Well,
here is the end of Section I. What that basically means is that the
next Section will begin some years later. Sort of like when you read a
long book and it splits it up into different 'books'. Like the bible.
Anyway, enjoy.
Part Fifteen - Truth
Sorran was
roused from his fitful slumber as he heard a crash in the lower
chambers. And this wasn't the 'I knocked a plate to the floor whilst
preparing a meal' kind of crash. This was the clear smash of glass.
The
newly made Honour Guard rose from his floating bed; which was the most
comfortable thing he had ever slept upon. Indeed, everything in the
Minister of Restraint's quarters was lavish and expensive.
Sorran
thought back to the day's events as he shook his tiredness away, and
gently lowered the ceremonial headpiece the Honour Guard wore onto his
suddenly sweating crown. There had been no trouble in escaping the
dungeons of High Charity. As Sorran had passed his flash-clone, he had
felt a slight shudder. But he was safe, and in Restraint's quarters, as
one of his two Honour Guard.
That a Minister, especially one who
used to be one of the Hierarchy, would have but two Honour Guards was
incredibly strange. When Sorran had questioned the elderly Prophet
about it over dinner, Restraint had ambiguously said that he trusted
few, and that's why he still lived.
The other Honour Guard, a
rather elderly Sangheili by the name of Hem, had been with Restraint
since the beginning. His family and Restraint's had long worked
together, and the new generation had been no different. He had his own
quarters in the High Charity upper district, and had retired there for
the night, warning Sorran as he had left to 'be careful.'
Was this what Hem had meant when he said that?
Sorran thought as he grabbed his Energy Stave from the wall. The Stave
responded to his will, and sparked, bathing the dim room he slept in in
a soft blue glow.
Sorran had had so many questions for
Restraint, but the Minister had merely smiled a crooked smile and had
shaken his head, saying that Sorran would learn with time. Once
Restraint was 100% sure of his motives. In other words, once Sorran was
trusted by the Minister he served.
There were further noises
down below, and a sinking feeling rose in Sorran's gut. It could have
been Jajab, the serving Unggoy, but Sorran doubted it. The small
Unggoy, Restraint had informed Sorran, never awoke once he retired for
the night. Indeed, it was a daily ritual for the Minister to have to
rouse Jajab from his own slumber each dawn.
Sorran secured the
shoulder pads he wore, and pressed down on a panel by his door. The
mechanical door fled into the frame it was set in, and the new Honour
Guard walked out into the candle lit hallway.
Sorran gave thought to waking Restraint, but decided against it. If some burglar was in the house, then better it would be if the elderly Prophet remained asleep.
Another
bang below. Whoever it was obviously wasn't well versed in the art of
stealth. Either that or the intruder wanted someone to come looking for
him. Well, Sorran would be happy to oblige.
The Honour Guard
stepped into the gravity lift, and slowly fell down two stories, to the
ground level. He looked around; no obvious signs of trouble. However,
upon close examination of the door, he saw where metal had obviously
been cut, and welded back together once whoever was intruding was
inside. Interesting, whoever it was obviously knew the trade.
Sorran moved into the dining chamber, looking around the dim room. No one in sight, bar the Huragok Floats lower than most., who assisted Restraint with his hobby of examining Forerunner artefacts the Ministry had deemed useless.
Just
as he was about to leave though, Sorran saw something out of place. A
stack of documents which had previously been in a neat pile were now
askew, spread all over the table. One looked to have half the page
missing. Sorran moved forward, and lifted up the light parchment. The
ink was faded, and blotched in some places. The page seemed to be a
series of notes and thoughts. The bottom ones seemed menial enough.
However, half of the middle one was visible, where the page had been
nearly torn. Still, it was nearly unreadable, bar a few fragments, such
as what seemed to be 'Regret', 'Journey', 'False Writ.' How odd.
As
Sorran was still trying to make out the other words, he heard a rustle
behind him. Ever so slight, as if a feather had been brushed amongst a
pile of leaves, making the smallest of small sounds. Almost small
enough to disregard. However, Sorran was suspicious enough to spin
around suddenly...
...A good decision, as it became apparent
when Sorran's moving stave crashed into a small, blue object. The
Energy Stave's shields flickered slightly. Sorran's eyes widened as he
saw what he had struck.
A small plasma knife, a burning blue
cutting through the sanguine night. The knife bounced of Sorran's
stave, and the Honour Guard quickly jumped back, out of reach of any
further attacks. He looked closely at the assailant.
It seemed
to be a Kig-Yar, garbed in tight robes the colour of the darkest of
dark nights. The avian like creature had it's head covered by a hood,
shrouding all but it's sharp beak in shadow. It screeched in it's
native language. Sorran recognised it as a Kig-Yar curse word from
their pirating days.
