Wren couldn't sleep. The usual Hunter restlessness was deepened by anger at her humiliation at the hands of Emelie and Flak. Not to mention Cayde. She enjoyed his company but… was it worth it? The Better Devils was heavy in her hand, a symbol to every Hunter in the City of Cayde's favoritism. Being close to him had only labeled her a pet. A rat, Emelie had said.

Her chest constricted and her teeth bared as tears burned at her throat and she tossed the gun aside, sending it skittering across the cracked marble flooring of the abandoned den. The bird on the chain clattered wildly behind it and Wren's heart broke at what she'd done. Still, she didn't retrieve the Bette Devils. She let it lay there in the rubble beside the destroyed wall overlooking the City.

It was well past midnight and many of the buildings had gone dark. The Traveler's glow was the brightest thing in the sky now and Wren turned her back on it as well. She sat at the work bench, gathering her layers of black robes around her so she could sit on the stool. A chill wind blew in and she shuddered, pulling the front tight against her chest where the soft, thick material could warm her skin.

Kiran settled near the table lamp. His light flickered between Wren and the Better Devils.

"Cayde didn't mean any harm," he said gently.

Wren paused and sighed. "I know. Still, he had to have known something like this would happen."

"He doesn't exactly notice that stuff."

Wren didn't reply. Knowing Cayde hadn't meant harm didn't take away the pain of what had happened. What would likely happen her entire existence. Falling in his shadow. Being his little—

"There's my favorite Hunter," a voice said from behind her and she whipped her head around to see Cayde strolling in, a piece of paper rolled up in his hand.

"Don't call me that," she snapped, slamming a wrench down on the table. Seeing him again brought up every ounce of anger and hurt she'd been forced to endure, and her hands trembled until she balled them into fists.

His expression softened and he looked away, tapping the roll of paper on his palm.

"I saw the light out here and thought… maybe you wanted some company."

"Well I don't," she said, crushing part of the wiring for the music player as she clamped down too hard. She threw the pliers across the workbench and cursed under her breath. Kiran disappeared.

She could hear Cayde walk around behind her, giving her a wide berth.

"I think you dropped this," he said as he picked the Better Devils up from the rubble. He cleaned it with his cloak and set it on the work bench beside her. "Look, I heard what happened earlier. With Emelie. Is that why you ignored me when I was calling to you?"

"I don't have to reply to you."

"I know you don't I just—"

"I'm not your pet Cayde," Wren shot, staring him in the eye.

He was taken aback, but then his eyes dulled. "Emelie is up to that old schtick again?"

Wren set her jaw.

"Emelie has this thing about anyone I—" he cut himself off, running a hand over his mouth. "When Emelie came around, when she was made, she was promising. Just like you. I took her under my wing because I saw potential in her. I don't know what changed, but at one point she just became… bitter? I don't know. She stopped trying so hard, joined a den of Hunters who, putting it lightly, aren't into following the Vanguard's orders."

"So if I disobey or I don't live up to your expectations you'd toss me aside too?"

"No, kid, it isn't like that. I was still giving her missions, trying to set her up to succeed and maybe even take my place someday."

"Then what happened?"

Cayde tapped his knuckles on the table, then pulled up a crate to sit on. He was a good foot lower than her and it felt strange to see him like that. Looking up at her.

"She wanted more than I was willing to give," he said after a moment.

"Wanted what?"

"Dammit kid," he sighed. "She wanted something romantic, and I didn't feel that way toward her."

Wren's eyes narrowed. "That's it?"

"Swear." He held his hands up. "After that she made it her personal mission to make Hunter's lives miserable if I took them in. Like I did you."

"Then why would you do that to me, knowing what she's capable of?"

"It's been such a long time; I didn't think she'd do anything. I mean, we're talkin' decades here. She leads her own den now, has some Titan boyfriend somewhere. I didn't know this would happen."

Wren kept his gaze for a minute and realized her anger had simmered away. Though not the hurt. She looked back at the music player, which she had been trying to condense to a portable size and fidgeted with it.

"She said I was no better than a rat and that I'd never be a part of a den," Wren said quietly.

"Dens are overrated. I'm not in a den and look at how I turned out."

Wren crossed her arms on the table and rested her chin, staring into the mass of wires.

