Seviriegnty
Not too sore, are you?
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For the fanfic, sorry if I worded it weirdly.
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Destiny: The Legendary Hunter
- Thread starter Writers-Ablood
- Start date
Writers-Ablood
All you need to know, is that I write.
- Joined
- May 26, 2023
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As I mentioned earlier, some things will be early, and some late. I can't exactly pinpoint it as the story will develop on its own.
Chapter 198: Ishtar Sink
New
Writers-Ablood
All you need to know, is that I write.
- Joined
- May 26, 2023
- Messages
- 232
- Likes received
- 3,482
A/N: WE'REEEEEEEEEEEEE BACK BABY!!!!! Enjoy the chapter, took a few days off for writer's block and cuz work was getting tough.
-
Void's jumpship cut a clean line through the empty expanse of space, thrusters flaring as it steered towards the golden green planet in the distance, the moon fading away in the distance, now a mere glimmering spot in the dark.
"Obsidian," Void said, arms crossed as the stars thinned to a field. "Route us to Ishtar Sink."
"Roger that, " Obsidian replied, light pulsing. "I will take us to the edges."
Void watched the ETA tick down, thoughts moving faster than the ship. If the city was right and Ishtar was really stirring, then the Vex weren't just awake—they were already working.
«Eager,» Zamyr murmured, the word curling through his mind like smoke. «More eager than we expected.»
"Feels like it," Void said. "If they're throwing their weight around this openly without a care for being detected, they're not just routing a patrol. They're protecting something. Plus, this sudden spike in Vex activity on Venus of all places definitely means it's something they're not willing to let go of this easily."
Obsidian tapped into the City bands and skimmed narrow-beam traffic. "I'd agree to that. City's receiving crazy updates," he said. "Clustered Vex activity around Ishtar Academy....and there are even signs of Fallen arc weapons. Looks like the Vex and Fallen are really going at it."
"House of Winter," Void said, nodding to himself. "That explains the quiet on their end these last few weeks. If they're busy trying to pry open an old Vex outpost on Venus, they won't be poking Earth anytime soon."
"Speculation easily aligns with what we're seeing," Obsidian agreed. "Fallen scavengers are being sighted in the Ishtar Academy ruins. Hmmm, City's even mapping out their jammers that they set up to prevent a leak of information."
Void exhaled through his nose. "Mapping their jammers? That's a damn power move. I guess the City's new network is really not playing around. Those bastards are having way too much fun."
The Jumpship shook, and a hum resonated through it as space folded and spat the ship out to the other side.
"Setting thrusters to low, sonic engines live. We're here." Obsidian spoke up, its eye pulsed as the Jumpship gently steered through Venus's horizon and pierced through its thicket of clouds.
Void's eyes widened, and Venus filled the canopy. Its foggy bands peeled away to show jungles thick as myths and black spiralling geometry stabbing up through them. The jumpship hissed, riding down the misty gusts. The cockpit lit a warm orange, then cooled to the planet's vibrant green. Void looked down and saw the thin streams of water cutting silver lines through the maze, and then his eyes finally shifted to the ominous ruins at the centre.
"Put me down north of the Academy," Void said.
"Copy." Obsidian manoeuvred the ship, leaving it gently hovering above the northern edge of the Academy.
The next instant, Void transmatted down below.
Glimmer scattered, coagulating to give him form. Void landed on his feet and heaved a breath; the air smelled of a strange mixture of petrichor and rusted metal. Lush vines strangled the academy's plinths of white stone, forming a protective and thick layer of green around the structure.
Void moved carefully, wading through the tall grass, using his blade to cut through the sprawling flora till he could actually see the edge of the Academy grounds in the distance.
He swiftly settled down in a clearing. Void's eyes glistened with wonder as he looked at humanity's first and last colony on Venus.
'As expected, seeing it myself just feels different.' Void's eyes darted around. He could see the marbled statues that had eroded over time, the grand complex that had rusted through the ages, and the massive courtyards that were overgrown.
Ishtar Academy, the apex of humanity's knowledge collected and stored in its golden age vaults. The place truly felt like it had been forgotten, as if plucked from the timeline. Despite the centuries that the City had existed, there was no mention of the academy, and barely any attempts to access it.
