[b]Episode Three[/b] Eris struggled and turned in the cold ditch, finding that her memories wouldn’t let her sleep. Awake or in the throes of her nightmares, the memories haunted her. Faces of friends long dead, burned into her vision, always. [i]“Where are we, Toland?” asked Eriana, expanding the orb of solar fire above her.[/i] [i]Toland shrugged. “Closer.” [/i] [i]Eris followed Toland deeper into the Temple, deeper and deeper, mostly because she trusted the man. He may have been mad, but he was smart. The Warlock half stumbled through the dark, running his fingers along runes etched into pillars of dilapidated stone, all the while humming to himself. How Toland understood this language was a mystery to her, though she had to remember that he was one of the most revered Cryptarchs left in the star system. At one point. [/i] Eris, [i]said her ghost in her head[/i]. There’s something wrong here. What do you mean? [i]She thought back[/i]. I am getting weaker. Something is sapping my energy…my Light. I can feel it. I detect a malevolent force building the further we go down. It is a constant drain not only on me, but on everyone here, even if they can’t feel it, yet. [i]Eris pursed her lips[/i]. Continue monitoring and keep me updated. [i]“Why haven’t we come across any hive minions?” asked Sai. “I was just about to ask the same thing,” seconded Omar. [/i] [i]Eriana nodded. “It is most strange,” she said. “We are pursuing our enemies’ dark god as he makes a retreat into his lair. I was expecting at least some resistance to keep us from getting to him.” A sharp sound, like crumpled pieces of paper unfurling, echoed high above them. Eris aimed her handcannon to the ceiling. Dark violet rays burst from a single source, drowning out Eriana’s orb of fire and bathing the massive hall in light, revealing a ledge that led into the shadows beside them. “A Shrieker,” said Toland, stated as if he had come across a stray animal. Omar brandished a sword in one hand, glancing sidelong at Eriana. “You jinx.” The Exo glared daggers. The Hive sentinel launched projectiles from its roiling core, but Eriana moved her orb of solar Light against each one, absorbing the explosions with pure energy. Guttural screams filled the hall and Eris caught movement at every corner of her vision. Her heart dropped into her stomach, realizing in that moment it had been nothing but a trap. How abominably stupid[/i] was [i]she[/i]? [i]“We must escape,” said Eris. “We must retreat and get back to the surface.” Sai snorted. “Wouldn’t that be easy.” The first wave was upon them. Eris and her team raised their firearms and fired into the advancing surge of Thralls. They fell like lambs to the slaughter. Eris and Toland tossed a series of vortex grenades into the Hive masses, causing the seething balls of Void matter to disrupt their formations and slow them down. Every other guardian threw out grenades of all kinds. Some let out bolts of fire or electricity, while others scattered into fireworks of glowing shrapnel. They were the only things keeping the Hive at bay. Omar screamed. Eris spun around just in time to see the Hunter flung off the ledge by an invisible force and a Wizard rising from the abyss. She screeched and pointed. Hallowed Knights in dirty-golden armor emerged from an entrance, twirling cleavers made from fossilized bone and metal forged in hell. “She’s laughing at us,” whispered Eriana, her head cast down, hands trembling. “Omnigul.” The Exo stomped her foot, crushing the rock beneath her that sent up a cloud of debris. “Wait, Eriana!” The Warlock charged toward the high Wizard, heedless of the Knights in front of her. With another screech the Wizard fled into the same entrance behind her minions. That wouldn’t stop Eriana. She jumped, twisted to dodge a slash of a sword, and brushed her fingers against the shoulders of two Knights as she got behind them. Both disintegrated into burning ash. The Exo parried a downward stroke of a cleaver with her bare hands and kicked another Knight in the chest, sending it flying into a wall, broken. A round of lead took down the last of them and Eriana ran into the entrance. “Damn it, follow her!” yelled Eris. Her fireteam moved, cutting down any who came too close, all the while attempting to dodge Shrieker projectiles. Acolytes hung back, occasionally shooting bolts of Void fire at them when they weren’t looking. They finally made it to the doorway when a disturbing sound rose from the other side of the giant hall. A song. It was a dragging melody of sharp notes, of highs and lows, sung by a voice with a hollow chest. Eris staggered from a sudden feeling of pure, empty despair and she almost fell to the ground. Toland dropped his firearm. “Do you hear that?” he whispered. “It’s her.” Eris and Sai ignored him, scrambling away so they could get away from the song. “Come back, Toland,” ordered Eris, between gasps of breath. Toland laughed. “I can’t! Don’t you see?! It’s the Deathsinger! I must go to her!” Thick doors of dimpled rock closed them off from the hall, and immediately the music from the Wizard left her ears. Eris wanted to follow him, but he was lost. She couldn’t go back out there. She just couldn’t. If she did, she had an unsettling feeling that death would really take her. “What the hell was that?!” asked Sai, pushing herself to her feet. Eris punched the ground. “I don’t know,” she growled, cursing. “We must find Eriana.” There was nothing left for them down in this pit of evil. They had to escape and get reinforcements. Crota...would not be killed this day. [/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/86724757]EPISODE TWO[/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]