Beneath Infinity

The Beginning of Infinity

Dust spat up from the ground like tiny volcanic eruptions as stray rounds rattled close to their intended targets. Every now and then a clunk or snap would sound, indicating that Jacob's aim had been true and an old can or metal plate had just been shattered, sending shards of rust spinning into the air.

"Good shooting. You're doing well for your first time with these weapons."

Brazen stood beside Jacob who was kneeling in the dirt with a Jigoku scout rifle to his shoulder.

"Thanks. I did a bit of this stuff back before... well, before the Collapse. It always came pretty naturally."

"As long as you don't get cocky in the field your weapon will always serve you well. Unless it's a shit gun. Then you should get a new one."

Jacob laughed and breathed as Brazen had taught him, nailing three twisted cans in a row. They were on the outskirts of the City, just beyond the wall on a scouting run. The great bastion loomed above them, casting a shadow for kilometers. It was later in the evening and the sun was low in the sky. They had left fairly early that morning and had patrolled for a few hours with a fireteam led by a Hunter named Nakkartan. He was an older Guardian, but a head injury he had sustained in the battle against Crota's armies on the moon meant that he couldn't go far from the Tower without a trained medic. He ran patrols with his wife, Anna, and any other young Guardians needing training. Brazen had been asked by the Vanguard to tag along as a helper. Brazen and Jacob had split from the rest of the team in the afternoon and had been practicing with all sorts of weaponry since.

"What d'you think, then?"

"I like this one, it's got a decent range on it," Jacob said, rising to his feet and brandishing the Jigoku.

"Yeah, that was one of my old favourites. Nah, keep it," Brazen added when Jacob tried to hand the rifle back to him. "I've got a better one now anyway."

Jacob thanked him and placed the rifle on his back, allowing the magnetic locking system on his torso armour to hold it in place. He was wearing a new set of gear, 'Agema Type-4', it was called. It was white with red highlights, a basic model, but vastly stronger and more versatile that the set he had worn previously. He had spent the last two days wandering the Tower, browsing its vendors and talking to as many people as he could. He had bought himself his new armour, a blue and yellow Sparrow SR-4, and had spoken to the Speaker - a mysterious man who resides mostly in the Tower North. He is the link between Guardians and the Traveller, relaying what information and power he can from the great orb. The Speaker had given Jacob a more intricate and in-depth explanation of the events since the Golden age and of what he was expected to do as a Guardian of the tower.

"Exploration is just as important a part of what you will do as a Guardian as fighting is. We must learn about our Solar system and not solely of the enemies that reside in it."

The Speaker had said this as he watched the traveller hanging in the sky, scarred and dormant, like a frozen pendulum from the stars.

"What purpose do I have here, though? I don't know how well I can fight or explore or if I'm even going to be able to fit into this new world."

The Speaker had turned to Jacob and raised his own Ghost in his hand, saying with a voice like silk:

"Our Ghosts are our guarantees, Jacob. Yours revived you because she saw something in you that she had not seen before. She chose you from all of the deceased because she felt that you were the strongest and most pure of heart. The Light is very powerful within you, I can feel it myself. If this Light did not exist you would not be here, and we would not have another highly capable Guardian in our ranks. That is how I know that you can be one with us and one with the Light."