Chapter Two - A growing Glow


The calamity seemed to have happened so long ago, without notice, without reason. Only the brave dared to venture into the Darkness, For one never truly knew who or what laid in wait around the next corner. If it wasn't a Guardian, it wasn't on your side. The planets crawled with the forces of Darkness from the marauding Fallen always trying to take what didn't belong to them. The profound Vex who seemed wrapped in mystery as the traveler himself. The avaricious cabal always seeking a target who they could conquer. To the Vicious and sadistic Hive who always seemed to bring pain to those they crossed.

He sighed obnoxiously , gaining attention of his party.

"What is it now Kant?" the Warlock said annoyed.

"Nothing you should concern with yourself, Newmon." Spouted Kant.

"I would rather be a devotee to true reason than to Hallow nothing and live without reason, you hinderance, you swine!" Shouted the Mage, thunder crackling in the palm of his gloves greatly insulted by the slur of his chosen faction.

"It isn't as if I made fun of your programs Hume, Merely tugging your robes about the colors and ideals you represent." *he looked over at the Red and white Conjurer, he seemed to stick out like a sore thumb as they passed along the coast near the Forgotten Shore.

"The fact you serve the Vanguard rather surprises me with the amount of effort and pride you take upon your duties. We really are doing the Traveler's Work, or have you not taken time to baptize yourself in the reflection of the Speaker?" *Hume asked seriously calming to a halt before passing between the rusted ships who had withered on the sandbars in ages long ago, only their husks remained.*

Kant hadn't gone to see the speaker in quite some time, he some times felt as if the speaker laid eyes upon him, his lack of effort would damn him in the eyes of the Traveler due to how long it had been since he added his findings to the Phos Hilaron. Kant always felt as if he had never really had anything to show the speaker that he viewed was of value or that the speaker had not already caught word from another Guardian. So why would he waste his time and the speakers? His ghost seemed to barely talk to him, he sometimes wondered if he had offended the poor machine with his actions or if his Ghost just didn't speak unless it was a urgent message or transmissions. He hardly ever seemed to have a transmission and when he did, it was usually just a old strike buddy trying to sell some things or bragging about his latest exploits. A week ago things had taken a drastic change, the Vanguard wanted a audience with him regardless of his standing. He had gone through operation after operation, Nightfall after Heroic, he always seemed to be striving to shine with light regardless of his devotion to his just couldn't see what the Vanguard wanted with him or even how they had noticed him. Why would he be deemed worthy of some special operation or strike? Hell, he should of shouldn't he? After all the traveler had blessed him with ever lasting light, the Exotic and legendary gear he had primed and fashioned from his enemies, the ability to strive for peace even if it did seem far fetched that they would win the war. The war seemed to press on as long as he could remember, he didn't remember the Golden Era that some preached about, all he could remember is trying to survive to witness the coming glory of the Traveler.

"Well, there must be a reason why the Vanguard wants to speak with me, maybe I did something extremely right for once. I doubt it is because of the ammount of time I visit with the Speaker" Immanuel stated with a cool smirk forming on his face.

"Ya could be, or maybe you just did something terribly wrong and don't want to look bad infront of a Warlock." Jested Hume.

"That must be it." Kant said, tired of having this conversation.

"Hey! I spot it from here!" Hume said as he broke into a sprint.

"There isn't any rush David, the Spin Metal isn't going to go anywhere."

"Ya, well this is the last piece and I am tired of being in this depressing place." Hume yelled as his ghost appeared in his palm and began to scan the Metal coral growing from a ancient radiated shell.

"True enough, this place never really did, set well with me when we ran those patrols to hinder the House of Devils movements."Kant said while peering at the words written in what must have been ancient Russian that were still fading off the walls. His ghost sent him a brief message into his helmet deciphering what was written on it. Federal Bureau of Aeronautics flashed across his vision as he blinked up at the last colony ship which showed signs of rust and abandon.

A loud wisp went off as a shot pierced the sky before flying by Hume. Kant and hume dropped into cover, waiting for the shooter to give himself away. Kant breathed out slowly as he pulled his Sniper rifle down off his back, the camouflage webbing didn't match the area yet didn't need to as he began to fade into the background.

"That is such a cheap gimmick, he heard through his headset." Hume whispered.

"It is funny how you complain about it when it has saved your ass plenty of times." Kant mumbled with annoyance.

"Ya well I wish Shaxx wouldn't allow the use of it, in the Crucible, it is hard enough to train against each other without people going invisible." Complained Hume as he watched his radar for movement. A Sector on his radar began to highlight from the direction of the shot. Hume looked to where Kant had been before throwing a handsign to him, knowing the scope blocked out the helmet's radar when using most firearms.

"Did you forget about Hunters? It isn't a very unique trait Hume." Whispered Kant as he let out his breathe before letting off the bullet laced with Arc damage. The Death Screams of the four armed Fallen Vandal could be heard echoing off the canyon walls follwed by the light clinking of the shell dropping to the rocks. Kant kept his rifle to his eye, keeping scan of where he had dropped the Vandal. Hume stayed in cover as he pulled out his Ghost and put in the thoughts to bring forth a extraction beacon.

"I think it's time to go Kant, that shot is going to bring a lot of attention down on us."

"You act like your are afraid of the Fallen, not like we haven't been facing the Darkness for a long time or anything. What's a war?" Kant said sarcastically.

