|>—>—>—><—<—<—<|
Tyrian: But Mistress-!
Salem: Silence.
Tyrian froze in the wake of Salem's death glare. He slowly sat back down in his seat, letting Salem continue.
Salem: The relic of choice is unclaimed. The fall maiden's powers are unclaimed. Ozpin is still alive. Summer Rose has resurrected. The girl is still cursed.
Watts: We should have sent Hazel instead that foolish girl. She's too ambitious.
Tyrian: You dare question Mistress's decision?!
Salem: If your childish bickering is over...I want to know of this Huntsman, Light.
Watts: I've searched everywhere record I can for information about this "Gryphon Light", but there's nothing. He doesn't exist. From the highway footage from when he first arrived, we assume his semblance is-
Salem: Not a semblance.
A cold silence ran over them all. Was she suggesting that this Huntsman was using magic?
Salem: I have encountered a thing such as him once in all my life.
She remembered it clearly. The way the dark stared back at her, and the way it sent it's soldiers to her dead world. The Pyramids descended from the sky and one being emerged from them. The energy those ships radiated began to terraform the planet with their presence alone.
It called itself Winnower then. It looked upon both her and the dead world of Remnant with little care, disappointment even.
"A shame. An immortal living among the dead. You hold no factor in my game, you are therefore irrelevant. You would make a poor pawn, even for the Gardener."
She was so frozen that she couldn't even react as the Winnower touched her.
"Cursed with immortality. Was it those two beings I encountered? They got in the way of my game...I dealt with it, though that means you are cursed forever now."
Tyrian: Mistress...
Her eyes snapped up to him, causing them all to flinch.
Hazel: Your hands...
She looked down and saw it. For the first time in centuries...her hands were shaking. She clutched her hands into fists and stood before leaving without a word.
Hazel: There's something out there...that scares her...dear god. What is this Huntsman really?
|>—>—>—><—<—<—<|
Gryphon stood there. Silent. The rogue Guardian's arm sparked occasionally, being severed as it is. Gryphon's grip tightened on the blade in his offhand, Jupiter's Gambit, and the Handcannon in his main hand, The Slight of Hand.
The shadow of the Traveler hangs over them both, as if watching in anticipation. The rogue's Ghost was in pieces, caught in a blast from one of Gryphon's Javelins. The fist of Gryphon's black Titan armor was coated in Soulfire.
He walked forward and kept the wounded rogue on the ground with his right foot as he raised his Handcannon. There were no words to be exchanged.
The gunshot rang out, wanting to be heard but unable to be.
It was night, but the Traveler began to vibrate then as it did during the day.
It was pleased.
Gryphon lifted himself up from his sleep. His expression conveyed no emotion as he remembered when he was revived by Riven's wish. He was surrounded by bodies of varying species and weapons like Jupiter's Gambit. Whether he was involved in some kind of Awoken war on not, he never found out, but he was aware the Mara knew something.
He never died like most Guardians do, so he never caught flashes of his old life when he would resurrect again.
Not that it ever mattered to him.
He stood up from his bed with a sigh. The large and expensive looking black tent for the leader was Yarah's idea. He idly chose a selection of weapons for the day and his usual black clothes before hearing his tent's curtain open.
Yarah entered with an excited smile on her face.
Yarah: You're not gonna believe this turnout! There's at least a hundred people out there!
Gryphon followed her out of the tent with a Saber and two Handcannons on his hip as well as an iconic rifle on his back. There really were hundred of people out there, even though they were majorly Faunus that fact the humans had come at all was not to be ignored. There were ships hovering in the air too, all having willing people inside.
There was a large amount of conversation going on as he came outside. The people were mingling as if they were at a social gathering despite knowing that they were here to be recruited for what was certain to be a war of ideals.
Gryphon stepped up on a ammunition box and raised his hand. The people recognized him and got quiet almost instantly. A black raven caught his eye as it landed on one of the tents and stared straight at him.
Gryphon: I thank you all so much for coming. I know what I've asked of you is, well, utterly insane to be honest.
A symphony of chuckles rolled through the crowd.
Gryphon: The fact that you all, humans and Faunus alike, came out to the middle of the desert through a growing sandstorm for a chance at unity is amazing. And utterly insane, mind you.
The people chuckled once more. This reminded him of the first few days of the Red War. He remembered watching Cayde talk to the Guardians that had gathered.
Gryphon: But...you're here. You made it. Through your own power, you made it here. To the third most inhospitable place on the planet. Knowing what will happen if you do make it. What will be asked of you. All for the sake of equality!
The people looked between each other. Dain smiled as he sweeps his camera over the crowd. Faunus and humans shared smile and handshakes and thank you's. Gryphon put a fist against his chest.
Gryphon: Things like that? They fill me with hope. Hope for an actually equal world!
