World's Horniest Iron Lords

Saladin returned every kiss she offered with enthusiasm. Kissing Rubi was like letting a warm fire dance against his face, her mouth was surprisingly accommodating the plates that formed her lips fit against his well. A low grunt escaped him when he was freed, all the pressure had been lost in an instant, his girth standing proudly for Rubi. He nodded to her question, followed by a breathy chuckle “Much better”. The warmth her hands provided caused his hips to buck, if her hands alone could give such warmth he could only imagine what burying much more than just fingers would give. Leaning in he kissed her, a gently kiss before leaning his head against hers, eyes trailing down to watch their hands. He throbbed to her touch, thrusting occasionally into the painless fire. His own hands adored her growing member, finally almost fully revealing itself to him.

The deep dark color glistened with a smooth wetness her body produced, white lights peeked through the gentle stroking of his hands. They seemed to pulse, dimming then growing brighter at every small shock he would give. Saladin shifted closer to her, pressing their hips together firmly. He released her for a moment, moving his hands to gently grip her hips before grinding against her. Saladin watched as the two bobbed together.  Moving his head slightly to kiss along her horn he slowed his grind, reaching for her hand and moving it towards their lengths. He gently gripped them both, pressing them closer together before rubbing along each shaft the wetness from Rubi’s shy member rubbing warmly onto Saladin’s. He breathed deeply against her, his head still pressed against her own.  “If we...go on like this I won’t last”  he admitted, leaning his head back slightly to meet her optics. “I want to be inside of you…”

The exo was breathless already, somehow. She didn't know how she had the patience to wait any longer for this, but she also wanted to savor this. They were safe right now and that was something worth celebrating.

Looking down between them both, she maintained herself for longer than she thought she would with him. She looked down between them both as well, taking her hand back when he ground against her. A sweet sound rose up in her mouth, thrusting back against him. Rubi returned his kiss, her free hand cupping Saladin's face. Her member was fully out of its sheath, a lube-like substance leaking from it.

Her head pressed back against Saladin's, rubbing along both of their lengths with her hand. The exo chuckled at his sudden impatience, taking her hand back from them both. She sat up again, leaning over to push Saladin's hips flat on the cot. Moving up to straddle him, she reached between them to gently grip his member and position the head at her entrance. Rubi gave Saladin a lasting look before sinking herself down his full length, taking her lover to the hilt. She couldn't help the sounds that rose up from her, her hand suddenly coming to her mouth to quiet herself. Despite how much she wanted to cry out for Saladin to make love to her for the entire night, they still had... others to worry about throughout the settlement.

Leaning forward, both of her hands went to either side of Saladin's head for a short kiss. She started a slow grinding pace, her hips moving up and down slowly. "We can't be too loud..." Rubi spoke quietly, a sudden spark of arc Light riding up her back. "I'm sure many of the settlers are asleep by now."

Saladin let her do with him as she pleased, easily being pushed onto his back. He watched her with the intensity of a storm as she climbed on top of him. His member throbbed at her touch, he attempted to hold back the urge to thrust into her but he didn’t have long to wait. Rubi buried him inside her, her slick, warm walls accepted him immediately. His girth sank deep, the ridges were a surprise that took the breath out of his lungs. He was barely able to register her words, focusing in time to return the sweet kiss. Saladin could only nod in acknowledgement as his hands quickly found her hips as she continued to move up and down, up and down.

She looked like a deity atop him, the way she moved and commanded his attention without a single word. Did she know she had him completely now? Saladin would be lying to himself if he said he wasn’t before, he was but with Rubi atop him, meeting her with slow thrusts of his own made it finite. The cot squeaked a bit at their activities, rocking as the two of them continued, Saladin thrusting upward wishing to go deeper. He sat up slowly as Rubi bounced, finding her in a kiss as she continued the static was building below his waist, he knew how close he was. He wanted to roar her name, admit his devotion, carve her name into the air over and over. but he refrained, she was right about the settlers and he had to mind himself. “I’m close..” he managed to groan a thin line of sweat began to build at his hairline. Saladin watched her once more, his eyes being drawn to her once shy member now bouncing proudly with her movements. The sweet sight of it was all he could handle. Saladin fell back flat against the cot, clenching his teeth hard to suppress a road as his hands grabbed at her hips, burying himself full hilt inside of her. His release was a wave, a crashing storm of light released into her. He bucked helplessly, overcome with the euphoric connection the Light had given them, filling her with his Light and his essence.

