Side room of the reception room.
So, why did it become like this
Hades stared at the fruits on the table in a daze, then picked up one and started eating it.
Hades was now sitting in the side room of the reception room waiting, with two Moon Wolves with similar faces sitting in front of him.
The other Death Shrouds were led by the Moon Wolf to wait outside. Horus took Mortarion to the main reception room to chat, while Abaddon took Hades to the side room to chat, but during the chat, Abaddon started to call for people.
Abaddon realized that he couldn't talk to Hades alone and urgently called for help, while Hades was unconsciously eating and talking.
So now sitting in front of Hades are half of the members of the Council of the Four Kings of the Moon Wolf, Abaddon and Seganus, while Little Horus and Torgaddon are not there.
The Council of Four Kings, also known as the Mourners, is similar to Horus' personal strategic adviser and has a good relationship with the Primarch Horus in private.
At present, Seganus in the Mourners has not died yet, so in the original work, Garviel Loken, who had outstanding military exploits in the later period, is still only the captain of the 10th Company of the Moon Wolves.
Hades looked at Abaddon and Seganus in front of him. He knew the fate of these two.
One became invincible after the Horus Heresy, the other died in a diplomatic incident before the Heresy.
After the death of Seganus, the Council of Four Kings lacked the rational and introspective warrior, and the newly promoted Loken, although rational, was unable to gain a foothold among the mourners due to his lack of qualifications.
This also laid the groundwork for the tragedy that followed.
After the Emperor returned to Terra, Erebus designed to have Horus stabbed by a broken sword from Nurgle. Nurgle's poison put the Primarch in a critical situation. In the end, the panicked mourners chose to follow Erebus's advice and sent Horus to the Temple of the Four Gods for treatment. There, Horus was contaminated by Chaos. When the Primarch came out of the temple again, he was no longer the same Horus.
But if Seganus were still alive, this rational mourner might have stopped Abaddon and the others from their crazy behavior. Of course, just maybe.
After all, Hades is not a master of deduction. A person may make very different choices in different situations and states. It is impossible for a person to remain rational forever.
Hades actually hoped that Moon Wolf would not end up in tragedy, but right now it seemed that the key to resolving Moon Wolf's situation did not lie with Moon Wolf. He could go back to find the Emperor, or go to the Word Bearers.
Moreover, Hades had to work very hard to get Mortarion. He thought that the matter would be solved after killing the alien lord Knakre, but there were one after another incidents. Who knows if there will be more in the future.
Given Hades' current position, he couldn't say something to Seganus like telling him not to go on a diplomatic mission, or saying something like don't die, because if you die the three mourners behind you will not be in their right minds.
Hades thought about it and realized that there was no solution to this kind of thing at the moment, and it couldn't be changed by just saying a few words. It would be better for him to build a good relationship with the other party first, and then act according to circumstances.
I don't know what I said to Warhound at the beginning. Did Warhound find Angron in the end
Compared to Hades, who was full of thoughts and thinking about the plot while eating fruit, Abaddon opposite Hades was sweating profusely. It was obvious that too much knowledge was needed to talk to this Death Guard. Abaddon began to feel tired halfway through, so he decisively pulled over Seganus who was passing by, and barely avoided embarrassing Moon Wolf in the chat with the Death Guard.
This was not the kind of tit-for-tat conversation. This was a very special kind of chat. Hades could always approach the problem from an angle that Abaddon could not imagine, and he did not have any of the arrogance that ordinary Space Marines would have. On topics that Hades was interested in but did not understand, Abaddon would be chased and questioned by Hades.
At first, Abaddon was complacent about telling Hades some battlefield analysis, but after Hades asked more and more tricky and in-depth questions, and also began to ask Abaddon about data and examples, Abaddon slowly realized that something was wrong.
This was not quite what he had imagined.
It was said that the Death Guard had only experienced two wars.
In the end, Abaddon decisively shook Seganus over and let him take on this tough job.
Seganus, who was next to Abaddon, was in deep thought. The conversation with Hades just now had obviously inspired the warrior. Seganus realized that some of the perspectives raised by Hades would provide new solutions to the problem.
