Survivors Ch.1: Return

Table of Contents https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/229522482/0/0 We survived. I mull that phrase over in my head as I march through the thick underbrush. I take it upon myself to always worry about what could happen. People have been saying "we survived" for decades now. Pretending that we don't have to be scared anymore. "We are surviving" would be a more accurate thing to say, in my opinion. The Darkness is still out there. We should be terrified. But that's less encouraging, so I don't argue. It could be worse. We could all be dead. There could be no safe place left in the solar system. But we have created a safe place. A branch snaps, and I pull my attention back to my surroundings. Looking to my right, my eyes meet the four eyes of an Eliksni, standing quietly a few yards away. It has all four arms and a decent amount of armor, indicating that it's a Vandal. A light blue cloak is draped over its shoulders, marked with the white tree of the House of Winter. It's shock rifle is held at the ready. We stare at each other for endless seconds before it nods slowly. I raise my rifle and we continue forward carefully, hoping nothing dangerous slipped past the scouts. Other figures move with us, all spread out and armed, but sweeping forward in unison. The ships can't always spot travelers or hidden settlements, so parties like ours are sent to travel on foot for days or weeks. I'm in the skirmish line, a large circle formed by me and my fellow Exos, some of Winter's finest Eliksni, and the occasional human. Scouts patrol around us, and each one is numbered. They call out their numbers in a constant loop to assure that they haven't seen anything or been killed. The main body is inside our ring, comprised of the few travelers and the villagers who had been lucky enough to encounter us, and protected by more soldiers of all three races. All the warriors have been unnecessary so far. As far as we know, none of our enemies have set foot on Earth since the Collapse. But it makes the people we find feel protected. And there are still Warlords dug into some areas, so the extra care doesn't hurt. And we want to be ready if our enemies decide to return. I move effortlessly through the foliage, glad that Exos were made to tirelessly persist in the most extreme environments. Our group has been scouting for weeks, and we're nearly home. "Home" is our safe place. We call it the City. Rumors of its existence have been spreading for a long time, and everyone we encounter has heard of it by now. The scouts' endless cycle of numbers is interrupted when someone calls, "Hold up, guys." We all stop and raise our weapons. It's been centuries, but the fear of the agents of the Darkness is still strong. Half a minute passes, though it seems like eternity, and someone announces, "House Devils. I've got a Captain here; says to form up immediately. There's a little under a kilometer left and we're rushing it." Understanding that there must be a serious reason for the urgency, we move quickly. The main body moves forward while the scouts and skirmishers compact into them. We practice for scenarios like this, and the strongest in the group move to the middle to carry those who won't be able to keep up. I pick up a small boy and girl, lifting them effortlessly, and others carry more children and the elderly. Some comfort the civilians, explaining that we're just trying to move fast and everything's fine. Eliksni from the House of Devils surround us and set a fast pace to the City. We weave through trees and skirt around larger obstacles, but stay close together. The Devil Captain had been given a comm and she briefs us on the situation, hissing and clicking in the Eliksni tongue, [i]"Eight days ago, patrols in the Cosmodrome found Hive burrowing into the area."[/i] The report is short and simple, but multiple escort members stumble in shock at the mention of the Hive. "In the Cosmodrome?" Someone questions, fear sinking into his voice, "Anywhere else?" "No," the Captain answers in English, "But can't be too careful. Stopped sending searches for civilians." Everyone stayed silent after that. Within minutes, we break out of the tree line. In front of us sits one of the most saddening yet uplifting things I've ever seen. Or remember seeing, anyway. A massive clearing stretches out before us, with a mountain range creating natural barriers around the distant edges. The remains of the Traveler lay scattered across the expanse, varying in size from boulders to large hills. The Traveler once shone white, but its broken pieces now appear to be nothing but dull and rusted metal covered in moss and vines. But this grave is also a sanctuary. A massive wall stretches around the expanse, protecting the City within. Buildings can be seen peeking over the top, along with some of the larger chunks of the Traveler that were enclosed when the Wall was made. A massive tower stands at the far end of the City, with its back to the mountains, ingrained with the Wall. It is by far the largest structure in the City, and overlooks everything. We call it the Tower, of course. We like simple names. The City, the Wall, the Tower. It makes it easy to tell what everything is. Self explanatory. As we run across the clearing between the Wall and the forest edge, I take in the scene. The Wall is lined with massive restored Golden Age cannons and the occasional tower. Sentries can be seen atop it, but there's more than usual, and some of the Eliksni's Walkers are positioned along the base of the Wall. Squadrons of Skiffs fly in and out of the City, no doubt searching for Hive activity and warning other parties. What really worries me are the ten Ketches hovering over the City, silent and imposing. Banners of the Wolves, Kings, Devils, and Winter decorate the craft. So many Ketches from all the Houses can only mean that the Eliksni leaders are here. They'll be meeting to decide what we'll do, which means I'll be late. A Walker clambers to the side as we reach the open gates, and the soldiers have to urge the civilians to move into the awe-inspiring City. I pass the two children to a Vandal, who cradles them as he moves through the gate. I can see the bewilderment on their faces. They hadn't even seen Eliksni before meeting us, and now they were not only in one's arms, but also being carried into the City they'd heard of all their lives. It was a lot to take in. I drop back out of the group, along with a Captain, two Vandals, and a man. We quietly fall in line with the Devils, who are watching the forest as we retreat into safety. Nothing moves in the trees, and the Walker and sentries shift back into place as we round the corner onto the first street. The Devil Captain leads her crew away, leaving us next to our group, who are organizing the civilians. "Keis," the man says, "I think you should get to the Tower."