Hello everybody, welcome back to "How long can I keep pulling the wool over you?" On today's episode: Emotional trauma! And it's not all from who you think. Not gonna lie; really liking the biweekly uploads. Gives me enough time to get chapters finished while still giving me deadlines to work around. Gonna try and keep this schedule going as best as I can. Now, onto the Communion.
If you enjoy it, feel free to leave a review saying what you liked. If you hate it, feel free to leave a review sealing me into an ancient tomb to be awakened thousands of years later to wreak vengeance upon those who scorned me.
Chapter 28: Shroud of Sleet
"The Light blinds. The Dark obscures. Only through balance do we achieve enlightenment." - The Harbinger
Once they had clawed their way out of the half-buried temple, Royal and Luz were able to regroup with Amity and make their way back to the Enclave. After so long spent in the multicolored assault on their minds that was Savathûn's Throne World, returning to the Martian dunes was a welcome relief. The three touched down in the Enclave, and the Hidden quickly escorted them to Ikora.
The Warlock Vanguard acknowledged them with a nod as they approached. Eris stood beside her, slightly hunched over as she cradled her orb. A few of the Hidden were gathered around them, whispering amongst themselves and jotting down notes. Luz withdrew Sagira's shell and set it on the table between them. Ikora briefly looked down at the Ghost of her former teacher before closing her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Sagira," she said. After mourning for a few more seconds, she looked back to the other Guardians. "You said that you heard Savathûn's voice when you touched it?"
"Yes, ma'am," Royal said. He tapped against the side of his helmet. "Up here."
"It was like a psychic fingerprint left on Sagira," Luz added. "I've been feeling disturbances like it in the Throne World."
"First the relic, now this," Ikora said. "It can't be a coincidence."
"The Darkness has long since been observed to have sway over the mental," Eris mused. "It draws from our thoughts, our memories, and our emotions. The Lunar Pyramid tormented us, while the Europan Pyramid sought to control us. The relic here allows us to peel back the layers of memory and reveal what lurks beneath. If I may, Ikora." Eris gestured to Sagira's shell and, with some hesitation, Ikora nodded. Eris secured Sagira's shell and descended into the relics chamber to consult what secrets it may hide. While she did, the Guardians continued their debriefing, spending the next few minutes describing what they had seen.
"Savathûn mentioned something," Royal said. "Or someone. She called it the Witness and seemed very insistent on remembering it, for whatever reason."
Amity hung her head. "Great, first the Collector, now it looks like we'll have to deal with something calling itself 'the Witness'. I'm detecting a theme. Do you think this Witness character could be connected to how Savathûn stole the Light?"
"We need more information before we reach any conclusions," Ikora said. "Eris will come through. She always does." As though she had been beckoned by the Warlock Vanguard's words, Eris emerged from the buried hallway, still carrying Sagira's shell.
"The relic was unresponsive," the Lightless woman said. "But in its silence, it revealed much. The relic draws shape from memory while we seek to draw memory from shape."
"So much for our lead," Luz muttered. Eris shook her head.
"On the contrary, I believe I know where to go. The Pyramid on Europa may yet be our best option. Guardians have stolen knowledge from it once before. Now, we must do so again."
"Then we shall," Ikora said. "Guardians, seek entrance to the Europan Pyramid. Find out what secrets Sagira holds."
"Getting in there could be difficult," Luz said. "Fortunately, we know someone who happens to be an expert on the Europan Pyramid." She gave Royal a pointed, knowing look. The Exo hesitated for a second before nodding.
"I'll call Elisabeth and let her know we're coming. With luck, she'll be able to help us out."
Ikora nodded before turning back to the Hidden agents. "Augustus, accompany them. If you find anything else of interest, mark it for retrieval."
"Yes, ma'am," the Witch said. "I'll keep an eye out."
"You have your mission, Guardians," Ikora said. "I'll stay here and coordinate with Fynch to weaken Savathûn's forces. Don't let me keep you waiting." The Guardians bid their farewell and prepared to move out. With any luck, this would be a relatively painless mission.
The arctic winds tore over the glaciers of Europa, silencing all cries with its shrill howl. A small Cabal patrol pushed through the frigid conditions, leaving a trail of prints behind them in the snow that were swiftly swept away. The Centurion in charge barked at his soldiers, ordering them to keep pace. The Legionnaires redoubled their efforts without complaint, pushing through the storm. As they walked, they failed to notice a small mound of snow rustle near them. A pair of icy blue optics watched them move as tiny crystals began to take shape.
This squad was one of dozens ordered by Valus Dralgur to scout the perimeter of the Pyramid. The majority of their army was storming the Pyramid's interior, scavenging for any useful supplies. The Centurion grumbled internally, how he wished to be part of a scavenging team, securing relics and glory. But orders were orders, whether he liked them or not.
The Centurion glanced back at his troops as they continued their march. He pushed his boredom aside; this assignment was essential to the success of the Valus's operations, even if it was without glory. He took a moment to observe the Pyramid itself, watching as Cabal dropships landed around it. Pride swelled in his chest at the sight of this Cabal strength. Here they were, invading and subjugating one of the enigmatic and powerful Pyramids. Despite everything that had happened, the Red Legion still stood firm.
The Centurion ended his ruminations and turned back to his troops. His eyes quickly narrowed when he saw nothing but an endless sheet of white with no Cabal in sight. He instantly brought his weapon up and barked out an order. When no response came, he took a few cautious steps forward.
The Centurion stopped as his foot hit a massive clump of snow and sleet. He looked down and barked in surprise when he saw the body of one of his soldiers. Their throat had been cut open, and their body was already being buried by the storm. Preparing to sound the alarm, he opened all communication channels. Unfortunately for the Cabal, he was already too late. There was a flash of sapphire as a kama of pure ice cut through his neck. The Centurion twitched before his head rolled off his shoulders, and his body collapsed to the ground.
Elisabeth watched the Centurion fall and let her blade vanish. Reaching over her shoulder, she pulled her rifle off her back and approached the cliff edge. The next patrol wouldn't be anywhere near her for another five minutes, giving her enough time to look.
She went prone on the edge of the cliff and peered through the digital scope of her pulse rifle. She paid particularly close attention to a cluster of anti-air emplacements, watching as they scanned the skies. Cabal had been swarming the Pyramid ever since the return of Mars. For what purpose, she could only speculate.
Elisabeth looked up as a few Guardian jumpships pierced the lower atmosphere, soaring past the Cabal fleet. Despite herself, a smile tore at the corner of her mouth. Her radio battled with static as the storm sought to silence her connection. "Elisabeth, can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear, Royal," she said. "Somehow, I knew you'd be involved in all this."
"It's been a rough few weeks," the Dawnblade replied. "We're coming around to the drop point. Stay safe down there."
Elisabeth ducked into a snowbank as a Centurion corralling a pack of Warbeasts stalked past. One Warbeast sniffed the air and turned in her direction momentarily before shaking his head and continuing with the pack. "Please, I've been doing this since before you were raised."
"Fair enough." Royal's following words were too garbled for her to easily make out, but she got the gist of the message.
