House of Shadows Ch.1

Angry black clouds slowly gathered over the verdant green plains, recoiling, as if disturbed and repulsed by the ever present Traveler, a perfect moment, picturesque and beautiful. Out here, in the wild, men became beasts; monsters of their own nightmares, only overshadowed by the true nightmares, lurking shadows, at the corner of one's eye, there, and gone before you can look. Out here, people got lost, but not for lack of a map; out here in the wild, people died, gone without a trace. The landscape was disturbed by three miniscule figures as they slowly picked their way through the deathly silent grass and rusted relics of their past, inhabited perhaps, not just by the skeletons within, but maybe, in some small way, with the spirits of those entombed within. After some time the trio stopped and began to set up camp, each going about their business with a military precision. "Llyda, where the hell are we going?" the Titan sighed from across their small camp fire, his grey and green armor glinting in the half light it cast. "Issulfr, i told you before, we're "scouting" for an encampment of Fallen." The huntress shook her head and gingerly tossed another stick onto the fire, "i don't know where that is, and we wont find it any faster with you asking every five minutes." The Titan shifted uneasily in his metal carapace and grumbled something about heading to sleep and quietly lay down nearby on his cold bedroll. Llyda, stayed awake, waiting and watching for the return of their other companion, the mysterious warlock they'd been assigned upon taking this task from the Commandant. General Baley, Commandant of the Allied Offensive Front, the newly activated ground force to which every guardian was now assigned; had served for many years as a foot soldier on the defensive as well as the offensive during the Martian Blitz, humanities first, and only attempt to take back Mars some thirty years prior. During that infernal battle then, Corporal Baley, had managed to infiltrate and neutralize twenty heavy Cabal infantry units, each led by a "Gladiator". General Baley wasn't just a Hero to the people, he was a legend, a beacon of hope; to which every human wishes to aspire. two weeks earlier, General Baley had called Issulfr and Llyda in by name, and when theyd arrived in his lofty office, they encountered their silent warlock companion. "Llyda." he'd said, in his low, growl like voice, "Issulfr, i need you to head out to the plains outside the City and weed out the Fallen camp we suspect is out there." nearly sixty years old, and still a terrifying presence, General Baley then nodded to the Warlock to their side, "you're taking "him" along too." the word "him" carried a sense of distaste, as if he didnt like the warlock at all. As if on cue, the robed figure turned his helmeted head and nodded. Both Issufr and Llyda had their doubts about the mission, but nobody questions General Baley, so they made their way out into the wild; strange new companion in tow.