Dear readers,

Sigh. Not much faster, am I. Oh well. I guess you know me by now. ;)
I think I'll stop with the predictions entirely, because what's the point, really.

Some news coming your way! Some you'll like, some you won't.

1. I decided against including the girl-on-girl smut scene in chapter 23 (Temira/Lhamaean), as it would put focus on things in this chapter which would distract from the actual story too much. However, I might write it one day as a side-piece.

2. Some minor, yet important changes have commenced in chapter 25. I edited the following passages, putting into non-italics what I edited:

"Vlokarion frowned. This one was… brackish. "That is… an understatement, if I may be so bold. I am surprised that you even put so much effort into extracting her."

Vect nodded, removed the blade and agreed, "Precisely. That is what I thought too for a long time. If it had not been for her importance considering the manipulation of Temira, I would have dispensed with her quite a while ago. I guess it is also the reason why she had not been bought before I did - quite the stroke of luck for me, admittedly."

Vlokarion was wise enough not to comment on Vect's admission that he had been lucky - but took note of it. It was always refreshing to see that even a mastermind like Vect sometimes needed luck for his plans to work out to perfection."

(...)

"All his (Vlokarion's) theories about a truly pure soul, they could be done! Resurrection without limits! And the logical step was, that when the subject that received said essence was not dead for centuries, but alive and strong, it was very well possible to create a true deity, and a powerful one at that. Perhaps even one that started a new pantheon."

3. My stupid ass forgot to finish the Lelith fight. *shakes head* I'm sorry!

Anyyyywayyyy, massive thanks to my scarce commenters! You guys are what keeps this story around here alive! I know I'm trying you with my updating times, as usual, but we're getting there!

Grocamol: Yup, pretty much that.
Guest No.1: Noooooo... him and Vlokarion are just working on Temira's new unicorn fart cannon! :P
bobshady: Wow... just wow. Thank you for those kind words, you honour me by saying that none of BL's canon stuff is as good as mine, for Andy Chambers is my huge idol as an author! I'm happy that you like my writing so much! I SO hear you on Space Marines! The only exception to the rule is Lukas the Trickster, imho. And thank you, what you say about the duels is exactly how I wanted them to feel! It's great to hear that my effort has paid off! Hubby says thank you, btw! You're such a diligent commenter, I could just kiss you!
Guest No.2: Thank you, I'm very happy to hear that my descriptions are well done!

Also, massive, ultra thanks go to CleverMird (find her on AO3) for being a fantastic reader and discussion partner! She was so kind as to read through this whole thing and correct my grammar and commas (ooooh do I hate commas). I haven't gotten around to updating the story in that regard, but I will!

And, without her, this chapter wouldn't be as good! Since SindelV had to put down her duties as a beta (but left me with a lot of fantastic ideas), I'm more than happy and honoured that CleverMird is helping me so much!

Also, you can thank CleverMird for giving me another, nice manipulation idea. Hehehehe.

So, be good sports and check out her 40k story, "Silver, Ash and Bone" on AO3! It is about the fate of an Aeldari girl caught by the Drukhari, a lot fluffier than my things, but it also has some fantastic, horrible Drukhari moments in it and a solid plot! I've read it, so you can rest assured it has the "Shâtî Seal of Approval™" (which I don't hand out often, mind you).

Hop over there, read her stuff, leave her some Kudos and BE NICE!

Otherwise, momma Shâtî is gonna come over and whup your ass!

Cheerio, my lovelies, and enjoy!

Shâtî

"Cut my life into pieces
This is my last resort
Suffocation
No breathing
Don't give a fuck
If I cut my arm bleeding"

Papa Roach - Last Resort
(although I prefer the First to Eleven cover)

I EVENTUALLY STOPPED crying. It probably was for the best. What remained was freezing cold and absolute loss of strength. I felt drained as I never had before and all I wanted was to sleep.

No chance for that.

I was in trouble. Serious trouble, as it stood. I could not gauge whether it was as serious as after the Vyras incident, but I had little hope I would get off any easier.

I had seen the disappointment in my master's eyes, and it crushed me. Why could I not follow the simple rules he had laid out for me? What had gotten into me lately?

What made this hard, was that he had made clear, even after I betrayed him with Vyras, that he did not want to punish me. Yes, he enjoyed my pain, but not the fact that he had to hurt me. It was strange, but I was sure it was true.

And Lisbeth…

I had no time to finish that thought, because my master came back.

My eyes grew wide as I beheld him.

Most of his armour - and especially his taloned gauntlets - was covered in blood.

My mind raced.

