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11. After the Battle
🕑 Added 2023-12-12 09:32:40 +0000 UTCThe sound of massive doors of heavy stone scraping softly against the ground of similar material reached my ears prompting me to open my eyes ever so slightly at the one who had disturbed me from my work.
Not that I cared, truly, multitasking was an innate capacity in this body of mine and one quanta of my mind focusing on this terrified little creature was not worth any negative reaction on my part. Having my attention split was natural, and I was not quick to anger at least when there was no reason and neither was I too prideful. At least I hoped.
The little creature in question was an elve, or how in this world they were called Aeldari, arguably the most powerful of the Young Races behind the Krork the lizard bitch made even if from what I learned they existed before in the form of a weaker species that was 'blessed' by her and risen to 'greatness'. Much like me even if distinctively different since it's more about taking DNA samples and creating GMOs and making vat-grown soldiers than whatever horror she did to me.
Genetically engineered hyper-emotional super psychic war slave races aside, the Aeldari that had come to me was a woman far older than me by quite a few centuries using Earth-Sun rotation but she looked no more than twenty, younger even. She was small compared to me, the equivalent of an action figurine but for a human, she would be a good four heads taller than the average I recalled.
Speaking of humans, she resembled my old species but there were stark differences that made them appear uncanny to the minuscule human part remaining alive in me… But I admit that was hypocritical with what I was, the uncanny one was me here.
This aside for all intent and purpose, both sexes of this species were beyond beautiful in appearance, body language, and speech and that was exactly this that made them this way but also their proportion, slender bodies, long thin but muscular limbs, and necks with a dozen more vertebrae. I truly wonder how a human would feel in contact with one of them but that was a question for the future when they evolved into existence.
She was one of the many servants of this place I now resided in and more precisely one of the servants of the Gods residing in this palace, a maid of sorts. One capable of folding skyscrapers if she put her entire psychic might and life force in it but at this place and time, it was not great… Not at all, it was not the worst but it was mediocre, even weak compared to many of her kind that I had briefly observed in my fight against Aza'gorod.
Maybe it was a harsh judgment, maybe it wasn't but that was the conclusion of my observation from a pure psychic potential standpoint but raw power wasn't everything, and becoming a servant here required a certain level of credentials leagues above the average Aeldari. There was no need to be able to pop stars like bubbles to be considered dangerous, the Harlequins of Cegorath being a good example.
As for this place… It was a palace of ever-shifting nature in both size and shape with nine layers of similar nature, each possessing unique and incredible qualities. It was called the Celestian Enclave or as I prefer to call it the Dog House where I and my 'brothers' and 'sisters' were herded by the cowardly and overly arrogant toads that hid deeper into the Labyrinth Dimension with this place serving as a last wall of defense to give them the time to flee.
At least that was from my understanding, and it truly put into perspective what our reason for existing was, to be both guard and attack dogs thereby why I call this admittedly magnificent place beyond mortal understanding in both appearance and ingenuity this way. A slave collar no matter how pretty to look at remains a slave collar.
"My most sincere apology my Lord for disturbing your divine meditation upon the mysteries of the cosmos may you see my punishment as you see fit but I must inform you that the Merciful Mother requested your presence in the Chamber of Rejuvenescence.", Aelia her name said to me bowing deeply, a shake in her voice and body while dread oozed from her soul and mind. She hid it well but trying as she might hiding this from me was futile at best.
'If only she knew to whom she was apologizing and for what…', I thought with a twisted chance of irony and amusement while on the outside I hummed in understanding causing her to flinch almost imperceptibly. My mere presence was deeply affecting her in a way similar to how a prey would in the face of a predator but on a far higher plane of existence.
The thought of messing with her was present but short-lived as much as it would be amusing to see her lose her shit. Chances are she would just faint or die with a psychic backlash if I pushed a little too hard. The temptation, no instincts, to simply do so out of curiosity to observe all minute details of how it would happen was strong but I wasn't so far gone to do that, but for how long? Problems for later, I suppose.
Aeldari were fragile creatures though most of everything was compared to me, like a torch face to a star so it didn't say much. And she wasn't deserving of such fate.
As to what she was informed of… I knew with my powerful sense and basic guess why Aelia was here, my full access to her mind like the page of an open book only adding to it. I didn't specifically have to put effort into entering, it was broadcasted by her as per the rules for servants like her.
