Gualtier had been having dreams lately—dreams of a place that was wrought with utter chaos, a large landscape of rot and disease. A place that would drive normal men to insanity in nanoseconds. Yet Gualtier stood firm, and found himself calm. Everything felt... almost as if he was underwater. Yet he moved, walking through the muck and filth. Miles upon miles of it passed him as he navigated the diseased landscape. His helmeted eye gazing around at the landscape, the stench was rather unpleasant.
He could see creatures in the distance, disgusting plague-ridden bodies, puss and blood oozing to the ground. Why... was he here?. For what reason has the Lord brought him to such a place? Even in a dream such as this. He remembered his past somewhat—bits and pieces of it at least. A man of faith...in the Lord.
He stopped by a small withered tree, something strange growing on the trunk of it. A….rose?, Somewhat withered, yet still red in color. He held it gently in his gauntleted hand, watching as it slowly crumbled to petals, flying away in the wind. However, he noticed them waiting for him,as if leading him in a direction. A guide?.
Gaultier picked up his pace, moving through the swamp. Most of the strange creatures and those afflicted by the diseases did not seem to notice him at all. As if something was shielding him from their view. And those that got near him…seemingly hissed out in fear, Their disease riddled bodies beginning to crack and crumble almost to dust.
It was then that he saw it, a being the size of a mountain, stirring a large cauldron of something vile. He watched as the being stopped in his machinations for a moment, and hobbled away. Possibly to grab something if Gualtier had to surmise. The knight then noticed hanging on a withered tree contained within a cage was a woman of iridescent beauty. Long ears, honeyed skin, long brown hair with flowers entwined inside of the locks. A beautiful woman Yet one riddled with sickness. The sickly black veins going up her arms and neck. A slight cough.
Gaultier approached the cage, and looked in, and to his surprise the woman looked back towards him. Shock evident on her features as well. Slowly the woman lifted her hands gripping the bars of her cage. Her green eyes staring into Gaultier's helmeted one's. He could see that the once dead hope in her gaze slowly rekindled.
Slowly she released a hand from one of the bars, Extending it out towards Gaulter's own. She spoke, Her voice a hushed whisper. "Y-you should not be in this place, Who are you ... .you are not one of my children." Slowly and with a gentleness to his action. The knight grabbed the woman's hand. A silence passed by them for a moment.
"Gaultier…..that is my name, may I inquire on yours?"
The woman seemed to shrink back slightly at his voice, Whether it was from fear, or from something else. The knight did not really know. Yet she spoke, Her voice still quiet. Gaultier actually had to lean in a bit more in order to hear her.
"Isha…". This caused gaultier's eyes to brighten slightly. And he then gently shook the Woman's hand, remembering it was something his king told him to do whenever he met someone new.
"A beautiful name"
Isha blinked for a moment at the odd gesture, gently pulling her hand back right after Gaultier released it from his grasp. She watched as the knight sat down in the disease riddled ground. Without a care in the world at all. She became even more confused watching as he reached up and took off his helmet.
"You are….a human?" Isha felt her face turning a bit red as she gazed upon Gaultier's face. The man's own blue eyes stared back at the Aeldari Goddess. "How have you not lost yourself to the realm…even the disease and rot would harm that of a god?" Isha reached a hand out beckoning the Knight to show her his own. He did so without protest.
Isha removed the gauntlet, and rolled up the sleeves of the knight's arm, No black veins, No pustules…nothing.
He was even close to the cauldron of disease that nurgle stirred. There was also a strange energy about this man as well. Not in the physical sense…or even the soul. Some kind of…holy spi-
"The lord guides me, and protects me wherever I may go" Gaultier spoke with a small upturn of his lips. Isha tilted her head in slight confusion, Yet she did wonder who this lord was...they had to be a pretty powerful individual in order for gaultier to be here at this moment. "He sent me the person that I now serve under as well..." Isha was now even more confused at the knight in front of her. Yet...she let out a light giggle at his aloofness.
This in turn made Gaultier smile.
"You are a strange indivdual Gaultier. Yet you are the only company I have had in...a long time" Isha mumbled out tucking into herself slightly. "If it is of no trouble...could we possibly be acquaintances?" The Goddess looked towards Gaultier, If only to gauge his expression as he mulled over her question. The knight looked as if a metaphrical hamster was currently running through his mind. And eventually he gave an anwser to her question.
"I do not see why not, My king did tell me to...go touch grass. Granted I do not know the context in that statement, But I am touching grass right now...although rotten"
Isha looked on at gaultier, before letting out a rather bolsterous laugh collapsing onto her back. The knight waited patiently for the Goddess to regain her composure. and after a few minutes, she did so sitting back up. Her hands gripped onto the bars giving Gaultier a bright smile. "Then i am happy to have you as a friend Gautlier...I guess we can touch grass together"
Silence passed between the both of them, yet it was unfortunitly broken by loud lumbering footsteps returning back to the cauldron.
"ISHA, I HAVE RETURNED WITH A FEW MORE INGREDIENTS, THERE IS THIS NEW CONCOCTION THAT I AM SURE WILL WORK WELL" A booming voice spoke out, large lumbering steps head returning back to the cauldron. Isha looked at the knight in fear. Yet before Gaultier could act… or even comfort.
He woke up, His eyes staring at the ceiling above him. The spinning fan pushes cool air into the room. Slowly the Knight sat up in his bed, a sense of urgency in his breathing. He looked over to his armor, Everything seemed in place…except for one singular gauntlet that was missing.
Isha felt the sickening disease wash over her, the pain, the wrongness. It was an especially horrible disease. One that Nurgle took pleasure in creating, The lord of plague watched as Isha used most of her energy, slowly beginning to cure herself of it. Immediately feeling exhausted from the effort. Nurgle clapped his hands together in glee.
"YES, I KNEW THE CONCOCTION WOULD WORK. THANK YOU ISHA!. NOW IF YOU WILL EXCUSE ME, ALRUAN 5 AWAITS. TIME TO USE THIS BEAUTIFUL DISEASE. REST, YOU HAVE EARNED IT!"
The Aeldari goddess watched as the Lord of chaos waddled off to one of the many Warp gateways. The disease in his disgusting hands. Isha quickly whispered the cure to it into the Materium, and hugged her knees to her chest. A solemn tear trailing down her face. However there was a glint of metal in the putrid wastes.
Slowly she crawled on her knees to the edge of the cage, A realization dawning on her. This was that knight Gautlier's gauntlet. Pristine and perfect, Not a speck of grime or dirt on the piece of armor. Hesitantly she reached down picking up the gauntlet, She gazed over it for a moment. And slowly slipped it over her right hand.
And for once, instead of fear, instead of trembling… she felt a voice….one still, one small. Yet thrumming with power untold. "Fear not; I will help thee."
Isha felt a trembling in her spirit for a moment, before clutching her gauntleted hand closer to her. If only to preserve the warmth, the kindness. It seemed...endless to her. Almost as if it were a cup running over.