The Line is so Very Thin

Seven

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The Dreadnought, Saturn's Rings...

Several Years Ago...

Asher POV:

The space around us was dark, so dark that only a guardian engulfed in solar light would even stand a chance at igniting a visual spark. The distant screams of the Taken King ravaged my ears and stung my mind. The air was like embers, it smoldered my senses and overwhelmed my nostrils. My hands were covered in an unknown individuals crimson blood and my eyes darted left and right, hoping to find even a modicum of hope.

I yelled out for my team but my voice was drowned out by the endless night. I grabbed the holster on my thigh, but my hand only swiped at air. My breathing was heavy and ragged. A loud roar sounded out behind me and I spun towards the monstrous voice. A shade, a mirror of the dark monarch.

It wielded a mighty, corrupted sword that pulsed and rippled with darkness. It's eyes were milky white and completely devoid of mercy. It's wings flapped viciously and the shade charged out of the darkness that surrounded me. It's shriek violated the area around me and darkness exploded out of it.

The shadow was upon me and raised It's sword to cleave me in two. It yelled as It's sword pounded into the ground in front of it. I rolled to the left of the sword's impact and jumped on top of the king's dark reflection. It bucked like an ox and roared as I flew around atop It's head, desperately clinging for dear life.

One of It's sharp claw like hands reached up to grab me and tear me limb from limb. Two arc knives speared out from my hands and I planted them into the shade's crown like head.

It reared and growled until it vanished from beneath me. I landed roughly onto the shimmering surface of the ground. The world around me started to wither and crack like glass. The sight of the Dreadnought painted the canvas of space and standing before me was Oryx, The Taken King. He glared at me with ravenous hatred and he spoke a curse on to me.

His words were not recognizable by my intellect, but I could feel it changing the essence of my being. The light inside me was manipulated and changed to his liking. Even while his strength faded, he still controlled his paracausal throne world.

My mind raced as images flooded my mind. Uldren Sov and six other beings that resembled mangled Eliksni, stood over Cayde's lifeless body. In front of Uldren, an Ahamkara sat. It's colossal head tilted in curiosity at the site of the Awoken Prince, then the vision faded and another replaced it.

A dark ship, pyramid like in shape, sat dormant in the depths of the Moon. Machinations of past enemies and unknowns stood on a cliff before it, kneeling. The vision flickered and changed to an unfamiliar scene. A Hive being stood before me with It's back turned. It stared out into a jungle like space. In the distance a pyramid ship levitated off of the ground. The being turned slightly to me and spoke.

?: "Soon."

My conscious went blank and I could feel my head hit the ground. My vision was darkening at the edges and I could only hear muffled yelling and gunfire. A figure glided off of the ground above me and cast a large ball of Void Light out of their hands. The bomb flew towards Oryx's exposed chest and crashed into him.

He shook and spasmed violently while corrupted light and pure darkness coursed out of him. The world around me went pure white and a loud boom shook the ground below me. When my vision cleared, familiar silhouettes of my friends stood above me. My ears were ringing and their dialogue was muted by an action that was not my own.

I could feel myself being picked up off the ground by heavily armored gauntlets. Paige and Drake had my arms slung around their shoulders and they walked me away from the now drifting King. The others followed behind me, but I spared one more glance at the dead God.