29 Eris the Edgy Drama Queen

(Day 112)

     Mismer shook his head and responded, "Reshi, the darkness is just a power intrinsic to the Universe, an aspect of it. Whatever is chasing the Traveler is basically an agent of that aspect or perhaps a manifestation of it, just like the Traveler itself. This war between them has nothing to do with us. In the end we're just pawns.

     "That being said, I can understand those who seek to defend the Traveler. It has brought us many benefits. The same thing, however, can be said about the Hive and other servants of the Darkness. It provides them with many benefits and in return they seek to destroy its enemies."

     Reshi was visibly shaken by this statement. "Are you suggesting that the Traveler is manipulating us, that it is no different than the Darkness in attempting to use us to fight for it?"

     "I'm not just suggesting it I'm outright stating it. Listen, I don't know anything more about the Traveler or the Darkness than you do but I do know about Science and about the objective nature of reality. Whatever these forces are, the likelihood that they're some kind of moral agents, one fighting for good and one for evil, is beyond astronomical to the power of infinity. Reality doesn't operate on a moral basis it operates on a physical basis. 

     "If it turns out that the Traveler and/or the Darkness have some type of morality, I'd be willing to bet that it's completely extraneous to the nature and origin of their power. Those two are simply forces of the Universe battling it out like two stars colliding. Nothing more. Nothing less. We just happened to be unfortunate enough or fortunate enough, depending on how you look at it, to be caught in the middle."

     "What blasphemous notions! The Traveler protects you, protects us all with its Light and you dare to reduce it to some ordinary act of physics! I have heard enough of this heresy! I do hope you never find yourself in need of the Traveler's aid, because you may well find it unwilling to assist someone as ungrateful as you! Good day, Mesmir!" Reshi loudly exclaimed as he turned around and stormed off.

     Mesmir raised an eyebrow and thought, 'What the...since when did the Traveler go around intervening in the lives of individuals. Also, how can describing it as an act of physics be reducing it. Physics is what holds our Universe together. Whatever, that guy is a lost cause. Although, I'm certain he'd say the same thing about me.' 

     Mesmir paid his tab, put on his jacket, walked past an awoken with ash colored hair and aquamarine eyes, and exited the small ramen shop.

     Isaac had spent the past few days listening in on conversations like these all around the city. He wasn't surprised to discover so many different opinions concerning the Traveler and the Darkness. He needed to gauge the political and philosophical climate of the city before launching his campaign, in order to steer the people into a more self reliant state of mind. He wanted them to be more like Hawthorne and take the responsibility for their defense into their own hands. 

     He didn't expect them to all rush to the front lines but those who can fight should. It isn't necessary for them to fight the enemy but they should at least be training with each other. Humanity, if it was to survive, needed every person to be as strong as they can be. Having a handful of strong people defending a multitude of weak and paper thin people was no way to live, in a world where hostile alien forces with terrifying powers are lurking around every corner. Humanity needed to step up its game and his new order of Guardians would lead the way. 

     From what Isaac could tell, most people seemed to be somewhere in the middle of Mesmir and Reshi. More people on the fringes, however, seemed to lean towards Reshi's perspective. Also, New Monarchy was, amongst the civilians, the most popular faction, within the Consensus, followed by the Speaker as a close second. 

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                           (Day 144)

       After constructing his Light Condensation Organ, Isaac and his crew took a break from everything else and spent a full straight month meditating inside the Light Fortress. 

     By the end of their intensive Light Meditation, Isaac was at level 36 and had already constructed his Light Wielder's Organ. Ferra had just barely managed to breakthrough to 35 and had immediately begun constructing her own Light Wielder's Organ. Bravo had reached level 33 and everyone else was at 32.

     Isaac's fireteam had gathered in the hangar and he was speaking to them about their plans to clear out another Fallen Stronghold.

