The heart of the desert

The sun rose again, then set again.

Little William, Enke, and Frosa crawled out of the woodpile after sleeping in the desert. They had adopted Xiao Lan's strategy, sleeping among the piles of felled bonewood.

Now they were desperately hungry. Even eating the few little sand mushrooms they had stumbled upon while digging their sand pits had done nothing to solve the problem.

"We need food. We could try making hunting weapons out of this bonewood."

"But carrying weapons will burn even more energy. Enke, calculate our chances of success."

"Practically zero. A bonewood club won't let us handle powerful beasts, and we don't need one to hunt smaller animals. Like the color-changing lizard at your feet right now, Frosa."

Frosa jumped in fright and saw a palm-sized lizard dart from beneath her feet toward the tangled woodpile. Its skin kept shifting between the sandy yellow of the ground and the deathly white of the bonewood.

Thwack! Little William sent it to the next world with a single swing of his club.

"You're very lucky, but luck runs out eventually, doesn't it?"

The poor little lizard had become their meal, but the three hunters still hesitated.

"Are we really eating this? We don't even have a fire. Are we supposed to eat it raw?"

"Just think of it as one of those raw dishes we usually eat, like flaecy beast sashimi."

Enke and Frosa exchanged bewildered looks. They had never heard of such bizarre food. Could you really eat raw meat?

But Little William had already torn off a lizard leg and was trying to peel away its tough skin.

Blood dripped onto the sand, then vanished without a trace, as though a bloodthirsty demon lurked unseen beneath it. Over the past few days, the vast desert had enjoyed a feast of blood.

With someone else eating first, the others found it much easier to overcome their reservations. The two Mid-Hive children touched the mutilated lizard carcass. The slippery feel of its blood made them deeply uncomfortable, even nauseous. Unfortunately, their stomachs were too empty for them to throw anything up.

Following Little William's example, they peeled off the skin and put the flesh into their mouths.

It tasted bloody. Intensely bloody. Then came the strange texture. The meat was so tough they could not bite through it, and the longer they chewed, the more they wanted to vomit. Gritting their teeth, they swallowed it whole.

"Little William, do you normally eat things like this? It's disgusting." Both nearly retched, then forced it back down.

"Not very often. The flaecy beast sashimi I mentioned was a gift brought by a business partner from Felicis when they visited my family. There was simply so much that we could enjoy it for a long time. Emperor above, if I had a dish of Demon Vinegar Sauce and a small knife, slicing this lizard meat thinly and dipping it would be quite an elegant pleasure."

The lizard was tiny. After two mouthfuls each, almost nothing remained, and the three had to search for more food.

The Astartes had no use for cowards afraid to face blood and slaughter. These three children, who had diligently studied at school, took their first step toward becoming the Emperor's instruments of death.

There was plenty of bonewood, but few color-changing lizards. Sometimes they searched several trees without finding a single one. They also had to avoid the rumbling sounds in the desert and rocks resembling giant scorpions.

Their progress slowed considerably.

"Enke, do you think we can use this lizard skin somehow?"

"If you don't mind the blood, you could poke two little holes in it and wear it over your eyes. It would help protect your eyesight and keep windblown sand off your face."

"Forget it. That's too disgusting. I'm afraid my eyes would get infected the moment I put it on."

"Enough nonsense. At this pace, we won't reach the center of the desert within the time limit."

They had actually covered two-thirds of the distance, but both their physical condition and mental endurance had deteriorated considerably. They could no longer maintain their original pace.

"Little William, what should we do?" Although William was the youngest of the three, he had gradually become their leader.

"Once the sun comes up, drink all the water, throw away everything weighing us down, and push forward with everything we've got. There's no other way now. Our will shall guide us." For a moment, Little William seemed to glimpse his grandfather's heroic spirit, the commanding presence of old Grand Duke William.

"Ancestors above, please bless me with the Emperor's favor."

Meanwhile, almost every jar and vase in the William household had been smashed.

"Useless! You're all useless!" Lady William, the family's matriarch, was nearly mad with rage.

Little William running off to take part in the deadly Astartes trials had already driven her to distraction. Now the bodies of the family's elite warriors she had sent after him were hanging from the wooden sign outside.

How humiliating. Those useless fools had disgraced the entire William Family.

Although ordinary people could not identify these specially trained elites, the other great families could easily recognize them as William household retainers. Their hanging corpses alone would give the other families something to mock for generations.

The remaining Specter Guards dared not speak. Their furious matriarch was not someone to provoke. Better to keep quiet whenever possible, or they would offend both sides.

What? The other side? Was Evan someone they could afford to provoke? Sure, they were elites, but who were they facing? A Space Marine Chapter Master—there might not even be a thousand of those in the entire Imperium. Never mind sending five men. Even the whole family together probably wouldn't be enough for him to slaughter.

The matriarch's fury had yet to subside when strange whispers drifted out of the void and pierced her mind.

