Chapter 2: A Guardian rises
10 years later…
A man sites in a cold dark cell, his shaggy brown hair is matted from the sweat that beads down his forehead. His eyes are sore and blood shot. The alcohol from last night was wearing off, leaving him with a crushing headache and shaking hands that were stained in blood. The events that transpired last night were just a blur now, and he had a hard time trying to piece together what had lead up to him being on top of a man, beating his face to a pulp. The only clear images he had were the city police showing up and wrestling him to the ground, dragging him away from the street in front of the bar and then throwing him in here. He wouldn't be here long though, soon he would be free, but not in the same way that others thought of freedom. The guards had told him plenty of times that the man he had beaten was dead and that he would be executed the day after tomorrow. They sneered at him, made jokes about what would happen to his bodily functions after he was executed, they were reveling in making jabs at the death row detainee, they were having fun. There was no need for a trail, plenty of people had seen what he had done, even he didn't want to go in front of the judge and plead his case. He knew what he had done; time to live with the consequences.
Suddenly the heavy door that led into the holding cells creaked open and slammed against the wall. The door was at the end of a long hallway so he couldn't see who was entering the holding cells. Was it a visitor, a guard, or some other hopeless bastard whose time had come? It didn't really matter he supposed, there was no one left alive to visit him anyways, at least no one of well repute. The only person who would have come was his mother, but she died 6 years ago. He just continued to sit on his bunk, staring at the dirty floor. Suddenly he felt as if someone was watching him. He looked up to see what the looming presence was. A tall hooded figure stood in front of his cell, he carried a large hand cannon on his hip, wore specialized armor, and tall boots, the kind that had seen their share of miles. The hood hid the man's face.
"Looks like you have seen better day's Ellister." Said the figure.
"Who the fuck is you, and how do you know my name? Let me guess, you're another concerned citizens who wants to express how happy they are to see me hang?" He said going back to looking back at the floor.
"You really don't remember me do you?" the man's voice was soft but stern.
"You look like just another prick with a gun to me."
"Hah! Maybe I am. But you, you don't look like how I remember, you do not look like the same boy I carried into this city on my shoulders 10 years ago." With those words the man pulled his hood back, revealing the face of a middle aged man with cropped blonde hair, a scruffy blonde beard, and piercing blue eyes.
"Kota?" Ellister said almost in disbelief as he looked up at the man, but he soon regained his composure. "What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing, but I already know the answer." his voice had an edge to it when he said those words. They cut deep. "Smashed a man's face in with your bare hands while intoxicated? Impressive, even for a drunk low life. Tell me was it worth it?"
"Well I'm due to be executed the day after tomorrow so you tell me! Hell you know what? I welcome it! It'll be a nice reprieve from this shithole of a world!" Ellister said spitting on the floor of the cell.
"You don't mean that son we both know it, I can see it in your eyes. You put on your façade and try to look like you don't care but I know you, you're scared."
"Fuck you! You don't know me! Look at you, acting like you're some expert. What do you have some kind of savior complex, only way you can sleep at night is by coming down here and attempting to save my soul? Well guess what Kota you missed out on that a long time ago when you abandoned us when we needed you most, after you swore you would always be there for me!" Ellister was now on his feet, face to face with Kota, only bars separating them. There was a long silence between the two men, finally Kota lowered his head and spoke, his voice was gentle.
"I know, and I am sorry, but you must know that it was not my intention. The life of a Guardian took me elsewhere at the time of- of your mothers passing."
"Then why didn't you come find me? Hmm why didn't you take care of me like you promised?" water began to well in Ellister's eyes.
"I tried; believe me boy I tried. By the time I returned to the city after my ranging and tried to find you but your apartment was already vacated and you were lost in the streets of the city. It took me years to finally find you but by that time you had succumb to the streets. I watched you from afar and helped in any way I could in discretion. I suppose I watched you for all those years to see what you had what it took."
"Had what it took for what?!"
"To survive, no matter the odds. To live in such squalor and pit yourself against whatever came against you and still come out on top. I had to be sure that you were ready."
"Ready for what?! Damn it will you please try and make some sense!" he yelled.
