Martyr's Make.
Over an hour passes with no noticeable attempts by The Fallen to breach their safe haven. Much of the overt fear among the villagers has died down, but an atmosphere of general anxiety still hangs in the air. People have done what they can to make themselves comfortable in the strange bunker, understanding that it may be some time before they can emerge to their homes. Despite the amount of souls gathered in the space, noise is relatively low. Some children play games to pass the time, while older folks tell stories to keep their minds occupied. Most however, are quiet.
The village elder, Eyran, rests near the door and tries his best to maintain a reassuring appearance. He gives smiles and answers questions as best he can. Inside he is plagued by worry about what comes next.
A low rumble can be heard from above. It is muffled heavily by the dirt and thick ceiling, but its presence is undeniable. Some of the villagers notice and are instantly set on edge.
Eyran keeps the same stoic calm and gestures for his people to relax.
His gesture is interrupted by a loud impact above. The room rattles lightly and a number of villagers shriek in fear. Then they quiet down to hear what is happening. Regular thumps sound down from the earth above, like enormous, heavy footsteps. The thumps make their way over head in a trackable rhythm, revealing the movements of whatever horror is making the sounds. Then, as everyone does their best to keep silent, the undeniable bang of an explosion rings out from the surface. Panic takes hold of the people. Many express their fears about the safety of their village, their homes. Some even propose sending out a group to confront whatever monstrosity may be causing wanton destruction on everything they have built. Most question where their protectors are. The hunter and the Guardian.
Eyran shares this question. He looks around the room for the young woman and her Light bearing friend.
Klutz enters the room first. He holds the bow in one hand and carries a quiver of the strange arrows on his hip. There is haste in his movements as he passes through the corridor and adorns his dark helmet.
Marin follows, not far behind. There is concern in her face as well an unusual look of pride.
The thumps stop for a moment and another loud explosion can be heard.
"Guardian!" Eyran calls out as he meets them halfway. "What could be the cause of this noise?"
A glow flashes over the Guardian's shoulder as Spark joins them. "From the sound of it, something big landed above us." she says. "Probably some kind of mechanical assault platform, if I had to hazard a guess. I didn't register a ground impact, aside from when it landed, so I don't believe it is focused on attacking the village… At least not yet."
The Awoken closes his eyes for a moment and runs a hand across his forehead. "Are we safe to wait out this machine? Or must we intervene?" he asks.
Spark looks up as the thumps charge position once again. "There is a chance it may leave the village alone… but I don't see that as a very strong chance. Based on Fallen behavior, I assume when it runs out of targets, it may turn its attention to searching for inhabitants in the buildings above… and I don't think it will search gently."
"I gotta sabotage it then," Klutz says with a faint hint of anxiety.
Marin interjects, "Doubt whatever's up there doesn't have back up. Fallen like to stay in groups, so sabotaging this thing won't go smoothly."
"Well we must do something!" Eyran cries. "Guardian? Are you willing to face what's out there?"
Klutz answers without hesitation. "Yes."
Spark widens her shell. "It will be very dangerous to go out there alone…"
"I can take the risk." Klutz takes the badge from his pocket and hands it to the Awoken. "This should give you access to anything you need in here."
Eyran takes the card and understands why the Guardian is handling it off.
"Hey, you can't go out there on your own!" Marin objects. "Me and a few other hunters could cause a distraction, give you an opening!" There is fear in her words but not for herself.
"Out of the question!" Eyran barks. "You are still in no shape to put yourself in any danger… Although." He turns to the Guardian. "If anyone else volunteers to assist you, Guardian… they have my blessing."
"No," the Guardian answers sternly. "I don't want anyone else in danger. I've got Spark and I've got The Light."
Spark looks at her Guardian with concern for a moment but she soon shifts to a motivated expression of determination before she dematerializes.
Marin's look of concern does not leave.
Another explosion interrupts the tense discussion.
The people are frightened. A boy passes through the crowd and catches the attention of many when he speaks. "Marin, I can help. I can fight." He has a hunting bow on his back and fire in his eyes. "One of those monsters hurt my pa. You and The Guardian killed it on your own, but I wanted to help. I wanted to… but I was too afraid." Shahid stands strong. "I'm not afraid anymore."
