AN: I'll probably fuck up the mechanics of some of the rolled perks, as I can only get so much from wiki trawling the source settings, but it is what it is.

It's been a few days since I'd gained my Pyro Vision, and I've been practicing using the energy from it. As a consequence of me not being a mobile game character, I'm not limited to a few thematic supermoves. Instead, I've taken a more freeform, plagiaristic take on fire magic.

I'm copying the shit out of the local flame users. Specifically, the Dawnblades.

Flight capable wings made out of fire? Hell yeah! Mobility is always good. Soothing energy that can heal even bone deep cuts? I can probably do that! Flaming sword that can launch devastating blasts of flame with every slash? Ehhh… not so much.

The wings and healing came pretty easily over the past few days of training, but something about the sword just doesn't vibe with my magic. Swords are cool, but It's not like I need to fully copy the locals. Firebolts and the occasional fireball work in DnD, so obviously they'll translate well to real life!

"I still think all this 'experimenting' is a bad idea. If you screw up and die, you'll stay dead after all." Says the Ghost from the other day.

Ah, yes. She rarely leaves my side, intent on studying my abilities and ensuring I don't get myself killed. Or maybe she's waiting for the moment I finally bite the dust so she can attempt to resurrect me and get a laugh out of it. Either way, I appreciate her company. She's proven to be an excellent source of information about the Last City and the universe in general, and I've been sharing stories from my own world, especially the pop culture references that keep slipping into my conversations.

It'll be years of explaining references, but eventually I'll have someone who understands all my jokes! She may never laugh, but if she knows what I mean, that's enough for me.

On an unrelated note, it seems my training can't be considered interesting enough, because I haven't received any new rolls since the one that gave me my Pyro Vision. Kinda sucks, but it's nothing I didn't already suspect.

I gotta go out and do shit, at the very least interact with the locals. Meeting important people for the first time should be interesting enough to get the ole spellbook rolling again.

I've entertained the thought of going up to Ikora or Zavala and spilling the beans to them about my knowledge of the future, but the biggest problem with that? I'd have to get into the Tower. And that? Is not easy. All those civilians hanging out in the tower in game have security clearances and shit. I, despite my mystical abilities, do not have credentials that could get me through security.

Besides, if I'm being completely honest? I wanna keep that future knowledge to myself and use it for my own benefit.

As I practice in the makeshift training area I've set up in an abandoned building, I take a moment to stretch my arms and prepare for another round. The sun streams through broken windows, casting patches of light across the floor. I focus, feeling the familiar warmth of the Pyro energy pulsing within me, ready to leap to my command.

Pyro energy is… really fucking cool. Being basically fire, I really thought it would be difficult to mold it to non destructive tasks, but if anything the opposite is more true. Shaping the flames into a gentle healing warmth took literally no effort, I just kinda wanted it to happen and my old aches and a few scratches from dumpster diving faded away.

The wings were a bit harder, but not enough to stump me. Two days of stubbornly molding the energy around brought me to two slightly curved bands of fire that function more like a magical jetpack than anything else, but still.

I can fucking fly!

Thought acceleration comes in clutch when I do, giving me the reaction time to not crash and break my neck, but I'm slowly weaning myself off of it as I grow used to the wings.

I spread my arms wide, summoning flames that swirl around me like a protective cocoon. "Alright, let's see if I can make these wings a little more… dramatic."

With a flick of my wrist and a moderate amount of focus, the flames transform not into the curved bars I'd been using, but actual ethereal flaming wings, flaring out behind me in a brilliant display. I can feel the heat radiating off them, the energy humming with potential. I leap into the air, and the wings catch me, Pyro energy pushing downwards to keep me aloft.

These are a lot prettier than my first ones, but they cost a bit more energy to maintain. Something to keep in mind if I really need to ration my magical energy.

I let out another excited giggle, which has become quite a habit over the past few days. I really hope the sense of wonder I get experimenting with magic never fades.

"Be careful." The Ghost warns. "If you crash into something, it'll hurt. A lot." She pauses after saying that, her tone becoming lighter. "Or don't. I could use a laugh."

She's becoming a lot sassier, and honestly? I dig it.

I roll my eyes but don't slow down. Instead, I weave through the debris of the abandoned building, feeling the thrill of flight wash over me. For a moment, I'm free. The ground below blurs as I loop and twist, testing my newfound agility.

