Chapter 895 - 894: Sequence 5, Only One Missing

On the surface of the Murder, Nareth stood on the red sand, facing the four white thorn-trees.

The roots of the thorns plunged deep into the earth, intertwining with the roots of the white trees, forming ethereal, shimmering 'hives'.

"This... world... is... murder..."

The whispered murmurs of the Blood Angels' wraiths drifted on the air.

The "Mentor of Disorder" activated his psychic vision, staring at the black, leafless trees.

'Indeed, it's the Darkness pathway's Sequence 5 "Spirit Warlock" primary ingredient, the Spirit Thorn-Tree.'

He had seen the image of the Spirit Thorn-Tree on the Blasphemy Slate, but comparing it to the text in his memory, he couldn't be entirely sure it was the potion ingredient.

He had only ordered the participating Chapters to report immediately upon finding the thorn-trees.

Light and shadow flickered in the Primarch's eyes. His telekinesis surged.

Rumble...

The Furies watched as tree after tree was uprooted, hurled towards their father.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The four white trees vanished.

They stared, dumbfounded, at their father's majestic form, then watched as Nicholas and Szczesny looked skyward.

The gathering clouds thinned rapidly. The Shieldstorm dissipated in seconds.

The sky cleared, bright and clear, the faintest stars visible.

Only distant flashes of lightning remained.

Their helmet comms crackled with static, then, with a sharp burst, tactical data flooded their visors.

Nareth pressed his comm-bead, contacting the Librarian on duty in orbit.

"Full advance. Target: the thorn-trees in the clearings."

He had, due to the Edict of Nikaea, been reluctant to give Horus's sons any ammunition, and had not ordered the rapid removal of the thorn-trees to restore communications.

His Legion, relying on psykers to maintain their comms, was unaffected. They had used this time to harvest a large number of the Megarachnids, the primary ingredient for "Affliction."

But now, having confirmed the thorn-trees were the "Spirit Warlock" ingredient, he had to gather as many as possible before the other three Legions destroyed them.

'Apart from the Sun pathway's "Priest of Light" primary ingredient, the Pure White Radiance Stone, I have all the Sequence 5 ingredients for every pathway.'

'Hmm... though I know it looks like a spherical, glittering diamond, I don't know where to find it.

'Will I have to use the Dice of Prophecy?'

As Nareth pondered, psychic communications from the Shadow's Sovereignty shot towards the Murder's northern hemisphere.

At the same time, in the southern hemisphere, near the equator.

Garviel Loken, Captain of the 10th Company of the Luna Wolves, dove, tackling Tiber of the 2nd Squad.

Nero Vespasian, Captain of the 3rd Squad, the witch-squad, had long since removed his psychic hood. He raised his boltgun, firing without his force staff.

Boom!

The bolt round struck the diving xenos, tearing through its neck.

Chitin fragments rained down, pinning it.

The spider convulsed, its sticky ichor splattering the pearl-white power armor.

Loken kicked the corpse aside, hauling Vespasian to his feet.

He looked up. The flying xenos had hooked Zakyas, its claws piercing his Mark IV Maximus armor.

Zakyas thrashed wildly, stabbing behind him with his power sword, but in vain.

A black hook from the xenos' right side knocked the weapon from his hand.

"Follow me!" Loken roared. The flying xenos had already claimed fifteen of his battle-brothers. He would not lose Zakyas.

The 10th Company's Luna Wolves broke into a run, following their captain across the red sand.

Forked lightning split the sky, striking the clearing.

The pale yellow glare lashed against their Mark IV armor, blue electricity crackling.

The pearl-white armor was scorched black, but the Mark IV's protection allowed them to continue.

Rumble!

The Shieldstorm grew more violent, pressing down like a hammer. A bolt of lightning struck Standard Bearer Emont.

Bang!

Emont was driven into the sand, his Mark IV armor fused into a glassy coffin, burying him.

The top of the 10th Company's standard jutted from the sand.

Loken grabbed it, wrenching it free.

Red sand showered down. The pole was blackened, but the banner was unharmed.

Loken gripped the standard, his eyes fixed on the distant white silhouette.

He marched forward in silence, his pearl-white legs gradually revealing themselves.

Blood tinged Loken's vision.

Zakyas, impaled on the white tree's thorns, was dead. Spiders clung to the thorns, feasting.

"Attack!"

"Vespasian, I want those two trees destroyed."

He addressed the others. "Break out the reserve ammunition."

Boom, boom, boom...

Eighty-one Luna Wolves poured fire into the enemy. Vespasian led the 3rd Squad towards the white trees.

Amidst the roar of boltguns and the chittering of xenos, ichor splattered their armor.

Bang, bang, bang...

Vespasian and his squad planted explosives, set for a forty-nine-second fuse, on the trunks. "Run!"

Loken and the others discarded their empty boltguns, running for their lives.

The thunderous beat of wings rose behind them.

Bang!

A flying spider tackled Juber, its hooks piercing his Mark IV armor, lifting him.

It dragged its prize towards the Spirit Thorn-Tree.

Boom! Boom!

Two explosions, a second apart. The Spirit Thorn-Trees collapsed, consumed by flames.

The fire spread rapidly, incinerating the four flying spiders feeding on the thorns, along with Zakyas's remains.

The blast wave swept outward, engulfing the approaching spiders and the struggling Jüber.

Loken was hurled into the red sand. Scorched fragments rained down on his helmet.

Static crackled in his comms, then a sharp burst of clarity. He shuddered.

He forced himself up from the sand.

Red sand showered down. The clear, beige sky filled his vision.

"The Shieldstorm is gone!"

Loken shouted in surprise. "The xenos use the thorn-trees to disrupt our comms and generate the storm."

His eyes gleamed, looking south.

'Lucius, I will soon prove to you what it means to be a Luna Wolf.'

'We read our enemies. We use any means necessary to win. Now I have found the key, destroy the xenos' thorn-trees.'

Loken made contact with the orbital fleet, requesting support.

He drafted a brief report to the Warmaster, identifying the thorn-trees in the clearings as a strategic target for precision strikes.

Aboard the Vengeful Spirit, Horus Lupercal, having listened to Maloghurst's report, smiled at Sanguinius.

"Loken has a good head on his shoulders. No wonder Dorn speaks so highly of him."

"It's time for us to make planetfall. A full attack, to seal the victory."

Horus nodded, looking towards the northern hemisphere.

'Nareth, you will see how the Luna Wolves fight.'

'Our speed.'

....

If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.

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