40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 346 66. Interlude: Reflections of the past

"What else did he say?" Lorcan asked.

He was wearing a gray robe, his hands were tightly folded and held together, with veins popping out on the backs of his hands.

Tarik Torgadun sat next to him, shirtless, being treated by a medical servitor. His back suffered an injury that was difficult to recover from and required constant debridement to remove the rotting flesh and blood.

This process was very painful, but for the Astartes, the pain was by no means unbearable. After undergoing transformation surgery, they transformed into warriors who existed only to kill. Pain was the other side of the battle. They are already used to it.

What they really can't refuse is probably becoming weak due to illness. This matter cannot be tolerated by any warrior. Warriors are all competitive people. If someone accepts that he has become weak due to illness, it is equivalent to accepting that he has become weak.

A warrior who loses his competitive spirit is no longer a warrior.

But, pain, that's the price - that's the price you pay for fighting those things on the Vengeful Spirit

They jumped out of the thick fog, carrying a pungent stench. Sepsis is their name, blood is their desire. This group of unclean things can easily tear apart ceramic steel and devour the flesh and blood within. There is no doubt that they are monsters among monsters.

At this moment, sitting opposite them, Horus Ashmand, who was questioned by Loken, also continued to speak with difficulty.

"He said he was ruined, and his honor and merit, and us."

"By whom? By what?" Loken asked again.

His temples were beating, his fingers were rubbing against each other, and his bones were making a clicking sound due to the accumulation of force.

Tarik Torgadun sighed, turned around and signaled the servitor to leave, then raised his hand and patted Loken on the back: "Calm down first, Loken, and then we will continue talking."

"I'm already very calm." Shadow Moon Wolf said expressionlessly. "How do you calm down, bro?"

"You need to restrain yourself." Togaton straightened his face, forcing him to look at her with a very serious expression.

"Listen to me, Lorcan, you have to control yourself. It's hard, I know. But we can't stay sane if we're not rational. We need reason to help us survive this disaster, and the perpetrators will pay the price. Although his true identity is still unclear, don’t we already have a suspect?”

Lorcan nodded under his heavy breath.

"Erebus?"

Little Horus read the name, his skin twisted, and his face turned from sadness to anger in an instant: "Yes, it's him. His damn methods, and those damn natives."

"And damn Ezekiel Abaddon," Loken said coldly. "Don't forget him, Eichmann. And yourself, didn't you support him then? Now look what we got?"

"Don't mention the past anymore." Tarik Torgadun entered their conversation forcefully, smothering a possible quarrel or conflict invisibly.

He frowned, looking worried. The Tariq who used to be always cheerful and liked to tell jokes suddenly disappeared, leaving only a serious person.

"Let's focus on the future, okay? Go on, Eichmand."

Little Horus hesitated for a moment. His performance made Loken even more annoyed, but Togaton was patient and did not rush him. After a few minutes, little Horus finally spoke, and he acted like he was relieved.

"He said that there was a monster or something that was going to steal his body after he died. That thing would wear his skin and use his name to do evil things. He also praised you, Said you did a good job staying away from him.”

Loken lowered his head and covered his face with his hands. Togaton lost his composure, made an abrupt sound from his throat, and raised his head quickly.

"Not good at all," Loken said dully. "We failed in our duty, except you, Eichmand."

A pale smile appeared on little Horus's face, and the little dispute they just had disappeared. At this moment, they seemed to have returned to the past. However, in the next second, they were brought back to reality by the words of Little Horus.

"Then Ezekiel," he continued ruthlessly. "He said that Ezekiel would bring the entire legion into the abyss to accompany him because of his stubbornness. His tone didn't seem to blame him."

"Of course Father won't blame him." Togaton said softly. "But we will. No one can make a mistake without punishment. His willful actions cost my father such a heavy price so he must die."

Loken put down his hands and raised his head, feeling a little overwhelmed by his brother's cold words.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Tarik Torgadun smiled at him without a smile. "Weren't you full of anger just now, Loken? Be aware that anger alone is not enough."

