Chapter 10 - Hunting the Hunter
The last time Anaris had meditated was long before she donned her new identity as a Player of Sword's Triumph. Anymore, she was used to focusing through stretches and dances. It was not like a Harlequin to sit still for long, only those who lived the role of pensive characters would take the time to meditate when they could be practicing their acrobatics or studying new performances. Unfortunately, dancing was currently not an option to keep her mind off of her dire situation. Every time she shifted or even breathed too deeply the Inquisitor's needles would tear a little deeper into her flesh.
Gradually, Anaris steadied her breathing and let the tranquility of meditation wash over her. Her mental state provided some relief from the pain until she heard the door slam and the crisp thunks of boots approach her. Her return from the meditative mindset was severely hastened by an indescribable pain. Anaris couldn't keep herself from screaming in agony and nearly vomited from discomfort. After her tears cleared, Anaris was finally able to see the cause of her sudden anguish.
The accursed man in black towered over her chair holding the Inquisitor's needles that were now dripping with her blood. Anaris hardly had time to wonder why he had taken out the needles when the answer came.
"I saw you and your kind fighting the daemons earlier. You knew they were coming. It is imperative you tell me immediately everything you know about this incursion."
This man, who Anaris had yet to see show any emotion, seemed off. His pupils were dilated and his nostrils flared menacingly, but Anaris knew how to toy with the psyche. She decided it was time to play.
"Imperative? Is something wrong with the...what did you humans call it?" she paused for dramatic effect, "Opuntia?"
Exactly as expected, he responded violently. Her cheek stung from the swift backhand the man brought upon her. Anger threshold easily detected, it was time for Anaris to probe for his moral snapping points. Most humans were weak-willed creatures who depended on ravings about some false emperor for any sort of mental strength. Remove their faith from the situation and they break easily.
"Ooh. You better burn those gloves after that," she sensually licked her lips and gave him a sneer, "wouldn't want your Carrion King to know you were playing with a Xeno in a way that she enjoyed."
For some reason, this didn't extract the reaction Anaris was expecting. Instead of increasing his frustration, the man snapped back into his regular cool self. He stepped back from the chair where Anaris was tied and reached into his coat.
With a clatter, Anaris' mask landed at her feet. The man took advantage of her sudden speechlessness to smoothly explain "I am not the Inquisitor. I don't give a damn about that cactus. The reason I was sent here was to ensure the men and women of the Imperium were safe from the taint of the Warp that this planet is so prone to until we were through with our investigation. Now, there are a myriad of daemons rushing this city and many loyal servants of the Emperor are at risk unless we find a way of stopping them."
Anaris stared at the man, mouth agape. The only sound in the room was a soft patter as her wounds dripped with blood. After some time, she uttered "How many daemons?"
"Thousands. You didn't know?"
Anaris shook her head. Then, she panicked; if there were that many daemons rushing the city then it was only a matter of time before they reached the Webway portal en masse. With such a high quantity of daemons, the scale was tipped significantly out of the Harlequins' favor. The only tangible way Anaris could see to ensure the portal's safety was to tip the balance back with numbers. "You won't like what I'm about to suggest," Anaris warned the man in black. She was done trying to formulate a lie; keeping the humans away from the portal wouldn't matter if it had already been overrun by daemons.
"You do not know the Emperor's will, so you cannot know mine," the man paused and nudged the mask that was still laying on the floor. "Do you Harlequins know what people see when they look into your masks?"
Genuinely surprised by the sudden sincerity in the man's voice, Anaris again shook her head.
The man fixed his steadfast gaze on Anaris, "I see the countless faces of guardsmen who have needlessly perished as a result of someone straying too far from the Emperor's light. So many loyal and righteous men have died at the hands of officers who did not fully utilize the tools the Emperor provided them. Though you are a Xeno, I believe you have information that could help me avoid seeing too many more faces in your mask."
Nodding to show her understanding, Anaris implored him "We need to talk to your Inquisitor. We need to propose an alliance."