FSE

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It had been nothing but sand for ages. So when he saw sandstone, imagine our protagonist's dismay.

The twisting canyons of sandstone didn't wind on for far though, for hidden just beyond an open-topped passage was a wide open clearing. It could have been called a cavern if not for the big hole in the top that allowed the harsh red light of two suns to beam into the gorge with enough intensity that the light left no shadows in any of the corners. The dust kicked through the gap above drizzled slowly down into the clearing, glistening in the beams of light like slow falling stars in the air.

Where they settled was a sight for sore eyes and even more importantly, sore feet.

The house built in the clearing was what Stuart Wright could imagine belonged to a hermit. Simple, rounded walls and circular windows without glass, just simple wooden struts holding them together. The roof was domed, made out of the same stark-white stone cladding that formed the walls. A single arched doorway stood at the end of the garden path, exactly like old-school earthling barn-doors Wright had seen from time to time on more rustic establishments. The wooden panelled kind split horizontally across the mid-section so the top half could open independent of the bottom.

The garden was pristine like the rest of the building. A small wooden fence ran the perimeter, with a path of pearly gravel connecting the hinged gate with the front door. A few large versions of bonsai trees sat in ceramic pots, with a few raised beds with what looked like vegetable gardens. It looked like whoever lived in the house had lots of time to tend to their garden as there was not a weed to be seen. Not even a single branch or leaf seemed out of place.

But why was Wright convinced the house belonged to a hermit? That would be because he had trudged through several miles of alien desert following rumours, legends, hearsay and just a little bit of good intel. The human was standing beyond the fringes of civilisation. But there he stood finally, after lightyears of travel, weeks of cryo and a few hours of hiking in the blistering heat.

He was at the end of his journey. But Wright was pretty sure the adventure had only just begun.

But he had to be sure this was the right place. There was no evidence to suggest it was. And thus far his employed guide hadn't done much to bolster Wright's faith.

Turning to his guide, Wright pointed at the house and simply said the word, "Sai're?" making sure to add the slight inflexion at the end; the universal sound for asking a question. His grasp on the sangheili language was probably the poorest of his skills. But it was a rare skill among humans anyway. Speaking what little he did was an impressive enough feat.

Wright's guide nodded vigorously, pointing a four-digit hand at the house the human was indicating. "Sai're!" the boy confirmed, pronouncing the word much better than Wright had.

His quad mandibles were built for the language. Wright's single hinged jaw was not. His guide was a native to this planet, Sangheilios. Elites, or sangheili as they were officially called, were the warrior race once upon a time members and political leaders of the alien cult known as the Covenant. It had been under the Covenant and the manipulation of their peers that the sangheili had led a galactic conquest against humanity. Decades of interstellar war whittled down both sides, until the sangheili realised their slaughtering of mankind had been for naught.

Realising they had been manipulated by the corrupted Covenant hierarchy, the sangheili military forces allied themselves with the remaining human forces of the UNSC to enact their vengeance as well as save some of their honour.

It had been their efforts that had helped save humanity from the brink of extinction.

There was an official peace treaty between species, and even after all these years it was still rocky at best. But there was an understanding that hadn't existed ten years ago. It was progress at the very least.

Sangheili were generally large, powerful creatures of nightmare. Part reptilian, part bovine almost, they were all alien. With blue-gray hued leathery skin and beady eyes, their heads were perched at the end of a slender saurian neck, their mouths separated into a quad of mandibles. Each jaw was lined with carnivorous teeth, leaving the opening into the back of their throats from certain angles visible. Their legs were oddly digitigrade jointed ending in hoof-like feet split into two toes below the ankles. Their arms were human-esque, only they had four fingers - two fingers, two opposable thumbs on each hand.

They were frightful. The child who acted as Wright's guide, even at a good foot-and-a-half shorter than him still looked like he could have kicked the grown man's ass.

But he wouldn't, as he valued his payment more than he valued the honour a human death might bring him. Wright had the decline of the new generation's respect for the previous generation to thank for his continued existence.

"You're sure, right?" was Wright's first question to the sangheili boy.

He stared at Wright blankly as if he were speaking alien. Technically he was. So he just sighed and nodded. The instructions had been pretty idiot proof. Wright wanted to see Sai're. He had been brought to see Sai're. He couldn't expect much else from the kid who didn't speak a lick of English.

Fishing into his pocket Wright produced three little shiny metal disks. Each was engraved with a different picture with a different profile along the edge. Each was an archaic quarter from Earth, each probably a good few hundred years old. Each probably priceless. And Wright was using them to pay a sangheili child who simply wanted them because they were shiny.

But a promise was a promise. Back in the township of Urs, the human had told him he would give him the quarters to the boy if he brought Wright to Sai're. Time to pay up.

