Not long after the civilians were prepared, Zahndrekh's fleet arrived at Yggdrasil.
The strategic situation around the Sautekh Empire wasn't ideal, but it was acceptable. Naszar had been forced to do an extremely quick, brutal pacification of the ork worlds, bombarding many of them from orbit. Was it entirely effective? No, but it was prognosticated that it would set the developing WAAUUUGHHH back years and that was all they needed. It was still going to happen and they couldn't entirely stop it, but they had successfully delayed it until after major events were taken care of.
That done, Naszar had moved to take over the position at Hive Antioch while that fleet moved to cover Zahndrekh's position near the Pariah Nexus. That freed Zahndrekh to come to Yggdrasil… not only was his fleet the closest to Hopian space, it was considered appropriate that the pwi-necrons fight in the battle for one of their colonies.
When Manric saw Valhalla and the defenses there, he was extremely impressed. It was a wonderful death trap for invaders, although they could not be cocky… the Slaaneshi demons would try to overwhelm it with sheer numbers and it WAS possible to do that. Still, it was beautifully fortified and all the Knight Armors of Hope had been reactivated and sent to bolster the defenses. Manric reflected on that a moment… by long tradition, if a Knight Armor pilot happened to survive service, he would retire with his Knight Armor as a gift. That was not entirely a free gift, however… it was a sign that they were being kept as a reserve force, that could be activated at any time. They were expected to stay in practice and unlike regular warriors, Knight Armor pilots aged like a fine wine. Age was no barrier and some very old men were going to be defending Yggdrasil, when the time came. Istaal would be among them and Manric hoped he would come home to Nanci.
A good half of Zahndrekh's forces would be placed in Valhalla for the battle of Yggdrasil. Perhaps three quarters, depending on what outside forces showed up at the Cauldron. When Manric saw the defenses of the Cauldron, he was utterly dismayed for they were the exact opposite of Yggdrasil.
The Cauldron was a vast inland sea, larger than any such formation on Hope. It was fed into by the hot and cold sides of Yggdrasil, and the air could mingle freely, creating an endless storm of incredible proportions. The Cauldron was surrounded by great, stony beaches, and then a large barren expanse of land, cleared by the endless storms and power of the water. Behind that were the great cliffs, far enough away that they were eroding only very slowly, and the openings to the valleys, the places where rivers flowed into the Cauldron. The Ice and Fire company had located their base at the safest location, a spot where the storms ebbed slightly and the water was not so fierce. That was where they could be conducting the summoning. The facilities had been temporarily appropriated and were part of the fortifications, surrounding the beach where the summoning would take place, but that was all they had. To Manric, this battlefield was going to be a giant slugfest. There would be no clever tactics, no real strategy, just two armies meeting in the open fields and the open water to duke it out. It was rather daunting.
Nor was he the only one to think so.
"Uh, sir?" A tentative voice came and Manric looked down to see a beautiful woman with white hair, wearing what he identified as the finery of the Sisters of Battle. "We're going to be fighting here?" Ah, yes, this was one of the captives Naszar had brought.
"I'm afraid so. This is where Ynnead will be summoned," Manric replied before looking over the situation again. It really wasn't good, although they'd done their best. "You see those lines of fortifications, in a semi-circle around that beach? The beach is where we will be conducting the summoning. That is the point that MUST be defended, at all costs." Should he explain this? Actually, perhaps he should, so they understood the gravity of the situation. "This is one of the main spiritual points of Yggdrasil. If it is lost, and the second spiritual point in Valhalla is lost, Slaanesh will be able to connect them and twist them. That will snap the planet in half." The woman swallowed, hard. "We must defend this. Failure is not an option. Forgive me, what is your name?"
"Hanna," she said as another Sister of Battle jogged up, a frown on her face. The others were in the distance practicing, Manric noticed.
