RWBY 40k fanfiction – Salem, mistress of Inquisition.

Intermission 1 : Horus, my favored son.

[Theme: Hearfelt Music: "Remember" – Josh Winiberg (feat. Alex Milne) from HDSounDI].

801.M31.

Horus was still a very young boy. Barely 8 years old but possessing a physique that impressed everyone and recognizable by his black hair inherited from his father.

He still couldn't believe that this Emperor was his father and this blonde woman was his mother.

And yet... he had this familiarity with them, which among other things confirmed the fact that he was with his family.

What joy for him to have received from his father a book of astrology.

Salem meanwhile had given him a small wooden mace, wanting a son who was both strong and gentle.

One day he was in the deck of the Bucephelus watching a Human planet fall to the rule of the Imperium by ash.

Salem stood beside her, holding her hand.

He watched intently as the massive bombardment descended on the planet, followed by Droppods of Space Marine Legions.

Despite the fact that he should show himself worthy, a feeling animated him. It was a feeling of spite because indeed, the Imperium extended more often than not by force and cruelty to reunite Humanity. Certainly, it was necessary but this feeling of spite did not leave him because of the lives lost in the flames of the war.

Salem: "Are you okay, sweetie?"

Horus came out of his torpor.

Horus: "Huh? Yes of course, mom."

Salem: "Yet you're rather annoyed. What's going on?"

Horus: "It's nothing..."

Salem: "Hm... If you say so."

[End of the Theme].

A few hours later...

The Emperor returned and the Bucephelus returned to the warp with its fleet after having left a large garrison of soldiers subservient to the Imperium, settlers and a planetary governor as loyal as he is competent.

Horus is with his mother learning a new form of magic in a large library.

Horus: "Mom, can you remind me of the forms of magic?"

Salem: "I told you. He has magic in its purest form, namely light. Elemental magic with the four elements and energy magic."

Horus: "Yet I saw in this book that there were plenty of other branches."

He pointed to a large parched book on a desk.

Salem: "You read it didn't you?"

Horus: "Uh... Yeah, kinda... Shouldn't I?"

Salem: "No, there is no problem. But it is better that you start with the basics because you will never learn anything. Everything in its time. Also, this grimoire is not ready yet... "

Horus: "Ready why mom?"

Salem: "Reading."

Horus made a pout that the mom found cute then the two after reading a chapter on pure energy magic went to an adjacent room of the library.

It's a chamber shielded with adamantium. A metal that greatly resists against magic.

Salem: "You have to put your hands up like that."

She folded her hands forming a round, empty cavity between the two.

Salem: "By concentrating the magic like that. You will be able to create a ball so concentrated that will have the same power as a cannon of a Baneblade."

It was then that a small ball formed in the hands of the witch of Terra.

A small ball of light that the little Horus looked at with big curious eyes.

Horus: "But mum. I already know how to use it on Cthonia."

Salem: "Certainly but we can improve them to form this for example."

The ball of light grows to finally fill the space between his two hands and shine intensely.

Salem: "To control your magic is to control your power. Now give it a try."

Salem stopped the demonstration and Horus tried in turn.

A small ball of light began to grow with Horus forcing himself a lot. But it burst in the hands of Horus and the latter fell backwards.

Horus: "Ouch! It's hot!"

He got up.

Salem: "Don't force yourself. I see you're all tense."

Horus: "But..."

Salem: "You are full of strength. But stop resisting, let it come. Believe me, this little light will appear by itself."

Horus sat back and concentrated again but much more relaxed. This time, a small ball of light appeared in the hands but it was stable.

Salem: "It's better... now stay like this as long as possible."

Horus: "What? Why?"

Salem: "You have to endure and overcome the fatigue. I don't feel it anymore for this reason."

It's a half lie because Salem doesn't feel fatigue since she was immortal but she got great magic power through training, strenuous training she intends to do to her son who must be strong.

Horus remained like that for long minutes under his mother's gaze. But finally, after a lot of sweating and heavy breathing, he gave in and fell on his stomach.

