Tormented

Loss and Fury

Bear with me I couldn't think up of a better title...

Anyway, I apologize for the lack of activity, life had gotten to me the past few days and I hardly had 'any' time to write (hell, I didn't even have time to play an hour of Destiny like I usually do). Anyway, Rise of Iron baby! Can't wait! Pre-ordering for both consoles! Hah! Also want to get my hands on that Gjallarhorn. Started playing in year 2 so missed out on the hype on it. Heard is it quite overpowered. But wouldn't be surprised if Bungie nerfed it big time because of that.

Anyways, shout out to Flamingmence for the review! Really appreciate it! Your words have made my day! ^_^

Edited:

1/20/2021

Carina acknowledges that she is small, her short stature immediately catching everyone's attention when she states that she is a Titan. She has a habit of having to look up at 'everyone' when making eye contact, even compared to Ianos, who is considered average height for an Awoken. However, despite being short, this did little to hinder Carina's ability as a Titan, proven when Arc light surged through her fists, grinning as she punched any enemy Eliksni dared to come close.

"Come at me!" She whooped, letting her Arc light scatter around her body. Seeing her opponents come to a pause and hesitate, Carina spread out her arms, making a sound of disappointment, "Come on! You have these tiny hallways to help you out!" She placed her hands onto her waist, her smile wide, "No need to be cowards!"

Despite her taunt, the Fallen troops before her chittered nervously, prompting Carina to drop her arms, "Well, if you're going to be like that..." She then held up a hand, solidifying her light into her palm before shouting, "Grenade!"

That was warning enough for the Eliksni behind her to scramble back, signaling to Carina to toss her grenade and follow suit, cackling as she slid around the corner of the hall and into cover. Curling in on herself to make herself as small as possible, Carina couldn't help a cheer as an explosion shook their surroundings, wafts of smoke pouring from the hall.

"Coast is clear!" She chirped as she stood up and swung around the corner, brushing off the debris and dust as she waved for the group to follow. That is when Carina sensed a pause, footsteps absent behind her. This prompted the Exo to turn and the first thing she saw were the blank expressions upon the Eliksni's faces. She scrunched her features at this, "What?"

Instead of receiving an answer, Carina saw the group of Eliksni glance at each other, chittering softly before the largest of the group – Ixrsis, the one that they were trying to save if Carina's memory served right – straightened her posture, "We trust you, Carina, we really do." There was a brief pause, a second of hesitation before she Exo saw the Captain's eyes steeled and the Eliksni added, "But we cannot help but notice that you enjoy killing a bit too much, yes?"

At first, raising a brow at Ixrsis' words, Carina then choked when she finally understood the captain's words, "I'm not going to kill you guys if that is what you are taking from this!"

Judging from the way the group flinched at her statement, that is exactly what they were thinking.

Deflating at this, Carina then rubbed the back of her neck, her previous adrenaline and excitement now absent, "Well, this is awkward."

{"You think?"} Spear's voice echoed in the back of her mind, {"Reel in the bloodlust just a 'tad' bit."}

Unable to help but roll her optic's at her Ghost's words, Carina then let out a deep sigh as she dropped her arms back to her side, "Look, it may not seem like it, but I am not going to hurt allies, especially friends that are friends with a friend of mine." She paused at this, narrowing her optics in thought, "Yikes, now that's a sentence."

{"Carina, focus."}

Right.

"What I am trying to say is that Angel, er, Pure One entrusted your safety to me and despite what you see." Carina gestured down towards the ruined hall, "I am not going to do 'anything' towards all of you."

Carina then waited, nervous as the Eliksni once against chittered quietly amongst themselves, actually leaning in towards each other, as if to ensure that the Exo properly was cut off from their conversation. Finally, moments later, Ixrsis lifted her head, "We understand."

Letting out a breath of relief, Carina then gave the group a thumbs up and a nod, "Great, lead the way?"

Seeing the Captain return the nod with one of her own before turning towards Axtris, chittering at her, Carina took it as a sign to take a step to the side, allowing the latter to take the lead. Following closely behind the Vandal, Carina came to a stop short of Axtris as the group came to another door, prompting the Eliksni to lean over the console next to it. It didn't take long after when the door slid open for Carina to grab the back of the Vandal's cape and pulled her back when her optics spotted the line of Wire Rifles and Shock Pistols on the other side.

Pulling the Vandal behind her, Carina let out a hiss as her shields shimmered against the shots, but nonetheless, charged in, already raising a fist energized by arc light. Punching the nearest Eliksni, Carina's vision blurred when her shields finally shattered, leaving her sensors ringing as she ran and punched the next one.

"Get down!"

Already feeling the heat of the shots through her armor, Carina hesitated little to follow, ducking down just as she felt the familiar hum of a shock pistol fly past her. Seeing the shot hit a Vandal near her, Carina snapped her attention towards the entrance and couldn't help a grin as she spotted Ixrsis enter, a Wire Rifle in her hand as the Captain let out a roar, a signal to those behind her to charge in with screeching cries of their own.

Laughing, Carina then let the arc light settle back around her shoulders, turning her attention back to her opponents, and watching as the room gradually cleared with the help of her new friends.

Xxxxx

Angel screamed when the Kell stabbed Oraxsis through the chest, the latter's blades sliding through the Baron's armor as if it was nothing.

"Angel! Wait!"

Ignoring the Warlock's shouts of warning as he brushed past him, Angel fired his weapon at any Eliksni who wandered too close, ignorant of the way his shields shimmered against enemy fire. Quickly closing the distance between himself and the Kell, Angel then pulled his knife out, leaped forward and thrusted it into the larger Eliksni's side, aiming between the cracks of his armor. Why he opted for his small knife to his powerful Hand Cannon, Angel himself will not understand, but he deftly brushed it to the side when the Kell let out a screeching cry. His satisfaction was short lived however, as he then suddenly felt a tug at the end of his cloak and Angel found himself choking and dangling. Releasing his knife in lieu for his cloak, Angel clawed the front of it in a vain to relieve the pressure.

"How dare you attack me!"

