Warhammer: In the Name of Nirvana

"Do you know what the entire expedition fleet is discussing right now?"

When the genetic father of the Blood Angels had just sat down, his brother wearing wolf skin stared at the holocron and couldn't wait to ask him questions.

This is the most typical Horus-like move: capable, quick, cunning, and aggressive. He goes straight to the center of the problem and holds the rhythm of everything tightly in his own hands. There is no way to escape. escape.

Horus has always been such a man, both in times of war and in daily confrontations, and therefore always invincible: a thousand burning worlds and perishing kingdoms can attest to this. .

But he is not invulnerable.

At the very least, Sanguinius knew the Wolf God's weakness.

only one.

But enough is enough.

"Sorry, brother, I don't know."

The archangel of Baal tightened his wings behind him to ensure that he could smoothly sit in the position specially created for him: he often did this, but even so, it was not an easy matter.

With this soft answer, Horus paused, and his eyes moved away from the holographic instrument filled with information, focusing on his brother: No matter how many times, every time the Wolf Shepherd God looked at When he was an archangel, his pupils would flash the color called [Amazement] because of the pure white sparkle.

"you do not know?"

"Is this weird?"

Sanguinius asked casually. He positioned his wings, pulled his fingers out from the gap in the metal chair, and then hooked at the machine slave serving beside him: his target was obviously the upper end of the machine slave's hand. fruit plate.

"Of course it's weird."

The Shepherd God's voice was a little higher, as if he was emphasizing the certainty in his tone.

"The entire expedition fleet is now discussing the same topic: whether it is your fleet, my fleet, or the soldiers under other brothers, they are all arguing with each other over an issue, or making a bet, even if Even those mortals who have nothing to do with it can’t help but join in.”

"You only need to prick up your ears a little, and you can hear your descendants whispering to each other, or you can ask anyone a question and mention the current trend: Is there anyone who would have the heart to deceive Baal's perfect archangel?"

"You should not be ignorant, my dear brother: you would be aware of the subject I am mentioning if you radiate even the slightest ray of attention."

Horus raised a hand. He was not wearing his majestic claws, nor was he wearing the pearl-white power armor. He put the armor aside and chose to wear pure black. In casual wear, the wide wolfskin also changed its positioning with the choice of the Primarch: once, it was a shawl, but now, it is a cloak.

"Is it possible, my brother, that I have no more energy?"

Sanguinius took the fruit plate, and his words completely diverted Horus's attention: now, the information on the hologram could no longer make the Wolf Shepherd pay even half a cent of his attention.

"Where do you spend your energy, angel?"

"many places."

The Primarch of the Ninth Legion lowered his eyebrows, and pointed at the dazzling array of precious fruits with his long and slender fingers, as if hesitating which one to choose first.

"Expeditions, Legions, Homeworlds, Mortals and other things: these take up the bulk, and the variety of information and reports is enough to keep a Primarch busy."

Horus frowned slightly, but said nothing.

Sanguinius, who was sitting opposite him, kept his smile, and the second half of his words had a twist.

"Of course, these are not the biggest headaches for me: the real difficulty is that I have such an excellent and sensitive brother that I cannot let my attention leave him safely, and he and his descendants also He always finds some strange ways for me to consume my energy."

"When I look at them, I really can't ask more things, and I can't help looking at them: who can resist the friendship from the best? At least, I can't do it with them We are strangers.”

"Please forgive me, Horus."

The soothing and soft voice was like the sun at four o'clock in the afternoon. It was harmonious enough for people to look directly at its light, but it also had an inexplicable chill of the coming night: Sanguinius's apology was not sincere, he expressed it in a kind of way. He told these words in a teasing tone, and at the same time picked up a fruit with blood-red skin and threw it at his brother.

Horus grabbed the fruit, his brows relaxed, and his originally nervous face was already filled with a cheerful smile.

"I accept your apology, brother: and will take it to heart."

Then, the Shepherd God paused again, his pupils flashing with instinctive anxiety.

"That person is me, right?"

he asked.

"The others are not so good."

The angel grabbed a pearl-white fruit. He used a table knife on the side to cut off a piece of upturned flesh, put it into his mouth, and tasted the strange taste.

"You know, Horus: among our brothers, some are stubborn, some are wild, some are greedy, and these are the qualities our father needs in these times. Excellent moral character, but none of them can be called truly outstanding.”

"Except for you, Horus, you are the superior one, always have been."

"Are you comforting me?"

"No, I'm just telling the truth."

