Warhammer: In the Name of Nirvana

Chapter 686 The Day of Horus (1/3)

"The ceremony is ready, my lord."

"The army is ready, the soldiers are in place, the salutes and flags have been checked thirteen times, and the road leading to the Iron Platform was cleaned spotlessly nine hours ago. We have mobilized more than one million people for this purpose, not to mention the additional labor provided by the Mechanicus: Casting General Kalbohar asked me to tell you that the power of Mars is willing to serve you at any time."

"Yes, my lord, the Martian delegation was the first to arrive at the Iron Platform. They occupied the best position. I met them when I was supervising the layout on site. I met them and talked with the Forge General for a few minutes: but they were not the only ones who came to represent the Forge World. "

"Riza, Huangquan No. 8, Shana and Lucius, at least thirty-six Forge Worlds sent their high-level representatives. Lord Morgan and Lord Dorn took a long time to arrange their respective positions: in addition, other big figures were also very troublesome. "

"The Minister of the Interior, the Lord of the Ministry of Justice, the Ambassador of the Navigator, the respective masters of the Torch Hall and the Star Tongue Court, the Commander-in-Chief of the Mortal Auxiliary Army, the Supreme Admiral of the Empire, the Charter Fleet, the Rogue Trader and the spokesperson of the Archives Department, and the Grand Master. About one-third of the high lords: These are the most important guests, and they will witness the moment when the Emperor bestows the title of Warmaster on you. "

"With them as witnesses, no one will question your authority and power as Warmaster."

"In addition to these people, there are also elders, generals, leaders, governors, captains, poets, judges, and plenipotentiary ambassadors. Most of them have already arrived. Although they are not qualified to sit in the best seats, I can guarantee that this ceremony will also receive their blessings. "

"Of course, all the primarchs have also arrived. Lord Dorne and Lord Fulgrim are the first. The two of them were keen to make the final guarantee for the ceremony. Before I left, I saw Lady Morgan: she will be asked to stand beside the Emperor today, replacing the position that originally belonged to the seal holder. "

"In addition, there is one more thing..."

Malohurst's whispered report has lasted for more than ten minutes, and it seems that it will last at least the same time. His voice is still so familiar and uneasy: low, hoarse, as heavy as an iron coffin buried deep in the soil, spitting out one name and number after another in an orderly manner, and then slowly deducing the conclusion he thinks.

Every time he guarantees, it sounds like a fact that has already happened, making it impossible not to believe his words: no matter how ridiculous the sentence itself sounds, Malohurst has the magical ability and determination to make his ridiculous words come true.

Therefore, you always like to trust him.

You will habitually give him all the most difficult, most important and slightly dark tasks on hand, and those bright and bright ones will be given to Sejanus. The two of them are your left and right arms, your Guilliman and Jonson.

No one can take Morgan's position. Now thinking about it, this is really a pity.

You shook your head secretly, but heard the low report suddenly stopped. Looking up, you found that Malohurst was holding his electronic board and looking at you with some worry. The members of the Four Kings Council surrounded him, plus the two Gastalins guarding the door. These are all the members in this large tent.

Only they can make you feel at ease.

Of course, you habitually ignore the few mechanical servants who are wearing a full set of ceremonial armor for you. When they finished this stage of work, they didn't even dare to speak to remind you to turn around. They only dared to wait for you to realize this spontaneously and turn around, and then started the next step without stopping: the time of departure is approaching bit by bit. If it is delayed, no one will think it is your problem.

You wouldn't think so, either. You were busy trying to comfort your uneasy offspring.

"Don't worry, Marlowhurst."

You smiled, but because you had done it too many times in the past few days, the muscles at the corners of your mouth were a little stiff. You weren't sure if this smile would work, but when you reached out and patted your offspring's shoulder, you saw the smile return to his face.

You quickly continued.

"I'm just curious about one thing: you said Morgan replaced the position of the Sigillite?"

"This is what Lord Morgan said himself."

Your child nodded.

"There will be two million guests attending today's ceremony. Although only one percent of them can enter the hall, the other participants also need to be carefully arranged. After you are crowned the Warmaster by the Emperor, the Emperor will take you to the terrace, and two million participants will also cheer for you in the square: outside them, there are millions of Imperial soldiers."

"I don't like this arrangement."

You frowned.

"They should at least let the soldiers who shed blood stand with these nobles."

"The conditions do not allow it, father."