"Ya well I would rather not deal with it to be honest Kant." Said Hume looking around to make sure they were in the clear?

"Well now you are starting to sound like me."Kant chuckled as he slung his rifle back over his shoulder before pulling out his own Extraction beacon.

They both gave each other a look before planting their beacons, a small green light began to blink much like the patrol beacons that littered the Cosmodrome before they heard a loud scream coming from orbit. Hume and Kant had done this hundreds of times as their ships barreled out of the stratosphere before resting near them. Hume slowly backed up to his ship, a AX19 Slipper Misphit, a advanced Kestrel class jumpship which had been upgraded a few times as the ages past. He had picked it up due it matching his robes he always wore in support of the New Monarchy.

"I got watch!" Kant yelled as Hume boarded his ship, he had pulled out his Pulse Rifle, Suros PRI-44, keeping cover as he too backed up to his ship, his black scarf blended into his ship as his grey armor barely marked against the white outlines of his Phaeton class V1.1. He jumped up into his ship quickly as Fallen Dregs and shanks began to fire upon the ships. He slammed in the coordinates of the Tower, the home of the guardians as he looked over at Hume already beginning to tilt upward before launching to the heavens.

"Hume, you always seem to know how to make a exit." Said Kant slightly breathless as the G-forces pressed against him. The canyons and dead husks off ships were left as they parted the clouds. The last rocket of humanity was the only thing that kept height with Kant as he looked through the cockpit at the blurring sights. A loud clap occured followed by another one as they broke the Speed of sound before jetting into orbit leaving behind the ruins crawling with Fallen.

"You know the New Monarchy would be happy to have you Kant." Hume stated over communication link.

"I think I will pass Hume. I never was a fan of that archaic belief of factions. Nothing, but things to split us from one another." Kant stated, annoyed by Humes repitious attempts to get him to join his faction.

"You always have the same excuse! Whine, whine, whine, it sounds like too much work! Whine, whine whine, what about what we were told about the factions wars? Just nothing, but whining." Hume said peeved.

"You are just mad that I won't join in your little group. It will be okay, you have enough people to give out your welcome baskets and door prizes too. I can do just fine on my own. Kant said before cutting comms and kicking back.

The Faction Wars had ended long ago and yet the prejudice among brothers still waged on in the hearts of the headstrong and dead. It was almost as if a deep prejudice burned in most, but not Kant, he found it trivial at best. They fought among others like the bored newly found beams of light freshly spawned under the gaze of the ghosts. They fought for control of the Guardians for ages, keeping the Guardians from joining together under one banner and one cause.

The New Monarchy chased after power in installing someone to always lead the forming masses of guardians. To be a true envision of law and structure for the haven beneath the Giver of light. They had fought for years to supposedly search for a great representative for the masses to follow for the rest of time, and if they couldn't find that Paladin of Light, then they would groom a warrior to fill the position. Executor Hideo always wa offering rewards for his followers. Kant was just surprised that there wasn't more tension when a faction like New Monarchy wanted to replace the speaker with another figure head.

Dead Orbit, who wanted to escape from Earth in search of frontier not based around the traveler, but of survival itself. Everything seemed to die without the light to nurse humanity, so they found searching for a new Golden Era for them to grow along was better than hoping that the great age would be filled with light just as they had once. Multiple times Arach Jalaal had stated that the Traveler was not coming back so a contingency plan was needed. That contingency plan included stocking up Golden Age Wares abandoned in Shipyards, Vaults and other hard to reach areas so they could make a break for other systems where they could survive. Arach Jalaal always kept a cool and calm demeanor which put most people at ease, but he believed that the Tower wouldn't hold another major attack and that his plan of action would cost many their lives.

Future War Cult obsessed upon being the first faction to ever help humanity and that they were owed allegiance for what they had survived a, witnessed and prevented and who they had rewarded through ages. Tools were formed and molded to serve their purpose so that Humanity could fight on against the shades of the Darkness. They viewed the New Monarch's ideology was a waste of time, the Darkness didn't care who lead the guardians so long as they were all destroyed. They believed that the Darkness would attack the Tower if they stayed or if they ran with Dead Orbit into the Cosmos. Lakshmi always stood watching over the Hangar Bay trying to rally in guardians talking to the quartermaster, Roni 55-30, or from the master mechanic, Amanda Holliday.

The Faction Wars were a series of conflicts within the City. The three factions struggled for power and nearly brought the City to its knees, until the Guardians finally took a stand and ended the fighting. The City's government was divided into the Consensus, the Speaker, and the Vanguard, and the factions began using civil channels to gain power and influence rather than fighting one another so that they could keep their agendas while still being functional.

All of it was truly shadowed by the Vanguard, the Guardians who had proven themselves to all humanity trained those who fought in the name of the Traveler until they shown with the glow of Legends and Myth. If the Gods of the Guardian's called upon you, you answered or you answered for your patrol, every operation had a reason and reaction. His feet pressed firm against the foot holds of his ship, the upgraded warpdrive beeped a few times as he began finding a new inspiration to answer the call of the Council. Some were from sitting and doing recon, other were from harvesting certain bone fragments to better understand the enemy, He imagined being Skinned and cleaned by the Fallen and Hive in the name of their science. He shuttered at the idea of those that sought out those patrols rather than simple recon missions or investigations who helped where they could..