Deep within the lush oak forest, 'Roefs', a Harvest Giant with a battered body and thick gore on his scythe-like arms, staggered towards the camp.
'Roefs' saw a Harvest Giant lounging against an oak tree rise unsteadily. His tongueless mouth opened and closed, the creaking sound laced with a faint scraping noise.
The Shadows of Order keenly discerned the subtle difference and, using the memories he had obtained from the Harvest Giants, understood the other was asking about the battle.
The "Faceless's" "Shapeshift" only changed his appearance. Though he could instantly observe and accurately recall a target's features, mannerisms, and unique scent, it was still only external.
An ordinary person, or even an Astartes from another Legion, would likely miss the subtle differences in the creaking sounds.
But as a Shadow of Order, William Wood could perceive them.
His mind raced. In Roefs's memories, he found the name of the Harvest Giant with a triangular pattern on his chest.
"Tallebi," 'Roefs' said, slowing his speech, mimicking the subtle creaking, his voice like rustling branches. "We have defeated the enemy. We pursued the black-armored figures to the Shattered Mountains."
"The black-armored ones are still resisting. The Guardian Lord sent me back to report."
The Guardians were the generals of the Harvest Giants. They served the Tree God in peacetime and led the Harvest Giant warriors in battle.
"Excellent," Tallebi shook his body happily. "Quickly, go see Lord Regis."
The "Faceless" followed Tallebi, walking forward. He felt something dissolve within him, like the feeling of satisfaction after a good meal on Gardinaal, fading with movement.
Having experienced this before, he knew he was mastering part of the Black Emperor's gift.
He felt more certain that "shapeshifting" into a tree-man to lure the enemy was the right decision.
He passed Harvest Giants, who resembled trees, and reached the temple's center.
The Harvest Giants' temple was open, without diamond or other obstacles. The brown earth at its center was covered only with oak leaves.
'Roefs' saw a Harvest Giant buried up to his waist in the earth.
His exposed upper body was different from the other, all-red Harvest Giants. He had a white spine.
He moved slowly, as if swimming through the soil.
"Blessed One," 'Roefs' bowed. He knew the figure before him was the Tree-Blessed, Lord Regis.
'What a peculiar ability.'
'In Vlaka records, only a very few dual-discipline biomancers and telekinetics could achieve this, combining bio-lightning to briefly change their structure with telekinesis to alter the soil's structure.'
As he thought, he began recounting the battle, following his prepared narrative: the Harvest Giants' bloody victory and their pursuit into the canyon.
Regis's sunken eyes stared at 'Roefs.'
After hearing the entire account, he opened his mouth and exhaled a thick, earthy scent.
"The black-armored ones must be punished."
He dispatched twenty-five Temple Guardians, leading nearly three thousand Harvest Giants, to accompany 'Roefs' to the Shattered Canyon.
The three thousand Harvest Giants moved like a steel caravan. The ground rumbled.
As the earth shook, they reached the canyon's entrance.
They saw the cracked bodies of their fallen kin and black armor fragments.
They quickened their pace, charging into the canyon.
The "Faceless" shook his head, almost imperceptibly. The Harvest Giants hadn't suspected him at all. His prepared words were unnecessary.
'Of course. The Harvest Giants wouldn't think anyone could "shapeshift" into one of them.'
'I have Roefs's memories, voice, and scent.'
'In appearance, I am a true Harvest Giant.'
With each step, he felt a dissolving sensation within.
The mass of Harvest Giants treating him as a kin provided obvious feedback.
As they advanced, the canyon narrowed.
As he walked, he casually glanced back, his vision far superior to the Harvest Giants, confirming the rearmost were over a kilometer past the entrance.
'It's time.'
The "Faceless" slid behind the three flanking Guardians with a speed impossible for a Harvest Giant. He drew two Shadow Tarot cards from his cracked body.
In his right hand, the card replacing the Chariot depicted a Gardinaal tripod walker in gold.
In his left, the Sword card depicted a blade like the Black Emperor's Sword of Vaul, blue-white.
A full-fledged "Magician's" spiritual energy surged. The two tarot cards became "Drawn Paper to Sword."
He puffed his cheeks.
A sharp crack sounded, reaching the Shadows of Order' ears.
Above the canyon walls, the "Artisan," hearing the signal, activated the device.
Within the canyon, the runes on the twelve buried earth-moving devices lit up.
A sharp chemical smell permeated the soil. An alkaline solution, ten thousand times denser than that used on agri-worlds, softened the earth as if it were melting.
Many Giants, caught off guard, sank into the soft earth.
They tried to root themselves, but the chemicals in the soil burned their feet, and the earth softened rapidly into a swamp.
The more they struggled, the deeper they sank.
The "Faceless's" "Air Bullet" cracked against a Harvest Giant Guardian's head.
His sunken eyes were filled with disbelief as he stared at "Roefs."
His feet sank. Struck unexpectedly on the head, he crashed down.
The "Faceless" nimbly slipped between the other two Guardians.
The two rods, "Drawing Paper As Weapons," slammed into their legs.
An Shadows of Order's immense strength shattered the rods.
The fragments clattered like metal shavings.
With two thuds, the two Guardians fell.
The "Faceless" raised his hand, throwing a dozen promethium matches. He walked across the Harvest Giants' heads, using "Flaming Jump" repeatedly.
Shadow Tarot cards, turned into drills by "Drawing Paper As Weapons," slammed into the heads of Harvest Giants not yet mired.
As they swayed, they lost their balance and sank into the swamp.
Five days after the battle, William offered the Harvest Giants trapped in the canyon to the Black Emperor.
Nareth landed on the canyon rim. His consciousness expanded. He immediately identified the Harvest Giant Guardians in the earth as supplementary ingredients for Sequence 5 "Druid" on the Mother Pathway.
Learning from William about the Tree-Blessed and their appearance, he confirmed they were the main ingredient for the "Druid" potion.
He thought to himself, 'Whether or not there is a fragment of Be'lakor here, this trip wasn't wasted. I've gathered the "Druid" potion ingredients.'
'Hmm, by leaving Vostroya, I've made it impossible for the Emperor to lock onto my position. I've made things harder for him.'
After sending the Harvest Giant Guardians into the Kingdom of Disorder, he flew towards the brown mountain range.
.....
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