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consiwrites · 1 year ago

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Art Credit: Noah Thompson (https://nthompson.artstation.com)

Yay! I got more of this edited to a point where I’m happy with it. I also decided to make it part of the prologue so i need to write a transition for this part and the first part when i put it together. This took forever but I don’t want to rush on anything, i want characters i think would be curious ask about things since it is two very different worlds interacting with each other. Oh my god though, I am really wanting to just skip a lot of the little world building to write the parts I really wanna write. I have started those but I want to get the important beginnings of the whole story set up properly. Once again, thank you for reading, even if it’s just a little bit. I really just love sticking my ocs into other places out of their comfort zones even when i think i may write characters a bit ooc.

Story under the cut!

Prologue part 2:

Consi sat bundled up in his coat on the couch, staring down Nyx. A ghost it called itself. He knew he was in another world, he couldn’t rationally explain any of the creatures here. The only thing that looked even close to something similar back home was the human that looked like a hyur. Devrim Kay, the ghost called him.

Devrim stared Consi down as the ghost described how he had shown up in Maevic Square while it was searching for its future guardian. Consi wasn’t all too sure what happened in the haze of waking up and having to run when the howl of creatures sounded off. The ghost had called them Eliksni. Devrim was concerned. “Neither of you got injuries?” Devrim asked, looking over the ghost and Consi.

“The ghost…” Consi had to pause for a moment to remember the machine’s species. If it was even a species. “It got hit near its eye. It’s been flashing colors but otherwise we are okay.” Consi explained unsure of what was going to happen to him but Devrim wasn’t disturbed by his presence or how he looked. Not even his eyepatch unnerved him like it had others back home. Maybe there were other miqo’tes? He doubted it. He was hurt as well but compared to the ghost, he was just sore and probably bruised very badly at his neck and upper back. Maybe a mild concussion. He wasn’t sure. He still had the aetherical shield when he hit the pillar and blacked out.

“My optics got damaged but I am alright. I just cannot scan or send calls at the moment. Can you call for Ikora? She will understand what to do.” Nyx suggested to Devrim who nodded. Consi pulled his jacket closer to him. He didn’t like this but Devrim nor the ghost tried to hurt him so this had to be his safest bet. Nyx had lead him to what seemed to be safety. He listened as Devrim called Ikora on a device he didn’t recognize informing her of the situation.

Minutes went by in silence. Consi was exhausted from the ordeal. Being shot at was never fun and he was lucky none of the Eliksni could aim. Consi settled more into his spot on the couch, curling up against the arm of the couch. Devrim kept up his silent vigil in his church. The ghost hovered between them, bobbing up and down to entertain itself. Consi was wondering why it was still even here. Wasn’t it searching for someone?

Fu-wump!

Consi startled as a strange sound filled the church. He couldn’t tell what it was but from the chuckle coming from Devrim he knew it was nothing. “Relax. It is someone friendly. Never heard transmats before?” Devrim asked, teasing Consi. Consi shook his head as his tail fluffed up and curled around his legs. He’s never even heard of a transmat. “Ah. Don’t have them back home then I assume. Well don’t you worry. It must be Ikora and her Hidden.”

Both could hear chatter down below them but Consi couldn’t make it out with the sounds of Eliksni outside. The sounds forced Devrim to go back to his vigil while a woman and two people in armored robes came up the steps. Consi locked eyes with them, his ears pressing against his head.

These people were even more saturated in light then his husbands who were Warriors of Light back home. They held more light than the little ghost who guided him here. The woman–Ikora, Consi assumed–matched his gaze before turning to Devrim. “Is this who you were talking about Devrim?” She asked, sounding as stern as she looked.

His tail just wound tighter around him but he kept his hands away from his weapon. Consi couldn’t tell what the other two were thinking. They wore helmets that hid their faces but by their stances Consi could only assume they could sense the dark aether inside of him. He ignored Ikora and Devrim speaking with the little ghost. He kept his gaze on the two soldiers Ikora brought with her. He could see the knives and guns they held on their armor.

“Are you alright?” Consi jumped in his own skin before matching Ikora’s gaze that was now on him. He nodded. “No injuries? The ghost tells me you have had quite the journey.” She inquired calmly. Consi just nodded again, no need to worry about the bruising now. He crossed his arms to keep himself bundled up. She sighed softly. “I apologize if we scared you. We’ve not encountered a situation like this before. Will you come with us? Maybe we can find a way to help you and learn what has happened.” She suggested, holding a hand out to Consi who just stared at it.

