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Home » Great Library at Hoeth » Book of Tales » Tales of Si'anelle » A Further Telling of the Tale: Sebekneru Prince of Battles, Chapter Six: The Ruddy Hued Citadel
| A Further Telling of the Tale: Sebekneru Prince of Battles, Chapter Six: The Ruddy Hued Citadel |
| - by Lady Si'anelle |
It was the sound of mocking laughter that did cause Ae'thenal to blink open her eyes. Though when she laboured to raise herself to her feet, the weariness afflicting her wasted frame near to defeating her in her purpose, she discovered herself not to be beneath a forest's dark canopy at night, but within a great and vaulted hall. Quiet now she surveyed her surroundings before she bent to scoop the Banepearl up in her hand, seeing that the broad flagstones of the great hall's floor beneath her feet were smooth and polished and glowing with a soft and ruddy inward light. Within her grasp the Banepearl whispered to her, its voice mocking her in her weak and weary state, though it did fall silent readily enough when she pressed her will upon it. And as she did begin to wonder at the wicked object's strange willingness to be ruled by her, the sound of mocking laughter came again from behind her. And that in company with the sound of many soft footsteps and a harsh clacking, as if of bone striking against bone, that did set her teeth on edge.
Turning now Ae'thenal did feel her heart take pause within her breast, as in the same moment a chill fear laid a hand upon her. For within the hall there was a company of creatures such as she had not ever laid an eye upon before. Near naked and strangely sensual, having a quality of human femaleness about them, save that they did own great claws like to that of a crab instead of hands and beastial legs armed with talons upon their feet. Stunned into a speechless state she could not draw away her gaze from their mouths that were red lipped and filled with sharp and needle-like teeth, and their large deep blue eyes that were things of beauty set within their pale features.
Again they did mock her with their laughter, their voices sweet sounding and like to that of human women; - save that these unatural creatures could not be mistaken for any of humankind. Raising their great crab's claws they clacked them offering threat as if to goad her into making an ill considered attack. Except as now her anger did rise within her it was the Banepearl she raised up in her hands and not her sword. The creatures' response was immediate, of a sudden they cried out and fell back and it did cause her some measure of delight to see their terror naked upon their eerily beautiful faces. For in these past months of her exile Ae'thenal had come to believe that she had lost the nack of being afraid when beset and she took no joy in being reminded of it.
"Isha," she did say to them and when the Banepearl's fire searched her nerves she did glory in it. And in the aftermath her wasted and stick like limbs were not so weary, and within herself she did feel renewed as if reborn. Again she did cry aloud, "Isha, Isha is Mistress of the Dawn." Paying dear for it as the Banepearl again did punish her, though she was quick enough to rob the wicked thing of a little of its power so that she might find the strength to draw her gifted mage wrought sword should she be pressed into the act.
The creatures fell back another step as now she advanced. Where this great hall was within the world she did not know, though if it did own a door she would find it and take her leave. For her Si'anelle still did lie deeply asleep within Sebekneru's keep and lacked her close companionship. Without the Banepearl her dear friend was vunerable and she did not intend to leave her so. The moment of her rash and foolish act in fleeing from Sindinath Swordmaster had passed; - in silence Ae'thenal told herself that she would not permit herself that folly for a second time.
With her eye steady upon these creatures who could be none save Chaos's servants she did say to them, "You shall obey me." The words falling upon her tongue to be spoken aloud as if such a demand was hers to own. Though before her sense of bewilderment at what she had just done could begin to claim her, another spoke within the great hall.
"Ah, you did that so well sweet Ae'thenal." Now with both hands clasped tight around the Banepearl she raised it up. Might well she be but her dear Si'anelle's companion but despite that truth she had ability enough to wring sufficent power from its wicked core to discomfort an adversary. Except that all her act did earn her was a peal of merry laughter from the shadows as the Banepearl remained cold and dark within her hands. And as the eerily sensual creatures did seem to lose their fear of her and make move to encircle her in silence, a young man fair of face and form and dressed in a long white gown stepped out into the ruddy light.