"I had to be sure that you had what it took to become what you were destined to be, what you were meant to be Ellister! A Guardian."
"A Guardian? Is something loose in your head?! Everyone knows Guardians are brought back by the light of the Traveler; and last time I checked I was still alive!"
"That is true, but there are always exceptions to the rule son. You do not have to die here you know, come with me. I have pull within the city, I can get you out of here, and I can help to make you into the man you were meant to be."
"Hah! What are you going to make me into a Hunter like you?" he scoffed.
"Actually, yes, yes I am." Kota said matter-of-factly.
"And what if I don't want to, then what?" Ellister asked, obviously trying the stump the elder Hunter. But instead of silence from the Guardian, Kota spoke with words that were cold as ice and cut deeper than any knife.
"Then you will continue to rot in this cell until your judgment day comes. Once you are dead they will bury you in an unmarked grave outside the city walls. No one will be there to mourn your passing, only the grave diggers, and there you will stay, forever, until everyone has forgotten your name and your bones turn to dust. And what will you have contributed to the world? Nothing, except to act as fertilizer to the grass and the trees. I beg you to make the right decision boy; I guarantee that if you do then we will both sleep more soundly tonight." Kota-Kai walked out of the city's police precinct with a disheveled Ellister walking beside him. Ellister turned to him.
"So if I become a Hunter, will I get one of those fancy cloaks?" He said with a smirk. Kota just shook his head, his face stern as he walked on through the streets that were bathed gold and orange by the setting sun.
As they walked through the streets of the city, Kota talked to Ellister about what it took to be a Guardian and the standards he would be held to. It did not take long for them to reach Kota's townhouse. The house was quaint at most, nestled between two other townhouses. It was located in one of the upper districts of the city, away from the slums but not even close to the upscale homes of the cities wealthier residents. Once inside they headed upstairs to the living area and kitchen. Kota pulled a chair out from the table.
"Sit" he said motioning to the chair. Ellister complied without question; it was the least he could do considering the situation that Kota had just gotten him out of. Kota walked over to a set of drawers and pulled out a razor, some scissors and clippers.
"What are you doing?" Ellister asked.
"If I am to train you to be a Guardian then by god you are going to look like one." Kota went about cutting Ellister's hair and shaving off the beginning of a beard on his face. One he was completed with shaving and cutting his hair, Ellister's brown hair was now close cropped and his cheeks were smooth, he couldn't remember the last time he had a shave or haircut. The sun had set outside and Kota was at work cooking something in a pot on the stove, steam rose up out of the pot and dissipated once it reached the ceiling. Elllister sat silently at the table, not attempting to talk for fear of what Kota would say. Despite what Kota had done to get him out of prison, Ellister knew that he was not out of the woods yet and chose to stay humble instead; some manners his mother had taught him had stuck. Kota brought over a bowl and set it on the table in front of him. It smelled like beef broth, but contained very little else in the meat and vegetable department.
"Eat that, go clean up, you're a mess, and then get some sleep. We begin training tomorrow." He said as he walked into the next room. Ellister drank down his broth graciously. When he was done he went into the bathroom as Kota had advised and started the shower. The hot water felt good on his grimy skin. He couldn't think back to the last time he had a hot shower in a real bathroom; showers while living on the streets mostly consisted of standing underneath one of the many storm drains that channeled the rain water off the roofs of the buildings. As Ellister scrubbed the dirt from his body, Kota answered the door to his town house, letting in the two people standing outside on the threshold.
"Come in you two." Said Kota, motioning to the inside of the townhouse to the two figures. They both entered and stood within the living area of the home. "Burk. Emma. It's good to see you. It's been a while." Kota said closing the door and turning to the two Guardians.
"Too long Kota, too long." Said Burk as he gripped Kota's outstretched hand in a firm handshake.
"How long have you been back in the city Kota? Last we heard you had taken to permanently ranging the wilds." Said Emma, her blue eyes fixed on the Hunter in curiosity.
"I've only been back for a month or so, sorry I haven't stopped by the tower, I've been…preoccupied."
