Redacted
Realization
I apologize for the lack of updates guys. But work has been brutal. Leaving me little time to write _ . Not to mention my plan of writing more chapters is not going quite as planned lol. Nonetheless, here's the next chapter :D
Guest - That's not a bad idea actually. I already have a character similarly planned though but thanks C:
Knight couldn't understand how Hush gotten over her fears so quickly. One moment, she was clinging onto his arm like as though her life depended on it, and then next, she was standing next to Odoratta, a squeal of delight leaving her lips as he hefted another one of his worm siblings out of their crib and into his arms. How the child Guardian found squirming larva interesting the Exo Warlock may not understand, but Knight forced himself to stand idly by as the Hive hybrid lowered himself just slightly to introduce the worm to the Child Guardian.
Knight had hoped that they would be able to avoid the Hive halfling long enough to get Hush to eat but, they barely even made it to the Mess Hall when Odoratta spotted them. At first, Knight wanted to make an excuse, a way to get away from him but Hush, Hush had beaten him to the punch first. He didn't know what had happened for the child to change her mind so suddenly, but she had jumped forward and latched herself onto the arm of the Hive halfling, her yellow eyes glittering with curiosity. It was then, Knight found that he had little choice but to follow Odoratta so that the latter can introduce the rest of his siblings to the Guardian pair.
As he mentally sighed at his current situation, Knight then turned his focus back toward Odoratta and Hush, only to let out a wheeze as he found the latter holding one of the squirming worms in her hands, her eyes wide with fear and curiosity.
"What are you doing?" He managed to squeak out, his optics wide as Odoratta turned his glowing eyes towards him, "Why are you handing a worm to a child?"
"Because she is fully capable of holding a larva on her own?" Knight couldn't keep his jaw shut at the Hive hybrid's words, "Look, I understand your concerns, but I promise you, we are 'not' like our brothers and sisters that were under Oryx's rule."
"And I am supposed to believe that?" The Exo Warlock found himself blurting out the question before he could even comprehend his own thoughts, causing him to stop suddenly as Odoratta paused suddenly, his eyes gleaming in the dim lights.
"You act like as though you had personally met my mother's family on the moon," Knight jumped as the Hive halfling broke the silence, "but, I do not see the scars, the fear that I usually see in others."
"…Others?"
A sigh can be heard from Odoratta, "You think all Revenants here did not fear the Hive when they first joined our numbers?" Knight watched as the hybrid shook his head, "No, for those who experienced the malevolent side of my mother's race, we try our best to give them space, give them time to heal and get used to our presence before we even try to simply greet them." The Hive halfling then lifted up a hand and tapped the side of his eyes, "Although most do their best to hide their fears, their scars, I have learned to read their eyes, for the eyes are the windows to our emotions, to our true thoughts." He then gestured towards Knight, "You have the fear but lack the proper trauma that I see in the eyes of our elder Revenants. So, tell me, is it because you have heard stories of my mother's kind? Or read of their violence in your libraries?"
Taking in Odoratta's words, Knight silently contemplated; should he tell the Hive hybrid the truth? Tell him about Nine's words of caution and the recount of his torture by the hands of the Hive up on the moon? Or keep it to himself, claim that he has only read of the Hive to keep Nine's identity safe? He gritted his jaw at the thought, his white optics lingering over Odoratta's features, trying to find something, anything to give himself a reason to lie. But, when his sight searched over the Hive halfling's face, he only saw worry, legitimate concern, and Knight barely suppressed the groan that had threatened to form in the back of his throat. His conscience won't let him lie so easily if the person before him had been honest with him.
However, as he parted his mouth to answer Odoratta's questions, Knight found himself unable to fully speak, feeling his mind eating away at his moral as he attempted to form words. As such, he found himself blurting out, "I have a brother who had a traumatic experience with the Hive. Let us just say that he relayed to me a part of what had happened to him."
Opting to say nothing more afterwards, Knight found himself tensing as he saw Odoratta's glowing green eyes scan over his features, only to finally relax as the Hive halfling nodded in understanding.
"It is not uncommon for other Chosen to recount their experiences with others; you are no exception." He heard Odoratta state, "your brother, I can only imagine what my mother's family had done to him." Another sigh can be heard from the hybrid, "If you get the time, tell your brother that my mother apologizes on the behalf of the Hive."
Knight couldn't help but blink, "What?"
He received a wry smile from Odoratta in turn, "I can understand your disbelief, it is hard to forget the actions of my mother's kind, however, as I have said before, she and the others are not like them. They are called the Ostracized for a reason."
