Orion is glad that some sort of normalcy had finally returned to his life.
He had come face to face with an Ahamkara and survived it.
He is glad to be alive and breathing, joyful at the prospect of living a normal life. Or at least a life as normal as a Lightbearer can live.
Yet, despite his joy trying desperately to let his heart soar, it's dragged down by an overwhelming sense of fear, of anxiety.
Orion's name, his identity, is that of an Ahamkara; It is supposedly imbued with its power. Orion had made a bargain but both he and the Dragon he had bargained with seemingly did not know what effects it will cause. He felt no different. Not stronger- 'nor faster, more powerful or any less weak. All he fears is of what will become of him, what Destiny is to await him.
Soon after arriving back to the City, Sera's hunting party had disbanded to recoup after a successful hunt, to cash in bounties and contracts. To obtain glittering rewards and currencies.
After a day and a half of rest and pay, the Starlit Aegis and the other members of Sera's hunting party had all decided to celebrate their hunt of Orion, the Dragon, with a sumptuous banquet.
It was amazing. The various members who had answered Sera's hunting call had each bought and brought food with which to celebrate with. There was roasted chicken and fragrant meat pies and fruits of all kind. It wasn't too spectacular, there was no carcass to be roasted or any mythical fruits like the so-called 'pine-apple' but it was hearty and joyous without end.
However, Orion and Caravel were unable to properly celebrate. They were the only ones who knew what had really occurred in the Dragon's Lair. The only ones who knew what Orion had done to himself taking that beast's name as his own.
Orion is anxious at both his name and the consequences of that name. Caravel is supportive and uncomfortably accommodating.
They were awkward for almost the entire party's duration, keeping mostly to themselves as the rest of the hunting party celebrated and enjoyed themselves. Most drank alcohol and smoked, pushing their immortal bodies to their limits for their own pleasure, not bothering with the two New Lights who were more than traumatized by the events of the Hunt.
Only Mithra and Sera really cared.
Mazdam was somewhat relieved to finally not have to take care of Caravel now that Sera had finally reunited with them so he went to smoke with the other hunters.
Mithra and Sera fetched food for their respective wards, keeping them both company like mother birds to their children. It didn't matter to them that they were silent and contemplative. They knew the violent encounter with the Ahamkara and their first deaths had left them reeling so they didn't need to ask so much about their state mind.
Despite this, Mithra began sensing something off with her New Light. She wanted to help him, to ease him of the trauma he, no doubt, had faced in the Ahamkara's grasp. However, he was less than accommodating to her, stalling to let someone, frequently Caravel, take his attention so he didn't have to answer.
It wasn't until the celebration died down, with most of the party members outside and Caravel upstairs taking a shower, did Mithra attempt to pry more out of her New Light.
Orion was washing dishes. It wasn't something he needed to do. If anything he was supposed to be upstairs waiting for Caravel to finish washing herself so he could do the same and ultimately fall asleep. but he couldn't wait, wanting to distract himself and prevent his mind from wandering back to the Ahamkara he was named after.
"Did you eat well?" Mithra smiled as she disturbed Orion washing the dishes, looking over at her New Light as he rinsed off a cleaned plate.
"Yeah.. I did... Pork was a little burnt though..." Orion smiles back tightly, not eager to speak to her.
"You can blame Fairy for that... Sometimes whenever she cooks, she lets her fire get out of control... says it gives the meat more flavor."
Orion laughs uneasily, setting the plate to dry on a towel before he dries his own hands. He had thankfully finished the last plate and now he was free to finally go up and be done with the day.
"You forgot a fork..." Mithra's voice suddenly cuts thoughts like a hot blade through butter, causing him to hesitate and turn back.
"I did... ah..." Orion felt sweat beginning to pool against his forehead as he turns back towards the sink.
Mithra steps in front of him, preventing him getting near the sink. It turns out there were no utensils needed to be washed.
"Little Light... is something wrong?" Mithra's calming words makes Orion tense up, tempting him to open up. Mithra's eyes narrow slightly with concern.
"Are... are you okay?" Mithra's eyes relax from the concerned glare but the blue within flashes with concern still. Blue eyes stare into blue eyes as she tries to search for any feeling to relate to, anything to make sense of the fear and anxiety she can detect welling in her New Light's psyche.
"I- I'm fine... Mithra..."
"Really?" Mithra asks, tilting her head quizzically, outstretching an arm to gently caress his face as she analyzes him.
"I'm... fine...-"
"Hoy! Lindo!"
Mithra closes her eyes in frustration as Caravel's voice rings out from upstairs, releasing her hands from her New Light's face as he turns around to assist Caravel with whatever she needed.
Without turning 'round to look back at Mithra, Orion hastily climbs up the stairs. What he doesn't notice is Mithra's concerned glare digging into the back of his head.
Caravel didn't bring a towel with her to the shower. She had been too hasty, eager to wash off the gunk accrued over the hunt with the Ahamkara. She knew that due to her armor and skinsuit, there was no actual gunk, but her very own filth to be taken care of.
Muhlif chastised her, berating her for being too hasty. Caravel brushed him aside as she called out from behind the bathroom door.
To her delight, Orion's figure came out of the well lit stairwell and walked over to the door where only Caravel's face peeped from the small gap she allowed it to have, her hair wet and plastered all over her face.
"Can you give me a towel?" Caravel smiled guiltily, her eyes shining purple behind her brown strands.
"I didn't think you'd be so careless..." Orion teases, thankful that she, knowingly or unknowingly, got him out of a prying conversation with Mithra.
"That's what I thought too! Seems like we're on the same page Ori-" Muhlif's teasing voice is cut off by Caravel who holds her Ghost in a crushing grip to silence it.
Orion stares deathly afraid at Caravel, who looks over apologetically. She chuckles nervously swerving the door to close the gap ever so slightly in embarrassment. Orion grimaces before moving to a small stack of drawers opposite the shower's entrance.
"I also didn't think you'd be so disorganized..." Orion whispers, not intending to be heard.
"I know where everything is at least!-" Caravel whisper-shouts from beyond the door. "Second to the bottom... on the left..."
Orion picks out a purple towel from the disorganized container before moving back over to the bathroom to give it to Caravel. As Orion prepared to leave, Caravel grabs his arm and makes him lean closer.
"Hey... if you need help getting unstuck... just let me know... alright?" Caravel whispers into his ear.
"Is that why you did this?" Orion turns serious whispering back.
"No... I really did need a towel... but I heard a little bit of what Mithra said down there and... I thought you needed some help..."
"Well... thank you, Cara..." Orion pulls back away.
"Sem problemas... wait here... I'm almost done, you can use it after I get out..."
