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Horus had seen both sides of the Warp, and knew all too well the powers that transcended mortal comprehension.
One, benevolent and life-giving. The other, ravenous, destructive and evil. Many had tried to best the chaotic nature of the Warp, and many failed. In another life, the very powers of the Ruinous Pantheon once coursed through his veins, imbuing him with the might of a billion sacrificed civilizations. Although, for all his might he had become a pawn in their game. Absolute power, as always, corrupted absolutely. He had fallen, and paid dearly for it. Redemption from his folly cost him even more.
His beloved daughter would not fall to the foul promises of Chaos, not while he drew breath.
Horus, with all the experience he garnered over his long life, was not wholeheartedly a practitioner in the psychic arts but knew enough to become an expert in that controversial study. He had already witnessed the signs of Aggregia's latent powers in the past, and truly wished for her to realize her potential for using these powers for the good of mankind. However, his attempts at training her with what he knew were stalled as he endeavored to put his wayward son on a proper path.
The challenges of good parenting were greater than he thought, as Horus very soon found out. Like his father, he was tempted to abandon the work of raising his children altogether and return to his place fighting in the front lines against the enemies of the Imperium. Such temptation was easily disregarded as the Primarch valued his children's future more than his own.
Another day had passed, Sanguinius still had not returned. Having accomplished their quest, the adventurers buried their fallen friend and bade their companions farewell. Horus and Aggregia made their way back home, choosing not to wait for Sanguinius as they knew the youth would make his own path. The Primarch dreaded sharing with his wife the news of his failure in bringing their prodigal son back to the fold, knowing full well that the wrath of the less merciful Celestine would indeed be terrible.
"Do you dream often when you sleep, father?" Aggregia asked when the two had reached a fork in the road, one path leading up to their home in the mountains.
"At times." Horus replied, "Usually not. Why do you ask?"
"I do, and sometimes I feel that the difference between dream and reality is not so distinct for me." Aggregia shared her experiences, "I feel as though I were walking through another world, without ever leaving my bedroom." Horus' concern grew as she mentioned the places she went to when traveling the Warp and became alarmed when she described the dark realm of Slaanesh her dreams frequented.
"Father, why do you look at me like that?"
Horus' face was a mixture of distress and determination, easily mistaken for anger as his daughter did. "Forgive me, Gia. I should have paid closer attention to you." He put one hand on her shoulder and vowed, "Sanguinius may not receive my instruction, but I will not fall short when it comes to you."
Aggregia's face grew sad, "Have I done wrong, father?"
"No, my dear." Horus assured her, "Indeed, you hold powers beyond your young mind's comprehension. Yet this power may endanger you if it is not tempered, controlled. I will teach you how to control it, that you may wield it for the good of mankind."
"He always said that I should tread carefully in that place, that I held the power to change reality as I saw fit but had no experience in using it."
"Who told you that?" Horus asked.
"The one who watches over me in my dreams, a winged red-skinned giant with a single glowing eye."
Horus' concern grew, and he beckoned for his daughter to come closer. "Aggregia, I fear the worst for you. That giant you say that watches over you is not the benevolent guardian as you think."
"Why? Who is he?"
"He is known as Magnus the Red, self-proclaimed King of Sorcerers and a daemon prince of the Dark God Tzeentch." Horus revealed, "Long ago, in a civil war that tore mankind apart, he sided with the forces of Chaos and doomed his people to serve his dark patron for eternity. If he watches you in your dreams, he recognizes your gifts and will undoubtedly take advantage of your inexperience to sway you towards evil. Beware, my daughter, of his lies. No matter how friendly he may seem to be, his true nature is perfectly concealed, for he had a millennia of experience to hone his craft of deceit."
Aggregia swallowed the lump growing in her throat as she took her father's words to heart, "Then...what shall I do?"
"As I said, I will teach you how to control your power." Horus said, "This is so that you might not fall prey to the powers of corruption."
Aggregia, under the dim light of dusk, saw the black smoke rising up from their home. "Father, look! What's happening up there?"
The two ascended the pathway quickly, soon after finding Celestine and the Custodes standing at the courtyard participating in the funeral rites of one of their own and a few of the servant girls murdered in the aeldari invasion. Upon the lit pyres, their corpses were laid with all the honors deemed necessary.
Horus approached a grim Celestine and greeted his wife with a loving embrace. Celestine responded stiffly at first, but gradually softened to her husband's touch. Her searching gaze scrutinized the two, narrowing with stern rebuke as she noticed the absence of her wayward progeny. "You return without our son."
"And I return to find mourning." Horus replied. "Tell me what happened here."
The Saint's words were laced with spite, "The witches were here. They came for Soulrender, made off with your prized weapon and slew those who stood in their way. You bear witness to the results."