Seeing that the confrontation between the two had finally come to a break, Abaddon hurriedly chatted a few words to liven up the atmosphere. The Moon Wolf certainly knew the role of this Death Guard in the Legion's diplomacy. In addition to the Primarch, the Moon Wolves would take the initiative to make friends with those outstanding Space Marines, which was also an extension of their foreign policy.
"It's a pity that Tariq and little Horus aren't here, I thought they would be happy to meet you."
Hades smiled politely and took over Abaddon's words.
"I am also looking forward to meeting other knowledgeable people in the Luna Wolves. Chatting with you two has been very inspiring to me."
This is a lie. Hades just spent half of the time in a trance looking at Abaddon's towering braids, and the other half of the time following the plot. Hades used skip and automatic play for the conversation just now.
This kind of mindless conversation is very simple. Just grab a more obscure point in the other person's words and ask. Keep an interested listening attitude throughout the process and let the other person talk.
It’s just that Hades’ past made the key points he grasped more novel, so it inspired Seganus more.
While Abaddon and Hades were chatting, Seganus stared at them silently in thought.
What Hades didn't know was that he had successfully attracted the interest of two of the Moon Wolf Mourners.
Main reception room.
"My brother, how does it feel to lead the Legion?"
The main room of the Primarch's exclusive reception room was not overly decorated. Several walls were hollowed out and a few bottles of wine were placed on them. A half-new Luna Wolf flag was hung in the middle of the wall, and on the desk below it were a few books that had obviously been read a lot.
Mortarion, who had extinguished the poisonous gas from the incense burner, sat opposite Horus, holding a chess piece in his hand and staring at the chessboard in front of him in thought. Horus had just taught him a kind of naval chess popular in the Empire. The beautifully carved chess pieces moved on the dark blue chessboard. This chess piece that simplified the rules of naval warfare obviously attracted Mortarion's interest.
After all, there is not much entertainment on Barbaros.
Mortarion answered casually,
".This makes me happier than joining the Empire."
Horus was speechless. Through the previous contact, he already knew that this brother had great dissatisfaction with the Emperor and the Empire.
"Some aspects of the Empire are indeed unsatisfactory to us. Perhaps you can go to those more distant star regions, in the lands where the leaders of those planets are more honest, and you will find that the glory of humanity is so attractive to you."
"This is the meaning of our expedition, for humanity."
Horus smiled self-deprecatingly and made another move. He often played chess with Sanguinius, so Horus still had some room to bully a novice on the chessboard.
"Besides, those mortals can't do as well as we do. You have to admit that even our most outstanding descendants will make mistakes, not to mention those mortals."
"No."
Mortarion stared at the chessboard, thinking about how to have his cruisers cut off the opponent's supply lines.
Horus puzzled for a moment at this denial, not understanding what Mortarion was denying.
But he saw that Mortarion was still staring at the chessboard in deep thought, and Horus did not want to interrupt Mortarion's thoughts by asking questions.
Mortarion thought he could move his cruisers alongside the Mechanicus fleet and that would be a good deterrent, so he did so.
When Mortarion saw his fleet successfully penetrate the enemy fleet, he looked up with satisfaction and said proudly,
"My best offspring don't make mistakes, but truly outstanding warriors should not be called offspring. They are comrades-in-arms, and they are people you can rely on on the battlefield."
But then Mortarion saw Horus's somewhat unbelievable smile.
"No one is perfect, my brother. Even I dare not claim that I have never made a mistake. Even Fulgrim, who thinks of himself as perfect among us, will not deny the mistakes he has made."
"My brother, Mortarion, have you never made mistakes? Even if we have never made those irreparable mistakes, sometimes we can't avoid making small mistakes."
Before he finished speaking, Horus keenly noticed that Mortarion's breathing paused slightly for a moment.
An irreparable mistake. Mortarion was dragged into unbearable memories. The fantasy from the future constantly warned Mortarion of the sins he might commit.
Even if he and Hades cleared the evil psychic energy on Barbarus, how would Mortarion know that this had actually cut off everything.
All they can do is keep securing a Pandora's box that might open, locking it layer by layer until the chains flood the gaps.
After a while, Mortarion hummed in a muffled voice.
“I made mistakes.”
Horus, who was opposite him, looked at him carefully.
