A Chaos God was truly here. It was terrifying, absolutely horrifying. Why in the galaxy would a Chaos God appear in this place?
Before Cegorach's very eyes, a spiritual projection of Khorne, bearing the Blood God's iconic berzerker grin, had appeared unannounced at Axis's side.
Cegorach, the Laughing God, let out a shriek that was utterly at odds with his divine nature.
It was a sound of pure, piercing terror. Was there anything more frightening than this?
His comical jester mask twisted instantly. The motley fabric of his costume, as if soaked in an unseen fear, lost all its joyful luster. He shot backward like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, slamming into a floating crystal chessboard behind him. The pieces scattered across the floor with a series of sharp clatters.
"Bl-Blood God?! Kh-Khorne?!" Cegorach's voice was shrill and grating, filled with a mixture of incredulous panic and fury. "Axis! You! You brought him here?!"
For a fleeting moment, the Laughing God suspected that the mortal he had pinned his hopes on, the one he believed could potentially defeat the four Ruinous Powers, had been corrupted.
Axis had always been a warrior in the mold of a berzerker; Cegorach had observed his fighting style for years. It seemed entirely plausible, a true tragedy, that Axis had succumbed to Khorne's corruption. Had the one mortal champion he had chosen failed to resist the temptations of these foul beings?
The Laughing God's slender fingers trembled as he pointed at Axis, then darted a terrified glance at the red specter that radiated an aura of pure war and slaughter. The light in the grand hall dimmed and flickered, and the smiling Aeldari murals on the walls seemed to freeze, their expressions twisting into masks of horror.
"Relax, jester," Khorne rumbled, his voice like the thunder from a distant forge. He crossed his immense arms, which blazed with unquenchable fire, and a hint of mockery colored his tone, "I am not here to tear down your shabby library. At least, not today."
Khorne's eyes, burning with eternal battlelust, scanned the surroundings filled with psychic arcana.
He made no effort to hide his disdain. This jester had grown ever more cowardly. Had Axis made a mistake? Could a creature like this truly be of any help to them?
"Lord Cegorach, please calm yourself. This is not what you think," Axis said. His voice was as calm as still water, a stark contrast to the explosive tension filling the air.
The jester god was being rather pathetic. When they first met, he had at least possessed a shred of divine dignity, and Axis had held him in some esteem.
But now, faced with the real presence of Khorne, he was reduced to a cowering wreck. It left Axis feeling a bit disappointed. When I was dragged into the warp, he thought, I faced Slaanesh's own consciousness and I didn't flinch. I just fought. When Khorne came, I fought him too. The only reason Khorne and I can stand as equals is because I earned it with my strength.
"Brother Khorne is my… hm… partner," Axis explained, "We have a plan, a plan that is crucial for you, for me, and even for him."
"Pa-partner?! With Khorne?!" Cegorach's voice climbed even higher. He scrambled behind a massive pillar inscribed with ancient Aeldari runes, peeking out with only half of his pointed cap visible. "Axis! You're insane! Do you know who he is? He is Chaos! He is destruction! He is eternal war! Partnering with him? He will tear you to pieces and turn this place into a sea of blood the moment you let your guard down!"
You fool, Cegorach thought frantically, do you have any idea how horrifying the Chaos Gods are? They corrupt others; no one negotiates with them, let alone partners with them. How did you even conceive of such a monumentally stupid idea?
"Axis, do not trust him! He is deceiving you!" Cegorach pleaded, trying to provide a recent example, "Your Emperor of Mankind once made a pact with the four of them. Do you not see the state he is in now?" He knew this would strike a chord. The Great Heresy was the direct result of that bargain.
"Do not speak nonsense," Khorne snorted coldly. "Do you know the truth of that deal? We honored every term of our agreement. It was the Emperor of Mankind who deceived us. We did not tear up the contract; we simply took back what was rightfully ours."
Among the four Chaos Gods, only Tzeentch truly reveled in trickery and deceit. The other three, once a pact was sealed, would see it through. Of course, that was provided one could endure the nature of their "blessings." In the deal with the Emperor, Khorne, at least, had held up his end. He had offered his aid in earnest, only for the Emperor to abscond with the fruits of their labor.
"Calm down, friend," Axis interjected, "Do not act like a snivelling grot. At least hear our plan."
"See? I told you!" Khorne's voice deepened with displeasure, "This one is too cowardly. Can we really rely on him to pull his weight? He has less spine than their God of Cowardice."
The red specter swelled slightly, and the temperature in the palace rose sharply. The air grew thick with the smell of rust and sulfur. The formless pressure became nearly suffocating, making it difficult for Cegorach to breathe.
Though it was only a sliver of Khorne's psychic might, the sheer force of a paramount Chaos God of the warp was far more than a mere Aeldari god could withstand. Axis saw clearly for the first time just how vast the chasm between the Aeldari pantheon and a being like Khorne truly was.
The gulf between them was like the difference between a God of Destruction and the God of Earth. Perhaps the Phoenix King Asuryan and Khaine the God of War could have stood their ground, but the others were no match at all.
"No! That's not it! I mean… Ah! I will listen to whatever you say," Cegorach stammered, nearly curling into a ball.
"Alright, Khorne, stop scaring him. We do not have much time," Axis said, stepping between Khorne's projection and the trembling god, "Cegorach, listen. Our objective is to rescue the Goddess of Life, Isha."
"Rescue… rescue Isha? The two of you want to save Isha?" Cegorach's voice was laced with disbelief. What was happening? In the warp, only Nurgle and Slaanesh had any real interest in Isha.
