I wanted to thank all the people who have reviewed my story so far. I especially wanted to thank BlueBubbleFlash for his/her constructive feedback, which helped improving the story and my guest reviewer, who was the first to leave a comment, because I can't PM him/her directly: You. I like you. You are a mean one.

Chapter 5

Circling

"A blade to the chest? How pedestrian. We left behind such base concepts long ago, dear heart.
Let me introduce you to a far more interesting demise..."
— Haemogarch Vanthis, Necromaester of the Dark Creed

AS I AWOKE on the next 'day', I heard a noise which I thought I would never hear again. It was the sound of rain drumming against the window. Surprised, I opened my eūyes and I was even more startled as I realised that the Overlord was no longer in bed and that it seemed to be darker than yesterday. A bit dazed and with ruffled hair I sat up and immediately located my master. He sat on one of the divans in front of the fireplace, which was now lit with a big fire and read a book. Now and then, he took a sip out of a cup which was standing on the small table in front of him.

"Good… uh… morning, I guess?" I said a bit bemused. It was impossible to make out what the time was, because there was no day and night cycle in Commorragh, only the eternal, blood-red twilight.

Vect looked up, smirked and replied, "Good morning, my child. It is good that you are awake, I am starving by now."

"And we can't have that, my lord. Nobody likes to be hungry," I stated with a smile.

He returned my smile. An honest smile on these cruel features was an extremely strange thing to behold. "Indeed. I tend to get genuinely mean when I am."

I could not help it, I had to laugh. My master looked at me in bewilderment and I could see the question in his eyes. "Well, my lord, I am laughing because this is something I could have said. I tend to turn into one of the most frightful monsters of humanity if I get really hungry… before I collapse. My body can't take too low blood sugar levels." His smirk widened. "Don't even consider it," I growled with feigned anger.

He burst out in a roar of laughter. Evidently I truly had amused him, because he needed some time to settle down. The Overlord went to the table, seated himself and noted, still very exhilarated, "You truly are cute when you try to be angry. Come, child, let us have breakfast!"

I let out a small, disparaging sound and murmured, "I wasn't even trying to." As I reached for my clothes, I had to find out that they now consisted of a silken and short dressing gown, which showed more of my charms than it covered. It was not like I had a choice; therefore, I slipped it on and paused as I looked out of the window. The rain that came down was black, no wonder it was a lot darker than yesterday. "What a nasty weather! And still, I find it ruminative," I stated while I came to the table.

He smiled. "You are the first slave not to be frightened by the black rain. I never heard it from a human that they find it ruminative. They found it rather unsettling."

"I always loved rain, especially when going to bed. Why should I care what it looks like? Makes me sleep even better," I explained, shrugging.

A wolfish smile. "You slept very well, I saw that."

I sighed. Why was I not surprised that he had watched me sleep? Creep. "How long, actually, does your kind have to sleep? I was never the first to be awake."

Again, Vect grinned. "We do not practically sleep. It is rather a meditative and trance-like state that helps our mind and body to regenerate. But we can snap out of it at any time so it is impossible to ambush us while we are in it. Also, we can go for quite some time without doing it."

"Huh. Interesting. But, well, our races differ greatly, so I am not surprised." I sat down and we started to eat.

He said to me, "You might want to be careful with the tea. It is quite strong."

"In which way?" I asked, startled.

"Caffeine," my master explained.

"Interesting. I'd better not try it, then. What kind of tea is it? What is it made of?" I asked, now especially interested in that stuff. Was it not always so that humans longed the most for the things they could not or were not allowed to have?

"It is a special weed that only grows on the highest spires of Commorragh. Harvesting it is quite dangerous," he elaborated, while pouring himself a cup.

"Especially if one considers Reavers and Scourges?" I added with a shy smile.

My master nodded. "Additionally, yes. How come you know so much about my kind?" His tone got somewhat sceptical.

I hurried to say, rather carefully, "This will take some time to explain."

The Overlord made an inviting move with his head. "Do. We have time."

So I started explaining: my interest in role-playing, my specialisation on the darker people in this universe and my lessons with the Haemonculus. What I kept from him was how closely I had studied the information about him. We ate while I explained.

When I was done, he nodded slowly and remarked, "Astonishing. It is really curious that this future is so well-explained in a mere fantasy in your time."

"This is also why I have a hard time to keep from snapping when thinking about the fact that my life is hanging by a very thin thread. Too much knowledge is a curse," I replied sourly.

Vect shortly bared his fangs with his predatory smile. "That thread may not be as thin as you think."

"Really? Now, that surprises me." It truly did. That meant I had to do something right.

He laughed softly. Then, my master lost this playful attitude in the blink of an eye and started, with a serious tone, "Enough of this bantering chat, slave girl. We have some serious matters to discuss. This will be your first day in my throne room and I have to say, you picked an exceedingly hard one too. I really advise you to keep your mouth shut there. You will only talk when talked to or when asked something. Any boldness or even one wrong word will carry some serious punishment for you. I think you know enough of my kind to picture what serious punishment in our terms means for you. And believe me; you have just been gently caressed when disciplined until now. I cannot have my slaves being anything but obedient. Is that clear?"

"Yes, my lord. I won't be as stupid," I assured him obediently. Fearfully, I wondered why this day would be very hard for me. I was sure I would be given the answer in a second…

"Good. It is also imperative that no one gets to know that you understand our language. And here comes your uttermost important task: I will have a strategy meeting with my Circle today, which consists of my Hierarch and the most skilful Archons of my Kabal. I appreciate them the most. It will be your job – on the official side – to see to their needs, but you will spy on them for me, since you speak our language. Remember anything that you deem important, for I sense a traitor among them, and be prepared that they will not be gentle with you. They are not only my most skilful elite, they also count to the cruellest and they hate incompetence and insolence just as I do. The generosity you experience from me currently must stay in these quarters. I want to see you on your most submissive and courteous behaviour!" He continued with a very soft tone (it made his words even crueller than if he had spoken them in a menacing manner), "If you should dare to mess this up – meaning they should either get the feeling that you can understand them or you make them think I was too easy on you and have become soft – you will see what little mercy I have left for incompetent and disobedient slaves. Have I made myself unquestionably clear?"

"I hear you, my lord. I will do my very best," I replied obediently and with a nod.

"You should hope for your own sake that this is good enough," my master replied, making my humble obedience seem somewhat invalid.

