Chapter 1009 - 1008: They Are Traitors

"I came here for our friendship," Fulgrim said to Akurduana, his tone laced with sorrow.

"The old order has been broken, and a new dawn is approaching. I offered him the chance to become part of the new order, but he refused me."

He watched as Ferrus led the Cataphractii Terminators forward, pressing the advance with relentless ferocity.

Fulgrim leaped down, the Phoenix Guard gave a terrible war cry and followed close behind.

The Phoenix Guard clashed with the Avernii veterans, halberds met power claws.

Blazing light erupted; disintegration fields tore at each other.

At the heart of that storm of light and sound, two once-close brother Primarchs walked toward one another.

Ferrus drew the flame-blade at his waist. Fulgrim smiled.

"We fight to the death with weapons forged for each other, a perfect ending to our great friendship."

"Ever since you came to me with betrayal, I have dreamed of this reckoning," Ferrus said.

"Only one of us can walk away from this, you know that."

"Of course I know," Fulgrim shook his head.

"In the end, you chose the wrong path. You betrayed our friendship."

"It is you who betrayed," Ferrus rebuked.

"You betrayed the Emperor, and you betrayed me."

"Horus is mad. Look at the death around you, how can this possibly be right?"

"I am our father's loyal son. His will and vengeance shall be carried out through me."

"The Emperor is a cripple," Fulgrim said contemptuously.

"His Imperium burns with war on all sides, yet he hides beneath Terra, fussing over trivialities."

"He cannot rule the galaxy."

"Do not dream of winning my support," Ferrus said coldly.

"You have no second chance," Fulgrim retorted.

"Open your eyes and see, it is all over," Ferrus's laugh carried a hint of grief.

"The four Legions that just arrived will shatter your rebellion."

Fulgrim could no longer suppress the turmoil in his mind. He gazed at Ferrus with keen interest.

"How naive can you be? Do you really think Horus would come unprepared?"

"Turn around, look at your landing zone. You will see that it is you who have been defeated."

Ferrus turned in shock, he saw the Raven Guard and Salamanders withdrawing in good order, carrying wounded and dead, halting before the landing zone.

Having received no vox-communication, Vulkan called out loudly:

"We need medical aid and ammunition resupply!"

"They are traitors!" Balthus Kuturi's warning suddenly blared across the Raven Guard's comm channels, quickly spreading to the Salamanders and Iron Hands.

As a Librarian, he decided that his foresight would serve as his answer if his father questioned him later.

The Raven Guard and Salamanders halted hesitantly three kilometers from the armored barricades, confused inquiries flooded the comm channels.

A flare shot from Horus's lair into the sky, illuminating the entire battlefield.

Treacherous volleys erupted from gun barrels, dozens fell in pools of blood.

"For your lives, and to take revenge on the traitors, flee with all your might!" Balthus shouted.

He and Alastor Ruscha had already turned and were running toward the shadows of the highland ravines.

The three squads of the 89th Company followed their captain's lead.

One Raven Guard after another snapped out of their shock and fell back by instinct.

Command channels suddenly filled with phrases and idioms traceable back to the Deliverance uprising, the father's orders set the rest of the Raven Guard in motion as well.

Upon the ridge, Ferrus watched volley after volley of missiles crashing into the lines of the retreating loyalists.

A rain of treacherous fire brutally tore apart the loyalist warriors' bodies.

He turned his head, past Fulgrim's smiling eyes, and saw the Warmaster's regrouped forces surging back into the attack.

Fulgrim watched as his silver-eyed friend's gaze dimmed for the first time, and his body trembled slightly.

A great victory, snatched away in an instant, surely that was the ultimate pleasure.

He almost wished to trade places with his close friend, to savor the feeling himself.

He licked his lips. "Only miserable defeat and death await you."

"Horus has ordered me to take your life, but recalling our great friendship of old, if you lay down your arms now, I will beg him to spare you."

"This is another chance I give you, the final chance."

"Ferrus, you must surrender."

"Traitor, only the loss of honor frightens me," Ferrus roared.

"The Emperor's loyal warriors will never surrender to you, not now, not ever."

"You must kill every one of us!"

