Chapter 6: Fural

The floor of the Supreme Crusader felt hollow, the absence of weight infecting Fural's body, turning him into an empty shell. Their mission had failed so spectacularly that he wondered if it even happened at all. The Demon still lived, the humans' ship found its way to the Sacred Ring unimpeded, and now the heathens were scattered along its surface like rats. Fural felt like if he tripped and fell, he would shatter.

The walk to the control room was silent. When Dom tried to come up with ways to justify their failure, Fural didn't listen. He didn't hear a single word his brother said until they entered the room, and knelt behind 'Rylanee. A burning aura of disappointment surrounded the Shipmaster, who didn't turn to face the impotent sangheili. There was nothing left to say, not that anything could be said to begin with.

"The humans fought ferociously," said Dom, believing somehow they could return from this loss. "We nearly accomplished our mission. If the fleet hadn't fired-"

"They only fired due to your ineptitude," 'Rylanee said. He turned around, his fiery gaze burning a hole into both of them. "I expected this from your brother, not from you. At least have the decency to take responsibility for your mistakes."

"Yes, Shipmaster," Dom sighed. "We did all we could."

'Rylanee stared them down, testing their patience. Dom looked the Shipmaster in the eye, Fural could not meet his gaze. He had been in this situation countless times, the only difference now being that his brother was on the line with him.

"Be thankful I trust you not to let me down again," the Shipmaster's voice boomed. "Do not make a fool of me."

"Yes, Shipmaster," Dom repeated, bowing to his superior. "I will not fail again."

"You may go," 'Rylanee waved them off, turning back to his station.

They had gotten off much easier than Fural was used to. He often ended up supervising the unggoy in their quarters, or cleaning up after the rowdy kig-yar. This time the only punishment was the shame of failing at the doorstep of the Great Journey.

Dom left the control room, Fural trailing behind. He couldn't think of anyone to blame but himself for slowing their advance. Dom had every reason to shame him in front of the Shipmaster, but he chose not to.

"That went… Well," Fural said when they were alone.

"I suppose it did," Dom sighed. "For you, anyway."

"I won't let this happen again," Fural said.

"Why don't I believe you?"

Fural scoffed, just after thinking his brother had his back.

"This is not the first time you've said that," Dom said. "And I doubt it's the last. You simply cannot control yourself."

Fural responded with a snort. He didn't know what to say because his brother spoke the truth. His reckless behaviour could not be stopped, and he didn't know how to control it. Dom sighed again, his disappointment in his brother immeasurable.

"I'm going to rest," he said. "I will be in my quarters."

Dom left, Fural didn't plan on following him. Alone in the corridor, all he had were his thoughts to keep him company. He wandered through the halls, the simple activity keeping his dark thoughts at bay. It was impossible to sit still for a moment, or his doubts would catch up to him. The walk brought him to the prison sector, the emptiest place on the ship. It was where he spent most of his time.

Despite having dozens of cells, it wasn't often they were full. One cell held a group of rowdy kig-yar who couldn't stop causing problems for the crew, another one held an unggoy who refused to do what he was told. Fural wondered why 'Rylanee didn't just kill them.

His life was more meaningful than theirs, but they were there for reasons that should've landed him in the brig alongside them. The kig-yar snarled and threw themselves at the energy shield keeping them inside, taunting Fural into doing something he would regret. The unggoy stared at him like he wasn't supposed to be there, like this was territory that belonged to it.

"Useless sangheili!" a kig-yar snarled. "You are no fighter!"

"You drag the Covenant down!" another hissed.

The kig-yar spoke like they were safe behind their shield, knowing he wasn't allowed to do anything about their insults. Unfortunately for them, Fural was bad at following the rules. The frail creatures grinned at him as he stomped toward their cell, their smug faces saying 'you can't touch us!'. He pressed his palm against the door control, the barrier lowering to allow him inside.

As soon as he stepped through, his fist found its way into a kig-yar's skull. He grabbed another by the throat, squeezing his grip as he planted his foot on the first one's chest. The third retreated to the back of the cell, he grabbed its beak and threw it onto the floor.

The kig-yar in his grip struggled to break out, choking and pleading for its life. Fural didn't hear a word it let out. He slammed the creature against the wall, letting it drop to the floor. The three kig-yar lay bloody and beaten on the floor, they wouldn't be taunting anyone else. He didn't bother to make sure they were still alive before raising the barrier.

The unggoy in the other cell stared at him wide-eyed, backing into the corner.

"Sangheili friend!" the creature pleaded. "Me want no bad things to happen! I tell no one!"

