BZPRPG - Ko-Wahi

[Geardirector]

IC: Ferron, Tuli and Khervos (Ko-Koro Inn)

 

"I don't think there is" Ferron answered slowly. Meeting Khervos and Noka's gazes in turn.

 

"Then we know where we must go" Khervos surmised.

 

"And this time," Tuli cut in, her eyes ablaze "you're not going to let us sit on the sidelines"

 

She'd been remarkably quiet for the whole conversation, taking in what has happening around her hungrily, like a predator on the prowl, and now she'd pounced.

 

Ferron looked into the ex-guardswomans eyes, and he could see clearly that she would not take no for an answer this time. There was a respectable strength in her determination to help Ferron get his justice. He looked to Khervos, and his simple nod of confirmation told Ferron everything he needed to know.

 

"Alright," he said with a tired, but contented sigh, "just be sure to arm and clothe yourselves properly, we'll leave as soon as we can"

Edited May 20, 2014 by Gyro Gearloose

[Wotz]

IC: Noka

 

The excitement coursed through Noka's body, fuelling her every movement. The world was but a numbed blur that dragged her through menial tasks until that fateful moment when, finally, she would see Kuhrin again. Granted, she did not know if she could trust these people. She barely even knew who they were. Whatever the scenario, Kuhrin was definitely going to come back. Of that much she was certain.

 

She could only dream of how it might be, how magnificent and beautiful his Toa form might look. Those familiar, perceptive eyes, dipping beneath her surface, soaking her up. His warm, comforting grasp. His breath that always smelt of mint...

 

Suddenly, Noka was with the others again. For now, Kuhrin lived in her mind. But soon, very soon, they would be together again.

[Geardirector]

IC: Ferron, Khervos and Tuli (Ko-Koro)

 

And so it was that the quartet gathered by the entrance to Ko-Koro, in various states of dress and preparation. Tuli had brought her trusty armaments from the guard, and she had donned a set of clothing that kept her warm, but didn't restrict her movement too much.

 

Khervos, on the other hand, nearly disappeared in the coat he was wearing. The top of his purple Kanohi poked out of a maw of fur and hide to nervously test the weather.

 

"Can't handle the cold, can ya?" Tuli teased him with a wink.

 

"I take my precautions, nothing more" Khervos replied in unshaking monotone, quite a feat considering the temperature.

 

Ferron didn't talk, he just stood there and actively breathed, taking in the scene before him and processing what had been revealed to him.

 

"One more go"

[Wotz]

IC: Kuhrin and Desuka

 

"I will not fight for you."

 

"I really think you might."

 

Kuhrin scraped his fingernail across the wall, the intensity of the scratching enhanced tenfold. The prisoner fell into a foetal position - days of imprisonment in the dank conditions of this dungeon had taught him to ignore the patches of blood, vomit and other assorted bodily fluids that had accumulated on the floor. Casually observing the fungal matter that had collected under his claw-like fingernail, Kuhrin went on. "You see, Desuka, I quite literally have you, and your bestial counterpart, on a leash."

 

Desuka pried himself off the ground and forced himself to stand in attempted opposition. "No..." He wheezed, his joints shuddering. Kuhrin stifled a laugh. "You won't get away with this, brother. I will-"

 

"-You'll what?" Kuhrin darted in until their faces were almost touching, but was careful not to make any bodily contact. "Use your powers, which are gone? See your friends again, who have all forgotten you or are long dead?" At this, Desuka began to try and fight the chain around his neck. "You are nothing now. Nobody. You are merely my possession, and a lacklustre one at that."

 

He prodded Desuka in the chest with his sword, sending him to the ground, and turned to leave. On his way out, he could hear the sounds of sobbing echoing in the dungeon behind him. The 'hero' was broken, deceased. The former Toa of sonics was now nothing but an empty shell.

 

Kuhrin smiled to himself. Today was a good day.

 

OOC: Just thought I'd break Desuka while our heroes make their way through the mountains. Fun fun fun.

[Geardirector]

OOC: Minor timeskip

 

IC: Ferron, Tuli and Khervos (Drifts)

 

It was a motley crew of do-gooders, resigned or vigorous, that fought their way through the white glazed hills of Mount Ihu. Ferron, big Toa of Iron that he was, walked in front, partially sheltering his Matoran companions from the lashing winds.

 

"Back here again," Ferron thought bitterly, "easing someone else's load"

 

Still, he did not complain or falter. He continued through the snow.

 

"Consider exploiting psychological angle, keep ear plugs at the ready, don't lose sight of the target"

 

Khervos went through ideas and plans in his head, like a half-baked schemer tossing ideas around with no real purpose but to occupy himself. Keeping his mind active was he worked best.

 

"That coat's looking real inviting right about now" Tuli managed to force through chattering teeth. Her own clothing kept the worst of the cold out, but the simple fact of the matter was that Tuli remained a Ta-Matoran with just the kind of hot-blooded persona that would imply. Nothing about her meshed with this place in any way, aside from her discipline, which was the main reason she was keeping it together.

 

"Hrm," Khervos grunted, "alright"

 

He reached out with an arm, allowing Tuli passage to slip within the folds of his coat. Tuli muttered a thanks as they continued walking together.

 

Noka was in the back, Ferron threw an occassional look back to check on the three Matoran. And so they continued through the icy wastes.

Edited May 21, 2014 by Gyro Gearloose

[Wotz]

IC: Noka

 

It was not long before the party was approaching the edge of Kuhrin's territory. The foursome stopped for a moment, to catch their breath, all of their minds ablaze with activity. Tuli and Khervos were huddled within their coat, and on either side Noka and Ferron, who stood alone, all summoning up their courage for what would, hopefully, be a final confrontation.

 

Finally, Noka managed to fight the stiffening cold and articulate her jaw enough to speak. "I think I'd better go on ahead," she yelled over the shrieking blizzard. "I feel Kuhrin may lash out if he sees you with me."

