Chapter 25

(MC POV) (Fenris)

The fleet entered the Fenris System very quickly.

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A few minutes and the fleet was already in the orbit of Fenris. From a distance, the planet looked like a huge ball of ice as far as the eye could see, covered in an incredible blanket of white.

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The Bucephalus descended on its own, and as the ship approached the planet's atmosphere, the icy landscapes of Fenris could be seen. The snow glistened like diamonds under the sun's rays, and icy winds blew through the mountain peaks. Everything in that world seemed wild and untamed.

Bucephalus flew over the snow-covered surface and slowly descended to the chosen spot.

I leave the ship accompanied by the Custodians and step onto the snow-strewn land. The cold did not affect me at all and due to the improved physiology I did not suffer any consequences. I could swim completely naked in the lake without any ill effects.

I glance at the masses of people gathered around me and see that they look like Vikings. They were divided into two parts and in the middle was Leman.

In seconds, faster than the human eye can perceive, I pass through the rows until I reach him. I feel only he adoration and admiration for me.

I stop in front of him.

Our eyes met, filled with love, pride and respect. No words were needed to understand what we thought about each other.

"Welcome to Fenris, your grace," Leman replied in a respectful voice.

"Every battle you've fought, every planet you've conquered, every moment of loyalty you've shown, it's all been perfect," I replied with a deep voice that echoed through the surroundings. "I'm proud of you, Leman Russ, my son."

"Thank you, Father," replied Leman with a cheeky smile after a few moments.

As the winds rose around us and whispered in a low voice about us and our arrival on Fenris, we hugged.

It's time for the second step.

Suddenly, an army of Valkyrs descended from the air. Their presence was as if they brought with them all the strength and power of heaven. On their feathered armor, they descended from the sky ready to serve.

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Their armor glittered in the falling snow as their wings spread majestically. All happy, the Valkyries fell to their knees before me and began to shout oaths one after the other as the masses looked on "May our swords be your first line of defense, may our wings be at your service forever, O Great All-Father! We are your Valkyries, ready to fight to the end!".

"Stand up faithful Valkyrie, I accept your oath" I answer with a smile.

At my words, the masses euphorically raised their hands high to the sky joyfully shouting "All-Father! All-Father!".

The mass crowd erupted into cheers. Voices echoed throughout the surroundings. The masses sang praises to me, proclaiming me the All-Father who had finally arrived.

With me and Leman at the head, the procession started through the thick snow and winter, and the crowd that followed me started cheering euphorically and honoring me with hundreds of different praises. Their voices echoed all around, creating a festive atmosphere as the procession continued to move towards the finish line.

Finally, after a long walk through snowstorms, the procession arrived at the huge futuristic castle that Leman had built. The castle looked like a futuristic Viking fortress, an incredibly harmonious combination of ancient tradition and technological progress. The outer walls of the castle were built from a combination of strong metals and mirrored glass, reflecting the light of the snow and frost, creating a visual impression to remember.

The castle rose above the mountain landscape, its peaks breaking through the clouds while the luminous elements on the facade gave the castle a modern look.

Tall pillars, decorated with intricate details and mystical symbols, reached up to the clouds, as if they wanted to touch the sky. The great peaks of the castle crossed the silhouettes of mountain peaks, while the path that led them was paved with ice tiles that sparkled in various colors.

The doors of the castle opened before the procession, as if the castle itself was looking forward to the arrival of its rulers. Inside, the hall was illuminated with lights. The seemingly endless corridors were filled with fragrant smells and the sounds of instruments creating a welcoming melody. High ceilings, architectural beauties and works of art adorned every corner of the hall up to the throne.

His throne was made of the purest gold and precious stones, decorated with a labyrinth of runes.

While only I and my entourage entered the throne room, Leman entered with some of his warriors. The Valkyries and the rest of the procession remained in front of the door, waiting for the end of our talks.

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I sit on the throne and let my body relax before I do anything.

This is really comfortable.

Like the Golden Throne.

The texture and softness are good, everything is perfect.

Leman's voice pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Father, did you like what you saw?" Leman asked with a smile.

"I like, you did a good job" I replied praising him and I asked him "Are you planning to develop Fenris".

At my compliments, Leman smiled with joy, and at my question he thought deeply and after a few minutes he answered, "I will keep Fenris in all its nature because I don't want to damage its environment and I like its current state. I plan to use sector around Fenris for a source of new recruits" .

As I thought.

"I have a question if you can answer it" I asked.

"What are you interested in?" Leman replied.

"Why do you have so many female warriors in your entourage? Also if I can tell none of them have been improved in any way they are all from Fenris" I asked.