"Did you get a good look at them?" Horus asked.
"What?"
"The eldar who stole the spear, did you get a good look at them? What colors they wore?"
"Does it matter? The xenos came and desecrated the sanctity of our home!" Celestine snarled. "They all will suffer my wrath when I'm done here!"
"It matters to me." Horus replied quietly, "I want to know whose Craftworld they represent, for I will not visit wrath upon those undeserving."
"They all deserve your wrath, or have you forgotten the treacherous ways of the alien?"
Horus glanced at Aggregia and bade her to return to the house while he discussed the matter with his wife in private, "I have not forgotten, yet I have had allies among those aliens whose actions have brought forth an age of prosperity for mankind. Their deeds speak of good will, and I in the least would give a few the benefit of the doubt." Horus took a deep breath and closed his eyes, "So I ask again, did you get a good look at them?"
Celestine grumbled out a reply, "They wore red, and the blasphemous xeno cross with a pearl atop its crest- a symbol I'm certain you're very familiar with."
Horus sighed, "The Ynnari."
"Do you still think them beyond reproach, dear husband?"
"No, I suppose now I do not." Horus relented, "I knew they coveted that spear the moment Yvraine revealed it to be one of their most highly sought-after artifacts. I should've seen this one coming."
"Yes, you should have." Celestine chastised, "As you should have deemed my methods of correction the proper course."
The Saint unfurled her wings and walked away, heading for the edge of the mountain before taking to the skies. Horus knew where she was headed and made no move to stop her. He had done his part, now it was time for Celestine to discipline her prodigal child.
Samarkar, a beautiful city sitting at the top of the black cliffs overlooking the sea, was one of Y'ttetia's prized wonders. Built with ancient and powerful stones, undoubtedly laced with arcane properties, and shaped meticulously by long-forgotten but skilled architects, Samarkar remained unchanged by the elements since the day it was created.
Having access to both the common roads and the sea, it became the largest trading hub in the continent, and was the first of many melting pots of different cultures and faiths- all of which had the common inspiration of the Holy Golden Throne on Terra. Visitors from other worlds were commonplace, such as the wandering warriors of sundered adeptus astartes chapters or the occasional aliens, though their presence did little to affect the paradise world's development.
Samarkar, fortunately, did not suffer from the effects of the wars fought on Y'ttetia. Having been declared an open city by the ruling merchant factions residing within, the city offered many opportunities for rivaling factions to exploit which also allowed the city itself to profit from. This, of course, did not mean that nobody attempted to conquer the city before.
In fact, many have tried yet failed. Samarkar's merchant guilds, united only in the defense of their livelihood, owned one of the largest mercenary armies known to the world as well as the most advanced fleet of ships Y'ttetia ever saw. To strike at Samarkar meant suffering the wrath of her legions, and many kings, princes and generals found their heads adorning the spires of the city gates.
Sanguinius swooped down from the skies upon catching sight of the city, curiosity winning out as he felt he needed to see what the world had in store for him. Having traveled farther than he'd ever dared from home, the young man felt awed and overwhelmed by the freedom he now enjoyed. The sights that dazzled, the tempting sounds he heard, all endless possibilities that he could never have imagined from the suffocating walls of his mountain home.
His arrival caught the attention of all who walked the dusty road, and when he set his feet back on earth, the city guard reinforced the gate he approached.
Wide-eyed and eager to explore, Sanguinius ignored the nervous guards and walked through the gate, stopping short when he felt the spears digging into his chest and sides.
"Stop!" The sergeant roared. "If you wish to ender, you must first surrender your weapons at the gate and submit to the laws of the city!"
Sanguinius stared at him curiously and eyed the smaller man down. He was dressed in thick plated steel scale armor, the design of which made him look like a fishman. The young man showed his hands and smiled, "I submit. But it's going to be a little hard to surrender my own hands."
The sergeant was not amused by his words, but he waved his men off. "Samarkar has been at peace for hundreds of years, and we'd like to keep it that way for another hundred. The rules here as simple; don't start any trouble and your life will not be forfeit. Remember that, and you and I will not have a problem."
"You do not fear me like your men do." Sanguinius observed.
The sergeant grimaced in disgust, "I've seen more powerful things than you, so those wings and your 'impressive' stature do not impress me. And those things have bowed to the law of Samarkar, as will you." He returned to his post to help inspect some merchant caravans passing through the gate, leaving Sanguinius to continue on his way.
The angel mixed in with the masses crowding the streets of Samarkar. He walked into the market district, where the mixed scent of freshly butchered carcasses of beasts and fish assaulted his nostrils. Vendors and merchants howled and hawked, calling for potential customers to peruse their wares.