Rubi kept an even pace, which was hard for her now. She resisted an urge to grind harder onto Saladin, to let the settlement know they were there and who they both belonged to.

Her pace only sped up when Saladin declared he was close; so was she. She didn’t need stimulation from her member to finish; regardless she was too caught up on him to care. Stopping when he did, his essence inside of her was what pushed her over the edge. Rubi leaned down into Saladin to muffle herself, her own release finding itself between them both. Allowing herself a moment she leaned up enough to place a gentle kiss on his brow, a small smile finding its way onto her features. ”Mmm.. the night is young still, too.” She lifted herself off of Saladin, moving down his body and between his legs.


The morning came quick, though that could be just how late the duo stayed up the night before. Both were squished together on the second, more suitable cot... the first one needed to be cleaned now. Rubi was tucked close against Saladin, her head under his chin in a deep sleep. In her sleep she swatted away at her Ghost poking at her back in an attempt to wake her up. ”Rubi...Saladin, wake up.” The Ghost poked harder, dodging the red-plated hand that came to swat at her again. ”That guy who saw you use your Light...ah, it’s no use.” Her blinking blue eye turned to Hati, floating up to give him a bop on his shell. ”Do you have any ideas?” The back half of her plates rotated quickly, casting another looking to the sleeping Risen.

Saladin’s Ghost floated just above the two sleeping Risin, his small blue eye looked at them in thought while Kitten attempted to wake them once more.Their Risen had only barely fallen asleep a few hours before, the two of them had shared in their light over and over again the night before. Hati was proud of Saladin for finally acting on how he felt, the little ghost could feel the connection they had through his own relationship with Kitten, they just needed that push. Hati let out a soft whirr when Kitten came over to him, his plates drooping in a look of concern. “They exhausted themselves.” he sighed as the edges of his plates twisted in thought. Hati didn’t want to wake them, he would much rather nestle between them with Kitten and enjoy the rest but that man seemed important. Kitten felt it too when he visited their tent earlier in the morning asking for Rubi and Saladin. “There is only one thing I can think of….they’re going to be mad at us though….” He glanced at Kitten, rubbing himself up against her plates for a moment “remember on our way here we passed that old abandoned transport facility? I still have the sound clip in my files…..”

Saladin shifted, pulling Rubi closer to him with a pleased grumble. In the months he had been revived he had never felt so good, so at peace with himself then that morning. They had claimed eachother the night before countless times until they couldn’t move their bodies another inch. Saladin gently kissed her atop her head, rubbing gently down her side before pulling her closer once more. Feeling the tug of sleep creeping back in, Saladin thought he heard voices but he just ignored them, choosing instead to pull the covers further over Rubi.

Ignoring those voices would be a decision Saladin would quickly come to regret.

A loud, blaring train horn roared above their heads, Saladin instinctively throwing himself above Rubi, his Light crackling to life as he went on the defensive. His eyes darted around the room to find where the noise came from only to land on a sheepish looking Hati who slowly floated down in front of him. “I’m sorry! but I had to!” the little ghost stuttered under the angry gaze of his Risin “The man from yesterday! He wants to speak to you both!” the little Ghost looked apologetic, looking between Saladin and Rubi. Allowing his nerves to calm, he shifted to look down at Rubi “Well” he sighed, reaching to  rub her cheek “that was fast”.

Kitten's little blue widened, huddling herself behind Hati. "I can't believe you're about to do this..." She braced her little frame behind the Ghost, shuddering as the loud blare of a train horn echoed throughout the tent, and likely the entire settlement. Peeking out from her hiding spot, she saw Saladin had practically dived to cover Rubi from the sudden sound.

There was still hardly any reaction from the exo Risen; the shift of the cot and another body covering hers was what startled her awake. Her internal lights shined bright in surprise, looking around the tent and up at Saladin. "Jeez...what happened?" She asked, sleepiness still obvious in her synthesized voice. Kitten hid sheepishly behind Hati, shaking her head. "Ah, you two caused the chaos." Rubi laughed, her gaze shifting to Saladin. "Mmm, kind of unfortunate... you think they would give us more time to rest." She leaned up to give Saladin a gentle kiss, stealing another glance at their Ghosts. "Maybe we can at least take another couple of minutes though..."

they had sex again

The exo had her arm linked with Saladin's as they walked through the settlement, following their Ghost's trail to possibly the largest and most spacious tent below the Traveler. Her stride was less than substantial; their activities from the night before had strained her joints and she had to use Saladin as some support. She made the assumption this was where the man with the white mask stayed in when he wasn't preaching to the remaining humans here. "I think this is it.." She looked up to the tent, gently pushing the flaps aside to allow themselves in.

