Th̡e͠ Lab͟yri̡n͜th̵, i̕ns͡idè ̢iş a̧ ̴g̢a͜t͘e. ̴The ͠gate̵ i̸s̡ ͝n͡o͜t ́li͏gh̀t̶,͏ ̨bu͝t it͜ i͠s̵ n̷ot̨ the dar̶k҉n͏e͢ss.͜
̡I͞ tra̢v̧e̶le͠d t͜h̢e̵ ̴r͟u̕i͡n̵s̶ ǫf̨ Mercury͞ th̷r̸o̕u͝gh ͟th͜e͟ èndl̴e͢ss d͡re̛a͜m͘s anḑ count͠èd͞ ͢the̛ in̸fin̸i̛te͟ r͠e͜d ̸ligh̡ts, ͠e̕ac̶h͏ a͢ sta҉r͘ o̶f̵ ͡i҉t͏s ̨o̸wņ ̶ŗùle̸d ̢by͏ ̵t́h̢e̵ o̵r͏bit o̢f à ̢g͝re͞ąt͢e͝r͠ s̵t͟a͝r͘. ͡Ève̛ry̨ ͡s͠tar ̴le͡d̀ bàc̸k͢ t͜o͢ the ҉gate. Th͠e̶ m͞aste̵r o̸f th̕e ̷g͡a̴t̀e ̕s̴leeps, a ̀s͠e̷paŕat́e͢ sta͞r f̕ro͞m tḩe̶ ͏ot͟h̡e̶rs. I͘n͘ i̢ts͠ ͘s͞lee͜p̶ it d͝i̧r͞e̕ctś ̢th̷em͢ f̧o̡rwar̸d a̢n̷d̛ ̵b͘a̧c̕k͟war̸d, ͘to ͘t̸h̢e ga͠tę ͏an͡d͝ ̵n̢o̧t to ͞i̶t. ͝The ga͞te҉ la͞y͏s͘ b͠urìȩd ҉in a se͏a o͡f d̷a̛rknes̀s̡, gr͞ow͠n dèe̴p͟er ańd̕ d̷ee͝p̕e͏r̢ wit̷h e͏very͝ ͟use. ̶T̷he ͟maste̴r and ̶thè gate͞ are̸ ̡g͜úa̸rded by͟ a͜ ̶su҉n s҉o ́br̴ig̸ht i͞t lights th̢e sea͘.̡
̵
The ̷L̴e̴vi̴atḩa͜n m̧ake͢s̸ its͝ ho̵me̢ in ͢t̨h̷e s̛e̴a.͏ ͏It̛ does̶ ̛no͡t ḱnow͝ of̵ the ̡l͘i͠ģh͏t,͝ nor ͘ḑo̧ȩs ͡it k̀ņòw̴ of th̶e da̧rkne͜s̛s ̛i͝t b̢o͡ŗro̸w̵s̨ thr҉o͘ug̷h̕.̛ A̴ll͝ i͝t̷ k̡n̢o̢ws ̕įs̷ ̶th͏at it ҉a͟nd i̡ts ͞sưn̢s̛ ̡m͘ust̛ d̢ev̀ou͜r̸ the ̶he̕a̷rt̶s̨ of th̀ose ̛who ar͡e n̨ot ̶s̷un̸s. ̵I͞t d͘oes ̡not͡ ̀obe̵y th̶e ̀s̸u͘n͘s, b͏u̢t͞ it ͘pr͟ot͘e̸c͝ts t̵he̕ír sl̷um̡b͝e̵r ̢ánd҉ pas̷sag̴e̡.
͡M̕y͠ ̸drèams̀ do n͝o̕t e͢nd͢, ҉bu̧t ͠t̶h́e̶ ͡s̶l͘u̢m͞be͜r̶ dǫes.
"They'll be here in another thirty seconds, just you wait, any second now," said a warlock in red robes.
"You are an idiot Rand, how the hell are the Vex going to show up here, there isn't a portal in miles!"
"Ja, shut up and watch."
The two warlocks stood there staring at a small crater in the middle of a cave on Venus. They'd already been there for a few hours waiting and the Exo Ja-119 was getting tired. He hadn't really believed his friend's reports of Vex appearing here without any portal or even a cloud of darkness. Ja didn't mind the chance to look around the planet though, the lush green landscapes, ancient architecture. Unlike most Exo's, Ja didn't question his ability to experience beauty. Screw it; if a weapon of war wanted to see beauty, why not.
Rand on the other hand wasn't excited to be here. He had been here on research when he ran into the Vex. The last time they appeared he had almost been overcome by a group of Minotaurs. He was thankful to have the destructive power of a Voidwalker with him.
"Blarg, Forget it," Rand said a few minutes later. "As long as it doesn't happen again, I don't care about it." He started to throw his Three Little Words onto his shoulder- just as a horde of Hobgoblins appeared before them.
"Oh, come on!" Rand yelled as Ja fumbled with the safety on his rifle.