(Sanghailos, Ripa's Homestead, July 4h 1720)
Almost a decade has passed since Agatha's salvation by the hands of Ripa 'Inanraree. Almost a decade has passed since she has been announced a living god by the prophets and was appointed by them to be safe guarded by her savior. Almost a decade has passed since she made her journey to the Mount of Divine Truth where she discovered her true self. Now at the age of 20 she has grown into a stronger and wiser women than what would be imagined on her home world. Through her treacherous training in the Sangheili way with Ripa and his Kadion uncle, and her teachings of the forerunners and the history of the covenant by the Prophets of Peace and Knowledge, she has become spiritual symbol for all pilgrims of the Covenant Empire. A symbol of hope. A symbol of the age of conversion. A symbol of salvation for all.
But this day is special for Agatha and her guardian, Ripa, for today will mark her 20th year in this galaxy and a day of rest for the two. Luckily Agatha was able to remember the date she was saved and helped Ripa match the earth years with sangheilos to assist her in telling time. Ripa himself planned for this day for a month now to forge her a gift for her day. After being blessed by the prophets to preform this projected and months of designing he left Agatha, resting peacefully in her bed, for the city to gather the supplies.
Ripa traveled to Kilk City to met with its officer and uncle to help under go this grand task. As he walked trough the city gates he could hear the loud cries of those trying to sell good to needy customers as well as laughter of small children playing in the streets and alleyways. This out a smile on his face as he walked along the stone city roads. As he approached the main city street he felt a hand land upon his shoulder. He looked back to see who it might be and there he saw Sesa. To whom he said
"Sesa my brother, its good to see you."
"Likewise my brother now what is it you have asked for me?" Replied Sesa as he let go of Rips's shoulder. Ripa then started too as Sesa followed beside him.
"Well Sesa I've been working on a gift for Agatha's day of birth. I have decided to go with handcrafted armor made with the finest metals from all of the covenant worlds." Ripa said with a informed tone in his voice. To that Sesa remarked
"And you wish for my help to undertake its creation or to gather the materials needed?" Ripa paused and looked towards his officer with a smirked looked and replied.
"Yes both." They both laughed slightly as they continue to walked within the city streets.
Hours passed and after much searching and many coins spent Ripa and Sesa traveled the the city's jewel, the Kadion's keep and home of Ripa's uncle Luro, to where the forge of Kadions lays. With a bag full of ores and many jewels that rested deep in sangheilos's crust, the two made their way through the grand halls of the keep. As they entered the empty forge, the two friends studied all they had at their disposal. It was an ancient forge as old as the city itself long before the covenant was formed and the belief of the forerunners was worshiped on the Sangheili world. The wall held the tool to make and mold from the melted ores. Within the center of the room rested a pit of flames to born the ores into metal, and sounding the pit was a contest flow of cool water to harden the metal as stone. Sesa look towards his supreme commander and said.
"It looks like it haven't been used in a long time," Ripa looked backed to him and replied,
"That because it hasn't. Once it was used for the wars before the San'Shyuum. But nowt is only used by the Kadion if he wishes to created a personal weapon or armor. Let us get to work,"
Sesa then went to gather the needed tools while Ripa readied the forge by lighting the fires and unleashing the waters next. After giving the tools to Ripa, Sesa pumped air into the flames while Ripa carefully placed each rod of metal within the fire. One by one Ripa took a rod out of the fire and molded the hot metal with a blacksmith's hammer. Sweat dripped from Ripa's and Sesa's body as sparks flew from Ripa's hammer as it met the metal and anvil. Time and time again Ripa brought the hammer down upon the rough metal till it was refined into a smooth shape. Ripa would repeat this process until he had several refined metal pieces that laid upon the workbench. Ripa and Sesa then sat at the edge of the forge for a few moments rests as they laid their tools beside them. Sesa then looked at Ripa with a face drenched in sweat and said near out of breath,
"So brother what will be design of this grand armor fit for a God?" Ripa looked back at him and smiled as he replied,
"It will be as she is brother. Strong yet beautiful. Thick yet flexible. It will be coated the gold and engraved with jewels." Sesa looked up for a moment and replied,
"Then, brother, let us finish before the night's end so that we may give her such a gift as you have described." Ripa stood and grabbed his tools and with a slight laugh and said,
"Let us then for what kind of gift would it be if it was a day late?" And with that the two Sangheili, with tools in hand, went to the workbench that was covered with refined metals and jewels, to finish their work.
Hours passed and it was well late into the night when Ripa and Sesa finally finished the shaping, carving, and welding the handcrafted armor. Both were exhausted as they left the forge and entered the outside of the keep walking through the seeming empty city. The nigh sky was bright with the lights of Sangheilos's two moons and the countless stars above. The city was quite with only the sounds of the occasional state guards strolling through the streets and humming of a few nearby ships. By now Ripa and Sesa have said their farewells and Ripa was near the city's gates, carrying a sack full of the armor's part, to return home. As he exited the city's gates Ripa looked up to the stars and wondered if one of these stars could be the star that housed Agatha's home world; and if the covenant would ever find it again.
After a short journey trough a small forest the separated the city and Ripa's home, Ripa entered expecting Agatha to have already fallen to sleep. As he sat down the sack near the door he turn and noticed Agatha, clothed in a long, rich silk-like robes of a pale white color, stepped out from her sleeping quarters,
"Ripa? Is that you?" Agatha asked in a light, slightly cracked voice,
"Yes Aggie. Forgive me if I have awoken you," he replied. Agatha looked down towards the sack with tired eyes while cleared the throat and said in a more smooth voice,
"No need, I was waiting for you but sleep eventually overcame me. But may I ask what is it you have in your sack?" Ripa smirked and laughed slightly as he replied,
"I still remember the day I found you, how weak and scared you were. How alone you were at that time. And how you eventually took over the challenges that were given before you and how you conquered them all. Eight years, of your time, ago it was when I found you and you say that you have reached the age of twenty today yes?" Agatha did the best she could to keep up with the time as she knew in but was stunned at how Ripa paid attended to such a privet matter. She walked closer to him and said while rubbing her eyes,
"Yes that is right," Ripa then pulled his hand from the sack and reviled a finished battle helm of sangheili design. The helm was a golden color and was decorated with many covenant and sangheili carvings. The check guards were short and extended down from the head. The head was sleek and smooth with a topped finished that resembled that of an officer's helm and a short nose guard extended down the middle. The back was spiked upwards to show of high status and was finished off with dim blue lights.
"To all the covenant you are a God but I know that you wish to be a warrior and you have proven that you are worthy as such. And to cerebrate your day I have made you an armor fit for a God," Ripa then gave her the helm with a slight smile. Agatha studied the helm for a moment before starting to speak.
"I...I have no words to say,"
"Then don't. You are given what you deserve and I am more then happy to help you, Ripa replied. Agatha placed the helm on her head to feel its grip around her for the first time. I was a perfect fit and she smiled while taking it off and setting it down a nearby table. She reached out and hugged the taller sangheili and said,
"Thank you," Ripa returned the hug and replied,
"You are most welcome my child,"