- JL -

OOC: can we pls pull bzptime for this and nato just join us and joi nthe fight as well IC: "And I know just the place," Aurum said in response to Kavala. "There's an attack being mounted on Ko-Koro by an allied force between the Brotherhood of Ak'Rei'An and Legacy. I wouldn't doubt it if the Piraka knew as well. That's my direction for now; feel free to join me."

IC: "Power.....raw, pure, utter power. I want to be stronger than those around me; I want be the dealer of the cards, the judge of the court. That.......is my ideal. It's my truth."

IC: "Uhh... Ummm....I think you can let her go now....."

IC: Whump! Flay blinked before turning around to face where the sound was coming from; right outside the entrance to Ta-Kini. Keen ears would probably have been able to pick up the noises that came afterwards; what sounded to be a guy and a girl making small moaning sounds and grunts with the sounds of metal touching and grappling further accentuating the inappropriateness. Before Dorian could make a joke that had connotations about sexual actions happening right outside what was basically the one holy place of Ta-Koro, Flay quickly spoke up. "I'll go check it out," she muttered as she headed towards the entrance. The scene she saw was basically that. One of the guards who'd been standing outside letting people with the correct clearance in and telling everybody else to flock off was on the ground, hugging tightly a female Toa of Air who probably tried to barge in. "Uh, Dorian?" She shouted loudly, "I think it's one of the girls you slept with who you left or something."

IC: Hakann. A loose cannon that has an admiration for itself. A beast that targets anyone that dares desecrate the holy entity that is himself. A person, so in love, and so arrogantly prideful of all that is him, him and him, that he will not allow any equal of his to exist. How pitiful.

Makes it more fun when you respond to the misinterpretation ^.^

IC: "Ueahhh......." I muttered without thinking before realising that it was quite a bit rude. "So.....I guess you're fine if I tried this?" As I finished the sentence, I swung my staff downwards, towards the top of Aparangi's head. It wasn't light; not anywhere near that of a Kolhii stick, built for a matoran, but at the same time it wasn't excessively heavy. It would take some getting used to, but I was already formulating some ideas for how in the world I was going to use this weapon. It feels very....momentum-based. And that's something I could definitely try to manipulate.

IC: "Instead of all of us making empty offers as proof of "consecration", how about you just tell us what you want? What will it take for all of us to convince you that we'll devote ourselves to your cause?" Aurum already knew the response; at least, a little piece of it. Of course, Hakann had spared them the need to cut each other's heart out, but nonetheless, he was still clear what he wanted. This Piraka wasn't altruistic. He was sick, broken, twisted. An being who would much rather blow himself up than let others discover that a heart existed during an autopsy. A person who had no moral compass, who had no compassion for others. Any niceties he gave were only mind games that he planned for those around him in his ploy for.....what? What did he want? Aurum couldn't figure that bit out. He was a genius psychopath who clearly had power, who clearly had faith in his power, and who clearly believed his power would topple even the bravest that dared to face him. And despite all clear indications that serving this guy would end in pain and suffering, Aurum knew the correct course of action for him. The Toa of Iron slowly dropped to one knee, head facing downwards, both hands still gripping the handle of his lance. "You have the Makuta's favor; a fact spoken by the Abettor itself. Within those words, there is more than enough reason to consecrate my will, my arms, my weapons, for you." ...

