A figure emerged from the vibrant paradise.
She wore an emerald gown that seemed woven from morning dew and moonlight. Pointed ears peeked out from a cascade of silver hair, framing a face so exquisite it seemed otherworldly.
Her features were marked by both compassion and the weariness of long captivity, yet this did nothing to diminish her beauty.
A wreath of ever-blooming flowers and verdant vines rested upon her head like a natural diadem.
Her eyes, like the purest of emeralds, now shimmered with tears of incredulous joy as she stared intently at Cegorach and Axis outside the door.
"Heh heh! Beautiful, isn't she? The Goddess of Life's beauty ranks in the top three in the entire universe," the Laughing God declared with a triumphant air.
In terms of appearance, the Aeldari goddess's beauty was absolutely breathtaking, transcending the comprehension of mortal species.
The fact that Axis could remain composed in her presence was enough to make the Laughing God look at him with newfound respect.
"She is indeed very beautiful, but I'm a little curious. Who's number one?" Axis asked.
"Oh! First place is that perverse androgynous freak. The most handsome being in the universe is Slaanesh, and the most beautiful being is also Slaanesh," the Laughing God said with a shrug.
"Is that so? I've seen Slaanesh, and from my perspective, Slaanesh is nothing but a complete deviant. I don't think there is any connection to beauty whatsoever. I find this Goddess of Life far more beautiful than Slaanesh," Axis stated.
Axis scoffed at the notion. Did the Laughing God have some kind of warped sense of beauty? An androgynous, utterly twisted, and perverted being was the most beautiful in the universe? He had confronted Slaanesh firsthand when he entered the Warp, and the creature was a depraved monstrosity through and through.
The Laughing God's jaw dropped in utter shock. He stared at Axis, unable to believe what he had just heard. How could this be? A mortal had just claimed that Slaanesh was not beautiful!
It was simply outrageous.
Slaanesh was the very incarnation of cosmic beauty, albeit a twisted and malformed version of it. Even so, it was a glamour that no mortal should be able to resist.
Unless! A thought suddenly struck the Laughing God.
Axis's Ki possessed a high resistance to the energies of the Warp, especially those with malicious intent. Therefore, from his perspective, Slaanesh was just a grotesque pervert, not the epitome of beauty that others perceived!
How interesting.
So Slaanesh's true form was simply that of a deviant. This meant that Axis was immune to Slaanesh's temptations! A mortal who could resist the allure of one of the most powerful gods in the universe, the irony was palpable.
"This is wonderful. I have waited for this day for so long," Isha said, trotting over to the two of them.
She had never imagined that the one to finally open this door would be someone other than that fat green monstrosity, Nurgle, holding a bowl of foul, stinking, rotten soup and demanding she drink it.
But still, did the Laughing God truly have the power to save her?
The Goddess of Life was sceptical. As a fellow Aeldari god, she knew this trickster all too well.
Cegorach was a thorough coward. She knew exactly what he was and was not capable of.
And who was this mortal beside him? The life emanating from him was incredibly powerful.
Axis, for his part, could only describe his first sight of the Aeldari Goddess of Life as beautiful.
The very word 'beautiful' seemed to have been created just for her. Even he, a battle-crazed Saiyan, could recognise the profound depth of her beauty.
"Oh, my dear Isha, I apologise for the long wait. But do not worry, your jester has come to rescue you," the Laughing God said.
"Well, thank you for that. However, are you certain you came to save me alone? Are you not including your friend here?" Isha asked, her gaze shifting to Axis.
"Oh, of course! This was our plan all along. Let me introduce you. This is Lord Axis. He is a human. You may remember them; back in the day, the Aeldari called them wild monkeys. Their rate of evolution, however, has been quite remarkable," the Laughing God chuckled, introducing the man standing beside him.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Axis. I knew the Laughing God couldn't have saved me on his own. I imagine you are the one who did most of the work," said Isha, the Goddess of Life.
"You are mistaken, Lady Isha," Axis replied, "The credit for both finding you and opening this sealed gate belongs entirely to Lord Cegorach."
"No matter. I have already thanked him. So, what is our plan? How do you intend to save me?" Isha asked.