Consi swallowed before reaching out, taking her hand. He stood up with her help. “Does anyone know where I am?” He asked hesitantly, unsure of how to go about any of this. “I don’t even know how I got here. I was in my home preparing to go to bed…” Consi started before stopping. He wasn’t even sure what happened. His memories were clear but this was strange even for the standards back home. Those were strange enough!

Nyx tucked itself in the collar of his jacket making him jump before it spoke. “You’re in the EDZ! I am not sure how long you have been out cold for but we’ll help you once I get fixed up. Right Ikora?” Consi saw Ikora nod. Well it helped his nerves but he still felt something may go wrong. “Please relax. I can feel your heart pounding. Ikora won’t hurt you. She’s stern but caring!”

Ikora simply smiled. Consi knew she was just being polite. “Nyx is right. We won’t hurt someone who needs help. We would like to ask a few questions but I can see you need rest. We’ll go about how to solve your problem as soon as you have rested and Nyx is fixed.” Ikora instructed, seeing Consi practically deflate with exhaustion. Consi nodded before both gave their goodbyes while Consi picked up his gunblade.

Consi’s heart skipped a beat when his surroundings suddenly changed. He nearly even dropped his gunblade! He could see he was on a ship above the ruined city. “I probably should have warned you.” He heard Nyx say while Ikora helped him sit down since he had began to sway. Consi kept quiet since it was possible he was dizzy from a concussion. “Transmatting for the first time can be disorienting.”

“Stay sitting and put on your seatbelt. This may be jarring for you. Does your home have space faring ships?” Ikora asked him to help him calm himself while he shakily put the seatbelt on with Nyx’s guidance.

“N-no. Well… There was only one and it got wrecked.” Consi told her. “We aren’t this advanced.” He took a few deep breaths before squeaking as the ship began moving in formation with two others. Consi gazed out the window, his breath taken away. “This… This is your home?”

“Yes. This is Earth. We are currently headed towards where we live. A place known as the Last City.” Ikora explained while her ghost piloted the ship. It took a few hours but soon the city came into view. To say the view was breathtaking would be disrespectful in Consi’s opinion. It was larger than any other city Consi has visited. It almost reminded him of Amaurot with the skyscrapers peeking up from the rest of the buildings inside the walls. “This is where we will be staying. You’ll be with me inside the Tower. It is the main area where guardians like myself and my Hidden reside.”

Consi couldn’t respond but a squeak left him as the ship lurched downwards. He settled down seeing the biggest tower come into view from the cockpit. He could see an area full of other ships while nerves began to take over. Ikora stood up while the ship landed, a cloak roughly his size appearing in her hands. “For now, wear this. I don’t want any trouble to come from our more trouble-making guardians. It’s been a rough few weeks.” She told him, frowning. Consi could tell as it had been daytime over the EDZ. He knew it had only been a short trip. Darkness like this wouldn’t happen that quick.

Consi unbuckled his seatbelt, pulling the cloak on before letting out confused hum as Nyx ducked into his cloak. “I want to stay nearby.” The ghost explained. Consi just left Nyx be.

Following Ikora proved to be difficult while trying to keep the cloak on. Her two Hidden joined them, having landed just a few minutes after. They kept Consi in sight and even helped him not get lost since Ikora was on a mission and moving quickly while Consi was trying to see what he could while following. The Tower was busy. People in armor were everywhere with all sorts of weapons attached to holsters or slung over their shoulders onto their backs.

“Come on, we’ll try to show you around when it is allowed. Ikora sadly has much to do.” The robed Hidden told him after resting a hand on his shoulder. Consi nodded, following both of them. He could feel the stares of a few people around him but paid them no mind so he could keep the hood on without it falling. It was rather uncomfortable for him but their journey across the tower soon led into what seemed to be a military operations base.

Ikora turned to him after they went toward a private room. “You can take your cloak off now. I apologize if that was uncomfortable.” She paused in the middle of the room, gesturing for him to enter the room while the two Hidden left. “We’ll be staying here for a bit. Just so you can rest but before then, may I please have a name?”

Consi’s eyes went wide before he smiled partially at Ikora. “You can call me Consi.” He began, “I didn’t realize I never gave my name to anyone… I’m sorry about that.”

