A Piece of Ce'tarian History: The Sacrifice of King Iden The Battle for Artisa Vala. Or the Battle of Reclamation, depending on if you're Muntarian or Hebrov. This was the pivotal moment during the War of One Thousand Sons. It was here that the newly-crowned King Iden would harness the pure, divine energy of the Archilae gods and send the Hebrov back to where they came from. During the month of Asha's Rein, Day 104, Iden changed the course of history forever. Before becoming a King, Iden was a member of the Council of Elders on Cretia. He already knew if and when King Asha died in battle, he was going to be the next ruler. Because of this, he set himself on a path to find the best course of action for his people for when he became such ruler. He visited many priests in about three weeks, trying to gain enlightenment and contact the Holy Archilae gods their wisdom. But his efforts seemed to be in vain, for King Asha died at the Battle for Artisa Vala not too long after Iden began searching. The council, as expected, proclaimed Iden as the new king, and before he knew it, he was setting sail for Basin to join the war. The gods heard his pleas though. More importantly, an ancient Rykidon, one of the last remaining, heard his pleas. Eticus, master craftsman and master sorcerer for the once beautiful race, came to King Iden on the night before his arrival to Basin with a proposal. It is Eticus's sworn duty to protect the lands of Ce'tar against any and all Hebrov uprisings that occur, no matter the cost. Since he cannot defeat an entire army on his own, he gifted Iden with magical energies from the Archilae gods. The powers gifted were very strong and dangerous ones. The people of Ce'tar haven't been greeted with such strength since Akahmoa walked the planet during the Totem Wars. He told Iden that as long as his actions were for the good of the people of Ce'tar, he would be taken to Ecuisit when he dies, where all of the heroes and sacrifices end up after death. King Iden knew what he had to do. Once he reached the Muntarian encampments outside of the city, he gathered his forces his silently moved his army to the northern flank of the city under the cover of night. At dawn, the attack commenced and the Hebrov's were taken completely by surprise, for they were expecting an attack from the same front as last time. The second encounter for the city lasted two days before the Muntarians had to retreat again or face defeat. Iden scrambled his army back to the original southern encampments. "I know you are scared of defeat... Losing to cannibals did not seem likely when first this war took hold of our great nation. But these Hebrov lack the conviction and strength to do what is necessary to win! They would -blam!- and pillage after dusk to ensure no resistance is met! They would beg for the grace of their Sentinae gods, but get none in return; we have that luxury! We are gifted by the Archilae every day and much of the time, we simply avoid it as if it were everyday happenstance! I am here to tell you that this battle will not be lost. This war WILL be won, and that I can assure you of. Have no remnants of doubt when we go to battle for the final time with these beasts. The men, women and children of Ce'tar will remember this day as the start of a new world! The Hebrov will tremble at our feet, and WE will be their new masters, not the Sentinae! Let's show them why we're the sons of the Archilae, soldiers. Let's show them what getting their asses kicked feels like!" That was the speech given to the Menarin Army by King Iden before the final assault. Iden gave the order, and his men, with will and conviction in their hearts, charged forward to the walls of Artisa Vala. Arrows came flying down from the city in huge waves. Then the Hebrov soldiers came up from the trenches and met the Menarin Army with swift and deadly efficiency. Soldiers were being gutted left and right, no matter where you turned or who you looked at. Both sides were being punished to the extreme, which gave the war its name. The battle raged on for two more days until the Muntarians were left almost in defeat. They were outnumbered 2-1, and were out of supplies entirely, but they pushed on. Iden knew the battle would be lost if it continued as it did. He rushed to the battlefield on his horse, preparing to make one of the most memorable and heroic sacrifices ever. Just as his horse was killed by an arrow, he jumped for the air and let out a magical explosion using his gift from Eticus. It was one of the largest explosions ever seen by anybody on Ce'tar. The giant wave of green and blue rushed through their bodies, killing all Hebrov's and Muntarians alike. The wave grew more powerful with every person it killed, stretching back as far as the fort of Vyrith Bur. All of the Muntarians left on that battlefield were killed, and the only Hebrov that remained were the few hundred that hid in the abandoned underground city of Nirameth Sin. King Iden sacrificed himself and the rest of the Menarin Army so that the Hebrov's would be defeated, never to take another city by the sword again. Many Muntarians question whether the sacrifice was worth killing off thousands of men, but most of the nation revere King Iden and think of him as a hero, along with the rest of the soldiers of the Menarin Army. Iden DID say that the Hebrov's lacked the conviction and strength to do what was necessary to win. That must have been what he was talking about. Regardless of what happened that day, the Hebrov's were put in their place, and won't be bothering anybody again for a few hundred years, thanks to the sacrifice a single man made.

