Chapter 13

"We need to make a quick stop at the Tower to pick up Celeste's ship," I told Zillah over ship-to-ship communications. Then to myself, "And a quick armor swap might be called for as well. I show up to the Iron Temple in this, I'm going to look like an Iron Lords groupie."

"But you are," Celeste teased.

"I admit to having a strong admiration for who they were and what they did," I replied, "and the wolf iconography appeals to me, obviously. I, however, am not a 'groupie'."

Celeste did not offer a reply to that, but I could imagine the grin she was probably wearing. It was true that I had been enthralled by stories of the Iron Lords and Iron Wolves when I first heard about them. I also competed in every Iron Banner and kept every weapon or piece of armor I earned. The fact that my personal emblem also incorporated a wolf was pure coincidence, however. I had chosen it before I knew anything about them. I shook my head and changed the subject.

I filled Zillah in on everything that we had discussed with Aasim-7. Reluctantly, I also let them both know about what had happened with Jaeger-10 after I left Zillah's quarters. This was the first time she had heard anything about it, so I had to give a quick run down of my previous encounter with the Hunter.

"So this Hunter if stalking you now?" Zillah asked.

"So it seems," I responded, brow furrowed. "I had actually had Elgan watching for any signs of him as well, trying to track him down. It's why I went out to the Reef; he'd docked at the Vestian Outpost."

"So stupid," I heard Celeste mutter behind me, but I ignored it.

"Now, initially, he attacked me unprovoked," I continued, "so I know why I would want to hash things out with him. What I can't figure out is why he would be after me."

"Perhaps it is as simple as vengeance," Zillah replied. "It sounds like you got the better of him in the end on the moon, recovering the most important relics. Hunters tend to be prideful, maybe he couldn't handle being outplayed by a Titan."

"Hunters are prideful?" Celeste coughed out, sounding like she had taking in a breath and choked on her own saliva. "Have you actually met yourself or other Warlocks?"

"Maybe," I said, mulling it over. "That doesn't explain what he was saying about fate, though."

"Insanity runs through the Hunter ranks as well," Zillah stated dryly. "I think it is the primary aspect their Ghosts look for when choosing a candidate for revival."

Celeste made an unintelligible sound behind me, and I had to fight a smile. Zillah certainly seemed to be back to her old self, for better or worse. Elgan chimed in to let me know we were getting close. We dropped back to relative speeds and plotted course for the Tower.

Zillah chose not to approach the Tower. I brought the Invictus close, but did not dock either. Celeste transmatted straight over to her ship and I had Elgan bring my new gear aboard. I changed out of the Iron Companion chest and helm in favor of a basic Spektar set. I briefly considered actually using the Kaliopolis gear, but felt showing up looking like a walking billboard for the New Monarchy wasn't much better. Once everyone was situated, the three of us rendezvoused and set course for Felwinter Peak.

On approach, the Iron Temple was impressive. It was even more so standing in the courtyard. Snow covered the mountaintop and three large, open flames were placed in the clearing. The Temple itself was carved into the mountain face, standing ancient and imposing. A bridge connected the two peaks, and an interesting looking structure was built on the other side though it seemed to not be in use at the moment. Wind whipped through ancient banners all around the grounds, causing the green, orange, and white strips to writhe like something alive.

Several Guardians were milling about; news of the Iron Temple being open had spread quickly. Some were coming in and out of the Temple, others meeting the bounty tracker that had set up base there. I marveled at how quickly that had happened. Seemed they were not going to waste opportunity. The next surprise was the face of the mountain. I could make out the forms of multiple Guardians attempting to climb the rocky face of the peak.

"I so want to do that," Celeste said, eying the rocks.

"Like I said," Zillah responded, eyes deliberately not looking at me or Celeste, "crazy is a common trait."

