The Order Preliminary Poll - Brutaka

[Velox]

 

Vote here for your favorite The Order story; entries have been randomized. Please MAKE SURE YOU READ ALL ENTRIES BEFORE VOTING.Voting begins now and will end on July 6th at 11:59 PM EST. Entries that do well will move on to the The Order Final Poll, which will be posted at the conclusion of the 10th round preliminary poll.

 

Entry #1:

 

"The Law of the Jungle"

 

Nui-Kao: the Great Tree, its topmost branches reaching to heights in the sky no Le-Koro treehouse could dream of. There was no bigger tree in all Mata Nui, none even came close. The canopied roof of the jungle spread out far below, like a sea of green, disheveled and wrinkled, rippling in the whistling winds. In odd places a family of colorful Kewa or playful Brakas breached.

 

That was my home. The most Mangaian abysses of the jungle, where no Matoran foot had ever dared to tread. I only ever shared it with the trees, the Rahi, the wind and the rain--and Hahli.

 

My companion and I sat alone on the highest branch of the Nui-Kao; it was our private cloud, floating us over the vivid colors of the sea below.

 

"You know the sea, Hahli," I said. "I know the jungle. But they're not that different. Look out over the ocean and you'll see dangerous enigmas and inconceivable wonders. It seems like chaos, but when you get closer, you realize it's nothing but an order you don't fully understand.

 

"I am the jungle. I feel every tree, every stone, every Rahi; all speak to me, and form a unity that I can't describe. I know the whisper of the wind through every tree in this jungle, I've seen the sunset on every leaf, I've smelled every flower, growing between the lowest roots in winter, or blossoming in the springtime sun above the highest stem in all the jungle. It's all different, it's all unique, and none of it's ever the same. But somehow, every day it all blends together to make a new order that I've never seen before.

 

"The rain comes, and waters the jungle; new plants grow; Rahi eat the plants; Rahi die; the plants and earth absorb their bodies; the plants dry up, and the water returns to the sky, where it's taken away until the next rain comes. The only jungle law is that everything must go on. It's not even about survival. It's about the survival of the whole jungle.

 

"It's life. And death. Plants die, Rahi die, only to be reborn, or replaced. Someday, I'll die. I'll be replaced. There must always be balance. The jungle is balance, and it's chaos. It's light and dark, good and evil, joy and woe, hope and despair, strength and weakness. It's awe-inspiring, and at the same time it's pathetic. It's planned to every finest detail, it's just--just everything, Hahli--but--but it's not--"

 

I shook my head. "It's just always been there, to me. It was all I had ever known, nothing particularly special; but then you came here, and saw it with fresh eyes. I showed you the beauty of the way it all comes together in one perfect, eternally perfect order. And suddenly, I could see it, too. You made me see that."

 

Soon the sun began to set. This was the most magical time of all, and it was always Hahli's favorite. The sun would disappear; the gilden greens would fade into bronzes and blacks; the jungle’s bird-chorus would sing a lullaby so sweet, so perfect, it would take Hahli’s breath away; and then she would lean on me, sighing contentedly, and I would wrap my arm around her.

 

"Nothing," I said, as the last sunlight died, "nothing ever made me as happy as the moments when we would sit here like this.

 

"It's beautiful today. I've never seen it prettier. I only wish you could be here to see it too, Hahli . . ."

 

My companion let out a screech, chittered throatily, and brakiated away down amidst the branches. I watched the Brakas until it disappeared, then turned my deformed face north-eastward, casting my mind toward Ga-Koro.

 

"I wish I could see it. No--I wish I could see you. Hahli--without you this jungle, all this glorious beauty--has become nothing. It's lost the magic you showed me it had. I can't see it anymore! It's lost any meaning--even the order I once reveled in, taking it for granted, is gone. No matter how hard I look, it doesn't make any sense any more. Nothing--nothing makes sense anymore."

 

I raised my face to the stars. I loved seeing them best; they reminded me of the twinkle in her eyes.

 

"Without, you, Hahli, the jungle is a troubled sea of confusion and chaos. And . . . I am the jungle."

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Entry #2:

"Twenty Four"

 

One, two three, four, five, six.

The Toa stood in a row. They were the six the leader had chosen, along with six Matoran, six Vortixx, and six robots, two each made in the image of each group.

The Toa of Water gave a quick glade to the Toa of Fire to her left. He was trying to stop his friend of Air from falling onto his shoulder. Following him were Toa of Earth, Ice and Stone. The Matoran were organised in the same pattern, and the Vortixx in height order.

Their captor had their face shrouded in a thick veil, and a Vortixx wondered if they could see out of it. She raised a hand and stepped forward. "Yo."

"What?" snapped the decidedly female figure. "And get back in line, or I'll have to mutate you."

"The name's Valda," she continued, folding her arms. "What are we even here for?"

The veiled woman clicked her fingers. A Boggarak scuttled to her heel. "Are you sure you want to find out?"

Valda shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

She grinned as the person now ordering the Visorak in their language shook with anger. When pincers poked her back, however, her face fell into a state of shock.

