The God and the Exile -Part 1
Arianne woke up from her deep slumber. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at her surroundings. Nothing was out of the ordinary, if by ordinary it meant sleeping in a massive spiderweb, woven by herself in her younger years. She slowly walked towards her onyx shower, ready to start another day.
Something was amiss. She felt rejuvenated, well rested. The previous night she had fallen asleep quite easily and this morning, for the first time in eons, she woke up without either screaming or with tears in her eyes. The nightmares where gone.
For a moment she felt relieved that no more she would have to endure such endeavors, but then she started to worry. Didn't Cegorach said that her nightmares would come to happen? That the Eldar race will fall due to its increasing depravity? What did it mean, then, that she no longer had to go through those awful dreams? She panicked for another good hour, not knowing what to do, and she would have kept pacing back and forth if it wasn't for Cegorach materializing in her room without a moments notice.
"Hello there. I sensed you needed me" said Cegorach in a smug and teasing tone.
Arianne looked at Cegorach dumb folded, then at herself, then back at the Laughing God. Then she came to the realization that she was stark naked, seeing how she just came out of her shower.
"AAH AH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE YOU IDIOT" yelled Arianne as she tried to cover her womanly-parts with whatever was in her reach. The object she grabbed was a smooth, silk towel. The only problem is that it was almost see through, specially when wet.
Cegorach simply laughed and turned around, doing his best to give his sister some privacy.
"I didn't expect you to be taking a shower. If anything, you should be wearing a towel. Who would have thought that Arianne, Queen of Spiders, the mastermind behind the construction of the Webway, likes to stroll around her castle in less than a towel. You're such a deviant, Arianne... I like it."
"S..shut up, you pervert. I wasn't expecting any guests, and if I did, I wouldn't expect them to suddenly appear in my room. You need to learn some sense of privacy, my dearest brother, before I feed your lifeless corpse to my hungry spiderlings. At such a young age they are very demanding, you know."
"Hey, take it easy. I was just messing with you. Besides, there's nothing wrong with being a deviant. You know I don't judge..."
"Whatever..."
Just as Arianne finished her banter with Cegorach, she put on a simple red dress with black trims and swirls on its sides and back. She couldn't decide on which shoes to wear, so she opted not to put on any shoes at all.
"Dazzling, as always" mocked Cegorach.
"Be quiet, you. Come with me, I'll make you some coffee."
"Ah, please do. Your coffee is renown across the entire Webway"
The two left Arianne's room and made their way to the dinning hall. They took many turns and went up and down many floors. After a while, Cegorach could feel a slight headache starting to grow due to the intense amount of turns they had to take, but at last, they finally arrived to the castle's dinning hall. It was a very illuminated place, with candelabras and candles made of wraithbone on different columns that supported the hall. On each end of the room there where long, marble tables, each with many platters of different kinds of Eldar cuisine. There where also some hand woven baskets there, and each had a different kind of coffee beans.
She grabbed a handful of black coffee beans and then proceeded to ground them in one of the nearest mortars. In the middle of the marble table there was a small sized water fountain, permanently spewing forth hot water. Around the fountain there where mugs and cups of different sizes and shapes, all of them made out of wraithbone and highly decorated. Arianne wasn't very picky when it came to cups, so she just grabbed the pair that was closest to her and finished making coffee. She smelled hers first and then had a small sip from it. After tasting it for a moment, she was satisfied with it, and drank the rest of her coffee in a big gulp.
"Ah, that's just what I needed..." sighed Arianne. "Here, this is for you."
Arianne handed Cegorach's coffee to him. "It's hot so be careful" she said. Cegorach nodded in agreement and drank it all at once. He sighed in satisfaction and then slammed the cup in the ground. The cup didn't shatter, however, seeing how it was made of wraithbone. Cegorach threw it down with such force, however, that it dented the floor where it landed.
"You need to stop doing that every time I offer you coffee" said Arianne, slightly upset.
"It's and old tradition, don't blame me."
"Just... just don't. Anyhow, what are you doing here? I mean, I like having you around but, even for you such visits are unheard of."
"I sensed you needed me. Don't ask me how because I don't know, but I know there is something troubling you."
Arianne hesitated for a second, trying to figure out a way to approach the subject at hand.
"It's the nightmares" she began. "They're gone. I slept well last night. It worries me to no end, Cegorach, I don't know why."
"...Then its bound to happen soon. It's a bad omen. Do what you need to do, soon the Eldar will meet their end, I'm afraid."
"How can you say that so casually? Billions will die... because we didn't do ANYTHING. I... I should warn them, at least Asuryan, or maybe even Khaine."