Barely comprehending the Kell's words, Angel then went rigid when he saw a glint of a shock blade in the edges of his vision.

Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth, Angel prepared for pain and the familiar darkness of death, but instead, heard the Kell let out a sharp cry before he found himself flying. Letting out a choked sound of surprise, Angel slammed hard onto the floor, knocking any last bit of air from his lungs. Gasping and retching, Angel took in quick and ragged breaths before even attempting to stumble back onto his feet. Instinct then told him to turn his focus towards the entrance.

It was a Vandal, the one he had saved from the blizzard.

"Buh?" Angel croaked out.

"Angel! Behind!"

Startled from the warning, Angel turned only to let out a yelp as he narrowly leaned back in time to dodge a swipe from a shock dagger. Removing his Hand Cannon from his holster, Angel raised the weapon and fired, his aim true when the Dreg's head shattered, pieces of flesh and metal flying into the air as Ether hissed from the broken tubes. Taking a step back to let the body fall, Angel then let out a strained breath of relief, "Thanks, Hope."

Smiling softly as he sensed his Ghost send waves of smugness and pride, Angel then jumped once more when the Kell's voice boomed throughout the room, "Vellak!? What is this treachery!?"

Turning his focus back onto the Vandal, Angel watched as the latter easily pushed his way through the crowd, making his way until he was just a few feet behind the Hunter.

"Originally I was here to repay a debt." Vellak answered, Angel seeing the Vandal's four eyes narrow and glance over his shoulder; he didn't have to look back to know what he was staring at, "But you just gave me another reason to kill you."

There was a brief pause, a stunned silence before the Kell laughed, "You? Kill me? What an absurd notion."

"It is not absurd if I am here to aid him!"

That is when Olkar leaped on top of the Kell, grasping his horns with his lower arms as he lifted two shock blades in his upper. Before he could start slashing however, the Kell started shaking, Angel letting out a cry of alarm as the Vandal's shape became nothing but a blur on top of the larger Eliksni's head.

"Hope! Machine Gun!"

Holstering his Hand Cannon, Angel then held up his hands in time for the heavier weapon to land in his grasp. Shifting it comfortably in his hands, Angel then hefted it up and pulled the trigger.

The weapon roared to life, the bullets pelting the Kell's shields, seeing them constantly shimmer before it finally shattered. Hearing the Kell let out a cry of surprise and watched as he staggered with his shields burst into fading glass, that is when Angel spotted Olkar take the opportunity to lean over and stab one of his blades in the Kell's eyes.

The Kell howled in response, snarling and growling as he then started thrashing, Olkar narrowly leaning back into time to dodge being grabbed.

Seeing this, Angel hefted his weapon into his hands once more, only to hear it click as he pulled the trigger. He glances down at it with a frown.

"Hope, let me guess?" He muttered, "No heavy ammo?"

"No heavy ammo."

"Well, shit."

Lifting up his eyes, Angel then leaped to the side when the Kell's shape jumped right where he had just been standing, the larger Eliksni letting out screeches of frustration as he continued to fail to grab Olkar from his shoulders. Taking the opportunity to hold up his Machine Gun to signal to hope to take it back into his Vault, Angel then removed his Hand Cannon from his holster, "Anything in my Vault that can help me right now?"

"Besides your sniper?" Not much," He heard Hope let out a small tsk, "Told you we should have spent glimmer on a shotgun instead of new armor."

Angel couldn't help but dip his head, "You have to admit, my old ones were getting worn down."

"Good point."

Smiling sheepishly at his Ghost's agreement, Angel then saw the Kell approach once more, his focus entirely on Olkar to care where he was stepping. Rolling between the giant's legs to avoid being squashed, Angel then leaped onto his feet, turned, and fired at the Kell. He let out a growl of frustration when his bullets ricocheted off of the larger Eliksni's armor.

"Either it's going to be a heavy weapon or at least a gun that can pack a punch." Hope mused, "you luck is not on your side today, Angel."

"Don't remind me."

That is when a bolt of arc energy collided into the Kell's head, causing him to stagger once more and causing both him and Olkar to let out a startled screech of surprise. Blinking at this, Angel turned his head just in time to watch Vellak fire another shot from his wire rifle, the bolt hitting the Kell's head once more and sending him reeling. With the Kell having lost his foot, Olkar leaned down, grasped one of the tubing connected to the Kell's mask and tugged.

Half-expecting the tube itself to be ripped free, Angel couldn't help but make a noise of disappointment when the action simply caused the Kell's head to jerk and to let out a squeal of surprise. This was enough for Olkar to pause in his movement, just long enough for the Kell to reach up and grab the Vandal by the head. Then, with one swift movement, he tossed Olkar across the room, the Vandal skidding across the floor. Spotting the Kell now turning his attention towards Olkar's vulnerable form, Angel took the opportunity to aim his Hand Canon and fire, the bullets pelting the shields and attention grabbing enough for the larger Eliksni to turn and snarl at him.

Taking steps back as the Kell slowly approached, Angel felt his throat tighten as panic started to take hold, his grip trembling as the Eliksni's shape gradually started to loom over him. However, just as Angel readied himself to run, the Kell let out a sharp cry as an arc shot slammed into his head and causing him to stagger once more. Hearing him let out a roar of frustration, Angel watched in horror as the Kell turned and charged towards Vellak, the Vandal pausing in surprise before lowering his weapon and quickly attempting to reload. Seeing Vellak gradually back up in order to gage more space between himself and the Kell, Angel found himself running after the larger Eliksni, firing his Hand Cannon once more in an attempt to gain their attention again. However, this time the Kell seemed determined, ignoring the shimmering of his shields until he was over Vellak's shape.

Smacking the Vandal's weapon out of his hands right as he raised it to fire, the Kell then grabbed Vellak by the shoulders and easily lifted him into the air. Then, without another word, he threw said Vandal onto the floor which was promptly followed by a sickening crack and Vellak screeching out.

"Vellak!" Olkar's shout rang throughout the room as said Vandal attempted to push himself back onto his feet, only for Angel to see him buckle and collapse back onto the floor, his legs limp beneath him.

