The Pale Heart, a fertile land of possibility. Or, it should be and may be once again, in time. I gaze upon the horizon of a landscape crafted by a clash between the Traveller and the Witness. Some of it shifts and changes and some remains stagnant, festering like a wound. We never did figure out how the Witness got its forces inside. One theory is that it made them here, using the Traveller's power to create life, which is ironic. My Ghost nudges my shoulder. I've zoned out once again. My heart aches once more at the memory of the sacrifice that brought it back to me. I close my eyes, feeling a tear run down my cheek under my helmet. I let it fall; it's the least I could do.
"Guardian? Do you need to take a break?" They made it a question. I'm grateful. "Yea. Just a minute. It's been a hike." They landed on my shoulder, shell expanding and contracting slowly, like they're controlling their breath. "Just a minute. Sounds good." I know it weighs heavily on them. It's hard, being happy to be together, when the cost was a separation. We sat in silence.
An acolyte came around the bend, stopping short. I held my breath, and it stared, clicking softly. My hand moved slowly toward my gun at my hip as it turned its head, signaling to something out of sight. I took it as a good sign that it didn't attack immediately. A clawed hand grasped the side of the boulder blocking the sightline, and I inhaled sharply. A Hive Hunter moved into the path, first looking at the acolyte, then craning its head around to me.
We locked eyes, and I began to sweat. My Ghost hid out of view, just in case. The Hunter's eyes glowed brightly, then dimmed, as it nodded in my direction. "We join you?"
I blinked, then waved my hand, indicating the empty clearing. I didn't trust my voice. It handed the acolyte its weapon, and moved closer, sitting on a log nearby. I watched as it leaned back, its carapace crackling as it took a breath and looked up to the sky.
"Are you a friend of Luzaku?" I asked. It looked at me again, and I felt, more than saw, it smirk. "Is broodsister. Been trying to change minds. Says Lightbearers... Good." I relaxed, moving my hand away from my holster. "We try, at least." I acknowledged. There was a moment, and then we both chuckled. "This one tries, too."
We fell back to silence, though more comfortably. As night began to creep in, the Hunter got up, and indicated to its acolyte. "We move on. Work to be done. Walk in the light, Lightbearer." I nod. "Walk in the light, friend." It stopped and tilted its head, then nodded as well. "Friend."
With that, it left. I leaned back, fell onto my back, and exhaled loudly. "That was... terrifying," my Ghost pointed out. "Yeah. Yeah, it was. But... I feel it's a good sign. We should report in." With that, we transmat to our ship, and call home to break the news.