Taylor Hebert screamed and howled as her arms uselessly smashed against the locker imprisoning her. She could feel blood pouring from the stinging cuts on her limbs as she bashed against the door, but she didn't care. She wanted to get out. Out of the locker, out of the pungent pile of filth crawling with bugs that gnawed at her legs. The crawling of an insect along the small of her back only amplified Taylor's rage as she continued to scream and pound until the door was painted crimson by her blood.
After a minute of berserking attacks Taylor started feeling dizzy, the loss of blood slowing her movements until she slumped back in the locker. How did it get like this? Did Emma and Sophia hate her so much that they wanted to step up from bullying to muder? Taylor had taken everything they had thrown at her for months, meekly accepting the pain and tortures they inflicted. Was this just the natural escalation for them?
Taylor felt tears pour down her cheeks as her head lolled to the side. She didn't know how long she was inside of this metal coffin, but as her vision dimmed she had a vague understanding that she wasn't leaving alive. As her thoughts became fleeting, she idly wondered if her death would finally be enough to send Emma, Sophia, and Madison to juvie or prison or whatever asylum they would send psychopaths like them. Taylor couldn't help but smile at that thought. At least she could get some semblance of vindication or vengeance from beyond the grave.
Then her thoughts shifted to her Dad, Danny. She hoped her Dad would be ok, but in all honesty she didn't know if he would be. The man barely survived the death of her mother. To lose Taylor too, she was afraid it would break him.
It was then that Taylor noticed she couldn't move her limbs anymore. So this is it? Taylor thought to herself, no longer able to speak. At least I'll get to be with Mom now…
As she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable, the sound of screeching metal startled her awake. The locker door… someone was bending it open! Someone had finally found her and was breaking her out!
The locker then burst open, but instead of being greeted by the face of the school janitor, she was greeted by the sight of a massive, sickly green hand that reached into the locker and scooped her out of the filth. Taylor screamed as the giant manhandled her like she was nothing more than a child's doll. The movement was so sudden and jarring that Taylor couldn't even register her surroundings as the giant brought her to its face. No longer disoriented from being carried, Taylor could finally see what had freed her from the locker. And she wished it had left her in there.
Standing in a desolate, rocky plain with red skies darkened by ash black clouds, was a titanic, green, creature, for Taylor had no idea what to even compare it to. Some kind of massive frog? Or perhaps a troll? It had a fat, oily body covered with pustules and boils that oozed unknown liquid. Its face was flat, with deep sunken yellow eyes, a nasal cavity but no nose, and a massive mouth filled with jagged teeth that extended far wider than it had any right to. The giant smiled at her, and as it opened its mouth to speak, Taylor saw within its maw an uncountable number of maggots and worms squirming and writhing within. Taylor threw up within its grasp.
"Greetings, child." The giant boomed out, his voice wet and mucous. "I… am Nurgle. But you may call me Grandfather if you wish. I have come to take you into my Garden where you may revel with the rest of my children and grandchildren!"
Taylor didn't know what to say. The grotesque and vile appearance of Nurgle juxtaposed by his strangely friendly demeanor caused Taylor's brain to short circuit for a brief moment. This thing wasn't a Parahuman… probably, so he was an angel? A devil? Some kind of God of the afterlife?
"Am… am I dead?" Was all Taylor could find the strength to say.
Nurgle laughed, each chuckle sending reverberations through Taylor. "Of course my child! And you have embraced my gifts of pest and pox when you did, so your soul now belongs to me!"
Taylor was more confused than anything else, but before she could ask a follow up question, she felt an intense heat coming from her left side. Turning her head, Taylor was blinded by the appearance of a bright flame that towered into the sky. Nurgle seemed to take offence to this fire as well as raised his obese arm to cover his eyes, turning Taylor away from the fire defensively.
"Khorne! What are you doing here!?" Nurgle hissed out at the pillar of flames.
From the fire, a second giant appeared. This newcomer was nothing less than a pure, traditional devil in Taylor's eyes. This Khorne was a massive creature of vaguely human shape, clad in terrifying brass and crimson armor decorated with skulls and unknown runes. On his head rested a fully closed helmet of similar material that sported multiple horns that curved upward, almost mimicking the appearance of flames.
Khorne then pointed to Taylor. "I AM HERE FOR HER!" the armored giant bellowed, his resonant, bassy voice seethed with a rage and intensity that Taylor never knew was possible.
Nurgle's massive face scowled at the proclamation. "You overstep, Blood God! The circumstances of her death mean her soul belongs to me!"
"NO." Khorne countered. "DO YOU NOT FEEL IT NURGLE? HER RAGE, HER ANGER! SHE IS TO BE PART OF MY LEGION, NOT ONE OF YOUR ROTTED PLAGUESACKS!" Khorne then drew a massive, skyscraper sized sword, ready to fight and claim his prize.
Nurgle grumbled as he inched back, seemingly unsure what to do, when a third voice then spoke From Taylor's right.
