Notes:

First and foremost, I again want to thank all my reviewers and followers. I am so happy that so many people like my story!

Especially, I want to thank Disciple of Ember, for creating their very critical and lengthy review of my story after I asked them for it. Though we were able to sort some of our "beef" out through PMs, I want to thank them for pointing out my word repetitions and some flaws in the story.

I also want to name Neversaydie72and epicwilmerfor pointing out that my paragraphs are too long and therefore hard to read. I will look out for that in future chapters.

Also, I have started to overwork chapter 1, 2 and 4, the updated versions are already online. They now contain a bit more of dialogue for better flow of the story and improved descriptions and less word repetitions, especially when it comes down to the words "fear" and "pain". I hope it is more enjoyable this way.

And, last but not least, I know that this chapter is somewhat slow-going, since I had to take out most of it because of profanity-filter-reasons around here. PM me if you want the detailed version, but it might take a while until I have it ready, because I prioritize translating the next chapter to the sex-scene. I promise there will be more "action" in the next chapter.

Still, enjoy!

Chapter 6

Art

"You have five senses... Sound... Smell... Sight... Touch... *strokes his arm* Mmmmmm and taste...
*kisses him* I'll tantalise every single one of them..."
— Lhamaean Serezia to her Lord Iutka, Commander of the Pirate Fleet of the Shrouded Hand

AWAKING ON THE next day was very relaxing for a change. All that was left of the poison was a fading memory, my senses were clear again and my body complied. Nevertheless, I had not forgotten what I had told him and I was ashamed when I thought back. I would have loved to fuse with the bed, now that he knew how I truly felt about him, though he still scared me witless. It was a twisted mix of feelings.

I slowly opened my eyes, and as I did I had to find out with a tormented groan that he sat beside me and looked down on me, like a mountain loomed over a small valley. It still was a challenge for me to look into those icy eyes and even more so now, because he knew a lot more about me. The moment he noticed that I was awake, a predatory smile started to grace his face and he said to me, "Good morning, my child! I take it that you have slept well?"

"Good morning, my lord. Yes, thank you, I have. And I take it that my lord is hungry?"

His smile deepened. "In more ways than you can imagine."

I was aware of what he was talking about, but decided rather to ignore the remark. As I looked into his face for some moments, I noticed with surprise that some slight wrinkles had appeared around his eyes and mouth. I guessed that this showed how direly and often he needed regeneration.

However, I did not show my consternation and I cautiously sat up. I was surprised that I did not feel a single thing of the poison. I got out of bed, slipped my dressing gown over my shoulders and went in the direction of the table.

Halfway there I paused as I noticed that he had not followed me, but rather still sat on the bed and looked at me with narrowed eyes. I turned to him and asked, "Is something wrong, my lord?"

For a short time, he continued his piercing stare, then he replied, "No, my child, on the contrary, everything is better than expected."

He then came to me, tenderly caressed my bottom, which I liked more than I wanted to admit, and then we went to the table. We had a long breakfast, but did not talk very much. I noticed that he acted completely different today, more tense and concentrated. I did not ask him what was amiss, because I had the feeling that it would be a terrible mistake. After we were finished, he commanded me to go showering, as usual. He had not told me a single thing about what would be happening today.

As I stepped out of the bath, I knew the answer. He immediately came at me, took hold of my chin and led me into an intense deep kiss. As he drew me against him with ease, I noticed two things, which were him being naked and apparently aroused. That explained his strange behaviour. Fear and excitement flashed through me at the same time, because I knew what this meant. I was aware that it was easily possible that I would not survive this without injuries – both in the mind and the body.

While he kissed me, he blindfolded me, so expertly that I could not see a thing. As he was done, he also ended the kiss, caressed my flanks and I jumped a little, as he spoke English with me, "For this, I have turned the translator on, and I want you to speak this language. I want you to be very aware that you are human and helpless." I nodded. He picked me up and carried me to the bed, whispering into my ear, "Do not worry, child, since it is your first time, I will be very gentle with you and I intend giving you only very little pain, but even more ecstasy. You will suffer nevertheless."

It did not take long until he blew my mind...

As he was done, he stayed in me, only slightly panting. I had to keep from laughing maniacally, because the difference between us hit me again. There was him, in his perpetual, glorious calmness, though he had just fucked my soul out of me, and then there was me, mind and body still rippling with aftershocks of what had just transpired, though it had been already some minutes since he had been done.

At some point, my master slowly opened his eyes and started smiling, as he looked into mine. After what he just had done with and to me, this gaze somehow did not pierce me as much as before. With cruel tenderness, he caressed my hair and said softly, now again in his tongue, "Ah, I enjoyed that, my sweet child. I enjoyed you. And from what I saw, you also did." I could not reply; all I could was just lying there, still panting, the world spinning. This just had been the most mind-blowing experience of my whole life, but still, I was sure that this only had been the version with velvet gloves.