Malohurst did not speak, and it was Sejanus, your Guilliman, who answered for him: for today's ceremony, his hair, which was originally flying like wild grass, was forcibly combed into a docile look.

"The best we can do is to put the Astartes warriors in the front row. We must be very creative in the queue arrangement to ensure that the warriors of each legion can see you and the Emperor: the Sigillite is very good at communicating on this issue. Like you, he doesn't like the dignitaries from other places."

"It's just the arrogance of the Terrans."

You heard yourself laugh, then turned around and let the servitors around you take care of some details on your back and legs. Taking this opportunity, you looked at your appearance in the huge floor-to-ceiling mirror and adjusted the position of the wolf skin on your shoulders with your own hands.

To be honest, this wolf skin bought decades ago is too old, but you have never found a suitable replacement. Apart from that, everything now looks perfect. The pure white ceremonial armor is enough to be a qualified protective gear even on the battlefield. The huge scarlet Eye of Horus is your unique symbol. The smooth top of your head has been harvested by a razor and turned into a smooth throne, waiting for the arrival of a golden olive crown.

Look at you: you definitely deserve that crown, don't you?

If there is a problem.

"Do we have to do this?"

You asked helplessly, because in the reflection of the mirror, you witnessed with your own eyes how the mechanical servants behind you hung a huge burden on your shoulders: the crimson velvet cloak was seven or eight meters long, dragging on the ground without suspense, just like any monarch who joined the Renaissance or Victorian era must experience. From now on, you have to take these soft silk products into consideration in every step.

"This is necessary, father."

Unexpectedly, several heirs present actually reached a consensus on this issue. Even the two Gastalins at the door nodded silently. They looked at the golden Eye of Horus and the imperial double-headed eagle logo on the cloak with pride, as if they dreamed of seeing you dragging this thing that was at least seven or eight meters long to review the thousands of troops on Ullanor.

"If it's troublesome, we can choose two of us to drag it for you."

It was Torgadon who spoke up, and he seemed eager to try out his idea. Several other warriors also made the same gesture. The only one who remained silent was Malohurst: you can see that he has the same desire in his heart, but he stopped himself.

"This is the only way."

You nodded helplessly.

"Ezekel, Ajimand, you two will help me drag it when the time comes, and roll it up as much as possible, otherwise I'm worried that my brothers will have nowhere to stand: are they dressed so strangely?"

"Dress up, my lord: I did see Lord Morgan wearing a skirt."

"Skirt?"

Would Morgan wear that thing?

Oh, yes: her woman...

"Snow-colored, gold-threaded, and a red velvet cloak like yours."

You breathed a sigh of relief.

"It turns out that I'm not the only one who is embarrassed. I feel much better after hearing this."

"Everyone is very strange today. Even the Khan is wearing a robe."

Torgaddon chuckled. His laughter was indeed very contagious. Even Malohurst smiled. The atmosphere in the room became transparent: Sometimes you think that this is the most important reason why you keep Torgaddon in the Council of Four Kings. He is like your Fulgrim, who can always inject the power of rising in a dead atmosphere.

Therefore, Torgaddon, Sejanus and Malohurst are the three attendants you carry with you most often during these days in Ullanor. Ezekiel and Aximander were neglected. You chose them to stand behind you to attend the ceremony of the Warmaster.

They are all your closest people.

Sejanus is your Guilliman, Torgaddon is your Fulgrim, Marlowhurst is your Jonson, and Aximander is your Mortarion: he may not be very capable, and his temper is not so good, but he is diligent and will do his best to complete any task he is assigned.

It's a pity, if his abilities could have improved over the years, he would have been your Perturabo or Dorn.

No one can be Morgan: you feel sad about this again.

Ah, and Ezekiel, he is your Horus: in fact, this position is not very suitable for Ezekiel, because you are very sure that you are the Emperor's favorite son, and no matter from which angle, Ezekiel is not the most perfect heir in your mind.

But you just feel that: Ezekiel-Abaddon is your Horus.

Maybe there is a reason.

Besides, there is Loken, your Sanguinius: though you have only known him for a short time, he is one of the people you trust most, and you will not keep him by your side, but let him guard one side outside, and the Luna Wolves in the square are listening to his command.

I wonder if he has the same idea as you about this extra cloak.

You laughed, and the image of Jaghatai Khan wearing a robe crossed your mind.

Then you laughed even more.

"Sometimes I wonder what my brothers put in their wardrobes: it's as if each of them has a unique way to deal with this unnecessary etiquette, but I am the only one who needs your help."

