Sloth the Bladedancer II

Akira's jog came to a halting stop as she drew closer to the massive, transparent sliding doors. Breathing hard, her eyes stayed on them for a few seconds more before they began to trace up…and up and up further still, until she could feel herself nearly lose balance.

Regaining her footing, her eyes returned to the sight before her. The Tower had always been imposing, even from where she lived near the walls. A constant presence that was overshadowed by nothing other than the Traveler itself. But to be so close now…

"Akira? A little help, please?"

"Oh!" She jumped and immediately twisted on her heels, jogging back to her brother, struggling with their bags. "Sorry! Got distracted."

"It's fine," Andal muttered, setting down the suitcases with a grunt. He pulled her backpack off his shoulder. "Carry your own things at least. I need to settle things with the driver."

Akira took the bag and immediately returned her attention to the Tower. Andal rounded the vehicle and walked up to the driver's window, "Sorry about that. How much?"

The driver, a simple frame, flashed the amount on the window. Andal sent over the Glimmer and when the frame determined that the funds had been delivered, it thanked him and peeled off, leaving nothing between Andal and the building before him. It held his gaze, just as it was holding Akira's. He took a few steps forward until his foot bumped against their belongings but couldn't bring himself to go any further.

"I promise the doors won't bite."

Andal nearly jumped out of his skin and barely bit back a curse, startling his sister as well. "Sorry," he said to Akira. Then to the voice, he muttered, "I asked you not to do that."

In a spark of light, the voice appeared before him. Floating at just below eye level and small enough to fit within the palm of his hand, her rather large personality had been a surprise. Andal wondered where it all fit.

But maybe it shouldn't have been a surprise. The Traveler was capable of anything but what it excelled at was the impossible. Their Golden Age had been proof. This City was proof. The Ghosts were proof.

And now, this one was his.

Fully aware of his mild annoyance, Thalia only giggled. "Come on inside," she chirped, "We'll get you settled quickly."

The Ghost twisted and started towards the doors, which slid open for her. Akira hiked her bag further up her shoulder and rushed to catch up. Andal was slower to cross the threshold. His share of the luggage was larger but even if it hadn't been, his apprehension would have kept him rooted all the same.

Cool air blasted through his hair as soon as he was inside. The Tower's first floor was a roiling mass of people, some standing in groups, others rushing from one place to another in every direction. Sunlight streamed through the glass pane windows above, reflecting off the tile and at the very back of the lobby, elevators carried people to every floor of the building.

Andal went further in, catching sight of Thalia speaking to a frame at the front desk, Akira behind her. He picked up the pace when Akira, speaking to the frame, turned and pointed at him.

But something else caught his eye and made him stop. The woman who strode past him was towering, with medium brown skin and graying dark hair that came down to her ears. She was broadly-set and the armor she wore, scratched and battered, was even broader than she was, red and gold ribbons and medals dangling from the massive shoulder plate on her left arm. She moved through the crowds as if the armor weighed nothing at all. Andal was winded just from watching her.

Movement out of the corner of his eye pulled Andal back to himself. His sister and Ghost had returned, Akira with a visitor's pass hanging around her neck. "We have our checklist for the day," Thalia said. Andal lifted their bags again and saw the image of a four-digit number appear within his mind. "Come on," Thalia said, "Let's go find your room."

She started towards the elevator without waiting for his response, Akira right on her tail. Andal hobbled to catch up but before he did, he turned to catch one more glimpse of the armored woman. She was still in the hall but now she was talking to someone. An older Awoken woman, half the armored women's size and nearly a third in width. Her robes were a maroon color, with small, strange white sigils etched into them. The two talked easily, bringing a smile to the taller woman's serious., stony face. As they spoke, so to did a pair of Ghosts, hanging over each one of their shoulders. This broad Human and this elderly Awoken. They were Guardians.

And now…

Akira's voice called out, making the young man duck in surprise and embarrassment. Quickly, he hiked up their bags and jogged the best he could to catch up.

