I'm not dead. Just a camping trip and a bit of writer's block is all. Anyways, this Chapter is larger that the others. Comment if you like the longer Chapters. Enjoy!
The Queen waved her hand at them, and the masked Guards that escorted them in suddenly moved to life once more. The Royal Guards escorting the group out of the throne room and through the halls again of the very large remains of a ship; re purposed into something more. They were lead through another connecting ship, which simply appeared to only be room for an outpost. Voxen took the view in and couldn't help but respect the strange Awoken and their cleverness.
There they hung a close right, rounding the corner and the sight that came to Voxen was a familiar one. A large Pike clung to the wall of a round Fallen pod, covered with a cloth to preserve it, with several Fallen crates clustered around it with the Fallen symbol scratched off for some unknown reason. Outside the pod stood another one of the Royal Guard, silently unmoving in her vigilance. That was unsettling to the Eliskni. As they approached the Guard went from a casual stance to a more rigid one all without turning her head toward them.
"Variks, you have guests." Barked the guard.
"Yeeeeeees, I am aware... I can smmmmmeeeeeeell them." Spoke a light grutteral voice from inside the pod.
Voxen was shocked, and she began to lean forward, sniffing the air toward the pop to detect the Fallen that was concealed behind the curtain that served as a door. She had been under the impression all Wolves had been imprisoned, so what Fallen had somehow managed to avoid being thrown in the Prison.
She had her answer when the group stopped in front of the Pod and then out stepped a male Fallen that left the former Vandal in awe. His armor was different from any other Fallen she hadn't ever seen before. He wore a chain mail cover that was longer than the mask he wore it over, standing tall before the group in a display of dominance that was more for show than for threat. He wore a green banner over his armor and instead of being docked his upper arms were missing and replaced with robotic ones, yet his lower weaker set remained undocked or hindered. She then noticed in the left upper robotic hand was a staff that had been rumored to have been stolen long ago from a Devil Captain; a Captain known for his disdain for the other Houses. Yet Voxen's doubt was erased as to who this Fallen was, or why he hadn't been thrown into the Prison. The symbol painted in white made it easy to know which House he owed his loyalty. He was from the lost House Judgement. However how he had gotten he was still bewildering to Voxen; House Judgement were supposed to have had been wiped out in their travels among other Fallen Houses after the Whirlwind. How had the Wolves kept one in their mists all this time without so much as a whisper of hope the House still remained alive?
Both Eliskni locked their duel pairs of eyes on each other, and Voxen stepped forward from the group, ignoring an astonished look from her Chief beside her.
"You are House Judgement? But Rumored dead and gone. " Voxen squeaked, getting closer to take a deeper whiff of the Fallen's scent to assure herself this wasn't some sort of trick.
Both now stood in each other's face, staring at each other, and sniffing the air of scents. Variks standing taller than she was, while she hunched over curiously making her appear even smaller; and yet she almost tempted to reach out and poke his helm.
"No young Vandel, not deaaaaad yeeeet. I am Variks, the Loyal. The last scribe of House Judgement." He rattled on in his gruttled voice. His head tilted, apparently just as curious of her as Voxen was of him. He switched to their own tongue. "However. I do not believe I know which House your Banner tells."
Voxen responded in their shared tongue in kind. "I former Winter Vandel. No longer Fallen now. I am Chief Guard of House Defiance. I am proud Eliskni." Her mandibles clicking rapidly as she spoke. It was refreshing to speak in her own tongue.
"Not a Kell's Guard? But Chief Guard... Hmmmmmmm... Interesting. What and who is this Chief?" He questioned.
Voxen nudged her head back at the confounded looking Huntress behind her. "I follow heeeeeeeeer. She is wooooooooorth following. Not ruthless Kell. Creating House of Eliskni and Guardians toooogether."
"Hmmmmmm... Either very wise or very foolish choice young one. We shall see which will be." Variks responded, but he seemed pleased with it. "What is your name?"
"Voxen, Ghostwind." She answered.
"I see..." Variks said, tapping his staff once. "I will remember you."
