From the Dark

by Twisted Fate MK 2

Nox is falling under the Covenant, and its people are retreating. But some aren't in a place where they can reach help. Alex Masters is one. Her friends slaughtered, and being chased by Jackals, she flees to the only place she knows of - an old shrine from a small, local following her mother had taken her to. There, she finds help - in a form she'd never have thought. (Idea Bunny)

1. Chapter 1

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Not me with another idea stuck in my brain that is clogging it up and preventing everything ELSE I WANNA WRITE-

FUCK

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Alex Masters coughed on the smoke burning in her throat and stumbled as she sprinted up the dirt path, the sounds of screaming and gunfire just behind her. It was enough to make her tired legs move, propelling her up the steep slope with all the desperation in her. Her best friend, Jason, stopped to help her up and she turned to thank him before a lance of bright blue slammed into his chest and most of him vanished in a puff of red that washed over her, hot and fresh and painful. Alex screamed, stumbled away and tripped on a roo stick up out of the dirt by the path, scrambling back as the birdlike alien followed after, laughing and peppering the running teens in the back with a casual air until the last of her friends collapsed, smoking and twitching a few yards up the mountain. Their khaki shorts and black shirts didn't do anything to help them do much, and the Jackal seemed to make a game out of turning its pistol in angles as it shot, laughing whenever it hit them.

Then, it turned to her, laid out on the ground, brown hair and pale skin filthy with ash and blood…

And laughed louder, waving her up and snarling, "Up, Human! You run! More fun!"

"Last Human." Another rasped its agreement as it came to stand beside the first, shield glowing a warm orange. "Give head start. More fun!"

When she didn't move, terrified and exhausted, the first leapt forward, claws digging into her arm as it yanked her up and shoved her forward. She stumbled and it snapped, "Run, run, or we eat you from toes to nose so you feel it all! Haha!"

They were going to eat her?!

She screamed and choked, eyes burning as she finally cried, and took off with all the speed her little nerd's body had. Which wasn't much. So little that the Jackals kept pace, laughing and shoving her along as she went. They'd thought the thick pines that grew here would help them hide, that there were so few people on their field trip that the Covenant would ignore them in favor of their home-town, Nox, a few kilometers away, at least long enough for the UNSC to come get them.

But they'd been wrong - their little camping site had been found by one of the long, horseshoe shaped dropships and exploded in a splash of plasma. The teachers had all died, along with most of her class, and the Elite leading it had barked something in its own nasty language and waved the Jackals forward as she turned to run, shaked out of her terror and shock by her dead friend's hand on her shoulder.

But… Where was she even supposed to go?!

What was nearby?

All she knew about was the old shrine her mother always told her about, way up in the mountain. She'd been there a dozen times, left her own tokens at the entrance of the cave, even said her prayers. She wasn't crazy enough to think the Old Knight would help her, or was even real, really, but maybe… Maybe she could hide there? Or maybe the shrine-keeper would be there? He was an ODST - retired, now, but he'd shown them his old helmet and rifle once or twice.

What were two Jackals to that?

'Probably plenty.' Her mind said, terror flooding her as she tripped on a root and slammed shoulder-first into a tree, pushing off it as plasma splashed on the bark over her her head. 'Even if he can fight, he'd go to Nos. Not wait for you.'

"Shut up." She hissed, "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"Hurry up!" One of the Jackals rasped, loping along easily at her side, head cocked almost playfully. "We're getting bored!"

"And hungry!" Another screamed, lashing out with a heavy hand, carving fire down her back as its claws dug in. She stumbled, fell, then forced herself back up, sobbing as she scrambled into the shrine's clearing.

And froze.

Sucking in air, she stared, transfixed by the burning rubble left behind in place of the shrine-keeper's little house. And the dead man outside, rifle crushed beside him and a half-dozen Grunts scattered around him. He'd… Died, hand still around a knife buried in a Grunt's neck beside him. Just like in the story he used to tell her and her friends, when they'd come up with their parents to go camping. But that meant-

"Ah!" She screamed as pain lanced down her arm and the Jackals stepped past her, cackling as she cradled her arm, pacing to the side, eyes wide and aching from the smoke and the crying.

