{{
`${userDetail.user.displayName}${userDetail.user.cachedBungieGlobalDisplayNameCode ? `#${standardizeBungieGlobalCode(userDetail.user.cachedBungieGlobalDisplayNameCode)}` : ""}`}}
{{getUserClans()}}
originally posted in:Destiny Fiction Producers
Edited by Star-Catcher1000:
9/4/2017 3:10:54 AM
2
Lord of Fire, Son of Darkness: Chapter One - Heat
This is a small series (maybe five episodes) that will introduce one of the epic characters that will appear in The Frontier: Surtur, a very powerful guardian and the “boogeyman” of The Knights of Dawn. He’s a man with a very particular set of skills, but he's not Liam Neeson. Ok, I'm just making shamelessly bad jokes, I need to start the chapter before I keep it up. Enjoy!
-
The Ghost flew across the desert. It’s small red shell was scathingly hot, the tiny body pitted and scratched by the stinging sands flying on the winds. It scanned wearily for any sign of what it was searching for into the wee hours of the night, until it came across a small pod with the dried husk of a long-expired corpse sprawled on the sands next to it. “Finally.” The ghost said in relief. It’s small frame expanded, the white segments pushing out into a kind of orb, and a blue beam of light shot out from it’s one eye, contacting the center mass and charging it with a blue, bright energy that pushed out to the rest of the body. Immediately the corpse gained features - its dry, mummified skin became a dark complexion of a native of the Dark Continent. It's insides filled out, and from the surface it’s stomach expanded to accommodate the digestive system and the other organs. The air became warmer and dryer as water was extracted from it to provide the organs the wetness that they needed to function. The soft organs such as the lips, tongue, and eyes went from little dry pieces of flesh to full, functional organs. The teeth moved back into place in the jaw after centuries of falling out of place, and the gums became strong enough to support them. The ears and nose pushed out slowly, until they too had functional organs and were at the proper proportions, as determined by the DNA. The head, skin clinging tightly to the dome of the skull, seemed to grow until a shiny brown dome was in its place, hair follicles and sweat glands taking their places on the scalp. Other, sensitive areas such as the [REDACTED] and [REDACTED] became working again, growing and functional after centuries of disuse. The hands, toes and the nails at the tips of them grew softer, the skin went back into place, joints repaired, tendons restrung, nails once again healthy looking.
Throughout the body, bacteria multiplied and began to thrive once more, and muscles, fat, ligaments, and cartilage grew and expanded to what they would be for a strong, living, healthy man. Joints were lubricated and the bones and their marrow became moist and healthy. After all of the essentials to movement arose, then came those to living. The twin lungs began to draw oxygen through the tubes that went from the nose and the mouth, and after that the meat sack that was the heart began to pump oxygen rich blood throughout the body. Then came the most delicate part: the brain. The Ghost carefully reconstructed all of the different segments and functions of the noodle, right down to the neurons and their connections, and painstakingly gave each part of the brain the ability . The body was functional. And all that remained was life. Suddenly, the body heaved in a huge gasp of air and sat bolt upright on the hot sand. It was no longer a body, actually - it was a man. The man looked at his hands, and then blinked in disbelief at the tiny orb floating in front of it. “Hello! Thank the traveler, you made it!” The Ghost said.
“What are you?” The newborn Guardian croaked - their first words as a being of the Light, vocal cords still adjusting. “I am a Ghost. Yours now, actually.” The Ghost said. “Why am I naked?” The man asked, looking down at himself. “Well, you’re clothes have probably been torn away over time, or scavengers took them. Because… you’ve been dead for quite a long time.” The Ghost explained. The man looked him in the eye. “What did I miss?” He said casually, but his voice had strain in it. “Around three centuries. And I will not lie to you, you have missed a lot. You don't remember any of it, I presume, but a long time ago and ancient celestial being called The Traveler entered our solar system and began to terraform it’s planets. Once it reached Earth…” Ghost continued explaining for around another hour, even the simple things like what he was and why he was currently alive. The newborn Guardian didn't quite get it, but he understood the gist of it. “Any other questions Guardian?” Asked the Ghost. “No, -what do I call you?” The man asked. “Well, you can call me Ghost, or you can name me if you want. Giving me a name is less confusing if we meet other Guardians with ghosts, but I have no particular preference.” “I… I’ll think of a name later.” The Guardian said. It was then that Ghost realized how… enormous his guardian was. He must be at least 2 Old Metric Units tall, he thought. Maybe even more! “Well don't ponder it right now. I need to get you something to cover your body. Otherwise the sand with tear into your skin.” Ghost warned, and then he concentrated his focus on the pod his guardian still stood beside. Ghost was right, the Guardian’s skin was already stinging from the flying sand particles being kicked up by the wind.
