god i'm so tired.
I struggle, yet I endure. The chapter's finally done. Getting through the first half was an absolute pain. Second half was knocked out super quickly though. And now, there are two chapters left. Well, technically you could say there's one. The next chapter will be where most of the plot threads get wrapped up, Chapter 45 will be more of a detox for the characters to wind down from the ringer I've been putting them through.
Chapter 43: At Long Last
"You have served your purpose. All that awaits you now is the gift of death. The Darkness beyond your final days." -Rhulk, First Disciple of the Witness
The island was abuzz with activity as people raced throughout, preparing for the coming storm. There was tension in the air, everyone knew what was about to happen. However, no one knew if they would be ready for it. Paladin paced on the ground near the wall with a team of builders as they inspected it for any areas that would need reinforcement.
"Sections five through twelve could use some touch-ups," the Titan said, gesturing to the specified areas. The rest of the builders nodded and muttered amongst themselves as they began to draft up plans. While they worked, Paladin noticed Darius slowly making his way over. The Witch's gait had a mask of ease, but Paladin had seen enough wounds to know that he was favoring his bandaged arm. Paladin uttered a few words to the team of builders before leaving to meet Darius halfway.
"Shouldn't you be in the infirmary?" He questioned. Darius made a sound halfway between a laugh and a scoff.
"Please, do you know how much experience I have with dodging healers?" He glanced at the builders for a second, weighing up his words. "I want to join the assault." One of Paladin's eyebrows arced up his forehead, the shifting metal plates showing his disbelief. He wasn't surprised Darius had learned about the mission, everyone on the island was talking about it.
"In your condition? No. Besides, this is going to be a small strike team. Everything goes well, we'll be quickly moving in and out."
"You're planning on bringing children, aren't you?"
Paladin sighed, "That is at my Brother's insistence. If he says they can help, then they can help." He moved quickly to cut off Darius before he could speak again. "I need you here. We all know the Vex will strike the second the Collector is off the board. We need to concentrate our defenses." Darius frowned but nodded as Paladin clapped his undamaged shoulder.
"Speak with my Brother, he'll get your healing finished."
Ignosi marched through the metallic halls of the Vex's island fortress, its mechanical feet producing a sharp ringing sound with each step. The machine walked into the depths of the island, pacing rows of intricate machinery. Eventually, it reached a secluded room locked off by a protective barrier. Odalia sat on the other side, morose and jittery. There was an empty, haunted look in her eyes from the torment the Vex had subjected her to. Ignosi stopped before the cell and stared down at her. Despite herself, Odalia managed to gather enough courage to glare at the Sub-Mind.
"Come here to gloat?" She spat. Ignosi tilted its head.
"Impressive, even you are capable of making an accurate prediction for once. This unit presumed that you would wish to know that we are almost at the end. The final pieces are falling into place and you shall be left as the last of your kind." Ignosi turned and departed, leaving Odalia with the truth of her grim fate.
The tower was silent, the creeping rot of entropy having long since settled in. The dark halls were almost utterly devoid of life, save for a few. King, the last of the Demon Realms Titans, stood before his dormant army. Royal sparked a flame in his hands, willing it to spread outward. The fire jumped from golem to golem. Their eyes began to glow as King stepped forward. He drew in a deep breath and, with a single mighty shout, commanded them to rise again.
The golems began to twitch, starting slow at first but rapidly accelerating. Their gnarled limbs stretched out of their alcoves. Gradually they began to pull themselves free. The first golem landed before King. It looked to him before bending down to one knee in a show of reverence. More golems began to follow suit, bowing before the last of their creators.
"You always wanted to lead an army," Eda half-joked.
"Shame Jean-Luc isn't here," King replied in kind. Everyone else, save Camila, shared an awkward glance of relief.
"Our recon mission was a success," Venator reported. "The Vex have taken up residence on an island in the Shimmering Shoals." She pointed to a spot on a map provided by Blip. After she and Lilith had returned from their expedition, they were quick to relay the information they had gathered.
"So that's our target," Royal said. "Retake the isles. Neutralize the Collector; peacefully if possible, permanently if not. Uproot the Vex. Easy as cake."
"You're only going to have a narrow window," Raine commented. "Are you sure that you'll be fine?"
"Don't you worry about us Rainestorm," Eda said. "Besides, compared to you, we've got the easy job." There was truth to her words. Despite the fact that they would be facing down a Disciple and the Vex's stronghold, the away team had three Guardians backing them up. In the meantime, the island would be left vulnerable. They could not hope to weather the storm, their only option was to rage even more fiercely.