"Preoccupied, preoccupied with what?! We thought you had been killed. I had to convince Cayde and The speaker from listing you as missing in action, I mean damn Kota, they were about to hold a ceremony for you!" said the big Guardian known as Burk.
"I know, I'm sorry, to both of you. I had some unfinished business, and a promise that had to be kept." He said shifting his eyes to the bathroom where the water was still running.
"Kota, what's going on? you're speaking in riddles again. Who's in the bathroom" asked Emma.
"That is why I called you two over here. Do you remember that young boy that we saved from Dirks Crossing years ago?"
"Yes vaguely, he and his mother moved into the slums near the outer limits of the city. His mother died and he was lost to the streets. Why?" asked Emma.
"That's him in there. I got him out of a bit of a jam. For his recompense I…I plan on training him…to be a Hunter."
"Kota! Are you mad?! Do you know what would happen if The Speaker found out?! We don't make Guardians, the grace of the Traveler does!" stated Burk in a harsh but quite tone so as not to make the subject known outside the confines of the living space.
"I know that Burk. And that is why I called you both here; I need to know that I have your support. You two are my closest friends and hold some sway within the ranks. I will tell The Speaker in due time but first I need to train this boy, I need to prove to them that not only The Traveler can make Guardians."
"But why Kota, what do you have to prove by doing this, what is the gain?!" pleaded Emma.
"You know as well as I that the Guardian ranks are not nearly strong enough to hold back the darkness that is coming. You have felt it and you know it in your hearts to be true even though no one wants to say it. The Traveler saved us once but its light is spent! To win this war we will need more than Guardians born in the light, we need men like Ellister, those who have the will to survive no matter the odds and who are willing to do what it takes to win no matter the costs." Said Kota motioning to the door of the bathroom where Ellister was still cleaning up.
"So tell me friend, what would a criminal like him know of this life? Please enlighten me." Demanded Burk.
"What did we all know at the beginning? Nothing. We came into this world like babies from a mother whom, resurrected by the grace of the Traveler and then told that we were to be the Guardians of humanity. No one is born into this life knowing what we know now. However, with the right training I believe that he could be better than any of us ever could have dreamed of when we were his age."
"And what gives you this hope Kota." asked Emma, an understanding look on her face, yet somehow she still sounded skeptical.
"A vision"
"A vision, have you lost it man?! Hah that is too rich!" cried Burk.
"It's true! Believe it or not if you want but I know what I experienced when I was out in the wilderness. I'm not sure if it was the Traveler's doing or some other epiphany, but I saw him and I knew what I had to do!"
"We believe you Kota. Despite how crazy it sounds you have never led us astray before. I don't speak for Burk but whatever it is you are going to do, I'm with you. We all owe something to that boy; we weren't there when he needed us most, after we swore to be his protectors. When the time comes, I have your back." Said Emma laying a delicate hand on Kota's shoulder and looking him in the eyes. He eyes were large and blue, like two massive and deep pools of water. Kota could look into them all day, though he could never tell her that. Hunter's had an almost unwritten code when it came to personal ties. We come into this world alone, we hunt alone, and we die alone. It was quite a dour saying, but one that had held true to most Hunters ever since their indoctrination into the ranks of the Guardians.
"Ah hell, what's the use of having friends if you don't stick by them? You have my support brother." Burk said giving Kota another firm handshake. A few seconds passed and then the distinct high pitched noise of the water pressure dropping in the pipes and the water shutting off caught the Guardians' attention.
"You have to go now, Ellister can't see you here, not yet." Said Kota as he motioned them to the door. The two Guardians nodded their heads in understanding and left through the front door into the brisk autumn night. Ellister came out of the bathroom dressed in the fresh sleeping clothes that Kota had left him.
"Was someone here? I heard the door shut."
"No it was nothing, just a stray cat at the door. Go get some sleep son, you'll need as much energy as possible for tomorrow." Kota said, speaking to him over his shoulder as he stood at a desk in the living area, in his hand he held a single bullet which he turned over in his fingers. What have I gotten myself into? He thought. But while his mind doubted his course, his heart knew it was right. All in the protection of humanity no matter the cost. Even if that cost was his own life.