Sanguinius smiled.

"Only the truth can make you happy: and I like to see you happy."

While answering and chewing, the archangel of Baal nodded with a smile. He seemed to be very satisfied with the taste of the fruit, and pointed to the table knife next to him.

"Do you need a knife, Horus?"

"No, no need."

The Shepherd God let out a somewhat rude laugh. He grabbed the blood-red fruit and broke it into two halves. After throwing the core aside, Horus took the fruit directly. Throw it into your mouth and crush the hard pulp into crumbs with your teeth.

He frowned.

"It tasted worse than I expected."

"Did you do it on purpose?"

The Wolf Shepherd looked at his brother half-jokingly: the angel's gloating was written all over his perfect face.

Sanguinius spread his hands.

"Oh, don't slander me in such a mean way, brother: this is your boat, this is your room and your fruit plate, I'm just a guest who doesn't know anything."

"Yes, this is the Vengeful Spirit: but you are the founder of the fruit plate assembling industry on the Vengeful Spirit. Before you, the angel, came, all the Luna Wolves were meat eaters."

"Wolves also eat grapes."

"I'd rather believe it's sour."

Light laughter echoed between the two Primarchs.

After laughing for a while, the archangel's pupils finally showed some seriousness.

"Then, tell me, Mr. Wolf who can't eat grapes: What troubles you so much? You know, this is your Vengeful Spirit, and your status on this ship is second only to us. The father of genes."

Horus was silent for a moment. He did not answer the question immediately, but threw the remaining half of the fruit into his mouth. The bright red juice flowed from the corner of his mouth, and he wiped it away casually.

"Yes, Sanguinius: The Vengeful Spirit is important. This great ship is my heart and my second home, but even so, there are too many things that cannot be accomplished by the Vengeful Spirit alone. It’s impossible to decide.”

"They involve...a wider range of fields and people, and are not even limited to one or two primarchs or legions."

"Ah, let me guess."

Sanguinius fiddled with the table knife in his palm, gently cut off a piece of pulp, and continued his sacred tasting ritual.

"It's about the Warmaster."

"..."

"Don't you know this?"

"I can't be sure either."

The archangel spread his hands.

"Besides, I quite like seeing you struggling: that will make me feel that you and I are more similar."

"..."

Horus narrowed his eyes and stared at his brother. After feeling the gaze, Sanguinius only raised his head slightly and met the gaze from the Wolf Shepherd with his flawless pupils.

Then: smile.

"What's wrong?"

"..."

"No, it's nothing."

Horus looked at that smile, and he tried hard to maintain the seriousness in his heart: but before that, he heard an involuntary sigh in his throat.

…

Forget it……

The Wolf Shepherd coughed twice and looked away, and when he lowered his head, a glimmer of glory symbolizing victory flashed across Sanguinius's face.

The angel takes advantage of the victory and pursues it.

"Tell me, Horus: You can't just invite me here to taste the fruit plate of the Vengeful Spirit. If you really want to do this, just mail the fruit plate to me next time. Get on the flagship and I’ll ask Radolon to tell you the mailing address.”

"..."

Sometimes, even Horus would think from the bottom of his heart: If his brother Sanguinius didn't have an irresistible face, I'm afraid this Baal man would have been dragged into the arena long ago.

The next second, Horus wiped away this thought: just like Sanguinius said, they should indeed discuss more serious topics.

After all, the Shepherd God has been troubled by this topic for a long time.

"Okay, bro: let's talk about it."

"It should have been so long ago."

Sanguinius nodded. He grabbed the fruit and put it in his mouth, causing round cysts to bulge on his cheeks.

"After all, you have been troubled by this problem for a long time, Horus."

"Not very long."

The Shepherd God leaned forward, put both arms on his knees, and intertwined his hands tightly: this was an action that seemed weak in his eyes, and few people could see this. Horus.

But in front of Horus, Sanguinius will always be the "minority".

"Always, my brother, ever since our father vaguely mentioned that term more than ten years ago: Warmaster, the one who will take over the burden of the Great Crusade and take charge of all the legions and fleets in the world. To take his place and cast the banner of the Empire across the galaxy so that our father could return to Terra, to the place where he first descended."

"Until now, this has sounded unthinkable: if all this had not come from the Emperor's mouth, then I would have thought it was a joke of the crudest sort, and not even Russ would have been so lacking in humor. feel."

Sanguinius nodded. He was trying hard to swallow the lump of fruit in his throat, but his fingers had unconsciously reached towards the water glass beside him.

