The Empress Can't Communicate: Chapter 5 (Patreon)

Bone To Pick

Things eventually settled down after the harvest festival. With the whereabouts of Eon's stash a mystery, or if it was even still around after the great war, he had to find some other things to keep him busy; something that he wouldn't find lacking in this village.

There were a thousand different tiny errands that needed to be done and thousand more things to be fixed. Not even Rem's presence could stem the time as Eon found himself swamped with work and various requests, something he all too happily accepted. As tiring as it could get at times, it helped him keep him busy as well as keep things off his mind.

Straightening back up, the Aeldari stretched and groaned as he pushed at his aching back. A human workbench wasn't really built for his species in mind and it took its toll on his poor spine. Still, metal needed to be worked and glass needed to be cut to shape.

Turning his attention back at the large sheet of metal on the table, Eon lowered his mask once more before firing up his plasma torch. As he slowly cut it to more manageable size, he hummed a half forgotten tune. Now it would certainly be faster if he worked with Wraithbone, but he was one man and he had a whole new section of the glass house to build.

"Easy there!" The foreman shouted in the background as the harsh buzz of the arc welder along with the whir of power tools filled the air, "That type of glass is hard to come by!"

Besides, he had villagers helping along. Also, making that much Wraithbone was just going to tucker him out. Best to work with what he had on hand and leave the Wraithbone for more delicate parts. It's not like working with metal was hard.

Perhaps it was a part of Vaul speaking to him, but there was something quite relaxing to working metal. While it needed a whole lot more muscle and grit, the metal sang to him all the same. Hands steady, he whittled away at the metal sheets as the parts that would make up the great dome piled off in the corner of his open air workshop.

"Need a hand there, hun?" A familiar voice called out, making Eon pause. Turning, the Bonesigner the scavenging party coming back with a pretty sizable haul. Hands resting on her hips, the portly woman leading the expedition smiled, "Why don't you take a break and let the boys have their share of the work."

"No, it's fine," Eon smiled, "Just had my break earlier anyways." Glancing briefly at the empty bowl on top of a nearby table, he told them, "Speaking off, the grans set aside a portion for your team." While the taste was still harsh to his tongue, gruel was slowly growing on him. It was hearty and filling especially when they added those MRE's for taste.

As the men cheered, the woman grinned, "Let us just drop these off, hmm?" Barking orders, the woman whipped the men into action as they dropped their haul before carrying off the piled up parts he had made to the construction team.

Leaning against the post and taking a breather, the woman commented, "We sure have come a long way since you dropped by, huh?" Eyes locked on the construction, she sighed, "Look at us, building a whole new section for the farms all thanks to you."

"It's the least I could do," Eon replied as he turned back to his work, "Just consider it as me paying back my debt." He owed a lot to these folks and what kind of Aeldari would he be if he couldn't pay back those who helped him?

"At this rate, we'd be the one in debt," The woman chuckled before she glanced at the great dome slowly coming to shape, "But what I'm seeing, I say it's worth it." Giving him a nod, the woman added, "You're not bad, Xe-Aeldari."

"I'd say the same to you, human" Eon fired back with an easy going smile. Eyes trailing to the construction, he wondered why his people and humans never got along. Sure, humanity was new to the scene but so did so many of the Aeldari's allies before them.

Those thoughts, however, would have to be answered for another time as he tossed the leftover scraps to the side before grabbing himself another sheet. The was not yet finished and there were more sheets to be cut.

Eyeing his work, the woman noted, "It sure is handy having another tech magus in the village." Grinning, she jested, "Especially one that's not grumpy all the time."

"She's not that bad," Eon chuckled, "She's actually sweet once you get her to talk. She just doesn't smile that much." That was something he couldn't fault her on. She is still the Empress at the end of the day, and she carried the burden of her people. Still, that doesn't mean he couldn't poke at her for her sour demeanor.

Speaking off, he turned over to the mountains and found her standing there at the entrance to her cave with her arms across her chest and her all too familiar frown on her lips. About time she came out of her lair. He hadn't seen her since last night.

Waving, he shouted, "Morning Rem!" It was a rare sight seeing her out of her cave, and one he relishes by teasing the girl, "Wanna go out scrap hunting later?"

