Important notes at the end.
Enjoy!
The halls of the Median Castle were mostly empty as the Spartan walked through them, here and there he came across a random servant or a pair of patrolling guards, who greeted him before continuing on their way. They were apparently very used to the presence of the strange people who claimed to be from Space, as some even smiled at him.
There was the usual fear, anyone would be afraid of a seven foot tall faceless silent warrior, but they hid it well.
As he reached his room, he found the door slightly ajar, setting off several alarms in his head. Myra should've signaled him if anything was wrong, but he put his hand next to his pistol just in case.
He opened the door silently, only to find Princess Miyuki sitting on the bed talking animatedly to Myra who was laughing at an apparent joke her new friend had told. Dante relaxed and watched from the doorway, happy that Myra had found a friend.
Myra was the first to notice him and smiled, before getting up off the bed to run over and hug him. Dante always wondered how she could enjoy hugging his armor; it couldn't be very comfortable putting your head against a shield and always left her fur a bit frizzled where it had touched. Which admittedly amused him.
Sure enough, when she pulled away to look up at him, parts of her face and neck fur were standing up. Dante gave her the smile signal, passing his fingers across his faceplate in return.
"Hello Spartan! I was hoping you'd show up back here." Said a cheery Miyuki, from behind Myra. "Were you looking for me ma'am?" Asked Dante curiously, hoping he wasn't about to get another tour.
"Yes, but I got side tracked talking to Myra." She answered slyly. "She informed me that she had quite a bit of fun last night. We'll I guessed really, the smell of your love is all over her." Myra hid her face in Dante's armor at this point, thoroughly embarrassed.
The Spartan didn't quite know what to say to that statement, only that he felt his own cheeks turn a bit red as well. "Don't worry!" Said the Median Princess, smiling kindly and correctly interpreting his silence. "I won't tell anyone if you don't want me to. It's kind of my fault actually. She told me, or rather signed to me, how she felt about you last night. So I advised her to take action on her feelings, to show you how much she loved you."
Miyuki smiled happily, seemingly very pleased with herself. Again, Dante found himself at a loss of words as the Vixen currently attached to his armor actually managed to make his shield flare a bit at how hard she was trying to avoid eye contact, causing Dante to chuckle a bit.
The Median looked at him, almost shocked from seeing his shield. "What was that?" She asked curiously, with a bit of excitement in his voice. The young Princess sure was energetic. But also extremely kind, he could tell that just from their short conversation.
"It's a shield." Answered Dante, rubbing Myra's back with one hand. "A shield?" Asked the Median, confused. "But you're not holding..."
"It's not that kind of shield." Dante explained. "It's... complicated." Miyuki's eyes lit up. "Like the barriers the Mothers guardians use?" She asked excitedly. "Exactly like that in fact." Dante was surprised she had come to that comparison so quickly and wondered where and how she had seen a Sentinel have to use its shields.
Miyuki stared in wonder at the Spartan and his armor for a few seconds, before snapping out of her reverie. "Oh! That reminds me! I actually came to get you to meet mother." The Median Princess said walking forwards a bit. "Your mother? The Median Queen?"
"That's the one." Miyuki smiled. "Airon and I have been telling her all about Ellis and all of you. Including all the stories and videos we've seen." The smile faded from her face a bit. "She hasn't been feeling well for a few months and I fear the Holy Mother may be calling her home soon. So she's been leaving everything up to Airon and Myself as of late."
Miyuki looked at the floor sadly, fidgeting, before Myra walked over to her and hugged her new friend, comforting her. Dante smiled, feeling a bit proud of her. After a few seconds, they let go. "Thank you Myra. Sorry..." she smiled sheepishly.
"Anyways, she's asked to see you. Like the rest of us, she wants to meet one of the fabled warriors we've heard so much about this past week." Miyuki finished.
Half of Dante was tempted to say no, as he was already getting tired of being given special treatment and being idolized. That and he had hoped to spend more time with Myra. But the other half knew that this was one of those things that he had to do, make nice and be friendly. He didn't mind really, these Medians were good people, he could see that. It seemed that the vast majority of them would give the shirt off their back for a complete stranger.
On top of that, he owed Miyuki a great deal. She had not only pushed him and Myra to admit their feelings to each other, but in one of the most worthwhile of ways...
"Alright. After you." Dante said, stepping aside. Miyuki smiled happily and walked towards the door. "Excellent! This way please!" She exited the room and began to walk down a hall that led deeper into the Castle, turning to look back to see he was following.
He easily caught up with her and followed, Myra at his side, as she led the way through the Castle, all the way around to the other side and up two floors until she came to a halt at a large ornate door. It was flanked by 4 honor guards, dressed in gold and white, carrying spears and large ceremonial shields that appeared to be made from Sentinels. The guards appraised the Spartan wearily, their hands tightening on their spears.