Fural fought the urge to beat the unggoy senseless for even speaking to him. He stormed out of the brig, leaving it to fear whether or not he would return. Someone would find the kig-yar eventually, and he was sure the terrified unggoy wouldn't sell him out.

He left the brig feeling refreshed, satisfied with the feeling of the kig-yar's bones breaking against his hands. The physicality of the act gave him the energy to keep going. He continued venturing through the prison sector, walking past the empty brig where the sparring arena sat, to the water dispenser where he had the unfriendly encounter with the other group of kig-yar; who he was certain had died in the assault. Like we would have, had I not gotten us out.

I got us out. We would be dead if not for me, Fural convinced himself. 'Rylanee refuses to understand.

All of Dom's lessons about the fragility and preservation of life repeated in his head, the idea that life is just as sacred as the Forerunners and their creations. It made Fural laugh. All he ever did was take the lives of others, and the one time he does the opposite, he's shamed for it.

Fural threw his fist into the water dispenser, shattering the nozzle. He slammed it again and again, striking it until the water drenched him, and pooled on the floor. Blood trickled out of his knuckles, his hand stung from the impacts, but it felt good. The anger didn't leave his body, it was only temporarily sated. He left the dispenser for an engineer to repair, returning to the sparring arena, and sitting on a crate.

He hated this place, he didn't know why he was there. The image of Dom standing over him as he lost every duel only made him angrier. Every mission is the same. You should just listen to me, Dom said in his mind.

Fural stood and removed his harness, feeling the cold air of the brig on his skin. It was the only feeling that truly soothed him. The harness was already repaired, impossible to tell it was damaged in the first place. His chest was dotted with impacts from bullets, already healing from the growth gel lathered onto it. The bullet holes would remain as scars, adding to the swaths of cuts and impacts all over his body.

The only saving grace was that he wasn't truly punished for his failure, because 'Rylanee knew it would happen again. If this failure stemmed into something worse, he would certainly be killed. Dom treated it like nothing had gone wrong, when it couldn't have gone worse. The Great Journey was now in jeopardy, and this was his last chance to prove himself.

He put his harness back on slowly, relishing in the pressure of being covered from head to toe in armour. Dreading what would happen next, he decided it was time to turn himself around. There was nothing left to do but seek his brother's guidance.

Dom wasn't in his quarters, there was no sign of him anywhere. Fural had to think deeply about where else his brother might be, and ended up finding him in a reliquary. He was in a circle of sangheili, each kneeling before a Forerunner relic in the centre of the room.

What the relic actually did, Fural did not know, but it was worshipped by the sangheili warriors around it. Among them was a priest, his robes pooling at the floor beneath him.

"This is our time to rejoice," the priest spoke, his voice reverent but commanding. "For the Covenant to come together, and bask in Halo's light. Think not of the human's presence, only of the opportunity to surpass them. When we set our feet on the path, it will be for all to see, but only for the worthy to follow."

We already surpassed them long ago, Fural thought, suppressing a snort.

The sangheili raised their hands, none of them taking any notice of Fural's entrance. Dom was the only one to see him enter, but he remained focused on the sermon. As rowdy as Fural tended to be, he wouldn't dare interrupt a priest; so he listened.

"Thou in faith will keep us safe, whilst we find the path," the priest said. "The path is here, and it beckons us forward. Let us join hands, and walk it together. None who believe shall be left behind when we reach true divinity."

The sermon went on long enough for Fural to lose track of time, and stop listening. The sangheili cleared out, ignoring his presence on their way to the exit. Only Dom remained, crossing his arms as Fural approached him.

"I assume you did not come here to pray," Dom said. "What do you need?"

Fural scanned the room to make sure they were alone, not that it particularly mattered. He just didn't like having others listen in on personal problems.

"I need your help," Fural sighed. He already expected the surprised look on Dom's face. "If this truly is the beginning of the Journey, I cannot walk it as I am."

"Are you asking to spar?" Dom asked.

"Absolutely not," Fural shook his head. "But, I wonder… How do you remain calm?"

"So this is about the mission."

"It is about peace of mind. How do you do it?"

Dom's mandibles curled in amusement, Fural had to fight the urge to strike him in his jaws. This is not the time to be amused.

"It is not that simple," Dom said. "You do not just acquire peace of mind, you must learn to accept it. For me, it helps to have faith. The Forerunners will guide us to where we need to be."

"You believe our lives are predetermined?"

"Not exactly," Dom shrugged. "I believe everyone is destined for great things, but only you can determine how to reach your destiny."

