Til's Holo-diary

[Huka]

[The disk flared to life, presenting a proud and handsome Sngheili male clad in a polished harness common in the Covenant military for novice soldiers, the only difference is the swooping back of his helm. His long arms behind his back and crab-like mandibles firm as his eyes directly at the audience of the record]

"Greetings to myself and all who will be honored to listen, I am Minor Domo Til 'Muramee of the Gri'Sle Warrior Creche, commanding officer of the 59^th Righteous Vanguard Lance, and protege to Creche Commander, Major Domo Rakath 'Vkeelaii.

I am proud to call this my first entry in a story that will be chronicled into my clan's library for all future generations to analysis for ages to come."

[Til click his lower left mandible's tusk to his right before continuing]

"It is...right now twenty seven units in the fifth cycle for the Ninth Age of Reclamation. I am currently aboard the CCS-class cruiser Hopeful Visage inbound to a outer rim Covenant colony world to assist in a vicious defense against the newly found species that have condemned as Heretics at that discovery about six ursian cycles* ago by the holy Prophets.
We are to fight off the creatures and cleanse the world of their infectious filth."

"May the Spirits guide my hand to victory."

[With his prayer, Til straightened himself and rose his head high with his right fist pounding the left side of his armored chest, ending his entry.]

Ursian cycle: The Sangheili form of a year (Urs=primary star of the sangheilian home system)

[Huka]

[Til appears on one knees, wiping a discolored rag on a small skull, and after a moment, examined the hand-sized trophy with a pleased look in his green eyes]

"These Heretics are small, somewhat numerous, and weak almost to a Unggoy falt, but they prove far more intelligent than most of the client races in the Covenant. Their langauge is...simple to a sense and no doubt the Jiralhanae find it easier due to their similar mouth structure.

In fact, they look like more 'civilized' cousins of the Jiralhanae. If they are genetically related to the beasts, I feel some pity for them.
They fight with primitive ballistic weapons-well, not as primitive as the Jiralhanae as most cases-and utilize relatively simple tactics and strategies that hold a certain 'art' to them that is just as simple.

I was fortunate enough to find a few warriors in their mix. They held remarkable sense of honor, but weren't stupid."

[Lowering his trophy, Til looked at his audience with a concentrated and peaceful expression]

"These remarks are dangerous in public but I don't fear death and is obliged to speak truth in this diary of mine."

[With this personal input, the Minor looked at the skull again]

The Muram Hunter consider only the most worthy to become his trophies, with the skulls as the most honor, and these particular humans deserved it. I am eager to gather more.

[Til clicked his mandibles as he grazed a claw over the skull's cranium before ending his entry]

[Huka]

[Til appears standing against a upturned vehicle of Heretic origins, wearing environmental equipment that is often used for Fleet Security or Rangers, with plasma rifles holstered on each side of his hips.]

The 59^th Righteous Vanguard is a simple lance...but unique. Four Unggoy and a Kig-yar mercenary.

Igri...Pluk...Glutz....Reeg, and Sufang

[Clicking a unseen glyph on his right vambrace, his image changed to the moving figure of a stern-faced Unggoy in maroon armor, a needler pistol in his right claw, as he moved and slid left to right before firing at a offscreen enemy]

Igri is a interesting one, a Unggoy major with a rare intelligence that runs very well with his battle-earned experience. I chose him to be my second-in-command rather than the vicious Sufang. His experience and loyalty is to be respected.

[Igri's figure was replaced by a more pot-bellied Unggoy with the common orange armor and a bandolier across his chest, arms barely crossed behind his back, looking with the expression of a merchant]

Glutz... [Gagging noise from the helmed Minor] is a bloated excuse but his incredible sense of smell is useful to say the less. He likes to use the lesser Unggoy to do most of the work but I will change that. Wish I could say the same for his deep wheezes.

[Glutz's image is replaced by a large, hunched over Unggoy with a dull, unexpressive look on his face, hardly moving as his cylinder methane tank had thick bags strapped to it like a beast of burden]

Pluk is a simpleton but a responsive simpleton. What his mind lack in art, it exchanges for admirable strength. So I will use him to hold most of our equipment until I can help shape up the lance.

[Pluk is replaced by a youthful Unggoy with exciteable energy with a plasma pistol in hand, moving left to right before firing. A spark nearby causing him to jump in fright and cowered before resuming his last action]

Reeg is a sterotypical Unggoy, cowardly and unintelligent. I dislike negative sterotypes for a reason and I will break him to be the best he can be.