Marin looks at the young man and recognizes the pain in his eyes. "Shahid, you don't have to fight to prove you're strong. Sometimes real strength means knowing when to sit one out."
Shahid looks angry. "I don't want to hide!" More villagers turn to look when they hear his shout. "He may have magic, but you have always been our guardian!"
Marin is hit hard by the words.
"I know you are hurt, so let me protect us, like you always have. I know others that are also willing to fight." His speech is focused and passionate.
"Listen, Shahid. You've got to think of your pa. Think of how he'd feel if he lost you. The Guardian has decided to fight them on his own, because he doesn't want any of us to lose someone…" A pain aches in her. Not from her wound, but from her heart. She turns to face the fearful villagers. "You hear that everyone? The Guardian is going out there to face the bastards that want to destroy us. He may not have been with us long but he's willing to risk everything to keep us safe!"
The crowd looks at Klutz with skepticism despite Marin's announcement.
Eyran steps forward. "The Guardian has proven himself to be a good and selfless man! I know it may surprise some of you to hear me say this, but I am humble enough to admit when I'm wrong… The Guardian will be our champion against The Fallen, not because The Vanguard of The Last City has instructed him to do so, but because he is one of us just as much as anyone in this village!"
Marin continues over the sound of yet another explosion. "The best we can do to help him is stay out of the way. Because The Guardian is gonna beat down the bugs so badly, I almost feel sorry for them! He's gonna take back our home and remind those bastards why we call them The Fallen!"
The hyped up crowd bursts into cheers and praises. They look at Klutz in a way he's never seen before. They look at him with respect.
Klutz watches as the crowd's cheers die down and they look at him expectantly. He looks at Shahid, the anger in his eyes replaced with hope. The Guardian steps forward to address his people. "I… may not have done the best job of showing it over the weeks I've spent here, but I want you all to know this place is my home just as much as The City has been. And I'm ready to fight to defend my home!"
The people show their new found appreciation with claps and praise.
Klutz steps back and feels the pressure bearing down on him. He knows he and his Ghost may not survive this confrontation. He just hopes he can keep his people safe.
Show of Force.
The Guardian stands before the door and takes a deep breath. "If I'm not back in about a half hour, expect the worst."
Eyran listens intently and nods in understanding.
"And if that's the case, hold out down here as long as you can. When I'm outside I'll ping The Vanguard with your location so they know where to find you when they get the chance. Until then, stay put and if they bust in here, you'd best make use of all the fancy hardware in this place."
"If it comes to it, we will fight as long as we can," Eyran assures the Guardian.
"Marin… if I don't make it-"
"Don't say shit like that…" she interrupts.
"If I don't make it," he restates. "Keep looking out for these people, always. Shahid is right, I may have The Light, but you're the real guardian here. Always have been. Don't ever give up."
Marin stares at the man. Tears well in her eyes. "I know you want to help, Klutz. Just don't do anything stupid."
He smirks behind the dark glass of his helmet. "No promises."
The door slides shut behind him as he reenters the dark cellar. A narrow beam of light shoots out from the emitter above the door and locks on to the exotic bow in his hand.
Spark immediately assaults the source of the light with her own hissing beam of energy. The light turns off and the Ghost returns to her Guardian's side. "I've disabled the alarm for now, but I wouldn't stay near if you don't want it going off."
Klutz climbs the stairs and peaks through the door. The room seems clear so he advances into the hall. "Got through to The City yet?" he asks his companion.
"Virtually all major channels are busy, and we don't have priority access. I've left a distress beacon on this location, so they know where to send help when they find the time. Until then, we're on our own…" Spark's voice is stressed but focused. "All the friendly communications I've been able to tap into are intense but still organized. I think they are putting up a good defense."
"Here's hoping we can do the same." Klutz pulls an arrow from his quiver, approaches a skinny window, and sees the machine. It's huge and walks on six powerful legs. A massive cannon is mounted on the back of its armored chassis. The sound of the Fallen tank is loud and distinct. The clunking of heavy machinery as it moves around the abandoned village. The earthshaking thud in each of its steps.
"It's a Fallen Walker. I think its weapon is best suited for long range engagements, but that won't stop it from blowing either of us to pieces if it gets the chance…"
"So how are we supposed to blow it up?" the Guardian asks bluntly.