Suddenly, I aim downward, releasing the wings and transitioning into a controlled descent. As the ground approaches, my thought acceleration increases to just a tad over 2x perception and I let the residual Pyro energy from the wings flow down to my feet, pulsing downwards and scorching the earth with a shockwave, but otherwise leaving me unharmed as it arrests my fall. "Nailed it!"

The Ghost hovers closer, her glowing eye wide with a mix of concern and admiration. "You're getting better, I'll give you that. But what about the healing? You should practice that too."

"True. It's not like you can heal me, either." I'm not her Guardian, after all. I'm sure there's a perk in the Grimoire that will let me link up to her somehow, but she doesn't know that.

By the way her shell shifts, I think she only just remembered that I'm not her Guardian. Spending all this time interacting with each other instead of dully scanning dead bodies for years on end must be nice. I should try to cheer her up somehow.

My soul lurches once again, and this time the grip easily catches. I pulse my thought acceleration to get a proper handle on the rolled Perk.

{+100 points! Rolling…

Making - Cheese Magic - The Elder Scrolls (50 points)

Roll Success. Current stockpile: 200 Points.

Purchase Cheese Magic?}

Cheese Magic

-Well, I mean, at least you'll never go hungry? With this, you are able to summon any kind of cheese right into your hand. You can shape it however you want, so you totally can make a statue of yourself made entirely out of cheddar.

… Look, if this was a few days earlier I might have caved and bought this so I didn't have to dumpster dive anymore, but I have to at least have some self respect. As funny as it would be to pull cheese out of nowhere, I don't really think the Perk is worth it.

Plus, my new Ghost friend has a good amount of Glimmer stored up she can use to buy me food instead. I'll make it up to her eventually.

With a firm resolve, I reject the magic. My metaphorical grip relaxes, letting the Perk slip away, and I end the thought acceleration, returning my perception of time to normal.

"So… why don't you have a name yet? I know some Ghosts like to wait until they rez a Guardian to get a name, but there are plenty of them who don't." I ask curiously, disregarding my magic practice in favor of distracting my only friend from her depression.

Her shell seems to sag. "I… don't really talk to people. Since I first came into being, I've always been on the search for my Guardian. I've spent centuries scanning grave after grave, hoping that one day one of them will be the one. I ran out of places to scan on Earth only two years ago, and… I gave up."

She curls in on herself, like a person trying to hide from the world. "I'm… a bad Ghost. People say I'm not, that I can help out in other ways. But… I'll always know I'm the one who gave up."

Geez. I can't help but feel for her. It's not like her story is uncommon; tens of thousands of Ghosts are still searching for their Guardians. "Hey. Don't talk about yourself like that. Only I'm allowed to talk shit about you."

She shakes herself out of her funk, but some of the negative emotion still persists in her 'body language'. "Back to practicing healing, Ok? You're not allowed to die and leave me alone!"

"Right, right." I easily agree, grasping for my Pyro energy. I concentrate, envisioning the soothing energy I've seen in the few videos my Ghost friend showed me of Dawnblades using their abilities. It helps me get into the right mindset.

With a deep breath, I extend my hand and summon an orb of gentle flame. I push my thoughts forward, envisioning bands of healing flame bursting from the fire and into a cut I received during my last flight. Watching the skin knit together is satisfying; there's no trace of the wound left behind. "See? Healing! Easy peasy!"

"Don't get too cocky." She retorts. "Healing cuts is easy. Healing more damaging wounds can be a lot more tricky. Besides… you never know when you might need it for someone else."

A curiosity of Light based healing? For the most part, it only really works on Guardians. I'd wondered why there isn't a dedicated group of Warlocks running around healing civilians, and the answer? Technically, it's the Ghost that does the healing.

When a Guardian casts a healing rift or throws a healing grenade (which apparently is already a thing here, despite not existing for several more DLCs normally), they're really just supercharging their Ghosts healing ability. A super like Well of Radiance bypasses that to directly heal the wounds of whoever stands in the glow, but unlike in the game being able to cast a Well of Radiance is extremely rare. It's a fairly new ability discovered by some of the Guardians who went to the Dreaming City, and it's still propagating through the ranks.