She had come in the night, while Andal was sleeping off another hard shift at work. She had chosen not to wake him, or anyone. It was Akira who had met her first.

Andal woke to a mess in the kitchen, Akira covered in various stains from trying to make breakfast. At her side was a drone. Not just any but one of those drones Andal had only ever seen on television feeds or online.

When the Ghost had taken notice of him, she paused in whatever conversation she was having with his sister and stared, just as he was staring at her, rendered speechless.

Before he could find his voice, the Ghost darted across the expanse, flying towards his face so quickly that he jerked back to avoid being struck in the nose. The Ghost caught herself and apologized profusely, claiming nervousness and excitement in equal measures. And then, still before Andal could say a single word, a cone of light spilled forth from her eye. It washed over his face, making him wince and put his hand up to block it.

As quickly as it came, the light was gone and Andal was left blinking. Then, in the softest tone of voice Andal had heard from the Ghost thus far, she said, "It really is you."

She opened into a sphere, the pieces that composed her chassis spinning around, suspended in air by that same light from before. Andal could only stare, dumbfounded, as she spun around herself faster and faster. Then, she burst and he felt…something was over him. From then, his entire world had been shattered and rebuilt anew.

As soon as she reformed herself and Andals's ears stopped ringing, the first thing the Ghost asked him was, "Do you actually enjoy living here?"

Of everything that had happened that morning alone, Andal was still caught off-guard by a simple question. Their loud neighbors had moved, though he suspected one left before the other; he didn't care enough to confirm. He didn't but where else could they go?

And she knew that. As soon as he had asked the question in his head, the Ghost voiced it aloud. Told him she had been so confident she had finally found her partner, she had already secured a new place for them to stay. As she was speaking, Andal had begun to see vague, unfamiliar images flit through his head at a rapid-fire pace. They could begin packing now, she said, and be ready to move by the next morning. The Ghost could get transport for them, schedule training, secure gear and weapons and a jumpship and…

She paused and blinked her singular eye. She was strangely out of breath for one without lungs.

Then she said, "I just realized…I haven't asked you for a name yet." She blinked again and Andal felt a strange sort of shyness. "Would you be willing to give me one?"

He had only been awake for half an hour.

The time that passed between Thalia claiming him and granting him the Light to right now had been a blur to Andal. He could barely remember going into work to hand in his resignation or severing his leasing contract or packing the few things the siblings had to their name. Even the floor beneath his feet as the elevator took them to the Tower's high plaza seemed hazy and unreal.

If Akira noticed anything about his behavior, she didn't comment. She was too excited. Thalia knew, however. She had learned a scary amount about him in such a short amount of time, thanks to their newfound connection. He didn't like the idea of her coming across memories he would rather forget.

The elevator doors open upon a new skylit space. Akira practically runs out, Thalia gliding close behind. Andal lifted their bags and followed, albeit at a slower pace, surprised at his own strength and endurance. This normally would have tired him out by now.

They were at the very top of the Tower, less crowded but with more Guardians about. Akira had weaved her way through them and stopped at a railing on the far side of the floor. As Andal approached her from behind, he could see that below the railing lay the expanse of the City. Andal's eyes never broke from it as he let the bags down. Carriers and other transports flew over the tall buildings but still below the Tower. Personal vehicles flowed through its streets like blood within veins, too small and too far to make out each one individually.

From there did Andal's gaze rise.

"Thalia?" he tried, "Thalia, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Andal."

He blinked, as if that would make the sight before him disappear. "Why did the Traveler choose…me?" To think that the Traveler, looking down upon the world and the people it safeguarded, took note of him; some half-literate immigrant barely out of boyhood, bent from too much labor and too little sleep. That it looked at him and deemed him worthy of the Light he now felt coursing through every cell of his body. To protect humanity. To stand beside legends such as Saint-14 and Ikora Rey. To stand in the place of legends such as Lord Felwinter or Rezyl Azzir.

