The ship was still in slip stream, it had been what, half an hour since they left the Tower. Kirrhys was sat in the pilot's seat but he wasn't flying the ship, Cerys was as the Ghost was far more knowledgeable in the technology of Humans. Baroness Tavrys was sat behind him in one of the passenger seats, while Umbra and Eryn were sitting in the small seating area that consisted of sofas. Kirrhys' men were loading and preparing their weapons in the seating area as well. Kirrhys had spent most of the journey talking to Tavrys, she was a rather stubborn individual when it came to conversation. It was hard enough to coax her into conversation and even harder to keep it, it was rather infuriating.
'Do you have anyone important?' Kirrhys asked innocently and Tavrys let out a heavy sigh before she answered.
'There is one, but its…complicated' Tavrys answered, Kirrhys shuffled forwards in his chair in curiosity, did he just hear embarrassment in Tavrys' voice.
'It is Skagrosk, is it not?' Kirrhys asked, and Tavrys looked at him in alarm and surprise.
'How did-' Tavrys began to ask before Kirrhys cut her off.
'I have seen the looks you two have shot one another when another is not looking, if you have an eye for detail it is noticeable' Kirrhys answered. Tavrys sat there in silence for a few seconds and stared at the floor, Kirrhys swore he could see Tavrys blushing under her mask which surprised Kirrhys as this was the first peek of the Baronesses hidden side.
'You are more perceptive than many give you credit for' Tavrys replied in a gentle growl.
'It comes with age, Baroness' Kirrhys replied. 'But I must say, you two do have a particular…... distaste for each other' he then added on.
'I have never had feelings for anyone else before, I have been too involved in fighting and am very rash at the best of times. I have feelings for him…. But I feel that I have damaged any chance of something with him' Tavrys explained.
'He must feel the same for you, otherwise he would not look at you when you are not looking. You two just need to talk' Kirrhys suggested. Tavrys silently nodded at the words before turning her head to Kirrhys.
'Do you have any you care about?' Tavrys asked and Kirrhys smiled. Not just at the question but the fact that Tavrys was continuing the conversation.
'Yes. There is my mate, Urvez. As of current time, she is being held in the Reef. There is also my son, Taniks but I do not know his current whereabouts' Kirrhys answered.
'So Zari'ya is not your only reason for wanting to go to the Reef' Tavrys said.
'Yes, that is true. When I heard that Urvez was still alive and in the Reef, I wanted to go there immediately. Zari'ya helped make the trip seem less…. personal, I did not want the Queen to use Urvez as a bargaining chip to control me' Kirrhys answered. Tavrys was about to answer before Kirrhys' Ghost began to speak.
'We are about to come out of slip space' Cerys said as the ship began to shake for a few seconds until the Cosmodrone formed into view through the cockpits main viewport as the ship came out of slip space. Kirrhys activated the ships intercom system, the intercom gave off a whine that hurt Kirrhys' ears.
'We have just come out of slip space, prepare for Transmat' Kirrhys said into the intercom. 'Make sure you put the ship somewhere it won't be seen' he then said to Cerys.
'Will do' the Ghost replied as the ship slowed down to a stop. 'We've arrived. Dropping in five… four… three… two…one' the Ghost said before everything went silent.
Kirrhys ground his teeth together as his body felt pings and prangs all over it, the next thing he saw were old crumbling buildings and rusted out cars. Kirrhys could hear groaning around him, he turned around and saw Tavrys and his men holding their heads. Kirrhys gave off a light sigh at the group and turned to Umbra and Eryn who were loading their rifles.
'How far to the objective?' Kirrhys asked as he pulled out his scout rifle.
'Just a few minutes east, I'm setting up a waypoint' the voice of Cerys answered in his head. Soon enough a small grey diamond popped up in his HUD, showing where the Ketch was located. Kirrhys turned to Tavrys who had now stopped holding her head in her hands but now looked incredibly grumpy.
'I trust you are experienced enough to know potential positions the Hive may take to ambush us' Kirrhys asked as he surveyed the area around them.
'The Hive will wait until they have advantage in numbers and terrain. They will have dug in closer to the ship' Tavrys grumbled as she pulled out two of her shock swords with her lower arms and her shrapnel launcher with her upper ones.
'All right, I want three teams. Umbra and Eryn shall go with Axin and Zeya. Dradak, Meriks, Vesri and Omek shall be the second team. Spyri, Thirmi, Rhan and Steno shall be the third, while me and Tavrys shall be our own team' Kirrhys said.
'Sounds good enough to me' Umbra answered.
'I don't have any problems, but can they speak English?' Eryn asked.
'We can' Axin replied.
'Cool' the Titaness said.
'You and me are going to be in a team while the others are separating themselves into three teams to provide support' Kirrhys said to Tavrys.
'As long as they don't get in the way my Kell' the Baroness grumbled.
