[language note! English is in brackets, Eliksni is in quotations, sorry for the first version i didn't know they wouldn't appear]
...
Miriks gasped in pain, and realized that she couldn't take a full breath. Eyes narrowed against the agony of movement, she looked down and found that it was because one of her lungs had a large hole in it. Miriks put this out of her mind and looked in front of her, seeing the node, fallen from her hand, inches in front of her outstretched fingers. She pushed herself up, hands slipping on something coating the rock under her, but managed to take it in her hand. She was almost there.
Taking a gulp of air to steady herself, she stumbled to her feet. She could sense voices calling to her, eyes on her, but she didn't care. She had very little time left, anymore, to care about much. She set her eyes on the Guardians before her; the smaller female in a red hood that had shot her, the taller with the Light of her soul coating her in cleansing fires, landing beside her compatriots, and the last, a huge male in silver armor. Over the silent flames, she heard voices calling her name, fear in their tones. Darxhis and the others. Well, they might get a turn to see her off. But not before she had done and said what she had to.
Miriks spoke what little of their language she knew. [Guardians… send Misraaks?]
An exchanging of glances. [...yes. We know Mithrax.]
She held out the node to the male. [Here. Find him. Learn his plan.] He took it, his great metal fingers holding the piece of Eliksni tech like treasure. She met the blank masks of their faces, wishing she could search their dull eyes for emotion. [Before, we kill many humans, and Guardians kill many Eliksni, yes? So which?] She looked around at each of them. [Which, spared Misraaks?]
The smaller female nodded.
Miriks coughed, ether drifting from her wound, and her legs buckled, almost taking her to the ground, but she caught herself. The male reached as if to catch her, but stopped. She looked up, breaths heaving her broken chest, but she spoke regardless. [Do you, Guardian, believe? In him? In Eliksni future?]
The cloaked Guardian did not answer.
[I do,] said the male. [That is why I came.]
She saw the small Ghost-being near the large human. Miriks switched to Eliksni, speaking as loud as she dared. "Then, please… leave these. Their lives." She looked to the Eliksni of the Drain. "It is the only way, to trust, yes?" She shook her head. "There has been too much death, and words are not enough. Actions only matter now." She knew all were listening to her, even the Captain had fallen silent. The Ghost spoke to her Guardian, and Miriks nodded at the correct translation.
Then Miriks felt her mind growing numb, and she fell.
The large Guardian caught her, holding Miriks with a great and gentle strength. She saw Darxhis, vaulting over the dying flames, horror in his eyes. He held no weapon, and bled from several small wounds; the Guardians watched him approach warily.
The male Guardian set her carefully down on the bare rock, backing away to allow Darxhis room. "Miriks…" he said with a hollow voice, ether leaking from his eyes.
"Vel, Darxhis," she said, closing two eyes. "I am glad you are alive." She coughed violently, and she tried in vain to keep her blood from touching his robes.
He drew closer. "No, do not speak, I will try to help." He reached into his side bag, and drew out medical supplies.
She took his hand. "No."
He froze, looking at her in shock. "But... you'll die."
"I have things yet to do before that. Speak for me, please?" She turned her head. Titan The large Guardian nodded, leaning closer. Read. Node. Friend will translate. All Eliksni hear.
The Guardian nodded, and Darxhis turned around. "All of the Drain! Listen!" He had no need; all were silent as the grave. The Guardian brought forth the node, and activated the floating glyphs of Eliksni superposed over human script. He looked to her, and she nodded. The Titan and Darxhis both read, taking turns reading each line. .
["now ascend, wander, think"]
["two people both traveler-chosen"]
["two people both ruins-living"]
["two people both widow-making"]
["with lost leaders and uncertain futures"]
["together, we could be more than we are"]
Their echoes rang in the silence, until both faded. Miriks nodded. "There, Guardians. The will of Misraaks. Go now. Do what must be done."
After translation, the Titan shook his head, surprising her. He turned away. [She's dying! Sadaria, we need your rift,] he called to his companion, whose fires had gone out, and Miriks did not understand what was being said.
[Rifts won't work, Joshua. The Light doesn't touch them like it does us.]
Darxhis set to work again; she did not stop him. Let him know he had tried. "I did not know you knew such things," she said.
"My mentor taught me. Now quiet."
[I've seen you heal civilians, I know it can work.]
[It won't, Joshua. It's not a civilian, it's a Fallen.]
"Be proud of Kaltis," she said, closing two eyes. "Naksar looks so silly, hanging over there…" She giggled like a kika, and knew that her mind was losing ether. Darxhis had barely exposed the wound when Miriks heard the soft patterings of claws on stone, and she heard new voices, ones that brought more pain to her heart than any bullet could make.
"Liriks, come back! Mother said-"
"Mother!"
Liriks saw her first, and her cry wrenched at Mirik's soul.
[That Eliksni is a she, and you have to try, please, Sadaria-]
[You ever wonder why I can use my rift while surrounded by enemies, Joshua? Because the Light doesn't recognize enemies as something worth healing. It won't, and it never will!]
The kika ran past the Guardians, who jumped back at her approach in surprise. She paid them no heed, and knelt at Miriks's side, eyes wide and already full of ether, wanting to embrace her mother but held back by Darxhis's hand. Tamax came soon after, his indignance becoming shock in an instant. "Mother…?" he began, but could not finish.
