The Forerunner: A Destiny Story

Chapter 1: Eyes up, Guardian

The Hunter stepped over the rubble of the broken building quietly, minding the noise of the footsteps his boots were producing. It had been an hour since the distress call had signaled him; an hour he'd arrived too late. The city had been destroyed for centuries, now offering refuge to a myriad of different wildlife, the once-great cityscape long since abandoned by humanity.

It only took several minutes of his new life to figure out he remembered nothing of the previous one he lived. That was a condition all resurrected people shared. Speech, motor skills, and mechanical functionality didn't seem to be too affected, but in an unfamiliar, new world, amnesia wasn't a good way to start another life.

What remained of the cityscape were nothing but the crumbled ruins of a once-populated city. The small, inorganic being that had resurrected him had mentioned several alien races had inhabited the planet, pushing Humanity as a whole to the brink of collapse. At first, the young man couldn't believe even the idea of extinction, before he realized he was conversing with a small, star-shaped machine that had just brought him back from the dead.

A Ghost is what they were called them, small enough to fit in his palm, but durable enough to take a bullet. From the brief explanation his Ghost had given him, every person who could wield the "Light" had one, each Ghost as unique as the human they'd chosen to resurrect. The Ghost that had chosen him had a feminine voice with a metallic tang to her notes while her small, rigid-sphere-shaped shell donned blue and black.

Her name was Sora. His first friend. His savior.

With a breath, he shook his head before sliding down the pile of rocks when his Ghost floated towards him from the other side, and resting in the palm of his hand.

Summoning her came naturally, almost as an extension of his will. Some guardians always had theirs around, while others kept them from view. He decided to keep it fifty-fifty. With a hopeful tone, his Ghost spoke up before floating herself over his shoulder.

Sora: Try it again! Maybe this time it'll work. Think of a storm!

The young man tilted his head, momentarily taking off his rugged helmet and running his hand through his blonde hair, then holding out his palm.

The Hunter: Now? Weren't we on a distress call? I can't find anyone.

Sora: Yes, now. I'd wager ten glimmer this distress call would be easier if you could connect with your Light. Try it one more time.

With an exhale, the Hunter focused his might and concentrated on the center of his palm. This hadn't worked once in the five days he'd been alive. As his eyes narrowed and his concentration strained, a small amount of electricity sparked in his hand before suddenly vanishing along with his surprise.

The Hunter: Good god, I did it! Sora, did you see that? That static?

Sora: That's a start! Arclight is what they call it. Paracasual stuff.

The Hunter: Yeah, that makes zero sense to me.

Sora: Neither does a small, metal octagon waking you up several centuries later to be my Guardian, but here we are...

The man smirked before finishing his descent down the large pile of rubble. Sora herself took the liberty of disappearing into whatever pocket of space she liked to hide in. Much to his relief, he could still hear her when she hid. With a light jog, he and Sora picked up where their conversation left off.

Sora: I'm not picking up any additional radio signals. Maybe try the abandoned parking structure down the city block past the cemetery. That's a good place to start looking.

The Hunter: Sure. Any ideas of what it could be?

Sora: Not a clue, but we have to remember our mission, which is to get you to the Last City. Commander Zav-