I swallowed. This was going to be fun, to say the least. Starting my service with his Circle was the last thing I wanted. However, as always, I was left with no choice. What I asked myself, was, why the Overlord, who had known every scheme against him long before it unfolded, now suddenly needed a simple slave to detect a traitor? I was sure that there was a lot more to it than he just had told me. However, I was not to question him, for this was a very dangerous mistake. I was a slave and it was absolutely not my place to scrutinise him.

When we were done, he commanded me to shower and make myself look presentable. I obeyed. As I was just done with doing my hair, which I always did last, but still standing in front of the mirror, he came to me. I froze as he came up that close behind me so that our bodies touched. My master laid his hands upon my waist and caressed my flanks softly with his fingers. While doing this, he said, "Beautiful. You know how to please the eye."

My eyes widened as he produced a silver collar, which he donned around my neck in a tender manner. I immediately had to feel that this collar apparently had been made for me, because its circumference was perfect not to hinder me while breathing, but I felt it every time I moved or swallowed. I gasped, as he swept his fingers gently and slowly over the edge of the collar, also touching my skin. Then my master bowed down to me and whispered into my ear, "Yes, I can see that you feel where the hidden thought in this collar lies. Always reminding you of what you are, always caressing your soft skin a bit. A cold caress, perhaps, but still a caress. This collar only opens to my touch, by the way. So do not think you can somehow be rid of it if I do not allow it. And now, my little slave, you better get out of here and get dressed, lest I will not contain myself any longer."

I nodded silently, intimidated and scared to the bone, drew away from him, took the clothes that had been prepared for me and went, as fast as I could without insulting him, out of the room.

As soon as I had closed the door behind me, I started to dress. My clothes consisted today of a bra and hot pants made out of a Lycra-like material. On the outside, they were decorated with silver, little chains and rubies, which matched my collar. The fabric was no longer visible from the outside. Also, two red cloths (I guessed that they were made out of silk) were mounted on the pants, dropping down to my shanks between my legs and over my bottom. The attire suited me.

Still, my heart raced. The Overlord scared the hell out of me and I was sure he was doing it on purpose. I was completely helpless against it, because he pushed my buttons perfectly. I was scared, but somehow it also turned me on. This disturbed me utterly.

I spent the while he was in the bath sitting huddled on the bed and trying to regain my composure. I managed it moderately. When my master came back, he smiled at me outright viciously. He made me flinch as he stroked over my hair while he passed me on his way to the armour rack, where he donned the bodyglove and the armour. It was clearly visible that he had routine. After putting the heavy wrap over his shoulders, he turned to me. Though I had seen Vect like this before, I was speechless, because he looked so glorious in this noble attire. His eyes glowed from under his helmet, as he studied me with enjoyment. Then he came to me, dragged me to my feet and attached a chain to my collar. While doing this, he said, "Alright, slave girl. Let us go!"

The Overlord took my chain into his hands, but then attached it to his belt, which forced me to walk a bit hunched. I had to follow him as he fetched his sceptre and then we left the room. I shuddered as we entered the torture chamber, because I was remembered of the cold and of the ambient noise in Commorragh. I noticed that he moved completely differently when he wore his armour. His stance underlined his dominance, pride and martial prowess. It also made clear that defying him was a stupid idea. In his quarters he moved in a more relaxed manner, smooth like a small cat, but right now he showed the gait and dominance of a tiger.

When we left his quarters, Vect's lifeguard joined and surrounded us. None of them even took a look at me. I was not surprised. Incubi renounced such passions and Sslyth seemed to be too different to take pleasure in looking at a half-naked human woman. We made our short journey to the throne room in this small party. To climb down the stairs behind the Overlord while being bound to him was not very comfortable, because my chain pulled me down and forced me to do it stooped. When we arrived at the bottom, my muscles almost convulsed, but I clenched my teeth and did not show it.

Then we entered the throne room, which had changed quite a bit. In front of the throne now stood a semicircular table made out of a white material. I would find out later that it was made out of bone. At this table sat eight Dark Eldar, all of them attired with lavishly decorated armours and finest clothing. They outdid each other in looks. Yes, they were a beautiful people on the outside, but on the inside, they were truly hideous. They all stood up and greeted the Overlord with a slight bow. What surprised me was that I did not see a single woman in this circle, because I knew that gender was quite irrelevant in their society, only skill counted. I knew that once a woman had been in this circle and I knew that Vect had regarded her highly. But this story did not have a happy ending and now she was presumed dead. Most likely she was left to rot in some dungeon for the things she had dared to do.

Vect passed the table on its right side, loosened my chain from his belt and attached it to the left side of the throne as he sat on it. I tried to remember everything I had been told about the rules of conduct in high Dark Eldar society. I had to present myself really well or my master would punish me. Therefore, I waited until everybody else sat down and only then I knelt onto my heels. I did not show how uncomfortable the sharp-edged floor was for me. I felt the gazes of the Circle upon me, apparently, they were curious as to who this new slave was.

For now, I was not the topic, because Vect greeted them and welcomed them to this meeting. I was surprised how respectful and appreciative his tone was. He took his time with the greeting. As he was done, he put the sceptre into a socket in the throne and then went to the table, taking me with him. He took the place on the straight side of the semicircle; it was the place of honour. To my surprise, he did not bind me again, but rather draped the ice-cold chain around my shoulders, which made me flinch heavily. The Circle laughed about that. One of them asked, "If I may ask; where did you get that exquisite slave from, Overlord? She sure looks tasty."

Vect smiled and stroked my hair proprietary. "This sweet thing was found on our time-travel mission. Chu'uk brought her to me, apparently as the last wise thing he did." A malicious laughter filled the room.

The Archon, who had asked before, added, "So, she is quite new, isn't she?"

"Yes. I just got her yesterday." An interested murmur passed the ranks of the Circle. I tried to look as clueless as possible, though I was charmed by the compliments. That every single one of them had a mocking nature to it did not matter to me. It was the best I would ever get around here.

Another one of the Circle asked, "Do you consider selling her?"

The Overlord chuckled softly and replied, "Hell, no! Why should I sell a virgin?" He lied with a naturalness that was astonishing. But then again… did he actually lie? In their terms, I probably was considered a virgin. They seemed to be surprised, some expressions and sounds showed that.

The one that had asked the question, stated, "Forgive me, my lord. Of course, virgins are most enjoyable to break."

