Chapter 26
Neo Chicago
City Perimeter
Airfield
Tobias yawned audibly, stretching his arms above his head as he fought to stay awake. It had been another miserable night for him, just lying awake on his bed. He was hoping to get some sleep to make sure that he was at least a little rested for this important day, but he would have to make due. Hopefully all of the excitement would keep him awake.
Today was the big day. The first ship from the Reef would be arriving with people that were more than eager to return to their life on Earth. Looking around at the Guardians that stood around him, Tobias found it hard to believe that the campaign was really over. It had been nearly six months of endless fighting since they returned to Earth, but somehow they had made it to the end.
"Well looks who's early?" Someone exclaimed, causing Tobias to whirl around in search of the person. Behind him stood Diana, dressed in some causal clothing rather than her Warlock robes. All of them were off duty today for this occasion.
"Yeah, I figured why not." Tobias said with a shrug as she took the spot beside him.
"Do you think it's going to rain still?" Diana asked him.
Tobias glanced up at the cloudy skies above. The weather didn't match the occasion at all. This was one of the happiest days they've had in recent memories, and yet there was a heavy overcast. Rain was on the way to spoil this event.
"I can't control the weather so probably." Tobias replied before he suddenly felt a weight on his back.
"Carmen!" Diana exclaimed as Tobias fought to maintain his balance after she jumped onto his back.
"Mornin' guys." She said to them cheerfully as Tobias straightened up, sighing at Carmen's usual antics.
"You're full of energy this morning aren't you?" Tobias commented.
"When am I not full of energy?" She asked him in return through pursed lips. "Besides, my mom and sister told me that they'd be on this ship, so I'm pumped to see them again. Are you guys waiting for anyone?"
Diana looked up after hearing Carmen's statement. This ship was coming from the Reef, but there was no way that Petra would be on board just to come visit her. She was a servant of the Queen and Diana had made her decision already. She was walking on her own path now, one that didn't involve the Awoken. She wasn't floating between two worlds now. She was a Guardian.
Tobias looked up as well, but he didn't remain silent like Diana.
"No one special." Tobias replied softly, causing Carmen to put him in a head lock.
"Oh please, I know you're here for that chick you've been seeing." Carmen accused him.
"What are you talking about?" Tobias asked her in return once she released her hold on him.
"Like you don't know. It was that lady you saved when we were evacuating the City. We all know you've been visiting her Tobias, so don't act like you haven't been." Carmen pointed out for him.
"So what? Is there anything wrong with that?" Tobias inquired.
"So you do like her." Carmen concluded, sending a pang through Diana's chest, earning a gasp of surprise from her.
"We enjoy each other's company." Tobias retorted.
"Aww, that's adorable! And she has a kid too. It'll be like you have your own little family." Carmen said, causing Tobias to become silent. She wasn't the first person to say that.
His own little family…
"Wah!" Tobias exclaimed as he was suddenly awakened by a weight being dropped on his stomach. Looking around his bedroom, he discovered that it was a small boy now resting on his stomach, looking up at him gleefully.
"Wake up daddy, or we're going to be late!" He proclaimed to Tobias before jumping back down to the floor and dashing out the room. Tobias watched as he left, slipping past the woman who stood in the doorway. She laughed at the energy their son had this early in the morning before coming over to Tobias as he rose up from the bed.
"Did I miss the alarm?" Tobias asked her as she greeted him with a kiss on the forehead.
"No, Adrian woke up on his own." She replied as Tobias finally recalled that it was the day of his son's recital. No wonder he was so excited. "He wants to get there early, so don't keep him waiting."
"I'll be ready soon." Tobias replied as she left the room. Tobias took in a deep breath as he began to stretch before looking down at the nightstand beside his bed. There was picture frame standing upright which he gently picked up. A family portrait.
The three of them were dressed casually, smiling brightly for the camera. A wonderful picture. Tobias felt a smile creep up on his face as he observed them. How would he be able to live without them…?
"Hello~?" Diana said, waving her hand in front of Tobias' face. He finally responded, blinking several times before looking at her. "What happened?"
"What do you mean?" Tobias asked her.
"You went silent there for a while." Diana explained.
"I thought you went brain dead." Carmen added, causing Tobias to stick his tongue out at her.
"I just had another memory, that's all." Tobias replied.
"Oh, what was it this time?" Diana asked curiously.
"Uhh, it was nothing worth sharing." Tobias said as he shook his head.
"Aww, the rain is starting." Carmen noted having been hit by a few rain drops.
All of a sudden though, the crowd around them became hushed.
"They've entered Earth's orbit, they'll be here any minute now." Tobias' Ghost said to them as it took shape beside him.
"Oh man, they're finally here!" Carmen said happily as she threw her arms.
"That reminds me. Carmen, can you get off my back!" Tobias stated. There was a moment of silence as they all realized that she had been on Tobias' back since her arrival.
"Oh, right." Carmen said as she jumped down to stand beside them now.
Above them they heard a sonic boom, likely from the ship coming out of light speed from above. The rippling blast though created an opening through the clouds, allowing everyone to see the ship as it descended toward them. It was the same flagship that the Guardians had been on board of during their journey to the Reef.
The bulky ship eventually touched down on the airfield, and the hanger doors on the belly of the ship opened up, creating ramps that fell to the ground for the passengers to exit the ship. It was few moments before anyone actually stepped out of the ship, but the first person to come out was quickly followed by a sea of people. They all raced down the ramp, their arms raised with shouts of joy.
This was the first time in almost a year for some of them that stood on solid earth. The first time in ages that their warmth wasn't artificial. The first time in a long time that they felt like they were home.
