"House Kings has been quiet for some time after the meeting..." Aksis noted as Hinata bit into her corn cob as she narrowed her eyes. "They're probably plotting to acquire me into their House." she muttered. "Kings rule all but Devils; some rumors say Kell of Kings is most likely to become Kell of Kells." Aksis agreed as Hinata blinked at the title. "Kell of Kells? What's that?" she asked as Aksis garbled in his rumblings. "Ancient legend of Eliksni, of one chosen by the Great Machine to become Kell over all Houses." he replied as Hinata pondered over the tale. "Are there any other Kells besides the one of Kings and Draksis of Winter?" she asked as Aksis hissed an insult to an unspoken third member.
"Pardon Priestess, but I am not fond of that Kell from House Wolves...Skolas." he answered as Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Skolas the Rabid became Kell of Wolves; bloodthirsty and full of hate, he betrayed us at the Gap years ago. House Devils, Winter, and Kings lost to ghouls...many proud Eliksni dead..." he drawled out, hanging his head down as Hinata realized he was recalling the battle as if he was still in it. She understood it; for he had brothers-in-arms he had grown side by side from his youth and was a survivor of that battle. His close comrades...
"I will help my House-no, all Eliksni become great again. No more starvation, no more living in fear, no more deaths. We will rise again." Aksis spoke quietly to himself, lost in his thoughts as Hinata pondered on the history of the Eliksni. There was a ruckus on the communications and she accessed it. "Great Priestess, I am honored you heed my call." a Vandal spoke on her holographic display and he looked like he was bashed up a bit. "Speak, what has happened and where are you?" she demanded in a calm, cool tone that had the situation in hand. "Yes, yes, I understand Priestess. I am a scout sent by new Archon Aksis to search for...It." the Vandal told her and Aksis' attention was turned to the screen.
"Where is your location at so we can send teams to retrieve It." she inquired as an explosion and heavy fire rained down behind the Vandal. "Mars Milady, Cabal territory. They are not pleased..." it hissed with dry humor in its tone. A Dreg was sent flying from an explosion as the Vandal ducked in time to avoid being hit by its kin. "Sending coordinates of secret lab on Mars...find it, restore our House to greatness Priestess! Long Live the Eliksni...!" the transmission was cut off as something was sent into her files as Hinata narrowed her eyes.
Aksis was somehow unnerved by the young girl's eyes as he felt a twinge of fear all of the sudden. "Their sacrifice will not be in vain...but first we must take caution." she spoke, drawing the new Archon's curiosity. "We have someone observing our comms, and are probably aware of my existence."
"Ghouls..." he hissed, his sense of hatred and fear in his tone as Hinata nodded her head. "We need to do this by word, if the comms are compromised, then these ghouls as you call them will know of my movements and will no doubt send an assassin." she mused as Aksis snarled at such a notion. "We need to relocate and re-gather our resources. I need to leave Earth and soon. We need kill the comms and send ourselves out to other planets. Plus I need a hidden location for the new Prime's birth." Hinata added as she placed her cloak on and pulled the hood up.
"Hmm..." Aksis cupped his chin in thought, "Venus, Draksis is there and has not been found. I'll send a Baron to-" a beeping noise interrupted his conversation as Hinata looked at her device and activated it. Instantly, a Baron wearing the colors of House of Kings appeared. The Baron was startled and a bit dazed as he staggered, but regained his bearings and respectfully bowed its head. "Pardon my intrusion Priestess," the Baron bowed his head, "I am Vekis, Baron from House Kings. My Kell instructed me to speak to Priestess of Devils." he introduced himself.
Hinata and Aksis looked at each other before looking back at Vekis. "What is it that the House of Kings request if they are willing to help us?" she asked. She knew enough about these kinds of deals must always have some sort of price with it. The House of Kings is plotting something, and she was involved in it in some way or form. "We ask for your gifts..." he began, looking at her calmly before kneeling before her. "You blessed a young Dreg with a weapon new and powerful. We wish to have our House armed with similar weaponry and armor for the time being." he answered dutifully as Hinata raised a brow under her hood.
