Chapter 4 - Burden

Kant began to sweat, he usually didn't mind a high stress situation, but no matter how he looked at the four person stand off, no one was going to walk away the same. His muscles tensed and shook with stress as everything in his body screamed for resolve. The solar gun began to lash out carving scorch marks into the ground outside the Tavern for ever marking the first Golden gun as it was referred to by Hunters to ever be released at the Tower. He slowly squatted a tad bit allowing him to spring into a blink jump in case the Titan got any ideas. He was about to pull the trigger as his finger ached to close when he heard one of the loudest booms he had ever heard.

"Enough, If the traveler could see what you are doing with the gift of life , it would be ashamed of how precious a gift was wasted on bickering and hate for another who has been blessed with Light!" Said the large Titan with a harsh voice, grit and anger echoing through out the Tower as he stepped out into the light from the tavern.

The young hunter kicked as he was held up by Hume, Hume seemed to be having trouble dealing with the announcement that he had shamed himself in the eyes of the Traveler.

"Lord, he should offer you a apology for his obnoxious actions," Hume remarked refusing to look away from the young Hunter seeing as he knew most of the tricks of the trade from Kant.

"I don't care for apologies, I don't care for thanks guardians, I do what I do because it is the right thing to do and draws us closer to recovering our life as we once knew it. Disrespect or not, I don't care about your opinion until you prove yourself worthy of your input being considered," Said Lord Saladin as he walked in between Kant and the Gray Titan.

"Let me go you Newmon! All I was doing was showing Saladin my skill," whined the Small Hunter.

Kant pointed his Solar gun to the sky before letting off three huge rounds of Solar damage that expanded in the stratosphere with extremely loud explosions. Kant looked over at Hume still hovering his hand so close to the Hunter that scorch marks had begun to form on the side of his helmet.

"Drop the Hunter Hume. As Lord Saladin said, this is a waste of time and effort all for pride and respect. I agree, he should show Lord Saladin respect, but it isn't our place to enforce it." Kant said.

Hume closed his fist, suffocating the burning flame before dropping the Hunter to the ground, he then turned right around to face his aggressor, the Gray Titan, for the first time since the stand off had started. A normal titan would have barely been a little taller than Hume, but for some reason this Titan, was a good two and a half feet, he had been holding his scout rifle at the hip , if he had of shouldered the weapon, the barrel of the gun would have been to the back of Hume's helmet.

"Nice to meet you too, do you normally look after such a obnoxious little dim?"Asked Hume staring up into the Titan's helmet with frustration that he was still being threatened by the monster.

"Next time you anger me or threaten my remaining fire team member, I will deliver your Light and Ghost to the Speaker myself, Warlock," threatened the Gray Titan as he threw his rifle onto his hack holster, "Be glad I spared you of the Arc damage from my shock wave. You could have been just another memory long forgotten."

"It is settled then, you Guardians should head your separate ways so that you don't clash again, but before you go I have something to say," Lord Saladin stated as he walked in front of them all before throwing a dagger at the Hunter, making it slam into the wall right next to his Helmet with a loud ringing sound," The next time you go to show off Hunter, do it on the battlefield, not on your allies. You never know when your life will depend on someone you least expect."

Kant looked at Hume as to check him over to make sure he hadn't had any real injuries from the altercation.

"That little Hunter cut you a few times? Do I need to take you to the infirmary for damage control?" Teased Kant.

"Shut your mouth Kant, if you had of been there, you would have seen what I had seen. A failed attempt on Lord Saladin's life. The knife came near centimeters from his helmet Kant." Hume rasped out harshly, his gloves still smoldering from the heat.

"Hey, I have to go check in with the Vanguard to make sure if they are ready for our meeting with them to know what our next assignment is," said Kant with relief that Lord Saladin hadn't ignored the situation and allowed things to run its course.

"Lead the way fire team leader," said Hume sarcastically," By the way, have you ever seen a Hunter that small, or a Titan that large for that matter?"

Hume began leading them to the Sanctuary of the Vanguard.

"What can I say, the Traveler picks them in all shapes and sizes?" said Kant through a grin as they entered into the passage of the Vanguard.

Shaxx, the crucible drill master stood in the foyer, running a grind stone on a blue covered sword that seemed to arc with void damage. The tough looking Titan, had earned his stripes, right along with Lord Saladin in the fight for humanity known as the fight for Twilight Gap. Shaxx's helmet still sported the battle scar of one of his horns from his helmet had been broken off and lost in time. Shaxx didn't talk to very many Guardians and even less about the horrors he had witnessed in those times.

Kant and Hume gave him slight nods in respect as they passed Shaxx, in which he turned his head in their direction and followed them past Shaxx's personal Combat Frame, Arcite 99-44, a working and firing Robot not blessed with Light, but technology. Arcite was now diminished to being the Crucible quartermaster from his days of war, he still sported his horn helmeted fashioned after his master when he still had both of his horns.

"Finally... felt like I waited a lifetime," said Cayde-6 with a hint of playfulness as they walked through the door, to the mission briefing area.