The Overlord closed his eyes and shivered, then said with relish, "Mmh, how I would love to do that right now again or at least stay a bit longer in you!"

At this point, I had somewhat regained my breath and replied weakly, "What hinders you, my lord?"

A predatory smile showed me his fangs. "Your barely-existing stamina, child. You would faint if I took you again."

I returned the smile and elaborated, "Yes, of course, but what I meant was: what hinders you to stay in me a bit longer? Lie down, savour the feeling. You already had me, do you really think I mind if you stay in me now?"

My master laid one hand on my belly, then again slowly opened his eyes and stated, "Interesting."

"What is it, my lord?" I asked, puzzled.

"I can feel no fear or at least disgust from you, just relaxation," he stated, beholding me with astonishment.

I smiled confidently, then said, "I would be terribly naïve if I felt that way, now wouldn't I? It was clear that you would sleep with me. And I also love the constellation. I always dreamt of being taken by a being that is much more powerful, experienced and older than me. Besides, I am done for."

He made a musing sound. "It seems that I might start to really enjoy sex again. I did not believe that was possible." His eyes fixated mine. "You do not stop to surprise me, child. I wonder if I will ever come to punish you."

I smiled shyly and said in the same manner, "I hope not. But then again, you can always do as you please with me."

An evil smile. "Indeed, I can."

He lay down on top of me; I winced as he moved inside of me, because I was sore all over. The Overlord laid his head beside me, closing his eyes again. Again he caressed my hair, I gently hugged him in return; never had I felt so much relaxation from him. We stayed like that for a while and what I noticed just now was that he was much lighter than he should be, considering his height and musculature. I wondered about it for a while, but then I remembered what I had been taught: the bones and muscles of Eldar were much lighter than the ones of humans, but much tougher, since they consisted of a completely different material. As it was with most things, the bodies of these aliens were much more efficient than a human one.

At some time, my master sat up again, stroking my cheek and said, "Yes, that felt good. You feel good." I did not get what he meant, he smiled and explained, "You see, I could not have done this, staying in you that is, if you would have been fearful. I can sense your feelings and your fear would have only spoilt the experience for me, but I have to say that your relaxation was very refreshing for me. It seems that you are rejuvenating me more than I had originally anticipated."

With honest amazement, I replied, "And there I thought your kind only revels in the suffering and pain of others."

He laughed softly. "True that. Still, there are some parts of our lives where it is a bit different and where we long for more than pure suffering. Of course, it makes the whole thing that much sweeter, but there is a point where enjoyment or at least well-being of both sides is wanted. At least some of us know that this is important."

"Good to hear that I served you to your liking, my lord." I truly was relieved that he felt that way. It meant that our future intercourses might not be as unpleasant as I had anticipated.

"And you really mean that. How sweet," he said mockingly, while caressing my cheek.

I did not mind his taunting, smiled and replied, "Why shouldn't I? You dying is the last thing I want and the last thing this city needs."

Now my master looked at me with an extremely sceptical and piercing gaze, his eyebrows slowly contracting into a wary frown. "It seems that you have more knowledge in this fragile head of yours than any human I have ever met. You will tell me everything. And I really advise you to answer my questions; otherwise, I could get serious about torturing you." He seemed to be really upset about that.

Ruefully, I replied, "I beg your forgiveness, my lord. I will tell you everything you want to know."

I was relieved as this wicked smile of his again graced his lips; he ran his thumb over my cheek again and said in a soft, but nevertheless creepy tone, "Yes, you will, my child."

Then, he drew away from me, but picked me up and carried me into the bathroom. I was not surprised to find the bathtub filled up to the rim. He waded into the water with me, then lowered himself into it, taking me with him. I was happy that the temperature was comfortable for me and my muscles relaxed somewhat. He also let go of me and sat me down. The wound I had been given and my sore parts burned shortly, but the warm water eased the pain quickly. My master demanded, "I want a head massage, slave girl."

Not very happy about that, since I was not sure whether I should trust my remaining strength, but still obedient, I nodded, leant myself against the rim of the tub and bedded his head upon my belly. Again, I was struck by the notion of how handsome he was. If I had not known it better, I would have never guessed that he was about eleven thousand years old. He closed his eyes and I started massaging him. His long hair floated around me in the water, softly stroking my sides. While I massaged his head, him obviously enjoying it, he gently ran his fingertips over the outsides of my shanks. At some point, he said, "Now, my child, what about your knowledge? I demand to hear more."

I nodded, then replied, "I will tell you gladly, my lord. But first I have to know which year it is."