"Calm down boys, it's okay. Mother has asked to see them." Said Miyuki, putting a calming hand on one's shoulder. They looked at each other and back to Miyuki, before nodding and opening the door they diligently guarded. The room within wasn't what Dante had expected a Queens quarters to look like.
Unlike the rest of the castle it was plainly decorated, no fancy elaborate works of art, golden decorations or lavish paintings. Instead, one wall held a large fireplace, a fire burning in its pit, with a single padded chair. Another wall held an entire bookshelf filled with dusty books, some that looked as large as they were old. The other wall held a large, ironically queen sized, bed, facing an enormous window that looked down into the Median Capital of Arringstone.
The bed was the only thing in the room that appeared to be made for a Queen. Tall bedposts with curtains that could be drawn closed, filled with pillows of every variety and color one could think of, and large sheets meant for comfort.
The Spartan took it all in in under .6 seconds, noting every possible hiding spot, exit and places for good cover. It was just something he was trained to do and came to him as naturally as breathing.
Myra stayed behind him as they walked forward. "Is that you Miyuki?" Asked a soft old voice from behind the drawn curtains of the bed. Dante stopped and watched as Miyuki moved towards the bed. "It is mother." The Princess answered, drawing the curtains back.
Lying on the bed under a pile of blankets and even more random pillows was an old human woman. Her gray hair was done up in a bun, tired circles under her eyes, and a gentle smile gave the appearance of someone who was ready for a very long nap.
"Spartan, Myra, this is my mother; Queen Tiori Media the Second." Miyuki said proudly from the old woman's side, who was looking at Dante with curiosity.
Dante found himself at a loss for a second as he wasn't exactly sure what he should say or what the proper form of greeting was for royalty. He considered for half a second responding with a 'Your majesty', but tossed the thought out almost as soon as it appeared. In the end, he decided a more formal approach, as it seemed appropriate. "It is a pleasure to meet you ma'am." He said, still not sure if that was the proper greeting.
He was momentarily distracted however; watching as Myra curtsied, causing his brain to slow a bit. But he snapped back to reality as the Median Queen spoke. "The pleasure is all mine." She said, smiling the same warm smile that her daughter often wore. "I've heard a lot about you Spartan. You and your fellow warriors from the stars. Please, have a seat." She gestured towards two modestly decorated chairs next to the bed.
"Thank you ma'am, but I'll have to stand. My armor might break the chair." Dante explained, walking over to beside the bed and giving the chair to Myra instead. The old women laughed at this explanation, shaking her head. "You and your fellows are strange people indeed, if even half the stories my daughter has told me are to be believed."
"But if you can fall in love like us, then I know that we have nothing to fear from you." She looked at Myra and winked, causing the young Chimera to blush slightly.
"What is your name though? I can't keep calling you Spartan, I feel like I'm being rude to you." She said, looking back at Dante, who frowned. "Spartan-506 is fine ma'am. Or just 506." He answered.
"506? Surely that's not your name." The older woman asked, confused. He sighed inwardly, part of him wanted to explain just how precious his name was to him and why conscripted orphans like himself only let the people closest to them use them, but that would mean opening himself up to a complete stranger. Unlike Myra.
"It's what I'm called ma'am." He said, not wanting to get into that particular subject. "Well that's an odd name." She said, and as she looked at him. Dante somehow felt that she was actually seeing through his armor. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable mister 506, I, like my daughter, was just curious to meet you. I hope your room is to your liking."
"It is ma'am, I appreciate the hospitality that you've shown myself and my comrades." He answered, feeling somewhat awkward. His thanks was waved off, "Oh it's no trouble my dear." The Median Queen answered, smiling still. "Medians have always treated visitors to our home as our dearest friends. For one day, you just may need to call on that friend to help you."
They sat silently for a moment, before Dante came to a decision. Sighing, he walked around Myra and knelt down by the bedside, undoing the seal on his helmet. He removed it, noticing the three women watching him attentively as he did, and set it on his knee.
He looked up at the Median Queen. "My name is Dante." He said simply. "And truly ma'am, thank you for aiding us and taking us in."
Queen Tiori smiled warmly at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you Dante. You're most welcome."
The Spartan then noticed a pendant that hung around the old women's neck, as he looked closer he saw that it was a Forerunner glyph. His eyes went wide as he recognized it. 'It couldn't be...' he thought to himself.
He knew that symbol and what it meant. The information, although highly classified, had been divulged to him as it was his job to clear Forerunner structures. This symbol was one he was taught to look for, as it could lead to vast treasure troves of technology and knowledge.
"Is something wrong?" Asked Miyuki, noticing the shocked expression on his face and looking concerned. "Where did you get that?" He asked, nodding towards the pendant.
