The Covenant is a mighty people, formed from collections of beast and bother, might and midget, coexisting as one within our empire. Evolving, adapting, and fighting… so much fighting…
This war has just begun and yet it seems forever that I have served it. Tell me I'm not a tool of the war, created and consumed in times of great peril.

No, I am not the Arbiter, not me, I could never....
... but I shall bear Arbiters, yes, that is what they told me...

... too bad I believed them...

"You are one of our most treasured instruments..." he said to me in my crib, his soft hand touched my face so kindly that I stopped my sobbing. My fists opened into small four fingered hands and closed over one of the long slender fingers of the Prophet Sanctuary. He cared. He often would visit my crib at night after the other Prophets had left for their rest.
"Long will you serve your kind with honour and dignity, it has been but a few days since you came to me my child, I fear the time comes near for me to let you from my care..." I saw the concern glistening in his eyes, those giant grey eyes that cared so little for war, "... the Prophet of Mercy informs me that you will grow into a fine specimen, one fit for champions. Truth disapproves, of course… he feels that you aren’t worthy of the label, and Regret; well... let’s just say he doesn’t wholly trust me right now, what with all these rumours floating around the Mausoleum..." His warm smile washed me with happiness, "... I..." he hesitated, “I’m beginning to think that my keeping you here in this hideaway is not going to help you, but I cannot let you go out there," he touched me on my chest and I squirmed, "There’s a great big void out there, I cannot send you into it, not with this new threat breathing down our necks. There is a shadow out there we know nothing about; I will not let it take you like it has taken the rest of them… Not you…” he looked up from my crib, “… I am being summoned, I must go…” He left me alone and I began to cry again, why did he sound so sad?

“It’s okay…” two arms not much larger than my own enveloped me, “He’s scared of the world out there, he’s scared of us in it…”

Another pair of arms held me, “He’s right you know, Prophet Sanctuary likes us, he wouldn’t want you to be sad…”

I knew it to be true, Sanctuary wanted no harm to come to us, but in his care, he inadvertently was the catalyst which caused much of my grief.

As the days passed on, Prophet Sanctuary began to visit me less often, I didn't mind so much, the others of my kind would play with me, their little hands were like mine, small and inquisitive. Some were just bigger than I, but never by much. We often wrestled with each other, laughed at each other, and cried for each other. Never thinking of the future where we would fight alongside each other, laugh with each other, even weep for each other. I heard about this from my friend. He knew of the world outside of the City from his father. He fought in the deep space skirmishes so I was told. When I queried further, he would shut away and ask me not to speak anymore.

Weeks I endured, months, eventually years. I grew taller and I discovered new strengths, some said it was cute how I tried to beat the others but still failed; I hated it, it made my face feel warm and they would laugh at me.
At this stage in my life I began to see more of the City, many more of my kind who wore colourful metal sheets on their skin which lit up when they pressed buttons. They were much taller than I was, and their eyes were too high up for me to see but sometimes one would bend down and lift my robes to look at my torso, to see if I was ‘healthy’, then they would poke at me. I didn't like how they poked at me.

More new discoveries followed my ventures in the small portion of City which I was allowed to explore, even though I saw my brothers less and less, I had a lot to occupy my mind each day. I wasn’t allowed to eat with the other Covenant, this I didn’t mind, I had a clear view from my special room into the place where everyone congregated to eat. There I found massive armoured beasts with fluorescent mid-sections; they carried large sheets of metal on their left arms and cannons in their right. They made me laugh sometimes with their slow and dreary speech, quite contrary to their small counterparts, whose speech was rude and often very fast.
Amongst these massive and miniature creatures, others like me would stand. Indifferent to the life forms surrounding them. They were very proud creatures, when the small ones approached them, the ones like me would beat them for speaking, I felt sorry for the small ones every time.

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Years after Sanctuary had seen me as a child; he came to me in the night to my bed where I lay, not quite asleep, just lying there. I opened my eyes to him and felt his soft hand on my face. I leaned into it and he placed his other hand on my forehead. "It is time..." he whispered, a tear falling from his cheek onto mine.

“Time?” I was confused, but I smiled to try and cheer him, “Time for what, father?”

He closed his eyes to me, as if my words had hurt him, “Forgive me…” His hands slid from my face and two elite guards took me by my arms, I did not struggle. When he opened his eyes again they were filled with tears.

"What is this?” I asked, “Why am I being held? I won't run away, just answer me, why do I owe you forgiveness?"

He looked at me and smiled sadly, shaking his head and spreading his arms, "I had to, child, it was for your own safety, I couldn't let you stay out there, not in this war..."

