Cidrex owned by LordShaxxion, used with permission

Liran owned by fireteam-dumb_luck, used with permission

"You're only down to stage three psychic damage, Jayesh," Ikora said.

She looked up from her tablet at the young Guardian before her. He was a human with brown skin and dark hair, and a glint of blue Light in his eyes. He wore a white warlock robe that had seen better days. One hand fiddled nervously with the buckle on the sash.

"I'm doing better," he insisted, giving her an earnest look. "I need to train. Please, Ikora."

Ikora sighed deeply and studied her tablet again. "Your hallucinations have subsided, that's good. The nightmares haven't, which isn't good. You've lost your ability to communicate with the Traveler, and you're no longer a Dawnblade." She looked up and raised her eyebrows.

Jayesh pressed a fist to his heart. "I'm a Sunsinger now. But I need to train so I can learn my powers."

Ikora waited, gazing at him.

Jayesh crumpled and hung his head. "I can't speak to the Traveler, no. And the nightmares ... they're not so bad. My ghost keeps them down." He held out a hand and summoned his ghost in a flash of blue particles. Phoenix appeared in a fiery red and yellow shell.

Ikora studied them both. The ghost's eye flickered very slightly, a sign of impending exhaustion. And Jayesh looked haggard, with dark circles under his eyes.

"Sunsinger training requires intense focus," Ikora said. "And I don't think either of you are ready for it. Stage three is nothing to shrug off, Jayesh. I know it's better than stage five, but most Guardians are still on medical leave at stage three."

"You don't understand," Jayesh said in a low voice. "My Light - my Dawnblade - is gone, Ikora. It's part of who I am. I have to regain my solar Light, even if I have to retrain as a Sunsinger. Otherwise I'll never recover."

"You could go arc or void," Ikora suggested.

Jayesh shook his head. "I'm a healer."

Three simple words, so rare among the Guardians of the Vanguard. Ikora studied her tablet to avoid looking at the swiftly-fading scars across his eyes, where a monster in the Ascendant Realm had taken his sight. Jayesh was one of her favorites among the young warlocks, and he had been through such horrendous things, trying to save people. And now, all he wanted was to regain his Light. It was too easy to remember her own long night, with no hope of ever regaining her own Light.

"All right," she said at last. "I'll put you down for training. But only two days a week. The rest of the time, I want you to rest. Understand?"

Jayesh beamed like she had handed him the Traveler, itself. "Yes, ma'am! Thank you!"

"Now, about that," Ikora went on. "There are few true Sunsingers left. After the Red War, the quality of the Light changed, and the Dawnblades emerged. The ones still knowledgeable about Sunsingers work among the Praxic Order, and they are harsh to newcomers. They will train you, but they will also tax you. Do you understand?"

Jayesh nodded. "Yes, ma'am. I've worked with some Praxic Order warlocks before. They're ... fierce."

Ikora nodded. "Two days a week. No more, no matter what they say."

"Two days," he agreed.

After she dismissed him, Ikora stood at the Tower railing for some time in silence.

Her ghost materialized beside her and studied the Cityscape, too. "They'll break him."

"Not at two days a week," Ikora whispered. "Surely not."

"You know what Aunor Mahal is like," Ophiuchus said. "You know what's been going on with Gambit. Jayesh has been in the Dreaming City. He has no idea."

Ikora shut her eyes and inhaled. "Do I deny him his Light?"

Ophiuchus didn't respond for a moment, but his shell jerked back and forth. "He and his ghost are unwell."

"I know. We'll monitor them closely. If they show signs of relapse, I'll end the training."

Ophiuchus nodded, and she sensed his disapproval. But that was normal. Her ghost disapproved of most things these days.

Jayesh loitered outside the Praxic Order headquarters, building up the nerve to enter. It had once been a guard tower far down the wall of the Last City. Now it was the offices of the solar warlocks most concerned with keeping weapons of Darkness out of the hands of Guardians. Yellow and black banners fluttered in the breeze on either side of the door, marked with the triple triangles of the order.

"They won't bite you," said his ghost, Phoenix. "I mean, I hope not."

"These people scare me," Jayesh muttered, straightening his robe and combing a hand through his hair. "I mean, did you hear about that block they burned down to kill a couple Shadows of Yor?"

