Emperor's Bane

Chapter 1020 The Last Shadowmoon Wolf
"Do you know, Loken?"

I sometimes dream.

"I dreamt that the Soul of Vengeance had not yet sunk: we were still living on that glorious behemoth."

"I dreamt that war did not break out, the Emperor did not disappear, and the Primarch did not fall into his paranoia and madness."

"Dreaming of loyalty and family affection is just a belief, not a choice that we are forced to make."

"I dreamt of Ulanno, and of the Great Expedition."

"The time when I dreamt of Primarchs who were still our Primarchs, not the Warmasters of the Empire."

"..."

Sometimes, I think about it too.

"Perhaps it was a mistake for the Emperor to place the crown of Warmaster on Lord Horus's head in the first place."

……

Of the few remaining remnants of the former Society for the Mourning, Cyranus and Loken were perhaps the closest of the two.

After losing Togardon in the Great Crusade, and then Horus the Younger in this damned civil war between brothers, nearly half of the Shepherd God's key advisors before he became Warmaster have now perished.

The Mourning Society is now defunct in name only.

Long before that cursed war of the murdering stars, the Society of Mourning, in its narrow sense, had already been ended by its founder Horus: the god of the wolf broke the long-standing traditions of the Council of the Four Kings and established new rules, creating what he saw as a product more in line with the new era.

Among these decisions, bringing Gavial Locken into the highest leadership of the Shadowmoon Wolf Legion was the last decision made by the old Mourning Society, and at the same time, the first decision made by the new Mourning Society.

After that, this organization, which was once known for its elite, powerful and selective members, rapidly transformed into a veritable tent party under the will of its ruler, Horus.

Outstanding Astartes company commanders, high-ranking mortal bureaucrats, meticulous naval commanders, even governors of certain important worlds, as well as mechanical priests or ambassadors of friendly nations with deep backgrounds—all sorts of bizarre and wonderful people are qualified and have the opportunity to hang their nameplates under the banner of the Society for the Mourning.

Like an unstoppable tide of change, the three remaining members of the old mourning society were swept away without even a chance to try to stick together for warmth. They were scattered to various corners of a vast power structure, embarking on completely opposite fates. In the decades of separation, their old feelings gradually faded away.

Loken and Seyanus were somewhat better off. As rare "civilian experts" among the Shadowmoon Wolves, they had many opportunities to work together, which greatly enhanced the friendship between the two Astartes.

But the other member, Abaddon, who was used to charging ahead, perhaps due to duty, or perhaps because he didn't know how to get along with others after losing Togdon, who was good at mediating conflicts between brothers, in any case, before this galactic-level civil war broke out, the company commander had already drifted apart from his two old comrades.

Anyone can see that.

Even Marohurst, who usually didn't care much about such mundane matters, once inadvertently asked Ciannus about his estrangement from Abaddon.

They hadn't been in contact for a long time, and even during their rare reunion, they had little in common to talk about.

One side has become accustomed to conquering outside, and most of the time, they don't even appear in the empire's sight.

Meanwhile, the other side gradually distanced themselves from the war, devoting all their energy to administration and people's livelihood, and their relationship with the mortal governor was even closer than that with the legion brothers.

Sometimes, when he suddenly had a moment of free time from his busy work, Loken would reflect on this change and come to a surprising conclusion: they were no longer brothers fighting side by side under the same banner during the Great Crusade, but rather two groups of officials serving the same kingdom, and in completely different departments.

Their relationship became more formal, and that wild, expeditionary friendship gradually faded away as the power and prestige of the Wolf God grew.

Perhaps this is the insignificant transformation that Primarchs had to face after the Great Division of Ulanor, as they donned the crowns one by one, no longer just as generals and fathers, but as kings and rulers.

Loken could only sigh with emotion at this situation.

His only consolation was that he at least had Seyanus, a reliable brother.

Having lost Abaddon and the entire Mourning Society, Company Commander Seyanus poured all his remaining brotherly affection and the trust that came with it into Loken.

In his eyes, the company commander of the 10th Company had become one of his own, someone he could confide secrets to and even conspire with on important matters.

When Loken realized this, he even felt a little smug: to be recognized by Seyanus? What an incredible honor!

But soon, he will find out.

As one of the finest Astartes, how heavy must the weight of trust and responsibility have been in Sejanus's eyes?

His courage, his magnanimity.

It was far more exaggerated than Loken had imagined.

……

"You mean...you want to establish a secret organization?"

"And this organization's goal: to rebel against our genetic father when necessary?"

"Yes."

"..."

Looking at Seyanus's calm and composed face, as if they were merely discussing where to have dinner later, Loken felt for the first time in his nearly two hundred years of life that his language skills were so inadequate: no words could describe his feelings at that moment.