The settlement was bustling with life once more, small shops were opening and construction was underway just as it had been the day before. As they walked to the large tent from their own many recognized Rubi and greeted her. It was obvious to Saladin these people have been oppressed by these Warlords for some time, he felt compelled to end it. With his opposite hand he reached ro rub Rubi’s arm which was tucked around his arm. She had mentioned her joints were a bit locked up though it was for a much different reason then the cold. Saladin prefered this reason, though he still offered her his sturdy support as they walked.

As they approached the tent he followed Rubi in, it had an extremley calming scent about the room. The speaker sat at a desk in the far back, he wrote quietly until their entrance caused him to look up. The mask unerved Saladin, he was certain it was supposed to represent something profound but that didn’t mean he had to like it. “Ah! please come in, I believe we have much to discuss” The man rose from his desk, coming around to the two of them. he waved his arm to a small seating place in the opposite corner. It was a giveaway to Saladin he must have guests often, perhaps those who needed guidence. The masked man sat down, Saladin helped Rubi into her seat before taking his place right beside her, gently resting a large hand on her knee. “I am The Speaker, I speak for our Traveler” he began, relaxing into his own chair “She has remained silent for some time now, I speak her wishes, her dreams of the future she has given us” he slowly gestured towards the two of them, Saladin gently gave Rubi’s leg a squeeze followed by a look. “You are her Lightbearers, those little lights that follow you so closely are her children, ghosts of her final wish before she went into her slumber” He paused, letting his words sink in “though not all Lightbearers are like you, some choose to ignore their small ghosts pleas to do good, they torment these good people struggling to surive here under her gaze. They abuse the power the Traveler has intrusted in them.” he shook his head, a sigh could be heard from behind the mask “They call themselves Warlords, a harsh name to go with a harsh people. Their pressence here has been constant and it wasn’t until you two arrived did I see the Traveler’s strike hope into the people of this settlement, rather then fear” He nodded, looking towards Rubi “You showed them what should be, the air is different today because of you.” He gave her a small nod. Saladin gave her a quiet glance as The Speaker leaned forward. “The very least I could do was offer my thanks...and perhaps answer any questions you may have about the Traveler”.

Their Ghosts allowed themselves entrance into the tent first, buzzing about in the large interior. Rubi felt a calm air in the tent, her white gaze looking around at the plain canvas material before her eyes fell to the masked man at his desk. The mask itself was a stark difference compared to what he wore; simple clothing like the rest of the settlers, but more put together than herself and Saladin.

She sat slowly, holding onto Saladin’s arm until she sat back completely. Her joints tugged uncomfortably until she relaxed, moving her hand to cover Saladin’s. Listening to the Speaker, she understood how the Traveler was such a symbol of hope for these people. In her memories, she remembered reading reports on how, in the beginning, the Traveler was an uncertainty, something that was almost feared by humanity. Even despite that early fear, she had sacrificed herself to stave off the Darkness. Humanity was still recovering from the Collapse, even now. Even the Darkness had a lasting effect on the weather patterns; most of the days her and Saladin endured were overcast with darkened clouds.

Rubi shifted to sit up straighter, looking between the Speaker and Saladin. ”I’m assuming that woman from yesterday is only one of many Warlords. Do we know how many there are? Our wish is to keep this settlement safe from them...” She paused, watching as Hati and Kitten still chased each other around in loops and circles in the tent. ”We could potentially follow trails, try to find more, but it would leave the settlement vulnerable without us here.” Rubi thought back to how suddenly her Light has erupted from her the day before and how quickly the Warlord and her posse left. She could only imagine the chaos and pain that Warlord would have brought without their intervention, and she wondered. How many more Risen were out there, trying to make their way to the Traveler under the instruction of their Ghosts? With more, they could make a change.

