Chapter 5: The Demon and the Jester
You could hear a rat fart in the the Dark Eldar city that had been decimated by the Chaos Knights Marines so many years ago, in fact many of the same Marines that laughed as they killed the Dark Eldar Champions in the arenas the prided themselves in brought them back to life to kill them again. The Succubus's got it the worst in the arena, they were beaten to death with wooden pools then revived as they made all of their kind watch and do it again. Then no one wept the destruction of over 98 percent of their kind but the Chaos Marines did something no one thought possible. They not only invaded and took over the dark city but broke the will of almost the entire population, by killing them and reviving and killing them again, over and over till they begged for death. That's how the entire city loaded up on the prisons ships and left for execution as it was considered a release. Even Martellus was not above the torture of the population his favorite thing to do was have a contest of strength and rip the losers arm off then heal them and try again, over and over then take the highest most proud champion in beat him in battle over and over until he was mentally broken. Since the Eldar feel so much more than all other species depression was a hard emotion to overcome. The Dark Eldar came up with a name for Martellus which translated in the Nightmare Daemon of the Dead King.
Normally, a Harlequin would face death and laugh but through the stories of the young Dark Eldar that lived he knew there were worst things the death and THE Nightmare was right in front of him. The two Marine scouts who caught him were good they were a mist but solid at the same time like a shadow, no one was abusing him but one of them heard something what looked like his helmet and pointed a large black misty looking claw at him and in a low voice said.
"The nightmare is coming Dark One, repent and worship the Dead King and you shall be spared." The both started laughing because everyone knew Martellus Nickname but him so they were having a little fun.
The Harlequin scout could hear what sounded like a two legged tank marching his direction he saw his feet, for the world he did not want to look up and see that red eye, that horrible red eye that said to hold the power of chaos itself and suck the soul out of a living being. So for the time being he left his head down in shame, after this he could not longer call himself a guardian of the black library.
"So this is him, why is he so scared?" Martellus asked both of the Marines shook their head as if they were clueless.
Martellus neeled down and said, "Hey, I am talking to you what is your name?" He did not raise his head. "I am just asking your name." The Harlequin finally got some balls since he was going to die anyway and looked him in the face and saw the eye and paused for a second then said, "Why so you can take my soul when I tell you!"
"No, so I know what to call you, whatever you have heard about me, or those assholes over there said, I would say probably half...um may a quarter is true...well maybe half. Yes, I tortured the dark Eldar, yes, I love slaughter, but I have a sense of justice, I am not going to hurt you, I just want to talk and believe me there is a arch demon over-there wanting to take you apart and I am the best of the options...believe me. Tills cut this man free he will not leave dare leave correct?"
"Sir are you sure this one I heard are tricksters!"
"What the hell did I just say Tills was that a question, do you want me to cut a mortus on your back!"
"No sir, he said as he went to cut the restraints.
"Good, now what is your name?" Martellus said.
Rubbing his arms he said, "Amran"
"That's great, we have a big question to ask my Emperor the Dead King wants to keep the Black library, he also has a gift your boss cannot refuse. So we know he is damaged, we wish to put him back together, my master can do it, I just spoke with him and he has the assets. I know you think me a monster but the stories you hear about what we did to the Dark Eldar, who did you hear them from….children correct we saved the children?
"Yes, you did." Amran said.
"They are safe now away from the vile, hedonism, in our Imperium." Martellus took his mask off, much to Amran surprise he looked human he was no daemon like he had heard.
"Look we have two choices, we can take it we now it is at M. 643357, or you can take us there, will you choose peace as he held out his hand." Martellus said.
Arman reached out and grasped his hand, "I will take you there and tell them you are coming though I doubt you will not make it in, the touch of chaos on you, you have to." Aman said.
"We shall see." Martellus stood and and walked over to Demiurge with a big smile, "Peace so far!"
"We shall see my experiment, remember who made who." Demiurge smiled.
They made their though the webway, Aman had never seen soldiers dispatch daemons so quickly and effortlessly. One of the the Knights shot the head off a 15 foot towering daemon prince without breaking stride as they, considered them meer vermin that was not worth their time. The equipment they carried consisted with a holy sword, something that looked like a pintle mount bolter that should only be on top of a tank, others had flamers that were enormous, and then a pistol bolter that was the size of an ork overlord would use. The even more astonishing this was they used them as they were weight was not existent.
Arman had one of the knights right next to him and he seem neither in a physical plane nor of the warp but some kind of etheric hybrid.
The had another 10 minutes before the trap he set for the 50 C-knights activating his emergency beacon, so there would ner 50 brethren waiting in ambush. Somehow he never saw more than the one that was guarding him except when they open up fire with they never missed so he would only see a ghostly outline from the flash of a soldier.
Nervous and trying to distract his bodygaurd when the maylay started he started up a conversation, "So what is the Dead King Like."