But no, it was not a young man, now it was a fair maiden who did look upon her with her smile worn openly upon her face. Even as Ae'thenal felt her jaw drop as her mouth fell open, the maid became the young man again, and then the form of them shifted yet again until the figure before her seemed to become a blending of both male and female. Beautiful and sensual in that blending, and here she could predict did lie the trap, utterly desireable in its perfection.
"Do you know my name sweet Ae'thenal?" the blended creature did ask of her then. Its speech fair and gentle as if it did hold her in high regard.
Against her will her tongue and lips shaped the name, "Slaanesh."
"And do you look upon me as desirable sweet Ae'thenal?" The Chaos Lord did now ask of her as he offered his hand to her and smiled.
For all that she did now seek to master her own tongue by the full strength of her will she could not prevent her answer, "I do desire you." Then knifed through with her shame at being so overuled she did managed the act at last of breaking free crying out, "Isha, Isha, Isha......" Until her nerves and limbs did burn as if aflame with the Banepearl's punishment and she could lay a hand to her sword and draw it.
Save that the Chaos Lord did seem to be of a mind to ignore her act of defiance as he asked a final question of her. "Will you now freely come to me sweet Ae'thenal, and serve me with all your heart?"
And to that her reply was, "Before Isha I shall not," as her sword did take fire in her hand, burning with a dark cold flame so that its peerless edge was like a filament of silver set against the night. Except that this time her punishment at speaking Isha's name was terrible, the pain of it greater than she had ever known since the day the Banepearl had unmasked itself within the pavilion of her Everqueen. Her sword tumbled from her slack fingers as she fell to one knee, and her shriek of agony was like as if her body was being slowly crushed, but a little portion of it at a time and salt rubbed into her raw and bleeding flesh.
As she sobbed in the aftermath Slaanesh did say to her, "I did think that you had come to enjoy exquisite pain Sweet Ae'thenal, though it does seem you have not yet fully aquired the taste for it."
And in reply, despite her tears and despite her trembling fear at being once more drowned as if within a sea of agony, she did say one word, "Isha."
The pain was less this time and she could bear it well enough, though as she did regain her feet the shaking in her limbs near laid her upon her face before she managed the act of standing upright. Though Slaanesh was not done with her yet and now he did raise a hand to beckon to another who waited invisble in the shadows. The sight of the one who came at her master's call was the worst to Ae'thenal's eyes than any sea of agony; even if she should be drowned within it until the world did end. For the tall proud figure arrayed in ornate silver armour who did come to stand at the Chaos Lord's side was herself, a creature of great beauty, marked and banded upon her face as if she was a great jungle cat. Her long and tawny tail flicking to and fro as if she was angered by the sight of her former self, standing dirty and dishevelled and wasted by her defiance. Now the half cat, half Elven creature that was herself drew back her lips and smiled displaying her long canine teeth. On silent feet she did now begin to walk towards her, her tawny and long fingered hand with its wicked claws held out as if the creature did intend to take up her hand in her own and bring her to her master. The many pale and sensual creatures with their great crab's claws made way for her as if this armoured and half feline Elf was in truth a greater one than themselves; - and that did serve the worst to horrify Ae'thenal.
With a cry of rage Ae'thenal threw down the Banepearl and snatched up her sword. Isha's name was on her lips as she charged headlong towards this Chaos making that had been sent to torment her. And uncaring whether she would also slay herself Ae'thenal struck with her weapon held in a two handed grip to sweep the cat Elf's head from her shoulders even as the creature's claw tipped fingers did reach out to kill her.
However she did not die because of her act and for that she gave Isha her silent thanks. Then she had not expected that Slaanesh would be so willing as to permit her to escape in death.
"You do disappoint me sweet Ae'thenal," he did tell her while she gasped for the next breath while she stood leaning on her sword, the cat Elf that had worn her own face lying dead and headless at her feet. "However know this, I shall await the day when you and your friend shall come to me of your free will. For I do hold a fascination with the pair of you and shall own you as my servants before the world does end."
"And by what right do you make this claim Lord of Chaos," she did demand of him despite her breathless state and her despair that even now was seeking to reclaim her.
At this he did keep silent, but with a slender and elegant finger he now pointed to where the Banepearl lay chill and dark upon the floor where she had discarded it. |
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