Risen

Chapter 1

   "First thhhing I knnew... deathhhh. Viollenccce. Hatched wwwith brothhhers and sissster, thhhen killled two brothhhers. Sssurvivved with sisssterrr and thhree brrotherss. Bound to [untranslatable]," the Knight rumbled in his broken English.

The woman across from him waved her hand dismissively, her three green eyes focused on the anomaly before her. "I know the Hive's ways, better than most. How did you become this?" The Knight shifted his weight, briefly thrown by the interruption. "You ssswearr Theyyy not... hearrring?"

"I swore it when you arrived, and I swear it again now."

"My thhhankkksss...Air-is?"

Eris Morn sighed. "It'll do. But do return to your tale...Narvuk, was it?" Narvuk nodded. "Was lllucky in old lifffe. Served in ggod-realm, served well. Then, ffffailure beyyonnd meashure! Fell to wwweak Light-thing!"

"I suggest you change how you refer to your fellow Guardians, Knight. Such terms will only alienate them further," Eris snapped. Narvuk slumped visibly, as if a weight had suddenly been dropped on his remarkably wide shoulders. "Dddid not asssk to beee...thhhhiss," he muttered, gesturing to himself.

"None of us did. Some are simply better at accepting their new reality than others."

"You nnot Light-touchedd, how you knnnow?"

Eris hesitated, something like grief flashing across her face. "Irrelevant. Now, do you know how long you were... gone?" The Knight shook his rocky head. "What I not llive to witnesss?" His Ghost appeared over his shoulder to interject. "He means 'What did I miss?'", deftly avoiding Narvuk's swipe at her.

   Suddenly, a ship came roaring into orbit, managing to slow itself with to dock. A few moments later, out came an Awoken man in armor that looked like it came off a tank. "Eris, we need to discuss your most recent repo--" The man stopped mid-word and mid-step as he beheld Narvuk. "Eris, get back!", he shouted as he drew an auto rifle from his back and opened fire. Narvuk roared as the bullets pelted his armor-like skin and snatched up the Cleaver that had rested beside him, charging the Awoken like an angry bull. In mere moments, he reached him and knocked him to the ground, pinning him there with one large, clawed hand, their faces inches apart.

"ENOUGH!" Eris' voice rang out. "Narvuk, release him immediately! And Zavala, put away your weapons. You have no need of them here." Snarling again in Zavala's face, Narvuk let him up and backed away, placing Eris between the two.

Zavala turned to Eris. "What the hell is going on, Eris?" She merely looked at Narvuk meaningfully, who sighed. He extended his palm and his Ghost materialized, spinning to "glare" at him. "Oh, so now you want me around? What's the deal?" Narvuk jerked his chin towards Zavala, his Ghost turning to follow. "Oh! Um, hi, Commander!"

"So this thing is returning a Ghost to us?"

"Nnno. Little Llight-thing chose me. Rrrre-birthed me."

Zavala blinked. "I beg your pardon?" Eris stepped forward smoothly. "Narvuk is a Guardian now, Zavala." The Vanguard Commander took a step back, either out of fear or shock. "I don't believe it. The Traveler chose a servant of the Hive?" Eris nodded as Narvuk hefted his sword over his shoulder. Zavala sighed wearily.

"Then we shall see how the Tower welcomes him."