The old woman's gaze, sharp and unwavering, held Tayo. Her question hung in the cool desert air, laced with an unspoken challenge. Around her, the other Waste-Dwellers watched, their expressions unreadable, their stillness a warning.
Tayo felt the weight of Kaelen and Lyra's presence beside him, their silent support a bolster against his fear. He drew a deep breath, the scent of woodsmoke and wild earth filling his lungs. This was it. This was where he had to speak his truth, not just for himself, but for the Nexus, for the wild energy he had just awakened.
"We carry the scent of the city because we came from it," Tayo began, his voice clear and steady despite the slight tremble in his hands. "But we are not of it. Not anymore." He met the old woman's gaze directly. "My name is Tayo. I am the Living Key."
A murmur went through the gathered Waste-Dwellers. The old woman's eyes widened almost imperceptibly.
"I found the Nexus," Tayo continued, gesturing back in the direction from which they had come. "Deep beneath Aethelgard. The city has sealed it, feared it. But it is the true heart of the world's energy. And I... I awakened it."
He recounted their journey, speaking of the Primeator's ancient purpose, the shattering, the chaotic nature of the wild energy, and the Ascendant Dynasty's rigid control. He spoke of his own lineage, and the overwhelming surge of power he had unleashed through the Spire just hours ago, forcing the city to acknowledge the untamed force beneath its feet.
"The Watchers are hunting us," Lyra added, stepping slightly forward. "They want to silence this power, to capture him."
The old woman listened patiently, her expression unmoving. When Tayo finished, a long silence stretched, broken only by the distant whispers of the wind.
Finally, she spoke, her voice still like rustling leaves. "The Heart's Awakening. We felt the tremor. A great ripple, unlike any since the Time of Veil. It resonated through the earth, through the very wildness we live amongst. A powerful act." Her gaze lingered on Tayo. "You speak of the Primeator's purpose, of healing the land. But such power… it can also break what little remains."
"We seek to restore balance," Tayo insisted. "Not to destroy. The city's control chokes the land. It needs to breathe. We need to understand how to truly guide this power, as the Primeator did."
Kaelen stepped forward then, his ancient eyes meeting the old woman's. "He speaks truly. I am Kaelen, Keeper of the Mechanics. I have waited lifetimes for the Living Key. This boy is more than just a vessel; he carries the resonance. He needs guidance, and the Wastes hold knowledge the city has long forgotten."
The old woman studied Kaelen, then Tayo, a flicker of something ancient passing through her eyes. "Kaelen," she murmured, a hint of recognition in her voice. "The name echoes from the deep past. A Builder, perhaps? It is rare for your kind to leave the shadows." She looked back at Tayo. "The wildness here is a harsh teacher. It grants no quarter. Many have come to the Wastes seeking power, only to be consumed by it, or by the land itself."
She took a slow step closer, her gaze intense. "But you... you bear the mark. The echo of the prime. The land itself stirs when you speak of balance. We are the Keepers of the Wild. We live by its laws, not the city's. If you truly seek to mend, and not to break, then perhaps… perhaps the Wastes have lessons for you."
She extended a hand, surprisingly strong and calloused, towards Tayo. "We will offer you shelter, for now. And we will observe. Prove your intent, Living Key. Show us your heart. For the Wastes will always reveal the true nature of those who walk its paths."
Tayo looked at her hand, then at the faces of the Waste-Dwellers around them. This was not the welcome of the city, nor the unquestioning trust of Kaelen. This was an invitation, fraught with conditions, but it was an invitation nonetheless. It was a chance to truly understand the wild energy, beyond the confines of the Nexus chamber. He took her hand, a silent pact made in the stark light of the Wastes. Their flight was over. Their true education had just begun.