The Split Sun and The Mechanical Moon

Chapter Twenty: Envious Blade

That night, I didn't dream. Instead, I heard the voice of someone call out to me. A voice of a man or woman calling out to me. A flurry of voices, incomprehensible and gargled voices that had no body. It was hard to sleep, but I managed. When I woke up that morning, my home was empty. Vee was still sleeping in that chest, and William quickly spoke to me from inside my head.

"We should get to work."

And that's exactly what we did, over the course of the next week we started to spy on Middle Earth for any clues on where our first target could be. Vex is a woman who doesn't hide herself, with her personality being Envy, she is more focused on things that she doesn't have rather than protecting what she has now. We tracked her down to a place underground in the first district, speaking of which, Promises reign of The First District is still going strong. Promise still has control over the area, her rioters now forming a coalition. She's keeping to herself, but it won't be long until she spreads her ways. 

I woke up Vee, and started to gather our things. Vee's eyes were still a pure blue, his innocent self staying silent. William walked around with me, invisible to Vee as I took a sidearm Brandon left behind for me. With Nico's and Ki's blade at the ready, I took Vee to my car and sped away from the 21st. Vee sat in the back, his head against the glass as he looked out. He seemed empty, like the life has been stripped from him. William put his feet on the dash like always, bopping his head to music that I couldn't hear. The drive would be a bit long, but with the absence of traffic in the underground the trip wouldn't take that long. William spoke to me, a grin growing on his face.

"You sure are eager to fight Vex, is there a reason?"

I glanced, tightening my grip on the wheel.

"I just want things to go back to normal, I want my whole family back. Promise, Vee, Hawkins, everyone. I want these people to see The Sun again..."

"Ah... leave it to Hawkins sun to return light to a dark earth."

I smiled, William knew everything didn't he?

"Dan... death and despair awaits you, and I think you know that. You are not strong enough, if you put your guard down for one second Vex will tear you apart. This world is not full of fantasy and wonder, and neither is the world outside Erun. You're already giving Middle Earth the sun, your hope-"

"THATS NOT HOPE!"

The car jerked a bit, William looking over to me as my I gritted my teeth and started to slow the car.

"I'm not giving anyone any hope, all I've been doing is doing the same thing I've been doing my whole life!"

I now bared my teeth, my eyes getting smaller.

"I lose my family, I get them back, I lose them again.... CYCLE CYCLE!! ITS ALL A CYCLE!!"

I yelled out, William jumped at me and took the wheel. The car nearly flipping over, I regained myself and drove the rest of the way silent.

When we arrived, I told Vee to wait in the car. William and I approached a door in the cement walls of the underground with my sidearm drawn. We kicked down the door, looking inside it was empty... completely abandoned. William and I started to look around, and he warned me not to touch anything. It was dusty, burnt down, and littered with broken objects. I continued to search the empty rooms, until I heard someone crying. Without telling William first, I ran over to where I heard it from. In an abandoned bedroom, I saw a girl crying in the corner of the room. She looked to me, her face having burn scars. She was wearing what looked to be a scholars uniform, she looked around in a panic. She got up and fled underneath a pile of wood. I walked over, not hearing her anymore I started to dig through the rubble... and eventually found where she went. Underneath the pile of wood was a compartment in the floorboards, and when I cleared out the rest of the pile I found a strange weapon. It was a golden battle axe, dried blood on its blade and a strange black goop pulsating near its back. It was massive, about as tall as me if not taller. The axe called to me, like a voice in the fog. I reached out my hand, and picked up the axe. I held it before me with both hands, the black goop congregated into one mass near my eyes. A swirling faded eye glowed at me, before the black goop went back to the base of the axe and remained there.