The rain began to come down heavily, but this didn't stop the celebration as they began to embrace one another. This was their first rainfall. They were delighted to have it. And overhead, the sun began to peel through the opening in the clouds created by the flagship. It was a golden ray of sunshine, beating down on all of them as they looked up, praising the Guardians for their efforts. They were finally back home!
Tobias was seated in a small bar, a drink in front of him on the table as he looked at the small band that was playing on the stage in the back.
It had been a few days since the arrival of mankind in Neo Chicago, and things were finally beginning to slow down. It was a fresh start for everyone that came. They had the freedom to choose exactly what they wanted to do. Jobs were filled instantly, the empty homes that had been built were occupied with a snap of the fingers, life on Earth seemed to continue from where it left off. Crime was nonexistent at the moment. Peace was abundant. Everyone was happy.
But there was still one pressing matter that was still present.
"I'm sure you know why I called you here."
Tobias glanced at the man seated across from him, the Hunter Vanguard, Cayde-6.
"I'm sure it has something to do with Oryx." Tobias replied, getting nod from Cayde as he leaned forward, placing is elbows on the table.
"We're going to have to board the Dreadnaught sooner or later. As long as Oryx is in our system, he can always come back." Cayde said. "We worked damn hard to get back here, but Oryx can come through again and take all of this away."
Tobias took a deep breath as he looked around the other customers at the bar who were happily chatting with one another.
"All of this, will just be a dream for these people." Cayde stated as he motioned their surroundings. "Unless we kill Oryx."
"So you're saying that we're going after him next?" Tobias asked as he gave Cayde a narrow glance.
"We have no choice. Unless you want to give up everything you spent the last year working for." Cayde declare, getting sigh from Tobias. The Guardians had fought for months on end, lost so many comrades reclaiming Earth. They couldn't afford to give it up to Oryx again.
"Has the Vanguard been working on a plan then?"
"I've been working on something for a while now, but there are a few…obstacles."
"Obstacles, like what?"
Cayde called out his Ghost who then began to project a recording of the Dreadnaught as it came under attack at Saturn's rings.
"A sizable Cabal Legion entered our system while we were fighting the Taken here. They engaged the Dreadnaught but…" Cayde trailed off as the recording continued. Tobias saw dozens of enormous Cabal vessels surrounding the Dreadnaught, but as they're forces began to batter away at the Dreadnaught and its Tombships, the Oryx's flagship began to glow as the massive crater on its side became lit in white flames.
A shockwave began to travel out from the ship, destroying everything that surrounded it. The asteroids of Saturn's rings, the Cabal vessels, even its own allies. Everything was completely wiped out, leaving a gap in Saturn's ring.
"Are you kidding me?" Tobias muttered in disbelief.
"That blast covered several miles. If we were to try to board the Dreadnaught, I imagine our fate would be the same." Cayde explained, eyeing Tobias to see his reaction.
"Wait a second; you all are seriously planning to board the Dreadnaught even though that could happen?" Tobias whispered harshly.
"We have to Tobias." Cayde stated. "According to the Awoken this is now the third time Oryx has visited us. We can't keep running…that's just prolonging our extinction. We have to take our stand right now, and take the fight to Oryx."
Tobias had feeling Cayde would say something like this as soon as they started speaking about Oryx. Even though they had managed to remove the Taken forces from Earth, Oryx and his armies were still a presence in their system. One that they could not ignore. Tobais sighed deeply as he stared at Cayde, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"So what's the plan then? Obviously you have something if you came to me directly." Tobias said, earning a smirk from Cayde.
"I see my reputation precedes me." Cayde commented before he turned his attention to the image of the Dreadnaught. "Since awakening, Rasputin has been on the offensive all over the system, but he has yet to launch an attack on the Dreadnaught. Rasputin has spared no expense attacking the Cabal on Mars as well as the Fallen and Hive on the Moon and Earth. If you ask me that says something."
"He hasn't found a way to damage the Dreadnaught yet?"
"If the Cabal couldn't find a way, there might not be a way to destroy thing from the outside." Cayde noted as he glanced at Tobias.
"Outside…" Tobias said softly. "So then we have to find a way in."
"Yup. We have to get someone on the inside to go in and knock out the super weapon on that ship. Once we have clearance that its down, the Guardians will start boarding in bunches to clean out the ship." Cayde explained.
"And what about Oryx?" Tobias asked. Cayde only pointed at him.
"Remember that Guardian who knocked out the super weapon? He's going to be the one to draw out Oryx and kill him."
"And by him…you mean me?"
"I couldn't have said it better myself." Cayde said with a grin.
Tobias took in a deep breath. He knew that Cayde was crazy, but this plan of his was beyond anything he could expect from the Hunter Vanguard. A solo mission into the heart of the Taken stronghold to not only disarm its weapons, but kill the leader?! No one in their right mind would accept such a mission!
And yet, Tobias could see a majority of the Guardians valiantly boarding the Dreadnaught, fighting in the face of certain death to kill Oryx. They had worked so hard to just to reclaim Earth, lost so many friends and allies. He didn't want them to suffer anymore. He would take things over from here.
"I'll do it." Tobias stated sternly, meeting Cayde's gaze with his own. Cayde smiled inwardly, pleased to see that Tobias had the resolve that he was looking for.
"Excellent. When you're ready to go, there's a ship waiting for you underneath the airfield. Contact me when you're ready to go." Cayde said, getting nod from Tobias.
Airfield
It would be two days before Tobias would give Cayde a call stating that he was ready to proceed with the mission. Tobias spent a majority of that time alone, resting in his small room within the Mulligan. Diana had dropped by to check on him since the rest of the team was heading out to complete a few bounties for the Vanguard, but Tobias turned down the offer to join them.