"We leave in an hour," Paladin said. "Spend these last moments as you wish. If everything goes to plan, we'll be back soon."
"Last time you said that the Day of Unity happened," Venator quipped, receiving an elbow from Royal for her trouble. The others began to file out, talking amongst themselves as Paladin remained behind, browsing through a few parchment maps of the Isles that had been helpfully reconstructed by Lilith. He was vaguely aware of someone else walking over, though a glance revealed nothing. As Paladin turned back to his maps, King clambered atop the table.
"Hey, uhh, can we talk?" He asked. "Titan to Titan." Paladin looked over to the Demon and set his maps down.
"What's on your mind?"
King sighed, "It's Royal. I'm worried that he's too… blind."
"I'm not entirely certain what you mean," Paladin said with a tilt of his head.
"He can be so narrow-minded" King elaborated. "I get that the Darkness can be dangerous but it's like he's not even willing to hear me out." Paladin looked down at the table, absently tapping it with his fingers. He tossed King's words around in his head.
"You mistake blindness for concern," Paladin said. He leaned back in his seat, staring into nothing. "To be corrupted by the Darkness is a worse defeat than any which the battlefield can offer. Hear this from one who has seen it before."
"But if we can use it to help people, should we not?"
"That is how it always starts," Paladin mused. "With noble intent and necessary action."
King looked away, contemplating Paladin's words. The two Titans sat together for a while, waiting for the gathering storm. Eventually, Paladin sighed.
"Let's go, it's almost time to leave." Together, they departed, heading for what may be their final battle.
Royal stood at the edge of the Boiling Sea, staring over the horizon toward the Isles. That place had been his home for months now. It had given him so much. And now, he was going to take it back.
Behind him, the rest of the strike force was preparing themselves. Willow, Gus, and Amity were saying farewell to their parents. Hunter was talking to Darius and Eberwolf, with the former still being monitored by Viney to ensure his wounds didn't reopen. Eda and Lilith were promising their own parents that they would return safely while Camilla and Vee were speaking with Venator.
Royal curled and flexed his hand, cycling between each element. He remembered the power he had wielded against Belos. Arc, Void, and Solar all swirling within him at once. The rush had been exhilarating, but he hadn't paid much attention at the time due to his rage. Focusing on the Light, he tried to meditate on the power. Alas, he came up empty. Wielding multiple elements at once was something only the most elite Guardians could do at will. As he pondered, Luz walked up behind him.
"Are you ready for this?" She asked. Closing his hand, Royal turned to her.
"I feel like I should be asking you that question."
"Well, I asked first," Luz asserted. Royal chuckled and nodded.
"So you did. I'm ready to face the Collector and the Vex. I just hope that the Isles are ready as well. What about you?"
Luz looked down at her hands, "I… I don't know. It's been so long since I first arrived in the Demon Realm. I just wanted to learn magic and now…" She started to hyperventilate and Royal was quick to set a hand on her shoulder. She took a few deep breaths and calmed down. "And now I have to help fight a literal god."
"I wouldn't let you be here if I didn't think you were capable," Royal said. "And with luck, we won't have to resort to violence." Luz looked up at him, a conflicted expression on her face.
"Do you really believe that?" Royal looked away, not able to answer. He was spared from having to offer one when Paladin marched to the group with King not far behind him. King's army trailed behind them. The golems moved with the coordination of machines, but they weren't perfect. They had been constructed by ancient magic and the Light, but centuries of entropy had taken its toll. A few staggered, limping across the beach. A sizable chunk would be left behind in the city to ensure that it was not left entirely defenseless against the inevitable Vex assault.
"Alright, let's get them loaded up and ready to move out," Royal instructed. Everyone began to move, boarding the boat that would carry them back to the Isles. He watched as Lilith took a spot beside him, a recently freed Hooty secured on her back.
"Nervous?" He asked, sensing that she wanted to speak.
"Who, me?" She laughed, putting on a brave face. It didn't take long for it to falter. "Of course I am."
"I am too."
Lilith seemed caught off guard by his admission, looking over at the Guardian curiously while he continued to stare at the horizon. "You're nervous?"
"Bloody terrified," he admitted. "The weight of the entire world is on our shoulders, isn't it?" Seeing that everyone else was aboard, he set off to join them. Lilith stuck close, still appearing shaken.
