Eris Morn fired the Loud Lullaby over Omar Agah's shoulder, striking the acolyte right in its third eye. Sai Mota and Vell Tarlowe were behind them, covering their rear as she and Omar pushed forward toward Crota. Eriana-3 had been separated from them early on in their venture down below, the swarm of thrall disorienting them and splitting them up until they were able to relocate each other again.
With their missing leader, Eris took over the role and proceeded with the plan. It worried her that the ever resourceful Exo is missing, but they both agreed that the mission comes first should a setback occur. They managed to brute force their way into the hallway, Sai and Vell managing to finish off the last of the wave behind them to help at the front.
Eris and Eriana-3 had gone over hours planning this mission for months now and looking around, Eris felt the small light of hope in her chest grow. They are doing far better than she expected. When they had made their initial planning, Eriana wanted to include Toland the Shattered into their fireteam. While initially curious about the exiled warlock and his knowledge of the hive, Eris remained adamant that they not include him. She didn't want to run afoul with the Vanguard when this mission was technically not approved by either Vanguard leaders. Eris for a while believed that Eriana might've called off the hunt after rejecting including the exiled warlock, but she seemed to agree a week later to stick with their original plan.
Eris and the remaining fireteam, against all odds, managed to cross through the endless darkness in the maze. They crossed the bridge where, after much time was spent confused about where to go next, Sai shot one of the orbs of light in frustration. To their shock, an ogre materialized in front of them. With horns almost as large as its head and a yellow pulsating spine covering its back, this ogre was much more violent and resilient than other ogres. It called upon hordes of thralls and acolytes to its aide, nearly overwhelming them. If it hadn't been for Vell unleashing Sunbreaker, they might've lost their light.
When they eventually defeated the ogre, they moved on where they still needed to brute force their way through hordes. The appearance of two shriekers caught them off guard but they managed to destroy them without letting the thrall get in their way.
Perhaps the most frightening experience she could've faced was the surprise fight against the deathsinger. The Vanguard called it Ir Yut, a vicious wizard that can wipe out fireteams with its song. Eris isn't sure how the death song works, but the minute she laid eyes on it she opened fire with Loud Lullaby. Omar and Sai followed her lead while Vell shouldered the burden of covering for them.
Everytime Ir Yut began to sing its song, the three hunters made sure to keep on firing, never allowing it time to gather its bearings. Just when it seemed like they would run out of ammunition, the deathsinger gave a screech and retreated away in the shadows. Not one to waste an opportunity away, Eris encouraged her team to progress more into the chamber.
Eris worried that their string of good fortune was going to run dry when to their delight and relief, Eriana-3 appeared before their sights already in combat with Crota. A chalice stood at the center of the room as they rushed forward to help Eriana.
"The chalice! Use it to expel his presence!" Eriana ordered them. At first confused, Eris had no idea what she was talking about until a grotesque chill ran down her spine. She can feel the disconnection from the light and she stumbled a little, shocked at the feeling. "It needs to be shared!"
"Vell! Carry it first!" ordered Eris. The titan rushed towards it, grabbing it and being awashed in light. Eris, Sai, and Omar helped Eriana distract Crota as Vell finished using the chalice.
"Omar!" He rushed towards it, grabbing the chalice while Vell took over and helped distract the hive prince. One by one, they each took a turn holding the chalice. Eris could feel her ghost, Brya, quickly healing her as she held the chalice. Her brief connection back to the light eased her worries and Eris handed the chalice back to Eriana to heal.
As they continued to fire against Crota, he screamed a rallying cry and brought forth more hive. One stood out amongst the group, a Swordbearer. Aiming her hand cannon at it, Eris quickly fired into it and ignored the rest of the hive. Intent to bring it down, Eris focused squarely into hitting its head. As the knight fell, it dropped its sword and Eris launched herself at it. A brief memory of hearing the vanguard talk about the hive swords passed through her mind. Something about someone's journal, but Eris didn't pay too much attention to the name.
Grabbing onto the sword, Eris glanced towards where Crota was and rushed towards him. Eriana, Omar, and Sai were still holding his attention when Eris ran up behind him and slashed him with the sword. The sword pierced through his chitin, chipping parts of it away and drawing what looked like blood. To their surprise, Crota gave a screech of pain. With new vigor, Eris continued to slash at him with the sword while everyone else continued to fire at him. Eris couldn't discern how long it took but with a mighty swing, she managed to imbed it deep into his throat.
Jumping away from him, Eris nearly fell on her back if Sai and Vell hadn't caught her and kept her upright. The low bellows of Crota's cries rumbled throughout the room. They watched as he struggled to remain upright before falling to his knees and giving a final screech. His body lurched forward and he fell face first to the ground, a death exhale escaping the body. It was quiet in the room. They all stared at the body, disbelief in their minds yet excitement in their hearts.
They did it.
They killed a hive god.
