.
Paradise Lost
Ascari liked the sun.
It was a stupid notion, or at least the kind of notion that would only really be embraced by a youngster or a member of a lesser species. But the Exodite liked Halthael's sun-warm, yellow, the kind of star that was suitable for supporting life. Burnt brightly, but long. The type of star that could have nurtured life on Halthael of its own accord had life not had to be seeded by the elder so long ago. A time where such a practice was common. A time of lust, of indulgence, of every practice that gave rise to Slaanesh and led to the Fall. A Fall that the Exodites and their craftworld counterparts had escaped.
But still, she liked the sun.
It was for this reason that she disliked watching the clouds cover it up, said clouds forming across the whole sky. A thunderstorm no doubt-the meagadons were uneasy, and that was a sure sign of the change in the weather. Not that the elder were without some degree of intuition, but every so often there was a species in the universe that exceeded their abilities in some way. Megadons had senses, the Yngir of myth had roar power, orks and mon-keigh had numbers…but Halthael had been spared that. All of it. Spared everything bar changes of weather and a herd of megadons that she'd have to calm down.
The Exodite walked over to the beasts. They were uneasy, but she could calm them down…she thought.
Peace, creatures, peace…
But they weren't listening. Come to think of it, they weren't even reacting as they usually did. They disliked heavy rain, but hunching together in what she might have called a defensive circle wouldn't protect them from that.
The rain is nothing to fear…the Sky Mother…
One of the beasts grunted at her. Another snarled. And not being a brainless lower species, Ascari stepped back cautiously.
A threat…they see me as a threat…
Why, though? She'd been herding these beasts for nearly a century. Why now, all of a sudden? Why see her as a threat? Why group together for protection against rain? Why…why, come to think of it, were the clouds the only sign of the storm?
Strange…
The Exodite stopped seeing, and began sensing. Sensing how humid the air still was. It was the height of summer, that was expected, as was precipitation when that moist air rose. If a thunderstorm was coming, it should have been dry.
This isn't right…
Letting out a yelp, one of the megadons broke out of cover and nuzzled against her leg. It had come to the same conclusion. Ascari leant down to comfort the creature, but it only retreated further as the sounds of thunder started.
Well…no escaping the rain now.
The eldar looked upwards as the clouds opened and began disgorging their watery load.
Water that looked unusually large. Water that, as Ascari looked at it, didn't look like water at all.
Strangely enough, they looked like spores…