| Malcador POV |
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792.M30
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'So it has begun,' thought Malcador, as he was looking in the direction of the laboratory.
'Even though we foresaw it and planned for it, we still couldn't stop them from being scattered.'
Malcador gripped his staff and began to channel the warp.
'Let me take a glimpse into the future and see what paths are now before us.' He mused.
He closed his eyes and used his staff to help him focus on what he wanted to see.
After a short moment, he reopened his eyes and saw nothing.
Malcador, who was currently within his mindscape, looked around in utter confusion and began to have panicked thoughts.
'What?!'
'Is something blocking my powers?'
'Just how could there possibly be nothing?'
'Did losing the primarchs just doom us all?'
Thinking carefully, Malcador settled on one conclusion that stood above the rest. That this is another trick by chaos.
'I must consult him and see what he thinks,' thought Malcador, as he was preparing to teleport to the entrance of the laboratory.
Malcador teleported to the entrance and was met with a sight he never thought he'd see.
Before him was Constantin Valdor, with a group of custodians trailing behind him.
Yet, what immediately stuck out to him was how shaken they all looked. As if they witnessed something devastating.
Valdor, noticing Malcador's presence, seemed to have snapped himself out of whatever he saw and said to him.
"The Emperor has stated that none may enter until further notice."
Hearing that, Malcador decided to save the talk about his concerns for the future with his friend for later. After all, not seeing the different paths for the future may even be a good thing, because these are just paths. Paths that seek to confuse all who look at it.
So in the mean time he can go back to overseeing astronomican and making sure that it was in perfect working order for the commencement of the great crusade.
After deciding on what he was going to do next, Malcador thought back to when had arrived.
Recalling the variety of emotions that showed on Valdor's face and the despondence of the rest of the custodians present. It made him quite curious on what could cause that.
"Valdor, tell me… What is it that seems to have all of you so shaken? It is clear to me that this wasn't due to the scattering of the primarchs."
Valdor replied, "We rushed to the Emperor's side when chaos had struck and…"
Then his face grimaced darkly and he continued.
"When we reached his side, we saw a 3-clawed scar upon his face over his left eye."
'Did he also glimpse into the future and if so… Just what glimpsed back at him and even managed to wound him?' Malcador furiously thought.
Now Malcador truly wanted to enter the laboratory to talk with him, but he held himself back in respect of his friend's order.
"If anything changes, update me," said Malcador, as he began to channel the warp again.
Valdor responded, "I will do so."
And with that, Malcador teleported himself to the astronomican.
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Over the years, Malcador felt ripples of the warp coming from the Laboratory, it was mostly minor ones but occasionally there were major ones.
He would constantly cast his gaze at the laboratory to make sure everything was in order, though all he could sense anything through the psychic barrier around the laboratory.
All he could do was guess that his friend was conducting a new experiment.
Whenever he was surveying the outside of the laboratory, he would always notice the the little actions of the custodians stationed there.
Valorian was the custodian in charge there due to Valdor having to manage the defenses of the imperial palace. Furthermore, Valorian was a custodian being considered to be a part of the custodian tribune.
Malcador, who was looking at Valorian, thought to himself.
'Judging by the emotions I feel from him, he is probably beating himself up for not being by the Emperor's side during the scattering of the primarchs. Yet despite that, he is completely focused looking around for even the slightest movement almost as if he wishes that there was movement.'
A ghost of a smile reached Malcador's lips and he mused further.
'It seems I don't need to worry with such a vigilant custodian present, if anything happens I can leave it to him. I'll vouch for him later, he'll be a great addition to the custodian tribune.'
Time passed once again and Malcador was informed of an intruder in the Imperial Palace.
When Malcador decided to investigate himself on who was the intruder pulling these tricks on the custodes.
To his utter dismay, he couldn't discover who it was.
Every time he teleported to where he felt the warp ripple, nobody was there. Not a single trace was left behind.
Malcador didn't let up and decided to keep a constant scan throughout the imperial palace, so that he could sense even the slightest uses of the warp.
Through this, he quickly found that it was his friend. Who was currently disguised as a pillar but then teleported away to speak with Jenetia.
Malcador, albeit a bit confused, decided to believe that there was a deeper reason for this and he did another warp scan.
He immediately noticed an anomaly.
Directly across from where his friend was disguising himself as a pillar, was another pillar that had an absence of life.
Malcador channeled warp lightning, aimed it at the pillar and said.
"Reveal yourself, intruder."
The pillar morphed into a tall skeleton with a metal hooded cape that was made from unknown metals and it had an eerie green glow coming from its chest. It also had green eyes soulless eyes and in its left hand, was a staff that crackled with power.
"Greetings Malcador, I am merely an archivist, so there is no need to aim that at me. I meant no harm to you nor that cosplaying thuggish mystic. I only came here to record some history about you humans."
Malcador stared blankly at this member of the necron race that claimed he was merely an archivist.
"If you mean no harm, then explain why I just sensed a cube construct of yours capture a custodian 43 stories below."
The necron let out a sly smile, or at least what seemed like one to Malcador.
"That is a misunderstanding, I was merely aiding the cosplaying thuggish mystic in his so called 'training' for the custodes."
The necron snapped his fingers for show and Malcador could sense that the custodian was released.
"Seeing that you claim to be an archivist," Malcador said while beckoning the necron to follow him to his tower. "Lets talk about human history and necron history. Perhaps we may even be able to agree on some things."
The necron followed Malcador and said "It would be my pleasure… And perhaps we can also talk about that staff of yours, it's quite a desirable antique."
Hearing that, Malcador could only scoff in mild amusement.
On that day, Malcador managed to secure an alliance based on interest with a very special necron.
