[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/250301867/0/0]Table of Contents[/url] "I think we've waited long enough," Keis' Ghost decided, hovering over his shoulder, "It seems safe. And, with our luck, it's definitely not going to get any safer. After seeing that Ketch at the last city, I'd be surprised if any of them were untouched." Keis slowly rose from his prone position, where he had lain hidden in the shadows cast by the setting sun, then trudged down the slope towards the desolate remains of a city. This one was relatively close to the last city they had encountered, but far enough that there was a chance the Fallen weren’t nearby. Even so, they had waited and watched for hours to be sure. As Keis descended, his Ghost vanished in a haze of blue. They had agreed to be a lot more careful from now on, taking precautions in case the Fallen caught them by surprise. The alien pirates had seemed like such a small threat during Keis’ years stranded on Venus, a distant enemy that he would never see. But now the danger was real to him, and he feared there would soon be a day he’d meet them face-to-face. • • • The steel door instantly ripped free from its eroded hinges, exploding into the hallway and smashing against the opposite wall before falling to the floor with a heavy thud. Keis lowered his open hand and stepped inside. "You could at least try to be quiet," his Ghost scolded lightly, gliding down the hall and scanning for anything of interest. Keis wordlessly followed it deeper into the building, passing small offices and other rooms. "I was sure this was a foundry," the Ghost pondered, "It looked so different outside. Maybe this side of the building was just offices, or it could extend below ground." They reached the end of the hall and checked the last room, filled with nothing but dusty filing cabinets just like all the others. "Nothing," the Ghost sighed, "This whole section was a bust, then. But the fact that the rest of the structure is separate is a good sign. We'll have to go back out and look for another way in." They retraced their steps to the empty doorframe. "Keis," the Ghost stopped, looking at the door lying on the ground. Keis watched it over his shoulder as it reasoned, "Maybe we should put this back. We don't want any Fallen knowing we were here." Keis turned to look at the Ghost skeptically, and it snapped defensively, "I know the hinges are broken! If you can't reset it, just put it closer or something! But if anyone sees a door that clearly got blasted open, they'll know something happened." Moving closer and kneeling, Keis inspected the battered door. The metal surface had caved in, leaving a very obvious impression, and the wall where it had impacted had also taken noticeable damage. "Yes, I see the dent," his Ghost moaned irritably, "I'm not a miracle worker. Can't you just use your space magic or something?" Keis opened his mouth to reply, but the Ghost cut him off, "I know you can't." Gripping the bent steel, Keis dragged the door and positioned it next to the doorframe. "That'll have to do," the Ghost said, "Let's go." The two backtracked, passing another identical hallway before coming into an open lobby that had served as the entrance to the building. Keis's boots crunched on broken shards of glass as he stepped through the remains of the main door. They went down the street, turning around the side of the facility and searching for another entrance. A sound like a thunderclap reached their ears, faint and muted by distance, and the two travelers whirled to look for the source. It had come from deeper in the city, and nothing could be seen beyond the forlorn skyscrapers. "What was that?" The Ghost fretted. They didn't move, waiting for another noise. When a minute had passed the Ghost nervously stammered, "I guess we have no choice but to go and see what that was." Keis marched resolutely down the road towards the center of the city, and his Ghost flitted after him. "It's probably Fallen…" it murmured after awhile, anxiously darting back and forth to check down every street and alley, "Or the Vex. The chances of it being someone friendly are very very small…" "I know," Keis acknowledged. The pair continued in silence, working their way past rows of crumbling structures. "We don't know exactly where it came from," the Ghost planned after some time had passed, "It would be best to stay out of sight, but we may need to get to higher ground if we want to-" A second blast cracked the sky nearby, echoing around them. "That was close!" The Ghost gasped. Keis briskly jogged down an alley, then across a road and into the next alley. As he came to the end of the narrow passage, he slowed down and crept to the corner. He carefully peered out into the avenue, looking both ways. The street was deserted. "It couldn't have been far from here," Keis' Ghost contemplated, "Check the next-" A guttural flurry of clicks and growls sounded inside one of the structures across the road, easily heard in the quiet of the city. The sudden alien sound startled Keis, sending a spike of fear through him. "Fallen!" The Ghost whispered frightfully, vanishing into Keis' armor matrix, "We need to go!" Keis didn't linger, turning and hurrying back. "We have to get out of the city," his Ghost insisted, "Turn right and keep going." Slipping around the side of the structure, Keis stayed close to the wall and ran down the road as covertly as possible. The ground was uneven, made of broken pavement that threatened to trip him as it gave way to lush plant life. As he progressed down the long avenue, they noticed a humming in the air. The sound steadily grew until it became clear that it was coming from engines. "A Skiff," the Risen's Ghost despaired. The humming drew nearer until it sounded like it was on top of them. A shadow fell over Keis. The Exo, having nowhere to hide, pressed himself against the mossy wall next to him and looked up. A ship was directly above them, slowly sailing over the street. It was mostly brown, with some pale blue paint decorating the main hull, and had a bulbous head and a slender tail. There was no sign that Keis had been seen, and the Skiff continued its course until it passed out of sight behind a skyscraper on the opposite side of the avenue. "Good thing we were on this side…" Keis' Ghost exhaled tensely. Keis peeled away from the wall and broke into a run. When the road ended, his Ghost directed him to the next. He kept up his sprint, feet pounding on the broken asphalt. He was nearly to the next corner when a bolt of blue energy shot by him. It missed by several feet, scorching a steel wall, and an assortment of savage roars rose up behind him. "They see us!" The Ghost panicked. Keis didn't look back and barreled around the corner, pursued by the howls of the Fallen. He ducked down the nearest alley and burst into the neighboring street. "Keep heading this way and we'll get out," his Ghost instructed. The Exo was halfway down the road when a pack of the aliens bustled into the end of their path, blocking the way. Keis braked, taking in the Fallen. Many of them wore sparse armor; the Dregs, as his Ghost had told him. But they were accompanied by a handful of four-armed and well-equipped soldiers; Vandals. Their faces were covered by masks, and their glowing blue eyes locked on the Risen maliciously. All were clad in the pale blue of the House of Winter. One of the Vandals barked at the others and raised its rifle, charging a bolt of energy. "Window on the left!" The Ghost yelped. Keis bolted left, towards a building with a large hole where a glass pane had once been, and dove into the edifice. He hit the floor and rolled to his feet, barely losing momentum as his Ghost guided him through several rooms and to the other end of the building. He hooked around the empty frame of the entrance door and into the road. The cement under his feet had been replaced by soil, and plants sprouted from the ground around him. "Almost there!" His Ghost urged, and he raced onward. But their hopes were dashed when a small pack of Fallen prowled out of an intersection that crossed with the path ahead of them. Keis skidded to a halt -mere meters away from the scavengers- as they noticed his presence and scrambled to take aim.