Destcember day 1: Exodus
“Yep-“ Sarah let’s put an almost pained grunt as the sorry excuse for a liquid burns a path down her throat to settle into a very uncomfortable ball of acid in her stomach. “Still tastes like shit.” The half empty glass in her hand trembles slightly, it’s icy blue contents both a relief and a threat.
“I don’t know how Cayde could drink it.” Nikolai fluttered to her left, his eye scanning the contents before continuing, “It’s ninety percent something I can’t name, and judging by your reaction to drinking it, I’m pretty sure it’s poison.”
Sarah snorts and takes another swig, a cough retching it’s way passed her lips. Truth be told, she hated the stuff, but whenever she had a shit day, or an overly stressful mission, Cayde would always suggest one of these to help her unwind. It was like drinking battery acid and a small part of her, to this day, still thinks he was trying to poison her. When all was said and done, she always felt better after an evening drink with the Hunter Vanguard. Her stomach would hate her for a week following, but she could honestly say she always left the place feeling better than when she arrived. Emotionally at least.
“Cayde was an Exo, they drink battery acid like this for fun because they don’t actually have stomachs.” His words flash through her mind on replay and she sighs. I don’t have time to explain what I don’t have time to understand! “He was a suicidal dumbass through and through.”
“I miss him too Sarah.” Nikolai’s voice cracks a little and Sarah does her best to choke back the tears that well in her eyes. It had been almost two years now, since his death, but it still feels like yesterday that her and Petra found him. Her stomach turns with disgust just thinking of how his last moments played out, and the glass in her hand shatters.
“Have you met the Crow yet?” The ghost does his best to changed the subject and Sarah stiffens, a wave of anger pulsing through her.
“Yeah I met him,” she motions for another drink, “he doesn’t remember a thing. Part of me actually feels bad for him.”
“To be fair, he was being manipulated by Riven Sarah. He just wanted his family back.”
“I know Nikolai, that’s what makes me so angry!” Her fist slams into the counter as a steaming bowl of ramen is placed before her. “He was the victim of circumstance and I can’t fault him for that, but it doesn’t make Cayde’s death any easier.” The spicy aroma wafts to her and she feels her stomach clench from hunger.
“We have to help him.”
“I know we do…”
“How?”
Sarah is silent for a moment, taking small pleasure in the delicious flavor that assaults her tongue. Once a week she would have a bowl for him. Extra spicy, just the way he liked it.
“There’s something I want to check out on Nessus, hopefully Failsafe will have an idea of where it is.”
“You mean one of Cayde’s stashes?”
“Yeah.”
“Looks like we’re going back to the Exodus Black then.”
Indeed, that’s where it all starts, with Exodus.
END
apologies if it seems rushed. Trying to form words right now is proving very difficult haha.