The streets of the last city were filled with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, but also the suspicious and wary looks skyward. Many in the city were upset and angry, the House of Devils had been at the forefront of the war against the city, the battle of six fronts, the battle of Twilight Gap. They had been at the forefront of it all… and now they were just meant to make peace? Even is peace was possible, many in the city were ready to riot over it. Many had been killed by the Devils in their raids and their death squads.

She walked in the city streets.

Her bright blue eyes looking intently from one Human, Awoken and Exo to the other. Nobody noticed her, and you would think that Humans would notice a Fallen Baroness walking the city streets, but in reality she wasn't there.

Kaia was a Baroness of the House of Mist, survivors of House Rain who allowed the other Houses to believe that they had indeed been destroyed by the Whirlwind. Kaia was not an elder; she had never seen the landscapes of their home world, never breathed its air or seen its sky. She always loved the stories the elders told of the home world, it was a beautiful paradise where the Houses had lived in peace… she could not picture that in her mind. The other Houses had always been warmongers; they fought, scavenged, slaughtered and butchered their way through countless worlds after the Whirlwind. They all were but twisted shadows of their former selves.

Kaia had always walked the streets of the Last city in her meditations since she was young; she was an astral projector as the elders called it. She was able to project her consciousness into other places and walk as if she was there herself. She did this regularly, there was not much to do in the mountain based monastery besides protecting the seers, most of the time she sat in a trance-like state, walking the streets of the Last city and the Tower, where the Guardians resided.

Something felt different…

There was a presence that Kaia could not fully comprehend… it was old and it was filled with pain. She focused on these feelings that surrounded her, she blinked and she was standing in the central courtyard of the Tower. She followed the pain and the anger until she finally saw him... an Eliksni walking with the one she knew was called Cayde-6.

Kaia could feel the sadness, anger, pain… and rage that were all just barely tucked away beneath the surface, waiting to be released in a massive wave. These emotions too powerful to comprehend, they were all too complete. She could not understand how such a being could live and be so broken at the same time.

There was also something else…

There was pure darkness residing within him… almost sleeping. But there was also light… and it was awakening.

"Kaia"

She awoke.

Brakkius stood silent, a few meters away from the Baroness who was currently in the trance-like state of astral projection. She sat cross-legged on the rocky outcrop, her four hands resting in her lap. The monastery of House Mist sat high in the Himalayas; it was battered by snow and frost, allowing for the perfect defence against any would-be attackers. Kaia was covered in thick furs, keeping her warm as she meditated. He waited for the Baroness to respond to his address. He then heard the Baroness inhale deeply, meaning she had returned so he bowed his head.

Kaia is a tall and somewhat lanky Fallen, with elongated limbs and a slightly shortened body, it makes her taller than her fellow Barons, though at the cost of being thinner. She doesn't let this get in her way however, and is incredibly skilled in fighting and psionic powers.

As the Guardian of the Rain Seers and a skilled psionic practitioner, Kaia spends almost all of her waking hours attending to her duties or meditating in study. Such hard work has paid off well, resulting in her skill being unequalled by most other Rain members, her specialty being Astral Projection. Such a gift allows her to monitor the surrounding area outside of the safety of the Mist strong hold without endangering herself or the secrecy of her House. Along with this, she is extremely skilled in martial arts, preferring to use her bare hands instead of wielding weapons. This extreme dedication to her work has left her socially awkward. While she is unequaled in a fight, in a common conversation, she easily becomes flustered, not understanding the social order of how people are supposed to speak an interact. Not that she's mean person, far from it, it's just that she lacks any social experience.

Her armour was slim, form fitting teal, with golden accents swirling over her armour in decorative patterns. Her helmet covered her nose, running between her eyes before sweeping back over her head then up into a slight upward crest. Her pauldrons match the design, but had additional details in the shape of small spheres, levitating over the shoulder pads due to her psionic resonation. A ring floated just behind her back, replacing her cape and extending up over her shoulders, also held aloft by her resonation. However, the rest of her arms were left exposed, as were her legs below the knees, instead, being wrapped in strips of silk, signifying her dedication to hand to hand combat. Below her chest plate, her midriff was exposed, with a decorative belt and loincloth hanging below. The loincloth was no longer then her knees, providing her with superior flexibility and dexterity. However, such armour comes at a cost. Unable to withstand the outside cold for long, she is required to fight using an astral projection if required to do so outside. While she commonly dresses in thick furs for her meditation sessions, they restricted her movements too much in a fight.

"My Baroness" Brakkius, said quietly in respect to his superior. The Baroness slowly rose from her position. Frost flaked off from her armour with every movement; she brushed off any excess frost that still clung to her. She rolled her shoulders and stretched her arms, removing any of the stiffness that always plagued her after a trance. She turned around and looked at the Vandal that was silently standing there, his head bowed in respect.

"Rise Brakkus." The Vandal complied with her order.