"Go on then," Wright said holding out the old money. "I can find my own way back to the spaceport anyway."

Catching the quarters in both hands, the boy's face brightened to the intensity of each of the twin suns hanging high in the Sanghelios sky. He said something, but Wright couldn't be sure what it was. Likely he was calling the human a sucker, but he liked to think the boy was thanking him before he bolted.

Rubbing the growing stubble on his jaw Wright watched the young sangheili run off happily, grinning as he was reminded of his nieces and younger cousins. Wright really didn't mind kids too much. He just never wanted to put up with any for too long. So in a way it was kind of a relief to see the kid run off.

Stuffing his hands into his pockets, Wright was about to consider his approach on the house when his left hand groped something. Or I really mean; his hand groped nothing.

Wright's pocket, the one holding his wallet along with all the spending money he had exchanged for his stay on Sanghelios was missing. It was gone, as if it had vanished into thin air! But he'd had it a few moments ago before...

Wright whipped around on the spot crying out after the sangheili boy who was at that stage long gone. "Little fucker!"

He really must have been calling Wright a sucker and was running all the way home laughing at the human's expense.

With a sigh he turned back to the house.

Wallet, money and pretty much everything else important gone, Wright had little else to lose. He approached the house he had crossed the galaxy to find. The house of 'Sai're.'

Pushing through the gate, Wright paused as the metal hinges creaked loudly. Listening he didn't hear anything bar a soft wind howling over the gorge. Gingerly he stepped onto the gravel and followed the path closer to the door.

"Hello?" was his first call as he paused again to listen.

As with the squeak of the gate's hinges, there was no reply and Wright carefully moved closer to the house's front door.

Through the crunching of the gravel under his boots he could hear splashing. Running water - all the way out there it likely came from a well. Splattering and cascading on bare stone from the sounds of it.

Reaching out as he stood on the front step, Wright rapped his knuckles against the wooden door.

"Hell-..." he stopped mid-call as the unlatched door gently swung open. With a hard swallow, Wright pressed a hand against the wood and pushed it open further before stepping through the porch built for the frame of a towering sangheili.

The dim insides of the house made it hard to focus at first. And when Wright finally adjusted to the low light after a few moments was he was almost immediately blinded by the white light spilling into an open door on the other end of the hall. Likely a back door hanging open. Approaching it with one hand shading his eyes he managed to hone in on the sound of the falling water and proceeded past several modest little rooms branching off the central hallway. A kitchen, a living room and a bedroom. That was about it.

Moving into range, Wright's boots silent on the stone tiled floor of the hall, his eyes adjusted to the new light spilling through the open back door. Out the back was a patio of slates forming a small plateau surrounded by the sandy floor of the gorge. A small drain centred the patio, completing what looked like an outdoor bathroom.

My suspicions of the water coming from a well had been correct. Sticking straight up out of the ground was a copper pipe, bent into a U-shape at the top so it pointed back downward before ending in a wide shower-head. There the flowing water being pumped out of the ground by an unseen force was split into several little streams that glistened and glittered in the Sanghelios suns, casting miniature rainbows across the patio.

Finally Wright's eyes fell upon what - or rather who - was standing on the patio. Though re-telling the story he was always ashamed to mention he noticed her long before he noticed anything else about the out-door bathroom.

With the light sparkling around her obviously female silhouette, Wright looked the sangheili over from her feet to the head. One foot was pitched forward slightly in a puddle forming under her, her multi-jointed leg bent and angled forward slightly. The slender limbs of smooth skin were drizzling with trails of water that hit her head and shoulders, proceeding to cascade down her glistening, smooth body.

The angle of her leg - thankfully - hid her crotch from view, but at the same time attenuated the firm roundness of her curvy buttocks. Though Wright's surprised eyes lingered, they couldn't help be drawn upward, following the smooth curvature of her back, past her narrow waist; toned so there was not a scrap of excess fat to be seen.

His eyes moved higher, and his throat worked on its own, gulping through the forming lump as he saw her waist widen out to her ribs, slowly expanding and contracting with each blissfully calm breath. It was at the chest where a little bit of the sangheili bovine-physiology came to light besides the legs and hooves.

As far as Wright knew the sangheili were mammals, not reptiles. They gave birth the same way humans would, and in the same respect the females fed their young. So the breasts weren't as useless as the casual observer might think. Wright had seen sizes range like those of human women, between modest and 'barely-there,' in some rare instances having grown to 'in-your-face' proportions that he always figured was a strain on the ol' back.

The ones Wright couldn't help stare at in front of him were in the 'modest' size-range with purple-ish areola and a little nub of flesh centred, completing the nipples.

From there his eyes were drawn higher still, gliding across the creature's slender neck and up to her head. Before he saw her face he saw her hair, drenched under the shower and clinging to her smooth skin in thick strands that snaked and twisted under the flow of the water.