"Indeed. But she has proven to be a natural in most things and tended to my needs quite eagerly last night." Some of them grinned wolfishly. I was quite sure that what they imagined had not been the reality.

I tried to look as innocent as possible and smiled at the Overlord shyly. He caressed my cheek with a vicious smile, then he turned his attention to his Circle and they started the meeting. A space map was projected above the table and Vect started to present his future plans. I was not able to follow the meeting any longer, because another slave took me aside and told me what I had to do. I looked at her surprised as she gave me a big teapot made out of shining, black stone. Bewildered, I asked, "No wine?"

She shook her head and replied, "Their wine is made for relaxing the mind and the body and not wanted if they have to concentrate. This tea sharpens the mind and heightens the senses."

I nodded, thanked her and then started with my work. I had to see to it that none of the Archons was left wanting concerning the tea. I smelt that this tea was a different one than the one at breakfast, but I was sure to smell the caffeine-containing herb. I noticed, as I approached the table again, that every single one of them had a small translator in front of him. Apparently, these were for translating possible commands.

I began with my task at the Overlord, but he did not take notice of me, because he was still busy explaining his strategies. Then I looked at the armours of the other Archons and discerned by the looks of them where I had to go next. To the right of the Overlord sat his Hierarch, second in command of the Kabal. The next one sat on the opposite side, to the left of the Overlord. The hierarchy continued in this manner. The closer an Archon was seated to the Overlord, the higher his rank was. Then I realised that I did not know their names, but I was confident that I would overhear them in time. I again thanked the Haemonculus silently and then continued with my work, in the correct order. The curious looks I got for that knowledge did not evade me, but that did not mean in any way that they did go easy on me. Two of them ignored me, engrossed in a discussion with the Overlord. The rest took – for my liking far too much – notice of me. I got 'coincidentally' cut with some armour-blades and was touched in ways I extremely disliked. Some asked me how old I was. The one that looked the youngest, but was not the lowest in rank, seemed to be interested in me in particular; he also had been the one to ask whether I was on sale.

He took me at my chain and pulled me very close to him, so that he could whisper into my ear, "You seem quite confident for such a young and fresh slave. Tell me, who taught you so well?" I was lucky that they spoke English with me when the translators activated, therefore, I knew I would not betray myself if I answered. I did not show my dismay as he caressed my back and then laid his hand between my legs.

I smiled shyly at him and answered, also in a whisper, "Archon Chu'uk was so kind to teach me a bit, since it was clear to whom I would be given. And as we all know, our Overlord despises badly trained slaves."

He lifted his eyebrows in disbelief. "Chu'uk? Curious. You must have impressed him."

"He was quite pleased with me, yes, my lord." I thought that it was a good idea not to tell who had really trained me, because it would only draw unnecessary attention to me. I cringed on the inside as he inhaled my scent and softly kissed my neck.

Then he said, "A shame that the Overlord won't sell you. You are just my taste. So fresh, young and… wet." I gasped because he was right, he truly had aroused me. With a vile smile he let go of me and I hurried to carry out my duties, cursing my physical reactions vividly on the inside.

So I roamed around the table, receiving more and more cuts and caresses. I strained my eyes and ears, but it was difficult to overhear softly spoken words underneath discussions. Also, I was far from being an expert in the Dark Eldar language.

The meeting took hours. I did not really understand what they actually discussed, but what I saw easily was that the discussions grew rougher by the minute. I also got to feel that, because the cuts grew deeper and the touches even more unpleasant.

At some point, there was a break in the discussions; just angry silence filled the room, seemingly because the Circle could not reach an agreement. I had an idea about how to put oil on those troubled waters, approached Vect and said very quietly and shyly, of course, using English, "Supreme Overlord, I have a suggestion to make, if I may."

He did not even look at me, his face was without any expression and he said, bored, "Go ahead, slave." I barely kept myself from wincing, because I was not used to hearing him speak in this language.

I bowed my head thankfully and continued cautiously, "What about calming the minds over some tasty food and sweet wine? I have heard that negotiating and thinking with an empty stomach is twice as hard as with a filled one." Because of that, he started to laugh evilly, the rest of the Circle tuned in instantly. It certainly was one of the eeriest things I had ever heard and I was not sure whether I just had made a mistake or if I had entertained them.

Luckily, his following words put me at ease again, "See? That is also why I will not sell her. She makes use of her brain. I like the suggestion." He commanded the slave, whom I had talked to earlier, to him and instructed her about the meal. She bowed in a hasty and frightened manner and hurried away.

Then, the Overlord said, "Alright, let us take a break while the meal is prepared." Thus, the gathering dissolved for a short while, some left the throne room, and others chatted about trivialities.

Vect pulled me to him and hissed into my ear, "Anything?"

I shook my head.

"Keep working on it!" he said.

I nodded briefly.

Then he smiled maliciously, drew me even closer and kissed me. I flinched as he bit me and kissed me until the blood ran down the corners of my mouth. I did not enjoy it, but avoided too much struggle. As my master released me, I looked at him, perturbed. My stomach grew cold as I could see in his eyes how much he had enjoyed this. Though he treated me (feigned, I hoped) much rougher in front of his Circle, he actually enjoyed the cruelty.

What had I expected?

With a bloody and cruel smile, he wiped the blood off my face. The Overlord said to me, his tone soft, but cruel, "Not enjoying that, hmm? Believe me, in due time you will." The smile vanished from his face and he demanded, "Sit, child. You may also have a break."

I obeyed and knelt on my heels on the floor.

I now had time to look at my body and wished in the same moment that I had not. I had lots of small, painful cuts and I now could feel how aroused I actually was. They kept me perfectly between pain and pleasure, so none of the feelings got the upper hand, but I still had to suffer both. I had the uneasy feeling that my welfare depended on how I did today. I was sure that if I did well, my master would amplify the pleasure in his quarters; if not, more pain was to be expected. Though I feared what each of the treatments meant for me, I preferred being rewarded to being punished, since I wanted to rise in his esteem.

After a short while, several slaves came in and brought tableware, cutlery and several meals with them. By now, the members of the Circle had come back to the table. Those slaves had an even worse time than me and I now realised how gently the Archons had treated me. The waiter-slaves got manhandled even worse and none of the Archons seemed to enjoy their presence and bodies otherwise, but I also saw that they made a lot of mistakes; mistakes, I would have made too if I had not been instructed so well. Either it was my good training or the Circle refrained from hurting me too badly because I was Vect's personal slave.

