The Hero's Burden.
Shrouded in the darkness of the forest, the pair approach the site of the glowing fog the hunter spotted. They walk low, mindful of every step, lest they make a noise and lose their chance to strike from the shadows.
Almost at their destination, Marin stops Klutz with a strong grasp on his arm. "If they've got Ether out this remote, they've got a Servitor. And if they've got a Servitor, I can only imagine there are a good number of them camped here." Her words whispered just loud enough to get her point across. "I'll find a good line of sight. Nearby, but out of danger. If any try to flank you or get away, I'll stick 'em." She draws three arrows from her quiver and tucks them in her belt.
With an anxious nod, Klutz breaks away from the woman and slowly advances toward his target.
Marin disappears into the darkness.
A little deeper into the dense woods, Klutz spots a figure and takes cover behind an enormous old log.
A tall armored creature leans motionlessly against a thick trunk. The creature wears a long red cap, almost touching the ground, over its protected back. On its head it wears a tall dual pointed helmet that gives off the impression that the beast holds a high position amongst its kind. Klutz wonders if this was the 'monster' that disfigured the boy's father. He can't be sure as it is turned away from the Guardian's position, making it impossible for him to see if it is missing an eye. Instead, the tall creature is looking over a modest, makeshift camp in a small clearing in the woods. Half a dozen alien hammocks hang between close trees. In each hammock lies a smaller creature, totally unaware that their location has been discovered.
"They're sleeping…" Klutz says with a troubled voice as he sweeps his rifle sights over the quiet camp. The area is littered with scrap and refuse like a miniature landfill, it smells like one as well. Much of the rubbish is organized in small piles, possibly by their supposed usefulness. Klutz assumes the desperate squatters are likely scavenging anything they can find for equipment or repairs. From one of the hanging hammocks, the sounds of strange alien weezing can be heard. A pitiable invader struggling for breath. Klutz moves his finger off the trigger and lowers the weapon.
Soon after, Spark appears next to him. "They are dangerous, Klutz… One of them almost killed Shahid and his father. I understand it's not exactly… honorable to start an attack while they have no chance to defend themselves… but it's really the safest option."
"I read that they're called 'the Fallen' because of some kind of disaster that happened to their home. That's why they live like this," he says unnervingly.
Spark positions herself infront of her Guardian. "They kill people, Klutz. I've been around a long time. I've heard the stories and I've met the victims. Before I found you, I would search the aftermath of Fallen attacks. Sometimes it would be nomads looking for a safe place to camp for the night. Other times it was a small settlement, people that were doing what they could to survive. It was always the same. Bodies strewn about, robbed of any useful equipment. No quarter for anyone trying to escape, not even children… I would always search these places soon after an attack, before any survivors had the chance to collect the remains of their loved ones. I had this idea that maybe, in some ironic twist of fate, one of those victims would be my Guardian. That they would rise up and stop the Fallen from hurting others the way they were hurt…" Her glowing eye seems dimmer than usual. "You made a promise to Shahid. Please don't let them hurt anyone else." She dematerializes leaving Klutz with a full view of the invaders camp.
In the middle of the camp, he sees a dim purple glow emanating from a large protrusion under a tarp. "That must be the Servitor." He thinks to himself for a moment before holstering his weapon and conjuring a small orb of violet Void energy in his hand. He builds the energy in his palm for a moment before swiftly leaping over the log and launching the orb at the concealed machine.
A bright violet glow illuminates the camp as the Servitor's screeches pierce through the low hum of the Void vortex. All of the Dregs awake from their hammocks in surprise as their life-giving machine disintegrates in other worldly light. The once resting Captain of the group shields his eyes as he stands straight, his movements radiating fury.
The vortex eventually dies out, leaving nothing of the Ether machine but scraps of the tarp that once covered it. Klutz hides behind a wide tree trunk as the Fallen scramble from their cots. "If they have no Ether they can't stick around, right?"
Spark answers through his helmet's communication system rather than appearing physically. "For now at least. They will need to refill on Ether eventually, but I wouldn't count them out…"
"I didn't see any tanks of the stuff, so I'm betting they can't last long. They definitely can't make any moves on the village. I'll advise everyone to keep away until we're sure it's safe. If these guys don't get the message after this, if they do come back… I'll deal with them then."
After a short pause, Spark replies, "…I hope you're right."
