Axis had acted with considerable restraint. He had only torn out the Eldar's heart and crushed it.
Even so, she would not die within a minute or two. Harlequins were remarkably resilient, as was the Eldar race as a whole.
In anyone else's hands, the female Eldar would have been doomed.
But Axis could save her. He just needed to treat her with his Ki, which teemed with life energy, and feed her an elixir of life essence refined from the fruit of Tree of Might.
"My Lord?" Cassandra asked, her face a mask of terror, "J-just… just now, I was in the training chamber… that daemon, that monster, it came suddenly. It forcefully suppressed my will. My body wouldn't obey me. I… did I do something? Did I hurt you?"
Seeing that Lord Axis seemed unharmed, Cassandra looked down at herself.
She felt incredibly weak, and there was a patched hole in her chest. Although the wound had been repaired, it was clear her torso had been pierced through.
"Rest easy," Axis said, "You didn't harm me. Or rather, with your level of power, it would be quite difficult for you to do so."
Even if you ate a whole Tree of Might fruit, you would be no match for me, Axis thought. Though he was not yet a god, his true combat prowess far exceeded that of a typical lesser god.
"I am truly sorry, Lord Axis," Cassandra said, struggling to her feet and bowing deeply. "I was... I was possessed so easily and controlled by that monster's sorcery."
"Sigh, It's of little consequence," Axis replied, "It gave me a chance to see the tricks of a future opponent. In truth, though, I am quite disappointed in your performance this time."
It was true. She had been possessed by Slaanesh in a single instant without putting up any fight at all. Had she not already severed her connection to the Chaos God? She had and he had made sure of it.
"I am deeply ashamed, Lord Axis," Cassandra said, kneeling on the floor in mortification, "If you wish to dismiss me for this, I will have no complaints." From her state and Lord Axis's words, she deduced that she must have done many outrageous things while under Slaanesh's control.
The shame was unbearable.
"Something is strange," Axis said, changing the subject. "Why are you still alive?"
"Lord Axis, you banished the Greater Daemon of Slaanesh. Is there something wrong with me being alive?" Cassandra asked, confused.
"Of course there is. If an ordinary Greater Daemon of Slaanesh had possessed you, your survival might be conceivable," Axis began, his tone heavy with meaning. "But do you understand? That was not a Greater Daemon that took over your body just now. It was Slaanesh itself, just like in the Black Library."
This was no run-of-the-mill encounter with some Keeper of Secrets or other daemon. It had been a true manifestation of Slaanesh's consciousness.
Axis recalled the Blade of the Laer that Fulgrim would one day find. The blade was inhabited by a Keeper of Secrets, a Greater Daemon of Slaanesh, and even a being as powerful as a Primarch was controlled by it for a time. This was a point of lore that Games Workshop seemed to have retconned over the years; early versions claimed Fulgrim had died and was completely possessed, while later accounts suggested he allowed it willingly, or was merely influenced, or even that he had freed himself with his own willpower.
But regardless of the version, it was undeniable that a Greater Daemon had once possessed the body of a Primarch. If a being of that stature could not resist possession, how could an ordinary Eldar? She had faced not just a Greater Daemon, but the far more terrifying will of Slaanesh itself. For this woman to have survived was nothing short of a miracle.
Axis had torn out her heart without a moment's hesitation precisely because he had assumed the Eldar woman was already doomed the instant she was possessed. He had been shocked to find that after he had ripped out her heart and dispelled Slaanesh's presence, the woman was still alive.
A faint trace of life lingered, and her soul was completely intact. That was the only reason Axis had decided to save her. Otherwise, the loss of one Harlequin was trivial; he could simply ask the Laughing God for another. Some losses were to be expected in a war against Slaanesh.
"This! This... Lord Axis, could it be a plot by Slaanesh? I... I don't know why I am alive either!" Cassandra's expression turned to one of horror. "If I were truly controlled by Slaanesh, it would have been impossible for me to survive. My very survival could be part of Slaanesh's scheme. You must imprison me at once!"
She was a Solitaire, the most unique of Harlequins, the only one worthy of playing the role of Slaanesh. Because of this, all Solitaires had an inexplicable link to the Chaos God, a link so strong that not even the Laughing God could fully protect their souls.
