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86.91% Destiny: The Legendary Hunter / Chapter 91: The Great Disaster(2)

Bab 91: The Great Disaster(2)

A/N: Reached home, so here's a chapter.

--

Four Jumpships stealthily flew past the lunar horizon, seconds later the hunters covertly transmatted below.

"Two teams, cover it front to back, usual protocol." Levi voiced out as he stepped forwards.

"Dibs on cory." Bandit interjected immediately, the two bumped fists.

Levi frowned, "Tsk. Fine, I'll take Void. We're covering the front." 

"Oi, don't scowl when you say that." Void raised his brows and chimed in.

"Suit yourself, any other wisdom you'd like to impart?" Cory replied, cracking his knuckles as he and Bandit stood to the side.

"Keep comms on the ready, and don't get caught out." Levi shook his head and shuffled towards the target area.

"Relax, they won't see it coming." Cory and Bandit sauntered away.

Moments later, their figures dissolved akin to phantoms- The two had disappeared into thin air.

Levi shot one last glance towards them and heaved a breath. 

"Let's go." He calmly strode forwards, digging his soles into the crumbling lunar soil.

"You fought hive before?" Levi asked, his gaze burrowing into the lunar landscape as he searched for signs.

"Only once, all thralls." Void answered, his eyes wandered but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Thralls, just consider them mindless corpses. It's possible we might have to face off against Knights and Wizards. " Levi's voice trailed off.

"You seem concerned." Void felt the air stiffen.

"I am. You're strong, but the Hive are different. The wizards are cunning, they'll tire you out with numbers and only show themselves at your weakest. Knights, dreadful and lethal, no matter what, they'll try and crush you with strength alone." 

"Don't let your guard down. A single mistake and you'll regret it." Levi cautioned solemnly.

"Appreciate the heads up, I'll be careful." Void steeled his mind, he had not yet encountered a hive wizard. 

An eerie sensation loomed over his head.

Void's hands rested on the scabbard to his side, his sword stirred.

--

"All clear", Void prowled the barren lunar plains, his figure hidden within the frayed wrinkles of shadow cast upon the surface. 

"Status" Levi frowned, they'd been searching for close to ten minutes, yet there was no sign of hive activity.

It was odd. Far too odd. The hive were shrewd, yes. But first and foremost, they were bloodthirsty and impatient.

He didn't believe that they had managed to slip through the hive's defences. Which could only mean, something else was controlling the hive, something more powerful than their own primal instincts.

Just what were they up against?

"Nothing here either. At this rate they might've just dug a hole and buried themselves." Cory replied.

"Weasel bastards, they're saving their strength." Bandit scoffed. 

Void contemplated, he could only recall vague details of the great disaster. The incident had left the thousands shattered, yet such a tragic war wasn't well documented. However, that didn't mean he couldn't guess what the Hive were up to.

'Tributes', a thought flashed in his mind.

Unbeknownst to the city, Crota was vying for strength, enough to oppose his father's council of elders and regain his position as prince. He needed tributes and sacrifices- The hive's sword logic functioned under simple rules, if enemies were slaughtered in their name, the Hive grew stronger.

 The mysterious reason behind the hive's silence was simple. They were far too busy.

"Let's continue the search, we're bound to find something." Void spoke up.

It wasn't a speculation, perhaps if it had been anyone else, the hives cunning would've born fruit. Unfortunately Void possessed the ability to see through their petty act.

To put it simply, his eyes were already accustomed to the dark. 

'Just a bit further.'

Void and Levi continued to wander until they came upon mounds of dust. Eerie whispers danced around their ears.

 A chilling shiver ran down their spines, they were close. 

As if knowing this, Void felt his sixth sense acting up. The flow of energy here was concentrated. 

"You felt that?" Void frowned.

"Beyond those dunes, its definitely there." Levi nodded.

The two blended among the shadows, cautiously prowling further as Levi sent the feed back to the Vanguard.

They shuffled closer to the dunes and glanced across. 

"Hive nests." Levi mumbled.

Beyond the dunes, were hollow mountains. Home to a hive brood. Cocoons of dirt were spread around, the ground was bleak and lifeless, trenches and tunnels littered the landscape.

Void's eyes shimmered, faint carvings were visible to his sight. They were everywhere. A sliver of shrewd and cunning magic lingered within them. 

'Traps'

He didn't need to understand what they meant, but their purpose was certain.

"No, not just a nest." Void whispered back. His eyes widened as his gaze stretched for miles.

Sigils, breeding grounds and tunnels. It wasn't just their home. It served a greater purpose.

Voids voice "It's a fortress." 

His words were heard by all the Vanguard present, the feed was immediately reviewed. 

A stoic voice cut through the silence, "Your hunter is right. Those runes dictate barriers. The hive are known to be territorial for their brood."

Void immediately recognized the voice, Toland the shattered. Or rather, he was not shattered yet.

"The Hive are more prepared than we thought." Ikorra judged.