"I'll see you at the drop point," she said. "Over and out." Royal confirmed and disconnected. Overhead, she saw the jumpships circle around as they pushed toward the drop point near the base of the Pyramid. Cabal anti-aircraft guns were already turning to lock onto them. Elisabeth reached into a pouch on her belt and withdrew a small remote detonator. She thumbed the button, and the Cabal base shook as the AA guns were consumed by fire. A blaring alarm rose from the base, fighting to be heard over the winds. She slung her rifle back onto her back and melted into the storm.
After a few minutes, she arrived at the Guardian's drop point. Their ships were already returning to the upper atmosphere while the Guardians spoke amongst themselves. Luz was the first to notice Elisabeth's approach, waving the woman down.
"It's about time the Vanguard sent someone," Elisabeth said. "I've been warning them about the Cabal all week." The Guardians collectively turned to face her. Royal started to raise his hand in greeting before stopping halfway through and switching to awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.
"Things have been a bit busy," Luz said. "You know how it is."
"Right." Elisabeth reached into her belt and withdrew a small holoprojector. Summoning a small table of crystal, she set the projector atop it. A holographic recreation of the Pyramid and the surrounding Cabal army appeared before them. She pointed to a spot near the edge of the Pyramid, where the Cabal had set up a small outpost. "This is one of the access points the Cabal are using to infiltrate the Pyramid. That's going to be your best bet for getting inside."
"Looks well defended," Royal noted. "Armored support. Platoons of infantry. Breaking in will be hard, and time is of the essence."
"You think it's time for a stealth mission?" Gus asked, pulling a smoke bomb off his belt. Royal shook his head.
"Too many variables. I'm thinking… something else."
"Well, don't keep us waiting," Amity said.
"Elisabeth, you've been monitoring the Cabal this whole time, yes?" Royal asked. The Exo woman nodded in response. "You also mentioned that this is just one of their access points?"
"A smaller one," Elisabeth said, starting to catch on. "The main one is over here." She pointed to a spot near the back of the Pyramid, where a substantially larger Cabal base was waiting.
"All warfare is based on deception," Royal said. "Elisabeth, you and I will mount an assault on the main entrance and draw the Cabal away. With luck, our real team will be able to slip inside." He gestured to the other three Guardians as he spoke.
"I can whip up some illusions to help sow some chaos," Gus said. "But they'll be temporary and won't be able to do much but eat bullets."
"That would be perfect," Royal said. "We'll buy you as much time as we can to get in and extract whatever information you can."
"So we have to try and sneak through a Pyramid ship filled with who knows what while you get to play hide and seek out here?" Luz asked with a smirk. "That doesn't seem very fair."
"Well, consider that the ones seeking us have flamethrowers and tank divisions," Royal replied. Luz gave a soft laugh and nodded.
"Then in that case, we have our plan," she said, closely staring at the hologram. "We know what to do. Good luck, everyone." The group nodded and began to disperse. Luz quickly pulled Elisabeth aside.
"Hey, real quick, try to keep an eye on Royal," she said quietly, trying to keep her words hushed while still being audible over the storm. "The last few weeks have been rough on him, and the presence of the Cabal isn't helping. I'm worried about him." Elisabeth cast a glance over her shoulder, watching the Warlock as he looked over his weapons while waiting for her.
"I see," Elisabeth said. "I'll be watchful; you have my word." Luz gave a grateful nod before departing, leaving Elisabeth to turn and join Royal.
"You know the way," he said, holstering his scout rifle and mounting his sparrow. "You lead, I'll follow." She summoned her own and gunned her engine. The sparrow roared, and she took off, kicking up a cloud of snow in her wake. Royal wasn't far behind, staying slightly to her left to avoid being blinded by her wake.
The path to the Pyramid wasn't long, but it was winding. They soared over flat sheets of ice, through narrow tunnels, and past ruins of the Golden Age reclaimed by the frost and time. Eventually, they entered a narrow canyon. Above were Cabal Threshers, ships that would harry them if they were above ground. Down here, they would be virtually undetectable.
Despite that advantage, the canyon was treacherous. The remnants of an old space elevator were draped over the canyon, littering the ground with debris they had to weave around. As they approached a sharp turn, Elisabeth ramped off an old panel. The stabilizing fins on her ride adjusted in midair, and her sparrow was already turning by the time she hit the ground. Royal elected for a less sophisticated approach. He set his hand ablaze and plunged his fist into the icy ground. It evaporated at his touch, allowing him to dig his fingers in and pivot.
With the turn out of the way, they arrived at the canyon's end. Elisabeth immediately swung to a stop, smoothly dismounting and letting her sparrow fade away before crouching at the edge of a small cliff overlooking the Cabal base. Royal slid to a halt beside her, similarly dismounting. He knelt beside her, passing his gaze over the base.
"Whatever the Cabal are here for, they really want it," he said. "A force this size should've been easily noticed by the Vanguard."
"Well, let's not pretend that you haven't had your hands full," Elisabeth replied, drawing her rifle and using the scope to pan over the small fortress. "Do you see that over there?" She pointed to a spot in the rear corner of the base. Royal drew his own rifle and took a look.
"A fuel depot," he said. "Good find. One well-placed Nova Bomb and that whole place will go up in flames." He began charging void energy into his arm, only for Elisabeth to set a hand on his shoulder to dissuade him.
"The base is shielded from outside attack," she said, pointing to another spot across the base. Royal followed her gesture and took note of the entrance. "We'd have to get inside first. Don't suppose you have a plan for that, do you?"
Royal gave Elisabeth a small, mischievous grin. "I think I might walk straight through the front door."
True to his words, Royal did have every intention of walking straight into the base and laying waste to the Cabal forces. He confidently strode through the sleet and hail, approaching the open gate. The alarm sounded as he advanced, summoning hundreds of Cabal to the barricades and more to guard the entrance. They leveled their weapons on him as turrets spun up and a few tanks rolled out. The storm was increasing by now, blurring everything within it. A few Guardians crafted from Gus's illusory magic appeared from the winds, holding a variety of immaterial weapons.
A Val—roughly the Cabal equivalent of a captain—strode onto the walls. Massive crests of feathers and fur sprouted from his back, perfectly framing the steaming engine of his jump pack. A sidearm was magnetically fastened to his thigh, though it would be closer to a rifle in Human hands. A machete almost as tall as Royal was clasped to his belt, the edge sharp and eager.
"Guardians!" Val Kou'ruk shouted, his voice aided by the speakers in his helmet to be heard over the winds. "You are outnumbered and outgunned! Lay down your arms and surrender to the might of Valus Dralgur." Royal didn't verbally respond, but the fire creeping up his body was all the answer the Cabal needed. The illusion's lack of surrender didn't hurt in that regard. Val Kou'ruk gave a short bark of laughter. "A warrior's death then. Well met, Guardians! Fight hard! Die well!"
"Finally," Royal muttered, cracking the joint in his neck. "Wrongs made right."
The Cabal opened fire, bombarding Royal's position with gunfire and explosives. Thousands of casings hit the thick powdered snow as the turrets spat lead, sleet cooling their barrels. The cannons on the tanks sang as their payloads soared toward Royal. The illusions died as they drew fire away, allowing the Warlock to surge forward in a burst of flame. He leaped over a shell as it burst, shattering the ground beneath him. He landed on the nearest tank and immediately dug his burning fingers in. The thick metal plating boiled in his hands, melting away and allowing him to tear the tank open. He dove inside the tank and set upon its crew. The other tanks turned their cannons on their compromised fellow and began bombarding it with shells and missiles.