"Foolish Human!" One laughed, licking the blood off its clawed fingers and sighing like it had taken a good drink of water. "Foolish - but tasty!"

"We came from here, foolish little Human!" The other laughed, "Why you think no Grunts were there? Chaff died here!"

That… That was right - there'd been an Elite, and Jackals, but no Grunts. There were always Grunts, they taught that in school. How had she not noticed that?! Not that it would have mattered, she figured. Even without Grunts, they'd had an Elite. Only Instructor Crank, the old Marine, had ever even seen one - and he'd died in the first explosion.

Heart hammering, she listened to one of them laugh as she turned, sprinting for the only shelter she could see, now.

The cave.

The Jackal's laughter chased her, but they didn't, at least for the moment. Probably waiting, letting her hide as best she could so they could hunt her down. With the blood from her arm and her back, she was sure that wouldn't be hard. She remembered Jackals were supposed to have good noses - them and the Brutes, and fuck if she wasn't happy at least none of those were around right now.

The stories about them were… Horrifying, even more than what was already happening.

Inside, the cave was simple, and as empty as ever, with a rolling, jagged floor, like fire frozen in stone, and a roof way taller than any natural cave should be, with a way too smooth curve up to its apex, bare of all but a few stalactites. And all of it, she knew, was ash - ancient, and without any explanation, given the mountain was just that. A mountain, not a volcano. They didn't even have a fault line nearby. But it was all ash, and oppressively hot inside, too, for no explainable reason.

Nothing science could offer, at least…

But, as she ran, she ran towards the explanation the people of Nox had come to, over the years.

The Ash Knight.

He was a towering statue made of the same ash as the cave itself, resting on his knees in the exact center of the cave. One hand held up his massive shield, which leaned against his armored shoulder, while the other laid on the hilt of a far, far smaller one that he was gazing at in front of him. It was coiled and broken in places, huge chunks of the handle and the blade long since fallen away. The statue, the ash - it was all ancient, predating colonization, and that had lead to no small amount of worship after the first generation or two on the planet.

She'd always been a bit more cynical about it all, but this was all she had, now. What else could she-

"Human…"

"We don't hear running anymore!"

"Does that mean we can come hunt now?"

She took off at a sprint, half-sliding and half-running down the slope towards the knight. There wasn't much in the cave, very few places to hide - but she knew that there was a hollow space inside his cape, just behind him. It would be tight, she wasn't eight anymore, but she could make herself fit. She was sure. She had to.

She hissed as her hand landed on its leg, at the sheer heat of it, but it wasn't enough to do more than surprise her. So she ignored it as much as she could. She crawled up his leg and slid around, one foot sliding into it as she tried to shimmy into it, the rough, hard stone scraping at her bare shins as she did. She'd only just managed to get a hip in when she heard footfalls.

"No, no, no-"

"Too slow! Now we eat!" She heard as sharp claws closed around her arm, yanking her, screaming, out and throwing her onto the ground.

Alex flailed and tried to kick at the Jackals as they leapt on her, but her tired legs didn't do much but bruise against their armor, and her thin arms weren't strong enough to fend them off. Sobbing, fingers clawing at the stone until her nails chipped and bled, she was dragged away from the Knight as they pinned her, wrenching her arms and legs apart as they dove in for their meal. She felt breath on her thigh, just below her short-cut shorts-

And then the Jackal squawked, claws raking against her skin as it was yanked away.

She and the other Jackal both stared up as the alien was lifted away, massive fingers closed around its body. The Knight's head turned slowly, a dull red glow emanating from behind the thin ash that covered its helmed face, before they all heard one word.

"Nay."