Was this it? Had he…

"I-is she… gone?" I stammered, heart racing with sheer panic.

Vect scoffed, passing me, placing the sceptre in its destined place, then starting to take off his armour. "Are you serious, Temira? After all she made you fail to do, Lisbeth is your foremost concern?" Gauntlets removed, he turned around, rubbing the bridge of his nose, eyes tightly shut. "Help me understand it! How can you still care for somebody that clearly betrayed you in all the ways possible?"

"I-I…" I stammered, fighting for words and composure. I swallowed, then added, defeated, "I'm not sure anymore, Overlord." I was trembling.

"Exactly the kind of answer I expected," Vect huffed, then shook his head. "No matter. This ends tonight. I am out of patience with the two of you." He turned around, taking off the rest of his armour.

I needed to find my courage to speak, and it took me a bit, but I had to pry. "W-what a-are you…" I started, but he did not let me finish.

"If you cannot speak properly, Temira, then leave it be altogether," he scolded me, turning his head, his stare pinioning mine. "It is simple, slavegirl: I will sell her. Killing her would be a waste, especially after all the time and training I put into her. But ending her life or not, it boils down to one important thing: you are never going to see her again." He slipped into a simple robe.

That was precisely what I had feared.

Even though Lisbeth had done her damndest to make clear to me that I was dead to her, I still held on. It tore me apart. Why could I not just close that door and leave well enough alone? I was in this situation because of her disobedience to begin with!
Still, it was clear that Vect might as well have killed her, because I was sure that another Archon would not put up with her shenanigans for long. She was doomed either way.

"Then whose blood is it?" I asked.

"Does it matter?" Vect shrugged. "My patience has been tried too much, and I longed for a quick kill. And since you, of all people, failed me, it was a rather massive bloodbath. Those lives rest on your conscience, Temira."

I absolutely believed him, yet I found that I did not care about the lives lost. What I did care about, was that my failure had made him lose himself, giving him a potential weakness in front of others. I had utterly failed in all my duties, and I feared that this punishment would be much harsher than the last one.

Vect shook his head, his eyes still transfixed on me. "And yet, for all that you are doing wrong, I cannot help but find that your presence, your essence, is calming to me. Maybe once you stop disappointing me, we could explore this facet further."
I was utterly confused. Even though I was such a horrible slave, I still was good for him? My emotions were so tumbled. I was torn between fear, hurt and awe. Maybe me landing with him had not been a calculation, as he could not have known that, but fate after all?

"Either way, as for you…" Vect sighed deeply and slowly shook his head. He looked… defeated. It was a crushing sight. "I tried to prepare you for the eventuality of Lisbeth's betrayal, and yet…"

Tears welled up in my eyes again. It hurt so much that I had failed him so. "I'm sorry, master. I didn't mean to make you punish me." My voice broke.

Vect smiled sadly and looked at me, suddenly looking very old. "I know, little one. However, that does not change the fact that I now have to, now does it?"

I could only shake my head.

"Well, then. Come," he ordered me and I was filled with surprise and dread as I realised that he headed for the garden. I had thought that this time it would be the torture chamber for me. However, I also had not forgotten about the paralysis.

Even though my knees were soft and I was terrified of the implications, I followed, not even reacting to the sting of the carpet as I stepped on it.

Despondently, I followed him down the stairs, knowing that nothing would shield me from whatever punishment he had decided on. I tensed up as I entered the garden, expecting to drop with the torturous paralysis…

…but it did not happen.

Vect said to me, without looking at me, "You did not truly believe that I would give you the comfort of a known sentence? Even though I know that this brought you close to your breaking point, you also now would know what comes, and that would defeat the purpose entirely." He walked over the bridge onto the island, then knelt, sitting on his heels.

Vect motioned me to come to him, and I obeyed.

As soon as I got down on my knees too, he grabbed me by my hair and hissed into my ear, "Make no mistake, Temira. Just because I pity the fact that I have to punish you, and that your failures disappoint me, does not mean that I will not enjoy this."

"I-I would never b-believe that, my lord," I gave back, trembling.

"Good. Then, at least, you have learnt something," Vect grumbled.

He then pushed my head down, forcing me on all fours, and my head against the ground. I could not look at him anymore, and I understood the symbolism of this gesture all too well.

"As you know, I advocate strongly for punishments fitting the crime. Since you have drowned in your feelings for Lisbeth - and still are, I might add - I will teach you how to handle the feeling of drowning."

My eyes grew wide. Since I knew all too well that this was one of the methods that broke a human extremely quickly, I finally realised the true extent of my failure. There was no warring of feelings anymore - only fear remained.