Horus: "I can't take it anymore..."

Salem: "A break and then you have to hold on for half an hour."

Horus: "What? Barely 10 minutes and I'm exhausted!"

She touched her son's nose with her index finger and stared at him with narrowed eyes.

Salem: "Too bad young man, you must continue. You must be stronger than the strong. The XVI Legion will never want to follow a rickety leader."

Horus sighed and resumed practicing.

Salem continued to teach Horus for the rest of the ship's artificial day.

Finally, when at a fairly advanced phase of the simulated night.

Salem put Horus to bed in his furnished room. She sat down on the bed in front of Horus.

Salem: "You did well today, my little one."

Horus: "Mom. You never told me a thing."

Salem: "That is to say?"

Horus: "How did you and dad meet?"

Salem chuckled at the innocent question.

Salem: "We met on Terra during the Unification Wars. I was under the teaching of Malcador the Sigilitte. We shared a lot of time together. babies. One of his babies is you."

Horus: "But then, why was I on Cthonia in a machine? I learned that babies come out of the mother's womb..."

Salem (thoughts): "They say such things at this age on this planet? What a corruption of children's minds!"

Horus: "Mom? You look bored."

Salem: "Ah? No it's nothing... I was thinking of something boring... (Resume in a soft voice). We designed this incubator with 20 others and you were born in it because giving Birth on a world like Terra was undesirable on my part because a baby could have died from radiation and I didn't want to see you and your brothers die when you were just born."

Horus: "But why did we get separated?"

Salem responded with much bitterness and irritation.

Salem: "It was the Chaos Gods who wanted to harm our happiness. I who wanted to have a happy family, the Chaos Gods took you and your brothers from my arms. I was sad and angry. But now that I found you, I hope to find your brothers and reform a real family with your father."

She took her baby by the chin and stared with watery eyes.

Horus: "Mom?"

Salem: "Nothing can ever separate us. I promise you that."

Horus: "Uh... thank you Mom?"

Salem saw that his son felt uneasy.

Salem: "Oh sorry... I didn't think you were bothered."

Horus: "No mom... it's fine."

Salem: "Hmm... good night."

Horus: "Good night mom."

She kissed Horus on the forehead and left the room.

Horus stayed in his bed wondering.

He wondered why when his mother did things he thought were weird, she kept apologizing for words or actions that weren't serious.

Horus felt that she was ashamed at these times...but ashamed of what?

It worried him a little to see his mother being ashamed for something he didn't understand.

The next day...

Horus was facing his father, the Emperor of Mankind.

Unlike his mother, he didn't see him often.

His father's presence was overwhelming and Horus felt like nothing next to him.

The Emperor was only there when he could, and when he was, he taught him how he was going to organize his army of Space Marines from the XVI Legion.

He felt that his father was not a bad guy but the affection he could have for him was a distant echo, plunged into a well of apathy.

Emperor: "Come my son. Train with me."

Horus: "..."

They climbed several floors to finally arrive in a large adamantium armored room with all kinds of weapons and lots of different training dummies.

The Emperor moved them with his telekinesis these mannequins before placing them in the middle of the room.

Horus: "What should I do now?"

Emperor: "You need to get stronger now. I think your mother gave you enough foreplay. It's time to step up a gear. Hit that wooden dummy with all your might."

He pointed to the dummy in question.

But Horus was rather hesitant.

Salem: "What is it Horus?"

Horus: "Hm... I don't know. I feel like I'm going to break my fingers."

Salem: "I'm not going to lie to you. This training is going to be painful. But it's necessary, after a while you'll be indomitable to pain."

Emperor: "Go now. Do like me."

The Emperor approached a wooden dummy and with his mighty fist broke it into small pieces.

Horus looked at his mother who nodded at him, ordering him to do so.

After preparation, Horus gathers momentum and launches himself against the wooden dummy in front of him. He pressed his fist against the object. An immense pain travels up her hand to her arm, but the dummy only backed up an inch.

Horus: "Aeeee!"

