User:Redlightning312/Devotion

I MADE MY way, as I had many times before, through the Hall of Fervent Intercession to convene with he who summoned my presence. As always, the gaping corridor was obscured in darkness with the only scarce sources of bluish light, and the floors were hidden in a perpetual blanket of mist.

The hall was designed to convey a sense of spiritual purity and peace upon entry, but it merely reminded my of the great Karidion beast of my homeworld and its gullet, albeit far less putrid. I could only imagine whether or not the main halls of other ministry office towers were decorated the same -- unlikely.

One of the only sources of light in the corridor, a wide gravity lift platform, lay at the end of the hall. The platform was flanked by two Sangheili warriors -- Rho and Shun -- elite guards from the Light of Sanghelios. In spite of my many visits to the Hall, I knew little of them, other than that they were both born of the 'Sraom lineage -- a respectable clan, I suppose.

They waited for me to close the distance between us before acknowledging my presence.

"Zealot," Rho said in his distinct, broken voice -- possibly the result of an injury suffered in battle? "The Minister awaits your arrival."

"Step onto the platform," added Shun.

I nodded to them both and complied, entering the gravity lift and being swiftly carried to the top of the tower. My short instances of meeting the guards were always the same routine with the same words spoken, as if they had spent time practicing how to appear the most stern. Either way, I respected them enough -- they must have shown great honor in their service to be allowed to join the Light.

After a short journey through the gravity lift, I arrived at my destination; the Minister of Fervent Intercession's private office. The small, circular chamber was engulfed in darkness just as the main hall was, and the Minister sat behind his desk with his gravity throne facing away from me.

I approached, then knelt.