The ground suddenly came to meet them with a sickening crunch. Their bodies shattered against the ground in the darkness. Had they been able to see, it could have been avoided.
Three Ghosts rose above the tangle of limbs and gore, looking at each other as their eyes shown light over what once was a fireteam of three Guardians. With a collective sigh, they mustered up their Light, their shells expanding with energy as they put their charges back together.
The sudden inrush of breath signaled the Guardians' return to life. They stood, brushing themselves off and stretching. "My mouth tastes weird." The Awoken Hunter spit out a gob of blood and dirt. "Thanks, NULL. Trouble separating pieces, huh?" The Ghost in the purple shell bobbed. "Sorry."
They finished stretching and popping their joints, then looked around. "How far did we fall?" The Exo looked up the shaft, eyes glowing faintly, then he shrugged, snatching his Ghost from the air to direct its light. "Far."
The Awoken Warlock sighed, sensing the area out around her. "There's a path over there. It's the only way to go from here." They collected their weapons, and began the trudge downhill, deeper into the cavern. They marched on, the only sounds they heard were the echoes of their footfalls.
Soon, the cavern began to lighten and narrow, and they found themselves at a wooden door. "Well, this is an odd place for this. Should we knock?" The Awoken Hunter smirked, and the Exo glowered at him. "Okay, okay, I got it." He gave it a test push, finding it unlocked. He opened it slowly, wincing at the sound of rusted hinges.
Poking his head in, he looked around. The light was low, but not dark. And he saw movement. There were sounds, mechanical and living. That could only mean one thing; Fallen. He held up his hand, signing the letter F. Slowly, the three eased themselves into the room, their Ghosts taking shelter in their bags.
They moved deeper, taking cover behind some rocks, and they listened. Eliksni was not an easy language to understand, but having Ghosts made for a good shortcut. The Hive refuse to give ground. They seem to well up as quickly as we can quash them. If Cayde would come back, things would be easier.
Their eyes widened at the mention of Cayde. The Hunter Vangard had been long dead, and the sting of his passing was lessening, but to suddenly hear his name on the lips of the Fallen was a shock. The question now was how to proceed. The way they talked about him made them sound like allies.
The two Awoken stood, while the Exo prepared for the worst. "Um, hi. Did you just say Cayde?" There was a surge of movement as the Fallen surrounded them, but quickly lowered their weapons. "Lightbearers. Forgive the rudeness. We did not expect your kind. Cayde-6 did not send word of guests."
The pair looked at each other, and the Warlock spoke. "Um, Cayde is no longer with us." There was murmur among the large group. "Where did he go? Was not aware one could quit the Light." The Awoken Hunter made a pained face, and realization flashed across the Captain's face. "Oh. He has passed. That is bad news, but makes sense." He took hold of the Warlock's arm and led her deeper into the cave.
Her initial reaction was to struggle, but he was not rough with her. She followed, if reluctantly, as he directed her to a makeshift structure. "My Kell, we have guests." The sound of movement inside was slow and deliberate, and a curtain was drawn across the doorway. On it was a crude drawing of an upside-down spade. It opened, and a large Fallen emerged.
He looked down at the Guardians, and threw up his hands. "Welcome, Lightbearers, to the House of Cards. Friends of the Cayde-6 are welcome here." His armour was black and red, and reminiscent of the cards in the story of Alice in Wonderland. On his chest was emblazoned a jester's cap with crossed scepters. It suddenly occurred to them that there were 51 fallen in the cave.
The Kell clasped them both on the shoulders and surveyed the area. "There are usually three. Where is your friend?" The Awoken Hunter nodded to the rock formation, and the other hunter emerged, sniper rifle still at the ready. "Good?" The Awoken both nodded. "All good. We're welcome here."
Reluctantly, the Exo lowered his weapon, and slung it over his shoulder. His knife's sheath, and the holster of his handgun, however, remained unclasped. He watched everything as he slowly moved closer. Once he reached his compatriots, the Kell clasped his shoulders as well. "Welcome."
He led them to an opening next to his shelter, and after following the narrow path, they came into a brightly lit area. Below, hundreds of Hive milled around. They looked stronger than their counterparts throughout the system. "Cayde-6 helped establish this house to assist with special tasks. When we got here, we did not know they were here as well."