For a few moments, the Sangheili Honour
Guard and Kig-Yar Assassin circled each other wearily. A slight
shimmering across the face of the Assassin informed Sorran that the
Kig-Yar did indeed possess personal shielding. Sorran hadn't even known
such technology existed.
He wasn't allowed much respite however,
for at that moment the Jackal brought out from it's person a
crystalline pink whip, which hung limply at it's side. The seven shards
which made up the whip crackled with power.
It was all Sorran
could do to dive out of the way before the whip flew in his direction.
As it was, he got lucky, and instead the foremost shard of the whip
embedded itself in an ancient bookcase. After a second, the shard
exploded, shattering the bookcase and it's containments into a million
shards.
As the shards flew through the air, Sorran vaulted
over the table, and delivered a strong blow with his stave to the
startled Kig-Yar, who reeled backwards, before somehow managing to land
on it's feet nimbly. It suddenly lashed out with the whip, and Sorran
narrowly avoided the deadly string of shards, throwing himself to the
floor. He brought his stave around in a low arc, knocking the
Assassin's feet from underneath it. The Jackal collapsed to the ground
with a thud, it's whip falling limply to the side.
Before the
creature could right itself, Sorran pounced on it, grabbing the
Assassin around the neck. He lifted the frail Jackal into the air with
a thick, vice like grip on it's small windpipe. With his other hand,
Sorran threw back the Kig-Yar's hood, and staring at him were a pair of
frantic, buggy eyes. The Assassin attempted desperately to break free
of Sorran's grip, managing to bury one of it's throwing knives into the
Honour Guard's side. Sorran persisted though, and kept a tight hold.
The Jackal's face began to lose it's colour, eyeballs wide, mouth
trying to draw air in which didn't have the chance to travel down to
it's lungs.
After a few more seconds, the Assassin went limp. A
quick read of it's pulse told Sorran that he had perhaps gone a little
too far. The Kig-Yar was dead. With disgust, he let the corpse fall to
the floor.
Sorran stood there, breathing deeply. He remained
alert; for all he knew there could be several other Jackals in the
house. After it became apparent that if there were any, then they had
fled, the Honour Guard began to search the Jackal's corpse. He
eventually found a scrap of parchment. Complex runes decorated the
header. Sorran decoded them and saw what the parchment was: a hit list.
And listed below, in ink the colour of Jackal blood, was a single name.
Restraint.
It was then that Sorran heard a noise behind him, and
he spun, anticipating another brawl. Instead, he only saw the Minister
of Restraint, wearing a satisfied grimace. Sorran noted with surprise
that the Minister was supported by only a wooden cane, rather than the
chair the Honour Guard had been led to believe was needed.
"You
have done well Sorran." Restraint croaked, nudging the Assassin gently
with the edge of a boot. The Jackal rolled over, it's lifeless eyes
staring into the ceiling above. Sorran frowned.
"Well done? Was
this your idea of a test?" the Sangheili asked, and he could hear the
anger in his own voice. The Prophet reeled around, scowling.
"Don't be a fool!" Restraint barked, and then, noting Sorran's sheepish expression, softened slightly, "this was no test."
"Then what--?" Sorran began to question, stepping forward. He was cut off by Restraint.
"This was an Assassin, and no inefficient one at that. This Kig-Yar bears the symbol of the Shadow of Relic. Have you heard of them, Sorran?"
Indeed
he had, or at least he had heard the rumours. Effectively an Assassins
cult, one of the most efficient and deadly there was. They took members
of every species, although the Kig-Yar were the most predominant; they
had a history of espionage and murder. Sorran merely nodded before
asking his next question.
"Why was one of the Relic attempting to kill you, noble one?" Sorran questioned of the Prophet, who sighed.
"Dispose
of this body, and meet me in the lounge. I shall reveal to you the
truth. You won't like it, you won't believe it. But it is the truth."
Restraint told him, and the Sangheili Honour Guard nodded slowly,
frowning in confusion. Still, he had an order, and so hefted up the
dead Assassin, and prepared to burn the body.
******************
"You
are, I take it, familiar with the history of the Writ?" Restraint asked
Sorran as the two sat before the roaring fire. The stench of blood from
both Sorran and the felled Jackal, which now lay on the burning flames,
was strong.
"Of course. The Prophets discovered evidence of the
Great Journey, and proposed an alliance between them and we, the
Sangheili, in an effort to uncover this Journey." Sorran recited from
memory, confused as to why the Minister would ask such a question.
Restraint merely nodded gravely, drumming his tapered fingertips
together.
"And thus the Covenant was born, out of this promise
of the Great Journey." the Prophet spat mockingly. Sorran leaned
forward, concerned.