No, rather, the fact that he could sit calmly opposite Cyranus instead of screaming and jumping up from his chair already took all the brain cells in his head that could be used for thinking.

Therefore, after Sejanus finished recounting his dream and casually revealed the purpose of his trip, what awaited him was neither Loken's righteous accusations nor any other words, but an extremely long silence.

The valiant warrior named Loken, as if an invisible god had been ripped from his soul, sat there blankly, his eyes, which had never wavered even in the face of death, staring unfocused ahead. It wasn't until Seyanus stretched out his hand and waved it in front of him that the soul of this Shadowmoon Wolf was abruptly pulled back.

"Why!"

The next moment, he screamed.

The sound was so loud that even he was startled.

When he came to his senses, he found himself jumping up from his chair and standing in front of the old company commander, looking like a bewildered student.

Seyanus had anticipated all of this.

He simply added sugar to his coffee while slowly condemning Loken's lapse in behavior.

"Quiet down, Gavial."

"Seeing you like this, I'll never dare to let you negotiate with the planetary governors alone again."

He shook his head dismissively.

"This is truly an insult to the majesty of the Wolf Shepherd God."

majesty?

This is an insult to the dignity of the person who decided to rebel!
Loken wasn't one to grumble to himself, so he quickly and obediently sat back down in his chair, put the spilled coffee cup back in its place, and then leaned forward, looking intently at the still leisurely Cyranus.

Having known each other for so many years, he knew that the old company commander never uttered a lie, and he could tell which of Seyanus's words were jokes and which were serious.

And what I just said was absolutely true.

Seyanus invited him to join him in building an organization to rebel against the wolf god.

Just silently reciting those words in his mind made Loken's back tremble uncontrollably. The genetic seed deep within his bloodline screamed, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cave: he instinctively resisted those words, even just reciting them silently in his mind was an unforgivable sin.

He couldn't help but look at Seyanus, at the calm and collected fourth company commander.

How did he manage to suppress this physiological instinct that comes from the depths of his genes and blood?
To even utter such treasonous words?

Loken was surprised by this.

But what surprised him even more was that after Seyanus uttered those words, which were enough to ruin them, in front of him, Loken's first reaction was not anger or absurdity, but confusion.

He did not arrest Seyanus immediately.

Nor did they immediately condemn such rebellious words that were an insult to the Legion and the Primarch.

On the contrary, more than anger, Loken felt an empty, restless curiosity, like a hundred mice scratching at his heart.

He was wondering why Sejanus had said that.

He was the warlord's most trusted and proudest son: Horus treated his Cyyanus as the emperor treated himself. The respect and status of the fourth company commander made many people jealous in secret.

Why would someone like that rebel against the original body?

Is it ambition? Personal reasons? Or pessimism about the prospects of the war with Holy Terra?
No, Seyanus is not that kind of person.

Loken knew him: he would never betray the Wolf God for personal grudges or cowardice.

If one is truly going to betray, there is only one reason.

"Yes."

Seemingly enjoying his drink leisurely, but with his gaze never leaving Loken, Seyanus nodded at just the right moment.

Loken understood him, and he understood Loken just as well.
If they weren't brothers who knew each other inside and out, how could they possibly say such things to outsiders?

“My idea stems from one reason, Loken.”

"An absolutely correct reason."

reason?

This seemingly ordinary word possesses a magical quality.

Loken soon discovered this. His curiosity about the reason far outweighed the instinctive rage in his blood, and deep down, there was even a hint of anticipation, an expectation that defied description: he hoped that Seyanus could truly give him an irrefutable reason, a reason that would make him agree to join the plan.

Loken was horrified by this version of himself.

But he sat up straight and listened carefully to what Seyanus was saying.

“I wonder if you feel the same way, Loken.”

The fourth company commander lowered his voice: Even in an absolutely safe place, caution is still essential.

“Our father has changed.”

"And it's not that it's gotten better."

"..."

Loken opened his mouth, but instinctively offered a defense of their genetic father.

"People change, Seyanus."

“My father has changed before; he wasn’t exactly the same person in the early and later stages of the Great Expedition.”

"Didn't he change after becoming a War Commander?"

"Yes, but it's gotten better."

Sejanus put down his cup.

“But things are different now, Loken.”

“We are all intelligent people. We have all witnessed the changes in Shepherd God over the years. So, I won’t beat around the bush with you.”

"You remember the last military meeting, right? You and Father almost got into a fight."

"of course I remember."

Loken nodded, a hint of sadness on his face.

That meeting was his last encounter with the Primarch.

At that meeting, he hoped that Horus could communicate with Johnson or the Holy Terra to discuss each other's bottom lines in the most frank way possible, so as to avoid further bloodshed.

