Warhammer: The 11th Primarch - The Black Emperor Chapter 704 - 703: You Are Not Exiled by Corax, You Are Give

922.M30.

Terra orbit, aboard the Nicor.

Arkhas Fal, the forr Legion Master of the 19th, walked down the ramp of the Aquila Lander, his expression somber.

The Honor Guard mbers paused. Even the youngest among them, who had followed Arkhas for over thirteen years, could sense the subtle change in his mood.

Since the return of his gene-father, Corvus Corax, Arkhas's usually calm eyes had glead with brilliant light. Now, a lingering gloom had gathered in them.

His pale skin grew paler. His black pupils were vacant.

He looked at his Honor Guard. He did not explain. He said to his Captain.

"Take the item the Emperor entrusted to to my private armory."

"As you command." The Captain's voice was cold. He showed no joy at being trusted by the Lord of Humanity with a glorious task.

The Honor Guard watched Arkhas leave, uneasily, then silently followed the Captain.

"You will know soon enough..." The Captain faced their questioning gazes. "Lord Arkhas will announce our future fate before we set sail."

His voice was low. His eyes were grey.

In his Captain's quarters, Arkhas had his servitors remove his power armor in silence.

He grabbed a black robe, quickly put it on, and strode to an inner chamber.

He pressed his hand to the control panel. A green rune lit up.

The mont the door opened, he walked in, eager.

He quickly checked the altar, confirming the candles and the placent of The Monarch's Iron Code. Then, using a ritual knife made of dual-numbered black gold, he created a psychic environnt. He knelt on a black onyx cushion and recited the formal liturgy in Dunnic:

"Black Emperor of Shadows of Order,"

"..."

"I beseech thy gaze."

His eyes dimd. He continued.

"I pray to thee. I, and fifteen thousand two hundred thirteen Terran-born, have been exiled by our Primarch."

"We are being sent to the Imperium's borders, to ceaselessly seek out and destroy all enemies of humanity."

His voice was low. He hadn't expected to fall so far.

He was the first Legion Master to be exiled. He had been abandoned by his father.

Lost, Arkhas held onto his last shred of hope, praying to the Black Emperor.

"I beseech thy favor! I beseech thy guidance!"

He repeated the prayer. He felt ti slow in the silent chamber.

He prayed uneasily. On the third repetition, black mist rose around him.

An ethereal gate opened with a howl. An irresistible force enveloped him. The gloom in his eyes began to dissolve.

Seeing the majestic figure enthroned in the black mist, he imdiately knelt.

"My Lord."

Nareth looked down at the kneeling Arkhas. The "ntor of Disorder" saw the greyness coiling around his spirit, and the flickering specks of orange hope.

"Do not worry."

The Black Emperor's voice was calm and firm. Arkhas's unease instantly dissolved. He reported, sowhat puzzled.

"Our first eting was cordial."

"But when I saw him again yesterday, he coldly asked about our past campaigns."

"After hearing my report, he accused and the Terran-born of being too brutal. He gave no chance to explain. He exiled and most of the Terran-born."

Nareth nodded. He knew Corax had reviewed the War Council's records.

Three decisive factors had led Corax to this decision.

The Emperor had trained the Terran-born to be brutal warriors.

He did not voice this reason. It was not appropriate to ntion when Arkhas was uneasy and sensitive. He would suspect Nareth was blaming him and the Terran-born.

He gave the other two reasons.

"The Emperor placed the 19th Legion under Horus's command. You were his sharp blade."

"He gave you many bloody missions, ones that would tarnish the Luna Wolves' glorious image."

Arkhas frowned. If it were anyone but the Black Emperor, he would have imdiately rebuked them for insulting Lord Horus.

But the words ca from the Black Emperor. He instinctively obeyed the "Majesty" and recalled the past.

"So Primarchs wouldn't care. They wouldn't exile you. But you have Corax."

Guilliman also disliked the Terran-born, but he didn't exile them. He simply treated them as a necessary evil for carrying out Exterminatus.

"Corax landed on Deliverance. He was raised by slave laborers. He watched them work day and night under the guns of ard guards."

"He sees you as the guards who oppressed the slaves."

Arkhas understood. "I see."

He recalled Corax's cold distance. His face darkened.

He knew he and the Terran-born were permanently exiled. They would never be recalled.

Nareth looked down at him. He pointed out Horus's intentions to sever Arkhas's good feelings towards him. ntioning Corax's past was to cut off his illusions.

The Carcharadons were a force beyond the sight of all factions. A wild card whose allegiance would be hard for enemies to judge.

"You are not exiled by Corax. You are freed from chains."

"You are given a new life. From this day forward, you need only follow My commands."

Arkhas's eyes lit up. His sense of loss and confusion vanished. He looked devoutly at the throne, at the Black Emperor he would serve for life.

"My Lord, command ."

The "ntor of Disorder" looked at the "Wind-Blessed's" seamless, pale blue spirit. He knew he had digested the potion.

"You will go to Naktis imdiately. I will grant you new power."

"En route, select capable trusted n. I will grant them power."

Previously, besides those he had "taken," he had not cultivated followers in other Legions.

On one hand, their loyalty was unproven. Even Shadows of Orders required his personal review and inspection. Even more so for other Primarchs' sons.

On the other hand, large-scale cultivating warriors from other Legions would be easy to expose.

But now, the Carcharadons were exiled. There were fewer concerns. He included them in his beyonders cultivation program.

"Prioritize those from the gene-seed I have granted you." Since "corroding" Arkhas in 862, over sixty years, he had "corroded" 1,369 gene-seed.

This did not include Nerat Kirine's and Alastor Rusha's companies.

"The Storm Lord will send them to ."

"They will assist you when they return."

With a turn of his hand, a data-crystal appeared.

With a thought, the gleaming crystal fell into Arkhas's hand.

"For the next eighty years, your task is to find the horn fragnt ntioned in the crystal."

The "Detectives" led by the "Polymath" Arsena, studying the Hrud's mycelium books, had deduced that a region beyond the eastern galactic edge held a domain Be'lakor once ruled.

Using the Blade of Shadows as a focus, he had recently divined with the Dice of Prophecy, obtaining the star chart to that world.

The "Winner" John had further divined, confirming the level of danger. He then decided to assign this task to the Carcharadons.

Arkhas's eyes lit up. The Black Emperor's task, like a shining beacon, dispelled the fog ahead.

His Chapter had a clear goal.

"My Lord, By Your will."

His eyes regained their forr resolute calm. He continued.

"My Lord, after being exiled, the Emperor entrusted an item to ."

"The Void Glass."

Nareth's eyes lit up. The Emperor had, as in his mory, entrusted the Void Glass to the Great Rembrancer.

It was the Emperor's contingency for a dark future of the Imperium.

He knew the Void Glass was different from the Dionysian Spear. It was not made by the Emperor. He instructed.

"Offer it to ."

Monts later, a strangely shaped piece of black glass appeared in his hand.

....

Term Correction

Shrieking Void -> Void Glass

....

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

[email protected]/DaoistJinzu