"What, this?" Asked Tiori, picking up the glyph from around her neck and looking at him curiously. "It's a family heirloom. Handed down from to me from my mother. It's the symbol of the Holy Mother, the Goddess of Life."
His eyes went wide, revelations coming alive in Dantes mind as everything clicked into place. 'Of course... it makes sense...'
"My family came upon it at her Shrine within Arringstone when they first settled this land many years ago." She continued, looking at him curiously still. "Why? Is something the matter?"
The Spartan's mind was working furiously, going over all the implications and what they might mean. As a result it was several seconds before he responded.
Looking back up at the Median Queen Dante shook his head. "No, nothing's wrong." He answered reassuringly. When Miyuki and her mother continued to look on with concern at his odd behavior Dante smiled reassuringly at them. "I promise that you've got nothing to worry about."
The next half hour was spent with Dante answering the curious questions of the Median Queen and Princess, both of whom seemed fascinated with his previous weeks adventures with Myra and the explanations of his armor. The non-classified bits at least.
The Spartan asked a few of his own questions about the Medians, their form of government and about the Forerunner ruin the town was centered around. Or the shrine to the Holy Mother, as they called it, which he seemed particularly interested in.
Even Myra jumped in, speaking through Dante who was an expert at interpreting her words. She'd asked about all the wide varieties of pillows that were scattered around the bed, wondering why there were so may. Tiori told her that they were all from the people of Media, wishing for her health to improve and sending pillows for her to rest on and recover. Something which spoke volumes about the peoples love for their Queen.
Dante also inquired, as Ellis had, about Miyuki's appearance of being half Chimera and half Human. Which lead to an embarrassing conversation about half breeds being rare, owing to the fact that it's very difficult for a human to successfully impregnate a Chimera and vice versa; something which required multiple "attempts".
While Dante found this interesting, making a note in his ever growing log and report for ONI, it seemed to turn the cheeks of the two younger women beside him crimson red.
At which point, the old women, noticing the time, politely informed them that she needed rest and bid them a good day.
They said their farewells, Miyuki promising to come and bring her some tea, before exiting out the large ornate doors, back into the hall. "Thank you Spartan. I really appriciate you visiting her." The young Princess said, bowing and thanking him.
Dante shook his head. "Not a problem. It was... enlightening." He said, still thinking about his discovery.
"You two should go visit the town! I'm sure Myra would love to go shopping with you." Miyuki said mischeviously, winking at the Fox Chimera, who again blushed. Dante didnt quite know what to say, for about the 10th time that day.
"Here, take some coin and go get her somthing nice." She insisted, forcing a purse onto Dante and giving him a little shove, which didnt move him at all. She smiled widely at them before turning on her heel and walking off, leaving the pair of them to stare awkwardly at eachother.
The town of Arringstone was bustling with activity, its citizens preparing for the annual Festival of Life that celebrated the Holy Mother. And although it was a week away, the Medians were already hard at work setting up booths for vendors and entertainment. As well as bringing in vast amounts of goods, food and alcohol that would be needed to ensure a steady supply.
Decorations were being prepared and letters were arriving daily by horse at taverns, requesting reservations for rooms. The town Guards were hard at work as well, making ready for whatever trouble might come their way and training hard.
Seth, Brown and Floyd observed it all, watching with some fascination at the way everyone seemed to work together as one community. They even noticed some of the smaller children helping out where they were asked.
"This place is pretty nice huh?" Asked Floyd, watching some of the kids, a small group of Humans and Chimera, playing some kind of game resembling tag.
"Yeah. It's a lot more easier going than any of our cities or colonies. Everybody knows everybody and they all look out for each other." Seth observed as he was walking with his hands stretched out behind his head.
"Well to be fair, most of our cities number in the hundreds of thousands." Brown said, walking alongside him.
"True. But it's still a nice change of pace." Floyd said, he nodded to a group of cities guards who greeted them as they passed.
The strange foreigners had become rather famous in the town and it had become commonplace for people to great them with free food and random goods. The ODSTs were more than happy to accept the fresh food in place of their MRE's, which despite the many attempts of the UNSC to make them more flavorful, still all tasted like cardboard after a while.
As they walked past the young kids playing, the children noticed the Hell Jumpers and ran up to greet them. Seth dropped into a fighting stance as two humans and a lion chimera rushed him, crashing into him as the ODST threw a few mock punches at them, hitting them softy. After a quick battle, the three kids managed to take the Hell Jumper down, who then faked a grievous injury, much to their enjoyment, as they tried to get him back up to play again.
The others crowded around Floyd, who pulled out two candy bars and gave it to them, watching two little wolf girls accept it gratefully and share it with the other kids.
Their guardian for the day, who was watching them while their parents worked, called them back over to where she was, forcing them to abandon their attack on Seth. They thanked the Marines and hurried off, smiling happily as they did.
"Ya' know Seth, for being such a man-whore you're really great with kids." Floyd observed.