The Warlock began walking forward, and Celeste glared at her. I made eye contact and shook my head, then tilted it in the direction of the Temple. Zillah had already begun climbing the stone stairway leading up to the Temple itself, and I fell in behind her.

The three of us made our way up to the entrance. I was shocked to see that Lord Saladin himself was standing near the doorway greeting Guardians as they approached. The ancient warrior had been a reclusive presence since Twilight Gap, only showing up for each Iron Banner event. Even then, he was distant in lording over the happenings, pun not intended. Seeing him now with his ornate helmet removed, being personable, wolves gathered near his feet, was somewhat surreal.

"You're staring," Celeste jabbed. "If you start squealing I swear I'm going to find a new Guardian to 'side-kick' for."

Zillah snorted a little at that. She must have overheard that part of the conversation earlier. I could have sworn I hit mute after saying Celeste needed her ship. I shot a glare at Celeste and made a point of stepping wide around the Guardians speaking with Saladin to head into the Temple. Little did I know the unexpected joy that was to come.

We passed beneath the portico, my eyes roving over the structure. Scoring from a recent battle was evident on the ancient architecture. It was likely from that battle with the Fallen and the rebuilt Sepiks that Aasim had told us about. The high, open door was engraved with the same armored fists holding an ax symbol I saw an Aasim's cloak and lead into a long hallway. A number of Guardians were gathered at the other end of it. They parted suddenly, and we caught a glimpse of a robed older-looking Awoken woman.

"By the Traveler," Zillah gasped, her voice filled with awe "that is Tyra Karn! She was one of the founders of the Cryptarchy. At the risk of sounding cliché, she has probably forgotten more than I will ever know. Just imagine everything she has seen."

"Okay," Celeste whispered to me, "you're off the hook. She's the groupie now."

I chuckled, watching the Warlock. The look of open admiration on her face was priceless. Her pace quickened and she left us behind, pushing her way through the Guardians waiting to see the ancient Cryptarch. Celeste and I skirted past them, moving further into the Temple. We rounded a large column and entered the next room. It was a shrine, and was a sight to behold.

A large flame stood in the center of the circular room flanked by statues of wolves in motion. A relief of the Ironwood Tree dominated the far wall. Circling the room were massive statues wearing various styles of armor, all holding a large sword or ax. At the foot of each stood an unlit brazier. The first Iron Lords, standing in eternal vigil.

I made my way slowly around the room, reading the name at the base of each statue. Jolder. Silimar. Radegast. Gheleon. Perun. Felwinter. Skorri. Timur. I paused, double checking the count. What about Efrideet? There was nothing for Lord Saladin either. That would seem to imply that he had them built after the others had passed, but that did not explain Efrideet's absence. It seemed impossible that Saladin would just forget one of his own.

A riddle for another day.

I took some time to breathe in the atmosphere of the room. There were doorways on either side of the room between the statues. I stepped through to see where they lead. The short path circled behind the wall where the Tree stood, and the wall was lined with large bells. We re-entered the room where the statues stood, the path having been a loop. We turned back toward the entrance, making our way back out of the Temple..

There was still a crowd near Tyra Karn, though I could not spot Zillah among the gathered Guardians. She was either lost in the shuffle or had moved on. We would find her before moving on. Emerging into the open air, I was mildly disappointed to see that Lord Saladin was no longer near the doorway. It figured that the last original Iron Lord had more important things to do than stand around all day. Celeste tapped me on the shoulder.

"Remember when we were totally not snooping on the Vanguard? Cayde mentioned one of his scouts being here. That's him over there," she pointed to a figure in a yellow cloak, covered in what looked like Fallen runes, who seemed to be holding court with several other Guardians. "Shiro-4."

I nodded in acknowledgment. He would clearly be the best person to discuss this new SIVA threat Aasim-7 had told us about. I cast a glance around for Zillah, but did not see her out here either. Celeste and I made our way to where the Vanguard scout stood. A loud commotion drew my attention away just in time to see a body come tumbling down the mountain. I hoped their Ghost had been prepared, whoever that was. Regardless, it looked painful.