"Abaddon and those who are still aboard the Vengeful Spirit are no longer our brothers. You and I both know what that ship has become now. And they chose to stay, then they are just us. Waiting for the enemy"

"...You're right." Loken replied angrily.

He was a little annoyed, obviously, but not at Togaton, but at himself.

"So, what about you?" Togaton asked little Horus again. "You were the only one of us who made it to him, Ashmand. He told you of Loken, and of me, and of Abaddon. Don't tell me he missed you alone."

"He keeps me alive," said Horus Ashmand. "He said, I have to live because I'm going to witness this and tell all this."

"What a noble duty." Togaton said, smiling slightly sadly.

He probably meant it as a joke, but failed. That noble duty should have sounded slightly mocking, but now it sounded more like a not-so-obvious comfort.

"But what does he want me to witness?" Little Horus asked slightly confused. "He also said I was the last Son of Horus. What does that mean? I don't understand, Tariq, I really don't."

"Everything," Loken whispered. "The death of the thing that stole his identity and his name, the death of Abaddon and his band of betrayers. He wants you to witness them and tell them to others. He wants you to restore his tarnished glory. , Eichmand.”

"But I'm not the last one." As if he had a premonition of something, little Horus tightened his face and looked at his brothers. "I'm not, right? I still have you."

Loken and Togaton shook their heads slowly.

"We are just Luna Wolves now, brother," Torgadun said.

"What?"

"We have all sworn two very important oaths. We have sworn to be loyal to the Emperor, to defend the truth of the Empire, and to stand firm against the enemies of the Empire, no matter who they are. We have fulfilled this oath, both internally and externally, but you No, you have thought about abandoning it, don’t deny it, I know you have.”

Little Horus nodded silently.

"However, we also made another oath. This one can only be fulfilled by you, not me, Loken, or that stupid Abaddon."

After Tariq Torgadun said this, he suddenly fell silent for a few seconds, and then burst out laughing: "In the water garden! Do you remember that night, Ashmand? You cried like a child, Then read the oath after me and Abaddon. Do you remember it?"

"I remember," Horus Ashmand said tremblingly.

"I will always be loyal to Horus, I will protect him, give him advice when he needs it, and kill all who try to harm him. I am his son, reborn with his blood, and I will stand forever. His side."

"So we are traitors, traitors to the Sons of Horus, but you are not." Togaton said, suppressing his smile. "So you will be alone until the end. You cannot die, and you will not die, Ashimand. You must live and tell everyone our story."

"This is too difficult, brother." Little Horus looked at him imploringly, and Togaton shook his head and rejected him.

So he looked at Loken again, but the latter's reaction was even more violent. He left the bench, rushed to little Horus and lifted him up from his seat.

"Don't give me that look!" Loken yelled, glaring at him. "Don't care if it's difficult or not, just do it!"

"But--"

"——But what? Shut up! The biggest shortcoming of you idiot is that you think too much. For Terra, just for once, throw those damn thoughts out of your head!" Loken shouted at him. , has already waved his fist.

"He asks you to live, then you live. He asks you to tell everything, then you tell everything! Live, understand, Eichmand? I want to see you publish a book, just like the account of the Eighth Legion Just like Bellos, he keeps publishing books!”

Loken suddenly slowed down his tone, let go of his hand, and gave little Horus a heavy hug. So sudden, so unexpected. He laid his head on his brother's shoulder, and young Horus heard a tremor in his voice.

"Yeah, it's hard. But you're the bravest of us, brother. You're brave enough to even go back and face him. Me, Taric, and the idiot Abaddon couldn't do it. Only You did it, so I beg you, please. Live."

The Son of Horus closed his eyes.

"Okay." He said. "I swear, I will witness it all. I will witness the death of the thing that stole our father's skin, I will witness the destruction of the Vengeful Spirit and its traitors, I will witness the glory of the Luna Wolves. I will Write it all down and tell it to everyone.”

update completed.