Editing Meet the Primarchs (Warhammer High) (section)

==Meeting Mortarion==
A strange odour filled his nostrils, as the rusty iron door was opened and Athanasius could see Morticia’s head with the well-known mess of greyish hair. She coughed, cleaned her throat and said then: “Well, um... hi, Atha! Why don’t you come in?”

As much as he wanted to say something like “Because of this toxic gas”, he merely said “Hi!” and followed her fragile frame into the house, wondering what in the Emperor’s name was going on here.

The hallway looked like a bunker, but with ventilation shafts filling the air with smoke instead of oxygen. The smoke obscured his sight and he bumped against a chair standing in his way. 
Morticia heard his mumbled curse and said regretfully: “I’m sorry that you had to come in, but my dad wanted to see you... and test you, I fear.”

She took his hand and guided him towards the stairs, both of them coughing repeatedly in the meantime.
He rubbed his eyes and asked curiously: “So... would you mind telling me why you live in this... death trap?”

She turned around and tried to smile - at least it seemed like a smile through the smoke. Sighing, she stepped closer to him and said in a low voice: “Daddy always says: ‘What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.’” She coughed and continued: “I think he once had an accident with toxic gas, he doesn’t speak about it, but I’m sure he wants me to be able to live through such an accident.”

He grimaced and said sarcastically: “Such a caring person, your father...”

She shrugged and continued to lead him upwards the stairs, carefully watching every step. Finally, they reached the upper floor, which at least wasn’t that filled with smoke anymore. They both took a deep breath, but Morticia soon recovered while he still felt somewhat dazed. 

She opened a door with a screeching noise, revealing a dim dining room with Mortarion sitting at the head of the table, eying the young man suspiciously. 
The bald, pallid man pointed with his hand to a chair at the opposite of the table, and said with a hoarse: “Sit down, boy. The test of endurance has begun.”

Athanasius stepped forward and sat in the chair offered to him. 

“Well... hello, Mr. Mortarion. I am Athanasius. Nice to meet you” he said, intimidated by the huge, gaunt figure.

The primarch nodded, his face a grim expression in the darkness of the room.
“We shall see. Now, to prove yourself worthy of my daughter, you must be able to survive.”

“But Dad! Why does he need to do this?” Morticia interjected, gripping Athanasius’ shoulders from behind. 

“Morticia, my dear. I don’t know what he’s up to, but at least he should be able to... save his loved one. It’s only for your safety, darling”, the pale giant said in a surprisingly caring way.

Athanasius sighed, but answered determinedly: “Whatever it is to gain the favour of your daughter, I shall do it, sir.”

Mortarion nodded again, then he stood up and served the young man a goblet filled with a strange liquid.

“Drink this. Then I’ll explain the test”, Mortarion said with a stern voice.

“Daddy! Do we really have to do this?” Morticia asked pleadingly, but her father only nodded.

Athanasius drained the goblet with huge gulps, the bitter liquid almost enough to make him vomit. He shuddered and placed the goblet on the table. 
The primarch smiled approvingly, then, to Athanasius’ utter dismay, he said calmly: “Now, my son, you have ten minutes left to find the antidote downstairs. It’s a violet phial. Hurry up.”

“I’m sorry... WHAT?”

As the young man looked up in the face of the primarch, finding no sign of a joke, he jumped up and spun on his heel. At his side, Morticia stood and wept. 
With a tearful voice she stammered: “I... I’m so sorry... I didn’t... didn’t know... please...”

Athanasius had no time to think about regretting this invitation, as he dashed down the stairs, into the grey smoke that filled the ground floor.

“What the hell...” he continued muttering while he opened a smoke-obscured room that was obviously some kind of living room with an old TV, a chess board on a table and several bleached leather armchairs. 
Coughing hard, he rummaged an iron cupboard, but he could only find rusty knives, used bolter shells, torn maps and a huge gas mask that unsurprisingly didn’t fit on his head.
Frantically, he stormed into the next room; it seemed like a bath room with an airlock built into the door. At least, there was no smoke in there. He opened the wall closet and looked over dozens of probably venomous flasks, but there wasn’t the violet one.

