Chapter 10: Uncle Cawl
Angron was enjoying not having a constant headache by the butchers nails though this was being threatened by Vigils constant munching, the Menserkian known for his endless appetite was crunching down on some cheesy corn puff snack that grated on Angrons tiny ears. He had thought that coming back to Terra would be scary but sitting in the shared indoor play area by the small beach, Angron has had it proven to him that it's more annoying than scary.
Rubbing his temples and taking a deep breath like Erda taught him Angron looked up onto the sofa where Vigil sat watching a cartoon on a large television, "Vigil, brother!" Angron tried to say calmly but ended up more stressed with Vigil looking down. "Yes?" he asked before shoving another handful in his mouth making that annoying crunch crunch, "could you PLEASE try eating a little quieter? I am still trying to get used to hearing things without the nails" Angron explained stress getting in his voice.
The Servitor assigned to Angron walked forward picking him up before walking outside preventing another incident where the red angel would have to sit on the naughty step for throwing things at his brothers, Erda usually made sure that Angron had something to deafen the sounds around him but he had lost his earplugs sometime after his daily nap and he had his servitor put him on the floor of his villa so he could continue to look for it.
Aurelius was out on the beach firing small toy arrows at a target with his old bows originally made by Vulkan and Ferrus respectively now too large for his now tiny arms, it took a lot of convincing to get a custodian to bring a bow of the right size but his servitor kept taking away any arrows that were not these small dense plastic toys.
Latching off another arrow Aurelius fired it almost straight upwards before grumbling at how badly it flies, the colourful toy spun out of control as Aurelius kept his enhanced vision on it an unfortunate curse in this moment, as he could not only see it steer away from the target in the visible spectrum, but he could see it in the entire electromagnetic spectrum making him pout in such a way his servitor questioned if Aurelius needed a diaper change.
Aurelius then went wide eyed as he saw the arrows trajectory was going to be nowhere near the target and was a second away from throwing his bow to the ground in frustration when a metal hand caught the arrow. "A bit off with your aim are we my lord?" Cawl said his vox enhanced voice a surprise to Aurelius as his servitor made silent communion to the others, "so you're Belisarius Cawl?" Aurelius questioned with the large metallic tech-priest chuckling in return "just call me uncle Cawl" he said moving forward.
Cawl himself was a massive thing with Aurelius swearing to himself that he must have been taller than Robute, the thing asking to be called uncle whilst seemingly jovial in attitude Aurelius really didn't like the amount of weapons he could see hidden beneath. "I think I will stick with calling you Cawl" he said as Vigil and Angron were carried over to where the two spoke, the edges of what human bits of Cawls face were left looked happy to see the trio before it spoke again but at a lower volume.
"Ah Angron I see you're missing your ear plugs I brought some spares" Cawl said a mechadendrite extending from under his robe offering the primarch a pair of tiny compressed cotton buds, Angron took them and stuffed them in his ears before Cawl returned to his normal volume. "As you know I am here to help you with rebuilding your legions though part of the work has already been done" Cawl said getting head tilts from all 3 primarchs, with a call from Cawl 3 marines each in their respective legions colours walked towards the trio getting startled looks from each primarch.
Angron looked away from the white, blue and gold armour of a Primaris World Eater though he could sense the marine felt not offended but hurt when Angron looked away from him, he looked back to the marine having to tell himself that the marine didn't have the nails he had another chance though he knew he would have to fight his wayward sons.
Rubbing his tiny eyes in shock Aurelius saw the dark green and black armour of the marine kneeling down in the ways of his home world, the marine even removed his helmet and as sure as the march of time the marine was a native of his world. He had the swept back air topped with a knot, his eyes the wide but precise gaze of an eagle on the hunt meeting his now tiny gene-sire's eyes.
For Vigil he saw the nightmare that plagued his legion an Obsidian Revenants of old, when the marine pulled off the helmet of his Obsidian black and gold armour he saw the withered corpse like face. The marines blue eye glow faint and his lips long since chewed off in hunger, rage boiled beneath the otherwise happy infants skin before he shouted.
"YOU HAVEN'T BEEN FEEDING HIM!" Vigil shouted reaching out towards the marine not even feeling the slightest warm tingle of uranium from the armours lining when his servitor held him close, "it hurts my primarch, the hunger it calls" the marine managed to say with controlled calm through clenched teeth.
Angron and Aurelius eyed Cawl with a level of disgust with the Arch Magos holding up his hands including his still human one, "I genuinely tried, I literally ran out of food multiple times along the way to Terra feeding them," Cawl said defensively "I needed to keep them on ice for most of it."
Vigil whilst considered one of the kindest among the primarchs like that of Vulkan or Magnus in now forbidden history, in this moment he was trembling with anger though his now infantile body made it look less threatening he had once upon a time eaten those mortals that enraged him alive. The Droning Hunger ate behind his eyes before he blinked it away gesturing to his marine, "come we feast, your brothers will be fed to satisfaction and that's an order" Vigil said calming down looking towards one of the custodians that stood at the sanctuaries doorway.
The golden figure turned leaving to carry out the rage filled command as Vigil left his marine following behind, Alpha Primus walked out from behind Cawl the Magos's body having obscured his presence. He held a tablet and tapped at the runes on it "I told you we needed a dedicated barge for them" Primus said shaking his head, Aurelius let out a small smile that Angron looked at.
"What's so funny?" Angron questioned with Aurelius's smile turning to a small giggle, "I remember his fleets, I swear by the throne that his ships weight was more food than it was ammo" Aurelius said giggling, Angron smiled but also looked a bit sad "I don't remember that… not sure if it was our fathers edict or the nails" Angron said.
Their respective marines stood getting their primarchs attention, "well Vigil is getting a head start but these are your new first captains, once you're introduced just say the word and I will begin as mass production of your new legions as I can according to your wills" Cawl says bowing his head.