"What is your point?" the Sangheili
questioned bluntly, forgetting about the honorific suffix he usually
would have used. Restraint instead decided to answer his question with
a question.
"How much do you believe in the promise of the Path, Honour Guard of mine?"
This
threw Sorran off. He wasn't entirely sure how to proceed. However, in
the short time he had known Restraint, the Minister had never rebuked
him for expressing his opinion.
"I am no zealot, noble one, yet
I, like all of the Covenant, believe in the Journey. How could I not?"
Sorran replied, apprehension clear in his voice. Restraint merely
sighed, shaking his head sadly.
"I was afraid you would say
that. It will make what I'm about to tell you even harder. Sorran;
there is no Great Journey. It's all a lie." the Minister revealed, and
Sorran could sense no trace of jest in the Prophet's voice. Even so, he
broke out into a smile.
"How very amusing noble one." Sorran
said, an air of certainty about him. There was no doubt in his mind
that the Prophet was lying. This didn't seem to be the response
Restraint expected, for his face screwed up in annoyance.
"This
is no joke Sangheili, although I wish with all my heart that it was.
All you have ever known, every history lesson, religious ceremony,
everything. All of it a grand deception." the Minister snapped back,
and Sorran blinked, realising the Prophet truly believed himself to be
speaking the truth. The Sangheili was now worried; had the Jackal
slipped some sort of Hallucinogen into the rich wine Restraint was now
drinking?
"Noble Minister, this night has been distressing for
us all I think. Come, let us clear our minds of these heretical
thoughts, and retire to our quarters." Sorran suggested, beginning to
stand. An icy command from Restraint forced him to sit once again.
"I
told you you would not believe me, at first. But I offer no lies here.
Perhaps if I explain fully, from the beginning, you will understand."
Sorran
was still worried about the Minister, and had half a mind to disobey
Restraint's command and go fetch a healer to purge the poison that was
so obviously flowing through the Prophet's veins as he spoke. However,
there was just enough sincerity in Restraint's tones to keep him
seated. He nodded for the Minister to continue.
"Now you know
doubt know that years ago, I was a High Hierarch, alongside the Prophet
of Tolerance, and Prophetess of Obligation. Both of them are now dead.
Now, Regret, Mercy, and the snake Truth have replaced as Hierarchs. No
doubt you hold them in the highest opinion, brainwashed as you are.
However, I shall tell you how they came to power."
Now Sorran was
truly intrigued. He had heard of Tolerance and Obligation's demise a
few years ago, both apparently victims of a serial killer. Restraint
then moved on with his tale.
"I am on a list of those San
'Shyuum who are forbidden to partake in the reproduction process, as
you may or may not know. There are so few of my race that such
precautionary measures have to be taken, in order to keep our legacy
pure of mind and body. However; I am ashamed to admit, I did not adhere
to this law. I bed a female when I was Hierarch, and she fell pregnant
with my offspring."
This was something Sorran hadn't heard before.
"I
should have had the foetus terminated as soon as I knew. But I
couldn't. It was my child, my legacy. And no matter how flawed it would
be, I would cherish it."
A noble sentiment indeed.
"The
birth date loomed ever closer, and I began to grow worried. Should word
have leaked out that I sired a child, then no matter what position I
held, I would be executed within the week. Nervous, I approached whom I
thought to be a trustworthy friend; the Vice Minister of Tranquillity.
You will know him better as Regret. I told him about the ill begotten
child, and implored him to claim it as his own. He told me he would
consider it."
Restraint's gaze then grew dark.
"Little
did I know the poisonous snake would do what he decided to do. He went
to the Minister of Fortitude, whom you know better as Truth, and
informed him of my situation. Together, they hatched a plan together.
Tranquillity began to drop subtle hints of what the two were planning,
drunken braggart that he always was."
"And then the demand came.
Tranquillity delivered an ultimatum; either I, and my fellow Hierarchs
step down, or he would reveal my darkest secret. I spent many a day
conferring with Tolerance and Obligation. Good friends, we were, all of
us, and they understood the danger I was in. And so, together, we
stepped down from the seat of power. I watched as the bastards
Fortitude, Tranquillity, and the Philologist, now Mercy, ascended up
the arms of the Dreadnought."
Some of this was common knowledge.
It troubled Sorran, however, that the three leaders he had but a week
ago revered and honoured were dishonourable cads.
"But that,
whilst horrible in itself, is not all. One night, in a drunken stupor,
Regret appeared at my doorstep. He had the look of someone ready to
boast about him. I tried to turn him away, but he commanded me to grant
him access to my house. Indeed, he was sat in the very same chair you
sit in now, Sorran."
"And what he told me that night shook me. Apparently, he, Truth, and Mercy, had spoken with the Oracle, within the Dreadnought."
Sorran couldn't help but gasp. Never in living memory had the Oracle spoke, not since the Writ had been formed originally.
