40k: Midnight Blade

Chapter 656 38. Belated Judgment (Eleven, Cycle)

Everyone will have unforgettable things, no matter young or old, poor or rich, beautiful or ugly.

A dissolute rich kid can have a past that is pure enough to make people blush, and a homeless person huddled in the corner and shivering may have once sat in the palace and enjoyed delicacies.

Zaburiel is no exception, but compared to ordinary people, his "unforgettable things" may be traced back to a long, long time ago.

At that time, he was only fourteen years old and had just completed the basic training within the Knights. As an apprentice of the right age, his life in the Knights was not easy, and any knight could impose severe tests on him.

In addition, he had to stay in the training ground to accept continuous assessments. For a half-grown boy, this was not an easy thing to bear, even with honor as a foundation.

So he had to find a way to vent.

For Zabril at that time, this method could be embodied for a period of time - before going to bed every night, he would squeeze into the dormitory with apprentices like him, and discuss the results of today's training under the dim candlelight, and encourage each other.

This discussion would not stop until the old man who was responsible for taking care of their daily life came in with a ruler to extinguish the candle.

However, this peaceful time of finding joy in suffering did not last long, because he soon completed the advanced training and began to undergo transformation surgery.

Since then, things have changed rapidly, and Zabril has never had a long conversation with anyone late at night - and he always thinks of those late nights from time to time, or the feeling they can represent.

It is a quiet power that transcends everything and is enough to calm him down at any time. Unfortunately, he has not encountered it in his heart for a long time.

Until now.

Until he and Luther set foot on a forest path together.

He knows this place. Zabril inevitably realized this, and he hesitated a little, but the old knight just walked silently, without making any suggestions, even though he knew exactly what Zabril was feeling at the moment.

The mottled light from the forest hit his cloak, revealing a stain and dust that shouldn't exist. He walked very fast, his gait was extremely agile, and he ignored the increasingly dark environment, and even his white hair looked a little sharper.

Zabril followed Luther closely, not leaving him. They kept moving forward in the forest at this speed until light replaced darkness and embraced them again without hesitation.

A fortress that was being slowly built appeared in front of them. As long as you look over the cliffs, streams, and a not-so-large grassland under your feet, you can see it clearly.

Around it, the forest was being cut down. It was the masterpiece of groups of crawlers, which came from the Mechanicus and was an ancient and effective agricultural machinery.

With just one operator, it can harvest trees, remove stumps and roots, and then improve the land to make it more suitable for construction or farming.

So, although it is a bit frustrating to say this, one crawler is indeed as efficient as a hundred workers - and there are at least a hundred crawlers here.

Many people wearing traditional Caliban costumes are being instructed by an official in another open space. The man holds a data tablet in his hand and explains the standard process of how to stack stones step by step.

People are confused by his words, which can be seen from their faces. The official is a little impatient, so he took off his hat, and the imperial emblem on it was very conspicuous.

A scene of prosperity.

However, when Zabril connected these scenes with his memory, he even got goose bumps.

After the lion led the knights to kill all the behemoths on Caliban, I don’t know if it was fate that the original warriors of the Empire and the First Legion also came here at the same time.

After this, many things happened naturally.

Caliban, from top to bottom, came under the banner of the Great Crusade and the Empire, and everyone began to reform for this purpose. What appeared before Zabril now was one of them, and it was also the first one.

The fortress was called Oduruk, and it was the base of the Order Knights under the leadership of the Lion.

At this time, it was being transformed so that it could become the base of the First Legion on Caliban in the future. More importantly, it would become a gathering place

The Emperor is coming.

It was honored.

However, when Zabril joined the Knights, Oduruk Fortress had become a huge fortress, and the Emperor had long since left. He never thought that he would be able to see this scene with his own eyes.

Although it was indeed an honor, it was too strange to think about it.

Luther turned around, and his white hair was blown across his forehead in the mountain breeze. The old knight's voice was extremely calm, with a low voice that had experienced vicissitudes of life.

"I believe you already know what era we are in now, Zabril."

Zabriel understood this, but still inevitably felt a little confused - and the source of this confusion was actually very strange, it originated from a thought that flashed through his mind.