There was too much on his mind for him to go anywhere other than the Dreadnaught. He could already tell that it would be like he was entering a new world, one ruled by the Hive and Taken. Tobias had seen a lot in the small time he had spent with Undaunted but he was certain that the Dreadnaught would be unlike anything else.
"Did you bring everything you want to take with you? Once you get to the Dreadnaught, there's no turning back." Cayde said to him as the two of them looked up at the ship Tobias was preparing to board.
"Yeah…" Tobias said slowly as he stared at the ship. There were skulls on it, and parts of it were had an eerie green glow. "Uh, whose ship is this?"
"You don't need to know." Cayde replied quickly as his Ghost opened the ramp on the bottom of the ship, giving them entry. "Just focus on getting into whatever little zone you need to be in to kill Oryx."
Tobias gulped after hearing the reminder that this was his mission. For whatever reason, the thought of killing Oryx just didn't make sense. Like it was impossible. Taking a deep breath, Tobias could tell why he was having these thoughts. It was the same reason his skin was raised at the moment. He was afraid.
Glimpses of the Collapse flashed through his head, the buildings that lay in ruins, bodies scattered about, and the survivors crying out over those that were lost. Oryx was responsible for all of that. Tobias couldn't let him harm anyone else. There were people both on Earth and in the Reef that Oryx threatened once again, but not for long.
Arriving at the cockpit, Tobias dropped down onto the only seat within this small room and spun around to look at Cayde who stood in the entryway.
"I made a few modifications to this ship, equipped it with a stealth drive to help you board the Dreadnaught unnoticed." Cayde explained to Tobias. "This ship smells like Hive too, so you should be fine."
"Smells like Hive? Whose ship is this?" Tobias asked him again but Cayde waved his question off.
"I'm not one for fancy speeches, so be careful out there." Cayde said to him. Tobias raised an eyebrow at this before Cayde gave him a two fingered salute as he left. Tobias exhaled once again as he spun back around to look at the controls of this ship.
"Well, this is it." Tobias said softly to himself.
"Are you certain that you want to do something like this?" His Ghost asked him as it took shape. "You're not only going into the Hive territory, but into the heart of their kingdom."
"Yeah, I've already come to terms with that." Tobias replied as he strapped himself in. The ship roared to life once Cayde had exited and the main chamber was sealed. Then it began to rise before darting up into the dark skies above.
"The trip to Saturn will take roughly and hour give or take." His Ghost informed him as it looked out the windshield as the clouds raced by. Studying the small floating bot for a moment, Tobias leaned back into his seat.
"Are you scared?" Tobias asked his Ghost. It didn't even turn to look at him.
"About?" His Ghost asked in return.
"Well we've lost a good number of people since we started fighting the Taken. And now the two of us are headed into their kingdom. We could die." Tobias explained, causing his small partner to sigh.
"Of course I'm scared. On every mission, whenever we're in danger I'm worried…because I don't have a way to bring you back." Ghost admitted, leaving Tobias at a loss for words. It never occurred to him that his Ghost cared for him so deeply.
The two of them lacked what tethered most Ghosts to their Guardians. The ability to reanimate their Guardian if they were lost in battle. That connection between Ghost and Guardian made them closer than anyone could understand. But even without it, Tobias and his Ghost were still growing closer.
"What, you thought I didn't worry about you?" His Ghost asked him. It was looking at him now.
"Uh, well I…" Tobias began.
"Thought so." His Ghost concluded as it spun away from him once again. "Putting that aside though, I do worry. Like I'm some kind of mother…I'm a guy Ghost though, just so you know."
"Wait, there are lady Ghosts too?"
"That's beside the point!"
"Answer my question!"
"Yes! There are female Ghosts!"
"So then, do you guys go on dates and stuff when you're not with us?" Tobias asked now as his mind began to wander.
"Great, you ruined the moment!" His Ghost hollered as it vanished, earning a laugh from Tobias. He was at ease, at least for a little while. But pretty soon he would be staring down into a great pit.
Saturn
Dreadnaught
You know that feeling in the pit of your stomach, when you've done something stupid and now it caught up to you? Tobias was feeling that in full force at the moment.
"What have I gotten myself into?" Tobias asked himself softly.
"Don't ask me, I didn't agree to this mission." His Ghost replied as the two of their ship maneuvered through the asteroids that filled Saturn's rings.
But mixed into this mess was the debris of the Cabal space crafts that had been handily defeated by the Dreadnaught. Hunks of metal plating floated by aimless, and occasionally they could see the body of a Cabal Legionary pass by as well. It was like one massive graveyard surrounding the Dreadnaught.
"Well, I think it's safe to say if I had pants, I'd definitely need to change them." His Ghost noted, getting a snort from Tobias. "Hold on, what's that?"
Along the side of the Dreadnaught, close to the site of its super weapon, a Cabal vessel could be seen protruding from the Dreadnaught.
"Wait a second, did they crash one of their ships into the Dreadnaught?" Tobias exclaimed incredulously. "I thought all of them were annihilated in the blast."
"Based the on the size of that ship, I think it's safe to assume that the flagship of this Cabal Legion. It looks like they're willing to go to any length if it gives them even the slightest chance of defeating Oryx." Ghost pointed out, sending a chill down Tobias' spine.
The scene on the Dreadnaught was quickly changing. Tobias was no longer trying to infiltrate their kingdom. Now their world had been turned into a battleground by the Cabal.
