Aboard the Shadow's Sovereignty, Primarch's Office.
Nareth slid the data crystal offered by Hathor Maat across the desk towards Arsena Dunn and spoke.
"I think you'll be interested in the contents concerning the Dragon Realm."
"My Lord, I am very interested in this ancient realm." Arsena, who spent his free time buried in mysteries found in books and data-slates, his eyes lit up.
"Issue an order: throughout all Legion territories, public plazas are to be constructed as a welfare measure for the populace. They are to practice the Dragon Realm's Taijiquan."
Nareth remembered that the Thousand Sons would supervise the populace practicing Taijiquan in the squares of Tizca.
People found tranquility in the gentle and precise movements, soothing their troubled minds with repetitive cycles and elegant harmony.
Tizca had a large number of mutants and psykers, and it was through this method that the Thousand Sons controlled the potential danger.
Until the destruction of Tizca at the "Burning of Prospero," Tizca remained unaffected.
After arriving in Tizca with the Emperor, Nareth had not observed the promotion and use of Taijiquan, clearly a secret the Thousand Sons had obtained from the Morningstar Rescue operation.
Upon examining it, he found it significantly different from the simplified version he knew.
The biggest difference was the many repetitive, cyclical movements. Each movement needed to be repeated at least five times to achieve tranquility of mind.
Nareth speculated that during the colony ship's journey to Morningstar, when psychic awakening influenced by Shai-tan began among the crew, the Dragon Realms crew had improved Taijiquan based on their knowledge.
Although Taijiquan couldn't match the effects of Blanks, Sanctioned Psykers, or even protective runes, its greatest advantage was the low cost. Anyone could learn it.
The only resource required was time.
This formed the defensive line Nareth designed for ordinary humans against Chaos.
For the Shadow of Order, he constructed three additional defenses.
The outermost defense was the Thelema mindstate, which forged an unbreakable will.
Willpower was the greatest weapon against Chaos. The Astartes strengthened their will through ascetic-like daily training.
The Thelema mindstate, personally created by Nareth for his sons, strengthened their will while suppressing the drawbacks caused by heightened perception.
The middle defense involved the Legion's Visionary Pathway Chaplains, followed by purification by the Sun Pathway beyonders.
The final defense was the Kingdom of Disorder.
All core Legion members could pray to the Black Emperor if they found themselves unable to resist corruption.
At the same time, if someone became corrupted without being discovered and was pulled into the sefiroth, they would be detected as an invading force and the corrupting power would be expelled.
"After you've reviewed it, pass it on to the Forge Lord and the Chief Librarian. Have them research the spectral constructs together."
"Study the craft of the constructs. Learn from the wisdom within."
"Attempt to create psychic-powered constructs, but do not use methods that summon Warp entities." Nareth cautioned seriously.
In Nareth's memory, the Thousand Sons during the Heresy era did not possess the skill to create spectral constructs. They only encountered them while searching for fragments of Magnus.
Unable to find a suitable host body, the vizier Greater Daemon of Tzeentch, Kairos Fateweaver, temporarily inhabited one of these constructs.
He then incited Hathor Maat, suffering from flesh-change, to tamper with the Book of Magnus.
Later, he made a deal with Ahriman, obtaining Hathor Maat's body and thus manifesting in the real world.
Hathor, using the abilities and hints Nareth had granted him, had discovered a colony ship that should have been destroyed, obtaining from it the secrets of the Dragon Realm's spectral construct creation.
Arsena took this seriously and carefully noted it down.
As he walked out of the Primarch's Office, Lucius stood at the door of Akurduana's quarters.
He knocked on the rune. After a longer wait than expected, six seconds, the door opened.
Lucius entered the quarters. The accommodations the Primarch's Aide had prepared for the 2nd Company Captain were much larger than his own as a new recruit.
The quarters were spacious, enough to accommodate Lord Akurduana's easel.