Their leathery skin made females - like the males - entirely hairless on their bodies, except for on the female's scalp. The females' 'manes' were like the plumage of birds. Thick, velvety and of dazzling colour, only serving to draw the eye of a potential mate. Like with human women, there were a number of factors that drew a male to a female, between size of buttocks and breast to the length of legs and width of the waist. But it was usually the dazzling plumage of a female sangheili that first draws a male. Everything else just helped reel 'em in.

The woman's first signs of age lay in her plume. It was long and silky, the colour of a beautiful twilight sky. But the purple colour wasn't as intense as it could have been. It should have been in Wright's face, but instead it was modest with little streaks of grey at the temples riddling it like highlights. Her arms were held up above her head, hands gently massaging the hair under the shower.

As Wright stared, her head tilted to one side, a fresh wave of the cool water steaming in the baking sunlight washing down over her naked shoulder and along her sides. Brushing the clingy locks of hair back, she revealed her face. Soft feminine features compared to those of the male sangheili, her mandibles were still clearly visible. But the female's eyes were longer, almond shaped and elegantly slanted, with long drawn back eyelashes human women applied layers of make-up just to achieve.

She was obviously an older lady, but she had aged gracefully and maintained an attractive, limber physique.

Lifting her eyes, she suddenly locked them on Wright's, staring right into his soul with a startled spark.

"Hello?" she suddenly said in perfect English. The inflexion - the human assumed - was merely out of surprise and confusion realising there was a strange man in her house watching her shower.

Finally realising he'd been standing there watching the owner of whose house he had invaded without invitation in the shower like some perverted creep, Wright gaped like a fish out of water. That was pretty much how he felt. There was no coming back from that. There was no excuse or rational explanation that could justify what he was doing there staring at the stark naked woman.

"Oh, God," was all Wright could force out as he forced himself to blink.

Turning away, Wright's fight-or-flight instinct seemed confused. As he was turning he took a step, hesitated, then threw himself with enough force to bash himself into the nearest hallway wall. Stabilising himself on the rough brick with both hands, Wright quickly turned back, then realised he was looking at the woman again.

"Geeze. I... I-I'm sorry, I..."

Stammering was all his voice seemed capable of as he finally managed to turn away and respectfully averted his eyes. "Uh... I didn't mean... er..."

Wright was saved by her voice.

"Not to worry," she sighed, catching Wright by surprise. Listening, he heard the water of the shower turn off with an abrupt 'clang' of the piping shaking in its sockets, followed by a shuffling.

"There, is this better?" she eventually asked.

Timidly glancing over his shoulder, Wright saw she'd stepped inside out of the sun. The sudden closer proximity made Wright frightfully aware of how much bigger she was than him. His face only came up to her chest level. Though thankfully she had covered herself so he wasn't staring straight into her breasts.

She was wearing a pure white towel, not the fluffy flannel-type you might get at a fancy Earth hotel. The coarse, cotton types you'd maybe be offered on a farming colony. The fabric was wrapped around her chest and dangling down over her sleek figure forming something of a gown that ended just below her hips, upon which one hand rested.

The way she stood watching him reminded Wright of a teacher about to teach a student a lesson. A very sexy alien teacher.

"Now that you're capable of stringing together intelligible sentences; would you care to explain who you are?" Wright was once again taken by surprise. Her English was excellent. Almost too excellent.

Wright didn't hesitate in answering though. However, thinking back Wright figured he should have hesitated to think on his answer a little more. "Scribe..." the blurted out before sighing and forcing his hammering heart to calm down. "I mean, my name is Stuart Wright. But my friends call me 'Scribe.' I'm from E-Earth," he finished on a stammer, watching as the sangheili woman stepped closer again.

She was only a couple of feet away, towering over Wright with her imposing figure and piercing eyes drilling into his own. But there was an expression on her face he'd never seen on a sangheili before. It was kind of bright, reminded him of the child's reaction when he'd given him the quarters (and wallet). Wright assumed she was smiling politely.

"Yes, I can see that," she said patiently. "But what are you doing on Sanghelios? More importantly, what are you doing in my home?"

Wright gulped, figuring he'd best just be out with it. "I'm looking for Sai're."

That didn't catch her off guard as much as the human assumed it might. She merely cocked her head curiously, humming gently.

"Hmmmm. I haven't heard that name in a long time."

Wright nodded admittedly. "Not in ten years, if I'm not mistaken."

That comment on the other hand did surprise her. Her expression brightened further as she lifted a hand to rub her mandibles thoughtfully.

"You know me then," she whispered, and Wright felt her eyes stroll across his body as she added under her breath; "interesting."

