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Chapter Text

There is Always Hope

The Aeldari Core Worlds were a sight to behold. Like gleaming pearls in the dark sky, they shone with a brilliance in both the material world and the immaterium alike. Its surface was littered with monolithic structures made of Wraithbone, the Sea of Souls made manifest. With their impossible shapes, they soared up into the heavens, drawing the eyes of those that beheld them.

Standing amidst the crowded street, he could feel the power thrumming through them. He could hear the songs of those that shaped them as they stood proudly; monuments to the power of the Aeldari Empire. With its verdant parks, countless public works of art, and scenic sights at every corner, It was like Paradise itself was brought down to the earth. Despite those wonders, however, all he felt was dread.

Perhaps it was his previous life, his time as a human coloring his views, but the way his fellow Aeldari indulge in pleasure had him on edge. Amidst the peals of laughter and smiles, he could see the hunger in their eyes, the way they sought every higher thrill. From the loud wails of discordant songs, to the giddy laughter of those burning their minds through chemical pleasures, and even shameless displays of carnal delight, it was everywhere.

Not everyone indulged in such, but if he looked close enough he could see such Excess and pleasure seeking on public display. It made his stomach turn whenever he got too close to those shrouded with purple, that haze which pervaded everything. Not even closing his eyes could shut such sights off, for he felt their very souls scream.

Like a siren song he couldn't escape, it wormed its way into his head, promising thrills which he desperately had to push back. He wasn't sure if it was just him or if every Eldar felt it this way, but it terrified him. Having lived in their shoes for so many years, how could he blame them for falling for such sweet promises?

"Born as a full powered Aeldari, but right before the fall. Talk about a monkey's paw of a deal," He thought to himself as he scowled. Sometimes, he wished he never woke up at all.

Shaking his head away from such thoughts, and pushing back the songs to the back of his head, he kept his gaze forward. He couldn't falter that day, not when he had someone he wanted to protect; One who was all too vulnerable to the siren's song. Feeling his dagger, he turned his attention back to his companion.

"Beautiful isn't it, Eon?" His lovely friend whispered as she skipped along, her stark white hair almost shining against her dark skin. Wrapping her arm around his arms, his childhood friend then poked him on the cheeks, "And you took ages before you brought me here!"

"I simply like it better in the provinces, Iyanna" He replied, rolling his eyes at how touchy she was. He knew Aeldari were different, but sometimes he wondered if she was just strange. Eyeing the preacher in purple and gold warily, he muttered, "Things are quieter there, not like here…"

Another thing he found strange about Aeldari were how intimate they were, how they sought the touch of others. Already, he could see some couples doing it discreetly in an alley. Even he wasn't so numb as to not indulge with it as he pulled Iyanna close for comfort, something which she leaned into as they headed city's maze like quarters,

Maybe it was due to how they were tied to the warp as a race, how their souls burned so brightly, unlike others. Even the passing human tourists looked like sparks compared to the stars of his fellow Aeldari. It's probably how they fell so easily for the corruption that now pervaded the capital.

"But it's so boring there! Not like here, in the heart of the empire!" She whined, dragging him along as they explored the various sights that the city had to offer. "They say that the night life around the temples is to die for,~" She sighed as she gazed longingly into the various cafes.

"I wish they didn't mean it literally," He muttered, doing his best to avoid staring at the more risque displays of skin, "Just stay close Iyanna, it's dangerous out here," he warned her as he clutched his dagger tighter, ready to pull it at a moment's notice. "Not when the Pleasure Cult's gaining popularity recently," he hissed as they passed by performers whose skin was marred with an all too familiar mark.

"Really Eon, worried about the pleasure cults?" Her companion teased, letting out a laugh. "I know you don't like them, but come on, loosen up, They just want to have fun!" She waved off his concern.

"A bit too much if you ask me," He replied as his eyes found themselves upon the erotic displays of the trope, their colorful purple clothes almost painful to his enhanced vision. Seeing the performers' graceful movements and sensual dance, He felt a shiver of desire run up his spine.

Catching his gaze, they grinned as they taunted him, offering themselves up while they danced, "Hey there.~ You look like you could have a good time. Why don't you two join us!" He stood frozen for a moment, his body wanting to shift course.

"Ohh, those two are quite cute," Iyanna purred as she eyed the two lustfully. Leaning up to him, she whispered huskily, her breath tickling her ears as she tempt him, "What do you say Eon, wanna have some fun with them?"

He wanted to do it, to just give in and accept it. He could feel the mark calling to him, their whispers growing in volume as he felt desire all but overwhelm his reason. "We won't bite," the cultist whispered before they grinned, their teeth a bit too sharp for his liking, "Much."

Shaken from his stupor, he pulled her away from the fiends as he apologized, "I'm sorry, but we two have some urgent business to attend to." He could hear mocking laughter and hoots from behind them, but he didn't care. He just wanted to get away.
"H-hey!" Iyanna protested as he dragged her along. Letting out a growl of frustration, she relented, but not before shouting back at the performers, "He didn't mean it! We'll call you later!"

Even as he all but ran, he could sense the crescendo of pleasure, their worship to a profane god echoing in the Sea of Souls until it reached its peak. The harsh, coppery scent of blood hit as a wave of agony and ecstasy washed over his very soul. Before he could pull them away, back into the webway where it was safe, she forced him to a stop.

Digging her feet into the ground, she pulled him aside before shouting, "Damn it Eon, what is your problem!" Looking him in the eyes, she scolded him as she gestured back at the trope at the end of the street, "Those girls were just trying to be nice! Can you just chill for a moment."

Their form bled, holding on to the gaping hole in their chest before they collapsed amidst applause. Watching their broken form be healed, to perform such brutal acts once more, he felt sick. It was madness, as no creature should feel pleasure from inflicting such grievous harm to themselves, but those monsters seemed all too happy about it. It was beyond mere sadomasochism, this was profane.

Unable to contain himself, angry at how Iyanna couldn't see the insanity in such an act, he lashed out, pushing her aside as he shouted, "I don't want you to get hurt, ok!" The wraithbone around them warped, bending into claws and jagged spikes, as his emotions let loose. Seeing Iyanna cowered back, he looked away as shame filled his chest.

Forcing himself to steady his breath, he slumped against the walls before sliding down to the ground. Hugging his knees close, he apologized, "I'm sorry Iyanna, I've just been a bit stressed lately. Thanks to the things I've been dreaming about."

Even now he could hear the screams, those that would die in the cataclysm to come. He knew what was to come, he knew how things would end up thanks to the opening of the Great Rift and the horrors that would soon come. For everyone else however, they were merely… visions.

Walking up to him, she knelt down before pulling him in for a hug. "Those nightmares again, huh?" She whispered, stroking his back. "You have to stop listening to those doomsayers. Not even those Mon'keigh could bring us down if our empires come to blow," She assured him.

He almost wanted to laugh at how cruel it was, how soul crushing it was, but all his warnings were nothing more than hearsay. After all, how could the mighty Aeldari Empire, with its mastery of the warp and their mighty gods, fall? He and the rest that warned them were the mad ones, not those who worshiped her.

"Yeah…" He sighed, sucking it up as he sang, letting his voice heal the damage he caused. The wraithbone, echoing his voice as their innate tone changed to match his own. Slowly, the sharp edges softened while the spikes sank down, until it was as if nothing had happened. He wasn't sure why his voice shaped wraithstone so easily, but it was a gift he was happy to have.

"As sad and haunting as ever," She whispered as he gave him a kiss on the forehead. Standing up, she offered him his hands and smiled, "Come on.~ Let's get out of here before the busy bodies show up. Can't deface a building you know.~"

Smiling, he reached up and grabbed her hands before pulling himself up and bolting; Just in time for the guards to miss them. Laughing, he ran with her, apologizing as they weaved through the crowd. It took a bit before they shook them off.

Leaning against a lamppost, he panted. Sometimes, he wished things were as simple as that. Just two idiots having fun, without a worry in the world, but that wasn't how things were. Slowly, the smile on his face slipped as he sighed.

"That was fun," Iyanna replied as she combed her hair over and grinned at him. As their eyes met, her grin fell, turning to a sad smile. "Those dreams are really bothering you, huh?" She asked.

Nodding, he shared with her, "They're getting more vivid." At that point he felt like a broken recorder, but he had to at least try. If not to warn the others, he could at least have his friend understand. "These pleasure cults, they scare me Iyanna. The being they're worshiping is not something you want to tangle with," He whispered.

Iyanna gave him a look before she replied, "Look, I know you're a bit stuck up," Feeling his cheeks born with indignity, the girl seemed intent to rile him up as she poked his cheeks, "But that's ok since you're cute."

"I'm not stuck up," he muttered, annoyed at how she brought that up of all things. So what if he wasn't as comfortable showing skin as she was? He liked clothes and he didn't want to get cold! Couldn't a man have his comfortable robes?

"Then let's do it," She countered, pulling up her top like there wasn't a crowd just outside the alley they were in.

Grabbing her hands, he stopped her from undressing. "I-Iyanna! Not in public!" He scolded as his ears burned. Just because they did it doesn't mean he wanted to do it right now! That was what closed doors were meant for.

Grinning back, she quickly pointed up, "See, stuck up." He could only let out a groan at her teasing smile. Was he stuck with a girl like her? Pulling him into a hug, she assured him once more, "Come on Eon, those are just dreams. If they weren't, the council would have cracked down on the cults."

"I know…" He replied. It was one of the few things he was grateful about at this age. Chaos wasn't as active as it would be in a few thousand years. Yes, there were daemons, but not to the scale of the 30th Millenium. Still, he couldn't relax, not when he knew what was to come. "But I'm still afraid," He told her.

Smiling widely, Iyanna pulled him in for a warm hug. He froze up before he hugged her back, enjoying her warmth. "I'm glad that you worry about me but I'm starting to worry about you as well," She whispered as he stroked his back.