"Vanguard reports indicate they are plated in very durable armor, but they do have a weak point. A motor core hidden under the topside armor. In the event that the tank overheats, it will uncover the motor core to cool down," Spark explains.
"So we gotta turn up the heat on it first?" Klutz lights a small flame in his free palm.
"First we should deal with its entourage." Spark directs the man's attention to a large group of Fallen gathered behind the Walker, as well as a few smaller groups scattered about the village. "Those are just the ones we can see from this window, but my sensors indicate at least another dozen… This will be a hard fight."
"Thirty on one and they've got a big ol' tank? Don't seem too fair for those poor Fallen," Klutz jokes and nocks an arrow.
When the pair approach the door, Spark stops her companion for a moment. "This is it, Klutz. You need to act as quickly as possible, because they will call for reinforcements if they get the opportunity. I suggest stealth for the initial engagement. That won't be an option for long when it comes to battling that Walker, so do your best to use surprise to your advantage."
"I'll do my best," he replies. "Can't afford anything less." He looks up at his Ghost. "And we can't afford to lose you, Spark."
She looks at him with her shell askew.
"Odds are I'm gonna get hurt out there. I don't want you coming out unless it's safe," he says sternly.
Spark spins her shell. "We can't afford to lose you either! Even for a small amount of time! If you go down, I need to pick you up! It's my job."
"I get it, Spark. But if you get hurt…"
"I was too slow to heal you when we faced that Captain with Marin. I was too slow and Marin was hurt because of that. I won't let that happen again. I will keep you on your feet as best as I can. That Captain got a lucky shot on me, and look! I'm fine!" She twirls her damaged shell. "Us Ghosts are made of strong stuff. I'm in this fight just as much as you are!"
Klutz looks down for a moment before returning his gaze to his defiant Ghost. "I know you're tough. Just be careful."
Spark nods and disappears.
Klutz readys his weapon and slowly opens the old door. He spots a pair of Fallen standing out front.
The creak of the door catches one's attention. As it turns to investigate, its interest is rewarded with an arrow planted firmly in its skull. The alien falls backward, startling its comrade. The second Fallen jumps in shock as it sees the body hit the ground. Before it gets the chance to piece together what is happening, an arrow finds itself lodged deep in the back of its head. The pair of corpses reunite in the dirt.
"Good work!" Spark praises via the Guardian's private comms. "There is a group on the opposite side of the building from the Walker. Best to deal with them before you face the larger group standing guard around it."
Klutz heeds the Ghost's advice and quickly takes cover behind a building with a good line of sight on his enemies. A group of Vandals laze about as the Walker repositions on the other side of the community hall. Klutz spots one, isolated from its peers. He pulls the string back and uses the rangefinder on his weapon to line up the shot. The trio of arrows fly free and the center arrow hits its target with lethal quickness. He prepares for another shot before his attention is drawn upward.
A human fighter ship speeds overhead with a Fallen Skiff in hot pursuit. Black smoke pours out from the fighters engines. It races in the direction of the besieged city, but the Skiff corrals it back around toward the village. The huge Fallen Walker arms its weapon and tracks the fighter as it gets closer. Once its target is in range, the Walker shoots its massive cannon and cripples the human ship. The flaming wreck comes crashing down toward the village. It collides with the earth in a dramatic explosion that obliterates several of the Fallen posted near the Walker. The wreck continues its crash, tumbling through a few of the village's quiet homes, turning them to little more than splinters. The flaming wreck finally comes to a stop, in the remnants of the surgeon's home.
Klutz watches as the group he was preying on leave to inspect the carnage. Klutz follows them while remaining hidden. When he finds a good position he sees the destruction and the totaled fighter laying in the middle. He notices Ghost appear and separate its shell in an ethereal blue glow as it attempts to revive the pilot.
A few Dregs move close until the roar of the group's Captain warns them away. The Fallen Captain points one of its long arms at the desperate Ghost, directing the tank to take aim.
"Oh no…" Klutz mumbles. He stands and aims his weapon at the tank.
"Careful, Guardian! It's already-" Spark is cut off by the booming sound of the Walkers cannon.
