Early 36th Millennium, dawn of the Plague of Unbelief
Orbit over Abalus
Onboard Bellerophon's Fist, Strike Cruiser of Inquisitor Chele Masina
Astropathic Choir Chambers
The ceiling came together high above the deck in a narrow arch, and from it a long black spire twisted down toward a hexagonal dais. Where the spire ended, six tentacle-like cables stretched forth, each ending in a black hood. Four individuals dressed in robes of black stood on the dais, each one with head covered by a black hood. One was a tall slender male while a second was a plump woman. The other two were young children, one male and one female.
Off from the dais stood two more individuals, backs against one of the six bulkheads of the hexagonal compartment, the Astropathic Choir Chambers of Bellerophon's Fist. One was Inquisitor Masina while the other was a mere Sergeant from the regiment of Inquisitorial Stormtroopers stationed onboard the Fist. Never restrained by modesty, Masina wore a near transparent, knee-length gown that was white as snow and with a deep V neckline that reached nearly to her naval, exposing her abundant cleavage. The Sergeant had removed his cap, revealing a handsome face topped by golden blonde hair, and had unbuttoned his black shirt half-way down, exposing his tan hairless chest. And he gave no hint of deferring to the Inquisitor.
"Are you ready yet?" asked the male from under his hood.
"We're tired of waiting," said the children in unison. "We want to become a part of it now."
The woman simply stared in a direction as if she were looking at Masina though the hood blocked her view.
I never dreamed controlling them would be easy, but their manner of feigned near cooperation worries me, Masina told herself. All that worry changed when she felt his gaze touch hers. She turned to look into the Sergeant's dark eyes and was barely able to hold back a small smile. Control yourself, she snapped.
"Just as I promised you, my queen," said the Sergeant with a silky voice. "Each of my offerings plays host to an unaligned Daemon, a manifestation of Chaos Undivided." He smiled a beautiful white smile at her. "Now, we will both take our place on the dais and I will guide you through the steps. Be strong and confident, my love. Today will be remembered for eternity."
A moment of doubt flashed across Masina's eyes and then her ambition reasserted itself. "Do not think to flatter me with your words, Keeper of Secrets," she said. "You are aiding me because I have paid your price. Arranged for damage to the World Spirits of the Exodite worlds that you placed before me. I am fulfilling the desires of your Master, the Perfect Prince, rather than existing as an object of your desire."
"Oh, but you are an object of my desire," Caorthannach answered with his silky voice as he reached his hand up to her face.
The tips of his fingers ever so slightly touched the hardened Inquisitor's cheek for an instant, sending a shiver throughout her body. Oh my…She barely kept focus.
He smiled. "There will be time to play later. We have work to do." He left his outstretched fingertips nearly touching Masina's face and stretched out his other arm toward the dais. "After you, my love."
Masina glanced a moment into his eyes and then left the bulkhead, heading straight toward the dais. She knew the Keeper followed behind her, stepping softly and silently, each step perfectly in time with hers. She knew his eyes remained fixated upon her hips. I could sway them a just a little. Lead him on. Show him how desireable I really am, she told herself. No, you fool, he is trying to trap you with his guiles, she quickly admonished herself. When Masina reached the dais, she turned around and faced the Keeper with a smile. To think I had dedicated my life to a feeble attempt at resurrecting that corpse on the Golden Throne, she laughed. Now, I will rightly command that power…in my name. The Keeper paid her smile no attention and unceremoniously placed the hood over her bald head. She did not need to see the Keeper take a step over from her, then grab the sole remaining hood and place it over his head. She felt him do it. "I can feel the power already," Masina said with a bit of wonder in her voice.
"Yes," Caorthannach answered. "The construction specifications I gave you were true." He paused, allowing Masina, the professed object of his desire, to enjoy herself for a moment. "You, Chele Masina, will lead," Caorthannach calmly said. "Now, grasp the Warp," he snapped.
Masina did as commanded and power coursed out of the arcane device and flowed through her. She emitted a gasp, unable to control herself. Focus, she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Each of you," snapped Caorthannach. "You, Nevali! You, Assur! You, Nippur! You, Moloch! Lend your strength to her, now!"
The four hood wearers each responded by uttering incomprehensible sounds and focusing their power through the arcane device and into Masina. Masina's knees trembled, then buckled, but a firm hand caught her, that of Caorthannach at her side. He abruptly, roughly, stood her back up then removed his hands. Why do I enjoy it when he handles me so? Masina asked herself. She trembled for an instant then remained standing. I can't let him…myself, down.
Caorthannach began speaking again, but what he said could not be described as words. They were utterances. One after another. One utterance after another to form a stanza and then one stanza after another until he had strung together five incomprehensible stanzas in a row. Then he began to repeat himself. After the Keeper completed the first stanza, Nevali, the short and plump woman, joined in. She started at the beginning, uttering the first stanza, while the Keeper began the second. And so, it continued, poetry spoken in rounds. Assur joining in with the first stanza while Nevali uttered the second and Caorthannach the third. Then, Nippur and Moloch joined in as their turns arrived. Round after round of blasphemy.
Masina barely noticed what happened amongst the Daemonhosts beside her for the power coursing through her body grew with their cries. And with it, vision. Bodies ripped apart by explosives. Heads taken off by blades. Hearts ruptured by a dagger passing through. And she saw their souls crying out. Saw their souls floating up, trying to leave, but being held in place by the arcane circuitry she had places in the Choir Chambers of each planet. Abalus below. Voron. Ryazon. The three hive planets within the Reach. Maxell too. On the side, Masina knew anger, anger that the disturbances had been quelled upon Caddius 6, but she paid it no mind, for it was trivial. Her newfound vision did not stop with sights and sounds of deaths. She felt suffering and elation, madness. Her mind was filled by the cacophony of emotions generated by the Chaos. Her mind filled to the point of breaking.
Repeat my words, said a voice in Masina's head, a voice that rang out clearly above the madness she was witnessing. Caorthannach. And she did so. Repeated the first stanza of incomprehensible utterings in time with him leading the chorus. And then the Keeper grew quiet, quiet while she continued to spew forth utterances. And she perceived her mind was being reformed. Reformed to handle the madness because her knew perspective was shaped by madness, the madness of Chaos. And at that moment, Masina knew regret. Knew that she could not stop what she had started. And she heard Caorthannach's laugh.
Do not resist, my love, it said. 'It', for it was utterly clear to her that the Keeper was not the man who hosted it at all. She had always known that, yet let her ego and desire enable her to refer to it as a man. We will have such fun, but I must admit, your regret is delicious.
Masina cried. Cried as she continued to vomit out incomprehensible utterances. Cried as she changed.