Letting his curiosity settle into the back of his mind, the Exo Warlock debated on questioning further. Although wary of this Hive sect, Knight also couldn't help but be intrigued by them as well. After all, how often does one encounter a group of Chosen and Hive working together in harmony? In honesty though, the young Exo couldn't help but doubt the alliance between the two factions; it just seemed too good to be true.
"Are they called Ostracized for the reason that they work with Guardians?"
"Chosen." Knight reeled back at Odoratta's correction, "and they are called the Ostracized for the reason that they hold the same beliefs as the Revenants."
Now that, that caught the Exo Warlock's attention, "Same beliefs? What do you mean?"
No sooner had his question left him when, for the first time, Knight saw Odoratta's eyes narrow, a frown forming onto his fair features, "Is it not obvious?"
Scrunching his features together as he absorbed the Hive hybrid's question, Knight turned his attention towards Hush when he heard the latter 'cooing', his white optics widening as he saw her rocking the worm in her arms. At first, he wanted to smack the worm out of her hands, his mind screaming that the larva was a danger to the child Guardian's life. However, as he took a step forward, his gaze then settled upon her tan features and he couldn't help but pause when he saw a broad smile on her face, her eyes beaming as the worm in her arms let out soft squeaks, wiggling its little legs as if to express itself. As he momentarily watched the scene before him, Knight felt his core heat up within his chest as it dawned upon him.
"You truly believe that Darkness and Light can coexist?"
Disappointment can immediately be seen in Odoratta's eyes, causing a sigh to permeate from the Hive halfling and for guilt to subtly settle into the back of Knight's mind.
"You see that the Revenants are fine, correct?" The Exo opted to remain silent at Odoratta's words, "you see that the Ostracized and the Revenants live together peacefully, and although incomplete, it had saved the life of your friend?"
Unable to answer, Knight found himself just staring at Odoratta, and kept his optics locked onto the glowing eyes of the halfling as he fumbled within his thoughts. That is when he felt small but familiar hands tug on his fingertips. So deep within his mind, Knight found himself jumping, his core heating up at the sudden burst of surprise before he glanced down to stare into the glowing eyes of Hush. His gaze softening at the sight of her face, a yelp then permeated from his throat as he suddenly found the Worm being brought up to his chest, leaping back in an attempt to distance himself from it.
"Knight," It was Crystalline, the lavender Ghost making herself known over Hush's shoulder, "now that was rude."
The Exo in question turned and gave the Ghost a blank look, "Well, I'm sorry, I was not expecting a 'worm' to be shoved into my face."
"Knight." He heard Crystalline chastise, "just give this one a chance, alright? Just one little itty baby to carry, okay?"
Frowning at the words of the female Ghost, Knight parted his mouth to retort only for her statement to finally settle into his mind; he let out a wheeze in response, "B-baby!? Did you just call that worm a baby!?"
"That is practically what they are." Knight suppressed hid disdain when he saw Crystalline give him a narrowed look, "Knight, just give a try, alright?"
"But…" Hesitating, the Exo Warlock turned his attention back towards Hush, only to pause when he saw her yellow eyes beaming at him, a hopeful look in her gaze as she held out the worm in her arms. Knight found himself crumbling at the look.
Heaving out a groan, the Exo reluctantly held out his arms, hearing Hush let out an excited squeal followed by her steps and then, a weight being placed into his hands. Tensing at this, Knight found himself unable to glance downwards, especially so when he heard the familiar squeaks of the worm ringing in his sensors.
That is when he heard Day take a deep breath just behind his shoulder, "Alright, we can do this, just ease your optics downward-"
"Where were you when I needed you?" Knight hissed out, only to immediately receive a blanche from his Ghost.
"I was panicking, okay," He heard Day whisper back, "When I saw Hush just carrying it around, I was scrambling to find something to say, especially so when they insisted on you carrying a worm."
At first, giving his Ghost a blank look, Knight then quickly realized the reasoning behind Day's behavior; they remember the time spent underground on the Moon, back when Nine was a captive of the Hive. It would make sense for the Ghost to be uneasy, especially so with nothing but the light from their optic and the sounds of Hive offspring reverberating around them. Guilt quickly formed in Knight's chest; he would have to apologize to Day at a later date, however for now, he has to get over his fears. As such, taking a quick glance towards Hush and Odoratta, Knight took in a deep breath and glanced down towards his arms. Immediately, his optics were met with the folded jaws of the larva, its spindly legs constantly moving as it wiggled in his arms. As it let out a loud squeak, Knight forced his body to stay still, ignoring his mind as it screamed at him to toss the creature cross the room. Instead, he gulped, his arms trembling before he further took in the worm's details.