At that time, although the Shadowmoon Wolves Legion had already breached the kingdoms of the Space Wolves, neither the Minerva War nor the Battle of Betangamon had officially broken out. This internal strife between the brothers' spies had not yet reached the point of no return: both sides still had the capacity to lay down their weapons and make peace.

Looking back now, that might have been the last chance.

The result was predictable: the Warlord's army continued its advance toward the land of Holy Terra. Although Loken did not lose the trust of the Wolf God because of his rebellion, he regarded this experience as a failure and a disgrace.

And today, Sejanus has revealed it.

"To be honest, Loken."

He said.

"What you said at that meeting was exactly what I originally intended to report to the Primarch."

The fourth company commander had sharp eyes.

"We all know that the Primarch's reasons for starting this war are fundamentally untenable."

"Although the rule of the Sealholder and the High Lords has indeed been terrible over the years."

"Their attitude was also annoying: not to mention sinking the Soul of Vengeance, which was simply intolerable."

"However, the reason why our Wolf God decided to lead the army to rebel against Holy Terra is that he questioned whether the High Lords had deceived or even harmed the Emperor, and was preparing to purge the court of corrupt officials."

"That's ridiculous."

“We all participated in the Great Expedition, and we all know what kind of being the Emperor truly is.”

"The High Lord, even with the Seal Bearer, thinks he can murder the Emperor? That's ridiculous."

"Besides, those taxes couldn't possibly have been decided by the high lords: not to mention that they couldn't possibly handle such a huge amount of resources, and in all these years, Holy Terra has never undertaken any large-scale construction or squandered its wealth. Those resources just vanished from Terra without a trace."

"Only one person can do this."

"Emperor."

Loken nodded, giving his answer.

"So, Seyanus."

"You mean: the Sealholder and the High Lords have always been carrying out the Emperor's orders?"

"It sounds absurd."

Seyanus sighed.

"But that's the only reasonable explanation."

"Unfortunately, our father refused to believe it."

"He preferred to believe the other version of events, that a righteous war was completely untenable."

"And his purpose is obvious."

"Although we don't know the reason, the Emperor is definitely unable to get away right now."

“As long as we completely crush the Sealholder and his High Lords before the Emperor returns, creating a fait accompli, the Emperor will have no reason to hold this matter against us.” “Sounds risky?”

"War itself is an adventure, isn't it?"

Loken did not refute this statement, but instead pressed for an answer.

"So, you've decided to rebel against our Primarch?"

"Because he is waging an unjust war?"

"No, my reasons are a bit more complicated."

Seyanus paused.

"Aren't you curious, Loken?"

"If even we can figure it out, our father of genes couldn't possibly not understand it."

"He must know that the unusual behavior of the Sealholder and the High Lords was orchestrated by the Emperor, and that the resources obtained by exploiting the entire galaxy were squandered by the Emperor: squandered on a cause that no one knew about."

"Given the emperor's character, this undertaking must have been of extraordinary importance to him."

"Then, if we also consider the close relationship between our genetic father and the Emperor."

"Logically speaking, the War General should not have caused such a thing at a time when the Emperor is at a critical stage in his career."

"He must have known that this rebellion was essentially creating more trouble for the Emperor."

"And how could Horus possibly cause trouble for the Emperor?"

“This doesn’t make sense, Loken.”

"really."

Loken nodded.

"However, given my father's personality, perhaps he was blinded by matters related to the emperor?"

"Or rather, if it is truly of extraordinary importance: how could the Emperor not allow us to go and help?"

"Horus is the person he trusts most!"

"Really?"

Seyanus simply smiled coldly.

"He may have indeed asked for help: hasn't the Lord of Avalon in the Far East disappeared without a trace a long time ago?"

"..."

Loken was speechless.

Despite stammering for a long time, he seemed unable to utter the words that Horus was certainly more capable than Morgan.

The facts speak for themselves: everyone knows which offspring the Lord of Man prefers to summon when he encounters trouble.

"Okay... okay."

"This is indeed a problem."

In the end, Loken just scratched his head.

"But is it really necessary to draw such a conclusion?"

"Of course not."

Seyanus's tone became more serious.

"In fact, I have an idea about why our father started this war."

“Loken”.

The fourth company commander leaned forward.

"Do you remember the psionic creatures we faced during the Great Crusade?"

"It's the kind of psionic alien that can unintentionally control the thoughts and behaviors of other beings: those controlled by them look no different from others, but can act according to the will of the manipulator without them realizing it, and do things that are completely opposite to their usual behavior."

"You mean... hiss!"

Loken took a deep breath.

He wasn't stupid. How could he not understand the underlying meaning when Seyanus linked the Primarch's mysterious whereabouts to the psionic aliens?

A sense of absurdity quickly overwhelmed me.

