"So Kryn, how do you know this candidate for the fireteam?"   "It's a long story, let's just say I got lucky. She got me out of a couple tough situations a while back. I trust her with my life, so I figured that was a good place to start."   "She?"   "I didn't want to give you a hint, so I called her a him."   "Clever, and if you trust her that much I'm willing to give her a chance."   "I thought so."   "So what's her name?"   "Her name is-"   "My name is Crow. Please, don't think I'm an Uldren fan, I really hate the guy."   The guardian who spoke wore all black armor, mostly made of a leather like substance. Her mask looked like a flat piece of metal, he didn't know how she could see through it.   "How can you see through that?"   "I can't, I'm blind. Doesn't make me helpless though, I've learned to use the Light to see. I reflect it off of surfaces around me, I can sense when and where it reflects back."   "Can't your ghost fix your blindness?"   "It's not caused by physical damage, the Hive threw me for a loop. Cast a spell on me, made me permanently blind."   "What are your combat capabilities?"   "I can shoot up just about anything, stab the rest of them with a knife. Basically I'm good at bringing death to my enemies. Called myself Crow because of the symbolism."   "We'll Crow, I think there's a place for you in this fireteam."   "Then I accept." ---------------------------------------------------------------   The City, Two Days Before Crimson Days   A single guardian lay on a raised stand. He was dead. Other guardians stood in rows in front of the stand, among them stood Kirk, Kryn, Darek, Kana, Lynn, and Zach. The dead guardian was Silas, after weeks they had finally found the time to conduct a funeral for him.   He had come with them to kill Akûn, they had succeeded. But before they had a knight called Entaur had killed him. His final wish had been fulfilled though, Akûn was dead, his plans shattered. Many dead had been avenged with their success.   When it was midnight Darek decided to go to sleep. He fell asleep, but he did not dream normally. The Traveller appeared in his dream, it floated there in the center of the dream. Then out of it materialized a figure, Darek recognized Silas.   "Hello Silas."   "Hello Darek. I have one last thing to talk to you about before the Traveller lets me go. I also have something I want to say. You avenged my friends and myself with the death of Akûn, I thank you for that. Just… I wish I hadn't spent my last couple decades being a lonely depressed man. I wish I hadn't focused so intently on vengeance. What I want to tell you is this: if you want to honor my memory, don't turn into that. No matter what happens, keep going. When you feel like you can't find someone to help you, don't isolate yourself like I did. What the Traveller wants me to tell you is that a threat is on the horizon. The Darkness is approaching fast, it will twist and corrupt many. Some of them will be close to you, do not lose hope. You will be tried in ways you have never been tried before, not physically but emotionally. You will be broken, just make sure you get fixed. Remember what I said, honor me in this way. Goodbye Darek, one day we'll see each other again."   Darek woke up after Silas left. The next day he knew Silas had appeared to everybody, there was closure. Something not many people got in their lives. ----------------------------------------------------------------- A couple things that will make you see A Game of War differently: Dredgen Mala's name translates to Dredgen Bad. Akûn is what happened when I imagined a combination of Savathûn and Xivu Arath. Dredgen Truth shares some, not much, but some traits with a Star Wars Legends character named Darth Caedus. (Another character will have a stronger resemblance soon.)