Note: Words spoken in the Eliksni language are italicized Table of Contents https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/229522482/0/0 The loud ring of the rifles firing cracks through the air, and three Acolytes dissolve into ash. The fourth jumps out from behind its cover, immediately meeting the same fate as the others. Shrieks sound from the tunnels in response, announcing the approach of a host of angry Hive. A clawing mass of twisted frames erupts from the tunnel entrances, met by a blanket of bullets and Arc charges. Many of the abominations die, but some manage to reach the safety of the columns. Now bolts of Void energy dart up to our position. Most of them harmlessly pelt the ground and rocks, though several soldiers are hit and collapse. I do my best to keep my body behind the stone, peeking over it with my wire rifle and firing charges down at the pillars. The arrival of new Hive has already lessened to a trickle, with barely any still alive around the shrine, when a fearsome roar booms from the tunnel to our right. A towering Knight stomps out, bellowing and using its boomer to lob a mighty bolt of rotting starfire up into our ranks. The explosion rattles the front line, blasting apart a man and sending another tumbling down the slope. "Crota's blade!" Dawn wails, "Challenge him, and hope that you survive!" "Take that thing down!" A Captain hollers, eliciting a barrage of rounds from the soldiers. The Knight weaves around the shrine, unfazed by the ammunition hammering its armor, and sends more shots up at our position. The Eliksni Captain nearest to me hefts a scorch cannon, taking aim and unleashing a fiery projectile at the beast. The Knight raises a hand, summoning a burning black wall that absorbs the explosion. Bullets pepper the shield uselessly. The Knight lingers behind the barrier while the remaining Acolytes are picked off. The ground around the shrine is now covered with the scattered ashes and bone of dead Hive, and no more come out of the tunnels. Anxious seconds pass, then the Knight's shield dissipates into wisps of shadow and fire. The Captain barks triumphantly and shoots another rocket at the Knight, engulfing it in an inferno. But the Knight looms out of the aftermath, roaring in defiance. "Light above!" Someone gasps. The Captain lets out a furious snarl and fires again, answered with a barrage from the soldiers. This time the Knight falls, completely overwhelmed by the onslaught, and its remains splash across the ground where it had stood. Everything goes still. "Redjacks," Avery orders, "Survey." The four Frames knife out, moving off the ridge and down the slope. I keep my gun at the ready, prepared to deal with any surviving Hive. When the Frames reach the bottom and split up to search the area around the shrine, the other Redjacks move down after them. One kneels next to the body of the man who had rolled down, inspecting him, then declares, "Dead." "See you across the Veil, Hulson..." a man murmurs mournfully. The Redjacks quickly sweep the basin, ensuring that all the Hive are dead. Stella and one of her men stop over the Knight's ashes, kicking aside the leftover bits of armor. "It's dead, alright," Stella observes. "The rest dwell within the Hellmouth," Dawn informs, "Go, and find the Princes. Slay them or join the countless dead in their wake." "...That was encouraging," an Eliksni hisses sarcastically. "Casualties?" Noel asks. "Yep," a woman sighs, "Not many, but we've got injured. You'd better send a Skiff." "Already done," Avery replies, "The Redjacks will take care of them. Everyone else, eyes up." "You heard the Commander!" A Captain directs, "Get movin'! Lead the way, Vanguard." I rise from my cover, taking a moment to let the soldiers gather their injured and dead companions. The Redjacks return to the group and Stella gives me a quick salute, signaling that we can carry on. I move up to the next crest in terrain, towards the ominous structure stretching out of the Hellmouth. A Vandal of the Silent Fang waits patiently at the top, watching the building. "Drevis is inside," he slurs, pointing to the entrance, "The way is clear." I take in the open space below us, leading all the way to the base of the structure and interrupted only by barricades at the end. Nothing moves. "Double-time," Avery commands, "I'll have the Redjacks stationed here for support." Without hesitation I bound down the steep slope, carefully keeping my footing on the rocky surface. The pounding footsteps of the others rumble behind me, spraying loose rocks down ahead of us. We reach the bottom of the slope and break into a cautious run to the barricades. Spilling into the defenses unchallenged, we find the remains of the few Hive that had been guarding the gaping hole that opened into the building. The cracklings hiss of a stealth skin sounds ahead of us, and a Dreg appears. Several other figures shift behind it, remaining cloaked, and it gestures for us to continue, [i]"They do not realize we are here."[/i] "What did he say?" A man inquires, too far away to have heard. "Low profile, gentlemen," a Captain paraphrases, "Our hosts don't know they're throwing a party." We tread past the Silent Fang, slipping into the edifice as the Dreg vanishes. The ashes of more Hive are scattered across the stone floor, but that doesn't stop us from carefully checking every corner of the room before moving on. A door at the far end leads into a descending passageway, and we file down. "I know this isn't a good time," Noel comments, "But is no one going to question that horrible analogy Captain Senda made?" The Captain who had spoken before coughs offendedly. "You're right, Vanguard," someone grunts, "It isn't a good time." They stop the conversation there, and soon after we come to the end of the passageway. Columns line the way ahead of us and the space to our left looks out into the Hellmouth, showing us that we were now within the Hive's lair. "Light lead us out of this pit," a woman prays as we continue along the path. "Go to the door at the end of the room," Avery directs, "Right, Dawn?" "Yes," Dawn keens, "You will follow the path to the sword. Can you feel its power? Its dark thirst for blood?" "...She's... not serious... is she?" A man whispers. "And we'll also find the shrine you spoke of?" Avery questions, "The one sending the signal?" "The Shrine of Oryx!" Dawn laments, "Hive god and Father of Crota! They send their tithe to him!" "That's the one," Avery sighs.