Aldurukh. It meant 'Eternal Stone'.
Here stood the fortress-monastery of the Order. Sar Luther was one of its knights.
He walked among the crowd.
For millennia, Caliban had a unique way of survival.
The knight orders protected the common people, fighting back the beasts lurking in the depths of the endless forests.
The orders were founded by nobles who possessed the technology to manufacture weapons and armour passed down from antiquity.
They were fully armed, protecting human society from the monsters' depredations.
The orders built magnificent fortress-monasteries, which served as the main settlements for the Calibanites.
Whenever a monster attacked a settlement, the local nobles would rally knights to hunt it down.
Knights and squires would respond enthusiastically, gaining honour by killing monsters and completing missions.
This was the way of life for the Calibanites, generation after generation.
They had been out of contact with other worlds for five thousand years. Such a long time was enough for them to develop a culture distinct from other worlds.
They knew nothing of Terra. It existed only in the memories of the old nobility, and now only fragments of stories remained.
"Brother Luther."
Luther stopped. He saw Amadis's weather-beaten yet still handsome face.
Amadis asked, "You're going to the Chapter House too?"
Luther nodded.
"Fiona is about to give birth, isn't she? I'd still advise you to stay."
Luther said, "I am a knight."
Amadis understood Luther's life. When Luther was just a child, his family was killed by a monster attack. Knight Aenorod adopted him.
Two years ago, Luther married his wife, Fiona.
Now, Fiona was several months pregnant, due any day.
As a knight, Luther had a duty to patrol and protect the people of his lord's land. But given his wife's special circumstances, he could have stayed in Aldurukh. Yet he still chose to go on the campaign. Amadis was moved by his sense of duty.
Amadis said, "Brother Luther, let us go together."
Luther did not refuse.
In the Order, all knights called each other 'brother'.
But unlike him, a newly knighted knight, Amadis was a senior knight of the Order, with the epithet 'Hero of Marnobis'.
They passed through the arched entrance. Torches flickered on the stone walls. The rich scent of incense filled the Chapter House.
It was packed. Hundreds of armored knights sat on stone benches, arranged in tiers around the raised central white marble dais, like stars around the moon.
Amadis walked towards the center, sitting in the seat closest to the dais.
Only the most senior knights were entitled to sit in the inner circle.
Luther was merely a new knight; he could only sit in the outermost ring.
Massive stone columns ringed the hall's center, supporting the inward-curving Gothic vaulted ceiling.
High above, beneath a painted canopy of gold and green, hung an enormous circular chandelier. Thousands of candles flickered like stars.
The surrounding walls were almost entirely composed of towering stained-glass windows, each a pictorial epic, depicting the legendary deeds of the Order's heroes throughout history, including Amadis.
Luther envied this immensely, which was why he insisted on participating in the battle even with his pregnant wife.
A young warrior craves honor.
He had already asked his adoptive father, Aenorod, to look after Fiona. Staying in Aldurukh wouldn't help anyway.
Rather than wait around, he wanted to win an honor as a gift for his soon-to-be-born child.
In Aldurukh, the Order did not make distinctions between high and low among the people.
Other orders were composed of nobles and could only recruit knights from the nobility.
The Order was the sole exception; it recruited knights from all social classes.
As long as his actions and character proved him worthy of knighthood, the Order did not care whether he was noble or commoner.
If not for this, a 'lowborn' like Luther could never have become a knight.
This, of course, sparked discontent among other orders, and the Order of the Crimson Saint even attacked Aldurukh, trying to destroy the Order.
But the Order successfully repelled the nobles' encirclement, pursuing the Crimson Knights to the last man.
Having made its name through that victory, the Order entered a period of rapid growth. Commoners aspiring to become knights flocked to it. Within a few decades, the Order had become one of the most powerful and respected knight orders on Caliban.
Among the Order, the proportion of commoners was as high as 70%. The remaining 30% were nobles who supported the Order.
