Bab 86: Templar's Well

A/N: Enjoy chap

Kabr entered the harrowing dark descent into the Vault. An innocuous silence washed over him. He looked over his shoulder, Pahanin and Praedyth were on his tail.

The three trekked along the cobbled path clinging to the caverns walls, spiraling deeper into the pit of luminescent radiolaria fluid.

Leaping towards stone platforms and jumping across the marbled bridge, the trio came upon a cliff. Beneath it was an abyss, yet they knew there was no other way forward.

Kabr leapt, and so did the others.

They fell, and fell. Until the wind no longer sang its melodies in their ears, till the sunlight was nothing more than a puddle in the dark ocean, and until they could fall no more.

It was a piercing darkness, but then Kabr saw it, brief solace consoled his heart in the single ray of light lingering on the mossy cavern rock nearing his feet. The descent was over.

The three came to a gentle stop atop the hillside. An amalgamate of coarse stone and purple moss. Peering down, all Kabr could see was an abyss. His eyes couldn't pierce the thick veil of fog hanging over them.

Praedyth sat beside him, muttering a few spells, he wished to unravel the nature of the veil. Yet his light seemed weak. The forlorn abyss held an oppressive curtain over its secrets, unwilling to even gift a glance.

Prowling about the hillside, Pahanin heard something, It wasn't a song nor a melody. Not a scream, nor a whisper. Subtle and rhythmic, yet distinct and clear.

'A river'

He caressed the mud as it crumbled between his fingers, clumping into mounds of soil. His gaze fell towards the abyss. Pahanin shifted towards the edge, keenly observing his reflection.

A subtle ripple ran through the darkness, Pahanin's eyes narrowed.

"It's a creak. A channel flows from the surface, merging into the Cavern here."

Praedyth followed the hunters gaze, he flicked his finger, a wisp of light shot towards the abyss, illuminating the floor.

They three saw as a river carrying turbid water gathered from crevices of rock, squeezing through, it flowed infinitely, like time , undeterred and always in a single channel.

Yet when it licked the Cavern's shore, the river disappeared, tamed to a calm puddle, as if it had never existed.

The nature of the vault was paradoxical, yet it existed. Right at the brink of time and the edge of its fabric. Perhaps none but the Vex had realized its true nature.

Kabr surveyed the waters, deeming them safe. He couldn't see past the fog, but the river flowed indiscriminately. Almost beckoning him to follow. The titan braced his back to the mossy cavern.

"Let's go."

Instantly, his feet dug into ground as he launched himself across the abyss, leaping through the air, Kabr's thrusters burst, blasting him towards the shore, the titan dug his feet into the gravel as he slid to a stop.

Beside him, light scattered, Pahanin emerged from within, carrying an umbral streak in his stride. Praedyth was but a step behind, blinking across with ease.

Faced with the fog, Kabr held out his hand, piercing the mist curtain.

"The fog is thin." He assessed and stepped across.

To Pahanin and Praedyth, Kabr had disappeared from sight, but the presence of his aura said otherwise. The two shared a quick glance, following the titan inside.

Passing through the mist veil was freeing. Pahanin couldn't describe it, at best it felt like he'd snapped off all the chains that tied him down, yet at the same time, his existence felt fleeting.

As if he was but a leaf in the air, gliding through fierce winds.

His heart quickened, Pahanin shivered, an icy jolt ran down his spine.

Praedyth seemed to scuttle ahead, over the edge, he laid his eyes on the Radiolaria well, situated between two high walls that stretched to the sky, a crevice carved through stone.

Suddenly, the warlock seemed to shiver his body went limp as he almost fell over.

Pahanin instinctively grabbed on to the warlock's robe, "What was that?"

Praedyth was aghast, his eyes quivered, subconsciously his figure was covered in a thin film of light. Dread sprouted in his mind as he ignored everything around him, his powers flared.

Kabr noticed, immediately he patted the Warlock's shoulder and pulled him back, "You ok?"

The warlock panted, cold sweat on his brows, he stammered before finding himself staring at Kabr's face.

The hunter's heart seemed to sink deeper into his chest. Kabr repeated the question, urging him to answer.

"What was it? Did you see something." He grasped Praedyth by the shoulders, holding the warlock firmly.

Shaking himself out of his trance, Praedyth held his head in pain. His vision of what he just saw seemed to fizzle out. Had he not used his spells to counteract and control the damage, Praedyth felt as if his entire mind would be left blank.

"....I saw a Vex mind. I was fighting it, no we were. I....it's a memory, but we've never been here before."

The fireteam was perplexed. Kabr and Pahanin were speechless. No guardian had ever heard of a Vex capable of altering memories. The air seemed to grow heavier.

Perhaps realizing the finality of their choices, the trio had embraced their bold approach.

Looking ahead, Pahanin could only see a maze. Odd elevations of rock and a myriad of trails. Yet now he knew, that a dangerous predator prowled it listlessly.

"It seemed odd." Praedyth rebuilt his recollection of the battle, trying his best to describe it

"Glowing in the dark, and at its core....oblivion and emptiness. Beyond that wall." The Warlock hissed.

Kabr jotted the features in his memory, thinking of a way to dismantle the new enemy.

"What happened to us?" Pahanin chimed in, he nudged a pebble across the edge, it fell over but no sound seemed to echo.

"I...did not see."

Pahanin furled his brows. The warlocks were in tune with the mystic powers of the world. It was ominous for such a vision to arrive.

Kabr contemplated, his eyes traced the path they had taken. They had come far, too far to back down. He looked ahead towards the well. Across the cliff edge was the elevated platform, and within it a well of Radiolaria that shimmered brightly.

"Have you foreseen our failure?" Kabr asked, facing the glow.

Praedyth hesitated as he searched his memory. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall the full vision, only tidbits remained.

"...No, there is no such memory left behind, after a time only emptiness remains."

Kabr resolved himself as he faced the well, he was certain that it was his calling.

"Then let us face our fate."

With those words, the titan walked into the gates of the Templar's well. The shimmering glow seemed to scatter. Beyond the illusory glow a set of steps led towards the center of the well.

Kabr, accompanied with Praedyth and Pahanin walked over to one of the four platforms connected with the center.

As the trio of guardians set foot inside, the walls seemed to shiver. A river of Radiolaria beneath their feet, the guardians felt a surge of Vex activity.

When a familiar crimson glow flickered at the edges of the platforms, a legion of Vex poured towards them in hordes.

Just as the Warlock had foreseen earlier, at the Center, the Vex mind tore through space and showed itself. The master of the well, the Templar had arrived.

The guardians armed themselves, their immense aura flushed the room, as if taunting the Templar in his own home.

Kabr's eyes fell on the Vex mind's core, yet it seemed shielded by an invisible force.

Feeling their threat exceed the expected level, the Templar roared, and the Vex responded. Minotaurs, hobgoblins and Wyerns rushed towards the fireteam.

Preadyth surged with power as he released a rift of fog between them and the Vex, Pahanin's apparitions multiplied each taking a stance. At the center of it all, Kabr aimed to rip the Vex mind to pieces.

War had begun.

Yet what no one noticed was the Templar's machinations. At the corner of a platform, between the chaos, a single oracle had appeared, singing a fatal melody, and the countdown had begun.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed chapter. The research took a while ngl. Anyway, do leave a review and comment! Thanks.