Stories for the Road
AN:// Putting this here for understanding, Halfway through this chapter it becomes a flashback to the story he tells. Figured it would be an interesting way to both enrich the character and have some Lore accurate Guardians put in some work. Thank you to My name is Byf for his brilliant work on the lore of Destiny that makes this possible. Enjoy!
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It took a bit of time for the Witchers to come to terms with my age. Considering my looks it was... understandable to a degree. Even Vesemir being around 300 still had some aging bones after all.
We spoke at length for quite some time before noon rolled around. As such I went back to my job helping with the food for the Caravan. The Witchers also began to assist around as they didn't want to seem lazy when even the Kits were rummaging about.
When the food was all gone I was back to assisting with the Claw Dancers. Only this time Geralt was there to help. We spoke our own perspectives for weapons and fighting. I found the Wolf School's forms for swords involved dancing to a degree.
A ballet of Death as Vesemir later called it. I ended up having a small spar with the man as well. Sadly even if I knew the moves and how he would do it. He was fast.
At first he was matching me, Keeping a decent pace with me and all that. But when I began to outright maneuver him like clay he had to use his advantages.
His speed and strength outright made it impossible to win in close combat with him. My minimal use of the light or dark unable to keep up with his Magicka enhanced body.
I'm sure if the Half-Witchers I fought before had the chance they could have done similar... only I had a gun... and an exploding knife.
The surprise factor and the numerous mages did great in eliminating the threat most pertinent in that engagement. With time I might be able to confront a Full Witcher head on but an abundance of Light and Dark would be needed. Or being very persistent.
It felt like no time had passed at all when the Caravan began to pack up. The Witchers were following along as we moved on from Renal. I decided to sit around the School Kits as they were in class as we set off.
As we were riding along on the second day Vesemir and Geralt rode beside the carriage. I peaked my head out the window of the larger carriage as they came close. The kits were just beginning to become a bit rowdy as the day dragged on.
Thus when the Witchers came I was happy to break the chaos of the kits with some more sensical conversations.
"Well met Argus, How are the little kits?" A smile on the Witcher's face was far to telling as he chuckled at my expense.
"Ahh Vesemir, little devils the lot of them. But they are doing well in their studies after all. Can't blame a child when they have too much energy now can I?" A smile of my own on my face.
Geralt quipped next to him, "No matter how much we want to."
We shared a bit of a laugh at that one, it was then Vesemir asked, "Well maybe we can help them out if they had a story to listen to? I'm sure you also have a number of stories yourself?"
I gave him a knowing look as he raised his voice just enough for the kits to hear even in their chaos of playing with spark. I could almost swore to a bit of a conspiratorial glint in Spark's eye, but I had no problem with it. Even chuckled a little to her.
"Fine, fine... I'll tell a story but you must behave till we stop for dinner is that understood?" I relented as the kits were beginning to climb all over me. As well as a weight was dropped onto my head as a certain Mystic found her way into the carriage.
She quickly moved onto the windowsill of the carriage though. I only shook my head at her antics. Speaking to Spark I said, "I'll need some assistance from my ghost for this one, if you all want a story that is?"
The kits were all to quick to chase the floating lightbulb around to which us adults chuckled at till she floated her way above me.
"Alright, alright. settle down now." I said calming the kits. The began to sit down around on any of the cushions around the carriage quick enough. I thought to which story I should tell and decided on one both the kits and the adults would like.
"I'll tell the story of the Twilight Gap. BUT. You need to know a little of what led to this story as well."
Seeing I had their attention I started, "Humanity, we were just climbing out of the dark age. Really setting ourselves up for our future. from looking over our shoulders and wondering when our next meal was to watching out for our neighbors.
We built a great City. The Last City of Humanity. We Lightbearers flocked to the city, a stable home for all of our kind. It did not matter the color of one's skin, if one was a Exo, or an awoken. The last city was open to all who would desire peace.
Above us rested what some would call a god. The Traveler." Spark projected a picture from the walls overlooking the city. The Traveler in all her glory basked in the afternoon sun.
"But the Traveler did not always watch over humanity. There were many before us, and just as we did... they also faced catastrophe. But never before did the traveler stay in the aftermath.
The ones who caused our collapse, they followed the traveler, leaving death and destruction in their wake. Among them were races that joined them in their conquest of the Traveler. And one of them was building up an army.
As the Last city continued to grow we found traces of their army on our moon. So we sent many Guardians, Wielders of the Light, to eliminate the threat to our home. Only... we were very unsuccessful.
This loss would become known as the Great Disaster. Where 1000 Guardians were deployed and only 213 returned in defeat."
Spark, being just who she, kept projecting images along the way. Helping paint the picture of who we were. It was the first time I really opened up to the people of this new world, of my old universe.
"With such a defeat our enemies saw the Last City bleed. They saw we could be defeated, and they united to do just that. A race of people from far far away had followed the traveler as she had left them. An event they called the Whirlwind.
They were called the Eliksni. They were insectoid 4 armed creatures. And just like humanity they worshiped the Traveler. They called it, The Great Machine. But in the process of sailing the stars they grew apart as a people. United into several houses like Old Breton nobles, they all sought to be the leaders. Kells they called themselves.
