Hello, everybody, here's part 55 of Into the Hellmouth! Sorry it took me a while, but I've been busy over this past couple of days! After 55 chapters, this story is finally drawing to a close. I'd say that it'll be done in another 10 parts, at most. Thank you all for your support throughout this series. In any case, here's [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/213082721]part 54 [/url]if 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]! If you like it, give it a bump, and I'll get more out soon. Stay classy, Guardians! Osiris looked out upon the lunar surface, hoping against hope that he was wrong. He only hoped that Toland’s hubris hadn’t outweighed his common sense. “Sir,” came a voice from behind him. Osiris turned around. “Hello, Ouros,” he said. The Sunbreaker nodded. “We didn’t find them,” she said. “However, we did find signs of a recent battle near the Hellmouth - someone even blew a hole in the hive fortress.” Osiris sighed. Toland had not turned back. “Very well,” he said. “We also found this, the titan said. Ouros looked behind her. “Bring it up, Roma!” Without a word, the other titan emerged from the hill, dragging an acolyte behind it. It’s left leg had been blown off beneath the knee, but it was still alive. Roma-6 dropped the creature at Osiris’s feet. Osiris looked up at Ouros. “What about it?” “We found him like this near the battlefield,” Ouros said. “My guess is that Toland and his companions are the ones who took it’s leg. I thought you might find him. . . useful.” Osiris nodded. “Thank you,” he said. Roma picked the acolyte up by it’s shoulders. It snarled at him, feebly scratching with it’s claws. Osiris knelt down, and looked the creature in the eye. “Well then,” he said. “The Guardians. What happened to them?” The acolyte refused to respond. Osiris frowned. Toland had taught him the Hive’s language. It had been a while since he’d spoken it, though. Hive had always been Toland’s domain, while Osiris kept mostly to the Vex. “I can translate for you, if you’d like,” his ghost suggested. “No,” Osiris said, “that won’t be necessary.” He switched to the Hive’s language. “There were six Guardians here earlier,” he said. “What happened.” The acolyte paused, and looked over at the warlock. “You speak the noble tongue?” it asked. “I am the one asking the questions, filth,” Osiris replied. “The Guardians. What happened to them?” The Hive hissed. “They fought hard,” it said. “They fought to his doorstep. To his world. And then, they entered it.” The acolyte cocked it’s head to one side. “My master killed them there. Thissss. . . oh, this I know. For one such as you could never survive our world.” The acolyte hissed with satisfaction. Osiris looked up at Roma, and nodded. The titan grabbed the acolyte by the head, and snapped it’s neck. The exo let the corpse fall to the ground. “Well?” Ouros said. “What did it tell you?” Osiris sighed. “That we’re wasting our time here,” he said. He shook his head. “I never thought that Toland would actually go so far as to -“ “Toland was a madman, you said it yourself,” Ouros replied. “There was no predicting his actions.” Osiris shook his head. “I suppose not.” He looked out upon the barren expanse. “Five brave lights,” he said. “All extinguished for you, Toland.” He angrily kicked the corpse at his feet. “I hope you’re happy.” And with that, the group moved off towards their ship. Eris spent the next several hours by herself, knees tucked against her chest. She didn’t speak, didn’t move, and barely even breathed. Eventually, she stood up, and began to move - more out of instinct and impulse than a desire to travel anywhere. She didn’t travel with any particular destination in mind - escaping the Hive underworld simply hadn’t crossed her mind. Her ghost was dead, her friends were dead, Toland was dead. And most disturbing of all, she could feel how the Light had left her body. She felt drained, exhausted, wavering. Mortal. Eris managed to avoid encountering any Hive patrols, more out of pure luck than skill. The only thing she could think to do was move and breathe. Move and breathe. Move and breath. Move. . . Breathe. . . Move. . . Breath. . . Move. It was several hours before she heard the screams. It wasn’t the usual mangled cries of the Hive. No, this voice was human. Even from the faintest of echoes, Eris could hear the pain it conveyed. She couldn’t help but wince, and wondered who the voice belonged too. “AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” came the voice. “AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH! STOP, MAKE IT STOP - AAAAAAAAAAHHH!” Eris blinked in recognition. I know that voice, she thought. I know it! Omar! The hunter was alive! And, by the sounds of those screams, he was in trouble. Without a second thought, Eris bounded in the direction of the voice, her new purpose giving strength to her limbs. Omar was alive! She couldn’t save Eriana, and she couldn’t save Sai, but maybe she could save Omar! She had to! She had to. Edit[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/213760884]: Part 56[/url]