An unexpected update, also for me.

I wanted to have this chapter and the next in one chapter originally, but then decided to part it into two, since I don't want to keep you guys again waiting for so long. And I also did it so BIBITOT won't kill me for again trying their patience with my outrageously long chapters. ;)

I honed my English skills a bit more to make Vect the eloquent bastard he is. I hope the difference is noticable with him.

I want to thank CapitalClassShip, SindelV and BIBOTOT for their kind reviews and it makes me very happy that the number of my readers grows with every single day. I just wish I also would get more reviewers with that...

Special thanks go to SindelV, BIBOTOT and OnyxIdol.
I want to thank SindelV for their extremely constructive conversations and pointing out of flaws in my story and giving me new ideas. You are that kind of reader/reviewer every writer longs for. :)
BIBOTOT has my eternal gratitude for their regular and hearty reviews and their endurance on the length of my chapters. :)
And, last but not least, I want to thank OnyxIdol for softening their words and review and seeing their injustice of some of their points. You are a grand person.

Enjoy it, though it is a quite short chapter for my style and a pretty grimdark one.

Chapter 11

Prices to Pay

"You are doomed, doomed, I tell you! For tonight we will feast on your very souls!"
—Archon Aaryn Cra'ozamahr Zuol

THERE WAS NO blissful oblivion for me as I awoke this time from my slumber. I had not been allowed to fall unconscious at the end of my punishment this time; I had experienced it all: the mind-breaking pain, the loss of all dignity by being reduced to a whimpering, crying mess and the humiliation of my master's constant mockery. After he had unchained me – tormented, shaking and bleeding as I was – I had fallen onto the bed, simply out of vigour, and I had been left to cry myself to sleep, feeling like a little child.

This time, my master had not minded that I had bled all over the bed.

And it was this bloody mess I awoke in, badly rested, still feeble and feeling utterly nauseous. I whimpered with pain as my senses started to awake, for my back felt as if it was on fire. With this, I immediately remembered the worst part of my punishment – the lashes with the Agoniser-whip. It only had been three hits, but those had almost ripped my mind apart with sheer agony and they had left bleeding welts on my back.

The first had been for my challenge of my master's command in the morning.

The second had been for my failure to hold my tongue in court in the first place.

The third had been for my second questioning of the Overlord's motives.

Vect also had explained to me that I would have had to feel a fourth one, for talking back to Lady Hesperax, but for my commendable behaviour, regarding the punishment of the slave, I was relieved of that one. I was still incredibly grateful for this mercy.

How deep I had fallen. What a dog I had become.

And he had taught me how to use those Agoniser-rings. Oh yes.

I had never known how many nerve nodes and utterly sensitive nerve endings the human body possessed. More than once he had made me feel as if I was dipped into acid and on fire at the same time, making me scream my skull out. I had found out with the very first touch of the rings that he used a different kind of Agonisers, because the pain had felt a lot nastier than the one of my rings. That, or the points he used them on truly made a tremendous difference.

I yelped as I was ripped out of my pondering by a gentle touch on my back. My yelp was muffled by the pillow I laid on – I lay on my belly. The touch had not been done with the intent to hurt, but my nerves still were sore and sensitive. The evil chuckle that followed my shriek told me that my master was wide awake and he apparently enjoyed my sensitivity.

I winced as he tenderly kissed my temple and I started shivering and whimpering in fear of what he might do to me, as he ran his fingers over my left, injured side.

I exhaled sharply as my master gave me a slap in the face, onto my left cheek, which still bore the slash from Malidrach's hit yesterday (or at least I thought it was yesterday). I felt the blood flowing again from the wound. I pressed myself harder against the bed, in a futile attempt to get a bit away from my lord as he hissed at me, his lips close to my ear, each of his words cutting like a scalpel, "Quit your wailing and hold still when I am examining you!"

Now I did not dare to move one inch or even utter the slightest sound, though he was not gentle with me. He took a close look at all the wounds I had sustained and palpated them (which was quite unpleasant), apparently checking how badly I was injured. Vect did not say a word whilst doing this and for the first time I was with him, I felt that the silence between us was unpleasant. I was not sure whether he was still angry with me or not.

I sighed with relief as he was done and he said, "That is more like it, child."

"Please forgive my insubordination, my lord!" As he did not deign to react to that, I added, "How bad is it?"

