Chapter 1 - Remastered
He licked his lips and the taste of salt was left on his tongue. He was sweating from head to toe. Not even the Light could provide enough heat resistance. Why was it so hot here? Mercury couldn't even begin to compare to this, and Mercury was right next to the sun!
His free fall continued into the depths of Hive Arcana. Wisps of green and yellow fog parted in front of him, but it was so thick that he couldn't see any farther than an arm's length in front of him. Sensors within his helmet revealed nothing of note, which left everything to his imagination.
What awaited him at the bottom of this pit? The darkest terrors of the Hive…the kind of horrors that could make even the most confident of Titans quiver in their oversized boots.
He'd been through many battles, but the orders for this mission were…
He drew in another shaky breath. This was their darkest hour. Certain doom was upon mankind, so the Vanguard turned to him. They were out of options, so all they could do was pitch their shining star into the heart of the darkness.
He would fight till his dying breath. Would he be forgotten once he was gone…? No, the enemy wouldn't forget. They would remember.
With a grunt, his chest swelled and the belt around his torso felt tight for a moment. Then he reached for the scout rifle that strapped to his back. The familiarity of the grip and his finger around the trigger was all he had. He was certain that his senses would be numbed throughout the battle ahead.
The fog seemed to clear up ahead. It became a blinding white, and at the center of it, he saw a trio of burning eyes. They grew massive as he came close and a voice shook everything in the vicinity.
"You dare oppose me!"
A shockwave rippled through the air with gale-force winds. He met it with his torso unprotected, and it knocked the wind out of him. There was a roar followed by a second shockwave. This one was clearly larger than the first as it obliterated their surroundings. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and tensed his body in preparation for contact.
He would've preferred if it hit him all at once. But it came in stages. An immense pressure overwhelmed him and his helmet cracked. Through the crack, he could see an enormous three-fingered hand reaching toward him. It took hold of him just before the shockwave hit, and his world turned black.
The Forgotten Shore of the Russian Cosmodrome. A barren wasteland occupied with relics of Earth's past all situated on a rocky coastline. Vandals and Dregs, the scavengers or third world citizens of the Fallen, picked through the rusted metal for anything they could use, though more often than not, they returned empty-handed.
But today, a plethora of them gathered on the coast, led by a saber-wielding Captain. He roared as he pointed out the waters. A squadron of Dregs riding Pikes disembarked from the shore as their vehicles hovered across the surface of the water.
Perched high on a cliff that overlooked the waters, a lone figure stood with a hand on her helmet to focus the optics of her helmet. She tracked the movements of the Fallen down below closely.
"I had a feeling we wouldn't be the only ones who noticed," The mechanical voice of her Ghost whirred. "But the Fallen don't let anything go unnoticed around these parts."
"Have you managed to pinpoint what they're looking for yet?" She asked in return and her Ghost shook his tiny body.
"I can't," He answered. "This energy signature has completely saturated the area. It's nearly impossible to get an accurate reading on anything."
"But where is it coming from?" She asked in return. Such a massive energy reading couldn't be hidden in plain sight. It had to be underwater, yet the Fallen were only searching the surface. Were they only scouting it?
"Wait, some of them stopped further out," Her Ghost announced as he highlighted a pair of Dregs on the screen of her helmet. They watched as the Dregs worked together to hoist a body out of the water and rest it onto the back of their Pike. "Is that…a Guardian?"
"Can lock onto them and transmat them to the ship?" She asked in return.
"No, there's too much interference!"
"It looks like we're doing this the hard way. I need my Sparrow!"
"You want it up here?" Her Ghost exclaimed, but the Guardian leaped over the edge of the cliff before she gave an answer. "Diana!"
"On the water!"
Her fall lasted at least eight seconds, ample time for her mode of transport to materialize. The sleek and battle-worn hoverbike, better known as a Sparrow, took shape right where her Ghost calculated that she would land. Just before she landed on the seat of her Sparrow, she extended both her hands to freeze her momentum. The skills of a Warlock and their space magic that defied gravity. She landed on her Sparrow softly, grabbed the handlebars, and took off at full speed.
"Diana, they know you're coming already," Her Ghost announced. The remaining two Pikes of the squadron were on an intercept course.
