When Destiny Burns, Ep. 1: A Halo and Inheritance Cycle Crossover

Chapter 8. 1 A poisoned mind pt. 2

"But that is not even considering the most important problem of this augmentation; one that I have encountered years back without realizing it. It was easily seven years ago, after a major battle that resulted in the loss of yet another colony. A few scientists from an unknown team were busy injecting a Secret-Spartan with some injection...and when I looked at the procedure through an open door, an ODST promptly closed it. I hurried along, but I never truly forgot about it. The Spartans require a regular dose of anti-drugs to counter the other drugs and chemicals in their system."

- Mental Health Specialist Sunfield, logbook entry 4, 24th of August 2552- continuation.

The armies led by Ajihad, Jörmundur and Hrothgar had most likely failed in some way, as there were urgals approaching the Spartan and his allies from all possible directions. Small groups, moderate groups and even a large bulk of a hundred and more warriors were all converging on their position, where they stood on their own without reinforcements.

Eragon was wounded, exhausted and probably low on morale and the blue Saphira was battered and bloodied. Arya didn't seem to have any trouble, but the soldier couldn't afford to lose her either. He was stuck protecting them in the middle of a warzone and about to be overwhelmed. Not exactly ideal odds.

'Aeraleth?' He asked as he raised his pistol. Everywhere he looked, were urgals. Dozens upon dozens of them were pouring out of the tunnel, moving through the ranks of the Varden's engaged warriors or otherwise entering the fray. Plenty of targets and they were all focusing on them...which was probably a positive thing, as they would have otherwise charged at the flanks of the Varden's armies and inflected grievous casualties. 'See target primary anywhere?'

'Who?' His black dragon asked him as she dashed towards a small clutch of urgals. They were wearing swords and spears, but she battered their weapons aside with a horizontal swipe of her claw, during which the beasts were forced to let go of their weapons. Then Aeraleth used her other claw to bisect two of them, before chomping down and decapitating another one with her jaws.

He felt vaguely proud of his dragon. She towered above the largest of Kull and every movement she made spelled death for her prey. Even though the dragon Saphira was still larger than she was, the black reptile had no difficulty fending her numerous foes off like her blue counterpart. Maybe it was because he had been trying to train her, or because of their bond.

She was twice as high as he was and her jaws were lined with teeth that were as large as his entire helmet was. Her head alone was large enough to fit Orik in and her wings could easily range sixty feet when they were fully unfolded. As such, her talons alone could disembowel even the most heavily armoured foes.

'The shade,' He added as he made his way towards the dragon. He was only willing to spent two clips worth of pistil ammo before stuffing the sidearm away again and those twenty-four kills had to count. He had to watch over Eragon, Saphira and Arya alike. Murtagh and Orik had disappeared somewhere in the fight and he couldn't even see Ajihad.

'Which one? Ours or theirs?' Aeraleth replied as she snapped at another Kull, robbing it of one of its arms.

'The dangerous one,' He stated as he came to her aid. She was nearly getting blindsided by a band of urgals, but he wouldn't allow that to happen.

The Spartan dashed towards the group, caught them in the back and forced his hand into a crude shovel-like form. Then he chopped the nearest urgal on its neck with the side of his hand, bursting the veins and cracking the bone with the attack.

He dispatched of two more urgals like that and then jumped at the back of a Kull, using both of his hands to wrench its head sideways and breaking its neck. Before the corpse could collapse to the ground under his weight, he leaped off again and landed with his feet on top of the neck of another horned abomination. His weight was enough to completely crush its upper spine.