The alien died with a wet 'crunch' and the Knight hurled it away as the other Jackal scrambled off her, retreating and relighting its orange shield. She ignored it, too transfixed on the Ash Knight as it wrenched its other arm in, shattering stone, and then back out to free its shield. Using it to lean on, it stood slowly, delayed by the stone trapping it that he had to break to do it. Green plasma splashed against his chest and face, but the Knight ignored it as he finally stood, easily ten feet tall and far broader, and loomed over them. Its fist came up, slamming into the front of his own face to shatter the stone there, and as it fell away, two bright, crimson eyes stared down at them.

And it shook its head.

"Ete. Vraik na ete." It rumbled, "Undur kiran't."

Whatever it said, neither of them seemed to understand. But, with the plasma doing nothing, the other Jackal took off, squawking loudly into the device on its wrist. She didn't recognize the words, but she could guess what it was doing.

Asking for help.

It didn't make it far in its run, though, only managing to law a hand on the lip of the exit before a rock slammed into it. Bright purple splashed across the rocks in a spray and, surprised, Alex turned, staring up at the Knight as it lowered its hand. The same blood smeared the inside of it, bright and standing out against the stone still stuck to the knight as it shook its hand harder, freeing it of the rest of the ash-rock that constrained it, finally freeing its hand properly.

It was… Metal, she realized.

Every inch of him was covered in dark, black metal. Chain, wide, smooth plates, ronuded joints. All of it, gauntlets and plates, old and dirty from the ash still clinging to it, and with a thick cloth cloak that pooled a bit against the ground as it turned and looked down on her. Those bright red eyes looked her over slowly, and all she could do was lay there, frozen in fear and wonder.

The Ash Knight had… Saved her?

He was real!

And he was… Reaching for her her, with a small, pale piece of cloth in his hands. He didn't touch her, though. Instead, his hand hovered over her and he… Sang.

"Ute ina, curiea sonala, comeat vaas reena." He sang quietly, "Ina nima, Gwyn'vera."

He twisted his hand and warmth rushed through her, the aches in her muscles dying along with the fire burning up her back and arm. She looked at her arm and gasped, watching the wound stitch itself back up, light trailing along its wake until only a thin, pink scar was left behind. Stunned, she turned to look up at the Knight as it withdrew, attaching the little white thing to its waist and rumbling more in its odd, rough language.

"I…" She blinked, "I don't understand."

"Nay ckin sparka?"

"I don't understand!" She shouted, flopping back onto the ancient ash and choking out a sob. "You're real, really real, but I can't understand you…"

"Nay uma ken." The Ash Knight rumbled, looking down-cast. "Nay imra timla. On kimra ken?"

Sitting up, she suddenly felt… Bad, somehow, for him. He seemed confused. Which was hard to tell, honestly, given his helmet. But it was how he seemed to her, looking around the cave and tapping his fingers on his armored thigh. Slowly, she stood and, when he turned back to her, she smiled warmly and gestured at herself.

"Alex." She said, "Alex Masters."

"Ken na?"

"Alex." She repeated, pressing a hand against her chest like the old movies she'd watched. Nodding with each enunciated word, she repeated, "Alex. Masters."

Slowly, he seemed to realize what she was doing and gestured at her, rumbling thickly, "Alex. Mashters."

She shook her head and tried again, "Mas. Sters."

"Alex Mas-sters." He repeated, as if tasting the words. "Alex. Masters."

"Right." She nodded, gesturing at herself again and then pointing to him." Alex Masters. And you?"

"Utana Ken…" He murmured, reaching out to point a finger at her. "Alex Masters." Then he tapped it against his chest, "Knict Vin et Astora."

"Knict.." She nodded, pointing at him, then herself. "Alex."

"Alex." He nodded, sounding… Pleased as he gestured back at himself and shook his head. "Nay Knict. Knict un establa. Kin man es Vin."

"Vin?"

"Kain." He nodded, "Vin."

"Kain…" She murmured, nodding her head and pointing at it. "Kain means yes?"

"Nay kain." He rumbled, pointing at her. "Alex."

