Horvack leaned on his staff, glaring at the wreckage of the destroyed walker. To say that he was displeased would be an understatement. He glanced over at a nearby dreg, who was dragging the body of a headless vandal, struggling to pull the larger body across the ground. A captain approached Horvack, shrapnel launcher in its hand.
"The facility has been swept, no sign of the guardians anywhere. However, the prisoner is missing. I believe that it was taken."
Horvack stiffened, and held in a growl.
"Where are the guards?"
"They were killed in the attack sir. One was butchered by a guardian with another squad. The other seems to have been killed by another Eliksni."
Horvack turned, grinding his teeth together, thinking. She had been here, within the facility. He knew that he had felt a presence, one that wasn't the guardians light, yet he'd ignored it. That would be the last time.
"Priest Horvack!" He turned and faced the source of the call. A female vandal was running up from the facility, and was surprisingly unarmed. He glanced over her, waiting for her to get close before answering.
"What is it?" She stopped, and gave the captain a sideways glance. He sneered at her, but said nothing.
"We've received a message from Kell Valosh. She's on her way now and wishes to speak with you. She'll be arriving shortly."
Horvack nodded, gesturing for the vandal to leave. She dipped her head before turning and running back inside the facility. Horvack glanced at the captain.
"Prepare the men. I want everything to be in order when the Kell arrives. Understand?"
The captain nodded before turning and head back to the facility, shoving a dreg to the side as he went. Horvack turned from the facility, glancing over the few remaining bodies that littered the ground. Something unusual caught it attention. He walked across the field, then knelt down, extending his hand and dipping his fingers into a small puddle of purple fluid. He lifted his hand to his face, and sniffed the fluid. Blood. He reached up his other hand, unclipping a small strap under his helmet, causing it to hiss as he lifted it slightly from his head. His long tongue snaked out from under the helmet, and licked the blood from his fingers. Sweet. He licked off the rest, then lowered his helmet, reattaching it. He stood back up, rubbing his fingers together to clean the rest of the blood off. How very peculiar, unlike any blood he'd tasted before. Must have come from the mystery creature. Very peculiar indeed.
A sonic boom interrupted his thoughts, causing him to turn. A large skiff, its hull painted scarlet and extra plates of armor attached to the sides, flew in from over a hill, and then landed. Horvack moved toward the landing, followed by wo captains and four vandals. Once they got close, they stopped, and waited.
Slowly, the bottom of the skiff opened up, and out came three figures. The one on the left was large bulky figure, his armor thick and jagged, with several pieces jutting out to give him a fearsome profile. A large black cape with a red Devil's emblem hung from his shoulders, and a cloth that matched the cape was attached to his chest plate. His helmet possessed a single, backwards swept horn instead of the twin side horns found on most high ranking fallen, and two large tubes attached to a rebreather on the front of the mask before running over each shoulder and attaching to large tanks on his back. Between his shoulder blades was a rounded box, with a light on the back and a large antenna jutting out over his right shoulder. A large shrapnel launcher was in his hands, and two thug style swords hung from his belt. This was Baron Asokek, head of the Devil's skiff fleet.
On the right was a slimmer, more streamlined figure wearing black armor with red armored plates covering the limbs. A red emblem of an Eliksni skull, with twin swords crossed under it was stamped on the black chest plate, slightly to the left side. Two thin strips of black cloth attached to the shoulders, extending down the back like small capes, and a black loincloth attached to the front of the belt. The helmet was shaped like a typical archon helm, but with the horns removed. Also, a single tube attached to the top of the masks rebreather, running upwards against the helmet, between the eye pieces and extending over the helmet to connect with a tank on its back. The arm guards were thick, hiding retractable blades within them, as well as having four shock cores apiece to power the blades. Two punt guns were attached to the thigh guards, and two shock repeaters were placed on his back, providing him with a considerable amount of firepower. This was Baron Dregeks, head of the Devil's new intelligence sector.
In the center, the largest figure of them all, was Lady Valosh, Kell of the House of Devils. She stood over 12ft. tall, and her helmet and armor was almost the same as Archon Priest Aksor, but slightly slimier, and with scarlet plates instead of gold and grey plates. A large scarlet cape flowed from her shoulders, and a large loincloth, stamped with the Devils emblem. Similar to Asokek, a red cloth with the Devils emblem on it covered her chest plate. A massive sword, far larger than a captain sword, was attached to her back, along with her large shrapnel launcher and two punt guns attached to her thigh guards, but currently her hands were at the moment free, swinging gently with her stride.
