metaphors were written by my memoir companion, and since Lupercal fell, the fun in his words has been restrained too much. The slumber of Master Horus made a certain temperament in us fall into a long silence. I think I haven't heard real laughter for a long time, the kind of excessive, hearty laughter that needs to be scolded by officers, and the unrestricted playfulness and the marks of friendship left on the face.

I have never really witnessed one of them. Mesati said they were invincible, and Carcassi said they scratched and scratched.

I heard that even the servitors were no longer assigned related cleaning tasks, and no longer needed to apply cleaning foam on the top of their right tentacles, and hold buckets and synthetic fiber cloths on the left. Is this true? In any case, I think at least before Master Horus wakes up, I will hardly have the opportunity to see the lights of the arena turn on again.

All these situations are not good news for me. It is in this way that the influence of Master Horus's "temporary departure" - we all use this gentle term now, as if the power of words can touch reality - directly and irresistibly hangs over me.

Because I am not keen on war, and I am not good at depicting war.

I was brought to the Vengeful Spirit more than a hundred years ago because I had made a reliquary according to the orders (or orders? I prefer orders, because I was paid twice) of the 10th Legion Iron Hands. My skills impressed the commander, and I was extremely grateful to the Iron Hands for giving me this opportunity.

One day, two extraordinary mortals knocked on my door in Terra, one in black robes and the other with white hair. When I opened the door, they were arguing whether I should go to the 4th Legion or the 16th Legion, and I chose the latter.

The reason was actually a bit absurd. I confused the Iron Warriors and the Iron Hands, so I decided to go to the Shadow Moon Wolves to find inspiration that I had never met. But even though I figured it out quickly, I never regretted it - wanting to visit other legions is another matter, and I can't deny how much I want to visit the Great Pyramid of Prospero.

I appreciate the atmosphere of the Vengeful Spirit, even though I know we have never been one of them.

But all this ended after the assassination of Master Horus.

The Luna Wolves lost their pack leader, or rather, the wolf shepherd god. It was like the center of a complex knot suddenly burned off, and the remaining knots were all on the verge of falling apart.

The era of intimacy ended, and the bond between wolves became as thin as a hair. Perhaps the Luna Wolves were only one step away from falling apart, and Lord Horus's awakening was still infinitely far away. At such a time, war suddenly became the most effective means to keep the Sixteenth Legion as a whole.

In this year, there was only war.

It was at this time that a noble warrior found me in the design hall of the Vengeful Spirit. His face was broad and his contours were stretched. He was similar to Lord Horus in appearance and spirit, and both had a classical elegance. The vague solemnity solidified this face, turning him from a person similar to a handsome stone sculpture into a lifelike stone sculpture.

Hasta Sejanus, the new moon of the Council of Four Kings. I was flattered by his arrival.

He came here with a commission. I'm not sure if it was an order or an order this time, because I told him in advance that I would not ask for any reward, just as a gift of comfort in this special season. Besides, I told him that there was no place for money in the Spirit of Vengeance.

He smiled at me, and even though I had lived with them for more than a hundred years, I still felt proud of this fleeting, shadowy smile. Cyjanus told me that he needed five rings with the moon as the theme, namely the new moon, half moon, gibbous moon and full moon, and the fifth one was the moonless night.

I think I know who these rings will be given to, except the fifth one. I hesitated between "Twister" Malohurst and several other famous generals, not sure who Cyjanus had in mind. I hope I can confirm this. Personality. Temperament. The silver ring I designed must be tailored to match the hand it will go to.

When Cyjanus came the second time, I plucked up the courage to ask him. Unexpectedly, he sat down next to me—still huge, like a mountain on a satellite, looming over me. The faint smell of some kind of cleaning agent lingered. I realized he had just returned from a war.

A war against what? I thought, was it those restless people? Those fanatics who gave away their brains?

No, it's actually all the same. Everyone will definitely put their pride in 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 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, all facilities are still operating, and 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 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. 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 it's because he's taking on the sole responsibility of being the Legion Commander, and yes, that's what he's 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 the door for the third time, and I told him with shame 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 tactics of the Luna Wolves are suitable for the development of associations, and a single individual is not enough to withstand the current storm in the empire. Warrior Associations need more universal markers for each of us to belong. Do you have an opinion?”

I came up with a lot of ideas, we talked about pauldrons, badges, sigils, epaulettes, cuffs, necklaces, rings.

"Where are the coins?" I said. "The moon is carved on the front and the wolf's 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, a small smile. His eyes sparkled.

"Please," he said.

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 listen to 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 ascending to the position of Warmaster was also the first person to oppose Perturabo, and he was also the first person to be put under house arrest by Perturabo using his authority as Warmaster.

This contrast of ups and downs has been propagated 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's 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. "Many of us believe this 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 choked back the rest of her words. She was actually very talkative without mentioning the Book of Sages.

I breathed a sigh of relief, but couldn't help but think to myself - even a mementoman held this view.

The coins for the warrior societies 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 size of a Space Marine's knuckle. The heraldic seal is clearly engraved, and its toughness and hardness are also commendable.

I waited for the next time Sejanus came to see me, so that I could tell him that I had 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 maybe, we all know that the recent warp 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 in a 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, taking several months to complete the subspace route in a few weeks. Simply a religious miracle.

You can imagine how angry the Fourth Army was.

Anyway, I hope Sejanus didn't crash because of this, it would be a shame and it would make me suddenly feel like 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 Terran sages said - as if heretical, perhaps - the ancient Terran sages said that if God did not exist, then everything would be permissible.

Therefore, our actions no longer have fate as an excuse. 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.

Still, I ambivalently hope Sejanus gets 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," Calcacia said as we chatted. "The master of the Fourth Legion should not be the Warmaster."

"Watch your words. Even if you think this position should belong to Lord Horus..."

"No, you are mistaken. I just think that this position should not exist. The Terran Council is rising, the center of power in the empire is shifting, and the core of political focus is shifting from violence to economics and internal administration. At this time, it is necessary to give a A single warlord commanded the force of an army of millions..."

"You should post your limericks at the entrance of the palace, so that we don't have to listen to you chatting here."

"Because my insights will elevate my status?"

"For your eloquence will send your head 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. 800 pages of documents and regulations as a gift..."

"I think you've had too much to drink," said Euphrates, "really."

"But that's it," I said, "that's it."

It was at this moment that the world began to shake, and the lights on the ceiling were extinguished in an instant. A roar of anger and strong hatred surged out from the bottom of the world in an instant. It was like a loud noise, and a black light shone brightly in front of my eyes. The ground exploded, taking away everything I could think about. I rolled to the ground, terrified.

The Spirit of Vengeance crashed into 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 effects 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 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."

"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 on an expedition again?"

"right."

"Where is the need for pacification operations again?"

"Yes...and no. We finally contacted Terra and got a new order."

I didn't dare to ask what it was, but fortunately Sejanus spoke up 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."