“There is no need to apologize. It’s been a harrowing day for you. Now rest.” Her ghost appeared, creating a small bed though Consi couldn’t make out how her ghost did that. Nyx flew out of his cloak while Consi began to take it off. Ikora continued, “I’ll take Nyx with me to get them repaired. The Hidden outside will be there if you need them. Rest well Consi.” She left with a smile. The door created a small clicking sound as it closed behind her.

Consi set the cloak down on the chair before taking off his more protective coat and armored boots. “What a mess…” He muttered to himself before letting himself flop onto the bed on his side. He was now stuck here in a world so vastly different from his home. He didn’t even know if he was safe. Who were these people? Ikora seemed to be a leader. A frown tugged at his lips. He’ll have to ask or find out for himself. He didn’t want to become a prisoner again.

His eyes began to feel heavy as exhaustion tugged at him again. Rolling onto his side, Consi tugged up the blanket that had been given to him. It was rather comfortable and sleep came rather quickly, his nerves about the situation melting away with each soft breath.

Consi woke to warmth, the weight of a thick blanket, and the sound of a door creaking open. A soft groan left his lips while he slowly sat up, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. His neck was awfully sore, making it a bit difficult to turn his head but he made it work. A voice spoke up, causing Consi to cover his left eye quickly. He could see his eye patch slipped off in his sleep.

“Did we wake you?” Consi heard before focusing in on Ikora standing there while Nyx floated in the air beside her. He shook his head, picking up his eye patch. “Good. It looks like you slept well. We’ve been gone for most of the day.” She informed him while taking a seat in a nearby chair. Consi wrestled himself out of the blankets, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Are you hungry?” Another shake of his head no while he tied his eye patch on, securing it. “Alright.”

Minutes ticked by while Ikora patiently waited for Consi to wake up. He had slept like a rock and it was easy to see that. It didn’t take long for him to shake sleep from his brain and soon met her gaze. “Sorry… I didn’t expect to sleep so hard. How long has it been?” He asked, his ears perking up while Nyx darted over and nuzzling his head.

“You’ve been asleep for ten hours!” Nyx chimed in before Ikora could answer. “I’m all fixed up. Well as best as I could be.” Consi finally noticed the screen that made up Nyx’s ‘eye’ was still glitching out. He frowned but Nyx spun happily. “I don’t mind! As long as I can do everything else, it’ll be good.”

“They didn’t want to take him apart. They were worried it would have damaged his optics more than they already were.” Ikora explained while sitting there patiently with a tablet now in her hands. Another few awkward minutes passed by while Consi stared down Ikora tapping away on her tablet. He could see a blank page being brought up before the tablet disappeared in a shimmer of light. “May I ask that we start with a few questions? Nyx showed me how you appeared in the square, however, I am not sure what you remember or what you are.” Consi simply nodded. “May I know what you are Consi?”

He paused, unsure of how to approach this. His tail curled and flicked while he thought about how to explain what he is. Does he tell her that he’s a miqo’te? Does he explain how he’s fused to the darkness or leave that out for now? Consi shifted in his spot. “I am what people back home call a Miqo’te. We simply have feline features.” Consi explained, pausing for a moment. “We also have a bit easier time with jumping and eyesight. Not as well as other creatures but compared to other humans we’re a bit more agile. I’m a mix between two sub-races, but the differences between the two are minimal in my opinion.”

Ikora politely listened to the whole explanation. “Are there other races to humanity? We don’t see many differences like animal features on humans here.” She questioned. He could hear she was curious at how diverse his home was.

“There are many races, though some aren’t human like but have human intelligence. There are the Au ri, a race of people with horns, lizard like tails, and scales. The Elezen, which are the closest to regular Hyur. They are simply taller and have more pointed ears. Hyur which are like you just without powers if they weren’t mages.” Consi paused trying to go down the list in his mind. “The Lalafell which are miniature Hyur’s. They have pointed ears and averaged around a maximum of three feet tall.” Ikora looked surprised at this but didn’t interrupt. “The Hrothgar which are the more animalistic type of race. They remind me of lions. There are many beastkin as well. The list is long and I’m not sure how to describe them to you. Our creatures may differ.”

“That’s alright. We can always have this conversation again if you are comfortable with it.” Consi agreed with a nod. Ikora moved on. “Do you remember how you got here?”

