The Custodes of the Imperial Palace were on high alert. While the psychic presence of the Emperor had shown signs of becoming more active lately, this one was the most powerful sign yet. Even more troubling was that no one knew who this sign was meant for. All they knew was that the Emperor wanted to send a message to someone, somewhere, and he wanted it done urgently.
Leman Russ awoke in a daze, surrounded by darkness.
"Where am I? What happened?" he said.
Slowly, a vision appeared before him. His surroundings were bathed in a golden light, and what he saw rocked him to his very core. It was The Emperor, the Master of Mankind, the Lord of the Imperium - his father, sitting upon the golden throne of Terra. He was a corpse. A skeletal, emaciated, half-rotten corpse, kept alive by a grotesque network of arcane machinery. Russ could not help but fall to his knees at the sight of his father's condition.
"Is this another illusion by the ruinous powers, meant to finally break my spirit?" Russ said.
No, Leman Russ. It is I, your father.
Leman could feel the voice of the Emperor fill his entire being. This truly was his father, he had absolutely no doubts. He was not sure if this fact gave him more relief or despair.
"Father… I am lost. I know not where I am, where I must go, nor what I must find there. I fear that I have failed in my quest, that I have failed my sons, that I have failed you.
Worry not my son, you have not failed. In fact, you are exactly where you are meant to be. I have little time and energy to spare, so I must make this brief. This place is what you were seeking. It is I who guided you here.
Russ felt a sudden rush of relief, for his faith that his father was guiding him all this time had finally been rewarded.
The beings you have met are not your enemy. You will need them as allies.
Russ raged internally. You expect me to ally with daemonic forces who claim to be the ruinous powers!? The ones who killed and corrupted my brothers, the ones who conspired to imprison you on that damned throne!? He almost raised his voice in opposition, but he knew better than to speak against his father like that. Furthermore, judging by his father's current state, merely speaking to him like this was a herculean effort. The Emperor was not speaking lightly, and he meant what he said. The wolf would simply have to put his anger aside in service of his Emperor.
You must… find the tree…
The Emperor's voice was growing fainter.
Re… turn with… the… fruit…
and…
His father's voice faded into silence, and the golden vision of his throne room flickered into nothing, leaving Leman Russ alone in the darkness.
Leman Russ opened his eyes, once again in unfamiliar surroundings. His armor had been stripped from him, leaving him nothing but a plain tunic and pants. Around his hands he could feel chains - supernaturally strong, such that even his enhanced strength could not so much as bend them. Through prison bars he could see the black knight who had effortlessly knocked him to the ground standing with his arms crossed - "Khorne" was evidently his name, as incredulous as Russ was about that. Behind Khorne, he could see "Nurgle" consoling the girl who called him papa, as she sobbed quietly into her hands. Leman Russ groaned, his leftover rage translated by his fatigue into little more than a muted growl. Admu looked up, and upon seeing the wolf start to rouse from his unconscious state, her face lit up. She wiped the tears from her face and ran towards the bars of the cell Leman Russ was being kept in, before a large, armored gauntlet stopped her.
"Stay back, Admu. This man is dangerous. Few could survive a blow like the one I dealt to him, save the strongest of mortal warriors." Khorne said.
"Uncle Khorne, I was just trying to help him! He's a good person, he told me all about his brothers and his papa the Emperor. I'm sure he was just confused, that's all!" she said.
"He was trying to decapitate you." Khorne said.
"Well… I'm sure he meant well!" she said.
Leman Russ watched the three beings before him, still coming to terms with their existence let alone the events of the past few hours. The chains on his wrists chafed agonizingly, as the old wolf did not take well to captivity. Anger simmered within him, increasing with every passing moment, until he remembered his father's words:
These beings are not your enemy
He grit his teeth, and put his emotions aside for now. His hatred of the beings which shared their names with these… things was immense, but his trust in his father was even greater.
"I-I'm sorry for my… past transgression" Russ said, somewhat reluctantly. "The girl… Admu speaks the truth, she was only trying to help me. I had been lost for so long and found myself here, in unfamiliar surroundings."
Nurgle rubbed his chin, looking intrigued by what the stranger meant. Khorne was less amused.
"You think being lost in the woods gives you the right to attack an unarmed girl?" he said.
"No… I," Russ paused, and exhaled. "I have spent the last 10,000 years fighting the daemonic horrors of the warp, daemons which bear the sigils you two wear upon your chests and swear to serve in your name. You must forgive me if I mistook your intentions." he said with a scowl, his words carrying the tone of a poisonous viper.
"Papa, what's a… day-mon?" Admu asked.