At first, in the dark of the room, he had thought that they were smooth, soft, and vulnerable. However, upon closer inspection, he realized that although they were indeed soft, their back and sides were lined with spines and at the end of their tail were pincers, most likely a defense mechanism if any of their caretakers were absent during a threat. In other words, they were less cute and more frightening than what Knight had initially thought.
As his panic started to increase, the Exo Warlock thought it best to hand the worm back to Hush, the latter of which was looking at him expectantly, as if waiting for him to admit that the worm was indeed a baby (Knight still can't see it). However, as he held out his arms in an attempt to hand the worm back, the creature suddenly wiggled and it was then, Knight felt his fingers lose their grip. Instinct immediately took over and in reaction to his fright, the Exo Warlock found himself curling in, pulling the worm close to his chest and immediately, he felt the creature's legs claw against the cloth of his armor.
In any other situation, Knight would have let out an undignified scream and tossed the Hive spawn across the room, however, considering that Hush and Odoratta were standing by, both of their eyes wide, the Exo couldn't bring himself to do so. As such, instead he went rigid, his optics glowing brightly in the dark as he considered his options and attempting to ignore the clawed legs scratching against his chest.
"Help me." He hissed out to Day, glancing towards the Ghost in question only to see the latter had went stiff, their white optic wide in the darkness. Knight couldn't help but grit his jaw at this; he was on his own. As such, taking in a deep breath, the Exo Warlock regained his composure, gradually leaning himself back until he was properly standing and finally, lowered his arms subtly. That is when he heard the crying.
At first, Knight had turned his attention towards Hush, the flashbacks of the child Guardian's tears ingrained into his mind. However, to his surprise, the young Titan's eyes were dry, the latter still staring at him with shock in her gaze. As such, he glanced towards Odoratta, only to see that the Hive halfling's eyes were also absent of tears. Blinking rapidly in bewilderment, it took a moment more to realize that the cries were coming from his 'arms' and he felt his core pause at the comprehension.
Although his mind screamed at him not to do so, the Exo Warlock found himself slowly lowering his optics to his arms, only to go rigid as the worm's jaws were wide open, their spindly legs flailing as they cried. Knight had to stop himself from tightening his fingers around the worm's body.
How? How was a creature that embodied pain and darkness sound so defenseless? Infantile? Knight shouldn't be feeling any empathy for this worm, this monster that would eventually grow and pose a possible threat, he shouldn't be…he shouldn't be…
But the need to protect grew within his chest and Knight couldn't help but cradle the crying worm over his shoulder, rubbing his fingers down the length of its back. Immediately conflicting emotions erupted within his head.
He shouldn't be doing this, sympathizing with something that had done serious harm to his Ghost and his other half in his mind, the half that he had called his brother since the start of his existence. But, as he heard the worm's cries settle and small squeaks permeated from its small form, Knight couldn't stop the warmth settling within his body and he found himself shifting his optics towards Hush and her Ghost, only to see the latter two staring back with satisfaction in their gaze.
"You see, not so different from a child." Crystalline chirped, prompting Knight to give her a blank look, "just one with a lot of legs and squeaks."
"Haha." Hearing both Hush and the lavender Ghost giggle at his sarcasm, the Warlock decided to turn his attention towards Odoratta, and immediately, he saw relief behind the hybrid's glowing eyes.
Finding himself unable to say anything, Knight decided to check up on Day, turning in time to see his Ghost gliding cautiously closer, their white optic scanning over the now sleeping worm in his arms.
"Well," He heard Day let out a cough, "when you actually look, it actually looks, cute?"
Tuning into onto the Ghost's words, Knight at first, thought that Day was trying to diffuse the tenseness in his body however, after a moment of contemplation he realized that the Ghost indeed meant their words; although the Exo still can hear the bewilderment in their voice. Nonetheless, Knight gave Day a nod, to signify his agreement and couldn't suppress a smile as he saw the Ghost's optic light up in response.
Feeling small hands linger around his arms, Knight glanced down momentarily only to stare into Hush's familiar yellow eyes, the halfling child looking up at him with a gleam in her gaze. At first, confused by her gesture, the Exo Warlock then understood when she held up her arms, motioning with her fingers towards the slumbering figure of the worm he cradled in his grasp. Leaning forward, Knight barely slid the worm's form into the Child Guardian's hands when a fog started to filter in the back of his mind, causing the Warlock to pause, his optics wide in surprise.
"Nine?"
This immediately earned him looks from everyone present in the room, the ecstatic looks from Day, Hush, and Crystalline, and a puzzled look from Odoratta. Ignoring their stares, Knight instead decided to tune in onto the other consciousness within, gently tugging at their bond as he giddily waited for a response. Almost instantly, a groggy but clear pull answered, and the young Exo couldn't help but brighten, perking up as he said aloud, "You're finally awake."