"But I'm not going to let that fear rule me," he continued, now aboard the vessel. He pulled up the gangplank as everyone else waved goodbye. "I'm going to grab it by the throat and use it as fuel for my fire." A small flame rolled up his body as he said that.
"Well, I'll see if I can't do that same," Lilith said. Royal frowned, suddenly feeling very pensive.
"Just in case this is our last fight, I want to apologize for how I've treated you these last few months."
"We didn't exactly get off on the best foot," Lilith conceded. Royal hummed in agreement.
"You know that the Vex will try to worm their way into your head. You must be ready."
"I think I'll take a note from your playbook," Lilith said, now with genuine confidence, "and grab them by the throat." Hooty let out a cheer and quickly encircled the two.
"Two of my best friends becoming best friends," he said, tears forming in his beady eyes. "Oh, I can't take all this excitement!" Royal and Lilith awkwardly glanced at each other, struggling against the tube-like body of the House Demon.
The Isles felt off. It had only been about a day since they had last been here, but it seemed like so much had changed. Darkness still permeated the air, hanging like ash after a forest fire. However, it all felt off. There was a feeling of decay to the Isles, even more so than usual.
The grass flattened beneath Royal's boot. He felt like an intruder, despite having grown to call this place home for the last few months. King's army stood at attention mindlessly, awaiting orders from their leader. The others were lightly dispersed around him, each scanning the horizon for threats.
"It's too quiet," Eda muttered, her good hand twitching slightly. Royal nodded hesitantly.
"The Vex should be here," he replied warily.
"You think it was a trick?"
"The thought dawns on me."
Eda snorted, "If they think something like that'll work, they've got another thing coming." Royal grinned at that.
"I know you guys would follow me anywhere."
"Mostly out of curiosity," she shot back. The two shared a brief laugh before the air began to thicken. There was a brief flash of blue light and Ignosi appeared before the group. It stepped forward calmly. Paladin and Venator both swung their guns to it, keeping the machine in their sights as Royal went to parley.
Ignosi watched him with its inscrutable gaze. The two robots stood a few feet apart, Ignosi with its arms tucked behind its back and Royal with his crossed over his chest. The Exo was the first to break the silence.
"Was beginning to think you wouldn't show."
"We have arrived to uphold our end of the bargain," Ignosi replied smoothly.
"We? You brought friends?"
"Naturally," the Sub-Mind said. "You did not expect for this unit to take to the field personally, did you? There are others far more suited to that task." At those words, another construct began to teleport over. In an instant, Sarkarae stood just behind Ignosi. The Ravager quickly extended its blades and dragged them against each other. Royal cocked an eyebrow, noting the absence of Pyrikaga. He had been informed of the Sub-Mind's destruction before his resurrection, but he had expected Synegorus to reform it by now. He would be lying if he said the implication didn't worry him slightly.
"We will commit more of our forces to you once the battle is joined," Ignosi said before gesturing to the army of golems. "Though I wonder if it is needed."
"Don't even think about trying to back out of this," Royal growled. "Do you think you can teleport away faster than I can cut you down?" Ignosi held out a hand placatingly, assuring the Warlock that they had no such intention. Within its consciousness, it was fuming. The presence of the Titan's army was not something it had anticipated or even knew about. And the Vex did not like being unprepared. It was a good thing that they would soon be finished with this world. Once the Collector was dead, the final stage of their plans would begin.
"I would wish you luck on your quest," Ignosi said with perhaps a hint of amusement. "But we do not believe in luck." It gave a mocking bow before teleporting away to the Vex's island stronghold. Sarkarae knelt down, drawing closer to Royal. He glanced back, noting with no small amount of pride how everyone else held their ground. The Sub-Mind snarled, a wretched, guttural sound. When Royal didn't react, it tilted its head back sharply.
"We move," it said, "to resume… the slaughter." It set off without waiting for them. Royal rolled his optics and gestured for the others to move. King let out a whistle and the army began to march.
Tarak patrolled the edges of the fallen pyramid. A few other Trappers stood at attention as he passed, though he was too busy thinking to pay them any mind. A few Taken drifted nearby. They had been listless as of late, not responding to any outside stimuli. Much like the Collector.
Tarak stared into the distance as he pondered. Bill had stayed with their god, but he was different now. More hostile, more bitter. He needed something to cheer him up. Perhaps a game to play. But nothing the Trappers could think of worked. He needed something exciting, something wild, something like an army to fight.
