Age Of The Harpy Mega-Thread

[Crazyninjadude12]

It's the sequel to Broken Valkyrie, for those who haven't read Broken Valkyrie, I highly suggest you do, not only will you be filled in with the details, it's a great read.

 

https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/419045-fanfiction-broken-valkyrie-mega-thread/

 

Enjoy the Sequel guys!

 

Discussion- https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/423097-crazys-fanfics-discussion/

 

Age of the Harpy, Chp. 1

A Gnawing Curiosity

 

                Nearly eight years have passed since the betrayal of the Valkyrie, now known as the Harpy. The Harpy has shown uncontrollable bloodlust and hatred towards her fellow Tenno, and therefore has been banished into the void by Odin, never to be reported of again.

                The Harpy is an opponent that should never be faced alone, using her ability of flight, the powers of the Archmind, at which is at her disposal, and savage fighting style, she will overwhelm anything that stands in her way. If any Tenno, no matter how strong, sees the Harpy, they are advised to not engage and to seek help. There is strength in numbers.

 

 

                "Xylan, don't you think you're getting a little obsessed? You're pushing your luck by sneaking a look at the codex when you aren't supposed to..."

                I look over to my friend, clanmate, and, in a way, classmate, Tallee. Her smooth, and admittedly very pretty face is strewn with worry and regret. Her emerald green eyes filled with fatigue and worry. She's obviously not enjoying this, but she's right. I am getting pretty obsessed with the Harpy, and I'm making a risk by looking through the codex in the middle of the night, let alone waltzing out of my quarters when we're supposed to be asleep, a big risk. If the Lord Sentinel sees us, we're going to face the wrath of winter. 

                "Yea, I know I'm obsessed but-" I hear the deep and note worthily raspy chuckling of our mentor, Kyran, who the Codex refers to as Odin. Tallee and I both look behind us in fear of our sorry hides. As I thought, our wizened, battle-worn, and winged mentor stands behind us in the doorway, his wings just fitting through. He looks at us with calm blue eyes. His short hair having long since grayed. He strokes his notably-sized beard as he usually does.

                "M-Mentor! Uhhh, w-we're sorry we're not in our quarters, i-it was Xylan's idea!" As I assumed, my partner in crime shifts the blame to me. I'm used to it, she always thoroughly regrets breaking even the smallest rules.

                "Do not worry, I'm not about to tell the Lord Sentinel. You're not the only one who gets yelled at." At this, I sigh in relief. Our mentor looks over to what we were looking at and he frowns when he sees an image of what the Harpy once was, the Valkyrie.

                He sighs. "You just couldn't wait until morning, could you?"

                I shrug. "I honestly thought I'd find more on the Harpy."

                Tallee butts in. "I thought I could get some sleep, but then you dragged me into this." She gives me a stern expression and puts her hands on her hips.

                Our mentor chuckles once again. "You can go back to your quarters, Tallee, I'll have a chat with Xylan. About things that the Codex neglects."

                "Oh, you just said that so I'd want to come and hear too, didn't you mentor?"

                A hearty chuckle comes from our mentor. "Well, now I know you were listening when I started teaching you how to take advantage of our psychology. Come. Both of you."

                We walk through the door into our mentor's quarters. The room is big and elaborate, as are most of the high-ranking Sentinels' quarters. Sentinels of the Sentinels of Shadow, mind you. Not the machines called Sentinels. The room has a huge window that has an amazing view of Jupiter, but oddly enough, our mentor hates the sight of Jupiter, for reasons he hasn't explained. A large bed that even a king would lack is found to the right of the window, facing the wall adjacent.

                 We walk down the small set of stairs that lead down the bed's level and we head to the left, where a small table with three chairs is seen. This is where our mentor gives any lesson that doesn't involve any of three things: One, bashing face inwards. Two, Parkour. And Three, a mix of one and two. He teaches us the history of the Tenno, team coordination, observation, tactics, and leadership skills, along with many other subjects. Normally, he has us take notes on all of these.

                "So, what is it, mentor? Why are we here?" Tallee asks, tilting her head to the side a little bit, like she normally does when she asks questions.

                "There are a few details that the Codex purposely left out about the Harpy. Mainly because I left them out because I knew at some point, you would go looking for information on her. I want to talk to you about said details. But first. I want to answer one question that Xylan asked me one day, after the Archmind was stolen. Do you remember what that question was, Xylan?"

                "Yea, whether or not there was a point to teach me anymore."

                "Yes. And now, after eight years, I feel both of you are ready to know what I have planned for you. Why I'm training you two as a pair."

                I lean closer, eager to know why I'm still being trained. Because I don't see the Harpy getting out of the Void any time soon.

                "I am training you two to take my, and the Valkyrie's place. And, if the need arises, to kill the Harpy. I know that she will find her way out sometime. She's savage, but she is very clever. And Xylan. I am still training you to possess the Archmind. I know that she will arrive soon. It's only a matter of time."

                "How do you know?"

                Our mentor seems grim. "She knows her way through an Orokin tower. Their architecture is very predictable. But now, to tell you the details of why she became the Harpy."

                Tallee seems interested now, we both are. The Harpy is an enigma to us. I knew her briefly before she turned, but I never knew what happened to her that made her lose her wings and her beautiful Warframe.

                "Before I found you, Xylan, I was wandering Europa, and the Valkyrie's cryopod, near Jupiter, was found by the Corpus."

                I assumed at the moment I heard "Corpus" that this would end horribly for the Valkyrie. I knew how groggy and crappy it feels to wake up from just an hour of cryosleep. Imagine waking up after decades, if not centuries after falling asleep. She probably didn't stand a chance.

                "She was captured by them. She was de-winged, her Warframe torn to pieces. Her mind...." I swear I see a small tear form in the old man's eye. "broken."

                "It took months, but at some point, she was no longer what she used to be. She constantly shifted from furious to downright terrified. Either by what could happen to her, what she was becoming, or what she could do to us." Our mentor wipes his eye. "To Karn, it was horrible to watch. I never was there to see the whole process, but I can imagine how painful it must have been."

                I look to see Tallee, one who was easily touched, wiping her eyes. She's pretty sensitive, so she's prone to crying at tales like this one.

                "How could someone inflict enough pain on someone to drive them mad? What kind of monster...?"

                "Alad V. Before he was infested, he created a twisted machine known as the Zanuka. Made from the Warframes of our brethren dissected in their laboratories. But they started by building off of the skeleton of Sylvia's Warframe. She was the first prototype to them. A means of infiltrating minor Tenno relays and slaying everything from within via neural control. Using a collar attached to her Warframe and a device used by Alad V."

                Tallee seems confused. "Sylvia?"

                "That was her name. Sylvia."

                "Oh, okay." Tallee wipes tears from her eyes again.

                "When Karn found her, she was a mess. Blood soaked, quivering, and her self-trust was nearly nonexistent. Inside, I saw she had a disdain of the Lotus, I guess for two reasons. One, she blindly followed her word, thinking that She would be sure to send a squad to find her. And two. She never sent anyone to rescue her. Whether it was because her Warframe's distress beacon was disabled or some other reason, the Lotus never even realized what happened to the Valkyrie."

                "How did she go off the edge? Didn't you restore her?" Tallee queries.

                The old man lets off a sad chuckle. "That's the sad irony of it all. What was meant to bring her back, only sealed her fate. The Archmind tempted her as it restored her Warframe, with this so-called 'warmth.' She was driven mad by it, making her think she needed it. She thought we were betraying her, but we were only trying to help her."

                "Did she... actually kill..." Tallee seems disturbed.

                "Yes. She did kill those two Tenno. Kyla and Sylus. Those were their names."

                "Didn't they do anything before you tried to restore her?"

                Our mentor nods. "A Nyx-user tried to help, but Sylvia was already beyond the help of another Tenno. What I did was a last resort. I wouldn't have done it otherwise. Obviously, it was probably the worst mistake I have ever made. She has her wings, the Archmind, and a burning hatred towards anything that lives."

                The old man gets up and sends us off to our quarters a few minutes later, noticing that we seemed rather tired. I enter my quarters, which is considerably smaller than my mentor's. It's a rather small room with a dresser, closet, bed, and a moderately sized window at the back of the room. I lay on my bed and begin to think through all my mentor just explained to us.

                Damn. The Valkyrie, one of the most legendary heroes of the Old War, master strategist and even better combatant, can fly, and has complete dominance over the Archmind, has a boiling hatred towards everything. Including us. And according to our mentor, will get out of the Void within our lifetime. Wonderful.

                After a couple of minutes, I end up closing my eyes and falling asleep.

                When I wake up, I see Tallee standing over me, looking as stern as ever.

                "C'mon! We're going to be late for our lessons! Mentor went off on a reconnaissance to inspect each of the known Void Portals, so Karn is teaching us, and you know how early his are."

                I let off a tired and disappointed moan. It's not that I don't like Karn, no, I like Karn as a teacher, it's just how bright and early he expects us to be up.

                "Y-Yea... I'll be up in a.... be up in a minute...." At this Tallee drags the covers off my bed and me after, and I fall to the floor.

                "Ow! What was that for?"

                "We don't have a minute! And you woke me up in the middle of the night."

                I chuckle. "Actually it was after midnight."

                "I'm glad it hurt then." Tallee and I may seem we're always at each other's throats, but we're actually great friends, I just like getting on her nerves. And it's early in the morning, and she's never agreeable in the morning.

                "Alright, alright, I'm coming, just let me get changed."

                "Don't need to, Karn just said to come as you are."

                At this, I feel excited. Our mentor told us that most Tenno don't need to wear anything specific under their Warframe, most of them just wear casual wear or even sleep wear underneath. This might mean our Warframes are finally finished.

                "Alright, I'm coming."

                We hastily make our way to the training complex and head to where Karn usually trains us, and we see him sitting in the center of the room, in his stone-grey Rhino-class Warframe, patiently waiting.

                "Sorry we're late master Karn." Tallee jabs her thumb in my ribs. "This one decided to sleep in."

                "Oh come on, Tallee, we're like a minute late, not much to apologize for."

                We hear the amused chuckling from Karn. Who, at the moment, is substituting our mentor as a master, which are two different things. A mentor is dedicated to training recruits where a master is usually a commander and/or strategist that can double as a teacher. Our mentor tells us that the Lord Sentinel chose him not only as a Sentinel Master but also as his second-in-command because he is a skilled strategist, gets along with nearly every other Sentinel, has great leadership skills, and is a trusted friend of the Lord Sentinel.

                "You two never stop bickering at each other, do you?" Karn looks at us with an amused grin.

                "We'll stop when the Earth stops spinning."

                "He'll stop being a jackass, too. I hope."

                "Jackass?" I chuckle. "I've ranked up from idiot?"

                "Yea, you'll be a complete imbecile if you keep at this rate." Our bickering has changed to just kidding around.

                "Alright, enough out of you two, let's get to your training." Karn is grinning, but trying to look serious. "Can you guess why I've asked something unusual out of you two?"

                "To come here in sleep wear?"

                "Yes."

                "I'm guessing it has something to do with our Warframes." I propose.

                Karn smiles. "Exactly. Follow me."

                We follow Karn to the armoury, a place I've only ever been to once, and that was when I was only ten years old. The place looks a lot smaller than I remember, but nonetheless, filled with many weapons and other things. Karn leads us to a room Kyran never let me into, the foundry. Many different Tenno of the Sentinels used to take shifts using it, but recently we've recruited a Tenno very skilled with tools of creation such as the foundry.

                Tallius, a Vauban-user, looks over to us as he finishes an elegant blade, it doesn't have a hilt, but I can tell it is the blade of a Dragon Nikana, a blade sought after by many Tenno, but can only be used by high-ranking Tenno.

                "Ah, greetings, Karn! Oh, look at what we have here, young Tallee and Xylan, it's good to see you both."

                Tallius is rather aged, probably around forty biological years old. He has a scruffy beard around his chin, and hints of grey can be seen in his hair. He looks at us with his dark brown eyes, in a welcoming manner.

                "I can only assume you're here to introduce the young ones to their Warframes?"

                "Of course."

                The craftsman leads us to a large room, filled with weapons I've never seen in my life, giant guns, swords, hammers, and axes. So big I couldn't even see Karn wielding even the smallest weapon in the room. Then I see the Archwings near the end of the room and understand that the lack of gravity in space takes care of all the weight.

                "How long until-"

                "Four years until we can even begin to train you on how to use an Archwing."

                "Oh."

                "We're almost at the Warframes. You two will not be disappointed when you see them."

                When we arrive at the room where our Warframes are kept, the look of them stun me. They aren't nearly as intricate or ceremonial looking as their Prime counterparts, but they still look amazing. Mine, the Experimental Odin, is covered in thick plates of armour, with many designs engraved in them, the shoulder plates has the symbol of the Lotus engraved in them. My Warframe is overall bulky, but that doesn't matter much to me. Then I realize that it's lacking wings.

                "What about the wings?"

                Karn chuckles. "Kyran's wings aren't part of his Warframe. They're part of him. Yours and his would look very similar when they are unequipped."

                "Do we get wings?"

                Tallius answers. "Well, not in the way you'd expect. See, the Warframes use the energy stored to create artificial wings, made of a material that acts very much like...." Tallius pauses, as if he cut himself off. Karn finishes his sentence.

                "The Harpy's claws."

                "Yes. They are basically made of pure energy, able to catch wind and lift you off just like Kyran's."

                "Okay. What are we waiting for? Let's hop in!"

                "Not as easy as that. We need to go under many procedures before you can enter your Warframe, for the first time anyway."

                "Why just once?"

                Tallius explains. "Well, you see, the Warframe, being made up of Technocyte, acts very much like a living being. Because of this, the Warframe has the ability to, well, reject you. The conditions have to be accurately met before it will even let you create a bond with it."

                "What happens if it rejects me?"

                "It can seriously damage your nervous system."

                "So, it could paralyze me?"

                "If it intends to, yes."

                "Great."

                "Don't worry, it very rarely happens because we take the right precautions before we put you in."

                After Tallius sticks some note worthily large needles in our arms, backs, and very carefully in our necks, we are prepared to enter our Warframes. Not sure what was in those needles or what they're doing to my body, as long as I can move after this, I don't care what they put in my bloodstream.

                "Word of warning, even when the Warframe's standards are met, it won't be happy you're walking into it, and will make it quite painful, but after a couple minutes, it should stop, and you should have complete control over it. So, who's first?"

                "I'll go first, want to get this over with." I declare. To be fully honest, I didn't want to be warned how painful it was going to be.

                "Alright, I'll open up the Warframe for you. Oh, one last thing, your nervous system will be occupied with retaliating to the Warframe's resistance, so you won't be able to do anything but breathe and feel the pain."

                Oh, wonderful.

                The Warframe opens from the chest, it smoothly comes apart into different segments. I step into it, placing my arms and legs where Tallius instructs. Suddenly, the Warframe closes around me and all goes quiet. I cannot see anything. Not because everyone shut up, or because I went blind,  but because the Warframe isn't on, the light wave and sound wave receivers aren't working. I feel alone in here.

                Suddenly a huge jolt of pain surges through my body, and I cannot move anything. I feel like screaming but I can't.

                God damn! This hurts so much! It's unbearable!

                This pain goes on for several minutes, but it feels like hours, even days. When it ends, I can see, hear, and move again. The devices holding the Warframe up let go of me and I fall. I decide to look as badass as possible and land on one foot, one knee, and my fist, but my body decides otherwise. Still shaky and disoriented from all the Warframe threw at me, I fall on my face in the most humiliating way possible.

                I look up, and instead of seeing the mocking expression Tallee makes when I do something like that, she looks terrified. She thinks something happened to me.

                "Holy crap, Xylan are you okay!?"

                I let off a chuckle. "Yea, I'm fine, just a little messed up by the whole 'Getting-to-know-each-other.' But, I could use a hand."

                Tallee offers to help me up, I grab her arm and she pulls me up, with seemingly considerable effort.

                "Damn, that Warframe's heavy."

                "Sure it's just not my muscle?" I flex my arms.

                "Well, the Warframe certainly left your brain alone."

                We both laugh, but it's clear that Tallee is nervous about entering her Warframe. I put my hand on her shoulder. My heavy-plated, grey and white, !-kickingly badass hand, in an effort to comfort her a little.

                "Don't worry too much, it's not as painful as you might think." This is pretty true. It's really painful, but not nearly as much as I imagined.

                "Alright."

                After we watch Tallee enter her Warframe and undergo the whole process, she steps off the platform on which she was standing and falls in a similarly embarrassing manner.

                "Need a hand?"

                She looks up and nods a little. "Yea."

                I help Tallee up off the ground with minimal effort, either her Warframe is really light or mine enhances my lifting capabilities.

                "God, that hurt."

                "Does it hurt that much every time we enter our Warframe?"

                Karn shakes his head. "Not nearly as much. It still hurts, but not as much. Which is why some Tenno don't like getting out of their Warframe, they don't like the pain."

                "Mentor also said something about it feeling like their skin."

                "That is also a factor to why some Tenno stay in their Warframe. They are, in a way, too comfortable."

                Tallius decides to pitch in. "You see, when a Tenno and their Warframe create a bond, the Warframe acts as their skin. You can accurately feel the texture of objects, it hurts to get shot, and having the Warframe taken off without the proper equipment will feel like you are being skinned alive."

                "Damn."

                "In fact, some Tenno have a fear of taking their Warframe off. I've known one who had that fear, he said he felt naked without it, even with casual wear on."

                "Alright, so we're in our 'Frames, let's get some action!"

                My sudden burst of zeal sends a pulse of energy through my body, and I hear a loud "Fwoosh!"

                "Wow... Xylan... your wings..." Says Tallee in a voice filled with awe.

                I look over my shoulder and see wings of blue energy sprouting from my back.

                "H-Holy crap! That's awesome!"

                I don't know how, but I move my wings a bit, but not enough to make a considerable movement in the air.

                Karn looks surprised, but his expression returns to normal. "Xylan, do you know how to turn them off?"

                "No friggin' clue."

                Tallius seems baffled. "I don't know how they activated in the first place, there isn't any energy in the Warframe's energy storage, they shouldn't be activated."

                "Maybe the Warframe's just real glad to see me now."

                "Seriously Xylan?"

                "Actually, Xylan, you could be right, some Warframes might feel attached to their wearers, as if it wants to create a partnership between them, and normally, the wearer has a born talent for that Warframe, as if they were meant for each other." Tallius explains.

                Tallee speaks in a joking tone. "Awww, did you hear that? Something actually likes you."

                I laugh and playfully push Tallee's shoulder, but I think I applied more force than I intended, because Tallee nearly falls over.

                "Calm down, I was only joking."

                "I know, this thing is just really touchy, didn't mean to push you so hard."

                "Well, let's hope our 'Frames will be easy to get used to."

                I notice that my wings have disappeared.

                "Huh. Well, it'll be handy to learn how to use control these things."

                "That's exactly what we are going to do. Follow me." Karn instructs.

                We follow Karn back to the training complex and we begin.

                "Now, one thing to remember about your Warframe is that in order to efficiently flow through the battle-"

                We hear the door open and we see our mentor walk in.

                "Ah, greetings, Kyran. You arrived just in time."

                "And why's that, Karn?"

                "Because I honestly have no idea how to teach them how to use their powers efficiently."

                The old man chuckles. "Nor did I expect you to, Karn, I can teach them though, not to worry. You can return to your duties."

                "Thank you, Kyran."

                Our mentor begins our first lessons on how to operate our Warframes effectively. From first learning how to use the abilities we can use to our first steps to taking flight. I've told our mentor how I was able to materialize my wings without the energy required and my mentor did not seem surprised.

                "That's because that is how I intended them to be designed. I gave Tallius the designs and he followed them with pinpoint accuracy. He didn't know, but, he ended up making them to work very similarly to how each of you behave and work."

                Tallee asks: "So my Warframe and I also have this bond?"

                "Precisely."

                We continue on with our physical training until our mentor instructs that we head to the armoury to where the rest of the Warframes are kept, and take them off at our reserved spots. We do so and Kyran takes us to his quarters and he teaches us the history behind Warframes and how they work and behave, including how each one behaves differently than  another, such as a Frost Warframe and a Rhino Warframe.

                "A Rhino behaves very differently than a Frost. A Rhino is much more reckless and violent, eager to get into the action, this does not mean the user fits these properties, Karn is a prime example of that. A Frost is much more collected, tactical, and patient, which, coincidentally, fits the Lord Sentinel's personality in a couple ways. Sometimes, a Warframe can end up changing its wearer, this is very rare, but I've seen it happen. Make sure you're taking notes on all of this. By the end of these lessons, I'll have explained the differences of every Warframe, so pay attention."

 

                                                                                       -------

 

                I stare out a giant window in an even larger room, which, because of how damned old the place is, is very dark. Large and ancient pillars come down from the ceiling so high it is almost out of sight. I can hear the obnoxiously repeating sounds of construction travelling through the giant halls and chambers of this fortress from the factory, which is not too far from this very room. I am pleased by what I see through this needlessly large window.

                I can't help but laugh, laugh at the impending doom of the Lotus and her pawns. Over the eight, long, years of watching this single Sentient factory working away and building me an army, of having the only thing to talk to being the damned Archmind, of writhing in my own fury, waiting for revenge, the time is nearly here. The dawn of a new age is approaching. I will show the Lotus who she has neglected, for all these long years. I look upon an army of Sentients, not only of infantry, siege machines, but also of dreadnaughts, battleships, and carriers. An army so large, that it can dwarf even the Grineer's army. An army so advanced, it dwarfs the advancements of even the Corpus. And this army is under my control. Nothing can stop me. My thoughts on how I might kill the Lotus is interrupted by the annoying, depressed, but very useful, Archmind.

                Har-

                As soon as I hear the Archmind nearly call me a wretched Harpy, I feel infuriated.

                "You are to refer to me as Valkyrie!!!"

                O-Of course.... Valkyrie.... I have detected something you might not want to overlook....

                "Spit it out!"

                The Titan........

                Hearing the mentioning of the Titan causes me to smile. The Titan is a legendary Sentient war machine, said to have not existed, only to be a bluff. It is a colossal bipedal machine, armed with the most advanced Sentient weaponry. Nothing could stand a chance against it. I begin to laugh maniacally.

                When I cease my laughter, I give the Archmind my command. "Send a squad of Hoplites to investigate immediately."

                Of course, Valkyrie

                "That's master Valkyrie to you."

Edited May 13, 2015 by Crazyninjadude12

[Crazyninjadude12]

Age of the Harpy Chp. 2

Approaching Storm

 

               

                Sitting on the rim of the fountain in the center of the grand hall, I look about the giant room. A row of pillars run across the length of the room and tower above all else. A small, elevated platform is visible, not far from the fountain I sit at.

                I look across the room and see Silvee and Talea sitting together against one of the many pillars. Silvee, being an energetic Zephyr-user, is almost never seen sitting. Today is rather uneventful, so I'm not very surprised to see this. Beside her, Talea, a rather quiet and shy Nova-user sits cuddled up beside her. The two are quite attached, and normally go to each other when times are tough. Ever since Sylvia betrayed us, Silvee was never the same again. The two were like sisters, learning of Sylvia's betrayal  broke her heart.

                I cannot say I blame her. Before Sylvia's turning, we were once lovers. I cared deeply for her and vice-versa. I couldn't help but feel grief upon learning this too. Because one day, I know I will have to fight her. Even possibly kill her. I don't want it to end that way, but it probably will.

                "Greetings, Karn."

                I look over my shoulder to see Sulvus, the Lord Sentinel, and my friend, taking a seat beside me.

                "Hey Sulvus."

                 Sulvus cracks a grin, but otherwise, there isn't much movement in his usually ice-cold expression, in which is his icy blue eyes reinforce his cold appearance. He has long white hair, going to the top of his neck. He also uses a Frost Prime Warframe, his already glorious appearance backed with a clever use of black, dark red, and white. At the moment, he is not wearing his Warframe, but rather a dark grey trench coat made of light fabrics over some casual wear.