After opening the door, he immediately returned to his easel stand.
Lucius frowned slightly. He had requested to join the task force to refine his swordsmanship.
He wanted to seize every opportunity to cross swords with the First Sword of the Palatine, to bring his own swordsmanship to perfection.
But he felt he wouldn't get that chance today.
Akurduana, unlike other commanders who were arrogant, was warm and sincere to people, except when he was painting.
"My Lord."
Lucius saw that the warm Akurduana did not turn his head. His brush left the parchment as he asked,
"Lucius, what is it?"
"My Lord, I wished to practice swordsmanship with you."
"Apologies," Akurduana said with regret, finally looking away from his canvas. "I have something more important to do now."
"Your painting?" Lucius frowned. He couldn't understand anything being more important than swordsmanship.
"Correct." Noticing Lucius's disappointment, Akurduana patiently explained to the rising star he favored.
"Inspiration is fleeting. I must seize it while it's here."
"May I see it?" Lucius wanted to know what Akurduana was painting, and more importantly, how long it would take.
Akurduana pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Though an unfinished work shouldn't be viewed, especially considering the subject of my painting is perfection."
"But Lucius, I'll make an exception for you."
Lucius walked to the easel and gazed intently.
He glanced at it and felt disappointed. The painting was only outlined in rough form, far from completion.
The next instant, he caught sight of a pair of wings.
'Wings!'
Lucius knew only two Primarchs possessed wings, Lord Nareth and Lord Sanguinius.
Considering they were aboard the Shadow's Sovereignty, the subject of Lord Akurduana's painting was obvious.
"Lord Nareth. You are painting Lord Nareth."
"Correct. It's a challenge, so I cannot be distracted, nor can I interrupt the process." Akurduana's gaze returned to the canvas.
"I understand," Lucius said, leaving the quarters.
In his mind, based on rumors, he sketched an image of Nareth: black armor, golden wings, a spear on his back, a power gauntlet, and...
A power sword blazing with blue-white light.
Lucius's eyes shone.
'Only Lord Nareth can match Father's swordsmanship. Even the Lion cannot compare.'
He walked towards the training deck, his gaze lingering on the waists and shoulder guards of various Shadows of Orders.
'The Seventh and Eighth Chapters are both renowned for swordsmanship, especially the Eighth Chapter...'
After scrutinizing for a while without finding a suitable target, he entered the training deck.
Lucius picked up a practice sword from the rack. The Emperor's Children rotated through various weapon training, striving for perfection in all aspects.
In the entire Legion, only he and Akurduana focused solely on honing their swordsmanship.
He tapped on the panel of the weapon training room. The training cage activated.
'I hope Shadows of Order's training cage is better.'
Lucius thought proudly. He had already worn out one from his own Legion with his bare hands.
As the training dummy descended, Lucius flicked his wrist. His blade thrust rapidly.
Lucius sweated profusely on the training deck. After one standard voyage week, he still hadn't heard from Lord Akurduana.
Frustrated, he once again entered Akurduana's Captain's quarters.
Akurduana set down his brush and was about to speak to Lucius when his communicator suddenly buzzed.
Activating it, he heard the voice of his adjutant, Solomon Demeter.
"Company Captain, the fleet has transitioned to realspace."
"I am attending Lord Nareth. You will command the fleet." Akurduana said with confidence. All Emperor's Children knew he lacked the command abilities of Eidolon or Vespasian.
His command talent was only half of Demeter's. It was his unparalleled, unmatched swordsmanship that earned him the title Fulgrim's Firstborn" among the Emperor's Children.
"As you command, my Lord. I will share tactical imagery with your tactical network."
"Lucius." Lucius met Lord Akurduana's eyes, feeling as if facing two sharp blades. His heart beat with excitement.
"Come with me to the bridge." Lucius's heart pounded. He had never seen his own gene-father, yet he had the fortune to witness another Primarch in person, and one who was a supreme swordsman.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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