Tarak blinked, doing a double take as he watched an army of fleshy, gangly constructs appear on the horizon. He focused in on the lines until a flash of purple caught his eye. Standing at the head of the horde was the Guardian who had dared to trespass upon his master's domain. The same one who had been enslaved up until recently. And now, he was back. This was perfect. Tarak turned back to the other Trappers and ordered them to inform the Collector of this development. As they ran off, Tarak summoned a spear of icy crystal and raised it to the sky.
"Trappers! To war!"
Royal watched as the Trapper lines began to charge forward. His hand absently spun, twirling his glaive around as his Brother and Sister formed ranks beside him.
"They lack organization," Paladin noted. Venator grinned wildly.
"It's cute, isn't it." She turned to the Titan and spun her hand cannon around her finger. "Bet I get more kills than you."
Paladin smirked and summoned his rocket launcher, sliding in a payload and closing the firing chamber in one fluid motion. "You're on."
The two charged into the fray, racing against each other to be the first to the fight. As they did, Royal turned back to the others.
"Stay behind us," he instructed. "Let the golems do their work. You all know what to do."
"We'll be with you," Lilith said, holding an auto rifle close to her chest. Royal nodded before turning back to the battle. He crouched for a moment, drawing strength to his legs before pushing off. He flew through the air, as fast as the sunrise. Behind him, he could hear King let out a mighty cry, spurring the golems to action. He soared over his siblings and crashed into the Trappers, falling upon them like the fist of god himself. His glaive spun, little more than a blur. In a second, three Trappers were cut down.
There was a roar of thunder and a flash of blades as Paladin and Venator joined him. Fists crushed bones and knives sliced at flesh. Together, the three Royals were unstoppable. The Trappers managed to keep from crumbling under their combined assault, forming ranks and hastily constructing a line of spears. And that was when the rest of the army met them. Waves of golems hurled themselves into the Trappers. Most impaled themselves upon their spears, clawing uselessly at the reinforced weapons. However, some would slip past their guard and fall upon the Trappers in a storm of blades. More Trappers spilled out behind the spear line, already manifesting dark power in their hands. Waves of sapphire crystals rolled over the ground, catching the first of the golems. Rather than be torn apart as the Trappers anticipated, the golems instead absorbed the Paracausal power into themselves. Ice formed on their bodies like armor, hardening into a protective sheen. Spears that would have once bit deep now bounced off them as if they were nothing more than children's toys.
The Taken began to notice the battle and started slinking closer. Their forms flickered as the first thralls reached the battle. They teleported into the thick of the fight, hitting from every angle. A few even tried to flank the rear, only to be picked apart by gunfire from Lilith and Camila. Abomination constructs appeared across the battlefield, disrupting the Taken and shielding the golems. The legions of the Titans turned to face the new threat, blades of bone meeting flesh of entropy. As they fought, large growths of plants sprouted from the ground. A large carnivorous flower lashed out with its tendrils, snatching up a Taken Minotaur. Its Torch Hammer bucked wildly, slowly blasting the plant apart. It wasn't fast enough, however, as the flower consumed it whole. Illusions would regularly pop up, disorienting the Trapper lines and making them easy prey for the Guardians.
King found himself at the head of his army, using controlled bursts of Darkness to force the Trappers back. Unfortunately, he was so preoccupied with his nonlethal assault that he failed to notice Tarak attacking from the side. A golem dove between their master and his assailant, being pinned to the ground by a normal spear. King turned and barely raised a crystal to protect himself. Tarak crashed through it, his fists covered in crystals. He was about to strike King when Royal intercepted him. The Guardian skewered the Trapper, pinning him to the ground.
"I gave you a chance to stay out of this," he said in a low voice. Somehow, Tarak could hear him perfectly over the chaos of the battle. The Warlock's optics were filled with venom and contempt. "You should have taken it." Behind him, a winged figure hit the ground. Eda towered over the Trapper, murder in her eyes. Royal pulled his glaive out and she seized him by the collar. She let out a Harpy's screech and Royal turned King away.
"Lancer, remind me not to get on her bad side," he muttered. His Ghost chirped in agreement. The Guardian turned back to the ruined pyramid as Eda exacted her vengeance. Seeing a horde of Taken approaching, Royal charged toward them. He dropped low and began to slide across the ground. His body began to course with electricity, eventually dissolving into a veritable storm of lightning. He reconstructed himself behind the Taken, unleashing a burst of sparking energy that atomized the nearby Taken. Drawing his grenade launcher, he pointed it at a Trapper only to catch a spear to his gut.
