Author's Note: Hey, some quick chapter posts to make up for the lost time over the past few weeks. Actually in my exam week, but writing helps put my mind at ease. So here we are, keep them reviews coming people! And as always enjoy the story!
Chapter 10: Lesson the First
Dorian had woken up at seven in the evening—the sun had already gone to light up other parts of the world. All the time at the Tower, he felt like a nocturnal creature. At first he thought it was just himself, but then he saw that Elsynn was up and about the same time he was. He figured it was just the nature of doing missions. Then he had to do something about these missions, how did the holiday system work again? Two days for every five days of work. Dorian must have been on missions for five days more or less. Then he wondered what Guardians did in their spare time—do they just chalk it up and wait for retirement? Or do they take leaves weekly? Monthly? Annually? Varyingly?
You know, you're not what other people do. You are your own man, that's what you are.
"I'm clueless, that's what I am. For know I'm going to follow someone else's example till I figure out my own way. Happy?" the Voice didn't reply, but the Guardian standing nearby did look awkwardly at him. Dorian only smiled back. "Ghost? Can you tell me where Elsynn is?" The Ghost complied by displaying a map of the Tower in front of him and showed where Elsynn was. She was back at the Haven Bar.
When he saw her, she was already having pastry and some coffee. Dorian faked nonchalance at first before trying his hand at conversation. "Hey didn't think I'd find you here? Do you come here often?"
Elsynn Looked stared at him flatly before saying, "My Ghost told me you were looking for me."
Shite.
All of a sudden she smiled. "You should see the look on your face!"
"Priceless wasn't it?"
"Priceless."
"So you're not angry with me?"
"Well, I'm still here aren't I? Just leave the 'cool and nonchalant" façade alone, doesn't suit your current 'lost puppy' disposition."
"Ha-ha-bloody-ha."
"So what brings you here?"
"I wanted to get to know the Place, you know what it's like. All Tax gave me was a basic rundown of the tower, not exactly a tour. Could you show me around?"
"Sure. After I finish this. While we're still in the Traveler's Walk, right there's the cafeteria, pointing to a place across the Traveler's walk where a line of Guardians awaited their food. They serve anything from candybars to crème-brulee to crab Rangoon. I heard that they were good. This here is the Haven, bar or café depending on the day and the hour. At the end of the Walk there is a vendor, she is from the Queen of the Reef. Perhaps looking to start her own faction among the Guardians."
"The Reef is where the awoken are from right?"
"Yeah."
"Your home?"
When Elsynn was silent for a second he thought he had hit a nerve. "No," Dorian felt like he did, "I'm from earth. I was Returned here, but I still don't know where I originate from. Just leave it at that. And Reef-born awoken are just cold to everyone but their own."
"Okay," Dorian said a little to quickly, "I heard that there's another bar down in the Hangar."
"Yeah, a little too dark for my tastes. And too loud. I cannot enjoy peace and quiet and unwind by jet engines and the sound of metal being cut and repaired."
"I get your point."
"All over the place there's a number of Vendors that sells Guardians weapons. A handful of them sell Warlock things. Armor, weapons and bonds."
"Bonds?"
"And Warlock Bond? You don't know it?"
"I'm new here," Dorian said with a timid smile.
"It's something that a Warlock wears, it's a pride thing… wearing one means you're a true Warlock and dedicated to your class of Guardians. Like Hunter's have cloaks. Most of it's value is ceremonial—not tactical." She waved at hers. "But they do look nice."
"Hmm. And what it this crucible that I've heard so many Guardians talk about?"
"It's a simulation, intially for training, Your weapons and abilities are given neutralizers. The Guardians that do join crucible matches today however, are mostly competitive as opposed to Guardians who look to actually train. There are less embarrassing methods of training. But the crucible practices your abilities, keeps you sharp, and once in a while it's actually good fun."
"Do you go to the city much?"
She also seemed solemn all of a sudden at him asking that. Damn it what was he doing wrong? "No, I try to, but these days I only go if it's required of me to. You will probably be spending more time there than I will."
"Meaning?"
"Warlocks like to research and study history. Part of your calling I guess. Many say that Warlocks are Returned from a much earlier time than Hunters or Titans. I guess that explains your fixation with knowledge—Ikora Rey herself have been to all over the planet in search of lost information. Her current post however forbids her from going for too long or too often."
She got up from her seat then began to walk to the end of the Travelers Walk, he followed. Elsynn rested against the railing, and looked at the valley below. "That there is one of the best views next to the Traveler floating above the city."
"Where are we? It doesn't look like anything I've ever seen before."
