Summary:
The group managed to survive another "show" of the sadistic Elyria, but now after their victory and the revelation of who was actually leading the group, the Succubus take interest in Marcus, what would be of the Imperial Captain once the Drukhari turn their gazes towards him?
Shadows of the Dark City 11
Once upon a time, victory used to bring a sweet taste to his mouth—one few things could come close to. The thrill of surviving another battle, of having bested the enemies of the Emperor—everything that came with victory used to be his high.
Every Guardsman who lived long enough on the front lines had their way of taking off the edge: some played games, others played instruments and sang different folk songs, sometimes even hymns. There were some who had other less savory ways of doing so, drugs, sex, and the like. But his were far more tame and simple, which were composed of reading, and savoring their latest victory. To be honest it was far more efficient in bringing that temporary glee and rush than any of the other alternatives, including his favorite hobby of delving into some good of literature.
Yet even now in this accursed place, after everything they just went through, he could not bring himself to celebrate, only to give a small prideful smile before sitting in the corner of the cell staring as all were cheering on. He was surprised to see even both Eldar talking with smiles on their faces. Even more so was Arandur, ever-indifferent and stoic, smiling so nonchalantly.
Things went pretty smoothly thanks to all of them doing their roles perfectly, and according to Thalindra especially him, although the reasons for her to be so adamant about him taking the lead still evaded the Captain's logic entirely. With a sigh, he closed his eyes wondering when he had stopped to enjoy these small moments after nearly meeting death. They not only escaped its cold grasp but were left well enough to celebrate another chance at living to fight another day.
Marcus could not pinpoint exactly but he had some vague notion that the answer to that was lost in the pile of horrible events he had to endure through his life. This also made him wonder how many were or one day would be like him, on what war and this horror-driven galaxy would do to these honest servants of the Emperor to throw them off enough to be completely numb to everything.
The Captain knew he was broken in all meanings of the word; not even death had the same effect on him as it used to. Marcus remembered how he felt when he lost his mentor, the one who had set him straight and put him on this path, Captain Mannie Maximus Welles. The Imperial was devastated by the loss of someone so dear to him, the first to see him beyond a mere street rat or the mistake that he was.
It had taken years to cope with the image of his personal hero and father figure making a last stand against a rushing horde of heretics so he could live. As the years went by, all the people he knew at some point died and the result was always the same: he would be left alone again.
Having gone through the process full circle not once, but twice, it had been a bitter moment as he realized that something within him had severely changed...He had become truly numb not only to the losses of his dear comrades but even to little joys like this very moment they were sharing.
His internal musings had unfortunately made him unaware of the tall Eldar standing right in front of him.
"Would you care if I join you?"
Thalindra's soothing voice came as her aquamarine eyes stared down at him with an ethereal glow, something welcoming against such troubling thoughts.
"Nope, make yourself comfortable."
He waited as the Farseer took his side, a respectful distance between them as she sat folding the long robes under her. As he stared up at her eyes, the Imperial noticed how tall this Eldar was, since even though both were sitting she still managed to be considerably taller than him.
"Is everything well?"
Her question laced with a genuine tone of worry, he could not help himself and raise his left eyebrow in a small display of confusion. By now it was clear she was different from what he expected from a Xeno in all meanings of the word, but still once again Thalindra was going out of her way to see if he was okay. While he appreciated the worry the fact that she could peer at his mind at any time made him weary of interacting with her. Marcus feared what could she find amidst the chaos that is his thoughts.
Sighing, the Captain pondered on how to answer, he knew that lying his way out of this conversation would not work, at least not with someone like the Farseer.
"No. But it hasn't been for a while now."
Thalindra nodded at him, turning her attention to the others, as her expression became one of deep thought. Silence settled between the two as the loud voice of Ellias rang through their cell, the Corporal emulating the moment he landed gracefully after being thrown by Arandur as the Dire Avenger rolled his eyes as the human remarked on the careless way he had thrown them.
"You feel like war has taken everything from you and left only an empty husk behind. One that needs bloodshed and violence to be filled, otherwise completely void of any content. The joy of victory doesn't appeal to you anymore, the happiness of your comrades doesn't hit the same as it did when you started on this path and even death has a completely different feel as when you first experienced it."
"You are reading my mind once again aren't you?"
He asked with annoyance in his voice, pinching the bridge of his nose. Thalindra's lips curved into a simple honest smile, while her eyes had a sudden twinge of nostalgia and sorrow.
"No. The truth is that you remind me of someone I know well."