"Being Vanguard isn't easy," he said, getting up and walking to the other side of the room to look out over the City. "And especially not being devilishly handsome on top of that." When she didn't laugh, he sighed. "Truth is, everyone needs friends. You, me, even ol' Shaxx has people he prefers to beat the snot out of. But when you're Vanguard, you get a lot of crap for it. They say you show favoritism. I think you're pretty fun, when you're not being a complete stick in the mud. Which, I'll have you know, isn't very often."

Wren glared at him over her shoulder but with that stupid grin she couldn't keep her stern look. He came back over and leaned against the work bench, sliding the rolled up piece of paper to her.

"So, stick in the mud… you down for some treasure hunting?"

"It's the middle of the night."

"And? You don't want to be seen with me, I get it, but I'd like to still be friends and have a Hunter willing to sneak me outta this place. Whaddya say?" When Wren didn't answer within a few seconds he continued. "You'll get back the Glimmer you had to give to Flak and then some. And when we get back, I'll show you how the Crucible works and you can challenge me. If you do well, Emelie's word won't mean crap around here. Deal?"

Wren leaned back. "How do you even know that map leads to treasure?"

Cayde hastily rolled the map out in front of her, using tools to hold down the rolling corners. "See here?"

"It's an X."

"Exactly."

"And?"

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Keep up kid, X marks the spot for treasure, everyone knows that."

"Wait, wait, wait…. Your entire reasoning for believing this map will lead us to treasure, is that there's an X on it? You can't be serious."

"Look, open your mind. Stop with all the logical mumbo jumbo Ikora junior. Jeeze, what class are you again? Hunters are made to leap headfirst into danger for—"

"An X on a map?"

"Why do I even like hanging out with you? You're such a buzz kill. Just trust me. There's treasure. I can feel it down deep in my bones or… whatever. I just know it."

"Alright, alright. But if we get there and there's no treasure and it's some garbage dump or something, you owe me."

"You'd wanna be seen in public with me for me to owe you?"

Wren rolled her eyes and pulled her robes tight as she slid off the bar stool. "I'll see you at the North gate in half an hour. And you better be there this time." She didn't wait for him to speak again. She tucked the Better Devils into a pocket and left her den, winding her way along the top of the Wall, back to the Tower.

The Traveler looked so small from where they stood a few hours later. They'd taken a break on a rock outcropping that dropped several meters to the forest below. It wouldn't be long and the sun would rise and Wren was exhausted. She'd not slept since the Black Garden and it was catching up to her. She rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn, wishing she'd told him to hold off another night.

The Tower loomed over the highest point in the City, a few lights still on toward the middle levels where the Guardian's rested and for once, she wanted to be there in her bed. Wrapped in her blankets next to the massive window, yellow light casting her room in a warm glow.

"Can we rest here for a bit?" she asked.

"We still have several hours into the forest."

Wren sighed, still staring toward the Tower. She must have looked as tired as she felt because Cayde rolled the map up and stuck it in a pouch at his belt and said, "Why don't you get on my Sparrow with me and get some sleep while we ride."

She raised a brow at him.

"Don't give me that look! I didn't tell anyone about the cave, did I? Or about the pinkie promise. Or about—"

"Alright, alright. I get it. If I wasn't so tired, I'd tell you no."

His Sparrow materialized before them and he hopped on, patting the seat behind him.

"Hold on now," she said, holding up a hand. "How am I supposed to sleep on a Sparrow? I'll fall off."

"I have a solution, but you won't like it. Hey, don't narrow your eyes at me. I have a method. I carried a few Hunters off the battlefield like this. It works."

"Fine, what is it?"

"Sit on the back." He moved his cloak and she obeyed. "First, put your head through the gap in the cloak. Like a poncho. Thatta girl. Now, tuck the end of the cloak tight under you. See? Like a wee babie. OW!" He laughed as she jabbed his ribs.

"I don't like how I keep ending up in situations like this with you," she said from her place squished against his back. The Sparrow took off like he hadn't heard her and the silence between them was filled instead by the sound of the trees they darted past, rustling leaves on the path below, and the distinct sound of deer running away, bounding through the wood.

Despite going faster on his Sparrow than she ever had on her own, his ride was smooth, swaying gently though areas her Sparrow might have lost control over. She closed her eyes and could hear the machinations that made him tick. It was similar to a heartbeat in that there was a rhythm, a pumping sound followed by the light rush of… something. Liquid maybe? But there was a low hum, barely audible over the sounds around them, that was constant. His warmth pushed through her and a little shiver raced across her arms.