'Now that is sorted, when we reach the objective I want Spyri's team to provide sniper support, Dradak and Umbra's team to follow me in to the Ketch once the surrounding area is clear. There will also be no noise, I want to whittle the Hive down using stealth for as long as possible' Kirrhys said to the three groups.
'Ah, some long range shooting!' Spyri excitedly said.
'We can provide support' Dradak replied.
'We got your back' Umbra said.
'Let's move out' Kirrhys said loudly to the group and began walking in the direction of the waypoint.
Kirrhys stalked through the rusted landscape with quite steps, despite his size. Tavrys was walking as silently as she could, scanning the horizon for any potential ambush points. Umbra's, Spyri's and Dradak's teams all quietly crept forwards, trying to make as little noise as they could. Kirrhys had his rifle up, scanning around them to see if anything caught his eye through the scope. The waypoint had lead them into a small forest, their footfalls made crunching sounds as they trod on dead leaves and twigs. Kirrhys heard faint clicking noises followed by shrill or guttural voices as he approached a ridge that led down into a clearing. Kirrhys stopped and lowered into a crouch, he then held his fist up, the groups recognised as a sign to stop and crouched down as well. They stopped and crouched down as well, Tavrys stopped next to Kirrhys and turned her gaze towards him.
'What is it my Kell?' she whispered.
'I can hear Hive, just beyond that ridge' Kirrhys whispered back.
'How far we from the Ketch?' Kirrhys thought to Cerys.
'The cave entrance is just beyond that ridge' the Ghost telepathically answered.
'We are close, the cave that leads to the Ketch is in that clearing' Kirrhys whispered to the Baroness.
'Good, hopefully the Hive have not smelled us yet and we still have the element of surprise, my Kell' Tavrys answered.
'Spyri, Dradak' Kirrhys whispered and the two vandals silently crept next to Kirrhys. 'I want you set up your teams up on the ridge and provide sniper support when bullets start flying' he whispered.
'Will do' Dradak whispered.
'Got it' Spyri whispered. The two Vandals backed up and began whispering to their teams to set up positions on the ridge. The teams pulled out their sniper rifles and crept to the ridge, silently setting themselves up.
'What do you see?' Kirrhys asked over the comlink to Spyri.
'I am counting about twenty acolytes and seven Knights at the cave entrance and surrounding area' the Vandal answered.
'Good' Kirrhys whispered and turned to Tavrys. 'How is your stealth?' he asked.
'I do not lead the stealth Vandals just for being a Baron, my Kell' Tavrys answered in an almost deadpan tone, causing Kirrhys to chuckle at the remark.
'All right, choose your targets and eliminate them…. Silently!' Kirrhys emphasized.
'Do not worry my Kell. I can do silent' Tavrys answered as she put away her shrapnel launcher and pulled out two more shock swords with her upper arms.
'Umbra' Kirrhys whispered as he looked behind him, the Hunter crept forwards and knelt down next to Kirrhys.
'What do you need?' Umbra asked.
'After me and Tavrys have eliminated three of the Hive, I want you to move your team down the hill and set yourselves up for a fight' Kirrhys answered.
'Rattle the cage after you've smashed the eggs, got it' the Hunter replied.
'Let's move out' Kirrhys whispered to Tavrys and the Baroness nodded and activated her stealth drive and followed Kirrhys.
Kirrhys put away his scout rifle and pulled out his combat knife as he stalked his way down the hill, staying hidden behind the bushes. He spotted several group of acolytes being ordered around by the much taller Knights; they were setting up a defensive perimeter around the cave entrance. As they got closer they could hear the chatter of the Hive, combinations of hisses, and clicks mixed in with Hive speech. Kirrhys crouched down as low as he could and hid behind a fallen evergreen that sheltered him from the Acolytes that were meant to be keeping watch, he could hear Tavrys stop in her own little spot near him. To Kirrhys, it appeared they were too preoccupied with a conversation of their own and oddly enough, Kirrhys could understand what they were saying
'I told you something was in that ship!' the first Acolyte said with a raspy voice.
'I thought that ship was empty. What attacked those who went in?' the second Acolyte asked.
'Apparently it was an Eliksni, he slaughtered everyone except tharnur who escaped'the first acolyte replied.
'Interesting' Kirrhys muttered into his comlink with Tavrys.
'Do you know what they are saying?' Tavrys' voice asked over the radio.
'You do not understand them?' Kirrhys asked.
'I just hear noises' the Baroness replied.
'There is someone else in the ship' Kirrhys said and Tavrys gave off an affirmatory grunt.
'You two!'a large Knight shouted in a gruff voice as it walked over to the two Acolytes, Kirrhys crouched down lower into the behind the evergreen, making sure that the Knight would not see him. 'You two should be keeping watch! Not chattering amongst yourselves!'the Knight shouted and one of the Acolytes scampered off from the Knight, while the other went to his position a few meters away. The knight then walked over to the group of bushes that were situated a few meters away from Kirrhys.
