A/N: ENJOY THE CHAP!
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Levi, Void, and Pahanin rode deeper into the abyss, their Sparrows cutting through the descending dark, thrusters flickering against the stone as they followed the faint trace of Light.
The air grew heavy around them, sharp turns of the tunnel pulling them deeper into a space that was no longer just dark—it was dense, murky and alive.
The further they moved, the lighter the signs of the trace became, akin to a whisper in a storm. The path in front of them narrowed, jagged rocks closing in as the tunnel sloped deeper.
Void slowed, he swerved his Sparrow hard to the left, using the sonic brakes to come to a sharp stop. A thrum struck the rocks, throwing up a cloud of dust, and his foot slammed into the dirt, a quick, deliberate gesture to silence the momentum.
Levi and Pahanin pulled their Sparrows in beside him, the two of them nodding with understanding as they followed his lead.
Void dismounted, his movements smooth and controlled. He glanced back at them, gesturing to follow.
Void's eyes flickered azure; he scanned the dark abyss urgently. Gaze darting from one corner to the other, until it finally settled on something in the distance.
"It's here," he said softly, his voice a low hum against the dark. He raised a finger and pointed towards the abyss that stretched to the end of the tunnel. "The trace we've been following—it's settled here."
Levi's sharp eyes eagerly scanned the dark. "Where exactly?" he asked, his voice low but laced with curiosity.
Pahanin leaned over, questioningly peeking at the abyss, "There's nothing there."
"There is." Void raised his hand, signalling them to quiet down.
Void silently stepped forward, hand crept through the darkened passage. His eyes glowed an intense azure, a stark contrast to the blackness around him. He squinted, narrowing his vision as he peered deeper into the shadows.
At the far end of the tunnel, where the darkness seemed to pulse like a heartbeat, Void's voice broke the silence. "It's a nest." His words were cold, a statement, but the weight of them hung in the air. "A Swarm Prince's nest for sure. And we've found it."
Pahanin and Levi followed suit, inching behind Void.
Levi gave a nonchalant shrug. "Whatever you say, man, just tell me where to shoo," he muttered, his tone dismissive as he looked to Pahanin, who stood beside him, expression unreadable.
"What he said." Pahanin sighed. He rubbed his eyes and peered at the dark again, but nothing changed. His brows furled, and he quieted down.
Void shook his head slowly, his eyes narrowing as he turned back to Levi. "Sure. See that thing down there? The Swarm Princes aren't just any Hive—they have the power to summon the Hive. If we don't kill this one fast, we'll be flooded with acolytes before we can even finish the job."
Levi raised an eyebrow, a slight frown on his face. "So, what, we just rush it and kill it?"
Void nodded, the silence stretching. "Exactly. But we need to move quickly." His gaze flicked to Pahanin, who was still brooding.
Pahanin nodded, his hand softly brushed against the hilt of his sword, "If we're not quick, the numbers will overwhelm us. We need to strike before the Prince calls for reinforcements."
"Right." Levi clasped his hand. He looked back at Void, his lips curved into a sly smile. "Then we need to distract it, right? We'll probably need something flashy?"
"I guess?" Void tilted his head.
Pahanin's gaze met Levi's. "Hmm." They shared a glance, nothing was spoken, but one thing was for sure, they had a plan. The silence between them stretched for a moment longer before Levi finally broke it.
"Right," Levi said, shrugging with a grin. "So what I'm saying is, someone's gotta pull it out. Get the Prince's attention."
Void blinked, his gaze shifting between Levi and Pahanin, and a slow, dawning realisation crept in. "Wait—wait wait." He turned his head toward them, and he cleared his throat. "You two are planning to use me as bait, aren't you?"
Levi's grin widened, a spark of mischief dancing in his eyes. He held his hands up innocently "Well, you are the one with the magic blade, aren't you? Seemed like the obvious choice."
Pahanin's lips quirked into a thin smile. "You'll be fine. You're always fine." His voice was even, but there was something in it—something that felt almost too measured to be entirely reassuring.
Void's eyes flickered between them, taking in the subtle shift of their expressions. The faint grin tugging at Levi's lips, the slight tilt of Pahanin's head. His gaze narrowed slightly as he gulped dryly.
"Well, if this goes sideways, I'm going to make sure you two get eaten first." Void's voice was dry, laced with a hint of amusement, though he wasn't quite sure whether he was joking or not.
Levi whispered back, the light footsteps of his approach muffled by the tension in the air. "That's the spirit." He stepped closer to Void, "But, we can always use a little chaos."
Void turned to face him, his brows furling, "You don't mean..."