"Yes." She repeated, pointing at her head and nodding more slowly. "Yes, I am Alex."

"An!" He gasped, pointing at his own head and nodding. "Kain." Then he shook his head, slowly, and repeated, "Nay."

"So kain means yes and nay means no." She murmured, nodding as he mumbled 'no' like he was memorizing it - which was probably exactly what he was doing- and glad for something to distract her. Even if she couldn't be sure he was really understanding. Standing, she raised her hands and said, "Stand up."

"Uunik." He rumbled, nodding and standing as he repeated her, "Schtand up."

"Yes." She nodded, turning and thinking quickly. The Ash Knight was supposed to be a guardian, at least from her mom's words. So if she could just get him outside, let him see Nox in the distance, then maybe he'd-

"Nay!" He suddenly bellowed, and a heartbeat passed as she realized what she'd forgotten - the Jackal had called for help.

She looked up as his shield came around, the titan kneeling over her protectively as plasma slammed home, sparking off it in splashes of melted rock and molten ash. His hand plunged down into the rock a foot away from where she stood and wrenched up, spraying more rock and ash everywhere. It dragged a massive sword free, which glowed faintly as he turned, swinging it around as its light brightened-

And flashed, blinding her as something exploded.

Blinking the light from her eyes, she watched as the giant lifted its shield away and stepped to the side. It took a breath and then adjusted its grip on the bright, shining sword in its hands, then made its way past her without a word. She watched him go, and then blinked, and stared at the massive gouge that had been blown out of the wall, like a claw had raked through it and blasted the entrance out into a wide, ragged circle.

An Elite in blue armor staggered up as the dust settled, shaking his head and raising his Plasma Rifle-

And her guardian leapt, shield slamming into him with a resounding, metallic 'thunk' and a splash of brilliant blood. Plasma seared into the Knight as he continued on, never slowing, his sword swinging through the air as it lit up again. She stood there and listened as it crashed and ckanged, and aliens screamed, and something came down with a tremendous 'whumpf' of fire and an echoing crackle of plasma exploding.

The rocks that fell around her shook her out of her stunned staring and she took off, clambering back up the slop towards the entrance.

Outside it, she found a mess of broken, shattered aliens, splayed out in an arc in front of where the cave's entrance had been. Past them were more aliens, crushed, cleaved and carved apart in splashes of vibrant blood and splashes of leaked plasma, burning the ground in wide swathes of smoldering grass. Further down the hill, the way she'd come, trees had been plowed through and blasted apart by the Covenant dropship, which had cratered nearby and gone on down the hill, trailing devastation and loose pieces of ship. And fire - there was a lot of that.

She found the Knight at the top of the small cliff the shrine and shrine-keeper's house had been built at, kneeling over the dead man with his sword buried in the ground beside him and a hand on his chest.

"Nara en vidar, solidar." The Knight rumbled, a faint shimmer of something black coming away with his hand. He held it close to his chest and sighed almost witsfully, then held it up and let it drift away, dissolving in a wash of white like stars. "Himro et Umanty, fren. Gah un stir, und ni peca."

Watching the splash of star-like whatever-it-was drift away, she couldn't help but murmur, "It's pretty…"

"Umanity." The giant rumble, rising and turning to pace around the ruined, burnt shrine to stand at the small cliff's edge. She followed him - she thought it was a 'him' at least - to stand at the cliff edge, staring out from it over the steeper side of the mountain.

In the distance, she could see Nox, the planet's capital city, and one of the only cities on the planet, sitting in the midst of the five mountains its mines fueled it from. In its center was the massive refinery-complex that refined it into the metals the UNSC so desperately needed, along with the equally massive air-space port, where the metals were shipped out from. Past that, further out, were the usual apartments, malls and, even further, local crops, houses and manors. But all the latter were devastated - some on fire, others blacked and flattened - and smoke was trailing up from the city like inky tendrils, along with lances of lasers or something from the Covenant and automatic anti-air batteries from the UNSC.

