Swords of Sanghelios Records
RECORD II
Heavy Is The Head
Vakan Sradamai
October 21st, 2552.
07:05 EAT {East Africa Time}
The main temple of the hierarchs was a beautiful sight. Glistening in bright purple and pink holographic metal, it shows off the almighty forerunner descent from which it came from. An open throne room has huge booths for the council members of the Covenant to judge and listen to cases that pass before the court. Now vacant and empty, including guards, this room could normally seat almost two hundred. It was eerily quiet, as this type setting for this chamber was unusual. Elders from all across the Covenant would gather here, and now, it lay completely vacuumed.
For the most part.
In the back of the room, chatter from the sounds of clergymen from the elegance in tone carried throughout the entire assembly due to the perfect acoustics that it beheld.
Now, three floating chairs telling of the highest of aristocratic value, silver, and sleek value, with glowing orange bulbs at the front of the chair arms. The Holy Prophets drifted here alone. Without aid or protection in any way. Truth, Mercy, and Regret. Draped with gold crowns and the finest of jewelry in the earrings. Clothing flashy, shiny, and regal and very, very expensive.
Mercy and Truth were physically present, however, Regret was displayed on a holo-drone and lighted projection. His hologram was bright blue, and he seemed to be the youngest of the three. The fire in his eyes could be seen through the transmission without any hesitation. It was thick and almost… deadly.
Truth was the modest of the three holding an elegant posture. He was the most commanding of the figures and held the most authority based on his body gauge and positioning. His jewelry was the absolute finest in all of the entire Covenant. His crown is the most absolute. He preferred no makeup or additives to his face, as he believed they lie and tell a fake story of their leader.
They were stationed in the center of the console around where they usually were. Commanding I figure for even how old they were. Mercy who was easily the eldest, sat with faintest and a resting smile with folded hands. Having the highest of experience in their oligarchy, he knew the systems in and out. The most knowledgeable and the most enhanced of political standings, he was one of the gentlemen that a young man would just sit there and listen to for hours. Wisdom… raw unfiltered wisdom almost bursting at the seams and contained to just a feeble and frail body.
These three hierarchs, Truth and Mercy, and Regret were squabbling amongst each other with a quiet tone. The echoes carried a bit, but nothing too powerful.
At one point Regret raised his fist in anger and slammed it down to the chair rest which they could hear through his projection, "Arbiter?! Noble Prophet of Truth you seriously think this is a good idea?"
"It would be a shame to lose such talent and prowess to simple… public semantics," said Truth.
"But this conflict to have his own lieutenant as his commanding officer?"
Mercy let out a wheeze interrupting the two, "The house of 'Vadum has been one of the most prosperous houses with heirs to the Holy War. Their slander will not waver now with a single officer."
"All mutinies start on a single idea," huffed Regret in a disagreeable defiance.
"Do not worry my brother," Truth continued raising his long-fingered hand in reassurance with a devious grin, "Tartarus will… take care of them soon."
Mercy coughed, "Darkest times require the strongest of wills. Heavy is the Head that wears the Crown."
Right as the thought concluded the door on the far side of the console chambers opened in the famous Covenant High Charity fashion. Beeping sounds sprung up from the sides instantly as the curved doors opened up separating from one another in an arched pattern. The three prophets adjusted and halted the conversation as they came in.
The Red Honor Guards, about twenty in number ambled in the formation of two wide shoulder-to-shoulder, and about ten long. They wielded their bright orange spears in hand that were easily nine feet long. Curved to a sharp tip, they pulsated between the colors of orange and yellow as the light from other sources gently bounced on them. These guards were often referred to as the Vonsteri, a unique word in the Sangheili tongue.
"Von," meaning One or One Who Is in a possessive sense, and "Steri" which translates loosely to Human English to "Stands In Place of," or "Separating," since the English language is fairly simple and uninteresting with its deep worded meanings, it's difficult to find an exact match in Sangheili.
However, emerging from the group and moving to the front of the line, were three Royal Guardsmen. Vakan was with them, to the right.
Glistening golden mail it was rare to see one, but three? This was a sight most civilians would not ever see again, including the military men. It is a higher chance to see a member of the infamous and secretive Silent Shadow (those who often saw them would mysteriously vanish without a trace) than this gathering of Royal Guards. He never knew the other's names, or even what houses they came from, it was unbelievably secluded information, even amongst themselves.
Unironically, the entire Covenant has guesses on what these types of guards were called, but only they themselves knew, or the high prophets themselves. Largely, it is mostly speculation from scholars and others who have played with certain wordings and translations. Even still, the respect and prestigious title of the Royal Guardsmen was beyond legendary, being spoken in Human English only, never Sangheili or even Unggoy (which was the common speech of the whole Covenant). Different it was, but as rare as they were, most sometimes never even knew they existed at all.