This made him turn to her with a curious look, the Imperial now wanting to know how he could compare to someone she knew.
"Well I hope this someone is decent, otherwise I'll take offense to that."
His words managed to get a reaction out of the Farseer who let out a soft laugh at his words.
"Oh he is...at least to me. He has always been a good person."
"And who this person may be? If you allow me to ask..."
This made her stop for a second pondering something before answering his question.
"I'll tell you if you agree to my terms..."
He blanched at the offer.
"Agree to your terms!? Now that is odd...didn't realize we went from talking to negotiating here."
Another soft laugh came from the Eldar, but Thalindra was quick to shoot down his growing worries by explaining what she had meant.
"Fairly simple. I'll answer your question, and you answer one of mine, how does that sound?"
This made him stop to consider her terms, but is was truly odd that she did not need any of this. If she wished, the Eldar could simply read his mind and take this information out of him without any kind of effort. So why did she want to hear this directly from him?
For the moment due to his curiosity, the Captain would indulge her.
"Ok...So who first?"
"Since you asked first, and also as a sign of good faith I'll answer your question..."
"The person I was talking about is Althorin Eldareth, Exarch of the Dire Avengers of Ulthwe, servant of Khaine the Bloody-handed, and also my father."
This made him turn his full attention to her, being caught completely off guard by her answer. He did not expect this answer in a million years.
"Well hope you have a good relationship with him..."
She hummed in affirmation, turning her attention briefly to the discussion between Arandur and Ellias, fighting over some petty matter that neither had paid attention to.
Marcus held his breath in pause, his curiosity getting the better of him as he questioned the Farseer's answer.
"Why though?"
This made her pause for a second, closing her eyes as if meditating, before opening them once again and turning towards him fully her aquamarine looking directly at his purple irises.
"Right there in the arena when you were briefing us of your plan, and then during the fight I could see your soul flutter in lively bright flames, as if nothing could take your focus away from defeating those who oppose you. However, when you are here sitting in this cell, your essence dims once again, becoming almost lethargic. My father is similar since he lost himself to the path of war..."
Marcus was ashamed to admit he did not understand much of what she just said, but one thing was certain: it made him think about her remarks of him during combat. While he did not understand this whole soul thing, he was aware that when he was on the front lines or in the familiar danger of battle the Imperial did not feel so lost or numb as he was at that moment.
"Now is my time to ask you a question, as per our agreement."
Sighing deeply he nodded to let her know he was ready for her inquiry.
"Do you take solace in the fires of war?"
This made him ponder, for once in his life, he meditated on the Seer's answer,trying to come to a satisfying conclusion so he could answer her question truthfully to the best of his abilities.
"In a way yes, but the answer to that is far more complicated than a mere yes or no."
"Then enlighten me, Captain Marcus."
The Imperial once again turned his full attention towards the Farseer, her voice was kind and gentle as she asked for him to explain his answer. For a moment he could not help but feel butterflies in his stomach. It was rare throughout his life that someone would show actual interest in knowing him in a deeper meaning than the well-known and stoic Captain Marcus.
However just as these feelings started to pour in he shut them off, not wanting to give space to such embarrassing and uncalled thoughts. Coughing on his hand, he gulped some saliva down readying himself to try and answer Thalindra's question.
"It is where I'm most comfortable. Throughout my life,e fighting has been a centerpiece of my being. To stop fighting would mean death in more ways than one, but still, even with all of that I take no joy in it..."
The Eldar was quiet, looking at him in mild expectation. It was clear she wanted him to open up to her. He sighed deeply, a natural discomfort coming forth, Marcus was not the type to open up in such a way, but still, he owed her that much after their little agreement.
"Frankly, here is nothing I despise more than war. Many good servants of the Emperor were lost in the front lines, many who had promising futures and talents that could be used somewhere else were lost to the eternal machine of war. The only thing holding us together for another push against the enemy lines is our faith and certainty that the Emperor is watching our sacrifice, and hope that once our purpose comes to an end, he is there waiting for us from his Golden Throne."
He knew that his next words were wishful thinking, selfish, and borderline heretical, but it was the truth on the matter.
"Hell, I wish I had been born in a different place, in some different circumstance, be blessed to have some semblance of normalcy away from all the madness of war. Be born to a family of farmers in some distant agri-world, the quota of crops being the only worry in my mind as I live my life in blissful ignorance, not knowing the horrors happening on the other side of the galaxy."
She was looking at him with interest, her eyes holding a powerful intensity that made him even confess something more aside from this personal fantasy.
