Wake up, babe; new Destiny error codes just dropped. You'd think people would realize that the day-one launches are always gonna be scuffed by now. Ah well, things are calm now. I was fortunately spared from the worst of the technical issues and only had a few major hiccups around the midpoint of the campaign. I'll bestow upon you my overall thoughts after the chapter.
If you enjoy it, feel free to leave a review saying what you liked. If you hate it, feel free to leave a review condemning me to a never-ending cycle of Currant error codes.
Chapter 19: Revelations
"Savathûn certainly sounds… unpleasant." - Eido, Scribe of House Light
A week had passed since the alliance between the Boiling Isles and the Last City had been secured. Ikora had issued a public broadcast, admitting numerous shortcomings on the Vanguard's behalf over the last few months. She had urged the city to remember that Savathûn's goal was to spread dissent and divide people, driving them against each other. After all, it was her nature.
Ikora had also—as permitted by the treaty—revealed the existence of the Demon Realm to the Last City. The response had been surprising, in a good way, with people accepting it without much hassle. Then again, in a Universe where immortal Lightbearers battled with alien gods, a world of witchcraft wasn't all that unusual. Ghosts had been permitted into the Isles to explore this new world to find their Guardians. Results had been sparse but promising. Occasionally, Royal would catch a glimpse of a new Witch-Guardian he recognized. A small part of him held out hope that someone like Eda or Lilith would be chosen, but it appeared the Traveler had other plans.
Now that the Exo had stopped to think about it, Royal realized he didn't know where Lilith was buried. Perhaps he should ask Paladin and pay her a visit at the end of the day.
Royal was currently helping the new Witch Guardians with their training. He was overseeing the Warlocks while, not too far away, Paladin and Venator were handling the Titans and Hunters, respectively. A few of their new recruits had managed some meager displays of Light, but most had yet to truly manifest their power. On top of all that, they all had to be retrained in magic. Carolyn oversaw those lessons, and the results were promising, with many Witches rapidly regaining their old strength. Amity had joined in, experiencing limited success with regaining her old power. She remained undeterred; she had reached those heights through determination and hard work, and now she would just have to do it again.
"Keep your stance up," Royal instructed, correcting a Warlock's posture. "It's important to follow through to properly direct your power." The Witch nodded and resumed their drills, applying his corrections. Royal glanced over at the Titans, who had been paired off and were sparing with each other. Paladin moved from pair to pair, watching and offering notes. Amity sat on a nearby bench, nursing a few broken bones. Paladin had required a partner for demonstration purposes, which unfortunately ended up being her.
"Alright, everyone, take fifteen," Royal said to the New Lights. "Rest, recover, and we'll be back at it once you're all ready." The Warlocks dispersed as Royal made his way over to his brother. He stopped by Amity to offer her a quick, Solar-enhanced top-up, a boon she accepted gratefully.
"Brother, a moment," Royal said as he approached Paladin. The Titan gestured for him to wait a second before speaking to Willow.
"Park, remember to keep your fists up. They can't guard anything when you've got them flailing about wildly," Paladin instructed. Willow grunted as she immediately vindicated his words by taking a kick to the side of her head and going down. Royal winced a little at the blow; he could practically feel the hairline fractures on her skull.
Paladin sighed before turning to Willow's opponent. "Stand down. This round is over." The Witch nodded, a decent chunk of her face swollen with bruises. The Triclops brushed a few strands of magenta hair out of her eyes before offering Willow a hand. As she helped the other woman to her feet, Paladin turned to address his brother.
"Something on your mind?" He asked.
"I was hoping you might know where Lilith's grave is," Royal said. "I wanted a chance to pay my respects." Paladin frowned and shared an uncomfortable glance with Thatch.
"Don't look at me, I'm not telling him," she said. The Striker frowned before nodding reluctantly.
"That won't be possible," he said. "Lilith… well, there's no easy way to say this… she disappeared." Royal's optics immediately widened. His gaze hardened, and his hands balled into fists.
"What do you mean? When did this happen?"
"It's hard to remember exactly when," Paladin said. "It was so long ago. But I think it was around twenty or so years after you left. It wasn't like she was on an expedition; she just vanished overnight. Hooty was beside himself with worry and practically tore the damn Isles apart. Everyone was running themselves ragged trying to find her, but…" His voice trailed off, leaving the implication to hang in the air.
"And you just gave up?" Royal questioned, starting to get upset. He fought to keep his voice low. Paladin cast a wary glance to ensure that no one had overheard them. The nearby Witches were too preoccupied with their combat drills to pay the pair any mind.
"I did everything within my power to find her," Paladin said. "Called in every favor, burned every bridge. Venator, Eda, and I searched for years and found nothing. Eventually, we had to accept reality."
Royal closed his optics and took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. Getting angry at Paladin would fix nothing. Besides, it was centuries ago. Wherever Lilith had vanished too, she was long dead now.
"I still have a copy of all her notes in storage," Paladin said. He pulled a key out of transmat and offered it to his brother. "If you think you can find something I missed or just want some closure, feel free to look."
"Of course, that's a good idea," Royal mumbled, accepting the key. "I… thank you."
"I wish I could have done more," Paladin said. Royal clutched the key tightly for a moment, staring at it in thought. He returned to his post without a word, still staring at the key. Paladin watched him go with a tight expression before turning back to Willow and her sparring partner.
"Alright, you two. Break is over. It's time for the next round," he said. Willow frowned, still nursing her sore head. Her partner wasn't in much better shape.
