A/N – Don't ask me why I am publishing this chapter, I feel like writing this universe, so I write. Read, Enjoy and Review.
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Harry groaned and blinked as he opened his eyes, the last thing he remembered was a stinging pain in his arm and now he felt as if his body was for him uncomfortable and was changing. "That's a normal feeling," someone said.
He looked in the direction of the voice and saw an Iron Priest walk towards him, it was the first time he saw one of them without their helmets. This one had a mane of red hair and a couple of scars on his face. "What do you mean?"
"You just received an additional heart and organs that increase body growth," the Priest said and chuckled. "Combined with you hitting your puberty, well, you grow fast and you will feel very uncomfortable."
Harry looked at the Iron Priest as if he was crazy.
"I'm quite sane," the Priest chuckled. "Focus for a second and you should feel it beat."
Harry closed his eyes and focused only to hear even beating of a pair of hearts, one slightly behind the other. He opened them and looked at the Priest. "You are right," he said.
"Indeed," the Priest said and pointed at Harry's chest which was covered by a simple shirt. "Take off the shirt and you will see scars from the surgeries."
Harry removed the shirt and looked at the skin below only to see several scars that previously weren't there, he rubbed his hand against them and felt them ache him as something below them shifted and moved.
"They need to adapt to your body and your body needs to get used to them, so you will feel various weird aches and pains," the Priest said and Harry looked at him. "The good thing is that they were easily and fully accepted by your body and it won't reject them and you won't drop dead."
"I suppose that's good," Harry said, laughing mirthlessly.
"It is good, very good," the Priest said and gave him one more look. "I'll send a kaerl with food for you and the next few days you will spend here to ensure that the implantation went smoothly and no quirks show up."
Harry groaned, but nodded, shifting on the bed and trying to get a more comfortable position. The Priest left him alone and moments enter a kaerl entered carrying a large tray of food at the sight which Harry could feel his body grumble and demand it quite fiercely.
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Ulrik looked at the Iron Priest that emerged from the chamber and waited with asking questions to let the Priest catch some breath. "How did his body reached to the changes?"
"Suprisingly well," Rustmane said. "None of the problems that can happen happened and all of the organs are working as they're supposed to do. By Russ, I don't know whom he is, but I want more of such Aspirants and it seems that this process is a lot more stable than the previous version."
"Good," Ulrik said and glanced towards the room where Harald was resting. "How soon should he be ready for some training and the next stage?"
The Priest frowned and was silent for a long moment. "Training, I will give him few days to get used to it and then some Wolf Guard can start his training. Next phase, we implanted all of them together, but then we also did it after Canis, I would give him time to turn thirteen or so and ensure that this is stable."
"Very well," Ulrik said. "I'll report to the Great Wolf that everything goes according to plan and I will suggest using it on all of our Aspirants."
o-0-o
After a week of laying in bed Harry felt as if he was going to explode from all of the energy that had gathered in his body. He didn't do anything of note excluding sleeping and eating and he could feel his body growing with each day and his mind was getting more and more stir crazy than he thought it was possible. When the Iron Priest entered, whom he learned was named Aevarr Rustmane, he looked at him, his green eyes filled with determination and desire to be out of the confinement.
"You will have soon an opportunity to stretch your legs," Iron Priest chuckled looking at him. "As long as everything is fine with your body and the implants you got are working, today you will start your training."
"Finally," Harry said as he sat up. "I won't be able to survive for much longer."
Aevarr chuckled and gave him a look before pulling some of his medical equipment, he fiddled for a moment with it before nodding and looking at him, a small smile on his lips. "You're as healthy as it is possible and your body seems to have no issues with the gifts it received."
"Can I get out of here?" Harry asked, his voice almost pleading.
"You can," Aevarr said and grasped Harry by his arm before he had a chance to bolt out of the room. "Don't overextend the body, it still adapts to the changes and organs responsible for your growth just started to kick in."
Harry nodded and hurried out of the room before he noticed that he didn't know where he was. "How do I get back to the part where's my room?" He asked, returning to Aevarr who just laughed.
"One of kaerls will show you the way," Aevarr said and at the same time one of the mortal servants of the chapter entered the room. "Take him to his quarters," the Priest said looking at the servant who bowed to him and then looked at Harry.