To my relief, the Overlord chuckled. "You will live," he said in a highly amused tone. Then my master added in a more sincere manner, "Most of your wounds are merely superficial, however, the one this bastard Akhara'Keth drew is a bit deeper and might produce a scar if it is not tended to properly. I will have Vlokarion taking a look at you later; for a change I want a slave with immaculate skin and without any flaws."

I really wondered why that was, but I did not dare to ask; the atrocities he had done to me were still too fresh. This time, I had a hard time keeping calm. I needed all my mental strength to not constantly shake and cry because I was tremendously afraid of him. Vect had shown me some more of his fiendish side and the more he did this, the less I was sure if I was ever able to bear everything he threw at me without losing my mind someday.

The notion of my utter helplessness again brought tears to my eyes, but I swallowed them, aware that I would just have angered him with this.

Trying to sound as calm as possible, I said, "What would you have me do today, my lord?"

"How decent of you to ask." The words were definitely spoken in a mocking manner. My master continued, "Have a quick breakfast, to gather your strength, then make haste with showering and making yourself look presentable. I will meet with my Hierarch today, yet, not in the throne room, he will come here."

"Yes, my lord. I shall do so immediately."

Vect had turned me onto my right side and was now sitting behind me on the bed. I indeed tried to get up, to do as he had commanded. I managed arduously and with some whimpers; the still fresh wounds on my back and side made this exquisitely painful. I was not sure how I was to survive serving the both of them today.

Everything started spinning that hard around me that I would have fallen back on the bed if he had not caught me. The Overlord sat me back up, still holding me upright, mocking me, "Easy, child. I have been hard on you yesterday; you need to take it slowly."

The mockery in his words almost made me cry again. He was such a despicable bastard; I would have loved to choke the life out of him. Yet, I could do no such thing, for I just sat there, panting, the world spinning around me and I felt feeble as ever. My stomach almost revolted at the feeling of his fingertips, which gently stroked over the wounds on my back; I was far from having both mentally and physically recovered from yesterday's atrocities.

As I sat there, slowly recovering my strength, I noticed that my morning gown was missing. Apparently, Vect noticed my searching gaze and he said to me, "Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. As you have fallen from grace with yesterday's mistakes, you have lost some of the favours I have indulged in giving you in the first place. From now on, when we are solely amongst the two of us, until you have redeemed yourself again, you will stay naked in these quarters. Additionally, I will refrain from taking your collar off in here. The way I see it, I have treated you too amicably and you have shown through your insolence that you have forgotten your place, therefore, I decided it is high time you get a stronger reminder of it." I winced as he gently kissed my ear and whispered into it, "If you dare to fail me again anytime soon, you will face even direr consequences for your actions. On one hand, I will start introducing you to psychotropic substances and you will learn what it feels like to never be able again to trust your own eyes and mind. On the other hand, I will make you forget what clothing feels like, I will make sure that everyone is able to see that you are my little whore and not a bit more than that. Playtime is over."

I winced at his last words, for they were spoken as sharply as the blades on his sceptre. I slowly turned my head a bit towards him, only to see a vile smile on his face.

"Do not look so spooked, my little slave. Those things are quite common to happen to one of your kind around here. Being forced to walk about naked in this city is by far not the worst thing that can happen to you as a slave, believe me, there are levels of humiliation you know nothing about. Therefore, be grateful that I still decide to be a bit easier on you than you deserve," the Overlord said and his tone made cold shivers run down my spine, which hurt like hell considering my condition. I swallowed heavily as I saw the cruel sheen in his eyes as he continued, directly into my ear, "Besides… we would not want to hurt your friend Lisbeth, now would we… Temira?"

I winced at him speaking my name. Though this hurt too, I wagged my head and responded with a very thin voice, "No, my lord, we certainly wouldn't want that."

My master chuckled softly and evilly into my ear and said softly, "Good girl. Now, go and flee to the bathroom, my little dove."

Though I did not trust my strength and knees fully, I loved to do exactly that. I staggered more than I walked into the bathroom and it pained me that he was right: I fled him.

In the bathroom I halted in front of the mirror, bracing myself with my arms against the washstand. I jumped as I looked at my face in the mirror; I was pale, dark rings under my eyes and I had a spooked and shaken look in them. Apparently, he tore more away from me in the torture sessions than my flesh. My face was covered in blood on the left side, for the cut Malidrach had given me yesterday was open again from the hit I had sustained earlier. Though I did not want it, I had to look at my other wounds too. The jagged wound on my side from Akhara'Keth truly looked nasty and torn and still had not closed itself properly; Vect was probably right: if this one got not treated appropriately, it would leave a nasty scar. And though my back had only sustained three slashes, they too only looked frailly closed and ready to burst open again at the slightest mechanical strain.

