A Deal with an Eater of Stars 

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What do the hounds of Khorne hate the most? The weak? The starve? The strong? No dear brothers... What the hounds of Khorne hate the most is when something or someone gets in the way of their hunt! When assigned a target they so much very enjoy the feeling of the chase… and if something were to impede on that process… well let's just say they get… oh so very much angry! Even more so for the champion of hounds made with the very love of our master! For wherever it goes, blood is sure to follow, as surely as skulls are made bare of their flesh! 

→→→→→→→→→→→→→→→Excerpt form Khorne hound handler 

Short Eldar POV: 

As the Eldar set up their camp in a forest filled with mad bugs, out came a bone-chilling growl! And with it, trees bent, while vegetation burned with the solace of scorching blades! As red demons charged through rainy steam, they attacked without mercy! 

[their here… Farseer!] said a sister through hectic gun fire! 

[perfect! You know what to do!] replied the farseer 

[yes… farseer] replied the sister with disheartened eyes but with a heart filled with resolve! 

But as she turned her back the Farseer said: 

[your sacrifice will save countless lives… both human and Aeldari alike… but I know that's not what you want to hear… but I promise this to you now… sister... Nuelair… your soul will not end up in Slaanesh's hands! On this, I swear as your seer!] 

Hearing her friend's words, Nuelair smiled as she looked into the eyes of the hound before her, its big bloody eyes, spoke much to her… As she said: 

[don't worry… servant of our adversary… I will lead you to your hunt!] 

 Short Laylas POV: 

As the beast of Nurgle licks its teeth between its tongues, for its meal lay before its deprived stomach, joyful laughter filled the church as the herald sat on this throne on his guard shoulders! As their green blades tarnished the very chapel of the emperor, the wall exploded out as a big red hound smashed its way in! 

 As an Aeldari warrior came plastering the majestic beauty of the chapel walls with its filthy Xenos blood! Half its body lay in the claws of the hound, while the other half lay shattered and broken while its flesh burned into nothing! All for a red crystal to slide by Layla's feet! 

With one eye she saw it, and while it glowed in soft warmth, Layla moved her hand through the pain to pick it up! As her hands shake weakly, the death guard clashes with the bloodletters of Khorne! As the hound looked viciously at the beast of Nurgle! 

For in the hound's eyes, it saw its prey standing weakly, injured and hurt by another that wasn't him! And how dare another seek his PREY! So, with blood leaking through razor teeth, that crossed his black pointy collar, the hound of Khorne charged with hungry abandon at the slug creature! Biting into its soft diseased flesh! 

Now, one would believe that to be a most foolish of choice! For a creature born of the grandfather would surely carry a disease so potent that one would die with but a simple touch! But with a mouth filled with calcine fire, the bite of the hound burned more than it tore! 

Screaming in pain, the slug beast returned bite with bite! But while they were Interlocked in a bestial fight, the girls looked at each other and said: 

[Mary! What do we do?] yelled Molly as she was watching a fight that was beyond her. 

[I… I don't know! I think we should run!] replied Mary, as she too stared at the death guard fight with the bloodletters! 

[run where?] replied Molly as Layla lifted her head and pointed to the altar of the emperor. 

 [Layla, you want us to run there? But are you sure?] replied Mary with worry as Layla nodded with what remaining strength she could, for her body, felt chilly and cold, with minor sores and pus starting to ooze from her missing eye. 

Worried for Layla's health, the girls nodded at each other as they bravely charged at the altar that stood between them and the death guards! But as they rushed Molly realized that she was too slow… with a heavy shield and short mace, with a sidearm that was no good in this fight! She tossed away her shield as she laid down her mace! She picked up Layla with one arm, as she traded her weapons for Layla's sword! 

Death Guard short POV: 

As the leader of the death guard was amusing himself waiting for Layla's choice, the walls around the chapel abruptly crumbled! As a big red flesh hound of Khorne stood angrily at him and his fellow kin. 

[Damn! What are the followers of Khorne doing here? This wasn't part of the plan!] said the leader as toothy bloodletters rushed at him. 

As green swords clashed with red, the Death Guard leader stepped on the bones of the Eldar, breaking her skull under his heavy foot. But while he was engaging in a fight with a minion of a rival god, a mirror-like sword came striking at his back! 

Feeling the strike coming, the guard captain smirked as he pushed the Bloodletter back while simultaneously grabbing the mirror sword with his gauntlet! 

[weak… and disappointing…this is why humans have no place in a fight between the children of chaos!] said the guard captain as he prepared a stabbing strike! 

But while his blade was inches away from Molly's chest, carbine shots entered the guard captain's pustule body! But those tiny shots did nothing to the captain's armor as he continued to smirk! 

[Ha! Your resistance is hilarious… little girl…I wonder what face you'll make under that helm of yours, as I kill you friend here!] said the captain as he turned to Molly to continue what he started. 

But that was exactly when a red sword busted through his chest! Shocked and confused Guard captain looked up when Mary said: 

[My aim wasn't to kill you… It was only to distract you! Also… I wasn't aiming at you!] 