Kirrhys kept to the darkness of the trees, one he broke through the tree line, eyeing the unaware Knight who was inspecting his archaic weapon. Kirrhys slowly moved into the bushes behind the Knight, making the minimal amount of noise he could as he slowly stalked the Knight. When he only a few inches away Kirrhys slowly rose up, and then in one fluid movement he grabbed the Knights mouth and sliced its throat open with his knife. The Knight made muffled gurgling and spluttering sounds as his lifeblood poured out from the wound across his throat. Once the Knight went limp, Kirrhys slowly pulled the Knight into the bushes, concealing the body. Kirrhys had learnt from his first mission with Umbra that he should hide bodies more carefully.
'Acolyte to your right, my Kell. I can take him' the Voice of Tavrys said. Kirrhys looked to his right and saw an Acolyte walking in his direction and sniffing the air, he obviously smelled the blood from the dead Knight.
'He is all yours' Kirrhys answered as he saw the shimmering form of Tavrys slowly creeping up on the Acolyte.
Tavrys brought one of her swords up, ready for a slash and made a clicking noise with her mandibles, catching the Acolytes attention. The Acolyte turned around and Tavrys slashed at his neck, cutting through flesh and his spinal column completely, causing the Acolytes head to fly off into the tree line. Tavrys caught the body and its weapon before they dropped to the floor, she dragged the body into the tree line, ensuring none of the other Hive would notice.
'Good kill' Kirrhys whispered.
'It was nothing my Kell' Tavrys answered. Kirrhys looked around and saw a single Knight with a large cleaver like sword that was isolated from the rest of the Hive, he was hidden by a large group of boulders and next to a group of bushes. Luckily the Knight was only a few meters away, so he was not that far away for a teleport.
'That Knight is mine' Kirrhys whispered and slowly crept out of the bush and held his knife up, preparing for the kill. In a flash of light Kirrhys teleported from his position in the bushed to right in front of the Knight. The Knight jumped and before he could alert the other Hive, Kirrhys covered its mouth and stabbed it through its top eye, puncturing its brain. The Knight went limp and Kirrhys carefully dropped the body into the bush.
'Setting up our positions now' the voice of Umbra said over the comlink.
'Good, sniper teams. Pick your targets' Kirrhys whispered as he peered past the boulders to see
'Targets acquired, ready to fire on your word' Spyri's voice replied.
'We've set up our positions, ready to attack on your word' Umbra's voice said.
'Tavrys, you ready?' Kirrhys asked as he looked to Tavrys' last location and saw another patrolling Acolyte get decapitated.
'Ready my Kell' Tavrys answered as she sheathed her swords and pulled out her shrapnel launcher. Kirrhys sheathed his knife and pulled out his swords and hand cannons and began forming a ball of fire in his lower right hand and prepared to throw it at a group of Acolytes.
'Fire!' Kirrhys shouted at he threw the grenade. In the seconds it took for the grenade to reach its target, eight loud sniper shots rang out, hitting several Acolytes in the head, causing their black blood to splatter across the ground. Before the group of Acolytes had time to react, the grenade Kirrhys threw exploded at their feet, enveloping them in flames. The Acolytes screamed in pure pain as the flames completely wreathed their bodies. Tavrys began firing her shrapnel launcher at a knight, causing super-heated shards of metal to chew through his armour and rip through the vital organs beneath.
The remaining Acolytes and Knights jumped into action, turning to both the sniper positions and Tavrys' and opening fire. Tavrys hid behind an evergreen as shredder and boom shots landed around her. Kirrhys charged out the bush and opened fire at the Hive and a number of Knights charged at him, four Acolytes were ripped apart by gunfire as Umbra's team opened fire on them. Two knights with cleavers charged at Kirrhys, gutturally roaring as they did.
The first Knight brought his sword up above his head and brought down a heavy slash that Kirrhys easily sidestepped. Kirrhys aimed both of his hand cannons at the Knight head and pulled the triggers. The bullets impacted with the knight's head, his head moved with an unnatural movement as the rounds punched through his brain, splattering it over the ground. The second knight thrust his sword at Kirrhys, the blunt end of the blade hit Kirrhys in the chest and forced him back and pushed him to one knee. Kirrhys replied in kind by charging at the knight, dodging the heavy attacks and slicing at the knight's right knee, dismembering half the knights leg and the knight let out a roar of pain. Kirrhys pulled back one of his swords and thrust it at the knight's head, the knight held his hand up defensively but Kirrhys' sword easily pierced the knight's hand and then in between his two lower eyes and puncturing its brain. Kirrhys pulled the sword out of the knight's head and hand, before the body even hit the floor Kirrhys spun next to the knight and hacked at the knight's neck, separating its head from its shoulders
Kirrhys' eyes darted around him and saw Tavrys impaling an Acolyte on two of her swords while firing her shrapnel launcher into its face, completely shredding the acolytes head and splattering blood all over Tavrys. Kirrhys charged forwards when he saw an Acolyte flanking Tavrys, he fired his hand cannons at the Acolyte, the first round hitting it in the shoulder while the second hit its chest. Kirrhys slashed at the Acolyte when he reached it, one blade cut into its chest while the other raked across its stomach. Kirrhys kicked the Acolyte away as the final killing blow.