The cannon hits its mark and the dead pilot's Ghost is caught in the radius of its powerful munition. The Ghost explodes into a huge wave of tragically beautiful Light. The Light bursts out through much of the village.
The wave of Light passes over Klutz, his jaw drops. He lowers the bow and loosens the string.
"It's too late, Klutz. They are gone…" Spark says mournfully. "Let's make sure that Walker can't hurt anyone else.
"Agreed," the Guardian says with both fear and anger in his voice. "We've gotta hit them hard."
"Most of the Fallen here are now grouped up to… celebrate. It may be a good opportunity to deal with many of them!"
Klutz runs to the side of the large building in the center of the village. He uses The Light to launch himself on top of the old roof. Careful with his steps, he crouch walks over the roof to get a good view of the brutal invaders.
Vandals cheer and thrust their rifles in the air to celebrate the final death of the Light Warrior and the Ghost. Dregs squeal and throw their arms high in excitement. The Captain stands proud and merely gloats with a soft chuckle.
"Ready to pay them back?" Spark asks.
"Ready to give them everything I've got." Klutz slings the bow over his back with his rifle. He breathes deeply and summons the power of the Void between his palms. The orb of violet energy starts small but swells with every breath. Soon it becomes difficult to contain, even catching the attention of a few unfortunate Fallen down below. As The Fallen grow aware of his presence, the Guardian jumps forth from the roof and hurls the Nova Bomb at the Walker and the group surrounding it.
With surprising agility, the Walker scuttles backward in an attempt to avoid the great ball of energy. It's escape is not entirely effective, both of its front legs and much of its front facing armor are damaged badly by the explosion as the bomb hits the ground. Most of the Fallen are far less fortunate, including the Captain. Reduced to atoms as the explosion of Void Light tears them apart. Many Fallen, outside of the blast radius, desperately flee from seekers of Void energy. The seekers fly out from the explosion and chase down the stragglers with destructive focus until they meet their targets.
Klutz lands on the ground in a powerful stance. He sees the damaged tank walk backwards, over multiple small buildings, as it aims its cannon. He jumps to the side to avoid the blast. Instead, the cannon lands a devastating hit on the large building behind him. Klutz curses as he watches the wall come crashing down, along with much of the roof. One of the old rugs that hung from the ceiling joists, flies out and falls to the ground as it burns.
"Stay focused, Guardian," Spark says. "They know you're here, so there's no need to hold back!"
Klutz reequips the marvelous bow and charges it with a quick jolt of Arc energy. Electricity courses through the string as he pulls it taught and takes aim at the Walker.
When the arrows land, one digs directly into the tanks front covering, the two parallel arrows stick into the damaged front legs. All three arrows link together with bright arcs of powerful lightning, stunning the machine and seemingly disabling it. The Walker's powerful legs collapse under its weight and its cannon hangs downward.
"That's your opening!" Spark shouts as the tank slides back a panel of thick armor to cool down its overheating core.
The Guardian nocks a trio of arrows for a follow up shot on its exposed components. Less than a second before he frees the arrows, a distant sniper lands a shot on his shoulder, knocking him off his aim and sending the arrows flying way off target. Klutz bites through the pain and switches weapons to his rifle when he spots the marksman. He sees the glow of another charged shot and feels the impact as it skims his helmet. Hoping to avoid further interruptions, Klutz returns fire with a burst of shots. At least one of the bullets connects and the sniper falls. Turning back to the stunned Walker, the Guardian is forced to escape again when the Skiff returns and assaults his position with a few blasts of powerful plasma. Klutz rolls out of the way and takes cover behind the ruins of what was once a home. He finds his bow, grabs a bundle of arrows, and peeks out at the Skiff above.
Hovering over the space between the Guardian and the Walker, the Skiff keeps its guns ready and extends spring boards for its crew to descend from. A dozen Vandals and Marauders emerge from the ship and prepare to jump.
Veiled in a cloak of Light, Klutz jumps from cover and shoots a set of charged arrows at the Skiffs guns. The electricity surges through the ship mounted weapons, causing them to overload. In a follow up attack, Klutz releases another trio of arrows at the reinforcements hanging from the underside of the Skiff. Only one of the arrows hits an enemy, but the powerful lightning chains between the rest of the squad, disintegrating those closest, and electrocuting the rest. Various bodies and weapons rain down as the Skiff retreats.
