The City: Excerpts from the Ages

Lost Journal Fragments

IV-I:
Days have turned to months which have turned into years. I can’t even remember the proper year anymore. I was just a boy when it happened, our world torn asunder. Being so far from the Traveler, we can only speculate as to what terror brought on the darkness. Jesse figured it was these Fallen, but Jesse was prone to making up all kinds of stories. I miss Jesse… I wonder if her family made it to the Cosmodrome?

…

XII-II:
Our pilgrimage to the Last City has gone relatively well. Lara’s grandmother, died the other week, frostbite and age I think. It’s been two moons since we’ve seen any Fallen. I mean, we see their ships more often than that, but out being out in the frozen wilderness, they don’t see us or seem to care. Still, I’d like to get the chance to go toe to toe with one of those devils that burned our city.

…

I-V:
We lost mom yesterday… Fucking Trevor alerted a patrol of Shanks. Lost him and four others too. We had to move all night, no doubt they’re looking for us. Luckily this old city is large and I think we’re well hidden. We’ve got the two entrances set with some trip mines, courtesy of the Fallen patrol. Rest in peace mom, miss you already.

…

XXV-VIII:
I thought I’d enjoy killing Fallen… the Shanks were easy. We ambushed this group of three Dregs… Fuck. I can’t even… We tried to do it all quiet like. But I screwed up, missed the heart with my dagger. I’ve looked into the eyes of dying animals before, but this was different. As it bled out through a half dozen stab wounds, it writhed in pain, its eyes stared at me with terror. Like I was the monster… Am I a monster?

…

VI-I:
We came through the mountain pass today and saw it, for the first time. The Traveler. This city is… well, not exactly what I expected. It’ll still take us a few days to get down there, but I have hope, more hope than I’ve had most of my life.

City Patrol

Zahn’s eyes snapped open, and he glanced at the window, the moonlight was beginning to fade. Under the window, on the table was his ghost. The ghost immediately lit up, ready to start the day. Zahn quickly dressed and headed out the door. Just down the street, he bought a loaf of bread and some jelly from Sarah in the market. He had been building up the courage to talk to her, but like so many other days, he just couldn’t find the words. Maybe tomorrow.

By the time Zahn reached the hanger, he had finished his breakfast, he hopped in his Phaeton and took off. As he leveled off and turned back toward the traveler, the sun crept over the horizon and light poured into the city below him. His fellow Guardians were already hard at work on the city walls this morning, apparently, they were only halfway done. He couldn’t imagine what it would look like when it was completed.

Home

Hannah walked back through the gates for the first time since the Cabal invaders had been pushed out of the city. It was surreal. Only feet inside the city walls she collapsed, tears running down her face. The destruction was more real than the day of the attack. Her fiance Marie knelt down and embraced her, “I know, let it out.” Hannah cried a little longer. She glanced up at the traveler, radiant, its broken pieces swirling above them. “Look,” Hannah said with a smile on her face, “It’s healing itself!” Marie’s eyes began to water, “And so will we.” The couple stood, hands intertwined, their sorrow transformed to joy. They were home.