"Well, uh, you see-"
"Nurgle, take Admu outside. I wish to talk to the prisoner alone." Khorne said, interrupting the green giant. Nurgle shepherded Admu outside, thankful to both have his daughter out of harm's way and to not have to explain such an uncomfortable subject. When both had vacated the room, Khorne turned to Leman Russ. "So, you are from beyond the Veil." he said.
"The Veil?" Russ said. "Is that some sort of barrier?" It would explain why this place is so calm despite being in the middle of the Warp.
"Yes. It has been some time since anything has managed to penetrate it." he said.
"Tell me, Khorne, who are you really?" Russ said, his eyes narrowed.
"Why should I explain myself to you, trespasser?" He said. Leman could feel anger boiling up within him once again.
"Because the Khorne I know would have massacred everything on this planet, laughing as it burned and crumbled into dust. He is the god of wanton violence and unending slaughter, sitting upon his skull of thrones while gorging himself upon rivers of blood. He would have the entire galaxy burn to sate his bottomless hunger for murder and destructio-"
"ENOUGH." The black knight's glowing red eyes burst into flame, his supernatural presence filling the room and making the primarch's skin feel as though it were burning. Khorne seemingly composed himself, his menacing aura retreating back into himself and leaving only a lingering air of supreme authority. "I have made my decision. You will be tried for your crimes and made to face judgment. I have nothing more to say to you, Leman Russ." he said, turning to leave. Leman clenched his fist, his sense of duty to his mission struggling to overcome his simmering rage.
"Wait!" he shouted. The knight paid him no heed. "I- I'm looking for… the fruit!" The knight stopped. Silence hung in the air, and the knight slowly turned to the prisoner.
"What did you say?" he said.
"I was sent here for a purpose… I have a duty to fulfill here. I must find a tree and return with its fruit. I… apologize for my actions. I have been told that you are not my enemies by someone I trust." he said, the anger fading from his voice and his gaze falling to the floor. "Is this true?" The black knight stared at him, a flicker of recognition passing through his glowing eyes.
"Revelation…" Khorne whispered to himself. Leman looked up at him, a glimmer of hope animating the old wolf. "So, the day has finally come."
"...You've been expecting me?" Leman said.
"It has been eons since Tzeentch prophesied this day… truthfully, I never expected it to come to pass." Khorne said, his harsh voice taking on a softer edge. His posture straightened, and his aura of authority returned. "You are the challenger that was promised." He said, gripping his sword in a ceremonial posture. "He who seeks the fruit of the Tree of Life, at the summit of the world." Leman's eyes widened. "As ordained by fate, you must complete four trials to prove your worthiness and be allowed entry into the Halls of Hesperides."
"Four trials… one for each of the-" He was about to say 'Ruinous Powers' yet stopped himself. He had to force himself to be… diplomatic. "Each of you."
"Correct. Come with me." Khorne said. He snapped his fingers, and Leman's restraints burst into floating embers and disappeared.
The two walked out of the prison Leman had been held captive in, the old wolf rubbing his wrists where he could still feel the lingering sensation of the enchanted chains which had bound him.
"When will my armor and equipment be returned to me?" Leman asked impatiently.
"When you have need of it." Khorne replied. Russ clenched his teeth and breathed sharply, reminding himself of his mission.
I have not even begun the trials and this place is already testing me to my limit… father, I hope this was a wise decision. The Wolf King thought.
"Mister Russ!" Leman barely had time to react before the 20-foot tall Admu had wrapped her arms around him, nearly knocking him to the ground in the process. Leman was more surprised that she had managed to sneak up on him without triggering his self-defense instincts. "Oh, I hope uncle Khorne didn't hurt you too much, he just doesn't know his own strength sometimes. He seems intimidating but deep down I think he's really just a big softie who acts tough-" She looked up at Khorne, who gave her a stern glance, and Admu retreated bashfully.
It had been millennia since Leman had last felt the touch of another material being without his power armor. Being outside of it, especially in such unfamiliar surroundings, made him extremely on edge; he did not trust this girl, nor anyone else in this bizarre place. Yet, upon feeling the girl's warm skin against his, the gentle sensation of her beating heart, the subtle smell of another living being untainted by the foul stench of Chaos, for a moment Leman could not help but feel… content.
But only for a moment.
"Nurgle, since the challenger was found in your domain, it is your responsibility to administer the first trial. For the time being, I will be occupied in the northern reaches. It appears that somehow, another ork infestation has appeared in the caves of Irkalla." Khorne said, unsheathing his sword.
Russ huffed in amusement. I guess even in paradise there are still orks he thought.
"Damned pests... I must ask Tzeentch if he knows of any substances that burn hotter than plasma…" Khorne muttered, before disappearing in a column of fire. Leman turned to Nurgle.
"Green one, what is my first trial?" Leman asked. Nurgle bore a look of surprise then rubbed his mossy beard, his face wrinkled in contemplation.
