"Who's that with him?" Sheridan snapped, flicking a hand in the direction of the two shapes ahead of us.

It was close to dark, with the Sun just above the horizon. Directly ahead, two silhouettes casted long shadows towards us. The one was obviously a Hunter we were supposed to meet up with, but the second shape was a Titan.

"That's..." I recognized the shape of his armor, the way he carried himself, the Darkness radiating off of him.

"Rezyl Azzir," I said slowly as we approached. The Titan felt so evil, like the darkest shadow.

"Your best friend," Sheridan joked before we were close enough for them to hear.

We made it to the top and stood across from them. Jaren and Sheridan nodded to each other, a sign they were familiar, while Rezyl stayed silent, glancing from me to Sheridan. I was almost too paralyzed with fear to realize someone had offered me their hand. I looked down and followed it up to the Hunter standing across from us.

He must've said something because he sounded as if he was repeating something. "Pahanin, I've heard much about you over your last few weeks back. I'm Jaren Ward, and it's an honor to meet you."

I looked back down at his offered hand. I then looked back up at him as I remembered a distant memory. In my memories, Jaren was replaced with a Warlock who held his hand out for me. I remember being in the Plaza and just staring at it. After a second the Warlock looked hurt.

I'm pretty sure that's gonna vaporize me, I remember saying something stupid like that. Back then a was the average Hunter. I mostly kept to myself but spent a lot of time annoying Titans and attempting to outsmart but just end up making fun of Warlocks.

The Warlock then looked down at his own hand then back to me, laughing a little bit as he brought his arm back down. Looking into his eyes I could see the laugh was fake, so, to make up for "poking fun," I put out my knuckles. After a second of staring at my raised fist, the Warlock took the cue and curled his hand into a fist, bumping it against mine. The two of us laughed at our little moment, and immediately I began to feel more open to him. I felt like he was going to be a good friend, not ally or buddy like Hunters say, but an actual friend...

The Warlock in my memories... He looks so familiar, like I've known him for years. Except I couldn't remember him... Was he the one I was in the Vault of Glass with? Was that how we met? Was I... Starting to get memories back that my Fireteam was removed from before? There wasn't time to answer my own question because I reached and grasped Jaren's hand before he could tear it away.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too." I shook his hand and noticed how it tensed, surprised at my sudden reaction.

I held on for a second longer as I glanced at Rezyl, his cold gaze on me. The Titan felt to me like he was planning something, something horrible. If my Ghost was right—i-if I was right—then, Rezyl Azzir was a murderer, someone who would be twisted enough to do it again. But at the same time, what happened to him while he was gone that made him want to kill Guardians? And why didn't it happen to me?

"So... We're supposed to be going up by those plains a few kilos that way," Sheridan pointed towards the setting sun. It was almost behind the trees, casting long shadows on the land. "Then follow the path up until we reach the markers." He looked over his shoulder at Rezyl. "Oh, you can go now."

The Titan raised his head and I could almost feel the intensity burning through my armor. I braced myself, preparing to jump in and defend Sheridan if this crazy Titan were to charge.

Nothing like I thought happened though, Jaren just answered, sounding the least bit put off by the comment. "Rezyl is staying. I convinced the Vanguard to add him to this Fireteam." With a glance at Rezyl, he added, "We can all agree, being in the Tower for too long is never a good thing. We all need a little fresh air at some point in our lives."

I looked back at Sheridan who still didn't look pleased or convinced. "Amen," he said sarcastically, grabbing my shoulder and dragging me along as he began to walk. "Better start now, or we'll never get there."

Behind us, I could hear Jaren talking quietly to Rezyl, probably about Sheridan's attitude. Was he apologizing for it, making an excuse for it, or was he planning something malicious? I tried to push this thought away, because that's not me: someone who is always at all times wondering if someone is going to kill you or not. It's not bad to suspect it, but if your life begins to revolve around fear then there's a problem with that.

