The Harlequin before him was extremely respectful, his attitude exceptionally humble.
This seemed rather out of character for a member of a Harlequin troupe.
These beings, sometimes called the Flowery Sprouts, were the servants of the only Aeldari god, Cegorach, to survive the Fall and remain free.
Unlike other Aeldari, they required neither a spirit stone nor the torture of others to protect their souls from being devoured by Slaanesh.
This was because after passing the Harlequin trials, Cegorach himself personally shielded their souls.
Moreover, their combat prowess was extraordinary, to the point where they could slay even the Adeptus Custodes.
During the War of the Beast, members of a Harlequin troupe had once broken into the Imperial Palace on Holy Terra. Their mission was to deliver a message from Farseer Eldrad Ulthran to the Emperor.
Though they had claimed they bore no ill will, they were still stopped by the Custodes, who suffered no small number of casualties in the process of stopping them.
"What is your purpose here? And how did you know I would be at this location?" Axis asked.
These beings had clearly learned of his movements in advance and had been lying in wait.
That was why they had been able to perform a psychic teleportation the very moment his ship appeared.
"Respected Lord Axis, the strongest champion of the Imperium of Man, I have come to offer you greetings from an Aeldari god," the Harlequin said.
"Stop right there," Axis said with a wave of his hand, "I'm not the strongest champion of humanity. I'm second at best."
"No, no, Lord Axis!" the Harlequin insisted, "The The Laughing God has already told us that you are the strongest among mankind. As for that gilded Emperor of yours, he is a god of your species. Therefore, he cannot be considered humanity's strongest."
The Aeldari possessed a powerful psychic sight.
To them, the Primarchs were deities sealed within human flesh, and the Emperor was even more so.
He was a genuine god.
In their eyes, while the soul of the man named Axis standing before them was immensely powerful, it had not yet reached the level of a deity.
He was still a mortal.
"Enough," Axis said, waving his hand dismissively, "Spare me the flattery. I have no patience for it. If you have something to say, say it. If you have nothing, then be gone."
"You are indeed direct, Lord Axis. I was wondering if we might speak face to face."
Axis nodded and commanded the Solus Prime to transport the Harlequin to his training grounds.
A moment later, the jester costume clad Aeldari appeared before Axis. Upon arriving, the Harlequin performed a comical dance before offering a formal Aeldari bow.
"Lord Axis, the The Laughing God has bid me to convey his goodwill. If you are willing, he would grant you partial access to the Webway. You may travel freely through the Aeldari Webway, and we shall be your guides," the Harlequin said.
Axis paused for a moment, stunned.
They had offered him a magnificent gift right from the start.
Access to the Aeldari Webway?
Though the Drukhari, the Harlequins, the Craftworld Aeldari, and the Exodites all used it, true mastery of the Webway, with its maps of every route, belonged to the Harlequins and their Laughing God, the one who resided within the Black Library.
"You're offering to open the Aeldari Webway to me? Is that an offer to me personally, or to humanity as a whole?"
"Hee hee! It is for you alone, Lord Axis!" the jester said with a grin, "You may use the Webway whenever and wherever you wish. If you so desired, you could travel through the Webway and return to your world of Nuceria within a single day. It is exceedingly convenient."
"Indeed. That is fast, even faster than FTL travel."
"For the race that created the Webway, FTL travel is an obsolete method of movement. The Webway is much faster," the Harlequin stated.
"It is certainly convenient," Axis said, "And it is indeed a great gift. But I've always believed that when someone is overly courteous for no reason, they are either a thief or a scoundrel. What does your The Laughing God truly want?"
He had no connection to this Laughing God of the Aeldari, so why would the deity suddenly offer him such a boon? Something was definitely not right.
"Lord Axis! The The Laughing God wished for me to express his goodwill. He witnessed the battle between you and the Master of Mankind in the ruined portion of the Webway," the Harlequin explaine, "It was a world-shattering fight, and he saw your terrifying power with his own eyes. This is a gesture of respect for such strength!"
Had the The Laughing God not told them himself, the Harlequins would never have believed that a human mortal could fight a true god.
He had even, at one point, pushed his divine opponent to the brink of defeat.
A flicker of understanding crossed Axis's face.
As the true master of the Webway, the Laughing God, Cegorach, had seen his fight with the Emperor.
'This is becoming interesting,'
Axis said, "Is your God willing to fight me? That is something I would be very interested in."
"Lord Axis, the The Laughing God asked me to inform you that he is not a god who excels in battle," the Harlequin replied, "If you enjoy plays or comedic performances, however, he would be willing to perform one for you personally!"
"I have no interest in watching any shows, not even one performed by your god himself," Axis stated.
"Lord Axis, you will watch it," the Harlequin said, raising his hands high with a look of pure rapture, "Because this will be the greatest performance in the entire known world. The ultimate jest. Every living being in the galaxy will be its audience, and you will be no exception."
Axis knew what he was referring to. The prophecy where Slaanesh, the greatest enemy of the Aeldari, would sacrifice itself to save them, all as part of Cegorach's final jest.
But Axis did not believe this so-called 'final performance' would ever succeed.
If it did, how would a certain company continue to sell their miniatures?
"Let us get back on topic," Axis said, his voice firm, "What does your god truly want? I will not accept his gift without knowing the reason."
"Lord Axis, the The Laughing God wishes to ask a small favor of you. Millennia ago, for certain reasons, the Aeldari gave birth to a powerful dark god.
