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For the longest time, Wolf had just lumped the Eliksni into two categories: the ones trying to shoot them, and the ones not (which was pretty much just Variks). Of course, as time went on, they came to learn that things were more complicated. At the end of the day, humans and Eliksni, appearances aside, were very much alike. For better and worse.
Which was why they had agreed to help Misraaks to help evacuate refugees from Europa. And how they ended up paired with Cayviks and his crew.
Cayviks was one of Misraak’s captains. A bit of an eccentric, who among other things, had a habit of taking human guns, dismantling them, and kitbashing them into ugly as sin abominations that somehow worked, as well as a surprising knowledge of human culture and lingo. Wolf had run into him a few times in the past back in the Reef when he was stuck working for Spider, and had offered him some gun parts.
Having evacuated the latest group of refugees, Cayviks had ordered his crew to get themselves to safety too. They protested of course, but Cayviks insisted.
“I need to know you all will get out of this safely.” The captain had ordered them. “I’ll be right behind you once we’ve gotten everyone else off this ice cube. Promise.”
“You better not die, or I’ll kill you.” His second in command, Sekraas responded, before turning to Wolf. “Make sure the captain stays safe.”
Once the crew had left, that left Wolf and Cayviks alone.
“Wouldn’t it be more accurate to call this planet a snowball.” Wolf corrected. “You know since the planets are all spherical.” Cayviks just shrugged at that-at least Wolf was pretty sure that was a shrug.
“You didn’t have to send them off. I’m sure they could’ve handled themselves” Wolf said. “They just want to help you.”
Cayviks shook his head. “I’ve already lost two of my crew to this planet.” Oh. Well that made sense.
“I’m sorry to hear that.” Wolf offered as sincerely as possible. Granted they weren’t exactly good with expressing their emotions, but they hoped the thought counted. “Who were they?”
Cayviks said nothing for a moment, causing Wolf to think they said something wrong. “Kekriis and Erinkiis.” He finally managed. “Kekriis was probably the most cheerful person I’d ever met. Course in the House of Spider that doesn’t really fly, especially when you’re always messing around like she was. We were probably her only real friends. I always promised her I’d get her and the others to House of Light, where she'd be safer and happier. I promised..” He paused, lowering his head, before continuing. “Erinkiis, well she was more quiet, but she was friendly enough, and you could always count on her. Our medic, she preferred patching people up over hurting them. Didn’t matter to Spider of course. I tried my best to keep her out of the thick of the fighting when possible. And she also had a relationship with Drarrask back there. Somehow the glum bastard ends up with his total opposite.” He chuckled softly at that. “He’s taking it that hardest.”
For a while, there was silence as Wolf tried to process this all. Cayviks had lost people who trusted him, and taken it hard. He almost reminded them of Zavala in a way. A weary and tired leader who had no choice but to forge ahead for the sake of those around him.
“I know what it’s like to lose people close to me too.” Wolf offered sympathetically. “My mentor and Vanguard, Cayde-6, I lost him too. I just wasn’t strong enough to save him.”
The mention of Cayde seemed to pique the captain’s interest. “Heard of that. You ask me you shouldn’t blame yourself for what happened down there. The fool got himself killed from what I heard.”
That…didn’t sit well with Wolf. “And just what are you implying?” Wolf responded, agitated. “If you’re saying he deserved it-“
“No no, not at all.” Cayviks responded defensively. “I’m just saying that his death isn’t something you should hold against yourself.”
“Who the hell are you to judge!” Wolf shouted out, angry, which caused Cayviks to visibly shrink back from Wolf. “I watched him die! I carried his body back home! I went on a hunt for him!”
“Damnit Wolf, I didn’t ask you to go on a hunt for my sake!”
And that just stopped everything cold. Wolf just stood there, their mind processing what Cayviks just said.
“What did you just say?”
At that point, Cayviks realized what he had just said, and tried to walk it back. “I-i mean-what I meant to say I’m sure he wouldn’t have wanted you to-”
“Cayde?”
At that, Cayviks went silent, hunching himself smaller, and letting out these quiet little chitters. From what little Wolf understood about Eliksni body language, that indicated sadness.
“I don’t even know any more.” He responded.
“Don’t kno-What do you mean you don’t know?”
Cayviks-Cayde-Wolf didn't know what to call him any more. “I guess, I spent so long living with them, living as Cayviks, that I started to think of them as people…I don’t. Hard to explain.”
Unsure of what to do, Wolf attempted to hug Cayviks, because dammit, he was still their mentor and friend, only for him to back off, letting off a low quiet growl in response.
“Cayde…what happened to you?”
Cayviks let out what Wolf could only assume to be a laugh. “It's a long story. Short version is, I got dismembered, and some people I cared about died.I-”
“Wait! You got dismembered?”
“Yeah, I don’t see the big deal. I got better-”
Wolf paid little attention to what else he was saying, instead trying to process what they had just learned. Cayde was alive. And he said he got dismembered. Someone hurt Cayde and they couldn’t save him. No matter what they did they could never save him nothing they ever did was enough-
“Wolf!” Cayde’s yell snapped them out of their stupor. “I’m sorry. For dying. For doing this to you. I promise you I’ll make it up to you and everyone else.”
Wolf said nothing in response, at a loss for words.
“Wolf, I know this is all a shock to you. Trust me, were the positions reversed, I’d be too. But we still have refugees to get off this planet.” Cayviks said. Wolf nodded, picking their gun back up and making their way out of the cave.
Wolf didn’t know what to make of Cayde-including whether or not he still even was Cayde. Cayviks himself seemed unsure. But for now, they still had a job to do, which meant they could worry about it later.
Story of their life.