The damp stale scent of the tunnel was heavy in the air, splashes from footsteps echoed like thunder in the otherwise silent tunnel as the group of fallen, lead by their Captain with a hopefully not dead guardian slung over his shoulder. The Vandals behind Vrack sniffed at the limp body, curious but careful. Most had never been this close to a maybe still living Light Wielder. They never really bothered to look at them after killing them save for looting their corpses. The Dreg's didn't dare come close, staying distant, especially for one that was profusely bleeding, the result of having enraged the Captain.
The damp smell of the cavern soon gave way to a much bolder smell. As Vrack passed through a doorway of pelts they entered the main cavern. It was a brightly lit, glorified pit really. A deep vertical tunnel lined with walkways and bridges dropping several stories deep. Along the walls were other doorways connecting a vast network of tunnel's and rooms to they had refashioned for their use. Lit well by lanterns and spotlights, golden House of Kings banners hung from the ceiling and the rails of the metal walkways and bridges. Hundreds if not thousands of Fallen navigated these tunnel regularly, the tunnels reaching far out into the earth to other bunkers. Hidden deep within the earth and shielded from detection. This had once been a bunker for the creatures of this planet, or was meant to be. When they had discovered it's location they found store of supplies and food, clearly meant for a large population to survive off of.
Now it was a sprawling base for House of Kings. Right under the enemies nose.
Readjusting the weight on his shoulder he made his way down the ramps and walkway's to her new home. Vandals and Dreg's alike scurried to steer clear of the him. Staring at the body on this shoulder with mixed feelings. Some with admiration for their Captain, others with apprehension, concern, anger, and dread. He cared little for their concerns but held himself tall and proud, it hadn't been an easy task. Others whispered about how it had been foolish or impossible behind his back, some other Captains and others inferiors. Many of the later we're now dead.
"What is this foul smell you bring here Vrack?" a familiar and unwelcome voice called out from above. Pausing in his path he looked up to see another Captain, Riss, looking down at him. Riss had been one of his birth mates. Fallen did not bother to keep track of their parents or sibling's. Often young would not survive their first few missions, only the strong and smart survived their first times as Dreg's, the survivors then became Vandals. Parent's too were fleeting, they learned their parents name's, but little more then that. Female's weren't maternal, and young were born already knowing much compared to many species. Vrack and Riss were one of few who bothered to remember their birth mate's. Really it was coincidence, they had been kept together for most of their lives, separating only when he had been demoted.
He snarled in annoyance and glared up at his sister, but kept his proud stance. "My victory." was his response.
Riss scoffed and stared at the body of the Light Wielder "There is no victory here. You said you'd catch one alive. Yet you hold a corpse." she mocked. Riss had always been prideful. Stronger then Vrack and more skilled at combat. In their youth they had competed against each other as young often do, and had taken his demotion as a total victory over him. However what she held in skill and strength, he held over her in brains and cunning.
"Not dead, but not awake. Foolish to try to take one awake and struggling. But that is not a surprise for one of your intelligence." he remarked and began on his way back down the tunnel.
However he did not take his sense's off Riss, who growled at the insult. He expected her to leap down and try to attack him really, no self respecting Captain would take an insult from another Captain well, even less from a subordinate or one they saw as lesser. While seldom did Captains come to blow's with another of their rank within a house it wasn't unheard of. The risk's of a fight were high, they could easily kill one another or seriously maim. Riss wasn't very bright though and would be much more likely to openly attack. However she did not and this made him more cautious. He glanced at her and she held her spot, looking down at him. Finally she scoffed and relaxed, taking a mocking tone.
"Not dead? We shall soon see. I blood, and not of Fallen. It is dead." she said and chuckled, turning and leaving the main tunnel. Cape fluttering behind her with her speed.
Vrack wasted no more time and began making his way down again, musing to himself perhaps Riss was wising up some. She was spiteful to the core and likely wouldn't take his insult lightly. He chuckled to himself knowing she was probably fuming right now. His laughter died though when he realized he'd have to be more careful, she'd likely retort in some other fashion to sabotage him. He looked at the Light Wielder on his shoulder for a moment, he'd need to keep an eye on her, just in case.
The decent was long and the further down he went the colder it became. Despite there being furnaces the heat didn't linger down here to long but at least there was no water puddles anymore like when they has arrived. Once on the bottom he entered a sort tunnel attached to a room. Inside was his workshop and den. Where most Captains held their rooms much higher up he preferred his den on the ground. It was quieter here with less traffic, which meant he could work in peace.
Speaking of work he carried the Light Wielder over to a door, opening it with a pass code he entered. The room itself was very bare. Inside was a pile of pelts for sleeping on, and a canister full of water. The walls we're a concrete as was the floor in shades of gray save for one that was made of a strange metal and glass compound. Carrying her over to the pelts he laid the body down, being careful of the head and looked her over.