"Because women love guys like that. They think it's sweet." Brown explained, helping Seth up.
"That and I raised my three brothers and two sisters." Seth explained, dusting himself off. "My dad was killed late in the war and my mom enlisted with the Navy to 'avenge' him. Left us on one of those Floatilla's floating around in deep space. There wasnt many safe places left to run at that point..."
Brown frowned, looking at him. "She left her six kids just after their father had died?" He asked, wondering how somebody could do that.
Seth shrugged in response. "Yup. Doesn't matter man, it's all in the past." He said as they continued on their way. "What does matter is finding a good looking Chimera tonight." He said with a grin as Floyd snorted, shaking his head.
"You're hopeless fucker." Floyd said, watching Seth eye a pair of Chimera girls passing by them. The ODST looked over at him. "You look me in the eyes and tell me that you wouldn't fuck some sweet little cat girl if you had the chance." Seth said, smiling while Brown nodded in agreement.
"I'm definitely going to try, that's for damn sure." The Marine said, flexing as a group of said Chimera walked by, eyeing the foreigners and whispering excitedly to each other.
"Tell ya' what I really want." Floyd said, eyeing a Blacksmiths shop. "I want to get me a fucking sword." He said wistfully, eyeing the display rack out front that had several well-made swords and daggers.
"Oh fuck yes." Agreed Seth, looking in the same direction his friend was. "Get a sheath and strap that bad boy onto my armor. Start slicing up bitches like a boss."
Brown laughed, watching the Hell Jumper swing an imaginary sword. "Everybody you meet in battle would laugh at you. The Loyalists because you brought a knife to a gunfight. And the Traxins' because you've got no idea what you're doing."
"I'll just ask Garit to train me. I could be a mother fucking Jedi." The three laughed, consequently receiving strange looks from passersby.
They continued walking and discussing what kind of sword they would like, headed towards what they had been told by one of the Median soldiers was one of the better taverns in town.
((For shits and giggles. Nothing more))
As they passed an alleyway Seth glanced down it and saw something rather odd. The ODST stopped and stared at it for a second, trying to determine if he was seeing things.
Towards the back of the alley was what looked like a large blue box. The odd thing was, he thought it said 'Police Box' across the top...
"Hey Seth! You coming or what?" Called Brown, who noticed the Hell Jumper had stopped. "You don't want any back alley hooker man, how many times does the Captain have to tell you? Only get the ones that are out front on display." Called Floyd to his friend, laughing.
Seth turned back to his friends and, noticing he'd fallen behind, sprinted to catch up to them. "What was that about?" Inquired Brown, looking over at him. "Eh, saw something weird. Probably nothing though." He answered.
As the three rounded a corner onto another street lined with stores Brown nudged Seth who turned to him.
"Hey, check it out." The Marine gestured down the street, pointing out the resident Spartan coming out of a shop, followed by the Fox Chimera that always seemed to be near him.
"Huh. Well. That's new." Floyd said, a small grin on his face. "Never thought I'd see a Spartan on a date. Let alone a Spartan on a date in full armor."
"And the fact that he's on a date with a fox girl? You saw that one coming?" Asked Seth, raising an eyebrow. "Of course. Duh, it's so obvious." Floyd answered, grinning.
"Can't really blame him, girls got the curves and body of a model." Brown said thoughtfully.
"So they're really together than huh?" Floyd asked, a huge grin on his face. "Fuck yes, Treven owes me $20."
They were about 20 feet away from the Spartan at that point and decided to call out to him, Brown and Floyd making a bet if whether or not he would come drinking with them.
"506!" Seth called, waving over at the Spartan, who had already seen them and simply nodded back as they walked over to him, a small crowd of onlookers gawking at the Spartan in his armor.
"How's it going Spartan? Out for night on the town?" Seth asked winking at him, knowingly. "Ignore him 506, that's what the rest of us do." Floyd commented, sighing and shaking his head. "Corporal Floyd, didn't get a chance to introduce myself before. Can't wait to kick ass with a Spartan." He stretched out his hand, which the Spartan shook, still not saying much. Floyd couldn't tell, but if he didn't know better he would say the Spartan was embarrassed they'd caught him with his girlfriend.
The Hell Jumper looked over at the Fox Chimera, who was hiding slightly behind the Spartan, looking a bit shy, and nodded to her. "And you're Myra right? Good to know somebody is keeping an eye on 506 for us. Try to keep him on a short leash and out of too much trouble alright?" He smiled at her, winked, and offered his hand again.
The young girl laughed a bit at the statement and nodded, smiling nervously. She shook his forearm instead of his hand and shook. Floyd mentally slapped himself for forgetting how things worked on Spherite.
"This here is Lance Corporal's Brown and Seth." He said, gesturing to the two who nodded to her kindly.