After a while, he spoke.

"The most trusted heir, the most strategic commander, the most popular primarch: all these seem to be tailor-made for you, Horus, my brother, you are undoubtedly the most suitable for the position of Warmaster. That one, or that position, was created for you.”

"When the word Warmaster comes from the Emperor's mouth, your name must be echoing in his mind."

"…Thank you, brother."

For a moment, the smile on Sanguinius's face spread to Horus's face. The straightforward support from his closest brother obviously made the Wolf Shepherd particularly useful and inspired.

However, this still couldn't dispel the slight sadness in his eyebrows.

"But I have never been able to achieve such self-confidence as you, Sanguinius: your trust in me even exceeds my own. This may be where you surpass me, and even every brother. We always It’s hesitation, but once you make up your mind, you won’t waver because of any kind of obstacle.”

"I hope so: but only if I make up my mind, no?"

Sanguinius answered his brother in a low voice, almost talking to himself. The archangel of Baal picked up another blood-red fruit. He murmured to himself, and his holy pupils seemed to be covered by Seduced by the bright red color of the fruit, a terrifying light flashed, but it was quickly suppressed.

Horus did not notice this, he was silent in his own hesitation.

"Actually: Some people feel that this position should actually be yours, brother."

"I?"

The angel's jaw tensed up in an instant. He seemed to be really attacked by these words. The wings behind his back shrank unconsciously, making the silver chains and pearl ornaments on them jingle.

(Yes, angels do have those things on their wings: I just can’t get enough of the aesthetics of having chains attached to their wings.)

The Primarch of the Ninth Legion was even surprised for a second before smiling.

"Oh, tell me, Horus, which of our brothers has so much confidence in me that I should perhaps pay him a visit to see if my image in his mind is not askew: it is not a good habit to listen to rumors. "

The Wolf Shepherd stared at his brother.

"I'm not sure about the others: but there's one right in front of you."

"..."

Sanguinius was silent for a moment, his laughter coming two seconds later.

"I didn't know you were so fond of me, brother, that you thought I'd be right for that position: should I be a little flattered by that?"

"sure."

"Do you need me to cheer? Or scream a few times? Just like Lorgar's behavior when he saw our father, Magnus recounted the scene to me."

"..."

"Then it's better to say goodbye."

Horus waved his hand: he was not discriminating against Lorgar. In fact, he liked this gentle brother very much, but he really couldn't imagine merging the figures of Sanguinius and Lorgar into one. What kind of explosive effect will it produce?

He rejects fantasy.

Therefore, the Shepherd God tried hard to show his seriousness and seriousness.

"I mean it, Sanguinius: you are more qualified for this position than I am. There is no Primarch who can so perfectly shoulder the responsibilities expected of us and fill the void left by the Emperor in the hearts of the people like you. You are the closest thing to our father.”

"Actually: Luo Jia is the one."

"But the Emperor will not choose him: I think he would rather choose Perturabo or Leman Russ."

"So, what do you think of this idea I came up with, angel?"

Horus stared at his brother: the faun was true at heart.

And Sanguinius thought for a moment: only for a moment, he shook his head extremely firmly, with a decisive tone.

"I thank you for your kindness, Horus, but I am not fit for that position: I am too airy and distant for the position of Warmaster, and the people would rather see a leader who can stand among them, Rather than a pair of wings that can only float around above their heads."

"Angels are only suitable to appear in religious and mythological legends, not reality."

Sanguinius's words were so firm and stubborn, and in just a moment, Horus knew that there was no possibility of his proposal being passed: just as the Wolf Shepherd said just now, Baal's great An angel will never waver from what he has determined.

Horus was proud of this, but it also gave him a headache: As a result, the Primarch of the Luna Wolf Legion had to temporarily put aside his obsession with this proposal and began to care about other contents.

"Well, brother, I respect the choice you made: but if Father asked us to vote because of it, I would still put Sanguinius's name on my vote."

The angel showed a smile: that smile was somewhat dangerous.

"My brother: If you let my name appear on the statistics board with only one vote, then I will drag you into the arena. Don't expect me to show mercy."

"Don't be so pessimistic, angel."

Horus avoided the look.

"As for you, you at least have two votes."

"No, I won't support myself."

"Then will you support me?"

"Well..."

Seeing the joyful light shining in the Wolf God's pupils, Sanguinius showed an ambiguous smile: his body leaned back, his fingers caressed his chin, and his words were drawn out very long.