Caravel closes the door. The sound of rustling fabric can be heard on the other side.
Her New Light did not come down after Caravel had called him up.
Mithra had sensed something had changed within him. Though small changes in behavior and mannerisms that stemmed from trauma are commonplace, but the behavior her New Light was posing to him wasn't making any sort of sense to Mithra.
"What do you think, Solomon... What happened to my New Light?" Mithra asks, staring up at the stairwell.
Suleyman, who was sitting on the couch in the farm house's living room, grumbles as he opens his eyes from his meditation session. His eyes flashing a venomous purple before he speaks up .
"I think it's obvious, Yazata, what had happened... The Ahamkara must have done something to him... Whether or not the same thing happened to Sera's Mouse is to be seen..."
Suleyman looks towards Mithra, undoing his cross-legged posture, stretching his back before fully reclining on the couch.
"He may have struck a bargain... but I doubt that... Bargains struck are usually quite drastic for New Lights... so I hesitate to call it such..."
"Then what do you suppose happened to him... or both of them for that matter..."
"To be honest, Yazad, I do not know... Perhaps he did take a bargain... perhaps he stole something cursed or with great value and the guilt is catching up... I'm not psychic..."
"I'm just... worried..."
"Everything will be alright... if nothing has happened yet, why stress over it? Let the Little Light shine a little more..."
Mithra grumbles, turning away from the stairwell to look at Suleyman reclining on the living room couch.
"You're certain you can't detect anything?" Mithra still presses.
"Nothing out of the ordinary in terms of his power... Space still abides to what little will-power the New Light has... for both of them... In fact I'd say Sera's Mouse has a smidge more will-power than yours..."
"Okay... maybe it's nothing... then..."
"Mmm... If you're so paranoid ask Sraosha to scan him... I have no doubt he'll give the same assertion as I just did..."
Mithra's Ghost, Sraosha, appears beside Mithra. His shell twirling before he speaks.
"i haven't sensed a thing coming from him. If the Ahamkara changed something it couldn't be big... maybe you are overreacting."
"Fine... Maybe I am..." Mithra relents hesitantly.
Suleyman moves aside to make space, gently patting the cushions of the couch he's sitting on, gently urging Mithra to sit.
Mithra dejectedly takes his offering, sitting beside Suleyman and resting her back.
Suleyman relaxes as he speaks. "The two New Lights are long overdue to properly register within the Vanguard... Come into being, as some may put... You and Sera ought to take them to the Eastern Tower and see the Speaker."
"We've already planned for that... We'll head out just before noon tomorrow... I just wonder how they'll fare under... their watch." Mithra replies, letting her head rest against the couch's cushions.
Suleyman hums satisfied, following Mithra's example and relaxing his head, reclining back against the couch.
"Do you need assistance sorting the valuables?" Suleyman suddenly but quietly murmurs.
Mithra turns to her right, at the relaxed Voidwalker beside her. Suleyman never seemed like the type to help out so Mithra was shocked at the offer.
"No... Sera and I have it sorted out... we'll be fine... Thank you, Solomon.."
Suleyman smiles at the name Mithra chooses to call him. It was merely a variation, but it comforts Suleyman to know Sera works with people who are so studious as to know the differences and similarities of Old Earth Culture, even if he himself did not fully understand.
"You're the only one who calls me that, you know? I quite like it... better than Sera calling me Suley like I'm some children's cartoon protagonist..."
"Iran was a gift in many ways..." Mithra smiles, chuckling as she turns her head back straight to relax properly once more.
Suleyman chuckles to himself. "Old Libraries in the East? I'm impressed... You have to tell me more about what you found there next time we meet..."
"Why not now... It's not like we're doing anything..."
"That's precisely why... Why strain your mouth when you can simply... relax..."
"You're confusing, Solomon..."
"I like to work when there's a job to be done... when there is none I like to do as little as possible."
"I see..."
The two Warlocks' conversation dies down alongside the conversations outside. The sound of rustling and thumping upstairs tells Mithra that the New Lights are still awake. Mithra wants to talk to her New Light and properly help him with... whatever he's going through, but the gnawing instinct of the Ghost chastising her, inside her very own head, stops that thought in its tracks.
The pair sit relaxed, a dozen minutes passing uneventfully, sitting on the couch, their heads facing up at the wooden beams of the ceiling.
Suleyman suddenly stirs, stretching is upper body before standing up.
"Well... it's getting late... I'm going to the core... heard Devils are running amuck in Brasilia... Bounties ought to be plenty... you all have fun."
"Goodnight, Solomon..." Mithra stirs similarly, facing Suleyman as he stands.
Suleyman hums, saying a quiet goodbye before he leaves out the front door.
Mithra hears Suleyman say his goodbyes outside to the rest of Aegis and hunters before the familiar whir of a Sparrow's engine could be heard. Suleyman, now, has properly departed.
Left alone with only Sraosha and her thoughts, Mithra thinks back to the Day ahead. Her New Light and Sera's will formally become Guardians of the Last Safe City.
He has a lot left to learn- both of them, have a lot left to learn and Mithra knows she, herself, is woefully underequipped in comparison to the Agents and Operatives of the Vanguard.
The two have potential. Energy which can change everything if only they were given the chance.
Their flaws are many, but Mithra and Sera believe that they can turn those jagged edges into a blade worth wielding.
"Fuck..."
Mithra curses to herself. Cursing the fact that she would not be the one to guide her New Light from then on out. Only the logical gaze of whoever was assigned to guide him. Such is the way of the Warlock as precedented by Osiris himself when he took Ikora Rey. She laments at the thought that her New Light would not experience the joys she had under her own masters. The memory of her past decades causes the stinging sensation of tears to appear in Mithra's eyes, the pain of their loss still prevalent even after four years since their deaths at the hands of those Scavengers.
Time is ticking faster and faster. If this was how her New Lights are to grow, so be it.
Mithra grows ever resolute. If not for her and her friends, then for the New Light she has reared up to the state that he is in now. A brush revealing the outline of a fossil of potential.
Orion looks over at the stairwell, deciding whether or not to face Mithra again. He decides against it as he hears Mithra converse with Suleyman, no doubt talking about him. His heart is at its limit.
Thankfully, it wasn't long after the two senior Warlocks began talking downstairs did Caravel come out of the shower, her hair in a hand steaming with solar energy, her body covered with a simple shirt and trousers. The towel Orion had given to her hanging about her shoulders.
"All yours..." She gently pats Orion's shoulder as she heads to the mattresses and blankets strewn all over the main body of the upper room, no doubt ready to shut her eyes as soon as her hair finishes drying.