Scoffing, the woman rolled her eyes before glancing away. "So that's how you want to play," He whispered to himself before grinning as he shouted, "I'll take that as a yes!" Taking pleasure at the panicked expression on her face, he quickly added, "See you at five!"

Watching the grown woman's mouth flap open and shut before she turned red and stomped off back into her cave made Eon's day. "Too easy." The girl absolutely hated it when he dragged her out of her cave, but it was far better than having her hole up in there.

Ever since she came back, he had found her working away at something. Whether it's a nice little trinket or a ring, she's just there, making things so why not drag her out? Not only did it annoy her, but he got to actually get her under the sun.

He didn't know what she was doing in that cave, but the way she kept slaving away there was definitely not healthy. She was still human, and some break would do her good. A small trip here, some talks there, nothing too far out of her comfort. Besides, it's not like she can't say no when he barges inside her forge.

Sometimes, he wondered why she refuses to put her foot down. Was it pride, maybe it was her just or was it something else? Whatever it was, Eon thought it was funny though others seemed to disagree.

Turning around, he found the woman and the rest of the team cowering behind cover. "What? It's not like she's angry." It was all in good fun and she'de definitely made it known if he stepped the line. He wouldn't be standing where he was, would he?

Shaking her head, the woman got up from her cover. "Only you, Aeldari," Said the woman with an exasperated grin, "Only you."

She wandered off soon after, leaving him to work for a while before she returned with a cold one. Catching the offered can, he pulled the tab and downed it in one quick motion. Nothing beats a cold, refreshing drink under the hot sun.

Oh don't get him wrong, the taste was harsh and the alcohol burnt as it slid down his throat, but it was slowly growing in on him. The slight buzz it gave helped a lot, making the monotonous task just a bit more tolerable.

As he gave the woman a nod of thanks, she asked, "So how did you do it?

"Did what?" Eon raised a brow as he nursed his half empty can.

Smiling back, she chuckled, "Oh you know, just a certain Aeldari melting the snow queen's heart and making her blush like a maiden's first love?" As he sputtered and turned beet red, she grinned, "So something did happen."

Taking a moment to compose himself, he scoffed, "Get your head out of the gutter will you?" Tugging at his collar, he muttered to himself. He swore they were just as bad as Iyanna when it came to his love life. "Besides, she's probably just annoyed." He reasoned.

There was no way Rem was the romantic type and she was definitely not falling for him. No, not at all! Especially after all that teasing. Still, the woman remained unconvinced that that smug smirk taunted him.

"Seems to me that she likes you," She noted as she glanced at the cave, "Any other man would have been tossed half way across the plains with the stunt you pulled, but you?" Fingers pointed, she noted, "You're still here."

"I-! Huh," Opening his mouth, he tried to argue, but it was just making sense. Rem had a reputation to her own people for a reason, so why did he get to be spared? "Hmm, nah. I just can't see it," He shook his head. "We're just friends, that's all. More acquaintances really. It's probably just that."

"Whatever you say, lover boy," The woman replied as she walked off, "Just tell us when's the wedding so the girls and I could get her dress ready!"

Eon was about to speak up when his ears perked up. "Get down!" He'd barely have time to brace himself as she pushed the woman down and covered her with his body before things suddenly turned white.

-x-x-x-

Ears ringing and his senses abuzz, Eon found himself waking to a waking to a familiar place. With the rustling of leaves and the earthy scent of the field beneath his filling his lungs, he stumbled along, disoriented. "Where am I," He whispered, his voice distant, and his thoughts sluggish. He couldn't remember why he was here.

The last thing he remembered was light before everything white. Wherever he was, he wasn't in the village, but a small voice at the back of his head screamed at him to run. Before he could push it back down, a familiar sense of dread suddenly filled him.

With the breath driven out of his lungs, he found himself beneath a vast shadow. "So you're the one that's been messing with my plans," A harsh voice hissed, "And a xenos no less." Knees buckling under the immense hate, the voice hissed, "A wytch could be tamed, but a xenos?"

"No, there's no place here for your kind," The being's voice boomed as Eon forced himself to look up. If the empress was a bright sun, Eon now stood before the abyss as those cold blue eyes stared bored right into his soul and it was angry.