"I have not decided yet."

"..."

Horus's expression made the angel laugh successfully.

"Don't be so discouraged, Horus: I will choose you in the end. After all, you are the only choice in my heart. In fact, I can't even understand what you are anxious about. The position of Warmaster is obviously yours." .”

"Many brothers will support you."

The angel picked up a fruit and looked at the golden skin of the fruit, thoughtfully.

"Not that much actually."

The Shepherd God shook his head, and he heard the sigh coming from his own throat: the sigh was wrapped in a sticky feeling of worry.

"You will support me, and Mortarion will support me: I can only affirm these two votes."

The angel snorted.

"Indeed: our Barbarus people definitely don't like the Warmaster's arrangement. It doesn't suit his fragile heart, but if he is given a choice, he will definitely be on your side."

"He didn't have much choice."

The angel's words made the Wolf Shepherd raise his eyebrows, but he did not answer.

"Among the remaining brothers who are good friends with me: I believe in my friendship with Rogal Dorn, but I think there is a high probability that he will not express his own opinions and maintain his usual neutrality. manner."

The angel nodded.

"Neutrality is the shield of the Imperial Fists, as well as his weapon: after all, Rogal Dorn is a master of weapons, and even with his bare hands, he is one of the deadliest attackers in the galaxy."

"As for Fulgrim: He and I are indeed friends, but I am not stupid enough to challenge Ferrus's position in Fulgrim's heart. As for Ferrus, he has publicly expressed his opposition to war. Handsome interest.”

"Even so, he only has two votes."

The Primarch of the Blood Angel Legion spread out his palm, peeled off the skin of the fruit, and chewed its flesh with an indifferent attitude.

"After all, although the family relationship between Fulgrim and Ferus is world-famous, on the other hand, it is destined that they cannot tolerate more people, isn't it?"

The two Primarchs looked at each other, then laughed.

"Don't let Fulgrim hear this, my archangel."

"Why, will he be angry?"

"No, worse."

Horus smiled and shook his head.

"He'd be proud."

"Oh, that's really bad: I'm going to get a severe perfume allergy from it."

Then the two Primarchs laughed.

After a while, after they had laughed enough, Horus and Sanguinius fell silent: then they stared at each other in silence for several seconds.

"..."

"..."

"Who else?"

"Well……"

"Perhaps, Jaghatai?"

"Are you sure of his attitude?"

"...Actually, I'm not sure if he and I are friends."

Sanguinius was silent. He touched his wings and calmed down the tips of his feathers that were raised due to laughter.

"Your inner circle seems a little smaller than I thought, Horus."

"There is no way: after all, respect is easy, but trust is difficult. Not everyone can talk about everything like you and me. In fact, I have never met many brothers even a few times."

Wolf Shepherd is also quite helpless: he is indeed the one with the most extensive connections among the Primarchs, but this so-called [extensive network of connections] is compared to other genetic Primarchs, not because of the Wolf Shepherd himself. Unrivaled.

In other words: Horus's so-called first place in connections among the Primarchs is not because he has achieved perfect scores in the field of connections, but because the vast majority of Primarchs have failed. The big brother who has reached the excellent line has also been highlighted.

Even a sizable hill on a flat plain or even an occasional sunken grassland can highlight the unique momentum of a mountain by contrasting the two sides.

Sanguinius obviously thought of this, but he had no idea of ​​​​giving Horus any advice: after all, the archangel of Baal was just struggling on the passing line, and he even gave up on his own initiative. subjects.

"Well, Horus, maybe we can think about it another way."

After a while, Sanguinius could only manage to find a solution that was not a solution.

"Look, you now have three votes, namely Mortarion, me and you. These three votes are very safe. In addition, although Dorn and Chagatai are not sure, if they participate If so, there is still a high probability that I will choose you, that’s for sure.”

"Yeah, three to five votes."

Horus's smile was a little bitter.

"But we had twenty brothers: maybe nineteen now."

"From a pure numerical comparison, this is indeed worrying."

Sanguinius ate the golden fruit in his hand and wiped it clean, erasing the dazzling color from his eyes, which seemed to make the archangel of Baal feel better: he took it almost without stopping. He picked up the third fruit on the plate, cut off a piece, and handed it to his somewhat disappointed brother.

After watching Horus eat the piece of fruit flesh, the angel continued to speak.

"But you have to consider another point, my Brother Wolf: Although three to five votes is not a very beautiful number, if compared with those potential opponents, this number of votes is enough to give you an advantage."

