The Dark Chronicler

IC: Drome "With that, you're implying that we didn't." I retorted with a frown. We should have had enough for the journey, if it wasn't for that meddling thing called 'Kadon is the worst navigator in the history of terrible navigators who get lost and die in deserts'. Adding too that, I was already thirsty when we went into the desert, which kind of hurt the supplies. It didn't take me long to realize that Kadon 2 was a jerk. A stuck up and arrogant jerk from the sounds of it. ... I couldn't have chosen a more appropriate name for him if I had actually put effort into it. "I think the real question is why you're here?"

IC: Drome Finally managing to get a good footing on the sand world of endless sliding, I carefully because walking over towards the levitating guy, a bit of a frown on my face. Okay, more than a bit. What's the level of frown on an angry kane-ra? About that. "DOES MY SUFFERING THROUGH THIS KARZING SAND AMUSE YOU!? DO YOU THINK MY MISERY IS AMUSING!?" Laughing at other people's misfortune and making cracks about it right in front of them. That's something that Kadon usually. Only he managed it in a calm tone without all of the obnoxious that filled Kadon's every word. I was going to call him Dry Kadon Oh right, normal Kadon was pretty dry right now too. I should probably help get the water since he would just mess it up if I left it to him. Wait, had Kadon just made sense for a whole sentence? Wow. "What he said."

IC: Drome I hated sand so much. So so much. Was it possible to hate sand more than twice as much as anything else? If so, that was half as much as I hated sand. If I had to choose a face to represent sand, I would choose Kadon's. That is how much I hate sand. As I struggled up the dune, I realized that I wasn't charging anywhere near fast enough to actually get my charging attack in on the water-bearer's face. I mean, I wasn't going to hurt him, just demand that he give over his water, and if he refused and i couldn't manage to take it, just knock him out and take it. Karz, I'd even be nice enough to carry him over my shoulder until we found the village if he had enough water on him. I wasn't some sort of evil monster or anything. I saw the guy evade and roll and realized that he had probably misjudged my ability to charge up sand just as much as I had. Now we both looked stupid. Stupid karzing sand. And then Kadon just had to get himself involved with his shouting. He just didn't know when to keep his mouth shut and let me handle a situation. He was just going to make things worse! I mean, it sounded like he was threatening them! When I finally reached the top of the dune, I came across one more reason to hate sand. It doesn't just make climbing hard, it's hand to walk on steadily too, especially on a dune. My footing gave way beneath me and I started sliding sideways, desperately struggling to keep my balance as I tumbled off towards someone else who had just shown up at the scene like a wingless gukko. KARZING SAAAAAAAAAAAAAND OOC: Hi Grochi!

OOC: Hey, no problem Requiem. I understand the difficulties of both college and moving, though I've not experienced them both together as of yet. I also want to apologize for the time between my replies as well. I've been a bit under the weather lately. IC: Manann "The bazaar sounds like an excellent place to begin. You can always learn a little about a place by the items it sells." I paused, pretending to think over the offer a little. Sure, I was going to agree to go along, but that didn't mean that I couldn't have a little fun with it. Judging from her reactions, she didn't seem to mind the occasional joke and snarking comment. "A drink? Well, as a Toa, I have to be more responsible with drinks." "You see, when there is a drink to be drunken, it's my responsibility to see it drunk."

IC: Drome "No..." I knew that one person wouldn't be carrying enough water for that many people, it would just be a stupid thing to do and weigh them down unnecessarily. They'd have enough water for themselves only. "But we might be able to make it last for two." Looking at Kadon with a nod, I starting trying to charge up the sand slope in the onlooker's direction. Probably not the best idea to think much about violence when suffering from desert heat delirium. You can never tell what you'll do.

IC: Drome I had just successfully turned my mortal enemy away from resigning himself to death. I was a master of psychology. When I finished my book trilogy, the readers would be just amazed at this astounding feat as they would be at my grand battle against the jungle itself. in fact, I might even make it the cliffhanger ending of the second book. It was too good an opportunity to miss. The time when I had defeated Kadon so hard even his cynicism had lost would live in fame eternally. To be honest though, the feeling was more of one of relief than it was any sense of pride. As much as I hated it, Kadon was the only person on this whole karzing island I knew I could trust. Losing him to the desert would mean I'd have to find another friend. And after this, it probably wasn't worth the effort. Seeing Kadon stand, I put an arm around his shoulder, looking towards him with probably one of the most serious expressions he'd seen out of me. "Try that again and I'll make sure I finish you long before the desert does." Letting go, I noticed a speck coming over a nearby dune. "Hey Kadon..." "Maybe they have..." "Water." OOC: Hiya Requiem!