"What have you got for me?" She asked in return.
"Your Duke Mk.44. I just placed it in the holster on your Sparrow."
Beneath the handlebars, she saw the sizeable hand cannon form. She withdrew the weapon and took aim. The tactical radar of her helmet locked onto the nearest Dreg and accounted for the movement of the target to help her aim. The only clean shot she'd have for the rest of this encounter.
She pulled the trigger and Dreg took a shot right through his forehead. He slumped off his Pike and fell into the water which left the hovercraft to go crashing into the water. The second Dreg was already in range as he bombarded her with bolts of lightning from his shock pistol. She swerved to her right to evade the electrical fire and the water erupted to her side in response to the attack.
Her Sparrow was lifted slightly, but she leaned to correct it in mid-air and land soundly on the water. The propulsion system quickly elevated her back above the water and turned to aim at the Dreg. He reacted immediately and altered his course to avoid being an easy target. The tactical settings began to make their calculations, but the Dreg knew better than to wait. He continued to fire with his shock pistol, causing jets of water to erupt between them that disrupted her aim.
"Diana, he's just trying to keep you busy and one of his friends is on the way to help. The last one with the Guardian is already heading back to the shore. If he makes it, it's not going to be easy to get that Guardian back." Her Ghost informed her.
She didn't question the information provided by her Ghost. She had to act fast, so she would settle for an easier target. She hit the brakes on her Sparrow which brought her to a near-instant stop, allowing the nearest Dreg to rush past her, and then she hit the throttle to begin her pursuit of this target. She rattled off five shots into the turbine at the bottom of the Pike.
It caught fire and the Dreg immediately abandoned it before the entire vehicle burst. Fire and smoke filled the air and she raced past it. The third member of the squadron was making a beeline for her and unlike the other two, his Pike was facing her. Rather than shoot with a hand-held weapon, this Dreg allowed the vehicle to do the work.
He pulled at the handlebars and the shock cannons on the front of the Pike unleashed an onslaught of tiny lightning bolts. They dazzled the water around her before the water surged upward and launched her at least ten feet into the air. She couldn't make the adjustments to set her Sparrow aright, so she abandoned it in the air.
Once again, she defied gravity. While her Sparrow went flying off into the water, she remained frozen in the air. "Ghost, summon my Sparrow again," She stated as she raised an open palm. A small sphere formed above her hand and it began to spiral wildly as if it were a whirlpool. She hurled this down into the water ahead of the Dreg's Pike and it opened a black hole in front of the Dreg that swallowed him and his Pike. Her Sparrow took shape beneath her and she allowed herself to fall back onto the seat with a soft sigh.
"No time to waste, Diana," Her Ghost interjected. "By my calculations, you should be able to intercept the final Dreg before he makes it to the shore."
"On it!" She declared as she hit the throttle. The turbine on her Pike emitted a sonic pulse as she burst forward. The water parted in front of her and the wind caused her robe to flap wildly behind her. The distance was closed rapidly and she used those few moments to develop her action plan.
With the Guardian as a passenger, this Dreg couldn't maneuver too well without dropping their passenger in the water. An easy target…
It was just as she thought. As she entered firing range, there was little resistance from the Dreg. He fired back at her, but since he lacked the option to strafe on his Pike, it was an easy shot. It knocked him off the Pike which went spiraling out of control like the others and the Guardian was dumped in the sea. She circled around and scanned the water for the Guardian, and thankfully their body resurfaced quickly.
She took a quick glance to the shoreline and saw that the Fallen there shouting frantically at her. Many of them were bunched together on a damaged ship that was washed ashore ages ago. From behind that ship, a Fallen Skiff rose in the air, and she could see the Fallen Captain hanging from the handlebars with one of his sabers pointing in their direction.
"Ghost, we're going to need air support!"
"Get the Guardian and go, I'm prepping your ship!"
She turned her Sparrow and raced toward the Guardian where she leaned to the side, aiming to snatch them out of the water. But as she connected with their body, she was met with more resistance than she anticipated. The plan was to snatch the Guardian from the water, but instead, she was snatched from her Sparrow.