"Ahhh, it appears I am late! Do pardon my intrusion." This voice was jarring to Taylor, not because of its strange friendliness nor pure hatred, but because it was a strange combination of male and female overlaid on top of each other that seemed to relax Taylor.
Taylor turned once more and what she saw made her flush. It was the most exceedingly gorgeous woman Taylor had ever seen, a pinnacle of beauty that was colored pink and decorated with purple scales. Her head flowing white hair that was crowned by some kind of spiked headdress that twisted and turned upwards. As she spoke Taylor could see an impossibly long tongue slither out of it. The newcomer's very scent was intoxicating to Taylor, but her appearance also set Taylor on edge. She was too beautiful, too seductive. It reminded her too much of Emma.
"SLAANESH." Khorne growled out, the pink demon now taking the full brunt of his rage.
"Always a pleasure Khorne." the newly named Slaanesh cooed. "Now then, would it not make the most sense for me to take poor Taylor's soul? Just look at the way she masochistically took every pain and torture inflicted upon her. Would she not be better as one of my maidens than a pawn for either of you?"
The appearance of Slaanesh seemed to bolster Nurgle, whose gaze flickered between the two others, obviously looking for a way to exploit this situation in his favor. Before he could do anything however, a fourth and final voice spoke out.
"Here we all are!" this energetic voice cackled out, coming from above Taylor.
Taylor looked up and saw a humanoid, if it could even be called that, made of a writhing mass of tentacles. The form seemed to shift and contort constantly, never maintaining a constant shape. But strangest most of all, was that the creature's head and face seemed to be integrated within its torso, making them one.
"And now Tzeentch has arrived!" Nurgle sarcastically blurted out, obviously frustrated at the turn of events. "And you are here for poor Taylor as well?"
The mass of tentacles called Tzeentch seemed to regard the pustulant boil of a creature called Nurgle for a moment, before nodding its head. "That I am indeed! Taylor has a mind that is razor sharp, an intelligence that deserves to be cultivated and used, not thrown by the wayside for mere rage or hedonism!"
Tzeentch landed equidistant from the others, the four giants forming a kind of square between one another. They continued to gaze at each other in some strange, Mexican standoff, no one wanting to be the first to make a move lest they be taken advantage of.
So Taylor made the first move instead.
"Hey!" she shouted, drawing the attention of the four probable-Gods. "Don't I get a say in this!?" The amount of force Taylor was projecting surprised even her, but she had been through so fucking much today that she demanded at least a modicum of respect and attention from the beings who so obviously wanted her for some reason.
The giants all looked at her with surprise and perhaps a little confusion that she even spoke, as if the idea that she had an opinion was foreign to them. Hell they even glanced at each other, seemingly unsure how to respond.
"Well…" Tzeentch spoke first, "What is it you want to do?"
Taylor paused to collect her thoughts before saying, "Can I go home?" She needed to get back. Besides the fact that she didn't want to spend an eternity in this literal abyss, she needed to get back to take care of her father.
Her question seemed to only cause Slaanesh to giggle. "I am sorry my love, but that is quite impossible. You are dead, your soul cast adrift within the Realm of Chaos, and there is no way for you to return."
Taylor felt herself wilt at that statement. Great, here she was, stuck in Hell and four giant devils were arguing for her soul. This sounded like something out of one of her dad's old D&D books.
"Not... necessarily." Tzeentch droned out, causing Taylor to snap back towards him with hope, while the others gazed upon him with suspicion.
"WHAT ARE YOU PLAYING AT, TZEENTCH?" Khorne growled.
Tzeentch raised both hands up defensively. "I am merely proposing a… compromise of sorts. One that could satisfy the desires of all fo-" Tzeentch then gazed at Taylor. "Of all five of us."
"Well, get on with it then!" Nurgle blustered out, making no effort to hide his distaste for Tzeentch.
Tzeentch looked at his fellow Gods and said, "Tell me, when was the last time all of us were so... intrigued by a mortal? A soul like her's does not come often and I know all of us would commit much of our forces to obtain her." He then looked at Taylor. "As for you, Taylor Hebert. Restoring you to life is within our power. But! Not only is that an expenditure of our powers, we would be losing you and gaining nothing in return. Thusly, my proposal is this. If you can become someone worthy of carrying all four of our banners in the mortal world, we will then return you to life."
"You wish to make her the next Everchosen?" Slaanesh incredulously asked, as she focused her gaze on Taylor, causing the teen to flash with heat. "I can see it."
"As can I." Nurgle agreed, ponderously nodding his head. "While I would prefer to keep you within my Gardens, child, not even I can hold off the forces of the other three combined"
Tzeentch clapped his hands. "Good! We are in agreement then?" he asked, tilting his head/torso towards Khorne.
The Blood God kept his fierce gaze upon Tzeentch for what felt like some of the longest seconds of Taylor's existence, before he simply grunted and turned his head.
"Wait, wait, wait!" Taylor yelled out again to get their attention, angry that they kept deciding things without her. "I don't understand! What is it you want me to do? What is the Everchosen?"
