Beta: TheWolfParadox
Now, before we begin, I would like to personally thank all of you who have faved, followed, and reviewed this story. It means a lot to me that so many people like this, this fic hadn't been up for even a month and it had already gotten more followers and favorites than some of my other stories have gotten in years, so for that, I just want to say thank you.
So now that we've gotten that out of the way, on with the show.
For the sword logic
Xala once again found herself standing guard outside the grounds of Veera'nal'toa's experiments. She had been doing this same routine for days, standing ready for a fight despite there having been no sign of activity at all.
Something seemed different this time, however, the Hive all seemed alert and on edge. They were brandishing swords and shredders at the ready, that wasn't anything new, but they were tenser this time like they would attack at even the most minor disturbance. She could feel something was off, there was something going on with the Hive, something had them agitated.
She turned to Tal'rooth, his posture just as rigid as all the others. "What has everyone so excited?" She asked him. "Is something going on?"
He met her gaze, a bloodthirsty glint in his eyes that Xala couldn't help but find unnerving. "There's been a string of Eliksni raids being pulled in this sector, and they keep getting closer. Those pirates like to steal high-value treasures and artifacts, and whatever magic Veera'nal'toa is weaving, they are almost certainly going to want it. I for one, am hoping they have the gall to try, it's been far too long since I last tore something's throat out," he finished wistfully.
Xala felt a pit forming in her stomach, there could be a fight coming? A feeling of anxiety came over her when she heard that, she never looked forward to killing as the others did, she abhorred the thought of it, wholly opposing it with every once of her body. Even when she was forced by her worm to do so, it was always against her will, and she constantly found herself wishing she could take her actions back.
The last thing she wanted to do today - or any day for that matter - was to fight. She looked towards the entrance, then out beyond the balcony, she didn't see any signs of Eliksni or their Skiffs, she didn't see anything except decaying ruins. Of course, she knew that could change at any moment, and they could suddenly find themselves under fire and forced to defend the position.
She didn't want to have to fight again, that's what was always resorted to with the Hive: kill, don't ask questions, don't ask for peace, just kill, kill everything! She was tired of it, tired of all the pain and suffering that her kind inflicted, she just wished that they would stop hurting everyone.
"Do you think they'll come?" She asked Tal'rooth, wariness in her voice as she clutched at her shredder, praying to herself that she wouldn't have to use it.
He scoffed, "does the Deep reign supreme? I'm sure they will, those greedy insectoid parasites would never pass up something like this, they won't let something as valuable as what we have here slip through their filthy claws. Mark my words, Xala, they'll come, I'm sure of it. I know how badly you want to rip their heads off, believe me, I know the feeling, so don't worry, you'll get your chance."
If Tal'rooth could read Xala's mind, then he would know that was the complete opposite thing that she wanted to do. He would see how she really felt about fighting and the ways of the Hive, he might even hate her for it. In a way, she almost wished he would find out because at least then, she wouldn't have to hide her true feelings and pretend to be something she's not - she could be free. Oh, how much she wanted that: to be rid of the shackles put onto her by her worm, to get away from the ways of the Hive, and escape the Sword logic.
But...as much as she wanted that, she knew that it could never be. She stared out once again past the balcony, a hopeless feeling worming its way through her heart, like longing for the sun on a cold and rainy day. Depression overtook her at the fact she could never be free of the logic.
Xala gazed out in the distance, her three downcast eyes watching the ruins absentmindedly. Suddenly, her attention was drawn to a bright flash that bordered the edge of her vision, turning into a large explosion at the other end of the Arcology. She nearly took a step back in alarm, gasping in shock as she fearfully tightened her grip on the shredder she held.
A pair of Eliksni Skiffs emerged from the cover of the smoke, the roar of their engines audible even from this distance. Howls and guttural roars from the Hive rose up all around her, quickly taking up battle-ready stances. Once they were within range, the Skiffs started firing away with their front-mounted cannons, blasting at the balcony and sending rock and debris everywhere. She witnessed as a few unlucky Hive took some plasma bolts head-on, instantaneously being reduced to nothing more than plies of Chitin and gore.
In a panic, Xala quickly scattered to avoid being stuck by cannon fire. She took cover behind a collapsed pillar, clutching her shredder tightly to her chest as she kept her head down. The Skiffs pulled overhead, and the drop bays opened up, allowing a small legion of Eliksni and their machines to leap to the ground and begin their assault.