As she stepped aside with reverence in her every calculated movement I elevated myself off the velvet red meditation cushion I had been sitting on for the past few days. My cross-legged position with the soles of my feet touching each other remained the same as I rose meters above the ground.
My six arms however had been out of their sheath and were moving while their rings by my will popped off and created portals as I put through them books, skin scrolls, jade slips, clay tablets, and even tablet-like devices back where they belonged.
All of those contained the knowledge from many civilizations both forgotten and alive about magic, mysticism, psychic power, empyrean energy, or hundreds of other designations that signified the same things: the study, danger, and uses of esoteric energy.
An energy that was the product of emotions, thoughts, ideas, knowledge, wills, desires, wishes, dreams, nightmares, beliefs, and even actions from every soul-bearing creature leaking into this mirror dimension of unreality and impossibility, the Sea of Souls. One of its many names. Though this was a rule of thumb and some exceptions in special cases existed, like always.
It was fascinating, my mind giddy and body trimming with joy as a simple act of seeing how vastly different species interacted with this dimension of emotions. From runes, spells, rituals, and more of all kinds, all flowed in my mind as I studied, saw flaws, points in commons, ingenious methods, and cataloged to alter them in ways that fit in what was needed for me.
But it was more to see how others did it and have general frames of work. I didn't need that to do 'magic', it was like breathing, a second nature but it helped and gave ideas nonetheless. Ideas that I had aplenty with what remained of my memories and simple imagination.
Alas, this was nothing compared to the ocean of knowledge and wisdom the Old Ones had but I was forbidden from, to my great displeasure, both the gatekeeping of invaluable knowledge and the act of stealing itself and also to piss those toads off and satisfy that hitch to collect and steal that I had.
Though to begin with I hypothesized their knowledge in its vast majority was on only one medium, their minds. It will only make sense with such egomaniac and paranoid fuckers to not leave anything of worth behind but I suppose that was an adequate fate for them. To be forgotten by all, passing notes in history, a bad memory.
All things sorted out I sheathed five hands back to my torso and opened a large portal with the last in the space made by the wide open door. Breathing softly I moved through my portal and ended from the Fifth Layer and Ninth Layer where my chamber was in both places to the Seventh Layer and precisely at the exact location that the Aelia spoke of.
"My salutation Isha.", I said amiably opening my eyes fully as I observed the Merciful Mother slowly stand up from her praying position and turn to me, her pupilless eyes composed of innumerable stars landed on me while the flow of tears of starlight never ceased only to disperse in misty flickers of stardust once on the point of touching the pure white robe of leaves, petals, roots and thorn that wrapped her body and morphed with the ground.
She was a third of my size and aside from her eyes, she was very Aeldari-like if on a spectrum of aesthetic far beyond them, flowing golden air and long pointed ears with all the flowery jazz on feminine beauty after. Though this Aeldari-likeness of hers was something unique and not seen to this extent on any of my 'brethren'.
I was different from them on a fundamental level but there were similarities and ultimately it was interesting to see how they differed more or less from the species that worshiped them and how said worship affected them from the original design of the lizard bitch.
"I offer my greeting as well Hoopa.", she said softly with a warm but weary smile then she continued, "I wanted to inform you before all other of our brother's current states, I deem with what you did you should be the first to see."
"Thank you, though wouldn't it displease a number of our brethren? Not that I worry but this could be an annoyance to you more than anyone.", I said with a tilt of the head as I followed her deeper into the Chamber of Rejuvensnace, the picturesque garden a pleasant sight but not more than the array of runes flowing in every millimeter of its multifaceted surface.
"Ah it nearly slipped from my understanding how young you are and the lack of context you must have, my most sincere apology. Explaining would be tedious but what I can say is that you greatly underestimate how infamous Khaine is. He is… He is not the most appreciated within our family, even by me I must shamefully admit and it's his wish to see you first once he awakens. Your worries are deeply appreciated but unfounded, Hoopa.", she finished with a gentle smile that I was sure would kill by heart attacks of many morta-of many.
'No soap opera with prissy and prideful Gods, that's good. And he wants to see me heh?', I thought briefly over what she said as we arrived at a massive burgeon-like structure connected to organic cable from which I could feel a very familiar psychic presence.
Isha clapped her hands softly, a ring of bells echoed, and the contraption of magnificently grown Wraithbone, vegetation, and delicate arcane bloomed open like a flower, fourteen lines formed before slipping into seven pink petals.