"Instead of worrying here, you might as well think about which of our brothers would be interested in comparing yourself with you in the competition for the Warmaster?"

"..."

The Wolf God was silent for a moment, and he turned his attention to Sanguinius.

"What do you think?"

"I?"

The angel raised his eyebrows. He took a bite of the fruit slowly and redefined his gaze to the innocent side.

"Please, I have already come up with an idea for you, so don't expect me to say more: between you and me, you are the one who thinks about the answer, Horus."

"But I seem to be in charge of fighting too?"

"Of course, you are so strong and have a pack of howling wolf pups."

"...Then what are you responsible for?"

"I?"

The angel's wings jumped, and he seemed quite surprised by this question.

"Of course I am responsible for making you feel superior and satisfied, brother."

"..."

"But I didn't feel it."

Horus smiled, a smile that reminded Sanguinius of Abaddon.

This father and son really look alike.

The angel thought as he winked at his brother.

"That's because you're too greedy, brother."

"If you understand my efforts, you will feel a constant sense of superiority and satisfaction. Please, I actually worked very hard, okay?"

"What's your hard work?"

"It's hard to listen to the words of a wolf god here: He is obviously so suitable for this position, no brother can compete with him, but he is still forced by the non-existent danger in his heart, and even wants to His innocent brother was put into this completely unsuitable position."

"..."

"Well, that was really hard."

Horus nodded, and the archangel of Baal took a bite of the fruit and raised his head in victory.

"Where did we just talk?"

"Question about the number of votes: Apart from me, Ferus should have two votes. As for the other brothers who are interested in becoming Warmaster, I can only think of Jonson and Guilliman."

"Guilliman has his own bonus: not everyone has five hundred worlds."

As he spoke, the archangel inserted his fingers into his hair, raised the long golden hair, and adjusted the delicate and complex arrangement between them and the wings.

When it came to the Five Hundred Worlds, a trace of hesitation clearly flashed across Wolf Shepherd's face, but he still maintained a smile: the smile that firmly believed that he could defeat everything.

"But he is not the only one who owns the Five Hundred Worlds: in the Far Eastern Star Territory, there is another force rising, isn't it? They are equally powerful and important."

"You mean Avalon?"

"Yes, Morgan, the most special one among our blood relatives, she has already shown her talents and abilities, and Avalon is just one of them."

"I admit that."

Sanguinius nodded.

"The Codex of Psionics is already a compulsory textbook for the Ninth Legion. My think tanks worship that book just like the Word Bearers worship the Book of Holy Words. In their own words, Psionics The Code literally taught them how to live.”

"Such comments also appear in the Luna Wolf Legion. I heard that Morgan is even constantly updating the psionic code and has also launched some additional supplements?"

"It's true: my think tanks have sent pre-order letters to Avalon."

"It seems that Morgan is better than we thought: maybe I can count on support from her? After all, in the short time I spent with her, our relationship with each other was not too bad."

"It's not impossible."

Sanguinius didn't seem too enthusiastic about this sort of thing.

"But you have to think clearly, Horus: Morgan is with Jonson, and Jonson's attitude towards the Warmaster, even Leman Russ or Magnus, is clear."

"Yes, of course I know."

Horus nodded.

"But you have to know, brother, that's Jonson."

"While Morgan did fight alongside him for a long time,..."

"That's Jonson."

"Ah, I understand..."

Sanguinius also smiled.

"After all, that's Johnson."

——————

"But having said that, Horus, aren't you really worried about the challenge from Jonson? After all, you are already worried about Guilliman and Ferrus."

"..."

"Don't worry, brother."

"Both Guilliman and Ferus have their own strengths. They are indeed worth worrying about as competitors, but Jonson is different from them. I don't doubt his ability, but in other aspects..."

"..."

"Let's put it this way."

"If the person who finally defeats me is Jonson, I will let my Council of Four Kings perform a ballet in front of you."

"..."

"Does your Four Kings Council know that they still have this function?"

"However, Horus, if you say so, I am somewhat looking forward to a victory from Jonson."

"...You want to support him?"

"No, I will only support you."

"But I always feel..."

"It shouldn't be that simple."

Ah, Horus and Sanguinius are really difficult to write. I feel like I’m a little overwhelmed...

This one is just a practice. These two primarchs will be important supporting roles in the future. Let me get a feel for it: However, I feel that I did not write these two characters well. After all, if I am not careful, I will fall into the Phoenix and the Iron Hand. At that point, that would be too bad.