Hey everyone, here's part 44 of Into the Hellmouth! Here's [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/210281820?showBanned=0&path=0]part 43[/url] if you missed it, or, if you're looking for a different chapter, here's the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/209303839?showBanned=0&path=0]master post[/url]! As usual, if you like it, give it a bump, and I'll get more out soon! Toland walked out into the open pit before him, and saw two knights standing before him. They both held swords, and had their backs turned to him. “Hello!” Toland said. “Can you help me find Ir Yût, by chance?” The knights’ only response was to turn towards him, and bellow with rage. Toland sighed. “I thought not,” he said. Then, jumped at the leftmost knight, and smashed it’s fingers with the butt of his gun. Grunting, the knight dropped its’ sword, which Toland promptly picked up. Then, he swung at the other knight, cutting it’s legs out form under it. The knight fell, squealing. Toland turned back to the other knight, and slashed at it’s chest, sending it stumbling into the ground. Toland got on top of it, and then slashed at it’s face repeatedly, until the knight’s face was no more. Then, Toland threw down the sword, and walked over to the other knight, who was still breathing in ragged gasps. He picked the three-hundred pound beast up by it’s shoulders. “You know who I seek,” he said. “Now tell me where she is!” The knight raised one weary finger, and pointed behind them. Toland turned around, and saw what looked to be some sort of a building behind them. There were several tall windows in the front, and they shimmered with a green mist, as though they were somehow insubstantial. Toland raised an eyebrow, and turned back to the knight. “Thank you,” he said. “You’ve been most helpful.” Then, he let the knight fall to the ground, and looked around. He spotted two staircases - one on his left, and one on his right. He grinned, and headed for the one on the left. Eris, Eriana, and Sai followed him. They paused at the knight, which was still breathing in ragged gasps. Raising her arm, Eris lifted her hand cannon, and fired a single round into it’s skull. The breathing stopped. Toland walked up the staircase, and walked towards a nearby doorway. Just as he passed the threshold, a wizard swerved in front of him, hands held high, ready to blast him. Toland stopped in his tracks, and tightened his grip on is scout rifle. However, he made no move to attack. The wizard looked down at him for another moment, and then, snarling, moved aside. Toland looked around the room. In one corner, he saw a shrieker, but it appeared to be inactive. Beyond that, he saw a room with a giant crystal in it’s center. And, standing in front of the crystal, was a large, gray wizard, flanked by two smaller ones. Ir Yût. Toland smiled, and began walking forward. Eris and her companions attempted to follow him, but the wizard blocked their path, and rained down arc energy upon them, forcing them to take cover. Toland entered the room, and looked up at the wizard before him. “So,” he said, “you’re the Deathsinger,” The wizard almost seemed to smile. And then, Toland heard a voice boom inside his head. It was a voice that sounded vaguely female, familiar yet strange. It beckoned to him, yet was also edged with a millennia of malice. It was the voice from the song. And who are you? it said. Toland gulped. “My name is Toland,” he said. And why have you come to me? the voice asked. “You know why,” Toland replied. “You would’ve killed me otherwise.” True, the voice replied. You seek knowledge - knowledge that only I carry. You seek to know the Deathsong. Toland nodded. “I do,” he said. “What of it?” The wizard looked at him quizzically. Do you wish to die, he who is named Toland? The question caught the old warlock off-gaurd. He uttered a mirthless chuckle. “I do not wish to die,” Toland said. “I want to live. But more than that, I want to know. I want to understand.” He raised his head high. “I do not want to die - no one does. But I am prepared to. However, I would much rather be your pupil.” Ir Yût was silent for a moment. And then, You wish to understand Death? Toland nodded. “Yes,” he said. “I would like you to teach me how to.” The wizard smiled. I am death, it said. You wish to know my secrets? You wish to understand the quiddity of Death? It raised it’s arms, and smiled. THEN HEAR AND UNDERSTAND!!!! Green fire appeared in front of the wizard, and the already dim light in the chamber began to flicker on and off. The music began to play. Toland recoiled as if struck, and gasped. He felt like a giant hand had begun to press down on him. His eyes watered with pain, and his eyes became bloodshot as the vessels within them swelled and burst. He was - He was dying. Toland gasped for breath, but no air entered his lungs. The song continued it’s melody, doing it’s best to rip his soul from his body. How can she do this? he wondered. At first, he was furious that his question had gone unanswered. He was not mad that he was dying - only mad that he would die with this gap in his knowledge unfilled. And then, as he watched Ir Yût, he understood. The Deathsinger was dying. The cells of her body burst and disintegrated to ash, and then were born anew, living in dying in the space of mere moments. She dies, and yet lives on, he thought. But how? With horror, he realized that at least part of the energy was coming from him - he saw tendrils leaking from his body, and flowing directly to the Deathsinger. Some of the energy was retained by her body - but a large stream of it went to the crystal behind them. Crota, he thought, she gives my lifeblood to Crota! At last, he was coming close to understanding this strange arcana! But so much was unexplained! He felt the life ebbing from his body, as his vision flickered. And then - “NO!” Toland’s ghost floated into the chamber, and shone a beam of light on Toland, doing it’s very best to keep him alive. The ghost succeeded for a few moments. It shook once - twice - and then exploded, it’s shattered carcass flying into the wall. Toland watched the scene passively. His ghost had bought him the time he needed - he now understood the Song in full! But, said the strange voice inside his head, was it worth dying for?
 Toland smiled, and uttered a mirthless chuckle. “Yes,” he croaked. “For this is the shape and the point of the tooth; nothing has ever lived that shall not die.” And with that, the last of his life force leaked from his body, and he fell. Ir Yût extinguished the green fire, and looked down at the fallen Guardian. The song had ended. * * * Eriana, Eris, and Sai looked in through the doorway. “Well,” Eris said, “that’s that, I suppose.” Sai nodded. “I hope he got what he came for.” Just then, a whoosh filled the chamber, as the crystal in the center of the room lit up a sickly green. There was a defining roar from behind the three Guardians, and they turned to face it. On the other end of the arena was a platform, with a pair of giant, sculpted horns in it’s center. A green figure began to take shape in between the two horns, a sword clutched in one hand. Eventually, the figure had fully materialized, revealing it to be a giant knight, it’s outline wreathed by green flames. Crota had come. Edit[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/210805693]: Part 45[/url]