"Are you alright, brother? You don't look well. Perhaps I can get you some wine. I just received a gift of wine from a mortal diplomat."
Without waiting for Mortarion to respond, Horus stood up, took a bottle of wine from the wall, poured himself a glass casually, and handed another glass to Mortarion.
Mortarion stared at the translucent amber red in a daze. There was even a mellow fragrance wafting from it.
At the beginning on Barbarus, Mortarion dragged Karas to drink every day. Later, Karas really couldn't stand such strong wine, so Mortarion began to drag Hades to drink. Later, Mortarion found that Hades retched every time before taking the wine, so he began to pick other warriors to drink.
This doesn't mean that Mortarion thinks Hades didn't fight bravely, but perhaps Hades just couldn't stand the taste.
Mortarion could do nothing to help. He could not reduce the toxicity of the wine for the sake of taste. Generally, the wine squeezed and fermented from beetles and poisonous plants had a unique flavor, and Mortarion liked this taste.
Aware that Horus was watching him from behind, Mortarion carefully removed his breathing mask and took a sip from his glass.
Mortarion smacked his lips. The wine tasted too bland. He wanted to put down the glass of wine that was as tasteless as water, but considering the kindness Horus showed him, Mortarion chose to drink it all in one breath.
Hell, Horus poured him another drink.
Mortarion chose to wear his own breathing mask this time. He was not thirsty and did not want to drink water.
Horus looked at the poisonous gas that just came out of Mortarion's breathing mask. This gas seemed to be several times more concentrated than the poisonous gas in Mortarion's censer. He had been breathing this? Horus thought that the air in Mortarion's breathing mask was pure air.
Horus realized that this brother might be more problematic than he thought. If Fulgrim were here, he would probably have begun to subtly correct Mortarion's drinking posture.
As the first Primarch to be found, Horus knew that some of his brothers were not perfect, especially the recently found Angron. From the Emperor's few words, Horus learned that his brother was suffering intolerable torture and was not suitable for contact with other brothers.
Mortarion's obviously abnormal reaction just now and the poisonous gas in his breathing mask made Horus feel that he needed to get to know his brother better. The Emperor was too busy and would not devote the same patience and care to every one of his brothers as he did to Horus.
Horus took a sip of the wine. These were some rare fine wines that he had saved. They were only taken out when entertaining his primarch brothers. The fine extraction process could fully satisfy the primarch's picky taste buds.
Horus deliberately remained silent for a moment, letting the silence create a suitable stage curtain for him.
"My brother, Mortarion, I know this may offend you."
"But I want to say that if you are confused or even frustrated about the past or some current situation, you may want to talk to me."
Horus' voice sounded from behind Mortarion, and Mortarion stared at the air above the chessboard. This felt bad. He just wanted to play a game of chess, but he was dragged into an unnecessary conversation.
But he knew that Horus meant well. This brother was the most kind Primarch Mortarion had ever met. Horus gave him enough space and was not as aggressive as the previous ones, using his own military exploits and experience to squeeze Mortarion's living space.
"Sometimes it's a good idea to have someone to talk to, but if you like mystery—"
Mortarion heard Horus laugh kindly.
"Then keep it mysterious, that's attractive, isn't it?"
He created a relaxed atmosphere in advance, took a sudden step forward, and then slowly retreated half a step. Horus knew well how to conquer the battlefield of words.
He heard Mortarion take a slight breath, as if preparing himself for a long speech.
Horus raised the corner of his mouth. He would help his brothers integrate into the Empire, even if they both did not admit that it was "help". Few Primarchs were willing to take the initiative to ask to be "helped".
Mortarion thought about all the confusion and fear he had felt before. He had asked Malcador, but Malcador simply explained that it was the malice of the Warp. Mortarion tried to ask more, but the mortal avoided the question. So Mortarion only knew that there was Chaos, but what had they done to humans? What would they do to humans in the future
Mortarion knew nothing of this, seeing only the depravity that would emerge from his darkest nightmares.
Mortarion leaned back in his chair, realizing that this would be a great opportunity to ask his brother about this matter. Although Malcador did not encourage or forbid such behavior, Horus had also said that they did not welcome Malcador.
