In Morley's Knox Hive, Mikhaeli, 2nd Company Captain of the 3rd Chapter, his eyes lit up.
The Qah that had scattered to Knox could finally no longer restrain their restless appetites.
He turned to look at the Honor Guard mbers beside him, clad in black armor, their pale skin a clear contrast to the lustrous complexion of Shadows of Order.
Their eyes, like Shadows of Order, were also black.
But unlike Shadows of Order' obsidian eyes, theirs were liquid black, without irises.
His gaze finally settled on the figure holding a force staff, wearing a psychic hood.
He recognized him. He was the forr Legion Master of the 19th Legion, the Pale Nomad of the 11th Chapter.
As a Court Viscount, he knew the Black Emperor had recently decreed that title belonged solely to the man before him.
The Chief Librarian of the Carcharodons.
"We will put most of the xenos to sleep. The rest are yours."
He reminded him: "My Lord wants the Qah brought before Him, not slaughtered."
"I know." The Pale Nomad's cold voice revealed sharp, shark-like teeth.
He watched the Pale Nomad lead the black-armored Sharks into the darkness.
"Move." The "Soul Asurer" Mikhaeli, leading other "Soul Asurers" and "Nightmares," ran swiftly.
He wore a Dominum Armor based on Mark III Iron-pattern power armor.
To leverage the agility gained as a "Sleepless" and "Midnight Poet," most Court mbers of the 3rd Chapter wore Mark III Iron-pattern armor.
Only a few "Baron of Corruptions," "Dawn Knights," and "Judges" wore Saturnine or Cataphractii Terminator armor.
Their strength also enhanced, they ran much faster than non-Court Shadows of Order in Mark II Crusade-pattern armor.
They were like speeding Land Speeders, quickly leaving the non-Court Shadows of Order behind.
Black-armored figures raced along the upper hive's wide, clean roads, towards the streams of fire.
The "Soul Asurer" Mikhaeli slowed when the rune on his helt display showed one hundred eighty ters.
His black pupils dilated, swallowing the whites.
Within one hundred seventy ters, ten rat-like xenos, running, slowed.
Their teal bodies coiled, as if wrapped around sothing.
Smiles of enjoynt crossed their faces. They were trapped in dreams, stealing the dreams of black-armored warriors.
THUD, THUD, THUD...
Fla-wreathed forms curled and rolled on the ground.
"Nightmares" flashed past them. They only stopped when the red runes appeared at one hundred twenty ters, pulling three or five xenos into dreams.
Shadows of Order following close behind passed the statue-like black-armored warriors.
They knew the Chapter's Court Brothers, using their gene-father's gifts, could not divide their attention. They had to complete the capture.
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK...
Crystal gauze, crafted by Techmarines, sprayed out, netting clumps of Qah.
Blue runes lit up. The flas rapidly dimd and vanished.
Just as they were about to secure their prizes, a dull, thudding sound was heard.
Groups of three xenos, dragging bolt guns, stumbled towards them.
These were the xenos that had devoured Shadows of Order' dreams, stealing the knowledge of how to use bolt guns.
The Shadows of Order were about to attack when a tide of black-armored warriors surged from the shadows on both sides of the street.
Chain weapons roaring, they charged the xenos.
The Qah raised their bolt guns and fired.
CRACK, CRACK, CRACK...
Overheated gun barrels exploded. The deafening blasts made the civilians cowering in their hos tremble.
Sparse barrages flew from the flas.
A bolt slamd into a Carcharodon's power pack.
CRASH!
The explosion tore the Shark's pale body apart.
Silently, the other Sharks passed their fallen brother, charging the enemy in orderly formation.
Silent hunters swung their roaring chain weapons at the xenos.
Sparks flew.
Falling stars of fire lit the Sharks' black armor, charring it black.
The Pale Nomad raised his staff, ready to unleash "Rending Maw," to tear the enemy apart.
He paused. He rembered Mikhaeli's reminder.
He thought of the forr Lord of Shadows of the 19th Legion, now the Great Rembrancer of the Carcharodons, Arkhas Fal, soaring through the air.
That was the power granted by Lord Nareth, whom he now served.
His liquid-black eyes shifted. His cold killing intent faded. The sweep of his staff turned into a high raise.
A blue beam shot from his psychic crystal, like a water curtain, spreading over the wide upper hive road.
Three hundred xenos' eyes reflected a deep sea. Darkness, suffocating, enveloped their minds.
Their brains were numbed by the deep sea's bone-chilling cold. They saw terrifying, giant sea creatures charging.
A giant octopus, a hundred tentacles reaching. A shark, island-sized, its maw open wide...
Three hundred xenos were suddenly pulled from the battlefield, plunged helpless beneath ancient, primordial waves.
Like drowning victims, they collapsed without defense.
The terrifying psychic imagery of the "Deep Invasion" he unleashed drowned the Qah, extinguishing their innate flas.
He suddenly felt himself sink into a suffocating deep sea. Cold tentacles reached, wrapping around his black armor. Frost and mist rose in his liquid-black eyes.
He focused, entering the first level of the Thelema mindstate, as Lord Nareth had taught.
The frost and mist in his eyes dissipated. His sharp teeth clenched. He ascended to the second level, which he had just mastered.
Golden light blazed from his spine. The cold tentacles loosened, vanishing with a shriek.
He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the Warp phenonon from his psychic power fade. He thought admiringly.
'Praise Lord Nareth. His Thelema mindstate allows to safely unleash "Deep Invasion."'
In the past, he only used his two psychic abilities, derived from his personal Warp manifestation, in dire situations.
Because they often triggered terrifying Warp phenona.
A Warp manifestation is a psyker's perception of the Warp. His was the deep sea.
His two unique psychic abilities were based on this manifestation.
Warp phenona are the terrifying visions that can occur when a psyker channels Warp energy:
Insects crawling under the skin. Blood suddenly stopping in veins. Otherworldly shrieks piercing ears...
Powerful psykers can even cause phenona that affect reality:
The temperature suddenly dropping. The wind of another realm bringing rotten scents...
The phenona he experienced were mostly related to his manifestation: deep sea and cold, often tornting him with supernatural chill, even freezing the bodies of his battle-brothers.
In the past, he only used his abilities in the most critical monts.
But after Lord Nareth's instruction, he could skillfully and quickly enter the Thelema mindstate, using its tempered will to detach from the imrsed Warp manifestation, dispelling the terrifying phenona.
Feeling the cold fade, his blood flowing normally,
his liquid-black eyes glead. He marveled at the Thelema mindstate's miraculous nature, his desire for Lord Nareth's power growing.
He ordered the advancing Carcharodons, his voice low. "Stop killing."
"Take them back. Offer them to Lord Nareth."
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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