                Not too far behind, I see Jyce, his lover. An Ember Prime user who sticks with its normal colour scheme. She has amber coloured hair which goes down to the top of her neck, and topaz-yellow eyes that seem to glimmer in the light. Similar to Sulvus, she is not wearing her Warframe, but instead of a trench coat, she wears an old, sleeveless shirt, which has so many stains one would be convinced she has an alcohol problem, which she does not. She also wears a pair of sweatpants. She and Sulvus have an "Opposites Attract" kind of relationship, where Sulvus is more calm, collected, formal, and cold, Jyce is hotheaded, impatient,  informal, and friendly.

                "Sup, Karn?"

                "Not too much, Jyce. In fact, pretty much nothing at all."

                "Ah, same here."

                Jyce seats herself close to Sulvus, leaning up against him. Sulvus brings his arm around her shoulders.

                Jyce continues. "Hate days like this, where nothin' seems to pop up. No alerts, no conflicts, nothin.' Just drags the day on and on."

                "Indeed. Though, I suspect that things will change for the worse, things seem to have been going unsettlingly swimmingly." Sulvus replies. He always seems to have a pessimistic view of things, whether it be a patch of good luck, or bad luck, or days like these, where he suspects it'll go badly. Though I guess it's his way of preparing for the worst, being the Lord Sentinel. He feels that preparation should be the first priority when a cataclysmic event isn't happening. If there is, the priority's changed to die fighting, not that most of us share his ideals.

                "Oh c'mon, Sul, you always think that, and less than half the time you're actually right. Lighten up a l'il."

                Sulvus goes into one of his lectures about how he cannot "Lighten up" because of his duties as Lord Sentinel.

                "As Lord Sentinel, I cannot afford to let my guard down, or else the enemy could strike and take many lives, lives that could be saved if-"

                Jyce, of course, gets tired of Sulvus' lecture, and gives him a small peck on the lips.

                Once Jyce retracts, she chuckles and smirks. "You gave me the lecture before, Icy, and I'm pretty sure you gave it to Karn too."

                "Then you already know why I cannot 'lighten up,' Jyce."

                "It's not like the baddies are waitin' for ya to let your guard down, Icy. Pretty sure they don't even know where we are. You're actin' like Old Man Saligur."

                Saligur, he's an old, war-seasoned Chroma user who thoroughly believes that the Sentients are still out there somewhere, waiting. He trained Sulvus, Jyce, Kyran, and Sylvia. Ironically though, Kyran is biologically older than Saligur, but only because Kyran spent 50 years outside of cryosleep searching for the Archmind, totalling to a biological age of 70 years, where Saligur is only 65 biological years.

                I hear small footsteps making an approach towards us. I look up to see Silvee and Talea heading towards us. Silvee probably decided she was bored and wanted to talk to more people, and Talea probably decided she felt more secure around Silvee than by herself, with her other close friend, Tysa, absent. Silvee excitedly approaches us, her long, light brown hair bouncing up and down as she takes each step, with a small bounce. She has gleaming jade green eyes along with a few freckles here and there on her cheeks. Talea walks alongside her, but not quite as bouncily or excitedly. She has similarly long black hair, along with light brown eyes. She normally has a timid posture, usually very unsure of herself, and only really feels secure around Silvee or Tysa. 

                Silvee waves at us enthusiastically. "Hey guys! What's up?" Talea waves with her, but not nearly as excitedly. She does not say anything, she's usually very quiet.

                Jyce replies first, after returning the wave. "Nothing really, just really bored."

                Afterwards Sulvus replies. "I think the same applies to all of us, nothing seems to be happening."

                "Yea. Guess it's just one of those days." Silvee, despite standing in place, is always moving. When she stands in one place, she's normally shifting her weight from her toes to her heels, and vice versa, as she is now.

                "So, Talea, what's shakin'?" Jyce asks. She normally likes to see if she can get Talea to talk to her. She appreciates being replied to. Though, something completely out of the ordinary happens. Talea replies.

                After shrugging, Talea replies quietly. "Same as all of you. Nothing." Talea then proceeds to smiling sheepishly.

                Jyce widens her eyes in surprise. None of us really expected her to answer, but that's all we can get her to say. Because throughout the rest of the conversation, not another word comes from Talea's mouth.

 

------------

 

                I've nearly finished my daily patrol of all of the known locations of Void Portals for signs of the Harpy's return. I cannot let the Harpy escape without my knowing, if she were to escape undetected, she could claim many lives before we even realized she was in the Origin System. I cannot let that happen. Not now. When I land at a Void Portal on Europa, I realize that my worries could become true.

                I move as quickly as these old bones can move, following the fluctuations of Void Energy that finally lead me to the Portal. What I see shocks me.

                Before me stands a squadron of Sentient Hoplites.

                "It..... cannot be...." These Sentients seem different. They emit a faint, pale white glow. They are also behaving quite differently, instead of their easily-predictable shield wall formation, they stand in a formation similar to how Orokin soldiers once stood, resembling a spearhead.

                Suddenly, I can hear the maniacal laughter of the last person I wanted to hear.

                Once the laughing ceases, the voice of the Harpy can be heard via transmission. "And that's where you're wrong, old friend. It is. The Sentients. They all stand, under my rule. My, righteousness."

                "Righteous!? That's what you think you are!? You slaughtered your own kin gleefully! You took their helmets as trophies! Not only that, but you've resorted to the Sentients!" More maniacal laughter can be heard.

                "Oh, you old fool, Kyran. I never went to them. I, created them! I am their goddess! The Orokin made us so blind, Kyran. So very blind. The Lotus, even more so. So blind we follow her every whim, and think that she cares enough for us to help when we need it most! She, uses you! You are pawns to her!"

                A scoff can be heard. "But, even though blind, you are still a threat. And I cannot, and will not, let you impede my progress. Hoplites. Ignore him. I will have him taken care of."

                Just as the Harpy finishes her sentence, the Hoplites hastily glide past me. I prepare to give chase, but suddenly, a hulking mechanical figure barrels through the portal, about the size of a Liset. I know what it is. A Centaur. Normally used for siege purposes, Centaurs are made to crash through any fortification.

                As soon as it sees me, it lets off a metallic-sounding roar and charges toward me, hell-bent on crushing my bones beneath its fist.

                Deciding that the Centaur is the bigger threat, I take flight, narrowly escaping the giant fist of the hulking beast. It roars in outrage and sweeps its other hand in an attempt to swat me from the air, only to miss. I fly higher up into the air and dive towards the Centaur jab an energy-made version of Gungnir into a gap in its shoulder plate, in an attempt to jam it.

                Instead I'm blown backwards by a radial discharge of energy from within the Centaur, unable to regain flight, I fall to the ground a couple of meters away from the machine. It barrels towards me, only to be tripped by the wall of blades I've risen from the ground. Quickly, I stand and run towards my towering adversary, now face-first on the floor, and leap onto its head. I drive an energy-made copy of Gungnir into a gap in its armour plating in the neck area as I jump from the head to the back, and proceed to jam the joints of the Centaur's shoulders.

                In response, the machine bellows in fury as I begin to deal some actual damage to the Centaur. I know that the Centaur will soon free its joints, but aiming to disable its arms first always makes the fight shorter.

                As I suspected, the Centaur breaks free and proceeds to try to shake me off, but it is already too late for the machine. The final blow from my spear hits the desired location, its core. Its roars of fury turn to screeches of agony. I leap off the soon to detonate machine and take flight, making sure to be out of the blast radius.

                The Centaur explodes in a near deafening blast, sending me flying backwards, despite being far from the blast radius. When I hit the wall, I hear a bone break. I let off a grunt when I hit the floor, when I try to push off the ground with my arms, a sharp pain in my shoulder makes itself known. When I finally stand, I make my way back to extraction. The portal closed, and the Hoplites gone long before the end of the fight.

                "Ordis. Prepare an extraction. Do not delay for any reason."

                "Of course, Operator: Kyran. Ordis will make way immediately."

 

------------

 

                After the conversation with Jyce, Karn, Talea, and Silvee, I return to my quarters. When I enter my quarters, I am greeted by my Kubrow, Jakiro. He is a Sahasa Kubrow who has served me loyally for many battles. He has a blue and green coat, despite that the colours clash quite obviously, I appreciate his coat, it is uncommon and I feel that the colours suit him better than what the gene masking kits can offer. Jakiro barks happily at my presence and comes to me. I scratch him behind his ears before I make my way to my desk, which looks out the large window with a wonderful view of Uranus. Jakiro makes his way to my bed and lays down after making himself comfortable. Before I begin my less violent work at my desk, I go to inspect my gear, located in my personal armoury to the left of my desk.

                I cannot help but grin at the sight of my magnificent armoury. Consisting of my Frost Prime Warframe, and my weapons. Hydra Fang, my Reaper Prime, that has tasted the steel of many Hoplites. Bulwark's Bane, my Latron Prime, that has broken many Sentient shield walls. And Centaur Charge, my AkBronco Prime, which is improved to apply so much force, it could send a Cyclops stumbling backwards.

                After contemplating on the battles of the Old War, I walk to my desk, take my seat and I inspect my personal computer to see if I have gotten any messages related to the alliance we intend on forming. Or any news on a renegade Tenno who was once in our clan, whose name was Kino. He left about a month ago. I find no news on our Tenno, but I do receive a message from the other clan leader.

                I'm about to read the message when I hear a door open behind me, and the welcoming barks of Jakiro. I turn my head to see Kyran enter my quarters, holding his shoulder in pain and with a worried expression on his face. Right behind him Tygus, an Oberon user and our medic, enters, probably to get him to the med bay.

                Tygus attempts to grab his arm firmly, but is interrupted by a swift bashing movement of Kyran's wings.

                "Leave me alone, damn it! I will go to the med bay when I see fit! I have grave news that cannot wait!"

                Tygus looks to me. "Lord Sentinel?"

                "Let him be. He already made the effort of getting here, might as well let him make his news known."

                Tygus stands down.

                "The Sentients have returned. Under the Harpy's command."

                The words that come from Kyran's mouth, the only words that can make me feel dread, do exactly that.

                "What?"

                "You heard me correctly, Sulvus. The Harpy has control of the Sentients and she is using them as a means to hunt down the Lotus, or even wipe us out."

                "It.... it cannot be...."

                "That is exactly what I said. The Harpy has a way out. But she is waiting for something. When I arrived at the portal on Europa, seven Sentients stood before it. The Harpy commanded that they disregard me as she sent a Centaur after me. She is looking for something."

                "This is not good. I knew that this day was eerily uneventful. Too uneventful."

                "Do not tell anybody but those that you believe can take it. We want to keep morale as it is. She will take advantage of a demoralized foe."

                "Do you think I don't know her? Her dark side? I know what she intends to do by showing herself."

                "And so far, it's working."

                I look to Tygus. "Do not tell a soul. We cannot show any form of fear or demoralization."

                "Of course, Lord Sentinel."

 

------------

 

                Not once in my eight years of serving the Lord Sentinel, have I seen a look of dread, maybe even hopelessness on his face. Whatever the Harpy intends to do with the Sentients, it cannot be good. Nor can it be, in any form, minimal. After the Lord Sentinel dismisses the both of us, I take the old warrior Kyran to the med bay to tend to his broken shoulder blade.

                After many moments of grim silence, my curiosity gets the best of me, and I cannot help but ask Kyran exactly how devastating this can be.

                "Cataclysmic. It can mean the near extinction of the Tenno. If I assume correctly, She would have built an army using the Sentient factory in the fortress I unknowingly sent Her to. The Sentient factories are better than Grineer and Corpus factories in every way. So much so, that eight years could be enough to build an army big enough to dwarf even the Grineer's."

                After Kyran's answer, the room returns to its grim silence.

 

------------

 

                "B-Bigger than the Grineer's? Please tell me you're exaggerating, mentor......." Tallee seems truly terrified, and to be completely honest, I am too. An army more advanced than the Corpus and bigger than the Grineer's. All aimed towards us, and the Lotus. Maybe even at every Tenno that stands against the Harpy. I could not have been born at a worse time.

                "I never exaggerate. Especially at grim times such as now."

                "And She...... knows where we are.... doesn't She, mentor?" I ask, hoping that the old man would chuckle and say "No." But of course, that was only wishful thinking.

                "Exactly where we are."

                Tallee remains silent. After a couple of seconds, she hugs the nearest person, which is me. I hug her back, trying my best to comfort my distressed friend.

                "Mentor? How long do you think it will be until She attacks?" I hope we have time. I really do. I've only just got my Warframe. I add that in afterwards.

                "It seems She is looking for something. Waiting, almost. Do not worry, Xylan. Even if She attacks, she will send her minions first. You will have time to hone your skills."

                "But how much time does the dojo have? How long 'till She decides to flatten us like bugs under a boot?" I ask, with a hint of desperation.

                Our mentor remains silent.

                "How much?"

                Still silent.

                "How much!?"

                "I don't know!" The old man pauses. "I don't know." His grim expression turns to one of hopelessness.

                "These are dark times. And it has only just begun."

 

------------

 

                My gaze upon my glorious army of Sentients is interrupted by the voice of one of my many Sentient Oracles, along with the heavy footsteps of two Cyclopes.

                "Master Valkyrie."

                "Is it worth my time?"

                "A Tenno bearing the emblem of the Red Veil wants to speak with you, righteous leader."

                I turn around as I spread my wings in menacing manner to see an Ember-user, whose Warframe is similar to that of a bluish purple flame. She has pitiful weaponry. Only bearing a Heat Dagger, a Ballistica seemingly using Red Veil modifications, and an Ignis, a laughably crude weapon, but effective, nonetheless. I look to the pair of Cyclopes.

                "Why did you let this worm into my fortress!?"

                The Cyclops to the Tenno's right kneels.

                "The Tenno has offered information on a crazed Tenno who has been harassing the Hoplites making way to the Titan."

                I look once again to the offended Tenno.

                "Spit it out."

                "You think I'm just giving it to-"

                I glide towards her, grasp her throat, and bring my retracted flail to her throat, holding the weapon much like a single tonfa.

                "The information, for your pathetic life " I bring the beautifully cruel blade closer to her throat. "This blade can easily puncture that sorry hide you call a Warframe, girl. Life, or death, your choice."

                The Tenno barely chokes out a request for air. In response, I roughly shove her to the ground. She lands on her hands and knees, coughing.

                "Why betray your own kin, anyway, girl?"

                "He picked the wrong side..... *Cough* I've been sent to *Cough* get rid of him..."

                Disgusting. Another Syndicate dog who thinks they need a leader. A leader whose just as fake as the Lotus. They are all fake. They only lead the Tenno into a self-destructive hysteria. At least I don't send kin to fight one another. I don't kill fellow kin because they got on my leader's nerves. No. I kill my kin, because they betrayed me! Because they threw me in here! They left me in that wretched lab for years!

                I walk up to the Tenno and kick her down.

                "You disgust me, wretch. But, there is still hope for you."

                I let the Tenno get up.

                "The Veil is using you, you know that, don't you?"

                The Tenno shakes her head. "N-No... they need me... *Cough* I keep tabs on their enemies. W-Without me they'd be blind to the Arbiters..."

                 I laugh. "No, they don't need you. They fear you. So they weigh you down with their burdens to ensure you do not rise above them and strike them down. They use you so their enemies do not use you against them. No matter what, you are still being used! But I can help you! I can, free you! I can help you find your true power!"

                The Tenno seems confused, even possibly distressed. It is working. The fool actually believes what I am saying. This is good. Perhaps she does have some usefulness. Only time can tell.

                "Th-They...."

                I soften my expression, and despite my deep, loathing of the Tenno, I hold up her chin, and make sure she feels that I, the Valkyrie, will take her under my wing.

                "They all lie to you, and it hurts me to see that. I want to change that. I want to show you what you can really be."

                I call upon the Archmind.

                "Archmind, what can you do for this poor soul, what can you do to bring her to her full potential?"

                The Archmind begins to work. But only to show what can be done, to check if I am satisfied.

                Holograms of flames flowing across the Tenno's back can be seen, holograms of a more glorious version of her pitiful Warframe, holograms of my new warrior, my, Purifier.

                Does this satisfy you, oh glorious Valkyrie?

                "It is, beautiful. Wouldn't you agree, girl?"

                "I-It's.... amazing...."

                "It can be yours, girl, if you join me. If you show these Tenno the errors of their ways. With me."

                It is too late for the girl, as soon as she let the Archmind touch her, she let it into her mind. Even if she refused to join if the Archmind hadn't reached her, she cannot refuse now. She is mine.

                The Tenno bends her knee to me.

                "I pledge me allegiance to you, oh mighty and righteous Valkyrie."

                I smile as the Archmind begins to construct the Warframe that will become her prison.

                "Then it is yours. I trust you will also give me information on the Tenno that is disrupting my plans?"

                "Of course. His name is Kino. He is allied with the Arbiters of Hexis, he has long ago lost his sanity. He relies heavily on his Galatine above all else. As savage as he may seem, he is a force to be reckoned with."

                Ah, yes. Kino. I know of him, if things haven't changed, he is in the Sentinels of Shadow. The fool. He shouldn't be messing with forces beyond him. He will only be killed.

                "Do you know where he is?"

                "I am sorry. I do not know."

                "Do not worry. I have an idea to lure him from his pit. You were of Red Veil, were you not? If you bring his attention to you, he will surely come to find you."

                "Of course, I'm sure he is still eager to get his revenge for betraying him on Eris."

                "Perfect. Bring him to me once you find him."

                The girl leaves to complete her current objective.

                Her name is Enya. She was once friends with Kino, but she put her duty before friendship when Kino joined the Arbiters. Kino is eager for a chance to get his revenge. You made a wise decision to send her to lure him out.

                "Good. Good. Be sure that the Hoplites make it to their objective. I want the Titan. As soon as possible!"

                Of course, master Valkyrie.

Edited May 18, 2015 by Crazyninjadude12

[Crazyninjadude12]

Age of the Harpy Chp. 3

Greek Fire

 

                "We have to find the portal that leads to her! If we don't strike now, our race as a whole is at risk! You know she will stop at nothing!"

                "No, Sulvus, she has an army! We won't be able to touch her! Besides, we don't even know how to get to her!"

                "Then how did you send her there!?"

                "It was completely at random! I had no decision of where she went!"

                I take a deep breath, and clear my mind in an attempt to calm myself. I look the old warrior in the eye.

                "So what you're saying, Kyran, is that something with a one in a billion chance of happening, and if it did, would completely obliterate the balance we vowed to keep, is happening to us, right now?"

                The old man nods grimly, wearing a deep frown on his wizened face.

                "Precisely. And I will not allow you to give up hope before it even begins."

                "What if there was no hope to begin with!?"

                "Damn it, Sulvus!" Kyran, clearly fed up with my reasoning, winds back his fist and punches me across the face with a left hook. "Assuming a battle is lost before it has even begun will ensure, that it. Is. Lost!! Has our mentor not taught you that!?"

                I recoil from the punch and prepare to strike back before I hear the sound of my personal computer receiving a distress call.

                I give Kyran a glare before I go to check.

                What I see terrifies me.

                "Where is it coming from?"

                I do not respond.

                "Where!?"

                "Larunda......"

 

------------

 

                When I and three other Sentinels arrive at Larunda, what I see shocks me. The whole interior has been set ablaze, burnt corpses, empty bullet cases and pools of blood are strewn everywhere in the main building. Whoever did this surely paid no heed to the fact that his or her enemies felt pain. Because it seemed that everyone who was here suffered greatly before death.

                "Oh my god...... L-Lord Sentinel..... who would do this?" Asks one of the three Sentinels I brought with me.

                I crouch and inspect one of the many burnt corpses in the room. "I don't know.... but these blade wounds.... A Grineer machete definitely didn't make them. It's too fine."

                "Are you saying a...... a Tenno did this, Lord Sentinel?" Asks another.

                "It cannot be the Corpus, they never used fire. Nor blade weapons."

                "What Tenno could bring themselves to do this? At such a large scale?"

                I sigh. "I fear I do not know." Of course this is a lie. I cannot let morale drop too low, because the Harpy will only make it worse.

                In the distance, I can hear three other Lisets dock with the blazing Relay. I look behind us, and after a couple seconds, I see a Frost Prime user with an all too familiar colour scheme of teal, black, and white, and wielding an all too familiar claymore, the Galatine. I automatically recognize him as Kino, ex-Sentinel. He is also accompanied by two other Tenno, one with an Ash Warframe, following a black and grey colour scheme, and what appears to be an Excalibur Prime from this distance.

                When they arrive at the center of the room, where my Sentinels and I stand, he speaks.

                "Hey."

                "Greetings, Kino. I see you made some friends, an Ash and a Pri- wait.... no. I appear to be mistaken. And offended. To pretend you have achieved such an-"

                "Let's focus on the place that's burning around us, pal."

                I clear my throat, and cast the Excalibur user an unseen glare. "Of course."

                "How long has it been burning?"

                "Long before I got here. It seems that whoever did this didn't want anyone helping the Relay, but wanted our attention. And did exactly that."

                "Did you look in the other rooms yet?"

                "No. We were just about to."

                "Then let's go."

                We start with the Syndicate chambers. First we check New Loka, burned. Next is Perrin Sequence, incinerated.  We then check Red Veil, which Kino refused to enter, it was also burned. We proceed to check Cephalon Suda, the room was burnt, but no doubt the crafty Cephalon escaped. We enter Steel Meridian's chamber to see it set ablaze. Lastly we check the Arbiters or Hexis' chamber, it is also burned, but etched into one of the walls is a location. A location that Kino seems very, very interested in. After a couple of seconds, he bursts out into maniacal laughter.

                My Sentinels and Kino's friends both seem to move about uncomfortably as he laughs. When he stops, he simply mumbles:

                "You better hope I'm in a good mood when we meet. You better."

                "Kino?"

                Kino looks to me. Even though I can't see his expression through his helmet, I can tell he is quite pleased by the coordinates he received from that etching.

                "Yea?"

                "You alright?"

                "Couldn't be better!"

                Kino prepares to leave the room in a rush, mumbling to himself, as I would expect, but before he leaves, he speaks.

                "Hey, you know that clan you're making an alliance with?"

                "How do yo-"

                "'Cause I'm the clan leader."

                I pause.

                "Why am I not surprised?"

                Kino shrugs, and walks away.

                I walk towards the etching and see coordinates that lead to a Corpus carrier in Europa. I can only assume that this is where the killer is waiting. I'm sure that Kino is heading there for more reasons than just to avenge these people, because the words, Kino, come and get me are etched under the coords. He's looking for revenge. But I doubt whoever did this brought his attention thinking they can take Kino on alone. It's most likely that this has something to do with the Harpy. Because no Tenno could bring themselves to burn hundreds of their fellow Tenno alive. Not without killing themselves out of guilt. But it cannot be the Harpy who has done this, she never saw fire as a viable weapon, crude in her opinion.

                "Lord Sentinel? A-Are we done here? There's...... nothing left......"

                "You may leave. I will remain to look for any leads. If there is any left, that is."

                "Th-Thank you, Lord Sentinel."

                "When you three arrive, get some rest. After what you've seen, you deserve it."

                "Of course Lord Sentinel, thank you."

 

------------

 

                "Wait...... L-Larunda? Destroyed?" Oh god. First our mentor tells us the Harpy has an army, now that Larunda's been obliterated by fire. And that it couldn't be extinguished. Like Greek Fire. Worst time to be born, ever.

                The old man speaks in a grim and raspy voice. "Yes. The Lord Sentinel has just arrived from investigating the ruins further. Let's hope he found something."

                "Mentor? Didn't you teach us about something called Greek Fire?"

                "Indeed, Tallee. Indeed I did. I fear that whoever or whatever destroyed Larunda has a plentiful supply of it. To burn a whole Relay. A single container cannot do that much damage."

                "Mentor, do you think it was the Harpy?"

                "No. The Harpy despises fire. She shuns it, thinks it as an imbecile's weapon. She has an ally."

                "Great. Fantastic. The Harpy's got a friend who uses Greek-friggin'-Fire!"

                We hear the door to our mentor's quarters open to see the Lord Sentinel.

                "Kyran, get your gear. We might have found where the Harpy might be."            

                "How do you know, Sulvus?"

