After nearing the end of a building they happened to enter the fire-team see a faint light at the other end of the decayed and destroyed building that was mangled and filled with sand from the blowing winds of Mars. Being blinded by the light as it peers into the eyes of the fire-team, they raise their hands to block out a part of the sun only to see the wrecked town before them. Nothing they haven't seen before but, yet an excitement builds in their body that they could not control as it was a place none of them have been before and just simply could not wait to get their hands on what treasures await them. They took turns looking at each other before giving a nod and heading out into the unknown land spread out before them keeping a tight formation while they take their first few steps into the rotted city's entrails. The fire-team makes their way to the center building that was closest to them all, seeing it was the oddest shaped and the most interesting building to look at. The city's buildings almost created a solid wall around the old abandoned structure. Approaching the entrance of the dark building they can hear the faint whispers of the wind or perhaps something much more menacing. Though the only way to recover the treasures and fortunes of old is to delve into the whispering walls of the infested building. Will they be heroes? Or meet a dreadful end? Who knows but, as Guardians of the last city it is their DUTY to explore and take back what was once their own.

[quote]Dron mog awoke from a long nights slumber, he was groggy and depressed. He knew that today would not be a good day, after stretching he went to the bathroom and then proceeded to do his morning exercise. Dron spent the night before drinking and doing harmock which was a popular drug among the people of the last city. Dron was an alcoholic and an addict, the only reason he joined the Guardians was to pay for his addiction and money was running short. Dron kept getting suspended for misconduct and had to find alternate ways to pay for his addiction. In Dron's mind doing drugs was the only way he could get away from it all and get back to his past life before his wife died. After stopping by the local bar he made his way to the slums of the city, the place where every one who wasn't a guardian or rich lived. The government of the last city gave the Guardians apartments in the nicer part of the town to give them incentive to join, as no one was keen on signing their lives away. In the slums he visited an old friend before his days as a Guardian. His friend Jolt Viin was known for being able to make things happen, but the Last City's officials have been watching him. Dron arrived at his friend's house to find out that his house had been raided and that his friend had been arrested for drug possession and human trafficking. Dron didn't know what to do, his last source of drugs was gone and he decided he only had one option left... He made his way to the strip club and talked to the manager, he tried to find out if he could do some work for the manager while he was suspended. The manager could tell Dron had a drug problem, knowing so because most of his employees do. The manager told Dron the only work he had available wouldn't be legal. The manager gave Dron an address and told him to meet one of his clients, in return he would compensate him with 3 days supply of harmock. Dron took his pike down to the docks to meet the client and found out it was Tovl Swertz, one of the running candidates for the head of the City position. Dron shook his hand, received his drugs, got to his knees, unbuckled Tovl's belt, pulled down his pants, and started to suck his penis. This was the first time Dron had sucked a penis before and hoped he was doing a good job, he kept reenacting what cheap hookers do to him. Dron licked and nibbled at Tovl's penis, he started sucking and sucking using his hands as well as his mouth. After a short while of doing this Tovl finally came into his mouth and told Dron he would pay him extra if he swallowed, Dron being the desperate man he was did. After thanking him for his services Tovl got into his car and had his driver drive him to his office. Dron wiped his mouth and threw up again and again, he hoped he'd never have to do that again. He drove his pike back to his house locked the door and turned off the lights. Dron cracked open a beer and put the patch of harmock on his forehead to get a quick high. In those small moments of being intoxicated Dron was reunited with his wife and was happy. THE END?[/quote]

The sun shone across the martian wasteland, blasting buildings and creatures with unbearable heat, a reminder of the red planets inhospitable past. At the border of Cabal territory lies a decaying city, its name long forgotten, all that is left of a once bustling testament to human achievement are ghosts and echos. The sand has already taken its toll on the city,crimson dust consumes entire buildings and soon the city will be invisible, buried underneath tonnes of sand, but not yet, no, survivors still cling on to the corpse, not in mourning but in desperation, they search and scrounge for any remnants of the golden age that may prove useful in the struggle against the monstrous menace of the Cabal, most of what they find is useless trinkets, shards of a distant history, but sometimes there is treasure to be found among the bones and crumpled framework, treasure that even in the time before, remained a well kept secret, and now these sand beaten warriors of the new age discover thrilling and powerful ways to fight against the alien threat. One must remember though, that not all of these secrets were intended to be found.