The five of them stood awkwardly in the middle of the street, neither party really sure what to say.
"So. Uh. We're heading to a bar, you wanna join us for a few drinks? Always wanted to try and drink a Spartan under the table." Seth laughed, trying to break the awkward moment.
The Spartan seemed like he was going to say no, but Myra pulled on his arm, smiling softly at him and nodded. 506 sighed, and Floyd could easily tell that the Spartan and Chimera had one of those rare relationships, where words weren't needed. 'Maybe she thinks he needs to make some friends too.' The Hell Jumper thought, again remembering the other day when the Median Princess, Miyuki, had made friends with Myra at the Spartans urging.
"I... alright." The Spartan said, looking back at the Hell Jumpers. "Awesome!" Said Seth, grinning broadly now. "Just follow us, we know the way. Kind of." He stepped out in front and led the way, 506 falling instep behind him with the Chimera holding his armored hand, which drew some curious looks from the townsfolk as they walked by.
Not long after, they reached the town square. Their progress a bit faster as the Spartan in his armor easily cleared a path, the villagers politely stepping aside as they walked by. The square was occupied by a larger group of people than they had ever seen there before as it was to be the centre of the coming festival. The Forerunner structure in the middle was untouched as always however and the Hell Jumpers paid little attention to it as they had already performed their investigation.
"Corporal." The Spartan called to Floyd as they drew closer to the structure, which surprised the Hell Jumper a bit as he hadn't said a word sense joining them except for the random aside to Myra.
"'Sup 506?" He asked, turning his head back to look at him.
"That Forerunner structure there. You're squad has already performed a rudimentary examination of it, correct?" He asked, gesturing towards the town's main attraction.
"Did you uncover anything of significance?" The Spartan inquired, looking over at ruin. "Not really, no. There's a big ol' glyph on top of it, but Trev' couldn't make heads or tails of it." Floyd shrugged. "Why? Think it's important?" Seth and Brown cast a curious look back at the Spartan at this question, beginning to wonder if he knew something they didn't.
"No, just curious." The Spartan shrugged, which didn't entirely convince them, but at the same time they shrugged it off as it being above their pay grade. A bullshit 'need to know' scenario, and if it was it meant that the Spartan was dealing with it. Which made it not their problem. Floyd loved grunt logic sometimes.
"Hey! Hell Jumpers! Over here!" A Wolf Chimera called out to them a little ways ahead and through a crowd of shoppers heading from store to store. He was waving them over, a young man standing next to him. Seth waved back, spotting who had called out to them through the packed town square. "Letholdus! There you are fucker!"
The odd mismatched grouped walked over to the wolf Chimera and the two Hell Jumpers shook his forearm in greeting. "Guys, this is Letholdus, Median 1st Auxiliary commander." Floyd said, gesturing to Brown, Dante and Myra. "He's a damn fine soldier. Or so he claims." The ODST grinned, but his jab was ignored as both Letholdus and the young man next to him stared at Dante in a bit of shock.
"Holy Mother..." the young man said. "You guys weren't kidding. He looks like he could tear me in half." Floyd did a double take at the young man, recognizing him. "Damn Thawnbolt, haven't seen you around lately." The young man turned and grinned at the Hell Jumpers. "I joined the Army and was assigned to Letholdus's unit." He puffed out his chest proudly.
"Is that right?" Seth nodded in approval. "Keep a sharp eye on this one Leth." The ODST said grinning.
"Oh don't you worry, Thawn'll be more than ready to spill Traxin blood when the time comes. " Letholdus said, still focused on the Spartan. "Isn't all that armor heavy?" He asked, more to the Hell Jumpers, looking very surprised when the super soldier answered "No", with Seth and Brown laughing at the somewhat shocked look on his face.
"This is Brown, Myra and Spartan 506." Floyd said, introducing each in turn. Brown nodded and shook the Median Chimera's forearm in greeting, while Myra simply nodded to him shyly.
Letholdus did a double take at the Fox girl, a very wolf-like smile crossing his face. "Hello beautiful. What's a sexy little thing like you doing with these guys? Maybe we should get out of here and find a place together." He winked.
The Marines collectively winced, with Brown face-palming.
Myra moved a bit behind the Spartan, who stepped forward, only to find Seth in his way.
"Letholdus, you told me you loved me! Were all those things you said about me just lies to get me to fuck you?! They were weren't they!?" The ODST asked in mock sorrow, joking nervously, hoping and praying to a god he didn't believe in that the Spartan would back down.
The Wolf Chimera stared at him like he'd grown an extra head.
"Then you turn around and hit on the Spartans girlfriend right in front of me? And after I gave myself to you! You two timing slut Letholdus! I thought what we had was special!" Seth finished, pretending to wipe tears from his eyes, while in his mind he was silently pleading with the Spartan to just let it go.