She was slightly smaller then a Vandal but larger then a Dreg, far curvier to then any of his kind. While he already knew their build was similar to his species they were still fairly different also. These creatures stood tall on their legs, and he couldn't fathom how they could move so agile on lanky limbs without falling over at times. The male's were typically larger he knew, in build and height where the females typically smaller all around. Yet both did not seem to have any noteworthy boundaries in what they could do.
Meanwhile he set to work carefully removing the helmet from her head. He was eager to see the race of this creature and what she looked like along with if she was indeed alive and usable. He couldn't tell if she was breathing from her chest. The armor she wore made it difficult to see, really he wondered how something that appeared to be made of flimsy cloth gave any protection at all. He'd have to take it away and study it too.
Finally finding out how to safely remove the blasted helmet he slide it off and the first thing he noticed was her skin color, she was human. The second thing he noticed was the golden hair stained with blood. That wasn't good. Her hair was already soaked in some places, clinging to her face. The smell was strong now, almost like a punch in the face to his sensitive nose, and a punch to his pride. He had likely killed her. With all that blood he had to of.
Sitting up he growled in annoyance and tossed the helmet at the wall, breaking it further with a crack. He had failed. He glared at the offending equipment. How we're these creature so damn fragile and yet so hard to kill?! He looked back at her and snarled before beginning to rid her of her armor and equipment, leaving her in her under body suit. He had no need for that, he'd studied plenty from other dead guardians. Collecting it in a pile he quickly left the cell, slamming the door behind him. He'd remove the body later, he didn't even want to look at her right now. Right now he had to calm down and focus in other areas. Before he lost his temper.
As he left the den he made a mental note to rid her of that golden hair before he disposed of the body. It would make a fitting decoration.
Nix felt herself floating in nothingness. Wait that wasn't right. No it was something. Heavy. Surrounding..wet? Water. She opened her eyes and looked up, her was submerged in the ocean, floating on the waves. She hated the ocean she remembered. Her parents had named her Nix, a water sprite they had told her. She hated water. She was afraid of it.
She stared blankly up at the sunlight above, twinkling through the water down onto her weightless body. She wasn't afraid right now. She wasn't drowning. She felt so at peace. She groaned and suddenly began to feel heavy. The eight growing she looked up at the sun was getting further away. Looking behind her she saw a black pit in the water. The sand below suddenly ending in this black underwater pit that seemed to have no bottom, just dark emptiness.
She panicked. Trying to swim up, swim away but she couldn't. Closer she got as it sucked her down into the abyss. Closer and closer. She tried to scream but couldn't, the water silencing her. Further and further away the sunlight got and she began to cry. She was so scared as she desperately tried to swim away. She saw the sides of the pit rise up around here. She was going to die. She was going to drown! As she sunk the weight felt heavier and heavier. A burning painful sensation overcoming her head and she tried once again futile to cry out. It failed.
A voice whispered in her ear just then before she heard a deafening scream, her scream, and it said "Another falls."
Nix came too suddenly, a cold sweat over her. She was breathing heavily but the sudden pain her her head prevented her from sitting up very fast. She felt like she had picked a fight with a freight train and lost. Her head her, her body ached, for some reason her stomach felt like it had had something uncomfortable digging into it. She looked around in a daze wondering if her ghost had given her a bad revive or something but found herself in a room she was unfamiliar with. Was she still dreaming? Her head said otherwise.
Touching the hurt spot her felt wetness and dryness along with a crust. Looking at her had she discovered both fresh and dry blood on it and she struggled to figure out what had happened. She remembered her fire-team and their investigation. Then there was a cave it! Haste-4 and Killbot! She felt her stomach sink and she began to panic. No! They couldn't be dead! They weren't she told herself. But she had seen the rubble and..and...
She fought back tears. They were likely gone...
No. She told herself. Get it together. Their ghosts could have revived them. She reasoned. They could be alive right now. She needed to worry about herself first.
Looking around again she noticed the pelts under her. She doubted the Vanguard had anything to do with that. She thought on who else could have found her and then she noticed her missing equipment and her heart sunk again. They had been hunting House of Kings. She froze on the spot and tried to steady her panicked breathes. It was making sense now, fast. She gulped down a lump in her throat and came to terms with the reality.
She was very likely a prisoner of House of Kings.
_
I don't typically do authors note's here but I wanna say thank you to those who favorite my work and follow it. Please review. It means a lot just to here people say they like my work. Also I would like to hear peoples advice on my writing. Should I add more detail descriptions? Less descriptions? Your input helps me make it better for you.
Hope you guys enjoy this and enjoy the new expansion.