He tried to raise his arms to fight back, but lifting his them felt like he was pulling the very weight of the world itself. "The collar," He choked out, feeling its presence even more as invisible chains wrapped tightly around him, binding him. "I need to get it off."

Reaching up to his neck, he tugged away as a clawed hand reached for him. "No where to run little xenos," The voice mocked him as he braced himself, eyes clenched before a great cry filled the air. Eyes opening, he found the shadow shimmering, a woman's face briefly visible before the shadows wrapped around them once more.

Holding on their hands, they hissed, "Blackstone!" Shadows boiling, they screamed, "You dare mock me with those bindings!" Once more, they reached out, but it would be in vain as they remained unable to reach him.

With the fear lifting from his mind, clarity returned to him. The fields should have really tipped him off. He wasn't somewhere, but beyond it. He was in the sea of souls, and now he found himself locked in a battle of wills.

"It's a bitch, ain't it?" He gritted out as he slowly pushed himself up, feeling the weight of their mind against his own. It felt like he was once more before the gods, his legs straining and threatening to give out beneath him as she pressed down to crush him, but he held.

Sweat pouring down his brow, he glared up at the titan. "What's the matter?" He chuckled, his voice trembling as he felt his body strain against its bind, "It's just Blackstone."

Feeling the chains dig into his very soul, he felt like he was being squeezed. As painful as it was for him, it must have felt worse as he felt the shadows pressing down on him bubble and sizzle. Blackstone was the Anathema to the warp and Eon was all too happy to wield it.

"You insolent worm!" The being screamed as the shadows were slowly stripped away from their hands, showing what was underneath. It was not a solid mass, but rather a multitude pressing down on him. He was not before a god, but a legion.

"Come on!" He shouted, his vigour renewed, "Put your backs into it!" They were nothing like the gods and he relished at the panic in their eyes.

He was slowly winning, the binding loosening ever more as he fought, but it was not enough. They might not be like the gods, but they were still many and his strength could only push him so far under the bindings.

In a momentary slip, the weight above him doubled; His legs had given out under him and now he was being crushed by their shared presence. "Where's that bravado you had earlier, Xenos!" They laughed, "Is that all you got!"

Flattened against the ground, not even the bindings could save him. "It was fun Xenos," They chuckled, their voice dripping with sadistic glee, "You've given me a challenge I haven't felt in ages, but the fun ends here."

With life slowly squeezed out of him, his vision darkening at the immense pressure forced on him, he found his limit. He couldn't go any further, not with the binding restricting him. "Seems like I won't be scrap hunting with Rem later," He thought bitterly as darkness overwhelmed him.

"Get up!"

Eye widening, he felt the bindings loosen. "Like hell I'm going to die here!" Eon screamed as fire bubbled up from the very depths of his soul. He wasn't going to die here, not when he could still tease Rem! With one final push, he broke free and light engulfed his very form.

Bathed in this golden glow, Eon grinned. "Took you long enough," He laughed as his radiant savior loomed over him, "Remembrance." With their form guarding him, he watched the shadow stumble back, their hands clutching their face.

"You!" The shadows screamed as their many eyes fell on Rem, only to eat another fist against their shadowed form. Pouncing, Rem pinned the being down, raining blows.

"I'll hold her off," Rem shouted as he grappled with the struggling titan, "Go!"

-x-x-x-

Gasping for air, Eon returned to his senses as the world burnt around him. Harsh screams filled the air as the earth trembled beneath his feet and rubble rained around him. "Artillery." Whoever that shadow was really wanted them all dead. "And you'd be dead if you don't move now!"

Shaking the unconscious form of the team lead, their face blooded as a large gash across their forehead oozed with life giving blood, he shouted, "Get up!" Drawing from deep inside him, he pushed at her very soul, waking the woman with a gasp.

"Can you hear me!" He shouted, snapping his fingers to get the shellshocked woman's attention. As the woman nodded shakily, he shouted, "I need you to help the children to the shelter, do you understand?" Getting the woman up on her feet, he shouted, "Go!"

