After a long stretch of work, several hundred living people were now standing beside Tovens. With more hands available, they became much more efficient at searching the heaps of corpses for survivors.
Wodhaus shoved aside the remains of a psyker whose body had dissolved until only a skeleton remained. The violent expansion and contraction of the Warp within realspace had ravaged them. Even a powerful Librarian like Wodhaus had to endure the constant agony of his soul being torn apart.
"No psykers survived. The Navigators and Astropaths are all dead too," Wodhaus murmured. Then he saw Chapter Master Colvin approaching from afar, dragging Kaiser Whitefang and Kor'sarro Khan along with him.
Kaiser Whitefang's breastplate had been shattered, and the arm he wielded his axe with had been severed. His bone-deep wounds had not fully healed; slowly seeping blood mixed with scabs, making for a revolting sight.
Kor'sarro Khan had lost both legs, but he was in far better spirits than Kaiser Whitefang. He could still loudly recount how he had just used a steel bar to gouge out a Khorne Greater Daemon's dog eyes.
"Kaiser Whitefang, you really are useless. Never seen you eat any less, so why are you such a weakling when it comes to fighting?"
Faced with Kor'sarro Khan's mockery, Kaiser Whitefang moved his lips as if he wanted to say something, but whenever the words reached his mouth, violent coughing forced them back down.
Kor'sarro Khan was quite pleased by Kaiser Whitefang's frustrated inability to speak. He had long since had enough of this fellow buzzing incessantly in his ear. Now it was his turn to torment Kaiser Whitefang.
Chapter Master Colvin remained expressionless. He and the two living treasures he was dragging along had
nothing in common. He was simply immersed in grief, recalling the