If you missed the last chapter, you can find it [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/218356089/0/0]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]. *** [i]Ashes. Darkness. I crouch in the cool hallway, blending in with the blood-spattered stone walls. Distant gunfire outside – I peek slowly around, gazing directly into the blinding glare of the sun off the reflective surface of Mercury. “Positions?” I whisper over my comm. “Posted up, sniper out,” Avi responds. “Scouting from the tower outside,” Salas reports. “I see ‘em creeping, one, two….wait, where’s the third?” “You got him, Djido?”[/i] “Djido!” another voice yells. “His armor!” Solis’ anguished roars echoes through the arena as – [i]I duck around another corner, reaching up to check in with my team – as I start to speak, I groan unconsciously as I feel a blade slip between my ribs and puncture my heart – the missing third opponent leans close to me, whispering –[/i] “DJIDO!!” Water. Darkness. The worried shout pulls me out of that world and into my own, the images fading as quickly as they’d come. The stink of Hive hits me and I retch – I hear my companions sigh as they see signs of life from me. “You raging asshole, I can’t believe you just put us through that!!” Ia’s standard pleasantries draw me back to reality, grunting with pain as I force my eyes open. “You….jumped….” I manage. She rolls her eyes, but smiles gratefully. Kenedi’s checking me over, his metal face masking his diagnosis. Solis whimpers nearby, drawing nearer to me. Nas is on his feet, weapon at the ready, watching our perimeter tensely. “It’s….okay…..just….my bones….” Ghost hovers overhead, scanning me – Kenedi swats him away and he shivers, agitated. “It’s a bit more than your bones, I’m afraid,” Kenedi replies, as Ghost hovers over again, scanning. I can start to feel myself healing as his light passes over me. “How….did you….you guys…..manage?” I press on. “Nas and Kenedi,” Ia replies simply. “And the beast is too tough for something as trivial as terminal velocity.” Solis smirks, and Kenedi presses on. “Djido, you need to listen. When you fell, you were holding the artifact. We tried to catch you and Ia to help break the fall, but you hit your boosters right as we had you. You collided with one of the walls and the artifact broke before you landed.” [i]I’m going to die[/i], I immediately think, unable to help myself. “What….does that…..mean?” “It appears to be some sort of nanoswarm,” Ghost responds, finishing his scan. My breathing’s still shallow and I feel bruised all over, but nothing feels broken anymore. “And I….I don’t know what it’s doing to you.” I look at Solis, her ears drooping sadly. “[i]Is taking over. Like sickness. Talons’ way to hurt both Awoken and Wolves.[/i]” I look at my armor, and see the twisting red tendrils, spreading across my arms, my hands – I can feel my face beneath my helmet, feel the raised skin beneath which the SIVA infection pulsates rhythmically, spreading still – A moment of silence as the weight of the situation descends upon us. The moment’s broken as soon as we realize the silence is filled with the Deathsinger’s eerie warbling. I struggle to rise. “You strong enough to move?” Ia asks, genuine but still barely masking her impatience. “Think….so,” I get out, before collapsing again. Solis picks me up gingerly, and Ia snickers at seeing me carried. I turn to Solis. “Am I….contagious?” “[i]Not matter now,[/i]” she replies, joining the others as we start forward down the dark passageway, heading reluctantly toward to the tomb of Crota. As we venture deeper inside, the Deathsinger’s song grows. We pick our way cautiously through the dark labyrinth, thoughts of the last time I was here forcing their way into my mind. I was a Guardian, standing with my brothers and sisters as we prepared our assault on the Oversoul Throne. It took us several attempts to destroy the beast, having been killed and resurrected by our Ghosts with each failure. I’ve often wondered if Crota himself was resurrected for other Guardians like we were for him – I’d heard boasts in the Tower that others had defeated him as well, and I never understood how thousands of us had destroyed him, yet thousands more were preparing to take him on still. “It’s getting colder,” Ia notices, shivering slightly and pulling her cloak tighter. She stops short suddenly, close to a hidden hole in the ground, carefully walking around it and motioning to the rest of us to keep a lookout for others. “It’s always cold here,” I respond, my strength starting to return some. “You’re the only one who’s been here before, mate,” Nas notes, looking back to me as our company ventures through the maze. “How much longer until we’re through?” “Shouldn’t be much further, there should be an intersection before we reach the Bridge that will lead us back into the upper halls” I answer. “Where is everyone?” Ghost looks around nervously. “This place is like a tomb.” “It is a tomb,” I respond. “Crota’s dead, his servants must’ve moved elsewhere after his fall.” Solis growls nervously as we move deeper, sniffing the air. “What do you smell?” I ask her. “[i]Hive everywhere[/i],” she responds. “[i]Hidden. Can’t see, but can smell.