"No, its not that. This, is beyond preparation. They weren't preparing for us." Toland disagreed.

"You mean?" Cayde's eyes narrowed.

Toland pressed his lips together, "The Hive have many enemies. This fortress is a remnant, from an old battle. They're using it to breed and strengthen their brood."

Contemplating a few more possibilities, Toland took over the comms. 

"We need a closer look. Be careful, it seems to me they're dormant. They're not expecting anyone." 

"Got it, we'll keep the feed on." Levi replied.

"Heads up, we're moving in, come to our side." Void sent a message to Bandit and Cory.

A few seconds passed as a voice resounded, "Alright, we're rushing closer." 

Void and Levi shared a glance, their figures turned transparent. Deftly, the two darted across the dunes, dashing towards the Hive fortress.

Their steps halted as they inched closer, Void carefully stepped towards their nests.

As Levi carefully captured the entire area on footage, the two ensured no thralls were awake. 

Void spared a glance to the cocoons, solid and sealed. The Hive were slumbering, perhaps that was the only reason they'd made it this far inside.

He couldn't feel any other presence present. Neither Wizards nor Knights. It was strange.

Levi trudged ahead, examining each intricate rune in hopes of deciphering it. He scoured the tunnels in leu of gathering intel.

That was when he stumbled upon them.

A strange set of glittering runes, carved into the inner walls of the long winding and dark tunnels. It was unlike the others. These runes, felt alive. A strange rhythm was present within their glow.

Like a beating heart, it dimmed and glimmered subtly drawing him closer.

"Void, I found something." Levi's brows furled, he shuffled closer.

"Do not go closer to the runes." Toland's voice sharply broke him out of his subtle trance.

Levi found his hand lingering near the rune and he swiftly jerked it back. Just as he had done so, Void followed behind.

His eyes lingered on the rune, Void's face darkened. 

'The three eyed sigil', He immediately spotted that accursed mark. 

"Stand back." Void gestured as Levi cautiously withdrew.

"Can you read it?" Void urged Toland. Though he knew what the mark meant, he needed Toland to be the one who said it. Otherwise, the Vanguard would not entirely believe him.

"I can, but they are not simple words." Toland hummed, a strange quiver fractured his voice. 

" The living ascendant. The mightiest of the King's spawns. The World ender. Crota. The Hive Prince."

A dreadful silence gripped the comms

--

A/N: Hope you enjoyed chapter, next chapter soon (tomorrow or in a few hours).


Bab 92: The Great Disaster (3)

A/N: Read on, throw some stones. Don't forget the reviews!

--

Toland continued, "It's the mark of an ascendant Hive. These runes lay claim to this place, in his name."

Void prodded, "What does being ascendant mean." He needed Toland to reveal all he knew to the Vanguard.

Toland was not extremely loyal, his findings were his own. However, when questioned, he had no choice but to answer.

The shrewd warlock's face stiffened, "It is a term with little history. All I know, is that they are the progenitors of the Hive. Strong, immensely so. Their magic is vile, capable of defiling any who come across it."

"So one of those is behind all this? Crota you said? If he's the prince, who's this king then?" Levi squinted at the runes.

"That's what the runes say. This King, whoever it is. HIs existence is revered by the Hive records and tablets alike, their whispers echo, in awe of his power. Yet none entirely say who or what he is. " 

Toland recited all he knew, decades of his hive research had allowed him to cultivate a better understanding of the Hive. But the Hive were far too ancient, it wasn't possible to learn everything.

"What next?" Void inquired, he and Levi could not make that decision alone. They'd found valuable information. Yet, it was evident that going any further had considerable risk.

"The Hive lay dormant. If you wish, you could take them by surprise. It'll be valuable insight into their fortress defences." Toland dryly chuckled.

"As much as I'd like to blow them to shit, I need confirmation." Levi retorted.

Ikorra's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the feed. The runes, the breeding nests, she scrutinized it all. 

For the first time in a while, Ikorra was stumped. She knew nothing of the Hive, and apart from the ramblings of a mad warlock, she had nothing to trust. 

Her eyes naturally shifted towards Zavala and Cayde. The vanguard trio shared a quick glance.

"It's best to exercise caution, survey more of the fortress, get out when possible." Zavala suggested.

"I'm with big blue on this one, all those cocoons are too much, it'd be a pain to rid of em all." Cayde nodded.

Ikorra agreed, information was more important, she turned towards the comms screen.

"Expand the search radius, gather as much information as you can." She commanded.

"Affirmative, we'll regroup and continue", Levi sighed internally.

He looked towards the pitch black long winding tunnels stretching endlessly underground. 

The tunnels formed a macabre maze, with sepulchral walls drenched in lightless ichor, a morbid and chilling breeze gathered around the entrance.

"Nervous?" Void asked, he too looked at the tunnels, but instead of fear, it aroused his interest. He could see beyond the magic that veiled the senses.

The tunnels were hiding something important. An erratic flow of energy pulsed from within. Void needed to see it for himself.

