Chapter 2- Powder

Paradox-of-Light-and-Darkness slowly came to, her vision at first blurry before refocusing. She coughed slightly and eased herself into a sitting position, noticing she had fallen to the floor.

She stood up and walked to Tone's prone form, and sat down on one knee. She shook him. "Tone?"

Tone-of-Sands-of-Time's eyes slowly opened. He saw Paradox with a look of concern on her face. "Did I worry you? Would take a lot more than that." He sat up slowly. "Wonder about the commander..."

"A little." Paradox looked at where their commander was. He was awake judging from the movement of his head but sometime seemed wrong with his armor. She helped Tone to his feet and walked over to their commander.

Shadow-Over-Eternal-Seas struggled against his now useless armor. "Get me out of the armor, its locked up!"

Tone grinned. "Just leave him be." He bent down on one knee, fearless in the presence of his captain now entrapped. "We aren't loyal to Faber, our real loyalty lies with the Lifeworkers and Warriors. They, like us, uphold the Mantle, and we'll turn ourselves over to their cause, turn ourselves in if they demand so."

Shadow's expression was one of pure rage and anger. "You'll pay for this as soon as my armor unlocks!"

Paradox frowned slightly. "That is if we unlock your armor, but we'll adjust it so we can carry you." She looked at the prone form of their prisoner. "I'll check on him, you make the captain's armor portable."

Tone nodded. "Will do."

Paradox walked to Riser. The ring structure had a crack near the base, and it had been slightly dislodged as well, but still clinging partially to the magnetic interlock. Likely cause of the malfunction.

Riser awoke and stood up quite quickly. He looked up to Paradox. "Armor bad, no blue lady."

Paradox looked at the armor, the usual lights were absent. "They must have removed the function and some others, due to being a prisoner."

Riser took his armor off, leaving just a black shirt and matching shorts. "No need for it."

Paradox nodded. "Understandable, and I can see you are not trying to run away, I kind of-"

Riser interrupted. "Expected me to? You nice. Your commander not. What of the big one?"

"Faber." Paradox couldn't help but glare at the name. The Master Builder was indeed quite large, he had undergone a few artificial mutations to increase his size and buff to an imposing thirteen feet. Paradox herself was only seven feet tall compared to Faber. "Tone-of-Sands-of-Time and I aren't truly loyal to him. He went against the Mantle and everything Forerunners should stand for, but many don't. Punishing the San'Shyuum by using a Halo..." She couldn't help but feel great sadness for them. "if the Librarian hadn't indexed them, they'd be extinct."

Paradox had noted how short Riser was compared to herself- three feet to her seven feet. "One thing to know is not all Forerunners are cruel or evil, will let mine and Tone's actions speak for themselves." She paused. "I believe I haven't said my name. Paradox-of-Light-and-Darkness. Yours?"

Riser looked up at Paradox. "Day-Chaser Makes Paths Long-stretch Morning Riser, can call me Morning Riser, or Riser."

Quite a long name, and similar to our style. "We need to figure out what to do, stay with me and Tone." Paradox went to the storage cupboards and manually opened them. She rummaged through the jumbled stuff within. "Aha, there. Water canteens." She grabbed one and shook it, hearing water slosh inside. "Here, you'll need it." She tossed it to Riser

Riser quickly caught it. "Thank you."

The Forerunner checked the rest she could find, and found nothing inside, not even water. "Must have been due for a refill..."

Riser gave Paradox a smile. "Kind Forerunner. Haven't seen one since the Lady and Bornstellar."

Tone approached the two. "Shadow is ready for transport. He gave me an earful but I told him I'd shut him up if I had to." He looked at the control panel for the communications near the controls. "Tried to raise others via ship and armor communications but nothing, just static."

"Good and bad news." Paradox turned to her comrade. "Good you didn't kill him. Will make him getting his dues that much sweeter. Bad that we can't get ahold of anyone."

Tone turned to the commander, still lying prone but straightened out so he could be carried like a plank of wood. "You open the door, I'll carry him, bear the brunt of more of his insults."