I looked at the things I was to wear today for service and I was surprised. On one hand, I was to wear the usual hot pants, but my top was something else this time. It was not a bra, but rather a loosely fitting shirt with short sleeves that was made out of a very thin, light material, which barely covered my breasts and was semi-translucent.

Though this piece would reveal more of me than usual, I was grateful for it and I understood the ulterior move behind it. It would not exert pressure onto the wounds on my back and rip them open again. I had no idea why I now again was subjected to his unambiguous mercy, it just totally confused me. One moment he tore me to pieces, the next he caressed me. I would never get used to his capriciousness.

Staggering, I went into the shower. I yipped with clenched teeth, barely kept from screaming, as the warm water touched my wounds, for they burned like fire. I did not hold back the tears now, but stood motionless for a while under the showerhead, silently crying to myself, feeling sorry for myself and being terribly afraid and ashamed of what I had become. I hit the tiled wall in a feeble manner and leant my forehead against it, my body shaking with silent sobs.

I thought that crying was alright, but it got old pretty quickly when there was no one there to pat you on the shoulder and tell you that everything would be alright.

Therefore, I took some deep breaths, fought with every ounce of my will to regain my composure and while I carefully soaped myself, trying to avoid my wounds, I meditated, let the monotonous sound of the falling water be my relaxation as I tried to find a moment of tranquillity.

To my relief, it worked.

As I turned off the water, I felt a lot surer of myself again and even a lot more confident in facing my master somewhat calmly, though I still was afraid of him. I never wanted him to discipline me that hard again, for again not only the physical component of my chastisement had torn me apart, but also the mental torture he had subjected me to. I tried not to think about how hard I had begged him to stop this time, to what a whimpering, crying mess he had reduced me and how he had enjoyed stopping my pleading by making me scream again.

With an annoyed and pained huff, I stopped my mind from wandering and concentrated on the here and now. I focused on styling myself, putting on make-up to make myself look less miserable and bringing my tangled hair into a somewhat acceptable style. I chose subtle make-up that made my face look alive and my cheeks rosy again and decided to keep my hair in a simple, French braid. After all, I had the feeling that Vect wanted me to look humble today and not to overdo it.

Then I wanted to put my clothes on, but realised in the last second what he had told me. I still was alone with him and I was not allowed to be dressed under these conditions. Though I was used to him seeing me naked, somehow this new humiliation nagged at me. I had the feeling that he would exploit my nakedness.

Therefore, I took my clothes just with me and went back to my leering master.

By now he was sitting at the table, apparently waiting for me, and he indeed leered as he saw that I had heeded his command and had not dressed. He commented my quick-wittedness ever so scornful, saying, "Good girl."

I very much felt like his pet at this point.

I carefully placed my clothes on the bed (whose sheets had been changed while I had been in the bathroom; the blood was gone) and then went to the table, to my place at his left. I was surprised, yet thankful, that the chair made of stone was covered with a soft towel for me – sitting naked on the stone was not pleasant at all and the last thing I needed right now was cystitis.

However, as I passed him, he took hold of my arm and drew me against him, forcing me into a deep kiss. I endured him caressing my tongue with his and I answered his kiss obediently. Still, I died with disgust and fear inside. Disgust, because I remembered again too closely what he had done to me the last time whilst kissing me; fear, because I was terribly afraid that he could be displeased with my lack of passion. Shame made my cheeks blush as I felt somewhat aroused, because his other hand – which was not currently holding me in place at my arm – softly and expertly caressed my bottom. Though those hands managed to do atrocities to a human body most could not even imagine, they also were terribly apt at giving pleasure. I could not fight it.

As Vect finally drew his mouth away from mine, he smiled at me, licking his lips in a relished manner. My master said, "Extraordinary, slave girl. I see with great pleasure that you are performing much more obedient now; try to keep it up, little one. Now, sit, and let us have breakfast!"

Something in his demeanour had changed rapidly. There was a malicious and yet twistedly lascivious way about everything he said and did. I was totally puzzled by it; I had no idea why that was and how I should handle it. I decided to roll with it with utter obedience for now, since he seemed to like that. I would see if I was to throw in some playfulness later on, when he was a bit softer on me again.

