The Compact of Magnus the Red

The Last Angle / 40k Crossover

The burning of Prospero was complete; the Wolf King killed all of the Thousand Sons in an orbital bombardment followed by a swift Drop Assault. With nothing left to protect Magnus the Red dethrone lord of Prospero flees into the Warp. Hoping to save Prospero's greatest treasure, Prospero's sole survivor runs through the labyrinthine landscape, past the red rivers of blood following between mountains of skulls, past the eldritch and bloated forest, past the labyrinthine mazes of mirrors and eyes, past the debased towers and palace. Past all of the places and powers of the Great Ocean, so far away from the materium and into the immaterium that one became the other.

And with a rip, one met the other, and he ran through a gate into a forest of greens and browns. Yet he still ran past hundreds of trees, fearing that his traitorous Brother would finish the job. The Sorcerer Lord only stopped as he crested a mountain and saw upon the planes below a city reaching to the stars against the protesting sea.

Magnus stared with his transhuman mind, only now realizing how far he had fled, only now seeing how he shirked responsibility, running away from his Sons killers, from those who murdered his charges, from those who burned his home. He was a failure; he could not protect his people; with all his gene-forged might, all his psychic power, all his boons, and relics, he could not protect those that he treasured most. He was the last of Prospero. It was wrong; he should have been the first to fall. He should have been the shield of his people, yet all he protected all that was left of his once great home, the one treasure He took with him, knowledge, but what use was knowledge when its creators were dead, murdered by those they believed were friends.

He looked at the gleaming city below him, a beacon of light in the darkness of the night, but not just with his gene-forged eyes, but to his otherworldly sight, these people's souls were content just like those of his people before the Warped damned Wolves of Russ attack. What would he a, no the cowered son of the Emperor, do for these people, lead them to their death like he led his own sons to their for the cursed edict of Nikaea? No, these people are content; he would only bring them down.

As a shuttle left the city's outskirts and into the atmosphere, He turned away; he would make a home away from these innocent people; he did not want to bring his Father's wrath upon them. All that was left of his people was with him now, and he would see it prevised. He descended the mountain the same way he came and found a cave entrance where he would make his shrine.

Magnus used his psychic might to forge his new home, carving stone away and transmuting it into whatever he needed. He would create a sanctum here, filled with all the great work of Prospero recreated from his superhuman memory, filled with all the names of his now-lost sons and the people they failed to save. He would make a laboratory to carry on the work of his people, for he would carry on the legacy of his people, so their life would never be forgotten. This would be his mission.

As he carved away the stone to create the grand entrances to the main hall, he noticed the ease at which he could do so; gazing into the immaterium, he was met by an unnatural stillness. There were no beasts or spirits within, no currents or domains. Just a calmness that was so unlike his home.

With nothing to restrict his power, Magnusus could see the whole system filled with billions of souls going about their lives unburdened by the knowledge a people were murdered, never to recover.

With his unrestricted power, the sorceries lord released his power and reforged his new home instantly, but he learned from the death of his people. His silver tower of sorceries power, made real, was hidden inside the mountain, protected by wards that obscured it from those that would wish it harm. By soulless observers, no mere collection of elements could see this shrine to his people might; only a soul seeking it out with pure intentions could interact with this monument to his people.

With his work finished far sooner than he believed possible, Magnus entered his sanctum to record his people's great works, for although his power may be great, as he walks through his silver tower, he realizes that it is empty rooms made with doors and windows, the structure completed. Still, it was just that, an empty temple, needing filling with knowledge, purpose, history, and meaning, so he set to work.

He worked endlessly; with the calmness of the Warp, he did not need to rest or eat, and with his transhuman mind set on a task, he would not stop until his work was done. He created obsidian pillars to record the names of his fallen sons, and he created tomes to be filled with knowledge no longer lost. He created tools and chambers meant to further his people's studies.

Time was meanless to the grieving Primarch until he was disturbed from his labor by a trespasser tripping his wards.

