The gasp of heavy saliva against the soft cool breeze of a sandy shore was almost a reminder of how much the might of the Covenant had intruded on an already flawless Utopia. The beach curve had been littered with numerous cracks, rocks and gullets of water intakes that spanned outwards from a high pair of mountains to the east. Large solemn brown stacks of bark helped lift a overgrowth of green vegetation; almost a blanket against the outside world as one would enter the thick mangrove undergrowth of the forest. The soothing sound of water slushing up against the beach was almost too much to pass up, but as the large white armoured Sangheili warrior stood on his own two legs to survey his surroundings; he saw nothing but mistakes.
Aethos arced his entire frame upwards as he shifted his hazy vision to the ongoing battle that lay above him; numerous purple covenant vessels slaughtering each other without a twinge of mercy but rather with explosions of gas, fire and metal. The mushroom oriented city of High Charity could be seen from his own position in the sandy shore, and as the Sangheili watched more fire seep out of the entire installation he knew that there was no survival to be found amongst it.
A slow clear droplet started seeping out of the warrior's left eye, splattering down to the soft ground and causing the Elite to shuffle his skull to the side. He may have lost his brothers in the battle above, but he had more important tasks to indulge himself in. As the Ultra shifted his head to the side, he realised that he had been sent straight onto the holy ring itself; something that seemed out of the ordinary and would be drawn upon later.
The blind arrogant fool, Aethos almost swore out loud as he remembered his own brother's recent demise; personally he felt that honour was something to be respected and controlled, but one shouldn't allow it to control themselves. However he knew that Ra'zark had gone out exactly the way he wished to, defending his own brethren whilst facing off against an unstoppable foe.
Aethos growled swiftly as he stepped forward, limbs still wary from the sudden and rather unsanitary teleportation; his vision started to clear up from the usual fog as he took in a deep breath of the augmented oxygen rich air. The Sangheili's mandibles twitched nervously as he felt the familiar but still ominous sense of something watching him; finally he lunged his whiten armoured skull to the side, alerting a small herd of grazing animals to conceal themselves into the thick green vegetation. He knew that he had to keep moving, staying at this location would bring him nothing but depression and death.
However as Aethos stepped one large boot into the sand, a slow rumble drew his attention to a trio of purple banshees that had rushed forwards overhead. Initially, Aethos had felt reassurance; but as he recognised the thick red markings on the banshee sides he was forced to activate his own active camouflage. The airborne fliers accelerated their speed without knowledge of the concealed Sangheili, allowing twin streams of smoke to emanate as the vehicles abandoned the canyon.
The Ultra shook his head softly as he started to walk forward, stepping onto the soft sand with more confidence; allowing his own energy shielding to deactivate and reveal his own white grim covered armour. He had recognised the fliers as the traitorous Jiralhanae, and judging by the smoke screen left behind; the heretics had landed not too far away. A conflict of interest suddenly spanned out within the mind of the Sangheili; he knew that the banshees could get him of this Halo, however to grab such vehicles without weaponry would he an exceptional task.
"Gods give me strength" Aethos spoke softly, reaching down in order to grasp onto the sacred sand that encompassed the entire beach; tightening his own grip on the soft terrain before preparing himself to unleash all hell unto the brute armada.
"Do not call strength from the gods, but from yourself" A voice called out from behind, catching him completely of guard and allowing a choked gasp to escape his own mandibles.
It was not difficult to remember the voice of his brother in arms, his comrade and sibling of combat; the Sangheili Zealot that had defied all odds to stand once again with the Ultra.
The white armoured Elite twisted his head to the side swiftly, barely believing his own dozy eyes as he witnessed the large golden armoured warrior step forwards towards him warily. The Zealot's knees were evidently buckling but his hold onto a thick bundle of brown flesh was pushing him to keep moving. Finally Ra'zark threw the flood combat form corpse to the ground, allowing it to submerge slightly into the water line; two energy swords equally skewered directly through the deceased floodling's chest. The Sangheili fell down onto one own knee as temporary fatigue induced by combat and teleportation had started to affect his own body and thought process.
"I brought your sword back" He finally groaned, toppling his entire body forward in complete exhaustion in order to be caught by his brother in arms; the mighty white warrior carrying his superior to the soft sand in order to lay him to rest. Finally Aethos turned back to the flood form, confident that it was indeed killed before ripping the two cackling energy swords out of the creature's belly; both the crimson and blue surges of plasma slowly disappearing as they were deactivated.
They were safe once again, laying on a white spread beach bay that had been positioned on top of the most destructive and dangerous weapon in the universe.