After a few seconds of concentrated fire, the tank's engine began to fail. It glowed like a nuclear blast, shining through the heavy armor. The tank exploded, flinging fire and shrapnel in every direction. Shards of twisted metal scoured the crimson paint of the walls while the Legionnaires took cover. Val Kou'ruk watched impatiently, his hand tightly gripping the hilt of his cleaver. One particularly bright ball of flame shot upward, stretching into the sky like a lance. The flames curled into large wings around Royal. The Cabal opened fire on the flying Warlock once more, filling the air with so many explosive bolts that it was hard to see through the rain of blazing metal.
Royal dashed toward the ground, falling like the setting sun. Bolts exploded against his armor, yet he pushed through them. He hit the ice with the force of a meteor. The heat radiating off him instantly melted the ice, turning it into water that was, in turn, boiled and evaporated. A massive cloud of steam erupted from Royal's impact, obscuring the battlefield with a thick screen of vaporized water. The heat sensors on the Cabal turrets went haywire from the rapid temperature change while the Legionnaires held their fire. The soldiers on the ground cautiously stepped forward, scanning the sheet of blinding white in front of them.
A flash of purple and the sound of a loud explosion reached the Cabal. The next thing to reach them was one of their tanks that had been launched through the air. Its metal was singed with Void energy as it crashed through the Cabal ranks, crushing them into a bloody paste. There was another explosion, this time closer. A second tank was sent through the air, slamming into the wall of the base. The metal groaned as it bent inwards, buckling beneath the tank and giving way. The tank crashed to the ground, leaving a large gash in the defenses. Royal continued warping between Cabal squads, atomizing them with blasts of abyssal power.
"Send in the Gladiators!" Val Kou'ruk shouted. "Whoever cleaves the Guardian first receives double rations for the next month!" He drew his own blade and leaped off the walls with a little aid from his jump pack. Gladiators wielding twin cleavers rushed into the cloud of steam as it started to cool down. Royal drew Lament as the first Gladiator reached him. He dodged as the Gladiator brought both cleavers down in an overhead slash. Lament's teeth dug into the back of the Gladiator's knee and tore through armor and flesh as though it were nothing more than a snowbank.
Royal immediately brought his sword back up, blocking a strike from another Gladiator. He dashed back, leaving a trail of fire behind him. His hand cannon snapped up, and he fired a round directly through the lenses on the Gladiator's helmet. His feet were a blur as he wove through the Gladiators, dodging slashes and jabs. Lament rumbled as it tore them limb from limb.
While Royal was drawing the attention of the Cabal, Elisabeth crept along the outskirts of the wall. She watched him work as she crept under the eye of those still manning the walls. She deftly clambered through the hole Royal had so generously provided for her.
She rolled as she hit the ground, drawing her rifle and bringing it to her shoulder. The inside of the base was largely empty as most of its occupants were trying and failing to kill Royal. Keeping her rifle clutched tightly, she began to creep forward. A few dormant dropships were grounded, and she quickly fixed them with a few explosives. Statues carved from onyx, malachite, and marble that had been looted from the Pyramid lay nearby in organized piles. Elisabeth could feel the Darkness leaking from the things but elected to ignore them.
A sudden bark in the throaty Cabal language sent her behind the body of an Interceptor. A small platoon of Legionnaires led by a thick-armored Colossus rushed past the skimmer vehicle on their way to reinforce their brothers. Elisabeth narrowed her optics as they moved past her. The Colossus gave an order to a Cabal with a white stripe on his helmet—likely an honored sergeant. The Legionnaire holstered his weapon and doubled back, approaching the Interceptor Elisabeth was using as cover. Stifling a curse, she summoned a dagger of ice and waited.
Once the Legionnaire was in range, she whipped out of cover and threw her dagger into his throat. The frosted weapon buried itself in the Legionnaire, and he died without so much a croak. Unfortunately, the rest of the platoon was now alert.
Elisabeth brought her rifle up and fired a burst into the platoon, not caring who she hit. She ducked back behind cover as the Cabal returned fire. The Interceptor buckled as the Cabal weapons tore it apart. Slamming her palm into the ground, she raised a wall of crystals between herself and the Cabal. The Colossus barked another order, and the Cabal began to fan out, moving to encircle her. Elisabeth didn't give them a chance, leaping over the wall and flinging a pair of shuriken into the Cabal. They bounced through the ranks, ricocheting from alien to alien.
Before she hit the ground, she vanished in a flash of white energy. She reappeared behind the Cabal, firing into their backs and cutting them down. They swung to face her, only for Elisabeth to vanish once more. She reappeared atop a dropship and opened fire. The Colossus brought his powered slug thrower to bear and squeezed the trigger, spraying a barrage of bullets at her. Elisabeth let herself fall backward, rolling off the side of the ship and landing behind it. The Colossus clenched his fist, firing a swarm of missiles at the dropship's landing gear. They burst, rattling the ship and knocking out its supports. The dropship titled, falling atop Elisabeth.
The Colossus watched the ship fall with a resounding crash and stomped around it. His few surviving soldiers accompanied him, fanning out to encircle the ship. Rounding the corner, the Colossus immediately opened fire, not wanting to be caught off guard. The bullets hit the snow with a muffled thud, burying themselves in the white sheet. The Colossus lowered the barrel of his weapon only to instantly bring it back up when one of his soldiers cried out in pain. Elisabeth vanished in another flash of wispy energy as one of the few remaining Legionnaires fell to the ground, a kama buried in his skull.
The Colossus swung his head wildly, trying his best to blast Elisabeth when she reappeared. Each time he was too slow. She slid under a Legionnaire, slicing through his leg to topple him before cutting through his throat and vanishing. She appeared atop a second, sending him to the ground and rolling off to drop a third with a burst from her rifle. The Colossus fired indiscriminately, cutting down some of his own soldiers as he tried to isolate the pesky Exo. Eventually, only the two of them were left.
Elisabeth appeared directly before the Colossus, kama in hand. He slammed his power slug thrower down atop her, only for Elisabeth to once again vanish milliseconds before contact. The Colossus tried to bring his weapon back up, but it was frozen to the ground. Elisabeth appeared before him once more. She sprinted up the barrel of his gun and delivered a flip kick directly to his chin, cracking the Colossus's helmet. Relinquishing his grip on his weapon, he stumbled back, clawing at his broken visor. Elisabeth landed and charged the Colossus. He also roared and charged, shaking the ground with his thunderous steps. He swung his fist in a wide arc, only for Elisabeth to dodge around it. A burst of freezing energy flared from the Exo, and the Colossus found himself frozen from his helmet and greaves. Elisabeth slammed her fist into the ground, releasing a shockwave that shattered the Colossus. She let out a breath as the fight ended and allowed a second to gather herself before immediately setting off toward the fuel depot.
Outside, Royal was still at work, cutting through any Cabal that dared to get too close. He moved with utter silence, save for the crackling flames that evaporated any hail that came into contact with him. The Cabal found themselves with melted weapons and singed armor, and that was only when they weren't brutally dismembered. Blood caked his armor as he tore the Cabal apart.
"I am the vengeance Ghaul created," he said, his voice inaudible to any but himself over the howling winds.
