BZPRPG - Onu-Wahi

[Perp]

IC: Jettix

He shrugged.

"Not really my door, not really my problem."

He turned to nudge Skebran with his foot.

"See? No need to get your knickers in a twist, big guy."

Edited February 26, 2015 by Perp

[Hanako Herupa]

OOC: This jam was brought to you by Hanako Herupa and The Tomorrow Girl. Enjoy!

 

IC: (Hari)

 

I thought back on the things Roth had told me about Tykoh, about the thieves, about my family. My focus was split between buying goods from my trip to Ko-Wahi. Where I had to find the last location, the only lead I had left, but thankfully a lot more solid now. I paid for armor, and bits of cloth and leather to make sure it to keep me warm. As well as food and drink, to survive a trip through the icy wastes. Ko-Wahi was a dangerous place to be, especially now that Ko-Koro had fallen, but it wouldn't deter me, nothing would bring me off this path. No more wondering, I wanted the truth of it all.

 

"Well let's start from the beginning, how you do know Tykoh?" I asked. The weapon, the simplicity of his house, his generally skeptical attitude of strangers. Signs of battle, he looked almost war weary, exhausted from a previous life. No doubt was in my mind about him being a mercenary, at least maybe he used to be.

 

"I worked with him, we used to do /jobs/ together.  He was a bit of a loner, but I suppose he trusted me enough.  Really only brought me in when a team was required, not that I can blame him, it's always good to have someone watching your back when in a group with five decidedly unsavory fellows," Roth explained, the wooden chair groaning in protest as he leaned back slightly, "But we go way back."

 

"Alright, so you know him rather well. There is a particular thing I need to ask about. Quite a few years back he might have had a job involving two people, with the last names Korari. Do you know about that?" Hari asked, getting closer to why she was actually here talking with Roth.

 

Roth tensed for a moment at the mention of the name, his brow furrowing and his gaze focusing.  He brought his chair forward and the front legs clacked against the floor.

 

"Yes, I know about that particular job, that was... quite some time ago, what would your employer want to know abo-" Roth stopped, and shrugged.

 

"Nevermind, I don't need to know, confidentiality and all.  And I've spent enough time getting myself out of my past's troubles anyway, no sense in causing more."

 

"And that job isn't quite something you'd forget, I sure haven't.  If I remember correctly, Tykoh was hired by the guard, and he recruited me.  Should have seen the bounty they were offering for the two of them, I only got a cut of that, but I was living steady for a while on it," Roth chuckled to himself, before noticing the expression on 'Arina's' face.  He raised an eyebrow, and leaned forward in the way an old turaga telling stories to frighten little matoran might, "I take it you haven't heard of the Koraris.  No, I wouldn't think so."

 

"Not the truth, anyway.  They were a myth at first, even we didn't know the identities of who we were after, and we had every scrap of information the Guard had on them."

 

Her parents were criminals? She didn't even know how to react. The files she found said nothing of her parents being the perpetrators of the crime. Perhaps it was a mistake, perhaps they were framed. Outwardly she kept the same inquisitive look on her face, but it was a challenge to do so.

 

"Alright, mind telling me what you know about the Korari's and the bounty itself? Like what got the bounty on them, how did it all go down?" Hari asked. She wasn't sure how she was going to deal with the information she just got, but she needed to know it all. Needed to grasp the full picture.

 

"Alright," Roth agreed, and folded his arms together before beginning.

 

"Let's start with the start then: with a string of crimes.  Minor, petty ones, a few widgets, a piece of armor, some small sculpture.  Nothing to really warrant any sort of real investigation.  Sure some people were pretty annoyed, but the Guard had nothing at all on the cases.  Some loose connections from less than reputable sources, criminals liked to blame their buddies for everything though.  They had no leads at all, but if you ask me, I think that's what got them started.  They liked what they could do, enough to keep going while they were ahead.  Slowly, the crimes started to get more complicated, more expensive.  Rumors started popping up, anything ranging from thieving lost souls to an organized crime ring.  Eventually, the Koraris came out," Roth laughed, a harsh, worn laugh, "But no one knew who they were then.  They called themselves Kaia and Tahae, and no the irony wasn't lost on anyone."

 

"You have to understand Arina, these people were really good at what they did, freakishly so.  No one ever saw them, no one knew what they looked like.  They'd slip in and out without detection, gave a few De-toa a run for their money.  Not only were they top notch thieves, hut they were quite the actors too.  They lived a double life, by day upstanding Po-Koro citizens, and one of the island's most wanted criminals by night.  Funny no one thought to ask where their wealth came from."

