What Forthencho had done showed Griffin one key that allowed Ancient Humanity to wage such a devastating war against The Forerunners and survival against The Flood. It was in his words, his guidance, that led to the continued unity between The San'Shyuum and their own kind. The lessons learned in how to ensure such relationships displayed in Forthencho, would teach Griffin the one truth that lay in the depths of all people:

The sentimental value of finding a common cause, paths where all sides could equally unify. He showed Griffin that The Houses of each race sought to expand, to grow, and build from their strengths. They did not know the threat of The Covenant, so Forthencho showed them that there was a common enemy coming to claim them all and that they must prepare themselves for such an eventuality.

By playing into their strengths, Forthencho could tell them all that each race could show their merits by their skills and capabilities and test them he did to know what each race and house was worth to The Empire that was now growing from within. And in each house, Griffin could see that there was a place for all and that they were able to convince each house to compromise with each of their factions to work towards that common goal. In this, Forthencho was able to make all the houses come forward and work to combat against the looming threat.

What each race worked towards supported the cause of Griffin's weight in merit and cause in vision. It was a vision of survival, something that he was adamant for all life no matter the implication. The Eagles worked towards the machines of war and helped the Falcons produce weapons and armor to survive in infantry regiments; leaders and combat specialists would be brought from this group. Griffin would see the Crows and Ravens as assassins and infiltrators, attacking from flanks and behind lines; and were very useful in guerrilla warfare. The Hawks were powerful sentinels and guardians of the people as the Owls were well read strategists and seers of the powers... but the Phoenixes, they were the enigma; healers all and caretakers entirely. While the other races held power in might or of the mind, the Phoenixes held power of the heart and the spirit.

And so, Griffin would take the action of bringing Mack to training them all. Due to the full weight of an entire people taking their charge to prepare for the coming wars, the AI would take in what insights these people would have to offer. Through Augustine's will and the outcome of unity guiding the empire through an age of technological growth, discoveries would be made in the presence of great powers. Much was being created in this time, even while an Empress sought to expand upon the insights of what they could do to inflate more than just a defense against such a massive foe to that of The Covenant. Griffin looked to the path ahead, Augustine sought to seek the path of greater benefit... and Forthencho could see the way ahead.

Forthencho saw what Empress Augustine was planning, but Griffin was focusing on immediate; not knowing what those races will do once the wars pass. There was something that needed to answer this eventuality, lest Griffin and Forthencho would face an endless war of suffering and corruption… before they would be consumed by the final judgement of The Precursors themselves should The Flood return. He would begin his plans with The Rachni, using his mental prism as a guiding stone from which the fearful insectoid race would gain courage. Griffin benefitted their presence by teaching The Rachni the powers of the mind and what they could achieve in the months they had left. Much had to be created, planned, and established in the world they dwelled.

In the end, Forthencho sought to thwart The Primordial by doing the one thing The Forerunners would never do...

And that secret thought was his own... a revelation only when Griffin gained the insight to make the right decision no.

Patrick Weller

Circinius IV, New Peragus

October 31st, 2525

"Your destruction is the will of the Gods...and we are their instrument," Such words uttered by an alien clearly and in perfect translation chilled Patrick to his core. The classified mission against the aliens declared 'corvette' class had been a boon to Atlas's wealth and credibility, but the young man questioned who, what, when, and how the corvette came to be...

Now he understood why such a mysterious mission was undertaken and why the assets of his company were purchased for such a task. There was a lot more intel which was provided to him in the chaos of this event. So many assets were purchased and obtained by the UNSC, that the only liquidity he had to sustain Atlas's projects was the shipyard Craftworld and the three battlegroups that protected the vessel from enemy attacks. The outposts that were made in protecting key infrastructure in the four projected systems were now reformed by The UNSC as cache stations and key strategic zones for enemy ambush.

However, with more funds than what he could comprehend or realize, the AI designed to watch over him by his benefactors took charge of the funding and funneled the costs in reengineering of the alien tech, MAC Cannons layered throughout the planet's mountain regions, expansion of over fifty factory plants plus three shipyards class mobile stations be made; and mining factories drafted all over where mineral-rich moons and rocks lay in-system. There was a need to expand, and these robots were effective in establishing the efforts for the company. This was especially the case when there were countless millions of employees now working for the Mega Corp after the most recent quarter.

