HALO: CROSSROADS

End of the Road

Murok's problem was perhaps not in his thirst for excessive power, but in the actions that led him to trampling anyone who couldn't be useful for he or who came to consider a threat to his objectives.

On the other hand he always considered that Thel 'Vadam was never worthy of assuming the power that was given to him, he thought that when he was assigned the position of Kaidon it was done because the elders believed that he was a strong sangheili and because was the favorite by many of the members of the clan, however Murok had a different opinion from theirs, he considered himself better than any other, he firmly believed that he was the one who should have been promoted to head of state and not Thel, and his opportunity had arisen when he had failed to protect the Halo ring, although of course he hadn't expected the Arbiter to survive and lead a rebellion against the San 'Shyuum.

Now he was in front of him, once again he would have to lower their heads to Thel Vadam, and he began to feel fed up with all that hypocrisy and not get all the prestige he wanted.

-You sent to call me-

The Arbiter closed to Murok with an attitude of supremacy, and walked around him before finally looking at him face to face.
-I'm sure you know the price of betrayal well, or am I wrong? -.

-Not at all, I know perfectly well the fate of those who dare to raise their sword against our Arbiter-, Murok replied calmly.

Thel growled and looked him straight in the eye, - Then you'll be aware that your life ends here today-.

-My Kaidon I don't understand, what have I done?, what sin have I committed?, if you allow me...-

-Enough, you waste your time trying to evade the truth, it was you... All your aspirations of power, were it so great as to betray us?-.

Until that moment Murok had felt quite certain that even if Thel had had the opportunity, he could never take Nuray's life delayed, and he was sure that nor could he take it from him, he thought he was weak enough to kill someone who was close to him, so he remained silent for a moment and cleared his throat a little before speaking.

-You wouldn't kill someone from your own clan, we grew up together in the common rooms, we could even be brothers, we both looked for the same goal-

Thel stared into his eyes with a gesture that seemed to be a mixture of disappointment, disgust and anger. - Observe around you, we're all brothers here, consecrated by the battle, the blood that is spilled is with honor, we all live here proud of fighting for Sanghelios and we'll die with honor for the same reason... you Murok don't deserve to be called our brother, you don't deserve to be part of this dynasty, and now all you can do is end your fruitless and miserable life so that you can recover a tiny fragment of honor-.

That said, the Arbiter was about to leave waiting for Murok to take the most honorable path he had left: suicide, however the latter seemed not to think the same.

-Do you still want to know what happened that night, isn't it? I know that you Thel 'Vadam still ask it to yourself and I know that your comfort to convince yourself that you were not unfair has been to think that she was guilty-, Murok laughed arrogant while emphasizing the words he would use as a weapon, -It was you who put her in my hands... did you really believe that a small human parasite would be able to plan and perform such complex actions?-.

At that moment Thel clearly understood that Murok had already betrayed him for a long time causing the only culprit before his eyes was Nuray, and for the first time in a long time he felt anger and frustration take hold of him. -What was what you did?!-, took him hard by the neck causing even part of his armor to detach.

-If you want to know if she suffered, of course she did, we are sangheilis, you better than anyone know how we act... She pleaded for her life again and again as cowardly as the rest of her race did when their planets succumbed to us, did you forget it?... I must actually say that I enjoyed dismembering her body and draining every drop of her blood until she became an absolute nothing-.

The Arbiter quickly took the handle of his energy sword, activated it and approached Murok's face quickly threatening him with his gaze filled with revulsion.

-Or maybe she's alive somewhere that only I know-, Murok kept laughing as his eyes reflected a frivolous evil that in turn only denoted his fear of death.

-You won't play with me Murok, this is over-, Thel stabbed with his sword the traitor's stomach, -You will tell me the whole truth and maybe I forgive your lineage-.

-That... That doesn't matter anymore...-, he answered panting due to the pain, -... You will never recover even the remains of her body... so easy it was to tear out your soul-.

'Vadam gave a snarl and cut Murok's neck, his head fell under his feet and the cut was so accurate that the wound was immediately cauterized and not even his blood gushed.

-Get rid of this filth and immediately expell the rest of his line, they're no longer part of this clan-, he ordered Mahlo and the rest of the group that accompanied him.

-As you order Arbiter-, the sangheilis rushed to take the traitor's remains and throw him down one of the nearby cliffs, then Thel made a gesture to indicate <<Get out of here>>, and they all carried out the action, all except Vizo.

-Something happens? -, The penetrating amber eyes full of restlessness fell on the young sangheili who was debating whether he should tell the Arbiter what he had seen Xeem and Thekan do in the Phantom, and decided that as Murok has received his punishment, it was time that both of them also received what they deserved for their actions.

-Arbiter, there's something important that you should...-

-Arbiter! -, Thekan's voice interrupted Vizo, -The humans are looking for you, we have also received information about the Covenant mobilization in Sunaion-.

Thel looked at Vizo and made an apologetic gesture, -I'm afraid he'll have to wait-, said while he walked away in the direction of the camp leaving alone the young sangheili and the experienced Thekan, the latter simply just throw a menacing look to Vizo 'Nusam, he knew didn't need more to make him understand that he had to keep his jaws shut.

>>>

Thel 'Vadam was walking in the direction in which the humans were, but he stopped and looked for a moment towards the sky of Sanghelios and changed the route of his road, walked away in the direction of his tent in the camp, ordered that left him alone for a moment and he approached the holographic table banging his fist hard on the edge of it while he snorted and a growl came out of his throat.

He had never felt this way before, it was as if someone pressed his chest and beat his hearts at the same time, the feeling most similar to what he experienced at that time only felt him when he learned of all the slander of the Prophets towards his people, not even when he thought of all the human deaths he had caused before made him felt this, but this was different, this was not a war between species, he hadn't received the order of any Prophet, he had not been subjugated by lies of the the promise of reaching a paradise not... but he had allowed himself to be dominated by the lies of a conspirator to believe in what his eyes saw and not in what his soul desperately tried show him.

He revived the last words Murok had said, "It was that easy to tear out your soul"... It was true, at least in that the bastard had been right, even before the truth was revealed, with Nuray's disappearance, Thel had felt as if something was missing, now everything he had managed to bury with much effort had returned, he returned the regret of not allowing her to have a private audience with him, he thought that at least he would have had the opportunity to hear from her own mouth recognize her betrayal or perhaps prove the innocence she so claimed-.

Now he wanted to find her again, or at least know if she had really ceased to exist.
He looked afflicted towards the holographic map of Sanghelios that was flashing on the table and took in his hands the dagger he kept in his belt, He noted that it hadn't brightness, no blue light dazzled like what it did before when Nuray was close... He asked himself if he could ever see her again, if ever their roads would cross again...

- "Where are you?" -.