"Well Hanna, as a normal human you will be behind the fortifications." That was only practical. They couldn't move with the speed of the eldar nor could they brave the elements of the Cauldron itself. "The eldar will be largely in the field, along with the Astartes and Guilliman and Fulgrim. The sea battle will be fought by some eldar, who are suited to such things, and the necrons and the Astartes. I am told that Astartes can hold their breath for an impressively long time and are accustomed to battles on water worlds." Manric paused a moment as he gazed over the Cauldron. There were currently three active waterspouts that he could see. "I hope they are used to such conditions." He rather doubted it, but they would be arriving early to get used to it. Everyone was arriving early to get used to it… even the drukhari, which was a bit awkward. Speaking of which. "Hanna and friend, can you advise your sisters that drukhari will be arriving soon, also to acclimatize themselves to the Cauldron? They are allies in this battle." Manric had enlisted Diarmuid, Yentark and the Captain of the Lion Heart's to viciously threaten and intimidate the men. They were all aware that friendly fire was NOT acceptable and the punishment was death. Harsh, but needed, given the long enmity involved.
"The drukhari? That… makes sense but… are we sure they will not betray us to Chaos?" Hanna asked and that was a rather good question. Fortunately, Manric was certain of his answer.
"They definitely will not betray us. If they meant to interfere, they would stop the summoning… once the summoning has begun, the fate of the eldar is sealed, for good or ill. The drukhari live their entire lives as an effort to escape Slaanesh's grasp while still being what they are. They will not turn aside." Betraying them to Chaos would mean voluntarily surrendering their souls to Slaanesh and that was a laughable idea. No, unless they meant to steal the swords, which was unlikely at this point, their alliance was sincere.
"We will tell them. Come on Hanna…" Her nameless friend took the young woman away and Manric watched them, a bit bemused. He sensed that Hanna was a very nice person, kind and earnest. The other Sister felt quite protective of her. It was an interesting dynamic. Putting it out of mind, Manric gazed over the battlefield again. Well.
"No time like the moment," he said before invoking the power of the gauntlet and extending his wings. Then he allowed Sanguinius to take control and they flew out over the Cauldron. Manric was quickly blinded as he entered the endless storm and had to depend on all of his other Overlord senses, the ones that were far more accurate than mere sight. The soul shard also had a form of echolocation and Manric felt it as the soul shard began using his senses and its own powers, getting used to this environment. As he was relegated to backseat in his own body, Manric wondered to himself. If the Primarch were resurrected, would he remember this?
It would be interesting if he did.
As the drukari truly arrived, Manric saw that he did not know them as well as he thought he did.
It was a very interesting experience. The Kabal who had been 'harvesting' Hope for thousands of years had been quite dangerous and powerful, compared to the human forces, but Manric now saw that they had been lowly indeed among their kin. Poor cousins compared to the ones arriving now, Manric was able to see a true Wych, not some female arroganting herself among humans who did not know better. The difference was night and day.
Manric also got to see the bizarre creatures called Homunculi. They wanted to introduce dangerous creatures to the waters of the Cauldron to devour Slaaneshi demons, but got firmly vetoed by absolutely everyone and the leader of the drukhari, an ancient and terrible being, took them to task. Apparently there was absolutely no way they would be able to distinguish between friend and foe, largely because of the undersea environment. Also, the uncorrupted aeldari were of the opinion that they would infest the entire planet with dangerous water creatures. Manric was sure they were correct. The Homunculi with the fish tried to claim he knew what he was doing but no one believed him, not even his fellow Homunculi. Manric detailed a group of Canoptek scarabs to keep an eye on that one and alert him if he went near the water.
In wary alliance were the forces of the Craftworlders and Exodites. The Exodites had brought with them their reptilian mounts, armed with wargear, and they were being fed the farm animals of Yggdrasil. It was unfortunate but the pigs, chickens and goats were not being evacuated. Instead the farmers had engaged in a mass slaughter, preparing the meat for the great armies arriving. All the crops they could harvest had also been brought in and distributed. It would all have to be replaced and Phaeron Rahkaak would have to support Yggdrasil for a time, but that was the way of things. In terms of the battlefield, the Exodites were limited to the ground battle. They were not truly capable of braving the Cauldron.
One force that would be taking on the Cauldron, at least in part, were the Craftworlders. Manric glanced towards the water and saw the brilliant little craft they had brought, bouncing over the waves and then diving deep into the water. One incredibly daring individual was taking on a waterspout and Manric internally cringed, hoping that was by intention. The normal way deaths happened in the Cauldron was when a waterspout spit someone out and they hit the water at incredible speed. However, if you knew how and had iron nerves, it was possible to climb a waterspout and then descend, bringing yourself in and out safely. Normally only necrons could do it, as they had the luxury of second chances.