[Geardirector]

IC: Ferron (Drifts)

 

Ferron remained quiet as he looked around at the shivering Matoran, landing on Noka last. Noka, Kuhrin's former flame, the only one who ever saw the promise of something beautiful in the twisted maniac that Ferron hated so. Kuhrin's last link to sanity, and the last chance Ferron had of ever seeing this come to a total conclusion.

 

"If I don't at least try, I'll never forgive myself"

 

"Go, Noka" Ferron muttered, "good luck"

[Wotz]

IC: The Beginning of the End

 

She called his name. The ice and the cold passing through her were meaningless. Just his name, and the knowledge he was hearing it, was enough to warm her heart like nothing had for at over one hundred years. Her words, however, were met only with the emotionless howl of the wind as the rocks cut its skin.

 

“Kuhrin!” She cried again, louder this time. “I know you can hear me, I-” a pause, a reshaping of the sentence, “It’s me. I came back.”

 

For a few seconds, Noka’s heart sank. It crossed her mind that perhaps all of her hopes had been in vain, that Kuhrin did not care about her, that Kuhrin might not even be here.

 

In a flash her doubts were washed away.

 

Slowly, a figure began to form in the mist. As it began to take shape, Noka realised who she was looking at, and the cold seemed ever more real. It was a Toa, but their silhouette was jagged and demonic, like something out of a nightmare. This was a reality no amount of her excited daydreaming could have conjured up.

 

Then Kuhrin stepped into view, and Noka felt the dreams shatter. In all his magnificence and perfection, the essence of who Kuhrin was had been lost. His dead expression and hollow eyes were not his own. Even his mask had been changed, now a Pakari as opposed to the familiar Hau. It seemed silly, but Noka had a sneaking suspicion his breath no longer smelt of mints.

 

“Is that really you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Kuhrin…”

 

Something inside him recoiled at the comforting sound of her voice, saying his name again after all this time.

 

“Kuhrin, you-” she could hardly bring herself to say it. “You killed Krell. Zuriana.”

 

“Not just them. Others too.”

 

What struck Noka the most was that he didn’t seem to care about what he’d done, or about anything at all. Suddenly it didn’t seem such a surprise that he had holed up in such an icy locale. “What happened to you, Kuhrin?” She asked through misty eyes, attempting to fight against the tears.

 

Kuhrin didn’t respond. The sight of her on the edge of tears… It awakened a part of him that had lain asleep for so long, a part of him that- No, the shadows were his friends now, the darkness his love. Nothing could change that. There was no going back.

 

“What happened to the Kuhrin I knew, and loved?” She began to move closer. “What happened to my Kuhrin?”

 

My Kuhrin…

 

As she took his hand and held it in the warmth between her palms, he began to find it harder and harder to fight the light that flickered inside him. You do not belong to her, he told himself, you belong to Him now.

 

“I fear…”

 

"What?" Noka stared up at him expectantly. He looked vulnerable, afraid. “What does the warrior fear?”

 

“I fear it is too late for me, now.”

 

She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak, but her words were cut short but a blood-curdling roar, which echoed in the clearing.

 

Kuhrin’s eyes snapped up in the direction of the sound. “No, not her…” He muttered, before looking around the clearing, searching for- “Ferron! I should have known!” He snatched his hand back from Noka in disgust. “You led them here!” He hissed, ignoring her protests. “You brought them here to kill me, you were just a trick!”

 

So wrapped up was Noka in trying to convince Kuhrin otherwise, she did not notice the blood-stained silver beast charging towards her until it was far too late. She only had time to dive between its legs, directly into the snow.

 

It passed over, and she stood, shivering, her armour covered in ice and snow. Looking around, she found Kuhrin had backed away and was shouting at the surrounding rocks in search of Ferron. Her hopes were shattered – it was all she could do to push them to the recesses of her mind for later for the sake of her survival.

 

The beast puffed out a small cloud of steam.

 

Noka drew her sword.

Edited May 21, 2014 by Alex Turner

[Geardirector]

IC: Ferron, Tuli and Khervos (Drifts)

 

Two things happened in quick succession. One, a circular objects sailed through the air, rushing for Desuka's head as two diminuitive silhouettes came down on the titan.

 

Tuli rushed forward, hefting her spear as she did as Noka had done and dove between Desuka's legs, thrusting her two-pronged spear towards his neck in an attempt to wedge it in between. Khervos held back and reloaded his launcher.

 

On the other side, a now familiar sight to Kuhrin stepped out of the white haze, mace in hand and posture straigt and defiant.

 

"Noka wanted to give you another chance, Kuhrin," Ferron rumbled, "looks like you blew it"

[Onaku]

IC: Cetis

 

More days had passed and Cetis was now training at full force, strengthening herself and her combat skills. When she wasn't doing push-ups or sit-ups, she was practicing one of the many combat moves she had put together on her own. Some of them, as she discovered, were highly impractical, and didn't pay off compared to the time and movement that went into them. Others were more than just a little practical, being both unorthodox and very powerful. Her building, how ever, held its place, withstanding even the strongest of her attacks. Sure, the wood was a little singed here and there, but she took special care to keep her elemental attacks to a minimum while inside.

 

Although Cetis would have loved to be alone for a few years more, keeping to herself and her training, she knew she still had to get herself some supplies. Aka, food and water. With these thoughts, Cetis set off to the nearest settlement, aka Onu-Koro. The tunnel to it couldn't be too far off, at least it would be a shorter journey than the one to Onu-Wahi's forests. While walking down the mountain, how ever, Cetis tripped over an unexpected rock and...

 

OOC: Cetis to Onu-Wahi

Edited May 22, 2014 by Toa Onaku

[Wotz]

IC: Desuka and Kuhrin

 

The disk found itself shattered into splinters on impact with Desuka's teeth. With its attention focused on that, however, it did not have time to stop Tuli's spear from embedding itself in its collar, inches from its wind pipe and vital arteries. The beast slowed to a stop to yank the spear out, blood dripping from its twin tips. It had fallen short of the mark, but damage had been done nonetheless. Enraged, the monster roared, snapping the weapon in two with one clawed hand.

