When have you ever known the world to be a fair place?
All things end and all things change
You'll look back and laugh someday
Or at least you'll learn to be okay
Can't Go Back – The Crane Wives
April 05, 2884, 12:20; Somewhere NW of Old Multan, Earth
They reached the rendezvous point around noon. It wasn't actually in Multan proper- indeed the city still lay several dozen kilometers south and east. The urban center wouldn't be a great place to gather. Logically someone would set up a catch point along the river. All they had to do was head in the general direction of Multan and they'd inevitably run into each other. Andal was beginning to think of setting up the catch point himself when he got the ping. They weren't the first ones here. (It wasn't unexpected. Shiro would have been able to travel fast and light on his lonesome.)
The two vehicles pulled off into a stand of trees on the riverbank. Andal and Tevis dismounted easily, their two companions with a bit more uncertainty. They had been riding for several long hours.
The four Guardians had spent the night holed up in the crumbling remains of a temple at the southern edge of the mountainous area. With two veterans to split the watch, they'd all managed to get at least a little sleep. They'd run afoul of three different Hose Devils patrols before they reached the river, but from then it had been smooth sailing.
Andal was ready for a rest, though. He shook off the stiffness from riding and made for the friendly signature on his radar.
It turned out to be friendly signatures, plural. Shiro he was expecting. Cayde, he was not. The Gunslinger was fussing over his Hand Cannon when the four Guardians of Andal's party shouldered their way through the undergrowth.
Shiro leapt nimbly from his lookout post on a tall tree. He and Andal hugged briefly. The Exo's grip was reassuringly strong, and Andal felt a little bit of his anxiety fade. These two at least were no worse for wear.
The leader didn't have to do anything more than raise an eyebrow and glance at Cayde before Shiro began spilling his story. "More Fallen showed up at my post. Cayde made the call to come rescue me. I probably could have gotten them all, but it could have easily gone the other way. Azra took the Kinderguardian."
"They headed east, then south," Cayde supplied from his seat. He was fully absorbed in his gun maintenance. He didn't even look up until Andal nudged him with his boot toe. "I'm not worried," the Exo said lightly. "It looked like the Fallen cleared out a bit before Azra and I got there."
"But Jove-" Radomir said.
"We got him up," Cayde answered in dismissal. "The Fallen didn't steal his clothes, at least, but it appears you guys are down some equipment. Not like it matters much now. He was fine last I saw him."
"So what do we do?" Alekto asked. She seemed caught, not willing to pace but almost unable to stand still. She wrung her hands.
Andal sighed and sat down next to Cayde. "We wait for Azra and Jove to show up."
"What if they don't come?" Radomir asked.
"They'll come," Andal said. It wasn't a question in his mind. (Yet.)
Radomir seemed mollified. Alekto did not. "But what if?" the Warlock pressed.
"Then we send you two off with one of the ships and we go back north after them," Andal said as smoothly as he could.
"How are you going to find them in the dead zone?"
The Gunslinger shook his head and began breaking down his own Hand Cannon. "We'll have to deal with that when, and if, we have to go looking for them. Don't count your bridges before they hatch."
The day wore on. Shiro handed his watch over to Tevis. Cayde struggled with his damaged Hand Cannon until his fellow Exo offered his gunsmithing services. Shiro managed to get the piece in working condition, but Andal bet Cayde would make a beeline for Banshee the moment they set down in the Tower. Alekto and Radomir intermittently rested and talked in hushed tones. Andal wrote his report and then dozed in the shade.
He was roused mid-afternoon by a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Managed to get a few minutes of good signal to the Net," Shiro explained. "I was wondering why the river level was so high, so I pulled the meteorological records. Check this." Andal rubbed the sleep from his eyes and took the projection.
The Bladedancer continued as Andal scanned the file. "There's evidence of odd storms systems last night. Radar shows the entire area between Kabul and Islamabad going haywire. Supercells forming and dissipating within hours. Tornadoes, even. It's calmed down now, but Azra and Jove would have been caught in it."
Andal frowned at the data. "That isn't normal for this climate. Is there a history of bad weather in this spot?"
"Next time I get a link to the Archives I'll check," Shiro said.
