"...Khorne... VANQUISHED?!"
From the primordial chronological juncture of His coalescence — the Blood God Khorne had been the incarnation of War itself. The essential substrate of Slaughter.
Though His Daemon hosts had, on innumerable occasions, sustained martialattrition —
No sentient organism had ever entertained, even as a hypothetical proposition, the possibility that 'War' itself could be VANQUISHED.
Nyx had, for the inaugural chronologicalinstant in the existential trajectory of sentientcognition, inscribed the formulation 'DEFEAT'upon the cognitive registrations of divinitiesand mortals alike — appended to the designation of the Blood God.
The martial convocation had, at last, attainedits terminus.
Skarbrand. Khorne's Daemon host. The BrassColiseum — which had enveloped the entireterrestrial configuration of Nostramo in its colossal effigy.
Every vestigial residuum of this sanguinaryincursion had dissipated — analogous to a crimson vapour evacuating the atmosphere.
Nyx alone yet maintained his station within the fractured substrate of the upper hive.
Had this offensive commitment failed to attainits designated objective — Nyx would have expended his comprehensive martialreservoir.
He had, however, prevailed — with exceptional magnificence!
In this singular fulguration — which had transgressed every conventional martialparameter — Nyx had demonstrated himself to be not merely Khorne's superior...
...He was MORE FORMIDABLE! MORETyrannical!
From this chronological juncture forward —
Every primordial entity who had registeredthis martial convocation encoded this designation within their cognitive archives.
Apprehension. Terror. The desiderativeinvestment to emancipate themselves from this novel existential menace — followed by the desperate aspiration to subjugate it.
These conflicting affective effluencescascaded from every interstice of the voidwith the momentum of a tectonic tsunami.
Nyx registered zero cognitive investment in these registrations.
...Observe. Irrespective of the intensity of your visual investment — you are constrainedto observation exclusively. You cannot APPREHEND me.
So long as the Eye of Terror did not detonateitself — the material cosmos could not, within any foreseeable temporal increment, accommodate the terrestrial manifestation of a terrifying entity analogous to Khorne's incarnated configuration.
Registering this assessment —
Nyx, employing his residual martial reservoir, elevated his manual extremity.
He then deliberately — with exaggeratedcontempt — extended his median manualdigit in the orientation of the illimitable cosmicexpanse.
Within the profundity of the Warp —
The Emperor slowly withdrew His configratinggreat-blade.
He had no further requirement to expend His cognitive investment upon Khorne.
His regard traversed to Nyx — whose corporeal configuration was manifestlyexhausted, yet who had not, nevertheless, neglected to execute his customaryprovocative discursive protocol.
His manual extremity concealed His maxillofacial configuration. He emitted a subauditory exhalation of existentialweariness.
...Nyx is, after all, still Nyx.
Khorne reclined upon His Brass Throne.
His sanguinary ocular organs scintillated with the intensity of a volcanic furnace. He was, at this chronological juncture, ruminatively re-registering every temporal increment of this martial convocation.
He registered zero cognitive investment in the Emperor's departure.
The Emperor registered, however, an unequivocal effluence of 'SATIETY' — emanating from the tumultuous affectiveconfiguration of the Blood God.
An adversary who refused to commit his comprehensive martial investment — who persisted in his anticipatory regard for futureengagements — could no longer kindleKhorne's authentic martial conviction.
Even should this adversary be the Sovereignof Humanity. Even should this adversarypossess martial capacities commensuratewith His own.
Having registered the 'savour' of Nyx's unalloyed, unreserved martial convocation —
Khorne had acceded to SATIETY.
Within His sanguinary divine dominion — perpetually ebullient with unassuageablewrath —
The eternal configrating fury registered a transient temporal increment of ATTENUATION.
He had expended a substantial quantum of His divine essential substrate — and had procured, in exchange, DEFEAT.
To conventional sentient cognition — defeatconstituted ignominy.
To Khorne, however — defeat, administeredthrough commensurate martial investment, transcending the conventional threshold of existential continuity — constituted, itself, the SUPREME MARTIAL BANQUET.
This martial convocation was sufficient to sustain His cognitive gratification throughout a protracted temporal increment of His enthronement.
The Emperor registered, however, with visceral clarity —
Though this defeat had transiently gratifiedKhorne's martial appetite —
It had, simultaneously, awakened within Him an even more formidable, illimitabledesiderative investment.
In the subsequent chronological increment —
The martial convocation ignited by Khorne would, in all probability, configrate the Warp in its entirety.
"...ACCURSED ENTITY. Our commercialtransaction remains VALID...!"
Before the Emperor's corporeal configurationhad comprehensively evacuated His perceptual perimeter — Khorne's ululationreverberated once more.