"When has the great William Family ever suffered such humiliation? Revenge. You must have revenge."

"Yes. They must pay."

"The William Family's honor has been thrown into the dirt and trampled, then hung from a wooden pole for all to see."

"How hateful. How utterly hateful."

The demonic whispers grew increasingly brazen, stirring faint ripples through space. "You cannot let this go. Make them recognize your authority. Give them a warning! Smash their ships."

"Is... is that possible?"

"Doesn't the William Family have plenty of merchant ships? All you have to do is ram them before they can react. When a merchant ship draws near, pretend it's about to dock in that area, then..."

A sharp crack brought everyone's attention back. The white jade ornament the matriarch always wore had suddenly shattered. This beautiful jade, an ancient betrothal gift of the William Family, had been passed down for untold generations.

The matriarch snapped out of her trance. Seeing the shattered jade scattered across the floor, she broke into a cold sweat. Others might not know its significance, but how could she not? A Greater Psyker had bestowed it upon a William ancestor for his distinguished military service.

The white jade, filled with psychic power, had grown ever more lustrous through generations of prayers to the Emperor. Now it had shattered like raindrops striking an umbrella.

A Chaos demon had nearly invaded her.

At that thought, she dropped to her knees upon the broken jade without hesitation and began reciting the Emperor's Benediction.

The guards around her dared not move and hurriedly contacted the others.

When Grand Duke William, the family's true master, received the news, he became like a lion in a towering rage. The other nobles present hastily found excuses to leave.

"That stupid woman! I should have let her sink into the Endless Warp Abyss with that damned wreck back then. Didn't she tell me over the vox that she prayed to the Emperor day after day? Every single day! And what is she doing now? Interfering with the recruitment of the Emperor's Angels! How dare she? Did one of Franklin's pies from next door hit her in the head?"

Grand Duke William paced alone through the empty reception hall. He could not bare his claws and tear his enemy apart, because before that man, he was as lowly as a lapdog.

He could only pay the price. Whatever it cost, he had to repair their relationship.

He composed his expression and left the meeting hall.

"Oh, Grand Duke William, there you are. What happened just now? You looked as though you'd eaten a pie my wife baked herself."

"Oh, please, Duke Franklin. You can enjoy your wife's delicacies yourself. I just received word that my son defied all opposition and entered the Astartes selection trials. Hah! A man of the William Family will never stand behind anyone else."

Duke Franklin rolled his eyes at him. Oh, please. The look on your face had us wondering whether, if we'd left a moment later, that raging lion would have devoured us without leaving a scrap.

As Grand Duke William's longtime neighbor, Franklin knew him all too well. To make him that angry, he must have lost at least ten shiploads of cargo.

"What? Grand Duke William is offering me ten shiploads of ammunition for the Imperialis Militia?"

Evan was utterly baffled by the message. People seeking his favor usually sent exquisite works of art they thought impressive, or two or three shiploads of supplies. Who sent ten shiploads of ammunition...?

Hmm. Ammunition.

Well, well. Those five men hanging outside were yours, weren't they?

Evan stole a glance at the Ministry of Revenue Official tallying the candidates in the distance, making sure she had not noticed anything unusual about him.

He's paid up, so let's release his men. Even if they're corpses now.

Ah, when it was just a bunch of rough men together, eating, drinking, and acting wild was no problem. Then they suddenly sent over a refined female clerk, and everyone felt awkward. If you'd been a stunning beauty, all these men would have restrained themselves-nobody wants to embarrass himself in front of a beauty. But you... everyone's finding it hard to keep holding back.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Revenue Special Envoy meticulously recorded the details of everyone who arrived. Although it was only the morning of the third day, several exceptionally capable candidates had already reached the destination.

One was the son of a hunter who made his living in the desert, hunting Sireka Bedrock Giant Scorpions and selling them to weapons merchants as valuable materials. Sometimes he also dug up sand mushrooms to sell to the Upper Hive. He had been surviving in the desert alongside his father since he was seven.

Another was a gifted Upper Hive noble whose physical abilities had far surpassed those of his peers since childhood. At the very beginning, he had drunk all his water and discarded every burden, then walked here without stopping or sleeping.

Their details and rankings would all be recorded. Even if they failed to become Astartes later, as long as they returned safely, they would have bright futures and immense prestige in society.

Even the school attended by the noble who had just arrived would probably become the most sought-after noble school next year.

At noon, the blazing sun had begun scorching the ground, and Xiao Lan had reached his limit. His body, battered by life in the Underhive, ultimately could not withstand such strenuous travel.

During the night, Xiao Lan had unexpectedly discovered scales "shed" by a Sireka Giant Python beside a rock. He picked out the thinnest and tied them to his feet with strips torn from his clothes.

The Sireka Giant Python's scales were exceptionally well suited to moving through the desert. With them strapped on, Xiao Lan's feet no longer sank deep into the sand. Instead, he seemed to glide across its surface.

This substantially increased his speed through the desert.

