Editing Darius Cyaxares (section)

==The Coming of The Emperor==
Unlike many of his warrior brothers, Darius did not rule in person.  He anointed Ashpenaz the Golden as the Dictator of Simurgh, content with the title of "advisor".  Few dared to question this regime, awed by the Primarch's power and welcoming the just rule of Ashpenaz.  This enlightened despotism last until an even greater power arrived on the Hive World.

While Ashpenaz dealt with the day-to-day rule of Simurgh, Darius Cyaxares' visions of the future grew much more powerful.  Storms of darkness roiled across the [[Galaxy (Hektor Heresy)|galaxy]], clouding the light within the hearts of men.  But the Eagle took flight from his nest and soared through space, kindling a human radiance to outshine the stars.  Darius saw the Eagle arrayed in gold, and bearing his mighty spear and staff of office arrive on Simurgh and bear him away.  And he saw hints of the Eagle in peril, but the Primarch's sight could not pierce the veil that the Adversary had placed upon this danger.  The whispers of this last vision greatly troubled Darius.  He spent much of his time in seclusion and meditation, attempting to finally break down the veil to the future and discover the identity of the Eagle's nemesis.

[[File:Emperor_of_mankind_by_esoluna-d307owr.jpg|thumb|200px|The Emperor of Mankind]]
The Emperor, too, was looking into the strands of fate.  But His visions were focused on the fate of His long lost sons, and Simurgh came to loom large in His sight.  The sign of a Primarch's hand was clear in this peaceful, obedient world, productive and harmonious yet still outside of the embrace of the Imperium.  When the [[Great Crusade (Hektor Heresy)|Great Crusade]] reached Simurgh's system the Emperor Himself landed upon the Hive World and went on foot with a host of his golden-armoured warriors to find Darius Cyaxares.

Ashpenaz the Golden had once been a fool, but the scales had been lifted from his eyes long ago.  As soon as he heard the news of the Emperor's coming, he ordered his soldiers to welcome the starfarers and personally went to rouse Darius from his meditations, hastening the Primarch to meet the god-like being who had landed on Simurgh.  The meeting was as subdued affair as was possible, with no bodyguards or courtiers present.  Darius and Ashpenaz bade greeting to [[Hektor Cincinnatus]] and [[Arelex Orannis]], who entered first as heralds of the Emperor.  Darius Cyaxares' visionary sight showed him an image of Hektor at the head of the greatest army the Galaxy had ever seen, yet hollow and broken inside.  He saw Arelex take wound after wound in defence of his sons, until his body was entirely replaced by machines.  But when the Emperor himself entered, Darius saw no prophetic allegory.  Once exposed to the healing light of his father, the Primarch's eyes returned to seeing the present world.  Yet the glory of the Emperor was too much for the mortal eyes of Ashpenaz.  From that day on, the old tyrant saw nothing but an after-image of humanity's master.  He abdicated in favour of dark-haired Bithia, the woman who had adopted Darius, and went to his grave without a word of complaint.

There was no need for the reunited Father and son to argue.  Darius Cyaxares put himself at the Emperor's disposal and the ruler of mankind was glad to appoint his son as the leader of the Eighteenth Legion, the Crimson Hawks.  On their voyage back to Terra, the two would discuss many things, including Darius' troubling visions of a danger to the Imperium.  Though the Emperor took his son seriously, he explained to Darius that the veil over the looming dangers was not placed there by an adversary, but represented the vagaries of fate.  Whatever perils would be faced were not yet determined, and so could not be foreseen.  Taking Darius into his confidence, the Emperor charged his son with preparing the Eighteenth Legion not for the conquest of the Galaxy, but the defence of that conquest against whatever peril would emerge.