 

"And I mean upstanding, they did all the 'giving back to the community' and 'supporting the arts', which certainly made it all that more sick.  Karz, they even stole from themselves from time to time, but what takes the cake was when they offered to fund the search for themselves."

 

Roth paused, and glanced at the young mercenary, "You okay Arina, you look like you're gonna be sick."

 

I felt dizzy, and though I was sitting down, felt as though I was going to fall over. I remembered when I was little, all the stuff stolen from our house, I remember, the remarkable money our family lucked into. Mother told me that Father had secured more than a couple of deals, and that's why we became so affluent. I remember all the times I was left with people they could trust, so Mom and Dad could have their nights out on the town. When they were around though, they were good parents, great parents. They asked me all about my days in school. About whether I made any new friends, but now It was starting to seem like everything was a lie. Maybe these were other Korari, perhaps I was chasing the wrong lead. I wanted to believe that. There was no other Korari in Po-Koro though. That gave more weight to these being them. I couldn't believe they would do that. I didn't want to believe they would.

 

"Do you know their first names? I know them, but I'd like confirmation, to see if these truly match up." I had steeled my face and waved off his concern. "I'm fine, just a headache passing."

 

"I never learned their actual names," Roth admitted, his armor creaking as he shrugged, "Never did seem important at the time, it was just another job for me.  Tykoh probably knew them, he had a tendency to overanalyze, but that's what made him one of the best, I suppose."

 

"Heck, he was already halfway through with the job when he brought me in."

 

"Well can you tell me more about Tykoh, the specifics of your job together, like how you became a part of it?" I asked, guess I'd have to see if Tykoh would be able to confirm it beyond a shadow of a doubt, but it still ate at me, I needed to bury those feelings at the moment though.

 

"Like I said before, Tykoh was hired by the guard.  The Guard had been searching for the Koraris for some time, and by now they two of them had become fully steeped in their life of crime.  They were good, and the Guard couldn't even get a description from witnesses, mainly because there normally weren't any witnesses at all, and so they posted a bounty, and a big one at that," Roth explained, "Tykoh... well... life as a mercenary isn't nearly as fun and adventurous as the novels make it out to be, and it's really hard to pass up that kind of money. So he took the job, 'For the money', he told me, and I suppose it was the truth.  At first, anyway."

 

"If you ask me, though, it became a personal matter as he got into it, and he would have probably gone through with it even if the Guard wasn't offering to give him enough to live off of for a long time."

 

"So what happened to Tykoh then, where did he go? How did you manage to finally stop them?" I prodded further.

 

"Finally stop them?  That took a while.  They had lead Tykoh on quite the chase around the island, dragging him this way and that on a whim.  They were toying with him, not personally, no, but it certainly looked like they were enjoying the game of cat and mouse they were playing," The Lesterin shook his head, "By the time he'd gotten me on for some more muscle, he had become obsessed with catching them.  He was a young guy, and at that point his reputation was on the line.  I suppose you'd know, those things matter when you're that age.  Making a name for yourself and all.  It does help get the jobs, and jobs mean money.  This one was definitely high risk and high reward, on one hand they were the Koraris, one of the most infamous pair of thieves out there, and on the other you had some kid trying to take them down where the entire Guard couldn't."

 

"You have to understand what kind of person he was.  Single-minded, I suppose is the word.  He fixated on the job, it was his entire world, and I swear I had to force him to stop and take a break at gunpoint more than once.  Good thing I was there, too.  Things were starting to get serious, really serious.  The Koraris would leave a trail, faint, barely there, and then leave a few thugs at the end of it.  We certainly got our behinds handed to us more than once by some handsomely paid unsavory folk."

 

"He contacted me through a mutual friend, and told me to meet him in Ta-Koro.  The cut was good, and I couldn't say no.  He had come from Ko, having followed the trail there from Po-Koro initially.  Even while they had a price on their heads Kaia and Tahae were still at it, and we went to investigate some robberies in the village.  They normally stuck to just Po-Koro, but at this point he was almost desperate for a solid lead.  What we found were a bunch of sword-toting thugs."