"Well, in truth… I don't really have any fancy trials or challenges prepared at the moment…" he paused for a moment, then looked up and snapped his finger as an idea came to him. "I know! I'll just have you help Admu and I tend to the forest for a, uh… a week! Always helps to have another pair of hands, plus hard work builds character. Yes, that will be a perfect test of your worthiness, challenger!" he said, growing surer in his idea as he spoke of it.
That doesn't sound too difficult… Leman thought.
"We'll start at sunrise tomorrow, until then I'll show you where you'll be staying." Nurgle said. The wolf followed Nurgle as he guided him through the forest village, with Admu trailing them close behind. Leman looked around, studying the unfamiliar surroundings. The trees here dwarfed the ones he had seen when he first arrived, some rising to such heights that he could swear they rose above the cloud line, with trunks so wide that it would probably have taken an Imperial Knight to chop them down. The village was composed of many towering wooden buildings and homes, their elaborate and impressive designs contrasting with the primitive materials used to construct them. The settlement was bustling with activity, with quasi-humans similar in appearance to Admu everywhere Leman looked. Many of them were staring at the newcomer from a distance, clearly interested in the strange man who had appeared in their village but too wary to get any closer - except for Admu, of course. As unnerved as he felt by their bestial, chimeric visages, he simply told himself that they weren't too different from the average abhuman, or the wulfen for that matter… in fact, as difficult as it was for Russ to accept, the shamans of Fenris were known to channel allied spirits to aid them in battle, perhaps...
No, he had never explored these questions for a reason. This was not the time, nor the place to ruminate on the finer details of empyrean entities. He had a duty to uphold.
Nurgle led Leman to a lodging near the edge of the village, a one-story cabin with a thatched roof that was adorned with intricate carvings and ornamentation.
"Here it is! I know it's not much, but on such short notice… I would've liked to build you a proper domicile, but I just couldn't spare the time… I hope you'll find your living arrangements to your liking all the same." Nurgle said.
"No, no, it's quite suitable." Leman said with a puzzled look. "But… why are you being so… hospitable? Did I not attempt to attack you the last time we met?" he said, his voice carrying no malice, merely confusion. Nurgle sighed and fiddled with his hands.
"Well, I was rather perturbed when you put my daughter in harm's way… though when I learned that you came from beyond the Veil, I understood why you acted as such." Nurgle said, his face betraying a deep sadness. "I do not blame you for acting in ignorance, although I do ask that from now on you behave yourself."
"I… understand. I will cause you no further trouble." Leman said.
"Wonderful! Now, make sure to be up and ready to go by sunup tomorrow. We've a busy day ahead of us! We must trim the saplings, sow the annuals… replace the harvested lumber… scrape the moss from the…" Nurgle's voice trailed off as he absent-mindedly walked away, leaving Leman alone in his temporary abode. The cabin was designed for beings even taller than he, so the primarch found himself feeling mightily strange. It was not often - nor ever, really - that he had ever felt dwarfed by his own lodgings (though it was rather nice to have a bed that more than accommodated his size, for once). The wooden walls were carved with complex designs and knots, almost reminiscent of the rugged architecture of his home planet. On the floor was a great bearskin, and a small hearth smoldered with gently glowing firewood. Above the fireplace, hung a wooden aegis painted dark green, with a refined rendition of Nurgle's 3-pointed heraldry painted in white. The symbol still caused Leman to shudder and tense up instinctually, though he buried his feelings. Between his father's message and his unexpectedly cordial treatment by this "Nurgle", he simply had to accept that the beings of this world were not malicious.
At least, none he had encountered so far.
Leman Russ awoke from his slumber several hours before daylight, tossing a fur-pelt blanket aside and planting his feet on the wooden floor. Primarchs rarely needed to sleep, perhaps once in a century, and in the Warp, Russ preferred to rest as little as possible. Not only did sleep leave one's body vulnerable to attack, but it also could leave one's mind open to all kinds of unwanted intrusions. The best sort of rest Russ could expect in the Immaterium was a dark, dreamless sleep which could be immediately forgotten upon waking. This had been his life for 10,000 years.
Yet, after one night's sleep in this strange world, Leman Russ felt as though he were as young as when the Emperor had first found him on Fenris. Aches and pains he had lived with for millennia seemed to disappear overnight. Phantom pains from scars long healed and wounds long closed had simply ceased to exist. His mind felt clearer than the coldest ice floes in Asaheim, like his soul had spent centuries buried in mud and filth only to be submerged into rushing water and purified in an instant. Though he had only slept for a few hours, it felt like he had slept for a thousand years in deep, uninterrupted slumber. He was, in no uncertain terms, invigorated.