God I wish I had seen this earlier I would've won so hard. [spoiler]maybe[/spoiler]

Bullets flew by his now lifeless body. As I sat behind a mound of earth that had not been around for more then thirty seconds I began to cry. Not only did this man save us from the ultimate fate that landed upon him, he also saved many that had yet arrived. He had a wife, a child, a family that wished for him to come home. To be home. This however was now his home, the earth his kingdom and the blood his subjects. As I remembered why we all followed him and loved him as a brother and father another round hit the soil. Body parts ascending into the air just as quickly as the rocket that slammed into the ground. He may have saved us but not them. My fingers trembling I regretted signing up for this war. I wanted nothing more then to go home and be with my wife... I also knew that however badly I wanted that I was not going to see her again. Maybe another man might keep her safe, maybe she wouldn't love again, maybe this was all a dream. Looking in the reflection of my mirror I brought to attend to my vanity I saw a machine gun emplacement. Looking at all those men dying and screaming for their mothers I decided to do what I needed to do. Slowly unbuckling my backpack straps, undoing my ammo pouches I began to take out my grenades. My hand shaking I opened my final letter pocket and seeing a heavily faded photo of my wife I kissed it and said one final I love you. Looking again at the beachfront, then at the men coming off the boats my conscience told me it was time. I removed my helmet strap feeling the sweat poor down my face as I took it off. Leaned back to the dirt one last time. Now. I sprang up! Running and feeling the wind of machine gun fire go past my face, arms, and legs, little miracles no doubt. I pulled the pins of the grenades and flung them up at the gunmen. The heat of the explosion gave me a sort of comfort that felt as a tender kiss from my wife. Then the bullets pounded into my chest one, two, three, four, and then black. Bullets flew passed his now lifeless body. As I sat......