These employees were mostly factory workers, labor supervisors, sales workers, and the occasional engineer or five thousand working on newer models and designs for the company. And it was here that they were highly protected and ensured the safety of every invasion, of every contingency. These employees had the protection of a squad of the basic combat robot, paired with an AI squad leader to take care of security, care, and health of the person.

It was why a Tactical Combat unit walked inside the general office space of the young man.

"Engineering has reported a success of the newer Commando models, they will aid ODST troops in combat and add an arsenal to UNSC special forces." The robot unit spoke, there was an intimidating aura surrounding the model as its three eyes scanned the room and stood in front of Patrick's table like a unit. "Upgrades to the Marine BDU have been finalized, we await approval for distribution to UNSC personnel." It spoke with a deep precision.

Looking back to the Tactical unit, Patrick nodded to the robot and replied in return.

"Approved, sell this product to the security forces on planet and anyone with clearance to purchase gear from our stores. Keep Commando units as contract only and Top-Secret clearance only. Set the new combat uniform to be distributed to all UNSC infantry personnel and their affiliates effective immediately." Patrick ordered the robot, soon watching its lights flicker before it began to walk towards the technologically utopian city of New Peragus. The human knew it was scanning the distant MAC skyscrapers that were being installed and the anti-air defense stations that were all littered throughout the intersections, a city prepared for war but geared to preserve the population in peace.

"How long?" Patrick asked.

"Half a year by probability of Covenant discovery, likelihood of planetary combat preparedness, one hundred percent. Survival probability, less than fifty percent."

"No matter what we do, we are still not prepared..." Patrick sighed. "Unit T-3, overclock all facilities to two hundred percent. War has started and we need to be prepared for the long run."

Aided by the brilliant songs of The Rachni and the combined unity of The Solarians, Griffin was ready. By their belief in his objectives, his willpower, and his undying faith to their survival; Griffin would enter the dark chasms of his mind once more. The shield that kept The Primordial in his mind was still there, with hundreds of Owls keeping the being there for all their concentration could allow them. In the powers of his creations aiding his ability to confront the creature of the past, The Primordial could see what the human had become in its solitary prison...

A man glowing with etheric energy, eyes glowing in the brilliance and golden light shimmering around him.

All The Primordial could do was simply laugh.

"You could not help yourself... human. I see you have made your creations a part of you." The Primordial mocked, turning to Griffin's presence with the greatest satisfaction within its baleful tone of speech.

"They are not a part of me, unlike you who have consumed the warriors, the guilty, and the innocent of the galaxy." Griffin retorted, looking at it with a dejected expression upon his face. "These creations of mine, they have chosen to follow me of their own freedom of will. All of their experiences, their loves, hatred, kinships, and experience of life in the universe is mine to see. And yet, they live to continue it, to preserve their kin to brighten the experiences of the universe."

"A path taken before as common as this, shall result in the same outcome. You will come back to us, and you will become a part of the chorus."

"Not today." Griffin would speak, soon looking to the owls and motioned them to break the prison. Many of them would look at him in horror, but Griffin was certain of his command to them. As a result, the hundred or so owls vanished from the realm, causing The Primordial to look at Griffin like he was playing a trick. When the creature of the past discovered the lack of Griffin's deceit...

The Primordial's presence began to subtly attempt to take control of Griffin once again.

This time, however, as the creature began to pulse its presence into the man, whisps of light began to shine behind the human. What was one, turned into two, then five, ten... In the seconds that passed, several brilliant, purple lights would surround the two beings where they were. Those lights soon cast itself against The Primordial, making it wince.

"You are the symbol of my fears taken form. Here, you keep me blinded. But now... I can see."

In a single glare, all of the light that surrounded the two went directly into the creature, filling it with a light that absorbed its form. Reaching out with his hand, Griffin gripped the enveloped form of the creature and pulled it into him... consuming it while the creature was weak. Violently, the creature thrashed and attempted to flee, but it was too late for the creature as it screamed and was pulled deep into the form of the man.

The moment it was completed, in the light of the whispers of the people who saved him; the dark chasm that was within Griffin has turned into a bright and ethereal realm full of life. Everything around him looked as blissful and natural as life, fixed with the passions of a mountainous valley of grass, trees, hills, and forestry befitting of a peaceful serene. The center of light was the sun, the same sun of his dreams long ago. What he saw around him were reminders of the world destroyed by The Forerunners, now filled with grasslands, life, and a bristling land of dew and honey.