"I'm activating the stealth drive. Get ready to board the Dreadnaught Tobias." His Ghost declared as the ship began to hum loudly. Their ship flew behind a large piece of scrap metal, becoming invisible as it passed out from behind that bit of cover, beginning to advance toward the Dreadnaught. "So far so good."
Alter of Oryx
Oryx drew in a deep breath, expanding his wings for but a moment before drawing them back in. This was the first time another species had managed to board the Dreadnaught, although it was through desperate means. But he paid no mind to the Cabal. Soon enough they would be squashed out by his forces.
His real interest was in the small glint of Light that was approaching the Dreadnaught. Tobias had arrived.
Everything was going according to plan.
The Founts
Titus stood over the corpse of a Taken war beast, his hand outstretched toward it as he drew out what power remained in the body. The black aura that was radiating from the carcass was being drawn into Titus, joining the aura that surrounded him.
Soon enough though, he drained this beast completely and clicked his tongue.
'That's it? For someone regarded as the Taken Prince, I was expecting a lot more.' Titus said to himself as he turned away from the remains of his opponent. 'But I suppose this will have to do as far as preparations go.'
Suddenly the ship began to quake causing Titus to look up with curiosity. He could hear the super weapon of the Dreadnaught cycling down, likely from the efforts of the Cabal invaders that crashed into the Dreadnaught. Titus had observed the Cabal as they began to use their ship as a beachhead within the Dreadnaught, impressed that they fought so valiantly within Oryx's kingdom. But for them to successfully disable the super weapon of the Dreadnaught was no small matter. The Dreadnaught was vulnerable for the first since its creation. It wouldn't be long before Oryx would come out from the Rupture to deal with them.
'Wait!' Titus exclaimed as he whirled around, sensing a familiar presence. A strong one. "Tobias is here."
Shutting his eyes for a moment, Titus began using his sensory abilities to get a read on Tobias' location, but he quickly discovered that Tobias had come alone. There wasn't a single ray of Light near Saturn besides Tobias. Why was he alone?
"It was just as Oryx said. He would come by himself." Titus whispered to himself. That was why Oryx was ignoring the Cabal. He was opening the way for Tobias to come directly to him. And that would mean that Oryx intends to come fight him on the Dreadnaught. 'This is my chance then.'
Trenchway
Tobias peered over the jagged platform he stood on, looking down into the deep abyss that led to who knows where. Across this massive gorge was another platform leading into a tunnel that would take him further into the Dreadnaught.
His landing was surprisingly smooth. No conflicts, there wasn't even any enemies patrolling the area where they had landed. So far everything was going well.
"Any luck with a map of this place?" Tobias asked his Ghost who had been furiously scanning the Dreadnaught since they had landed on it, but all of this was futile.
"No, I can't seem to get a bearing on anything beyond our current location. We're going in blind." His Ghost replied causing Tobias to shiver. They had no clue where to go to find Oryx, and for the first time in months, Tobias was cold.
'We're so far from the Traveler now. I can barely feel its Light here.' Tobias said to himself as he looked around once more at his surroundings. He then shook his head and punched his palm.
The odds were always stacked against hem, no matter who the opponent was. This time was no different, and Tobias would do what he and Undaunted had always done before. He would press forward!
"Come on, let's get moving." Tobias said as he motioned for his Ghost to follow him as he began to move along the platform in search of anything that would help them cross pit beneath them. Near the end of the platform, a small spark of light flickered to life.
"What is that?" Ghost asked as Tobias approached the small spark of light. As he got within arm length of it, Tobias reached out to touch it, but the light darted away from him. It jumped out over the gorge, seeming to bounce onto something solid before a floating platform took shape. The light continued out, bouncing from one platform to the next, creating a pathway for Tobias and his Ghost was both stared in shock.
"Are they solid?" Tobias asked curiously as the light reached the other side of the pit where it stopped as if to wait for him.
"Yes, they are. I've never seen anything like them. They react to anything approaching them, almost like…they're alive." His Ghost commented as Tobias leapt out onto the closest of the floating platforms, beginning his journey across the pit. Soon enough Tobias had crossed as well, following the light into the tunnel that he had spotted from the other side.
Tobias was amazed by the network of tunnels that he began to venture through with not an enemy in sight. The light had vanished as he began moving through the tunnels, but it wasn't long before he ran into again. And he could tell that this was likely the end of the tunnels as well. The light was waiting for him by a small breach in the wall where Tobias finally got at his first look at what was truly inside the Dreadnaught.
The necropolis he had seen beneath the surface of the Moon, and the fortress that the Hive had built where the Last City once stood paled in comparison to the inside of the Dreadnaught. This Dreadnaught, it wasn't like the first two locations. The Hive had transformed those worlds. But the Dreadnaught felt like the world that gave birth to the Hive.
Tobias licked his lips as he looked down into the deep gorge beneath him. There were lower levels that he could drop down to, although the fall was quite a long one. And then he looked up to see that this area continued upward as well. But just on the level he stood on, there were numerous areas that were like islands hovering over the pit, spanning quite a distance. It was truly massive in here.
"Can you feel that Tobias?" His Ghost asked him, receiving a nod.
"At the middle of the room right, that spot over there." Tobias said as he pointed to a large platform that hovered at the center of the room. It was circular, as if it was some sort of arena. "The Darkness is flowing from there. That must be where Oryx is."
The light that was floating beside them seemed to respond to the name 'Oryx' before it jumped out over the pit, once again lighting up the invisible platforms for Tobias to cross as well.
"I'm beginning to think that-that thing is trying to help us." Tobias pointed out to his Ghost as chased after it.
"It may very well be. But stay on guard." His Ghost warned him.