"It is the year 995.M41. Why would you need to know?" I froze for a second as he said that. That meant that the 41st millennium was drawing to a close and who could know what it might bring? Havoc was one quite possible option and I was sure that it would hit Commorragh as hard as every place else. I knew that Vect had a problem with Khaine's Gate, which was a portal to who-knows-where (possibly the warp, but this was not confirmed), which kept ripping the Undercore, the deepest part of Commorragh, apart.

Although this took me quite aback, I kept him from waiting too long and replied, "I see. So, the thing with Khaine's Gate is starting to get out of hand. Luckily, I can give you some advice on how to delay it." In a split-second after I had finished speaking, he bolted up, wheeled around so fast I could not follow his movements and grabbed my throat.

He snarled with burning eyes, "Alright, slave, you better start talking about how you know about this gate and why the hell you know about the future! If I find out that you are a psyker, I will end you!" He had scared me witless and I was not able to answer for some seconds, frozen with fear. As his eyes narrowed, I knew that my time was running out.

I gave myself a push and answered with a smothered voice, "Please, my lord, calm down and let me explain! I swear, I told nobody but you!" This was not what he wanted to hear, because his grip tightened; now strangling me completely.

The Overlord pulled me so close to him that our nose-tips almost touched and hissed, "Answer right now or I swear I will make you scream so loud that they hear you all the way down to the Undercore!"

With my last breath, I gasped, "I read about it. In my time, all events until 995.999.M41 are reported. Please, my lord…"

I fought for air as he loosened his grip that much so I could breathe again. His eyes were still narrowed, showing clearly that I was not out of danger. "Go on," he snarled.

Thus, I told him everything I knew what would happen, not only the future, but also the past, to show him that I was not lying. I told him about the riots he had to expect because of the up-heating situation with Khaine's Gate, which would kill thousands of his people because of their failing portals, Malys's alliance with the Harlequins, who were about to thwart a lot of his plans and were possibly responsible for the aforementioned catastrophe to weaken his position, and the raid he should make on the day 978.999.M41 on Bakka, to steal the artificially grown Nulls that the Imperium had there, to delay the catastrophe which was about to happen at Khaine's Gate. Their anti-psionic powers would deaden the warpal tides that were washing out of Khaine's Gate. I tried to remember every little detail that could be important for him, though his stare made it hard for me to concentrate on anything else.

When I had been done, he had let go of me and had started to stare pensively into thin air. It was easy to see that his whole mind was set on processing the information I had just given him and I was sure that he was thinking a lot quicker than I ever could have followed, though I was not slow in mind myself.

It took a while, but then he closed his eyes, rubbed his temples and stated, "Alright, I will have to act as soon as possible, for it is imperative that these happenings are dealt with in an accurate way. And," Again his hand shot out, grabbed my hair and dragged me so close to him that he could hiss into my ear, "If you should even think about telling anybody but me what you know, I will show you why I am feared throughout my whole race for my cruelty."

Subdued, I replied, "I would've never dared such a thing, my lord."

Apparently satisfied, he let go of me and demanded, "I take your word for it. Now, go ahead with your massage. I will stay with you today and I want to relax, since tomorrow will be quite a straining day." He lay down again and I continued my task.

As I looked into his face whilst I did my work, I thought to notice that some of his wrinkles were gone; still, I could see some. Maybe this meant that my strong feelings whilst intercourse had indeed rejuvenated him a bit; however, it seemed as if he needed more than that to truly keep his youthful façade.

"What will happen tomorrow, if I may ask, my lord?" I asked in a curious tone.

My master deigned to answer, "I will get together with my Circle again and we will run battle drills. I have not only chosen them for their loyalty and resourcefulness, but also for their skills with a blade. I need to keep my skills as sharp as ever and only the most revered Dark Eldar stand a chance against me." He felt that I was happy about that and asked, "What delights you so much about that, child?"

I answered with excitement in my voice, "I always hoped to see your kind in battle, since it must be utterly elegant and aesthetic to watch. And to see the very masters at it must be an even more uplifting sight, especially when one is allowed to watch unharmed."

Vect laughed softly. "Though your curiosity is enchanting, I have to warn you that you might find it hard to follow any of those fights. My kind can be far quicker than the human eye. Still, though I know that you are counted as an adult amongst your kind, you sometimes have the spirit of a child."

"I know that my lord, still, I am excited. I also swore to myself that I would never let that curiosity go, since it makes life so much more enjoyable."

"An interesting thing to live by, if one can allow it to oneself."

My master had me massaging his head for quite some while, apparently enjoying it greatly. I was happy that it was this way and that his anger had waned, it was a lot safer for me. At some point – it had been a taxing while in which he had enjoyed my massage silently – he opened his eyes again and said, "Enough, child! I am hungry. Let us go eat!"