There was no stopping her momentum this time as plunged into the water, but she quickly reoriented herself and swam to the surface of the water. She went straight for the Guardian, but by the time she got their heavy body onto hers, the Skiff was right above them. The Fallen Captain gave a chilling howl as a group of Vandal climbed out onto the other hanging bars with their shock rifles at the ready.
A black blur passed above the Skiff and the Fallen ship was bombarded by energy blasts. The sudden hits disrupted the ship's engines for only a moment, but the sudden jerk caused all of the Fallen on the handlebars to lose their grip. They went plummeting into the waters below with the Guardians as the blur came about for another run at the Skiff. The cannons the Skiff turned to fire at the approaching ship, but it was far too late to act. Another volley of energy blasts battered the Skiff and disables its weapons which left it unable to interact with the kestrel class jump ship that came to a stop above the Guardians.
"I've got a lock on you, prepare for transmat!" Her Ghost announced, and she was taken back into the comforts of her ship. They were placed in a relatively small cabin of the ship, and her Ghost immediately shouted a warning. "Don't get comfortable, we're leaving before they call in reinforcements!"
It was just enough of a warning for her to latch onto one of the seats before the ship reached the speed of sound. Even though she managed to hold onto a seat, her fellow Guardian went rolling into the back of the cabin where they met with the wall. She cringed at the sound of the impact, but this Guardian should be grateful. A little headache was far better than whatever the Fallen would've done to him.
They traveled at Mach one for only a few moments to put a considerable distance between them at the Forgotten Shore. As her jump ship slowed, she was able to move freely around the cabin. She approached her unconscious friend and rolled him over to finally get a good look at him.
It was obviously a man with his tall and built frame. It wasn't uncommon for Guardians to wear tattered cloaks, old robes, and damaged armor as they traveled from one battlefield to the next. But this Guardian was wearing rags as far as she was concerned. The only part of his armor that was remotely intact was his helmet, though it possessed a sizeable crack that she attempted to peek through.
"And that confirms it," Her Ghost stated. "Diana!"
With a sigh, she rose up and went into the cockpit where her Ghost was acting as the pilot.
"What's going on?"
"Our new friend back there is the anomaly that we detected," Her Ghost revealed and she furrowed her brow. "I've been looking into the energy readings we detected down at the shore, but we're still at the epicenter. He's the source of those readings."
"So, you're telling me that his outrageous energy signature is actually…the Light?" She questioned with a glance back to the Guardian on the floor of the cabin.
"I don't know what he is, but he's not your average Guardian," Her Ghost went on. "I've heard that the likes of Zavala and Ikora have an incredible presence when they're wielding the Light on the battlefield. But his is just…overwhelming."
"What in the world?" She couldn't take it anymore. Her curiosity as a Warlock was piqued. Someone's Light that was comparable to Ikora Rey's? A comment like that was nothing to take lightly. "Switch to auto-pilot. Let's give this guy a full examination. I want to know what we have back here."
Her Ghost whirred as he disconnected from the ship. His optics flashed blue before he followed Diana back into the cabin. She took a moment to lean the Guardian up against the wall as her Ghost began to scan his body and belongings. His only weapon was strapped to his back, an old scout rifle that Diana couldn't identify.
"What model is this?" Diana inquired as her Ghost took a glance at it.
"A Proxima Centauri II. This scout rifle was decommissioned by the Vanguard decades ago…" Her Ghost muttered in reply.
"Oh, so he's into relics," She remarked as she took some time to examine it carefully.
"Well, here's the odd part. This was one of the last weapons that received the old power cells from the Omolon foundry." Her Ghost explained. "Power cells like the one in his weapon were never reproduced or preserved, yet his looks like it's brand new."
A dated weapon on a mystery Guardian. Who was this person?
"And here's the strangest thing," Her Ghost interjected. "There's no Ghost with him."
"No Ghost?" Diana exclaimed.
"I've scanned him several times, there isn't a Ghost bound to him…"
The more they dug, the greater his mystery became.
Their destination was the Tower, the central hub of Vanguard activity across the system. Diana sat in the co-pilot's seat, her legs crossed and her chin placed on one hand.
Her fireteam was separated this week working on some individual assignments. Unlike her teammates, Diana didn't receive any special tasks, so she performed a routine patrol of the Cosmodrome. One of the more tedious tasks that were regularly delegated from the Hunters of the Last City, patrols were of all enemy hubs were done in three-hour intervals to track their activity. The Russian Cosmodrome was a den for a Fallen House and was regularly patrolled.
