Taking a few more breaths, she, slowly, released her warp into him.
Again he felt the power flow into his being, and again the sensation of ice and fire seared throughout his body, as if he were being cooked from the inside out.
This time, though, it was different. This time it had a direction, a focus.
He noticed something, as if Isis' power was a beacon, it illuminated a darkness within him. Brought light to the corruption upon his very soul He had never felt its presence, never knew of its existence. But he felt it, saw it, now, within his mind's eye. And it withered and writhed under the light of Isis' power.
Isis surrounded the vile corruption causing it to act as if it were alive itself.
It dug deeper. Visius felt it pierce his very soul and his life began to seep from him.
The light enveloped his being quickly, and began to battle the corruption. Not with weapons or any physical means, but by sheer power and will. Isis began to pull it free from his spirit.
The excruciating pain from the two forces in conflict over his soul, was tremendous.
He felt the corruption within grip tighter, causing his body to convulse even within his armor plate. He heard agonizing screams as if thousands of voices were in his ears. His pain filled brain for a moment thought he had crushed the small primarch.
Then a barrage of warp, her brilliant white energy was so intense he could feel it break from his body.
That was the last thing he saw, felt, before falling into oblivion.
…
Visius had collapsed in front of her. Isis had faltered, the surprise of his bulk crashing to the floor had caused her to lose ground with the corruption.
She followed him to the floor swiftly, replacing her hand on his chest and head. Like pulling a thorn from flesh, she had to fight it swiftly for it kept wanting to dig itself deeper. With all the power she could muster, she pulled, she felt it tear the soul, felt it writhe in her grasp like a leetch or some foul slippery thing. It struck out, reaching for its host.
Isis had a compulsion, she drew the corruption within herself.
Acid.
It felt as if she had filled her being up with acid. It churned and boiled within her, she could hear its cries of pain. But she could not focus on it, it had torn Visius' soul as she pulled it free, she needed to tend to it or this all would be in vain.
Despite the pure agony she dove back into Visius.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she burned it away, while at the same time healing the spirit from the damage she and the foul perversion had caused. The screaming had subsided, and she realized her throat was raw, that it had been herself that had been crying out.
She made sure he was purged, double checking thoroughly before pulling her energy from him and opened her eyes.
Her legs gave out at what she saw and from the excursion. She sat, leaning on her good arm that threatened to buckle at any moment as well.
But! She Had done it!
His face was whole. Perfect. As was his entire body. She made sure of it.
His armor was charred and had split in numerous places from the intense heat. The new paint peeled and flaked.
Even the ground surrounding them had been blackened, showing signs of scorching.
His face was that of a man, unblemished as if he had never seen a battlefield. His hair was full, and covered his head normally.
She heard the psykers approach behind her. She glanced back at them and they stopped. She felt a bead of sweat trickle down the side of her face and she became aware that her head was soaked. She moved a hand to run through her hair, a natural movement. But paused when she felt faint stubble instead. She resigned to swiping her forehead with a sleeve.
The apprentice's rapt whisperings died when Visius shifted, his eyes opening.
Pushing from the ground, his bulk lifted. The armor whining from the damage done but still working.
Isis watched as he stood to his full height. His eyes rested on her, and he instantly was within her mind, desperate to see through her eyes. She felt his desperation, and allowed him without a fight or word.
She obliged and looked him over as he viewed himself with her. He must have finished as he withdrew with a boisterous laugh raising his head high.
"Isis, You did it! I am free from taint! Free of Slaanesh!"
He faced the psykers, raising one arm. "We are no longer Slaves to Slaanesh, rejoice!"
The acolytes taken back, silent from the shock of the admission.
Isis noticed that his leg did not move properly and the arm on the same side had issues in moving as well. He lifted a hand, manually triggering his vox communicator.
"Striigg, Meet me in the sanctum, my armor is in need of maintenance!"
His voice was loud with enthusiasm.
Isis, still catching her breath, was surprised at how well she fared. The hood compensated for her use, giving her room to 'move' and 'grow'.
She wiped her face with her sleeve again,she swayed but was no worse for wear.
The sound of the hissing of the main hatch made Isis jump. Jigrinn entered, whip in hand. Her warp swirled around her, causing sparks to ignite around her general area. Her eyes were locked on Isis.
Isis made to get up quickly but her body refused to listen and she plopped back down with a groan. Visius, with great effort moved his leg and squared up to Jigrinn's advance.
Seeing her target blocked her focus shift to Visius. A look of confusion and disbelief crossed her face, and she looked between Isis and Visius.
Then she slowly bent a knee, her eyes locked on the Lord Visius. Once her knee hit the floor her head and eyes lowered in submission.
Isis struggled again to rise. This time she managed to gain her feet, almost toppling to the side as if her balance was off. With a look of determination, she made her way over to the sorceress.
Three of the apprentices moved forward toward Isis, for what reason, it was not known.
Visius waved an arm back at them. Warp crackling around his ethereal hand.
"One more step from any of you and you die."
Abruptly they stopped in their tracks.
Visius turned his head back, examining the exchange, prepared for anything.