He stepped out of the cabin dressed in a fresh tunic and pants that had been left for him, although oddly he had been given no shoes. I guess that must be their custom, seeing as none of the beings I saw before were wearing any. They seem to revere nature, so perhaps they feel closer to it when they can feel the earth on their feet. He thought. It reminded him of his earliest days, when he was raised by feral fenrisian wolves. How far I have come from then… only to return to it, in a way. He ceased his reminiscing and focused on the task at hand. Nurgle and Admu had arrived to greet him, both dressed in working clothes. Nurgle was wearing more or less what he was when Russ had first encountered him, while Admu was wearing a sturdier dress with rolled-up sleeves clearly meant for manual labor, as well as a straw hat.
"Hey mister Russ, ready to go?" she said.
"Aye lass, I'm ready. So what chores am I to help with?" Leman said.
"Well, there's about a hundred logs of lumber ten miles north that we need to deliver to the village by sundown. Shouldn't be too difficult." Nurgle said.
"What equipment will we be using?" Leman said. Nurgle and Admu gave him a puzzled look.
"What do you mean?" Admu said.
"Well, vehicles, carts, beasts of burden, things of that nature." Russ said.
"Oh no, terrain's far too treacherous for that. Have to carry it by foot." Nurgle said.
Well… that's not what I expected. Still, it's only a hundred logs, and I'm a damned primarch. How hard could it be? Leman thought.
Leman Russ could feel the genetically enhanced tendons in his legs, stronger than plasteel cables, straining as he shifted a log easily the size of an Imperial Titan's gun barrel from one of his shoulders to the other. Sweat gathered on his brow, and his superhuman lungs and heart worked diligently to maintain blood flow to his beleaguered muscles. He was keeping a good pace, all things considered.
This must be some sort of test he thought, designed to push my strength to its limits by assigning me an impossible task such as thi-
His train of thought was interrupted by Admu dutifully trotting up next to him carrying one of the logs under each of her arms.
"C'mon mister Russ, if we finish early we can take the rest of the day off!" she said cheerfully, before resuming her hike.
This is going to be harder than I anticipated. Leman thought, before gritting his teeth and resuming his labors.
Leman dropped the last gargantuan piece of lumber in the grand pile they had assembled, and fell to the ground in exhaustion. His superhuman augmentations quickly went to work revitalizing him, though such herculean efforts would take time to recuperate from.
"C'mon, lazybones! You don't want to miss dinner, do you mister Russ?" said Admu. She held out her hand, and with a groan Leman rose to his feet with the girl's help. They entered a grand hall in the center of the village, full of Admu's demigod-like siblings. The whole place was filled with raucous villagers filling up on ale and food after a hard day's work. Now this reminds me of home. Russ thought. Gargantuan oak barrels full of all kinds of brewed spirits lined the walls, with platters of roasted game, cheeses, stews, and any other hearty meal one could imagine adorning each table. The air was thick with the smells of all manner of meats, smoked, steamed, spit-roasted, and so on.
Now, primarchs do not technically have to eat for months or even years at a ti-
Ah, to hell with it. Russ thought. A Space Wolf refusing perfectly good meat and ale was like an ork refusing a good fight. The primarch took a seat at one of the long tables and dug in, tearing into a leg of roast fowl larger than his forearm with his enhanced canines and washing it down with an entire gallon of ale in one swig. He wiped his mouth and sat back, the pain of the day's labors beginning to wash away.
"So, how's the drink? I don't know how it compares to some of Slaanesh's finer wines, but I think my recipes have their own rustic charm." Nurgle said, taking a seat across from him.
"I haven't had a decent meal nor a drop of spirit for 10,000 years. You could've served me a leg of an ork and a bucket of promethium and It would still be the best thing I'd tasted in millennia." Russ said.
"Good to hear, my boy. Now just 6 more days of hard work and you'll be as worthy as you'll ever be in my eyes, challenger!" He said. Then he leaned in closer to Russ and lowered his voice. "Today we went easy on you, so you could get acclimated. Tomorrow's when the real hard work begins!" Russ nearly spit out his drink as Nurgle let out a hearty laugh.
The next day, Russ woke up at sunrise and prepared for 12 hours of backbreaking labor. In all his centuries of training and fighting, he didn't think he'd ever pushed his body to limits such as these. He was truly testing the limits of the strength his father had imbued within him during his creation. He raised the walls of wooden buildings which rivalled the size of hab-blocks with nothing but rope and his bare hands. With naught but a hand axe he felled mighty trees which shook the earth like an imperator titan when they hit the ground. Over cliffs, rivers, and other treacherous territory he lugged timber, crops, and even livestock. After climbing up and down a sheer rock face with nothing but his bare hands to retrieve a stray 7-horned goat, Leman sat down on a nearby boulder to wipe the sweat from his brow.