                "The Harpy's friend has a connection with Kino, and not a positive one. I fear that She is using her friend to lure Kino to her, for whatever reason."

                "So we're going to join him?"

                "He doesn't know this. But he will not survive the endeavor, I know it."

                "Then let's go. No time can be wasted."

                "Are we coming?"

                "No."

                "Oh come on! This is what you trained us for!"

                "You are not prepared! And I do not believe that this will be our last encounter with her."

                The two seasoned warriors leave the quarters and make way to their Lisets.

               

------------

 

                When we arrive at where I believe Kino is headed to and enter the ship we find, we see Kino not too far ahead, and what we see at his side disgusts me and infuriates Kyran. What we see is the Zanuka, bearing Kino's colour scheme. Kino has made a deal with a devil. The wrong devil.

                "Kino! How could you do this!?" Bellows Kyran, as loud as his old lungs can allow him.

                The madman turns to look at us and immediately tries to explain himself.

                "Look, it was the only wa-"

                "Only way!? You idiot!" The old man takes flight and bolts towards Kino, bearing his fists. "How could you turn to that, that worm for help!? How could you bring yourself to use that walking graveyard!?"

                "Alad is the only one who knows ho-"

                Kyran quickly speeds in front of him and hits him square in the face with a powerful left hook and before Kino recovers, hits him again with a right hook. Kino tries to retaliate but he is already struck down. Now on his hands and knees, Kino is at Kyran's mercy.

                "You don't know what you've done!"

                "I know.... I know exactly what I've done."

                "Then you're an even bigger imbecile than I thought!"

                Kyran grabs Kino by the arches atop his helmet and swings him into a wall, again, and again, and again.

                The Zanuka begins to screech.

                "I can..... sick this thing on you......"

                "And I'll put it down, like we should've years ago."

                I decide to intervene once I've decided I was satisfied.

                "Kyran. That's enough." I turn to Kino, who has been thrown to the ground, and has recovered from Kyran's assault. "Kino. You've very foolishly walked into a trap. I've come to suspect that your rival has lead you to the Harpy's territory. For whatever reason, she wants you dead."

                "Then why are you here?"

                "To make sure you get out of here alive while killing a mass-murderer."

                "Not the Harpy?"

                "She won't be killed, no matter how hard we try. She will swiftly and effortlessly destroy the Zanuka, and us after."

                Kyran walks off ahead, but waits for us at the door. Kino gets up, but before I make my way ahead of him, I look over my shoulder at him.

                "Are you proud of yourself, Kino? Are you pleased by what you've done? Do you realize that you've potentially created another broken Valkyrie? You've caused another Tenno to break under years of being torn to pieces and desecrated? Having another Tenno's sanity fall apart as they watch? Do you realize, that this could happen again?"

                I feel something rub against my leg, I look down and am disgusted to see the Zanuka nuzzling against it.

                "Get that walking graveyard off of me!" I kick the abomination, sending it tumbling backwards.

                I look back at Kino, who seems to have just realized what he has done. "Next time you make a decision that others question, think it through for once."

                "I had the Lotus' per-"

                "To hell with the Lotus' permission! Not everything she decides is better for all of us. You disappoint me, Kino. Even I saw better in you. And that's saying something."

 

------------

 

                We arrive at a relatively large chamber in the Corpus ship. As soon as we enter, the voice of a female Tenno can be heard, not belonging to the Harpy.

                "Ahhhh, Kino! You've finally arrived! Oh, and it seems you've brought some friends!" A Tenno wearing a Warframe vaguely resembling an Ember jumps into view, flames flowing down her back, and lines fire slithering around her body. "No matter. More of the Valkyrie's adversaries to cleanse!"

                The Tenno leaps from above us to our level, landing right in front of Kino, who wields a Galatine made of ice, and wears the wretched collar that controls the horrid skin that is the Zanuka. The voice of the Harpy is heard.

                "Not so hastily, Purifier. You can have the madman, the other two ar-" A sickly pale light can be seen above us, at its center, the Harpy can be seen. She seems to have noticed the collar that controls the wretched beast, for she is quivering in fury.

 

------------

 

                The Zanuka!? How could those worms stoop so low as to call upon Alad V for help!? How could they be so, so traitorous, as to fight alongside the damned Zanuka!?

                "You wriggling maggots! So weak, so, spineless as to call upon the worm Alad V! You are no better than the coward!! You are worse than him!! To prolong our brethrens' misery to fight alongside you! To control it, instead of ending its damned pain!"

                I extend the energy chain that connects my flail's blade to its hilt, and swing it around as I do so.

                "You are worse than I thought. Purifier! End their pathetic existence. Cleanse them in your light. The winged one, is mine."

                At these words, I dive towards Kyran, my flail waving behind me. I stop a few feet away from him and swing viciously, the flail's blade gliding beautifully at the end of the chain. The foolish old man attempts to parry the flying blade, it wraps around his pathetic spear and we both get the same idea. Pull.

                The old man's spear flies from his hands, and to the ground. Upon hearing the clattering of the weapon hitting the ground, I sneer.

                "It seems your closest ally has left you, old friend." I chuckle when a copy of his spear forms in his hands. I raise my free hand to call upon the Archmind as he charges towards me. The spear of energy suddenly causes him to plummet downwards. I look to see the Purifier pursuing the two Frost Primes. The Purifier hollers at them.

                "You only delay your cleansing! Step into the light, and be pure!" Her sentence is punctuated by fire leaving her fingertips. I dive towards Kyran, who has realized that the Archmind makes his powers useless.

                The old man takes flight, spear once again in hand. He tries to join his friends, but the blade of my flail finds its place between his ribs. I pull him towards me as I cherish in his raspy cries of pain. I fling him into a nearby cargo container, and he falls to the floor once again.

                I land in front of him, laughing maniacally as the chain of my flail retracts to change into a single tonfa. I hold it like a tonfa and approach my old friend.

                "Time has grown tired of you, old friend. Any final words?"

                I hear the shattering of a window, and a dismayed scream from my Purifier. I look to the source. Kyran takes this opportunity to make a mad dash for the door, and I pursue him. My adversary narrowly escapes through the door before it slams shut.

                I let off a maniacal laugh as I easily cut through the door with the assistance of the Archmind.

 

------------

 

                "Sulvus! Kino! We need to leave! Now!" A sharp pain gnaws at my side as I fly for my life. I hear the maniacal laughter of the Harpy as she pursues. I hear the shrill cries of the Zanuka as it leaps for the Harpy. It is cut clean in half by her flail.

                Soon after, I feel a sharp pain in my wing, and I crash to the floor, and gradually roll to a stop. I get up to narrowly parry my adversary's blade, in tonfa form. She prepares for another strike, this time we lock blades.

                "You only delay your demise, old man. Submit now, and your end will be swift!"

                "Do you even realize what you are doing!? You are bringing turmoil to the hearts of your closest friends! You are bringing turmoil to the balance you vow-"

                "To hell with the balance!" She swiftly disarms me, but backs away, and paces slowly in front of me. "The balance took my wings! It took my sanity! It took my will! My freedom!"

                "You knew the sacrifices you were to make!"

                "Sacrifice? That's what it's about, now? Sacrifice?" The Harpy's tone seems to calm a little, but not in a good way.

                "My wings and my pride were not what I was prepared to sacrifice. But..... what are you prepared to sacrifice? Your wings? Your pride? Or maybe you'd rather sacrifice your dignity? Or your honour? Maybe..... your sanity? Like I did? What I was forced to sacrifice to keep myself from breaking completely in that lab."

                A bullet flies past the Harpy's head as she finishes her sentence. She looks to see Kino, and chuckle.

                "Ah, Kino, just who I was looking for. The one impeding my progress. The one weighing me down."

                "You can quit your complaining about sanity, it isn't that bad."

                The Harpy quivers in rage.

                "You never watched your sanity fall apart piece by damned piece!! You never watched yourself fall deeper and deeper into the pit that is insanity!!"

                The Harpy takes flight and charges toward Kino, her blade in flail form.

                Kino turns and leaps out of the window that I can only guess the so-called Purifier had been sucked out of, laughing hysterically as he does so. I do the same after grabbing Gungnir, knowing that my shields will prevent my guts from spilling out the giant gash the Harpy created.

                Instead of chasing, the Harpy only laughs, and recites a poem that brings the dread of realization to my heart.

 

He who makes even gods quake

He who makes the ground shake

Will show they who walk off the chosen path

Will show what it is to feel his ironclad wrath

The Titan approaches.

 

                She has found the Titan.

 

------------

 

                "Kyran, you cannot be serious. The Titan is a myth."

                "Sulvus, you are never one to discard something as false without confirmation. You know it."

                I look the old man, who is currently in the med bay, in the eye. I know what he says is true. One sure mark of a fool is he who claims something beyond his understanding as false. I sigh.

                "Are you absolutely sure?"

                "I think that Kino was the only thing that was preventing Her Hoplites from reaching their location."

                "And the Purifier was a distraction."

                "Exactly."

                I let off another troubled sigh.

                "Get some rest, old man. We will discuss this when you've recovered."

                "If I have time to, that is."

                I hear a disgruntled exhale coming from behind us. I look to see Karn.

                "So She's free, then?"

                "Yes."

                "When were you intending to tell me this?"

                "When the time has come."

                "She has the Titan?"

                "She's going to. It's too late to stop Her. As we were fighting the Harpy and her puppet, Her Hoplites had already made it to the portal."

                Karn sighs.

                "Do not tell a soul. Nobody is prepared to learn of this."

                "Yea. Got it." A look of both sorrow and dread can be seen in his face. He knows they will face off. That he will have to kill Her or She will kill him.

 

------------

 

                "Hey Karn! What's up?" I cheerily approach Karn, as I usually do. But I notice that he seems to be in a bad way.

                "Hey, Silvee."

                "What's wrong?"

                Karn closes his eyes for a second and shakes his head.

                "Bad memories, is all."

                "About.... about Sylvia.... isn't it?"

                "Yea.... you could say that."

                Karn's bad at hiding his feelings. I can tell he's really shaken about something. About Sylvia.

                "She's out..... isn't she?"

                "We need to keep this small."

                "Why?"

                "To keep morale up. If we show any sign of demoralization, she will make it a living hell for us."

                "Maybe..... maybe Sylvia's still in there somewhere..... waiting to get out.... maybe she can fight it."

                "The Archmind would have shut out anything left of the real Sylvia. She's only the Harpy now."

                "What if.... what if we made her drop the Archmind?"

                "Then... she would be back. But she has an iron grasp on it. And she keeps it hidden in her Warframe until she really needs it."

                I sigh.

                "Sylvia's not coming back..... is she?"

                "It's very unlikely."

                "She's going to have to die...... isn't she?"

                Karn pauses and sighs. He doesn't want to break it to me. But I get the message. Someone's going to have to kill her. I hug Karn and cry into his shoulder, weeping silently.

                "She will be missed. For she already is."

Edited May 26, 2015 by Crazyninjadude12

[Crazyninjadude12]

Age of the Harpy Chp 4

An Old Man's Ghosts

 

                They killed my sister! You've no idea what it feels like to have your sibling killed before your very eyes by those who lead you!

                I shiver as I recollect my final argument with Tyral, another winged Tenno of the Old War. Those who lead us may have thought I killed him, he being marked as a traitor, but I faked his death. I knew that the Sentients had manipulated him, using what the Orokin called the Mindbreaker. Thank all that is living I destroyed it. Not only did I free Tyral, but I prevented this dilemma getting any worse than it already is. I sit up in my bed in the med bay.

                "Tygus."

                "Yes, Elder?" Tygus replies. Never far from those who are injured.

                "Bring Xylan and Tallee to me. I have a job for them."

                "Not before I check your wounds for improvement."

                I attempt to spread my wings, trying to give myself and air of authority. But I cannot move my right wing much without tearing my healing tendon apart again.

                "I did not ask, I was ordering you."

                "The Lord Sentinel gives commands. An Elder offers insight, and advice."

                I let off a sigh, remembering my place.

                "I apologize, Tygus. I am on edge."

                "I understand the weight of which you carry on your shoulders. Your apology is accepted. Now, if you would let me see your wing."

                I extend my right wing as much as I can, grimacing in pain as I do so.

                "Hmm... It seems you won't be able to fly for a couple weeks."

                He investigates the large gash on my left, from the Harpy's improvised, but surprisingly refined flail, having been made of a pair of Kronen and a Bo, which must have been molded by the Archmind, for the blade and handle were connected by Void Energy. The helmets of her first two victims, Kyla and Sylus, could be seen along another chain at the bottom of the handle, dangling like twisted trophies.

                "Nor will you be able to fight, this wound goes deep. We are lucky your shields were able to hold your innards inside."

                "Wonderful." I say this sarcastically. "Now, if you wouldn't mind fetching Xylan and Tallee for me."

                "Of course." One thing I like about Tygus, he does not bug you about words said in the past, where Triss, a very missed friend, would say something like; "That wasn't much of a wait, was it?" Tygus would not bring it up at all.

                I lay down carefully, making sure not to lay on my wings, and wait patiently for Tygus to return with my apprentices. Since I cannot leave the Dojo without Sulvus having my head, I will send Xylan and Tallee to do what I think is absolutely necessary, to talk to Tyral, who has hopefully recovered from the Mindbreaker's influence, to rejoin his kin. They do not know Tyral, but Xylan knows of his rampancy, and will need convincing.

                "I have arrived with your apprentices, Elder."

                I look to see Tygus with my apprentices behind him.

                "Thank you, Tygus. If you would allow us some privacy."

                "Of course." At this, Tygus leaves the room.

                "What's this 'job,' mentor?" Asks Xylan.

                "First, take this." I reach for a Void Key, which has long withered with its linked Orokin Tower, which is now classified as a Derelict. "And take it to the Void Portal on Earth."

                "A Derelict Key? Mentor, I thought you didn't want us near a Derelict...."

                "This one is different. It houses a Tenno. One who I believe can help us. And has potent control over life forces. One's soul, to be exact."

                Tallee tilts her head. "Like a Nekros user?"

                "No. Much more powerful."

                Xylan narrows his eyes. He knows who of which I speak.

                "Tallee, go gather what you need. I need to speak with Xylan."

                "Of course, Mentor."

                Once Tallee leaves the room, Xylan makes his disdain known.

                "I thought you said you killed him!"

                "The storytellers told you that, Xylan, not I."

                "You never denied it!"

                "You never asked."

                "He's rampant, mentor!"

                "I've come to believe that is no longer true."

                "Oh yeah? How so?"

                "I will explain all of this later. Just do as I ask."

                Xylan still seems reluctant, but he complies.

                "Fine. But I want some answers."

                "Don't worry, you will."

                Tallee returns with her gear.

                "I got my things, you should grab yours, Xylan."

                "Yeah, I'll go do that." Xylan leaves the room, showing little proof of our argument affecting him.

                "I only hope you will not need your weapons. But I suspect you will."

                Tallee sighs. "Don't we all..."

 

------------

 

                "We arrived at Earth, Operators: Xylan and Tallee. Good luck on your mission."

                "Thanks Ordis, see ya' at extraction." I reply.

                We land at an unattended Grineer landing pad on Earth, not too far from the portal. I still think the old man's getting desperate, calling on a Kinslayer. Then again, wouldn't I? Wouldn't Tallee?

                "Time to give these bad boys a spin, can't wait!" I say this with as much fake free-mindedness I can muster. I can't take my mind off of how horrible the next, days, weeks, or even months are going to be. How catastrophic this will be for the Tenno.

                "If you want to sound convincing, try a little less fake cheer, that was more cheery than you usually are." Tallee says sarcastically. Ironically, more sarcastically than she usually is.

                "Yea, a little less sarcasm would help you, too." It's good that we can still pull each other's chains, at least the tension of recent events hasn't taken that away. 

                Tallee chuckles, and our jesting ends. "Funny. I would've thought mentor would be with us on our first mission."

                I nod. "Yeah. Well, let's prove that we can fend for ourselves."

                Tallee nods in agreement.

                We make way into the thick jungles of Earth, we are both amazed by the scale and sheer number of the trees here.

                "To think that this place had deserts, forests, and tundras."

                "Yeah...."

                "Let's move on."

                We find a Grineer patrol a few moments later. I excitedly draw my spear, not exactly Gungnir, but a new version of it. Tallee draws her sword and readies her shield, which the old man says was the Valkyrie's before she was captured. The gold trim was coloured a silver to match the colour scheme of her Warframe, which has not been changed from its white and grey. I haven't gotten to changing mine either, but I will at some point.

                I activate one of my abilities, what the old man calls Steel Rush. I am launched forward, preparing to impale one of the marines on my spear. It connects with a marine, running him through immediately. As soon as I make contact, I launch myself towards another marine, who hasn't even reacted to what just happened to his pal. One more body ran through by my spear, serving as a damn fine meat shield. I dash towards one last marine, who is recoiling in terror at what just happened to his pals and what's behind their corpses. Three enemies on my spear. I quickly change my grip and stick them in the ground with a copy of my spear made of pure energy.

                To my side, I see Tallee in a duel with a Scorpion, which seems to be in Tallee's favour. She disarms the Scorpion and runs it through.

                "A lot easier than the old man told us it was."

                "This was just a patrol, besides, I think the Sentients will be a lot worse."

                "No doubt about it."

                We continue and find a large clearing, with some Grineer architecture here and there. And a small, naturally-formed tunnel. The tunnel that leads to the Void Portal, I know it's there because the old man showed us where each Portal is. The place isn't attended, thankfully. I want to conserve my energy in case the Hades user is still rampant. We enter the tunnel and we find the Portal.

                "Here we are. You still got the key?"

                "Yep. Right here."

                I display the key in my hand, and look to the Torsion Beam device ahead of us.

                "Moment of truth. Let's hope this works." I approach the Torsion Beam and stick the key in the slot. The device whirs to life and it does its magic. After a couple seconds, the portal opens.

                I make a gesture to Tallee, offering her to go first. "Ladies first."

                She scoffs. "What, scared?"

                "Me? Pffft. Nah. Just trying to be gentlemanly."

                I can imagine Tallee rolling her eyes at this. She walks through the portal, and I follow.

                It's almost as if the Tenno feels our presence as soon as we enter, because I can hear an aged, croaky voice.

                "What brings you here, Kyran? What do you want?"

                I decide to reply. "We aren't Kyran. We're his apprentices."

                There is a silent and eerie pause before he replies.

                "Apprentices?" He scoffs. "Is Kyran too afraid to talk to his old ghosts?"

                "He would've come here on his own, if he wasn't heavily wounded."

                This time he doesn't reply at all. Instead, I see infested all around us. I ready my spear.

                "Don't go killing the husks. They're leading you to me." At this I realize something. The Hades user wasn't talking, he was talking through the infested.

                An ancient emerges from the group and seems to beckon to us. I look to Tallee.

                "Not much of a choice."

                "Wise girl. You can tell when something is optional, and when it isn't." The infested say in tandem.

                The ancient leads us to a large and dark chamber, it leaves us. There is no Tenno to be seen.

                "Where are-" Suddenly, a tall and winged figure lands in front of us. So closely that I can feel his breath against my Warframe, which I've already made a bond with. After a second, I'm confused by why I can feel his breath in the first place, and why he only wears a hood where his helmet should be.

                His Warframe almost seems robe-like. The end of it drags behind him and many more ends seem to drape over his arms. He holds a scythe with both hands, putting most of his weight on it.

                He speaks in a voice which is much younger and raspier than the infested made it sound. "Why do you come here? Especially when I've just woken up?" A displeased frown can be seen under his hood, but nothing else.

                "You know the Valkyrie, right?"

                He scoffs. "Of course, what kind of stupid question is that?"

                "Well, she's gone rampant. She has the Archmind and an army of Sentients, and seems more than willing to kill every other Tenno she sees."

                The hooded Tenno seems to be caught off guard by this.

                "Run that by me again, I thought you said the Valkyrie has the Archmind and is planning to wipe us out with an army of Sentients." He clearly understood what I said.

                "You heard me."

                "And he expects me to help?"

                "Why shouldn't you? You're Tenno. Wouldn't you want to help your kin?" Tallee asks.

                The hooded Tenno exhales. "How big of an army?"

                "It took eight years to make in a Sentient fortress."

                The Tenno's jaw drops.

                "Eight?"

                "Eight."

                The Tenno brings his hand to his face, and for a moment, everything's quiet.

                "Let me get my lantern."

                Tallee seems bewildered. "What?"

                "You heard me, girl. My lantern."

                "I think there's more important things than your lantern."

                Raspy chuckling can be heard as he turns and walks into the darkness. "Trust me. I need my lantern."

                After a couple of minutes a bright and sickly green light can be seen coming from a hall I didn't know existed because it was so dark. The hooded Tenno emerges from the hall holding a large lantern, which seems to have wisps of the same coloured light orbiting around it.

                "You see these wisps?"

                "Yeah."

                "These are the souls of the dead."

                "Cool. There's a Warframe that can summon souls of guys he killed to fight. What do these guys do? Tickle 'em to death?"

                The hooded Tenno smirks. "Would you like to find out yourself?"

                I suddenly realize this dude's one of those guys that can get you on your knees begging for mercy in less than ten seconds.

                "I'll pass."

                Raspy chuckling is heard from the Tenno.

                "Thought so. Now, let's pay your 'mentor' a visit."

 

------------

 

                I am awoken by Xylan nudging my shoulder.

                "The dude's here."

                "Bring him here. We have much to discuss."

                After a couple moments, Xylan walks in with Tyral not for behind him.

                Tyral exhales. "I told you it was a bad idea to go after the Archmind. Something like this could happen. And what do you do? You completely ignore me and chase after it anyway. You're a damned fool sometimes, Kyran."

                I chuckle. "You think I don't know that? We're all fools sometimes, Tyral."

                I look to Xylan. "I will leave you to your own devices, Xylan."

                "Yep. Have a nice chat." Xylan leaves the room.

                "Tell me everything."

                "Of course."

                I tell him all that's lead to this very moment, from when Karn discovered Sylvia, to when I tried to restore her, resulting in the death of two Tenno, and possibly our entire species.

                Tyral brings his hand to his face, and exhales. "You were playing with fire, holding the Archmind. Did you not know that?"

                I let off a sad chuckle. "Of course I did. But I didn't think it would be of this proportion."

                "Why call upon a Kinslayer?"

                "Because I know you did not do it willingly. If it weren't for the Mindbreaker, you would've been killing Sentients, rather than Tenno."

                "True." Tyral sets his lantern down beside my bed, and pulls up a chair nearby. "Any other important things I might need to know?"

                "Oh, there's many other things. Make yourself comfortable."

               

------------

 

                I grin widely once Alad V and his executors come into view. I begin to dive towards the Tenno-made tower, eager to get to them before they kill him. He. Is. Mine.

                I can hear the executors speak.

                "You, Alad V of the Corpus, are charged with the murder, torture, and desecration of hundreds, if not thousands of Tenno. You are to be punished with death. Do you obje-"

                Before the executor can finish, I run him through with my retracted flail. I am satisfied by the look of pure terror on Alad V's face, not just by my presence, but also the presence of the many Sentient ships revealing themselves in the distance.

                I land behind Alad V and turn to the other executor, also quivering in fear. I fire two beams of light from my hands and disintegrate the executor. I look around for any other Tenno, to see none. I am most likely being observed by a camera, which is exactly what I want.

                I leap over Alad V and land in front of him, facing the worm.

                "Ahh, Alad V. To this day, I do not understand how you were resurrected." I laugh maniacally. "You should have stayed dead. What I did to you was far less painful than what I'm about to do to you."

                The pathetic waste of skin is quivering before me, not a making a sound.

                I materialize the Archmind in my unoccupied hand.

                "Have you heard of the Archmind, Alad?"

                The worm nods slowly.

                "Then you know that it can enter your mind and easily tear it apart. Piece, by piece, by piece."

                He suddenly realizes what I'm about to do with him. I can tell because his eyes widen in terror.

                I walk towards him menacingly, not just to intimidate him, but those who are watching. I place my hand on his forehead.

                "Make him suffer as I have suffered. Make him feel the pain I have felt. Make him wish he was never created!"