I sighed silently as I smelt the dishes. I already was hungry again, though I had eaten a lot in the morning, because I had foreseen that there would be no lunch for me. I looked up and was frightened as I saw that Vect seemed to be enormously displeased with something. He frowned and his eyes narrowed in anger.

Then he snarled, "Alright. This. Is. It."

He called two guards and demanded, "Seize that stupid coordinator slave and flog her until she faints! Then give her to the Haemonculi, for stabilisation! When they are done with her, imprison her in my torture chamber, I will deal extensively with her later. I have had enough of her incompetence!" When they turned to go, he added, "Oh, I almost forgot. Do this here, use a whip without barbs so it takes longer and gag her, since we have matters to discuss here, though I would love to hear those screams in their full beauty. Also, keep the other slaves here, so they can see what happens if they infuriate me with their incompetence."

I swallowed. This was a fate that should not be wished upon anybody. As the guards went to do their job, the Overlord leant down to me, grabbed me by my collar, dragged me up to him with only one arm and hissed into my ear, "You should also remember that very well, child. I will not make you watch, since you have done well until now. Just never forget it!"

Subdued, I replied, "I will, my lord, and I'd like to thank you for your kindness."

I did not know why, but he seemed to love my reaction, because he calmed down, breathed a kiss upon my temple and whispered to me in his language, so softly that truly only I could hear it (I figured that the translators were somehow started selectively), "You are so pure, child, you make it hard for me to control myself." I did not understand what he liked so much about my words, but I decided to be happy that it was so and that his mood increased in an instant.

Either it was that or it were the muffled screams of the gagged slave that now began. The guards had gathered the waiter-slaves, had chained the one to be punished to the wall and had undressed her and now started beating her. What really appalled me about this (besides the thing they did itself) was that they did not hit her on her back, but rather on her breast and belly. I did not dare to imagine the pain and tore my gaze away from this terrible scene. That did not help against her screams, though. I was also terribly aware that it would take a while until she fainted.

However, the most horrible thing about the whole scene was the expressions that could be read in the faces of the Circle and the Overlord. It was absolutely clear how much they enjoyed the screams.

Vect took a deep breath and said, "Better, much better. I should have prompted this earlier." Now he scared the hell out of me. For the first time I was here, I realised how terribly evil and sadistic he truly was. I had tried not to think about this side of him until now, to keep my mind calm. Now this was somewhat no longer possible. I noticed that I trembled a bit.

The assembly was not impressed by the screams, which sounded more racked with pain and tormented by the minute, but rather enjoyed their meal. Vect had also relieved one slave from watching and had commanded her to run to the kitchen and fetch the things the other slave obviously had forgotten. I sincerely hoped that he was not as relentless as to have someone punished that hard for the first mistake. I figured that either it took some mistakes to make him that angry… or one that really pissed him off.

I had to look after the beverages of the congregation and I was very careful not to make a single mistake. I was lucky, because the members of the Circle seemed to be able to control their feelings very well, because they did not let me feel their sadistic enjoyment. Still, I was sure that there was more to their restraint. I was very happy that they were apparently very pleased with me, because they did not let me starve and watch how they enjoyed those awesome dishes, but rather fed me tiny bits, like a human would have given some bites to a pet. I played along and thanked every single one for it. It was humiliating, but this way I could fill my rumbling stomach a bit.

While I served an Archon whose place was in the middle of the hierarchy, he caressed my flank with his taloned gauntlet and I had to giggle a bit because he did it so gently that it tickled like hell. Meanwhile, he said to Vect, "You have a really obedient and entertaining new slave, my lord. And she seems to enjoy her work too. I like her far better than your old one."

The Overlord laughed wickedly and replied, "A good thing to hear, Archon Vyras, that we share the same opinion. I am also far more pleased with her, though she only had such a short time to prove herself." By now, I had overheard almost all of their names, only his was missing. So, those were their names, according to the hierarchy:

1. Archon Sythrac, Hierarch (second in command of the Kabal, the Overlord's right hand and his most esteemed advisor)
2. Archon Zuol (the Haemonculus had told me that he was the commander of the best squad of the Kabal)
3. Archon Sarnak
4. Archon Vyras
5. Archon Nuscul
6. Archon Ea'nash (he had been the one who was particularly interested in me)
7. Archon Atanel
8. Archon Tahril (I knew that he had been the commander of the force in the Kaurava- System)

Nevertheless, Vyras's name reminded me of something. The Archon, of course, noticed it and asked, while he continued with this rather sweet torture, "You seem to be surprised by my name, slave. Why is that?"

I had to pull myself together so as not to flee his touch, which grew unpleasant, and replied, "Just coincidence, nothing more, my lord. I know a character of a similar name, who was a very talented spy and who served the realm he was working for with all his heart." I clenched my teeth as he slowly drilled one of the tips on his fingers into my side until I bled.

He said, while doing this, "What a nice coincidence indeed. It seems that he and I have something in common." Then, he let me go and I continued with my work.

At some time, my work led me back to Archon Ea'nash, who seemed to have taken some particular interest in me, because he did not miss a single opportunity to caress or arouse me. Though his looks were absolutely attractive, I was sure that his soul was one of the darkest around here. I hoped to never end up as his personal slave. This time, he again took hold of my chain and forced me to stay with him. He whispered into my ear, with a tone of pure joy, "Are you unsettled by her screams, my child?" The poor slave still had not lost consciousness, though it was audible that her strength waned. I only nodded in silence. "You are honest, I like that. However, you have to see what these screams are for us: sweet, sweet music. Also, the suffering she endures is like the best wine to us, rejuvenating our very body and soul." He lowered his voice even more, so much that I could barely hear it, but this way I could hear all too well how much pleasure he felt saying those words, "I'd love to hear you scream. And who knows? Maybe I will." He let go of me in a quite sensual manner and obviously enjoyed my fear.

Then I returned to my place at the side of the Overlord, because they had finished their meal and the table had to be cleared. Perfectly timed, the screams of the slave ceased, because she had fainted. The rest was forced to work again. Horror, shock and nausea in some cases were apparent on their faces. They did their work as quickly and conscientiously as they could, apparently trying not to give Vect any more reason to have another slave punished, not that he needed one if it pleased him. Vect declared another slave as coordinator, seemingly randomly chosen. I was sure as hell that nothing he did happened out of erratic motives or randomly. It was clearly visible how afraid she was, but she was smart enough to thank the Overlord for the promotion and to fill her new position hastily.

