Chapter 2: Jungle Gun Run
Now that the glow of the campfire had been left behind, Nathan could again feel the cold begin to creep into him through his wet fatigues. The humidity of the jungle was not going to help dry him off, and if he didn't get his wound looked after soon it could get infected, and possibly be lethal.
His eyes never stayed on one place for even a second. The flood were not the ones to sit and wait in ambush, they would be moving in the trees, so he didn't need to concentrate to see them. The human eyes could detect movement easily.
He and Jimaelhae walked quickly through the undergrowth, but years of experience with rough terrain had caused them to become surefooted when other would have fallen on their face.
A growl sounded from off to their side. Both Jimaelhae and Nathan spun, weapons following their movements. Both of them saw the shadowy shape jump up into the trees. Nathan quickly looked behind him, seeing another shape jump high. Jimaelhae snarled, and started forward, a little quicker than before.
"Fuck that! Run damnit!" Nathan yelled firing two shots into the trees above.
The elite knew that Nathan knew much more about fighting the flood than himself. With that in mind he broke into a run with Nathan right behind. Jimaelhae was impressed that the marine was able to keep up, under normal circumstances it would have been difficult, but with that wound across his chest and lack of sleep it was unbelievable.
A combat form fell from the trees in front of the two. Jimaelhae felt a low growl escape his own mouth even as the creature brought a clawed hand back ready to strike. Jimaelhae drove his shoulder into the creature's chest, driving it to the ground. Nathan followed up the hit by driving a foot through the infected ribcage and crushing the controller within the ex-elite's chest.
A infected marine leapt from the woods, a pistol firing wildly into the air. Nathan fired a few shots into the thing's chest putting it down quickly. The two soldiers tore through the jungle, with just a few traces of light leaking down from the treetops.
"How do we know where to go?" Nathan asked, hoping the alien would know Halo better than himself.
"We don't," Jimaelhae answered without stopping.
The growls were growing in volume behind them, and both could tell that the flood were gathering to kill them.
Barkarus looked down at the glistening water. It was so clear, but the reflection of the sun above reflected off the glossy surface. He could see himself, could feel a surge of pride at the Mohawk that now adorned his head. Another obvious symbol of the chieftain.
The wounds across his body were healing well now, and he was ready to lead his army across Halo, and cleanse it of the filth that had collected on the sacred ring.
Another brute came up beside Barkarus. He was called Cerberus, and was Barkarus's right hand. His face was covered in vicious scars, and there were patches of fur missing from his hide. He was a veteran of war, but he had no desire to lead the clan, which was why Barkarus trusted him.
"The Jackals have found the Arbiter. He does not have a large group with him, just ten elites and those two humans," Cerberus reported, looking across the water, as if searching for prey.
"Take however many you need, and crush them," Barkarus ordered.
"The fate of the Arbiter?" Cerberus asked still looking across the water.
"Though I would like him returned to me alive, dead is sufficient," Barkarus ordered.
Cerberus's face twisted in the smile of his species. He turned and left to do what was asked of him. Barkarus knew that the Arbiter would soon no longer need to trouble his thoughts.
Fenris heard the far off growls of the Flood, and the sounds of gunfire. There could be some survivors, and they would be her only way out of this place. She took off at a run, snapping branches and jumping over shrubs in her rush.
A single combat form leapt in front of her, and Fenris fired her shotgun without thinking twice. Pieces of yellowish meat flew in all directions, and she ran past the mess, determined to get to the battle.
Above her she saw more Flood. They were hunting her now. Her face twisted into a scowl. This prey was not defenseless, far from it.
Nathan fired the last shot from his carbine. The empty pod ejected from the weapon. Nathan swung his head to the side surprised by the ejection.
"Forgot about that," he muttered as he slipped a full pod into the alien weapon.
Jimaelhae was just a few feet ahead firing a steady barrage into the foliage. Many of the combat forms were armed, and so return fire was blazing through the jungle. A plasma bolt just missed Nathan's head. He turned and fired three shots at the creature. It fell back dead.
One of the flood landed behind Jimaelhae, and was about to impale the warrior with a tentacle. Nathan raised his weapon and fired a shot taking the limb off. Jimaelhae turned and slammed the butt of his carbine into the creature's chest, causing the cavity to collapse and killing the abomination.
The elite nodded a quick thanks to Nathan before turning back to the oncoming flood.
Nathan looked around, the flood were coming in from all directions. There were so many, too many.
"Fuck you bastards," Nathan screamed defiantly at the oncoming horde. He fired his weapon wildly hitting some of the flood warriors, but most missed their target.
"Calm down human. Panic will get us no where," Jimaelhae called from his position.
Nathan knew that his partner was right. He reloaded his weapon quickly but calmly. He had survived worse than this, so he could fight through this. He may deserve to die, but he still had a job to do. He had to do everything in his power to fight back the flood, and whatever remained of the covenant.
The loud boom of a shotgun jerked Nathan from his thoughts that he could slip into when fighting mindlessly. He looked through the dim jungle, seeing another group of flood coming towards him and Jimaelhae. However on the ground was the outline of a marine, they were firing a shotgun at whatever approached them.
"Over here," Nathan called, and the marine started running even harder.
The marine came out from a bush just in front of Nathan. She spun and fired her shotgun tearing a flood warrior in half. She was covered in blood, both yellow and red. Her black hair was tied back in a French braid, and she had a battle rifle strapped across her back.
"Sir," she said upon seeing his rank on his sleeve.
"We'll have time for formalities later Corporal," Nathan replied, firing a few shots into the foliage.
The new arrival nodded, and fired a shot above her at a combat form leaping down in an attempt to crush the pair of them. The blast from the shotgun tore through the creature. What remained of its corpse landed on the ground between the two with a dull thud, and blood splashed over the pair.
After a few minutes the flood stopped their attack. For a good few hundred meters there was a trail of broken branches, trampled foliage and blood. Now the three soldiers were resting against a tree.
After the introductions, Nathan explained to Fenris about Jimaelhae. About how the covenant had split into two, brutes versus elites.
"You realize that an alliance between humans and elites will be impossible. The hatred is too strong," Fenris pointed out, wiping the blood from her shotgun.
"I am," Jimaelhae responded.
"An alliance may be, but a cease to hostilities may not be," Nathan tried.
"Possible, but doubtful," Fenris said, looking back at their trail.
"Our only hope to keep our two species from killing each other is the arbiter. I've already heard stories that he was working together with some humans," Jimaelhae explained.
"Where do we find him?" Nathan asked.
"I do not know," Jimaelhae responded, head just a little.
"Well, if your not sure we better start looking. Halo is quite big," Fenris said, standing and holding her shotgun over her shoulder.
"We should see if we can find some proper medical supplies as well," Nathan put in, looking down at his wound. Through the crack in the armor all three could see fresh blood staining the bandage. The wound had begun bleeding again through the fighting.
"If that doesn't get looked after soon, you could die," Fenris told the sergeant.
"I know, so we should get going. Time is not on our side," Nathan said, looking up at the sky, as if searching for an answer.
None came.