"What's the point of all this?" She asked. Paladin stared down at her, his optics narrowing. Willow bit back a remark as she met his gaze. "What's the point of all this, Commander? We should be out there, fighting the good fight!"
Paladin shook his head. "You're still a New Light, untested and unproven. You have only the barest understanding of your magic and your Light. You are not ready."
"Says you," Willow snapped. "I don't need some old hunk of rust to tell me when I'm good to go." Her partner's eyes widened, and she quickly moved to physically distance herself from the Sunbreaker. Meanwhile, Paladin remained completely stoic and unmoving. His optics had a dangerous gleam as he eyed Willow, analyzing her like he might a Cabal formation.
"Is that right?" His voice was full of uneasy calm. Willow began to sweat, suddenly a lot less confident. Despite that, she held her ground.
"I see," Paladin said, still holding that eerie aura of calm. By this point, the other few Titans had stopped to watch. They swayed warily, ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Paladin slowly cracked his neck, the mechanical joint popping with a sharp metal screech. "Assume your stance, rookie."
Suddenly gaining an awful feeling about her current life trajectory, Willow faced her partner and dropped into a compact combat stance. Paladin shook his head as he stepped into the ring. He slammed his fists together, lightning sparking in his eyes.
"Guess again."
"Commander, you know I was joking, right?" Willow asked, her eyes darting for any kind of escape. When she didn't find one, she resigned to her fate and moved to face Paladin.
"Oh, so now I'm Commander again," Paladin said. "And here I thought I was a hunk of rust. If you think you're ready to face what's out there, you won't have an issue squaring up with me." Willow shifted on her feet uncertainly.
Willow's former sparring partner counted down from five, signaling the start of their bout. Once she hit zero, Willow summoned her Hammer of Sol and charged forward. Maybe if she could land a solid blow before Paladin was ready, he would be impressed enough to go easy on her.
That thought would be the second-to-last thing to go through her head. The last thing, of course, was Paladin's left fist. Her body fell to the ground with a thud, everything above her neck reduced to paste. Paladin gave an unimpressed grunt before turning to the other Titans.
"Does anyone else have a problem with my decisions?" He asked. The rest of the Titans hastily shook their heads, wishing to avoid meeting a similar fate. Paladin nodded sharply. "I don't recall telling anyone they could stop." Everyone quickly busied themselves while Willow's partner helped the freshly revived woman in question to her feet. She glared at Paladin in what she probably thought was a discrete manner and half-started toward him, only to be held back by her partner. Paladin made note of this incident; he would need to address it sooner rather than later.
Luz's ship rattled as it docked in the H.E.L.M. There was a hiss as her cockpit depressurized before opening, allowing the stale air to brush against her face. She rubbed her face in exhaustion, trying to scrub away the dark rings beneath her eyes. She had been working nonstop the last week, defending the Blind Well and assisting Royal with training the new Witch Guardians. Her already narrow window for sleep had been steadily trimmed down.
Luz disembarked from her ship as Stringbean circled her. She scratched the Palisman's chin, coaxing a cheerful hiss from the small serpent as they exited the hangar. The two had been reconnecting, gradually learning to work together again. Stringbeans innate magical ability was yet another hurdle for her to cross. Fortunately, Amity had been there to help with that. Since Luz was Human, she couldn't access the full array of magic. Instead, she had to rely on basic energy blasts and King's glyphs.
Practicing with Amity had been strange, to say the least. Every time she was near the woman, she felt tight in her chest. Yet hesitation still gripped her heart. She still couldn't distinguish between her feelings now and before. Did she love the Witch? Or was she simply deluding herself into thinking so? Her memoirs were never far from her, taunting her with the knowledge they held. But if all you were was a collection of memories, who would she become after absorbing them? Would she still be herself, or just another version of the woman she used to be?
"I am way too damn tired to be having an identity crisis right now," she said to Stringbean. The serpent hissed in agreement and took up a perch on her shoulder. The Universe seemed to hear her and agreed. So, naturally, it immediately threw an entirely different kind of crisis at her. As she reached the Awoken's portal room to debrief, she was met with the sight of Petra and Crow in the middle of a heated argument. Petra stood between Crow and the portal to Savathûn, barring him from entering.
"I just want to know what Savathûn intends to do once she is freed from her worm," Crow snapped, clearly frustrated. "She helped Iris liberate me from Spider. Like it or not, I owe her." Petra's gaze hardened like the crystals of Savathûn's prison.
"Feel a sort of kinship with her, do you?" The Queens Wrath accused. Her words cut through the air like daggers, trying to find a chink in Crow's armor. The Hunter's face twisted into a scowl.
"It's not like that," he asserted. Petra's lone eye narrowed.
"For your sake, it had better not be."
"Osiris was like family to me," Crow pleaded, trying to change up his method of approach. It was clear Petra wasn't buying it as she remained impassive, his pleas sliding off her.
"You never even met him," Petra began. Crow quickly jumped in.
"I know, just let me speak to Savathûn, please."
"No, I won't give that Witch another chance to dig her claws into you." Her tone was definitive, leaving little room for argument. Luz felt she should step in but didn't know what to say to convince Petra. Or if she even should.
"Maybe she's right, Crow," Glint said hesitantly.
"You know I am," Petra said, jumping on her chance. "Savathûn is already in your head. You're a liability to the mission."
Crow looked away, morose now that his former fire had been extinguished. "Why do you have such a problem with me, Petra? Five minutes. That's all I'm asking."
"The Queen of the Reef forbids it."