Most Guardians can't use every super ability, instead focusing on learning one variation for each element at most. Only the big names really have the skill and power to act like a player character can with their abilities.

That's not to say a healing grenade or a healing rift can't heal normal people, because they can. But the effects are remarkably reduced without the Light based regenerative framework the Ghosts use to heal Guardians and repair their armor. It's simply more efficient.

And Guardians as a general rule… don't really spend a lot of time interacting with civilians when they could be fighting the forces arrayed against humanity. Or searching for more loot. Or throwing themselves off cliffs for a laugh.

"Guardians are exactly as weird as you'd think." I mutter.

"True enough. Although…" She looks me up and down. "... You're eccentric enough to pass as a Warlock."

"Ouch." I mutter, my tone light.

Now, if I want more practice healing I need something worse than a cut. Hurting myself just to practice healing is a terrible idea, but I'm not comfortable revealing my abilities to the rest of the world quite yet, leaving healing civilians out. Quite a predicament.

Hm…

I try summoning the gentle flame once more, but this time I aim for a larger target; a nearby patch of dried grass. If I can heal myself, surely I can manage some plant life. I visualize the energy flowing through me, the warmth pooling in my palm. As I release it, the healing bands of flame destabilize. The grass catches fire momentarily, but it quickly extinguishes itself with a minor exertion of my will.

"Close, but not quite what I was aiming for." I mumble, a little disappointed. "Still need to work on control."

"It'll come with practice." The Ghost reassures me. "Try to focus on what you want to achieve."

I exhale slowly, resetting my intentions. I can feel the Pyro energy coursing through me, waiting to be harnessed. This time, I should aim for precision rather than power, slowly suffusing the grass with the healing warmth instead of lancing out my targeted healing burst.

With that focus, I extend my hand again. The warmth gathers, and I channel the energy into the grass. I watch as the dried blades start to shimmer, revitalized by the flames' glow. Slowly, they regain their vibrant green hue, and I can't help but smile at my success.

"Wow…" The Ghost mutters, no trace of her earlier sass as her scanning energy moves over the grass rapidly. "You really did it, it's as healthy as grass can be. Do you have any idea what this means?"

I shrug, my focus shifting to the familiar feeling of my soul reaching out to the Grimoire.

{+100 points! Rolling…

Domain - Space Gem - Marvel Cosmic (600 points)

Roll Failed. Current stockpile: 300 Points.}

Y'know, I should probably be glad I don't get the description of failed rolls beyond their names. I'd probably start tweaking after missing out on a broken roll. What even is a space gem anyway-

… I just missed out on an infinity stone, didn't I?

"Fuck it, that's good enough. I'm not in the mood to train any longer." I let the Pyro energy disperse, before turning and walking out of the abandoned buildings. My faithful minion- err, friend, floats after me as we leave the edge of the abandoned Botza District, the sound of people growing louder as we get closer to the area I've mentally named 'The Marketplace'.

I'm really glad I remembered the Botza District from my time playing the game. Assuming nothing I do butterflies away Mithrax allying with the Last City, his fledgling Eliksni House will eventually be offered sanctuary in this abandoned portion of the city.

Of course, if I continue hanging out in this section of the city within the next few weeks I'll likely be witness to the events of the 'Scourge of the Past' raid.

Something tells me my first bit of combat shouldn't be in a fucking raid of all things.

I pull myself from my thoughts and address my companion. "So… Do you want me to name you or something?"

"...Maybe. I don't know," She replies softly. "I always thought my Guardian would be the one to name me. And assuming they weren't Exo, I'd get to name them." Her voice trails off, a hint of longing in her tone.

I nod, remembering that Exos have their names built into their systems, so they at least already know a bit about themselves. Not much more than that though, barring crypt visions.

Speaking of Exos… my mind drifts to the Deep Stone Crypt. I know where it is; I could head to Europa and explore it. But really, what's the point? Annoy Clovis Bray? That sounds like a fun pastime, but without a Ghost, I'm stuck. Not like I can unlock Stasis without a Ghost-

Wait. I totally could figure out Stasis and Strand without a Ghost. They're both Darkness abilities, and I'm a goddamn wizard! It should be relatively simple for me to figure out Stasis if Zavala could do it in a week. Strand might take a bit longer, since I'd have to be careful not to unravel myself into nothingness. Worst case with Stasis, I freeze myself over and become the newest rendition of Frosty the Snowman, but I could probably thaw myself out using Pyro energy.

