Chapter 4

Asdrubael Vect

"There is no good story without a villain. I shall provide you with an antagonist beyond your imaginings
or even your comprehension, and as you die you will curse my name exquisitely."
— Drecarus, Necromaester of the Sutured Helix

I KNEW THAT we had reached our destination when I was roused from my slumber, because I was awoken by some slaves. After I had showered, they looked to make me presentable. I was surprised when I was given clothing, even though it was only a bikini made of leather and pure white gold. I counted myself lucky. Of course, I also was provided with a white gold collar. I didn't like the make-up they applied on me very much, but I assumed that the slaves knew the tastes of Dark Eldar better than me.

When the slaves left, I sat on the bed, somewhat freaking out. What would the city look like? Would I snap? Would I be acceptable to Vect? Was my fate to be a mere torture slave or something more important?

All the answers to those questions were extremely significant and precarious. I would have them in the near future, though.

A short while after the slaves had left, the Archon came to me, grinning widely as he beheld me and said, "Well, well, look at that! You really look enchanting."

"Charming. As if I hadn't offered several times to make myself more pleasant to look at," I replied with a false sweetness in my voice.

Chu'uk laughed again. "Of course, my little slave, but it wouldn't have been wise to allow it, because I'm quite sure that I wouldn't have been able to restrain myself at all. But who knows? Maybe you will be mine someday and then we can indulge ourselves in all the things we have not done before."

I took all my willpower not to show him in any way that I knew what he was planning and that he would lose his status quite soon. He would not die for a long time, that I was sure of. My timing had to be perfect though, since I wanted to impress the Overlord.

I stood, put the chain of my collar with a fake smile in his hand and said, "What are we waiting for? I'm sure that the Supreme Overlord is not a man of great patience."

The Archon smiled viciously, caressed my cheek and replied, "Still so self-assured. I will watch with delight when your soul is torn to pieces by him." I was already used to such petty mockery and therefore endured it silently. He donned his helmet and led me away. We walked through a lot of corridors, until we reached the exit of the ship. Eventually, we stepped into the eternal, blood-red twilight of Commorragh.

Though the Haemonculus had tried to prepare me for this, I was dumbstruck as I had my first look at the city, after my eyes had adjusted to the light – I was nearly blinded by it after god-knows-how-long almost utter darkness. Describing it in words seemed almost impossible.

Twisted.

Cursed.

Unearthly.

Deadly.

All those were words that raced through my mind, as I tried to understand what I was seeing. The architecture was distorted and mind-bending, using angles that should not be possible, twisting and turning into sickening curves, diverting the eye, making one's stomach roil. I felt sick and dazed as I tried to ascertain the nature of the city. The highest spires, like thorns, were beckoning to pierce the heavens, which consisted of black, looming clouds; from these very spires blood dripped down, uniting at the feet of those towers into rivers. The stench of blood and death was omnipresent around here and I had a hard time keeping my stomach from revolting.

One spire, belonging to a huge, black fortress, at whose outskirts we were standing, was piercing the clouds. I had a good guess whose it was, for without doubt, this was the Black Fortress, the seat of the Kabal of the Black Heart and the court of Supreme Overlord Asdrubael Vect.

Since the impression of the city left me dazed and sickened, I closed my eyes for a second, calmed my spirit and then followed my master obediently, who had been so kind as to give me a minute to look at the city.

As we walked away from the ship, some guards surrounded us. Their faces were covered with helmets, so I had a hard time determining from which races they originated, but I was sure that one of them was a Sslyth. Four arms, snake-like, massive and huge bodies were not to be found in many races. I also saw that the leader of this squad was an Incubus - all the things I had read about them were absolutely true. Just watching him walk was soothing for the eye, since his movements were so smooth and fluent; he was absolutely inaudible. If I had not clearly seen him, I would not have been aware of his presence. The Archon and the Incubus greeted each other with a short nod and then we went on.

As it was wise in Commorragh, we only spent a fairly short time in the open; and then we stepped into one of the towers. Inside, my mind was tested again, because here I could hear what Commorragh was known for – a never ending screaming chorus of tortured slaves, which could be heard from far away, as well as the cruel laughter of their masters, who enjoyed prolonging the torment even further. It seemed impossible, but I had the taste of fear, pain and desperation on my tongue, they seemed to ooze out of the very air. As if all this was not terrible enough, the architecture inside was even worse compared to the outside; in here, the angles stayed as nauseating as they were outside, but to make matters worse, the stone in here was lined with vertiginous patterns, making it almost impossible for a human mind not to snap. Trying to ascertain the nature of these patterns was not a wise idea, because they made mind and body feeble and could let one easily fall unconscious.

This time, I was not given a moment to accustom to my surroundings, because when I paused in my pace, my master yanked my chain harshly. I was lucky to keep my balance, because I immediately felt under my bare feet that the floor was spiky and sharp. Falling onto it seemed like a bad idea.

I was led up gigantic circular stairs, the design on the walls and pillars continued and I needed all my mental strength not to get lost in those patterns. To make matters worse, my master found it amusing to bring me off balance and to watch me (indubitably gloating) regaining it just so. I hated him for that, but knew better than to show my anger. I just played along, focusing on the fact that his head would soon be found on a spike somewhere.

I did not fall, no matter what he did to me.

Nevertheless, it became more taxing not to fall the longer we climbed the stairs, because they were seemingly never-ending and my muscles were sore already. The higher we came, the more twisted the architecture and patterns got and after some time I had the feeling that they moved when I did not look closely enough. The blood-red twilight, which was let in by high, narrow windows, added greatly to this notion. It became increasingly difficult for me to keep my sane mind and I felt dazed again.

Eventually, we reached the top of the stairs and I was unbelievably happy as we did, because I had almost no strength left. We now stood in front of a colossal gate, which was decorated with the symbol of the Kabal of the Black Heart, the ornaments were made of platinum and gems; it truly was a magnificent sight.

Chu'uk took off his helmet and gave it to one of the guards; my chain was given to the Incubus. Then the Archon came to me, seized me at my chin, looked deep into my eyes and said, "Behave yourself! I can't have the Overlord thinking that you are not well-educated; and believe me when I say this: if it comes down to punishing impudent or disobedient slaves, I am merciful compared to him." I nodded silently. I winced as he cuffed my hands with handcuffs, also made of white gold. He said to me, "No slave, who meets the Overlord for the first time, is allowed to do so without being shackled." I snarled in my head. It seemed as if the Haemonculus forgot to tell me about this small detail. Either it was that or Chu'uk smelt a rat and tried to thwart my plans.

I had to improvise.

Then, Chu'uk turned around again and the massive gate opened – without a single sound. With this, we stepped into the throne room of the Supreme Overlord Asdrubael Vect.

Again my stomach turned as we were inside, because here the architects had outdone themselves once again with mind-bending madness. The room was an enormous dome and the patterns on the walls wound to the top of it in a vertiginous helix in the middle of which a circular window was located, exactly above the throne. Also, eight windows, which were placed radially around the room, squirmed unto the top, following the curve of the dome and they had no straight lines whatsoever.

Now everything spun around me. I had to tear my gaze away from all of this to keep from fainting. As I dropped my gaze, I gasped in horror, because also the floor was arranged in a helix-like pattern, twisting and turning, missing any straight line; it was not helping at all with my nausea. Additionally, walking with bare feet in here was really agonising, because every single line in the pattern on the floor was a sharp edge. I had not yet been able to sneak a peek of the Overlord, because everybody around me was too tall and I had no chance of looking over their shoulders.

With all my might I remembered my training, closed my eyes and padded along behind Archon Chu'uk. I halted as I felt that the rest did so too and slowly, distressingly slowly, the spinning in my head stopped and my senses grew clear again. I then carefully looked around me and peeking between the guards I could see some kind of machine on the left side of the throne, possibly a translator. It did not surprise me, because, after all, none of them could know that I spoke their language pretty well.