IC: Aurum wasted no time getting back up, holding an arm out for Lash as well. As the two participants of the Crimson Piraka's bout picked themselves up, the Toa of Iron quickly glanced at the newcomers. One of them must've been a Toa of Gravity; had Hakann not stepped in and sent Aurum launching forwards, the escalated force of gravity would have required him to respond to Lash's attack differently. Speaking of Lash's attack, the highly thickened vambraces and shoulder armor peeled away, revealing underneath Aurum's original armor. The intention had been to catch Lash's whips with the armored hands, and then send metal blades flying towards the Vortixx from his end of the whip. Now, it seemed, the extra plating was unneeded. One of them stepped forwards, and almost immediately, the Toa of Iron found himself stricken with an urge not to laugh. News travelled around, and he was able to recognise this figure from one that he'd heard quite a bit of in recent memory - a stupid Toa of Earth who had decided to engage in combat alone against two ships - one used by the most powerful naval force on the island, the other used by one of the most infamous and elusive pirate crews of Mata Nui. End result: The fool was locked up in a cell on the village of floating plants. "My name is Kavala," Kavala confirmed, "Of the former Xa-Koro." You're an embarrassment and a cancer, Aurum thought to himself. Through the process of deduction, the other must've been the Toa of Gravity. Holding within his hands a trimly crafted crossbow, this one added yet another to the number of people with red eyes inside the tunnels of Mangaia. Other than that, there wasn't much that could be discerned; the Toa's cloak concealed the rest. Aurum spoke next. Stabbing his lance gently into the ground with a small 'clink' to command the attention, he smoothly continued. "I am Aurum." And that was that.

Daedra Syndrome. <3

ono the piraka are comings Alright c'mon Kentoku-an intellectuals, time to look for info on the Hiripaki there.

IC: There was a swooshing sound that traversed from on side of the cave to the other. If Aurum were to guess, he'd assume that they were blind swings to prevent him from getting close. But Lash wasn't an idiot - and thus, she would be easier to predict that one. People didn't usually swipe blindly in defence because it left them open to attack. And the fact that there was only one 'swoosh' was a tell that Lash wasn't panicked either. So it must've have been a move made to buy time. For what, though, Aurum didn't know; All he could do was take a few steps away from Lash's general direction, pull out his shield, crouch behind it, and wait to see- Crack! I know that sound. I've heard it before.......did she just whip a satchel charg- There was a sudden flare of bright light that immediately made Aurum cringe. Luckily, the explosive didn't use any shrapnel, so the only thing the shield blocked was the intense heat that radiated outwards like a miniature sun briefly blinking into existence deep within Mangaia's tunnels. Unluckily, though the explosion temporarily revealed each other's exact position, Aurum almost had his eyes shut tight; the only thing he could affirm was the Vortixx's general direction - which he already knew in the first place. On the other hand, Lash now saw Aurum in a combat ready stance crouched behind his shield. Thankfully, he had reflexively hidden his face behind the shield when the bright light had diffused outwards so Lash wouldn't know he was, for that split second blind, but now, he was at a disadvantage. Focus. Listen for the next attack, and block it accordingly.

IC: "It's what I've been doing for the past.....who knows how long. A little more isn't gonna hurt."

OOC: Sorry for the late reply. I didn't know I had a life, but it kidnapped me and made me do things. IC: Everybody here was a master of using the darkness. Their actions, their thought process, was molded by shadow. The Piraka and his dementia. Aurum and his stealth. Lash and her expertise. Each were just different aspects of the darkness, of the shadow, and now they were surrounded by it. The moment Lash bagged her lightstone, the area around them immediately dimmed; the only source of light now were the lightstones embedded into the walls of the tunnels - and those weren't anything but scarce. Without hesitation, the Volitak activated, and Aurum immediately sidestepped the spot where he last was. A Whack! Noise resounded outwards right where he had been standing - as expected - as the garrote-whip grated into the ground. For a moment, Aurum caught the glint of light reflecting off the serrated whip before he leapt away. Here, his eyesight and his stealth would be his best bet for survival. That, and his senses; Lash would make sounds when she moved; the loud echo that she'd generated with her whips were a clear indication. While both were practiced in the arts of staying quiet, in the midst of a fight such a thing wasn't going to be all that easy - except one had a distinct advantage. The Volitak muted sounds. Lash didn't have such a thing. Hmmmm..... Aurum thought as he focused his elemental energy into his arms and hands, increasing the armor thickness and density of the outer parts of the armor. I guess I could try something like that. Can I react to it? Yes. The whip makes a sound as it goes through the air; I'd be able to tell the direction from that, and by the time it's close enough that I can dimly see it, I'll already be prepared to catch it. I'll react fast enough so my arms block it. It will work.