In the flesh aisles, there too stood the slave stalls. Men, women and children were lined up by the dozen. Worker slaves were on the left, and comfort slaves on the right. Tall, muscular slaves of every creed and race glared at their would-be masters as people wandered in to inspect the merchandise. With care, they examined the worker slaves, gripping and squeezing their arms and legs to know their money's worth. The chains jangled noisily as those bought were led by the collar to board transport wagons or to walk with their new masters to disappear into the crowd.
Sanguinius had never seen slaves before, and he watched with a mixture of awe, disgust and pity. The comfort slaves, mostly made up of young women and girls, all gazed at the handsome winged stranger with what Sanguinius thought to be as hope. The sight of him was their most sought-after distraction as the roaming rough hands of lecherous masters groped and kneaded their young naked breasts and shapely buttocks.
He gazed back at them, offering all that he had- a kind smile.
A few of them reached out and held him by the arms, pleading quietly when their owners had their backs turned. "Please sir, buy us. We will be good to you."
Sanguinius looked at them sadly and pulled away, "I have nothing to buy you with."
Their gazes fell and they quickly returned to their spots when their master caught sight of Sanguinius. The master, a short and fat man smelling obscenely of some implacable perfume, grinned at the thought of a potential buyer. His golden teeth flashed in the light of the sun as he spoke, "Greetings, my good sir! Looking to buy some of my girls? I've just got them from the Eastern Coastlands, all young and broken to satisfy your every whim!"
"I'm not here to buy, thanks for offering."
The man, however, was not to be refused. "Don't believe me? A coin to sample the wares, then!" His hand, fingers adorned with bejeweled rings, gestured towards the many other slaves standing sheepishly at the back of his stall. Several open booths were erected close to the stalls, where several women stood bent over and chained to wooden pillories. There were three of them, perspiring heavily from the heat of the day and bore the stench of piss and sex.
Some stonemasons, having taken a respite from their work, emerged from the crowd. They must have come there often, for they only had to toss a few gold coins into the waiting hand of the fat slaver before taking their places at the exposed rear of each woman.
Sanguinius watched, transfixed, as the men shamelessly raped the hapless slaves. Exhausted from repeated use, the slave women moaned with cracked and parched voices.
"Oh, uh, you're going to have to wait your turn." The slaver said with a shrug. "But my offer stands, if you're still interested."
The young angel shook his head and left the slave market, desperate to get his mind off the look of dashed hopes they slave girls kept giving him. He chanced upon the shacks of imported goods, where exotic creatures were kept in cages to be sold to customers who had a taste for the finer things. Brothels and drinking dens were located here as well. Brass jars of sweet-smelling wine lined the stairways leading into the dens, and scantily clad women dressed with transparent white and red silks called seductively to all who would lay eyes on them.
"Hey there, stranger." Some said as they caressed the passing angel, "The heat is terrible today. Come inside where it is cool, we'll make your stay worth every coin."
Sanguinius ignored them, distracted by the earlier scene in the market. Something about seeing a fellow human in chains ate at him, and he had no idea why. It felt wrong, but he just couldn't understand what it was exactly. He wandered the city streets until he came to the smithies, where weapons and armor of all kinds were forged and sold.
"Come, good sir!" A crier, a young boy of no more than ten, said to him. "Take a look at one of Master Varriele's fine work! Daggers, swords, spears and armor! You won't be disappointed!" The clamor of hammers striking molten steel into shape reached the angel's ears, and the ceaseless babble of buyers haggling over price drowned out the boy's next words.
Sanguinius let his eyes see the work of the craftsmen, and he saw that they were indeed fine work. Yet, he did not come to the city to buy weapons nor armor. He did not need them.
"Well now!" A familiar voice called to him. "I wasn't expecting to find you here!"
Sanguinius turned to see the armored woman from his earlier adventure and he greeted her in kind, "Ah, Vestra!" His hand reached out to take her own, "You are a welcome sight! What brings you here?"
Vestra shrugged, "Well, I live here. Samarkar is where the Watchers' Guild is based. Though we our presence is spread across the continent, this is the heart of our order." She beckoned for him to follow, "Come with me, I do believe we owe you something for helping us slay that monster."
The two made their way out of the market district and into the housing district, where most of the offices of great import where also located. The Watchers' Guild sat at close proximity to the eastern wall, which faced the sea. Not too far from it was the docks, where hundreds of merchant ships, fishing boats as well as the occasional troop transport ship were docked. Today, several dozen slaver ships also made port for Samarkar, bringing with them the spoils of many conquered lands.
"So why have you come to Samarkar?" Vestra asked as she led him through the gates of the massive guild headquarters.
Awed by the sight of the castle, which held the marble statues of guild heroes, Sanguinius stuttered. "I-I was just...er...wandering the land. The city just caught my attention when I was flying, so I swooped down for a closer inspection."