Brakkus had always intrigued Kaia. Being a High Vandal, he had willingly chose not to be promoted to captain. While rumour circulates that it's because his leaders don't trust him, he claims that it's because he wished to keep a lower profile on the mountain side. His face was rugged and angular, but unbalanced due to a missing left mandible. Lost to frostbite, the flesh were the mandible was is stiff, with the skin jagged from the frozen damage. His personality is as rugged as his appearance. Gruff, stern, and not much of a talker, he prefers his actions to speak for him. He trusts Kaia, so she's one of the few people he constantly speaks to. Unlike most Mist members, he prefers to use his own physical strength instead of psionics in a fight. However, he does use psionics to give himself a gravity effect, allowing him to clamber up the mountain with unnatural ease, as well as unnatural balance.

His armour was simple yet effective. Grey armour with dull teal and gold accents, placed over a grey body suit. His cape is replaced by a facial wrap, covering his rebreather mask as well as his Ether/oxygen tank. Duel modified shock swords hang from his belt, designed to function as ice picks as well as swords. He didn't like firearms, he never did.

"Do forgive my intruding Baroness… the seers have requested your presence." Brakkus kept his tone respectful. Kaia merely turned away from the Vandal and looked out at the snow-capped mountain range and sighed.

"The Seers? They have finally opened their chamber? What is it they need?" Kaia turned back to the Vandal, the Seers only called upon her when their visions preceded major events. They had seen the events of the battle of Twilight Gap, the downfall of the House of Devils, even the outcome of the Reef Wars. But lately… the seers had locked themselves away, for weeks they had sat in their chambers; the other Barons were beginning to worry, the Seers had never acted so recluse before, something must be happening.

"I was not told… only that they urgently requested your presence in their chamber." Kaia grunted at Brakkus' words and nodded once at the Vandal.

The Baroness marched past the Vandal, walking down the small pathway that turned into a brazier lit tunnel, it wasn't that much warmer but at least the freezing winds didn't cut through you. The Vandal followed behind Kaia, but his mind was troubled, it was the Humans. The House had always secretly aided the Light Bearers from the shadows, unlike their brethren. Mist would never turned their weapons towards the Humans out of petty jealousy and hatred. However, it still never sat right with Brakkus, the Light Bearers were aggressive to all Eliksni, no matter their intentions. There had never been any incidents but it still didn't sit right in his mind.

Kaia could feel his aura shudder for a few moments, something was troubling his mind. She turned to him and spoke softly. "Something troubles you Brakkus, might I ask what it is?"

The Vandal nodded and sighed to himself. "I serve the eternal wisdom of our House, I have followed your clarion voice more times than I can count... but I have doubts… why do we help the Humans?"

The Baroness had to admit, Brakkus asked a legitimate question. Why should they even help the Guardians? What did the Humans give in return?

"Because… we need their warriors… we need their help. If we guide the Guardians to the final battle we force them to fight the immortal enemy and destroy it once and for all. I have… experienced troubling dreams lately, so has the rest of our House. From the way your aura shudders…you have experienced it too."

Brakkus sighed, the usual phantom pain from his missing mandible shot up his face, causing him to sneer for a few seconds under his mask. "Darkness…" he muttered, his gruff voice turning grim."That's all I dream of, the coming darkness that will smother all light and life."

"Perhaps the Seers will know why we have these dreams, perhaps they will answer the many questions we have. Whatever caused them to seal themselves away has either greatly disturbed or intrigued them, I just hope it is why they have summoned me."

Kaia was concerned, the Devils forging a truce with the city, Bone Walker presence on earth increasing, then that Eliksni she saw in the Tower… this was all too coincidental, greater powers were in play, the board was in place and the pieces were being prepared… war was coming.

The Baroness went quiet after that, and Brakkus could feel her discomfort, he didn't need psionic ability to know she was in deep thought about recent events. He didn't interrupt her as they continued to make their way through the torch lit halls, there were only a few other members in the halls, quietly going about their duties, they gave respectful nods to the Baroness as they passed.

For several long moments, they walked in silence, the stone corridor turning their steps into echos. This deep in the mountain, the howl of the wind was non existent, making one forget at times just how inhospitable this land truly was. Up ahead, the grand doors to the ancient chamber. The massive stone structures were intricately carved in the ancient runes and tongues of the old Rain, the designs based off those found in the sole surviving Rain Text. Two Psi-Guards, another pre-Whirlwind remnant, stood on either side of the door. Tall pole lances were in their hands, resting on the floor, while faint blue energy danced around their fists.

Kaia stopped about ten feet from them, turning to glance at Brakkus, who'd stopped a few feet farther back.

"I wish you luck malady. I pray that the Seers signs are of good fortune."

She dipped her head. "To you as well, my friend."