"That'll explain why them two are taking so long," Cayde yawned. Andal hadn't thought him to be awake. "They probably had a rough night, taking it slow."
Andal studied the descending sun. "We'll wait for nightfall, then."
Cayde took third watch. Andal was better rested at this point, but he could tell the other Gunslinger felt guilty and let him have the work. He sat with Alekto and Radomir instead, answering their endless questions. Having to comfort them about their missing teammate didn't ease his own fears.
They were old fears. Andal hated to split his pack up, but it was just tactically smart sometimes to divide and conquer. He still worried whenever one of them was out of contact. Especially just one of them- Azra and Cayde could get through anything together. Azra on her lonesome was a lot more vulnerable.
The sun sank lower. Andal reluctantly began making plans to send the Kinderguardians back to the City and head out in search of the wayward Arcstrider and her charge. He figured backtracking to their last known location and following their trail was the best bet. It wasn't necessarily a good bet, since the storms would muddy their tracking waters something fierce. Maybe they would leave a beacon at their catch point just in case.
The sun had just touched the treetops when a Sparrow shot past on the river. Cayde yelled from his perch, startling all of them from their various lounging places. The Exo descended the lookout tree in haste. The four Hunters made it to the riverside in time to see the vehicle perform a faltering turn and head back towards them, this time at a more reasonable pace. It feathered its way onto shore.
There was a collective sigh of relief to see two able-bodied Guardians climb off. The Hunter's cape was wrinkled and caked in mud along the bottom. Her knees, shins, and gloves were similarly dirt-stained. The Warlock was dirty all over and wearing a helmet too big for his head. Andal recognized it as one of Azra's spares.
The two pulled off their headgear. They both looked a little worse for wear. Azra's hair stuck up every direction. Jove's was too short to, but his face was streaked with grime. The two trudged up the short incline to the rest of the group, weariness obvious.
Jove was immediately engulphed in a group hug from his friends. Azra received a similarly exuberant checking-over, to which she rolled her eyes but did not protest. "Sorry we're late," she said, "we didn't get on the river until after noon."
"We figured something had held you up," Tevis said.
"'Something' in this case turned out to be a very touchy Captain and his unreasonably fast Skiff." Her words didn't have the usual cheer behind the joking. She seemed a bit shaken. Andal noted an unusual fractal burn pattern tracing up her arms and across her torso. "Also Jove got struck by lightning. It was… a fun night."
"Wait," Tevis said with sudden sharp-edged interest. "He got struck by lightning, or he got struck-"
"The second one," Azra interrupted. "Unfortunately."
"Back up a few steps, start again," Andal commanded. "From the beginning."
Azra took off her gloves and unstrapped her scorched forearm guards as she talked. "We shook the Fallen tailing us and stopped for a few hours at nightfall," she reported. "But then there was a storm, a big one, out of nowhere. That doesn't just happen in this region. I was worried about flash floods, so we made for higher ground, and there was this observatory or something- good cover, but we had to cross a field to get there and Jove got struck by lightning."
"And?" Tevis asked in lead.
"He, uh… didn't die. You ever heard of someone becoming a Stormcaller on accident?" Azra asked.
Tevis's frown said no. Andal himself had certainly never heard of such a thing. "Why do you sound so worried?" he asked.
She hugged her elbows, looking troubled. "He almost…" she trailed off. Andal noted with a bit of concern the sparks jumping between her fingers. "He came back screaming," Azra stated blandly (too blandly), "I had to talk him down. Really didn't think he was going to make it."
"Jesus," Cayde swore.
Andal eyed up the Warlock across the clearing. Radomir had a hand on his shoulder, speaking with some emotion. Jove looked unsteady as Azra did, but otherwise alright. "Well, he doesn't appear to be dead or crazy," Andal pointed out. "So I'd say good job."
Azra relaxed a little bit. "Right. The storm went on for maybe an hour at most. Like twenty minutes after we got to cover it cleared up. And I mean- one minute it's pouring rain, the next the wind dies and the stars are out."
"Told you it was something weird," Shiro said.
"The observatory was an obvious spot to hole up, and I figured House of Devils was still looking, so we cleared out. Made a sprint for those mountains to the north. Caught a few more minor storms over the night but it seemed we managed to get to the edges of… whatever that was. Stopped for maybe ninety minutes before sunrise. Then we got spotted by some House of Winter hotshot and had to shake him before we could make for the river."
