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600 Followers Giveaway

Wow, guys! I can’t believe I’ve reached these many followers already! You’re all amazing and thank you so much for your support <3 As a little sign of appreciation I decided to start a giveaway. I’ve never done this before and I also don’t have much of free time on my hands these days, so please -  bear with me. 

The rules are simple: 

- The giveaway starts as of today and in two weeks, on February 17th, I’ll randomly choose one winner for a sketch drawing of any character you wish (will be done either digitally or traditionally - up to your choosing).

- To participate you need to reblog this post. You also must be a follower. New followers are always welcome as well :)

- I will contact the winner personally and in case they don’t respond I will choose another one.  

- I won’t do heavily NSFW stuff in this giveaway

So…let’s get to it and see if this works out ;)

[trecheon-blog]

Running Chapter Two

Summary: Rindel Zivas seems at first to be your run-of-the-mill Hunter- Somewhat aloof, prone to be anywhere but the Last City- But where most Hunters are in it for glimmer or glory, Rindel has been running. Some would say from his duties, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Now, he has returned to the Tower for the first time in a while, both to pay respects to a lost comrade and face the ire of Zavala. But Ikora Rey has called on a debt to be paid, and what seems at first to be the simple oversight of a rookie Warlock may yet determine the fate of humanity.

Warnings: Some language, regret and PTSD.

Genre: Angst, original characters, campaign adaptation.

Author’s note: Chapter two, so soon after the first one? Kinda, yeah. I actually spent a week writing this one, but since both chapters were ready, I figured I should put them up here for your enjoyment. And now, to the story!

———-

Chapter Two: Maneater

Rindel looked out into the city, leaning against a railing. He heard a metallic chuckle behind him and turned.

“You like looking out there too, huh?” The early autumn sun glinted off of Cyclone-7’s gold-colored head as he sat on a bench near the rail. “Shoulda figured. Hunters like to survey their surroundings.”

“If I wanted to do that, I’d climb the tree over near Banshee’s station,” Rindel quipped. “Honestly? I feel like it’s a reminder of why we’re here, you know? We protect all the people down there. Seeing it all from here makes that idea loud and clear.”

Cyclone gave Rindel a sidelong look. “Know the truth of it? We’re here because of  that.” Rindel followed his gaze to the Traveler. The moon-like orb hung low over the city, casting its own shadow over a large park. “We’re here because we were chosen by the Traveler to do what it can’t do anymore.” Rindel looked back as one of Cyclone’s gold-colored eyes turned off, as if to affect a wink. “Or so I’ve been told.”

“So what then?” Rindel ran a hand through his bright red hair. “We blindly follow it?”

“Far as I know? It’s that, or we make our own destiny.” Cyclone stood. “C’mon. We’re meeting with the guys. Think your ready for your first off-world Vanguard detail?”

----------

The lift doors opened to the top level of the Vanguard Tower. This was the Guardian’s home.

Or, it was supposed to be. Rindel was more at home these days almost anywhere but here. Surveying the Old Russian Cosmodrome, intercepting Cabal scouts on Mars, messing with the Vex on Venus- it was all more welcoming than being back here. But then, he didn’t exactly have anyone here who was really happy to see him anymore.

Nothing seemed to show this more than the pair of Tower Guards who were waiting just outside the lift. Both were dressed in light armor, holding standard-issue Vanguard auto rifles.

“Guardian Rindel Zivas. We are to escort you to Commander Zavala.” The Guard to Rindel’s left stood stiffly as he spoke. It was apparent that he didn’t order around Guardians too often.

“I appreciate that, but I know where the Commander’s office is. I’ll be over there soon.” He started to move off the lift and was blocked by the Guard to his right.

“Commander Zavala requests your presence immediately, sir.” He looked directly where Rindel’s eyes were behind his helmet’s visor. “I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us.”

Rindel affected a sigh. “What, I don’t even have time for a shower before my debrief?”

Neither man moved a muscle.

Rindel rolled his eyes, glad that the Guards couldn’t see his face. “Alright. If he wants to see me badly enough that he sent you two, we shouldn’t keep him waiting. Lead on.”

