A/N: Holy crap, this has clocked 1,000 views already.

Also, I have a front cover.

Also, also if you want brief spoilers on the direction of this story check out my profile page for the Sagas and Arcs and synopses. If you don't want to know, don't look.

DISCLAIMER: The following is non-profit fanfiction. Destiny is owned by Bungie, Activision and High Moon Studios. I own Kayla, Delta, Hayley and other OCs. Cover drawn by little-bunny-sweetseek. Please support the official release.

Saga 01: Guardian Rising

Arc 02: The Hive Ritual

Chapter 010: Shrine of a God

Earth

City

Tower

The next day Kayla was sat eating in one of the Tower's many cafes, enjoying a large fry up of bacon, sausages, eggs, beans and toast. As she shovelled the greasy breakfast down her throat Ghost watched, wondering how such an unhealthy breakfast could be so pleasing for her. But then, Guardians were very odd anyway. The amount of times the pair of them had caught Guardians dancing on Cayde's table were too many to count.

"Kayla," Ghost said as she guzzled down a glass of orange juice. "What's with all...that?"

Kayla glanced at Ghost, mouth full of bacon. She swallowed and wiped her mouth before answering. "The fry up is the stable breakfast of a true Brit. The greasiest, most unhealthy breakfast ever but my God it's worth it!"

"You should be glad you're immune to heart disease."

"I've been dead for 300 years, I'm allowed this!"

Ghost gave an exasperated chuckle and continued to watch. It was then that the pair were interrupted by a blue ghost that came flying up to Kayla's face. Kayla stared at the ghost as it expected her. Then it turned.

"Hey!" the ghost yelled angrily. "I found her! She doesn't look too bright!"

"Hey!" Kayla protested, spitting out chewed sausage. "I have...was going to get a doctor's degree!"

"I don't care, Sweetcheeks!" the ghost angrily yelled. "Just cuz you defeated Riksis and Sepiks doesn't make ya all that great, alright?!"

The ghost was then picked up by an Exo hand. Kayla looked up, spotting Hayley dressed in a red and white flowery midi dress looking overly embarrassed and apologetically. The ghost, Kayla presumed to be Hayley's, was busy moving around, its speech muffled. Whether Hayley was covering some sort of speaker or if it was a logic fallacy on the ghost's part Kayla couldn't tell. She wasn't sure of how ghosts talked.

"He's your ghost?" Ghost asked, slightly bewildered.

"S-sorry!" Hayley apologized. "Crusher is a bit...full on..."

Ghost and Kayla looked at each, then Hayley.

"Your ghost's name is 'Crusher'?" Kayla asked, more bewildered.

"It makes him feel important," Hayley explained sheepishly. "Crusher, behave!"

Crusher stopped moving, his eye looking up at her. Finally the ghost sighed, begrudgingly complying. Hayley gave a sigh before sitting down with Kayla.

"You're working on the Moon aren't you?" she asked eventually.

"Mhmm," Kayla said, finishing her breakfast. "What's up?"

"I-I think I might have found something that might be important." Hayley pulled out an old cassette player. "It's a recording from the studies of Osiris."

"Osiris?" Kayla asked. "Who was he?"

"Osiris was the previous commander of the Vanguard," Ghost said. "But he was exiled when he started questioning the true natures of the Darkness and the Traveller. He hasn't been seen since; some people think he's dead. A large group of Guardians left for Mercury when he was exiled and formed a group called the Brotherhood of Osiris. I don't know much beyond that."

Hayley nodded in agreement, and then pressed the play button.

A man, middle aged by the sound of his voice, spoke. He sounded knowledgeable, calm and serious. "Hive study number 103. While the Hive are not my forte I have conversed with Toland. We had some...interesting debates about the true nature of the Darkness. The man is insane, terribly so, but he also had interesting knowledge that cannot be ignored. To do so would be ignorance.

"I spoke to Toland after my travels to Mercury. In the Vex architecture I saw a vision, one of many, that spoke about a Hive sect known as the Spawn of Crota. Golden guardians of death. I saw only the dark and the death of all things as a voice spoke to me. It said that the Spawn of Crota will snuff out the light, and Oryx's reign shall be unfettered. The Speaker believes myself and my views to be heretical, blasphemous. He thinks me as mad as Toland, but I have only the City's interests at heart. Even if he does not see that.

"Toland said that Oryx's name comes up to many to be ignored. The man has ulterior motives that much is clear, but I am inclined to believe him on this. So I've studied the Hive and realised they have a tithing system, where the Light they take from their victims is passed up to stronger Hive, eventually reaching their gods. Vital to this system are the Shrines of Oryx, one exists in the Hellmouth on the Moon. While the Hive's crusade will not be stopped, it can be slowed down here. The Shrines of Oryx must be destroyed."