The Median Commanders eyes went wide as he realized what he'd done and he looked back at the Spartan whose fists were half raised. Brown and Thawnbolt were trying impossibly hard not to laugh, even though they looked like they wanted to fall to the ground laughing, while Floyd tried to think if there was any possible way to even attempt to hold back a Spartan.
A tense standoff ensued; everybody was waiting for something to happen. The Median citizens around them stopped and stared at the odd scene, wondering just what on Spherite was going on. (See what I did there?)
Unexpectedly, Myra was the one that laughed first, surprising everybody. Even 506 turned and looked back at her.
It was just a giggle at first, but soon it turned into an infectious laugh as the whole group joined in, drawing stares and looks from passersby. "Damn tourists..." said one old man with a cane, shaking his head.
"I'm sorry Spartan, I had no idea she was your woman." Letholdus said, offering his forearm. "It's alright. As you said, you didn't know." 506 said as he shook the wolf Chimeras forearm.
The younger Median walked up to him as well and did the same. "It's an honor to meet a Legendary Spartan, my names Thawnbolt. Your comrades have told many tales of your kind."
Dante didn't quite know what to say to that, but regardless he was actually a bit flattered. "The honor is mine." He said, smiling a bit as the young man's grin widened, looking away sheepishy and focusing on Myra instead. "I apologize for my Commanders behavior my lady. One too many blows to the head I'm afraid." He said as they shook.
"Alright, enough with the fuckin' formalities. Let's get to drinking!" Seth said, a huge grin on his face. "Here here!" Letholdus agreed. "The Tavern is just over there."
"Lead the way." Floyd said, silently thanking whatever deity had just saved them, that Seth was quick thinking. When he wanted to be at least.
They walked around the Forerunner structure in the middle of town to the other side, coming upon a very nice looking building called 'Guardians Respite'.
Two stories tall and quite large for a tavern, it had a balcony with outdoor seating where quite a few patrons were sitting enjoying well prepared meals. Most were taking an early dinner or very late lunch, having worked through it preparing for the upcoming festival.
"I've been wanting to go here sense we first saw this place." Seth commented, wistfully. "This looks like a high class place. You sure it's alright man, don't want to make ya' go broke." Floyd inquired, turning to Letholdus.
"It's no problem." He answered, grinning. "Guard Captain Garit asked them to start a tab for you lot, says you can pay it off by killing Traxins." The Marines laughed. "Well shit, we were going to do that for free, but if you insist!" Brown said, gesturing for them to lead the way.
Dante hung back with Myra, still not quite sure if he should follow.
The Vixen holding onto his armored hand however wasn't going to let him go without him having a little fun and pulled at his arm, smiling at him. He gave in and followed the rest of the group inside. Besides, he thought, he was oddly enjoying himself.
The group entered the Tavern and looked around for a place to sit. The entire wall to the right of them was a bar, the back of it was filled with a multitude of colors and various drinks, while the rest of the room was full of wooden tables and chairs of different makes and models. Humans and Chimera alike sat talking, drinking and eating all around the room.
What attracted the Spartans attention however, was that above the bar there was an inactive Sentinel on display. It was in almost perfect condition, except that it appeared to have several dents and scratches on the surface of its frame. He wondered just how the hell it had gotten there.
A few of the Taverns occupants turned to see who had walked in and nodded to the ODSTs, who had quickly become an almost common sight around the Median capital, a few even waving. A lot more attention however was paid to the large Spartan in his armor and some talk around the room ceased as those who hadn't seen him yet gawked at him.
"There we go, table in the corner there looks like it's got enough room." Said Letholdus, who began to make his way to said table, completely oblivious to the attention they were drawing, with the rest of the group following.
They took their seats, with the Spartan sitting in a seat fixed to the wall that appeared to be made of solid wood, and would therefore support his armor, while Myra sat next to him. What appeared to be a Feline Chimera bar maid appeared at their table almost as soon as they sat down, watching curiously as the Spartan took off his helmet.
"What can I get you my dears?" She asked jovially and began taking their orders of beer, ale, and mead. Dante tried to order water, but everybody instantly insisted that he order some kind of alcohol. Sighing, he ordered a glass of mead instead, which seemed to satisfy all those present.
After the bar maid walked off to fetch their drinks, Brown turned to the Spartan. "Hey, that's a Sentinel up there right?" He asked curiously, to which Dante nodded. "Yes, it looks like it got knocked around a bit." He answered.
"Awesome, I've never seen a Sentinal before. Not in person anyways, had a briefing on them once but that was it." He turned in his seat to look back up at the Forerunner machine atop the bar.
"I know Gunny and the Captain have. They fought in the battle of Installation 00 after all." Said Floyd also turning to look. "But yeah, I'm in the same boat as you."
"You guys talking about the Guardians?" Asked Letholdus, watching them thoughtfully. "Yeah, we call'em Sentinels though. Which I guess is the same meaning anyways." Answered Floyd, turning back to him.