"I know that the pleasure cults can get extreme," She started, making him snort as he rolled his eyes.

"A bit of an understatement there," He fired back. While they were happy to inflict such harm onto themselves, nothing quite stuck. What was the pain to a race that could come back even from the worst of injuries?

"Hush you," She scolded him before she continued, "But they don't force us to do any of that stuff. They just want us to be honest with ourselves and with others." Despite his reservations, they did keep to themselves. It was only the allures of their pleasure they experienced that pulled people in.

Holding him tightly, she asked, "Is it really that bad that I want you to be happy, that I want us to be happy?"

He pursed his lips, considering his words before he sighed in defeat, "No…"

Kissing him on the cheeks, she told him, "If it keeps you happy, I won't join these cults…" Trailing off, she then grinned as she added, "Unless you join with me!" Holding his hands, she told him, "Together forever, remember?"

He held her hands tightly, never wanting to let her go, "Yeah…" Despite his wishes, however, he couldn't stay there. Pulling back, he told her, "Thank you Iyanna, for looking out for me." If he ever wanted her to keep that smile, he had to let go.

"Hey, us troublemakers stick together," She told him as she looked around before asking, "Now, where do we go? The theater? The restaurants? The shops?!" Her tone was laced with excitement.

"I say the shops," He told her as she let out a squeal of excitement. That would distract her long enough for what he wanted to do. Reaching for his pocket, he pulled out a book before handing it over to her, "Hey Iyanna, can you hold on to this for me?" he asked as he gazed towards the tall spires of the temple just over the horizon.

"Your black book? Why?" She asked, frowning as she gave him questioning looks, "You never let this out your sight, like ever," She told him. He did it for good reason, it held the story of what was to come along with caches of some stuff. It also contained a spirit stone, one he had made in secret for her. He wasn't sure if it'd help, but it was better than nothing.

"I'm just going to visit the temples," He replied, waving off her concerns, "You know, just going to give my respects. Maybe I can get a boon from Vaul… or maybe avoid getting smited by Khaine," He jested, making her chuckle. "But really, I just don't want to get mugged," He lied.

"Silly Eon," She replied, bopping him on the nose for his trouble, "The pleasure cults stab people, not steal from them," She told him before she slipped the book between her breasts, "But sure, I'll hold onto it." As he held back a groan, she laughed, "At least I know you won't run off since I hold the key to all your secrets.~"

Shaking his head, he told her, "If I don't return in an hour, you can read from my notes," Walking off, he bid what might be his final goodbye, "See you in a bit! Also, don't go crazy with the shops! You know how they hate people taking stuff and just letting it rot in a closet!"

"I do not!" Iyanna shouted back, pouting in protest, "Come back here!" Before she could grab him, he slipped away, fading into the immaterium.

It was a rough affair even as he skimmed along the surface, the void staring up at him as he did his best to ignore the presence in the dark, "I'm sorry Iyanna, looks like I have to do this alone," He whispered. It was time he met the gods and forced their hands.

He landed unsteadily upon a solid slab of wraith bone; the courtyard to the temple of the gods. As he got his bearings, he looked up and saw constellations of stars, the map of the Aeldari empire made of precious gems. With their luster and ethereal beauty, each one could have bought entire worlds if they were to be bartered to a lesser civilization.

"Millions of years of civilization, all down the drain chasing after pleasure," He whispered as his eyes trailed to the cracks and decay hidden by the luster.

While many danced and sang, enjoying the bounties of the empire, living their days, the rot that was eating the Aeldari empire was taking root. Even in the most sacred grounds, it was already spreading as minute cracks were starting to spread while murals were marred with the profane.

Still, it was silent and he found solace in the solitude as he walked by the empty courtyard; under the shadows of colossal pillars. With the courtyards to the temple empty, he was left to his thoughts.

As his footsteps echoed, he thought back to the time he woke up so many years ago; a whole new life. It may have been a whole lifetime since he first laid his eyes on those alien skies. Joyful were his days he experienced childhood in another life. He almost lost himself in them until he dreamed once more, dreamed of the coming days and of a past life.

Fear, confusion and melancholy filled his heart as his frown deepened. Reflecting on his life, he wondered why he woke up. Why him? Why there? Why? Those questions brought about uncertainties. Gazing down on his own hands, watching the blazing light that filled his benign through his sight, it would look like any other soul, yet within it was another light. Deep inside were the remnants of a star, hidden amongst the flame.

There he knew that his dreams weren't fiction and in came dread. What would others think if they were to know? Would they see him as an aberration, a monster, a daemon perhaps? No… if he were a daemon, he wouldn't have been able to step into any temples, much less the heart of worship.

Still, he kept it to himself, much like the burden of his knowledge. The beings in the warp, the old enemy sleeping inside their tombs, the unending tide from the outside, and then… Revelation. He was so far back in time that none of these would matter. He could just live out his days, prepare for the worst, and then flee. Hell, he could've even joined the debauchery himself… but no, he simply couldn't sit idly.

While his voice was lost amongst the masses like those of his fellow Aeldari who knew of the truth, he had to do something. A few caches here, maybe even efforts to colonize a planet there, with the time he had on his hands he could do something. He had purpose, he had a vision of the aeldari being saved, if not for his own sake, then for the galaxy's sake.

His visit there was no different from any other. There must've been a reason why the Aeldari Pantheon couldn't act. He wasn't so sure if the legends were true, of how Vaul created a great barrier between the gods and the aeldari but, one way or another, it was going down.

As he was about to enter the temple complex, a fellow aeldari came thundering his way. "Go away! The temple to the gods is not a place for fornication or any of your hedonistic ways!" They shouted. If he didn't know any better, they would just be another face from the crowd, but by the gentle light of the soul, devoid of the luster of youth, he was before an ancient one.

"I'm sorry, head priest, for the troubles, but I mean you no harm," He replied appeasingly as he held up his hands. As the man paused, his gaze judging, Eon explained, "I'm not here to worship She Who Thirsts, I'm here to pay respect to the true gods."

The man narrowed his eyes, confused for a moment, before they quirked their brow, "Oh, a fellow doomsayer?" He nodded and the older man smiled, "It seems that there are still some in this city who do not abide by those cults."

"I'm actually from the provinces," He replied with a soft smile before adding, "But there's alway hope, head priest. So long as we live, Asuryan's light could guide us." He was never truly religious in a human or aeldari terms, but he knew well enough to atleast give them proper reverence. After all, it was hard to ignore how they could be talked to.

"Indeed," The old man nodded before urging him inside, lighting the way with but a flick of his hands. As the braziers burned an ethereal blue, he welcomed him to the house of the gods, "Come, before you get cold."

As they walked in the hallowed halls, he saw that not even the inside were spared. More markings were etched on the walls. Passing by a patch of red crystal, he swore he smelt blood. "I apologize for the state of disrepair," the man sighed, back bent and shoulder weary.

"The cults tried to erect a profane statue for their goddess and we barely held them back," The priest pointed out, pointing at the broken statue of Asuryan lying on the ground while the legs of that evil monster stood shattered over its pedestal.

"I'm surprised they haven't done much more," He replied, shaking his head in dismay. It was always a shame to see such precious works of art, destroyed by zealotry.

"We try," The man whispered before letting out a heavy sigh. "Back in the days, we could make it so that it was as if nothing happened. But now, with our song growing quieter, we had to put things back, piece by piece," He told him, explaining the sad state that he found the temples in.

"With the cult's numbers growing by the day, less and less believers drop by to give their due. Without worshippers, the songs are simply not strong enough to stave off decay, much less defacement from a mob," the priest explained. It was almost like a downward spiral. Why enter a decaying ruin when the pleasure cults were right at their door steps?

"We had good people," The man recalled with a fond smile, "But their numbers are dwindling. Most of them are opting to flee to the edges of the empire," He shrugged.

"Why don't you join them?" Eon asked, curious at why not. Already, there was an exodus. In human terms, they were doom preppers that took things to the extreme. He had heard rumors of cargo ships being turned to towns already. He wondered how long it would take before he heard about the craftworlds.

"As much as I wish too, I won't. I still have a duty to uphold," The man replied, holding his head high. Looking back, he asked, "If I were to leave, who would lend a hand to those in need?"

He gave the man a nod of respect. He was a good man. It was a shame that he was willing to stand in the middle of the blast zone in the vain hope of saving at least one. Passing through the long hallway, they finally arrived at the main sanctuary. Standing before the arched doorway, he felt dwarfed as he saw the giant circular room housing the oldest depictions of the gods.

Far more ancient than even the temple, perhaps from the time of the War in Heaven itself, those crude and titanic effigies of solid spirit stone burned with a power unlike anything he ever felt. "Here we are, the hall of the gods," the priest told him while he gazed up in awe.

Stepping inside, he felt a change in the air, their presence growing sharper as the constant voices that had accompanied him ever since he woke up were silenced. Gone were the twisted cries of ecstasy; there was only silence and the gaze of beings far larger than he was. He could feel their gaze on him as they stirred, his heart almost stilling as each one of them seemed to grow even larger.

Hearing the soft prayers of mercy behind him, it seemed that he wasn't alone in feeling their presence. For a moment, he hesitated. Once he stepped into their domain, they would see him for what he was. His soul would be laid bare… but was there any other choice?

The Aeldari gods were the only force that he knew might have a shot at stopping it. He just needed to get them to tear down the barrier between the Aeldari and the gods. He had an idea… a bad idea, but what was life without a few broken bones and possibly being tormented by Khaine, the Bloody Handed; The one god all too willing to torture his fellow gods… no big deal.

"Do you wish to have some privacy?" The man whispered, looking over to him in worry, probably sensing his intentions as well. A bit of madness was all too hard to miss for the sight of the Aeldari, afterall.