Her mind was restless though her body relaxed. It felt right, being here. Calming. Relaxing. Like being with Sisre at the bath houses. Yet, it also seemed so wrong. How did she keep falling into these situations with him? Only to get angry and push him away all over again. Maybe she needed to make up her mind one way or another and stick to it, no matter what.

She turned her head the other way, trying to block it all out. There was no changing things right now. The decision would have to be thought out later. She did her best to ease her mind and concentrate on the ride, soon giving in to sleep.

"Rise and shine," Cayde said, bringing the Sparrow to a stop.

Wren opened her eyes to see a very different landscape than the one she'd fallen asleep to. They were on top of a ridge, plains sloping down behind them to the forest in the distance. Tall grasses swayed in the morning sun and birds swooped low to catch insects before the heat of the day could set in.

She untucked herself from Cayde's cloak and hopped off the Sparrow, heading to the sheer cliffs which extended in a massive half circle, a waterfall in the middle that plummeted into a sort of crater below. The remains of a city lay half submerged a little farther downstream, barely visible through thick mangroves. She followed the sight all the way to where the ocean shimmered just beyond the tangle of trees.

"What is this place?" she asked, awestruck.

"

"Kingstone Port. Used to be a huge port city before the dam broke," he said, motioning toward the waterfall before unfolding his map.

"Is that where we're going?"

"You got it."

"Are you really sure there's something there?"

"It's on the map, remember?"

"You're a pain."

"We'll have to find a way down the cliff," he muttered.

Wren walked to the edge and looked down. The waterfall spilled into a huge basin, water stretching wall to wall in a pool before becoming a river that went out toward the sea. She pulled some binoculars from a pouch at her belt to get a better look.

"I think there's a path on the other side of the waterfall that leads down. Maybe we can figure out a way to get over the waterfall and then… what are you doing?"

Wren had taken several steps back and secured the Better Devils to her thigh. "I'm going to jump."

"Uh, 'scuse me?"

"What you're suggesting will take forever. The basin below seems deep enough."

"I don't know if you should—"

But it was too late. Wren took a running leap over the edge of the cliff, giving a little boost to make sure she landed as close to the center of the basin as possible. The roar of the falls was deafening this close and the feeling of being weightless but simultaneously being aware of the pull of gravity made her stomach rise into her throat, her heart pound against her ribs, and she laughed.

The water neared and she took a deep breath before plunging feet first into the basin. For a moment she was disoriented, bubbles from her drop and the waterfall clouded her vision and she wasn't sure which way was up. The current pushed her out from the falls and soon she righted herself, though she struggled to swim to the edge of the basin in her armor.

She looked up to see Cayde peeking over the top at her, yelling something she couldn't understand over the falls. He disappeared, then leapt over the edge, though he used his boost to guide him away from the water and closer to the ledge where she had pulled herself up to sit.

"Wanna explain what that was?" he asked.

"Hunters jump headfirst into danger," she shrugged, using his line against him. "You're remarkably dry."

"Exo, remember?" he pointed to his face. "This pretty physique is heavier that it looks. Swimming is not something I like to do."

"I hadn't thought of that."

"You are aware than I'm not a human right?"

Wren tilted her head. "And?"

He hesitated. "Never mind. Let's get going. The mangroves are thick between here and Kingstone."

Wren followed him around the edge of the basin, wet armor rubbing uncomfortably and she regretted not doing as he did. The mangrove trees thickened a few yards into the river, their roots tangling into a mass that was hard to cross.

They climbed and stumbled over the roots for a few miles before the first building rose from the outskirts of the port city. It wasn't like what she'd expected seeing it from afar. Limbs had broken through windows and roots through doors. Water damage strained its murky fingers up the sides of the building which had once been blue but now was mostly chipped and worn.

Strange grey brown stuff hung from the trees like old lace and Cayde called it Spanish moss. Wren touched, letting it drag across her palm before swaying back to its original position. The buildings became closer together, their original colors more obvious as the close set buildings gave manmade barriers for the trees.

What were once balconies, several stories high, had become water level. They stood on one and Cayde read his map again as Wren leaned over the railing to the water below. It was crystal clear here, a few fish darting about, below, disappearing into the depths. Something about looking down there, seeing the building fade into absolute darkness, made anxiety settle between her shoulder blades.

"You okay?" Cayde asked, breaking Wren out of the trance that had forced her to stare into the deep water, looking for something in the darkness.

"Yeah I just…. Can I ask you something?"

"I'd love some ramen."

"No, I'm serious."

"Shoot then."

"Do Guardians ever remember who they were before?"

