Destiny 2: Frozen In Time

Chapter 20: Last Words

With House Salvation completely gone, the trio had no trace of where Taiki may have gone.

"Where do we even look now?" Spe-7 asks as she fiddles with a knife that she made out of stasis.

"Let's head back to the tower." Suzuka replies. "Maybe Zavala will have a track on him."

"Please, go and stop your friend, yeees?" Variks says. "For everyone's sake."

"Right." Gold replies as the trio hops into their jumpships and heads for the tower. "Do you like that rifle you got?"

"Oh the one that I got from Atraks?" Suzuka asks. "It's pretty good." And with that the trio descends into the tower where they find that Zavala has been waiting for them.

"Hello guardians." Zavala says. "It's a relief to see you here."

"The House of Salvation is completely gone." Suzuka replies. "But Taiki is still at large."

"I am aware." Zavala says. "He was the one that destroyed the last of it's members."

"How has everything been back in the city?" Spe-7 asks.

"I'm going to be honest... It hasn't been the best." Zavala replies. "We've been holding, but knowing the power that Taiki holds... I'm not sure if we're going to be able to last against him..."

"How are we even going to defeat him?" Gold mumbles. "Ghost is just going to keep reviving him if he dies, and he too as been corrupted by the darkness."

"We must create something that can destroy a ghost in that case." Ikora says as she walks over. "If we can destroy Ghost, then Taiki will be rendered mortal and vulnerable, but figuring out how to do it is hard."

"As much as we know about our ghosts, we still don't know what it takes to completely destroy one." Zavala adds. "But we can learn... More specifically from what happened to Sundance."

"Cayde's ghost..." Fang says. "We found her remains that one time, but how did it happen?"

"I'm told that the scorn had somehow gotten ahold of a bullet from a weapon of sorrow, and they modified it so one of the barons could use it." Zavala replies. "If we are to believe this, then that means weapons that have been manufactured by the Hive are capable of destroying ghosts."

"But how are we going to get ahold of one?" Spe-7 asks. "We can't just waltz up to an ascendant plane and ask out of the blue."

"That's why you're going to steal one." Zavala replies. "Have you ever heard of the tale of Dredgen Yor?"

"No, I've never heard of it." Gold says. "What's the story behind him?"

"He was once a guardian of the light, and then one day... He fell to the darkness." Zavala replies. "The tale goes that he grafted a hive knight's bones to his hand cannon, Rose. When Yor fell to the darkness his hand cannon transformed into a monstrous weapon of sorrow named Thorn. It fired rounds that could drain the light of a Ghost and permanently kill a guardian, and he used it to slay hundreds of lightbearers."

"Has he been killed?" Spe-7 asks.

"He is dead, but his weapon is still around." Zavala replies. "There have been multiple copies of the weapon but only the original carries the properties that we speak of."

"I see." Suzuka says.

"You must work quickly though..." Zavala replies. "With the House of Salvation gone, Taiki may be given another directive by the darkness... And if it is to attack the city... All hope may be lost."

"Where do we even begin?" Suzuka asks.

"That... I will leave up to you." Zavala replies. "This is something that I myself cannot do anything about. You three have shown your intuitive and creativity, so I trust that you will be able to discover for yourself just how you will acquire this weapon and defeat Taiki for good. May the light be with you." And with that Zavala and Ikora walk away, leaving the trio of guardians to wonder how to get ahold of Thorn.

"Who would we talk to, to find something like this?" Spe-7 mumbles, and then a certain rogue lightbearer comes to mind.

"The drifter?" Gold asks.

"The drifter." Spe-7 replies. "He knows a lot about both the light and the dark so perhaps he's got some information on it."

"It never hurt to ask." Suzuka says as the trio heads into the annex where the drifter can be found, and there he stands, throwing a mote of dark into the bank.

"Heyyo! Slayed any gods lately?" Drifter asks.

"Actually, we came here to ask you about something..." Suzuka replies.

"Any ideas on where to find Thorn?" Spe-7 pipes up, and the drifter's face turns grim.

"You... You want to find that cursed hand cannon?" Drifter asks. "What do you even need it for?"

"It's one of the weapons that can destroy a ghost, and we need it to take down Taiki for good." Gold replies.

"But who's going to use it?" Drifter asks, and Suzuka steps up. "Are you sure you wanna do this?"

"I'm not looking back." Suzuka replies, remembering Taiki's words. "I made a promise to Taiki... If he were to go crazy, I would be the one to put him down... And I need to pull my end of that promise."

"I see..." Drifter says. "I like that determination, but it's not gonna be a trip down easy street."

"I'm aware." Suzuka replies. "But I'm ready. If it means I put him to rest, then I'll do whatever is necessary."

"Okay. You three come with me, and we can discuss this on my ship." Drifter says. "I'm not too keen on having the vanguard snoop on us."