"Then I would be allowed to marry some farm girl, have kids, and then die of old age, letting my children take my place in taking care of their mother and our property. With that being said... I take solace in battle because is what I was born to do, and by the Throne, it was the purpose the Emperor found for me. But I'm not happy with it, and I would be lying if I said the contrary."
Finally done with his explanation, he opened his eyes to see her reaction to his words, and what greeted him were those same intense aquamarine eyes filled with sympathy at his words.
"I'll admit you are similar to my father in a way, but also so very different...You follow the Path of War not out of bloodlust or the necessity of feeling the rush of battle, but from a sense of purpose, and your wish to have a normal life outside all of this even with your loyalty to your duty... is what makes you two so different."
She extended her hand manifesting some kind of smoke creating a vague image of two people.
"However...both of you are lost to your respective paths. You, Marcus, have proven unable to change course or be stable outside conflict. This in turn has severely hindered you from going forward and properly healing."
Then the smoke miniatures started walking in opposite directions before dissipating.
"Both deal with their afflictions in their own way, but one has allowed himself to be helped and supported by others through his path. The other shut in on himself, his suffering being his only true company. Trying to soldier on through the bloody path, filled with corpses and the smell of death...alone."
He frowned, not liking the direction the Eldar was taking this, her words more close to home than he wished. For the first time in this entire conversation, her demeanor changed from gentle and caring to one of tactical seriousness, her eyes glinting similarly to when a superior of his would give him a scolding.
"Marcus, which of these are you?"
The Imperial annoyingly scoffed at her question, finding no will to answer what was obviously rhetorical. An uncomfortable silence reigned between the two as he avoided her gaze and she kept her eyes trained on him unblinking.
Thalindra finally tired of the stare-down and sighed before turning her head forward.
"The burden you carry is heavy, too heavy for you to carry alone. So let me and the others help you, open yourself to the process and I promise I...We can fix this."
The Captain did not utter a word as he processed her words, before replying to her in his all-familiar Imperial Guard tone, one that meant business and that he was not fooling around.
"Listen, and listen well...Like I said before: I've carried my weight from the moment I came from the womb kicking and screaming. And I'll keep doing that until the Emperor himself has been satisfied with my service and finally lets me die and grants eternal rest."
Marcus stood up while dusting the dirt off his clothes. However, Thalindra also stood up, her height towering over him as her eyes held now a twinge of frustration.
"Don't you get it, Marcus!? I'm trying to help you!"
He did not return her stare his eyes looking forward, but his tone carried that Officer tone that left no discussion.
"I appreciate the intention but you're not the first to try and help me, and as I said, I don't want or wish for it."
This made her eyes momentarily change colors from aquamarine to a fiery red, so sudden and frightening even to him. Her face lacked any expression but her eyes were very clear in showing her frustration and rage at his shot down at her offer of help.
"Foolish Mon-Keigh! If you keep treading this path you will die not by the hands of our enemies but your own!"
Now the Captain was also angry, turning towards Thalindra with his eyes squinted in anger, his arms behind his back as his posture became ramrod straight, a pose he used to intimidate someone into complying back at the lines.
"First, I'm no "Mon-keigh" or whatever this word means! And second, I want to know in which part my death should be a concern of yours?"
For the first time ever he saw her expression change fully to anger as she lowered her head centimeters from his, her eyes carrying the intensity of holy flames, as they stared at his eyes.
"If you die, our way out of this place goes with it. And if you expect me to just let that happen so me and my kinsmen would be chained forever in the Dark City you are sorely mistaken. So if you keep this up, and what you are doing puts at risk our passage out of here, I'll not ask more for your consent, let that be known..."
To his merit, he did not flinch or back down. He stood his ground, his eyes mirroring her determination and anger.
"You can try it Farseer."
This made her do a double take her eyebrows raising in confusion as she kept her eyes locked with his. Her demeanor went back to being stoic, her eyes regaining the glint of kindness and warmth.
His direct confrontation being enough to put her in a shock as he turned from her to go somewhere.
The Farseer had let her temper get the best out of her. It has been a long time since she had felt such anger towards something, but Marcus finally broke that streak by being a stubborn human. Thalindra did not want to threaten him the way she did, especially since she genuinely wanted the Captain to be well. But even she had a limit, and the Imperial had pushed it for far too long.
Did he not see that she wanted to help? Her main goal was to strengthen his soul, to make his pain better. In the end, all of this was not only for their benefit but for his also, if Marcus kept at this pace he would reach complete entropy and be unable to filter on his own his feelings and trauma. Like a dying fire, his essence flared about searching for elements to keep it alive.