Again, a memory began to push through, one from the Vault of Glass. There's a Titan, he's pacing back and forth, I can hear him from my room in the cave. This Titan, what was his name... As I struggled to think, I remembered the golden pocket watch that I had secured to belt. I looked down at it as I walked. The chain bounced against my hip at each step, catching the last rays of sunlight. As I watched I began to remember his name. Kabr. The Fireteam leader, the Titan whose job was to lead, who had fallen for a false vision.

All of a sudden, Kabr's pacing stopped. Now, I wasn't that concerned about it. He'd been pacing nonstop since we took rest in the cave, and actually, that's part of the reason I took the furthest room. So that I wouldn't have to listen to him pacing as well as screaming and upsetting that one Warlock. What was his name?

When he'd stopped, I'd been thinking at the time that he'd worn himself out, although, being the Hunter I am, it raised a question. I remember standing up and stepping softly across the floor of the cave and peeking through Kabr's room, searching for his shape between the dark walls.

He wasn't anywhere to be seen.

"Why'd you do it!" Kabr's voice sounded from the next room over. His voice boomed through the cave, loud enough to shake the thick walls.

I quickly turned back and jumped onto the rock pile where I stored my weapon and took out my hand cannon before making my way quickly through Kabr's room and into the main. Two Ghosts were all that illuminated the room, lighting up the figures of my Fireteam.

I saw a robed figure against the large boulders leaned to the wall, Kabr was standing in front of him, his rifle pointed at his face. I expected to see a snap of Solar Light as the Warlock fought back, but he wasn't moving. All he did was stand there, barely able to keep eye contact with the Titan. To Kabr, this Guardian was the reason we were stuck here, he was the reason we had no hope of getting home. Now, that's very true, he's one of the reasons, but only one of them.

The Warlock answered slowly, closing his eyes as if the guilt was too much to bear. "I did this for the Tower, I had to. Everything hiding at the center, that's not something we could pass up."

Kabr wasn't happy with that answer. "Yeah, yeah, that's what you said three days ago! That's what you said when you lead us down here! Argh! Give me a reason not to shoot you right now!"

He didn't give an answer, he still remained where he was standing. At this point, he looked like he wanted to be shot.

"We would've died," I remember pointing out.

Kabr snapped his head around at me in surprise. He hadn't heard me come in, neither of them did. Kabr took another glance at the Warlock before lowering his weapon and facing me again. "What do you mean?"

I shrugged, "that Templar sure would've gotten us."

Kabr shook his head. "We would've found a way around it! We could've been out of here!"

"No," I said simply. "There were no other ways, and I know you would've tried to fight that Templar and have been killed—same with the two of us."

Kabr's gaze softened, just a little, before returning intense. "That doesn't change the fact he lied! To our faces, that he had this Traveler-sent vision, and he didn't!"

I couldn't keep my voice calm any longer. "Well, it's a good thing Praedyth did!"

Praedyth... That was his name. Hold on, I'm forgetting it again! Praedyth. His name was Praedyth.

"Because I'd much rather be stuck down here with you two lousy Guardians than be up there dead and lost to time!"

Kabr was silent, Praedyth was especially silent. So here the three of us were, almost comically quiet in this cave together. All of a sudden, Kabr stormed off.

Before he could pass me I grabbed his shoulder. "We would've died," I repeated.

He shook my hand from his shoulder and glared at me with an intense look. "Say whatever you want in defense of that..." Kabr struggled for a word. "Coward!" He shot his poisonous look at Praedyth who flinched. "Because I'm already dead, and you're defending the killer."

He turned and left both of us in the main room as he returned to his. After I was sure he was gone I looked back at Praedyth, still against the boulder looking like the saddest Guardian in the system. Memories began to flood back, that Warlock I met at the Tower, so unsure of himself, so unconfident, and that moment we had had. The moment where I had officially made us friends in my mind.

