A black Stormbird flew from the Iron Fist towards Vostroya's starport.
Unlike the ornate Aquila Lander, Ferrus Manus preferred the rugged practicality of the Stormbird.
He was not accustomed to, nor skilled at, winning through diplomacy like his close friends Fulgrim, Horus Lupercal, Sanguinius, and Magnus. After the recent campaign on Kler, he had realized this clearly.
Gabriel Santar, Captain of the Iron Hands' 1st Company, leading the Morlocks in their black Cataphractii-pattern Terminator armor, was the first off the ramp, forming a line on either side.
Two banners fluttered in the wind. On the left, a banner depicting an iron gauntlet.
The emblem was woven of silver thread on black velvet, containing many smaller emblems within.
Its edges were tattered, as if gnawed by teeth and resewn hundreds of times.
The right banner was the Gorgon's personal standard, made of velvet and silver, depicting him defeating Asirnoth.
The rough-hewn giant emerged from the ranks. His shale-grey hair was as hard as needles.
He strode to the ramp, walking to Nareth's Aide, Arsena Dunn.
Ferrus's silver-coin eyes blazed with fire. His leaden voice carried waves of heat.
"I am here for the duel. Where is Nareth?"
"Lord Manus." Arsena bowed.
"My Lord awaits you in the industrial wasteland between the hives."
Ferrus nodded slightly. "Nareth chose a suitable battlefield. Neither of us needs to hold back."
He eagerly boarded a Stormbird again, following the guide airship towards the sand sea.
As the iron-black Stormbird left the hive city, the desertified land came into view. The polluted rivers of industrial sludge were as dry as disgusting worms.
Among the many worlds he had conquered, most were highly industrialized.
A very few, with exceptional industrial potential, became colonies of the accompanying Martian explorator fleets, gradually growing into Forge Worlds.
Most other worlds, depending on population, were classified as industrial worlds or hive worlds.
He knew Vostroya's type well. Like other hive and industrial worlds, its environment had been completely destroyed during early colonization.
Though Nareth advocated sustainable development, he hadn't expended vast resources to forcibly reverse it.
As he thought, he suddenly saw a flash of white-red amidst the monotonous dust and black sludge.
His silver-coin eyes flickered, focusing on the out-of-place splash of color.
It was an oak tree.
An actual oak tree.
He had visited many hive and industrial worlds. He knew the desert dust was not ordinary sand, but industrial waste, toxic industrial dust mixed with waste.
An ordinary person would need a respirator to survive in the wasteland.
Plants simply could not survive in such an environment.
He looked at the woman in black armor, accompanied by two COG drones and a gyrinx.
'She's planting an oak tree in this toxic wasteland?'
'How?'
He stared at her through the narrow viewport. Her face was sharp yet soft. Her tea-brown eyes looked up.
He frowned. The airship was currently over a hundred kilometers away. Yet the woman had sensed his gaze.
On the surface, Marlena met the silver-coin eyes. She felt the pressure.
The black-armored giant. His eyes reflected no light, radiating indifference.
She felt the deep, mountain-like pressure. She took a deep breath, ascending to the first level of the Thelema mindstate.
'A Primarch. Lord Ferrus Manus.'
She bowed, then stroked the oak, feeling its roots deep in the dust.
Since becoming a "Druid," her abilities as a "Harvest Priest" to promote growth and reproduction had improved.
She had used her spiritual energy to grow a branch into a three-meter-tall oak.
Then she had extended its roots, through the sand, deep into the earth, to draw sustenance and hidden groundwater.
The "Druid" had found a way for the oak to thrive in conditions completely unsuited for plant life.
'Hmm, this is related to the special oak my Lord gave me. Its vitality far exceeds any plant I've seen, including Catachan vines.'
'Now that it's rooted, even without me, in a hundred years, the area within a kilometer will become an oak forest.'
'In a thousand years, the sand sea between the Tetzvok and Szczecin hives will become a forest of life.'
As she raised her hand, she felt a surge of emotion. She could permanently change the environment of an entire world.
'In the past, I could only make small changes.'
'My greatest change was clearing farmland on Catachan, but that relied on Aeldari and Thousand Sons psychic technology.'
'Now, I have achieved a great transformation using only the power my Lord granted me.'
As she thought, the Stormbird passed over the Szczecin hive.
En route, between the Mazovian hives, Ferrus also saw a red-white oak.
He was surprised to see a splash of red-white around it.
'She can propagate the plants she grows in the wasteland. And it seems she did it alone.'
'Nareth's subordinates are very capable.'
As he thought, Santar spoke.
"Gorgon, the lead guide aircraft reports six kilometers to target."
As the engine roared, Ferrus's eyes blazed with fire.
He walked towards Nareth, flanked by his Morlocks. As expected, he saw the White Scar in white armor, holding a glaive, and Perturabo with his Trident.
Perturabo's ice-blue eyes met the silver flames.
"Manus, I was watching a performance at the Grand Theater when I heard you were coming."
"I hope you don't mind my watching your duel."
"Of course. I also welcome you to watch a performance at the Grand Theater I designed. It would be an unforgettable experience."
"Fine." Ferrus had expected this. If he were Perturabo, he would be curious too.
Hasik Khan saw Lord Ferrus's gaze on him.
"Hasik salutes you, Gorgon of Medusa."
"The Great Khan ordered me to study under Lord Nareth. Please allow me to observe this battle, so I can tell him of the battle he will miss."
"Fine." Ferrus's leaden voice carried waves of heat. His silver hand spread, covering his entire arm.
"Nareth, begin. I have waited too long for this day."
Nareth nodded. His gaze swept over Ferrus's silver arm.
The others quickly withdrew, each climbing the chemical waste hills, abandoned for millennia, to create space for the duel.
.....
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