King of the Sands
Chapter 7: A Maze of Lies
Well, I am NEVER doing a double post again.
That is all.
()()()()()()()()()()
"Well, isn't this awkward." Erik said, observing the stunned reaction of his intelligence officer as he panicked.
"Th-That's not right! I would never betray you, Marchall!" The Cabal said, hands held outwards in a peaceful gesture.
"Several recordings and Psion Commander De'Mitra's testimony say otherwise." Erik replied, grinning slightly.
"De'Mitra is one of my greatest political opponents! He would say anything, accuse me of anything, just to get ahead!" Therrus said, visibly panicking.
"De'Mitra is also one of my best officers." Erik said. "Whereas you, Therrus, are not. You want me dead so you can claim the Last City did it, and start the war anew."
"What gave you that idea?"
"This." Erik gestured with his left hand towards the main screen, where a recording of a Cabal in very recognizable black and green armour speaking to a cloaked figure was starting up.
"Kill him, and you will get your Glimmer. And your repairs." The Cabal said.
"Who?" The cloaked figure asked.
"Erik Volden, the Marchall of the Cabal." The Cabal said.
Therrus looked at Erik with an air of desperation. "I… I…" He stuttered.
"You what?" Erik asked, scowling. "You would start a new war, when we just finished the last? You would start hostilities back up again?"
"I… I…" Therrus kept stuttering.
"WHY, DAMN IT? WHY DID YOU WANT TO START A NEW WAR?" Erik roared. "WHY WOULD YOU ENDANGER THE LIVES OF EVERY CABAL IN THE SYSTEM? WHAT REASON DO YOU HAVE?"
"The Cabal are warriors! You would see us grow fat and lazy with your peace treaties and ceasefires!" Therrus said.
"I would see you live, Therrus. I would see you prosper once more, no longer forced into an unending war." Erik sighed. "I would see peace."
"Your peace would do little more than kill us!" Therrus replied. "We would grow weaker as the Vex grew stronger!"
Erik lowered his head, breathing deeply. He couldn't lose it. Not now.
"We could work with the Akenda, the Humaka, the Marn Metra. We could have allies to fight alongside, allies to help us fight back." Erik said.
"Cabal need no allies! We are the mightiest species in the galaxy!" Therrus said. "We do not need the aid of the weakling Humaka."
"This Humaka is in charge of your army, you Idrak!" There was Kallus, right on schedule.
"I am no fool, Kallus! What happened to you all?!" Therrus asked the gathered leaders. "We were mightier before this Fullner Humaka joined us! We were greater!"
"We were dying!" Therrin, Therrus's fellow intelligence officer said. "We were fighting an unwinnable war!"
"We were winning! The Vex's numbers were lowering, until the Tau'arc was killed!" Therrus howled. "Why don't you listen to me!"
"BECAUSE YOU ARE A FULLNER." Obriok, the Colossus Grandmaster said, his voice sounding like an earthquake. "HUNDREDS OF MY BROTHERS DIE EVERY DAY BECAUSE OF IDRAK'S LIKE YOU."
All fell silent as the gargantuan warrior spoke. Obriok was to a Colossus what a Colossus was to a normal Cabal. He was enormous, wielding a modified Siege Tank cannon as his primary firearm, and his armour was several feet thick. He was, on the battlefield, a towering behemoth of firepower, capable of tearing apart enemy forces on his own.
"So, Therrus, have you anything to say before you are executed?" Erik asked.
The Cabal looked up at him, practically radiating hatred.
"Ishk Hotra Yon Flamma En Helk." The betrayer said. "I hope you burn in hell."
"See you there." Erik said, before pulling the trigger.
The gunshot seemed to echo around the room for an eternity, the only noise in the otherwise silent command room. Kallus broke the silence being clapping one fist to his chest.
"Hadden Der Marchall!" He bellowed, the rest of the commanders taking up the cry. Erik smiled beneath his helmet. And at that moment, he swore something to himself.
He would do everything he could to ensure these peoples safety. After nearly a year of directionless wandering and depression, he had a cause, a reason. Yes, he would do anything to make peace between these factions.
Even give his life.
()()()()()
Erik walked through the ruined buildings and shattered aircraft of the Old Russian Cosmodrome, hunting for the local Fallen, as well as trying to find some cave Cayde-6 wanted scouted out. His Ghost had marked the place, but it was pretty high up, and while Erik could boost his jumps, he couldn't fly. He was pulled from his musings by the sounds of rustling leaves. It was slight, but Erik had always had superhuman hearing, despite his being human.