"Yes," Phoenix said. "You've been Solar since I resurrected you. I didn't think fire scared me ... until I watched videos of Praxic warlocks in action."

Jayesh squared his shoulders. "I have to do this. My Light still isn't right."

Phoenix gave him a sideways look. Jayesh wouldn't say it, but his inability to communicate with the Traveler troubled him worse than his fitful Solar Light. A bad encounter with the Ahamkara Riven had cost him his power and a good deal of his sanity. Although a month of rest at home had helped, Jayesh still wasn't well. His focus on regaining his Light approached mania, and Phoenix simply came along for the ride.

Jayesh turned the doorknob and entered the office.

His first impression was of yellow and black. The walls were hung with Praxic Order banners, the desks were draped in them, and more banners stretched across the ceiling. Several warlocks worked at the desks, crammed together in the narrow room. Filing cabinets lurked behind the wall hangings. Ghosts zipped here and there, appearing and disappearing, carrying news and information to their Guardians.

As Jayesh entered, all activity halted. Every warlock and ghost turned to stare at him.

He gulped. "Guardian Jayesh, come for training. Please." His words sounded so weak.

One of the warlocks rose from her seat and walked up to him. She was a dark-complexioned human, like himself, with a glint of orange in her eyes, as if her fire threatened to break loose at any second. She studied him a moment, then glanced at her tablet. "Jayesh. Yes. Rey sent me your report." She jerked her head. "This way."

Jayesh followed her through the room and through a door behind a tapestry. Inside was another office, this with only one desk, every pencil and paper severely organized. The books on a nearby shelf were arranged by size. There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere, and no chairs for guests.

The warlock took the only chair, putting the width of the desk between them. "I am Aunor Mahal," she said, pressing her fingertips together. "Why have you switched disciplines so suddenly?"

Jayesh hadn't yet filed his report on his activities in the Dreaming City. Medical had told him not to bother until his psychic damage dropped below stage two, or it would be thrown out as unreliable. Aside from Ikora, whom he had told personally, nobody knew why he had come home Lightless and mentally ill.

"My Light was damaged in the Dreaming City," Jayesh said, thankful this was one of his lucid days. "I lost the ability to wield the Dawnblade. I need to train as a Sunsinger."

"Uh-huh," Aunor said, studying him without blinking. "Guardians don't just lose their Light. What Darkness were you involved with?"

This was the focus of the Praxic order, after all. Jayesh replied, "I was sent to use a Blessing of Light to restore a Taken."

"Did you succeed?"

"Yes."

"Was it the Taken that damaged your Light?"

He hesitated. "Not that one. But ... a different one."

Aunor waited in silence, staring at him across her steepled fingers.

"Riven," Jayesh confessed. "In the Ascendant Realm."

Only Aunor's lips moved. "Ikora's message says that you have stage three psychic damage, and that you're only to train two days a week."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I don't have time to train a sick Guardian," Aunor snapped. "You are unfit for the Praxic Order. I have my hands full with Gambit."

"Please," Jayesh said, swaying forward. "I need my Light back so I can recover. Please."

Aunor studied him in silence for a moment. Then she summoned her ghost, in a yellow and black shell. "Send for Cal."

The ghost vanished. A moment later, the door opened, and a giant of a man stepped inside, ducking his head to avoid the doorframe. Jayesh backed into a corner to give him room to enter. Cal's muscular arms were as big around as Jayesh's legs, and his robe stretched across his broad shoulders. He was human, too. The ghost at his shoulder seemed comically small.

"Yes, Ms. Mahal?" he said, bowing a little.

She flicked a hand at Jayesh. "New supplicant, needs training, two days a week. I'm busy. You handle it."

Cal turned to look down at Jayesh. He had vivid blue eyes and a crooked nose, and his mouth seemed set in an easy smile. He had long blond hair in a braid down his back.

"Hey there, Jayesh." He held out a hand. Jayesh's hand disappeared into it as they shook. "Haven't seen you since the plague."

"Been busy." Jayesh didn't add that Cal's massive size and formidable power had intimidated him then, and continued to do so.

Cal ducked out the door. "Come on, then. Let's see what you can do."

Jayesh followed him out of the guard tower and some distance along the top of the wall. Once they were far from anything that might catch fire, Cal turned to face him. "You were one of the top healers during the plague winter, Jayesh. Why do you need training?"

