Hanging in a nebulous cloud, in the outskirts of the Reef, were a practically uncountable number of rocks, tethered together far and from any celestial body's influence.
"Where'd all this come from?" Merlin asked.
Sibyl lazily floated around the cockpit. "The Collapse. When the Light and Darkness collided during at the end of the Golden Age, just as the Exodus ships were breaking through Sol's asteroid belt, they exploded. The souls aboard were scattered, but were saved by both the Light and Darkness and became the Awoken.
They spent thousands of years in the Distributary, but it was only centuries for the rest of Humanity. Queen Mara ran things in the Reef until she disappeared. Then her brother, Prince Uldren, took over and things went downhill fast. He died a while ago when Zavala's favourite Guardian, Young Wolf – named by Lord Saladin – took revenge for him killing the last Hunter Vanguard, Cayde-6."
"He has a favourite?" Merlin said, surprised. "I suppose avenging your friend and colleague's death probably boosts your standing with anyone. Anything I should know before we touch down?"
"We'll have to dodge some Fallen, but when we reach Spider's den, just keep your guns away," Sibyl advised. "The last thing we need is to get on his bad side while we're in his territory."
"Fair."
Merlin's boots connected with the dusty rock of Thieves' Landing and quickly came under fire from a barrage of arc shots. Sibyl skated just centimeters above the ground directly ahead of where they transmat to, headed for the steps that head to the Spider's hideout. She turned to called back for Merlin once she reached relative safety but he was not far behind. They hurried to take cover behind the large Ether vats that choked the entryway to a narrow path. After catching his simulated breath, the Exo snuck away from the containers and slowly followed the steps down into the den. A circular corridor akin to those used throughout the Fallen Ketches stretched into large asteroid. Another small staircase lay just after the second bend Merlin rounded where he suddenly stopped, crouched, and drew his rifle.
"More Fallen," he whispered, gesturing to the two Eliksni standing guard. They stood hunched with a tall Arc powered spear in one of their upper hands as their lower pair were both docked as is the custom among low-ranking Eliksni. Their face was obfuscated by a helmet dotted with over a dozen small lights and wore a chest piece featuring long spikes at the back, not dissimilar to Earth's ancient and now extinct 'porcupine'.
"They're with Spider," Sibyl said to put him at ease.
"Like those in the Tower?"
"More similar to the Fallen throughout Sol, but they're on Spider's payroll, so they're loyal to his interests." Merlin returned the rifle to his back as he stood. "That's why I want us to stay in his good book; the last thing we need is them as well as the House of Dusk and the Scorn. I'll tell you about the Scorn later since we're already here."
"And the 'House of Dusk'? That's one of the Fallen houses you mentioned, correct?" Merlin asked. Sibyl nodded, then gestured for him to proceed to Spider's office. She slipped to behind him as they approached the open metal door. The Eliksni guards swiftly readied their spears, chattering demands in their native tongue.
"Relaaax, my ever vigilant guard," Spider said. The guards stepped back and returned to their standard stance. Spider's body, fat with excessive Ether consumption, was nestled snuggly in a bowl-shaped seat suspended almost two meters above the floor. The seat rocked as the syndicate boss leaned forward, his mandibles clicking curious. "Just who is, and what might this new Guardian be coming to humble Spider for? You're not here to aide with our little Wrathborn problem, are you?"
"I'm not, but I hope I come to you at an acceptable time. I am Merlin, and this is Sibyl," Merlin announced with a slight bow, exposing the Ghost hiding behind the Guardian. "I understand that you have quite the collection of dead Ghosts."
"I do," Spider said sceptically. He eyes Sibyl and her unique shell. "I don't suppose you're here to make a… 'donation', are you?"
"I couldn't. Sibyl has already brought me back a couple of times, but I am looking to procure one from you." The Eliksni gangster sat back, the cables tied to his seat tensing as they kept him stable.
"What would you offer in return?" he asked. His question tailed off in insect-like clicks.
"I do not know," Merlin admitted. "What do you say is a fair exchange?"