"Don't be so dejected, father."

Among your children, only Togaton was the one who dared to cause such trouble. He winked in your direction and tried his best to make your smile last longer.

"Today is your day: everyone is busy with you."

"yes."

Sejanus helped.

"I have never seen people so positive. All the steps were arranged perfectly before we conducted the inspection. I really felt that my inspection was nitpicking: the attitude of the Primarchs was also very optimistic. They We arrived a few hours early, and even Mr. Zhuang Sen showed us goodwill."

"The Emperor too?"

That's all you care about.

"certainly."

Aceimander smiled.

"The Emperor was almost the first to arrive: he even appeared nervous."

Hearing this, you just felt that the air in the tent was a little fresher. You did not hear what Asimander said next, but the smiles and looks of the heirs were clearly imprinted in your mind: They are the closest people to you in your life, right?

Looking at them, the original anxiety and tension in your heart gradually fade away. This is the best medicine: you notice that even the two gastalins standing at the door are watching the situation in the room. You smile at them, grateful for their dedication to their duties.

The report to the Council of Four Kings continues.

"In addition to the emperor, the Imperial Guards and the High Lords also arrived very quickly, and the others were only a little slower than them. I remember that the ceremony would not officially start until nine o'clock, but it was basically already at five o'clock in the morning. The seats were full of people: some senior officials had already left in the middle of the night. They were afraid that their makeup and hairstyle would be disrupted, so they simply sat upright in the chairs and slept. "

"The Ministry of Internal Affairs was even worse: they simply stayed up all night."

"In short, everyone is waiting for your arrival now. Father, you don't have to worry about any problems related to the ceremony. Someone will naturally handle it for you. You only need to wait for the guests for a few hours. As the whole ceremony The most important element of the ceremony is to appear at the entrance of the hall and then walk steadily in front of the emperor. "

"It's like..."

Sejanus was slightly hesitant, while Ezekiel happily took over the conversation.

He didn't even think about it, and spoke the first words in his heart lightly with his tongue.

"Like a bride in a mortal wedding: all the ones I saw on the far eastern frontier were like this."

"..."

For a moment, the tent was quiet.

——————

The two Gastalins silently turned their gazes outside again.

------ the same as you.

Only in this way can you quietly let go of your clenched fists.

——————

Sejanus is actually somewhat wrong about the timing of the ceremony.

When you dragged this bright red cloak that was not comfortable at all and set off from the temporary camp where you stayed for half a month, heading towards the steel platform, you had to force yourself to think of unnecessary things. To relieve the stress that is rising again in your heart.

This is necessary. You always need some means to adjust the millions of pairs of admiring eyes staring at you: first, your descendants, then those mortal auxiliary soldiers who have fought alongside you, and then, It was the dignitaries and soldiers who gathered from all directions. Besides them, there were many other eyes, not admiration, but curiosity and inquiry.

That’s your next group of people to conquer.

The road from the camp of the Luna Wolf Legion to the Emperor's Platform is actually far from that long. The distance of more than ten kilometers is not even a short-distance assault for you: but today , you are destined to spend hours on the road, stopping for the victory parade and the glowing faces among the countless orc skull torches.

This parade, in which only the Luna Wolves can participate, is naturally not as good as the grand military parade a few days ago. It is more to comply with the traditional standards on Terra: let the soldiers stand in a chorus of guns and guns, holding the symbol of you. Those trophies of a lifetime of achievements, go around and tell the world how confident you are to accept the position of Warmaster.

On Ullanor, trophies like this are naturally everywhere: tens of thousands of Luna Wolves holding the tattered flags and emblems of the Ullanor Orc Empire, as well as the largest green leather heads that can be found. The target skull, the Ullanor Beast Emperor's skull, even requires at least four Lunar Wolves to work together to lift it.

They set off from the hill that determined the fate of this world, the holy place where you and the Emperor shed their blood together, and then marched all the way to the high platform of the Lord of Mankind, followed by thousands of banners of the Ullanor Orc Empire, and then From now on, there will be various other trophies derived from your more than one hundred years of conquest history.

The team set off in the early morning, like a silent dragon, walking through the red sand-colored land of Ullanor. The journey was quiet and solemn. Only the harsh whistles and passwords were heard, and everyone raised their heads proudly. Even if the bones are sore, there will be no compromise.

How shocking the scene of 100,000 Luna Wolves marching in formation will be: perhaps only those involved can know.