Shiro still had a few Guardians of varying classes near him. Underneath the bright yellow cloak, the Hunter's armor was mostly light brown and black. Something about the studded chest piece looked vaguely familiar, but I was having trouble placing it.

"Traveler's Light, that's the Lucky Raspberry," Celeste whispered. "Rumor has it no Guardian wearing it has ever died. Until they stopped wearing it, that is."

That explained why it seemed familiar. The Lucky Raspberry was a fabled piece of armor of unknown origin. It passed from user to user, and seemingly had special properties that somehow affected its wearers Arc abilities. I briefly wondered how it had come to the scout. No matter. Shiro's optics turned to us as we approached.

"Welcome to the Iron Temple," he said amiably. "Hope you're ready to hunt some Fallen."

"Always," came Celeste's eager response.

"We've heard some of what has been going on out here. What can you tell us about the Plaguelands and Siva?" I asked the Hunter.

"Same thing I tell everyone," he replied. "The Splicer situation is bad, and the Devils really seem to have bitten off more than they can chew with SIVA. It's a powder keg ready to blow, and we need everyone in there we can to keep a lid on it."

"As for the Siva itself," Shiro continued, "I haven't seen it in person. I know it's Golden Age tech and can be used to rebuild just about anything. Servitors. Weapons. Soldiers. When Aasim-7 first went in there, he took out some gun emplacements that they Devils had rebuilt with it. The guns started regenerating right in front of his eyes before he managed to take out the SIVA nodes. It seems to be growing out of control all by itself in some areas as well, snaking long, ropy tendrils all over the Plaguelands. Nasty stuff. You'll know it when you see it, that's for sure."

I nodded and put that information alongside what Aasim had told us in the Tower. It seemed we were going to need to get a first-hand look at what was going on.

"And these 'Splicers'?" I probed. "How do they differ from any other Fallen we've faced?"

"They're upgraded," the Vanguard scout said. "They have augmented their weapons, armor, and even their own bodies with the stuff. I can gave my Ghost share some of the scans we've made to give you a better idea. I've heard some crazy stuff. Surprising strength and damage resistance, augmented weapons, even masses of SIVA mites launching out of headless bodies."

Elgan materialized and began communicating with Shiro's Ghost.

"I've got the data," he said.

"Thanks for the information, Shiro," I said to the Hunter.

"Good hunting, you two," was the response, then he was turning to address some other Guardians that were approaching.

"Elgan, ping Feivel," I told my Ghost. "Tell him to let Zillah know we're ready to head out. Time to see what has been hiding in the Plaguelands."

…

The three of us transmatted in near a beacon placed by a previous Guardian. We were in the Plaguelands, right up next to the Wall. A quick survey revealed no Fallen in the immediate vicinity. I held out my hand and Elgan materialized above it.

"What are we looking at?" I asked the Ghost.

"I'm detecting a strong SIVA reading nearby. Multiple Fallen signatures near it as well."

I nodded, and the Ghost disappeared back into my armor.

"Well, let's see what it is we're dealing with."

The three of us moved forward slowly. As we drew near to the Fallen, we dropped down and hid behind cover. Celeste drew her sniper rifle and looked through the scope, getting a closer look at the Devil Splicers.

"Thrall spit, those things are creepy looking," she muttered. "I thought regular Fallen were bad."

"Describe them for me," Zillah said.

"Well, for the most part they still look like Dregs. Just a few spots of heavy looking armor and some odd tubes. The freaky part is the legs. They look like someone chopped them off at the knees and they grew stilts to replace them."

"Weaponry?" the Warlock probed.

"Doesn't look like anything out of the ordinary. Shock pistols and shock blades."

"Any sign of anything other than Dregs?" I asked.

"Not that I can see right now. Doesn't preclude any Stealth Vandals, or course, but I'm not noticing any shimmers."

