Through his psychic link with John, Nareth instantly understood his thought.
"Today is his lucky day."
The Primarch's mind raced, assessing feasibility.
'Gyrinxs are naturally keen. "Monster" granted him exceptional inspiration; "Machine" and "Lucky One" further enhanced it slightly.'
'"Lucky One" is beginning to exhibit characteristics of the "Wheel of Fortune Pathway".
'Though unable to control his luck, he can sense its peaks and troughs.'
Considering this, Nareth believed the "Lucky One" indeed stood a good chance of finding the path.
'It's worth a try.'
'The Dice of Prophecy still needs a day to recharge. We can't proceed during that time anyway.'
With that thought, Nareth sent a psychic impulse through the link.
'John, then you lead the way.'
He addressed the group. "John tells me he can find Citadel Vigilant."
Everyone exchanged glances, focusing on the ginger-furred gyrinx.
The gyrinx of Arsena, Thomas, and Marlena also looked at their kin.
The black wolf turned its head, looking at John on its master's other side, eyes full of skepticism.
As a higher-order lifeform, his own inspiration couldn't navigate the dust vortex; how could a lower-order being like John discern it?
"Lord Nareth," Arkhan's face paled, a flash of anger in his eyes. "Recovering a Doomsday Weapon is a sacred journey. How can we place our hope in..."
He struggled to suppress his anger. "...in your pet."
Arkhan knew this feline wasn't ordinary.
Many Terran nobles kept gyrinx. Though possessing peculiar abilities, they weren't intelligent enough to solve problems he found challenging.
Nareth remained calm. For talent he wished to recruit, he had patience.
"Arkhan, do you have another solution?"
"I need time for experiments, to correct the error," Arkhan stated confidently.
"I am confident of breaching the vortex within ten years."
"Too long." Nareth shook his head. Ten years to recover a Doomsday Weapon wasn't long for any Mechanicum member.
But for him, it was too long, slower than searching himself. Flying sand and stone that could shred ordinary flesh posed little threat to him.
"I trust him. He will find it."
Nareth's eyes gleamed. If his pet found the Doomsday Weapon, it would surely shake Arkhan's convictions.
As for failure, impossible.
He hadn't limited it to the "Lucky One's" lucky day. If John failed, tomorrow, he could use the Dice of Prophecy and relay the path through their psychic link.
Nareth doubted that would happen, after all, today was John's lucky day.
"Your will be done," Arkhan said stiffly, taking the data slate from his shoulder-monkey, accessing the command interface.
Arkhan expected the ginger gyrinx to carefully examine its surroundings. Instead, it immediately strode towards the right-rear direction from their previous heading.
Seeing it move like a Terran noble's pet on a stroll, Arkhan's face turned icy.
He tapped the data slate forcefully, adjusting the five energy interference devices' course.
Arkhan watched the digits in the top-right corner jump. Along the new route, they had traveled 1.9 kilometers, but the surrounding data remained unchanged.
'If the route were correct, the suppressors' effective range should shrink.'
'As expected, one cannot rely on pets. Lord Nareth's gyrinx is still just a gyrinx.'
'Merely a waste of time.'
Arkhan spoke no more, not solely out of deference to the Primarch.
Though meeting Lord Nareth daily for a year had convinced him Nareth was foremost among the Primarchs, he never restrained himself based on identity.
Even facing the Omnissiah Himself, the Emperor, it would be the same.
Only because the outcome remained undetermined did he remain silent.
When the gyrinx inevitably failed, in Arkhan's view, he would speak.
As Arkhan pondered, the digits jumped to 5.2 kilometers.
Arkhan's eyes widened, fixed on the data-slate.
He murmured, "How is this possible?"
Arsena and Marlena immediately approached. They had anticipated this; they guessed the gyrinx, empowered by the Black Emperor, could find the path to Citadel Vigilant.
"The energy suppressors'... effective range... is shrinking..." Arkhan said, shocked.
"Only ninety-five meters remaining." Arkhan stared in astonishment at the ginger-furred gyrinx.
John sensed the gazes from behind. He felt the astonishment in Arkhan's and the Skitarii's eyes, and those of several Shadows of Order members and attendants.
He calmly lifted a paw, placed it down, maintaining his stride.
'Today is my lucky day, of course I won't go wrong.'
Arkhan's gaze shifted between the gyrinx and Lord Nareth.
'A coincidence?'
'Perhaps the gyrinx randomly chose a direction and got lucky.'
'He can't remain this lucky. Closer to the Doomsday Weapon, spatial distortion increases; a straight line would deviate.'
As Arkhan contemplated, he suddenly saw the gyrinx turn, heading towards the eleven o'clock direction from their current path.
Arkhan hurriedly adjusted the energy suppressors' course, then watched the data-slate intently.
After 660 meters, the data changed again. The suppressors' effective range was now only eighty-five meters.
Simultaneously, a Skitarii standing at the vine canopy's edge suddenly swayed, feeling an invisible force strike him.
Just as he was about to be hurled away, Thomas flashed to his side.
The "Warlock" flicked out a vial of bright-yellow powder, enveloping himself and the Tech-Priest.
The Skitarii immediately felt the invisible force vanish.
Grateful for his salvation, he said.
"Thank you for your aid, Chief Librarian."
Arkhan's pupils constricted violently, watching the elegantly proceeding gyrinx.
'It wasn't a coincidence after all.'
As the team advanced, the other four devices continuously converged towards the center.
Soon, they were only twenty meters from the central device.
The vines contracted accordingly, blocking the falling dust.
Nareth had already stepped outside the protective canopy, making room for those who needed it.
Dust roared and slammed against him, then slid to the ground.
John's pace slowed. "Lucky One" didn't further enhance his physicality; only "Machine" had granted significant bodily improvement.
Without using psychic power, the final leg was a trial.
Fortunately, since beginning to lead, he had felt something dissolving within him. Having experienced this before, he knew he was nearing full mastery of the power his master granted.
The "Lucky One" changed direction every few steps, turning his body.
The Primarch, maintaining the psychic link, knew John wasn't thinking at all; each step was instinctive.
Suddenly, Nareth's eyes brightened. His vision pierced the storm, seeing a magnificent, towering structure.
The structure was as vast as a dome, an immense cylindrical building housing a weapon more massive and dangerous than a macro-cannon.
The others, after advancing another kilometer, gradually saw the magnificent structure dozens of meters away.
Arkhan stared in wonder at the entrance of Citadel Vigilant. He saw the gyrinx casually tapping the touch-keypad, somehow deactivating the ancient fortress's defense mechanisms. The gates of Citadel Vigilant slowly opened with a hydraulic hiss.
He gaped at the ginger form and Lord Nareth beside him.
'Lord Nareth truly is favored by the Omnissiah, even his pet is!'
The gyrinx was the first to step into Citadel Vigilant. He suddenly felt something shatter within him.
Having experienced this twice before, he thought to himself.
'I have become a true "Lucky One."'
.....
If you enjoy the story, my p@treon is 30 chapters ahead.
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