"Take them," she heard the woman hiss in something that only just sounded like Matoran before she was swept away.

00110010 00110100

A flickering light told Valda that she was now awake. The veiled woman was now gone, but was replaced by protosteel shackles and a small, grey character who looked a little like a Matoran. The four groups of six were sat next to the wall on a stone bench.

"Oh, my!" they exclaimed, clapping their hands. "Friends!"

The Toa of Stone raised an eyebrow. "Friends? I do believe that is an incorrect term."

The Matoran (Was it a Matoran? Something seemed off about it.) frowned. "You don't have to be my friend," it pouted. "It may be optional, but I highly recommend it."

"I'll pass."

"Are you sure?"

With a quick glance at Valda, he replied, "Sure, why not?"

The echo of a Vortixx were his last words.

The Matoran looked up to see what would be the veiled woman, but she had removed it to show a grubby blue Komau. "Great, Flute!" it grinned. "I wish he had come to his senses, though."

"That'd be unlikely," she replied cooly. "Toa of Stone are as dense as their element. Let this serve as a warning to the rest of them to not speak out."

The Toa of Earth looked at his friend's corpse in shock, before moving to remove his mask.

"Uh, uh!" the Matoran said. "We're playing a game now. The rules are that you have to play it, and I choose the rules! Another rule is that you can't touch a dead player."

He stood suddenly, pulling the other Toa into awkward positions. "What am I able to remember him by, then?"

The Matoran tutted. "Another rule is that if they die, then they never existed."

As it was, the Toa of Stone's shackles were now empty. His brother slumped back down onto the bench. "I'll be your friend."

Valda watched him intently, quashing the desire to comfort that lost her many jobs.

"Hey, Vortixx!" grinned the Matoran suddenly. "What's your name?"

Valda looked up, but he was addressing the short male on the other side of the row. He looked into the Matoran's eyes, and Valda realised suddenly that they were black pits. She made a mental note to never look at them again when her fellow Vortixx stopped speaking.

"Is he dead?" asked the Ta-Matoran. The six Matoran had been silent, along with the robots. Now that they were being stared at, they fidgeted uncomfortably, and the Po-Matoran burst into tears.

"This is a happy place," it smiled widely. "You can't cry here." As the wails intensified, the Matoran's eyes narrowed. "Stop it. Stop crying now. I don't want to kill you. Actually, maybe I should. but then I'd have to kill that Vortixx and one of the robots."

Flute grabbed the short Vortixx, who hadn't moved since. "This one?"

"Yep!" he replied. "Can you decapitate this one?"

Valda closed her eyes and hoped for the slaughter to stop soon.

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Entry #3:

"Justice?"

 

“Chaos is the law of nature; Order is the dream of man.”

-Henry Adams

 

The Le-Matoran watched as the grinning Vortixx and the stoic Ta-Toa clashed in combat. The Matoran knew his fate lay in the outcome of this battle, yet all he could do was hope and pray. His hands tightly clutched the stone that had caused this predicament.

 

“I will gave you one last chance,” the Toa stated to the Vortixx, his voice noble and regal, “Back away from the Matoran and never speak of this encounter, otherwise I have no choice but to end you.”

 

“Hah,” The Vortixx merely laughed in response, “We issuing threats now? What happened to the ridiculous motto of Toa don’t kill, or are you guys above that stuff now? Then again, I always did find that policy idiotic.”

 

Even as he bantered, the battle continued to rage on: The Vortixx would leap in, his daggers locking with the Toa’s sword, the Toa would then try an elemental attack and the Vortixx would leap back. Eventually the Toa realized that the Vortixx was too fast for his elemental attacks and began focusing on weapon combat.

 

“Do not speak of that which you cannot comprehend,” The Toa retorted back, as his blade blocked another attack from the Vortixx’s daggers. “Our outdated code restrained us from properly carrying out justice and ensuring order.”

 

The Toa then stepped back, twisting his body away to allow his blade to swing towards the Vortixx’s side. The Vortixx, with only a moment to respond, swiftly pivoted on his foot, narrowly avoiding the attack.

 

“What a load of Muaka dung,” the Vortixx responded as he darted in, his daggers aimed at the Toa’s stomach, only to be parried once more when the Toa slammed his massive sword into the ground. Then, taking advantage of the lull in the Vortixx’s assault the Toa smashed a gauntleted fist into the Vortixx’s jaw.

 

Rolling away, the Vortixx spat out some blood and readied his daggers while the Toa ripped his sword from the ground. “Alright Toa,” the Vortixx snarled, “You want me to speak about what I can comprehend? Fine. What I comprehend is that your sense of Justice and Order can go to Karz.” The Vortixx stated before dashing in once more.

 

At first it appeared his daggers were again aimed at the Toa’s gut, but when the Toa’s sword came down to intercept, the Vortixx sidestepped, swinging his daggers to the side of the Toa’s chest. Unfortunately the Toa and his Calix were faster, allowing him to masterfully swing around, rip his sword out and block the daggers.

