The Steel Bird speeds over overgrown cities and crumbling infrastructure as it speeds Westward. The Ghost and Lightbearer in its clutch rest in key moments, scrounging for supplies and Glimmer. It takes the pair Two Days to muster up the fuel to safely and confidently venture across the Atlantic. On the Third Day, they Fly.
The old thing weighs little as it speeds through clouds at breakneck speed, the waters of the Atlantic are a Navy color as the pair ride under the Northern Winter Sky.
"We should have enough to make the Journey… The Traveler has nestled itself within a Mountain Range in the Southern Continent… America, I think you Humans used to call it that? Maybe Brasilia? Columbia? So many names…"
Its Lightbearer sat in the cockpit, hands on the controls of the Ship, a single stick and pedals. Dials and measures dot the control panel. He understood how it worked. He doesn't know why or how. He had his instinct, but how he obtained that instinct he does not know. As far as he knows, he shouldn't be able to fly a vessel like this so effectively.
"I know what you're thinking… Yes This is instinctual… You've done this before. In a past life…" She says, as though she knows what he's thinking.
"You need to tell me how that works…"
"What? This?" The Ghost materializes in front of her Lightbearer.
"Yeah… What is that?"
"I don't know how it works exactly… But I think it's sort of… like a… merging. My Consciousness, though separate, joins yours in Harmony whenever I do that. My form is Physical, but in this process, I exchange my Physical form for yours. Your senses become my senses and my intuition becomes yours…"
"Do Ghosts always have Lightbearer Companions?"
"Yes… Usually. Our purpose before finding our Lightbearer was always to find our One as soon as possible. Once we've found them? Their purpose becomes ours…"
The Pair continues flying in comfortable silence.
"Are you… Okay?" The Ghost's voice rings in the Lightbearer's head. " I understand if you still have questions… I would too if all of my memories are ripped away from me like that…"
"I'm fine… I think?.. It's all just so confusing…" The Lightbearer's brow scrunches in thought. "I understand the world around me… but I don't understand why that is… You say I have no memories but I can't say that for certain… It's all so Familiar but so… Unknown…"
"That's what it wants from you, I guess."
"The Traveler?"
"Yeah… It wants you to fight." The Ghost pauses. "For It… Without Question."
"You don't even know what it wants?" The Lightbearer questions suspiciously.
"No… It has… a Voice, I think… But you'll see when we get there.."
The Rusting Old Bird flies over land, finally. Greenery and White Sandy Shores dotted by the glint of Glass and rusting Steel. The Beauty of a Civilization returned to Nature isn't lost on the Lightbearer who eagerly looks over the glass of his vessel's canopy. The color of the setting sun paints the landscape in stunning Blues, Oranges, and Violets.
The Flight over land wasn't nearly as long as the flight over the Ocean. They sped over overgrown cities, rainforests, and rivers. That is until the dying Light illuminates the familiar White. They fly over snow-capped peaks. The Clouds are thick, leaving droplets on the canopy.
It was then that the Lightbearer and Ghost found their purpose. Beyond the Southern, Summer Fog, Lights paint the ground in stunning displays of Life. Around those Lights ran a Kilometers long Wall, dotted with Towers and Battlements. Above all hung a Kilometers long, White Sphere, perfect in roundness. The only imperfection being a single Deep Gash on its underside.
"We're Here…"
"Is that…" The Lightbearer questions, staring in awe at the Sphere.
"Yes… That's the Traveler."
As the Lightbearer snaps out of his stupor, he redirects his vessel into flying a circular path around the City.
It was a quaint thing. Construction equipment litter the wide streets. A River runs through a system of simple canals. Farms and Hydropons dot a whole Third of the visible area. Near the Center, directly underneath the Traveler, was a tower complex surrounded by rising buildings. Vessels and shipping-works float and weave throughout the City.
"This is Vanguard Command. Unidentified Vessel, please respond, over" A message blares through the Steel Bird's communications.
"Uh-m… Ghost?" The Lightbearer stutters, not knowing what to do or say.
"I got this." The Ghost replies.
"This is Vanguard Command, respond or be dealt with by Extreme Force, over."
The Ghost floats to the console and speaks.
"New Light Approaching… Permission to Land."
There is a pause.
"New Light Confirmed. Open Hangar- Tower East. Welcome home, Lightbearer…"
The Lightbearer in question sighs in relief.
"Take us around. I'll tell you where to land…"
The following minutes were spent orienting their Vessel towards the Eastern Tower, a tall Bastion near the North Eastern side of the Wall. They flew towards it. There, the Lightbearer sees others like him for the first time. Humans… people… clothed in Grey suits and hats. Some bore rifles, others bore signal Lights, marshaling vessels in and out of the hangar.
The landing process was easier than expected. The same instinct allowing him to fly made it easy to follow the Marshals' signal lights.
He was hesitant to kill the engine when he arrived, still shocked at everything that has happened in the past 72 Hours. He flips a switch, shutting the Glimmer Burners. The Ship powers down.
The door opens. The Lightbearer steps out. The Ghost materializes by his side and scans the environment.
Humanity appeared to him, true and vibrant. They smiled at him. Some looked bored as they signaled each other on Datapads, some merely stared at him. All of them had respect on their faces. One went up to him. A Man with tanned skin and a gentle smile. On his suit was a symbol composed of intricate dots.
He shouldered his rifle and spoke kindly. "Como foi seu sono, Portador da Luz?"
The Lightbearer stares at him blankly, not able to understand a word he had said.
"Ele não entende sua língua…" The Ghost replies, floating beside her Lightbearer.
"Ah… Estou entendendo.. Os Portadores falam muitas línguas… É um milagre como Vanguarda consegue controlá-los.."