Horvack bowed slightly in respect of the Kell, and the captains and vandal behind him did the same. Shifting his weight on the staff, Horvack stretched his shoulders, causing the guardian helmets and bones on his spikes and belt to rattle loudly. His slouching posture often led to back pain, but it had gotten even worse recently.
"Lady Valosh. You requested to see me." The Kell glanced over him, then at the facility.
"Yes. I am aware that you have been trying to contact me for several hours now, something about a mystery person you discovered. I'd very much like to see this person myself."
Horvack's shoulders sagged, and he glanced down, his fingers clenching and unclenching on his staff.
"Unfortunately, we were attacked by guardians, and amid the chaos, the mystery person was taken." Valosh crossed her arms, glaring down at the priest.
"You aloud guardians to not only locate one of our key storage facilities, but also capture a possible valuable asset."
"Ma'am I…"
"Silence! I expected more out of you Horvack. I thought I could trust you with guarding this facility. It would appear that I was wrong."
"No my Kell. You were not. I merely underestimated the guardian's strength. But we must concern ourselves with more important fares." He took a step forward. "I am certain that the arrival of this mystery figure is a sign. A sign that the Second Whirlwind is coming." The vandals that stood behind Horvack gasped, and the captains shifted uncomfortably. Meanwhile, Asokek and Dregeks glanced at each other, and Valosh seemed slightly stunned.
"What are you suggesting Priest?"
"The House of Dust has known for many years that the Second Whirlwind would be coming, and we've taken many precautions to ensure the survival of our race. Now, with the arrival of these mysterious humanoids, it is clear. We must act now, to save ourselves from certain death."
"And what is it you suggest witch?" Dregeks snarled out. He never liked Horvack, and viewed the House of Dust as psychotic. If it was up to him, he would have them all slaughtered. Unfortunately, his Kell view the House as valuable enough to ally with, if for nothing else then to prevent them from being enemies. Horvack glanced at Dregeks, drilling him with a stare before turning to face the Kell.
"I've proposed this before, and it still stands." Valosh took a step forward, glaring into Horvack's eyes, her voice venomous.
"I will not start an all-out war between the Devils and the Hive!" Horvack stood firm, unmoving.
"Then all of us will die." Valosh snarled, turning to her face her Barons.
"Asokek! Move our forces and supplies back to the Ketch. Dregeks! Make sure that this facility is never found again."
The two Barons nodded at her, then left, Dregeks moving towards the facility while Asokek moved away, placing his hand on his helmet, the tip of his antennae lighting up as he contacted his ships. Valosh glanced down at Horvack, and he glanced back.
"You are dismissed priest. Pray to your gods that you don't fail me again." She turned away, striding toward the facility, the lesser fallen parting to let her by.
Horvack watcher her leave, sneering underneath his helmet at her. She may be strong willed and powerful, but he wasn't fond of her methods. More accurately, he wasn't fond of her hard headedness and inability to see logic when it was right in front of her. However, it mattered little. If she refused to follow, she would perish.
"Gathra!" A moment later, a female vandal, wearing a green sash over her white armor, ran out of the facility, dropping to a knee and dipping her head in front of Horvack.
"My Lord." He glanced down at her.
"We have been ordered to leave the facility. Gather my things, and ready my ship." She nodded, then stood. However, before she left, he glanced back at her.
"Wait." She stopped, glancing at him. "First, bring me a Pawn." She glanced at him for a moment before nodding and turning, running back towards the facility, where the others had begun moving equipment out and into the newly arriving skiffs. Horvack glanced around, and spotted the puddle of purple blood again. He stepped towards it, then kneed down next to it. Reaching into cloak, he withdrew a syringe, then placed it into the puddle, drawing it up into the storage vial. Once he'd gotten it all, he lifted the syringe, took off the needle, then sealed the vial with a stopper, placing it back within his cloak. As he stood, he heard footsteps behind him.
Turning, he spotted Gathra approaching, holding a chain in her hand. On the other end of the chain was a Pawn, a dreg who had shamed themselves beyond the price of death. It was the same size as other dregs, and wore roughly the same outfit, but there were some differences, such as the lack of a helmet. Along with the two missing lower arms, this one's upper left arm was also missing, replaced with a pod like the lower two. It's two right eyes were also missing, having been gouged out. A cloth had been wrapped around its head to cover the empty eye sockets. However, the biggest difference was the box that had been bolted into its flesh, the box filled with explosive, similar to an exploding dreg. A large metal ring was wrapped around its neck, attaching it to the chain in Gathra's hand. She yanked the pawn forward, resulting in it tripping and falling at Horvack's feet, glancing up at him.
