If you missed the last chapter, you can find it [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/220241617/0/0]here[/url], or if you need to find a previous chapter, you can find them all in the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/218618986?sort=0&page=0]Table of Contents[/url]. Please give a bump or leave a comment if you enjoy this and any other chapter! ***  The lunar surface quakes as we march, row after row, soldier after soldier, all red-eyed and silent as we emerge from the Circle of Bones. Bringing up the rear is Phogoth, smashing through walls to make room for himself, his single eye a vivd, terrifying crimson. We walk in front, our tendrils burying themselves into the dust and bone to sense our way forward – through the winding, twisted tunnels and caverns we march, a contorted mass of red infection left behind. A part of us whispers deep in our mind: [i]I don’t want to leave a plague in our wake. ~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~[/i] SIVA pushes the thought down, instead sensing out to feel our way toward Taniks’ Ketch. A lift field awaits us in the Dusk Warren, guarded by Wolves. Ripples in the air tell us where the Silent Fangs are, hidden beneath their cloaking, as we sense further ahead, inside the ketch – More Wolves inside, guarding the corridors – a Wolf walker sits idly, armed and waiting for intruders. Deeper inside, in his private chamber, Taniks plays idly with an electric whip, lashing the small Awoken woman strapped to a rack – she screams, shivering, broken… [i]Ia.[/i] Fury courses through us. There’s no hesitation now, no concern for the lives of our enemies, no desire to use our powers to limit death – there’s only the red haze of rage and revenge. [i]Taniks will suffer every torment he’s inflicted upon her. We are meant to win, and he to lose. I don’t believe in destiny anymore,[/i] a small voice within us says. [i]Will drives destiny[/i], Toland’s voice answers. [i]~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~ And our will is strong.[/i] We translate our orders to the Hive through SIVA’s link as we move further through the Temple, feeling the scouts waiting around the next corner: * [i]Wolves ahead. Kill them all, but keep the bodies. * * Find and kill. See and keep,[/i] * they repeat back to us. Five of our Knights march forward, and within moments we hear the blasts and screams of the Wolves, answered by the Knight’s boomers. There’s silence for a spell, and then the air shimmers in front of us. We reach out and seize the Silent Fang by the throat. * [i]There is no escape,[/i] * we tell him in his tongue, squeezing his windpipe shut. [i]~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~[/i] SIVA no longer needs an order – she goes to work immediately, spreading from our fingers and into the Silent Fang. He shudders and writhes as the infection spreads throughout him, but within minutes he rises before us, crimson eyes glowing expectantly. [i]~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~ Forward.[/i] Our red army marches on, finally reaching a broken bridge, the mystical green light of the Hive glowing below. We kneel, touching the floor, and SIVA’s tendrils close the gap in the bridge. [i]Our powers are growing[/i], we think, a smile teasing our lips. [i]We could even remake this Temple if we wished it. ~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~[/i] Ia’s screams cut through me again, reminding me that she no longer seems to be able to contain them. [i]No time.[/i] We keep moving, following the path down to a large, open arena, a strange machine in the center doing….what? We stretch out, trying to deduce the purpose of this machine as more Hive and Wolves see us, ceasing their fight against each other to attack the new intruders. [i]Forget the machine[/i], we tell ourself. [i]We need more.[/i] SIVA makes quick work of our new adversaries as two Ogres emerge, eyes open and firing. The purple light of their energy tickles as it crashes against us, and I stretch out to feel their fear as they see we are impervious to their assault. [i]~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~[/i] We raise our arms to the Ogres, SIVA reaching out through our fingers to ensnare them, red tendrils wrapping around as we pull them closer, listening to their screams – we keep pulling, fighting their resistance, dragging them to kneel before us – They crash to the ground, moaning and twitching as SIVA works deeper into them – Moments later, they stand again, eyes glowing red, and join our crusade to stand beside Phogoth. * [i]Find and kill. See and keep.[/i] * Our orders repeat in our soldiers’ minds as we press on, walking in front as we lead the way into the Dusk Warren. More Wolves are ahead, but they fall before us like everything else. The conquering, inexorable crawl of SIVA pushes past them, overtaking them, bringing our forces to the foot of the lift field. Another Silent Fang tries to flee – we seize him and coerce him to our side. SIVA worms her tendrils into the bodies of his allies as we direct him. [i]~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~[/i] He doesn’t respond, simply gets to work gathering the bodies of his Fallen comrades – together with our Knights, they stack the bodies under the lift field. We walk to the massive pile and touch it lightly, spreading SIVA into their corpses. At our command, the Knights push them in, the bodies sucked up and ejected at the reinforcements we can feel are waiting above us. [i]~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~[/i] We count silently in our head, then after a few moments, we lead the way forward onto the ketch, the Ogres awaiting my orders. I direct them to climb and break through the rocks separating them from the ketch, and they get to work as we land inside. The Wolf reinforcements are waiting for us, crimson eyes glowing as the bodies we’d sent up first stand once more, eyes matching their fellows. Once again, though, the voice inside us speaks, echoing as though from a distance: [i]If you’re the plague, I’m the carrier. We’re in this together.[/i] SIVA pushes the voice away again – we don’t need any distractions. We greet our new forces as they fall in line with the Hive, our army growing as we move deeper into the ketch. A closed door awaits us ahead – it stands for a moment, then it falls before us, too. But there’s something else, we suddenly feel as we gaze around the ketch, something….familiar. SIVA stretches out again, and then we recognize them. [i]Guardians. What are they doing here? ~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~[/i] A twinge of guilt hits us, and for a heartbeat I can feel a brief separation between myself and SIVA again. [i]We don’t need them[/i], I tell her. [i]~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~ No Guardians. ~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~ The Tower will send more after us. ~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~[/i] Ia’s screams pierce me again, SIVA connecting me to her so that I can feel her pain… [i]~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~ … …we could use them, I suppose… ~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~ You’re right.[/i] We agree and the brief separation repairs itself, uniting us once again as the red haze descends. The hunger emerges once more, and the pity a part of me feels for the Guardians is submerged beneath SIVA’s impulses. [i]~ Consume Enhance Replicate ~ Consume everything. Enhance ourself. Replicate to grow stronger.[/i] Forward again, we lead our army into Taniks’ realm, calling SIVA back into us to leave the Dusk Warren deceptively bare of our presence. *** Just a quick reminder for everyone to check back Monday night for my new series [b]VOLITION LOGS[/b]!