His enunciation was saturated with an unprecedented affective effluence:
Importunity.
The Emperor did not respond.
His regard traversed, one final chronologicalinstant, to Nostramo — which had commenced its progressive existentialremediation.
The commissures of His oral apertureregistered a faint — almost imperceptible — elevation.
His corporeal configuration was then transfigured into a fulgurant golden effluence— and repatriated itself to the Bucephelus.
Within the august throne chamber —
The golden effulgence re-coalesced into a towering corporeal configuration.
Malcador had, at this chronological juncture, already registered the Emperor's re-entry into the material cosmos.
Throughout his protracted existentialtrajectory of service to the Emperor — the aged regent had never traversed such an extensive temporal increment of Imperialabsence.
His attenuated manual extremities registereda faint tremor. His maxillofacial configurationwas suffused with an exceptional affectiveeffluence — agitation, anticipation.
He had, throughout this protracted vigil, registered every temporal increment of the divine martial convocation.
He was, accordingly, intimately cognisant of the inconceivable miracle Nyx had effected.
"Your Majesty... This is... a MIRACLE!"
"This is the AUTHENTIC AURORA of HUMANITY'S RENAISSANCE!"
Malcador's enunciation was saturated with an uncontrollable tremor.
This was the ecstasy of authentic existentialgratification for the future configuration of humanity.
This was, simultaneously, the profound reliefof having encountered another entity capableof sustaining the oppressive existentialinvestment he had borne throughout his protracted service to the Imperium.
"Affirmative..."
The Emperor's regard yet persisted in its orientation towards the distal expanse of the void.
"...To vanquish the incarnation of 'War' itself... This is an enterprise of which even I am incapable."
He recollected, with visceral clarity, the fulgurant blade with which Nyx had perforatedthe Blood God.
His cognitive infrastructure yet registered its tumultuous perturbation.
"MAXIMUM VELOCITY. Our designatedobjective — NOSTRAMO!"
His injunction transmitted, he registered that his ancient associate had not evacuated the throne chamber.
"Is there an additional intelligence you are constrained to transmit, Malcador?"
"Your Majesty... I am in possession of an intelligence which is neither favourable norunfavourable — it is simply factual."
Malcador hesitated for a transient temporalincrement, carefully calibrating his discursiveformulation.
"Nyx's apotheosis has considerablyreinforced the perceptual barriers of the material cosmos."
"In other words — Warp translation. Ingress. Egress. Both operational parameters shall be considerably more onerous to effect than at any prior chronological juncture."
"And the practical consequence of this circumstance?"
"We require... at a minimum... six months."
The Emperor's maxillofacial configuration — which had, transiently prior, registered a faintsimulation of maxillofacial gratification — IMMEDIATELY SOLIDIFIED into an expressionless countenance.
...NO!!
As though registering this cosmic effluence of paternal desolation —
Nyx — who was, at this chronologicaljuncture, yet stationed upon Nostramo — elevated his regard to the firmament.
His maxillofacial configuration distended into a maxillofacial simulation of existentialgratification.
...No is futile, Old Man Yellow.
Upon the apex of the fractured substratalelevation —
Nyx extracted his corporeal configuration — which had sustained catastrophic attritionthroughout this protracted martialconvocation — from the accumulated debris.
He translated himself, with considerableunsteadiness, to the bisected corporealconfiguration of Curze.
Observing his fraternal associate — his ocular organs occluded, his respiratory apparatusregistering laboured inhalations and exhalations —
Nyx abruptly percussed his own anteriorthoracic compartment and emitted a fulminantululation of contrived existential distress:
"CURZE! My BELOVED fraternal associate! Why have you CONSIGNED yourself to such a DESOLATE EXISTENTIAL TERMINUS?!"
"Why have you COMPELLED me to dispatch a SILVER-HAIRED SPECIMEN to the custody of a SABLE-HAIRED ENTITY... NO! A FLAXEN-HAIRED SPECIMEN dispatched to the custodyof a SABLE-HAIRED ENTITY! This formulationis DESOLATE! EXCESSIVELY DESOLATE!"
His ululation was studiously authentic in its affective investment.
His regard, however, covertly traversed to Curze's maxillofacial configuration.
His expectation was consummated.
Curze's palpebral configurations registered a faint tremor. They then slowly elevated.
His sable ocular organs were saturated with frigid homicidal intentionality — which his present moribund status could not occlude.
"...I am not yet expired, Nyx."
Curze's enunciation was enfeebled — yet unambiguous.
"If you defer my remediation for a protractedtemporal increment — I shall, however, indisputably, attain my existential terminus."
