A/N: Hello there fellow Vault Hunters! I've recently gotten into Borderlands, and not completed it as of yet … So all of this is just based on what I've been told. The character development for both Lumos and Mordecai will be fun, trust me. I hope you enjoy this first chapter of Blood and Sand, which really needs a better name, so feel free to give me suggestions throughout the story. c:

Chapter 1

As night began to fade away upon the dusty land of Pandora, a flash of light cast across the dark area, which faded as quickly as it had appeared, a thud following it closely. On the floor, a girl sat up, her eyes wide with shock, and her hands trembling. Her icy blue eyes scanned the area carefully, and not a single sign of life was visible. She shakily stood to her feet, leaning against a post for support, her legs trembling for an unknown reason. A rumble of a rusty old engine emanated from far away, and she felt nervous suddenly. Wherever she was, she wasn't safe, and she knew that already. Just by looking at the dank and dusty landscape, she knew wherever she had been sent to, she might not get out alive; As if on cue, gunshots sounded nearby, the ricochet of the bullets ringing around in the – what appeared to be – canyon. She placed one shaky hand on her waist, feeling she had a belt wrapped around her hips. Glancing down at herself, she noticed she wasn't wearing what she was previously. She was wearing rather short shorts, with fishnet tights on underneath, accompanied by knee-long boots. She appeared to be wearing a navy-blue vest top, and her hands were covered with gloves, the thumb, middle and index fingers on both hands were bare. She raised her head to touch her hair which was short and ragged, simply flopping over as a side fringe, what hadn't changed was the colour. Light blonde with blue highlights.

The girl looked down at her belt, which on the left hand side had some sniper bullets, and on the right, a revolver - then she realised on her back was a sniper rifle. Her mind whizzed with the thoughts and confusion of why she was in this place, and where she was, but as she was about to step out onto the road, a bus pulled up.

Mordecai

About six years ago Mordecai first came to Pandora, and for some fucked up reason, he was here again. He didn't know why he was here, he just was. It wasn't the first time he'd ended up on some mad planet, and almost gotten killed, but it puzzled him as to why he returned. He was almost sure he was insane. Mordecai stared absent minded out of the window, while Lilith, Brick and Roland were deep in conversation. He considered ditching the idea of staying here for a bit, and going back to his home planet, but then he remembered, where was his home planet? He didn't know if it was earth, but he guessed as much.

He glanced to the front of the bus, where Skags hissed at the ginormous metal transport, and a smirk lay on his lips as he remembered them watching their brother get torn to pieces by it. His gaze returned to the rocky hillside, where he pondered whether much had changed. Beside him, Bloodwing hopped onto his lap, and stared up intently at his master. Mordecai's disguised eyes looked at his pet, and he moved his hand the scratch the strange birds' chin, before pulling out a small tin from his pocket, and feeding it some Skag meat. The bird cawed happily, gulping down the flesh it had received, as Mordecai placed the tin back in his pocket and stroked the birds head as it nestled in his lap. Mordecai soon looked back at the horizon, which had turned to distant mountains. He paused and watched the sun peer over the horizon. This meant it was almost day time, and it also meant they were near Fyrestone …

"… Don't you agree, Mordecai?" Mordecai was knocked out of his little fantasy, and turned his head briefly to the other three, who were looking at him expectantly.

"Hm?" He asked bluntly, looking out the window again. Lilith laughed, and repeated her question.

"Don't you think the bandits would have resettled?" The Siren smiled at the Hunter, her amber eyes glowing. Mordecai nodded once.

"More food for Bloodwing." He murmured simply. The three ex-vault hunters looked at Mordecai like he was crazy. Roland leaned forwards in his seat and studied the back of Mordecai's head like it was the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

"What's up with you, Mordy?" He asked, whilst a shiver ran up Mordecai's spine as the nickname repulsed him. "You haven't been right since we met back up." Mordecai shrugged. He didn't know what to say to that. He'd always been this way, hadn't he? He was sure of it. Roland sighed, and gestured a clueless expression before slumping back in his seat, however, the bus skidded to a halt.

"A'right." The bus driver, Marcus, grumbled, a cigarette between his lips. "This here is Fyrestone. Next stop is Dahl Headland if yous wants to go there." Mordecai nudged Bloodwing, who hopped onto his shoulder.

"Mordecai?" Roland murmured, as Mordecai headed for the exit.

"I'll catch up." He didn't look at them. "I want to go look around here for a bit." With a gesture with his hand as a farewell, he had hopped off the bus, the eyes of the other three ex-vault hunters watching his back. "Go on." He said softly, and Bloodwing cawed as he took off and started to fly above Mordecai. A voice suddenly interrupted his serenity.

"Excuse me?" Mordecai stiffened, and turned his head, staring at the smaller girl. Unlike with bandits and Lilith, his eyes did not wander. Instead, he focused on her expression – She looked tired, confused, and unprepared, totally not worthy of Pandora. His hand slithered to his side, ready to pull out his pistol and just put her out of her misery there, but something stopped him, which was strange, because usually he'd go straight for the kill. Bloodwing sensed it too, and landed on the bus shelter roof, his eyes flicking between the girl and its master. Mordecai took a better look at the girl in the brief time he had – She was slim, very slim in fact, but not tiny and fragile. Her hair, cropped quite short, but meeting her shoulders at the back, was a mixture of light blonde and blue, which wasn't strange, considering Lilith and her sister, Maya. The strange girl wore a navy-blue vest top, which was tucked behind a belt that held up her shorts. Underneath her shorts were fishnet tights and covering some of those were knee-high boots. Mordecai also took note of the revolver, sniper and blade that were tucked away amongst her items of clothing.