Orion picks out a few comfortable pieces of clothing before getting in the shower, stripping his clothes from his body and tossing them into the, thankfully, dry sink before he turns on the water.
It was already at a soothingly warm temperature from when Caravel had used it prior to him. He buries his face into his hands as the water combs him over. His Ghost appears beside him, chirping as it thinks of what to say.
"What will happen... Ghost... if they learn my name is from an Ahamkara?"
"Oh.. well... it's not like they even know the Ahamkara had a name... Maybe only Suleyman, Mithra... and Sera really know..."
"What about the others? if they know, what are the chances they report it to someone who does?"
"... high... They are very talkative..."
Orion sobs slightly before taking a deep breath. He looks up, letting the water wash over his face. Looking back down, he asks another question.
"What will happen then, when they learn my name is of an Ahamkara..."
"You'll probably be reprimanded... Ahamkara Bargains have a track record of being... less than unsatisfactory. They'll probably grow very... very suspicious of you..."
"Then what?"
"They might let you go... kick you out... maybe kill you and I for good measure, but they're much too good for that..."
Orion sighs as he mulls over the consequences.
"So should I tell them? For their safety?"
"Maybe... give it a few days? See what effects the name gives you if any... But I don't think stressing too much over it is that necessary..."
"Maybe it isn't... But..."
Orion closes his eyes. He knows deep down that the Ahamkara's name is probably just that, but the words ringing in his head does not do him any favors.
"Oh Bearer Mine"
"What was that?" Orion's Ghost questions, floating up against Orion's face, her triangular sides brushing up against his cheek.
"That's what the Ahamkara called me.."
"Yeah... that's typical Ahamkara speech patterns from what I gathered from my time around here... I think it's best not to worry about it now."
Orion tries to calm himself. He grabs a bar of soap, the only one that didn't look foamy and recently used, before actually scrubbing himself down, trying to distract himself from his fears.
Orion was in there for a fair amount of time, long enough for his fingers to go wrinkled from the water, before shutting the water and drying himself. He dresses in the simple shirt and trousers he had picked out.
Leaving the bathroom, as refreshed as he could be, he looks over at Caravel who was lounging on a stack of pillows, a blanket draped over her body. her hair long since dried.
"About time... You alright?" Caravel looks over, moving to lay on her side as Orion sits beside her.
"Yes... I think..." Orion whispers.
Snaking a hand over his back, Caravel pulls herself up to gently hug Orion, whispering into his ear. "Go to sleep. You'll feel better when you wake up...".
"Will I?" Orion questions, gently returning the hug.
"Hopefully.. much better than you are now... Just... let it all out..." Caravel whispers affectionately.
Their embrace is warm and sweet.
"Thank you, Caravel..."
"It's alright... The past few hours haven't been the best for me too... stressing' to much about you to relax..."
Orion laughs with a bittersweet smile. "You don't have to, you know?"
Caravel laughs in return, a gentle melodious laugh. "But it's nice to be... just... Nice... no motives... no expectations... Just a nice hug... You looked like you needed one..."
" I'm certainly not refusing it..."
"You better..."
The two deepen their hug somewhat before they finally part.
"Let's sleep... I heard downstairs we'll finally see the Speaker tomorrow... But... Mithra doesn't seem too pleased..." Caravel reasons as she reclines onto her back, tugging a blanket over her body.
Orion follows suit, lying down next to her, pulling over his own blanket. "Wonderful..."
"Yeah... we'll finally be Guardians..."
"What does that even mean..."
"We'll figure it out... together..."
Orion sighs before he speaks up once again. "Better than going alone..."
"Yeah... It's nice to have someone relatable to talk to..."
"I can say the same... Einai oraio... na sou milao..."
Caravel quietly laughs.
"Goodnight... Orion..." Caravel whispers.
"Goodnight, Caravel..." Orion whispers back.
The rest of the night passed by without much fanfare.
Thanks to Mithra's New Light, a majority of the dishes have been cleaned up, making less work for both Jalus and Sera who had cleaned up the remainder of the plates and utensils.
The rest of the group dispersed orderly, summoning their Sparrows or heading off on foot. Silence fell upon the farmstead of the Starlit Aegis and, indeed, the rest of the Last City by this hour. The darkness of the midnight is illuminated only by the slight glow of the Traveler's Shell.
Mithra and Sera did not sleep for long. They only took a short, three hour nap before they woke up. They looked over the loot and spoils they had acquired over the time spent hunting the Ahamkara, Orion. Not just the loot they had taken from Canada and the Dragon's Lair, but also the loot they had exchanged many of the goods there for. The Exotic grade material, the Awoken-Forged items, the hills-upon-hills of Glimmer and Marks exchanged for the Ahamkara's Bones.
They had taken it upon themselves to sort out the spoils. Dividing it among the current members of the Starlit Aegis.
The seniors, Mazdam, Sera, Jalus, and Mithra, took only half-a-hundredweight of Glimmer and Legendary Marks. They did not need any of the other materials and gear present.
The New Lights will receive more satisfactory materials.
For Caravel, Sera had picked out three items from the Awoken as well as a full hundredweight of Glimmer and Legendary Marks. The three pieces she had picked out was an awoken forged "Scale-Mail" piece. It wasn't like most Hunter armor which had a thickened upper torso for protection and a slimed abdomen for movement. The armor was of consistent thickness throughout, if only a little thicker around the chest. Along with it came a belt, meant to wrap around the armor to support it, and a purple cloak shaded in a Reef-based color scheme.
Lastly, Sera had picked out a curious piece to add to Caravel's armaments. A dagger of Ancient Earth-design. Unlike the curved and hooked design Hunters have grown attached to, the dagger Sera had allotted to Caravel is entirely straight. Its edges were barely sharp and it had both a circular guard and pommel making one's grip on it far less versatile than that of a usual Hunter dagger. The blade shined a slight tint of purple and the guard and pommel were brassy and were inlaid with unknown stones. Its grip is a simple leather-wrapped cylinder with shallow grooves along its length.
Sera had the pieces parted from the rest and continued to sort.
For her New Light, Mithra picked out an Exotic arm piece forged from the Ahamkara's plucked hair and feathers fastened to the beast's copped claws. Mithra made the decision still suspicious as to the Ahamkara's effects on her New Light, though the talk with Suleyman earlier had done well to soothe her psyche. The Ahamkara's body parts were carved off by Suleyman and Carlos and was forged into being by an outcasted warlock named Toland, a madman with a frightening obsession with the enemies of Humanity. The Claws of the Ahamkara curled around the pointer, middle, and ring fingers while the feathers and hair coalesced into metallic sheens which barely resembled the organic parts they were previously. Mithra hesitated in giving the piece to her New Light before she ultimately decided for it.