This bright world displayed the rich atmosphere and the clear skies around him. He could see the plains with rich fields and the overgrown mounds of the bones of the fallen. Like The Precursors of old, nature had taken its course, letting the universe experience the longevity of the fallen.

With the sight before him, Griffin finally saw the hope of new life and the understanding of The Precursors philosophy of Living Time. This was their sweetness, their choice... and what was to be from their creation. Just as much as humanity and all of life were made by The Precursors, it seemed like Griffin was imbued by them. To see this world in his mind for so long, he would sit down and meditate on the reality in front of him... even as he felt the many Rachni and Solarian minds now shifting their attention to the world around him.

And when they did, Rachni and Solarian alike would take form in this world, seeing it through their limited vision as Griffin saw through it all.

Griffin merely smiled and summoned them to sit by him and meditate...

Meditate on the future.

John-117

Outskirts of Jamshid, Alpha Corvi II

December 3rd, 2525

This day had been marked with the blood of many heroes in the beginning of this invasion. Laid upon the recently pacified URF stronghold planet of Alpha Corvi II, the colonial population had a majority of its force converted to the Colonial Militias in the wake of the recent Covenant threat. Whether that was due to the Atlas company actively distributing arms, training colonial marines in drills, or an active alert from UNSC early warning detection systems...

Corvi stands.

In the wake of the first warning alerts, UNSC HIGHCOM dispatched Battlegroup ORION to the space. Within, Blue Team, Red Team, and Green Team were dispatched with fifty detachments of Atlas combat units to the ground war.

Inside the planet's atmosphere, three Pelicans bypassed the debris of the initial orbital engagement. Several UNSC and Covenant vessels laid burning and falling into the gravity well of the planet in dire circumstances of conflict and war, meeting the burnt orbit that plumed an ashen gray of billowing char and death. The signs of The Covenant's glassing efforts were marked over the earth that the Pelicans flew over, giving them cover into the region as the descent into the atmosphere gave them enough momentum to push past the fiery depths.

As the engines pulsed through the ashen skies, a distress signal would call out from the scrambled radio transmissions.

"Commander, this is First Platoon; we have lost the square! We are being overrun!"

Without even as so much as a second thought, the Pelicans engines roared, and the three dropships screamed over towards those transmissions. In their descent towards the capital of the colony, fiery buildings in wide clouds of smog made the approach difficult to navigate, but the scanners made the decline more presentable and enter the combat zone. And when the Pelicans flew right over the dropzone, the flashes of plasma-fire flashed all throughout the zone.

Below the Pelican trio, fifty Colonial Marines were putting a valiant effort against the incoming throes of Covenant forces. Militiamen equipped with the new jump booster packs used their mobility to gain vantage points to pepper the incoming enemy flanking points and newer weapons to take advantage of these angles. The Covenant troopers classed as Grunts, Jackals, and even Drones were being taken down pretty quickly with well-placed headshots or positioned squads. However, keeping the entire platoon together from falling apart was the Lieutenant stationed at the front line of the battle.

And his voice was always heard on the intercom.

"First platoon needs reinforcements; we are being overrun! I repeat, we are being-!" He would immediately be cut off when a charging Elite came at him with its energy blade held out to stab him. However, the man had enough reflexes to pull out his rifle and gun down the Elite. However, coming over at the man, he would see Jackals and Grunts beginning to surround him. Instead of letting a hesitation kill him, the man aimed his sights down and took down a distant Jackal, slammed a Grunt down with a rifle bash and a few shots to the head, and then threw his rifle at another Elite to disorient it. It was here the man took out his armor-piercing Magnum and pumped out three shots into the Elites head, before leaning down and picking up a fallen platoon member's rifle to shoot it with his off-hand.

"Fall back! Fall back!"

The moment he would begin backing from his position from the incoming wave of Covenant; the Pelican above the platoon would open its bay doors. What came down were three large figures who impacted the ground. Their weight and size would cause a thunderous shock in the ground, breaking the concrete around their feet as they stood. From the vantage point of the lieutenant, these titanic beings were green, bulky, and bearing numbers on their chest. Walking past them, the lieutenant would see the number of '117' etched on the titan's chest, towering them all by three feet at minimum with the armor he wore.

Taking out a modified giant of an assault rifle, the three titans would move themselves to the front... where one hundred Covenant troops prepared to charge. At the mere sight of these demons in armor, an Elite bearing shimmering violet armor ignited its energy sword and roared at the large company of aliens. In a rush of combat, the horde of Covenant troops rushed down the ruins of the city square and bellowed warcries against the demons.