Unified, the group bowed and dropped shortly to one knee before the Overlord and I followed their movements accordingly, for everything else would have been suicide. When we stood again, my master took a step forward and started with a long and expansive greeting in the tongue of the Dark Eldar. It was not translated, but I understood it all too well, not showing it, though, and I tried to look like a slave whose fighting spirit had been broken.

"All hail the Supreme Overlord of all of Commorragh! May all your foes shiver before your might and glory and may their end be a cruel and slow one! I salute you, with all my will and heart, my Supreme Overlord, my lord of lords!" Chu'uk said, his tone respectful.

I found it unnerving that I still had not seen one bit of the Overlord, however, in a second, I could hear him all too well. His voice was powerful, filling this vast hall with ease and it sounded cruel, dark, low-pitched and booming, still having an eerie touch through his multiple vocal cords. It was easily audible that he was used to giving commands and his voice carried the gravity of thousands of years, though it did not sound like the one of an old man, but one in his best years. I really wondered how some could believe that this man grew weak or old. Solely his voice made it absolutely clear that he did not intend to die anytime soon, then again maybe he did not sound like this all the time. My heart pounded in my chest. Though I had not taken a single look at him, he already impressed me. His pronunciation and intonation of the Dark Eldar language were much more elegant – I also had to notice soon that he did not use any contractions. Well, that was how the founder of a language sounded, "Welcome back, Archon Chu'uk. I take it that your mission was a success?"

"Yes, my lord. A full success, I daresay. May I give my lord the details later? I have a present for his lordship, which will be to his lord's liking, I deem."

"Go ahead."

The Archon was given my chain, took hold of it so tightly that I could not lower my head and led me forward.

Thus, I locked eyes with the Supreme Overlord for the first time.

Without a doubt it was his gaze that mesmerised me the most, for looking into a demon's eyes could not have been any worse. His eyes seemed to absorb what little light was around here, like two bottomless pits, making one drown in them, and his gaze showed razor-sharp intelligence, unending malevolence and sheer, pure cruelty. There was a certain sombreness, gravity and experience in that gaze, which showed somewhat how old he actually was. Looking into those eyes unsettled me more than anything else I had endured until now, because I felt utterly naked and exposed.

The next shock came when I realised what I was actually seeing when looking at his face.

He was utterly flawless and youthful.

My mind raced. He should not look like that. It was a known fact that Dark Eldar tended to wither because of the things they had to do for survival, since the stain of their deeds darkened their souls and this darkness showed itself on their bodies, in the form of wrinkles, black lips and veins piercing their youthful beauty. What was wrong with him? Why was there not the slightest sign of these things in the face of the most ancient of the non-Haemonculus Dark Eldar?

However, I did not have the capacity right now to ponder this thought, because I needed all my mental strength to keep my jaw from dropping, for he was so incredibly handsome. His features were delicate, yet noble, his expression showed placidity and little interest in me; his sculpted, high cheekbones underlined the intense stare of his eyes. I also noticed that his features were not as clear-cut as those of any other Dark Eldar I had seen so far, which could be explained due to the fact that Vect was genetically closer to an original Eldar than to a Dark Eldar. After all, he was the founder of this race. Nevertheless, he was a truly magnificent sight to behold.

In his right hand rested a spear-like sceptre, which was also set down on the dais on which the throne was placed. Without a doubt, this was the legendary Sceptre of the Dark City, a very sophisticated piece of Eldar technology. It was made out of black metal, runes glowed in red all over it, and a skull made out of platinum, three crescent-shaped blades, which were barbed and worked one upon the other, as well as spikes, decorated the top.

His armour was resplendent, made out of black metal again, decorated with platinum skulls, rubies, blades, barbs and spikes and each plate was chased with platinum. I then noticed that the armour was not black like I had thought before, because as I looked closer, I saw that the blood-red light was reflected in innumerable colours, like raven's feathers did. The sight was breath-taking. His head was graced with a tall and noble helmet, which was parted horizontally into three segments. It had no visor, but two horn-like, platinum blades which emanated from the position of his temples and were bent towards the tip. The tip was decorated with a mane of blood-red hair which had platinum strings inwrought in it. This mane and a heavy wrap with vertiginous white gold patterns interwoven in it played around his shoulders and sides.

The throne itself stood on a dais, some stairs lead up to it and it took the shape of two long, bent blades, which framed the Overlord's head. Above his head and helmet, the sign of the Kabal of the Black Heart was embedded between the blades, shining in white gold. Behind the throne was a structure which contained a lot of skulls and swords that I assumed they originally belonged to the stupid ones who had dared to defy or fail him.

His throne was surrounded on one hand by a human female slave, who was chained to the throne, bearing a white golden collar with matching clothes, unearthly beauty and black skin; on the other stood his lifeguard, consisting of two Sslyth and two Incubus-Hierarchs. I really wondered how Chu'uk wanted to pass those without dying.

I heard that the translator started humming. It seemed as if the following words were translated for me. Chu'uk said, "My lord, I have brought this very interesting slave to you, along with thousands for your dungeons, of course; however, I have deemed this one worthy to be presented to you personally. She is from the time you have sent us to and she has an enlightened view of humankind, which she is eager to tell, along with a very sharp mind, oddly sharp for a human. She can take a lot; the Haemonculus and I were not easy on her."

I could easily see that Vect was not impressed at all – if he had been younger and unrestrained he would have possibly rolled his eyes, at least that was what his inflexion in the following words suggested. He showed more than just a little annoyance and disappointment, "Why should I be interested in another slave? I have enough servants of her kind."

Before Chu'uk could reply, I interjected cautiously, "If my lord may let me greet the Supreme Overlord in the manner that is appropriate?" Probably out of pure surprise Chu'uk loosened my chain so much that I could perform the proper, movement-based greeting of a slave to an Archon. It was a complex thing, but I had been trained very well by the Haemonculus.

I took all my composure not to gloat after I was done, because the look on Chu'uk's face was priceless. I almost could hear his mind raging why the fuck I was able to do this and why the hell the Haemonculus had trained me that well. What cheered me up additionally was that the Overlord now beheld me with much more interest and in accordance to my feeling he then stated slowly and musing, "She has been taught well, Chu'uk, you have educated her nicely."

Chu'uk only managed to reply thinly, "Thank you, my lord." Clearly, he was left in disbelief.

However, Vect was not so easily impressed, because he said, "The way I see it, movements can be remembered, if shown appropriately. Tell me, girl: why should I consider accepting you as my slave?"

I bowed respectfully – it was uncommon that an Archon spoke directly to a slave and the Supreme Overlord doing it even more so – and then I let the cat out of the bag as I replied in their language without fault and accent, "Supreme Overlord, I have been told that I am quite a good singer, cook, chemist, masseur and discussion partner; however, I guess none of that really matters to you. The thing that might interest you, Supreme Overlord, is the fact that you will not find a more cunning, scheming and intelligent soul in any other human slave. It might be… delicious."

A startled murmur passed the ranks of the Dark Eldar and even Vect straightened himself, seemingly surprised too – it was not possible to read anything from his facial expression. It was very uncommon that a being from another race spoke their language and therefore the interest in the eyes of the Overlord seemed to be true. He leant a bit forward and said pensively, "It seems as if we will not need a translator with you, my child. Chu'uk, give her to me, I demand to take a closer look at her." I almost pitied Chu'uk, because he looked so lost, but I also saw the anger in his eyes. Because of his rage he also forgot about his plans for change in management and he yanked my chain so harshly that I was choked and brought severely off-balance, barely keeping myself from falling. However, Vect criticised him this instant, "Gentle, Chu'uk! I will not have this precious little dove harmed!" I guessed that it was obvious to the Overlord that it had not been Chu'uk who had trained me. Teeth-gnashing and with a small bow the Archon gave my chain and the key to my metal collar to the Overlord.