Besides the piece, Mithra also picked out a Legacy-piece Fairy had managed to "Negotiate" for in Old Chicago, a high-powered pistol from the long-gone American Commonwealth. Fairy had the Cryptarch Adonna decrypt the Legendary-Grade Engram it came from. However, since she did not fancy using sidearms, she gave it to Mithra to do as she saw fit. So now, the pistol was to belong to her New Light.
Alongside those, Mithra had allotted a hundredweight of Glimmer and Legendary Marks and began to continue splitting up the other remaining pieces among the rest of the Aegis's members.
The last few members were the twin Titans, Alnar and Jannah, Lux, and Fairy.
Simple allocation of the remaining Glimmer and Marks and the allocation of the remaining armaments in terms of their fighting styles and their willingness to resell.
Alnar and Jannah recieved their currency as well a pair of ancient looking stone masks depicting ancient warriors.
Lux, mostly due to her usual strategy of defense and longer-ranged engagements, received an experimental Häkke Long-Rifle. It was red with heating coils around the barrel with no detachable magazine.
Finally, Mithra decided Fairy would get a Fusion rifle made of Golden Age tech. It was black and sleek with an angular design. Apparently it had been forged by the Chicagoan Lightbearers after they had retrieved its parts on Venus. It contrasted heavily with Fairy's style and aesthetic, but Mithra was sure she wouldn't mind.
once the loot was properly divided, Sera had left to sleep some more, laying down sideways on the couch inside the main building. Mithra decided she would rest on a long chair on the house's patio. The members of the Starlit Aegis, and by extension, the Guardians of the Last Safe City, very rarely slept in a single place. Really, they very rarely slept at all, treating it more like how someone would treat a snack, something nice but not important. But if they did, they were usually adept enough to be comfortable closing their eyes anywhere. From their own vessels to a random abandoned building.
Mazdam and Jalus did not sleep in the Aegis farmstead, having abandoned the upper room once the two New Lights were properly integrated a few weeks ago. They satisfied themselves by going into hotels, sleeping with good friends, or even sleeping on the streets if they're that desperate to shut their eyes.
Mithra made a mental plan of the day ahead.
Mithra and Sera will take their New Lights to the Speaker, the head of the Consensus, thus rendering them as Guardians of the Last City. Later, after they're registered, Mithra supposed she will have to take her New Light to meet with a Vanguard Operative or someone trusted by the Vanguard within the ranks of the Iron Lords, to properly get him in the "Warlock State of mind". Sera will do the same with Caravel, taking her to the Hunter Vanguard, Tallulah Fairwind and/or the various guilds and Agents loyal to the Vanguard's Authority.
The idea was planned out all inside her head. Not everything is in order, but enough to make her feel comfortable.
"Sraosha... nothing important is going to happen tomorrow, is there?" Mithra whispers to herself.
"Nothing important. The Speaker should be staying in the Eastern Tower... There may be an appointment by the Monarchists so expect a longer wait time." Mithra's Ghost speaks inside her mind.
"Thank you, Sraosha."
Mithra soon begins to let unconsciousness take her. She shuts her eyes, looking forward to new day.
The sun arose on a new day for the New Lights.
Mazdam had arrived with sandwiches he had managed to fetch on the way from the inn he was staying at. The bread was firm, yet soft at the same time. The contents within were a mix of meat and vegetables doused in the yolk of a finely cooked egg. Breakfast has been served.
It wasn't long after Mazdam arrived did the New Lights wake up, attracted by the wafting scent of the food he had brought. The sandwiches were all greedily swallowed down. Frustratingly, it wasn't just the New Lights who had a taste but so did Sera and Mithra.
"Where'd you get this? Das gefällt mir." Sera comments, stuffing her face with the tasty breakfast sandwich.
"Some high-tier cook opened up shop in Thrakia District. Called it... tss... Basil's Vineyard I think? Strange name... I think it's a cafeteria but they also sell wine." Mazdam explained, biting into the singular slice he had been able to take for himself.
"Winery and Snacks? Very... efficient I guess..."
"mph!" Mazdam swallows the food in his mouth before speaking next. "Is Jalus going with you to the Eastern Tower?"
"No, why?"
"Nothing... just need Jalus for something... got a grudge match with some holier-than-though asshole... going to tank it out on the banks of the Madeira later. No biggie..."
"Again? This is the fourth time this year... Did you need to repay a debt?"
The two New Lights tuned out the Seniors' conversation as they focused on eating their sandwich.
Caravel winked at Orion as the two ate their food on the couch. They didn't speak. The food dominated their mouths so they spared little for communication.
Once the seniors had finished speaking, they finally turned their attention to the New Lights. Mazdam walked over to the kitchen while Mithra ushered the two New Lights out to the house's patio. On a circular table was the New Lights' new equipment.
"These are all yours. We've divided all the loot we've acquired from the Ahamkara and decided to give you two these pieces." Mithra gestures over the armor and weapons she had previously selected last knight.
Caravel looked at the shiny scales of her new chest armor with aw, feeling over the pinkish-purple scales with satisfaction.
Orion wasn't too happy. He liked the feeling and weight of the pistol he has been given, but he was much less enthusiastic about the gauntlets he had been gifted with.
"What... are these?" Orion asked his magister, eyeing the golden feathers and bronze talons cupping the gauntlet's fingers.
"Claws of the Ahamkara... forged from that beast's hair and feathers and talons... I thought they might prove useful for you, Little Light..." Mithra explains.
Orion attempts to hide his fear at the object. Caravel suddenly turned serious as she gazed at the golden-feathered arms.
"Try it..." Mithra offers, simply.
Orion gulps knowing he cannot simply refuse such a generous gift from Mithra. he holds out his hand to gently feel the gauntlets' surface. It felt metallic. All of it. The feathers looked like they are made of gold, Orion's fingers leaving small, but noticeable, fingerprints.
Whispers gently float in Orion's mind.
"Oh, Bearer Mine"
Orion takes a deep breath, taking the arms.
"I'm going to go change into my armor..." Orion declares, apparently having made his decision.
"Yeah... so am I" Caravel follows, holding up her scale armor with a guilty grin.
As the two New Lights fled Mithra's unimpressed stare, they took with them their allotted gear. Caravel had her scales and purple cloak in her arms, holding her new dagger in her hands. Orion took his gauntlets and pistol, holding the weapon by its barrel. They walked up the flight of steps to the upper room where they began to dress themselves in the proper armaments of a Lightbearer.
Orion and Caravel quickly rid themselves of the clothes they wore before sleeping, turning away from each other before they summoned their skinsuits. From there, they had their Ghosts summon the rest of their armor. The pair made changes to their armor accordingly.