A hum that sounded strangely like a groan rang through Knight's head, How long was I unconscious for?
Narrowing his optics in thought, the younger mind calculated the days in his head, slowly realized that he was out for a good part of it, and simply decided to shrug, "Not a hundred percent certain, but I do know that you were unconscious for over twenty days."
Pausing momentarily as he waited for an answer, Knight couldn't help but shift nervously on the back of his feet at the sudden silence, although, his shoulders drooped in relief as Nine finally responded, I have must consumed more energy than I had anticipated. A soft sound then reverberated in the younger Exo's sensors, a sound that resembled a yawn, and it seems I still have yet to reach my full capacity.
"Just glad to have you back." Smiling as he felt Nine gave a soft hum, Knight then turned his optics downwards, his grin broadening as he saw excitement in the child Guardian's eyes. However, a cough then can be heard from the background, prompting the young Exo to lift his gaze and shift his attention back onto Odoratta, the look of bewilderment not once having left the features of the Hive halfling. Optics widening in realization, Knight parted his jaw to explain when he suddenly felt himself go stiff, his fingers curling as he sudden felt Nine grow alert.
"N-Nine?"
Confusion growing in the forefront of his mind, the sudden squeal of pain from his arms prompted Knight to glance downwards, his optics immediately spotting the now awake worm shifting uncomfortably in his grasp, half of their body still in the process of slipping into Hush's arms. No sooner had his gaze settled upon the Hive offspring when an emotion filtered to the surface, an emotion that Knight rarely experiences from Nine: Fear.
As he realized this, the younger mind immediately shoved the worm into Hush's chest, hearing the child Guardian let out a grunt of pain and surprise as he took steps back and took in a deep breath as he prepared himself. Just as soon as he tensed his body, he felt the light starting to burn in his hands.
Xxxxx
It never occurred to Ianos that he had told 'no one' of his past relationships, not even Pluto, judging from the way shock was emulating from the Hunter; it just did not seem important enough to bring up and not to mention that no one necessarily 'asked'. Nonetheless, Ianos decided to take the opportunity to be amused by the expression on the Guardian's face while as Saphira hummed happily in the background, the Titan poking and prodding at the meat that was cooking over the fire.
It was funny, how moments before Marin demanded to know what Saphira had done, only for the latter to somehow get everyone to sit for a meal; she always did have a habit to make sure everyone was fed. Or either that, it was an excuse for some company. Musing at this, Ianos shifted his attention from where he sat to his left, spotting the Preceptor seated on his knees with Marin on his opposing side, the Titan sat with her legs and arms crossed, an obvious pout on her features. It made Ianos wonder how young she was.
"The meal is nearly done." He heard Saphira chirp, Ianos turning his attention back onto his fellow Awoken as the Titan beamed at him and the others, "Any questions?"
"Yes, are you a woman?"
"Pluto." Snapping at the blind Exo, Ianos swatted Pluto's shoulder with the back of his hand, earning himself a glower from his fellow Guardian. Nonetheless, a laugh can be heard permeating from the female Awoken.
"What gave that away, my voice?" Saphira teased, "but if you want an honest answer, yes, I am indeed a woman, although, what makes you ask?"
"The fact that you and Ianos were in a romantic relationship." Ianos couldn't help but roll his eyes at Pluto's words, "from what I knew about him, I thought he only had an attraction towards men."
It was at this point, Ianos couldn't keep quiet any longer, "Traveler, Pluto, do you think that after being resurrected for hundreds of years that I would only had an interest in men?" He then nodded his head towards Saphira, "I had several female partners in my youth."
That nearly made Pluto drop the offered meat, Ianos barely suppressing the smile that threatened to take shape as the Exo narrowly caught the steaming venison back into his hands, "Several!?"
"Let us just say that he was 'testing the waters'." Now it was Saphira's turn to gain a blank look from Ianos; this promptly caused the Titan to let out a laugh, "Oh come on now, I may have taken up the mantle of a Titan, but I am not blind, love. I saw the way you glance at handsome men when they pass."
That, that was enough to cause Ianos' face to flush, feeling the heat rising up to his cheeks as he took the offered meat from Saphira's hand, giving Pluto a glare to the side as he heard the blind Exo snicker.
"All jokes aside, what are you doing here?" It was the Preceptor who asked, the latter of which delicately took the venison from Saphira's hands, "judging from the way you promptly left and returned with both wood 'and' a fresh kill tells me that you are familiar with these woods."
