Chapter Two

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"Sanguinius. It should have been him. He has the vision and the strength to carry us to victory, and the wisdom to rule once victory is won. For all his aloof coolness, he alone has the Emperor's soul in his blood. Each of us carries part of our father within us, whether it is his hunger for battle, his psychic talent or his determination to succeed. Sanguinius holds it all. It should have been his…,"

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"You are up, I am glad that it fits you,"

"I am just happy that you have something to fit someone of my size, Chief. I have to apologize in advance of the two large holes that I have to bore on the back of it though," answers Sanguinius with a smile as he sits beside the old man on the fire at the ground, the red glow throwing black shadows as the white wings of the Great Angel throwing black shadows on the ground behind them.

"You saved my grand-daughter's life stranger from one of the Hayendas, the greatest prowlers in the area. Lending you clothes would be the least of my show of gratefulness. I am called Royz by the way, not Chief,"

"Chief Royz then," answers Sanguinius with a nod of his head, his golden locks falling. "You may call me Sanguinius,"

The village sufficed it to say had welcomed him with wary open arms after he dealt with the Hayenda that tried to make a meal of the little girl before. Luck seems to be with him since the Chieftain in charge of this small village was the grandfather of the child he managed to save. Now here he is clothed in loose cotton clothing given to him by the villagers who call this "ranch" home. The women under direct orders of the village chief had sewed it for him as he took a bath in one of the privy areas to wash of the Hayendas blood. Sanguinius is just glad that he is once more in civilization and more importantly in Imperial Territory no matter how rural as he tries to get his bearings. More importantly at least until he can find some answers as to why he is here and not in Terra or anywhere close to it.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Sanguinius. You Formally I want to give you my thanks for saving my granddaughter,"

"No thanks needed Chief. I did what anybody would do in my situation," answers Sanguinius. "Though I admit that you are not afraid of my wings?" the primarch emphasizes moving the pair at his back. "Some of the villagers seem to be wary," he points out looking at the other cooking fires where the villagers are throwing curious glances of mistrust at their fire.

Sanguinius is no stranger to the wary glances. In fact to him it is kind of refreshing. It reminds him of a time before the Great Crusade when he's just Sanguinius of Baal. The Baalites at that time had looked at him with suspicion and mistrust due to the nature of his wings. Only later during the Great Crusade when he became known as the Great Angel of the Imperium that it became a symbol of his nobility and identity instead.

"They have a right to be wary I guess," answers Royz with a smile that emphasizes the lines of his old face. "With the purple in the sky, things have been unnatural. Once fertile lands dry up and only small patches of green are left where once you can see a sea of them that stretches from one end of the land to the other. There are also strange beasts that prowl in the dark outside the fires every night that attacks the Cowroos and the Grox if they are not put in barns. The usual Imperial Tithe also has not been required for three years. With everything that we have experienced; a large guy with wings seems to be the least of our concerns,"

"I see," answers Sanguinius simply before looking up. It seems that Royz has a point. The giant purple in the sky looks like an ugly wound that reminds Sanguinius of the Immaterium. Every time he looks at it makes his head ache a little giving him a bad feeling about it. If asked, he might even say that the unreality of the Warp has poured out to realspace but that is only funny thinking to him. Last he checked, the Warp does NOT pour out into realspace.

"Besides, with white wings like that. We would have thought you an Imperial Saint if not for you lacking golden armor or clothes for that matter," chuckles the old man.

"Imperial Saint?" blinks Sanguinius in confusion. Last he remembers the Imperium does not have a saint. Saints are things of based religion which last Sanguinius checked, was against the Imperial Truth.

"Yes, you know, holy and blessed people like Saint Atresia which this planet honors. Great Martyrs of the God-Emperor of Mankind who died with great faith, undying and appearing in times of great need," answers Royz looking at Sanguinius as if he's grown two-heads.

