Chapter 897 - 896: Wolf Lord, My Pet Wolf Had to Wait for You

A crack echoed above the canyon.

A black-armored, golden-winged giant appeared at the canyon's center. To his right, a massive black wolf hovered in mid-air.

Nareth's obsidian eyes scanned the canyon's end: six towering trees, their roots anchored in the earth.

Upon their white thorns hung pearl-white Luna Wolves, purple-gold Emperor's Children, and crimson Blood Angels.

Hundreds of massive, black flying spiders clung to the thorns, their beaks working, tearing through the power armor, feasting.

Over a thousand black shapes, their bat-like wings beating, hunted the thick clouds of grey flies above.

Hundreds of beaks turned towards Nareth. They released the flies, flying towards him.

The thunderclouds churned. Bolts of lightning tore the sky, aimed at the black-armored giant.

Nareth didn't dodge. He called to the black wolf at his feet. "Freddy."

"At your command, my master." Four pairs of legs sprouted from Freddy's abdomen, rippling.

Eight legs cleaved the air, rising.

The crackling lightning, their blue dimmed and pale, washed over them.

Nareth watched the swirling Shieldstorm. The mad, violent lightning flowed slowly, circling overhead like a vortex.

He looked into the canyon's depths, at the six Spirit Thorn-Trees, their roots intertwined with their thorns.

The Astartes' wraiths, their shouts of rage frozen, floated in a daze, as if crystallized.

"A song of peace, gently flowing..."

A low, gentle voice echoed across the canyon.

As the hymn began, the six Spirit Thorn-Trees shimmered.

Ripples of spiritual energy spread, merging with the hymn.

'Just as I thought. Freddy's Mythic Creature form will calm the Shieldstorm generated by the Spirit Thorn-Trees, the Sequence 5 ingredient for the Darkness pathway.

'It can even, to a degree, enhance the hymn's effect.'

The beating of the lightning-fast black wings slowed, entranced by the hymn's power.

The ethereal hymn echoed, as if a quiet moonlight bathed the canyon, ripples spreading across a still lake.

Invisible ripples spread. The bat-winged creatures folded their wings, wrapping their black forms.

Their massive bodies drifted down like falling leaves, as if afraid to disturb the canyon's silence.

Light and shadow flickered in Nareth's obsidian eyes. His telekinesis surged, lifting hundreds of the black spiders.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Black mist billowed. The spiders vanished.

Freddy looked down, his black eyes fixed on the mist.

'The black mist of the mystic realm!'

He knew any creature entering that realm would be utterly under his master's control.

Without his master's permission, not a single claw could move.

Freddy looked at his master with awe, and his chanting slowed.

The hundreds of spiders around him stirred, their beaks twitching.

Tick, tick, tick...

A chattering broke the stillness.

Freddy started. His fine black fur bristled, like oily black tendrils, spreading in all directions, instantly filling the canyon.

A soft light fell. The chattering faded. The trembling wings stilled.

One by one, the spiders were drawn towards Nareth.

He beat his golden wings, gliding towards the canyon's end.

As the spiders feeding on the Luna Wolves fell away, Nareth was left with only the six trees.

He moved his mind. His telekinesis wrapped around the pearl-white, purple-gold, and crimson armor, lifting them from the thorns.

He raised his right hand. The armor flew to the rocky slope, settling gently on the rust-red soil.

Light and shadow flickered in his eyes. His telekinesis enveloped the towering, rubber-like trees, their massive roots and dense thorns.

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

A series of short, sharp cracks, and the trees rose one by one, flying towards Nareth.

He raised his right arm, black mist rising from his palm as he touched each white tree.

"Freddy, you have done well."

"Someone is coming."

The black mist and the pale haze receded. The four legs on his abdomen faded rapidly.

Freddy descended slowly, avoiding the black mist, landing at his master's left.

At the canyon's entrance, Horus Lupercal strode forward, Captain Luke Sedirae of the 13th Company following.

Horus's expression changed. He looked up. The storm clouds were dispersing rapidly.

The star's pale yellow light shot into his eyes like arrows.

His eyes stung. He squinted.

He stroked the ring on his right little finger, its faded design of a bow and arrow.

'Beaten again?'

Bang!

He collided with a ten-meter conical tree. It shattered.

White, milky mud sprayed, adhering to the armor forged for him by Malevolus, then sliding off.

"Warmaster!" Sedirae's voice was laced with concern. He stared at the flecks of mud on his father's wolfskin and crimson cloak.

"I'm fine."

Horus gathered his thoughts, striding through the muddy, slick water.

He frowned. "Are you certain there were thousands of black-winged xenos here?"

Sedirae stared at the sky, his pupils dilating.

The xenos, which had blotted out the sun, had vanished.

His last assault had been only three hours ago.

"Warmaster... I wouldn't dare lie to you..."

He took a deep breath, struck by a thought.

"I believe some fragmentary footage may have been recorded by my tactical helmet."

He opened the company's comm channel. Horus stepped before him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"My son, of course I believe you."

"There's nothing strange about it." Horus smiled.

"It's just that my brother has defied our father's edict."

Sedirae breathed a sigh of relief. "Father, you mean Lord Nareth used sorcery?"

Horus nodded. "I should remind him."

He turned, continuing towards the canyon's bottom.

Passing through the waters between the conical trees, two figures came into view.

Nareth sat casually on the slope. Beside his left leg lay a black wolf.

The wolf was smaller than Russ's brothers, Freki and Geri, but with thick fur.

It looked up lazily, its black eyes meeting his.

Horus met that deep gaze. Amidst the cool, tranquil atmosphere, the clamor in his mind subsided.

Nareth rose slowly, beating his golden wings.

"Warmaster, there are bodies on the slope."

Horus glanced at the pearl-white armor, then looked up at the sky as the black wolf rose with Nareth.

"Nareth, no more sorcery."

Hearing Horus's voice, Nareth smirked. 'Horus is guessing that I used sorcery to deal with the spiders and the Spirit Thorn-Trees?'

'Actually, I didn't lift a finger. Freddy handled it all.'

'Wolf Lord, you've missed another decapitation strike... they're both wolves, but my pet wolf had to wait for you.'

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

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