Vect then pulled me close to him far more gently, until I was pressed against the side of the throne, so a few sharp edges pierced my belly. He changed the chain into his other hand, the one with the sceptre, seized me at my chin and drew me even a bit closer to him, making me look directly into his relentless eyes, our noses almost touching. I winced as the cold metal of his gauntlet touched my skin and my heart pounded heavily. As I was so close to him, I finally realised with whom I was dealing and that I could not grasp in the slightest what it meant to be the slave of Asdrubael Vect. He was a legend, not only amongst his kind and also not because he was so popular. He was rather infamous than famous. I swallowed as all of a sudden I felt terribly cold, a shiver running down my spine, full with fear and I froze in awe. Of course, he noticed these things and I thought that I saw a spark of amusement in those ice-cold and black eyes, but I was not sure. To look that closely and directly into those eyes was almost more than I could take and I needed every ounce of my willpower to hold still and not try to back away or avert my gaze. Then again, I was quite sure that I could not have managed any of it and I was also aware that it would have been a very painful mistake. This legendary Dark Eldar now inspected me from all sides, as if he looked at cattle at a market, well, I was not much more to him… yet. I had his interest, yes, but to be something else than a mere torture slave to him I had to distinguish myself even further. If I was lucky, I would get that chance soon.

As he was done, he let go of my chin. He then laid his left hand on my side and I barely kept from wincing because of the cold metal against my skin. I gritted my teeth and thanked the Haemonculus silently, as the Overlord dug the sharp tip of his thumb into my side, tearing through my flesh, giving me a bleeding and painful cut, while he gave me an adamant and intense stare. Only because of my excellent training I was able to remain calm and not to back away, yes, I did not even flinch as he did this to me; just my slightly pressed breathing betrayed me, however, I was sure that he could sense my distress and that he enjoyed it. Seemingly satisfied, he then pulled the tip out of my flesh. He made a musing sound while he licked my blood from the tip and stated, "Not what I usually prefer, yet she has got more spirit than any human I have ever met and her essence possesses more beauty than anyone of any slave I have ever had. Additionally… she is quite calm. Having for once a slave who does not make the slightest flinch when having pain inflicted on it or is not shivering with fear and mewling in horror is at least something… different." I was surprised by the last sentence since I had started to tremble in his grip in the end. Gazing too long into those eyes gave me a headache.

Nevertheless, I knew how to behave, did a slight bow and said, "Thank you, Overlord." Something moved in his face as I said these words. I was not sure what it was, but it could have been a slight sign of a smile.

"She even has manners! Interesting," he declared and sounded somewhat amused, a thing that did not fit this cruel face and voice. Contemplating shortly, he then decided, "Alright, my child, I will give you a chance to rise in my esteem. You will be my new personal slave. I was weary of my old one anyways, so this fits me just fine." As soon as he had ended this sentence, his slave at the side of his throne started to beg for mercy, but not for long. She stopped with a cry of agony as he changed his sceptre into his left hand and gave her a casual slap in the face with the back of his right. This hit, though cursory, was hard enough to make her lower lip burst. Then, he decided to give her more attention, grabbed her by her hair and spat at her, "Hold your noise! You have annoyed me enough with your constant wailing!"

I winced because of his cutting tone. Having blades inserted into one's ears had to be an equally pleasing sensation. As brutal as this scene was, it also was priceless for me. I now knew a bit more about the Overlord: first and foremost, I learnt that he appreciated it if his slaves only suffered openly if he wanted it that way. I would try and only let my pain show if applicable. Secondly, I saw his enormous physical powers through this hit. The fashion of his blow had shown that it had been only a slight hit, had he been serious, he would at least have dislocated her jaw. I swallowed inconspicuously. He seemed to be a lot stronger than any Dark Eldar I had encountered before. Who knew whether he was genetically or bionically modified? Although, it would have been rare outside of the Covens of the Haemonculi.

Asdrubael Vect was known to be out of the ordinary, in any way.

The Overlord now took his sceptre into his right hand again and said, "Take her to the Prophets of Flesh Coven! I am sure that she will be of use to the Haemonculi." At first, I wanted to wonder to whom this command was given, but in an instant, two guards (all of them were Incubi, as I had to find out), who came out of nowhere, fetched her and dragged her away. The next words of the Overlord concerned me, "Let this be a lesson for you too! You will only wail and scream when I allow you to!"

I bowed my head and replied, "Yes, Overlord, I will."

Seemingly satisfied, he looked into my eyes, caressing my wounded flank so that I flinched, and commanded, "Chu'uk, do me a favour and let the child be brought to my quarters. I will occupy myself more with her later on." Again, he showed this almost-smile. I could not figure him out and was sure that I would not for a very long time, if ever, assuming I survived longer in this society than a handful of weeks. Chu'uk did as bid, and neared the throne again, apparently submissive, but I had learnt to read him and seemingly Vect did not sense the danger he was in. I was not too fond of letting Chu'uk even try to assassinate Vect, because I was quite sure that the former would make my life a living hell for humiliating him as much as I just had.

I was faster than Chu'uk, solely because I knew it in advance.

With supernatural agility, the Archon jumped at the Overlord, his sword flashing in his hand. I did not think the moment I jumped at him. I collided with his sword arm, cut my belly at his armour and brought him off-balance. He shook me off, but I was not ready to give up. I jumped at him from behind as he turned to the Overlord once again, clung onto his back with my legs, threw my shackled hands over his head and started to choke him, giving him a thrust with my hips to make him stumble. He now completely lost his balance and fell on his back, on me. Chu'uk obviously did not expect this; this was the only reason why this worked. The spikes and blades on his armour now dug into my flesh and I gasped in pain, while his weight knocked the air out of my lungs. His guards also jumped at us. The Klaive of the Incubus came down on my head. I closed my eyes, sure that this was it.

I clenched my teeth as I heard a terrible metallic clank, which left my ears ringing. I opened one eye and I saw that one of the Incubus-Hierarchs of Vect stood over me, parrying the hit of the Incubus. Shots rang. I heard death cries. Chu'uk tried to get rid of me, but my position was too supreme. He could not shake me off and my legs and arms were strong, because I was an excellent equestrian. His attempts to breathe got weaker, his face changed colours.

My heart skipped a beat as Vect shouted, "Do not kill him, child!"

I let go of the Archon in an instant, who could only roll on his left side and fight for air. I loosened the chain that had twisted itself around my leg and stood up, being really happy that the Overlord had been so quick-minded as to let go of it, otherwise my neck would have snapped. I came back to my place at his side and gave him my chain back into his hand. I was not sure, but thought that a small spark of surprise flashed in his eyes as I did this. I also believed that I saw a small smile, but I was even less sure of that. As I gave him my chain back, my fingertips touched the tips of his gauntlets. I shivered. He noticed it and his eyes flashed with amusement, of this, I was – for once – sure.

I stopped wondering about that and looked at the scene in front of the throne. The Incubus-Hierarch had given short shrift to Chu'uk's guards, because they were all dead and he alone stood victorious. He dragged Chu'uk up from the floor, shackled him, then picked up his sword and presented it to Vect. Chu'uk could do nothing but kneel and pant. I realised in this second that none of Vect's guards but the Incubus-Hierarch had moved. Apparently, those Hierarchs were truly masters of their craft, as it was said. I shivered. The Overlord gave me a look that warned me not to do anything stupid as he laid my chain down beside him on the throne. Vect now took Chu'uk's sword from the Incubus-Hierarch, looked at it and said, "A fine weapon, it is a shame that its master is a fool and a traitor." He gave the sword back to the Incubus-Hierarch, who then thrust it into the structure behind the throne. "Take this traitor to my dungeons! I will deal with him later!" Vect commanded. Again, two guards appeared out of nowhere, dragged Chu'uk to his feet and steered him out of the throne room. He still had no breath to say anything in mitigation, not that this mattered or was somehow possible.