As those words left his mouth, Val Kou'ruk slammed into the ground before him. The Val's cleaver flashed, scoring a deep gouge in Royal's chest. The Warlock bit back a hiss as he staggered. Val Kou'ruk raised his sidearm and planted a shot in Royal's chest. The blast sent him flying back, with Lament knocked out of his hands. He dug his fingers into the ice to slow himself as he glared at the Val.
"In the name of the Cabal Empire, your fire shall be extinguished here!" Val Kou'ruk shouted. "And in the name of all my brothers you have slain this day, I shall string your corpse across the prow of our warship!"
"You know nothing of loss," Royal spat as he drew to his full height. "You pride yourself on your honor? Where is the honor in slaying those who cannot fight back?"
"Your people are weak," the Val responded, his voice filled with venom. "Undeserving of existence. You shall join them in oblivion." The Val charged, his jump pack spewing flame as it propelled him forward at breakneck speed. His pistol was firing as fast as he could pull the trigger, sending dozens of explosive bolts at Royal. The Warlock responded with a simple wave of his hands, raising a small shield of flame that reduced bolts to puddles of molten slag. Jumping into the air, the Val plunged his blade toward Royal's chest. The Warlock's fingers curled, and he raised his arms. A wall of fire sprouted between the two as Val Kou'ruk approached. The tip of his cleaver melted into liquid as it passed through the barrier, harmlessly dripping to the ground between Royal's feet. With his sword now little more than a half-melted chunk of dull metal, the Val landed and discarded the weapon. He tried to strike Royal with the butt of his pistol, only for the Warlock to slice through his wrist with a burning hand.
Val Kou'ruk roared with rage as he brought his good fist around. Royal summoned his Dawnblade and sliced upward, severing the arm at the shoulder. He plunged the sword into Val Kou'ruk's chest and glared into his faceplate.
"Not so mighty now, are you?" He asked, his voice little more than a mechanical growl. He reached up and tore the Val's helmet off before grabbing his face. He dug a finger into one of Kou'ruk's eyes. Thick blood leaked down his thumb as the Cabal grimaced, baring his fangs at the Guardian.
"You think yourself a hero?" The Val managed to force out, blood dripping from his mouth. "You are nothing but a butcher, like all soldiers weak enough to break."
Royal remained silent, his optics burning with fire and fury. After a moment, he spoke, "I am what I was made to be."
His hand ignited, searing the Val's flesh. Kou'ruk screamed as his skin and muscles were scorched. His face was soon charred down to the bone. His one good eye darted frantically as he tried to tear himself free of Royal's iron gaze. Eventually, his pathetic struggle ended, and Royal tossed his lifeless body to the ground.
"The Red Legion will never rise again," Royal said to the mauled body. He turned away from the body and looked over the wreckage. The Cabal had been torn apart, their tanks stranded in ruins, and their troops left to have their scattered remains buried by the snow where they would be preserved for centuries to come. The remnants of his Solar wrath still dotted the battlefield, casting deep shadows under the Pyramid while the storm tried to stifle them.
Royal took a deep breath in and let it out. "Who's next?" There was no answer aside from the whipping winds and crackling flames. Royal looked down at his hands, now burned clean of blood. Despite their internal mechanisms supposedly being able to prevent it, they were shaking.
"Why does the pain still linger?" He asked, his voice cracking. "Why has it not dulled. I made them hurt. I avenged our loss. I did my duty." His legs buckled beneath him, and the Warlock collapsed to his knees. He stared at the ice before him, his gaze hollow and his audio receptors ringing with the sounds of war. His insides were churning. He was surrounded by death, wrought by his two hands. Was this truly his duty? To inflict such suffering onto others, deserving or not? Was he no better than the Hive Lightbearers, meting out violence to those who had no chance of opposing him?
A pair of boots walked into his line of sight. He slowly forced his head up, dragging his gaze up Elisabeth's body until he was looking her in the eye. Her cloak swayed in the wind as she watched him, her gaze sorrowful. She knelt until their heads were level and reached out to remove his helmet. Royal couldn't find the strength to resist.
There was a soft hiss as Elisabeth broke the pressure seal on his helmet. His optics, usually so bright with readiness, now seemed dull. Elisabeth set his helmet aside and pulled him close, putting their foreheads together. Royal's body shuddered as he held onto her tightly. Despite the encroaching sound of incoming Cabal ships and the blistering winds, he felt his body calm a small amount. Once again, there would be no tears.
Luz pushed through the snow of the Europan storm, remembering how it had felt the last time she was on this moon. Shivering in the wind, she lit her hands on fire and tucked them under her armpits. That brought her some relief, though not enough to completely stave off the bone-chilling cold. She was starting to see why the Exo project had been located in this most desolate place.
Amity trudged beside her, snow crunching and ice cracking under her boots. She eyed the Pyramid as it dominated the horizon, too large to fit within her field of vision all at once. Thousands of minor, almost imperceptible grooves were carved into the side of the obsidian craft. A subtle orange glow rolled down the length of the vessel. The Pyramid was aware of what was happening.
The glaciers shook under the weight of a distant explosion as Gus dropped from his vantage point above them and pointed further down the narrow path. "That was our signal. The Cabal are already relocating their heavy armor. They left a skeleton crew to guard this entrance."
"Nowhere to go but forward," Luz said. "Amity, ready to go?" The Witch didn't answer, still absently staring at the Pyramid. His hands were clenched tightly around her rifle. Luz gently shook her shoulder, and Amity half-jumped in surprise.
"You good?" Gus asked.
Amity shook her head to clear her thoughts before nodding. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just… bad memories." Her hands were still tight, but she began to move forward. Luz watched her go, her brow knit with concern. Eventually, she and Gus fell in line with the Titan.
"Eris, we're making our approach," Amity said into the radio.
"Good, continue forward," Eris responded. "Guardians have stolen power from this Pyramid once before. There may yet be more to find. Luz, your ability to pierce the veil of Savathûn's lies appears to be rooted in Darkness. Find the statue at the heart of the Pyramid, strengthen your connection, and see beyond the limitations of normal sight."
"Hang on, I'm picking up a Cabal transmission on all channels," Mirage chirped. "Relaying it now."
"To the warriors of the Cabal Empire," Empress Caiatl boomed, her voice stern and commanding. "Defectors march upon the Europan Pyramid, searching for trinkets of Darkness. Their expedition is not sanctioned. Any that join them act alone. My father's obsession with the Voice in the Darkness must not infect our own ranks."
"Doesn't sound like Caiatl will mind us shooting our way in," Luz said.
"That's a relief; Royal and the Stranger have already lit them up," Gus replied. "We're coming up on them now, just over the next lip."
Sure enough, as they moved over the crest, they saw a small Cabal patrol before them. Luz's eyes followed a Legionnaire as he carried a small turret through the snow before setting it down and typing on a keypad. The turret beeped as it activated. The lights on its sensor blinked, and it began to swivel. Just beyond the patrol was a small airbase consisting of a few grounded dropships loaded with artifacts from the Pyramid and two small buildings. A few troops milled about the base. Across the outpost, a small platform jutted out over the cliff edge. A black shard made of the same material as the Pyramid lurked above the platform, at least three times her height, if not more.
