[b]Episode Two[/b] “If something goes wrong,” said Ikora Rey, “you will hide.” Eris gave the Vanguard commander a quizzical look. “Hide?” Ikora’s cold eyes bore into her. “Hide,” she repeated. “Survive.” She steepled her fingers. “Same thing. If you fail to kill the dark god, then bringing back intel on the Hive is imperative. We know next to nothing of the creatures, and it shows in our battle tactics—in how many of us die. I’ve grown weary of our ignorance. My colleagues wish to know more. As do I.” “We will not fail,” said Eris. “Eriana-3 was successful in interrogating a high-ranking Wizard three years ago. She knows Crota’s weakness as well as his location. His forces did retreat at the Battle of Mare Imbrium because of her interrogation.” The Warlock grunted. “That is correct.” “My fireteam will not fail.” *** Eris Morn was huddled within a cramped pit of bone and rock, body numb to the cold and the jagged pebbles underneath her back. After several days she was used to it. She was used to everything. From the shrieking echoes from the belly of the Hellmouth to the skittering of wet chitinous feet that passed her by. Even to the hunger. Eris was changing and now it seemed like the Darkness fed her and made her stronger, so much so that she could feel, almost [i]see[/i], tendrils of pure black slithering into her body to be fed to her soul. It was undeniable. She was becoming someone else. Eris shivered and felt another wave of memories hit her. [i]“Vell!” The Titan ignored her and waved a hand. “I’ll go on ahead!” Eris began to voice protest, but Vell ran away, sprinting through the lunar canyon at breaking speeds and suffusing himself with glowing Light. At the bottom, in a shallow bowl on the moon, a group of Acolytes guarded the Temple of Crota, oblivious to the charging Titan. “The man has a thick skull,” said Eriana. Toland frowned. “Barbarian.” “Oh, don’t act so high and mighty,” said Omar Agah. “You don’t even fight half the time.” “I beg your par—” Vell Struck the ground, disintegrating the Acolytes in a flash of white light and sending vibrations through the air. The Titan brushed off his shoulders. He turned around, gave them a thumbs up, and a cacophony of screeching began to fill the air. Thralls burst from unseen pits in the grey rock around Vell. Hundreds of them. The man mowed down a wave with his assault rifle, then tossed stun grenades at another scrambling mass of claws and flesh. “Let’s go!” cried Eris, moving to her subordinate’s aid. But it was too late. The doors behind Vell yawned open and a spindly black arm tore into the Titan’s back, taking with it his Ghost. The man fell to his knee, shooting down several more Thralls. There was just too many. The swarm overpowered him and piled atop his body like a crushing hill of ants. Sai and Omar rushed past Eris as electricity rippled across their figures, the Light manifesting itself as Arc energy. They flourished serrated blades of the strongest metal and bolted into the enemy. Thralls flew into the air, turning to ash. Left and right, up and down. The Bladedancers, unmerciful in their power, cut down the fiends in mere seconds, leaving nothing. Only the sole body of Vell Tarlowe remained. Eris, Eriana, and Toland finally caught up, but there was nothing left to be done. Toland bent and examined the body. He shook his head. “He’s gone.” Eris cursed. “What…happened to him?” asked Sai. The Guardian looked smaller than he had just minutes ago. His armor was lopsided, his torn fabric sunk in and flat in some places. Toland released his Ghost. The tiny machine ran quick scans along Vell's body, and then went abruptly still. It sunk low, as if in mourning, then turned to them. “His Light is gone," said the Ghost. Eriana gave the Warlock a sharp look. “What do you mean his Light is gone? It can’t be gone.” “There’s nothing!” snapped Toland. “Look! He’s a dried-up husk. The Thralls ate his Light. And whatever lurks beyond those doors took his Ghost, making it look as simple as plucking a cherry from a tree!” “Enough,” said Eris, taking the Titan's mark with her. She paused and gave the Titan one last troubled glance. “We move.” The fireteam followed her into the temple, abandoning Vell and his Lightless body. [/i] *** [b][url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/83562521/0/0/1]EPISODE ONE[/url] [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/86972599]EPISODE THREE[/url] [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/88446022]EPISODE FOUR[/url] [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/89082639]EPISODE FIVE P1[/url] [url=http://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/89111875]EPISODE FIVE P2[/url][/b] [i][b]DISCLAIMER: THIS SERIES IS A WORK OF FAN FICTION, SO CREATIVE LIBERTIES HAVE BEEN TAKEN. DO NOT TAKE THIS STORY AS CANON. DUE TO A LIMITED AMOUNT OF LORE, I HAD TO SPECULATE ON WHICH CHARACTERS BELONGED TO WHICH CLASS AND SO FORTH. THERE IS HEAVY DEBATE ON WHETHER ERIS MORN IS A HUNTER OR WARLOCK, AND IN MY PERSONAL OPINION, MAKING HER A VOIDWALKER IN THIS PARTICULAR SERIES WAS A BETTER CHOICE[/b][/i] [b][url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/100362914]DESTINY FAN FICTION ARCHIVE[/url][/b] [b][url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Clan/Forum/823422]JOIN CLAN FOR FAN FICTION UPDATES[/url][/b]