The Guards turned and began walking. Rindel followed along. May as well get this over with.

----------

“Forgetting something?”

Rindel only heard Solas’ voice a few feet away from the door leading to Zavala’s office. “What?’

“Don’t you think you’ll be in enough trouble without taking your helmet off in front of the Commander?”

Rindel stopped just before he entered “Yeah, you’re not wrong.” He undid the pressurized seal that connected his helmet to his suit and removed it.

The Guards moved away from him, standing on each side of the large door. Rindel wasn’t sure if it was out of discipline or if it was because of the smell. His red hair was long and matted in a few places, and his skin was now a light blue from lack of exposure to the sun. He reached up and knocked and turned the brass doorknob.

Zavala faced a large plate-glass window that overlooked the City. As the door shut behind Rindel, the Commander turned. “Rindel Zivas,” He began. “Now that you’ve finally decided to grace us with your presence, we have a great deal to discuss. Have a seat.” He stood, still as a stone, waiting.

The Hunter walked through the room and took his seat. Zavala sighed, moving his arms from behind his back. “I’ll skip the pleasantries.” The Commander’s eyes blazed like a blue fire as he sat. “How do you explain your absence from the tower?”

Rindel leaned back slightly. “I’ve been out in the Wilds, meeting our enemies where they live.”

“Indeed,” Zavala crossed his arms, looking briefly at a holographic display just behind Rindel’s seat. “As is the duty of every Guardian who serves the Light. But, I must ask- What are your motives?”

Rindel tilted his head. “I’m sorry, Commander, I’m not sure what you mean. As you said, I’ve been fulfilling my duty-”

“Your duty?” Zavala tuned a monitor on his desk. There were several windows up that showed logs of kill counts, locations, dates-

“You pulled my ship logs.” Rindel slouched a bit in his chair. His lips pursed and he tried to look at the City, at the desk- anywhere but directly at Zavala. Here we go, he thought.

“Yes, I did, and what I have seen is concerning, to say the least.” He pointed to varying logs. “You have spent limited amounts of time here on Earth and her Moon, with more time dedicated to Mars, Venus, and the remains of the Reef. But what really worries me,” he continued, pointing to three logs in particular. “Are these  entries.”

Rindel glanced at the screen. A total of three and a half months, spent in a small area around Saturn.

”The Dreadnaught!” Zavala placed both of his hands onto the desk. “What could possibly compel you to spend so much time there?”

Rindel crossed his arms. “I don’t know, I thought you might be happy that around ten thousand Hive are dead and gone.”

“Don’t try to play this game with me!” Zavala shouted. “This behavior speaks to obsession on one hand. But, considering that you are the only one that has been near Saturn in the last six months, it also possibly speaks to having a deathwish.” Zavala leaned in closer.”Have you taken any artifacts from the Dreadnaught? Weapons?”

Rindel bolted upright, standing out of his chair. “What are you trying to say, Zavala?” He gripped the edge of the desk. “You think I’m going to turn to the Dark and be a second coming of Dredgen Yor?” He drew his revolver and slammed it onto the wood. “Take a look for yourself! Does it look like I’ve been carrying a Weapon of Sorrow?”

“No, but this proves a greater point to me,” Zavala sat down, steepling his fingers. “You have been out on your own for far too long.”

Rindel’s face softened. He moved away from the desk and took back his seat.

“You’ve made quite the reputation for yourself over these last few years.. ‘The Iron Wolf,’ I belive they call you?” A slight smirk formed on Zavala’s face. “Are you familiar with Rudyard Kipling?”

Rindel closed his eyes, shaking his head.

Zavala chuckled. “An author from before the Golden Age.” He stood and walked to a large bookcase, pulling out an ancient-looking book. “This is a collection of poems and stories, but a passage here caught my eye.” He opened the book and read the passage out loud;

”Now, this is the law of the jungle, as old and as true as the sky,

The wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die.

As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, the law runneth forward and back;

For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”

Zavala snapped the book shut. “You see, there is a reason why Guardians go out into the Wilds in teams. We’re stronger that way.” He looked directly at Rindel. “You need to find a new fireteam, Rindel. As much as we appreciate your accomplishments and what you have done to keep us safe, we can’t risk losing that, either. So, for that reason, I’m putting you on two month’s leave. Effective immediately.”

