Hey Guys, The New Mandalord here.
Just giving a new chapter for the weekend. This contains a character from Nik799, Sapphiro Ao. Ao is very much what what we believe a Titan should be. Strong, courageous, valiant, honorable, selfless, ect.
As always, Activision and Bungie own Destiny. Nik799 own Ao. And I own everything else, give or take.
So please, read, enjoy and review.
Shores of Time, Maat Mons. Venus.
Maat Mons was the name of the region, the near northern flanks was where the Guardians made a trans-mat zone. The land was strange and alien, nothing like the ruins that proved humanity once owned this world. The air was sulfuric and humid, and the ammonia waters was a choppy golden-orange. The cliffs were covered with exotic planets, and dotted with crumbling Vex architecture. Shores of Time had numerous precarious cliffs and platforms, several low-light caves and chambers, and a few long sightlines for ranged weapons. It was all in all more pleasant a place than he expected, at least for the moment; certainly not the obvious home for gate lords.
Kevin was the first to land and slog through the sulfuric mud onto shore, his eyes darting about, absorbing everything. The wind, swirling and unpredictable, stirred the rain, caressing him with lukewarm fingers. Besides him, Valcav shivered and clapped his hands together, fire blossoming between them.
"This is a Light-forsaken land, isn't it? You can barely see the sun." He noticed that Kevin had not answered. "Are you ok?... Sir."
The warlock's discomfort at the title gave Kevin some pleasure.
"Are all our forces here?" Kevin did not wait for an answer. It was a foolish question.
"All heads accounted for. Just doing an ammo check-"
"Very well. Our first priority is to find the first construct to lure out the Vex. There is no telling what's waiting for us out there in the shadows." There, that would shut the man up and give him something to do. Kevin lead the way, going through the dense jungle and sending out the hunters to scout ahead.
The day turned to night without incident. Kevin stayed awake in the small alcove until the small hours of the morning, perusing what incomplete maps he had been able to find. When at last he fell asleep, he dreamed, and it was both joyous and nightmarish. He was perfect, immortal, no one could beat him as he went to conquer the next horizon. And even as he dreamed, Kevin felt that horror descend upon him as he pushed himself further. The anguish, not in the slightest abated by the fact that this was only a dream and he knew it was only so, ripped through him again. He drew a sword, his sword, and stabbed his devoted followers through the heart.
But this time... this time he realized that his sword was nothing like the cleavers the Hive used that moment. This was beautiful and perfect in every way. Runes glowed along the length. Cool white fires wafted from it, stars forming from where he swung. When he used the blade his devote follows did not die, instead they became more than what they were, some how stronger and more loyal than bolted upright from where he had fallen asleep, a smile curdled on his face. Surely this was an omen.
Lead your kind to greatness. Clasps the Blade. You know what must be done.
The morning dawned clear and oppressive, and he was up before first light, eager to begin combing the land for signs of the gate lords. Nothing today, but that not bother him.
But that first day, they found nothing more than a few pockets of Vex constructs. As the day passed, with more and more territory charted, Kevin's spirits started to sink.
Intellectually, he realized the Venus was a large planet, barely explored. These were gate lords, yes, and the clusters of vex they had fought thus far would likely be a good indicator of their presence. But not the only one. They could be anywhere - or nowhere. This whole revelation that he would be on Venus with a group of worthless weaklings could have been a trick by the Vanguard to get him out of the way, so they could give other up-jump guardians a chance -
Only madness lies that way.
Gate Lords thought like any machine, only going for the best and most rational possible answer. Kevin knew they were here.
It was well into the second week of searching before Kevin found anything to offer him hope. They had marched off in a different direction, after Belnel returned bearing new of large clusters of vex. The found the reported machine - lying in blasted pieces of metal in pools of water. Before Kevin could even form a thought, he and the fireteam had come under fire.
"Take cover!" Someone cried, and they dove for whatever they could find - tree, rocks, even vex ruins. Almost as soon as it had started, the attack ceased fire.
"Cabal ball! You're not vex! You're all guardians!"
It was a voice that Kevin recognized and had never thought to encounter in this harsh land. Only one person he knew could swear so enthusiastically, and for the moment, he forgot why he was here, what he was searching for, and felt only delight and fond remembrance of a time long past.