Luther seemed to have not drunk water for a long time.

Zabriel decided he needed to take some control, so he seized on the idea and let it take over.

"Sir, are you thirsty?" he asked.

"No."

Luther said, pausing briefly and then immediately continuing without using the form of words.

His face was like a mask carved from stone, without any possibility of emotion, everything was rough and cold. Zabriel's ridiculous question didn't bother him at all.

He raised his right hand and pointed at Alduruk Fortress, the arm straight like a flagpole. Following his guidance, Zabriel looked over again, but he didn't find anything worthy of second attention.

Confused, he had to give up all the initiative.

"Jazz, I don't understand."

"Look with your heart," Luther said.

His words were completely illogical. If Zabriel was not a Dark Angel, he would be very angry now. But this is actually a Caliban proverb, which is used to refer to something that has special significance to the knights. thing.

"Here?" Zabriel asked.

"Yes."

The old knight nodded to him, and suddenly pressed the dagger on his waist with his prosthetic left hand, and the muscles tensed together, making a muffled sound.

"I will be your guard."

Zabreel hammered his chest with his right hand, then faced the fortress, knelt on his knees, and took off his armor belt. He took off the sword, spear and winged helmet, placed them in front of him, and then closed his eyes without moving.

Luther stood behind him solemnly, his eyes that should have lost their sharpness due to old age were not cloudy at all, they were still bright, even a little scary.

Even though it was quiet and peaceful here, he did not relax his vigilance at all, as if something was really peeping in the dark forest.

Zabriel calmed down, and after just twenty seconds, he entered a state of meditation without any distractions. His senses became more sensitive, insects chirped, birds chirped, and the breeze blew. All kinds of things were captured by him, but none of them really moved him.

In his mind, in his imagination, these things did not exist

Everything about Alduruk Fortress emerges in incredible detail.

Deforested forest, bundles of bundled timber, transport trucks coming and going. Dust flew up and sawdust spun and fell on the workers' shoulders.

Not far away, there were patrolling knights standing on the battlements of the fortress, looking at these mud-legged peasants in their eyes with a mixture of pity and disgust.

They still don't know what drastic changes Caliban is about to usher in. Once upon a time, war was the patent of knights, a symbol of their status, and a reason for their existence.

All of the above will be completely changed after the arrival of the Empire. In the next ten thousand years, Caliban's auxiliary army became famous in the galaxy for its extremely high quality. No one knows that they were once despised providers, and those who despised them have disappeared without a trace.

Zabriel had no sympathy for them, and was proud of his status as a descendant of the Knights of Order.

Unlike other knights, the Order never cares about high or low, and it never agrees with the idea that only nobles can become knights - as long as they can prove that they have extraordinary character and merit, the Order welcomes everyone.

In his opinion, it was an honor for these knights to stand on the battlements of Alduruk, if the Emperor had not come.

etc--

Zabriel's eyes shot open.

He reached out to pick up the winged helmet and put it on. The eyepiece zoomed in on the screen. Several knights standing on the west battlement came into view again.

At this time, the legend of the Empire and the Emperor had already spread throughout Caliban from the mouths of messengers, and everyone knew about the glory of mankind in the past and the horror of the old night. They have not yet met the Emperor, but they are already looking forward to the moment when they do.

Most people are eager, and even those who are extremely rational are only slowing down in doubt.

But these knights are different. The expressions they have at this time do not contain any kindness. Zabreel frowned and ordered the analysis system to read the lips. A mechanical voice came next, and the helmet faithfully carried out his order.

"How could we allow this to happen? This so-called empire will take Caliban away from us, and our traditions and honor will cease to exist."

"Look at what they are doing, the forests are disappearing, the apprentices are more willing to listen to the orders of the Astartes than their original masters, and now even the peasants can be part of the war!"

"We're going to take back Caliban."

"But what will Leon do? He won't take our side."

"Let him die. He is the same thing as those monsters who call themselves Astartes."

"Maybe we should try to win over Luther."

Zabriel subconsciously reached out and held the sword. The analysis function was still sending these words to his ears, but he no longer wanted to hear them.