"Take them out," I told her.

"Sure thing," she replied, and pulled the trigger. "I got... woah."

"What?"

"I dropped the first one, but the others are moving. These suckers are fast," she pulled the trigger again. "Blast! I missed!"

Seeing no point in hiding now that the Splicers knew where we were, I popped out from behind cover and closed the distance, readying my new shotgun. Despite Celeste's statement of a moment ago, it was still a shock to see how fast the Splicer Dregs moved. I close in and fired, the Dreg nearly dodging the shotgun blast. Pellets clipped its side and it spun away. The second shot finished it off. Then I heard the report of Zillah's scout rifle, followed by the thud of the third Dreg hitting the ground.

Just beyond where the three Fallen had been standing, a long, thick cable seemingly comprised of ropey, red strands stretched across the ground. Along the length of it were black pyramidal shapes placed seemingly at random. We stepped closer to have a look.

"Is this SIVA?" Celeste asked.

All three of our Ghosts made an appearance then, scanning the substance.

"Don't get too close," I warned Elgan.

"Yes, yes," came the annoyed response. "I read Shiro's data."

Still, it did look like the three Ghosts backed up just a little bit. After a few seconds, Elgan broke awake from the structure to scan the Dregs.

"This is definitely a SIVA outgrowth," Feivel stated in a nasally monotone. "The focal point being the black nodules running the length of the structure."

"It's eating everything around it," Whisper continued, "breaking it down into raw materials."

"The visible changes to these Fallen are the least of what SIVA has actually done to their bodies," Elgan chimed in. "What's happening at a cellular level is mind-boggling. I wonder if the Splicers even know what it is they have unleashed."

"What do you mean?" Zillah asked.

"I mean, I'm amazed that the Fallen have any sense of autonomy remaining. SIVA seems to have infiltrated every major bodily system of this Dreg. Less so on the other two. Maybe he was modified first? Hard to say with any certainty without more information."

Feivel had floated over and scanned the Fallen corpse as well. "There was a parasitic fungus in old historical records, whether they still exist or not I cannot say, that would infect and invade a host insect's tissues before eventually invading the brain. Once there, it would completely take control of the host body, usually then moving the creature somewhere to ensure maximum replication. Perhaps SIVA performs in a similar manner."

"So you think the SIVA is consuming the Fallen with an intent to use them later on," Zillah replied, "and all the while the Fallen believe they are the ones using it?"

"It is a distinct possibility," Elgan admitted. "Again, we would need more data."

"Definitely nasty stuff," I murmured.

"Agreed."

I turned my eyes to follow the length of the red cable. This particular outgrowth stretched for several hundred meters before disappearing into a rock. Beyond that, I could see more of the stuff spreading, though there was no way to know if it was a separate strand or if this was all part of a whole. How had the Iron Lords kept this contained for so long? And how had the Splicers found it and let it out?

"We came to see what was going on here," I began, taking a moment to survey the immediate surroundings. "I say we do just that. Sparrows will help us cover more ground, but we'll keep it slow so we don't run into any surprises. Celeste, take point, scouting is your specialty. We'll follow this strand of SIVA for now and see where it leads us."

"Roger, roger," came the expected response.

Mounting our sparrows, we set out on the chosen path. We traveled between the SIVA outgrowth and the Wall, keeping a safe distance from the Golden Age monstrosity. It was not very long before I found myself letting go of the throttle and letting my sparrow coast to a stop. The other two continued on a bit before realizing I had stopped and doubled back. I sat stock still, staring ahead. The two women pulled up along side me.

"You okay, old man?" Celeste questioned.

"The Wall," was all I could say.

Titans stood in defense of the first refugees to gather beneath the Traveler. We were a wall against the Darkness. Then the actual Wall was built, and we stood along it, still that vigilant defense for humanity. Titans still maintained that defense of humanity, with The Wall a standing reminder of what we were.