Nodding back, he replied, "If you would, Head Priest." There was no more turning back, no more running away. It was about time that he met the gods and had his little chat with them.

"I wish you luck," They whispered before they retreated, leaving him alone amongst the very gods of his people.Taking a deep breath, he ventured forward, letting go of his fears as he faced them head on.

With all eyes on him, he prayed, "I know I've never been a devout believer, but… I need your help," He begged them, kneeling before the gods as he made his case. "You know she's coming, don't you? She who would bring doom to our worlds, the doom of the Aeldari as a whole, She Who Thirsts," He told them, gazing up as he saw the burning light in the Maiden's eyes.

Sweat dripped down his forehead as he felt their overbearing presence growing stronger, their vision boring into his very soul. "Not even Khaine would be strong enough for them once the future comes to pass," He gritted out before a wave of red hot anger slammed into him.

He fell down on all fours, retching as the weight of the bloody handed one bore down on his back. It was as if a giant was pushing down on him with a finger. Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself back up, refusing to bow down to him as he gathered himself, "Deny it you bloody handed shit head, but we both know you can't do it!" He shouted as one by one, the statues came to life.

The ground below him buckled as Khaine's hands bled crimson, but he couldn't care any less while he begged them, "I don't know how much time there is but you need to act! Just do something. For your sake and for ours!" Though, even as the rest lit up, Asuryan remained still.

"Tear down the barrier between us, help us! Please!" He pleaded with the Phoenix King, but they refused to listen while he felt Anaris loomed over him. Having the attention of the war god on him, he smiled as he closed his eyes. Pulling himself back into the warp, he could feel the war god pulling him back.

"You think you can escape, boy?" The god laughed cruelly as Anaris burned with the light of a thousand suns; His death all but assured.

"No, I was actually counting on you getting angry," He replied as he stopped resisting and let himself be pulled, launching himself down into the depths of the warp. He felt their grasp slip as he sank into the turbulent sea, past the souls of the aeldari and right against the massive crystalline wall that was the heart of the storm. "Sorry Iyanna, looks like I'll be late," He whispered before his vision turned white.

His head rang as his vision slowly came to focus. He wasn't sure if he was dead, or if he had just passed out but whatever it was, it felt painful. Cracking open his eyes, he saw the grinning visage of a giant staring down at him.

"Oh, you're awake," the jester laughed, their lazy eyes rolling in their sockets as their grin widened, "I know you mortals can be insane, but that was amazing! Will you do that again?" He asked, chuckling as more giants came into view.

"H-huh?" Confused, he wondered where he was. The last thing he remembered here was-! Freezing, he looked up and found a flaming giant scowling at him.

"Rise, I will not suffer a weakling in my presence," They growled out, their voice like the sound of countless bellowing horns.

"Khaine," A voice, firm yet gentle, commanded, making the giant grit their teeth in frustration. With a roar, they tossed their sword at him. He felt himself almost die one more time as it sank to the hard floor, just inches away from his body.

"Fine, I'll spare the boy. Happy?" the giant shouted before they walked away and leaned against one of the pillars in the room he found himself in.

As he gathered his wits, he realized that he was inside a giant throne room and there, sitting upon his seat of gold and fire was the unmistakable visage of the Phoenix King. "Asuryan," he whispered as he got down to his knees. He had entered the realm of the gods and stood before them as their audience. He bowed low in respect, especially with Khaine just a stride or two away from where he was.

"Indeed," The kindly king nodded, gesturing for him to stand up. Hesitantly, he did, finding himself dwarfed by the major gods of the pantheon, all gathered before the seat of the Phoenix King. Leaning closer, the god noted, "We have to say, many worshippers have asked to tear down the wall between us… but you might just be the first one to try and tear it down by your own hands."

"I had to try, my lord," He replied, feeling relief flooding his form. No longer fearing for his life, he warned them, all but tripping his words as he did so, "It was urgent my lord, time is of the essence! You can see my soul if you need to. Lileath's vision rings true!"

The youngest amongst the group gave him a strange look as she whispered, "You are either the bravest aeldari we've ever met."

"Or the most foolish," Khaine snidely interjected, earning him the ire of the rest in the room. The god wasn't so wrong though, as he admitted that it could have ended so badly for him. He did throw himself against what was essentially a solid wall.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Asuryan told him, "We will be frank with you…" He could not quite hear the words that left his mouth, but he felt it to his core; his name in its truest essence whispered to his ears before he continued, "We've seen her rise, the one that would bring doom to us all."

"So, you could help us, right?" He replied shakily, excitement rising up his chest as he asked them, "You see what will happen. Can you fix it? Can you help us?" For once in his new life, he felt hope only for it to be crushed as he saw the Phoenix King shake his head in dismay.

"Unfortunately, we can't help," The god replied as he leaned back against his throne, "Not anymore…"

"You can't or you won't?" He snapped back, his anger boiling over once more. He couldn't believe that the gods would just sit this out, to let this tragedy come to pass. "Do none of you wish to help us?!" He asked, refusing to back down even as the War God roared

"Watch your tongue, boy!" The giant spat, but he held firm. He was angry at them and angry at himself for believing that they'd at least do something. No wonder the Aeldari fell.

"It is alright brother, he is only voicing his frustrations, but do not mistake inaction for malice," The Phoenix King scolded him, forcing him to his knees as he reminded him that he was still in the presence of a god. "To answer your question, we can no longer cross into the world of the living," The god told him before he trailed off, "Not when we're far too weakened…"

"Even if we were to bring down the wall, then what, young one?" The woman beside the king added, "All it would bring is a slower and agonizing death for the Aeldari as a whole," She told him.

"They will resent us, view us as tyrants," The broken, crippled god of smiths pointed out.

"Their wills, bound to our own just like in the days of old. Our people would live, but their passions muted, their lives without the freedom they enjoy," The old crone added before the motherly beside the hunter chimed in.

"Is such a life worth it? A stagnant, still existence?" She asked as tears flowed down her cheeks.

He looked away, feeling his anger die down as he faced the question. He hadn't quite considered what it meant for the gods and the aeldari to live side by side once more. A return to the old ways, one far closer to living weapons, that was their lives before all of this.

Was he really willing to live a life and doom others to it? A life tied to such forces that he might as well not have a will of his own? No, no he could not. Shoulders slumping, he whispered in dismay, "So it's too late then." There was no way he could avoid it.

"For us, yes…" The king of the gods said before he rose upm "But for you, son of man and aeldari, it is not." Feeling his gaze upon him as they stepped down from their throne, the god commanded, "Rise my adopted child, you still have a role to play. You will become our champion!"

"W-wait, what?" He replied, blindsided by the sudden change. Even the gods were taken aback as they looked at their king in shock. Only Vaul himself was unaffected, but mostly due to how his gaze turned from judging to one akin to a smith inspecting the metal presented to them, How the hell did things turn to that?

"Asuryan, you can't be serious," Khaine said in disbelief only to realize that the King was truly serious. "This– this is madness! This is suicide!" The warrior shouted in anger as he recalled his sword which flew back to their awaiting hands. With his burning sword held high, he tried rallying the rest of the gods, "We can take them! Not even those three interfering would be a problem now that we know they're coming!"

None would take his offer as they sided with their king. "Will you join us, brother?" The king asked, extending his arms out to the warrior.

"Come on Khaine, it's not like you'll need it once you're shattered," Cegorach laughed as he hid behind the King. Not that it spared him, as Isha cuffed the clown on the back of the head with perfect comedic timing.

Lowering his sword, the warrior looked at the offered hands before slapping it away, their face twisted in fury, "I refuse!"

As he snapped out of his daze, he quickly joined the War God in protest, "I agree with Khaine!" The warrior looked at him, at which he raised his hands in surrender. He wanted no part of this, at all. He didn't know what he was getting into! Why was it being forced on his hands?!

Giving him a nod, the man then turned back to the gods as he pointed at him, "Look! Even the mortal knows he's not worthy of the powers of the gods!" Hearing what they had planned, he gave them questioning looks. He was the worst possible option for this!

Storming off, they shouted, "I will take no part in this!" Their form burst into flame, leaving the room before the other gods could even reply. Without the war god, Eon suddenly felt alone.

"He will be, in time," Asuryan whispered as he talked to the other gods. While they were busy, Eon took his chance, trying to sneak out before they enacted their plans. Being stuffed with the power of the gods might sound amazing, but it also meant that the bitch would be after him.

"Kurnous, Isha, hold him down," the king's voice echoed across the hall, signaling his doom. Before he could make a break for it, he found himself bound by plants; their vines wrapping around him as their presence loomed over him,

"Morai-heg, prepare the boy for his task," The king commanded, giving him little time to protest as pain overwhelmed him, "Vaul, prepare the crown."

"Come on, could I at least tell you what I think of this!?" He screamed as the crone reached down to him, tearing at his very soul. Pain, pain was all he felt as he was opened up like a can. He could feel the inside of his souls spill out to the surface as he burned from the inside out.

Amidst the agony he felt, he heard them whisper, "Our age is about to pass, our worship all but gone and limited to a few true believers. Our power's waning," He felt like taffy stretched beyond its limit, his sense of self almost fading as he struggled to stay sane, "While we cannot slay Her, for She has grown too mighty, we can deny her her prize."

"We grant you our power," They said in chorus as strength filled his veins, his blood boiling over, "We grant you our knowledge," They chanted as his mind expanded, his eyes opened to the infinite, "We grant you parts of our beings," They chanted as he felt himself being pulled back, the pain abating as a dull din filled his sense.

"Y-you're making me a host? But there must be others far more worthy than I am," he gasped as the edge of his vision started to turn black and the world closed in, "Heck, I'm not even a true aeldari. I was human…" He slurred, trying to fight the darkness.

"It's exactly why we chose you," their voice echoed in his mind, their tone filled with hope even as they became more ethereal, "Of all the champions we could choose, you're the only one She won't slay out right."

