"I have also benefited from this battle." Nareth's gaze swept over the liquefied living metal, returning to the arm.
"Your Iron Hand has the strongest defense I've ever seen."
As he spoke, he saw Ferrus Manus's body already beginning to heal.
His gaze also swept over the crater and the pool of blood.
'With a drop of Guilliman's blood, Ku'gath used Nurgle's cauldron to brew the Godblight.'
'Ferrus's blood should be good for planting trees.'
With this thought, his consciousness expanded, spreading rapidly.
In an instant, it swept over hive after hive, covering vast swathes of the crystalline sand sea.
In an instant, his consciousness covered nearly half the planet.
Before advancing to "Mentor of Disorder," his consciousness could cover about a quarter of Vostroya's surface.
After advancement, his spirit had been refined, his awareness greatly increased, covering a wider area.
'Hmm...'
He was surprised to find that Marlena Skala was not within his coverage.
'According to her recent report, she should be in the wasteland near the Tetzvok hive.'
Thinking of the "Druid's" "Underground Passage" ability, he narrowed his focus, reaching deeper underground.
The wider the area of perception, the harder it was to discern details.
When he had probed with his psychic power earlier, he had ignored the hive cities.
Penetrating underground required more mental energy than the densely populated hive cities, but less than covering the surface.
As his consciousness delved deeper, his psychic energy drained faster, and the covered area rapidly shrank.
He suddenly ascended to the third level of the Enumeration. His perception sharpened.
He caught Marlena underground, her vines dragging her two cogitator servitors and her gyrinx.
Solid rock rippled like water around the "Druid."
She sensed something, looking around vigilantly.
Light flickered in the Primarch's eyes. He transmitted the location of Ferrus's blood as a mental image, sending a thought-pulse:
"Plant an oak tree here."
A voice suddenly sounded in her mind. She listened, then clasped her hands.
"By Your will."
As he withdrew his consciousness, Gabriel Santar, commander of the Morlocks, seeing the Gorgon's bleeding stop and his injured leg healing normally, put aside his concerns.
Only then did he realize the Gorgon, his father, the Primarch of the 10th Legion, had lost to another demigod.
He watched the silver re-form, licking the Gorgon's forearm, as if alive.
But the armor, designed by Manus and Vulkan, hand-forged, was now a wreck.
The silver trim rivets on the neck guard had fallen off. The iron curtain cloak was nearly gone.
The breastplate was breached. The leg plates were shattered.
The scorched, dark armor no longer resembled a work of art.
He looked at Lord Nareth, his knees bending slightly.
He bit his lip, resisting the urge to kneel.
'Only Lord Nareth could defeat Father.'
As he struggled against Nareth's "Majesty," Ferrus's leaden voice sounded.
"Nareth, as I promised, I will forge you a gift for fighting me."
"Do you have any requirements for the armor?"
As the Primarch's Equirry, Santar keenly noted the subtle difference in the Gorgon's voice.
There was pleasure in his tone, no trace of defeat.
"I want it to have a degree of 'Extension and Contraction,' like your living metal."
In the previous battle, constrained by his armor, Nareth hadn't wanted to damage it, so he hadn't fully used his "Extension and Contraction."
Vulkan obviously hadn't considered this when forging it.
Ferrus's silver-coin eyes flickered. He thought of the undulations beneath Nareth's armor earlier.
He clenched his fist. Silver liquid slowly spread, covering his arm.
"I need time."
"I'm not in a hurry." Nareth still had the armor Vulkan had forged, and with Perturabo's improved stasis device, he shouldn't need to personally face the Hrud.
'Unless the relic fragment allows Be'lakor to manifest in reality, with most of its power.'
'Ordinary attacks can't penetrate my layered defenses, but his Shadow Blade, which shifts between solid and ethereal, could harm me.'
Perturabo, hearing this, his ice-blue eyes gleaming, silently noted Nareth's requirements.
'Nareth brought my vision to life. I should forge armor for him.'
'My work will be no worse than Manus's or Vulkan's.'
He decided that while on the remote western frontier, he would forge armor in his spare time. Nareth invited Ferrus.
"The Paradigm City's Grand Theater is hosting a series of opening performances."
"Ferrus, would you be interested in watching?"
After a two-second pause, Ferrus accepted.
"Fine."
.....
A day later, at Paradigm City's Grand Theater.
Perturabo watched with interest as the Attilans performed a cavalry charge.
Ferrus observed the Attilans maneuvering in tight spaces, realizing their performance was artistic, not a demonstration of their full combat potential. He then focused on the bio-augmented horses and the hunting lances.
Hasik Khan watched the performance. He knew the Attilan Rough Riders best, but this was his first time seeing them in person.
When he had accompanied Lord Nareth to the northwestern galaxy, his brotherhood had traveled with the Seventh Chapter and taught the Attilans.
His brotherhood were all from Chogoris. Before returning to the Imperium with the Great Khan, they had been skilled riders.
Though they now rode metal mounts, their accumulated experience still made them excellent instructors.
He knew from reports that the Attilan Rough Riders had mastered the use of heavy stubbers, hunting lances, and other weapons.
They could charge in large formations or harass in small groups.
Now, watching them maneuver their horses at full gallop, he nodded approvingly.
As the performance ended, amid thunderous applause, Perturabo turned to Nareth, a hint of regret in his ice-blue eyes.
"I must leave to complete Father's trials."
"I must leave, too. Your armor will be delivered to Vostroya when it's finished." Ferrus said. He had little interest in the performances.
'If the Purple Phoenix had come with me, he would have lingered.'
'But he wouldn't. He doesn't want to give me a chance to challenge him again.'
After bidding farewell to the two Primarchs, Nareth had Arsena Dunn see them off on his behalf.
He did not let Perturabo use the teleportarium between the stars to shorten his journey.
The Kalium Gate was given to him by the Emperor. He couldn't hide it.
But the teleportarium technology must not be known to others.
Even Perturabo. He had not yet completely sworn fealty.
Returning to Shadowhold, he went to the third layer of the Kingdom of Disorder and picked up the recharged Dice of Prophecy.
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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