I had departured from the tower earlier that day to go off to Mars,One of our more prestigious places during the Golden Age. I landed in an abandoned city completely buried from the sand.Inside on of the buildings is a vault filled with loot.It's last sightings was before the Collapse. Suddenly a ship with a carrier of Cabal Legionnaires dropped off about 50 feet from me.I slowly walked back into my ship where it was safe.There, I called in my Fireteam, knowing it would be too dangerous alone. I looked out from the window of my ship, hoping they had left. But no, they started advancing towards me! I turned the ignition on my space ship to escape. I slowly flew off to a safer place near the vault when a Legionnaire hit one of my engines with a rocket. I force landed into the sand just about 100 or so feet from the Cabal. I ran out of my ship and ran into an old skyscraper,hoping i could hide. Then, my fireteam member,Chuck came dropped out of his ship. "Where's Billy?" I asked "Went off to the Hellmouth. Guess i'll have to do" Chuck replied The Cabal came towards us. Chuck had his Wolf Launcher out and I readied my SPACE MAGIC.For about an hour we were fighting off countless hordes of Cabal. When all of a sudden about 15 people with pikes came out to fight the Cabal.The Public Event began. A Centurion came out of the ground, creating a powerful wave of dust to hit our faces. We all eventually brought down the Centurion and the Legionnaires.Collecting their amazing loot.Then, chuck and i advanced to the tallest building,to collect the loot from The Vault.

[b]Ingenue[/b] I admit, I hadn’t fully considered the cost of this war until I heard the sound of that girl’s chest as it wheezed, hyperventilating as she fought to continue breathing. Her stomach lay wide open - the shot had passed right through. Her eyes darted in fear, she followed me as I moved cautiously towards the two bodies and kicked the gun to a safe distance. Once I was satisfied that my mission had been accomplished, I turned to the girl who I had considered an acceptable loss in the midst of combat. “I’m sorry,” I said, and lowered my rifle, “you got in the way.” She replied only with heavier breaths. I called into my comm. link, “he’s dead,” I said, “And the hostage?” The breathing had stopped. “Two casualties.” There was a pause. “Understood.” ‘What makes a Guardian?’ I thought as I considered my actions. At the expense of one life, I had postponed the destruction of the Last City to another time. That day in the buried city an innocent woman had paid the ultimate price for the continued safety of thousands, and yet, those people would see me as their saviour, as anything but a murderer. I moved the bodies into a nearby terminal station to shield them from the heat of the creeping sun and thought of my wife. Would I have done the same if it were her with a gun to the head? I reasoned that I would at least want her to be comfortable. As a Guardian of the City, the price of our survival is not the personal sacrifices, nor is it the weight of responsibility, but knowing that I had made the right decision. It’s this truth that haunts me more than the disaster my actions averted.

We've been traversing this damned desert for days, its too much to bear with all this armour at least hes ok, that warlock i cant say i trust him or any of his 'order' too much time spent staring at that bloody orb, when they arent staring at it, they read about it freaks i say. We finally make it.... To the buried city, who knows what hidden treasures are hidden here from the golden age, perhaps a way to finally get those stinking fallen off my earth once and for all, if anyone would know it'll be that warlock 'bout that only thing he is good for. As we near the old town square, we catch a glimpse of a cabal shield in the baking sun, glistening like a jewel.... Like the eyes of my beloved. Some how they haven't spotted us, i speak too soon a storm of fire rains down on us the warlock quick to raise a shield whilst i take cover, a loud explosion and a ghostly white light..... I raise my head to see him, dead on the ground..... What now? I know nothing of this place! Im a titan, the brawn not the brains! Ill just trust in my gun.... Until help arrives, to be reunited with her once more is all i ask.....