Dr. Aimee Pearce was a humble chiropterologist if she said so herself. While it was not a glorious profession studying how the bats of Rally and Earth interact was her passion, which led her to the New Appalachian Mountains just outside the city.

Although this was her passion, the budget was not there for the programs and experiences she wished to run, so she was alone on these Mountains carrying her own equipment up the mountain to start collecting samples from the caves she had found in geological surveys the university had. These Caves would be the perfect breeding grounds for Myotis Longines. Due to their symbiotic relationship with Rally's own cave bat species, she could collect the data she needed to complete her research.

This would show those Thoughtfuls that she could research just like anyone else and maybe, finally, get some funding for her projects.

But first the Caves she would start with the highest caves and work her way down the mountain, less backtracking that way.

However, there was something wrong about the cave, she had never been in one herself, but Aimee didn't think they were supposed to be this uniform or flat. She shivered as she stepped into the cave, feeling like she was trespassing like she did when she went into a class taught by a Thoughtful to the other ruling races.

There were no Bats in this cave; as she turned her flashlight on, she saw a carving on the far side of the cave depicting a great battle with armor figures clashing against one another while a cityscape around them burned.

Aimee signed before turning around; there were no bats here. She should probably tell someone in the archeology department about this, but what did they ever do for her? However, she heard a rumble before she could fully exit the cave. Quickly turning around, she saw that the carving had split in two, opening; this was no carving but a door. And opening the said door was a creature taller than anything she had ever seen, taller than a Tribune or a Thoughtful. The next thing she noticed of the being, as she made great haste in backing away, was that it was red, blood red, its face, its arms, its hair all the color of Broken blood.

At that thought, while still cowering in fear, she put her mind to use. It had an all too human face; maybe she could talk it down from eating her, just maybe she could be on her way studying bat and forget about this towering crimson Giant.

So she spoke hurriedly in the only language she knew, "I am so sorry, Mr. sir, I didn't mean to disturb you from your, your no doubt important work, please, Mr. I will just be on my way, and we can act like this never happened; please don't eat me."

The crimson titan peered down at her, and with a way of its hand, a shiver ran up her spine. An unexpected headache overcame her, and with the smell of ozone in the air, the being spoken in an impossible accent, "Be at peace Mortal, and tell me why you come to this place."

The words were more a command than a question, and impossibly, Aimee no longer feared him. Yes, it was definitely a he with the voice, face, and muscles; it could not be anything else. So headache still pounding by fear gone, she answered his question, "I am looking for bats for my research, you see, and this cave would be the perfect place to find them, but since you're here, I will just be on my way."

He looked amused before responding, "why are you looking for Bats in the middle of the day in the winter?"

Aimee blushed in embarrassment, only now realizing that her fellow researcher might have had a reason to delay the funding of her projects. The Giant smiled when she thought that and continued, "you need to learn patience, young mortal; not everything can be done when the mood strikes you, so things come in time, be gone now; your fellows must be worried by your disappearance."

She nodded vigorously before turning to hurry out of the cave and back to her car, thinking of who she would tell of this bizarre encounter, but as she was at the mouth of the cave, she was stopped again by the Giant's voice, "and don't speak of me to anyone for I have forsworn the affairs of mortals," and with those words and another rumble, he was gone.

Aimee left and returned home to her research. And while she returned to the New Appalachian Mountains many times throughout her life, she never spoke of the red Giant or revisited that cave.

Magnusus was returned to reality from his visitor's interruption; he had neglected to protect himself fully in his haste to record his son's passing. He had not peered into the Warp to scry for threats or disturbances; he had only glanced at the city before dismissing it.

However, it was none of those things that made him reconsider his actions over the last indefinable period of time; no, it was her, Aimee, that made him do so, she was so much like his sons, eager to learn and passionate in their quest for knowledge, but he would not interfere with the mortals if he could not lead his own sons then how could he lead these stranger, who does not even speak any form of gothic, but a harsh tongues that seemed to be a mix of dozens of other.

That is why he refrained from reading her mind in full, only taking what was needed to see her off, but it was a nice distraction from his labor; maybe he would entertain other visitors in the future.