The man stares at the Lightbearer strangely. Said Lightbearer grows ever uncomfortable in the man's gaze.
"Eu aconselho que você a leve aos Comandantes da Vanguarda imediatamente… Parece um peixe fora d'água.."
"Faremos isso… Muito Obrigada… Let's go…" The Ghost floats past the Guard, urging her Lightbearer to move as well. The Lightbearer walks on.
"What was that about?" The Lightbearer asks his Ghost as he walks through the self-checks of the Tower Hangar.
"Most of the non-Lightbearing People here have been living here for a long time… A good portion are refugees fleeing the dying Earth, but most are people who've already been here for Centuries… Their language is cemented. Best to learn at least a little bit of it while you're here…"
The Pair walk out into the Tower Courtyard. The Atmosphere is blooming in the Evening air. Children run about, playing with toy ships and playing war with toy shields and spears. Various stalls are about. Banners hang from poles and walls. Humanoid things made of Steel walk around the place, carrying crates and bags.
"Frames…" The Lightbearer murmurs.
"You recognize them?" His Ghost replies.
"Yeah… They're…" Right before he speaks as to the Frames' Purpose, he stops. The information he learned from his past life quickly recedes. The Lightbearer only sighs in defeat.
"Nevermind…"
A Group of Humanoids, tall and jubilant, hang around a vendor, laughing with boisterous energy. One bore a massive gun on his shoulders. Another tinkered with shapes made of Light. One flipped a knife with boredom. They stood around a desk covered in Weaponry. The Banner behind the desk was Grey with a symbol of Bullets surrounded by rectangular shapes. Rifles of all shapes and sizes hung on the wall beside the banner. The Vendor looked much different compared to the Humans. They were Blue and Yellow in color. When they spoke, their mouth lit up in Blue Lights. A Strange sight indeed.
"Those are Guardians… Defenders of the City. They're Lightbearers like you. The Vendor over there is Banshee-44. He's an Exo. Human Consciousness shoved into a Robot Body. Work of Clovis Bray The First, whoever he is…"
The New Light looks at them, analyzing their armor, their stances, their very way of presenting themselves. However, he was unaware that they were doing the same to him. The lithe one of the group stops flipping his knife and begins walking towards the New Light. He was pale. Ghostly pale. His eyes shone Green. He looked unnatural compared to the other Humans in the Tower. His skin rippled, as though clouds gathered underneath his skin.
"Ay… You new here?" The cloaked one sheathes his knife on a holster about his belt.
"Yeah… I am."
"You don't understand a thing, do you?" He walks a slow circle around the New light, looking him up and down.
"Yeah… I don't."
"Well, neither do I… Just a few years back I was called over to this wretched hell-hole by some skank named Fairwind… Turns out she just had me do duty by fighting some Fallen who came crawling by. Had me fighting a whole ass battle!… What do people remember it as now?"
He turns back and yells at the broad-shouldered one leaning casually against a desk covered with Weaponry. "What do you Crayon Eaters call it again?"
"Call what again?" The 'Crayon Eater' in question shouts back.
"The Battle! Isn't it like… the Six… what was it?"
"Fronts, Mazdam! Fronts!"
"Yeah! Six Fronts. Six fronts of Combat… six fronts of misery… I died so many times back then…" 'Mazdam' turns around, back towards the New Light. "How about you, Blueberry… how many times have you died?"
"What?" The New Light replies.
"How many times have you- oh…"
Mazdam turns towards the New Light's Ghost.
"You haven't…"
"Nope… Didn't have to." The New Light's Ghost speaks up reverently.
"Bull-shit…" Another Ghost appears. "Mazdam died Twenty something times before he got the hang of things!"
"It was more like Fifteen…" Mazdam replies back. "But about you… How did you do it?"
"What… Did I do?"
"Survive? Did you evade them? Did you fight them? Watch'you do?"
"Uhm… I… I just… fought them" Not knowing what to say, the New Light stammers for an answer.
"With what? What guns you got?" Mazdam looks at him with a raised eyebrow.
The New Light draws his rifle. It materializes in his hand. Its cracked scope earns a smile from the Cloaked Lightbearer.
"And Light?"
"What?.."
"Your Light… I don't believe you can get this far without dying once with guns alone…"
The New Light opens his palms. He closes his eyes and Wills into being a ball of Flame in his fingertips.
"Impressive… Solar Light… Beautiful and Deadly as is the Undying Sun" Mazdam steps back. "I take it it was fairly easy to learn? Yeah… you'll come to find us Lightbearers are not exactly weaklings… We have power, New Light… Spend more time with us and you'll learn to use it more and more until…"
Mazdam summons a flaming knife in his hand, twirling it around, holding it by its Blade.
"It becomes Second Nature…"
The New Light stares in awe at Mazdam's performance. That is until a sudden thought rushes back to him. The thought of Dying multiple times. He knew that he had died once before, but his clamor for survival back in the Russian Cosmodrome made him think his new life wasn't permanent. His Ghost did say that The Embrace of Death is nothing compared to the Powers at Play. He shouldn't be so surprised that deaths afterwards wouldn't be permanent. But yet, here he is.
"You said you died, right? How did you… come back?" The New Light asks.
"Ask him." Mazdam replies curtly, gesturing to his own Ghost with his shoulder.
The New Light turns to Mazdam's Ghost.
"Screw you, you know I'm not good with attention…"
"Just answer the poor thing as best you can.."
"Fine… ehem…" Mazdam's Ghost turns over at the New Light's own. "Help me out here, please?"
"Hmm…" The New Light's Ghost turns to look at her Lightbearer. "It's like grabbing someone's arm to prevent them from drowning in a Pool…"
"That's actually a really good way of putting it…"
Mazdam's Ghost floats back towards Mazdam himself. He eyes his Ghost wearily.