"Sapphiro?" Kevin question in shocked pleasure. "Sapphiro Ao, is that you?"
The guardian stepped out from behind from his perch atop a vex tower, peering cautiously. The scowl on his face was replaced by an enormous grin. "Kevin, bud! I never you would be the one to lead a rescue party."
The human jumped from his perch and landed twenty yards from them. Not much has changed since their times as squires. Always taking reckless risks in order to prove himself. In the beginning, Kevin thought that he would go too far and eventually learn his place. Be as they both became Titans, even he had to slightly respect Ao's endurance. Even if he was too naive for his own good.
He strode forward, his armor scored and scarred and his helmet was missing, but it showed the naive hopeless idealism that he remember from training. He spread his arms, marched up to Kevin, and embraced the other Titan. Kevin laughed dryly - it had been a while since he actually laughed - and he hugged his comrade back. As they drew apart, the meaning of Sapphiro's words registered on Kevin.
"Rescue? Sapphiro, I didn't mean even know you were here. We came in search vex constructs-"
"For the gate lords no doubt." Sapphiro clapped him on the back and pulled him along. "Come, we can compare notes inside. Found plenty of freeze dried food if your team is hungry."
There was a celebratory cheer in the air as Kevin's fireteam gorged themselves on the food that Sapphiro was able to construct. Much to his surprise, Kevin found that some of them were actually passable cooks. Vaclav ate what seemed to be three times his own body weight and Belnel ate rather light but gorged himself on water.
Kevin stayed to himself with his own thoughts. The blade from his dreams still haunted him. Perfect in design and power. He could slay any foe of the City with ease. He could cement himself forever within the Hall of Legends as the greatest guardian. It was destiny at work.
Destroy. Rebuild. In your image.
Sapphiro was speaking and Kevin jerked his attention back to him. "I was here following a bounty lead, but the closer I came to doing so, the more vex I encountered. I might be young, but I think I can link up a coincidence."
"What was this bounty for?" Kevin asked, suddenly interested.
"Fellbane," the name tore through Kevin like a thunderclap. "One of the legendary relics lost on Venus from the Golden Age."
Kevin smiled coldly. So Sapphiro, to, did not believe in coincidence. The certainty inside his gut grew. "You think the gate lords don't want us to find it," Kevin murmured.
"I wouldn't think they be too happy to see you charging at them with that kind of weapon in your hands, that's true enough."
"It sounds like we can help each other, then," Kevin said. "I can help you find Fellbane, you can help my fireteam fight the vex."
"A sound plan," Sapphiro agreed, "As long as get to slap around some hobgoblins."
For the next day Kevin and Sapphiro swapped notes. There original mission had now become a two part mission - the gate lords and the Fellbane. Eventually they decided that the best course of action would be to pack up Sapphiro's camp and move northward along the Shore of Time. They found themselves fighting every type of Vex there was, from disposable goblins, to the accurate hobgoblins that Sapphiro destroyed with much prejudice, to harpies that hunted them in packs, massive and powerfully built minotuars that would teleport behind them for a ambush, and hydras that were miniature fortresses and dissolved their rounds in the translucent matrix fields that surrounded half of them.
Kevin learned from Sapphiro the the vex had gates here; a portal that can teleport Vex units to various locations. So not only did it feel like they were fighting an endless army of machines, in many ways they were. Yet each day seemed to bring Kevin no closer to his goal. There were plenty of traces of the gate lords influence, but none of the gargantuan machines.
Nor was Sapphiro's quest for the enticing Fellbane more successful. The clues, data files that their ghost found had references of the blade and the projects that it belonged to, but nothing in the matter of location. Soon resurrections became a normal daily task. The only ones who did not need to to be brought back from the dead were Kevin, Sapphiro, and Vaclav, but that was mainly caused by his sunsinger abilities.
Engrams were freely flowing and there was plenty of glimmer to saturate his team's greed, but Kevin knew that they would not stay loyal for long. These trinkets were small in comparison to warm food, warmer bed, and safety of home. Then his voice chimed with a message from the Tower.
A muscle twitched near Kevin's eye. "Commander Zavala - recalled my team. Because they deemed it a fool's errand?"