He faced the group as a whole to address them all. "Welcome Guaaaaaaardians." He switched back to the human tongue, so they could understand him. He did a slight bow as he formally introduced himself. "I am Variks, the Loyal. Judgment Scribe, Warden of the Prison of Elders, and humble servant of the Queen."
"I have been infooooooormed you are need of a visit to the Prison. To the Wolves that remained here after the Wolves' betrayal." He clicked his mandibles excitedly. "Shaaaaaall we be on our waaaaay then?"
He strided he way through them and down towards a platform, where a large ship waited to take them to where ever the Prison was Hidden among the dead ruins that was the Reef.
Earth: Orbit, Kell's Ketch
Heavy Fallen boots marched down the metal hall of a massive Ketch which House Devils kept its higher command while awaiting orders of deployment from the Kell. Throughout the Halls and rooms the Banner of the Devil House were hung for all the inhabits to see and remind them who they owned their fealty to. That all was about to change.
The heavy boots belonged to a massive Fallen Devil Baron. And his rage and bloodlust would not be so easily sated. He strode through the lair with powerful pride, a sword at each hip and Launcher on his back hidden under his cloak which bore the Devil Banner. His armor bore dings, dents, and scratches from many battles hard won and fought. Today a new battle awaited for him. Today he was going to challenge the Devil Kell himself for the title and the House loyalty that would follow. This Kell had shown he was no longer fit to rule as Kell. This one had in mind to put him down as their society and culture demanded.
The Devil army that were stationed here, from Dreg to Captain all stayed out of his way. Hiding and watching, knowing a fight was about to ensure. None of them could dare hope to stop the Massive Baron from challenging the Kell. Strong on ether, and itching for combat the Baron turned the hall corner, and to his surprise, found it empty and dark. No Fallen where near here besides himself, not even the Kell's Guard. He sniffed the air, and tread forward with caution, he would not fall victim to any cowardly traps that could await him down this hall that stood in his way between him and the Kell's Throne room. He stalked down the hall without making so much as a sound even in his heavy armor as he made his way to the door. As he grew closer he could hear the faint words of his Kell speaking to something, or someone on the other side of the door. He crouched as he hid against the locked door and listened, waiting for his chance to strike. The Baron could even make out the words of the Kell inside.
"it all is going well, my Kell. The Devils know nothing! I await to combined our forces and use the Cannon fodder as the front-line assault to attack the Pathetic human City that dares bar our way from the Great Machine."
Kell?
Another voice spoke, and from the way it was distorted the Baron assumed it was from a hologram. "You speak of readiness Baron, yet you lost the Fodder House's Prime Servitor to the pathetic humans you wish to kill."
Something was very wrong here. The Kell had been deceiving them!
"I mean no disrespect, my Kell. However these foolish House of Dregs you have me command are fueled for war now! They wish to avenge their Prime! The loss of the Servitor was needed sacrifice to have them ready to take up arms and attempt to raid the City again without question!" The Baron could hear the groveling in the so called Kell's words as he addressed the hologram. It made the Baron's mandibles curl in disgust. He would fray this false Kell!
The Baron would hear no more of this treachery, he thrust all his might into the door breaking it in and sending it flying into the room. There the Baron could see the true leader behind this plot, on the hologram soon a Kell that he had never seen before, baring the Banner of Kings. He roared in blinded furry and drew all of his weapons at once, and charged! He threw himself on top of the Hologram and stabbed the device and electricity begun to spark and envelope the machine. The hologram stared down the false Devil Kell. "Kill the Challenger. Or Lose your life for this mistake." And then the hologram died away as the machine went dark.
The enraged Baron suddenly found himself surrounded by the False Baron, and some very large and very pissed off Captains, all of them with King Banners and colors. Suddenly the fight wasn't in his favor. The other Baron in the room was larger and had more ether than he did. The Captains that surrounded him were all smaller, but in numbers counting about 5 of them. This 6 versus 1 fight wasn't looking favorably for the Devil Baron.