When they were gone, Vect took my chain again in his hand, turned to me and snarled at me, "Are you out of your mind? If you get yourself killed, you are of no use to me!"

I ducked a bit and flinched at his every word, because his inflexion was that sharp. Absolutely confused, I replied, "I have seen it as my duty to protect my lord."

Now I had confused him for a second, then I thought I saw that almost-smile again. He stroked my hair with this claw-like gauntlet; I winced beneath his hand, which seemed to deepen his strange smile. He stated, "You are indeed a sweet thing, my child! I find it refreshing that such a young girl like you is ready to sacrifice her life to save the one of such an old predator like me. Nevertheless, my child, you are not here to protect me; you are here to please me. The protection of my humble self is the responsibility of my lifeguards."

I really wondered how I had been able to outdo an Incubus-Hierarch in matters of speed. It simply was impossible, not even the fastest human in the whole Imperium could have done this. Either the question was written all over my face, or Vect had read my mind, because he explained, "You were the only one to react because I told my guards to let him through. I already knew of his schemes." Now it was my time to be absolutely confused. He noticed it and explained with an amused tone, "Of course, I knew, do not look so surprised! Do not think of me as a fool who does not notice a traitor when he sees one. I just wanted to take him on by myself, because I found his crude plan utterly insulting, for if someone wants to dethrone me, they have to do it in a more sophisticated manner; this was just ridiculous."

"And… and still, you let me take him on?" I said, extremely puzzled.

"To be honest, I was also quite surprised that you did. It was clear to me that you knew of his schemes; I just did not expect that you would defend me. I will reward you for that. Do you have a special wish, my child?" Vect said, his tone almost tender, a thing that made me shiver, because it gave me the feeling that he was about to do something unspeakably cruel.

I hemmed and hawed a bit, then said cautiously, "If I may be so bold, my lord, I'd love to be rid of that collar."

Now I could almost see this vicious smile of his. "No, my child, I cannot fulfil that wish, for this would loosen you of your status as a slave, and you are far from impressing me enough to give you that kind of honour. Never mind, I will think of something nice for you. Nevertheless, I see that you are truly keen. It was a clever wish with a good amount of a hidden agenda, I like that."

The Overlord caressed my cheek; I closed my eyes with a gasp because I was afraid he would hurt me with the talons on his gauntlet. Being cut in the flank was one thing – cuts in the face were a lot harder to bear without a single sound. However, this time, it was just a caress. "You really are… unusual, to say the least. You will be taken to my quarters and I will send a Haemonculus to you to tend to your wounds. Yet, you have to answer that question first: who taught you so well?"

"Partly I studied by myself, for the most part I was trained by the Haemonculus who was on the ship," I replied swiftly.

He lifted his eyebrows in astonishment. "By him? This day is full of surprises for me, it is truly refreshing. You have to know that he is one of the oldest and most renowned Haemonculi in all of Commorragh."

Again, it was my turn to be amazed. "Well, I feel even more honoured then." I smirked confidently and added, "And I knew that something was odd about him!"

The Overlord was amused by my childish triumph; I could see it in his eyes all too well. "I get the feeling that we will have quite the time together," he said. Then he commanded, "Take her to my quarters and take those bindings off of her! See to it that she gets fed and bathed!" The Incubus, who was now beside us, confirmed the command with a bow. Vect gave my chain to the guard and said to me, "If you feel tired, my child, do not hesitate to get some sleep and you may sleep in my bed, ignore the cage. Because you have shown me that you perform above the average, I will spare you from this kind of humiliation." I nodded and the Incubus led me away.

I took a deep breath as we had left the throne room, because his presence was somewhat strangling and I was very glad that the situation had unfolded just as I had wished for. The guard led me down the only corridor that was here and at the end was a door and behind it another small circling stair. I really wondered why I had not seen any kind of elevators or teleporters around here, for I was quite sure that Dark Eldar were as technologically advanced as not to be forced to walk all the time. Maybe the stairs were another little test for slaves around here and the realisation hit me that climbing stairs with injuries was not fun at all.

We climbed the stairs, went through a door at the top and into another small corridor, which was a dead end. At the right side was a well-ornate door, which we also passed.

My stomach grew cold as we stepped into the room behind it, because we had entered the torture chamber, as it had been with Chu'uk's quarters. 'Chamber' was not really the best description for it, because the room was quite large. It was freezing cold in here and I tried not to look too closely at the room, but I could not avoid seeing torture instruments and machines, shackles at the walls and the ceiling and some cages, which were all additionally sealed with energy fields. Not a single one of the cages was empty and I was quite sure that the Overlord would spend a great amount of his time around here, rejuvenating himself through the torments of those pitiful creatures.

The guard did not halt in his pace and brought me to the next room, for which I was very grateful.

Here I had to stop, because I was that amazed.

The quarters of the Overlord were – as it was to be expected – enormous and gorgeous. I noticed that this most likely was the topmost room of the tower, because it was very high, possibly twenty metres, and it tapered at the top. The base of the room was equilateral and a halved decagon; the walls did not keep the edges of the bottom, but tapered at the top in a round edge. The walls that were the farthest away from me and at the front, were made out of unilateral mirrored glass, meaning one could see out, but not in. I knew this because I had seen this kind of glass before, in the laboratory of the Haemonculus, and he had explained to me how it worked.

A breathtaking view of Commorragh was to be seen through the windows. The dome, which was the throne room, was underneath the spire, I could look down on it. I was confused that I could see the city, because from down below it had not been possible to see that spire I was in, since it had been the one that had pierced the black clouds. Maybe it was good for me not to know the answer.

The view on the city was enchanting in a twisted way. Though this tower possibly was the highest in all of Commorragh, I still could see what transpired in the city down below… and how murderous it was. I saw countless, tiny figures, which scurried from tower to tower over millions of ways and bridges. The skies were also bustling with activity and I could see that it was a bloody game, on the ground and in the air. Fights were the daily fare and I could see more than one unlucky pedestrian on those innumerable bridges and walkways, who got fetched by one of the predators in the air. Possibly most of them were slaves.

I tore my gaze away from the view and examined the quarters of the Overlord further. I was very happy that the floor was smooth, but the black stone still kept its vertiginous patterns. They were now made out of white gold, which was engraved into the stone and it gleamed like it was flaming hot in the blood-red twilight, it was a magnificent sight. The walls, however, still were sharp-edged and they were ornated with weapons, skulls and furs of gigantic beasts.

To my right, I could see a vast, laid table, made out of black stone. Even farther to the right, at the wall behind me, which was also the wall where the door was, was a huge fireplace, with a comfortable looking bench and two divans in front.

Between the table and the fireplace was the cage the Overlord had mentioned. I was very happy that I did not have to sleep in there, because it was a nasty contraption, a hemisphere made out of bars, which had mean spikes and barbs on the inside. There was barely enough space for a human being to huddle in there and being longer in this cage had to be really taxing, for just one little brush against those barbs surely caused some terrible wounds.

To my left was an enormous canopy bed, it was flanked by two nightstands, which had a lot of drawers. The four twisting bedposts, which were decorated with a blood-red, silken canopy, wound their way up to a platform, which was connected to the rest of the room through a circling stair. It was at least ten metres above the floor. I could not see what was on the platform; I only saw that from this platform again stairs led up, to another one, which was also attached to the middle of the wall with the entrance. In the leftmost corner of the room were some cupboards and an armour and weapon rack; to the right of the bed were two doors.

I was puzzled by the washing basin beside the entrance. It looked like a metal bowl, which possessed a tap that was decorated with flourishes and the bowl was standing on a solid block of stone. Next to the bowl was a pile of towels. I wondered why this basin was exactly here of all places, because I was sure that one of the other doors would lead to the bathroom. I figured that I would know the answer soon enough.