"We repair the Body, yes… but to actually bring their consciousness back from the Deep? It takes work. Gets harder too the more of the enemy remains to pester you… until trying to bring you back becomes a Death Sentence of our own…"
"How does it all work… Our powers…" The New Light looks at his hands.
"You're asking the wrong person… Actually… Why don't you go ask…"
Mazdam turns around and points at a Woman robed in White. A long dress whose tails almost caress the ground. A Gray mantle secures her torso and a Gray belt around her waist secures multiple rounds, grenades, and secured books.
"Her… My friend over there can help you out…"
His Friend's hair is White as snow. Her skin was tan like those of the other Humans. The New Light couldn't see her eyes. Her back is turned as she converses with the 'Crayon Eater' Mazdam mentioned earlier.
"Actually… I think we'll be fine, Mazdam… Thank you for helping…" The New Light's Ghost spoke up, gently urging her Lightbearer to move on.
"Aww… So soon? You New Lights are the reason I still put up the Vanguard's crap… Oh well. Light be with you, Blueberry…"
Mazdam walks back to his crew. The Lightbearer with White hair that Mazdam previously pointed to looks over at the New Light. Her eyes are Blue. Like the color of clear Beach-Water. She smiles gently at the New Light before turning back towards her comrades.
"Let's get you more acquainted with the City… I don't think you're ready for inter-bearer interactions yet…" The New Light's Ghost advises, gently urging the New Light to a different direction.
The New Light walks to the Northern end of the Tower Courtyard. To the West was a long Balcony, overlooking both the City and the Traveler. Ships and vessels fly in and out, dropping off steel crates along a series of catches along the Tower Balcony's edge. To the East was a stairway deeper into the Tower and an upper gateway was there but blocked with White linen.
"What's over there?" The New Light asks, curiously.
His Ghost floats around him. "Up there is just another Balcony. It's usually kept closed out of fear of Enemy invasion. The Linen and the Gate there are set up so any opening or otherwise tampering sets off fireworks. Usually set up for events or games but it works as a Security Measure as well."
"And what's down there?" The New Light asks, pointing to the stairway leading deeper into the Tower.
"The Vanguard Command Center. That's where you'll find Vanguard Officials. Usually frames or Officers but official Vanguard Operatives too." The New Light's Ghost floats to the side. "Come, Let's get you introduced to the Speaker…"
Walking North, the Lightbearer walks through a long hallway. Writing in many languages dot the wall. Three main languages guide the wanderers through the hallway. One language the New Light understands, two the New Light cannot.
"Their Old Names before the Collapse were… English, Portuguese, and Mandarin. You understand English considering… well… we're speaking it…" The New Light's Ghost explains. "The Man back there spoke Portuguese. Very few people in the City actually speak Mandarin and those that do are mostly Lightbearers themselves."
The New Light's Ghost gently floats beside her Lightbearer as he walks down a flight of stairs onto an open section of the Tower. A Massive Cylindrical complex to his left and a mass of vendors and trinket sellers to the right. The New Light sees the clothing of the people wandering by and the armor of Lightbearers and Guardians. He feels inadequate, sticking out like a sore thumb thanks to his armor being a collage of Steel, Concrete and Twigs.
The New Light's Ghost floats in front of him. "Over there to the Left, that building is usually where the Speaker, the de facto head of the Consensus, usually resides. Let's go say hi…"
Walking the meters towards a bridge leading to that large Cylindrical building, it's soon apparent that the Speaker isn't there. The doors are locked. Lights around the area glow a deep Scarlet in response to the Lightbearer's approach.
"Huh, he must be in the City Center. Consensus meeting, I suppose… It shouldn't take too long…"
"Why don't we go down there ourselves? You said it yourself that I need to get more acquainted with the City…"
"Yeah… you're right. But before we do, let's get you something better to wear. Concrete and Sticks can only serve so long and I bet you stink like Ether."
"You can smell me?" The New Light stares at his Ghost, aghast. His Ghost merely fiddles its Geometric Shell in an attempted shrug.
"No… I just think that you might considering all the Fallen you killed back in the Cosmodrome…"
"Okay… Where can we look?"
The Ghost floats over to the nearby stalls, urging her Lightbearer to follow. They prune through kiosks and vendors, analyzing Paints and Shaders and cloths and emblems. On an inlet, they spot a Young Human Woman digging through cases filled with pigments and fabric.
"Eva!" The Ghost yells out, floating over to the woman. The Woman in question looks in surprise then smiles.
"Oh my! You again! Only been a few months and now you've returned!" She looks beyond the Ghost and looks at her Lightbearer. "With a Lightbearer… Where did you find him?"
"An Old Russian Cosmodrome… We had a couple hiccups with Fallen but he held his own! His Light is strong…" The New Light simply stares at both of them as his Ghost praises him, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
"Ahh… I assume you're here for a new look? You can't simply fight Darkness wearing nothing but Twigs and Concrete! Come look here, I made this Poncho for another Guardian but he hasn't been here for Three Years! Take it!" Eva holds out a folded poncho. It's Blue and White, the color of a shining beach.
"Thank you…" The New Light speaks in solemn gratitude and surprise as he takes the folded clothing. He stammers as he digs in his makeshift pockets for any leftover Glimmer but is stopped.
"No, no… it's okay! This is a gift! For the Chosen One of my ghost friend Here!"
"Thank you, Eva… We're in your debt…" The Ghost declares humbly.
"Haha! No such thing! Shoo! Away with you!" Eva laughs as the pair quickly leave. The New light looks at his Ghost, then at the Poncho in his arms.