Why would Khorne involve himself? If Khorne were after anyone, it should have been Khaine. Could it be because of Axis? This mortal was somehow able to make a Chaos God lower himself, to the point of being called brother.
"That's right," Axis confirmed, "We are going to break her out of Nurgle's Garden, and for that, we need your help."
"I do not have the power to lure Nurgle away," Cegorach said immediately.
"Relax. You will not be the main force for the rescue. We need you for something else. You will provide cover for us." Axis knew Cegorach's true role was not as a primary combatant, but as leverage to convince Isha to trust them.
"So, what do you plan to do after you rescue Isha?" Cegorach asked warily, "Khorne, will you imprison her in his own domain?"
Poor Isha. Her fate was truly tragic. First, she was coveted by Slaanesh, then captured by the green bloated one and locked away in his little garden, forced to drink plague-filled broth every day. Now she was being targeted by this maniac of war.
Was he going to drag her to his realm and force her to fight him every day? The life goddess was not a warrior. For Isha, it would just be trading one prison for another.
"Rest assured, I have no interest in that woman," Khorne stated flatly, "We just need her help with a certain matter. Once she agrees to help, I will not restrict her freedom. She can leave as she pleases." As for what that matter was, Khorne remained silent. The "Fruit of the Gods" was a project of immense consequence. For now, their plan to have Isha help them cultivate it had to remain a secret.
"We will not restrain Isha," Axis added, "Afterward, you can find a suitable Aeldari to serve as her vessel. Isha could even return to the material universe and be with her beloved children, the Aeldari."
He knew that among the common Aeldari, it was Isha, not the Phoenix King, who was most worshipped. She was the mother of their race, the one who had stood up to Khaine when he sought to destroy them all. If the Goddess of Life were to truly return, it would be a joyous event of monumental proportions for all Aeldari.
"No Aeldari body can contain a god," Cegorach countered, "At best, it could host a sliver of her consciousness. For her to be truly safe, she would still have to remain in Khorne's domain." The soul of the life goddess was even more potent than his own.
No ordinary Aeldari, not even one of his Harlequins, could serve as a vessel. That meant she would be safe from Slaanesh and Nurgle only by staying in Khorne's realm forever. It really was just a different prison. In fact, Cegorach thought, Nurgle's Garden might have been slightly better than Khorne's Brass Citadel. Isha certainly would not like the environment, but at least she would not have to drink that disgusting plague broth every day.
"My plan will absolutely work," Axis said confidently, "Have you forgotten my Fruit of the Tree of Might? We will select a suitable host, and then have that Aeldari consume the fruit repeatedly until her body is strong enough to contain Isha's soul."
He now had the harvest of eight entire planets' worth of Tree of Mights, and the last planet had been converted with a massive infusion of warp energy.
Furthermore, if they could successfully cultivate the Fruit of the Gods, Isha herself could share in the bounty. After all, her power would be essential for growing it.
Hearing this, Cegorach's eyes lit up. The idea was certainly feasible. He knew very well how potent Axis's fruit was.
If one was not enough, they could use two, or three. It was indeed possible to cultivate a mortal body capable of housing Isha's soul. By that logic, he might even be able to create a physical body for himself to walk in the mortal world.
"If that is the case, then it is indeed possible," Cegorach mused, his mind now racing, "What do you intend to have Isha do? And what is in it for me?"
He had to secure a body for himself, a body that could contain his divine power and allow him to act with his full might in the physical realm. Such a thing was priceless.
"That is confidential for now," Axis replied. "We will tell you after the plan is complete. However, I can assure you it is something the life goddess excels at. As for your reward, the return of an Aeldari goddess is the greatest reward for your people. At most, I can also give you some of the Fruit of the Tree of Might."
Axis knew exactly what the jester god was thinking. If a body could be prepared for Isha, who was more powerful, then one could certainly be made for him.
It was a small price to pay. Axis had over eight thousand fruits in his possession; giving away ten was no issue.
His ultimate goal was far grander: to consume the Fruit of the Gods himself and achieve true godhood.
"Heh heh, then we have a deal!" A strange laugh escaped Cegorach's lips. "You two are madmen. Very well, I will be a madman with you! After all, I am a madman myself." What could Isha be best at? It must be related to life itself. His mind veered off on a wild tangent.
They couldn't possibly want the life goddess to bear them children, could they? Axis already has a son, so it must be Khorne. Does the Blood God want the life goddess to bear him an heir? But what does Axis get out of that? Or does Axis also want a divine child? But he isn't a god! Wait, he does have that plan for ascension… Poor Isha, you must be strong! The Laughing God had completely misunderstood.
"Lord Axis, Lord Khorne, your proposal… is simply perfect," Cegorach said, his tone shifting completely. "Rescuing Isha, freeing her from Nurgle's 'hospitality,' even giving her the chance to walk in the material universe… The temptation is enough to make even one as cautious as myself take the risk. However, I must know the dangers! How do you plan to breach the defenses of Nurgle's so-called garden? It is the heart of his realm, teeming with his most powerful plague daemons and most vicious guardians. A frontal assault would be suicide!" This was the most critical question.
"I will explain the details of the operation," Axis began. "It will happen during the Siege of Holy Terra. The four Chaos Gods will be pouring all their energy into helping Horus fight the Emperor. At that time, Nurgle's Garden will be vulnerable. Khorne will create a diversion for us, while you and I sneak in to rescue Isha. Your role is simple: convince Isha to trust us and come with us."
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ps?