All things considered, these were quarters worthy of an emperor and Asdrubael Vect was exactly that.

The guard led me a bit more into the room and I flinched as the door snapped shut behind us, because it sounded extremely heavy. Then, I noticed something else; well, it was rather that I missed something.

The room was silent.

The everlasting background noise of screams and laughter was not to be heard here. I was relieved because of that at first, but then it occurred to me that maybe it was that way so no one could hear what he did to me in here. I chased the thought away.

The Incubus unshackled me and also loosened the chain from my collar. With a strangely sombre voice he told me that I was allowed to eat and bathe and, when telling me the latter, he pointed at one of the doors to the right of the bed. Then he left.

There I was, alone in these enormous quarters and I felt as small as ever. I was glad that it was warm here, because in the throne room it was a tad too cold for my light garment, although I was aware that I would have to spend a lot of time there with him. What a freezing notion.

I looked at the table and noticed how hungry I was. I had not eaten today, as I only now noticed with surprise, because the whole excitement had suppressed my hunger greatly.

Now, as I had time to calm down, I felt the throbbing of my wounds even more so. I looked down and was frightened at how bad it looked, because blood ran down my body and I was quite the mess. Therefore, I made haste to get into the bath, because I was supposed to be showered before the Haemonculus appeared. Nevertheless, before I did this, I had a peek behind the door that had not been explained to me. Unsurprisingly, I found the toilet behind it. Then I went into the bath.

Again, my breath was taken away, because everything was so impressive. The bathroom was a half-oval, big room, three walls were straight and the fourth was arcuate and the latter was made out of windows, again they were mirrored. The room was lined with black tiles – no surprises about the colour here. To my right I could see an enormous bathtub, which was embedded in the floor and it was also made out of black, shining stone, the taps were white-golden – it literally possessed more than one since it was that enormous – and it took half of the room, ranging from the entrance to the windows. To the left was a washstand, made from the same stone as the bathtub, which also possessed a white-golden tap and a big mirror with a white-golden and ornate frame was hung on the wall behind it. Straight ahead was the shower. It had a fixed shower head with a generous diameter, which was hung up high on the wall, and no cabin, but rather a wall of frosted glass separated it from the rest of the bath and the drain was embedded in the floor. To the right of the shower, between it and the bathtub, was a small sofa, which seemed to be very comfortable. I saw that clothing and a towel were there for me. I also noticed with delight that this room possessed an under-floor heating, which was very relaxing for my cold feet and also some soft mats lay on the floor.

I went to the sofa and found a short letter, which explained to me what I had to do with my old clothing and which things I was allowed to use for myself. I had to throw my old clothes into a barrel, which was standing between the washstand and shower. As I opened the lid, I saw that inside was a shaft. I had no idea where it went. Vect's invisible servants had to be on the ball, because the time between Vect giving the command that I was to stay in his quarters and me arriving here had not been too long. I guessed that one was as good as that in the Overlord's service or perished…

…which reminded me of my fate.

I undressed and showered. At first, my wounds started to burn as the warm water ran over them, but then the sensation ceased and I relaxed with delight. The shower gel and shampoo had the scent of eucalyptus, camphor and mint, which was delightful. I tried not to let my mind wander too far, but I succeeded not so well, dreading what the Overlord might do to me later on, though I still had some wild hope that he would not torture me at the spot, but rather would only do so if I was to be punished. I had this hope, because I remembered that his old slave did not have any obvious scars, then again, there were a lot of torture methods that were not in need of visible wounds…

I silenced my thoughts with an angry headshake. I would see soon enough. There was no need that I wore myself out – the Overlord would do that easily without any aid.

I stepped out of the shower, dried myself and went to the mirror. I took a look at the wounds on my back, they were thin, long cuts, but I did not waste my time too long with that, rather inspected the contents of the box that was standing on the washstand and was meant for me. I found hair accessories, a hairdryer, brushes (for hair and teeth) and make-up. I, therefore, brushed my teeth, combed my hair into an acceptable hairstyle (my hair was short) and put on some subtle make-up. Then, I inspected the new clothing I had been given and found that it consisted of a bra top and hot pants, both made out of soft leather. I was very surprised, yet happy, that I was given some clothing again. Everything fitted perfectly. Then I went back to the main room. I was already shaking because my circulation was breaking down out of sheer starvation; therefore, I sat at the table and started eating.

I had thought that the dishes on Chu'uk's table had been exquisite, however, now I had to find out that they had been nothing compared to what I was now allowed to taste. I had never tasted such fantastic things, every single dish was kind of an excess for the palate, though I again found some dishes that obviously needed some kind of trick to make them tasty. I would try asking the Overlord about it.

When I was done and felt a lot more confident, I explored the rest of the room. I climbed the first set of stairs and at the top, I saw that this obviously was the private library of the Overlord. The platform was a lot bigger than it looked from the bottom. The shelves were not only filled with books, but also with data-crystals and –sheets. Also, a divan was here, along with a machine I could not fully identify and I guessed it was something like a computer terminal.

Then I climbed the second set of stairs. Here I again found two divans, between them a small table, behind them a whirlpool and also the private bar of the Overlord was here, in the form of an arched shelf, whose front was made of glass, through which I was able to see many bottles with different fluids in them and also many different kinds of glasses. Maybe I would have a sip of some of those, though the question remained whether I could stomach and/or survive them.

Once I was done, I descended and sat on the sofa that was standing in front of the fireplace, to wait for the Haemonculus. I did not have to wait for long.

I was very relieved as the only Haemonculus I knew entered the room. He wore his mask again and said, as always with a smile in his voice, "I take it that you were successful?"

I nodded and replied, "Not as successful as I hoped, since he still forces me to wear that blasted collar, but I impressed him. At least I am allowed to sleep in the bed, not in the cage."

He chuckled softly. "I'd call that quite successful. The Overlord is known for his explicit cruelty and adamant requirements when it comes down to his slaves, especially his personal ones. Also, the fact that he doesn't deem it necessary to test you or have a control chip inserted into your brain, shows that you must have done something right."

"Control-chip?" I looked at him in bewilderment and disbelief.

"Oh, yes, one of our better inventions. These little devices either inhibit any movement of the slave that would somehow betray or harm her master or induce sense-crushing pain if anything is tried. That he does not deem this necessary shows either that he trusts you or that he does not perceive you as a threat whatsoever," he explained to me and it was clearly visible how much he enjoyed telling me that.

"Oh dear, it seems as if I have underestimated you again."

The Haemonculus let out an evil chuckle and replied, "Yes, we can play with your bodies even more and in ways than you could never even imagine. Also, you should know that the Overlord usually likes to test how strong in mind his personal slave is by putting her in that cage until she begs him to let her out and forces her to promise to do everything he demands, without hesitation. However, I doubt that he will do this to you; it seems as if he skipped this step and it is highly unlikely that he will rid you of that collar in the next time. You must impress him even further to have that honour bestowed upon you and pass his more advanced tests."

"I have a bad feeling that I will land someday in that cage for punishment," I replied anxiously.

"Perhaps, perhaps not, yet only time will show us. Now, let me tend to your wounds," he said.

The Haemonculus came to me, produced his small ebony box, which contained his tools, and I had to lie down on the sofa. He examined my wounds and then he started to disinfect them. It burned like fire, as always, but I clenched my teeth for I was used to worse things. Then, he covered the wounds with a cooling gel, which also burned, but it helped greatly with the healing process. Finally, he covered the injuries with gel pads, which would be absorbed by my skin and they helped with closing the cuts.

"You were lucky," he said as he was done.

"Why?" I asked, though I was able to guess the answer.

"The spikes on Chu'uk's armour could have been poisoned, besides, battling an Archon with nothing more than handcuffs could have ended with far worse wounds," he explained patiently.

"Well, it is over and I guess I was that lucky because I really caught him by surprise. Also, you lied to me." I figured that I was allowed this boldness, since this strange creature seemed to be somehow fond of me.