The guard did not break his concentration and said, "The God Emperor is to Holy a word to come out of your mouth it offends me, for he is my father and we are his sons." He said as he kept walking.
"Why do you look real but not." Aman asked.
"Heretical question, do not ask again." The C-Knight said and walked.
Demiurge and Martellus were in the middle of the formation arguing, "We will take the other asset, I have orders from the Emperor as you would not want to do it, here are the orders," Demiurge said,
"He quickly read over the order is was real his real eye never lied. "This is will come off as disrespectful but no violence use you voice." Martellus said.
Finally, they were at the junction were all his brothers were waiting for attack, suddenly bodies started falling from the high up, from the walls, and everywhere. The entire ambush unit was decimated within seconds.
"Threat neutralized, all unconscious as order next order?" Tills said over the vox
"We enter the Codex Forbicus," as the order was given the doors flew open and standing in front of thousands of civilian warriors was the Main Librarian Milex Damocles.
"Turn back now, you must be pure of heart to enter this place, I see you Knightmare of the Dead king." Milex bellowed as her raised a mighty ancient power axe.
"We come in peace but, look all your soldiers are alive we have the mean and the ability to heal the laughing God, and speak to the one." Martellus said.
"How do you know these things even some of the Highest level librarians have not this knowledge." He replied
"We are the Guardians of the Imperium of the Dead king he can go anywhere at anytime, he knows thing craft world better than the being who lives in the middle of this place. Martellus said.
"I say nay, you are not allowed…."
Demiurge walked in front of army stood right in front of Milex and said, " Everyone choke yourself." All of the Eldar army put their hands around their throats and squeezed, they all saw colors, then everything started to go black for the the Eldar civilian force. Demiurge walked in front of Milrex who was on her hands and knees choking, was the only one fighting back Demiurges power but just enough to breath. Demiurge walked in front of Master Librarian Codex, he walked over dusting off his suit and bent over and gave a big grin and said.
"I could have choked each one of your men with their own intestines, or something so much more delicious but, alas the Emperor told me to kill no one unless in self defense am I danger?"He asked as his hand started to move to Milrex.
"What...type...of warp….sorcery… this…? Milex choked out.
As Martellus watched this he knew it would turn into a massacre.
"Demiurge I will report you, wait until you have your own world in the nexus as he promised. Martellus screamed as he pulled out of his enormous SX barrel assault cannon out of his void pack made so that he and he alone could carry. The "Rifle" was enormous, the size of a small cannon that would be mounted on top of a lemon Russ but infinitely more deadly. It had three barrels that were autloaded by his voidpack that would spit a wave of hot plasma from each barrel one at a time alternating barrels so it would never overheat. Each barrel was painted a different color, Red, Black and Crimson the first two honoring the first two space marine chapters and the last honoring his own The Emperor's Chaos Knights which was on top and had a large skull and crest that was ornamental and functional as it served as a weapons sight. Only he was able to aim it but he still had a hard time with it as it was mostly intended to be shot from the hip.
You could hear the sound of metal shifting as even the Chaos Knights in the room tensed up as they knew one shot from that cannon could kill everything except Demiurge and continue to blow out room after room until the specialized "round" ran out of kinetic energy. Only the Captains and newly placed Chaplains who had just that day showed up for duty were in the command tent that day. It was on one of the last days of the siege of a Dark Eldar city with the radio operator got the information that a suicide frigate was aimed straight at them. As all the leaders ran out of the tent it was just in time to see their own doom as the ship was only a half kilometer a away shrugging off all anti-air fire of the phalanx. Then Martellus pulled out his fabled weapon and fired three well placed shots and as quickly as the ship appeared it disappeared, he had place the shots so well that the three shots pierced through the hull and all converged close enough to the core that the entire ship imploded the burst into a blast a ball of plasma and then burnt out like a sun. It was an impossible shot, and in the end no one was hurt as all the command cadre looked on with awe and as facts turned into myth.
"You shoot me with that you are good as a heretic! Demiurge siad.
"I died once and I will again for the Emperor, let them go some of the librarians and soldiers are near death!" Martellus demanded.
Demiurge rolled his head as if he was contemplate what to do tonight," Fine "release" but Milex insulted me and for that she should die!"
"Enough!" Screamed and figure in a wheelchair like status pod, I am the man you seek Cegorach! As he was missing a arm half a leg and some internal organs and was in some status chiar that kept him alive.
"Master was right he did not get harmed." Tillus of the C-Knight said.
"Tillus the God Emperor, the dead king does not make mistakes brother, repent of the heresy brother!" Ulrus his battle brother said.
"I repent" He said half heartedly, he would not be long for the C-knights as only the most devote and skilled were hand picked and Tilus was a failure if he did not keep his body and soul together and would most likely "retired" or made one with Emperor for was all the fate of Chaos knights.
