The ACTION doesn't stop last chapter! It's time for our favorite Hunter to witness the first main battle: Master Chief vs. Prophet of Regret! And this will be the start of a series of longer, more descriptive chapters. Enjoy! Who am I kidding; you have no choice!
Chapter 8, "The Domino Effect".
I awoke about an hour later. I was in a daze, between getting my bearings and the earlier conflict. I tried to stand, but an intense pain surged through me. 'Blasted Demon, I cursed, He was in my grasp! I must set out. He will find the Prophet shortly. I stood, ignoring the pain. "Klez!" Karn called. "Karn, what in the name of the Rings are you doing?!" I rambled. "The Demon nearly killed me! And you were hiding, weren't you?!" "…Yes." Was that all he could manage? "Get up. There's much to do and we've hardly any time." I ordered. He said nothing but followed. He was no doubt ashamed. I would be too, had I cowered in fear from the Master Chief. All along the way out we saw the post-carnage of the Demon's rampage. Dead Grunts and Elites littered the ground, already decaying. The once brown-orange rock was stained purple and blue. We found the exit, and stepped into the artificial atmosphere of Delta Halo. The sapphire-blue lake unfolded before us, and we discovered a pack of cowering Grunts aboard the ferry. "You are not dead? What happened?" "The Demon…he spared us!" they squealed with both fear and excitement. "…You hid, didnt you?" I asked. "No! But…we told him something…" one of them replied. "FOOLS! You told him where to find the Holy One?! I should kill you right now!!" I yelled, enraged and disappointed. "Please, no! Well take you to him!" they bargained. "Very well then." Karn replied.
"If you know what's good for you Karn, you'll keep your words to yourself." I snapped. He looked taken aback, and fell silent. I had lost all respect for him. Now was the time to put the Demon in his place.
The whole trip on the steel ferry, everyone was silent (what words can forge shattered pride?). We arrived at the final tower, and could already see the war path of the Demon. Bodies were tossed about. And…no. Kagg lie face-down in the walkway. He moved…could he have survived the Demon. We rushed over, only to find it was an after effect of death; he had only twitched. No! I've lost another…no more. I swear on my oath to the Covenant, the Master Chief will not leave Halo alive! My thoughts were interrupted as an explosion sounded from inside the tower. "Let's go! Hurry!" I commanded the others. "Karn, you lead." "Why me, Klez?" "Because your life is forfeit." He turned and…fired at me?! "You little- this is heresy! Kill the heretic." I ordered the Grunts. Maddened at the attempt, they complied entirely of own will. "No! I won't take it anymore!" he suddenly bellowed, "We're dying for a forsaken cause! Open you eyes, Klez! The Prophets are using us!" he continued. "No, it is you, who has forsaken your own race. I'll see to your demise. Personally." I challenged. We disengaged shields, and stared each other down. He finally struck at me. I side stepped and tripped him (cliché, sort of, but oh well) and shot him point-blank in the back with my cannon. He convulsed, and dropped. His orange blood sank into the stone. "Come, we must stop the Demon now!" I ordered to the Grunts, all the while re-fitting my shield. It was time.
We entered, and it was intact! Honor Guards were on edge, but performing their duties none-the-less. The Commander was here as well. "Hunter! Where are your partners?" The Commander plied, and I responded with this: "Two dead and I had to kill the last." He looked at me, genuinely stunned at my response, probably the latter. "Killed the last? Explain yourself." He sternly demanded, and I complied. "He fired on me, and slandered the name of the Hierarchs. I took the initiative to end his heresy." I replied, without fear of consequences. I replayed the events to the white armored Elite. When I finished, he sighed deeply. "I see. Very well then, I'll call in more warriors to kill the Demon, and-" "Wait," I cut him off, "I will kill him myself." "Are you mad?! He'd drop you where you stand!" He roared, and a few H.G.'s snickered. "I have faced him twice, and lived. I can do it again." At this, they burst out with hysterical laughter. "Yes, and I'm a Hierarch!" One of the Honor Guards joked. "Whatever he said, he's probably telling the truth." Came a voice from the shadows above. We all froze, knowing what was about to happen. "Scramble! Fall into position!" The Commander ordered. Now was my third chance, this one to be more short-lived than the others.
He weaved through us like the wind, and in a flash two Elites fell, dead. He didn't even bother with us, but instead hastened toward the Prophet's Chamber. "After him! We must stop him at all costs!" The Commander yelled. I, of course, had heard this more quietly, as I had already begun the chase. I caught up to him as he battled an Honor Guard. He was attempting to pry the Energy Sword from my comrade's hand, to no avail. I decided to take this chance and smash down on him. His shields flickered, and then faded to nothing, which left him in a compromising situation. He used me as cover from the Honor Guard, and I tried a follied swing at him with my cannon. He, with amazing strength, twisted my arm. Pain flowed through, but I ignored it as I landed a successful blow on him with my shield. I slightly cracked his armor, proving the Immortal Demon wasn't so immortal anymore. The Commander rushed in, and the began firing on him, all the while I was pursuing him. I rounded the corner and was pleasantly greeted with a hail of bullets from his rifle. About 6 connected with my neck, decommissioning me for a few minutes. He was already on his way to the Prophet, and there was nothing I could do for the moment.
I regained movement several minutes later, to hear the doors to the chamber creek open. Blast him. I'll finish it now. I swore on my oath. These thoughts raced through my mind as I hurried to the doors. As I neared, I heard the Prophet bellowing. "Incompetent's! I'll kill it myself!" He yelled. It seemed fitting, a Prophet killing a Demon, but I would do it. I charged in, and was nearly hit by a laser, the same as mine albeit it was yellow. I got up and watched a spectacular battle. The Prophet had eliminated the Master Chief's shields and was coming in for the kill. I almost had the urge to swoop in, knock Regret away, and kill him, but I had to live with the fact that he wouldn't die by my hand. Both luckily and grim at the same time, I was wrong. The Demon used the same tactic he had used on me before: he jumped onto the Hierarch's floating throne and began beating on the Holy One! Wait…the throne is descending…NO! The Prophet of Regret was dead! "Come, we must leave! One of our Cruiser's is preparing to destroy this tower!" The Commander said. I took one last look, and left.
It would soon be the Domino Effect. The Prophet's death would trigger dissent in the Covenant's ranks. This would lead to revolution, and the fall of the Great Journey. All there was to do was watch it unfold.
The longer chapter 8! Enjoy, or don't. Wait, enjoy. You will anyway. The choice isn't yours. So do it!