"The Age of Gods might have ended, but the age of the Eldar has only just begun," He… he didn't want to fade. He didn't want to return to that darkness again. "In you we trust the fate of our people. Lead them, guide them, it is now in your hands," They asked him as he clung onto their voices, desperately holding on.

"Find the one called Revelation, our child," They commanded as their presence faded, their voice like the whispers amidst the silence, "Find them, for they could be either our greatest ally… or our worst enemy."

As his eyes closed and numbness spread across his form, he heard the old crone croak out, sounding like a shadow of their already faded radiance, "As impressive as the boy's resilience is, his soul needs time to heal, Asuryan".

"I have so many things to say, but it's now time for you to rest," Isha whispered as he felt a kiss upon his brow. He felt bliss, his soul finally stilling as their voices slowly faded into nothingness, "Sleep my child, you have much to do once you wake up…"

He slept, his form still as he floated in a dreamless void. He didn't know how long it lasted, but in that void, he felt at peace. Like an old friend, it welcomed him, lulling him back to rest as the memories of pain faded away, leaving nothing but memories of his encounter. Even as he stirred, his mind finally breaking the shackles that bound him, he wanted to rest.

Despite his wishes, he would have no choice as he started to burn. Opening his eyes, he beheld a dusty and barren wasteland as he fell down from the skies. For a moment, he marveled in awe at its desolation. It almost felt like a dream, but the fires that consumed his clothes quickly woke him up.

Terror filled his senses as the world grew larger until it filled his vision. The only consolation he had as the ground came up to him was the fire wrapping around his form felt… warm. Like a fiery comet, he slammed down to the ground with earth shattering force.

He blanked out, his mind skipping and the next thing he knew he was climbing out of the crater. "Why is the world spinning?" He laughed as the world shifted like the dunes of the desert… no, he was in a desert. Looking around, he saw himself in an endless sea of sand and salt. "So pretty…" He blinked as he fell over.

Staring up at the yellow sky, with the smiling sun dancing in the sky, he wondered where he was. He was certainly not in his bedroom, that's what! As he struggled to remember what he just ate, he found a very sharp and pointy blade poking his nose.

"An Aeldari? No… something else," An ethereal, fairy-like voice whispered as a tall golden form loomed over him. Whoever she was, her fire felt like the sun of his once distant home. He laid there, unable to look away as their form came into focus. Tilting their head, they whispered, "You are strange. What are you…"

"I know what you are though," he giggled, slowly pushing aside the blade as he told her, "You're beautiful." Laughing, he fell back, wondering if the dream would keep on going.

He saw the girl pause, their cheeks turning an interesting shade of pink before they muttered, "... Flattery won't do you any good," Stabbing the blade to the soft ground, just inches away from his face, she hissed out, "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you here and now? What is your purpose? Who sent you!"

What was his purpose? As he remembered, he suddenly laughed, "Hah… would you believe that the Aeldari gods gave me what little power they have left and tasked me with saving my people?" He replied. He knew it happened, but it sounded so silly.

"... what?" Even the girl sounded confused! The gods truly must've been crazy if they trusted him of all people to find the Emperor.

"That's what I said," He replied before he yawned, "Now excuse me while I go to sleep," Closing his eyes, he conked out, returning to his rest. The sun was too bright for him to be awake. It was time for him to return to sleep.

A/N:

And so, the Aeldari Pantheon made their last and final gambit. Giving up what little they have left, they crowned their champion. The time of the Gods have ended, now is the time of the Aeldaris, now is their time overcome their short comings and rise up. Hopefully, their chosen champion would be up for the task as he is a bit loopy right now lol. Anyways, this has been sitting on my Patreon for a bit and it just keeps falling short. Just throwing it out in the wild and seeing if anyone would take a bite and maybe support it in the next polling season this March.

With that out of the way, I'd like to thank @vyor. It's never a dull moment when I torment him with my words... jk. Vyor, you know how I can't do this without you.

Chapter Text

A Shattered Soul

At first there was nothing, then there was fire. The world burned as the aftershocks of a cruel goddess' birth swallowed the stars themselves.

Like the gaping maw of a hungering beast, the sky tore open before the all the consuming warp spilled out and tore worlds asunder. Men, women, children, it mattered little. Like some great flood, it swept everything away, swallowing the stars and spelling the doom of the once great Aeldari Empire.

Stone turned to flesh, people warped into all manners of shapes, and even the air itself turned heady with the scent of blood and perfume as the world turned mad in but a blink of the eye. It all happened so fast, ending so many lives in a flash, but perhaps it was a mercy for those that didn't even see it coming as what followed made Eon wish he had joined them as well.

From the broken came twisted beings, once livings turned into a vessel for the neverborns. They were the very first of Her children, terrible muses to her desires and they showed no mercy. With the very first breath they took, they enacted their twisted desires upon the world.

Their cruel laughter soon filled streets as these terrible creatures sought out those unfortunate enough to have survived the cataclysm, enacting all manners of terrible deeds and debauchery upon the living. Not even those that had brought this madness upon the stars would be spared as they were cut open and their blood spilled upon their profane altars to serve their master's desires.

As the screams of the damned filled the air and the cries of pain and pleasure drowned out all thoughts, Eon fell to his knees. He could feel it, every lash and tear, and every twisted moan of ecstasy echoing in his very soul. It was all too much; but nothing could compare to the pain he felt as he saw what laid before him.

His childhood home, his family's villa, and even the forest which he explored as he youth were gone. Nothing was spared as his world drowned in the warp. Still, as much as he wanted to scream out to the gods and despair, he found himself rising to his feet.

"Iyanna," He whispered as he powered through the maddening cries, "Iyanna!"

Half blinded by all these impossible colours and feelings, he stumbled along, searching for his beloved. Every step felt like torture as he felt his muscles sliding against his bones and his nerves lighting up with all manners of sensation, but he kept going. He didn't know how long he had run, nor how far, but by some miracle he would find her amidst the ruins.

"Iyanna…" Despite everything, she remained untouched and like a beacon amidst the darkness, her radiant smile would greet him back.

"Eon." Reaching out to him, she spread her arms wide, inviting him over.

With tears spilling down his cheeks, he pulled himself into her arms and held on to her like his life depended on it. "Iyanna, oh Iyanna. Thank the gods you're ok." He might have lost everything, but not her. She was safe here in his arms.

"Silly Eon, of course I'm safe," Feeling his comforting hands, he all but melted into his hold, "You came to save me after all. Everything's going to be alright." As much as he wanted to promise her such, he couldn't, not when they're still here.

"We have to get out here," He told her urgently, "We have to go, now!" Finding her was the easy part. Now, they needed to go away; As far away as he could take them. Unfortunately for them, his luck would soon run out as the hideous cackling of daemonettes filled the air.

"Oh, isn't this a precious sight," So half delirious from agony and ecstasy was he that he almost missed the daemons that crept up around them, "A hero and his princess. I wonder what they taste like together?~"

Fury like never before filled his veins as his mind sharpened with focus. As turbulent as the warp was, he was its master. "You will not take her!" He shouted as he sang. Before they could even blink, the ground beneath them rippled as spikes jutted out.

Impaled upon wraith bone, dozens died; but not all of them. Ignoring their companions, they rushed at him, tearing at their own flesh as they ran straight into the storm of wraithbone that whipped around them. For as many that fell, two would take their place as they fell upon them.

"Iyanna get back!" He shouted as he pushed her back, taking a clawed hand against his shoulder. Gritting his teeth, he glared back at their mocking smile as he pulled out a sword from the field of blades around them and struck back.

There was neither grace nor fluidity in his strikes, just savagery as he stabbed them in the eyes, necks, arms. Tearing their head from their shoulder, he hacked away at the hoard even as they tore at his limbs, bleeding him out. Even as more fell, so too did more wounds snake across his form until he could barely hold on.

Pulled up by his hair, the Neverborn laughed as they tossed him down on the ground. His fury quickly turned to horror as he saw their clawed hands around Iyanna. He tried to rise up, but a spiked heel would pin his ruined shoulder against the ground. He nearly passed out from the pain.

As he struggled on the ground, reaching for Iyanna, she smiled back. "Everything's going to be ok." Slowly, they tore away at her clothes leaving only her bare skin against their claws. Tracing along her dark skin, he watched as blood poured down from the open wounds.

"I'll kill you all," He roared out, his body straining as he pushed against the ground. Even as their claws dug into his wounds and pain overwhelmed his senses, he pushed himself up, meeting their captors' taunting gaze, "I swear I'll tear your guts out and string you up with them!"

Still, even as their putrid tongue ran across Iyanna's skin and their filthy hands grabbed her naked form, she remained calm as he smiled back at him, "Everything's going to be ok because my Eon's going to save me after all."

"Iyanna!" He cried, screaming as he tried to tear out his own arm, "Not like this!" It couldN't be happening. It couldn't end like this, not after everything he had done and after everything that they had been through.

All his efforts would be for nothing as another Daemonette would pin him down. Broken and defeated, he was made to watch as they took everything from him. As their hands dug into her chest and tore out her still beating heart, she choked out, "He just needs to wake up."

Gasping, Eon bolted up right before slamming head first against a hard bar. "Ugh, my head." Clutching his face, he fell back against the tight confines of the space he woke up in. Slamming his head against something hard definitely woke him up. Laying there, he nursed his head as he waited for it to stop ringing.

Still, as painful as the experience was and how cold and cramped it was wherever he might be, he felt relief washing over him. "It was only a dream."

His relief would prove short-lived as the rhythmic sound of metal striking metal along with the bellows of a great furnace filled the air. He wasn't alone. Breathing in the strong, overwhelming scent of oil and metals filling the air, the type of which more primitive races were all too eager to use, he felt dread fill his senses. Was he captured by Orks?