Looking at his watch, he realized that there were maybe five minutes left. He sprinted into another room, a huge library with arcane books. He sighed. There would hardly be a phial in a library, so he turned around and ran into the next room, which seemed to be the kitchen. 
Athanasius inspected all the kitchen cabinets, finding various cooking utensils, but nothing to drink. Briefly, he wondered why there was no food in there, but then pushed the thought aside as he had more serious problems. Like this man giving him a probably deadly poison.

He looked at his watch again. Three minutes left. He felt the poison already working in his cells... or was it just his desperation? Nevertheless, he rushed into the next room, a huge storage room, filled with literally everything. How was he supposed to find anything in here?

“Maybe if I look in the ‘antidote’ section”, he said cynically. “Wait a minute. ‘Antidote’ section...?”

Chewing on his lip, he re-entered the library and hoped that this idea had also occurred in another brain. 
Searching for the A-section, he felt his heart beating faster. As he found it, he couldn’t believe his eyes. There was really a violet phial standing between magic books to cure poison. Relieved beyond all meanings, he took it and drained it in a single gulp.

In his mind formed a single, urgent wish: To exit this damned house as soon as possible.

He ran back towards the hallway, but he soon spotted a huge, pale person standing in the doorframe, smiling appreciatory.

“Well done, my son. You have proven your worth”, Mortarion said as if he hadn’t poisoned a young man a few minutes ago.

“Thank you... but would you mind if I left to never return again?”, Athanasius asked bitterly and coughed again.

“I really don’t think that this is necessary, Athanasius. Maybe I should tell you something... there is a reason for my behaviour that not even my brothers – let alone my damned father – know. Look, boy, didn’t you ask yourself why Morticia has no mother? Well, there was this time that I didn’t live in a poisonous trap. But one day, while we were asleep, lightning struck the house, causing a short circuit of the fan in our bedroom. I... I didn’t notice the smoke until it was too late. I was nearly unaffected, but she was probably already... dead... when I awoke. I ran out and called for help, but there was nothing to do... I plug out all electric things at night, but what if it happens elsewhere, or in a traffic accident, or if I forget something? I couldn’t stand losing Morticia after this loss. So she has to be strong enough to survive. And you have to be strong enough to survive, too.”

Athanasius didn’t know what to say, so he just nodded, noticing Morticia rushing towards him and could only feel her tight embrace for a second before he fell unconscious due to smoke and exhaustion. 

As the young man woke up, he was in a clean, white room, lying on a comfortable bed. It was already dark outside, and he wondered if he was in a hospital.

“Thank goodness, you’re awake”, a worried voice said a voice to his left.

He turned his head to see Morticia smiling at him. She slowly took his hand and sighed.

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t know how my father wanted to test you. But I... I have to admit something. Normally, we live in a house like everyone else. My father trains my fitness, but without the constant smoke. I... well...” 

She wiped a tear off her face and continued: “Like my mother, I have a weak health, and my father wants you to be able to rescue me at any time. Well, I am really sorry... and... I don’t deserve it, but I hope that you can forgive me.”

He smiled back at her, a weak smile, but somehow he couldn’t really be angry at her. Athanasius believed her, and on the other hand, he felt a strange urge to protect her, beside some butterflies in his belly.

“I forgive you. Well, if you promise me that I’ll never have to go into that house of yours anymore”, he said and grinned.

She smiled wider, gripping his hand tightly and giving him a kiss on the cheek.
“Thank you.”

Outside the room, which was in the third floor of Mortarion’s house, stood the primarch and wondered whether he should tell the two lovebirds that the goblet had only contained vinegar. Smiling to himself, he decided to let Athanasius be a hero. And every hero needs a villain, he thought bemused.