“Vaguely. I was preparing to go to bed within my apartment. I remember hearing mechanical sounds that didn’t match the noises of the pipework that run my home or the hums of my generators. A rustling of leaves too but none of my plant-life was moving.” Consi’s eyebrows furrowed together, a frown forming on his lips. “I remember being tugged into a bright light with something beeping at me almost screeching. I don’t remember how I escaped though I know I made my armor appear as I’m in it right now. I know I was tackled into another portal before being tossed by whatever chased me and firing a shot from my gunblade at it. I don’t remember much after that. I know I hit something and the force knocked me unconscious.”

Ikora kept quiet while Consi finished his story. “Your entrance matches what Nyx showed me. You had hit a concrete pillar of a ruined building in Maevic Square. Luckily, you weren’t unconscious for long. We’ll have to get you checked for any damage you can’t feel.” Ikora said aloud, glancing to her side where her ghost appeared. It spun its shell knowing what it was being asked for. “May I see your back? I called for a medic.”

Consi frowned a bit before nodding, tugging at the collar of his shirt. He pulled his shirt gently, slowly pulling it up over his head. He glanced over at Ikora who he knew was immediately making note of the markings on his skin. Swallowing back his nerves, he shifted to the left on the bed to give Ikora room before she settled on the bed beside him.

“The back of your neck is bruised badly. I’m surprised you even woke up.” She commented, running her fingers along the bruise lightly. Consi couldn’t help but grab onto the bed tightly. It hurt. Even the lightest touch made the area tender and sent a dull pain across his shoulders. Ikora didn’t say anything to that, nor did Consi.

A knock at the door. “Come in.” Ikora commanded. The door slowly opened and a lady stepped in. She seemed middle aged. Consi wasn’t sure. She didn’t have many wrinkles, her face was narrow, and her fiery orange hair was pulled back into a bun. He noticed quickly that she held a lack of Light. Lightless?

“Hey! You called for me?” She began, not mentioning Consi’s appearance. He watched her begin to walk closer, holding her tablet where she could type.

“Yes. I believe he may have gotten a concussion after we found him.” Ikora explained. “He’s got bruising on the back of his neck and shoulders that seem to be tender.”

Consi kept quiet, unsure why the lady was typing away on her tablet about his problem before producing a small tool from the bag at her hip. “Can I look at your eyes?” She asked him.

His ears went back. His right eye isn't… normal to put it lightly. He didn’t want any of them to see it. Consi frowned but he'll allow it. There’s no need to hide anything from them. “Yes…” He murmured. He let the lady maneuver his head keeping his right eye open for her to look at.

“This may be bright so I apologize for any discomfort. Tell me if it hurts your eye.” She warned before a light flashed in his eye.

Consi hissed as he recoiled. His eyes watered and he blinked. He could feel Ikora’s hand hovering at his back. “What the fuck?” He complained, keeping quieter as his head was beginning to hurt.

“I’m sorry. I needed to check and see if your eye would react to bright light. Good news is that it does. Bad news is that you seem to be sensitive to bright light at the moment. Is that normal for you?”

“No!” He moved his hand off his eye, blinking to get the rest of the tears out of his eye. “Sparked a headache too.” He informed her while wiping his eye.

“May I check your other eye? I won’t flash the bright light this time.” She was patient. Consi was glad for that. He hesitantly tugged at his eyepatch before pulling it off. He kept it closed for a moment till deciding to open it slowly. “Oh my… What happened to this eye?” She questioned, gently maneuvering his head so she could see it better. “It looks like a small galaxy took over your entire eye.”

He kept quiet, swallowing back his nerves as he could see Ikora staring down his left eye. Consi sat back as the medic let go of his head and began asking him questions. Where was he? What’s his name? Questions he knew helped her figure out if the hit affected his mental functions. He did tell her about the headache. At the end of the examination, she declared he most likely did have a mild concussion and needed to rest. He simply nodded, knowing he was going to do that anyway. Not much he could do here.

After the medic left, Consi was left awkwardly sitting across from Ikora. He had already put his shirt back on. He wasn’t comfortable with the staring. Ikora was the first to break the silence.

“Now, I must pry a bit as you know we can sense the darkness in you and it is plain to see what it has done to your body. My Hidden told me about it and how defensive you were at first. We do not mean any harm as you’ve not caused any issues but as a Vanguard of our city…” Ikora trailed off seeing Consi grow tense. Both knew what she was going to say. She needed to know in case any danger was brought to her home. “Please tell me.”