"I will deal with you later, traitor,"

Turning and baring his teeth at the Kell, Angel prepared to launch himself at the larger Eliksni, only for Olkar to leap onto the Kell's back and once again wrapping his arms around the Kell's Ether tubes.

"You crippled him!" The younger Vandal screeched, his four eyes glowing angrily as he tugged on the tubing, "You crippled my-"

Olkar was then cut off as the Kell reached up and grabbed him by the throat, the Vandal letting out a choke as he was easily pried off.

"You, I will end you. Now."

His blood turning cold at the Kell's words, Angel clenched his teeth before lifting his weapon and firing once more at the Kell, aiming for the head. However, much to his chagrin, his shots simply ricocheted off the larger Eliksni's helmet, the Kell's focus on Olkar making it seem like they were doing nothing. He then ceased when Angel saw the Kell's hand enclose around Olkar's head, the Vandal releasing a cry of pain.

"Fuck!"

Throwing his weapon to the ground, Angel barely paid attention to how his weapon bounced and skidded out of reach, his vision blurring with tears. Had he always been this useless? This weak? Was that first mission with Ianos and Carina a simple fluke?

Feeling hopelessness rise in his chest, Angel found himself glancing towards Oraxsis, the Baron long ago having paused in his struggles and now laid still on the floor, his heavy breathing apparent. Shifting his gaze to the two Vandals, Angel easily recognized the curses that Vellak let loose from his tongue, watching as the older Vandal attempting to push himself onto his feet only to collapse again and again. Olkar, despite his situation, cursed and screamed as he claws at the Kell's hands, trying and failing to get the larger Eliksni's grasp off.

"Angel?! Angel, come on! We have to do somethin'!"

Tuning in on to Hope's scream through his helmet, Angel gritted his teeth, scanning his surroundings, desperately, hoping for a solution. He then paused as his eyes lingered over the Kell's side. There, still embedded between the cracks of the Eliksni's armor, was his knife.

"You do know why they are called 'Blade Dancer's', right?" Cayde's voice echoed through Angel's head, "Yes, the class is beautiful and lethal but, it also holds risks. As you know, Hunters don't exactly have the Warlock's ability to regenerate shields in a quick fashion or the bulk of a Titan to face tank everything. That is why us Hunters like to stay in the back and fire from afar. But Blade Dancers, they're risking 'everything' when they pick up their blade and rush full speed into enemy lines. With nothing but their knives protecting them from their foes, you better hope that every swing counts. Otherwise, it may be your last."

"Angel." Hope's voice pulled Angel out of the memory, "You're not thinkin' …"

Smiling sheepishly at his Ghost's words, Angel then apologized, "Sorry, Hope."

Dashing forward, Angel brushed aside Hope's squeal of surprise as he leaped forward, quickly closing the distance between himself and the Kell before reaching out and wrapping his fingers around the familiar handle of his knife. Then, with a deep breath, Angel concentrated his light onto his blade, and white flashed into his vision. With a shout, Angel swung around, feeling his Arc-Blade easily rip through the Kell's armor, hearing the larger Eliksni releasing a howl of pain. Barely comprehending the Kell losing his grip on Olkar, Angel trained his focus solely on the larger Eliksni, letting his pent-up rage flow to the surface.

Snarling as bursts of Arc energy snapped around him, Angel then dashed towards the Kell once more, swinging his blade through the Eliksni's leg. Ignoring the way, the floor shook beneath him as the Kell collapse, Angel pivoted on his foot, turning around and rushing towards his next target. Easily slicing through the upper left arm of the Kell, Angel once again turned and this time, targeted the right, letting himself feel satisfaction as at the simply twist of his knife, the arm easily popped out.

Streaks of vermillion smothered Angel's field of vision, his ears deaf to his surroundings. Focusing on the other arms, Angel easily weaved around the Kell's vain attempts to brush him away. All he has in his mind now was the way the Kell had laughed at Oraxsis as he lay dying, mocked the Baron and his family. The Kell wasn't going to die painlessly in his eyes.

As such, Angel flung himself into the Kell's chest, easily knocking the larger Eliksni down, the latter laying armless as he landed on top of him.

"Die you spineless Dreg." He snarled before bringing his Arc-Blade back and skewering it into the Kell's head, the Eliksni's cries cutting short as his writhing ceased.

Kneeling over the Kell, Angel stayed where he was, his eyes scanning the Kell's features, half-expecting the Eliksni to stand up and fling him across the room. When nothing happened, that is when Angel let his light fade, exhaustion settling over his shoulders as he collapsed onto his knees with a shuddering breath. Feeling his body scream now that the adrenaline from the 'dance' was absent, Angel took the opportunity to glance around his surroundings, only to pause when he realized that all eyes were upon him and the dead Kell, any signs of fighting now gone from the room.

"Angel!" Hope's voice rang in his ears, "Of all the reckless things we have done together back in the Wilds, this was the best!"

Letting a tired smile glaze over his face at Hope's excited chittering, Angel then staggered onto his feet, turning his attention back towards the room and then shouted, "Your Kell has Fallen, there is no reason to fight further. You are free to stay and join Lady Ixrsis' fight against your House or to leave this Ketch and return to the Devil's." Pausing in his words, Angel waited, listening to the chorus of chitters, both confused and in awe as they lingered. Finally, after a mere moment, many of the Eliksni left, murmuring as they exited. However, to Angel' surprise, a handful stayed, dropping their weapons and taking a seat, signaling a new allegiance.

Letting out a breath at this, Angel took the opportunity to sit down and gradually slide down the side of the Kells' body, falling flat on his ass and too exhausted to care. Leaning his head back onto the Kell's side, Angel then closed his eyes, only to yelp as he felt an impact slam into the side of his helmet; hard enough to garner his attention but not enough to cause any damage.

"Hey!" Rubbing the side of his helmet, Angel paused and then smiled sheepishly as he looked up onto the familiar visor of Ianos; judging from the way the Awoken had a death grip on his fusion rifle and the scowl easily sensed behind his helmet, it didn't take one long to know that he wasn't happy, "Oh, hi Ianos."