Cayde shrugged. "Sort of, but not really. I mean, sometimes we find things on us when we wake up that can give us a hint as to who we were, but do we remember? I guess it depends. Why?"

"When I see dark places, when I'm in dark places, I feel uneasy."

"That's natural."

"No I mean… when I look down there," she pointed to the water, "I feel like it's going to close in around me and swallow me whole."

"You feel that way and still went into the Hellmouth?"

"I'm not so scared that I won't do what I need to do, it just makes me wonder if it's left over from before."

"I didn't think anything scared you," he chuckled. "There's a chance it is, but who knows?"

"Do you remember who you were?"

Cayde's eyes flickered, then he looked back down at his map. "Hey, I think the treasure is close but we're gonna be in some trouble."

Wren clenched her jaw. He was acting flighty, but she let it go for now. "Why is that?"

"The X is two buildings over and looking at it from here, I don't know if we're going to find a way in that isn't below water level. I can try to go down by myself."

"Let's check it out before we jump the gun. Lead the way."

Of course, it was how he said it would be. Many of the windows were blocked by rusted bars or mangrove branches from trees that didn't care how close they had to grow to the remnants of man. They'd have to find a place lower down in which to enter the building.

"You stay here, I'll go check it out." Cayde said, throwing his legs over the railing of the terrace they stood on.

"You'll sink," she said. "I'll go. I'm not that scared."

"Are you sure?"

Wren sat on the railing beside him. "Though I'm not too happy about this."

"I can go. I can drop onto the balcony below and just…. Find some stairs or something."

"That's not what I mean. You brought me here for this didn't you? Because you can't get to the X on the map without swimming."

"Well, that's not the whole reason, I really did want to hang out and get away from the Tower for a while."

"You could have been honest about this part though," she said, making a swirling motion with her finger toward the water. She took off her cloak and hung it over the railing, along with the Better Devils and holster.

"How was I supposed to know you're afraid of the dark?"

"I'm going to cut you off, I swear."

"Aww, come on. What if I give you first pick of whatever's in the treasure?"

Wren lowered herself into the water, hands on the bottom rails. "IF there is a treasure."

"Oh, here," he said, digging around in his bag and pulling out a metal device the width of his palm. "Put this part in your mouth and you can breathe through it underwater. And a flashlight. Oh, and Kiran needs the coordinates to the treasure."

Wren put the flashlight in a pouch and put the rebreather into her mouth. It was uncomfortable and the metallic taste made her grimace at first. She fidgeted with the device as Kiran scanned the map and promptly vanished again, only giving her a slight nod and a reminder to be careful before doing so.

"Just go in and see if you can find a way for me to get in there with you."

"Got it." Wren put the rebreather back in her mouth and ducked her head underwater, letting the weight of her armor drag her down a few feet as she forced herself to inhale through her mouth. It was harder than she thought and for a moment, she panicked. Fighting her instinct to keep her lungs full and not breathe underwater distracted her so much that she didn't realize how low she'd sank until kelp began to tangle around her legs.

Her eyes snapped open and she inhaled sharply as she realized she was in darkness, the light of day shimmering faintly overhead. She swam toward the surface to see Cayde's shadow, still looking over her. The clear water stung her eyes a little but at least she could see and forcing herself to breathe was getting easier.

An open door was the route she chose to enter the building through. She pulled herself through and got out her flashlight in time to see something dark slide through the hallway on the opposite side of what appeared to have once been an office. She backed up and watched the doorway, but nothing happened. Perhaps her nerves were getting to her. Maybe it was a trick of the light…. A shadow caused by something.

Wren tried to put the fear aside as Kiran appeared beside her, tiny bubbles coming from around him as his shell shifted around his light. His light passed over the room, to a metal and glass desk and some other furniture, roughly preserved by the water. Creatures she'd never seen before and small fish darted away from her, hiding in nooks and crannies of shelves where random items were deteriorating.

Kiran moved toward the hallway and Wren followed. The hall stretched out in both directions farther than he light could penetrate. Kiran went right and Wren half swam, half walked, beside him through winding halls until they came to a vault door.

Well then, she thought. Cayde might have been right after all!

Kiran scanned the door and Wren waited as the locks began to turn, the creaking sound reverberating in her ears and through the hall, carried in strange ways by the water. A clicking sound followed but it didn't seem to be coming from the door. She turned and shined her light down the hall, darkened doorways on either side capable of hiding anything. Suddenly she wanted out and almost scrambled back the way she came when the door behind her unlocked with a groan.