The inanimate body of the punished slave was brought out of the room by two guards. I did not want to, but somehow had to look at her. I swallowed heavily. I did not know how she was to survive this. Then again, I remembered how ingenious Haemonculi were when it came down to prolonging life and suffering of slaves.

I spent some time sitting beside Vect's chair, but observed the assembly inconspicuously. I now was able to read their facial expressions a bit and I sometimes listened with closed eyes, to discern their voices better. The discussions continued; I listened as closely as I could and the whole new world of those voices started to unfold for me. I had sharp ears as a musician and knew not only how to hear but to truly listen. There were incredible tones and nuances in those voices, they could tell so much without saying it, and I noticed that there was a twisted kind of beauty in them.

Then I observed something: there were two voices which seemed to be out of place. One was a lot too controlled and flattering, it was never sharp or even conceited, as it was with all the other voices, because when it came down to it, every single Dark Eldar only looked out for his or her own good. This they showed proudly and loudly with their voices. This voice was different. It did not demand; it only connoted. It did not contradict; it only proposed.

This did not fit one of the most powerful Archons in the Kabal of the Black Heart.

That could only mean one thing: he was the traitor, who tried to divert the Overlord's eye by calm restraint, because Vect had to control the more stubborn members of his Circle. This way, the traitor tried to forge alliances and stab his knife into the Overlord's back. He really did it well, because he did not hold back too much to sound too submissive. This tactic called for a much-disciplined mind. I remembered the voice and opened my eyes. I was surprised as I saw whom it belonged to.

Archon Vyras.

Though I found him the most pleasant one to be around, I now realised that it also could have been cold calculation to make me as comfortable as possible and to cloud my mind so I would not suspect him in any way. He seemed to have the experience to behold me as Vect's little spy.

The second voice that sounded off was the exact opposite. It sounded extremely arrogant, vain and angry and was the one of Archon Ea'nash. Maybe he had acted so extremely repulsive only to keep me away from him. I was not sure whether he not also could be the traitor.

Because of that, I kept a close eye on them for the rest of the meeting, which was hours. Alas, I was not able to find out anything more specific.

What had and yet had not puzzled me at the same time in the end, was that they had cut me all those hours without destroying every inch of my skin. This treatment had gotten more painful the longer the meeting had lasted, because they had deepened the cuts they had only made very superficially in the first place. They knew how to deal pain without dealing serious damage at the same time. I was sure that I was also tested this way, because I thought to see a hint of acceptance in their eyes, masterly hidden, but by now I had some practice in reading Dark Eldar. It took every ounce of my will not to show them how I felt, because though the wounds were small, they hurt like hell. I also felt the blood loss by the end of the meeting. I was trembling and I felt dazed.

Also, every single one of them had tasted my blood. It no longer appalled me, for it had been tasted so many times. What I had noticed was that it seemed as if they had enjoyed its taste. If Chu'uk's words had been true, this was good for me, because it meant I was strong and Dark Eldar fancied strong slaves.

Eventually, the meeting ended and I left the throne room with the Overlord. We went back to his quarters and as it had been in the morning, the guards stayed outside.

I was relieved as he freed me of my collar quickly. Then I staggered to the bed and fell onto it. He immediately said, "Get off the bed! You are bleeding!"

Though everything spun around me, I raised, turned to him and said (in English this time), "Oh come on! It's not like you haven't done things in that bed that soaked the sheets with blood!" Though this was a daring statement, I was lucky, because his sense of humour seemed to be more distinctive than Chu'uk's. He started laughing. Still, I did not want to try his patience and laid myself upon the floor. Everything spun. No clear thought was possible. I said, half-delirious, "Do you actually understand me when I speak this language or do you have a translator hidden somewhere?"

He showed his predatory smile and replied, in perfect English, "Both, my dear child."

I looked at him in disbelief and said, in his language again, "You could've spoken it all the time then?"

"Of course, I could have. It is just that I do not like the human language and I do not see why I should speak it in my empire."

"Of course." It now occurred to me that apparently English had to be the language of the Imperium, otherwise it was quite a riddle why he spoke it. This was curious, because, from all the sources I had had in my time, it had been suggested that Low Gothic, the colloquial language of the Imperium, was a mixture of English, German, Spanish and French. Apparently, this information had been wrong. Then again, it was also unheard of that Dark Eldar condescended to learn the human language.

I watched him blatantly for a while as he doffed his armour, then I said, "Huh. Wonder what I'm experiencing right now is how it feels to bleed to death."

He laughed again. "Believe me, child, you are far from exsanguination. The toxin that was on their armours now makes you feel dazed and weak."

"Poison? Now I feel really assured. You people have such a nice variety of poisons," I replied anxiously.

"Do not worry, it is just a pretty weak poison and this was just done to test you; I instructed them to do so. Give it a bit of time, nourishment and rest and you will not feel it anymore," he calmed me down. Still, his tone was somewhat callous.

"Why… why did you do this?" I asked, in denial.

A vicious smile. "I have to be sure that you are not only strong in mind but also possess enough strength in your body."

I did not like the implication and asked warily, "For what?"

Now his vicious smirk turned into a wolfish one. "Child, you are not that naïve, are you? I think you know very well what I am talking about."

"I guess I'm still too naïve. I had hoped that it wouldn't include sharp or pointy objects and poison. But it seems I was mistaken." He did not comment on that and just looked at me mysteriously. The gaze made me cringe on the inside. He was also done with his armour by now. I continued, "But I guess I wouldn't be much fun right now, now would I?"

"No, my child. I want you at your full strength." He came to me and I gasped in surprise as he lifted me like I weighed nothing, carried me to the table and sat me on one of the chairs there. Every single step let my head spin more intensely. "Eat, child! You will feel better afterwards." I needed all of my concentration for eating. He also ate something, but watched me closely. After a while, he said, "You passed the test with flying colours, I daresay. They were satisfied with the way you served them. You learnt your lessons well."