 

I had finally reached my destination, the tunnel to Ko-Wahi had finally reached its end. While in the center of Onu-Wahi I stood out dressed in white armor meant to insulate, in a few steps I would be in Ko-Wahi and this armor would serve as protection from its harsh elements, as well as making nearly difficult to spot as I trudged my way through the snow and ice. I had a location, a place in mind Tu-Koro, the last known location of Tykoh. I still ran over the last few things Roth had told me before I headed out, I would drag this into the light. I needed to know how this truly all ended, and what became of the man who killed my parents.

 

OOC: Hari to Ko-Wahi

[Nato G]

IC: Reson - Onu-Koro Streets.

 

Reson continued walking down the street, whistling softly to himself while Curmudgeon scuttled along beside him. 

 

OOC: Reson open for interaction. 

[sunflower]

IC: Dehkaz [Onu-Koro]

 

So they made it, the soft yellow lightstone glow leaking out from the stone-arched entrance to the Koro of Earth just visible up ahead.  They had passed the Ussalry checkpoint some time ago, where they were greeted by a pair of solemn-faced guards who seemed far more on edge than what he thought necessary.  The fact bothered him, but he didn't time to stop and talk, or focus on the itch that it left in the back of his mind.  Their footfalls echoing across the reinforced walls of the tunnel, Dehkaz spoke for the first time in a while; their trip through the underground maze hadn't been one of silence so much as focus.

 

"We should head to the Ussalry headquarters first, see if they know where Roth is," His eyes narrowed slightly as he considered, "If they don't have anything on him let's ask around for either him or Hari.  It's not that big of a village, someone's bound to have seen one of them."

[Geardirector]

IC: Nuparu (Nuparu's Hut)

 

Akiri Nuparu didn't consider himself a strong wartime leader. That much wasn't a strongly protected, little-known secret. Truth be told, he'd surprised even himself a little when he decided to spearhead coordinated Koro action against Ko-Koro's new tenants.

 

On the other hand, he had not surprised himself at all when he'd sent out urgent messages to the other Akiri, offering his aid and requesting theirs in an operation against Ko-Koro, even less so when he'd made up Wiremu's mech suits to be a secret weapon that would grant them sure victory. As far as he could tell, he wasn't losing himself over this ordeal.

 

Happily assured that he wasn't losing his grip on reality, Nuparu once again tried to put his dripping quill pen to paper and start drawing up the ideas in his head for how to best execute the plan regarding Ko-Koro...

 

The gears in his head snapped shut, his arm straining before it begun to form coherent words on the parchment. Nuparu clenched his teeth and tried to force his hand back under control, but to no avail.

 

"If only Wiremu was here" Nuparu lamented, scanning his office yet again in a fruitless search for intellectual stimulation. His friend was occupied with the Exo-Matoran, and as such couldn't be reached. Nuparu scratched his forehead as he tried to pin down the puzzle pieces floating around in his mind...

 

"It's useless!" he proclaimed as he crumpled up the parchment and tossed it into a corner, near a sign labelled "Lost Causes", with an arrow pointing at a trash bin Nuparu had missed with his toss. The daft sound of dusty parchment batted against his ears like a stray spring ejecting from a busted machine.

 

It was at times like this, when the answers eluded him, when he felt like everything was dependent on him making a hard choice, that he wished Turaga Whenua was still here, and that he himself only had his work and his small workshop to worry about.

 

"Akiri...?" an unsure voice spoke up, beckoning him to return to reality, one of his guards had come inside to speak to him.

 

"Yes, what is it?"

 

"Akiri Kongu is here, Akiri, he wishes to speak with you"

 

Upon hearing those news, Nuparu smiled and felt his spirits lift, maybe seeing an old friend would be just what the doctor ordered.

 

"Very well, send him in"

Edited February 26, 2015 by The Grochi Machine

[ARROW404]

IC: Onepu

He sighed through his nose again, knowing she wouldn't like this. "I want more information on how you took control of a Kraata."

 

IC: Kehuri

"I heard about Ko-Koro," he said, grasping for something to talk about. "Were you there when it happened?" He wasn't blaming Sulov for it if he was. As a Toa, he knew as well as any other of his kind how little one could do against such a large force of Makuta worshipers. 

Edited February 26, 2015 by The Fifth Spoilers

[Nato G]

IC: Lash - Onepu's Office.

 

"I'm pretty sure I already told you all of the important stuff." Lash said, confused. "I went to Makuta's Vault under Mangaia, the creepy skakdi gave me a vial of something called antidermis, and when I splashed it on the Rahkshi, it started obeying me." 

 

She folded her arms. "What more did you want to know?" 