     "This particular Stronghold seems a bit beefier, in terms of construction and weaponry. It's almost twice as large as the others we've been through so I would naturally expect stronger enemies to be stationed…" Isaac trailed off, as he turned his head and witnessed a ship entering the hangar. It was short, with rectangular Twin thrusters on the end of each wing, a chitinous plating covering the top, and green lights. Eris Morn had arrived at the Tower. 

     "Uhh...guys. You remember that big glowing Hive baddie we're expecting?" Isaac asked and they all perked up and nodded. 

     "Well, I think we might be facing him pretty soon. Eris Morn is here." Isaac pointed to the ship that was pulling into the hangar. 

     "Eris Morn?...oh, you mean that creepy green eyed lady with black goo coming out her eyes?" Daniel asked.

     "The very same one. Come on, let's go to the command room." Isaac responded.

     The crew made their way over towards the command room and then stopped at the edge of the public space. "Actually, I think you guys should probably stay here. It might get a little crowded in there, if we all show up together." Isaac noted. 

     So the five of them hung back, while Isaac made his way into the command room.

     "Ah, Isaac, I thought you might come. Have you seen her?" Ikora asked. 

     "No, but I saw her ship in the hangar."

     "Good, then she should be here soon."

     Less than three minutes later, Eris Morn walked into the command room and went straight to Ikora, who was speaking with Isaac.

     "Ikora, it's Crota! He's coming back! We have to stop him! The Hive are preparing to summon his soul, as we speak! We must act now!" Eris began shouting, as soon as she laid eyes on Ikora.

     "Eris, please, I'm sure what you're saying is true but try to calm down and start from the beginning. What exactly is going on? What have you heard?" Ikora pleaded. 

     "It's him! The one they call a god! Even now, his servants walk the Earth carrying out his will! The one we sought to kill is coming, to return the favor! Crota...is coming!" 

     'Damn, was she this dramatic in the game? I know she's edgy and all but she hasn't stopped shouting since she walked in.' Isaac thought. 

     "I understand, Eris. Crota is indeed a tremendous threat. If he truly is attempting to return to this world, then we should respond with force and immediately. Luckily, I have my number one Guardian here with me now. Since your ears are closer to the ground than mine as it pertains to the Hive, why don't you take the lead on this? 

     "That being said, Eris, allow me to introduce you to Isaac, he's the one I've told you about. Isaac, this is Eris Morn, one of my Hidden. Now, with the introductions out of the way, I'll leave Isaac in your capable hands, Eris. Isaac, you can report to Eris, until the threat of Crota has passed." Ikora explained. 

     "It's a pleasure to meet you, Eris. So when can we get started?" Isaac asked. 

     "There is no time to waste! The threat of Crota is greater than you think! Go to the Cosmodrome and seek out Sardon the Fist of Crota! Destroy him and I will lead you to the next step on this perilous path!" Eris answered dramatically. 

     "Got it! Ikora, you can connect her to Wraitheon, right?" 

     "No need. We actually have a device that can connect with a ghost and communicate with it at range. Wraitheon? Is it now? Just come over here and connect with this device."

     "What? You don't like my new name? It's way better than Polter." Wraitheon said, as he sent a beam of Light into the silver spherical device Ikora had indicated.

     "I was just checking. It's a fine name. Now, take this, Eris. With it, you can guide Isaac to where he needs to go. You've got the Vanguard's full support, in this endeavor." Ikora assured her.

     "Thank you, Ikora. I'll not fail you. Of this you can be certain." Eris said not shouting at all for the first time, since she arrived.

     "Well, it looks like you guys have got things under control, on this end so I'll head out." Isaac offered, as he walked out of the room.

     Isaac approached his fireteam and sent them all the footage, from the Dark Below missions. They all quickly boarded their ships and made their way towards the Cosmodrome. 

      Fireteam Isaac went towards the Blast, while Fireteam Ferra went towards the Forgotten Shore. Fireteam Ferra went into extermination mode as they hunted down any enemy in the area and then settled in next to the entrance to Bunker RAS-2, Rasputin.

