White Scars: Within the Webway (Part 3)

No one knew what would happen in the next second.

Inside the Webway, nothing could be predicted. No one could do it, not even Jaghatai Khan. But he had to make a decision. He had to find a sliver of life for the Scions behind him.

They had already paid too much for him. The long hunt, the endless battles—they had not uttered a single complaint, but Jaghatai Khan could not accept it. He bitterly regretted his recklessness back then. If he alone had entered the Webway, he would not have hesitated in the slightest.

But he had brought his Scions in with him.

Two thousand of them.

And now only three hundred and seventeen remained.

"Khan."

A White Scars warrior walked over, his Power Armor mottled and scarred. He said, "Seven more brothers are dead. Their bodies were too badly damaged, and their Gene Seed could not be recovered. In addition, our supplies are running low."

Good. Three hundred and ten.

"How many days can we last?"

"If we maintain a full-speed march, five days at most."

Jaghatai Khan reached out, and the murky wind of the Webway blew past. He clenched his right fist, as though trying to seize the wind. No one knew what he was thinking.

After a while, the warrior heard the Khan say, "Strip the fallen warriors' armor. Burn their bodies clean with fire. Make certain their flesh suffers no desecration. Bring their ashes, and use them as pigment to write their names upon my armor."

"As you command, Khan."

After he had gone, Jaghatai Khan tore off the cloak behind his back. This cloak had long since become tattered through endless battle. It had once been white and red; now only dark red remained upon it. That was the mark left after blood