For once since they started talking, she took notice of all the other occupants staring at them with worried looks, even Arandur's eyebrows were raised in confusion, not understanding what just happened between them.
The Captain went to the cell gate on the other side, far away from her, his back towards all of them as his hand clenched the metal bars. The Seer knew well what he was thinking, as well as his feelings. Marcus was genuinely angered by her offer and attempt to help, as well as her threats.
The worst part is that she was trying so hard to approach this through an angle that would not trigger him, she even went as far as using words and talking as humans would to not intimidate him as their last telepathic communications had done.
Thalindra for the first time in a while could not help herself and lament to have to deal with such skittish and primitive creatures, it was a while now that her usual Eldari pride shone through in frustration to have to deal with humans, especially ones such as Marcus. Their stubbornness and reluctance to cooperate are the main causes of the lack of actual progress toward a mutually beneficial cause.
The Imperial with his back turned towards her, the embodiment of the Imperium of Man: stubborn and stuck on an isolationist policy of dealing alone with all the dangers of the universe while disregarding any outside help or warnings. But...
He lacked the blind hatred towards anything non-human that so many of his faction shared. The Captain was distrustful and very weary of them, but once Thalindra proved her intentions of actual cooperation he agreed and trusted her in this small yet odd alliance of theirs. This brought a small smile to her lips, and if she wanted to be honest it was refreshing knowing a human that could see reason, although still inside their very limited boundaries.
It was odd how this foolish Mon-Keigh could embody the best and worst of his people in himself. Even now with his back towards her and as Ellias quickly approached him, she knew he would simply shut down the Corporal's inquiry. This impressed her, since even in a very angered and frustrated state he seemed to never vent his reservations with his fellow humans, and she knew very well why. In the end, he wanted to preserve their perception of her so that their little mishap just now didn't fuel any inner conflict they may have against the presence of her kind in their group.
Although she struggled to admit that just now, it was hard to deny that he had a certain nobility to his person, one that prioritized the whole above the individual, something he was displaying right as Ellias just shrugged and proceeded to join Darius in a very childish endeavor of challenging the Eldar and Tau to an arm wrestling match to display "humanity's strength".
The Tau who was being aided by her powers to be understood by the humans accepted the challenge by sitting on the ground with the other two. However, Arandur refused, moving to her with a questioning look on his face as he gestured with his hands.
'What happened with the Mon-Keigh just now?'
She replied in kind.
'Tried to help him with his soul, but his stubbornness got in the way.'
'Why help him though? He is not worth the effort. If he wants to stay with his essence in embers that is his problem.'
Thalindra squinted her eyes in frustration and mild anger as she gestured with quick and sharp movements.
'Don't you remember my words in the elevator? He is the key for us to leave this accursed place! If his embers die out before that, we are stuck in here until the Dark Kin are through with us.'
Arandur became frustrated, trying to gesticulate even faster than her.
'Are you sure though? Cause for me he is just a Mon-Keigh, I don't see any reason as to why he is so fundamental in us surviving this.'
That made her genuinely angry.
'Are you doubting him after he saved your life? Better yet...Are you doubting me, after the whole "kneeling and asking for forgiveness" you just pulled some moments ago?'
Like a deer caught in the headlights, he widened his eyes as his fingers stopped moving, his pale complexion flushed in shame. She knew well that her words had hit a nerve. With that, the Dire Avenger gestured again his eyes avoiding hers at all costs.
'Forgive me, my intention was not to offend you, but to merely understand.'
Thalindra let a long breath out of her nose, once again struggling to regain her bearings, the interaction with Marcus still new in her mind, making her far more susceptible to anger than she would like to admit.
'It's okay, but he is needed if we wish to go back home.'
Now being far more calm and approaching the subject with care, Arandur makes slow yet gentle gestures.
'How? Please explain to me, I wish to understand.'
She was quick to reply, using her gestures to her best ability to deliver a concise yet understandable explanation.
'Before the last fight, I had received a vision of what is to come, on how we will achieve this victory. It was delivered by a being of the warp who has guided me since coming to this place...'
'A demon!?'
The Dire Avenger quickly motioned with his hands in frenzied movements.
'Not exactly...it is a unique and strange being who appears to be bonded with my very soul. Speaking and talking as if it had known me throughout my entire life, almost like a spiritual guardian. While demons may emulate that, they can't fool someone like a highly trained Farseer, since we can discern their true intentions.'
'Do you trust this..."Thing"?'