The Speaker listened quietly to Rubi before doing a slow nod. Adjusting himself in his chair to sit more forward towards Rubi and Saladin “Quite a few pass through this settlement. They find themselves drawn to it because of the Traveler. Most cause trouble, others simply pass through” The Speaker paused for a moment, watching the two little ghosts spin through the air. “We see a few ah...repeat offenders like the woman yesterday, though I don’t see her returning for quite some time” his head lowered, a sadness could be felt, even with the mask covering his features “They are misguided, the Power of our traveler blinding them of their purpose. They are lost beyond what their ghosts could guide...I imagine even the Traveler’s own children could be lost as well, unable to properly guide their Risin towards the light and their true purpose” The Speaker rose from his chair, turning back towards his desk. He shuffled around a few papers, carefully removing a large piece of parchment before heading back to Rubi and Saladin. “This is a map I keep of the settlement and the surrounding area, I’ve marked where I believe Warlords have been staying hoping to one day speak to them myself. You two have been the only approachable Lightbearers” He offered the map to Rubi, bowing slightly.

Saladin sighed as he listened, his hand rubbing lightly along Rubi’s leg. They had a long road ahead of them still but it gave him purpose. Before when they had been wondering the wilderness looking for a destination he felt lost. Surviving with Rubi was his only goal but he couldn’t get past the thought of why they were here. He now felt he could see a clear goal for them both, one they both wanted. “Thank you Speaker” Saladin began, looking towards the masked man. “Simply stopping these Warlords isnt the answer...Some im sure will give us no choice, who is to say how long they have reigned. “ He gave Rubi’s leg a small squeeze as he spoke “Unity will be our ultimate goal. Together is how we will prosper. Divided is what will allow those Fallen to pick us apart.” He gave a small nod, a small smile finding his features as Hati floated down, gently bumping against his head then against Rubi.

She leaned forward to take the map from the Speaker, holding it between the two Risen to look it over. The map itself was incredibly detailed; there were already familiar landmarks from their travels to the settlement. And it looked like they had just barely skirted past one location of a Warlord. ”May we keep this map? We’ll keep it safe if you need it back, and it’ll be easier to plan if we kept it.” Her hand was still over Saladin’s, sighing lightly. There was definitely more out there than the map shown them.

”It’ll be hard. We should focus on building the settlement first, protecting and making it strong. When we have more Risen on our side, we can take the warlords.” She looked between Saladin and the Speaker, doing a little nod. It would be hard for Saladin and Rubi to keep the settlement safe by themselves, but she figured this would be enough to deter them to a certain degree. They were used to taking advantage of people and stealing all of their supplies. ”Do you need anything else, Sal? We should familiarize ourselves with the settlement too.” She gave his hand a gentle rub, doing a small exo smile.

The Speaker listened to Rubi, nodding as she spoke and slowly waving a hand. “oh no please take it, it will do you more good then shoved under books” he watched them both before returning to his desk, looking through what seemed to be letters. “there is one I know of, she writes to me often after she had stayed a few weeks with me here having just arrived” The Speaker turned to look at them once more giving a little nod “She visits often, out there trying to find lost and wandering souls and return them here, I will send her your way when she does arrive” gently clasping his hands together he lowered them as he watched the two Risin.

Saladin gave the map a short once over himself. It wasn’t a large map of the area but it was very detailed in the settlement and the fields surrounding it, there was a start and it was all they could ask for. He waited a moment before standing, gently taking Rubi’s hand to hold “No I am done here, thank you Speaker...for everything.” he gave the man a nod before returning his attention to Rubi, making sure she had plenty to steady herself on. “I say we do just that, make ourselves known, our intentions. These people have been living in fear of our kind, its time for them to know change.” Saladin couldn’t help but smile when he heard an excited whirr frok Hati, the little ghost waving in between the two of them happily.

It was a rare day that the sun shone in the sky; it felt warm on her body despite the slight chill that still clung to the air, which seemed to be the norm in this country. Saladin and Rubi had been busy since arriving at the Traveler's settlement a few weeks ago. They familiarized themselves with many of the settlers, the exo staying especially close to the woman she saved upon her arrival. At least once a week Rubi and Saladin would make time to visit and have dinner with her. Standing up to stretch her arms, she turned to rub Saladin's back. "Let's take a break, hm?" She suggested. They both had been pitching tents since early in the morning and she felt like the joints in her arms were tightening on her. Kitten whizzed around her head, blinking her little blue eye. "I think there's another Risen here..." Her eye looked around, her plates shuffling in a mimicked shrug.

Barely making it a step away, she heard a commotion from a small group of settlers. A crowd surrounded from what she could tell was another woman, a small light hanging above her shoulder. Looking up at Saladin, she gave him a nudge. "Could be the other Risen that the Speaker told us about." She paused for a moment. There had to be more Risen out there, that were willing to help humanity.

