Hello, everybody, here's part 38 of Into the Hellmouth! Here's [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/209304903?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=1]Part 37[/url] if you missed it, or, if you're looking for a different chapter, here's a link to the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/209303839?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=1]master post[/url]. As usual, if you like it, give it a bump, and I'll get more out soon! Peace out, Guardians! Sai gripped the blade tighter. The sharp report of a sniper rifle echoed through the chamber - Omar, she presumed. One of the shots missed, but three of them struck the knight in the head. The bullets preceded to ricochet off it’s skull, one of the projectiles nearly striking Sai. She swore. “Omar, stop!” she shouted, hoping that her transmissions weren’t being blocked. “Whatever this thing is, the bullets aren’t hurting it!” She had a lot of ways she’d envisioned her death, and none of them involved friendly fire. “Should we try rockets?” Omar replied. Sai briefly considered the possibility, and then shook her head. “Those shots aren’t even putting a chink in it’s armor,” she said, “I doubt a rocket will do any better.” “So what do we do then?” Eris asked. Sai thought back to what Toland had said about Crota, and how only a sword could kill him. She looked down at the blade in her hand, and took a deep breath. “I guess I’ll have to take him by myself,” she said. And with that, she ran up to the knight, sword raised. Her lack of experience in sword fighting quickly proved apparent. The knight blocked her blows with ease, and she only barely managed to stave off his brutal onslaught. Guardian light was no match for the centuries of experience that the knight had under his belt. Then, she had an idea. “Omar?” she said. “Fire that rocket!” “On it,” Omar replied. The sound of the missile leaving the launch tube echoed through the chamber. It exploded on the knight in a brilliant plume of red and orange flame. It seemed to distract the knight, sending him off balance for a moment. Only a moment. But one moment was all that Sai needed. With all her strength, she shoved the sword into the knight’s chest. It stopped for moment, and Sai feared that it might not penetrate the armor. Then, with a resounding crack! the blade found it’s way home. The knight froze. The green skin seemed to darken a little, and the sword fell from it’s grim. Then, it fell to the ground, dead. Sai took a deep breath. Then, she took the sword, and walked up to the bridge. “The knight’s dead,” she said. She sent the sword sliding down the bridge, where it came to rest at Eriana’s feet. She leaned down to grab it, but Toland rushed in to pick it up. “Fascinating,” he said, holding the blade. “You’ve been a good student, Eris, to figure out the Hive’s spell.”
 “I learned from the best,” Eris quipped. “How did you know that stepping on all the platforms at the same time wouldn’t kill us?” Toland shrugged. “I guessed,” he said simply. And before anyone could say anything else, he ran across the bridge, blade in hand. Omar stared at him in shock. “He guessed?” he said. “He guessed? He could’ve gotten us all killed!” “Well, at least he guessed right,” Eris said. A moment later, the sword slid back down to Eriana. “Alright, my young warlock, come up,” Toland said over the comms. Eriana grabbed the sword, and began advancing to the other side. But as she did, the bridge began to shake. “What’s happening?” she asked uncertainly. Toland paled. She’s not on the plate anymore, he thought. “Run!” he shouted, “Just run!” And run she did. The bridge began to deconstruct around her, dissipating into green mist. She watched as Sai and Toland grew nearer and nearer. . . and jumped. She grabbed the edge of the cliff on Sai and Toland’s side of the ravine, the sword careening into the abyss below. She felt strong hands pulling her up, until she finally stood above the ravine. She looked out at the other side. Omar and Eris were off their platforms, looking forlornly at the other side. She turned to Toland. “Well great,” she said, “how do we get them across?” The warlock paused. “There are another three platforms on this side of the pit,” he said, “I would imagine that they serve a similar purpose to their counterparts on the other side.” “So, we do the same thing over here?” Eriana asked. Toland nodded. “You take the center plate,” he said. “Sai - take right. I’ll take left.” “But they don’t have a sword anymore!” Sai said. “How will they cross?” Toland shrugged. “Quite literally, we will cross that bridge when we come to it,” he said. Then, they headed to their respective platforms. “Step on them in three, two one,” Toland said. And then, they stepped onto the platforms. * * * “What’s going on?” Omar asked. “I don’t know,” Eris said. She squinted. “Hey,” she said, “they managed to get the bridge forming!” It was true - the bridge was beginning to advance on them. Omar sighed. “Well that’s a relief,” he said. “Now -“ The screech of thrall reverberated through the air around them. They looked around, and sure enough, the Hivespawn were advancing on them. And, in one corner, Eris spied an orange knight - much like the one that Toland had killed earlier. “Um, Omar?” she said. “We may have a problem.” * * * A gatekeeper stirred in the Hive fortress. He felt the reverberations running through his veins. So his brother had failed. Something had begun to create the bridge. He gripped his sword. He felt no grief for his lost companion - but he would make these intruders pay nonetheless. * * * “Well?” Toland asked. “What’s going on?” “Another one of those orange knights just jumped on them,” Eriana said. “But it looks like they’ve got it under -“ There was a deafening roar from behind him. Eriana turned around. “control,” she whispered. Another green knight - much like the one Sai had only barely killed just moments ago - emerged from a nearby door. The knight bellowed. “Eris!” she shouted, “Omar! Kill that knight! We need you and that sword over here now!” “Working on it!” Eris shouted. She let out another blast at the creature with her auto-rifle, and Omar jumped on its’ back. The knight roared, but Omar grabbed his knife, and plunged it into the back of it’s neck. The knight’s roaring stopped, and it fell forward. It convulsed once, and then lay still. Omar picked up the sword. “I got this,” he said, “just hold out here for a moment!” Eris nodded. “Alright,” she said. As Omar ran across the bridge, she proceeded to clear out the last of the thrall. Omar reached the other side just as Eriana dodged another blow from the giant green knight. “This is getting really old real fast!” She shouted, spraying the knight with her auto rifle. Omar cut the knight along it’s back, causing it to howl with pain. It turned to face him, and Omar stabbed the knight under the chin, sending the sword all the way through it’s skull. He pulled the sword out, and then let it’s corpse roll off the cliff. He turned towards the other end of the chasm, and nodded at Eris. He sent the sword back down the bridge to her. Eris arrived at the other side, sword in hand, a few moments later. She nodded at Omar. However, the Guardians didn’t get much of a chance to celebrate their victory. Several wizards, two ogres, and a plethora of acolytes and thrall, suddenly rushed out into the open. It took them several minutes, but they managed to subdue the mob. And when Omar put a bullet through the skull of the last acolyte, they heard a grinding sound. They turned forward, and a huge set of double doors began to open. “Well,” Toland said. “It seems as though Crota wishes to meet us.” He turned back toward his companions, a twinkle in his eye. “Let’s not disappoint him, shall we?” He started forwards. And then, ear-splitting screams emanated from the caverns before them. Edit: [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/209657792]Part 39[/url]