The light that burst from Axis's palm was like hot lave into the Solitaire's body. The writhing purple tendrils released a sharp wail, dissolving into green smoke amidst the sacred aura.
The Laughing God laughed, slapping his knees as he leapt to his feet.
The lips of his mask stretched into a grin that reached his ears. "To be able to purify even that disgusting power! Hwe hwheheheheheheh!!"
The newly purified Solitaire suddenly began to convulse violently.
Axis felt an icy touch on his hand and looked down to see the dancer's mask crack with a sharp sound. It split apart, revealing half of a pale Aeldari woman's face.
Her left eye had transford into a shimring purple athyst, while her right eye flowed with a golden light.
The external power of Slaanesh had been expelled, but through so mysterious connection, the Chaos God had managed to keep half of its power tenaciously lodged within the Harlequin's body.
"Don't stop," the Solitaire whispered, her voice a faint echo from cracked lips. She reached back and gripped Axis's wrist, "Continue, please. I feel better than I ever have before."
She had never known such a sensation.
From the mont she had decided to beco a Solitaire and play the role of the Aeldari's greatest enemy, she had ford a strange bond with Slaanesh.
Unlike other Harlequins, her ultimate fate was to have her soul entirely consud. This was supposed to have been the first and last performance of her life, but now, it seed things were taking an unexpected turn.
Axis's pupils constricted.
He sensed two distinctly different powers locked in a death struggle within her body. Slaanesh's corruption clung to the depths of her soul like an incurable poison, while the sacred energy he was channelling fought it to the bitter end. The most bizarre thing was that the Aeldari's own soul was actively aiding in the purification.
"You planned this well. What would you have done if I had failed?" Axis asked.
He increased the output of his Ki.
The Aeldari physique was far stronger than a human's, so he had no fear of accidentally destroying her.
The Solitaire before him opened her mouth and let out a weird cry, her eyes flashing with a mix of purple and gold light.
"This will be painful, endure it," Axis commanded as his sacred energy poured forth.
The Aeldari woman's body suddenly arched, and she unleashed a heart-rending scream.
At first, the sound carried the distinct, multi-layered harmony characteristic of Slaanesh. A strange purple eye materialized and stared at Axis.
A voice, a disturbing blend of male and female tones, echoed in the chamber. "Outsider, I see you. I will tear your flesh and devour your soul. That is the price for stealing food from my grasp."
Upon hearing this voice, the Laughing God and the surrounding Harlequins recoiled, their faces filled with utter terror.
This was the Black Library, and yet Slaanesh's power had managed to seep into this sacred place.
"I look forward to it," Axis said, his eyes shining with golden light, "I saw your slaughter of the old Aeldari gods. It was nothing more than a one-sided battle. You think you're invincible, but you have never fought . I will show you the pride of a Saiyan."
Trash talk is easy enough for anyone, he thought. If you can actually make it into the materium, then why don't you jump out and bite ?
"You think you are strong now? What do you think your power amounts to before the chaos? Do not worry, I will soon… dispatch… my Greater Daemons to pleasure you. I hope you will still be so confident then." Slaanesh's voice began to break up and fade as Axis's power gained absolute dominance.
"That would be the most ideal. I have never slain a Greater Daemon before! Rember to send your strongest, and send plenty of them."
Seizing the opportunity, Axis brought his hands together and then thrust them forward.
A pillar of pure golden light pierced through the Aeldari woman's body, completely vaporising the last vestiges of purple energy within her.
A pleasureful shriek from the distant Warp echoed through the air before silence returned.
Slaanesh's power had been thoroughly and completely purged from the Solitaire's body. The purification was finally complete.
The Aeldari woman collapsed forward like a puppet with its strings cut. Her mask had completely shattered, revealing a pale face.
Both of her mismatched eyes had returned to the characteristic erald green of her people, though the pupil of her left eye still retained a slight crystalline shimr.
"I am…alive?" she asked weakly, her voice no longer carrying that strange echo.
She tremulously touched her own face as if she could not believe it was real.
The Laughing God circled the fallen Solitaire, his expression shifting continuously until it settled on a mysterious smile. "Hmm, hmmmm. What a magnificent performance! The Solitaire is reborn, the script is rewritten, and history itself will be changed!"
A Harlequin rushed forward to gently help the woman up.
