The 29-Day War (VII)

Marius Gage hoped he could find a word that could describe both fear and anger, so that he could finally find relief from his current mental block.

He needs to shift his focus elsewhere, instead of dwelling on fear and anger.

But

"Report: We found no trace of him."

A report came through the communication channel. Gale didn't reply immediately; the pain from the poison still lingered on his pale face.

The primitive Xenos beneath Harkosus's Three Hares possess a savagery untouched by technology; they are primitive, but by no means without claws to protect themselves.

"Continue the search," Gage managed to reply. "He couldn't have left underground."

"Understood." The person on the other end of the channel hurried away, and before he left, Gage could still hear the hurried footsteps. After he left, all that was left in Gage's ears was the whirring busy tone.

The communication system had only recently been rebuilt, much like Gage, who had been unconscious for three hours before waking up. The only difference was that the instruments themselves were new and had just been put into use, while Gage was battered and bruised, no longer as calm and rational as before.

He sat in a camp built of rocks and composite materials, where Auxilia walked around, with the logistics personnel being the busiest. They were all wounded, yet they seemed tireless, using their mortal bodies to build a new command post underground, without stopping for a moment.

They had just escaped an attack and wiped out the enemy, only to return underground to perform these arduous tasks under Gage's orders. The First Chapter Master couldn't help but sigh.

The Auxilia were not unaware of the Primarch's disappearance, yet the vast majority of them continued to work. The men and women who enlisted from Macragge possessed an attitude that would put Marius Gage to shame.

They were fearless, Gage thought bitterly.

And us.

"Sir."

A new voice came through the communication channel, interrupting his thoughts. Although it sounded somewhat distorted due to the distance, Gage still recognized the voice.

This is Tulio Kronos, a sergeant from the Fourth Company, a seasoned combat comrade, possessing --

"--Sir?"

"Yes, I am. Please speak, Tulio."

"My squad and I found no trace of the Primarch, but we discovered something else."

Tulio paused for a moment, and a strange, shrill sound came from the echo on his side.

"These Xenos are primitive, sir, but they still possess a certain mature religious belief. We discovered many hidden altars and murals in one of the caves they inhabit, those altars..."

"What happened to those altars, Tulio?"

"."

"Tulio?"

"Those altars are rotting," Tulio Kronos said. "Stones and bones... rotting, sir. Terra and Macragge, I don't know how to describe them. I suspect I might be hallucinating."

"Did the rest of your team see it too?" Gage straightened up and asked in a manner that could be described as ruthless.

"Yes, they saw it too."

"Then this isn't a hallucination. No hallucination could make thirteen Ultramarines see the same thing," Gage said firmly.

"So, those altars are indeed rotting. Destroy them, Tulio. But it's just witchcraft. You and I both know that witchcraft itself, like its users, cannot withstand explosives. We've tested that before, haven't we?"

A burst of gunfire came from the communications channel.

"Now tell me, what are those murals about?" Gage continued to ask.

His lips were parched, and a wave of eager anticipation surged within him. Don't get me wrong, Marius Gage certainly didn't care about the historical significance that these altars and murals might hold—he was Ultramarines, not a fanatical scholar from the Thousand Sons.

He asked these questions because he believed that Tulio Kronos, the sergeant of the Fourth Company, had been with the regiment for almost as long as Gage. He could have been a company commander or other important position, but he refused the promotion. No one knew why, but they all respected him.

Gage knew that Tulio Kronos was not a man of few words. Since he would report these altars and murals through the communication channel, they must be connected to the Primarch's whereabouts in some way.

Gage didn't know exactly where the connection lay, but he would find it.

He clenched his right fist, the metal scraping together with a sharp, metallic sound—yes, he would find the connection, just as he would find Roboute Guilliman.

"Those murals."

Tulio Kronos hesitated, panting, stammering for several seconds—finally, he didn't let Gage's wait go to waste, and he spoke.

"Those murals all depict a Garden of Nurgle, a... a deep green Garden of Nurgle, and a person."

Who is it?

"I don't know, sir," Tulio said, a subtle emotion almost imperceptible in his tone.

Gage caught it and understood it. He realized that Tulio Kronos was gripped by fear.

He was both fearful and angry—just like Marius Gage.

Like all Ultramarines.

"Describe him."

Gage gave the order. He looked up and gazed ahead.

He had a makeshift communicator hanging around his neck, with a long cable stretching from the ground to a position ahead. Auxilia personnel were busy there, completely unaware of what was happening on the communication channel.

A thought suddenly occurred to Gage —if they knew, would they be afraid? Would they be like us?

He had no answer.

"He wore blue armor, but it was turning green," Tulio gasped, each word difficult to utter. "He was very tall, and he was walking on a long staircase that led to a large, blurry Shadow."

"Continue."

"He—" Tulio paused, then fell silent. This time, he remained silent for a long time. When he spoke again, his voice had changed. "—I believe the person in that mural is the Primarch, sir."

Gage closed his eyes, using superhuman willpower to shield himself from the sharp pain in his mind. In that moment, fear vanished, leaving only anger. He opened his eyes, feeling a strange shiver creep up from the depths of his bones.

Very good.

The First Chapter Master took a deep breath.

Now, he is fearless.

"Very good, well done, Tulio. Now continue the search," Gage said expressionlessly. "He must still be underground. He couldn't have left here. We'll find him."

"But, sir, those paintings—"

"--Those paintings are completely unimportant, Tulio." Marius Gage slowly stood up and began to check his belt.

He acquired a new Boltgun, fully loaded. Four magazines dangled from the side of his belt. He tapped the magazines with his fingers, once, twice, three times, four times. Then he spoke again.

"Roboute Guilliman is still underground, you understand, Tulio? So we'll find him, and all we need to do is find him. The distress signal was sent out on the surface a long time ago, and the Nightfall and the Firm Resolve are on their way. We have backup, we have help. There's only one thing we need to do. We just need to find Roboute Guilliman, that's all. So throw that damn mural and altar out of your head, Tulio."

"We will definitely find him," Gage said.

He gazed ahead, at the group of mortals still busy at work. As his gaze receded into the distance, he saw the Auxilia on guard duty, and more Ultramarines descending from the surface of Harkosus III.

In a daze, he almost thought he was still in Macragge.

Gage wasn't from Macragge, but that didn't stop him from loving the place.

He watched as his Primarch and his Legion transformed it into one of the few treasures in the galaxy, Macragge civilization that was both civilized and progressive, where citizens lived in a wonderful world, so they were full of courage and Dreadnought.

They believed in Roboute Guilliman.

Just like him.

"I understand, sir," Tulio Kronos said, hanging up the communicator.

One more chapter.