"So what must I do?" Fural asked, heating up with each question he had to ask.

Dom sensed his anger, amused by the fact a simple conversation could rile him up so easily. Fural had a sense that his brother knew what he was doing, but remembered that almost every conversation with Dom went the same way. The anger faded, replaced by annoyance.

"Come with me," Dom said. "I will show you a place where you can clear your mind."

"Great," Fural sighed. "Another reliquary."

Dom didn't respond, but Fural followed him anyway. A quiet journey through the ship brought them to the upper levels, a place Fural rarely ventured. The corridors were still the same, the same amount of unggoy lazily bounded through the halls, but it felt different. The knowledge that he hadn't been there before was all it took to make the experience new.

Fural couldn't guess where they were going, it was too far to be another reliquary. Dom stopped at a door wide enough to fit a Phantom through, opening it with a panel beside it.

"This is where I go when I need time to think," Dom said.

Beyond the door was a stretch of land with rolling hills, clusters of trees, and rocky outcroppings. Observation platforms surrounded the natural landscape, carefully trimmed vines snaking up the walls around them. At first glance, Fural forgot he was aboard the Crusader.

"You've never visited the preserve?" Dom asked, noticing Fural's awe. "For how long you have served aboard this ship?"

"I didn't know of it," Fural said.

Technically it was the truth. He'd heard warriors mention the preserve many times, but he thought nothing of it. This was a marvel of engineering he didn't even know the Covenant was capable of.

He stepped onto the grass, the soft ground a refreshing change of pace from the hard floors of spacefaring vessels. Above the trees sat Halo, its magnificence shining onto the preserve.

"It is more beautiful now than it has ever been," Dom said, his eyes locked on the Sacred Ring. "I will leave you be. The nature will soothe you, and Halo will give you much to think about."

Fural grunted, letting his brother go. He walked through the grass, and between the trees. The large walls surrounding the preserve reminded him he was aboard a ship, but he forgot so every time he looked back at the foliage. The contrast between the natural landscape and the ring in the sky made his head spin.

Past a line of trees was a clearing, a river running through it. Fural sat down, knees in the grass, and took a deep breath. The water lapped at the riverbed, amphibians chirped and croaked. A subtle breeze blew through the trees, cooling him down.

Usually the Crusader was too quiet, the hum of machinery through the walls wasn't enough to keep his mind busy. He much preferred the sound of battle; the gunfire and explosions, the wails of dying humans. It motivated him to fight harder. The level of noise in the preserve was perfectly calming.

Halo was ever-present in the sky, its perfect shape against the blazing orange planet behind gave it the appearance of an eye. Fural felt as if the Gods themselves were watching over him, Halo being the gateway between his world and the divine beyond.

It beckoned him to come closer, yet it was so far away. The prospect of setting foot on the Sacred Ring made him feel like he was already there, on the cusp of achieving Godhood. Godhood will not save me. Only I can save myself.

But it was himself that stood in his way. Dom tried to guide him to the right path countless times, he could never find the patience to listen. A constant war waged in his mind between the half of him that wanted to be better, and the half that would never change.

Perhaps it was the desire to change that was the source of his rage, the need to show others that he could be more than a letdown. The answer lay in embracing who he truly was: a killer who furthers the Journey by slaying those who oppose it. If he was looked down upon for doing his duty, so be it.

But that wouldn't stop him from learning. If he couldn't change who he was, he would allow his experiences to do it instead. Dom always said the greatest warriors only achieved their status through the journeys they took to get there, Fural would be no different.

The journey to cleanse the Sacred Ring from the humans was the greatest he could have asked for. He stood, closing his eyes and allowing himself to be cleansed in Halo's light, the ring's holy presence washing his misdeeds away.

Dom was right, this was what he needed. Peace of mind.

Fural remained in the nature preserve, having little time to explore before he was called back to duty. The orders received from 'Rylanee were all he was waiting for, the mission he anticipated more than any other. They were travelling to the surface of Halo to eliminate the humans.

The Crusader's halls were far more crowded than Fural was used to, warriors rushed between compartments to be ready with haste, excited to be the first ones on the ring. He met with Dom on the way to the Spec-Ops armoury, pushing past a team of commandos happily conversing with one another, who shut up when Fural arrived.

"Brother!" Dom exclaimed. "You look refreshed."

"I am excited," Fural said, heading straight for the rack of carbines.

"As am I," Dom said. "We will be among the first to set foot on Halo. We'll be remembered for generations to come!"

