Chapter 191: Horus Feels Confused
Horus stood in silence, his gaze fixed on the seat Mortarion had just vacated. That tall, lean figure of his brother seemed still there, studying the chessboard.
Where had it gone wrong?
Horus had always prided himself on understanding the temperaments of his brothers. Even someone as stubborn as Dorn acknowledged Horus's exceptional talent in social interaction.
But why—why hadn't it worked this time?
He mentally retraced every step of their conversation and realized the anomaly had begun when he brought up "past mistakes."
Then came the sudden withdrawal, the evasiveness, the concealment.
Up until that point, everything had been under Horus's control. He had dictated the rhythm; Mortarion had been gradually opening up under his guidance.
So what happened?
Horus knew the planet Mortarion had landed on was extraordinarily harsh. Could his brother have made some irredeemable mistake there?
Perhaps he had led a failed campaign? Or caused the death of a friend through carelessness? Horus could only make speculative guesses.
Maybe he'd rushed things. That seemed likely.
Dealing with Mortarion might require a slower, gentler approach.
Mortarion's abrupt behavior hadn't angered Horus—instead, it only deepened Horus's resolve to pull his brother back onto the "right" path.
After all, he was both willing and obligated to help his brothers.
It was Horus's kindness, and also his vanity.
A mix of genuine emotion and subtle self-interest—but either way, it led to action.
Having reached this conclusion, Horus called Ezekyle and Sejanus into the room.
He also ordered the servo-automata to cleanse the lingering toxic mists from the air.
Judging by the damage, the tainted chairs and tables would need to be replaced—an unpleasant thought, considering Horus had personally selected that furniture.
And then there was that strange matter:
Why did his brother add toxins into his own breathing apparatus?
The question gnawed at Horus. He found himself more intrigued than ever by Mortarion.
When Abaddon and Sejanus entered, Horus casually asked what information they'd gathered from Hades about the Death Guard.
Unlike Mortarion, Hades appeared to be quite talkative, even lively in conversation, according to the two Luna Wolves.
Horus couldn't help but think that If Mortarion were like that, It would've made their earlier talk so much easier.
. . . . . . . . . . . .
Deck of the Endurance.
Horus now stood awkwardly on the Death Guard's gloomy deck, a little unsure of himself as he looked toward his brother.
Mortarion was just a few steps away, his imposing figure cloaked in that ever-present mist.
Rows of Death Guard were arrayed in formation behind him, a somber display of military discipline.
Yet Horus's instincts warned him—there were others hidden in the shadows of the deck, figures Mortarion had quietly deployed.
"My brother... what is this about?" Horus asked.
The reconnaissance team from Drune had already delivered the latest intelligence, but Horus insisted on discussing tactics face-to-face with his brother.
Mortarion, of course, refused repeatedly—but ultimately, unable to outargue Horus, he reluctantly agreed to the request.
The only condition was it had to be on the Endurance.
Mortarion had no intention of stepping aboard the Vengeful Spirit, even though Hades had reassured him multiple times that the Luna Wolves were currently clean.
Mortarion still refused to lower his guard.
At least not now.
He wasn't ready to sit and converse on a ship he couldn't control—one that might fall into damnation at any moment.
So here Horus stood, somewhat awkwardly, on the deck of the Death Guard flagship, surrounded by warriors who seemed more like watchful sentinels than a welcoming honor guard.
Mortarion made no move to invite him into the strategium.
The two Primarchs merely stared at each other across the deck.
The wind on the deck was strong.
Horus began to realize that Mortarion's personality might be even more difficult to handle than he'd thought.
Under normal circumstances, even the good-natured Lupercal might have flown into a rage, feeling deeply insulted by Mortarion's cold reception.
But Horus understood that Mortarion's attitude before the misstep had actually been relatively friendly, by his standards.
In a way, it had been Horus's failure—his own strategic miscalculation in their dialogue—that had led to this current state.
So Horus restrained himself.
Then, he saw Mortarion slowly, almost reluctantly, walk over to him.
"Apologies, my brother. I was indeed a little hasty last time."
Mortarion said this unwillingly, but he said it nonetheless.
From now on, he would have to engage in necessary diplomatic gestures.
He didn't like it.
He hated the feeling of deception.
Normally, he would've simply refused to engage in conversation at all.
At last, the nagging from Hades over the private vox channel finally ceased.
But Horus didn't know any of that.
To the Warmaster, Mortarion's apology was a good sign, the start of something positive.
Horus gave a hearty laugh and stepped forward for a welcoming embrace.
"No."
Mortarion stepped back immediately, his right hand instinctively drifting toward the handle of Silence.
But the Primarch caught himself just in time.
"That's unnecessary. I appreciate your kindness, brother—I do."
Horus made a slightly awkward, palms-out gesture as if to say, "Fair enough."
Sensing that his refusal had been a bit too blunt, Mortarion extended his left hand instead.
"Welcome aboard the Endurance."
Horus gave a knowing smile and took the hand.
As expected, Mortarion's grip was cold and rough, like shaking hands with stone.
While Horus thought of it as a casual formality, Mortarion treated the moment with great seriousness.
"Welcome, my brother."
Mortarion looked Horus in the eyes.
The Lupercal was still good, still trustworthy—for now.
But only for now.
Mortarion would not let the present borrow too much from the uncertain future.
[Defenses around the strategium are in place.]
Hades's voice crackled to life on the private comms.
Mortarion breathed quietly for a few seconds… then made his decision.
He would bring Horus into the heart of his flagship.
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