It was all very hard to accept. Thalia turned to look at him while Akira's attention was still on the City and the Traveler. Gently, she replied, "A discussion for another time, I promise." Out loud, she said, "Come on, let's find your room."

Andal nodded and took up the bags again. Akira hesitantly backed away from the railing and both followed Thalia. On their way, Andal asked questions pertaining to their stay. How much rent would be, what utilities were like, where Akira would attend school, if his new job would allow him to afford any of this.

Thalia hid her amusement well. Andal could only tell it from her mind, something that rankled him slightly. They were sensible questions; something she agreed with. What she found amusing was how easy the answers were. Rooms were free for the first six months. Utilities were top of the line and fully paid for. There was a good school nearby that Akira could attend if he wished. "And as for pay, it depends on the jobs you take. Most Guardians work for the Vanguard and the usual amount of Glimmer paid per job…"

A number flashed in his head and Andal nearly fell over his own feet, gaping at empty space while their luggage dangled in his loosening grip. Thalia laughed again. "Yes, I thought you might like that."

"Thalia…" Andal struggled to regain his breath. He blinked again and again. "That's…"

"More than you've made in the last several months?" Andal's only response was a shuddering breath and a nod. "Come on. You'll like your new place. I promise."

"I'm still getting Akira registered as a resident, so she'll need to hang on to her visitor's pass for a little while when she's out and about." Thalia had come to a stop in front of a pristine white door. She bid Andal step forward.

When the door slid open, he was the first one to cross the threshold. The lights began to come on. As he expected, the room was big and well put-together; as Thalia had said, better than their former place. Andal let their bags down on the floor of the combined living room and kitchen and walked towards the back, where he came across two more doors. "Akira," he called, "I think these are the bedrooms."

He opened both and found himself to be correct. When Akira made it over to him, he stepped back to let her have a look. "Which one do you want?"

Akira looked into one, quickly ran over to look in the other, then came back to look again into the first. "That one." She stuck her arm out towards the second room.

"You sure?"

"Yep."

"Great. Then get out of my room." Andal shoved her with his shoulder, earning an offended gasp and a badly-aimed swing. Andal stepped into his new bedroom and let the door shut in her face before she could try again.

With a desk near the door and a bathroom off to the side, the room was a simple thing and like the rest of the apartment, leagues better than the first, where his only desk had been a foldable dining table. Andal pressed his hand down into the mattress and was tempted to collapse into it right there upon feeling its softness. To his surprise, he still wasn't tired.

Andal left his bedroom and went over to his sister's, finding her sitting on her bed, staring out the window. From the door, he could see the snowy mountain range that bordered the Last City. He knocked against the frame to get her attention. "We've got to go finish things up," Andal said, "You could stay here or-"

She hopped to her feet. "I'll come with you."

Thalia was still in the main living area. "We ready to go?"

"Might as well finish up," Andal answered, "We can look around later."

"Excellent!" The front door slid open again and Thalia went flying out. Andal and Akira kept close behind. "You know, Akira has the visitor's pass. She's allowed to look around."

The look of excitement on Akira's face was wiped away as quickly as it came. "No," Andal stated, "I don't know this place or these people. I don't want to have to guess where she might be. Or around who."

Akira frowned. "I can be careful."

"I said no." Andal never liked bringing that hard edge into his voice but he was in no mood to argue. "If you don't want to come with me, you'll have to stay here."

"Or…" Thalia stopped and turned. "She could stay at the library."

Akira's face lit up again as she looked at her brother. "Fine. As long as you stay there." Andal gestured down the hall.

She grinned. "I think I can manage it but."

"Akira…"

"I will manage it."

Andal grunted but still, he gave a small smile back. "See that you do."

"Andal?"

This mental nonsense again. Still, Andal chose to respond in kind. "Yes?"

"How do you feel?"