Till now.
Void shifted with unease. He crouched down, eyes flickering to the side as his hand settled on the hilt of his blade. 'A presence?'
Five fallen squads scuttled between cover, frantically scampering away from the academy's entrance with low chatter. Inches across them, Vex harpies flickered into existence, lining the gates. Goblins dropped in with their shields already up, a Minotaur phased through the gate and hardened mid-stride as it raised its cannon and aimed.
The Fallen Captain felt a shiver down its spine; it looked back and screamed. But it was too late.
The Minotaur fired, crackling energy gathered at the tip of his gun and shot towards the Eliksni.
The Captain was barely grazed and vaulted. Instantly, he fired a shock rifle into a line of Harpies. The burst shredded three, sent the rest into a wild spin. From the left, the goblins stood up and returned a volley of fire; the minotaur did the same, this time, the laser rifle in its hand charged up.
It fired, drawing a white line across the grit as the laser tore toward the Captain. The Captain folded behind cover a half-second before the rock itself dissolved. A heated battle ensued with the Eliksni scavenger and the Vex guarding the academy ruins.
Void leaned back into the clearing and whispered, "Looks like they already started."
"Vex activity is ramping up; they're clashing against House Winter all across the academy. This is crazy." Obsidian answered.
"It's all going to shi* huh. I guess the City was right about it being a high spike in activity." Void frowned, observing the situation himself.
"There is one problem, though." Obsidian's eye pulsed, and it irritably spat out, "City's getting live updates here. One of our scouts is still in the academy. And...from the looks of it, they just triggered the distress signal." Obsidian flittered uneasily.
Void sighed, "Fine, ping the location, might as well help the extraction."
A small blip appeared on his radar, marking the location of the City's scout.
"Careful," Obsidian added. "Vex density is really non-trivial, and it's continuing to rise."
"Relax." Void rolled his shoulders, and a blue aura flared around his figure. "With that said, no dragon business on this one, so don't interfere."
«Hmph, how dull,» Zamyr breathed, amused. «I was sure we were getting better with my powers.»
"Not today," Void said, mouth tilting. "Like Obsidian said, I've been slacking off. For now, I'll stick to Light."
Lightning gathered at his heels. Void's figure flickered, and a blue blur shot towards the gates.
He moved.
An instant later, Void was across the courtyards, racing through fern and shattered glass, a stride that didn't waste breath. Void cut through the conflict, streaking across the skirmish between the Winter Captain and the Vex Minotaur.
Void jolted, weaving through the battle unseen, he reached the backlines. A Goblin turned, feeling the sudden movement, but before it could even understand what had happened, Void conjured a dagger and stabbed through its eye, beheading it in one clean strike.
A Harpy shrieked, its core lit up, inches away from firing a laser. Just then, lightning coiled at Void's wrist, and he flicked a finger. A bolt of thunder struck the Harpy, bursting it open.
Void didn't wait; his figure blurred again, and he darted.
He reached the first arch of the Academy, a gate of white stone wrapped with vines and Vex growth blocked his path. Void flickered forward with a swift kick and flung it open, his eyes tracking the blip on his radar. He stopped for a fraction of an instant, mapping out the route in his mind.
Void looked up and vanished.
Like a spectre, he rushed through the academy's maze, blending in with the shadows, unseen and unheard.
Just as he reached the location, his comms crackled and Void slid to a stop. He crouched down, tracking the signs of the scout.
Static crawled. The ping sharpened.
"Scout's alive," Obsidian said in his ear. "Heart rate high. But the light signature is being masked. He's trying not to be seen by both sides."
Void nodded. "Got it."
He got to his feet. Void took a step forward. Just as his foot touched the ground, he scattered into mist.
Voices flooded his senses—Fallen clicks and snarls to the right; Vex resonance to the left; and finally a faint trace of light, anxiously pulsating with life.
"There," Obsidian's voice echoed. "Under the rotunda. Behind the collapsed curator's desk."
Void shifted, silently appearing behind the presence.
An exo hunter in a ragged yellow cloak crouched under a tilted slab, one hand on a sniper rifle that scoped the outside through a broken window, and the other on his comms as he read out the events.