Compact Intelligence Services received another report of a citizen entering the New Appalachian Mountains only to fall off the map and then return hours later with a story to tell of the "Wise Giant of the Mountain" normally, such rumors would go unremarked by the CIS or anyone else for that matter, just yet another example of the naivete and superstition of the lesser races. Still, after too many reports are so similar to one another, a concerned citizen set about following someone heading to meet the Giant, only for the one they were following to disappear. Which sparked a CIS investigation into the matter, believing a Principality base or other Unbound group was working out of the Mountains.

However, their investigation turned up nothing. The cave that was talked about in the rumors and by those interviewed was never found, not by ground searches, orbital scans, or even geological surveys. Nothing was there. If it was not for how Broken looking to speak to the Giant would just fall off the map in that area, they would have just thought it was no more than a rumor, but something was up.

This was why detective Baxter Greyson was out in these mountains in the middle of the night, following some teens as they headed to meet the Giant. His higher-ups in CIS made it clear that if nothing came of this endeavor, they would make a coverup, and the Mountains would be quarantined; they didn't like so unknown putting ideas into the heads of the Broken, not when they were doing so good before now.

However, as they crested the mountain to where the Giant is said to dwell, the teens looked confused, not seeing the cave the rumors spoke of. Yet, Greyson saw it despite being to the same spot countless times in his investigation, a cave opening lit faintly by a flicking blue light, seeing what his colleagues had never seen. His tails seem to miss, Greyson abandons stealth to B-line for his illusive goal.

As his leads turned back, heading away from the entrances so obvious to him, Greyson mentally noted to interview them later, but he expected nothing to come from it. More importantly, was that he was about to make contact with whatever lived in the mountains.

He entered the cave seeing it lit by unnatural blue touches on the walls leading to a colorful mural showing two factions he didn't recognize warring over and on a plant, one in red noble defender of pyramid cities, while they Fought a blue group of savage barbarians over and in the ruins of a once great city. Greyson stared long at the piece, not only to divine its meaning but also to try and understand how he could get some much meaning and context from just an image.

Then suddenly, the mural split in two, opening into a chamber beyond. Greyson hesitated, the stories always said the Giant came out to meet them for the mural, but as he watched, the being did not appear, so checking his sidearm, he steeled himself for possible retribution before entering the unknown.

Magnus knew intellectually that he could not avoid the attention of the planetary government, not when he was playing the Wiseman of the Mountain between his meditation into the deeper secrets of the Warp, but that didn't mean he had to make an exception to his wards for one of their officials or that he would have to like that one of them finally meets those requirements and enter the shrine.

But he would make their representative come to him, and he would show them the totality of what remained of his people so that they would understand that he would not interfere in their affairs and could be left to his seclusion, only being brought out to dispense wisdom to those wise enough to seek it.

Greyson stepped through the gate and saw an impossibly large hall filled with pillars made from unidentifiable materials that seemed to change hue when he was not looking; There were doors placed asymmetrically on the walls with paintings of pyramids or landscapes labeling them.

And in the center, between the rows of pillars on either side, sat unexplainably floating in the air above a pool of a shimmering substance, the Red Giant in its full, white-robed glory. Greyson started analyzing the room, trying to understand how it was floating in the air; there could not be anything on its person. It would be too large to hide inside its red and gold accented robes; maybe there was a system in the pool or in the hall, but that still didn't explain how the hall was longer than the mountain would allow. It must be a projection or an illusion. All to maintain its image of a man of mystery, but why put some much effort into this?

While he was pondering this mystery, the figure that he sought landed from its crossed legs position in front of the pond and him in turn. Then with some unseen mechanism, a golden curved staff lifts from the ground into the Giant's hand. Then as if just noticing him looking down from its towering 3-meter height. Greyson saw it only had one eye, with its other being missing, but in that one glowing eye, he saw an eminence intellect. But staring into the Giant's red eye, Greyson realized something, something impossible, something that, despite hearing the stories and rumors he didn't believe, couldn't be true, but staring back at him was indisputably a human. Despite its towering form and its color, it was a human; it was in its face, in its posture, in its form, it was without a doubt human.