"Akurduana, I gave him his chance," Fulgrim said to his beloved firstborn behind him, and perhaps also to himself.

He swung the Skull-breaker, Ferrus raised his burning blade.

Weapons forged in brotherhood now swung in hatred.

Searing energies collided, illuminating the battlefield for kilometers around.

The longsword tore through ornate purple armor; the warhammer left scorched marks on black plate.

Akurduana looked around, halberds tore through Cataphractii Terminators; power claws shredded glittering purple armor.

The Phoenix Guard and the Avernii hurtled rapidly toward death.

'This is not the battle I wanted.' He stood silent on the field, like a mere observer.

Ferrus's blade sheared off his father's pauldron, then broke through his guard, the tip drove toward his lower abdomen.

Fulgrim swung the hammer-haft of the Skull-breaker, knocking the burning blade aside, the hammer-head crashed toward Ferrus's skull.

Silver fluid spread rapidly, blocking the blow.

Ferrus dropped to one knee, his blade pierced Fulgrim's armor and tore his flesh.

Clang!

The Skull-breaker fell to the ground.

Fulgrim staggered back and also fell to his knees.

They stared at each other through their daze, pain throbbed within, tearing a rift through his consciousness.

Fulgrim watched Ferrus rise to his feet, raising the Flame-blade high.

"My brother," he murmured, his hand instinctively reaching to his belt, drawing the silver blade of Laer.

The silver sword bit into the blazing longsword with a hiss.

The silver hand burned, pressing closer and closer to Fulgrim's face.

"No!" Fulgrim roared in defiance.

"I am perfect, I will not fail!"

The amethyst on the hilt blazed with baleful light, a vicious, blinding radiance engulfed Ferrus's face.

As the musky smoke swirled, Fulgrim felt a powerful presence coalesce around him, its power more intoxicating than anything he could have imagined.

Daemonic strength flowed through his limbs, his arms filled with power.

With a beast-like bellow, Fulgrim surged upward, shoving Ferrus back.

He reversed his blade, the silver edge swung, cutting through black armor like paper, biting into Ferrus's chest.

Ferrus collapsed to his knees, the Flame-blade slipped from his grasp.

"Kill him!" The screech resounded across countless dimensions of space and time, echoing inside his skull.

The voice carried a harsh, commanding power, his limbs seemed to lose all control.

Violet flames coiled around Fulgrim, licking at the wound in his chest.

Crackling arcs of lightning caressed him like Chemos's lovers, dissolving his will to resist.

"He has failed, his perfection is false, he must be punished!"

"He must die, or he will kill you!"

"Your journey to perfection will end here!"

Fulgrim stared at the reflection in Ferrus's silver eyes, and suddenly realized what he had become.

His arm spasmed as he struggled to release the silver blade.

But the wire wrapped around the hilt coiled like a serpent, gripping his hand tightly, as if it had come alive, it moved.

The silver sword split the air with a howling arc, Fulgrim felt the ancient presence's triumphant cry.

It had been lurking within the sword all along.

As the warp-forged blade met the silver metal of the material world, accompanied by a reverberating, supernatural howl, it pierced Ferrus's neck, cutting through muscle and bone.

Blood soaked Fulgrim's eyes. He wrenched his hand back as if bitten, hurling the Laer-blade away.

He shuddered as he drew a breath, staring at his own hands.

"By the Throne, what have I done?"

"What you had to do, you have become more perfect," the voice hissed.

Fulgrim's neck felt warm and wet, as if something were licking him.

He twisted his neck and saw Akurduana.

"He is dead. You killed him," Akurduana said to him.

Fulgrim wept, through blurred vision, he saw the terrible changes in his sons, the perverse savor of their pleasure.

"I can end your guilt and pain."

"I will help you forget him, you will taste eternal sweetness."

The barriers in Fulgrim's heart crumbled. He felt something older than time pour into his soul with ecstasy.

"You killed your brother!"

Akurduana's words fell like a blade.

"I must make my son understand victory, even if it pains me so," Fulgrim's consciousness roared.

"He must understand that I am perfection."

"No!" A roar came from a dark corner.

....

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