     Fireteam Isaac set down outside the Refinery and began a wholesale slaughter of the Hive and Fallen forces that were currently battling in the area. After clearing most of the area, a very distinctive Hive Wizard appeared and began summoning even more Hive to the location. 

     "That's her, Omnigul, Will of Crota! Kill her, Isaac! Silence her screams!" Eris began shouting across the comms.

     "Okay, okay, I get it! Just spare my eardrums, will ya?" Isaac responded, as he and his team rained a constant torrent of gunfire and ability grenades onto Omnigul.

     Omnigul didn't have any way to respond to this frightening assault and so took her leave of that place just as quickly as she had appeared. Seeing Omnigul flee, Fireteam Isaac made their way through the Refinery and the Blast and into the Grottos.

     After winding their way through the caverns of the Grottos for a few minutes, they finally arrived at an underground clearing of sorts. There were elevated segments along the cave walls and even a few pillars of stalagnates. Next to one of the elevated segments near the back of the clearing, a greenish orb of Hive energy was hovering a few feet off of the ground. 

     As Isaac and his team approached the glowing orb of green energy, it began to convulse and destabilize. Suddenly, an overly large Hive Knight, Sardon, Fist of Crota, appeared from that very same orb as the energy was dispersed.

     Once Sardon had emerged from the energy fluctuation, all three of them could sense a powerful aura of darkness that seemed to weigh them down, as if the gravity around them had been increased. This wasn't that concerning to any of them, since this was well within expectations. Using Blink Domain, Isaac and Daniel Blinked behind Sardon's legs. Koren dodged to the right of Sardon's incoming sword attack and clocked him in the face with a full powered FOMA punch, at the same time that Isaac and Daniel landed similar punches into the back of Sardon's knees.

     With Sardon having just swung his weapon forward and immediately meeting these conflicting forces, he was severely off balance. Koren, being in between Sardon's face and his sword, placed a foot on the sword's hilt.

     As Sardon was forced backwards on to his back, Koren applied more pressure on Sardon's sword and finally wrested it from his hands. After grabbing the sword, Koren immediately dashed to the right side of Sardon's head, while wrapping his Ward of Destruction around him and the sword. Koren summoned every ounce of strength he could muster and brought the massive sword down and clean through Sardon's neck. The sword passed swiftly through Sardon's neck and caused the other two to stagger, as it impacted the ground creating a small crater that was just large enough encompass the ground beneath each of their feet. 

     "Holy Halved Hive Husks, Koren! What the hell have they been feeding you?" Isaac asked. 

     "Hmmm...what do you mean? No one feeds me, I feed myself." Koren responded. 

     "Ahhh, that's not what I meant. It's just that your strength is on a whole nother level! Seriously, have you been doing anything besides strength training lately?" If he had thought that Koren would even know let alone Isaac himself being able to understand it, he would have asked how it is that Exos can even strength train to begin with? 

     "Sure, sometimes. I train my marksmanship and Elemental Attunements every now and then."

     "Every now and then, huh? It sounds to me like your training has been a little lopsided lately. I know that you're chasing that Saint-14 dream but just make sure you don't neglect your other attributes to the point where strength is your only weapon." Isaac warned him. 

     "Of course, don't you worry about that. I've got everything planned out." 

     "That's good to hear. That being said, would you look at that crater!? Holy crap! Daniel are you seeing this?"

     "Of course, I'm seeing it. I'm freaking standing in it." Daniel answered.

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     'How exactly did I get talked into this again?' Ferra thought, as Bravo held her right hand and Laurel held her left hand. They were currently skipping around in circles, while holding each other's hands and singing some absurd and repetitive song.

     🎵The Hive are gonna die. The Hive are gonna die. Hi ho, the dairy oh, the Hive are gonna die.🎵

     On and on they skipped and sang, until they heard the sound of the door behind them beginning to open. The sounds of air rushing into a vacuum issued forth from the diamond shaped door, as the entrance to Rasputin was revealed.

