Note: Words spoken in the Eliksni language are italicized Table of Contents https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/229522482/0/0 The conflux of light pulses and I quickly withdraw my hand, the Gate Lord's eye no longer in my grasp. The spire fades away before us, leaving a prism like the one we had seen in the Cabal's Exclusion Zone. The prism slowly rises into the air above us, where it splits into many small pieces that drift and turn in some pattern unknown to us. A shaft of light suddenly strikes the centerpiece and heads whip around to see the source: a colossal pillar on the far side of the enclosure. We look back to see streams of light enlacing the forms above us, where they are directed into the center of the sealed gate. After a moment, the light vanishes and everything dematerializes. Then the gate begins to open. It's interlocking sections slide slowly, creating a circular hole that grows larger. The ground rumbles and the air darkens, casting us in a sense of grim and oppressive foreboding. A nearly overwhelming feeling of sickness washes over me, similar to what I had felt in the presence of the Sword of Crota. Every weapon is aimed through the door as it grinds to a halt, leaving us to stare into the heart of the Black Garden. A drop-off overlooks the space, where a single platform stretches to either side. Beyond the altar, the broken frame of a Vex portal sits suspended in the air. And inside the ring, casting an impossible yet tangible darkness over everything, a massive black mass convulses and throbs ominously, shrouded in what can only be described as an ethereal unlight. "What in the name of the Great Machine is that?" Someone gasps, followed by similar exclamations from their companions. "That is the Black Garden's Heart," Sinekis declares. "No one said it was literally a heart!" Someone bleats. "Are we supposed to attack that?" Another questions, "Like a heart attack?" [i]"Be silent,"[/i] a Vandal hisses, irritated by the poor wordplay. [i]"Enough!"[/i] Sinekis bellows, wresting their attention. He turns to me and asks, [i]"What now, Vanguard?"[/i] I focus on the Heart and answer, "We destroy it." "Very well," Sinekis nods, then steps forward and leads the way through the gate. We come to the edge of the drop-off and look down, noticing the strange gathering in front of the Heart. A collection of about twenty Vex are arranged in front of the Heart with their backs to us. Each one has assumed the same position: down on one knee with their heads tilted up and arms spread wide. "That looks like..." a Vandal mutters, "Worship?" "That doesn't make sense," a man disagrees. [i]"The Vex seem to think it does,"[/i] another Vandal counters. As we watch, the Vex begin moving. Their shoulders shift, moving joints into place, and they twist their torsos and heads. Every red eye brightens to glare at us. "That's not-" a woman begins. "Fire!" Sinekis barks. Vandals discharge bolts from their rifles into the Vex, destroying several before they can react. Metallic whines rise and the machines jolt into motion. Eliksni leap from the edge, rushing to meet the Vex. Two Goblins teleport, disappearing in matrixes of light and reappearing with us on the drop-off. Sinekis draws his blades in an instant and cleaves through one while the other is riddled with bullets. He turns to me and asks, [i]"Do you think you can kill a god, Vanguard?"[/i] I glance at the Heart, then at the Vex bellow being ravaged by our forces, "Yes." "Don't think we have a choice," a man frets. We all drop from the ledge, spreading across the platform. Sinekis and I stop next to one of three statues, each resembling a giant Vex. A woman raises a question, "So, how're we gonna-" She cuts off as the Heart sporadically releases an undulating stream of its foreign unlight. The strange matter moves through the air and washes over the statue to our left. The sculpture quakes, and its pedestal begins to sink into the ground as it's completely drowned in blackness. Anyone near the statue shrinks away as it begins to move, and metallic limbs stretch out of the shadowy shroud. The unlight disperses in a flash and a Vex resembling a Minotaur looms over us, standing several meters tall and coated in thick bronze armor. My fireteam forms a wall in front of me as a barrage of bullets smash into the titanic machine. It's red eye sweeps over us and blasts like cannon shots erupt from its arm, launching human and Eliksni alike. Sinekis herds my escort and I behind the cover of scaffoldings while everyone scatters, leaving the Minotaur standing between us and the Heart. Bullets embed themselves in its shell and arc bolts scorch its armor as it trades fire with the crews. A cloud takes form next to it, giving way to flashes of light as a wave of Vex joins the fray. I empty my clip into them. We continue like this for a few minutes that seem like an eternity, killing one more wave of Vex, until the Minotaur cries out and crumples, its chasis cascading over itself and crashing to the ground in a heap of metal. We're given a brief respite, but the Heart cuts it short by releasing more unlight. Now the statue on the right is brought to life, rearing up with silver armor and a ring-like protrusion sprouting from its head. More Vex spawn with it and the crossfire begins. Some knife into our ranks, and Sinekis leaves our position with swords held ready to rend them. I focus on shooting the giant's core, wearing away at the thick container. Eventually the Minotaur's core bursts in a spray of glass and fluid, and it falls the same as its predecessor. The Heart responds by awakening its third vessel.