Consi didn’t meet her eyes, trying to formulate an answer while Nyx hovered by his side to try and comfort him. He swallowed heavily before looking up. “I am sorry. I wasn’t prepared to sense as much light as I did. No one back home has as much as you and your guardians do. I thought I was in danger.” He explained before taking a deep breath to ease his anxiety. “I guess this needs a bit of context. Back home we have what we call Warriors of Light. They hold the blessing of the once primal or god of light that lived in our universe.” He leaned forward a bit, resting his elbows on his thighs. “They are our champions or really protectors if they know they have it.

“We all know the stories of the light versus the dark. For a long time we didn’t know about this but there is an antithesis to the Warriors of Light. They are just more rare.” Consi continued, swallowing back his nerves. “I am one of those but not by choice. Their fight has long been over with but… The effects of it still linger. We all still have our blessings. I had to lean into mine to survive it.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you lean into it?”

“I’m not sure how to explain how I did it but our home has other worlds however, we can’t travel through space. These worlds also aren’t connected through space but by rifts that cut through the veil between the Source and its thirteen reflections.” Consi informed her, waving his hands a few times, trying to think of how to explain it. “I went to the world that was consumed by darkness in a failed attempt to rejoin it.” He knew that would make no sense but he didn’t want to give a history lesson. “I am fused to the darkness due to what I did, however, I’m not comfortable sharing that. I guess you could say I willingly corrupted myself to survive.”

“While I would like to know more I will not pry for now. It explains the darkness that we can feel from you.” Ikora reassured him. “Thank you for explaining it to me.” Consi knew she was being diplomatic despite the curiosity that filled her eyes. He thought she must be a scholar at heart despite her leadership role. “And your eye patch? Why do you wear it?”

“The fusion changed how my left eye looked as you saw. I can still see through it but most find it disturbing to look at.” Consi told her, glancing down at the floor. “I keep it on to hide it.” Ikora nodded, understanding the logic. Silence filled the air for a few moments as Consi watched her type into her tablet. He wasn’t surprised she was taking notes. He didn’t even find it rude. Simply something he was used to due to his condition.

“I think that will be enough questions. I do not believe you are any danger to us, if you need a place to stay we can provide one. I know a few people who may be able to help you find a way home once we solve the problem of this Endless Night.”

Consi looked surprised before relaxing. “A place to stay would be nice. I am not entirely useless. I may be able to help.” He offered.

“We do not wish to risk your life. You only have one.” She informed him. “You can stay here for now in the H.E.L.M. I can try to explain as much as I can about our world to you though I feel you may get overwhelmed.” She paused, taking a moment to think. “I will be too busy to answer them all but I know of two who may be able to help you more than I can. They won’t be back for a few days however.”

Consi tilted his head, one ear perking up before flicking. “Well… I am stuck here for the unforeseeable future. I can take it slow.” He watched as Ikora nodded in agreement before sitting back down in her chair.

“Of course. I have a few hours as well. What would you like to know?”

#consiwrites #just more of my silly little crossover #still too scared to tag more but hey I’m posting stuff

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consiwrites · 1 year ago

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Art Credit: Noah Thompson (https://nthompson.artstation.com)

Decided I would finally buck up a bit though i doubt I’ll tag, too anxious about that and share a bit of the small crossover living in my head between my two mmo obsessions: FFXIV and D2. Essentially this is just me deciding to throw my OC from FFXIV into D2. There will be mentions of personal fan lore that is not canon to the FFXIV lore. I’m going to try and keep this where all the info you need will be revealed in the story from my OC’s perspective. If there’s any questions, always feel free to send an ask! Thanks for reading even if it’s just a small bit. Sorry for any errors. My grammar sucks but I’m improving slowly.

Story below the cut:

Prologue

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Footsteps joined a cacophony of noise inside the wide staircase. The hiss of steam exiting pipes. The loud rattle of moving gears and shifting hydraulics. All normal for the owner of the custom home. Once a run down two story warehouse above residential stores of Mor Dhona, now a home for a lone miqo'te.