She smiled awkwardly under her mask, turning away just as Brakkus left. She glanced over the doors, taking in their detail for one final moment. Then, with a sigh, she stepped towards them. As expected, the doors opened on their own, slowly swinging inward to reveal the grand chamber beyond. The colossal chamber, with its towering ceiling and intricate tapestries, was a work of art and the jewel of House Mist. Within the center of the room, high in the air and suspended by psionic energy projecting from the floor and ceiling, the Eye of Sahlin. The massive blue crystal, wrapped in bands of gold and with intricate swirls and ruins carved into the gem, the Eye is beautiful to behold. A relic saved from the Whirlwind, it is the Houses lifeline to the psionic resignation that powers it, and a tie to the ancients of their homeworld. However despite the beauty of the eye, it was not the focus of Kaia's attention. That went to the five figures encircling the eye. The Seers.

They sat cross legged, hovering several feet in the air as they meditated, with no devices aside from their minds to hold them up. Dressed in long black robes, rimmed in gold, their outfits were simple yet divine, holding priestly beauty and form. Their arms were held in intricate poses; the lower sitting on their knees, palms facing up and fingers lax, while the upper stuck out at right angles, lifted in reverence. Their masks were white, smooth and without feature, tightly fitting to their faces and extending down some past the black robes connected directly to the masks, but hugged the neck, ascending the shape while leaving nothing exposed. Blue energy swirled rounds their hands, drifting up towards the Eye in the center. It ripplied their robes and caused the whole room to feel charged with energy.

Two black lines on their masks sit where the eyes should be and are shaped differently between the Seers, each one distinguishing itself from the other. While in most things they are identical, in behavior they are not, and the different shapes of their mask's marking help distinguish this. One horizontal line and one upcurved semi-circle is Curiosity; inquisitive and distrusting, he questions what is seen and asks what needs to be asked. Two upcurved semi-circles is Joy; upbeat and positive, she sees the hope in all things and forms a stable platform of support. Two inward facing diagonals is Anger; anxious and negative, he sees the threats and the evil, forming plans on how to face them. Two outward facing diagonals is Sadness; solum and quiet, he is the first to see grave news, always looking at the loss and consequence. Two vertical lines is Fear; cautious and foreboding, she sees the dangers and risks, providing advice on if and how to avoid them. Together, they peer through the veil of reality, deciphering its truths and messages, and providing direction for their House.

Kaia glanced between them, placing her hands behind her back as she waited patiently. But she didn't need to wait long. Moments later, Curiosity turned his head ever so slightly to glance at her.

"Keeper. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

His voice was both booming and commanding, and yet soft, almost in her head. It was quickly followed by the melodies voice of Joy.

"I pray we have not disturbed your meditations child."

Kaia dipped her head in respect.

"Not in the least. I live to serve. Your will is my will. I came as soon as I could."

"Yes well."

The solum voice of Sadness drifted through the air, shooting a stab of concern into Kaia. He never spoke unless necessary. And if he was speaking now…

"We bring grave tidings. A vision unlike any we have seen before."

"So evil, it brings me pause."

"And I cannot foresee the circumstances."

Angers voice sounded bitter, like it disgusted him that he couldn't see more. Even Joy, who was usually stoik with such things, sounded shaken. The shuddering voice of Fear then spoke, sending more panic through Kaia.

"Evil so great, it makes the Whirlwind seem like a petty battle. Our enemy… is on the move."

Her face paled. The Bone Walkers had always been a threat, a constant reminder of who destroyed their home world. But this… this gave her pause.

"What is it you saw my Seers. What troubles your hearts."

They all glance at each other. This must be more serious then she initially thought. Slowly, they all glanced back at her.

"Two Visions we saw. One of weak and fleeting hope. The other of betrayal and horrid darkness."

Sadness lifted his hands, the blue glow flashed in his palms, like burning fire.

Kaia's eyes fluttered, the blue fire igniting in her eyes as well, opening her mind to the vision.

She saw earth; that peaceful blue orb, drifting in space. A beautiful haven that the Eliksni had found. The breathtaking home of the humans. She saw the City and its shining glory, just like how she saw it not 20 minutes ago. And, again, she saw the same Eliksni guardian she'd seen before. He leaned against the railing, seeming to struggle to hold himself up. He groaned, shuddering as if he was fighting something. Then, another figure approach, an Exo guardian, dressed in Hunter's garb, slowly approached. The armor looked ramshackled, cobbled together from different set, yet still held a proper grace. It was colored white black and red, with the Devil emblem stamped on his cape.

He walked up, the slowly placed his hand on the Eliksni's shoulders. Normally, the towering figure would be impossible to reach, but with him on his knees, the Hunter could reach. On contact, the Eliksni stopped shuddering and glanced over at his friend.

"Both are important to our future, they will define what happens. But the one, he is even more important. The hero from our past will either save us, or destroy us. But he cannot do good without his friend. If they fail to meet."