No sooner had the Head Revenant finished his words when a smile flashed onto Saphira's mist-like features, although, unlike the beaming ones she gave the group beforehand, this one was less bright, more somber, and perhaps a bit bitter, "Let us just say that I was trying to recover from a broken heart."
In that instant, Ianos was grateful for Pluto's distaste of food and substance, the venison remaining untouched in the Hunter's lap as the Exo sputtered and nearly choking as he practically shouted, "You dissolved the relationship!?"
Ianos found himself dipping his head, feeling his face burn as he muttered, "It was as Saphira said, I was testing the boundaries of my sexuality." He then released a scoff, forcing himself to regain his composure, "Took me many years to figure out that I just prefer men."
"And what a disappointment too." Saphira's eyes seem to glitter as Ianos saw her attention shift back towards him, "and here I had thought our nights together meant something."
"They did have meaning, Saphira, however, it also did not take me long to figure out that I also strongly dislike sex." Ianos added, then deciding to take a bite out the venison in his hands as he heard Pluto choke next to him, the Hunter thumping his chest to help force his meal down his throat; the Warlock may or may have not intentionally timed his words to gain such a reaction. Although, if the Exo is to make any claims, Ianos will just point out Pluto's nervous habit of taking a bite out of anything in front of him; he is a Hunter, and Hunters should be more aware of their surroundings. He is not to blame if the older Guardian did not spot the small signs of Ianos' mischievousness earlier.
"You bedded someone!?"
Ianos gave Pluto an innocent look as the Hunter coughed several times, more than likely an attempt to clear his airways, "Saphira was not the first nor was she last, however, as I have stated before, sex just did not appeal to me, so I ceased on having intercourse with others." He then shrugged, taking another bite out of his meat, "I believe that was one of the reasons why I decided that it was time to end Saphira and I's relationship."
"I had noticed that you did not enjoy the intercourse as much as I did." A heavy sigh can be heard from Saphira, "although hard to admit, perhaps it had been the best that we parted as we did, love."
"It is Ianos now, Saphira." He felt her eyes beam at him, "I did tell you that I was going to find a name eventually."
"Just wished that you had found one sooner, back before we went our separate ways." It was then, that Saphira finally decided to start on her own meal, "it has been, after all, a few hundred years since we had last seen each other. I honestly thought you dead."
"And I thought the same for you." Ianos admitted, tossing the rest of what remained of the venison into the fire; he immediately received a disappointed look from Saphira. Spotting this, the Awoken couldn't help but feel a tad guilty but, just as quickly, he shoved it to the side. Although warm and rare, just as he had preferred in his years as a Newborn, Ianos always had a small appetite; lacking the sensation of hunger also doesn't help this. He hopes that Saphira remembers this, he at least had taken a couple of bites before tossing a piece of her hard-earned kill into the fire.
Not long after he had tossed his piece in when Ianos caught Pluto doing the same from the corner of his eye; he barely saw a bite on the side of the piece before it was quickly consumed by fire. Well, at least the Exo had tried to eat, it was a miracle in itself that he went further than a nibble. Then again, Pluto always had a habit of eating or drinking whatever is given to him when he either gets agitated or nervous. He does recall that was how several Guardians were able to pull Pluto into drinking 'heavily' at the bar in their younger years. Luckily, the Hunter had caught on.
Turning his eyes to Marin and the Preceptor, Ianos shifted his attention on time to witness the Head Revenant toss his meat into the fire and to his surprise, he saw that not only had the Revenant didn't even try to eat but he had still kept his helmet on, the flames of the fire reflecting off of his visor. Curious at this, Ianos then turned his focus onto the younger of the two Revenants, only to find the edges of his lips twitching as he watched her finish the scraps in her hands; judging from the way she eyed the rest of the meat cooking over the fire, Ianos would have to guess that she must not be much older than a decade. Her eyes read experience, but her mannerisms still held tinges of innocence, a Chosen that has yet to succumb to the darkness of war and battle.
Feeling relieved at this, Ianos turned his attention back towards Saphira, waiting until the female Titan finished the venison in her hands before finally asking, "How were you able to avoid detection all these years?"
Saphira immediately perked up at his question, "From who? The Warlords? The Iron Lords? This group called the 'Consensus' at that place you call a city?"
"Everyone." Ianos clarified, "I had tried contacting you not long after our separation, but Ace – that is the name of my Ghost – cannot seem to pinpoint your frequency. It was as if you disappeared off the face of this planet."
"That is because after the two of you broke up, Saphira wanted time alone."
Glancing over the shoulder of said Titan in question, Ianos wasn't all too surprised to see a flash of light and a black Ghost lined with gold appeared, the latter shaking his shell before adding, "and my apologies but, that also had to include you and your Ghost."