The Devil Splicers had desecrated that reminder.

A hole had been cut through The Wall leading to the Cosmodrome. Whether it was SIVA or the Fallen themselves that had done it, I did not know. At that moment, I did not care. All I knew then was a visceral reaction; that was there was a violation that must be punished.

Sitting here accomplished nothing however. I shook off the shock of the sight. "Never mind. Let's keep going."

They both hesitated, and I could feel them staring at me. I revved the engine of my sparrow, and Celeste took the hint. She started moving, and Zillah and I followed, continuing in the direction we had been heading.

Celeste caught the first hint of another band of Fallen ahead. We dismounted our sparrows and our Ghosts transmatted them to safety. I thought I picked up some other movement nearby, but it disappeared. I eyed the nearby terrain suspiciously. Celeste and Zillah advanced slowly, so I turned my attention back to the definite contacts.

There were at least eight Fallen as well as a couple Shanks. I spotted what I presumed to be a Captain among the ranks, as well as what were likely Vandals. Like the Dregs, these Fallen had visible tubes or SIVA strands along their arms and backs, as well as black, angular armor that looked similar to the SIVA nodules. The Vandals had helmets that came to a sharp point, with pyramidal armor on their shoulders. The Captains helmets were less ornate than normal, but now sprouted four wicked looking horns. There were sharp-looking spikes jutting from their elbows as well.

"Do we take them?" Celeste asked.

I considered it. Taking on a larger force of unknown capabilities was rarely the smart thing. Normally a force of Fallen this size would not present an insurmountable threat to a team of three Guardians, but there was no way to know how much SIVA had augmented them or their machines. If we wanted to find out, however, there was only one way to go about it.

"Yes," I said. "Take them out."

…

AN:

So, two pages into this chapter, my word processor and Google Chrome both lock up. Refuse to work. I have to restart the computer. When I do, it tells me an "unknown user" has locked my document and it is now read-only. Then, after I started a new document, it told me that I didn't have permission to save it. Someone didn't want y'all to get this chapter.

I made a point before about no Exotics. Well, Shiro denied me that. I'm mostly okay with it, as he is a key character in the world. My take on them is that they should be rare and powerful, so having one show up in that way isn't a problem. And even something as relatively underwhelming in game as the Raspberry would be something unusual and a big deal.

Amberstar of Thunderclan – Maybe. Or maybe there is more to that situation that meets the eye. Or maybe Claney is the evil one and is an unreliable narrator. *shifty eyes*

Daydreamer B.A – Back with the Vanguard not taking care of things. Do I need to do a Tales We'll Tell entry with Zavala and Lakshmi to clear the air on that point? :) Glad to see you are still invested in my characters that much. As for another Dregden Yor... not exactly. It's not just evil for evil sake or just "corrupted by the Darkness". All will be revealed in a (hopefully) satisfactory manner eventually. Thanks for the author follow as well.

Jayfeattheris Awesome – Maybe since it is part of the phonetic alphabet? Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, etc. When there is an action/military bent to things, those types of names do tend to show up more. As for the conspiracy... I had Jenny and Ginny, maybe I need a Sierra, Searra, Cierra, Cierah...

Order and Chaos – Qui Iudicant – I hate going off canon as well. That hamstrung my idea for this story at first, but I've worked it out a little (I hated the idea of writing something, then having a Destiny expansion or Destiny 2 completely counteract it). My thought as far as the Awoken go... they don't like Guardians that much, so Zillah would not have been able to wrangle a spot living in the nicest section. Maybe a little rundown/less affluent, so less closely watched. The two that came around the corner were just civilians. Suppose I could have made that clearer. Change in Celeste... could just be a hack writer that is being inconsistent in his characterizations. Lol

Thankful for all my regular readers, particularly my faithful four reviewers. See you next installment. Favorites, follows, and reviews make me happy. *hint, hint*