I was pulled away, "What war, Prophet Sanctuary? I have felt safe my whole life! What did you do? Father!" The last I saw of Prophet Sanctuary was him on his knees, beating the metal of the floor with his clenched fist, an image which would haunt me for the rest of my years.

The warriors who took me were dressed in white armour, the secondary guard in the Sanctum. Their cloaks moved like water over their broad shoulder blades, I slouched in their arms as a prisoner would, their steps were far larger than mine and each time I tried to walk on my own I would stumble; I figured it easier they dragged me, they wouldn’t slow pace for me.
After a moment of silence, one turned to the other and spoke. "She is young Nero, why has Prophet Sanctuary taken such interest in a mere hatchling?" I raised my head to look at the owner of the voice, his skin was dappled with flecks of black and pebble grey, I could not see his eyes, I felt so small.

The other replied with distain, "Do not question what does not concern you Gero, it is the will of the Journey that she be removed from the upper levels of the city…" he looked down at me momentarily then averted his gaze, "… females have no place within the Council Chamber…" he concluded.

“Sanctuary made a bold move, keeping her…” the one named Gero observed; keeping his eyes locked on his path.

The one named Nero said nothing until we came to a plasma-screened door, “Here. She is assigned to this chamber…”

Here, I was unceremoniously dumped, it was a small enclosure about five by five metres, I did not like it... it was far too small and when I stood my head would come close to hitting the roof. I glanced up to my captors, neither showed a shred of remorse as they shut the door on me, catching the hem of my robes and tearing them as the plasma-screen reactivated.

I sank down into the corner of my enclosure and hugged my knees. I wanted to be out of there, I wanted to be rid of this awful feeling inside of me, the feeling of dead silence closing in everywhere. I closed my eyes in the naïve hope that I could shut the feeling out.

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This is where I spent my days from here, I was fed every few hours, each time by a new warrior. I was told that it was to prevent attachment. Sometimes I would be visited by aviary creatures who tapped on my cell plasma shield; I didn’t enjoy their company much though, they cackled at me and spoke in a raspy tone to me.
I loathed these free creatures ever more, each time one visited, they weren’t held by doors or shields, they could run, jump, stretch their legs out, whereas I could not.

“Mrrrugh! This is the place Sir, she’s a bit sizzled from the plasma though, tried to get out she did…” the formation of words in an understandable dialect made me look up, “You sure you want this one?”

I crept closer to the door, I could see through the light screen of pulsing plasma, being careful of my bare shoulders. There were three figures under the light of the hall lamps, two stood close to five feet tall, the third was slouched so that his head did not scrape the roof. “Quite.” The tall figure replied, “She is adequate if not a bit scarred.”

A rigorous conversation ensued between the shorter two, fast and untranslatable dialogue which made me dizzy when I tried to follow it. I didn’t see the tazer-rod jab into my cell until it was too late. My body surged with electricity and I fell backward into the wall; my fingertips tingled and my body sagged from shock.
As I lay in a bundle on the floor, the shield dropped and someone entered, his figure was silhouetted against the bright outer lights in the hall. It was the larger form, the one like me; he had to bend to fit in the room. He couldn't see me properly but I could see him perfectly. As he fumbled in the dark for me, I rolled to dodge his hands and slid around to the door, it was still open. I leapt for freedom but it reactivated and the faces of the aviary creatures grinned back at me as I struck hard on the plasma shielding.

“Tricky, tricky!” they sang and waved as the slinked away, cackling to themselves.

Before I could stop myself, I let out a wail of pain, my skin seared wherever it contacted the plasma, robes were no barrier. Again, I became a whimpering heap, this time I did not get up.

The shadow of the male descended on me while I shook on the floor, "Shhh... now that will teach you to try escape won't it?" he said smugly. He scared me; I pulled away when he reached down to touch me. "Relax..." he soothed.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked.

I shuddered as his rough, battle hardened palms touched me, “Because…” They ran over my fresh burns and I flinched, “… it is what you are here for…” he grinned and met his mandibles with mine. I could taste his breath, it made me feel ill, I tried to pull away but he locked his jaws with mine and forced me into submission.

He stripped me of my torn robes while I frantically struggled for freedom... further memory of the Chambers... I can not recollect, I will not recollect...

... this is the fate for each female of my kind. To be used by the warriors. We were playthings, we were entertainment, we were outlets for pleasure and tools for reproduction. I could tell that this elite didn’t care for emotions, as soon as he was finished, he beat me for not performing to his standards. Even when I pleaded for him to stop, he belted me harder until I was silent. He told me…

“Never speak unless spoken to; you are a female, you are a blight on this ship, you are nothing…” This message began to entwine with the last memory of my father, he was defeated, and now, so was I…

Onward to Created and Consumed: Ch 1