Part two - Warrior
"That
plasma rifle at your belt, Sorran. Bring it out." Zharn commanded, and
Sorran obeyed, grasping to delicate looking blue handle.
"Excellent."
Zharn congratulated as if the Sangheili Minor had actually accomplished
something. "Now, I'm sure you know how the plasma is channelled, being
a Scribe."
"Magnetic coils embedded within either side of the
weapon direct the plasma into a desired path." Sorran recited from a
text he had read once in a book about Covenant weapons.
"Good."
Zharn simply said, and strode over to Sorran, looking at the way he
held the rifle. He nodded appreciatively. "Now, the plasma rifle is
capable of sustained fire, but the hotter it comes, the more inaccurate
it is too. Keep that it mind. The most talented warriors fire short
bursts, then take cover whilst it cools down."
"I understand Major." Sorran replied, inclining his head.
"I
would certainly hope so. Now, look forward. I have set up deployable
shield barriers in the distance. Your challenge for today is to bring
every shield down with your rifle. Should one pop up before you are
finished, you must start again. Begin."
Sorran brought the
plasma rifle up at arms length, took aim, and fired. There was no
recoil whatsoever as three super heated bolts of plasma surged out of
the tip of the rifle, and crashed into the foremost shield. The shield
rippled, and turned a deep red. The Sangheili Minor fired again, and
the shield depleted.
"Well done." Zharn said. "Now you must take down the other nine, before the first can pop up again.
Sorran
concentrated, and managed to take down a further five. But just as soon
he took the sixth down, the first one popped up again. Sorran swore,
and Zharn chuckled. The Minor waited a minute for them to all pop up
again, and once they had, attempted the challenge again. He got seven
this time, but once again, the first regenerated.
"This is impossible!" Sorran cried after the seventh try.
Zharn laughed now, openly.
"Yes
Sorran, it is impossible. With one plasma rifle anyway. This task was
so you would learn to efficiently use the rifle, rather than
accomplishing it."
Sorran looked at the crimson Sangheili, shook his head, and lowered the rifle to his side.
"You've had me waste my time and temper upon an impossible task?" The Minor asked in disbelief. "That's low Zharn."
The
Major merely laughed once again, and told Sorran to holster his rifle.
Zharn drew out from his person two sharp, steel blades. Sorran
recognised them as holding the shape of the Energy Sword, reserved
usually for only the highest ranking Sangheili. Zharn passed one over
to him.
"Zharn, I don't think I'm allowed to use this." Sorran
protested, holding out the blade as if it were a deadly plague. Zharn
looked puzzled for a second, then his face displayed recognition.
"Nay,
do not worry Sorran. What you are holding now is not a pure energy
blade, but a metallic representation of it, crafted with the same
element we use to create Hunter shields. Even the lower ranking
Sangheili are permitted to use it. Whilst you may be hard pressed to
cut through shields with it, it is most effective against anything
else. I will teach you how to handle it."
Over the next few
hours thus, Sorran learnt the correct usage for the blade, uppercuts,
lunges, parries, and as the sun began to set, he felt he had become a
lot more proficient at fighting.
"You've made remarkable
progress today." Zharn praised, nodding as he did. "Of course, it is
never too hard to train a Sangheili to fight: deep within every one of
them is a warrior. But yes Sorran, you have exceeded my expectations.
Tonight, the Deacon of this outpost is holding a sermon. I usually
attend them. Will you be coming?"
Sorran thought for few moments, then nodded.
"I'd be glad to Zharn. But first, is there anywhere we can get food for our bellies? I have not eaten all day."
Zharn chuckled, and beckoned for Sorran to follow him.
"I think we can find something brother."
*****
"Praise
be the Forerunners, divine as they are!" The Unggoy Deacon leading the
sermon called, and the assembled group repeated the line.
Sorran took a quick look around the room. Nearly everyone on the outpost was here, be them Unggoy, Kig-Yar, Sangheili, or Brute.
Sorran
didn't like the Brutes. Very few Sangheili did. They felt that their
position was being usurped by the savages, and the the Prophets showed
them more favour than they should. They were a lot like a pack of the
wolves native to Sangheilios, in that they worked together to kill, and
constantly relayed information to one another. They were more like
animals than people.
As we were all praying on our knees, Sorran
felt closer to the Gods than he had ever felt before. He never usually
attended sermons, except when a friend would drag him along, and so
this was a new experience to him.
As the Deacon was handing out
bread from a basket, a religious custom for which the meaning escaped Sorran, the doors to the makeshift chapel burst open, and everyone turned
to see a black armoured Sangheili stand in the door way, dripping wet
from rain. He must have not had his shields active.
Zharn stood up, and addressed the Sangheili.
"Ahkrin! I did not expect you to be back so soon, what news have you for us?"
Ahkrin as he was called strode down the red, gilded carpet in the chapel, wheezing as he did so.
"Forgive me my brother, I have just ran over sixty miles without rest. Allow me a moment to catch my breath."
A single phrase was being muttered around the room -- Stealth Sangheili.
Sorran
had heard of the Stealth Sangheili before; they had a vital, but
reluctant task. Rather than fight in battle, their jobs were to observe
the enemy, and report back. Many Sangheili thought this to be a task
without honour. Even so though, it was needed.
Ahkrin grabbed onto a nearby pole, and breathed short and shallow for a few moments, then stood up.
"Humans
are on the way here. With an army to rival ours." Ahkrin relayed to
Zharn, prompting much chatter, especially amongst the Grunts.
"Then
we shall crush them like the bugs they are!" Zharn cried inspiringly,
clenching his fist as he did so. Ahkrin shook his head.
"You
speak too soon brother." The black armoured Sangheili replied. "This is
not just a normal human attack; I spied Demons with the army too."
The
clamouring escalated, and even the Sangheili were exchanging nervous
looks now. Sorran knew why, he had heard tales of these Human Demons
back when he lived upon High Charity. Apparently, they were over 10
foot tall and could smite a Sangheili with a single touch. They were
supposedly invincible.
"Enough!" Zharn shouted, and the room was
instantly silent. "We shall not flee from these infidels, nor the
Demons they collaborate with! We shall stand, and fight, and win. How
long will they take to arrive?" The Major once again directed at Ahkrin.
"I
cannot say for sure brother, but they had tanks with them, as well as
larger, even slower vehicles. I think we have a few days to prepare
ourselves." Ahkrin replied.
"Then prepare ourselves we shall! I shall contact the Immortal Repentance, asking for reinforcements. The rest of you, suit up, and be ready for a fight."
"This one has forgotten whether it's heatsink is over capacity. It wonders whether the criminal scum considers itself fortunate" ~ Blasto, the only Hanar Spectre.