Consi tapped away at the keypad, typing in the password mindlessly. He was exhausted. A long day of exploring the nearby woods of the Shroud with his husbands that led to a few errands for their future trip to the New World. The door hissed, slowly rolling open allowing more noise to fill the air. The sound of slow trickling water from the pond under the grates and the bath connected to it filled his hearing before he heard his running waterfall feature. Still working. Consi nodded to himself, walking into the room and up the small wooden stairs. His apartment was in good shape even after his absence. It was the first time in weeks since he could come back and check on it. The plants inside the metal fence still looked healthy, thriving despite the dark conditions. All thanks to the skylights hidden in the ceiling. The glowing plants from the First helped to keep everything staying lit enough for him to walk.

He stepped down towards his couch, stepping up to a generator to switch it on. Lights switched on, illuminating the room just enough. He didn't need to burn through his fuel quickly. He could see perfectly in the low lighting. He unhooked his gunblade off his back, the smooth purple blade dull and lifeless as his aether left it. Gently, Consi placed it on his couch before tugging at his protective coat.

The rustling of leaves filled his ears as he turned away from the plants. It stopped as he turned back towards them, curious as no animals ever entered his apartment. His ears pressed back, his tail puffing up as he picked up his gunblade.

Slowly, he walked towards the plants, noticing movement inside of them. Noticing soft white glows before eyes peered back at him. The loud drone of something robotic deafened him. A cold metal hand gripped onto his body, pulling him into whatever was sizzling and blinded his vision. Consi yelped as it closed with him now inside of it. The world around him was blue and geometric. Way too geometric for his liking. Black splotches covered the blue rectangles and spheres. Though he couldn't take in much of the view since whatever dragged him in kept pulling him deeper into the strange world he now found himself in.

Screeching and beeps rose up behind him while he was dragged. Consi squirmed wanting to get out as he moved his gunblade. He stabbed his gunblade backwards, shattering something glasslike. He didn't stay long enough to find out what it was while he ran, loading an aetherical bullet into his gunblade. He fired it, forming a shield around him, just in time to block whatever was fired at him. He didn't want to find out. It sounded like a beam and he felt enough of those whenever he sparred with one of his husbands. They hurt. He didn't want to find out how much these hurt.

Consi skidded, slipping on the ground as a massive humanoid like robot appeared, shimmering as if it had just entered whatever here was. Panic filled his body and mind as the robot reached for him quicker than he could react to it. He was too exhausted for this. Cold metallic hands gripped roughly onto his upper arm, tugging him. He yelled out after being tossed into another opening, another world. Twisting his body, Consi lined up his gunblade seeing the thing was following where it tossed him. One shot was all he needed.

Cli-Click. Bang! The white capsule in its abdomen shattered. Pain bloomed in the back of his head and upper back, forcing his world to go black.

“Hey!… -ke up! Please!” Consi heard someone plead with him. His head was swimming but he could have sworn he heard beeping at the end of their sentence. They even sounded like they were coming through a speaker. “Come on!” He startled as something hard jabbed into his side and the howling of a creature. No… Multiple creatures.

“You’re awake!” The person cried. It swerved to move in front of him and… It was a small machine? His eyebrows furrowed, his head tilted to the side. His mouth opened to ask a question but the howling began again much louder this time. “No time! Come on! Follow me.”

The small machine began flying away leaving Consi scrambling to get up, grabbing his gunblade quickly. Glancing around, he noticed the area was in ruins. Abandoned buildings that looked to be hundreds of years old and slowly being reclaimed by nature. None of the architecture was what he was used to. Where was he?

He was quickly pulled out of his thoughts when the sizzling of electricity whizzed by him in bullet form. Before he could even be surprised, he watched as the machine flew up a rubble pile. Not wasting a minute with the electric bullets being fired at him, Consi followed jumping up into the ruined building. He didn’t even keep track of the time as he flicked his wrist, firing another shield onto himself. Consi didn’t want to feel what those bullets felt like on a direct hit.

"Over here!” He heard the little machine call out to him. The window it hovered beside was shattered, leaving a large enough hole for both of them to slip inside. “We should be safe here as long as we keep a bit quiet.” It informed him, bobbing up and down in the darkness of the building. “Are you okay? I saw you hit the pillar very hard!”

Consi stared at the small machine, confused at how it was speaking. “What are you?” He asked it. He rubbed his head sighing while the small machine created a whir noise, sounding as if it was concerned at the motion. “I don’t…” He began. “I don’t get how I got here.”