He went to take a drink from a leather canteen, until he noticed a small boy glaring at him. Well, small in comparison to Leman. In reality, he was likely the size of the average unaugmented adult human. He had small budding horns emerging from his dark messy hair and was wearing olive-green overalls over a white shirt.
"Can I help you, lad?" Russ said.
"I'm Ugur, Admu's brother. I heard you tried to hurt my big sis." he said with his arms crossed.
"Worry not, your 'uncle' put a stop to that. Now I'm working for your father, at least for the time being." Russ said. The boy huffed indignantly.
"Yeah, well if you try anything again, I'll kick your butt mister!" he said. Russ smirked.
The kid's got some spunk, I'll give him that.
The next day, Leman continued his labors. This morning, he was helping to plant saplings for an orchard. As one might expect these were not typical saplings, resembling more the support columns one might see on a starship, planted in holes that could be mistaken for craters caused by a stray turbolaser blast. He dug through layers of earth, clay, and at times even solid rock. When he was finished, he climbed out of the pit and wiped the sweat from his forehead as he leaned on his shovel. What a strange turn of events Leman thought. A primarch, a pinnacle of superhuman excellence, digging holes and planting trees. He smiled and shook his head. Some of his brothers would likely have been insulted by such menial tasks, but Leman seemed to oddly enjoy it. Raised on a mostly feral world, where survival was determined by the strength of one's hands and their will to persevere, Leman was no stranger to honest work. He hunted, foraged, and scraped what he could to survive from the land. Despite the radically different environment, the principle here was the same. He was surprised that these seemingly god-like beings, which had no doubt been alive for much longer than he, lived so… modestly. Their daily routines were humble and honest. Working hard throughout the day, feasting merrily into the night, and waking up at sunrise to do it all again the next day. Perhaps the old Fenrisian myths of personal gods walking amongst men were not so untrue after all. Russ smiled. There was little else that father hated more than gods and religion. Yet, here I am now consorting with them - on father's orders, no less! At the very least these gods seem to be far less interested in mutilation and disembowelment than the ones I am used to. His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of rustling leaves above him.
"Hey mister Russ, look! I found some ripe fruit up here!" Admu said, standing in a tree high above and holding two golden-orange fruits in her hands. Then, the branch she was on buckled, and the girl struggled to regain her balance. She yelped, and a misplaced step sent her hurtling downward. Russ's superhuman reflexes reacted instantly, immediately dashing to her position and bracing his legs. The girl fell safely into primarch's arms… though Russ had slightly underestimated her weight and struggled to hold her up. "O-oh! T-thank you mister Russ!" Admu said, quickly leaping out of Leman's arms and blushing profusely. "I'm so sorry, I'll be more careful in the future! Here, have one." she said, handing him one of the fruits. "As a show of my appreciation." a wide smile shone on her still-blushing face, before she turned and ran away in a hurry. Russ shrugged and took a bite of the sweet fruit.
In the brief moments of respite he had between work, Russ was able to take a moment and simply observe his surroundings. Fenris was not generally known for its "natural beauty", outside of the sheer imposing terror it seemed to emanate, not that he disliked this; far from it. He reveled in it and longed to return to his home planet one day. This world however, with its lush and vibrant flora and fauna, was a nice change of pace from the literal hellscapes he had trudged and sometimes crawled through up until now. Every tree, bush, fern, flower, and patch of moss seemed to glow with a healthy vitality, causing it to grow to greater and greater heights. Russ had not seen plants this immense even in the jungles of Catachan (although these ones were far less likely to kill a man). Through the trees, in the shadow of the lofty canopy above, Russ could also spot great beasts of all shapes and sizes, emanating a seemingly supernatural grace and vigor. Elk with antlers the size of a space marine's pauldron that glittered in the sunbeams, black wolves with eyes as blue as the deepest oceans, great boars which tore the very earth asunder with their mammoth tusks searching for roots to eat, and once Russ swore he saw a bear lurking in the deeper forest that seemed to rival an imperial baneblade in size.
Day after day, Leman Russ continued his labors without complaint. Alongside Admu, who seemed to follow him around everywhere, as well as Nurgle's other sons and daughters, he shed blood, sweat and tears, feasted and caroused when the day was done, then retired to his modest cabin and collapsed into his cot so his superhuman biology could recover for the next day. If he were being honest, half of his campaigns during the Great Crusade had been scarcely this strenuous, at least in a physical sense. Though, while his body was stressed to its limits, his mind had never felt clearer. It was a strange thing for Leman, as a primarch, to feel so… average. He was designed to tower above normal men, to command their absolute respect with his mere presence. A born leader, with no equals save his fellow primarchs and the Emperor above him. Yet here, he was merely a foreign visitor, not much different in stature or status than anyone else. The Wolf King, playing as a humble farmhand. It was… pleasant. As he lay in his bed, feeling the soft fur blanket on his scarred, weathered skin, his mind wandered while his body set to the task of repairing itself. He closed his eyes and imagined spending the rest of his days like this. His duty to his father, his people, and the Imperium remained ever-present in the back of his mind, but for just a moment he allowed himself to dream of more peaceful times.
