"Hannibal." The Emperor stared at the only Primarch attending the war council in person.
Hannibal felt a mountain of pressure fall upon him.
"Do you know why I had the Custodians bring you back to Terra?"
Nareth looked at Hannibal appraisingly. Compared to past psychic projections, he could see more detail.
A strange, green light flickered in Hannibal's brown eyes, like a ghostly specter.
Cracks ran from the corners of his mouth. Thick, congealed blood pooled in the upward-curving depressions.
As his lips trembled, sharp teeth were visible.
His cheekbones were prominent. Bone spurs were almost piercing his skin, covered in thumbnail-sized pustules.
On his neck, coiled muscles were like writhing insects.
As Nareth observed Hannibal, he heard the Emperor's stern voice.
"I warned you, but you did not heed me."
"You raised xenos. You allowed them to devour humans."
A flicker of surprise crossed Nareth's eyes. He recalled Hannibal's elegant dining during the Wheel of Fire campaign. It was hard to connect that image with the figure before him.
Then, he had fed on xenos, but had been rational and composed. Now, he had succumbed to his desires, losing all restraint.
'Hannibal raised xenos, likely as a food source.'
'This clearly crossed the Emperor's line. Having lived through the long night, he would never allow xenos to prey on humanity.'
'The xenos he tolerates are the weak and docile, those that obey Imperial rule and pose no threat.'
As he thought, the Primarchs looked at Hannibal, unable to believe their brother capable of such evil.
Even Horus's eyes held a note of reproach.
He blamed himself. His campaigns were in the western galaxy, opposite Hannibal's in the east. He had not discovered this sooner, had not stopped it.
"I..." Hannibal lowered his head under the heavy pressure. His back was cold. Thoughts raced, searching for words.
After a dozen seconds, he still had no suitable excuse. His father had already received reports from the Custodians. Any words would be powerless against the evidence.
His thoughts raced. Finally, he spoke.
"Father... I was wrong..."
"You and the Faceless will return to Lecter. Reflect on your crimes." The Emperor ordered coldly.
"Custodians will accompany you."
Hearing this, Nareth knew Hannibal's time was running out.
At the next war council, Hannibal would likely be absent. His fate would be discussed.
The Emperor wanted the Great Crusade to proceed as quickly as possible. Sending Hannibal and his Legion back was equivalent to house arrest.
'Compared to being ordered to rest, Hannibal is the one truly confined.'
He knew the Emperor had lost faith in Hannibal. Sending Custodians was the clearest sign.
Sending Custodians as overseers was a clear sign of distrust. The Emperor rarely used such methods.
In his memory, only after the destruction of the Perfect City had Custodians been sent to the Word Bearers.
'Hmm, Hannibal's situation is fundamentally different from Lorgar's.'
'Lorgar was urged to quicken his pace. He still had space and opportunity to embark on his pilgrimage.'
'Hannibal was sent back to Lecter. It is a barren world, without xenos. Abstaining from his appetite will be hard. They may become even more desperate.'
He thought of the remnants of the purged 2nd Legion. He had just reported heavy losses for Shadows of Order. He thought silently.
'This is in advance laying the groundwork, for when I ask the Emperor for personnel.'
"I..." Hannibal's eyes dimmed. He opened his mouth.
Seeing his father rise and leave, he could only say, "As you command."
Nareth looked at the Emperor's cold back, then at Hannibal's ashen face.
He thought of the fate of his predecessor and the 11th Legion. A longing for power rose within him.
He returned silently to the Shadow's Sovereignty, considering whether to use the Dice of Prophecy to divine the location of Be'lakor's relic fragment.
Over the past three years, the six Chapters' fleets, exploring separately, had discovered fifteen systems and twenty-nine worlds once inhabited by the Hrud.
Among them, they had found thirty-four worlds rich in various ores, and eighteen habitable worlds.
He was satisfied with the progress. But among the hundreds of ruins discovered, none had shown traces of Be'lakor.
'Be'lakor commands the power of shadows. Are his relics hidden, making them hard to find?'
'Unlike the Mechanicum's Tech-Priest Kober, I don't have his guidance to find them.'
Though he lacked Be'lakor's cooperation, he could use the Dice of Prophecy to divine the world where the relic fragment lay.
'Hmm, even if I don't use Mortarion's foster father Necare's head, using an ordinary Barbarus Overlord's, I still need a Hrud Source for the potion.'
'The advancement ritual is also difficult to complete in the short term.'
His calm thoughts replaced his fear. He decided to divine something else this time. If he still found no trace of Be'lakor's relic in three years, he would divine it.
With this thought, he went to the fourth layer of the Kingdom of Disorder.
He sat on his throne. With a turn of his hand, the Dice of Prophecy appeared.
Information about Naktis flashed through his mind.
'An ocean world, Naktis.'
'Its oceans are home to giant, luminescent creatures and predatory fish.'
'Only one continent.'
'...'
Naktis was the homeworld of the Dark Krakens, a Primaris successor Chapter of the Salamanders, founded during the Ultima Founding after the Great Rift opened.
'Vulkan, it's time to take from you too.'
He chose Naktis not only because it suited the Ninth Chapter, focused on the Tyrant Pathway, but also because it might contain the Obnis, needed for the "Ocean Songster" advancement ritual.
The Blasphemous Tablet only showed a simple image of the ritual.
The "Ocean Songster's" image showed the Obnis and a blue figure drinking the potion.
From that simple information, he could not determine where the Obnis lived.
But such a large sea monster was most likely to be found on one of two known worlds: Fenris and Naktis.
He had not seen such a monster on Fenris. So, he might find it on Naktis.
'If Naktis also has none, I will divine 'which world is the Obnis's home.''
With this thought, he silently intoned.
'Star chart from the Kalium Gate to Naktis.'
'...'
After intoning it eleven times, he tossed the dice.
The triangular pyramid tumbled through the air. A gleaming star chart unfolded.
He memorized it and encoded it on a data-crystal. He then extended his spiritual energy, touching Szczesny's deep blue orb.
Confirming he was alone, he sent the crystal into the orb with his spiritual energy, instructing.
"You are to set sail for Naktis immediately. Take control of the ocean world. Record all information about its marine life."
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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