Back to Created and Consumed: Ch 5 Pt 2

Later that week, Ehle, Jurdo and myself were seated sipping drinks with a couple of other students, their names I was yet to discover but one was quite tall and another sported a large burn on his face, I suspected that they were students of another training Guild. We were sharing theories with our group on how they thought the ranks would be decided, I must admit, there were some outrageous suggestions but the conversation still veered off course in one way or another.

“Maybe they just draw us out of a helmet?” Jurdo suggested.

Ehle squashed a spent drink can on his head, “Jurdo, that’s the fifth time you’ve suggested that! I ask you again, what would be the point of us doing the trials if we were chosen at random? It’s pointless…”

Jurdo wiped a few drops of the protein supplement from his face, “It isn’t pointless! If we weren’t chosen at random then how do you explain Tekra and his brainiac lot getting into the trials? They’re smart but they don’t bribe Mentors, that’s just dumb! Ohh! We should have done that! Maybe that’s what the judges wanted?”

“Yeah… and maybe Morta played fair…” Ehle muttered sarcastically, “Did anyone else notice that everything went screwy after he had done his bit?”

I noticed Doxo walk in and sit away from us, I wanted just to be able to talk to him but every time I tried he either walked off or I was distracted by training. Ehle prodded me out of thought, “Hey, you listening?”

I looked at him blankly, “Uh, yeah, sorry Ehle…” I apologised, “I was just thinking, that’s all…”

He shrugged and continued the conversation, “That Morta fella has to be an insider, there’s no way he could have beaten that brute of an elite without some sort of help!”

I looked to one of the new faces, “Have you ever seen him around the training barracks at all?”

He shook his head and gave a palm up gesture, “Never… but he seems like the sort to just pop up out of nowhere, like he stays under the radar until he has to strike…”

We all nodded agreement, “Might explain the dark armour?” Jurdo added, “I’ve heard those stealth types, those ‘Molta’ are the most badass elites in the city. By the Rings, I wish I could be one…”

“You never know Jurdo, they might be looking for someone to replace that Molta Spec. Ops Commander Morta killed the other day…” the tall elite chimed, “Wouldn’t that be a reputation to live up to…”

Jurdo punched the elite in the arm, “Come off it, Kero, you didn’t even make the preliminaries, you’re dreaming if you think you could do Coenu’s name proud!”

I let a laugh escape me, “You’d need to be murdered by that Morta character for a start, though, that shouldn’t be too hard… all you have to do is poke at his pride, he’ll snap for sure.” I commented from my own experience, Morta had a short fuse.

Kero made a small fearful noise, “No way, I’d like to keep my vertebrae intact thanks…” he rubbed his neck automatically.

“Well, someone has to know how we’re chosen at least. There has to be thousands of students in this place, you can’t just look at us and say, ‘Yep I’ll take him…’ and toddle us off to upper level training…”

“That’s what they do at first…” Doxo interjected, shocking us all with his sudden insertion into our conversation.

“What do you mean? They just waltz around this place and choose us by our appearances? What happened to ‘Don’t judge a book by it’s cover’?” Ehle asked, and then after a moment added, “And what the hell is a book?”

Everyone shrugged, the saying Ehle spoke of was an old Forerunner phrase. Nobody had heard of or even seen what a book was; maybe it was a weapon of some sort? Even so, we weren’t exactly troubled by it.

“I mean exactly what I said; did you notice about three weeks ago, the Fleet of Particular Justice was back in from its patrol of the outer City perimeters?” we all nodded and Doxo continued, “They met with some nasty enemy ships, Heretics I’m sure, three of our command ships were totally obliterated and a huge hole was cut in the Covenant’s defences. Who do you think were in the Guild, watching us train, taking notes on our performances, collecting data on family history and the like?”

“The exchange students?” Jurdo inserted, we all stopped to look at him, “What? None of them spoke Sangheili!”

“The Zealots, stupid!” Ehle slapped Jurdo in the head, “Those ones that didn’t speak Sangheili were the damned Kig-Yar! None of ‘em know civilised speech, only how to follow orders.”

“Ohhh! I thought those spiky things looked strange… and they only had one set of jaws, no wonder they can’t speak right…” he sighed, “So were they the ones choosing us?”

We all groaned and slapped Jurdo in the head one by one, then let Doxo explain everything in detail about the trials and how we were selected. It took a while to drill home that the Kig-Yar were currently present in the City only as a temporary nuisance until they could be replaced with more competent troops. After that point, Doxo found it easier to communicate with Jurdo without having to resist injuring him at the same time.