"Skeleton crew is right," Luz said, drawing her hand cannon. "I'll swing left and take out those turrets."
"I'll go right," Gus said. "Sow a little chaos."
"Guess that leaves me to cut up the center," Amity said, summoning her shield. "Let's get this over with." With a small bubble of goo to aid her jump, Amity dove at the Cabal. In an instant, she was absorbing bolts with her shield. Obscuring himself with Void Light, Gus vanished, leaving Luz to charge and open fire on the turrets. She flowed like lightning as she dashed along the flank. She fried the turret's circuity before blasting them to pieces with her revolver.
Not far away, Amity was smashing her way through the Cabal lines. Her shield hummed as she backhanded a Legionnaire, sending him through a spire of ice. The Legionnaire crumpled as he hit the ground. Amity ignored him, flinging her shield into the next Cabal and slicing clean through him before bouncing to the next one. The shield ricocheted through the Cabal ranks while Amity set upon them with her gauntlets. The few that tried to withdraw and form a defensive line didn't make it far, as Gus fell upon them with his concealed blades.
The Guardians fought their way into the camp as the few remaining Cabal struggled to resist. Gus picked apart their lieutenants, and his illusions sowed confusion amongst their ranks. The last of the Cabal soldiers fell into the snow, leaving the Guardians with nothing but the storm to keep them company.
"The Cabal really are ransacking this place," Gus said, running his hand over an artifact from the Pyramid. He winced and recoiled when it snapped at him, shaking his hand to ease the sharp sting. "Ikora's gonna want to get her hands on all this." Luz nodded in agreement as she inspected a chunk of stone cleanly cut on the lower half, while the upper half was a strange mashup of curves and jagged edges.
"What do you think it's meant to be?" Luz asked. Gus set a hand on his chin as he appraised it.
"I think it's abstract."
"Guys, focus up," Amity said, interrupting their art critique. "Luz, do you feel anything from this?"
Luz took out Sagira's shell and weighed it up in her palm. The dormant Ghost dragged her palm down, psychic energy boiling in her hand. "I feel… something. But nothing I can use. We need to go inside."
"Then let's not waste any more time," Amity said. "Sooner we do this, the sooner the others can stop distracting the Cabal, and we can get out of here." There was a distinct tightness to her voice as she spoke. Luz knit her eyebrows together as the Titan moved toward the massive splinter. An aura of yellowish-orange energy permeated the air around it like a thick cloud of vacuum and stillness.
Amity hesitated for a moment before reaching out and touching the splinter. The aura around it brightened and shaped itself into a tall cylinder that stretched up to the Pyramids underbelly. Much to her panic, the lift grabbed her and dragged her upward. Luz and Gus watched as Amity was pulled into the Pyramid before sharing a look, shrugging, and following after her.
Entering the Pyramid was like crossing a threshold. A foreboding aura pervaded the air like a thick fog. Somehow, the temperature noticeably dropped despite the frigid Europan winds just outside. Said winds were now silent, as though even nature itself feared to enter the Pyramid's halls.
The three Guardians were in a small boxy room with no ceiling in sight. Some unseen source illuminated the room, allowing them to see the thin grooves in the walls and floor. A large blocky archway was the only path forward, but a Cabal energy barrier kept them out. Luz brushed her hand against the barrier, trying to feel some weakness in its structure. While she did, Gus and Amity inspected the walls.
Amity's hand passed over the lines in the wall as she sought a path to take. As she moved, the wall responded. The obsidian-like stone rippled under her touch, and the wall began to retract. It slid into itself, clipping through matter and disappearing. Amity hastily stepped back as the wall opened before her. A new hallway was revealed, with more openings appearing while others were closed off.
After a brief investigation, the three Guardians took the provided path. The Pyramid twisted in strange ways, raising platforms and opening doors as often as it didn't. Eventually, they were forced to crawl through a tight gap in the floor to progress. Upon reaching the end of the tunnel, Luz drew back to her full height and stretched. Before them was a vast pit, too large to glide across. She could see a few Cabal across the gap, moving fuel tanks while a Thresher flew overhead, easily able to maneuver within the confines of the Pyramid. A large device sat nearby, glowing with energy. It looked almost like a set of solar panels, though shaped like a radar dish.
"Eris," she said into the radio. "The Pyramid is reacting to our presence. Any clue what that means?"
"It may sense something in you," Eris said, her voice crackling with static as the signal struggled to pierce the thick walls of the Pyramid. "When I last explored the depths of these Pyramids, I felt it sense something within me too. I resented it at first. To believe it recognized in me some secret kinship…" Her voice trailed off as Gus knelt at the edge of the drop, peering into the abyss. As he did, the air began to crumple in on itself. Platforms of black stone appeared suspended in midair, hanging on nothing.
"This place is alive," Amity said, her eyes darting from corner to corner. "It's corralling us like livestock." She looked down at her shaking hand and clenched it into a fist. "We need to find that statue and get out of here."
She took off without another word, boosting across to the first platform. Gus followed without much complaint. Luz watched her go before casting another glance at the Pyramid around them. Now that Amity had mentioned it, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched.
Up ahead, Amity and Gus were already engaging the Cabal. They put up a stiff resistance, mounting walls of Phalanx shields while Warbeasts rushed the Guardians. Gus split into three copies, diverting the attention of the Warbeasts. Amity fired into the barrels, igniting the volatile fuel. The Cabal were quickly consumed by fire, with several plummeting off the platform and falling into the abyss.
"The Cabal have got quite the operation going on here," Gus said, noting the piles of relics that had been secured for transportation.
"They hope to pilfer artifacts of Darkness for their war against war herself, I assume," Eris said. "Xivu Arath destroyed their home world, and the conquerors do not take well to being conquered."
"And it seems like they're making a lot of progress on that front," Gus said, giving the strange device a quick inspection. "They're interfering with the Pyramid, jamming it somehow."
"That shouldn't be possible," Amity said. "The Pyramids are too powerful for the Cabal to overwhelm."
"Maybe not," Luz said, gliding down to the pair. "The Cabal have already deployed technology capable of suppressing and caging the Light. Who's to say they can't do the same for the Dark?" As Luz drew closer to the jammer, she felt the influence of the Pyramid recede ever so slightly. Gus summoned a knife and pried open a panel on the side. He reached within and dragged out a handful of wires before slicing through them. The jammer sparked as it died. The Pyramid responded in an instant, unfurling a bridge for them to cross.
"Eris, you said the Pyramid recognizes something in us," Luz said. "What do you think it could be?"
"I really don't want to be recognized by these things," Amity muttered as they walked across the bridge and further into the Pyramid.
"A defender," Eris said, cleanly gliding past Amity's sentiment. "A finely honed blade. A curiosity." The path continued twisting, leading them through a cramped tunnel too tight to breathe in. "It could be any of these… or none."
The tunnel ended, and they emerged onto a series of impossibly thin ledges over another bottomless drop. The Guardians were forced to cling to what little ground they had while they moved from outcropping to outcropping. While they did, Eris continued.
"Ikora, too, has asked this question, and my answer is always the same: pure speculation. I worry the ambiguity weighs on her too harshly."
"Ikora has a lot to worry about," Gus replied. "Yet she faces it all without hesitation. I envy her resolve, though not her position."