This was her most pressing concern: escaping the clutches of that disgusting, corpulent green god.
"Ah, well, we have a little plan. But let's discuss it after we get you out of here," said Cegorach.
He couldn't very well tell Isha that they were rescuing her from the domain of one Chaos God only to take her to the territory of another.
"How did you get past Nurgle? He is always in his Garden, he never leaves. And he visits me almost every day to offer me that utterly revolting soup," Isha questioned.
That was what she found most baffling. Cegorach could certainly open the sealed door, but getting to it without alerting Nurgle was the truly crucial part.
"To put it simply, Lady Isha, an unprecedented event is currently unfolding in the universe," Axis explained, "The attention of all four Chaos Gods is fixated on this event, and Cegorach and I used this opportunity to sneak here to find you."
"I see. Then what happens after we leave?" Isha asked.
She did not immediately decide to depart with them. While Nurgle's prison was torment, all he did was force her to drink his vile concoctions.
If Slaanesh were to capture her, her fate would be infinitely worse.
She would be utterly broken. Unless they could guarantee a safe destination, she would not leave. At least the plump green god was, in his own twisted way, not entirely malicious toward her.
"I will protect you, Lady Isha, but it will require a small price," Axis said.
"You?" Isha looked at Axis, her eyes filled with skepticism.
A mortal was promising to protect her. It was as absurd as a commoner promising a fallen princess that he could shield her from the pursuit of a powerful king.
"Isha, you must not underestimate Axis," the Laughing God interjected, "He possesses immense power. He even fought against Slaanesh, and Slaanesh did not come out on top."
Cegorach quickly relayed Axis's formidable achievements to the goddess. If there was one thing about the young man that was reliable, it was his combat strength.
"Is that so? However, Lord Axis, you are a mortal, and you live in the material universe," Isha said. "You must understand that we gods of the Warp cannot enter the material universe. So, unless you intend to stay in the Warp forever, you cannot protect me, even if you can fight Slaanesh. You would have to face two Chaos Gods simultaneously."
"You are right, I cannot. But another god can," Axis stated, deciding to be direct, "I'm not one for beating around the bush, so I'll be blunt. We need your help to cultivate a very unique and magical tree. This divine tree will produce a powerful fruit, and my partner in this is one of the four Chaos Gods: Khorne."
It was clear the Goddess of Life would not leave without a full explanation. Although she despised Nurgle's domain, her fear of Slaanesh was far greater.
"What! Khorne is also interested in me? Did he order you to capture me?" A look of horror crossed her face.
"Rest assured, unlike Nurgle and Slaanesh, Khorne has no personal interest in you," Axis clarified, "As long as you agree to help us grow the tree, you will be free. You can move about freely within certain Limits. Khorne will not imprison you. You should know the Blood God. He has no interest in a goddess of life like you."
"And... and what about you?" Isha asked, looking at Axis. This mortal was clearly very powerful if he could make a deal with a Chaos God.
He was likely no weaker than the Emperor of Mankind. What did he want from her?
"My goal is the same as Khorne's. We both need you to cultivate this tree. I will provide the seed, and Khorne will provide the domain. This divine tree can only be grown on divine soil. But you know what Khorne's domain is like, which is why your divine power over life is needed.
"If you agree, I will use one of these fruits to create a suitable physical body for you, one that will allow you to walk in the material universe. That way, you won't have to worry about Slaanesh ever again," Axis explained, laying out his entire plan.
"...I understand," Isha said, considering his words, "\I can help you plant this divine tree. As you said, it needs divine soil to grow. My Garden of Life is the most suitable place, and since it is bound to me, I can move it with me.
"However, I have no desire to remain in the Warp. You said you would provide me with a physical body. If that is the case, then move my Garden of Life into the Webway. I will establish a new world of life for myself there and reside on it."
If he could truly provide a physical body capable of housing her soul, then her plan would work.
She could create her own divine world of life within the Webway.
"That is acceptable. As long as you can grow the divine tree for us, that's all that matters. Khorne might even be willing to lend you some of his own power to assist with its growth," Axis replied.
"It's a deal."
...
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ps?