She pointed at the air-space complex and, hoping past hope, said, "I need to go there."

"Nahri?" The Knight asked, looking at her, confused, until he saw her pointing and knelt. Massive fingers closed around her and she squawked as she was hoisted up and sat on his shoulder. He pointed and then pointed at her and grunted, "Nute."

She pointed and then pointed at her finger, "This is nute?"

"Kain." He nodded, "Yes."

"Nute." She grunted, "Pointing."

"Pointing." He nodded, waving at the city. "Iine mah."

"There." She said, leaning over and pointing so that he could follow her eyes. When she leaned back, she pointed at herself and then mimed walking with her fingers. "I need to go there."

"Nara?"

"Alex." She said, pointing again. "There."

"There." He nodded, pointing at the complex and then, after a moment. Nodding quickly and turned to look at her. "Ahn. Alex nrata int plec 'pointing'. Min- Vin Alex there."

She nodded and he turned, leaving her to hang onto his cloak where it lay over his shoulder, and the armored lip of the back of his armor, over his neck, as he yanked his sword out and laid it comfortably against his shoulder. Hefting his shield, he turned and took off at a jog down the hill.

As the Knight jogged, and she didn't fall or shout, he sped up, until he was finally running almost full out, armor shaking and tremors rocking through her wit beach long, yard covering stride. But God, he made good time. Miles passed in minutes, once he struck his stride, and he never slowed. Not to catch his breath, or look for a drink, or even to look at the scattered, destroyed cars and, once they reached the outer limits of the city's farms, the UNSC vehicle lines that had been eradicated as they tried to evacuate the area. Along with the buses, trucks and APCs they had been using to do it.

And God, the bodies… The smell made her want to throw up, and she kept her eyes closed as they passed them.

Finally, though, they got to the city and Vin slowed, planting his sword in the concrete and reaching for her, hesitating as his fingers got close and then sighing, "Alex, inte und. Vin nay coulda."

Alex didn't understand him, of course, but slid forward and turned to rest her back against his armored palm. Gently, his fingers closed around her. How he could lift her so easily, he didn't know - he was huge, like a Hunter, but he carried her weight like it was nothing. Even when she was riding on his shoulder, he'd barely seemed to notice her weight. Straightening, he retrieved his sword and turned to her, gesturing to himself, the city and then, turning, he gestured behind him.

She nodded, guessing what he meant, and he watched for a few moments as he began to walk and she followed behind him.

When he nodded and turned to face forward, she figured she'd guessed it right.

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This city was a strange one, to him, but not terribly. The stone was odd, flat and grey with little distinction, and the metal carriages were equally strange - and where were the dead horses, or even the fastening points to attach them? Regardless, it was oddly quiet. Buildings smoked, and dead bodies were littered about - mostly Human, but with the odd creatures scattered about here or there - and something echoed unevenly in the distance, little 'booms' crackling across the air, but it was otherwise oddly quiet. Considering it was embattled, at least.

"Jisu." He heard the woman murmur behind him, "Feck in me lefe."

He didn't understand her, but obviously she was distressed. And the fact he couldn't comfort her irked him - but he had little idea how to bridge the language barrier. At least, in such a way as to keep his honor intact. Along with his mind - he knew what Consumption of the Knowledge could do to an Undead. Mentally, in regards to integrity, spiritually, and otherwise.

Hearing movement, he turned and continued on, shield held in front of him as they rounded a corner-

And ran into a half-dozen Humans, some in armor and uniforms, who scrambled away from him with barks of their harsh, strange language. The green ones pointed their odd, stubby stringless crossbows at him, but the others pointed at him and murmured to himself. And Alex shot around him, waving them all down and going off in her own language.

"No, no!" He recognized, "Inte Vin! Un fred!"

"Alex?" One of the older, uniformed women said, lowering her weapon a bit. "Ane Vin?"