Rubi startled when an unfamiliar Ghost appeared in her vision, the light green eye blinking at her before whizzing up to Saladin's face. "Hmmm... you two must be really close, huh?" Her plates rotated in place, processing the information. "Your Light says a lot, you know." Her little frame turned to look at the other two Ghosts, her eye brightening. "And you must be their Ghosts! Gosh you're all...oof."

"Sprite! Leave them alone, you can't judge them." A woman broke free from the crowd, her Ghost flying back to her outstretched hand. "Sorry about her, she can be a little pushy sometimes." She looked between the two Risen, noting what her Ghost had just said: they were close. "Ah, I didn't introduce myself. I'm Efrideet, and this is Sprite. Mr. Speaker sent me to find you two, get with you about those Warlords."

Rubi's white optics blinked, casting a glance to Saladin before looking towards Efrideet. "Oh no, it's...alright. It's good to finally meet you. I'm Rubi and this is Saladin." She reached to give him a light pat on the back, giving him a little smile. "Yes, we haven't had a chance to leave the settlement. Only one other Warlord attempted to take whatever they pleased since the first one; he was scared off. We still have the map the Speaker provided for us." The map itself she always kept on her; Saladin and herself spent much time studying it together in the past weeks.

Saladin stretched in the brisk air, it was still easy to get hot while working but the chill helped cool down again. He lowered a box full of rope and pitches to the ground. Fifteen tents had been erected since morning, giving fifteen homes for people who had to share a living space. Families took priority, singles were encouraged to partner with groups for space unless they built their own living quarters. It was a fair system that had been working well. Saladin hummed a bit eeling the rub of Rubi’s hands on his back, it felt good after all the work. He turned, taking her hand, giving a swift kiss to the palm “I agree, do you want me to rub your joints out?” he asked, though the same commotion caught his attention also.

His chest tightened in defense when he seen the other women, though relaxed when he seen how the settlers reacted to her. There were smiles and laughter, this had to be the woman the Speaker had mentioned, the Risin who finds the lost and brings them to the Traveler. Her Ghost was upon them in a flash, Saladin frowned at her familiarity with those she hardly knew. He grunted, giving Rubi a look as the Risin finally came over to them. “Any help we could get for these people would be appreciated.” he nodded, looking at how relaxed the settlers had become in their presence, children played more freely, there had been more community events. He nodded in regards to the map, the two looked over it nightly to memorize every bit of the surrounding area. “The Speaker told us you travel these lands often, your information could be vital to help this settlement continue to grow and put an end to these Warlords.” he paused watching as a group of children ran by “There is a unity growing here, with our Light we can strengthen that. Will you join us?” He gave Efrideet a powerful stare, reaching his hand out for her to shake, if she chose to.

To Rubi, Efrideet seemed very carefree and it was obvious why the settlers looked to her as well for guidance. Although her Ghost left a little to be desired with how obviously pushy she was, the other Risen had her head on right. Looking between Saladin and Efrideet, she could only imagine how intense her lover looked to the other Risen.

Efrideet only nodded towards Saladin, looking towards the horizon. "There's more than we think. But...together I know we can put a stop to them." She smiled under the helmet she wore, reaching to shake Saladin's hand, trying hard to avoid eye contact with his intense stare. "I told the Speaker I would bring you two back to him to talk, lessgo." She turned and waved her arm in a motion to follow, Efrideet practically marching back towards the Speaker's tent.


A finger traced along a range of mountains on the map, Efrideet stopping at the edge. "There is a Warlord up in these mountains as well, I wasn't able to track him though." She held out her opposite hand, Sprite materializing another piece of parchment into her Risen's hand. There were pieces of parchment connected all over the map now, locations and landmarks that Efrideet had recorded in her travels. Unfolding a new piece, it showcased more of the large mountain range. "He's most likely made a lair deep in the range though. Easily defended and hard for attackers."

The exo signed, studying the new additions to the map Efrideet produced. "We should save him for later then, when we have more Risen for our cause. The woman that came on the day we arrived, we could try and speak to her... but if they don't listen, what is our solution?" She stood up straighter, her white optics glancing to Saladin before back to the Speaker and Efrideet. "Are we to murder them or imprison them for their crimes?"