 

Fuelled by its fury, Desuka whirled around and bounded in three steps to Tuli's tiny form, at whom it reached out to slash with its blade-like fingers. Noka rushed to help, but was too far away to be able to make any defensive action at this point.

 

"It is you that needs another chance, Ferron," Kuhrin almost smiled to himself at his opponent's apparent stupidity. Almost. "Such a shame, then, that you are not going to get one."

 

With that, Kuhrin raised his hands and unleashed twin tendrils of sound, willing them to attempt to coil around Ferron's limbs and disrupt his armour's structural integrity.

[Geardirector]

IC: Ferron, Tuli and Khervos (Drifts)

 

Tuli ducked and tumbled through the snow, not aware of where Desuka was, all she knew was unending whiteness and cold.

 

Khervos, on the other hand, saw what was about to happen and acted quickly, discharging another disk at the strange growth in Desuka's back.

 

Ferron felt the vibrations come at him, as he had expected, Kuhrin had always been quick to draw upon his elemental powers. Even as he felt the shaking snake up his limbs, almost indistinguishable from the numbing cold around him, he unleashed his own elemental powers. A forceful telekinetic push was unleashed at Kuhrin's chest plate, while Ferron's other hand reached into his satchel, and fished out an object that'd long awaited the time it was to be used.

 

A round metal plate dangled from a chain in Ferron's hand, shaking as it was struck by the sonic vibrations and producing an ear-shattering pitch that tore through the white background noise.

 

OOC: Yes, he did do this. His satchel's not mentioned too often, but it's there.

 

So much for apparent stupidity, eh?

[Hiram McDaniels]

IC: Dekaton

The burly Skakdi arrived in a boat with four other men. by the time he was at the shore of ko-wahi, the other 4 were dead. He walked up a long slope, trudging through the freezing cold. He saw some guards that yelled "hault!". "It's fine" he said "I'm just looking for the nearest bar. can i have a map?" Once he had the map, He thought Time to make some money!

Edited May 22, 2014 by Party Poison

[Ghosthands]

IC: (Braen)

 

"Good to hear, you'd be getting a decent sum simply for setting up a meeting. Now any additional jobs' pay will vary, but I am nothing if not a generous employer," Braen laughed softly. "A man of your stature stands to gain a lot in this new world. Of course I'd prefer to talk details with your associate, if you could be here as well it would be helpful as well." Braen thought for a second as he heard Zadron's last statement fingers interlocking as his green eyes narrowed. "Well I have a guest bedroom upstairs, you could stay there."

 

IC (Zadron)

 

The assassin nodded bluntly.

 

"It'll do."

 

Zadron rose from his seat.

 

"Well, I think we're done talking. I'll go and get your audience with the Dark Toa."

 

***

Before long, Zadron was out in the biting cold of the Wahi once more, off to summon a demon for his new employer.

[Snelly]

IC: Lana

 

As soon as the assassin was gone, Lana breathed a sigh of relief, the anxiety she'd been feeling slowly ebbing away. Strangers really did put her on edge, especially dark, dangerous, and mysterious ones.

 

But now it was just Braen and her again! At least until Zadron returned, but Lana tried to not think about that, it was necessary for Braen's brilliant plan.

[Wotz]

OOC: The following jam is brought to you by Fight Condensers Ltd (me and gears lol)

 

The following two fights happen simultaneously, but I've split them up for ease of reading, kind of like The Two Towers. Also here's some music provided by Gears.

 

 

IC: Everyone

 

Khervos' aim was true - the disk hit its mark, staggering the beast. Immediately, Desuka made to make up for its loss by snatching Noka from where she stood, and launching her at the Ba-Matoran.

 

In the chill and the frost, Khervos remembered the cold of Xa-Koro's dead sea slipping underneath his armour, drawing trails of deathly coldness across his body, until he shuddered where he stood in Ko-Wahi's drift, and was unable to register anything but a dull throb as Noka was thrown into him, the two collapsing into the white sheet beneath them.

 

Tuli, as she stood up, saw Noka's sword where it'd been dropped in the snow, and made a mad dash for it.

 

Seeing the Matoran rushing for the sword, the creature pounced. Time seemed to slow as it and Tuli began to converge on the same point...

 

Tuli felt her fingers wrap around the hilt as a dark presence in the corner of her eye descended upon her. Her guard's instinct kicked in and she lashed out with her new weapon.

 

Khervos and Noka got up just to see Tuli disappear behind Desuka's massive frame. Khervos' eyes widened.

 

The two Matoran waited for several seconds, Kuhrin and Ferron's battle forgotten for now. The huge lump of violent silver did not move at all, and it seemed that perhaps both Tuli and the monster were gone. Eventually, the beast began to shift, and slowly started to rise.

 

Noka hung her head in sorrow. She should never have come, it was a huge mistake - death clung to her like a shadow, and those around her were forever to be condemned. It was only a case of waiting for when their deaths might be.

 

"Noka, look!"

 

Desuka's limp body fell to the side. In its place arose a bruised, battered and blood-soaked, but very much alive, Tuli.

 

//////////////////

 

Already knocked off balance by the push, Kuhrin was sent sprawling by the sound formed by the plate, his over-sensitive ears unable to withstand such an onslaught. He attempted to stand, but the world was spinning out of control, and it was all he could do to cling to what ebbs of consciousness he had left.

 

Ferron didn't hesitate for even a second to lash out when Kuhrin was vulnerable, driving his metallic fist forward at Kuhrin's face ferociously. His blood pounded as words rung in the back of his mind.

 

"You know I always approve of whatever gets results, Ferron. Now go get that two-bit son of a limp Klakk"

 

Slam!

 

The blunt appendage of a Tarakava slammed into Kuhrin's Hau, fracturing it at the edge. The Matoran was thrown back several feet and slammed, hard, into the grass, where he struggled in vain to push himself up in the midst of his mental haze. With one final press against the snow, Kuhrin tore himself out of the cold and whirled around to return a rapid, Pakari-enhanced strike back at his opponent.

 

The husk of an injured Nui-Kopen slammed right into Ferron's gut, knocking him to the ground even as the horrid screams sounded in his ears. He shook it off and aimed his mace at Kuhrin with a powerful swing.

