Chapter 3:

'I made a deal with the Devil Jimmy. She dies. I go Free.'

'We all got our choices to make.'

Blam.

'Don't worry. I gotcha.'

Incredible. One of the worst impersonations in Abaddon's career and they never even doubted it for a second.

The Chaos Gods were restless. This restlessness was reflected in storms that tore apart countless worshippers on Chaos Worlds, burning many Cultists and Space Marines to cinder at random instant. The horizons warped and shattered without end. Fires appeared without reason or explanation. Whole regiments were torn apart, and brought back, and Abaddon the Despoiler sat within his vessel mind afire with the horrors of it. This was not standard fate worse than death given to worshippers who failed, or did not succeed.

This was genuine worry from the Gods. Something had spooked the Chaos Gods.

'You, Cultist, find me some Order to destroy.' said Abaddon.

Very few people realized just how order continued to spring up within and beyond the Eye of Terror. It appeared in the oddest and least expected of places, tiny hopes that much of Abaddons time was spent crushing. Caiphas Cain had become an increasing source of Hope, one that Abaddon now began to hate. His Cultists worked endlessly, and he shot a few of them to keep them working more quickly.

...

What was Syndri Myre even doing here? He was wasting his time.

Then again time was the one luxury he could now afford. His seeking of Daemonhood had been as much an intellectual process as a mathematical one. Because of his competence he had successfully isolated himself from the Daemon as it consumed him. As it was slain in the fires of that dying world, his Soul was drawn into the warp, where countless Demons waited to consume him.

He killed his Daemons, sending its taint back to the Malificarum, which had now been dealt with. And now here he stood, walking the webways and warp paths, the corridors of darkness. Seeking something. Something elusive, which he did not know what.

'I sense something... innocent. Manipulating the strings. It sets its power against us... this bears investigation.

Perhaps action.'

He walked onward, seeking subordinates to fool, er... bring into his enlightened rulership.

...

It was an undeniable fact that the power of the Immaterium was lessened of late. Their ships seemed always disrupted, blasted by weaponsfire with greater ease. For once luck seemed to be on the side of good, or at least not actively conspiring against the Imperium.

The result: They had gotten more done this year then they had in centuries. Fronts which had long been raging unchecked, hopelessly chewing up men were ended in the Imperiums favor. An entire mountain of paperwork was done in days, as the Administorium found their pens and efforts increased tenfold. Several lost tribes of Librarians were found, and put once more into the fray better skilled.

For her part, Tatsuki Arisawa had scarcely noticed. Nothing seemed to change within that realm of hers. The Demons that surrounded her soon became more horrifying irritations. Certainly they could never get past the shield wall. She never got thirsty or hungry, and scarcely felt herself change. She spent hours and hours pouring over the Book of Peace, memorizing the events and pouring her emotions into helping those she saw upon its deadly pages. Every so often a horrifying melovolance would threaten to overtake her, but she would close the book and seal herself off.

'Hey Malal,' She said 'I've been living here for about three months now.'

'And extremely alive you are, at that.' Noted Malal.

'Right, yes. And I've been thinking what can I do to continue this run of success.' Continued Tatsuki, a smile growing on her face.

'Have you considered Mastery Inactivity? There is precident in the God Emperor.' This was true.

'No, no, I'd prefer to take a harder stance on things.'

'Fine, make the God Emperor in the BBC.' Malal decided.

'No I don't mean to make a policy of Firm Masterly Inactivity. I was thinking fern masterly inactivity.'

Malal stared at her. 'You wouldn't dare.'

'News flash Malal. I just did.'

There were now two palms trees growing outside Malal's Chamber of Peace. Based in two rows of plants, surrounded by White Flagstones.

'I'm going to drown you.' Malal decided.

'Yes that is important, perhaps we ought to save it till after we've defeated the Chaos Gods. The others, I mean.' Malal allowed this. Tatsuki turned back to the Book of Peace and began to write.

...

Meanwhile thousands of lightyears away, Nerghul was brewing a new batch of poison to force down Isha's throat. The Goddess of Healing had long ago learned to take a certain horrified facination with each new brew, if only to mentally channel the nightmarish plagues she had to find a cure to as it tore through her Immortal Immune system. Honestly he was amazed she had not broken and fallen under his influence yet. Sooner or later though the horrifying plagues would take their toll, and the dear Goddess would be forced to share such secrets with him.

Secrets that would afterward be his alone to know...

Imagine how sweet it would be, when he had devoured Isha and stood as the only possible source of healing to the plagues he now spread. Absolutely delicious...

He had only to remove the last of her resistance-

'Hello, Nerghul.' said Arkantos.

'A-Arkantos! But they said you were dead! You must be-'

Arkantos stabbed him through the chest with his spear without a word. The lance of Monte Crist burned with endless terrifying fire of retribution, as Lightning surged through Nerghul's being.

The God of Plagues screamed and screamed and screamed as the fires burned without relent within his body, consuming flesh, bone and blood.