Separate from but mingling with all were the Harlequins and the Ynnari. Now that the great leader of the drukhari, Asdrubael Vect, had thrown his might behind the summoning, the Ynnari's image had been rehabilitated among the drukhari. Manric found that mildly suspicious and was sure many others did too, but it added a great deal of solidarity to their forces. The Ynnari and Harlequins had both borrowed equipment, from both the necrons and the Craftworlders, and were joining the fun in the Cauldron. That was really going to be the very interesting part of the battle, the fun in the ocean.
They were all engaged in sparring and preparation, but normally only between the same faction. The peace between them was too brittle to allow for any kind of incident. So Manric was a bit surprised when the loveliest drukhari female he had ever imagined walked up to him and asked for a spar. Although, she did lead into it a bit indirectly.
"What do you see, I wonder, when you look at me? What does metal see?" Her voice was like dark velvet, a warm caress on his ears. Her beauty was truly beyond compare and Manric admired her like he would a work of art. Her hair, in particular, caught his eye because it was bright red, so incredibly long and lustrous, but also woven with little hints of metal that he identified as small hooks. While that could do no true damage to a necron, it could easily put them fatally off balance.
"I see that I do not know your people as well as I thought," Manric said easily and she tilted her head, a silent question. "I wonder if those females who called themselves Wyches lied, or were they rejects from your cults? Whatever they were, comparing them to you is like comparing a Warrior to the Stormlord." They were the same kind, to be sure, but on a completely different level. "You are as beautiful as you are deadly." Manric found her alluring, although not in a remotely sexual way. He wanted to try his skill against her, although he thought there was a very good chance he would lose, particularly if he did not invoke the power of his gauntlet. Her lips tilted in a wicked smile.
"I am told you fight as we do. I would like to see metal that thinks it can dance, if you are willing to show me your skill," she said and Manric tilted his head, surprised by the offer.
"I do not wish to depend on recall at the moment. My abilities may be critical in the coming battle… are you able to spar without taking the kill?" Manric could sense that she was as dedicated to death as Diarmuid. And just like him, it would be hard for her to hold back, even a bit.
"We Wyches do spar together, and we must not kill each other at such times. I can control myself, even if it is unsatisfying. And I am confident you can do the same," she said and Manric nodded. He felt no objection from the Spear, so he would place faith in it that the spirits would help him avoid a training accident.
"Then I will gladly take your offer," he said gravely and they found a good spot. The drukhari and Ynnari both wanted to watch and Manric noticed that even Vect was taking an interest. Hopefully they would put on a good show for them.
For Manric, what followed was intensely difficult but also deeply satisfying. It had been a long time since he had fought the drukhari on Hope and in the time that had passed, his skill had vastly improved. Those old drukhari champions would no longer be a challenge. Instead he had moved to a new level, and this drukhari woman brought him to the very edges of his skill. Her abilities impressed him deeply… Manric managed to catch her foot in midair with one of his loops, 'tripping' her and sending her into what should have been an uncontrolled spin. Instead, she claimed the motion, turned it into a summersault and managed to stop him from taking the 'kill'. It was the most impressive recovery he had ever seen.
After many decades of living as an Overlord, Manric knew exactly what damage his body could take and repair and in their battle, he exploited that mercilessly. Her razor-sharp fingers punctured his necrodermis many times but he ignored those minor wounds, damage that would have been crippling to a human but was merely annoying to a necron Overlord, and evaded only the things that could truly hurt him. One of the things he avoided at all costs was her hair. Manric had realized that it functioned as a net and the hooks worked excellently well on necrodermis, doing very little damage but hooking and dragging. That was insanely dangerous, setting up the victim for an easy kill.
In the end Manric won, although it was by an insanely narrow margin. His spear snapped against her chest in what would have been a kill, if he had used the edge, just before her blade scrapped against his throat in what might also have been a kill. In fact.
"Did we just achieve a mutual kill?" Manric asked as they separated, noticing as he did that the watchers had burst into cheers. She shook her head but was not upset… to the contrary, she was smiling widely, pleased with the outcome.
"No. If you had landed that blow fairly I would have been pushed back and I would not have landed that strike." Ah, true, his spear had good reach. "I see now how you claimed so many drukhari as a mere human. But can you show me how you fought then?" Eh? "If you were still human, I would have killed you many times over. Show me what you can do without depending on that body of yours." Manric thought that was an incredibly charming idea.