All the three titans had to do was shoulder their weapons.

And fire.

What came next would leave the field in a bloodbath of destruction. With a thunderous series of gunshots, the assault rifles they used launched bullets that would leave an explosive round ripping through the enemy ranks like butter. Each bullet would burst once striking an enemy body, soon launching shells through the enemy formation as the rounds kept on coming in.

In a volley of about fifteen rounds in, one-third of the Covenant force remained. To see the leader, witness the shock of losing nearly their entire force, the prideful warrior would grip the neck of a Grunt and throw it in their direction. Chief could see the Zealot begin its rush with an ignited energy sword. Obliging the warrior's spirit, the Spartan looked to the side and a look was given in acknowledgment before the Chief ran towards his target. Any other Covenant force was shot to death as Chief sprinted through the corpse mound, placed his rifle on his back, and yanked a deactivated energy sword from one of the dead Elites.

The second the Spartan met the Zealot with blades, he would immediately take out his sidearm and pulled the trigger in the Elite's leg. What he would see would be a shotgun blast that ripped chunks of purple flesh from the Elites thighs, causing the beast to wail in agony and parts of its body to fly forwards from the deathly roll. However, Chief was not done with the alien as he would chop off the Elite's sword arm, stab it in the chest and then finish it off with a shot to its head. Chunks of gore would be left of the Covenant's leader, causing what was left of the enemy force to retreat in a hurry or witness the bloody aftermath of a rifle shot.

Effectively pacified, the three Spartans would turn around and begin to make their walk towards the rally point that was recently activated. The Colonial Marine Platoon would gather with their wounded and themselves into formation, with the Lieutenant saluting the giants as they moved.

"Hell's Angels." The Lieutenant whispered underneath his breath, placed in awe of the brutal effectiveness and ease of the men's abilities in combat.

The Chief would look to the Lieutenant and nod. He could see on his motion trackers that the Pelicans would begin to land behind them and deploy regular and commando robots into the area, just as the Spartans reached their position at the edge of the courtyard. Before Chief, Fred, and Sam...

They would look at a city completely under siege with a Covenant Cruiser laying down a Gravity Lift. Banshees, Seraphs, and Phantoms alike blew right into buildings as Hornets, anti-air cannons, and masses of infantry gave into a desperate battle for survival. A building would be seen collapsing as Covenant forces wiped out the structure to the defenses. The battle was growing fierce and heated with the distant explosions and exchange of heavy gunfire. It was a glorious offering to the lords of war, but to The Spartans, there were people down there who needed to be saved.

And when he scanned the region, the distant engine roars from behind would only signify the reinforcements coming to save the Colonial forces on the ground. As a reward for the Colonial Militia, their valiant stand came in the form of three UNSC Frigates, three hundred Interceptor fighters, and fifty bombers coming down in a swift assault to the enemy forces below.

A single volley of MAC rounds to the weak portion of the Cruiser were enough to bring the ship down into a fiery explosion.

Looking to the side, Master Chief aimed his head to the Lieutenant.

"How many are combat ready?" Chief asked.

"Forty-five sir," the Lieutenant answered.

"Charge your packs and follow us in, we are taking our fight to the enemy front." Chief would speak...

Before he leaped over the balcony and fell to the ground level of the upper city with Fred and Sam well off behind him.

Griffin Phoenix

Solarian Compound, Circinius IV

December 3rd, 2525

It was time to begin the final steps to the essence he inherited. The power of creation was in his fingertips, within his flesh, and deeply rooted in his very being. Whatever The Precursors were, resonated within the essence of Griffin himself. Knowing this fundamental truth and listening to the voices in his mind… the whispers of creation spoke to him, and he listened.

No longer shackled in the mind, Griffin moved forth into the center of the House of Starlight's twilight home and begun the process of creation, of life, and the mysteries within it. By taking out his knife and slicing his flesh from the palm, the young man closed his eyes and absorbed himself into the thoughts of that life which he would make.

All around him, the essence of his blood began to glow and spread out into seven distinct spots all around him. The earth that surrounded him would be absorbed, brought into the forms that would be created by the essence that brought them into this life. Their purpose was to defend that life, made to stand against the tides of time, of the horrors of the beyond, and fight for the humans who were hunted.

