Chapter IV Quill was almost afraid of what he was holding. It looked like an ordinary hand cannon with some ornamenting. But the feeling of it was like nothing he had felt before. When his ghost was near, he could feel it’s warmth, it’s light. But there was no light in this weapon. Only cold darkness. “I don’t understand,” Ash said, shaking in fear, his eye focused on the weapon, “why would the coordinates be in your helmet?” “There’s a note here.” Quill said, ignoring the question, in hopes that the answer would be in the note. It read; Dear Quill, I told you there are no paychecks when it comes to being one of my followers. This cache is no paycheck. It’s a promotion. You have journeyed through the system, stolen goods, raided camps, and killed. All because you want to keep your servitude. You want to gain my trust, so you can travel beyond this sickened system. You want to become the best. I tend to reward ambitious men. But as I said: No paychecks, only promotions. Take the Thorn inside. Embrace its dark and let it protect you, define you. Welcome to the pack, Dredgen Quill. — Yor “You’re a Dredgen!?”, Ash exclaimed. He slowly floated away from his Guardian. “I don’t know,” Quill replied calmly, “I don’t remember anything.” “Okay, okay,” the ghost calmed itself, drifting back towards his Guardian but keeping distance between him and the Thorn, “This is okay. He doesn’t remember. He’s innocent now.” Quill looked at the hand cannon, deja vu rising. It was like it was whispering to him. Not with words but with it’s dark essence. “No.” Quill said under his breath. Ash’s worry changed to cringe, “What does that mean?” He looked up at his ghost, “I refuse to live as a servant of darkness. I can change.” Quill eyed the hand cannon, “This can change.” “And how are you going to do that?” Ash said. “Let’s do some ‘community service’.” Quill said. Chapter V Quill sat in the nearest rock, panting in achievement. Hive corpses surrounded him harmless. “Well, that wasn’t so bad.”, Quill said. Ash appeared, “Really? that one Thrall almost ATE ME!!”, he said almost hysterically. “Why did we come to this damn Tombship in the first place?” Quill said. He had learned some important terminology as they cleared out the Tangled Shore. “I dunno....,” Ash said, sounding almost sad, “Truth is.......no one likes the Hive.” A voice responded from Quill’s helmet, “Then you’ve obviously never heard of Toland the Shattered.” Quill stood up with his rifle. The voice was Fallen. “Who’s there?”, the Guardian replied in angry suspicion. “I’m an ally, my Light-born associate,” the voice responded. Silence rang throughout the Tombship. The voice continued, “I’ve noticed your......contribution,” the voice growled, “to the purification of my Shore. The Hive....are ESPECIALLY problems, along with the Scorn,.....-blam!- keep reviving. Anyway, you may not be working for me, but I always love to give paychecks.......your ship is outside.....Spider thanks you.....”, he gently shouted in Eliskni, “Cut the feed.” Quill and Ash looked at each other. They ran outside.