Rindel felt as though he lost balance for a moment. “You’re grounding me?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.” Zavala placed the book back on the shelf. “Considering that you have the run of the city when I should be throwing you in the brig, take it as a sign of appreciation for all you’ve done. Find yourself a new fireteam.” He motioned for Rindel to leave. “And for the Traveler’s sake, take a shower.”

Rindel dragged himself up from the chair. As he internally cursed his situation, Zavala’s voice pierced his thoughts.

“You almost forgot this.” Rindel turned, seeing the commander holding his revolver out to him, grip first. He took it back, turning to leave.

“That revolver- Hawkmoon. You do know who that belonged to initially, don’t you?”

“To Saint-14. I’m well aware.” Rindel looked back. “What’s your point?”

“My point is that Saint was one of the bravest and most powerful Guardians I ever had the pleasure of knowing.” Zavala’s eyes turned downward. “He’s also not been heard from in well over twenty years. He left on a crusade by himself and never returned.” He walked closer, placing a hand on Rindel’s shoulder. “I don’t want you making the same mistake he did.”

----------

Several hours passed, and after cleaning himself off and changing out of his dingy armor into more normal clothes, he decided to do the logical thing- Report to the Hunter Vanguard, Cayde-6. Of course, Cayde’s idea of filing a report was to go out to his favorite Ramen shop, followed by a visit to Cayde’s office to play cards. Amanda Holliday, the Tower’s shipwright and Shiro-4, one of the Vanguard’s scouts, decided to join in, drink, and be merry.

“Know what, I’m out.” Shiro threw his cards towards the mostly standard tower frame that acted as their dealer. “I should actually keep some of my glimmer.”

“What, you too chicken to hang?” Amanda lightly nudged Shiro as she pushed in some of her own glimmer. “Call.”

“Call,” repeated the frame. “Heads up.” The frame drew a card and placed it down on the table with four other cards in community pool before turning to Rindel. “It’s up to you.”

Rindel paused a moment before pushing in a larger pile of glimmer. “Raise. Two thousand.”

He watched as Amanda’s smug look turned to dread. For now, though, he refocused his attention to Cayde. The Exo paused mid-drink and checked his cards. He affected stroking a beard before pushing in more glimmer. “I’ll see you, and raise you another five hundred. How’s that?”

“Raise.’ the frame repeated.  “Miss Holliday? It’s up to you.”

“Well, shoot. I’m out too.” Amanda tossed in her cards.

“Fold.” The frame announced. “Rindel. Bet or showdown?”

Rindel looked directly at Cayde, keeping his face neutral. Either this’ll work, or it won’t… But either way, it’ll be over quick.

“Re-raise. All in.”

Cayde processed what was going on for around half a minute. Suddenly, he threw in his cards. “Nope. Nope. I'm noping the eff out while I still can. You win!” He raised his arms in a mock celebration as Rindel discarded and collected his winnings.

“No,” Amanda protested. “No fair! That is such a cop-out!” She stood and grabbed Rindel's cards before anyone could protest. As she compared them to the community cards, her shoulders dropped.

“What?” Now Shrio was standing. “Enough suspense! What’d he have?” Even Cayde was leaning forward, waiting for Amanda to share her revelation.

Amanda turned the cards so the others could see. “Nothin’. He had a crazy hand full of nothin’.”

Cayde slumped in his chair. “You cleaned me out on a bluff? The hell is wrong with me?”

Rindel cracked a grin as Solas transmated his share of the glimmer off of the desk. “It happens to the best of us. No hard feelings.”

“Speaking of hard feelings, I heard about the thing with Zavala.” Shiro patted Rindel's shoulder. “Sorry about that.”

Rindel frowned. “Not your fault, Shiro. You don't have to be sorry.”

“Still. Think of it like a vacation.” Shiro walked to Cayde’s wetbar, pouring himself another drink. “Some time away from the field can be a good thing. Relaxation and all that.”

Rindel nodded, settling back into his chair. Maybe for some people. I still have work to do out there.