"Nalos! You foolish filth! You shall die before you can see the combined glory of the House Kings and their servant Devils! Captains, I want his head!" Roared the false Kell, raising his own weapons in the air. The Captains followed suit, drawing their own respective weapons. Two wielding Launchers, two wielding swords, and one with a Wire Rifle. The False Kell stepped back and allowed his underlings the opporunity to strike him first and Nalos snarled at the coward. Only a weak Dreg hid while others did the fighting for them. However, not was not the time to be criticizing fighting styles.
Nalos roared as the first sword wielder charged him, with the second trying to flank him from behind. Acting fast he paired the swords with one of his own, flinging them back and causing the Captain to stumble back while the other one tried to strike Nalos's back only for the massive Baron to whirl his other sword arm out, his longer reach slicing through the Captains pathetic shield and opening the Captain's belly, causing the Fallen King to fall over in a pool of his own lifeblood. One down. The two Captains with Launchers fired at him now relentlessly, and his shield deflected the blows easily, however it would not hold under this much fire for long. The first sword Captain had recovered and swung both swords inwardly, and Nalos lept up, the swords narrowly slicing through air where the Baron had been only moments ago. Sshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhow! The blasted Wire rifle! He took a direct hit to his shield, causing it to fall and the shot even bounced off his helm, making his head rattle and ring from the impact. He stumbled and the Captain with the Swords charged in for the kill, taking their own Shock swords and slicing the Baron across his body. The Baron let out a howl of pain and his arm went limp from the blow; the blow felt like it cleaved through bone and Nalos lost hold of his Launcher. He just barely hung onto it with his uninjured upper arm, abandoning his swords so one lower arm could clutch his chest wound the other, support the Launcher. He lifted it and fired onto the Captain as he tried to keep on his feet; again the blow ate through the weaker shield and sent pieces of heated metal straight through the Captains armor. Two down, but he could not win this fight and he knew it! He roared with rage and frustration and took off for the door before he could be fired upon again by either of the Captains with Launchers or the one with the Wire rifle. He heard a bark of laughter come from the False Kell.
"You won't escape you weakling! You are no match for the Kings!" Taunted the Baron as Nalos fled down the dark hall. His only salvation now was his ship! He had to make it to his ship! There he could command the Pilot Servitor aboard to leave from the Kell's Ketch and escape this place to fight another day!
He ran through the Halls of the ship as fast as his injured body would allow his shield was taking too long for it to regenerate, he needed it to cover him while he escaped. The previous eyes and audience that had watched him before, now were gone. He could not summon the weaker Devils to rise up and defend him and their House from the deceit of House Kings.
He could hear the footsteps of the Captains not far behind him, he had to keep running. He destroyed a door as he forced his way through it, heading as fast has he could to the hanger. Where had all the underlings gone!? He was cursing his luck right now as he flew through the next door way and then made a sharp right turn, praying his feet would not fail him now. He could a Captain closing the distance behind him, was he that badly injured? He turned around and fired onto the Captain with his own Launcher, and in the small hallways, there was no room for the Captain to dodge, and force itself back and it braced for impact. Two round of scrap metal ripped through the shields like there hadn't been one at all, and shredded through the Captains armor. Nalos didn't even bother to stick around to see if the blow was fatal or not, he had to get off this Ketch now!
Through another winding hall of the ship and a few more doors he finally flung himself into the Hangar where his ship awaited him. He could still hear The kings following behind him. He ran across the hangar, feeling himself becoming weaker from his wounds he threw himself onto the open gravity lift and it pulled him upward.
The moment his feet felt like they were on something solid he reached for the controls turning on the comms and turning off the lift before he could be followed. "Servitor, we are leaving now! This Ketch has been infiltrated by Kings!" He roared into the coms, and then relief flooded over him as he felt the powerful engine kicking on beneath his feet. The ship was leaving! He would live!
"Where shall we go Baron?" He heard a assisting Vandal to the servitor ask over the comms.
"Slipspace! Take us to this planet's moon!" He responded with urgency.
"It shall be done!"
"You will not survive the journey to see it."