"Hi? You rushed into battle 'without' backup, leaving not only you but your team surrounded by Eliksni, to take on a Kell of all Traveler forsaken enemies with only 'two' other Eliksni to aid you and all you can say is 'Hi'!?" Angel couldn't help but shrink back at Ianos' words, "What were you thinking!? Taking on a Kell practically alone! A Kell! An enemy that even the most seasoned Guardians have difficulty taking on!"

"I wasn't thinking straight?" Angel tentatively replied; he dipped his head as this earned him a glower from Ianos.

"Not thinking straight?" Ianos growled, "Not thinking straight!? Did you not think that there was a chance that you would have died!?" He gestured towards the dead Kell just behind Angel, "I don't know what I would have done if something had happened to you!"

There was a pause, a stunned silence as Angel lifted his head, eyes wide, "Wait, what?" He watched as Ianos went stiff, as if he was caught doing something wrong, "If something happened to me?" Slowly, a grin formed onto Angel's face, "Are you actually admitting that you were concerned for me?" He then laughed as Ianos sputtered, the Warlock taking a step back, his shoulders tense. That is when Akiva approached from behind, settling a hand onto Ianos' shoulder.

"Aw, the kid actually cares." He teased, further prompting Angel to laugh.

Watching as Ianos gave Akiva a glare, the Warlock then shrugged off the Titan's hand from his person, grumbling as he turned and skulked away. Listening to Akiva chuckle at the Warlock, the Titan then turned towards him and held out a hand, signaling to Angel to reach out and grab it, allowing the Hunter enough leverage to stumble back onto his feet. The instant he was steady, Angel then felt a hard slap across his back, causing him to wheeze and stagger.

"Can't wait to tell Cayde that one of his Hunters took down a Kell," Akiva beamed, "And with an Arc-Blade no less." He then laughed, "Hunters will always find the flashiest of way to kill their enemies, no matter the consequences."

"Just seemed like a good idea at the time," Angel smiled at the Titan, only for it to quickly fade as the guttural language of the Eliksni reached his ears. Glancing around, Angel's eyes then settled upon Olkar and Vellak, the former attempting to aid the latter onto his feet, only for both to both collapse onto the floor when the older cannot gain his footing.

"Akiva, help me." Angel gave no time for the Titan to respond as he rushed towards the two Eliksni, not bothering to keep his footsteps light as he approached. This in turn caught the younger Vandal's attention, Olkar glancing up towards him.

"Pure One," He chittered nervously, hooking his arms underneath his brother's, "Help me get Vellak to stand, so that we may-"

"I am telling you for the last time, Olkar, leave me." Vellak hissed, "My spine has been broken. I cannot stand as I am now. Head to Oraxsis, he needs your attention more than I need yours."

It was then guilt punched Angel in the gut. How could he have quickly forgotten about the Baron? His thoughts clouding with guilt, Angel then jumped when a hand clamped down onto his shoulder.

"Go ahead and tend to him." It was Akiva, the Titan nodding his head in the direction of the larger Eliksni, "I will take care of these two."

At first, hesitating at Akiva's offer, all it took was for him to glance over at the Baron's prone form before finally nodding, prompting the Titan to pat his shoulder before slipping past to care for the two Eliksni. This signaled Angel to turn and dash towards Oraxsis, ignoring the chittering protests of the surrounding Eliksni as he brushed past. As he closed the distance between himself and the Oraxsis, color drained from Angel's face when he spotted the amount of vermillion blood around the Baron's body, especially when he saw the Eliksni's eyes were closed. However, as he slid down onto his knee next to the Baron's side, Oraxsis' eyes flickered open, causing Angel to let out a breath of relief.

"How are you-"

"Do not ask me how I am doing, Pure One." Angel snapped his jaw shut as the Baron growled, "You know the answer."

Biting his lower lip, Angel lowered his gaze, unable to accept the meaning of the Baron's words. However, with the way Oraxsis had long ceased trying to suppress his wound, leaving only one hand on his stomach, it was hard to ignore that it was too late to save him. That doesn't mean that a small part of him had hoped for a small chance of him recovering.

Hearing Oraxsis let out a soft grunt, Angel lifted his eyes just in time to watch as the Baron reached with one of his upper arms, gently wrapping his hand around the Hunter's, prompting Angel to give him a wide look.

"My people may have fallen from the Great Machine's grace, but our lives are still many years long thanks to our life sustaining ether." The Eliksni started, taking in a labored breath, "Despite my status, I have lived long compared to others of my race, having my lower arms first docked back when the Guardians have yet to be named." Angel watched as Oraxsis tilted his gaze, just enough for his four eyes to settle onto his visor, "With each passing year, my hope for peace waned with each clash between our people and eventually, I completely gave in after the Houses failed assault against the Haven. Instead, I devoted my time to destroy the city of humanity and to reclaim the Great Machine." A long heavy breath then left Oraxsis' jaws, the glow in his eyes fading, "But when Lady Ixrsis spoke of you privately, I can see that she trusted you greatly and this sparked the hope that peace may one day build between our people." Sadness then glazed over his eyes, "My only regret, is that I will not be able to see it come to fruition."

"Don't say that!" Angel shouted, his grip going tight around the Eliksni's as he added, "Carina and my friends are piloting the ship towards the Tower!" His lower lip trembled, "We can get you help. We can-"

"You are smarter than this, Pure One." Oraxsis rasped, "You know as well as I that the Tower will be of no aid to me." Angel then felt the Baron squeeze his hand comfortingly, "Do not clasp onto false hope."

The edges of his vision blurring, Angel opted to say nothing but instead, hunched over and pressed the back of Oraxsis' hand to the front of his helmet, "What of your children? Do you not want to see them progress further? To watch them grow?"

"They are old enough to take care of themselves." Oraxsis grunted, "and they have each other." The Baron then let out a tired breath, "I just worry on how Axtris will deal with my passing."