"I plan to create a special unit, composed only of Shield-maidens from Fenris. Their bravery, skill and dedication can be harnessed to our advantage. Since taking control of Fenris the only thing that has been constant for me has been the constant number of shield-maidens who have come to swear my allegiance service. I too was surprised at first but I quickly realized that on Fenris everyone gets warrior training because of the living conditions" Leman answered and turned his gaze to his Shield-maidens.

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Very interesting.

I know what I'm going to say.

"How many of them are you in a relationship with" I asked with a wicked smile.

Leman looked at me as if I had done something unforgivable and replied ashamedly "Dad, please don't embarrass me in front of my people".

"I won't do it again, I promise" I answer with a devilish smile.

"I have a question about this planet and its life?" Leman asked after a short silence "I know this planet is not a natural creation because I have seen too many abnormalities. Wolves live in wolf packs which are actually family units and usually did not grow into large groups unless they were forced to live together, like in a zoo, where they would an Alpha appears. But unlike normal wolves, the Fenrisian wolf lives in huge packs where the dominant Alpha rules and does not use family units. Also, they are more intelligent than normal wolves and could be said to have human intelligence. I want to know why this the planet as it is?"

I could have expected that.

"Fenris was created as a sort of theme park for Norse mythology during the golden age of technology" I began "Fenrisian wolves did not exist on Fenris during the golden age and were created later during the Old Night when all advanced infrastructure on Fenris was mostly destroyed and the inhabitants found themselves stuck in the inhospitable, icy world of death. They tried to find a way to adapt to the harsh environment of their new home world, their solution was in the form of using the rare remaining genetic devices to merge their DNA with that of the Arctic wolves who were more adapted to the arctic conditions and climate. As a result of their experiments, the first generation of "wolves" arose from the original colonists who evolved over time until their genetic changes stabilized, creating the first Fenrisian wolves.

The faces of the majority of those present changed from happy to shocked. Leman mouth fell open in shock and surprise as he stared at me.

It was like that for a few minutes, and then Leman asked, still shocked and hesitant, "But then Freki and Geri, like all wolves, are part humans. That would also mean that all modern Fenrisians are part wolves in some way."

"True, but there is one small thing to consider" I reply and continue "Given the biology of the Fenrisians, with each creation of a new member of Space Wolves, there would be a small chance of awakening the genetic traits already dormant in their bodies, leading to wolfish amber eyes, long fangs, and a heightened sense of smell. But when these genetic traits develop, the result is rapid and uncontrolled growth, leading to the creation of creatures known as Wulfen. The good news is that despite this, they should retain their sanity and intelligence due to all the changes which I made on the gene seed."

"What about the Psykers" Leman asked.

"You shouldn't worry, psykers are probably safe from transformation. You sensed that there was something unusual about Fenris apart from his features, something spiritual" I replied and continued "The spirit of Fenris is a larger concept/reflection of the Fenrisian psyche in the Warp and it is available for use by psykers born here, instead of going directly to the Warp. If one were to leave, they would still be able to use their own powers albeit in a weakened state. Fenrisians psykers are safer than normal psykers because the spirit itself filters all the warp energy that flows through Fenris or being used by the psykers of Fenris. Terra herself has a spirit of her own although it is in an extremely weakened state due to the damage Terra has suffered".

"Leman, my son, your progress is perfect," I said proudly "I'm proud of you. We should move on to more interesting things, tell me about your plans for tomorrow. What did you plan to we hunt?"

With a delighted smile, Leman replied "Tomorrow morning I planned to hunt Krakens. I thought long and hard and Krakens are the strongest beasts considering our strength. It will be fun and exciting for us."

My predictions turned out to be right.

The next half hour passed quickly as we talked about a few more small things and then we went to sleep.

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Dawn broke over the snowy landscape and the only thing that disturbed the complete silence were two giants in their armor stomping through the steadily falling snow.

The mountains rose high into the sky, adorned with white peaks that glistened in the winter sun. Icebergs like artistic sculptures stood proudly, creating a beautiful picture. Their cold beauty took the breath away of every observer.

A few cold breezes whispered as the two giants passed through the narrow passageways, making a sound as they struck against the powerful armor.

The first giant carried a golden sword in his hands that shone in the sun, and his power radiated around. Each cut made by it would kill the target by destroying their soul and bodies almost instantly.

The second giant carried the Dionysian Spear in his hand. The spear was made of the finest metal, decorated with jewels and details that exuded strength and elegance at the same time. It would always return to its owner and had the ability to illuminate those it pierced, revealing some aspect of the truth to them.

When they finally reached the shore, the waves were lapping at the rare rocks. The water was choppy, and short spurts occasionally appeared from the depths, indicating the presence of the Kraken.