Greetings, Guardians, here's Part Twenty-Nine of the Journey Home! Here'[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Post/1371758/228332656/0/0]s part twenty-eight [/url]if you missed it, or, if you're looking for a different part, here's the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/222615264?showBanned=0&path=0]table of contents[/url]! As usual, if you like it, give it a bump, and I'll get more out soon! Stay classy, Guardians! Piksis lead a group of Eliksni down into the forest below. They were mostly vandals and dregs, but they had a single servitor with them. She’d left all of her Captains behind in the mountain pass - either because she didn’t trust them or because if she died, she wanted someone she trusted to take control of the remaining Devils. That’s what this is, isn’t? Piksis thought. A way for Tyksis to get me out of the way? No matter. With a little luck, the humans would’ve fled to their burning City, thus avoiding a skirmish. However, if she returned empty-handed, Tyksis would probably use that as an excuse to execute her. For the thousandth time that day, she thought about how much she loathed the King Baron. The Eliksni finally reached the forest floor a few moments later. They carefully moved through the trees, always wary of their human prey. Suddenly, Piksis held up a hand, motioning for her group to stop. One of the vandals walked up to her. “What is it?” he hissed. Piksis looked around. “What do you hear?” she asked. The vandal shrugged. “Nothing.” “Exactly,” Piksis said. “No animals, no nothing!” She looked around the forest some more. “It’s quiet as death.” Predictably, that was when death reared its head. The Villagers jumped out from the undergrowth, and opened fire on the Fallen. The Captain’s shield’s flared and dissipated as she was struck by the bullets. Several of the Fallen fell to the ground, dead. Erling used his hand cannon, and took aim at the oncoming force. He fired three times, and three fallen fell to the ground, dead. “It’s less than I expected!” he shouted. “You saying that’s a bad thing?” Oren asked. He popped out of the undergrowth, and fired off several more rounds. Erling fired at the Fallen again. “Maybe.” Piksis snarled, and dropped to the ground while she waited for her shields to recharge. All around her, her warriors were falling and dying. They’d been caught completely off-guard by the ambush. Cursing, she activated her comm link. “I need help!” she shouted. Tyksis let Piksis shout for a few seconds before he answered. “Yes?” he said at last. “The humans ambushed us!” she shouted. “About a hundred kelik into the forest! Send reinforcements, now!”
 Tyksis nodded. He’d expected the ambush - in fact, he’d been counting on it. He looked back at the walkers behind him. All of their massive barrels were pointed up at the sky. “Commence fire,” he said calmly. “Now.” All nine of the remaining walkers fired at once, sending their shells screaming into the air. Piksis was confused. Why on earth had the walkers fired? Then, she looked up, and cursed. She could see the shells in the air, hurtling down towards the forest floor below. Tyksis was taking out both her and the humans in one go. Piksis bellowed with rage at the betrayal, but to no avail. The shells screamed down to earth, and made contact with the forest floor below. Most of the villagers were at least thrown of their feet by the force of the explosions. Others were less fortunate, and were killed by the blasts. Erling stood up, and shook his head. The area where they’d fought the Fallen was now a smoldering crater, and the cries of the wounded rang throughout the clearing. Then, he heard groaning to his right. Erling looked down, and saw Oren sitting up, rubbing his head. Erling quickly helped him up. “You okay?” “Yeah,” Oren said, “I think so.” Erling looked around. “Something tells me that’s not the only volley they’re gonna throw at us,” he said. “We need to retreat. Now.” The villagers quickly gathered up their wounded, and retreated into the forest. Explosions from the walkers followed them. Tyksis watched with satisfaction as the Walkers continued their devastating barrage. There’s your reinforcements, Piksis, he thought. Then, he walked to the top of the newly-formed rock wall. The forest floor below had begun to catch fire. Smoke drifted upwards from the forest floor, mixing with that of the burning City. Tyksis barred his teeth, and grinned. We shall burn this corruption away, he thought. He turned back towards his troops. “CEASE FIRE!” he bellowed. The walkers stopped the barrage. Tyksis looked down at the Eliksni assembled before him. “Our enemy lies in that valley!” he shouted. “The thieves who stole the Great Machine shall forestall their day of reckoning no longer!” The Eliskni cheered. “We have hunted these humans for weeks,” Tyksis continued. “We have tracked them on their hopeless flight. But no longer! They have no more holes in which to hide, no more safe havens in which to cower! This is the day when we reclaim our honor! When the Eliksni stand tall like the proud race we once were!” He had them now; the bubbling energy of the crowd was almost too much to contain. “Brenvik! Galshak! Tranash! Gather your warriors, and stay with the Walkers. As for the rest of you, into the forest with me!” The Eliksni shouted with glee. “Move into the valley! Kill all that you find! And then we move to the City!” The Eliksni cheered again. “For! The Great! Machine!” The Eliksni began repeating his cry. “For the Great Machine!” they chanted in unison. “For the Great Machine!” Tyksis grabbed a shock blade from his waist, and pointed towards the burning City. “Charge!” The Fallen ran down into the Valley, eager to taste human blood. [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Post/1371758/228510963/0/0]Part 30: Closing In[/url]