"YES!" The mighty cry from Vell echoed around the room. Sai joined in, screaming victory and grabbing Omar by the shoulders and dragging him into the celebration. Eris glanced towards Eriana, the exo still standing and staring at the body of Crota. Eris walked towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm supposed to feel happy. Maybe satisfied or relieved, but… I don't. What is there for me after all this is done? All I ever had was vengeance and a plan… now what?" Not sure what words can soothe her friend's grief, Eris walked to the body and pulled out the sword. Eriana watched her as she cleaned the blade with her own cloak before walking to her and offering it. Eriana took it and looked at her, wondering what Eris was doing.
"Before all of this, you had a hand cannon with sights but all you saw was rage. I had lost a very good friend but you had lost someone that loved you with as much ferocity as the sun. I watched as you became obsessed with vengeance and I wanted to help too. I feel… hollow now but I know that later on it will get better. It might not feel like it now, but when you look back at this moment and when you think of Wei Ning, you will feel the triumph and you will know that she has been avenged by you. You think there is nothing left for you after the fact, but there is still another day. Wei Ning would want you to keep moving forward and we are here to help."
Eriana stared at the sword in her hand and took a deep breath. She looked at Eris and simply said, "Thank you."
Taking it as a sign that she will be alright for now, Eris looked on over to where their other three teammates were. They were standing in a circle, chatting casually as though taking hive god were any other bounty mission. Eris joined them as Eriana stood back. She stared at the sword in her hands, Eris's words in her head. Walking towards the group, she had Jax store the sword away.
The group talked about how they were going to bring proof of Crota's end when an electric surge attacked them. Screams of pain and shock escaped them as they fell unconscious by the power. Right before unconsciousness claimed her, Eris heard footsteps walking towards them.
Wake up .
Pain.
Wake up .
It's all she can feel.
He'll kill you .
Eris had never experienced pain like this before.
He's killed your friends already .
"STOP!" Gasping awake, Eris moved to sit up but a swift kick to the side of her head brought her back down. The screams echoed around the room, bringing chills down her spine.
"No no no," a voice chided, "Stay there, my conduit." Conduit? Eris looked around, her eyes blurred by pain and dust as she tried to gather her surroundings.
"STOP IT! STOP IT! NOOOO!" Lifting her head, her vision clearing for just a bit, she witnessed as Ir Yut tore him apart. She couldn't contain the horror, watching as Ir Yut devoured his light. She tried to move, tried to help, when she got kicked back down again.
"I won't say it again," said the voice, his voice low yet still clear over Omar's screaming, "Stay down. Your friends refused to obey, therefore they were of no use."
Eris looked up at the voice, her eyes burning with hatred. The man grinned down at her, his manic eyes reflecting the green hue from the room. His warlock robes were in tatters, his face withered and wrinkled, and his ghost staring down at her with disinterest. In his hands, Eris could see her ghost limp in his hands.
"B… Brya?"
"Don't worry about your ghost. She's merely incapacitated. I won't harm her, she will play a very important role in the ritual." Eris looked around to see if she could find her weapons when Omar's screams just… stopped. Glancing over to where she had seen Ir Yut, the deathsinger crushed Omar's ghost in its hands. Eris watched as the ghost fell amongst others… Karsys… Yuka… Dire…
Sai… Vell… Omar… Where's… Jax? Did Eriana escape?
You're next.
Eris delicately brushed against the pouch that kept the Ahamkara bone safe by her side. Looking at the warlock, Eris shifted the placement of the pouch inside her vest, taking care that he didn't see what she was doing. His gaze was upon Ir Yut, the two staring down at each other as though they were silently communicating with each other.
After ensuring that the bone is safely in her vest, Eris attempted to crawl away. She was stopped when the warlock's foot stomped on her knee. Crying out in pain, Eris snarled at his grin as he reached down and dragged her back. He looked back at the deathsinger and gave a nod. It floated away, leaving the two Guardians together.
"Now… Let's begin."
Eris didn't know what to expect but when he suddenly reached for his knife, she clambored to get to her feet.
"No," he again chided her, "This is for the good of humanity. You best endure this."
Eris didn't know what but when he slashed the knife across her eyes, Eris couldn't stop herself from screaming at him in rage and pain. The burning that spread across her face almost knocked her unconscious, hot blood running down the sides of her face as the warlock kept her pinned and continued with his mutilation. Eris tried her best to wrench him off of her, but he had the advantage and she felt her eyes… being pulled out .
She couldn't hear her voice, couldn't feel her hands clawing at his robe, her legs making feeble kicks against him. At some point, she passed out. Whether from the pain, the blood loss, or shock she couldn't say.
Wake up.
Eris groaned as she attempted to open her eyes. Her eyes… one… two… three? She reached up, head throbbing at the movement, and felt gauze around her head. Two eyes where they normally are, she can feel it behind the gauze… but she can also feel… a third eye? Her head throbbed in pain as she reached for it, almost vomiting in the process.
"You'll be the perfect conduit." Eris heard the warlock say. He was a little out of breath as he dragged Eris across the room by her cloak.
"With you, we can end the hive infestation. You should be honored."