"As do I," Eris said. The Guardians reached a large platform, finally granting them some breathing room. A door slid open, beckoning them further still.
"The Pyramid definitely isn't helping us out of generosity," Amity said. "It's using us to clear out the Cabal."
"Darkness is a neutral force," Pal said, breaking his usual silence. "But the Pyramids… they have an agenda. There's a driving force behind them, one whose motives we can't hope to guess at." Amity seemed surprised by her Ghost's commentary but didn't vocalize it. Instead, she accepted his words with a nod.
Within the room ahead of them was another jammer. A few Cabal soldiers were standing guard near boxes of supplies. At the back of the room was a raised platform with a parked drop ship, where two large Cabal were speaking. The Guardians snuck forward as far as they could without alerting the Cabal and listened in.
"Valus, with all due respect, I would strongly advise a temporary withdrawal," the smaller, though not miniscule by any means, said. He wore unadorned white armor, little more than a heavier version of the standard plate. "The Lightbearers have discovered our efforts. FOB Chalice is in ruins."
"I understand your concern, Val Crenaak," the larger of the two said, setting a heavily armored gauntlet on his subordinate's shoulder. "But we cannot abandon our efforts, not yet. This Pyramid houses secrets we will need if we ever want to see our home restored. Have faith; with these treasures, we shall carve our own path." The Val nodded, and the Valus turned to the troops nearby. He raised his fist and bellowed, "FOR THE GLORY OF THE CABAL EMPIRE!"
His soldiers thrust their rifles into the air as they echoed his cry. Valus Dralgur nodded before embarking on his drop ship. The thrusters belched inky smoke as they took off, flying elsewhere in the Pyramid. Val Crenaak turned to his soldiers, reinvigorated by his superior's words.
"You heard the Valus, redouble your efforts." The Cabal responded vigorously, moving supplies and securing relics with gusto, all while the jammer hummed. Drawing Coldheart, Luz glanced at her companions. Amity hefted a rocket launcher, her posture tense. Beside her, Gus slung a scout rifle off his back and pumped the lever with a soft clack. He lined up a shot on a stack of fuel barrels and pulled the trigger.
Three Cabal were torn apart in the explosion, and a few more found themselves set ablaze. The Cabal quickly scattered, falling into defensive positions as the Guardians sprang out of cover. Val Crenaak raised his rifle and opened fire on Luz. She rolled out of the Val's line of sight and fired her beam at a nearby Legionnaire. The beam sliced through the Cabal, dropping him to the ground. Luz's eyes widened, surprised at how easily the weapon had dispatched her foe and at how still she felt after doing so.
A rocket from Amity slammed into Val Crenaak's chest. The venerated Cabal staggered as his armor deformed, absorbing most of the blow. With his pristine plate now ruined, he pressed a few buttons on his wrist. The nearby jammer began to hum, increasing its pitch. The Pyramid reacted, slowly shifting to raise walls between the Val and the Guardians. Cut off from each other, they had to fend for themselves as Cabal reinforcements poured in.
Gus slipped past a Legionnaire, flowing like shadows across a pond. His knives flashed, shining a dull glow into the oppressive Darkness of the Pyramid. Val Crenaak leaped from his perch and crashed down atop him. Gus barely rolled out of the way, leaving a smoke bomb in his place. Val Crenaak's vision was soon obscured by a thick fog. Gus's rifle sang as he lit the Val up. Most of the bullets grazed the Val's thick armor, leaving only shallow scrapes and marks. Gripping his rifle by the barrel, he swung it at the Hunter like a bat.
Gus ducked under the first swing and drove a Void knife into the Val's side. Crenaak grunted and shrugged off the pain as he brought his rifle back around, cracking it over Gus's head. The blow sent the Hunter reeling, allowing Crenaak to wrap his armored fingers around the Witches throat.
"Hey, tons of fun! Over here!"
Crenaak turned toward the source of the shout, drawing his sidearm and instantly firing. An explosive bolt flew out of the barrel of his pistol, only to be split in half by Amity's Sentinel Shield. The Void bit into Crenaak's sidearm, slicing cleanly through it. The disc barely missed his neck, instead bouncing off the ground behind him. Amity dove at the Val, striking him with a magically enhanced gauntlet. Crenaak stumbled, allowing Amity to catch her ricocheting shield. Crenaak brought his oversized gauntlets down on the Titan. Amity braced herself against the ground and caught the blow on her shield. There was a flash of indigo and a spray of viscous blood. Crenaak could only stare at what was once his right arm while Gus came in for a second slash.
Not far from the scuffle, Luz easily dispatched a pair of Psion snipers. The frail psychic aliens buckled beneath her lightning-infused fists, leaving her teammates clear. Glancing over at the brawl, she saw Crenaak swiping with a wrist blade, slowly being pushed toward the ledge.
"Amity, Gus, keep hitting him with everything you've got. Just a little further, and you'll send him right off the edge." She received a pair of flashes on her HUD, signals that let her know they had received her instructions.
Val Crenaak's wrist blade shattered against Amity's shield, giving Gus an opening to slash at his midsection with his knives. Despite his wounds, Crenaak wasn't showing any signs of stopping. His boot slammed down atop Gus's foot, instantly pulverizing the bones and pinning him to the ground. Luz reacted in an instant, firing a concentrated stream of lightning from her fingers. The ionized bolts hit Crenaak and began frying him. He roared as his body convulsed. Seeing her opening, Amity charged. Her shield took shape on her arm before she crashed into the Crenaak's chest. In his delirious state, the overwhelming force of a Titan in motion was all physics needed to do its work.
Crenaak was driven back by the sheer power behind Amity's shield bash. He easily cleared the edge of the cliff by a few meters and flew into the abyss, his armor still sparking with an electrical charge. The Val had just enough awareness about himself to fire his thrusters in an effort to arrest his descent. The jets on his armor discharged wildly, misfiring as he fell into the depths of the Pyramid until her vanished from sight.
"How long do you think he'll be falling for?" Amity asked, peering over the edge.
Gus shrugged. "Given what we know of the Pyramids, I'm not sure it'll ever let him hit the ground." Behind them, Luz tore the wiring out of the jammer, freeing the Pyramid from the Cabal's control. The construct seemed grateful—assuming that it could even feel such a thing—and provided them with a bridge up to the next level.
"Something has to control these ships," Luz muttered. She turned to the others. "Gus, what do the Hidden know about the Pyramids?"
"Nothing that isn't available to all Guardians," he replied as the three resumed their trek through the halls of the Pyramid. "Though not for lack of trying. No matter how hard we try, they refuse to forfeit their secrets."
"In her journeys beyond the Heliopause, Queen Mara Sov encountered an entity, one that she believes commands the Pyramids," Eris said with her usual ghastly intonation that sent the fingers of death itself down Luz's spine. "She said that its mind spoke louder than any other she has ever heard. A cacophony of thought. Perhaps those voices steer these ships. Guardians may have encountered such voices before: in the Black Garden, in the Pyramid on Luna, and when learning how to wield Stasis."
"When I-" Amity shot a quick glance at Luz. "-we confronted the Collector, he seemed scared. Not of us, but of something else. Something above him. Something that could hurt him."