The hunter's eyes flicked to Void in a panic, but widened just enough to show relief as he chuckled. "Ghost sword. Never thought I'd meet someone like you this way." The hunter gave a weak salute, "It's Shiro-4."
"Pleasure's all mine." Void smiled casually, returning the salute, "But, that aside, what the hell are you doing scouting this shi*hole?"
"Honestly? I don't have a damn clue." Shiro cursed under his breath, "Wasn't like this for the first two days, but shi* hit the fan faster than I could react."
Shiro jerked his chin toward the inner quadrangle. "Overall? From what I know, the Winter bastards tried to jack some vex vaults. The Vex were naturally not too eager. And then, well, you probably know the rest."
"You've been here for two days?" Void asked.
"Ikorra assigned me to look into it briefly, but I honestly thought something deeper was at play." Shiro shrugged. "It's not like the Vex to frantically defend some old vaults. The likelihood that Winter actually ran into a main Vex stronghold isn't small."
"Agreed. If anything, the rising Vex resistance only confirms that." Void nodded, "And if it really is a Vex stronghold, that just means that the show's just getting started. Minotaurs are just the first step."
"You wouldn't think they'll bring out a Vex mind, do you?" Shiro-4 cackled wryly as he peered through his scope, still whispering his reports into the comms channel.
"At the very least, if they did, we all know that the House of Winter isn't getting off easy. And neither will we" Void shook his head. "If you're done scouting, I'd rather I help you extract."
"Extract? With all this info just lying around? I'd be crazy to leave this right now." Shiro-4 ducked into his scope once more, keenly reading the battlefield one unit at a time.
"While I appreciate your sense of duty." Void groaned. He walked forward and grabbed the rifle from its setup. "Stay any longer and you risk getting caught up in the crossfire. I am sure the Vex aren't thrilled to have us here, and I know for a fact they already know of us."
Shiro-4 frowned.
The Exo hunter slowly got to his feet, "Fine. Let's do it your way then. Lead the way."
"Good." Void handed back the rifle and crouched over to the window, peering down, "We've got plenty of room to leave. Ah, but there is one thing." Void's eyes flicked back, and a faint jolt of electricity wreathed his form.
"Hmm?" Shiro-4 stored his rifle in its engram and hung it at his belt.
"Make sure you keep up," Void smirked, and blue lightning enveloped him entirely. The next second, he flickered away.
Shiro-4's eyes widened for a split second. The Exo's light flared, coiling around his body as he darted to the window and streaked to follow Void.
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-
Void's jumpship cut a clean line through the empty expanse of space, thrusters flaring as it steered towards the golden green planet in the distance, the moon fading away in the distance, now a mere glimmering spot in the dark.
"Obsidian," Void said, arms crossed as the stars thinned to a field. "Route us to Ishtar Sink."
"Roger that, " Obsidian replied, light pulsing. "I will take us to the edges."
Void watched the ETA tick down, thoughts moving faster than the ship. If the city was right and Ishtar was really stirring, then the Vex weren't just awake—they were already working.
«Eager,» Zamyr murmured, the word curling through his mind like smoke. «More eager than we expected.»
"Feels like it," Void said. "If they're throwing their weight around this openly without a care for being detected, they're not just routing a patrol. They're protecting something. Plus, this sudden spike in Vex activity on Venus of all places definitely means it's something they're not willing to let go of this easily."
Obsidian tapped into the City bands and skimmed narrow-beam traffic. "I'd agree to that. City's receiving crazy updates," he said. "Clustered Vex activity around Ishtar Academy....and there are even signs of Fallen arc weapons. Looks like the Vex and Fallen are really going at it."
"House of Winter," Void said, nodding to himself. "That explains the quiet on their end these last few weeks. If they're busy trying to pry open an old Vex outpost on Venus, they won't be poking Earth anytime soon."
"Speculation easily aligns with what we're seeing," Obsidian agreed. "Fallen scavengers are being sighted in the Ishtar Academy ruins. Hmmm, City's even mapping out their jammers that they set up to prevent a leak of information."
Void exhaled through his nose. "Mapping their jammers? That's a damn power move. I guess the City's new network is really not playing around. Those bastards are having way too much fun."