That settled it. We got out of the bathtub and I was more than surprised to not only find underwear as clothing for me, but also a simple tunic. I could not contain my cynicism and said, while I twirled the cloth in my hands, "Oh – my – god! Actual clothing!"

A diabolic smirk passed his lips and he replied, "Would you rather be naked, hmm?"

I pursed my lips, pressed the tunic against my body and stated, "Totally." He laughed, I continued, "Seriously, I am grateful, my lord. Chu'uk preferred me undressed and on the ships it is not warm enough for no clothing at all."

He nodded. "Yes, he was a lecherous bastard. This is also why I was surprised to hear that he had not raped you. It must have been incredibly hard for him to contain himself."

"I guess he was scared as hell of you after all, because why should he have cared if he wanted to kill you in the first place?" I suggested.

"True. Good to see that I have not lost my edge after all." His expression showed clearly that he was pleased with himself, like a cat that knew its prey in a safe corner.

I shook my head. "It is unbelievable that some idiots really think that you grow too weak and too old even for your race. I always knew it could only have been a ruse to feign weakness to let those idiots, who think opposing you is a good idea, walk into a trap."

The smile I now had to see made my stomach freeze and shot a cold shiver down my spine, though I somewhat was used to his facial expressions by now. It clearly showed the malignancy and deviousness of this ancient Dark Eldar, feats, that were responsible for him surviving on top of this murderous and insidious society for ages past and yet to come.

"Good." He stretched the word in a gruesome manner. "Then this works even better than I had anticipated," he said in a malicious, but satisfied tone.

The whole situation reminded me very closely of whom I was dealing with and that it was wise to show him great respect, for getting tangled up in his nets usually lead to a very creative and agonising ending. Since he seemed lost in thought, I asked cautiously, "My lord, did you not say earlier that you were hungry?"

He blinked, apparently finding back to the present, then answered, "Yes, of course. Let us go!"

We sat down at the table and started eating. Meanwhile, I asked, "I have a question, my lord, if I may?"

He nodded.

"You said earlier that Chu'uk was a lecherous bastard. Is he already dead? That would surprise me, actually."

The Overlord let out an amused, yet sardonic sound and replied, "Oh no, he is alive, but not so well. Let me put it this way: he does not have much to be lecherous about nowadays."

We both grinned.

"Ah, I thought so. But I have to admit, I was not entirely truthful, my lord. Chu'uk did not actually rape me, but he did touch me. I guess I saved myself from it by reminding him at the right moment that it was not a good idea." With a sour face I added, "Well, he nevertheless whipped the hell out of me for spoiling his pleasure afterwards."

I flinched as he snarled, "Quit your wailing and better get used to it! You will see what awaits you if you ever dare to spoil my pleasure."

This called me to order. I tended to forget what I was for him, though he was much nicer to me than to any other slave. Nevertheless, I was just his slave, nothing more, and in this role, I should rather expect pain, not whine about it. Therefore, I replied ruefully and with bowed head, "Forgive me, my lord. I forgot my place."

"You tend to do that quite often, slave girl. You might want to correct that, otherwise, I will."

"Yes, I will, my lord."

Again, I had to notice how incredibly hard it was to assess his reactions. On one hand, there were dialogues with him, in which he allowed me to be a bit bold and sarcastic, like the one before in the bathroom, on the other and without warning he was the dominant master all over again, who just waited for a reason to punish or torment me. I figured that maybe this was his strange way to show me what he liked and what he did not, what amused and what annoyed him. I noted to myself that I would try it out with caution.

We spent the rest of the meal in silence, I was too afraid to say anything, since it seemed as if I had put him off with my cheekiness. At some point he said, without looking at me, "I like you better when you are less afraid, child."

"I'm sorry, my lord, I'm just cautious not to anger you any further." With heart pounding, I added, "You can be quite terrifying, if so, you know."

I almost sighed in relief as he smirked mischievously.

Still, he said, "So much fear for such a tiny remark… What had you done if this just had not gone your way, I wonder?"

I smiled shyly, replying in a subdued and weak manner, "Endured your anger?" I flinched heavily as he caressed my hair – his smile widened because of that.

"Good girl. At least you learn fast," he said to me tenderly and taunting.

Somehow, this did not help at all, since every single time he talked to me like that, I was almost torn apart on the inside. On the one hand – as perversely as it sounded – it turned me somehow on, on the other, I almost froze in fear every time, because I knew that he was about to do something unspeakably cruel when he spoke to me with this gentle, yet mocking tone.

