Chapter 3: Fural
"It is everything we have ever dreamed," Dom breathed, standing in the cockpit of their Phantom as it approached the massive Halo ring.
Fural stood at the other side of the cockpit from Dom. Though the ring was fascinating, he couldn't help but not be as excited as his brother. He did care about the Forerunners, and the Covenant faith, but not as much as his older brother. What he wanted was a fight. One he knew he would be getting soon, but he was restless.
"We will be landing soon," said Jors, "be prepared to engage the humans once we are there."
"Hm. It seems we may get there first," Dom said, stepping back and looking at a holo of the battle happening above the ring. "They are only just now changing course."
"That is good then," Jors looked down at the surface as they approached, "we shall be the first on the ring!" Jorus's voice was filled with excitement. Though it was the humans that discovered the Halo first, it would be the Sangheili that would be the first to step foot on it.
"We shall prepare for battle now," Dom closed the holo and rested a hand on the hilt of his energy sword. "Even though we will be there first, we must always be prepared for a fight." Dom casually glanced at his brother, who was leaning against a wall with his arms crossed. "We never know when we might find one."
Fural looked up as he saw his brother eyeing him, and the two left the cockpit. Fural copied his brother as they entered the troop bay, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword as well.
"Fural, you are very quiet," Dom said as the door to the cockpit closed, the tone of his voice changed to one of slight concern. "This is a glorious day for the Covenant."
"I know," Fural sighed, "I share your excitement, though I do not show it."
"Ah yes," Dom's tone shifted again, this time to slight amusement. "A warrior never shows their enemy any emotion, for it reveals many weaknesses that the warrior might not know they have."
Fural clicked his mandibles, sharing Dom's amusement. "Exactly. All I wish is to slay the humans, to perfect my performance in battle."
"And we will do so while under the vision of our forefathers," Dom nodded.
The Phantom rattled as it slowed down, nearing the surface of the ring. The two Sangheili stood at the back of the troop bay, awaiting the activation of the gravity lift. Fural wanted nothing more than to fight, but Dom was grateful to have time to look around first. To get a feel for being on the surface of Halo.
"We are approaching the surface!" Jors called from the cockpit, not bothering to use the transport's intercom, "prepare to deploy!"
"Here we go, brother," Fural turned to Dom as they stood on either side of the gravity lift, "all you've ever wanted."
The boom of the gravity generators echoed around the troop bay as they activated, and the blue light of the lift poured throughout the dark purple bay. Dom was the first out, jumping through the hole and floating down to the surface, and Fural followed close behind.
Dom's feet planted in the sand of a vast desert, and he took a few steps forward as Fural landed in the same place.
"I wish I could follow you, brother," Jors said through communications on the Phantom, "but for now I am needed elsewhere. Good luck, and may the Forerunners guide your hand."
Dom slowly crouched and grabbed a handful of sand as the Undiminishing Conviction flew back to the Supreme Crusader. More Phantoms began to streak across the sky as the Covenant prepared to meet the human ship as it landed. Fural looked up at them, they were barely bigger than his thumbs at that vast distance away.
Dom stood back up, releasing the handful of sand back onto the ground. "I… am the first Sangheili to step foot on Halo… it feels… good."
"And you are the second," Dom addressed his brother, turning around to face him. As usual, Fural didn't seem very interested in what was happening, "no time to process it, hm?"
"I will process it later," Fural responded, watching the sky. "I have been out of the fight for far too long, my blade must taste the blood of the humans soon."
"As I thought, war is all you care about," Dom shook his head, and the two then began trudging through the sand.
"Are you surprised?" Fural tilted his head, "it is all you ever trained me for. You have taught me pretty much nothing about the Forerunners, or why they're so great. All it has been is duel after duel, one target practice match after the other. You have taught me that war is all a warrior should care about"
"War is all most members of the Covenant have ever known," Dom said silently, agreeing with Fural, "I save the knowledge of our faith for the Prophets to tell, while I focus on the aspects of war that the Covenant needs to grow and survive. I am the most religious Sangheili most will ever know, but it is not my… strong suit."
"As you have told me," Fural sighed, "time and time again."
"Then why do you keep pushing it?"
"I… don't know," Fural looked up at the sky again. He could just barely make out the grey boxy shape of the human ship, and the explosions going off around it. "I know I shouldn't say this aloud, but I do not trust the Prophets. You, Jors, Mace, Thel… you are the only ones I would trust with my life, and the knowledge in it."
"Then go to them instead of me," Dom joined his brother in watching the human ship in the sky. "We are family, but I cannot be there for everything."
"Yeah," Fural sighed in agreement.
"Attention warriors," the voice of Supreme Commander 'Vadamee sounded throughout all the Sangheilis' communicators, "the human ship is adjusting course. Proceed to new coordinates and prepare for battle."
"Well, you got your wish, let us move," Dom said quietly as the human ship in the sky began growing bigger as it drew closer.
"With haste," Fural responded.
The two Sangheili began moving to intercept the ship as it made its way down to the surface of the ring. Fural eventually moved his hand from the hilt of his sword to the grip of his carbine on his back.
"Really?" Dom glanced behind him at Fural as he switched his weapons, though he was speaking in a joking manner.
"We're not going to be in close quarters," Fural grunted, running forward with his carbine in his hands.
"Yeah, right," Dom switched to his plasma rifle.
The Phantoms in the sky lowered to the ground and began deploying squads of Sangheili and Unggoy, all of them armed with long ranged weapons as well.
"Here they come!" one of the blue armoured Sangheili called out, "the humans wish to defile the ring!"
"Let us quell these parasites!" another one called.
Dom stood in his battle stance with his arms out at his sides, spreading his mandibles to bear his teeth. "The infection will be cleansed."