With purpose, the woman moved as she snapped out of her stupor. "To the shelters! Now!" She shouted above the din, her powerful voice carrying out through the street. Panic quickly gave way to motion as the people rushed to help their fellow neighbors and loved ones

Now it was his turn to move. Punching at his legs, he forced himself up as the shrill screams rang across the air once more. Whistling, a boney spear extended from his hands before he threw it up in the air.

Wraith bone met lead before the air shook from the explosions. "God damn artillery!" Whoever was attacking them was no joke. They wanted them all dead, but he wasn't just going to take this laying down and so did the village.

As the shrill cries echoed once more, a pillar of light shot up the air, enveloping the village in a shimmer dome. Watching it buckle and crackle with each shot, Eon knew that it was only meant to give them some time.

"Come on, Rem," He gritted as he rushed for the walls while storm clouds gathered overhead and multicolored lightning arced across the sky, "Don't let some two bit sorcerer slow you down!" Climbing up the walls and joining the rest of the men while they shot at a shimmering light in the distance, he called to the nearest man, "How many?!"

"A lot!" They shouted just as the air above them shimmered. With eyes locked on the spinning shells, they watched as the shells were sent flying back only to their attacker only to disappear with a flash. "Well fuck me, they have an Iron Halo with them!"

"Fucking Techno Barbarians," Eon hissed as he considered his options. From his vantage point, he could see the large guns aimed at them. Crude and brutish as they were, they still got the job done of lobbing slabs of metal the size of men right at the village.

Not only that, they had men with them. Hundreds, just waiting as the artillery softened them up. Like hell was he going to just let them do as they please. Hands shaking, he climbed up the parapets. "Keep shooting! I'll handle this!"

"Wha-!" Legs bent, Eon braced himself before leaping across the air. With the air shimmering behind, his hair whipping and eyes watering, he sailed across the air.

As limited as he was, he was still far more capable than the men of the village and right now, he needed to stop these assholes from shooting. Landing hard down on the plain, the earth cratered before he leapt once more.

Fire wreathed his form as the crackling halo came into view and so too would their artillery, their barrels now aimed squarely at him. A part of him froze as he saw the barrels crackled with power and their power plants whirred to life, but he couldn't back now. Not when lives were on the line.

Arms raised, he grasped at the air as a sword of fire answered his call. He needed power and his soul answered.

With a roar, he swung, slicing through a shell before his form slammed into the Iron Halo. Teeth gritted, the fires of his soul raging as he pushed at the immovable force, making it buckle until it broke beneath him. Like a fiery comet, he bore down on them before the world was engulfed with flame. Metal bent and men screamed as the earth shattered under his feet.

It would take him a moment to gather his wits and catch breath as he staggered back to his feet, his energies spent. That took more out of him than he wanted to admit, but as he climbed up his crater and saw the men cowering in fear.

"Now that I have your attention," He grinned, locking his legs as he stood before them with a sword struggling to remain lit, "You sure you want to keep fighting?" As he caught his breath and the fires flicked back to life, he warned them, "Because I can keep doing this all day."

It seems, however, that they were far lacking in sense as one of them took a shot at him. As the last fire slid off his form, he shouted, "Don't just stand there gawking! Shoot him!"

Grinning from ear to ear as beams and bolts of plasma and other archeotech slammed into his fire, he chucked, "Welp, can't I say I didn't try." With sword in hand, he descended upon them, giving them no quarters.

Flesh burnt and metal twisted as he hacked away, but he held back, refraining from ending them. As tempted as he was, he needed them alive. Their equipment, however, was free game and he was sorely aching to test out this flame. As he slashed away at the last barrel, he felt the hair at the back of his neck stand up.

"Woah there!" He ducked, eyes wide at the crackling sword that had been inches from taking his head. "Is that a powersword?" As beautiful as the blade was, he would have no time to admire its finery as the armored wielder descended upon him.

"Filthy Xenos scum! Die!" They roared as their blade swung with barely restrained fury.

Not even his renewed strength could hold the man as he saw the armor crackle with power. "Now aren't you just a ray of sunshine," He panted as he blocked and parried, turning away the strikes before stabbing.

This, however, would prove to be a mistake as his arms jolted as his sword slammed straight against an invisible force. "Of course you have a halo!" Eyes on the iron crackling behind their helmet, he cursed as he was pushed back.

