War – Age II

The Great War was begun by hate.

The Holy Ones found it necessary to be the mightiest race.

Sangheili shared this necessity.

The Great War was begun by hate.

The first meeting of the kings was marked with disbelief.

None would accept that another form could rival them.

The Great War has long been blamed on a single murder.

Preventing this murder would have only delayed it.

This murder was done by a Warrior to a Holy One.

After an exchange of harsh words in different tongues, both races were angered.

A lone Warrior lept forth and slew two of her enemies with a single blow.

She was immediately set upon and torn apart.

Zakurtame, The mate of the great Sangheili had been killed.

The Great War had begun.

During the war, Sangheili stayed near his beloved oceans for fear of losing them.

The Holy Ones would not leave their mountains, their fortresses of stone.

Their numbers dwindled as they picked at each other.

Their hatred grew as many died.

In the end, only Sangheili was left able to fight the Holy Ones.

Torn from his aquatic home, for his hatred was great, Sangheili traveled to the mountains.

He swore to his weakened tribe to seek out and destroy his enemy once and for all.

Sangheili scaled the mountainside, traveling only at night, killing his enemies quietly.

Always pressing on, for his hatred was great.

The great warrior soon stood tall and proud, facing the Holy One on the highest mountain.

The final battle of strength, skill, and will lasted many days.

Neither king would yield.

Neither king would rest.

Such was the hatred of the races.

At the rise of the seventh sun, The Holy One faltered, and plunged into a crevasse.

Resigned to death, he screamed curses up at his enemy as he fell.

As the first curse was uttered, a strong wind picked up and blew Sangheili into the gap.

Even during the fall, the kings beat at each other with madman's rage.

Each king wished for the pleasure of taking the other's life from the jaws of the rock.

Rebounding from the stony walls of the crevasse, the kings were separated.

Both truly believed they were the mightiest, and the other was insignificant.

They looked downward to examine the ground rushing upward and began to pray.

They prayed to all divine beings unknown to spare their lives, and vanquish their enemies.

The ground ceased to move.

The kings floated above the stony floor, as puppets above a stage.

Their prayers had been answered. They had been saved.

As one, they realized the significance of their answered prayers.

They had asked for destruction of their enemies.

Neither had been destroyed.

The great kings came to an understanding.

Hatred was no more.