Parts: [spoiler]Link to part 1: [url]http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/90804723/0/0[/url] Link to part 2: [url]http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/91291963/0/0[/url] Link to part 3: [url]http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/91545244/0/0[/url] Link to part 4: [url]http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/92099147[/url] Link to part 5: [url]http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/92647421/0/0[/url] Link to part 6: [url]http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/93325635/0/0[/url] Link to part 7: [url]http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/94072362/0/0[/url] Link to part 8: [url]https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/95076160/0/0[/url][/spoiler] Here's part 9 of Matthew's journey into the Fallen society, hope you all like it! [u][b]Part 9: A Warm Welcome[/b][/u] Matthew was frozen in shock as the Fallen Vandal grabbed his arm and was barking something at him. Attention began being drawn to the situation. [i]“Who are you?”[/i] The Vandal barked at him, speaking in its alien language. [i]“Who are you?!”[/i] It said again, though Matthew was too shocked to respond. That was when Saliks stepped in. The two Fallen were talking to each other, the Fallen Vandal in charge of orders glaring at Saliks. Matthew could only pick up on a few things they were talking about. He caught a few words such as “half”, “disability”, and “Baron”. After a while of Saliks and the other Fallen, the Fallen taskmaster shook his head and dismissed both of them. After the two of them were out of ear-shot from the other fallen Matthew whispered to Saliks, “What was that about?” “I told him that you were late for recruitment due to your disability of having only two arms.” “…Anything else?” “I also told him you were the son of a Devil Baron, recruited by the house of Winter.” Matthew glared at Saliks, “Why would you-” “The house of winter doesn’t understand other houses very well, so you’re not expected to be so… Fallen-like. Your name is also now Matis” “So what do we do now?” A glint of mischief twinkled in one of his eyes. “Now? Now we train.” Training ended with Matthew’s back to the floor something similar to a boxing ring, thrown over Salik’s back. “That’s not fair, you were using all of your arms!” Matthew said. “There’s no such thing as fairness in battle.” Saliks replied. “Now try again.” Matthew got back up, popping a kink out of his back. “I don’t get how you’re so much better than me. We used to be evenly matched as kids.” “I was holding back as kids.” Matthew glared at Saliks once again “You mean you weren't even trying?” “I’m still not.” Matthew shook his head, “What else, now you can shoot fire from your hands.” “Can’t you?” Saliks said quizzically. He then laughed at the expression on Matthew’s face. “That’s not funny.” “Maybe, maybe not, but anyways, back to training.” This process repeated over and over for the rest of the day, Matthew getting better and better in his fighting, slowly but surely. As Matthew was once again on the floor, a voice soon came over a comm in each of the rooms on the ship. Saliks seemed to be paying attention to what the Fallen was saying over the comm. “What did he say? “It’s just about curfew. We have been ordered to go to our quarters.” Matthew nodded, and Saliks offered a hand to pull Matthew up. Matthew gratefully accepted and was pulled back up. Saliks walked out of the ring and towards the door out, and Matthew followed him. They eventually arrived in a room where Fallen were funneling through a door, into their chambers. Once Matthew was inside he gazed at the high ceiling, and the walls lined with climbing Fallen and doors to pod-like spaces big enough to fit two Fallen. “Since you haven’t been registered in yet, you’ll have to stay with me for a while.” Saliks said, whispering to Matthew so the other Fallen didn’t notice. “Which one’s yours?” “The one towards the top.” The climb was long and hard, the only foot and hand-holds being very small ledges for climbing. Once they were about four or five rows from the top, Saliks stopped and pressed a few buttons on the side of a door, which slid open by itself. Saliks swung from a hand-hold to inside the room and held out a hand for Matthew. Matthew began to stretch out his hand to take Salik’s, but his foot slipped and he began falling. Salik’s hand caught Matthew’s and pulled him up and pulled him inside. As soon as Matthew was inside and the door slid close behind him, he was clutching his knees and huffing from both the climb and the adrenaline from nearly falling to his death. After he caught his breath he scanned the room. The room seemed twice as large as the other Fallen rooms, and it seemed it was all to Salik’s self. “What’s with the big room?” Matthew said. “Higher-ranking Fallen get rooms to their self, and are also the only ones who get names.” Matthew looked quizzically at Saliks, “Then why did I get a name?” “Sons and daughters of Barons automatically get names once they’re born. You’re the son of a Devil Baron now. I was the son of a Winter Baron, my father was named Grayliks, but he was killed by a Guardian during an attack on an information storage unit we owned on Venus while I was just a child on Earth.” Matthew wondered what kind of people could do such a thing to the father of a small child. “It’s probably curfew by now.” Saliks said, legs crossed. He then pulled out a piece of parchment with strange symbols on it. “What’s that for?” Matthew asked. “Our studies.” Saliks replied. After hours of studying the Fallen language, the session ended with both of them asleep on the floor. They repeated days like this each day, for an entire week, always ending with them snoring on the floor of Saliks’ room. [u][b]Part 9.5: Whispers in the Night[/b][/u] [i]“My liege, a new Vandal recruit has arrived. From the house of Devils.”[/i] A Dreg said in Fallen language, kneeling before a Kell dressed in blue cloth and steely metal. [i]“Oh? What else of this new recruit?”[/i] Said the deep voice of the Kell. [i]“He seems to only have… two arms.”[/i] The large fallen turned his view from the Earth to the kneeling Dreg before him. [i]“We must not have weakness in our house. Make sure he is disposed of, along with the Baron’s child. They are both a threat to my throne.” “Yes, my liege.”[/i]