The Guardians looked on, arguing silenced.
"My beloved ones... " She reached out a hand and touched their heads one after the other. "It was an accident. Promise me, you will not hate them for this."
Tamax bared his teeth, trying to appear strong. "I… You do not hate them? They shot you!"
"No. Remember, hate is of darkness."
"Even if... " he gulped back a shudder. "But… father gone… now you…"
"Misraaks will come, raise you in the Light. I know it."
[Then, Sadaria, the only thing you have to do is to think of her as something other than an enemy.]
[Joshua…]
[It's the only way. Sadaria, I beg you.]
A pause. Then a sigh. [I need Constance.]
[She's yours.]
The Warlock moved to stand beside Darxhis, who eyed her narrowly but said nothing. The Ghost floated beside her. She spoke, and the Ghost translated. "Eliksni." Darxhis looked to her. "I will attempt to heal with Light. Please move aside, the children too."
"No!" Liriks said, small eyes narrowed. "We're not leaving!"
Darxhis looked to Miriks.
"Despite your efforts, Vandal, she will die. Move."
Miriks nodded. Darxhis stood, leaving his equipment on the ground. He stepped over her and knelt beside the kiks. He met their eyes. "The power of the Great Machine will heal her. We have to back up, though, yes?"
"The Great Machine?" Liriks said, eyes widening.
"You have faith in the Light, yes? And you love your mother?"
Liriks nodded, ether drifting from her eyes.
"Then come now." He held out his arms, and after a moment Liriks let him pick her up. Tamax refused his other arm, but backed away regardless.
The Warlock took a breath, and spread her arms wide. With a flourish, she shoved her hand towards the ground, and a circle of pulsing Light erupted from the earth around Miriks and the Guardian.
A rush of power, of energy, tangibly passed by her, like a wind. She felt the Light rushing, flowing, around her as a river wound around a stone. But it did not touch her.
Drawn to it, some of the other Eliksni, led by Canikos and Sekris, approached. Those who had resisted earlier remained behind, but their curiosity was plain. But Miriks's view of them was blurred, now. Breathing came harder, and each rise of her chest felt like the air was being sucked through the hole punched in her. The pool of her blood had spread, but the Warlock knelt in it, staining the hem of her colorful robes. She looked to the Titan, unsure of what to say.
He simply nodded to her.
And then, to all's surprise, the Warlock removed her helmet. Dark hair brushed the woman's face, her Awoken-blue eyes shining even in the Light of the rift. She took the smaller Eliksni in her arms, cradling her like a kika, and Miriks could feel the press of her armor. "What is your name?"
"Miriks."
"I am Sadaria Sonu. I became a Guardian over two hundred years ago, and I will admit, I've never asked a Fa- an Eliksni their name before."
"It is an honor to be the first. Sadaria Sonu." Miriks tried to nod, but her head fell back instead. She had to fight to keep the black away from the edges of her vision.
The Warlock propped her up. "First name works. Who are these, may I ask? These children?"
"They are my kiks. Their names are Tamax, and Liriks."
"Tell me of them." The woman's gaze was neutral, yet determined.
"They are six and three rotations old." Miriks closed two eyes, struggling to gather thought. "Tamax wants so much to be like his father, a warrior, and he is as brave and strong as he can possibly be. Liriks doesn't know what she is yet, but I know she will be a fine mother, she cares so much for others and their hearts." The kiks swelled up at her words with pride, and now Tamax was openly crying as well.
"Who is your husband? That Vandal?" The woman nodded to Darxhis, whose eyes widened at the remark.
Miriks laughed weakly, sight spinning before her. "No, my husband is dead. Darxhis is my friend, he gave us ether when none else could help us. He will be a great leader and father one day, I am sure of it. The Servitor is his."
"The one that smashed the Captain off his feet?"
"Yes, the same. We are all very proud of him." Miriks chuckled again, and Sadaria smiled. "Tell me of you, yes? Are you a mother?"
Sadaria shook her head. "No… I have often thought of it, however. I do have many who have called me teacher, and I have a younger sister, who sometimes feels enough like a child. I guess having being like that for someone, regardless of blood, is what matters..." She cocked her head, uncertain. ["Et]?
"Eia, you say it as, [et]."
"Yes?"
"Yes."
The darkness began to close in on her, but with what remained of Miriks's sight she saw a smile on Sadaria's face just as Miriks closed two of her eyes. A pause, and Miriks reflected that touching a heart in your last moments was possibly the best way to spend them.
Then, as an island in the sea of numbness, she felt. A prick, a rustling. A seed of… something planted in her heart. The brush of a kind wind in her soul. The soothing waters, cleansing her body and mind. The feeling of ether, filling her to the brim with life. But also, the echo of a roar, a flash, a thunder of something so much greater than wind, water, or ether.
And then the Light touched Miriks. Energy filled her, fixed her, freed her, and she let out a gasp of ether as her wounds began to close, blood filling the reconnected veins, both lungs filling fully with every life-seeking breath, muscles re-knitting to make her strong again. She felt the searching Light correct every scratch, every ache, every old wound, the oldest scars reforming and closing. The rushing power made her whole again, and Miriks knew without even a shadow of doubt, that she, and every Eliksni that lived, had been given a path to walk again. No more wandering, no more searching, and no more despairing. The Light was here, and it was willing to touch their lives once again.