Feeling the tears flow freely from his eyes, Angel let out a quiet sob as he felt Oraxsis give his hand a comforting squeeze, the latter saying nothing as the Hunter grieved. It was then Angel heard footsteps slowly approach from behind and it didn't take long for Akiva to kneel next to him, Vellak leaning against the Titan for support.

"Father!"

Olkar's shape took Angel's other side, the Vandal's mandible clicking agitatedly as he hovered above the baron.

"How are you doing, big guy?" It was Akiva who spoke, his question causing the Baron to lift his head, just enough to look in his direction.

"Despite how I had treated you earlier, you still consider me, a friend?"

A chuckle, a sad one, permeated from the Titan, "Friends sometimes hurt each other's feelings, right?"

Flashing Akiva a bewildered look, Angel's attention swiftly switches back to Oraxsis when the latter let out a soft hum, his eyes soft as he laid his head back onto the floor,

"Father?" It was Olkar, the Vandal letting out a sad rumble as he leaned over Oraxsis' chest, "You are not well?"

At that point Angel wanted to react out and shake the Eliksni. It was obvious that the Baron was not well, especially with the way his vermillion blood pooled around his body. The thought, however, was quickly brushed to the side when Oraxsis let out a soft laugh.

"Always the hopeful one." Oraxsis let out a ragged breath, "Listen well, my children. When I pass-"

"You are not going to pass!"

"-watch each other, take care of each other, ensure each other's survivability as best you can. And not only to make your duty to aid each other, but to aid others who do not have the strength or capacity to hold their own." Then, Oraxsis turned his fading eyes towards Angel, "And protect Pure One, for he symbolizes peace between our people."

Reeling at the Eliksni's words, Angel opened his mouth to question his words but felt instead, felt his throat tighten, his tongue fumbling to form words as Oraxsis' body slumped.

"My apologies, my children. I am sorry. Vellak, Olkar, Axtris, for not being, a better…"

It was then that finally the light completely faded form the Baron's eyes and immediately, a howl echoed from Olkar, just as Angel felt the larger Eliksni' grip go slack in his hands. Fresh tears forming in his eyes, Angel turned his blurring vision towards Akiva and Vellak, only to find the Titan's shoulders trembling, his grip tight on the shoulders of Oraxsis' eldest child as the latter bowed his head, his four eyes closed in respect.

Shifting his attention back onto the Baron's body, Angel then reached out and brushed his fingers against the Baron's eyes, causing the lids to close, and, in the Hunter's perspective, to put Oraxsis' form to rest.

"May the Great Machine guide you to peace and rest," He murmured, immediately feeling eyes upon him, "and may the light guide you."

Bowing his head to give one final sign of respect to the Baron, Angel then jumped when he felt a hand settle upon his shoulder.

"We will give him a proper burial when we land." Angel looked up to lock onto Pluto's visor, the blind Exo giving him a nod before sliding his hand off from his person as he took a step back.

"Do not worry." Pluto then nodded his head towards Ianos and Aleeza, the latter of which stood nearby, weapons ready, "If anyone protests, they will have to speak to not just me, but to us."

Flashing a sheepish smile at the blind Exo, Angel felt thankful enough to express his gratitude when a loud explosion rang through the air followed by the ship suddenly jerking, throwing the Hunter off his feet.

Xxxxx

"Can you not get a link to the Tower any faster!?"

{"I am sending the frequency as best as I can! I just can't seem to get a link in!"}

Blindly flailing her arms in an attempt to keep her balance, Carina couldn't help a snarl as the ship trembled once more, taking another hit from the City's defenses. Right when she thought that taking over the control room that everything afterwards would-be easy sailing. Reaching past over one of the panicking Eliksni taking pilot, Carina pressed down onto a button hoping to be communications.

"Whoever the fuck ordered that shot, I do not care who you are! Vanguard! Speaker! I am going to shove my foot so high up your ass that they will regret the day they gave the command to open fire!"

{"C-Carina!"}

Ignoring Spears' protest, Carina instead turned and glared at the Ghost, the latter of which was hovering just above the controls, "Did they get the fucking message?"

{"T-To be honest, I don't know. I'm not even sure- "}

"Carina?"

{"They got it."}

Letting out an amused Snort, Carina reached over and pressed the button once more, "This is Carina-23 speaking. Permission to land S.S Mission Complete into the Tower Hangar, over."

Not long after she released her hold on the button when static filtered back into the com. In the back, Carina could barely hear the familiar laughter of the Hunter Vanguard, followed by a stern 'Cayde' from Ikora. It was then Zavala cleared his throat, "Titan Carina-23, this is Commander Zavala. Permission to enter the Tower Hangar has been granted."

Letting out a breath of relief as the static cleared, Carina then leaned again the back of the seat for support, hearing a guttural breath from the Eliksni seated within. She smiled at this, "Glad we're finally not being shot out of the sky?"

That is when Axtris turned and gave her a tired look, "I'm just glad that we're alive."

Snorting at the Vandal's answer, Carina then spotted Spears glide over and shedding his light onto the console. A sign for the Eliksni to hand control over to the Ghost.

"Just a warning." She started, her optics narrowing as the familiar site of the hangar came into view, "When we head towards the exit, make sure to stay behind me."

Carina didn't have to glance over to sense the bewilder look she received.

"Now why- oh." A soft rumble can be heard, "The other lights."

Turning her optics to the Vandal, Carina reached out and gave the Eliksni a comforting squeeze on the shoulder, "As much as I would like for you guys to roam the Tower freely 'and' safely, not all Guardians share the same views as my team and I." She gave Axtris one pat on the shoulder before dropping her hand, "Once we exit the ship, stay behind us and we'll handle anyway who tries to slip past us."

"We are not defenseless."

Turning her optics towards another Eliksni at the other part of the room, Carina simply raised a brow, "Alright, I will let all of you go free into the Hangar. Unarmed. Against a group of Guardians who are capable of devastating damage with their light. 'And', who have a grudge against you all."

Pausing momentarily to wait for an answer, Carina couldn't help a smirk when she received none. She then paused when static filtered into her helmet, prompting her to focus on Spears, "Carina-23 here."