Just edited, hope that's ok :)

About 15 words over... [quote][b]“Go ahead dad, tell him." He sighed and put his arm round my brother’s shoulders. “I was nineteen when it happened son, bastards came down from the sky and took everything humanity had within forty-eight hours – wiped the slate almost crystal clear. I was out on patrol with a few other guys in our fireteam and our [i]ell-tee[/i]; we heard Phobos Station had gone to shit but none of us knew they’d be heading our way that quickly. The radios went static and alarms echoed for miles around, at least that gave us some advanced warning.” Dad closed his eyes to stop them from watering – my brother wished he’d thought of that sooner. “The [i]CO[/i] made the call and we all hunkered down behind some trucks just right of the courtyard, just like in boot camp. We were naïve enough to think they wouldn’t see us. By now the Fallen ships were just coming into view, like stars on the horizon. One of the lower grades came and crouched next to me, terrified, but then who wasn’t. I put her hand in mine and looked into her eyes for a moment, just long enough to see the Devil Walker’s reflection behind her pupils. I threw her aside and emptied three clips into one of its legs as the chin-gun blazed over our heads. My squad weren’t far behind, deploying ghosts to make sightlines for [i]ell-tee[/i]’s Thunderlord.” He paused. “But it wasn’t enough. When I turned round there was hardly anything left of her.” He closed his eyes again but this time it didn’t work. “She was beautiful, even then. I yelled for medevac but I was desperate, nothing could have saved her. My fireteam were screaming but she was all I could think about.” He looked up at the sky, tears dripped down from his chin. “The Buried City.” “This is where your mother died.”[/b] [/quote]

Hope I posted this right. I'm new to the Bungie forums. And hopefully someday a Bungie writer. ;) So here's my little story, had to cut some things out at first because it was simply to long. I can't even begin to remember, it's been so long everything has just fallen apart. The whole foundation has become one with the Earth again, as it once was. Just as Atlantis descended into the great blue, our buried city now lays somewhere beneath the golden sand. I look down to where the street and cars use to be, but there is nothing but grains. The buildings that surround me, the structures that once filled with people going on about their daily routines, now crumble slowly as the days pass on by. I close my eyes and take in everything, this use to be my home, and there is no better place than home. Until now. Ever since I lost her I've been on the run, these creatures, these thing's that took over our planet are relentless. I'm just trying to survive now, it's getting tiresome though. The running, the fighting and ever-growing feeling of loneliness. It takes a toll on me. I've heard about this thing called the Traveler, the mythical ball from the heavens that descended on the only safe city in the world now. It's my destination, and I hope it proves to be what I've heard. I carry a small backpack with me, only taking the essentials that I'll need. My weapon, food and water along with a picture of my angel...my daughter. This city haunts my memories, It was here where she died. This exact building, this exact spot where I stand. We were trying to leave before the fallen came, we were to late though. We tried running but she fell, I picked her up to realize she had been shot. Tears dripped from her eyes, her cries ringed in my ears. There was nothing I could do. I had to stop her pain.

"Go! Before it's too late, GO!", she said as she turned and ran back towards the station. Several Fallen were running towards them. It was obvious there wouldn't be enough time to load the cargo before those guns were too close to ignore. "Mack! Haverson! Load and secure asap! Bracen! Cover fire!" Sarge shouted as he ran after Dara, bursts of fire already tearing through the knees of a Fallen vandal aiming a rocket at the ship. Enemy reinforcements were close. If any walkers landed before they were outbound then the council's mysterious cargo was lost. Dara pulled out the MeatGrinder and spewed armor piercing rounds into the mass. Sniper rounds flew over her shoulder as two more rocket launchers fell. "Cargo's loaded. Haul ass Sir!" the comms sputtered as more rounds came from behind them. "Dara get back now!" but she was too far. She turned and looked at Sarge, knowing her fate, and pushed a series of buttons on her side. He turned and ran as he heard an automated voice over the comms, "Please enter-". "Omega Red," Dara cut in. "Power cell overload activated." Sarge jumped in the ship as it was lifting off. He watched Dara salute the ship as a Fallen Captain grabbed her. A click sounded through the comms then the windows went white as the explosion from Dara's armor sent a shockwave propelling them higher. Looking back, they saw the damage to the station. Most of the Fallen had been well within the radius of the blast. "Open the container," he was violating orders, but he didn't care. He had to know Dara's death had not been in vain. The door was slammed open and they all focused on the large red eye of a deactivated Vex.

