"Edalyn…" a deep voice sadistically snarled.
Eda's eyes shot open as she gasped for breath. Though her eyes had opened, she could see nothing. She found herself lost in an endless and lightless void, with no accompaniment save the low growl that had shocked her to consciousness.
"Oh no…" Eda sighed, "I'm having one of those dreams again. Alright, owl demon, come out and… scare the crap outta me, I guess. No need to keep me waiting, we've been through this routine plenty of times."
"Well, I suppose you are half-right, Edalyn."
Thundering footsteps filled the void as the goading voice drew closer. Eda let out a bored sigh as she awaited the same nightmare that had plagued her since Lilith had first cursed her. Her blasé state was shattered, however, as soon as the source of that voice had made itself known. The creature that approached her was too large to be human – or witch, I suppose, but they're around the same height so I guess that point is moot. Its skin was a pale red, and a strange mix of armor, chitin and bone seemed to be fused to the flesh encompassing its body. Long ebony talons sprouted from its fingers; and large horns of a similar color grew from its temples. Innumerable fangs seemed to burst from its vicious grin, and its eyes were wreathed in unholy flame.
"W-what are you?" Eda stuttered as she nervously back away from the creature.
"Oh, you wound me, dear witch." the creature spoke, crossing its left hand across its chest in a weirdly formal gesture, "I am merely a guest here. For your sake and mine, however, I'd suggest you consider me nothing less than a friend."
"That seems… very misleading." Eda whispered.
She continued to back away from the monster, hoping against hope that it wouldn't speed up in its slow and careful approach. Internally she prayed that something, somehow, would release her from this nightmare.
"There is no escaping, witch." the monster bellowed in that same booming baritone, albeit in a disturbingly calm tone. One of his massive, clawed hands reached out and clutched Eda who shook helplessly with fear. The giant took its free hand and touched the tip of its index finger to Eda's forehead, sending a pulse of alien energy through her body. Eda screamed as the energy coursed through her veins, and she could feel the creature's malignant consciousness invading her body.
"Do not cry, Edalyn." The creature patronizingly reassured her, "There will be no more pain once we are one. You'll soon understand the power a mere mortal can harness once made host to an entity of the Warp."
A sudden rapid paddling of footsteps could be heard in the distance. The daemon turned its head out into the void and tried to find the source of this noise but saw only darkness. The pitter-pattering persisted, however, and soon a feathery, quadrupedal creature could be seen rushing towards the daemon and witch. It was strigiform in appearance despite its four legs: having the feather, beak, talons, and wings of an owl. Its narrow eyes were fixated on the daemon with a hate-filled determination as it charged the much larger opponent.
"So, it appears we are not alone." the daemon chuckled as he turned back towards Eda, "Is Tzeentch so overconfident that he sends this helpless little creature to…"
The daemon was cut short as the owl-creature leapt into the air and slammed its skull against the daemon's side. The force was strong enough to send the monster toppling over, losing his grip on Eda in the process. Eda rolled away from the creature as he attempted to rise back to his feet.
"You insolent interloper…" the daemon growled, "You think yourself worthy to…"
The daemon was again stopped as the owl-creature charged it again, leaping into the air and landing a savage bite to the daemon's neck. The daemon howled with pain as the owl-creature sunk its beak in deeper, using its talons to tear at the monster's torso with ferocious tenacity.
"What is this?" the daemon screamed as it attempted to rip away the owl-creature that was now firmly lodged in his neck, "Get off! The Gal Vorbak cast me here to claim this mortal form. The witch is mine, creature! SHE IS MINE!"
The owl-creature – seemingly annoyed by the daemons blabbering – crawled up the daemon's neck, sinking its talons into its flesh with each step. Once eye level it stared at the daemon who returned the gesture with an enraged scowled. After a brief moment of staring, the owl-creature began ruthlessly pecking at the daemon's eyes, tearing out bits of goop with each bite.