Out of all of these golden knights the eldest was in the center. Faded white skin telling was at least of the nationality of Qankar. They have the lightest of skin being from the north of Sanghelios on the great sand plains. Fairer in tone due to the sun's constant and intense exposure unlike their darker, their eyes usually a deep blue or purple, with skin ranging from almost white to a darker gray (including scaled patterns). Racism often plagued their race within the halls of Sangheili history, however with the birth of the Covenant, that has for the most part fallen away. However, there are some even within the Enlightened Way who still hold onto racist ideals. It's rare, but just enough to where when it is encountered, it is extremely obnoxious.
This eldest Sangheili, Vakan had figured to have had the longest service of almost any Guardsman in the whole Covenant, this of course was all just speculation. Darker blue eyes which are quite uncommon for a Qankar. He stood three inches taller than every other warrior easily (this is assumed due to reptilian-based organisms growing into their older age regardless of stature).
Vakan himself was a Frios, the most common Sangheili race. Deep purple skin and dark scales with green to yellow eyes they were the most well-toned of Sangheili. Making up the bulk of their brethren, Vakan however had the darker of skin, almost a black. In the light it was a hint of purple reflecting off his scales, but in the dim setting it seemed almost jet black. Bright greenish eyes with vertically shaped pupils and iris, it was complex within its design. Strangely enough sometimes in the light it was revealed to be a yellow. He stuck out with finer skin amongst members of the Frios. This often was coveted by others and was a staple only to his household,
And what a treasure that was.
On the far left was a guardsman with blue skin. Most scholars have absolutely no idea where they came from, they seemed to have just appeared within the geologic column of Sanghelios. The assumption was that Frios and Qankar bred with one another, but there was no evidence to back up the theory. Deep to brighter blue skin, with black to almost bright pink eyes (sometimes purple). These were the more strange-looking elites. Skin racially looked different as well as eyes, scales unlike Frios were not a black, but were always a deep blue in that regard.
Easily the youngest, Vakan was surprised to see someone of his age being here, within the Royal Guardsmen. It was strange to see, that was definitely for sure. Their name as a race in Sangheili is actually impossible to pronounce in any Human tongue due to their mandibles splaying when using the vowel. "Hwævkangee" is the closest pronunciation.
Side by side in front greeted the Holy Ones as they got within ten yards of them. All standing together as one in a vanguard, they were ready.
The shining golden knights struck a fist to their chest and bent over slightly as a bow. The following masses of warriors behind did the exact same in following thunderous movements. An Earthquake of sorts acquired its rhythm of sound through the room booming off itself. It was as if Heaven's accord manifested through them as noise to earth in a blessing to the ears of the Prophets, as a protective reassurance to their potentially doubts and displeasure.
"Sire," said the lead bright skinned Guardsmen, "your escort is ready."
"Indeed Commander," chucked Truth.
Unique to each prophet, these three guardsmen have hardly interacted with one another, ever. To be here now is almost humbling, but they dare not let any slightest emotion cloud their Holy duties.
A gathering of species corralled a mass of onlookers. All species of the Covenant gathered to watch in spectacle of these executions. The public display of branding by Thel Vadamee left a salty taste in everyone's mouth. Area of these lookers was not nearly as large as the previous branding, but it would do.
From the Grunts to even the mindless Brutes they knew something was off. Thel was just a puppet and a facade. He was not a true criminal and no Heretic.
They thirsted a true evil doer, someone more sinister and violent, something truly just.
The crowd of easily ten thousand stood in their booths of caste as the session began to take place. Off in the distance was a large building with platforms sticking out the sides with huge openings. Having hundreds of gathered brothers in the Covenant watching, this was quite the entertainment to the general.
Their chants sorrowed high through the city so much that everyone below in the main city could depict and figure out what was going on. The unison was beyond something different.
Cheering intensified as the honor guards came out onto the main observation deck. Grunts with their strange cameras caught the scene and broadcasted it to the rest of the Covenant and the whole City of High Charity. All gathered in an upper-room setting with an almighty purpose.
Into view now were the two Holy Ones themselves, both Truth and Mercy (Regret did not attend this ceremony). The roar of the crowd would have racked the heavens above with a boastful glance towards them. Seeing them personally up close was a rare sight to see. Most members within the Covenant would only see them upon broadcasting or the like. Regal for their wise council, they were just as the crowd pictured them in real life… wise.
The Honor Guards surrounded the base of the pedestal, and not a single person moved past them. Acting as a wall to the emmasing crowd they were pillars of might to stop the stampede of followers. They did not want to harm the prophets, but just touched their cloak. Like The Christ himself, they thought they were (it is in their name) literal prophets destined to tell the will of the Forerunners, who were Gods themselves. Creating the un-waived masterpiece of the universe… Halo. Its divine grace was accepting to all who seek salvation like a motherly hug.