"You're running out of time, Klutz!" Spark alerts. "The Walker has finished cooling and is covering its motor core!"
Fire builds in the Guardian's chest. He launches toward the tank as the fire burns out from within him. When he reaches the machine he manifests a sword of Solar Light, bounds on top of the tank, and jams it between the gap in the closing armor. The blade is not deep enough to damage the sensitive components underneath, but it stops the panel from fully closing. Klutz prys at the armor with all the strength he has in him, desperate to reveal the Walker's weak spot. He feels life start to return to the mechanical monster. Its legs begin to stand and its cannon aims forward. The metal stretches and strains under the heat of the sword and the strength of the Lightbearer. Klutz leans into the sword with all his might. Slow, gradual progress until… Success. The panel pops off from the machine, exposing its delicate insides permanently. When the armor breaks off, Klutz tumbles from the top of the machine and lands on the ground in front. The sword fades away and Klutz stands before the massive war machine for a moment to revel in his accomplishment. The revelry does not last long.
Once the Walker gets to its feet, it releases a powerful, dome shaped blast of Arc energy from its core. The blast obliterates a few buildings nearby and sends the Guardian flying backwards.
Three Graves.
Disoriented and vulnerable, Klutz spills fast across the battlefield before coming to a sudden stop when he collides harshly with the wall of a ruined building. Ears ringing and vision spinning, he tries to find his bearings while laid out on his back. When he is finally able to make sense of his surroundings, he notices something is missing. The bow is gone. He realizes it fell out of his possession in the blast and now lays in the distance, crackling with power near the crumbling wall of the community hall. Klutz tries to support himself with his right arm so he can rise from the ground. The moment he puts weight on the arm it buckles, shooting up a sharp pain. Falling once again to his back, Klutz holds up his arm and finds it to be badly broken at the wrist, loose and unresponsive. His head still pounds and he suffers from a dizziness he can't shake. He only finds a taste of peace when shuts his eyes.
"Stay calm, Klutz. I need to work fast."
The words bounce around his skull and fear eats at him from inside. "Spark?" He struggles to look at the Ghost above him.
"Don't speak." she orders. "You have multiple broken bones and a subdural hemorrhage."
Klutz looks past the Ghost at the Fallen Walker, only a short distance away.
The war machine still seems to be reorienting itself after the damage it sustained. Its large cannon cycles out spent munitions and it looks more alert with every second.
"Spark…"
"Quiet, Klutz… Please… let me work." Her shell is spread into individual segments and a blue aura shines out from within her.
Slowly but surely, Klutz feels his pain ease as he is bathed in the Ghosts Light. Now with more control of his faculties, more awareness of his surroundings, his fear grows unmanageable. "The Tank, Spark!" he belts as he sees the Waker take aim. Right before he hears the boom, the fire of Solar Light burns forth from him yet again. The pounding headache and disorientation disappears entirely and his wrist heals instantly, mended by The Light as he reaches for his Ghost. He pulls her in against his luminous chest and turns to shield her.
The explosion hits very close to the radiant Guardian. Dirt and smoke fill the air.
The Guardian coughs behind the spider-webbed glass of his visor. He feels equal parts pain and numbness throughout his body as he struggles to remove the compromised helmet. His first attempt misses strangely before he realizes he can not feel the hand he is directing. Attempting again with his other hand, he unseals the head protection and tosses it to his side. Now free of his visual constraints, he takes a moment to see what's become of himself. He rests a few feet from the crater of the cannon's impact.
The Light seems to have largely protected him judging by the fact that he is anything more than a red stain in the dirt. Despite the paracausal protection, he is far from fighting shape.
Looking down over his body, Klutz sees that his legs have been mutilated by the blast. He feels a sharp pain in his back and instinctively reaches with his unresponsive hand. When that fails, he holds the arm up and realizes everything past the elbow has been blown away. Addressing the pain in his back with his remaining hand, he pulls out a sharp piece of shrapnel. He recognizes it as a component from his once trusty rifle. With difficulty, he sits up and stares across the way at the Walker.
As if in a bloodlust, the machine has turned its focus to causing horrible damage around what is left of the village. The cannon totals most buildings and it crushes others under its weight. The orange glow of its exposed weak spot taunts the Guardian.