Even around his family's planet, those terrible creatures proved to be a thorn in his side. Large, imposing, and incredibly dumb; they seemed almost comical until they were riled to a fight. What they lack in intellect they made up with vicious cunning and a terrifying proficiency in war. Along with their sheer tenacity and brutality, they were creatures even he wouldn't take lightly.

Thankfully for him, he didn't hear the familiar earth shaking roars that often accompanied those brutes; Just what appeared to be the sound of metal being forged. He was safe for now, at least until whatever captured him made themselves known.

The Aeldari had made plenty of enemies, plenty of which would be more than eager to exact vengeance against them. Right then, he didn't even know where he was. He could try and make a jump right now, but with his senses still shot from the uncomfortable awakening he had, he wasn't sure it was the right idea.

He didn't quite trust himself not to fling himself into space if he were to jump through the warp right then. "I'm not even sure how long I've been asleep," He muttered as he tried to figure out how he got there. Last thing he remembered was going to the temples before… he got tangled up in the god's cruel plans.

Memories, painful memories would soon flood his mind. The meeting, their hands tearing into him as they rooted inside his very soul, along with experiences not his own. Of peace and wars, of triumphs and tragedies, and of failures and achievements across entire lifetimes he lived through. It not only felt like his mind was being torn apart, but his very soul was close to bursting.

Clenching his eyes, he counted down, pushing it all back down as it became a trickle. He remembered everything and then some. He knew they weren't his own, far unlike the memories of his life he once had, but they were his own now. As twisted as it was, he felt himself live through all of them…

Dealing with all the new memories would have to wait, as he had far more pressing matters on hand. Forcing his eyes open, he found himself trapped in a cage barely big enough for him to sit up. "That explains everything," He muttered as he powered through his nausea and righted himself to a much more comfortable position. He was captured alright, but who'd done it?

Looking around he found himself in a dark cave or, rather, a primitive forge as a lone woman worked the forge; A human. Why were her tools so… outdated? Focusing on her, he tried gleaning more details.

At first glance, she looked unassuming, though quite fetching with her long black hair, a strong pair of arms and figure that even Iyanna would find herself jealous with. The more he looked at her, however, the more he felt uneasy. She looked human, but there was something about her that made the hair at the back of his neck stand up in fear.

There was something more to her, something which screamed power. She looked human, but she didn't feel like one. She felt more like them than anything else, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that as he found himself back up against the cage. He… he needed to get out of there.

While teleporting was out of the question in his current state, he had other options. Feeling for his back teeth with his tongue, he found the wraith bones where his molars were. So long as a Bonesinger like himself had Wraithbone to work with, he was never without his tools. He just needed to pull it out…

Reaching inside his mouth, he closed his eyes, bracing himself for the pain before he pulled. Choking back his cries, he wiggled it out until it finally came loose. It was bloody and he was in pain, but he got his piece. His struggles, however, wouldn't come unnoticed.

Skilled in shaping he may have been, but stealthy he was not as he heard the rhythmic hammering cease. Slowly, he watched the woman set her tools aside before she turned around and glared at him. "Don't bother."

Feeling her gaze upon him, he froze in place. As soft as her voice was, there was steel behind them, steel that stole his breath away as easily as her golden eyes stilled his heart. Just who was this woman?

Letting out a nervous grin, he replied with every once of false bravado he could muster, "So the blacksmith isn't mute. What a surprise." It took every ounce of his will not to flinch. How could he not when faced against someone like her?

He could still feel those terrible golden eyes boring into him even as she turned back to her project. Still, he couldn't let that shake his resolve. He had faced the gods, so what could she do that would make her any worse?

Steadying his breath, he pushed through the haze of the pain and terror as he readied himself. He had one shot at this; a single lock to pick and a mad dash to freedom. Breathing in the warp, he felt it pool in his lungs before it flowed like molasses. It would take him great effort to even craft a simple knife, something that he could have done in a blink before he got here.

Choking back panic, he pulled at the warp, trying to tap at its power, yet it felt as if he was trying to hold water between his fingers. As soon as she tried pooling it, it would slip past his grasp. "W-what the hell?" This can't be right… unless.

Reaching out, he grabbed hold of the bars and it all clicked. "You used Blackstone? Who the hell uses blackstone for a cage!?" His rusty cage wasn't so rusty after all. It was solid blackstone down to the very base. No wonder he could barely muster the warp. It was even a miracle unto itself that he hadn't gone gibbering mad… until he remembered what the gods did to him.

"Small mercies I suppose," He thought before turning to his current predicament. As solid as the construction was, there were links and joints to bond the stone as well to lock it in place. Even those would prove to be impossible to manipulate as he felt the golden material beneath his touch.

For a moment, he thought he had stumbled upon a human made Wraithbone, but it felt wrong. It was lightweight, but dense. It also felt dull to his senses, far more inert than even the unliving stone itself, but it was tough; almost impossibly so. Not even his knife could mark it more than a scratch. "What the hell is this?"

Whatever it was, one thing was clear though. "Damn it," He cursed, slumping against his cage. He was caught and he had no way out. Turning to his captor, he raised his hands in surrender. "Ok you got me." Struggling would only exhaust him further. "What do you want?"

She clearly had something in mind for him if she took all this effort to cage him up. His question, however, would only be met with silence. Feeling sweat drip down the back of his neck, he tried again, "Look, I get that you want to get me all uneasy with the silent treatment, and I get it, but can we just cut to the chase?"

"Is there anything I could give you to let me go?" He begged her as he got to his knees, "Anything at all?" He didn't care what it would cost him, just that he got back to Iyanna. "I just want to get back to my friend…"

That request had been a stretch too far as the woman turned back at him with a scowl and the steel in her hands now forged to a great sword. "That's a pretty sword," He swallowed, eyes never leaving the glowing hot steel as she lifted it off the anvil and held the still burning metal tightly in her hands, "So bright and golden. You aren't going to stick that in me, right?"

As she marched towards him, he started begging, "Look, I know my people might not be the best-!" He had to suck in his gut, bending out of the way as the woman had a stab at him. "Ok, they can be horrible, but that doesn't mean all of us are!"

He cursed the day that the pleasure cults came to be as the woman redoubled her efforts. "Atharti's fucking tits, woman, what the hell is wrong with you?!" He screamed as his heart hammered away at his chest.

"Surely I can give you something, anything!" Begged as he might, his words would quickly fall on deaf ears. Frustration would soon mount as he gripped his blade. "Listen damn you!" Why should he beg when she wouldn't even listen? "I said listen!"

Roaring out, he felt something in him break as the cage shattered. He felt power the likes of which coursing through his veins as he unleashed his might. As his mind came into focus, however, he felt dread fill his veins as the woman's golden aura clashed against his own, "... Oh, you're Him."

Before he could react, he felt a gloved hand punch him in the face, shattering his concentration as the knife he held clattered against the floor. Dazed, he fell on his back as the world spun around him. He wouldn't have time to rest as he quickly found himself hauled to his feet as he held him by his neck. "What do you want?"

Righteous anger burned inside his chest at her ignorant question. Glaring at her even as she leveled her sword at him, he spat back, "Now you're asking when I've been telling you this entire fucking time, you bitch?!" How dare she!

As he struggled to breath, she slammed his back against the walls, driving what little breath she had in his lungs. "Who sent you!" She shouted. She wasn't even listening to him.

Forcing out a bitter laugh, he choked out, "You want to know who sent me? Fucking Asuryan and the rest of those bastards!" That loosened her grip enough to let him breathe. Sucking air greedily, he glared at her, "If you want someone to be angry with, then get angry with those assholes, you whore!"

He didn't care if she was the God Emperor. She was just as horrible as he'd imagined, if not more. Fortunately, he didn't have to tell Iyanna that from inside She Who Thirst's stomach as the woman finally let go. "You're not lying…"

"Why the hell would I be lying?" He coughed as he grabbed his neck, forcing his collapsed windpipe to inflate with a touch of the warp. He could tap into it now, but it felt off. It felt disgusting, almost like he had dipped his hands in oil.

Still, beggars couldn't be chooser as he knitted his wounds closed and wove himself a tunic. It was scratchy and stiff, but better than being naked around the bitch. Clutching the white cloth closely, he muttered, "I don't even want to be here or anywhere near you, but here I am."

"Fuck, I shouldn't have gone to their temple…" If he hadn't thought of that bone head plan, if he had just stayed with Iyanna instead of trying to save everyone, he would have been with her. Instead, he woke in the God Emperor's or, rather, God Empress' dungeon. "I'm such an idiot!"

As he collapsed against the wall of her dungeon, she watched him wearily. Ever the untrusting bitch, wasn't she? As he glared back at her, she asked coldly, "Why did they send you here?"

"Hell if I know," He shrugged as he clutched his chest, "They just stuffed my soul with their stuff and chucked me out here." Even now, he could feel them inside him. The memories weren't just anyone's, they were there and now they were part of him. He wanted nothing to do with them.

For a moment, the woman stared at him impassively before she grimaced. "They wanted me to protect you," She hissed as stabbed her sword on the ground and sat down on a nearby stool.

It took him a moment, before realization dawned on him. "Bastards, aren't they?" He laughed bitterly. All their talk on him uniting the Aeldari was just that: talk. He wasn't meant to defeat Her, he was meant to deny her of Her prize and they now forced the Empress's hands on the matter.

As the realization sank in, he covered his face. It wasn't every day that he woke up and found himself with a target on his back. The moment the whore those monsters worshiped woke up, he'd be first on the menu and Iyanna might just get caught in the crossfire.

Blissful silence soon descended upon them as he took a moment to process it all. What was he supposed to do now? He couldn't expect her to take care of him just because. It wasn't humanity's fight, but his people's.

Letting out a heavy sigh, he forced himself back up as he apologized, "Look, I'm sorry for causing you any trouble, but can you just please let me go?"