Nurgle relaxed into his favorite chair, smoking from his favorite pipe and enjoying the warm glow of his hearth.
"Good night papa!" Admu said, giving her father an unsuspecting hug and almost causing him to drop his pipe.
"Good night my little daffodil." He said, tussling her hair lovingly. He looked down, and saw a crestfallen look on Admu's face.
"I can't believe mister Russ has to leave the day after tomorrow, I wish he could stay here for a little bit longer." She said, pouting. Nurgle sighed, and patted her head.
"Well, we've got a long day tomorrow. Best if you get along to bed now, Admu." he said. She gave him a peck on his cheek, and went off to her room. Nurgle picked his pipe back up, and raised it to his lips. Just as he was about to take a puff, Khorne appeared in a column of flame, causing him to fumble his pipe in surprise.
"How goes the trial?" the armored giant said.
"Brother, does your martial honor not extend to simple courtesies such as knocking?" Nurgle said, picking his pipe back up. "Well, you've no reason for concern. Ever since the, er… incident shortly after his arrival, the challenger has been nothing but cooperative. He works hard and without complaint, and the whole village seems to have warmed up to him. Some of the young ones have even started playing 'primarchs and orks', chasing each other around and shouting 'for the emperor!' Whatever that means." he said, chuckling.
"I am still not convinced he is the one." Khorne said.
"Oh my dearest brother, always the worrier. He has but one day remaining, I think we can safely say that he will pass the test." Nurgle said. Khorne did not react.
"Keep me updated when he is ready for the next trial." Khorne vanished before Nurgle could respond.
"Hmph! And Slaanesh says I'm the busybody." Nurgle said, finally able to enjoy his pipe in peace.
On the dawn of the final day of Leman's trial, he arose from his bed once again and stretched his muscles, vacating the chemical remnants of his enhanced healing abilities from his capillaries. He had fallen into a comfortable - if physically demanding - routine, and soon he was back in the lush forests of Nurgle's garden carrying colossal wooden logs over treacherous terrain once again. Admu whistled cheerily while carrying her load, and even Admu's little brother Ugur came along, trailing behind them with firewood for the village's hearths. Though, the whole time he seemed to be giving Leman sideways glances, staying back to keep an eye on him. Leman chose to let it slide. The boy, focused on the primarch in front of him, wasn't looking where he was walking and tripped on a root, dropping the firewood. The small logs rolled off the path and out of sight, and the boy ran after them. Leman turned around and saw him run off, exhaling and shaking his head. I'm not sure if this counts as part of the trial Leman thought. …best not to risk it. Reluctantly, he dropped the log he was carrying and went to keep an eye on the wayward child.
"Boy, where have you run off to?" he shouted, then heard a faint whimpering. Pushing aside a thicket, he noticed Ugur sitting on the ground, sniffling with tears in his eyes. It seemed he had accidentally stepped on a bed of thorns, and was cradling his bleeding foot. Leman sighed.
"Come here…" he said, tearing off a piece of his pant leg and wrapping it around the boy's injured foot. "Perhaps this will make you think twice about running off the path agai-" Leman stopped, and noticed his hairs standing on end. He shot up and swung around, positioning the boy behind him.
Before him was a hulking, shadowy mountain of fur and muscle. Its eyes were black as the void of space, and its gargantuan maw was lined with teeth as large as combat knives, glistening with saliva. The low growl radiating from its throat shook the ground beneath him, and every one of Leman's combat instincts kicked in at once. He assessed the threat the creature posed: immense. He looked down at the boy. Allied casualties: unacceptable. The bear began to charge at him. Chances of escape: slim to none. He entered a combat stance. He assessed the creature's weak points: none he could sense. The bear reared up on its hind legs. He assessed the chances of him dodging the immense set of claws which were bearing down upon him: just barely. He grabbed the Ugur's arm and flung him out of danger then jumped backwards to avoid the brunt of the bear's strike, the huge claws tearing straight through his tunic and flesh as if they were not even there. He pressed his hand against the wide gash, stemming the flow of blood slightly. First aid would be handled by his genetic enhancements. He needed to do something about the rampaging behemoth in front of him. The bear lunged at him with its mouth, teeth bared. Leman tore a large branch from a nearby tree and shoved it into the creature's jaws, distracting it just long enough for him to dash behind a colossal tree. The bear snapped the branch in its mouth and swiped at Leman as he took cover behind the huge trunk, its claw tearing out a hunk of wood the size of a large grox. Bereft of any weapons and with on-site procurement or crafting unfeasible, Leman decided on his only course of action: murder by cervical fracture. He jumped out from behind the large tree, and the bear took another swipe at him. This time, Leman dodged towards the beast rather than away from it, though sustaining another wound on his right leg. He grappled onto the bear's back, sending it into an enraged frenzy. It swiped wildly at the primarch crawling on top of it, giving Leman a few more deep lacerations before he could maneuver into its blind spot. The bear then tried smashing Leman into a nearby tree, but the Wolf King was unshaken. The bear let out a mighty roar as Leman grabbed hold of the creature's head and began twisting, the bear digging its claws into the primarch's shoulder and back. Pain shot through him as the razor-sharp talons dug deeper and deeper into his skin and muscle, threatening to wrend his bones from his flesh.