A heavy anger was oppressing his rational nerves - if anyone asked, Zabriel would admit very simply: Yes, he is furious now.

Luther raised his hand and pressed his shoulder.

"This has actually happened before, but not at this point." The old knight said expressionlessly. "In the history I know, they began plotting only two weeks before the Emperor's arrival."

"There is a separate secret room under Alduruk's assembly hall. These people will enter it late at night to discuss the conspiracy. In the end, they come to a conclusion: On the frontal battlefield, they cannot match the empire in any case. . So if they want to achieve their goals, they have to do whatever it takes.”

"What did they do?" Zabriel asked, unaware that his tone was filled with hatred.

Luther lowered his head and let go.

"They want to assassinate the Emperor," he said softly. "This matter was finally stopped by young Zahariel, and here their discussions were advanced, so the decision was also advanced."

"Now, they plan to start a rebellion before the Emperor comes. See those workers under the walls? They will be the first victims."

"Two days from now, an out-of-control Crawler will crush dozens of workers and destroy part of Alduruk's walls. They will seize the opportunity to escalate the situation - a stupid plan, but this is It hasn't happened in our history. I think you probably know who is pushing this."

Zabriel stood up extremely quickly.

He didn't know who Zahariel was, although the man's name was very similar to his, but now he only cared about how to stop this.

"What are we going to do, Jazz?"

"We don't have to do anything," Luther said. "I've done everything I need to do."

Before he finished speaking, everything around the fortress suddenly became blurry, as if covered with a layer of light cloth. No matter how Zabriel looked, he couldn't see the truth.

He didn't understand what happened. He only knew that the sky dimmed, the starry night and darkness fell above them, and then it was day again.

All this did not happen very fast, but it was difficult to think about its meaning. Even though Zabriel had tried his best to understand, his mind was still as dull as a piece of wood at the moment.

Zabriel looked at the battlements in the distance, but never saw the traitors again. The machines that were originally running under the city wall were now deep in the mountains and forests, and no one came close. The official was still sitting there, waving the data pad in his hand, explaining the rules and regulations to the people who came to work.

He glanced around, being extremely vigilant, but he never saw anything noteworthy, only order. It seemed that, as the old knight said, he had done everything he had to do.

Zabriel turned his head in shock and looked at Luther, but he did not see the white-haired old man again.

Luther disappeared, leaving only a door with flashing golden light, a winged sword emblem, and a withered yellow letter. The paint stubbornly stayed in the center of the envelope, and an eagle fluttered its wings in it.

The Dark Angel bent down to pick up the emblem and letter, but did not open them immediately. He returned to his place of meditation, rearmed himself, inspected the power armor and the weapon itself, and then took a deep breath—until he was sure he was fully prepared, he opened the letter.

"If you read this letter, Zabriel, it means that I have done everything I should have done."

"I know you are probably still confused now, and many questions are lingering in your mind, waiting for answers. I have several friends who love to use mysteries to communicate, but I am different, so I will tell you directly what is going on. "

"Caliban is a cursed world that was once filled with Chaos taint, until the appearance of Leon El'Jonson. I believe you are very familiar with these things, the slaying of the beasts, and the battles between the Sirian Knights "

"But, looking back, have you ever felt something indescribably weird?"

"Looking at it from our current perspective, those giant beasts are actually just a manifestation of chaos pollution in the material world. No matter what kind of beast they were, the claws of chaos have firmly grasped them."

"That's the question, why is there chaos pollution in Caliban? Moreover, if it is really chaos, simply killing the giant beast will never stop the spread of pollution."

"Be sure to be wary of this, Zabriel. There is something hidden in the darkness, waiting hungrily for you and me."

"Now for the second thing - what do I need from you?"

"It's simple. Do you remember the legend about how Alduruk was founded?"

"A cave, a lone knight. He patrolled day and night, and selflessly provided help and protection to others. People respected him, joined him, and dug together to build the original Alduruk Fortress."

"Find it, Zabriel. Find it and you have found us."

——

The Lion never thought that he would see Luther again.