It wasn't until this moment that they were able to really work with one another. Until they came together to fight humanity for the Traveler. Under the Kell of the House of Kings did they come together.
Still there were disagreements among their people but they would fight together if it meant they could reclaim their place under the Great Machine.
Humanity had another name for their race. One that encapsulated their existence since their tragedy perfectly. The Fallen."
A few of the kits became a bit scared of the images of the fallen. In the early days they were right to be feared.
"The fallen came together by the droves. Amassing an army unlike ever before. Hundreds of thousands of them attacked our great city. But we could not keep them back. More and more ground was given to the Fallen as we retreated.
Guardians and Ghosts alike fell in battle taking hundreds if not a thousand of theirs unto their final deaths. Until we got pushed back too far."
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[City Age, Twilight Gap]
The radio cracked with life as I overlooked the damaged artillery. Mortar rounds fired in succession around me as I repaired the dysfunctional gun.
A voice, Tired with age, was heard in my ears. "Fireteam leaders. Do not advance on the wall. Fall back to the Ridgeback district."
My hands froze as I was about to reconnect the wire to make the gun functional again. My ears must have misheard? the ringing of the cannons must have made me hallucinate?
"I repeat. All Teams Rally at the Ridgeback district. Do NOT advance... The City is Lost."
I clenched my fist and turned around. Atop the cannon emplacement I could make out just barely the city in the distance. The traveler was there, The City was there... but it wasn't burning. My hope was there, it wasn't lost yet.
"Shaxx, Do you Copy?"
My gaze turned to the hulking mass of Titan armor. A curved horn on his helmet. The matte white armor with orange details stained with the blood of the fallen and plasma burns.
He crushed a vandal's windpipe and unloaded a rocket grenade into a nearby captain. Reloading he turned his head to look back just as I did. Then turns to look ahead. Following his sight, I saw it.
"Shaxx, Your orders are to retreat."
A gap, an entry point into the heart of the enemy.
Then I heard the Titan Speak, "Nketchi! Take Abdi and Truce, Lui Feng, With me! Bray! Cover us!"
"This battlefield is not your stage, Shaxx! This is not about Glory!" Iron Lord Saladin's voice ripped into my ears. Sadly he was both right and wrong in the same sentence.
The fireteams didn't hesitate to follow their leader.
"Shaxx! For the final time. Fall! Back!"
I heard on the mic Shaxx cutting the feed as they crested the wall. Seeming to have forgotten a simple fact. The fact I was here.
I gripped the cable once more in my hands and reattached it. The artillery roared to life once more.
Grabbing my sniper, a Long shadow, at my side I raced to the edge where they dropped off. Posted myself up and looked out onto the sea of enemies. Racking the bolt to the rear I loaded a shot and took aim. Lui Feng, a Sunbreaker Titan, wielding his fiery hammer he bashed a couple dregs out of his way. They exploaded into bombs as he smashed his way forward.
A captain was coming onto his rear. My shot was well placed and the captain faceplanted into the muddy ground.
I adjusted my aim and once more took another shot, Nketchi had just ducked under the swipe of a fallen captain and with a well placed fist of void knocked him back. With the fallen's shield down my shot sent him sprawling back into the mud where he was trampled by more dregs charging ahead.
A storm of Arc trampled onto the field as Shaxx released his light. Dreaded Arcs of electricity were left in his wake as he bashed his way through the enemies. A boisterous voice Screaming out "FIGHT FOREVER GUARDIANS!"
A sound reminiscent of a bell being rung signaled the Sunbreaker Lui Feng as he ignited his light. A raging inferno was burning in front of him as he released his hammer. Only for the hammer to return to it's master to be released once more.
A shot rang from my left as Anna Bray, a hunter ignited her golden gun. The shot leaving molten light and rock where it landed. Creating zones where no Fallen could stand without being incinerated.
Then came the bomb. As Truce the lovable (yet scary) warlock released a Nova bomb into a crowed section. The Bomb created a singularity dragging the fallen into the center and destroying them.
Abdi then changed the field once more by calling storms around him. The Arc Light chaining from dreg to vandals alike surrounding him.
And finally Nketchi-32 who formed a titan shield and guarded the hole in the wall. Her shield held well and kept stray fire from enlarging it. Occasionally she threw out a shield as it ricocheted between the enemies. In its wake they exploaded into void light.
As for myself I kept my sniper fire for as long as I could. Picking only the most dangerous targets. But in the back of my mind I felt a familiar sting. One all to well know to me in my long life. But unknown to me, a faint glimmer was shining in my eyes. Something unknown to us all even a century and a half later.
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You have stepped into the Crucible. A lovely exotic by your side all ready to begin your slaughter of your fellow guardians. BUT! Shaxx demands payment is due!
For you SEE! Shaxx is in need of your stones!
AN//: Fun times! I have enjoyed this little flashback so far and it will be continued into the next chapter. I also plan to use this as a way to let loose with the guardians at play here. Think Mayhem only we have PvE enemies to fight people.
Also going to be introducing some major plot points here, bit of Foreshadowing there... See if you can predict the TRUTH! Would be happy to see your thoughts in the comments!
PS: sorry but the foreshadowing will not be answered anytime soon.... It will be awhile.