"How is that possible? That's the Primarch!"

"Which alien species can..."

"I didn't say it was an alien."

Seyanus coldly interrupted him.

"I'm talking about something more dangerous."

After Loken calmed down, the fourth company commander continued.

“Loken”.

"Do you remember the powerful psychic energy that the Emperor bestowed upon our Father of Genes on Nicaea?"

"Where do you suspect the problem lies?"

"Yes."

Seyanus nodded slowly, his gaze becoming unfocused, as if he were recalling something.

"Looking back now."

"The transformation of the Wolf God seems to have occurred gradually as he became more proficient in spiritual power."

"The most impressive example to me is the psionic flame that the Primarch can use."

"You mean that kind of black flame?"

"Yes, but not that kind of black."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Loken was a little confused.

“You’re often around him, Loken, and besides, you’re not that sensitive to psionic energy.”

"So you probably can't feel it."

"But in fact, at least in my opinion, the psionic flames that the Wolf God is using now are different from the psionic flames that he developed after Nicaea."

"Although both are black, the two shades of black give me completely opposite feelings, which doesn't seem like a problem that could be caused by studying psionic techniques."

Could you be more specific?

Loken seemed to be deep in thought.

"Simply put: When the Wolf God first used that kind of psionic flame, although it was black, that blackness gave people a sense of safety and peace of mind. It was a pure sense of solidity, like a sun shrouded in a black cloak. Although it lacked light, it gave people a feeling of true warmth."

"I have also studied the flames of other prototypes."

"Johnson and Dorn are both white. Lord Morgan is white with a hint of blue. I've heard that Lord Saint Gilles's spirit flame is a fiery red with a golden glow, while Lord Mortalian has a deep green, almost black flame."

"Therefore, the black fire of the Wolf God should just be his personal characteristic."

"But I don't know when."

"In my memory, it was probably during the period when the Emperor was completely out of contact, which was also the time when the High Lords were increasingly exploiting the entire galaxy for taxes, and the Primarchs were also beginning to have frequent conflicts with Terra. That's when the feeling I got from his psionic fire started to change."

"It has become colder and more dangerous."

"It's no longer that sun-like feeling."

"Instead, it feels like real night, giving one a sense of desolation as one walks alone at midnight."

"..."

Loken listened attentively without interrupting.

"And in recent years, especially after the Vengeful Spirit was sunk in the Terra Crisis."

"When the Primarch uses psionic fire again."

"My God, it's completely different from what it was at the beginning."

"That was no longer night, nor was it the sun."

"It is a catastrophe that will destroy everything."

“I even think that when our father first used the psionic fire, I was pretty sure it was something the Emperor gave him: because I could clearly feel the Emperor’s presence on that flame.”

"So these last few times, although I can still sense the Emperor's aura on the flames, it is definitely not the Emperor we know: it is a distorted [Emperor] that is no longer the same as the original."

“Our father was deeply integrated with it, but he himself was unaware of it.”

"He firmly believed that was the emperor."

"..."

"I'm not sure if this kind of psionic fire can reveal the user's inner essence."

“Then I’ll bet my life on you, Loken.”

"Those two kinds of black flames could never appear on the same person."

"Perhaps the appearance hasn't changed, or perhaps with our level of observation, we can't tell the difference."

"But our father must have changed dramatically since the time of Nicaea."

"He is no longer the person we used to know."

"Beneath his skin, there must have been some changes that we cannot see or understand."

"He is the Wolf Shepherd, the War Commander."

“But he is definitely not the Horus he used to be.”

"..."

“I think you are well aware of this as well.”

"Right, Loken?"

Under Seyanus's calm gaze, Gaviallocken fell into a long silence.

After a long while, he slowly spoke.

"So, you're going to oppose him?"

"It's not an objection."

Seyanus shook his head.

"I'm just... just in case."

"If all of this is just my overthinking, then there's naturally no need for us to continue."

"And if something really happens."

"Someone has to make a final stand for Shadowmoon Wolf."

"We cannot let our father, or rather, the thing that has taken over our father."

"To obtain the empire's most powerful legion for free."

……

"If we have the chance, we will awaken him and bring the true Wolf God back to our side."

"If it's too late."

"At least we can buy more time for others."

"And to the best of my ability... to avenge him."

……

Seyanus did not mention one possibility.

That is: Was this transformation of the Wolf God entirely due to his subjective will?

Of course, they refused to talk about it.

This is the last shred of dignity that a son of Horus could retain for himself and their Primarchs.

……

Loken lowered his head.

He began the most important period of reflection in his life.

Seyanus simply watched quietly.

It wasn't until several minutes, or even hours later, that the usually composed tenth company commander raised his head.

His words were simple and resolute.

"tell me."

"What do you think we should do?"

(End of this chapter)