"Spark..? I need your help, buddy…" he calls out in a pained voice.
Spark appears above the crippled man and begins scanning her light over him. "You are in very bad shape…" She pauses her scan and observes the Walker for a short time. "If that Walker sees me again…"
"The tank has already smashed up most of the village. If I don't stop it, there will be nothing left… Everyone will be trapped underground…"
"Maybe we can wait it out? Wait until it is safe?" she says with shaken words.
"We don't know when it will be safe… If it will be safe. Reinforcements could be on the way. If that happens they could find the bunker… They could find Marin and I couldn't do anything to stop them." He struggles to speak but he needs to convince her. "We've gotta try."
Spark looks down at the man with a doleful expression. "If the Walker sees what I'm doing again… it will kill us…"
"Part of the job… We're in this together." He looks at her with a pained smile.
A bright blue glow shines out as the Ghost opens up her shell.
The Walker steps through a small building and turns its attention to the bright glow of the Ghost.
The man's pulse elevates, draining life from him faster, when he sees the tank approaching.
Spark recognizes the fear in his face and knows what is coming. She stays committed to her task.
While Klutz looks on in nervousness, he feels physical relief as his body is remade. He watches the tank aim its weapon and knows that in all likelihood, there will not be enough time. He is afraid. He looks up at his faithful companion and smiles. A gesture of trust and appreciation for all she has done for him. He looks back out toward the tank and is shaken to his foundation by a new found terror when he sees her.
She peers out from the broken wall of the large building. She sees the Guardian, bloodied and battered, his Ghost working desperately to heal him. Both at the mercy of the Fallen Walker. She notices the intimidating machine's uncovered weakness as it moves into position. Then she spots the surging bow nearby. The Guardian cries out her name. A call for help? A frightened warning? She knows the answer, she acts anyway. She leaps through the fractured wall and pays for her haste immediately. Pain surges through her when the first of the stitches rips, reopening the large puncture in her abdomen. Teeth bite down hard from the sharp pain in her side. The blood starts to soak through the bandages and stain her shit. Adrenaline pumps around as her heart beats like a whirlwind. She bottles up her fear and doubt, thumps the front of her wound with a closed fist, and charges forward. Pain is put out of her mind as she leans down to swipe up the bow, and a bundle of arrows, mid stride.
The Walker has found its position and time is running low.
Ambushing from behind, she scales one of its legs with impressive agility. A quick bound over the tanks armored chassis gives her an eyeful of the vulnerable core. She kicks off the front and draws the sting back mid jump. The Fallen threaten to destroy someone she holds dear. She will not let that happen again. The electrified string releases with her breath, sending the charged arrows directly into the machine's fragile core. Arcs of devastating lightning surge through the machine, instantly setting off a chain reaction of critical failures all throughout the Fallen tank. Before the archer has even reached the ground, the Walker erupts into a violent explosion that sends fire and shrapnel in every direction. The force of the blast sends the woman soaring back a few feet, soon colliding with the dirt and rolling like a rag doll. She breathes deeply and takes pride in what she's done.
"Marin!" Klutz screams. The last of many cries he has yelled out while helplessly watching her heroics.
Spark finishes fixing the man's body and closes her shell as he rises quickly.
The restored Guardian almost falls over himself as he races to the woman's side. When he meets her he falls to his knees and clasps her hand.
"Hey. You don't look too worse for wear… all things considered…" Her voice is gravely and quiet. "Can't say the same for me, huh?" Blood pours from her old wounds, reopened by her exertions. To make matters worse, debris from the explosion has caused many lacerations across her body. A sizable metal shard is stuck between her ribs, dripping fast with crimson.
"We'll get you help, Rin! The Fallen are gone… We'll get you help…" Tears build in the man's eyes as the reality of the situation crushes him.
"Don't think there's much you can do for me now." She coughs wet and painfully. Droplets of blood dot her cheek.
Klutz wips the blood from her face with his newly remade hand. "Don't say that… Please." He holds her head from the dirt. She grunts from the pain and he feels the sticky blood in her hair.
"Listen, Klutz. It's alright… I told you… Everyone dies eventually." She smiles warmly. "What matters is what we make of the time we've got."