"Felion." Giving the Ghost a nod in greeting, Ianos spotted Felion's speckled optic brighten just as he felt Ace pull from his mind, "I am relieved to see that you and Saphira are still bonded after all these years."
"Like I can abandon her," Felion gave Ianos an offended look, "she may have a temper yes, but she is my Chosen, and always will be."
"Temper?" The question came from Marin, the latter of which had helped herself to another piece of the venison, having given Saphira a wary look until she had the meat in her hands, "Is that why the bodies of those Fallen were nearly beyond recognizable?"
Raising a brow at the younger Titan's question, Ianos shifted his attention back onto Saphira, only to see the soft smile upon her slim features gone, a blank look now upon her face, "I initially was going to leave them alone, but they were going to hurt Fang." She then let out a scoff, reaching out and tearing off a piece of meat that hovered over the fire, "No one harms my wolf."
"Wolf?"
As if on que, a blur of white flashed by the Awoken's vision and slammed themselves onto Pluto, the latter of which let out an undignified yelp as he was forced off his seat on the log and crashed onto the dry hearth. Then, before Ianos can even properly take the shape of the Hunter's attacker, the figure then went and rammed into the Preceptor, sending the Head Revenant into Marin and causing both darkness imbued Chosen to the floor. Quickly realizing that the creature's attention was now upon him, Ianos attempted to stand, only to let out a wheeze as weight slammed into his chest, and feeling his feet fly out from underneath him. This was quickly followed by his vision going black as the back of his head bounced off the dry earth, the world spinning as he felt weight press upon his chest. That is when he heard a growl.
Blinking rapidly to clear the haze, Ianos then shifted his eyes until they locked onto bright blue, and it was then, the Warlock fully comprehended the situation.
"Fang, no, they are guests."
The strict tone in Saphira's voice was enough to cause the wolf to stop growling however, Ianos swore the canine gave him a dirty glare before it released a huff, and then stepping off of the Awoken to trot over to the female Chosen.
Pushing himself back onto his feet, Ianos brushed any dirt off the front of his coat before resuming his seat on the log, waiting until he spotted the others do the same before asking, "When did you get a wolf?"
"H'm?" Saphira momentarily paused on brushing her fingers though the white wolf's fur, the latter of which let out a whine before pushing his nose into her hands, "Oh, Fang? A few years back, was just a pup when I found him." She then started scratching the wolf in question behind the ears, the latter's tail soundly thumping on the hearth, "I think he got separated from his pack or something, he is a bit 'overprotective' when it comes to me."
"You think."
Silently snickering as Pluto continued to grumble next to him, Ianos then suddenly paused as he saw the wolf in question turn and narrow his blue eyes at him, prompting the Awoken to blink, "Forgotten how intelligent Wolves are. It has been a while since I had last seen one."
"I never even heard of a wolf until now."
Taking note of Marin's muttering, Ianos then once again pondered upon the Titan Revenant's age before turning his attention back onto Saphira, "That would explain their deaths, however, I am curious, Saphira. You said that you have been living in these woods for years, but yet, the Revenants did not know of your existence until recently, judging from their reactions."
"Revenants?" Oh, right, if the Revenants have actually not have heard of her, then more than likely Saphira would have not heard of the underground faction, "Do you mean the Chosen that wield the shadows?"
Ianos raised a brow at Saphira's choice of words, although, he slowly came to understand. If she truly had been in these woods as long as she claimed, the female Chosen would surely be out of the loop. Who knows, perhaps she had encountered the Darkness but had chose it to call it something else.
"Yes." Ianos blinked before turning his attention towards the Preceptor, the latter of which then added, "Have you been keeping these forests free of Fallen, Saphira?"
"If they invade my territory, which in part, is the entirety of this forest, then, yes." A smile formed onto the female Chosen's features, "only reason I have not forced the Chosen who wields the shadows out was that they do not stay for long. Plus, you never bothered me."
"For the reason we never saw you."
Annoyance can easily be heard in Marin's voice, although, as Ianos turned and raised a brow at the younger Revenant, she made no further comment and instead helped herself to another piece of the cooked deer over the fire.
"Nonetheless, I would like to thank you for keeping this forest safe." Once again, the Preceptor spoke, sincerity heard in his words, "if it does not bother you, is it alright if I ask of an alliance of you?"
"What?"
"I always found it strange how the Fallen always seemed small in number whenever we return here." The Head Revenant continued, ignoring the look of surprise from Marin, "let alone that the Lost Sector that we take refuge in is almost always void of occupants."