Her heart was beating madly in her chest, the smell of fire and burning ozone thick in the air as the sounds of battle raged all around her. She checked her surroundings for Tal'rooth, he had been right by her side before, but she had lost track of him when the Eliksni attacked. Knowing full well that he would be in the midst of battle, she carefully peeked out from her cover to search for him in the ensuing tide of conflict and carnage. The things she saw at that moment horrified her to her core, she was no stranger to fighting and bloodshed, but that didn't do anything to take away from some of the grizzly things she had seen.
She watched as both Hive and Eliksni engaged in open warfare, both sides clashing with swords and guns in a heated fight to the death. It was brutal, enemies hacking and slashing at each other, uttering warcries as they tore their foes apart. She saw another acolyte shoot down a servitor and a pair of shanks. A pack of thrall charged at a lone dreg, ripping into its flesh and tearing it apart with their claws as it wailed in agony. A large captain swung his massive shock blades, felling all who stood before him with an ease that terrified her. She hated fighting, she hated war. Her kind accepted it so readily, and it just appalled her; she knew it was wrong, and all she wanted was for it to stop.
In one of the most graphic scenes she had ever witnessed in her life, she watched as a Hive knight lifted a dreg by the shoulders and took hold of its neck. What followed was a sickly crack and a wet squelch as the Knight twisted and pulled at the head, ripping it off the torso as entrails followed behind it. Victorious, it held the skull above its head like a trophy, letting out a triumphant roar as the dead body tumbled to the ground, blue gore pouring from its shoulders.
Xala turned away, the contents of her stomach threatening to toss themselves after that gruesome sight.
In an attempt to quell her nausea, she inadvertently exposed herself from her cover, drawing the attention of a vandal. It gave a shrill bark, scuttling across the ground on all six limbs as it charged at her. Xala let out a startled gasp, jumping out of the way as she narrowly missed a blast from its wire rifle. She scrambled to her feet in a frenzy, turning to face the Eliksni as it set upon her. "W-wait," she pleaded, raising her hands in a placating manner. "Wait, please! I don't want to fight, we don't have to do this!" she begged, only for it to continue on anyway. Whether it could or couldn't understand her mattered not.
It sent another shot at her and she rolled out of the way. Thinking quickly, she tried to make a move to her shredder, which had fallen to the ground when she evaded the first blast. She attempted to reach for it, but the vandal kept on firing, intentionally driving her away from the weapon. Her path to her gun now cut off, Xala was left with dodging as her only option.
A glancing hit from the wire rifle struck her in the shoulder, making her cry out as lances of searing pain shot up her arm. She doubled over, clutching her wounded limb as the agony she was experiencing became all she could focus on. In her moment of weakness, the vandal took that opportunity to close the distance between them, pulling out a knife she hadn't previously seen and prepared to stab her with it. She stuck out her good arm in an attempt to block it, but the Eliksni simply swatted her away. The reflections of the battle could be seen in the sheen of the blade as it was lifted high in the air by its owner. Left with no other options, all Xala could do was acknowledge that she had lost this fight - turning her head away, she closed her eyes and readily welcomed the end of the nightmare.
...But it never came.
Instead, she heard a scuffle in front of her and opened her eyes to see that Tal'rooth had tackled the vandal. He had caught it off guard, causing it to drop its wire rifle and knife as it was forced to focus on the newcomer. They were both locked in fist to fist combat, each one trying to overtake the other as they took swing after swing at their opponent. Tal'rooth was strong, and as long as his foe wasn't larger than he was, he could take them on with ease, so this gave her faith in his chances. But as she watched the fight drag on, it became clear to her that both he and the fallen were on an even playing field in terms of raw power. He just couldn't seem to get an advantage over it; for every blow that he managed to get in, the vandal landed just as many.
In one instance, the vandal successfully gained an upper hand over him, it delivered a crippling blow to the side of his head that left him faltering backward in a bleary daze. Xala was in terror as she saw the Eliksni grab Tal'rooth in a headlock and start to choke him. He beat wildly at its arms but it wouldn't let up its hold on him. In a frenzied search to help him, her eyes landed on the discarded wire rifle as it was closer to her than the shredder was.