'You all right Baroness?!' Kirrhys shouted as thee both behind boulders to escape incoming shredder and boomer fire. Kirrhys sheathed his swords and put away his hand cannons and then pulled out his scout rifle. He fired at one of the acolytes, hitting it in the neck, causing it to fall to the ground while choking on its own blood. Sniper fire began to ring out as more Acolytes came out from the mouth of the cave, expertly hitting the Acolytes either in their heads or their chests.
'Could not be better my Kell!' Tavrys shouted back.
Umbra's team opened fire again, this time hitting the remaining knight in the chest and abdomen multiple times, while killing the Acolytes surrounding him. The knight then brought his empty hand in front of him and a shield of darkness manifested itself and blocked in oncoming blows. Kirrhys could see the wounds were healing themselves and the rounds were being pushed out of the wounds. Kirrhys aimed at the knight and fired at the exposed flesh of its upper arm. The knight roared in pain and the shield dissipated, and Umbra's team opened fire at the Knight. A round shot through its left arm, dismembering it, then another round then impacted with its jaw, completely shattering it. Kirrhys could hear the knight chocking and spluttering blood as it slumped to the floor, a pool of blood quickly gathering around it. Another group of six Acolytes ran out of the cave mouth and scampered behind cover as they fired at Umbra's team, the Acolytes dug in as sniper fire ricochet off their cover.
'Let's flank those Acolytes' Kirrhys shouted to Tavrys as he pointed to the Acolytes hidden behind the rocks.
'I am ready my Kell' the Baroness answered as she reloaded her shrapnel launcher.
Staying crouched, Kirrhys ran around the boulders with Tavrys following him until they reached the side of the Acolytes position. Kirrhys fired at the first two Acolytes he saw, killing the first with a headshot and shooting the other through the neck. Tavrys fired at the next two Acolytes, peppering them with super-heated shard of metal and killed both of them. The two remaining Acolytes turned and fired at Kirrhys and Tavrys, Kirrhys launched himself behind the rocks. Allowing his shield to absorb a few of the shredder rounds as he went into cover. Tavrys allowed her shields to absorb the fire while she relentlessly fired at the Acolytes. The first Acolytes was flung to the ground as the shrapnel rounds hit its chest, Kirrhys then pooped up from his cover and shot at the second Acolyte, its head was forced backwards as a round pierced its skull and tore through its brain. After a few seconds of silence Kirrhys back at Tavrys who was breathing heavily and clutching a wound on her stomach.
'Are you okay Tavrys?' Kirrhys asked.
'I am fine my Kell, it is just a scratch' the Baroness grunted as she looked at the wound. Luckily the shredder round had lost most of its momentum when it broke through the last of her shields, but it still created a wound.
'Is everyone okay?' Kirrhys asked over the intercom.
'Just a scratch here and there' Umbra answered.
'We are all right up here' Spyri replied.
'I feel sorry for the Hive' Dradak said.
'Good to know everyone's okay' Kirrhys said over the coms, he then turned his attention to Tavrys who seemed to be breathing less heavily but still clutching her wounded stomach. 'Tavrys, we are going into the Ketch to find the Servitors' he said to the Baroness.
'Yes my Kell' the Baroness answered.
'Umbra!' Kirrhys shouted.
'Yeah!' the Hunter replied as Kirrhys saw him come out from behind the rocks.
'I want your team to follow us in if we come under attack' Kirrhys ordered.
'Can do' Umbra replied, Kirrhys then activated his comlink to Dradak and Spyri.
'I want your teams to set up a perimeter, the Kings may be coming our way, if you spot them I want you to tell me immediately. I will call in reinforcements' Kirrhys ordered.
'Yes Kirrhys' the two Vandals answered, Kirrhys then turned his attention again to Tavrys.
'Follow me Tavrys' Kirrhys said as he reloaded his scout rifle and began walking into the cave mouth.
'Yes my Kell' Tavrys answered as she reloaded her own weapon and followed him.
The darkness for the cave was a steep change of environment for Kirrhys and Tavrys, but their race could see in the dark. They spent a few minutes walking in silence through the cold, dark cave until they finally reached a very old airlock that was sealed shut. This was odd, the bulkhead was open when Kirrhys was here last and it appeared to be sealed from the outside, Kirrhys held out his right hand and Cerys materialised above it.
'Can you open this?' Kirrhys asked.
'Sure thing' Cerys replied. The Ghost floated to the small panel next to the door, it was heavily damaged and appeared to be recently broken. 'I think the Hive wanted to keep someone locked in the Ketch, the panel has been completely destroyed' he said.
'Whoever it was must be gone by now, they must have somehow found another way into the ship. Is the panel too damaged to reactivate the door?' Kirrhys asked.