Nalos did not have any time to react to the words before he heard a ferocious battle cry and felt sudden excruciating pain in his already wounded arm. He cried out in agony and managed to whip himself around to see another King Captain before him, and his own bloody arm now laying in a pool of blood on the ships metal floor. The Baron let out a roar of complete rage and pain over the sight of his detached arm. His blood boiled beyond the point that he could no longer feel anything but rage at this Captain before him.
"You shall die! King scum!" He howled, turning his launcher toward the single Captain, even as the King laughed at him he fired his weapon upon the smaller Fallen repeatedly. The Captain twirled away from the shrapnel and suddenly vanished from sight. That's how the scum managed to get aboard his ship! Nalos roared and lashed out around him, firing haphazardly to find the Captain that had managed to slip from sight. All he could hear was the Captain's taunts and jeers at him while his weapon continued to fire pieces of red hot metal from its barrel. Until finally the weapon clicked uselessly each time he pulled the trigger, signaling he was out of ammunition. He roared again in anger. If he could not fill the Stealth Captain with metal from the weapon, he would simply beat him with it! He stopped from his thrashing and listened for the Captain to jeer at him again.
"Have you realized you are no match for House Kings?" It taunted from behind the Baron. Before the Captain could dodge another attack, Nalos stomped the metal with all his might under him, causing the entire room to shake and send the offending Fallen flying towards the nearest wall with a THUMP. He whirled around to face the King Captain face to face before he would smash him to pieces.
"The Devil's will never die! Nor will we follow the cowardly Kings! Now die!" He roared, bringing his empty Shrapnel Launcher in the air, then sung it down towards the downed King, only to watch the Captain use a last ditch effort to teleport away from the blow. The Baron had brought the weapon directly upon the floor shattering the weapon. Nalos abandoned remains of the weapon and turned quickly, and snatched up the Captain by its cloak with his strong upper arm. Then with all the strength he could muster with his wounded body he flung the Fallen King to the opposing wall rounding upon the broken Captain before it could rise up; bringing all three remaining limbs down on top of the body repeatedly until the Captain lay still. Nalos had won. The massive Baron roared victoriously in a bellow that rang through out the ship.
"Commander. We've arrive. What was is all the noise down there?" Echoed the voice of the assisting Vandal from the piloting chambers.
"There was a piece of scum left. It is no longer an issue. Send the medical Vandals down here at once. I have a few scratches that need patching." Nalos replied, refusing to sound weak before his crew. He had won the fight, and escaped before he could be slaughtered. He now had to be the Kell his House needed.
Nalos snatched up his dismembered arm from the floor and flopped down on top of a couple of supply crates that rested near by. He examined the limb and hissed to himself, the limb could not be reattached, and thanks to the shock blade it could not simply regrow either. Nalos had to now accept he was now short a strong upper arm. A small group of Devils came in through the door, two Vandals and two Dregs each accompanied them, carrying the Vandal's tools to patch his bleeding wounds. However the Vandals stopped and stared at him, probably not having expected such great wounds that Nalos now bore.
"What are you fools gawking at? Do you really think these wounds could slow me down? Get to work!" He snapped at the smaller Fallen. The Vandals quickly ordered the Dregs, getting about to first stopping the bleeding the oozed from the stump of what remained of his arm and the deep cut in his chest.
Once his wounds had been tended to, and he had had a chance to get a fresh ration of ether into his system Nalos moved his way through the smaller ship to his throne room to address his entire crew and the importance of their new mission.
He stood before his chair, activating the coms throughout the ship so all the Devil's aboard could hear him.
"House Devils! We are all that remain of our proud House! I went today to challenge the Devil Kell for his title! I found deceit and lies! There was no Devil Kell! Only a King Baron that pretended to be, while surrounded by his weak underlings. I saw him cowering before his own Kell. They have been using us! Treating us all like inferior Fallen, not even worth calling a Dreg! They planned to force us to be their Fodder for another assault onto the Human City! We will not bow before any other House! We are Devils! Follow me my warriors as now I claim the title of Kell and we regain our numbers and strength, we will unleash war upon the Kings and any Fallen that would submit to their rule! We will not be absorbed!" He proclaimed with pride. Then he fell silent, and the whole ship seemed to be quiet also... Then he could could roars of his House rallying with him, supporting his claim!