“So, let me get this right,” Cayde started, raising his hands near his face. “In addition to being all, ‘I can’t bear the thought of losing you’ and making it sound like killing so many Hive was a bad thing, Zavala quoted The Jungle Book. The Jungle Book?!”

“Really, Cayde?” Shiro raised a section of his face over his right eye, giving the impression of a raised eyebrow. “You’re gonna give Zavala crap for quoting Kipling?”

“Maybe I am,” Cayde continued, downing the neon-blue liquid in his glass. “At least he didn’t quote The White Man’s Burden. What’s your point?”

Rindel raised his glass, using it to point at Cayde. “Read any Stevenson recently?”

The whole group laughed. It was common knowledge among Hunters that Cayde adored Treasure Island. An original copy of the book was displayed on the bookshelf near Cayde’s desk, which was being used now as their poker table.

“Well, if I may, Sir,” Cayde tried to affect an old British accent. “With no intention to take offense, I deny your right to put words into my mouth.” He winked.

“Alright, let's get back to the really important topic!” Amanda had topped her glass off as well, and stood in the corner of the office, addressing the group. “What can we get Rindel into so he doesn't lose his mind in the next two months?”

“What about the Crucible?” Shiro suggested. “You've got the skills to put plenty of Guardians in their place, and I'm sure Shaxx’d be glad to have you.”

“Did you see my match earlier?” Rindel gave Shiro a sidelong look. “I lost, remember?”

“To be fair, that 'lock you lost to has been kicking all kinds of ass in the Crucible these last few months,” Cayde suddenly bolted upright. “Hey! There's an idea! Why not see if she’d be on your fireteam?”

Rindel was about to respond when he heard a knock at the door.

“Okay, who the hell-” Cayde was cut off as another Guardian entered. Ikora Rey. She was far more dressed down than usual- She wore a simple jacket in her usual shade of violet over a white button-up blouse. She surveyed the room before seeing Rindel.

“Excellent. I thought I might find you here. May I speak with you a moment, Rindel?”

Rindel looked around the room. Shiro shrugged. “You may as well see what she wants. I think we’re done here, anyhow.” He stood and made his way for the door. “Thanks for the drinks, Cayde.”

Cayde waved as Shiro left the room. “Well, c’mon in, Ikora. I’m sure Rin would-”

“Actually, I was rather hoping we could speak privately.” She glanced over at Rindel. “There’s a little place I like near the Tower. Meet me at the lift.” She turned and walked away from the door.”

Rindel looked at Solas. “Well? What do you think?”

“As if you have anything better to do,” Solas nudged Rindel’s elbow. “You really shouldn’t keep her waiting.”

“I, I just…” Cayde looked at Rindel while pointing at the door. “Did Ikora just ask you out?”

Rindel’s eyes widened as his face flushed, turning his cheeks a purplish shade. “Wha- No! You heard her, right Amanda? She wants to ask me about something!”

“Namely, if you’re single.” Amanda laughed. “Just be careful. I hear she bites.”

“Guys.” Rindel held up his hands. “It is not a date. If she wants to talk with me, that’s her business, and Solas is right. I shouldn’t keep her waiting.” He grabbed his bomber jacket and started walking before the door. As he was about to exit, Cayde started to sing to a backing track his Ghost played.

“I wouldn't if I were you,

I know what she can do,

She's deadly man, she could really rip your world apart!

Mind over matter,

Ooh, the beauty is there, but a beast is in the heart!”

Rindel held his face in his hands. “Seriously?”

“Oh, here she comes!

Watch out boy she'll chew you up!

Oh, here she comes!

She's a maneater!”

“Okay, okay! Enough! I’m taking off!” Rindel didn’t quite slam the door, but he did hear Amanda join in with Cayde’s song, both laughing at the absurdity of it all.

Solas floated in front of Rindel’s face. “What?”

His Ghost faded off the lower half of his eye while lifting his shell’s upper quadrant, making it look like he raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure that this isn’t a date? It sounds like a date.”

Rindel rolled his eyes and gently pushed Solas away. “It’s not a date.” He continued walking, and Solas made the expression again. Rindel turned. “It just isn’t. More to the point, Hall and Oates? Really?”