It wasn’t often that a human came up on the bounty board; even rarer that one would end up on the top ten most wanted list. Yet, there, at number eight, was Klizo Steiz. Number eight for good reason, too. Not many people pitied a man who sold secrets and arms to the Cabal and the Fallen. The hunter had tracked him to an outpost between Earth and Mars. He had successfully shot him there, one sniper round in the chest. Of course, just to be a nuisance, Steiz didn’t die there. He managed to escape to his ship, and blasted into Martian orbit. Intercepting his pathetically slow ship was no trouble for the hunter. Forcing the wanted man to crash land on the red planet was even easier. The hunter went to the crash site, revolver drawn, prepared to extinguish any fight Steiz thought he had left. To the hunter’s surprise, and further aggravation, the fool had actually made it a ways from the crash site, escaping to what appeared to be ruins protruding from the Martian soil. The man could hardly have picked a more desolate place to crash land. The red dust crunched and sifted beneath the hunter’s feet like a mix of snow and sand. The hunter found his body at the end of the blood trail. The fool had finally bled out… but not before sending an S.O.S. to his Fallen clientele. Three of them, poorly armed, only one with a gun; the other two had blades drawn. They ran together towards the hunter, racing down the steps of the abandoned edifice. Red dust kicked high into the air every time their feet trounced the ground. The hunter had more than enough ammunition to compensate for missed shots. But he had none. A successful payday.

On fast approach to the foliage devoured city I power on my teleporter for a fast landing and to allow my ship to return to the Tower. I open my ships armory and ready my weapons, "There could be anything down there", I tell myself. Five seconds until teleportation. I clutch my sidearm tightly in my arms. *Vwomp!* I have just landed in the center of this large compound, and now that my ship has left I am alone. With grey eyes I turn my attention to the rooftops surrounding me, yet I see no hostile forces. I have never been so deep in the wild before, without finding something trying to eat me or kill me. Just to be safe I keep a watchful eye on my radar, and I begin hailing for reinforcements from my fireteam. Strange...My communications seem to be jammed. As a chill shoots up my spine I shake it off and begin a fearless walk into the compound in front of me. "What a shame, such beautiful cities were destroyed", as my voice is muffled by my helmet the surrounding area is so quiet I can still here my faint echo reverberate. "Destroyed...destroyed...[]oyed". As my echo fades out a new alien one takes its place. A massive roar rips through the city to let me know I am not alone. The Fallen have finally joined me. I sprint into the building and take cover behind a pillar as I see a Fallen Captain stand at the furthest end of the compound. I ready my sniper rifle and take aim. "Hmm, only one captain. This should be ea-", a shattering cracking rips through my ears and interrupts my thoughts as I see enemies pour out of the building. "There must be at least thirty fallen..." I switch to my belt fed chain gun and sprint into the nest of my enemy, with a blinding flash of my space magic I light up the darkness with fire from my barrel.

A ravaged city lay before me; its quiet remnants resting under a rusted veil of Martian soil. As I looked to the ruins of this abandoned place, only grief filled my heart. Here was the last bastion of hope on the red planet--the one place no human expected to fall. Despite the heavy military presence that defended the city so valiantly, it was not enough. Only the power of the Traveler was enough to bring us salvation. This dead settlement was once known as Syv, and was not unique in its utter destruction. In fact, this image of lonely devastation was one of thousands across Sol. Looking down upon the old courtyard did little to fuel my sense of hope. What if he’s not here anymore? This thought was not enough to crush [i]every[/i] hope, however. I had not come so far to simply give up. Turning around to see the barren desert behind me, I found the strength to push forward into the Syv Courtyard. Carefully, I peered through the scope of my Monitor S11 scout rifle. All clear. As I climbed the crumbled steps of what was once a reputable daycare, my eyes felt the familiar sting that had kept me awake every night for the past seven months. Who could bring themselves to cause such terror? Who would take so many lives, so many children from their parents? The sting in my eyes changed into an unstable hatred. The monster that took my little girl away from me was going regret what he took from me. For seven months, I tracked his pack across the Martian wastes. For seven months, I had taken the lives of every Fallen that I had come across. And now? Now was the time to claim revenge.

