The Banished Guardian

Chapter 21: The Torments of the Past

Gryphon: Do you think I wanted to use Eriana's gun?! Did you think I was okay with weaponizing what was left of Omar to make the Zenophage?! Reading Omar's messages before we found him was torture! Hearing Toland every time I enter the Ascendant Realm, recovering Bad Juju, fighting the Deathsinger. I don't even know why I'm yelling at you! You're just a manifestation of my old regrets and I don't have time to listen to you tell me things I've already told myself!

Gryphon breathes heavily after his outburst, watching the nightmare look him over carefully before vanishing from sight. He could still feel it's presence, so he could tell she was going to appear again later. Relieved that he can now focus, he continues traveling towards the remnants of a village he spotted just before entering the forest.

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Ruby leads the group as they make their way through the ruins of Kuroyuri. A creature makes a loud noise from off in the distance, causing everyone to turn and reach for their weapons in response.

Ruby: It's far from here.

Pyrrha: I know, but Ren and Nora are still out there.

Ruby looks at the ground for a moment before looking up to the three of them.

Ruby: I'm sorry.

Gwen: Why?

Ruby: This is all my fault. I should have never dragged you guys into this. It would have been better if I had gone on my own.

Shae: You seem to forget that you were almost kidnapped yesterday.

Pyrrha: You didn't drag us in. We wanted to come.

Ruby: But you didn't know about Tyrian, about—

Shae: I'd be more worried if you did know about him and came out here despite that.

Gwen: You're only a kid and, despite all you've had to endure, you still came out here. The Fang don't even have soldiers that brave. I bet Atlas doesn't either.

Ruby smiles at the three of them gratefully and they smile back.

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Wind blows with the whistling note of high altitude as present-day Ren walks a stony ledge. Before him is more of the mountain, with a cave just ahead.

Ren: (to Nora, as she comes up behind him) We never get the easy path, do we?

Nora: (putting her hands behind her head) Easy's no fun anyway.

She drops her hands and turns to him.

Nora: You OK?

Ren: (with a nod) Mmm. And you?

Nora: I've got you here, don't I?

Ren looks at her as if he does not know what to make of her response.

Nora: (gesturing with her hand as she moves forward) Come on. There's more than one way up a mountain.

Ren watches her for a beat before smiling. Thunder rumbles and Ren loses the smile, turning to look up at the sky.

Nora: Hey! There's wind blowing out of this cave!

'Shown from inside the cave, Ren catches up to Nora. Leaves blow outward toward them.

Nora: Think it might lead to the peak?

Ren: I suppose there's only one way to find ou—ah!

He cuts off as a large piece of fabric abruptly blows out from the cave and covers his face. Nora giggles, covering her mouth with her hands, as Ren frees himself.