     Ferra and her team quickly composed themselves, rushed in, and crushed all of the Hive in their way, until they reached a console inside of a circular room with a pillar at its center. As the three arrived in front of the console, Celsia transmitted Isaac's voice to them.

     "Hey, Ferra, what's up? You guys are at the Forgotten Shore, right?"

     "Yeah. We were outside but all of a sudden we heard this commotion and ran to check it out. Turns out that there's an entrance into Rasputin here and it just opened up all of a sudden. Also, there were a bunch of Hive in here. Any idea what this is all about?" Ferra asked. 

     "See, Eris, I told you it was them. So, Ferra, as it turns out you might have some more company, of the Hive variety, arriving soon. I hope you guys are ready to receive."

     "Hah, we're always ready! Let the Hive come. We'll make sure it's their final destination." Ferra assured him. 

     "Hahah, that's what I like to hear! See, Eris, just like I told you nothing to worry about. Ferra and her team are super reliable. They'll have those Hive trussed up, before you can say 'Ol' McCrota had a sword'" 

     "Very well, but keep your connection to her open, until it's over. I want to see what they're capable of."

     "Don't worry," Ferra interjected. "Celsia will keep the line open. There's no more time for chitchat, however. The Hive are here."

     Ferra's team quickly assumed their positions and prepared to run the test Isaac had suggested to them earlier. Since they had a rough idea of what to expect in here, they decided that each of them would take turns throwing out Void Scatter Bombs. They would tailor each one to the number of enemies in the room and try to use only the exact amount of Light required to eliminate each enemy and not a smidgen more. 

     Once Omnigul appeared before them, they assaulted her with shotguns and grenades, until she ran and hid like a bitch.

     As the first glowing green circle of Hive energy appeared on the ground, they immediately noticed that it was much larger than expected, taking up almost all of the space between the walls and center pillar. This, however, was no deterrent to them and, once the Hive appeared, Laurel reached back in classic Kamehameha fashion and loosed the first Void Scatter Bomb of the mission. It was a good first go as only a handful of scatter particles remained, after clearing the Hive. 

     Bravo's run was about the same, while Ferra's was a bit more impressive. Only one Hive Knight remained barely standing and barely alive, once the last scatter particle was expended. Ferra quickly and easily ended it, with one burst from her Bad Juju.

     The last wave of Hive that Omnigul summoned had genuinely surprised the three of them, if only slightly. They had been expecting more enemies than what Isaac had shown them but not this many. Omnigul's last summoning, they quickly realized after seeing all three of the previous circles light up, would fill nearly the entire room with Hive.

     Upon witnessing this, Ferra immediately signaled to her teammates and they nodded in return. This had been a bit outside their expectations but it was nothing they couldn't handle with ease. If the Hive wanted to bring down this team by overwhelming them with small fries, they were going to have to do a lot better than this.

     The three of them timed there readied Scatter Bombs for the moment the Hive appeared, within the summoning circles. Right on que they unleashed all three Void Scatter Bombs in three different directions and watched as nearly all of the Hive small fries were obliterated.

     With most of the fodder having been cleared, Ferra took out the rest of the few remaining mobs, while Bravo and Laurel Blinked behind the Ogre and began assaulting the back of its knees with FOMAs. Ferra finished off the last of the fodder and immediately summoned a Kinetic Solar Drill Spear and sent it cleanly through the Ogre's massive head and watched as it fell to pieces, before it could even hit the ground.

     "Hmmm…seems like the Wizard who was summoning those guys up and left as soon as they were all defeated. Whaddya think, Isaac? You think we should stay here and keep an eye on things for a while?" Ferra asked, as soon as the dust had settled.

     "No, Ikora can send someone over to handle that. We've got bigger fish to fry. Isn't that right, Eris?" Isaac replied.

     "That's indeed correct. You all have proven yourselves to be formidable Guardians but do not think yourselves invincible. There are powers in this world that could crush you with a thought and, even if you defeat Crota, his death may very well bring the wrath of such a being. Go now, to the moon, and enter the Temple of Crota. I will instruct you further, once you arrive."