Was this it? Had I failed him so much that he only saw one last resort, namely, breaking me completely to make me compliant?

My thoughts had to be evident on my features, because Vect scoffed and noted, "I see you are aware of the severity of this deceptively simple method. I know that your kind uses it to great effect too - but I can assure you, my hand is much more refined, so that you will not lose your mind. After all, what good would that do, now that you finally understand your place?"

The Overlord gave me no time to answer or process his words, because he dragged me to the water surface and pushed me under. Even though I was scared out of my skull, I managed not to struggle.

The cold water hit my face like a blow, knocking me wide awake and clearing my head. I was utterly focused, unable to perceive anything else, all those swirling emotions and questions replaced by the icy, sound-muffling liquid.

I could only stay still for a few seconds. There was no fighting against survival instincts.

I struggled hard. I stood no chance, even though Vect apparently had to lean on me to control me.

I understood immediately why the sensation of drowning quickly broke people. It just induced utter panic, you could not think clearly anymore, and there was no fighting this fear. It was just… primal. You just wanted it to end.

Had he lied? Would he actually drown me? Was this my time?

It became so hard to think and move…

The millisecond before I would have taken the desperate, deadly breath of water, Vect dragged me out.

I fought for air, coughed, then fought some more. Everything was spinning around me. I was completely helpless and barely was able to perceive my surroundings. I faded in and out of consciousness.

I had no idea how long I was lying there and trying to get control of myself. It took me quite some time to regain my senses.

As soon as I did, Vect commented, his inflexion falsely amicable, "With me again? Good!" He pushed me on my belly, as I had curled up on my side, then grabbed the deceptively delicate chains that still were attached to my attire, forcing my limbs unpleasantly together, completely inhibiting any movement. "It seems as if Vlokarion was a bit… overzealous with your enhancements. Holding you down when the adrenaline takes hold of you is… challenging. I do not deny that this can be an interesting facet in torture, but today, I am weary. I am in no mood to strain myself further."

Even though I immediately believed that, considering that he had been fighting, then died and was resurrected today, it also surprised me that Vlokarion should have made me so strong that I challenged Vect's immense strength. Whether it was the truth, or an elegant way to get some bindings into play (even though I did not understand why he went to those lengths of explanation), I could not tell.

Vect then bound me in a tight and unpleasant hogtie, and I had to realise with horror that the chains of the attire could be detached, to be rearranged, adding additional cruelty to the outfit. For one, because it was apparently easy to detach the chains, the new knowledge now forever tantalising and beckoning to just rip them off. The other facet that added to its cruelty, was that this attire could also be used to force a slave into humiliating positions or hamper their movements so it was easy to mock them or force them into making mistakes.

As the Overlord was done, he leant in on me, nailing my head against the floor, and hissed into my ear, "It pleases me to see that you realise how much I have shielded you so far. Continue to disappoint me, and I might use this attire to truly make your official duties, as you would put it, hell." Apparently, my thought process had been obvious on my face.

I did not bother to answer, the position he held me in made clear that he did not want to hear me speak right now. This was about subjugation, and I figured the more obedient I was right now, the better.

Vect made no move to get off me. It was hard to breathe with him leaning on me and pushing me into the ground. I had to fight against my elevated need for oxygen to stay obediently still. "It is a curious thing, you know. Even though I enjoy your suffering, I never could shake the feeling that seeing you subjugated deeply satisfies me and makes me want to go easier on you than I planned. Not for the fun of it, or the knowledge that it humiliates you, no, just… how to put this… it feels… natural with you, if you can follow my meaning."

I immediately was reminded of something Vlokarion had said, and my eyes widened.

"What is it, Temira?" Vect asked, apparently having sensed my realisation. He took some of his weight off me, making it easier for me to breathe and speak.

"Maester Vlokarion said something similar to me, a while ago. He told me he believed that I was born to be a slave. There seems to be something to it, then, if you feel the same way, Overlord," I gave back.

"Curious," Vect purred, "This is certainly no coincidence, then." I heard him shake his head. "Enough! Back to the matter at hand. We can mince semantics once I am done with you." He chuckled. "Though I doubt you will be in any state to do so, then."

I hated his ill-placed humour.

The Overlord got off me then, and hauled me to the water surface. "Anything you have to say in mitigation, Temira?"

I closed my eyes, stabbed by the sheer mockery. "I don't think there is anything I can say, master."

Vect chuckled darkly. "Smart girl."

Then, he pushed me under.

It went quite similarly to the last time.