However, he was indeed prepared. As long as permission comes from the throne, he will immediately lead people to Terra and dig out the remains of the many Dark Angels who died on it.

He had no doubt that Luther's body was among them.

In the past, long ago, he had considered the possibility of Luther's death, many times, but none of these considerations had come to the end. He would always feel a little irritated before the end, and would put the thoughts aside midway and turn to other things.

Yes, he was running away, and it wasn't destined to last long. When Luther announced in front of everyone that he was the traitor who deprived others of their honor, Leon immediately realized that this was the moment.

Fury, shock, and sadness all teamed up to knock him to the ground at that moment, then dragged him up and roared in his ears: Luther must die!

Leon did not obey this idea, but he did not reject it completely either.

In the following ten years, he began to consider how to face death more than once. Not just Luther's, but everyone else's. Like Coswayne, like his brothers, and like himself.

Most of these thoughts were cold, but when he actually saw the body of Leman Russ with his own eyes, those coldness helped him a lot.

Everyone will die. He told himself very calmly when he was in Terra at that time.

Therefore, no sacrifice is unacceptable.

So when the Lion saw no sign of Luther during the head count after Khalil Loharus defied his divinity for the last time, he remained calm.

Until now, until he saw Luther with his own eyes on Caliban.

Is chaotic time at work?

The lion asked himself, he secretly hoped that this was the answer, but the truth was always cruel and unusual - Luther, who walked slowly from the end of the path, had white hair and was as old as a stone that had been beaten by wind and rain for thousands of years. statue.

His cloak was torn, the surface of the prosthetic limb was covered with rust, and important parts of the joints were even directly exposed. His belt was empty save for a power dagger and a repeater.

This is not the outfit that Luther would have adopted in the past. Luther, the Grand Master of the Knights of Order in the past, should have worn carefully maintained power armor and galloped in the woods on a war horse. His armor was spotless, his power sword was safely in its sheath, and he was probably followed by a team behind him, waving the banner of the Knights.

But now, the lion saw a white-haired homeless man stopping a few meters away from him.

"It's really been a long time, Leon."

The lion raised his lion sword towards him, completely unmoved, and pointed the blade at Luther's neck coldly and unusually.

Luther's answer was a tired smile. He raised his hands to show his harmlessness. There was no weapon in his empty hands, but the lion still did not relax his vigilance, and the sword in his hand remained motionless.

"Who are you?" he asked coldly.

"Luthor," the homeless man replied obediently. "A member of the Grand Knights and former Grand Master."

The lion looked at him steadily. A few seconds passed before he finally made a decision. The lion sword was lowered, he narrowed his eyes and suddenly sneered.

"No, you are not, you have been expelled."

"I thought you had taken back this order."

"Not yet," said the Lion. "Now explain, why are you here?"

Luther shook his head. Instead of answering the Lion's question, he asked a rhetorical question: "Here?"

The lion frowned.

Luther sighed. He put down his hands and changed to a more effortless stance. However, he did not put down his cloak to cover his hands, which seemed very cautious.

"Where do you think this is?" he asked.

"Caliban."

"The answer is correct, but only partially." Luther said noncommittally. "This is not the Caliban you are familiar with, Leon—"

"--I know."

The Lion interrupted, deep anger bursting from his wrinkles similar to Luther's. Odd as it may seem, this anger was not directed at Luther. Moreover, it has been many years since he showed his emotions so naturally.

"You're trying to say this is Caliban before we killed all the beasts, right? I know that."

As the lion spoke, he raised his lion sword again and pointed at the lifeless beast lying aside. He still looked angry, but his tone was strangely restrained, as if he didn't want to cause any misunderstanding.

Luther glanced at it, his complicated emotions fleeting.

"I'm afraid it's not just that, Leon. In this era, killing a giant beast is something that only exists in myths and legends. No one has accomplished this feat yet. Follow me."

He turned around and walked deeper into the forest. Although the lion was annoyed, he still followed. The corpse of the beast was left in place, and the dirty blood seeped into the soil bit by bit. In the darkness, there was a furtive sound that sounded like a poisonous snake spitting a message.