With Griffin's glowing eyes and his drained hand, the young man would retract his right hand and let the forms of matter and fluid all around him take the forms he knew they would become. Everything that they were, that existed within his mind would be shaped by the creatures he put before him. The powers of The Precursors ran through him and the creations taking form would resonate the genetic imprint he left them, what they will become.

And in the shadows of the seven spots, his creations took form within the seven different mounds that were there. These pods of organic biomass consumed the mass and matter of the grounds beneath them, growing more and more vibrantly as the life within took shape. What they would become was what the young man envisioned, a creation of familiarity, of numbers, and size that would rival the length of Pelicans, Phantoms, and Spirits. Each pod took on a different coloration, an element of the greater universe.

He could see in their forming eyes that they glowed rather ethereally, of power, of strength, and the understanding of their creator.

Their tails whipped the ground once their forms were complete, their maws crackled with the fiery taste of their foua, the psionic imprint of their minds gave them speech and telepathy… and their scales radiated the smooth tint of essence that gave them understanding and life. They knew the odds of what was to come, and they were determined to aid the human into the fires of war…

Before the eyes of Griffin:

The Dragons of all his youth had come into the universe, knowing the score that was to be. And they were determined to uphold the tenants that the young man followed. These reptilians were strong, wise, and contained the visions and histories that Griffin held of the universe, a purpose to their great potential.

Into the war against The Covenant.

Each pod would glow brighter and brighter the more Griffin empowered the dragons with his essence, his power, his blood. Their minds developed, bodies formed, and abilities realized, and now... they were going to be empowered the greater power of all: The power of life itself. More and more of his etheric energy went to them, brightening the starlight images around them into seven balls of radiating glory. He could hear the voices of his mind singing within his ears, starlight perching his vision, and their presences building in his mind. They would feel the man in their minds, replying back to their coos, growls, and voices of comfort with his own presence in their minds; caring for them like a parent would to their own children.

Ready to come into the universe, Griffin would stand up and grip his bloodied palm. He would feel the burning power of his creations grow and their might flowing in the essence of power that was within. By gripping the shell of their homes in his palms, Griffin threw his palm up and broke the biomass pods holding them. In a burst of many colors of brilliant light, all seven of the dragons rose from their cratered homes and walked tall. Now they were merely the size of a Warthog, but he knew they would grow to become more. Their forelegs shook with the new strength they found, and their hind legs pressed their lower bodies up to the stands of their crater.

Seven dragons soon rose from the mounds, seven different colors of scales... seven flights of dragons roaring into the dim home of owls.

When they opened their eyes, they would see Griffin standing in the middle of them all. Little did the human know that he looked upon them all with slitted, golden eyes, crying in the love of his children.

From that moment on, Griffin was named Ur-Father, creator of the dragons.

John Smith

CAMS, Circinius IV

April 2nd, 2526

So much was changing the face of the new year. With the new batch of cadets filling the academy and the older ones taking the charge of their battalions, life had certainly changed after the supposed 'abduction' of cadet Phoenix by Rebel forces. Since then, everyone currently coming into campus went through intense screening procedures by Atlas mechs and on-campus security forces. No one was exempt from being inspected at random and especially not the staff or faculty of the campus as well. That last condition was aimed specifically at Smith as he finished teaching his classes.

For every moment, he knew he was being watched closely by the Atlas machines.

He had figured Griffin was related to the new forces of the UNSC and the planet at large, but he did not know how deeply rooted the man was in all of this; especially when UNSC HIGHCOM declared security threat level red for the duration of the last five months. Something was going on up there, but he did not know what... hell, he barely knew what was even happening at this point. All Smith could see from his room was a changed UNSC and a society shifting to a new future.

It had specifically targeted the civilians of the colony especially. Ever since Atlas came into the picture, people were more accepting to the new technologies that came out, loving and adoring the new inventions proposed in the subjects of engineering, and security mechs were provided for everyone in the academy from Atlas free of charge to the institution. Many of these robotic mechs even conducted training drills even more intensely than the drill instructors themselves. They even made the students even more capable of being a challenge to him and the campaigns for the semester. Everyone excelled at their duties...

And Smith had an inkling why... but he was unsure of how it was going to happen.

Why was Griffin so protected, why did he get saved from the URF assault and just what was going on with his blood? There were so many questions that were impossible to answer, and so little communication left from the comm beacons to find how to find such an answer. In his questioning within the deepest recesses of his mind, he tried to search for an answer, an answer to explain the fleet in orbit, the shipyards making them, and all of the factories and forts in the planet...