The three entered a long hallway lined with hundreds of strange statues that seemed to stretch into infinity. Most were incomprehensible, but a few were just Humanoid enough to decipher. Their bodies were painfully contorted, bent like the Golden Age ruins of Europa. Their faces were similarly twisted, stricken with fear and pain, all captured in excruciating detail. Worst of all, the statues seemed to be moving. Their eyes tracked the Guardians as they walked down the hall, their mouths open in an eternally silent scream for help, be it salvation from their torment or a bullet through their brains.
As they continued down the lone path, Aurora beeped. "I'm picking up another Cabal transmission. It's from the Valus. He's hailing us on an open channel." Luz gave a nod, and Aurora opened the line. Static scratched at Luz's ears as the Cabal commander connected.
"Lightbearers." The Valus's words were swift, cutting through the ambient silence of the Pyramid like a glacier through the ground. Yet his tone had a strange calmness; he kept his response measured and reserved. "Your efforts have seen my operation undone. Salvaging this endeavor will cost time we can ill afford, especially with the Eater of Planets due to return to this system. If the Red Legion truly is to die this day, I shall proudly die with it. Meet me at the heart of the Pyramid. There, we shall be honored with bloodshed."
The line went dead before any of them could respond. The three shared a glance before nodding and increasing their pace down the hall. The Pyramid beckoned them upward with a lift that raised them into the center of a large room. Three Cabal jammers were dispersed among the outskirts of the room, shackling the Pyramid and forcing it to obey. At the back of the room was a massive statue of deep onyx.
The bottom of the statue vanished beneath the floor while its head scraped the ceiling of the Pyramid's interior. Its body was vaguely feminine, assuming it could even be called anything like that at all. A thick veil was draped over the body, obscuring all but the most glaring details. With the way shadows rippled across the body of the statue, it was impossible to tell if the veil was cloth or stone. Most glaring of all was the sheer weight of Darkness bleeding from the statue. The already frigid interiors of the Pyramid somehow grew colder. It felt as though the temperature was approaching absolute zero as Luz shivered. The Solar Light inside her flickered, barely fighting off being extinguished. Val Crenaak's blood, coated to Amity's chestplate, froze against her armor like ruby crystals.
"There's the statue," Gus said, eyeing the corner of the room warily. "Now, where's the Value?"
As if to answer his words, the sound of armored boots hitting the obsidian floor of the Pyramid boomed from down the hall. The Valus stomped forward, slinging a slug launcher as he strode toward them. He came alone, his entourage either deployed elsewhere or already dead. Valus Dralgur stomped into the room, meeting the Guardians stare. For a moment, the two parties were silent. Then, the Valus sighed, seeming exhausted and resigned to his fate.
"If this is how it shall end," he said, his baritone voice rumbling with weariness. "I stand for the Legion."
The barrel of his weapon snapped up, and he opened fire, spraying magnetically propelled blasts at the Guardians. They dispersed, moving to the flanks of the Valus. Their weapons sang as they sprayed the Valus with bullets. Unfortunately, their arms proved insufficient for breaking through the Valus's armor.
Shots from his slug launcher tore the stone of the Pyramid apart, driving Luz out of cover as missiles peppered the others. A blast of lightning was absorbed by Valus Dralgur's armor. He shook a little as the energy coursed through his plate but appeared ultimately unaffected. Amity flung her shield at the Valus. The disc whistled as it sliced through the air. Dralgur hissed as it bit into his shoulder, firmly lodged in his armor and skin.
Summoning a few Abominations as backup, Amity charged the Valus while Luz and Gus provided covering fire. Amity lunged at Valus Dralgur with Light in her eyes and magic in her fists. Dropping his weapon, Dralgurs hand shot out, seizing Amity by the throat and slamming her into the floor. The stone beneath the Titan was too strong to shatter. Amity's bones were not. Lightning raked his body, forcing Dralgur to raise Amity's body as a shield. Luz quickly ceased her barrage.
The Valus reared back and flung Amity at the Warlock, sending them both sprawling. The Valus quickly picked his weapon back up and turned to Gus. Much to his confusion, there were now dozens of the Hunter bearing down on him. Dralgur opened fire, tearing the nearest one in half with his slug thrower. The apparition vanished in a puff of blue fog.
"Cowering behind smoke and lies," Dralgur growled as he unloaded his weapon into the encroaching horde of illusions. "Like the rest of your kin, disgraceful and unworthy." The illusions drew close and began swiping with intangible blades. Dralgur swung his weapon like a club, cleaving through the illusions as quickly as he could. He used his bulky cannon and thick armor to shield himself from their knives, only for nothing to make contact. Every so often, the real Gus would score a savage cut, slicing through the Valus's armor. By the time Dralgur turned to address him, the Witch had already vanished back into the crowd.
Dralgur braced himself, tanking the hits as his armor was slowly peeled away. Pumping power to his leg, he drew upward. With a shout, he slammed his boot into the ground. The Pyramid seemed to shake under the sheer force of the Valus. The real Gus was sent reeling by the blow, slamming against the wall while his illusions dissipated. The Valus slammed the barrel of his weapon against Gus's chest, pinning the Hunter to the wall. The gun began to growl as he squeezed the trigger. Before it could fire, a bolt of lightning hit the weapon, sending it spiraling from the Valus's hands.
Dralgur spun just in time to receive a shield to the helmet. He staggered back as Luz stepped forward, slinging a burst of blinding lightning at the Valus. Trying to blink the pain out of his eyes, Dralgur swung his oversized fist. Amity caught the blow against her shield before wrapping her arms around Dralgurs wrist. Abominatio goo snaked around his other limb, pinning him in place. Luz leaped onto Dralgurs shoulders and gripped his helmet. Lightning flooded her hands, coursing through Dralgurs head. The Valus writhed and howled. The lenses on his helmet burst, revealing his dilated eyes that leaked thick, black blood. Smoke poured out of the Valus's armor as its wiring was fried.
Luz leaped off the Valus as he clawed at his helmet. With a booming crash, he fell to his knees. His arms went limp before he finally keeled over. Luz and Amity looked on as Gus pushed himself back up.
"Hell yeah," he said. "Take that, you oversized son of a Slitherbeast!" A loud crack emanated from his back, causing the Hunter to wince. "Whatever these Pyramids are made of, it hurts."
"We need to disable the jammers so Luz can commune with the statue," Amity said while Luz healed Gus. "Everyone grab a jammer and get to work." The three dispersed and disabled their respective jammers; Luz by overloading it, Gus by cutting its wiring, and Amity by picking it up and tearing it in half.
With the jammers now destroyed, the aura of the state somehow grew even colder. The cold hand of death itself gripped Luz's spine. Aurora was affected as well, her shell twitching erratically as orange energy seeped from the statue. Amity and Gus could only watch as the energy lifted Luz into the air. Her mouth opened in a soundless scream as dark fog poured from her eyes. Psychic energy snapped at her brain like a whip, slowly tearing away the layers of obscuration that hid the truth from her sight.
"So many voices," she managed to whisper, her own voice tearing at her throat like shards of glass. "They beckon to me."
As quickly as it had spoken, the statue fell silent. Luz dropped from the air—the intangible strings holding her now cut. Amity caught her before she hit the ground. She gently lowered Luz and pulled off her helmet. Luz was firmly unconscious, though her eyes were wrenched open. A strange energy bubbled within her retinas, filling them with amber-tinted power.
