Hello, everybody, here's part ten of the Journey Home! As usual, if you like it, give it a bump, and I'll get more out soon! Here's[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/223637890?showBanned=0&path=0] part nine[/url] if you missed it, or, if you're looking for a different part, here's the[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/222615264?showBanned=0&path=0] table of contents![/url] Stay classy, Guardians! Alesha looked up at Erling with a newfound sense of wonder. The City. It was a place of myth - a place where they said the Golden Age had never really faded - where people lived happily tucked away from the Fallen - a place with walls so high that they even kept out disease and death itself. “The City’s a myth!” someone shouted. “How can we trust you!” Erling didn’t appear to be offended by the shouts. He looked to his right. “Ghost?” he said. A tiny metal sphere, much like the one Simon had had, appeared next to Erling. “Yes, boss?” it said. “Show them the hologram,” he said. Without saying another word, the orb turned its little blue eye towards the ground, and suddenly, an image appeared on the ground in front of him. The villagers gasped, and took several steps backwards - except for Alesha, that was. The image was of a bunch of buildings, all of them tucked behind a massive wall. And above it all hung a sphere. To Alesha’s eyes, it didn’t look lite it was more than a foot wide. But then, she looked down at the buildings below, and her eyes widened. The sphere was absolutely huge! Erling looked around. “That’s the City,” he said. “And I think you all know what that orb is - the Traveler.” “How are you doing this?” Oren asked, his voice filled with awe. Erling stared at the warrior. “My ghost is projecting this hologram for you,” he said. “It’s. . . difficult to explain the technology beyond that. But, this is an image of the City.” He looked around the circle. “And I will take you there.” “What if we don’t want to go?” someone said. “Then I leave,” Erling said. He looked around. “I won’t force any of you to come with me. But if you come, then I can promise you a far better life than the one you currently have.” Suddenly, another metal orb appeared in front of Erling. It hovered in front of him for a moment, and then spoke. “If it’s alright with you, I’d like to fix my Guardian’s arm,” he said. Erling stared at it for a moment before nodding. He took his foot off of Simon. “Be quick about it now,” he said. He looked down. “And Simon? Don’t try anything stupid.” The orb flew down to Simon, and cast a blue light over his arm. After a moment, the disfigured limb jerked back into place. Erling looked around. “I assume that Simon here told you about how the Fallen are advancing on this village,” he said. “You have two days before they arrive. We can fight, or we can run - it’s your choice.” “What’s this ‘we’ business?” Cassandra asked. “Way I see it, we’re gonna be the ones doing the fighting.” Erling looked over at the woman. “If you’re content to fight out the Fallen, I won’t begrudge you for it,” he said. “If you want to fight, then I will fight alongside you - and unlike this Sunbreaker here, I will do it free of charge.” He cast a dirty look down at Simon. “Say this is true,” Oren said, “what do you have to gain?” Erling frowned. “Excuse me?” he asked. “If you bring us to the City - if it’s real, that is - what do you get out of it?” Erling simply stared at Oren for a moment. Then, he walked up to the seasoned warrior. “See this?” he asked. He gestured to the sash at his waist, which had a pattern of interlocking rectangles emblazoned on it. Oren nodded. “It’s the Mark of the Pilgrim Guard,” Erling said. “It means that I have dedicated my second life to escorting refugees like yourselves back to the City.” He looked up. “That’s what I get out of this. I get the chance to save lives.” Oren frowned. “Second life?” he asked. “What’s that?” Quick as a wink, Erling drew his cannon, and turned around. “Someones’ is about to end,” he said. Simon froze. He’d stood up, and been trying to sneak out through the village gates in the commotion. He smiled. “Just testin’ ya,” he said. “Sit back down, Simon,” Erling said. Simon cocked his neck to one side. “You know what? I don’t think I will.” Erling frowned. “Excuse me?” he asked. “You’re not gonna kill me, Erling,” Simon replied. He turned around, and began walking again. “You’re just a big softie, Erling. You’re not -“ The cannon roared, and Simon dropped to the ground, blood spurting from the back of his head. Erling walked over to the corpse. Suddenly, the metal orb appeared again. It stared silently at Erling, who then nodded in return. The orb cast the blue light back down on Simon. Simon suddenly gasped, spitting mud out of his mouth. The whole village gasped, and instantly moved back a few paces. Erling pressed the barrel of his gun against Simon’s head. “Try that again, and next time, I’ll kill your ghost too.” Simon relaxed. “Fair enough,” he said. “What in the Hell was that!” someone shouted. “You killed him - and then - and then -“ Erling turned back towards the village. “Well?” he asked. “What do you say?” The village was silent for a moment. Then, Sorenson stepped forward. “This Sunbreaker told us about a horde of Fallen as well,” he said. “How do we know that it’s true?” “I can show you,” Erling replied. “Ghost? Get my sparrow.” The little orb disappeared momentarily, and then a strange, elongated metal. . . thing. . . appeared next to Erling. Flames came out of several tubes in the back, and it was painted blue. But that wasn’t the most interesting thing about it. The strange piece of metal floated several inches off the ground. “This is my sparrow,” Erling said. “I can take one of you with me, and show you what you’re up against.” He looked around. “Any takers?” Oren licked his lips, and then stepped forward. “I’ll go,” he said. “I’d like to see these Fallen for myself - see if we can’t fight them off.” Erling nodded. “Come with me, then.” He looked over to the metal orb. “Ghost? Stay here - answer any questions they might have.” “And leave you out there alone!” the orb said. “Erling -“ “Just do it, Ghost.” The orb seemed to sigh. “Fine,” it said. Erling nodded. He put his helmet on, and nodded towards Simon, who was sitting down against the village palisade. “Have some people guard him,” he said. “Don’t let him out of your sight.” Oren nodded to two of his warriors - Palmar and Eryn. The two quickly grabbed their weapons, and pointed them at the Sunbreaker’s face. Simon’s only response was to smile. “Easy, loves,” he said. “No hard feelings.” Erling sat down on the “sparrow,” grabbing onto two little sticks on the front of it. “Get behind me,” he ordered. Oren sat down behind Erling. “How exactly does this thing work?” he asked. “Hold on tight,” Erling said. Oren grabbed the Guardian’s back. “Why?” he asked. “Is there - “ The sparrow sped off through the village gates. By the time Alesha blinked, it was already speeding into the woods, out of sight. The little orb looked around. “Well,” it asked. “Any questions?” [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Post/1371758/224101901/0/0]Part 11[/url]