AVATAR: Legends of Pandora

Chapter One: Sangheili

Sangheili sat crossed leg under one of the only trees left across the barren rocky field. His tail flickered behind him. His ear snapped around as the sounds of warriors setting up camp disturbed his meditation.

"My Lord, the Ildians are advancing to our position." Milewyo, his right hand man, stood behind him. "Na'vi hasn't arrived yet, and most likely won't arrive due to the impending storm."

Sangheili stood up, picking up his mask in front of him before strapping it around his head. His long braided grey hair furling along with the wind.

"I'm not surprised. In fact, I hope that she does not come. It is not her fight."

Sangheili's hair was left mostly unbraided, except for the two braids that protected the two queues that Sanghelios possessed.

"Are the children safe?"

"Couldn't be safer."

A moment of silence followed.

"Do our brothers and sisters know that they will most likely not return."

"My Lord, we were trained to do this ever since the 6th moon of every brother and sister."

Sangheili dipped his fingers in some black and red dye and streaked it across his mask. He picked up a couple of long feathers and stuck it in his hair before coating his body in armor.

"Rally up the men." Sangheili finally said.

He wouldn't dare show his face to his best friend, under the mask, he was frightened, something a Sanghelios warrior should never be.

He looked at Milewyo, "I need some time alone."

Milewyo nodded and as he turned around and left. Sangheili's hands ran on top of his head as he isolated one of the queue in his hand and allowed the nerves to wrap around the tree or souls long, drifty and bright veins. He kneeled down and lowered his head.

"Eywa, if you can hear me, please listen to my prayer. Iley has gathered his forces to destroy Pandora. He already burned and disrupted the balance of life. His greed grew much worse than what we thought. Mother and Father told me you protected the balance of life and I never believed it. So prove me wrong. Our crimes and sins from the past will be the end of the Sanghelios but before, let us die an honorable death to protect those we love and restore the balance we disrupted." He trailed off as the nerves in the end of his queue unwrapped from the tree. He slowly exhaled and looked at the tree once more before turning away.

Milewyo stood on top of the rock overlooking all the brothers and sisters who had gathered before him. It was such an honor to serve with Sangheili, the youngest son of Sempul and Sanok, who began the First Songs with Eywa. Sangheili himself united all of the Sanghelio clans. The Great Warrior, people would call him. The warriors were singing, chanting and whooping together. They all knew that they would most likely face inevitable death, but it was part of their culture. It was their lives. Each warrior was armed with a double tip spear which also functions as a bow, with arrows dipped in poison and they wore a mask with their unique sign on. They had light weight armor made of the hide and bones of a Thantor or Sturmbeast with thick fur as extra protection and shells from Atlas beatles. On top of the manmade armor, Sanghelios had natural forming armor plates on specific parts of their bodies. Male Sanghelios had their bones exposed on their hands and knuckles and sharpened to inflict as much damage as possible when engaging in fist to fist combat. Sheath daggers and swords hang from their chest, calf and back hip. They painted colors and marks all over their body as a show of war. Unlike the Na'vi, Sanghelios were stronger, more agile and versatile in combat. That's all they trained for. And most likely caused their downfall. A small drizzle of rain began to lay upon the troops. Milewyo suddenly snapped to attention, stood straight up. The comotion within the war party calmed down as Sangheili walked to the edge of the rock.

"My brothers and sisters. As you may know, Iley has come back with an army far greater than ours. We are weakened from the Great Wars, but we will not fall. Iley is a coward. Only attacking us when we are weak. But do not underestimate him. Our children's lives and future depends on this battle. They will be looking up to you, watching. If you coward in fear, they will coward in fear. They will be the last hope of Sanghelios. Now, for glory, for honor, and for our children!"

Sangheili took a deep breath in,

"SOUND THE WAR DRUMS!"

A great deep but strong bass of the drums rippled throughout the sky. The cheers and whooping of the Sanghelios warriors made Sangheili's blood burn. He smiled. He whistled and a dark blue and black banshee swooped down besides him as he hoped on. He cheered as he patted his banshee on the side of the head

"Good day for battle is it not?" He chuckled and turned to Milewyo.
"If the weather continues like this, there will be no air battles. It will all be on ground. Those clouds do not look promising. Iley planned this too well."

Milewyo nodded, "It'll be a fair match then."

Sangheili chucked and bumped his shoulder as he took off for the sky. Milewyo looked at his troops.

"What are we waiting for? Are we going to miss the party?" He exclaimed and was joined in cheering and whooping with his warriors. Like a wave, warriors stormed like packs of viperwolves through the muddy floor.