The Jumpship shook, and a hum resonated through it as space folded and spat the ship out to the other side.
"Setting thrusters to low, sonic engines live. We're here." Obsidian spoke up, its eye pulsed as the Jumpship gently steered through Venus's horizon and pierced through its thicket of clouds.
Void's eyes widened, and Venus filled the canopy. Its foggy bands peeled away to show jungles thick as myths and black spiralling geometry stabbing up through them. The jumpship hissed, riding down the misty gusts. The cockpit lit a warm orange, then cooled to the planet's vibrant green. Void looked down and saw the thin streams of water cutting silver lines through the maze, and then his eyes finally shifted to the ominous ruins at the centre.
"Put me down north of the Academy," Void said.
"Copy." Obsidian manoeuvred the ship, leaving it gently hovering above the northern edge of the Academy.
The next instant, Void transmatted down below.
Glimmer scattered, coagulating to give him form. Void landed on his feet and heaved a breath; the air smelled of a strange mixture of petrichor and rusted metal. Lush vines strangled the academy's plinths of white stone, forming a protective and thick layer of green around the structure.
Void moved carefully, wading through the tall grass, using his blade to cut through the sprawling flora till he could actually see the edge of the Academy grounds in the distance.
He swiftly settled down in a clearing. Void's eyes glistened with wonder as he looked at humanity's first and last colony on Venus.
'As expected, seeing it myself just feels different.' Void's eyes darted around. He could see the marbled statues that had eroded over time, the grand complex that had rusted through the ages, and the massive courtyards that were overgrown.
Ishtar Academy, the apex of humanity's knowledge collected and stored in its golden age vaults. The place truly felt like it had been forgotten, as if plucked from the timeline. Despite the centuries that the City had existed, there was no mention of the academy, and barely any attempts to access it.
Till now.
Void shifted with unease. He crouched down, eyes flickering to the side as his hand settled on the hilt of his blade. 'A presence?'
Five fallen squads scuttled between cover, frantically scampering away from the academy's entrance with low chatter. Inches across them, Vex harpies flickered into existence, lining the gates. Goblins dropped in with their shields already up, a Minotaur phased through the gate and hardened mid-stride as it raised its cannon and aimed.
The Fallen Captain felt a shiver down its spine; it looked back and screamed. But it was too late.
The Minotaur fired, crackling energy gathered at the tip of his gun and shot towards the Eliksni.
The Captain was barely grazed and vaulted. Instantly, he fired a shock rifle into a line of Harpies. The burst shredded three, sent the rest into a wild spin. From the left, the goblins stood up and returned a volley of fire; the minotaur did the same, this time, the laser rifle in its hand charged up.
It fired, drawing a white line across the grit as the laser tore toward the Captain. The Captain folded behind cover a half-second before the rock itself dissolved. A heated battle ensued with the Eliksni scavenger and the Vex guarding the academy ruins.
Void leaned back into the clearing and whispered, "Looks like they already started."
"Vex activity is ramping up; they're clashing against House Winter all across the academy. This is crazy." Obsidian answered.
"It's all going to shi* huh. I guess the City was right about it being a high spike in activity." Void frowned, observing the situation himself.
"There is one problem, though." Obsidian's eye pulsed, and it irritably spat out, "City's getting live updates here. One of our scouts is still in the academy. And...from the looks of it, they just triggered the distress signal." Obsidian flittered uneasily.
Void sighed, "Fine, ping the location, might as well help the extraction."
A small blip appeared on his radar, marking the location of the City's scout.
"Careful," Obsidian added. "Vex density is really non-trivial, and it's continuing to rise."
"Relax." Void rolled his shoulders, and a blue aura flared around his figure. "With that said, no dragon business on this one, so don't interfere."
«Hmph, how dull,» Zamyr breathed, amused. «I was sure we were getting better with my powers.»
"Not today," Void said, mouth tilting. "Like Obsidian said, I've been slacking off. For now, I'll stick to Light."
Lightning gathered at his heels. Void's figure flickered, and a blue blur shot towards the gates.
He moved.
An instant later, Void was across the courtyards, racing through fern and shattered glass, a stride that didn't waste breath. Void cut through the conflict, streaking across the skirmish between the Winter Captain and the Vex Minotaur.