The vision shimmers, fading away before reforming. Once again, Kaia sees the world before her. The beautiful globe of peace and beauty. However, as she looked, she could see that something was wrong. All across the surface, she could make out fires. Screaming. Fear.

"The future. One where the hero becomes the betrayer. One where the Bone Walker's strength becomes to great."

The solum voice of Sadness shook her to the core, and although she knew that this was only a vision, and it therefore couldn't harm her, the knowledge that this was a possible future frightened her greatly.

The image shifted, zooming in on the planet to reveal the battles that ravaged it's surface. Fallen Houses, the Kings, Devils and others, fought desperately against tides of Bone Walkers. Their screams filled the air, the undying abominations becoming a tide unending. They poured from massive holes in the ground, and spawned from countless vessels that floated above the ground. The Houses fought bravely, but they were soon overrun. But it was not the Houses that drew Kaia's attention. It was the larger battle that took place in the planets southern hemisphere. A place where the last remnants of Light threatened to flicker out. Permanently.

The Last City burned, its walls shattered and buildings crumbling. From outside, massive waves of Bone Walkers, their hides black, red and purple, the fighting groups of Walkers. They poured through holes in the wall like a black flood. Death incarnate. Within the City, still more Bone Walkers emerged from holes in the streets. overwhelming the Lightbearer and civilians. It was a bloodbath, one that chilled Kaia's bones. Like the memories of the Whirlwind. Then, she saw something that caught her off guard. Something that stopped her heart.

"If he fails to be saved, he will not be a hero. He will be the betrayer."

A Fallen stood on the balcony of the Tower, watching as the City burned. At his feet, the broken forms of the Tower Vanguard, butchered like animals. A sword was in the Eliksni's hand, blood dripping from the blade and the welders hands. However, this was no Fallen sword. This was a Hive sword, its blade jagged and worn, pulsing with such power, that is distorted the vision. But then she saw his face, and froze. The face of the Guardian Eliksni, the one she'd seen walking amids the Tower not moments before, stared back at her. His face was drawn, thin and with enlarged teeth. His eyes were alight with Fel fire, glowing green and flickering. His two outer eyes appeared dimmer than normal, and in his forehead, another point of light seemed to be trying to break through. Blood and ash coated his armor, and his cape and loincloth was tattered.

"The hero from our past will be the instrument of our future. He could save us, or, if fate is not changed, he will destroy us. His actions will change everything."

The image shifted and flickering out, the horrid face of the traitor Eliksni shifting before revealing something else. It was the city, and yet, not.

The City was broken and changed. Destroyed then rebuilt. The walls stood tall, built of stone and dark metal, their edges jagged and glowing sickly green. Bodies, shriveled and old, dangled from chains from the outers sides of the walls, trophies of the Walker's brutality. Towers and temples rose from the ground, constructed of stone and reinforced by necrotic metal and magic. The material and magic gave the whole city a dark and sickly appearance. This was further enhanced by the Tombships and other vessels that lazily drifted over the city, like circling vultures or buzzing flies. However, what truly stopped Kaia's heart was what lay at the center of the city. The Great Machine itself lay destroyed in the center of this transformed city. It's massive spherical form was broken open like an egg shell, the massive jagged sides stretched skywards, a fractured monument to what used to be. Within the destroyed shell, a massive Orb hovered in the air, suspended by the Walker's Fel energy, which emanated from the shattered corpse of the Machine. The Orb glowed and pulsed, revealing it to be both a portal as well as a Shrine.

The streets were filled with Walkers, moving supplies, performing rituals, and doing other such things. The deathly songs of Wizards drifts on the air. The screams of tortured souls, the moans of prayer and the cheers of a crowd all joined this chorus. Temples full of devotion, arenas full of death, and pits full of despair, the City was now a Hive den, festering with their rotting and taboo ways. And overlooking it all, the once proud Guardian Tower had been transformed into an Obelisk Palace. On its balcony, two royal Hive overlooked it all. One a female, a Hive queen of power and grace. The other, a twisted Hive that looked like….

"He embraced the Dark One, and with it, sealed our fate."

Crota, Lord of the Hive and the new ruler of this world, overlooked his prize. His body, his vessel, looked like some sort of twisted Eliksni. Smaller vestigial arms were shriveled and held against his side. Two empty eye sockets sat on either side of his glowing eyes, and his third eye was a slit, as if it had only just torn through the face. Two swords hung from his belt, one charred and worn, Crota's sword. The other, long and elegant, an ancient Eliksni blade. This was the Betrayer, the one who had doomed them all.

The world jolted, then flashed. With a gasp, Kaia found herself stumbling backwards, her head throbbing and lungs gasping as she fell out of the vision. When her sight returned, she found herself looking at the Seers, who had lowered themselves to the ground, now drifting only a few inches. They were upright now, free from their meditation. Sadness stared at her with the solemn silence he always had, but he was also shaking visibly. In Fact, unless her eyes deceived her, they were all shaking some.

