Chapter 7 - Assessment
I found myself in the same glass meeting room, discussing the raid where the Orc woman was saved. The machine that was harvesting the holy power of her god.
Shirina and Draed had already head to the medical bay, unconscious shaman woman in Draeds careful grasp.
"She is definitely a Shaman you say?" Aliana asks.
"That is what Shirina said, she also had the scepter, I guess she could be a priest but..." Captain Aedra finishes with a thousand yard stare.
"So from the top, what happened?" Aliana asks.
She looked between the brooding Captain and myself, I looked down as her blindfold met my eyes. This is a job for the Captain.
Aethena began the story, but when it got to the elf controlling the monster-turning machine, she looked at Aedra who had been staring into the table.
"Aedra, tell it from here." Aethena says, not as a question.
The Captain sighs, shaking his head to dispell his brooding thoughts. "Well, there was some hooded figure, an Elf I think, at least had the build of one. He was controlling this machine that was stabbed into the Orc womans heart, it was able to channel the godly power to change creatures and beings into monsters. Then Kira engaged as we planned and...."
He wouldn't make eye contact with me, I was starting to get worried that I was going to have to talk about my own death.
"Then Kira was killed with a trident." Aethena finished for him in a dry tone.
Aliana's head snapped to me with her mouth parted.
"I'm okay." I say in a quiet voice with a smile to match, the Captain wouldn't look at me still.
The casual attitude towards dying in the Destiny world was one thing, but there was still deaths. In fact hundreds, if not more guardians were lost throughout the campaigns. (even excluding the Red War where the light was suppressed for a time).
It happened a lot, and then there was the vulnerability of the ghost while you were being revived, and if another guardian wasn't there with light, you were dead.
Still the Captains' reaction to it was scaring me, it makes me slightly shake on the inside. That and Alianas shocked, unasked question about my well being was slightly tearing at my insides. I could feel her concerned gaze boring into me.
"Anyways, that's when Aedra went insane, and wiped the floor with everyone else in a single strike." Aethena finishes, shaking her head at the display of power her brother unleashed.
"Wow." Was all the stunned Aliana had to say, she was looking at the table.
"So the monsters are artificially created, by twisting a shamans power and surging it through a platform into them." Dorrin speaks up, having had his usually sarcastic humor suppressed.
We all nod while staring into our own worlds of thought.
"Well, I wonder how big the group is behind that. That machine was huge, I can't imagine how much time and power it would take to set up. Not to mention they were mostly ogres that were holding the weapons. The mages had been mostly goblins, there couldn't have been more than a handfull of our main 3 races." Dorrin has a surprisingly well thoughtout assessment of the current situation, the implications are limitless.
"Sound right to me." The silent Taezed puts in from the corner.
My ghost who has been uncharacteristically quiet decides to speak up as it forms from light over my left shoulder. "I took the liberty of scanning the machine while the rest of the squad was neutralizing the rest of the enemies and securing the rest of the cavern. It seems that there is something similar to the gravitational stones in this ship here."
A hologram of light formed on the center of the table, and most people jumped back. I had never seen my ghost harness the light to show a blueprint, but I suppose it makes sense that he has the capabilities. When pulled the image up the gravitation stones were highlighted in pink and where spinning.
"It seems that the gravitational stone at the core is somehow spinning at extreme speeds, every time the power from the shaman at the top of the machine is built up enough, it is sent down through what I think is the mage's power, the one who killed Kira. After it combines with his power it hits the gravitational stone at the core and it makes spin faster. That spinning energy is sent to the platform and is released into the creatures.
"Alright, we will go meet with the Guild Masters as soon as we get back, lets break from here. Kira, go see Shirina to have her double check your chest...wound, your...you know...." The Captain said in his best commanding voice.
I was startled at first, but he was blushing and started to stutter when my chest was mentioned...he is just worried I hope.
"I will, I am okay though." I reply, with a hopeful inflection to finish.