The Trapper growled, digging her spear deeper into the Guardian's metallic body. Royal grunted in pain, dropped his grenade launcher, and gripped the spear. His free hand curled around a ball of Void energy. He plunged it into the Trapper's chest and she detonated with Volatile Light. Reaching down, he recovered his grenade launcher and looked up. A dozen more Trappers had closed ranks around him, spears and Dark power prepared. Royal glanced from side to side as he tensed. One Trapper began to step forward, glowing fists raised high. Before the power of the Darkness could be brought to bear, a bolt of destructive potential tore across the battlefield. A red beam cut through the Trapper's chest, severing their spine and causing them to drop to the ground.
Everyone around Royal turned to the forestline. There stood a lone Hobgoblin, its weapon still humming. Other Hobgoblin frames were teleporting in beside it, leveling their weapons. For a second, Royal realized that now would be the perfect opportunity for them to betray the Guardians. But that would still leave the Collector.
More Vex started to appear around the battlefield until Sarkarae itself fully manifested. The Sub-Mind stomped on a nearby Trapper, crushing it into a scarlet paste. Its blades flicked out, scoring deep gouges in the ground as it swung.
"For beings that can teleport, you certainly took your time getting here," Royal accused. "Let me guess, you were waiting to see if this assault was even worth the effort?" Sarkarae skewered a Taken Knight on its wrist blades and flung it into the distance.
"Naturally," it growled. Royal pointed toward the ruined pyramid.
"The Collector must be in there," he said. "We need to break through." Sarkarae eyed the objective ahead of them.
"Follow me." It charged forward, tearing through the battlefield with its colossal stature. It crashed into the walls of the pyramid ruins and tore through them. Royal watched with an uncertain expression as his family and siblings drew in around him. The golems and Vex closed ranks around them, holding off the horde of Taken and Trappers as they charged forward.
Sarkarae ripped through the pyramid's decrepit walls with savage ferocity. The rest followed in silence. Each of them watched for any sign of the Collector. As they marched, a shadow began to loom over them. Collectively, they looked up just in time to see a large chunk of the pyramid slam into Sarkarae. The Vex form crumbled under the obsidian stone, its body torn and rent. The Collector floated down with a blank expression, a far cry from their usual chipper demeanor.
"I don't get it, King," he said as his feet touched down on the ground. "I really don't. Why did you choose them over me?" Sarkarae clawed at the stone, its body slowly reforming. The Collector spared it a glance and rolled his eyes.
"Collector, please," King pleaded, "you don't have to do this."
For a moment, the Collector seemed conflicted. His expression shifted to pensive and he paced the ground before them. His gaze passed over the group, lingering on the three Guardians. They stood at ease but their weapons were close.
"That's where you're wrong," the Collector said, sounding genuinely sorry. "I do have to do this. If I present the heads of the Lightbearers, maybe they will forgive me." He held out a hand to his friend, almost begging them. "I can protect you from them. We can play the game across the stars." King backed away, shaking his head.
"I don't know who you're talking about, but we can stop them together."
"You can't stop them!" The Collector exploded. He quickly drew back in, speaking in barely a whisper. "No one can."
King tried to argue his case again only for Sarkarae to interrupt. The Sub-Mind, having finished reconstructing itself, flung the stone pinning it to the ground at the Collector. He raised a hand and the dark stone fractured and split into thousands of little pieces that swarmed around him. He began to levitate once more as Taken Trappers appeared beside him. The Collector thrust out a hand, unleashing his swarm of razor-sharp fragments. Paladin stepped forward, raising a massive shield of Void Light. The assault battered his defenses, pushing him back. Royal and Venator lept forward, blades flashing in the dim light. The Taken charged the Striker, only for the first one in to have their head split by a flung shield. Eda pounced on another, digging her talons into its vile flesh. Soon, flashes of gunfire and magic filled the arena.
Luz spun her new staff, sending out magical blasts in tandem with gunshots from her revolver. Standing beside her was Amity, supporting her with a small army of Abominations. Willow tore at the ground with swarms of tangling vines. Hunter and Gus moved in unison, diverting and eliminating Taken wherever they were. King sent waves of Dark power rolling across the ground, skewering the Taken wherever they stepped. Eda dove from target to target, tearing them apart as Lilith provided covering fire. The things Hooty did to those poor Taken are best left unmentioned. That left Camila and Vee at the back, with the former occasionally firing off shots whenever a target presented itself while the latter spotted. One Taken Trapper rapidly teleported closer, already swinging its spear to cut them down. Before it could get the chance, Venator dashed past it, bisecting the monstrous thing. As it dissolved, the Hunter offered Camila a flirtatious salute and quickly jumped back into the fray.
