Legend Untold Chapter 19 Blank Slate Chapter 33 [i]Freehold Part 6[/i] “Is that the guy who hosts the arm wrestling events?” Sierra groaned. “Yep,” I nodded. “This is going to be annoying,” the Huntress complained. The famous referee went straight to Drew and Keis and shook hands with them, a happy stream of greeting spilling out, “hardly recognized you without all the FWC stuff! Been a long time! Didn’t expect to run into you guys here!” “Likewise,” I responded as he shook hands with me. “Sorry buddy, don’t know you,” he dismissed as he shook everyone else’s hands, “Or you guys either.” “I was with Drew last time he competed for you,” I reminded. “Oh! I knew I recognized that weird wardrobe!” the man declared, then pointed to Sierra, “And you’re the chick that got rich off this purple gift here.” “I’d prefer not to be remembered for scamming idiots,” Sierra grunted. “Too bad, that’s all I know you for,” he laughed. “Who is this guy?” Nat asked as if the Warlock wasn’t standing right there. “I am the great Fehri Draij!” the Warlock bowed grandly, “Referee, gambler, trouble maker, Vanguard defier, and psychologist!” “Psychologist?” Sierra ridiculed. “Hey, every Warlock has their thing,” Fehri chuckled. “You also here to smash some skulls?” Drew asked, excited to be speaking with the referee of his games again. “You know it!” Fehri gave Drew a fist bump. “Great, what’s one more?” Sierra’s voice dripped with sarcasm. “Excellent idea!” Fehri cheered, “I’ll hang out with you lot! Looks like you could use an intelligent, handsome leader.” “Yeah, Will’s pretty good but a handsome leader would be cool,” Drew agreed. “Hey!” I was hurt by his accidental insult. “I know where some Vex hang out. Anyone interested?” Fehri jumped straight to suggestions, and when no one refused began marching away through the sand. Having no other ideal destination in mind, we followed. “Keis, do you know how to Blink?” I questioned the towering red Voidwalker, thinking back on Fehri’s entrance. “Yes,” he answered simply, showing no sign of elaborating. “Can you show me how?” I asked. Keis gave me a long, silent look as he thought. “I do not have eyelids.” My mouth opened and closed, no words able to form as I processed his response. Keis took my silence as inability to understand. “Without eyelids, I cannot show you how to blink,” he explained, “How is it that you do not know how to blink?” “No no,” I finally managed, “I meant teleportation, not closing your eyes!” Keis took a moment to ponder again before speaking. “That makes more sense.” Another span of silence stretched on as I waited for him to answer my earlier question, since he now understood it. Nothing. “So can you teach me to Blink?” I tried again, realizing he had forgotten. “Yes, in theory,” Keis nodded, but did not begin explaining it to me. “So how do you do it?” I helped him along. “Hmmm,” Keis mulled it over, “I lack the communication skills to teach. If I fail, you should ask someone else. For me, Blinking is…” “I think you should ask Null,” Blanc came to my rescue after a minute of Keis thinking silently. “Good idea,” I sighed, and shifted through our trudging group to where Null was speaking with Fehri. “Null, do you know how to Blink?” I asked wearily. “Of course!” Null dropped his conversation to answer, but Fehri didn’t seem to mind the interruption. “Looking to add to your skill tree huh?” Null nudged me with his elbow, “Well, I like to think that my Light generates a quantum field and energizes my molecules with that field, allowing me to shift all of my matter to a desired location. Now this isn’t at all like transmat because that’s-“ “Turning the matter into a Glimmer-like programmed state and transferring the information from one place to another like how a computer sends information through radio waves,” I finished for Null, making him nod approvingly, “I meant more of an explanation of how it feels or what you imagine. I need to know how to do it, knowing how it works hasn’t helped.” Null seemed a bit stumped by that, so I looked to Fehri. “Don’t look at me, I’m a horrible teacher,” he put his hands up defensively. Luckily, a tap on my shoulder brought a solution. “I can teach you, honey,” Veronica offered. “Great,” I smiled. “I think the best way to explain the feeling is like pulling yourself,” Veronica explained, then started demonstrating with her arm, “The way we put out our arm is like reaching for the spot we want to go, then the way we bring our arm in is like the pull to bring you to that place or that place to you. Just make sure you’re focused on the image of you being in the target spot.” “Thanks,” I said appreciatively, already deep in thought. After a moment I jumped into the air, concentrating on a point several feet in front of me. I raised my arm as I had seen Blink users do and then clenched my hand into a fist as I brought it back. Nothing happened, and in my moment of disappointment and confusion I forgot to orient myself for a landing. Before I hit the ground I felt arms wrap around my torso, stopping my body from hitting with exception to my feet. I was turned over to find Veronica holding me, leaned over with her helmet barely apart from mine. “Uh, thanks?” I was a little embarrassed, especially because she still wasn’t letting go, “The fall was only a few feet.” “But it would’ve been so embarrassing to watch you fall on your face in the sand,” Veronica came up with an excuse, still not letting me stand. My face was reddening now. “If I fall will you catch me like that?” I heard Fehri ask, but couldn’t see him past Veronica. “I can hold you plenty of ways, sugar,” Veronica purred. “Sounds like a date,” Fehri beamed. “No promises,” Veronica dangled the chance of an evening together in front of Fehri’s nose. Even more uncomfortable after witnessing their flirting, I cleared my throat noisily. Reminded of my presence, Veronica finally helped me up and stepped aside after dusting some sand off my shoulders. A couple of the others had stopped to see what was holding us up, but the rest walked on. I quickly joined them with Fehri and Veronica close behind, glad it was over. Suddenly, a red beam flew above Ilya’s head from around a building to our right, then another shot a hole straight through Welkine’s leg. “SON OF A-!” Welkine began to swear. “VEX!” I warned loudly, dragging Welkine out of the line of fire while his leg healed with him yelling bloody murder at the ‘rusty milk bucket’ that hit him. The others all fanned out and sprinted towards any Vex they could see in the streets or the doorways of buildings, more red bolts zipping through the air to meet them. “Why is it always me?!” Welkine growled as he tested his freshly restored leg, then ran out to join everyone else. Grinning at Welkine’s bad luck, I sat down in the sand with my back to cover, not wanting to fight. I was against an advertisement display, although it had clearly been a long time since it was last able to show any image. Skyscrapers towered around us, seas of sand hidden behind them and inside knowledge and dangers concealed. How I wished to know all of Freehold’s secrets, and to not have to fight through hordes to do so. The fight raged on behind me. I heard Drew and Trixie shouting as always, and Nat’s cheers could be heard on the comms. The others were mostly calling out positions and having some idle chat, with the exceptions of Crag’s silence and Yvan’s constant insults. A shrill screech filled my ears, and I sighed as I realized it was close to me and not heard over the channel. Moments later, a Minotaur stepped out where I could see it several meters away, looking straight at me. “Any chance we can talk?” I tried half heartedly, “Or you could just go fight someone else?” Pt5: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/245634707/0/0 Pt7: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/245634951/0/0 ToC: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/212710816/0/0