//------------------------------// // Prologue: Offense, is the best Defense [Edited] // Story: A sword, NOT in the stone... // by Dunking monkey //------------------------------// "Nothing is so strong as gentleness. Nothing is so gentle as real strength." - Frances de Sales As was ancient Tenno tradition, the first to land, was the first to step into the battlefield. Kicking open the first grate, a figure descended from the ceiling, landing gracefully. The pale moonlight from a hole in the ceiling of the forested over ruins revealed a pale white figure, who, when he stood, was a full six foot, three inches tall, his stance telling of experience. His helmet, had no eyes, but ended in a horn like curve at the front. This Tenno, whose name was lost to history like the others, took on the name of his Warframe. He was, Excalibur. Another figure dropped down, more slender, and definitely female. This one had a visor, unlike her counter part, but showed a swirling visage to those who looked at it. She was Mag... Excalibur and Mag were armed completely different to boot. Excalibur used a Paris longbow, modified to the point of doing three times the damage via his arsenal, and fine tuning. Mag was using an old Braton assault rifle. Excalibur used Kunai as his secondary. Mag used a Lato. For his melee, Excalibur used a Skana. Mag used a pair of Furax power fists. But to make the Tenno as a whole more dangerous, they wielded amazing abilities, focused through their Warframes, supreme agility, and incredible skill. Both Tenno Drew their primary weapons, and silently dashed into the heart of the ruins. As they went through the first ancient, yet still operating door, Lotus, the guide to all Tenno, spoke. 'the Grineer have found an ancient Orokin artifact, Tenno. Find it, and defend it until reinforcements arrive. Tenno piloting a Loki, Ember, and Volt are on their way, but they have time yet before they arrive.' Grineer. A war-like race that looks to seize control of the galaxy through brute force, enslaving colonists and forcing them into work for their Grineer masters. The Tenno were ordered to be found, and wiped out by the Grineer Queens. Anoher Tenno who also piloted an Excalibur was almost captured, sure to be killed by the Grineer, but wasn't, thanks to other Tenno interfering. Presently, Excalibur and Mag made their way through the old ruins of Earth, till Excalibur raised his fist for a halt. He pointed ahead where a humanoid in a large, bulky green suit stood, carrying a machine gun. Mag nodded, speaking over the commline. 'I see him, Excalibur. Shall you take the shot? The one thing to set all Tenno and this Excalibur apart. She could speak, but he, however, remained silent, refusing to speak. Excalibur answered by pulling an arrow out of his quiver, and nocking it back swiftly. It took a second to aim, before the arrow was sent soaring through the air. A second more, and the Grineer soldier was sent into an abyss he just so happened to be standing in front of. The Tenno stood, and silently made their way to their objective marker. Upon exiting the room with the pit, they came into a large clearing, with a Grineer base smack dab in the middle of it. And their objective marker was pointing right into it..... ------/////-----/////-----/////-----/////-----/////-----/////-----/////-----/////-----/////-----/////-----/////-----/////-----/////-----/////----- The alarms in the base blared as Grineer troops pounded through brush and grass, most taking cover once they reach the outskirts of their base, which now had bodies lying just about everywhere. Mag stood on the rafters, sniping with her assault rifle, keeping one half of the base covered, while Excalibur stood in the middle of the base, his bow letting arrows fly regularly as he keeps the other half back, and away from the artifact, which happened to be a silver pillar, nary four feet in height. The battle raged on and on, till the Grineer were in full retreat. Mag slumped against the rafters and exhaled loudly. "Crazy fight...." Excalibur however, moved across the base, recovering arrows. He wast about to pick up the last one, when his vision blacked out for a second. All Tenno knew what this meant. Excalibur bolted back to the artifact, and placed his bow on his back, drawing his Skana. Sure enough, a figure in a dark black Warframe appeared, laughing maliciously as it drew its own darkened scythe. Stalker, the Tenno Hunter. Excalibur and him readied their blades.... But Stalker played dirty. Stalker drew his shuriken and threw two of them. Excalibur was smart to dodge, but with the pillar behind him, an unwelcome effect became of the trade. The pillar activated, glowing brightly, and sending out a tether, grabbing Excalibur, and in a flash, exploded. The artifact was destroyed, the Excalibur gone, the Stalker blind. The Mag swiftly came over from the sound of the explosion. One look, and Stalker was dodging bullets before vanishing. Mag hung her head. She couldn't locate Excalibur on her HUD anymore. A blare of engines, and she knew the others had arrived. How would she explain this?