"Shaking him ended up being finding a functioning auto cannon north of Peshwar and shooting him down," Spark reported, "Then we high-tailed it south to here. End statement."
"Sounds like quite the night," Cayde said appreciatively.
"Jove is officially the coolest Kinderguardian," Spark bragged. "He's fired the biggest gun."
"Wait, you let him have the auto cannon?" Cayde sounded offended now.
Azra shrugged. "Someone had to distract the Skiff and he's not good on a Sparrow yet."
Cayde threw up his hands in disgust. "Oh, I never get to man the turrets when we go in military bases, but you just give the Kinderguardian an auto cannon?"
Tevis put a thoughtful hand to his chin. "Maybe it's because he can actually aim. Wasn't it last time when we found that anti-aircraft gun in the Cosmodrome, you went four to nil with that Devils Skiff?"
"The sights were all cockeyed!" Cayde shouted. The Kinderguardians looked over from their cluster.
"Hey," Andal interrupted before any more words could be said. "Discussion for another day. I think the Vanguard could use a scouting report, and the rest of us could use a shower."
Azra frowned and looked back upriver.
"We'll come back tomorrow and investigate the storm situation," Andal promised, "but you've been on the move all night. Give it a few hours at least."
"Plus, don't want to leave the Kinderguardians to discover the City all by themselves, right?" Tevis drawled.
There was a moment's hesitation. "Damn you, Tevis," Azra said.
Tevis grinned. "I got you and you know it."
"Someone's gotten a little attached," Cayde teased.
Azra glared in a very not-teasing way and strapped her forearm guards back on with force. Cayde dropped his smile and took a step back.
"Rougher night, then," Tevis muttered.
"Just shook me is all," Azra replied. "He's new. And he's weird. I remember being new and weird."
"I suppose that's a recipe for a little self-projection," Andal mused. "And you had to walk him back from the edge?"
"I dunno what dangers Strikers can get themselves into if they go too deep," Azra said, "but Stormcaller problems… aren't pretty."
"Maybe we should call Wen Jie," Tevis said.
Cayde frowned. "Wen Jie? Isn't she the one that believes in fairies?"
"Strange problems require strange solutions," was all Tevis had to say.
Andal sighed. "She's a good Stormcaller, though. Why don't you drop her a line?"
Azra seemed mollified. "Well, it's better than just handing him over to Osiris."
"Then let's roll!" Cade announced. "Dinner's getting cold."
April 05, 2884, 11:02 (Tower Time); The Last City, Earth
The Tower was glorious, just as promised. The eight Guardians transmatted onto the concourse together. It was a clear day, stunningly bright with no foliage to block the sunlight.
There was someone waiting for them. A Warlock in white and pale blue approached them as soon as they touched down. Azra vaguely recognized her robes. She didn't spend much time hanging around tower-bound Guardians. Spark informed her that this was indeed Wen Jie: Praxic, Stormcaller, and apparently, cryptid enthusiast.
"A little fairy told me you'd like to talk," Wen said.
Azra shot Tevis a look. The Nightstalker tilted his head. "You calling me a fairy?"
"Yeah," Cayde added. "If anything, he's a goblin."
Tevis shot Cayde a glare. The Gunslinger just cackled and took a step behind Andal.
"I was speaking of your Ghost," the Warlock said. "But it matters not. You."
She brushed through their group and place placed her hands on Jove's shoulders. The younger Warlock froze in confusion as Wen and looked him up and down. She chuckled. "Well, well. A little baby Stormcaller. We don't usually have those."
"Uh…." Jove said, clearly at a loss.
Azra couldn't stop herself from tensing up. One backwards glance from Jove and she was going to butt in, manners be damned.
"There's no need to be so sharp, Hunter," Wen said smoothly. "I intend no harm upon our new Warlock. Quite the opposite, in fact." The elder Stormcaller released Jove's shoulders and took a step back. She turned to speak to Azra but stopped before any words formed. She tilted her head in thoughtfulness. "You're that Arcstrider, aren't you?"
"And what if I am?" Azra challenged back.