Now the Royal Guardsmen took to their stations. Standing directly behind their designated Hierarch, they surveyed the surroundings to the crowd with impeccable accuracy. Their training consisted of such things and were excellent as such. As the crowd continued with their praising, the Prophet of Truth took the stand as their pedestal began to rise into the air. Hovering about forty feet, and with a technically superior boom microphone sitting in front of him, everyone in the entire crowd could hear with perfect accuracy as if he was just right next to them having a normal conversation.
Truth raised his hand, to which the entire gathered colossus of Covenant species calmed down to faint whispers like a gathering of eager children.
As the long pointed digits lowered, he took a deep and intimate breath,
"My friends, brothers, and sisters, today is the day of judgment for the oppressors of this supposed 'coup', their unfaithfulness to the Great Journey and dear impudence cost the lives of many. Justice is neigh, and it shall be carried out without grace or hesitation."
Motioning to some Brute captains below, they stood erect to almost eight feet tall. The apes had red flags sticking out of their back telling of the 'pack status,' and all the bells and whistles that come with it. These two monstrously large Jiralhanae (another name for them), turned around in the crowd and opened up one of the sliding glowing pink doors within the walls.
Coming out was a group of five creatures. Five Sangheili. Stuck to a Chain Gang. An electric pink cord connected the five of them along the neck in a long and continuous cuff of sorts. The ankles shackled in the same beam of energy as the same as the wrists. All scared and beaten with bruises and black eyes, they clearly had not the easiest of times.
The booming horde of onlookers booed and wailed their cries of disinterest in even seeing them in their presence. They were brought before the prophets with extreme violence. Brute guards did little to protect them from the swelling crowd of screaming military men, men that they used to call their brothers. Their faces surrowed, they took it all.
The slaps and the punches from the mass. The spitting, the cursing, everything. With the greatest of grief for them. As if they knew something different or special that was just begging to be told to their own brethren. To them, this coup, truth had been silenced and snuffed out, ironic as they now were before the Holy Court of the Noble Prophet of Truth.
Eventually they stood before another pedestal. This one hovered the three of them off a platform with some more brutes into the air only a few feet, just enough to get above the crowd-line. The brutes forced all five of them to their knees, their heads low and staring to the floor. One even had blood drip from his mandibles onto the floor.
As Truth raised his hand once more the crowd's volume ceased. Having what seemingly was the entire Covenant's attention, he took a moment to ponder his thoughts before speaking. Each word provided a rod through their hearts. Each syllable, a dagger through the soul.
"Do you have anything to say to yourself? In your last moments of life?"
One Sangheili amongst the crowd raised his head to The Prophet. The golden glow off of the chair and crown almost blinding him in its regal presence. The reflection glared through the back of his retinas creating an annoying squint. As if he was too unworthy or unholy to look upon the Prophets.
Even still, with pain in his voice due to the beating he probably endured in the jail cells. The purple blood oozed out his wounds upon his skin blending almost hiding it. This Sangheili coughed up one final cry of defiance sending out a signal to the cosmos itself,
"I would rather die on my knees to Truth than live on my feet to Lies."
At this point, no one could control the crowd as they raged in a furious outburst. As if the entire assembly were fathers finding out about their stolen daughter's virginity, as this was something none of the Prophets had ever seen before. Their fury, their anger, even Mercy in his wisest age could not comprehend this might… it was turning into a mob.
Truth in his last attempt to quell the crowd lifted up both arms as a sign of decision and yelled out, "So be it! Their lives are forfeit!"
The Brutes understood the queue and one by one they reached their hand to the back of each Sangheili's neck. Crushing their windpipe with the force of both hands these apes enjoyed this very much in a sickening pleasure. The warm blood oozing through their claws and fingers was an addictive stimulant to their primitive natures.
It must be noted there is a rule amongst the Covenant, kind shall never execute kind. Elites shall never execute another Elite, nor a Grunt to a Grunt. Usually, it followed in order by caste, Elites to Brutes, and Grunts to Jackals (Drones or Hunters never needed this as they worked as a hivemind). This was to prevent any scarring of the mind ironically.
As the last of the Elite's necks were broken from behind, it thudded to the floor coughing and wheezing for a final breath just like the others. Five dead prisoners all sprawled out on the floor as their husks began to grow colder.
The crowd seeing their demise was satisfied with this and cheered their praises. It took definitely more than a singular moment for the Holy Prophet to get the crowd to be quiet. Roaring with the singing in absolute happiness they were. The tsunami of a chorale waved over the congregation of onlookers mixing inwardly to the soul. They could feel the shouting in their chests, vibrations rippling in the spirit.