She told me to make sure it wasn't all for nothing. That I had to push on through desolate and unforgiving dunes. I'm the last of the Traveler's chosen, I am Vanguard and I am alone. Lost to the sands and memories, like so many other things since the fall. Like all Vanguard my place in this world is too protect humanity, but when all I think of is my brothers in arms and how I lost them. How I lost her. I ask why... When Earth will crumble like the city buried in front of me... Wait. A city. "What is this place?", I asked myself. This is my salvation and how I will keep my promise to her. It won't be for nothing because I have found a way to continue the path. My Vanguard brothers' deaths won't be in vain because the lost city is found. As I walk up the ancient steps I take in the surroundings.  Giant buildings, degraded by sand storms, tower over me; the husk like buildings more ambient than one would expect. The wind whistled through windowless panes, metal creaked, and shuffling sounds ever so slight but not unheard. I'm being hunted, I look up at the decaying lettering, "Station". This is where my journey will begin. I draw my weapon as I vow to make the deaths of my comrades worth more than a sacrifice. As I walk into the darkness of the "Station", I tell myself, "It wasn't all for nothing."

[u]The last Stand[/u] [b]“INCOMING!” Someone yells as shells start to rain down on the regiment. The shelling was pretty much routine for the 16th Guardian regiment or the Ironclads, they were positioned at a shopping mall in the center of a city known by the men as the Buried City. For 7 days they have been bombarded, and for 7 days the men were wondering when the enemy will strike. All the men knew they would be fighting the “Fallen”. They couldn’t think of anyone or anything else who would attack them. Or is there? On the 8th of June, the shelling had stopped. The ground that beheld them was scared with craters that could be as deep as 15 feet. The men were worried about what would happen next. A few hours pass and the men are on their guard. They know that an attack is imminent, but they’re not sure who now. They never knew that the “Fallen” could pack such a punch with their artillery. All was silent. The silence was deafening. Someone spots something on the desert horizon. “I’ve spotted something in the dessert sir”. A Hunter shouts out. “Ready your weapons!” The Titan orders. The mysterious figure comes into view. It’s a fellow Guardian. “Stand down, it’s a friendly over there” Says the Titan. But right after he says that, the Guardian is killed by something. Straight after, a massive force emerges from the horizon. “Weapons free!” Shouts the Titan. The regiment didn’t think twice they fire off everything they got on this unknown enemy. They’ve never fought them before and had no knowledge of their strengths and weaknesses. The battle rages for hours. As the dust settles. Corpses lay dead and even wounded. But the corpse at the building adds up to the entire regiment. [/b] Hope you enjoy the read as I enjoyed writing it. Exactly 298 words that was close. =)

My friends and I were sent on a mission to scout Mars to find anything that the Cabal might be involved in. After we landed on Mars we starting looking around for anything suspicious. Around 3 hours later we found this abandoned city in the whereabouts of Mars. We searched for any intel that might give us a lead of what use to live here or what happened here. After awhile we found this cave with some valuable blueprints locked inside a safe. This safe had a lock that we didn't know the combo to. We tried to shoot it. After awhile somebody came out of a pitch black corner and asked who we were. So we told them we were guardians of the last safe haven on Earth. We were given special powers by The Traveler and are determined to protect Earth and other worlds. The man told us the combo due to his trust in us. Once we opened up the safe we found this book. All of the history of this abandoned city was written in this tiny book. My friends and I then read this book and found out that this city was invaded by the Cabal. It also said where their base is. After we walked outside to invade this base a Cabal drop ship came in and several legionnaires along with a single centurion. After it was just down to the centurion several more drop ships came in. We decided to retreat and come back to finish our mission another day. The Cabal are still in their base. For now.