His ghost was nervous and glanced sideways at Sapphiro for help, but the human just shrugged his shoulders. "Yes, they are waiting for you down by the clearing to set up a trans-mat zone. I'm sure you'll be able to catch up with them quickly."
"Of couse," Kevin said, and forced a smile. Inwardly seething. He dropped a hand on Sapphiro shoulder and steer the Titan off to an area where they could speak quietly.
"Hey, I'm sorry, bud. It's frustrating to have to pick up an-"
"No."
Sapphiro was taken aback. "Say what?"
"I'm not going back. And neither are these guardians. They took up this contract, so they will see it through. Only the weak run in the face of a true challenge."
"Kevin, it was left to a vote. The vanguard has spoken. You can't countermand an order. That's treason."
Kevin snorted. "Perhaps it is the vanguard who is turning traitor on the City."
Sapphiro was surprised what he was hearing. He knew Kevin could have a superiority complex, but never this horrid. "Well you would have to take it with them when you get back. Make them see reason, if that's all you have to say. But you cannot disobey."
Kevin shot the fellow Titan a harsh glance. "You have to admit about one thing. My team are loyal to what they understand a chain of command. They'd never refuse to go home if it's a direct order." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and smiled as the idea took shape. "That's it! We'll simply deny them the way to go home. They won't disobey - if they are unable to obey."
Sapphiro cocked an eyebrow. "What are you implying?"
Kevin's responded with a wolfish grin, and told him his plan.
Sapphiro was shocked. "Isn't that a bit much?
Sapphiro was always seen as the chivalrous knight. He did not understand that in order to gain great victory greater sacrifices must be made. He would understand that this was a merely necessary sacrifice in order to keep the fireteam completely loyal to him. When they finally faced the gate lords. Kevin knew he would defeat them. He would defeat all of them. He would end the darkness and be remembered as the Traveler's champion. The destruction of the trans-mat beckons was nothing more than an inconvenience - comparatively minor when measured against the glory it would bring him... and the survival of the City.
"I know it sounds drastic, but it has to be this way. It has to."
Sapphiro fought with his own thoughts and that of his friend's. Kevin was desperate, that much was certain, but if they sabotaged the trans-mat beckons then his fireteam would no longer listen to him. Maybe this was for the best.
A few hours later, Kevin stood on the Shores of Time and watched as former trans-mat zones burned.
The answer had been simple. The guardians could not call their ships home - could not abandon him - if there were no call to the ship. And so Kevin destroyed any way to call them forth.
He had cut through the jungles, having his ghost reprogram dormant vex first to help them slaughter the other machines and then destroy all of the beckons they had laid.
Beside him, Sapphiro sighed and shook his head. He who muttered under his breath as they watched the sabotage, was still not certain if this was the right path. Kevin just watched, the heat almost scorching his front.
"Damn you Zavala. You were always jealous of me." he murmured.
He would show the Vanguard Titan - the former Vanguard Titan. He would show Zavala, and Cayde-6, and Ikora Reys, and Layla. He had not shirked his duty, no matter how awful or brutal it was. He would return triumphant, having done what was needed to be done - things that the softer-hearted weaklings at the Tower were too afraid to do.
The constant roar of distant explosions and chattering constructs, it drowned out the despairing cries of his team as they emerged and beheld the sight.
"Sir Kevin! Our ships wont respond!"
"What happened? How are we going to get home?"
The idea had been simmering in the back of his mind for a while now. Kevin knew his team would be aghast at discovering that they would be stranded here for a unknown amount of time. They had agreed to follow him, true, but they were no more than mercenaries and no amount of loot could sedate their urge to go home. Sapphiro was right, his word was nothing compared to the final word of the Vanguard.
Then he saw the vex he reprogrammed.
They were technically the enemy. None of them knew that he ordered them to destroy the zones, outside of Ao. To his team they were agents of the darkness. They would not be missed.
Kevin felt the light swell within him. "These machine took our only hope of going home! In the name of the Last City, slaughter them all!"
He led the charge.
Author's Notes:
So I figured I would just put Ao's Grimiore's bio below... BUUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTT, that would give any what would happen at the end. So you are just gonna have to wait til then.
Take care now, bye bye then.