On a whim, Diana noticed that one of the time slots was empty today and volunteered to fill the vacancy. She never once planned on engaging the Fallen to rescue a Guardian. But every day came with a story to tell. Today it was her turn.
What was this Guardian going to be like? She couldn't tell what class he belonged to since his clothes were in such a poor state. Perhaps he was a Titan who was stripped of their armor during combat? Or a Hunter whose cape…cloak was snagged by a pursuing enemy and the Guardian was forced to abandon it? Were those tattered garbs the remain of a Warlock robe?
Without a Ghost, Diana's Ghost had nothing to draw information from concerning this Guardian. All they could do was wait.
Diana already relayed her discovery to the Tower. She was connected directly with the tactical command center where she was advised to return to the Tower with him. Diana was promised that word would be passed along to Ikora and that she would contact her shortly.
"Have his vitals changed at all?" Diana asked her Ghost.
"Nope." He replied.
"Where do you think he's from?"
"If I knew, I would've answered you the first time."
"It's just bothering me that we can't answer a single question about this guy," Diana mumbled and there was a warble from the console.
"This is Obsidian in City Hawk 723, I read you," Her Ghost said suddenly. He paused for a moment. "Understood. We're six minutes from the Tower. We'll dock in the hanger and meet you there."
Diana waited for his short conversation to end and she looked at her Ghost expectantly. "Well?"
"That was the Speaker," Her Ghost stated and Diana's eyes widened. "He wants to meet this Guardian when we arrive."
Such a thing was customary when a new Guardian arrived at the Tower. A meeting with the Speaker and the Vanguard Mentors to bring them up to speed. Perhaps the Speaker made a mistake and assumed that this was a new Guardian.
Either way, it couldn't hurt for this Guardian to meet the Speaker.
"Speaking of which, any change in his vitals?" Diana asked again. Her Ghost rolled his optics.
"No…actually, his heart rate is elevated," Her Ghost noted and he put the ship on auto-pilot once again. Her Ghost ventured into the cabin and Diana joined him. She kneeled down in front of the Guardian as her Ghost scanned him repeatedly. "Yup. Elevated heart and heightened synaptic activity. He's waking up."
He nodded his head and his fingers twitched. His head snapped upward and he looked frantically.
"Whoa, easy there," Diana's Ghost advised him. His eyes settled on the Ghost who split his shell to reveal his core as he whirred. The movement caused the hair on his neck to stand and he instinctively went for the weapon on his back, but it wasn't there. Unable to find his weapon, he pushed himself into the corner of the cabin which alarmed Diana and her Ghost.
"Hold on, relax," Diana told him as she extended her hands. "We're not the enemy, I promise you."
"His heart rate is climbing," Her Ghost whispered to him. Diana could hear his sharp breaths.
"Just relax, you're safe," Diana assured him and she took a tentative step toward him.
"D-Don't come any closer!" He demanded, but Diana inched forward again.
"Neural activity just spiked!" Her Ghost exclaimed and Diana's eyes grew wide. A purple aura enveloped his form and it expanded rapidly to create a barrier around him. It slammed straight into Diana and she shrieked as it tossed her across the cabin. She hit the floor with a thud and groaned from the pain on her side.
"Ugh, paying me back already, I see," She muttered as she slowly got back up. With a glance at the Guardian, saw that he was still in the corner of the cabin, guarded by a Ward of Dawn.
"Wh-Where am I?" He asked her, his voice panicked.
"Where are you?" Diana asked in return.
"I'm…" He froze and placed a hand against his helmet. There was an image that he could vaguely make out. There were decaying corpses everywhere, yet there was no terrain for the bodies to rest on. Just darkness everywhere. "I'm behind enemy lines. They're everywhere."
Diana remained composed as she approached the perimeter of his shield. She placed a hand on it, but the dome was still solid to deny her entry. He still didn't trust her.
"You're safe now, Guardian," Diana repeated for him. "The battle is over, take a moment, and just breathe."
"Who are you?" He asked immediately.