Harry followed the servant and quickly found himself in the parts of the Fang that were more familiar to him than the laboratories and medical facilities of the Iron Priests. He nodded to the kaerl in thanks, but before he had a chance to open door leading into the room he felt massive hand land on his shoulder.
He slowly turned around and came face to face with one of Ragnar's Wolf Guard, yet much to his surprise the Marine wasn't wearing his usual armor, but instead clothes from roughly woven cloth and leather with a head of the wolf stitched above his primary heart. "Come with me," he said. "Wolf Priest Ranek asked me to train you, so for the next few months you will train under me."
"Finally," Harry said as he walked after the Wolf Guard towards one of more private training yards.
"Everybody was as eager as you are when they started our training," the guard said and Harry looked at him. "Ragnar and I are from the same pack, Ranek recruited us after the battle in which we almost murdered each other."
Harry paused at those words and gave the guard a very long look as he tried to remember one bit of data he had heard from Ranek. "You're Strybjorn Grimskull," Harry finally said.
"Aye," Strybjorn nodded. "Even if Ragnar and I don't see eye to eye on certain things, he trusts me and according to him, I'm the only person he trusts not to murder you when training you."
"I see," Harry said as they entered a big chamber carved out inside of the Fang.
Strybjorn looked at Harry and smirked. "You seem so full of energy so we will start with fifty laps around the room," he said.
Harry looked at the room and later at the Wolf Guard. "That seems easy."
"We'll see once you're done," Strybjorn said.
Harry nodded and started quickly jogging around the perimeter of the room, first five laps he didn't even feel any strain, after fifteen he actually started to feel the blood flowing inside of his body as his hearts pumped it through the system much more effectively than a single one would manage. The first strain he started to feel after forty laps, but then it started to pile up quickly and by the fiftieth lap he was panting heavily and his whole body was drenched in sweat.
"Not bad," Strybjorn said and Harry looked at him. "That was more to see how well your body is developed and how much it can survive. Now, we will start true training," Strybjorn said, heftig a massive axe before throwing a smaller one to Harry. "Try to land a blow on me, everything we taught you is allowed."
Harry grasped the wooden handle of the axe and smirked as he looked at Strybjorn, his body slipping into the position hours of training managed to drill into his head.
o-0-o
Logan Grimnar smiled as he watched the duel with Ranek and Ragnar, he rarely saw a Wolf Guard member so badly assaulted that he needed to back away as blade of an axe was swinging in front of his body, threatening to decapitate him if a single opening was found.
"He is good," Logan said. "I know that your Wolf Guard is not fighting at his fully capacity, but it is still impressive."
"Also the organs were fully accepted by his body and are developing as they are supposed to," Ranek added and paused. "We don't know how he will accept the rest of them, but we can assume that they will be positively accepted."
"When will Njal start training him in the ways of Runic Priests?" Logan asked. "He reported that he is a powerful one and the next visit from the Inquisition will get blasted from the sky if they come asking for him."
"Once he received Canis Helix," Ranek said. "Which should happen right after he gets the next set of the implants. We thought about it being given to him sooner, but notes were clear. Transform basic functions of his body and then give him Canis."
"Which can drive him mad and turn him into the Wulfen," Ragnar added quietly. "It almost managed to claim me during my trial."
"As it did to almost every single one of us," Ranek said and paused. "But that is the normal version, in the notes they suggested being more careful with the usage of it. It is a powerful mixture and we lose most of our Aspirants because of it."
"Now we started to lose less," Logan said and looked at Ranek. "You give them less?"
"Indeed," Ranek nodded. "You gave us an order to double the size of the chapter and we cannot afford to recruit more so we try to lose less."
"Makes sense," Ragnar said and focused on the duel where Strybjorn started to push back, showing his true strength and abilities. "He is about to lose."
o-0-o
Harry jumped out of the way of a strike that almost bisected him and stopped the next one with his axe before discovering that it was a feint and Strybjorn's foot connected with his chest before sending him flying backwards. He slammed into the stone wall of the room and groaned as his whole back was set aflame by the nerves that cried as everything was put under massive strain. He slipped onto the floor and axe escaped his grasp as he tried to ignore the pain from most of his body, yet it hurt much less than similar accidents during his past training. Then one such kick was enough to knock him out, here he was able to remain conscious and pain quickly went away. It felt as if his body was also getting tougher, not only bigger, but also much tougher.