[Palm]

OOC: Mobile. No formatting.

 

IC: Akiri Kongu

 

Kongu stepped into the office and gave his usual smile and bow to Nuparu, "Hello my enterprising friend," Kongu raised an eyebrow curiously, "I must admit how surprised I was to hear that it was you calling arms to Ko-Koro."

[Franco]

IC: Want to leave that. Closing like coffin lid. Please open. Talk about you, not me.

 

I shake my head.

[25K Now!]

IC: Naona

 

"I'm afraid I do not know the location of the Ussalry headquarters," said Naona, her eyes taking in the scenery around her. This was the first in a long while that she had visited the village of earth, and even in the past she had barely paid attention to everything in Onu-koro.

[sunflower]

IC: Dehkaz

 

"It should be down that way," Dehkaz offered, indicating a large street that branched out from the entrance and into the underground city with a hand motion.  Truth be told, it had been a long time since he last visited Onu-Koro for any meaningful amount of time, though he had a relative idea of where the Ussalry's headquarters were located based on maps and text.  Relative.

 

The Koro of Earth had expanded to an astounding degree since he had last saw it, and it didn't make finding anything particularly easier.

 

"Yes, that way."

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

Crossing through the gates had only taken a few moments, and Krayn was soon in the Koro proper. He knew that Dehkaz and Naona would have almost certainly beaten him to the Village of Earth, but he didn't know by how much time, or where they would be if they had. He walked quickly, eyes scanning the streets, but he'd never find them that way. He needed a new strategy. So the De-Toa paused in place, closing his eyes and carefully studying the sound reaching his ears. He amplified every signal he could find, bringing them all to his ears and sifting through the voices.

 

There.

 

He was fortunate that they were just barely inaudible over the citizens to begin with, otherwise he would have spent too long searching even with that method as he roamed the city for new listening points. He walked swiftly, rounding a street corner moments after them.

 

"Lieutenant, Commander."

[25K Now!]

IC: Naona

 

"Then let's go," said Naona brusquely.

 

"Lieutenant, Commander."

 

"Lieutenant Krayn," she returned.

[Silvan Haven]

Kale Ironshaper- Fowadi Crew- Onu-koro

 

IC: Kale drew in a deep breath. It had been years since the last time he had been in the koro of Earth. The place had grown a lot since then, the air once filled with the scent of dirt and stone was now clouded by a dozen other smells. Metal, people from all over the island, chemicals, it was almost unrecognizable as what he remembered from his childhood.

 

Almost.

 

The silver Toa could still pick out spots from when he was younger. That one alleyway where he got beat up by the bullies, the huts that he and his friends would jump across as they ran all over the village. Even among all the new construction and unrecognizable buildings the memories lingered.

 

Squaring his shoulders, Kale cleared his mind. As much as returning to one of his childhood playgrounds was nice now was not the time to lapse into memory. He was here to help out one of his adopted family. Hari was missing and he had next to no idea where she was. Turning to the rest of the crew he began to speak.

 

"Alright, first task is to reunite with the Captain and Naona. Everybody spread out and search. if you find either them or somehow locate Hari go to the central square. That is where we will al meet up."

[Geardirector]

OOC: Mobile. No formatting.

 

IC: Akiri Kongu

 

Kongu stepped into the office and gave his usual smile and bow to Nuparu, "Hello my enterprising friend," Kongu raised an eyebrow curiously, "I must admit how surprised I was to hear that it was you calling arms to Ko-Koro."

 

IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's Office)

 

"From what I heard just now, you surprised my men at least equally by making your unannounced entrance on Gukko-back" Nuparu parried, as he came forth from behind his desk and offer Kongu his hand.

 

"Glad you could come on such short notice, anyway. Please, have a seat and let's talk"

[Palm]

 

 

IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's Office)

 

"From what I heard just now, you surprised my men at least equally by making your unannounced entrance on Gukko-back" Nuparu parried, as he came forth from behind his desk and offer Kongu his hand.

 

"Glad you could come on such short notice, anyway. Please, have a seat and let's talk"

 

 

IC: Akiri Kongu - Onu-Koro - Nuparu's Office

 

Kongu reached forward and took Nuparu's hand and shook it firmly, looking his old friend hard in the eye. The Akiris may have agreed on a lot during the summit at Kini-Nui, but it didn't mean that everybody was on the same page again. Kongu knew that the emergence of the Mangaia Pact and their associates should at least quell some of those concerns should the villages be forced to unify, "Thank you."