Then it spoke, reconfirming its humanity with the accent only a broken had, which was further accent by something ethereal, "What do you seek within my sanctum, child of man?"

Greyson focused, ignoring that mounting question to answer the one in front of him, "I am here to solve the mysteries that have become ever present in the New Appalachian Mountains."

The Giant shook its head, "why are you here? I care not for what your superiors what; I want to know why you are here."

Greyson wanted to be the one asking the questions but understood that he had to build a rapport with his subjects before he could get answers. So, he spoke honestly, seeing no benefit in deception "I am here to understand how you do what you do, to protect my people."

The Giant smiled, waving him to follow as he walked towards the far end of the hall; Greyson hurried to follow and meet the Giant's large stride. When he finally caught up to the Giant, he posed yet another question "Tell me, what do you know of the other realm?"

Greyson was confused; what other realms were there? Was he speaking about the other star nations? The Giant, with a glance from his left eye, clearly saw his confusion and elaborated, "The dimensions parallel to our own."

After another moment of contemplation, Greyson realized what the Giant was talking about and answered, "Shock space is the space which ships travel through to make interstellar travel possible."

The Giant gained that same indulgence smile as if a child had answer a question, "Yes, Warp travel is the simplest and most widespread use of the Great Ocean" It waved its hand as they reached the end of the hall, causing the large doors to swing open, revealing a great library, with actual paper books lining the walls and forming a labyrinthian maze of shelves. "However, it is just that the simplest use of the Ocean, what you seek is its other uses, I hide from your tools in this mountain with its use, and it is the key to understanding the history recorded within these halls. Tell me, mortal, what is 'Shock Space'"

Greyson Grimmest at the question as they passed by bookcases filled with titles in languages he could not read, and he was sure they were in multiple languages; many of them didn't share any characters. He knew little about Shock Space, it was a poorly understood technology in the first place, and his knowledge on the topic was only slightly better than a civilian, but he answered to the best of his ability, "Shock Space is a dimension parallel to real space which has fewer physical laws allowing for ships to reach faster than light speeds without suffering the normal consequences, creating breach into shock space being power intensive and difficult due to the interferences of gravity creating safe Shock limits in a system if the ship doesn't want to be torn apart by the impossible geometry and lack of natural laws."

It smiled again, that same almost condescending smile, but he would let it ramble on about shock space; that way, he would not have to risk asking a question it might not enjoy; as they passed by yet another row of bookshelves, it spoke, "Just as I suspected. Tell me do you know why gravity affects shock space?" A long pause as Greyson racked his mind for any answer; they passed yet another bookcase before the Giant answered its own question, "it is affected by gravity because you believe everything should be, and by extension, it is."

Greyson stopped to try to understand that nonsensical answer before rushing to catch up to the Giant's long slow stride; as he did so, they finally left the library behind them and entered a smaller chamber decorated with paints on every wall and dominated by two twin pillars in the center of the room, one black and the other white both with inscriptions upon them coving them in their totality.

The Giant stood in front of one of these images, looking longingly at the planet depicted before it spoke as Greyson retook his position beside the Giant, "let me tell you a story, my story of why I have created this shrine, there once was a world called Prospero have you ever heard of it?"

Greyson shook his head, trying to understand what brought upon this sudden change in topic and what game it might be playing at telling him its story. Was it trying to get sympathy? But why was it content in its position up until now? What changed? and

it could not possibly think that he would believe that belief hand any power, let alone over shock space.

It continued, not caring for the disbelief of its audience, "Of course not; Prospero was a beautiful world colonized by mankind in its golden aged filled with scholars and outcasts who were shunned for their talents and research," he moved, and Greyson followed the next image was a landscape like those he saw in the entrance hall, this one showing a mix of forest and dessert "Then, of course, the long night came, humanity fell from grace, partly their own fault and partly by the machinations of the Xenos."