"I… have several questions…" Eda mumbled as she cringed with disgust and the ongoing fight.
The daemon flailed aimlessly as it attempted to grab the owl-creature, but it continued to drawl around the daemon's face – pecking off more bits and pieces along the way. The daemon fell to its knees and began to crawl blindly, hoping that he could somehow escape the creature.
"What is this fowl thing?" the daemon panted as he crawled, "Why is it…"
The daemon stopped as the owl-creature – its talons sinking into the daemon's shoulder – jammed its beak into the daemon's mouth and removed its tongue with a savage tug.
"Gah…" the daemon sighed as it helplessly collapsed to the ground. A strange colorful mist began rising from the daemon's body, which soon crumbled into dust that was effortlessly swallowed by the void. The owl-creatures hostility seemed to subside as it turned its gaze towards Eda. It stared at her with a strange sense of wonderment, and when Eda didn't speak or move it cocked its head with curiosity.
"You…" Eda whispered as she cautiously rose to her feet, "You're… the Owl Beast, aren't you?"
The creature let out a soft coo before turning towards the ground. It aimlessly pecked at the solid floor of the void in some vain attempt to find food. With the creature distracted, Eda began to slowly approach it.
"So, you're trapped in here to, huh?" Eda continued, carefully maintaining a friendly and unthreatening tone, "So what did you take that guy out for? Not in the market for a roommate?"
As Eda grew close to the Owl Beast, its ears perked up to attention. It cocked its head up and saw Eda – and apparently she was too close for its taste. It jumped back and gripped the ground firmly with its talons. Its feathers stood on edge and its beak was tightly clenched as the creature snarled at the approaching witch.
"It's okay!" Eda insisted as she held out her hands and lowered her stance to appear less threatening to the beast.
"I don't want to hurt you." Eda continued, "I – I just want to know why you helped. I'm not really sure what's going on… or where we even are."
Eda knelt before the creature and left one of her arms outstretched as a friendly gesture. The Owl Beast responded well, and its stance grew noticeably less tense as its grip on the floor loosened. It soon returned to that same childlike state of innocence it showed after slaying the daemon, giving Eda that same perplexed stare.
"It's okay. You can come to me." Eda gently coaxed the beast.
As if commanded to do so, the Owl Beast cautiously approached Eda. Once close enough, it opened its beak and gently licked the palm of her outstretched hand. Once deeming it safe, the beast rested its head in her hand, cooing as it gently rubbed against her palm.
"Huh." Eda sighed, "Can't say I expected you to be so cute."
Something shifted in the void. A noticeable pang of energy filled the air and shook Eda, though the Owl Beast seemed unperturbed. She felt herself almost sinking into the darkness, but even that was changing. The vacuous black of the void began the exude pangs of light that soon expanded into swaths and swirls of color. The owl beast removed its head from Eda's hand and grew closer to her – slowly walking over her legs and nestling itself in her lap.
By now the once black void was filled with an exuberant parade and bright and ever-changing colors. Eda's hand slipped through the invisible floor she was kneeling on and into the light below. She could somehow feel the colors sliding between her fingers, and when she lifted her hand up, she held a small blob of the space itself. The Owl Beast suddenly perked its head up and stared at the colorful liquid in Eda's hand. It stretched its neck out to her palm and began to lap up the liquid, and as soon as it was finished, it curled up in Eda's lap and fell into a deep slumber.
"Hm." Eda chuckled as she stroked the Owl Beast's back, "This is… actually kind of nice. Maybe we gave that daemon guy a hard pass, but I think maybe you and I could be good friends."
Eda looked up at the vibrant sky before her, transfixed at the endless display of dancing bands of color.
"Wow." Eda gasped as her pupils widened, "You know, I don't think I've ever seen anything so pretty…"
Meanwhile, in a Chaos Temple on the surface of Sicarus, two Word Bearers stood guard over an unconscious Edalyn Clawthorne. The witch hung helplessly from her wrists – each one chained to a massive pillar from within the temple. The two chaos acolytes waited for her daemonic possession to commence in utter silence – and hapless boredom.