Caravel replaced the Kevlar breastplate and padded undershirt she previously wore with the scale shirt, sliding it over her body. It barely weighed any different than the armor she previously had worn. She noticed that, alongside the fabric of her cape, there was a smaller, thick belt. Only long enough to wrap around her torso once.
Remembering how she had tightened her previous set of armor by the waist with a belt, Caravel had decided to do the same with the belt. She had it wrapped around her waistline, making the armor properly hug her body.
Finally, she took the long, purple fabric of her new cloak and fitted the fabric over her, securing it with purple-shining brooches.
"Still don't understand why I have to wear these... How do I look?" Caravel asks looking over at Orion, anxiously fitting on his new gloves.
Orion smiles at Caravel and chuckles slightly, his eyes a lot dimmer than before. "You look good... Purple really suits you..."
"Aww... thank you..." Caravel beams at Orion's compliment before she notices Orion's less-than-happy demeanor.
"and... what about your arms? I think they look nice..." Caravel attempts to cheer Orion up.
Orion only laughs as he tightens one last cord on his arm, feeling how the glove acclimates to his body. It felt too natural. Too intended.
It was Orion's Claws. In both ways.
"They're... its Claws..." Caravel points out, remembering what Mithra had said about it.
"Yeah... They are..." Orion takes a deep breath as he grips his fingers inwards. The whispers are quiet but they are very-much present.
"Do you think Mithra knows?" Caravel asks, concerned.
"If she does... I doubt she'd willingly give me that Drakon's damned talons..." Orion hisses as he allows his Light to surge into the gloves, trying to dominate the whispers with the roar of flames.
Orion summons fire on his hands, releasing the Light he had channeled into them. The room glows with Orion's Light as the Firesprites on his palm dance with life. The metallic feathers of his glove shine a golden bronze.
A sudden sound of encroaching steps draws the New Light's attention to the stairwell.
It was Sera. Her armor was already worn and the metal plates on it shone in the presence of Orion's Firesprites.
"Looks like someone likes their rewards..." Sera teases. "Komm schon, we'll be heading out soon enough... I'd like to be there before the Monarchists arrive and steal all our time..."
Sera and Orion look at each other before they follow Sera down the stairwell and out the front door.
The City was as vibrant as the day they first arrived.
Being properly clad in armor made the New Lights stand out less as the two walked with their Magisters down the roads and streets of the City. Though it did not mean the mortals showed less respect, on the contrary- it made them mortals respect them even more, it meant that the Two New Lights didn't feel out of place.
People sold, people mingled. Lightbearers walking, selling, eating. If it wasn't for the Ghost, the fairly better build, and especially the armor, one might confuse a Lightbearer for an ordinary Human.
The four continued walking down the streets and roads of the City before they make a stop at one of the City's many canals. The manmade tributaries of the Pilcomayo River saw many row down the flowing, man made waves whenever the main roads were too congested or the skies too foggy. The canals saw the inhabitants to where they needed to be. That was why the New Lights and their teachers came upon one such tributary.
Walking down a flight of concrete steps, inching closer to the water, the Bearers find a docked ferry-vessel, a fair-sized rubber raft tied with rope to a post at the water's edge. The owner of the vessel sat on a plastic arm-chair, the man counting a fair handful of Glimmer cubes.
Noticing the group's approach, the man turns to look over his shoulder before asking.
"O que você precisa?"
Not speaking the language herself, Sera pats Caravel's back.
"Sagen sie ihm... Dass wir gerne zum Ostturm gehen würden"
Caravel takes a moment to properly translate Sera's command before speaking back to the ferryman.
"Precisamos chegar à Torre Leste..." Caravel answers back to the ferryman.
At the same time, Mithra produces a small handful of Glimmer, the cubes shining blue in her hands.
The ferryman chuckles before speaking again.
"Muito bem... Vamos!" he cheerfully shouts, laughing as he ushers the four onto his raft, unhooking the rope from its post and pushing the raft down-stream with a long oar.
Mithra pours the Glimmer into the man's hands before he starts to push the boat along.
The trip down the City's canals was a lazy, calm route. The water wasn't totally clear. It has a slight fogginess to it, especially the lower down into the liquid if one were to squint their eyes into it.
"Don't touch or drink the water. It's a chemical soup..." Mithra warns as Caravel looks over the side of the raft. The Hunter-to-be immediately pulls back.
Orion does nothing for the whole duration of the ride, only gazing up at the surrounding city as the raft sails onward. Sera lounges, bored out of her mind.
Stopping by at a small dock carved into a concrete wall, the party quickly disembarks after a quick "Obrigada" from Caravel.
There was nothing at the dock besides leisure chairs and a table. A pair of Lightbearers, a Hunter and Warlock, leaned against a wall as they waited for the ferry, approaching the ferryman soon after the four of them left.
Emerging out from the Canals, Tower East looms high above them. The light of Sol casting only a little shadow as it appears directly overhead.
"Almost there... Komm Schon, before the Monarchists get there first!" Sera laughs as she speeds towards the large terminal at the base of the wall. Mithra chuckles to herself before increasing her pace to a brisk jog, urging the New Lights to follow suit.
Not knowing how to use the Light to improve their aerobic capabilities, the two New Lights were left panting after having jogged the distance to the Terminal's main hub. Sweat dripped down both of their faces. Sera and Mithra looked at their New Lights as they bent over to catch their breaths. Sera wentover to a Receptionist Frame to declare their presence.
The Check in process was fairly simple. Sera and Mithra already, being fully fledged Guardians, did not need to properly be checked by the various Frames guarding the Terminal. All the two New Lights had to do was to have their Ghosts interact with several objects to prove that they were, indeed, Lightbearers. Actions like, lighting a match on fire with a beam of energy, manipulating a tablet's interface, and manipulation of objects.
After that, the two Lightbearers were scanned by another Frame. Their weapons were declared but they weren't allowed to be kept. For security reasons, only registered Guardians could keep their weapons with their Ghost on the elevator ride up. Non-registered bearers would have to be given their weapons back at the top of the Tower.
The following Elevator ride was smooth. The Elevator wasn't too large, with space capable for ten people. It took roughly around five minutes for the Elevator t swiftly climb up the Tower.
"Familiar scene..." Orion whispers to himself. Caravel who had been standing behind him, smiles up at him.
Their Magisters talk in hushed tones over matters not concerning to the New Lights. They whisper of politics and actions of greater powers. Of the instability caused by Osiris' followers. Names like Dredgen Yor, Zavala, Felwinter... all had no meaning to the New Lights.
The New Lights could care less. Their only attention was on the view they saw as they rose up the Tower.