The archon stared down at the pawn for a second, the knelt down, grabbing the pawn by the throat and hoisting him up into the air. Horvack's hand began glowing sickly green, and the pawn began shuddering. Its eyes began glowing green, and slowly, the flesh of the pawn began thinning, the skin hugging the bones as the life was sucked from it, ether leaking from its eyes and mouth. Finally, after a few moments, the pawn looked like little more than skin and bones, smoke drifting out of its mouth and empty eye sockets.
Horvack shuddered, his shoulders rising as his stature straightened, as if he had gained strength, the pain in his back now gone. He tossed the body aside, then turned and walked towards the facility, his stride now faster than it had been before.
Mirvia sat next to a fire, slicing off a hunk of meat from the deer she had hanging over it. She bit into the flesh, savoring the rich taste as juice ran out from between her exposed mouth tendons and over her chin. Unlike other fallen, she didn't require ether to survive. Also, due to the traits provided by her father, she didn't require food to survive either. However, she still enjoyed eating, since it gave her an energy boost. Plus, the taste is a nice bonus. She glanced around at her cave. It was one several secluded spots she had hidden across the wastelands, all places that she called home. Holes she could hid in, which ever one was closest at the time. However, this one was her favorite. It was located on the top of a tall cliffside, high above the waste below. There was only one way to reach it, and that was to take a steep and narrow pass, which she had rigged with early warning systems and traps. Along with that, the cave itself was almost impossible to see unless you knew where to look for it. Being her favorite hideout, she kept her most valuable possessions within this cave. This included her weapons stash, several human artifacts which shed taken a liking too, and, most importantly, her collection of Hive artifacts. These artifacts included a wizard's helmets, several green crystals, a handful of hive books, a glowing orange jar, and most valuable, a miniature Oryx shrine which she'd swiped from the bowels of the Hive's stronghold.
She yanked off another hunk of meat, placing it within her mouth, then biting down. She thought about the humanoid she'd met earlier today. Such a strange a creature, like a human yet very different. Strange. She sighed, pulling out her dagger, running a finger over the blade. Hopefully leaving that thing alive wasn't going to come back to bite her. She thought a moment. She needed to make sure it didn't. She stood, walking over to her shrine and kneeling down in front of it. She placed a hand on the shrines orb, her hand starting to tingle from the energy coursing through the shrine. She lifted up a lower arm, and fished under her chest plate, bringing out the medallion that she wore at all times, the only thing she had left from her mother. It was made of black metal, with a green gemstone place in the middle, the stone glowing sickly. She rubbed the stone, simultaneously rubbing the shrine. Both the shrine and the gem began glowing and pulsing in tandem, showing how they shared a connection. She then began to pray.
"Lord Oryx, King of the Hive, god of destiny, hear me. My foes are closing in around me, threatening to devour me. Remember me my lord, grant me the strength to destroy them. Grant me the power, to become like you. Grant me the strength that you gave my father." She lifted her head, her green eyes glowing brightly, the shrines pale orange light illuminating her pale, dry face, her large fangs, her exposed jaw muscles and tendons, skeletal slit like nose and her dreadlocked hair.
Crystal sat at a table within the towers library, reading a large book on the fallen. She lifted an apple to her month, taking a bite as she read the page. Her finger traced over the writing, helping her to concentrate. She was so focused on what she was reading, she didn't notice the second guardian walk up behind her. He was human, with fare skin and dark, almost black hair. On his forehead was a green triangle, with two long strips running downwards towards his green eyes, then running over them. He placed a hand on her shoulder causing her to jump in surprise, then glance back at him, chuckling.
"Oh Theo, I didn't see you there." He chuckled, sitting down next to her.
"Hello Crystal. What you working on that has you so thoroughly preoccupied?"
"Just some research on fallen superstitious. Tri believes that he may have found some kind of religious artifact of theirs, and he wanted me to see if I could find anything useful."
Theo tilted his head, glancing at the book. "Any luck."
Crystal sighed, shaking her head. "No. Nothing the stands out. Most of their religious jargon circles their worship of the Servitors, but aside from that, nothing."
"Well, it's not like we're experts on Fallen religion or anything."
"That's true. Their culture is very confusing." A thought suddenly occurred to her.
"Hey, how is your research coming? Any breakthroughs?"