"So…" one of the Chaos Marines droned, hoping some conversation could help to pass the time, "What drove you to joining Chaos?"
"What?" the other marine asked in utter astonishment, "I was driven to Chaos when Lorgar went on that pilgrimage to the Eye of Terror and forced us all to join! That's what happened all of the Word Bearers!"
"Well, not me." the first marine flatly responded.
"Not… you?" the second marine asked in utter disbelief, "What in that name of the Dark Gods are you talking about? Why else would you have joined Chaos?"
"Oh, well it's actually quite interesting…" the first marine began, "So I was eating a can of baked beans while watching Cars 2 in theaters and I spilled some on me. Some imperial citizen shouted, 'Hey this heretic's eating beans!' and everyone laughed at me."
"So that's why you…" the second marine started before noticing Eda's body begin to twitch and tremble, "Oh thank the gods… I… I mean… brother, look! Something's happening to the witch!"
Eda's eyelids shot open as her body continued to shake. She stared at the two marines with shrunken pupils; too overcome with the powerful energies overcoming her to speak a word. Her muscles tense and jaw clenched as another powerful surge of energy washed over her, allowing the witch to easily shatter the shackles containing her wrists. Her body toppled to the floor as she continued to clench every muscle in her body with overwhelming power.
"Um, brother?" the first marine asked as they approached Eda's body, "Should we be concerned?"
"Hardly." the second marine responded, "This is far from strange when it comes to daemonic possession."
Eda's jaws finally opened as she let out a ghastly scream of pain. Grew feathers sprouted from her body as her clothes seemed to fuse with it in a crimson gown of plumage. Blackness filled her eyes and sharp, yellow talons sprouted from her fingers and toes. Wings sprouted violently from her back, and her lower body morphed into digitigrade legs.
"Hm…" the second marine hummed, "Looks like a Tzeentchian daemon. Can't say I expected that, usually we only get…"
The marine stopped as Eda delivered a powerful kick to his torso, sending him flying through the church corridor. The first marine stood in silent shock as Eda rose in her knew avian form. Her wings shot straight from her back as she rushed the first marine, gripping her taloned fingers on his helmet.
"Alright, buddy, just what in the heck is going…"
Eda stopped as she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the marine's dark red armor. She brushed back her feather mane and admired her face, before releasing the marine and stepping back to better view her new body.
"Heh, dang! Still lookin' good." Eda smugly growled as she continued to admire her reflection.
"Uh…" the first marine stuttered, "I, um…"
"Wait…" Eda said as she shook herself out from her self-induced trance, "Can't get distracted. You! Explain!"
"Nope!" the marine boldly stated as he dropped his bolter and turned to make his exit from the cathedral.
"Wait, where are you going?" Eda asked as she followed the marine, "I need some answers now!"
"Sorry, I'm out." the marine explained as he continued with his exit, "The has awakened something in me. I'm off to the Emperor's Children. I can no longer serve Chaos Undivided faithfully."
"Uh…" Eda stammered, "I keep thinking this can't get any stranger… I really need to lower my expectations."
"Ugh…" the first marine groaned as he lay helplessly on the floor, "Can't… get up…"
"You!" Eda cried as she swiftly flew to the marine's body, "You're still here!"
Eda stopped as soon as she was flying above the marine's body. She lowered herself to the ground and stood on the marine's indented chest plate with her newly taloned feet.
"You're in no position to leave." Eda smugly told the marine as her claws tightened against his armor, "Now how about giving me some answers?"
"Ugh…" the marine grunted, "H…"
"What was that?" Eda snarled as she lowered her face towards the marine's.
"H… h… harder, bird mommy…"
"Oh Titan f**king damnit."