Not yet, no. We just skipped the first...4-5 weeks of the trip, roughly, but the trip in total lasts about 2-3 months in terms of distance. We'll probably skip the uneventful parts of that to make it easier for the flow of the game (thanks RPG time), but it's not possible to encounter the ship yet. Do you think the sub would be able to interact with the Inika while at sea? That ship left Mata-Nui.....like, a loooong time ago.

IC: “Visitors,” the voice came behind Aurum and Lash. Although to the common folk, such a voice from such a direction may have chilled them to their bone, but to Aurum, this was almost ecstasy. There was no doubt who was behind him, and that person had the Makuta's favor. Still, the Toa of Iron could maintain his composure, but not to his usual stoic demeanor. He had a look on his face that showed a form of glee that you'd think was unsuitable for when you were face to face with a Piraka. He licked his lips. Stopping himself in his tracks, Aurum turned around to face the red Piraka who had appeared behind them, taking note of his appearance as he glanced into the fiery orbs that were the Piraka's eyes before bringing his gaze downwards. The deep crimson of the Piraka, under the dark shade of the tunnel, almost had the same color of fresh blood. Although Aurum had seen, conversed with, and fought with Skakdi before, this one was the only one seemed to have a forbidding... Flair. Aurum only had a budding smile. "And you must be Hakann," he replied, his tone of voice clearly displaying a sense of curiosity. Having trailed behind the Piraka as they had tread down the Dark Walk, there had been an abundance of the Skakdi calling each other's names while throwing crackpot jokes and hideous insults at each other. Aurum had (at first, he'd believed he'd done so unwittingly) committed to memory each Piraka's name in relation to their voice and appearance. "We are here because we are useful to you. To the Piraka.

IC: "I don't doubt it," Flay chuckled as she lightly bumped Dorian's shoulder, "You do have a reputation on this island. It didn't pop out of nowhere. Anyways, back to business." Once again, she raised her iStone, opening her set of notes on the case. Since she'd started talking with dorian, three new paragraphs of information had popped up on the criminal profiling - one for the White, Blue and Brown Piraka respectively. And if all goes well, one more would be appearing for the red one soon. "The Toa Maru also appeared together, rallying against the Piraka and engaging them in combat. Most of them focused their efforts on fighting the Skakdi around the Lavapool. The Green one was spotted clashing blades with Reordin on the rooftops nearby. And the black one, he....errr.....was spotted taking a stroll in the alleyways of Ta-Koro. He did enter the fray later on. All 6 Piraka re-united before they retreated, with the Maru following right behind. This probably left the biggest trail of destruction; between the Ta-Koro main square and the gates, the Piraka probably tried everything they could to shake off the Maru, and most of it involved destroying the things in their path."

IC: "I'm fine," Flay said, her mind picking up in pace as it started to wonder why in the world Dorian actually cared before coming to the resolution that he probably didn't, "Or at least, that's what we're all going to say, isn't it." She sighed. "I'm not injured or anything. I wasn't there at the fight. But... I'm tired. Not because of the sudden workload, but more because I have to adapt to my new body while I'm at it. Of course, it has it's perks, but I'm just not used to it. And it's not like there's some 'How to be a Toa' training regime at the Guard."

