Early 36th Millennium, dawn of the Plague of Unbelief
The Deep Reach
Scholomance, Blackstone Fortress and the fabled nest of the Cosmic Serpent
Basil passed row after row of Troopers, including a couple of walkers, with Ilya at his side, felt himself drawing closer to her. I'm coming, Basil said to himself. Lasfire erupted ahead and he felt her raise a kyne shield, felt the blasts be deflected. But he felt more too. He felt the hot-blooded anger of Aeldari, felt their psychic presences converging on the front of the Trooper column.
"Stop!" Basil screamed, his voice amplified psychically as well as by his vox and cast down the tunnel. And he screamed again, in Aeldari instead of Low Gothic. Yet the lasfire concentration increased and he felt the Aeldari slide into position. Stop! Basil psychically screamed, a message simultaneously broadcast in Low gothic to the Troopers under his command and in Aeldari to those beyond, readying to strike. And as he screamed, Basil struck the butt of his halberd to the bottom of the burrow, sending a shock wave both forward and back.
Silence and stillness filled the burrow. Silence except for the sound of the moving actuators of Basil's power armour and the near silent armour of Ilya and stillness except for their movement. In a handful of strides, Basil had passed the head of the column and entered into an intersection of burrows, an intersection filled by a kyne shield. Standing in the middle of the shield was a lone figure with a featureless mask over her face and long blonde hair trailing behind her.
Siân Aanwen.
She turned a profile to him and dropped into a crouch as Basil ran into the burrow intersection. He crushed the kyne shield with but a thought as he passed through it, not knowing if he had grown that strong or if she let him do it to meet him in hand to hand. Her strike came as he entered her zone, her will and psychic might focused through the blade. Without slowing, Basil slapped her Witchblade to the side with his halberd and nearly collided with her, but he sidestepped and caught her with his arm as he passed, wrapping it around her waist and pulling her close to him as he spun round. He came to a stop with her tense in his arm, emerald eyes staring up through her featureless mask at his helmet covered face.
"I'm sorry," he said aloud in Low Gothic. "Sorry I did not make clear I would work to stop the bloodshed between our peoples outside of the limits of this engagement," he added aloud. Added cognizant of Fynn and Jorik watching. Cognizant that the Troopers in the front of the line heard him. Cognizant that his statement flew in the face of the warning given to him by Matthias when he had first stood in front of the Inquisitor and admitted helping her against the Keeper. It did not matter.
"You're alive," she whispered, then relaxed in his arm and leaned her masked face onto his armoured chest. "What happened to you?"
"No time to explain right now," Basil whispered back.
"Is that your pet?" asked a voice in Aeldari. Basil looked up to see a silver-haired Aeldari in dark green battle gear emerge from one of the burrows and walk toward them, a silver sabre in each hand. A number of Aeldari fell in behind him, following him into the intersection. "I thought you said he was dead. I also admit, the mon-keigh boy is a bit bigger than I thought it would be." A melodious laugh escaped his lips. "You wouldn't happen to wield a sabre by chance, would you?" he asked Basil. "I've been needing to add another to my collection."
"He is not my pet," Siân interjected in Aeldari. "Be nice." The Prince gave her a stern look then laughed again. Siân placed her hand on Basil's chest and separated herself from him, then removed her mask. A nervous smile appeared on her face. "Basil, allow me to introduce you to Taliesin ap Enniaun, Prince of the Aelion Corsairs. Descendant from a long line of noble Aeldari who ruled the world of Mirain before The Fall. And the mate of my sister, Rhiannwynn. Both our houses escaped from Mirain, and The Fall, through the Webway, onboard Rubha Àird Driseig." She glanced back to the Prince. "This is my friend and his name is Basil Cadmus. He…"
"I know," snapped the Prince. "You told me before. He aided Exodites under my protection by helping you banish a Keeper. And so on and so forth." Siân grimaced at his casual dismissal of Basil. The Prince laughed again. "I best not forget that you are my love's sister if I wish to remain happy. A dedicated foe of She Who Thirsts that has successfully defeated one of her most valued servants. I will work with you…today."
"Thank you," Basil answered in Aeldari. "Time is running short. Let us talk on the way. What forces do our enemies have at their disposal?"