Emperor: "Do it again. You have to put up with it."

Horus: "Wait, really?"

Emperor: "Know that your enemies will have no respite from you. Remember your lessons on what orks are in their nature."

Horus stepped back from the dummy and punched him with his fists one by one and with all his might. The pain was unbearable but he wasn't about to give up because he would be ashamed of being weak to his own parents.

Horus at one point with his hands red with pain charged a luminous magic ball with both hands.

Horus: "RAH!"

He threw it at the dummy, which shattered on contact.

He collapsed to the floor, his hands on the ground and red as unmutated apples.

He felt a hand land on his shoulder, it was Salem.

Salem: "It was very good. But you have to hold back at times because you get tired too quickly. But it's already a good start."

Emperor: "..."

Horus: "Thank you mom..."

(Theme: Bound by Purpose - Twelve Titans Music).

Several years pass, Horus grows in age and vigor.

He gets a large pointed mace from his father.

While on his mother's side, he mastered the basics of magic but due to his growing role in his Legion, he clearly had no time to devote himself to it.

Nevertheless, the Emperor's fleet arrived on a dead planet in 811.M30.

The young Horus was now 3.20 meters tall. He was encased in a large white armor decked out with the huge red eyes of wolves.

He proudly wore his bald head.

Horus: "Why did you bring me here Mum?"

Salem: "It's an ideal place to test the scope of your powers. Since he has no life living here, you can test them. We will stay for 3 days, while we organize the Crusade against the craft world Mór-ríoh'i."

Horus: "..."

Salem: "Show me the extent of your progress."

Horus: "Yes."

The two descended to the planet in a small transport ship. All under the eyes of the Emperor and Custodes Constantin Valdor.

Valdor: "Why do you leave Salem so close to Horus? He is your heir."

Emperor: "She remains the mother of my children. She has remained faithful all along because who would betray her children? Only a fool or a hypocrite would be able to do that."

Valdor: "While she murdered her people for trifles?"

Emperor: "You know it as well as I do. When one is driven by despair, one is capable of stubborn decisions whose consequences are dramatic."

Valdor: "Who knows what will happen to you lord. She could turn your son against you."

Emperor: "If that was her intention, I would have banished Salem a long time ago. Thoughts are within my reach; it is valid for you and your brothers. Stop being so hostile towards her. You will only bring discord."

Valdor: "Oh...I see. Excuse my words."

The duo arrived on a planet filled with the ruins of Xenos cities with round, potato-like shapes.

Decomposed skeletons were all over the cities that could still stand apart from the rocks and sand.

Horus: "What happened?"

Salem: "Ruins of a past that we prefer to forget. It will be perfect to test your powers."

Horus: "Hmm..."

Salem: "What?"

Horus: "I can't see myself destroying a city like this, even if there's no one left."

Salem: "You risk ending up with these ruins on your hands if you don't demonstrate the extent of your magic that I have been teaching for years already."

Horus: "I know..."

Salem: "Don't hold back."

Horus: "Very well..."

He put his right hand back and a ball of light began to form.

Then threw his hand and a huge beam of energy fell on the buildings and ravaged them. As the smoke cleared, the tallest buildings were cracked open while the rest fell apart.

Horus was surprised at his own power.

Salem meanwhile was impressed. No one on his planet would have reached such magical power, Horus exceeded it at all levels.

Salem (thoughts): "So this is the power of a son of the Emperor. I hardly dare to imagine the reaction of the twins..."

Indeed, from the beginning she wondered about her return and the reactions generated by it. Now she was afraid of seeing her son Horus and his other brothers reduced to dust by the Twins because seeing them as direct threats to their stature, the Primarchs have the potential to reach or surpass them.

Horus: "Mom? Is everything okay?"

Salem: "Oh! No nothing... you just surpassed me so much... It's unbelievable."

Horus: "I know..."

Salem: "Let's carry on...I'm just proud of you my boy."

Horus: "Thank you mum..."

To be continued... Roboute Guilliman and Magnus the Red.