Vengeful Spirit, outside the Wolf-God Council Chamber.
Primarch's Attendant Maloghurst paused before the door. Three breaths later, he stepped through the Wolf-God Archway.
His gaze swept across both sides of the Basalt Throne.
Horus Aximand stood to the right beneath the Warmaster's throne, clad in gray-green Mark IV power armor.
Ezekyle Abaddon stood opposite him in gleaming black Justaerin Terminator armor, modified from Cataphractii Terminator plate.
"Warmaster, I have just received two pieces of news from the Solar Segmentum," Maloghurst said slowly.
"What news?"
"Nimrod's First Chapter has taken control of the Akum-Sothos Cluster."
"What?" The black armor trembled slightly.
Abaddon's chest heaved as he panted.
"Howard, how dare he!"
"I'll kill him!"
"I told Nimrod how many names were carved beneath those colonnades. I also told him that Akum-Sothos was where our conquest began."
The Warmaster leaned forward slightly and raised a hand, suppressing Abaddon's fury.
"What is the other piece of news?"
"The Emperor's Children traitor Lucius has occupied Cthonia. He has declared that our homeworld will serve Nimrod—"
Crack!
Dense, web-like fissures spread beneath the black boots as their soles pressed into the floor.
Abaddon's legs bent slightly, his body arching as though he were ready at any moment to fight another gang thug.
"Nimrod!"
"He wants the people of Cthonia to serve him—"
"He even wants the sons of Cthonia to become Sons of Nimrod—" Fire flickered in Little Horus's eyes.
The glory of the former Council of Four Kings was gone. Cthonia bore the glory of old and the brotherhood they had once shared, yet Nimrod had taken it away.
"Akum-Sothos—Cthonia—" The Warmaster savored the two familiar words.
The banners overhead suddenly fluttered without wind.
The black eight-pointed star against a pale sky on one banner gleamed with gorgeous prismatic light.
On another banner, dense,