Chapter 4: So, The Tower huh?
"Oh, Hi Amira, fancy seeing you here…" I started, "after what you did." I whispered to myself, still clutching my rib cage, because my rib is still broken, possibly shattered. Before she could respond, the medics that Ms. Holiday called for me arrived, and they started to usher me to the infirmary. They asked where I was hurt and how it happened. I told them my ribs, but I withheld the reason how, don't ask me why. They brought me to the infirmary down the stairs underneath the shipyard and laid me on a cot that was for patients. After a few moments, Kara appeared and reassured me that I was going to be fine. The minutes passed by, and for some reason I felt exhausted, I didn't know why until I woke up again, must've passed out. Opening my eyes through my helmet, which I'm glad I didn't take off, there was a person standing off to my right, someone wearing robes of some kind. The person noticed I was awake, and broke the silence that was around, "Glad to see you made it to the Tower in mostly one piece." The voice sounded feminine, but it sounded familiar, and when she spoke, I groaned a little before I fell asleep again. Damn, what did she really do to me?
When I woke again, I was still in the cot in the Tower, trying to get my bearings again, my eyesight was a little blurry, but I could barely make out something was close by. The same voice from before was now standing over me, with a look of concern over their face. Their helmet was off, and what was looking back at me was a smooth, light blue face, light blue eyes that had hint of silver in it, light pink lips, wild blue hair, with some waves curled off the right, no marking on their face. On her face, it wasn't who I thought it was at first. It wasn't Amira, no, I don't remember what her face looked like. I wanted that memory purged off the face of the planet.
The person now above me said, "Hey, relax Guardian, you passed out, don't know why, but ya did. I helped fix your broken rib, you should be as good as new. Welcome to the Last safe City on Earth, and since you probably don't know what is going on, I'll introduce myself, my name is Stephanie, Warlock of the Vanguard, you can just call me Steph.". The person then gestured to take off my helmet, and I hesitated… "Don't be shy, we are all friends here, plus I like meeting the new recruits. It is easier for me to put a name to a face."
Raising up my helmet, "My name is Klein, I was resurrected a little bit under two days ago, in the Grand Canyon." Looking across from me, there was a mirror. I could finally see what I looked like. I also had blue skin, but not as dark as Stephanie's, shorter black hair, dark yellow eyes, pink lips like a normal human, but my skin… I was confused, looking up at Stephanie but her jaw was wide open in shock...
At the sound of my name, Stephanie froze, looked at me like I had two heads before stepping backwards, almost tripping, before turning around and walking out of the room. I could swear I heard her cry a little. What did I do?
"Kara, do you have an explanation for that?" I said as Kara fizzled right in front of me and transmatted my helmet away.
"Can't say I do Klein, anyway, the doctors told me you are free to leave. We have to go to the Vanguard. They want to meet you."
"Did you hear Stephanie say she was a Warlock? What is that?"
"Ahh she mentioned her class. Well ok. There are three types of Guardians: Titans, Hunters, and Warlocks. Titans are the brute force of the three. Punch first, ask questions later type of people; They are resilient fighters and have the powers of Fists of Havoc, a devastating Arc attack, Defender, the power to shield their teammates from danger, and the Hammer of Sol, flaming hammers that hurt on impact. These are the Arc, Void, and Solar ability types. These apply to all 3 classes. Needless to say, not every class have the same abilities."
"Remind me to not piss off Amira then, she looked like a Titan." I said with a light chuckle.
"Ohhhh, she is a Titan, keep that in mind, she could kill you with one hand." Kara said as I stopped chuckling.
"Moving on…" as I started to ascend the staircase, "What about Hunters? What are they?"
"Well, Hunters are the explorers, the lone wolves, the solo act. They thrive on the adrenaline in the most dangerous situations, they are the sharpshooters, and stealthy types. Even without adrenaline in them, they are still a force to be reckoned with. They have the powers of Bladedancer, quick on their feet slashing through hordes of foes, Gunslinger, a Solar revolver that can pick off a target from miles away, and Nightstalker, the rarest of the 3 subclasses, they can summon a Void bow to tether the enemies to the ground and expose their weaknesses. Hunters are lone wolves like I said before, but that doesn't stop them from joining a fireteam and kicking our enemies' butt."
"Ass" I corrected her.
"Unlike you, I don't say those words." She retorted.
"Suit yourself."
