"This is..."
Ferrus Manus stood before the furnace, his broad back blocking most of the heat surging from its mouth.
He looked down at the metal ingot in his hand, which shimmered with a strange purple sheen, then raised his head to face the Space Marine of the Raven Guard Legion standing before him in black Power Armour.
His resolute face bore lines as rigid as steel.
His brow furrowed slightly, his gaze shifting between the metal and the envoy before finally settling on the purple ingot.
"What does Corax mean by this?" Ferrus Manus asked, his voice low and steady, like a hammer striking a solid anvil.
He showed no obvious pleasure or displeasure, merely studying the metal in his hand with an appraising, assessing gaze.
The Raven Guard Legion warrior bowed his head slightly in respect for the Primarch of the Iron Hands, then replied, "This is a gift from our Primarch. The metal comes from a human realm that fell long ago. Our fleet discovered it during an expedition."
"It is an excellent material, exceptionally strong, superbly malleable, and possessed of a unique affinity for psychic energy."
"Our Primarch believes that only in your hands can this metal realize its true worth."
Ferrus Manus did not answer immediately.
He lowered his head again, his gaze falling on the purple ingot.
Slowly, he raised the metal and examined it from every angle in the fierce light pouring from the furnace.
A soft purple halo shimmered across its surface, as though the last glow on the horizon at dusk had solidified within the metal.
Its surface was smooth as a mirror, reflecting Ferrus Manus's stern face with perfect clarity.
In the metal, he could see his own eyes, the steel-like lines of his brow, and the furnace flames dancing