"Eris, we've communed with the Pyramid," Gus said on his radio. "Hard to tell what's changed; Luz is a bit too unconscious to fill us in. The Cabal have been scattered. We're on our way out now."
"Understood," Eris replied. "It would be wise not to overstay your welcome. With the Cabal retreating, the Pyramid will have little need of you."
"Copy that, over and out." He turned to Amity as she picked Luz up again, cradling the Warlock as though she may shatter like glass. "Come on, let's get out of here."
Amity nodded without taking her eyes off Luz. "Yeah, this place gives me the creeps anyway."
No ending bit today, I'm afraid. And maybe for the next few chapters. My well of ideas has run dry in that department. I've got a few lined up, of course, but they don't work until later on in the storyline. If you guys have any ideas, feel free to share them, and I'll see what I can do.
Completely unrelated side tangent, but Witches and Warlocks is nearing 50,000 views (ignoring the ones that are missing and still have not been restored). So yeah, that's pretty awesome. It's about 200 views out as of writing this. I am totally not trying to subtly push you to inflate my view numbers for the sake of appeasing my ego, wink wink.
Now, Echoes is dead, long live Revenant. I have a lot of complicated opinions on Echoes, but I do think Revenant will be better. The guns look cool, the story is working with familiar characters and villains, and we're getting a new Dungeon. Love me Dungeons, simple as. Shame I can't actually play it until like, 8:00 PM my time due to my class schedule. Why did I have to pick a three-hour lab on Tuesdays?
Ignoring my questionable decisions, I must bid farewell and leave you all for the next two weeks while I leave Royal in the hands of his emotional support GF.
GuardianLightTheVanguard: 1) I hope that after the Events of The Witch-Queen, Gus can help the Hexsquad and Luz Noceda in the Seasons.
2) I hope Luz Noceda and Caiatl can be friends, just like Luz and Amity are friends with Eido.
3) Amity and Caiatl have something in common, after Caiatl tells about her father, Amity tells about her mother and they both agree that they have something in common, that their parents don't care about anything other than themselves and Their Ego.
4) I hope that in Season of The Haunted, Luz's nightmare will be Eda.
5) you told me before that in this sequence of the Story You told me that you wanted to bring Royal and Lilith's Relationship and Friendship closer together, I hope that in the Season of The Haunted you put Lilith's Nightmare for Royal, so that he can face the pain , the sadness, the loss of her friend for not having stayed on the Islands and for not being able to help her and for not being there When she needed Royal and for not being able to save her and Rescue Lilith from the Claws of Savathûn.
What do you think, stop for a moment and think about it and tell me what your opinion is about Lilith being Royal's Nightmare in Season of The Haunted my friend.
6) I hope that after the Events of The Witch-Queen You will add the Quest Exotic Parasite, of Queens And Worms.
1. I imagine he'll pop up every now and then. Of the Hexsquad, my plan is to have Luz and Amity as the main focuses, with Willow being a fairly prominent side character. Gus and Hunter... exist. It's not that I dislike them, far from it. I've just already got a lot of characters to manage.
2. Like Amity said, she does have a way of sneaking into people's hearts.
3. I do intend to tackle that angle; probably come Season 17 since that will have plenty of opportunities for Caiatl to be center stage.
4. Do consider that, at this point in her life, Luz doesn't have any memory of Eda herself. She only has Royal's and Amity's testimonies to go off of. Honestly, I don't believe she'd have a specific Nightmare. I have a few different ideas that I'm batting around for her Nightmare. I haven't committed to anything specific, though.
5. Lilith as Royal's Nightmare is honestly an awesome idea... that I probably won't do. I have something else planned in regards to Royal's feelings about Lilith that will be unfurling much, much sooner. Royal's Nightmare will be Outcast, because of course it will be.
6. I believe I've said that I plan too. I don't want to pass up the opportunity to write the Worm. Such a funny little goober.
BlueRoseLevi: As always, great chapter
I still find Royal getting elbowed to shut up hilarious
Royal's anger towards the Cabal is great, we rarely got to see perspectives on our alliance with them negatively outside Saladin being well Saladin
Fynch, the only Hive Ghost I don't want to crush, nice to see his debut
Damn Pal, you know you're in the wrong when Amity of all characters has a good point
Trimming the fluff to these missions was nice
And lastly, LOVED that gravity of all things was involved in killing the big Scorn
Looking forward to next chapter
Royal is like that racist uncle, except he's also an army vet who you can't bring to fireworks shows. Aand is the president of the Amity Hate Club... agreeing with Amity? These truly are strange times. And man, these missions have so much fucking filler. It's great for gameplay, but writing "They shot the bad guys and moved to the next room" fifteen times a mission gets old. I believe I told you about how I took a fucking claymore to the Mirror with how much I sliced away.
Elthreee: Hell yeah, the GOAT Fynch is finally here. One of the characters in the game that I've been furious we don't have more content of.
This was a joy to read, I like how you gave Brutiks something to say, makes him feel more "alive" rather than just an bulletsponge that needs to die to progress. Hopefully Pal and Amity can make up sometime in the future. Can't wait to see what you do for the Communion, one of my favorite missions across all the campaigns. Keep em comin'!
THAT'S WHY HE'S THE MVP! THAT'S WHY HE'S THE GOAT! THE GOAT!
Yeah, love Fynch. Sucks that he never does anything helpful after Witch Queen. Injecting some more personality into the mission bosses is an opportunity I want to capitalize on. You saw it with Brutiks, and now you have it with Val Crenaak (Imperial Deserter) and Valus Drolgur.
hornig3: Man I was so sure Royal was going to crush Fynch the moment he saw him. Sad to see I was right about Aurora's treatment of him. Amd now they have hears the name of their greatest enemy. Time will tell if she will be as forgiving as her guardian. Also will you show any hint of the Dissenter on Europa? Like a whisper only Luz hears and it encourages her to fight but from where she hears it from she can't tell if it's talking about their true enemy or just fight everyone. Would be an interesting interaction since she would be open to listen and Royal DEFINITELY would not.
I know I like to kinda flanderize Royal a bit, but he is capable of controlling himself and hearing reason. As for the voices of the Deserters, I had to do some digging. The statues are not inherently prisons for the Deserters, though they can be. Rather, they are conduits for the Witness to exert its influence. The reason the Deserters were communicating with us so directly during the Final Shape campaign was that the Witness was preoccupied with trying to control the Traveler, leaving it unable to focus on its disparate elements.
GodzillaMaster: Honestly, that part with Caiatl bugged me. Those Cabal were wearing Red Legion armor, that made me think they were some leftovers that didn't get cleared out
And wow, Pal is a bit of an ass, isn't he?
From my understanding, it's a point of pride. The Cabal still view the Red Legion as mighty and honorable warriors. I mean, Caiatl still looks up to and respects Ghaul, so it does make some sense that she would allow Red Legionnaires to bear their colors. A heads up from her would've been nice, though.
Also, yes, he is.
Unity123: Wow, that is long. I'll be honest, I don't know that I'm interested in branching out to other stories at the moment. I've tried it, and it just didn't click with my workflow. I'd rather get entirely enveloped by one thing and focus on that until it's done. Though I have been tackling some original work when I just really don't have any motivation for this story.