"I've seen a couple myself, but they were busy doing the Mothers work and were gone after a couple seconds." Commented Thawnbolt, as the bar maid returned with their drinks. Somehow she managed to balance them all and not spill a drop as she set them down on the table and began to hand out. When she handed Seth his drink, a large cup of mead, he winked at her and she grinned letting her hand briefly touch his before moving on to hand Myra a beer.
"I see you've noticed old one eye up on the bar." Said their waitress, gesturing to the Sentinel. "Yeah, we were wondering what the story with that is." Seth said.
"Ah, it's an old tale about the Mothers personal Guardian." She said, nodding. "I can't remember the story to well, last time I heard it I was a little girl. But I know it involves the Keeper, Manifest Destiny." She said thoughtfully, looking off into space.
"The who?" Asked Floyd curiously.
"The Keeper." Thawnbolt answered, turning to him to explain. "He's supposed to be the one that watches over the Mother and all her creations while she sleeps." Dante stared at him thoughtfully.
"So what's up with this festival I keep hearing about?" Asked Brown, trying to change the subject of religion and taking a large drink of his ale. "It sounds like it's going to be a pretty big event."
"It is." Answered Letholdus, grinning. "People are going to be coming from all over for it."
"What's it involve?" Asked Seth. "Any big shows or anything like that?"
"Well there's going to be quite a lot, the whole thing lasts for two days. Let's see, there's a parade, dancing, plays, a smithing tournament, more dancing, and a fighting tournament." The Median answered, ticking them off the events on his fingers. "It's also a big excuse for a lot of traders to come and sell their wares."
"Hah wow. Sounds like Arringstone's going to be the place to be huh?" Said Brown, nodding in approval. "Gives us something to do at least huh?" He grinned and took a giant swig of his ale.
They continued talking for an hour, discussing the festival and the preparations being made. After a while they decided to order some food, as it was evening by then. The subject then turned to the Traxins and the impending invasion, with Brown, now on his 6th ale, swearing an oath to kill them all and send their various body parts back home to their mothers.
Dante was surprised at himself as he was actually having a good time, the Medians and ODSTs treating him like one of their own. A few civilians, guardsman and mercenaries had even approached their table, quite curious about the large man in armor.
A few girls at the bar had also been casting glances over at him, which did not go unnoticed by the Hell Jumpers or Myra. And while the Hell Jumpers had poked fun at him and discussed Seth ability to actually 'hook up' with a female Spartan, Myra had simply glared at the women the whole time. Which Seth and Dante pointed out to her, making her blush.
The conversation turned to questions about the UNSC, ODST training and some of the ships they used. Thawnbolt was especially interested in the concept of a tank when Floyd had described it to him, and wondered aloud what would happen if they had one to use on the Traxins.
Much later that night, Dante and Myra walked out of the bar together, both a little tipsy, Dante more so from having so many drinks forced on him. Fortunately, his insanely high metabolism should take care of that rather quickly.
Seth had disappeared with the bar maid, while Letholdus had wandered over to the bar to chat up a few of the women there. Floyd was behind them and headed back to the ship, waving goodnight, while Brown and Thawnbolt had gone off to another bar.
All things considered, Dante had had a pretty good time. He turned to Myra, who was watching him with a smile on her face. "Come on, let's go back." He said, offering his hand and intending to head back to the room.
She took it, but instead of beginning the walk back to the Castle, tugged on his arm instead, trying to pull him down a bit. Taking the hint, the Spartan bent down and picked her up, before heading back to their room.
An hour later found them in their room, the moonlight pouring through the window, reveling the two forms next to each other on the king sized bed. Two lovers that lay holding each other closely, lost in each others eyes.
Dante brushed her hair out of her face, lost in her emerald eyes, smiling as his hand softly cupped her firm and perfect butt. Myra blushed, embarrassed, and burrowed further into his embrace, her naked breasts pressing against his chest. Taking advantage of the opening, Dante kissed her neck and licked along her collar bone, causing his victim to mewl softly.
Her hand found his and he could feel her soft breath on his chest. Cupping her face in his hand, he gently pulled her up to him and kissed her.
He had been waiting all day for this moment, when he could remove his armor and lay down with her in their bed. The rest of the world disappeared and all he knew was the feeling of her in his arms and the soft beating of her heart as he held her.
He still felt a bit uncomfortable being outside of his armor, it felt a bit unnatural, almost clumsy. But it was worth it just to be with Myra. He would only be out of his armor at night and had made sure to double check with Captain Ellis to receive his permission.
The Vixen laid her head back against his chest, nuzzling him softly and tracing his large sculpted muscles with her hands. He cupped one of her ears softly and began to kiss and nibble on it gently. The effect was instantaneous and Myra moaned softly into him, gripping him a little more tightly. Dante had always been fascinated by her ears, but only recently had he discovered it as one of her weak spots. Much to Myra's dismay, as he already teased her enough.