"What...What does this all mean? That we're all going to fall to the Bone Walkers? That they're going to kill us all."

"If the flow of fate remains unaltered, then yes. But that was but one future midsts many."

"But it can be changed."

Joy drifted forward, her motherly nature coming forth as she spoke softly.

"If the Guardian and Eliksni named Kirrhys is saved from the demons that plague him, then this future can change. But only if you find him. Find this future brother of his. Reunite them. Change them."

Curiosity grunted, crossing his arms.

"Where this, brother of his is currently, we don't know. And the nature of these demons, we can only guess at. But the Bone Walkers presence is unmistakable. Thats why…."

"That's why we need you to go down there. Perform an exorcism. Spare his soul and change his ways. Even kill him if you have to. Just prevent him from bringing about this tragedy."

Angers harsh voice cut Curioty off easily and showed no sign of apologizing. But, it was expected, as was her response. Despite her not liking the idea of killing this…. interesting Eliksni, if it came down to it, she'd need to end his life without hesitation. She dipped her head.

"I will depart immediately."

"You may take one other with you, but travel light and fast. Maintain your secrecy and integrity. I trust you know the importance of secrecy and speed."

Kaia felt a hand gently take her face, then tilt it upwards. Joy lifted Kaia's face up to meet her own. She was no doubt smiling behind that blank mask, and it sent warmth through her bones. Joy's thumb slowly stroked Kaia's cheek, like a loving mother. She found her voice choking up some, but she tried to maintain her composure.

"Of course. I will not fail you or our House."

"Be wary. Even now, forces beyond the Bone Walkers work towards out destruction."

Fear's words set Kaia back. More than Bone Walkers? She'd need to keep that in mind. Joy released her face, allowing her to bow her head again.

"I will."

As one, the Seers lifted their arms and voices.

"May the blessings of the divine Rain wash over you. May Sahlin guide your eyes and feet, and bring balance to nature. May your ways be true and clean and may you return to us in pure glory."

Kaia shuddered as the blessing washed over her, like a holy flood. Then, without another word, she turned and strode for the door. Her mind raised as she did. Kirrhys. That was his name. A very ancient name. Pre-Whirlwind. She wondered what she might need to do to help him. What was he thinking. What demons plagued his dreams and thoughts. She shook her head. She'd have time for such thoughts later. For now, she had to prepare. She was finally leaving the mountain. The thought frightened and excited her. She quickened her pace, now eager to depart.

In the Tower, thousands of miles away from the minestary of the Remnants of House Rain, Kirrhys and Cayde finally made their way to the spicy ramen shop that the Hunter kept incessantly talking about. Kirrhys was honestly surprised about the little market in the Tower. Food, clothing, little strange trinkets that looked unusual to him. Everything was there, at least what he thought was everything. Human objects still went over his head, Cayde had spent the last ten minutes trying to explain what a phone was. Kirrhys still didn't understand why it needed a camera. He still didn't understand what a camera totally was or these "apps" as they were called. For some reason the Guardians liked playing these apps on their communication devices.

Though the one thing that Cayde had to be careful about was the fact that everyone still shot Kirrhys with looks that could kill. The Vanguard knew that Kirrhys wouldn't be accepted for a while, not while the losses of Twilight Gap were still so fresh, some wounds just never fully healed. He was honesty irritated with himself, he still hadn't found who left that note, and rumours were beginning to spread about guardians wanting to riot because of the Devils and Kirrhys, the last thing he needed was a bunch of guardians having tantrums like a bunch of damned babies. Oh how he wished he could leave the Tower once in a while, actually get to see the world, pop a few Fallen in the head, find a glimmer cache or two, maybe even get to that stash he had on top of a colony ship in the cosmodrome.

They went over to the ramen shop, that cute Exo with the green eyes was there again., The one that the Hunter Vanguard always failed to hit on. She always managed to shoot him down at every pick up line, he must have tried at least… well it was a lot.

"Hey…" Cayde stopped, placing a hand on Kirrhys' chest as they stopped a few meters away from the ramen stand. For a few moments Kirrhys didn't understand why they stopped, but then he noticed what the Hunter Vanguard had locked onto. There was a waitress manning the stand, her body plates were a deep purple and she had bright blue eyes. She was pretty, for an Exo, though Kirrhys wasn't really focused on that. She was wearing a white t-shirt and blue jeans, covered over with a slightly dirty apron. She flicked the par of the magazine she was reading, looking over the latest news in the city.

There was an article talking about the Fallen and how it wasn't right that they were allowed in the city and the apparent "Fallen Guardian" that had appeared in the Tower.

"What are we doing Cayde? Do you regularly ogle women from a distance?" Kirrhys looked down at the Hunter who was still locked into the waitress like a wolf to prey.

"What? No… I mean I do it sometimes, kinda… okay, I do it more often than I care to admit, but watch this…" he patted Kirrhys on the chest and swaggered over to the stand, leaning against it with a large smile.