I tried to stay calm and still, but it simply was impossible. Eventually, my need to breathe grew once more into this irrational panic, and I violently fought against my shackles, the delicate chains easily cutting into my flesh as I struggled. It did not matter. I barely felt the pain. The need to breathe erased everything else.

Again, Vect barely kept me from drowning.

He drew me out, but harshened my punishment by drawing my head sharply backwards while pushing me down between my shoulder blades, making it hard for me to fight for air. I coughed and retched, spitting water, coughing some more, trying to breathe. I was shaking from exertion already, and I knew we barely had started. Tears streamed down my face. I had never been so desperate before.

Vect did not say anything, but pushed me under again, much faster this time, giving me less time to recover.

There was nothing I could do. Nothing at all, but endure, and hope he would not end me - accidentally or not. This time, he pushed me even farther. As he finally drew me to the surface again, my head was spinning and it was hard for me to concentrate and regulate my senses.

Vect told me, as he gave me the shortest of breaks, "If you think I am being unfair, let me add some facts to your ordeal: since you are the competent one of the two of you, I decided that you should bear Lisbeth's punishment too. After all, she is just dumb prey, not knowing how to behave after all this time. But you, Temira, you should have known that your inability to punish her would come down on you hard."

His voice pierced my mind unfiltered. I was unable to brace myself against its impact. I knew he was right. I knew I deserved this.

And yet… and yet…

I had no time to finish the thought.

The fight started over once more.

And again.

And again.

I did not know how often he had drowned me, only that I eventually was given some time to recover. The Overlord had shaped the breaks shorter and shorter, keeping me just from fainting all the time. If I had not been so busy surviving, I would have admired his skill. Vect had not talked to me anymore, not demanded anything, not lectured me, he just had kept drowning me over and over and over again.

Now, I was somewhere between consciousness and a twisted kind of trance, breath echoing in my ears, heart beating sluggishly. I felt nothing but the burning of my airways, as I had gotten water into them again and again, even though I realised somewhere at the back of my consciousness that I felt really cold.

Do you regret shielding her now?

I was unsure whether I heard or thought or felt the words. It did not matter. The point was, it was a poignant question.

This was too much. I did not deserve suffering for Lisbeth.

Yes, I had failed to punish her. But why did I have to suffer for her failure too, if he would sell her?

It was not his fault either, though. My master had tried so hard to make me see. Tried so hard to make her understand.

I did not fight anymore as I felt Vect grab me again and push me under again. Cold. Wetness. Fear. Pain. Panic.

Relief.

Out of the water. Breathing again. Lying there. Half-awake. Head spinning. Clear thoughts were so, so hard to grasp.

Had I adjusted to this state of being now? Only able to even breathe if he allowed it?

Yes.

He was everything to me, because he provided everything for me. Shielded me from the worst horrors of Commorragh. And how had I repaid him? By choosing her over him… again and again.

Maybe I did deserve this after all.

But only because it was the only way I could repay him for hurting him.

I do not enjoy punishing you. I only want you to understand.

Yes. He had told me over and over again. He was not the enemy here.

She was.

Lisbeth was.

Another bout with the water. Another shred of my consciousness taken away. Was this how slowly dying felt? Was this how it all ended for me?

Another round of relief.

I see now.

Had I said it? Did it matter?

It's her. It was her all along. She made me fail. I hate her. IhateherIhateherIhateher. I'm sorry, master. I'm so sor…

Warmth.

What?

I suddenly felt warm. Cradled. My joints were not hurting anymore. I could… move them?

Pleasant pressure. Soothing texture. A small sting at my neck.

I held still for a while, confused by the relief. But the water and cold did not come around to beat me up anymore. It took me a while, but eventually I understood that Vect had stopped drowning me. I slowly regained my senses, and realised that I was sitting in his lap, and he cradled me in his arms, in an enormous, plush towel, which warmed me and sucked the wetness off my head.

Then, words floated into my head, "I am proud of you, Temira. You finally understood it. And, more importantly, you finally feel it."

I smiled and closed my eyes. This was good.

Vect did not expect me to answer, but just held me. I had no idea for how long.

Eventually, everything felt… nice.

I fell into a state of relaxation. The world seemed… fluffy around me. The warmth of my master's body against mine calmed me, and I felt my heartbeat and breathing slowing down. As I opened my eyes, I realised that my sight was slightly blurred, and blinking did not help. However, I did not mind. I had the feeling that I could do anything right now, no matter what else was the case. At the same time, I did not see the point of actually doing anything, because I felt so cosy.

"Come, Temira," the Overlord's voice floated into my mind, so very far away. I felt cradled by the gravity of his voice, and I knew what he said was right and it would be good for me when I obeyed.