It wore me out not to know how to measure him up, though I was perfectly aware that it would take a lot longer than three days to solve an eleven-thousand-year-old riddle, which had never been solved by anyone so far. It was twice as hard for me, because I was used to weighing up people quickly and correctly most of the time. Then again, I did not have a lot of practice in assessing the Dark Eldar psyche. They were completely different to humans, their personalities were far more complex and I had to deal with the most complex of them all.

For now, the expected cruelty failed to happen, because he got up and stated, "I will leave you now. Do whatever you deem necessary – it will take some hours."

"Is it rejuvenation time?" I asked with curiosity.

A predatory smile. "Exactly."

"At this point, I sincerely want to thank you that you spare me from being present when you celebrate this part of your existence," I said and I meant it. I really was grateful for that.

"Do not thank me too early." I looked at him horrified, he smiled viciously. He did not add anything to this statement, just left me high and dry with it and went away without saying another word after he had donned his armour.

I snorted. There I had my awaited cruelty, because now I could wonder my brains out what this ominous statement could mean for me. I was aware that I could end in his torture chamber all too easy someday, though I would do my very best to avoid it. It also could mean that he would take me with him to the tower of the Haemonculi Coven he was going to, which was just as pleasing. Then again, I would see in the future if thanking him had been a mistake.

To kill some time and since I did not know whether I was allowed to sleep, though I was very tired, I had a look at the library. I really enjoyed being somewhat properly dressed again and having more than twenty percent of my body covered with cloth. By now I was a bit unfamiliar with it, but it definitely gave some of my dignity back, since Dark Eldar knew all too well how to take it away quickly.

I took a while deciphering the covers of the books, most things I was sure I would not even be able to comprehend, but then I found something that caught my eye.

It was a book about the Circle.

I simply had to read it. It surely would contain vital information for me, for if I was to survive around here, it was through brains, not muscles, and I intended to do everything in my power to keep my mind as sharp as possible. So I took the book and went back to one of the divans in front of the fireplace.

Before I opened it, though, the reality of what just had happened to me hit me. I was glad that the thought hit me while he was gone, because I was damn sure that even one little sign of weakness was enough for him to make my situation a living hell for me. I closed my watery eyes in shame and desperation as I had to admit to myself that I had enjoyed it more than I should have; then again, it had not exactly been rape, but it also had not been consensual, well, not that anything in my life would be consensual again. I tried not to think too hard about it, but I could not help remembering how he had made me scream, first begging for the orgasm, then begging him to stop. It had taken hours, both of it, the foreplay as well as the intercourse itself and he had me screaming with lust all the time. I still was surprised that I was able to stand, where this strength came from I did not know, maybe my body still had to realise what it had been put through. I had never felt such intense ecstasy in my whole life, though he also had given me some pain. He had shown me very closely that he was a master in those things and that I had absolutely no idea about sex, as well as making it clear to me that it would get worse and that he had taken it slowly today. It would get much worse. Again, I forced myself not to ponder this, but rather take this step when it became apparent.

I tore my mind with force away from the past and future, focused on the present, opened the book and started to read. At first, I struggled with the words, since I was quite sure who had written the book and the sentences were, therefore, quite complicated, but as I got the hang of it, it was terribly interesting for me. I found out a lot about every single one of the Circle members, information on their full names, what connections they had, where they hailed from and also a hint of what their personalities were like:

1. Archon Valossian Sythrac, Hierarch
2. Archon Aaryn Cra'ozamahr Zuol
3. Archon Tacari Sarnak
4. Archon Pachu'a Masrara Vyras
5. Archon Yevhen Nuscul
6. Archon Tahvyn Nabeh Ea'nash
7. Archon Duayne Atanel
8. Archon Ceallach Tahril

Archon Sythrac, the Hierarch, was, as obvious as could be, Vect's right hand and second-in-command over the Kabal concerning whole military expeditions. He seemed to be a Halfborn, getting his current position through his wits and intelligence, which could only be matched by one and one alone. Sythrac had to be feared in battle too, wielding his unique Huskblade, which literally could turn his enemies to dust in a single blow. Sythrac seemed to be an extremely resourceful, but unspeakably cruel personality. The Overlord was suspected to prize him highly.

I was quite sure that there had to be more to it than the book suggested, as Vect would not be so stupid as to write his true thoughts on his Circle down.

Archon Zuol seemed to be the commander of the most important raids, and also seemed to organise them, of course upon consultation with the Overlord. His personal squad, the 'Despair Bringers', was the best in the whole Kabal, which was truly remarkable, considering what an enormous organisation it was. According to the book, he was a Trueborn and a real menace in battle, which was not surprising considering that he almost had finished the training for becoming an Incubus, which would have meant for him to forsake all worldly claims, especially the power of his house. In the last instance, he aborted his training and rather slew his father, gaining the power and resources of his house. The deed also merited him the place of his late father in the Overlord's circle, because he impressed Vect deeply in assuming control of his house. It seemed as if Zuol's father had been a raging tempest in battle too. Zuol was described as a harsh and hard personality, but he seemed to respect courage.