[Reeg's image was replaced by a confident Kig-yar, standing to full height with his long arms crossed over his armored chest, face hidden behind a monocular-holding mask. Looking at audience, his crest of quills lifted and he hissed before looking away]

And then, there is Sufang. A mercenary in its definition. He could care less about the Unggoy than he does about obeying my commands. As long as he does what I tell him, we are on equal terms.

[The Kig-yar was replaced by Til again, who have crossed his armed as well]

I will have much work to do for this lance to reach its potential.

[With that, he clicked another glyph on his vambrace, ending his entry]

[Huka]

[Til appears on his knees as if just finishing a prayer]

"Most of the colony has been evacuated from the planet, the Heretics' powerful space-to-ground weaponry disrupted the entire planet's stability, causing the environment to be choked under a sky of black ash for untold ursian cycles and magma run through the lands like rivers.

It is now a truly avernus plane for sinners and demons."

[He exhaled before continuing]

"But we avenged the planet to some degree, the holy Fleet of Righteous Fist decimated most of the Heretic fleet, but a handful escaped our grasp, but they won't escape the hunting task force.

As for I...I have personally killed fifty of the offenders. Their weak armor couldn't withstand my plasma nor my spear.

Creche Commander Rakath personally commented on my success, but I don't really feel triumphant.

I...must meditate on this grim taste."

[Til reached for the holo emitter, ending the entry]

[Huka]

[Til appears, wearing his gladiatorial armor from his time in the Shaleel War College, a maroon and sleek harness with the motif of a feather-crested Mountain Shrill and his gauntlets and boots ending with sharp talons, and he is armed to the tooth with vacant weapons]

“After speaking the Creche Commander, I am leaving my tour of duty temporarily to attend the Great Hunt on Templar’s Rest. It has been five ursian cycles since I have hunted actual beasts.
The lance will remain under Rakath’s command and I am sure they will survive by the time I return.

My soul and spear hungers for a good hunt and I feel it will be.”

[Producing a large rugged desert cloak from offscreen, Til wrapped it around his shoulder, surprisingly hiding all of the weapons on his person, and grabbed a snake-bladed spear before ending his short entry.]

[Huka]

[Til is crouched, his armor drenched with blood and scarred, and his bloodied spear resting before him]

"The Hunt is life. The cycle demands life and death. Whilst our bodies are our mortal vessels, our spirits continue on to guide the living. If I die on this planet, I will die as a hunter, and return to the warm sands of Muram to guide my bloodline. That is the ending of a all true Muram."

"On this night, Til 'Muramee have hunted dozens of the beasts of the Seven Moons, and if he dies, he will die with a blade to his killer's heart!"

[Suddenly a unearthly roar disrupt the hologram abit and when it recovers, Til slowly grabs his spear.]

"The Ba'knwa Queen comes. May the Gods and Spirits of my forefathers guide us to victory."

[He roars a battlecry, followed by the Queen's angry roar, the sounds of a fierce battle is obvious before the hologram shut itself off]

[Huka]

[Instead of Til, the image of a Huragok appears, moving its feathery tenacles to signal its commentary, whilst being translated]

"Greetings, this humble savant is named Greater than Most, this commentary is given by the command of Kaidon Muramai to record."

"I and my medical comrades are commanded by the all-wise Magistrate of Templar's Rest to restore her newly-chosen Great Hunter.

"A Sangheili from the Muram Clan, his racial ancestory comfirm him of a genetically sturdier breed of his species. That is the only trait, including his 'willpower', to have kept him alive from the encounter with the Ba'kwna Queen.
What intrigues me is when he miraculous reawakened in middle of his operation."

[The Huragok's image was replaced by a wild scene: Three Huragok and a handful of Honor Guards is seen trying to restrain a hardly visible Til as his arms and legs flailed about and the audio receptors catch his furious rants, his voice more guttural and his clan accent more heavy]

"My eye! That accursed beast ruined me! All of her wretched kind will pay for their insult! Ahh, my eye!" [Til's left hand grabbed a guard by the throat, causing the unexpected soldier to choke and heaved in heavy breathes as the hand squeezed his windpipe]

"Gods, it burns so much! This pain..." [Til thrown the guard back out of the screen, before another grab his arm, soon enough another grabbed his other arm]

"By the Spirits, my chest!" [Til roared, the screen shaking] "Who carved open my chest! You will all pay for this!"

[The honor guards started to struggle holding him down and soon a brave Huragok came close enough to inject a syringe into Til]

"Mother...I-I am sorry."

[Til's rampage slows to a stop and the scene change back to Greater than Most.]

