Warhammer: Black Emperor

Chapter 855 Ahriman: Lord Ninglu, please help us find our father.

A dazzling brownish-yellow light scattered across the salt flats of Argos, where a hundred bright red tents were dotted, each housing a squad of Thousands.

Beneath the crimson canopy of the tent, Fusis Taka, the second company commander of the "Thousand Sons" and the temple chief of the "Falcon School," anxiously gazed at the majestic mountain range, 30,000 meters high, in the center of the plain.

"It was not formed naturally, but was created out of thin air by some supernatural force."

“I agree.” Hathor Matt, the curator of the “Thousand Sons” think tank and the head of the “Bright Feather School” temple, nodded.

Even without professional knowledge of crustal uplift, orogenic movement, and compression energy, one can draw conclusions based solely on common sense.

“Father should be back by now, why hasn’t he come back yet?” He looked at Hathor Matt, the think tank director beside him.

"I do not know."

"Can you see him?" Taka did not give up, and he pressed Azek Ahriman, the head of the Black Raven School temple who was standing on the other side of Hathor, for an answer.

“No.” Ahriman shook his head. “The furthest I can see is the Dead Rock.”

"Etpio is the same; the guardian spirits' vision can't go past those stones either."

Those who lack etheric vision cannot see the guardian spirits.

In the eyes of the children, the guardian spirits are generally beautiful and dazzling illusions, but each one is very different.

Ahriman's Etpio is exquisite and elusive, with a constantly shifting halo and bright eyes.

Hathor's Peok is like a soaring eagle composed of a million golden stars.

Yutipa of Taka is a tyrannical being formed from invisible energy, as belligerent as he is.

The guardian spirits are the embodiment of ethereal power; they directly draw upon the immense power of the vast ocean, making them even more powerful than the power that the Thousand Sons themselves can draw upon.

“I thought you could see more, after all, you’re from the Black Raven School,” Taka said impatiently, sweat dripping down his shaved head and onto the curved scar on his neck.

Even for Astartes, Argos was too dry, except for Hathor and the other bright feathers, which had not a drop of sweat.

"It's been three months!"

"We have nothing to do here, and we don't know what he's doing."

"Father also forbade us from interfering with the lives of the Argos people."

Ahriman took the bronze kettle from the approaching apprentice Sobek. "Father told us to stay here."

He poured Taka a glass, and saw Hathor wave his hand slightly.

"Lord Nimrod is about to arrive." He glanced at the golden scarab beetle imprinted on Hathor Matt's right shoulder armor, a hint of gloom rising in the depths of his eyes.

He was originally the commander of the 15th Army Corps, and the position of director of the think tank should have belonged to him.

Unexpectedly, Matt rose to prominence, winning the trust of the Primarch and becoming the Legion's second-in-command.

Although Ahriman leads the First Society, Matt is the head of the think tank and also commands the Legion's elite troops, dressed as a Terminator scarab hermit.

"Mat, Lord Ninglu is about to arrive."

“He has always favored you. I think you can ask him to help us find the father of genes.”

A blurry image flashed through Ahriman's mind of the flesh-and-blood mutation he had endured, as Lord Ninglu walked toward his father with the Emperor.

The seasoned "mind reader" Hathor caught the glint of jealousy and resentment in Ahriman's eyes.

Praise be to our Lord!

I owe my present state entirely to the Black Emperor.
Hathor, the head of the Brightfeather School's temple, maintained a perfect smile on his meticulously sculpted face, his long golden hair flowing in the hot wind, without a trace of dryness or blemish.

"Of course, Lord Ninglu will be happy to help us; he will meet with the father of genes."

Hathor understood why Ahriman had asked the Black Emperor for help in finding his father.

The father of genetics issued a military order forbidding them from setting foot in the mountains, and those who disobeyed would be punished.

But the Black Emperor is different; the Father will not be angry because of His arrival.