[u][b]A Dream's Surprise[/b][/u] I was in a twilight sky, walking amidst millions of stars. One would think it beautiful, but the appearance only shrouded the night's true heart. I was freezing, numb, and rejected of warmth from every light there. Alone, I wandered the sky's expanse, desperate for even the smallest of flames just to feel something. I don't know how long I aimlessly roamed, but eventually I collapsed. My body felt like the heaviest of stones and my skin was covered with brittle ice. Even the tears borne of solitude shed from long before were frozen upon my face. There I lied, eyes closed, waiting to be altogether consumed by the wintry maw the celestial sea of sirens had concealed so well... Until I felt a lone tear stream down my face. A tenderness tickled my stinging skin, and in moments I could feel again. Freed from my cold shackles, a newfound desperation drove me toward the promising hope. All I wanted to do was bask within its heart. It had been the only welcoming presence that opened its arms up to me. Shortly thereafter I realized I was no longer coming closer to this jewel. I could still feel its emanating warmth, but the sensation was beginning to slip away. I had not once felt anything so comforting, and the rising sun became the harbinger to my despair. I grew frantic and helpless. No matter how hard I struggled against the invisible tide, I was paralyzed and couldn't even brush my fingertips along the only light that had kindness for me. I was forced to watch my hope fail and loneliness find a strengthened hold over my heart, sinking its sinister claws deep within so I would carry the pain for an eternity. Daylight had broken through the distant clouds and all of the stars vanished from sight. Even the only one I desired diminished with the arriving heat hiding its one of a kind touch. Amidst the presence of the blazing sun I felt just as cold and empty as I had in the hell before, and I continued to wander the sky, hoping night would fall again just so that I would have another chance to find that light in the darkest of worlds. Then I woke up before the dream finished. I never wanted to believe it, but for so long I feared that was the ending--that there wasn't a happy one. The years to follow seemed to support that thought, but I stubbornly refused to accept it. I'm not like people who toss love around casually. So many jump at the chance to overstate their true feelings for a person, and when the worth of my heart's voice found that undeniable and certain truth far from the realm of dishonesty and deception, my words burned as soon as I spoke and the ashes drifted away, riding upon the back of swiftly passing gales. After coming to know what it felt like, I despised the fact that love became no more than a falsity in this world--a simplified means to a meaningless end. I was in love, truly, for many years with a woman I counted a divine blessing. With confidence, I can say few have attained such a relationship as the one I shared with her, and even though for a time I felt that this bestowed grace was misplaced on the likes of me, I came to delight in its peace. Once we were inseparable. We knew each other so well, even the smallest and most fleeting of exchanged looks spoke a thousand words. As each other's rocks, there were none we would sooner turn to for comfort. Once we were beyond content with the fact that no one else existed for us, and even if we were the last people left on the face of the earth, we would be happy. Until mistakes were made. See, I was a soldier without a rifle or whatever expression you prefer that stands equivalent to the fact that I had never been in love before. Unfamiliar territory is the best way I can describe it and saying I was getting outclassed would be an understatement. We attempted to continue in the manner we had for so long, but things just weren't the same between us. Before I knew it she disappeared, and there was seemingly no way I could get her back at my side. I told her that I loved her, but I didn't think she ever really understood the gravity of my confession because of the misfortune love suffers from in this day and age. I watched her slip further and further away from me, and even when I acquired the courage to try to restore our relationship, my efforts failed utterly. I wrestled with the reality that going back and doing things right was feeling like an impossibility. For all of those years on the opposite side of a vast rift, searching for a bridge, I carried the hope of reviving who we were, but every one appeared to be burned and lost in the abyss below. In my extensive bouts of depression, there were very many times I tried to find a silver lining to my torment. I did care about her more than those who haven't been in my shoes can imagine. There was nothing more I wanted than for her to be happy, even if it wasn't with me. You have no idea how hard admitting that was, and I had done so frequently. Not once did the distance decrease. Not once did it look like that fire would burn again. I watched someone else live my dream, and I knew undoubtedly there was no way anyone could possibly love her more than I did. The difference between me and any other man was like comparing heaven and earth. But that didn't matter. She couldn't have been happier anywhere other than where she was, and it wasn't with me. I still clutched onto the dying hope, refusing to see it extinguished but when I was honest with myself, I knew it was only a matter of time. And there was nothing I could do about it. Not one woman I met after ever succeeded in stealing my heart from her grasp, let alone closely contest for it. My capacity to love was limited to this one person who meant the world and more to me. No one else could ever make me happy... Or so I thought. The day I feared came and I was struggling against the painful implication that the greatest days of my life spent with her would never breathe again, and the bones would remain forever unreachable in the sea's depths. With that burden initially tearing my spirit to shreds, a creeping revelation struck me. You see, another girl, whom I'd counted a close friend and had been talking to for two years, had time and time again proven to be unique beyond compare, counting my love. It was strange for me to think that once I considered this "angel from the east" one of those whom had fallen so very short. But I was brought to reflect upon my many conversations with her. Often times, in many of my darkest days, she was there to comfort me, even if she didn't know she was. How many times she effortlessly put a smile on my face in the two years I'd known her was beyond my reckoning. I had never really appreciated her so much until that day, and as the hours and days passed, my world was flipped upside down. This woman, whose voice I hadn't even heard, displayed an odd measure of so much curiosity and care into me that I began to doubt if I even wanted to be with the woman I had loved for so long. For those extremely few that knew just how much this girl meant to me knew how huge this change was. Even I didn't know what to think. As time continued to pass away, I found myself less and less drawn to her, even content with the separation we experienced. This new spark that was ignited had me contemplating things that never once occurred to me before. So many dim and lonely hours passed, and the eastern angel was sooner there than my only love was. Often times, this girl engaged in conversations with me before I had the chance to. She had so many opportunities over the previous two years to sever all connections with me but she hadn't. She was still there, and for all I could tell that's where she wanted to be. It was then I revisited the memory of that dream and I began to wonder. Maybe my happiness isn't found in the twilight or its stars. Maybe it's in the daylight. Even with so much literal distance between us, the warmth this eastern angel offered was far more powerful and vibrant compared to the star I found myself detaching from. I almost laughed at the thought that the sun rises in the east and it takes it a little while to set over here in the west. Took me long enough to notice, but I'm starting to feel a new hope rising with the dawn. Before I never wanted to accept the possibility that the love I experienced was just a lesson for the days to come, but now in the midst of brighter ones, I feel more at peace with the fact that maybe that was its purpose, so that I could do things right next time. One of the last things I ever learned in these long years filled with tragic experiences was putting my past love to the stake, but not before witnessing the unbelievable stealing of my heart from her hands. An indescribable burden was lifted from my shoulders, and most of what I felt was unbridled appreciation. My hopes for her haven't waned in the least. I still hope she finds true happiness, but I'm coming to peace with the fact that mine's not with her. There is better out there, for me at least. I'm not going to settle for second best and I'm not going to treat myself as if I am. My heart's a big one and at one time I would have seen it wither away into nothingness for the sake of someone I loved, but now I know it deserves someone who sees it as a priceless trove full of affection that she alone is deserving of. A love that she can hold as her own and never doubt. Whoever she is, I will not see her happiness as well as my own sacrificed with my heart's martyrdom. I will not see this new hope extinguish. Somewhere my light is waiting for me. Whether or not I've found her has yet to be discovered, but for now, my gaze is set eastward, searching for her in the sunlit sky.