"W-wha-"
"Stay there." He dropped her cloak from his hands, Eris laying on the floor like a broken doll. She tried to sit up again but the mix of her pain and vertigo kept her down.
Eris coughed as her stomach convulsed, trying hard to identify where she was. The gauze around her new eyes limited her vision, unable to distinguish any unique landmarks that she can use. As she adjusted to her new pain, the warlock turned back to her and again grabbed her by her cloak. Fear spread through her as she felt herself get dragged into something. Trying to feel around, she could feel walls around her. Desperately, she tried to claw her way out, kicking at the base of whatever forsaken box she had been placed in.
"Fear not, hunter. This is for the good of humanity. You will be a… wall." A hideous chuckle escaped his lips as he fired his sidearm into Eris. Blood escaped her mouth as she choked on her screams, getting weaker as she lost more blood. Her cries echoed in the room as the warlock lifted Brya over Eris and told his ghost, "Wake her, Guren."
His ghost glowed briefly, reigniting Brya awake. The ghost looked around, confused and frightened. They had just defeated Crota… What's happening?
"Hello, my little light," crooned the warlock, leering down at Brya, "I believe your Guardian is in need of assistance." He watched bemused as the little machine could express horror in one pupil as it rushed towards Eris, the light already beginning to work in healing Eris.
"That's all I needed." He began to chant, the dark ruins around the Eris and her coffin began to glow. Brya ignored it, too focused on Eris to see a green bubble form around them. Before Eris could be completely healed, a hand cannon shot rang in the room. The bullet pierced through Erin, shocking her and Brya at the surprise attack. Brya looked around, looking for the culprit when…
"No…" Eriana-3 stood a good distance away from them, her hand cannon pointed at Eris.
"E-Eriana?" Eris heard Brya but… no… no…
How interesting.
"E-E…"
Brya quickly got to work to heal Eris again when another shot hit her shoulder.
"Hurry with the damn ritual." snapped Eriana at the warlock.
Omar… Vell… Sai… why? Eris struggled to remove the gauze from her eyes, refusing to believe that Brya had identified the warlock's ally. Refusing to believe that it is her voice. The light from the room blurred her eyes for a moment but when they readjusted… no.
"No." A whisper.
Another shot.
"No!" A cry.
Another shot.
"NO!" Rage.
Another shot. Eris, too hurt and enraged to see, and Brya, too busy keeping Eris alive, never noticed the pool of Eris's blood rising around her until she was almost submerged in it.
"I'm sorry." whispered Eriana, her eyes full of sorrow as she watched Eris's new acolyte eyes glare hatefully at her.
"We needed a conduit to support the barrier to protect the sol system. There is something worse than Crota out there," explained Eriana, keeping her gaze steady on Eris, "Toland and I had agreed that this is the best way to protect the system. By infusing darkness with your light, we have a suitable battery to keep the barrier up and fool the other forces into believing that Crota is alive and well, still sending light energy to the altars.
It must be done. Your light will continue to feed the barrier, feed the altars, and protect the system. I refuse to have any more disasters happen."
Eris wanted to scream at her for making excuses. She wanted to grab Loud Lullaby and shoot Eriana and Toland between the eyes along with their ghosts. She wanted to do anything, but as she submerged in her own blood pool, the last she ever saw was Brya's panicked motions. Just as she thought about using gunslinger once Brya merged back with her, spikes penetrated her body repeatedly. Brya cried out as she watched Eris get impaled repeatedly by her own blood. She got to work to heal Eris as quickly as she could, trying to keep her Guardian alive.
Eriana-3 forced herself to look at what she had brought about. At the cost of saving humanity, she has sacrificed her friends in order to achieve it. She refused though to think about other possibilities. This is the route she has taken and it is too late to back away now. Toland had needed to discern which of them was suitable to be the conduit. Vell, Sai, and Omar fought bravely against them but in the end she couldn't have them revealing their plans to the Vanguard.
Toland had her promise to them that they would keep Omnigul and Ir Yut alive, having made plans to use them for his own schemes. Eriana allowed Toland to believe that she would leave them alive for him, she'll wait and when the time is right she'll strike them down. She refuses to allow any more hives to settle in the system. She will cleanse it.
"Why?" Brought out of her thoughts, Eriana looked towards Brya who was still healing Eris through the now crystallized tomb. "All of this… why?"
"I have already explained to you why. There's nothing more to say."
"We will find you." Brya promised, her voice wavering as Eris cried out in anguish.
"I would advise against it," Toland said, "The barrier is in tune to your light. Leave, and the link it creates between yourself and the Traveler will disappear. You may still leave, but you'll be leaving your Guardian to die and I doubt you'll be able to find another exit before you too will perish with the darkness."
Horror began to set in as Brya realized now that they're trapped. A glance towards Eriana to perhaps plead and reconsider were wasted as Eriana turned her back on them and began to walk out of the room. Toland followed her and the last that Brya would ever see of them would be the doors closing behind them. Healing Eris from her never ending torture is all she can do until she find a way out for both of them.
This she promises.