The people cheered loudly. Ships flashed their lights. A few semblances fired off, causing Gryphon to reign in the crowd by raising his hand with a chuckle.
Gryphon: Alright, alright. Easy everyone...I know what some of you are probably thinking. "How exactly are we going to take on the White Fang when we don't have ships like they do,"well, I've got one hell of a solution for that.
Gryphon snapped his fingers and the sand began to rumble. Off the side of the camp the sand began to divide as the Pyramid rose from it accompanied by it's tetrahedral scout ships. The gathered people marveled in awe as the ship rose high above them. Hive Tombships exited portals around the Pyramid.
Gryphon: The white fang...are finished.
|>—>—>—><—<—<—<|
Summer stared at the ship in both fear and awe. She could feel the oppressive atmosphere it held through the hull of the ship she was in.
Yang, however...
Yang: He's just...gorgeous...
She hadn't taken her eyes off of the Guardian giving the speech.
Summer: Uh, Yang? How about we focus on the giant ominous ship in front of us, yeah?
Yang: Uh huh, uh huh. Sure.
Yang continued to stare, letting out a dreamy sigh. Summer groaned as she landed the ship, wondering how exactly she got stuck with this girl as she shuts the ship off.
Summer: C'mon Yang, let's go see your new boyfriend...
Yang: I wish...
Yang follows Summer out of the ship. They walk past rows of black tents as they approach the leader's tent. They see Gryphon go inside the Pyramid as Yarah and Dane start handing out weapons and armor to the gathered populace. They fail to notice the black bird that follows him in.
Yang: I can't remember seeing so many weapons in one place...and they all look so strange. The armor too...
Summer: What about how one man got all these weapons? It's insane.
Regalia: None of the materials for the weapons and armor are from this world.
Yang: Hey...? Are we really going to enter that ship? I'm getting a bad feeling...
Scale appears suddenly.
Scale: I'm detecting a discharge of Light coming from inside the pyramid! We need to get in there now!
Summer's subclass changes as she creates a smoke grenade in her hand and pulls Yang out of sight before making them both invisible with the smoke.
|>—>—>a few seconds ago<—<—<|
Gryphon walked past the dissected hive worms incased in glass and entered the Acquisition Encounter. He stepped down into the main area as he heard the sound of wings flapping. He quickly sent out a text from his scroll.
He "let his guard down" as the sound got closer. Suddenly, the sound stopped and the air whistled as a blade cut through it. Gryphon grabbed his saber, causing a purple gem to shine brightly as he drew the weapon and clashed with the Fire Dust blade.
The force from the Void attack sent his attacker back a ways. He flourished the blade as the element changed to Arc.
Gryphon: Bandits don't make good assassins.
The woman regained her balance and glared at him wordlessly.
Gryphon: What did the white fang offer you? A Striker? I think that's the only thing you'd risk your life for as leader of the tribe.
Her eye widened slightly but her expression quickly reset. Gryphon chuckles and beckoned her forward.
Gryphon: I won't kill you as a favor to a recently departed friend. Now c'mon, that fancy weapon better not be for show!
She shot forward and swung her weapon at him, but his moves like lightning itself and he ducked under her swing. In a flash of silver, his blade was spinning up into the air. She let out some spit as a fist made contact with her gut.
Gryphon grabs her head and delivers a devastating knee to her chin before landing a spinning back kick in the same place, majorly disorienting her. She would be unconscious if not for her Aura as she manages to steady herself once more.
He catches his sword and rushed her without hesitation. Ribbons of flame emit from the blade as he clashed with her.
Riven: I'm detecting three more life signs inside the ship and they're headed straight here!
Gryphon: I'll end this as fast as I can.
He disengaged and took hold of his rifle, which began to emit a SIVA nanite cloud that continued to grow.
Floating SIVA turrets manifested from the cloud and opened fire on the intruder, forcing her to take cover behind a pillar.
The turrets evolve into drones like the SIVA controlled Shanks from the Plaguelands. They separated from Gryphon and continued to fire as they slowly came around the pillar. The woman tried to use her Semblance to cut open an exit, but the Darkness of the pyramid prevented it.
They both hear an explosion of Arc energy before a ball of lightning thundercrashed between them. Gryphon stood shocked as the dust cleared.
Gryphon: It really was destined for you...
Yang became visible as Arc energy crackles around her. The woman came from behind the pillar, catching Yang's attention and causing her to prepare for a fight.
The woman's expression was complete disbelief. The two of them were nearly a mirror of the other. The woman spoke in a shaky tone.
Bandit: Y-Yang..?
The new Guardian glares at the strange woman, causing her to flinch in surprise. Yang speaks in a cautious tone as Solar energy began to engulf her fists.
Yang: Who the hell are you supposed to be?