He finally made eye contact with me, and nods while maintaining a stern expression
Everyone started to get up and I heard the Captain ask Aliana to stay behind. Ellestrae walked next to me on the way to the med bay.
"Come I will show you to the infirmary." Ellestrae says.
"I have to be honest with you Kira, that was one of the most horrible things I have ever seen, you stuck to that wall like flyer, limp as a rag." She continued.
"I have died...a lot." I reply almost morosely.
"How many times have you died?" She asks in a tight uncomfortable voice.
I thought about it then just summoned my ghost instead.
"Well, it is usually bad taste to ask how many deaths one has had even if you are an Exo, but Kira has died over 700 times since our first encounter with me finding her outside of the European Dead Zone during the Red War." My ghost said matter-of-factly.
Is that including my Crucible deaths? It has to be more than that....I was really bad at raiding.
Ellestrae nearly stumbled to her knees, but was able
to lean on the wall to recover. Her breathing was intense, her right hand on her heart, and she was blinking rapidly. I went to her side as she stumbled.
She regained her composure in the hallway, and looked at me with horrified eyes. "700....700 deaths Kira, that is horrible. I cannot imagine what you have gone through. But please do not mention that to others, especially the Captain." She said while looking between me and my ghost.
"I won't." I said quietly.
We made it to the med bay and Ellestrae left me in Shirina's care.
Draed nodded at me when I made eye contact, I can tell he is worried sick about this annonymous shaman.
"Kira, I don't know why you didn't come to me sooner, but I assume you are alight?" Shirina asks with a horribly worried look on her face.
"I promise I am okay." Getting a little frustrated, I wonder how many more times am I going to have to answer this question.
"Well, as horrible as it is to hear that, it was even worse to see it. Come here I want to do a check up on you." She pulled me over to a bed nearby, and put up the privacy screen.
After a full magical screening of my chest area where the trident impaled me she found nothing of note. "That healing ability really is remarkable, but I don't even want to see that again!" Her tone started out reasonable, but then went into a strict motherly tone of concern.
"Kira, you were just out of my reach, and were just dangling there. I couldn't save you." Shirina now speaks with a pleading voice.
"Shirina, I just didn't see that attack coming. It was so fast." I said.
We hugged and she was trying to extract promises of me to never do that again.
------------------------------------------------
After the door closed the Captain engaged the Dark window mode, the room becoming private, he immediately grabs Aliana into a strong hug.
"It was horrible, she was pinned to the wall. I lost control, and killed innocence. There had to have been thirty people that were in the cages. I should have saved them......" The Captain blurted this all out while Aliana was still in shock, but they were holding each other.
Back to arms length from Aliana, the Captain continued, "She was grabbing at it, the trident, like it was as easy as just removing it." He was very flustered, and spoke quickly.
"What do you mean?" Aliana asked, trying to follow the turning tracks of his thoughts.
"I mean it was like she knew it was as easy as removing the trident, and she would be fine. It wasn't her fault but I know for a fact, that she would not hesitate to die again if it means doing the right thing." Aedra continued.
"She doesn't fear death, but is cursed to live through it over and over. I can't imagine how many times she has died to be so nonchalant about it." Aliana replied.
A few minutes of silence pass as they embraced each other in the meeting room.
"You have feelings for her don't you my Captain?" Aliana questions with a slight smirk. She was worried about Kira, but reasonably understands that this is part of how she lives and fights, so can accept it. Also, she didn't watch her die.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
He nodded his response, but they both knew that it went beyond just having her as part of the team. "I admire her strength and resolve. She seems to be so used to that life style, that there is nothing but death, fighting, and waiting in space. I want to give her more than the life she has had with that horrible ghost-torturer she has." The captains statement was powerful, and true. He hated the ghost that kept her in the death/fighting cycle she lived in.
"I want to hold her, and give her love. I feel like she has not had that in her life to be so cold about her own death." Aedra says.
Aliana just nodded and pulled her captain tighter. They had been in a quiet relationship for a long time, and were recently speaking of love to each other. But when Kira landed, it was like the Captains love changed, it didn't lessen for Aliana, but just looking at Kira, he knew that she was something he could love.