IC: "It seems we have the same destination in mind. Yes, there's a vault on this island, and yes, it's the place we need to go, but.......as we walk, let me indulge you in the history of this island. The significance of the Vault lies therein." And so, as they walked, Aurum went through a brief history of the island. Of the Makuta, of the events that had transpired that had led to shadow's loss. Of the other sinister forces on the island that he knew were at play - that he knew would be converging at the Vault soon enough. Of the Piraka, who had appeared on the Island some time ago and had managed the achieve the impossible, answering whatever questions Lash gave. There were certain things he neglected, of course; his own allegiance to the faction that their leader called 'Legacy', for one, was something that didn't need to be flouted in front of others. His belief that all this convergence, as well as the sequence of events that had led to it, was a power play by the Makuta, was another. Everybody believed the Makuta was gone for good; to say the opposite was only going to raise suspicion to yourself. Belief? No; this was more than just belief and faith. Those were words used by the cowardly and fearful to alleviate their own burdens. This was more than that. "The Vault was the storage facility for the Makuta. All the treasures that an entity like him would have was stored within there; it's entrance was guarded by a riddle, and a secondary entrance was also discovered some time ago. This entrance had a guardian - a sentient machine who engaged in discussion with some, and blew to smithereens others." "It sounds friendly." Lash muttered. Aurum nodded. "Nobody had figured out the riddle, and nobody had gotten past the Abettor either. Well, that is, until........." * * * The moment the sounds reached Aurum, he'd automatically activated his mask. Within the darkness, within the vast network of caves, the Mask of Stealth was spectacularly useful - not to mention the only ones who might've noticed him were a bunch of monkeys who were too busy messing around with each other to notice the cloaked Toa of Iron following them. All except the Green one. It didn't take a genius to figure out the Green one was their leader, and if that one had noticed that they were being followed, he gave it no attention and continued forwards - all the way to the Abettor's tunnel. The flare of cerulean light that he'd heard of oh-so-many times once again flared up, deep within the depths of Mangaia. Though he did not follow and see it, Aurum was certainly able to hear the words spoken. And oh........to hear the mention of Makuta.....of Antidermis.....Of the Makuta's favor....... A gift in and of itself. The Makuta might not be here, but it isn't gone. The knowledge of that was bittersweet, but it was still knowledge that truly reinvigorated Aurum to his deepest core. His master's influence still existed - and that was all he needed to know. The shadow lingers. And this was more than just belief. * * * "Now. The people we're trying to meet......they're inside." OOC: Thanks to Nuju for allowing my Piraka Stalker Syndrome ^.^

IC: Flay shrugged. "Fine by me," she replied. "I'll explain the rest of the events as we walk there. But first...." She turned towards the counter, and walked up towards the bartender - and Dorian immediately noticed the change in form. Her stature had transformed entirely as she walked. Before, she was of the guard, and walked with an air of command. But this time.....Flay literally held the attention of the others who saw her the moment their eyes caught sight of her movement. She walked like she was a supermodel. Her hands slid forwards across the tabletop; the bartender looked at her, and, when she lay her body forwards, looked at her, before turning away and furiously scrubbing a nearby beer glass. "And........can we get a discount on that?" she spelled out alluringly.

IC: "It's the something bit that worries us........" she muttered as her gaze drifted downwards and her thoughts fluttered around what a group of lethal troublemakers like the Piraka might have had in store for the island. A short moment passed before she looked back at her iStone. "But yes, you're right. The rest of the Piraka did come, and that was when everything started the break out. The bomb was detonated, and several of the Piraka managed to hunker down and used the rubble of the Lavapool inn as an on-the-spot fort. The Guard, as well as a group of others, worked together to try and drive the ones inside the Lavapool out. During this time, the red one was spotted at Ta-Kini; That one was...well, the standout psycho of this group. He left a corpse, mangled and tortured, at Ta-Kini."