Sanguinius' gene-enhanced brain however stops the moment he hears the word "God-Emperor of Mankind". He's very and personally aware that his father seems to be the one championing the atheistic view of the Imperial Truth. It is something that his father is extremely adamant on implementing that his brother, Lorgar and his Word-Bearers more than once got censured because of their faith issues during the Great Crusade. To hear his father being called God-Emperor leaves a feeling of ashes and bad taste at Sanguinius' mouth. His father for all his power and skills never wanted to be called that.

"Why is this mortal calling him God-Emperor of Mankind? What is going on?"

"What about the Imperial Truth Chieftain?" asks Sanguinius trying to keep his voice level. No need for an outburst here and scare off the mortal. Shaking him silly and scaring him would only alienate the villagers and him even more which is counterproductive for Sanguinius at the moment who lacks vital information about where he is.

"The Imperial Truth?" the man blinks in complete confusion making Sanguinius' stomach feel as if someone dropped a rock on it. Nearly every Imperial citizen knows about the Imperial Truth. The Great Crusade made sure of that before the Heresy. Every world that they liberated and brought under Impeiral control had been taught the Imperial Truth; even the fanatics who secretly worships his father as the "God-Emperor" is aware of it it.

"What is going on here?"

"I have no idea what this Imperial Truth that you are saying Sanguinius," says Royz with a small chuckle looking back to the fire unaware of the turmoil in the Great Angel. "For me and the ranchers and their families here, we are simple folk. We worship the God-Emperor of Mankind. We pay the tithes required by his holy servants in the Administratum demanded by the planetary governor and life goes on,"

If Sanguinius is a mortal man, his eyes might have been bugging out in dismay and full confusion at the words spilling out of Royz's mouth. Yet he is a Primarch and he knows the value of tact and diplomacy. Thus his face remains impassive despite his brain whirring. He really has a hard time thinking of his father being worshipped as the God-Emperor of Mankind.

"At least I could take comfort that father won the fight with Horus," Sanguinius chides himself. "Though what prompted Father that he is allowing to be worshipped as the God-Emperor of all things? And what is this about being the Administratum being called his holy servants?"

The more that Sanguinius listens to Royz, the more he thinks that the man is describing a cult of some kind. If it is any of his brothers, they might not have believed the mortal. Sanguinius does though. Unlike the other Primarchs, Sanguinius truly does understand people. That is a trait that he and Guilliman both share though Guilliman is as tactful as a brick when letting his thoughts be known. Sanguinius is more careful of that aspect, tending to listen more and glean aspects of the conversation. Nine times out of ten, the one who speaks usually is the one who spills the beans by accident or not when it comes information gathering. For someone like Royz and his village that Sanguinius knows now are ranchers or farmers, simple folk is easy to understand. They tend to be brutally honest unlike say, a member of the court of the Senate Imperialis who tends to talk in double meaning.

"Forget I said anything Chieftain, just a slip of the tongue," the Great Angel waves off diplomatically. "So these, holy servants of the Administratum, they collect your harvest?"

"Aye, they do. Leaves us enough to be alive and fed full," Royz says with a shaking of his head. "I guess Emperor only knows that we are grateful. I heard that some Agri-Worlds treat their workers even worse than us here in Thracia. Thank the Emperor for Governor Agrippa being not that greedy when it comes to collecting the produce,"

"That is something to be thankful for I guess. Not all men in power treat those below them with honor and the respect they are due," says Sanguinius though his mind whirrs at the information he has just gleaned from the man.

"At least I know that I am in an agri-world and its name. I am not aware of it however. Must be one of the planets that my brothers have conquered in their own paths. That explains the pasture and the ranches. But it does not explain the rather bleak and empty wasteland that stretches on to nowhere. Last time I checked, agri worlds are the lushest of the lush able to accept large tracts of its planets to produce food,"

"Though if I might ask chieftain. Has it been always this way?" Sanguinius asks gesturing to the wide empty dark lands around. "The land I mean. I thought Agri worlds are supposed to be, I don't know, green?"

