Asava stepped up beside Gythor, he stood a head and a half shorter than the Death Guard's Goliath.
"Shadow of Order, have you come to hunt us down?"
His consciousness reached toward the figure encased within the Cataphractii Terminator armor, attempting to pry open the mind-lock with his Athanaean arts.
Asava's body shuddered, frost of black-green ice formed on his brows.
His consciousness felt as if it had struck an ice-sealed tomb.
"I am Keon." A cold voice came through the respirator grille.
Asava ascended to the eighth level of the Enumeration, boiling psychic energy melted the frost away.
His consciousness bypassed Keon and spread outward.
"Fel Zharost."
"You are powerful, but do the two of you think you can take all of us?"
Fel shrugged. "Keon mentioned that if force were required, he alone would suffice. He only asked me to prevent you from escaping."
Severian of the Luna Wolves vanished like a ghost, the Librarian disappeared from Tagore's and the others' perceptions without a trace.
Fel, former Chief Librarian of the Night Lords, stared at the blurry figure, sensing a mode of movement similar to the Night Lords and Raven Guard.
Tagore let out a roar, raising the broken halberd he had used to kill the Custodes, he had snapped off the mounted gun, leaving what looked like a long blade.
Suba wielded the Guardian Spear of the first fallen Custodes, both World Eaters charged at Keon at once.
The "Gatekeeper" Keon raised his arm and tapped his right brow lightly.
Ethereal light burst forth, rapidly shaping a pair of double doors.
With a chill wind blowing, ethereal figures flew out.
"Sorcerer!" Tagore spat, swinging his blade at one of the phantoms.
Whoosh!
The long blade sank into the spectral form, as if plunging into soft rubber.
Argentus Kylon raised his laughably small plasma pistol and aimed at Keon.
He was a top-tier marksman of the Emperor's Children, across the entire Legion, only Lord Commander Vespasian had ever beaten him in a contest.
A blazing beam pierced through the specters and shot toward the Shadows of Order.
From Keon, dark green feathers suddenly sprouted.
His dark green wings flapped, Keon rose into the air with a howl.
The blazing beam passed just beneath his feet, igniting a small sun in the air.
Severian's swinging fist halted, he looked up at the sky.
Asava's flames struck the ground, exploding in clouds of smoke and blasting Severian out of the shadows.
"I am not here to capture you."
"I am here, by our father's command to extend an invitation."
Tagore and the twins Asuba and Suba heard the mention of Nareth, the Butcher's Nails in their skulls twitched slightly.
They instinctively halted their attacks and looked up at Keon.
"Nareth?" Gythor frowned.
He had been the standard-bearer of the Dusk Raiders, one of the original seven.
When he had followed the Emperor in driving the tech-warlords from the equatorial ridges of Iapetus, he had even borne the Emperor's own banner.
Before Saturn's submission, he had led his surviving soldiers into the dark heart of the Cassini region.
Even if he would not follow his rebellious gene-father, he would follow the Emperor.
"I will not obey his orders."
Keon looked down at him, and matched him to the tallest figure mentioned in the Black Emperor's edict.
"Gythor, your father has turned traitor."
"You know his nature. The Emperor will not receive you."
Gythor's memories flowed, he recalled his moments following the Master of Mankind, and the long years he had spent in the Imperial Palace.
He knew that whatever had called the Emperor away from the Great Crusade must be of the utmost importance, and clearly, he would not make an exception for him.
If he were to serve a Primarch, Lord Nareth was clearly a good choice.
He had taken in the survivors of the 2nd Legion.
"I will go and find my gene-father," Argentus said.
Keon recalled the deadly beam he had fired. "Fulgrim and your Legion have already fallen."
"I must see it with my own eyes. If it is true, I will turn my weapon against him."
Keon pulled out a data-slate and tossed it to him.
"Read Vespasian's accusations."
Argentus caught the slate and quickly scanned through it.
Severian's gaze swept over the three World Eaters, and then over Gythor and Argentus, who were deep in thought.
"I am willing to follow Lord Nareth's orders."
He had already caught fragmented information from the psychic storm. He also knew that the Terran Guard would never trust a Son of Horus.
Lord Nareth was also the greatest rival to his rebellious father for the title of Warmaster.
"No!" Asava shouted, looking at the others.
"I need your help."
Keon looked down at the frail Kai Zulane, the Astropath lying unconscious against the archway after being dragged along by the Astartes.
"I will help you unlock the secrets contained within his mind."
Asava's frame shuddered. No one was meant to know his true plan, yet the Shadow of Order before him had stated it outright.
He stared gravely at Keon. "You are a prophet."
"No, my father informed me."
'So Lord Nareth also possesses prophetic power... He knows what lies within Kai Zulane's soul… This is my best option." With that thought, Asava finally spoke:
"I am willing to serve Lord Nareth."
Fel had expected a great battle, yet Keon had persuaded all seven fugitives with only a few words.
He thought it over: the three World Eaters and Severian were swayed by Lord Nareth's reputation.
The Emperor's Children, because Vespasian had sworn loyalty to Lord Nareth.
The Death Guard and the Thousand Son, because Lord Nareth had seen through their thoughts.
Fel suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, Lord Nareth, even without being present, could manipulate their minds.
Keon landed, then opened his comm and summoned an Aquila Lander, taking the seven to the safehouse.
After settling them, he went again to the altar and prayed to the Black Emperor.
"My Lord, in accordance with Your command, I have brought Asava and the others..."
Nareth nodded slightly. 'I have also saved the fates of six of them.'
He knew that among these exiled outcasts, originally only Severian had survived.
Severian had been captured by Yasu Nagasena, chief operative of Malcador's Knights-Errant, before being recruited by the Sigillite.
Tagore, who had torn a Custodes apart with his bare hands, had been killed by Nagasena in an evenly matched duel.
Though Nagasena was no Astartes, his swordsmanship was at the peak of mortal ability, he could even hold his own against Lucius for a time.
Of course, that was Lucius before his ascension, without any other Slaaneshi blessings.
Against the current "Dawn Paladin" Lucius, Nagasena would stand no chance.
Asuba and Suba were killed by Custodes Saturn Cronus Ishayu Holan.
Asava was shot in the head by Dorn.
Gythor was wounded during the Terran aerial interception, and the outcasts crashed near the City of Supplicants.
While he was receiving treatment, the Thunder Warrior Ghota, Babu Dhakal's lieutenant, struck, crushing Argentus Kylon with a hammer.
At the thought of Babu Dhakal, Nareth's eyes suddenly lit up.
Babu Dhakal had once been named Arik Taranis, a Primarch of the Thunder Warriors, who had won victory after victory for the Emperor and his armies.
Imperial records claimed he had died at the Battle of Mount Ararat, raising the Emperor's banner before his death, and that the Emperor had posthumously granted him the title "Lightning Bearer."
But in truth, he had not died. He had hidden within a Terran hive-city, founding his own gang, the Dhakal Gang.
Unlike most Thunder Warriors and their Primarchs, he was no mere killing machine.
He often studied knowledge and debated questions with the Emperor, especially in genetics.
Thus, using the genetic knowledge he had learned, he discovered that the Thunder Warriors carried an inherent flaw that drastically shortened their lifespans.
He had established a fully equipped genetic laboratory, working alongside Ghota to try and solve their inborn genetic defects.
He ultimately realized he needed a gene-seed, and so he attacked the outcasts.
'I've claimed the outcasts, Babu and Ghota have no path forward.'
'Hmm... I might as well give the Thunder Lord a hand, and claim him while I'm at it.'
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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