He put me to my feet, and I felt holding balance was hard, but I tried. It did not matter whether I succeeded or not, now did it?

My master's dark chuckle anchored me and the world stopped spinning long enough that I could focus. "Hmm, it seems as if stairs are too much for you right now. Let me help you with that."

Stairs…?

Oh, right, the stairs to the quarters. When had we arrived at them? I just remembered sitting in his lap, cradled, recovering from…

…her mistakes.

That bitch.

If I ever saw her again…

I let out a girlish yip as he lifted me, cradled me in his arms and carried me up the stairs. To my surprise, he did not set me down again, but continued carrying me up another flight of stairs - or so I thought, directions were hard right now - down a corridor and through a heavy door.

The room behind it was almost completely dark, only some very dim, neutral light shone from the top, highlighting a white shape in the middle of the room.

The smell was also weird- on one hand strangely sterile, disinfectants, autoclaved glass and metal, on the other, adrenaline, fear and pain. I also caught whiffs of toluene, and I smiled fondly, as I liked its chemical sting, reminding me of the smell of glue. Paraffin mixed into that too.

Wait…

My face lit up as I saw a quite distinctive figure move in the shadows and, together with the scent, I recognised it. "Maester!" I happily exclaimed, "Can we finally talk?"

Vlokarion's hoarse chuckle filled my ears, swirling in my head, painting beautiful shapes in front of my eyes. "I'm afraid there is little time for that right now, my dear. But I suspect there will be in a little while."

"So, a few months, at least," I pouted.

"Now, now," Vect's voice cut into my mind from behind me, "do not grow unruly, Temira! You will spend quite some time with Vlokarion soon. Now, see, there is a reason why I have brought you here."

I was unsure of my bearings and where "here" was right now, but I thought I sat in his lap again, in front of the white shape. I touched it. It was warm. Nice.

"Since you have been diligent, I thought you would like to be shown some new things. Something new to play with, if you will," Vect explained, "However, it is a unique opportunity. So you have to follow my lead, alright?"

I nodded. "Of course, master!"

He gently stroked my hair. "Good girl." It was a whisper into my ear and I shivered with pleasant goosebumps.

However, for now, I had to wait as he exchanged some words with Vlokarion, which I could not comprehend. Instead, I looked at the white shape in front of me, and touched it again. I had the nagging feeling in the back of my head that it was somehow familiar to me, but I could not say from where or when. I also had a harder time perceiving it non-blurred; in fact, it was impossible. I was only able to focus on small portions, and those did not provide a useful picture.

Even though the shape was warm, I was unsure whether it was alive, because it did not move at all. So strange… but I liked the feeling against my palms.

"Enjoying yourself?" Vect asked.

I nodded.

"Good. Now, take this," he handed me a metal object- a scalpel, I realised, "and cut here." He showed me where, by running his index finger over a particular section of the shape.

I was so confused, because for all my missing sense of direction and balance, my hand was perfectly steady. Also, I felt anxious all of a sudden. "I-I'm not sure I…" Why was this so hard? I felt like I had been in a similar situation before, but I could not tell where or when, again.

Vect stroked my hair again and calmly told me, "Do not worry, my sweet Temira, Here- I will guide you." He gently placed his hand around mine and directed my hand, all while he still continued caressing my hair with his other hand.

"Yes, like this," he praised me.

Red liquid billowed from the cut. I had the feeling I should know what this meant, but it escaped me as of now.

It did not matter. I liked spending time with my master like this. It was as if we truly understood each other right now.

"Now, take this," Vect softly told me and handed me another instrument. He pointed out something under the cut. "Pull this out. Careful, though, we do not want to rip the fine layer around it."

I nodded and got to work, this time without him guiding my hand directly. All while I did, he continued to gently stroke my hair, even kissing the top of my head. Whatever precisely he had me do, he seemed to enjoy it greatly. I was content. It was a nice change of pace from everything else that had happened today. Right now, I could not remember precisely what that had been, but it left me with a dull memory of panic and I fled from it. No, this right now, this was much better.

Apparently, my touch had been delicate enough, because I managed to draw a wet, red lump out of the cut. It was warm. I smiled. It felt nice.

Then, it dawned on me.

So, this had to be blood and innards. The shape I was working on had to be alive, even though it was not moving.

I felt so honoured! Vect allowed me to be part of his regeneration!

"Thank you for letting me be here," I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes.

Vect chuckled darkly. "You are welcome, my dear." He raked his pointed fingernails over the side of my neck. It stung a bit, but nothing more.

"Let us continue."