 

Kuhrin's eyes widened in horror as Traxin was grasped by the claws of a wingless Nui Rama and dragged away into the crowds, but there was nothing he could do to stop it, as the more immediate problem of a Tarakava forearm was quite literally before him. Kuhrin fell back into an arch, the mace swinging over him, then propelled himself into a backward somersault to put some distance between he and Ferron.

 

Drawing his sword, he darted forth in a semi-crouch, his slashes fast, and strengthened by Ferron's Pakari.

 

Claws lashed at him as he threw up his arms in a faint attempt to guard himself, and a pain that cut deeper than ever before throbbed in his hand... until he never felt it again. Ferron wrenched Kuhrin's blade into an unusable shape, and delivered another blow to the demon's temple.

 

Kuhrin fell flat onto his back upon the impact. The screams and screeches, the horror of the Battle of Kini-Nui began to spin and fade around him until his world had flickered back to pure uncompromising cold.

 

The Toa of sonics looked up in disgust at his opponent, but did not resist. Instead, he showed his bloody teeth in his purely unlikeable smirk.

 

"Are you going to kill me?"

[Geardirector]

IC: Ferron, Tuli and Khervos (Drifts)

 

And so here they were, at the point Ferron had imagined in his head over and over again until he no longer could.

 

"He killed Zuriana, he killed Krell, he deserves this"

 

"No, this is not you, Ferron, you're better than this

 

He'd so long wanted to do this...

 

"I have already killed several on this quest, what's one more going to do?"

 

"You're lying to yourself again, Ferron?"

 

"Be wary of the path you tread, it leads nowhere but to your own destruction"

 

But his goals had changed since then...

 

"Do it, Ferron, you are like me deep down and you know it, do it. Do it now"

 

"I know there's still good in him somewhere down there, I just know it"

 

He just wanted to be done with it all...

 

"Please, if only for the sake of my memory, just try to laugh a little more"

 

"Prove you're one of us, Ferron, prove you've got the bearings to make the right choice"

 

He was so, so tired...

 

"No"

 

Ferron let his mace fall into the snow, the drifts silencing around them as if the universe itself was baffled by his decision.

 

"I'm not going to kill you, because I am becoming like you, and I despise that more than anything."

 

"I don't want to let anyone down. Not you, not Zuriana, not anyone"

 

Ferron needed to prove once and for all that he was not like Kuhrin, that he was himself and no one else.

 

"I'm not going to kill you... because I'm too tired to care about this anymore. I just want to be done with it all. I beat you, and that's enough"

 

Tuli and Khervos looked at him with wide eyes, staring at the two enemies with wonder.

[Wotz]

IC: Kuhrin and Noka

 

For the first time since Ferron had known him, Kuhrin looked as if he had been caught off guard. It took several seconds for him to process what was going on, and even then, his thoughts were difficult to handle. Slowly, his wide-eyed gaze slid over to Noka, and transformed into the most desperate cry for help she had ever seen.

 

"Noka..."

 

The Po-Matoran rushed to him and caught him as he fell. Blood dribbled from his mouth and dyed the snow. "I can't... Help..." He mumbled weakly, his hands fumbling around the edges of the Pakari. Without a second thought, Noka grabbed the mask and tore it off, to see Kuhrin's injured face.

 

A small trail of crimson trickled down one side of his head, and one eye was half-closed, and that was all. Evidently, his mental struggle had been far more draining than its physical equivalent. Looking into his eyes she saw confusion, loss and void, but the darkness was gone. His breaths were heavy, like he was taking huge gulps of air after being pulled out of a lake.

 

"You're back..."

 

He raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I guess."

 

Noka could not hold back her grin.

 

Kuhrin waved her off and rose. At first, he was unstable, and she made to help, but he found his balance in time, taking small, wavering steps in the snow, looking around in wonder as if he hadn't seen in years.

 

"Ferron," he wheezed, turning to the Toa of iron. "I cannot ask for your forgiveness. I just want you to know that I'm sorry. And if ever you call upon me, I shall come. My debt to you is eternal."

[Geardirector]

IC: Ferron (Drifts)

 

Ferron bit his lip as he mulled over Kuhrin's rather sudden change of heart. Not that he was complaining, and he could see the honesty in Kuhrin's eyes.

 

And yet... that was it?

 

He shook his head, repressing it for now, as he met Kuhrin's gaze.

 

"Kuhrin... I know how it feels to lose your comrades, and how it feels to be crippled and broken, to feel like the universe itself is against you and everything you touch results in misery and death."

 

He had fought so hard for so long, and as the realization dawned on him that it was finally over, his eyes began to water.

 

"There is a way out, Kuhrin. I found it, I still live, and I managed to be myself. You've seen the door now, but you still have to open it"

 

"If you can't do it yourself, do it for the people who care about you, do it for Noka. You know she's worth it"

 

"Do it for Noka," he paused, before reaching into his satchel and pulling out Kuhrin's statue, "and for our friend"

 

He presented the statue to the two, waiting for an answer.

[Wotz]

IC: Kuhrin

 

As Kuhrin took the statue of Krell and stared at its tiny carved face through misty eyes, it slowly began to dawn on him what he had done, all the cruelty and evil he had committed. The worst part was the knowledge that it was under his own, albeit deranged, free will - he had never been infected by the Makuta, he had simply been obsessed with it. His best friend was dead, and it was his fault. And Zuriana. Sweet, loving, innocent Zuriana, who never saw darkness in anyone, who would offer the darkness itself a cup of tea if they arrived on her doorstep, was now dead, brutally murdered by him.

 

He couldn't look at any of these people. He did not have the right. They were good people, and he was just....

 

He shook his head. Turned away, head bowed.

 

Desuka.

 

Within seconds he was by the corpse of his brother, shaking him violently, wailing his name. But there was no strained response, no gasping for breath. Only the squelching of his back, left mutilated by the departed Parakuka, which wriggled in a vain effort to escape a short distance away. Kuhrin's blood boiled.