"What in Traveler's name is going on?"

Perking up at Plutos' voice, Carina snorted, "Well, let's just say that when we approached the City, the Tower wasn't all too pleased to see a Ketch."

A momentary pause, then, "They fired at us!?"

"At first," Carina added, "But don't worry I handled it. Commander Zavala gave us the thumbs up to land in the Hangar."

A sigh of relief, "Good."

Humming to herself as she listened thoughtfully, Carina then asked, "I'm going to take a gander and say that you and the others took care of the rest of the Fallen?"

"They either took the pods and left or they swore their allegiance to Kell Ixrsis?"

"Kell?!" Carina repeated, turning her wide optics towards the aforementioned Eliksni, "A Kell?!"

"You know as well as I do that every house needs a Kell to remain stable," Pluto explained, "Now that another Devil Kell is down and she's gaining more Fallen to her side, it is likely that a new House will be formed. There is no doubt she will be the next Kell."

"Well." Carina blinked before she smiled, "Good news for us then. A Fallen House alliance with the Tower. Won't that be a great advantage for us?"

A scoff can be heard from the other side of the line, "Wish I was as optimistic as you, young light. Just remember to meet us in the Hangar when we land."

"Roger!"

Xxxxx

Hearing the familiar click of the coms disengaging, Pluto turned his senses outward, and then letting out a sigh at the sound of the Eliksni slowly gathering around the Baron's body. It seems that majority that have surrendered had known the larger Eliksni, especially from the familiar sound of mournful chittering. Although he sympathized with them, all Pluto could gather in his thoughts was how they were going to get 'everyone' off of the damaged Ketch. There was no doubt in Pluto's mind that the Ketch won't make it far after they land and he knows that many of the inhabitants of the Tower won't be willing to allow Fallen to freely wander in a place they call home, let alone let them repair their ship. And to add into their already mounting problems, they have yet to send a message to the rebelling Eliksni, more than likely already agitated from the lack of an answer from their two emissaries. Hopefully a simple talk with Axtris will fix that.

But first.

"Come, we have to start heading to the Hangar."

Immediately sensing the eyes of both Akiva and Angel settle upon him, Pluto then took notice of their silence, the hesitation looming through the air. He didn't have to ask why.

"Don't worry." He said, sensing the two jump, "We'll take him with us." Pluto then furrowed his brows, shifting his blind optics towards the body, "It's going to be difficult, but we may ask the stronger of the Fallen to carry him while we make our way off the Ketch."

"You sure that's a good idea?" It was Aleeza who asked, Pluto hearing her footsteps approach, "I mean, I am all for it, give Oraxsis a proper burial. What I'm more worried about are those at the Tower, how will they react when they see a bunch of Fallen carrying the body of a Baron?"

"They will deal." Ianos' voice piped in, Pluto hearing the Warlocks' steps pause nearby, "If not, we will be there to handle it."

A brief pause followed by a huff.

"I hope you're right."

Simply letting out a grunt in response to the two Warlock's words, Pluto then opted to shift his focus towards the chittering Fallen around them, "Listen up. All of you, remove your capes."

As he expected, instead of immediately listening to his command, all the Blind Exo heard was confused muttering, the Eliksni tongue clicking bewilderedly around him. Pausing momentarily to ensure that Nix was still in proximity, Pluto then added, "We are going to carry Baron Oraxsis out of this Ketch. We will not leave him here." He paused, hesitating before he added, "This is no place to bury a warrior."

Quiet clicks echoed throughout the room, Pluto's translated words more than likely settling into their minds. Then, moments later, the Hunter heard quiet steps shift and the familiar sound of cloth slipping off of shoulders reached his sensors. Not long after, the rest of the Eliksni followed, prompting Pluto to nod once in satisfaction.

"I appreciate this, Pluto." It was Angel, Pluto sensing the younger Hunter coming to a pause just in front of him. He then heard him take in a shaky breath, "Never really knew him long but, thanks."

Silent at his fellow Hunter's words, Pluto found himself simply say, "You're too empathetic." Sensing Angel give him a sheepish smile in return, Pluto then jumped to attention when the Ketch came to a sudden halt, "Everyone, get ready."

Xxxxx

Despite knowing that the sight of a Ketch landing in the Hangar will 'definitely' catch a lot of attention, Ianos still had not expected the sheer number of Guardians pointing their weapons at the entrance as the ramp lowered. Shaking his head at the sight, Ianos hefted his rifle in his hand, ensuring that it was loaded, ready to fight in case any of his fellow Guardians had any ideas. Especially when the Eliksni followed closely behind them.

"What in the Traveler is this?" A voice piped up from the crowd, a near snarl as they added, "We heard the rumors, but I didn't want to believe that one of our own actually went and aided the Scavengers."

"Scavengers?" A scoff from nearby, Ianos glancing over to see Vellak, the Eliksni settled in Akiva's arms, his upper arms wrapped around the Titan's neck for support while his lower were crossed across his chest, displeasure apparent in his four eyes, "Is that supposed to be a derogatory term for my people?" He huffed, waving a hand as if to dismiss the affronting Guardian, "You Guardians always did lack imagination."

"Why you-"

"Hey, hey, hey! No need to be so violent." Akiva stepped in, "How about we just talk this out?"

"After what those Scavengers have done?!" Another Guardian cried out, "We would rather shoot them dead!"

That is when Ianos heard a few Eliksni snarl behind him. Although he doubts that all of them understand the language of humans, there was no doubt that at least they understand a threat when they hear one.

Calculating to himself on how to get them and the rest of the group out of the Hangar without violence, a screeching cry of grief snapped Ianos out of his thoughts and prompted him to turn around. It was then he saw Axtris stumble down the ramp, barely keeping her balance long enough as she threw herself onto the wrapped body of Oraxsis. Silent, Ianos continued to watch as she scrambled with the cloth around the Baron's face, only for her to let out a mournful cry and then bury herself into her deceased father's chest.