"After some time of repair the damaged organs and loosen tissues, Til 'Muramai is currently stable and it will take time to recover. End log."

[The entry ends]

[Spartan 999]

(Huka gave me permission to do this. )

[Again, another takes the place of Til, this time a massive Sangheili rather than a Huragok. He would have stood head and shoulders over Til, and is clad in ancient, ornate armor. His skin is midnight-black, and his eyes almost glow red.]

"I am Sorsa 'Xirsasai, Special Operations Officer in command of Intervention Creche. I had the privilege of attending the Hunt with Til 'Muramee. He is still undergoing healing sessions at the moment; I came to give Til a curveblade I forged as a gift from a fellow hunter before I depart Templar's Rest."

[Sorsa looks off to the side briefly, a barely discernible look of concern flashing over his face before he looked forward.]

"Til is an excellent warrior, and is the most skilled spear-wielder I have seen in my lifetime. He has incredible resilience and willpower, and has great potential. I hope I have the chance to fight beside him in the future."

[Sorsa tosses the hilt of a curveblade into the air, easily catching it when it came down. He reaches for the holo emitter, ending the entry.]

[Huka]

[The entry flashes on, showing a cloaked Sangheili, a hood over his head, and hunched over in his seat. A clawed hand discomfortably rubbing the sickeningly deformed skin of his other arm]

"Forgive...my long absence, much have happened since... I-I have lost...more than I would like."

[The voice was heavily-accented with the Muram dialect, abit disorientated as if his throat was dry and harsh, but with careful hearing, one could tell it was Til]

"At the price of slaying the Ba'kwna Queen, I have lost my former physical graces, half of my once-perfect eyesight..."

[Dropping his head in his hands, Til was silent for a moment before rising his head again]

"What would the clan think? Would they overlook my appearance with my accom...plishments. I-I...am now the Great Hunter of Templar's Rest...Major Domo...slayer of one of the most deadliest creatures in Covenant space."

[Suddenly his body jerked and spasmed, causing a painful groan to leave his mandibles, and just as it started, Til shook his head, growling in frustation and screamed]

"Accursed beast! I-I-If she didn't that accursed thing, I would have torn her limb...from limb!"

[Grabbing his right arm as it shook violently, Til nearly falls over, and look at the audience]

"I-I sense thisss will become a terrible turning in my life. I don't know what, but I pray the G-Gods and my Ancestors that I am wrong. Tooth and Talon...Fang and claw...hmm. I must return to Muram Keep and sp-peak with the Kaidon and the elders about this."

[Calming down, he meditated for a moment before looking once more.]

"I-I-I hope...R-R'ha can accept this."

[Getting up, he made a few steps towards the holo emitter, before suddenly tripped over as if one of his legs failed him, groaning, a whimper came out of him before reaching a long arm over to the emitter, ending the entry.]

[Huka]

[The entry flashes on to show Til pacing back and forth, dressed in the robes of a Muram noble, his skin horrid from the incident, his mandibles firm, and unwounded eye flashing with glee]

“She is pregnant with twins… I don’t know to be happy or worried. I have heard several mothers dying trying to birth a egg of that size. I don’t want her to die.”

[Til stopped in his pacing and turned to the audience, still with the same expression. His right eye now a green orb of exploded colors of purple, indigio, and red. With a deep clicking purr, he gripped his chest]

“R’ha is strong, she is Muram…I know she will survive the birthing. I can’t believe I will have children. Most would prefer males naturally, I wouldn't care if either male or female. They will be of my bloodline and I will treat them as such."

[Looking as if to a distance, he started to look depressed]

“Curse this war. I won’t be able to see them as often as I would and R’ha’s brother will watch over them. I know him, a good hunter and warrior. His heart is right but…he seems off in some way. I will keep my eyes…my eye on him. The Kaidon and his viziers approved of my merits and celebrated me a hero for killing such a beast. Many, even some of my former common room brethren gave their sorrow for my wounds."

[Producing from his sleeve was a long cylinder with leather straps and feathers on it. Growling, he squeezed its center and the cylinder extended into a full spear]

“This spear is my soul partner and eternal brother of battle, we are inseparable now. Its power and prestige will only be passed on to the highest of Muram weapons; the Plasma Glaive, the weapon that is kin to the energy sword in reverence and power to us. Together, many will fall and much honor will come to me. I just wonder is this my beginning or something more."

[Then a noise can be heard in the background and Til turned to it for a second before hurrying]

“That must be the Battle-master, I will return.”

[With that, Til ended his entry]