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slip； and saw again the blue engines of the Idolater as it roared up into the heavens away from him。
Rage had blossomed as he had realised that it was not turning back。
He had been bound with manacles that coursed with energy； sending shooting pain through his
nervous system； and had endured the humiliation of being bundled from the battlefield； hovering a
metre above the ground； held aloft by the vile sorceries of the eldar。 He had been raised to the back
of one of the eldar skiffs； and he saw that other warrior brothers had been captured。 They were
prodded and kicked into low cages beneath the deck of the skiff； while the hateful xenos laughed。
Marduk had stared hatefully at the female wych that had disabled him； her long； fiery hair
flowing down her back。 She sneered at him and slammed the solid cage door closed。
The vehicle had reached incredible speed； and at some point Marduk had felt a subtle change in
the air； as if the skiff had been transported somewhere else entirely； and its speed increased tenfold。
At some point he had passed out； and he had come to again only when the skiff screamed to a
smooth halt。 Once again； the air tasted subtly different； more cloying and close。
Marduk and the other captives had been dragged from the hold beneath the deck of the skiffs；
and had looked around them angrily。 They were inside a cavernous； expansive dome； with bladed
ribs arching up above them； and Marduk saw scores of alien skiffs and jetbikes lined up around its
sides； hovering at rest above the floor； lined up one above another。 Hundreds of eldar soldiers
moved through the lair； and Marduk glowered at them hatefully。
A gateway of crackling darkness hung in mid…air in the centre of the dome； enclosed by elegant
bladed arches。 Even as he watched； Marduk had seen a skiff emerge from the portal； appearing from
the wafer…thin； vertical pool of darkness and gliding effortlessly several metres above the ground；
the warriors upon its decks leaping to the floor。
Then searing pain exploded through Marduk’s body； his every nerve ending on fire as needles
stabbed into his flesh。 He resisted it as long as he was able； and a further set of needles stabbed into
him。 Still； he fought his captors； struggling and roaring his anger。 A third set of needles plunged into
his neck； and at last he was overcome； and everything had gone black。
Glancing down； Marduk saw that his arms and legs were spread…eagled out to either side。 His
blessed armour had been stripped from his upper body； and his pallid skin was puckered with tens of
thousands of tiny pinpricks of dried blood。 His armour had been slowly fusing to his body； and the
inside of their plates were covered with thousands of tiny barbs that were growing into his flesh。
Removing the armour plating was a painful and oddly distressing procedure； for it was as much a
part of him as his limbs； and he had only twice removed his breastplate since the blessed Warmaster
had perished。
That was an age ago； a lifetime in the past。 Once his armour had been granite grey； as had the
armour of all the warriors of the XVII Legion； the colour they had worn since the Legion’s
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inception； but he had long ago stained it the deep red adopted by all of his brethren at Lorgar’s
decree。
Marduk gazed blearily down upon his naked torso for the first time in untold millennia。 It looked
like the body of a stranger。 His pectorals were thick and slablike； and the muscles of his abdomen
rippled as he strained against his restraints。 Dozens of scars marred his perfect form and blue veins
could be seen clearly through his translucent； pale flesh。
Marduk turned his head groggily to the side； looking along the length of his outstretched arms。
His powerful limbs had been stripped of his power armour； exposing passages from the Book of
Lorgar that ran in spirals of tiny script around his forearms； lust looking upon the tiny； archaic script
gave him comfort； even though his eyes still could not focus on the individual words and characters。
Casting his gaze further along his arms； Marduk saw what was constricting his movements。 A
slender； tapering blade had pierced his wrists； passing through his flesh and between his bones；
protruding a metre out the other side。
Marduk pulled against the restraints； trying to slide his limbs off the impaling blades； but jolting
pain accompanied his efforts； making his body shudder and contort in agony。 He could feel the
needles； the long shards of metal that had been inserted between his vertebrae； piercing his central