"Oh, it's coming along incredibly well. Yesterday I was working with some compounds, and I discovered that by taking an orb of Ascendant Energy and wrapping it in spin metal before freezing it for two hours, its dissolves into a paste that can heal wounds three-time faster than nanites!"
Amber's eyes widened. "Wow really? I didn't think anything could heal faster than nanites! How does it work?"
Theo shrugged. "Not completely sure, but from what I can tell, the substance connects with our inner light, and amplifies it in such a way that it heals the flesh. Kind of like how a ghost's revive works."
"Have you tested it yet?"
"No, but I gave Veronica a batch of it before she went out on patrol. Knowing her, she bound to get herself injured in some way, so it will be the perfect test."
"How exciting."
"I know right." He suddenly stopped, a beeping noise interrupting his thoughts. He glanced down at his wrist, were a holographic watch was beeping at him. Tapping it with his finger, the beeping stopped.
"Hey Crystal. You don't happen to have a Mote of Light on you by any chance?"
She thought a moment, then lifted up a hand, the small orb of pure light appearing in her palm.
"Yeah. What do you need it for?" He reached out, plucking the mote from her hand, giving it a few small tosses as he looked at it.
"I'm running some tests with them to see if it's possible to convert them into a liquid state. The applications if so might be endless." He stood, the mote held tightly in his hand.
"Thanks Crystal. I hope you find what you're looking for." She smiled at him.
"It's no trouble at all. And I hope your test go well." He nodded at her before turning to leave, with Crystal returning her focus to her books.
Theo walked down the hall, tossing the Mote of Light gently in his hands as he thought to himself. I hope that Veronica and Nova bring back some motes soon. If I continue asking others for them, someone might start to investigate. Reaching his quarters, he unlocked the door, then slowly pushed it open. Unlike most warlocks, Theo's quarters hadn't been converted into a lab or study room. In fact, aside from the rather extensive and large alchemy and chemistry tables located in the back, the dwelling looked incredibly normal. A kitchen area, a coach and a chair circling a table. A holo-screen flanked by picture frames. A quant dwelling.
Walking to his work table, Theo placed the mote on a small pedestal, suspending it with anti-gravity. Reaching for his heating box, he set the temperature to 350 degrees Celsius, the box's interior immediately starting to glow a brilliant yellow. Picking up a storage tube, he poured several chemicals into the tube, then finally dropped the mote into the amber fluid. The light shimmered within, and began to steam. He placed the tube inside the box, then closed it, allowing the tube to cook. He sighed, placing his arm on the table then supporting his head with it. He desperately hoped that it works this time. He'd gotten close before, but a fluke resulted in his heat box practically vaporizing itself into a puddle of motel ash. However, this time, he was certain it would work. It would make things much easier if it did.
The box began rattling, causing Theo to rise from the table, glancing at it. It rattled more, and the metal began glowing slightly, heat radiating from the box. He sword, the pulled its plug, immediately cutting off the power. He waited for a moment, letting the steam settle before reaching for the door, and opening it. A brilliant light shone from within the tube, the amber fluid having been replaced by this shimmering white fluid. He reached out, grabbing the still warm vile and lifting it up. He slowly spun it, watching in amazement as the glowing fluid flowed within the tube.
"It worked. It worked! Yes, it worked! Ahhh, this will make things so much easier." He grabbed a syringe, and slowly drew out a tiny sample of the liquid light. He placed it down. He needed to get going. He was already later than usual. He walked briskly back to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and took out a whole chicken which he had been saving. Taking out a knife, he drew it across the birds back, splitting the meat open about an inch deep. He then took the vial, and poured the liquid light out over the chicken, making sure that it seeped into it fully. Once he had emptied the vial, he picked up the chicken and began rubbing the excess fluid all over it, until the entire bird gave of soft glow. He smirked at the bird, examining it. Yes, this would work far better.
He opened one of his side doors, then stepped into the room, closing the door behind him. It was lit only by two lamps on either side of the door, both of which had been covered by white gems, so that the light was less intense. He kneeled down in front of the door, then held the chicken out.
"Cleo. I have something for you." A soft grow responded back before the person in question revealed themselves. A thrall, with a metal collar around its neck attached to an energy chain, slowly crept forward out of the dark. However, this thrall looked different than most. A small black loincloth dangled from its waist, and metal spikes were drive through its lower arms; two on the right, and one on the left. Its chest was also less open then most, with a sealed abdominal area, with only the chest cavity still being opened up. Other than that, however, it resembled any other hive thrall, just not it behavior.