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797.M30
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Malcador was in his private office calmly drinking a tea from the fourth millennium that he had acquired in a trade with his necron 'ally'.
When suddenly he felt the psychic barrier that surrounded the laboratory disappear after the 2 years it's been up.
Within the blink of an eye, Malcador forcibly teleported himself into the laboratory in a rush because his friend's presence felt weak.
Usually his presence was like a bright light in the warp but now, it felt like a flicker that could disappear.
Furthermore he could feel the wounds that were etched into the soul of his friend.
Malcador's thoughts were racing.
'Just what has occurred?'
'What did he sacrifice now?'
'Was it a fight with those four?'
'Why would he conceal it and not allow me to help?'
Malcador, who finally materialized looked at his friend and made a breathless gasp.
His friend was standing there with multiple lacerations on his body, some were particularly grievous. Such as the one he saw on his neck that made it seem like he was almost decapitated.
There was another was a deep cut that stretched horizontally from his shoulder to his waist. Malcador swore he could see the beating of his heart.
And now that Malcador was closer and more focussed, he could see the full damage done to his friend's soul. There were 3 unknown warp signatures lingering in the damaged parts, each radiating a level of power Malcador couldn't fathom.
Looking up, he saw the 3-clawed scar over the left eye as Valdor had mentioned. And despite the seriousness of all these injuries, his friend had a smile on his face.
"Neoth," Malcador began to say in a worried tone. "Just what has happened?"
Neoth's smile slightly widened and he replied, "At a small price, I have uncovered a new hope for humanity. The webway project will no longer be our greatest priority, going forward we will prepare to attack chaos head on."
Malcador's eyes widened in shock at this declaration and thought, 'How could he possibly just drop it like that?'
"Are you suー"
Malcador was interrupted mid question as Neoth spoke over him.
"I will explain it all to you soon but right now I require rest for 4 months. Though before I retire to my chamber, we have a rather special intruder in the imperial palace. We shall welcome him warmly."
Malcador assumed Neoth meant the necron, but when he did a warp scan. He immediately noticed that there was indeed a new intruder.
Just as Malcador was about to teleport the both of them he paused and asked Neoth.
"There are too many eyes there, are you sure you want to appear there like that? Or are you going to alter their memories?"
Neoth shook his head and replied, "It is fine my friend."
Malcador eyed him wearily and let out a huff. Channeling the warp he teleported himself and Neoth to where the intruder was detected.
In a location near the inner palace, where a squad of custodians were leading some important people with high level access into the palace.
In this group of people were administrators, lord commanders, future adeptus astronomica members, remembrancers, scientists, and many others.
They were all engaged in small talk as they were escorted by the custodians around them until suddenly all the custodians and the psykers present turned around and froze unnaturally. As if their mind couldn't handle what was being shown to them.
The rest of the people present were puzzled at this sudden shift and also immediately turned around. Behind them, they were met with a sight they would never forget, one that will go down in history. A moment they would have never imagined being able to see in person.
The Emperor was standing there with Malcador behind him, but what made them also freeze like the custodes and psykers. Was the sight of the Emperor covered in grievous wounds, smiling gently at one of the custodians.
This was something they found hard to believe.
The invincible being who appeared from nowhere and united Terra, was covered in grievous wounds and blood.
The invincible being who always wore a stoic and commanding face, was smiling at this lone custodian.
Before they could even completely process what they were seeing, they heard the Emperor speak.
"Welcome home my son, it bring me joy to see that you are well."
The Emperor then hugged the custodian and who in that moment, transformed into an olive-skinned, clean-shaven young man with bright blue eyes and a rather unremarkable face.
The young man seemed like a very stern person but at this moment, the young man was trembling. He was currently overwhelmed by the sight of his grievously wounded father and his sudden act of parental care.
The young man spoke in a trembling voice.
"Father just what have youー"
The Emperor interrupted him and said.
"Worry not, this is but a small price to pay to ensure the safety of my sons and the future of humanity."
The Emperor released the young man and rested his right hand on the young man's right shoulder.
"You are the first to return to my side," said the Emperor. "Henceforth, your name will be Alpharius... Firstly, I must apologize to you for my failure in keeping you safe by my side. Furthermore I must also apologize for the duty I must give you."
The Emperor paused, his gaze carried a heavy guilt.
"Being the first to return, makes you the eldest. Thus meaning, that you must bear the responsibility of an eldest. You will have to remain in the dark, to fight the unspeakable horrors that hide within it and ensure that your younger brothers are safe from those horrors until they are ready."
The Emperor paused once again and said.
"Iー"
But was interrupted by Alpharius, who said to his father in a solemn tone.
"In the few years that I've roamed around, I've learned a lot, including the many great enemies of humanity. I understand my purpose and accept that many things about me and my legion will be unrecorded. Don't worry father, I am ready to fulfill my role in the great crusade."
The Emperor's face slowly returned to his previous smile but brighter. He removed his hand from Alpharius's shoulder and said to him.
"Then go with Malcador, he will teach you all that you must learn, so you may overcome your future endeavors. In time I will join you two, but for now, I must rest."
"Take care father," said Alpharius as he watched his father teleport away.
Meanwhile the custodians and high ranking people present, all felt an overwhelming surge of emotions that no words could describe. Due to this historic moment that they all witnessed.
As Neoth rested in this private chamber, he did not realize how big of an impact he created with his actions a few moments ago.
The sudden change of the Emperor was felt all across the materium and immaterium.
-To Be Continued...
(A/N: I think in the future I'm gonna keep doing pov switches to better convey the emotions and thoughts of each character.
Though of course, lmk if the pov switch feels off to any of you.
This took a fat min to write, enjoy yall.)