Hello!

Thanks for checking out my story 'The Herald of Darkness'! This story is working as a way to provide background to my guild the Arclight Brigade, as well as provide a great adventure for my characters. I do not own Destiny, only the OC's and plot of this story. Please review/follow/favorite!

Grass crunched underneath the boots of the guardian. He was trudging through the overgrowth of a crashed fallen ship on Earth. The guardian's grip on the handle of his trusty hand-cannon tightened as blips of red were showing up on his tracking device. A large piece of scrap provided him cover as he approached the hostiles. Through a small hole in the metal, he was able to spot his foes, three fallen Dregs. He looked down at his hand-cannon and holstered it. In this tight area, the echo from its rounds would alert more enemies. So instead, the guardian unsheathed a knife from his left gauntlet. It was a bit longer than your average knife and had elegant carvings running through the blade. After drawing his blade, the guardian crouched down and activated his invisibility vanishing from sight.

Slowly the guardian moved through the grass and up to his nearest enemy. The Dreg had his back turned from him and was busy digging at a pile of rumple. Before striking, the guardian looked over the other two Dregs, which were also busy searching through trash. Quickly the guardian pierced the thick skin of the Dregs neck with his blade. In response, the alien screeched out, alerting his friends.

"Dammit."

The guardian gripped the Dregs head with his other hand and yanked it to the side effectively breaking its neck. With a fluid motion, he pulled out his blade and quickly threw it at another enemy. It went perfectly in to the Dregs head causing him to fall flat on the ship's floor. Before the last Dreg could respond, the guardian had appeared behind him. His arms clasped the alien's head before twisting it all the way to the right, snapping its neck as well. When he released its head, the Dreg collapsed down on the floor.

"Well you took care of them easy enough."

A small machine floated in front of the guardian. It's blue center observing its partner. The guardian nodded his head with satisfaction as he yanked the knife from the Dreg's skull.

"Only Dregs...Nothing too hard." he responded while tossing his blade up in to the air and catching its hilt.

The machine floated down and examined the corpse of one Dreg.

"As we expected it was a fallen from the House of Star." The machine shifted its lens and focused on the Dregs shoulder plate, which is roughly painted black.

"We should keep going."

"Agreed, who knows what this ship might tell us about this House."

With those words, the machine faded away in to sparks. The guardian continued down the corridor of the ship. He was proceeding with caution since the Fallen are pack hunters and where there are Dregs there are Vandals.

The corridor the guardian was following came to a stop. It split to the left and right. The hunter looked to his left and examined the hall. It was filled with plant life. Nothing had passed down that way in a long time. When he looked to the right, he saw signs of pushed down grass and chopped weeds, both were signs that something had moved through the hall.

While approaching the right hall he drew his hand-cannon. Silently he followed the trail of the pushed down growth. Any moment more fallen could appear around him. "The control room is just ahead. Expect resistance."

"Always am." the man said before emerging from the grass. He was greeted to a circular door that was common throughout fallen ships. Lightly he placed his hand on the door and looked around its frame. This door was not going to be blasted open. "Can you handle this?" he asked stepping away from it. The small white shell appeared again and began to scan the door. Long blue beams examined all around it.

"Located the door's wiring..." the shell floats over to a small panel next to the door "Can I get a hand?"

The hunter easily pops off the panel with his knife and then steps back to let the robot do its work. Again, a blue beam scans over the wiring. "Got it."

A blue light flicked on from the center of the door. Quickly it rotated open.

The guardian could not see anyone from this position. Still he brought the gun up and kept aim. He waited. Patience is key when patrolling alone. Another minute or two. Finally, he stepped in the room, his gun still up. He did a quick corner check before continuing in the room.

Then his radar lit up. Enemies moving fast on either side of him. They soon began to flow out of the side doors. Dregs and Vandals alike. The guardian could only switch his aim from side to side. There is too many and they just keep flowing out one by one.

"I knew this was a trap."

"Why didn't you say something?!" the guardian said while circling around to get a good look at both sides.

"You would have gone in anyway."

"It's the thought that counts."

All the Dregs and Vandals lined up on the left and right of him, not attacking but observing almost. Their eyes eagerly looking over the guardian as he made his way through the room. Around the halfway point, the fallen started to stomp in rhythm. It was some type of chant. The guardian kept up his guard. These fallen seem to not be hostile, yet.

The chanting abruptly stopped. In accord, all of the fallen looked to the bridge control. When the hunter looked, he saw a figure emanating from the darkness. From the outline, it seemed to be a humanoid. Without fully leaving the shadows, the figure began to talk.

"Welcome...Guardian...of the Light." The voice was cold was flat, emotionless as it spoke.

"What brings you to us?"

Slowly the guardian lowered his weapon. "This ship was thoug- "

The figure's hand rose up. "I know why you're here. Your...Speaker sent you, yes?"

The guardian stayed silent. He wanted the figure to keep talking; maybe he could get something out of him.

"Of course he did. After all...You are just a puppet."

Those words made the guardian glance away quickly then back to the shadow. "I'm no puppet."

"Believe what you must guardian. But you have no place here in the dark."

Then the shadows started to warp around the figure as if he was summoning them. When the figure extended his arm huge beams of darkness sprawled out to the guardian. Quickly the hunter raised his weapon and began firing at the beams. The bullets went straight through. These beams were just shadows. With no other options, the guardian turned heel and started sprinting away.

"Faster!"

"I'm trying!"