The Speaker’s tent was much warmer than outside, a welcoming aroma filled the tent, on that was a bit too sweet for Saladin’s liking. He shifted next to Rubi, watching as the two woman discussed their plan. He watched as little Hati examined the map, his small optic scanning every inch of it to record it in his database. It would be useful for them to have many copies of the map as it became more pieced together and Hati was making sure he had an updated version of the new map stored away. Saladin looked at Rubi when she mentioned the easily deflated Warlord they had run into when they first arrived. The woman had a loud mouth and a bad attitude which was easily fixed with one light charged shot to the chest.

“I doubt she is far” Saladin grunted, leaning over to get a good look at the map himself, pointing to just the outskirts of the settlement. “My guess would be here, from what the settlers say most outcasts sulk around the outside of town hoping to get leftovers.” he nodded, looking at the two other Risin “She was publically disgraced, I doubt she has any followers nor would she want to deal with the Fallen who skulk around in the woods at night.” He leaned back from the map, arms crossing tightly over his chest as he looked on in thought. “She would have no other option then to listen to us.” He glanced at Rubi when his hard stare softened for a moment, giving her a small nod.

They waited until the following dawn to track their first Warlord. The morning air was biting and the clouds covered the sky again. The exo pulled her cloak tighter around herself, walking close to Saladin. ”This is the last place she could be.” She nodded ahead to a small cave entrance; it was well hidden to the untrained eye. It was a smart place to keep held up from anyone and easily defensible, but it almost looked abandoned.

Efrideet looked ahead to the cave entrance, looking between the two. ”You know...maybe I could talk to her. I mean...Rubi did kill her once, and Saladin...” She paused, shaking her head. ”Stay here, I’ll be back with her.” The woman continued forward, up to the cave entrance. Rubi blinked, looking between Efrideet and Saladin. ”You what?”

The second woman of the group climbed up to the cave, peeking into the darkness. ”Hey...if someone is in here, we aren’t here to fight. We want to help and to talk.” She sat down at the cave’s entrance, patient as can be.

Saladin walked close to Rubi as they advanced on the last spot the Warlord could be. His eyes darted around their surroundings making sure to take note of every little movement  that happened around them. He doubted the lone woman would make a move on them, considering she hadn’t been back the settlement since but he remained on guard. His eyes narrowed as they reached the mouth of a cave, He glanced to Rubi then back to Efrideet, making a small grunt at her comment. “I thought I was friendly…” he mentioned, turning to give Rubi a small shrug.

The cave was dark and the echoes from the voices at its entrance sent shivers down the woman’s spine. shaking hands clutched her ghost tightly, its little optic looking to her for any sign of action. She looked down at the little ghost, leaning to plant a small kiss on its shell. “It’s going to be ok, I won’t let them hurt you…” her voice shook from fear but she meant it. The little being rattled in protest “I won’t let them hurt you either! not again…” his muffled voice had a hint of sadness to it, she gently stroked his shell in comfort.

An unfamiliar voice bounced off the walls of the Cave and right to her, the cheerfulness of it made her uneasy. Freya listened to the words before shifting in her spot. “Do you think she means it?” she spoke softly, looking down at the little ghost who also seemed to be processing the words. “We have nothing left to lose” He said softly. His small optic met hers for a moment before she nodded slowly and carefully rose from their hidden spot. Freya hesitated only for a moment more before stepping out into the sunlight beyond the darkness of the cave. her eyes squinted to make out the woman who sat at it’s entrance looking relaxed and comfortable. She moved slowly and carefully until she could see the woman a bit better before speaking “We don't want any trouble...just trying to get by on what we can.” she offered, feeling meek in this woman’s light. She was the same as her, though not a warlord she recognized. "I am Freya....and this is my little light, his name is Harold" She only raised her hands up to show the ghost for a moment before bringing him quickly back against her.

Sprite bobbed up and down around Efrideet's head, her blue light shining into the cave. "Do you think they'll ever come out?" She asked, turning to see the blank stare of Efrideet. "What?" Her little blue optic narrowed. "It's barely even been a minute, Sprite. They'll come out when they're ready." The little ghost fluttered down to rest on her Risen's shoulder, doing a little 'huff' of her plates.