"Then we're set." Paradox walked to the hatch and saw sunlight filtering through. She stood to the side of it, pushed one side open, and wedged herself in between and pushed it all the way open. "There!" She looked outside, and saw they had crashed into a desert, a vast one with no end in sight.

Riser stood beside Paradox. "In the middle of nowhere aren't we? I'd get myself killed if I ran, death by thirst."

Paradox nodded. "Wearing armor with temperature regulators and I still can envision how hot it'd be." She jumped down to the ground followed by Riser. She looked down and saw her footsteps made footprints in the sand, and the sand was powdery tan-brown in color. Powder sand? Haven't seen that in a while. She contacted the ancilla within her armor. "Scan the ground."

A few moments later she heard the ancilla's reply. "Partial scanning capabilities functional only, damage sustained from crash. Ground identified as powdery sand."

Paradox frowned slightly. That's not too good. Could be that! She looked to her left, upspin of the Halo, and saw the desert end at a point that would take three days of constant running. She looked to her right, downspin of the Halo. And saw green on the far side of the Halo some way up it. A distance that would take a week of constant running at the least. Days from the end of the desert either direction. She couldn't know how far the desert extended from their position to the walls on either side of the ring, for all they knew it extended all the way there.

Tone soon jumped down carrying Shadow over his shoulder like one would a plank of wood. He ignored the latter's protests. "It's obvious we're-" Tone saw the vast desert stretch on as far as the eye could see, and saw how far upspin and downspin it stretched. "Stuck in the middle of nowhere and quite lost. We need to find some place, get our bearings, and figure out where to go."

Paradox nodded, she motioned for Riser to follow. "Come with us."

The three continued, Riser sticking closer to Paradox and Tone carrying Shadow like a plank of wood.

The three came over a sand dune.

Three hours and… "There!" Paradox noticed a structure dead ahead. Unmistakably Forerunner, and appeared to be a small station from the looks of things. A floor high but five hundred meters wide by two hundred meters long.

Tone smiled. "Hopefully someone's there, Warriors or Lifeworkers." Once they were close, Tone noted the designs. "Looks more like some Lifeworker station."

As the group approached the main large set of doors, they knew something was amiss. They didn't see the normal lights, and it was ajar slightly, allowing the sunlight to pour in.

Paradox reached for her Boltshot pistol. "Something's not right, they wouldn't just leave the door open like that." She pulled it off her waist. "Stay close, Riser."

Tone did the same with his own, holding Shadow with his other hand with ease. "I'll cover our rear."

Paradox wedged herself into the crack, and pushed one of the doors open with her free hand, and kicked at it several times. Grinding and creaking was heard. "Looks like no one has been here a while." She entered, sweeping her Boltshot over the area. The only light came from sunlight pouring through the windows and skylights.

The floors and walls were gray, normal Lifeworker station designs. Pillars supported a high ceiling. Numerous terminals were near the pillars and beds lined the walls.

Tone looked around. "Looks like a rest station, for those making long journeys on foot. And considering how harsh the desert can be and considering some species wouldn't take the heat all too well..."

Paradox nodded. "True. And if water sources were far and few between, death by thirst would be likely." Paradox turned her attention to the terminals, and saw one with a faintly flashing display.

She quickly headed to it. "Must still have some juice in it." She pressed the button, and it brought up a Lifeworker's log. She saw the year the log was created in. "Tone, this log is forty years old."

Tone went into thought. "This Halo vanished decades ago, right? Stolen by Mendicant Bias."

Paradox nodded in Tone's direction. "Correct. I don't have a good feeling about this place. We should just keep going."

Tone nodded in silent agreement.

The two holstered their weapons and continued out of the structure.

The two and Riser continued for more hours, while it was close to morning when they landed, now it was a Halo midday.

Shadow appeared to find a strand of sanity amongst his seething rage. "You fools! You have no idea how important the Human is! He carries a spirit, a spirit that could help us stop the Flood! Mendicant Bias said the Primordial is behind all of this, and that spirit could be the key to stopping it all!"

Paradox couldn't help but glare at their commander. "Say all you want, but we won't let you have your way with him."

