He had heard of Axis, the Primarch of the XII Legion, the Golden Legion.
It was said that of all the Primarchs, Axis possessed the most formidable combat prowess. His strength was rumored to surpass even that of Lion El'Jonson and Leman Russ.
He had even fought alongside some of the Golden Legion's Space Marines on occasion.
The warriors of the Golden Legion possessed an incredible ability, one they called the Golden Transformation. A brilliant light would erupt from their bodies, and their hair would turn the same radiant gold.
In this state, they could unleash two, three, or even up to five times their normal combat potential. Yet even without resorting to this powerful Golden Transformation, the Space Marines of the XII Legion were widely considered superior in combat to those of other Legions.
It was believed that this Golden Transformation was a power inherited from their gene-sire, Axis, a blessing bestowed by the Emperor himself.
Many common citizens of the Imperium were certain of this connection, for the Emperor too was wreathed in golden light when he did battle. The question of how powerful the Golden Transformation of their Primarch, Lord Axis, would be was one that barely needed asking.
The answer was unthinkable. It was also whispered that Lord Axis had fought against Sanguinius, Horus, Rogal Dorn, and Lion El'Jonson, and that in each encounter, he had emerged with an overwhelming advantage.
This cemented his reputation as the mightiest of the Primarchs.
However, Lord Axis had mysteriously vanished a century ago and following that, the emperor had clarified the situation as the parimarch travelling outside Imperium on a mission.
There were roumers suggesting that Lord Axis had really gone missing, but such rumors were swiftly suppressed.
th e top echelons all knew there was more to Axis' disappearance, but none dared to question that matter.
"Lord Axis returned several months ago," the Harlequin said, "And he is already aware of Horus's betrayal. Therefore, you need only follow me to Prospero. A small vessel such as yours will never reach the Imperium on its own and in time."
Over a fortnight ago, on the planet Prospero, Axis had finally succeeded in contacting a Harlequin Troupe with Magnus's assistance.
The very first thing he had done was task them with using the Webway to gather the latest intelligence from across the galaxy.
It was through them that he discovered Horus was in open rebellion. When Magnus first heard the news, his face was a mask of utter disbelief.
This was why Axis had dispatched the Harlequins to the Isstvan system, to see if they could rescue any of the loyalist Space Marines trapped there.
Axis had already dealt with Angron, so without that berserker rushing to the surface, the loyalists would have never been given the chance for a ground war. Horus would have annihilated them from orbit, and this fleeing contingent would have had no time to retreat.
Though reluctant, Captain Garro and his loyalist Space Marines decided to follow the Harlequin to Prospero.
They had little choice. In the strange realm of the Webway, killing their guide would mean being lost forever.
Their own deaths were of little consequence, but if news of the Horus Heresy did not reach Terra, the outcome would be catastrophic.
Besides, Lord Magnus was the most powerful psyker in the entire Imperium of Man, second only to the Emperor. Surely, he would have a way to warn the Imperium and the Emperor, to give them time to prepare for these shameless traitors.
Travel through the Webway was extraordinarily swift.
In a matter of days, the Death Guard vessel reached the celestial vicinity of Prospero. Upon successfully landing on the planet's surface, Captain Garro led his contingent of over a hundred Death Guard and a dozen Emperor's Children.
Together, they knelt before Axis and Magnus.
"We greet you, mighty Primarchs," Captain Garro said, his voice filled with reverence, "I am overjoyed that you have returned to the Imperium, Lord Axis."
"There is no time for pleasantries," Axis replied, "Tell me now, has Horus truly begun his rebellion? Do you know which of my brothers have sided with him?"
Several months had passed, and the intelligence compiled from the Harlequin Troupes all pointed to the conclusion that the Heresy had already begun.
"Yes, Lord Axis," Garro reported immediately, sharing everything he knew, "Warmaster Horus has betrayed the Emperor. He has been joined by Fulgrim, Primarch of the Third Legion, Mortarion, Primarch of the Fourteenth Legion, and the Primarch of the XI Legion. They have turned against us. On Isstvan III, they purged all loyalist elements from their Legions. We are the only survivors!"