 

The Akiri of Le-Koro released the hand and stepped back again to sit down across the small giant of Onu-Koro, "I presumed you would allow my passage if I had landed upon my flier's pads, but I should have come through another way. I was concerned with my speed. I wanted to talk to you right away," Kongu paused, "I was less surprised to see you call for war than I was to see you call it upon a village with hostages," he leaned forward a little bit, "My sources tell me Echelon and Larikon have captured most of the village population. Were you aware of this Nuparu?"

Edited February 27, 2015 by Palm

[25K Now!]

IC: The Fourth

 

"Alright then, Kale," said Four.

[Geardirector]

IC: Akiri Kongu - Onu-Koro - Nuparu's Office

 

Kongu reached forward and took Nuparu's hand and shook it firmly, looking his old friend hard in the eye. The Akiris may have agreed on a lot during the summit at Kini-Nui, but it didn't mean that everybody was on the same page again. Kongu knew that the emergence of the Mangaia Pact and their associates should at least quell some of those concerns should the villages be forced to unify, "Thank you."

 

The Akiri of Le-Koro released the hand and stepped back again to sit down across the small giant of Onu-Koro, "I presumed you would allow my passage if I had landed upon my flier's pads, but I should have come through another way. I was concerned with my speed. I wanted to talk to you right away," Kongu paused, "I was less surprised to see you call for war than I was to see you call it upon a village with hostages," he leaned forward a little bit, "My sources tell me Echelon and Larikon have captured most of the village population. Were you aware of this Nuparu?"

 

IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's Office)

 

"Your surprise is perfectly warranted. I wasn't aware of that when I sent those messages, but I have since been informed of the situation. Wiremu, brought me word from some of the refugees only yesterday."

 

Nuparu siged heavily and gestured to his unruly and ultimately fruitless notes. 

 

"I've tried to adjust my plans accordingly, but I seem to be at a loss, that's why I hope someone with more military experience than myself can lend an extra mind to formulating the plans."

 

He smiled slightly, apparently something about the current situation had clicked together in his head in a way he found amusing. He wasted no time informing his fellow Akiri of this.

 

"After all, declaring war on a village of hostages would be nothing short of megalomania, and I don't think I'm capable of providing Echelon any serious competition on that point"

[NorikSigma]

IC: Wolfram

 

"Understood."

 

He wondered who he could help in this search. Spreading out individually wouldn't be very productive.

[Palm]

IC: Akiri Kongu - Onu-Koro - Nuparu's Office

 

Kongu breathed in, "Espionage. Frontal assault will be an option only when we liberate the hostages." Kongu quickly thought back to the Maru, particularly Korero.

 

"But we all need to work together," Kongu leaned forward, placing his folded hands on Nuparu's desk, "The Koros must be united. We have been apart for too long, and every day we wait to become united is a day closer to potential demise. Ta-Koro attacked (twice), my village attacked (twice), Matoro killed and his village taken. Who is to say Onu-Koro is not next?"

The Akiri was stern, "Nuparu, I cannot ignore the disunity any longer. I will offer my strength and assistance, but I ask your favor to help me convince Hewkii and the others."

Edited February 27, 2015 by Palm

[Daniel the Finlander]

IC: Oliphko (Cave)
 
Oh, well, that's great. He healed my wound and got some experience. It's not like I need it more.. Ah, whatever, he probably knew what he was doing. "So what next? Shall I keep trying to use my elemental powers? Plenty of stone around to use"
 
 
IC: Lehti (Onu-Koro)
 
"I wish we could get some food.. well, what shall we eat, then? Do we have any rations or something? I'm pretty hungry" She said to her teammates as they walked to the restaurant.

Edited February 27, 2015 by Daniel the Finlander

[Geardirector]

IC: Akiri Kongu - Onu-Koro - Nuparu's Office

 

Kongu breathed in, "Espionage. Frontal assault will be an option only when we liberate the hostages." Kongu quickly thought back to the Maru, particularly Korero.

 

"But we all need to work together," Kongu leaned forward, placing his folded hands on Nuparu's desk, "The Koros must be united. We have been apart for too long, and every day we wait to become united is a day closer to potential demise. Ta-Koro attacked (twice), my village attacked (twice), Matoro killed and his village taken. Who is to say Onu-Koro is not next?"

 

The Akiri was stern, "Nuparu, I cannot ignore the disunity any longer. I will offer my strength and assistance, but I ask your favor to help me convince Hewkii and the others."

