“You are driven by fear and anger. A hatred so dark and sinister that it is attempting to swallow whatever specs of light still exist within you…” the calming voice spoke softly from behind his helmet of bronze. Bree’s hand was steady as she held the gun steadily, her finger resting on the curved metal of the trigger. The barrel didn’t waiver. She stood like a statue carved out of marble. “Who are you?” Bree snarled from behind her own helmet. Her helmet was actively scanning the lone Hunter that stood before them, but every result had turned up dry. None of the armor he wore existed in any memory bank Flower had. The man stood calm, even though the barrel of the Fatebringer was only a foot from his face. His arms hung loosely at his sides, his hands rested on the twisted handles of two daggers that looked to be carved from wood. The blades themselves were of the same material as the frozen purple veins that ran through the tree, and they looked deadly. The man’s stature was a little taller and more muscular for a typical Hunter, he stood half a foot taller than Brayden, and Bree was shorter than her brother. Bree felt miniscule in comparison, which only served to further fuel her anger. “I’m not going to ask again, tell me who you are or I pull this trigger and blow your face in,” Bree said while biting her lip. “You have five seconds...four...three…” “My name is Mar.” Mar’s response was blunt. Nothing else was required. “...Mar?” Bree was taken aback. “You can’t be. Mar is just a legend. Another fairy tale told to children before their parents turn out the lights at bedtime. There is no, Mar.” “I am sorry, but I am afraid that I am this legend of whom you speak. These are my Trials,” he said peacefully. Mar turned his head in all directions as he took in the beauty of the cave. “I designed the Trials to test those who wish to prove themselves. The rewards far surpass anything else known in the universe, but it does not come without a price. Of all the ones who have entered, none have left…” Bree cut him off abruptly, and quite rudely, “Look, I don’t give a shit, ok? What am I doing here? Where the Hell am I?” “You are in the Trials of Mar…” Interrupting him once more. “Oh? The Trials of Mar, huh? Is that where I am? No f*cking shit, thank the Gods in the Heavens for you. I mean, seriously, without you, I would have just kept wondering around here aimlessly thinking that I was on Earth.” The aggravation that traveled through her words and tone of voice was solemn. “This cave, why am I here?” “I am plagued by a deep sadness, Bree, and I’m afraid that with meeting you, it has confirmed my worst fears.” “What fears? What are you talking about? And how did you know my name?” she continued to stay rock steady. Her finger ready to pull the trigger at a moment’s notice. “You have been lost in the darkness for a long time, and it is time that you emerge from your plight and step out into the light.” “I have no clue what you’re talking about. I’m not lost, ok? And I was born in the light. My mind was freed when the Vex captured me, they were the ones that showed me the light. So, if anyone is, “lost in the darkness”, it’s you.” Mar removed his right hand from the hilt of the dagger and held an outstretched palm in front of him. A little Ghost appeared, it wasn’t the normal Ghost that Bree had come to know, this one was different. The eye looked like frozen ice and devoid of any light, it twitched and bounced as it scanned Bree from helmet to boots. The outer shell wasn’t white, it was as brown as the bark on the tree, and it even had ridges. Sharp, crude cut marks all along the Ghost’s shell made Bree curious. It was as if the shell was carved out of the tree… “Bree, I am not sad for myself, I am sad for you. I see a light within you, I have seen a part of you that has been untouched, locked away from the eyes of the world for an eternity. A goodness that you cover up with a rugged exterior, as rugged and unforgiving as the steel on your armor.” “I’m not covering up anything. This is the way I am, this is how they made me. And all the “evil deeds” that I’ve done,” she chuckled. “They haven’t seen anything yet. I’m just getting started.” Bree’s eyes kept coming back to the strange Ghost of Mar. A sigh slowly escaped his lips. “We are alone, Bree. You do not have to behave like this to me, there is no one here to impress.” Bree laughed, “Please, don’t try to talk like you know me because you have no idea.” “I know, Bree, I know more about you than you could ever come to understand,” a tinge of sorrow in his voice. Then, the little Ghost buzzed to life, shaking a bit, it finally steadied out, and it projected a 3D video feed. It was, Brayden, and he was running to his death, with that awful machine gun in his hands. “Brayden…” her jaw hung open slightly as she watched her brother. “You were watching us the whole time?” “Of course, I see all.” “...and you did nothing to save him? You just let him die?” Bree’s arm slowly lowered, she was starting to shake and tears started to fill her eyes. Watching him run, watching him fight, then, she saw the muzzle flash from his gun go dark… “The true question is, Bree. Did you just let him die?” “F*ck you!” In the blink of an eye, her Fatebringer was not only back in the face of Mar, but now the barrel pressed against the face shield of his helmet. “I did everything I could! I tried to save him, but he wouldn’t listen to me. He just ran ahead like a lunatic, what else could I have done? What would you have had me do?” Mar didn’t move, totally unfazed by the deadly weapon. “I would have you do nothing, for your brother’s death was through no fault of your own. There was nothing you could have done to save him, without killing yourself. This may be hard to understand now, but listen to my words. Brayden’s death was no accident.” “What?” Bree spoke through a cracked voice, her tears slowly rolling down her cheeks. “Your light is weak and damaged, Bree, but it is there. I wish I could say the same was true for, Brayden. His purity and wholeness were devoured by darkness. Nothing or no one could have saved him from his impending doom. His downfall was inevitable and only a matter of time before his fate of destruction was fulfilled, much to your sorrow, and it is for that, that I am truly sorry.” Bree slowly sunk down to sit in the grass, the gun dropped next to her. Physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted, it was all too much. Bree sat in the grass like a statue, closing her eyes, feeling that if she closed them tight enough and shut herself out from her surroundings, that she would wake up from this wretched nightmare. But it didn’t work, only Mar’s voice followed. “His death was not in vain, don’t you see? Brayden died, so that you could live.” “I don’t care if I live or if I die. I have no one, don’t you understand? Brayden was the only person, the only thing in this piece of shit life that made it all bearable. And now? I have nothing,” Bree spoke grimly, her voice shattered to pieces. “Nothing left…” “There is more to life than breathing. You must not despair, you are stronger than you know and it is this strength that will guide you. Look within yourself, Bree, and you will see a beautiful soul that is trying desperately to escape. You mustn’t dwell on the past, for if you look back, you will be lost. Look into the future, there you will see, everything will all soon be clear.” “I can’t. Without him, I am nothing.” “Without him, you are everything.” Bree slowly closed her eyes and carefully laid back in the cool grass, resting her weary head, allowing the tranquility of her environment wrap around her like a blanket. Mar slowly walked his way around her, trying not to disturb her, Bree, needed rest if she was going to be able to continue. He stopped by his tree before turning back to her and spoke soothingly. “If you look for the light, you will find it. But if you look for the dark, that is all you will ever see.” [i]Trials of a Guardian: Miles Away...(Chapter 7: Part III)[/i]: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/115241361/0/0 [i]Trials of a Guardian: ALL Chapters (Appendix)[/i]: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/105589170/0/0