There was a shriek as a Witch passed below their vantage point. The three guardians ducked, but the Kell stood confidently, glaring at it as it glided passed. "They cannot see us. We took several cloaking shields to make this viewing deck." The three slowly stood up, looking back down. "I'm guessing you need help?" The Awoken hunter looked uneasy, but not afraid.
The Kell gave a curt nod. "Their numbers have surged, and they need culled. We have warriors, but we only die once. We would be grateful to your assistance. In return, we pledge our loyalty to your Vangard. Not that we were not loyal to begin with. But, without Cayde-6, we need help."
There was a pause, and all three Guardians mulled it over. "This should be fun," the Awoken hunter said, checking his ammunition and his auto rifles. The Awoken Warlock checked her bow, pulling back the string and looking straight down through the rock at their feet. "There are a lot of them."
The Exo unholstered his sidearm. "Keep up," he said as he made his way back through the corridor. The Warlock was right behind him, casting her well, and creating two orbs of light that floated over their shoulders. The other hunter, however, heaved himself over the ledge, dropping straight down.
The Kell watched him drop, expending a small jump burst halfway down, throwing a purple energy grenade beneath him, the light bursting as it made contact with an Acolyte, expanding and swirling for a few moments, draining the life from the enemies it came in contact with. The Hunter landed in the cleared space, switching his rifles out, and opening fire.
Small bursts of fiery light erupted across the Hive minions, the cavern erupting in screeches as Thrall began swarming. He slung the rifle, a bow made of pure Void energy appearing in his hands, a bolt erupting forward and hitting the lead Thrall square in the face, causing it to disintegrate, and ribbons of light attached to several nearby. He stabbed one, causing it and the other tethered enemies to explode, white balls of energy raining from where they once stood.
The Kell watched, eyes wide, mouth agape. He saw an Acolyte sneaking up on the Hunter, but before he could call out a warning, its head burst like a balloon, its body collapsing. The shot had originated somewhere across the room, but it was unclear where. The awoken hunter looked down at the body for the briefest second, and bounded off toward the next group, firing into them with reckless abandon.
There were several ringing shots elsewhere, the distinct sound of an Awoken bow being drawn and fired several times. He saw the creatures dropping one by one. Then, nearby where that was happening, several sidearm shots rang out, followed by the flash of burning knives flying through the air, incinerating a pair of Knights. The briefest flutter of a cape could be seen as the Exo changed position.
Suddenly, the air crackled, and a bright beam of light shot through a line of Hive, tearing them asunder. It was slowly redirected, sweeping across several groups. In what felt like the blink of an eye, the three had cut a huge swath out of the enemy. It was almost frightening how well they worked together.
There was a loud roar, and a pulsating hulk made its way into the cavern. An Ogre lurched into sight, clawing at the walls, pulling itself forward. The three Guardians took up position so that it could only go after one at a time. The Awoken hunter let off another energy bolt, striking it in the back. The ethereal purple glow around it indicated that it was tethered. The Exo launched another barrage of knives, and the Warlock let loose her electrical bolt. The Ogre roared louder, its "eye" erupting in a beam of energy all its own, sweeping the room, trying to catch any of them.
They circled it, pouring as many bullets into it as they could, while making sure they weren't getting swarmed at the same time. Grenades went off periodically; some on the Ogre, some into the mass of Hive. After several minutes, the Ogre buckled to its knees, collapsing with a loud crash. There was a stretch of silence, and the Hive retreated. This battle was over. Three Ghosts materialized, assessing the scene.
After they did a sweep, the Guardians made their way back to the Eliksni, who were whooping and cheering. The Kell stood in the front arms wide, laughing. "Incredible! You have done us a great service. If ever you have need of us, you have but to ask, and we will come running to your aid." The two Awoken collapsed onto seats, breathing hard. The Exo leaned against the wall, rolling his shoulder.
A feast was provided, the Guardians sitting with the Kell as heroes. Shanks went around, serving drinks and food. A few Servitors also made their rounds, providing ether to the jovial Eliksni. "In the morning, I will show you the way out. I would ask if you or some of your allies could come by from time to time, to give us updates, and make sure we are not overrun again."
An agreement was made, and rest was had. As promised, they were given passage back to the surface, emerging in the woods outside the Last City. Ikora and Zavala were going to hear quite the story. And Cayde-6's infamy would grow.