But hunger and thirst plagued Xiao Lan once again. Only his unyielding will kept him moving.

What did it matter? Hadn't it always been like this?

No parents, no one to rely on, no "possessions," no food, no water. I had nothing to lose, so I might as well give it everything.

I, Xiao Lan, had been running since the day I was born. Chased by vicious dogs, by people whose food I'd stolen, by thugs and gangs everywhere. My life had been short, but I'd never stopped running. Now I would fight for a chance at a future, using the one thing I'd done best all my life.

Having covered four-fifths of the distance, Xiao Lan was already among the faster candidates. But from here on, willpower alone drove him forward. Fortunately, that was the one thing he never lacked.

Other candidates appeared nearby from time to time. This meant that those who had entered the vast desert from scattered locations were nearing its center. Nobody had any interest in anyone else. They were all exhausted and had no supplies left.

To Xiao Lan's left, on a distant dune, William's group of three was also nearing its limit.

Lying on the dune, William, Enke, and Frosa slid down in soft bursts of sand. They had done this several times already to give their bodies a brief rest. The sand had worn holes through their clothing in numerous places, and they were now using the fabric around their trouser cuffs as padding beneath them.

They were all nearing the desert's center. Evan's overwhelming presence had frightened every dangerous beast away from the area. The candidates no longer needed to worry about attacks, but neither could they obtain food from those beasts.

The sun continued to unleash its power. This was the greatest test of their will. Endless sand, scorching heat, and an unknown remaining distance tormented the candidates' minds.

People kept collapsing, some less than three kilometers from the circle Evan had marked out. Most who arrived were utterly drained and required emergency treatment.

Nobody knew how many people had entered the trials, but the sun had already set, and only thirteen hundred had arrived so far.

Two hours remained until midnight. Rescue aircraft continually roared overhead. The longer it went on, the more people lost the strength to continue.

Little William was practically dragging his two companions along. Enke, the technical homebody, had exhausted himself first, but with the other two supporting him, he had staggered a little farther. Then Frosa could no longer hold on either.

William rarely spoke. Every extra word now wasted precious strength.

The sun had been down for a long time. William had no idea how much time remained, and anxiety gnawed at him.

His thoughts raced, and he decided to gamble everything.

"We're almost there! Look!"

"William, where? I don't see anything."

"Where? Even if you can't see it, can't you smell the roast meat? It's right ahead. Run!"

The night was dark, but they saw William head forward at a run. Yes, he was running.

Strength came from somewhere, lifting their spirits, and the two followed him.

After risking everything to scramble over a dune, William actually saw lights ahead.

"Victory is right ahead! Enke, Frosa, can you see it? The Emperor and our ancestors are watching over us!"

The three stumbled and scrambled toward the finish.

Bones. An enormous skeleton. The skeleton of a Sireka Giant Python encircled the finish, with sizzling roast meat and plentiful clean water just ahead.

Ancient war drums seemed to thunder in William's heart, while a crimson river surged without end. The ancestors of the William Family seemed to be watching him. The steadfast will and fearless courage passed down through generations of that ancient family erupted in that moment.

William advanced alone, yet seemed to have an army at his back.

This time, Enke and Frosa truly smelled the rich aroma of roasting meat wafting far across the desert. Despite traveling through the desert for days and suffering severe dehydration, saliva miraculously welled up in their mouths.

At that moment, the blazing fire flickering beyond the enormous skeleton no longer seemed to mark the finish of a trial. It was the great Emperor's Golden Throne, and his faithful subjects pressed forward to worship him, whatever the cost.

Just as the three came within a few steps of the enormous ring of bones, the bell announcing the beginning of a new day rang out. Its booming peals echoed across the desert.

Dong!

Dong! Dong!

"No!" The three fell to the ground in despair. Their throats had long since dried out, leaving only inarticulate cries of anguish.

Had they missed the Emperor's favor by so little?

"Hello. Medical staff will be here shortly. Please give me your names."

"We..." The three were so exhausted they barely had the strength to open their eyes.

The Ministry of Revenue Special Envoy understood. "You've passed the trial. You're already several meters beyond the line. This skeleton is just what we left after roasting..."

The moment they heard that they had passed, all three lost consciousness and were rushed to the medical bay.

A scruffy Underhive boy was carried in with them. It took the medical staff some effort to remove the snake scales from his feet.

The preliminary round of this recruitment trial had finally ended. More than sixteen hundred candidates had made it through to the next elimination round. Roughly a thousand of them were noble children from the Upper Hive. There was no denying that they truly were elites.

Some had even surprised Evan. One extraordinarily formidable candidate had defeated a lone male desert wolf driven out of its pack, then ridden it almost all the way to the final circle.

A child from the Mid-Hive had wandered in a huge arc as though utterly devoid of a sense of direction, yet still reached the center within the time limit.

There were also some seemingly unremarkable candidates who walked up to Evan and offered him several sand mushrooms.

Hmm. They knew how to make a good impression.