 

Their blades locked once more, the Vortixx continued speaking his mind. “What sort of Order requires you to kill a Matoran?” He demanded. “All I see is a bully afraid of the power that Matoran may acquire, you’re scared of a new Toa.”

 

However, the Toa would have none of it and flames erupted from his blade to send the Vortixx flying back. The Vortixx collided with a tree next to the Le-Matoran with a sickening thud. He struggled to get up, but found only the Toa’s blade at his throat.

 

“You understand nothing!” There was rage in the usually stoic Toa’s voice. “We do this because we must, a new Toa would upset the balance of power, order needs to be established. Without it the entire land would be plunged into chaos. How can you not see that this is our Duty?”

 

The Vortixx only laughed bitterly, “Don’t feed me that nonsense. There’s no justification for the murder, no, genocide you commit upon your own people.”

 

“Then this is your end.” The Toa responded as he hefted his blade in the sky before bringing it crashing down towards the Vortixx’s neck.

 

“STOP IT!” A new voice begged in desperation, it was the voice of the Le-Matoran. “Kill me, but please let him go. He’s only protecting me, he’s done nothing wrong!”

 

“I cannot do that,” the Toa began to reply only to be taken by surprise when the Vortixx seized the opportunity and tackled him.

 

“Run kid!” He yelled before being skewered by the Toa’s blade.

 

“Fool,” the Toa grimaced as he began to make his way towards the Matoran, never noticing the barely standing figure of the Vortixx.

 

“Hey mate,” the Vortixx coughed out as he hefted one last throwing dagger, “I’ll see you in karz.”

 

His dagger flew straight and true towards the Toa’s heart causing both beings to collapse.

 

------------------------------------

 

Entry #4:

 

"The Disorderly Orderlies"

 

Two axes rested on a table, one beside the other. To the right was a respectable looking round shield, and to the left a zamour sphere launcher. These were the weapons and defences of Mal and Sordak, two members of the Order, who sat just in front of the table.

Behind the table was an empty chair, hard and straight backed so as not to provide any incentive to slouch. The chair was empty, as it was not yet time for its owner to enter the room; she had said that she would enter at a quarter after, and she was not one to go back on her word. It wasn't a matter of the immorality of lying; this Toa was not faint hearted, nor was she moral without reason; it was the simple fact that a lie can cause havoc, confusion, and disorder - likely the worst facets of existence, in her opinion.

At precisely one quarter past, the Sordak and Mal were not in the least surprised to see Helryx; they were, however, extremely disappointed that they had not been able to arrange their weapons and defenses in a proper manner before her entry. Now it was their duty to themselves to pray to the one they were sworn to serve that Helryx was in a good mood. They hastily did so as they rose in perfect, practiced unison to welcome their leader.

The Toa of Water flowed smoothly around the desk, and sat in her chair, relishing the structure that it leant to her back. Just as her mind began to obey her commands to order, her eyes fell upon the horrid pile of vile weaponry that scarred her desk.

She rose at once, though still maintaining her air of discipline. Immediately the two orderlies of the Order followed suite, each wondering why the Toa before them was of water, which was surely a very disorderly yet calm element, and not at all suited to her personality. Soon, however, they came to understand that no element could be quite as ferocious as water, and as such perhaps it was the perfect element for her personality.

Shortly thereafter they found themselves in the briefing hall, awaiting their leader. Whispered conversations were hushed as the doors parted, and in walked Helryx, with a cold air that would put of Toa of Ice to shame.

“Today I feel it important to share with you the importance of law and order; from the simple task of aligning one’s equipment to the care of a land, our organization has sworn to bring order to the chaos that creeps throughout the lands, threatening the Great Spirit Mata Nui.” Her eyes swept the crowd as she spoke, and every member with any sense cowered beneath her gaze.

“In order that we carry out our duties, we must be inwardly organized. This begins with your lifestyle and discipline, which allow us to enforce important routines, bringing us together into a strong agency, with its feet planted firmly in the ground, rooted against the winds of change. Without structure we are useless at our jobs; we would have failed at every victory, been reduced to scattered vagabonds. One way to organize one’s life would, for example, be to respect authority and align axes in a perpendicular fashion...” soon her words were drowned out in a sea of thoughts.

Every member of the Order secretly cursed those two orderlies, who surely must have been the root cause of this wearisome lecture; now they could expect for rules to be upheld with more vehemence than ever! And to say nothing of their leader’s mood.

------------------------------------

 

[xccj]

Wow, this was a hard bunch to follow; some different styles of narratives here. While #1 has the best descriptions, I still prefered #3.

 

[BBBBalta]

Hm, I almost chose 1, but ultimately I settled on 3. For a moment at the beginning I was slightly irritated, thinking it was another heroic-Toa-versus-evil-Vortixx story, and as such the role-reversal came as a very pleasant surprise.1 had excellent descriptions and such, but the ending was a bit weird.

[Excelsior]

I also voted for #3. I did not see that twist coming.

 

May the best story win!

 

-Excelsior

[Velox]

Polling period over; topic closed.