It slowly crawled forward on all fours, glancing between Theodore and the chicken. It then stopped about two feet from him, standing upright on all fours as its toes held it up. It glanced at the chicken one final time before turning to Theo, tilting its head.
"What that?" Its voice, though raspy and broken, had a surprisingly soft feminine tone to it. Theo smiled at her.
"This is dinner. It should work better than last time." She tilted her head back, then turned to the chicken.
"Cleo no like last time. Worm was hungry. Cleo felt pain." She faced him again, and he nodded at her.
"Yes, and I'm truly sorry about that. But I promise that this one will work." She gave him one final look before turning to the chicken. She slowly and cautiously reached out for the bird, then snatched it from his hands. She hunched over the bird, tearing into it with her teeth, snorting softly as she feed on it. Theodore smiled softly, then gently stepped forward, till he was kneeling right next to the feeding thrall. He lifted his hand, and gently placed it on the top of her smooth head. She froze momentarily before continuing, but at a slower pace. He slowly began rubbing the top of her head with his thumb. Once she finished, she sat down, placing her hands on the ground and her head against Theo's left arm, allowing him to continue to rub her head. It was an unknown feeling to her, one that she'd only received recently. A soft sound, like a hum or a purr, escaped her mouth, and she drooled through her exposed teeth, the black fluid sticking to Theo's arm. He ignored the drool, but smiled when he heard her purring as he continued to rub her head. Everything was working out perfectly.
James downed his drink in one final swig before placing the glass back down on the counter. This bar was one of the only decent places to go in the town of Vens, but he couldn't complain. The town was located near a forest, with tones of game and other supplied nearby. Plus, it had a strong trade with a nearby small city, providing it with goods that some would be jealous of. However, most importantly, it was too small for any enemies to take note of. Not that any were nearby. Fallen hadn't been seen within even 100 miles of the town, and nothing else was a threat out here, so it was a peaceful, if dull life. James rose from his stool, placed down enough glimmer to cover his drinks, then stepped out through the door.
Immediately, he noticed something was off. Usually, the night air was full of the sound of calling birds and buzzing insects. Maybe the calls of a frog or two, depending on the night. However, tonight, the air was deathly silent, not a noise to be heard. James glanced around, unnerved by this silence. He slowly walked down the street, glancing this way and that, but he saw nothing. He sighed, rubbing his head. Perhaps he'd had too much to drink. He rubbed his eyes, trying to clear the drowsiness from them. However, once he opened them, he saw something that made his heart stop. A woman, Patricia if he wasn't mistaken, was lying against the wall of a nearby building, blood pouring from a large wound in her chest. James ran up to her, and crouched, checking for a pulse. He found none. He glanced up, frantic, and spotted a second body, not ten feet away, this one unrecognizable due to the crushed skull. James gagged, looking away, trying not to vomit. When he looked up, his eyes traveled down the main street, and what he saw sickened him. All along the street, bodies lay here and there, all bleeding from wounds in their heads and chest, all of them dead. He couldn't hold it, he hurled on the spot.
As he stared at the ground, he noticed a green light slowly emerge from behind him, shining between his legs. His heart stopped, and he slowly turned to looked behind him. A figure stood behind him, one that made his blood run cold. He opened his throat to scream, but a cold hand shot forward, grabbing his throat and cutting off his air before he could. He was lifted up, held high as the beast glared at him with those hellish green eyes. They were the last thing he saw before he died.
Authors Note: Just a short filler chapter I felt like slapping in. Introduces a couple new characters, helps establish a few things, and provides some more insight. Next chapter will take longer to come out, so be prepared. It will also get back to our good friends from Mass Effect. Also, something I think I should share. Timeline wise, this takes place after the House of Wolves revolts but before Oryx arrives. In the story, when Crota was killed, he never sent out his message to the stars. So, while Oryx knows he's dead, he doesn't know how to get here, and thus, won't be showing up. At all. I know it might not be realistic, but I'm going with it. Also, due to some Ascended Hive attempting to fill Crota's position, a civil war has erupted within the hive. This, along with another issue, is making their impact toward the other races greatly lessened. Also, the one person who can stop the war, vanished around the same time Crota was killed. There you go, some extra lore I wanted to share. At any rate, please review. Tell me what you think. Please share your theories about what you think is happening, and what will happen to our dear friends. Also, let me know what you think about my original character, I'd love to know. Until next time, ZOMAN out.
