⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀       The Descent Of The Angel
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
The golden aura cloaking the figure steadily dimmed, as if receding back into the burning core of his being. Time seemed to stand still. It was not Horus who stood before us. My hearts stopped beating. Great white wings unfurled as the primarch Sanguinius revealed himself in all his martial glory and we beheld for the first time the beauty of his sublime form and the terrible majesty of his resplendent countenance. The light shone in the darkness. My hearts beat again, and nothing would ever be the same. For dawn had come. The sun had risen. The Archangel of Baal gazed upon the assembled commanders of the Revenant Legion, gazed upon a host of rough-cast killers and scarred blood-drinkers that had been created in his image and likeness, gazed into the depths of the hunger and madness lurking within the black recesses of our hearts, and he opened his mouth and he said:
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀    ❝My sons.❝
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
I could have died then, upon hearing those two singular words. Instead, I started to weep as joy pierced me, a joy more devastating then any sword-blow: joy that our primarch-progenitor had acknowledged us as his own, joy that we had been united at last with the true lord and master of our Legion. Tears streaming unheeded down my face, I made ready to kneel alongside my brothers and offer our gene-sire the adoration and devotion that was his rightful due. But the Angel raised a clenched fist, halting us before we could act and his next words smote me to my innermost core.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
❝No. You will not kneel to me. I do not command your obedience or your fealty. I do not demand your allegiance or your loyalty. Instead, I shall offer unto you my own – freely given and without reservation.❝
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
And so saying, Sanguinius placed a gauntleted hand over his hearts and knelt in the mud before our assembly. A collective murmur of shock rippled through the ranks of the observing Luna Wolf legionaries. There are no words in all the tongues of men which can faithfully capture or describe the image of such a numinous being performing such an act of perfect humility. Our isolated companies had been held in disrepute and shunned for so long – had grown so accustomed to the scorn and mistrust of others, despite everything we had sacrificed for the sake of the new Imperium – that when our own primarch knelt and pledged himself to us we were all stricken with astonishment and dismay. A pained cry escaped Vakarras at the unbearable sight of the Angel humbling himself in such a manner. Cassir groaned and hung his head like a chastised child. I shuddered in profound shame, suddenly disgusted by my gore-encrusted armor and sickened by my barely-restrained blood-thirst. It was as if I had become aware of what I truly was for the first time; I knew then I was utterly unworthy of my gene-sire’s loyalty and devotion – and that I would always be unworthy…
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
It was Ishidur Ossuros who delivered us. Steeling himself, the Legion Master stepped from the front ranks and approached the kneeling primarch. Visibly shaken, he placed his hands reverently upon Sanguinius’ golden pauldrons and looked him full in the face.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
❝On behalf of the captains of the Ninth Legion I accept your fealty and honor your allegiance, Ô son of the Emperor, beloved by all. Rise, Father! Arise and lead us to glory and to victory – the scions of your blood stand ready for war!❝
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
Sanguinius stood, and in that moment the heavens of Teghar opened and a torrent of rain hammered down upon us in a sheeting downpour that rattled off the Luna Wolves’ Stormbirds and cleansed us from head to heel of the dried blood and gore fouling our faces and armor. The Angel tilted back his head and closed his eyes as the rain washed over his face, a faint smile upon his lips. Then he gazed upon us once more and drew his ornate power-sword: the master-crafted Blade Encarmine that was to shine at the forefront of many a great battle in the decades to come. The primarch’s voice rang out over the landing field and rose on the wind to challenge the rolling thunder.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
❝Warriors of the Ninth Legion! Sons of wrath and blood! I have come to you from the deep desert and across the distant stars to take my place in my Father’s Great Crusade! Will you fight alongside me for the realization of the Emperor’s dream and for the unification and betterment of all Mankind?❝
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
We did not roar our assent at the tops of our lungs as Space Marines from certain other Legions might have done, for that was not our way. Instead, each legionary gripped his favored mêlée-weapon and thrust it upwards into the stormy sky: a forest of battle-ready blades springing up and joining our primarch’s uplifted sword in a grand sweeping gesture of unity and brotherhood. I held my chainaxe aloft, my hearts swelling with pride and conviction as we broke formation and thronged about Sanguinius like enraptured children, the boldest among us reaching out to trace their armored fingertips along the Angel’s mighty pinions. The Luna Wolves stamped their feet and clashed their bolt-guns against their chest-plates in a martial display of solidarity.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
Lightening flashed, thunder rumbled, our tears mingled with the pouring rain – and in my joy I embraced Captain Cassir, inwardly vowing to cherish him forevermore as my battle-brother and to cease coveting his rank as I had secretly done for so many years. For my Legion had been made whole, my brethren had been made whole. I had been made whole. The Ninth’s first steps along the path of its gradual rebirth had been taken. Our primarch, our Father, had come to us at last.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   The light had shone in the darkness. Hope had dawned.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀     The Angel had descended.