Chapter 6: The Praetorian and The Salamander

Rogal Dorn was a warrior. Just yesterday he was fighting the Abaddon the Despoiler's forces in the so called "Black Crusade". He was surrounded by Traitor Astartes and Daemonic forces. He, and a small force of Imperial fists made their last stand aboard the Chaos Battleship Sword of Sacrilege. One by one his warriors fell leaving only him and a Chaos Lord to do battle. Dorn nearly lost his life in the battle but eventually he bested the Chaos lord. In the process Rogal Dorn, Primarch of the Imperial fists, lost his left hand and soon after lost consciousness. Then he woke up in a forest, his left hand intact, with three of his brothers.

Sanguinius was among them, in truth Rogal did not know what to think. He considered his failure to save Sanguinius second to his failure to save his father. Now that he was alive, Rogal faced a dilemma, should he be happy to see his lost brother, or ashamed that he failed in his duty.

The inhabitants of Terra, Earth as they call it, are strange. Chiron, the half horse/half human mutant seemed to be a leader of sorts for the children. As heretical as the mutant was, he decided not to speak against him yet. Dionysus on the other hand seemed to rule with fear. The children called him Mr. D, and as Sanguinius said he was powerful. Dionysus had the audacity to call himself a god and place himself apart from the camp. Perhaps this contempt towards Dionysus is similar to what Mortarion felt towards the Overlord of Barbarus. A tyrant ruling over his people like a god. If this was true, Rogal had to control this feeling, for he does not want to follow the same path as his traitorous brothers.

The boy, Percy Jackson, was strange. He seemed almost as unfamiliar with this place as the Primarchs. Now he was being sent to consult with some Oracle. A being with the power to tell the future, foul daemonic sorcery. Percy returned to the amphitheater, he looked fearful, almost horrified.

"Percy, did she speak to you?" Chiron asked, Percy just nodded. "Tell us what she said Percy"

"She told me 'You shall go west, and face the god who has turned. You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.'" Percy replied.

"Well that's good. Isn't it? She said we'd return what was stolen!" Grover, the other mutant, said.

"Was there anything else Percy?" Chiron asked

"Yeah, after she finished that prophecy I tried to leave, but she started speaking again. She said, 'Sons of Noctune, Inwit, Prospero, and Baal. They must join in this quest to preserve us all. To bring peace they must fight a tide of war. The world of gods, they forever transform.'"

Everyone looked confused, except the Primarchs. "What could that be referring to, Chiron do you know any gods named Nocturne, Inwit, Prospero, or Baal?" Grover asked

"Those are not gods, boy. Those are planets" Rogal said as everyone looked towards him for an explanation, "I was raised upon the world of Inwit. My brother Vulcan was raised on Nocturne. Magnus was raised on Prospero. And Sanguinius was raised on Baal." Rogal explained, "Us Primarchs are the 'Sons of Nocturne, Inwit, Prospero, and Baal' this Oracle is referring to."

Chiron then said, "It seems that our visitors will be joining you on this quest, that alone is clear. Percy are you sure that the Oracle said nothing else?"

Percy looked uncomfortable, "No" he said, "That's all the oracle told me."

Magnus looked directly at Percy for a while, Percy seemed to flinch under his gaze "'You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend. And you shall fail to save what matters most in the end.' That was the rest of the prophecy was it not?" Magnus asked accusingly.

"How…" Percy stuttered, "Yes… that was the rest of the first prophecy." Percy looked guilty

"I am a Psyker, I possess a connection to the warp which allows me to use certain psychic abilities. In this case, I read your surface thoughts." Magnus explained "Since it appears that we will be joining you, it would be to your benefit to tell us everything."

Annabeth spoke up, "If they do go on the quest, won't they stand out? I mean the mist hides a lot of strange things, but how can we hide four giants in full armor?"

"That's true," Vulkan said, "We are not supposed to be created for another 28 millennia. Something as simple as our appearance could greatly hider the quest."

Chiron seemed to ponder this for a moment, "Annabeth, could you please lead our guests to Cabin 9?"

Annabeth was leading the four Primarchs towards the cabins. Vulkan was intrigued by the girl and this "Cabin 9" that they were being led too.