She quickly grabbed it and pulled it into her arms, pointing the muzzle at the vandal. Aiming down the sights, she was careful to pick the right target and make sure that she didn't accidentally shoot Tal'rooth instead. After waiting a moment to make sure she had a clear opening, she took a deep breath...and fired. A bolt tore free from the barrel, soaring toward the Eliksni and hitting it head-on, completely destroying half of its face as it died instantly.
Tal'rooth was able to escape its grip, taking a deep breath while Xala sighed in relief, the vandal's dead body crumpling to the ground. Looking around, she found that it wasn't the only one that had been slain: most of the other Eliksni from the raiding party had been killed. The only one left was the Captian, but after a fierce fight with a pair of knights, it finally fell to their blades.
The Hive erupted into cheers, bellowing proudly as they all celebrated the deaths of the invading Eliksni...all of them that is, except for Xala. All of their victorious cries fell on deaf ears to her, the world around her becoming as distant as the Traveler itself.
While no one else was watching, Xala silently ambled over to the fallen corpse and looked at it with sorrow. Crouching down, she looked at the way its face had been mutilated; the entire left side was gone, now just a gaping crater pouring blood onto the ground. In one swift motion, she took her claws and gently slid its two remaining eyes shut. "I'm sorry," she whispered to it under her breath.
Tal'rooth came over to her side. "Xala, is everything all right?"
"Yes, everything's fine," she told him, standing up back to full height as she joined the celebrating masses.
But in truth, it wasn't.
Because she had killed.
She had served the sword logic.
Tal'rooth was confused, they had won, all the Eliksni were dead, so why wasn't Xala celebrating? They had triumphed over the blasphemes insects and once again proved the truth of the sword logic, so by all accounts, she should be as happy as they were. But instead, she just seemed distant.
Shortly after the attack, she excused herself and left the balcony, leaving him perplexed at why she would want to leave. Sure, some of their own had perished in the assault, but upon death, they simply became one with the Deep. He just didn't understand why she appeared so distracted, why she acted as if something was bothering her.
He kept his eyes trained on the spot where she left as if expecting her to suddenly come back and have everything be alright...but she didn't.
What was with her, he wondered. Where could she possibly be going, and what was going on inside her head?
Xala sat huddled in a corner of the apartment, her eyes looking down at the filth-covered floor in despair. She felt hollow inside, the sins of her recent actions weighing her down in guilt. She had trouble coming to terms with what she had done - she had killed...again. Yes, she knew that the Eliksni technically started it, and when it had come down to it, it had been Tal'rooth or the vandal, but it still didn't do much to make her feel better.
She wearily raised her head and stared vacantly at the Traveler statue. Why did she have so much trouble with this, all the other Hive couldn't care less about a dead Eliksni, so why did she? She hadn't known it, and it was her enemy, but it had still been a life, with thoughts and wants and dreams, and she had snuffed it out. She felt regret eat away at her as she wished she could take back what she had done.
She sighed, why was this so hard for her, the other Hive could kill no problem, so why was she different. The rest of her kind saw everything associated with the Sky as blasphemous; evil, but when she looked all she could see was beauty. It inspired awe in her, allowing her to see the world through a lens from which the others refused to. It was all so wondrous to her, to the point where having to constantly tear it apart caused her great pain.
Sometimes, she wished she wasn't like this, that she didn't have these feelings and was just like the rest of her kin - impassive and uncaring. She was tired of constantly feeling like an outsider, tired of feeling like she didn't belong.
She didn't want to fight anymore, she didn't want to hurt anyone. She was tired of killing for the sword logic and just wished she could stop. All she wanted was to leave the Hive and escape the control of her worm. But as much as she prayed otherwise, she knew she could never be rid of them, she knew she could never know freedom...could she?
Okay, I'll be honest, I'm a bit angry with Witch Queen. So you know the whole 'Hive have stolen the light' theme of the expansion? Well, that's what I was originally going to have happened in this story. The experiments Veera'nal'toa's performing would have allowed the Hive to steal the light from our ghosts, making them be able to wield it themselves and giving Xala and the guardians a big threat to overcome. But now that Witch Queen is doing it, I was forced to have to come up with something else. Don't worry though, because I've come up with a solution that I really think will work.
So, what'd you all think of the chapter and Xala's reaction to the fighting? Something I really want to be clear is she is not like the other Hive, she stands apart from them in every way, and I think that this is a perfect example of that.
I really hope you liked this chapter.
And if you have been enjoying this story so far, be sure to favorite, follow and review so you get notified whenever I post a new update.