 

He grabbed the tiny creature, and dashed its brains across a nearby stone. He then raised his foot, and stamped. And kept stamping. This creature was himself about an hour ago, the force of pure evil that did everything in its power to make people suffer. His foot was himself now, doing what he should have done so long ago. His rage was Desuka's death, the price of evil. Kuhrin had killed his own brother, and now he had to pay the price. He kept stamping until the only evidence that a Parakuka had existed was a gruesome mess of armour fragments and purple ooze.

 

Suddenly, there was a warm presence around his waist. It was a comfort that calmed his heavy, violent breaths and tensed muscles and blind rage. He fell to his knees by his brother's body and returned Noka's embrace, sobbing quietly into her shoulder.

 

"What have I done, Noka? What have I done?"

[Geardirector]

IC: Tuli and Khervos (Drifts)

 

"Hey, Tuli" Khervos muttered softly as he prodded her in the side where she stood stock still, Noka's sword still clutched in her hands.

 

She was staring with bulging eyes at Kuhrin's sobbing, his mourning over the corpse of his dead brother, the brother she had killed. Something wrong sprung into her stomach, and she felt disgusted.

 

"Tuli" Khervos said a bit more forcefully as he gently but decisively took one of her hands away from the sword and laced her fingers through his.

 

"You did what you needed to" he said staunchly as he met Tuli's vacant gaze.

 

Tuli's lip quivered as she let the sword slide out of her hands, and she threw herself into Khervos' arms, shaking against his shoulder.

 

She didn't see it, but a trail of tears ran down his cheek as well.

[Wotz]

IC: Noka

 

Noka left Kuhrin alone for a moment, having spied Ferron over his shoulder. The Toa of iron was stood alone, in stark contrast to the weeping couples around him.

 

She looked up at him sincerely. "Are you alright?"

[Geardirector]

IC: Ferron (Drifts)

 

Ferron stood staring into the horizon, his prying eyes scanning the white horizon for the silhouette of the Brimstone Princess he knew was no longer there, for he felt he needed to say something to her.

 

"Guess I didn't have it in me to cut all the loose ends once and for all"

 

"In time," he thought to himself, "in time, she'll come again, and she'll learn what happened"

 

"Are you alright?"

 

"I think so" he said after a long pause.

 

"What are you going to do now?"

[Wotz]

IC: Noka

 

Noka shook her head slowly. "The only thing we can do: Move on." She thought for a moment. "I'm not going back to that hut in Po-Wahi. It's time for a fresh start, somewhere peaceful. He'll need it to recover, and so will I."

 

There was a short silence as she dwelt upon her decision, broken only by the wind and gentle sobbing.

 

"What about you?"

[Geardirector]

IC: Ferron (Drifts)

 

"I'm going back to my forge," Ferron replied, "I'm starting to wonder whether or not it's time to retire for good. To maybe... stop being a Toa"

 

As he put the words in his mouth, they sounded to his surprise not nearly as alien as he'd expected. Something about it just felt right, like he'd been meaning to say it for a long time and only now managed to muster up the willpower, or lack thereof.

 

"I think I haven't been one on the inside for a while anyway"

Edited July 15, 2014 by Gyro Gearloose

[Wotz]

IC: Noka

 

"You were today, at least. I can't thank you enough."

[Geardirector]

IC: Ferron (Drifts)

 

"I think I owe you a thanks as well," Ferron replied as he crouched down to Noka's level (almost, he was pretty big), "if I'd just killed Kuhrin, I fear I might just have ended up becoming something like him, or maybe even worse."

 

"It's important that we always remember those who fell, and do what we can to remember them, but vengeance, too often it's never going to lead to anything good."

 

"I'm sorry, Rhea, but I'm afraid I just don't have it in me anymore"

 

"If you cherish what was good, and appreciate what you have, you will learn to live on, even in the hardest strife"

 

"If this is goodbye, take comfort in that certainty, Noka"

[Wotz]

IC: Noka

 

Noka smiled. "I will. Thank you again, Ferron. It's been an honour."

 

...

 

Ferron's words rung out in her head as she and Kuhrin buried Desuka and said their goodbyes to the others. She couldn't help but wonder what it was that had happened to him so long ago that had given him such a broken heart, but it felt inappropriate to ask.

 

She climbing down the slope for a moment to overlook the jungle of Le-Wahi they were headed to. The sweeping green canopy gave such an inaccurate impression of the tangled web of plant life that lay beneath. Perhaps it was better that she didn't know about Ferron's dark past. He was a different person now, at least.

 

Besides, she had secrets of her own to keep.

 

Kuhrin began moving on again, and she followed. The two of them descended the slope and disappeared into the canopy below.

 

OOC: It's been a pleasure, Gears. I'll see you around.

 

Noka and Kuhrin to Le-Wahi.

[Geardirector]

OOC: Indeed it has, pardner. Man it's gonna be strange booting up the RPG knowing that I'm not involved in something major with you or Gravs

 

And now, some recommended listening:

 

 

IC:

 

The sun was setting on the horizon, bidding its last farewell to a long day with an exasperated sigh as three tired, weary and deeply changed souls made their way down the snowy steps. For the longest time their breath being the only signs of life aside from their slow movements.

 

For once, Ferron was not in front, rather hanging back behind Tuli and Khervos as they were going home. He was tired and sick of always being at the forefront, to always be there to take the beating so others would live easier. After all that'd happened, now hopefully it was finally his turn to take it easy for once and don't worry about Makuta or insane murderers or bounty hunters any longer. His will to fight had all but disappeared completely.

 

Tuli and Khervos both knew that the humble smith was deep in thought; they were themselves as well, about the events that had transpired.

 

To Tuli, it almost felt like waking up from a horrible dream as she now processed what she'd done, opening and closing her hand absent-mindedly as if closing around something imaginary. She had killed Desuka, and with that act she'd lost all pretense of "being on the sidelines". She wasn't sure what she'd expected when fully contributing to Ferron's mission, but she thought it would've ended on a happier note.

 

Was this really what she wanted? Guess it didn't matter all that much now.