Jayesh leaned against the wall's parapet. "I was injured in the Dreaming City. I lost my Light. Dawnblade. Healing. Everything. My ghost ... do you know what an intercession is?"

Cal's bright blue gaze fixed on him. "I've read about it. It's rare. Not all ghosts can do it."

Jayesh nodded. "My ghost interceded for me to the Traveler. It sort of ... taught me about being a Sunsinger. But I don't know how to use it. And my Light won't cooperate."

Cal was far more easy-going than Aunor. He pondered this, his brain much quicker than his huge frame suggested. "Well then. Can you summon a grenade?"

Jayesh held out a hand and built the beginnings of an explosive Light ball. But after a moment it fizzled and went out.

"Huh," Cal grunted. "Any fire at all?"

Jayesh held up both hands and summoned feeble flames that went out in the wind.

Cal sat on the parapet across from Jayesh and looked at him a moment. Then he gazed across the Last City to the Traveler in the distance, its cracked globe filling the sky. "Tell you what," he said finally. "I'm due to run patrol in the EDZ tomorrow. Come with me and we'll practice out there."

Jayesh straightened. "You think you can help?"

Cal shrugged. "Help you help yourself, maybe. I need to read up on this. I saw you stack rifts in the hospitals. And now you can't even call fire? Yeah, I need to do research."

Jayesh glanced at Cal's gigantic frame and imagined him wedged between the narrow shelves in the Archives. "Thanks," he said faintly.

Cal shook a finger at him. "And stay out of Gambit."

Jayesh gave him a blank look. "What's Gambit?"

Cal peered at him, as if expecting a joke. "What's Gambit? Are you serious? You really don't know?"

"I just spent six weeks in the Reef," Jayesh said, a trifle wearily. "I'm behind on news."

Cal grinned suddenly. "You must be the only Guardian who doesn't know. Well, then. I'll fill you in tomorrow."

Jayesh went home and collapsed on the sofa. He stayed there even as his toddler, Connor, carefully piled him with toys.

When Kari came in to check on them, Jayesh was asleep, covered in an assortment of toy cars and stuffed animals. Connor was cramming his father's robe pockets full of blocks. Connor's ghost, Varan, floated nearby, talking to Phoenix and overseeing these activities.

Kari sighed. "Con, what are you doing?"

He looked up and explained in baby jabber, motioning to the toys and his beloved daddy.

Kari bent over Jayesh, smoothed back his hair, and kissed his forehead. His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled up at her. Then he looked down at the sea of toys covering him. "Been busy, Connor?" He sat up, displacing toys in an avalanche.

Kari retrieved the various containers the toys had come from and set about cleaning up, praising Connor when he helped. Jayesh stood up, put his hands in his pockets, and emerged with handfuls of blocks.

"How did your meeting go?" Kari asked, shaking her auburn hair out of her eyes.

Jayesh dumped the blocks in their box. "Ikora is letting me train, but the Praxic Order are scary."

Kari grinned. "They didn't used to be, but yes. Our very own Knights Templar."

She put away the toys and sat on the sofa, pulling Jayesh down beside her. Connor vanished into his room and dumped out all the toys they had just put away.

Jayesh put his arms around his wife and leaned his head against hers. Despite its annoyances, home was the best place to be.

She stroked his face. "You fell asleep."

"I know. They assigned me to work with Cal. You know, the Titan in robes."

Kari smiled. "Oh, him. He's the only one of them I ever liked. I think you'll get along just fine."

Jayesh sighed. "I hope so. He's taking me on EDZ patrol tomorrow, where we can practice fire without blowing anything up."

"Forest fires are a concern," Kari said. "But yes, that'll be good for you. You've been stuck in the Tower since you got home."

"I feel like I've been in hibernation," Jayesh said. "All I've done is sleep."

Connor reappeared, carrying his ghost in one hand. He climbed into Jayesh's lap and sat there, babbling half-formed words, and turning Varan's segments back and forth. She permitted this, gazing up at her young Guardian adoringly.

"It worked, didn't it?" Kari said. "You're recovering."

"Slowly," Jayesh said, patting his son's back and gently pulling the ghost from his hands. He cleaned Varan's smeared eye lens with his sleeve and let her go. She flew straight back into Connor's lap.

Jayesh leaned back with a sigh. "It's been so dark, Kari. Some days I can feel it creeping up on me. And sometimes there's voices. Other times, I think I'm still making blind leaps in the dark, only I'm alone."