"Did I now?" he asked, his voice carrying a chuckle.

"Yes. You could have told me that you were one of the most renowned Haemonculi in all of Commorragh," I said accusingly.

He laughed viciously. "I did not lie to you. I just did not deem it necessary for you to know."

I shook my head. "Ah heck, you are right. Nevertheless, I want to thank you once more for what you did for me. You certainly ensured my survival for some years from now on, though I have to say that the Overlord already knew about Chu'uk."

He chuckled. "Of course, he did, he is Asdrubael Vect, nothing happens in Commorragh without him knowing it. Also, do not thank me too early – if you blow your chance from now on it could not be too long until we meet again – and then I will not fix your wounds, but rather give them to you. We would not want that to happen, now would we? And now, you'll have to excuse me, I have to torture some slaves for the Overlord."

"Wait a minute… you were aware that the Overlord already knew of Chu'uk's schemes? Why then let me warn him? Why let me jump into the blade for him?" I asked, now utterly bewildered.

"Child, you have to learn a lot about the political machinations here in Commorragh. Did you really think that I solely let a slave warn him, risking that she fails? I got word out to the Overlord as soon as proof of Chu'uk's treason was given to me by you. So, why did I still let you take Chu'uk on? Through that, I assured that you rise in the Overlord's esteem. You are an enticing individual, I would have hated it to see you being destroyed so blatantly; you have such great potential, you just needed a push in the right direction."

I felt betrayed, yet strangely honoured, because he truly seemed to cherish me. "Couldn't you have just told me?"

"And risk that you do not try it with all your might? Do you really think that the Overlord would be impressed by such a mediocre display and would not see right through you? Whatever you may or may not know about him – remember, and remember this very closely: it is said that he can read lesser minds like books and you are absolutely no challenge to him. Don't try to lie to him or outsmart him – you simply can't."

Though it hurt to hear that, he was right and his decision to make me run into an open blade had also been right. I decided to take it as an important lesson and pushed my mental injury away.

Then it occurred to me what he additionally had said. "You are his torture master? He does not do this himself?" I bolted out.

Again, he laughed. "Child, do you really think that he has the time to torture all those slaves he needs for survival by himself? We are talking about thousands of souls every night. He comes to our tower, feasts on the agonised souls we prepare for him and then leaves. Sometimes he finds the time to linger a bit longer, to savour the agony of the slaves we prepare for him. Of course, he tortures them himself sometimes, on the occasions when he finds the time and, of course, he enjoys doing it. Nevertheless, as Supreme Overlord of Commorragh and Archon of the Kabal of the Black Heart one does not have time to torture slaves for hours or even days on end until they break. Before you ask – yes, of course, he is one of the best torturers in the entire Dark Eldar race. We taught each other different techniques, sharing the same years of experience, we experimented sometimes together and even developed new methods to prolong the suffering even further!"

I had never seen him like that. He was outright euphoric, but that was the way Haemonculi were, this was their gruesome profession, their terrible passion. Though I knew that, a cold shiver ran down my spine, because it was creepy to hear him talk with such enthusiasm about such sickening cruelty.

"Again, before you ask: yes, I am that old." He went to the door and said, "Goodbye, my sweet child, I sincerely hope that we see each other again – and I hope for your sake that it will not be while lying under my knives." The Haemonculus let the door snap shut behind him and somehow I missed this strange ally already.

I pulled my knees to my body and suddenly, I felt cold. It was at this moment I truly and for the first time actually realised where I was and what was ahead of me. I now was surrounded by beings that were thousands of years old and loved nothing more but to torture the hell out of other beings. If I was not on my toes all the time and did everything in my power to amuse the Overlord, my chances of also feeling these torments were all too high and right now I was in social circles that managed with ease to keep someone alive for years under unspeakable agony while drinking every ounce of it like fine wine. I did not know how I should manage all this and I hoped that somehow I would know the answers to all those questions in time and that I had some time to grow into the position I was in.

I barely knew my new master personally. I knew a lot about him, but that did not help me much in knowing how to handle and impress him, only some faint hints about what he could be like were my gain. My only hope was that if I worked with enough brains around here, the opportunities would present themselves.

I sat there like that for a very long time, shaking, wondering, barely keeping myself from crying, but at some point, I felt how tired I was. I had slept very shortly, experienced a lot and was under a ton of stress. I went to the bed, gave my next action some thought and then undressed. I had the feeling that it was not a good idea to sleep with my clothes on and I feared that he would go for me in a sexual way anytime soon. I did not know what this exactly meant for me or how I was to bear it. I simply would have to handle the things how and as they came; one step at a time.

I put myself to bed and I sighed in surprise and relaxation. The bed was the most comfortable one I had ever lain in. The mattress and slatted frame supported my body perfectly and relaxed every single muscle. I covered myself with the blanket, which was covered in silk and after I had silenced my thoughts with force, I fell into an uneasy slumber.

I awoke as I heard the door snap shut and was wide awake in a second. What confused me was that I had heard just the door, nothing else. More bleary-eyed than I wanted, I saw the Overlord stepping into my view, making no noise at all as he moved, despite his heavy armour. His motions also showed that he was a very experienced and almost perfect warrior, for they were as fluent as those of the Incubus-Hierarch. Though it was impressive, it was also only logical, because the Overlord was used to living in constant danger and undoubtedly, his age also added to his skill. It was a known fact that stupid, slow and inflexible people did not last long in Commorragh and he was neither.

He turned his back on me; I guessed that he had not noticed I was awake. I wanted to exploit this fact a little and watched as he doffed his armour. He first took off his helmet and I was able to see that his hair was done in a very complex and utterly beautiful style, with lots of chains, gems and spikes inserted into it. His hair was of course black and the blood-red twilight only added to this notion, because it made it look utterly black, almost as if it absorbed the light. In fact, this twilight made it pretty impossible for a human eye to perceive anything perfectly sharp, which was annoying. As his helmet was removed, he worked his way down his body, removing the parts one by one. They seemed to be attached hydraulically to each other and to the bodyglove he was wearing beneath the armour, because as he took them off they let out a small hiss. He also took off the bodyglove and he had placed his sceptre in the weapon rack, which was attached to the armour rack.

As he was done, he only wore tight boxers. I held my breath in surprise as I beheld him, for his whole body shared the utter youthfulness of his face. His stature was, as with all Dark Eldar, lean and wiry, and his muscles were athletic. Only the profound look in his eyes hinted at his age, which was at least eleven thousand years. He then went to the cupboards and got himself some clothing, which he put on. It was a simple tunic made out of black cloth, with some small, white-golden embroidery on it and though that simple, the attire just underlined his majesty somehow.

The Overlord went to the table, seated himself at the head and started to eat. Still, he had his back turned on me. I snatched my clothing from the floor, slipped as silently as I could into it and made my way to the table. Halfway there I said, "If I may be so bold, my lord, you seem to be a little weary."

I instantly regretted my stealth. I was scared witless as he turned around in a split-second and threw a knife at me. It whooshed past my left ear, only a few millimetres away, and got stuck in the bedpost behind me in a quivering manner. Out of sorts, I blurted, "Alright, alright, I get it! No surprises!"

Because he poised for a second in this position, I could see this nigh perfect warrior, who looked me straight in the eye. His concentration was absolute, his hand perfectly steady, his movements utterly precise, staring at me with those downright disturbing eyes. It would take some time until I could look into those eyes without having my stomach freezing with fear.

I was quite sure that he had only missed me because he had wanted to.

Vect relaxed again and said with a snarl, "Surprise? Hardly, my child. I heard you all the time. I just wanted to teach you a lesson in never trying to sneak up on me." With my heart still pounding, I came to him. He said to me, his tone now relaxed again, "Come and sit, child. Eating alone is boring anyways." A second later he added, "Ah, forget it. You are probably not hungry. Nevertheless, try and calm your heartbeat. I cannot hear myself thinking over its pounding."

