Delta B1 Ch13: The Informant Part 2

The leaves on the forest trees rustled as the night grew dark and cold, and through the darkness crept the faint, warm glow of a campfire. A single man sat upon a nearby rock, shivering beneath his cloak and trying to warm his hands against the small fire. The man winced as his stomach growled. He had not eaten all day. He was already low on food from his travels, and had been trying to reserve his food supply for what he assumed was a long and dangerous journey ahead, but he couldn’t wait any longer. He sighed and turned towards the tent he had constructed some time earlier and crawled inside where he kept his travel pack. He pulled out a large, insulated tin box and opened it carefully, revealing several strips of meat. The man smiled at his meal. They were neatly wrapped in handmade cloth, a gift from his wife, and it smelled like her. He stroked his messy beard as his mind was flooded with memories. They had a happy life. Well, as happy a life as you could given the circumstances, but it was good. Then the Fallen came. There had always been stories of the dreaded spider aliens that roamed the planet, but it was only a story until that fateful day. They overran the village, burned it to the ground. Everything and everyone was gone forever. The man frowned as the images of death and destruction began to play in his mind. He shook his head, trying hard to keep the bad memories and feelings suppressed, and focused on the task at hand. He unfolded the cloth and lifted a strip of meat to be cooked over the fire. Some food in his stomach would take his mind off things. He crawled out from inside his tent and stepped forward, only to hit his head against a solid, heavy object. The man gasped and jumped back in shock at the massive figure that stood before him, clad in red armor. “Holy sh-” The man cut off when he heard twigs snap behind him. He spun around to see another figure emerge from the forest, this one with a brown trench coat and grey armor. “What the hell?! Who are you people?!” The guardians didn’t pay him any attention. “He’s not an exo,” said Keis. “No, just a human,” said Delta. “Dissapointing.” “How much more ground do we have left?” “At least two hundred miles.” “If we don’t find a lead soon we will be searching through the night and even the next day.” “I fear so.” The man clutched the edges of his cloak in disbelief as the two heavily armed strangers talked amongst themselves. They seemed familiar to him, like something straight out of legend. “You must be guardians!” he said aloud. The guardians halted their conversation at the sudden outburst. “Perhaps he knows something,” suggested Delta. “Perhaps,” Keis replied. “You,” called Delta, pointing at the man. “Mind telling us who you are and what you’re doing out here?” “Uh… um, well… I uh…” the man stammered, trying desperately to form words. “The name’s Tobias Karns, and uh… I’m tryin’ to get to the Last City.” Delta and Keis exchanged a quick glance. “That is an admirable mission,” said Keis. “Indeed,” said Delta. “Where are you from?” Tobias paused as he recalled his village and how far he had come. “Doesn’t matter,” he said grimly. “The Fallen destroyed it.” “I’m sorry to hear that,” said Delta. “We are on a mission of our own. We are looking for an old exo. You see one around lately?” Tobias remembered. “Certainly. Early this mornin’ I passed through a small settlement. No more than forty people livin’ there. Saw an exo just hangin’ around some folks by the well. Never seen an exo before. Poor soul looked beat up, and had a busted leg.” “That’s him,” said Keis. “Where can I find this settlement?” “Um…” Tobias thought for a moment. “It’s down south a ways, through the forest and into a small valley.” “Thank you for your assistance,” said Keis, summoning his sparrow. “Delta, lets ride.” Delta nodded, quickly turning to Tobias. “Thank you. You’ve been a great help. The City would be glad to have you, and you’re not that far away now. It’s just a week’s journey northeast across the wastelands and through the mountains. The Fallen used to occupy that area but they have since left. You’ll find the path is safe.” Tobias became incredibly excited. “Thank you so much guardian! I’ve been trying to get to the Last City for months! Best of luck to you!” “Thank you,” Delta replied. “Safe travels.” With that he summoned his sparrow and rode off into the forest with Keis. Tobias watched the guardians as they disappeared and his mind began to race. He was so close now. The safety of the City and the sight of the fabled Traveler were within his grasp. Suddenly, something grabbed him from behind and he was thrown onto his back. The fall knocked the wind out of Tobias, and he gasped for air as someone pinned him to the ground. Above him crouched a jet black exo with glowing red eyes and a black cloak, holding a sidearm against the man’s forehead. “Now,” said Alpha, “tell me where those guardians are headed, or I’ll blow your brains out.” [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Post/1371758/228286808/0/0]Part 3[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/224417569?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=1]The Hub[/url]