"Seems that your organs started to work," Ranek said as he appeared from the shadows and lifted him to his feet. "Your bones normally would get shattered by this, one of your implants turns them into second layer of armor, layer of armor that will deflect most of small arms and slow down plenty of other things."
"Yet it still hurts like hell," Harry said as he looked at himself, trying to see if any was broken.
"Because they need time to grow and develop into the armor they become," Strybjorn said and looked at Ranek. "I knew that someone was watching us, but couldn't say who it was."
"I want to ensure that I didn't make any mistakes when choosing new Aspirants," Ranek said and looked at Harry. "Also I was curious how do you get used to the implants or first of many that you will get." Ranek looked at Strybjorn and then at Harry. "Return to training, I won't interfere more."
Harry groaned, but reached for his axe and grasped its handle before looking at Strybjorn who was grinning like a madman that enjoyed a good fight and wanted to push him to and beyond his limits.
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Grandmaster looked at the idiot of an Inquisition Lord that didn't manage to get what he was supposed to get and was more or less spanked by the Great Wolf. At this Grandmaster shook his head, he should have expected that this paw would get chewed out and spat out, he realized that he should be grateful that the Wolves didn't turned the idiot into minced meat or slag. That would have partially solve one of his issues, what to do with Carrow.
"So they won't give away that boy?" he asked, looking at the young Lord Inquisitor.
"No, Grandmaster," Carrow said and swallowed. "They said that he is theirs and that they won't give him away. The Great Wolf threatened me with my fleet being blown to pieces and my head being taken as a trophy."
"The usual behavior of those savages," the Grandmaster said and added after a moment with some grudging respect. "Though you shouldn't even think of underestimating them as that's just an image they cultivate or at least most of them. The Great Wolf is one of the shrewest leaders among the Astartes, even if he is a brute and savage he is a dangerous one."
"Will we let them keep him?"
"No, we won't," the Grandmaster said. "But we need to back down and lay low. Even if the Wolves are savages, their allies are not and if we attack the Wolves we risk angering them and that's a thing we cannot afford."
"Whom did they get to support them?" Carrow asked and paused when he saw that the Grandmaster's face turned into an angry scowl. "Pardon me."
"Enough for you is to know that we lack any real way to fight them and their allies can disable what we can use from sources outside of the Inquisition," the Grandmaster said.
He felt bitter sensation at those words, he never expected to be outmaneuvered by a Navigator, a mutant of all things and a bunch of savage barbarians. He didn't know how did it happen, but Mechanicus more or less stated that they would disable any ships sent against Fenris and any they would be unable would be destroyed by them. While also stating that any other hostile action would be met with their disapproval and unhappiness.
That was a ball of bile he was willing to swallow, second that came from Titan was a much harder one. Grey Knights of all Chapters made an oath not to rise their arms against the Space Wolves and stated that they knew about the boy, yet believed that he should stay in Wolves' care and that any attempt to use them against him would end poorly.
He collected his stray thoughts and looked at Carrow. "I will have a mission for you, go to the Navigators Quarter and try to learn as much as you can about the House of Belisarius and what game are they playing."
"Of course, Grandmaster," Carrow said and with a bow of his head retreated from the luxurious office.
The Grandmaster slowly turned around and walked to one of the windows, he could feel that the situation was changing and someone else caught the reins of it and he was forced to play it on someone's else terms, not his. He couldn't tell who was the playmaker, but he could tell that whoever it was, they knew how to play the game and hide in the shadows and out of the eyes of the Inquisition.
o-0-o
Torin Wayfarer stood in front of the throne of the Celestarch and watched the room as a delegation from Mars arrived, he placed his hand on a handle of his chainsword and focused on them. In the lead was Fabricator Locum and that was an expected thing, however unexpected were things behind him. There were several heavy-duty servitors carrying massive crates and chests with several Tech-Priests nearby, watching over them and whatever was inside of those crates.
He muted out the greetings between his liege and the guests and actually focused when they moved past the ceremonies. He knew that his brothers were also watching and knew that he could take this risk.
"Lady Celestarch," Fabricator Locum said. "In the name of the Priesthood of Mars I bring gifts for you and the Chapter of Space Wolves, gifts that our repayment for that opportunity to inspect wonders of the technology that you have in your vaults. We believe that the discoveries we have made furthered our Quest For Knowledge and greatly pleased Omnissiah."