"A challenge to not allow you to hit me at all? I will surely lose, with such a handicap, but I would love to try." Going back to his roots in that way and behaving like his body was still so fragile… Manric relished the challenge. They squared off again and someone in the crowd began spreading word of the challenge they had agreed to, from the murmurs Manric could hear.
This time the dance was very different, as Manric was forced into a much more defensive posture. Avoiding even the smallest injuries took so much more energy but he did it with joy, feeling like he had stepped back in time. That was what led to his downfall, though, exactly as he had expected… she cornered him quite neatly and in trying to avoid her heel spurs, Manric was caught by her hair. That set him up for the kill and she took it, her knives scraping against his chest as she mimed the death blow.
"Ah, that was exhilarating!" Manric said as she flicked her head, freeing him from the barbs with incredible grace. He wondered how she did that… it was amazing, and also very necessary. If she had not been able to do such a thing her hair would have been a liability, trapping her to a dead enemy. "Forgive me, I did not introduce myself. I am Manric Duleth," he said, inviting her to return the favor. Manric was fully aware of the crowd around them, who had enjoyed this display even more than the first, but his attention was solely on her.
"I am Lelith Hesperax." Manric could sense she was quite amused at his ignorance. Still, how would a necron Overlord know her? The Sautekh empire really had little to do with the drukhari, aside from fighting off a few raids. "May I ask you for a favor?" Oh, what? "I am seeking to capture Lucius the Eternal, lord commander of the Emperor's Children. He has a peculiar gift… when he is defeated, he possesses the body of the one who defeats him, reshaping them and imprisoning their soul in his armor." Manric froze in shock for a moment. "I am told you might be helpful with this."
"I… I certainly can be," Manric said, a touch dazed. "It has been foreseen that this Lucius will attack Obyron and Zahndrekh… they are planning to entrap him in a tesseract labyrinth. We were going to give it to Trazyn the Infinite for safekeeping but if you wish it, I see no reason we cannot give it to you instead." They hadn't spoken to Trazyn about it yet, intending to make it a surprise, so he wouldn't miss it. "Although, why do you wish such a thing?" That part was odd. She smiled, a wicked curl of bright red lips.
"I intend to strip him of his armor and face him in the arena." Ah… that made sense. Manric had no idea how skillful this Lucius was, but being defeated by Obyron did not indicate any lack of skill. Obyron could sometimes defeat Fulgrim, after all. "His curse will have no meaning when we resurrect him ourselves." Oh, that did sound rather sensible. Manric was vaguely aware that he was likely condemning this Lucius to a horrible fate but considering what he would have done to Obyron, he didn't care. Also, given the nature of the Emperor's Children, it was quite possible he would enjoy it.
(indeed, fighting forever in the drukhari gladiatorial arena would amuse Lucius greatly)
"Very well, provided we all survive, we will deliver Lucius to your hands," Manric said, making a note to send Zahndrekh and Obyron a message about it. He was sure they would not particularly care, as long as the menace was far, far away.
"Thank you." They parted then and Manric made his way back to his necron troops, noting as he did how the drukhari seemed to give him more respect. He thought he could assume Lelith was a great champion among their people. For a moment he wonder how she would do against Obyron, then put the thought aside. He was busy assisting Zahndrekh in Valhalla.
Hopefully the forces of the Imperium of Man would also arrive soon.
When Guilliman got to see the Cauldron of Ice and Fire for the first time, he was not remotely surprised.
Yvraine had given him a decent description of what he would face, and the reality did not disappoint. Guilliman paused to look out over the Cauldron with a certain degree of awe. It was a monstrous, eternal storm and as he watched lightning flashed between high flying clouds. The more sheltered position they were in was only lightly being lashed by rain but in the Cauldron itself was a torrent. As the lightning flashed, Guilliman could see several active waterspouts.
"This is a bit like Fenris. Not quite at her worst, but close," Guilliman's companion, Logan Grimnar, said as he gazed over the Cauldron with a thoughtful and anticipatory air. Guilliman had put out the call for Astartes who were used to highly extreme water environments, and naturally the Space Wolves had responded. He had a few mixed feelings – they weren't the ones Guilliman would normally select to deal with a xenos alliance – but they had promised to behave. And the honest truth was that Fenris was likely the best preparation for this place. The rest of his forces included a variety of chapters, mostly from water worlds, and the Grey Knights. They would never miss a battle against Slaanesh.