The Hunter's Ghost appeared next to Kirrhys,, a deadpan expression in its eye. "Please don't do the hot coffee thing…."

Cayde pointed to the fresh pot of coffee that had just been made, still steaming. "Man, this coffee is hot!" The waitress glanced up at Cayde, closing her magazine and rolling her eyes a small amount. "Just like… you." The Hunter pointed to her with a smile.

She giggled and leaned close to him, smiling back. "But like hot coffee, if you aren't careful… I'll burn you." Her face turned deadpan as she blindsided his terrible flirt attempt.

Cayde glanced at the ghost, blinking in surprise before smirking. "I guess that pot forgot its filter today."

His Ghost groaned, causing Cayde to laugh. But it was short lived, for the waitress, having heard the insult, used her serving tray to slap Cayde in the back of the head.

Cayde yelped, grabbing his head as the waitress huffed and walked off.

"Ok... I guess I deserved that one."

Kirrhys approached the Hunter with a small smile on his face, the Vanguard apparently had a penchant for not knowing how to actually talk to women.

"I have seen whelps deal with women better than you do, are you certain that you have anything worthwhile to teach me?" The Eliksni chuckled deeply, leaning against the counter with his lower arms.

Cayde rubbed the back of his head with a dissatisfied grunt, the last person he wanted to look uncool in front of was the current Kell of Devils. He wanted Kirrhys to think he was cool! "Yeah yeah... tell me about it..." he turned back to the waitress and gestured for a bowl of ramen... hopefully in a large bowl. The waitress huffed at him but began prepping the order anyway.

Kirrhys pulled up a nearby crate and sat down at it, it was probably the only thing that could actually take his weight at all. Cayde rapped his knuckles against the counter as he thought of an icebreaker. "SO... Kirrhys... what's up with those swords of yours? I haven't seen any design like that for a while, and trust me, I've seen some things in my time."

Kirrhys looked down to his swords and unsheathed one, he presented it in his hands to Cayde, gesturing for the Vanguard to take it. Cayde of course cautiously did, the sword was obviously too big for a guardian to handle easily. He was honestly transfixed by the elegance and craftsmanship of the sword was something else, a relic of a bygone age in Fallen history.

"What's the story behind these bad boys?" The Eliksni perked up at the question, happy to answer it.

"It is a long one… I was given them by my father, and he his father and so on and so forth. They originally belonged to my grandfather's grandfather. These swords have been in my family since elder days, the legend of these blades is quite the interesting one." The hunter slowly nodded as he listened to Kirrhys, he was focused on the length of the blade. There was an odd script that had been chiselled into the blade, he couldn't understand it at all, must be an older version of the Eliksni language.

"Well… how about the basics, huh? We don't wanna be sitting here until the Traveler wakes up again." The Hunter chuckled and patted Kirrhys on the shoulder , having to awkwardly reach up to it due to the massive height difference.

Kirrhys grunted as he contemplated how to respond. "Well… hm…"

"Food's here!" The waitress set down their bowls in front of them, Kirrhys looked at the food like it was ready to jump out of the bowl. She smiled at Kirrhys, he wasn't an asshole like Cayde, he smiled back under his mask and continued to look down at the food.

He watched as Cayde began to eat, hungrily taking in the ramen. "I… how are you able to eat that…?"

"Hwugh?" Cayde looked up as ramen dropped off his chin, he wiped it away as he swallowed, waving his hand to tell Kirrhys to wait. "It's a mod… allows me to eat, drink, like a normal organic person. It all goes to my core, like a… alternate source of fuel, plus I get to enjoy the greater things of life."

Kirrhys nodded slowly, finding the Hunter's answer curious, it made him wonder if Goliath, Eryn and Umbra have the same mods. He glanced down to his food and the chopsticks that looked completely strange to him. He was hungry anyway, no point in wasting food. He removed his mask, revealing his face and took in a deep breath, his mandibles chattered and he shuddered some from the wonderful smells that were invading his nostrils. Spices that he had never smelt before Some saliva began to drip down his mandibles as he salivated, his stomach rumbling, demanding food. The two Exo's watched his mandibles as they chattered, it was strange to see up close, seeing as nobody had even seen a fallen do that before.

They both tucked into their food, in his head Kirrhys was currently going through an entirely different world as tastes and sensations he'd never felt rushed through his body. He wolfed down the entire bowl in under the a minute, though he was drinking it down as his fingers made it an absolute nightmare to use chopsticks. He practically threw the bowl down when he finished, a very satisfied look in his face.

"Now that… was something… thank you for the meal Cayde." He nodded down at the Hunter, Cayde made some muffled mumbles as he was still eating. "Oh. I just remembered, I am having Urvez bring my most senior Archon and Baron for some hopeful negotiations between us, I want to show the city that we do not need to be at each other's throats under the Great Machine."

