Fireteam Shiloh Ch7: Scouting Colloquy

The moon peered behind the rolling clouds, filling the night sky with an eerie light. The air was without wind and the surrounding land was barren and rigid. Three guardians stood perfectly still atop a nearby ridge, quietly watching as the moonlight revealed a sprawling ghost town before them. “Frasure Hill…” observed Solomon. “The Valley of Death,” Lassiter finished. “The universe must hate us. Why couldn’t those coordinates lead to a nice beach, or a large mountain with a gorgeous view? We always end up going to the most dangerous places.” “C’mon Lassy, there’s nothing to worry about.” The sound of a coyote’s cry rang out across the rocky wastelands. Lassiter looked grudgingly at Solomon. “At least we are on an officially sanctioned mission this time. Designated Fireteam Shiloh. I like the sound of that." Dakota, who had been scoping out the ghost town with her sniper, finally sat back and spoke up. “You’re welcome.” She had convinced Solomon back at the tower that it was better to have the mission approved by Zavala so that they had the full support of the Vanguard. “I don’t like it,” said Solomon. “The Vanguard is always trying to control me.” Dakota rolled her eyes. “Perhaps they wouldn’t try to control you if you stopped causing trouble. Cayde says you have a habit of disappearing on unsanctioned missions. Lucky for you, he can relate.” Solomon scoffed at her words. “That’s nonsense. What kind of trouble do I cause?” Dakota thought for a moment before responding. “Well, while you might go on some crazy adventures and come back with some legendary stories, you are also dancing with death. Any one of those adventures could have been your last. And then there’s the matter of your… secret.” Solomon grew cautious. “What are you going on about? What sort of secret?” Dakota let loose a sly grin beneath her helmet. “The illegal sort.” Solomon and Lassiter looked at each other surprised and worried. The Titan became very serious. “Listen, I don’t think you-” Dakota’s giggling interrupted him. “Relax, tough guy. I’m not going to turn you in or anything like that.” Solomon became visibly more relaxed, but Lassiter remained skeptical. “How did you know?” asked the Warlock. “About the Underground?” Dakota removed her hand cannon from her holster and spun it around in her hand. “You couldn’t have made it more obvious. I’ve heard many tales from fellow Hunters about the wares they sold to shady vendors in some dark corner of the City.” Lassiter was uncomfortable. He had followed Solomon into the Underground many times, but the experience never agreed with him. “It is a despicable place. We didn’t even find out what the shard belongs to.” “Not yet,” Solomon corrected. “Ole’ Tim will let us know when he has figured it out.” Lassiter shook his head. “It all must be connected, and I have a bad feeling we will find out how in the valley below.” “The message led us here,” said Dakota. “It wasn’t the Cabal, but I think it is safe to assume that whoever it belongs to probably isn’t friendly. It’s likely a trap.” Solomon nodded in agreement. “One last scan of the place, then we go in. Get ready.” Lassiter acknowledged and primed his weapons while Dakota peered through the scope of her rifle once more. The ghost town nearly covered the expanse of the valley, making it seem quite large, but the old abandoned buildings made of wood and clay seemed underwhelming. Rooves had caved in and walls crumbled. The town had been abandoned for centuries. “Frasure Hill…” Dakota said to herself. “It’s not even a hill. I feel sorry for the idiot that named this place. Why do people call it the Valley of Death?” “Not too long ago, the Fallen invaded this entire sector looking for a place to dig in and loot the surrounding lands,” Solomon explained. “But, something drove them out. People are saying it’s some kind of ghost, or even the living dead. I think that’s ridiculous.” “But aren’t WE the living dead? Anything is possible these days," said Dakota. Lassiter grinned. “True, but I think there’s something a little more tangible here, guarding this place.” “It’s just superstition,” assured Solomon. “I don’t know,” said Lassiter. “Old Rangor came here once, remember that? He heard the stories and decided to disprove them himself. Came back scared as hell. I had never seen a Titan cry before that day.” Solomon grunted. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” Something ghosted across Dakota’s line of sight. “There’s something down there!” she squealed. Solomon and Lassiter both immediately drew their weapons, trying to follow the Hunter’s gaze. “What did you see?” Lassiter inquired. Dakota stood absolutely still as she focused her scope on the area where she saw the anomaly. Nothing caught her eye. All she could see was the dark empty streets that divided the crumbling structures. “I don’t know what I saw. It's gone, whatever it was." “Probably nothing,” said Solomon. “Please don’t scare us like that.” Dakota frowned. “I don’t know what I saw,” she repeated, “but it certainly wasn’t nothing.” The Hunter removed her eye from the scope, preparing to reposition herself, when there was another flash of movement below. “There it is again!” The other two became more alert. “Why can’t I see anything?” asked Lassiter. “Whatever it is, it’s quick,” said Dakota. “It disappears just as quickly as it appears. It looked almost… ghostly.” Solomon and Lassiter exchanged a worried glance. “There! More movement!” Dakota observed. “It’s too quick to identify, but it’s heading further into the town, away from us.” “Alright!” Solomon bellowed. “No more waiting! It’s time to get in there and get to the bottom of this.” Lassiter was unsure. “Are you certain this is the best course of action?” Solomon stuffed a magazine into his auto rifle, beaming. “Of course, Lassy! I have no doubt this mysterious figure has the answers we are looking for. Besides, imagine the story we could tell when we get back! Fireteam Shiloh: Conquerors of the Valley of Death. Come on you two, it’s time to hunt a ghost!” [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Post/1371758/227903542/0/0]Chapter 8[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/224417569?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=0]The Hub[/url]