Royal feinted an overhead swing, stepping away so that Venator could stab with her knives. The Collector swung his hand upward, tearing the ground into place as a protective barrier. The Collector dashed back as Sarkarae's claws cleaved through the air he had been occupying. The Sub-Mind pressed its advance, forcing the Collector back. Royal, Venator, and Paladin wove in and out, alternating between attacking the Collector and the Taken whenever they made the mistake of getting too close. The Collector remained calm, waving his hands through the air to manipulate his surroundings. Chunks of ruined pyramid went flying with each gesture.
Sarkarae punched through the stones, its blades swinging with inhuman precision. The Collector flew higher and reached toward the sky. His fingers curled, gripping an invisible object. And in the early morning sky, the waning moon cracked. The Collector flung his now clenched fist downward. Mountain-sized chunks of the moon were torn off and began to plummet through the atmosphere. Sarkarae unfurled its cannons and aimed them skyward. It blasted them apart, atomizing most of them before they could hit the ground. However, the largest continued to descend. Paladin took one look at it before crouching and gathering his Light. Electricity erupted from every part of his body and thunder could be heard rolling across the ground. He pushed off, flying with strength unseen by Witch or Demon ever before. His fist crashed into the enormous stone. Lightning split the heavens, producing a blinding flash that lingered for several seconds on end. Once it faded, the stone had been utterly reduced to dust. Paladin crashed to the ground, unconscious and spent.
The Collector watched with some amount of fascination and concern. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Sarkarae lunged. The Collector just barely dodged, letting Sarkarae's blades nick his flesh. The wound bled starlight and the Collector touched it in disbelief. Pulling his hand away, he narrowed his eyes at the Sub-Mind. Raising a hand, he lifted it off the ground. Sarkarae howled in rage, firing its weapons at the Collector. He responded by simply gripping it with both hands and tearing the Sub-Mind in half. He then tore those halves in half, then those further. He shredded Sarkarae so much that it was banished back to the Vex Domain.
While The Sub-Mind was being disassembled, another contender took to the fray. Bill, flanked by the two Trappers sent to notify the Collector, rushed into the arena as quickly as they could. He took in the battlefield quickly and his eyes settled on King.
"There you are."
His voice carried far enough to be heard by the fledgling Titan along with Luz and Eda. The two parties made eye contact, each measuring the other up. Bill stretched his bandaged stump of an arm and willed the Darkness to take shape. Crystals began to coalesce around his limb, eventually forming into a jagged sickle where his hand once was.
"King," Eda began a tad too calmly, "is that the one who tried to sacrifice you?" King nodded warily and Eda narrowed her eyes. She flexed her talons and let out an ear-piercing shriek. Leaping forward, she pounced on Bill. He swiped at her with his sickle, only for Eda to catch it in her fangs. She bit down, shattering the weapon. Bill blanched before howling as she dug her talons into him. She grabbed him by the throat and began to squeeze. Bill struggled, pounding on her arm. She couldn't feel it, couldn't even see him. All she could see was red. Eventually, his desperate squirming stopped and his head rolled back. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. Looking at her handiwork, she dropped him in disgust, directed both at him and herself. Turning back, she saw Luz and King finish securing the other two Trappers. Their arms were bound by Luz with a little help from Stringbean.
As Sarkarae went down, Venator and Royal quickly stepped up to compensate. Malfeasance's tainted slugs bit into the Collector, causing his to cry out as more starlight poured from his wounds. Her knives sought purchase in the former Disciple only for him to swing his hand across his chest. A large fragment of the pyramid slammed into her, crushing her against the ground. Royal took her place, his glaive little more than a blur as he spun, slashed, and stabbed. The Collector tried to retaliate, sending more projectiles flying at the Warlock. Nothing could even get close as Royal became a blazing tornado. More lacerations appeared on the Collector's body as Royal's glaive found its mark. The Collector fell onto his back, desperately trying to crawl away from the Guardian. Royal stood over him, his glaive raised and ready to plunge. The two froze for a second, staring at each other.