Erik drew his Hand Cannon with lightning speed and fired twice. The two shots rang out over the quiet of the Aerodrome, and both punched holes in the underbrush. A single shot came in return, whistling past Erik's ear and forcing him to dive for the ground, firing again. This shot went wide, and another return shot threw up a spray of dirt as it struck the ground in front of him, no doubt the result of the unseen threat being forced to dodge as well. Another shot rang out, punching a bullet into Eriks armour. The gear thankfully halted it, but it was akin to being punched in the solar plexus without warning.
A revelation came to Erik quickly and without warning.
'The Fallen don't use bullets.' He realized, ceasing his return fire.
"Hold up Guardian! I'm a friendly!" He called. Apparently the other guardian heard him, because all return fire ceased in the nick of time.
"What's your classification?" A voice asked, sounding female, Erik noted.
"Titan, serving under Commander Zavala!" Erik called back, rising from the ground. "What's yours?"
"Titan." The voice was a lot closer, and Erik felt the cold circle of a gun barrel at the back of his neck. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Erik couldn't turn to look at her without risking death. "I-I'm completing a bounty." He answered truthfully.
"This is my turf for operations. How do you not know that?" The woman responded, her voice full of subtle threat. "Leave. NOW."
"Guardians can't own 'turf'." Erik responded. "Unlike the rest of you lot, I actually know the rules for a Guardian."
"What are you, a Warlock playing dress up?" The Titan asked, pressing her rifle barrel harder against Eriks spine. "Ain't no Titan who talks like that."
"You're threatening one." Erik replied. "Erik Volden, at your service."
"I suppose you sound peaceful enough." The woman said, withdrawing her rifle from Erik's throat. "The name's Alice."
Erik turned to see a surprisingly small Human Titan. The top of her head could barely touch his shoulder, though that was probably more due to his unnatural height than any fault of her own. He nodded.
"Now that introductions are over, could I please go? I have a mission to complete." He said.
"Go right ahead, though I suppose I'm obliged to warn you, there's an infestation of Hive over there, even a big bugger with a sword." She said, gesturing in the direction Erik was headed.
"How tough does it look?" Erik asked.
"He's even bigger than you, he's covered in armour and that sword looks sharp." Alice replied. "I'd say your chances of taking him out are zip."
"Fantastic…" Erik sighed, rubbing his head.
"I… I could help you take him out." Alice said, stuttering.
"You just tried to kill me." Erik pointed out. "Why would you help me?"
"Look… it gets lonely out here, by myself. You don't have a fireteam, do you?" She asked.
"No…" Erik answered slowly, not understanding what the diminutive Titan was getting at.
"Then we could work together! Both of us are pretty low on the ladder, but if we team up, we could get way more done!" She said. "It's mutually beneficial. I keep people from sneaking up on you, and you keep them from shooting me!"
"Well… I suppose we could work together." Erik said. "You're right about it getting lonely out here."
"Then let's go." Alice said, pulling the safety on her Scout Rifle. "Those Hive aren't going to kill each other."
"Sadly." Erik remarked, before reloading his Hand Cannon. He turned to see Alice standing right in his face.
"Erik, wake up." She said.
()()()()()
Erik awoke from his dreams at the sound of a light click. He knew it was probably nothing, but he swore he had heard…
"Now die." Erik rolled out of the way just in time to dodge the fusion rifle round that vaporized the headboard of his bed.
"Smoke! Your hirer is dead!" Erik yelled, his armour forming on his body just in time to catch the next fusion rifle shot. He was sent tumbling back, however, and grasped at the handle of TFWPKY 1969 as he rolled, bringing the weapon up as he rose onto one knee.
The lights in the room clicked on, bathing the room in light, and Erik's helmet visor blinked as it adjusted to the change in brightness. He was given vision back just in time to see Smoke charging him with a knife. He tossed TFWPKY aside and caught the assassins wrist in his left hand, bringing his right around in a curving hook punch.
The Exo took it full in the chin, and twisted with the blow, bending at the back just in time to meet Erik's knee with his face. A wicked 'CRACK' resounded through the room as Smoke flipped back, falling to the ground with his faceplate cracked clean in two. One of his eyes was hanging from its socket, held hanging in place by a small bundle of cables.
"K.O!" Erik yelled, punching the air. "The title goes to Erik Volden!"
Three legionaries, lead by Kallus, rushed into the room, weapons up.
"Marchall, you're injured!" One of them said, as Erik looked down at his chest.
Where his chestpiece usually was, there was a scorched hole.
"Oh." Erik said, falling to the ground.