Mortarion tried to slowly sort out the tangled mess of memories. He thought of the rotting and wriggling flesh on the Endurance, and the souls of his offspring trapped in their stinking bodies. He stared at the wall opposite him, and his memories gradually became clearer.
He thought of the tattered walls of the Endurance. They silently overlapped with the walls of the Vengeance before his eyes.
Mortarion suddenly woke up.
He began to sweat coldly, and Mortarion suddenly realized a horrifying fact, an inference that was enough to make him uneasy, a truth that he had deliberately ignored.
Perhaps because Mortarion had been silent for too long, Horus came up from behind him and put his hand on Mortarion's shoulder.
"You all right, bro?"
Horus' voice began to become unclear, and Mortarion felt that he was about to lose control of his breathing. As if realizing that something was wrong with Mortarion, Horus slightly exerted force on his shoulder, as if signaling Mortarion to turn around and look at him.
But Mortarion did not dare to turn around. He kept his head down, staring at the dark blue chessboard, almost burying himself among the chess pieces.
Mortarion didn't want this to happen. He finally met a brother who took the initiative to care about him, but he realized the bad news -
If he, if the Death Guard could fall, does that mean that the twenty legions running parallel to them could also fall into the abyss of no return
Mortarion's pupils shrank as he stared at the enemy and friendly pieces on the chessboard. Except for the color, everything else about them was exactly the same.
Did Horus know this? Did he know that the Luna Wolves could also be corrupted? Should he tell? Or were they already corrupted? No, Hades did not react, they were not yet corrupted.
Should he tell Horus? But Mortarion remembered what happened when he first heard that evil word. Language had its own unique charm, and the bland wine stagnated on the tip of Mortarion's tongue.
Everything became out of control, and the newly established brotherhood quickly turned into ashes. Only the cold and cruel truth reminded Mortarion -
He couldn't even guarantee that his own legion wouldn't fall into the abyss, so how could he try to trust other legions
Are there untouchables like Hades in the Luna Wolves? If not, how do they deal with them? This is a unique army for the Death Guard, does that mean that all the other legions are defenseless here and won't even know they are naked
"Brother? Mortarion? Are you alright?"
Mortarion took a deep breath.
"I'm not okay."
He stood up while keeping this direction, trying not to look at Horus' eyes that might be filled with worry. His brother's eyes could speak, and Mortarion didn't want to say anything more.
"But I hope you're okay."
He lit his censer again, and poisonous gas slowly drifted out. Mortarion picked up a chess piece casually and watched as it was easily contaminated by the poisonous stains from the censer in his hand.
"I suddenly remembered that I have something to do. It's a pity that I can't play chess with you."
"You can send me the strategic command later. I will let the Death Guard execute your tactics once I deem them feasible and correct."
Due to his experience as a Death Guard, Mortarion was also labeled as an "auxiliary" in this battle.
Horus looked at Mortarion's transformation in amazement. It all happened so fast that Horus didn't even know what went wrong with his rhetoric that always worked so well.
Looking at Mortarion who was in a hurry to leave, Horus only had time to look at Mortarion's torn gray cloak and speak.
"Okay? You really okay, bro?"
"But if you really have something to do, remember to find me!"
Mortarion picked up his war-scythe, Annihilation, from the door and strode silently out of the main room of the reception hall.
"I will."
These words dissipated in an instant like the poisonous fog that enveloped his entire body.
"Hades, go!"
Mortarion watched Hades pick up a few more fruits and stand up. The two moon wolves behind Hades were obviously startled by Mortarion's sudden appearance. They stood up somewhat at a loss, as if they wanted to see Hades off.
The Primarch seemed to casually lower his scythe, and the huge scythe blade prevented the Moon Wolves from moving forward without a trace.
Mortarion frowned imperceptibly, and Hades was still unconsciously echoing the words of the two moon wolves. It seemed that they had made an appointment to meet again next time.
He looked at the fruit in Hades' hand.
"Stop eating."
Mortarion said something in a low voice, and then he saw Hades who was obviously stunned. Hades looked at him in surprise, as if he realized that something was wrong.
Mortarion ignored Hades and quickly left the Moon Wolves' territory with the Death Shrouds.
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(End of this chapter)