No sooner had the Preceptor finished speaking when a broad smile formed onto Saphira's features, "Normally I would leave the Fallen alone however, lately, they have been a bit, 'intrusive'."
Ianos raised a brow at that, "Intrusive?"
"They have been getting bolder." Saphira clarified as she cut off a piece of venison although, instead of eating it herself, she held it out towards Marin, giving the Titan a wink as the latter stared bewilderedly, "they have known for 'years' that I have been staying here, but only had recently taken upon themselves to invade my territory." She waited until Marin slowly accepted her offering to continue, "and not to mention they tried to attack Fang."
As if to confirm the Chosen's words, the white wolf in question let out a huff before placing his head in Saphira's lap, prompting the latter to brush her fingers through his fur.
"Does that mean you will accept the alliance?"
Turning his attention back towards the Head Revenant, Ianos couldn't help but give the Preceptor a narrowed glance only to turn snap his eyes back towards Saphira as the latter chuckled, "Although I understand that it would be beneficial for the both of us, I have to say no." Ianos spotted the Preceptor's shoulders deflate in disappointment as Saphira smiled, "I am more of a lone wolf you see and working with others, well, that is just not me."
A sigh then can be heard from the Preceptor, although, from what the Warlock can tell, it was void of any irritation or ill-intent, "I understand. A simple share of territory then?"
"Preceptor?"
"You mean if I leave you alone, you will leave me alone?" Saphira questioned, humming as obviously ignored the wide-eyed look from Marin, "that, that I can agree with."
"Preceptor!"
"We are a nomadic faction, Marin." The Head Revenant finally acknowledged the Titan's protests, "despite staying here often, this territory is not entirely ours." The Preceptor paused momentarily as he fixed his eyes back upon Saphira, "and not to mention that our 'guest' has been here longer than most of us have been alive."
"Now I wouldn't say that." Ianos couldn't help but give Saphira a blank stare at her smile; it was sly, sneaky. In other words, she was amused, "I bet there are plenty amongst your ranks that are possibly older than me."
The confusion clearly emanated from the youngest of their group, "What do you mean?"
"They are keeping to themselves." Ianos found himself blurting out, feeling all eyes turn towards him, "Many Guardians our age like to keep out of sight and simply tired of fighting." He turned his eyes to the Preceptor, "The Revenants would be a perfect place for Dark Age Chosen to start out peacefully." He let out a soft hum, "Now that I put more thought into it, perhaps the Revenants are heading in a direction that the City needs to follow."
As soon as his words left his lips, Ianos spotted the Preceptor reeling back, his shoulders squared out and surprise clearly emanating behind his visor. This was then quickly followed by hesitation, causing Ianos to raise a brow, only for himself to blink in surprise when the Head Revenant asked, "Are you implying that you would like to stay?"
At this moment, Ianos wished more than anything his helmet was still present, as he found his jaw hanging at the Preceptor's question. He was 'not' implying that he wanted to stay with the Revenants… was he? Leaning back on the log he sat upon, Ianos turned his eyes towards Pluto, parting his lips to ask some insight from the Exo only to pause. Although a piece of cloth hid the missing aspect of his optics, the lights in the Hunter's jaw were still exposed and were lit up brightly, his metallic features contorted into what Ianos can describe as anger.
"Ianos does not want to stay." The Awoken couldn't help but reel back at the venom in Pluto's words, "especially not with you."
Immediately, Ianos spotted the Preceptor's shoulders deflate, his posture slouching, and waves of hurt can clearly be sensed. He does not know why, but tinges of annoyance and frustration surfaced and Ianos found himself snapping, "I have enough of this animosity you are holding towards the Preceptor." He stood up, a scowl forming onto the Awoken's features, "I understand, he is a Revenant, part of a faction that took Atlas and the others away from you and the rest of the Clan." Ianos ignored the way Pluto flinched, "But the way you speak with him, the way you talk with him. It feels personal, and it is quite clear you are angry with him." Scanning the faces of the older Guardian, Ianos felt his frustrations build up when he spotted 'nothing', nothing to give him clues as to why, "Enough secrets." He then shifted his attention towards the Preceptor, taking steps towards the Revenant Warlock. Spotting the Head Revenant attempting to move, Ianos then lashed out, gripping his hands tightly onto the former's shoulders.
That is when he saw the Preceptor wince, his shoulders going taut under his touch. Although unable to understand why, Ianos felt himself loosen his grasp but kept his hands locked onto the Revenant Warlock's form, "Tell me who you are."
No sooner had he spoken when he felt the Revenant go rigid under his touch once more, Ianos scanning his darken visor in an attempt to see any sign of expression, any sign of familiarity. Then, moments later, the Preceptor relaxed under his touch, causing Ianos to give the Revenant a bewildered look, only for himself to go taut as the Revenant's hand reached up, brushing the back of his fingers against his cheek.
