The first thing that assaulted them was the thick stench, the putrid smell of decay and death that had infested itself inside the walls of this once great and holy city. Aethos could barely breathe through the horrific thicket of corruption, he could only be thankful that the parasite had not become airborne as to yet. As the five Sangheili warriors stepped forward carefully, the golden bladed and massive elite taking the lead; they all laid eyes on the thick dripping resin that encased all purple walls in their vicinity.
The encasement of flesh, boils and even strands of elongated hairs spanned out like a breathing organism, allowing pours of puss and green gas to seep out into the already tampered atmosphere of this once great hallway. Parts of the wall were even customised for assault, bony fingers reached out and clenched together in hopes to rip into a victim's own flesh. As the elite warriors neared the infested span of decay, numerous long black hairs on the wall shrivelled together and pointed themselves straight at the intruders; almost like an alarm was put in place.
Suddenly with a quick eruption of green gases, several boils on the decaying wall burst open in identical small explosions of yellow mucus and salivating puss; and thus the flood spores were released upon the world of the Covenant.
"Arm yourselves!" Ra'zark roared out to his comrades, swinging his own blue cackling energy sword into a combat ready position as the never-ending torrent of small withering spores climbed every crevice and wall in hopes to infect them. The spores themselves were oddly shaped, almost like a squid with several disabled lower limbs; its bulging sack constructed most of its mass while the thin red tipped tentacles would serve as the most potent of its weaponry.
The initial spore unleashed itself wildly, tentacles thrashing in all directions and crimson coated flower like mandibles preparing themselves to become one with the elite targets. However the soft lightweight proved no match against the Sangheili force, simply popping against the leader's heavy energy shields with a miniature eruption of gas and brown fluid.
As the rest of the small floodlings followed suite, the Elites roared out and opened fire on them; slaughtering many with projectile weaponry whilst stepping or slashing at any that attempted to unleash themselves physically. Ra'zark grumbled as he smashed his toes down onto one of the pathetic spores, personally he felt as if using his energy sword would have been a waste of good energy and thus used his own limbs to personally dispatch the filths.
Despite the thousands of casualties ensured, the flood spores simply came coming; throwing waves of their own flesh in vain efforts to halt the elites. As Aethos pulverised a large wave of the small critters with a well-placed plasma grenade, he looked to his side and realised that the continuous suicidal efforts of these creatures was actually working. His own shieling had been pulled down to thirty percent of its original capacity and judging by the frantic sparks of his comrades; they were not suiting much better.
"We must move forward!" Nihai' roared outloud, his mandible's spreading violently in every direction as he led the way through the thick sea of brown resin and infected carcasses. As the Sangheili violently cut their own way through the barrage of enemies, a silent gargle managed to allow one of the minors to splash down to the ground; two bulging flood spores attaching themselves to its unarmoured neck.
"Leave him; there is nothing to be done!" Ra'zark growled to his brother who had halted to assist the fallen elite; then with a resounding nod the Ultra rushed straight forward in order to get through the chamber into the hall of the Arbiter.
The minors thrashing limbs and cries could be heard from all the way across the corridor as the four surviving Sangheili warriors got to safety. It was only when the blue armoured elite's brain finally merged itself into the hive mind of the flood; did it stop screaming and start moaning outloud in initial pain and never-ending hunger to consume all in its path.
The doors slammed shut violently, excluding all of the flood spores and combat forms that attempted to follow them through. The four Sangheili warriors breathed in deeply as they successfully traversed to the small lift that would carry them down to the bridge of the Arbiter.
"How did the parasite come here, upon the holiest of our cities?" The final minor grumbled outloud in complete disbelief and rage, caring not much for the initial chain of command anymore.
"I do not know brother, but this complicates our plans" Ra'zark replied for them all, looking out to the large building that had been situated inside this massive chasm. The mausoleum of the Arbiter was one of the most sacred spots amongst the entire city, its entire network was situated into one room that had been divided from all else by a set of bridges that connected it upwards from the sheer drop below.
A sudden volley of shouts suddenly echoed through the great hall, alerting the Sangheili warriors to look down from the lift into the ongoing battle that had issued itself right below them. Jiralhanae warriors had attempted to climb up the gravitational life themselves but had been assaulted by numerous flood combat forms; as they screamed in death and corruption, the flood hosts only gained strength. As the Sangheili continue to watch, a small batch of hovering Drones quickly descended to assault the flood forms; initially it appeared that the infected creatures were unable to reach the pestering flying insects. However as Aethos continued to watch, a small flock of flying flood swarms unleashed themselves onto the Drones; physically attaching themselves to the hovering insects and ripping them to shreds.
"I cannot say that I pity them, but it would be a horrible death" Aethos bowed his head slowly, remembering the elite minor they had left behind to suffer a similar fate. Despite his hatred for the Brutes and Drones, he wished no death from the Flood onto any species; not even the humans themselves.
"Remember my brothers, we fight for the holy tranquillity of the Prophets; these filthy vermin's will be cleansed of their impurity and smited for their lack of faith!" Nihai' grumbled encouragingly, brandishing his own crimson energy sword and preparing himself to slaughter all flood combat forms that even attempted to halt their progression. He cared not much for those left behind; memories such as those would only distract one from those who needed him then and there.
Finally the gravitational lift allowed the four elites to land upon the thick infected bridge, surrounded by flood combat forms and all armed with blue cackling energy swords; prior to the leading weapons specialist that carried a golden cackling weapon of pure power and raw destruction.