Angron and Aurelius left Cawl be hearing Alpha Primus complain more about the fact mass production isn't that possible at the moment.
Aurelius after being brought to his villa sat on the floor of his living room on a cushion with his small bow before him, the giant that is his first captain was knelt before him holding a normal sized cup of tea that looked comically small in his ceramite gauntlets helmet off to the side.
The primarch himself had a much smaller cup that took him a favour from Perturabo to mess with his servitors programming to let it be able to give him tea, he regretted not asking him to make it bring him actual arrows.
"I was meant to be the chapter master… father?" the marine said with some confusion as Aurelius took a sip, "you will be read in on everything in time but first let us start with your name my son" Aurelius said attempting to channel as much of his old sage like persona as he could.
This resulted in a smile cracking along the marines face disguising the chuckle in his throat by taking a sip of tea, Aurelius noticed this relaxing his eagle like features though more soften to be like that of a chick. "Good my first captain is capable of laughter in my presence but what is your name?" Aurelius asked, the marine nodded "Augustus chapter master of the Thunder Dragoons" Augustus said respectfully.
Aurelius stood leaving his cup by his pillow and strode over to Augustus then sat in his lap, "Father what are you doing?" Augustus asked confused. "You are not Augustus the chapter master, you are Augustus the first captain of the Thunder Dragoons and hopefully in time the tales we will be able to tell recruits will inspire hunters for generations" Aurelius said.
"Are you not saddened? I mean I don't want to tread upon the graves of the legion that was during the great crusade" Augustus said looking down at his primarch with a grim look of conern, Aurelius looked back up with an expression alien on such a cherub like face that had a time withered expression of pain but also hope.
"Tread upon their graves? My son you're doing anything but treading on their graves, they laid their lives down before your ancestors were a concept. They may not have remembered being one of us but their legacy will still be remembered in my heart, and be continued by you and the reborn legion" Aurelius said looking up at Augustus.
Angron stared at the marine's eyes standing on the giants lap, with the marine sat on a oversized chair looking down at his primarch. "Sir are you alright?" he asked with Angron continuing to stare into the marines eyes, "no i am not..." Angron said the quiet between the two extending on.
Angron felt something inside him pull as he stared the marine down, nothing physical but mental as if the marine was attempting the share the load of his mind. Suddenly Angron found himself being tipped onto his back, his new first captain had tipped him into laying on his back in the giants arms.
"I think it's best to start with this my lord," the first captain said in a calm voice placing a giant gauntleted finger over his primarchs mouth, "you are my primarch, i am your first captain, i don't want you running your brain ragged over your fall... I do know about those marines that came before us."
Angron saw the marines expression melt into that of sadness and understanding as he continued, "they loved you my primarch like any son would, but you hated them and i fully understand why" he said.
Angrons expression went to that of rage "what would you know of it?" Angron asked with the marine staring back expression still the same understanding, "not all of them died Angron" the marine said and Angron eyes watered. "LIES!" Angron shouted slamming a fist into the marines chest plate, "no it's the truth my primarch," the marine said "do you remember a boy among your horde? About 15 Terran years old lugged ammo around."
Angron looked around thinking before narrowing his vision "you're not going to say you're him are you? He died! I saw his corpse!" Angron said annoyed, "he didn't die, he is my father what you saw was an unconscious body pinned beneath a gladiator with Robute Guilliman himself ordering him be pardoned and freed" the marine said.
Angron looked confused and then it started to connect things, "my name is Tyberius your new first captain my primarch" Tyberius said with a wide smile. Angron finally let a tear fall from his face, his sadness and hope wept freely from him with Tyberius just holding him with a World Eater holding an infant and not tearing it two being something most would call an unusual sight.
With Vigil he had his servitor looking through his cabinets bringing bags and just about cooking food to safe standards before putting it in front of the marine, said marine was sitting on a stool at a table quickly filling with food panting and having a controlled but crazed look in his eyes with his primarch sitting next to him in a high chair.
Vigil whilst usually a kind and often seen as immature of the primarchs next to Leman Russ himself having taken to his new life like a duck to water all this seemingly thrown out the window when he first saw the marines face. Vigil studied the marine up and down noting every single microflex in his muscles, he even stared into the marines eyes though the marine was more staring at the food in front of him.
"You don't need permission to eat when there is food on the table" Vigil said leaning forward, the marine shook his head "i can control the hunger i have been practising" he said. Vigil snapped his fingers making the marine look at him, "i have heard that thousands of times over, now shut up and eat that is an order marine" Vigil said taking on the tone of not the Vigil that this morning was chomping on corn based snacks but the harsh voice of the King of the Wastes.
The marine looked to the food which mostly consisted of freshly cooked breaded meats and vegetables of all sorts with sauce haphazardly dumped on them, it was like someone opened the door to the realms of khorne himself as the marine went crazy. Vigil felt both sorry for the marine yet also horrified as he watched the marine satisfy the great hunger that cursed his legion, food by the fist full was forced down his gullet at speed bringing forward memories of Vigil having to pull marines off corpses of fallen soldiers both friend and foe alike.
The marine eventually stopped panting his eyes went to a more normal green with pupils narrowing as the table was completely cleared of food, "good you calmed down... I was running out of food" Vigil said sarcastically with what's left of the marines mouth contorting to a smile as he laughed.
"My lord you running out of food? The greatest joke of them all" he chuckled with Vigil himself now smiling, "now that i know you're not going to start eating my sofa, your name captain?" Vigil questioned with a curious expression returning to his feature. The marine picked at his iron capped teeth before answering "Vernan sir" he said, Vigil seemed satisfied with the answer though he knew it was going to be a long road for him and his reborn legion.