At the height of the noise almost to that of the gathered arena watching their champion slay a wild beast, something amiss gathered. Truth even with his hand of interruption could not slow the massing swarm of creatures. His pointy fingers reach for heaven itself in attempt.
In the madness all Guards could not see what happened next.
Out of the shadows a single purple beam ignited from the back of the crowd from a pink balcony on the side of one of the curved smooth buildings. With all the bright refractions pulsing around it was almost astounding how the Royal Guardsmen did not catch it. This lit up all the Covenantee's armor with reflection as it passed only a few feet over the crowds heads. Shining white blinded all who instinctively looked up to the drawing beam. The cheers turned to a quick and sharp unified gasp of horror. Streaking across the whole assembly passed the collection of species and the bodies of the prisoners, it went straight for the Prophet of Truth. Landing to its target with deadly intent it missed the top of him barely. Blasting off his crown from his head the glowing blue halo around the center went dim being deactivated from the damage. A medium sized black scorch mark left an imperfection upon the flawless diadem. The loud ping of light striking metal set a ring of vibrations in the air piercing the crowds instant dismay. Everyone could hear it no matter how far away they were from the epicenter.
As the Hat of The Covenant itself rolled on the floor with heavy bouncing, billows of smoke came out from the wound. Truth's head rocked back from the force of the beam and so did his chair for the moment. In that half second moment the crowd could not see, they thought Truth had fallen. It was as if they were watching their Christ being Crucified before them. Their wounds were so embedded in their spirit that it was impossible to bear. Lives flashed before their eyes as the greatest of heresies was performed in their own very lifetime.
Just a mere assassination attempt on a council member alone would warrant the public execution of such a blasphemer. The attempt to the life of Lesser Prophet would be to put to death the opposers entire Bloodline including kin and relatives. But no one, in the most unholy of contemplations, would have dared create the idea of the Regicide of one of the Hierarchs. Even the Forerunners themselves up in the ascended planes of the Great Journey would have glared down in such disgusted pews.
The crowd's agony, there was nothing in their history of the universe that could have foretold their pain. This was impossible to conceptualize, young men's dreams would be shattered. The poets would grow quiet, and the dreamers would only have nightmares. Has the Great Journey ceased in its walk? Thousands of years of struggling to walk along to obtain the lands of paradise, could have been snatched from their grip within the snap of the fingers… the single pull of the trigger.
One of the oldest Sangheili poems dating back to almost 3000 BCE describes this moment perfectly,
"The outside does not feel, what the inside knows is real."
Indeed, this is how it was. Jiralhanae, Sangheili, Unggoy, Kig-Yar, Yanme'e, and Mgalekgolo. Multiple different species, cultures, races, identities, hopes, and ambitions. Breathing became the hardest part of oneself. It felt false and illogical. There was no reason to live at this point, he was gone. All for once unified under this sense of dread, the assassination attempt of their most Holy One.
The Prophet of Truth.
DO NOT FRET THIS CHAPTER WAS JUST STUPID LONG! I DIVIDE IT UP TO TWO CHAPTERS SECOND IS COMING THIS WEEKEND STICK AROUND!
Heyyy all I'm back don't worry! Sorry about that one, this chapter took me a bit longer to get out, since it was a lot longer, and I do unpack a lot of different things. But I hope you liked it! I had to do some massive research of the Covenant lore and theory. Most of the names and things that I created within this chapter are completely my own ideas, unfortunately the lore doesn't really expand too much into the culture and concepts of the races within the Covenant. It is what it is, but I think this makes an interesting read.
Anyway, another reason I would like to point out why this chapter took so long as I also did massive re-edits to the previous chapters. Mostly grammar edits and a few little sentences here and there that I changed that didn't sound very well. That took about two weeks because I was super thorough. I hope you enjoyed those as well.
ALSO if you have noticed, I also changed the cover art of the story, yeah, that also took a little bit of time because I had to learn how to use Photoshop, which I had NO idea how to use lol.
So that has been my basic thing that I've been doing for the past three months hahah. Hope y'all liked it!
I'm thinking of creating a discord for Halo FanFiction writers, I don't know yet depending on how many people are interested. My discord is theholyyapper, add if ya want the discord will be for people of the world of Halo for us writers to combine ideas and honestly unite as a group. Most here I notice don't really interact with one another which is a big sad. I wanna change that.
Nothing too much going other than that, I hope y'all are doing well! Anywho let's get onto comments!
ToxiGlue2 - Shhhhhh! ;)
Guest - Yea I write in an every other order typed setting, next story is Men and Machines Up Next, so stay tuned! Hope ya like it!
I love that this fic is being appreciated by all y'all. I hope you guys like this chapter as I put a lot of time into it! I got another one in the making up next so stay in it!
As I always say, stay safe out there y'all the goobers of this world are everywhere,
~1DL1NG KN1GHT