"No, absolutely not. I won't let you. You cannot alter the space-continuum. Even if you warned them, it would be too late now. But say that they heed your words, no, better yet, say that you warned them eons ago. Then what? At the very best you would have delayed these events, but no matter what we do, it wouldn't change anything. I love you Arianne, but it pains me to say that we have to allow it to happen."
"I can't just sit down with my arms crossed, waiting for it to happen. I wish there was something we could do."
"I've already prepared for the aftermath, I suggest you do the same. We still have time, maybe a couple months at least. Maybe less."
"Not everything is lost...I have an idea."
"What is it, sister?"
"I can't tell you, as much as I would like to. If this is to work, then it must remain in utmost secrecy. Now, please, if you excuse me, I have things to do."
"Are you... kicking me out? I cannot believe it."
"Well, forgive me for trying to be polite, but yes, I'm kicking you out."
"...Fine, I'll leave. I'll see you soon."
Cegorach bowed before turning around and disappearing in the blink of an eye. As he was leaving, Arianne felt her heart drop, and she whispered into the empty hall ways "No... you won't."
Hours later...
"Were you followed?" asked Arianne
"No, my lady. I made sure of that. I know the Webway like no other, all thanks to you. If there was anyone following me they would have been lost in the many passages that link the Webway."
"Good. It's been so long, Lhykosidae. I can't remember the last time I saw you."
"It certainly has. Twenty two million years, to be precise."
"You were always keen on keeping track of things. We have much to discuss." Said Arianne as she descended her silver throne to greet her disciple.
If there was an Eldar who knew Arianne better, it would be Lhykosidae. The two had met millions of years ago, before Asuryan had separated the Inmaterium -place where most of the Eldar Gods resided- from real space. He was one of the oldest sons of Isha and Kurnous. Before the Necrontyr made their pact with the C'tan, and before they became the mechanical horrors they are now known as, they where called the Necrontyr. Lhykosidae fought them many times during the first battles against their old foes.
He was a brave warrior, and he slew many of the foul aliens, but his guardian squad was vastly outnumbered and out of the reach of any kind of reinforcements. All because of their squad leader, who was seeking to gain personal glories. He died within seconds of contact, tore apart by an accurate gauss ray. The rest of his brothers in arms where disintegrated by massed gauss fire. Lhykosidae got lucky that day, if it wasn't because a certain someone was tasked to scout that area, surely Lhykosidae too would have died then and there. Arianned warped in, deflecting incoming Necrontyr fire. She got Lhykosidae in cover, and then she went back to face the enemy. Only that she started to sing. It was an angelical tone, so beautiful that it left Lhykosidae perplexed, as well as stunning the enemy troops for a moment. That moment was all she needed. Her symphony continued, and multiple gateways opened above the Necrontyr ranks. Out of them, countless spiders, all borne from wraithbone, poured down on the still ensnared Necrontyr. What happened afterwards was a complete slaughter of the Necrontyr forces, the webway spiders easily tearing their weak flesh apart. Arianne carried Lhykosidae away from the carnage, nothing said about the dead Eldar soldiers. Whatever happened afterwards is history.
After Asuryan had divided the two realms, Lhykosidae still met with his mistress, since she resided in the webway, unlike the other gods. Recently he had noted that she was deeply worried, and she wasn't her usual joyful self. She was depressed and brooding, but Lhykosidae dared not to ask, since it wasn't his palce. After all, he was just her loyal servant.
Arianne motioned for Lhykosidae to follow, and together they made their way to the inner sanctum of the castle. The halls were unlit, enshrouded by somber darkness. Lhykosidae could hardly see where they were going, and he stumbled into walls and furniture more than once.
"Why is this area unlit, my lady?" asked Lhykosidae.
"Well, I never really bothered to add any lights, out of pure laziness, although it serves a good purpose, since anyone would get lost here without my guidance. Even my spiders dare not to travel in this secluded areas of my home. The things I've created over the eons... they are all stored here."
"Pardon me for asking, but what sort of things?"
"Weapons, my dear Lhykosidae, weapons. Of course they would never see the light nor be used in battle any time soon since good ol' Asuryan wont let me deliver them to your race... but making them has become quite the hobby for me. Lets not delve too much into the "whats" and "why's" for now, we don't have much time and there are still many things that I must reveal to you... you should hold my hand, or else you'll keep running into walls or worse, get lost."
"...Is that really okay, my lady?"