"Excuse me," She repeated nervously. "Could you tell me where I am?" Yet another itch to kill her, he thought privately. Why had this girl come here and not known where she was? Only an idiot would go somewhere they didn't know existed, if that were even possible.

"Pandora." His voice came out huskily, which he thought sounded ridiculous, but to her, it appeared to be a miracle.

"Pandora?" She repeated, her eyes filled with wonder. "I'm sorry, I have no idea where this is …" Mordecai looked around irritably.

"If you want to be more specific," He muttered. "You're just outside of Fyrestone." He held back his urge to retaliate to her cluelessness.

"Fyrestone?" She repeated again, her gaze looking apologetic. "I'm sorry; I don't know how I got here. There was this weird light, and suddenly I was here." She looked fretful, almost scared of him. Mordecai assumed it was because of his guns, so he kept to himself.

"A light?" He asked, digging himself a hole just to not be rude. He leant against the side of the bus shelter, folding his arms as though to not impose as a threat. The girl nodded slowly.

"I don't remember much," She looked at the dusty ground and kicked at it awkwardly. "Only that I was walking through a field, and then I appeared here, lying on the ground in a completely different outfit, and equipped with guns." Mordecai paused at this strange occurrence.

"Did you get a message from anyone?" He mused, only remembering one case of this kind of incident. She girl looked thoughtful.

"Actually, yes." She mused. "But it was very subliminal, and said to not panic." Mordecai nodded.

"And she told you to not tell anyone," He continued, noticing the girls surprised expression. "And to not panic, and pretend no one is talking to you." She nodded.

"That's right." Mordecai pushed away from the shelter, taking a few steps forwards, and looked thoughtful. Could this mean the Vault was back? He believed there was only one, and they had looted it. Perhaps there was another? But it only opened every 200 years, so why was she sent here? He looked at the girl curiously. Obviously there was something special about her, but what if there was no vault? What if it was a hoax? He reconsidered dubiously. But what if she was sent here to meet him? He put his hands on his hips and looked up, sighing. No, he couldn't be that stupid and foolish. But it seemed like he should help her, but what if he wasn't meant to? For once in his life, he felt like he should follow his thoughts, but as he went to ask her, she piped up again.

"She contacted me again." That explains the silence … He thought. "She said you can know. She said you were destined to help me find the vault." Mordecai's fist clenched. But it only opens every 200 years! He nodded.

"I'll help you." He agreed, a slight irritated pang hit his voice, and she sensed it, but did not comment on it. "Follow me." He turned, and started walking towards Fyrestone, the girl in suit. He edged closer to a fence, and looked around the corner carefully, studying the bandits.

"What's the matter?" The girl whispered, her head only just behind his shoulder, and it sent a shiver down his spine to be so close to another human.

"Bandits." He replied, trying to keep his cool.

"How many?"

"Seven."

"Weapons?" He blinked, and took an uneasy glance at her over his shoulder. Is this kid for real? He grumbled in his head, before replying;

"Five with pistols, one with a sniper in the tower, and one with an SMG in a tent." He heard a gun cock behind him, and turned around suddenly, prepared to defend himself, as Bloodwing swooped down. The girl held her hands up, and Mordecai's arm raised, Bloodwing instantly coming to a halt. "Rule number one;" He growled. "Never, under any circumstances, cock a gun behind me. If I don't get you first, Bloodwing will." The bird cawed in agreement. The girl lowered her arms, the gun pointed at the floor, as if a sign of obedience.

"Rule number two;" She murmured, as he turned away again, yet he kept his head turned to listen to her. "One never kills nor hurts a friend or comrade." He looked at her briefly.

"I wouldn't say we're friends." He muttered, pulling out his pistol. He guessed she looked hurt, but she walked past him, a hardened look on her face.

"Nah. But we're comrades." Her expression was serious, as she turned the corner, in which Mordecai went to grasp her top. Idiot! His mind shouted as he gestured to Bloodwing, who flew over to the blonde girl. Ricochets of guns filled his ears, and Mordecai span round the corner, aiming his pistol furiously, only to look at the girl with her hands up, surrounded by the headless bodies of bandits. Mordecai's jaw dropped a little, and his hands fell heavily to his sides, before putting the pistol back in its pouch. Mordecai felt a smile hint at his lips, before he noticed the Psycho dashing round the corner, an SMG clasped in its grubby hands. Before he could even point it out, the girl span around, her revolver drawn quicker than lightning, and the Psycho was suddenly lying lifeless on the floor, one perfectly aimed bullet hole in his chest. This time Mordecai couldn't help the smirk.

"You know," He murmured with amusement. "I think I'm beginning to like you." The girl looked at him triumphantly, sliding her revolver back into its pouch.

"It's about time someone did." She commented, her face suddenly filled with an untold story of sadness and desperation. Before it could get to her, she held up a hand to him. "By the way, I'm Lumos." She smiled at him, her blue eyes shining in the morning sun. "Lumos Mortis." Mordecai nodded, and shook her hand in return.

"Mordecai." He said simply, before their hands broke away and they began to walk to Fyrestone.

Well… Mordecai thought privately. Maybe we could be friends. Before he knew it, he'd finally begun to trust someone other than Bloodwing, who flew over the two, and unlike a lot of other people he had met, Bloodwing seemed to be happy with Lumos. He gazed up at the bird, and smirked again. Maybe he'd finally be able to be happy with a friend who he could trust. He looked down at Lumos, who turned to him and smiled, before focusing on the village of Fyrestone.

For once, Mordecai felt happy.