"I… I thought you were gonna stay down there… Stay safe." A tear falls onto his ruined robe.
"I lost so much already… Couldn't lose you too." Her voice grows weaker. "Tell Eyran… Tell him I'm sorry. I think he always knew something like this would happen."
Klutz feels the grasp of her hand start to go limp. "Hang on, Rin… Stay with me."
"I hung on long enough… Happy I made it this far… Happy… I met you." She struggles to lift the impossible weight of her numb arm. She places a cold hand on his cheek for as long as she can manage. "Happy I got to… feel like a Guardian… Just this once..."
"… I'm sorry," he whispers as he watches her eyes go glassy. He looks always when her body becomes limp and a gut wrenching rattle escapes her lips in place of an exhale. He lowers her to the ground when the blood stops pumping out of her with every heartbeat. Invisible weight presses down on him. The world seems to lack the brightness it once had. "Spark?" he calls out through a sob.
Spark floats near but says nothing.
"You've gotta help her, Spark," he pleads quietly. Senselessly.
"It doesn't work that way, Klutz… She's gone," the Ghost answers regretfully.
Klutz stands after an extended period of silence, dries his eyes, and walks to a half totaled shed nearby. In the mess of scattered tools, he finds a shovel.
The hole is not very deep. Located away from most of the village, with the other monuments to the lost. He lays her grisly body down gently. He almost can't look at her. From the leather bag at her side, he finds the old hand cannon and places it in the loose hold of her ice cold fingers. Then he rests the amazing bow atop her chest. He looks down at her for a long time. The dark clouds above threaten to storm down, he knows he needs to work faster. Still he finds himself frozen as he gazes at her ashen skin. A pain digs deep in his chest as he gives his final goodbye. When the last scoop of soil fills the grave, he thrusts one of the three pointed arrows into the earth, marking the spot of the hunter's final resting place.
Rain drops slowly at first, a taste of the great storm yet to come.
When the undertaker approaches the community hall, one of the few buildings left mostly intact, he takes another hit to the gut as he sees a concerned soul exit the front door.
The Awoken man's face is washed with despair as he passes the threshold. He immediately looks to the disordered man coming his way. "Guardian? You look dreadful…"
Klutz is well aware of how he looks. His clothes are torn and burned almost beyond recognition, his boots have been damaged enough that most of his toes are exposed, and dark red stains tell a painful story across his dirty robes. Despite the terrible damage to his gear, the pain in his face is the most telling feature.
Eyran takes a short look over his once peaceful village. Most homes have been destroyed entirely and Fallen corpses litter the ground. The remnants of the massive Walker sit in a shallow crater nearby. After taking in the horrific landscape, the elder turns his attention back on the Guardian with singular focus. "Where is Marin?" A warble in his voice reveals his worry.
The question hurts worse than any shot he has taken, any stab, any blast. He stands paralyzed by the pain, unable to answer the man's simple words.
"Please, Guardian. Have you seen her?" Eyran walks closer, revealing more of the trouble in his face. "I lost track of her, not long after you left. I asked others but I believe they may have covered for her so she could leave the safety of the armory without me knowing. I know you warned us to stay hidden, but it has been over an hour since we heard anything below, and I couldn't bear to sit on my hands any longer…" He stops very close to the silent Guardian. A knowing pain flashes in his eye. "Please, Guardian… Don't make me ask again…"
Klutz chokes back the pain and gives the unwelcome answer. "She saved me… Saved all of us… She… gave her life to do it…"
Eyran's knees go weak and he fights just to stand. His jaw shakes, he struggles to find words. "Oh, no, no, no… Please no…" He covers his face with an unsteady hand. "My little one…"
Klutz wants to offer some form of comfort for the grieving man. He wants to reach out and burden some of the hurt. He wants to express his own sorrow. He tries to come up with something to say, some way to ease the emotional toll on both of them. Instead he stands dumbstruck. Unable to do anything but hold back his own tears.
"Where is she?" Eyran asks with difficulty. "Where is her body?"
"I… I already buried her… With the other graves." Klutz swallows hard. "I'm sorry if it's not my place to do that… I just didn't want you to see her that way… No one should have to see her like that…"
There is a long silence between the men as the rain starts to pour down harder.
