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In Light of Destiny Part IV: The Art of War
Posted By: Jinkaiden-XI<Nolimits4csk@aol.com>
Date: 16 August 2003, 12:39 AM
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Still no light. There remains a vast emptiness that is growing larger. The questions keep coming, whereas the answers stay hidden. He wakes early today, before the ship's power is restored and the vessel is born again.
While it seems pointless, Sieg has chosen to stay awake and simply wait until all comes to life. He checks a clock separate from the main power system that reads four thirty a.m., Harvest Sky time. Military calendar.
Sieg recognizes the name. They must have been passing by planet Harvest Sky, or have been at least fairly close to it. John had explained before that the clocks would change their settings to that of whichever planet they were in closest range with. In this case, that planet is Harvest Sky, one of the sixteen Harvest planets in the Ruin Sector IV galaxy.
Sieg fears sleep now, for contact with the High Priestess is something he would never want again.
This simple thought forms another question: How will the sacred demon spirits, souls of the eternal crypt, be freed? Surely the High Priestess speaks the truth; it is uncommon for the royalty of the Covenant to lie about something of such seriousness and importance. Even so, what in the universe could unlock the gates created by none other than the Fates?
The door slides open, and John walks in. He carries something in his hand, but is apparently waiting to expose it.
Sieg watches John as he sits next to him, facing the outer wall. A large bay window is the door to another world, and Sieg embraces it. John does the same. They gaze out at the black void, in search of something more. "Something on your mind?"
Sieg is slow to reply. "I had this dream," he answers at last. "But it seemed all too real."
John nods. "I think I know what you mean," he says in a gently tone. "Do you want to tell me about it?"
"No, it's nothing. But I do have a question," Sieg answers. "Do you know what the Fates are?"
John seems caught off-guard by the question. His voice gets caught in his throat, and he is forced to clear it before he can say anything. "The Fates...they were once a mighty race. They were what our God would have wanted us, as humans, to be. Intelligent, civilized, and the most wide-spread."
"What became of them?" Sieg asks.
"The demons came and wiped them out. Although they were truly the superior race, the Fates had never been in war. They had no defenses and no knowledge of weaponry. Therefore, they were particularly easy to eliminate."
Sieg ponders this for a moment. Could this explain why the Covenant are intent on releasing the spirits upon humanity? Simply because they were violent and highly advanced? "Why would the demons destroy such a race?"
John stared out the window. The stars cast gentle light upon the floor, giving off a white glow. "Religious belief. The demons were unsatisfied with the Fates' way of life."
"And now what have they become?"
John continues, "The Fates became what they are today. They are the center our universe, our gods under God himself. They are something all races have a belief in. Once the demons all perished in a great civil war, their spirits were captured by the Fates and were sentenced to eternal confinement in the depths of the Underworld. Even with such a cruel punishment, the demons were never all that ruthless like we believe. They were something of a more imperfect prediction of how humanity would be eons later.
Sieg stares at the floor. He is quiet, with thoughts flowing into his mind.
He sees it now. The Covenant wish to destroy humanity, and it is the demons that will do it for them. That is what they seek. By unleashing the demons, the Covenant will have given birth to a weapons of unstoppable power. But, how would they free the spirits from the depths? No mortal could do such a thing as to defy a race of the Ancient times and free what they have guarded for so long.
And what was it I didn't say? Truth be denied, lies be upheld. See that light, it holds your destiny. Your fate has chosen this path for you, but now you must choose how much further you go from here. A sound...where are you?
The truth...where are you?
We are among those of the Ancient times, and our blood flows through your veins. You, a human, are the last of our mortal existence. The future of our reign is in your hands, as we have no more control over the Covenant. They, as a rebellious race, have no purpose. They seek to write their own lives, and push fate aside. Such an action can put life itself off-balance. Not to say that we have no control over our lives, but that sooner or later, our story meets the end we have subconsciously desired all our lives.
Whether the demons are freed or not, only a descendant of the Fates can hope to defy their plague. The wielder of the Holy Blade, a Keeper of the Realms.
Sieg's eyes snap wide open. He sputters, then regains composure.
John questions, a hint of worry in his voice, "Is something wrong?"
"No...no, I'm fine."
Sieg then turned away from John, pondering the message. Another set of words, these containing more truth than the last. A message from the Fates, prayers be heard.
The demons seem desperate, and the Fates appear in need. In a dream, Sieg recalls a single demon protesting in agony. The demons don't wish to be freed, for if they are they know that they will fall under the control of someone who desires the extinction of humanity.
Soon, they will all understand the true art of war. As human resistance cripples, the inevitable final assault will ultimately reveal the weaker side. Casualties will be great, and losses will mount.
This war would end differently. In many ways it would end the same, but still differently. In most human wars, the final battle leaves the greatest amount dead, while delivering the greatest amount of destruction. World War II, for example, left hundreds of thousands dead, annihilated two Japanese cities, and left hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians dead as well. Women, children, workers, soldiers, artists, scientists, nurses, mothers, and fathers. All of them, each a tribute to humanity in their own way, murdered. Of course, war is a necessary evil. According to our ability to look back and make a better decision, flattening two cities and falsely blaming an entire religion for a previous loss isn't the best way to solve a problem.
We didn't have much of a choice. War leaves one option: Kill or be killed. Destroy the enemy, and destroy their followers. Sacrifice them to save your own. Get it done, no matter the cost.
So much truth in it. The art of war beholds so much of the reality, generally because the history behind humanity is riddled with wars and conflict, protests and activists acts. A race of imperfection, but what out there is perfect? Perfection is actually a quaint idea; a myth of the ages. For centuries, people and races alike have tried to be perfect. Even the Fates, the ultimate race, were not perfect. And it is this impossible state of being that has led to the Covenant's biggest mistake. In their quest to be the greatest known race, they have taken a wrong turn down the road.
John walks away and heads to the bridge, leaving Sieg by himself. They seem to be humanity's only hope; a legendary Spartan and one who descends from the Fates. One who is destined to become the savior of the demons, the one who frees the souls of the Ancient times.
In a short, yet simple statement, the purpose of Sieg can be defined as follows, "A soul warrior of Ancient blood; a descendant of the Fates. Behold thy grace, and bow to thy presence.
And so the final assault draws near. Humanity's future rests on final victory, and our fate depends on the outcome.
Sieg realizes this. He knows what it will take, and sees what he must do to fulfill his purpose.
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