PATHFINDING

A Fallen looks into the Hellmouth. What is down there? What could the Hive be housing within the core of this rock? Then he remembered how his arms were docked: Curiosity. He asked too many questions while he was a Wolf, his captain said, "Taas kii la too roc oretsa, I burc fir dia lar racshad, taska!" (translated: "If you ask too many questions, I'll cut your arms off, for good!") Needless to say, he escaped, from Virixas, from his captain, and from The Queen. The captains here are nicer, for they have escaped the dictatorship of the Kells and the Archons' persecution. Vandals, however, still cling to their old ways. This new House is an Anarcho-Syndicalist Commune, whatever that means, and I like it. Then he looked up at the sky, hoping to find an author at his desk, but all he found was the Earth.

Then he heard something. A moan. He turned towards it, and saw a Guardian. It crawled out of the pit, face down. The Dreg cautiously approached the Guardian. He raised his shock pistol. "Kasu ra ta?" The Guardian looked up, and the Dreg fell to the ground, backing away from the three hideous, glowing, green eyes. He stopped when his back was against a rock and raised his weapon again, this time it was level with its legs. The Guardian stood up and said, "I am Eris Morn," then raising its own firearm at the Dreg. Finger on the trigger, it said, "and I need a ship."

I was strapped into my seat, and my Ghost was the wheel, or handlebars, or something. "Do you have a name?" I asked.

"GH-0358200822367," it responded

"That's a mouthful. How about Rusty?"

"WHAT?"

"Well, I don't want to say 'Ghost' or your full name when I want to talk to you, so I'm giving you a nickname."

"What the Hellmouth is a nickname?"

"A shortened name. Something to remember people by."

"Well, I don't like Rusty. It sounds...old."

"It's temporary until I think of a new one, Rusty."

Rusty grumbled and went back to steering. Then he said, "We're here." I looked out the window. A massive rectangular Tower stood before the ship, and below it was a city, the City. I saw brilliant lights in the streets below, white and glowing in the night. The streets were straight, numbered, and formed actual blocks. Some buildings were taller than others, some were close to the height of the Tower, but none could surpass it.

Then Rusty teleported me out of the ship and said, "Welcome to the Last City, the only place The Traveler can still protect. And this Tower is where the Guardians live and buy stuff." I said, "Well, where to?"

"Ikora Rey welcomes new Warlocks as their Vanguard, so let's start there."

I walked across the plaza from the mini overlook to the flights of stairs leading to a hall filled with red banners and white swords, which lead to a giant room with a long table and 3 Guardians standing before it. The 'bluish-pale' soldier stood at the end furthest from me, the robotic humanoid with a hoodie stood behind the middle of the table and to my left, and then a robed human stood at the right-hand corner closest to me. I walked over to the robed Guardian and asked her, "Are you Ikora Rey?" She looked at me and said, "Yes. What can I do for you, Warlock?"

"Just a new robe, and maybe some new combat boots."

"Sure, here you go."

As I was about to leave, the soldier looked at me and said, "You know, you could easily be a Titan."

The robot followed suit. "Or a Hunter."

"Yeah, but I'm a Warlock."

"What's so fun about books?"

Ikora straightened her back and said, "Applying them to the field and scouting missions."

The soldier looked at Ikora. "We all know there are laws to your faction's mysterious ways, Ikora. But in terms of dealing damaging blows to the enemy, Titans are supreme."

"Zavala," the Warlock Vanguard spoke, "strength does not solve every problem. Warlocks have the mental capacity for dealing with Hive runes and Vex gates."

The robot looked at Zavala, then at Ikora, and he kept going back and forth, until he said, "Here we go again."

"Cayde-6, we've had enough of your commentary," said Zavala sternly.

"Just trying to lighten the mood."

I left as soon as I could. But as I walked up the stairs, I bumped into an Exo Titan and an Awoken Hunter, both of whom shouted, "Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry," I responded apologetically, and ran away as fast as I could, and to the gunsmith. "What gun are you looking for?" its scratchy voice asked.

"A new weapon," I said as I tossed down the Khovstov.

"Battered, beaten, ancient, yours," it said. "I can give you a new weapon. You need to choose between something like your rifle, something that fires in bursts, something with extended range, or something small, but powerful."

"You mean like the Noisy Cricket?"

"What's that?"

"Nevermind. Scout Rifle."

The Gunsmith handed me something long, rectangular, and with a scope. "Here, and don't take too long next time."

"Thanks," and I ran away from the vendor, and into the Titan and the Hunter again. "Sorry, I'm trying to get used to this new Guardian body."

At first, they looked at me with disgust, then intrigue. They looked at each other, then at me. "Yeah, well, get used to it sooner. We're supposed to be fighting the Darkness," said the Titan. The Hunter looked at me, turned to whisper into her partner's ear. The Titan turned and whispered, "Prophesy?" into the Hunter's ear, and she nodded. He spoke, "Are you the Guardian of Legend?"

"Who is that?"

Then The Hunter spoke. "'He will rise from the dead, master the three elements, channel The Traveler's Pure Light, and destroy The Darkness for good.' That's all I know."

The Titan approached me. "She's always had a fascination with books and prophesies, she mistakenly believes that there is something out there controlling the Darkness."

"What's wrong with a Hunter who reads and presents theories that are true 9 out of 10 times?"

He didn't speak. Then the Hunter said, "We're trying to find a Warp Drive for our ships. They can't be found in most modern ships these days."

Rusty spoke up. "I know where to find one."

"Where?" we asked.

"The Cosmodrome."

"But its overrun by Fallen, let alone the House of Devils," said the Titan.

The Hunter said, "So? Smash and grab: kill the Devils, get the Warp Drive, and send it off to the shipwright to manufacture some duplicates."

"All right," I said, "Let's go. Beam us up, Scotty!"

The Titan and the Hunter looked at me. "Who's Scotty?"

"Remind me to set up a Star Trek marathon for you guys."

Dredgen Yor woke up to find himself lying down in the Circle of Bones. He picked himself up, and then looked down at his Rose. What once had silvery petals now brandished raw iron spikes, shaped like thorns. His ghost, once full of life, now lays dead on the floor. Just then, a Hive Acolyte walked towards him, but it never shot him, and vise versa he couldn't shoot it. Have I found a way to control the Darkness, or does the Darkness control me? Just then, two wizards were talking to each other. Although they spoke in their Hiveish tongue, Dredgen could understand what they said. The first wizard said, "Is the spell done, Ir Yut?" Ir Yut said to her friend, "Almost Omnigul. Soon, your husband will take control over the Guardian's soul, and He will destroy the Earth." Dredgen raised his weapon and aimed at Ir Yut's head. "I told you it wouldn't work," shouted Omnigul. Ir Yut put a finger up and said, "Wait for it." Dredgen couldn't bear it, Thorn felt heavy in his hands, and the thought of killing these two wizards didn't sit right. Who are you? Just kill them! He lowered his weapon, and Ir Yut placed her hand on Dredgen's shoulder. "Who are you?" she asked.

Dredgen spoke in a deep voice that bellowed across space. "I AM CROTA!" he shouted, "AND I HAVE COME TO DESTROY THE TRAVELER AND ITS PRECIOUS EARTH!"