Cayde stopped for a moment, processing what the Eliksni just said before nodding as he continued to eat, speaking between each mouthful. "Well… I'll tell Zavala… and Ikora… just so they don't… try to shoot down any Skiff's that approaches the Tower."

Kirrhys was about to respond when he heard commotion, people shouting and cheering and booing. The all too familiar sounds of a fight, he got up and followed the sounds, Cayde called him but he didn't hear. He rounded the corner and saw the source of all the noise, a familiar Exo Hunter thrown against a wall by a large Titan, both of them surrounded by other Guardians.

Umbra responded with a blow to the Titan's side that stunned him for a second, allowing the hunter to give a vicious kick between the legs that sent the Titan falling to the floor, clutching his groin. Umbra's face was damaged, one of his cheek plates was dented inwards and a yellow hydraulic fluid that glowed slightly leaked from the crack. The lens of his right eye was cracked as well.

"Come on ya bastards, I can do this all day!" He was floored when a fist struck him in the cheek, slamming him against the wall and falling to the floor. He groaned softly as the Titan grabbed hold of his cloaks collar and pulled him up.

"Yeah? Well you're looking pretty beat, spider hugger!" The Titan punched Umbra in the face again as he spat at him, damaging his cheek plates even further, the crowd cheered with each punch. He pulled back for another, but felt something large close around his fist, the first thing he saw when he looked back was a large fist flying towards his face.

There was a horrible crunch as the front of his mask crumpled inwards on his face, crushing his nose and breaking it in several places. The force of the punch sent him flying to the feet of the rest of his gang, clutching his helmet and screaming bloody murder. "MY NOSE!"

Kirrhys flicked the blood off his hand, turning to the rest Umbra's assaulters with a low growl, his fists clenched in anger. The guardians looked at him in a mix of fear and surprise, looking at the two other members of the gang he'd knocked out when he smashed their heads together. They backed off a little, a few hands slowly moving to sidearms that were tucked away in holsters.

Kirrhys didn't move, they were scared of him, he could see it in their eyes. Scared of what they didn't understand, he looked back to Umbra who was slowly getting up. "Are you alright Umbra?"

The Hunter patted Kirrhys on the arm, making hurt noises as he did. "Yeah… I'm good… you didn't need to get involved, I had them…"

"You were like a Dreg attempting to fight an Archon…" His eyes left the Titan who was still sprawled on the floor, now looking at Kirrhys with pure hatred as he slowly pulled out his combat knife from its sheath.

"Story of my life… don't tell Eryn…" Umbra finally got to his feet, his face looking worse for wear, several plates on the left side of his face were dented or crumpled, having been punched out of place. Kirrhys nodded and helped the Hunter up, having taken his eyes off the Titan long enough for him to get up.

He lunged at Kirrhys, aiming for the Eliksni's stomach in an attempt to hit something vital.

"Kirrhys!" Umbra pushed the Eliksni out of the way just in time to cause the Titan to stab the Hunter in the shoulder. He let out a small cry of pain, and clutched a the knife embedded in him.

Kirrhys roared in anger and grabbed the Titan by the neck and his knife arm, lifting him up without issue. His grip tightened on both areas, choking the Titan while simultaneously being seconds away from breaking his wrist.

The Titan spluttered, his airway slowly cut off by the Eliksni's grip. "S-shame I missed! You don't deserve the light! None of your race do!" The comment only made Kirrhys more angry, the Titan felt his wrist begin to be slowly crushed by the Fallen.

Suddenly, a loud gunshot split the air, causing all guardians to flinch and many to spin, weapons draw. In the back of the crowd stood Cayde, a large handcannon lifted in his hand, barrel smoking.

"That's enough! We're all guardians here! Every single one of us! We each have as much right as the other to be here. We've all kicked ass and took names, and we will continue to do so. Now."

He shoved his handcannon into its holster, then stride to the group of guardians who'd started the fight. A quick glance at Kirrhys, and the Fallen dropped the Titan he held.

Cayde glared at all of them, arm crossed.

"I'm ashamed of you guardians. All of you, for such behavior. If you have any more problems with Kirrhys, his squad or any within his House, you will take them to either myself or Zavala. Failure to do so will have you on a one way ticket to the bottom of the tower. Without your ghost. Do I make myself clear?"

No one responded after that last statement, not even the Titan who was still clutching his broken nose.

"Alright… good… now go before I "forget" that I even saw this and let Kirrhys go a few rounds with you all."

Cayde looked down to the leader and slowly walked over to the Titan, then crouching down next to him. "So… here's the story… you had a little bit too much fun with another Titan and this happened, we clear?"

"Completely…"

The Titan coughed as some blood tricked down his throat.

"Good… now go to the infirmary before another of your sticky out bits gets broken." The Titan complied and got up, rushing away from the two hunters and Eliksni.