Spider laughed. "Oh, there are many things I think would be fair. How does working for me sound? You could be a friend to my little pet, Crow. I would have to keep you on a short leash though, you understand."
"I'm afraid I already have an employer," the Guardian said, "and I doubt we are totally aligned on business interests. So I will have to respectfully decline your generous offer; might you have anything else in mind?"
"I will give you a Ghost on the condition you provide me with a…" Spider said, pondering the endless options. "A favour."
"What kind of favour?"
"Nothing specific yet. But rest assured, when I call upon you to cash in the favour, I would expect swift and effective completion, without question."
Merlin shuffled in place, looking around the room and then to Sibyl. "I don't think we have a lot of options here. Odds are we'll never find one out there, and we are not making one ourselves."
The Exo offered his hand to Spider. His bodyguards twitched, prepared to defend the Kell of House of Spider. "Deal," he said.
"Aha!" Spider exclaimed as he leaned forward to grab Merlin's hand. They shook and Spider wiped his upper right hand against his clothes. "It's a deal." He turned to the open door leading to another room to Merlin and Sibyl's left. "Crow! Be a dear and fetch our guest his advance payment."
An Awoken man wearing black and grey emerged holding the dead Ghost in hand. Neither Merlin nor Sibyl could see his face beneath the hood and ornate silver mask his charcoal grey hair fell over however, his bright orange eyes shone through. His Ghost hovered nervously by the door. He placed it firmly into Merlin's waiting hand and quietly returned to his room without a word.
"Thank you, Spider," Merlin said, inspecting the lifeless Ghost. The core was cracked in a web pattern but still it showed faintly where the eye would be. It was similar to Sibyls but without any light, or Light. The shell was the same shape as Ogdan's but with a white base coat and a teal viper wrapped around the face. "Can I ask how you came upon this particular Ghost?"
Spider leaned forward again. Although he also wore an Ether supplying mask, a smile could be heard in his voice when he asked, "do you truly want to know?"
"I suppose not."
"Of course you don't," Spider laughed, returning to his relaxed position before waving a hand at Merlin and Sibyl. "Now be off; I have business to conduct."
The Exo returned to his ship and continued his examination of the dead Ghost before leaving the space under the Tangled Shore's control. He poked and prodded at each fragment of the shell, seeking an understanding of their workings. They seemed to be locked to the core by way of something akin to magnetism.
"Have a little more respect than that, would you?" Sibyl snapped in her stewing frustration.
"Sorry – I forget the Ghosts are more alive than machine. While I'll have manners with all, I still understand they're just programming." He took more care with Ghost and as he rotated it to see it's right side, and found a bullet hole that continued through to the Ghost's left. His finger traced the rim of the entry where a very pale blue mucus clung. "Looks like we've uncovered how this Ghost died, but it seems that this residue lining the wound might give us an idea on what killed it."
"We ought take what we know so far back to Siegfried; he should still be waiting for Aunor to get return. Maybe he'll know what that is and we can come up with a good cover story for it."
"Fine," Merlin said, "but we're not mentioning their plans to move yet. I want to make sure they're given a fair shot at rehabilitation and not just executed from a Praxic ambush."
"If it means I get to say 'I told you so' when some inevitably need to be and we're not killed in the process, I'll go along with you," Sibyl said, drifting in closer to her Guardian's face as a mock taunt. Her shell twisted to emulate a smirk as she retreated to the jumpship dashboard. "I'll take us out."
The Last City was in Earth's shadow as Sibyl began their descent through the cloud cover. Despite a lacking need for both Guardians and Exos for sleep, Merlin's own firmware had been simulating tired mind, body, and spirit for some time. The ship veered to fly along the outer wall of the city, gradually coming to a stop and easing into the Tower hanger, where Merlin was transmat onto the painted concrete. He made his way through the courtyard and into the hall with many branches to many sleeping rooms.
"A busy first day," Sibyl said as she materialised once they found an empty chamber to rest.
"Busier than most?" Merlin asked, sitting on the bed to take off his boots.
