This is my first attempt at a story, comp not being my favorite in school, so any tips or reviews are welcome.

Ch. 1: The Awakening

There's a bright flash of light right before the feeling the crisp fall air on Locus' face as he tried to slow his breathing. 'What's happening? Why is there so much destruction around? Better question, why am I surrounded by skeletons?' He asked himself all of these while getting up slowly feeling the aches in every one of his joints and a pounding in his head from the questions. Locus looked around what he once called home, puzzled before being startled by a floating object in his face, and falling back down.

"Eyes up guardian."

"Woah! What... What are you?" The object stayed in place for a second before floating down to eye level.

"I'm a ghost. Your ghost to be specific..."

'A ghost? What's happening?' he started to wonder in his head before snapping back to the present.

"We should start moving guardian. The Fallen will be here any minute and you don't have a weapon." His ghost flew towards him before disappearing. "I'll be here in your scarf so don't worry." Locus mentally acknowledged that and how the ghost had a voice that sounds like a girl he knew.

Standing up and looking out to ships flying, he started to walk in the direction of an old air base.

"So Ghost. What do you mean by calling me a guardian?"

"Guardians are the few chosen by the Traveler and are warriors gifted with the light to protect what's left of humanity."

"The Traveler, right. And you are able to resurrect me because of this light?"

"Simply put, yes. I was born from in the Travelers last breath to find you. All the guardians come from those who died in the Collapse. The Vanguard and the Speaker can better explain it."

"Alright," Locus began as he climbed through a broken fence moving to the base armory, "where are these vanguard?"

"Russia. Specifically the Tower in the Last City under the Traveler." She remarked, reappearing to look at a container.

He immediately stopped in his tracks and looked at his ghost.

"Russia. And how the hell are we getting there from South Dakota? Unless we can teleport."

"We'll have to find a jumpship. This base was used by the airforce right? So they should have some in the hangers."

Locus sighed shaking his head as they continue the trek in the base.

"The Fallen, what are they?"

"They're space pirates. But their race is called the Eliksni. And they're just scavengers."

"Sound like we don't know much on them."

"About as much as you know about what's happened in the last few centuries."

He smiled at the remark before kicking a door down looking at the options of firearms.

"You should find a rifle, sidearm, and a sniper. Those should suit the area and your skills." His ghost flies over to a pile of rifles scanning them. "These should work. The Khvostov was always a reliable choice."

Picking up the rifle, Locus checked the mag and slung it over his shoulder.

"If there's one things you can count on the Russians doing, it's making a damn good rifle."

"We should get to the hangers. The Fallen are closing in on us."

Grabbing the other recommended weapons, he peaked out the door before make a dash across open ground moving building to building.

Finally arriving in the hanger, Locus looked around recognizing an old Arcadia in decent condition.

"Ghost, should that work to get us to the City?"

"Yeah it'll work. But why do guardians have a knack for finding Arcadias?" going over to the ship she scans it and the engine starts to spin up.

"Was that bit of sass? Didn't know a light bulb was capable of that. Kinda reminds me of a friend I had" Locus jokes while kneeling and watching the door and windows.

"Ghosts aren't just plain computers, we can have personality. But if you want sass, you should have seen Osiris' ghost Sagira. No care with her... Contact. Lots of them. Coming in from the north. There's an Archon."

Locus readies his rifle taking aim at the wall, hearing the orders of captains followed by dregs shuffling around. "You better get the ship in the air soon Aura. Before I die again. "

"I'm trying to as fast as I can, but this tech takes a bit of convincing... Wait Aura? Did you just name me yourself?"

Locus chuckled a bit while switching between dregs coming through the door and windows.

"Yeah I did. Don't ask why I went for that. Just fix the ship before something happens... Oh shit." Locus ducks to the side as a shock grenade flies past his head. "Yeah let's hurry this up."

The firefight keeps up for another couple minutes with Locus down to his sidearm and the captains now joined in the fight.

"Aura! Now would be a good time for us to leave!"

"I'm working. This thing has more loose circuits than Cayde."

Locus turns to the ship looking at the left engine for a second before he kicks it causing the engine to sputter back on.

"There. Fixed it. Now let's go," Locus freezes as he feels something grab him and looks down to see a large hand, "Oh hell. This'll hurt."

The Archon threw Locus across the room into the wall with enough force to crack it. Groaning as he got up, Locus reached to his side only to realize his sidearm was laying by the ship, behind the 15 foot Archon. Taking notice the Fallen barked orders to a captain who walked to Locus, putting one of its swords in the ground.

"Alien space scavengers with honor," he stands grabbing the blade and looks the archon in the eye, "I guess I have no choice but to accept."

The archon starred back before speaking in it's broad voice, "Gue drass drageh oh Bo Thret." (Roughly 'Cower before the Kell of Kells of House Freedom' )

Locus shook his head and sighed, "Let's just get this over with." He charges at the archon and locks blades with it struggling to stay standing.

As the two swords clash together, with sparks flying from them, Locus pulled a grenade from his belt and smiled as his ship starts to fly. "So archon, you ever dance with the devil in the pale moon light?" He chuckles as it goes off and his vision goes white.