Hello, everybody, here's part 49 of Into the Hellmouth! Here's[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/211599094] part 48 i[/url]f you missed it, or, if you're looking for a different part, here's the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/209303839?showBanned=0&path=0]master post[/url]! Also, we have surpassed 50,000 words. Boom. See you soon, Guardians! In the Depths of the Hellmouth, the ghost materialized above it’s Gaurdian. It looked around to make sure that no Hive were present in the immediate vicinity. Then, it began to scan it’s Guardian - Eris Morn. Her helmet had been smashed, leaving her with several lacerations across her face. She would need extensive healing in order to regenerate the tissue - something that the ghost was incapable of providing while the darkness surrounded them. In addition, she was leaking air. Though the Hellmouth did appear have an atmosphere of sorts, it wasn’t much thicker than the moon’s usual atmosphere - which, in earth terms, was so thin that it could pass for an industrial vacuum. Even more worrying was the fact that the light had been, for the most part, drained from her body. Only the faintest embers of light remained, and even they were fading fast. As the ghost considered it’s options, it heard it’s Guardian take in a deep, shuddering breath. “Eris?” it said. There were several more breaths, and then, Eris whispered, “I’m here, ghost.” She paused. “I’m here.” “Can you walk?” it asked, even though the ghost already knew the answer. “I - I think so,” she said. Wearily, she stood up, and looked over at her ghost. “Let’s go.” They walked up the nearby stairs. “What happened to the others?” Eris asked wearily. The ghost tried to ignore it’s waning strength. “After you fell, they fled with an entire army of Hive bearing down on them,” it said. “Sai’s ghost took a hit.” Eris licked her lips. “Are they -“ “I don’t know,” the Ghost said. “My light’s fading fast, and I’d rather not waste the last of my juice trying to contact them - between the Darkness and the caverns, there’s no way a signal would get through.” Eris nodded. Soon, they reached the top of the stairs. The Guardian looked down one of the corridors. “Isn’t that where the Deathsinger is?” she asked. “Was,” the Ghost corrected. “She left, along with most of the Hive. We’re alone here now, as far as I can tell.” “As far as you can tell?” “Well, my scanners aren’t exactly operating well right now,” it confessed. “What about your radar?” Eris looked at the cracked HUD display. The radar flickered on intermittently, and she shook her head. “Nothing,” she replied. “Well, I suppose we have to chance it then,” the Ghost said. They walked into the hallway. To her relief, she couldn’t find any Hive. Then, she saw him. Toland. His corpse lay on the floor, still covered in his armor. Eris walked over to it, trembling. She bent down. “Ghost,” she said, “can you -“ “I already checked, Eris,” it said. “He’s beyond the aide of the light now.” It was silent for a moment. “I’m sorry.” Eris looked down at the corpse. “Not your fault,” she said, “It’s his.” Then, she frowned as she noticed a shape in Toland’s robes. “What do we have here?” she said. She reached into the dead man’s cloak, and from it, produced the green orb that Toland had often held. The one that gave him his connection to the Darkness. The orb slowly rose, and floated above her hand. “Maybe this will help us some,” she said. “Maybe,” her Ghost said. “But be warned - whatever that thing is, it’s not of the Light.” “I’d noticed,” Eris grimaced. All of the sudden, her radar flickered on and off, revealing a patch of red nearby. She frowned. “Ghost?” she said. “What’s -“ Her ghost disappeared in a flash of neutrino scatter as a Hive boomer sounded in the cavern. “GHOST!” she screamed. She turned just in time to see the acolyte fire his boomer again. This time, the projectile collided with her chest, sending her flying backwards. The flash of light also temporarily blinded her, leaving her dazed. Before she could recover from the blast, the acolyte charged her, and jumped on top of her chest. It then tore at her with claws and teeth, eventually ripping open her helmet, and tearing at her face. Eris screamed as she felt hunks of flesh torn away from her skull, and atmosphere leaked from her suit. She could do nothing but writhe in pain as she waited for the torture to end. And eventually, the acolyte stopped, and stepped off of her chittering wildly. Eris twitched, and coughed up blood. She felt it running down her face like tears. And in that moment, she wanted to do nothing but cry. But nothing came forth, save blood. She could see nothing. She raised her arm in a feeble attempt to wipe the blood from her eyes, but when she reached them, she found that she could not feel the familiar orbs. Only a set of empty holes. The acolyte had ripped out her eyes. She should have been horrified - disgusted. But she felt nothing. Just a growing sense of numbness that threatened to engulf her entire body. She lay her arm down beside her, with no desire to do anything but wait for death. And then, she felt something beside her - a sphere of some sorts had rolled up next to her - Toland’s orb. More out of reflex than any rational thought, she reached towards the orb, and grasped it. And when she did, she gasped. She could see. No, she could not see - this was not sight. She was seeing without seeing - as though she was sensing the world around her with some new sixth sense. Though she could not see the acolyte, she knew where it was - it’s exact distance from her, it’s size, what it was holding, and how to get to it. And, to her surprise, she could even understand it’s mangled language. “I am victorious!” it said. “I have killed a Guardian! My tribute to Vasheem shall be great indeed, and my worm shall grow! I shall claim my rightful status as Knight! Let this be my claim!” And in it’s hand, it held up two fleshy orbs. Her eyes. Grimacing, Eris stood up, clutching the orb in one hand. While the acolyte rejoiced in it’s “victory,” she walked over to it, and stood behind it. Then, it turned around, and saw her. “You live?” it said. Eris nodded. “Aye,” she said, “but you don’t.” And with that, she grabbed the creature, and flung it to the floor. She savaged it with her hands and teeth and whatever body parts she could use to destroy it, until she was covered in the black blood of the Hive. And yet still the acolyte screamed on, and yet still she did not stop. And while she did, she felt something enter her - something strange, like a tingling sensation. She blamed the acolyte for it. She blamed the acolyte for everything! Everything that had gone wrong was ALL! IT’S! FAULT! At last, the acolyte was silent, and Eris stopped, breathing heavily. She let the orb fall from her hand. And then, she too fell. She watched as the orb rolled away, and it’s glow faded. It was glowing, she thought hesitantly, how do I know that it was glowing? And then, she thought no more. Edit: [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/212034190]Part 50[/url]