As they passed over another large sand dune, more structures were seen, but not Forerunner. With a wooden wall surrounding it.

Paradox was first to speak. "Looks like structures belonging to an indexed species..."

Tone nodded. "Rock formations nearby, we should go there. You stay with Riser, I'll leave the captain nearby. And I'll check the structures out."

"Good idea." Paradox turned her attention to Riser. "How are you holding up?"

Riser looked like the heat was wearing on him. "Terribly hot." He took a drink from the water canteen. "We should rest somewhere."

Paradox turned her attention to the rock formations, and saw a very good sized shadow cast from them. "We should stay there, let Tone check those structures out."

Riser looked up to Paradox. "Agreed."

The group made their way to the formation of rocks. Riser sitting on a flat rock in the shade, while Paradox sat on another rock.

Tone laid Shadow on the ground nearby, in the shade. "Stay quiet, and don't bother Tone and Riser. Or the consequences...will be most dire."

This seemed to work, for their captain stayed quiet.

Tone looked at Paradox. "I'll be heading out, will be back in two hours at most."

Paradox looked at Tone. "Be careful."

Tone smiled. "I will be." He left for the structures.

For the second time since the crash, Paradox heard her ancilla speak. "Permission to talk to Riser, clear up the situation a bit hopefully?"

"Yes." Paradox looked at Riser. "My ancilla wishes to explain some things.

The ancilla projected itself outside of the armor, in the form of a blue female from Riser's people. She too sat on a rock.

Riser looked surprised. "How-"

The ancilla interrupted. "Projected myself outside of the armor, in a form you're comfortable with. And I wish to tell a tale."

Riser looked very interested.

"Very well." The ancilla smiled. "This all started a thousand years ago. Master Builder Faber-of-Will-and-Might came up with the idea for the Halos and had them built. Twelve gigantic rings with diameters of thirty thousand kilometers. The Council told him he had share with the Lifeworkers and the Librarian, in order to to compete with the Didact's plan for Shield Worlds." The ancilla paused. "Following?"

Riser listened intently. "Continue."

"The Halos were favored over the Didact's Shield Worlds. And Faber, without the knowledge of the Librarian, stole information from her regarding Humans and their supposed immunity to the Shaping Sickness, some Humans had it, others apparently didn't. And thus, he used the Halo and the Primordial he transported here to attempt to find the secret. So far, no apparent success." The ancilla paused. "Another disturbing fact is Mendicant Bias, one of the more powerful ancilla who was corrupted by the Gravemind, controlling intelligence of the Flood, also was tainted by the Primordial, who was also working with the Gravemind. And he did the monster's bidding as well. The Primordial is truly ancient, no one knows what it exactly is or how old it truly is, nor is it known how it is working with the Flood or why the Gravemind would allow it to do so without turning it over to its side through infection.

Riser was deep in thought. "Mother and Father of all troubles?"

The ancilla nodded. "You can say that. Is that all?"

"Yes" Riser looked at Paradox. "Troubles from within, huh?"

Paradox looked a bit gloomy. "Yes." She sighed, a big deep one. "It's also the Flood's greatest strength. Our own infighting makes us weaker, and it makes it easier for the parasite to consume all." She turned to Riser. "As you may have noticed, not all Forerunners are like Faber and those who blindly follow him. Some like Tone and I wish to restore our old ways. The way the Mantle should be upheld." She paused in thought. "What Mendicant Bias said back on the Capital...it's sad but true. But we- the Warriors and Lifeworkers primarily- are trying to fix that. It's not easy, nothing is ever easy."

Riser felt a sense of pity for the Forerunners like Tone and Paradox. "Your old ways?"

Paradox thought back to what she had found. "The Mantle is supposed to be a set of guidelines for being guardians of the galaxy. But sadly, the power it gives corrupts easily for those who can't handle it. We're supposed to be the shields for the less developed races, to let them develop and grow to one day stand alongside us. We're supposed to protect them from threats more powerful than they are, like the Flood."

Tone-of-Sands-of-Time approached the structures. A wall stood around it, with a pair of gates. One of them stood ajar. Judging from their appearance, this place must have been abandoned for some time.