Luther loved the Order with all his heart. He was willing to give his life for it.
"For the past seven days, monsters have attacked eleven villages around Aldurukh. Five of our brothers have sworn their knight's oath with their lives."
Lord Cypher stood on the dais, slowly sweeping his gaze over the hall's solemn-faced knights. His voice was as sharp as an unsheathed sword.
"Now it's our turn!"
"The frequency of monster attacks is far higher than usual. Our patrols have also found signs of many monsters in the forest. It seems something is driving them out of the forest to attack our villages. This is definitely abnormal!"
"We must clear every monster within fifty kilometres to ensure the safety of Aldurukh's people."
"Brother Amadis, you will personally lead senior knights deep into the forest. We must find out why the monsters are leaving the forest."
"I have a feeling this might concern Aldurukh's very survival!"
Amadis saluted solemnly. "Leave it to me, Lord Cypher."
Lord Cypher's gaze fell on Luther. "Brother Luther, would you be willing to remain in Aldurukh?"
"Lord Cypher, if I return from this hunt without honor, my wife might leave me."
A wave of good-natured laughter erupted in the hall. Even Lord Cypher couldn't help but smile.
"Then I'll have to play peacemaker. Brother Luther, you will go with Master Sarrientus."
Master Sarrientus was the Order's training master. Luther had trained under him when he was still a squire.
Though advanced in years and close to retirement, he was still stronger than an average knight.
Having Luther go with Sarrientus was also a way of looking after him.
Luther had a feeling he would win great honor on this hunt!
.....
As soon as the meeting ended, Luther hurried home to share the good news with his wife.
Fiona was leaning by the window, embroidering a baby's swaddle. A tender smile bloomed on her face when she saw her husband. "What good news does my dear husband bring?"
"We're going on a campaign." Luther knelt on one knee beside his wife, gently stroking her swollen belly. "The monsters have left the forest again. They've attacked villages near Aldurukh. Lord Cypher is sending out all the knights to clear the nearby monsters."
A flicker of worry passed through Fiona's eyes. She pressed her palm against Luther's bearded face, her voice soft. "Luther, I don't ask that you win much honour from this hunt. I only ask that you return safely. The child and I will be waiting for you."
Luther gently took her hand. "And I promise you, I will return safely."
Fiona smiled gently. "Luther, what should we name our child?"
"If it's a boy, Lion. If it's a girl, Leona."
Fiona looked at her husband with resignation. "Lion and Leona? You really like lions, don't you?"
"I don't like it. I will hunt it with my own hands!"
The lion was the largest monster on Caliban. No one had ever successfully hunted one. Luther regarded it as his lifelong goal!
Luther: "Fiona, when I return from the hunt, I will bring a gift for our child."
Fiona gently clasped her husband's hand. "Your safe return is the greatest gift you can give us. Promise me, don't be reckless."
...
"Where are we going?" Lion followed Caelan through the forest.
"To find people."
"Who?"
"Anyone. Anyone human."
Caelan and Lion had been in the forest for almost half a year. Caelan had taught Lion all the basics he needed.
What Lion lacked now was social practice. Social practice requires a society, and a society requires people.
"Then you're going the wrong way."
"How do you know I'm going the wrong way?"
Lion looked at Caelan with an expression of pity for a fool. "I've lived here for ten years. I know every blade of grass and every tree here. Heading north will only lead to more monsters. Human villages are to the south."
"Then why didn't you remind me earlier?"
"Because you didn't tell me our destination."
"Then why didn't you ask?"
"I just asked."
"Then why didn't you ask earlier?"
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"How could I tell you if you didn't ask?"
"How could I ask if you didn't tell me?"
Caelan clutched his chest, feigning hurt. "I'm hurt, Lion. You've already learned to talk back to your father."
"And this is you deliberately bickering with me?"
"You're very smart, Lion. But you should learn to play dumb."
"Why?"
"If Kurze were standing here, he would actively apologise to me."