IC: Manann To be honest, I almost felt like I was talking to an embodiment of this village itself. She was perfectly honest as far as I could tell, and seemed to have that same energy, that same heartbeat I felt in the Koro. It was something highly different, to saw the least. The fishers I knew weren't the most humorous bunch at times, and especially not the most energetic. Among them, I was the wild card, the foolish joker. I felt like I was currently looking at someone who had long ago mastered the art that I myself only lightly dabbled in. I'm not sure why, but it quickly put my mind at ease. She barely seemed to have a care compared to me, like she was far more free than I could ever hope to find myself. Oh, and she also didn't seem to have much though of personal space, though I guess it could be said that I really didn't either. People could get quite close on a boat out on the ocean. It was still slightly jarring though, seeing her scanning over my face at close range. The change in her expression told me she had just seen something she hadn't expected. Had I forgotten to clear something off of my mask? There was something about hearing the village hadn't changed that much that came as a relief. It was good to know that at the very least, the spirit of the island was still the same here as it had been. I wish I could have said the same for Ga-Koro. Instead, I merely nodded. "Too tired?" I said, one of my eyebrows raising slightly. "Surely you jest. I haven't been so far disconnected from sleep in my life." It was a lot easier to joke about my lack of sleep than to actually talk about it, and hopefully it would help clear up her concerns. Once one sees the creatures of the deep ocean while drowning, they'll too learn just how hard it is too sleep well again. Of course, then there was the offer of visiting different parts of the Koro to address. I really didn't want to impose on her and keep her away from anything of importance she might have planned. "I don't mean to take your time with sightseeing." I replied, the very slightest hint of a smirk slipping onto my face. "However, I feel that I don't have much of a choice in this situation." Raising the back of my hand up to my forehead and tilting my head back in a dramatic pose, I let out a sigh. "They tried to warn me of Le-Koro hospitality, but I wouldn't listen. Woe is me, woe, woe." Removing my hand, my serious expression returned. "I shall tag along if you'll have me, but there is no area that I particularly want to see above any others, so if you have any recommendations, I would be happy to accept them."

IC: Manann I understood the sentiment. It was always good to return to somewhere you were fond of. Perhaps you might see old friends again, or maybe some little out of the way place that hadn't changed at all. It made me wonder what the village had been like before, back when I had heard it called the ultimate balance between civilization and nature, both in a harmonic balance. Judging by her pause, she was looking for that little spot of familiarity. if there was one to be found, I certainly couldn't see it. Everything looked sleek and new, furthering the glaring contrast that made this village feel so wrongly placed. A gleaming mass of tubes built into the forest itself, as both appeared to have only the slightest hints at accepting each other, monster as though they were in a slow and never ending war. And the village? it was winning. "Indeed, I'm here to view the villages of the island, to see for the first time the place I have called home for so many years. In all that time, I've never once left Ga-Koro. I decided that could use a change." I responded, my eyes catching on a bird flying overheard, a massive creature easily recognizable. "Has it changed much since you were last here?"

IC: Drome "Hey, it's not my fault. I just let you slide and let gravity chose your landing. Apparently gravity thinks you have a massive head too." I chuckled weakly, watching Kadon pouting on the sand like a spoiled little kid who didn't get his way. It was the most pathetic that I had even seen the annoyance ever act. Even in defeat, he'd been better than this. But to just give up? "No." It was time to teach him a lesson that he would never forget. "Nothing is inevitable, if you don't let it happen." "You've letting your inner loser win, and I think what's wrong with that is pretty apparent." My greatest foe, ready to just curl up and die before the sun. Sickening. Seeing such a determined warrior changed into such a mess infuriated me. "You need to shove that loser back down and let out your inner bad###." I stared out into the distant sands, the bleak oblivion, and grinned a vicious smirk. "Kadon, life doesn't give you any breaks, it just keeps throwing on weight until you collapse beneath it all. You either take the weight and surrender or try to ignore the weight. Neither work in the end. I found out a long time ago that the third option is the only one worth taking." Leaning down to look Kadon right in his sad little pathetic giving up face, I spoke. "When life looks at you and expects you to collapse, you look back, spit in its face, and say 'More weight'." Turning and walking away, I finished. "Now, you can come with me and live, or die the weak pathetic person I always knew you were."