Wen tapped her chin. "Then this would be quite a coincidence." Azra didn't like that word- coincidence. She liked the way Wen Jie said it even less. "You said he was struck by lightning, did you not? Was the lightning yours?"
As if Azra had that poor of control. "No," she said, not trying to hide her offense. "Something's making the weather near Kabul go crazy. Stirred up a thunderstorm. Maybe it wasn't natural-made, per se, but it wasn't mine. Like I'd go around zapping people."
"I think the coincidence was in my survival," Jove said, finally having found his voice. "I… it wasn't easy. What happened. I don't think I could have done it alone. Azra talked me through it."
Wen Jie frowned slightly. "And what did Azra tell you, young spark?"
Jove stuttered on. "She told me to breathe. She told me that I can't fight the Arc, that I shouldn't. She helped walk me back out of the current. She said-" he took a breath, and it did Azra proud to see his shoulders straighten in determination- "She said maybe this wasn't normal, but that it was a good thing. That this is an opportunity, that we're stronger because we're different."
Wen Jie looked back at Azra, thoughtfulness on her features. Azra crossed her arms. "The same old roads only lead to the same destinations," she said. "It's… what I should have heard when I was new."
"It's what was said," Andal interrupted. He looked… hurt? "Did…"
"Maybe I'm not the best listener," Azra said offhand. "Maybe I heard something else first." She looked steady at Wen. "If you screw him up, you'll answer to me," she warned. "I've seen that particular road. Nobody walks it on my watch."
"Like I said, I mean nothing but the best for young Jove." The Warlock turned to look at the aforementioned Kinderguardian. "You will have to learn Stormcalling and the more traditional Warlock arts at the same time. Your Hunter friend was right, this is not normal."
"But it's not bad," Jove said with that fierce bit of pride still in his voice.
Wen Jie finally smiled. "No, it is not. The normal is boring. The normal is a uniform material, pure metal. There is a reason we alloy."
"Walk with me, Jove," Wen nodded at Radomir and Alekto too. "And you two as well. I can introduce you to the Vanguard and show you the Tower. It is an exciting time, yes? Let us free these Hunters to go back to their pursuits."
Radomir turned back towards Andal with a frown. "Are you really going to leave? So soon?"
Andal did a half-shrug, half-nod. "Might hang for a few hours, but time's a-wasting. I'll drop you a line whenever you get access to the Net. If you need advice or anything." he'd seen plenty of Kinderguardians come and go. Titans and Warlocks rarely took him up on his offer.
Radomir seemed confused. "You just got here, though."
Wen Jie stepped forward. "Out there is their strength, and here is their weakness. It might not be our way, but I will respect it. That way is why you still draw breath."
Andal nodded. "I'm concerned about House Winter getting ahold of terraforming equipment. And since there's the interdiction now, the Vanguard won't send a party to investigate. Somebody has to, even if it means we get a little wet."
Spark asked Azra a small question, whisper-quiet in her mind. She started, remembering herself.
The Arcstrider stepped forward, grabbing the young Stormcaller by the elbow. "Jove, you need like… anything. You wanna talk, you got questions, or need me to like, stab somebody for you-" she ignored the sniggers from Cayde and forged on. "I'm down. Anytime."
She pulled the young Warlock closer, lowered her voice for as much privacy could be made in such an open place. "I know how it can feel like nobody's on your side, sometimes. You've got me, at least." She side-eyed Radomir and Alekto, who were frowning with impatience and taking in the view from the Wall respectively. "And keep those two close. We all need people to ground us, right?"
"If you don't hurry up, you're forfeiting your vote for dinner," Cayde called casually. Azra reluctantly let Jove go.
He grabbed her arm instead. "I will," he reassured. "And I won't forget what you have done."
"It's not that big of a deal," Azra insisted.
The young Warlock shook his head. "It is to me. How can it not be?"
"Noodle-death is impending!" Shiro called.
Jove's face screwed in confusion. "Noodle-death?"
Azra sighed. "Don't ask. I need to go."
"I'll speak with you later, then."
Azra shoved his back, pushing him towards where Radomir, Alekto, and Wen Jie waited. "Keep looking forward, and you'll make it though anything. Until next time."
"Until next time," the Warlock agreed.