Void jolted, weaving through the battle unseen, he reached the backlines. A Goblin turned, feeling the sudden movement, but before it could even understand what had happened, Void conjured a dagger and stabbed through its eye, beheading it in one clean strike.
A Harpy shrieked, its core lit up, inches away from firing a laser. Just then, lightning coiled at Void's wrist, and he flicked a finger. A bolt of thunder struck the Harpy, bursting it open.
Void didn't wait; his figure blurred again, and he darted.
He reached the first arch of the Academy, a gate of white stone wrapped with vines and Vex growth blocked his path. Void flickered forward with a swift kick and flung it open, his eyes tracking the blip on his radar. He stopped for a fraction of an instant, mapping out the route in his mind.
Void looked up and vanished.
Like a spectre, he rushed through the academy's maze, blending in with the shadows, unseen and unheard.
Just as he reached the location, his comms crackled and Void slid to a stop. He crouched down, tracking the signs of the scout.
Static crawled. The ping sharpened.
"Scout's alive," Obsidian said in his ear. "Heart rate high. But the light signature is being masked. He's trying not to be seen by both sides."
Void nodded. "Got it."
He got to his feet. Void took a step forward. Just as his foot touched the ground, he scattered into mist.
Voices flooded his senses—Fallen clicks and snarls to the right; Vex resonance to the left; and finally a faint trace of light, anxiously pulsating with life.
"There," Obsidian's voice echoed. "Under the rotunda. Behind the collapsed curator's desk."
Void shifted, silently appearing behind the presence.
An exo hunter in a ragged yellow cloak crouched under a tilted slab, one hand on a sniper rifle that scoped the outside through a broken window, and the other on his comms as he read out the events.
The hunter's eyes flicked to Void in a panic, but widened just enough to show relief as he chuckled. "Ghost sword. Never thought I'd meet someone like you this way." The hunter gave a weak salute, "It's Shiro-4."
"Pleasure's all mine." Void smiled casually, returning the salute, "But, that aside, what the hell are you doing scouting this shi*hole?"
"Honestly? I don't have a damn clue." Shiro cursed under his breath, "Wasn't like this for the first two days, but shi* hit the fan faster than I could react."
Shiro jerked his chin toward the inner quadrangle. "Overall? From what I know, the Winter bastards tried to jack some vex vaults. The Vex were naturally not too eager. And then, well, you probably know the rest."
"You've been here for two days?" Void asked.
"Ikorra assigned me to look into it briefly, but I honestly thought something deeper was at play." Shiro shrugged. "It's not like the Vex to frantically defend some old vaults. The likelihood that Winter actually ran into a main Vex stronghold isn't small."
"Agreed. If anything, the rising Vex resistance only confirms that." Void nodded, "And if it really is a Vex stronghold, that just means that the show's just getting started. Minotaurs are just the first step."
"You wouldn't think they'll bring out a Vex mind, do you?" Shiro-4 cackled wryly as he peered through his scope, still whispering his reports into the comms channel.
"At the very least, if they did, we all know that the House of Winter isn't getting off easy. And neither will we" Void shook his head. "If you're done scouting, I'd rather I help you extract."
"Extract? With all this info just lying around? I'd be crazy to leave this right now." Shiro-4 ducked into his scope once more, keenly reading the battlefield one unit at a time.
"While I appreciate your sense of duty." Void groaned. He walked forward and grabbed the rifle from its setup. "Stay any longer and you risk getting caught up in the crossfire. I am sure the Vex aren't thrilled to have us here, and I know for a fact they already know of us."
Shiro-4 frowned.
The Exo hunter slowly got to his feet, "Fine. Let's do it your way then. Lead the way."
"Good." Void handed back the rifle and crouched over to the window, peering down, "We've got plenty of room to leave. Ah, but there is one thing." Void's eyes flicked back, and a faint jolt of electricity wreathed his form.
"Hmm?" Shiro-4 stored his rifle in its engram and hung it at his belt.
"Make sure you keep up," Void smirked, and blue lightning enveloped him entirely. The next second, he flickered away.
Shiro-4's eyes widened for a split second. The Exo's light flared, coiling around his body as he darted to the window and streaked to follow Void.
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