This comes from my story here on dakka which I haven't posted onto the ongoing saga. As the title says, it deals with the fall of a Space Marine Captain called Marcus to chaos. It's taken out of context, but as you read on, I'm sure you wont mind.
All comments are welcome as long as constructive and thank you for your time.
Shouting an alarm over his shoulder to the closing doors behind, an invisible vice clamped his throat. Reducing his cries to a pitiful gasp and spittle wheeze as he jerked ever further into the room. Each resisted step becoming a battle for control over his body he ultimately lost, while he shuffled forth over the carpet.
Like a puppet he past the seating sofas, tables and chairs. Past the body and it's pooling blood. He approached the grand desk and towering windows. His muscles un-his own, leaden and numb. While sweat beat down his face and ran along his inner armour as his useless limbs came to a halt, even as he still fought the invisible hold while vile imagery flashed in his mind.
A moments more of useless struggle and he knew it was hopeless, no matter his strength. He knew he was powerless against the hold over his body. Causing a hint of cold dread to chill his bones at the thought as his eyes darted into the shadows over the nearby furnish, half seen in the hidden moons silvery light. Where a voice began to whisper.
"Mar-cus." Whispered the lisping serpentine voice he could not place. Unsure if it came from his mind or behind him in the room.
"Mar-cus." It whispered again, louder this time. Making him certain it was moving in the room as a furnish creaked and a slow pad of footsteps approached from behind before a cold breath fell upon his neck, chilling his nape.
"...Marcus." It whispered quickly in a clod rush into his ear. A touch light but with hidden menace draping his armoured shoulder with a half seen hand of blackened claws.
He drew for his pistol by his side, but all it did was twitch in response to his will as the whispered voices laughter drifted off amongst the shadows, echoing about the room. It's cruel laughter trailing off into the night as it mocked his impotency. Leaving him to his conjured mind while ice built along the window and crystallized around the room. His breath became ever more vivid upon the frigid air as he uselessly struggled against the unseen hold before the voice came again after a time from the shadows, out of sight from his searching eyes. Echoing from the corners where his turning head could not see. The voice hissed it's serpentine lisp again as it began to speak.
"Why do you continue to defy me, Astartes...? All I want is but a simple bargain from you."
"I know what you truly want of me, warp spawn! I know your stink!" He spat to the air. Darting glares into the half seen shadows as he was finally allowed to voice his defiance, that only served to enrage the shadows by his outburst. Causing an invisible wrapped coil to tighten around his chest, laced with unseen barbs as the voice venomously.
"Bide your tongue,
Captain." Mocking his title. "Do not mock what you truly can not grasp. I am old, past your
Imperiums records and mans marking of time. Man has feared the shadows since the birth of your race. And at it's primal heart, you fear what lays in the shadows of the dark. You have but only two choices, Astartes. Live...." His head turned towards the corner where two red eyes with pupils of fiery yellow blazed as they watched him. "... Or die." Marcus's resolve melting sightly under their unblinking stare.
"..And if I live.. What choice is that...? Kill me and be done with it." Thinking oblivion would be preferable than to being held chained and imprisoned within his own mind.
"No! Together we are better. Together, we will become stronger and most prosperous for each other, you and I. Live long past this place in your quest to show your devotion to your new God."
"God!? Possess my flesh you mean! Turn me into a true puppet and make me your meat while I watch from the corners of my tortured mind. No, I will not!"
The air from his lungs were sucked from his chest the instant his eyes flashed up to meet those rising from the shadows where a coe-ilessing incandescent figure formed from the darkness and strode towards the grand desk. It halted beside the gilded chair. It's eyes flickering down, dancing over the furnishing admiringly as it's indistinct hand stroked the soft cushioned top, waving the other in a gesture that released Marcus from it's grip to re-inflate his lungs.
"There will be a union between us, Astartes, or you will die." It said cruelly. Relishing the prospect of inflicting death before it relented."...But together! Together, we will grow strong. Together we will wield powers and achieve wonders beyond your Imperiums limited self. We shall travel the galaxy and worlds will bow before us, until the very Gods take heed of our deeds. ...All this and more is within your grasp, Astartes. If you but reach out and take it." Raising it's hand palm upwards and snapping it closed into a fist upon the air.
As the shadow continued to talk of their future, and the yet to be. It played with Marcus's desires and wants as it grew ever more grandos as it was caught up in the tapestry of it's words. Until finally it sought Marcus's wavering eyes, like his will, and spoke with a finality.
"...Choose your path, mortal. But choose it wisely if you wish to see past this day. There is no second choice, no second chances. Only me, or oblivion. Forget your corpse God upon his decadent throne. He will not save you now."
Looking up from under his brow with the look of sapped strength plastering his face from his earlier struggle, he knew there was but one choice he could take. One that would see him live, and rise.
"Then what do you want of me." Bowing his head in submission and the shadow allowed him to sink to his knees in supplication to it's will.
"A small thing." The shadow answered evasively, fiddling the the nearby contents of the desk and then turned back to the chair. It toyed with the velvet and stroked the gilded top as it followed it's hand up the rest while walking behind and around the chair, before sitting in the gilded throne and it's head tilted back as it laughed wickedly.
"Ah, my necklace. Come closer, my pretty." Changing the direction of the conversation as if a third party had joined them in the room. The shadows eyes resting on Marcus's neck where the trinkets main carved stone glowed sickly from it's masters call and his body shuffled closer towards the edges of the desk.
"W-what do you want of me? My word, my bond... My pledge?" Stammered Marcus at the last as his chin was lifted from over the desk by the spectre, more than a little fearful by now and slightly in awe at
the easy mastery of his body.
"No... Something much more than your word." The shadow replied with a hint of a gleaming smile. "Your soul, Marcus. Give me your soul."