When the 16th Legion was halfway through, two more teams of guards holding torches lined up on both sides of them, lighting up the iron-gray sky as bright as day: the soldiers and guests who heard the news looked at the torch parade with awe, paying solemn tribute to the symbol of the Eye of Horus.

The helmets were shining, the horses were flying, and in the light of the natural fire, the alien skulls were so terrifying, and the rebel flags seemed to still be able to flutter, slapping the breath of blood on their faces: people should know that if it weren't for the fighting of the Shadow Moon Wolves, all this would have become a reality.

They won't question your achievements.

But what is really impressive is this team of more than 100,000 people, holding up 50,000 flags: each flag symbolizes an extremely tragic battle, a world that once bowed to the Empire, and the determination of the warriors of the Shadow Moon Wolf Legion to roar for the Emperor: Throughout the ages, which legion can bring so much honor and victory to its master, the object of its loyalty?

Only your legion.

Although you are not there, you can raise your head proudly: because you can imagine the scene at that time.

Aliens, traitors, independent worlds that are unwilling to succumb to the majesty of the Emperor: the flag is the best proof. A full 30,000 blood-stained flags tell everyone that your status is not just from the Emperor's love. They are held upside down by your descendants, and just like that, they walked through the buildings and ruins of Ullanor and walked to the square in front of the steel platform.

In front of all your primarch brothers and millions of witnesses, 30,000 flags of the defeated were mercilessly thrown to the ground and piled together to form a colorful red carpet: you will walk on this red carpet to the final hall.

On both sides of the red carpet, more than 100,000 Astartes warriors from 19 legions lined up in order. Even the powerful mortal dignitaries were only allowed to stand behind them and cheer: this scene well illustrates where the power of the Empire comes from.

You walk in it, reviewing the ranks of warriors and loyalists. Every few steps, you have to wave in the direction of the crowd, and the response you get each time is different.

The Luna Wolves will cheer for you, they chant the war cry of the legion loudly, and the pride is almost piled up to feel real. The crowd behind them is the most enthusiastic. In comparison, the warriors of other legions are much more restrained: when you walk in front of them, wave and smile at them, these veterans who have survived hundreds of battles will bow their heads and politely express their conviction.

You are sure that it was your previous efforts that won their respect: Malcador and Dorn had intended to let only the Luna Wolves show up in this ceremony, but you, as the Primarch of the 16th Legion, insisted that warriors from other legions could also participate.

You did not intend to let your Warmaster Ceremony become a show-off for the Luna Wolves alone.

This is too narrow-minded: it is not what a [Warmaster] should do.

You want to tell everyone: you are willing to be their Warmaster and fight for everyone.

Fight for all Astartes.

This is your slogan.

Thinking of this, you spread your arms and passed the same joy to the Astartes warriors on both sides. They are the Dark Angels and the Dawnbreakers. Of course, these two legions seem to have never been separated. The veterans from Terra maintained their dignity and nodded to you. You returned the same courtesy and quietly witnessed the faces of each of them.

You are still working hard: trying to learn to care for their souls.

Dark Angels, Dawnbreakers, World Eaters, Ultramarines, Salamanders, Space Wolves, Night Lords, Raven Guard...

You know, if you want these people to fight for you, then you must learn to respect them. The past opportunistic tricks are no longer applicable. You must learn to unite the strength of everyone here: because the new enemy you set up in your heart is so powerful that you have to learn the value of unity.

They are in front of you: waiting for your challenge beside the Emperor.

The Sigillite is their leader: the entire Empire is their everything.

That's right, no matter how much you despise Malcador and the bureaucracy he established, you will not deny the power they have at this time, and their ambition to devour the world: only by uniting all your blood brothers and all their descendants can you resist the greedy offensive from Terra on the invisible battlefield after the Emperor leaves, and defend the results you have fought for with blood.

This is necessary, because you have witnessed the all-pervasive power of the Sigillite, and the Emperor's inexplicable trust in him: think about it, an entire legion, an entire Legion of Astartes with outstanding achievements, as long as the Sigillite wants, he can make them disappear without a trace.

So what if they are guilty? Your lost brother and his legion did not even receive a fair trial: does this mean that in the days to come, Malcador and his servants can easily wipe out today's legions one by one by accusing them of guilt?

They are already doing this, they have proved that they have the power to persuade the Emperor to wipe out an entire legion and force everyone to shut up: just play with the boundaries of betrayal and fault, and the Sigillite's butcher knife will be on their necks.