Then the Guardian felt a strange sensation settle just over his skin - and he felt a tingling sensation as something touched his skin, that wasn't the sand. “Ah!” He recoiled, trying to brush off whatever was touching him. “Hold still!” His Ghost yelled. “I'm trying to give you armor!” The Guardian stopped moving, but he didn't concede. “You could have told me first!” He retorted. “No, I - oh. You are right. Sorry about that, I am not used to working with people. Or Exos. Or Awoken. Or anyone, for that manner. But stay still. I'm doing something called transmatting, which means that I’m taking molecules from you- from that old craft and repurposing them into armor for you.” “What are… molecules?” Asked the Guardian. Ghost looked disappointed. “You don't know what molecules are? Oh right, newborn Guardian. Well, they are tiny little things that make up everything, including you, and probably me too.” The Guardian decided to stay still, and also not to ask any more questions unless they were meaningful ones. He didn't want to seem helplessly lost and confused, even if he was. The tingling of contact on his skin continued, until it stopped. He looked at himself. “Thank you. The design is very well made.” The Ghost gave a nod. “A pleasure, mi’lord.” He said with a slight accent. “But it’s time to move. And I need to find you water and food, or else you’ll starve.” The Guardian nodded, and kept nodding. “Actually, if you can hover, you should go up and check for anything!” He suggested. “Good idea! I will see you shortly.” The Ghost said, and then he rose up, into the air, above the hot dunes of the desert.
CONTINUED IN THE COMMENTS. CHARACTER LIMIT STRIKES AGAIN!
-
1 ReplyNice work! Good job on the detail.
-
3 RepliesCHAPTER ONE CONTINUED - Guardian’s tongue was dry, and despite the fact that his Ghost had designed the armor to protect him and prevent him from getting too hot, he was sweating profusely. His Ghost descended and stopped to hover gently next to him. “Guardian? There is a small well up ahead.” The little light said. Guardian jumped a little, but he sucked it up and rasped “Ghost, I didn't want to complain, but I am far too thirsty to make it.” He apologized. “No it's ok. I have a strategy to help you.” In a moment, The air around Guardian was far hotter and drier. And a tiny orb of water floated next to his face. “Quick, before I lose concentration. I took the very little moisture that there was in the air and concentrated it into one area. It will only last you a little bit, but given your more resilient physiology than a normal human you can make it.” Guardian nodded, and then he took of his helmet and slurped up the water. He gagged - it was sandy and the grit crunched in his teeth unpleasantly. But it was the best he was going to get, so he swallowed it. “Now that you are hydrated, we need to move to that well. Thankfully you can be really fast if you do things the right way. Start by running forwards-” Ghost disappeared, and then kept talking. “Don't worry. I've just gone inside your armor matrix.” He explained, like it was something he did every other day. Guardian had nothing better to do, so he just accepted it and did as his companion told him, his legs occasionally slipping in the hot sand. “I notice you’re slipping a bit. Now, jump while you are running, and concentrate a little bit every time before you jump. I've heard hunters calling it ‘somethin’ extra’, but I just call it using your Light. Now, go!” Ghost instructed him. Again, Guardian did as Ghost told him to. He sprinted through the sand, and soon he found himself at an unstable dune,where sand slipped out beneath his feet. He jumped, and “put somethin’ extra” into his jump, which propelled him over the dune with ease. Despite his efforts to remain collected and seem like he was cool on the outside, he let out a whoop of joy as he landed on the other side of the dune. “Nice! Now do it again!” Ghost said, clearly enjoying himself, and Guardian did, clearing obstacles in a single bound easily when he had to, and just sprinting when he didn't. It was incredibly fun. He almost didn't notice when the heat stroke cane, when his sweat turned cold and the sun’s warmth knifing through him. “Guardian! Oh no no no...” Ghost cried, panicking. They were so close to the well. So close! Guardian didn't want to die after he had just come back