I paused for a second, then I remembered how sharp the senses of a Dark Eldar were and tried to calm down. I showed a small smile and replied, "Oh, I may not be hungry, my lord, but I love to eat, especially if the dishes are as well-prepared as they are on your table."

Therefore, I obeyed him and placed myself on the seat to his left. I said, while I took some samples of some dishes I liked the most (and, just maybe to impress him a little, included Mironin Haras), "I am curious, my lord, if I may." He nodded. "But it surprises me that your kind has to eat, actually. I thought that eating souls is enough for you to survive?"

Vect huffed contemptuously. "Enough, yes, if done often enough. Enjoyable to live solely on it? Hardly. We may not need other food, but we like it too much to relinquish it."

I nodded and stated, "Interesting. But I also meant what I said earlier. You seem to be a bit weary and agitated. Anything I can do to make you feel better?"

The Overlord huffed again, more forceful this time and answered, "If you killed some imbeciles, who are foolish enough to defy me, though I know their obvious schemes years in advance, yes, then you truly could make me feel better. Apart from this, I fear there is not much you can do. This gives me a headache, but it is nothing too serious."

"Well, I guess I am not much of a killer," I began and I was surprised as he smiled slightly. This smile almost made me break off in mid-sentence, because it was that awful. Such dire and cruel features should not show a smile.

I pulled myself together though and continued, after the slightest pause, "But I was told that my head massages are good against headaches. So, if you like, we could try that later on."

My master nodded and stated, "Very well, I will give it a try. It cannot be worse than what my last slave did."

I frowned and noted, "You really seem disappointed and agitated even by the memory of her."

Vect sighed and replied, "She was all looks, no brains as I had to find out quickly. Unfortunately, the choices I had beside her were even worse."

Carefully, I asked, "I take it that with me it is the other way around? I had the feeling that you did not find me quite aesthetically pleasing."

The Overlord looked at me re-evaluating, then said, "No, when I look at you now, I see that I misjudged that. It is just that Chu'uk's slaves did a terrible job with your make-up."

I laughed and agreed, "And there I thought I was the only one who felt that way."

Again this horrid smile, then he replied, "It is just that dark-skinned slaves are found more valuable amongst my kind, since our skin can only be pale, but I have to admit that the colours of your hair and eyes make you quite exquisite. You are pretty, child."

I bowed my head a bit and said gratefully, "Thank you, my lord. I am honoured."

The Overlord watched me closely as I ate my portion of Mironin Haras. I hid my displeasure about the hot spiciness, but rather enjoyed what came afterwards. "You are a curious human, little one, as you are not as afraid as any slave I have had before and I have never seen a human eating Mironin Haras with such joy."

I smiled shyly, then stated, "That is easily explainable, my lord."

"How come, my child?"

I explained, "I guess I am not that afraid because you haven't abused me as much as somebody that has not risen as quickly in your esteem as I have. If you had me thrown into that cage, I guess I would not be as relaxed as I am now after sleeping in this comfortable bed. And I've eaten Mironin Haras several times before and I know how to eat it."

"Who told you?" he asked, apparently truly interested.

"Archon Chu'uk. He meant to surprise me with its taste, but was also kind enough to warn me in advance, since I entertained him well enough. And now I love it," I told him.

"Curious. You truly must have impressed him, because I have witnessed Chu'uk as very cruel to his slaves, especially his personal ones," Vect stated, his tone pensive.

I laughed; in an interrogative manner he raised an eyebrow and I hurried to explain, "I was told exactly the same thing about you."

My master showed his vicious smile. "And rightly so, for what you experience now with me is also extraordinary. Yet, I am surprised to find it refreshing."

"The Haemonculus told me what your usual modus operandi with your personal slaves is and I think you like it because it is a bit of a change. Change is something that does not come often or easy to you these days, I guess," I knew that I took a bit of a shot with that.

"True that." He did not seem to mind. Vect finished his meal and said, "The Haemonculus must value you greatly if he tells you such things. This is curious as well."

"Well, I will be honest, my lord. He also told me that you two must be quite good friends, developing new torture methods and such," I said cautiously.

"You already know more about him and me than any other slave has ever known until they were subjected to our mercy," he said, his eyes narrowing a bit.

"You do not often use that word, I guess," I replied with a bit of a chuckle in my voice.

The Overlord gave me the smile of a predator. "Do not dare to be too bold, child, lest you might experience one of my mild punishments."

I jumped on the inside and assured him hastily, "Forgive me, my lord. It is my greatest fault to get too bold too easily."

He left open whether or not he accepted my apology, stood up and went to the divans in front of the fireplace.

I followed and offered, "Well, if you like, I could loosen that hairstyle of yours, brush your hair and then massage you."

My master nodded and said while he sat down on one of the divans, "That sounds good, my child. Do so!" I then hurried into the bathroom to fetch a certain hairbrush which I had noticed the first time. It had very soft bristles and I was sure that it felt delightful on the scalp.

As I came back, the Overlord had already undone his hairstyle. There had to be some trick to do it, because it seemed far too complex to be loosened that fast. His silky, black hair now dropped down his shoulders and though it was an uncommon sight to see a Dark Eldar with his hair loose, he still looked magnificent. Vect fixated me with his piercing black eyes as I walked towards him; it was far from pleasant. Then I knelt behind him on the divan and started brushing his hair. It was as smooth as it looked. I felt that he enjoyed it. I also loosened some knots in his hair and was very careful as I did this, because I knew how unpleasant this was, though I was aware that maybe he would not even feel this little displeasure, but I wanted to make him enjoy this as much as possible. It took some time until I had brushed his hair.

When I was done, I leant myself against the head of the divan, seated myself cross-legged and put a pillow in my lap. I said, "You might want to place your head in my lap, my lord. This makes it more comfortable for you and I can do my work better." He did what I suggested and closed his eyes, for which I was very grateful. I scanned his head quickly with my hands to feel where the acupressure points lay and then started massaging him. I concentrated very hard and tried to remember everything I had been taught. I did the best I could, because I was dead sure that impressing him in this matter was a nigh impossible task. It took some time, but I was utterly relieved as I felt that he was relaxing beneath my hands. Wearing this heavy helmet the whole day was surely straining.

Eventually, after quite a while, he let out a satisfied sigh and stated, "You know your subject well, I have not felt that relaxed for quite some time."

I truly was glad about that and replied, "I'm happy to help and I'm glad that I did this to your liking."

Vect opened his eyes (I cringed on the inside), looked deep into mine and said, "You do not stop to intrigue me, slave girl. I wonder when you will disappoint me for the first time."

I smiled shyly and replied, "I hope I never do." His smile now had a wicked touch and he stroked my hair gently. It was the first time that my master touched me with his bare hands. I did not feel something special as he did, but the fact who he was and how he had behaved until now made this touch somewhat awe-inspiring. I shivered and his smile deepened.

The Overlord continued, "We will see. I am tired, my little one. Let us go to bed." This was what I had feared. But I could not get away from this one, I got away even less so, because he said, as he sat up and looked intently at me, "Do I see fear in those beautiful eyes of yours?"

"A bit, maybe?" I replied with a little shrug and a sheepish smile.

His smile was predatory this time and he asked, "You are not a virgin, girl, are you?"

"Yes and no. No, when it comes down to humans. Yes, if it comes down to Eldar," I had to reply truthfully.

Vect's eyes seemed to glow. "Good. I had hoped you would say that, for I had feared that Chu'uk could have spoilt that for me."

I swallowed and asked, "Do you want me to undress?"

"That would be nice, yes. However, first, let me do something about that collar. Its fashion does not suit you."

My master drew closer to me and put the key to my collar in its lock. I really was puzzled about where he had gotten it from. I sighed in relief as he took off the collar, because the thing was not pleasant at all. Of course, I was aware that this was an evil intention.