Excessive haemorrhagic attrition had alreadycompromised his cognitive clarity.
Nyx's 'authentic' threnody, however, had successfully roused his wrathfulconsciousness from its moribundsomnolence.
"Ah? This affective ambience is incongruentwith my expectations... I could not suppressmy existential investment..."
Nyx simulated maxillofacial gratification with studied contrition. He scratched his cranialintegument with deliberate nonchalance. He then immediately reoriented himself to procure Curze's bisected inferior corporealconfiguration.
...Hm. The Primarch corpus exhibits considerably superior vital endurance relative to a certain 2.5 enlightenment specimen.
"Magnetic field rotation: 250,000 horsepower — CELLULAR RECOMBINATION!"
Golden fulgurations erupted from his palmarextremity. They coiled about the two bisectedcorporeal fragments with the deliberation of sericultural filaments.
Flesh and haemorrhagic effluence undulated. Osseous infrastructure reconnected. The catastrophic lesion was instantaneouslyremediated.
"Incidentally..."
Nyx's manual extremity elevated itself to his mandibular prominence. His digital digitsstroked his integument with contemplativedeliberation.
His regard descended to Curze's glutealconfiguration.
His enunciation was saturated with authenticadmiration:
"Curze. Your gluteal configuration is exceptionally aesthetically calibrated!"
His enunciation concluded, he immediatelyadministered a percussive gesture of commendation upon the designatedanatomical district.
SLAP——!
This distinct acoustic signature occasioned in Curze's ocular organs an abrupt, catastrophicdilatation.
The primordial humiliation — administeredwith surgical precision — forcibly rousedCurze from his moribund somnolentconfiguration.
"...Nyx."
Each syllable of his enunciation was forciblyexpelled through his occluded dentition.
"Were I possessed of even a vestigialresiduum of martial capacity at this chronological juncture — I would personallysuspend you from a hive illuminatoryapparatus!"
His enunciation concluded, his palpebralconfigurations once more acceded to gravitational investment.
His enunciation, however, persisted in its subauditory trajectory:
"...Have you neglected to register that, throughout this discursive elaboration, you have employed your manual extremity to percuss my POSTERIOR CONFIGURATIONwhilst simultaneously effecting my CORPOREAL REMEDIATION...?!"
Nyx's cognitive infrastructure registered a transient temporal increment of completevacancy.
His cephalic integument was instantaneouslysaturated with frigid diaphoretic effluence.
His maxillofacial configuration underwentcatastrophic chromatic recalibration.
...I am compromised. In my paternal solicitudeand my appreciative contemplation of my fraternal associate's anatomical configuration— I have NEGLECTED to REORIENT his INFERIOR CORPOREAL CONFIGURATION!
"...I had intended to exercise restraint. Would you credit this enunciation...?"
Curze did not respond.
At the chronological juncture of his comprehensive registration that his corporealconfiguration had been deliberately translatedinto an inverted anatomical orientation —
The supreme humiliation suffused his residualcognitive clarity and consigned him to comprehensive somnolent oblivion.
Nyx contemplated his somnolent fraternal associate.
He contemplated the configrating great-bladein his contralateral manual extremity.
He registered a protracted temporal incrementof contemplative silence.
...In the terminal analysis, fraternal affection( transiently ) predominates over comedicgratification.
He exhaled, with existential weariness, and determined to repatriate Curze to his laboratory prior to his separation from his corporeal configuration.
"Chestnut!"
Nyx enunciated this designation to his fourequerries — who had maintained their vigilupon the peripheral elevations.
"Collect every drop of my brother's blood spilled on the ground. Don't miss a single one... This is prime research material!"
Before his enunciation had comprehensivelypropagated through his auditory sensorium —
He had already elevated his simulatedmoribund fraternal associate, employed his inferior extremities to effect a catastrophictranslational impulse, and transfigured himself into a fulgurant afterimage.
His trajectory was oriented directly at his occulted laboratory within the Resistance citadel of the sub-hive.
Within the profundity of the umbra —
Sevatar's dentition compressed with considerable investment.
His ungual extremities perforated his palmarintegument.
He registered Nyx's discursive elaboration.
He registered Curze's humiliation-induced somnolent oblivion.
His sensorium was saturated with a visceralregistration of his progenitor's corporealdistress — and his progenitor's affectivedistress.
"...Father... I am, ultimately... IMPOTENT to effect any transfiguration of your existentialcircumstances...?!"
An illimitable effluence of desolation and impotent fury subsumed his cognitiveinfrastructure.
The prospective Raven Prince very nearlyacceded to comprehensive existential despair— and 'departed' this temporal trajectory in concert with his gene-father.