My brain was a lot slower than usual, but positively more liberated, and I was not afraid to speak my mind. "Yup, I thought so, judging from what they did to the other slaves. I can't thank the Haemonculus enough for teaching me that well." I felt very tired and relaxed all of a sudden. My eyes widened as I understood which additional effects the poison had on me. I said, now again switching to English, "Forgive me, my lord, I can't seem to concentrate enough to speak your language, but please don't tell me that this stuff I have now in my system is also a muscle relaxant and a truth serum; because it sure feels like it."

His evil smile already gave me the answer. He stated, "You are right. This poison is designed to take hold of you fairly slowly, but it seems that you experience it much slower than is usual, which means, that the peak of its effect is yet to come." His smile deepened. "We will put that to good use."

I shrugged, grinned and replied, "Well, still better than having sharp and pointy things rammed into my flesh to make me talk. So, 'sup? What'd you want to know?"

"You really are afraid of being tortured, hmm?" he said with false tenderness.

I leant onto one elbow, looked at him with a lopsided sneer and replied, "Come on. As if anybody isn't. And yes, the thought scares the hell out of me."

His teeth flashed for a split-second. "True that. Nevertheless, you are the first one to admit it openly."

"This could be because I'm all too well aware of how easily I can end up in that nice torture chamber of yours. I guess, by reminding myself I keep myself really cautious. But I don't fail to notice that you have failed to answer my question."

He laughed again, but then turned serious, "Right, enough bantering chat. So, any thoughts on the traitor?"

I continued my sneer and replied, "You don't need poison for that answer. As if I'd be stupid enough not to do my job."

He no longer seemed to be in the mood for games, because he leant closer to me and snarled, "Answer the question, slave girl!"

A bit put into place, I replied hastily, "Fine, fine, I'm sorry, my lord! I was able to narrow it down to two of them: Archon Vyras or Archon Ea'nash."

A cold stare. "Go on."

"Well, Archon Vyras, because he's too modest for one of the most revered Archons in this Kabal and agrees far too often with you. He doesn't demand, he doesn't object. And he was too nice to me, possibly trying to beguile me. On the other hand, it could be Archon Ea'nash, because he is far too aggressive for his position and far too insolent. Also, he is the sickest son-of-a-bitch in this whole Circle. Should've bitten his fingers off." I instantly regretted my anger and this statement as he hit me hard in the face. There was one good thing about the pain: I got clearer. Still, I was aware that this hit had been a soft caress. He could have done much worse things to me for this insolence.

Vect growled, "Mind your tone, slave! Believe me, he was gentle with you! It surprises me that you are that naïve, by calling Ea'nash the worst of them. He is by far the youngest and not that accustomed to taming his passions. However, let me tell you one thing: they were all incredibly gentle with you, since you impressed them so much. Believe me, if you were not as well-taught as you are, you would have lost consciousness at some point, because you would have felt much more pain and pleasure." He looked at me with narrowed eyes. "I do not know what to make of you, slave girl. On one hand, you seem to be quite the observer; on the other, you seem to miss the obvious."

I shrugged and replied, "Well, I guess that I haven't accustomed fully to reading in the faces of your kind and that I still have much to learn about all of you. And on top of that, I'm just a stupid human."

He frowned, shook his head and responded, "You, my child, are many things, but stupid is not one of them."

I sighed in relief and said, "I'm honoured, my lord. I just wear my heart on my sleeve, that is." My strength started to fail me. I bedded my head into my arms on the table and murmured, "Gods, I hope this light-headedness stops soon, I can't stand it any longer! I hate it to be deprived of my wits!" He did not help at all with his evil laugh and gentle caresses of my hair. It was almost more than I could take. To stand his mockery was a hundred times worse to all the cuts and immodest touches I had received from the Circle.

"So distressed, my child? I fear I have to tell you that this will take a bit longer to end." His words were cruel, but somehow I liked them. I was appalled by the feeling and the thought.

"I should be happy that you take such delight from this, shouldn't I? So, what's up next? I guess you are weary of this variation of this game", I tried changing the subject.

My master made a musing sound. "There it is again, you read me quite well, better and more intently than any human slave before you."

A short chuckle shook my body. "Guess this comes with soaking in all knowledge I could get about you."

Vect mused, "Hmm, it seems that you have not told me everything about your knowledge. You will tell me, but first, let us make a change of scenery; I would like to discuss those things in another environment."

The Overlord stood up, came to me and carried me into the bath. In there, I noticed with surprise that the tub was filled and the scent that hung in the air turned my head even more. I had a hard time thinking straight. Apparently, Vect wanted to be absolutely sure that I was telling the truth. The only question that remained was why he did not torture me to get them out of me. He would enjoy it and it rejuvenated him.

Then the scales fell from my eyes.

"Oh, this is just grand," I whispered and jumped because I just realised that I really had said it.

Of course, Vect had heard it and immediately asked, "What is it, my child?"

"I finally understood it. You know, I didn't get until now why you aren't torturing me to get the answers out of me. But now," I laughed. "Now I see that you were doing it all the time. You do it by taking the very thing from me that matters most to me: my intellect." I looked into his eyes, shook my head and stated, "Damn it, you are as excellent as they say. Tell me, my lord: does this rejuvenate you too? I'd love to know."

He put me down and said, "In a different manner as inflicting physical pain unto you would."

Excited, I replied, "Oh, I see! So it's mentally!"

"Indeed, and it has been a while since I had such a suitable victim as you. Why? Not because you suffer so much by losing your intellect, it is rather the fear that torments you so much, the anguish of making a critical mistake while in this condition, to give me every reason to subject you to excruciating pain. And I never had a subject that was more afraid of the prospect of being tortured than actually being tortured."

I drew a face. "I curse my vivid imagination."

A soft chuckle. "Oh, but this makes you so… refreshing."

I shook my head and admitted, "Damn it, you are scaring and arousing the hell out of me, my lord." I was absolutely aware that I would never have admitted that under normal circumstances. He grinned so widely that I could clearly see his shining white, pointed teeth. Now I saw that the canines of both upper and lower jaw had been replaced with obsidian fangs, at least it looked like obsidian. It needed a lot of artistic skill to shape them so that they did not hinder him in any way. I now really was puzzled that I had not felt them when he had kissed me or noticed them otherwise until now.