"Well, those mountains used to be called the Urals I believe. Many believe it too, since the topography and the climate matches. Not everyone is certain though." They turned and headed down to Tower Watch. The place Dorian just referred to as the main terrace. Where the City and the Traveler awaited them. "To the left there is some more a mountains, a continuation of the Urals we'd like to think. Further to the right there, in the distance where you can barely see it, is a large waterfall. All the water in the city comes from a river that runs from the mountains to the falls. The Traveler forms a shield that protects us from the Darkness and all dangers. Humanity's last bastion."
"Is there really no one else outside the city?"
"No one that we know off. At least not on earth. Awoken in the reef and some even further away in the Jovian planets. No one knows anything other than that. Feels a little strange being here. Under the Travelers protection. And knowing that so little life exists without." After a short silence she continued, "We'll I think that's enough for today. I have to go get some rest for tomorrow."
"You're not taking the day off? Hasn't it been five days already? And as far as I know, you were already doing patrols when you found me."
"I don't feel like it. I like to keep myself busy, Dorian. But you should take it easy. You've been enthusiastic enough for your first week. Take the day off, collect your Glimmer and buy something nice. Acquaint yourself with the city, even. Or go see Bell-17, train with him. Anyways, be seeing you." Elsynn waved good bye and walked away at a brisk pace. Ten seconds passed before he caught himself staring at her perfect formed—
He shook himself out of it. What was he, a pervert? He mentally scolded himself, although a part of him did object. It was just really nice to see her hip swaying left and right as she made her way—
You're doing it again. Dorian swore under his breath and went to his room.
-x-x-x-
Morning was a beautiful thing on the Tower. He woke up to an orange sky and the sun rising over the sky and casting a golden glow on the Traveler. Dorian thought that sleeping again till the break of dawn would be hard. But he was wrong. His body was in actual need of more rest. But he was also glad he woke early enough to see this sight—which he suspected would not last long.
He was right—the sight only lasted something like fifteen minutes before the sun rose high and the sky defaulted back to its regular blue. A shower and some breakfast—without talking to his "interface" in between—before he decided to spend the time to sit on the Traveler's Walk. He ordered a cup of coffee from Candor-899, he said whatever Elsynn usually had, which was café latte. It was good. After a couple of sips, he took the time to sit back and actually pay attention to the life bustling through the Traveler's walk that morning.
Guardians, as Dorian observed, though they still divided the week into seven day, paid them little to no attention. Most of them operate on their own five-workdays-two-off-days basis. It was Thursday, and the amount of Guardians around hadn't seemed any different than that of any other day.
He finished his coffee and made his way to the Speaker's room on Tower North where the Speaker and the Cryptarch was in discussion about some complicated sort of decryption. Ah, the books he retrieved. He left before the Speaker could notice him—he really didn't want to be a bother to anyone, and felt like leaving instead of seeing him. But he knew no one on the Tower asides from the Vanguards and the Speaker. And they really weren't the best options for small talk. That was when the memory popped up in his mind.
Bell-17.
-x-x-x-
Bell-17's address, as Dorian's Ghost showed on the map, was not located among the Guardians's living quarters. Older Guardians, he was later told, could afford more luxuries like larger flats and sometimes entire houses down on the nearby city streets. Dorian found Bell-17's building easily enough with the help of his Ghost. A grey stone building on grey cobblestone a street. Well if that isn't bleak… He rang the bell twice and waited. If it had been night instead of day, Dorian might just have been tempted to leave as soon as he came.
"Yes?"
"It's me, Dorian. I'm coming to see if I could stop by."
"Yes, of course. Up this was." The door buzzed and Dorian came through. Bell-17's room was simplistic. But it wasn't as Spartan as Dorian's. The fourth floor flat was a large leap from the grey outside of the building. It was white and clean. It had more decorum than Dorian's did—including the banner of a Fallen house, several alien guns, and then a set of Warlock Bonds atop a cabinet that lined the walls. He also noticed that there was no kitchen, and no bed—and perhaps a disregarded bathroom. Only seats, tables, and, judging by the tools, a work station for exos to maybe tinker with themselves. Then a large safe-like locker. One side of the room was just a large window faced the bulk of the City and the Traveler. Then a carpet to sit on, in front of it. It was actually a nice studio flat.
"I understand it's some form of human custom to serve food and beverages on the occasion of a visit. I apologize, I have none. Perhaps I should start keeping them."
"I'm fine thank you, I already had breakfast."
"How can I help you?"
"I want to learn how to be a Warlock."
He emitted a electronic laugh, "Dear me you are a feisty one aren't you. Tax said you were often enthusiastic about your Guardian work." He rubbed his hands together before placing them back on his crutches, and limped over to where Dorian stood admiring the Warlock bonds sitting to the cabinets. His limping made him look old, but his voice was an ageless one. "Yes, bonds. They're what I've managed to collect over the years. Mostly in form of Engrams or directly from the stash of Cabal and Fallen troops. They like to keep trophies of their foes." Bell-17 turned away from the collection and sat on a chair facing the large window. "Tax told me what happened. I'm very sorry you had to go through that."
