Hi everyone. Nothing much to say. Thank you for the reviews. There will be an interaction with the humans in a chapter or two.
Chapter 4
When the brush parted to compensate Commander Zulfar's form, Kurr was beside himself with joy. The Sangheili's white armor was dirtied from dirt and leave and something else. There were splotches of deep dark red on the commander's torso and arms. Blood. The blood of Jiralhanae.
The commander was also now armed with several weapons. Aside from the deactivated energy sword on his belt, he brandished a Brute Cannon and Plasma rifle. Even stranger was the furry creature over his shoulder. It was some sort of game beast, Kurr had seen them once or twice on patrol, before the Jiralhanae betrayal was instigated.
The Unggoy left the thickest foliage so he may be seen. He doubted he could drag the female Sangheili out, and figured she'd be safe where she was.
"Anything happen while I was gone?" Commander Zulfar asked.
"Yes sir," gasped Kurr. "Two Jiralhanae came. And I had to hide with the sub-commander. And sir, SuKahn has been charged with hunting you down."
"You are sure?" Commander Zulfar asked calmly.
"Uh…yes sir. One said SuKahn would have their head if they did not find you."
The commander sighed. He dropped the assorted weapons and the game beast down in order to stack about a dozen dried sticks together. The Sangheili removed a small fire starter from some compartment in his armor, and with a flick of his wrist, lit the wood ablaze. The brightest orange Kurr had ever seen burst forth. Perhaps it was not really so bright, but in the consuming darkness it was beautiful.
"Sir?" he whimpered. "Isn't this bad? The Jiralhanae may be close. They could see this and they'll come and they'll kill us."
"No they won't," Commander Zulfar said sharply. "SuKahn's presence may be a gift of the Forerunners. I attacked a group of the Jiralhanae thirty kliks west of here. I also raided one of our former outposts and set the complex ablaze. SuKahn is a fool. He and his Jiralhanae will work themselves into a frenzy at the thought of battle. They'll search the area I attacked, and when they can't find me they'll search it again. SuKahn will have all his men out, and when nothing pops up to kill, they'll get pissed. Misdirection: one of my favorite tactics."
"If you say so sir."
The Unggoy was cold, and the heat of the dancing blaze felt good.
The commander then went about cutting the game beast into pieces, he stuck the assorted bits of meat into the fire and allowed them to cook. Kurr removed his face mask long enough to smell the roast. It made him hungry for a drink at the teat.
When the meat was done, the commander took it away from the fire and started to eat. Kurr's mouth began to water, but he wasn't sure why.
"You should eat," the commander said. "I need you sharp."
"But sir," stuttered the Unggoy. "We cannot eat meat. We can only eat at the teat. The teat gives us our food."
"And yet you have teeth," countered the commander, taking a large bite from the flank. "You have sharp teeth and yet you eat nothing but liquids."
"Sir…I don't understand."
Commander Zulfar took a fresh piece of the seared meat and offered it to the fearful Unggoy. "Try some."
"Sir, its against the Covenant. It's against what the Prophets teach."
"The Prophets also teach that we Sangheili need execution on sight. So take that Needler you cradle and shoot me between the eyes."
"Sir…But…Sir."
"Try the meat, that's an order."
With a shaking claw, Kurr did as he was told. He removed his breathing mask and nibbled gently at the seared food. It tasted amazing. The drink from the teat was a bland, pasty concoction. But this thing, this meat, had a taste that bathed Kurr's tongue and filled his thoughts.
The Sangheili offered the Unggoy more meat, which he blissfully devoured.