"Ianos."
Although a simple phrase of just his name, the Preceptor held tones of longing and edged with guilt. Frozen at this, Ianos barely registered the Revenant's hand leaving his face, only snapping out of his reverie when he felt warmth on the back of his hand.
"I missed you."
The sense of familiarity was back again, but this time, a name was on the edge of Ianos' tongue, his orange eyes staring deeply into the Preceptor's visor. However, just as he parted his lips to speak, a flash of light over the Revenant's shoulder snapped the Awoken out of his thoughts and caused him to lift his gaze. He then, froze.
There, hovering over the Preceptor's shoulder, was the color and shape of a Ghost he would always remember.
"Hiro?" Ianos found himself whispering a name that the Ghost last held, her 'third' name if he recalls correctly.
Half-expecting the Shard of the Traveler to not respond, the Awoken felt his heart skip a beat as familiar glowing blue optic shifted towards him, apology clear in her gaze before her attention was back onto the Preceptor.
"I just received a message from the others," Ianos found himself stumbling back, barely comprehending the vermillion Ghost's words, "They said they made contact with the Fallen but, they fled."
"That's good news, isn't it?" It was Marin who asked, the young Revenant quirking a brow at the Ghost's words, "We scared them off of our territory."
"Perhaps." The vermillion Ghost kept her optic straight-forward, Ianos finding her gaze avoiding his, "however, the others reported that although they kept their distance, the Fallen also kept in sight. As if they wanted us to follow."
"That's…not good news." Marin corrected herself, "does that mean they are testing our defenses?"
"Testing our defenses or not, I say it is time we head back." It was the Preceptor who spoke this time, sliding himself away from Ianos' hold and his hands back near his sides, "Time to reassess the situation at hand."
Then, with one final glance towards Ianos, the Preceptor took the lead, signaling to a puzzled Marin to stand up and follow. Keeping his eyes on the back of the Head Revenant, Ianos then felt the familiar weight of Ace leave the back of his mind, sensing his Ghost materialize just above his shoulder. He didn't have to look to see the look of shock upon their optic.
"Is it really…"
Ace was unable to finish their sentence and in retrospect, Ianos understands that. Years, hundreds of years of thinking them dead, and here, there was a possibility…
Why?
The question rang strongly in the back of Ianos' mind, prompting the Awoken to turn his eyes towards Pluto, "You knew? And you tried hiding it from me?"
Half-expecting an answer, a wry but bitter smile formed onto Ianos' lips as instead he received silence, Pluto turning his blind gaze towards the hearth. There was nothing more than the Awoken wanted than to scream, to rage at the Exo Hunter for hiding such secret from him. But, just as quickly his anger targeted Pluto, it quickly shifted, and his emotions then locked onto the Preceptor.
Why?
The question rang strongly once again, Ianos gritting his teeth as he felt his anger rise. Why would he fake his death and leave him alone through all these years?
Attempting to find something, anything to assuage the growing rage within his chest, Ianos turned his attention towards Saphira, hoping that his old friendship with the Chosen would help ease his senses. Instead, he saw his fellow Awoken staring with wide eyes, her lips slightly ajar at the situation at hand. This only let Ianos' unease grow.
"Ianos."
Hearing the warning in his Ghost's words, Ianos snapped his attention towards Ace, only to see his companion gesture towards his hands. At first, confused at this, the Awoken glanced down at his palms, only to see the familiar wisps of darkness lingering near his fingertips. It was then he finally noticed the burning near the edges of his eyes.
Using the palm of his hands to rub against his eyes, Ianos forced himself to take a deep breath, letting his mind slowly assess their current situation. Possibility that the Preceptor is his though dead lover will have to wait. For now, the Eliksni had to be dealt with.
Gradually assuaging the rage building up within his chest, Ianos then allowed himself to lower his hands, only to feel a gentle touch settle over his shoulder. He turned to look into Saphira's speckled eyes.
"I am, not certain on what is going." Ianos heard her admit followed by a comforting squeeze from her grasp, "But, if it helps, I will come with you. Help you on this mission against these Fallen."
Assessing the Titan's words, Ianos couldn't help but hesitate, his emotions telling him not to pull others into the growing drama. But, as he turned his orange eyes towards Pluto, the latter of which had finally pushed himself onto his feet, the sensation of anger returned, and Ianos found himself nodding, accepting Saphira's gesture. This earned him a smile in return, "Let me grab some supplies then and we will be off."
Saphira belongs to Diamond002