Somehow I dreaded what that would mean for me the next time he slept with me.

Without showing all these concerns, I sat as he had commanded and started eating.

After a while, I asked carefully, "My lord, is there anything special I need to know about today's service? Anything I should look after in particular?"

Vect tilted his head slightly and said, "Maybe I should discipline you more often. I like this attentiveness you are showing right now quite a lot." He chuckled as he saw my terrified expression. "Do not fret, child, I am just toying with you; you are not a torture slave after all." With rapidly-changed-to sobriety, he added, "Nothing in particular, just the usual service. However, I hereby give you permission to use the official corridors; I want you to be quick on your feet and letting you run the servant's ways would delay you unnecessarily."

"I understand. I will hurry, my lord," I replied obediently. I simply was too scared to make any kind of jest.

My master, of course, felt it and he smiled at me viciously, but he let me be for now, because he finished his meal quite soon and left for the bathroom. In the door he halted and said, looking me over once again, "Alright, child, you may dress. My Hierarch should be here anytime soon and I do not want him to get the wrong idea about this visit." Then he left.

I hated his innuendo so much. I never was quite sure what he actually meant with it though I was dead sure that he did it on purpose.

And I had not to be told twice.

As soon as my master was out of the room, I stood up, went to the bed where I had dropped my clothes and put them on. Though his relentless eyes had seen me naked so many times, it made me somewhat uncomfortable to be explicitly forbidden to wear clothing. Then I went back to the table to finish my meal.

By that time my master had also come back. Today he was clad in robes made out of finest, shimmering materials for which I had no names. His resplendent robe with the high collar, which just underlined his elegant stature, was embroidered with motives of torture and battle; it was a magnificent sight to behold. His hair was done in his usual, complex plait, gemstones, bones and blades inwrought into it.

Much to my displeasure he carried my collar with him, as usual. This time, it was a plain ring out of silvery metal. I approached him, since I knew I would not escape from my metallic burden.

My eyes widened as he let it snap shut around my neck this time, for breathing became arduous. The collar was slightly strangling me this time. Of course, he noticed and met my frightened gaze and I shuddered as he ran his fingers down my jawline and let them rest at the tip of my chin. He flashed a cruel smile at me and said, "I have told you before, slave: compliance and prudence merits you pleasantries and benefits, disobedience and foolishness will bring you just punishment, in all its delicious forms. Do not look so frightened; rejoice in the fact that your collar does not yet have spikes on the inside! This is just a slight glimpse into the void of terror that can await you around here when you are unwise."

I dropped my gaze, bowed my head – which was, expectedly, highly unpleasant – and replied, "Yes, my lord. I am grateful for your still existing favour."

He lifted my chin again and smiled terribly at me. "You will do fine, child. You just sometimes need to be reminded of it."

I did not understand what he meant, but fortunately I did not have to answer, because a slave entered the quarters, gaze dropped. It was a male human, who dropped to one knee and said, "Supreme Overlord, your Hierarch requests permission to enter your quarters."

Vect's gaze came to rest upon the slave, who shuddered under it. This puzzled me greatly. I was aware that these eyes were something else to stand, but this one did not even look at him and yet shivered in fear as he just had to feel this gaze.

What was wrong with them?

Or was rather something wrong with me?

The Overlord said, "Very well. Bid him inside."

The slave rose, gaze still dropped and replied, "Yes, Overlord." He left the room going backwards.

I would have loved to ask my master what this had been all about, but I had no time, for Sythrac now entered the room. He, too, was today only clad in robes. I figured that he had his quarters and tract quite close by, because he was the Hierarch and all that.

As it was expected of him, he bowed to his Overlord and said, "Greetings, my lord. I am honoured to receive this private audience."

"Quit your flattery, Valossian, or I will send you away again right now. There is no need for putting up a show for my slave; she would have learnt the truth anyways at some point," Vect snarled.

Sythrac raised his head, looked Vect straight into the eye, smiled and said, "As you wish. Let's get down to business, shall we?"

I was left standing with a bewildered expression on my face by the two of them, as they went past me and sat down on the two divans in front of the fireplace, which was not lit at this time. I needed a minute to process what I just heard. Such a familiar and casual tone between the two of them, the implied familiarity by a first-name basis, well, at least, by Vect, and Sythrac's rather relaxed inflexion definitely was something new.

