[b]I am back and so are you. Welcome, to the fourth chapter after 2. Now if you'll excuse my pushy behavior, but you should get to reading, my dear savior. Go on now, give it a read, you'll like it I think. But if you've missed previous works, do yourself a deed, and click this link: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/128755126/0/0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAgnJDJN4VA COLORxCAT65's character is in this one. Check out her fanfic too, you might enjoy it: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/120901495/0/0 (scroll down until you see her post) [/b] [u]Chapter 6: [i]After the fight[/i][/u] Ventryx threw Rorschach into the ground, “What the hell were you thinking Dreg, freezing up like that!?” he was going to get up, but the Baroness pinned him to the dirt. She held her Shock Blade tightly in her claws, the arc energy close to Rorschach’s neck, slightly burning his leathery skin. “Do you realize that I can cut your throat out, Dreg? Prelik should’ve left you there to die, right next to Belox.” Rorschach made a whimpering sound as his Baroness snarled at him. The other Vandals atop the hill snickered as they saw what happened. At that moment, Greevis stepped in, sensing that someone needed to take action, “I believe that is enough Ventryx,” he clicked. He knelt next to her, looking Rorschach in the eyes, “It was a Dreg mistake, yes, and one that is to be expected. Yes…were we not any different when we were but a lowly Dreg, unbeknownst to what lay out in the wild.” The Baroness snarled, her claws easing their grip on her blade. “Perhaps Greevis…” she stood and looked down at Rorschach, who was rubbing his neck, “but it will not happen again, Dreg, lest you wish to die. You are mine, and you will show more control over your fears.” She then turned and stormed past the Vandals, who scattered out of the way. She stopped in the forest behind their camp and climbed a rock jutting high above the waving sea of grass into the treetops, observing the abandoned Earth town for signs of their missing Captain. Greevis helped Rorschach up, “Do not take her threats personally, friend. She has her reasons for her behavior, yes?” Rorschach nodded, and Greevis left him, rejoining the rest of the crew who sat around a small fire that they had made. Rorschach made his way to Ventryx, slowly walking up to her perch. She was looking through the scope of a Wire Rifle, and he didn’t want to disturb her. “I-I-I’m sorry for freezing up,” he clicked lowly. “Huh?” Ventryx grunted. She looked down at the Dreg below her and lowered her gun. Kneeling she stretched her three-clawed hand to the Rorschach. Cautiously, he took it, and she lifted him up, standing him next to her. Rorschach looked out above the low trees, out into the vast wilderness of the planet his kind had destroyed. “What do you see? “ Ventryx asked him. “Peace,” He clicked, “peace and quiet.” She nodded her head. “Violence was not always our answer. In the days of The Before, when our kind was known as Eliksni, and The Great Machine hung over [i]our[/i] heads; disputes were settled by House Judgment… I was only a young Dreg, then, when there were instances of relative peace, but they didn’t last. And when the Whirlwind ripped everything apart, we lost more than just House Rain. We lost our nobility…we lost our peace altogether.” The Baroness looked up to the growing night sky, all four of her blue eyes shining with the memories of the past. After a long pause, she continued, “Perhaps, this is why they call us the parasite or bug of their system. Perhaps this is why they name us [i]Fallen[/i].” Rorschach looked up at his Baroness, [i]why is she telling me this? Is it an apology?[/i] He watched as she climbed down from the rock, went back to the camp and into the Skiff. After thinking about what she had said to him, he also went back to the camp, where everyone was waiting for Prelik to get back. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Prelik was making his way through the abandoned town. Following the route that they had entered the town in was easy, but it was quiet… too quiet. His Ether circulator was broken, and the precious life force was steaming out, leaving Prelik drained and weary. The Captain adjusted the body of his Fallen friend on his shoulders and held up his lower right arm, opening his hand. There was a piece of patterned fabric in it, ripped off the Guardian that he had previously fought, [i]the one that killed Belox, and got away with it.[/i] “Damn her.” He clicked lowly in English. He didn’t speak the language among his kind, but he knew it well enough to surprise some Guardians. He growled at the thought of Guardians, but became distracted when he saw the light of a fire. [i]Ventryx.[/i] He trudged on, slowly making his way to the others. Regran was the first to notice him, he shouted to the others, and all turned to look at him. He felt everyone’s eyes on him, but he continued past them, to his Baroness, his leader and friend. He didn’t notice that he had stepped on the fire, dimming the light, and he held out Belox’s body to Ventryx, who took it silently. She was going to ask him something, but he didn’t let her. “Guardian escaped,” he grunted. He held up the cloth in his hand, “Give me a Servitor and a Pike, and I will hunt her down.” He then walked past Ventryx to the Skiff but was stopped abruptly. Prelik felt something push against him and looked down. “Huh?” he grunted. Grasping him in an embrace was Rorschach, [i]that little Dreg[/i], he thought. Rorschach let go and looked at the towering Captain with bright eyes, “Thank you…for saving me.” He clicked softly. Prelik nodded, “Move out of the way next time.” He patted the Dreg’s shoulder and walked past him into the Skiff. Ventryx then called to her soldiers, commanding them to pick up the crates and pile into the Skiff. Prelik watched as everyone climbed in, and then told Jevik to take off. The Skiff soon boomed through the atmosphere of Earth. Prelik then drifted off in thought, planning on how he would catch the Demon that had killed Belox. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [i]‘Demon.’[/i] The insult echoed in her mind, leaving a sting in her ego. In a way, she enjoyed the name, thinking highly of herself that the Fallen would care enough to call her something that struck fear in the hearts of others. No, that wasn’t her name though. Her name was Elain, Elain Wisp. She was a Titan, a Defender of the Traveler and the Light. She had tried to remind herself that when she was painfully beaten down by a Captain from a supposedly unknown House.[i] They’re the only ones who wear black banners, but-Aagh![/i] A sharp pain sprang out from the Titan’s midsection as she dropped to the floor. Her Ghost not realizing her injuries when he teleported her into the jump-ship. “Sorry,” he said, “I was not aware of—“ “Save it Owen, just… scan me…for damage” the Titan said through clenched teeth. She pulled herself up into the pilot seat of her ship as her Ghost, Owen, began to scan her injuries. “You have two cracked ribs and a dislocated shoulder.” He said in amazement, “honestly, you should have sustained more damage from that Captain, but…” Elain banged on her broken helmet with her fist, “The power of Titan armor, eh?” She chuckled as she took off her helmet, revealing a pale face with green eyes, all framed by dark hair. Tossing her helmet to the ground, she began to tear a piece off of her already ripped Watcher’s Mark and stuffed it into a ball. “Dislocated shoulder?” she asked. Owen did his best to nod while he hovered in front of her. Biting down the ball of cloth as hard as she could, Elain then grabbed her left arm and with a sickening [i]POP![/i] she put it back into place. The Titan’s muffled scream echoed throughout the ship. Beads of sweat rolled down her face, moistening the dried blood on her cheek. She slowly rotated her shoulder, but it still sent shock waves of pain. “You need to rest,” Owen told her, “I’ll set our coordinates for the Cave and you can regain your strength there.” [i]Damn that Captain for making me have to rest.[/i] Realizing how exhausted she was, Elain nodded. Pain still throbbed from her cracked ribs, but she overcame it and drifted off to sleep. [b]Thank you Guardians for sticking with me and patiently waiting for this chapter. Chapter 7 is up. Here's the link: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/135460608 [/b]