Wren pushed against the door a few times, finding it difficult without leverage. Had she known she'd be trying to force open a vault door underwater she'd have been prepared with weighted boots or something. Kiran flickered to get her attention to a place in the wall where a beam was exposed. Wren put her feet against it and pushed on the vault door. It scraped the floor and opened a few more inches, just wide enough for her to wriggle through.

Inside the water wasn't as clear, dirt and grime having been disturbed for the first time in who knew how long. Shelves lined the walls, many of them collapsed in on themselves, spilling their contents to the floor to rot and be taken over by creatures who had found their way in through a large hole in the vault's ceiling.

However, one thing didn't look like it belonged there. A crate, similar to those she'd seen around the Tower for storage, sat on a shelf half hidden under a tarp. It wasn't very big, maybe large enough to fit a rocket launcher and it had a symbol painted onto the top that she didn't recognize; a purple eye with a skull for a pupil, lines like eyelashes radiating outward to a circle and the spokes of a compass.

Wren slid it off the shelf and the weight of it took her off guard. She struggled to carry it back through the maze of hallways toward the exit. Kiran jerked to the side, shining his light into a doorway to their left and Wren's heart leapt into her throat. He spun tentatively, moved forward a few feet into the room, then vanished with a terrified, bubbly "run!"

She was plunged into darkness as he disappeared and she dropped the crate before scrambling for the flashlight. The light shook in her hands as the shadow of huge creature passed inside the room, darting toward her. She gasped and tried to swim away, armor keeping her from making fast enough progress.

Whatever was back there missed her by mere feet, its body slamming into a wall opposite the doorway. She looked over her shoulder, light gleaming off sleek, murky green scales and a mouth full of teeth. Something in the floor caused her to stumble in her half swimming and she dropped the light and didn't bother with it again. Her heart threatened to burst from her chest as she scrambled away from what could only be described as a fish mutated with a snake. Its long, whiplike body overtook her quickly and she was knocked into the office where she'd entered originally.

One of her throwing knives slipped from her grasp and was lost in a torrent of bubbles and her own rolling from the force of the hit. Teeth caught her leg and she cried out, the rebreather falling from her mouth with a rush of air. She clamped her mouth shut and tried to gain her bearings as the creature twisted around her. Another knife found a sickly yellow eye and the beast retreated for a moment, giving her time to get closer to the balcony door where Cayde would be waiting, watching, only a few feet away.

Her lungs burned with the struggle and the serpentine creature streaked toward her, its tail flailing wildly behind it. She barely cleared the door when it barreled into her, sending her head over feet into the darkness below. Kelp threatened to tangle her up in it and she knew she couldn't hold her breath much longer. She forced herself up, toward the light, knowing the creature was coming around for another attempt at taking a bite out of her.

The shimmering light was growing closer, but becoming hazy around the edges. Her lungs were on fire, pain shooting through her leg with each kick toward the surface and just when she thought she couldn't take any more and her body threatened to give out on her, her head broke the surface of the water and she took a sharp breath as Cayde grabbed the back of her armor and dragged her out and over the railing.

Wren lay on her back, gasping for air. Kiran appeared over her and healed her leg, taking the pain away as the bite wound closed. Cayde was hovering over her, talking, but she couldn't hear him over the pounding of her own heart in her ears.

It would be several minutes before he could help her sit up and get the story of what happened from her and Kiran. She still shook all over, but her mind was clear now and her breathing back to normal.

"I dropped it," she said. "And I lost your flashlight and rebreather."

"Don't worry about it. I had no idea something like that was down there. I never would have sent you in."

"I just… I wasn't prepared. For water, for that thing… I can do it."

"Not today, kid. Not a chance. Maybe not ever."

"Why? I can do it."

"Hold it," he said, putting his hands up defensively, "I know you can. You've handled worse than this. But I don't know if it's worth it."

Wren stood and walked toward where Cayde had put the Better Devils. "Just let me lure it out and I'll kill it before—"

Cayde caught her wrist before she could make two steps and stared up at her with a soft but stern expression. "That's enough kid. We'll come back some other time, okay? Kiran might have it logged where you dropped it and if the person who hid it comes back for it, they'll think it's gone already. You said there's a hole in the vault ceiling? That may be a way I can get in, I don't know."

Wren set her jaw. "You promise you'll bring me back to finish this?"

He hesitated, then held out a pinkie.

The tension slackened and she grinned. "You're an idiot," she said, hooking her pinkie with his.