"You think I'm good to enter the City with this?" The New Light asks, unfurling the folded Poncho and gazing upon its embroidery and designs. Stars and Intricate shapes flow across its surface.
"Let's get you something more comfortable to wear under it and yeah. It'll do."
The Pair heads towards a large, Black door to the North Eastern end of Tower East, opposite the Speaker's Building. Pushing open the heavy doors, they are greeted with masses of people shopping through markets and stalls. The smell of roasted meat and vegetables waft through the air, no doubt masking whatever scent the New Light has accrued. He walks through the gazes and stares from children and adults as he makes his way through the dense mass. Some were tan or pale in a way normal to the New Light. Some were much paler, with shadows or clouds rippling beneath their skin. Some were metallic, Their emotion shown through artificial smiles and flashing lights about their mouths.
The Children smile as they reach towards his Ghost. His Ghost, for her part, teases and laughs and plays with the Children as they walk along that alleyway. The adults saluted him. Some spoke words he didn't understand. Some called him Lightbearer, some even called him a Guardian. All of them respected him, though he is but a New Light.
He approaches a stall that appears to sell clothing. The vendor's skin was Bluish. Black and white clouds floated under her skin. She spoke a language he didn't understand. All he could do was point at garments he wanted and hoped she could understand. The vendor smiles gently and with a gentle nod, removes the garments from their hangar, placing them on the counter. The New Light digs spare Glimmer from his pockets and pours them onto the vendor's desk. The vendor looks at the Glimmer, then at the New light. She smiles and gives a motion as though she was shooing him. He thinks of it as a sign that it was well paid and thus leaves, new garments in tow.
Walking to the end of the alleyway to an open door, he stumbles upon another balcony, this time adorned with a blooming Tree. The pathway extends to his left. He continues down that way, smiling gently at the people who salute him.
The pair eventually make their way to a lift, allowing them to travel down to the City. It was a relatively swift Five Minutes for the lift to take them from the Tower to the City Floor. The view as they descended stunned them both. They didn't speak as they reached the bottom, the doors open behind the pair to reveal a Terminal with multiple lifts leading to different areas of both the Wall and the Tower.
Making their way outside, The Evening air was cool as it wafted under the Traveler. The New Light begins to venture, walking down partly paved streets and under half-destroyed buildings. Construction equipment bearing cement and cinder blocks drive down the roads like animals dragging wagons.
He makes it to a crossroads. A statue of Three Lightbearers sat in the Center. One bore a Rifle over his shoulder and was well armored. Another held out her palm with an intricate geometric shape cradled within. The Third was hooded and bore a knife and revolver.. People crowded around it and lounged about. A hooded figure robed in Yellow was preaching, though no one paid any sort of attention to him. The New Light was nowhere near the Center of the city, but the path splits in four directions. The Dexter Road was covered in potted plants to be sold and with the sounds of a buzzing like insects. The Sinister Road was marred with uneven pathways and broken buildings. The Center Road leads to a rising Complex, no doubt the Center of the Last City.
Walking down the Center Road, illuminated by flickering Orange Streetlights, folded clothes in hand, the New Light still understood nothing as symbols and imagery dot the walls around him. Marks of Line Strokes and Geometric Shapes made no sense to him despite making sense to others, especially to the other Lightbearers who he watched as they laughed in jubilation, prostrated themselves in reverence, or simply stared in cold indifference.
A hooded figure leans against a wall. She bore armor colored Blue and Orange. About her waist hung large spherical objects marked in deep Red. Bombs. Her face was tanned, marked with Cyan stripes. Another hooded figure stood by. An Exo. His metallic skin was a Dark Navy Blue. His mouth glowed in Orange Light as he spoke to the Cyan Striped one.
"Come on, Lulah… Isn't it your duty to attend that stuff?"
"It's not my duty, Caliban. I was dared to do the Speaker's dirty work, not to actually attend this Vanguard schist… Maybe I would if he dared me for that…"
"Didn't you say he dared you to tackle all the 'Logistic stuff' in regards to the hunters of the City?"
"What're you, a Warlock now, Caliban? I got dared to do Logistics. Sitting around arguing Politicians who value their ego more than the people isn't Logistics… it's stupid…"
Suddenly noticing the New Light, the Hooded woman began to approach the New Light. The other Hooded figure only watched.
"You new?" The Woman asks the new Light.
"Yeah.. I am…"
Smiling, the Woman stretches out her arm in an offering to shake. The New Light hesitantly takes it and shakes it. Her grip is strong, confident.
"Name's Tallulah Fairwind. Hunter Vanguard of the Last Safe City. I understand what it's like to not know anything about the World. It's that unknown that spurs me on…" She lets go of his hand.
"You New Lights have your work cut out for you… Darkness is Rising. Despite recent victories, I don't believe we're free to rest just yet… and you…" She turns to the New Light's Ghost. "I've seen you before… You were one of the Little Lights following Micah weren't you?"
"Oh… Yeah… It didn't work out… I wanted to be more independent and go out on my own to find my Lightbearer. And I was kinda successful…" The Ghost looks at her Lightbearer in apparent pride, contorting her shell at him in a sort of Wink.
"Haha… I see… Your quarry, Has he died yet?" Tallulah asks about the Lightbearer.
"No. he hasn't. He's actually pretty remarkable… He was gonna die, but he managed to cut, shoot, and burn his way out. Enough for me to heal him…"
"Wow… Don't think you're hot stuff, Blueberry. You'll die someday… and though it may not be permanent, learn from it. Our Enemies won't be idling about just because you died…" She unloads one of the bombs about her waist, juggling it on one hand.