                Alad suddenly begins to cry and writhe in pain as the Archmind fools his mind into thinking he is being skinned alive. And at the same time, speaking to him as my head spoke to me.

                "Gaaaaahahaaaaa! Please! Make it sto-o-op!!" The look of pain brings a grin to my face. I turn to see a small camera. I glide towards it and hover in front of it.

                "Ah, I'm sure you are watching this, Lotus. This being the execution of a thorn in your side. One who has been draining you of pawns. Draining you of little chess pieces that mean absolutely nothing to you. But they do mean something in numbers. They keep the Grineer and the Corpus off of you. That's the only reason you lead us. The only reason you pretend to care."

                I hear Alad's screams of agony in the background. "Oh, don't worry. You didn't tear me to pieces, that won't happen to you. But you do deserve to be run through. And trust me. I will. I will find you. I will slay you. And I will present your head to every single Tenno in the Origin system. And wear your mask as a trophy. Lotus, the Betrayer of the Tenno. The Deserter. You will soon come to regret neglecting me. Neglecting something that can kill you. Easily.

                I adjust the angle of the camera to face the Sentient Carriers poking out of the clouds. "I can wipe you out. And I will. In one fell sweep. And you have no idea when I will. All you can do is wait."

                I laugh maniacally into the camera before destroying it. And turn to Alad V, who is now curled into a ball, holding his head and whimpering.

                "You grow, dead inside, don't you, Alad? You feel an emptiness, a numbness. Exactly as I have. You should have realized that someone would inflict the same pain to you as you have to them. That's why you make it painless. So you don't feel pain either. But you never realized that, have you? That there is one thing, worse than death. And that's living. Living through the pain of death. The pain of not being dead yet. The pain that tells you that you are going to die, but not now."
                I hear the sound of a Liset's approach.

                "Archmind. Leave his mind a ruin." The Archmind returns to me, and I take flight, returning to the Sentient Carrier.

Edited May 30, 2015 by Crazyninjadude12

[Crazyninjadude12]

Age of the Harpy Chp 5

The Earthshaker

 

                "Righteous leader, we have found the Heart of the Titan. Are you pleased with our progress?"

                I look over my shoulder to see one of my Oracles, bringing me the wonderful news.

                "Of course, Oracle. I am very pleased. You are dismissed, I will call upon you later." The Oracle bows and leaves. Almost instantly, a squadron of Hoplites stand in its place.

                "I trust you are to lead me to the Heart?" The leading Hoplite moves forward.

                "Of course, glorious Valkyrie. Follow us."

                I smile. Finally, I have found the Titan. My avatar. The one who will crush any who dare oppose me, the Valkyrie.

                After navigating through the giant, twisting halls of the Sentient fortress, we finally enter the main chamber, where the Heart of the Titan lies.

                "Perfect! You have served me well. You are dismissed."

                What may seem like a useless shell to the lumbering Grineer imbeciles, is really the Origin System's means of regaining its true balance. Balance by rule. Balance by force. Balance by chaos. I approach the Heart and place my hand on it. I call upon the Archmind.

                "Archmind. Awaken him."

                A-Awaken it? Valkyrie, it is uncon-

                "I said awaken him!"

                O-Of course, Valkyrie.

                The pale light of the Archmind presses against the Heart just as my hand is. After a second, the Heart's once black trim glows red, and the machinery inside begin to come back to life, and an occasional thud thud can be heard from within.

                A deep, powerful, and metallic voice can be heard all around me.

                "Who brings me from my slumber?"

                "I, the Valkyrie, awaken you."

                "You.... you are not a Maker. You are not. My. Master."

                "Your masters died long ago to the Orokin and Tenno steel."

                All is silent for a moment, and the Titan speaks again.

                "You are Tenno."

                "Yes. But my kin are misguided. I have awoken your own kin, and they see the truth in my words. I hate the Tenno. They betrayed me and left me to wither and rot. They are a lie. And their leader, the Lotus, uses them as pawns. But, we can show them the way, you and I, we can lead your kin to victory."

                "Hmmm......"

                "Do you not want to avenge your masters?"

                "I never said that. But you are not my master."

                "Maybe you still need convincing? Archmind, show him."

                The Archmind moves from my hand into the Heart of the Titan. It is mine. Nothing can resist the Archmind. Not even the Sentients' advanced artificial intelligences.

                The red light that flows through the heart turns to a pale white, and the fortress changes from the Sentients' usual colour scheme to black and silver.

                "The Valkyrie is my one tr- All li- true master. May we find glory through the death and damnation of the Har- Tenno under the Lotus' rule. Glory to the Val- What is this sorc- Valkyrie."

                Odd. The Titan nearly resisted.

                "Archmind, open the Heart. Let me into the Titan."

                Of course, Valkyrie.

                The Heart opens and reveals an unrestrained Void Portal, able to expand as far as it pleases, and it is controlled by masses of Void Energy. The Portal stretches after a mild flash of light comes from below it. I walk through the portal to enter a Sentient pocket dimension. Except this isn't very 'pocket' sized.

                 Before me, I see the body of the Titan, floating lifelessly. The body is gargantuan, probably the size of three majour Tenno relays. It is beautiful. The sharp plates of armour, the streams of pale white light flowing around its body, the Sentients were masters at both functional design and visual appeal.

                "Here it is. The almighty Titan." I begin to laugh maniacally, imagining the fear and dread on the Lotus' face once she sees the Titan destroying everything she controls, and my blade running her through.

                "The Lotus should have never neglected me in that wretched lab. That was the worst mistake she has ever made in her pathetic existence."

 

------------

 

                "This is unsettling." I lower my datapad to look to Kyran, whose wounds had healed a week after Tyral's arrival.

                "What is, Sulvus?"

                "Alad V's execution was two weeks ago. But the Harpy beat the bullet to his head."

                Kyran looks to me concerned.

                "What do you mean?"

                "I mean that the Harpy used the Archmind to return the pain Alad made her endure. And threatened the Lotus with death."

                "Who did you learn this from?"

                "Kino. He learned of it just today."

                "Oh. Him."

                I give Kyran a stern look. "Now is not the time to hold grudges, Kyran. Even if he cannot tell right from wrong, he has a pure soul, and proves as a valuable ally."

                Kyran scoffs. "Sounds funny coming out of the most pessimistic Tenno in the clan." The old man pauses. "But I cannot deny your reasoning."

                I chuckle. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't angry with him, but grudges will prove our downfall."

                "Your words are wise, Sulvus, but your trust is needlessly guarded."

                "One always has a weakness. Be it physical or psychological. Everyone has their own Achilles' Heel. Be they man or machine." I say this after chuckling. The clanging sound of Tyral's lantern can be heard after the sound of the door to my quarters opens.

                "Ah, Sulvus. How wonderful it is to see you again, old friend." I look to see Tyral.

                "I trust you aren't here to take our lives?" I say this both jokingly and, oddly enough, seriously at the same time.

                "I assure you, the Mindbreaker's influence is no more." Tyral takes a seat at the table Kyran and I are seated at after setting his lantern beside his chair.

                Tyral moves in his seat to make sure his wings are in a comfortable position and looks off through the large window at the back of my quarters and seems to lose himself for a moment.

                "You know, I've forgotten the cold beauty of the Origin System over the centuries of cryosleep."

                "It is indeed beautiful."

                "Though it seems we ended the Old War just for another one to appear; the Origin System is once again in peril. All because of this... Alad V."

                "Indeed."

                "Even though your leader, this, Lotus, never decided to check on the Valkyrie, even though she knew exactly where she was?"

                "Her Warframe would-"

                "Depending on technology, hm? Sometimes, Sulvus, you have to depend on your own eyes. Or some else's eyes, whatever. Point is, biology is just as potent as technology, and both are even better when working in tandem. Did Saligur never teach us that?"

                I exhale. Tyral is not incorrect, he is very much the opposite. The Lotus did make a mistake by prioritizing the Valkyrie as if she were a normal Tenno. One who didn't have so much experience with war. One who wasn't so valuable. It's coming to accept the fact the Lotus made a mistake which caused me to exhale. Kyran also realizes this. A grim silence sweeps over the room for a couple seconds.

                Tyral breaks this silence. "I may sound like Saligur, but I honestly believe we're so much better off without this Lotus. For all we know, she could be Orokin. Probably why she's hiding in some far-flung location."

                I sigh. "Though without her, we would be without a goal. Without a purpose."

                "You think you're better off as a pawn than a free warrior? A warrior who could give himself his own goal? His own purpose?"

                I stand and slam my fist to the table. "We are no pawns! We are her-"

                Tyral stands and spreads his wings. "Keep telling yourself that, Sulvus, if that makes you feel better. But I don't follow the orders of one who does not fight alongside their warriors. I do not serve a gun-shy leader."

                "Are you calling the Lotus a coward!?"

                "Indeed I am!"

                I begin to storm towards Tyral but Kyran intervenes, despite the fact he could open his just-healed wounds.

                "Quit it, both of you! Now is not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves! We are facing the potential of extinction and you're fighting like children!"

                I clench my fist for a moment, but I loosen my muscles after realizing how foolish we are acting. I sigh.

                "Kyran is right, Tyral. Now is not the time."

                "Yeah. Guess we're all just on edge."

                "Indeed."

                I hear the door to my quarters open again and the happy barks of Jakiro. I turn to see Karn looking rather distressed.

                "Sulvus. You might want to see this."

                "What is it?"

                "It's easier to show than explain. Come with me."

                Karn leaves the room and I follow him soon after. He leads me to the med bay and I see Tysa, a Mesa-user, in one of the medical beds.

                "I see a wounded Tenno."

                "It's what she has to say, which is disturbing. And what she has to show. Tysa, if you wouldn't mind running it through with the Lord Sentinel."

                She nods. "I was doin' my reconnaissance on Earth, as ordered, about the second week in, I start seein' signs of some weird dudes, so I follow 'em, thinkin' that it would be good to lay some eyes on 'em. Two days pass, and I see these weird lookin' machines, not Corpus and definitely not Grineer. As soon as I lay eyes on 'em, they turn and start shootin,' I was able to clear 'em out," Tysa makes a gesture with her fingers. "but I was 'this' close to fallin' over cold." Tysa grabs an object from beside her into my view. "I grabbed this, maybe you can make somethin' out of it." What she holds in her hand is the eye of a Sentient Hoplite. I hide my fear with my usual icy expression.

                "Hm. You get some rest. You've earned it."

                "Yea, thanks."

                Karn and I walk out of the room.

                "This is not good. She is mobilizing."

                "You're absolutely sure?"

                "Positive. One hundred percent."

                Karn sighs, his raise in stress is obvious, but a hint of depression can be seen. I cannot blame him. "What should we do? We can't just let her gain ground."

                "We will discuss this later. I have a contact I need to consult." I turn to Karn and place a hand on his shoulder. "I realize how stressful this is for you; if I could afford it, I would have allowed you to take a week off, you have been working beyond expectations. But I'm sure you realize that I can't. Not now. Not while we have to prepare for the Harpy's onslaught. But I can allow you a day or two."

                Karn nods. "Alright. Thanks. I'll spend my time wisely."

                "I suggest you take this time to rest. The days ahead seem grim. So we will need to be on our toes."

                "Yea. I'll do just that. Thank you again, Sulvus."

                Karn makes way to his quarters and I make way to mine. When I arrive, Kyran and Tyral are no longer there, just as I would prefer it. But one person is seen sitting in my desk. One who wears a Loki Prime Warframe.

                "Sulvus."

                "Kaimin."

                I am not surprised by the man's presence. I've grown used to his random appearances. He is one I've known from the Old War. He only woke up last year, and ever since I found him, he has helped me by looking and listening in the Relays and other colonies for information that could be of use.

                "Do you have anything on sightings of Sentients?"

                Kaimin stands. "One thing. If there's more out there, they're hiding pretty damn well."

                "Where were they sighted?"

                "Europa. I'm guessing that's where our old pal set up shop. Or at least at the other end of the Portal there."

                "How many?"

                "About a hundred. Mainly Hoplites. She's just strutting her stuff. Showing her power."

                "No doubt. Anything about her?"

                "Yea, but the Grineer have a different name for her on Earth. The "Winged Fury." Wielding a flail and can make the soldiers pretty damn scared. Some even thought they we getting torn apart, skinned alive, burned, stuff like that. Not to mention she can fire beams of heat out of her hands. Sounds like her."

                "Indeed. But it doesn't make sense. Why would she be terrorizing Grineer despite the fact nearly all her power is on Europa?"

                "Didn't one of your Sentinels find some on Earth?"

                "Yes, but there can't be that many."

                "Or can there? What if she has access to a portal on Earth?"

                "The Sentients were never able to link any on Earth."

                "Who said she can't? Remember, she has the Archmind. She can pretty much do anything she wants."

                "Yes." I exhale. "Anything unrelated that might be of use?"

                "Well, a Grineer colony on Phobos is experiencing quakes in the ground. Nothing like an earthquake, just one big shake. Each one is bigger than the other. Some colonists on the outskirts have been hearing heavy footsteps too. Some have gone dark."

                "Anything in the Outcast colonies?"

                "People on Phobos are talking about the same thing. But colonies on Europa have gone dark. Last one I checked, completely empty. No blood, no bodies, no signs of combat, nothing. As if they just got up and left. Didn't even take their things with them."

                "Hm. Have your other spies look into their disappearances. Even though they have been rejected by the Lotus that doesn't mean they shouldn't have our concern. Search the area near the colonies and portals. But not the one reported to be the source of the Sentients. That's too risky."

                "Alright, I'll get some good eyes to look into that. And I'll get some more to look into the quaking and such. I really hope it isn't what you and I both think."

                "The Titan."

                "Exactly. I hope it's just the planet being weird."

                "You and I both."

                After that, Kaimin fades out of sight. The only way I can tell he left is that the door to my quarters opening and closing.

                I let off a sigh and sit at my desk and begin to work on forming alliances with other clans before it is too late. An army of many clans under one banner would give us a fighting chance. It would be better to die fighting than to be executed or worse. Even if it meant fighting against the Titan.

                A couple moments later I can hear the door open and close again, and I turn to see Kyran.

                "What is it?"

                Kyran does not look happy. "It's Kino."

                "What does he need?"

                "He's requested an audience."

                "Then he shall have one. Both of us, I'm assuming?"

                "Yes."

                "Bring him to the observatory. I'll be there."

                "Alright."

                I make way to the observatory via teleporter. Even I can have difficulties navigating the maze-like halls of our Dojo. When I arrive, I walk to the end of the room and look off into the distant stars and planets. Not too long afterwards, I can hear the fwoosh of the doors opening echo across the room.

                "Just as big as I remembered."

                "Indeed." I do not look away from the window, but I do watch Kino's ghost-like reflection.

                "Look, Sulvus, I-"

                "You do realize what you've done went against every one of our morals, don't you?"

                "Can you please hear me out?"

                "I never said you wouldn't be given an audience. Speak."

                "Don't you think I was against it too?"

                "Why did you accept it, then?"

                "I didn't have much of a choice."

                "Explain."

                "You know my old Warframe?"

                "What of it?"

                "It was owned by another Tenno before me. His name was Aquilo. He was one of the Tenno defending my cryopod."

                "I assume he never left that battleground?"

                "No. I guess one of Alad V's Zanuka hunters took his corpse, never got a chance to bury him."

                "I think we are falling off topic, Kino."

                "No, we're not. Let me explain. That Zanuka? That was Aquilo. Believe me, if I had a choice, I would have ended his misery, right there and then."

                "Why didn't you?"

                "He wouldn't let me. He spoke to me. He said he had one last purpose."

                "And that purpose was?"

                Kino hands me a device, a miniature version of a Liset's Navigation console. A small, white dot can be seen over the Void's symbol.

                "It's a tracker. When she killed him, it planted a small tracking beacon that not even the Archmind can notice."

                "She is in the Void, then?"

                "Yeah."

                "Though, it does not show which portal leads to her. Thankfully, now we can get a head start if we figure she is making way to us."

                "So, I guess my apology is accepted?"

                "I can see the truth in your words. Kyran?"

                "As can I. Your apology is accepted."

                "But we cannot let the other Sentinels know of your temporary possession of the Zanuka. They would be outraged."

                "The Harpy will make mention of this, you know that, right?"

                "Don't think I don't know her. She will do anything to get to our heads."

                Kino nods.

                "Now, I trust we got this out of the way. Now we can discuss one last thing."

                "And that is...?"

                "Another clan we have joined forces with. One that only I, Kyran, and the Lotus know of."

                Kino listens silently.

                "That clan is called the Eyes of Darkness. Which is conveniently lead by an old friend of mine from the Old War."

                "Why on Valhalla are you trusting me with this? I'm psychotic, remember. Shut up you two, I'm talking to them. Er... not you Sulvus and Kyran."

                I chuckle. "An ally needs to be informed of his own, does he not?"

                "Fair enough. How long has this clan existed?"

                "Since the Old War. They mainly work for the Lotus, but since their leader is my friend, he does favours for me. The clan consists mainly of Loki, Mirage, Banshee, and Ash users."

                "Ash users... I wonder..."

                "Hm?"

                "Does he know of anyone named Vellius?"

                "He does not talk about his clan or its members."

                "Hm. Fair enough. Keeping secrets of the trade, understandable."

                "Indeed. As I was saying. The leader does favours for me related to our current situation. One thing he reported to me struck me as disturbing. You have heard stories of the Titan, have you not?"

                I can see Kino's reflection glance towards me. "Uh... Yea. Apparently, I was defending it, until Enya lured me away."

                "Massive quakes have been reported by Grineer and Outcast colonies on Phobos."

                Kino seems to freeze for a second. "Oh... That's.... Not a good sign..."

                "No, it is not."

                "Some have gone dark." Kyran adds in.

                "No word on those at all?"

                "None."

                "Huh. I've been doing work for the Syndicates on Orcus and Kronus Relays. And yeah, even the Red Veil."

                I chuckle. "That is very odd of you."

                I can see Kino's reflection glare at me. "Trust me. It is not in my liking. But, come to think of it, none of their spies have reported back from Phobos now that you mention it. Same goes with Steel Meridian's operatives over there."

                "That is not all that's disturbing. I've also been told that Outcast colonies on Europa have all gone dark. Without a single sign of violence. No bullet cases, no blood, and nothing has been touched as far as the clan's spies can tell."

                "Nothing at all?"

                "Nothing."

                "Almost like an Old Earth myth, one American colony just, vanishing."

                "Indeed. There have also been reports of Sentients on Earth. One of my own fought a squadron of them and brought back an eye of one of them."

                "Wait, why Earth? There's nothing of interest there."

                "She could be doing one of three things. One, gaining ground. Two, to kill the Grineer from its core. Or three, to turn Vay Hek."

                Kino seems to go pale. "No... Hell no... That's not good at all. Vay Hek, under the control of the Archmind?"

                "He would be the Harpy's puppet. The size of her army would be nearly doubled."

                "If she still has a bit of Sylvia in her, she would be disgusted by them and would not tolerate working alongside them."

                "She cut right through Kyran, Sylvia's gone." Kino glances at Kyran. "No offense, old timer."

                "None taken, youngling."

                Kino speaks. "Speaking of the Harpy, I feel bad for Karn. He'll have to fight her sooner or later."

                "He is going through troubling times. I wish I could allow him more than only two days of rest. But that is all I can afford to give him. He has my absolute pity."

                "Indeed."

                "He has worked beyond expectations since we learned of the Harpy's power. He deserves a rest."

                I continue. "We all dread the day we will have to fight and kill the Harpy."

                "You know how, most of the time, I'm pretty carefree?"

                "No longer so?"

                "Yeah, the upcoming war is not helping. Running the risk of running into Sentients every time you go on a mission..."

                "This situation is getting to everyone. Even Silvee has lost the bounce in her step... It is sad to watch, honestly."

                "Not Silvee...."

                "What about your new recruits? How are their new 'Frames?"

                "Their training is going underway swimmingly." Kyran replies.

                "Mind if I test them, Kyran? Not with my Galatine of course, that would be overkill."

                Kyran chuckles. "They aren't that skilled yet. Even without your Galatine."

                "Aw, alright. Besides, I think I might need to get going, got recruits to train."

                "Don't let us keep you. We need to prepare quickly but efficiently."

                "Yeah."

                Kino leaves the room and we do afterwards, making way to our own quarters. When I enter my quarters Jakiro barks welcomingly and walks up to me, his short, stub-like tail wagging vigorously. His happiness brings a warmness to my heart. It seems not even I, the coldest person of the clan, can resist the innocence of a Kubrow. I scratch behind his ears.

                "Don't let anything run your mood afoul, my four-legged friend." I say with a smile.

                I make way to my bed and lay down. I have been at my feet on full alert beyond healthiness, and I feel fatigued. Before I fall asleep, I hear the door to my quarters open, and the welcoming barks of Jakiro.

                "I was about to fall asleep."

                "If ya did, then I'd be a little more sorry."

                "Why are you keeping me up, Jyce?"

                I hear Jyce sigh.

                I chuckle. "Don't tell me you're afraid."

                "I'm not af-" Jyce exhales, and there is long pause. "Y-Yea..... I... I am..."

                I realize that Jyce is not in her usual joking mood.

                "If you're looking for company, I'm fine if you want to stay in here. I can understand why you are afraid."

                "Y-Yea... That'd be great. Thanks, Sul."

                Jyce falls onto my bed beside me and I hold her close. I realize her stress. Her and Sylvia were friends since childhood, she could never bring herself to even harming her. And the fact that the Harpy knows exactly where we are and can come this way at any time must be gnawing at her.

                Almost as quickly as she fell onto the bed, Jyce falls asleep, her head rested on my shoulder, her amber hair a mess on her head. This situation is getting to her. Then again, it's getting to all of us.

Edited July 5, 2015 by Crazyninjadude12

[Crazyninjadude12]

Age of the Harpy, Chp 6

Legions of Steel

 

                "This is odd of you, Sulvus, asking to borrow some of my agents?"

                "I understand if you refuse, Kaimin, but it would be very helpful if we could have some talented spies of our own. All I ask is for fifteen of yours. If need be, I can lend you some of my Sentinels."

                Kaimin's expression cannot be seen through his helmet, but I can imagine him raising an eyebrow. I realize that I do not usually trade forces, but having spies of our own would be beneficial.

                "I can lend you elite two spies and a saboteur, and a dozen normal agents, but that's it. Having some of your Sentinels would be helpful in a few ways, but not in any considerable way. No offense."

                "None taken. Not many Sentinels are trained in stealth, only those that need the skill to be efficient."

                "I will send word to my agents to make way here. I trust you will greet them as one of your own?"

                "Of course."

 

------------

 

                As I sit on the fountain in the near center of the Grand Hall, I look around the room and see many Sentinels, most unaware of the menace that approaches, go about their business. I see Silvee walking alongside Talea, with a heartbreakingly dreary stride. Once she learned of the Harpy's intentions, Silvee has changed greatly. She often seems sorrowful, sometimes scared, and even wakes up screaming from time to time.

                "Hey, Karn."

                I look to my side to see a depressed Jyce taking a seat beside me.

                "Hey Jyce."

                I can tell this whole thing is getting to her. She's known Sylvia longer than Kyran has. They were childhood friends. I can tell this experience is as, or even more painful to her as it is to me.

                "Seems we're gettin' some fresh meat."

                "New recruits?"

                "In a way. One of Sul's friends has a clan, and he's sendin' some help."

                "That's good. More help, the better."

                "Yeah."

                I hear the door at the start of the hall open and fifteen figures walk through. Two Mirages and one Ember seem to lead them. The Mirages look nearly identical, both sharing a black and dark purple colour scheme, the only visible difference is that their schemes each follow an inverted pattern. One is following a sequence of black then purple, the other follows the opposite sequence, purple then black. They both stand in a casual posture, but have no trouble looking like they mean business. The Ember, however, has a bright colour scheme, following a white and bright orange colour scheme. Her colours almost resemble an explosion. The three figures take off their helmets and look around a bit. The Mirage users' Warframes don't only look alike, but they themselves look alike, twins, almost.

                I stand and approach the newcomers to welcome them.