"Aye, it once was friend," sighs the man sadly. "One you can look around and see nothing but green as far as the eye can see. However it all changed ever since that purple giant scar in the sky appeared and the green wilted with it with only exceptional places where water is present retaining it so,"

"That purple scar? You're telling me that it is not there before?" asks Sanguinius.

"No it's not," answers Royz. "Once the sky is normal with only the stars and our two moons orbiting around it. Then that purple scar appears and with it the strange creatures in the dark after the land died off. It was also the time that the daily tithe of the holy servants of the Administratum begun to fail to appear,"

"I see," Sanguinius answers simply. It seems that his first instinct telling him that the big violet scar at top is bad news seems to be right. Maybe once he gets back to Terra, he can report this to the Emperor and they can do something about it. Warp tears in real space is an important message that his father he is sure would want to know about.

The smell of something good however drives all thoughts away from his mind as an ivory-skinned old woman appears behind them, holding two platters carrying what seems to be a slab of smoking meat each with a mash of something at the side.

"You two have been talking so deep I thought that you might have liked dinner," says the woman handling one to both Sanguinius and Royz. Sanguinius notices that his platter is bigger than that of Royz by a large margin.

She must have noticed his questioning look for she smiles before patting his shoulder, her wrinkled hands almost diminutive with how big the Primarch is. "I took the liberty to add more due to your size dear stranger," she says with a smile.

"Greta, my wife," introduces Royz with a grin already taking spoonfuls of mash to his mouth. "Best damned cook in the village,"

"Thank you for the meal," Sanguinius says simply to the old woman who smiles once more before going back, leaving the two of them alone once more.

"So where are you from?" asks the Chieftain after a few mouthfuls.

"That would be a long story I am afraid," Sanguinius answers simply before wiping his mouth with one hand. "But you can say that I am not from around here. I am say, a leader of the Imperium's armies,"

"It is an honor to be of service to the God-Emperor and to fight in his name," the man says with respect in his voice.

Sanguinius tries his best not to wince at the title bestowed to his father. "It is in a way. He is indeed worthy of our service,"

"So how did you end up in our backwater of a planet right here? And naked of all things," asks the man making Sanguinius chuckle.

"That is the question that I need answers also. All I remember is fighting on a station with one of my broth-, I meant the Emperor's enemies and being beaten soundly, next thing I know I am awake here in the middle of the wastes naked as the day I was born," explains Sanguinius keeping the specifics of his fight with Horus more silent.

"I find it hard that someone would be able to beat someone as large as you sir," exclaims Royz making Sanguinius chuckle once more as he drains the last of the meal off the plate by raising it over his head directly to his mouth.

"There are a lot of beings out there bigger than me and stronger than me that you have no idea of Royz," he answers simply before wiping off the leftovers off. "I have to thank your hospitality for the meal and the clothes,"

"It is nothing. As I said, you saved my granddaughter. You have more than earned my hospitality and my thanks,"

"Thank you," Sanguinius replies. "I am afraid however that I would not intrude upon your hospitality too much. I would be grateful if you can point me out in the direction of a space port in this world. There are certain duties I am afraid that my position in the Imperium requires me to take care of. And I still need to find answers as to how I end up here,"

"I understand," Royz nods. "The answer to that would be at one of the main city hubs. Ships from the Planetary Governor's main city of Liknik usually land on them to gather the tithes from the villages all around each city hub. You are in luck sir, tomorrow would be our usual caravan to Mitra. You could tag along with the others making the half a day's journey with the rest of the livestock that we would be herding for the tithe,"

"My gratitude Chieftain," Sanguinius inclines his head with thanks.

"Think nothing of it," waves off the old man. "You can sleep here in our village tonight. Normally I would invite you to my home but I cry your pardon sir but no bed of ours would be able to accommodate your large frame. My wife Greta and the other women are instead preparing a makeshift bed for you at the barn,"

It is very beneath of every Primarch to sleep on a barn and Fulgrim especially would have an aneurysm, Sanguinius is sure.

