Note: Words spoken in the Eliksni language are italicized Table of Contents https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/229522482/0/0 The Sword of Crota sits in the air in front of us, held up inexplicably by Hive magic. It seems like any other Cleaver, though the blade's edge is so dulled by centuries of use that it seems more suited to bludgeoning than cutting. I feel vile and dark energy seeping from it, putting me on edge and making me want to shy away. Dawn's voice bounces through the comms like an echo, "The blade that has seen to the destruction of worlds, filled oceans with blood, cut-" "That's enough of that, Dawn," Noel chides. Dawn sneers, but drops the matter. "Well, let's destroy the blasted thing and get this over with," one of the four Captains spurs, raising her rifle to take aim. One of the Silent Fang Captains rests a hand on the barrel, pushing the gun back down. "The sword cannot be destroyed," Dawn explains, "It is bound to the Swarm Princes. As long as Crota's blades exist, so will his sword. You must challenge them all. Slaughter them. Only then will Crota's weapon cease." "Fantastic..." a Captain exhales sarcastically. [i]"I must find the Shrine,"[/i] Drevis notifies, pointing to the massive door at the far end where we had entered, [i]"I leave my Servitors and wounded to you."[/i] Not waiting for a reply, she begins barking orders to her subordinates. They start to file through the room towards the gate, many of them activating stealth skins. "Captain Senda," one of the Eliksni Captains conducts, "Bring the soldiers in." "Will do," Senda answers. Soldiers from our crews come around the corner, squeezing past the outflow of the Silent Fang. Drevis clicks more orders, and the ring of Captains breaks apart, following the others but carefully not getting any closer to the sword. Drevis remains where she is, watching our crews take up the positions the Silent Fang had previously occupied. When she's satisfied, she huffs dismissively and pointedly strides straight towards Crota's blade, crossing the imaginary line we had drawn around it. She walks past it, taking a moment to snarl at it before moving off to the gate. I'm left with the four Captains, now joined by Senda, in front of the sword. "I honestly thought it would be bigger," Noel comments. "Be glad it's not," Avery retorts, "Strife, how do we find the other Princes?" "They are bound to the sword, and it to them," Dawn elaborates, "They protect it. Take it, and they will come to you." "Simple enough," a Captain grunts. [i]"I don't like the idea of letting them attack us,"[/i] another complains,[i] "Or them knowing we're here."[/i] "They would've found out anyway," Noel counters, "So, who's gonna take it?" No one volunteers or dares to move closer to the blade. "Um, I'd be willing to give it a try," a Captain speaks up, rubbing the back of her head, "But we're just grabbing it for a second, right? The thing's as tall as I am, and I doubt I could lift it." "Not to mention we feel sick to our stomachs just lookin' at it..." Senda adds. "You must wield it," Dawn insists, "Use its power against them." [i]"I will do it,"[/i] one of the Eliksni Captains rumbles, sheathing his shock blades and stepping forward. "Light be with you," Avery blesses, "The comms are getting patchy, so I'm not sure we'll be much help." The Eliksni moves closer to the Cleaver and reaches forward, hesitating only a moment before gripping its handle with two hands and lifting it. [i]"It's foul,"[/i] he hisses, pointing the end away from him. A powerful roar suddenly erupts from the ground, blasting through the room and filling our ears. A cacophony of shrill cries rise up after it. "We'll see if you change your tune when you have their ash at your boots," Dawn murmurs eerily. The Hive's shrieking grows closer and nearer until I can pinpoint its source at the end of the room. Doors on either side of the two columns slide open, making way for the first Thrall. The soldiers in front of me open fire, wiping out the Thrall before they can get close. Acolytes follow, firing bolts back at us. The Captains and I split up, ducking behind the staircases on either side. The Hive are quickly being picked off, not having the numbers to overwhelm us, but a Knight marches out from the door on the right, hefting a Cleaver. A red flag pops up on my visor's display, marking it as one of the Princes. Ammunition pelts its thick armor as it thunders towards the center of the room, swinging its Cleaver into the closest soldier and sending their body tumbling away. Rounds pepper it from all sides now, and the Captains at the staircase opposite mine rise up to face it. The Knight cuts down another man before a Scorch Cannon blast explodes against it and knocks it to the side. The Captain wielding Crota's sword rushes in, slamming the blade into its chest. Tearing into the Prince's armor, the blow makes it stagger back. Enraged, the Knight retaliates with a powerful slash that the Eliksni blocks, slipping slightly from the impact. The Captain shifts his footing and spins in a full circle, snapping Crota's sword overhead and embedding it in the Prince's neck. Ash and bone fall to his feet and I scan the room. No more Hive remain, but their wails can still be heard nearby. Sure enough, the doors open again, ending our brief respite. I fire charges into the new wave. Only a few come out before the platforms above us break into chaos. I look up to see more Hive coming from the doors there, engaging the soldiers that had been defending the position. I blast a Thrall on the opposite side, then a body rolls down the stairs next to me. Turning and stepping back to get a better view, I aim for an Acolyte, but someone kills it before I can. The crewmen are holding the platforms and staunching the stream of Hive, so I look back to the columns. The Captain bearing the Sword of Crota is planted firmly in front of them, cutting down the Hive as they come. Once again, the onslaught quickly diminishes, and another Prince thunders in from the same door as the first. It spots the Captain and bellows, charging forward and raising its Cleaver. Their swords smash into each other repeatedly, swinging in wide arcs around them. The Captain is too close for any of us to shoot the Knight without risking hitting them both, so we're forced to wait. Some of the nearest soldiers slide out of their cover, attempting to position themselves where they can get a clear shot at the Knight, but they can't make any progress without getting dangerously close to the duel. Slashing downward, the Captain strikes a glancing blow off of the Prince's armor. The Knight flinches, and the Captain raises his blade over his head in preparation to finish it off. But the Prince snaps its Cleaver upwards, splitting through the Captain's chest-plate. The Captain staggers backward and releases Crota's sword as he drops to his knees. The sword doesn't fall, hovering in the air between the two of them. Dismissing the half-dead Eliksni as he crumples to the floor, the Knight reaches for the sword.