"How do I deserve this honour, my lord?" I asked, very confused, to put it mildly.

The Overlord laughed (that sound almost let my blood freeze), put the collar aside and replied, "We do not need that kind of symbolism and humiliation in my quarters. We both know your place. In the throne room, you will still have to wear it, not for me, but for everybody else. So, do not get too excited about it – you still are my slave, nothing more. I just find it unpleasant to have that cold metal against my skin when I decide to be that close to you in my bed."

"I understand," I replied obediently.

"Now, child, you may lie down while I finish some business in the bathroom. I need a shower after this long day." I nodded. I stood up and went to the bed; he followed me, but then went into the bathroom. I was surprised, but then again I was very grateful that I did not have to have this bloodcurdling gaze upon me when I undressed. I crawled into the bed and huddled up against the blanket, shaking and scared out of my mind because of the things that might happen in the very near future.

It took a while until he came back and I froze in fear as I noticed that he was naked. I could not help examining his body shortly and I had to admit that he looked stunning– everywhere. I also was startled by the fact that his hair was only a little damp. This confirmed my suspicions that Eldar hair was a lot different to human hair, because it was impossible that such thick and long hair was already almost dry without being blown dry. Now he wore it in a classical Eldar-plait that suited him very nicely. The Overlord was a dashing sight, and somehow this made the thought of him having me anytime soon a bit easier, though I still was aware that this most likely would be far fitter to serve his pleasure than mine. At the same moment, the thought that he should not look as amazingly handsome as he did, hit me again, because Dark Eldar started to wither because of the things they had to do to their souls for survival. Vect was far too old to look as good as he did. There was something about him that made him stand apart from all other Dark Eldar, but it was impossible to tell what it was. I somehow dreaded the answer to that question.

My master smiled wolfishly and asked slyly, "Do you like what you see?"

I had to be honest, "How could I not?"

His smile deepened and he came beside me. I lay on my back; he gently swept the blanket down to my hips, but not uncovering them. I closed my eyes as he examined my body. My master caressed my belly, and I winced as I felt his lips upon mine.

I was ashamed because I liked it. This kiss was two existences colliding. Him, an ancient being, experienced, determined, dominant and me, not much more than a girl compared to him, who was about to uncover a part of her that she was not sure of whether she could bear it or not. Beforehand, I had thought that Chu'uk knew how to kiss.

I had been so wrong. This was what a true master felt like.

I was disturbed by his utter gentleness, this cruel, ancient creature, which had killed more beings by torturing them to death than I could possibly count. His lips caressed mine and the feeling turned my head.

Then he got a bit rougher and grabbed my jaw. The Overlord made me open my mouth and turned the kiss into a deep kiss. I shivered because his tongue was cool, like the rest of his body. His tongue felt completely different than Chu'uk's and once again I noticed that something was completely odd about him. Whether it was his age or something else, I could not tell. Also, he tasted peculiar, like cold spring water, cooling and sweet. Vect was… better than Chu'uk, in more than one way. I returned his kiss as well as I could and hesitantly I laid my shaking hands on the sides of his head. I knew that I would be absolutely powerless against him and that I had to endure what he had in store for me. I still felt terribly cold and was trembling all over, but then again excited, because I had always longed for a partner like him.

I had a dreadful feeling that he could sense that.

I flinched as he bit my lower lip. I could not escape, because he had let go of my chin, but now let his fingers slide softly into my hair. I was quite sure that his grip would tighten if I tried to resist. Besides, I still lay on my back, so there was no chance for me to back away at any rate. My master licked my blood off, kissed me until I stopped bleeding and then his hand slid out of my hair and softly over my cheek. As he drew away from me slowly, he licked my blood off his lips and gave me an intense stare. I deemed to see a demonic glow in his eyes.

Vect took a deep breath, showing his delight and then whispered, "I cannot deny how much I enjoyed that and I can feel that you did too. However, today I am too tired to stretch this as far as it should, if it is your first time with one of my kind. It must be extraordinary, but I fear I cannot do 'extraordinary' today. Nevertheless," He rose and smiled down on me. "I am still surprised by you. You are the first slave not to squirm in horror under me when I practice my first kiss with her." His smile turned into a vicious grin. "I was right. We will have a lot of fun."

The Overlord lay down beside me and covered us with the blankets. Then he pulled me against him, like a toy. I seemed to weigh nothing for him. His body was cool, his skin soft and smooth. Vect breathed a short kiss on my forehead, then gently pressed my head against his chest. I could hear his heartbeat and his strong breaths. "Do not fight it, child," he suddenly said and I jumped a little. "Do not deny it; I can feel how much you want to fight your pleasure. I just do not understand why."

I replied with clenched teeth, "Because I don't want you to think of me as a mindless whore, who even can't wait to please you."

Vect chuckled softly. I actually liked that chuckle. "You are doing me wrong, child. I know a mindless whore when I see one. Are you ashamed?"

"Yes." I cursed myself vividly inside, because it was easily audible how embarrassed and afraid I was.

Again this soft chuckle. "There is no point in playing hard-to-get with me, girl, I get what I want anyways. If you overflow with lust at the mere thought of it, fine by me. Never forget that you are in Commorragh, child, where passion is celebrated in many forms. That you can enjoy it suits me just fine, it would be worse if you could not enjoy it at all, because, after all, this is what you are here for; to please me, by any means necessary. Besides," His tone got suggestive. "We love our whores creamy and ready, so that we can intensify that lust even further, turning pleasure into rejuvenating suffering, though only very little pain is dealt. You, my child, will feel that too."

I swallowed heavily, but he did not stop and continued, with a cruel tone in his voice, "Sex done by my kind lasts far longer than between you puny humans. It is not a matter of minutes, rather an hour- or day-long orchestrated form of art, the art to stretch the foreplay as long as possible, make the female lose her mind and swear anything to the male just to be allowed to come. And when she does, and he has done his job well, this orgasm lasts for several minutes, not just seconds. If it is not mind-blowing, it was not done right. Then, when he thrusts himself into her, she has to come again at the very first thrust and nothing but screams can express her feelings. Then it was done perfectly. Then we can call it extraordinary sex."

Now my whole body was covered in goose-bumps and a cold shiver ran down my spine. Spending days in the most intense ecstasy did not sound too pleasant. My master laughed. His laughter turned my blood to ice. "Also, let me tell you one thing: I have a lot of practice with humans and I will find out quickly what torments you the most, what arouses you the most and you will not come until you are good and ready."

Subdued and feeling as small as ever, I noted, "I guess you had enough time to become a master at everything."

An evil chuckle. "True that."

Vect breathed a kiss upon my forehead and said very softly (when he used it this way, I found to my surprise that his voice sounded very soothing), "Sleep now, my child. We have a long day ahead of us."

I had to ask, "I have just some questions, my lord, if I may be so bold?"

My master sighed, but replied, "Alright. You did well; I shall answer your questions."

"Do you have to get up at a certain time tomorrow? Do you want me to prepare something for breakfast?" I asked, eager to please.

Vect laughed briefly, then explained, "Time does not work this way in Commorragh. The day begins when I say it does, it ends when I say it does. And no, I have other slaves for cooking and all the chores no one wants to do, you are here for my amusement and for that alone. And now, sleep."

My master let go of me, I turned onto my other side, curled myself up and he did not bother me any longer, he just caressed my hair a bit. After a while, he said, "Still, it is somewhat odd to have someone lying with me in that bed. It has been a while since a slave gained that much favour to be allowed to sleep in here. Ah, well. Never mind my pondering, child. It would be hard for you to understand."

I had to add, "I feel honoured and I think I can contemplate what a while means in your terms."

"Hmm, can you? I doubt it. Never mind that now. Sleep."

Though it was very difficult for me, I tried to relax. It took a while, but then I fell asleep at the side of Asdrubael Vect.