This chapter and the next one are gonna be a little shorter. Slower parts of the story before things really get underway. As always though please rate, reciew and please doenjoy.

Chapter 10: The Refiners Fire

Jewel layed in her bed staring out the window at the city. The sun had just dropped below the mountain horizon and it's light was quickly fading. Jewel stared at the traveler as Opal floated up next to her.

"Jewel you've been laying here all day it can't be healthy." Jewel remained silent.

"I know you're worried about Aaron, I'm worried too, but Aaron isn't stupid. He's more then capable of looking after himself." Jewel continued to stare out the window.

"Ah darn it woman I am trying to help you!" Opal yelled as she dropped and plopped down on the bed. "How about this. Let's go talk to the others members of his team. Maybe they've heard something about him."

Jewel looked over her shoulder and nodded. For the first time since Aaron left Jewel got up out of bed. Dressed simply in a pair of jeans, a t-shirt and a light jacket, and made her way toward toward the courtyard. On her way she saw Syd and Max walking through the hall.

"Hiya Jewel!" Syd called, Jewel just gave her wave and stayed quiet. "You feeling alright?" Syd asked.

"She's worried about Aaron." Opal chimed in. "He got an assigned a mission and he's been gone all day."

"I'm sure Aaron's fine." Syd assured.

"Aaron was chosen to be the leader for a reason Jewel." Max added. "He is the most capable of all of us. I'm sure the length of the mission is simply because he wants to see it completely through." Jewel smiled a bit and nodded to the other hunter.

"Anyway we're on our way to the courtyard. Val said that Lance has a meeting with the Vanguard and then we were planning on getting some grub. Want to join us?" Jewel nodded again.

"That sounds great."

The three guardians walked the short distance to the courtyard. Val was standing at the top of the staircase that led down to the Vanguard.

"Hello, it's good to see you all." Val said. "Lance is down with the Vanguard but I'm sure he'll be up soon."

"I'm gonna go down with him." Jewel said which gained the attention of the others. "I have a question for him and the Vanguard could help."

"Is this about Aaron's mission?" Syd asked but Jewel had already taken off down the stairs.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs she could see that there was commotion at the end of the hall. Lance stood with his back to the hall and he seemed flustered. As she moved closer she could make out what was being said.

"I don't understand why his mission was classified. On top of that I don't understand why he had to go alone." Lance said.

"We had very little information on what was happening." Ikora said. "We believed that a single guardian would have a better chance of getting information while remaining undetected."

"Then why Aaron, a titan. Hunter are trained for stealth. Unless they choose to titans are not."

Aaron is no average titan." Zavala said. "He has shown time and time again that he can work around his weaknesses and get a job done."

"Well obviously this time you had too much faith!" Lance yelled. "Because now he's captured by the House of Kings and we don't know what he found out! For all we know he's dead now!" Lance was silenced when he heard a gasp from behind him.

Jewel was standing in the doorway of the hall with her hands over her mouth and tears streaming down her face.

"Oh no." Was all Lance had time to say before Jewel turned and ran. "Jewel wait." Lance called after her but she didn't stop.

Jewel ran down the hall and back up the stairs past Val, Syd and Max. She sprinted toward the apartments but something grabbed her and held her in the air.

"Woah there Jewely girl, what's going on?" Jewel kicked and screamed as she continued to cry.

"Let me go Kore!" Kore held onto her as the other arrived. Lance gave her a sad look as she buried her face in Kore's shoulder and cried.

"You guys take her back to my apartment. I'm going to finish talking with the Vanguard."

"What happened?" Val asked.

"Aaron's in a lot of trouble."

The subtle dripping of water faded into sense. Aaron groaned as his hearing started to return. Next came smell, and with it the scent of rust and a small amount of ether in the air caused him to cough. Next came sight as he slowly opened his eyes. He was in a small room with a large door right in front of him. Aaron recognized the design as that of a Fallen ketch. Finally his feeling returned and pain shot into his head and his back. With the pain memories came flooding back. The mission, his ship being destroyed, the large Fallen and Jewel. Aaron opened his eyes fully and surveyed his surroundings. He was the only thing in the room. He realized that he was stripped of his weapons and armor. All he wore was his skin tight undersuit. He was sitting on the ground and his arms outstretched to his sides and were shackled to the wall behind him.

"Aaron?" a quiet voice said.

"Rex?" Aaron asked, his voice quiet and pained. "Is that you?"

"Ya it's me, I'm so glad you're alright. I had to hide myself when the fallen captured you."

"I don't know if 'alright' is the word I'd use. What happened?"

"After the captain knocked you out they took your gear and locked you up in here."

"Alright, do you still have the files?"

"Yes but I can't transmit them to the tower, I have no signal in here."

"Damn." was all Aaron said before the door to the room opened.

The large fallen walked into the room with two vandals, each carrying a spear. The large fallen knelt down and looked at Aaron.

"Why you trespass on house kings ketch?" The fallen asked.

"You know English?"

"Know enough. Answer first question."

"How about you answer mine first? Who are you? What's your plan?"

"I am Velkis, Kell of House Kings. Now, answer first question."

"I don't think I want to." at Aaron's remark a vandal stepped forward and jabbed at him with the spear causing Aaron to be shocked by a bolt of lightning, causing the Titan and clench in pain.

"You answer house kings questions, or you suffer till death." Velkis said.

"I'm not telling you a damn thing." Aaron yelled as he spit onto the kell's face. Both vandals then shocked him making him scream out in agony.

"You will answer." Velkis said as he walked out of the room.

As the door closed, Aaron's screams began to echo down the halls of the ketch.