"Crow doesn't answer to your queen," Luz said, finally making her presence known. She stepped up beside Crow and gave him a reassuring nod. A small yet grateful smile broke onto his face.
"Savathûn unraveled the Dreaming City with a single wish; I've spent years trying to contain that mistake," Petra said, her head swiveling to Luz. "And I will not be questioned by someone who wasn't alive to witness it. Better men than him have died for this."
"To my ear, it sounds like you're the liability," Crow said. "Maybe your queen's trust in you was misplaced." Rage overtook Petra's face, and her hand darted to her belt. She pivoted on her left foot, pulling her knife up to Crow's neck. The Hunter's eyes flashed with surprise before he gave a low chuckle.
"A knife?" He asked humorously. "Against a Hunter? I'd be careful who you picked fights with." He gestured to his left side with a slight tilt of his head. Petra's eye dashed to the side, and she stared down the barrel of Luz's hand cannon. The storm's fury flashed in her eyes as she pulled back the hammer.
"I wouldn't," Petra warned, contempt dripping from her voice. Luz pretended to weigh up her words for a moment before further pressing her gun against Petra's head.
"Oh, but I might," she said. Stringbean hissed angrily, flashing her fangs to sell the threat.
"One wrong step and my Corsairs will have to prepare second graves for the both of you."
"Save it for the Hive, all of you!" Glint said, trying desperately to defuse the situation. "This isn't going to get us anywhere."
"Glint is right," Aurora chimed in. "If we would just let cooler heads prevail-"
"If you wanted to deal with cooler heads, you should have chosen to keep better company," Petra said. Her words were like a lash, but she lowered her knife. She gave Crow one last disgusted look. "My answer remains unchanged." Crow frowned but turned away.
"Thanks for having my back," he muttered to Luz before fading into transmat. She tried to reach out for him, only for her hand to close around the fading particles. She clutched them tightly as they disappeared into nothing.
"May I pass?" She asked Petra, her voice strained as she forced the words out. The Awoken woman's mouth twitched, but she refrained from saying anything. Luz pushed past, intentionally jostling Petra with her shoulder. She crossed through the portal, stepping into Savathûn's prison chamber. The Hive God was waiting for her, not that she had much else to do.
"You can't stop the inevitable," Savathûn taunted. "No one can. Though Petra Venj seems perfectly willing to try."
"You heard all of that?" Luz asked. Before Savathûn could answer, Luz clicked her tongue and looked away. "Of course you did. Shouldn't be surprised at this point."
"I've always sympathized with Crow, you know," Savathûn said. "All the kind words I shared with him as Osiris were sincere. I too know what it is like to be an exile. To be hated for things outside of your control."
"You can spare me your sob story," Luz said. "What do you want with Crow?"
"It would be better for Crow if we talked," Savathûn soothed. "I merely want the chance to explain why I did what I did. I want him to know that my affection for him is true."
"So you can twist him further," Luz accused. Savathûn laughed cheerily as though Luz were a child who had just made a mildly amusing joke.
"Because the less he knows, the more vulnerable he is," she said. "Doomed to be strung along by false promises from his supposed benefactors. You can empathize with that, can't you?"
Luz glared at the Witch Queen, the urge to smite her with a tempest growing steadily. For a single, delicious moment, she entertained the idea of blasting that smug look Savathûn doubtlessly had right off her face. She forced herself to calm down; Savathûn was just trying to get under her skin. Besides, the last thing she wanted was to accidentally free the Witch Queen.
"But then again, I'm the one in the crystal prison," Savathûn said. "What do I know?"
"Knowledge is power," Luz said, quoting a lesson Royal had imparted to her. "Which makes you just about the most dangerous thing I've ever met. Crow shouldn't trust you."
"That decision is not yours to make, little Witch," Savathûn said coyly. "You know, I've been thinking about family quite a bit, what with all the spare time I have. It might surprise you to hear, but everything my siblings and I have done has been for each other. Even though the Vanguard isn't quite the same, they're no different at heart. You'd do anything for your family, chosen or otherwise. Go to any lengths to avenge them."
Luz looked away, her brow knitting slightly in distress. As she thought about it, she was forced to concede to Savathûn's point. She would do anything for the people she loved. The thought of her locked memories flashed through her mind, and she felt a pang of guilt as she thought about Amity. Almost anything. Sensing her maker's distress, Stringbean curled against her neck.
"Look at the Crow and Queen Mara," Savathûn continued, oblivious to Luz's internal dilemma. "Siblings, bonded by cosmic fate, forever orbiting one another like binary stars. Or yourself and your dearest love, ripped apart by the ravages of time only to be reunited in the life after life. Amity and Mara remind me of my sister. She's afraid. Holding on so tightly because she can't bear to lose just one more thing…" Savathûn's voice trailed off almost wistfully, and, for a fleeting moment, Luz nearly believed that she was capable of feeling sorry for someone else.
"But we all have to let go," Savathûn said, speaking to herself more than Luz. "When I am separated from my worm, I will also be separated from Xivu Arath. Then my sister will be alone. The last of us. But as much as I care for her, I cannot stay like this."
There was a moment of silence as Savathûn lay in reflection. After a pause, she seemed to remember that she had an audience. "You've been such a wonderful listener, Luz. Farewell. And do give Paladin and Venator my regards." Luz tensed at that comment, wondering what Savathûn meant. The crystal dimmed and fell silent; there was no point in trying to pry now; Savathûn had decided she was done talking.
"Aurora," she said as she turned away from the Hive God. "Contact Glint, I want to speak with Crow."