Then, Leman felt something deep within him. A primal instinct, gnawing at the edges of his subconscious. A fire erupted in his chest, and the air seemed to grow cold around him. He opened his eyes and let out a bestial howl which drowned out everything around him. Tongues of electricity shot through his muscles, and with a thunderous snap the bear fell limp to the ground. The primarch, his body drained of all its energy, fell to the ground beside the felled beast. In his peripheral vision, Russ saw two figures running towards him.
"Ugur! mister Russ! Are you two okay!?" Admu shouted. Nurgle ran to Ugur's side, finding the boy to be thankfully unharmed aside from his previous foot injury. He looked at the primarch and his defeated foe with a look of disbelief. Admu went to Leman's side, tearing off parts of her dress to try and soak up the profuse amounts of blood the old wolf had shed. His vision began to fade as the blood loss caught up to him and his body went into a recovery state. As everything faded to black, Leman saw what looked to be some kind of… campfire, underneath a blanket of stars overhead. Then, he fell unconscious.
Several hours later, the wounded primarch's injuries had already begun to heal thanks to his enhanced physiology. Luckily, the beast's wild swipes had only damaged his skin and muscle tissues, which he could heal within the day. He sat on a log outside of his domicile, removing the bandages from his arms, legs, and torso as his wounds had already long since clotted and sealed up.
"Mister Russ… I made you some special tea to help you feel better. I know your body is pretty good at healing and stuff, but I promise this will help you feel even more better!" Admu said, offering Leman a wooden cup full of steaming liquid. He accepted it, too tired to put up much of a fuss, and brought the cup to his lips. "It's my own special herbal recipe… it's so strong that it even works on papa, and almost nothing works on him!" Leman sipped the tea and felt its warmth trickle down his throat and into his belly. His eyes shot open immediately, and his body was filled with a surge of energy that exploded from every muscle in his body.
"Kjarg's balls!" he shouted, then saw Admu with a somewhat shocked expression and blushing cheeks, causing him to collect himself. "Oh, uh, apologies. The tea was… quite good." That's an understatement. It feels like I was just injected with a gallon of combat stims and adrenaline boosters, only without the side effects. My mind feels even clearer than before. He resumed his sips, limiting his intake out of fear he might overload his system with the powerful concoction.
"You're welcome, mister Russ!" Admu said before running off. Leman sat, sipping his tea for a while before Nurgle came to sit down next to him with his own cup of the wondrous brew.
"She's really something, isn't she? My little daffodil…" Nurgle said, as Admu scuttled about offering her tea to her other siblings.
"I have been meaning to ask, green one… these children of yours, are they… daemons?" Leman said. Nurgle took a deep breath and sighed.
"No, not really." Nurgle said. Leman raised an eyebrow. "A daemon is an extension of your own soul. A piece of your essence pinched off and formed into a separate entity, like a plant sending out runners to grow more of itself. In this world, our power is concentrated into corporeal forms, we can't spread our essence out across the whole universe like… them." he said.
It would be wise for me to not prod too deeply into 'them'… Leman thought. "Well, if they aren't daemons, what are they?" he asked.
"All four of us have found our own unique ways to get around that restriction. As for me, I create my children like I create anything else: by growing them. Much like a god is the amalgamation of souls and emotions, my children are created from the spirits of this forest. The animals, the plants, even the rocks, streams, and the earth itself." Nurgle said.
The rune-priests of Fenris have spoken of such things as well… though I doubt they would have had this in mind. Leman thought.
"Everything has a reflection in the warp, or else it wouldn't have existed before conscious beings could perceive it. It's just that those beings have the greatest sway over it, like… a boulder in a stream, that causes the water to flow around it, as opposed to the countless pebbles and grains of sand which can only flow with the current." Nurgle said.
"So, Admu is an amalgamation of these natural spirits, then?" Leman said, looking at the girl.