"I had a vision when you released that attack of yours. I felt your energy surge, and my vision went into "the sight." I believe it has to do with Kira, and us. She was the one on the machine, having her life drained through that tube." Aliana said.
Aliana's future sight visions were shown in an order of good then bad. She would see two outcomes to a situation, but there would be no leading up to it. No way to make the choice of the decision, just a feeling of what you either did, or didn't do.
For instance, her first vision of Kira's landing, had the Captain wielding a ball of white light, she knew, as part of the fundamental nature of the vision, that it was Kira. Aliana knew that if the Captain didn't "wield the ball of light" second half of the vision would happen. The part that she didn't tell anyone about was off a dark landscape ravaged by fire and destruction, and the Captain was dead, along wth most of the guild in an open field somewhere.
"I first saw her embraced between three beings, she was still a glowing orb of light. It was me on the left, a blindfold and floating arms holding the ball of light. Then a silver, winged warhamer and blue lily was on the right with the same floating embrace. I saw you, the black lightning in the back, embracing us all." Aliana desribed the first "good" or "correct" part of her vision, if things went well. The bad side followed.
"There was a hose piercing into the light, turning it dim, just like you described the orc woman as, the ball of light winked out, and was never reignited. Then I saw the same vision of destruction from the first time, this isn't something we can ignore." Aliana concludes.
The dazed Captain tries to understand. "So I have to embrace her? Along with you, and a hammer?"
The first smirk of the night crosses Aliana's face as she replies, "It means we have to love her, at least that is what it seems to say. How else could you interpret that? They aren't so literal as a hug, but it seems like love is strongly implied."
"What about the hammer?" Aedra asks.
"I don't know, but that looked like a Paladins hammer to me." Aliana replies, and steps back from Aedra to grab his full attention to her next words. "Kira is special, obviously, but her purpose here must be of great importance, to have multiple visions of her like this can only mean that she is key to the safety of this world. Or at least this continent."
"I won't deny that I feel a pull to her every time I glance at her. I couldn't make eye contact with her in the meeting. I felt that death more than she did if our reactions are anything to go by." Aedra said.
"Well judging from your reaction to it, obviously this bond while still early, is going to grow to be something strong. I am going to be a part of it." Aliana's stern finish was a declaration of her will. Aliana knew that she would love Kira one day, just as much as she loved the Captain.
Aliana's visions did not come often, in fact, she has only had 6 within the last few years and 2 of them were the ones about Kira. They did not come often, but they were 100% accurate. Aliana knew that she would share her heart with Kira, Aedra, and one more, or risk losing everything. Oddly enough it didn't feel like a forced shackle, it felt like a warm opportunity for love.
----------------------------------------------------
After arriving back at the Guild Hall, I walked with Shirina, Draed, and the floating stretcher, holding our unconscious orc shaman, to the Guild Infirmary. After checking in all of her supplies from my storage to her locker, I went to my room to change and get ready for some midnight dinner.
It was closer to 11:30 when I made it down from my room to find most of the Squad already eating together. Shirina was probably still down in the Infirmary, and the Captain and Aliana must have gone to find the Guild Masters.
Ellestrae was sitting next to Aethena and as she saw me enter the Squad dining room, she said, "Come Kira, I saved you a spot." She has a regal smile on and it is clear she intends to ignore the conversation we had earlier. It is for the best I imagine.
"Thanks." I sat down in the chair with a cute sundress on, and leggings underneath, I was very comfortable. I just need some slippers to keep my toes warm. I was not about to wear any boots, so sandals it was.
I received nods from Dorrin, Aethena, and even Draed graced me with a grunt.
"Glad you are alright." Draeds voice splits the quiet after I sat down. "You can sure take hit, that I'll say." He chuckles and everyone nods, even Taezed who is quiet as always.
"Yeah, no kidding, not to mention she just got up and started helping to get the girl off the machine. Like how are you not just rolling on the ground in pain after that? Or in shock at least?" Dorris responds.
