The Frontier: Part Eight - Warzone 1

Welcome back to The Frontier! I know, I just posted a chapter today. Crazy, right? Well, his is a different chapter. Not a prequel, it take place in present day, after Anibus and Cayde left Los Diablos’ layer. Orion and Lyla are there… enjoy! The clanking footsteps of Toliks, the Red Butcher, echoed throughout the broken husk of the Devil Ketch. “Taskor, take soldiers up the right side to flank. Move stealthily. I will draw enemy fire with my squadron.” The Baron nodded, and moved to where her Kell had gestured. Toliks cracked his neck, spun his staff, and let out a happy snarl. He would be able to get his hands on the pawns of the Priest. He would tear them apart. A vandal, followed by a pack of Shanks, descended the hull pieces, growling and yelling. A Devil dreg fell to the rapid firing of the Shanks, and Toliks roared, an unearthly cry that echoed throughout the ruins. He blasted the Shank Keeper with his Shrapnel launcher, and cut a shank in half with his bladestaff. “UP!” He roared to his crew, and they all cried along with him and scaled the side of the wreck. The shanks cut down more Fallen, but soon they were overrun, their weak armored shells torn to pieces. Toliks stuck a Vandal on one of the blades with his staff, and, swinging around, launched it into a dreg, killing it. The two forces clashed all along the wrecked Ketch. Inside the ship, Taskor and her forces engaged the Claws’ in the dark. A large Claw baron mowed down half dozens of Devils with its Scorch cannon, laughing maniacally. Taskor backhanded a dreg with her Shrapnel launcher, and blasted its head. A scorch cannon charge hit her in the chest, and she tried to pull it off, knowing what the Baron would try to do. It just wouldn't work. The beeping of the charge became more intense, and the Devil Baron was engulfed in an orange fireball. The Baron laughed again and commanded his soldiers forward, crushing the defenders with extreme prejudice. –—————–——–———––——–——————— Lyla saw the Ketch through her scope, and whistled. “Looks bad down there, Orion.”, she said incredulously. “It is bad, Lyla.” Orion responded. “That Ketch looks like it used to belong to the House of Devils. ‘Used to’ being the important phrase. From what I've seen of the Fallen, they care a lot about their things. I would guess that Toliks doesn't like that too much.” Lyla tilted her head. “Toliks?” “The Kell of Los Diablos.” He said. “You didn't hear about him?” Lyla shook her head. “Vanguard just said there was trouble in the BDZ. How did you find out?” Orion shrugged. “Anibus told me the Devils were upset. After he rekindled the battle between them, I just made an educated guess.” Lyla looked back down her scope, and picked off a dreg with a suppressed shot. “Well, if there is trouble, we should go down to it. Because that is what we do - we look for trouble.” Orion sighed, and summoned his Sparrow to ride down the ridge. Lyla did the same, and the two of them rocketed down towards the ruined Ketch at incredible speeds.Orion ran down a Dreg with his sparrow, and did a moving dismount from his vehicle in order to dispatch another Fallen. He heard the crack crack crack of Lyla’s Scout Rifle, and the explosion of her Lifesteal going into effect. “I'll take the bottom!” She yelled, and jumped into the shadow of the rusting metal. Orion switched with her and scaled the Ketch, landing on top, and saw the pitched battle happening. The towering figure of Toliks was laughing and twirling his staff, slicing, stabbing, and swinging. He was truly a sight to behold. His Red armor, forged from the armor plating of Fallen Walkers, was becoming spattered with blood and Ether. His soldiers stood around him in a V formation and unloaded all of their ammo into the House of Winter. However, Toliks and his crew were so focused on the battle in front of them that they did not notice the Winter crew flanking them from the side. Time to make my move, Orion thought, and he sprinted towards the battle. His knife took a Vandal through the head, and he shot a number of shots from his hand cannon at a dreg that wielded two knives. One took the dreg through its hand, another shot it in the chest, and the last shot missed. Orion prepared to throw a grenade, but then felt a strong instinct to duck. He rolled out of the way as the enormous staff of Toliks swung over him. “How kind of you to join us, Guardian! I was just about to show these Winter scum what it meant to attack our sacred grounds, but I suppose I will have to teach you a lesson as well.” Toliks said. Orion circled Toliks for an opening, and threw a grenade. Toliks managed to dodge the incendiary grenade, and he blasted Orion with his shrapnel launcher. Barely slipping underneath the enormous blade staff again, Orion said “I suppose I'm not a very good student.” Toliks rapidly spun his staff around and smacked Orion so hard that he did a flip. “We shall see about that.” The Kell retorted. Orion saw the Kell relax a little bit, and took that as an opportunity. He let Arc energy flow around him, and activated his Arc Blade. He launched himself towards Toliks, but the staff hit him again across the helmet, knocking him back. Toliks didn't even seem to be trying, but he was easily keeping Orion at a distance. As they fought, Orion whittled down the Kell’s crew until only the two of them were left. “Why have you come here, guardian? Why come to a place so dangerous? Surely not to defeat me, since - Well, I don't mean to brag, but that would be very difficult.” Toliks said inquisitively. Orion thought for a moment. There was no harm in telling the Kell why they were doing there, he probably had guessed already. “We are scouting out the area. Heard something nasty was happening, so we came. We are mostly here for the Claws.” Sorry I had to cut this chapter so suddenly. I had to cut it in half since it was over the character limit. The second part will be up in a few minutes.