Children of Cayde-6 (Eve's POV)

Chapter 5 - The Journey

I took in a desperate gasp of air, opening my eyes. Smoke filled my lungs and I instinctively rolled over and coughed. The pain that had originally resided in my ribs came back in an instant as I tried to get up. I saw flashlights in the direction of a road that was commonly traveled by everyone else.

"Damn!" I thought, "They sure are quick!"

"I need to get out of here," I whispered to myself. I began to limp my way to the wall, a secret place I knew lead out of the City. I went along and just when I tripped over my own feet.

I let out a groan. "Damn it!" I slammed my fist on the ground for my arrogance. Why did I have to mute my brothers? Why couldn't I see this? There was no time to blame myself though, I had to get out of here. I got up again and started forward once more. Though this time I had to be extra careful because of the spotlights that flew by every few minutes. It got to a point where I thought it would never end until I saw a light.

"Eve?" A familiar voice called out to me, though I could barely make out the voice through the constant ringing in my ears. "This is awful, just awful."

"Dawn?" I tried to voice. It seemed as though my body was about to give up. So, with this thought bearing in my mind, I prayed that it was at least someone I knew.

"Eve?" Dawn's voice perked up. She came around the corner until she had a full sighting of me.

I shouted in excitement and worry, "Dawn!" I jumbled forward as I felt my knees buckle beneath me. I collapsed to the ground feeling the weakest I had ever felt since I first woke up as an Exo.

"Eve!" Dawn shouted back as she rushed forward. I felt impending darkness take over me, and for the first time, I was truly afraid. Afraid that the next breath I would take would be my last, and afraid that I would never see my family again. I felt my life force come back as the familiar feeling of Dawn's healing coursed through my body. "Get up, Eve. Please." she pleaded. It took me a while too, as the pain was still there, waiting to strike. I got up onto my knees first to let my head rest and to avoid getting dizzy. Dawn charged towards me and rested against my shoulder. I rested my hand on her, just glad to have a friend like her with me. "I sorry. I can't heal your broken bones or anything. Not since the Traveler..." Dawn trailed off, a sadness lingering in her soul.

"Don't be sorry." I shushed her, "It isn't your fault." I took my hand off her shell and looked at her. "But we still have to get out of here, Little Light," I called her by her nickname in hopes of cheering her up.

Dawn nodded, "Okay, okay."

I got up and, after trying to balance myself, headed to the secret cave where I could escape the city. It was an alley I knew of, but I'd never have been there. Stalactites overcrowded the ceiling, stalagmites spotted the ground, and the walls were not built. Getting down and out proved more and more difficult, though not through the constant death that lurked behind me.

"Eve..." Dawn breathed.

I turned in worry at my friend's tone, "What is it?"

"I've intercepted a call from Zavala. The others are leaving." Dawn looked back at me, and I could clearly see the fear that haunted her single eye. "We are on our own."

'On our own.' Those words stabbed me like a dagger every time I thought of them. After one day of travel, we found a camp of dead guardians. At first sight, I panicked, but relief caught me as I realized that it was no one I knew. It was still sad though, seeing the bodies of dead Guardians who didn't have the Light to protect them from death. We moved along after picking up weapons and fighting a couple of wolf-like creatures. That night I blamed myself for everything. For not being careful enough, for rushing ahead, for the deaths of so many people, everything. My blame and grief got to the point where I no longer had the will to talk. Dawn always tried at a joke or two to finally get me to talk, but her attempts always ended up in failure. Unlike me though, she never gave up. Every now and then she would try and reach anybody who could possibly hear us, but there was no one. After two weeks this way of life had now been welded into my bones, so much so that I almost forgot what my life was like before. I fell into a type of depression, a boring life in a world that I wanted no part in living in. And walking in the mountains the memories that haunted me after the attack would come swarming back when I caught a glimpse of the Traveler. Memories of which always started with the attack, but then I reminded myself of all my family that resided there. Not just my blood relatives, but my closest friends. Anne, Spade, Leon, Percy, the Speaker, they all had given me the strength to live, so I held on to life for them. In case I saw any of them again, in case there was a chance to come back from this. It was the only hope I had.