"Than yours yet to come? Hopefully. Compared to other Guardians? Possibly. I heard it took Targe weeks of walking and bringing Zavala back when he was shot or died from the cold, before they found any friendly faces."
Merlin laid back on the bed and made himself comfortable. Soon, he was asleep. Just before the Exo whirred to consciousness, he dreamt; a winged snake, as bright as a white dwarf star, both ethereal and swift. Merlin watched it from above as well as through it's eyes. The bird flew over long forgotten structures half buried beneath red sands and ice. It glided into a small tunnel in the side of a glacier and slithered deeper into the ice. The flying serpent found it's way into the rock seemingly steeped in blood, reaching a cave. Scorch marks, bullet holes, and half destroyed Hive runes surround three broken pillars. Merlin woke as the snake dived from the jagged ceiling and all he remembered of it was the stench of decay.
"Fly!" Merlin cried out, nearly headbutting Sibyl as he jolted upright.
"You're awake!" she said happily. "We're burning daylight here"
The Guardian looked to the door which now allowed several beams of the morning sun through the stylised holes carved into the wood. "It's still early yet," he lazily said.
"Yes, but Siegfried and Aunor are likely to be leaving soon."
Merlin swung his feet out over the side of the bed, reached for his boots and slipped them over his green, mechanical feet. Once he stood, fully equipped with his gear, he made his way to toward the door. "Best not keep them waiting then," he said.
Their ship pulled into the Praxic Order's hangar, and gently set down next to two others. Their pilots emerged from the foyer as Merlin drew close. The tall Titan dwarfed the person he followed. She wore a black duster coat, with light armour underneath. Her distinctive crooked nose loosely pointed to the approaching Exo.
"You must be Merlin," she said with a voice raised just enough to reach his auditory receptors. When they met half way from their ships to the office Siegfried enjoyed relaxing in, she offered her hand and met Merlin's eyes with her own in a hard stare. "Siegfried tells me you've taken on the Disciples of the Sword case! You wouldn't return without a report?"
"I have met with them," Merlin began to recount, before he was interrupted.
"Where are they?" Siegfried demanded. "We should rally the rest of the Order and strike!"
"I spoke with a guard as they were packing up whatever it is they take with them. I'm confident that I've began to lay the foundation of my infiltration."
"Where?" Aunor asked sternly. Merlin felt a chill run through his circuits as the words left her mouth. Her dark eyes remained locked onto Merlin's own yellow.
"Volundr Forge."
"So we can be sure they are not there now. Bahaghari," Aunor said, and her iridescent Ghost fizzled into a physical state, "can we stop by Nessus on the way to Europa?"
"I'm afraid we'd have to veer considerably off course," it chirped. "It's orbit will drift much closer into our return path."
"On the way back then. Do you have anything else to say, Merlin?"
"I believe my way in with them is by presenting a dead Ghost, and claiming I killed it and the Guardian." Aunor was taken aback.
"They're all Guardian killers?" Siegfried asked with Arc energy pulsing across his fists.
"Maybe not all of them, but I was assured if I showed them this," Merlin said, pulling the Ghost from his inventory with the aide of Sibyl.
"Where did you get that?" the Titan growled.
"I didn't do this!"
"We got it from the Spider," Sibyl added sharply.
"For what?" Aunor asked. "That fat Fallen does nothing for free."
"A favour," Merlin said with a hint of regret.
"A favour!" Siegfried roared. He walked passed the Warlocks toward his ship. "Oh, you've really screwed yourself over."
"You think this poor Little Light will get you into the Disciples?" Aunor asked with some skepticism. Merlin shifted in place, growing ever more unsure of the plan.
"They played dumb when I first showed up, but the guard hinted that showing up again with a dead Ghost might help my chances."
"Did they say where they were going next?" Merlin shook his head in response. "Unsurprising – no one with a hint of intelligence would just trust an outsider with that kind of information." Aunor started to walk by the Exo but stopped and reassuringly placed a hand upon his shoulder. "I wish you luck. I feel you'll need it."