"Slave girl, are you frozen in place?" the sharp voice of my master cut through my thoughts.

I jumped and replied hastily, "I am sorry, my lord!" I hurried towards them and came to halt between them, Sythrac left of me, Vect to my right. Somehow, this made me highly uneasy.

But my master was not done with barking at me, "What is it with you lately? Was yesterday's lesson not harsh enough for you?"

Afraid that I had made a terrible mistake yet again, I bowed and pleaded, "Please, my lord, forgive me! You have made yourself more than clear yesterday. I was just thinking…"

"What have I told you about thinking for yourself?" he cut me off.

"That I should leave it be," I answered and I was scared on the inside how natural those words came over my lips. I had been a scientist once, god damn it!

"Oh, so, was she due for some punishment? A rare occasion, as I have gathered," Sythrac cut in from the other side.

"Indeed. Yet, in the last time, I found her behaviour… lacking, to say the least," Vect said while staring pensively at me. I did not like this stare at all.

"May I have a look at her?" Sythrac asked.

"By all means," Vect said invitingly.

Sythrac reached for me and drew me towards him. I did not dare to resist his request. He turned me around and I flinched as he ran his fingers over the bloody welts on my back. I gasped in pain and clenched my teeth to not show anything else. I held still as he also examined the injuries on my left side and on my face. He was not gentle, to say the least, and I had a hard time keeping calm and not fleeing his touch. Sythrac did not rip my wounds open again, but he hurt me on purpose.

As he was done, he said, "I see. Considering the injury on her side, I figure that she must have done quite some things wrong."

"Oh, this was done by Akhara'Keth's amateur hand. Much to my displeasure, I will need to pay a Haemonculus to fix this wound. I am thinking about telling the Maester to ask Akhara'Keth about his payment," Vect said with an annoyed snort.

Sythrac chuckled. "I would do it exactly so. Why, by the Dark Muses, should you pay for his incompetence?"

Vect flashed an evil and gloating smile. "You certainly have a point there."

Sythrac let go of me again and I stepped away quite gladly. With a mocking tone, he said to me, "I guess someone has learnt her lesson the hard way."

Although I was quite angry by now, since I had done nothing to him and he treated me so callously, I restrained myself and answered, "Yes, my lord, I have."

"Alright, enough delay! Child, bring us the usual things we have in our meetings. You should know about that by now," my master said and I heard the dangerous undertone in his voice.

I bowed and said, "Yes, my lord. Tár'yenna tea and red wine it is."

This time, I was graced with a satisfied smile on my master's face. "Good girl. Off you go!"

I bent down once again as the final greeting and then retreated out of the quarters.

Though I would have died to know what they were talking about, I was happy that I could leave them, for I was not sure how much longer I would have been able to restrain myself.

That ungrateful bastard Sythrac.

Next time I would sure as hell not jump between him and a hired blade and make him see what it was like.

Panting with rage, I stormed along the corridors and down the stairs. Not only did every single move hurt like shit, no, my feelings and thoughts were so confused, I had no idea what I was truly feeling. I was afraid of my master, yet hated him in the same second, a helpless, blind hatred, with no power at all. I was terribly mad with Sythrac, since he treated me like he did, even after I had saved his sorry ass.

And then I thought about Lisbeth and started to worry again. Was she alright, well, as much alright as a human could be in this blasted city? Would I see her again under favourable circumstances?

Wait a second.

Lisbeth.

I halted in mid-pace and did it so abruptly that I actually struggled and stumbled for a few steps, forced by my too rapidly stopped momentum. I panted in a strained manner (I cursed my master for that blasted collar) and with pain from the uncontrolled movement, one hand against the cold wall and I leant against it, eyes pressed shut.

Something had just occurred to me. Something major.

Had Vect not said himself that no captive but me was left sane and alive from the mission? And now we coincidentally had met someone of my time again and even more coincidentally she was my best friend?

I did not believe in coincidences and a terrible feeling rose inside of me. What if Vect had planned this all along, to see how I handled it if he had power over somebody I deeply cared for? Then again, how the hell did he know that she was connected to me?

Questions over questions and I knew for sure that I would not get any answers to them.

It almost killed me not to know the truth behind this dire situation. I had a strange feeling that I was right, and I felt so betrayed. It almost tore me apart not to know whether my lord was playing me masterfully or whether I started to go insane and completely paranoid. One thing was as likely as the other. I could no longer tell what was true and what was not.