"We've beaten the Fallen, but they'll come back… Keep yourself safe. Both of you… In the Meantime… Why don't you get acquainted? There's a Charity Station a few streets down…"
Tallulah points down the street.
"Thank the Saint if you ever get to see him. Me? I'd love to talk, but I have to get going. Kinda… have to dodge the Vanguard for a while… you'll understand." With a wink and a vocal click, she heads back to where she was, within that dark alleyway, rendezvousing with her hooded comrade.
"Did you have to show off to the New Light?" The other hooded figure mumbles silently, but loud enough for said New Light to hear.
"Hey! I got these Bombs from that Supply Recov with Tav and Venra. It was a hard job, alright! I needed to make use of them somehow…"
"Maybe use them to blow up our Enemies not wave them around in front of a New Light like a Dog and a Bone-"
Their Dialogue is cut short as they leave the New Light's hearing range. Hearing them speak about him stirs something in the New Light. Nothing Good.
"That's the Hunter Vanguard…"
"Yeah... Hey... Don't worry so much about your first death. I'll bring you back okay… It's nothing to fear."
"How can you be so certain?.."
"Just! Don't think about it too much, okay? We're here, we're home, come on, let's find a place to kick it."
They continue walking down the street the way Tallulah had advised them. The streets become more and more packed as they get closer to the City Center. Despite the dim light, the City is bustling.
"Charity Stations?"
"Yeah! It's mostly done out of good faith ever since the Battle of Six Fronts a few Years back."
"Who's 'The Saint'?"
"Saint-14... A War Hero during the Battle of Six Fronts… Held an entire Front of the City with a single deadly Counterattack when several Guardians overstretched their lines… Never died once…"
They continued walking through the lit streets, watching as children ran through the dark with Toy ships and masks.
"Saint, being the humble Exo he is, claimed that he was inspired to fight for Humanity by a Lightbearer who saved him on Mercury… He was made Commander of the Newly established Vanguard… but he left after One Day to deal with Fallen. He's still away… probably kicking Fallen-Ass.."
"Who's the New Commander now?" The Lightbearer asks, not really paying any attention as the sensation of finally having something to strive for takes hold. He marvels at the, almost rustic, architecture of the City. Mosaics dot the walls and columns in stunning Lapis Blue and Jade Green, shining dimly in the Orange lighting.
"The Warlock Vanguard, Osiris. He's not like Saint at all… He's a recluse. More focused on studying instead of leading or fighting… The City's doing fine but Osiris… has some views some consider to be… Heretical? I mean, considering all the preachers… there's a bit of a discourse going around…"
"What was his suggestion?"
"That the Fallen aren't Humanity's True enemies. That it is the Vex and overall the 'Darkness' that is the Enemy. I'm not going to wholly agree, an enemy is an enemy and it's best to focus on what's closest a threat to you… but I don't disagree with his assertion of the Vex and Darkness."
The New Light thinks back to that Yellow-robed figure he saw at the crossroads.
"Osiris and the Speaker have good connection, but concerning recent allegations of Osiris not actually understanding why a Guardian Fights, he's probably not going to be in good standing for long…"
"What is the 'Darkness'?"
"Don't think about that too much, at least not now. We simply don't know… Maybe in time we'll understand. But as of now, there's nothing for you to learn because, barring the tomes of a few crazy madmen, there's no reputable source to learn from…"
"How do you know all of this?" The New Light asks. Concerned and intrigued at the knowledge his Ghost has.
"I always end up returning to the City if one of my Search Ventures ends up coming short… Usually, I end up helping Eva Levante over in the Tower. That's why we're such good friends… And when you stay long enough, you pick up rumors just from being here…"
Eventually, the New Light and Ghost end up at one of Saint-14's Charity Stations. A building just off the corner of one of the City Blocks. The Smell of Vanilla and Blueberries waft through the streets. Stalls selling clothing, armor, even Firearms and sharp implements were around. Walking over to the stalls, vendors eagerly show off their gifts. Translators advertise products. The shouting and laughter of Charity work makes the block's corner the loudest but the most joyous area the New Light had ever seen.
Ignoring the Charity Work for now, the New Light eventually ventures inside the building. Several Lightbearers with armor like him line up for food. Joyous workers hand out bowls of Soup and Blueberries to all who were willing. Bread and meat for those who want seconds. The Lightbearers all smelled like the wild. Some smelled like sweat from days in the Sun. Some smelled like Ferns. Others simply stank. The Windows laid open so fresh air could easily enter, making the stench at least a fair bit more bearable.
Waiting in line, the Lightbearer in front of him was dressed in ragged clothing, his Ghost whispering comforting words into his ear as he looked to the Night sky outside. His face was marred with confusion and uncertainty.
Once it was the New Light's turn to receive, he was given a metal tray. Soup, Bread, and a side of cream and Blueberries.
"Dump the trays here, shower downstairs if you want to change…" The server informs him as he hands him his food, taking note of the Clothes in the New Light's arms. The New Light manages to find a table. Sitting down, he begins to eat. The food of caring Humanity, much better than the fern, grass, and Centuries old canned goods they had to feast on back in Europe.
As he eats, he looks around. The nourishment of food allows him to understand his surroundings better. Lightbearers clamored boisterously for food. Some were silent and patient. Others looked lost and afraid. Some Human. Some Exo. Some had clouds floating under their skin- What are they?
He looks at his Ghost floating on the seat across from him. Before he speaks, his Ghost answers his question.