Red dust whispered underfoot. Each step raising small clouds, dancing lazily in the dim light of the Martian sun The old spaceport loomed ahead. Bulkheads torn away by storms and scavengers, left only a shell, like skeletal remains of some giant beast from a forgotten age An aura of foreboding hung thick in the air, as if ghosts of millennia past clung to the silence I glanced at my Data Bracer, gauging the radiation levels caused by Mars' magnetic fields. The levels climbed steadily, as the station grew larger in my HUD. My Combat Suit was coping, but time was against us "Lets make this quick" I said. The two guardians behind me nodded, gazes scanning the old station. "Looks like a damn Turtles nest", the Titan growled through the com. The Warlock chuckled, "You think everything on this rock is a Turtles nest, Bishop" "That's because every time I so much as take a piss on this planet, some Hatchling Cabal, tries to make me his Right of Passage. Flaming Turtles. Flaming planet", he grumbled Jade glanced at her data readings. "Well the signal is coming from that structure, and its not Cabali" "Preliminary scouting reports don't show any Turtle activity in the area, but stay salty just the same", I said. "Don't have to tell me twice!", Bishop boomed. He hefted his Spitfire machine-gun from his shoulder, taking point as we moved forward The station entrance leered like a gaping maw. Bishop stalked up the steps, snapping the safety off his cannon as he reached the entrance Jade checked her Cyber-Venom pistol, and followed Bishop into the gloom. "Here we go again" I whispered, as I released my Recon Ghost into the darkness and followed my team into the Station's resentful shadows.......... ........"Flaming Turtles"

She stared into the distance, the explosion she heard wasn't far off, they must be getting closer. The red wind blasted against her tanned skin, her blonde hair blowing violently in the direction of their transport, which had been shot down moments before. Her father, who had just been crushed by a building that had collapsed, was severely injured and needed medical attention. She had to get her father out of the old building's wreckage before they came or they wouldn't survive the encounter with them. Them. The Fallen. A new species to arise, The Fallen are violent and aggressive humanoid beasts with an unending blood lust. But she saw a distant light, and from nowhere, a guardian appeared. The warlock, majestic and proud, emerged from a space drop with what appeared to be a halo upon his head cast from the small mars sun, and stood ready for battle. He glanced at the girl and her father, a brief moment of eye contact, and he strode off towards The Fallen, needing no words to be said. She heard shooting, and the screams of The Fallen. A deep yet shrill cry of "space magic!" came from the guardian, followed by the most glorious fire erupting from his hands. The guardian was a master of combat, and displayed it in the most extravagant ways. He would vaporize the lesser of the fallen, and seem to take care of the commander as if it was a small animal. She recognized this warlock as Oni, the chief warlock and most powerful being known, and a myth to those under the traveler. She knew the battle was going to be won, and that she and her father were safe from those brutes of terror. Though she hadn't the slightest idea that her destiny was just beginning to reveal itself.

[i]" How much further?"[/i] Siskin whined into his mic. The young hunter was overly eager to get into a firefight in this forsaken place. Shells of buildings stood half buried, scraps of metal scattered everywhere. The winds are rapid and steadfast, causing his cape of gold to snap back and forth in the air. [i]"Calm down Skin, I'm sure you'll get to shoot that pretty little gun in a short bit."[/i] Kutu laughed. admiring the teens enthusiasm. The kid's carelessness nearly got us killed on several occasions, I had to save him once from a blade wielding Captain causing the lost of sight in my left eye and the scar over it. Kutu usually keeps the kid in line, but i seldom care for the kids out bursts. [i]"Yeah, right Kutu. We haven't seen any Fallen this entire mission!"[/i] Siskin answered as if Kutu hadn't noticed the same. Kutu just shrugged his shoulders toward the gold and black armored teen slowing his pace to match mine. Kutu walked close to me as if sensing what I was thinking; nudged me in the shoulder. [i]"Been quiet, thought command said this was a high risk mission."[/i] Figures. Ever since the brown clad warlock was put under my team 5 years ago, he always seemed to know what I was thinking. I'm just going to ignore him for now, were only a few hundred meters from where we need to be and a shortcut through the building to the left will get us there quicker. I start walking and both of them follow suit. This building looks as if a robbery went on but I know better. Wait what's on the wall?... [b]LET IT DIE[/b] Written in blood? by who? [i]SCREECH[/i] That’s a Fallen Captain’s blade poking out of my gut isn’t it? [b]Damn….[/b]