"Of course," Aurora said, beeping as she sent the message. "Do you think he's ok?"
"Honestly, probably not," Luz replied as they stepped back through the portal. "I wish we could do more to help him."
"Guardian." Luz jumped at the sudden voice. She spun to the side of the room, where Mara oversaw her Compass. The Queen regarded her with the same unfaltering expression as always. Luz couldn't shake the feeling she was being dissected with only Mara's gaze. Honestly, she was getting quite sick of it.
"I trust your audience with Savathûn was revealing," Mara said. Luz made a so-so gesture, which didn't seem to faze Mara. "She has done so much to destroy everything my people have worked for. She stole my brother from me, twisted his mind, and delivered him unto his executioners. Then she had the audacity to steal him from the Traveler, manipulate him, then… lead him back home."
"I'm sorry for what you have lost, Your Majesty," Luz said, reaching out to the Awoken monarch. "I swear, Savathûn will pay a thousand times over for everything she has done."
"I appreciate your words," Mara said. "But word without deed is ultimately empty wind. You have been good to Crow, kind where others would rebuke him. You have my gratitude for this, but I warn you not to drive him down paths he is not fit to tread."
"All I've done is offer advice when he asked," Luz said defensively. Mara hummed, raising an eyebrow as she appraised the Stormcaller.
"It is strange having him here," she said, changing the subject. "And yet, not. Crow is a wounded bird, flinching away from me. So much like Uldren, but lost without a guiding hand. Do you understand why I forbade him from speaking with Savathûn?"
"You fear for his safety," Luz said. "That Savathûn will try to manipulate him, turn him against you."
"You are not wrong," Mara said, facing the portal. "But not entirely right, either. I fear what may happen should he receive the answers he seeks. Knowledge is power, and power has a way of corrupting even the most steadfast souls. That is why we must guard it jealously." She sighed and tucked her hands behind her back. "This reunion is such… cruel kindness. Rest assured, I will find a way to repay Savathûn for it." Mara fell quiet, glaring at the portal as though she might be able to will Savathûn's death. Luz dismissed herself and left for the hangar.
"Glint gave me Crow's coordinates," Aurora spoke up. "Transmitting them now." Luz glanced over the coordinates as she boarded her ship. She punched them in and took off, soaring off toward the Dreaming City. She flew over the mist-soaked lands, approaching a temple atop a hill. She circled it for a moment, trying to make out any details. She was too far out to really see anything. Not having any other options, she transmatted onto the ground.
Inside the temple, near Crow's coordinates, was a small shrine decorated with Awoken filigree. Just before it sat a slab of stone roughly the size of a person, with a sheet lying atop it. Luz ran a hand over the linen as she walked past. It was as soft as the clouds that surrounded the peaks of the Dreaming City.
She pushed past the slab and approached the edge of the temple where Crow was sitting. His legs dangled over the precipice, hanging above a bottomless drop. He didn't hear her approach until she was behind him. He glanced at her as she sat beside him. The two sat in silence for a moment, looking out over the marred beauty of the Dreaming City.
"This is where I woke up, you know," Crow said suddenly, breaking the silence around them. "When Glint found me."
"I thought you'd never been to the Dreaming City before the Savathûn incident," Luz said. Crow chuckled and shook his head.
"I didn't spend much time here, just long enough to find a ship and leave." He looked out over the horizon as his eyes hardened. "I know why you're here."
"What? No," Luz tried to deflect. "I'm just here to appreciate the view." She could tell by Crow's expression that he didn't buy it for a second. She hung her head awkwardly. "Ok, yeah, I'm here about Savathûn."
"It's just so frustrating," Crow said, anger starting to creep into his voice. "I deserve answers!" He looked at Luz, his orange eyes gleaming in the light. "Don't I?"
"Of course you do," Luz said. "But Savathûn might not be the best person to get them from."
"If she's my only option, then it doesn't really matter, does it?" Crow asked bitterly. "Everyone else treads around me like I can't be trusted with anything. At least Savathûn treats me like I'm an equal." He scoffed and looked away. "Venj thinks I'm vulnerable, and I'm supposed to just take a seat? As if I was the only one fooled by Savathûn wearing Osiris's skin? Iris knew him far longer than I thought I had, and I don't see her being forbidden from speaking to Savathûn."
"Because they're worried about you," Luz said. Crow was having none of it.
"Because it's not about me," He countered. "It's about who I used to be, isn't it?" Luz fell silent, which was all the answer Crow needed.
"Every time the Vanguard tells me things will get better, I thank them," he spat. "As if it's a privilege not to be beaten to death. Our past lives aren't supposed to matter. I'm beginning to wonder why I'm the only Guardian being judged by mine."
Lus was regretfully unable to offer anything to assuage him, silently seething over the matter herself. As far as she was concerned, Crow was right; none of this was fair. Yet, she still couldn't feel uneasy about all of this.
"No more apologies. No more creeping around on eggshells," Crow said. "I deserve an audience with Savathûn. I deserve to know how much of what she told me as Osiris was a lie!" He paused and took a deep breath. "I deserve answers."
Luz couldn't help but agree.
Willow stood before the door to Paladin's office, her posture tense. Her hands were balled so tightly that her knuckles were a pristine white. She took a deep breath before letting it out; the sooner she got this over, the better. She reached up and knocked on the door.