The question had him looking at her out of the corner of his eye, floating over his shoulder and keeping pace. "Fine," was all he replied.

"Okay." She couldn't have been more clear in how little she believed him. "I understand this may be a lot to adjust to, so I understand if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed," she said to him, "But…" she paused and for the first time, Andal could hear uncertainty creep into her voice. "I…feel like there's something just a bit deeper."

She could read his mind, look into his memories. Of course, she knew something. Andal ground his teeth and said nothing, trying to will away his discomfort, as if she couldn't hear that as well.

"If you ever want to talk, just know I'm here."

"I'm fine, Thalia," he said aloud, by accident. Quieter, he asked, "Where are we going next?"

"Vanguard Hall." Thalia veered off into a corridor. Andal had to increase his pace to keep up. "You should meet command."

Command. More people he had only ever seen on television. Andal swallowed as a sudden bout of nervousness hit him. "What…what are they like? The Vanguard."

"Don't worry about Osiris, he's probably run out on his own again. Wouldn't be surprised if Ikora is covering for him as well." Thalia expertly weaved through the stream of people flowing around them. Some were armored. Heavily, like the woman on the first floor. Others in ornate robes and dusters. Others in for-fitting outfits littered with various tools; knife braces and pouches of cartridges, with capes flowing down from their shoulders. Akira would've been able to name them all but Andal struggled.

"Saint and Zavala are kind enough, at least, from the few times I've gotten to speak with them," Thalia continued, "Zavala can be serious, at times, but he's very welcoming and patient with newcomers. As for Saint, he likes to walk the City and feed birds. He takes a liking to nearly everyone, you don't have to worry about him."

"And the last one. For the Hunters, her name is Tallulah, right?"

"That it is! So you do know a thing or two."

"I've found time to watch a Crucible match or two over the years. Between two jobs and-"

"Raising a teenager?" Thalia giggled and Andal felt a bit of her mirth spread over to him. She took him around another bend. This hall opened into a wide, dimly lit space. At its center was a small flight of stairs that led into an even bigger room. There stood a long, solid table, surrounded by several Guardians.

"We're here," his Ghost announced, moving just a bit faster. Andal swallowed and tried to keep close and out of the way.

"Hmm…"

"What?" Andal pushed himself into a corner, just before someone trudged past.

"Maybe the Vanguard are in a meeting. I'm not seeing any-"

"Cayde!" The thunderous voice of a woman made Andal jump and press even further against the wall.

"Tal! Long time! You're looking great, very-hey, hey, let's talk about this!" Andal's attention, as well as the attention of several other people, was drawn towards a commotion at the head of the Hall.

As the arguing voices approached, Andal suddenly felt his heart quicken and his ears begin to burn. Without any warning, a memory flashed in his mind. It was quick but so sharp and visceral that it made Thalia turn her eye onto him. Andal's own eyes lowered, refusing to meet her gaze.

The crowd parted. Striding through was a tall Awoken woman with silver-white hair tied into a ponytail that stretched to her lower back. A Guardian by the armor, a Hunter at Andal's guess, once he regained the courage to look. She was dragging something behind her. Or someone, more accurately. An Exo, dressed in a similar fashion to her. His hood had been lowered, revealing a metal skull of blue that shone even in the dim light and had a short horn protruding from its center.

The Exo, who Andal guessed to be Cayde, was saying something; too fast for Andal to make out anything coherent over the noise. Bargaining, pleading, whatever he had to say was lost on the Awoken woman's ears. She dragged him bodily across the Vanguard Hall as if he weighed nothing, yanking him forward whenever he tried to dig his feet in.

She pulled him to the table, towards the side with a large, old map whose surface was littered with holographic markers. The Guardians standing there shuffled out of her way. With a heave, she yanked him once more and then lifted him, his feet dangling off the ground as if he were a child.

"Northwestern EDZ," she boomed, not caring who heard, "Whose name do you see marked there?"