"I'm not an enemy. I'm a Guardian, just like you," She said as she kneeled down beside his bubble. She nodded to her Ghost and he deactivated her helmet. It quickly dematerialized to reveal her teal-colored skin, short silver locks, and glowing irises. "My name is Diana Amano, and this is my Ghost, Obsidian."
Her Ghost gave a short nod to the Guardian.
"As you can see, I'm Awoken," She went on. "I was thirty-one years old when I became a Guardian. My favorite color is burgundy and I love pastries. What's your name?"
"My…name?" He said and she could feel the Ward of Dawn waver slightly. "I don't know."
"Amnesia," Obsidian stated and Diana gave a nod. That was almost an expectation for when someone just became a new Guardian. But this case was different.
"You said you were fighting," Diana pointed out. "Do you remember what you were fighting?"
He saw the image again. He was in a pit, his Proxima in one hand and enemies all around him. They were climbing out of the darkness on the ground. Their beady little eyes burned green before he blew their heads off.
"No, I don't know." He answered and Diana smiled at him.
"That's okay," She said warmly. "It'll take some time, but things will come back. We have friends back at the Tower that wants to meet you."
"The Tower," He whispered. "I know that place."
"Perfect," Obsidian whispered to her. "See you can jog his memory. It might help him relax."
"Right," Diana nodded before she looked back to the Guardian. "The Tower is where the Guardians gather. They protect the Last City and the Traveler from there."
"Traveler…" The Guardian whispered. That sounded familiar too. He closed his eyes and the visual arrived. "It's a big, white ball…right?"
"Correct!" Obsidian chirped. "In fact, you can see it right now."
Diana rose to her feet and extended her hand as an invitation for him to join them in the cockpit. At long last, the Ward of Dawn wavered out of existence and the Guardian rose to his feet. He followed the duo of Diana and Obsidian to the cockpit. As promised, the Traveler was in view. They passing between a pair of mountains, but as soon as they cleared them, a massive metropolis came into view with a spherical entity hovering over the heart of the city.
He remembered the Traveler. The memories were vivid. He saw the Traveler countless times. Aerial views from above and from the depths of the city he looked up to it. It was almost daily that he looked to it and enjoyed its warmth.
"The Light…" He whispered. "I haven't felt it in so long."
"Whoa," Diana whispered as she took a step away from the Guardian. The Light took on a form she'd never seen before…azure flames. It danced around his head silently and he seemed to chuckle.
The courtyard of the Tower was an overwhelming experience for him. There was movement everywhere, all of which left his nerves frayed. The vast majority of the Guardians present were Hunters and Titans that were returning from an assignment or leaving to complete one. Thankfully, Diana led him away from the commotion as they ventured into one of the many corridors. The Guardian began to breathe easier as the setting became more relaxed.
"So, does any of this feel familiar to you?" Diana inquired as she made a gesture to their surroundings.
"It does," He answered slowly. "Where are we going?"
"To meet with the Speaker. He usually meets with new Guardians to help get them acclimated," Diana explained. "And it looks like you could use his help."
The Speaker…that was familiar too. A man garbed in white situated on a balcony. He knew the Speaker. They descended down a stairway and the corridor opened up. It matched his memory. The Speaker was waiting for him there.
Obsidian went ahead of them to address the Speaker as Diana and the Guardian approached.
"Ah, hello little light," The Speaker said softly before he turned. His expression was concealed by his mask, but his gasp was heard as he caught sight of the Guardian in front of him. The azure flames around his head was the identifying mark that the Speaker needed to see. "T-Tobias?"
"Is that his name?" Diana asked as they came close. The Speaker took a moment to regain his composure before he answered.
"Indeed."
"How do you know my name?" He asked.
"We were…" The Speaker took a moment to search for the right word. "Associates when you last visited the Tower."
"So then, you know a few things about him," Diana concluded, but the Speaker shook his head.
"Unfortunately, I never got to know him personally. I heard of his feats on the battlefield, but not much beyond that," The Speaker explained before he turned to the Guardian. "Tobias, what do you remember?"
There was a pause as they all looked at him.
"Oh right, that's me," He mumbled as he shook his head. "Nothing really. The only thing I've recalled so far is the fighting, and even that is pretty hazy."
"That's what I thought," The Speaker commented. "All you did was fight for a long time."