He started guiding me again. The blur became stronger. Thinking was hard, conversing almost impossible, so I just sat there, listened and obeyed his commands.

It all felt so unbelievably nice.

The created openings spilling beautiful crimson over the white canvas. The softness, wetness and warmth of it on my hands, pulsing, soothing. Smooth, squishy textures, absolutely delightful to touch. I enjoyed the silence and peacefulness of it all, dove in deep, let myself fall, and be guided by nothing but my master's words.

Sometimes, I also felt like I had a hand laid directly onto my brain, a touch most intimate. I felt very shepherded and cradled in these moments, like not only the physical hand of my master showed me how to move, but this ethereal hand did too. It even aroused me a bit. The relaxation made me feel even more drunk than before.

Yet, I knew, everything was right just as it was.

Eventually, I grew tired, and my master urged me onwards a few times, painting more of the whiteness with redness, and soaking me in it a bit more too. It was a delightful bath.

Only as he deemed my task complete, he let me stop. I was feeling completely beside myself at this point, barely holding on to any of my senses, only held upright by this weird touch inside my brain.

The last thing I perceived was a corridor flying by and then wet warmth engulfing me. The warmth battered down on the last strings of consciousness I held on to, and my mind drew back into oblivion.

Lisbeth was not surprised as she got dragged to the torture chamber by the guards. The hidden one. The one Vect only had her put into when he would do the most horrible things to her.

No need to pull herself together anymore. It had gotten harder throughout the day anyway, the drugs that kept her calm and from remembering too much losing their effect.

The two Incubi strapped her down on the torturing rack, then left her alone with her churning thoughts, with the horror that slowly overwhelmed her. She especially lost all heart because she noticed a new device in the torture chamber. New things always meant another step further in her suffering.

To her surprise, she did not stay alone for too long. Surprise, because Vect surely enjoyed having her lie here, tearing herself asunder by anticipating when it all would start.

She heard the door opening, and she whimpered, closing her eyes, trembling, knowing what would come.

However, there was still a surprise for her. Instead of hearing Vect's bassy mockery, she was addressed by a hoarse tenor voice, which she only ever heard once before, "Hello, child. I told you we would see each other again very soon."

She turned her head and her eyes widened as she beheld Vlokarion. A Haemonculus? Oh no. Oh nononono. This was even worse!

Vlokarion must have read her expression perfectly, because he told her as he slithered around the torture rack, "Oh, not to worry, my dear, I'm not going lay a finger on you. I'm just here to make sure everything is working correctly and that you are perfectly prepped for the main event."

"W-what i-is going to h-happen?" Lisbeth sobbed.

"It would be boring if I spoiled that, right?" the Haemonculus chuckled.

Lisbeth came to realise all too clearly that Vlokarion's amiable demeanour was just façade- he was just as decrepit and horrible as they all were.

Vlokarion seemed to tweak some settings on the new device, and she could not help but ask him, "What i-is that?"

The Haemonculus sighed and replied, "I doubt you would understand if I explained it to you."

However, he seemed to change his mind, because he placed himself beside her while sitting on his spine as he was done with the machine, now elaborating, "Then again, we do have some time still, and why not while the time away with some conversation? You see, your - as you would put it - soul," he spoke the word with distaste, "was touched and painted by Temira's, up to some point. We think it is because you two have lived together for so long, and share a strong bond. Quite the obstacle, I must say! So, since we need that part of Temira's soul in you for our plans, we have to get it out of you. I think I don't have to elaborate how this is going to commence."

Lisbeth stared at Vlokarion with wide eyes. The implications behind this were enormous! She had been right all along! There was a bigger plan with Temira going on!

"But, alas, this knowledge is quite useless to you. You're going to be quiet for this. After all, we don't want to break the actually precious one of the two of you. This is the end of the line for you, child. You have played your part," Vlokarion continued, while he drew a translucent liquid into a syringe and eyed her from the corner of his eyes. Expertly, he injected the liquid into the veins of her left arm - she did not even feel the sting.

Lisbeth found with confusion that she was not afraid of the end. This was it. Her life would end here and now. Just one more round of suffering. She felt… relieved. The notion of seeing an end to her suffering eased her burden.

Soon, she could not move anymore, could not speak anymore, and the effects of the drug only allowed for calm breaths. Total paralysis, once more. Vlokarion even opened her shackles, since she could not move. Then, he doused her in some warm liquid, which dried almost immediately, and he did not find it necessary to explain. Having finished that, he went back to tinkering with the machine.

The door opened once more, at some point.

Lisbeth would have screamed in horror if she could have, as she saw that Vect carried Temira into the room.