Paladin's voice could be heard on the other side of the door as he called for her to enter. Willow pushed the door open and stepped through. Paladin was sitting behind his desk, browsing through a few sheets of paper. His armor was stored on a stand to the side, while he wore a casual version of the standard Sentries uniform. The appearance fit him oddly well. It was hard for Willow to reconcile this with the man who had pummeled her into the ground earlier.
"You wanted to see me, Commander?" She asked. Paladin glanced up with an intrigued expression on his face.
"And here I thought I would need to send someone to drag you in," he said, setting his papers down. "Please, have a seat." He gestured to a chair across the desk from him. Willow tentatively accepted, staying on guard just in case.
Paladin rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to kill you again. It would take too long to clean your brains out of the carpet. I just wanted to talk, Titan to Titan."
"I feel like you already said everything you wanted to say with that left hook of yours, Commander," Willow said. Paladin gave a soft hum, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
"I have been overseeing your training for the last week, and I have made a few observations," he said. "Your progress with relearning magic has been on pace and as expected. On the other hand, outside of your initial burst of success, you have made next to no progress with your Light."
"Great, just what I wanted," Willow muttered. "More judgment."
"And that is the problem," Paladin said pointedly, rising from his seat. "You're brash, stubborn, and insubordinate." He began to pace around the room while Willow remained seated, watching him warily. "You strut around with undeserved bravado." He had circled behind her now and showed no signs of stopping. "Your mouth write checks your skills can't cash in." Paladin completed his lap around the room, stopping behind his desk again. His back was to Willow as he stared at an extravagant ivory auto rifle with a prominent bayonet mounted on the wall.
Sighing, he turned back around, meeting Willow's eyes. "You remind me of myself when I was young."
"You used to be young?" Willow asked, not believing him for a second. Paladin chuckled softly.
"As surprising as it may be, yes. Once, I was a lot like you. Loud, impatient, and with a fuse shorter than Dregs docked arms. I was angry at the world for the crime of existing. Angry at the Darkness. At our enemies. At the Traveler. This was long before the Last City was raised, so I roamed the ruins of Old Earth, looking for a fight worth my time." His voice trailed off as he looked out the window, a myriad of complicated emotions crossing his face.
"And what happened?" Willow asked.
Paladin gave a short bark of laughter and shook his head. "I found it. Ran across a Warlord by the name of Shaxx. I challenged him to a brawl. In response, he struck me so hard that he created a sonic boom. Thatch brought me back a moment later, and, being the pig-headed idiot I was, I charged right back in. Lord Shaxx spent the next two straight days beating me into the ground. Each blow felt like a part of myself was chipped away. Quite simply, he broke me down into dust. By the time he was done, the loud braggart that had challenged him was gone. In his place was a humbled man, ready and willing to learn what it meant to be a Guardian. Though we weren't called that yet."
"Why are you telling me this?" Willow asked.
"Because I want you to know why I am being so hard on you," Paladin said. "I know I can be… obtuse at times. It's a consequence of my longevity." He held one of his arms up to his face, slowly curling his fingers. "To be entirely truthful, I'm old. Far, far too old. I have lived through the Dark Ages twice and the Golden Age once atop that. I understand I can't actually age, but sometimes it feels like my servos don't flow as smoothly as they used to."
"What, do you want to retire?" Willow asked jokingly. Paladin simply looked at her, and her laugh died in her throat. "Wait, you seriously want to retire?"
"This job has worn down on me for so long," Paladin said sorrowfully. "Lydia and her predecessor's incessant grating hasn't helped. Truth be told, Venator's decision to remain detached from the day-to-day workings of the Isles was truly a wise one." He stopped and stared her directly in the eye. "If you ever tell her I said that, I will disavow it and then tear out your throat."
Willow nodded hastily as another question bubbled up on her tongue. "You've been at this job as long as it existed; who would you even find to replace you?" Paladin raised an eyebrow as though he couldn't believe she just asked that. Willow pointed at her chest. "You want me to be your successor?"
"I'm not stepping down tomorrow," Paladin said. "Things are too volatile currently. And even when I do, it will be more like me scaling back my responsibilities. I will still be there. But someday, yes."
"But why me specifically?" Willow questioned. "Amity seems much more qualified."
"Amity is a skilled Titan in her own right," Paladin said. "But she lacks the markings of a great leader. A competent one, perhaps. But she is better at enacting than deciding. Besides, she is very much tied to her bonds. Where Luz goes, she will invariably follow."
"Yeah, they really need to fuck already," Willow muttered.
Paladin took a tired breath before electing to ignore that comment. "But in you, I see the potential for a great leader."
"Because you see yourself," Willow said. "Seems a little arrogant of you."
"Yes, well, my sister's self-aggrandizing has rubbed off on me somewhat."
Royal flipped through the stacks of folders that piled to the ceiling. His finger ran over the thick stacks of documents that trailed back centuries. The scent of old paper hovered at the edge of his senses. Lancer floated nearby, rifling through a stack of his own. True to Paladin's words, all of Lilith's old notes had been kept neatly organized and stored. He browsed her writing, looking for anything to illuminate what happened to her.
"Any luck over there?" he asked his Ghost. Lancer gave a chirp as he dismissed his notebook.
"Nothing that might help figure out what happened to her," Lancer said. "But apparently, she did uncover this ancient recipe for Flaming Quiche that includes Fire Bee, honey. Supposedly, it was quite delicious."
"Lancer, this is serious," Royal said.
"Sorry, sorry," the Ghost beeped. "I know you cared about her."