She nodded in response.
'So what exactly has this creature or whatever had shown you?'
'More like warned...its exact words being "The One who will come to take the suffering upon himself, he will gather the eye of the darkness to his person, away from the light. His sacrifice saving the servant of Isha, since his light, although dim, will hide the star that is yours.".'
Arandur hummed as he put his hand under his chin in a thoughtful pose, his eyes focusing on the ground as he pondered. Then he gestured with purpose and in a confused conclusion.
'Okay, but can you be sure it's referring to him? That he is the one? Also did this dweller of the Warp call you a servant of Isha?'
Thalindra makes an affirmative gesture before answering his other questions.
'In the vision I saw him going towards the shadows, his back towards me as this warning was delivered. I know that is him with all my being.'
'But why does it call you the servant of Isha though?'
This made her pause, the Seer did not know how to approach this subject on her change of paths and how this would relate to the other visions shown by the Dweller in her mind. What tied back to other implications she did not want to remember right now, especially after her fall out with the Imperial Captain on the other side of the Cell.
'It's a long story, I shall tell you some other time, okay?'
He nodded, now satisfied with her answers the Eldar Warrior departed from her, his intentions clear for her, something that for a moment she wished to stop if it were not for an all-familiar human to approach her before she could stop her friend from confronting the Captain.
"Can we talk?" Janessa stepped in front of her. Sighing, the Farseer nodded before sitting once again on the ground waiting for the Imperial to join her as both prepared to have a conversation about the events that just transpired.
Marcus was still pissed at Thalindra for their argument moments ago, the Captain frustrated by the presence of this Xenos, especially the Seer. Now he was stuck with someone who could read him like an open book and worse yet, not leave him alone to wallow in his misery.
To make matters worse, he had to deal with the fact that everyone had heard them argue, and probably heard both of them be hostile with each other, and this could make a dent in their recent and fragile alliance. A heavy sigh came through his mouth as he stared at the empty cell just in front of him, his mind and body tired of this whole thing. Now he was also starting to feel ashamed for ruining their moment of celebration.
He wanted to blame the Eldar for this situation but he could not, he was mature enough to understand that both had ruined it. Him being a thick-headed grunt and her being a nosy Xeno had made their small moment of happiness in the group completely in vain.
What would he give for a good amasec now, and the privacy of his little improvised trench bunk? Just being able to read a book as the sound of distant fighting raged on or the rain hitting the improvised tarp ceiling. He missed his collection, since in moments like this when tensions were high or he faced the consequences of a tactical error on his part a good book was always a nice way to cope.
In a way, he also felt guilty since he wanted to ask for forgiveness for their previous discussion since he was a bit harsher than he would like to admit, and now the moment was gone in another "brilliant" moment of his.
Although it annoyed him to admit it, he knew she was right. Thalindra had proven enough times to want their little party to survive whatever horrors were waiting for them, and she even went as far as trusting his plan and leadership in the last fight without question or pause. By the Throne, he would never do such a thing if he was in her shoes, his initiative going around trying to help strange Xenos who could turn on you at any moment, or even trusting them enough to lead.
'But hey, having mind reader powers could do that to someone' he thought. Yet even if he had that, Marcus doubted that he would act like Thalindra, one more thing that showed how different they both were. The Eldar was above all driven by well-defined principles, clearly very serious about it, but he was a tactically pragmatic individual. Marcus could bend a few rules to get a job done, and sometimes even go against his morals in favor of the greater good of his unit. She was always open with her thoughts, while he maintained his locked away in the recesses of his mind.
Both were completely different and yet had to work together to win this sick game they were playing. These distinctions were another challenge to beat if they wanted to survive, both Marcus and Thalindra needed to reach a compromise if they wanted to maintain cohesion. It was clear that if things truly soured between them, their deaths would come quicker than one could say "corpse starch".
At this moment, Arandur surprisingly showed up beside him with the same judging eyes he had since stepping into this cell with them.
"Care to explain Mon-Keigh?"
The tone of the Warrior was frustrated and inquisitorial, as if he had stolen something or committed some form of slight towards the Xeno. He sighed, not wanting to deal with the Dire Avenger right now.
"No."
His simple yet direct answer, made as he kept his stare trained ahead far away from the other Eldar figure stirred something in Arandur, who made a growl-like sound from deep within his chest. He turned the Imperial forcefully, his eyes shining with a glint of violence.
"Do you know how fortunate you are to be in her presence, to be treated with such cordiality? Or better yet how lucky you must be to be chosen by the treads of fate itself to lead my kin towards victory?"