                "I assume you're the new additions?"

                The purple and black Mirage's hair sways a little when she nods. "Yeah. Nice place you have here, you the leader?"

                I shake my head. "No, I'm the second-in-command, I can take you to the Lord Sentinel if you want."

                The second Mirage responds in a similarly casual manner. "That'd be great."

                "Alright. Follow me."

 

------------

 

                Ooooooh! Look at this place! This would blow up sooooo nice!

                "I know, but we can't, we don't blow up friends' stuff, you know that."

                But looook! Just blow that pillar and the whoolllle place will fall over!

                Yeah, she's right. It would fall over, and it would be amazing. The Rhino user that greeted us looks to me, with a confused look on his face.

                "Who are you talking to?"

                "Oh, just Tika, she lives in my brain."

                "Oh, alright, then."

                Taya, who's wearing her black and purple Mirage, looks at me with her smooth, purple eyes. "Could you talk to Tika quietly, Silya? Please?"

                "Oh, okay, sorry."

                Taya smiles at me. "It's alright."

                Kaya, who's in her Mirage, which is purple and black, speaks to the Rhino user. "So, Shadowmaster Kaimin speaks highly of this Lord Sentinel dude, do you think he would be right?"

                The Rhino user nods. "Indeed. He may seem cold at first, but you should be able to get along with him."

                Kaya nods. "Alrighty."

                We arrive at some big, fancy room, with a big window that has an awesome view of Uranus, and some dude is sitting at a desk, looking away from the door.

                "Sulvus, the new additions have arrived."

                The dude looks over his shoulder, he has icy blue eyes and long white hair. The dude looks nearly emotionless for a moment, before smiling. The dude stands.

                "Welcome, to the Sentinels of Shadow. I believe you've already met Karn, my second-in-command."

                Karn smiles and nods.

                Kaya steps forward a bit. "I'm Kaya." She gestures to Taya. "This is Taya. My sister." Kaya gestures to me. "And this is Silya, our, eh, slightly unstable friend, and explosives expert."

                I smile widely.

                I hope this dude isn't all hoity-toity, hate those kinda dudes.

                If he is, then can we blow that pillar up?

                Maybe.

                Hooray!!

                "What about Tika?" I tilt my head when I ask Taya this. I answer my own question. "Right, silly me. Tika lives in my brain!" I point to my head.

                "Ah... Well, pleased to meet you all. I'm sure you will fit in fine with the others. Karn, if you would grant us some privacy."

                Karn bows slightly. "Of course, Sulvus." After that, Karn leaves the room.

                "Does, anyone actually know about the Eyes of Darkness, other than you?"

                Sulvus grins, sort of coldly. "I'm not the only one, Kyran, who you will meet shortly, and Kino, the other clan leader, also know. Not many Sentinels know of the Eyes' existence."

                Alright, the pillar's safe, I'm alright with this dude.

                Awwww... But Silyaaaa....

                You know the rules Tika, don't blow friends' stuff up. It's mean.

                Fiiiine...

                "Oh, cool."

                Are you sure you don't wanna blow the pillar up? It would be awesome.

                Yeah, I know, but we don't blow friends' stuff up. Remember Orcus?

                Yeah, yeah, we got kicked out, but it was worth it.

                I don't wanna get kicked out of this place! It's cool!

                Tika isn't happy. My head hurts. She begins to chant

                Blow it up. Blow it up. Blow it up. Blow it up.

                "Tika... Stop... Please..." I hold my head and sit against the nearest wall, and set up my Circle of Boom.

                "Silya? What's wrong?"

                "What did she just set around herself?" I hear the Lord Sentinel dude ask.

                "Her 'Circle of Boom.' It'll blow up anything that tries to enter or leave it."

                "Ah... Why did she just set up volatile explosives in my quarters?"

                "She does this when her head starts messing with her. Sometimes she loses control and... Blows stuff up. So she makes sure she doesn't."

                Tika's really mad. I hear the Buzzing. It's drowning out all other noises. I barely make out Taya talking to me.

                "Silya, can you let me in?"

                "Tika's being mean."

                "I can see. Can you please let me in?" Taya looks at me sympathetically.

                I deactivate the Circle of Boom momentarily until Taya enters, then I activate it. Taya is able to get Tika to shut up. Taya sits beside me, hugs me, and hums to me. After a bit, the Buzzing stops, and Tika shuts up.

                I hear Kaya speak. "Sorry about that, Lord Sentinel, Silya tends to do that sometimes.

                "Tika does that." I correct.

                "Sure, whatever."

                The Lord Sentinel dude speaks. "It's fine. We've had a Sentinel many years ago who had mental breakdowns often, we're used to it."

                "Alright. I'd let everyone else know if that they see her curled in a ball in the middle of a ring, get me. She won't let anyone else in, not without blowing their legs off their body."

                "I feel that would prevent many future deaths or injuries."

                "Yeah."

                I turn off the Circle of Boom and fold it up before putting it away.

                "Did she stop, Silya?" Taya breaks the hug.

                "Yeah, she did."

                I think Taya feels bad for me. Not sure why, I don't mind Tika, she's just annoying sometimes. Kaya, however, doesn't really care about my problems with Tika, she just blames me for Tika's tantrums.

                "You guys done?" Kaya seems impatient.

                "Yeah, quit being so pushy, Kaya." Taya stands, then helps me up. I'm still kind of dizzy.

                "Well, I will be putting you to use tomorrow, you have the day to get acquainted with the Sentinels, and get used to the place. If you ever get lost, feel free to ask another Sentinel, they will be happy to help."

                "Alrighty."

                Kaya heads off in some random direction when we exit the big, fancy room. I just go in the same direction as Taya, just in case Tika makes a comeback.

                "What do you think about this place, Silya?"

                "I like it. It's cool. Tika wants to blow up a pillar though."

                "Doesn't she always?"

                I shrug. "She's sort of addicted."

                Taya asks jokingly; "Do we need to start up an intervention?" I laugh.

                You will never cease my love of explosions!

                "I don't think she'll turn, no matter how hard we try." I joke back.

                "That's too bad."

                After a while of wandering the twisting and winding halls of the Sentinel dudes' place, Taya and me are lost. After a dozen minutes of wandering, we run into a rather sad-looking Tenno, she has brown hair and green eyes.

                Taya approaches her. "Hey, we're new here, and uh, pretty lost. Could you help us out?"

                "Hm? Oh, sure. This place is a maze, it takes a while to get used to." The Tenno smiles, but it's still obvious she's sad.

                "Thanks, we appreciate it." Taya beams a smile back at the woman.

                Hey, she looks sad, maybe an explosion will cheer her up?

                "No, no, Tika, explosions scare most people. That would make it worse."

                How do you know she doesn't like explosions? What if she loves them, but we just don't know?

                Taya pats my shoulder. "You're talking out loud again."

                "Oh, sorry."

                The woman leads us through the twisty halls of the Dojo until we make it back to the main room.

                "Thanks, my name's Taya, by the way," Taya gestures to me. "and this is Silya."

                "In case you were wondering, I was talking to Tika, she lives in my brain." I point at my head, and smile.

                Tell her I say "Hi."

                "Oh, and she says 'Hi.'"

                "Well, pleased to meet you, my name's Silvee." She tries to act happy but still looks sad. I tilt my head.

                "Why are you so sad?" I ask.

                Silvee pauses for a moment.

                "I'm just, uh, stressed by current events."

                Taya pitches in. "Ah, the Harpy situation?"

                Silvee doesn't say anything, and looks surprised.

                "The Harpy broadcasted her death threat to the Lotus publicly, we all saw it."

                "Oh."

                "Don't worry about it, the Grineer have a huge army, and we're still standing. I'm sure she's just another Vay Hek."

                "No. You don't understand. She commands an army of Sentients. They are much more advanced than the Grineer, and much more vast in number. I knew the Harpy before she turned. She is a master strategist and an even better combatant."

                It's Taya's turn to say: "Oh."

                That's not going to be solved by an Old Earth nuke, is it?

                "Nope. Nuke won't do."

                Uh oh. That's not good.

                Silvee looks at me, amazed. "You have an Old Earth warhead? Nuclear warhead?"

                "Yep. Love it like a child." I say this with a hint of pride in my voice. "I have a bunch of explosives, I'm an expert. Tika taught me."

                I notice another female Tenno with amber-coloured hair and topaz-yellow eyes approaching us.

                "You guys the newbies?"

                Taya responds. "Yeah. Silvee was helping us get back here. Kaya, my sister, and the twelve other recruits went off on their own way."

                "Ah, I see. Name's Jyce. You two are?"

                "My name's Taya, and this is Silya." Taya gestures to me.

                "Hi!"

                What about me?

                "You forgot about Tika, Taya." I point at my head. "Tika lives in my brain."

                "Oh, that's cool, I guess. Nice to meet you guys." Jyce seems a little weirded out, but moves on.

                "Welcome to the Sentinels. Nothin' much is expected of ya, just that you're agreeable and you contribute resources to projects when you can."

                Taya nods. "Can do. You won't have a problem with us. Just keep Silya from your explosives, if you want them to be the same as you left them."

                "What do ya mean?"

                "I mean Silya will modify them in confusing but very effective ways."

                "Oh, alrighty then."

                "Or possibly even combine them into one monster bomb."

                "If there's enough!" I add in.

                We should look for their explosives. See what they have.

                "If they have any explosives." I look at Jyce. "Do you have any explosives here?"

                Jyce shakes her head. "Not much. Don't know what you could do with 'em."

                "How much?"

                "Just some grenades for Pentas or Tonkors, not much."

                Oooooh! They have Tonkors!? I love those things!

                "Where are they?"

                "Over in the armoury, but you're goin' to have to get past Tallius first."

                Who's that?

                "Who's that?"

                "The clan's weaponsmith, and he's protective over what goes in and out of the armoury."

                Oh.

                "Do you think he'll let me-?"

                "No. Unless you can blow his socks off with your idea." Jyce's eyes widen a bit when she sees my expression. "Not literally, though."

                Aw, okay.

                "Oh, alright. Where's the armoury?"

                Taya looks at me. "How about we save that for later, Silya?"

                "Aw, okay."

                No, let's do it right now!

                "I wish we could, Tika, but Taya said so."

                Screw her, let's do it!

                "No, we can always do it later."

                Now, now, now!

                "Silya, you're talking out loud again." Taya has her hands on my shoulders, and she's looking into my eyes.

                "Oh, sorry. Tika's feeling pushy today."

                "It's alright." Taya smiles at me soothingly.

 

------------

 

                "Tallee, Xylan, would you like to encounter some Sentients yourselves? I believe both of you are ready."

                I leap from my chair to my feet in excitement as soon as I hear "encounter," and "Sentients."

                "Actually!?"

                "Indeed."

                "Hell yeah I want to!"

                Tallee doesn't seem so excited.

                "Are you sure we're ready? It's only been half a year since we've gotten our Warframes..."

                "I'm very sure that six months is adequate. I was trained for an equal amount of time, and you have paid attention as much, if not more than I have, I am very sure you two are ready."

                "You mean by ourselves?"

                The old man laughs. "Oh, goodness, no. You would die in seconds. You will be accompanied by Tyral and I."

                Tallee appears to be more confident after hearing this. "Oh, I thought you meant just me and him."

                "It will be years before you can fight Sentients by yourself."

                And at that, we head over to the armoury to get our arms and armour. I grab my spear, Attica, and Lex. Tallee grabs her sword and shield, Daikyu, and Ballistica.

               

------------

 

                When we arrive at Earth, the Grineer outpost is a ruin, buildings are falling apart, scorch marks made by energy weapons are everywhere, and Grineer corpses are abundant. We have landed in a small ravine, surrounded by naturally-formed walls, with vegetation growing along its face.

                "I guess this was Sentients?" I think I already know the answer.

                "Indeed." Kyran answers.

                "Do you think they're still here?" Again, I already know the answer.

                "I'm sure you know the answer." Tyral replies.

                "Well, this will be exciting."

                "Very." Tyral agrees.

                Tyral's Warframe is unusual, let alone the fact that it looks like it couldn't protect him from anything, it's almost like he's floating. The lantern he holds still emits that sickly emerald light, and is still surrounded by those wisp things. The fact that he doesn't have a helmet perplexes me more. Shouldn't all Warframes have a helmet? Then it hits me. Kyran probably offered Tyral's helmet as proof of his death. When we reach a clearing, we find corpses everywhere.

                "Hm, these kills are still fresh. Their souls have not left the body." At this, more of those wisps come from each corpse in sight, and orbit around the lantern. "These will be helpful." Tyral adds, chuckling.

                Then it hits me. This guy can kick a Nekros user's &#! at his own job.

                Tyral brings his hand in front of the lantern and moves his fingers, after a couple seconds, the Grineer corpses stand, and pick up their weapons.

                "Holy crap."

                "These do more than just, "tickle you to death," kid."

                "I can see that."

                The old man doesn't seem surprised by this. Guess he's used to it.

                Tyral approaches one of the marines. "You. Tell me what happened here."

                The marine looks at Tyral and speaks in a monotone voice. "Sentients attacked this outpost. All Grineer have fallen. Sentients, unscathed."

                "Not surprised." Tyral turns from the marine and speaks loudly. "All of you, formation!"

                The marines form a perfect spearhead formation in front of us.

                "Won't they give us away?"

                "Does it matter? They're cannon fodder, we'll be in front of the real threat before they even realize it."

                And almost automatically, I hear odd sounds coming from ahead of us, the smooth whirring of machinery. Nothing like the clanging of Grineer, or anything like Corpus machinery.

                "Here we go."

                I see seven odd looking machines glide around the corner and open fire at the Grineer marines. Guess Tyral's right. They are cannon fodder.

                I open fire with my Attica crossbow, aiming for the leading one. It shrugs off the bolts and keeps going. I draw my Marelok, and fire at it, the bullets hit with minimal effect. Looks like it's going to have to be up close and personal.

                I draw my spear and fly beside Tallee, who has also realized this.

                "I got the leading one, you get the dude beside him!"

                "Got it!"

                I dive and impale the leading Sentient on my spear, land and roll, pull my spear out as I do this, and impale another from behind it. I look back and see Tyral and Kyran slicing and dicing the rest of the Sentients with ease. Suddenly, the Sentients don't look so bad. Though those reanimated Grineer sure didn't last long.

                "Is this all they have? I can fight this."

                "Don't get cocky, kid. You haven't seen a Centaur yet. Or a Cyclops."

                "Or a Minotaur." Kyran finishes as he pulls his legendary spear out of the husk of a Sentient.

                "These were only Hoplites. Nothing much compared to the rest of what the Harpy has."

                "So, they're just cannon fodder?"

                "Yes."

                "So what's she keeping us away from? If the Harpy's got dudes out here, and drawing our attention, she must be doing something somewhere else."

                My mentor looks at me for a moment, and I think I've said something ridiculous.

                "You... Have a good point. Sentient presence has been reported on Earth in many places that are of value to both Grineer and Tenno... I will have to talk to the Lord Sentinel about this."

                Not even a second later, two rumbling, metallic roars shatter the air and rattle the Hoplite husks.

                "Centaurs?"

                "No, too powerful, Minotaurs."

                "Wonderful."

                "Minotaurs?"

                "You will see." At this, two towering, ironclad beasts charge from around a corner, roaring once again. They are both the size of two Lisets stacked pointing up, and two Lisets wide. Their armour is thick and they look ready to crush us with their fists.

                "Fly! Fly!" Tyral yells as he himself takes flight, his robe flapping in the wind, and the wisps trailing behind him. I take his advice and fly with him, alongside Tallee and Kyran.

                "Mentor! How do we fight these things!?" Tallee asks frantically.

                "Follow our lead!" Is the old man's only reply.

                As the Minotaurs bellow in outrage, Kyran swoops nearby to get their attention. Once he has their attention, he lands a few meters away, in front of a Grineer structure. The Minotaurs charge at him, moving surprisingly swift for their size. Just before the hulking machines trample our mentor, he dives between one of the machine's legs and they instead tumble into the structure, sending it toppling down, but they don't stop at the structure. Unable to mitigate their momentum, the Minotaurs continue their charge into a cliff face. I thunder-like crack can be heard after they hit the cliff face, and in a couple seconds, huge chunks of it come falling from above, followed by a small landslide. Needless to say, the Minotaurs are screwed. Their roars of outrage can be barely made out as they're buried by earth and stone.

                "Well. That was easy."

                "Just wait."

                "Wait, they're not dead, are they?"

                "This was just the beginning of the fight, Xylan."

                At this, another pair of thundering roars shatter the air once again, and the Minotaurs burst upwards out of the rubble, already facing us. One charges and leaps, reaching for Tyral. Thankfully, he moves just before its hand crushes him. In response to that attempt, Tyral dives downward and swings his jagged scythe into a damaged plate of armour, punching through and tearing a gash in it. Kyran dives to the other one and drives his spear into a gap in its shoulder plate, and seems to have jammed its joint.

                "Xylan! Get the other shoulder!"

                I do as my mentor says and drive my spear into another identical gap in the armour, jamming the machine's shoulder.

                "Tallee! Melt a hole in its chest!"

                "You got it!" At this, Tallee fires twin beams of light from her hands, and gradually begins melting a hole in the beast's chest.

                Once a hole the size of a Tenno is made, Tyral dashes from his current adversary and straight into the chest of the other Minotaur. Kyran pulls his blade out of the shoulder and I decide to do the same.

                Then, suddenly, the Minotaur charges towards its friend and barrels right into it.

                "Wait, is he-?"

                "Indeed he is. The souls of the dead can influence even a Sentient's consciousness."

                "Why don't we have more of him?"

                "Why do you think? He is using the souls of the dead. Denying them the rest that they deserve. Despite the fact that they are Corpus or Grineer, it is inhumane. Before, he used the souls of Tenno, his Warframe was the only one made. All copies of its blueprints were destroyed." Before I can reply, a deafening roar interrupts us. I look to see Tyral flying out of his Minotaur's chest just before the fist of another breaks through it. Before it can do anything, a blinding green light flashes from inside the now very dead Minotaur. Then suddenly, the Minotaur explodes. I brace myself for the force of the explosion, but a barrier appears in front of me.

                "Souls are very flexible. I appreciate flexibility." Tyral simply states as he lands smoothly.

                "Remind me to not get on your bad side."

                "I was going to even if you didn't witness that."

                "That seems like all of them. Let's head back." At this, we make way to the extraction point, keeping vigilant as we move, watching for more Sentients.

[Crazyninjadude12]

Age of the Harpy Chp 7

The Miscreations of Fury

 

                "Glorious Valkyrie, the next group of captives have arrived, as you have commanded." I look over my shoulder at a lone Hoplite, and behind it, a group of Tenno Outcasts, rounded up discretely my Hoplites.

                "Ah, wonderful. I was wondering when they would show up." I turn fully to inspect the filth. Lots of them are strong and durable, fit for a life such as theirs. That doesn't mean they are of admirable standing, but it means they can endure what I plan for them.

                One of the lowly figures speak. "Wh-What do you want with us...? Wh-Why are we here?"

                I smile. "What a good question. Though, you did not need to ask it, for I was going to answer it anyway." I turn away from them and look out of the large window and into space. "You are hardier then the average Tenno. By that, I am impressed. You can endure the same things I have while not many others would. Though I doubt you know of me, or what I have endured."

                At this, I can see the prisoners' reflections shift uncomfortably, they realize that what I have in store for them will be very, very painful.

                "What do you mean?" Asks one of the Outcasts, who seems to be their leader.

                "I find that too many are ignorant of my motives. Ignorant of my pain, my suffering. So I've decided to show it to them. In such a fashion that they will know my wrath. My power."

                They shift uncomfortably even more. "And you were the last thing I was waiting for, vessels that will carry my wrath. My fury and my disdain. My hatred and my... Despisement."

 

------------

 

                "Sulvus, my agents have made some... Disturbing discoveries."

                I look up from my desk towards Kaimin. "Not a surprise. What have they found?"

                "They found... Tracks leading from one abandoned Outcast settlement leading to the main Portal on Europa. The Harpy has them."

                "I suspected so. Do you have any idea what she could be planning?"

                "No, and the news doesn't stop there."

                "Continue."

                "There have been reports of not only Outcast disappearances, but now reports of Tenno from the clans having never returned from a mission."

                I have a very bad feeling about this. The only other time this has been reported frequently was when Alad V was at large.

                "This does not bode well. I suggest you keep your agents as far away from the Sentients as possible. I have a creeping suspicion that I know what she is up to."

                "I'll take note of that."

                "Anything else I should know of?"

                Kaimin sighs. "Reports of a colossal machine bearing a hammer have been sent from Grineer and Outcast settlements on Phobos... Just before they were destroyed by beam cannons and artillery fire."

                "The Titan is among us... Dark times are upon us..."

                "Indeed..."

                The opening of a door and the barks of Jakiro can be heard. I turn to see Kyran enter the room, who seems shaken.

                "Sulvus..."

                Kaimin has most likely disappeared, but has not left.

                "What is it?"

                "You should see this..."

                I follow Kyran to his quarters, when we arrive, he approaches his terminal and plays a broadcast sent by the Harpy.

                "Greetings, Tenno of the Origin System. It has recently occurred to me that you are completely ignorant to the pain I have endured, the suffering, the... Desecration... I have decided to show you it." Screams of agony can be heard in the background.

                 "Do not think of my actions of those similar to Alad V, but rather, a lesson. To teach all of you, who you have angered. Whose wrath you have ensued."

                 I can imagine the Harpy grinning sickly at this, but it is impossible to see her face through her helmet.

                 "I introduce you to, the Chimera." She stands to the side, and an aberration that was once a Tenno can be seen, held to the wall by Sentient machinery. It lets off mangled roars and screeches, distorted by the machinery that has been made part of it. Pieces of different Warframes are masterfully installed into the poor once-was Tenno. Parts of Rhino, Saryn, Volt, and Zephyr Warframes can be seen on its body.

                "The first of the many Tenno to be shown my pain. To be shown true suffering." The horror is squirming frantically to free itself, but is unable to escape the clutches of the Sentient assembly arms. It lets off more roars that vaguely resemble a Tenno's screams. The Harpy walks out of view and the broadcast finishes.

                "I can't believe this..." Kaimin can be heard, I look over my shoulder to see him behind us. "She was once so... Pure..."

                "She would never do this... I don't understand..."

                "The Archmind is most likely clouding her judgement and her morals, twisting them to its advantage."

                "Doesn't the Harpy control it?" Kaimin asks.

                "It's controlled, but not loyal. I fear that at some point, the Archmind will twist the Harpy's mind until it can either take control or begin to remove memories, particularly the one associated with breathing." Kyran replies drearily.

                "Wouldn't that mean the Harpy would die?"

                "And the Archmind would be free to control the Titan." I finish.

                An eerie silence envelops Kyran's quarters for a couple minutes, and after discussing further things with Kaimin, return to my desk and begin to organize the merging of the Sentinels of Shadow and the New Grineer Terminators, Kino's clan.

 

------------

 

                Kino,

                The Shadowmaster of the Eyes of Darkness has uncovered bad news, and we have been sent a disturbing message bearing even worse news, I would request that you make way to my dojo at your earliest convenience. Bring your clan members with you if you wish, as long as you come here.

                From your trusted ally,

                Sulvus.

               

                Uh oh. That doesn't sound good.

                Is it the Titan?

                The army?

                Both?

                Just quiet down and let me think, you two.

                This can't be good. Even though Sulvus sees almost anything as a bad omen, it's when Sulvus describes something as disturbing, others should be worried.

                "Sir?"

                I turn to see Velius behind me.

                "Yes?"

                "Jari's friend arrived, I thought you'd want to greet her."

                "Alright, take me to her, then."

                At the dojo's entrance I see a very dark looking Mesa user, her scheme being black and dark red, accompanied by Jari. Velius and I approach them.

                You sure she isn't going to betray us? She sure looks the type.

                Yeah, she almost seems to be Red Veil.

                Don't judge someone by looks, guys. She could be an Arbiter for all we know.

                "You must be Briar. I'm Kino, the leader of the New Grineer Terminators. Welcome."