Walking out of the Elevator, Orion finds familiar sight after familiar sight.
They exit the smaller terminal of the top floor, walking outwards to a balcony overlooking the mountainous land beyond the Walls of the City. Turning right, the group finds a large tree, its canopy grasping the light and filtering it down into intricate shadows. The large, open door behind the tree had many people enter and exit through it.
The Awoken woman who sold him his first pair of clean clothes was still there. Their eyes met and Orion could've sworn to have seen a small smile emerge from the woman's mouth before a sudden tug at his side breaks his concentration.
"Hoy..." Caravel mutters.
"Yes?"
"Don't lose track of what we're here for..."
"I haven't... What do you..."
Cryptically, Caravel doesn't elaborate, instead looking away.
The four emerge from another large door. The sight was all too familiar. In front of them was a large, towering building connected to the rest of the Tower by a bridge. The Speaker's building.
The left was the passageway into the tower Courtyard. following the adjacent wall, Eva Levante would be be coding away Shaders and Emblems, stringing together fabric to make shirts and ponchos alike.
Everything is coming back to you now, huh? Orion's Ghost teases inside his head.
Orion was tempted to go say hi to Eva Levante, but in order to not derail the point of their visitation, he decides against it; following the other three Lightbearers to the Speaker's building. Crossing the glass bridge to approach the imposing door.
As though the building sensed the Lightbearers' approach, the doors split open to reveal a room full of wonders.
A large, intricate machine consisting of rings and cylinders undulated in the center of the room. Podiums spread across the room held aloft, what looked like galaxies on their bronze surfaces.
Caravel couldn't resist approaching one, gently touching the smooth surface of the galactic orb, watching it ripple under her fingers. Orion looked at the undulating machine in the center of the room, staring in aw at how it framed the Traveler perfectly.
"Dear Speaker..." Mithra's voice resonates as the doors behind slide shut.
Turning to look at Mithra, both Carvel and Orion did not notice the stairwell on the Left side of the room leading to a balcony. Upon which were bookshelves and scrolls and gadgets. A Ghost floats idly by, observing the four Lightbearers.
Focus is drawn to the figure robed in white and black, a mask set upon the figure's face. The figure walks down slowly in a calm and gentle manner.
"Ah.. Master Hunter and Warlock... with..." The figure speaks in a rich voice, gesturing to the visitors in his chamber.
"Our New Lights, dear Speaker..." Mithra bows slightly.
"I see... You came to properly register them?"
"Yes... We did their Data Registry at the Terminal... All we need is your Declaration."
"Wonderful... I request only your presences, Master Hunter and Warlock, I would like a a word with your New Lights..."
"Of course... dear Speaker..." Mithra bows before backing off, relegating herself to the door, standing dutifully by the dark-oak.
Sera follows Mithra wordlessly, no doubt caring about the situation far less than Mithra. She leans on the door with her hands crossed over her chest.
The Speaker walks gracefully towards the two New Lights, letting the weight in every step resound before taking another. The New Lights look at the Speaker, not knowing what to make of him.
The Speaker walks between the two New Lights, gesturing up towards the intricate machine, holding out his hand as though he's grabbing at the deified Orb in the sky.
"There was once a time when we were so much more powerful... so much more... With the Destiny our own hands to seize the very stars themselves..."
Turning towards the two New Lights, the Speaker continues.
"I could tell you so much... about the Traveler... Crippled by a Fleet of Darkness... The Light Smothered and the Earth Drowned... The tales told to frighten the children... To discourage the Criminals..."
The Speaker looks at Orion directly. Orion grows uncomfortable at the Speaker's eyeless gaze.
"You two must have no end to the questions racing inside your heads... All of them important, I'm sure... But for now... You need know only this... the Darkness does not stand idle for too long..."
The Speaker shifts his gaze towards Caravel. She squirms under his gaze, taking a step back as her lips part in an uncomfortable grin, shaking and daunted.
"Even now, only four short years since the Fallen's ravenous attack on this Last Bastion, I do not believe we can sit idle for now... Darkness is brewing once again... Lightbearers... Guardians..."
The Speaker looks at both Caravel and Orion, shifting his gaze between the two.
"All will have to sacrifice when the day of reckoning comes... when the Darkness Returns to Drown us... but..."
The Speaker turns and looks at the Traveler.
"With Lightbearers like you coming here... experiencing Humanity's greatness firsthand... I know you'll understand... that the Fight is Forever... the Fallen are just the Beginning..."
The Speaker turns and walks towards one of the Galaxy orbs on a pedestal, examining it. The image shifts to a picture of the Earth, its great continents marred by fallen sea levels and craters.
"I will be honest... Your lives from now on... will be spent in the fires of war... Conflict which shall define you and your very existence... But to say it shouldn't be suffered is to ignore the plight of the Humanity that cannot defend itself..."
Touching one of the Continents of the Earth on the orb, it shows a top-down view of the City, the Traveler hanging in the sky and the rings of districts and walls around it.
"You must push back the Darkness... This is your duty as a Guardian..."
The Speaker walks away from the orb. It reverts back to a misty image of a galaxy.
"And thus I pronounce you Lightbearers as... Guardians... of the Last Safe City of Humanity..."
Walking towards the two senior Lightbearers waiting by the door, the Speaker offers them a few words of guidance while the two New Lights digest the Speaker's words.
"We're... Guardians..." Caravel declares to herself, not feeling any sense of glory from the Speaker's declaration.
Orion processes what the speaker has said to him. The title of 'Guardian' ringing in his head as he looks out, past the Speaker's Gyroscope and towards the Last City.
"Fight... Forever..." Orion whispers to himself. Not believing what he had to hear.
"Whatever he means... We'll be alright... right?"
As if breaking him free from a spell, Caravel brings him back to his senses with a gentle hand on his armored shoulder. Orion looks at Caravel, her eyebrows furrowed with worry, and he breathes out a sigh.
"Yeah... Yeah... I'm fine..." Orion lies through his teeth. He tried his hardest to smile, but Caravel knows it wasn't genuine.
Before letting Caravel speak another word, Orion decides to walk towards the Speaker, still conversing with the Senior Lightbearers. Caravel trailed behind him concernedly.
Sera looked on, unimpressed, while Mithra attentively nodded at every sentence the Speaker had put forth. Sera nodded to the two New Lights as they approached, pushing herself from the grand door and walking over to them. Mithra and the Speaker continued to talk.
"Blaubeeren, good news... The Speaker has offered to authorize you two for every service imaginable in the City... Libraries... Firing Ranges... All of that..."
"That's... great. That is really good..." Orion mumbles to Sera, his spirits lifting slightly.
