"… So we had to run from lamp to lamp in total darkness, and with every second it drained our strength, to the point we couldn't jump unless we stood closer to the lamps for awhile. Couldn't do that though, had Thrall swarming us, and the lamps exploded after a set time. Got to the end, made the bridge, and charged through the blinding light that led to Crota's throne room." She stated, pausing for a few bites of food in front of her, watching her Ghost patch a bullet mark on her left shoulder plate.

"Seems counter intuitive to how the hive usually operate. Blinding light isnt exactly normal for the Hive." Uldren frowned, glancing up at her over the fire.

"Yes, well, its entirely possible that it was a by product of making a portal into Crota's throne world. The Hive, all but the strongest or most devoted, followed us into the light." Kai-Lyn said absently, moving over to the cracked gauntlet that Myst had discarded to her left, and began repairing it as well.

Swallowing, Myst continued, "After we shook ourselves back to alertness, we had to stand on two pads, kill the enemies that came to stop us, some reaaaaally badass Knights, and spawn a bridge. Take the swords they dropped, kill the Hive on the other side, and then rush through a sea of Thrall, normal and cursed varieties, to Crota's Throne, where his body resided, having killed his soul in his Crystal earlier. Took him down easily enough, though it took a volley of Gjallarhorn rockets to take down his shield for the sword bearer."

"You already know my next kill, Skolas. Oryx fell just like his father, but he took himself and we had to go back to finish the job, and in doing so, halted the Taken assault on the reef. Then, SIVA, and Aksis. Fallen had gotten their grubby little mitts on some Golden age tech, a nano technology used to build cities and star ships within a 3 day period. They had built some bullshit machine on the wall, and we destroyed it, then knocked it off the wall. Killed his crony, Vosik, and continued to stomp anything into the ground. By this time, I found I loved being a Night Stalker over Blade dancer, and glad I had. Tethering the enemies gave us much relief and lots of orbs of light for the others to use."

"Killed Aksis within one of the SIVA bunkers, and then that was that. Had a whole minor outbreak of little motes of SIVA granting buffs that caused Zavala to have a heart attack, but regardless…" She said dismissively with a wave of her hand, hefting a box of gear into the hold of her ship.

"What came after that?" Uldren asked, frowning, having gotten absorbed in the story.

"The rest is… a story for another day…" She said quietly, her mood darkening quietly at the mention. "Lets go. I'm sure they have missed me terribly." She said with a forced smile, causing Uldren to frown and reach forward to grab her shoulder. A simple shake from her Ghost stopped him, and he noticed the Hunter was frozen, a sudden war cry escaping her as she launched backwards, knocking Uldren over and out of the reach of the cloaked Reaver Vandal who had been slinking up to slash his back.

Watching as he scrambled back to get into his ship, she watched as he shot off into the air before joining him, tagging the gear for her ship to transmat it directly to her hold as she did a second pass over the place that had been their home for the past four days.


-Meanwhile, In the reef-


"Well, Mara, That depends on what you think is best. She would be better able to defend you than even I would, but she doesn't have the same combat experience or respect of the general populace that I do. Perhaps you should make her a personal guard, one that is with you at all times, in that spare empty room across the hall from yours. I know for a fact she wouldn't object. If anything, she would welcome that particular assignment with vigor." Petra giggled, drawing a confused look from the ruler seated across from her as she looked up from various pages of ranging importance, her usual cold indifference replaced by an approachable demeanor.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed. Because I, your current personal guard, has. She only lets you touch her willingly, and she has a really deep fascination for your eyes, and other things..." Petra laughed, covering her mouth with a tablet. Taking a deep breath, she altered her voice to be a crude facsimile of the subject of their talk. "…the commanding presence and her looks, they would have to be blind to not say no, if they could even manage when her piercing ice blue eyes are on your own…" She giggled, causing the Queen to sigh with a frown, running a hand through her hair.

"Besides, it would be beneficial to your time. She could be taught those lessons she needs while traveling to and from each meeting, instead of having to wait until you have time to teach her. That, and don't think I haven't noticed the logs of you checking in on their progress every chance you get these past few days." She teased, insinuating what the Queen had hoped would pass easily enough for mild curiosity with a slight blush on her face.

"Honestly Mara, relax, you're not the first Queen to fall for a human, or a woman. I've been doing my job, covering your tracks. As has Uldren, despite his irritation at the orders I gave him." She continued, and sighed, a more serious tone following. "Besides, It would be safer for BOTH of you to be near each other. You in general, but her to prevent the various noble houses from playing her as a pawn." She stated, much to Mara's irritation.