"They're called Awoken… We don't know much about them… but from the limited contact we have of them, they're forged from both Light and Dark and were born out in Space, in between the Orbits of the Planets Mars and Jupiter… I don't know why they would subject themselves to life here on Earth, but they do good work… Even make good magic tricks for the kids…"
"Thank you…"
The Lightbearer resumes eating, taking note of every action around him. From the laughs around him, to the furious tapping of bored Lightbearers. Even to the gentle stare of a woman in the corner… who was staring at him…
The New Light raises his eyes. The Woman wore a suit, forged from Concrete and Tree Bark. She's also tan, much like everyone else. Her Hair is Dark Brown, raised into a messy bun resting against her neck. Her cheeks are dotted, literally dotted, in a geometric pattern resembling a Hexagon. The strangest part was her eyes. They glowed a stunning Purple. They stared at each other for a while before they had the sense to finally break contact.
After finishing his warm and cozy feast, the New Light decided it's time to do away with the gunk. He stood up and went over to where the Server described the showers to be, 'downstairs'. The New Light walked over to a staircase leading to a basement. Walking down, the atmosphere grew increasingly moist as fog from running warm showers dull the air. Gentle music plays from speakers and ventilation from small open windows near the ceiling of the Basement. There were many stalls. Clothing and towels were strewn all over, littering the floors, walls, even the benches. On and around those benches sat Lightbearers of all shape and stature dressing and undressing.
They paid little attention to him, and thus he paid so in return. Walking quickly, he finds a stall and enters, bringing his clothes with him. He hangs his clothes on a, thankfully included, hangar bolted to the stall door, tears off his armor with assistance from his Ghost and turns on the water.
It was cold at first but the water rapidly heats up. He sighed silently under the warm water, letting it fall all over him. Looking over at available amenities, he picks out soap and begins to scrub. He rinses down the suds, letting the gentle melody of the falling water become a loud silence as it drowns out the Jubilant Chaos beyond the stall's plastic walls. He thinks back to the events of the day, thinking about the world and himself.
He is a Lightbearer.
He is an unwilling Soldier.
As he smoothens his thoughts underneath a warm torrent of water, his Ghost gently floats around him, trying to understand her Lightbearer more.
"Have you thought of a name yet?"
He looks back at her, her shell floating loosely off her core.
"A name. For you and I…"
"No. Not yet… I… honestly haven't been able to think of any…"
"Yeah… I thought so… Today's been a lot, huh?"
"Yeah… yeah…"
"If you want, we can spend the next few Days or Weeks just letting you rest. I understand you're going to need help and well… I think Fairwind was just exaggerating the enemies we have!"
The Ghost tries to cheer her Lightbearer to no avail. Despite her happy contortions, her Lightbearer merely plants his head on the wall, thinking.
"I don't think so… You've seen how ferocious only one of our enemies is… If there are Four factions of them, all aiming for our downfall… What choice do we have if not to Fight?"
The Ghost sighs as she contemplates his question.
"Just trying to cheer you up…"
"I'm fine… I'm fine…"
The Lightbearer turns off the water, grabs a towel and begins drying off. He dons his shirt and pants before walking out of his stall, his Poncho folded up in his hands. He notices a crate filled with shoes. "Take A Pair!" A sign demands above said crate. He doesn't complain as he grabs a pair of Sandals. Fitting them on correctly, he leaves the Bathrooms.
Walking up the stairs and back into the main Charity Station building, he dons his poncho. He notices that Purple-Eyed woman staring out one of the many windows at the dimly lit streets. She's accompanied by another hooded woman. A Bow rests on that hooded woman's back and a quiver lays flat, strapped to her leg. The rest of the Station remains chaotic as usual. Laughter and Conversation continue on long into the Night.
The Lightbearer and Ghost walk out into the cooling night-time air. The Lightbearer looks up at the Traveler above him, its Broken Underside looking like a scar on otherwise perfect skin. He wonders as to its Origin.
"You still want to talk to the Speaker?" His Ghost speaks up.
"I'd like to… If only to get a better understanding…" The Lightbearer walks down the streets, making his way to an artificial canal. Water flows through the trench. The New Light leans on the Trench's railings, looking over at stationary construction equipment guarded by Frames carrying rifles. A Crane remains motionless beside the trench, an unfinished bridge just beyond the crane. A Makeshift wooden bridge stretches across the canal.
The Lightbearer then hears the gentle patter of approaching footsteps coming from behind him. He turns around once he realizes the footsteps were moving towards him. It was the Friend of Mazdam. The Woman with White hair and piercing Blue Eyes.
"Do you have a moment?" She asks, her voice is calm and gentle.
"What do you want?" The Lightbearer replies harshly. Too harshly.
"Wow… stressful first day much?" She raises her hands in a surrender motion.
"Sort of… Everything is… so new… I don't understand any of it…"
"I understand… Mazdam told me about you… How lost you looked… But he said you had potential… Apparently you haven't died yet… That's worthy of respect for someone so new."
"What… do you want?" The Lightbearer asks, encouraging her to get to the point.
"Hey, hey! I don't want anything! I'm not a robber… I want to help you… You looked like a lost puppy back in the Tower and me and my friends take a lot of joy helping out New Lights like you… why.. My good friend Sera just got acquainted with a New Light just like you! I think you might have noticed her?"
She leans over the railing just as you do. Her face, illuminated by the limited Light in the shadow of the Traveler.
"You've been to the Charity Station, right?" The New Light nods. "Yeah… she was the woman with a bow on her back."
"How did you know we were there?" The New Light's Ghost asks suspiciously.
"Me and Sera were going to meet up in front of the place. She introduced me to her New Light. A cute, shy little thing with really pretty eyes who calls herself Caravel… But I saw you walking away from the place like the confused little puppy you are and decided to follow you."
The New Light stares at the woman. Her Language deeply unsettles the New Light.
"I personally think that's kind of Suspicious… How do you want to help me?" The Lightbearer questions, being pushed over the Line of uncomfortability for the day.