"From this day forward, I will be Nalos, King-slayer! We will flay them without mercy!"
Voxen: The Reef; Prison of Elders.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooo! Meriks is loyal! Meriks is loooooyal to the Queen! See? See? Took wounds as I fought the betrayers!" Cried a Dreg with his hands restrained behind him, trying to convince Voxen in their native tongue of his loyalty.
At first the remaining Wolves had been reluctant to speak with Voxen, viewing her a a strange rogue Fallen, with no loyalties. That was, until Variks clicked and threatened to simply have them all thrown into the arena to die fighting against other creatures held within the Prison for the Queen's amusement. Voxen simply clicked her mandibles at the Dreg; shaking her head. This one had no pride and let his fear overwhelm him. However he was useful, as his fear would spark more among the rest; getting answers from them all much easier.
"Show me this wound of yours, drrrrrreg." She clicked. The dreg was all too quick to turn as much as its body as it could showing a grazing of a wound in his side. Upon closer inspection of the wound, the former Winter Vandal could smell the familiar charring scent that was only caused by a weapon of the Fallen arsenal and if Voxen had to guess it would have been a Shock pistol from the looks of it. She looked to Variks and clicked her mandibles at the fellow Eliskni.
"He speaks truth. He is too fearful to lie, and he has proof of wound." Voxen told the Judgement Scribe.
"Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeees, so it seems... this one will not suffer a traitors fate, yet I know not of what my Queen will do with the ones that are deemed... loooooyal." He answered her. Together they moved on to the next Prisoner, an older Fallen of Vandal rank. This one was already been questioned by Voxen's Chief, however the Huntress looked frustrated with the Vandal, suggesting his skill with human tongue was patchy a best, so Voxen felt she needed to assist. She approached the Huntress respectfully, making sure she was hear on her approach.
"What learned so far my Chief?" She asked.
Shadow shook her head and crossed her arms irritably. "Not much Vox. He keeps saying Queen is Kell, but that's all I think he knows of our language. Which I gotta say I'm surprised, I woulda figured the Wolves would know more English considering that the Queen ruled as their Kell for so long."
Voxen simply shifted on her feet. "They may not have needed to. Some may have served simply to translate."
Varkis clicked his mandibles at her cheerfully. "Very clever. You would be correct, Voxen."
The Vandal hissed at Variks, a very clear warning to stay back. However Voxen ignored the threat, deeming it was not directed towards her and proceeded with her task in their own tongue.
"Tell me, where your loyalties lie, so that I may assist you."
"Loyal to Captain. I go where she goes!" he hissed back at her. "If that means Captain has fealties to Reef Queen then Queen is Kell. I will not fight that."
The Guard shrugged away the hostility, in this situation it was understandable even if she was trying to prevent his imprisonment or even early doom. "I will go to your Captain then.
She looked to her Kell and shook her head. "Vandal says It goes where Caaaaaptain goes."
"Vandal's got some balls on them then. Shit, that's a lot of faith to place your life into that Captain's hands." Shadow answered back while crossing her arms. She looked over at Variks. "Hey, how many Captains we got locked up here?"
Variks tapped his robotic hand on his staff. "Only one. A feeeeemale... as you call it. She has been the calmest of the lot that were arrested."
Shadow made a face that face that eluded Voxen's understanding and nodded at the Judgement Scribe. "Take us to her. We'll have a chat with her."
"Veeeeeery well... She's in a different cell. Being a Captain she could have rallied a riot so the Queen say fit to isolate her. Thisssssss way." He replied walking away from the main group and down the hall of the re-purposed Fallen ship.
Shadow looked to the rest of the Guardians that where here. "Hey guys, stay put and keep questioning the underlings. We'll be back." Then to Voxen. "Commin' Vox?"
"Yeeeeees."
They both followed the Scribe down the hall, passing by several other Cells with different aliens from Hive to Vex inside of them.
"Thought they were locked in Cryo-pods. Once slew a Archon priest that had been raided from here that came out of one." Shadow muttered to no one in particular.