Efrideet's eyes looked up when she saw the Warlord come out of the cave. She smiled brightly, jumping up. "We don't want any trouble either, I promise. We just came to propose something to ya." She looked between the other woman and her little light, noting how nervous and scared both of them felt in her presence. "It's nice to meet you both, I'm Efrideet and this is Sprite." She shrugged her shoulder to bounce the little Ghost off to greet the Warlord and her Ghost. "She's a little nosy, but she has a good little light in her, don'tcha?" She chuckled, watching her little Ghost greet the other two politely, despite how up front she was with Saladin and Rubi the day before. "So... as I said, we don't want any more trouble than you do. We assume your little followers all ran off, after Rubi blasted you." She motioned down to the exo and her companion down the hill. "You have to understand, she was doing what she felt was right to protect the settlers. They work hard for what they have and until a few weeks ago, they only had themselves."

Shifting her shoulders, she motioned to the Traveler. "And I know the Traveler revived you for something much greater than being a Warlord. You can come with us and help us, and show those settlers a better and brighter side of you." She smiled again, holding her hand out to the other woman. "What do you say? You get warm blankets and your own tent instead of that cave." Efrideet wiggled her eyebrows, hoping to seal the deal with that.

Freya tightened her grip on Harold, watching as the others ghost floated over, the little one had a soft voice and incredibly polite. She couldn’t believe this little light could ever be pushy. Holding Harold up to the other ghost he blinked with interest, slowly lifting up out of Freya’s hands to float around Sprite, the two ghosts bobbing sweetly around each other. Feya’s attention turned back to the other woman, giving her full attention as she spoke, hands wringing slightly as she continued. Efrideet had a strong light, it was incredibly bright and something Freya wasn’t used to. It was welcoming and warm even from where she stood even Harold seemed to be relaxed as he and Sprite fluttered about talking amongst themselves. He had never gotten to interact with another light like himself, the sight made Freya relieved.

The other Risin sighed at Efrideet’s words when she mentioned when she had been killed, what the Traveler had resurrected her for. She had alot of time to think on it trying to survive on the outer reaches of the settlement with Harold. Glancing past Efrideet to the two she motioned towards she recognized the large man standing with the smaller Exo woman. The woman had terrified her that day, being alit with flame then suddenly darkness, freezing darkness coming from the fire at her chest. She still had nightmares often about the encounter. “She was right to stop me, I couldn’t stop myself” she admitted, walking closer to Efrideet. She finally turned her gaze away from the two then back to the friendly woman infront of her. “I’ve spent days wondering what my purpose had even been, staring up at the Traveler….but I guess she had plans on sending you three all along” she sighed, trying to relax herself as she spoke, glancing down at Efrideet’s outstretched hand. Without hesitation she took it, giving her a firm shake. “If the people will give me another chance I will gladly take it, I was directionless before but now I think….” she turned, watching Harold and Sprite speed by them in a small game of chase. “...I think I found some direction” Freya gave Efrideet a true smile, for once feeling a small sense of security.

Efrideet watched as the two Ghosts bobbed and beeped around their heads, smiling at the sight. Sprite could be somewhat pushy, but it seemed like she made an immediate bond with the former Warlord's ghost. Already she had seen that a bond a Ghost will make is strong and hard to break; Hati and Kitten were hardly ever far away from each other.

Feeling the firm handshake, Efrideet smiled brightly and impulsively raised her hand with Freya's, showing off to Saladin and Rubi. "Great! The settlers might take some time to warm up to you, but show them you are reliable. They will come to trust you quickly." She held a tight grip on Freya's hand, bringing her down the hill to properly introduce her to her new companions. "Hey! We did it. She's gonna go back with us." She maintained her smile, motioning to Saladin and Rubi. "Freya, this is Saladin and Rubi. They're pretty inseparable. And you two, this is Freya. Her little light Harold is... somewhere with Sprite." She looked around, shrugging.

Rubi was first to step forward, bowing her head slightly. "Freya, it is good to meet you under better circumstances. I apologize for how our first meeting went but... I do hope you understand my reasons and I hope we can move past it." Kitten whizzed around her head to peer at Freya, her little blue gaze curious about the other woman.

Freya couldn’t help but laugh a little when the other woman raised their hands in triumph it was such a sweet innocent gesture.She had no choice but to follow the woman down to the other two. Their light became much stronger as they got closer, a mix of the two hitting her like a wave. They must had been extremely close to have their light mixed that deeply.  Seeing the exo that took her life was unsettling, though the circumstances were much different. She couldn’t help but tighten her grip on Efrideet’s hand as the other woman spoke. “It was necessary...I believe it was a lesson I needed...and….I am much more open to learning more about who I am….what we are..” she glanced at the other Ghost, giving Kitten a small smile.

