[Ki-Shar] was the first to wake up, her tuqoise lights clicking back on and her motors whirring into life. "HOOoo wHaAat, where am I? Vero? Veroksis??" the pale Ghost zips up into the air, narrowly missing the roof beam, her lens snapping round the barn to find her Guardian. Her charge laid on a makeshift bed, quite still and motionless, but alive.
"Oh thank the Traveler.." Ki-shar dipped in relief, slowly floating over to the window nearby Veroksis, trying to look out into the late morning day, to find out where they are. It appeared to be a fairly primitive farm settlement, humans and some Guardians walking round the place with chores, and what looked to be a makeshift command center in one of the wooden homes.
“Well,, at least we are still together Vero.” Ki-shar sighs softly, looking over her charge before scanning about on the Vanguard Net to try and catch up on what has happened since they passed out. All in all,, it was not good, no matter which way you turned it. Traveller in chains, the City is on partial ruins and locked down, the Light seems to be non-existent, and hundreds of Guardians are either missing,, or dead.
Commander Zavala seems to have made some sort of outpost out by the Saturnian worlds, no word on either Cayde nor Ikora. At the moment, the one running any manner of shots is a rough Militia whom have lived out in the wilds for generations. A dark skinned woman called Hawthorne, her pet Hawk, and a sharpshooter called Devrim.
“Well,, bolts. Getting into any fights now is,, I am not sure I want to even think about that possibility. Urgh. Wait,, how did we even get here? We were wi-”
“A group of Eliksni, and not a small one either.” a voice came from the end of the room, making Ki-shar duck behind a beam, only to peek out from behind it when nothing was shot at her. Standing at the top of a set of stairs was a lithe built woman, dark olive skin and what appear to be tribal or cultural markings on her face. Her head and upper torso was covered in a shawl or poncho deal, a marksman rifle slung over one shoulder.
“I take it you are the Hawthorne running this little community?” Ki’shar spoke slowly, her lens looking over the woman carefully, flicking about in a wary manner.
“Suraya Hawthorne, and yeah, I had this group for a few years already, but given whats happened to the city, we have grown a vast amount thanks to all the refugees. Got a name?”
“,, [Ki’shar].”
Suraya blinks a little, as the Ghost sounded like it hissed at her, only to make the connection that it was a word. “That is not a human or awoken name I guess,,”
“Its Eliksni, meaning Bright Star, or Strong Brave. Words are,, flexible, with context.” Ki’shar floats over to be eye level with the human.
“Now what story am I gonna give the people here in the community, to explain why a Guardian and his Ghost,, was being carried to our last camp site, by a massive Fallen and its troupe?”
“FIRST OF AL-”
*clicliclicliclick* “Mhrr not loud noises, head like bloated ether [Jor’kriss’ek].” Ki’shar swivels around with Hawthorne to see Veroksis slowly sitting up, clutching at his head with his smaller hands, while the main hands grasp at the bedding. The helmet was removed, revealing the scratched up dermis and markings of his trials and honor scars.
“Welcome to the land of the living Guardian.” Hawthorne relaxes, slightly, but keeps an eye on those curious additions to the Exo risen and curious blend of Hunter gear and very very clearly Fallen tech.
Veroksis’ lenses focus in, looking over at the human before seeing Ki’shar nearby, a soft throtle coming from the synthetic voice modulator, but for Hawthorne it sounds eerily organic. Wet and very much like how the Fallen sounded like when she bumped into them a few weeks ago.
“Koris? Keldar? Safe?”
Hawthorne needs a second before recalling back to the meeting she had at the base of the Alps, and the two giant Fallen leaders, with the arching horned helms.
“They are fine, they moved back into the wilds after they dropped you at my feet. I tried to have them followed bu-”
“Blood spilled? [Lovos] do not like to be followed, yes-yes. Especially by pink skins,,” Veroksis slowly rises out of the cot, his lower arms patting himself down, while one main arm rubs the back of his head.
Hawthorne’s eyelid twitches, but keeps her nerves in check “No, the scouts lost track when the group headed further west into the EDZ. No one has ever gone there before,,”
“Hu-mans have not,, but [Din-Ha] have. I have. Great ruin-cities, claws into sky, wild-free creatures. Our home. Out of eyes, out of reach.”
Hawthorne narrows her eyes at this, as this fact implies that Fallen might have nests or armies lurking somewhere deep in the EDZ or even further West towards the Transient Sea.
Veroksis curses in Eliksni, for the umpteenth time in the last hour, throwing the playing cards onto the cantina table, while the Drifter gives a warm, if mocking, laugh. “Hey now partner, no need to go swearing like that, you get plenty a glimmer from doin’ bounties, and if ya play some rounds of Gambit, y’ll even make a profit.”
Drifter grins cheekily, while collecting up the scattered cards on the table, and starts shuffling them up casually. Veroksis mutters and growls under his helm, annoyed with not only Drifter’s attitude and casualness of the game, but also annoyed with himself for not able to read the Rogue Lightbearer’s tells and gestures.
And his glimmer bank was getting very thin now, having lost a fair amount of it in the past hour or so. Ki-shar peeks over the fur collar of Veroksis’ cloak looking over the table of cards and glimmer cubes, her shells tilting slightly. She spoke quietly to Veroksis, using their link ‘Should we maybe end the game now? While we still have some glimmer,,”
Veroksis growls softly, glaring at his ghost through his lenses, before grudgingly fixing up his cards and handing them over to Drifter. “Letting me shuffle, eh? Alright alright,, maybe ya gonna ask your shiny Traveler for luck this time eh?” The man laughs warmly, with hidden teeth.
The cards are dealt, Veroksis grumbling some more as he collects up his cards and begins to look over them. He tilts his head slightly, as if noticing something, while Ki-shar glows dimly by her Gaurdian’s shoulder. Veroksis grins wolfishly behind his helm, before pushing the remainder of his glimmer onto the pile, Drifter looking a little surprised.
“My my Veroksis, thatsa pretty ballsy move partner. Makes me wonder what kinda plan you got,,” Drifter chuckles as he places down a trio of cards; Captain, Archon, and Servitor of Devils. Veroksis chortles behind his helm before speaking.
“Hhrrr,, this one look like he has plan-scheme? Kraken makes plans, Teach-er has plans for many time-places. Veroksis,” the Guardian slides down 5 cards onto the table, revealing the 5 Kells of each House; Kings, Devils, Wolves, Winter, and Exile. Drifter drops the flask of moonshine he was sipping on, the metal clanging onto the concrete floor and spilling the contents, his eyes wide.
