"However, the Hunters are not alone in their faults. Look to the Warlocks. Masters of the Arcane energies, they have long studied The Traveler under its shadow, and have pondered over many unanswered questions. Well, answer this, Ikora Rey, are you so invested in your tomes, in your race to ancient knowledge, in your obsession with power beyond you, that you would be so blind to all this death and destruction? And for what, a innate and insensate Orb. What has this *points to the Traveller* done for you? What has this lifeless wreck done that you can prove?" There she was, standing in the dense crowd of Guardians and citizens alike. I suppose she felt singled out, abandoned, alone in her defence. But I taught her more than to be afraid. And so she responded, "The Traveller is the reason we are still here. It is the reason we have accomplished so much. It is the reason you have done so much." But he rebuked almost immediately, "It is by my power and mine alone that I have accomplished everything. Where was it when waves of Thrall came rushing while I activated the Last Warmind, when I freed its own shard and when I crushed Crota? Where was it when I stood against an Archon of House of Devils, when I ruined Sepiks Prime, and when I stood against the Winter Kell? For I was the one who entered the Black Garden and destroyed its Heart, I did it ALONE." "Your Ghost was with you, in all these tribulations. A piece of the Traveller was always with you, even in the darkness of the Hellmouth, of the Ketch of Winter, and even in the Black Garden. The Traveller gave itself up so that we could endure." "Can you prove that?" -"What?" -"Can you prove it did that? Where you there when it supposedly [i]sacrificed[/i] itself? Or is that your blind loyalty talking?" -"What's wrong with you? Since when have you been so hostile..." -"SINCE MY EYES HAVE BEEN OPENED!" His shout echoed across the plaza. Ikora was frozen, we all were. He continued, "The Traveller has done NOTHING but bring suffering to us. It has used us. It slept and left you to defend its bed. Ponder over that Warlock." After he said this, Ikora left to the Vanguard Hall. While she left, he uttered, "And so retreats the wounded librarian, off to console herself in her books." I felt her doubt, her ground shaking. Strange. She's never been this fragile in terms of her belief in the Traveller. And Cayde was never so easily brought down. Maybe he...no, that's not possible. An Exo is unable to do that, and even if it was possible, why would he do it? And what would he tell them? But before I could comfort Ikora and Cayde, he spoke again. "And now the Titans. The [i]Noble[/i] Protectors of the Last City. The Wall against which the Darkness breaks. Defenders of the Light. But know this, Pride is the hallmark of a Titan. It is a veil over their eyes. A veil which allows them to escape the consequences of their actions. They do not appreciate the rest of you. They feel they are superior to all of you, merely because of their name, Titan. I believe you will find that the [i]great[/i] Commander Zavala does not take kindly to these words. Of course, no Titan would." There was a silence. One that I never encountered in the Tower, for this silence spoke a thousand words. There he was, the accuser of all Guardians and of the Traveller, mocking us all, and waiting for the response of the greatest Titan of all. But he said nothing. Just watched and listened. He didn't need to say anything. And he didn't want to. "What's wrong Zavala? Have you gone mute like the Traveller? Do you require your own Speaker? Who will stand to speak for the Titan Vanguard?" I knew one who would, and he did. Shaxx, the lord of the Crucible, stood up from his seat and walked to the Exo Guardian in the centre of the Plaza. After standing eye to eye in front of him, he spoke, "I don't know what shit has been thrown at you and frankly I don't care. This is a warning Exo, shut your voice box or I'll stomp it out." -"All I see before me is a man as thick as his armor and his words as light as the wind. Would you like to lose your other horn?" -"Is that a threat Guardian?" -"I'm not afraid to beat an old man in public." -"With what you do in the Crucible, it would just tickle. Now back off, or the cleaning units will have a lot of scrap to pick up" -"Its attitude like that distinguishes a Crucible Handler with a Titan Vanguard." Everyone heard that. There was no shadow in the Plaza that didn't hear those words. Shaxx slowly muttered "What did you say?" -"Its quite good that Saladin isn't here. He would be [b]so[/b] disappointed in you. If his disappointment can become greater than it already is. But you already know that. So does Zavala." The Vanguard still stood in his exact spot, but not with the same strength as before. Not with the same conviction. But at last Zavala spoke, "Enough, too much hostility is already in the air tonight. We don't need anymore. Shaxx, go back to the Hall." Zavala waited until Shaxx left, which was not as swift as one might think. Before he moved, he just stared into the Exo's eyes. Which blazed a fiery red. When Shaxx had left the plaza, Zavala spoke again, "and what about you? You think you're neither Hunter, Warlock nor Titan. What are you?" -"What am I?" He took a pause, as if he was trying to formulate an answer worthy of such a question. "I am a slave, forced to kill those who misbehave. There maybe Light in me, but I am not free." After this, Zavala told everyone else to return to what they were doing, and he moved back to the Hall, where Cayde, Ikora and Shaxx waited. But the Exo just stood there. Watching the Titan walk off. While I was about to return to my workroom, a Ghost quickly approached me. I could feel he was worried, and quite fearful, it was only after a few days when I realised why. "Excuse me, Speaker?" "What is it little Ghost?" I replied. "I need to tell you something important. Something you surely won't believe. Its about Beacon. Ever since he destroyed the Heart in the Black Garden he's been different. He's been fixated on... a cube. He doesn't leave the Tower anymore. He doesn't speak to anyone." -"Encountering such powerful darkness obviously affected him. Give it time, he'll return to normal." -"But Speaker it has been 6 days! And for the last 3, he's just sat on his bed, staring at his cube. I try and get his attention but he won't listen. He just keeps looking at it. This cube... I feel... stretched out, waning, when I see it. It glows red sometimes, others a constant blackness. But there's one thing that has left me shaken for 2 days. For 2 days I have been keeping myself away from Beacon. I swear on the Traveller's Light, I witnessed this, Speaker. Beacon didn't know I was there. But I was. I wish I wasn't but I was. I've told you how Beacon keeps to himself, and just stares into the cube. I heard him speak to it. There was no one else there, he didn't know I was there, and there was no one else. Just him and that cube. And he [b]spoke[/b] to it. I..." Before he could finish his sentence, he glanced to his left. I saw what he saw. There in the centre of the Plaza, Beacon stared right at him. Not at me, but at his Ghost. His eyes wide and fiery. He just stared, he looked at nothing but the Ghost. The Ghost then said in a very light and weak voice "I...need to go now Speaker. I think I will see you later." And I told him "If anything happens, come to me immediately." And so he left, zoomed off somewhere. But now, Beacon was staring at me.