In His Heart, Mara Was the Only Sun

History always had a way of repeating itself. Sometimes Hogg felt as if he were dreaming; otherwise, there was no explaining the mindset behind those two lumps on the pillar.

Two roast geese swayed in the wind. Mara still had plenty of rags on, but Hogg was truly out of Adamantium chains. If another good son showed up, he'd have to bury him in the ground.

Better safe than sorry. After hesitating for a long while, Hogg called over his guard captain, Bane, and told him to hurry to the warehouse and bring out several batches of Adamantium ingots.

Seeing the two huge idiots dangling in midair and grinning stupidly at him, Mara—whose sleeves had both been torn off—was utterly baffled. She leaned over to Hogg and asked:

"What's wrong with them? Why are they still smiling up there after being hung?"

"Smiling? They're over the moon right now!" Hogg had been about to ruffle his apprentice's hair, but suddenly realized he could no longer reach Mara's head. She was already taller than him, a true muscle mommy.

Perhaps she'd noticed Hogg's awkward predicament, because Mara discreetly bent down and leaned her head toward him. The two rebellious sons dangling nearby were so envious they could hardly stand it; their eyes even turned red.

As a Primarch, Hogg wasn't the stuffy sort. The Lord's Mansion had plenty of servants at his beck and call, and he'd never skimped on his quality of life. He called over a few maids and had them take Mara and the other two off to wash up. At the very least, they needed to get rid of that sour smell and change into decent clothes.

Once the two had left, Hogg's mood darkened. He and Old Man Yellow had already discussed how to settle things,