Friday, September 08, 2006

Tales of the Rancid Blade: Part Thirteen: Now you are ready

Clean white canvas. A slight breeze did little to dull the staggering heat. Burnt sands supported the frame of the tent. Poles planted in the sands and ropes secured to stakes pushed deep. Within, with clean white all around, the Nurse and her charge stood. The Nurse was putting on her armor. The Nurse stood behind Sylvie. She was lacing the back of a deep crimson corset. The deep color contrasted with the white of Sylvie’s shoulders and arms. Front of the corset was a shiny crimson metal formed to fit her body. The back of the corset was a heavy leather material that the Nurse was lacing together. With a quick motion she pulled the laces tight. The adolescent jerked and drew in a quick breath in response.

Sylvie thought of the many times she had slipped away from her prayers and into the room of the Eldar. Sometimes just to watch the demon. Had the Nurse known she would have been furious.

"Its tight" Sylvie said swallowing and looking at the white of canvas before her.
"It is as the Emperor’s love" the Nurse said "painful, yet it will protect you". The Nurse took another part of the armor and placed it against Sylvie's back. "Raise your arms,” said the Nurse. Sylvie complied. The Nurse began attaching the armor. Metallic fasteners clicked along the side of her rib cage. Nurse clipped the back armor into the front breastplate. Sylvie’s small breasts did not come close to filling the volume the armor allowed. Sylvie could feel the actuators aligning themselves and then aligning themselves to her body. The power armor, over four hundred years old, would soon be completely aligned to her body. Once she was fully dressed the amour would robotically mimic her movements. This was the second time she had worn the amour of her order. She had spent many hours polishing the metal surfaces, cleaning the joints, preparing for when it would be fully hers. When the amour became alive, about her, she felt powerful, stronger. She knew it was the energy of the Emperor summoning her inner strength.

The Dark Eldar had quickly been able to learn how to speak and though she spoke with a broken accent she soon began to whisper to Sylvie of a blessed land beyond the heat of Mordian. A blessed land of sultry nights and mystery.

Once the armor was connected the Nurse produced the livery and garments that completed the uniform of the Cloistered Lady. The deep blue of the Cloistered Lady was brilliant against the white of the tent. The livery was like a long dress that was placed over Sylvie's head and hung down over her bulky amour. The Nurse pulled a crimson tunic over the amour and livery. It was dark and had rivets that made up a diamond pattern on her torso armor.

The Eldar whispered to her of Comorragh , her home. The Eldar described things that she would do to men and that men would do to her in that dark place. The nubile's eyes grew wide at the description. Sylvis was sure her battle sisters had never done those things. The Dark Eldar assured her they had. She whispered "they are keeping these things from you, they hide them from you” Sylvie looked deep into the eldar's dark eyes and swallowed hard. "I can show you".

The Nurse pulled the straps on the back of the tunic tight. The blue material of the livery was loose about her arms and legs; her leather tunic obscured the material about her torso.

"Now you are ready".

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