Walking up the last flight of stairs and turning left, there was this long stretch of hallway before a right turn, figured the best time to ask what the last class was. "What about Warlocks?"
"Ahh the Warlocks, they are scholars first, Guardians second. They are the brains and sometimes tacticians of operations. They are smart and will almost always have a book on hand, for when the fighting dies down. They have the power to be a Stormcaller, look into the Void to become a Voidwalker, and the power to fill themselves with Solar energy to become a Sunsinger. Never go anywhere without a Warlock. Exceptions are made when a Hunter is patrolling solo."
"Interesting, what do think I'll b-" I was cut off as I made it into the Courtyard of the Tower. It had an amazing view of the City and the Traveler. The Traveler is a lot bigger than I thought, nearing the size of the entire City. Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating, but it is huge. As if on cue, my head started to pound, showing flashes of the Traveler. Why? I'm right here, it is something new to me yes, but what is going on? A new voice broke my train of thought, a man in a yellow-blue robe, "You must be new around here Guardian."
"Am I that easy to identify?"
"Yes, every new Guardian looks at the Traveler like that for the first time."
"Don't know if this is the first time." I muttered under my breath, "Who are you?" I spoke up.
"I am Master Rahool, Cryptarch. You bring me Engrams, I can decode them for you, and I can give you gear for future endeavors."
"What are-" I started. I made a mental note that he also had blue skin, gotta ask about it later.
"Engrams? Engrams are a fourth state of matter, or fifth state depending on your scientific point of view. They drop from enemies you slay, or from caches you find scattered throughout the solar system. You'll know what they look like, trust me."
"Thank you Master Rahool. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a date with the Vanguard." I said as I walked by three spires in the Courtyard.
"Klein" Kara chimed in, "These are the vaults where you can store items of interest to you, since you have a limited inventory space on your person."
"Noted. Shall we head to the Vanguard?"
"Yes, we shall. I'll lead the way."
Walking down two sets of steps, I step into a red room of sorts. There are skulls hanging up on the wall, a banner of two swords through a shield is present as well. Looking around, taking it all in, a loud booming voice disrupts my sightseeing, and almost makes me jump out of my skin.
"GREETINGS GUARDIAN! MY NAME IS LORD SHAXX! I RUN THE CRUCIBLE, A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN FIGHT OTHER GUARDIANS."
Looking at the big burly Titan, judging by his armor, this Lord Shaxx character wore a two-horned helmet that was missing a horn, had fur around his chest and shoulders, and he wore a type of cross on his chest. His armor was predominantly white, with orange accents, he must have been around for a long time.
"Owwww, I think I lost my sense of hearing from that." I said, rubbing my ears checking to make sure my eardrums are still intact.
"Don't worry Guardian, I'll only scream if you get a play in the Crucible that I like. After all, Guardians constantly fight for my approval, I swear they have gone mad." Shaxx said, his voice booming, not at the level he introduced himself. "What business do you have here Guardian?"
Still rubbing my temple, "I have to meet with the Vanguard, I'm a new Guardian, my Ghost, Kara" she appeared over my shoulder as her name was said, " told me I have to find my class. She gave me the spiel on each one. So, I am going to see which type of Guardian I am."
"I see." Shaxx started, "I hope to see you in the Crucible sometimes soon Guardian."
"You might, gotta get used to it around here. See you around Shaxx!" I said as I walked towards the next room.
"Klein, you know that you are supposed to say LORD Shaxx right?"
"Did I disrespect him?" realizing I didn't say 'Lord Shaxx' when I walked away.
"Usually, he barely lets anyone call him just Shaxx. I don't understand why he didn't berate you on respect."
"Can we move on, before he comes over here and beats the ever-loving shit outta me?"
"Fine, but be careful walking back through there. I'll revive you if he does kill you."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Continuing on through the hallway, I walked into the next room to three people standing around a large table. Straight across the room was a bald man, ALSO with blue skin, who are these people? On my left, there was man, who heard me come in, look at me, and his face… was not human, it looked robotic, blue eyes, and an orange glow in his mouth, he must be a hunter, inspecting the armor. The last person in the room was a darker skinned women, a Warlock, by the looks of the robes she wore. The robot made a 'clearing my throat' sound, capturing the attention of the other two in the room. Their attention was then directed towards me and if their jaws could hit the floor, they would have.