That comment brought that image to mind again. It was pitch black in every direction and he up to his ankles in what he assumed to be water. A pair of arms sprouted from the water and pushed on the surface to reveal its upper body. The same trio of glowing eyes looked to him, and it opened its mouth to screech. Tobias stuck the barrel of his Proxima into its mouth and fired without an ounce of hesitation. The body crumbled to ash and Tobias pressed forward.
"This same memory keeps coming up. I'm always fighting, but I still can't tell what it is," Tobias explained. "Can you tell me what I'm fighting?"
The Speaker took a few moments to consider his response. Then he turned to look out the balcony where he saw the Traveler.
"Without a doubt, you must be recalling your many battles against the Darkness and all its forces," The Speaker answered. "The Darkness seeks to snuff out of the Light of the Traveler, and it will go to any length to achieve that."
"The Traveler can't protect itself?"
"No, not anymore. The Darkness almost succeeded at one point, so in a last-ditch effort, the Traveler pushed back the Darkness and fragmented its Light into the tiny beings we call Ghosts," The Speaker continued. "They seek out warriors such as Diana and yourself to protect the Traveler. The Guardians fight alongside each other daily under the direction of the Vanguard, protecting us all from the Darkness."
"And that's what I'm doing…protecting the Traveler?" Tobias questioned.
"Correct!" Obsidian chimed in.
"Just like me," Diana added with a nod.
"But all I remember is fighting. Did I do anything else?" Tobias asked.
"Not that I know of Tobias," The Speaker lowered his shoulders. "The group you allied with…they didn't work for the Vanguard, so it was rare that anyone here heard from you. They had an agenda of their own that involved constant battles and you were the centerpiece of their operation."
"Is there someone from this group that I can speak to?" Tobias asked.
"No. You disappeared and their group fell apart as a result. They relied heavily on you and couldn't manage in your absence," The Speaker said before Tobias interrupted him.
"Disappearance? What happened?"
"I don't have the details. The Vanguard received word that you received a special assignment and that was the last that anyone heard from you," The Speaker continued. "We could only assume the worst."
"When did that happen?" Diana asked curiously.
"It's been almost a century," The Speaker answered and Diana raised her brow.
"How has he been missing for almost a hundred years?" Diana exclaimed as she looked to Tobias.
"Again, I don't have those details," The Speaker said as he shook his head. "But it's clear that something took place that robbed him of his memory. Hopefully, you'll start to regain them soon."
"There was something else we noticed during our flight back," Obsidian interjected. "He doesn't have a Ghost bound to him. Can you explain that?"
"No Ghost…" The Speaker whispered. "I'm sorry, but I can't."
"Perhaps Ikora then," Obsidian said and the Speaker gave a nod.
"Diana, do you think you could look after Tobias today and give him a tour of the Tower?" The Speaker suggested. "It might help him jog his memories."
"Sure, I already finished my assignments for today," Diana responded as she took another glance at Tobias' appearance. "And we should get you in some better gear."
"And perhaps, you could visit Lord Shaxx to arrange for Tobias to take part in the Crucible," The Speaker added. "He was a warrior in his heyday. A little combat might be good for him."
Diana and Obsidian took charge from there. They led him to the workshop of the Guardian Outfitter. Diana assured him that the woman they were going to meet was as sweet as a peach, but they were greeted by an outfitter frame that functioned as her assistant.
"Miss Levante is resting today, but I can assist," The frame declared and they complied.
The next few minutes were spent having his measurements taken by the frame. Once this was complete, the frame ventured to the back of the workshop and returned with an armor set for him. Tobias was guided to a changing room where he donned a jumpsuit and attached the armor plating, but he also encountered a new issue.
"This helmet isn't coming off," Tobias called out. The frame entered to assist him but unfortunately, it quickly announced that it wasn't equipped to remove the helmet from Tobias.
"My sensors indicate that his helmet is offline. Without a Ghost to dematerialize it, we're just going to have to cut it open," Obsidian explained and Diana couldn't help but smirk.
"This would be a fun way to introduce you to Cayde," She noted and Tobias felt a chill.
Diana and Obsidian led Tobias to the Hall of Guardians next. It was located underneath the courtyard of the Tower and according to Diana, it was the command center for the Vanguard Mentors.
