At the same time, Bonar was thinking about how to cut Horus down.
Yes.
He was genuinely thinking that.
Whoever laid a hand on his father, he would fight to the death.
“We’ve arrived, child.”
Bonar raised his head, and there it was.
A magnificent great city.
A vast, perfectly square city rose before him without warning, eight straight boulevards driving into its interior.
The city was divided into eight neat square districts, all arranged around the enormous fortress at its center.
Heavily fortified.
A great moat encircled the walls, and soldiers in heavy armour patrolled the perimeter in steady rotation, each one leading hunting hounds on a leash.
At the city gate, eight tall and imposing warriors stood inspecting everyone who passed.
Bonar could see warriors of many different races among them.
There were even Orks and Aeldari.
“They aren’t fighting each other?
Grandfather Malcador said they were mortal enemies.”
“Private fighting is not permitted here.”
The supreme voice resonated inside Bonar’s mind.
“Orks and Aeldari have never gotten along — but they are both noble warriors, are they not?
A noble warrior may die on the battlefield, or die in the arena.
Not in a meaningless brawl.”
Bonar nodded, a little blankly.
That was…
actually hard to argue with.
They came to the first dueling arena.
Down in the pit stood a human and an Ork.
“WAAAAAAAAGGGH!”
“Courage and glory.”
The human was nothing more than a slightly stronger-than-average mortal, wearing a uniform Bonar had never seen before.
He was brave.
He grabbed a lasgun fitted with a bayonet and charged straight at the massive Ork.
The mortal slid between the Ork’s legs, dodging a crushing blow, and fired into the Ork’s back.
The Ork’s armour held.
If that slab of iron bolted together could even be called armour.
The Ork tried to turn and hack the Humie apart.
The mortal rolled clear and put a lasgun shot straight into the Ork’s eye.
“Aaargh, me eye — I’m gonna kill ya, ya stinkin’ Humie!” One of the Ork’s eyes was gone.
The Ork blinked open the other one.
The Ork’s hand shot out and grabbed the man.
“Ha, gotcha, Humie!” the Ork bellowed.
But this stinking Humie showed not a shred of fear.
Instead, the man smiled and pulled something loose in his hand.
It was then that the Ork noticed it was a Melta Bomb.
“Die, xenos!”
A blinding flash of fire.
Both figures vanished into the searing heat together.
The ground melted beneath them, molten rock flowing freely, then it began sealing itself, rapid and clean, as though nothing had happened at all.
Every kind of creature in the spectator stands was on its feet, cheering.
“You see, child — everyone here is a skilled fighter.
This is an excellent place for you to hone your abilities.”
Khorne had expected Bonar might be frightened.
Instead, the boy closed his eyes and drew a long, slow breath.
“Understood.
Thank you for telling me all this.”
He picked up the Chainsword etched with the Imperial Aquila and walked into the dueling arena.
The very first thing he did upon entering was…
get in line.
Yes.
Get in line.
Bonar looked at the people ahead of him.
One Aeldari, two humans, and then a dozen or so creatures he couldn’t identify at all.
Describing them in human language would fall somewhat short, since the boundaries between their “limbs” and their “torsos” were genuinely unclear.
Bonar could only make rough guesses based on whichever parts appeared to be armed.
And as luck would have it, the one right in front of him happened to be a Pointy-ears.
“Savage ape.”
The Aeldari muttered it under their breath.
Bonar couldn’t understand the words.
Bonar felt bored.
He hadn’t brought that Hexagram book along.
So he stood in place and started reviewing the Psychic Power techniques Grandfather Malcador had taught him.
The Aeldari ahead turned around in surprise, eyes fixed on the Psychic Lightning dancing at Bonar’s fingertips.
This one’s Psychic Power was…
pure?
High natural psychic talent alone wouldn’t have surprised them, but this kind of immaculate, unblemished Psychic Power was something they had never seen before.
Perhaps only the most ancient ancestors of the Aeldari had ever wielded anything so untainted.
But this was a human.
Just a monkey.
Why would a monkey possess a soul that pure?
Bonar finished his review and felt much better.
At least he didn’t have to worry about a Psychic Power overload anymore.
“Hey.
You.”
Bonar looked up at the tall Aeldari.
“What?”
“What’s going on with your Psychic Power?”
“None of your business.”
Bonar couldn’t be bothered.
The Aeldari grew agitated and grabbed Bonar’s shoulder.
“You need to explain yourself.”
Bonar flung them off without thinking.
The Aeldari rolled across the ground.
They came up furious, rune-inlaid battle blade half-drawn, then caught sight of the Bloodthirster not far away, staring at them with absolute, unblinking focus.
Khorne loved combat.
That did not mean he enjoyed disorder.
The Aeldari sheathed the blade, stepped back into place, and said nothing.
Bonar gave a cold snort and turned away.
The Aeldari looked more or less like humans on the surface.
They were nothing like humans.
Grandfather Malcador had said the Aeldari liked to snatch humans for amusement, and in his visions Bonar had seen them attacking human vessels.
The gate ahead rumbled open with a sound like rolling thunder, and the roar of the crowd outside poured in.
The alien creature at the front of the line walked out.
The gate came back down.
With nothing else to do, Bonar sat down and started carefully cleaning the weapon in his hands.
A perfectly ordinary Chainsword, bearing the Skull Aquila of the Imperium.
He didn’t know exactly why he was doing it, but he had a feeling this Chainsword was rather excited right now.
He gave it a light swing.
Then another.
He hoped this place would let him sharpen his strength quickly.
So he could cut down Horus, and save his father.
Wish me luck.