"I just want to go back to my friend before the Warp Storms start popping up," He explained as the woman looked at him with an unreadable expression, "Both of us already had enough on our plates and I'd rather not deal with this drama…" He had an apocalypse to deal with, while she had her own. Speaking of preparing for the apocalypse, "Why the hell are you in a dump anyways?"

"Don't you have an STC somewhere?" He asked. He couldn't have been knocked out for that long. Surely she'd had time to prepare for when shit hit the fan. "I know they're not cheap and they have AI, but shouldn't you have one or at least something basic? Not… whatever this is."

Wherever it was, it was a dump. There were no advanced STC fabricators, nor was it even a factory. It was just a workshop, albeit a well stocked one with all the gun barrels and blades hanging on the walls.

The woman would only stare at him before she spoke terrible words. "You don't know what year it is, do you?"

Feeling ice fill his veins, he sat there unmoving. He… he couldn't have slept that long right? He remembered them speaking how he needed time to rest, but they can't be that cruel. All those years, all that time that Iyanna would have waited for him. Swallowing, he whispered, "What year is it?"

Her answer was as cruel as the fate heaped upon him by the gods of his people; "It's M28."

Several thousand years, he had slept millenia for the sake of the gods. "You're shitting me," He laughed as he cried. The gods weren't just cruel, they were monsters. "Fuck!" Throwing his blade away, he sobbed at the life that was taken away from him.

He cried and laughed, before he finally got it all out. He… he was no longer in his own time. He was a man not only lost in space, but in time as well. Even with his great life, he couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around the passage of such time.

"I might as well be a distant memory," He whispered as he tried to remember what he had missed. The Men of Iron Revolt, the Age of Strife as well as the countless warpstorms that would come about from his people's self destructive and collective suicide. "Fuck, I'm stuck with you, aren't I?" He laughed as he tried holding back his tears.

Rubbing his eyes, he soon found himself staring at the rags offered by the woman. Seeing her soft gaze, he felt his spirit crushed. He must have been quite the pathetic sight if she had taken pity on him.

No words would be exchanged as the woman helped him back to his feet. As he stumbled along listlessly, he felt his world and his souls shatter inside him. Why did he have to be such a fool and throw everything away?

A/N:

Eon needs a hug right now. Several thousand years is a lot of time even for an Eldar. If I sorta did my math correct, it's three thousand years of Eldari Collapse atop the Age of Strife. That's so much stuff just skipped right for him. All that plan, all those stock piles? Makes you wonder what happened to them along with Iyanna. The only thing I'm going to say is that Eon is a squirell on crack when it comes to hording resource and justifiably so. It's a pretty long winter...

Now with that out of the way, I would like to thank @vyor once again. Keeps me on the right track when it comes to plot points and the funsies.

Chapter Text

Picking Up The Pieces

Leaning against the window near his bed, Eon sat atop the rough sheets as he stared unseeing to the world outside. Three Millennia, that was how long he had spent as sleep after the gods toyed with his soul and pulled him into their twisted plans. Three Millennia of his life gone, just like that, from their whims alone. Did his life mean nothing to them?

Then again, why should they care? It was he who walked into their domain after all. It was with his own two hands that he tore through the wall separating the gods from the mortal plane and by his own free will that he begged them to do something.

They did something, alright, but it cost him everything. His plans now meant nothing. His preparations might as well be a dust in the wind as the Warp Storms cut him off from the wider galaxy. And Iyanna, his sweet Iyanna? Would she even remember him after all those years he went missing? He now had nothing.

He should've been angry, raging at the gods, yet he felt nothing. His heart beat only to keep him bound to the world, uncaring of his plight. With his soul and will broken, he felt nothing but the emptiness that now lay inside his heart. Not even the warmth of the morning sun could ease him from the gnawing cold that crept into his soul.

Pulling away from the window, he laid down on the bed, his heart unfeeling as the hole inside his soul grew. He had nothing save for the clothes on his back and the Empress's pity on his poor soul. Feeling the hollow smile stretched across his parched lips, he chuckled.

That was the only reason why he was even alive right now; Her pity. She took pity on him, giving him room under her roof in the town she called her own. As he reached up and felt the blackstone collar wrapped around his neck, he wondered if it was more than just pity.

"She's only keeping you alive to keep you away from the enemy," The voices in his head whispered as he curled up, his hands desperately pressing against his ears. If he died, his soul was forfeit. Out there, in the depths of the warp and perhaps even in the hidden corners of his mind, She lay waiting.

He couldn't die, not unless he wanted to throw the galaxy into the fires of hell, but what purpose did he have in living? Eyes wandering on the knife left atop the table by his bedside, he felt his breathing grow shallow. Slowly, he reached out, his fingers having long since grown numb as he gripped the haft tightly.

He'd made the knife when he was trying to escape. Made from the very essence of the warp, this finely crafted knife was like all the other knives he'd made. Sharp, perfectly balanced, yet it had no use to him right then. He was safe, hidden away on some corner of Terra. What use did he have for it?

Hands gripping it tightly, he gritted his teeth, tears threatening to spill out of his eyes as he got up. Raising it high, he clenched his eyes shut before he let out a scream of frustration as he threw it as far away as he could. "I can't do this anymore," He cried as he pulled his knees close to his chest, his heart aching even as tears refused to fall down his cheeks.

He just wanted this nightmare to end, to wake up in his loved one's hands as they whispered to him that everything was ok, but he couldn't. Not anymore. It was now his life, his reality, and he had to pick up the pieces of his tattered soul.

"It's just not fair…" He whispered, choking back the sobs as for the first time in so many years, he didn't know what he was going to do. Was there even anything he could do?

As his mind wondered, pulled deeper into the abyss, a voice would snap him from his stupor. "H-hey," A young voice called out, "Umm… I know you haven't touched the food I gave you and I have to keep feeding it to the livestock, but I brought you fresh breakfast?"

Eyes shifting, he stared at the young boy who had kept him company from time to time. With his scraggly cut hair, sunburnt face, missing tooth and a bandage over his right eye; he looked like he had been through alot despite his youth. Still, the boy had this annoying smile on his face, something which made him angry.

"No, he's just a kid," He whispered to himself as he looked away, pulling his bony legs against his chest, "Just ignore him like you always do." He shouldn't be angry at the boy. He was just an innocent soul who was trying to take care of him.

Lifting up his tray, the boy beamed, "It's made from fresh produce which I picked from the greenhouse!" Carrying a bowl of what looked like soup and a cup of water over to his bedside, he swapped out the stale bread he brought over yesterday as he regaled him with tales of the Empress.

"She's really nice you know, helping us build this big glass house to grow food," He chattered, eyes drifting over to the knife embedded on the wall, "Can you believe it? Fresh food out here in Tolia!" Glancing back at him, he grinned, "Bet you haven't seen anything like this before?"

As he glanced at the red soup, his nose crinkled. Unlike the soup from before, which was nothing more than thin gruel, this was something else. The strong acrid scent blasted him head on, making his mouth water and his stomach grumble, something the boy caught onto.

Grinning from ear to ear, the boy teased, "You're hungry, aren't you?" Maybe it was that cock sure grin the boy sported or his own soured mood, but there was something about that smile that made the boy utterly insufferable.

Turning away, he huddled against the wall. "I'm not hungry," He muttered, lying through his teeth even as his body betrayed him, "And yes, I have eaten fresh food before." With his mind drifting off to a far off place he might never visit again, he whispered, "My family has a farm off somewhere in the stars…"

He simply wanted solace right now, but his words had unintended consequences as he found the boy gawking at him. "Y-you can speak?!" The snot nosed brat yelled in wide eyed surprise.

"Of course I can speak," He snapped back, "Now go away." He didn't have time to entertain the brat. He'd already given him what the Empress probably told him to give him so he could go. There was no need for him to bother him any longer.

The youth, however, only got emboldened as he slammed his tiny palms at the edge of his lump bed. "Well, why haven't you said a word then!?" He screeched, pointing at him accusing with righteous indignation. "Do you know how embarrassing it is that I kept complaining to you about this girl who kept teasing me!" He added, "I've been talking to you for a month now!"

Had it already been that long? How long had it been since he last ate or drank water? Licking his chapped lips, he shifted as he forced a smile on his face as he asked, "Were you?" He honestly hadn't paid much attention after… everything. Still, he could make use of this. "Thanks for reminding me." Perhaps if he annoyed him enough, he'd leave on his own.

Pouting, the boy crossed his arms across his chest as he mumbled, "I liked it better when you weren't talking…"

Snorting, he turned away and laid down. Maybe now he'd leave him alone, but his hopes were in vain. Feeling the boy's stare at the back of his neck, he turned, finding him now sitting on a chair. Leaning on the edge of his chair with both hands, he narrowed his eyes as he just stared at him. "Why are you staring at me like that?" He asked as he shifted uncomfortably.

"It's just…" The boy replied as he tilted his head, "I've never seen a Monster up close before." Well, that was certainly a new one. "I've heard bad things from the older folks, but you don't look that scary," The boy noted as his gaze lightened to one of pity, "Just sad and angry."

"Monster?" He scoffed, more amused than anything, "Is that what you see in me?" Was that how other races now see his people, as nothing more than a bunch of hedonistic monsters? Truly, his people had fallen so lowly.

"Well, you look like a monster, being all tall and pointy eared," He gestured as he tugged at his own ears. "But maybe a nice monster?" He cautioned before frowning, "Are those even a thing though?"

Sitting up once more, he asked,"What if I'm not a nice monster. What if I'm just doing all of this to get you to lower your guard?" As he stared right at the boy's eyes, the boy smiled.

"Are you?" He asked, making him falter as he glanced away.

"No, not really." Holding himself, he begged the boy, "If you were looking forward to seeing me eat, just… just take it." He just couldn't bring himself to eat anymore. What was even the point? "I'm not hungry…"

"You're better off having it than me," He whispered, "At least it won't go to waste…" He already felt terrible enough knowing he had wasted yesterday's meal because he waddled in his own misery. At least if the boy ate this one, he could grow stronger.