"To be sincere no, and I don't care."
His temper was quickly rising up once again, his already sour humor now worsening with each word leaving Arandur's mouth.
"If it were any other Farseer standing in this Cell right now, you and your lot would be either dead or made into brainwashed thralls to serve as cannon fodder for our survival. You can bet your skin that even if fate itself screamed at its face, no Seer would let you do what you did back there, at least not outside of their control."
Now his face was mere inches from his, Arandur's silvery eyes changing to that same fiery red color when Thalindra was getting angry.
"And you can believe me when I say, that if you spoke like you have spoken with Thalindra just now, you would not be here standing."
He would be lying if he said that the Eldar's words did not instill fear him, his ominous words were filled with real aggression and a pinch of brutal honesty.
"However..."
Arandur paused as his eyes returned to normal and he stared at him with seriousness and taciturn purpose.
"You are in her presence. Someone who above all else just wants to do her duty, to honor her home and to be returned to her loved ones and the souls of her fallen kin. Thalindra is not interested in hurting any of you, by Asuryan she even went as far as healing you all, saving your life more than once!"
He did not want to admit it, but his words were reaching him even in his angered state. Marcus needed to recognize that Arandur's words had truth in them, and even though he was not a fan of the Eldar Warrior talking to him, he was making more sense than he was during this whole debacle.
"You are lucky that Thalindra is here in more meanings than one. You owe your life to her, your very honor as a warrior hinges on honoring her as she has honored you time and time again. So as you humans say "Don't be an ass", go over there and make amends."
He pointed back at Thalindra who was now sitting conversing with Janessa, both too entertained to notice their talk. For a brief second Marcus looked back to where his finger was aiming, his eyes landing on her face that was turned towards Jax, the fleeting moment he did that, was enough for her to also look back, her aquamarine meeting his purple orbs.
Their gazes met for what looked like a second, but on that very moment for him it felt like far more, the warmth and gentle light within her eyes was enough to make his heart flutter and his conscience scream for him to concede and ask for forgiveness for his brazen and rude attitude.
But the spell was broken as the memories of their discussion came full force forcing him to turn his gaze away once again. His anger and shame override his will to go talk to her.
"So what will it be, stupid Mon-Keigh?"
"Don't call me stupid..."
He grumbled at the end of his last sentence before sighing loudly.
"I'll do it...just give me a moment please."
Satisfied with his answer the, Eldar Warrior departed in a single quick soundless movement, leaving him alone once again with his thoughts.
Elyria was training hard at one of the pits, fighting her whole retinue of highly trained Wyches. The eight of them, led by Vespera, tried their best to get an opening at her fluid and quick movements. They had little luck as every perceived opening was just a trap to get them exactly where the Succubus wanted them, which prompted her to easily put almost all of them on the ground with ease, leaving only Vespera standing. Her eyes wide, breaths quick and short as the young Wych panicked at being the last one facing the deadly Elyria.
"You know why you all failed, don't you?"
Vespera tried to answer throw her breaths but couldn't. Yet her resting was cut short as Elyria went full force against her, using her blades to quickly push the other Drukhari against the wall, basically cornering her.
She managed to use the wall to a long jump above the Succubus as her blades cut the air, the maneuver was excellent, being done with grace and quick precision. Yet it did little to stop her assault as Elyria once again was upon her both blades striking Vespera's daggers, sparks flying as the metal made contact with each other.
Both started a match of strength as the Succubus kept pushing, hers being enough to make the Wych kneel in front of her as she held her daggers, stopping the blades from cutting her.
"I'll ask again, why did you and your fellow Wyches fail to beat me?"
Elyria applied a bit more pressure, making Vespera gasp as her entire body shook to keep the blades away from her. In desperation, the younger Drukhari screamed at the top of her lungs.
"I DON'T KNOW!"
This was all Elyria needed to hear before delivering a swift kick to the side of her head, sending the Wych flying next to her unconscious and mangled "sisters".
Vespera was dazed from the blow, her vision doubled as the taste of blood filled her mouth. She looked at the double form of Elyria, her eyes not properly focusing on the image in front of her.
"Tsk...tsk...how many times we will need to go over this before you all understand?"
She knelt in front of her protege, her mouth in a full open smirk, her tone sweet yet malicious. Elyria caught her head between her hand, her fingers holding her by the chin, making Vespera to look directly into her eyes.