"Really?" Vestra waved off the guards to let them enter, "And how did you find the fair city? Is it to your liking?"
"There are some things I found disagreeable." Sanguinius blurted, adding quickly upon noticing Vestra's inquisitive look. "But with everything else, I just find myself overwhelmed."
"Grandmaster Gus!" Vestra announced suddenly when a seemingly frail, old man in brass plated mail slowly walked out of his office just up the stairs from where they stood. Her armor whirred audibly as she stood in salute, "You've recovered quickly from your sickness! Praise the Throne!"
"I still have a little fight left in me, Lady Vestra." Gus grunted, lifting up his sagging armor as he walked down the stairs. "There will be no vote for my replacement, not just yet."
"This is your grandmaster?" Sanguinius whispered to Vestra in disbelief. To him, the old man seemed as though if a great wind blew at him he would be reduced to dust.
"Have a care what you say about him." Vestra said in quiet reply, "Grandmaster Gus can turn you inside out with but a snap of his finger."
"Come now, there is no need to be so tense with our visitor." Gus said upon reaching the foot of the stairs, obviously possessing good hearing in spite of his age. "Ah, I remember you from Lady Vestra's report! The angel who helped her stop that murderous monster in the mountains. You are Sanguinius, correct?"
Sanguinius stood upright and straight, "You've heard right. I am Sanguinius."
"Then you're a bold one to enter this city, sir." Gus declared, "There's quite a hefty bounty on your head, you know."
"Oh? Placed by whom?"
"I think you know." Gus replied, "Regent Maltheus did not take kindly to your actions against him."
"Am I to understand you'd try to claim that bounty?" Sanguinius asked, crossing his arms.
Gus shook his head, "Fortunately for you, no. I don't play politics, and neither does this guild, so I seek not to gain favor from him. I have no need for so much coin, so he can keep his. And under the circumstances, I think your actions were righteous. An entire village saved from the foolishness of young princes, a brave thing to do."
"Most people don't see it that way."
Gus approached the angel and looked up at him, undaunted by the stature of the demigod. "I am not most people." He smiled and pushed for Sanguinius to walk with him. "And obviously, neither are you."
"You're a very strange man, Grandmaster." Sanguinius said.
"I'd prefer the term eccentric." The old man replied with a wink. "That nature helps win the hearts of the people, and sets the Watchers' Guild apart from your usual problem-solving mercenary guild. The coin they give in return is but a bonus. Days are growing darker as time passes. With the throne of the kingdom remaining empty, brothers will rise against brothers. The people will suffer, and all they can look up to are their heroes."
"There are plenty of sellswords in the world, but fewer and fewer heroes, my boy." Gus sighed as they came upon a room that could only be the treasury, "Alas, my time is growing short, and soon the guild too shall change with the times. There will be no room for heroes when that day comes, and all hope of brighter days shall vanish with them."
His words, a lament of a dying man, were hard to comprehend by the young angel. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Words of a troubled old fool, you may ignore if you wish." Gus beckoned for the treasury guards to open a steel safe, "Looking at you, it reminded me of better days, of the possibility of better days."
Sanguinius frowned, "I ask for clarity in your words, sir. What are you trying to tell me?"
Grandmaster Gus held out a blue jewel the size of Sanguinius' fist. The prize was oval, shaped like an egg. Curious dark gold markings that looked like a coiling snake wrapped around the egg's form like a protective ward. This, the grandmaster handed over to reward Sanguinius for his efforts. "I can be patient, perhaps in a few days I shall see if I'm right to hope."
Sanguinius took the egg and eyed the old man curiously. He said nothing as he turned away, having collected his reward.
When he came to the doors leading out of the guild headquarters, he asked Vestra what the old man's cryptic words were all about. "Is he always like that?"
Vestra shrugged, "The stories about you put an idea in his head, this is the first I've seen him talk like that around anyone. He probably wants you to join the guild."
Sanguinius wrapped his fingers around the jewel egg and pursed his lips, still deep in thought about what the old man meant. "Or perhaps...there is no riddle in his words. He's just simply an old man looking for a brighter tomorrow."
"Well, he's right about one thing." Vestra said dismissively, looking up at the darkening skies and noticing the early rain clouds forming. "These are dark times."
As he stared at the egg, Sanguinius thought about what to do with the jewel. The angel had wanted for nothing in his life, save for his freedom. He had that now, and he had no idea what he would use the prize he now possessed for. His mind turned towards the slaves in the market, and he suddenly had an idea. The jewel would be worth much, though Sanguinius wondered if he actually needed to pay anything for them at all.
"Where are you going?" Vestra asked as he made his way out of the guild grounds.
"I'm off to buy some slaves."
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