Khârn/ The Eightfold Path was originally part of the 2013 Black Library Advent Callander and more recently in the Treachery and Betrayal anthology. It puts us behind the charismatic, problematic fave, the World Eater half (third?) of Khargal Tal -- the grimdark boyfriends will all deserve, back in the good ole fighting pits of the legion's flagship.

What is an extremely short, but very sweet story expresses so much about the state of Agron, Khârn, and the World Eaters through a simple narrative about a training bout. We can have a little showing, rather than telling, as a treat.

***Spoilers Below, but it's more of a mood piece to be honest***

Angron has Ascended to beast mode and is chained up on the bowls of the ship, with first company, the Devourers, are little more than his jailers, while the yet to become Betrayer and the rest of the legion hang on to the Red Path the War Hounds and World Eaters have been on. The crescendo of Angron's daemonic howls of rage cause the ceiling to bleed and the Blood God's berserker fury join the signing of the Butcher's Nails deep in Khârn's brain giving him a moment of clarity, seeing the legion now damned to walk the eightfold path of Chaos, before the fury descends.

Reynolds captures the tragedy of the World Eaters with the chains that bind Angron and his first company jailors reflect the chains worn in the fighting pits, as well as the Daemon Primarch's sons being bound to him, especially with Khârn's victory sealing his fate, while making him one of Angron's wardens.

This is what I come to the Horus Heresy for, those with no choice broken by events that spiral into meaningless horror. I'm a sad girl with simple tastes. I enjoy a bit of action and dramatics, as well as the grand mythology and allusions, but you can keep the oo-ra and honour. Gimme my sad folx that truly capture the pointlessness of all the awfulness that is grimdark. Please and thank you. ( )