'Have you ever loved something, Nerghul. Truly loved something? If so, what if that creature did not love you back. What if you were unable to break from that love, no matter how much the creature abused, and tore at and cut away at you, laughing. And deep down, you knew from the very beginning that the creature did not love you back, or even value you in even the most casual of ways. Yet because of one single rash decision, you are forever a pawn of it.

Just a carrier for things worse and more wretched than yourself.

You aren't on humanity's side. Your not a token good teammate. Your a perversion, the worst kind of slaver.

You have taken love. The ultimate expression of good and compassion, and you have dared to try and make it all about you.

Well it won't work. And it didn't work.

You killed my wife. Prepare to die.'

'My SouL! MY SOUUUL!'

Such was the terrifying consumption of the flames that all his diaseases and infestations could not avail him against them. For they were nothing without something to feast upon. You could not give a flame a diasease, nor tear its mind away. You could not break down its will, or sway its course. Finally Nerghul fell downward, ashes in a fell wind that swept over his realm. And all across it, the nightmarish infestations and diaseases lessened in their terrible countenance.

Arkantos made his way up the steps as countless Nergulites were thrown from infestations, and with his spear wrenched open the gates to Isha's prison. 'You... We know you...'

'Milady, there is no time. We must go quickly.'

Isha roused herself with a healing spell and stepped, somewhat unsteadily, out of the cage for the first time in years. Her legs were shaking. 'How did you get past the defenses?' She asked.

'I teleported.' Arkantos answered 'And I'm immune to diasease. Quickly now we must depart before his Minions arrive.'

'Not without the Book of Peace.' said Isha, regaining control of herself. 'Where is it?! Where did that miserable Nerghul store it?!'

Suddenly there was a terrible shuddering amongst the jungled realms, as wicked things began to appear, filtering out of the Jungles. Their eyes held a cheerful malice within them, yellowed with plague.

'Isha, we must go now.' said Arkantos. 'There is no more time.'

'The Book of Peace-'

'Is already gone.' said Arkantos. 'I tried to find it. I couldn't. I'm pretty sure that Sinbad stole it and after that it just disappeared into the Warp.'

The Forests were now leaning in one them, warping into great claws as they rushed down the steps. Isha tore through a desk, looking and as she looked asked a question to distract herself from how numb she was. She'd been in that cage for so long...

'Whatever happened to Sinbad anyway?'

'He got away. Got turned into a Minotaur by Athena, who didn't like the ending, changed his name to Kamos and got shanked by an Admiral of Atlantis.' Arkantos explained deftly as he raised his spear to ward off the first wave of Nergulites, who were consumed by white light.

'We've missed a lot.' Realized Isha, standing up. 'We are ready to go right now.'

'I'm aware.' Arkantos opened the portal. 'Quickly through the portal. While there is still time!'

Isha ran through first, and Arkantos followed, his spear raised in warning as they departed the realm of Nerghul.

Their God was dead. Probably. Yet for how long?

...

Isha and Arkantos fled through the twisting webways of the Old Dark Elder realms. There they saw things nightmarish in a different way. They caused Isha no pain, but they were disturbing to look at. The immaterium was filled with all manner of emotions, like she hadn't seen before in years. Yet they were violent, out of control. Springs of hope could be seen, and Islands of Serenity still existed. Yet these Islands might well be consumed if they were not careful.

The Daemons looked at Arkantos and dared not restrain him. For he had killed billions of their kind. They were Kornite Demons, and they were begging for mercy. Cowering.

'Where have you been all this time?' asked Isha of the White Armored Man.

'I've been standing in front of the Gates to the Order Afterlife killing Daemons for 40000K thousand years.' deadpanned Arkantos 'I haven't had a chance to be anywhere. By the time I got involved in things the situation had deteriorated the point where I was scrambling to keep my race alive long enough for them to make a difference. These days I don't even see the Demons I kill. Its a habit.'

'We feel some... responsibility for that.' Isha noted.

'Yes, you should.' said Arkantos. 'Are you aware of the God Emperor?'

'Nergul spoke of him. Isn't he a minor warlord of Chaos?'

'Minor Warlord? He's the single most persistant threat to Chaos out there. Long has he acted as a Beacon of light, guiding humanity and the Eldar against Chaos. Here we are.'

'...This is the Realm of the Eldar Gods.'

'Untouched, I believe.' noted Arkantos. 'Daemons fear this place. You should be able to set up a base of worship from here. Move quickly however, I need to go.'

'What is our plan?'

'Survive. After that we'll gather information. Good day to you.' And he was gone in a flash of light.

'...A person could really learn to hate that guy.' Reflected Isha.

Then she began to interface once more with the collective unconscious of the universe. She had much work to do before this was over.

...

Authors note:

Almost killed him. Wished it had. Nergul didn't like it at all. Took him seven years to recover his Warp form.

Must have cured half the sick people in the universe right there.

And once he had it there was that unquenchable hope and healing to contend with. And in greater numbers.