In his desire to ask his question in darkness...

An answer came to him with an explosion of light.

Turning around to face the light that burned into the area... only to find himself widening his eyes and falling on his back in shock. What stood there gathered a radiating golden light, pulsing in power, wind, and energies unknown to him. And what took form could only shake him to his core. The armor was the same, the writing on the crest, helmet, and the glowing eyes were enough to give him an indicatior.

"G-griffin?!" Smith beckoned in question.

"I am." Spoke the etheric manifestation of the man. His voice boomed with such a commanding authority, above a general and far too removed from a political figure.

"What... what happened to you?"

"Much has happened between then and now, Instructor Smith. It is now time to prepare for the times ahead."

"What... what are you talking about?! Prepare for what?!" Smith roared, looking at the golden essence of the standing man.

"The Covenant, the threat of our lifetimes. Aliens who have declared war on our existence, you have their declarations, but not their meaning."

It was true on his better part, with the back channels of HIGHCOM in shambles, he had heard the chilling words that were declared by a regal, but ugly inhuman shadow. He could not find out why, but he had to know. "What are their intentions?" He asked.

"Simple, total extinction. Our place in this galaxy was promised by an ancient race long dead, and now the higher power of this religious Empire seeks to cover up the truth and remove any opposition to the galaxy. They are similar to ONI and their way of holding power among our people. We threaten this Covenant by existing, and so we must prepare for their coming."

"And so... you have prepared this very planet for them I assume..."

"Indeed Smith, and now is the time to be ready for the beginning of this war to come to our footsteps. When the roars of the mountains come and the songs of battle resonate in the ground, you shall know it has begun. The very seeds I have planted have grown out of love, virtue, and care for humanity... Now get prepared Smith, war will be coming soon, you can wait no longer."

In a single phrase, the young man vanished, leaving Smith alone with his thoughts. Now there were more questions than he ever believed...

And little time to find answers.

Griffin Phoenix

Circinius IV

April 3rd, 2526

Now was the time where every piece was settled into place in Griffin's vision. By the virtues of meditation and the raising of many factions for war, there was a vast wealth of resources at his disposal to throw into the production of troops, ships, weapons, and armor. So much was gathered and so much was analyzed. But in the end of the day...

Griffin knew they were ready. With his seven children and their Dragonflights, and with each Flight holding at least a few dozen broods containing at least two hundred dragons in their number; Griffin was proud of the lineage he made. Through their masses, every dragon was at least the size of a dropship, with only the sons and daughters of Griffin bearing the massive sizes of small buildings than large dropships. He had trained them for this war, prepared them even.

Through the other races, he knew there was one Rachni Queen who took the mantle for the now few billion Rachni that inhabited the underground hives of the world. Their technologies had been invaluable to the cause and their alliance with the Dragonflights while the Solarians gave Griffin hope of an even bigger unified front. The Empire that was under Augustine's grasps worked heavily with Mack to hone all of the new technologies they were going to develop and distribute it out to the greater galaxy. Some weapons had been discovered, but it would be held secret until the time was ready.

On this better note, Griffin received the news that the UNSC comm towers to the other planets have been cut and the colony was separated from the rest of the galaxy...

It was time to make his move.

Standing at the top of the mountain, he would take off his helmet and look upon the world out there with his golden, glowing slitted eyes. He smelled the fresh aroma of the valley's wildlife brushing up the windy chills of the snowy crest. The distant city could be seen from his vantage point, mixed with the long rise of CAMS and its space elevator. The other cities would need to be evacuated soon, an activation of the contingency plan by Mack for sure. To keep with honoring Mack and Syf, he knew better than to not deny them both such a thing.

Flicking a trigger in his armor, Griffin would send a signal to Mack to initiate the evacuation. His signal would resonate to The Solarians to activate the fleets and for Atlas to start sending their Shipyards to the designated systems. As for CAMS, Griffin knew he would make his appearance there, he had to for his friend's sake. They were special for him, and so he had prepared for their security himself.

However...

As The Rachni prepared themselves to send their colonies out to planets where they could survive, where The Solarians could make their Empire, and Mack to continue his plans; Griffin turned his presence to his children and gazed upon their forms within the psionic imprint they all shared.

"My children, come to me." Griffin whispered in the mind, a common pattern he had as to not shock them when it came to a simple call. He was afraid of scaring his children, bringing them low, or even disappointing them. For many months, he had prepared them; taught them aerial tactics and how to survive on their own... but with this imparting lesson... this was a harsh one to teach.