"Yes of course, and please, just call me Arianne. I'm growing tired of formalities. After all, you're my friend Lhykosidae"
"Of course m... Arianne"
The two made their way down more corridors and passages, silently. Neither of them would uttered another word, as there was nothing left to say. At last, Arianne stopped in front of a heavily sealed door. It was not only warded against psychic intruders with many Eldar runes and wards, but it was fortified as well. It was two meters thick and almost as tall as a wriathlord. The metal door itself was made of a material stronger than adamantium, assuring the almost nothing short of a Titan's guns would penetrate it. The gigantic door was crimson red, and it emanated a red hue, crackling with energy, thanks to all the wards and seals placed. Arianne bit her index finger until blood came out, and then pressed it against its frame. Nothing happened for about a second, and then an ear shattering creak was heard, as the door started to open itself very, very slowly.
Arianne motioned for Lhykosidae to go in, and he did. Once inside, the lights turned on automatically. The room was a mess. There were spare parts and pieces of wraithbone strewn everywhere. There was a tangled mess of cables littering the wraithbone floor. At the end of the room there was a man-sized glass container. The container was black, so Lhykosidae couldn't tell what was inside, but he knew it was something of high importance, since the cables strewn on the floor where all connected to it.
Arianne walked towards a panel next to the glass container, and after punching in a few key-runes, the container opened in a loud hiss. After the smoke cleared, Lhykosidae stood there, amazed by its contents. Inside was a highly ornamented, state of the art suit of armor. Its helmet had a blue crest and it had eight eye lenses. Its mouth grille were four simple slits that went downwards. On its back there was a power pack with soulstones etched into it. It was circular on the area near the head, and it had a pelt from an unknown animal stitched into it. Its main purpose was to make use of a device later known as a jump generator, which allows its user to "teleport" across vast distances or small. It had an impressive armament as well. Six armored arms protruded from the back of the chest plate, two of them ended in death spinners, deadly guns that shot mono-fillament clouds that rip its target appart, leaving only a bloody mess. The other four arms ended in long, curved power blades. Each blade had been washed into different mixtures of spider poison, harvested by Arianne herself. Such combination would leave its prey paralyzed within seconds, and dead in minutes. The whole suit was black, with a red hourglass painted on the center of the chest plate.
"Amazing... a true piece of art in its deadliest form." mumbled Lhykosidae as he admired the suit of armor.
"More are in production, although I personally crafted this one. It took me five days to craft, and lots of sweat and pain. A gift, if you may, for you." Replied Arianne.
"I am truly honored... but I must ask, what is the need of such an arsenal, after all, we live in peaceful, albeit chaotic times. No enemy yet encountered has been able to withstand the might of the Eldar armies."
"Dark times are coming, my dear Lhykosidae... the end of the Eldar race as a whole. You have to know what I've seen... Close your eyes."
He hesitated for a moment, then did as he was told. Arianne approached her disciple, and put her right hand on his forehead. She focused for a moment, and then the screams began. Horrible, soul-tearing screams came out of Lhykosidae's throat as Arianne showed him what she saw. Bilions dead, the birth of a malign entity, the souls of many Eldar gone forever, consumed by the thirst of a newly born god. Lhykosidae couldn't take it anymore, and he shoved off Arianne's hand from his forehead. He collapsed on his knees, gasping for air. Tears where rushing out of his eyes.
"Enough... what is the nature of... this madness!" exclaimed Lhykosidae as he looked up towards Arianne, looking for answers.
"I don't know! All I know its that is going to happen... soon, very soon. Its inevitable. You have to understand, and help me prepare for the oncoming doom. Please Lhykosidae, I'm begging you."
"...I will do anything, I don't care what it is, I am still loyal to you Arianne, and I always will be, I'll follow you until the end of times." said Lhykosidae between tears.
"Thank you... I really appreciate it." said Arianne as she helped Lhykosidae up. They embraced each other for a moment, Lhykosidae crying on Arianne's shoulders. They stayed like that until Lhykosidae calmed down. After a moment, Lhyosidae remembered who he was hugging, and immediately let go of his queen.
"...Forgive me my lady, I overstepped my boundaries as a vassal for a moment, and forgot my place...I deserve punishment." said Lhykosisae apologetically, with his gaze downwards.
"There will be no sort of punishment, you idiot. You are more than just pawn or a mindless grunt. Remember that. You are my friend, and I will always be here for you, as I know you'll be there for me." replied Arianne, a little overwhelmed on his companion's reaction.
"Thank you my queen."
"I told you to stop with those formalities. Now, put on the suit, I'll teach you how to warp jump."
Author's note
Wow, it's been a while since last update, and I apologize for that. The reasons as to why is that are unimportant, and I don't like using excuses :P
Anyways, here it is. It was going to be a bigger chapter at first, but I decided to split it in two. The other part will be out soon... hopefully. Thanks again for all the review, and I saw that a couple people followed this story. I'll give out a shout to these people as well, since it really motivates me to keep writing. As always, leave your reviews and questions, and I will do my best to answer them and/or fix anything!
PEACE