The Collector subtly stretched his fingers, raising a sharp arrow of stone from the ground. It tore upwards and almost punctured Royal's head only for it to be shattered by a roar from King. Royal narrowed his optics and stabbed the Collector through the chest. The fallen Disciple writhed, starlight flooding from his chest. Strange root-like veins erupted from his body, snaking their way across the arena. The Taken writhed and screeched as Royal cut down their master. They dissipated, fading from existence. The Collector's body was lifted off the ground, the roots entangling Royal's glaive. His struggles finally came to an end and the Collector was dead. Royal stepped back, exhausted and partially in disbelief. He almost dropped to one knee but Eda caught him, supporting him on her shoulder.
"You chose the wrong planet," he said, his tone lacking the bite it may have normally had.
"It didn't have to end this way," King said, placing a hand on the Collector's forehead and closing his eyes. Paladin and Venator stood back up, both fixed by their Ghosts. Collectively, everyone looked around as if they were waiting for something to go wrong.
"So, what happens now?" Camila asked.
"We return to the island," Royal said. "Reinforce our defenses. Then-"
"Insects."
The entire world seemed to shake as Synegorus's voice rippled across the sky. Ground shook and stars blinked out in a vain effort to hide from it. Far out in the Boiling Seas, the artificial island the Vex had constructed for the Collector began to shift. Colossal plates slid over each other, revealing a massive portal to the Vex Domain.
"I."
An immense metallic hand reached out before being joined by a second. The two gargantuan limbs gripped the edges of the portal and Synegorus slowly pulled itself out of the portal. It stepped into the seas, its feet hitting the bottom as its head scrapped the heavens. Three blazing crimson optics glared hatefully at the world before it.
"Am."
Its presence was so powerful that the very space around itself began to fracture. Physical matter melted into pure data, spiraling into the Vex Domain as their conversion began. All across the planet, every living creature could feel the Mind's overwhelming presence.
"Unbound."
And reality failed.
Ding dong the Collector is gone. Hope it was satisfying. I know the non-Guardians didn't get a lot of screentime during that battle but I'll be making up for it next chapter. Just trust me.
GuardianLightTheVanguard: Ok *cracks knuckles* let's go point by point.
1. I haven't forgotten. Though, to be honest, I kinda regret that plot point. I thought I had more to do with it than I did. But hey, this entire fanfic is meant to be practice for me.
2. I guess I kinda gave that to you. I must admit, seeing someone shipping Royal with someone was certainly a surprise, especially with it being Lilith. Though I'm pretty sure she's Aro/Ace so... eh. Putting that aside, I do kinda like it to be honest.
3. The Guardian™ is actually a she. In Royal's story, they're my friends Hunter Iris Yue. And as for the sequel, I'll lump everything into here; I'm keeping my plans for the sequel under wraps for now. I don't know when I'll start writing it - probably soon after this one is finished - nor do I know when I'll upload it. But I've got the start generally locked in for how I want it to go.
4. To quote Darth Maul in Rebels; "You will find out soon enough."
5. ]Redacted Sequel Details[
6. ]Redacted Sequel Details[
7. He is not, unfortunately.
8. You know, you're right there. I did leave Lancer's reaction out. The reason I did that was two-fold. First: I figured one could glean his response from Royal's. Second: It was to keep up the pacing of the scene.
9. Probably shock but there is precedent for this kind of thing in lore. Unless my memory is playing tricks on me - which is entirely possible, to be honest - Osiris has wielded multiple supers simultaneously.
10. He was pissed back in Chapter 14, but he wasn't "you-just-murdered-my-friend-I'm-going-to-melt-your-eyes-out-of-their-sockets" pissed.
11. I don't think this one is really a question, so I don't have any input aside from please use punctuation. I'm not trying to be mean but it's kinda hard to read these without punctuation. Especially the longer ones.
12. ]Redacted Sequel Details[
13. ]Redacted Sequel Details[
14. Considering that Panoptes was just a torso and arms, I'd say they have a similar-sized torso. The rest of Synegorus's limbs are scaled to fit.
15. The Collector stashed her away once he realized Luz had infiltrated his pyramid.
16. Lilith wasn't carrying Venator so much as she was supporting her. Like how you might support a drunk friend with how wonderful of a person you are.
17. You're never going to guess what I'm going to say... ]Redacted Sequel Details[
18. TWOFER ]Redacted Sequel Details[
19. Well, the Clawthorne parents were there. It was kinda blink-and-you'll-miss-it but they were there.
20. Synegorus, the Vex Domain, and a couple of centuries are separating them.
21. #Venmila let's gooooooooo!