Cayde looked away, mumbling something that made the woman rattle him around. "Okay, okay, it's mine!"

"And when was the report supposed to be brought in?"

"...Two days ago."

The Awoken woman lowered him to the floor and then pulled him close until they were almost nose to nose. "Then why are you still here?" she seethed.

Cayde offered her nothing more than a nervous laugh. "Give me an hour and I won't be."

"You have thirty minutes." She released him completely and Cayde struggled to balance himself. "Come back empty-handed and I'm giving you to Shaxx. Are we clear?"

Cayde snapped up, spine straight, feet together and gave an exaggerated salute. He spun on his heels and marched his way out of the Vanguard Hall in an overtly military fashion, earning himself many stares and even some laughs from the people littering the Hall.

Andal, again, shuffled to get out of the way as he passed. Cayde never broke stride, or the act, even as their eyes locked for only a second.

When he disappeared and chatter resumed about the Hall, Thalia spoke up. "That was Cayde-6." She turned towards the Awoken woman at the table. "And that is Tallulah Fairwind. Hunter Vanguard."

Andal had lost count of how many times that day words had failed him. Thalia said, "Come on. I want you to meet her. I think she'll be a good fit for you."

She moved ahead and with no small reluctance, Andal followed. "How do you know?"

"No idea. Let's just call it a hunch."

It was sunfall by the time Andal started making his way back to the library. He found his sister quickly, with a small group of other people. Children of varying ages, from younger ones to her own. She seemed so engrossed in whatever conversation she was having, that he was hesitant to interrupt.

She noticed him before he could do so anyway and jumped out of her chair, waving goodbye to the crowd before making her way back to him. The people she had been speaking with in particular watched as she left them, a blonde girl with green eyes and a red scarf wrapped tightly around her neck and an Awoken boy with short white hair, who immediately averted his gaze as soon as his eyes locked with Andal's.

Andal sighed. "At least, you're making friends," he said, his exhaustion clear.

"I'd rather be making dinner. How are you not starving?"

"I…hm." He had no response to that. He hadn't eaten since early morning but didn't find himself hungry at all. "Well, we can head back then. Get started on…" Andal paused. Then, he bit back a curse.

"What?"

"I haven't had time to stock our fridge yet," he muttered, wondering how something so important could slip his mind.

Thalia perked up. "Tower has a bunch of restaurants. Even if Guardians can go weeks without eating, they still love to do it. Finding dinner shouldn't be a problem."

"Well, my last paycheck hasn't cleared yet. Maybe…"

"One second…there! Just dropped some Glimmer into your account. You should have more than enough."

The Ghost was met with gaping stares instead of gratitude but did not appear offended. "I've been looking for you for a long time. Whenever I wasn't, I'd help out where I could or sell things I managed to find on my trips into the wilds. I've amassed some funds over the years. It's something Ghosts do to help their Guardians get a decent start. Especially the newly risen ones."

"I…wow, Thalia. Thank you. Really, thank you." If the Ghost had a mouth, Andal knew she'd be beaming. To his sister, he asked. "Craving anything in particular?"

Akira picked their destination and Thalia led them to it. The three retrieved the food and took it back to their apartment, settling down in front of the television and watching movies until it was well into the night and Andal felt obligated to send Akira to bed.

"So." Andal leaned against her door frame. "How do you feel about it here?"

"This place is amazing!" his sister gushed, "The library was huge and even had books that were saved from the Golden Age. Physical books, Andal! I met the head librarian and she promised to let me see them the next time I come in."

"So tomorrow then?" Andal asked and his sister grinned wide. He was still unsure himself about it all but he believed her when she said she was happy here. The old place, that den of noise and lingering terror, seemed to quickly be fading into memory for her. And it had only been a day. "How do you feel?" He asked, his tone quickly growing somber.

Her own did as well but still remained light. "I feel like I can sleep better here."

"You do?"

"I know I can," she said definitively, "My brother's a Guardian."