"That is more than enough Chief," Sanguinius answers simply. "Thank you,"

"It would be like my early days on Baal, sleeping on the ground, sleeping on the softest rock you can find covered with a cloth only and hoping you don't get a headache the next day," the Great Angel thought amusedly.

"Alright then, though I have another gift for you sir," says Royz with a small smile through his bowl. "It is in our planet's custom that you keep the animal that you kill. That Hayendaz that you killed Sanguinius sir, I have our best tanner skin it and make a quilt of some kind for you. It would honor us if you take this small thanks that I have made for you,"

"I would, thank you," answers Sanguinius simply. "I'm sure it would be lovely,"

"I will have it sent to you tomorrow morning when you leave with the caravan. Now sir Sanguinius, if I might say so. Us ranchers have no exciting stories to tell about exactly. As a leader of the God-Emperor's armies, I bet you have a lot of stories. You can tell us some around the fire. It would pass the night,"

Sanguinius simply just smiles as he nods. These simple ranchers really reminded him of the Baalites back home "It would be a pleasure Chief,"

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"Death, he can smell it. He is after all most acquainted with it after having passed through the gates of Hades himself. He finds himself walking through golden doors that seem extremely familiar to him. The doors open at his coming showing giant figures of gold standing in the sides like eternal sentries unmoving like living blocks of stone. He was pulled into a room of gold by his own feet and he cannot control it as he ascends what seems to be a golden step cleaned and immaculate. His eyes trace the steps as it leads upward and upward, each row with a golden sentry leaning on their spears, guarding what seems to be eternity. Some are broken, some are bloody and some have pierced their own selves with their own spears to keep their bodies from falling. His eyes gazed upwards and he screams as he beholds a rotting carcass of a large man sitting on a golden throne blazing with power. He sees the empty eye sockets bear down on him before hissing through a billion mouths that it slams into his psyche like the very judgement of the gods.

"Sanguinius!"

"Sanguinius!"

"Sanguinius!"

"Lord of the Ninth!"

Sanguinius awakes with a gasp clutching his head. His forehead is beaded with sweat and his heart is beating like a drum inside his chest. Rays of sunshine cut through the cracks of the barn he had slept in. The bed of hay he has been sleeping on is almost crushed beneath him due to his frame. He pulls himself to a sitting position as he calms himself down. The dream felt so real that he can still feel the gaze of that withered husk upon the golden throne.

"But what does that mean?" the Great Angel thinks to himself. He is wary of visions. He after all has the gift of premonition of things to come and what would be, foresight. It is something he inherited from his father.

The sound of the village awakening to their daily chores can be heard outside, especially the lowing of the livestock that would be herded to the city hub. Sanguinius takes a deep breathe as he stands up and washes his face from the bowl of water that Greta left to him at the entrance of the barn, kicking off the last of the sleep.

There would be time for him to think about that later. First things first, he needs to prepare for the upcoming journey. At the side of the barn door folded neatly also is the rather large pelt that the tanner must have finished making. He smiles as he takes and unfolds it showing the white and yellow color of the animal skin with polka dots on it. Its touch is soft and firm at the same time, showing how healthy the enemy he defeated before. Without ado he throws it to his shoulder and ties it in a sash through the tunic he is wearing. Somehow it feels right and Sanguinius flaps the wings at his back to stretch them before walking out of the barn door letting full sunlight meet him.

It is time for his journey to find answers.

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Author's Note:

So Chapter Two is done. Hope you guys like it. Sorry for the long update. I usually update faster when I am inspired and having little reviews is not something that I am used to. Don't worry I am invested in this story though. I am just brainstorming how I want it to go. Whether I would want to make Sanguinius meet his sons or not yet.

For us warhammer fans. Just want to ask. Is Sanguinius also a vampire like his sons? Is he also affected by the Red Thirst or not? Please advise. Thank you.

As usual please review for your reviews are the song to this writer's heart.