The recording stopped and the two girls looked at each other. "So, long story short," Kayla said. "There is a shrine. To a god. On the Moon. You think it's in our best interests to destroy it?"

Hayley nodded. "Yeah, two birds with one stone."

Kayla looked at the girl. "Alright," she said after a moment. "C'mon, Ghost, let's go."

The Moon

Hellmouth

Kayla arrived at the Hellmouth with little trouble. As they approached the gargantuan gothic structure they could hear the sounds of gunfire in the distance. Kayla eyed Ghost who was focusing on the noise. After a moment Ghost blinked.

"Well, the good news is I have picked up an energy signature," he said. "Followed the trail of 'tithed' Light. Osiris was right, there is a shrine here. But it's further in the Hellmouth than we've ever been. There's also some interesting news."

"Oh?" Kayla asked as she set off.

"The House of Exile is knocking around down there. Don't know why, but something's got them riled up. I'll stay on it, but expect a lot of firefights down there."

Kayla's trip into the Hellmouth went without a hitch. She did however notice a lot of Fallen corpses littering the rocky grounds. Kayla crouched to inspect the injuries of a Dreg. Hive magitek burns and several deep cuts and bite marks all covered its body. Kayla sighed and went to inspect another. It had the same injuries.

Kayla shook her head and set off down the tunnels, coming into a large a metallic room. Several Thrall were there, eating the corpses of the Fallen. Kayla swallowed sick, ignoring the sight and slipped down a large broken door, following a rocky tunnel until she came to the large cliff edge where she had encountered Kranox. There were Fallen and Hive busy battling it out across the expanse.

"Let me guess," Kayla said, half-laughing. "Across there?"

"Yup," Ghost replied. "Listen to this though. I picked it up from a Baron named Frigoris. He seems to be the one leading the assault here."

Kayla made her way to a rock, listening to the message from Frigoris.

"My exiles!" he hissed over the radio. "Do not let the Hive retake this ground! We must push if we are to eke out an existence on this rock! Double Ether for any that can defeat the leaders of this pit!"

Kayla looked up at Ghost as a cheer from the Fallen echoed through the Hellmouth. "Is Frigoris an idiot?"

"That or desperate," Ghost replied. "Maybe both. Barons don't come out of their Skiffs too often though."

"Hmm...Wonder what's prompted this," Kayla mused. "I'm gonna assuming he's on the same level as Naksis?"

"Yeah. It's probably best we use this opportunity to assassinate him."

Kayla nodded and sprinted off deeper into the caverns, taking down any Hive and Fallen unfortunate enough to stumble before her. As she progressed deeper and deeper into the Hellmouth Kayla had realized that, with each terrifying encounter with the Hive her fears lessened. Instead it seemed to be replaced by something new, a burning sensation that appeared to sink to the pit of her stomach. She couldn't quite place it but then the distraction of aliens trying to murder her occupied the forefront of her mind.

Kayla's stint in the caverns was broken up by the sound of gunfire erupting from a cavern below her. As she followed the cave she ended up coming out to a gargantuan, deep cavern filled with shimmering dark green crystals. There were a few pillars strung together by metallic bridges that towering over the pit below her.

'Don't fall' Kayla thought to herself as she crossed the first bridge. A tremendous, deafening roar echoed through the cavern, shaking it and catching Kayla by surprise. Slowly she looked at Ghost, who'd ended up cowering behind her.

"I don't even want to know what they're keeping down here..." he said nervously.

"Just...ignore that...for now," Kayla said between deep breaths, mostly for her own benefit.

Continuing on Kayla crossed the chasm, following the racket of the gunfire closely. She eventually came out into a large circular hall seeing a large firefight between the Fallen House of Exile and the Spawn of Crota, now that she knew their name. The Fallen were closest to her, lead by a large Captain in a torn green cape and a broken, pseudo-ornamental horned helmet. Kayla assumed that this was Baron Frigoris.

"Destroy them!" Frigoris hissed, seething with fury. "Burrow into that shrine and flush them out! If I see anyone cowering I'll make you wish the Hive had got to you! Now kill them, or I'll demote all the Vandals to Dregs, and all the Dregs to something even more worthless than you already are!"

Kayla watched from behind a rock. "I take it the shrine must be somewhere on the other end of this hall. And that must be Baron Frigoris."

"It does look that way," Ghost agreed. "But something's not right...I have records of a Frigoris in the House of Kings..."