Emerging from the crevices of the mountain, seven dragons who were each three stories high. Their claws and wing flaps shook the ground where he stood on and gave him a moment to find the nearest boulder to lean on. By their simple looks, he could see his Red-scaled daughter being the first to come before him, the next an Onyx-scaled son, and an Aquatic-scaled daughter the next. What came next were the green-scaled daughter, and the bronze, gray, and purple sons beside them.

Once they were all here, ready, and prepared for their lesson, Griffin began...

"In the future, you will face the one pain we will all encounter in the future of our lives. It will be the pain of loss, many of our younger kin will not survive the coming war... and one day one of you. However, with our power, our aspects in life; we may not ever have to deal with the pain of death. Until we master this power, we will have to cope with the understand the nature of the truth that we may never see each other again." Griffin started, looking to the young dragons. "I love you my children, these three months together will never leave me."

"What shall we do now?" Ancalagon, the son, aspect, and leader of the Black Dragonflight asked of Griffin.

"Gather your flights, we are revealing ourselves today."

In the bows and nods of his children, all seven titanic dragons would take flight and glide to the entrance of the mountain and roared their call. Whilst the dragons called their Flights and called upon their kin...Griffin took out both of his hilts and activated the two contraptions. What would come from the two hilts would brighten the immediate shadows of the night. Griffin activated his two Energy Blades... each sparkling with the power that contained the electric energy of the Energy Sword.

At the coming of the morning, Griffin would impart with his sons and daughters...

With a mass of the Seven Dragonflights heading to the Corbulo Academy of Military Sciences.

Aaaand another chapter completed!

To be really honest with you all, this was an incredibly difficult chapter to write after getting a few well-earned days of rest, recovery, and even the return to playing WoW: Dragonflight. In recovering my sanity and ability to write, I now return to give you, my readers, something special for this Winter Break!

Many of you have asked what kind of dragons have been revealed in this story? Only a couple of you have really big hints, but I have elected to tell you what they are comprised of: As guessed, there are four stories that have resonated in their creation or inspired by their design, and I have arranged them by difficulty...

The easy guess is that World of Warcraft was the easy clue because I am currently playing the expansion. The medium difficulty is just mentioned by their namebrand, which is J.R.R Tolkien's Lord of The Rings(Ancalagon if you haven't gotten it yet). The hard difficulty is by the mere mention of the Aquatic dragon type: If you knew about the Seawings from Wings of Fire, then you are doing really well.

And finally, the hardest guess of all. If you had found the one clue that was mentioned in a dragon's saliva, then you are in for a shocker because that is what is in this too. The Age of Fire series by E.E Knight has always been my more favorite dragon series that isn't well-known by a lot of people. If you have, I personally thank you for getting this reference.

As a final mention of these four series, there are currently six dragon aspects that are in need for names. Votes can be tallied for each dragon (Red, Green, and Blue will be females. Bronze, Gray, and Purple will be males.), but please do declare what aspect the name is for!

Please do vote, you may have your selected name entered as one of the dragons' names. (No meme names, I know how the internet works lmao)

In regards for Master Chief, I am happy to say this will not be the only combat scene he is a part of! For those who have seen signs and for those who have been begging for some things to come, yes, I did not make a Space Marine II combat scene just to do a one-shot of Spartans gaining Space Marine status, we are going neck deep into making Spartans even more OP this time! Also yes, Captain Fordo reference as well. Cadia Stands!

Oh, and for those who have Read or Watched The Last Church, you get the reference in this chapter.

Now, onto the future, things will get wild as now you can expect with everything about to happen. The Battle of Circinius IV will begin soon. With consideration over everything that has been prepped since the beginning of the Fall Semester, let us see how this battle will go, who will survive, who will die, and what outcome would be reached in the coming stages of the Human/Covenant War.

Please don't be afraid to like, follow, or favorite this story!

But wait, there's more!

The shift of power resonated in the pleased demeanor of Truth's predicaments. By seeing to his ascension from Ministry duties to the esteemed position of High Prophet, the once named Ord Casto hovered his right hand over the resonant anti-grav chair of his throne with great delight. Much power was gained, a large victory obtained in the path... and an uncomfortable truth was avoided all in the same day of his conglomeration among his other couple of rivals.