"You always were a brilliant tactician… If I didn't know better, I would say you planned it this way." Mara grumbled, much to Petra's amusement.

"How is that other thing I asked you to take care of? Is it ready?" Mara asked after a few moments to compose herself.

"Actually, Just got here. Confused quite a few of them at the sudden request, but they got it done in time." Petra smiled, handing over a large box. "Thankfully the box is big enough she wont confuse it for a ring at first glance." Petra laughed, dodging a thrown paperweight as she made her quick exit. "They are on their way into the hanger now. I would do your best to compose yourself. You can tell her its in commemoration of her new post." She smiled warmly, receiving rolled eyes in response as the door shut behind her Captain.


"You tell anyone…" A male voice threatened from across the room, drawing her tired gaze. "Same goes for you. Though if you keep making veiled threats and whining like a little boy I just might in spite." Myst fired back halfheartedly, much to his chagrin. Seeing his silence as an acceptance, she left the hangar with a spare data-pad in hand, following the subtle directions from her Ghost to get to where she needed to go.

Nodding at various parties as she passed, she couldn't help but shake the spike of nervous worry that had wedged itself in her chest. (Relax. There was nothing you could have done better. Uldren even said so himself.) Her Ghost sighed tiredly, the waves of anxiety having nearly driven the Ghost to the brink of insanity on the flight back. (Easy for you to say. You're the one that can hide in my backpack.) Myst grumbled, watching the Ghost vanish as she reached her destination.

A few moments to compose herself, and she knocked on the door, the cool metal doing little to soothe her frazzled nerves. Jumping back lightly at the sudden hiss as the door slid open to reveal Mara at a ornate desk of carved oak wood. She focused on the ruler, whose finger was holding down a button, presumably to open the door.

Stepping hesitantly into the room with a sigh hidden by her footsteps, she forced herself to wait until she was at the foot of the desk to look into the eyes she had felt tracking her progress. A hushed movement was the only indication of the door sliding closed, and as she looked up, she saw the Queens expectant but calm visage staring into her own eyes with the effect the steel had failed to elicit from her. Feeling her anxiety leave her to be replaced with a calm acceptance, she handed over the data-pad with a defeated sigh, not hidden this time as she reached across the table to do so, her braid swinging forward in time.

The Queen sighed as well, removing her gaze from the lovely green she had missed these past few days, and turned her eyes to the data-pad. "Tell me. How did Uldren behave?" She asked absently, scanning rapidly through the mission report.

"Your brother behaved exceedingly well. Better than I anticipated actually…" Myst said quietly, frowning in her own thoughts. She shook herself from them, and forced herself to look at the cool eyes of the Queen, instead of the lush lips below them due to the disapproval flowing into her mind from her hidden Ghost. Once again, she praised the Traveler that the room was dark, so it could hide her blush.

"Good. About time he reigned himself in." Mara sighed, before reading the final lines with a slight frown. "So, he escaped. A shame, but there was aught for you to do. Perhaps if we had sent you two earlier. No matter, what is done is done." She said in a cool voice, soothing the Hunter before her with an amused smile once again.

Myst, having been distracted by an artifact that was on the desk in front of her, was stunned speechless at the smile being directed at her, and nodded with stunned silence, thankful she had enough capacity to keep her mouth closed. Letting the Hunter have a few minutes to herself, Petra's prior warnings in hand, she sighed, putting on the air of the Queen once more, her cold gaze turned once more into an indifferent frown.

"On to other business, there is the matter of your post. Consulting with Petra and your friendly guard acquaintances, and having witnessed your skills first hand, I have elected to put you on my personal detachment. More specifically, as my personal guard in all cases. There are rather trying times ahead, for both of us, and she feels it would be best to keep you close. Your old keepers are sniffing at our edges, no doubt due to your recent mission on Venus. Despite your reports saying otherwise, they seem to have caught your scent, and are now watching our borders closely." Mara growled, but that had been lost on the Hunter, who was nothing short of shell-shocked.

(Did… Did she say personal…. Guard?) She asked incredulously, her eyes looking down at the ground in thought. (Yes. That and that the City has scouts on the edge of the reef watching for us. Focus now, celebrate later.) Her Ghost chided, much to the Hunters annoyance as she redirected her attention to the Queen who was watching her expectantly.