 

"It's not uncommon to have your expectations dashed to the ground" Khervos' slick voice said in her ear, diverting her attention to her boyfriend to see him look at her sympathetically. There was a knowing in his eyes.

 

"You don't even need to look to Ferron for that, just look at your own life" he said, eliciting a careful nod out of her as she thought back to her excommunication from the guard. Even though that'd lead to her meeting Ferron in the first place and getting closer to Khervos, it had still been an unpleasant experience.

 

"So... you feel the same way?" Tuli asked. Khervos nodded slowly as he looked away.

 

"Today we saw someone turn back from the darkness, and it felt like... it's probably the first time I've really felt truly that Makuta is no more. So you could say that my expectations were dashed to the ground"

 

He looked back and smiled.

 

"But in a good way"

 

Khervos saw the remnants of Makuta's influence far more often than everyday people did, even a guard like Tuli, and here one of Makuta's trusted servants had made the choice to mend his ways and turn to good again. Makuta really was gone.

 

"Makuta's never going to be completely gone" Ferron interjected where he trudged after them, he smiled somberly.

 

"But for now he is, and we should make the best of it"

 

On this day everything Ferron had strived for had come to an end, and as he stood there and looked at the Matoran who stared back at him expectantly, he felt... at ease. Not peaceful, but at ease, calm, like the eye of the storm.

 

"Promise me. Promise me, when you go from here, that you will walk now and then, just to walk, and look up and around and see the stars above, and the sun-parched crags, and the rolling ocean, and just... just let it touch you. Heal you. These things matter. This is your world, and it's here you belong."

 

And he looked to the golden red sky, and saw the clouds lined with golden threads, and he heard the whistling breeze, and he felt the cold, soft snow tickling his feet, and in all its dazzling brilliance the life around him flowed over him, as he breathed heavily, and nodded.

 

There was within him still the small fire that Rhea had kindled, and to see two faces that were filled with concern and worry about him, he who had so long felt alone and confused, made him feel... alive. The fire sprang to life and roared like the rage once has, but no hatred was there to fuel it. There was some things he had lost he would never be able to regain, but if he were to live again he could not let it hold him down anymore. He could see it now, he was pulling himself away from the chasm, dragging himself up of the whole he'd fallen into, he was cutting the links in the chain and letting them drop into the dark depths one by one.

 

He was Ferron, and he was alive.

 

And he laughed; a sound like rolling waves and roaring thunder in one, a laughter that was loud, booming and full of power and life that had been tested in unimaginable ways.

 

His partially-mechanical body cranked as he stepped forward, and in little to time he'd picked up both Tuli and Khervos in a hug.

 

"Thank you..." he whispered "thank you"

 

"Thank you too, Ferron" Tuli muttered softly, fighting to hold back the joyful tears she felt struggling to spring forth when Ferron hugged her. To see Ferron spare time on something so... so joyful was a miracle come true. All this time she'd know Ferron to be someone who carried a great burden, and nothing made her happier to see it lifted from his shoulders, to see him embrace the moment and live like he'd long tried so hard to.

 

No, she couldn't help it, she had to cry, at least a little, and she was not alone. Tears ran down Ferron's cheek as he held the Matoran tighter to him as he finally cried like he hadn't in a long time. For these were tears of joy, not pain or sorrow, and such tears he'd hardly ever experienced.

 

Khervos slid out of Ferron's grasp and took the lead again, Tuli, however, ended up on the Forgemaster's shoulder with a surprised yelp that made the Private Eye Smirk.

 

And so it was that the Forgemaster, the Guard and the Private Eye took their trip down the mountain in leisure. There was no one to chase, no one to escape, and no one to protect, just three friends being around each other without a care in the world.

 

The quest was over, the mission was complete... they were Going Home

 

OOC: The gang to Onu-Wahi, and that's all she wrote.

Edited May 28, 2014 by Gyro Gearloose

[25K Now!]

IC: Iegasa

 

Iegasa opened up the shrine's pantry, and laughed quietly to himself.

 

"Ah yes," he said with some bemusement. "I appear to have run out of tea leaves."

[Hanako Herupa]

IC: Lana

 

As soon as the assassin was gone, Lana breathed a sigh of relief, the anxiety she'd been feeling slowly ebbing away. Strangers really did put her on edge, especially dark, dangerous, and mysterious ones.

 

But now it was just Braen and her again! At least until Zadron returned, but Lana tried to not think about that, it was necessary for Braen's brilliant plan.

 

IC: (Braen)

 

Braen got up and walked over to Lana hugging her, and pecking her on the cheek as he rested his hands on her shoulders. "That went much better than expected, for a second there I thought he would refuse," The Vortixx chuckled. "So where were we, love?"

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

Why had she chosen this morning to wear an eyepatch?

 

Riaril didn't think it was vanity; she'd looked at herself every day for months and looked at the silvery mesh of tissue that had enveloped over what was once her left eye with the same clinical disdain she'd used while ordering around Team Kanohi Dragon or slicing open an Akiri. Her mirror was slightly fogged from all the times the doctor had blown smoke irreverently onto the surface of the glass, but her eyes were always clear - one furnished gold, the other receded behind a poorly-woven mass of scars. Was it some first step towards a new beginning? Was she headed towards some new life? Nope. Still headed to work at the Nuju-Marion, same as ever. But here she was, with an eyepatch between her fingers that was fashioned specifically for her head, fine leather dyed a deep, blood red. Frowning to herself slightly, she slipped the patch over her head and adjusted the red leather over her eye to get a better glimpse at it through the mirror. The dark straps blended against her dark armor, made her other eye pop, brought out the disinterested amber gleam in what remained of her gaze even more, but she didn't care about that. She didn't even know why she cared about the eyepatch. She sighed, and she heard her breath, sultry and a little raspy. I need a smoke.