"Aber... It comes at the cost of having both of you being taught by proper Avantgarde-Lehrer... meaning... we... cannot hold you back any longer..." Sera dejectedly explains, her smile faltering as she continues her sentence. Her eyes dimming as her confidence crumbles at the New Lights' reactions.
"W-What?" Caravel stammers.
"Yeah... Proper teachers... I have to admit... I'm proud of you both... but to say we're the best at the job we've given ourselves is... overestimating our capabilities... Don't worry- We won't be letting you go anytime soon-"
"Why?" Orion questions, feeling conflicted at both the privileges and the potential deficits this may have. "You have already taught us so much... why... why should we seek out better teachers?"
Sera sighs at Orion's response, chuckling at the New Light's innocence. "Because, Mäuschen, the Vanguard need to keep their eyes on you... They... want to prevent Lightbearers from... becoming too unruly... Digging too deep at things they really shouldn't be... digging towards..."
Orion looks away, rolling his eyes. Caravel acted a lot more distraught.
"But... you won't be..."
"Of- Of course! Mäuschen, do you really think I would abandon you so easily? No... We won't let you go..." Sera pulls Caravel into an embrace while Orion watches. Still unsure of the arrangement made.
Orion turns to his Senior. Mithra ended her conversation with the Speaker with a quaint bow before walking to her New Light, a guilty smile adorning her face.
"You must understand the benefits of this... right, Little Light?" Mithra asks with a caressing hand.
"I do... but... I don't know what... I don't know... I- just... don't know..." Orion thinks of what to say, unsure of the path ahead for him.
Orion was reassured at the fact they're still part of the Starlit Aegis, but due to the fact that he and Caravel were so intently segregated gave him a sense of creeping uneasiness.
"We'll still help you... Just because we aren't your teachers doesn't mean we won't listen to your call... We'll still guide you as best we can..." Mithra sighs at Orion's confusion.
The Speaker only observes the New Lights as they process the information they were fed. Within the mask, the Speaker probably would've had a look of pity, but the stiff posture and emotionless gaze did not break.
"Master Hunter... I advise you take your quarry to Tallulah and Caliban-8 and get her acquainted with their Hunting Party as soon as possible... You'll never know when they decide to leave- they should be stationed by the Northern Wall... and as for you, Master Warlock..." The Speaker turns to Mithra and her New Light. "I suggest you take yours to... No... Take him to the Twilight Gap... I suggest he see Ikora Rey or any one of her Agents. I presume she will be there at this time, training with Lord Shaxx..."
Mithra furrows her eyebrows in confusion. A fire is set alight in Mithra's heart as she questions the Speaker's advice. "Ikora? Osiris' Student- the Hotheaded One? Why not... Skorri... or Felwinter... or... the Tuyet Fireteam... but her?"
"My advice is just advice... But as of yet, being Osiris' Student makes Ikora the closest link to the Vanguard we have... And her Agents have her expertise... you don't even have to let your son greet her..." The Speaker reasons with cold logic. "He will be acquainted with the History of our people and of the Laws of the Universe we live in... Isn't that right, Little Light?"
Orion freezes with uncertainty at the Speaker's notion, even more so at the fact he called him Mithra's son. Nevertheless, he voices his concern, not believing the reason Sera had given him earlier.
"Why do we have to train under Vanguard Operatives? Our teachers are good teachers... are they not also members of the Vanguard?"
The Speaker chuckles before explaining. "We cannot risk new Lightbearers hurting themselves and-or each other in their search for knowledge... I hope you understand... I presume you know about Rezyl Azzir?-"
"Dear Speaker... he does... I taught him as much as I could pry from the City's Libraries..." Mithra intercedes with a bow, an apology for her outburst.
"You are a good teacher..." The Speaker Declares. "Such a shame you don't associate yourself with the City and its Vanguard..."
"It's... only for the freedom it grants us, dear Speaker..." Mithra continues her bow, simmering with shame and frustration, unaware of the concerned stare beaming into the back of her head from her New light.
"Of course... of course... oh well, Master Warlock... I hope to witness the progress of your former-student in due time... and to you, Master Hunter, I expect similarly impressive results from yours." The Speaker bows at the group respectfully.
Sera and Mithra bow towards the Speaker with varying levels of respect. The New Lights only watch. They soon walk out, the Speaker ushering them towards the grand entrance of his building.
The Speaker sighs as the door opens slowly. "I should remove these doors, shouldn't I? Very slow!"
The Speaker's attempts at humor were met with only a slight chuckle from the four Lightbearers. The door opens, sliding upward, to reveal several figures awaiting across the glass bridge connecting the Speaker's Observatory with the rest of the Tower.
The figures were robed in deep red cloaks accented with white and gold. A Red Triangular symbol hung about their breasts. The leader of the group appeared to have a white bandage wrapped around the center of his face.
"Executor Hideo... Give us a few more moments..."
"We demanded that girl be punished! She broke the Executor's Nose!"
"Yes... yes... We'll get right to it..." The Speaker waves his hand dismissively before turning back towards Mithra, gently shoeing at the three other Lightbearers there.
Orion hesitantly follows the unspoken order, walking across the glass bridge and pass the New Monarchists. They did not radiate Light and respectfully parted to let the Lightbearers through.
"Let's wait by the gate... Mithra shouldn't take to long..." Sera yawns, stretching as she walks over to the Large Doors leading to the elevators of the Eastern Tower's North.
"Vamos..." Caravel offers, her voice sweet as ever.
Orion smiles slightly before joining her.
"Every Rose has a Thorn"
"I know... Dear Speaker... I know..."
"It has not even been a decade since his bullets rang. Do you know how many beyond Palamon were erased? Refugees have been forced to scatter... and even after his Death and our Victory against the Fallen... we have been denied so much progress..."
"Yes... Dear Speaker..."
"So understand why we cannot have him or anyone go out on their own without supervision... We must temper their lust for knowledge..."
Mithra clenches her jaw. The Speaker's whispering voice is quiet, but bounces like waves of light through mirrors. It's too much.
"Is this why you fear Osiris' Absence?" Mithra drops her voice to an equally threatening tone.
"In short... Yes... I'm glad we've come to an understanding."
"Of course... dear Speaker..." Mithra whispers, almost sarcastically.
Caravel watches as Mithra propels herself towards the group, a cloud of Light and dust forming around her as she gently floats horizontally towards them.
Caravel is not happy with the situation that has been forced onto her. Having her beloved teacher be denied the right to teach her, all for the sake of Security seemed too much.
The only reason why she didn't immediately rebel was because Orion wasn't as angry as her. Or, at least, did not show as much anger as her.