"Right." Tobias said as he arrived at one of the islands and looked into the tunnel that the light had gone into.
Above them they could hear an explosion go off, causing both Tobias and his Ghost to look up.
"What's going on?" Tobias asked as his Ghost briefly scanned the area.
"There's a heavy Cabal and Hive presence above us. It's centered around one of the matrixes that fuel the super weapon for the Dreadnaught." His Ghost explained. "That's probably why they didn't fire on us, the Cabal must have disabled the weapon!"
"I haven't fought the Cabal before, but I guess I owe them one for this." Tobias noted as he drew his Tlaloc from his back, checking the magazine to ensure that it was locked and loaded.
"We don't need to engage them. They're locked in combat on one of the higher floors. Our objective is on this one." His Ghost pointed out before it vanished once again.
"Here we go." Tobias said as he dashed forward, pursuing the light into a large and empty chamber. There was nothing of note here, allowing Tobias to cross the room with ease to the light that was waiting for him at the exit. Coming out of this chamber, Tobias noticed that he was much closer to the arena at the center of the area now. In fact, he was about to cross onto the island that was connected directly to it. If Oryx was really there, then the fight of his life was about to take place.
Proceeding up a small pathway that was connected to the main island, Tobias traveled through a short tunnel before he found himself in yet another chamber, but this one had a pathway traveling down the center of it, leading into a grand corridor that went out into the arena. Tobias didn't waste a moment as he went into the corridor, joining the light that slowly advanced alongside him. But as he approached the entrance to the arena, the light faded away, leaving Tobias by himself.
"Are you ready Tobias?" His Ghost asked him.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Tobias replied as he tightened his grip on his weapon. He stood at the end of the corridor, looking up at what appeared to be a wall of glass. He could see straight through it, and when he attempted to touch it, his hand went right through. It was probably a door bell to tell Oryx he was here.
Upon stepping through the glass, Tobias jumped down into the arena and he immediately wrapped his arms around himself. The temperature seemed to drop even further, just in this one space. It was like this one spot was its own separate world.
"Up there Tobias." His Ghost pointed out as he looked up at the small raised area at the opposite side of the arena. There were a pair of jagged pillars that stood ominously, but then a gong rang resounded through the area before the pillars lit up. A green vortex opened up between the pillars, acting as a doorway for the Taken King to step through.
Tobias' eyes widen as he stared at the monstrous being that stood before him. Oryx threw his head back and stretched his wings, giving out a deafening roar that shook the arena they stood on.
"AT LAST, I WILL HAVE VENGEANCE!" He roared with unadulterated hatred as he raised one hand, summoning the massive cleaver he used in battle.
"Well Tobias, it looks like this is it. I hope you're ready." Ghost said to him.
"I've been waiting for this for a long time." Tobias replied before taking a deep breath. This was it.
Oryx aimed his free hand toward Tobias, unleashing a volley of energy blasts at him. Tobias became evasive in response, recalling all of the training he had done with Niko. Even though Oryx's attacks were dangerous, it was as if they were moving in slow motion to Tobias. Dodging these wouldn't be a problem. Oryx kept up his assault on Tobias for a few moments, but he quickly acknowledged that this battle wouldn't progress if things remained like this.
"Tobias, above you!" His Ghost called out. Tobias looked up to see a black and white whirlpool above him with the funnel extending toward its target, him. Tobias dove to his left just before the tip of the funnel could make contact with him, but when it touched the floor it released a shockwave that caught Tobias while he was still in midair. He was sent tumbling away on his side where he came to a stop with a groan from the unexpected hit. But this was just the beginning.
Oryx raised his free hand once again and bombarded Tobias with energy blasts the exploded on contact, surrounding him in a thick cloud of smoke. Oryx lowered his hand, slightly displeased that Tobias had been defeated so easily. But as the smoke cleared away, he saw a purple dome surrounding the Guardian within it.
"You think that's enough to beat me?!" Tobias shouted, but he was quickly silenced when Oryx jumped into the air, raising his cleaver above his head.
"Tobias, you might want to move." His Ghost said as Tobias went scrambling out of his Ward of Dawn. Oryx dropped his sword down onto Tobias' shield, shattering the Ward of Dawn with just one blow, leaving both the Guardian and his Ghost in total shock.
They had survived a blast from a particle cannon using their Ward of Dawn, and yet Oryx destroyed this shield with just one attack. This battle was going to be far tougher than they had originally planned.
Oryx straightened up, yanking his cleaver out of the fissure it had created after hitting the ground. He then turned toward Tobias, giving him a dark stare.
"Your Light, will die here." Oryx declared to him, raising his cleaver once again.
"Tobias, here he comes!" His Ghost hollered as Oryx approached once again. Oryx attacked with his cleaver once again, dropping the massive blade down onto him, but he found that Tobias stood right next to where his weapon had landed. He had barely moved a foot to avoid being hit. Lifting his cleaver once again, Oryx chopped down at Tobias a second time, but the result was the same. Tobias' speed had increased, just like the last time they fought.
The longer their battle went on for, the stronger Tobias became last time. But Oryx wouldn't allow that as second time. Leaping back onto the raised area where his portal stood, Oryx raised his hand above his head, causing multiple black spheres to form all over the arena, allowing the Taken to begin spawning here.
"Of course he'd call in back up. No one ever wants to go one on one." Ghost noted as Tobias looked around the number of enemies that surrounded him.
"This is just more fun for me." Tobias replied as he quickly gunned down a squad of Taken to his left using the Tlaloc, impressed by how well he could handle the weapon.