"The Speaker was talking about the Vanguard," Tobias noted. "Who are they exactly?"
"There are all sorts of diplomatic parties that run the Last City and, in most cases, they hire Guardians when needed to support their agendas. The Vanguard is composed entirely of Guardians to create a support system for us," Diana elaborated. "They train new Guardians, provide equipment and guidance, that sort of stuff, for all Guardians regardless of their affiliation."
Tobias nodded, though most of the information just swirled around his head.
"The Vanguard Mentors are usually the instructors for new Guardians. But they're also commanders so they have field duties to attend to as well," Diana went on as they arrived at the entrance. "Hopefully Cayde isn't away."
The doors parted and Tobias' gaze was immediately drawn to the trio of Guardians at the center of the room. They stood around a lengthy table, each preoccupied with data pads and tactical reviews. But their Light is what caught his attention. He'd seen the other Guardians when he was in the courtyard, their Light was small. But these three…it rose from their body like a pillar of fire. It only took a glance for Tobias to recognize their strength.
Despite the constant flow of information around them, one of the Vanguard Mentors took note of Tobias and Diana as they approached. It was an attractive dark-skinned woman who studied Tobias with her sharp eyes. He gulped audibly as they approached her.
"And who might you be, Guardian?" She asked sternly as she set down her data pad to observe him.
"To-Tobias," Tobias introduced himself. The name still felt foreign, but it was better than no name at all.
"Tobias," She repeated the name to commit it to memory. "I'm Ikora Rey, the Warlock Vanguard."
"Your Light…it's different from the others," Tobias replied and Ikora tilted her head.
"My Light?"
"Yours is more visible. I know it means that you're strong," Tobias explained and it caught the attention of the remaining two Mentors who set down their data pads.
"Captain Amano, who is this?" The armored man asked as he leaned forward and placed his hands on the table.
"Commander Zavala, this is Tobias," Diana introduced him. "Tobias, this is the Vanguard Commander."
Zavala raised a hand to halt her introduction with his glowing eyes locked on Tobias.
"What were you saying about Ikora's Light?" Zavala asked him.
"I was just saying that it's bigger than everyone else's. All three of you actually," Tobias explained.
"That's an impressive observation," Ikora noted with a nod of approval. "It's not often that a new Guardian can detect the Light so well. With sensory like that, you'll no doubt make an excellent Warlock."
"I think you mean, Hunter," The third mentor cut in with a cough. Ikora narrowed her eyes as she looked to her Hunter counterpart as he approached Tobias. "Tobias, I understand you're new in town. I'll make things clear for you right now. The only name you need to know among the three of us here is Cayde-6. That's me."
Tobias shook hands with Cayde and as he did so, he saw Ikora roll her eyes.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Cayde, but Tobias isn't a Hunter," Diana stated.
"As expected, he's a Warlock," Ikora stated as she shot a smirk at Cayde. Diana snorted.
"No, not a Warlock either. He cast a Ward of Dawn on my ship on the way to the Tower," Diana explained and all eyes went to Zavala as he crossed his arms.
"I hope this serves as a lesson for the two of you about jumping to conclusions," Zavala remarked and his comrades deadpanned. "As a Titan, you'll be serving under me, Tobias. Our first priority is to fortify the city to ensure that everything inside our walls is safe."
"Pardon me, commander," Diana cut in sheepishly. "I don't want to interrupt, but we're only here to see Cayde today. Tobias needs his helmet cut open."
"Why'd you come to me for something like that?" Cayde asked her.
"Tobias is already a Guardian actually, he's just suffering from amnesia, so the Speaker told me to give him a tour of the Tower to help jog his memory," Diana explained. "I thought it might be worth it for him to meet you guys."
Both Ikora and Zavala furrowed their brow as they shared a glance.
"Eh, let's get this over with," Cayde stated as he pointed to the nearest seat. Tobias soon found himself seated with Cayde in front of him, expertly twirling a knife in his hands as he whistled. "Alright, do me a favor and don't move."