"Well… no. Admu is…special." Nurgle said. "You see, one day I was walking through the forest, tending to the trees and plants. Then, all of a sudden, I began to hear the faint sound of a woman crying. I searched for the source of the noise, worried that one of my children was hurt or had lost their way, only to find something I had never seen before. It was a great cage of rusted metal, suspended by a chain from some towering structure of spikes and rusty scrap. Inside the cage I saw… a woman, dressed in white. She was curled up in the corner, her face in her hands, weeping. I immediately rushed to her side to see if I could help her but… the moment she saw me she recoiled in fear and disgust, as if I were the most horrific thing she had ever seen. I backed off, not wanting to cause her any more suffering, but even from a distance I could feel the maladies that were ravaging the poor woman from the inside. I pleaded with her to let me help her, and after a while she finally relented. She poked her arm through the bars of the cage, and I held her frail hands in mine. Miraculously, she was healing all the negative effects of the diseases she carried within her, although I could still feel that they were causing her agonizing pain. I did the best with what I had with me to create a remedy that could ease her suffering and mixed an elixir within a large piece of bark. She tried to grab hold of it herself but… her hands were too weak to hold it. Reluctantly, she allowed me to bring it to her lips so she could drink it. Once it was finished, I could feel all the pain and suffering leaving her, even if only for a moment. She looked up at me, and I saw her face clearly for the first time. She had peach-colored skin, eyes of deep purple, and a soft smile that seemed to express a thousand emotions at once. Then, without warning, she and the cage she was held in began to fade and flicker into nothing, and she was gone. I returned the next day, hoping to find some trace of her. I noticed that, on the exact spot I had seen her the day prior, a tree had grown overnight. It bloomed with every color of every variety of flower in existence, and nestled within its roots I found Admu." Nurgle said, reliving the moments as if they were still happening. Leman looked back at Admu, studying her with a stony expression. "Well, that's enough reminiscing. After today, your trial will be complete, and you'll be moving on to the next. Rest well, Leman Russ." Nurgle said, placing his hand on the primarch's good shoulder before taking his leave.
As Leman sipped his tea, Ugur approached him with his hands behind his back and his head lowered. "M-mister Russ… I wanted to thank you for, uh, saving me." he said with a bashful awkwardness. "I guess you're not as bad as I thought, since big sis Admu trusts you so much… so, um, here, I made you this." he said, revealing a small object wrapped in cloth from behind his back and put it in the primarch's hand. Leman unwrapped it to find a small necklace with a wooden carving of a wolf strung onto it.
"Oh… uh, thank you, boy." he said, putting the necklace on. The boy's face momentarily flashed with a gleeful expression before running away, presumably trying to hide his excitement.
The next day, Leman awoke to find Admu and her father arguing outside of his lodging.
"Papa, pleeeeease can I go with him? I've never been outside of the forest!" Admu pleaded.
"I just… don't know if it's the right time… besides, I'm sure the challenger will be very busy and won't have time to look after yo-"
"I don't need him to look after me, I can handle myself!" Admu said with a pout. She was dressed in leather traveling clothes, with long boots and a short cape covering her shoulders. She had a full pack of her belongings with her, clearly prepared for this journey long in advance. The old wolf watched the two bickering as he stood in the doorway.
"Do I get a say in this?" he said. Admu turned towards him, and her face lit up.
"Please, please, please mister Russ, will you take me with you to Arcadia?" she said, falling to her knees and pleading to him. Leman gave Nurgle an incredulous look. Nurgle placed his hand on Leman's shoulder and took him aside.
"Mister Russ, Admu is starting to outgrow this forest, but I'm afraid to let her go all by herself. I understand this may be an unwarranted request but… do you think you could take her along with you? I'd feel a lot better if she had someone like you with her. Plus, she's really taken a liking to you, she looks up to you. I promise she won't be a burden; you've seen for yourself she can certainly pull her own weight." Nurgle said. Leman furrowed his brow and rubbed his chin, his father's words echoing in his mind. He wasn't sure what challenges he would face in the future; he might need allies on the road ahead.
"I cannot promise I will protect her. I have a duty to uphold, that comes before all else." he said.
"Yes, I understand. I can't keep her here forever and I can't follow her wherever she goes. Perhaps a little independence will be good for her." Nurgle said. Leman sighed.
"She can come, but only if she is not a burden. Remember, my duty comes first." he said. Admu's eyes widened.
"Really!?" She said. She embraced Leman at full sprint, only this time the wolf had braced himself and remained steady on his feet despite the 20-foot girl barreling into him. He was not one to be caught unawares twice.
"I'd prefer to get going as soon as possible, so as to not waste daylight." Leman said. "Where are we headed?"
"We're going to Arcadia, where Auntie Slaanesh's palace is!" Admu said.
Leman felt his stomach drop.