Then again, this was a normal thing in Commorragh. There was little chance to know as a slave what was just a lie and what was not and even Archons often only had some good guesses about it.

Fighting down the tears, I went to the kitchen to fetch what I had been sent for.

I spent the next two hours or so in deep brooding, but only when I was en route between the Overlord's quarters and the kitchen; when I was in the presence of the two Archons, I made sure that I was at my peak performance. I did not want to give my master any reason to punish Lisbeth or me. I was lucky that the two of them seemed to be too deeply engrossed in their pondering and discussions to take much notice of me. Much to my disappointment, I found that they used some kind of secret language between the two of them – at least when I was present – so I did not understand a single word they said. Though I would have loved to know what their discussions included, it only made sense that they did not let me in on that. After all, this was a highly irregular meeting and it was most likely that the secrets of other secrets were discussed in it.

All in all, if I did not take account of the constant pain I was in and the literal choker around my neck, it was a quite nice and relaxing day in the Overlord's service.

I was again on my way to the kitchen, more precisely, halfway down the way on the winding stairs, when a figure clad from head to toes in a black bodyglove crossed my way. I was quite sure that it was a male Dark Eldar; the features of the body were underlined by the tarnished fabric, but I could not see his face, for it was covered with a black mask, only the eyes gleamed with a red visor.

Though it seemed a bit odd to me that he went this way, since today no audiences were held, there was no telling whether my master had summoned someone for a particular task and it certainly was none of my business.

It became my business the second he passed me.

All I saw was a quick flash of light, and then the pain cut in.

I realised the second I fell that he had cut deeply into my side and apparently had severed something important, because I could no longer hold my balance, but fell to my knees.

However, he was so much quicker than I could follow.

As I fell, I felt him cutting me several times, severing tendons in my knees and ankles. I hit the stairs with full momentum, for the pain of the cuts just left me screaming and unable to focus on anything else. Blood filled my mouth. Everything spun around me. But he was not done with me.

I felt him coming over me. He grabbed me at my hair, drew my head back and upwards and held an already bloody dagger onto my throat.

A hoarse, Dark-Eldar voice hissed into my ear, "I could cut your throat, but this would be way too quick. I was told to make it slow. Unlucky you."

While he spoke, I whimpered and cried in pain, because he had taken the dagger away again and had started to also cut the tendons in my arms and wrists, making me completely unable to move. He jumped off of me, threw me onto my back, which again made me yelp in pain since I fell onto my older wounds. Again he was over me, still grabbing me at my hair, while he cut my clothing off of me. I was shaking all over with fear and pain and I cried out as he slowly drew a deep cut down my torso, starting between my breasts and going all the way down to my bellybutton.

He hissed while doing it, "Such a shame. Too bad I don't have the time I want here." His inflexion made clear that his thoughts in these seconds were sexually connoted.

I struggled against his grip, but he let go of my hair and hit me hard in the face, making me black out for a second because of the sheer force of the hit. I started shaking and sobbing uncontrollably as he kept cutting through my flesh, annihilating most of my skin and giving me unspeakable pain. I had been cut before; I guessed that his blade was covered with some kind of agent to make the cuts even more painful; also the blade he used was jagged and therefore, drew terrible wounds.

Between sobs, I managed to gasp, "W… why?"

The assassin let out an eerie laugh, drew the flat of his blade over my face, smearing blood and gore onto it and said, "Simple. You invoked the wrath of the wrong people, darling. And apparently, the Overlord is too stupid to see that."

I screamed as he rammed the dagger into my side.

The assassin continued, ignoring my whimpers and small cries of pain, "I will leave you now to die. It will take some pain-wrecked minutes and I will leave you lying head facing downhill, so the remaining blood flows to your brain, leaving you conscious for as long as possible. Say farewell to your life."

I shrieked again as he drew the blade from me, opening the wound even further and I felt a strange, warm feeling in my belly.

That and unspeakable, ice-cold, mind-breaking fear.

He left me with swift, fluent steps, this bloody mess I now was. I cried, sobbed and whimpered, shaking all over, so terribly afraid and alone, horrifyingly aware that I would die here and now. The pain was tearing me apart, I felt the blood flowing from me quickly and each breath hurt like I had thousands of needles inserted into my lungs.