"Bye!" Levi chuckled darkly, and he lightly dragged his foot back.
WHAM!
He delivered a swift kick to Void's back and sent him tumbling down.
Void yelped, "YOU DOG!", rolling down into the abyss. Void dug his hands into the rock, slowing his fall, and he clung to the rocks, skidding down till he reached the very bottom of the nest and disappeared.
Pahanin leaned over the edge, scratching his chin. He hummed, "Hmm.."
"Think he's dead?" Levi mimicked his pose and asked.
"Wouldn't worry about it." Pahanin shrugged, " Let's just make sure we survive and kill that thing." Light covered Pahanin's figure; he vanished into the dark.
"Gotcha." Levi scattered in smoke, following him down.
Void rubbed his hands, he grimaced in pain and glanced at the nest of the Swarm Prince before turning his eyes upwards to Levi and Pahanin. But the two were nowhere in sight, knowing the weight of the task ahead, Void chose to continue. Whatever he did, it would be fast, violent, and over before the Prince could scream for reinforcements.
"Just gotta be quick." Void heaved a short breath.
Lightning wreathed around his form, Void streaked towards The Prince's nest.
The swarm prince Garok dragged his blade across the dirt, its edge cutting grooves into the soft soil of the abyss. Garok's bones shivered. The abyss, it felt strange. For the first time in centuries, it felt foreign.
Something new was here.
Garok looked up, a bolt of light raced towards him, his hand and eyes narrowed. He was perplexed, flabbergasted, what...was that? Before he could process it, the bolt seemed to get closer and closer.
A thunderclap reverberated in the abyss, a blue bolt streaked past him, and he flinched. Garok whipped back, and a strange figure, wreathed in light, was standing across him. Garok's sword flared with power.
His jaw tightened; whatever this thing was, it had intruded into his ritual. Into his home, and it would pay. Garok took a mighty step forward, prepared to tear it to shreds.
"Whoa. Whoa..relax," Void waved him off, dusting his hands, "Let's not get too political here. You're attacking me for what? Cuz you're made of dark, and I of light?"
Garok stumbled, he paused, entirely confused, and only a grunt escaped his lips.
"Listen, buddy, that won't be flying in this era. Can't blame you, you're what? Like, a few centuries old?" Void crossed his arms and shook his head. He peeked at Garo, who was struck with silence and perplexed.
The Hive Knight held his sword close, his eyes scanned Void, and he paused. Garok grunte. He couldn't understand the presence before him. It felt...hollow, as if it wasn't even there. Garok flexed his palm, he raised his hand, and a sinister magic flickered and began to claw at the space around him.
"Oi!" Void stammered, "Calm down. Calm the hell down" he slowly unsheathed his sword and pale light enveloped his hands. "You put down yours, I put down mine. Let's make a deal."
Garok tensed; the pale light seemed dangerous. His understanding of the strange figure facing him was odd. What was this being trying to accomplish? Regardless of his thoughts, Garok couldn't sense any danger from him, yet at the same time, he couldn't understand him.
The Hive prince's grip on his sword loosened; the blade seemed to slide to the ground, its hilt still leaning against his palm. He croaked back to Void, signalling that he'd done his side of the agreement.
"Good, good." Void lowered his blade, and the pale light reeled back into the sword; he stabbed it into the ground. Void stepped closer to Garok, barehanded, examining the swarm prince.
His eyes turned Azure as he caught the trace of Crota's sword oath.
'Sure enough, ' Void's eyes flared. The trace was hanging over Garok's hand, like a chain wrapped around his soul. 'Seems like the swarm princes are more than just the oath keepers'
Void murmured to himself, 'They're somewhat like...prisoners?' He read the flow of the energy and came to one single conclusion. Crota's sword, similar to sword logic, was a symbiotic relation.
The swarm princes would gain power, but the cost was their souls being used to anchor Crota's emerald blade into reality- A cost the Hive were easily willing to pay.
"Ahm..." Void cleared his throat, taking a step back, "Seems like you're more civilised than I thought" He nodded to Garok, and the Hive prince growled back.
"Yeah, yeah. Ok, anyway, it seems like about the time when I wrap this up." Void rubbed his chin. He glanced at Garok, "GET HIM!" Void snapped.
....
Nothing happened.
Void looked to the right, and to the left....There was no movement; the shadows were eerily still. But he could swear he heard a muffled chuckle.
'Son of a...'
Garok stared back, his frown deepened, he gripped the sword in his hand, and the magic brimmed to life.
"Fine....I'll do it myself." Void grabbed the sword and took a stance.
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