to life. He wanted to live. So he concentrated like he had when jumping, and let out a painful groan, and when he opened his eyes he was a few meters closer to the well, where the sand was clearly a darker shade than normal. Ghost saw what he was doing. “Go on! You got it!” The little machine said anxiously, truly believing in his Guardian. After several anxious minutes of Blinking, he reached the well and hungrily tore off his helmet, digging as fast as he could for the blessed water he wanted. Finally, after another anxious, heat stroked thirsty minute of digging, he found a small pool of water. Before he could drink it, however, it disappeared. “Ghost…” Guardian wheezed, woozily holding out his fists, before he suddenly found his mouth wet with sweet, blessed water. His Ghost had purified the water, just for him. It was like the nectar of the gods to his parched taste buds, his slimy tongue, and his parched lips. “Whoa whoa whoa! Not so fast there!” His Ghost warned, but Guardian ignored him, until he collapsed in racking coughs. Ghost waited, and then more slowly he let his Guardian have it. “That's enough. I need to save this.” Guardian stated, and at that Ghost dropped the water and let it settle back into the soak. That night, Ghost kept watch, while Guardian slept, tired from his first day of being a guardian. He thought about what all of this meant. Could he actually trust the little machine that had saved him from death by heat stroke, brought him back from the dead, and helped him survive in other ways? Well, at least the skeptical part of his brain was thinking that. His more instinctual part, or what many called “their gut”, had already hopped on board the trust-train. It seemed obvious. The little thing really seemed to care about him, and it at least believed what it was saying. In fact, it seemed stupid not to trust the ridiculous things the Ghost had said, since he had already teleported, jumped clear over enormous mounds of sand, and dug much faster than what seemed normal. But what was normal, really? Where had he gotten his idea for it? Why couldn't he remember anything about himself, and yet still understand concepts like “sand, water, thirst, and resource management”, and have a good vocabulary, and yet not remember himself. It seemed like only minutes after he had fitfully fallen asleep and stopped his train of thought, that Ghost woke him up. “Wake up!” Hissed his companion. “We’re being hunted!” Guardian looked around in a daze. It was a few hours to dawn, and the first tiny rays of the sun began to push up beyond the horizon, and into the sky. Guardian couldn't appreciate it's beauty, though. He looked around, his vision blurry, when suddenly his helmet appeared on his head and his Ghost prepared him for combat. Not that he was prepared, though. He saw the first of his attackers as a flash of tan and brown, barely visible because of its camouflage, and the darkness still abounding. It circled him, and he saw two pairs of glowing blue eyes shining at him, very nearly covered from view by a head wrapping that mostly protected the wearer from the elements. It hissed at him, and he put up his fists in an effort to defend himself. “It’s a distraction!” Ghost yelled. “Look out!” Guardian barely avoided taking the brunt of the blow, as the other attacker smacked him with the butt of an equally camouflage rifle, made from scraps and scavenged parts. As he turned to face the new threat, the weight of the first attacker struck him in the back, and he stumbled forwards, right into another swing by the rifle. It struck him across the face and stunned him as he struggled to fight back, not at all versed in combat. He swung a fist, and it clipped the larger of the two creatures, sending it reeling and causing it to fall over, dazed. He tried to do the same to the first, but the creature pulled a kind of metal club, and with a savage smack and jolt of electricity, the world went dark. Wow! I hope you enjoyed this story about a new Guardian and his journey. This is what’s called an anthology story - meant to fill in the gaps between stories, or show a more detailed description of an event or time that was hinted at in a story, but never truly explored. Did you like it? Tell me! Please! Also, only two more days till Destiny 2, and wow am I excited! D2 will be a spectacular game. Anyhow, goodnight!