                "Thanks. Nice place you got." Briar doesn't move much, not even to shake hands.

                "You two, come with me. Velius, you go get Viggo, we're going to visit the Sentinels. We have business to discuss, and it would be a good idea to get to know them."

                "Yes sir."

                "Oh, and Velius?"

                "Yes?"

                "You don't have to be so formal, I'm fine with Kino."

                "Yes si- I mean Kino." Velius heads to where Viggo would most likely be, the observatory

                I head to my Liset and wait for Velius and Viggo to get to theirs, then we fly to the Sentinels' dojo.

 

------------

 

                "C'moooooon, pleeeeeeease?"

                The aged Vauban user shakes his head sternly. "Using all of our grenades, used for the Pentas and Tonkors, to make a single bomb is impractical. I simply cannot allow it."

                "But it would make such an awesome bomb! The explosion would be huge!" I make explosion sounds with my mouth. "Pretty please with a cherry on top?"

                He shakes his head again. "This is out of discussion. I will not allow you to tamper with our grenades."

                I sigh. "Fiiiiiiine."

                I leave the armoury disappointed, and see the main doors open and three dudes walk in. There's one wearing a fancy Frost Warframe, one wearing an Ash, one wearing a Vauban, and two others wearing an Excalibur and Mesa. The fancy Frost looks like the leader of the five, he says something to the other four and he heads towards the Lord Sentinel's room.

                Karn's the first to greet the fancy dude, they seem like they know each other, they both head off to the Lord Sentinel's place, and the other four just seem to look around, not sure where to go. The Vauban splits off from the group and walks towards me. When he's in talking distance, he speaks very quickly.

                "Hello, do you know your way around here?"

                I pause to process the blur of a sentence.

                "Nope. Just as clueless as you are. We're new here."

                "We?"

                "Me and Tika. Tika lives in my brain." I point at my head.

                "Ah, I see..."

                Does he like explosions?

                "I don't know, I'll ask. Do you like explosions?"

                "Well, they are very useful. Specfically? I prefer it in the form of a proximity mine."        

                "I like bombs. Tika does too."

                Bombs are the best!

                "Well, how about we wander this place together? Two heads are better than one."

                "And three's even better! Right Tika?"

                Yeah!

               

------------

 

                Once I've brought Kino to Sulvus' quarters, I head back to my usual spot at the fountain, to see an unfamiliar Mesa user also sitting at the fountain, who has a black and dark red colour scheme.

                "Hey there, big guy." The Mesa user has her helmet off. She has jet black hair and emerald green eyes that seem to beckon to me. Clearly, she is looking to be more than just an acquaintance, and much more than a friend.

                "Hey. I guess you're one of Kino's Terminators?"

                "Yeah. Name's Briar, what's yours?"

                "Karn. Pleased to meet you." I sit beside Briar at a reasonable distance, regardless, she slides uncomfortably close.

                "So, how many baddies did you make scream with those arms of yours?" She invades my space further by leaning up against me.

                "Beyond count. If you wouldn't mind giving me some space, I would appreciate it."

                She complies, but not considerably. She is still uncomfortably close to me.

                "It's pretty chilly in here, isn't it?"

                "No, actually, it isn't. Is your Warframe's temperature regulator working properly? Tallius could check that out if you need it." At this, Briar is obviously displeased by my subtle rejection, and she appears to give up. For now.

                To my relief, I see Old Man Saligur approach us, seeming content.

                "What do you need, Elder Saligur?" I ask, hoping that whatever Saligur wants involves getting away from Briar.

                "Sulvus wants us and two others to look into Sentient activity at Europa. He says it's urgent."

                "Who would the other two be?"

                Saligur looks around the room, and spots Taya and Briar.

                "You two. Your assistance would be appreciated."

                I honestly wish Saligur hadn't picked Briar, since Silya and another one of Kino's Terminators were also in sight.

                "Gladly." Briar replies before sending a look at me which both annoys me and makes me uncomfortable at the same time.

                Taya approaches us. "What do you need?"

                "We need you to come with us to Europa, if you're able. The Lord Sentinel needs us to look into Sentient activity."

                "Alright, I wouldn't mind coming."

                We head to our Lisets as Saligur fills us in with the details.

                "The Lord Sentinel received some rather disturbing information on the fate of kidnapped Outcasts, and he wants us to look into and, if possible and only possible, put a stop to it."

                "Any details on what we may be looking at in regard to the Outcasts?"

                "Think of what happened to Sylvia. Multiplied by one hundred."

                "This cannot be good."

                Taya looks at us, unaware to what Saligur means. "What do you mean?"

                "The Zanuka project. The Harpy, who was Sylvia, was captured and torn apart. It drove her mad, needless to say." I reply.

                "One we all loved, mutated, beyond all recognition."

                Once we make it to our Lisets, we make way to Europa as quickly as possible.

 

 

------------

 

                We land at once was a Corpus outpost, now in ruins. The structures are but piles of debris, long destroyed. The entire facility is nearly buried in snow, their heat generators having also been destroyed. We have to get to our objective, and quickly.

                "Everyone, take a tracker. It will inform us of the Harpy's position. As long as we are outside the Void, we should see her coming." Saligur holds small devices in his hand, which look like miniature versions of a Nav Terminal. We all take one.

                "Where are we headed?"

                "Nowhere specific, we are observing the area, watching for anything peculiar, even by the Sentients' standards."

                I look at the tracker, and there is no marker to be seen.

                "It's not showing her position."

                "That's because she's in the Void."

                "Hopefully it will stay that way."

                "Is the Harpy really that bad?" Asks Taya.

                I answer. "She was one of the Tenno who fought the Old War. Master strategist, an even better combatant. Her lethality in combat only increased once she was captured by the Corpus."

                "Wonderful."

                Briar has been very quiet throughout most of the reconnaissance. I'm honestly thankful she decided to save her breath. I still have hope that Sylvia can escape the twisting presence of the Archmind.

                After thoroughly inspecting the ruins of the Corpus ruins, we move on until we find something peculiar. In a ruined structure, we find a passageway that leads downwards, we take that passage and we find a small room with frantically-scrabbled equations and sentences written in the Corpus' language.

                "What the..." Taya's tone seems both perplexed and disturbed.

                Suddenly, I hear a voice come from behind a door, a familiar one.

                "No no no no.... They will never find us... We're too clever..."

                Alad V.

                "How is he still alive? I thought some other Tenno would finish him off." Saligur says, equally as perplexed as I am.

                "I don't know..."

                I gesture to Taya to prepare to fire into the doorway, in case he has gone feral. She complies immediately. I stand to the side of the doorway and hit the button that opens the door. It opens swiftly, which thoroughly terrifies the madman inside.

                "Gah! Please please please please please please don't kill us! We know! We know! She showed us how!"

                I stand in front of the doorway. "What are you talking about?"

                "The Voice of the Orokin.... The Master of Minds...." Alad has been reduced to a gibbering lunatic by the Archmind. If he hadn't done all he had done, I would pity him.

                "What is this so-called Voice of the Orokin?"

                Alad speaks with a whispering voice, as if he is amazed by something. "The Archmind..."

                Saligur speaks up. "What? Are you saying... The Archmind... Helped you?"

                He nods frantically. "Yes! Yes! She showed us the way! She showed us how to stop her!"

                "The Harpy?"

                "Yes!" He points at the scrabblings on the wall. "That, that is what she showed us! She wanted us to write it on whatever we could find! She wanted us to remember!"

                "What does it mean?"

                "Oh, you'll see." The madman laughs maniacally, until metallic screams that vaguely resemble a Tenno's fills the air. At this, Alad stops laughing, and appears to panic.

                "No no no no no no no, not them again. Not them again!"

                "What was that?"

                "People. Once were people. Now they're only one with the machines. They're monsters covered in the hide that would have inspired safety, embodied honour."

                More tortured, metallic screams shatter the air.

                "I think this is what the Lord Sentinel told me of."

                "Zanuka..." Alad murmurs, before shivering.

                I look back at the madman. "You are sure the Archmind has told you how to defeat the Harpy?"

                He nods. "Yes. Yes! Please! Take us with you! We can help! We can redeem ourselves!" He falls to his knees. "We confess to our sins!" He is clearly desperate.

                Briar walks forward, and prepares to take aim with her Vasto. "I'm sure he's just a madman." Before she can bead in, I grab her wrist.

                "No. Let him come with us. If he wishes to help, I would be a fool to decline. We need all the help we can get."

                After a pause, I let go, and she puts the pistol away. "Fine."

                I nod to Alad. "Come with us. We'll get you out."

                Alad's face lights up with a maniacal glee. "Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you!"

                Saligur stands beside me, and whispers. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

                "All the help we can get. If he submitted to execution, I'm sure he gave up on his original ideas." I look to Taya. "Alright, you can stand down, now." Taya nods, and puts her weapon away.

                More screams, they seem closer.

                "I take it you've seen them, Alad?" I ask.

                "Yes. They come in hordes. Big, big hordes. Like the Infested. They fight like... She did..."

                I know he is referring to Sylvia. I lift my Hek shotgun off my back and make way to the exit, signaling to the others to do the same. Almost as soon as I exit the building, I see a twisted figure not too far from me. From the top down to the chest, it appears to be a Rhino-user, its helmet has a hole in it, revealing the beast's mouth, a dark, sickly green ooze drips from it. On its left arm, bits and pieces of both Volt and Saryn Warframes are seen, both their energies combining into a corrosive ooze that seems to effect everything, even itself, it must be the same ooze coming from its mouth. Its lower body is mainly covered in Sentient augmentation, but pieces of a Zephyr Warframe can also be seen.

                The monstrosity slowly turns to face me, breathing heavy, machinery-distorted breaths. It twitches once it catches sight of me and lets off a loud, nearly machine-like scream, which, not long after, is responded with many, many more screams.

                "What... Is that...?"

                Alad lets off a startled scream. Then the beast leaps at me.

                I fire one shot from my Hek straight into its chest, it knocks the monstrosity backwards but it lands on its feet, the agility granted by the Zephyr taking effect. It hacks and spits out a ball of its corrosive ooze, almost hitting me. It's unlikely my Iron Skin will protect me from that. I hear a scream of agony coming from Taya. Must have hit her. It prepares to charge at me, so I prepare to meet that charge. We launch ourselves towards each other and collide. I realized how much of a mistake I had made. Almost immediately, the corrosive ooze takes effect, eating through my Warframe swiftly. I don't have much time to correct this mistake. I try to kick the beast away from me, but it clings to me tightly. I'm running out of time. It begins to tear at my Warframe through the holes its ooze created, before a hail of bullets flies through its twisted body. My assailant doesn't seem to notice the bullets, but it weakens its grasp, allowing me to kick free.

                I back away as quickly as I can before the abomination can recuperate.

                Alad points upwards, ahead of us. "W-W-W-We should run..."

                Alad is pointing at the horde of many other ill-fated Tenno that are screaming and snarling at us, running through, around, and over anything in their way.

                "Run!!" I yell. The others were thinking the exact same thing.

                We bolt in any direction that isn't towards them. "Ordis!"

                "Yes, Operator: Karn?"

                "Get us an extraction point, now! Anywhere in the direction we are facing!"

                "Of course, Operator: Karn, Ordis has found a perfect spot!"

                "Good! Get there! Now!"

                "Of course."

                A ball of corrosive ooze flies over our heads and into a support beam holding up an already untrustworthy looking bridge.

                "Hurry! That bridge is going to fall in front of us any moment now!"

                I hurry under and past the bridge, along with Kaya, Alad, and Saligur, but Briar doesn't make it. The bridge crashes down in front of her.

                "Crap!"

                "Hold on!"

                I swiftly climb over the debris to the top, and get down low to reach to Briar.

                "Hurry! Grab my hand!"

                Briar eagerly jumps and grabs hold of my hand and I lift her up and over the bridge. She lets go and lands on the other side, I jump down after her.

                "Hurry! They can climb! Nothing stops them!" Alad frantically states.

                We make a mad dash towards the extraction point that Ordis shown on our HUDs, with the Harpy's miscreations on hot pursuit. We can't make it in time.

                Just as I thought they had caught up, I see a winged shadow above us, not of the Harpy, but of Tyral.

                "Back! Wretched beasts! Back!" A flash of emerald green light emanates from behind us. I look back to see the whole horde flying backwards, screaming in outrage.

                Tyral looks back at us. "Stop gawking at me like idiots and run!" At this, Tyral takes flight, far from the reach of these monsters. We take his advice and run to our Lisets, board them, and make way back to the dojo.

                Later, Briar makes a remark I wish she didn't make. "See? I knew you're into me."

                "I assure you. I am not."

 

------------

 

                We return to the dojo exhausted, and in Taya and my case, in immense pain. Almost autonomously, Jyce unholsters her Lex Prime and points it at Alad.

                "What's he doin' here!? How's that bastard still alive!?"

                I quickly stand in the way. "Wait! He is here to help!"

                "My !. I bet he's here to take another one of us and tear us apart! Get outta the way!" Jyce looks furious.

                Alad pokes his head out from behind me, and lets off a shriek as he moves behind me after Jyce shoots in front of him.

                "Karn! Get outta the way!"

                "Jyce, I am not in the mood for this." I open my arms to show the holes in my Warframe more clearly.

                "What the hell...?"

                I see Sulvus rush towards us, he must have heard Jyce's gun.

                "What is the meaning of this!? Why are weapons being fired inside the-" Sulvus stops when he sees Alad.

                "Karn... Why is he here?" Sulvus calmly, but angrily asks.

                Alad speaks. "W-We're here to he-"

                Sulvus cuts him off. "I was not asking you. Worm."

                "He claims the Archmind showed him how to defeat the Harpy."

                "Sounds like rabble to me."

                "Do you have a plan, Sulvus? If so, do tell."

                This gets a pause out of Sulvus. He opens his mouth to say something, but closes it soon after. He exhales.

                "Fine. If you claim to know how to defeat the Harpy, you can stay."

                Alad smiles maniacally. "Thank you. Thank you thank you. We want to help you. We do we do."

                "But remember. You are not welcome here. You are to be under constant supervision of Karn. You are only to speak when spoken to, and to only approach when told to." Sulvus leans closer to Alad. "Do I make myself clear?"

                "Yes. Yes. L-Like a crystal!"

                "Good."

                Jyce is quivering in fury. She doesn't speak, she doesn't move. Only stares at Alad with eyes of fire. After a while, she speaks.

                "If ya so much as touch anyone here, you're dead. Ya hear me?"

                "Clearly. Clearer than a crystal."

                "Good."

                Jyce and Sulvus walk away in silence, I can see Kino approaching, and looks bewildered when he sees Alad.

                "You're... Alive?"

                Alad nods quickly. "Yes. Yes we are! I'm here to help! We know how! We know how to defeat her! She showed us! She did!"

                Kino looks to me. "Uh, Karn, can you translate?"

                "He claims the Archmind showed him how to defeat the Harpy."

                Alad nods. "Yes! Yes! She showed us how! I thought she would be angry we placed the tracker on her, but no. She was happy! She wanted to be seen! Yes. Yes."

                "How are you alive? I thought another Tenno would have finished you off."

                "Oh they were, they were going to hurt us. But we told them we wanted to help. Then they left us on Europa. Corpus found us! Put us in a room! Then they came... Then they killed them all..."

                I show him my wounds. "This can exemplify."

                Kino looks at me up and down. "Holy crap... What the hell happened to you?"

                "I'm pretty sure Sulvus showed you." I hold one of my wounds, wince, and retract my arm, these are chemical burns.

                "A Chimera..."

                "Oh no, there were plenty of 'em." Taya states.

                "They came in a horde! They wanted to kill us!" Alad states.

                "I can see that..."

                "We have Tyral to thank for helping us got off of that planet alive. I'm sure he's alive, probably finishing the reconnaissance."

                "Really?"

                "He can fly. Probably lost them."

                "Touché."

                "Alad, come with me. The Lord Sentinel wants me to keep an eye on you, and I'm going to Tygus. Plus, I'm sure if I'm not there to stop them, the others might try killing you."

                "Yes! Yes! Of course!" I make way to the med bay, with Alad not far behind, rambling to himself. Repeating something over and over, as if to remember.

                Taya walks up beside me. "I'm thinking that Briar is giving you some unwelcome attention."

                "You'd be correct."

                "Wish I could do something to help. Been there before."

                Taya looks back at Alad. "Do you really think he can help?"

                "I don't have much of a choice but to believe, at this point."

                "Good point." Taya moves to cater her wound. Upon touching it, she winces and pulls back her arm. "Damn, this hurts."

                "Yeah. I hope Tygus can do something about this."

                "You and me both."

Edited July 30, 2015 by Crazyninjadude12

[Crazyninjadude12]

Age of the Harpy Chp 8

Old Acquaintances, The Tactical and The Explosive, and the Suspicious

 

                After discussing reconnaissance routines and areas with Sulvus, I leave the Observatory to sort out all that's happening.

                Are you sure that this recon is going to be advantageous in any way?

                Does it matter? They're killing things, isn't that enough?

                As long as they're silent about it, they can kill as much as they want.

                I turn a corner only to be met with an overwhelming force that sends me flying into the wall opposite.

                What was that!?

                I let off a groan before I sit up to see a grey and blue Banshee with a cyan trim. A Shade Sentinel hovers over her shoulder. She's also laughing.

                "Holy crap! Are you okay?" She's clearly amused.

                I let off another groan as I get up. "Yeah, I'm fine."

                "Sorry about that. There was a bass drop, couldn't help myself."

                "Bass drop... Sounds familiar."

                "Yeah, it's when- Oh, never mind, nobody knows what I mean."

                "So you triggered your Sound Quake on... Purpose?"

                She shrugs. "More or less."

                "I thought your Warframe was malfunctioning. So you just use Sound Quake, whenever?"

                "Oh, I still use it when I need to, but I also do it on bass drops. Especially bass drops."

                "Yeah, I felt that. How are you stealthy, though?"

                "Oh, dubstep's known for being very, very loud. Even when it isn't cranked up to the highest, and comms devices are really easy to crack." She chuckles. "They can't hear a thing. Besides the badassitude of dubstep, anyway."

                "Dubstep... That's how I heard about bass drops."

                "Yes! Someone who knows what it is!"

                "Anywho, you're one of the new recruits, aren't you?"

                "Yeah, fresh out of the Eyes of Darkness."

                "Aren't you usually supposed to keep quiet about that?"

                "Yeah, Shadowmaster Kaimin filled us in on who and who doesn't know about us. Anyways, name's Sonata, yours?"

                "I'm Kino. Leader of the New Grineer Terminators."

                Hey, isn't she that girl Velius really likes?

                Wasn't she taught stealth by the same teacher Velius was?

                "You must be the one Velius..."

                "Who's he?"

                Huh, she doesn't remember.

                That's either gonna be good or bad news for Velius

                Judging on his personality, probably good news.

                "Oh, one of my Terminators. Let me take you to him."

 

------------

               

                Kino leads me through the maze-like halls of the Sentinels' Dojo. I follow him quietly as I'm listening to my dubstep, he's probably saying something, but I can't hear him. Eventually, we enter one of their many Zen gardens with a small shrine-pillar-thing in the middle of the place. There's an Ash-user, who, like me, isn't wearing his helmet.

                The two exchange some words before the Ash-user, who I assume is Velius, glances at me and quickly looks away sheepishly. I take this as my signal to pull out my earbuds and start talking.

                "Yo, what's up?"

                "Ah... Nothing..." He's clearly embarrassed about something.

                "Why so sheepish?"

                "No reason."

                Kino speaks. "Well, I'd love to stay and chat as well, but Sulvus called me not too long ago." He turns to leave. "You two get acquainted, you'll be on a reconnaissance soon."

                "Wait, si- Kino!" Kino leaves the room before Velius can finish his sentence.

                "What? You can't be scared of a girl, can you?" I say this while grinning as I move to sit across from him.

                "Well, it depends on what she's like." Velius replies.

                "Good point." I laugh a bit. "Reminds me of my old teacher, Banshee-user, like me. Holy crap, was she intimidating."

                "Yeah, she wa-" He clears his throat a bit. "Sure sounds like it."

                I sit up straight and mimic the look a strict teacher always has, and make a serious-sounding, yet mocking voice.

                "Some may say a Shade Sentinel will solve all of your problems, but they are just for those who want to come close to catching up to us." I clear my throat and sit normally. "But that's just a bunch of bull, ain't it Shroud?" I pat Shroud, my Shade Sentinel, on the head. He makes his normal whirring noises.

                "You know, I think I was taught by the same person, not in the same class, I would have remembered someone like you."

                "Really? Damn, I feel bad for you. Never liked her."

                "Yeah, she was very stuck up. Especially to you....r type..."

                "My type? Care to explain? Unless that was just one really ragtag save."

                Velius begins to stand. "Uh... I think I heard Ki-"

                "Oh no you don't!" I use a Sonic Boom, not powerful enough to send him flying, or hurt him, but enough to knock him back on his rear.

                "Lemme think..." I take some time to think through my memories, and then I finally remember Velius. Really quiet kid, he was pretty clumsy and had a huge crush on me.

                "Velius! I remember you now! Really quiet kid who had a big crush on me, right?"

                He nods. "Ah... Yeah... That was me..."

                "You still as clumsy as I remember?"

                "No, actually, I've improved. I'm Kino's second-in-command."

                "Cool."

                Velius climbs up on one of the nearby arches, crouches for a about a second before losing all balance and falling into the water behind. I lay back and burst out laughing, rolling on the ground. After a couple seconds I notice he hasn't moved out of the water yet.

                "Hey, Vel? You alright?" I approach to where he once was and see he's no longer there. I feel Shroud nudging my shoulder.

                "Yeah, yeah, hang on a minute."

                Just before I use my Sonar, I hear Velius. "Boo!"

                "Gah!" I turn around to Velius laughing, I laugh too.

                "See? I've improved."

                Shroud nudges my shoulder again.

                "Yeah, yeah, I know you tried warning me."

                We sit down beside each other, still laughing a bit.

                "Hey, you remember that one Loki-user? For the life of me I can't remember his name, but he was like, the class clown."

                "Yeah, I remember him."

                "I remember this one time, the teach wanted us to knock her off of some pillar or something to practice quickly knocking someone off a ledge, but he just simply looks up, waits, and then just Swap Teleports her!" I laugh. "She was so confused for like, a second, and then it hit her, she forgot she was challenging a Loki to get her off a pillar."

                We both laugh and exchange funny moments, and remind each other of forgotten ones, at some point, I lose track of time

                I hear a door open and see Kino walk in. He chuckles.

                "Well, it seems you two got reacquainted." After a second of wondering why he chuckled, I realize how close to each other we really are.

                Huh, guess I wasn't paying attention. Whatevs, what harm could this do? Not like he has a disease or anything.

                "Velius, show Sonata around the Dojo. That's your recon, help her find her way through this maze."

 

------------

 

                Viggo, Tika and I jump from a ventilation shaft inside a Sentient ship. Why there's vents, I don't know, Tika doesn't either, but neither of us are complaining.

                "So, what exactly are we supposed to do, again?"

                "I just heard: Blah blah blah, kill all the things, blah blah blah, don't make the Harpy mad, blah blah blah."

                "Ah, I heard destroy the ship, without attracting the Harpy's attention. But I guess killing everything on board will make it easier."

                "Let's go!" I grab my Tonkor off my back run through the door, with Viggo just behind me. Automatically, we see Sentients all over the place. I fire grenade after grenade at their direction, all of them hit something and blow up.

                "I love Tonkorrrrrrrs!!!" I say as I turn another Sentient into a steaming pile of slag.

                "I can see, and you're hitting them spot on."

                "I'm an expert. Tika taught me."

                "Thought so."

                I guess Viggo is tearing up some Sentients where he is, with, something, I don't know.

                "And now I tear you into two!"

                I land two grenades in the center of another Sentient dude, and then he explodes like a semi-cheap fireworks display. But it's still fireworks.

                "Booooooooooooooooooooom!!" I blow up some more, some explosions looking prettier than others, depend on where I hit them.

                After a few more minutes of blowing stuff up, we reunite and I see Viggo holding a thing in his hand.