"Okay, since I'm getting tired of this, I'll explain to you, so pay attention. Cause I'll say this only once! You can't only read the movements of your opponent, you must understand what type of enemy you are facing. If you took notice of that, would you believe I left so many openings for you all to exploit? Or better yet I would be clumsy enough to not account for attacks from multiple directions?"
Vespera looked at the ground dejected, the Succubus took a closer look feeding off her pain, but she was surprised to see the quick movement of the Wych.
In her other hand was a small dagger coated in a strong venom, the little rascal taking an opportunity to try to coax her into getting closer to open herself for a surprise attack. But what Vespera forgot to account for her metal wrist plate, able to not only stop the wicked point, but also trapped the blade between the spikes on it. With a single twist from her wrist it sent the weapon flying, and before the young Drukhari could do something, she used her legs to pin her other arm down to completely immobilize her.
She let out a hearty laugh as if she had heard some kind of twisted joke.
"Now that would be a good strategy..."
Her expression became serious once again as a heavy frown stretched across her face.
"It's a shame you made the same mistake again."
A quick fist to her forehead was all it took to make the Wych fall limp on the ground, dust from the sand underneath her rising with the heavy impact of her body. Elyria sighed, disappointed by the lack of progress of her main group, but especially at her own perceived failure with her last presentations. She would be lying if she said that these Mon-Keigh surviving her shows were within her predictions.
Truth was... all of them were supposed to be dead at the first show, their debut was to be their last showing. But no, that Captain got in the way of that, now they were three shows in and she was still stuck with these under-performers.
One thing was certain to her now, Marcus was the one calling the shots, he was getting in her way. She should not have underestimated him after his victory against Morkfang, no average human could pull that off as he did.
In a way she had failed in her own lesson, the Succubus did not account for who she was dealing with, and that led that filthy Imperial to beat her at her own game three times in a row.
Her father always taught her to analyze the playing field well before making her move, but she ignored that teaching recently, only considering as players the annoying Asuryani.
She threw a small piece of cloth towards the downed Wyches as she sighed before leaving the pit.
"Clean yourselves up, work on your team dynamic. And by the Muses if next time you all fail this training I'll personally gut you all..."
Elyria then left without saying anything else. She was too focused on dwelling on her last show to give training any other thought that day.
Her failure in achieving victory against that treacherous Mon-Keigh lay in her mind, not her physical prowess. It pained her to admit, but she needed to study her opponent better. To take a closer look at him, find an opening, any possible weaknesses, or better yet...to lull him into a sense of comfort so he was more predictable which in turn could ease the game considerably.
However she couldn't do that openly as well. Elyria knew that if she did, the Captain would notice her strategy, or at least that was what she believed.
Throughout the way back to her spire the Succubus had come up with a plan...three fights is what it would take to create the conditions necessary to fool her opponent.
The first two would be a ruse, difficult enough to be a challenge but easy enough to create a sense of confidence in the human officer. The third one, however, would be the ultimate test. Elyria was not certain yet on how, but her plan would take shape as these fights proceeded, using this opportunity to analyze any further weak points that could be exploited to take him down.
All of this brought a sudden strange, yet familiar warmth to her chest. The feeling of having a goal to achieve, and someone worth beating. It was a simple game, yet it had been some time since she was challenged by something. Hell, the last time was probably when Lelith was still around and not with those Ynnari fools.
She could only wonder what it would feel like, once the third part of her plan came to pass. One thing was certain though...Elyria would make this Mon-Keigh suffer, her smirk the last thing he saw when she dealt her final hand.
Thalindra and Janessa sat beside one another, an awkward silence between them as neither of them looked at each other. The Seer knew well what the Guardswoman was feeling right now: fear, anger, resentment, awkwardness, and worry.
She didn't need to pay attention to her thoughts to know she was not a bit comfortable doing this, but still, the human girl decided to. With a loud sigh, the Imperial started speaking with tactical caution, not diplomatic in any way, but with enough care to not warrant what could be a hostile reaction from the Eldar.
"Look...I don't know what happened just now, but I want you to know that I've heard everything."
Thalindra nodded quietly, letting the human continue with the conversation.
"The way you are doing this will only push him away even more. Doesn't matter your intentions, no one would like to be coerced to accept help. That is not how this works."
Once again she nodded, taking what Janessa was saying in contemplative silence.
"I don't know if this is normal for your kind to do, hell I only heard about you guys from some Guardsmen in my last unit, and that's it! I'm not a tiny bit comfortable in seeing you close to any of us, even though Marcus is vouching for you and your friend."
"It isn't. But we are running out of options."