"Descending there is risky, we might not make it out." Levi replied, a cold gleam evident in his eyes.

"Yet here you stand, hypocritical don't you think. I thought you said only fools listen to the fanatical warlocks." Void chuckled.

A sanguine smile tugged at Levi's lips, "There comes a time when a man must make a choice. Don't get me wrong, I am not dying in this shithole."

'Not without a fight' The words struck his lips, but he only mumbled. 

Void unbuckled his sword, ready to draw. A lethal pressure radiated from him.

"Leave it to me, my eyes are sharper than yours." He smiled.

They locked eyes as Levi caught a glimpse of his resolve.

One had to ask, why were hunters always first and foremost in scouting? Why were they the ones fighting tooth and nail and risking their hide to gather intel?.

Couldn't the warlocks do the same with their weird rituals?

The answer was simple, instinct. Their instincts trumped all. No one knew how they had it, perhaps it was another gift from the traveller. 

but one thing was certain. Their instincts were rarely wrong. 

Right now, Levi knew, Void was able to see through the Hive and their darkness. He did not know how, neither did he care. It was a feeling surpassing the need for words.

"Try not to get us killed idiot." 

Levi relented, an invisible burden seemingly lifted off his shoulders.

The next second two figures flickered emerged, their form masked by a faint coat of light. 

Bandit's eyes immediately fell on the tunnel entrance.

"You know for once you'd think they'd have us not be rats scurrying around a dungeon."

"I thought you were into raiding dungeons?" Cory chirped.

Bandit raised a brow, an irritable frown creased his forehead, "For the loot. I am not a deranged pervert that likes to lurk in the nooks and crannies." 

"Bold words for someone who literally hides in a shadow." Cory rolled his eyes.

"Dogs, zip it. I'm taking over so follow my lead. One more thing, keep your grubby hands off anything shiny." Void face palmed and then particularly shot Bandit a glare.

"Suits me, I wasn't gonna touch those freaky symbols even if you asked." His face contorted in disgust.

"Let's go" Levi pushed Void to the front as their team paced towards the tunnel. 

An oppressive aura erupted, weighing them down. Their light dimmed. The four hunters shared a glance, one by one their figures blended within the lightless dark.

Soon, four shadows scattered, descending towards the core of the maze.

--

"See anything?" Cory pestered.

"For the last goddamn time, nothing yet." Void grinded his teeth as he whispered back.

Levi shook his head as they continued their descent. A few minutes had passed, yet nothing was to be seen.

Well aside from the crimson and jagged cavern rock, hundreds of Hive cocoons smothered in golden miasma and the occasional rune trap that Void cautioned them to avoid.

Their descent was quite...boring by his standards. Whatever Void was doing, was far too effective.

The four were still undetected, moving like wraiths in the lightless burrows of the Hive. They would occasionally stop to gather intel on the Hive forces present. 

However, that cycle was broken the moment they stumbled upon the heart of the maze. 

On a fetid and crude bed of bones, strung together through twisted craggy pillars, lay a set of runes carved intently by a rugged edge of a blade. 

"An altar." 

Void recognized it immediately, he shot a glance to Levi, the latter kept the feed running.

"The Hive seemed to be communing with something. But what would they even want to summon?" Levi mumbled.

"The Altars are not limited to communion. It could be a place of sacrifice...." Toland's voice trailed off as his eyes fell on the runes. He intently studied them in silence.

Bandit crouched near the altar, recognizing a gleaming fluid residue smeared over the bones.

His eyes narrowed as he inched closer, "Oi, this....is Radiolaria."

Bandit's word struck a chord, suddenly it all made sense. Who the Hive were preparing for. 

Across the feed, the Vanguard were speechless.

"The Hive against the Vex, never thought I'd see the day." Cayde scoffed.

"The darkness is more complex than we thought." Zavala mused.

Toland remained silent, his eyes still glued to the runes. He obsessively gawked, scrutinizing each and every letter.

Then, a thought crossed his mind.

"That altar, we need to study it closer."

His voice echoed over the comms.

"This is as close as I'm getting" Bandit retorted, Toland fell silent once more.

He wished to see what the Altar did. He craved to see the true power of the Hive gods. For if the altar runes were true. He had found what he was looking for.

The Altar of the deathsong. Alas, he had no choice.

Unless.

"What do the runes say this time?" Levi pondered as he tried to make sense of it.

Void examined them as well, yet being able to disregard Hive magic did not mean he could invoke understanding from it. To him, it was also gibberish.

"It is...a prayer." Toland replied, his voice grew hoarse.

"What it means, I do not know. But it says." His lips pressed together.

Void's heart sunk to his stomach, something was wrong. With heightened senses his eyes darted around but he could perceive nothing.

Toland spoke. Not a word or a phrase. Neither ear or eye could perceive it. 

And then, the altar glowed.

--

A/N: Throw some DAMN REVIEWS. Stones too. Thx for reading. Next chapter soon.


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