"If I wanted to pat Russ's head, he would actively crouch down so I could reach."
"If it were Angron, "
Lion frowned and interrupted him. "So you prefer my brothers who only know how to flatter?"
"Lion, if you keep this up, you're going to get beaten."
Lion raised his chin. "Then let them come. I don't care."
He didn't see anything wrong with his personality. He wasn't acting impulsively, just following his natural inclinations.
Was that wrong?
If it were wrong, Caelan would correct him, not just complain.
Caelan knew Lion's character inside and out. Lion had also figured out Caelan's.
If he just complains, it means he's enjoying it.
If Caelan tries to reason with him, it means Lion has done something wrong.
If Caelan gets angry... Lion doesn't know what would happen, because Caelan has never been angry with him.
As long as Caelan isn't angry, what do his brothers matter?
Lion gave a light snort. His brothers were just lucky to have been born before him.
He understood that his brothers' feelings for Caelan were more about respect and deference than sycophancy. But he insisted on describing them as flattering.
Maybe his brothers would get angry about that. So what?
He was the First Primarch. The first-born son.
The other Primarchs were just a bunch of foolish little brothers. Why should they compete with him?
If they didn't like it, they could come and duel him.
He would win anyway!
A playful smile played on Caelan's lips. "Lion, actually, you're also a lot like Lorgar."
"How are we alike?"
Lion frowned. He remembered Caelan describing Lorgar's strength as probably among the worst of the Primarchs. How were they similar at all?
"You both revere authority."
"It's just that he's more superficial about it, more obsessed with it."
"Your way of revering authority isn't obsession with it. It's disdain for anything beneath it."
"Anyone whose authority is not above yours, you treat with contempt."
In the Lion's eyes, the only one with authority above him was the Emperor. The other Primarchs were inferior to him.
Even if the others had great military achievements, the First Legion gave the Lion the capital to be arrogant.
No matter who returned first, the First Legion would always be the First Legion.
He simply looked down on the other Primarchs, including Horus.
Sanguinius he acknowledged, because all the Primarchs publicly recognized that Sanguinius was perfect. It was no shame to be beneath the Angel.
Lion refused to admit it. "I'm not like that. I've never treated you with contempt!"
"That's because I raised you, and you already see me as your father. Even if a father is less capable than his son, he still has natural authority over his son by virtue of his identity."
Caelan was different from Luther.
Although Luther raised Lion, their relationship was never that of father and son, but of mentor and friend.
But their chemistry was actually very poor.
Because they were both too young.
When Luther adopted Lion, he had only recently joined the Order himself. At that age, he was eager to make his mark, yet he happened to be born in the same era as Lion.
Being born in the same era as a Primarch was both their honour and their misfortune.
By identity, Luther was Lion's adoptive father. But Luther lived his entire life in Lion's shadow.
Lion excelled at everything. Whatever Luther did, he could only play second fiddle to Lion.
He certainly gained much honour from it, but that honour was an appendage to Lion's.
No matter how hard he tried, he could never surpass Lion.
If he were any other knight, he wouldn't feel so discontented.
After all, they were naturally inferior to Lion. What was so hard about accepting reality?
But because Luther and Lion were a kind of 'non-father' and son, it created a psychological imbalance in Luther, the root of their conflict.
Luther wanted to achieve something, to prove he could do it without Lion. That was why he would publicly defy Lion's orders.
And Lion couldn't understand why Luther was so immature. You may be my adoptive father, but you cannot publicly defy my orders. Otherwise, where would my authority as Primarch be?
So he had to punish Luther severely, to make an example.
But Luther naturally couldn't understand Lion. I am your adoptive father. I have supported you selflessly all this way, and this is how you treat me?
This caused their conflict to deepen, until it was irreparable.
The way to resolve their conflict was simple: don't make them father and son.
Caelan was different. He didn't envy Lion; he was proud of him.
He wanted to broadcast to the whole galaxy: Look! This is my son!
....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
[email protected]/DaoistJinzu