Cayde sighed and stood up, turning to Umbra who was still clutching the knife in his shoulder, he began to reach for the handle, trying his best not to smirk. "These are bad for you, you know…"

"Be gentle…" After That, Cayde pulled out the knife, causing Umbra to grunt a little.

"What the hell happened Umbra… why did you think it was a good idea to become a guardian sized pin cushion?" Umbra gave a low but amused chuckle at Cayde's remark.

"All honesty? I threw the first punch after they made some… personal remarks about me and Kirrhys…"

Cayde sighed and patted Umbra on his good shoulder. "Eh… don't worry about it… guardians are going to be assholes about him and you… just don't listen. But anyway… you alright Kirrhys?"

The Hunter Vanguard turned to Kirrhys to see if he was alright, only to find that the Eliksni had some how slipped away while they were talking.

"How is a big guy like that able to be so damn quiet…?"

A level below them, Kirrhys was storming through a maintenance corridor, his mind was boiling with rage, he felt like his skin was on fire, the rage leaking through his pores. He turned and entered a small maintenance room filled with tools and boxes. Through the nearby door, he could see a small balcony, with an opening to the city.

The first thing he saw was a worktop with tools spread across it, he roared as he pushed the table over, sending the tools clattering loudly across the floor. Me kicked a metal crate, sending it flying into the opposite wall, the lid splitting open and sending the contents of machine parts flying across the floor.

He let out another ear shattering roar of anger and punched a locker, putting a massive fist sized dent behind. He continued his rampage, boxes being flung, tools and machine parts scattered all across the floor, dented and broken crates flung from one side of the room to the other.

He finally stopped when he stumbled to the balcony, panting heavily as he sat on his knees and looked up to the Traveler.

"Why?! Why have you done this…? I gave you everything, I gave you more! Yet you left when we needed you the most… when I needed you the most…" He sighed and hung his head for a while, staring at the floor angrily, unable to look up at the Traveller like an angry child with their parents.

"Yet you chose them… humanity…" he looked up at the Traveller with a cold glare. "What have they sacrificed for you? They were unable to protect you! I sacrificed everything! When House Midnight threatened you, I protected you! I even… I even forsook Regys… my own son… yet that was still not enough for you. When the Whirlwind came you left us to die, screaming at the dark as it consumed us… and took everything we loved. I lost my brother… my mother and my father… but I kept faith in you!"

He gripped at the balcony rail until it began to warp in his grip. "But you stayed for them… where you left us to die you stayed! I… I do not know if this is a test of faith… to see if I am worthy for a second life… but if… if it is… please… give me a sign. I need one… with Crota… with him… inside of me… I need guidance… a sign… to tell me you still listen. Because if you do not, then… I will do what I must…"

The hidden figure that had been watching in the shadows finally stepped out with a smile on their face. "You know it won't respond even if you tried."

Alarmed at the sudden voice behind him, Kirrhys darted around as a hand moved to Dawn and ripped the outrageously oversized pistol from its also massive holster. He paused for a second when he saw a Hunter in black armour and fatigues, his hand still holding onto Dawn but more cautiously than aggressively.

"Whoa whoa, whoa… I'm not here to stab you in the back, mate. I'm here because the Vanguard sent me, name's Dredgen Vale… I'm supposed to help with your training… so how about the gun goes away?" He held his hands up non threateningly, making sure the large Eliksni knew there wasn't need for any tension between the two.

"Then why the need for such cloak and dagger behaviour?" Kirrhys relaxed his posture, though he was still tense, irritated at himself that Vale was able to catch him unawares.

"With how you were monologing to the big floating ball… you would've reacted the same way no matter what I did." Vale smiled as he leant against the overturned table.

The Eliksni let out a low grumble, having to agree with the Hunter there… no matter how he'd been approached he would've reacted the same way. "Training you say?"

The Hunter nodded slowly, the smile staying on his face. "Like I said… you still need training with your light, the Vanguard allocated an empty Crucible arena for us, plus there's a Hive nest nearby… they make good practise."

Kirrhys sighed, a touch apprehensive of the Dredgen, he wasn't dressed as how a Guardian usually was, but perhaps it was the Eliksni's mood from what happened with Umbra that clouded his opinions for the meantime. "Fine… I would rather be rid of the Tower in the meantime."

Vale smiled and pushed himself off the table and waved at Kirrhys to follow him. "Good choice… now follow me, the others are already on their way there."

Kirrhys followed Dredgen Vale out of the overturned storage area, his body still a little tense from his suspicion and apprehensiveness of anything Guardian.

So... I've finally returned! I'm really sorry for the hiatus guys, life got in the way and I suffered from writers block for a long while so that really made me struggle with a lot of things. not to mention I've got a job so writing times got cut down from before but I'm going to try and get chapters out at a fairly steady rate now! Also I've got to give a massive credit to Zoman388 who helped me with some parts of this chapter. I'd suggest looking at his stuff too as he's honestly a great writer. Anyways, until next time!