"Cause she's tough." Aethenas cold voice said, drawing looks from everyone, I just smiled while being surprised. She didn't look at me, but to receive a compliment from the Ice Queen has got to be an accomplishment.
"Hehehe." Draeds rumbling chuckle is so fun to listen to, it resonates throughout the room, creating some interesting acoustics. "Well, next time try not to get yourself killed, the Captain about lost his shit tonight."
"Yeah, but I say, if it makes the Captain kill everything in one hit like that, please do get killed more often." Dorris says with a crooked smile. "OW! What was that for?" He glared at Aethena.
Aethena was just sitting there smirking, "Don't be a dick, Dorr." After clearly sending a swift kick under the table.
Ellestrae cleared her throat disdainfully, "Yes....please do NOT, get killed again Kira, it would be too much for our dear Captain to handle." Even though the revelation of my death count earlier seemed to stop her in her tracks, she does not let it show in her serene expression. I know she cares though, I can see it in her eyes.
"I will do my best, but I am a Guardian." I replied, while putting emphasis on the "G", it is my title after all.
I helped myself to some dinner, including some of my favorite Canto juice. The stir-fry was delicious, and I couldn't even begin to know what it was in it, but it was definitely served on rice.
I made it to my room and once again squirmed in the sheets until I drifted off to sleep... I cannot sleep with clothes on.
---------------------------------------
I had my ghost wake me up early again, and was not surprised to find the Captain and Aethena making their way around the sparring room in a quick jog. I immediately joined them for a workout.
This time we had a three person sparring session for about an hour before the rest of our squad showed up.
Taezed was first, and I suspected that Shirina was at the infirmary still caring for her orc patient. Draed, Dorris, and Aethena arrived next with Ellestrae not too far behind.
The squad did another standard warm up and sparring session under Draeds guidance. I am really starting to get better at single combat sword fighting...well just sword fighting in general.
I made my way to the Infirmary to see if the Orc woman was up and found that there was a few people already there, my ghost was at my shoulder.
Guild Master Liadri was standing with her back to me, blocking my view of the Orc as I approached, but I still saw a green arm moving. She was awake.
Captain Aedra was standing next to her with Aliana at the foot of the bed. Shirina was on the other side of the bed with Draeds huge form some how packed in the corner. Shirina smiled at me when she sees me.
I heard the Orcs silky deep voice, it was like that of a seductress, smooth and rich. It was deeply feminine, and gave me the chills as I heard it.
"....then woke up and was strapped to the machine, with a horrible pain in my chest. It felt like they were sucking my very life force out of my chest at first. Then something...horrible happened and it felt like there was a straight connection to the divine powers of the Willful. In other words, the machine seemed to turn me into a conduit for it, the power flowed through me in surges." The orc womans slow strong voice flowed.
She did a double take when I stepped up next to the Captain and Aliana, and her mouth fell open. "What are you?" She asks with an adorable amount of curiosity, as she looked between me and my ghost.
"This is Kira, and I am her Ghost, it is a pleasure to meet you. Oh and shes an Awokened Human." My ghost answers and I smile and nod.
The Captain interjected, "She is a human, from another world, She just joined the 3rd Squad and.....she....was there when we found you." The Captain does not like my ghost, I understand though.
The orcs perfect eyebrow was raised, and she had a slight smirk taking over her confused face as she said, "Hello Kira and your.....ghost, I am Kylvia of the Willful, it is an honor to meet you."
I nodded and my Ghost asked, "Are you doing better now that you are off of that machine?"
The Captain looks at me with and eyebrow raised, I wonder if it is because I am quiet again, but I honestly couldn't help but talk when they were worried about me dying.
He looked over to Aliana and shook his head slightly.
"I am still weak, but the healing magic Lady Shirina has been using has been amazing." Kylvia's voice purrs.
"Please, call me Shirina, no need for this lady nonsense." Her motherly tone peaking out, I swear that woman needs kids...there is no way she won't be a great mother.