"You see Taylor." Nurgle began as he sat on the rocky terrain. With the threat of violence past, he placed Taylor on his knee like a doting grandfather, something she was wholly uncomfortable with. "We of Chaos are always fighting. Whether it is here, or in the mortal realms. But, every few millennia, a mortal rises who gains the favor and blessing of not just one, but of all of us." Nurgle kindly explained.
"And this mortal is the Everchosen?" Taylor asked.
Nurgle looked down at her and gave a big, toothy smile that caused a wave of maggot to flow out of his mouth. "That he is indeed! The Everchosen is a champion for all of Chaos Undivided! A pestilence upon the world that wroughts not but death and corruption!"
Then Khorne spoke, adding on his opinion. "THE EVERCHOSEN IS A WARLORD. PEERLESS IN BATTLE AND SLAUGHTER."
"The Everchosen is a king!" Slaanesh excitedly exclaimed. "Or queen, who takes whatever pleasures they desire."
"The Everchosen is an agent of change, bucking against a world that seeks to control them." Tzeentch finished. "And to become the next Everchosen, your task is simple." Tzeentch said as he pointed his tentacled finger at Taylor. "Find the Crown of Domination, lay it upon your head, and if you survive, you will be proclaimed Everchosen. Do this, and we will raise you from the dead, and return you to your world. Deal?" From Tzeentch's finger, a smaller tentacle extruded out towards Taylor, growing a human sized hand for her to shake.
Taylor looked at the hand as she was making a literal deal with a devil. Unfortunately, she didn't see any other options. Here she was, lost in Hell. If she wanted anyway to actually get out, she'd have to play their game. But Taylor also had a feeling that this would be an extremely dangerous game. And being the daughter of a Union rep, she knew at the very least to never accept the first deal.
"I don't know anything about this world. And I'm not a Cape or a soldier. If I'm going to do this I'm going to need help." Taylor countered, trying to sound brave in front of the eldritch abomination in front of her.
Tzeentch frowned. Or at least Taylor assumed he did as his tentacles curled and scrunched up in the shape of a frown. "Well if you can't make it on your own, then perhaps we were wrong and you were simply too weak to become the Everchosen."
"Maybe." Taylor shrugged, trying her best to look confident. "But look at it like this. When is the next time someone who 'intrigues' all four of you going to come along? Decades? Centuries? If you want me to become this, Everchosen, then you'll need to put some kind of down payment. An investment so I have a higher chance of succeeding, and we all get what we want."
"Hmm." Tzeentch mulled over Taylor's words. "Fine. But I shall not be the only one to do so. The four of us together, shall give you the first Treasure and blessing, the Mark of Chaos. This will change your body to that of a Chaos Warrior, to help you survive the physical tribulations of this realm, as well as grant you knowledge of our Arcane gifts."
"I'll also need a guide." Taylor added on to the ire of the Chaos God. "Knowledge is power, and the more I know of where I need to go, the faster I can accomplish this task."
Nurgle chortled at Taylor's words. "I can see why you like her Tzeentch."
If Tzeentch was pleased or displeased with her, Taylor couldn't tell.
"Fine." Tzeentch grumbled. "But this is all you shall receive from us. If you cannot succeed with this, then you have no one but yourself to blame for your failure."
Taylor nodded her head. "Fair enough. I accept." Then she grabbed the tentacle-hand in front of her and shook it. That's when she started screaming.
Taylor howled and yelled as a searing pain carved its way through her entire body. It was the most intense, mind breaking pain she had ever experienced. Worse than any physical beating Sophia could dish out. Worse than the pain she felt when she broke her own body against her locker door. Taylor's muscles spasmed as they increased in mass, her bones felt like they were breaking and reforming as she grew taller.
Then the pain coalesced on her forehead. A burning sensation as she felt the ancient Eight-Pointed Star of Chaos etch itself upon her face. Taylor continued to scream till her voice grew hoarse and she collapsed into an unmoving mass on Nurgle's knee.
She then felt two gigantic fingers pinch the back of her clothes, lifting her up into the air, and ferrying her to the barren landscape below.
"And that, dear Taylor." She heard Tzeentch chuckle. "Was one of the few kindnesses you shall find here. Now I wish you luck on your quest. You shall need it if you want to return to your Father in good time."
Taylor glanced up, still shaking with pain, confused as to how Tzeentch knew of that. Before she could ask, the Chaos God was gone. Looking around, she saw all four of them were gone. Taylor let out a breath as she laid unmoving on the ground.
A/N, 4/30/22: Hey all. New story that I've been tinkering in the background for a while. Wasn't able to finish up any chapters for my other stories this month, so I decided to post a chapter of this one so I have something posted. Expect irregular updates. I would also like to shout one one major inspiration for this story, Cold Land, Cold Heart by Lord-Of-Change. If you haven't read that story, I highly suggest you do. With that, thanks, I hope you enjoyed reading, and I'll see you in the next one!