The Guardian's story

by Lon35hadow

Knights of shadow

Josh

Two more years have passed since Oryx's pre-displacement brother, Excalibur, appeared, and, somehow, the griffons tech level has rocketed to where they now have weapons equal to world war two tech minus the nukes. Alad had created an intelligence network, and they were currently looking into that. As for territory the two sides controlled, it was now half of the known civilizations on our side, the other half with the griffons.

Funnily enough, those on our side that were more military minded-something close to a mix of the Cabal and Sangheili in culture- had met with Didact, and decided to make him a leader, meaning he now had his own country, which led to a renaming of the Ecumene to the Fundament. Cybis had commented that was more appropriate give Oryx was born on the Hive homeworld-long since destroyed in Destiny lore- which was called the Fundament. The reason being it was renamed is because the three thought it better for Didact's nation to be known as Ecumene.

Anyways, in the two years since Excalibur's arrival and entrance into this war, him, myself, Rhino, and Cybis had started to be called the knights of the shadows, as we are often the spec ops strike force. Right now, the four of us were in griffon allied Minotaur lands-south of the Fundament- on an assassination-espionage mission. The goal was to kill a Minotaur house leader to make way for his second in command to take control, as he was an ally of ours so we would gain this house as an ally, and we were also to see what we can get as to the sudden tech boom the Griffons went through.

Right now, I was on a cliff as the moon hung above me, a one k stare rifle in my hands and my eye looking down the scope. "Sword, where are you?"

"Approaching the main tent," Excalibur said. "What's it look like there?"

"Dead," Rhino said. "Quick and quiet. None know unless they can sense life forces. You got that dagger ready?" Excalibur was currently using a stolen griffon made dagger to make it look like the griffons had betrayed them. Hey, this is war, deception is a part of the game.

"Yep," Excalibur said.

"Be careful," Cybis said. He filled the role of nerd of the team. "Main squads just north of here report seeing small groups of ponies moving quickly in the night. May be griffon agents."

"Cyb, do you know who you're talking to?" Rhino asked. "Each of us are badassess with superhuman-or robot in my case- abilities that can destroy a small army by ourselves."

"Hubris, Rhino," Cybis said. "We're going to be able to come back from the dead a song as we have ghosts, and what happens if we-namely you or Josh- jump headfirst into a fight and lose them. I'm certain I need not remind you of what happened the two times we've died before."

"He's got you there, Rhino," Excalibur said. "Now, quiet while I slip in the knife."

I was about to shoot a smartass reply at him when I saw a flicker of movement next to the tent. "Make it quick, I just saw something move next to the thing. Too quick to see what it was."

"Saw it too," Rhino said. "Hope they're ready to take buckshot to the face."

"Just make sure that if it's something new, there's enough left of it to analyze and see if it resembles any of the legends in this world," Cybis said.

"If I can," Rhino replied. "Josh, keep an ey eout."

"No shit, what else would I do with a sniper at this range?" I said. "Noland, get the ships ready. May need a quick exit."

"They're already waiting," my Ghost replied. "Warning: unknown contact at six o'clock. Ten meters and closing."

"Copy that," I muttered as I adjusted my body to quickly jump up should I need to. "Get that weapon Ex gave me ready."

"Got it ready, Guardian," Nolandroid said. "And I've alerted the others already."

"Thanks for that," I whispered as I heard footsteps behind me. Glancing into a mirror I placed on the ground next to me while activating my helmet's night vision, and saw nothing, though I saw the grass be depressed. "Ghost, tell 'em it's looking like the Twilight protocol."

"On it."

"Also, new weapon on three."

"Copy that."

"One," I said as I moved my left hand to the corresponding leg and making it look as it I was taking care of an itch. "Two." I made closed my hand to where it looked as if I was holding a gun. "Three." With that, I released the grip on my sniper rifle and rolled onto my back as Noland transmatted the gift weapon into my hands.

The weapon is what Excalibur called a Viper, a fully automatic pistol that had been modified to increase damage against unarmored targets. As I finished rolling, I saw that the one approaching me was a pony wearing a black, hooded cloak that covered most of their body, a dagger in their hand and pointed back. "'Sup," I said before unloading the entire clip-increased from the default to twenty five- into the individual before drawing my Vanity Hand cannon and placing one shot in the heart, and another in the head. "Guys, we need to get out of here. Twilight protocolis confirmed."

"We figured," Rhino said with a grunt over the radio. Just finished caving in a vampony's skull with my rifle. Ex finished with the job, and is on the way to extraction. Same with me and Cyb."

"I'll be waiting," I replied as I went to the body, and began to inspect it.

"No blood," was my first observation. "Or or little enough to not be noticed." I moved one of my hands to open the eye lids. "Pupils are reptile like." I closed the eye lid, and moved the armored hand to the mouth and opened the lips. "Teeth are as expected with sharpened canine teeth." I pulled the hand back, and looked at the hands of the corpse. "Somewhat sharpened finger nails though not enough to be noticeable." I channeled some solar light into my left hand, and held it above an exposed patch of skin on the hand, resulting in some slight burns.

"I'm picking up carbon monoxide levels, Josh," Noland said. "Higher than normal, too. Want me to take a scan of what they're made of?"

"Do it," I said as the skin began to bubble, making me stop the experiment. "You recorded everything?"

"What do you take me for, a computer?" Noland asked as he materialized. "Of course I did. I and the other Ghosts are meant to be the field cameras after all."

"Fair enough," I said as I heard the roar of engines. "Can you contact Forge, see if he can digitize the body?" I asked, referring to the A.I. in Excalibur's ship.

"Yes I can, Guardian," Forge replied over the radio as Excalibur's ship-a horseshoe crab shaped ship called the Liset that was mainly blue with red, purple, and yellow accents with green colored engines, the colors matching Excaibur's Warframe and weapon coloration- came into view and stopped above me before an orange beam came out of the bottom of the ship and hit the dead body, causing it to breakdown into orange cubes which were then absorbed into the ship. "I can also run an analysis of recent memories, should it be needed."

"Right," I said with an unnecessary nod just as Excalibur came up over the cliff face-as a Tenno, he's able to wall jump infinitely and is a space ninja- with his weapons stowed.

"Saw a few on my way up here," he said. "Looked like they had taken some griffon bodies away for something."

"Guess we can have Oryx 'ask' one later, then," I said as my ship-along with Rhino and Cybis'- arrived, followed by Rhino and Cybis soon after.

Once we all got into our ships, we made our way back to the Fundament's capital with the new intel, as well as knowing the new threat.

Comments

[Gargon94]

Huh, a new pony type interesting.

[Lon35hadow]

7616576 yep.

[Lon35hadow]

7620042 It might be the fact they're resurrected or Golden Age tech they were able to hold on to, seeing as how Efrideet-the new Iron Banner vendor in RoI- was thought dead for centuries.

[Shadow-Dancer]

7620042 I think except for certain situations they are immortal always able to be resurrected by the ghost pouring light into them but if the ghost dies then they can't be revived