"If I had just been there, maybe I could have…" Royal's voice broke, and the words died in his mouth. He cleared his throat as he returned to the papers before him. "It doesn't help that some of these are covered in all these marks." He held up a sheet, gesturing to a series of dashes and tildes scrawled across the top of the paper. They appeared in some of Lilith's notes, maybe in every fifth document. Lancer shrugged and returned to his papers, leaving Royal to do the same. He discarded the research, though a part of his brain was stuck on those scratches. They felt oddly familiar in a way that he just couldn't scratch.
He continued browsing, taking in as much information as he could. His optics darted across the page, his Exo brain processing information far faster than a normal Human could. As he dissected the info, he tripped across something that caught his eye. Lilith's notes had become more and more focused solely on the Collector and his Pyramid over the years. Her notes mentioned creatures of bloated crimson flesh that devoured fear, specters that haunted her with every regret she held, and a voice speaking from a thousand throats concealed in shadow. Royal knit his brow in concern as he read while Lancer looked over his shoulder and whistled.
"Damn, looks like spending all that time around the Pyramid didn't do much for her mental health," he muttered.
"No, that's not it," Royal said. "It can't be." He pointed to the date on the page. "It all started a few years after I left. Have you found anything else that happened around that time?"
"Yeah, actually, I have," Lancer said uncertainly. "It was Odalia."
"What about her?" Royal asked.
"She died," Lancer said. "If Paladin's records are up to date—which I don't doubt they are—then she kicked the can just a few days before Lilith went all cuckoo."
"If our suspicions about Odalia are true," Royal began. "Could that mean…"
"You don't think Savathûn jumped ship to Lilith, do you?" Lancer asked. Royal's eyes flashed with fire, and the paper in his hands started to smoke. He dropped it and grabbed one of the papers with the strange markings. He stared at them, trying to decipher what they could mean.
"It's binary," he realized. "The lines are ones, dashes are zeroes." He had taught Lilith binary during one of their expeditions through the ancient ruins of the Isles as part of Lilith's interest in Human history. She took to it rather quickly—a testament to her intelligence. The same intelligence that would have made her an ideal target for Savathûn. He quickly gathered as many of those marked papers as he could. Organizing them sequentially, he could start piecing together their message.
"She has stolen my flesh and consumed my mind," he said, rage steadily building in his voice as he recited the frantic marks. "She taunts me, toys with my freedom, mocks my struggles. Yet she does not know of these fleeting moments I steal back. Whoever can read this, I beg you, please help me. My will is not my own. The hunger gnaws at my gut. The worm must feed." The notes rapidly descended into incomprehensible ramblings after that. Lancer warily eyed his Guardian as he set the papers down.
"I am going to tear the truth from Savathûn's throat," Royal said in a frighteningly calm voice as he rose to his feet. Flames rolled over his hands, stoked by the rage emanating from the Warlock's body. "Then, I am going to rip off her head."
Amity sighed as she reclined in her seat, kicking her boots onto a crate as she looked out at sunset. Venator was already reclined beside her, holding two glasses of apple blood. She offered one to Amity, and the two tapped their glasses together as they looked at the setting sun.
"Titan, what a week," Amity sighed.
"Aw, is the little Witch all tuckered out?" Venator teased, taking a swig of her drink.
"Please, if you had to be on the receiving end of Paladin's 'demonstrations', you'd be exhausted too." Amity took a deep draft of her drink. It got halfway down her throat before she began violently coughing and sat up. "What is this stuff?"
"My own special brew," Venator said proudly. "The normal stuff is too weak for me. I need some booze that'll punch me right in the kisser."
"Is that an Exo thing or…?"
"Nah, Scholar's a complete lightweight. I'm just built like that." Venator took another sip as Amity set her glass down. "So, I've noticed how you and Luz are kinda… you know."
"Oh please, not this again," Amity groaned, hanging her head. "I have a life outside of Luz!"
"Do you?" Venator asked cheekily, receiving a glare from Amity in response. "Look, as a Noceda-wooer myself, I can tell that something is troubling the two of you."
"She's been avoiding her memories," Amity said. "I don't want to push anything on her, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt a little." She cast a sideways glance at Venator, wondering if she should voice her next thought. After a second of deliberation, she went for it. "You've loved another Guardian before; got any advice?"
Venator's grin fell before Amity's eyes. "Not really. You've laid it all out on the table; the deck's in Luz's hand now."
"And what if she chooses no?" Amity asked, her voice small.
"Well, if I was in that situation, I'd kidnap her and hold her hostage until she learned to love me," Venator said, a bit too seriously for Amity's liking. She stared at the Nightstalker, more than a little disturbed. Venator gave a wry grin. "Joking. If she says no, you'll just have to deal with it. She has the right to choose for herself."
"If you truly love her, you must be able to let her go," Blip said, to which Venator nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, I guess so," Amity said reluctantly.
"Do you think she'll choose someone else?" Venator asked.
"I mean, she's been getting pretty chummy with Crow lately," Amity grumbled. Venator nodded and gave her a pat on the shoulder.
"I have literally no clue who that is." Amity laughed at that. She did genuinely appreciate the Hunter's words. After the defeat of Synegorus, she had grown somewhat close to her. Granted, it was primarily due to their mutual interest in the women of the Noceda family, but that was beside the point.
"I just don't know what I'll do if she does decide to move on without me," Amity said, her voice small. "She's the reason I'm doing all of this. Why I sought to find a way to preserve my memories. Why I was buried in the Human Realm. Why I'm even a Guardian in the first place. If she says no, I won't have anything left." Amity slumped back in her chair as the thought weighed down on her. Venator gave her a genuinely sympathetic look and rubbed her shoulder.