"Upon its birth, this god devoured the entire Aeldari pantheon, sparing only the Laughing God, the God of War, and the Goddess of Life. It also killed over ninety percent of the Aeldari race, causing the fall of the ancient Aeldari Empire.
"But that was only the beginning of the catastrophe. Every living Aeldari became bound to this monster through some inexplicable connection.
"Their souls were being constantly siphoned away by it. In the end, the soul of every living Aeldari would be devoured," the Harlequin continued, "But you, Lord Axis, the power you have brought from another world might be the salvation of our race."
At these words, Axis's eyes narrowed. Another world.
So, the Laughing God had guessed his true origin.
This was not entirely surprising. The Emperor himself might have already guessed Axis's true identity but had simply never mentioned it. After all, in the Emperor's eyes, Axis was still a human.
"It seems your master has investigated me quite thoroughly," Axis said, "He's offering me the use of the Webway because he wants my help with your race's predicament, is that right?"
"No, no, you misunderstand, Lord Axis! The use of the Webway is merely a greeting gift," the Harlequin replied, "If you agree to help, The Great Laughing God has other rewards to offer. You will certainly not be disappointed."
Axis was somewhat perplexed.
This Laughing God was sparing no expense. Access to the Webway was just an introductory offer, and there was another reward for his help? The right to use the Webway alone was an incredible prize, allowing one to travel across the entire galaxy with unparalleled speed, even faster than the Necrons' inertialess drives or the new FTL engines Solus Prime was developing.
This time, it was Axis who was curious.
What kind of reward could the Laughing God have prepared for him?
"If I wish to use the Webway in the future, how would I go about it?" Axis asked.
"Should you accept this bargain, I will remain by your side. Whenever you have need of it, you need only tell me, and I will guide you to the nearest Webway gate and then to your desired destination," the Harlequin explained, "There is no corner of the galaxy unknown to the Aeldari. Of course, this offer extends only to you personally."
"Hmm. You should know that we humans are not fond of other species. We even have a name for you: xenos. You would not be able to follow me around," Axis stated.
"We Harlequins possess a few skills of concealment," the Harlequin said.
He produced a joker card, which he then wore on his person. In a flash, the two-point-two-meter-tall Aeldari transformed into an ordinary-looking human male, about one-point-eight meters in height.
"How is this? I can remain by your side as an advisor. As long as you do not expose me, no one will be able to discover my true identity."
"Quite fitting for the servants of the galaxy's greatest trickster," Axis remarked, "Alright. I accept your God's gift." If the Harlequin could maintain a human guise, Axis could easily place him within the legion, perhaps even appointing him as a mortal commander. Of course he'd be monitored at all times.
"Then let us proceed to the matter at hand," the Harlequin said with a gesture, "Please come with me, Lord Axis. I will take you to the Black Library to speak with The Laughing God in person."
To deal with a human of such great consequence, the Laughing God intended to meet with him personally. Access to the Aeldari Webway was merely a key to open the door; a display of genuine sincerity was needed to prove their request for help was earnest.
"I can meet with your The Laughing God, but it will have to wait," Axis replied, "My companions are scheduled to arrive in this system soon. After we have concluded our business here, I will speak with your god."
"According to our calculations, your companions are approximately three days from this sector and will take at least five to formally reach this star system," the Harlequin countered, "Bringing you to the Black Library, however, will only take half a day. As for your conversation with my god, I imagine it will not take very long." The Harlequins had planned everything.
Everything was within the control of The Great Laughing God.
"Well, since you've put it that way, lead on," Axis said with a shrug.
He would dare to venture into any lion's den, to say nothing of the legendary Black Library, which was rumored to hold many wonders.
Soon after, Axis departed from the Solus Prime aboard a small, specialized transport craft, accompanied by the Harlequin. They passed through a great gate of shimmering light.
The scene was similar to when the Emperor had first brought him into the Webway; a world of bizarre, shifting light and strange realities.
It was less a physical passageway and more a dimension of hyperspace. The Harlequin did not even require special equipment to travel here.
It was a complete environment, like that of a planet. Ahead of Axis's vessel, a Harlequin ship led the way.
"Please follow our vessel, Lord Axis. Allow us to guide you. The Webway is a complex labyrinth of passages, with many hidden channels and forgotten paths. Should one become lost in here, they may not find their way out for thousands, even tens of thousands of years."
"I'll follow your lead," Axis nodded.
It was no wonder the Emperor coveted the Aeldari's Webway system.
It was an exceptionally advanced technology, far superior to wrap travel in its safety and efficiency. However, using this extraordinary network required not only extremely sophisticated technology, but also a complete and detailed map of its every path.
The Webway had once been a glorious realm, filled with magnificent Aeldari cities, but now only Cegorach remained.
After several hours of travel through the intricate network, passing through multiple portals, Axis's vessel finally arrived before a colossal black edifice.
The structure was immense, easily the size of a planet. This was the Black Library, the hiding place of the Laughing God and the primary fortress of the Harlequins.
"We have arrived, Lord Axis. Please, The Great Laughing God has been expecting you."
Guided by a dozen Harlequins, Axis entered the massive dark citadel.
"Welcome to the Black Library, guest from another world, Lord Axis. Your presence brings radiance to this humble place," a four-meter-tall jester in red and black motley said, bowing deeply to Axis.
"Thank you for your generous gift, Lord The Laughing God."
Axis could sense that the jester before him was composed of pure Warp energy. He possessed no physical form.
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will you give me some powerstones?