'Luckily the Hive didn't damage the panel too much. I can still open the door' the Ghost answered. A blue beam of light shot out from Cerys' eye, hitting the panel and sending arc energy skittering through the wires. After a few seconds, the ancient airlock opened with a metallic groaning as its servos activated after seven hundred years of inactivity. As the airlock slowly opened, the sight that lay in the hallway beyond shocked Kirrhys. There were dead Hive everywhere! Many had been cut apart, either their head, legs or arms were missing. Other hive had been impaled against the walls with odd looking shock swords, but Kirrhys knew one thing for certain, the smell of spilled blood brought up a feeling of pleasure that he had not felt in a long time, and it made him sick.
'By the Gods! What happened here?' Tavrys asked in shock. Kirrhys walked up to one of the bodies and pulled what he had believed to be a shock sword but now realised looked a lot like a bayonet. He looked over the blade, there were Eliksni runes that ran across the length, the symbol of the House of Kings symbol sat at the base of the blade.
'A royal Paladin was here' Kirrhys replied.
'What are these swords?' Tavrys asked.
'Bayonets, and they've been blessed no less' Kirrhys answered and continued to look at the blades, the blood covering the blades flowed down onto his hand. Suddenly his head began to hurt and his vision began to blur, Kirrhys pulled off his helmet and let it hang by the pipes as he held his head in one hand.
'You like to blood, don't you?' the voice of Crota asked in his head. 'Just admit it, you were once the bloodiest warrior your race had to offer. I must admit, you have been keeping your other personality and its powers in check rather well' the voice said.
'Shut up!' Kirrhys screamed in his head.
'Your reply only admits your true nature Kirrhys' Crota replied.
'Are you all right my Kell?' Tavrys asked as she placed a hand on Kirrhys' right shoulder and Kirrhys turned around and looked at her. What Tavrys saw in Kirrhys' eyes truly scared her, Kirrhys pupils had turned into bright green slits while his sclera had turned the darkest black. And the look in his eyes, there was only pure rage, hate and madness!
'It was nothing, just a headache' Kirrhys grumbled and shrugged off Tavrys' hand. She could see his eyes returning to normal before he refitted his helmet and continued to walk down the gore splattered halls.
The further the two went into the ship, the more packed the corridors became with Hive corpses and the worse the gore became. The feeling of pleasure became greater and greater, it made Kirrhys feel sick in the pit of his stomach.
'It is too silent' Tavrys grumbled as she scanned around her.
'Silence lets you hear more' Kirrhys replied. Kirrhys had gathered that the corridors filled with bodies lead to the Servitors, the Paladin had most likely carved his way through the Hive to get to them. Soon enough they came to a large room, the bodies of Hive were everywhere and their black blood soaked the floor. In the far end of the room two massive Servitors hung from a myriad of pipes and cables, surrounded by an azure coloured field.
'They are still here' Kirrhys sighed in relief as he walked up to the two deactivated Servitors, seeing if they had received any damage. Tavrys was only surveying the bodies, suspiciously looking around for the Paladin.
'The Paladin must still be here, the Servitors would have been gone otherwise' Tavrys said as she warily walked next to Kirrhys, her launcher up and switching between the multiple entrances.
'If the Paladin is here then Kings reinforcements will be on their way' Kirrhys replied as he opened a comlink to Baron Efepen and Wyrek.
'Baron Efepen, Baron Retkes' Kirrhys said.
'I am here my Kell' the voice of Efepen said.
'I am ready for your orders' Retkes said.
'We have a paladin here, reinforcements belonging to the Kings will also be on their way. I want you two here now' Kirrhys ordered.
'A Paladin! we shall come as fast as we can' Retkes answered. Kirrhys turned around to Tavrys who was looking over a body, jabbing it her foot.
'Wyrek and Efepen are coming to provide reinforcements' Kirrhys said as he turned to the Baroness.
'Good, we will need help to deal with the-' Tavrys said before she heard something being thrown and suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest and back. She looked down and saw two blades protruding out of her chest plate and she began to wheeze in pain as blood leaked from her mouth. Kirrhys' eyes widened in shock, he had not even heard anyone in the room nor sensed them.
'Tavrys!' Kirrhys shouted as he ran over to her, the Baroness fell onto her stomach and tried to lift herself up and started to cough and wheeze in pain as she lay in a pool of her own blood.
'I have to… give it…. To that Paladin…. he is an accurate thrower' Tavrys grunted and coughed in agony. Kirrhys then heard the sound of multiple throwing blades coming their way, Kirrhys sprung up in front of Tavrys and formed his shield in front of him. The blades hit the shield and shattered like glass. Kirrhys brought down his shield when he heard laughing and heavy footsteps from the way they came. Kirrhys saw a large Eliksni in dark gold armour, wearing an armless robe. His swords were dripping with the black blood of the Hive, droplets of blood dripped loudly onto the floor.