"Believe me, I know that feeling, and it is not a pretty one."
"I really don't have a life outside of Luz," Amity realized. "Ever since she arrived in my life, I sought to be a better person for her sake. Someone she would be proud to be friends with. Now, I don't know who I am without her."
"It sounds like you have some real soul-searching to do," Venator said. "Next time Paladin asks me to deploy somewhere, you can tag along. It might be good for you to get away from everything."
"That's not a bad idea," Amity said. "Thanks, Ven. I really appreciate it." Venator grinned and nodded reassuringly.
"Hold up," Blip said. "Self-aware ruminations will have to wait. We've got someone on approach."
"At this hour?" Venator asked. "Any clue who it is?"
"No, but I'm detecting Light," Blip responded.
Venator sighed as she stood up from her seat. "Great, another New Light, right as I was getting comfy. I better go greet them." Amity gave a short laugh as she walked off and reached to take another tentative sip of her drink.
"You won't have to," Blip said. "They're here." He turned to the edge of the compound, where the road led into the distance. A lone figure was walking down the path, moving with a very slight limp. Amity tried to focus on them as they drew closer. A few details gradually became more prominent; a tattered blue jacket, unkempt brown hair, and a prominently shattered nose. Horror crept onto her face, and her glass shattered as it hit the ground.
The man who once was Emperor Belos stumbled forward, favoring his left leg, which appeared slightly bent inward. A few bruises and lacerations could be seen on his face; the wounds were fresh, likely the result of his being recognized.
"Hello," he greeted, looking at Venator, who had been observing him, one hand discretely slipping to her knife. "I was told to come here by my Ghost."
It only took Amity a second to leap to her feet, Sentinel Shield already manifesting. She sprinted toward Belos, her blood pounding in her ears. She saw the man's eyes widen, and he tried to scramble away from her. As she surged forward, all she felt was rage. This man had tried to destroy her home, nearly slaughtered everyone she knew, and even killed the woman she loved.
Amity's rampage was stopped before it could begin when Venator stepped between the two. Amity slammed into the Hunter with the force of a speeding sparrow. The Hunter grunted as her boots dug into the dirt.
"Amity! Stand down!" Venator shouted.
"Why are you protecting him!" Amity shouted back, trying to tear herself free of Venators grasp. Belos had fallen on his back by now, his face stricken with fear at the sight of the charging Titan. Amity began to break free, and Venator groaned.
"I didn't want to do this." She placed a hand on Amity's chest and Void energy pulsed between the two. Amity gasped as her strength faded. She collapsed to her knees, barely able to hold up the weight of her armor. Her Light dimmed, temporarily suppressed by the Nightstalker.
"Sorry about that, kid," Venator said, stepping away from the still-furious Witch. "Just need you to not kill him until we get answers."
"Thank you," Belos said, prostrating himself before Venator. "Everyone I meet keeps attacking me, and I-"
"I didn't do it for you," Venator snapped, grabbing him by his collar and hoisting him to his feet. "You are coming with me to answer some questions. And if I don't like what I hear, I'll toss you right back to her." She gestured to Amity with her head as the Witch pushed herself back up, the suppression fading away. She glared at Belos, a burning hatred in her eyes that threatened to leak out. Belos's eyes darted between the Guardians nervously, wondering what he had done to deserve this.
So. The Final Shape. The end of the Light and Dark saga. I thought that it was...
Absolutely amazing.
Spoilers ahead, skip to reviews if you haven't finished the story yet.
The story, the Pale Heart, the post-campaign missions, the raid. It's all so great. I think the Pale Heart might be the best destination Bungo has made. There's so much to do and find. Though, navigating the map is a bit of a pain. The story was so good from start to finish. Honestly, the worst part of it is that it makes Lightfall look even worse in comparison. I have a few minor gripes with it, but I'll get to those later. I must say that I especially loved the dynamic between Crow and Cayde. And Bungie really delivered on The Witness. Whenever it loses its temper and snaps, it feels genuinely threatening. Needless to say, I already have so many ideas for this story when I get there. Though that won't be for a long time.
Salvations Edge dethroning Last Wish as the hardest day-one race is absolutely perfect. Congratulations to team Parabellum for doing what literally no one else could. I haven't completed the raid myself, but I have given the first encounter the old college try. I'm looking forward to learning it; it seems super fun.
As for my story complaints, I have two main ones. The first and less severe is that I wish our Guardian was more present in the cutscenes. The story does a good job of making us feel like the most important person present. I just wish that was reflected in the in-engine cutscenes. It does feel like a bit of a step back from Lightfall in that department. The second, more pressing issue is with Zavala. I'll preface by saying that Keith David did an amazing job. No one can ever replace Lance, but Keith did the best he could given the circumstances. My issue is with Zavala's story. I don't dislike the direction they went at all. I actually quite like it. I just feel it was a bit too fast. He goes from being morose to snapping at Ikora a bit too quickly, in my opinion. It's not the hardest thing for me to justify in my head, but I would have liked maybe one more mission to show those feelings building up in him.
But those are most of my thoughts. I'm sure I'll remember more things over the next few days.
Gameplay-wise, Prismatic is neat and all, but I have been addicted to Song of Flame on pure Solar. It is easily my new favorite super in the game. And Hellion is just the icing on top. I've heard a lot of people saying that Prismatic Titan feels weak compared to Warlock. I honestly had the opposite impression, but I haven't dug super deep into either yet. Haven't finished the campaign on Hunter yet, so no comment there.