22. Did you read my mind on that one? Took the idea right outta my head.
23. I don't know if that's true but, if it is, we can just say Lilith not having her Harpy form yet is due to the altered course of events.
24. Sarkarae is... was still active. Pyrikaga was destroyed and has not returned. Quite curious that is.
25. It wasn't meant to be that but it actually fits quite well. I wasn't planning on using Hettie so much but she actually turned out to be quite a useful supporting character. It reminds me of a piece of advice I received: Characters are at their most interesting when they disagree.
26. ]Redacted Sequel Details[
27. He is, don't worry.
28. Oh she's fucking dead. Massive Vex invasion + weakened from the draining spell + isolated from any Guardian assistance + being alone with a machine under Vex control = dead.
29. I addressed why I did not.
30. womp womp ]Redacted Sequel Details[
31. They managed.
32. Regretfully, I don't really have the time to watch live streams. I'm way too busy with college work and tutoring. I'd love to be able to tune into something like that one day... just needs to happen at a more convenient time.
33. *Looks at season rank 170, Haruspex title, Ghost Writer title, and recently acquired Necrochasm* Yeah, I'll try not to forget to play Destiny.
34. Hey a sequel question I can answer. No, they're not going straight to Lightfall. Before you ask, I'm not saying where they will go. You'll just have to wait and see.
35. They're respecting her personal space.
36. Your previous review had a lot to talk about. This one... just a wee little bit more.
37. Yeah, I'll try to keep an eye on that. Thanks for letting me know.
Is that everything? I'm pretty sure that's everything. This review single-handedly added 784 more words, which is actually really impressive cause I tried to be succinct with my answers.
Frank180: I did take your idea, though I'm not going for Among Us. I enjoy a good Amonger meme as much as the next guy but I'm not sure I could really make it funny. Hopefully, this version works for you.
davisjustus99: FOR EVERY ONE WHO FALLS, TEN MORE WILL TAKE HIS PLACE!
Elthreee: The four tips for reducing stress are as follows: Exercise, Eat healthy foods, Drop out of engineering, and do something you enjoy. Now when's the next chapter of Mind of Opulence?
OMAC001: You will wait as long as I decree you must. I AM YOUR GOD!
GodzillaMaster: One of those modded Amit's from the Craftening. What a wild weekend that was. And uhh... yeah... this is awkward.
Jebest4781: Good to hear mate.
And that's everything. Neat.
Royal twisted the ratchet, listening to it as it let out a satisfying click as it slid into place. He gave it a few more cranks. Once he was satisfied, he pulled the wrench free and rolled himself out from under his Sparrow. Luz sat on a seat nearby, kicking her legs as she watched. He tossed the ratchet up to her and she caught it deftly.
"Spanner please," he said. She nodded and turned to the workbench, setting the ratchet down and looking for the spanner.
"Can't you just have Lancer do this?" She asked. Royal wiped some lubricant off his mechanical digits.
"I could," he said, "but I enjoy getting to work with my hands. Besides, this Sparrow is as much a part of my arsenal as my guns are. I need to show it the proper respect." Luz shrugged and accepted his reasoning, still searching the workbench.
"I can't find the spanner," she said, slightly confused. Royal sat up, propping up an eyebrow. He quickly made his way over and investigated himself. All this did was confirm Luz's earlier statement; there was no spanner in sight.
"That's curious," he said, placing a hand on his chin.
"Someone must've swiped it when we weren't looking," Luz asserted. Royal let out a sharp chuckle.
"You really think so?"
"Things have been vanishing a lot lately," Luz offered, "I mean, there was that time King's collar vanished for three days only for us to find it in a tree, we found Lilith's shampoo on the roof, my copy of The Good Witch Azura was at the bottom of the freezer, and all of Eda's pictures of Raine were pasted to the ceiling." Royal laughed at the memory, remembering how flustered she had been to discover that.
"Alright, maybe someone has been messing with us," he conceded. "Who do you think it is? Hooty?"
"Nah, this is all too subtle for him," Luz said, narrowing her eyes. "I think that we have a mystery on our hands.
"We shall not rest until we get to the bottom of it!" Royal declared, slamming his fist into the workbench. There was a metallic ding as the spanner fell from a high shelf and bounced off his head. Glancing down, he swiped it up and held it triumphantly.
"The case is solved!" The two laughed and Royal returned to his Sparrow maintenance. While he worked, neither Human was aware of someone spying on them through the dimensional mirrors. Savathûn pressed her fingers together, a smirk on her alien face.
"Just as planned."
