CHAPTER 12: THE EMPTY GRAVE
Leading the humans through the endless network of tunnels, the reeking stench of a million dead corpse's I've never been into the Gravemind's keep before as we approach the main hallway leading down into his hold i notice the technology down here is different to that of the other tunnels. Strange unique languages are carved into the walls that i recognise and it reads 'the point of no return'. The walls had strange marking patterns which appeared to be rubble layers of architectural design by the forerunners. They built this place as a dungeon for the Gravemind, a network maze of tunnels kilometres in the ground. I approach the main chamber and see Gravemind equipped ready for battle.
"Hello Gravemind "i yelled "i had a strange feeling you'd be down here" "Think deeply Gravemind, what am I doing?" i replied "i know you Penitent, your kind. They all manage to cope being what they are but you had to be more than that, you wanted to be everyone at once; a human, a flood and a forerunner but i resurrected you and my plans for what you are remain as i intended". Gravemind summoned flood spores which spontaneously spawned all sorts of floods from combat hosts to archers. The humans and i charge head first into an intergalactic battle deep below the world in a place Gravemind grew and marked, a place incredibly evil in which every move below the ghostly fog can mean your sudden death. The Gravemind took his stance far above us all stretching to eighty four feet high. His ancient ten thousand year old weaponised tentacles protrude out of the ground in one matter the attack. Keyes and her army of marines manage to push fourth through the barrage of flood and shoot their way through tonnes of merged corpses forming this unearthly dome. Blasting apart the ceiling with my laser light in attempt to somehow collapse the tentacles hoping the fall would kill them as they become vigorous and sharp. As i close in on Gravemind he becomes scarcer and directs his fire towards me. Diving and dodging tentacles light sharp as spearheads i run at full blast with no second thinking at Gravemind. All i wanted to do was end it right here and coronate the human's owner of the galaxy. Less than ten metres away i take a massive leap whilst charging my eye laser as strong as i could. Gravemind has formed his hand into a much smaller version of the large spearhead tentacles and as i jumped towards him blasting apart his body mass as i take on large impale to the chest. The humans had defeated the flood and surrounded the Gravemind at gunpoint. Gravemind and eye lying on the floor gasping for air fighting for which one of us survives longer. The tentacle has gone right through my left lung and was detached off Graveminds mass; the blood has begun flooding me on the inside. The blasting impact of the laser has torn Graveminds chest right up to his lower neck apart and veins of an unknown origin was now visible. Gravemind turned slightly towards me and as do i in return "emotion is your weakness i don't understand why you begin to show such humanly qualities, had you forgotten this you would have been in a much higher choice of command" Gravemind gasps and faintly i think to myself what rank i would be in Graveminds eyes compared to the rank of my true leaders, the Forerunners. "Your rank Gravemind is no match to the rank id receive from my true leaders, the Forerunners, the Humans and your army is proven most useless dear Gravemind". Neither one of us could keep alive and shortly Gravemind was completely motionless and as for me it was only a matter of time...
… The Grave was destroyed along with Gravemind, the flood and Penitent. He died a happier soul knowing that with the galaxy's power in the humans control they can strive closer to finding the true secret behind mysteries of the halos. The generals of Penitent, the resurrected former covenant hierarchs Truth, Mercy and Regret remain in lead of the remaining flood forces which evolved impulsively once Gravemind died. Not completely taking the form of a flood they could think proper and control their own moves. The humans took Penitent's body back to earth where Keyes buried him by his father's memorial on earth. The war between the humans and the potential threats was not diminished but simply prolonged up against a new form. The Demonica.