Kari stroked his hair. "I'm here, heartspark. Any time you need me, I'm here."

He nuzzled her and kissed her temple. "I'd be such a wreck without you."

Connor climbed up the couch and fell off the back with a thump. A moment later, he reappeared to do it again, giggling.

"That gets annoying, though," Jayesh remarked.

Kari sighed. "I know. There's no place I can take him to play, except down in the City."

Jayesh groaned and leaned his head back. "So, patrol tomorrow. Training. Get my Light working. Figure out this Sunsinger thing. Oh. What's Gambit?"

He lifted his head to find that Kari's smile had faded. "Right. You don't know."

"What?"

"Sometime in the last few months," Kari said, "this guy showed up in the Tower. He's a ... not a Guardian, but he has a ghost, so, a Lightbearer. Calls himself the Drifter. Shady as hell. He had this little spot in a back alley for a while, runs this game called Gambit. Two teams fight enemies that he controls, first team to take down their enemies wins. But there's this thing with harvesting and banking motes of Darkness ... and he can summon and dismiss Taken ... I don't know, Jay. It's getting to be more popular than Crucible, but nobody talks about it. The Vanguard isn't supposed to know what's going on."

Jayesh sat there in silence, frowning. "No wonder the Praxic Order is concerned."

Kari nodded. "There's this part where one Guardian can invade the other team at certain times. And they get this boost of power ... like Taken have. I've talked to people who are addicted to that rush. They can't wait for their next match. They do well, the Drifter gives them the Dredgen title. We have a lot of Dredgens running around right now."

Jayesh stared at her. "And the Vanguard has allowed this to go on?"

Kari shrugged. "Nobody's been permanently killed, so they're biding their time."

Jayesh thought about this for a while. It was one more enormous problem he couldn't change, like the curse on the Dreaming City.

"Nell's into it," Kari added.

Jayesh rolled his eyes. "Of course she is. That's the kind of sport she'd love."

Nell was one of their friends and fireteammates, a fearless hunter whose loyalty lay with her ghost and pretty much nowhere else.

"I'll bet she'd know all about Gambit's inner workings," Jayesh mused. "I'm glad Uldren's staying away. I'm afraid he'd wind up champion of every sport we have, sanctioned and unsanctioned."

"Shh," Kari whispered. "We're not supposed to talk about him, remember?"

"I know." Although rumor of Uldren's resurrection as a Guardian had spread throughout the Vanguard, no one offered any proof. The only eyewitness was Jayesh, and he couldn't file a report. At this point, he wasn't sure he wanted to. Outing his friend to the hurting, vengeful Guardians seemed unwise. Uldren had taken off in a new ship, and Jayesh hadn't heard from him since. He didn't expect to - friendship with the Awoken Prince was too dangerous.

Jayesh slowly climbed to his feet. He gestured once, then twice. Kari realized it was the gesture a Dawnblade made to summon their sword. At the look on Jayesh's face, she realized that he still held out hope that his power might return. He noticed her looking and smiled, a little stiffly. "May I borrow your old sword?"

Kari stood with a pained expression. One simple question, and so much sadness behind it. Sunsingers, while formidable fighters, summoned no weapons. And he did love his sword.

Kari opened the weapons chest in their room, where all things dangerous were safe from a toddler's inquisitive fingers. Her sword was sheathed and wrapped in cloth. She lifted it out and passed it to her husband.

Jayesh drew the sword and held the blade across his palms, testing the weight. Then he lifted it to middle guard and held it there. "Good balance. Heavier than my Dawnblade, but I can learn to use it." He sheathed it and stood gazing at it a long moment. When he looked up, his eyes were moist. He drew a deep breath and smiled, trying to hide this. "At least I'll still have a sword, right?"

Kari hugged him without a word, her heart wrung at the sight of him fighting to put himself back together. "You'll be all right," she whispered. "You'll get through this and be even stronger."

He set down the sword and wrapped his arms around her. She felt his breathing catching in his chest as he struggled to hold back tears. "It's gone, Kari. It's gone and I can't get past it."

She wanted to reply with platitudes about rest, healing, giving it time, and so on. But she couldn't do it. He'd been hideously mangled in a metaphysical way, and she had no idea if that could ever be fixed.

She held him for a long time.