- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
After the initial discovery of the temple, the Sangheili that had entered the temple could not explain the sudden inability to reenter the structure. The Prophets explained the phenomenon away, saying the device needed had been lost at some point and despite a lengthy search, it had not been found.
A lone Sangheili knew the truth of the order, and he had also been the only living creature to step foot into the temple in thousands of years.
It has been many years since I last saw this temple, Aonlum thought to himself as the gravity platform hummed beneath his feet as it carried the two soldiers downward through the ground.
After his graduation from the Academy for Officer Candidates, Aonlum had made his yearly pilgrimage to Akhenaten, a feat he had partaken in since his birth. That particular year he had felt melancholic, and visited his family home that still stood inside the small remote village of Horen. There he looked through his father’s possessions. It had been Aonlum’s intention to take something that had belonged to his father and make an offering at the Forerunner temple.
Inside his father’s study, Aonlum had discovered a small orb-like device that radiated with dull warmth. At first he was loath to consider parting with something his father had obviously taken great care to preserve, but after a short internal deliberation he decided that giving something of importance would be more meaningful in the end.
The Sangheili had never taken to posting a guard detail at the Forerunner temple, believing it to be an encumbrance upon the true intent the Forerunner temple imparted. Aonlum had chosen a time where he would be certain of his solitude whilst traversing the distance to the sacred temple, and he had chosen wisely. Aside from an elderly couple returning from their personal pilgrimage, Aonlum had seen no other Sangheili as he stepped upon the small beach crest that led to the temple.
Stopping before the structure Aonlum had knelt in the prescribed manner, and prepared to offer his prayer when he felt the orb hidden inside his robes suddenly burn against his skin. He had removed the device hastily and been amazed when he saw the ancient writings on the orb seemingly lifted by some unknown force. Without any clear understanding he had compressed each sigil, and watched in amazement as the Forerunner structure seemed to come alive. The grand door of the temple parted way, and light spilt forth from the interior, soaking Aonlum with a brilliant glow.
That memory was fresh in Aonlum’s mind as the Master Chief stepped free of the gravity platform and onto the rough beachhead, only a short distance away from the temple.
“So the Forerunner were doing something on this planet as well,” the Master Chief stated tonelessly. Whatever awe the human may have displayed was not present in his voice.
“Yes, for a great many years my ancestors believed it simply to be a religious temple set to show us towards the path of the Great Journey. Now as you may imagine, that belief is not so present within my mind.”
The Master Chief nodded as he started walking up the embankment that led directly to the temple. Aonlum followed shortly behind, the small orb within his robes already burned with heat as he approached.
“You may wish to cover your eyes, Master Chief,” Aonlum warned as he pulled the org free, clenching his own eyes closed as the device suddenly emitted a blinding flash of light. Spots swam in spite of the precautionary methods he had taken, and it took a moment for them to clear.
The same symbols from the last time he held the device before the temple were present, lifted from the orb by some unknown energy. The confining urge to press the symbols arose within him, and he compressed the sigils in the same order as he had so many years ago.
“That’s an interesting device,” the Master Chief commented as the Forerunner structure became animated, it’s door sliding away to grant the two warriors access.
“It belonged to my father,” Aonlum said. “If I am to believe the words of his documents that were left behind then it would seem he inherited it from his father who in turn received it from his father, and so on and so forth, all the way back until the war between the Sangheili and the Prophets came to a close.”
The Master Chief grunted in response as they passed through the threshold and took a moment to survey the entrance hallway before continuing on their way.
Deeper and deeper they went; into the Forerunner temple that had been built for a very specific reason so many years ago.
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‘Eranumee could feel his pulse quicken as he stood in the same council chamber that the Arbiter had occupied only a short few hours before. Obviously whatever had gone on between the sacred warrior and the Elders had not been pleasant, as he had already spotted the gathered armor the Arbiter wore seated before the council.
“Tell me, young one,” Elder Forsun urged as he placed his withered palms upon the stone podium he stood behind. “You say you have been sent here on behalf of Elder Pondomee to instruct this council of a war raging on Danrun this very moment?”
Conscious of the many eyes upon him, ‘Eranumee cleared his throat before responding.
“Yes my lord, that is why I am here.”
“And would you say, ‘Eranumee, that the situation on Danrun is of grave importance?”
“Yes my lord.”
“Elaborate please.”
“I was running a maintenance procedure on my ship when the battle-net suddenly erupted with a flurry of activity. A transmission from the Prophet of Truth was sent to every soldier on the planet, bearing the message that the Sangheili, Unggoy, and Lekgolo were traitors to the Covenant. The Prophet continued his speech, calling for the immediate extermination of all traitor forces upon the planet.
“It would seem the Jiralhanae, Kig-yar, and Yanme’e forces had anticipated this announcement, as it was only a few minutes before I began to receive hundreds of requests for assistance, all around the planet. Before I could determine my course of action, High Councilor Pondomee sent a transmission to all forces not subjugated by the Covenant.”
‘Eranumee quickly retrieved the recording device from his armor. It had started its life as a part of his Seraph fighter, intended to be used to record the going-on’s inside of his cockpit. When he had ejected from his craft, ’Eranumee had though ahead and removed the device, intending to carry it with him as a memento from his ship. Blind luck would have it that the device had also captured the transmission by High Councilor Pondomee.
Activating the device, ’Eranumee held it aloft so that the transmission could be heard by all.
“My brothers, we have spent countless ages devoted to the cause the Prophets laid before us. Our faith was matched only by our delusion. I urge you, my brethren, fight! We are the Sangheili. Scorned and betrayed, we will become the Prophets nightmare. The Gods themselves will tremble before our fury, and we will split this world in two. Carry your faith proud, for we are the Sangheili, and no longer will we be the vanguard of the Covenant.”
“Our brothers, the Unggoy and the Lekgolo have joined our cause. They are free of the Prophet’s will, and together we will fight. They are forever our brothers, and in death they will ascend greatness. We are the Sangheili, and we will fight till the last Prophet falls.”
“The Jiralhanae, Kig-Yar, and the Yanme’e have chosen to serve the Prophets, and that decision will be their demise. Do not let mercy stay your hand. They are our enemy. Our forces are rallying in the eastern sector of the planet. From Forunpo, to Gestahl, we have fortified our defenses. The mighty fleet is preparing to lash out against the Jiralhanae ships, and to stop their cowardice. For those of our omnipotent forces that are located inside our enemy’s controlled sectors, you must join with our main force.”
As the recording ended ‘Eranumee could see the looks of surprise, perhaps even outrage that laced across the faces of many Sangheili that were situated within the chamber. He felt a fair share of outrage himself, as the recording brought with it many of the memories he had since burrowed. The sights of the Sangheili corpses, stacked in crude piles as the Jiralhanae set fire to the bodies.
With a painful grimace he pushed those memories away and turned his attention back to the council.
“After hearing this I was unfortunately ambushed by a squadron of fighters under Jiralhanae control. I was shot down but managed to make my way to Forunpo; there I met with a Major who brought me before Councilor Pondomee. I assured him me wounds were not threatening, and he tasked me with fleeing the planet and alerting this council to the Covenant’s treachery.