 

It must have been an off morning for her, because she paused halfway through the walk to her pack of Po-Koro smokes to slip on her lab coat, and then when she had the pack in her hand - in her hand! - she stopped, wrapped the carton in her fist, and then buttoned up her lab coat. Only then did she withdraw a cigarette and light it; when it hit her pursed lips it locked there and she took a careful drag. It cleared her head a bit; the sharp, analytical clarity she'd always touted returned to her, hammering keen nails into the back of her skull. Possessed with new sharpness of mind and wearing full attire, she stretched, rubbed her new eyepatch once out of habit, and walked out of the morgue, where she'd fallen asleep yet again on the job, and into the Hospital at large.

 

Maybe she'd find some coffee. Coffee and cigarettes cleared her head double.

 

-Tyler

[Relapse]

IC: (Icha)

 

The doors of the Nuju-Marion burst open, a Leftenant of the guard was rushed in on a stretcher. There were various burns on his body, and his left arm hung loosely at his side. He felt himself slipping in and out of consciousness, catching various glimpses of reality mixed with blackness.

 

"...burning house...went in to rescue...jumped out window..."

 

He groaned, the pain in his body becoming more and more evident as his full conscious returned.

 

"...first degree burns and a shattered bone."

 

His groaning grew in volume as he recalled the events of the house fire. He'd rushed in to save a servant and ended up diving through a window to escape the flames with the Matoran in his arms.

 

"What happened to the servant?" he asked through gritted teeth.

 

"I'm going to ask you to stay calm while-"

 

"What happened."

 

"I'm afraid the Matoran died on impact," the nurse conceded, "and one soldier was caught in the debris when the building came down."

 

Icha's jaw dropped, he wanted to scream. He hadn't lost a civilian since the age of Makuta. It looked as though he would be adding another red mark to his armor that day.

[Snelly]

IC: Lana

 

"Hmmmmm..." Lana mused, as if in deep thought. "I think we were right at cuddling."

[25K Now!]

IC: Iegasa

 

As Iegasa made his way through the streets of Ko-koro, the shrine keeper wondered what his fellow Makuta worshippers were doing in these far-less turbulent times. While it was true that there were undercurrents of conflict between the villages, he rather thought that the days when the shadow's grip on the island was still strong were an era of greater disorder. There were less madmen stumbling around the land now, less opportunists looking for quick and easy money.

 

"They may possibly have moved on to different pursuits," he remarked to himself as he amiably approached a small stand on the edge of the street. "It does appear that the Makuta's days are over ... at least for now."

 

He banished the thoughts from his mind. Pondering on the status of his compatriots was not on the agenda this day. Buying tea from this humble merchant however, was.

 

OOC: Open for interaction.

[They]

IC: Krios

 

Perhaps I was less friendly than I should have been on our travels, but no matter. The merchant who had given us a ride said goodbye at the gate of Ko-Koro, a large bastion of ice ominously looming over Cetis and I, and we went a mile or so further to the Nuju Marion Research Hospital. I had not been to the NMRH, but news of its architecture and impressive size had floated across the island to my ears. In truth I found it smaller than I'd hoped, but still ample enough to swallow most buildings once or twice. At the front counter I reliquinshed Cetis to a cold ko-matoran named Majit and watched her head off to a treatment room.

 

OOC:

Onaku, Tyler, have at it. My apologies for not being more elaborate with my writing.

[Onaku]

IC: Cetis

The toa of fire shook not only due to her injuries, but due to the cold air that surrounded her. "Blasted cold. Why did it have to be Ko-Koro?" Cetis looked around herself, noticing a distinct crystalline structure to the architecture of the place.

 

OOC: So I guess this one's for you and your healer character, Tyler?

[25K Now!]

IC: Iegasa

 

Iegasa did not exactly enjoy hospitals. It was not as if he held anything against the healing profession, but as he entered the doors of the Nuju Marion Research Hospital, the shrinekeeper was reminded of his less-than-stellar youth. The clinical atmosphere, and the pure white walls ... they were not exactly representative of any kind memories. Yet he had been tasked (shanghai'ed, in fact) into delivering some tea leaves to the facility, and he would not fail the trust put in him.

 

"Evening," he said politely, nodding to a Vortixx (Krios) nearby.

[EmperorWhenua]

Memory rushes in, then washes you away

I am losing you to the sea.
I'll break from the weight of my mind,
But your ghost I will gladly bear.

 

IC:

 

"I'll join you on the rock later," Brykon said. Too burdened with the realization that he arrived too late to console himself with the only friend who believed in him, the prince forlornly stared into the fires from the keep's hearth until his bones were thawed.

 

The Visitor in turn stared, brows scrunched, at the prince in both awe and despair. He compared notes between what Antrim had seen and what he then saw. The old lord viewed Brykon both a pupil of the arts and a tool to wreck darkness, a man he was avowed to assist because of Brykon's family legacy and forgotten ancestor, but the Visitor finally recognized that Antrim's perspective was too narrow-minded. It wasn't an easy choice to make, even for the Visitor; doubting the high priest's opinions was not something to be taken lightly, but the Visitor knew him better than anyone else alive—when Antrim Vakitano was wrong on anything he failed spectacularly.

 

Antrim was far too focused on the past of Brykon: A grizzled statesman who'd seen, even caused, war's torments on bodies and souls in his wake, but that only took from the past. What, then, was to be said of Brykon's future? The Visitor's affinity had always been on the next steps, which often presented an issue for Antrim. Some could even say the Vistor was more sage than the old lord in that matter—always focused on what was around the corner while also being aware of the past. Antrim's inability to cope with eventualities proved to be his fatal weakness, it seemed, because it prevented him from taking the needed precautions to remain alive in the end despite the signs being right in front of him.

 

That angered the Visitor beyond the angst he already felt boiling in his stomach. All those years serving and studying Mata Nui's will and yet Antrim had never ceased to be so stubborn, and in the end he got himself killed because of it. All that wisdom and he never adopted common sense. He could have lived and loved another day if only he'd allowed the Visitor to go with him and stand by him one last time. Destiny was always changing. (Or did Antrim really never learn that lesson, either?)

 

Brykon was not a warlord pawn or soldier in the rough. The Visitor instead perceived a great vase that had shattered, slowly glued itself back together and now awaited the water to be poured back into his reservoir to feel whole once more—he was already perfect, only incomplete. He was a father who had failed his progeny to his own sorrows and incompetence, but wished for the rifts he'd inadvertently created to be repaired. Was Antrim able to have recognized, let alone helped with, those needs? That was something time could not shed light on, but the Visitor realized it well enough.