Thalindra's answer carried a solemn honesty that managed to convince the Imperial who was still very weary of her and Arandur.
"Running out of options? What does that mean?"
The Farseer could not help but sigh. At this moment she just wanted to meditate and ease her mind, to not have this conversation, but the Eldar knew that if she turned around now, a bridge would forever be burned between her and the private.
"We are treading a very thin line of fate, one where it is crucial that Marcus take a stance and lead. The line will be severed, all of us stuck in the Dark City forever. We can't let him die, doesn't matter if it is by others or...by his own hands."
Jax showed little surprise at this to Thalindra's shock, her eyes just turning to the ground in a clear sign of contemplative sorrow.
"Once I was transferred to the 88th, I was scared and alone, a survivor of a nearly wiped out unit. We were scared, got separated and put in different regiments that had suffered some considerable losses. I got sent to a Cadian force stationed in Arina."
The private started to use her remaining hand to rub the stump where its partner was.
"At first I expected to be treated as an outsider, someone who would be the first to be thrown to the grinder and stuck on the end of heretic bayonets. Against all odds, the others and I reassigned to his unit were received with open arms, treated as brothers and sisters in arms, no matter if we were from completely different planets and regiments. By the Throne, he made damn sure that this would be so..."
Thalindra heard every word with complete focus, not daring to take the attention off Janessa's account.
"Marcus was different, he had that same old and familiar tough carapace and thunderous voice expected of any Officer. But he cared for the unit, took the front lines beside everyone, fought and bled beside me and many others. Never saw him cowering, hiding, or using rank to put himself out of danger. He's a very inspiring person... and he's why the 88th never received an official Commissar during its campaign on Arina. We were far more efficient being led by Marcus than by some random sent directly from the Schola who would simply throw us against the enemy without a second thought, expecting victory and glory to his name."
Jax took a quick look at Marcus, still supporting himself on the cell gate as Arandur talked to him.
"He hates it when people talk shit about the Schola though. My personal experience with Commissars is pretty bad, most of them suck compared to Marcus."
The private then quickly shook her head as if trying to regain her bearings.
"But that's beside the point...well what I'm trying to say is that he is loved by those he leads. And that naturally makes people pay closer attention. You start noticing if something's wrong with him, his eyes are sharp but always dull in a sense. That's when I searched for Fredrick, er, one of the old timers back at the trenches to confirm my suspicions. He confirmed my suspicions, he said that the Captain always had this somber and sorrowful feeling to him. Many didn't understand why, since most of his past was a complete mystery to the unit. His story is a mumbo jumbo of gossip and non-confirmed tales far as I can tell. One thing was certain though, Marcus was the only survivor of at least other two units."
Janessa now was intensely looking at Thalindra, her tone made to appear as if she was telling some kind of war story. It was funny in a way, but the Seer could not say that out loud, lest she risk angering the Private.
"The only information Fredrick knew was a hundred percent true, saying he heard that coming from the Captain's mouth. Then I went to speak with Marcus on the subject, wanted to support and help him in any way to return the favor, you know?"
At this moment her eyes were cast down again as she looked at the ground.
"Welp...he just shot me down, respectfully of course. But it's clear he was not comfortable in being asked about it. But that was enough for me to understand all this time he's been depressed. It's hard ignoring the way he looked at me after I inquired him about his past. Never tried again, since it was clear he did not want help."
With a heavy sigh, she concluded:
"What I'm trying to say is...if asking nicely has not worked, don't try to coerce him. Will only make it worse. That is my advice for you, and a warning, don't try to force him to do anything. Otherwise me and the boys will fight you; that's not a threat, it's a promise."
So as always guys thanks for reaching here once again! I know this one was far more focused on dialogue than action, but I hope you guys liked it... Now before I address some reviews left by the readers, let's give that big Ol' shout-out to BillyFish1409 who has been helping me to edit and review the chapters so, he has been a solid one in improving the quality of the story, and another shout to Boyo99 for being always here with me, helping me out as well as inspiring me to write all of this! Stay tuned for their works guys, and hey Leopards will be back baby, so pay attention to that you all!
Now to the replies:
expert93 - ohohoh this is just the beginning, with the third arc things will ramp up significantly so pay attention to that. While I can't give specifics in order to not spoil something, just keep in mind that I try to strive to make the Drukhari terrifying, maybe I won't be able to do that all the time but I'll try...So yeah you don't want any Drukhari noticing you in any way shape or form.
Ferrus - XD I cant say much to that since I don't want to spoil anything, just now things will get terrible real fast...
