Greetings, Guardians, here's part twenty-eight of The Journey Home! Here's part [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/228242238?showBanned=0&path=0]Twenty-seven [/url]if you missed it, or, if you're looking for a different part, here's the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/222615264?showBanned=0&path=0]table of contents[/url]! As usual, if you like it, give it a bump, and I'll get more out soon! Stay classy, Guardians! Nelkis flexed his arms, and fingered the new facemask. It had taken years of training, but he had eventually risen his way up to the ranks of Captain. However, because of his junior status, he had been chosen to lead the small Walker Caravan into the mountain pass. No matter. If any humans came by, Nelkis was confident that he could deal with them. The Fallen advanced, the walkers moving along beside them. Soon, they had reached the end of the mountains. Nelkis could see the City of the Humans in the valley bellow - it was burning. He heard the sound of weapons fire. “Looks like we’re the mop-up crew,” he said sourly. Suddenly, a figure dashed out from behind some rocks, and stood in the middle of the pass. It was a Guardian! Nelkis’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth to shout for his squad to open fire, but then he realized the the Guardian hadn’t moved to attack. It was simply standing there, it’s hands clenched into fists. A weapon was strapped to it’s waist, but the Guardian made no move to reach it. The Guardian puzzled Nelkis. Guardians were savage - but they weren’t suicidal. Suddenly, the Guardian pointed upwards. Nelkis looked up into the sky. At first, he saw nothing. Then, he noticed a ship fly down from the clouds. The ship veered downwards, and collided with the nearby mountainside. Nelkis shielded his eyes from the blast. Then, he heard a rumbling sound. He looked up at the spot where the ship had crashed. Suddenly, he watched with horror as the mountainside began to move. Thousands of tons of rock, dislodged from the mountain by the explosion, began to tumble towards the Fallen down below. Nelkis looked back towards the Guardian with a panic-stricken face. But the Guardian was gone. Nelkis ran forwards, trying to escape the deadly land-slide. However, a stray piece of rock the size of a small fruit hit him in the side with enough force to send him sprawling. As he sat up, he saw that the wave of destruction was mere seconds away. Nelkis barely had time to scream before he was buried under a hundred tons of rock. Alesha watched as Erling made his way down to the forest floor. He hopped off the trail, and ran towards the waiting villagers. “What happened?” she asked. “It worked,” Erling grinned. “How well, I don’t know. But there’s no way they can get their walkers through now.” Alesha grinned. “Sorry about your ship.” Erling sighed. “It’s alright,” he said. “I doubt I’ll be needing a new one in any case.” Then, he looked over at Oren. “Are your people ready?” Oren grinned, and hefted his rifle. “That we are,” he said. “Those bastards burned our homes. I’m about ready for some payback.” Erling nodded. “Amen to that.” Tyksis surveyed the wreckage with a cold, hard gaze. The landslide had created a massive rock wall in front of them, and buried two of the walkers, along with almost a hundred Eliksni. A third walker had attempted to climb over the rock wall, but the loose sediment had given way, causing it to slide back down into the pass, crushing several unfortunate dregs behind it. It had also destroyed one of its legs, making it nigh on inoperable. Baron Piksis was keen to voice her displeasure. “Your incompetence has already killed far to many Eliksni!” she barked. “We should never have gone into this pass! WE should have rejoined our brothers and sisters at the rendezvous point!” Tyksis did his best to ignore her whining. “How many more must die for the sake of your damned vendetta!” Suddenly, Tyksis whirled around, and grabbed Piksis by the throat. He heard her begin to gasp for breath. “My vendetta, as you call it,” he growled. “Is one that you should share.” He tightened his grip. “These - these - Guardians - they kill us. Murder us! Leave our children to starve as the ether reserves dwindle!” He lifted Piksis off the ground. “The Great Machine could save us - with it at our side, we could reverse the Whirlwind! Bring our people back to the Golden Age of the Eliksini!” He stared Piksis directly in the eyes. “But these savages - these undead murderers - stole it from us, and selfishly kept it in our hour of need! And while even one of these defilers lives, I shall not rest! I shall kill them all! Every! Single! One!” With that, he threw Piksis down to the ground, where she began gasping for breath. Tyksis waited a minute. Then he spoke to her again. “Take two dozen warriors with you,” he said. “Go down into the forest below, and kill the remaining humans.” “Two dozen?” Piksis rubbed her throat, and sat up. “That’s suicide!” Tyksis drew a shock dagger, and positioned it under her chin. “Do as I say,” he ordered calmly. “You will go down to the forest floor. You may go down willingly, or I will throw your corpse over the cliff.” PIksis was silent for a moment, and then she spat at him. “Blast you, Tyksis,” she said. “I’ll go along with your mad schemes for now. But as soon as this battle is over, there will be a reckoning between us!” “I look forward to it,” Tyksis replied. “Now ready your warriors.” [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Post/1371758/228364609/0/0]Part Twenty-Nine: For the Great Machine![/url]