They were all ultimately doomed to be consumed. Yet last time, she had severed that link. She could no longer even feel the symptoms of The Thirst that plagued her kind. Therefore, if her body was taken by Slaanesh again, there was no logical reason for her soul to have survived.
"Be silent. I am going to examine your soul carefully," Axis said, placing his palm on the Eldar's head. He channeled his Ki at full power, his energy manifesting around him, complete with a holy halo above his head. A powerful, sacred psychic energy swept over every corner of the female Eldar's body. Axis did not miss a single detail, inspecting her soul multiple times.
Yet no matter how thoroughly he checked, Axis reached the same conclusion. There was nothing wrong with the Eldar before him. Her soul was whole and untouched by any influence from the Warp. His Ki could not detect even a trace of the Warp's power within her.
"Lord Axis, please contact my comrades immediately," Cassandra urged, "Have another Troupe member sent to accompany you. I should be placed in a stasis field or a cell in the Black Library. I am no longer safe."
Axis thought for a moment, shaking his head.
"Nah.
"I don't care what tricks Slaanesh has planned. I'll be keeping you by my side precisely to see what kind of tricks that bitch would try to pull.
"And If I were to send you away, Slaanesh could simply find another way to corrupt someone else."
He would simply face whatever came his way. Now that he had been discovered by the Four Chaos Gods, and targeted by at least two of them, replacing the Harlequin would solve nothing.
The Chaos God could just as easily corrupt her replacement. It was better to keep Cassandra with him and face whatever Slaanesh had in store.
"Lord Axis, thank you for your trust?" Could she even call it trust?
"But… this is too dangerous," Cassandra protested.
"Your Solitaires are among the most powerful members of the Harlequins. To replace you with someone else would be to endanger them, because the Chaos Gods will not give up," Axis said reassuringly, "My Ki is a powerful counter to the forces of the Warp. It can even strengthen your soul. I can just use it to examine you periodically, which willl in turn help you."
Axis decided that, when he had time, he would cultivate some special Saibamen for himself. Any tasks that required Ki could be handled by them.
"Thank you, Lord Axis," Cassandra said, her voice filled with resolve. "I will not disappoint you. I will resist the corruption of the Chaos Gods."
"Try you best. From now on, your room will be under 360-degree surveillance. I will also have Solus Prime install a Blackstone matrix and a Geller Field in your quarters to insulate it from the power of the Warp."
Let me see why Slaanesh spared you, Axis thought. And what other wicked plans it has devised.
"Thank you very much, Lord Axis!"
"There is no need to thank me. Contact your companions. We will be using the Webway to return to Nuceria. After that, you can take your rest," Axis instructed.
"I understand, Lord Axis. I will contact my companions at once and lead you to the Webway entrance," Cassandra said with a nod. She bowed once more and turned to leave.
Several hours later, a group of Harlequins in their ships guided Axis's vessel, into the vast realm of the Webway. Before departing, Axis informed the Harlequins of what had happened, asking them to relay the information to the Laughing God.
As Axis began his journey home, a portion of the Harlequin troupe sped to the Black Library of the Laughing God. They reported how Slaanesh had moved against Axis, briefly possessing the Solitaire Cassandra once again with its own consciousness.
"I am aware of this matter," the Laughing God said with a chuckle, "Cassandra is a Solitaire, after all. She plays the role of Slaanesh. All Solitaires are born with an inexplicable connection to the bitch. Though Axis severed it, it could easily possess her body."
"But, Great Cegorach," one of the Harlequins spoke up, "what truly surprised Lord Axis was why Slaanesh did not devour Cassandra's soul." Though he was relieved that his comrade had survived, the implications of surviving possession by Slaanesh itself were terrifying.
"Hmm! Hahaha! It seems our twisted androgyne wants to play some little games," the Laughing God cackled, "But do not worry. Axis wields the power of Ki, and his soul is incomparably holy. He is the bane of the Warp's evil."
Meanwhile, using the Eldar Webway, Axis and his companions returned to the vicinity of the planet Nuceria in a mere three days.
...
...
Some ps?