Spotting movement just behind Axtris, Ianos then saw Carina tiptoe her way down, the Exo glancing in his direction to give him one, single, solemn nod. Returning her gesture, Ianos kept an eye on her long enough until she took her spot near the team before shifting his attention back onto the entryway of the Ketch. From there, he saw another group of Eliksni make their exit, a Captain with several Vandals and a handful of Dreg dragging themselves behind her. Watching the Captain approach the Baron's body, Ianos then saw her close her eyes and lower her head in respect before lifting herself and chittering out orders. No sooner had she finished speaking when the group, the ones that are of strength anyway, scattered and surrounded the Baron's body, no doubt adding in protection. It was then Ixrsis carefully made her way down the rest of the hatch and then took the space next to Angel, the latter of which reached out and placed a hand on one of her lower arms.

A call then took Ianos' attention away from the female Captain, shifting his eyes back towards Axtris, only to see Olkar standing next to his sister. The male Vandal chittered sadly next to his littermate before wrapping his upper arms around her shoulders, leaning in and pressing the side of his head next to hers as she continued to mourn.

"You all are witness to this!" It was Pluto, the Exo's voice resounding through the Hangar as he took a step forward, "My team and I accepted this mission with eight of us in tow and, although successful, we returned one less." He then raised his hands and gestured towards the two grieving Vandals, "Look at them, do they not mourn the loss of a loved one? Are they any different to us when we lose some close to us?" That is when Ianos caught several of the Guardians lower their weapons, others murmuring to themselves. If Pluto noticed or not, he showed no sign of it as he continued, "Listen brothers and sisters, it is true we warred with the Eliksni for centuries, but are they any different from us? They bleed and die like us. Mourn and grieve like us." Then Exo then held his hand out towards the crowd, "I believe it is time to put our differences aside and make peace, even if it just one House. One less battle to fight. Less lives lost."

Scanning the massive number of Guardians present, Ianos couldn't help but release some tension from his body when he spotted more of them lower their weapons. However, he still kept his guard up when some kept their weapons up.

"This is bullshit!"

Glancing up, Ianos barely suppressed a groan when he recognized the blonde strands of Leo stepping in between the crowd, his brown eyes narrowing at the group.

"Do you really believe that we can truly be at peace with these Scavengers?" The younger Titan snarled, gesturing at the Eliksni with the tip of his auto rifle, "We saw what they were capable of." He turned towards the crowd, "They raid defenseless settlements. Kill the unarmed innocents simply for the reason that they were in the way." Leo then turned back around and glowered at Ianos and the others, "And let's not forget the lives of our fellow Guardians that they had taken from us."

Glaring at the Titan, Ianos snapped to attention he heard the Guardians murmur once more and followed by most taking up arms again. Gritting his teeth, Ianos took in a deep breath, gripped his fusion rifle tight, and resigned himself for a fight.

"Hey! Vellak! Wait!"

Hearing Akiva's startled yelps, Ianos turned in time to witness Vellak scramble out of the human Titan's grip and collapse into a heap onto the floor. Hearing the Eliksni mutter out what no doubt were curses, Ianos couldn't help but stare in surprise when the Vandal stumbled onto his feet, his steps wobbled and nonetheless silly if it wasn't for the situation at hand. This did little to deter Vellak, as he managed to make it to the front before collapsing onto his knees, obviously spent. That is when Ianos spotted recognition in Leo's eyes.

"You." The Titan snarled, sparks of arc light lingering around his shoulders, "You were that Fallen that killed my previous Fireteam!"

A choke can be heard from Angel; right, that would explain Leo's strong resistance against forming a truce with the Fallen.

Sighing at this as he shook his head, Ianos couldn't help but choke himself when Vellak retorted, "And you, 'human', are the one that took the life of my dame and the last of my brothers and sisters."

A Guardian and an Eliksni that had grudges against each other, perfect.

Nonetheless, Vellak's words were enough to reign the room into silence and catching the attention of the younger Vandals. Ianos didn't have to look to sense their eyes upon their older brother. Not to mention that Axtris' sobs had faded.

"I had witnessed 'everything' when I heeded the call for help from my dame." Vellak continued, snarling, "Do you remember a Captain leading a group of three Vandals and a Dreg, wandering near the Refinery?"

The look of disgust and disappointment was prominent on the Vandal's face when all Leo gave him was a bewildered look, "Of course you would not." He then growled, "Makes me wonder how many more of my littermates lives you and your team have taken from me."

This was enough to snap Leo out of his shock, his face quickly twisting into one of fury, "Why I ought to –"

"They were unarmed." Vellak interrupted, "And yet you fired upon them without even questioning that they were simply there to gather scraps to convert into Ether to last the week." The Vandal leaned forward, "I am Vellak, the eldest progeny of a former Baron and Captain of the House of Devils. I am the first to be hatched out of a clutch of three, the first out of three litters to be sired between them: the second, another clutch of three, and the third, a clutch of six. Tell me, Guardians, guess how many of my littermates remain today?" Vellak paused long enough for an answer and when he received none, he continued, "Only two of them remain, all because Guardians believed us to be a threat during times when all we wanted was to survive. And now, we are orphaned, our sire giving his life to ensure that this so called 'alliance' between our people will come to fruition."

His four eyes glowed as he hissed out, "Like all of you, I would rather tear out your throats, if not for a fact that my life was saved by one of you."

The looks of shocked permeating from the crowd prompted Ianos to glance over at the Angel; judging from the way he dipped his head and was holding up a hand to hide his face despite his helmet being present, it wasn't hard to judge that the Hunter was obviously flustered.

This did little to deter Vellak as he continued, "I admit that I have taken the lives of many who you no doubt had called your brothers and sister in arms, however." The Vandal paused, Ianos spotting him glancing in the general direction of Axtris and Olkar, "If you wish to take my life as pertinence then so be it."

A sound of alarm could be heard from Angel and the guttural shouts of Eliksni Ianos didn't have to guess who it was from. And although he himself haven't known the Vandal for long, Ianos found his grip going taut on his fusion rifle, barely stopping himself when he felt the weapon crack under his grip. He doesn't like the idea of sacrificing another life in order for this alliance to go through.