 

...

 

He stepped shakily into the chapel of the monastery as though it was his first time when it was really his sixth. The monks had filed out to give him solitude, but silence was not the friend he wanted and his heart sank one more time as he approached the chantry on which Lord Antrim Vakitano laid in state. The ghostly sound of innumerable flickering candles around the corpse were the only other noises besides his repressed breaths.

 

The body seemed strong and it presented the image that, even in defeat, Antrim had remained unbroken, and the Visitor wasn't entirely sure if he likes that or not. Despite all that raw power, Antrim failed to protect himself, and he silently cursed his friend's shortsightedness as he passed his fingers over Antrim's folded hands as though they were braille. Sighing to himself he brought his hand to his heart in a loose fist and scrunched his face in melancholy as he mouthed, I love you. I miss you.

 

Though his lover was gone, there was still a legacy to live though. Antrim had set gears into motion and there was no stopping them, the Shaddix prince among them. The duty of tending to that otherwise forsaken flock fell on the Visitor.

 

Brykon was not a warlord pawn or soldier in the rough as Antrim believed. The Visitor instead perceived a great vase that had shattered, slowly glued itself back together and now awaited water to be poured back into the reservoir—he was already perfect, only incomplete. He was a father who had failed his progeny to his own sorrows and incompetence, but wished for the rifts he'd inadvertently created to be repaired. Had Antrim recognized, let alone been able to help, those needs? That was something time could never shed light on, but neither was it an issue anymore. The Visitor would always stand by Antrim, even in the latter's death, and persevere as long as he could because that was the least he could do.

 

And so the Visitor stood by the corpse. His watch would begin when Brykon joined him, and then they could grieve together. It seemed as if this was why he had been brought to Mata Nui after all these years. It seemed he was the tool.

 

 

If you had a single fault,
You just could not last forever could you?
You just could not last for me.

[Razgriz]

IC: "Pleasure doing business with you!" The De-Matoran said cheerily, turning with his newly acquired bag of widgets and exiting the inn.

It was the last stop of the day, as his distribution of a hard day's work in the mines had come to a close. Like always, he felt himself give a sharp intake of breath as the chill of the icy koro's air hit him. Every time you left a building in this town, that chill would hit you like a bucket of water in the early morning, sending goosebumps flaring up all over ya. Always bracing, unless you'd lived here your whole life.

Karz, even then...

His satisfied smirk retreated a tad further into his yellow scarf, enjoying itself even more in the fuzzy warmth. Times like these reminded you of just how fun life here would be if it weren't for guys like him. He was a heatstone miner, you see. He did the jobs most were either not cut out for, unwilling, or otherwise preoccupied to do. While the Koro-owned mines were the typical source of cheap heatstone, it was just that. Cheap. Serviceable. Standard. Life was funny like that. The things that were easy to get were okay, but the good stuff always seemed to end up being in the hard or dangerous to get to places few people wanted to brave.

Incidentally, it was that sort of heatstone that Kellin mined for a living. Off in dangerous places like deep inside the mountains, caves, and glaciers of the Wahi that weren't always feasible for a large mining force to excavate. Or well known, either. Hey, when you make a business of it, a few trade secrets never hurt. All the same, these were acknowledged as risky areas merely to travel to alone, let alone make a ton of noise excavating. It would take an especially fearless sort to even consider going to the more... exclusive veins.

Thankfully for him, he was one such being, and, if we were perfectly frank here, one of the most egregious examples. Node up a sheer cliff? Grab the spare pick and climb it. Some nice looking gems a short jump down? Get the rope and grab them. See a potential new site noted on the latest map of a glacial tunnel? First stop on the Kellin Express, kids!

Of course, these escapades didn't always happen without their downsides. As Kellin started off once more, he favored his right leg, freely hobbling down the road where his Ussal, Cancer, was waiting patiently.

"Hey, buddy. We're eatin' good tonight." he said with a grin, holding the bag of widgets up proudly.

A click of approval from the crab, followed by a series that Kellin had soon come to learn meant concern or chastisement. The two were old friends and longtime partners, and like many a Matoran and his Rahi, had reached a form of understanding with eachother that almost seemed like they could carry a running conversation. Cancer typically ended up being Kellin's reality check. Kind of silly, really, the Ussal being the responsible one of the pair.

"I know, I know." he responded, hoisting himself up onto Cancer's armored back. "We're goin' right after we drop this off. Promise."

With a jolly trill, the giant crab scuttled off, pulling the now emptied wagon behind him effortlessly through the light snow.

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

A short trip to Kellin's hut later, and the pair were back to moving once more. Straight to the Hospital, no sidetracks, I promise, cross my heart and hope to die.

That's what Kellin'd said, and Cancer would normally be inclined to question just how much he meant that statement. However, he knew full well that this time was different. Kellin had messed up his ankle, and the Matoran hated nothing more than to have trouble walking on his own two feet. Well, that and alarms. Kellin hated being woken up by something loud. Cancer'd know.

Cancer was the one that usually did the waking.

So, with the former in mind and the latter to chuckle at later, the Ussal gave him a break. Instead of glancing back at the Matoran every so often in a snide manner, as he was wont to do whenever Kellin made distinctly un-Kellin promises, Cancer merely kept his eyes on the path ahead, only deviating their orientation briefly to give a friendly chirp to any passing faces he recognized.

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

Soon afterwards, he dismounted and hobbled inside, bright smile on his face.

"Guess who's back." He remarked, chuckling to himself as he made his way to the desk to set up a quick examination of his injured foot.

This was how life was for him. A job full of adventure and sometimes rare treasures, a lifelong, dependable, and strong friend always either at his side or carrying him, and a lifetime achievement award at the local hospital for the most near-misses and almost-much-worse injuries for the past half of a year.

And if you asked him?

He wouldn't have it any other way.



OOC: Kellin Santos, open for interaction.