"So, what is this 'Cabin 9' Chiron spoke of?" Vulkan asked Annabeth.

"It's where the children of Hephaestus live. Hephaestus is the god of Forge, Fire, and Blacksmiths." Annabeth answered.

A smile broke across Vulkan's face, "They sound like my sons." Vulcan said fondly. Annabeth looked at Vulkan curiously. "My sons, the Salamanders, hail from the planet Nocturne, a hostile volcanic world. We were considered the greatest smiths among the Astartes. I taught my sons the values of self-reliance and humility."

Vulkan thought fondly of his sons, after the heresy, he disappeared, but he still watched them from afar. Forgefather after Forgefather hunting for his artifacts, hoping they would bring him back. Vulkan had yet to tell his brothers his final memories, for he could not find the strength to tell them. 546.M32, 1500 years after the Emperor was interred upon the Golden Throne. Vulkan saw each of his loyal brothers disappear: Caliban was destroyed and Lion El'Jonson was never seen again. Jaghatai disappeared into the Webway. Rogal Dorn died during the 1st Black Crusade. Leeman Russ and Corvus Corax entered the Eye of Terror, one sought revenge and the other sought redemption, both disappeared. Even Roboute Guilliman, who guided the Imperium from the ashes of the Heresy, was mortally wounded by Fulgrim and placed in stasis. Vulkan saw the Imperium they built crumble to ashes. His Father's imperial truth was corrupted by a theocratic Ecclesiarchy that viewed his traitorous brother Lorgar's accursed tome, the Lectitio Divinitatus, as the word of the Emperor himself. The Inquisition, Malcador the Hero's chosen men of character, skill, and determination, became brutal enforcers of the Imperial Cult. The Imperium had fallen to but a shadow of its former glory. When Vulkan returned during the War of the Beast, he had hoped to inspire the citizens of the Imperium, rally them behind a true son of the Emperor, and rebuild the Imperium that his father built. But Vulkan died with the beast, and he woke in a forest on Terra, 29 Millenia in the past.

"That can't be a coincidence!" Annabeth exclaimed.

Vulkan snapped out of his trance and asked the girl, "What do you mean?"

"When center of Western Civilization moved to Rome the names of many of the gods changed. Zeus became Jupiter, Ares became Mars, and Poseidon became Neptune. Hephaestus, god of fire and blacksmiths was named Vulcan. Now here you are an expert blacksmith from a world of fire named Vulkan."

Vulkan thought about this for a moment, "Interesting, this is the first I've heard of both Rome and this Vulcan. My adoptive father named me after an legendary hero of Nocturne. Perhaps the hero's story was inspired by the Roman Vulcan. You are very intelligent for your age Annabeth."

"Well I am a daughter of Athena so intelligence is to be expected." Annabeth responded proudly.

"Athena?" Vulkan asked

"Goddess of wisdom and battle strategy" Annabeth answered

Vulkan laughed, "You should try speaking to Magnus some time, he was considered one of the most knowledgeable among the Primarchs, and Rogal Dorn was considered the greatest defensive strategist among us. Rogal designed several fortresses used by the Imperium for millennia."

"Wait… designed, is Rogal an architect?" Annabeth asked excitedly

"Why yes… Rogal designed much of the Imperial Palace on Terra, does architecture interest you?" Vulkan asked.

"Yes! It's my dream to design something that will last for centuries!" Annabeth exclaimed.

Vulkan laughed again, "Then you should really speak with Rogal, perhaps you'll learn how to create something that lasts for millennia." They both laughed as they approached Cabin 9, and Vulkan realized this was the first time in centuries he had laughed with those he would call friend.

AN: VULKAN LIVES! (STOMP STOMP). Vulkan is one of my favorite Primarchs, and I kinda had to acknowledge the Vulkan:Vulcan connection some how, so I thought the conversation with Annabeth would be a good place to do it. Next Chapter, Cabin 9! What will Beckendorf do to hide the Primarchs?

Thanks for the feedback and I'll try too keep the chapters at least 1000 words long (hopefully I'll graduate to 2000 at some point). Thanks for reading!