Praedyth risked a look at me. His eyes were still panicked and he watched me like he expected me to yell at him too. I didn't yell or say anything to him, I couldn't bring myself to. There was a lot going through my mind. Praedyth and Kabr had a good chance of never getting along ever again, and I was stuck in the middle. I couldn't choose sides. If I chose Praedyth's, Kabr would be furious, and if I chose Kabr's, it would destroy Praedyth. I knew I would have to remain neutral if we were to survive. I would be the bridge between the two of them. I had to be.

Praedyth took my calm look as a sign and darted out of the entrance. I stared after him. He wouldn't be back for a long while. I didn't know it then, while he left the Oracle's power found its way into his body and he would be weakened and have to crawl back to the cave. That was where it all began.

Sheridan's voice brought me back to reality. "Are you kidding me?! There's no marker!"

I jumped, looking at Sheridan to Jaren to Rezyl. "Where—We're lost!?"

Sheridan sighed while Jaren and Rezyl looked at each other in confusion. "No, Pahanin, we're not lost. The problem here is our marker isn't in the right place, Rezyl, care to explain?"

For the first time since we headed on this trip, he spoke, his voice making my skin crawl. "You want me to explain myself to you?"

"Shift," Jaren warned, "Rezyl couldn't have moved the marker."

"No, no, idiot here just knows his way around better than I do." Sheridan remarked.

Jaren looks to be losing his cool now. "We almost missed the path, would have if he didn't point it out."

Rezyl Azzir stepped forward, entirely focused on Sheridan as he spoke. "Be careful who you call 'idiot,' you have no idea—"

Sheridan's reflexes got the better of him and he tore his knife from his belt, pointing it at Rezyl. The Titan jumped when the knife flashed out but now he glared at Sheridan, looking like he wanted him dead.

As the argument escalated, I noticed Jaren turn and disappear into the tall grass. Rezyl didn't seem to notice his friend had left and continued to argue, taking a step towards Sheridan. "You have no idea what you're doing out here. You were so eager to leave, but really, you don't even know where you are, do you?"

"That's a question for yourself, I know exactly where I am!" Sheridan hissed.

"No, it's actually a question for you, Mr. Know-it-all!" Rezyl's hand dropped down to his hip, his fingers sliding around the hand cannon.

I remembered Praedyth, the rifle in his face. Without a plan, I just reacted, limping around Sheridan and stopping between the two of them. "Hey, hey, let's not do this!"

They stopped and from the corner of my eye, I caught Rezyl let go of his weapon. To my right I saw Sheridan's shoulders droop, a sign he'd rather keep fighting. Despite that, they both were silent, hopefully realizing how childish their argument had been. Before they had a chance to start talking again, I spoke.

"If we haven't located the marker and we know it's supposed to be in this spot, is it really our faults?" I asked, looking at both of them. "Could it be an error?"

Sheridan stepped into my point of view. "Yeah, well... What're the chances the marker was put in the wrong spot?"

Rezyl shook his head, "Hunters are prone to making mistakes like this, that's all they do."

Sheridan snapped his head towards him with a deadly glare. "These are Vanguard Scouts we're talking about, I doubt they'd miss a human settlement."

"There's some kind of settlement on the other side of the grass," Jaren, walking in at the perfect time, called to us.

I laughed and Sheridan looked at me, rolling his eyes. "So, it's getting late, what're we all doing?"

Jaren looked to be ready to head back through the grass. "I think I'll head back to the settlement. If they take Guardians." Rezyl moved to Jaren's side, a sign he was heading up to the settlement too.

"I'll go with—" I was cut off by Sheridan pulling on my cloak.

"Remember the plan," he whispered when I faced him. When I didn't respond he put his arms out in an angry expression and I quickly nodded.

"You'll go...?" Jaren prompted us to finish the sentence.

"Back to the Tower," Sheridan answered before I could say a word. "Although, we'll have to meet back here, you know, to finish our patrol... As if..." He muttered the last part.