Andal swallowed at that but he nodded with a small, bashful smile. No loud neighbors, no aggressive landlords, no…

They weren't worth thinking about.

He pushed off her door frame and bid her good night. Before he could leave, she called him back to ask, "Andal, can you use your Light?"

The question surprised him. He wasn't even sure how to begin.

Thalia appeared before them. "Maybe we can try it later. It'll be easier to do when he's rested."

Akira nods in agreement. "Good night, Andal."

"Sleep well, kid."

Andal stepped away and let the door seal shut. He trudged to the other side of the hall, his room waiting for him. From the door, he walked over to the small round window on the other side of the bed, taking sight of the City lights reflecting off the mountains and the birds flying past. He stood there and watched for some time before pulling away and starting to unpack.

Later in the night, Andal pushed himself out of bed and quietly began to get dressed. Hours of staring at the ceiling had done nothing to help him fall asleep. Thalia followed him out of the room but before he stepped away, he pressed his head to Akira's door. Only when he could hear his sister's gentle snoring did he pull away and leave the apartment entirely.

Walking through the dim, empty halls, not a single part of it had become any easier to believe. It was as if, at any moment, the blaring of his alarm would wake him and he had to start getting Akira ready for school and himself ready for another backbreaking day at his job.

"I don't blame you, you know. Finding this all hard to believe," Thalia said quietly. Andal continued walking until he was out in the open air again, in the Tower Plaza, the City and the Traveler stretched out before him, as real as they could be.

"What I saw, Andal…" He stopped. So did she. "We don't have to talk about it. We don't ever have to talk about it," she promised him, "But I am here. For whatever you need."

Andal started to walk again, towards the railing overlooking the City. When he reached it, he bent over to lean against it. "We believe that the Light offers second chances," Thalia told him, her eye on the Traveler, "In everything. It's why we believe risen Guardians forget their past lives. So they can live unburdened by it. Not have to contend with someone else's lifetime while trying to live their own." She turned to him, "You don't have to be defined by your past, even if you remember it. You are the man, the Guardian, you choose to be."

"You never did tell me why the Traveler chose me," he reminded her.

"I can't really say why. I just felt the pull and…I knew you were the one."

"What could it have seen in me? All I've ever tried to do is protect my sister."

"So then, you're a protector. That's a good enough reason, isn't it."

Andal opened his mouth and then closed it with a sigh. He never really saw himself that way, even if it had been his sole reason for going on since they had escaped their old home.

He pushed off the railing and walked back across the plaza. The entrance to the Vanguard Hall was open to him below, quieter than before but he could still make out some gentle voices. He went over to the bounty board Thalia had pointed out as they had been making the rounds. He took note of the objectives, the locations, both on-world and off, the difficulty, the rewards.

His mind drifted back to his sister. Nothing had changed in that regard. Any job, any threat, any injury…and now, death itself. He was willing to endure it, if it kept her safe. He'd endure it tenfold, if it kept her happy as well.

Belatedly, Andal realized that this was one of the first times he had left her home alone without feeling the need to fret for her safety. For the first time, he was away from her and was sure she was safe.

This was real. This wasn't a dream to be woken from, dragged back to harsh reality, this was all real. Emotion swelled up in his chest, filling it until it seemed full to bursting. But through it, he felt relaxed, a calmness that pervaded the entirety of his being; foreign to the point where part of him wondered if he should have been worried.

A sudden tingle ran across his hand, vibrant but painless. He brought the hand up and stared. Suddenly, a small blue spark erupted from his skin, with no effort or exertion from him. It pulled a gasp from his throat and had Thalia pulling closer. The gasp evolved into a breathy laugh as realization flooded his mind. In his chest, he could feel Thalia's pride swell.

It happened a second time, the bolt jumping between his fingers, making the hairs stand up on end. Andal leaned against the wall and watched as the Arc danced and played across his hand, lighting up the smile on his face in the shadow of the night.