The sangheili woman was clearly well versed in human culture and behaviour. Besides her impressive grasp of English, when she had finished looking Wright over from head to toe, she held out a hand in greeting. "I am Sai're. I believe in your English tongue it translates to; Seer. If it is easier to say, you may call me that. So what is it you seek from me, young Scribe?"

Grinning at her introduction, Wright gently took her hand in his own and gave it a light shake. "I'm a writer_._ Unfortunately I seem to have run out of ideas though. I've been travelling the galaxy in search of inspiration, and when I heard stories of the legendary Seer Storyteller I simply had to seek you out."

Wright felt her grip on his hand tighten and she pulled him in a few steps closer. Her expression had suddenly twisted into a glare the human had seen on plenty of videos. Videos of sangheili warriors cutting into marines during the Human-Covenant War.

"And you thought since you had run out of stories of your own you would come and steal mine?" she snapped, all the pleasantness suddenly cut from her voice like a switch had been thrown.

Wright's eyes widened with panic. "Steal? What? No! No, I only... I wanted... it was just... I was looking for-..."

And like the switch had suddenly be thrown back, Sai're's expression relaxed into the smile she wore a moment earlier. She let his hand slip from hers as she chuckled. "Relax, Scribe. I was merely joking. Sangheili humour." She elegantly brushed by Wright and moved to the kitchen with long, graceful steps. "Tea?" she asked casually over her shoulder as she slipped out of view.

"Yes please." Clutching his chest to make sure his heart was still beating, Wright let out a sigh of relief. He made a note of 'sangheili humour' and prepared himself for what might be more heart-attacks to come.

Following into the kitchen, Wright looked around the modest space. It was very low-tech. A clay oven contained the smouldering remains of an alien tree. The sink was practically just a bucket laid into the work-top, and above the small round table in the middle of the floor was an oil lamp.

He watched from the doorway for a moment as his hostess gathered up some cups and bags of dried leaves Wright assumed was the same kind of sangheili tea he had tried in a small place in town that very morning. He hoped so, as of all sangheili cuisine it seemed to be the only thing that agreed with him. She filled a kettle with water and placed it in the oven on top of the smouldering fire. As she started laying out a tray with cups and utensils, Wright gingerly moved to the table.

Putting down his backpack, Wright pulled open the zipper as he sat in one of the wooden chairs and produced a pad and pen. A very old method of note-scribbling, preferred by very few now-and-days. He could literally count on one hand the number of human authors who openly admitted use of pad and pen. It wasn't efficient. But it had a certain nostalgia to it.

"If I remember correctly, human tastebuds are much like that of a child's. Sugar makes sangheili tea more palatable for you, yes?"

As she asked Wright if he wanted sugar, she threw a glance over her shoulder. The way her eyes fluttered at that exact moment with her smile, the human wasn't sure if she was trying to be seductive; or if she was just being hospitable.

Gulping, Wright couldn't nod or shake my head, so he just shrugged. "Uh... yes, thank you."

"So what sort of stories do you write, young Scribe?" Seer asked as she moved to join him at the table.

"I'll write nearly anything really," Wright admitted.

It was the truth. While he favoured stories about high-octane adventures involving colourful characters, he didn't mind telling tales of romance or tragedy either. He was a pretty flexible writer in that respect. But perhaps it was his lack of focus that was to blame for the lack of words on paper.

Sitting across from Wright, Seer crossed her legs under the table, elbows resting on the surface as she leaned forward and rested her chin in the cradle her interlocked fingers formed, as if fascinated by her guest. "And what price would your stories be sold for, if you don't mind me asking?"

A question Wright couldn't help smile at. "Price? No. I write because I like to."

It was again the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. He didn't write for recognition or money. He wrote because he thought it was fun. And maybe he didn't do it as often as he should have. Maybe Wright didn't hone his skills as sharply as they could have been. But forging a story was just a hobby for the human. Wright had no interest in getting better at writing, or writing something that would rake in riches and fame.

He just wanted to share his ideas.

"And if my story entertains just one person; sparks their curiosity or even inspires their imagination, that's enough reward for me. I'll never sell a story; never force anyone to pay for the entertainment I provide. I live for making someone's day a little brighter."

Smiling with bright eyes, Sai're cocked her head. "That is..." She paused, seemingly lost for words before she found her voice again. "I like that. I like that very much. Though I am willing to tell you every story I know, I must warn you. My tales may challenge you. They may test everything you know, and everything you think you know. They may shatter your beliefs, spark your ignorance and even prod your values. Do you think you are open minded enough for that? Do you think you are ready for that?"

Wright smiled, liking the concept of that already. "I do like a challenge," he admitted. And Sai're admitted with a smile that she liked that too.

It was with that smile, the human hanging on her every word while jotting down notes, that the sangheili story teller told her first story.

"The Great Journey has many paths. Some less travelled than others." The Next Journey