'What do you mean?'
'It's not a bloody swamp, for a start,’ interjected Torgaddon.
'It would be an honour if you'd go into battle with Locasta, Garvi,’ said Vipus expectantly. 'I have a space in the drop-pod,’
The honour is mine,’ replied Loken, taking his friend's hand as a sudden thought occurred to him. 'Count me in,’
He nodded to his friends and made his way through the bustling Astartes towards the solitary figure of Iacton Qruze. The Half-heard watched the preparations for war with undisguised envy and Loken felt a stab of sympathy for the venerable warВrior. Qruze was an example of just how little even the Legion's apothecaries knew of an Astartes' physВiology. His face was as battered and gnarled as ancient oak, but his body was as wolf-tough, honed by years of fighting and not yet made weary by age.
me bore you with this before, but I feel in my bones that there's something big just over the horizon that we can't see. If these people help keep us honest, then that's good enough for me. Consider it done, Captain Loken,’
'Thank you, Iacton,' said Loken. 'It means a lot to me.'
'Don't mention it boy,’ grinned Qruze. 'Now get out of here and kill for the living.'
'I will,’ promised Loken, taking Qruze's wrist in the warrior's grip.
'Speartip units to posts,’ said the booming voice of the deck officer.
'Good hunting in the Sirenhold,’ said Qruze. 'Lupercal!'
'Lupercal!' echoed Loken.
As he jogged towards Locasta's drop-pod, it almost felt as if the events of Davin were forgotten and Loken was just a warrior again, fighting a cruВsade that had to be won and an enemy that deserved to die.
It took war to make him feel like one of the Sons of Horas again.
'To victory! ' shouted Lucius.
The Emperor's Children were so certain of the perfection of their way of war that it was traditional to salute the victory before it was won. Tarvitz was not surprised that Lucius led the salute; many senior officers attended the pre-battle celebration and Lucius was keen to be noticed. The Astartes
An Astartes was functionally immortal, meaning that only in death did duty end, and the thought sent a chill down Loken's spine.
'Loken,’ acknowledged Qruze as he saw him approach.
'You're not coming down to see the sights of the Sirenhold with us?' asked Loken.
'Alas, no,’ said Qruze. 'I am to stay and await orders. I haven't even got a place in the order of batВtle for the pacification force,’
'If the Warmaster has no plans for you, Iacton, then I have something you could do for me,’ said Loken, 'if you would do me the honour?'
Qruze's eyes narrowed. 'What sort of a favour?'
'Nothing too arduous, I promise you.'
'Then ask,’
'There are some remembrancers aboard, you may have heard of them: Mersadie Oliton, Euphrati Keeler and Kyril Sindermann?'
"Yes, I know of them,’ confirmed Qruze. 'What of them?'
'They are… friends of mine and I would consider it an honour if you were to seek them out and ask after them. Check on them and make sure that they are well,’
'Why do these mortals matter to you, captain?'
'They keep me honest, Iacton,’ smiled Loken, 'and they remind me of everything we ought to be as Astartes,’
'That I can understand, Loken,’ replied Qruze. 'The Legion is changing, boy. I know you've heard
seated at the lavish banquet around him joined his salute, their cheers echoing from the alabaster walls of the banqueting hall. Captured banners, hon-oured weapons once carried by the Chosen of Fulgrim and murals of heroes despatching alien foes hung from the walls, glorious reminders of past victories.
The primarch himself was not present, thus it fell to Eidolon to take his place at the feast, exhorting his fellow Astartes to celebrate the coming victory. Lucius was equally vocal, leading his fellow warВriors in toasts from golden chalices of fine wine.
Tarvitz set down his goblet and rose from the table.
'Leaving already, Tarvitz?' sneered Eidolon.
'Yes!' chimed in Lucius. 'We've only just begun to celebrate!'
'I'm sure you will do enough celebrating for both of us, Lucius,’ said Tarvitz. 'I have matters to attend to before we make the drop,’
'Nonsense!' said Lucius. 'You need to stay with us and regale us with memories of Murder and how I helped you defeat the scourge of the megarachnids,’
The warriors cheered and called for Tarvitz to tell the story once more, but he held up his hands to quiet their demands.
'Why don't you tell it, Lucius?' asked Tarvitz. 'I don't think I build your part up enough for your liking anyway,’
'That's true,’ smiled Lucius. 'Very well, I'll tell
the tale,’
'Lord commander,’ said Tarvitz, bowing to
Eidolon and then turning to make his way through the golden door of the banquet hall. Appealing to Lucius's vanity was the surest way of deflecting his attention. Tarvitz would miss the camaraderie of the celebration, but he had other matters pressing on his thoughts.
He closed the door to the banqueting hall as Lucius began the tale of their ill-fated expedition to Murder, though its horrifying beginnings had somehow become a great triumph, largely thanks to Lucius, if past retellings were anything to go by.
The magnificent processional at the heart of the Andronius was quiet, the droning hum of the vessel reassuring in its constancy. The ship, like many in the Emperor's Children fleet, resembled some ancient palace of Terra, reflecting the Legion's desire to infuse everything with regal majesty.
Tarvitz made his way through the ship, passing wondrous spaces that would make the shipwrights of Jupiter weep with awe, until he reached the Hall of Rites, the circular chamber where the Emperor's Children underwent the oaths and ceremonies that tied them to their Legion. Compared to the rest of the ship, the hall was dark, but it was no less magВnificent: marble columns supporting a distant domed ceiling, and ritual altars of marble glittering in pools of shadow at its edges.
Fulgrim's Chosen had pledged themselves to the primarch's personal charge here, and he had accepted his appointment as captain before the
Altar of Service. The Hall of Rites replaced opulence with gravity, and seemed designed to intimidate with the promise of knowledge hidden from all but the Legion's most exalted officers.
Tarvitz paused on the threshold, seeing the unmistakable shape of Ancient Rylanor, his dreadВnought body standing before the Altar of Devotion.