"Uhh, hello, my name is Klein, I was told to meet the Vanguard? I'm assuming that is you three?"
The man across from me answered for all of them, "Yes, we are. My name is Commander Zavala, Head of all Guardians and Titan Vanguard. The Exo to my right, your left, is Cayde-6, Hunter Vanguard."
"How do ya do Guardian?" he interrupted, classic Cayde fashion.
Zavala cleared his throat, "Cayde."
"Sorry, continue."
"Anyway, the person to my left, your right, is Ikora Rey, Warlock Vanguard."
"Pleasure to meet all of you." I said with the highest form of respect in my voice.
"Likewise, Guardian. Do you know what class you are?" Ikora asked.
"I was hoping you could tell me." I replied.
Before I could ask anything else, a new figure walked into the Vanguard Hall, a man in a set of White robes and a mask. He stated in a super monotone voice, "It nice to finally meet you, Guardian. Vanguards, could you help this one find their true calling?"
"Who are you?" I asked
"I am the Speaker. I am the voice for the Traveler. I felt your presence when you entered the Tower. I waited to meet you, now was the time that the Traveler demanded. Welcome to the Guardians."
"Speaker, glad you could join us, we were about to tell Klein here how to get his powers." Ikora nodded in respect to the Speaker upon saying this.
All three Vanguards looked at each other than back to me, "We have a method that could help you find your powers." Cayde said with a smirk.
"What is it?" I asked inquisitively.
"Focus on your spark, uh, the source of your Light. Focusing on that alone will tell you what sort of abilities you have. Your Ghost can assist you. You'll know it when you see it." Cayde said.
"Okay, well here goes… Kara, little help?"
"Okay, I'm with you Guardian."
I slowed my breathing and started to focus on the spark that brought me back. The one that could answer my questions. The questions that have plagued my mind since the moment of my second life. Weaving through the thoughts in my mind, I found it. The Spark. As I slowly approached it, being cautious, because I don't know what to expect. Then, I'm whisked off my feet and dragged towards the Spark. I'm blinded by the Light as it brings me closer, next thing I know, I'm on my feet in front of the spark, still partially blinded, but my eyes are adjusted slightly. A voice booms out from it. ENTER,KLEIN,HUNTER OF THE LIGHT!
Hesitantly, I step forward and I do what the voice says. Then, my vision returns to me and I'm standing in front of three figures, all of them a different color, they feel strikingly familiar. All of them have a mask over their face, so identifying them is out of the question. The voice boomed once more, this time from my left, the one in orange. STEP FORWARD KLEIN TO RECEIVE THE POWER OF SOLAR LIGHT!Obeying, I stepped forward and grasped its hand, and I felt a power surge through my veins. YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE POWER OF THE SOLAR BOW, ARTEMIS, USE IT WELL KLEIN!Confused, still, that they know my name, I nodded, said thank you, then the person in blue beckoned me in an excited tone. STEP FORWARD TO FEEL THE ARCLIGHT FLOW THROUGH YOU KLEIN! Reaching out for its hand, it grasped mine and pulled me closer into a type of hug that two guys would do. One hand grasping their thumbs and the other hugging their back. THE POWER OF THE REVOLVER, SOLEMN JUDGEMENT, RESIDES WITHIN YOU NOW. LET YOUR ENEMIES FEEL THE POWER OF THE STORM! The power surged through me once more, but it felt like a jolt, like when you run your socks on the carpet and then touch someone. I wonder if anyone else has these I thought, from what Kara told me, Solar should be Gunslinger, Arc should be Bladedancer, but what will Void be? Well, I'm about to find out. The one is an eerie kind of purple boomed its voice louder than the other two, LISTEN WELL, O' BEARER MINE, SO THAT I MAY BLESS YOU WITH ONE OF THE DANGEROUS INSTRUMENTS OF OUR KIND! Our kind? What is this one talking about? The figure reached out and grabbed me pinning my arms at my sides and locking me into a hug of sorts. I BESTOW THE POWER OF THE DUAL BLADES, DRAGON'S TOOTH AND CLAW! STRIKE FROM THE SHADOWS AND LET LOOSE ON ALL THOSE OPPOSE YOU! The void gave me a chill down my spine, like when you involuntarily twitch. I asked them how do I thank you for this. They replied in simplest terms, because I feel like their answers were cryptic, even a Warlock would have trouble coming up with a more cryptic answer. After receiving my powers, I walked back out of the Spark with a huge fucking grin on my face, but that grin faded as fast as it came. How would I tell the Vanguard? I guess I'll figure it out. Kara then returned to me, and guided me out, she didn't ask what I saw, but she'll know when I tell them. I opened my eyes soon after.
