Destiny | Six Memories

A Drink Perhaps

If only he knew the truth. Darkness is coming for them and who knows what happened during the Golden Age. All was left was stories, and stories never die.

"Wake up Cayde."

Ruffling around in his covers, Cayde groaned at the sound of his Ghost. "Shut up Ghost. Not now." Covering his face with his mint-scent pillow.

"You have to do Vanguard duties Cayde. It's five minutes past Five and you should be up by now. Zavala will get mad at you once he finds out you're not yet ready."

Cayde groaned once more before hitting the showers and ran to his meeting next door.

-

"Cayde! Any data yet?" Zavala fist suddenly banged the table.

"Zavala, I just got here. Take it easy on me grumpy old man." He shook his head.

He furrowed his brows, annoyed by his words. His fist creating small crescents into his palm as he huffed out a breath.

"Don't waste my time kid. Go get to work!" Zavala ordered.

"Okay, I'm tired of being here in this boring two-year meeting. What about I get out and you don't need to deal with me anymore " irritated, he turned around towards the exit.

"Cayde you know you can't get out of here," Ikora said, halting him from walking.

"Yes, I can." He stomped over to the exit and slammed the door open. Not before he hears Zavala's voice.

"Leave him be Ikora" Zavala looks at Ikora, stopping her from calling him.

Cayde walks out the office and walked over to the bar causing a few curious eyes stare at his way. He needed a distraction and alcohol sounded good. He drinks a lot but never during work hours- but today wasn't a good start.

"Mind if I sit here?" Amanda popped out behind him before sliding down to the vacant chair beside him.

"Yeah go ahead. I kinda got a bit carried away today. Everything here is shit." Cayde sighed. The bartender nodded his way when he signaled him to get him a drink. A strong one.

"Working there must a pain in the ass" She laughed, understanding what it's like in there. It's Zavala after all.

Looking at Amanda, Cayde thought he could use another distraction. "I'll buy you a drink. It's on me." Winking at her.

She just laughed it off.

"Sure."

He got Amanda the same drink he got before settling down at the Pokers Table.

From across the room, he could see Miles waving his arms at him, catching his attention.

"Hey, Cayde!" Miles said enthusiastically.

"Remember Miles?" Amanda gesturing Cayde to Miles, "It's been a while since the two of you saw each other."

"It's nice to see you, bro!" He is glad to see him.

They were having fun playing cards. Getting drunk helped Cayde get distracted, makes him forget how much he felt. Cayde lost a round so he wanted another match. Amanda stared at Cayde while he gambled. She knows what he was doing. Trying to remember.

"I won, good game!" Cayde laughs.

"Good game we had! I got to go, I got some missions to do out there." Miles stood up and say goodbye.

Amanda took Cayde to his room. Too drunk to walk, she helped him. Cayde felt he was about to collapse; his head felt like it was hit by a truck, his body hunched over as his stomach twisted. Amanda helped him to his bed, covering him with his soft blanket.

"You okay pal?" Amanda felt kind of worried.

"Yeah. I had fun." Cayde yawns.

"Goodnight" Amanda rolled her eyes and laughed as he said that to her. She closes the door.

Suddenly he has those nightmares but it wasn't a dream, it was real. A memory he wouldn't forget. He wished he remembered everything. Sky's torn open and there's nothing and nobody left in this ruined world but him and the boiling shadow all around. Whatever it is hits Cayde before he leveled his gun. Doesn't matter. Tendrils of pain crawl over his sprawled fingers, my outstretched arms, my shoulders, my neck, his screaming mouth as it consumes. He was being enveloped, everything is wrong, primordial. His systems go sideways, everything but his sensors. It wants him to witness this. The world, its world now, suffering in the black poison. He collapses. We all collapse. Then he wakes up, trying to catch his breath.