--
[Main hall, Colony Ship]
"He's gone, they're definitely taking him somewhere else." Bandit scoffed, narrowing his eyes.
"Well, after what he did, I'd do the same." Void chimed in, he too could feel Toland's presence disappear into the distance.
"Talk about accountability." Cory chuckled.
"Like it or not, he's a warlock. They need his knowledge. they won't just sit back and throw him to the wolves." Levi sighed.
"So, what now?" Void glanced at Levi. They didn't have much of a plan to confront Toland. But being deprived of the chance was not something they were prepared for.
A second later, Ikorra, Cayde and Zavala walked through the main door.
Levi frowned, "We play nice."
--
[Earth, Mumbai Push]
Nestled within the jungle-choked towers of tattered Mumbai, hidden beneath the slithering tangled vines was a small cave entrance that descended towards the depth of the city.
Hive runes marked its entrance, engraved on its mossy rock floor. At its base was a chamber full of old scrolls, books and journals.
As a Jumpship flew above Mumbai and shot away, Toland appeared at the cave's mouth, warping towards the base of his hideout.
His ghost, Guren, revealed itself.
"You've finally found it, the Deathsong of Ir Yût" Guren mused, suddenly it turned sour, "If not for their ignorance, we could've witnessed it."
"We'll get another chance. I am sure of it." Toland replied, he grabbed a Journal and sketched the runes he had seen on the altar.
The summoning words of Ir Yût, it was incalculably precious. But soon Toland frowned. Though he had found the summoning phrase, the altar had been broken by the hunters.
Ir Yût, the hive wizard was no pushover. Without sacrifices, he couldn't possibly summon her. There had to be another way. A way to call upon the Deathsong.
Toland's attention suddenly turned towards the war effort. It had picked up pace in the last few weeks. He doubted they'd let him contribute to it now that he'd slipped up.
"Guren, is the city fully supporting the war?" He curiously inquired.
The city had sent its plans to every guardian available in the city. Toland would make full use of their naivety.
"The plans outline a full assault. Their war campaign won't end here." Guren scanned through the records.
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His lips wrinkled into a wry smile, "Let's learn how to benefit from their ignorance. We need to bide our time."
--
[Main Hall, Colony Ship]
"We'll be cutting down the exploration. The Hive are far too mysterious and dangerous." Ikorra spoke back into the circle of Nightstalkers.
"What about the ambush plans?" Levi questioned.
"Our hands are tied." Ikorra pressed her lips in a line, "We can't put you in danger to find the Hive's base. It's all far too risky."
"You should be happy you're not scurrying around in their tunnels anymore." Cayde chimed in.
Zavala sighed, "Trying to start a war without knowing their source, it's almost impossible."
"I don't suppose you're just gonna sit back and allow that." Bandit could smell the fickle words the Vanguard were laying down.
"No. The City will resort to conventional methods. It'll take us a while, but we'll survey the entire moon with ships once we're ready." Zavala responded.
"We'll need some skilled pilots. You guys got any experience?" Cayde smiled.
Immediately, the Nightstalkers shifted their eyes around. They weren't at all interested in making any deals with the devil.
Unexpectedly, Void raised his hand, causing the room to abruptly pause.
"Err, listen kid, I know you're ready for it. But you've got no piloting experience. They'll shoot you down like a duck" Cayde brushed him off.
"I'm not stupid, I know that much. But I've got another idea." Void spoke up, the gears turned in his head.
All eyes turned to him as he held his words. Void thought it through, and knew that it was a plausible choice.
"You can't locate the base because there's no way to trace the Hive accurately."
"Right, and?" Ikorra urged him to continue.
His lips curved into a smile, "But you can trace light can't you?"
"Wouldn't be that hard." Cayde nodded.
"In that case, we don't have to trace the Hive, just trace the light." Void pointed to the mission recording.
"More specifically, my light on that Ogre a few minutes ago."
The idea was odd, and not entirely practical. Yet Void was entirely certain it would work.
"Your light signature wouldn't last that long." Zavala replied.
Void held up his blade, "It's a special sword. The traces don't vanish as easily."
"Why that Ogre? For all we know it could be going back to some place entirely unrelated." Ikorra inquired.
The reality was that Void knew that the 'Might of Crota' was an Ogre created by Crota. If anything, he was sure to visit Hellmouth, what it considered home.
Void shot a glance at the screen once more, "Can't really say but."
"It's just a hunch."
The Vanguard shared a few quick glances. Finally Ikorra connected her transponder to a new line.
"Asher, can you trace his light signature? Check last coordinates for a lead."
"On it." Asher replied and immediately got to work. The main hall's screen shifted as he switched to a gps locator for the Ogre.
"We're sending the colony drones as trackers. It'll be traced easily, but that's our only option right now." Asher spoke up.
"That's fine, a few drones are worth the price." Zavala agreed.
Moments later, the drones shot towards the lunar surface, programmed to follow the Ogre.
--
[Lunar Surface]
A few hours had passed since the Ogre faced Void and his fireteam. He had remained on site in case those fools ever decided to come back.
Unfortunately his instincts determined that wouldn't happen. Disgruntled the Ogre waddled away.
He'd decided to check again for their presence, but it wasn't the main priority. The Ogre knew his master was busy. Only a few weeks stood between a tribute ceremony for the Worm gods.
He shuddered, despite being a mindless husk of flesh, the Ogre was fully aware of its creator's powers.
Minutes later, he decided to rush back to Hellmouth. Eerily every few miles he felt a few flies hovering just beyond his senses. Alas, their meagre aura was not worth its attention.
Yes, he would only focus on the stronger opponents. That was his purpose. For he, was the Might of Crota.
The Ogre began trudging the final stretch. It neared an illusory barrier, crossing through effortlessly. It was a curtain that veiled Hellmouth from the outer world.
Unbeknownst to it, the meagre flies had also crossed over.
--