"I can see vehicles in there," Fulgrim suddenly said and Guilliman sharpened his focus. Ah yes, there were bright lights, cutting through and when he used the senses of his armor, Guilliman saw them in sharp relief. Just like the necrons, all of the Space Marines had far more than their eyes available. Which was good, since sight would be largely useless in that cacophony. "What is going on with that one water spout?" Hmm? Guilliman switched his focus and saw what Fulgrim meant… two Doom Scythes were circling it and there were perhaps four smaller craft sliding around the base, staying warily away. Very strange.
Turning his attention to the land, Guilliman saw a truly impressive display of the eldar's might. Everyone was there, Exodites, Craftworlders and Drukhari. The smaller sects that pulled from all three, the Harlequins and the Ynnari. He didn't see Yvraine although she was surely present, most likely behind the fortifications. Manric jogged up then and as he did, Guilliman noticed he kept glancing at the Cauldron.
"Something wrong with that water spout?" he asked, curious. Manric shook his head, looking towards the commotion again.
"A very young eldar warrior went in, thinking she could control it… she's lost in there and struggling to get out without being killed. Then another eldar went in, thinking to save her, and his situation is just as grim. The problem is that if you exit incorrectly, you will be 'spat' out at incredible speed and smash into the water." Ah. "It's like hitting a brick wall… this is why the water sports here are normally reserved for necrons. We have more scope to learn."
"Hah! I cannot wait to try it," Logan said and Guilliman was absolutely sure he would. Fulgrim also looked bright and eager. Manric hesitated, then made a sound that excellently simulated a sigh.
"Please try not to die. Also, we do have simulators for anyone inexperienced with such environments." Oh that was lovely, the Grey Knights could make use of those. A few of them knew water worlds but by and large, this was new to them. "I hope you brought equipment? We are very short on water gliders."
"We brought everything we need. Where should we set up?" Guilliman asked and soon they were being directed to their portion of the beach. Fortunately, they would largely be beside the Exodites and necrons. Guilliman was sure that had been done deliberately, keeping them separate from the drukhari.
As they were getting set up, two groups came to call.
"We are terribly sorry, Primarch sir, for disobeying your orders. Sister Agatha believed she was following the will of the Emperor," one Sister of Battle said with becoming humility. "We will accept any punishment you dictate." That seemed rather unnecessary at the moment.
"The only 'punishment' you will face is this battle. Do well, and all will be forgiven," Guilliman said and the Sisters of Battle seemed deeply relieved, even happy. But they did live for the battle. Then an Astares in dark grey armor, accented with royal blue, spoke up.
"We didn't even know there was a peace treaty! We were at the ass end of nowhere, fighting orks and suddenly these xenos show up! And what's this about a clone of Fulgrim? What's going ON?! Uh, sir!" he said in a belated attempt at respect. Guilliman paused for a moment, thinking about where to even begin… but then Fulgrim suddenly took it out of his hands.
"Wait. Hold on. Grey armor, fighting orks… you wouldn't have sent us a 'report' that was actually a crayon drawing, would you?" The Space Marine froze and Guilliman could easily see his sudden panic.
"Uhh… maybe," he said after a moment and Guilliman snorted, seeing the hilarity of the situation. They had never imagined that joke might someday backfire.
"You're all idiots. Go join your battle brothers and ask them to explain, I do not have time." There were about a thousand more important things for him to be doing. The Space Marines saluted and hot footed it away before he could reconsider and order a punishment. Fulgrim watched them go, lifting an eyebrow.
"Whose children are they?" he asked, morbidly curious. Guilliman shook his head.
"Officially, they are Dark Angels. But I would say that's unlikely." He knew El'Jonson's children well and they did not fit the mold at all. If Guilliman had to guess, they might even be a hybrid chapter… it was unusual but not unknown, particularly when the supply of the original, loyalist geneseed was extremely limited. "Well, let's get started." They needed to get used to the water and no time like the present. The Space Wolves were positively eager, already launching their crafts. Guilliman hoped they would be careful but didn't think they would be.
This was going to be interesting, that much was certain.