Now, Vect lowered himself onto my eye level, pulled me against him and hissed into my ear, "And it will get even worse." With these words, he cut my clothing off me; I had no idea where he had gotten the dagger from. Then he grabbed me and threw me into the water. I hit the surface quite unpleasantly with my belly and screamed as the water touched my wounds. This scream was a silent one, because I already was under water when the pain hit. It burned as if someone had poured acid into my wounds. I emerged from the water while spitting and gasping, but fell to my knees with a grunt of pain. Tears welled up in my eyes. I rolled myself into a ball and breathed heavily. I was not able to hide my suffering. All I wanted was to get out of the water and whatever had been put into it, but I felt that this was a bad idea.

I flinched as he suddenly was beside me and stroked my hair and back. I had not heard him at all, he could be terribly quiet. I forced my next words forward with clenched teeth, "What's that for? Do I deserve a little punishment?"

I could hear the cruel smile in his voice. "Quite the opposite, my child. I spared you the torment of inflicting the pain unto yourself and the reason it hurts so much is that your wounds start to rapidly regenerate. You will suffer for a while, but it should be over soon."

I breathed heavily and said in a strained manner, "You could have told me."

He scoffed, "And spoil my delight? We would not want that, now would we?"

I hyperventilated for some time, then replied, "Of course not, my lord." I did not know which was worse: the terrible pain or his tender caresses. I would have loved to scream, but I did not want to give him a reason for gloating.

Nevertheless, he seemed to enjoy it, because he said after a while, which I had spent trembling in pain under his touch, "Mmh, I guess it would also be delightful to torture you physically. I can feel that you would be quite tough to break."

Strained, I responded, "Maybe we will find out one day."

This had been a mistake, because he grabbed me by my hair, dragged me to his eye level and snarled into my ear, "Do not dare to tempt me, lest I will cut your wounds open just to put you back into the water. Again and again and again, until you can only scream and between your screams, you will beg me to stop. Do – never – again – dare – to – tempt – me. Understood?!"

Completely subdued and with pain-wrecked voice I replied, "I won't, never again, my lord, I swear!"

Apparently satisfied, he breathed a kiss upon my temple and whispered tenderly into my ear, "Good girl." Then he let go of me and let me fall back into the water. My fright and pain had cleared my head a bit, but the more I inhaled from the steam, the more my senses were dimmed and the more my tongue was loosened.

At some point, the pain stopped and if I had not been in the water, I would have fallen onto my side. Both my body and my mind were worn out, but I knew that we were just getting started.

"Very good. You have to know that pain slows down the poison even more, so you should experience its peak in a short time," he said. I closed my eyes as he held me by my waist, gently this time, and leant me against the side of the tub, my head on its rim. I was shaking; the pain had taken a lot of my strength. He said to me, his voice calm, "Easy, my child. Relax now, the toxin will help you. Slow, deep breaths." I obeyed and it took a while until the tension in my body ceased.

At some point, I could no longer hold my thoughts in, "I still can't believe that I'm here, in this place, with you. You, one of the most mythical, most powerful and cruellest creatures ever to walk the universe. Intriguing you. Even impressing you. I never thought it possible." I lowered my voice to a whisper, as I continued, "And I love it. I love every second of it, whether you are torturing or caressing me. I never thought that possible, too." Anguished, and against my will, I added, "Goddammit, I even liked it when I was touched by the members of your Circle. I wouldn't admit it then, but deep down I felt it. And it scares me. Have I already become a mindless whore, a plaything to powers I can't even imagine?"

He started caressing my hair while grumbling in a musing way, then responded softly, "We are all just playthings to powers we cannot imagine, my child, but you are far from being a mindless whore. Nevertheless, it is interesting that you think about such things. Others would just have been happy to enjoy it, never asking why. However, one question remains: what do you know about me that fascinates you so much? I am a bane to your kind; they only dare to whisper my name in this age. How come, that you, such a young human, have come to admire me?"

I took a deep breath, then replied, "It's because of what I know about you and that's possibly more than anybody else does. Before I came here, I studied every bit of information I could find about you. And with this knowledge, I thought that meeting you would be uttermost interesting. I know where you come from, how you rose to power, what powers possibly stand behind you and your reign and I know about that twisted kind of humour you have, if one looks at how you make your enemies die. I became to admire your ingenuity; your shrewdness; your battle skills. Even your cruelty. And I dreamt of meeting you, even as a slave and to be able to see what it is like. What you are like. And now… I'm here. As a slave. At your mercy. That thought blows my mind and excites me if I think too hard about it. And," I swallowed, "I love your people. How they look, how they move, how they think, how they act. That delicate, yet unbelievably cruel and immodest behaviour. Most importantly, I fully understand why you do what you do. Still, it scares me to be part of your society. But I guess I would do every single one of your Circle if you ordered me to, because you are all so beautiful, so elegant, so perfect. I never found my ideal in human men, but in your kind, I can't seem to stop to see my ideals. And it is so intriguing that you look like this and act like that. It's just the mixture I've ever dreamed of."

The Overlord stopped the caresses for a second, then continued and stated, "Most fascinating. I have never met a human who thought about my people in this way and who knew that much about me."

"Would you answer one question for me, my lord?"

"Go on."

"Is it normal that you treat your personal slave like this? Well, I know that you don't in the beginning, but later on? Is it always like this?" At first, he halted again, then he started to laugh unrestrained. I seemed to have amused him truly this time, because he laughed until a single tear ran down his cheek. He needed some time to calm down again. Without any doubt, this was the evilest laugh I had ever heard – even around here.

Finally, my master said, wiping away the tear, "No, my child, definitely not! It is very sweet and innocent of you to even ask this question. I am incredibly gentle with you, usually, I have my personal slaves thrown into the cage and when I come to my quarters, I would humiliate, torture and rape them until they break and either start to like it or lose their minds. After all, they are nothing but cattle to me, just here to amuse me due to their suffering. This would go on and on, until I can find no further pleasure in tormenting them and I take the next one to be my personal slave. But you," he caressed my cheek and looked intensely into my eyes, "You, my sweet child, have such a beautiful mind that I had no desire of bending it to my will and needs. You have the aptitude to like what I do without me breaking you; therefore, you might stay my slave without breaking, but only time will show that."

Cautiously I added, "And maybe even become your chosen one?"

He again laughed shortly and responded, "I never had a chosen one before; no one could impress me that much."

"Not even Lady Malys?" I asked slyly.

He stopped, frowned and then snarled, "You know about her?"

"That is what I meant when I said that I possibly know more about you than anybody else. Yes, I do," I said with a weak smile.