The blade of the knife began to glow with an orange hue. Cayde then pressed the tip of the blade against the metal of his helmet, and it cut through it with ease. It was like a hot knife through butter. Tobias' eyes became crossed as he saw the tip of the blade get closer to his forehead. Thankfully, it stopped and Cayde began to carve his way through the helmet. Bits and pieces began to fall to the floor as Cayde opened it up until only the sides were left.
Zavala stepped over to complete this small task. With his sizeable hands, he took hold of the remains of Tobias' helmet and pulled them in opposite directions. It snapped in two and the deed was done. Tobias was free. He gave a sigh of relief as he welcomed some cool air onto his head and Cayde couldn't help but laugh as he looked from Zavala to Tobias.
"Hey look, we've got two egg heads here!" The Hunter exclaimed and Diana stifled a laugh.
Tobias shared Zavala's lack of hair on his head.
"And what should we call you, a unicorn?" Tobias asked him in return. Zavala wore a smirk as he gave Tobias a pat on the shoulder.
"Whoa, that was uncalled for. I take comments about my horn personally," Cayde said as he pointed at Tobias. "I'm going to remember that."
Once Diana relaxed, she took the opportunity to take in Tobias' face. He was dark-skinned and unremarkable. The only thing of note on his face was the painted markings beneath his eyes that traveled down his face.
"Thank you, commander," Diana said with a small bow. "Tobias is going to take part in the Crucible tomorrow, but I'll make sure Tobias finds some time to speak with you."
Tobias gave a nod to the group as thanks for their help and followed Diana out of the hall with Obsidian trailing behind.
"Something doesn't add up," Cayde said as soon as they were gone.
"I was thinking the same thing," Zavala said with a nod of agreement.
"She said that he's already a Guardian, but I've never seen him," Ikora noted.
"I know every Titan that serves under me," Zavala added as he stroked his chin. "I've never once heard of a Tobias."
"And then there's his Light…" Ikora went on. "It's powerful."
"What do you mean?" Cayde asked and Ikora shot him a glance. "Don't forget, Exos don't have magic eyes like the rest of you. I don't 'see' the Light."
"With him, you wouldn't really notice unless you're paying attention, but he's saturating the area in his Light," She explained and Zavala looked around for a moment in search of the detail that he missed. "Diana also mentioned that he preparing for the Crucible. Whenever he takes part, I believe that will be an opportunity to measure his ability."
The Tower possessed everything for the Guardians. Lodging, food, a place to shower. The whole nine yards.
The skies grew dark when Tobias met with an attendant in the courtyard to receive a room for the night. He was given a card key to his room and Diana guided him to it with Obsidian.
"Here we are," Diana said as she motioned to the door. Tobias quickly swiped his card through the electronic lock and the door slid open. The room provided nothing more than a bed and a small area for them to hang their armor or clothing. "Wow, you're pretty lucky to get a window room tonight."
The entire far wall of the room was a thick sheet of glass that allowed him to look at the Last City and the Traveler in all its splendor.
"The city looks amazing at night, doesn't it?" Diana commented as they entered. "Anyway, I'll let you get some rest. I'll leave Obsidian with you for tonight and we'll meet up in the morning."
"Great, thanks," Tobias said and Diana gave him a small wave before she left.
Once the door shut, Tobias took a moment to take in the silence. He took a seat on his bed and stared at the Traveler. Spotlights were being shined at the base of the sphere that illuminated part of its body. Even from this distance, he could see it sparkle. Tobias could stare at it for hours.
"Tobias, do you want to take off your armor?" Obsidian asked him. Tobias needed a moment to come to his senses before nodded. The removal of his armor plating was even easier than putting it on. Concealed under the belt he was given to hold up his Titan mark was a release to demagnetize the plating. All he had to do was hold his palm against it for ten seconds to trigger the release and the armor slipped off his body. The only exception was his chest piece which he had to lift over his head.
Tobias took a few moments to gather the armor pieces and stack them at his bedside.
"I think I'll take a shower," Tobias muttered to himself as he rose from the bed. Obsidian gave a nod and opened the door to his room. The small Ghost led him down the corridor to the large bathroom at the end of the hall. It was unoccupied and silent and Tobias saw the mirrors above each sink.
He went straight to them and stared at his face intently. He leaned forward, tilted his head back, to the sides. He took in everything he could. This is what he looked like. But…
Who was he?
Who was Tobias?