Ahriman drank the water in one gulp, and when Sobek took out another bronze kettle, he shook his head.

"No need, give it to the chronicler Gao Meng, they're over at the Dead Rock."

He said to Hathor, “We should prepare a welcoming ceremony for Lord Nimrod.” Sobek, carrying his water jug, trudged heavily toward the foot of the giant mountain.

He had barely seen the unsettling, lifeless stone when he saw the narrator, Lemuel Gaumont, put a water jug ​​wrapped in canvas into his mouth.

Warm, bitter water can feel refreshing in this environment.

"How can anyone live in such a hot place?"

“Lemuer.” Architectural archaeologist Camille Sivani wore a tight vest and dusty sandals, with a camera-and-recorder device hanging around her neck.

"The Argos mostly lived in the fertile delta region between the northern and western coasts."

“But there are still some people who have lived in this desolate place for generations, which doesn’t make sense,” Gao Meng asked, puzzled.

"Where is your friend?" he asked Ancou Enan, the custodian of the Prospero Library.

"Anku returned to the camp to prepare for Lord Ninglu's arrival."

“Lord Nimrod…” Lemuel’s hand trembled as he thought of his wife, Marika, who had been taken away by the shadow of order.

Historian Callista Oris, dressed in a white dress and a powerful prophetic psychic, notices Lemuel's unusual behavior.

She and Camille were equally shocked when they first heard the news.

Lord Ninglu is renowned for his military exploits and formidable strength. The Shadow of Order has subjugated many worlds, which are rich in historical and architectural treasures.

They applied for both the 28th and 33rd Expeditionary Fleets, but were ultimately assigned to the "Thousand Sons".

Oris pondered the reasons behind this and finally concluded that most of the scribes of the "Thousand Sons" were psionicists, while the "Shadow of Order" showed no obvious preference.

They were all psionicists, and thus were eventually assigned to the 28th Expeditionary Fleet.

Oris knew the reason for Lemuel's unusual behavior because of his wife.

She didn't want her friend to get worried, so she changed the subject.

"Camille, Anku, and I spent hundreds of hours deciphering some of the elegant and rounded runes engraved on the dead stone."

"It's mainly thanks to Camille. She's a mind reader; she can read the secrets hidden within ancient artifacts just by touching them..."

Camille stopped Ores from continuing his eulogy, saying, "Some kind of early Eldar script, I mean, very ancient even for them, so I haven't pinpointed the exact meaning."

“Anku said that his Rosetta Scroll contains similar records that can help me understand the complex emotions and semantics of the Eldar.”

Lemuel immediately wanted to ask more questions, as he was very interested in the secrets within the Rosetta Scroll.

He was drawn to any book, scroll, or other medium of knowledge that might hold the secret to rescuing Marika.

The aura reader Lemuel suddenly saw a blinding radiance, and following the light, he looked toward the approaching Thousand Sons.

He had flat features, black eyes like a cobra, and golden skin.

"Lord Ahriman ordered me to bring this pot of water."

Lemuel didn't answer. "Lord Sobeck, is Lord Nimrod coming to Argos?"

Camille quickly took the water jug; the Astartes jug, filled with water, felt huge and heavy in her hands.

“Yes.” Sobek uttered a single word and turned away abruptly, not wanting to waste words with three mortals.

He didn't understand why his teacher, Ahriman, had asked him to deliver the water bottle, but he was fine as long as he carried out the order.

Lemuel watched Sobeck's departing figure, biting his lip. "Should I go see him?"

"But we don't know where Lord Ninglu landed."

“I can find it.” The aura reader Lemuel gazed in the direction where the vibrant colors were rolling and began to walk.

Camille Sivani and Callista Oris exchanged a glance and then followed.

They won't abandon their friends.

They also longed to witness Lord Ninglu's demeanor firsthand.

This may be their only chance in their lives; if they miss it, they will regret it for the rest of their lives.

(End of this chapter)