As powerful as his strikes were, Eon couldn't break through. That doesn't mean however, that they were invincible. As formidable as the man was, he saw the flaws in their sword and their very armor. He saw their flaws and he struck them.

"There!" In their very, at the very nexus of their power, he struck. He could feel the draw, the way the field struggled to tame the very raw power into light and he kept pushing, filling it till it couldn't hold on any longer. "Ragh!" Overwhelmed, the Iron broke and shattered it with the force of a thousand suns.

Eon barely held on, digging his heels as the blast washed over him, before silence descended. Panting, he saw the man's broken form twitching as they lay there, a testament to their armor. The man was still alive.

Walking over, he let his sword fade as he grabbed at the man's helm, wrenching it with casual ease and revealing the person beneath. He was still a man, one bound with more tech than flesh, but still a man and he saw utter hate in their eyes even as they lay there broken. "Who the hell sent you!" Eon gritted out, doing his best to hide the pain in his voice, "Answer me!"

Eon was no fool. A man entrusted with this much Archeotech must know a lot of details and he was going to get those details. As he stared at their eyes, they grinned "Hah, as if we'd tell." Before Eon could reach out to their soul, they let out an ear splitting scream as their chest imploded into multicolored fire.

Eyes wide, Eon flinched back and to his horror, saw the man torn to sunder as the power of the warp coursed through them. "No! No! No!" He tried to stop it, but it was far too late. Their soul was already forfeit, destroyed before he could even have a look.

With his price denied, Eon fell to his knees. "God damn it," He cursed as he felt around, feeling out the people around him. "Soldiers." They were all soldiers, following the man before him. They know nothing and Eon was left with ash to sort through.

As he rooted around their armor, trying to find a trace, he heard a snap behind him. "I take it that you took care of your little problem?" He asked as he shook his head; Nothing.

"She's annoying," Rem grumbled out, a slight limp on her leg as she walked over before crouching before the armor. "Did you find anything?" She asked, a frown on their face.

"You too huh?" Eon muttered as he sighed, "Nothing as well." He was hoping that she'd know who attacked them, but Rem was out of luck as well. That bitch must have ran the moment she got a chance.

As the woman rooted around the ash, he told them, "Already checked. They pretty much burnt their souls to a tinder." Such willingness to face oblivion was a testament to their devotion. Still quite freaky seeing someone actually do so.

Turning away from the pile, he got up and tended to these men. They might have attacked them, but they were still extra hands. Waste not, want not. They can be converted. "So, familiar with these guys?" He asked. They were a bit too far armed to be raiders.

"Not Raider," She answered, confirming his suspicion, "Retainers." Frowning, she muttered, "I'm not sure who they belong to."

"You sure do make quite the number of enemies, huh?" He jested. Speaking off, that shadow was unlike anything he saw. They were not one, but many. Were they a daemon in disguise or perhaps someone who had access to tech? It was hard to tell given how many enemies the Empress has. Whoever they were, they certainly were not aching for resources.

"Are you sure you didn't stiff a merchant?" He asked before shaking his head. It was useless to speculate with what little they know.

Securing their new prisoners with wraithbones, he asked, "So, what now?" Whoever they were, they didn't sound the type that would suffer this insult. They were going to strike back. It was just only a matter of when rather than if.

Dusting her hands, Rem stood up as she answered, "We're heading out."

"Where?" He asked, following behind her as she marched back to the village.

Glancing back, she replied, "To your stash."

This got his brow raised, "Wait, what?" What the hell did his stash have to do with this? "I mean, it'd be useful," He admitted as he assessed the damage in the village, "But there's just one tiny problem. I still don't know where it is." If he just had his black book, things would be a lot easier.

"You don't," The woman replied, "But she knows." Tossing him something, Eon caught it on reflex. He wasn't sure what she meant, that was until he stared down at what he gave her.

"Oh, oh fuck." With the brutish pillar and stylized eye staring back at him, There was no mistaking it. There in his hand was the symbol of the company that he had back then. Inquest had attacked him and Rem.

A/N:

Heh, you think I'd just forget that the Empress was a bit hasty when she dealt with those raiders from back then? Yeah, that's now coming back to bite her ass. Good news though. She knows where Eon's stash is.