As the wind swept across my face, I remember the days of my early childhood, as if they were whispers being spoken into my ear. Spoken by a forgotten soul who caresses my mind with every syllable. They come rushing back in a flood of emotion; playing with my little brother in the yard, making my first real friend, falling on the sidewalk and splitting my lip open. The day my dad left. My mind stops there, and the scene plays in my head over and over again. "Daddy, where are you going?" "I'm leaving, kiddo. Don't worry, I'll be back." "But where are you going?" "I can't tell you. It's a secret. Not even your mom knows." "But what about the monsters?" "Like I said, I'll be back. No monster is gonna get my son while I'm still alive." "Promise?" "I promise." Those were the last words I ever heard from him, and that was the last time I ever saw him. After a week went by, my mother became distraught. And with each month after, she seemed to get worse and worse. I just waited patiently. It wasn't until ten years later that my mother decided to take her own life. Only a week ago from now, in fact. She had raised my brother and I for as long as she could, trying her best to be a good mother. I suppose the stress finally got to her. I couldn't keep this kind of secret from my brother. I had to tell him some way. "She's going away for a while too, to visit Dad." "Is she coming back?" "I...not for a while..." I could see the tears welling in his eyes. "But don't worry, I'll take care of both of us until she does. She'll be home before you know it." "Do you promise?" My words got caught in my throat, as I remembered back to the day my father left. "I...I promise." "I promise". I mouthed those words over and over again, eventually speaking them in a low mumble. A gust of wind hit my face again, as if Mother Nature herself were pushing against my thoughts. Those two words had more meaning in my life than anything else. They carried the legacy of a man who is only a memory, and they're the words I used to console my brother. It was then that I realized I needed to keep that promise, unlike those before me. I stepped back from the edge of the bridge I was standing on, and started walking home. I crossed the street and BLAM I was hit by a car, instantly killing me

My name is Archangel. Or just plain Angel. I am a female Hunter, one of the best, and Lauryn is my player. We play almost everyday, and when she boots up the Xbox and logs onto Destiny, she always chooses me as her character. Even as she controls my movements, with her horrible aim and suicidal charges, I am happy when we are playing together. It is dark where I wait for her. I adjust my cape, just like I've done a hundred times in the past few hours, and sigh. Staying up late means getting up late, and Lauryn was probably still sleeping. I swiped through the home screen and looked at her achievements out of boredom. I suddenly felt the Xbox starting up. Yes, yes! I quickly stood as I prepared to relinquish control to her. I could tell she was excited to play, like me, as she quickly navigated through her games to Destiny. Wait......no. Something was wrong. The Xbox was struggling. I heard Lauryn's grunt of confusion and frustration as it restarted itself. Then I heard only silence. No. NO. NO!!! I could see it from this side, and feel it in the now lifeless black shell that was the Xbox. The red..... The red ring glowed like a Gate Lords' eye. I retreated into the hard drive as I felt it being removed and the Xbox unplugged. I sat in the cold dark and cried with her.

Last day for entries. Happy Bungie Day!

I know multiple entries don't count. I'm just uploading this because it fits with the theme and I had fun writing it. All lines in this are Halo dialogue; hope you enjoy reading it. (Written before Halo 4 was a thing) [u]Didact's Reprisal[/u] [i]Mendicant Bias- Beggar after knowledge Machine and nerve with its mind concluded Did you think me defeated? You will find no salvation on this ring Lies for the weak! Beacons for the deluded! This slander offends All that walk the path Clear evidence of treachery long hidden The weight of your heresy will stay your feet No enemy has ever withstood our might Not even the Flood can stop it Its divine wind will rush through the stars Now is the time of our unworlding One final effort is all that remains And I am not afraid We shall fulfill our promise We fight for the grace of the Mantle And this time None of you will be left behind[/i]

Bump

The 6 of us met in orbit randomly - knowing only that we are in this together . there were 3 main zones we needed control of not as easy task - knowing that in order to gain the upper hand sacrifice was required ! I took it upon myself , unspoken to my mates ( I had a feeling the 5 others would be working hard on points Alpha and Bravo first ), to make this plan work. Quickly as we descended into the Cauldron I equipped my Nothing Mantacles and as fast as my blink could take me - agility maxed - armour clad light - I headed directly into meat n potatoes; ( when in the cauldron make stew! I told myself) point Charlie ... As I round the door frame as I expected 6 guardian as rigid an tough as hard light - capturing Charlie at leisure - two quick scatter grenades onto Charlie with prayers ... As the first grenade explodes my second is released but it only takes a millisecond longer for these guardians to find my Skull of Akhamara n their reticles . I am dead , but not without hearing the sweet sound of 'Bravo secure' to accompany me to my re spawn . Our team is strong - I am the leader of the score board - we are off to a winning start. Death ... Well earned . By: Deeez Nutzz :) Written as I want to try an encourage more rushing in capture playlists - it works for me - I love drawing first blood and getting multi kills to boot - when a grenade becomes as effective as a rocket it's a beautiful thing !