[trecheon-blog]

Fiction Master Post

All of my fiction can be found here

Updated: 8/6/2018

Running Ch 1 -  Rindel Zivas seems at first to be your run-of-the-mill Hunter- Somewhat aloof, prone to be anywhere but the Last City- But where most Hunters are in it for glimmer or glory, Rindel has been running. Some would say from his duties, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Now, he has returned to the Tower for the first time in a while, both to pay respects to a lost comrade and face the ire of Zavala. But Ikora Rey has called on a debt to be paid, and what seems at first to be the simple oversight of a rookie Warlock may yet determine the fate of humanity.

Running Ch 2 - Continuation of Chapter 1

[trecheon-blog]

Running Chapter One

Summary: Rindel Zivas seems at first to be your run-of-the-mill Hunter- Somewhat aloof, prone to be anywhere but the Last City- But where most Hunters are in it for glimmer or glory, Rindel has been running. Some would say from his duties, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Now, he has returned to the Tower for the first time in a while, both to pay respects to a lost comrade and face the ire of Zavala. But Ikora Rey has called on a debt to be paid, and what seems at first to be the simple oversight of a rookie Warlock may yet determine the fate of humanity.

Warnings: Some language, regret and PTSD.

Genre: Angst, original characters, campaign adaptation.

Author’s note: Well, this has been a long time in the making! There characters have been floating around in my head for a while now, and I’ve finally found the time and inspiration to put their stories to paper. Without further ado, lets get to it!

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Chapter One: Showdown

The Crucible could hardly be called “quiet” on the dullest of days. The series of open-aired arenas were sectioned off from the rest of the City, but the varied architecture made it perfect for honing the skills of humanity’s protectors- Guardians.

The late summer sun beat down on the battlefield like a drum, matching the staccato bursts of gunfire. It was already a stressful environment- Every engagement was live-fire, with death being a daily occurrence. Of course, that didn’t matter when Guardians had their Ghosts to revive them and get them back into these elaborate matches. But today was different.

--------------------

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

The Hunter ignored the little voice inside his head. His Ghost, Solas, was phased into him, at least for the moment, so it made it a little easier to disregard him.

Solas let out a long, metallic sigh. “You can't just run from the Vanguard's debriefing, you know. I've been getting pinged for months.”

“Later.” The Hunter finally spoke, his voice hoarse from a lack of use. “We need to finish this first.”

Though Solas was still phased, the Hunter felt him tilt, as if to affect a quizzical look. “If this is about Kira, I’ve been saying for years-”

The Hunter bashed a fist to his chest. Solas rolled his eye. “For the record, I don’t see the point of this exercise. But when you get called out by the Vanguard in front of the entire Tower, I’ll be the one saying I told you so.”

The Hunter shrugged. He didn’t care about the reports, about Zavala and how he’d inevitably be lectured on being out alone, about not coming back to report more often.

He clenched an amulet that lay close to his chest before tucking it under his armor. For your memory, my love...

“Hey! Are you deaf? We drop in ninety seconds!”

The Hunter turned. The only problem with the Crucible was that multiple Guardians had to take part. The Warlock who yelled at him was flanked by a pair of Titans. Their equipment looked flawless next to the Hunter’s muddied cloak and tarnished armor.

Like they haven’t been in the wilds for some time, the Hunter thought.

“I haven’t seen you before.” The female Titan standing furthest away hefted a large multi-barrel machine gun like it was a rifle. “When were you rezed?”

“Oh, that doesn’t matter!” The Warlock’s faceplate did little to hide his exasperation. “We should have waited for Anthony. Now we’re matched with some rando, and we lose our winning streak, so help me…”

“Easy, Tray.” The other Titan looked about as apologetic as he could in the moment. “He’s a few matches away from meeting Ikora’s record. I think you can tell he’s on edge.”

The Hunter shrugged. He activated a small screen on his left arm, going through some menus.

“You know, if you want to listen to some music, all you have to do is tell me.” Solas’ voice came as if whispering in the Hunter’s ear. The Hunter continued tapping his screen.

