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The desolate moonside was one of the top places to pull out a sniper and work on your skills.
The Hellmouth with its wide stretch of open moon provided the excellent source of challenge mixed with working on steadying your hand. Murdoc decided to take a trip with Beloved, wanting to try out the weapon, deciding if she got bored she'd work on her bow work or go explore the moonscape. She'd given a wave to Eris, played a round of tiregame, then made the trip on her sparrow to the Hellmouth. She got up high, crouching low, setting up a position, then started her practice. Across the way a ketch had dropped some fallen, perfect, easy target.
Quickly she had dispatched the group, followed the pattern with the next 2 drops, then finally in need of ammo went to scour the spot for special. The glimmer and chance of an engram was also a bonus to the practice fire. Murdoc had slid down where she was positioned, hopping back on her sparrow to ride across the distance. She picked apart glimmer as she walked the drop site, pocketing an engram before she reached for a pack of special. A scuffle noise caught her ears, causing her to pause, stepping in that direction to investigate.
As she took a step around the scrap of metal a flash of purple jolted in front of her and she was face to face with a dreg. She dodged backwards out of instinct, sliding back before moving forward. He’d thrown his hands up in a motion, swinging his hands in the air before saying something in eliksni tongue.
“I have no clue what you’re saying, but you’re all alone.” Murdoc said, moving around the dreg as he took steps.
The two kept distance between themselves.
Murdoc was curious, partially skeptical, this dreg didn’t try to strike her nor shoot and it brought fascination in the guardian. He once again waved in the air before speaking in his native tongue. Murdoc slowly slid her sniper onto her back, head tilted to the side at his actions.
She thumped her fist to her chest saying, “Murdoc, I’m Murdoc.”
He released a series of clicks and chatter, thumping his fist on his chest in turn, “Izeklios.”
Murdoc widened her eyes under her helmet, chuckling to herself. A click was heard in her comms as one of her fireteam members entered the Hellmouth.
“Murdoc, what are you doing standing over there?” James’ voice came in.
“Talking to an eliksni.” She said in disbelief.
“What? I thought you said you were testing Beloved??” The exo asked in confusion.
“I mean yeah I am but… this dude is different. He’s not trying to kill me…”
“Do not trust a random fallen.” James spoke before pulling up on his sparrow.
He hopped off, gun drawn right at the dreg, his helm staring him down.
“Whoa whoa, hey hey, don’t hurt him.” Murdoc said, stepping in front of the dreg.
“Murdoc, you can’t save every random fallen, especially one that is an enemy, step out of the way and let me do what you can’t.” James told her.
“WHAT, no way, come on James.” Murdoc spoke, backing up till she bumped into the confused dreg.
Again the eliksni made a motion with his hands, speaking in his tongue, clicking away.
“You followed me here, I was minding my own.” She pointed at the exo.
“And it’s a good thing I did, you don’t know him, he could get you killed.” James told her sternly.
The eliksni clicked and chattered before speaking once again.
“The Last City.” Murdoc said to James.
“What?” He asked, lowering his gun in his confusion.
“What if I take him to the Last City, to Misraakskel, I can’t leave him here. I know I’m picking a hill to die on right now but give me a chance.” Murdoc begged James.
“You don’t even know if Mithrax will take him in! He’s House of Dusk!” James spoke exasperated.
“And House Dusk has no kell! I know that, Variks said that, why can’t I just try? What is one more “fallen” going to hurt?”
“You do it, do it by yourself, I’m not going to watch something bad happen.”
James pocketed his gun, turning and marching away. Murdoc looked over her shoulder to the eliksni who chattered, looking between her and the departing warlock.
“I don’t know if you understand my language but no guns or knife, I’m trying to do you a favor.” Murdoc spoke to the dreg, adding a motion to her gun and a no symbol with her hands.
He clicked, head tilted to the side, slowly stowing his gun.
“Good, yes, good. You kill me once and this is over.” Murdoc spoke.
She had her ghost come out, the little light skeptical of the dreg, “Yes, Murdoc?”
“Get us to my ship and patch a line to Misraakskel.”
“With the random dreg???”
“His name is Izeklios.”
The dreg tilted his head at his name being said.
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Murdoc had walked the Eliksni Quarter a few times, helping when needed, taking care of baby fallen, or just helping to patch things up. She hadn’t made too much of a name but became a guardian that was ready to help if Misraaks needed it. She didn’t know why the dreg didn’t attack, didn’t know why she got defensive, it was a feeling in her gut she needed to see playout, consequences or not.
“Hunter, I see your voyage has fared well.” Misraaks spoke to her as she’d reached him.
“Misraakskel, thank you for letting me seek an audience under such short notice.” She smiled up at the large eliksni.
“I took interest in your story, along with a guardian seeking refuge for a single dreg.” Misraaks told her.
“My apologies if I keep you away from important work, Misraaks.”
“I value your contributions to House Light, I’m simply giving a fraction of what you’ve given for us.”
Murdoc turned, making motion for the dreg that had been trailing her to walk forward. He hesitated in the presence of the kell before taking the steps, staying closer to the Hunter.
“All I know is his name is Izeklios, besides that… I don’t know eliksni tongue.” Murdoc admitted sheepishly.
Misraaks looked to the small dreg before speaking in their native tongue, the two going back and forth for a moment, the hunter shifting her gaze between the two as they did so before the kell turned towards her.
“He says you stopped another guardian from shooting him as well?”
“Yeah, James-0 thought he was better off shooting the poor guy in case he wanted to hurt me.”
“You take pity.”
“I do. He didn’t make an attempt to hurt me, I was and still am curious on why he didn’t try to.”
Misraaks turned back to the dreg, speaking, the kell making a chuckle before turning back to her.
“He simply realized how foolish he may be to attack if a single hidden guardian could take out his platoon.”
“But I was distracted, he had an opening.”
“He saw your own hesitation when confronted and acted on it, the fact of how strong you are with how you acted halted his attempts. He is a smart dreg, especially to end up here.” Misraaks making an amused chatter noise.
Murdoc looked towards the nervous dreg, speaking to Misraaks, “Have you told him he can have refuge here? I mean… he’s not going to make it on the moon, especially with House Dusk’s current situation.”
“As I said, he is a smart dreg, he knows more than you’ve given him credit for.”
“So he’s okay… he’s safe?” Murdoc asked Misraaks.
“He may find sanctuary here as a member of House Light, he has no hostilities left after kindness, and I believe you’ve made a good friend.” Misraaks reassured her.
The hunter smiled one of her lopsided, truly amused smiles, “That makes me happy.”
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