Axis nodded grimly upon hearing this.
They were likely not the only ones to have made it out; another group should have escaped on the other side of the system, bound for the Second Empire.
But he had no way of knowing if they had escaped successfully, as they had in the original timeline.
"How is this possible?" Magnus exclaimed, his face etched with shock, "Horus has betrayed Father? Why would he do such a stupid thing? He was the first son to be found! He was the one Father trusted most! And Fulgrim… why would Fulgrim betray the Emperor? His Legion enjoyed so much glory. They were the only ones permitted to call themselves the Emperor's Children. Their armor even bears the Imperial Aquila, a sign of the highest honor."
He could almost understand Mortarion's betrayal, and even that of the XI Legion's Primarch. Both of them had harbored resentment towards the Emperor.
But Horus and Fulgrim, two of the Emperor's most favored sons, turning traitor? This was something Magnus had never anticipated. He would have found it more believable if Lion El'Jonson had rebelled.
"We were just as shocked, Lord Axis and Lord Magnus," Captain Garro said, his voice heavy with sorrow, "Our own sire betrayed us. My grief is beyond words. Lord Magnus, I implore you, please notify Holy Terra at once. We must dispatch a great army to quell this rebellion."
This was not a time for sorrow.
The news of the Heresy had to be spread, and quickly.
At Garro's plea, a troubled expression crossed Magnus's face. If he could have contacted Terra, he would have done so already. At present, he had no means of communicating with the Throneworld. To achieve such a thing now would likely require Axis to ask his new Eldar allies, the Harlequins, to use the Webway.
"Rest now, Captain Garro," Axis said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "I promise you, Holy Terra will receive word soon. And I will personally put an end to this rebellion."
He then gestured for Magnus's own sons to lead the surviving loyalists away to rest and recover. Once the Space Marines had departed, Magnus turned to his brother.
"Axis, what is your plan? Should we depart for Holy Terra immediately?" he asked.
"No. Not yet," Axis replied calmly, "I want you to use your psychic power and peer into the future. See if Prospero is expecting any… special visitors in the near future."
In the original timeline, the Burning of Prospero was one of the major events of the Great Heresy.
Horus needed to neutralize Magnus, otherwise, the Emperor would be free to deal with him directly.
But now, thanks to his own presence, Magnus had not shattered the Terran Webway. Did it still exist? Logically, if the Webway on Terra remained intact, Horus would not dare launch his rebellion so recklessly, for he would have no way to trap the Emperor.
In the old timeline, after destroying the Webway on Holy Terra, Magnus was consumed by despair, eventually falling into chaos to safeguard his children.
Magnus was stronger than ever. He should be able to see something. Axis had to be certain whether an army was on its way to Prospero.
It would be a cruel jest if the two of them left, only for Russ to arrive with a fleet and burn Prospero to the ground in their absence.
Magnus had a puzzled look on his face, but he nodded and sat down, entering a state of deep meditation. A powerful psychic aura radiated from his body as images of the future flashed before his mind's eye.
"Axis, it is just as you suspected," Magnus said, his voice laced with fear as he opened his eye, "If we leave for Holy Terra now, Lion El'Jonson will arrive on my world shortly after, accompanied by a contingent of the Adeptus Custodes. They would fight? I think, the details are vague.."
If Axis had not warned him, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
A frown creased Axis's brow.
Strange. It was not Russ coming, but Lion El'Jonson. What was happening? Where was his dear old Russ?
"Axis," Magnus continued, "in my vision, I saw that Horus has accused both of us of siding with Chaos. He has twisted the Emperor's command, ordering Lion El'Jonson, the Custodes, and the Sisters of Silence to bring us to justice."
Horus was clearly trying to outmaneuver him.
His presence had certainly caused a ripple in the fabric of fate. Lion El'Jonson's arrival on Prospero was a completely different scenario.
However, Axis smiled to himself. Horus had no idea how much more he truly knew, and how much the blue avian bastard liked to keep the scinarios he orchestrated go in the way he designed.
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