I did not want to die, but there was no one saving me this time…

He was humming softly to himself, as he was used to, while he went through the Black Fortress on his way to where he was called. Anyone he met jumped out of his way; it was no wonder, though, considering who and what he was. He enjoyed it. Yes, he enjoyed the respect and fear he commanded over those imbeciles, as it was his rightful place after all the trials he had gone through.

Thinking about some new things he wanted to try later this day, he stood in the elevator, which brought him swiftly and smoothly to the top of the highest spire of the fortress.

As the door opened with a soft hiss, he caught a whiff of a scent he knew all too well. It was the smell of freshly-spilt, young, human blood, mixed with the odour of someone in complete and utter fear.

It was a young, human female. What a mouth-watering bouquet.

He halted in his pace.

He knew this particular smell. As he listened closely, he also knew the voice that uttered the whimpers that now graced his ears like the sweetest music.

To smell this one dying around here made no sense. No sense at all. Something apparently was awry.

He followed the scent, which led him a bit down the stairs again and he inhaled sharply as he beheld her. His trained eyes quickly judged by the look of her body and the stream of blood that was slowly running down the stairs, how much life was left in her and whether he would be able to save her.

He smiled.

It would be a challenge fit for his expertise.

Not altering this horrid smile, he came beside her, lowering himself gently onto the floor and spreading his numerous limbs to start working immediately. Her almost dim eyes found his and she stammered, "Vloka… rion?" With a relieved sigh, she fainted.

His smile deepened. "It seems as if I am just in time, my little one," he murmured to himself as he quickly and expertly examined her wounds. With a sigh, he gently brushed against the com-bead which was implanted into his left ear and said, "Overlord, I found something you might want to know about…"

"WHAT?!"

Asdrubael Vect's voice boomed like a thunderclap through his quarters, almost deafening Sythrac the Hierarch, who was nearby.

"Apparently, someone was trying to kill your personal slave. I will have to teleport with her to my laboratory, otherwise, I fear I will not be able to save her," Vlokarion stated calmly and coldly at the other end of the line.

The Overlord let out a sigh, but it was one of the annoyed sorts. "Do so. We will talk about your payment later. I shall be with you immediately," he said.

"Understood," the Haemonculus answered. Then, he severed the connection.

Vect snorted, then growled in a vitriolic tone towards his second-in-command, "It seems as if we have to delay the rest of our talk, Hierarch."

"What happened?" Sythrac asked.

"An assassin just eviscerated my personal slave. She was lucky that a Haemonculus just found her, barely alive," the Overlord explained.

"Oh, my. Looks like someone is trying to get back at her for saving me," Sythrac suggested with a lopsided smile.

"Indeed. Look into this. After all, it is your incompetence that brought us into this situation," Vect growled.

Sythrac's smile faded. He knew better than to challenge his ill-tempered superior, so he stood, bowed and left to do as he had been bidden.

Vect donned his armour, took his sceptre and also left in a hurry. He needed to know if he could extract from her who had sent the assassin, though he already had a pretty good guess about it. There was only one in this city who dared to challenge his authority that blatantly. Yet, he needed proof.

"Malys", he snarled.

Vlokarion was highly concentrated. This was indeed a complex operation. Not only were her wounds critical and she had lost a lot of blood, but also the weapon she had been struck with had been a poisoned blade and had left deeply-burrowed splinters in her flesh.

Assassins.

Typical.

So crude.

While he was plucking splinters out of her flesh and mending her wounds, some by stitching, some with more advanced techniques, he had her blood dialysed and also some banked blood infused into her. He was aided by some Wracks; to an outsider, it might have looked like a strange ballet.

A bit farther into the room some additional Wracks filled a huge tank made of glass with a blueish, phosphorescent liquid. This contraption was a regeneration tank, in which the girl would – undoubtedly unconscious – spend some time.

The liquid itself was charged by exposure to radiation and started to phosphoresce when it was fully charged. Then, very slowly over time, when a body was inserted into it, the liquid boosted the regenerative powers of a body through the energy that got produced chemically by conversion of light to energy. If the energy of the fluid was drained, it stopped glowing.

Vlokarion had deemed these measures immediately necessary, especially because he knew that the Overlord wanted this particular slave to be flawless.

The Dark Muses knew why.

As he was about a third through with his work, he heard someone entering his oubliette. Without looking up from his work, he said, "I have not expected you so soon, Overlord. I will be needing some hours still. This is quite a challenge, even for me."

The Overlord stepped to the head of Vlokarion's operating table. He examined the nigh lifeless body shortly and said, "I can see why. Someone was exceedingly thorough here."

