The running silver phantoms soon regrouped.
Raja's gaze followed the silver shadows before settling on Ollanius Persson, who stood inside a metal ring-shaped structure.
As the slightly blurred phantoms stopped moving.
Only then did Raja see everything clearly.
Three silver canine machines circled the edge of a semicircular mechanical structure of the same colour, constantly scanning their surroundings as though standing guard.
The Chaos Daemons and Renegade Night Lords vanished as abruptly as they had appeared.
But the blood strewn across the ground and the wounds on his body constantly reminded Raja.
None of it had been an illusion.
"Form up!"
Raja's roar echoed along the avenue.
Of the other four Adeptus Custodes in the escort, only one remained.
His auramite armour had nearly disintegrated, and the blood spilling from him made him look grievously battered.
Of the twelve Sisters of Silence, only Dodoma remained.
The Sisters of Silence had been killed almost instantly when the Night Lords ambushed them.
Of the three fallen Adeptus Custodes, two had died surrounded by Night Lords. The third, deprived of the Sisters of Silence's protection, had lost his armour's defensive capabilities when Chaos corrupted its auramite, and had then been killed by a bizarre Daemon that was half animal and half plant.
An enormous bone spike had impaled him before tearing his body apart.
Yet every Daemon and Night Lord that had suddenly appeared had been exterminated without resistance by those three canine machines.
Raja dragged his badly wounded body toward Ollanius Persson, who had yet to recover from his daze and astonishment.
A cold warning suddenly sounded.
"Stop where you are and state your intentions, Custodian."
Raja stared intently at the source of the voice.
A canine machine blocked his path.
"I mean him no harm. But I must establish the origin