IC: Drome "SHUT UP KADON I'M TRYING TO NOT DIE!" Kadon was shouting something but I could barely hear him. At the moment, all I could hear was DETERMINATION. At this point, I doubted that even the desert could slow me down. I was on the warpath. You hear that sand? I WILL DESTROY YOU! Oh right. Holding Kadon near my bladed shoulders probably wasn't a good idea. As funny as kadon being killed by the spikes would be, I couldn't fight him to the death if he was already dead. Well, I could, but I would need to find a Toa with a Tryna to bring him back to life and even then it wouldn't really be him but instead a mindless puppet. Wait, no difference then. Sighing, I slowed myself down to a walk, lowering Kadon face-first onto the sand.

IC: Manann Nah, it wasn't even a rumor. I just made it up on the spot. Gukko didn't even have arms, they had wings. I'm fairly certain you can't arm-wrestle with a wing. Regardless, it had created the desired response. Laughter, amusement. In the end, isn't that one of the best things that someone can spread? Putting a smile on the face of others was always an excellent way to live. "How tragic. Seeing birds arm-wrestle would have been most amusing." I responded, my own expression staying serious throughout my own joy at the humored response. The village looked like someone had created a celebration and it had spread across the entire city, wild and lively, a constant bustling blur of color and energy. Beyond that, the village looked like some sort of unnatural hybrid between nature and technology. Trees and chutes lacing through one another around buildings and structures. It was terrifying in a way, the fusion of life with machinery. At the same time, it was one of the most magnificent things I had ever seen. It was impressive, in a haunting way. Slowly taking my eyes away from watching the endless motion of the village, I turned towards the other Toa. "A social butterfly? You're right, that doesn't fit me at all. I'm more of a moth." With a slight shrug I continued "I'm on permanent vacation and thought Le-Wahi might be worth seeing." Seeing the smirk, I couldn't help but feel a slight hint of a smirk trying to reach my own face. I halted it before it actually reached visibility. Her armor wasn't the most impressive I had seen, clearly aimed more for lightness of movement than strong protection. I recognized her mask as a Huna, which was probably the reason for the lightweight armor. And being an archer, she clearly had no intention of getting close enough to the enemy for the mask's main weakness to become a serious issue. Judging by her actions, she seemed like a highly expressive individual, and a cheerful one at that. That, combined with the mask and weapon choice, left me a pretty clear image of the person I was talking to. When it came to fighting, I had no doubt she was highly skilled. Violence likely didn't bother her in the slightest. I couldn't guess her element, But the heavy use of blue lead me towards only a few options, Ga-Toa, Vo-Toa, or maybe, but unlikely, a Bo-Toa. Of course, i'd met Toa of fire with white armor, so it could really be anywhere in the spectrum of elements. I guess she wasn't that bad to look out, but a good combat evaluation is usually more reliable check of character. "And might I ask what brings you to this tree-top town?"

IC: Drome So, this is the end, is it? Trapped out in the burning heat with only my greatest foe to keep me company. Was this the way that the mighty Drome was going to die? This shameful excuse for a death? No, no it was not. I hadn't traded away everything I was for this. I hadn't become as awesome as i was just to die in the blazing heat of the Po-Wahi sun. I was a Hero, and heroes never die until the final act! I'd climbed into the ring with a drunken Tarakava and came out alive. I'd fought a team of other Toa and came out alive. I'd run into a hive of Nui-Rama and came out alive. I'd been on the edge of death in a hospital and came out alive. I'd worked with Kadon this long and hadn't killed myself yet. I wasn't going to die to some weak little glowball in the sky. "WE ARE THE COOLEST KARZING TOA TO HAVE EVER LIVED AND THIS IS NOT HOW WE AM GOING TO DIE!" "WE ARE GOING TO DIE FIGHTING EACH OTHER IN BLOODY BATTLE, NOT LYING ON THE SAAAAAAAAAND!" I shouted, grabbing up the kneeling Kadon and throwing him over my shoulder. A look of determination crossed my face as i used this second wind to charge across the burning sand. Where once I was tripping, now I had the grace of that drunken Tarakava. I swear, the lizard was cheating. I still had no idea where I was going. But I was going to get there IN RECORD TIME! "RAAAAAGH!" I think I've been in the sun a little too long.