"Heads up, Oryx is preparing something!" His Ghost informed as it kept a close eye on Oryx. He wasn't even observing Tobias as he fought his minions. Rather he had both his hands raised above his head with a black aura swirling around it.
"I'm almost done with these guys." Tobias said as slapped a new magazine into the Tlaloc before mowing down the final group of Taken. He then directed his attention toward Oryx who was standing completely still for him. "Ghost, I need a rocket launcher."
As Tobias dropped down to one knee, the large weapon materialized on his shoulder, loaded and ready to be fired.
"Let's see what you think of this Oryx." Tobias said as he pulled the trigger not once, but twice, firing two shells at Oryx who paid him no mind. As the rockets approached their target though, Oryx's cleaver suddenly came spinning through, slicing both projectiles before they could hit Oryx. "Dang."
Both of the rockets exploded in midair, leaving two clouds of black smoke in front of Oryx who had completed his preparation. He lowered both of his hands suddenly, unleashing a distorted wave that traveled out in every direction, covering the arena entirely. Tobias had nowhere to go as it approached. All he could do was hunch over, cross his arms in front of his chest and brace himself.
As the wave passed over him, Tobias was robbed of all of the air within him, like someone had snatched it straight out of his lungs. His entire body, to the very bone became freezing cold.
"The Light of your Traveler won't reach you out here." Oryx stated as he slowly approached Tobias.
'Tobias!' His Ghost called out from within him. 'What's wrong?'
'He's…' Tobias choked on his words, struggling to breathe still. 'My Light, he's draining it!'
'Can you move?' His Ghost inquired as they stared at Oryx who quietly hovered toward them. But Tobias was silent now as he rested on his knees. 'Tobias!?'
He was becoming light headed now. There was no oxygen traveling through his body, and with every moment he grew colder. Why couldn't he breathe?!
'The Light of your Traveler won't reach you out here.'
No, that couldn't be true! The Traveler had sacrificed everything for him to carry its power. There was no way he could fail standing before the being that tried to kill the Light. Oryx stood over Tobias now, raising his cleaver once again with the intent of finishing Tobias with just one blow.
'I need…to breathe!' Tobias screamed to himself as he inhaled deeply. He could feel it deep within him. Traveling through all of his veins. The Light. Warmth spread throughout his entire body once again, empowering him despite his surroundings.
Oryx dropped down his weapon onto Tobias, but rather than feeling it hit the ground, Oryx felt his arms begin to tingle since his cleaver had hit something very hard. Beneath Oryx's weapon, Tobias had both his forearms above his head to block this attack, surprising him. Lifting his weapon and taking a few steps back from Tobias, Oryx was shocked to see his entire body become white, almost blinding him.
'Just like back on Earth.' Ghost noted as he studied Tobias and the overwhelming amount of Light that was emanating from him.
Concealed at the very edge of the arena was Titus who had been observing the battle between Tobias and Oryx. And it was just like he had predicted. Tobias would use this new form to combat Oryx, and Titus was certain that Oryx wouldn't be able to handle it. This would be his opportunity, while Oryx's attention was entirely on Tobias.
The High War
Golgoroth's Cellar
The mighty beast standing before Titus gave one pained screech before it collapsed to the floor, causing the room to shake. Golgoroth was nothing more than a pet to Oryx, a protector. And Titus could tell that it had sensed his intentions when it opposed him. He was taken aback at first, but the fearsome beast would serve as a final tune up for what lies ahead of him.
But before that, he still had something to collect from this room. Approaching the large stone pillar that stood at the center of the room, Titus looked up at the markings that had been engraved on the stone. Placing one hand on the column, the markings began to light up, being peeled off the stone before they descended down to Titus.
Watching as they began to circle around him, Titus remained calm as they gradually tightened up around him. Without a sound these markings gathered into the hand he had placed on the column, allowing him to take a step back now that the process was complete.
"This is the Essence of the Feast?" Titus noted, checking to see if anything had changed about him. But he was just fine. With a shrug, he began to move now, venturing into the next area of Oryx's Ascendant Realm.
Looking down at the gray blade he had strapped to his waist, Titus had already finished his first objective. Claiming the Blade of Famine from the Warpriest, Oryx's gatekeeper. He had caught the Warpriest off guard, killing it almost immediately to ensure that there was no conflict. And now having defeated Golgoroth, he had collected the Essence of the Feast of well. But having killed off two of Oryx's closest subordinates, his next opponents were likely aware of his presence on the High War.
The Daughters of Oryx.
But he didn't have any options if he was going to fight Tobias in the future. Unlocking the Radiant Light put a massive gap in power between the two of them. This was the only way Titus could close the gap between them.
"Your only purpose is to test Tobias."
Titus looked around in search of this voice he had heard. It wasn't the first time he had heard it, this mechanical, yet female voice. But he couldn't think of the person it belonged to.
He was certain that this voice wasn't related to Oryx. The Taken King had tasked him with destroying the Light, and Tobias. Testing Tobias couldn't have been an order from Oryx…so who?
Soon enough, Titus' journey led him into a room where had to scale the walls to make it to the next level where the entryway to the Oryx's throne room awaited him. Stepping through the large archway, Titus stepped out into the massive and open room where he could see Saturn looming over them with the sun far out in the distance. The light of that start could still reach them here, but the Light of the Traveler was nowhere to be found. There were two large platforms, one on each side of the room, and floating above them were the last of Oryx's children.
Ir Anuk, and Ir Halak. Both of their heads snapped to the side to look at him, and upon recognizing him, the white shield that protected them faded away.
"Our father created you, yet you act on your own. Why is that?" Ir Halak demanded as the two of them lowered themselves down to the ground level of the throne room. But despite coming down to the same level as Titus, they both loomed over him as giants.