Rocking on his chair, the boy mumbled, "Monsters sure are weird."

"From my point of view, you're the weird one," He snapped back yet his tone lacked the heat it once had. He was just tired now. He wanted to lay down again and forget about today.

Still, the boy kept pestering him. "Are you sure you're not hungry?" He asked insistently, "I could just leave it by your bedside like usual. Maybe you'd get hungry later?" Pushing the dish closer, he added, "It's not like it would go to waste. All leftovers goes to the livestock."

Gazing tiredly at the kid, he muttered, "Kid, has anyone told you that you're annoying?" Where was this kid getting all his energy? Was he eating his suffering?

Seeing that smile stretching across his lip, he found his answer. "More times than I can count!" The boy laughed unashamedly. The boy was definitely feeding on his suffering. Must've been a new breed of humans, he swore.

As he tried his best to ignore the kid, the boy asked, "Hey mister, do monsters like you just don't eat at all and like how does that work?" Shooting up from his seat and planting his hands on his bed, he grinned, "Do you get it from the sun like plants?!"

Nursing his growing headache, he replied, "No, I'm not a plant. I'm just like you." He was an Aeldari, not Protoss. He could derive some sustenance from the warp, but even that was limited. "I need to eat, sleep and drink. I'm just not hungry at the moment."

"But your stomach's rumbling," The boy pointed out, "There it is right now!" He was never going to get rid of the kid after he talked to him, wasn't he?

Letting out a heavy sigh, he turned to the boy before glancing at the meal at his bedside. "If I eat one bite, will you shut up and leave me alone?" He asked, making the boy's face lit up.

Nodding happily, he replied, "Mhmmm! Scouts promise!"

Snorting, he turned to his meal. He really didn't believe the boy one bit, but with the hot soup so near, his body could no longer deny itself. He needed to eat.

Swallowing, he reached out with shaky hands and cradled the bowl on his lap. It was hot, probably fresh out of the pot. It was also quite fragrant, despite how strong the scent of tomatoes lingered in the air.

Grabbing the spoon, he stirred the soup, finding bits and pieces of what looked like some insect mixed along with whatever vegetable was thrown in the pot. It was revolting to look at, but maybe it wasn't so bad? He knew that insects could taste good, heck his favorite Aeldari dish involved a giant beetle like grub, so maybe he could stomach this?

Swallowing, he scooped a healthy serving before slipping it inside his mouth. It would prove to be a mistake as he gagged, spitting the vile concoction out as he tried to push the bowl away. He needed water.

Before he could spill the dish, the boy made a hasty grab for the bowl. "H-Hey! I made that!" The boy scolded him, red faced and fuming as he held the bowl, "Don't just spit it on the ground."

Ignoring the boy for now as he did his best to hold back what little was left inside his stomach, he reached out for the cup by his bedside and downed it without a second to waste. It tasted metallic from the can it was served in, but it did well to wash away the taste off his tongue.

"What the hell was that!?" He coughed, pounding at his chest as he stared at soup in horror. "It tastes so sour, salty, and bitter," He gagged, already on the verge of throwing up once more and cursing his race's enhanced sense, "And, oh Isha, the texture."

Wilting under his comments, the boy looked away dejectedly, "... You didn't have to say it like that." Seeing that down cast look on the boy's face, Eon felt terrible. Did he really have to be that harsh when things were already shitty around these parts?

"I'm sorry," He apologized, "I just had a very bad day." He honestly couldn't believe how shot his control was right then. He was usually on top of his emotions, yet now they came out in bursts; uncontrollable and raging.

"It's ok mister," The boy sighed as he scooped at the dish and gave it a taste, shuddering as he swallowed it down. Pushing it away, he explained, "It's fresh, but not really as good as the ones we loot off the abandoned buildings." This was the post apocalypse for humanity, the dark ages at its highest point.

Glancing at the boy, only now did he recognize the rags he wore. "I wonder if they're going to bring some over from the expedition…" The boy mused, eyes hopeful as he glanced at the window. "Want me to give you candy if they find one?" He offered freely without hesitation.

Staring at the kid, he found himself hating himself more. The kid… the kid was worse off than he was. Under all that smile was the worn fingers and skin like leather. This kid who grew up with nothing was now offering him what little respite he could have in this world.

He couldn't live with himself knowing that that was the world this precious kid lived in. How could they live like this? Grabbing the bowl, he dug in with gusto, swallowing what spoonfuls he could shovel in his mouth. Chewing would only make it worse.

"H-hey mister! Stop!" The boy shouted, "You don't have to force yourself to eat it!" Eon, however, refused, forcing sustenance down his throat.

"Thanks for the meal, kid," He coughed, grimacing as his stomach protested, "I needed that." That taste, that was the taste the kid lived with. If this was enough to make the boy smile, then he needed to show him there was more to life than that mere novelty. It was simply no way for anyone to live.

Turning to the shell shocked boy, he asked, "You said you harvested this in the greenhouse?"

"A glass house, but yes?" The boy asked shakily, his gaze still uncertain and uneasy, "Why do you ask?"

"Do you mind if you take me there?" He asked, forcing his aching limbs to move after so long. The rough fabric of his rags had taken its toll on as he felt the rashes against his skin, but he had to move.

Walking over to the embedded knife, he pulled it out before grabbing it with both hands. Straining, he bent the bone before it snapped under his grip. "I just found something I wanted to do today."

Stepping out of his hovel and out in the sun, Eon found himself in a sun blasted hellscape. Under the harsh sunlight, he withered, his eyes watering while his deathly pale skin burnt under its deadly rays. Not even the air was safe as his lungs stung from the dust swirling in the air, something made worse as he panted under the blazing afternoon heat.

As he stumbled along, half blinded and in agony, he was starting to wonder if it was even a good idea to step outside and his suffering wouldn't go unnoticed. "You ok, mister?" The boy asked, his form but a dark blob as his eyes strained to adjust.

"Yeah," He coughed out, powering through as the boy finally came into focus, "It's just been a while since I last went out." An understatement given how he'd spent a month holed up in his corner. "Just give me a minute."

With the help of the boy, he found himself under the cool shade of the hovel. The heat and dust was certainly a shock, but away from the sun's direct rays, he found that it wasn't that bad. The heat, while intense, was manageable once he wrapped himself up with the blanket he brought with him. The dust, on the other hand, merely required him to cover his mouth with more cloth. Gathering himself, he nodded. "I'm ok now."

"If you say so, mister," The boy replied as he grabbed hold of his hands and led him along. It was awkward having to bend over just to hold the kid, but the boy was insistent, arms seemingly read to try and catch him. He wasn't sure how that would work, but he commended the boy for his thoughts and effort.

As they walked along a narrow road, he gazed around and took in the sight of the bustling shanty town around them. Nestled against the side of a large mountain, he found himself gazing out on an empty expanse of bare rock, sand, and the remains of once great megastructures littering the land.

Seeing the bare skeleton of what must have been a large void faring vessel, he whispered, "So this is Terra." The once proud capital of a great empire, now in ruins as its people were forced to scavenge and live off its carcass.

Gazing around, he found a motley collection of structures and people alike. The young, the old, the infirm and those just living by, all living together from what they could scrounge from the surrounding.

"Quite the village you got here," He noted as he saw how the people gazed at him with such fear and loathing. Turning away and tugging at sheets he called his clothes, he asked, "Did she take you all in?"

"Hmm?" The boy turned as he gave him a questioning look, "You mean the Nice Lady?" As he raised his brow, the boy grimaced, "Well not realllyyy?" Passing by a group of people with their pack… robot? He added, "We sorta just decided to live near her."

Taking a moment to take in the sight of such anachronistic tech with how primitive everything look, he now saw with his own two eyes how badly the Men of Iron revolt fucked over humanity. From the masters of the stars, to barely evening knowing how a toaster works. Techno Barbarians indeed, he noted.

"I'm surprised she allowed you to set up a village around her," He told the boy, "And the Nice Lady? Doesn't she have a name?" While the Empress certainly had lots of names, this was the first time he ever heard of her being called such.

"We don't really know her name," The boy shrugged nonchalantly, "I just call her the Nice Lady because she gives me candy whenever I come to talk to her."

Staring at the back of the boy's head, he snorted, "Sounds about right."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean!" The boy snapped as he turned around, cheeks puffed out while he glared at him. He was adorable, but he was just too much of a handful.

Shaking his head as he tugged at his Black Stone Collar, he replied, "Nothing." Eyes wondering to the crowd, he found himself taking pity at how tired and angry they all looked. Pushed to extremes, these were desperate people, people who must have clung to her for salvation.

Feeling the hateful and judging stares of the people and the whispers of xenos and monsters alike, he kept his eyes forward, letting them be as he focused on someone more important. As he pushed his senses, stretching it out as far as his limitations could push him, and felt out the world around him, he asked, "About the Nice Lady, where is she right now?"

The collar he wore hampered much of his ability. Unlike the cage, however, he could still use his psychic might, but it was far more muted than usual. It required effort to even tap into the Warp, something made all the harder with taint he had to filter out, but he kept it on. It did have its uses. Turning away from the lingering shadows, he gazed back at the boy and found him deep in thought.

"I'm not sure?" The youth admitted, brow furrowed as he glanced at a certain building in the distance, one that was built on the side of the cliff, "She often just disappears in her cave or goes out to get some stuff to trade with the other folks."

Eyes following the boy's gaze, he asked as a sense of curiosity filled him, "Can we check in the cave?" He hadn't really thanked her, had he?

"No! Absolutely not!" The boy shouted back, quickly shutting down that idea. "Do not go in the cave or you'd be sorry," He warned him, "The last time somebody went in there, she tossed them out like they were scrap!"