'We are the servants of the Gods and the messengers of their justice. We are the instruments of their divine wrath in the universe. We are called upon the cleanse their kingdom, bringing ash from the flesh of thine enemies' the Eliksni said as he crossed his swords, and scraped them together so sparks flew from them. 'Praise to our gods!' he said in an terrifyingly calm voice. The Paladin walked forwards in silence, even though Kirrhys could not see his face, he could feel the Paladin was smiling beneath his mask.
'It is lovely to watch the servants of darkness slaughtered. Don't you think?' the Eliksni asked as he stopped on the far side of the room, Kirrhys only stood silently. Tavrys painfully turned around to see the Paladin, grunting and coughing on her own blood as she did. 'Hehehe, your voice sounds so very lovely when your whimpering in agony, Baroness. Don't worry though, you are not dying yet. I made sure I didn't puncture any of your major organs. It's been a while since I had a good hunt, I plan on enjoying this' the Paladin said. Kirrhys unsheathed his swords and pulled out his hand cannons before he spoke to the Paladin.
'The assassins of the Kings. The Royal paladins' Kirrhys said and the Paladin let out a chuckle.
'Right you are, you pathetic dogs. I am Vokirun, the purifier' the Paladin answered as he began to walk towards them. 'And you must be Kirrhys Vorshten, the Kell of light. The red angel, he who walks through seas of blood and among fields of corpses. He who radiates with a power that casts a shadow over darkness itself' he said.
'What have you done to the one who was leading these Hive?' Kirrhys asked as he walked forwards.
'He's dead, not much fun really. I didn't even have time to enjoy it' Vokirun answered, the two Eliksni met in the middle of the room, they stood next to each other and both looked straight ahead. 'It seems you and your friends are the only ones left' he said.
'Really?' Kirrhys asked. There was a long silence as the two only stood there. The Paladin shot a look back to Kirrhys, while he kept looking forwards.
The Paladin let out a roar as he spun around, readying his swords to slash at Kirrhys. Kirrhys teleported behind the Paladin and aimed a hand cannon at his head, to Kirrhys' surprise the Paladin spun round again and slashed at Kirrhys, cutting one of his hand cannons in two. Kirrhys threw the hand cannon away as the Paladin thrust his swords and Kirrhys just barely sidestepped them. He aimed his remaining hand cannon but before he pulled the trigger, one of the Paladins swords cut through his shield and stabbed through his left shoulder. Kirrhys let out a pained grunt as the Paladin let out a satisfied laugh. Kirrhys then pressed the hand cannon against the Paladins helmet and pulled the trigger. The Paladin flew back with the force of the round, blood splattering onto the wall behind him, the Paladin hit the wall and slumped down it, hitting the floor heavily. Kirrhys grabbed the blade embedded into his shoulder and pulled it out, grunting in pain as he did.
'You attacked me head on, not even trying to take me by surprise, you were a brave warrior Paladin but you were a fool' Kirrhys said as he threw the blade onto the body, sheathing his swords and putting his hand cannon away.
'My…. Kell' Tavrys wheezed in pain as she tried to pick herself up.
'Don't talk, you need to conserve your strength' Kirrhys said as he walked over to Tavrys. Kirrhys activated his comlink to Umbra.
'I need your team to come into the ship, Tavrys has been wounded and I need help securing the ship' Kirrhys said.
'She's wounded? How did she get hurt?' the Hunters voice asked.
'An assassin from the House of Kings snuck up on her, she's not dying but I need help getting her out of the ship and giving her medical attention' Kirrhys answered.
'All right, coming in now. See you soon' Umbra said as the comlink deactivated, Kirrhys knelt Next to Tavrys who was trying to get up.
'I'm going to pull the blades out; you might want to-' Kirrhysstarted to say before he was cut off by growling behind him, followed by laughing. Kirrhys felt a blade pierce his abdomen, 'What!' he grunted.
Kirrhys looked back and saw the Paladin, his laughter became louder and madder and Kirrhys pulled himself off the blade. Kirrhys spun around and fired at Vokirun, the rounds impacting across his body and was sent flying back. Vokirun did not move for a few seconds, Kirrhys took the time to reload his hand cannon. Suddenly the Paladin sat up; softly chuckling to himself, he then roared as he launched himself at Kirrhys and prepared to slash at Kirrhys. The Paladin slashed at Kirrhys who dodged out of the way and shot the Paladin again in the head. The shot seemed to have little effect as Vokirun spun around and kicked Kirrhys in the chest, sending him stumbling back. Vokirun pulled out throwing blades and threw them at Kirrhys, in a flash Kirrhys pulled out a shock pistol and fired at the blades, knocking them out of the air. The Paladin took the advantage and charged at Kirrhys and grabbed his wounded shoulder, they hit the wall and the Paladin stabbed through Kirrhys' wounded shoulder, pinning him against the wall. Kirrhys' pistols were knocked out of his hands by the attack, he looked up to Vokirun who had his swords crossed horizontally in front of him. Smoke was rising from his gunshot wounds, the rounds were pushed out of the wounds and clattered onto the floor, the wounds slowly closed up. Looking as if they had never been there.