"You must push him past his limits, no matter the costs."
"Yes, he created me, but I'm no longer a servant of your father." Titus stated simply.
"Killing both the Warpriest and Golgoroth…now you oppose our father?" Ir Anuk asked him, causing Titus to shake his head.
"No. Take a look at the battle between Oryx and Tobias." Titus said as he raised his hand, projecting to them the battle between their father and Tobias on the Dreadnaught. To their surprise, a single Guardian was fighting their father to a standstill…no, he was actually winning against the Taken King.
"How can this be?" Ir Anuk exclaimed.
"Just one being of the Light is enough to slay our father?" Ir Halak added.
"This one is special as I'm sure your father must have told you. But he doesn't understand the power that this Guardian possesses. Your father aims to bring him into the High War and weaken him by fighting his underlings, but I've felt this power. Even without knowing it, Tobias would have only grown stronger had he fought Oryx's peons." Titus explained to them. And he couldn't allow that. The last thing he needed was for the gap to widen between them.
"Sister, perhaps this one will be of use to us." Ir Anuk noted, impressed that Titus had discerned that Tobias' would only grow stronger.
"Of use to you?" Titus repeated as he looked at both of them, one eyebrow raised.
"We no longer seek to expand our father's realm. Rather, we want to construct our own." Ir Halak explained to him. "In order to start though, our father must be dead."
"So you want Tobias to kill him?" Titus inquired, clearly confused now.
"Not just that one. We want the Children of the Light to grow stronger. If they defeat our father, we can take that power they gain, and use that for ourselves." Ir Halak continued. "Just as our father aims, we want to capture this special one to draw out the rest of them. And when they arrive, we will provide them with the way to kill our father."
Titus felt a smirk growing on his face at how twisted this was becoming. Oryx's own children were plotting against him at this crucial time.
Their attention was drawn to the projection showing Oryx and Tobias as they clashed. Oryx gave a roar of pain before dropping down to his knees, clearly suffering from the excessive amount of damage he had received from fighting Tobias. It was evident by Oryx's expression that Tobias had grown far stronger than he had anticipated, but his solution to defeating Tobias had already been prepared. Raising one hand above his head, it became consumed in a dark aura which he then pieced his chest with.
Oryx cackled, giving Tobias one last glance as the dark aura that penetrated his chest began to eat away at his body from the inside out. Soon enough the Taken King disappeared completely, leaving Tobias by himself in the Court. But the portal that Oryx had used during his entrance opened up once again, providing Tobias with access to the High War.
"Father will be here soon." Ir Anuk noted as the two of the returned to their platforms. Oryx was returning to his throne, and Tobias was pursuing, so it wouldn't be long before either of them arrived. Walking along the pathway down the center of the room, Titus looked up at the massive gas giant otherwise known as the planet Saturn as it hung in space.
All of them had the same plan of drawing the Guardians in the High War using Tobias as bait. But the outcomes each of them for saw were different. Oryx was seeking to extinguish the Light. His Daughters were planning to build their own domain. And Titus was in the midst of creating a means to even the playing field between himself and Tobias.
Titus was certain that nothing short of pandemonium was going to take place within the High War soon enough.
Threshold
Tobias had wrapped himself in his arms, trying to create the slightest bit of warmth he could for himself. Since stepping through that portal to pursue Oryx, it had only grown colder. His hands were numb, his teeth were chattering and he couldn't shake off the shivers he had. Tobias understood that he was far from the sun, but the frigidness of the Dreadnaught was different from just being cold. It was smothering him to his very bone.
'The Light of your Traveler won't reach you out here.'
Tobias could remember when Diana had first taken him to the Traveler. He could remember the warmth that embraced him. The warmth that had all but vanished since he boarded the Dreadnaught. The Light was being choked way out here. Neither his Ghost nor the Traveler had spoken to him since entering Oryx's Ascendant Realm. His guide had been the same spark of light that had guided him through the depths to the Dreadnaught to fight Oryx the first time.
The journey up until this point had been long and silent as Tobias crossed dead space using Hive Tombships, passed through an enormous gateway, wadded through the depths of a deep cellar and scaled great heights to reach the Threshold. This had given him ample time to think about what he was going to face as he pursued Oryx. To his surprise, there wasn't a single enemy that opposed him as he traveled through Oryx's realm, leaving him to assume that this was likely going to be their final showdown.
When they had fought back on the Dreadnaught, Tobias had gained the upper hand once he summoned the full Light of the Traveler, something he still wasn't capable of triggering on his own. It seemed more like a defense mechanism in him, recognizing when the Light was truly in danger. But that was beside the point because with that power he managed to overpower Oryx quite handily. All he would have to do this time was make sure that he landed the killing blow. He wouldn't let Oryx escape again.
The entryway to the Threshold responded to Tobias approaching it. The doors split apart, almost beckoning for him to enter the heart of the High War. Taking just one step in though, Tobias felt the temperature drop even further. This single room was far colder than any other place he had ever been to. Even though his heart was racing, his sweat was cold. Tobias shook himself a bit, mustering up the strength to try and ignore the chilliness while he took a hold of his Tlaloc.
There was finally some opposition. It may not have been Oryx, but Tobias was ready to fight anyone. There were two celestial beings, each of them hovering over one of the tall platforms at the center of the room. Both of them turned to look at him as he entered the room, but Tobias' attention was drawn to the dark aura that began to take shape in between the two platforms. Trails of black smoke began to circle around a single point on the floor before a ray of darkness dropped down at the center of the room, taking on the form of a man.