Martellus walked forward, "We can make you whole "old god" but there are two conditions?"
"What are those." He replied.
"Absolute and total loyalty, he can dilate and manipulate time so if you think you can fool him he will kill you, second he wants to put the black library in the eye of hope in a shell planet in his webway. That is it. Martellus replied
"You might ask for my life, how can I put this where your new chaos god wants, He replied.
"He said you would say that he has a present for you and if it works he wants audience with the old one." Martellus barked.
"If you make me whole again then I will meet your demand, but hear this chaos daemon I saw foul sorcery today and the evil of the warp cannot enter this place." The laughing god said.
"Target acquired open gate" Martellus said as an enormous gate opened, you could see the Marines start a withdrawal through, Martellus put his cannon back in his void pack and did not look at Demiurge.
"What in the name? Cegorach said.
"Power of my God instant travel let us go." As Cegorach, Martellus, and Demiurge all walked through the Gate and into the belly of the prison ship.
Cegorach stood in front of a avatar of a god, he was wise enough to know it was not him so powerful he really could have single handedly taken the Black Library.
"Cegorach so glad you joined us there was a 20 percent chance you would not come, that uncertain percent can always get you." Ainz said.
"Where are we, what are we doing, and what do you want with me? Cegorach siad.
"So many questions, well we are in my prison ship Despair the very same I used for the Dark Eldar, good times, anyways, first what do you know about demonic energy in the warp or ether?
"The soul of the lost feed the gods and they grow stronger," Cegorach said.
"True but did you know that all the energy can be extracted from the god and the being they break them off to just as they were created, so in in theory if one had the ability and knowhow to withdraw this power one can take the power as I did with Nurgle," Emperor Ainz said.
"So if you can do this thing, I suppose this ship if full of demons for healing me?" Cegorach said.
"Yes, ⅔ of Slaanesh army after I destroyed her garden planet, you would have laughed." Ainz replied.
"What do you want me to do?"Cegorach said.
"Start a war between the Gods, do what you are good at.." Ainz replied.
"I accept my you as my master if you deliver."Cegorach said
"Good but before you do have you heard of the Nexus? The Emperor asked.
"Only from your men." He replied.
"When the old ones made this world their was the physical, warp, and webway, but I can weave the etheric particles of a being to be all three that is why my knights are invisible they can shift one to the other! Ainz said.
"What is the drawbacks is always the question asked, is mental instability so far I can only keep my warriors sane for 35 years and many become psychotic. I need the black library to fix the nexus" The Dead king said.
"Then what?" asked Cegorach.
"Remake and not just this galaxy but the Universe fix the mistakes those old things made, you think me mad? They were the ones who created us to let the universe burn, the necrons were beaten but they gave them mercy time after, time now we have them and the C'tan which are worse, who will you follow? Become my jester, I save Isha, I call my "gods" guardians as that is what they are protecting my kingdom and I will consume the universe as I consumed nurgle, what say you Cegorach?
"Do it make whole and I will take you to the master of the library." Cegorach said.
The avatar of the Dead King took his time to do it but put up his hands, you could hear the screams of demons as their life force ripped from their bodies etheric strings of light being ripped from every being going to Cegorach slowly rebuilding his body until it was completely healed. It took every ounce of energy of the prisoners had and after the rutiaul that were nothing but dark husks of the human, eldar and other species they originally were before they were transformed. Deep in the eye of Terror Slaanesh screamed out in pain as she felt the loss off all of the power she lost that she had taken from Cegorach so long ago.
The Jester stood up and started to laugh maniacally as a dark miasma started to rise from Cegorach. He was now was at full power actually he felt the same dark energy he sensed when he came into the room coursing through his veins and then he understood. He was just like all those poor reaches that had their power ripped from them, but he was serving the Dead King, he was no a Daemon Prince as some would call it, though he called his servants Guardians instead. He knew the score he could not even think of attempting any trickery as his life was directly tied to his masters and was at his mercy but it felt great to be back. He felt his mask that was no longer cracked and smiled, everyone should get a second chance he thought.
"Well I know you have a few millennia of tricks to pull and I look forward to it but we have the other business." Ainz said as he looked at Cegorach inspecting his body.
"Yes, now let us go talk to the master of the Dark Library I owe him much as he put me together the best he could after the catastrophe but I always found him to be a bit of an old toad to talk to, hehehe!" He replied.
"I will make the Gate." Ainz said.
Authors note:
Well this one took me awhile and I know it was short but it is going to get nuts as Ainz is declaring war on the Galaxy and creating his Utopia. The next chapter will really show how he plans to do it and how much help he can get. With that in mind this conversation with the "Librarians owner" is essential to his how much he can get done. We will see and come on guys give me some feedback, what do you think would happen if Ainz got an old one to be on his side? It will help me to write faster!