Light: Exploits, Book II.

Part 5. Dark Without. Light Within.

I was down at the bottom of the valley. looking up, I saw the clouds whip dust and dirt in the air.
It was quiet like a tomb on the valley bed. It was dry, and very very cold.
Ghost, are you picking up anything. I say as I look around, seeing more caves and holes along the walls.
Hmm... Still something. No idea what, It says confidently.
The wind kicked up my coat.
Guardian.... I heard a voice carry softly under the wind.
I turned sharply, expecting to see a terrible creature of darkness.
There was nothing. Absolutely nothing before me.
What... Ghost are you sure you aren't hearing anything? I ask almost worried.
No Guardian... But I know we aren't alone down here, It says.
I shakily turn toward my elusive objective, wrapping my robe around me.
I slowly walk forward. My walk was shaky. I felt fear beyond fear down here.
Huuuuuu... I breathed softly. It was so cold down here.
Guardian... The voice called again.
What?! I shout.
Nothing. Near silence. Only the wind.
I was being reminded of my earlier days. When I would wander the City, hearing voices.
They called me crazy. They laughed and scoffed at me.
I'm not crazy, I say softly as I continue forward.
I walked forward a little more, before I saw two figures shaping in the darkness.
One was large; thick and broad. It looked strong and powerful.
The other was small; slender and quick. It looked not as strong, but crafty and dangerous.
I gritted my teeth. Blossoming a Nova Bomb.
Creatures of the Dark! I shout. By Light! Begone! I say hurling my Nova Bomb at them.
The Large One opens a wall around the two of them; and charges through it.
It tackles me and takes me by my lapels and screams GUARDIAN!!!!!!
In an instant, I'm snapped back to what I assume is reality.
Priest is holding me by my coat, pinning me to the ground, fists glowing purple with Void Light.
Farah is back, her hands silver, ready for her knife.
Priest... I whisper.
He looks at me; I couldn't say what his face was beyond his helmet, but I think he felt sorry for me.
Warlocks... Are sensitive to Hiven magics, aren't they? He says standing up, offering me his hand.
Yes, I say softly, taking his hand. And it's powerful here. I... I start.
We... Must rest. Regain our Light, I say.
How? He asks. The Traveller is too far away, he says.
True, I say walking forward. But there are other ways. And standing in this storm isn't helping. Ghost, I say holding it. Find me a viable Light Point.
It nods and flies off.
A what? Priest asks.
Patience, my friend, I say reassuring.
He grunts softly as I continue on, following the light of my Ghost.
Got it, it says confidently.
We were in a small cave, out of the whipping wind. It was almost pleasant and comfortable.
Farah, can you get us a fire? I ask.
Maybe, gimme a sec, she says getting to work.
Priest, I say standing over the spot my Ghost found. Dig, I say pointing.
What? He says. Fuck you think I am?
I sigh softly, Priest, please, just a few feet, you can punch the hole if you want, I say looking around the cave.
Oh well why didn't you say that. He says gleefully.
I hear the thud as he punches the ground, forming a nice mold around his arm.
Fire's up, Farah says over a gently popping fire.
Hole's dug, Priest says confidently.
Good, I say slipping off my gloves.
Now, I need you two to do one more thing. I say approaching the hole and holding my hand over it.
Pour your Light. I say.
'Scuse me? Farah asks.
Not a lot, just... Enough, I say. Trust me.
She sighs and stands up next to Priest and I and we hold our hands over the hole.
Light takes physical form, and drops from our hands like water.
Thick, heavy water. But it was our very essence. Our Life. Our most precious resource. Our most powerful weapon.
That's enough, I say as the hole almost fills.
We all withdraw our hands.
I point to the fire Farah built. I lift it; telekinesis makes this a breeze by the way.
I place it over the little pool of Light.
I "reach" down into the hole, and slowly lift up the Light to the fire.
It fizzles and pops, but eventually the fire turns into the Light.
Farah awes and Priest sits down, lost in my motions and movements.
I take the now roaring fire of Light, and mold my hands around it with my mind.
I close my eyes and call to the Traveller. To Eris.
Connect me to the Light my friend. I whisper.
I open my eyes, and take my hands, and slowly draw one hand up.
Half of the fire claws up, etching a thousand tiny fingers of Light in the air.
I do the same to the other side. Drawing the same way. The same thousand tiny fingers etching and clawing out.
I stand before my creation. A Tree of Light.
Of The Traveller's Light.
We were bathed in its glory.
Being healed. Slowly. But surely.
How... How did you do that... Priest says in awe.
Trick Lady Rei taught me, I say backing up slowly, admiring my work.
She taught me to use my hands over any other tool, I say sitting down. And that anything can be anything else. All it takes is time to make it so, I say softly, slipping off my helmet.
You had to do this before? Priest asks.
Never for anyone besides me, I say without looking at him.
Well, it's pretty amazing. How is it even possible? Farah awes.
It takes fantastic focus; unfathomable precision; a lot of semantics and variables, I say. But really it only takes determined, gentle hands. I say softly.
I remember trees, Priest says softly.
Really? I say turning to him.
Were there a lot? Farah asks.
He smirks and chucked.
Yeah. Millions of em, he says longingly. The most beautiful shade of green. Or orange, or brown, or red, he says softly.
He balls dirt in his hand; I could hear it crunch.
We lost far more than lives during the Collapse... He says softly.
Here here... I whisper softly, remembering Rei and what she said about me.
Maybe one day, we'll finally win, Farah said softly. And still be Guardians. We could go anywhere... Do anything. Because we wanted to. Not bound by duty anymore, she said dreamily.
The Darkness was guilty of taking something from all of us.
Every Guardian owed it something.
It killed us all once.
For some of us, it was swift. A simple wash of flame.
Others, like Eriana-3...
Transformed into her own worst nightmare.
And some like Eris Morn.
Robbed of her Light. Her Life.
Forced to watch her brothers and sisters throw themselves away all over again.
I looked up, and I saw Rei almost. A ghostly visage, her sitting right across from me.
Eris was standing against the wall.
Remember their names. Honor their sacrifices. Eris' words echoed in my head.