"We thank you for your generosity and we are pleased that we could help in your search for Knowledge," the Celestarch said and indicated the servitors behind the Fabricator. "I presume those crates bear gifts from you and the Priesthood?"
"Indeed," the Fabricator said and motioned for accompanying Priests to open the crates. "In the name of Cult Mechanicus I present for you a set of forty-eight Artificer Power Armors, each with a wrist mounted storm bolter and a set of three power weapons to choose from, an axe, a sword and a pair of lightning claws. I also present a set of six Tactical Dreadnought Armors of Cataphractii Pattern, each with a full set of weapons, a set of four Centurion Warsuits as well as all of the accompanying gear and finally a large variety of standard Astartes weaponry that was Master Crafted and its quality was ensured by the very best of our Priests."
As the weapons were listed Torin felt as he started to lose control of his jaw before it almost slammed into the marble floor of the throne room. Almost any chapter would murder them just to see those wonders, most was almost priceless and some of it he could tell was a unique work of the most skilled Priests.
"Thank you for your generosity," the Celestarch said. "I'm overwhelmed by the amount of gear, priceless one too, you offer to my bodyguards and I'm sure that the Great Wolf will feel similarly when he receives news of how well his fellow Wolves are treated."
The Fabricator nodded in thanks and Torin completely muted out the rest of the talk as he stared at the wonders that were slowly unpacked by the servitors and Priests. He could feel his whole body ache at the idea of using them.
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Harry looked at his body and had troubles believing that what he was seeing was true, during past few months he grew up a lot, previously he stood at little over five feet, now he was over six feet and according to Iron Priests he had at least a feet to grow. However that wasn't the only change that had happened to him, his body also became bulkier and much more massive, as well as a lot stronger and tougher.
He gave himself one, last look in a mirror and followed a kaerl that was his guide into the lair of Iron Priests where next surgeries and implantations awaited him. He entered the same chamber he had before the first surgery and noticed a Priest wait for him.
"You know what to do," he said, his voice distorted by the helmet.
Harry nodded and quickly undressed, neatly folding his clothes and placing it his clothes in the box before looking at the Priest who nodded and motioned for him to follow him into the chamber beyond. Inside it happened the way it happened previously, he was told to lay on a table and soon after he felt a stinging pain in his arm and then blackness took him.
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Several hours later Harry groaned as his eyes fluttered and almost immediately he closed them as bright, white light slammed into them. Much to his surprise he didn't feel as shitty as before and perhaps even better.
He sat up on the bed and almost immediately heard an Iron Priest walk to him. "How do you feel?"
"Certainly less shitty than I felt after the first one," Harry said and the Priest nodded.
"Tests didn't show any mutations or improperly working organs so you are free to go," the Priest said. "Once you leave the chamber you will meet one of Wolf Priests and you are to obey them."
Harry nodded and slipped of the bed before walking out of the chamber, the moment he crossed the doors of it he noticed Ranek standing in the middle of the corridor, a simple stone cup in his hands.
"This is the Cup of Wulfen," he said. "Once you drink it you will become one of the Wolves, come forth and drink it."
Harry wavered for a moment, unsure what to do, but then nodded and walked to Ranek who handed him the cup and he drank it hurriedly. As it flowed down his throat he felt weird metallic taste of it, once the cup was empty he handed it back to the Wolf Priest and looked at him.
"Now, come with me," Ranek said before leading him through a maze of corridors which led them to a landing platform where Thunderhawk waited for them. "Now begins the true trial of a Wolf," Ranek said as they boarded the craft. "You'll be taken into wilderness and you need to return to the Aett on your own."
Harry nodded and looked at a small bundle that laid in the corner of the compartment. "What's that?"
"Only gear you can use," Ranek said. "A knife and a flint and steel, the rest you need to get on your own."
Harry nodded and for the next several very long moments he sat in silence as the Thunderhawk flew into the wilderness. Finally after something that felt like an eternity it stopped and landed somewhere, once the ramp was opened and he stepped out of it, holding the bundle in his arms he could see that he was in a higher parts of a mountain range. And somewhere in the distance was the Aett, but where, only Russ knew.
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A/N:
Mechanicus gift to the Navigators – traditional exchange of gifts in diplomacy, they were given A, so they need to repay with something of equal or greater value.
Space Marines not wearing their armors all the time – it's the only logical choice, on board of ships or in combat there is no reason to remove it, but when they are on garrison or heart duty they don't need to keep their armor for the whole time.