He was more sure with every word that despite the wisdom this man might have shared with anyone who sought him out, he was quite mad. This history was nonsense; humanity never had any colonies, they were Broken by their own failings, not by the acts of any other races, but he had to admit to himself that it was a good story, and he would listen to the end just so he could show it's insanity on his reports.

Still standing side by side, it continued, still headless of his disbelief, "So now alone on a barren rock with little to its name we turned out research on the world to support ourselves, we made the dessert sands of Prospero rich with life and now free from the scrutiny of the rest of man through ourselves deeper into our research seeking to improve our understanding and world. We forged a great city dedicated to research and the furtherment of mankind; we called it the City of Light, Tizca."

Another painting, a cityscape, Tizca, he presumed. It was dominated by nine pyramids towing over the rest of the city, "This is when I enter the story," it said, forming a melancholic smile as it continued, "I am gifted far beyond anyone else on Prospero, by the age of eight I mastered the first of the eight cults, with my gifts and power I quickly master the remaining cults and was made Lord Sorcerer of Prospero shortly after, undermine leadership we gather all of our research into the Great Ocean in one places our grand library, which this sanctum is only a pale shadow."

It sides longingly before continuing the story in front of another image, "Then my father came seeking to reunite all the lost colonies of man, on his Great Crusade, what a fool I was, for a time we were great we spread across the galaxy an unstoppable army reclaiming all our lost people and knowledge, then came the edict of Nikaea, we were once more shunned by our fellow man all our research and the benefits it could have on trillions cast aside again out of fear and ignorance when we refused to change everything we stood for,"

It paused, looking long into the image before it, so similar to that on the gate that led him into this impossible place, "We were betrayed, our, my people murder to the last, I am all that is left of my people, and this place stands monument to the fallen" It ended staring off into the distances as if reliving those same events he retold.

Greyson was not the best at CIS, but he knew an open when he saw one, "So why are you here in this mountain isolation from the rest of the galaxy when you could be out there using your knowledge to change everyone's lives for the better?"

It looked down at him as if seeing him for the first time, "and what, once the galaxy is secured for whatever new tyrant, I would be cast aside like my people were before me and like we were again? No, I have forsaken the affairs of mortals; my action would only bring ruin as it did to my people."

"But what about the billions of lives you can better with your technology in this mountain? Will you let it rust away here when it could be making a real difference out in the galaxy?"

It smiled another melancholic smile, "Oh, how I wish it was just technology. Have you not listened? There is no techno sorcery that can explain all that you have seen here," It's hand lit with eldrich symbols as it uses its staff to gesture to the room around it, "it is magic, a power far more than any simple technology and it will only bring ruin to your people if you seek to use it without that understanding."

"Then teach it," Greyson really didn't believe it to be magic but anything to get this being to explain itself and for its power to be used to better the lives of his people, "The Compact of Species welcomes all knowledge and people you are-"

"What!" the interruption was like a thunderclap echoing in the camber; it looked down at him, its one eye blazing with eldrich light; in a much quieter voice, it spoke words more to itself than him, "I knew I blinded myself from the affairs of the galaxy, but to think I could overlook something like this."

It looked at him for a long moment, like it was peering into his very soul, before it turned its head in another direction, looking even longer, "the more fool I," It muttered before turning back to the now backing away Greyson.

"This knowledge is humanity's, and Humanities alone no Xenos empire shall lay claim to it, especially one who treat humans like sheep," it said, before raising its voice as if speaking to an unseen crowd, "From this day forth, only those free from the corruption of the Compact of Species may seek my sanctum, I Magnus the Red lord of Prospere hence decry and so it shall be," Punctuated by the hitting of his staff against the ground, Greyson world changes, with an impossible feeling of nausea he was back before the mountain, no cave in sight.

He checks his surroundings, looking for anything off, before checking his mission recorder, which is still working. He straightened himself as he called his for his ride, he didn't understand what had happened in that cave, but he trusted the army of analysts that would go over his audio recording with a fine toothcomb to find the answer and turn this once rumored mystery into the compacts largest leap forward in technology perhaps ever, all thank to the Broken if this didn't make then a ruling race he was not sure what would.

End chapter 1