He didn't even bother to cover it up: With the reminder of Fulgrim and others, you finally began to pay attention to the dispute between the Five Hundred Worlds and Holy Terra in the Maelstrom region, but unlike your other gene brothers, the more you explored, the more cold sweats covered your back.

Malcador's tax collectors only needed to move their fingers on their record books, and the Thirteenth Legion was dug out alone, facing the will from Terra alone: ​​If you Primarchs cannot unite, then what awaits you in the future will definitely be the dilemma that Guilliman faced today.

Today it is Guilliman, tomorrow it may be Morgan, and the day after tomorrow it will be Lorgar or Conrad's turn: There are only so many Primarchs, and when others fall one after another, will Malcador's pen let you go?

By then, who will speak for you, the descendants of the Emperor?

And when you all fall, there will only be those useless guards beside the Emperor.

"..."

You shuddered, but you became more determined in your heart.

This is a war, a desperate resistance.

Under the corruption of mortals, defend the country you and the Emperor built together.

You are willing to give everything for this.

In the soil of the heart, a seed called responsibility is solemnly planted.

You continue to move forward, remembering every face willing to stand here: the road from the camp of the Moon Wolf to the steel platform seems to be so long that it will never be completed, but it is almost too long to give people time to react: as if it was just a blink of an eye, your iron boots stepped on the first flag of the alien empire.

It is more uncomfortable than you thought. You hear the low complaints of Ezekel and Aximand who are dragging your cloak behind you, but you are not willing to slow down for this: every step you take is made of the blood of your descendants. You put away your lofty ambitions in your heart, step over the flag under your feet with silent gratitude, lower your head, and remember your sacrifice.

In any case, you can't abandon this great sacrifice, right?

You ask yourself, the answer is self-evident.

Continue forward, the steps of the iron platform are within reach, and you can almost see the Emperor's shadow on the ground: your warriors cheer beside you, the tens of thousands of warriors holding the Legion's spoils upside down here, they are all your most loyal guards, they are grateful and excited because they can witness you, their most beloved gene father, reach the pinnacle of life, their shouts are filled with blood from the depths of their hearts, their war cries are a little chaotic at first, and then quickly turn into a united voice.

This sound is a hammer, a bugle, and a scepter knocking on a heavy door: there is no need for Malcador's servants to announce it, everyone in the hall knows it now.

You are here.

The Warmaster is here.

You look up and look at the heirs standing here with gratitude. You can name each of their names and merits. Now, you must be even more proud, because your figure does not only represent yourself: in that hall, in front of the Emperor, the Primarch and everyone, you are the incarnation of the Shadow Moon Wolf.

You must be invincible.

The sound of your iron boots stepping on the white jade stairs echoed far away. Your footsteps were slow and heavy, and every step would cause ripples in the hall.

You heard it: every step was accompanied by a long ritual. It was the imperial ceremonial officers who came from Terra and tried their best to imitate the steps when the empire was founded. They loudly praised your father's achievements and sang the glory of the empire so far. Finally, they read your name loudly. In a corner that you didn't even know, there were so many titles on the neck of the wolf god.

"Son of the First Return!"

One step.

"Lord of the Shadow Moon Wolf!"

One step.

"Father of the Sixteenth Legion."

Another step.

"Brother of the Primarchs."

"Lord of Cthonia."

"Destroyer of the Ullanor Empire."

"Defender of the Emperor, the Imperium of Man, and Holy Terra."

"Pacifier of the borders of Morro, Druun, Daven, Dacinta, and Isnim."

"Eradicator of a thousand aliens."

"Punisher of a thousand tyrants."

"Pacifier of a thousand worlds."

"Eldest son of the Emperor."

"Shield of humanity."

"..."

"Warmaster of the Empire!"

"Horus... Lupercal!!!"

The last cheer that resounded through the world was drowned out by the sound of you pushing open the door.

Welcome by 20,000 pairs of eyes and the gaze of 2 million warriors, you strode into the Emperor's Hall with your head held high. The cheers of the crowd seemed a little boring at this moment. You politely waited for the wind and waves to pass, and then stood there like a statue.

People are watching you.

You are also watching them.

——————

Wuhu! Full blood resurrection!

Let me first see what kind of crap I wrote these days...

Ahem... Anyway...

This is a super long chapter, I estimate it will take three chapters to finish it (yes, the title doesn't mean three chapters, but I will try my best to finish it).