'A regenerator!' Kirrhys said, Tavrys who was still lying in her blood gave a small gasp at what he said.
'Correct, a living weapon engineered by my House to defeat vile monsters like you' the Paladin answered as he walked towards Kirrhys. Kirrhys slowly pulled the sword out of his shoulder, struggling to as the blade was embedded in the metal wall behind him. He could feel his shoulder going numb as his blood leaked out of the wounds and down his arm. Kirrhys finally pulled the sword out of his shoulder with a loud roar, he unsheathed his swords, struggling to hold the one in his left hand.
'You are still able to fight! I am impressed' the Paladin said before he charged at Kirrhys. Kirrhys then charged at Vokirun and made sure that he was ready to strike. The two slashed at each other and their swords blocked each other. Kirrhys was forced back a bit on the account of his shoulder but he fought against the pain with his entire being.
Vokirun then kicked Kirrhys' legs, knocking them from underneath him. Kirrhys fell onto his back and held his swords and arms up defensively. Vokirun brought down two heavy blows onto Kirrhys, who blocked the blows with his swords. Kirrhys slashed one of his swords at the Paladin, who kicked the sword away. Vokirun then thrust his swords at Kirrhys, in panic Kirrhys let go of his swords. He caught one of the blades in his right hand, cutting through his glove and into his hand. He knocked the blade to the side so it went into the floor next to his head. The second sword stabbed through his left hand, Kirrhys let out a stifled roar as the sword pinned his hand to the floor.
'I expected more from you Kirrhys' the Paladin said as he brought up one of his swords in preparation to stab Kirrhys through the head. 'Die!' he screamed as he brought the sword down, Kirrhys brought up his right arm and the blade pierced his forearm and was stopped by his bones. Kirrhys grunted in pain as he twisted his arm at an angle so he could punch the sword.
'Ha! You truly are a worthy opponent, Kirrhys' Vokirun shouted, as he tried to twist Kirrhys' arm out of the way. Kirrhys began to focus his power into his lower right hand, the clawed hand began to glow and Kirrhys balled the hand into a fist, he punched the blade and it shattered in two from the blow. Vokirun jumped back at the blow, surprised Kirrhys was even able to break the blade just by punching it. 'Impressive, but futile' he said as he pulled out another sword from under his robes.
As Vokirun was about to strike he was hit my multiple shots from a shrapnel launcher, and was thrown to the floor. Kirrhys saw that Tavrys had gotten up on her knees and was firing at the Paladin, he was forced back from Kirrhys as he pulled his arms in front of himself, causing the super-heated shards to ricochet off his armour.
'Get away from my Kell!' Tavrys screamed as she continued firing at Vokirun. He then threw his sword at Tavrys, the sword pierced the shrapnel launcher, instantly breaking it. Tavrys threw the launcher away as sparks of arc energy skittered across it. Kirrhys began pulling out the sword in his hand, his gaze not leaving the Paladin. When Kirrhys finally pulled the blade out of the floor and his hand, with all the remaining strength he could muster, he threw he sword at Vokirun who in a flash caught the sword by the handle and only stood there.
For a while there was only silence, Vokirun stood there in silence while Kirrhys and Tavrys waited for his next move. The Paladin was on the verge of victory, why was he not attacking? Suddenly Kirrhys heard footsteps coming from the exit and saw Umbra and his team running into the room. Their guns were instantly locked onto Vokirun who did not even react.
'Are you both okay?!' Umbra asked as he looked to Kirrhys and Tavrys who were both sprawled on the floor.
'Just a few scratches' Kirrhys grunted in pain.
'Hehehehe. It seems I require more preparation in order to kill you Kirrhys, see you next time' Vokirun chuckled as he sheathed both bayonets and placed his hand on the floor, arc energy began coursing around him. And in a flash he disappeared, most likely teleporting to his ship. Kirrhys turned to Tavrys who was crawling her way to him, Kirrhys pulled the broken blade from his left forearm with a pained grunt and then ran over to her.
'I need to pull the blades out' Kirrhys said to the wheezing baroness.
'Just…. Do…... it!' Tavrys growled as she prepared herself for the pain. Kirrhys complied and pulled the first blade out, the Baroness grunted in pain. Kirrhys then grabbed the second blade and pulled it out and Tavrys stifled a roar. The Baroness tried to get up but she was too weak, she slipped on her blood and fell to her knees again.
'Let me help you' Kirrhys said as he grabbed Tavrys by the shoulders and pulled her right arm around his shoulders as he held her up, Kirrhys then looked to Umbra who was looking at the hacked apart bodies of the Hive. 'I need you and your team to secure the ship, ensure that no Hive remain' he ordered.
'Sure thing' the Hunter said before he turned to his team. 'All right, we need to secure the ship. If you see any Hive, do not let them escape' he said and the team nodded in reply. Umbra, Axin and Zeya went back through the way they came, looking for any Hive hiding in the corridors, but Eryn still stood there, concerned for Kirrhys.
