Ashes of the lost Ch1: Warrior.

I walked across the wooden rope bridge heading for the Iron Temple doors. Lord Saladin and Lady Jolder stood, talking to each other outside the entrance to the temple. My robes flapped as I stepped off the bridge and onto solid ground. My boots crunched in the snow as I climbed the steps to upper landing. As I approached, I could make out what Lord Saladin and Lady Jolder were saying. "We need to strike soon and hard if we are to defeat Segoth!" Lady Jolder was saying. "Segoth is too well defended. If we attack now, unprepared, we would be slaughtered, and then who will protect the people?" Lord Saladin answered. "Umm, Sir?" I asked, hesitantly. Lady Jolder was still talking. "If we wait, we will be allowing him to gain even more support. Next time I see a village of people he's killed, I'll know who to thank!" She spat, then turned and marched off. Lord Saladin sighed and turned. He caught sight of me, and looked up. "Yes, Lord...?" "Adrian, sir." I replied. "What can I do for you, Lord Adrian?" He asked. "I just finished my patrol of the 26nd sector." I said. "Any trouble?" Saladin asked. "No sir. Only the occasional Fallen raiding party." I answered. "Good work, warlock." Saladin said, smiling. "You can have the rest of the day off. Go find some friends. Relax." "Yes sir." I said. I turned and walked back down the steps, towards the massive fire pit in the center of the main courtyard. People milled about, talking trading. I turned to my ghost and said, "Teresa, transmat me up to my ship." "Activating transmat." Teresa said. I watched as parts of my body began to disappear. Suddenly a wave of light passed over my face and I was sitting in the cockpit of my ship, in orbit around Earth. "I'll never get used to that." I said, leaning back in my chair. The ship was an old jumpship I found, rusting in the Cosmodrome. I had fixed her up and I even named her, "The Echo." "Start searching for signs of a Fallen raiding party." I said. Teresa looked at me in confusion. "Lord Saladin told you that you had the rest of the day off. Why are we going after the Fallen?" she asked. "I am off duty. And I intend to enjoy it." I said, prepping my pulse rifle. "Really? Your going to enjoy yourself by killing?" Teresa asked again. "Yep." I replied. "Why do you find it entertaining to fight?" Teresa asked. "Darling." I said, cocking my shotgun, "It's hunting season." The transmat ended, as I landed in the snow, just barely avoiding running into a tree. "Really?" I asked. In response, I heard a small giggle. Shaking my head I began to march through the snow heading for the waypoint Teresa had marked on my HUD. The steep incline led up to a rocky pass between two sheer cliffs, about sixty feet high, with about fifteen feet between them. My HUD told me a Fallen band was marching through the mountain pass towards us. I stood silently in the center of the pass, waiting. My feet were about a foot apart, and my hands hung down at my sides, a few inches away from my robes. The silence pressed in on me, as I waited. Then, the first Fallen came into view. The Vandal stared in horror, then began to screech as it saw me. About a hundred Fallen appeared behind him, weapons raised. I heard the sounds of Wire Rifles charging, as well as shock blades being unsheathed. I stared them all down as they slowly approached. I brought my hands up, then snapped them back down to my sides. Arc energy crackled between my finger tips. I drew a deep breath and yelled as loud as I could, "Bring it on!"