Chapter Two: The Gate The sun was high above the fields, shining light down to warm the ground. The grass had over grown the roads and now swayed in the wind, turning and falling in dance. The dew covered blades passed overs Mars boots as he shot into the field. The City, all sign of humanity, fell away behind him. The mountains grew taller and darker to greet him. The sun soaked into Mars leggings and arms. He glided through the field and began to study everything. He watched the sea move and crash against rocks in the distance. The moment Mar passed the gate he forgot about the flicker he was chasing. He turned his sparrow and headed towards the short coast. The ground had been flattened and filled with seeds. There was nothing left but weeds. Mar pushed his sparrow harder, wanting to see the edge of the sea. Seeing the world from a ship was fine, but venturing out into on ground was something else. Mar sat up as he sped forward. The wind soared past him, pushing itself across his cheeks. For once he had gotten away from the machines, the cities. He had found open ground. Mar reached the cliff and came to a stop just by it. He stared down to see the sea far below him. The river that run through the valley poured over the edge of the cliffs. It crashed down along the rocks and smashed into the water below. The waterfall was larger than anything Mar had witnessed in the Ishtar region. The wind brought the water mist back up over the cliffs, spraying Mar. He snapped his helmet in to place, and turned away from the sea. He looked out over the valley, admiring how the mountains split into three different areas. The wind pushed mar forward away from the cliff side. The grass swayed around Mar, the wind whistling. A flicker, a movement, came from the valleys leading away from the city. Mar caught it just as it disappeared to the right behind the mountains. Mar snapped back to what he was doing, he was chasing after the flicker. He stood there staring forward. He wanted to find what it was, but something didn’t feel safe about it. Mar’s Ghost rang in his helmet “Well, are we going after it?” Mar smiled and mounted his sparrow, shooting out into the fields. He grazed the grass with his hands before focusing on what was before it. As he grew closer to the mountains they stretched above him. Mar came to the crossing and stopped for a moment. Two rivers came crashing together over fallen rocks and trees. It calmed as it flowed down towards the cliff. To the left was a canyon that turned into several turns that blocked the view. Mar knew from orbital scans it led to layered pools and waterfalls. To the right the river led up into a dense forest. The trees were massive, though they looked miniscule compared to the mountains around it. Mar watched the tree line, looking for the flicker again. As if on queue the flicker moved across the hidden woods where the waterfall disappeared into darkness. The grass waved sporadically as Mars sparrow boosted forward. He turned quickly and glided over the river, up towards the woods. The water beneath him sprayed away from the sparrow. Mar pushed forward into the trees. He quickly was taken by darkness. He slowed down while his eyes adjusted, everyone began to lighten. The trees stretched above Mar, the branches and leaves blocked the sunlight. The ground was covered in dense moth and rocks. The river twisted through the forest and disappeared again and again by dense growth. Mar made his way through the maze. The forest lead on for miles. Mar didn’t see the flicker, but chased the river up. Finally light broke into the forest, the river lead into a clearing. The trees formed a line and curved into a larger patch of grass. On the other side of the grass was the mountain. It curved around and met with the trees on both sides of the clearing. Mar found no flicker in the clearing, but something else that peaked his interest further. He stepped off his sparrow and walked forward. Mist from a waterfall feeding the river covered him. He turned his head to his right to avoid the spray. He walked through the grass, leading towards the mountain wall. The grass swayed into the wind. The trees behind Mar rose into a wall, the only entrance being the river. Mar turned and looked to the sun. It was much lower than it should have been. The trees seemed odd here, almost sentient Mar looked back to the mountain wall, staring at something he could not place. He walked up to the edge of the clearing and lifted his hand. Reaching out towards a massive door cut into the mountain. It looked near identical to a Vex gate, though without spires and rods sticking out of it. Mar paused “My friend, what is this door made of?” Mar’s ghost scanned the door “I do not know. It seems to be an organic structure much like petrified wood. Though it parts of the molecular structure are not recognizable.” Mar pulled his hand back before touching it. “Can you tell me where we are? I don’t remember this on any orbital scans.” Mars ghost twitched and revolved “I can’t get a lock on our location. Readings say Venus, but there is no exact location. I think we should go back to the others.” The wind shifted as Mar reached up to the door. He pressed his palm firmly against it. The front two panels shifted backwards, then the next two. The panels began to move up along the outer circle of the door. Everything clicked into place and came to a still. The wind had died down, the falling water made no sound. Everything was quiet. Mar looked inside and began to step forward “We are going in.” Chapter One https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/120713153 Chapter Three https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/121995996