Hi, all! This is another facet of Rezyl Azzir/Dredgen Yor (gamer tag Basket34Ball) Paradox story, told from the perspective of James' rival Dredgen Yor in a series of journal entries. This only complements the series, so you won't get the full experience just reading this. This is a link to the Table of Contents: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/222610151?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=0 If you're ambitious, here's the first part to get you started: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/222438285?page=0&sort=0&showBanned=0&path=0 Hope you enjoy! ____________________________________ [u][b]Entry 9,498[/b][/u] [b][u]Unsolicited by subject[/u][/b] Dredgen Yor has joined the excursion to the Hive God Oryx's Dreadnought. He is currently accompanying Christopher Shaxx, Rin and Xues Stryker, and his daughter Courtney Bray across a bottomless pit, their only means of crossing being a Hive tombship they are currently riding on the hull. A docking platform on the other side is manned by Hive with Shredders and Boomers. Despite the damage they may cause to their own vehicle, they are zealously shooting at us. "Acolyte, 5:30!" Yor calls. Shaxx is confused. "There's nothing behind us!" "He's oriented its face up and down, Chris," Bray growls, somehow killing the enemy with her hand cannon even at that great a distance. "That's not how that works," Shaxx grumbled. Yor chuckles. "You can always count on a Titan to fight by the book. Knight, 8:00." Bray groans, "I see it! It's head is freakin' huge! You don't need to call out every single thing." Yor shrugs. "I'm just doing my part, since [i]someone's[/i] in front of me and blocking my line of sight." Bray spins around. "Damn it, old man, if you don' shut up--" "[i]Courtney...[/i]" Xues Stryker warns. "He's right," Rin Stryker agrees. "Keep it frosty here, guys. We all want to get out of this alive." Bray-Yor snorts as the tombship slowed to a stop on the other side. "Whatever. Just stay out of my way and--" Her statement was interrupted by a hidden Knight jumping out from behind cover, a bony fist raised over Bray's head. Suddenly, a spike burrows into its middle eye, poison withering its face before it crumbles to bone dust. The muzzle of Yor's Thorn billowed with green fumes. "Maybe it [i]is[/i] best that I stay in the back," he recommends. Bray gives him a look of cold loathing. "[i]Stop[/i] trying to hold my hand through this. I could have handled it [i]myself[/i]." She walks briskly away before Yor can respond, but that doesn't stop him from chuckling, "Just like your mother." We continue through, following some sort of column of force that acts as an elevator up to a long hall, at the end of which is a massive door. Rin Stryker approaches it and it opens, admitting us into a large chamber dominated by a towering gateway filled with green Hive magic. Eight Acolytes are prostrate to the threshold, utterly oblivious to our arrival. Between us lies a large ritual plate characteristic of Hive architecture. "Leave those guys alone for now," Rin Stryker instructs the group. "On either side of the room there are small tunnels that lead to rooms with tall totems--" "'Totems'?" Shaxx interrupts. "I didn't name them. Anyway, at the entrance to the tunnel there are little orbs of Hive magic. We have to split up, each team heading to a totem and absorbing the energy. The person with the magic has to wait near the totem until they've been charged with the power of a Deathsinger, which forces them to pass the Hive magic off to a nearby member. The person with the Deathsinger power has to run back here and stand on the central plate, which should charge those darkened runes on the gateway until their Deathsinger power fades. Once that happens, they have to run back to the group they were with, hopefully before the other person has to leave to discharge their Deathsinger power. We repeat this cycle from both totems until all the runes are charged." "What happens if we make a mistake?" Xues Stryker asks. "Then the totems will activate and annihilate us," she replies. "No pressure." "This would have been easier with six people..." Shaxx comments. Bray rolls her eyes. "Yes, I'm [i]sure[/i] everything would have been easier with more people, Chris. Our wishing doesn't have to stop at just six though; why not eight or ten?" "There should be at least two of us on each side, with the remaining guy hanging around this room in case someone needs help," Rin Stryker interjects. "I'll stay here," Yor volunteers. "You all are faster than me. You're better off doing the running." Rin Stryker nods in approval. "Fine. Xues, Courtney, you take a side. Chris, you're with me. Yor, when we're in position, kill all the Acolytes...fast." Yor smiles at his daughter. "Now you get to see how this 'old man' brought the pain back in the day." She pretends not to hear him as she follows Xues Stryker to the right side. Yor turns back to the Acolytes and notices me hovering beside him. "Damn it Shrimp, what the hell are you doing out of my armor? This is no time for recording. Get back in before you're killed." [u][b]Entry 9,499[/b][/u] [u] [b]Unsolicited by subject[/b][/u] The Warpriest was beaten, but not killed. As the others travel through the gate behind it, the large Hive seemingly reawakens, evidently only temporarily incapacitated. Dredgen Yor is weakened from the fight before, being significantly older than the others, and is at the back of the group. Courtney Bray is just about to step through when the Warpriest-- "For the love of God, Shrimp! Get back in my--" Both Yor and the Warpriest notice my appearance, and the massive Hive acts surprisingly fast, trying to grab and crush me. Yor reacts just slightly faster, ripping off his helmet and thrusting it between me and the Warpriest's claws. The helmet gets knocked from his hand and unceremoniously scoops me up, careening toward the portal. Yor's daughter catches the helmet and me inside before we pass through. Unfortunately, Yor's quick action put him off balance enough to give the Warpriest a chance to knock Thorn out of Yor's hands. It flies through the portal since Bray couldn't catch it while holding the helmet. "GO!" Yor yells, stepping back as the Warpriest slowly staggers to his feet. "[i]You [/i]come on!" Bray retorts. "We can't finish this without you!" "You've been doing pretty well so far without me messing up your life anymore than I've already done." Bray shakes her head, tears forming in her eyes. "I - I don't want that! I don't want my only memories of you are when you say goodbye!" Yor looks back, his own eyes glistening. "Neither would I, baby-girl. But your friends need you more than you need me. If you make it through this...Shrimp, you know what to do." "I do," I confirm. "I - I'm sorry I won't be here for you at the end." Yor smiled sadly. "You stayed with me when it mattered the most, little buddy. Help Courtney. Finish the mission. Go." The Warpriest finally managed to regain its footing, but Yor runs toward it in an effort to keep it from following us through the collapsing portal. It works, and the last thing I see before we pass the threshold is the giant Hive's boot racing toward the Hunter I had watched over for most of his life. After we come out the other side, the only thing I hear is Courtney crying.