Eyran keeps his eyes shut as drops trickle down his face. "I understand, Guardian… I understand better than most." His words are subdued and cold. "The light in my life….My little girl… is dead…"
Farewell.
Hot rays beat down from the early afternoon sun. Birds chirp in the distance as the man follows the, now quite familiar, path to the remnants of the village. He is clad in simple robes with modest protection. He carries a small sidearm on his hip. As he approaches the edge of the village, he finishes his radio communication. "One last trip and everyone should be accounted for," he says, his tone betraying his low spirit.
"I thank you once again, Guardian. You may not have fought on one of the six fronts with the Titans, but the warning you provided was invaluable to our defense of The City," Osiris says with pride in his voice.
"Glad I could do something to help," Klutz replies, somewhat detached from the conversation.
"As I understand, you fought a difficult battle of your own," the famous Warlock notes. "It's a shame so many lost their homes. I hope they can find peace within our walls."
"Yeah… So do I." When he enters the village, Klutz signs off and closes the channel.
A calm quiet fills the air. The bodies of the invaders still lay across the grass and dirt. All of the villagers have left their broken homes to seek refuge, under the protection of The Traveler and its Guardians, behind the great walls of The Last City. All of the villagers except one.
Klutz finds him exactly where he thought he would.
Standing wordlessly over the fresh grave, Eyran inspects the clean white headstone once again. He sighs when he hears the Guardian nearing.
"I know you said you'd find your own way there." Klutz walks close and looks at the headstone for a moment. "But I still had time after I walked the last group over. Thought I'd check in, see if you changed your mind."
The elder says nothing.
"Or maybe you just want to… talk things over? Get a little… closure?"
Eyran says nothing still.
A frown threatens to grow across the young Guardian's face. "People may say otherwise… but I know I failed you."
Eyran closes his eyes.
"I failed this village… I failed Marin."
A puff escapes the Awokens nose as he stands stoic.
"I can't rebuild everything that was lost, and I can't bring her back." Klutz takes a deep breath. "But I'll do everything I can to give our people a good life in their new home. Took a little bit of a push, but the land you were given is pretty nice. It's open and remote, not gonna be bothered much at all, if you don't want. From what I'm told, the soil's good for growing stuff. Land is flat too, not gonna be much work getting the prefabs up. Got resources to build anything else you want…" Klutz can tell he is not making much progress with the stubborn man. "I'll do anything I can to make sure everyone lives comfortably. I'm committed to that. We can talk about it on the way there?"
Eyran opens his eyes and looks at the eager Lightbearer with a blank face. "Thank you for your charity. Now let me be clear about what I ask of you."
The Guardian listens attentively.
"I only ask that you leave my people be."
Klutz almost flinches as he narrows his brow.
"As I said before, I'll find my own way to your city. And when it comes to 'talking things over…' We have nothing left to say." The tired man takes another look at the grave before leaving. He gathers a pair of large bags and heads toward the walls on the horizon.
The sun shines heavy on the Guardian's back as he looks down at the grave he dug not long ago. He sticks another, older arrow in the dirt near the headstone before he turns away. "Call in the ship, Spark."
"Where are we headed?" the little light asks gently when she pops up at the man's side.
"You got what you could from the armory?"
"There was lots of heavily encrypted data, but I accessed a good few things of note. File names, security information, and even access history. Some of the remote logins are particularly interesting!" Excitement bubbles to the surface as she speaks.
"Great work, Spark. Don't know what I'd do without you," he says with a half smile. He walks from the abandoned village as he sees his ship start to land nearby.
"I'm sure Osiris would be willing to assign us something interesting after everything you've done. I've heard rumors he is going to be taking on more responsibilities, so he may even have some serious work we could help with!" Spark keeps a steady pace with her Guardian. "Although… I understand if you would rather not take a field job right away. Many other Warlocks and Cryptarchs would be quite interested in the data we've collected on this 'Black Armory.' I know you have a personal investment in that subject."
Klutz scratches at his neck when he arrives at his jumpship. Spark transmats them inside, and he gets comfortable in his seat.
"So… Where to, Guardian?"
The spacecraft lifts off from the ground and soars over the empty village. Beams of bright blue light trail behind the vehicle as it blasts up and into the distance.