"Your logic is flawed here; she was never my slave, just an individual that was smart enough to be worthy. of my attention. It was sweet as long as it lasted, but in the end, she bored me, just like the rest," he said, but somehow I had the feeling to hear a tiny slice of regret in his voice.

"Well, it is hard to intrigue a mind as old and wise as yours longer than some moments," I stated, shrugging.

The dominant Overlord was back in the blink of an eye. "Leave such flattery be, child, it will not work on me."

I called myself to order and replied carefully, "I did not mean to soft-soap you. I know better than that. I just speak the truth."

The malicious sound he made warned me that he was about to get mean. In a cruel tone, my master said, "Well, since you feel so obligated about telling the truth right now, why do we not start talking about humankind in your time? After all, this is why you survived your journey here so… unscathed." With the last word he ran a single finger down my body, between my breasts, over my belly and over the inside of my left thigh, without touching my genitals. Because he noticed how uneasy the last part of his touch had made me, he did it again, apparently savouring my dismay. With a malicious smile on his lips he reached for the dagger which he had used to cut my clothes off, then he grabbed me by my left wrist and forced me to turn onto my side as he nailed my arm down on the rim of the tub. As he ran the blade of the dagger like a razor down the inside of my forearm, actually shaving some of the fine hair there off and showing me how terribly sharp it was, but without cutting me, he said, somewhat lost in thought, "It is quite easy, actually. You will tell me everything that I want to know and you will not have to feel any more pain. I think we are clear on how easily I can hurt you badly, especially right now. One single cut is all it takes."

I did not have the strength to struggle, therefore, I replied, "Yes, my lord. But what if you don't like my answers?" It was meant as a serious question, but apparently, he understood it as a cheeky remark, because in a movement so fast I could not follow, he had the blade at my throat. Vect then slowly forced me to press my head against the rim, if I did not want to have my throat cut. In the process, he had me overstretching my muscles painfully. I clenched my teeth and breathed heavily as he held me like this for a while.

The Overlord looked at me, his head tilted, then said, his eyes narrowed, "I am still not sure what to make of you. You know how to behave most of the time, then again you do not think your words over and dare me. Either you are incredibly stupid or insanely brave."

Through clenched teeth, I said calmly, "I am sorry, it was meant as an honest question. I am the one with the truth serum in her system; it is not like I can do much to choose my words."

"Hmm," he said almost approvingly. "True. How mean of me." The irony in those words was almost killing me. He made me flinch as he quickly and shortly stroked the blade over the bottom of my chin, then he laid it back against my forearm.

I sighed in relief as I could relax my body again, then said cautiously, "So, what do you want to know, my lord?"

Thus, he started questioning me.

It had taken quite a while… I was not sure how long. What I was sure of was that my strength had waned with every passing minute. He had asked about society structure, warfare, ideology, values and history. I answered his questions as well as I could and apparently I did a good enough job of it, because he had not cut me even once. To what end he had asked these questions I did not know, because they seemed random for me. Then again, I possibly did not possess enough intelligence to comprehend his thoughts.

When he seemed satisfied for the moment, I asked, "So, this is it? Have I outlived my usefulness now?"

He laughed wickedly. "Oh no, my little one. I might find another question for you, time and again. Besides, you have been trained so well and are talented; it would be a shame to let this go to waste. Also, as it happens, I am sure that you will survive quite a while, longer than my personal slaves usually do. I am just getting started with you, there is so much more I want to show and let you experience." I dreaded what that meant.

My strength now finally started to completely fail me. I had been sitting on my heels and would now have fallen forward, shortly blacking out, if he had not caught me.

He said, "I see that this game starts to take its toll on you. We better put you to rest."

The world started spinning again, this time even more intensely, breathing was a strain and even my heart seemed to slow down. I no longer possessed the strength to even speak, and closed my eyes as he took and lifted me out of the water. He wrapped me in a towel and barely dried my hair, then laid me down on the sofa. He also dried himself, and now I watched in fascination as he just shortly rubbed his hair, almost completely drying it in the process. Delirious I watched him as he combed it and then quickly and expertly fixed it into an Eldar-plait. After that, he came to me, picked me up and went back to the main room. There, he laid me on the bed.

There I laid, not able to move, he beside me, watching me closely. At some point, the irony of my situation hit me and I manically started laughing. The longer I laughed, the more confused the Overlord beside me looked. If I had been stronger, I possibly would have savoured this priceless look on his face.

Finally, I managed to say, "It's really ironic, isn't it? I just told you how much I wanted all this and still, I'm scared to death when I lie in this bed with you. Or even when I am with you, with that blasted thing around my neck."

"I deem that it is a bit different to imagine and wish for a thing than actually experiencing it."

"Of course and I know that. Still, it's ironic."

"Also, most certainly, you do not know what it is really like. If you imagine things, you will possibly do so in a way that pleases you. Now you cannot be sure if you will like it or if you can take it, and, of course, that scares you even more. You also only know about me; you do not actually know me. However, you will, if you stay as collected and intriguing as you are now, because you will survive long enough to get to know me."

Vect gently stroked my belly, I said, "Would it not please you to take me here and now?"

My master made an amused sound. "No, my child. You must be ready for this and not only half-conscious." He bent over me and kissed me, tenderly this time. I expected him to bite, but this time, he did not. As he was finished and slowly drew away from me, he left his eyes closed. Only now I saw how perfectly sculpted they were, like two elegant brushstrokes in a perfect painting. Quietly my master said, "Yes… that definitely felt different." Then, he covered me with the blanket and added, "Oh, and one last thing, my little one: I already knew that Vyras was the traitor."

I did not possess the strength to react greatly to this, though I felt betrayed. I just said slowly, "But… why…?"

"Why I lied to you and let you search for him? It is quite easy, actually. I wanted to assess you, and this I did. Or did you rather mean why I let him stay in my Circle if I knew about his intentions? How do you humans say? Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. By observing him I might learn more about his collaborators." I wanted to ask him to what conclusion he had come with my assessment, but my master demanded softly, "Sleep now, my sweet child. You have a very straining day ahead of you and I want you to be well rested." I closed my eyes, somehow enjoyed his caresses in my hair and at some point, I fell into a deep, quiet slumber…

Again, I'd like to ask for opinions and reviews, because more minds and eyes can think and see more than one. I'm open for constructive and useful suggestions and I always want to know what people like or don't like about the story. Thank you in advance!