Kylvia smiled at Shirina then turned as I asked another question.
"Kylvia, how did they capture you, if you don't mind speaking on it?" My Ghost asks.
A frown crossed her face, and she looked down, "My guild....we were camping out on a retreat. It wasn't even a mission, we were having fun after a successful one. My entire guild was there when they attacked. Had to be 50 ogres and and an unknown number of mages and archers."
"I was sitting at the campfire, when I was hit with three arrows in quick succession, and all of us were down within seconds. They walked through, grabbed me and the other shaman, and priest that my guild had. Shaelia, she was my best friend, we went through the shaman training together, and Nymeli, our priestes of the Willful, she was so wise. We were all healed and then paralyzed, with some drug." Kylvia continued.
"I was at the base of the machine when they took Nymeli, I heard her screaming and I still couldn't move. It eventually stopped, and they took Shaelia next...I will never forget the sound of her screams. When they took me to the machine I saw her body, and it was shriveled to dust. They stabbed the soul sucking tube into my chest and I blacked out." Kylvia finished, she had tears running down her face.
"Oh my..." Shirina says, before embracing her. Draed was staring at Kylvia with a look of horror.
"I am so sorry dear, are you sure there is no one left in your guild?" Guild Master Liadri asks, she has up until now been content with remaining silent, I almost forgot that she was here.
Kylvia shook her head in the negative. "There was only 18 of us, we..were all there. They are not.....My guild doesn't exist anymore." I took her some time to get through that sentence, but she was saying it to accept it herself.
"I am sorry, we will take you anywhere you need to go, however, if you need or want to, I would like to invite you to the Lunar Pact. I know we are a large guild, but Captain Aedra's squad here is very tight knit. They are all a family, and I would like to offer you our support for as long as you need it." Liadri says.
I was surprised that she offered the guild membership that fast, not because it was quick, but more because she just lost her whole guild.
"I would like to stay here for now if that is okay? I do not wish to return to my clan, it would be, disappointing." Kylvia said.
Draeds booming voice startled all of us, "Well, I know I would love to welcome you into Squad 3, our Captain isn't the best, but he cares about us." He chuckles with the Captain raising an eyebrow at him.
Draed has a crush on a certain shaman it seems, if the redness of his normally grey skin is any indication.
Kylvia laughed slighlty while discretely checking out Draed...there might be some interest there.
Finally the Captain speaks up, "Well, Kylvia, we would love to have you. We work hard in our Squad, every day, so if that sounds like something you are interested in, then let me know. Either way, Shirina her will take care of you and if you need anything else, you have only to ask."
As we were heading out the Captain roughly calls my name, "Kira. Can I have a word?"
I was concerned with how he said it but agreed. He was rather worked up it seems.
"Listen, I know you are used to.....well, dying, but I am not. When he hit you, my heart fell, I don't want to ever see that again." He said shakily. I guess my death affects everyone, even if it is temporary.
I went to raise my left hand to bring forth my now hidden ghost again, and he caught my wrist and looked me dead in the eye and shakes his head, I guess he wants to hear my thoughts on it.
"It wasn't on purpose, and I certainly didn't want it to happen." I said, sort of confused.
"I know, I know....I don't want to hold you back, and I don't want to put you on the front lines. But I will say this. I will go with you, lets fight together from now on, okay?" He askes with desperation. It almost didn't make sense, but it seemed that he was saying that he accepts me for who I am, it feels interesting to say the least.
I giggled and said, "That's fine with me, but I will still fight like I always do. I don't have any other way." I smiled at him.
He smiled back and before I could respond, he grabbed me into a hug. I felt small in the Captains arms, which was comforting. I put my arms slowly around him and melted in his clutches. I wasn't sure how long we were there but he finally let me go, and I was more or less out of breath afterward.
Engage blushing blueberry mode, I was not expecting that to feel so good.
"I..well, I hope to see you for dinner, I will be gone for the rest of the day, so...see you then!" Aedra declares before heading out.
"Sounds good." I awkwardly reply to his retreating form.