[/i]” Ia’s hand reflexively tenses on her weapon. The Deathsinger’s Dirge is making her nervous. “This place is disgusting, how much longer, Djido?” “It should be just up ahead,” I answer, looking ahead hopefully – But I only see a blocked passage as we finally turn the corner. “Where is it?” Nas asks. “It’s….this should be it,” I respond, unsure. “It should be right here.” “It’s already changed,” Ghost observes, scanning around. “Do you mind if I take the lead?” I nod wearily – it was too much to hope, I suppose, that the Temple of Crota would be easy passage, even with its master gone. The Deathsinger’s Dirge grows louder as Ghost soars ahead, light on, scouting in front of us. A pulse of agony rips through me suddenly, and I hiss with pain – I can feel the SIVA spreading, burning like acid in my veins. Solis whimpers, setting me down on the ground. Our company halts as I curl up in torment, groaning. “[i]Djido must stop[/i],” Solis tells the others, and they halt, Ia looking nervous. “We need to get out of here, can you soldier through it?” “I….I think so….,” I manage, breathing heavily as I struggle to rise. Solis picks me up again, purring as she strokes my hair consolingly. “[i]I am sorry[/i],” Solis tells me, sorrow on her face. “It’s not….your fault,” I respond, smiling weakly back at her. “Up ahead! There’s a a clearing!” Ghost calls, and we follow him forward. We come to the clearing, and see the intricately-carved bridge plate I recognize immediately. “This is the way…. to the Oversoul Throne,” I say as I look around, heart falling. “We’re heading deeper into the Temple.” “It’s the only way forward left to us,” Ghost responds. “What do we do, Djido?” Ia asks. “Are there any other ways out?” “I….I don’t know anymore,” I answer, grimacing again in pain. Ia notices, walks back to me. Astonished, I watch as she gently place her hand on my armor, carefully avoiding the SIVA. I'm thrown off by the sudden show of tenderness. “I know you’re hurting, but you’re the only one who’s been here. We’re lost without you.” I’m taken aback as I see the hints of fear in her eyes – for all her toughness, I’d almost forgotten she’s not as accustomed to staring into the Darkness as I am, that she was never a Guardian herself. Despite the pain of the SIVA, I feel a swell of warmth for her suddenly. Ghost flies back, waiting for my orders. “Show them how…to activate the plate,” I tell him. “Our only….choice is….forward.” Ghost nods solemnly and directs my companions to stand on the plate, activating the Bridge. We cautiously cross, Ia, Nas and Kenedi gazing around tensely, weapons at the ready – ahead, the blinding light beckons, and I struggle to quash the echoes of my fireteam’s screams as they fell, the cries of our repeated attempts blending together with the Deathsinger’s Dirge to raise the hairs on my body with fear. Such repeated attempts won’t work this time, no salvation from a Ghost to save my team should they fall, and I struggle to push aside the fear that I’m not enough to keep them safe. “We have to….go into the light,” I tell my team quietly, the weight of the past darkness pressing down on me, crushing me beneath the memories. Fresh agony from the SIVA infection adds itself to my suffering, and I grimace again as the nanoswarm pumps through my veins. We walk into the light, and for a moment all the pain is gone – I close my eyes, the light still punching through, and I wish I could stay here forever, living in the light rather than fighting for it. But the darkness isn’t done with me yet. We pass through, and the weight of the gloom settles on me again as the Deathsinger’s Dirge grows to a fever pitch. I open my eyes again and look at the wicked cathedral we’ve entered, a place all too familiar to me. But there’s something different this time – I gaze with horror at the procession of Hive ahead of us, led by two Deathsingers wailing for their fallen Prince, heading toward his Throne. Knights, Acolytes and Thralls follow reverently behind them, temporarily blind to us. We all freeze as we see them, barely daring to breathe – The SIVA hits me again as I groan audibly, unable to control myself as its fire courses through me. I squeeze my eyes tight with pain, and when the wave finally passes, I open them again to see the Hive procession staring at us. I meet the faceless gaze of the Deathsingers, and feel the abyss looking almost curiously back at me. I can see in the nothing only a question as the Darkness reflexively reaches out to claim us all.