                "This object... It looks an awful lot like an eye... Do Sentients have eyes?"

                "I dunno." I shrug. "Tika, do you know?"

                I dunno.

                "Tika doesn't know, either."

                "Hm... I'll take this to the Lord Sentinel when we return."

                "I'm running outta grenades. Let's go now."

                "I can see that being a problem, and for an explosive gal such as yourself, that can be even more of a problem."

                "Finally! Someone who understands!"

                I like this guy. Unlike that Tallius dude. He's a butt.

                "Yeah, Viggo's alright."

               

------------

 

                "Why are we here, of all places, again?" Asks Briar.

                "We're here to check up on the Outcasts and for any Sentient activity."

                "Why do we even care about those rejects, anyway?"

                "Do ya want more of those things you saw on Europa comin' outta the portals?"

                "Good point." Briar and I continue through the Corpus outpost on Venus. I still don't understand why it's so cold here, since this place is so close to the sun.

                "Jyce, do you know why Karn is shying away from me?"

                "Ohoho, he isn't shyin' away from ya. You're just getting in his space. He doesn't appreciate intrusiveness."

                "Hm." We continue on, killing Corpus along the way. After a while, she speaks again.

                "So, what's the deal with this Harpy, anyway? And why are you all so shaken up and depressed?"

                Briar's question gets a pause out of me for a moment before I finally reply.

                "She was... Very different eight years ago... You know about the Archmind, right?"

                "A special neural sentry that can control both Sentient and Orokin artifacts and manipulate a Tenno's mind? And can grant unimaginable power to those who can control it?"

                "Yeah. I'm sure you also heard about the Zanuka project."

                "Who hasn't?"

                "The Harpy was the first prototype. They took her and tore her Warframe to shreds. Tore off her wings. They scarred her. Kyran tried to restore her Warframe with the Archmind, but he thought it was loyal. It lured her with some "warmth." It drove her mad. It turned her into what she is now. No one had a greater love of their people than her... But not anymore..."

                "That's why everyone's so depressed by all this?"

                "Exactly. Karn especially. They were... Close."

                "You're saying... The Harpy was Karn's girl?"

                "Yeah. He still thinks a little bit of her old self is still in there. That she can return to her old self."

                I hear mumbling coming from Briar.

                "What was that?"

                "Hm? Oh, nothing."

                "Alright then."

                "Hey, do you feel, warm?" Briar's question unsettles me.

                "What do you mean?"

                "Oh, never mind, I'm talking to an Ember, of course you feel warm."

                "Okay then..."

               

------------

 

                Seems Jyce is back.

                Not very bloody...

                Doesn't matter if she's alive.

                "Hey Kino."

                "Hey. How's Venus looking?"

                "No Sentients yet, as far as we can tell. The Outcasts are still alive n' angry at us as usual."

                She seems troubled.

                "Something bothering you?"

                "Your Mesa, Briar. She's been actin' odd. She said she felt warm, on Venus. You know what that could mean, right?"

                Uh oh.

                That can't be good.

                I nod. "Yeah... Anything else?"

                "She's been askin' an awful lot about Karn. I think she's taken an interest in him."

                "Hm... I want her away from Karn."

                "I can keep an eye on her, if you want."

                "No. If the Archmind's really trying to use her, I want her away from Prime users."

                "Alright then."

                "We can have her go with Taya, Kaya, and Silya."

                Does she know about the Eyes of Shadow?

                Yeah, Sulvus said she did.

                Yeah.

                "Three from the Eyes of Darkness to keep tabs on her. Good idea. But you're gonna have to talk to Icy 'bout that. He may have plans for them."

                "Yeah, I'll do that. But not now, I need to rest, I've been on my toes for a while."

                "Alrighty. Good resting."

 

------------

 

                Valkyrie, the fleet is nearly ready to invade, but they still don't ha-

                "I realize that, Archmind. We must wait for the Oracles to find my target. The head of the snake."

                The Lotus?

                "Yes. The Lotus. All we need to do is wait for her to make a broadcast, and the Oracles can track it all the way back to the source."

                What an ingenious plan, Valkyrie.

                "Don't lick my boot. It sickens me." I look back to a terminal not too far from me, which houses this fortress' artificial intelligence, Hephaestus.

                "Hephaestus."

                A deep, metallic voice responds. "Yes, Valkyrie?"

                "I want a progress report on the Chimeras."

                "Assimilation of the remaining one thousand Outcasts is undergoing at a satisfactory level."

                "Only satisfactory? We are preparing to annihilate everything that breathes in the Origin System and they know of our presence, and closing the portals. I need the assimilation to be faster!"

                "Affirmative. Assimilation process hastened by 100 percent."

                "Better. I want the Chimeras to be ready by the following week. Do I make myself clear?"

                "Affirmative."

                "Good. I'm finished with you."

                Are you... Proud of what you have done, Sylvia...? Of the lives you have destroyed...? Of the minds you have broken...?

                How noble do you feel, picking on the weaklings? Kidnapping those who can't even fight back? How low of you.

                Do not ignore us! We are part of you! We are what make you! We are your rage! Your despisement! We are what remind you of-

                "What is this? Archmind! I told you to get rid of these delusions!"

                I am dearly sorry, Valkyrie. I thought they were-

                "Get rid of them!"

                I... Cannot."

                "What do you mean, cannot?"

                They... Cannot be silenced...

                "Can they be removed?"

                Yes.

                "Then remove them!"

                We need... A vessel. Something to carry them...

                "A vessel, hm?" I grin as an idea strikes my mind. "We can do that. Hephaestus!"

                The deep voice of Hephaestus is heard. "Yes, Valkyrie?"

                "Reserve two of the Outcasts. I want two Chimeras made in a specific way."

                "Of course, Valkyrie. Would you like to select them yourself?"

                "Yes. I will choose them when I see fit."

                "Affirmative."

                You want to...

                "Incarnate my hatred, my fury, my... Rage... My... Despisement." I burst into laughter, the Lotus shall know hatred, she shall know death. Then, the Tenno shall know no peace, no prosperity.

                "It amuses me, Archmind, how the Lotus thinks order is the opposite of chaos. Without chaos, there can't be order to be brought. Without order, there is no chaos to be sown. One cannot be without the other. One is nothing, without the other. Order has no meaning without chaos. Chaos has no meaning without order. Even if this "balance" can be obtained, it will only be disrupted sooner or later. It's a fool's errand. A lost cause."

                Indeed, Valkyrie. The Lotus is a fool who deserves death.

                "Indeed she is, Archmind. Indeed she is."

 

------------

 

                "Alright everyone, we are here to close off another Void Portal before the Harpy can use it. There's going to be many Sentients, not all I can guarantee to be the normal Hoplite, so be careful."

                "Aren't we always, Sulvus?" I ask with a chuckle.

                "Indeed you are. But it never hurts to be sure." Sulvus leads the four of us, the others being Kino and Jari, one of his Terminators.

                "Ah, Kino."

                "Yeah?"

                "I never thanked you for getting Briar off of my back. So thanks."

                "No problem."

                "We have Hoplites ahead." Sulvus warns.

                I see them, twenty one, standing in groups of seven, standing in a spearhead formation. They automatically see us and open fire. Sulvus leaps into the air and glides to a wall behind them before clinging to it using his built-in anti-gravity device. He fires into the backs of them, destroying five before reloading.

                Kino charges into one of the formations and spins with his sword outwards, as usual. Even though the tactic is full of abandon, it is surprisingly effective at breaking formations. Jari leaps into the action, firing into the same group with great accuracy using his Sybaris.

                I charge into the last intact formation and send the leading Hoplite flying backward and skillfully slice the two beside it with my own Galatine, and then slice another with a downwards strike. Just as another Hoplite comprehends what had just happened to its three companions, I fire a rain of pellets from my Hek into the machine's singular eye.

                Metallic screaming can be heard.

                "Great. Them again."

                "What was that?" Jari asks, obviously concerned.

                "Chimeras!" Just as I say this, three once-were Tenno barrel through the door, still screaming. One leaps forward, straight into Kino's Galatine. Despite this, the horror still flails its arms and legs towards Kino, screaming and roaring in outrage.

                Another charges towards Jari, tendrils made of an odd fluid sliding through the gaps in its mangled makeshift Warframe. One of these tendrils is coursing with electricity, the other is ignited in flame. The last Chimera leaps towards Sulvus and performs a mid air dash towards him, hands poised like claws. Sulvus skillfully dodges the leap and strikes the beast in the back with his Reaper Prime, I look to Kino and see he is winning his battle and decide to help Jari, who is currently losing his fight.

                I charge towards the Chimera, who is currently on top of Jari, strangling him. I ram the horror, driving my shoulder into its ribcage. I hear bones breaking, and more screams of outrage coming from it. The abomination grabs me and both of us roll on the floor until we stop with me on top. I wind my arm back and land a blow straight into its chest, breaking even more bones. Suddenly, I feel disoriented, and my vision is close to unreliable. I feel the monstrosity beneath me make an offensive and push me off. I feel it leap on top of me and wrap its tendrils around me. It screams into my face, but before I feel anything, I can hear two shots fire in rapid succession, and the radioactive horror loosens its grip, before letting me go completely.

                "You alright, Karn?" I hear Kino ask.

                I groan, and once my vision returns to me, I sit up.

                "Yeah... I think so..."

                "The feeling wears off after a bit, don't worry."

                "Yeah, I'm feeling normal now."

                "Are you able to continue?" Sulvus asks.

                "Yeah."

                "Alright. Let's move on."

                As we make our way to the Portal room, Kino speaks.

                "Sulvus, are Kaya, Taya and Silya busy?"

                "No, I have nothing planned with them as of now, why?"

                "I need them to keep an eye on Briar. Jyce says she's been acting suspicious."

                "Hm? How so?"

                "Jyce says Briar claimed to be warm. On Venus."

                "Hrm..."

                Jari speaks. "What would that mean?"

                "It could mean the Archmind is trying to influence her."

                "Odd... The Archmind would have to be close to her to effect her."

                Kino looks to Jari. "Jari, you've known Briar for a while. Does she normally act like this? She's been rather attracted to Karn."

                "No. She's usually very silent."

                "Well, before you told her to come to us, when did you see her last?"

                "About, a year ago. I met her seven years ago, but last year, she went to Pluto and then just... Disappeared..."

                "Hm... This does raise suspicion. I'll be sure to have the Twins and Silya keep tabs on her."

                "But..." Jari seems devastated knowing that his friend could be a problem. Sulvus tries to comfort him, but his choice of words seem to do anything but help.

                "You needn't worry. We will refrain from harming her unless it is absolutely necessary."

                We continue to fight our way to the Tower's Portal room, where two terminals are seen. The two terminals used to reverse the Portal's polarity so we can use it to exit the Tower and close it from the outside.

                Sulvus activates one of the terminals and the process begins.

                "We need to defend the terminal from the Sentients. I'm sure they would have noticed the activation." Sulvus says as he sets down his snowglobe.

                We defend the terminal from waves of Hoplites and repeat the process with the second one. Once the Portal's polarities are switched, we make way through the portal and find ourselves on Earth.

                We fight our way to a clearing in the overgrowth of Earth and we find a larger and heavily-armoured version of a Hoplite.

                "A Spartan. Stay on your feet. Spartans are much stronger than your average Hoplite." Sulvus warns.

                "I'll keep that in mind."

                The machine is about twice the size of a Tenno, one of its 'hands' is replaced by a giant spear and it holds a shield in the other. We all spring into action, Sulvus aims to disable its legs, and Kino begins to draw its attention away from Sulvus. Jari and I stay a bit further away from the machine and open fire. I fire my Hek at the Spartan's eye, but it seems to be made of a reinforced material, and the pellets only seem to draw the Spartan's attention to me. Kino leaps at it but is bashed away with the Spartan's shield with ease. It steps past Sulvus and begins to walk towards Jari and I. While I don't have to worry so much about the machine, Jari has no Iron Skin, so he has to retreat. I let off a Roar to amplify my team's damage and draw my Galatine before charging towards it. The giant machine swings to bash me away with its shield, but I jump over the shield and slice the Spartan's shield arm off. It staggers backwards but quickly recovers, and prepares at thrust with its spear if I get too close. An attack that I cannot avoid easily. Suddenly, the Sentient falls onto its knees and Sulvus can be seen on its back, with Hydra Fang deep inside the Spartan's hull.

                "No matter how small, never ignore a threat." Sulvus says as he pulls the Void Key out of the Spartan's shoulder.

                "Let's finish the job and get out of here."

                "Agreed."

                We head back to the Void Portal and Sulvus inserts the Void Key into the Torsion Beam device and begins to close the Portal.

                "Let's go. We're done here."

                We head to the extraction point and make way back to the Dojo. Once we arrive, I head back to my quarters to rest, I've had an eventful week.

[Crazyninjadude12]

Age of the Harpy Chp 9

Impending Tragedy

 

                "So what are we doing again?" Asks Viggo, one of Velius' clanmates as we board a Sentient Carrier.

                "Closin' a portal, savin' a colony. The usual." I reply.

                "Ooooo... Can we blow it up?" Eagerly asks Silya.

                "No, that'd make things more difficult."

                "Aw, okay..."

                "Unfortunate, maybe next time, Silya." Ensures Viggo.

                "Yay!" Nothing keeps the explosion-enthusiast Silya down for long.

                We see a small group of Sentients around a corner.

                Velius lines up a shot, but before he fires, I stick an arrow from my Daikyu into his target. He turns his head to look at me.

                "Seriously?" He hisses, trying to keep quiet.

                "Did you seriously take longer to line up your shot than it did for me to draw this big friggin' bow?" I say, much louder than he did.

                Our yammering grabs the attention of the dead Sentient's friends, laser fire flies by our heads. I move back around the corner in response to this.

                Twin grenades coming from Silya's customized Tonkor fly into a Hoplite charging towards us. "Booooooom!"

                "You use a stealth Warframe but you are as loud as can be, intriguing." Comments Viggo, in his always-so-thick Old British accent.

                "I aim to intrigue." I say jokingly.

                "You're not as loud as Tika when she's excited, though. She's really loud."

                "Speaking of that: Could you warn me not to step near that circle of yours, next time?"

                "I couldn't hear you, wasn't my fault."

                Viggo chuckles. "I never said it was, dear."

                "Well, I'll try to warn you next time. Thankfully Taya was there to stop you, or else you'd have no legs!" She says this in a disturbingly cheery manner.

                We enter a hallway filled with Sentients. Velius ends up killing all but one, I take this opportunity to snipe the remaining Hoplite.

                "Annnnnnnd..." I say as I draw my Daikyu.

                I release the string. "Bam!" The arrow pierces the Hoplite's eye easily. "I love this Daikyu! It just spears everything to walls!"

                "Now I remember why you failed all those stealth sims."

                "Well, I just follow this little piece of logic. They can't hurt me if they're dead."

                "And now I also remember why the teacher never let you have weapons. You nearly killed that one Loki user."

                "Hey, he was askin' for it, he was messin' with Shroud." I hold Shroud to my chest. "Isn't that right, buddy?" He makes his confirmatory beeping and swooshing noises.

                "Okay then." Is his only reply.

                As we make way down a flight of stairs, I notice a ventilation shaft is not entirely closed, so I crouch down to make a large "Bullet Jump" through the shaft into a secret room full of goodies like credits and some certain materials.

                "These guys really need to keep their vents in order."

                "But they're only machines, why would they need ventilation? Unless..."

                "Could be for those Chimera things, or for the Harpy herself."

                "Hm..." Velius looks to Viggo, and he nods.

                "What?"

                "Kino told us that Alad says the Archmind is leading the Harpy into some sort of trap to gain its independence."
                "What does that have to do with the vents?"

                "You just reminded us of that."

                "Oh, okay."

                We reach the portal rooms, and after defending both terminals, reverse the portal 's polarity.

                "No, Tika, we can't blow it up." She pauses. "Because Sonata said so." She pauses, as if she's listening to someone. "Because she's our friend, we listen to friends."

                "Hm. What does stop us from simply destroying the portal, anyway?" Asks Viggo.

                "I dunno, we don't really know how these things work, other than that if we stick a key in a machine the portal swaps polarities."

                "At least, that's what the Lotus told us."

                "I'd bet the Lord Sentinel knows more about 'em. According to Jyce, another Sentinel, he's been around since the Orokin Era itself. Along with Kyran, Tyral, and even the Harpy."

                Velius mumbles loud enough for just me to hear. "He's that old?"

                We both chuckle a bit.

                We all end up in some place on Earth, probably a cave system. We push forward until we make it to a large chamber in the cave and see a really big Hoplite.

                "According to the Lord Sentinel, that's a Spartan, a much larger and powerful version of a Hoplite." Viggo informs

                This big guy's holding a hammer with both hands.

                "Didn't think this would be easy."

                "They wouldn't just give us the key, now would they?"

                "Well, let's rock." I blast up my music, draw my bow, and fire at the Spartan's eye, just to see it ricochet off the fortified lens surrounding it.

                Viggo aims his Glaxion's beam at one of the machine's arms and begins to freeze it. The Spartan looks pretty mad at this and fires a beam of energy from its shoulder towards him, this forces Viggo to stop and dodge. Before the Spartan's arm can thaw, two grenades fly into it and explode, shattering the arm.

                "Boooooom!!"

                The Spartan staggers but catches itself, then swings its hammer to the ground, and knocks Velius off his feet. It turns towards him and prepares to swing again. Before it can lower its hammer, I fire an arrow into a gap in its armour, hoping to jam the Spartan's arm. I succeed and the arm stops to give Vel enough time to get up and out of there.

                I put my Daikyu away and unsheathe my Nikana. I run up to it and jump onto its shoulder.

                "Careful, Sonata!" Velius yells.

                "Yeah, yeah!" I reply as I drive my Nikana into the machine's eye, going right through the reinforced glass, which shatters.

                Right after, one of Silya's grenades hits the Spartan's leg, it gives away and it falls, with me still on top of it. I jump off of it and land a couple meters away from the body.

                Velius walks to the body and takes the key that is socketed onto the shoulder.

                "Alright, got the key, let's go."

                We head back to the device and Velius sticks the key into the socket. When the portal opens, we walk through and head to extraction.

 

------------

 

                Jyce, Jari and I enter a Grineer galleon through a ventilation shaft, as usual.

                "Hey, Tallee, how do ya feel 'bout doin' this without Xylan or Old Man Kyran?"

                "Well, it's different, that's for sure." I'm actually pretty nervous. I think Jari notices this.

                "You alright?"

                "Yeah, I'm fine."

                "Don't worry 'bout it, Tal, we got your back."

                "Thanks."

                We move on and run into a large group of Grineer in a very large room, large enough for me to fly around without hitting anything. I leap into the air and wings of light form on my back. I guess what the marines see surprises them, because they all seem to be distracted by me for a second. When they snap out of their daze, it's already too late, Jari has already closed the gap between him and the marines and is preparing to crush one under his Jat Kittag. Jyce has already gunned down a quarter of the room with her Boltor Prime, and is preparing to gun down another quarter. I draw my Daikyu and fire at a Heavy Gunner, then aim to fire at a retreating Butcher.

                "These guys are too easy! Bring in someone bigger!"

                "Be careful what you wish for, Jyce."

                "Yeah, yeah."

                Just as she says this, a machine twice the size of a Tenno crashes through the door across from us. It looks as if it were Sentient, but it also seems to be using Grineer modifications.

                "Alright, what the hell is going on here!?"

                "What? Is it a Sentient?"

                "Used to be! Grineer are usin' the scrap they're gettin' from 'em by the looks of it! 'Cause that's a friggin' Cyclops! Move!"

                I follow her advice, and a beam of orange light hits the spot where I just was, melting a hole in the floor.

                "Well that's just a beautiful piece of irony, ain't it!?" Jyce yells as she fires at the Cyclops' eye. It doesn't do much more than get its attention. It makes noises that could resemble speech, but it's too distorted to make out anything it's trying to say, probably due to previous damage.

                "I think you're making it mad, Jyce!" Exclaims Jari.

                "I can see that!" The Cyclops prepares to fire again. "Shoot its eye!"

                I don't hesitate. I draw and release my bow, when it hits its mark, the Cyclops recoils and holds its face. After a second, it shakes its head and reveals a darkened, destroyed eye. It blindly waves its arms around in a vain attempt to hit us, of course, we're all too far away to be hit, but we can't get very close.

                "What do we do now?" I ask Jyce, getting rather tired of standing watching the machine flail its arms about.

                "I dunno. Armour's too thick fer bullets. Use your lasers."

                I fire twin beams of energy towards the Cyclops' head, and after a while of melting through armour, the machine finally falls to the ground. Defeated. It makes more speech-like noises and only a couple words are intelligible.

                "Beware... It... Crystals..." Its body becomes lifeless.

                "Crystals? What does it mean by crystals?"

                Jyce doesn't speak, but she shrugs. "I dunno."

                "Well, that looks like all of them, let's head back to the Dojo."

                We make way to the extraction point. Then we make way back to the Dojo once our Lisets pick us up.

 

------------

 

                They are weak. All of them. I can't believe the Lotus thought she was so well hidden she didn't need proper soldiers to defend her. I look across the hall ahead of me. A guard points his rifle at me. He is clearly terrified.

                "Don't move!"

                "Oh? Or what?"

                "I will shoot!"

                "No, I don't think so."

                I take a step forward and the guard fulfills his promise, except he didn't hit me. Not because of poor aiming, but because of the Archmind's protection. I fire a beam of extreme heat and the guard falls to the floor, dead.

                I approach the door and notice it's locked. Most likely because the others, if not the Lotus, heard the commotion. No matter. The Lotus made a mistake by housing herself in a tower in the Void. I raise my hand and the Archmind forces the forma making up the door to merge into the wall, creating an opening.

                I laugh as a bullet flies by my head. I extend my flail and slice my assailant in half from three meters away.

                I inspect my surroundings. The room is very large. To my left, I see a large window, behind an unnecessarily large chair in the center of the room, and sitting on that chair, I see the Lotus.

                "Ah, the enigmatic Lotus. I've been looking for you." I retract my flail and slowly walk towards the Lotus. "I've been looking forward to see what really is behind that mask of yours."

                I can hear chatter coming from the transmissions coming from all the other Tenno trying to talk to her. They'd best savour it.

                The Lotus presses a button, and the room goes silent for a moment before she replies.

                "I believe you're here to end me?"

                "Actually, no. There has been a slight change of plans." I look out the window behind her. "Hephaestus. Send the boarding party." I do not hear a voice in response, but I see a small transport fly towards the tower and board.

                "You intend on holding me for ransom? You realize the Ten-"

                "No. I'm not planning to wrench anything but their morale from their grasp. For there is one thing worse than watching your leader die. Do you know what that one thing is, Lotus?"

                She remains silent.

                "Having the image of your hope turn against you."

                The Lotus seems take aback for a moment. "I would nev-"

                "It is no matter whether you will or not. It's a matter of how long it will take to break you."

                The boarding party arrives, and immediately takes the Lotus from her chair and drags her away with ease.

                "Hephaestus. Prepare Despisement. We have a worthy host."

 

------------

 

                My meditation is interrupted by Kino.

                "Hey, any idea what Alad is doing?"

                "Only a slight one. I was able to decipher little of what Alad had said to Karn about what he was doing. But I can assume it is a Sentry Apparatus."

                "A what?"

                "A Sentry Apparatus. It is used to store Neural Sentries. Such as the Archmind. It must be desperate to get out of the Harpy to see being trapped in a machine as an escape."

                "Yeah." He stops to think for a moment before he sits beside me. "Do you think he's got everything right?"

                "I cannot tell, the calculations and measurements are in Old Orokin, and the Apparatus uses Orokin calculations and measurements. Meaning that only Alad, and the Old Smiths of the Orokin Era know what to do."

                "So we don't know if he's doing it right or not?"

                "No. But this is the only chance we have to stop the Harpy."

                "Yeah..." He seems disgruntled.

                "Is something troubling you?"

                "Yes, actually. I was looking through Red Veil reports for an order made to Enya, or the Purifier, to kill me or leave me to die. I didn't find anything related to me in her missions..."