"Milady, may I request an audience with you?" Aksis inquired as Vekis bowed his head respectfully to Hinata as she walked towards the Archon who knelt before her and began sharing a whispered conversation. They were in quite a debate that even Vekis noted was quite a while, for he felt his leg starting to fall asleep from lack of blood circuiting it when they finished. Hinata walked towards him and under her cowl, held a firm expression.
"How about a neutral ground? I heard of the Eliksni having an Archon's Forge to prove themselves worthy and innocent vial trial by combat. My idea is that a team of only the best of the best in each House gather and battle to prove themselves worthy. If that side wins, then I will personally grant that House the newest weapons and armory worthy of their triumph." she reasoned as Vekis paused at such a thing.
It was a sacred trial for all Houses, one that had been passed on for countless generations. To have an Archon's Forge in this system for the chance to prove their worth and honor for valuable gear that could give them an edge towards the ghouls that guard the Great Machine...the temptation was worth it.
"Priestess, there is one problem." Aksis spoke up, an uneasy tone in his voice as Hinata was calm at the moment. "There is nowhere here that is safe for such an arena." he told her as Hinata nodded her head. "Of course, but from what scouts said in their logs, most cities of this planet are dead zones. But this one..." she drawled out as a hologram screen appeared at her gesture, featuring a ruined city with a strange red tower before it, "Reminds me of my old home a bit. With a bit of proper redecorating and cleaning, we will have a proper arena."
"And a new home for me." she mentally added as Aksis bowed his head to her, willing to follow her desires for their House.
"Very well then, I shall alert my Kell on your behalf of this new Archon's Forge you seek to build. He will definitely enjoy the spectacle of an ancient tradition restored." Vekis announced. "Very well then, send your Kell my regards." Hinata replied as the device the King Baron held teleported him back to his lair.
"Quite cunning my Priestess, to use a tradition we Eliksni honor greatly so any House can benefit from your gifts fairly." he mused as Hinata smiled at him. "Yes, I believe only those worthy can truly earn my gifts. Not given by their belief that they're superior like the Kings do." she agreed as Aksis let out a full hearty laugh.
Shiro-4 grumbled in annoyance with his situation. Fallen chatter from the Devils died down as they realized their comms were compromised. It was bad, it seems this Priestess was much smarter than the usual Fallen were. "Cayde, we have a problem." he spoke into his comms, hoping the Hunter Vanguard would pick up.
Hinata blinked as her pod opened up and worried Devil Splicers carefully pulled her out. She shielded her eyes against the light as she realized she was on the Ketch. "Archon Prime dead..." one of the machine priests spoke up as he walked towards Hinata. "I'm sorry for your loss Great Priestess. Aksis was brother to you in name, yes?" Hinata nodded her head, her voice unable to speak as the Splicer lowered his head in shame. "Get us out of here...the Guardians have seen my face and will be upon us to find me. We need decoys to throw them off." she ordered weakly as the Splicer nodded his head and began instructing his fellow Eliksni.
She was escorted to her private quarters upon the Ketch. A garden she grew that acted as her place of comfort as the smell of flowers soothed the heart and mind. But Aksis was gone, and the garden only slightly helped her. After entering the SIVA Replication Chamber, seeing the corpses of the Iron Lords, she realized that these ghouls the Eliksni have spoken of with such hate were in fact humans with powers from the Great Machine. She had been at war with humans struggling to survive for the last three years in this world.
She pulled out a device, a SIVA Engine from the Perfection Complex. This was the very heart of SIVA itself, used to generate SIVA nanites and direct them once the commands were input. She knew from her connection to the Perfection Complex that the Guardians had somehow activated the hidden monitors, disabling the security grids below the platform where numerous models remained. She had studied it, learned from it, and if she had the right materials, recreate the engine at will. But she decided against it, for SIVA had memory fragments in it, of people, and its victims under that insane machine unleashed SIVA upon.
She was being hunted now, and it did not do her well. She needed time to escape, because she needed to perfect and master SIVA. What could serve as a formidable distraction to the Guardians to give her even the smallest amount of time to get some control with SIVA? So far she knows how to use SIVA to modify, build things, replicate and consume, and resurrect...!
Hinata was instantly struck with an idea. "Taniks..." she drawled out the name before looking out of her window as the Ketch took off past orbit. "You could be an ally to use even in death. Although I'm sorry I will disturb your rest with what I must do..." she apologized.