Ultimately, great expansion, really looking forward to where Bungoe goes from here. I'll be diving into Echoes later today. If Bungie actually does something interesting with the Vex, I will be a very happy penguin.
I can see a review from someone in my notifications, but the site won't actually show it to me. I will edit it in if the site actually lets me see it.
SolarisHez: Heyyyy quite the long time without reviewing your stuff.
Not much to say on the fanfic matter since Im still stuck in the prequel of this one, but hell... that was one hell of a raid race and finale for this 10 year saga hasn't it?
Hey, been a certainly been a minute. It was a hell of a day one and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
GodzillaMaster: More witch guardians, huh? Who else is going to be raised? Hunter? Gus? Boscha?
I'm still curious on whether they can combine their magic and Light, that'd be cool
Jeez, fighting the Scorn is gorier and goopier than fighting Vex
Dun dun dun! Thank a good number of reviews for giving me ideas to work with. And yeah, going from hunks of cranky metal to full-blown zombies is a bit of a change.
Elthreee: Great chapters! I loved the moments that Royal and Elsie had, they were adorable. I wonder who'll get resurrected next? The team will surely need to help considering things are seemingly unraveling now. Can't wait to read the next chapter, everything's been awesome so far.
P.S. Assuming the next chapter is uploaded the week after TFS is released, what would you give the campaign and raid out of 10? Ignore this if you've already answered I suppose.
Still surprised by the reception to Rosie. As for the expansion; they nerfed Lament, 2/10.
In seriousness, I don't find number scores to be super helpful, but I'd probably rate it around and 8 or a 9. Won't comment on the raid since I haven't cleared it yet, but it looks like it has the potential to dethrone Vow as my favorite raid. I love Vow because of how finely tuned every encounter is. Everyone needs to be on the ball, especially for third encounter. Exhibition is, in my opinion, one of the best raid encounters Bungie has made.
DarkFireCat5241999: Devotion inspires bravery, bravery inspires sacrifice, sacrifice leads to death, so let's kill ourselves against the witness to win
Oh man, that finale was something else, wasn't it? I have so many ideas to hash out.
BlueRoseLevi: Never ceasing at making good enjoyable chapters
Poor Royal getting stuck in the ancient and disgusting practice of politics
Malek finally getting his time to shine in combat, love to see it
Was wondering when you'd tie in the Scorn Abominations vs Isles Abominations was not disappointed
Malek using Anarchy and getting absolutely decimated just screams our good ole pal who you borrowed him from, love it
Crow my poor boy, at least Luz and Eido will be nice to him
Venator at the City and us finally getting to see that good meretricious rogue Drifter make appearance brought a smile to my face
Politics, how tiresome. I want to do a bit more with Malek. Probably not any fancy character work, just give him a bit of spotlight here and there. And I've been holding onto the Abomination v Abomination fight for a while now. Lastly, it was nice to get to set up Drifter a little early. A downside of starting the story where I did is that there are a lot of things that pop up later on that Destiny has introduced, but I haven't. I know most of the people reading this story know what these things are, but it still doesn't feel right to me.
davisjustus99: Awww look at Amity trying to make a compelling abomination. Anyways we gonna talk about how Royal's PTSD is getting to be less burdensome?
Cut her some slack, she's a few centuries out of practice. And if you think Royal's managing his PTSD, wait until I really take the gloves off come season 16.
hornig3: Oh boy, Amity's short fuse is coming back up at the worst point in the story. Also I feel like she could have read a mission dossier but since she has all of her memories she wasn't taken to where guardians can get the information for whatever quests she takes and I sincerely doubt Pal will help. Also it's starting to sound like she doesn't even like being a guardian or respect how things work. Definitely gonna cause some problems there.
Honestly, not knowing what was going on with the mission was 100% on Amity. And the reason she didn't look up is because you're kinda right. I just showed some of her mindset here in this chapter. It will be forced onto the backburner for the time being due to there being more pressing matters I must address, but we will be unpacking these sometime relatively soon.
"So, Elisabeth," Luz began, giving the Exo in question a sly grin. "Got anything you like to do for fun?" Elisabeth glanced up from her datapad before going back to browsing whatever she was looking at.
"A few things," she said. "Reading, puzzles, stuff like that. I also happen to quite enjoy some card games from time to time, though I find myself sorely lacking in company."
"Card games, you say," Royal said, looking up from the rifle he was cleaning. "I happen to be a casual poker enjoyer myself."
"Believe me, I am well aware," Elisabeth replied. "You were a menace at Braytech's weekly poker nights."
Luz grinned, gears already starting to turn in her head. "Here's an idea; why don't we play? Royal did say I need to practice."
"Your abilities leave something to be desired," Royal muttered, nodding in agreement. Elisabeth gained a competitive grin as she withdrew a deck of cards.
"Gladly. Though I should warn you, I was the only person who could beat you back then." Royal cracked his knuckles as she began to shuffle.
"Well, I do love a good challenge."
The game began not long after that. To say it went poorly for everyone not named Royal was an understatement. Luz naturally didn't last very long, still struggling to get the hang of the game. Elisabeth only fared mildly better, but it was only a matter of time before Royal was also hoarding all of her chips. She slumped back in her seat, staring blankly at the mountain piling up before Royal.
"All those years," she muttered, glaring at the Warlock as he counted the stack. "And you were LETTING ME WIN!"
Royal's only response was a cheeky grin before he was forced to duck under a Stasis shuriken flung at his neck.