"What would you do in my position Guardian, knowing what they did to you?" The Queen asked again, her irritation calming as she stared into the dancing lights of two green orbs before her with a sigh. I think its more likely that its to calm me down and reduce stress, Petra, not what you said… She thought dryly to herself, entertaining herself by watching the Hunter squirm before gaze with mild amusement. She had caught the Hunter multiple times looking her over, but felt no need to indicate she had, nor to stop the Hunter from doing so. It was quite adorable, she had decided.

"I would warn them. Outright tell them that if they continue to harass the Reef and its citizens, They will incur the wrath of the Reef. They cant afford those losses right now. Let alone my wrath, should you permit me to do so. I doubt it would look good if their Golden Girl were to start cursing the city and turn against them." Myst stated, sighing with a exasperated glare out the window.

"And should they risk it?" Mara asked, drawing the Hunters stare back to her, which calmed both of them it would seem, judging from the slumped shoulders they both gave. "Only one man would be dumb enough to try, and they don't let him out of the tower. On the off chance they let Cayde-6 off his leash, I would at least hear him out. He may be a bit of a joker, but when it comes to distracting the others or combat, he has no equal… He jokes a lot, but he is a good man, and provided we talk to him on level terms and hears both sides, he will respect what we say most of the time, unless it was to save a great number of people."

"… That said, should that happen, I may remain silent should you grant him, or any Guardian, an audience. They burned the bridge that would have led me back there when they took out my ship as I departed from the Tower. They made their choice, and I made mine. If you order me to assist them, I will, but outside of that, I belong to you. You and the Awoken people are all I have in my heart my Queen." Myst stated, bowing gently over the desk, her hand clasped over her heart in a fist.

"Good. That means this gift wasn't made in error." The Queen said, pulling out a large silver box. Shifting various papers to the side, she nudged the box towards the Hunter before clasping her hands before her face, resting just above her lips as she watched her Guardian's reaction. Various emotions were flashing across the Hunters face, namely reverent awe, and confusion. A simple nod for her searching gaze was all it took from the Queen to cause Myst to open up the silver box with a shaking hand.

Pulling the item out of its container with a confused look, she turned it over in her hands, thumbs brushing carefully over the golden inlay of the Queens Web symbol, and jumped in surprise as an idea struck her. Quickly unwrapping her braid up to its current band that held it together, she threaded her hair through the silver bead-like ring that, as she moved, caught the soft blue light of the room in the concave surface between its smoothly rounded ends, highlighting the golden embossed symbol that repeated across its center. A glance upward at her Queen caused a moment of breathless awe to overtake her once she realized the importance, bowing deeply, the braid now resting on the desk.

"With that there will be no doubt as to whom you serve. Your items and gear have already been moved to your new room. It is across the hall from my own…" She stated, noting the weighted orb take on a dazzling electric glow. "Good. Seem that the remaining Hadium flakes were purified properly." She stated, observing Myst's fascinated look at the foreign object in a nearby mirror, having darted to it mere moments earlier as she stood.

"M-my Queen… I… I have no words, no gift to possibly repay-!" She said, slightly distressed as she turned around to find the imposing figure in front of her. Directly in front of her.

Freezing in place, she looked up into the icy stare that reached out, its frigid grasp silencing any further outbursts. With an amused smirk, Mara reached out and held the braid in her grasp, turning the metal between her pointer finger and her thumb. "It looks good on you. Supposedly, its glow should change to whatever element you are using once it is channeled. Petra gave me the idea as a gift for your symbol of service." She stated smoothly, her hand shifting from the braid to its owners jaw, causing a slight shiver of anticipation. "That aside… You may call me by my proper name when in private. That, and your continued loyalty, will suffice as payment. Its appearance suits you."

"As you wish my Qu-, Mara…" She whispered, the name bringing a tingling sensation to her lips. "Your Ghost should have all you need data wise to serve your new roll. Take your time to relax, I am sure its been an interesting day. One I hope, clears any anxiety of disapproval from you. You are one of us, my little Hunter…" She said teasingly, before exiting her office, leaving behind the awe struck Hunter in her wake.

(We are SO screwed… She… She called me HER little Hunter… didn't she? Yes, but that is not important. You, are screwed, as am I, if she finds out. But… What if she already knows? Best pray she doesn't, otherwise, you might end up dead by her hand or another's.) Her Ghost frowned, having appeared in front of Myst, a disapproving glare aimed at the immobilized Hunter. "We need to find Petra, and I need a drink…" She stated quietly, darting swiftly out of the hall.