The Forerunner pushed the gates open.

Inside, was a city of wooden structures. With a central structure at the end of the path.

He continued down the path towards the central structure. Wouldn't they be made of sandstone? Or clay? Or building materials found in a desert environment?

He took the Boltshot off his wast and held it at the ready, and proceeded down the path.

As he walked, he saw mounds of sand that strangely looked like they'd been living beings. Ignore it. Its just a coincidence. Nature playing with us. "Anyone here? Hello?!"

No answer, just eerie silence and the wind.

Near the central structure, Tone entered one of the buildings, and walked inside. From first observation, it may have been an eatery of some kind, a place to dine on food.

Inside, the wooden floors creaked under Tone's footsteps. Sand covered parts of the floor.

Tone looked at the tables and chairs, and saw the same mounds on and around them on the floor. Creepy.

He walked to the other side of the room, to a chairs, a table, and drinks behind them that may have been a bar of some kind. The same powder. And drinks sat on the table.

He approached and picked up a drink and shook it gently. No liquid sloshed, and he poured it, only the powder sand fell out. Been here for at least a few years. He looked at the nearest bottle on the other side of the table. And saw it had chunks in it. Looks bad, expired. He shivered. What's happened here?

The Forerunner left the building, and headed to the central structure. Might hold some answers. He entered the structure.

Inside, was a scene of chaos. Destroyed tables, chairs, and other objects he couldn't recognize. His eyes laid on the sand, the same mounds, and soon the stairs heading downward.

He walked to stairs and headed on down.

The basement was covered in a thin layer of powdery sand. How did it get this far in? A feeling of unease grew within him. Can't shake the feeling I've seen this somewhere bad. He took a step and heard a crunch. He froze and looked down. And bent down on one knee brushed away the powder sand.

Tone's eyes widened.

What he had stepped on wasn't animal bones. But a dead sapient being, a Forerunner. His armor was gone, the powder was in his orifices- eyes, nose, mouth, and who knows where else. And he had been dead for some time, as the skin was very gray and wrinkled, unhealthy, decaying. Bones and dried tissue showed, areas in varying stages of rot and decay.

A shriek resonated throughout the room.

Tone quickly looked up and saw at the center of the room a metal cage. And inside a mishmash of bodies.

The Forerunner carefully approached and gasped.

It moved, and shrieked, the sound drilling into Tone's ears. "Become...us!" It threw itself against the cage bars, rattling them.

Tone-of-Sands-of-Time backed into the wall, and quickly dashed up the stairs, out of the structure, and down the path to the gates.

Paradox's ancilla had returned to her armor. "We just need to-"

Her sentences was interrupted by Tone's near-panicked yelling. "We need to go! This place, it's Flood powder!"

Paradox returned the look of horror. "Riser, I'll carry you, we have to run fast." She picked up the Human. "Let's go!"

The two Forerunners ran extremely fast. Their armors providing more speed, higher reflexes, and greater ability. They sprinted over dunes of the powder and across flats.

Rise finally asked a question stuck in his head. "Flood powder?" He noted Paradox's firm but gentle grip.

Paradox was first to speak. "A horrible shape-changing parasite, the powder appears to be its most basic form." She looked at Tone for a moment. "How did you know? With our armor scanners not functioning properly..."

Tone's voice was laced with a shudder. "Saw a dead Forerunner in the powder, stepped on him. Must've been dead for days, if not weeks. And saw a cage holding a mishmash of corpses. Some sort of Flood form."

Riser saw they were jumping across gaps with ease only their armor could provide.

Paradox had a lace of unhappiness in her voice. "If anyone comes for us, it'll likely be Faber's forces. Unless the Lifeworkers and Warriors saw us first. And considering how important Riser is to Faber and his attempts at finding the Flood cure..."

Tone smiled. "Don't be like that. I am sure the Lifeworkers and Warriors saw us. They might just be afraid of entering this wasteland. Soon as we get out I am sure they'll greet us."

Paradox was now determined. "Let's hope you're right." She dashed onwards with a bit more speed. Tone keeping pace.