"You think it could be the same one?"

"I don't know...But if it is why would he be here among the Exiles?"

Kayla prepared her NCV. "Maybe it's a common name like...like John Smith?"

"...I've never heard anyone called that."

Kayla stared at him. "Oh, right, 300 year time gap. Just trust me."

"If you say so."

Kayla took in a deep breath and charged Frigoris. The Baron turned at the last minute, screaming in panic at the sight of the Warlock charging towards him. Kayla barrelled into him, knocking him over and aiming her NCV at him.

"D-Dregs! V-Vandals!" he stammered in fright. "S-Stop this thing!"

The Exiles stared at each other and the Hive took the opportunity to position themselves deeper in the tunnels. Kayla gauged from the tension in the room that Frigoris was not a well liked Baron. Frigoris himself seemed to notice this and growled deeply. "Do it, or it will starve your young of Ether!"

The Fallen looked at each other again before the Dregs charged Kayla, pushing her off Frigoris and stabbing her with their daggers. Kayla fired her NCV upwards, knocking the Dregs off and killing them. She switched to her Pulsar and took at the four Vandals that were firing at her with their Shock Rifles. With Frigoris' troops dead Kayla turned her attention to Frigoris.

"N-Now, wait just a second!" Frigoris stammered, pointing his sword at her. "I know what you do!"

"Oh, go on," Kayla said sarcastically. "Tell me. I'm dying to know."

"Y-You destroy our gods! Starve our young! I won't die here!"

"Yeah, skip all that, why are you down here?" Kayla asked.

Frigoris shifted uncomfortably. "I see no reason to tell you!"

Kayla sighed, pulling out her Nihilist. "Alright, let's get this over with."

Frigoris growled and charged her, only to be immediately brought down by Kayla's machine gun. He collapsed in a bloodied heap on the floor. Kayla took a moment to compose herself then moved on. "Well, that's one less Baron to worry about," she said as she disappeared into a long, winding, mechanical tunnel.

When they came out of the end they were in a room that looked something akin to a church. Across the chasm in the centre was an orb like structure encased in some sort of religious shrine light by dozens of large lanterns.

"That must be the Shrine of Oryx," Kayla said.

"Judging from the energy signature it's giving off, I think you're right," Ghost said back.

Kayla took off down the curved hallway, taking down the Thrall and Acolytes that had escaped earlier. Using the various walls as cover Kayla took down the Thrall with fast headshots and flushed the Acolytes out with a Vortex Grenade. She took them down with cold, brutal efficiency then pushed down the hall, coming face to face with a Wizard. The Wizard shrieked and fired blasts of pure darkness at her. Kayla switched to her NCV and glided up to the Wizard before blasting it to oblivion.

"Uh...you ok?" Ghost asked with a hint of worry when she landed.

"Yeah," she said bitterly. "Let's just keep going."

Ghost was worried about the uncharacteristic coldness of his Guardian. Just before they got to the shrine proper he stopped in front of Kayla.

"No," he said firmly. "What is wrong? Is it your fear?"

Kayla gritted her teeth before heaving a relenting sigh. "I watched my family get torn apart by the Hive that day. But now, being here on the Moon and seeing what they've done...I don't even think I'm scared of them now. I hate them. I hate them with every fibre of my being."

Ghost stared at her for a moment. "...I understand," he said eventually. "Just don't let it consume you. Guardians are just as much prey to the Darkness as anyone else."

Kayla nodded, relaxing slightly. Even if she was in the deepest pit of the Hellmouth she always knew that she had Ghost there with her. "Let's go destroy this thing then."

The Warlock headed up to the Shrine of Oryx. It hummed deeply, an ominous metallic thrum emanating from it like a heartbeat. Like anything else the Hive made Kayla was unsure of this was science of magic, however, she'd learned that this world defied common sense now and she decided to chalk it up to being a disturbing combination of the two.

"Let me out under it," Ghost said. "I'll search for a weakness."

Kayla complied and braced herself for the inevitable fight. As Ghost murmured about transdimensional vortexes Kayla felt the stagnant air around her pick up. Peeking out from behind one of the shrine's supporting pillars Kayla watched in horror as the air around her was literally carved in two. Out of the dark green misty rupture stepped a gargantuan Knight, at least the size of a small house. It was a translucent green and covered with thick purple armour. The Knight towered over her.

"I am Sardok, Eye of Oryx," the Knight boomed. "Who dares to defile the shrine of God?" Kayla readied her Pulsar. Sardok laughed haughtily. "You? No Guardian has ever made it this far. Your Light burns bright. I wonder how it would look on the end of my blade?"