A Traitorous House on Traitorous Earth: Shattered Past Book 3

Ties Begin to Mend

Zorrin awoke in the ketch on its way to Central Europe by this point most of the Fallen in the House of Devils had completed the ritual to change to the House of Light. Sidriks wasn't on the bridge like most Kells would be. Instead, he was down in the main hold consoling his people. Zorrin didn't know what to think of this new Kell who he'd met, his experiences with Skolas were far from great. He was aware of what was happening to the remainder of the House of Wolves and any house that was under control of the tyrant. His wife and son were in trouble, he knew that, and it burned inside of him. He looked at a small item that his son gave him before he left. 

 "Zorrin, are you okay?" Sidriks asked him. Zorrin looked up at him oddly; he'd never heard a Kell ask that question before. It was usually a phrase that was used when talking with other commoners. 

"May I be honest my Kell?" 

"I welcome it, what's on your mind?" 

"My family, they're in trouble, I know it," Zorrin said to Sidriks. 

"Don't worry; we will bring Skolas to justice, be it in handcuffs or a body bag."

"What?"

"Oh, sorry, it's a human expression. I mean we'll either capture or kill him." 

"I'm leaning more to the killing part," Zorrin muttered as Sidriks walked away. Sidriks then heard a buzzing on his comm unit. It was a call coming in from Cayde and the vanguard. It had been a while since he talked to them last, so he didn't hesitate to take the call. 

"Hey, Sidriks, you haven't been calling in lately, what's been going on?" 

"I'll tell you in a moment, but first I need some air clearance." 

"What are you talkin about? You have that already." 

"I've got a ketch." 

On the other side of the comm line, Cayde's eyes widened. "Uh, hold on I think the ear thing's back. Okay, sorry, but I thought you said that you acquired an Eliksni warship." 

"I did." 

"Okay, oh god the parking for that thing's gonna be a bitch, anyway, uh, where do you intend to land that?" 

"Central Europe, all I need is for you to understand that I've taken command of the House of Devils." 

"Does that mean I have to blow your brains out now? 'Cause I really don't wanna do that." 

"No Cayde, I'm not betraying anyone, I intend to lead them alongside the city and its interests."

"Oh, good. 'Cause a lot of people wanted you dead several months ago, and the other vanguard were those kinds of individuals." 

"Cayde, I was willing to give him a chance just like you were," Ikora said to him coldly.

"Oh, uh, awkward."

"In any case, Sidriks, when did this happen?" Ikora asked the Eliksni. 

"When I left for the Reef a while back, Variks told me something. That I was, apparently, the Kishari, a figure of legend in our mythology who lead our people out of a time of great darkness."

"Kishari? I've not heard of that before. Care to elaborate?" Ikora asked him. 

"In due time Ikora, right now, I need to feed my people, they were starving." 

"Understood, report back to us as soon as you can," Ikora replied turning off the comms channel. Ikora then glanced over to Cayde looking more irritated than usual. 

"What?" 

"I never said that I wanted him dead several months ago Cayde, did I trust him? No. But I was far from killing him on a whim."