The hunter sped out of the room with the darkness at his heels. He jumped lunging himself through the tall grass and vine. With a roll, he cleared the overgrowth. Before returning to his sprint, he checked if the darkness was following. A few seconds passed by before the growth became split. The shrouded figure was walking towards him, beams of shadow holding the plant life to the sides. Thinking fast the guardian rolled a ball over to the shadow. As the man began to take off an explosion went off. Fire engulfed the hall and pushed the hunter further up the hall. Instead of landing with a roll, the man tumbled across the metal floor.

"Get up! We are almost out!"

With his ghost encouragement, slowly the hunter began to rise unsteadily. A swift kick sent the man back down on the floor. "IS that all you can do guardian?" the figure grasped the hunters neck and rose him up "So weak..." Slowly the figure began to tighten the grip around his neck. The guardian squirmed in the grip of the shadow. He has to use it. In a flash, the hunter was inflamed. His hand was pressing a gun to the stomach of his attacker. Quickly he fired all his shots in to him. It was enough to make the shadow drop him. With all he has left, the hunter sprinted for the nearby hole in the ship. "Our ship is waiting, go!"

The exit was nearing. He lunged out of the hole and started to disappear. His ghost had teleported him in to the pilot's seat. Quickly he finished the ships jump-start. With a quick glance back to the hole, he saw the figure standing there with no sign of injury. In fact, there was no sign of anything on the figure. Feeling somewhat safe, the hunter finally could observe his attacker. He was a dark pulsating black. Like if he was made of swirling shadows. The build of the shadow was big and bulky; it reminded the hunter of the Crucible Handler Shaxx.

A low humming of the warp drive was starting to fill the cockpit. The guardian kept his eyes on the shade. Slowly the shadow was raising his hand; a ball was forming in his hand. "This isn't over ghost, brace for fire." With those words, the shade tossed a black ball on the ship. It attached the right wing and started to grow in size. "Activating warp jump!"

The ship sped off and up in to the atmosphere but still the ball grew on the right wing. Just as the hunter's ship hit open space, the black ball exploded. It shredded the right wing off. This sent the ship flying in to space. There was no controlling the ship.

"Ghost stabilize us!" the guardian shouted.

"The explosion damaged several core functions! I am doing my best!" his robot companions speech sped up and was more high-pitched.

Another few minutes of tumbling went by before the ship rested in space. They drifted slowly in silence. "I'm afraid that the ship is dead..."

Slowly the hunter lowered his head. "What...What are our options?"

"To wait...Hopefully another guardian comes through here to get to Venus."

The guardian let out a long sigh. "I hate waiting..."

"You sent one of my hunters out without consulting me!" the vanguard brought his hand down on the table just as he was bringing his anger on the other. Calmly the other sighed in response and clasped his hands. "Are you finished Cayde?"

Cayde leaned up from the table, "After you explain what's going on I will be."

Again, the other sighed this time sounding more impatient. His eyes were connecting with the Vanguards. Even if Cayde could not see the other's eyes, he knew they were on him. "You sent my hunter out there and I wanna know why dammit!" his fists were balling up on the table.

"I will tell you..." the calm one un clasped his hands and put one on Caydes "If you would just calm down."

The exo quickly removed his hand from underneath the others. "Please take a seat." the other said as he motioned his left hand to the open chair. As calm as he could, Cayde-6 sat down on the chair and narrowed his mechanical eyes on the man on the other side of the table. Again, the relaxed one clasped his gloved hands.

Before speaking he cleared his throat gently, "I sent...Joker...Yes that was his name...—"

Cayde grunted at the fact he forgot his fellow hunters name.

The other noted this, "It was a temporary slip of the mind... As I was saying, I sent Joker on a very important task. This mission needed someone brash, someone that has great courage" the man brought his hand to his chest and then let it relax back down on the table "Joker fit the specifications of this mission. Therefore, I called him in... And he was very willing to help."

Cayde leaned back in the chair, the blue light in his eyes flickered as he blinked. "You...Basically just explained what I already know in a more dragged out form." he said as he brought the chair back on all fours. The one across from him kept a long silence before speaking again, "If that's what you think Cayde-6."

In a fury, the exo rose sending the chair flying back against the railing. The calm one stayed relaxed in his seat, his head followed the chair as it flew. Then he returned his gaze to the hunter in front of him who was now pointing at him.

"Because of your games Speaker I probably have lost another guardian!"

Calmly The Speaker shook his head, "I do not think Joker is dead Cayde."

Cayde reeled back his arm and balled his hand. "Then how can you explain his lack of contact?!"

"I cannot..."

Cayde made a grunt and waved his arm as if he was pushing away the words. He turned his back to The Speaker and started down the steps. "It's on you if he doesn't turn up..." Cayde finished down the steps and exited the room.

Slowly The Speaker rose and stepped over to the railing. He sighed while grasping the rail firmly and looking over the room. The familiar hum of his robot companion came in to earshot.

"That did not go so well."

"It was as expected. Cayde cares very much for his hunters."

The robot hovered out in front of him. "Why didn't you tell him about the mission?"

"It's not something he...or any of the others could not handle about now my friend."

Slowly the robot circled back around The Speaker. "Well shall we attend to this is paperwork?"

The Speaker turned and flashed a hidden smile. "Yes."

Well there you have it, the first chapter down. Looking forward to typing the next one and hopefully it will include one of the other main characters! I'll leave you with the words of great Lord Shaxx, "Get back out there Guardian!"