Chapter 2
I stared down at my fuzzy hands. Jirilhanae hands that were coated in sweat, shaking with fear.
My fellow pack had the same feeling; I could tell by the hormones that came off my pack's skin. Misery, terror, overall...fear.
They were afraid that the same thing would happen again.
The outbreak of everyone's fears and nightmares. The Flood.
We all looked up into the sky to see stars popping up around the planet the facility orbited.
Across the land only remained desert and rock, with very little running water. This made a poor environment for most species, and so, they don't live here.
Ahead of us was a cave entrance; tall, looming, and impossibly designed. Yet here it is, the entrance into a place no beast has gone before. All that was through the entrance was silky darkness, and silent wind that drifted out.
We walked in, and not a word was said.
I awoke immediately. That was one rather...odd dream. It was too real.
The smells and scenery, things that enveloped my soul whenever I took a step. The brute's hands that had replaced mine. something wasn't right.
For now, I might let this slide. But if it happens again, I'm calling my agent. Wait, do I even have an agent? What is an agent?
Bah. My mind has had too much to settle with the human television set. The world becomes confusing when you realize that humans are more creative than your own species.
My shoulders ached, and my limbs were tense. I slept in an uncomfortable position throughout most of the night.
In fact, it was still dark, but my eyes adjusted to see through the black. I saw fellow warriors sleeping around the room, laying in there beds like every night in a barracks.
I turned on the adjustable light that was above my head in my bunk, so that I could at least see the crystal datapad I had been given my parents.
I pressed the power button so that the thing would turn on. I'd used it before, and a lot of interesting pictures were shown on it.
Times after my parents had adopted me, taught me first how to fight, showed me the beach in the partnered states of Hruhom' and Lokji', even our own Nomad' state.
I met Riondi at the academy between Shushram' and Nomad' states. We became good friends, and bragged our own ways of attracting females, or eating enough snacks that would kill a deer even. We weren't that popular because both of our parents weren't as well known as other Sangheili, like those who descended from Vadum' state nearby. None of this matters to me now.
I put the datapad away underneath my pillow, hoping nobody would really see it and become nosy enough to snoop in it.
My shoulders were too achy for me to accomplish going back to sleep.
I stared at the clock. Time showed two cycles before sunrise. Why not stay awake?
I got up from my bed, ignoring as to making it, and headed for the locker room.
I stepped through the silent corridor, my bare feet slapping footsteps that echoed through the hallways.
My robe was tucked around me, clothing in my hands, and a weapon just in case.
In fact, I rarely carry a weapon around the ship. But something, a feeling, was nagging me to get the weapon. Or maybe I was freaked out by that dream.
Really. Having hands for a brute? Maybe it was just a normal dream.
But it felt like just I flashed into another person's mind and saw what they saw, smelt what they smelt. Felt what they felt. Horror.
My mind drifted back to reality, and I noticed that I just missed the door to the locker room. So I walked back to open it and walk in.
Of course no one was in it, I think.
The door hummed and opened, the chime reminding of whenever I hear females walk into a spa. That isn't manly, dude.
I peered around, and obviously enough nobody was in there.
I was really here to take a shower and think. The showers were simple little stalls surrounded my bright blue metals and stone. The overhead faucet resembled the compound eye of an insect. A glass stretched up as a door that opened, with the top right above where my full hight reaches.
I set my stuff down, took off my robe, and got in one of the showers. I turned the faucet to let the warm water run down my body.
My mind kept drifting back to the dream I had. It was short, yet scary enough. Brutes who were going to embark on a maddening journey. I was one of them.
I was practically going insane. The things I had seen are probably figments of my dream and imagination. Nothing wrong there.
I set my head on the wall, and watched as water ran down my brows and along the walls down to my two toed feet.
Thoughts, thought, and many thoughts flashed through my memory. I had the feeling an hour had passed, and was ready to get out.
I opened the glass slowly, and steam drifted out of the stall. Outside the door however, was a surprised expression, and a pair a curious eyes.
A female, only two inches below my own height, was outside the stall carrying her own clothes to what would have been the stalls around this one. she herself was in a gown that could have probably been taken off with the untying of a single string, most likely for bathing or showering purposes.
One thing I had forgotten to mention was that this locker room was uni-sex. I should have chosen wisely for a locker room that fit better for warriors, but that one was conveniently farther away from our Barracks.
She flushed when she had looked down at my whole body, and attempted to utter words. I imagine this have happened to many people before.*
"So...um, do you shower this early?"
After looking at me for a second, which sort-of ruins my dignity a bit, responded. "Almost every morning..."
"'You mind fetching me my towel? It's starting to feel cold in here."
I sat on the wooden bench that ran parallel to the rows of lockers along the wall. One of the had my name, and it was standing open while I reached in and grabbed my under-suit.
I was pulling the suit up my legs when I heard a question come from one of the showers.
"So, what is your name?" She said, her voice cutting through the moist air.
"Ki...Ki 'Nomad." I said to her. We were talking to each other from the distance, and some words were unheard through the sound of her running shower.
"You're from the 'Nomad family? The one by the shore next to our state?"
"That depends, is your state named what?"
"Shushram'"
"Hey best friend's last name is Shushram'. Of course he's from there."
"I might know him. What is his name?"
"Riondi."
There was a beep from the sound of the water controls being pressed. The sound of running water stopped. I heard her continue to speak. "Riondi's my brother. Bloodline speaking."
"I think he's mentioned you a few times before." I watched the female step out of the shower and pull on a robe. "Was it Brush...no, wait, Rue 'Nuss,...no..."
"It's R'sruss." She stepped over to her own locker. She tapped in a key code with her slender fingers. She used the other hand to clutch her robe to prevent it from falling. Inside the locker was Minor armor, fit for only Covenant military personnel.
I observed her for a bit as she put on the under-suit. She had Emerald Green eyes, a slender frame, and was muscular for that of a female. Her skin was Slate colored, and her mandibles had equal length with perfect rows of sharp teeth. Her neck perfect and serpent like, where it coiled around to fit the suit on.
She realized I was staring at her, and turned to me right after she had pulled up the skin-tight suit. she cocked her head sideways, and looked at my side. "Turn please." She said, rather serious. i was hoping she wasn't going to look at me rear.
"Where did you get that tattoo?"
"What tattoo?" I looked around where my long flexible neck could see what she was talking about.
There, on my skin, was a blue intricate, circular design over my gray hide.
*This is basically a reference to other people out there who may have used a similar theme.