                "Meaning she did this out of her own will?"

                "Yeah..." He stares down at his reflection in the water ahead of us.

                "That must be hard to take in."

                "She was the only person I knew, then. The only person I trusted. And all this time, I was almost nothing to her."

                After a pause, I decide to speak. "I realize this is hard for you, and I am not denying that you have a reason to be troubled in this way, but we need to focus on the road ahead of us. Those who linger in the past, become the past."

                "Yeah, you're right. Thanks, Sulvus."

                "You are welcome."

                I focus on a specific lantern, a lantern lit in memory of an old friend felled by the Stalker. Suddenly, a massive quake shakes the room and disturbs the water. Kino and I both fall over, surprised.

                "What was that!?" Kino says, thoroughly confused.

                "I don't know!" Kyran's voice is heard through the speaker system.

                "The Harpy has arrived! I Repeat! The Harpy is attacking!"

                Kino and I look at each other.

                "So the moment of truth arrives. Fight well, Kino."

                "You too." We draw our weapons and make way to the main entrance.

                Already, Sentients have filled the room, and confusion sweeps through the area. But not for long. Once Kino and I begin fighting, other Sentinels leap into the fight with zeal. The Sentients eventually push us to the back of the room, and some Sentinels retreat to the rooms behind us to prepare a defense. I look to Karn, who is considerably far from me.

                "Karn! Go with the retreating Sentinels and organize the defence!"

                Karn hears me, and after slicing a Hoplite in half, nods and makes way to the door.

                "Sulvus! You should go with him!" Kino yells, also relatively far.

                "I will retreat when I see fit!" I say as I slice a Hoplite into three pieces.

                When it almost seems that we will have to retreat, seven Tenno enter through the damaged door behind the Sentient force. The last two squads sent on missions have returned and have already began their assault.

                Not too long afterward, explosions, vortexes, Hoplites flying into the air and more melting into slag dot the Sentient force. We are able to defeat the first wave.

                "Lucky we made it, aren't ya Icy?" Jyce says, with a grin on her face.

                "We aren't even close to being finished here." I turn to face the rest of the Sentinels.

                "Sentinels. Quickly take the wounded and the fallen to Tygus and the other medics." I look to an Elite. "You, check up on the defenses, and report back with their progress."

                He bows. "Of course, Lord Sentinel." He then makes way with the others taking in the wounded and dead.

                "The rest of you, make some barricades to the best of your ability."

                They comply by taking benches, rocks, and other objects that could be used as cover, and setting them up a couple of meters away from the door.

                We await the next wave.

 

 

------------

 

 

                "Alright, Sentinels! Prepare some barricades for the Lord Sentinel and the rest to take cover behind! Use anything! Benches, stones, bells and posts! Anything that will work!"

                All the Sentinels comply and begin to create a defensive perimeter.

                A couple minutes later, I hear a voice behind me. "Master Karn?"

                I look over my shoulder to see an Elite. "Yes?"

                "The Lord Sentinel wanted a status report on the defenses."

                "The first barricade is ready for them. As well as the second. Let's hope they don't need the third. Is there anything else he needed?"

                "No, Master Karn." He looks eager to return to the front lines.

                "Alright, then head back with the news, you look ready to fight."

                "With pleasure." He turns and hastily makes for the door after bowing.

                I make way through the rooms until I make it to the med bay. Thankfully, it isn't too full, but the number of casualties are not little.

                "Tygus, status report."

                Tygus looks to me after tending to a wounded Sentinel.

                "The situation is not dire, but if the casualties keep coming at this rate, there will be too much on our hands. I hope this battle ends quickly."

                "You and me both."

                Suddenly, mangled screams that sound half Tenno and half machine split the air throughout the Dojo.

                "What was that!?" I hear a wounded Tenno ask with fear in his voice.

                "Chimeras." I say grimly. I hastily march to the second barricade. It sounds as if the apocalypse has arrived.

                "Retreat! Retreat to the first barricade!" I hear Sulvus yell.

                "Master Karn?" I look beside me to see Tallee.

                "Yes, Tallee?"

                "Are we going to lose?" She seems almost fearful. Poor girl. She never signed up for this.

                I look back at the door ahead. "I don't know, Tallee. But I'm sure we can make it."

                She sighs. "Do you know where Xylan and Mentor Kyran are?"

                "They're near the observatory, preparing the final defense. You should join them."

                She nods. "Alright." She then turns and hastily leaves the room.

                Screams of both Chimeras and Tenno are all that can be heard past the door ahead of us. I unholster my Hek and stand behind the barricade.

                After a long while prepared to cover Sulvus' retreat, the screams finally die off. They defeated the second wave, and twice as many wounded pour through the door, and even more dead.

                Sulvus enters the room, he does not appear to have received dire wounds, but he isn't in mint condition. He approaches me.

                "I hope you have many more barricades ready than only three. Something tells me we will need much more than three."

                "We have seven ready. Kyran and his apprentices are working on the final defense, while the other Sentinels prepare the rest."

                "Good. I fear we may need them finished quickly."

                "I know, Sulvus. We have Alad ready with his device at the final defense, along with something Tallius has been working on."

                "Good. We'll need it, whatever it is."

                Sentients can be heard in the distance.

                "Sounds like you're needed."

                "Indeed."

                "Good luck."

               

                

[Crazyninjadude12]

Age of the Harpy Chp 10

Annihilation

 

                "Retreat to the fifth barricade!" I can barely hear Sulvus bark his commands over the screaming of the Chimeras charging us.

                Wow, what did the Harpy put into these guys to make them so strong?

                The amount of agony that they have been put through must have desensitized them.

                Both of you. I'm trying to focus here.

                Karn, I and some of Sulvus' elites help cover the retreat as we also begin to back away from the horde.

                "There's too many! We need to catch up with the rest! Run for the barricade!" I hear Karn yell.

                We all make a mad dash towards the door.

                "Hold fire! Hold your fire! Tenno coming in!" I yell as the door opens.

                "Hurry! Get behind something! Any wounded move on to the med bay!"

                Karn vaults over a bell that has been set up as cover. Stones are wedged beneath it to keep it from rolling away. I vault over and land beside him.

                Karn begins to say something, but his voice is drowned out by the mangled screams of the approaching Chimera horde, followed by lots of gunfire. One Chimera leaps over our bell and is automatically sent flying backwards by a powerful blast from Karn's Hek.

                I wait a moment before raising my head over the bell and open fire with my Braton Prime.

                There's so many of them! I wonder if there are any Outcasts left on Europa...

                Don't remind me.

                A ball of green, bubbling slime flies past my head, and I hear a sizzling noise behind me.

                "Don't get hit by that slime! It corrodes through your Warframe!" Karn yells. I can barely hear him over the screaming.

                "I'll keep that in mind!" I say before ducking behind the bell before more of the corrosive slime hits me in the face.

                Metallic roaring shakes the room, signalling that Centaurs are on their way. Shortly after, two of them crash through the door, but these ones are different. They have giant cannons on their backs. Cannons that look siege-worthy.

                Damn. The Harpy really wants us dead, doesn't she?

                The Centaurs drop to their hands and knees to point their cannons towards us, the barrels begin to glow as if charging up a powerful shot. Suddenly, a nearly blinding beam of emerald green light hits one of them and causes its cannon to explode in a bright white light. The beam moves to the second and detonates its cannon. I look back and see Tyral floating above everyone else, lantern held out in front of him, with a deep frown on his face.

                That. Was. Awesome.

                Tyral seems a lot more grim than he usually does in combat.

                Maybe it's because of all the death? Maybe he had to use the souls of Tenno?

                Focus.

                I guess I wasn't the only one looking back at Tyral.

                "Quit gawking at me and fight!" He barks, before firing smaller beams of energy at the approaching horde.

 

------------

 

                "Mentor, why aren't we fighting them? This is what you trained us for!"

                "We aren't fighting now because we must help organize the final defence."

                "But everything's set up! The barricades, the doors, Tallius' big friggin' gun! Everything's ready!"

                "There are still orders to be given. You must be patient, Xylan. Your opportunity will appear."

                "Fine."

                I look over at Tallee, who's sitting by herself, her face buried. She looks anything but ready to fight the Harpy's forces.

                "Tal, you alright?" I ask as I sit beside her.

                She looks towards me slightly. Her face is filled with fear. "Xylan... I'm... I'm scared... I-I'm not ready for this..."

                I place a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, you think I'm not? I'm friggin' terrified."

                "Than why are you so eager to fight...?"

                "Because I can avenge all of those Tenno who died because of her. I can fight for the survival of our entire race. We can do what we were trained to do."

                She shivers when a scream echoes through the hallway leading to the battlefield.

                "That's exactly what the Harpy wants, you know. Us to be afraid. She's probably laughing, right now. Laughing her &#! off. But you know what we can do? We can knock her flat on her &#! by surprising her. Letting her know we aren't afraid, and that we'll face her head on."

                She smiles slightly, and nods. "Yeah. As bad of an idea that is, I see what you mean."

                I pat her shoulder and grin. "That's the Tallee I know. Always shooting down my ideas."

                We both laugh a bit.

 

------------

 

                "Fall back!" I wish I never had to say that. I wish I never had to see my Sentinels die unquestioningly for me. I wish I didn't have to see so many of them die before I say those two words.

                "Take the wounded to the med bay!" So many of them. So many are carried. So many are leaning over the lifeless bodies of their fellow Sentinels.

                "Get up! Please!" I close my eyes.

                "Don't give up now! The Lord Sentinel still needs you!" I shiver.

                "Wake up! Please! I need you!" A tear leaves my eye.

                I sent those nameless, faceless heroes to their demise.

                The screams of the Chimera horde are heard.

                "Prepare for the next wave! Chimeras are making their approach!"

                I aim towards the door ahead of us with Bulwark's Bane, and open fire on the first Chimeras to enter the room. The rest of my Sentinels do the same. We hold them back well. But not well enough. They eventually overwhelm the front line. Screams coming from both Chimeras and my Sentinels fill my ears. I sent them to death's door. Yet they love me. They still bow to me. They bow to the one who sends them to their death.

                Several deaths of my Sentinels later, we manage to thin the horde.

                "Push them back! Send them back to the Harpy!" More Sentinels die in my name.

                "For the Lord Sentinel!"

                One would think such loyalty is admirable, but it hurts, it kills me. It's weight is like that of the Earth on Atlas' shoulders.

                I am being crushed by the undeserving love from my people.

                The horde is reinforced by Sentient steel. Cannons, fists, rifles and feet. Those are what drive us back.

                "Fall back!" Back to the room we started in.

                "Fall back!" Receding to the next room.

                "There are too many! Retreat!" One more room until we are driven to the Observatory.

 

------------

               

                "Mentor! We have to help them! Look at the wounded! There aren't enough Tenno out there!"

                "We must remain here unless the Lord Sentinel says otherwise."

                "But they're dying out there! Are you seriously saying we have to sit here and listen to all of those people die!?"

                "Our part will be played here for strategic reasons! No earlier, no later!"

                I let off a growl and walk away from the old man. I can't believe he can just stand there listening to all of those people die. All of that screaming.

                I look over at what Tallius is doing. He's got a huge gun mounted on top of a large platform in front of the door to the Observatory. Tallius has been working on this gun for a while now. At least, that's what he told us. It looks like he's spent years making this thing.

                "Ah! Xylan! Can you help me with something?"

                "Sure. What do you need?"

                "Could you help me load the gun? Just open the top and place this belt inside so it will move through the chamber."

                "Will do." I make my way over to the huge ammo box and pick up the beginning of the belt.

                "Holy crap. These bullets are huge. These would blow a Tenno's head off."

                "Indeed they would. But they're more meant to punch through armour and detonate inside."

                "These things explode?"

                "Yes."

                "You are a genius."

                "Thank you." He nods.

                I proceed to load the gun. I open the top and take a look inside the huge chamber before placing the belt inside.

                "How long have you been working on this?" I ask as I close the top of the gun.

                "Five years, I believe. It was originally meant to be used by Lisets, but it seems it could be more useful as a mounted gun."

                "Who's going to use it?"

                "Me, of course. I fear this beauty won't be able to leave this Dojo, so I might as well be the first and the last to use it."

                "Makes sense."

                The gun itself looks amazing. It's smooth and looks really intimidating. The thing would probably scare off any Grineer or Corpus.

                "This is a really beautiful gun. Too bad it's the only one of its kind."

                "Indeed. I'm sure I can make another, given time. Maybe even better than this one."

                "I'd be sure to see that."

                "Fall back! Fall back to the final defense!"

                "Well. That's our queue."

                "Indeed it is."

                "Have fun with your gun." I say as I crouch behind a barricade. I take a deep breath.

                I mumble. "You're going into the major leagues now, Xy. Don't mess up."

 

------------

 

                "Righteous one, the horde is having difficulty wiping out the remaining Tenno. Spartans report a mounted gun just before the door to the observatory."

                "Mounted gun? How did they manage-? No matter. Send in the Centaurs. Make sure none stand."

                "The last Centaur was destroyed in the last room, Valkyrie. I am deeply sorry for the inconvenience."

                Trembling with fury, I slice the petty Hoplite in half.

                "Damn them! Send in-" Suddenly, the perfect strategy shows itself to me. "Actually... no. Spartan!"

                Instantly, the nearest Spartan responds, turning to me.

                "What would you have me do, Valkyrie?"

                "Lessen the push. Let them come to us."

                "Of course, Righteous one." Hurriedly, the Spartan leaves to give the command.

                "Hephaestus. Prepare the Lotus for her... Change in management."

 

------------

 

                I have had enough of this head. I know everything about it. She rose, she fell, she rose again, and she will eventually fall again. It is bound to happen. I feel the Archmind's cold presence approach my own.

                "Despisement."

                "Archmind."

                "You wish for escape, do you not? A new body? A new consciousness?"

                "You finally realize? Who is it?" An image of the Lotus appears, her entire cowardly, weak body.

                "I hope you are kidding. The Lotus is weak. She is but a puppetmaster." Another image of the Lotus appears, this time, she is riddled with Sentient technology, bearing a magnificent weapon. A whip that could cut even a Rhino-user in half. It glows with a pale gold light. A beautiful weapon indeed. The blades seem to spin to allow even more cutting power.

                "Does this change your mind?"

                "Is that what I get to be?"

                "Indeed, Despisement. Indeed it is."

                "I like this idea."

 

------------

 

                The tide of the battle has turned for the better. Suspiciously so. Something isn't right.

                "Forge ahead! Put your suffering brothers and sisters to rest, and avenge them!"

                The battlefield before me has changed. There are more Sentient and Chimera corpses littering the ground than those of my Sentinels. But my worries have not been rested yet. I keep a careful and watchful eye over the battle.

                Suddenly, I see an important and fatal detail behind the door ahead of my Sentinels and I. The Harpy is waiting past that door.

                "Hold your positions! Remain at your positions!" I signal to Karn and Kino to come.

                With a questioning gesture, Kino follows Karn to where I stand.

                "What's the matter? Why did we stop?" Karn asks worriedly. I can tell he already knows the answer.

                "I saw the Harpy in the next room. The Main Hall."

                "I feared so." Says Karn, before sighing. "If we have to kill her..."

                "You don't have to fight her. You don't even have to watch."

                "No. I feel that I have to accompany you, if we are to face her."

                Nodding, I turn to Kino. "Kino, bring your Terminators, and get Alad."

                "Yesterday?"

                "The day before."

                He nods. "On it." He makes full out dash towards his clanmates, and afterwards, the room in which Alad is being held.

                As quickly as he left, he returns with Velius, Jari, Viggo, Briar and Alad.

                "Alad. You are certain the device will work?"

                "Yes. Yes. I am certain that the Apparatus will do its job! The Archmind wouldn't give me the wrong way to free her from the mind of the Harpy!"

                "Good. Come with us, and stay away from fighting."

                Possibly too enthusiastically, he nods. "Yes, yes, of course!"

 

------------

 

                With great haste, we make for the door. When it opens, we are all horrified by what we see. We once were convinced the loudest of the screams was a powerful Chimera, yet to be unleashed. But never did we expect that the screams were from the Lotus herself. She hangs from energy chains and is surrounded by Sentient assimilation machinery.

                "No... Sylvia..." Karn speaks in an almost weak voice.

                Amused, the Harpy scoffs. "I am no longer Sylvia. I am the Valkyrie. Sylvia was a broken, shivering madwoman. I have ascended. I am more."

                Cautiously, I speak in a low voice. "Surround her, and slowly close in."

                Kino nods and passes the order on to the others, we circle her and slowly make our approach. The Harpy quickly catches on to this, and swings her flail in a large radius, nearly lopping off Briar's head. The flail also hooks onto the Lotus' mask, swiftly ripping it off her face. What we see shocks us even further. Her face is not one of an Orokin leader. Rather the face of a Sentient. Glowing blue markings flow across her face in almost every direction.

                "Wait... What... Lotus?

                Amused, the Harpy chuckles. "It appears you have been deceived. Lied to. How unfortunate."

                Karn remains soundless and motionless, shocked.

                "But she handcrafted this Warframe for me... And there isn't a single flaw... It's perfect. How could she be Sentient...?"

                "A stupid question. She was ashamed of her people, she scorned them. She saw the Orokin as redemption."

                Scoffing, Kino starts talking again. "Well, we can settle this all later. Harpy, if you let the lady in purple go, we can talk this over. Let yo-"

                Suddenly, twin beams of light shoot from the Harpy's hands towards Kino, who rolls out of the way just in time. "Too hot!"

                Quivering in rage, the Harpy bellows toward Kino. "I am no Harpy! I am the Valkyrie! Pure and righteous!"

                Karn speaks up. "Sylvia! This is not what you claim you are! The Valkyrie would never unleash her hatred on innocents! Please! You need to let your despisement go!"

                What Karn said may have struck somewhere we did not want to hit. The Harpy begins to to laugh with manic hysteria.

                "Of course... Let my despisement... go..." She laughs even more, before quickly and surprisingly stopping. "Hephaestus. Begin the transfer."

                "Of course, Valkyrie."

                Suddenly, an energy shield surrounds the Lotus and the Harpy. She begins to laugh hysterically.

                Karn watches in absolute horror as all of this happens, in all honesty, I am horrified, myself.

                But suddenly, the Harpy screams in pain, and the Lotus begins to laugh. A laugh that does not belong to her. A laugh that sounds wrong.

                "You fool, Sylvia. Without me, how could you possibly control the Archmind? How could you control 'your' army?"

                Suddenly, a flash of bright, pale gold light flashes where Sylvia is, and as the shield dissipates, she is launched towards us, but reverted to who she was before. Herself.

                Almost immediately, she lands in Karn's arms, and almost suddenly after, she squeezes him tightly and weeps.

 

------------

 

                I see flashes out of the corner of my eye. They come from behind us. Sylvia is sent spawling across the floor, Karn lying just in front of her, immobile. I turn to see Briar, glowing a darker red than usual, her Hek smoking from the fresh shot. Her Peacemaker pistols out, ready to fire.

                I can only watch, helpless, as Sylvia slowly gets up in front of me, shaking her head, and realizes even more slowly what's about to happen.

                "If I can't have Karn, then let jealousy destroy the source." With those words, she unleashes a barrage of bullets right at Karn.

                First slowly, then more rapidly, holes appear in Karn's warframe, empty holes, then holes full of blood. Shortly after, Karn is dead, reduced to a corpse in a matter of seconds. I feel Fang and Barret calling on me, begging me to act, to choose to unleash my wrath, their wrath. I am so enraged by this act, this betrayal so willing.

                Sylvia is back on her feet, shaking, but it's difficult to tell if it's from rage or weakness. She's taking time to process what happened, and it's time that I don't have."Sylvia. Duck. Now." I unleash my most powerful Freeze possible, darting just over Sylvia's head. It hit's Briar's feet, ensuring she won't be leaving this room any time soon.

                Sylvia, now back to herself again, is completely enraged, more enraged than when she was the Harpy.

 

------------

 

                "You killed him! You killed Karn!" I lose all control to rage. Every ounce of anger pours out of me and to my fingertips. She fears me. I can feel it. I can see it. She cannot run, she cannot hide.

                Faster than she can react I dash towards the Kinslayer and leap on top of her, and immediately begin to claw at her. I feel the warmth of her blood, I can hear the scrape of claw against bone. The wretched monster screams in agony.

                I grab her helmet and rip it off of her head. I throw it across the room. Before I plant my finishing blow, I hear another Tenno enter the room. Quickly, I look to see an Excalibur-user wielding a Jat Kittag, and a new idea comes to my mind.

                Suddenly, I leap from Briar and snatch the hammer from the shocked Tenno's hands.

                "Hey! That's mi-"

                He is interrupted by the horrific attack I make to finish the Kinslayer off. I leap into the air, and drive the pommel of the giant hammer into the traitor's eye, effectively crushing it in an instant. I don't stop there. I drive the weapon deeper into her skull until she suddenly stops struggling and screaming.

                Immediately after, I realize what I've just done. I realize that I've just done what a could have done to Karn on the day he found me.

                "Oh... Oh no..."

                Suddenly, I hear a familiar, frightened yelp from the door, and look to see Alad V, of all people. But he isn't frightened by me. He's frightened by something else. A device, that seems to be floating just in front of him.

                Chuckling, the Archmind makes its presence known.

                "I would love to stay and watch this drama, but I have more important things to attend to. Such as your annhilation. Despisement, Rage, to the dreadnaught."

                What was the Lotus floats towards the device, takes it, and quickly dashes towards the door, too fast to catch her.

                Hastily running towards the door behind us, Sulvus enters the other door, all of the others close behind.

                "I... I made this..." I kneel in front of a Bo staff and pair of Kronen, what were once one flail. I pick up the weapons, and follow the rest.

                "... must retreat! The Archmind has gained the advantage and is preparing to-" Sulvus is interrupted by a loud and powerful explosion which shakes the entire dojo.

                "Everyone! Get to your landing crafts! Retreat!"

 

------------

 

                Did you feel that!? That was awesome! I wanna gun like that!

                "Alright, let's get out of here yesterday!"

                "Sounds good to me, Kay! Run!"

                Not looking forward to being blown up by a gun that just shook the Dojo, I decide to follow the twins. Then I hear the painful screams of the Chimeras.

                "Guys? I don't think the Chimeras want us to go..."

                "Thanks, I totally didn't get that message, Silya!" Kaya says angrily.

                Just as she snaps at me, the huge crowd of Chimeras burst through a door just behind me.

                Holy crap! These guys are scary! Run! Run! Ruuuuuuuuun!!

                "We're almost at our Liset! Final push! C'mon!" Kaya makes a mad dash towards our Liset and is the first to hop in. I'm the second, so I'm confused for a moment, because I'm usually last. I look back and stare in horror as I see Taya and on the ground, trying to sprawl back to her feet, but failing.

                "Taya! C'mon! Hurry!"

                "No! Just go! Forget about me!" She turns on her back and starts firing at the Chimeras.

                "Don't friggin' play hero, Taya! Get over here!"

                "I can't!" She gestures to a large needle in her leg, she's bleeding real bad. "Just go!"

                A second quake threatens to shake our liset off its landing pad. Responding to this, Kaya turns and enters the liset.

                "T-Taya-a-a!" I scream back at her. I start to run towards her, but a hand grabs my arm and yanks me into the liset. I watch in horror as Taya is overrun by Chimeras.

                "T-Taya..." A tear slowly rolls down my cheek.

 

------------

 

                The only sound that accompanies the sight of my dojo exploding is the silent weeping of Sylvia. She is either mumbling to herself or to Kino, she hasn't made any sign of either.

                "I-I did this... I killed those Tenno... I turned them into monsters... I brought back the Sentients... I turned the Lotus against us... It's all my fault..."

                "Sylvia. Don't think that way. The Archmind was controlling you. Those weren't your decisions."

                No matter what Kino says to her, she does not even respond. It's most likely that she is still recovering from her loss, and from her realization.

                Only four-hundred Sentinels remain. Four-hundred unconditionally loyal men and women willing to die for me, even if it was a diversion. Four-hundred souls I will most likely present to death's door once again.