“You know, it bothers me when I speak to someone and they don’t respond.” Tray the Warlock moved up to the Hunter, grabbing his chestplate. “You too good to talk to us or something?”

In a lightning-fast motion, the Hunter drew a large-framed revolver and pressed the muzzle into the Warlock’s robes. It took a moment for Tray to register what had happened, but he shifted slightly, moving further from the Hunter.

“I'll talk when I've got something to say,” the Hunter almost whispered. “I suggest sticking with your fireteam. If you're worried about the match, don't worry about me.”

Tray released the Hunter and backpedaled to the Titans. “Just hope that you don't cost us the round, stranger.”

“Guardians!” The booming voice of Lord Shaxx echoed through the staging area. “Welcome back to the Crucible! As a reminder, this round’s game is Elimination. If you're killed on the battlefield, your Ghost will transmat you back to the staging area after fifteen seconds, where you will stay until the round is over, last team standing wins. You may revive downed teammates if you can get to them in fifteen seconds, but just remember that you’ll be painting a Cabal-sized target on your back!” He let out a jolly laugh. “Get out there and show me what you're made of!”

The group transmatted to the field. The Hunter took off before the others on his team could say anything.

The female Titan sighed. “Typical Hunter. Should we connect him to our comms?”

“Well, as long as we can stay alive, why should we care?” Trey pumped his shotgun. “To victory!”

----------

The Hunter lept behind cover as a hail of gunfire hit the wall he had been in front of. He had managed to take down one of the opposing Guardians, but according to his HUD, two of his teammates were down for the count. That’s just fine, he thought. I work better alone, anyhow.

Bullets continued to pepper the thick concrete between him and his assailant. The Hunter swung open his Revolver chamber to reload, when a burst of energy zinged just over his head. The opposing gunfire abruptly stopped.

“That’s two!” Trey pumped a fist into the air before running over to the Hunter’s position. Trey pat his shoulder. “Hey, no hard feelings about earlier, huh? It’s just you and me, so we need to work together if we’re gonna win this. Any ideas?”

The Hunter simply shrugged. Tray shook his head.

“Contact!” the Hunter felt something nudge his shoulder “Six o’Clock!”

He leapt from his position as a pair of Pulse Rifle bursts fired, their rounds finding their way to Tray’s faceplate. The Hunter spun midair and threw a pair of cylinders toward his Titan opponent. Seeing the cylinders, the Titan formed a shield of pure Light- but no explosion came, not even smoke. If those were grenades, they were duds.

The Titan chuckled. “It’s just you left and two of us, Hunter. You may as well call it quits so we can go back to the Tower early. There’s no shame in admitting you’re outgunned.” He looked around, his Pulse Rifle raised. “Hell, I’ll even buy you the first round when we get back! How ‘bout it?”

From cover, the Hunter held out his display and pressed an icon with a triangle on it. A small smile formed on his lips.

Suddenly, a strange noise, like a beam building energy, could be heard in the area. The Titan leveled his rifle, confused. Then he heard singing.

Well it's been such a long time coming, I thought you'd understand

The realization hit the Titan like a warhammer.. The Hunter hadn’t thrown grenades. They were speakers.

That I'm so far ahead of the lines you've been drawing in the sand

The Hunter smirked under his helmet. He holstered his revolver and moved to a higher position.

'Cause it's simple, you were wrong

He decided to hazard a peek into the next area. True to form, the Titan held his position- And based on his movements, he was extremely confused.

You must have known that we’d end up alone

“Where are you?” The Titan’s voice boomed in anger in the small space as he tried to cover every entrance to the space he could think of.

I know you thought I'd sold my soul, but you never told me to my face

The Hunter reached into the air and grabbed at pure Light. It manifested in his hand as a revolver cast in flame. It was now or never.

I just had to leave you cold and blow this shit away!

The music broke into a crescendo as the Hunter revealed himself. He jumped from his perch into the space occupied by the Titan. His Golden Gun erupted in a glorious volley of devastating Solar Light.

A bust of bullets hit the Hunter in his side for his troubles. He felt the bullets burn his flesh, but his momentum could not be broken. His first shot had gone too high- just over the Titan’s helmet. He rolled as he hit the floor, stopping abruptly in front of his opponent.