"I want to teach you…" She looks at the New Light with a look like admiration and kindness. "I've always loved to help people… I've always loved to teach… If you want to learn more about the world… I'd be glad to help show it to you…" She straightens up and outstretches her hand.
"My name is Mithra…"
"Mithra…" The New Light pronounces her name. She nods in response. The New Light tentatively shakes her hand.
"What about you? What's your name?"
"I don't have one… not yet…" The New Light admits, slightly embarrassed.
"No worries… I picked up my name after stumbling around in Old-Iran… It's apparently a very Ancient word… but when I picked it out for myself, my Ghost just said it felt right… I think that's how you'll find your name too… It'll feel right… like it belongs to you…"
She looks back over the canal, then up into the Traveler and back to the New Light.
"You should rest your head and properly digest everything that has happened since your resurrection… Come, I know a place you can stay…"
The New Light looks at his Ghost for permission. She merely shrugs her shell, unsure of what to make of this 'Mithra'.
"Lead the way…"
The Two Lightbearers walk over and across the makeshift bridge, the wood creaking as they walk over the trench. Continuing down the inactive, dim lit streets of the City, The New Light wonders what's in store for him. He was suspicious and stressed. Though he agreed to follow this 'Mithra', he soon feels as though he regrets this decision despite Mithra having done nothing to provoke the feeling. The Information overload was beginning to catch up to him. Maybe Mithra was right. If he could only rest his head…
Taking turn after turn, the pair walks in silence. The New light of the Two analyzes the older one as she guides him, making sure to ready himself for anything. They walk through empty alleyways, soon ending up in an area of the City that's more rural. The paved roads give way to dirt and grass. Ponds and farmland soon dominate their surroundings instead of tall marketplaces and bustling streets. The Lightbearers soon come upon a silent building surrounded by Wheat. Rectangular and double storied. Its second floor being held up by columns covered in Mosaics, the outer walls covered in vines and flowers.
"This is where me and my Clan usually sleep in… It's deep in the City so it's safe but it's also out of the way so it's quiet and remote… It's technically owned by farmers but the one farmer who really owns the place allows us to sleep in… says it makes him feel safer…" Mithra explains as she climbs up the building's patio. Falling petals land on her mantle. She dusts it off before opening the small wooden door leading to the building itself.
"Come on in…"
The New Light hesitates as he walks up the patio. Mithra only smiles at him as she holds open the door for him. Inside the entrance lay well knit carpets and glowing streamers. Rifles lean on the opposing wall. A sofa rests against the wall on the Right. The Left is more open, with a staircase leading upstairs and a kitchen. It wasn't much, but the place was well decorated. It felt like Home to the New Light.
It was cold inside the building. An air conditioning unit hums silently above the door.
"Go upstairs. There should be a place for you to rest your head…" Mithra advises as she undoes her mantle, setting it down on a kitchen counter, uncoupling grenades and books around her belt.
The Lightbearer walks up the stairs without saying a word, still unsure. Walking up the stairs, the Lightbearer sees a Twin Banner. Stars and Eagles split by a staff in the center.
The second floor was similar to the first, but instead of a kitchen and a sofa, there were only cushions and blankets strewn around the room. A warm lamp glows in the corner. The New Light removes his sandals before stepping onto the strewn array of blankets. He moves silently to a wall, finds a couple of pillows and begins to prepare himself for sleep.
He himself didn't feel sleepy, however. His mind was still sharp, though the idea definitely entices him as he stares at the neatly quilted pillows. The New Light rests his head on the wall as he sits around the pillows and blankets. He removes his poncho in preparation for slumber. That is until he hears a rustling sound near him against the wall on his Right. He did not notice it in the dim lighting and grand shadows casted by the small Orange lamp, he wasn't alone.
Sleeping with her back against a hill of neatly quilted cushions and blankets was a woman with Dark Brown hair, tussled up into a messy bun. The New Light's mind wanders back to what Mithra said to him earlier. About Sera. About the New Light who Sera had taken to mentoring. The Purple-Eyed New Light who stared at him in the Charity Station. Caravel. Her name is Caravel. That woman was now sleeping with her back towards the rest of the room, mumbling quietly as she takes calm and deep breaths.
The New Light stares at her sleeping for some time, then at his Ghost who merely stares at him back. He hears the door at the bottom floor creak open. Multiple footsteps enter the building.
"Sera… Mazdam… you're back early… Where's Jalus?" The New Light hears Mithra's tired voice.
"Yeah… Crayon Eater decided to end off his night in a Hunter's Den… Poor guy might end up with a stack of rowdy Hunters in bed... or... dead on the streets… At this point, I can't tell with him…" Mazdam's voice rings out. Familiar.
"How's my little Mäuschen doing?" An accented feminine voice speaks up. That must be Sera.
"Last I've been up there, Caravel's been snoozing away… Speaking of New Lights… Mazdam, I've talked a bit to that New Light you mentioned. Poor thing don't even got a name…"
"Not surprised… Blueberry just looked lost… Afraid…"
"Yeah… he's up top. Both New Lights should be asleep by now…"
"Lucky Jalus ain't here… Just his footsteps alone will wake 'em…"
"Indeed… I'm gonna check up on them… You two need to rest too. Mithra you're growing bags…"
"Shut up! You are too!"
The trio laugh. The New Light hears steps going up. He makes no attempt to appear like he's asleep, leaning over his knees, staring deadeyed at the opposing wall. A hooded figure with Platinum Blonde hair emerges from the stairwell. She spots the New Light and smiles gently. She removes the bow holstered around her torso and lets it lean on a wall. She pulls down her hood and walks up the New Light, who only stares up at her with an apathetic gaze.