Next was Archon Sarnak. Being a Halfborn, he first tried to be the student of a Haemonculus, but he had to find out quickly that it was not for him. He was able to back out of the training, but not without the wrath of his former master, leaving him bald on the entire left side of his head. This misfortune also had given him deep ties with the Coven of the Altered, because they mocked his former master by restoring Sarnak's skin without leaving a mark from the terrible wound he had sustained and said that his former master had to be dabbling in his profession at best, for not being able to inflict permanent wounds on a traitor. Since then, Sarnak had worked his way up, with a bit of help from the Haemonculi, and it were his connections and his cunning nature that let him take his place in the Circle. He was a great asset to the Overlord, in terms of his associations to the Haemonculi and he seemed to be openly satisfied with his position, a thing that was rare with a Dark Eldar.

Archon Vyras, a Trueborn, was graced with a sharp mind and ears that knew where and when to listen. There was little that was kept from him, no lack of trying though, making him the perfect spymaster for Vect. This special talent had developed itself in his early years, where he had to watch his back due to his treacherous sister. It had not taken long until he rid himself of her and both of his parents, cementing his grip, and his alone, upon his house, swearing that his own children would not dare stab his back. So far, he had none. Vyras was as his job required – sly, sharp-minded and calm, always lying in wait.

Archon Nuscul cemented the vital connection to the Wyches of Commorragh even further. Being a Halfborn and escaping slavery, he tried his luck in the arenas of the Dark City, and was a moderately successful Wych. It was a rare thing for a male Dark Eldar to become. However, Nuscul was not pleased with his moderate success, he thrived for greater things. Knowing that he surpassed most of his kin in terms of wits and martial prowess, he demanded his place in the most renowned Kabal of all. He fought and backstabbed his way up in the ranks, distinguishing himself time and again from those that spoke against him and finally caught the Overlord's eye, since he maintained his connection to the Cult of Strife, strengthening the link between the Kabal and the Cult even more. It did not take long since then until Nuscul was invited into the Overlord's Circle. It was said that Nuscul possessed a strange and human-like form of humour, being a quite amicable personality for a Dark Eldar Archon.

Vect's words on Archon Ea'nash were not implying fondness of the Circle member. He described him as a spoilt, Trueborn child, which always had gotten everything it wanted – although his exact words did not show this degree of diplomacy. The reasons why he made it into the Overlord's Circle were his nevertheless sharp mind and the incredible connection to the Lhamaeans, a profession and group of Dark Eldar, which was vital for every Kabal. This connection came from the fact that he had deep ties with Archon Yaelindra of the Blackened Tear who also happened to be the founder of the Lhamaean order – it was suspected that he was her lover. The young Archon therefore also deepened the connection between the two Kabals and allies were a rare, yet precious thing in Commorragh – if the bond was true, which was even rarer, but considering that it had been Vect himself who had granted Yaelindra the boon to be an Archon and to found a Kabal, it was likely that this affiliation was true indeed. Ea'nash was the youngest of the members of the Circle, but he made up for it with his ingeniousness when it came down to ambushes – both political and military. He had not yet taken power over his house, but it was clear that he was about to, being sick of the iron reign of his father.

Archon Atanel was a very interesting character. He once had been an outlaw and Heliarch, but quickly became bored with his life, because he outmatched all of his brethren easily. He had thrived for far more than matching others with ease and had enlisted with the Black Heart. Once being a Hellion had merited his incredible senses and quickness, letting him shine quite bright in the ranks of the Kabal. Since the Overlord longed for connections to the outlaws of the city, for he knew about their resourcefulness and the perfect ways to use them, he invited Atanel into his Circle. Atanel was a very proud character and tended to look down on everyone who had a lower standing than him, reminding myself of a human gang mentality.

The information on Archon Tahril was very vague. He seemed to be a Trueborn, but without a house. Where he came from remained a mystery. It appeared that he had a knack for politics, outmanoeuvring his foes and politicising himself to the top. He had commanded the campaign in the Kaurava system and had done a great job in assessing the situation and estimating the opportunities for promising raids. He made the Kabal richer, both in manpower and in resources, when he came back with his vast masses of prey and plunder. His great success merited him a place in the Overlord's Circle. Also, his favourable connections to all the lords in the Kabal helped the Overlord keep an eye on them. Tahril seemed to be a rather silent and brooding Dark Eldar, seldom speaking his mind and thinking his words thrice over before doing so. He seemed to be a withdrawn personality.