Looking up from the dream like state I was in, the Vanguard looked at me with anticipation in my eyes, Cayde even more so, it is like he knows, but isn't saying anything. Cayde, being impatient, says, "Well, what did you see kiddo?"
"I saw three figures inside my Spark, and they each gave me something. They called me a 'Hunter of the Light', and they made me take their hand, sort of, so they can transfer their power to me." I started.
"Really? I thought it be a lot more complicated than that. You were in and out in 2 minutes, most Guardians take 10 minutes to find their spark and get their powers." Cayde piped up.
"ANYWAY, they knew my name when I entered, it was like they expected me. Also, I mentioned the figures and they had a name for each one." I continued on…
Ikora stepped in, "Each one? The super abilities? Did they tell you the names of them?"
"They did, the first one was called Artemis, a Solar bow. The next one was called Solemn Judgement, an Arc revolver, and the last one, was called Dragon's Tooth and Claw."
The Vanguard and some others around them had their jaws dropped once more. They were stunned into silence by what I said. Soon after, Zavala open his comm and mumbled something into it.
"Kara, what did you see?" I asked my Ghost, since she has been silent the whole time.
"I saw you go into the Spark, then blank after, until you came out. Whatever was in there was meant for you to see and tell."
"Fair point." I replied back. Looking at the Vanguard, "So what do I do now?"
Cayde piped in, "Well, here." He hands me two cards, a seemingly blank card, and an Ace of Clubs playing card, slightly charred on an edge, "That is the location to your quarters and the other one is for the Cryptarch and Gunsmith. That is basically an I-O-U card, show it to them and they will help you get set up. You can leave in a second, you'll have things to do tomorrow, but for now you need to rest. It has been a long day for you."
The Speaker turned to me and said, "You have returned… and to think that they would be without their friend forever."
"What are you talking about? I just got here, this place is unfamiliar." I explained to no one in particular.
Turning around to leave the room, I see two familiar figures: A Warlock in blue robes, and a Titan in a set of white armor. Stephanie and Amira, the two people I wanted to get away from. Well, Stephanie seems to avoid me, and Amira seems to want me. Turning back around, looking at Cayde, "Why are they here?"
"You are joining their Fireteam, they have been missing a member for the past couple of decades. Congrats! *Pulls out a party popper and pops it*"
Removing the confetti off me I asked, "Uh, you sure that is a good idea? Shouldn't I be on my own for a bit? To get a feel of being solo as a Hunter?"
"True, but being in a Fireteam doesn't mean they will be with you on mission 100% of the time. You will have times that you will be solo. Don't worry, I'll guide you. For now, go rest, report to the Cryptarch and Gunsmith tomorrow, then come to me, so I can brief you, alright?"
"Alright, fine, now get me away from them. I don't need to see them yet. Kind of weird first impressions on both. Not something I feel like repeating." I whispered to Cayde.
"Go on, get outta here Hunter, quickly. They seem to be giving you the evil eye."
"Don't need to tell me twice." I said quickly as I raced out of the room, catching a glance at Amira, this was the first time I have seen here without her helmet, at least, the first time I remember it. She had a light curved face, also a blue color on her skin, a cherry red set of lips, light violet hair, and glistening green eyes. Turning my head to avoid her gaze, I walked even faster, passing Lord Shaxx again, passing by I said, "My sincerest apologies about disrespecting you, Lord Shaxx." stressing the 'Lord' part. He nodded as I went by.
Kara brought me out to the Courtyard once more and led me to a set of elevators. Getting in and pressing a button to go down to my quarters, that Kara told me it was a few floors down. Thinking I was okay, I leaned back on the rail and exhaled loudly, but quickly inhaled as a hand stopped the door and two people were standing outside of the door. Oh great, well I am in for it now...
******************************End of Chapter 4: So, The Tower huh?******************************
A/N: The bold text in the paragraph about supers, well it was color coded for each super Solar, Arc, and Void; Respectively. Hopefully those who are reading this, thank you for taking time to even click on it. Again, this is my first story that I am posting here, so any feedback is appreciated!