With much distaste, Truth had to admonish the nature of Mercy and Regret's ascension were due to happenstance; mainly on Mercy's part in all of this. Lest they forget, the truth of The Covenant fell on the shambles of a mistranslation of a single word...

How could The Reformists miss such a critical detail in the founding of The Covenant?

"No matter... savor the victory for now and eliminate opposition in time. Nothing will stop my continued ascension... time is my only enemy. Killing 'the gods' will guarantee I will obtain such a title." Truth hummed in thought, he rubbed his chin in question.

However, whilst he floated in his chamber, the display of I'ra Be'Ar, or more commonly known as The Prophet of Exquisite Devotion appeared over his armchair's display. The next moment, Exquisite Devotion bowed his head to the display of Truth, bringing an expression with hands and arms of 'I am yours to command'.

"Most esteemed High Prophet of Truth, I bear a message from The Heretics."

A message from the lesser primitives? Truth thought to himself. However, possibly to indulge in Exquisite's mind, he would simply feign a smile and look to him.

"And why should I accept this message instead of destroying it?" He asked.

"My most grand of sires, this message was retrieved from Tartarus." Replied the Prophet.

Knowing the Jiralhane were still on the human world, he would nod and present an expression of 'Do not waste my time.' To the Prophet and waited.

In seconds, the message transferred, and Truth would soon see the message displaying itself in a holographic image of a human in strange armor before him.

Immediately, Truth would feel a chill resonating throughout his body at the sight of this heretic. A human in glittering silver armor was there before him. He could see the inscriptions of The Arbiter symbols all over the plating of the Reclaimer's armor. Marked onto its chest plating, the symbol of Reclaimer by The Forerunners was there upon crest of the human's form, mixed with all the familiar and alien inscriptions upon the man.

And when he spoke, Truth knew it was not a fake.

"Most esteemed adversary High Prophet of Truth, or shall I say Ord Casto of the false journey?" The voice spoke to Truth, soon motioning with his hands to bring great insult between San'Shyuum. "You have started what will be the end of your Empire. This Covenant, your species... I know you and your fellow Hierarchs have deceived them. Do not think this a trick, a false political opposition inside your own ranks, or even one of your own... I alone know the truth of your lies, the hypocrisy of your position in The High Council. Your people have lived for thousands of years in treachery, a sin against The Forerunners who preserved us all from the cosmic horrors they brought upon us all."

"Even The Stoics had it right in bearing the same religious fervor. All you reformists have done is bring us one step closer to damnation, not godhood. And now, what could have been a grand unification of the age-old peace, the peace of the gods... you have begun its downfall. Two human colonies destroyed, untold millions of lives lost on both sides... and now, billions more will die because of your sins on Humanity and Covenant sides alike. There is no Godhood for you Ord Casto, nor anyone in your Covenant. It will all fail."

The figure would soon take off his helmet and reveal himself to Truth.

"Now you know the man you are fighting. I am The Phoenix, one who has come from the ashes of humanity to bring your end. And you shall have one ultimatum should you reconsider your actions..." The man known as The Phoenix would glare at the front with his slitted eyes. "Abandon your quest into Humanities territory, do not seek The Forerunners treasures in our territories. Leave us in peace, and you shall not be pursued. If The Covenant abandons our territories and stays away for a year, then we shall not come for you. However..."

At that moment, the man put on his helmet.

"If you decide to assault Humanity... I shall bring upon the full weight of The Galaxy upon The San'Shyuum, your lies shall be revealed, and Janjur Qom shall know of your treachery. Each day that passes in your continued actions, the noose on your long, fat, stupid neck shall become ever tighter. There was a hope that The San'Shyuum would join humanity in peace once again, and I shall not deny Ancient Humanities hope to see it happen... but if the children of The Reformists seek their claim... they shall burn with it."

In one final action, the figure would gesture one final insult.

"You have your choice Ord Casto, I hope your pessimistic mind doesn't clout the future of your people."

At the end of The Phoenix's words, the message would shut down. In this, Truth would shake in the sheer anger that resonated in his fists. But to not display his figure in anger or uncalm, he would take a breath and called upon Exquisite Devotion.

"My holy Prophet of Tr-"

"Has anyone else seen the contents of this message?" He spoke rather quickly, glaring at Exquisite.

"Only Tartarus has seen this, my sire."

"Order him to kill anyone who was in the room with him at the opening of this message." Truth ordered, soon looking to the armchair. "... and summon Regret's pet to me. I have a mission for him beyond the intention for the heretics."