Delta B2 Ch3: The Vault Part 3

Unable to contain her curiosity, Alice jogged up alongside Delta. “I have a question.” “Ask,” said the exo. “You have a sidearm, don’t you? Why did you ask Eran for his knife?” “It might have tipped them off,” Delta explained simply. “Fallen have a strong bloodlust and often take chances, but you’ll find that they are quite adaptable too. Drawing a weapon could very well have caused the blade wielders to become cautious, and maybe even prompted a preemptive strike from the sniper.” “Makes sense,” said the Titan. “You must know a lot about the Fallen. How did you become so knowledgeable?” Delta’s mechanical face shifted as if he were raising an eyebrow. “Right. Warlock.” “I’ve always sought answers,” said the exo. “But even still, I probably owe much of my insight to… a friend.” His pause and brief pained expression caught Alice off guard. “This friend…” “She died.” Alice nodded in understanding. “I see. I’m sorry for your loss. Did the Cabal…?” Delta shook his head as they marched on. “It happened a long time ago.” Alice rubbed her injured shoulder in thought. She sensed a long and tragic story behind his answer. “What was she like?” Delta took a heavy breath as he tried to formulate an answer while maintaining his composure. Alice noticed his expression beginning to break. “Sorry. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Delta shook his head again. “It’s ok. I just… don’t talk about her much.” Alice bit her lip, afraid her curiosity might have unearthed something painful, but Delta’s expression gradually softened. “She was beautiful…” he began. “She was beautiful in every sense of the word, and the most selfless person I’ve ever known. When I met her, the first thing she did was stand up for me, even though she knew nothing about me. She did not once doubt me, and we quickly grew to trust each other. Before long, I relied on her heavily as both a comrade and a friend. She was a Gunslinger through and through, her words just as accurate as her bullets. Even when there was no way out, she ultimately put others first and stayed true to herself. She tried her best… until the very end.” Alice couldn’t help but smile. She had only recently met this exo, yet he radiated raw skill and deadly secrets, like some kind of superior killing machine. He should have felt dangerous, but the way he spoke about his deceased friend made him seem more human than anyone she knew. This Warlock once had something very real, more valuable to him than anything else in his immortal existence, and it was taken from him. The Titan tucked her free arm beneath her sling in sympathy, and if she was honest with herself, a hint of jealousy lingered within her. Delta’s relationship with this Hunter was obviously special. Alice didn’t quite understand, but after hearing the exo’s heartfelt words, she felt the strange desire to find something like that for herself. She desired to find a purpose. Maybe then… she wouldn’t feel so useless. “What about you?” Alice blinked as she realized Delta had asked her a question. “Sorry?” “What’s your story?” he asked. “You seem pretty close to Shaxx.” The Titan sighed. A trade of information. That was fair. “Lord Shaxx is more or less my mentor,” she explained. “I guess you could say that I’m some kind of Crucible nut. I tried it after my first mission… failed. I fell in love with it, and Shaxx was more than happy to spur me on. There’s nothing quite like the thrill of testing all your skills against fellow guardians. I got destroyed at first, but I gradually worked my way up the ranks. I’m sure Shaxx thinks I do it too much, and he’s always raving about how you can never have too much Crucible, so that’s saying something. To be honest… this is the first time I’ve left the City for anything else in a very, very long time.” Delta understood her plight. She had some fight in her, of that he had no doubt, but she was a novice when it came to fighting aliens out in the wild. “Don’t worry, Alice. I promise that as long as we travel together, I will protect you.” Alice looked him over curiously. “After the show you put on with the Fallen, I’m convinced of your abilities, but you’re still a lightless guardian and pretty torn up.” The exo grunted. “Look I know I’m in bad shape but-” Alex shook her head. “What I mean to say is… I’ll protect you too. I don’t know how useful I can be, but I’ll try my best. I promise.” “As heartwarming as that was, your promises are pointless.” Both Delta and Alice jumped as they realized Eran was right behind them and overheard everything . Alice frowned. “That’s a rude thing to say, don’t you think?” Eran shook his head in frustration. “I meant no disrespect, but you really don’t need to worry about anyone dying. You idiots marched out here in deplorable condition, so as my patients, it’s my job to keep you all alive! You shouldn’t be out here in the first place. This guy is missing an arm for god’s sake!” Delta just shrugged him off. “I guess we are in good hands then,” he jabbed. Alice smirked. “Yeah! We’re counting on you, Eran!” The two pressed on laughing to each other, leaving the doctor to himself. “Ungrateful bastards…” he muttered. Before long, the group emerged upon a flat rock formation leading down another hill in a jagged pattern, as if it were a set of natural stairs. Delta stopped atop the highest edge of the formation. “What is it Delta?” Alice asked. Delta sighed with relief. “I hear running water. We must be close.” “Affirmative,” said Kito. “The river we are looking for is less than a mile away, down the slope and around the bend.” “Finally,” said Alice. “My feet are on fire!” “We mustn’t stop now,” Kito warned. “We must reach our destination before the Fallen track us here.” Reluctantly, Alice followed the group as they descended towards the riverbed. After a short trek down and around the bend, they came face to face with a raging river and a tall waterfall just up the stream. Alice looked about the area in confusion. “Uh, Kito? Where’s the vault?” Kito walked up the shoreline until he came beside a curve in the river so that he faced the waterfall directly. “Ms. Roseburn, recite for me the title of Lord Shaxx’s favorite Shakespearean play.” Alice raised an eyebrow at his question as she joined the frame at the edge of the river. “I don’t know what that has to do with anything, but… he probably most often quotes The Tempest.” Kito nodded in agreement. “You are familiar with his quotes then? Alice put a hand on her hip in thought. “You could say that. He’s a real nutjob when it comes to those plays.” “Good,” said the Redjack. “I have only been given a piece of the code. I trust you will provide the rest.” “What code?” said Delta, strolling up behind them with Eran in tow. Kito paused, then began to recite the words on an age long past. “We are such stuff as dreams are made on…” Alice’s blue eyes widened as she recognized the line. “…and our little life is rounded with a sleep,” she finished. As the Titan spoke the final word, the ground began to vibrate as the hum of hidden machinery suddenly resounded from beneath the party’s feet. Everyone watched in amazement as circular metal platforms rose in quick succession from the bottom of the river, forming a path to the waterfall. As the path reached its destination, the falls split to reveal a rockface behind it. Embedded in the rock was a huge circular vault door made of reinforced steel, with a massive phoenix symbol emblazed across it. There was a loud hissing sound as the door also split in two and retracted, leaving behind a dark tunnel leading down into the unknown depths of the vault. With the way forward now open, Kito turned to his dumbfounded companions and gestured to the artificial path. “Entry code successful. The Vault of Lord Shaxx is now open to you.” Eran peered over Delta’s shoulder at the shadowy doorway ahead. “So… which of you is going first? [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/251354782]Chapter 4[/url] [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/224417569?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=1]The Hub[/url]