The smell of blood, ash, and death permeated the room, overpowering the scent of moist dirt after a drizzle and the floral fragrance of lilac in spring as the mist that had been produced by the flower was washed away by an unnatural air of rage and bloodlust revealing the form of the one that had been within.
Held by vibrant green and flowering vines was the Bloody Handed God, Khaine's body of bronze and fire back in one piece his form back as I recalled but he didn't go unscattered. A faint line of lighter color than the surroundings remained where he had been bisected, though it wasn't this aesthetic change that picked my interest.
He was weaker but not by a large amount and he was still recovering, but it was something else deep in his psychically constructed body, at his very origin. It was… How to put it polluted on a level it had become inseparable.
Polluted, tainted, cancerous, no matter the wording it was how it felt, the sequel of an affliction, or injuries or both that cannot and will never be healed. Forever leaving a scar behind and the cause of it from the one that tried to kill me after my birth.
"You feel it, this festering infection of malevolence?", she asked, shifting closer, a hand trailing centimeter above a portion of the scar.
"Yes, it's foul.", I answered simply while studying the polluted area, a slight frown setting itself on my face at the information I gained. It couldn't be healed, it wasn't like a dormant cancer but in every five cells, it couldn't be removed either without killing or reducing Khaine to a shell of his former shell until only shards remained.
"Mother and I have quelled it to night nonexistence but it remained, clinging no matter what we did. It rooted itself intricately with Khaine's very essence, becoming a parasite ready to plunge its claws deeper at any opportune moment. If it wasn't for your immediate action I-I don't know if he would have made it…", she said confirming my hypothesis, the trickles of tears gaining in intensity as guilt hummed from her.
My answer was in the form of friendly pats on her back, as my focus switched back on our fake sleeping audience which was none other than the one we were speaking of. Feeling my intentions his eyes snapped open revealing two fiery stars of many emotions but when they landed on me I saw a hint of not only recognition but thankfulness.
Thought that's all I got from the Aledari God of War as he immediately asked in a tone filled with fury and a want to kill so thick it manifested in a fiery ash around him, "Did you make the star parasite suffer?"
"That's… Giving a definite answer to this question in particular will be complicated but he felt true despair only death could grant during his final plunge into the Well of Eternity.", I said, feeling the rising annoyance and disappointment at the beginning of my explanation from Khaine turned to shock, stupefaction and disbelief to ultimately after acceptance shift to sadistic joy.
However I wanted to truly show it, mere words could barely begin to explain it, the sheer rawness of it all and so I did something taking inspiration from a world about witches and wizards I couldn't grasp the name of. I flicked a black claw against my temple.
Spinning the clawed finger three times counterclockwise a wispy white cloud came out from my memories, proposition to Isha first she politely refused it likely having a hint as to what I was going to do. This type of magic, even if done this way, was very unlikely to be foreign to her in concept.
Khaine however accepted it and the plucked memories of my last moment with Aza'gorod the Nightbribger flew straight to his head, they were unedited and gave everything I experienced for those brief seconds. He would have known if I fiddled with them, that I was sure of it.
A bloodthirsty grin of dagger-like teeth split the portion his helmet didn't hide off his face, it was followed by a maniacal laugh so powerful and intense it shook the surrounding garden only holding thanks to Isha, her expression neutral to the point of exasperation. It was full of sadistic joy and hate.
I knew they had a history and hated each other but this reaction was far more intense than I had anticipated. Maybe to check later on it was a good idea, and not from texts written by Aeldari, they tended to be factual but very loosely, and it left the reader a bit too much freedom for interpretation. Not that I blame them, words could only say so much and they were… Quite spiritual and tedious in their practice of theology.
Khaine's laugh came to an end and as it did his face shifted to one of rest, his eyes then moved and stared into my own, from them and his psychic aura I could respect but deeply hidden there was fear yet it seemed to only fuel the former and a rising competitiveness.
Without so much of a word he nodded at me and with a swipe of his flaming sword the Widowmaker that had suddenly materialized in his, he used one of the Enclave functions to open a tear in space leading to his chamber in the Height Layer. And with a last gaze, he walked through the portal that fizzled away the next instant.
My eyes suddenly narrowed and I glared in one direction before feeling the gaze change direction.
'Asuryan the Phoenix King and Godking of the Aeldari Gods, and God of Wisdom, Authority, and Fire or more accurately the lizard bitch most obedient pet.', I thought with irritation before saying a hasty but courteous goodbye to a confused Isha and teleporting back to my quarter.
Cold as it was I had more important matters to attend such as working on ending my status as a slave.