“The Zealots, such as Ado, have been watching us for some time since their return from the outer City rim. Apparently, one named Grena has been given the go-ahead from the Sangheili Council to admit more troops to his fleet since three of his capital ships have been assimilated. He isn’t looking for plain old Gudili, he’s after real warriors. Academy graduates. Us.”

I shook my head, “We have to undergo further training before that happens, we aren’t even in the Academy yet. Ado told me that each of us had to move up a level further before being admitted into the fleet, there’s no way we could get in at this stage.”

Doxo slouched back into his seat, “That’s true…”

I yawned deeply and rubbed my eyes, “Well anyway, I’m calling it a night guys, try not to make too much noise okay?” I received boos and endured a barrage of empty drink cans upon my announcement, “Agh! Watch it!” I growled, dodging a full can and scowling at Kero, “Try that again and I’ll chop that hand off… I’ll see you all in the morning guys.” I waved a farewell to the group and retreated to my bunk. Pushing aside tools and a metal orb-like device I had been working on for the past month or so. I soon found myself reflecting on the day’s events while slowly drifting off to sleep, the laughter and chat outside only just audible through the haze but eventually I sank into the bedding, letting the warmth envelop my body.

After a few minutes, I was prodded from my stupor. “Hey,” Doxo’s deep voice drifted in from my bedside, “You still awake?”

I opened one eye and rubbed my face to try and wake myself, “No…” I groaned, “What is it?”

“Listen, I think you have a decent chance at making the upper ranks, your performance today was close to flawless, you were very good to watch.” He smiled to me warmly, I had missed it a lot, “Well, apart from the close combat task; that was just purely entertainment… but still, the way you decoded the system? You have a fair talent…”

“Doxo.” I cut him short, “Don’t bother flattering me until you give me some form of apology for the way you acted the other day, it was inexcusable.”

He folded his arms on my bunk and looked at me,” Like you were any better, Zyrra, you know as well as I do of that Prophet’s past.”

“I didn’t back when it happened.” I seethed, “All I knew was what I had been told. Everything I knew of Prophet Sanctuary was information on a diskette which is now hidden away in Ado’s quarters somewhere. You didn’t bother to explain why you hated Sanctuary so much, all you did was tell me I was a liar, which I am not, and then you walked off in a huff!” I was now half sitting up, nose to nose with Doxo, “I had to get Ehle to explain to me exactly what was going on, what Sanctuary supposedly did.”

“Zyrra, stop. I don’t want to discuss Sanctuary right now.” I closed my mouth and listened, “I sometimes forget exactly who and what you are, I sincerely apologise for that. Zyrra, I understand that you’ve led a sheltered life; I think it’s cruel how the Prophets are making you prove your worth before allowing your freedom… I can’t help but feel like they’re using you right now…” He looked at the floor and insecurely rubbed his arm, “I just want you to know that I wish you luck with your results, I hope you do well…” he placed his hand on my shoulder and nudged his forehead on mine, “Ado is not going to regret admitting you to his squad.”

Before I could say a word, Doxo left me to sleep, assuring me that the results would bring good news for each of us in one way or the next, all we had to do was wait until morning. I slept well that night, content with the knowledge that Doxo and I weren’t fighting anymore. It was soothing in a way but there was something sad in his voice when he left me in my bed, something I didn’t quite pick up immediately, something which I wouldn’t realise until later in my career…

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The next morning…

“Holy mother of- Jurdo! Ehle! Get up you bags of meat!” I jumped on them and shook them into consciousness.

“What…?” Ehle groaned, still half asleep.

“We made it Ehle! We made the upper levels! Jurdo, by the Rings, get up!” I threw a spent can of nutro drink at him which bounced off his head with an empty clank.

He yawned and rubbed the spot where the can had hit him then sat up, “Show us the paper then…”

I waved it in front of him and Ehle saw it. He sat bolt upright and head-butted me, causing us both to fall backward in a daze while Jurdo plucked the note from mid air and read it, “To the Gudili trainees on HC level 28C quarters Alpha-183, the following Sangheili have been accepted into the upper level training institution…”

I clutched the new bump emerging on my forehead and sat up again, being careful to avoid hitting Ehle a second time, “Go on, read it all!”

“Doxo Tahnamee, Ehle Oikumee, Jurdo Hurriamee and Zyrra Jiserramee… you are each to report to the ‘Light of Passage’ for transport to your new home onboard the ‘Truth and Reconciliation’.”

Onward to Created and Consumed: Ch 6 Pt 2