However Variks answered her. "Only high threat prisoners. Ones that can raaaaally troops to fight baaaack. Other wise they are thrown into other occupying cells without care. Without a strong leader to encourage, they cannot do much harm."
"That makes sense. Is the Captain we are visiting in a pod?"
"No. She would just be isolated from other troops. Not high enough rank to stirrrrrrr rebellion. Unless she were a Baron. Then she would be in Crrrrryo slumber."
They came to a sudden stop before a door with a small window; allowing them to peer within the room on the other side. There sat the Captain they were seeking on her knees, no Banner donned on her back and her hands bound behind her while both pairs of eyes were closed. Variks did something to open the door, but Voxen missed whatever it was. The door opened and the three walked in silently.
The Captain didn't move, speak, or anything that would acknowledge she was aware of their presence there. Voxen took a deep breath in to catch in the Captain's scent, finding it odd for one of her kind to be sitting there so calmly. Most Fallen Captains would be fighting the bindings in which they were bound in. They would not stand to be in a cage or so easily submit. Voxen instantly took a liking to the larger Fallen.
Shadow was the one to break the silence. "Oi. You there. Feel like talking?"
The Captain opened her eyes, and looked up at the Guardian with a fierce gaze that Voxen did not care for; this caused Voxen to instinctively move herself between her and the Captain.
"Guaaaaaaardian. Why have you come?" She rasped back at the Huntress.
"You know why I'm here." Shadow replied flatly. "Gotta know where your loyalty is."
The Captain clicked her mandibles irritably. "Why a Guardian to question me?"
"We offered. Now come on I need answer." Shadow answered back.
The Captain rose to her feet and Voxen clicked her mandibles protectively while standing between the Huntress and the larger Captain; warning the Captain to keep her distance.
The Captain only glanced down at her for a moment before she dismissed Voxen's presence there. "Did you know I was the first to be promoted by my Queen? I arrived at the Reef along with my brethren, beaten, defeated, and uncertain of our fate. Only some our Commanders would bow before the Queen as the new Kell."
Shadow placed a hand on Voxen's shoulder, making the Guard break her gaze from the Captain to glace back at her Kell. The Huntress smiled and slowly moved to stand beside her instead of behind. It worried Voxen, but she respected the Huntress's choice. The Huntress's gaze then returned to the Captain.
"Let me guess. Your Captain refused." She spoke softly.
The Captain nodded. "He would condemn his crew to imprisonment or death, for refusing to bow Queen. She had defeated Skolas, the Rabid, and was claiming herself Kell over us. She not Fallen, it did not matter. As my crew were being taken away, I cried out. I know your tongue well, Guaardian." She paused for a moment. "I would swear fealty to the new Kell. Save myself and crew. The Queen looked down at me... I had been lowly Dreg... docked arms and small ether rations. She did that thing you humans do... smile? Yes... She asked if I could serve her. Before her, my crew, and my Captain. I said I would till I breathed no more. I meant it. My Captain screamed foul insults at me in my tongue, and wrestled to get free of the Guards. The Queen merely nodded at one of the Guards, and the Awoken tossed me her gun. Strange weapons... I knew what to do with it. I aimed for my former Captain's head and i fired on him until the ether hissed out of his helm and his body slumped to the floor. The Queen beckoned me. As I knelt before her, she told me to rise, and promoted me to Captain. Right there. I even had claim to the dead ones armor."
The Captain went on defiantly telling her tale. "Tell me Guardian. Does that not show loyalty? Perhaps when I was the only Captain to lead the counter strike with those who would stand beside me fighting against the traitors? I took many under my command. I am loyal. And those who fought beside me, and those who fell beside me, we are loyal to my Kell. My Queen."
They both stood there in silence for a moment. Then Shadow nodded at the Captain. "That's good enough for me. Honestly. The Queen shouldn't have locked you up in the first place. But it's good for you that you didn't resist. I admire that. I'll tell the Queen I highly urge her to release you and all who fought under you and return you to service."
Variks clicked his mandibles having been silent up till now. "I think we are finish here."