nervous system。 They ran from the base of his spine to his skull； a slender needle inserted into every
gap between the bones。 Marduk ceased his struggles； and the pain instantly receded。
He was suspended； upright and hanging upon the blades piercing his wrists and lower legs。 The
blades shifted slightly； angling upwards； and Marduk hissed in pain as he slid further back along
their lengths； the spikes grinding against bone。
As his vision cleared； Marduk took in the details of the room。 It was circular in shape； and the
ceiling was low。 It was dim； the only light coming from the featureless floor and low roof； fading in
and out in rhythmic pulses。 There was a single exit from the room； semi…transparent strips of plaslike
material blocking his vision of the room beyond。
Marduk registered the presence of another being in the centre of the room。 He had thought he
was alone； but his vision focused on the back of a tall； unearthly thin individual。 Marduk glared at
the creature hatefully； remembering its touch。
Its emaciated upper body was garbed in a tight…fitting； glossy black bodysuit； and its legs were
concealed beneath an apron of similar material。 The figure was leaning over something； a body
perhaps； and appeared engrossed in its work。 Dozens of blades； hooks and other less easily
recognisable implements hung from its waist； and its hairless head was strangely elongated； its skull
extending back further than was normal。 Dozens of needles and tubes entered the flesh of its skull；
flowing backwards like a mockery of hair。
Hovering above the table on which the death…like eldar worked was an immense spider； a dozen
slim limbs extending from its body。 The long； multi…jointed limbs were akin to the blades that
pierced his own body； their surface black and reflective； and he wondered if it was a similar creature
that held him。 Its legs moved with swift； precise movements； each one easily four metres long and
elongated to sharp points。 Marduk decided that his first impression had been wrong。 This was not a
living creature at all。 It was a machine。
As the machine spider rotated slightly in the air； its long legs moving rapidly and independent of
each other； Marduk saw that his assumption was not quite correct。 The thing was alive； or at least
part of it was。 In the dull light that pulsed from the ceiling and floor； he could see that there was an
eldar figure at the heart of the spider…machine； or at least what must have once been one of the
decadent xenos beings。 Its face was obscured beneath a shiny black； featureless mask； and the
spider…like limbs were attached to its torso； protruding from its spine。 The eldar’s humanoid upper
arms merged into another pair of long spider limbs； though they were shorter than the others and
ended in cruel barbs。 Where its two legs ought to have been there was instead a bulbous； glossy
black abdomen that hung low； bloated and obscene。 From the tip of this abdomen； a pair of
spinnerets exuded a sticky substance。
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As Marduk’s eyes became used to the dim lighting； he saw that the spider…eldar was not
hovering at all； but was attached to the ceiling via a series of coiled cables。 A black substance
moved within those cables in rhythmic spurts； like blood behind pumped through arteries by a
beating heart。
The tall； black…clad humanoid； that Marduk took to be a sub…species of the eldar race； was
talking to itself in a hissing voice。 The First Acolyte could not understand its words； for it spoke in
the foul eldar tongue； but he sensed that the creature was pleased。 As it moved to the side； he saw
what was occupying the creature’s attention。 A fellow warrior of the XVII Legion： Sarondel； one of
the 13th coterie was pinned down upon a bladed slab； his chest sliced open to expose his internal
organs。
Anger roiled up within Marduk to see one of his sacred brothers of the Word so violated。 The
tall； skeletally thin eldar was removing the warrior’s organs one by one； and placing them in shallow
dishes that hovered alongside the slab。 The eldar’s long fingers ended in scalpel blades； and he saw
a cruel smile on the creature’s face as he got his first look at his captor’s visage。
Its cheeks were hollow and sunken； emphasising its sharp； high cheekbones and thin mouth； and
its almond…shaped eyes were black and dead。 Its movements were crisp and sure as at sliced through
Sarondel’s flesh； and the warrior growled； gritting his teeth against the pain as his blood began to
flow anew。
Marduk felt savage pride as the warrior of the 13th coterie spat a wad of blood and phlegm up
into the twisted surgeon’s face。 The eldar was unconcerned； and wiped its face with the back of