Tilting her head up, her lips found his once again as she softly pushed against him. He obliged, rolling onto his back and she lay on top of him, never once breaking their kiss. He reached one hand up and softly rubbed the base of an ear, while the other reached down and squeezed her butt. Myra mewled softly into the kiss, pushing against him harder as he continued.
After awhile she broke away and lay her head in the crook of his neck. Dante stopped and wrapped his arms around her middle and upper back, holding her close. He softly kissed the side of her head and neck, before burying his nose in her hair and taking a deep breath, her heavenly scent sending his mind spinning. He could never pin down exactly what she smelled like; he just knew that he'd never known such a wonderful scent. It was... intoxicating.
He remembered that back during his training, the AI that instructed his class had been teaching biology. He'd said that human males and females could unconsciously detect whether or not a person of the opposite sex would produce good children with them by their scent. A good scent meant a good mix of genetics and healthy offspring.
He wondered if that was the case here? The thought made him smile and he again inhaled deeply.
Suddenly he noticed that Myra was shaking, her chest heaving softly. Pulling back he looked at her to see what was wrong. She was crying.
"Myra? What's wrong?" He asked concerned, looking her over. She shook her head, tears still slowly falling down her face. Dante was confused; he had no idea what was wrong. "Myra..." he started, but she silenced him with a searing kiss. He could feel her tears on his cheeks as she cried into the kiss, confusing the Spartan even more.
When she pulled away, Myra stared in his eyes and shook her head, smiling even as tears fell from her emerald eyes.
Dante was at a loss. He didn't have the faintest clue what was going on as Myra gave him another small kiss. Reaching up he wiped away her tears with his thumb as she leaned into his hand, closing her eyes with a smile.
The Vixen closed the distance between them and nuzzled his face. "I... I love you Dante..." Myra said softly, as she held onto him tightly, tears still falling down her cheeks.
Dante smiled and kissed away a tear. "I love you too Myra..." The Spartan replied, kissing away more of her tears, pressing her body against his.
She smiled and tightened her grip on him, her claws digging into his skin, crying softly. "I love you... I love you, I love you, I love you..." Myra repeated as she lay against his chest now, still holding him tightly as the Spartan kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back softly.
Dante shushed her and rocked her softly, cradling her in his arms as what he was sure now were happy tears continued to fall from her emerald eyes. Grinning at how cute she was, he carefully kissed her and seared this moment into his memory.
He wanted to say more, to tell her that he would give his life for her, protect her and so much more... but he didn't know how to tell her. He didn't even know if the right words existed.
Instead, he held her and rolled over onto his side, putting one leg in between hers and the other around her hips and pulled her gently against him and wrapped himself around her protectively. She nestled back into his chest, still crying softly, before giving him a love bite and licking his neck.
They stayed like that, Dante holding her in his powerful arms as her breathing slowed and Myra drifted off to sleep. He didn't move the entire night, not wanting to wake her. Even as his arms began to burn and fall asleep from staying in the same position for so long, he didn't move an inch.
He stayed awake long into the night, watching her sleep, her chest rising and falling softly, and feeling the soft beat of her heart against his as held her.
As he watched Myra smile softly nuzzle him in her sleep, his mind drifted back to the day's events and what he'd discovered. One word popping up in his thoughts again and again.
Librarian.
Pay attention, this is important
First things first, I edited chapters 1 & 2. Cleaned them up a bit and polished them.
Going to be updating 3 & 4 soon. Changing around 4 as well, so that Myra isn't horribly raped. Not at that point anyways. Lots more killing instead!
Re-read'em if ya want and offer up some suggestions for improvement.
Second, and most importantly, you'll notice I've changed the timeline for the return of the battle group from 6 months to 3. For several reasons, most that ull understand later.
Love to hear your opinions and suggestions on everything, feedback is invaluable.
The fact that people like Dante and Myra's romance is something I'd never expected. But I'm really happy ya guys like it. Deffinatlly want some feedback on that.
also. Some of you dont seem to understand that cant message you back when youre on a guest account. fix yourself.
Yes. Almost forgot.
For those who are interested...
I was really bored one night, trying to drown my hate and misery in pills and alcohol.
And ended up creating a model of the crashed Albatross in Halo 4's Forge. Complete with bunks and everything.
Its ALMOST how I picture it to be in my head.
Some parts you'll have to use your imagination for, like the fact that the bunks arnt rly bunks.
And that the ship isn't really surrounded by a 40ft rockwall.
But, you want to see it just go to file share search in Halo 4 and search "EoP REVOLUTION"
or the tag Spherite. Enjoy. And try not to get lost in the woods, cant remember where i put all the landmines.