Saladin shifted where he stood, It didn’t take their chipper companion long to convince the former Warlord to join on their cause, she must have been desperate up in that cave alone. The demeanor of the other woman was totally different from when they had met before. She was reserved and almost shy rather then the brute that had brought the merchant to her knees. Her eyes had confusion behind them and fear. Saladin gave Rubi a small nod before looking to Freya “We all still have much to learn, but its together we will thrive rather then fighting one another uselessly. That is not what the Traveler intended.” He glanced up at the grey sky, noting it getting darker as they spoke. “we should head back,  hae her meet with the speaker...and perhaps arrange a banquet for the people to meet her” He noted Freya’s eyes light up at the mention of food before offering his arm to Rubi.

A large communal tent was set up in the middle of the settlement, makeshift tables set up under the canvas with bonfires spotted around it. Settlers gathered together, joking together and laughing with one another. It was a night of celebration: a Warlord was there to join with the Risen to make peace. They were surprisingly welcoming of Freya, quick to forgive as she realized her mistakes and vowed to help them thrive instead of hindering them.

Rubi sat with Saladin on the far side, watching as Efrideet drug Freya between the crowd to introduce her to anyone who would listen. She held Saladin's hand, rubbing her thumb across her knuckles before looking at him. "It's a good start." She spoke, turning to look at him. Their Ghosts whizzed around within their sight so they didn't get lost, beeping after another in a game of Ghost-Tag. "Soon we should go and see if we can find any other Risen out there. There's bound to be more just as lost as we were." She did a small sigh, squeezing his hand gently. Leaning up to give him a gentle kiss on his cheek, she leaned her head against him. "Maybe we can take a break too."

The room had a warm glow about it as people laughed, some taking to forming a small circle to dance within. Saladin watched them, his hand holding onto Rubi’s tightly. In a short time they had made a change for these people, for the better. They had a long and troubled road ahead but it was moments like these Saladin was learning to cherish. The Warlord now turned ally seemed to be enjoying herself. She was shy but with Efrideet dragging her about it seemed hard to be. Saladin chuckled seeing the lively woman drag Freya all about the tent, their ghosts twirling around one another as they followed after them.

Saladin turned to Rubi, leaning in for the kiss then returning it his hand squeezing hers lightly. “This is only the beginning” he gave a slight nod, looking back out to the celebration. “Warlords from all over will hear about this, some may come willingly….others may want to oppose us.” He turned, looking ar Rubi his eyes meeting her optics. “We should begin to prepare for any opposition….though” he took a pause in his thought, moving his arm to wrap around the exo, pulling her close against him and taking to rubbing her side. “A break would be nice, the two of us” he gave her a smile, nodding his head to Efrideet “I believe our third will be quite occupied for the time being, she won’t notice our absence for a day or so” There was a particular glint in his eye as he looked down at her.

Deep in the woods, it was quiet. The only sound was the leaves rustling in the wind, and the crunch of leaves underfoot. Rubi moved through the forest quietly; it was unusual for her to be without Saladin at her side now. They were hardly more than 10 feet from the other at any given time but she needed to explore the forest alone, and she joked that Saladin was too heavy to be quiet.

Her Ghost followed behind her, floating along and stopping to scan anything that was unfamiliar to store in her data banks. It was important to have a lay of the land, to share the information with other Risen that agree to join their cause. "Find anything interesting?" Rubi spoke quietly; so far the woods have been quiet from Fallen and whatever else may linger, but they couldn't risk anything. She heard a small whirr from behind her. "No...I haven't..." She trailed off, her blue eye suddenly widening as her form flew down to hide behind Rubi. "There's someone over there!"

The exo went on the alert, hunkering down behind a fallen tree in their path. She could hear someone stumbling around ahead of them and from the sounds of it, they were confused too. Sticks broke under their feet as they moved around the woods, sure to alert anything in the area. "We gotta help... hide, little one." The Ghost dissipated into blue light, safely nestled in the pack Rubi carried on her. The exo vaulted over the tree, moving to slowly get closer. The man she saw wore a white and orange helmet, adorned with two horns on either side. She quirked a browplate; she could sense he had Light, but she saw no Ghost.

Coming out of the brush, she revealed herself to the strange man. "Hey...hey, let's calm down for a second. Do you need help?" Rubi asked gently, keeping her distance from the man.