I was only so much done as to scan the descriptions, when my master came back.

Relieved, I found that his mood seemed to have improved greatly, because he was positively glowing. I deemed that rejuvenation was a truly awesome and fascinating experience and being pushed farther away from death was a happy notion for any Dark Eldar.

Besides, I was dead sure that all the wrinkles I had seen earlier were gone again. Though it was fascinating, I also found it fairly eerie, mostly because I knew how the regeneration process of his kind worked. Possibly thousands of slaves had died tonight for him.

I greeted him politely and was surprised that he greeted me back. I went to return the book back to where it belonged and he commanded, "Fetch me some of that great Shaa-doman wine!"

My eyes widened as he said that and I replied, "That must be some really old vintage, since I doubt they are making any more."

Vect laughed, purely amused, after all it had been him who had levelled Shaa-dom to the ground four thousand years ago, because he had sent a human ship with an exploding warp drive into this realm, destroying most of it and leaving the whole town with demons in its wake, which haunted this realm until the present day.

My master described the bottle and the glass he wanted the wine in to me, also commending my choice of book, "A wise choice, it pleases me to see that you are using your brain. You might go far."

"Thank you, my lord," I replied. Then, I hurried to get the wine for him.

I cursed silently to myself as I climbed the stairs once again, since my strained muscles now really started to hurt badly. Climbing stairs was no fun after the strain my thighs had been put through today.

Finally, I came to the top, huffing. I quickly found the bottle and the glass and I was astonished as I poured the wine into the wine glass. I had never before seen such a dark red wine and also its bouquet was mind-blowing. I felt my mouth watering as I smelt it, for I also was an oenophile. Then again, I was quite sure that one sip would kill me, since this stuff had to be about four thousand years old.

What a way to die!

I hurried back to my master, who had doffed the armour in the meantime and had seated himself on the couch in front of the fireplace. I handed him the glass with a slight bow, he took it and told me to sit down beside him. I obeyed; he drew me against his left side, wrapped his arm around me and softly caressed my side. With relish, he took a sip of the wine, seemingly even more relaxed than he had been after intercourse. A while we sat like this, in silence and with every passing moment I fought harder against my fatigue.

Unexpectedly, he said to me, "Do you know what the secret behind perfect torture is?"

I straightened up a bit, bewildered, looked at him and replied hesitantly, "Uh, excellent knowledge of anatomy and lots of experience?"

The Overlord nodded and responded, "True for the cruder facets of torture, but this is not what I meant. The true art of torture is not to make one's victim scream as loud as possible, though it is a fairly refreshing side-effect, but rather sustaining mental horror as long and intense as possible, for that is what indeed regenerates a Dark Eldar, although, it must be done by one's very hands, to feel the physical reaction following the mental horror. For example, a hallucinogen would not do the job. It is quite an… intimate and quiet form of torture and must be practised as such. Most of our younger ones do not know about this secret, but I daresay I have perfected it. Every human body has its very special points few know of – the female has many more than the male, which is also why I prefer female slaves. Touched and stimulated in the right way, orchestrated with the right situation and surroundings, it is possible to induce the greatest horror with the least bit of pain and damage."

I swallowed, for I was reminded again what a true master of torture sat beside me. Spooked, I stated, "I guess when it comes down to punishing me, you will show me."

Caressing my side, he replied, "Yes, my child, however, I will only do so if I am not too angry with you, for when I am, this subtle form does not satisfy me and I will want to hear you scream."

Still, he confused me. "May I ask why you are telling me that?" I asked him boldly.

My master showed his terrible smile. "Just to give you a little glimpse of what might await you in time," he said with delight.

I winced and tried to ease the conversation by jokingly saying, "I thought we already established that I am scared enough of you, my lord?"

His teeth gleamed through his predatory smile. He ran his fingers softly over my cheek and said tenderly, "No, my child, you are not, though I somehow enjoy that. Still… it is good for you to stand a bit in awe of things to come; it will make you more cautious."

I was surprised as he dragged me against him and kissed me. I was able to taste the wine on his lips and tongue. It was intensely sweet and aromatic, almost bitter in its aftertaste. While Vect kissed me, he put down the glass, laid both of his hands upon my head, one hand in my hair, the other at my jaw, forcing it open. It did not take long until his teeth sunk into my lips and tongue, but this time, the blood did not run down, for he licked it off, apparently savouring the taste. I held as still as possible, not making a single sound, though he hurt me quite badly with that, because he ripped my wounds open once more. The feeling was terrible, but his vice-like grip showed me that I would go nowhere and that it was a stupid idea to defy him. Snapping my neck was easy for him, though I was sure that he would never give me such a quick death.