The Titan, in a rage, threw his rifle away. His fist crackled with Arc Light. The Hunter was close enough that a punch enveloped in electricity would likely finish the match.

The Hunter sprung away from his landing, putting just enough distance between himself and the Titan that the punch missed. The next volley from the Golden Gun, on the other hand, found its mark. As the Titan fell in front of him, he felt another burst of bullets strike his leg. He dove for cover with what strength he could. Traveler’s Light, it hurt!

“Give me just a few seconds,” The Hunter heard his Ghost in his head. “I’ve already transmatted out the bullets in your chest cavity, and lucky for you, only one bullet is still in your leg. Give me twenty seconds and you’ll be right as rain.”

The Hunter hardly felt the cooling sensation of Solas’ healing. Somehow, he felt calm in the moment. I feel like you’re right here with me, Kira, He thought to himself.

A noise from behind snapped him from the reverie. A Warlock stood behind him, bringing a Pulse Rifle to bear. The Hunter raised his Golden Gun to fire.

The flaming revolver fizzled away in motes of Light like embers.

Swearing, the Hunter kicked himself away from the wall to avoid a burst of gunfire from his opponent. Stupid, stupid! A weapon made of pure light never lasted very long- and he let himself get carried away. He sprang to his feet as another burst of bullets only served to remind him of his opponents presence.

As he rounded a low wall, he turned toward it, intending to jump over and ambush. His own auto rifle was stowed behind his cloak and would be impossible to draw without stopping- He drew his revolver and lept for his opponent.

The next thing he noticed made his heart stop.

This Warlock- She looked like Kira.

But that was impossible. She was dead.

He felt a burst in his head and everything went dark.

----------

The Hunter sat up from his position, holding his head. It didn’t matter how many times his Ghost brought him back from the dead- It always gave him a massive headache that caused his vision to blur for a few seconds. The next thing he heard almost made him wish he’d stayed on the ground.

“Outstanding!” Shaxx entered the battlefield with the downed Guardians from both teams, slowly clapping. “I don’t think I’ve seen a performance so glorious in a while. He clapped the victorious Warlock on the shoulder. “That was an impressive performance.” The Hunter could tell that the Warlock was pleased with herself, helmet or no. He pictured a smug smirk on her face.

“Equally impressive,” Shaxx continued, “Was the performance of this Hunter. Distraction is a valuable ally when overpowered in battle. It can drop the most well- laid defense if done correctly, but also remember that you should never let your opponent distract you from your objective. Remember this lesson. Of course, I can think of no better teacher of that lesson than the Iron Wolf himself. Isn’t that right, Rindel?”

The Hunter flinched. That nickname. As if it wasn’t bad enough that Shaxx had identified him, he brought up a name which had its fair share of spectres associated with it. Before he could respond, a page came in over the citywide comms system.

“Guardian Rindel Zivas.” Commander Zavala’s voice echoed throughout the city. “Report to the Vanguard for debriefing. Now.”

Rindel looked toward the tower. The jig was up now. He sighed before looking at Shaxx.

Shaxx shrugged, a motion that looked more comical than it should have with the Titan’s enormous shoulder pauldrons. “Sorry, Rin. We’ve all been told to report sightings of you. Commander’s orders. Now, get up there.”

Rindel made is way to the exit. He looked around. All the Guardians were now talking amongst themselves in hushed tones. Even Tray, the arrogant Warlock seemed like he was in awe.

Rindel kept walking. It took everything for him to ignore the stares. This was one of the reasons he avoided the Tower as much as he could.

Solas phased out of him. His red shell had seen better days- it looked more brown from a lack of maintenance. He focused a beam at Rindel’s throat and rotated side to side, looking as if he was shaking his “head.”

“What?” Rindel’s voice was much clearer, showcasing his annoyance. “Gonna say ‘I told you so?’”

“I would,” Solas started, “But then, you just did.”

Rindel glared at his Ghost behind his faceplate. Getting from the Crucible setup to the Tower was a long walk in any case. Answering to Zavala’s ire would make it feel far, far longer.