The Death of Hope: Shattered Past Book 6 (Destiny 2)

2: Incidents at the Vault

Will had been flying his ship for at least ten minutes after he'd left the Tower toward the Iron Temple. His mind now fixated on David and his Mom. Though Molly may be right with the idea that he was the only reason why she was still in this world, he doubted that her life was anything close to being tolerable. He remembered what his Mom told him when he asked about her biological parents; she would say that there were days that she would just lay in bed and cry. Though having James and Cameron around made it much easier, and Kathrine just made everything disappear for a little while. Will looked down slightly at the dashboard of his ship in reflection. 

The day that James died was perhaps the worst day of Cameron's life. He swore up and down that he could hear her footsteps thundering toward the Speaker at night. Her voice echoed through the Tower's halls, and her cries resounded in the hearts of many. It could have been a thousand years later, and you could still hear it. She shouted and wailed in emotional pain at the Speaker; it got so bad to the point where Vel had to knock her out to calm her down. 

"Will?" His Ghost asked as she floated out over his shoulder. 

"Yeah, Cyprus?" He asked her calmly, keeping his focus on the center of the windshield. 

"You...still believe in the Traveler...right?" She asked him hopefully. Will looked over at her for just a second before refocusing back on the glass. 

"If this is about what Grandma Cameron said, then yes, I still do." He said starting to tilt the ship down toward the mountaintop. "But you can't blame her for losing hers, and I don't think even the Vanguard can," He said as he broke through the top layer of clouds with the mountain peak in sight. Will then transmatted down to the snow-covered surface of the outside of the Iron Temple. The teenage Titan approached the doorway and grabbed the sword hilt from his hip, activating the Solar blade. Using his boots, he brushed off some of the excess snow from a spot about a meter and a half from the door. A rectangular hole opened in the ground and Will sunk his sword into it, twisting the blade after it sunk inside. 

Afterward, two trails of fire flowed in line with the sword's blade and traveled up the walls to the shield-shaped doorway that was preventing him from entering. As the sigils on the wall began to glow, the gateway split open, with a triangular door to the inside showing itself. Will grabbed the sword by the hilt and walked inside to the sounds of voices talking. As he entered the glory of the refurbished Iron Temple was revealed. The Temple was much more extensive now, with the central chamber still being the hall of the eight who had fallen centuries ago with the Iron Wood Tree in the middle of the circular room. Around the tree stood towering five-meter tall bronze statues, each of them in the figures of a Titan, Warlock, or Hunter holding either a sword or axe to their feet. The place had a fire in the center that lit up the area slightly, revealing the statues with a slightly ominous glow on their fronts. Will looked to his right to see that the dining hall was filled with tons of more guardians in Iron Banner armor, each of them earning that right through the monthly tournament that Saladin and Charon held. 

"William," He heard a voice call from his left. The Titan turned to the left to see a dark-skinned man with a dark grey beard and hazel eyes staring at him. His armor was a brass color and had silver engravings in his plating. On his shoulders around his back was a flowing cape with fur on the top. Will walked over to him quickly. 

"Master Saladin," He replied. "What's wrong?" He asked. 

"Follow me," He said gesturing down the hallway. The younger Titan followed his mentor down the corridor until they approached a sconce on the wall. Saladin pulled down and revealed to the younger Titan a descending spiral stairwell. 

"Where does this go?" Will asked. 

"You're about to find out." He replied walking down the stairs with a Solar light torch in his right hand. William followed as the corridor seemed to get darker and colder, to the point where the only source of warmth was the inside of his armor and the torch Saladin was holding. After nearly ten minutes the two approached the bottom, leading them into a massive chamber with numerous computers and holograms around the center of the chamber. And with Williams other Grandfather staring at one of the screens in the middle with his hands stretched out laying flat on the table.