"It's fine."
"No, betrayal is one of the worst things in life. You ought to be able to trust your fellow Guardian, not be looking over your shoulder even as you walk through the Tower. But alas, times have changed."
"Hence you stalking me around the tower several days ago?"
He chuckled, "Precautionary measure, I'm afraid. I also heard about your mission in the caves beneath the surface of the moon. First time seeing the Hive, you don't have to hide it if you're unnerved."
"A little frightening at first. Very frightened actually. Afterwards they just ended up looking disturbing. I'm pretty sure it's why I got so panicky repeatedly."
"Tax said you handled the enemy well." Dorian smiled uneasily, "Well, to the matter of training. I don't exactly know what to train you in. That's made even more difficult my current physical condition. Some of my parts are still calibrating."
"How about the arcane arts? That can't involve that much physical exertions."
The exo smiled. It was always strange seeing exos smile. "You follow the path of the Voidwalker?" Dorian nodded. "Then teach you I shall. My mentor taught me as I was deployed in the field with him. That's not the case today. In the state I am in fieldwork is impossible. You're going to have to come on your days off. Although perhaps I could get you to take some days off, but that comes later. What I teach you, you will also have to teach yourself once you're out in the field."
"As long as I can still learn." Dorian said eagerly.
"If only I was this eager when I was learning. I'm sure I would have risen faster. Now I know what you're going to say next. So I'll save you the trouble: we can start now. Sit on the carpet." Dorian complied as the exo watched him. "Lesson the first. This is the Light we're talking about, so I'm not going to explain some nonsense about it being all round you and existing in everything. It doesn't. It flows all around you, you can see it almost everywhere you go. However it doesn't reside in all things. It comes from one Place, one source. The Traveler. Now, the traveler isn't omnipresent but its Light reaches far and wide. It's subtle, and you probably have taken it instinctively all this time. But now take the time to listen. Sense the Light. Shut out everything else if you have too. As both a Warlock and a Guardian this has to be one of the first things you did upon returning. But you've only done so subconsciously. Now I want you to do it consciously."
Dorian did, and sure enough like it has always been the entire time the warmth of the Light was there waiting for him. Waiting for him to wield it in some way. He played around with it, wading through the power. Until he noticed something else. In the distance—no—it was nearby now. It was a place where the Light did not touch—the Darkness. "I can see it's there."
"Well done."
"I can also see something else," Dorian continued
"What?"
"I don't know—it's powerful and it's dark. It's writhing in the distance. I think I've seen this before What should I—" The slap hit him hard on the face. Dorian's concentration broke and he the image in his head was gone. Bell-17 was kneeling in front of him.
"How could you possibly reach that far? Bloody hell boy, how did you even sense it?"
"I don't know I just did."
"How powerful was it?"
"More powerful than I've ever seen, before." Dorian lied.
"No I mean, the effects you felt. How close did it feel to you?"
"Oh… No. It felt strong but it was also very… distant."
"You've just encountered the Darkness. The Traveler's eternal foe—and it's seductive power."
"Seductive power?"
"Indeed, how do you think the Hive ended up on their side, or the Fallen, the Cabal and the Vex… They've all touched the Darkness. They'll never be the same. I'm not sure what type of influence the darkness has over the Vex, and the Cabal. But both The Fallen and the Hive rely on Darkness for strength. That is how Wizards and Priests get their power. In the end the influence is very tempting. In a sense sometimes they're not just motivated by fear and a desire to escape the darkness. There is a certain measure of intoxication to the power that lies with the Darkness. Warlocks… and you would do well to stay away from it."
The exo looked thoughtful for a second. "I didn't count on you finding the Darkness already. You must be inherently powerful. Don't let that go to your head, by the way. I'm going to have to bump up your curriculum. You have to be able to tell the difference between those who. Because once you've touched it, you can end up with a lot of trouble." Dorian didn't say anything. "Concentrate and study the Light till you know the difference between it and the Darkness."
"Thank you," Dorian said, trying to concentrate again, he could see it clearly—the two forces wafting in the Void. "In mean time I'll be careful with what use. I've heard of Warlocks who accidentally touch the Darkness, because they were too clumsy or impatient to know what they were using." Again Dorian said nothing.
Bell hummed thoughtfully "In the meanwhile, how much glimmer do you have."
"Not much just barely enough to pay the cost of the flat. I'll repay you as soon as get enough money."
"Repay me? Please, no. You're kind enough to give me something useful to do for the next few month while I'm still chained to Tower. The life of an exo is in fact cheap, no food or sleep or… most of basic human needs. No. I was going to say that if you ever need supplies. I have a handful of weapons and armor, I'll give you access to them if you'll take care of them." Bell-17 went to one of his lockers and began typing in some codes. "I hope you like Pulse rifles and Yellow robes."