"And
the Oracle told them the truth. You have, no doubt wondered why our
Covenant is so obsessed with destroying the humans? It is all because
Truth is afraid. You see, Sorran, the humans are not infidels. They are
our Gods. They are the Forerunner, those who were left behind."
This
was too much for the Sangheili to take. The wine glass he held tumbled
to the ground, smashing into an infinite amount of shards. Restraint
hardly took note, carrying on with his tale.
"And yet still, my
tale is not finished. After their ascendancy, the three new Hierarchs
visited to Oracle once again, reconnected it, although had Huragok
ready to disconnect it should the Oracle prove troublesome as it had
last time. And this time, the Oracle told them the horrifying truth:
there is not Great Journey. The Sacred Rings the Covenant has revered
for aeons are not divine propellers to the heavens, they are weapons.
If activated, Halo will rush through the stars indeed, as the Writ
says, but is shall not place us on the Path. It will kill us every
Sentient being in the galaxy. All this came from Regret's own foolish
mouth, and I have since gathered evidence supporting his claims."
There was a silence as Sorran digested this information. He then slowly shook his head, softly at first, then more aggressively.
"No, it's not true. You lie!" the Sangheili accused, pointing a disrespectful finger at the solemn Minister, who shook his head.
"What
possible reason could I have to lie Sorran? I speak only the truth. It
hurts, I know, I myself sat curled in a foetal position for hours after
Regret had left my abode. But rest assured, I--" Restraint was then
broken off as Sorran, in his blind rage, hefted his stave, and held it
mere centimetres from the Minister's feeble heart.
"Enough with
your heresy! I should report you to the Ministry for this!" Sorran
threatened, and Restraint showed no fear, merely hanging his head.
"I
have proof, if you would see it." the Minister said softly, and for
some reason Sorran shook his head. Perhaps, deep down, he knew it to be
true. But he didn't want to admit it, didn't want to admit his entire
life, and upbringing, had been a lie. Still, when Restraint offered him
documents, he took them.
As he read, he became less and less
certain. All of these words, damning evidence. Suddenly, every
non-nonsensical thing he had ever questioned made perfect sense. This
was no lie, it all fit too perfectly for that. And that's when it hit
Sorran; Restraint was telling the truth.
With a sob, Sorran let
to documents fall to the ground in a heap, with him tumbling after
them. He kneeled there for what seemed hours, weeping. He then felt a
soft hand on his back, and looked up to see Restraint, wearing a
sympathetic expression.
"It is hard, isn't it? But you shall get
through, even as I did. But three outside the Hierarchs know this
truth, I, Hem, and now you." the Minister said, and Sorran frowned
through his tears.
"We must tell everyone of this." the Sangheili muttered, before Restraint snapped back at him.
"Don't
be a fool. Do you believe the Hierarchs to be oblivious to my
knowledge? The very next day, Regret came around again, threatening to
kill me should I ever reveal it. The three Hierarchs have long since
tried to get me kicked off the High Council, but have been overruled by
the Council in every attempt they make. Truth has been sending
assassins around ever since, and whilst Hem has been able to fend them
off long enough, he is growing old. You must now take up his mantle."
Sorran still believed they should inform the rest of the Covenant.
"I will tell the masses, you will not be implicate--" Sorran began, and Restrain cut in once again.
"Do
you honestly think that they would believe you, a mere Honour Guard?
Truth, Regret and Mercy would merely deny your allegations, and then
would have you, and most likely I, being your master, killed for high
heresy. The Covenant is too brainwashed to accept such a revelation. We
must merely keep the secret alive, so when the time comes, they can be
told." the Minister said wisely, and Sorran finally understood
Restraint's reasons.
"I understand, Minister. May I retire for
the night? I have much to ponder upon." Sorran asked, still weeping.
Restraint softened, nodding.
"Of course. Worry not Sorran, I
have survived long enough with this truth. Indeed, it opens up a larger
world, when you truly think about it. You shall not have to worry about
another assassin for a while. Truth dares not hire more than one every
two weeks, for fear of arousing too much suspicion. Good night Sorran.
You are indeed a True Sangheili, to accept this with so much dignity."
the Minister told Sorran. Sorran grunted.
"Dignity? I feel ready
to collapse onto the ground in a writhing mass..." the Honour Guard
muttered as he stepped into the gravity lift. Restraint did not hear
him.
My whole life has been a lie. Every single moment of it. However, every moment from now on shall be as true as can be.
END SECTION I
Below all available in the Library forum.
Halo 3: Insurrection - The stunning epilogue to Halo 3.
Memoirs of an ODST - Partake upon an epic adventure though the eyes of one who saw it all.
Halo: True Sangheili - Scholar one day, soldier the next.