But all this is moot if I can't leave the City.

"... Say, how much Glimmer does a jumpship cost?" I ask, my curiosity piqued.

She pauses, considering. "Depends on the jumpship, but a decent one will run about 10,000 Glimmer. Why do you ask?"

I can't help but grin. "Well, I was thinking. You said you've exhausted most of Earth searching for your Guardian. I noticed you didn't say anything about other planets…"

Before I can finish, she darts in front of me, blocking my path. "Mavriel. I appreciate the thought, but I'm not dragging a Lightless civilian off-world."

"Counterpoint: I'm a fucking wizard. If anything, I'll be dragging you off-world with me." I attempt to sidestep her, but she shifts to stay in front.

"No. Absolutely not. Besides, only Guardians are allowed to purchase jumpships without needing a lot of things you don't have, like an actual identity. Weren't you trying to lay low and hide your abilities?" She counters.

"Ah… that is a predicament." I mutter.

… Hang on. I think I've got an idea.

"What if we hired a Guardian to escort us? That would solve the travel problem, and it would admittedly make things much safer for the both of us."

Her single eye narrows in skepticism. "And how do you propose we find one? Not to mention, how do we find one who will keep quiet about your magic?"

"Well, since the Vanguard forbade the Guardians from running off to avenge Cayde-6, there's been a good amount of tension in the ranks. There's bound to be at least one disgruntled Guardian willing to take an off the books job to ferry us off world. As for hiding my magic? That was never going to be a long time thing. Eventually, somebody will find out about it anyway, so I might as well make sure it happens on my terms." I calmly remark.

Her outer shell twitches as she considers what I've said. "... I might know someone who'd be willing to help. It might take a while to get in contact with her, though."

"Oh? I thought you didn't talk to people." I needle her.

She bristles defensively. "We've only met a few times, but every Ghost that doesn't have a Guardian knows Micah-10. We all find our way to her eventually."

Of course. Micah-10 is something of a legend among Ghosts; a Guardian with a reputation for taking in partnerless Ghosts and traveling with them, acting as a sort of motherly figure. I'm curious to see how different she is from the version of her that appeared in-game. With the Bray Exoscience facilities still hidden on Europa, she won't have ventured there to regain her memories from her time before being a Guardian.

I stare at a few food stands, idly contemplating buying something to eat with the Glimmer the Ghost loaned me. "How long do you think it will take to contact her?"

"At least a few hours, probably at least a week before she'll return to the city. I doubt she'd drop whatever she's doing to rush over just to help the two of us. She has responsibilities." She says.

Here comes that familiar feeling again…

{+100 points! Rolling…

Source - Orbs of Energy - God of War (200 points)

Roll Success. Current stockpile: 400 Points.

Purchase Orbs of Energy?}

Orbs of Energy

When your enemies lie dead, especially an entire horde of them, it is not uncommon for one to find themselves tired and exhausted. No longer, as upon your enemies' death, multicolored orbs will spring forth from their corpse, flowing into you. These will replenish both your physical health and stamina, as well as your stores of magical energy. Some will give you more of one than the other, but you certainly won't be complaining, only going forth to kill even more.

Oooh, that's actually a really good perk. In theory, if I pace myself right, I could fight for hours.

Yoink.

I don't feel any real change with the acquisition of the perk. It's not like I can find an acceptable target within the city, so I'll just have to believe it works.

"If we're really going through with this plan, I'll have to get to a public comms relay to send out the message. She's probably off-world, so it might take a while to establish the connection." She states.

I wave her off. "Better to go ahead then. The quicker you get in contact, the quicker we can get outta here. I'll grab a bite to eat and head back to the Botza District. I want to practice creating barriers before I nod off."

She gives me a nod before floating off, and I return to my musing.

Fruit stand, or meat skewers?

… Truly a difficult choice.

CHAPTER 2 END

AN: Next chapter we get some action. Squatting in the location of an eventual raid was definitely a bad idea...

Wtf Mavriel? Why do you get the good RNG while I have to run dungeons 50 times just to get their Exotics to drop?