“Well, first off, I’m a ghost!” The ghost explained, making Consi feel even more lost. A ghost? They didn’t look to be undead or translucent like a normal ghost.

“But… you look nothing like a ghost…”

“Well yeah! That’s just the name we’ve been given. We were made by the Traveler to find our guardians so we can revive them!” The ghost told him, spinning proudly. “We hold the light to do this!”

Consi just stood there silent before turning to the hole at the window. Scuffling could be heard along with the chattering of mandibles. He grabbed the ghost, stuffing it in his jacket for a moment while he hid in the shadows. He hoped his coat's black coloring would help hid them both for the time being. For a few minutes the scuffling continued. Multiple sets of feet and hands crunching the plant life outside filled the silence that hung in the building.

A language he couldn’t understand was barked out. Commands? Consi gripped onto his gunblade tighter, lightly holding a hand over the small bump the ghost created under his coat. Another command was barked out by whatever followed them and the scuffling began again. Thuds rang out before silence once again took over. Both remained quiet for a few extra minutes, unsure if anything stayed behind to listen for them.

When the coast was clear, Consi opened his coat and the little ghost floated out. “Thank you.” It told him. “That was closer than I would have liked. We need to get to the church where Devrim is. You’ll be safe there!”

He could only give it a nod in return. His eyes flickered back over to the opening. “What is following us?”

“A species called the Eliskni! They live in this area, pillaging the old buildings for supplies and materials for their House.” The ghost explained, keeping a bit quieter.

“And seem very hostile… Alright. Um..” He paused, gingerly rubbing the back of his neck. He grimaced at the gentle touch of his fingers on the back of his neck. “Do you have a name?”

“Yeah! Everyone calls me Nyx! Do you have a name?” It questioned back, floating down to his eye level. Consi was mildly surprised that the ghost was still so cheerful even in a life threatening situation.

“My name is Consi.”

“I wish we met in better circumstances Consi but it is nice to meet you! You’re much different than those we normally see.” Nyx cheerfully exclaimed, causing the other to tilt his head by the bluntness of the ghost. “Either way, we need to get moving! They should have left by now.”

He watched the ghost hesitantly leave through the hole in the window before he followed it. Carefully, Consi pulled himself out of the shattered window back into the plant filled ruins. It was still silent around them. Nyx was quick to get his attention with a series of soft beeps. Carefully the two weaved their way through the ruined buildings, crossing spaces slowly just in case they were being watched or hunted.

Consi paused at an opening to a road. It felt like a trap. There was little to no cover which just spelt bad news for them both. If the Eliskni group was out here… He shook his head. Tightening his grip on his gunblade, Consi hesitantly followed the cheerful ghost. His ears flicked about out of uneasiness. He didn’t want to miss a sound. His tail was puffed up.

Click. He twisted, firing a shot at the offending Eliskni sniper hiding above them as they exited the building. The crack and explosive boom rang out loud in his ears but he could hear the electric bullet colliding with Nyx beside him. The blood-curdling screech filled the air. Quickly grabbing the ghost, he tucked it into his arm. With a flick of his wrist, Consi wasted no time in putting a shield around them both before darting off. Howls filled the air again but he didn’t stop. He didn’t know how injured Nyx was and he didn’t want to pause to find out.

Broken stone masonry of a decrepit church came into view. Consi assumed that was the church they needed to go to. He took a deep breath before exhaling black smoke. The world shimmered around him.

Nyx made a confused beeping noise as their surroundings turned into various shades of purple. “What?” It began to ask before going quiet as Consi held it closer.

“Shh… We’re hidden but can still be heard.” He whispered to the ghost keeping his pace as he ran to the church. His pace slowing down when they reached the bottom of the church. The purple around them vanished.

“What did you do?”

“I just simply hid us in the Void.” Consi calmly explained. The ghost was even more confused. Now safely hidden inside the shadows of the church, he could see the damage the bullet did to the ghost. Its eye flashed various colors. Fragments of its shell were missing and even the body—or what Consi assumed was its body—was dented and missing pieces where it was hit. “Are you okay?”

“I’m alright! Nothing that can’t get fixed.” The ghost reassured, spinning happily before floating up towards rickety wooden pathways leading up to the tower. “Come! Let’s go get Devrim’s help!”

Consi sighed. He wasn’t so sure about this.

#consiwrites

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