"Indeed," Fural chuckled. "But removing the humans from Halo's presence excites me more."

"Really? What is so exciting about that?"

"I look forward to the thrill of battle," Fural said. He attached the carbine to his back, and a plasma rifle to his hip. "And because it is the will of the Gods."

"Or is it because you enjoy the act of killing?" Dom asked. "Because taking lives is what you do best?"

Fural didn't deny it. He could tell his brother was testing him, to see if his time in the preserve changed anything. Dom's questions made his mandibles curl.

"They are the enemy, are they not?" he asked.

"They are," Dom said. "But there is more to fighting your enemy than killing them, and more than that, this is a glorious moment! We are about to take the next step of the Great Journey! It doesn't need to be overshadowed by your lust for violence."

"I've heard this a thousand times. It overshadows nothing," said Fural. "Killing is the gift the Gods have bestowed upon me, and I will use it to its fullest extent. Halo is being desecrated, and the Journey is imperiled. Killing these humans is the next step, not just setting foot on the ring."

"A moment like this mustn't be softened by worry," Dom said. "But if that is your wish, I will not stop you."

"Who says I am worrying?" Fural asked.

Dom responded with an empty glare, and left the room. Fural's blood ran warmer, he took a deep breath to cool down. No matter what he did, Dom always found a way to anger him. He made sure he was fully armed before following his brother to the hangar.

The hangar deck was crowded once more with hundreds of unggoy, sangheili, and kig-yar. Spirit transports were loaded up with warriors and sent on their way to Halo; dozens of dropships left the open maw of the Crusader at once. They planned to take control of the entire ring with one assault.

Fural and Dom were directed to the Unwavering Soul, beneath it awaited a squad of unggoy. All eight of the lowly creatures were armed with Spec-Ops gear, and they perked up at the sight of their sangheili overlords approaching.

"This cannot be our squad," Fural breathed.

"It is," Dom said, the annoyance clear in his voice. "They will serve us well."

"We have no need for cannon fodder," said Fural. "This mission is better suited for sangheili."

"Calm yourself brother," Dom said. "What happened to you being an excellent killer? Surely a team of unggoy will not change that."

Fural growled, the look of amusement on Dom's face told him enjoyed his anger.

"They're not worth your rage," Dom continued. "If you wish to serve with the sangheili, you'll have to prove you're capable of it. So far your actions have proved otherwise."

Fural clenched his fists, fighting the urge to strike his brother. He wanted nothing more than to see Dom beaten and bloodied, to have even a little taste of defeat. But he stopped himself from acting, and even thinking about turning to violence.

He thought back to the moment he spent in the preserve, when he could feel the Gods watching over him. It took him a while to accept that they were always watching, and that he truly was destined for great things. If he wanted to be like Dom, he would accept that the unggoy weren't worth getting angry over.

"Alright, brother," he said, spite still creeping into his voice. "I will fight alongside them."

"I'm glad you could change your mind," Dom said.

"Yes, boss!" an unggoy piped up, overhearing their conversation. "We not let you down!"

"Quiet!" Fural snapped at the unggoy, who quickly stopped talking.

Dom watched him in amusement again before entering the Unwavering Soul through the gravity lift. Fural made sure the unggoy followed him in before being the last one to enter. Just because he had to serve alongside them didn't mean they had to get along.

"We are departing from the Supreme Crusader," 'Cinatee announced from the cockpit.

The Phantom left the hangar behind, joining the flight of dropships on their way to Halo. Dom seemed so excited that he might just explode.

"We are about to set foot on Halo!" he exclaimed. "I have waited for this moment my whole life."

"You knew this day would come?" Fural asked.

"I hoped it would," Dom said. "Generations have come and gone without word of Halo's existence, but we held steadfast in our faith. It is because of them that we are here now, and that all of the Covenant's strife will be worth it."

Fural watched the ring grow larger on the dropship's monitors. The closer they came to it, the more he could feel its pull. Halo beckoned all of them to share in its glory.

"Yes… This is what we've all been fighting for," Fural said.

He couldn't share his brother's excitement in Halo's promise, they both anticipated different things. Dom wished to walk the path of the Great Journey, and become a God with the rest of the Covenant. Fural knew they couldn't get there with the humans standing in their way. One matter was clearly more important than the other.

The surface of the ring grew close enough for Fural to make out the details. The natural landscape lining the ring's inner surface was as magnificent as he expected, though the thought of it crawling with humans dampened the moment.

"I'm glad you're here with me," Dom said, turning from the monitor to look at Fural. "I wouldn't have it any other way."