"No… no… not like this!" she desperately thought.

The predatory smile Vect shot her erased all her doubts about whether he knew how she felt.

She had to watch in silent terror as he sat down beside the rack, Temira in his lap. Had she not been paralysed, Lisbeth would have winced as Temira gently touched her, smiling innocently. Her hands were cold as ice. What was going on with her? Did she not recognise her?

Fearful guessing became horrible realisation soon, as Vect handed Temira a scalpel and gently instructed her where to cut - his touch as cold as Temira's. The light that fell on the blade reflected in Lisbeth's eyes. She wanted to move. To scream. To curse them all. Yet, she could not.

What nagged at Lisbeth was that she did not know whether Temira did this out of her own volition, even though judging from her behaviour at the meeting, it was possible. This shattered Lisbeth more than the realisation of her death. Temira seemed so… at peace with it all, and somehow, so far away.

Or was it just her wishful thinking, one last solace, that her former best friend had not turned against her this much, had not broken this much, but was somehow forced to do this? Reading in Temira's face might have helped, but tears blurred her vision too quickly, so she could only catch glimpses.

The questions soon were drowned in pain. Had she not realised earlier that it soon would all be over, it would have been now, because Vect guided Temira to vivisect her. They cut her open from under her ribcage all the way down to her hips, pried her open, removed her innards with surgical precision. The agony was unbearable, and to endure it quietly and immobilised made it so much worse. She wondered how she did not bleed out immediately. Then again, there was a Haemonculus in the room, even though he did surprisingly little more than observe.

It did not matter anymore.

"Just this. This last thing," Lisbeth told herself in her mind, trying to somehow keep her sanity, somehow to let go quicker, to make it all end.

It ended - eventually, slowly, horrifyingly - but not by her bidding. The distinct moment in which her mind shut down was the one when Temira cut her throat, blood rushed into her lungs and everything was drowned in hot, ripping agony. It all slowly was devoured by the final darkness.

In the end, everything faded away, all pain, all horror, all memory, until she was surrounded by golden light, feeling warm and cradled, and she heard a calming, ethereal, bodiless voice telling her, "Welcome home, Lisbeth."

Yes, this was just as delicious as he had thought it would be.

Even though Lisbeth's suffering still was brackish, the immense horror of being torn apart by Temira still somehow made it enjoyable- but not delectable enough to drink. It was so immense that the mellowness of Temira poured almost immediately from her. The physical pain was not the breaking point here - the horror of who was inflicting it was.

Vect enjoyed the sting of having to control himself on several layers. It was challenging, and every challenge in his life was something he utterly savoured.

He had to temper himself to be gentle and sweet with Temria, so she would eventually remember this occasion fondly - once he let her. He also had to draw back and not just gorge himself on the outpouring essence of Temira, which had been trapped in Lisbeth for so long. It definitely was the harder test of the two. Temira's essence still was utterly potent and rejuvenated him like little else, and such mellow sips were rare for him. However, this asset had to go to Vlokarion; his work was far too important here to squander the limited resource.

The Overlord found he enjoyed seeing Temira so happily follow his lead, even though her enthusiasm certainly was fuelled by the drugs and the fact that she did not know whom she was working on. Another set of chemicals composed for the occasion - Temira's psychedelics and the final component on Lisbeth's skin, making it impossible for Temira to recognise her. She would eventually remember and realise what had happened, but not before he decreed it.

Yes, he could certainly reap something from her realisation too. She would hurt when she found out, there was no way around it, but with the right situation and encouragement, it would be the final step of her subjugation. He already had something in mind for that too, but the time had to be right. Now, he had to be gentle with her and make her feel safe, and like she had dutifully accepted her punishment.

At this point, Vect had to admit to himself that he was glad that he did not have to keep up the charade for much longer. It grew… tiresome. He longed for the moment he could let go, but he also knew he had to be patient still, and add some more facets to it. Now that he had dropped on her that she calmed him, he would exploit that angle. Make her believe she alone could make him come back from a bloodthirsty spree. Make her feel… special. Even more so than before, so it all fell into place.

The Overlord forcefully drew his mind back into the here and now.

At a certain point, he had to dose Temira up once more, since her enhanced body did away with the drug too quickly and she was becoming too lucid for his taste. After that, they had to work fast, and he had to push her onwards, since her concentration was slipping because of the higher dosage. However, he wanted her to finish Lisbeth off, and for that, several steps had to be observed.

Eventually, Lisbeth's life faded, her essence not devoured, free to go wherever it would. Vect found he cared little that in the end Lisbeth was set free, in a sense. There was nothing to be reaped from her anymore, imprisoning her essence would have been a waste of resources, since her suffering did not do at all.