Vlokarion chuckled. "Not thorough enough for me, though I have to admit that if I had been with her any minute later even I might have been too late."

"Have you found any discerning specifics?" Vect asked.

"Well, it is actually quite interesting. I found a potent toxin, which went, along with the only deep stab she sustained, right into her kidneys. I will only be able to fully heal her in the regeneration tank. Also, I found that a splintering weapon had been used, leaving thousands of poisonous needles in her flesh. It will take me a while to remove those and even longer to make sure I missed none," Vlokarion reported.

The Overlord let out an annoyed huff. "It is quite obvious to me who is behind this. When Khromys's weapon technology pairs with Malys's poisons and connections, they just end up being tremendously annoying. Gather the splinters, I want to have them analysed."

"All in good time, Overlord. I'll be needing at least five hours still," Vlokarion insisted.

"And I will be needing a closer look at her. I need to find proof to my theory," Vect insisted too.

"She is in no condition to be woken. If you want to kill her, fine by me, but at least let me know so I can stop this considerably arduous work," Vlokarion stated coldly.

The Overlord smiled mysteriously. "No need for waking her. Just let me touch her head."

"Very well, but clean your hands first! I don't want her dying from some ridiculous infection," Vlokarion stated.

"What do you think I am? An amateur?" the Overlord retorted. Vlokarion chuckled. Even Vect showed a short, fierce smile. They knew each other long enough to know that Vect was everything but that.

Yet, this was one of the rare occasions in his life where Asdrubael Vect truly did as he was told. One did not challenge a Haemonculus regarding his expertise. Ever. This was just as suicidal as attacking the Overlord in his throne room.

After taking off his gauntlets and disinfecting his hands, the Overlord came back to the operating table.

Vlokarion said approvingly, "Just go ahead, I am currently busy with the splinters in her chest cavity anyways."

"I will. Nevertheless, I must remind you to add what I will be doing next to your undoubtedly enormous collection of secrets," the Overlord emphasised.

The Haemonculus shrugged and replied, "I think I am perfectly capable of keeping one more. And besides, I do not think that anybody would ask why you touched an unconscious slave's head in my laboratory. Besides, they won't talk." Vlokarion gestured to his mindless servants. Vect did not deem it necessary to give an answer.

Then, he eyed what the Overlord did next from the corner of his eyes critically. Yet, there was not much to see. All he did was gently laying his fingertips upon the sides of her head and temples, closing his eyes and being seemingly highly concentrated. He stayed a while like this, motionless, like a statue.

After this strange while, in which Vlokarion thought to feel a slight shiver running down his numerous spines, the Overlord opened his eyes again and drew back his hands.

"I take it you were successful with whatever you were doing?" Vlokarion asked.

Yet, he did not get much of an answer, just a low and wrathful snarl and bared fangs. The Overlord stepped away from the table, donned his gauntlets, took his sceptre and was about to leave the oubliette in a sudden rush.

However, Vlokarion halted his rush by shouting, "I take it you are aware that there is quite a steep price to pay for my services this time, since I used my personal teleporter and you know how arduous it is to recharge these things?"

Vect halted, turned around again and snorted. "Yes, I am. I take it that it is something highly irregular if you address it that explicitly?" he said.

Vlokarion smiled and turned halfway around to eye the Overlord out of the corner of his vision, without moving his skilled hands or mechadendrites, which held some instruments in the chest of the young woman in place. "Yes, it is indeed something extremely unusual. But seeing that you are quite in a hurry, shall we discuss it next time? All I am currently saying is that I require her for part of the payment."

"Yes, let us do it like this. However, I will not give her to you for testing," the Overlord stated determinedly.

"Of course not, Overlord. I require her in quite a different fashion," Vlokarion smiled.

"Very well, then. We shall talk business when I come back the next time," Vect nodded. Then he left in a rush.

Without minding Vect's suddenly hasty behaviour, Vlokarion concentrated fully again on his work and said to the unconscious girl, "Well, my dear, it seems as if it is the two of us all over again."

With these words, he let another bloody splinter drop into a metal jar filled with isotonic saline to his right.

As always, I am rooting for reviews and opinions.

I hope you enjoyed this one and you still stay with me on the story. I am not nearly halfway done. *chuckles evilly*

Give me some time for the next update, though I might be quicker with it than usual, since I decided to go for shorter chapters, if managable. :)