Drake's Hunt

      Drake Fulnor had spent years of his life chasing a corrupted Guardian named Eclipse-16. Ever since the Exo abandoned the Light for his own vile path, a game of cat and mouse had persisted. Confrontation inevitably led to a fight in which neither side ever won.

      The light bearing Warlock pled with the Vanguard to rescind the bounty on the Exo's head. Too many Guardians had found their final death attempting to bring the other to justice. The risk was not worth the reward. So the hunt had ended, and time passed with the Warlock attempting to forget about his former friend and the path he was following.

     When the Darkness called, Eclipse-16 had answered. Drake Fulnor knew of what he was about to do, and couldn't allow the corrupted Guardian to wield the Darkness.

      Drake Fulnor followed the Exo to Europa, carefully tracking him through the biting wind and the swallowing snow. When the Pyramid beckoned the corrupted Guardian, the Warlock followed them both.

      His long trek over the icy plains and jagged ravines led the Warlock right under the Pyramid's gaze. Its presence was ominous and threatening, but Drake was focused.

      Eclipse was distracted, his gaze lifted to the behemoth above. The Warlock took a knee just over a snow covered boulder and shouldered his Sniper Rifle. The Guardian's head was in his sights, and he pulled the trigger once he stopped.

      The first shot missed his helmet and dug into the Guardian's back, and the following shot missed entirely. Drake cursed as the Exo hid behind a barricade. The Warlock got to his feet and began sprinting across the ice, wincing in pain as bullets tore into his flesh. The pain was forgotten by the Guardian's determination. The Exo would pay for the lives he had taken, and the dark path he followed.

      He saw the Exo backing away and knew the Pyramid would offer its protection if he drew too close. It was now or never. Drake jumped into the air and summoned Void Energy from the Light and surged it into the palm of his hand. The surge of power strengthened his resolve and he sent the decimating orb straight for the doomed Guardian.

      He watched with anticipation as it tore through the bitter cold air, gaining terrifying speed. The corrupted Guardian backed away, and the air shimmered with a dark aura. Drake's expression fell and his heart dropped as the Void Bomb dissipated in the Pyramid's wake. "No!" Drake bellowed with a flurry of emotions. He had been robbed of the justice his victims craved. That Drake craved. He needed desperately to show Eclipse the pain he had caused by leaving. His chance had slipped away once again.

      "You can't stop this," the Exo declared. He turned away and was pulled away by the Pyramid.

      Drake felt as if his heart had been ripped from his chest. There had always been a hope that Eclipse could be saved If he just saw where he was being led. It could have been stopped and they would be a fireteam again.

      Now Eclipse would fall into the Darkness, and Drake would have to kill him.

      The Warlock left before the Exo emerged from the Pyramid, as he would now be too strong to defeat alone. The trek back across the ice was colder than before, and felt lonelier than ever.

      Drake left Europa behind. Coasting in the faceless embrace of the stars, the Warlock sat back in his seat and felt tears falling down his face. He removed his helmet and set it down, wiping away the salty drops with a quiet sniffle.

      His Ghost appeared at his side, unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry," it quietly spoke.

      "There was hope he would come back..." Drake said through another sniffle. "Some day we'd be a family again. Now..." the Warlock trailed off as his chin began to tremble.

      "You still have me, and Lash is still on our side," Drake's Ghost said.

      "Yeah," Drake gave a weak smile to his small partner that quickly faded away. "Don't leave me...please. I won't be able to handle it."

       His Ghost floated closer to its Guardian and bumped his chin. "I'm not going anywhere," it told him.

      Drake left Europa behind, setting his sights back to earth where the Traveler stood vigilant over the Last City. It was day time as the Guardian returned to the Tower and found his quarters to decompress. It would be a while until the Warlock was ready to face Eclipse again. Until then, the Dawning had just begun and the jubilant energy was calling from his window.