Therefore, I endured his deed with forced patience, until he had enough and drew his mouth away from mine, but still held me. I looked directly into his demonically glowing eyes as he did. With relish, my master said, "Ah, no blood before yours has ever tasted so sweet with this wine! I would love to let you taste the combination, but I fear that even one sip is too toxic for you. You have to know that the whole taste of this wine only unfolds when mixed with human blood, a fine invention, and the older the wine and the fresher and younger the blood is, the better the taste is."

"Isn't it a pity that the reserves are limited, then?"

Vect smiled. "Oh, I have the recipe for it and I can have some more whenever I want to. The thing is that this wine has to mature at least for 200 years, otherwise it is toxic, even for a True Eldar."

I was not surprised.

My master let go of my head, but then grabbed my left wrist, producing a dagger seemingly out of nowhere and cutting it with a swift slash. He was so quick and skilful with that so I was barely able to follow, I truly realised what had happened when I felt the burning sensation of the cut. The Overlord placed the glass under the trickle of blood that came out of the cut; he intensified the flow of the fluid by bending my hand backwards.

"Do not worry, you will not feel the blood loss," he said to me. I did not know how much blood I lost in the process, but as always he was right, I did not feel it. After that, he kissed my wound and it closed really fast after that.

Then it finally occurred to me.

"Wait a second… is your saliva a coagulant for the human body?" I asked incredulously.

"Such a clever girl!" he sneered.

"How convenient! Damn it, there is really no way to bleed to death around here, isn't there?"

"That would be such a crude way of dying. Too crude, far too crude. And too pleasant."

I truly was shocked. "How perfectly can a race evolve towards its ultimate goal?" I murmured. "Biochemically speaking it is really astonishing." He looked at me and raised one of his eyebrows interrogatively. "I was a biotechnologist before I came here," I explained.

"Huh," he stated. "That explains why you have such a hard time keeping in your place."

I nodded.

"So, you were a student in your time?"

"Yes, my lord. One semester was all I had left."

"Interesting. For a nearly full-fletched scientist, you sometimes seem to be a bit… childish."

I shrugged. "That may be, my lord, but I guess if I was as old as you are, any 22-year-old would be somehow childish for me," I mused.

"True. Especially any mon-keigh that young," my master added with a scornful tone. He could not make me mad with such remarks, because I knew that Dark Eldar were so much better in most ways than humans. It was no wonder that they beheld the others like cattle. The Overlord made a pensive sound and remarked, "No anger… it seems that the humans of your time are quite different from their future kin."

"I guess that comes from not being raised in a fascist regime, in which humanity is praised as the best of the best. I, on the contrary, know all too well what your kind and especially you can do. Mock me all you want, my lord, it won't make me mad. Compared to you, each and every individual of humanity is an imbecile and a weakling."

"Such sweet words. I wonder whether you truly mean what you say?"

"Wouldn't you have punished me already if you had sensed that I did not?"

His teeth flashed. "Indeed." Vect caressed my cheek and said in a strange tone, "Still, I am not sure what to make of you, child. You took it quite calmly when I slept with you, even enjoyed it, then again you wailed about how Chu'uk treated you. You bear it with fortitude when I bite you while I kiss you or when I cut you to drink your blood. Still, you are scared when I put you in your place, though only through words. So composed… but still… a child." He took hold of my chin and looked me deep in the eye for a while. His stare was paralysing, but I returned it calmly. After that, Vect continued, "You have some merit, my child. But I still have to figure out why I feel that way."

My master let go of me, I dropped my gaze and replied, "And I am truly glad that you feel that way."

I tried hard to suppress my yawn, but he still noticed it and said, "Hmm, it seems that you need some rest. Very well, then. Go to sleep, child!"

Without thinking, I asked jokingly, "Do you want a good night kiss?"

Vect's eyes narrowed and he said, his tone dangerous, "What have I told you about daring me?"

I was alarmed and only now realised what I just said and I could not believe that I truly had said it. Obediently, I replied, "That I should be wise not to do it."

With the same contemptuous stare, my master continued, "Correct. After repeating this, would you still like to dare me?"

I swallowed, sensing the danger I was in all too well, and I replied very cautiously, "Of course not, my lord. I, nevertheless, wish you a good night, Overlord."

I was relieved as his expression relaxed again and he said, "Good answer." The Overlord dismissed me; I went to the side of the bed, undressed and got into it. I had to gather myself, only now realising how close I had been to a severe punishment. The only thing that had kept me from it was his enormously bright mood. I would remember this very closely and keep myself from doing such a stupid and dangerous thing in the future. I simply had felt far too safe.

After I had forced myself to be calm again, the fatigue washed over me and I quickly fell into a deep and tight slumber…