Guardian(Part IV): Revelation

Chapter 24: Morgan

Maddy, Ser Gabriel, and I followed the convoy from sunset to midnight, staying at a distance where we wouldn't be felt by any Shadows or ECHOs. I had all three of us aura cloaked to avoid visual detection, even as we followed for hours after the sun went down. We must have followed the vehicles halfway across Chardan for long enough that the sun was rising!

"They can't be going much further," I hoped. "I'm so tired."

"Our current mission time is twenty-five hours as of now," Maddy reported.

"Gods, really?" I groaned.

"What's a few more hours, Captain Faye?" Ser Gabriel wondered. "We're on a mission."

"Who do you think this scientist is?" I wondered. "And how would we know him when we saw him?"

"Doctor Malchion always wore a white lab coat every time I saw him," Maddy guessed. "Perhaps our extraction target is wearing something similar."

"Maybe," I agreed.

The sun was a little higher when we saw something that the convoy could have been what the vehicles were heading for. It was the ruins of a city, but not one I had seen before.

"Which city is that?" I wondered.

"Exalorin," Ser Gabriel answered. "One of the oldest cities in Chardan. And one of the first to be hit when the Abyss started seeping into Zenartha."

"Records show that it suffered some of the most severe destruction," said Maddy. "A likely hideout for bandits and pillagers."

"Or a good place to hold a designer of War Machines," I added. "We'll have to act fast. I'll go in."

"Alone?" asked Ser Gabriel.

"I can cloak myself," I reminded. "And I don't make as much noise as you. I'll be in and out, quickly, with the target."

"In that case, we'll secure an extraction site," Ser Gabriel declared. "Good luck, Guardian."

He walked off to find a suitable site to take our objective away from Exalorin, and I was about to move in when my hand was suddenly grabbed. It was Maddy's hand stopping me.

"Be careful," she begged. "You're going in by yourself."

"I have to," I reminded. "Someone's life is in danger."

"And if Sierra or Tereza are in there?" asked Maddy. "Or someone worse?"

"Who could be worse?" I asked, then I realized exactly who she was talking about. "Oh. Him. What are the odds he's here?"

"If they're good enough for you to risk your life, I won't object," Maddy assured. "But if you have any doubts, Morgan... Don't go in by yourself."

"I'll be careful," I promised, grabbing both of Maddy's hands. "You know that."

"I'm concerned is all," said Maddy. "But if you need me or Ser Gabriel, call one of us."

"Got it," I assured. "I'll be back. I'll go completely unnoticed. Unless I'm carrying a possibly injured scientist on my back. I'm about to find out. Wish me luck?"

"Good luck," Maddy wished. I let go of her hands. I understood her concern. After Fireteam Pegasus split up, I spent all of my time in Valedon, with Dad and Connor. This was my first time creeping into a place completely alone. I had no choice, though. Someone's life was in danger, and it was my job to get him out of there.

There were two CDMs in front of the city gates, both with their machine gun turrets swiveling in every direction in front of the ruins. Cannons were on the walls, along with patrols of Turned. I had no doubt that the CDMs were equipped with thermal sensors, so trying to get past them while I was cloaked wouldn't work. I may have had to scale the walls, since they may have had warding against my powers. I formed my seax-shaped aura blade, then stabbed it into the wall and repeatedly pulled myself up to climb it. Once I was below the top, I aura cloaked myself and hurled my way over to the other side, past the warding. I managed to stab my aura blade into the wall of a watchtower. I went to the ground and continued following the convoy while I was aura cloaked. The tanks in the front and back of the convoy dispersed, but the trucks kept going forward, towards the center of the ruins. The city's palace. I ducked stayed aura cloaked, but still kept under every single Turned's eyes.