It was only after Yvraine and her cohorts had navigated the jagged, discordant pockets of the Realm of Ruin that they realized the Aeldari host following them had been utterly swallowed by the spatial instability.
Yvraine moved to turn back immediately, but Eldrad Ulthran stayed her hand. To make any sudden, unplanned movement within this uncharted divine domain was the height of folly.
The Verminherder guiding them gradually faded, his form swelling and reshaping into a monolithic Rat Daemon. The monstrous entity led the Ynnari leaders toward the tallest obsidian spire within the Realm of Ruin.
This was the seat of the Great Horned Rat, the sanctum of the Great Bell of Doom.
"That is...!" Yvraine stared at the towering, asymmetrical monolith. It was a nightmare rendered in black stone, devoid of doors or windows, resembling a prop from some ancient, dissonant silent play. At its apex hung a massive, verdigris-coated bell that pulsed with baleful green energy.
Beyond the tower, a colossal shadow loomed, so vast it seemed to eclipse the firmament itself, clouding the vision of all who looked upon it.
Yvraine moved to speak, but a primal, soul-deep terror seized her throat. Even the borrowed power of Ynnead, the Whispering God, offered little protection in this place.
Ultimately, it was Eldrad who bowed first. He understood that he had become one of the few mortals in existence to stand directly before a true god, even if that dark deity was an abomination.
Seeing this, Yvraine, Lelith Hesperax, and the Visarch reluctantly lowered their heads in salute.
Eldrad was the first to find his voice. "O Ruinous Power... we have journeyed here in pursuit of our Mother Goddess. We implore you for a sign!"
To seek the Goddess of Life from a god of ruin was an absurdity that bordered on madness. Lelith, Queen of the Succubi, felt as though they had succumbed to a collective fit of insanity the moment they set foot in this blighted realm.
Then, a sound began to fill the air, not a single voice, but a cacophony composed of the chattering, squeaking shrieks of untold billions of rats, vibrating from every direction at once.
Lucius, now the Great Horned Rat, looked down. For the first time, he saw these legends of the Warhammer universe as mere ants beneath his feet. He could have crushed them on a whim, as is the fickle nature of the Chaos Gods.
But that would be dreadfully dull. Instead, he spoke:
"Isha... yes, I plucked her from Nurgle's Garden, for I am as generous as I am merciful. However, such largesse requires a tribute. You shall provide me with an entertaining performance as payment."
"What is your price?" Yvraine demanded loudly.
"You resurrected Guilliman, that pathetic Scion of Humanity. A fine deed," the voice boomed, directed at Yvraine. "And now, the Mother you seek is here, or rather, she is hidden ten thousand years in the past, during the height of humanity's arrogance, the era of the Great Crusade. I have secreted your Goddess within the depths of a planet called Dulan. You need only go and retrieve her. That is, of course, if your 'allies' from ten millennia ago are willing to let her go! Hahaha!"
The Great Horned Rat's raucous laughter shook the Immaterium, drawing the gaze of the other four Great Powers. Even Cegorach, the Laughing God, lurking in the depths of the Webway, took notice.
"Now, that is a truly magnificent jest," Cegorach remarked.
Amidst the God-Rat's laughter, the chaotic topography of the Realm of Ruin suddenly shifted and cleared. The Aeldari warriors who had been lost appeared in a daze, trembling with panic as the path opened before them.
Beads of cold sweat formed on Yvraine's brow. This wasn't a quest; it was an invitation to a slaughter.
"We need... we need time to prepare," Yvraine said, her silver tongue finding its rhythm. "Surely you would not wish to witness a boring game?"
"Ten Terran days. If you cannot reclaim your Mother Goddess by then, she shall remain in my realm forever, to serve as my Supreme Vermin Mother for the spawning of my broods. What say you?"
At those words, the tempers of the Aeldari flared; even Eldrad's composure shattered, his expression twisting in horror.
Conversely, the Verminlords and Verminherders erupted in a cacophony of cheers. "YES-YES! GREAT HORNED RAT!"
The Ynnari did not linger. They turned and raced down the emerging highway, desperate to escape the Realm of Ruin. Time was their most ruthless enemy; they had to gather enough strength to challenge the Imperium of Man at the zenith of its power.
In the Warp, the Great Powers reacted with varying degrees of interest. Khorne and Tzeentch watched with detached amusement, viewing it as a diverting sideshow. Nurgle sat in morose silence, unhappy that Isha had become a bargaining chip but unable to intervene.
The most incensed was Slaanesh. The Dark Prince screamed in fury within the Palace of Pleasure, sending Daemons and twisted denizens scurrying into the shadows in terror.
"I knew it! Why are the new gods so selfish?! Do you not understand the joy of sharing?! If she were mine, imagine the exquisite agonies I could devise!" Slaanesh shrieked, before suddenly falling silent. A serpentine tongue flicked over porcelain lips. "Though... Isha being used by that foul rat for breeding... that has its own charms. Fine. Let the rat have her for now. I shall watch the show, and when I tire of it, I will take her back!"
As for The Emperor, He felt no kinship for an alien deity. He cared nothing for Isha's fate, but He was deeply displeased that the Great Horned Rat was using His Great Crusade as a playground for a divine wager.
Deep in the Webway, Cegorach was surprised to find that the threads of his own "Ultimate Jest" were being frayed. This was not his design, though, for once, it seemed the outcome might actually benefit the Aeldari.
…
Back in the material universe, the Ynnari stood in stunned silence until Yvraine spoke.
"You all heard. We are in a race against time. I give you five days to gather every army, every blade, and every soul willing to fight. We are going to war with the Imperium of ten thousand years ago."
Eldrad nodded solemnly. "I will seek out old friends. I hope my name still carries weight. Once word of Isha's potential return spreads, the reinforcements should be substantial."
Lelith Hesperax did not protest this time. The Succubus Queen nodded. "Then I shall return to Commorragh to rally my sisters."
"Commorragh? If Vect finds you..." Yvraine began, worried that the Overlord of the Dark City would see this as an opportunity to punish Lelith's perceived betrayal.
"Hmph. That arrogant fool needn't worry you. A few well-placed lies will suffice. Besides, I intend to enlist the aid of Lady Malys. She will find the prospect of this hunt irresistible."
Lady Malys, the second-most powerful figure in Commorragh and Vect's estranged consort, claimed to be the chosen of Cegorach. She lived for the chance to meddle in the affairs of gods; she would never pass up the chance to "rescue" Isha.
"Very well. I leave it to you. But whether you succeed or fail, you must return," Yvraine insisted.
Lelith smiled, reaching out to tilt Yvraine's chin up, closing the distance between them with predatory grace. "Oh... you truly are darling, sweetheart. Rest assured, no one keeps Lelith Hesperax unless she wishes to stay."
The Visarch, long-standing guardian and admirer of Yvraine, turned his masked face away in silent irritation.
Yvraine didn't consider herself inclined toward such flirtations, but for the cause of the Ynnari, she was willing to endure a little charm.
As the Ynnari scattered to the corners of the galaxy to muster their strength, the Dark Angels and Space Wolves currently scouring the surface of the planet Dulan for a mysterious meteorite had no idea that, in a matter of days, an Aeldari grand host was going to drop right onto their heads.
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