[whaaat!] screamed the captain as the bloodletter pulled his sword out while going for another strike! 

Mad and annoyed the guard captain, fueled by rage tossed Molly to the floor, as he fought the bloodletter! As the girls picked themselves up, they ran past the guard captain and ignored the rest of the chaotic fights until they reached the altar! 

[WHERE DO YOU THINK YOUR GOING! THEIR NOWERE ELSE TO RUN! AND EVEN THEN, YOU'RE ONLY DOOMING YOUR FRIEND! THERE IS NO CURE! OTHER THAN TO JOIN US!] screamed the guard captain in delight. 

The girls, however, didn't respond they only did as Layla instructed and opened a secret path beneath the altar! As the chamber door closed behind them, the guard captain looked down to see the herald of his father lying dead on the floor with a gunshot to the head! It was then that he remembered what Mary had said: 

[I wasn't aiming for you!] 

Realizing now why the herald didn't warn him about the bloodletter strike, made him burst into a rage, the captain then screamed as he tore apart the bloodletter that injured him for his hubris. 

[I'll kill you! You'll never escape me!] yelled the captain as a red shadow that eclipsed him in size stood behind him. With disgusting blood from the beast of Nurgle dripping down from its teeth! 

Layla POV 

As the girls hurried down the chamber, the eerie pipes burst into hot steam and gas fumes, with wires and wall panels displaced and hanging on mismatched walls and floors. 

But as they got deeper in, the gray wall and chapel murals turned to dry dark blood, as clothing and armor were filled with the bones of high priests and guardsmen! The eerie quiet was only filled with Layla's grunts and screams! 

[Layla!] screamed both girls as they felt Layla's condition getting worse by the second. 

Layla felt a weird type of pain, a pain she couldn't describe… it was a pain that didn't allow her to fall unconscious but got increasingly worse… like the feeling of broken limbs that never heal but are re-broken in an eternity! That was until she heard a voice… a voice of a beautiful woman… 

[come…come to me and I'll help you through the pain…] 

Sweet words… from the beauty of a woman… but it was precisely those sweet words that made Layla doubt… for were in Warhammer 40k could one expect sweet words that didn't come with a charge? But as Layla worried about what she would have to pay, the girls arrived at it… 

[Is... Is this a dead end?] question Molly as they arrived at the end of the chamber. 

[No! It's a gate of some kind... I think] replied Mary 

{Ah!} screamed Layla as her head roared in pain 

As the black gate separated the girls from the voice, Molly and Mary tried everything they could to get it open but were ultimately disappointed… Molly didn't have the strength, where Mary didn't have the smart or the tools to open a gate that had no handle or controls! 

Puzzled and lost, Layla coughed out mouthfuls of blood as her skin started to peel away… 

{move… I think I know how to open it} said Layla to the confusion of the girls… 

For as Layla looked at the gate that looked plain to Molly and Mary, but in her eyes, she saw a multitude of floating symbols and text… pictures she had no understanding of… colors she never thought possible… but the green text was something she would recognize anywhere… as they were written in the language of the Necrons! 

But recognizing a language and being able to comprehend it were two completely different things, as such Layla had no way of knowing what they said but figured it didn't matter! For the being behind this gate wanted to see her, thus she figured all she had to do was use even the tiniest of Psyker energy… And she was right! 

With a golden glow and sapphire eyes, the gate opens to a room where at the epicenter lay a crystal eye that glowed in pink and purple! With a room filled to the brim with depleted energy cells! 

With statues of knights and strong men, the eye pulsed with ripe psyker energy that attracted Layla. 

[wait, Layla! Are you sure we should really be approaching whatever that is?] asked Molly 

[I can't believe I'm saying this but… I agree with Molly on this one... That thing is clearly something Xenos-related! We should destroy it!] replied Mary 

But Layla shook her head and said through pain: 

{No! I think I know what it is…} 

As ringing and visions passed through her mind, Layla's subconscious said the words: 

{It's a C'tan!} 

At her words, the crystal beamed a beautiful figure of a woman all dressed in black with sea creature tentacles crawling out from her body! As the very stars she had once consumed embroidered her dress! 

[Hehe! My… I haven't heard that name in a millennium…] said the C'tan with a smile of remembrance 

[I'm shocked that a species as young as yours even knows that name… the name of my kind… Yes, I'm a C'tan… but you may call me Miss A... just Miss A! For my real name is unpronounceable in your primitive tongue.] 

[Now! What an interesting child you are…but first… oh…Tsk...Tsk my dear... You must be in such pain... Here like me help you with that!] continued Miss A with a cunning smile! As she kissed Layla on the forehead! 

A gentle kiss that washed away the pain and the disease, or so the girls thought, as they saw the color return to Layla's complexion 

[umm... Before you girls go off cheering, I must say this… I didn't cure her of her ailment… I only covered over it with a temporary measure… if she wishes to be fully healed… then…] said Miss A while Layla thought: 

{great here it comes} 

[she must agree to a little wager of mine!] continued Miss A with a smile as bright as a star.