Isis approached Jigrinn and put a hand on her shoulder, using the sorceress as aid to lower herself to a knee at her side.
Jigrinn turned her gaze to Isis, her eyes full of anger, but that did not detour the young woman. Instead, Isis leaned over so that her mouth was next to Jigrinns ear, never taking her hand off her shoulder.
"You are no longer in charge of this ward, this is no longer your sanctum, you will never again set foot in here. And if I catch you near me, or gain scent of plots with your touch on them…I will purge the corruption from your soul before I send it to the after life."
It was Jigrinns turn to have her eyes widened in understanding at what had transpired in her absence. With that Isis used Jigrinns shoulder to push herself up. Once standing she looked down at her for a few seconds, the two locking eyes with wrath.
"Get out."
Jigrinn looked to speak, to spew some command or insult, but stopped herself and slowly stood. She took one more glance at Visius, one filled with pent up anger, before turning to leave the sanctum with a snap.
Visius lowered his hand and smiled at Isis.
She caught his smile as she turned back to him, "I hope I didn't over step."
One of the students, Isis suspected, his garb was different from the rest. More colorful. He wore a robe from his waist that brushed the floor. Designs decorated them ornately. His torso was bare, his skin bronze and heavily tattooed with sigils.
His head was bald, and she noticed he also wore a hood. But unlike hers this one was of a darker metal and covered much of the back of his head. Cables ran from it down each arm, connecting to cybernetics at his wrists. Plates of some type had been embedded into the palms of his hands.
He knelt swiftly before Visius, "My Lord, what would you have of us now?"
Even Isis picked up that that question was loaded. But he was cautious enough to phrase it from one from his station.
"Rise, Continue your training and prepare your minds. We have a space hulk to find. Change is coming, we need to prepare."
The man stood, "As you command, my Lord." keeping his head bowed, he stepped backward. It occurred to Isis he may be the one next in rank.
Still feeling exhausted, Isis sat back down. Crossing her legs, she worked to gain her energy back. She was surprised and grateful how the hood had aided her. It was still painful, but she had never seen or done anything of this sort before.
Her skin was unmarred and her energy was slowly coming back. The control was even better than before.
She did not know how long she sat there in her thoughts when she heard Visius ask her.
"Are you well, Isis?"
She raised her head up to look at him, "I..Am" She answered. "I was just… Contemplating how surprised I was to be so."
Visius gave a pleased nod.
It was not long after that the hatch to the sanctum opened again, allowing Striigg to enter, his many thin legs moving methodically. He was followed by his acolytes, and a servitor. The servitor looked as if it had been dead for ages, only its torso and head remained, at least some of it. Under its torso, at its waist, a track vehicle had been added, on its back was connected a large computer with many cables and small and large mechanical arms.
The entourage came to a halt as they looked upon the Lord Visius.
Striigg was the first to approach, his ocular implants focusing in and out, taking their readings.
His head turned to Isis for a brief moment.
The acolytes spoke to each other in their own version of speech.
Raising a bionic arm, Striigg brought them to a silence. At least out loud, they are half machines, Isis thought.
"Much has transpired in the short amount of time since you left my laboratory. I see you are not physically injured yet your armor states you should be deceased." With a motion of an arm, his acolytes came forward, connecting the servitor to the armor.
Isis stood and moved out of the way, glancing at the other psykers, who had moved back to the dias. they stood in small huddles, seeming to be speaking to themselves.
A feeling of concern washed over her. Well, if she wanted to make herself invaluable, she exceeded.
"Yes,"
She heard Visius answer Striigg, drawing her attention back.
"Isis, here, has purged the Corruption from my being. She truly is remarkable."
He spoke as he made the necessary movements to assist in the repair.
Striigg was silent for several seconds before replying. "I am pleased to hear the hood has stood up to the trial." He ran a metal hand over the armored arm of Visius. Flakes of burnt paint and rust floated to the ground as soot billowed upward from his touch.
"Return to my chambers when you are ready for a complete repair. Your armor needs to be refurbished."
Finished, Visius was able to move freely now. His armor was repaired enough to function.
Without much flair, Stiigg led his group out.
"Sorry about your armor." Isis felt the need to apologize. Especially now that she had both destroyed an entire room and his new armor.
"I will try to stop destroying things…Armor, rooms…people." She stopped with the list.
"Do not be distressed, and I may need to destroy many things before we can build anew." He turned and began to head out of the sanctum.
Isis followed not wanting to be left. Though she was still curious to who it was that had contacted her earlier.
"Prepare for a fleetwide vidcast. I will arrive on the bridge within a few hours." Visius was heard speaking into his vox, as Isis had learned was their comms.
It was a quiet walk, other than the thundering steps of Visius.
They had made it past the grand hall with all the statutes when Isis spied a group of cultists. They were off to the side down another corridor a bit, holding one of their comrades down who was thrashing upon the ground as if in a seizure. Foam and spittle erupted from his mouth.
There were five altogether in the small group. People passed without so much as a glance to them.
Remembering her vow to help aid Visius' people, Isis stopped, watching him continue unperturbed.
Setting her jaw she headed over to them, listening to Visius' heavy footfalls echo down the corridor leaving her on her own.