After he had brought Temira back into the quarters, putting her into the tub, letting her drift away with some slaves to take care of her, he went back to have one last chat with Vlokarion before the Haemonculus would return to his lair.

Vlokarion enjoyed the view, but sadly, he had little opportunity to just idly watch. He had to keep track of the modified Soul-Trap, to make sure that the small wafts of Temira's essence were gathered entirely.

He was intrigued to find that his little experiment yielded the same results as it did with Imperial mon-keigh. That he had changed his mind and told Lisbeth that she would die tonight had been no random mood of his. He wanted to see how she would react, whether the knowledge would destroy her further or bring her relief. The latter was the case, and this showed him that mentally, humanity had not changed much over all those millennia. Disappointing, but expected from this lesser race of prey. Additionally, Vlokarion was satisfied that he had not miscalculated this little facet, and Lisbeth suffered easily hard enough to let go of Temira's essence in her.

Very much like Vect, he had to keep himself from taking some of it for himself, but he knew that the Overlord would know, and this would not do.

It was beautiful watching Vect instruct Temira, gently stroking her hair, whispering into her ear, guiding her hand. Vlokarion realised that Vect also sometimes reached into Temira's mind and took over her body slightly, to guide her hand accurately.

Still, how far she had come! The constant, ultra-subtle psychotropic treatment showed. How she had changed towards her own kind! How she cold-heartedly treated them like cattle! Temira definitely was both his and Vect's best work so far.

For a few short moments, he allowed himself to peek into Temira's mind, via the backdoor he had programmed into her, and what he saw made him almost roll his eyes with pleasure.

She enjoyed it.

Yes, she was drugged, but one of the effects was to open her subconscious, letting it take over. And what he saw with that was that if Temira had been born as a Drukhari, she probably would have enjoyed taking up the craft of a Haemonculus. She was a scientist, and deep down, she enjoyed having power and inflicting pain. Sadly, the layers of self-consciousness, restraint and forced morals over all that primal want made it impossible for her to truly blossom like that.

Yes, his resolve was strengthened. He wanted her to be his. He needed to find out whether it was possible to draw these feelings and needs out of her, given time and patience, and whether it was possible to turn a human that much. That she was malleable, Vect had already proven. If combining manipulation tactics with the right drugs, Vlokarion was sure much, much more could be done with her. But for that, he needed time - and alone-time - with her, which were both impossible right now, with Vect possessing her and sitting in her head. But once Vect had his share, and Vlokarion had syphoned her personality off into the clone he was building, he would have that time.

She truly was… special. Not because her essence was untouched by the Warp, but because she had the aptitude to become something truly grand, under his tutelage, the mother of a line of servants that could be easily controlled, yet trusted to carry out more complicated tasks without ever having to worry that they would backstab you. Maybe even replacing some duties of Wracks, who knew! The possibilities were endless!

Yet there was still so much to do.

Eventually, Lisbeth drew her final breath, a strange calm coming over her. Vlokarion had seen it numerous times before - the final relief of slaves that eventually were allowed to escape the trials of Commorragh. He wondered where Lisbeth's essence would go, since she was not from this dimension, yet had held true to humanity's beliefs.

He cared little that he would never know.

Vect then left with Temira, and Vlokarion made sure that the Soul-Trap was stored appropriately.

The Overlord came back soon thereafter, and told him, "I was thinking about a tad higher dosage for Temira for the next few days. I do not want her to remember prematurely."

Vlokarion nodded. "I agree, Overlord. Confronting her with this too early could ruin everything you worked for. I shall formulate the adjusted mixture."

"Excellent. I will use this time to open her up a bit more than before. I think she will soon be ready," Vect announced.

"Ready for what precisely, Overlord? Yes, I know, you want her essence for your ascension, but you still haven't told me why you insist on this slow game," Vlokarion tried to pry. Vect was in high spirits, so why not?

The indulgent smile coming from the Overlord told him he made a smart move. "Because, my dear ally, Temira has to give her life willingly for it to work. She has to take her own life for me, and pledge her life-force to me."

Vlokarion returned Vect's smile.

It seemed as if finally the mystery was mostly unravelled.

WARNING: MASSIVE SPOILER FOR THIS CHAPTER COMING UP!
Massive Kudos go to my old beta, SindelV, for this chapter. The whole "Temira torturing Lisbeth to death while sitting on Vect's lap" thing was her idea, and I, of course, ate it up immediately!

Where do you think did Lisbeth's soul go?
And how do you think will Temira react?