"Vin." She nodded, stepping back and laying a hand on his shield, nudging it back. Getting her message - he prayed - he relaxed, bringing his sword to rest on his shoulder more loosely and his shield to his side, leaving him open to their attacks in a show of faith. The others relaxed a bit and she went on, pointing up at the mountain and the Kiln he'd awoken in, roused by her cries, "Trim undar mintan. Konit Vin."

"Ona!" The old woman barked after a moment, lowering her rifle and prompting the others to do the same. "Alex, invas kin Vin?"

"Eh…" She turned, looking up at him and chewing on her lip the way she seemed to when she was clearly thinking. Finally, she pointed at his shield and said, "Shildt."

"Shield." He nodded, raising it.

She stepped under it and asked, quietly, "Shildt Alex?"

"Shield Alex." He nodded, "I will, happily, young one."

She waved the armored woman forward and tugger her under, too, "Shildt Evilyn?"

"Shield Evelyn." He nodded, trying for time and gesturing with his head at the others, "You wish me to protect them all? Er, 'shield them?'"

"Yes." She nodded, smiling widely and nodding more as she stepped away, dragging 'Evilyn' with her and waving at her. Then she stepped behind her and gestured for him to as well, then waved forward and said, "Flow."

He didn't quite understand, but got the gist - she wanted him to follow Evilyn to wherever they were going. So he nodded and stepped aside, waving the woman forward. She muttered something, but stepped ahead, two of the green soldiers following her with wary eyes on him. And as they began to move, he followed with Alex right beside him.

And tried to ignore the revenant sounding murmuring from the other Humans.

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"You found him… In the mountain?"

"Yes, Miss Evilyn." Alex murmured, watching Mister Rich and Mister Corvega moving ahead of them, peeking around corners as they made their way to the space-port. She'd known most of the teachers here were ex-Colonial military, and the Insurrectionist rumors besides, but seeing them in uniform? With their old rifles in hand?

Totally different.

"He's…" She shrugged, "The Ash-Knight."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I was there!" She argued, "I… Jackals had me."

"What?!" Miss Evilyn's eyes snapped to her, then to her ragged sleeve, and she asked. "Are you hurt?"

"I was." She turned, showing her the thin scar that had been left behind and then the ragged tears and scars she was sure she had on her back. Shaking her head she said, "He… I was screaming, they were going to e-eat me, and then suddenly he was moving. He killed them. Then more, a-and he healed me. I d-don't know how, but he did it."

"Fuck me…" Evilyn murmured, "What is he, some kinda… God?"

"My mom always thought so." She murmured quietly, "So…"

"Speaking of your mom…" Pain panged in Alex's chest and she looked away, and the woman sighed. "She was at your camp, wasn't she?"

"Mhm."

"I only see you."

"Mhm…"

"Are you okay?"

"No." Alex answered quietly, "But I'm alive. That…"

"God, kid, I'm so-" Evilyn tensed, suddenly, and grabbed her by her arm, yanking her back and screaming. "Corvega, invis, on your-"

"Glrk!" He snapped to the side, suddenly, as red sprayed and a blue light lit up. As he toppled, the Elite appeared, coak fading as he raised his Needler and backed away for the corner.

Evilyn and the others all raised their weapons, and she heard the other survivors scream, but Alex didn't. She just blinked, and watched Vin step forward, shielding them bodily and then rocketing, crossing the few yards in two strides. His sword came around, crushing the surprised Elite as needles hosed the Knight down. Its body cratered into the concrete corner hard enough to shatter it, bright blood spraying everywhere as the blow landed, and the Knight spun on his heel and swung his shield around, purple blood splashing across its face as it struck something they couldn't see.

"Fuck. Me." Evilyn murmured, shaking her head as the knight turned, looking around, and then turned to them and nodded, rumbling what Alex guessed was an apology. Evilyn looked at her and admitted, finally, "Okay… Maybe I'm starting to believe you."

"Yeah…" She nodded, "Yeah."

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So if I continue this-

The next chapter would be the fight, the evac, and then going to SPACE.

ALso, yes, anyone is free to adopt this idea as they like.