Before he can think of an escape route, Klutz hears a cry from the panicked camp. Alien yelping and a strangely satisfying hiss bellow from behind the tree he is using as cover. He peeks slyly to see what caused the noise. It doesn't take long for him to get his answer.
A small Fallen Dreg lays dead on the forest floor. Ether slowly stops shooting from the wound on its neck, around the arrow lodged inside, almost deep enough to pop out the other end.
"What the…? Marin." Before he can say another word, the whizz of a second arrow interrupts him. Luckily for its intended target, the arrow just barely misses its mark. Instead it skims one of the Dreg's undocked arms and plants itself firmly in the ground.
Klutz hears Marin curse quietly from the nearby tree she is perched on.
The remaining Dregs fire small arms, indiscriminately, in the archer's direction. The Captain dashes behind the tree he had been leaning against and readies a large two handed firearm of alien design.
"Damn! They'll kill her!" he quietly barks in frustration.
After the briefest moment of hesitation, he swiftly pirouettes around the tree and into a firing stance with his rifle pointed toward the group of aliens shooting their weapons into the trees.
Before he can pick a target, another arrow finds itself stuck firmly in the face of a Dreg, just above its mouth. It doesn't scream as it's body collapses. The only noise that escapes is the sound of Ether spraying out from the arrow's entry point.
The leader of the camp lets out a commanding roar from its concealed position. The scattered defenders respond to the order by moving to more covered positions around the camp while firing off bursts of plasma to aid in their retreat.
Still unnoticed by the enemy, Klutz stealthily moves to a flanking position. Stopping when he has a better view of the armored Captain, still readying its weapon.
The hulking beast turns some form of switch on the enormous gun, filling its barrel with fire. The Captain stands tall and blasts two streams of fire into the air in quick succession while it lets out a terrifying war cry.
Klutz trains his weapons sights on the creature's head as it barks. Just as he is about to pull the trigger, his blood runs cold. The monster locks its vision directly on the man as it lowers its weapon from the sky. Its three remaining eyes pierce his soul as it stares at him.
Raising its huge arm it points its clawed finger at him and prepares to direct the others to his position. Before it gets the chance, an arrow strikes it squarely in the shoulder, breaking in two upon impact. The creature barely has time to react before it is stuck again and then a third time. The arrows seem to originate from a different, closer position.
Klutz realizes the opening and joins his companion by popping off a flurry of shots at the towering alien. The Captain slowly steps backward and covers its face to protect itself from the gunfire, but otherwise seems largely unaffected by the bullets ricocheting off its body armor.
Noticing his attacks are not having the desired effect, the Guardian turns his attention to the firing squad, now painfully aware of his location.
Quickly, the insect-like creatures begin assaulting the man with a barrage of bright blue energy shot from their small weapons.
Diving out of the way as quickly as possible, Klutz is only grazed by a few of the blasts before he can take cover behind an old stump nearby.
Another loud roar hisses from behind the Captain's sharp teeth, prompting Klutz to look over the stump and investigate. To his surprise, the tall Fallen is nowhere to be seen, although its subordinates reward Klutz's curiosity with another burst of energy fire. Klutz immediately ducks these blasts rather than put the strength of his helmet to the test.
"Where did it go?!" the man asks with panic in his words.
"It must have activated a cloaking system! It's not appearing on my scans," Spark answers, as best she can.
The man's heart beats fast in his chest. "It could be anywhere…" It beats faster still. "Shit, it could be after Marin!"
After briefly building power in his legs, the man leaps high over the stump and throws a small orb of Void energy at the pair of Fallen nearest to him. Almost instantly, the Dregs are consumed by the vortex and disintegrate in a horrific but brilliant display of power.
The two remaining fighters desperately shoot at the airborne Guardian. For the most part, their shots hit their mark, but they are not enough to stop the Lightbearer.
With his left hand, he throws a small, dense ball of energy at one of the Dregs. The ball collides with the creature hard, sending it hurtling backward until it stops suddenly upon impact with a large tree. The impact shatters its slender body. With his right hand he holds his rifle and fires three shots into the last Dreg's' thorax. The dying creature stumbles backwards with a rattling wheeze before falling on its back into a pile of junk.
Smoothly returning to the ground, the Guardian reloads his weapon and turns his head about quickly. Looking for a sign of the remaining combatant. "Spark, do you know where Marin is?" He asks while catching his breath.
"Yes! Her biometric signature is nearby. Marking it for you now," the Ghost says as she highlights a spot about fifteen feet up a nearby tree.