As Mithra floated towards them, Orion poses a concerned question. "What does he mean, that you're not a part of the Vanguard? You and Sera are Guardians, right?"
"Y-yes... But also... it's just complicated... I'll explain it to you later..." Mithra brushes the question aside as she walks past the two New Lights. Sera quickly pushes off the wall she was leaning on, her face turning from a comfortable calm to concerned. Sera extends a hand and gestures for the rest of the New Lights to follow.
The group goes back the way the way they came. Through a plaza, past mortals selling and buying, and down the lift which took them up the Tower in the first place.
"Aren't all Guardians part of the Vanguard?" Caravel immediately asks as soon as she steps foot inside the elevator. Thankfully, no one besides the four were there, so privacy and volume didn't become a restriction.
"Yes... but it's a lot more... complicated than that... Mostly because of how... Clans work..." Mithra slowly answers, trying to figure out how to word her reply. "It's a byproduct of the Age before the City... Clans had a certain... Autonomy that superseded the Lightbearers' loyalty to Humanity... the only ones who really changed that were the Iron Lords... which is why they are so trusted..."
"Lightbearers in Clans are Guardians... but are really only Guardians in title... The Vanguard has them- has us registered, but to say we're so privileged as to be able to use their armories and transportation services sind falsch. Hell, that's why Mithra here still needs to actually check out books. Any proper Warlock whose a member of the Vanguard won't have to." Sera explains simply.
"I don't like that one bit... They assume our loyalties aren't with the people we belong to and that's good enough to deny us proper service?" Orion muses.
"I don't think it's that harsh... It's just precautionary tales... Lightbearers like Cyrell... like Yor-"
"You keep mentioning those names! Who are they?" Caravel butts in, frustration spilling into her voice. "I'd like to understand why I'll have to seek out someone else for guidance when you're already the best teacher for me, Sera!"
"Aw... Mäuschen, it's not that serious-"
"Malaka, If they don't trust us, how can we trust them? How is that not serious?" Orion cuts Sera off.
A deafening silence fills the elevator car. Only the hum of steel ring out as the elevator descends.
"Little Light... Just bear with them... It's for your own good..." Mithra tries to calm her New Light.
Orion grimaces. Sera only looks at both of the New Lights, shocked that Mithra's New Light had the gall to cut her off like that. Sera chuckles heartfully.
"I can't wait to see how far you'll go with die Eier you have, little light..." Sera grins. Mithra breathes out a sigh, thankful Sera didn't take too much offense.
Caravel doesn't know what to say. She isn't as bold as Orion as to challenge her own Magister, but to say she wasn't tempted is a falsehood.
Stepping out of the Tower's elevator and out onto the streets of the City, Caravel voices her question once again. This time, it's towards Orion and Orion alone.
tugging Orion's arm, Caravel asks. "Why are you so calm about this?"
"I understand as to why this has to be how it is... I don't like it... but the truth that is there is hard to ignore..."
"Then tell me! Who is Dredgen Yor?" Caravel asks with a whisper as the pair walk a few paces behind their seniors.
"A legend... Rumor has it he used to be a renowned Duelist and had won fame by saving refugees... But then he went to our Moon... and... well... no one knows how it happened but he changed..."
Orion shrugs Caravel's arms of of his own before continuing. "He became a murderer... a Psychopath... A Terror to Humanity... Only put down by the Man with the Golden Gun..."
"Shin Malphur?" Caravel asks.
"Yes... actually. You familiar with him?"
"Sera mentioned him to me a few times... Said she wouldn't mind teaching me how to summon a Golden Gun like him."
"That would be a sight..."
The pair continue walking until their masters stop at a juncture on the path. One path leading South, one leading North.
"I've heard some hunter Guilds with Vangaurd Connections are stationed on the North side of the Wall... Komm schon, Cara... Wir müssen gehen."
Caravel nods. turning over to smile at Orion before walking to her Magister's side.
"até a próxima vez" Caravel whispers as both her and her Teacher begin to walk down the Northern path. Their capes undulating as they go.
"What now?" Mithra's New Light asks his Magister as he watches the two Hunters walk away.
The Magister in question replies unenthusiastically. "We go to the Gap... and introduce you to the Vanguard, proper..."
"The Gap?"
"The Twilight Gap. A valley Fortress to the west of the City. Lightbearers love to train there."
"Is that where I'll be training too"
"If your teacher so desires... It's probable. Come... let's hope Rey isn't too harsh Today..."
"What will I learn under her that I might not learn from you?"
"You may learn a lot, Little Light... The Vanguard has access to many things we don't have..."
The student-teacher pair walk the southern route, away from the Hunters who have chosen the northern route. They walked down the streets of the City, slowly inching their way towards the western edge of the Wall.
"So... why aren't you part of the Vanguard?" Orion asks suddenly.
"I already told you..."
"No... just... your reasoning. If the Vanguard allowed you more freedom of things within the City... Intelligence, Laboratories, Knowledge... why didn't you choose them over the Starlit Aegis?"
Mithra thinks for a few moments before answering. "They would've had me going on missions... Strikes... Adventures... out of obligation... having me do things I didn't want to do. I'm not a fighter, Little Light... It's not my nature to kill."
"But you have to, right? You fought during the Battle of Six Fronts..."
"I did... but I did so because it was for our people's survival... and because my friends... my... my mentors..." Mithra's stutters as she tries to pull the words from her tongue. "We didn't have a choice. Either we fought and had a chance for life... or we didn't and died... and trust me, Little Light, I died a lot..."
Mithra's New Light didn't know what else to say after he posed his question. He was still weary around Mithra, no thanks to the Claws he wore as well as his own predicament with the Ahamkara's name, but he felt as though he was getting more comfortable with his teacher. Such a shame it was that he probably wouldn't have much time with her now that he was going to have a "proper" teacher.
"So teaching is just your passion?"
"Yes... Yes it is..." Stopping at an intersection, Mithra turns around to look at her New Light, her calming blue looking into his perilous blue. "Seeing something grow right in front of one's own eyes... Isn't it a sight?"
"I can't say I relate... I'm only a few weeks old, technically..."
Mithra chuckles as she turns to look at the path before them. "You'll learn, one day..."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Jeesus CHRIST this took so long to make. I do apologize for the wait.
I hope the quality isn't too dissimilar to the previous chapters. This Chapter is mostly Fanfic Worldbuilding and Set up for the next chapter. I'm planning on getting to the good stuff in due time.
Again, I apologize for the wait. Since it's my inter-semester break, I may be able to speed-write a chapter in the next few weeks, but no guarantees.
Thanks for reading, Please Review and Criticize at your leisure as always.
PER ARDUA AD ASTRA