He noticed that her psychic presence was unusually calm, sothing almost unheard of within a troupe that constantly contended with Slaanesh. "Cassandra, how do you feel?"
"It is like… waking from an eternal nightmare," Cassandra, the Solitaire, said with a deep breath, her eyes welling with tears, "I can feel it. The eternal hunger is gone. I have completely severed my connection to it. I am free."
From the mont of their birth, every mber of the Aeldari race was tornted by an eternal curse.
No one was exempt, and their final fate was to have their souls devoured by Slaanesh. But on this day, she had broken that curse, becoming the first Aeldari to be truly free.
The sounds of footsteps and shouts from other Harlequins echoed from a distance.
Soon, they were all celebrating, breaking into a frantic, joyous dance. This mont was one to be rembered. It was their victory. This ticulously prepared performance had not been in vain. Soone truly could sever the bond between the Aeldari and Slaanesh.
"Rejoice, my children! This mont is our victory!" Cegorach, the Laughing God, proclaid, his arms spread wide.
After so many years, they finally saw a glimr of hope, a way to defeat Slaanesh.
This light was the most precious drop of water in a dark, cold, and desperate universe. This visitor from another universe was the key to defeating Slaanesh.
As for the Aeldari God of the Dead, Ynnead, who could only be brought forth by sacrificing the souls of the entire race, the Laughing God held little hope. That was a last resort, an act of mutual destruction between the Aeldari and Slaanesh.
Besides, whether it would truly be mutual destruction was debatable. When Ynnead was born, would it truly be a god for the Aeldari? Or would it be just another new Chaos God?
"Do not celebrate too soon," Axis said, holding up a hand, "Your souls are intrinsically bound to Slaanesh. Even if I worked twenty-four hours a day, I could not purify your entire race."
This Solitaire had been incredibly powerful, possessing both terrifying physical strength and imnse psychic ability, which allowed him to proceed without holding back.
Her willpower had also been exceptionally strong, which was crucial for the purification's success.
Axis estimated that a normal Aeldari's body or soul would likely collapse before he could even finish the process.
After all, the Harlequins were among the most powerful individuals of their race, and the Solitaires were the best of the best.
His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over the exuberant Harlequins.
It was true. They had witnessed one of their own being completely freed from Slaanesh, but she was one of the most powerful beings in their entire troupe. It was uncertain if an ordinary mber of their race could withstand the purification ritual.
Furthermore, even if this man worked at full capacity, his efforts would be but a single drop in a vast ocean for the entire Aeldari population.
"Do not say that, Lord Axis!" the Solitaire he had just saved cried out. She struggled to her feet and knelt before him. "I see the seed of hope in you. You are the most precious drop of water in this dark and despairing universe. Please, allow to follow you!"
"Do not be so quick to kneel," Axis replied, "The Harlequins are supposed to have severed their ties to Slaanesh, are you not? Are your souls not protected by the Laughing God?" He felt that what he was doing was not so different from Cegorach's own work; he also could not save the majority of the Aeldari.
The Harlequins were the only Aeldari who could wander the materium without fear of their souls being devoured.
"My power rely provides them with a shield, protecting them as they travel. It does not completely sever the connection and grant them true freedom," the Laughing God explained with a shrug.
"I see! Then let's talk about your present. The power I have demonstrated should be sufficient!" Axis said.
In truth, Axis felt there might be another way, perhaps using the fruit from the Tree of Might. Or maybe he could try again once he achieved the level of Super Saiyan God.
"Lord Axis, believe , the future of our race rests with you. I have a premonition," the Laughing God began, "And rest assured, you will be satisfied. Lord Axis, have you by chance heard of the Avatar of the God of War?"
"I have," Axis replied, "It is said that while Slaanesh was slaughtering the Aeldari pantheon, Khorne arrived, wishing to claim the soul of the Aeldari God of War for himself. Their struggle accidentally shattered the god into countless fragnts, which are now scattered among the various Aeldari Craftworlds, where they serve as weapons in the form of the Avatar of Khaine."
"Exactly. So, would you be interested in obtaining one of these fragnts?" the Laughing God asked. As he spoke, he produced a radiant golden orb and presented it to Axis.
It was a soul-fragnt of the God of War, Kaela nsha Khaine.
...
...
ps?
Reviews
All reviews (0)