She kneels in front of him and whispers.
"My name's Sera… How are you?"
"Fine…"
"You don't want to sleep?"
"Couldn't…"
"Too much on your mind?"
"... Yes…"
"It'll get better once you rest… I promise. Mithra and Mazdam will have a nice breakfast for you and that little mouse over there… How do you like your eggs?"
The New Light Looks up.
"Boiled…"
"Mmm… Jäger like me usually keep a pack of boiled ones to snack on long trips… You like the outdoors?"
"Not when I don't understand a damn thing."
"Mmm… Warlock… Okay."
"What?.."
"Nothing… You go off to sleep… Mithra will take good care of you okay?" Sera pats the New Light on the head, petting him gently, smushing down his Black Hair. The New Light mumbles negatives, not appreciating the action.
He watches as Sera moves over to the sleeping form of Caravel. She sits next to her sleeping form, pulling her hair behind her ear.
"You New Lights are so precious… You both will change the Universe one day… I'm sure…"
The New Light feels like a child. He knows he technically is, but with the capacity of a fully grown man, he feels offended he has to endure teachings like this. He's appreciative, but he can't help but feel sour after treatment like this. He only sighs, letting go of the venom spawned off condescension. His Ghost only stares at him before she dematerializes. He feels her presence in his head.
"Good Night, Little Mice…"
Sera stands up, walking quietly to her bow. She picks it up before heading back downstairs. The New Light knows he should be falling asleep, but the resonating words coming from downstairs are too good to ignore.
"Mithra, your New Light likes Boiled Eggs. Remember that…"
"Oh so you think he's a Hunter now?"
"No… He says he wants to understand… I think he might be more like you… Take him to one of the Libraries if you have time… maybe even have him visit Ikora Rey…"
"Mm… Where will you go?"
"Call to arms… an Ahamkara was spotted crawling along the Old American/Canadian Border… I'm going for a Hunt…"
"Stay safe. Don't engage, we'll join you once we've set the New Lights free. Can you manage… a Week?"
"Pshh.. eine Woche?Keine Sorgen… The problem is if you'll really get the New Lights comfortably off your backs within a Week… If not…"
"You really think they can handle an Ahamkara? Those New Lights probably have Desires that the old Dragon can exploit, much to our collective Misery…"
"Of course… and if these Täubchen end up getting killed?"
"We won't let them…"
"You better… I'll kill you myself if any of you let anything bad happen to my little Mäuschen.."
"We won't let you down, Sera… Good Luck…"
"You too… See you in a Week?"
"Of course…"
The creaking of the door leaves the building in silence. Only the gentle murmuring and breathing of the sleeping Caravel can be heard. With a deep breath, the New Light decides that it's maybe time to join her in the slumber.
Keeling over to his side, resting his restless mind onto a soft cushion, the New Light closes his eyes.
Faster than he would anticipate, the Formless takes him. Consciousness ends.
—
Traveling North, the Summer of the South gives way to a bitter Northern Winter. Sera, the Hunter, speeds northward with a custom fitted Vessel, capable of quick atmospheric drives as well as interplanetary voyages. Her vessel streams a ray of Pink and Purple as the Northern lights shine upon the landscape below. The Dark Forest below shines a deep Blue and Green
Landing at a Forest clearing, Sera meets up with another flock of Hunters, each readying themselves for the fight ahead. Knives are sharpened, rations taken. Grenades are primed. A Warlock stands beside the group, holding open a book. Sera can't possibly comprehend the strange markings and pictures within.
"How's our quarry?" The Hunter asks.
"Not good. The Frames holding down the beast are getting tired. Their gears are loosening. Soon enough we'll have to send people over to tighten them up or wrangle him ourselves…"
"Which may lead us to making a Wish…" The Hunter finishes.
"Indeed. Sending a Titan might be our best bet. The most stoic…"
Sera shouts over at the team assembled around her.
"Hunker down Männer! We're gonna be here a while!"
She turns back to the Warlock.
"Can you feel it?"
"It's presence?"
"Yes. Can you?"
"Of course. It's still in its net. It's struggling still but it's getting tired."
"Why has it not yet escaped?"
"The Void traps the Nightstalkers have set is keeping its Acausality at bay… I can feel its stress… It's trying to shapeshift out of there… but with the weight of the Void on its shoulders and the physical Net over it? No chance…"
"Wonderful… Let it tire itself out. More of my comrades will arrive within the Week… Soon enough we'll be well on our way to slaughtering the beast…"
Sera looks up at the Northern Sky as she dismisses her Warlock Friend. She thinks back to her Clan's City Home. About Caravel, the poor thing she rescued deep in the European Dead Zone, and of that Nameless New Light who couldn't catch his sleep.
"Hey… Sulley.." Sera calls out to her Warlock friend, a burning question on her mind.
"Remind me again. What does this Ahamkara call itself?"
"He calls himself 'Orion'. He has no title."
"Orion… Sounds Familiar."
"Ancient Earth Mythology… South Eastern European in Origin."
"Mmm… Old Greece?"
"Fairly Certain…"
"Been there… Nice beaches…"
"Want to kick rocks out there sometime? Beats looking for Dragons in the dead of Mid-Winter…"
"In your dreams, Sulley…"
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Yooo finally got Chapter 2 Done. As before, Criticism welcome. PLEASE GOD. Grammar problems ESPECIALLY.
Also let me know if the foreign language stuff works/is accurate. I included lines in Portuguese precisely because of the Last City's all but confirmed location being in South America but I mainly used AI to help me translate phrases so there may be mistakes. Do let me know if there are any!
Hope You Enjoy! Per Aspera ad Astra, Per Ardua ad Astra!