Before Ianos could say this however, Vellak held up a hand, a sign that he was not done, "However, as you take my life, "Guardians', remember this." He glared at the crowd, "You have called my people 'murderers' and 'thieves' for centuries but, if you were to place yourselves in our perspective, who are truly the 'murderers' and 'thieves'?"

His words caused a murmur to wash over the crowd, Ianos seeing some murmur to each other before finally putting their weapons away. But he also spotted a stubborn few narrow their eyes in distrust, their grip on their guns going tight. Amongst them was Leo, his scowl deepening upon his features before he approached the crippled Vandal and aimed his auto-rifle between the Eliksni's four eyes. Eyes going wide, Ianos expected Vellak to retaliate, their previous encounter within one of the many rooms upon the Ketch clear in his mind. However, instead of resistance, Ianos watched in shock as Vellak instead lowered his head, closing his eyes, his posture lax. He had planned this, Ianos realized.

Before he could take a step forward and intervene, Ianos caught movement from the corner of his eye, and he barely caught a familiar dark green cloak fly past him.

Cursing quietly at the swiftness of Hunters, Ianos reached out towards the younger Guardian, shouting out his name, "Angel!"

If the young Hunter had heard, he showed no sign of it as he easily closed the distance between themselves and Leo, Ianos watching as Angel rushed in and snatched at the Titan's wrist. The startled look on the Titan's face was short-lived, quickly contorting into one of fury and Ianos saw him shift his arm subtly. The familiar sound of auto-rifle rounds going off echoed through the Hangar which were followed by shouts and screeches. That is when Ianos saw Angel stumble backwards, his hands over his chest, breaths short and heavy as the Hunter kept his gaze straight on the Titan, his body trembling.

At first, all Ianos could do was watch, his hands shaking as Angel fell to his knees, coughing, Vellak's curses and screams in his native tongue nothing but muted sound to his ears. It was only when Ixrsis came into his peripheral when the shock faded, only for bubbling fury to take its place.

"Aaaaangeeel!" Ixrsis screeched, Ianos instinctively reaching out and grabbing her by the arm as she took steps past him, tugging as she snarled, "He pay. You! Titan! Pay!"

If they were in any other situation, Ianos would have let her go, let her have her way with the Titan. However, in a full room of Guardians, that wasn't a choice. Instead, he forced her back, letting his emotions simmer as he made steady but stiff strides towards Leo, and brushed past Angel.

"Ianos, don't." He heard the Hunter wheeze out but, Ianos found himself unable to listen. Instead, he approached Leo, just coming to a stop in front of the Titan. This earned him a scrutinizing look from the younger Guardian.

"What?" Leo started, "Upset that I shot your traitor of a teammate-"

Leo's words were lost as the butt of Ianos' fusion rifle collided into his jaw, satisfaction lingering in his senses as he not only heard a crack, but the blow was enough to send the Titan sprawling onto the floor. Ignoring the shouts of protests and surprise around him, Ianos walked over and stood above the writhing Guardian, aiming his weapon at the Titan's chest. Leo was going to pay for shooting Angel so callously.

However, just as he started to press on the trigger, Ianos felt his chest go tight, a knot forming in the base of his throat as he froze.

"Ianos."

Feeling Ace's gentle tug in the back of his mind, Ianos gritted his teeth, his finger trembling against the trigger but unable to pull it.

"Wha'? No' goin' to kill me? Guardian Killer?" Leo's taunt caused Ianos to flinch, the Titan's Ghost already straightening out his broken jaw as the latter stood up.

Ianos' lack of an answer must have upped Leo's bravado, for the younger Guardian not once moved away from his aim, and actually laughed, "I may not have lived long enough to know exactly what happened, but I heard the rumors." He took a step forward, uncaring if he was practically touching the nose of Ianos' rifle, "You murdered a fellow Guardian, unarmed, right out on the Plaza while they were chatting away with a fellow brother and sister." Leo then raised a hand, mimicking a gun before raising it to the side of his head, "Shot them right in the back of his head, then," he lowered his hand, "shot their Ghost."

It took Ianos a moment to realize that he was grinding his teeth, his jaw aching from the exertion before he took note of his trembling aim, his fusion rifle shaking in his grasp. This wasn't apparently missed by Leo, the younger Guardian giving him a smug look, "What? Am I wrong?"

He's not.

A voice whispered in his ear, laughing silently as the guilt simmered to the surface.

"Not going to deny it?" Leo taunted, "This is your chance to prove your 'innocence', Guardian Killer."

"Shut it." Ianos hissed out, the edges of his vision blurring, his eyes stinging, "Shut up."

"Or what? Kill me?"

The Titan's laugh rang in Ianos' ears, echoing, resounding. Flinching as his head ached, unwanted memories threatening to the surface, Ianos barely could hear the soothing whispers of Ace lingering in the back of his mind. All he could hear was that mocking laugh.

"Shut up!"

That is when the familiar sound of the fusion rifle discharging reached his senses followed by screaming. Leo's scream, Ianos later realized as his eyes caught the familiar void energy dissipate, the rifle's energy that was attuned to his light easily turning the Titan into nothing but matter.

Ianos dropped his weapon, taking a step back as he tried to comprehend on what had happened. Leo's Ghost hovered on where the Titan was just standing, their brown optic scaring wide-eyed at Ianos; a confirmation on what the Warlock had just turned.

Unable to help himself, Ianos turned, his focus lingering over Angel, the Hunter still on the floor, a hand covering his chest, his wounds.

"Ianos." The Hunter said, "You killed him."

Ianos wheezed like as though he was punched, stumbling back as he glanced down at his trembling hands.

"I…" He started but Ianos found himself unable to form words, the pounding in his heart loud in his ears.

An apology, an excuse, anything to explain himself.

Instead, all Ianos could say was, "I did it again."

He then turned and ran, leaving the aftermath behind him.

I would have continued but hitting 10k words. Too long!

Have to break up the chapter and conclude the 'Rebel Eliksni' arc on the next one...that unexpected turn of events where it is actually longer than you had expected. Anyway, thanks for reading!