'Are you all right? You've got some pretty serious wounds' the Titaness said, referring to the wounds on his Abdomen, arm and hand.
'I am fine, Tavrys here needs medical attention' Kirrhys answered. 'When you are able, could you collect my weapons? I think they are scattered around the room' he asked, looking around the room and saw his swords on the far side.
'Don't worry, I'll get 'em for ya 'Eryn answered as she walked out the room. Tavrys then tried to walk forwards but her legs were too weak and gave out from her weight, almost taking Kirrhys with her.
'You are too weak to walk. I need to carry you' Kirrhys said.
'I don't…... need help' the Baroness grumbled.
'Oh by the Gods! As your Kell I order you to let me carry you!' Kirrhys sternly said, the Baroness grumbled to herself for a few seconds before she finally answered.
'Fine!' Tavrys growled. Kirrhys placed his arms under her upper arms and under her legs, he grunted as he picked her up, not in struggle but in pain. His hand and arm burning as he carried the wounded Baroness. Kirrhys could feel the wound in his abdomen start to bleed more as his wounded body strained to carry the Baroness. Kirrhys then heard the voice of Spyri in his helmet.
'Kirrhys! We came across a stealth unit from the Kings. One or two may have made it past us' Spyri warned.
'I shall be careful, Spyri' Kirrhys replied.
Kirrhys walked through the blood soaked halls of the Ketch silently, holding the grumpy Baroness in his arms. Their blood dripped loudly onto the floor almost rhythmically, it was irritating but it kept his mind off the pain. Kirrhys looked at Tavrys who was giving him one of the grumpiest looks he had ever seen.
'At least I'm saving you the walk' Kirrhys said jokingly attempting to brighten the Baronesses mood and the Baroness only replied with a grumpy, blood filled sigh. 'I think you and Skagrosk should talk once your wounds are healed' Kirrhys said as Tavrys shot a look at him. 'What?' Kirrhys asked innocently.
'It's… just that you care about those who you command much more than most Kell's do' Tavrys wheezed as she coughed up blood.
'Well, I want my Barons to work together. It just happens that the way you and Skagrosk are acting reminds me of when me and my Urvez began to feel for each other' Kirrhys answered.
'From the way you talk about her…. You love her very much' Tavrys said as she coughed her way through the sentence.
'Yes, I love her very much. She is perhaps the reason that I am here today' Kirrhys answered, he suddenly began to hear a bleeping in his helmet.
'My Kell' the voice of Retkes said. 'We have arrived and are awaiting your orders' he continued.
'I need medical teams down here now. Baroness Tavrys has wounds that need tending to, and I have a few scratches that need stitching. I will give you further orders once I have received medical attention' Kirrhys replied.
'I will send down the medical Vandals now, my Kell' Retkes answered and the comlink cut off.
Kirrhys began to see the light of the sun, skittering through the entrance as he walked through the bulkhead and entered the cave. He could hear the rumbling engines of Ketches as he walked through the cave. He squinted his eyes as he walked out the caves mouth, his eyes adjusting to the sudden change in light. When his eyes finally finished adjusting he saw two Ketches flying towards his position, displaying the symbol of the House of Devils proudly on their hulls.
'It appears we get to fight another day, Baroness' Kirrhys said.
'It appears so My Kell' Tavrys answered. Then suddenly she heard the sound of a wire rifle being fired and a burning hole appear on the left side of Kirrhys' chest. Pain stabbed through her wounds as Kirrhys fell to his knees breathing heavily with his head hung over her. 'My Kell!' she asked in shock as she looked behind them and saw a stealth Vandal wearing the colours of the House of Kings perched in the rocks. She pulled out Kirrhys' remaining pistol from its belt and ripped it out of its holster. She aimed at the Vandal and opened fire, the Vandal had little time to react as the shock rounds hit him in the head, splattering his brains across the rocks, Tavrys stopped firing once the pistol was out of ammo. She turned her head to Kirrhys when he heard him give a blood flecked laugh.
'That actually…... hurt' Kirrhys said in a pained chuckle. He slowly raised himself up, his legs shaking as he did and blood poured from the wound as he strained himself. Tavrys was amazed, Kirrhys had received wounds that most others would even be able to stay conscious through. But Kirrhys, he was still able to stand! She would have liked to be around when Kirrhys was the mightiest warrior their race had to offer. It would have been an honour to serve under him them.
'My Kell?' Tavrys asked with a blood flecked cough. Kirrhys merely turned his head to her, even though he was wearing his helmet, she could feel the warmth and determination through the lenses. 'I am honoured to serve under one such as you' she said.
'I am honoured to have a Baron such as you' Kirrhys replied in a warm voice.
Ta da! Second chapter in one day! For some reason I've been wondering what Kirrhys' voice actually sounds like. If any of you have ideas of what Kirrhys sounds like, I'd like to know. I hope you enjoyed reading the chapter, see you all next week!