Unfortunate, but understandable. "Sounds about right." She did come off as the solitary type, or at least that was what he got from what he could remember. There was not one decoration in that cave or even a speck of gold, just tools and stuff she had made.

"No one has ever gotten away from stealing from her. No one," The boy nodded before giving him a look. "Why are you interested in her all of the sudden?" He asked, "Weren't we going to the glass house?"

"I just got curious, that's all," He replied, dodging the question. Looking around the surprisingly large and maze-like shanty town, he asked, "So, where is this glass house you told me about?"

"It's just around the corner!" The boy cheered as he picked up his pace.

Struggling to keep pace with the low hanging clothesline and random bits of roof jutting precariously close to the road, he would soon find himself inside a large glass dome. "Tadah!" The boy shouted as he ran past rows after rows of shelves filled with potted plants, "So, what do you think?"

"It's actually not that bad," He admitted, admiring the work around him; His hands brushing against the leaves of a tomato plant.

It must have been the remains of an actual garden, patched up and refurbished to produce crops rather than decorative plants. The stained glass, while faded, filtered much of the harsh light, diffusing it to a glow that filled the large, basketball court sized enclosure.

With the fans and the miles of wires hanging overhead connecting to various motors and pumps, it was clear that this was no project of a rank amateur; She'd made it. "Hydroponics, huh?" He smiled as he ran along tubing, feeling it vibrating from the rushing water inside, "It definitely cuts down on space required."

"The Nice Lady made it for us!" The boy explained as he went over to a station and punched a series of buttons. Coming to life, the boy quickly moved to open a panel before feeding scraps, leftovers and refuse that were conveniently set aside at the corner. The community must've been setting those aside for the garden.

"She kept getting annoyed how often everyone has to scavenge for food so she said we should just go make our own," The boy explained as he washed his hands over the trickle of a faucet.

Nodding, he marveled at the sight. It was certainly a work of art, but seeing the yellowed leaves in some of the leaves along with browning tips, it felt like it was strained to the limit. "Do you mind if I check these motors?" He asked, gesturing at the machine laying on the ground puttering along, "They look like they've been through hell."

"Just don't break them please," The boy begged as he grabbed a basket, "The Nice Lady just fixed it last week and she was angry enough already."
Nodding, he got to work, unhooking the motor for now and letting it rest. He recognized the design of the hydroponics. The plants wouldn't mind if the nutrient flow stopped for a bit. They had enough in their individual pots for a day or two before they became starved of nutrients.

Pulling out the broken blade, he whistled as it shifted slow to a screwdriver, before he started taking it apart. "How often do things break down?" He asked, finding weld marks and patch work fixes all over it.

"Alot," The boy answered exasperatedly, "Sometimes the water stops flowing, the power line cuts off, or the thing that makes the power breaks down." Shaking his head, the boy sighed, "A lot of things just break down around the village..."

As he sat down at the table near him, he said out loud, "They said we used to be able to make all this stuff, but I don't really see how."

"Trust me kid, you guys made good stuff," He replied as he changed his pitch, making ball bearings and the casing for it. He made sure to make it as smooth as possible, changing the geometry of the surface so that it glided along.

There were just so many things he could do with Wraithbone. He wished he just had more of it rather than him being forced to make more on the spot. With sweat beading down his forehead, he kept making more parts, cannibalizing what he could find and fusing it with wraith bone where he could.

"She really must care for you guys a lot if she keeps patching things up," He noted, stopping as he felt the welded metal under his hands.

"She is always angry whenever she fixes stuff, but she still fixes them," The boy smiled, "No matter how broken things get, she just picks up the pieces and puts them back together."

"She's a good person," He smiled. The glass house wasn't just her way of getting people off her back, it was testament to her care. For every hole, a patch lay over it. The woman was truly doing her best with her limited time and resources. "She truly cares, doesn't she?" He mused as he continued working away, piecing back the motor.

As a long silence stretched between them, the boy piped up, "So you said you have a farm just like this one?"

"A few of these types of gardens and large fields," Eon replied, remembering fondly his days. "My family owns this planet some ways off my species's homeworlds. It's a nice place," He whispered as a sad smile grazed his lips, "You'd definitely love it there."

"What's a planet?" The boy asked in incomprehension.

Chuckling, Eon explained, "Just think of every square mile of land you see out there being covered in crops. That's how big our farm was."

"That's a lot of tomatoes," The boy whistled.

With a few more twists and a satisfying snap, he was finally done. "Ok, it's fixed."

Blinking, the boy shot up and shouted in surprise, "Bwah!?" Hopping off the table, he inspected the device as Eon turned it on, "Wait, how's it broken? It was running just fine!"

"It was about to break down," He grinned as he stood up, now soaked in sweat, but thoroughly satisfied. There was just a certain sense of satisfaction in tinkering with tech. Patting the bone white casing, he grinned, "The pumps weren't working properly so I had to take it apart and make a new one."

Unlike the earlier motor, there was no more vibration, just the hum of a finely tuned device working just as it was intended. "It was finicky, making my people's tech work with yours, but I think this'll last for a bit longer," He nodded. Hopefully, the self healing abilities of the wonderous psychoactive material would cut down on repairs.

Feeling the new casing, the boy frowned. "Wait, this isn't metal," He mumbled, tilting his head as he knocked on it, "It feels like… bone?" Turning to him, he asked, "What is this? I've never seen something like this before."

"It's Wraithbone," He smiled back before he reached inside his pocket for a shard. Whistling, he pitched the material before stretching out, making the boy rear back in surprise. "Here, try breaking this twig," He told the boy as he tossed the spaghetti thin strand of bone.

Straining, the boy tried to break it, before he gave up. "Where did you find this?" He asked as he inspected the shard, "Is there more?"

"I made it," He replied.

"Bullshit," The boy fired back.

"Language," He chuckled as he adjusted the Black Stone Collar he wore. Grabbing himself another piece, he palmed it between his hands as he told the boy, "You know what, let me just show you."

Breathing in deeply, he centered himself, pushing aside the distractions as he focused on his heart. Feeling his beating heart and the echoes of his soul, he brought it forth, lips parting as he sang. With his voice echoing in the silent glasshouse, he sang to his heart's content, letting his voice free as he lamented his loss.

He let it all out, letting his emotions weave the very fabric of the warp, freeing it of its taint as he poured it into this shard. Grasping this kernel he guided it, coaxing it to grow into something more, something tangible, before it finally stopped with his voice dying down.

Holding his creation close, he smiled, wiping the tears of his eyes as he offered it to the boy. There in his hands was a small statue of his friend and lover. Cradling it carefully between his hands, he whispered in awe. "...Wow. You have a beautiful voice mister."

"Trust me, that sounded horrible," He laughed, voice cracking before he cleared his throat. Grimacing, he hissed out, "I really should have drank something before this."

Fetching him some water from the faucet, jumping in surprise at the pressure, he came back cup in hand as he asked, "So you just sing and things appear? Can you teach me how?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that, and learning it is even more so," He replied, grimacing still at the metal taste. Glancing at the device, he wondered if the filter was shot. Shaking his head, he turned back to the boy as he warned him, "Trust me. I spent a decade trying to make a single pebble."

"I can learn!" The boy protested.

In theory, nothing should've stopped the boy from learning it. Peering at their soul, there was a small spark there of something, one that lay dormant for now. He could teach him, but it was dangerous; especially for someone so young, especially in this day and age.

"Maybe when you're older," He replied, not quite shooting it down so the boy wouldn't rush to do something stupid. "But seriously. This stuff can get dangerous because one wrong note and pop goes this thing," He warned, tapping him on the forehead, "So leave it to the professionals."

"Aww," The boy's shoulder sagged as he clutched the bone statue closely. Gazing down on it for a bit, he then asked, "Are there more people like you mister?"

"Yup, there's a lot more like me out there," He replied, "They call us bonesingers and with our voice, we make wonders." Patting his atrophied biceps, he grinned, "We're also really handy in making and fixing stuff!"

"So you're just like the Nice Lady?" The boy brightened before he suddenly asked, "Does she sing as well?"

Mouth opening, he thought for a moment before turning away at the ridiculous thought. Taking a moment to gather himself, he turned back as he answered, "Probably not, and it might not be a good idea asking her to sing." With his tone tinged with amusement, he warned, "You've seen how angry she gets right?" Shuddering, the boy nodded.

Turning his attention back to the boy motor, the boy inspected it once more. Hesitating for a moment, he asked, "Can you help fix stuff for us?" Glancing away as he clutched the statue close, he mumbled, "The nice lady has been doing a lot of things and we sorta owe her…"

The boy was far too precious when he was earnest like that. "You know what, kid? Sure," He replied as he turned towards the entrance where their impromptu audience hung back, "And that's the same to all of you." As they flinched back, scampering away, he called out, "I know you guys have been listening so you can come out now."

For a moment, no one answered before a man with a broken arm prosthesis came forward. Soon, more followed as they looked at him with hope. There were a lot of people, but he had a lot of time on his hands right now. Clapping his hands, he commanded, "Ok people single line."

With renewed vigor, he dove into his temporary passion head first, fixing things to the best of his abilities. His life might've been over, but he was still alive. He could still make something of what little he had to make people smile for just even a bit.

Iyanna would probably be angry at him for giving up so soon. There was still hope. He just needed to live through the Dark Ages. What was a millennia to the hopes of finding love? While his life was in tatters, he simply had to pick up the pieces like these people had and keep on moving forward.

A/N:

The thing about hitting rock bottom is that there's only two paths forward. The story ends or you pick yourself up and do something about it and Eon isn't going to take this laying down. He is going to be fighting kicking and screaming all the way to the end. What the end would look like with the Empress in the mix? Well, let's see where this is going once the Empress Returns~

Now with that out of the way, I would like to thank @vyor once again. I wonder if there's a dance which I could use to please the editor above