Tobias watched as the darkness quickly gained its features, resembling the opponent whom he had fought beneath the Hive fortress on Earth. Titus.
"I'm ba~ck." He said, allowing his face helmet to recede into his head, showing his face to Tobias who was at a loss for words. "You thought you got me last time didn't you?"
Tobias couldn't respond. He was absolutely positive that he had killed him back on Earth. He didn't hold back even an ounce of his strength when he pierced Titus with his sword, yet the man still stood before him now. All he could do was ready his weapon, taking aim at Titus.
"No response. Well I just give you a newsflash then. I don't die easy." He declared, his helmet closing up around his face once again. He then sprung forward, dashing toward Tobias as he raised one hand, morphing it into a saber like the last time. Tobias lowered his weapon, already acknowledging that it wouldn't be of any use against Titus. Drawing his tanto from the sheath strapped to his waist, Tobias began to channel Arc Light through himself and into the weapon, but the electricity sparked and sputtered before fading away immediately.
'What?!' Tobias exclaimed before focusing on Titus who was closing the distance between them quickly. Without on any options, Tobias Blinked, landing on one of the four lower platforms around the room. This didn't deter Titus though as he ran straight to the far wall of the room and bounded off of it, launching himself at Tobias who didn't even have a chance to recover.
Tobias gave a shout of pain Titus tackled him, sending him sailing into the side of the taller platform. Crashing into the platform, Tobias grunted before he fell to the floor below, managing to reorient himself so that he landed on his feet. Titus was already attacking again though, his saber raised as he aimed to chop Tobias in two. Blocking this with his tanto, Tobias felt his entire body tingle from the impact as Titus jumped away from him. Clearly his counterpart had grown stronger since their last encounter.
"You're weaker than last time." Titus stated suddenly as he pointed his weapon at Tobias.
"Weaker?" Tobias repeated.
Titus could feel it. Tobias always exerted a force that put pressure on everything around him. He had felt it first hand on Earth. But now that force was nonexistent. Tobias' strength was waning. And Titus finally understood Oryx's intentions.
Invading Earth was merely a means to give Tobias a reason to come on board the Dreadnaught. But Oryx understood that Tobias draws his strength from the Traveler, so he moved the Dreadnaught out to Saturn, aiming to take Tobias as far from the Light as possible. Titus was merely a measuring stick for Oryx to determine how far down he would have to drag Tobias in order to even the playing field between them.
'The Light of your Traveler won't reach you out here.'
Tobias felt his stomach drop as he began to realize that this was true. He was struggling to call forth the Light. He couldn't speak to his Ghost. The Traveler had been silenced. He was too far away…
"Damn…" Tobias said softly, now realizing the position he was in.
Suddenly the room began to shake violently as Oryx rose up from the other end of the room, now ten times the size he was back on the Dreadnaught. Tobias glanced over his shoulder, his eyes becoming wide as he saw the behemoth that was behind him.
"You did well defeating me in your realm. But in my domain, the Light will perish!" Oryx declared as he raised one hand toward Tobias. A dark energy engulfed his hand before the same aura suddenly surrounded Tobias, snatching him up from the floor. Tobias twisted and turned as he was carried over to Oryx, struggling to break free from this grip, but to no avail. Floating right in front of Oryx now, Tobias stared at the now gigantic face Oryx possessed, taking sharp breaths since he knew his death was imminent.
The black energy that surrounded Tobias gathered around his wrists and ankles, becoming large shackles as he was cast aside by Oryx who turned to look at the sun that still shined brilliantly despite their distance from it. Tobias came crashing to the floor with a thud, dumbfounded that he was still alive.
"What are you doing?" Tobias asked as he tried to rise to his feet. "Why are you letting me live?"
"In order to draw the Children of the Light onto my Dreadnaught, I needed something of great significance to them." Oryx replied, not even looking at Tobias.
"No." Tobias whispered. All of it was a trap.
"I will collect their Light, just like those that stood before me in the past. And once I kill you, that will mark the end of this conflict." Oryx stated, causing Tobias to perk up.
'Conflict?' Tobias said to himself, but before he could open his mouth to speak he was snatched from the floor once again. Being spun around in midair, Tobias was turned to face the Daughters of Oryx who had their hands raised, controlling the shackles on him. The two of them raised Tobias over to the far left corner of the room, extending chains out of the shackles which latched onto the pillars that were around the perimeter of the room.
Once again Tobias fought, trying to break free from these shackles, but he couldn't find any strength. Looking at Oryx who seemed to pay him no mind, and then to his Daughters who hovered silently over their platforms. This was the first time in a long time he felt so…powerless.
He could recall when he was in the Cosmodrome Wall, and he couldn't do anything to help Anari as she was ruthlessly killed by a Fallen Captain. Tobias had sworn to himself that he would do everything in his power to make sure none of his allies were lost. And yet, once again he was powerless as his friends were walking into the trap better known as the Dreadnaught.
A/N
Wow, huge, huge…huge chapter here. So glad to finally publish this one. A LOT happened here and a lot is going to happen in the next few chapters.
No matter how much we complained about the Hive during year two, this race received the most development by Bungie throughout Destiny 1. Aside from the Vex which really fascinate me, the Hive are the most interesting race in Destiny in my opinion. Look at what they did to the Moon in game, and the Dreadnaught is outstanding! I'm curious about how the Fallen interacted with the Traveler back on their home world, but outside of that they don't really interest me. And obviously the Cabal haven't received much love so I'd try to defend them here, but since Phalanxs piss me off so much, they can just sit at the bottom of my list.
As always guys, thank you so much for reading and I'll see you at the next update.