IC: That almost felt like an auto-biography right there. Almost. "He came into town alone, started a fight. It was messy for us, and probably a whole lot of fun for that psychopath. His powers were......unique, to say the least. We've theorised that, alongside his vision and elemental powers, he also had another power that consisted of being able to absorb and replicate the powers he sees in action." To make a point (And show off), she snapped her fingers, a flame sparking into existence for a brief moment before she herself cut it off in surprise. "Ow," Flay muttered, more out of the impulsive reaction to the new sensation of being able to summon a fire than due to actual pain, before she continued. "So until Oreius Maru arrived on the scene, nobody was able to stop the blue one, who was hurling around fireballs and tornadoes and all sorts of powers the usual Skakdi wouldn't have. He gave himself up the moment the Toa Maru arrived - partly because, y'know, he's a Maru - and we think partly because he wanted to get captured. He was one of those 'I'm-cool-with-you-guys-arresting-me' types, except he succeeded in the 'I'll-just-exit-the-jail-by-myself' part unlike many other wackos."

IC: "From the reports, it seems there were a total of six. We don't know their names; but we have a general idea of their appearance. Each Piraka sport a different color, the same as those of the Maru: Green, Red, Blue, White, Black, Brown." As she spoke, she pulled out her iStone; scrolling towards a set of notes, she quickly reviewed the information that she'd gathered both from within the guard's sources, as well as from her......conversations with others. "We had the blue one behind bars before the start of all this; the others came to bust him out of jail. Prior to the bombing, eyewitnesses placed the white one...juggling...in the main square. The general idea is that he was grabbing the attention of those around the Lavapool inn, but I, as well as several others, have questioned that. Namely, why would a group of psychopaths who crave destruction try to get less people killed?" She flicked her eyes at Dorian. "You know crazy well. Any insight?"

IC: "It's one motion to the center of the ball, all the way through - a nice, smooth stroke. You know, kind of like..." Flay, who had at that point been trying to mimic Dorian's stance and at the same time trying to pinpoint the exact angle she should hit the ball to ensure it actually went in a direction that wouldn't end up as a complete embarrassment, gazed back up at Dorian. "...swimming." She rolled her eyes at the clear innuendo. Gripping the cue tightly, she entered stance again, following Dorian's advice and lowering her upper body this time around. Breathe in........Breathe out. She pulled back, and then twice as quickly jabbed the cue forwards. The cue ball struck the solid, but her angle must've been off course by just a teeny bit - the solid ball smacked right into the corner of the rim. It bounced a few times in between the two corners, just outside the hole but not entering it, before the ball finally became stationary a fraction of an inch away from getting in the hole. Close, she mouthed silently, before placing the cue down. "So.......back to business. The Piraka."

IC: "Aurum," The Toa of Iron replied as he pulled his lance out of the Rahkshi. Splatters of blood remained on the tip. Eagh. Disgusting. As he stepped back away from the Rahkshi, his left hand reached outwards for a moment as he focused on his ability to absorb metal, before he swiftly turned back towards Lash. "A true.....pleasure to meet you." Indeed, that was true; throughout the course of his time upon the island, he'd never seen a person with a fighting style or weapon similar to the person beside him. Serrated whips weren't something he'd ever thought up; the risk of hurting yourself was already there when utilising such a weapon, but adding to it jagged edges and the risk you posed to yourself was one that could only be alleviated through absurd amounts of skill and mastery. And to think that this person could utilise two at once...the capabilities of the weapons were absurd. After all, the fact that a Rahkshi had been injured to such an extent - arm torn off due to excessive cuts from the movement of the whip, legs mangled for the same reason - was testament to Lash's expertise. It didn't look like this was the only thing she could do either. Aurum quickly glanced at the Vortixx. Within the dimness of the tunnels, her armour was nearly pitch black in color. Spikes extended from certain joints, and he noted the thickness in her gauntlets; most probably, some of the technology that made Skakdi and Vortixx famous were hidden within. Dangerous? Very. Better make sure where her allegiance lay. "So why are you down here?" Aurum questioned as he began walking further down the tunnel, holding his lance up towards eye level. As though undergoing metamorphosis, the blood-coated edges of the weapon slowly peeled off, revealing the shiny clean metal underneath, created through the absorption of metal from the corpse of the Rahkshi. The peeled sheets of metal, galvanized with blood, slowly fluttered onto the ground like a petal on wind.