 

IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's Office)

 

"And you'll have it!" Nuparu replied.

 

"I want to see that happen just as much as you do. The sooner we can get the other Akiri to give a clear answer, so we know what we have to work with, the sooner we can begin preparations in earnest"

 

Finally, he managed to actually place his pen to the parchment and produce a coherent scribble. The Symbol of Prosperity, Onu-Koro's founding principle blinked in wet ink under the lightstone's glow.

 

"I'd like to think we've got something worth fighting for, I just hope the rest agree."

 

IC: Ferron (Cave)

 

"I have another idea" Ferron said, as he grabbed the pickaxe with a firmer hand and stood up properly.

 

"Why don't we see how well you can use that staff of yours?"

Edited February 27, 2015 by The Grochi Machine

[Daniel the Finlander]

IC: Oliphko (Cave)

 

Oh Mata Nui. Not combat. "Uh.. I'm not sure about this, Ferron" I say and look at his pickaxe like if it was a terrifying Rahi. "I'm not very good with fighting.. does a Toa even need to fight? Strength isn't a virtue, after all.."

[Palm]

IC: Akiri Kongu

 

Kongu nodded, "Good. Then we are agreed. Your support will be invaluable," he stood up, "Jaller and Hahli should not be too difficult To convince. Hewkii may require more persuasion," he took a deep breath, "It will be nice for everybody to be together again," he paused, looking up again at Nuparu with telling eyes before shaking himself back to the conversation at hand.

 

"Now. What plans do you have?"

[They]

OOC:  Sorry for the delay, Norik and KNI.  Let's get this show on the road.  I'm still working on a couple of things, but I'll post as frequently as I can.  Sorry for holding you both back. :/

 

Also, I was unhappy with the way I wrote this the first time, so I did some editing to show more emotion.

 

IC: Ahkmou, Po-Koro (The Golden Pickaxe)

 

Break Virtues, bring Darkness.  Take secrets, leave Chaos...

 

The hallway stretched out indefinitely, the rows of tablets on their shelves leeching out a green virus, a virus filling the air, the air saying its mantra forever.  The mantra never stopped, never started, but it always pulsed, pulsed, pulsed with his heartlight.  Break virtues, bring darkness.  Take secrets, leave chaos.  

 

Ishi stared into the green distance, watching the rows of tablets pass faster than each murky footstep he took.  He felt his gut drop, the pain of losing his fingers wrack through his body once again, and again, and once again.  

 

And the figure drew closer.  He drew closer to himself: chaos incarnate, a vacuum of power and sin, a point where all of his existence disappeared.  His fingers, burning with acidic flames, reached outwards to the new body, his new body.  They struggled to grasp the outstretched hands of shadow, even as the servos and flesh melted away to leave nothing but bones falling to the ground... 

 

Morning came with a hard shock, Ishi slamming back into the chair as his eyes snapped open.  Reality bled back slowly, the dream world fighting for control of his physical body.  First came the feeling of the air; warm, underground tunnel air with the hint of wood smoke.  In his dream the air was frigid, as if the void itself belonged to Winter.  Next was the chair, its grainy fabric scratching at his back, the stiffness making his body uncomfortable.  In the dream he was weightless, but here gravity was tugging in all the right ways.  Ishi let his chin sag, his eyes closing briefly as he made a conscious effort to regain composure, and he listened to the sounds of life coming from the hallway outside, the breathing of his sleeping accomplice, the rise and fall of his own chest as air passed through him with its life. 

 

Sleep came late, and poorly, for the Informant since the ordeal with Echelon.  Nightmares commonly stalked the early hours of his dreams, leaving him feverish, sweating, shaking, as he did now.  Looking about the room, the fire had become ash, grey and lifeless, while he reclined in the chair.  Outside, the darkness of the cavern village bobbed with slowly brightening lightstone lanterns, their reflections cutting through the window panes to dance along the floor and ceiling. 

 

He stood up, letting the gears in his back pop and crick back into alignment.  A sharp pain coursed through his spine and down his left leg, but he walked it off by going to Dervish's bedside.  The small toa of electricity was deep in slumber, her breathing languid and pleasant.  He watched her peaceful face jealously.  How lucky.  He did his best not to imagine a crossbow bolt sticking from her shoulder, or her throat slashed and bleeding; Sucogu was likely to take her life by the end of the day, best not to imagine before results were achieved.  Would he miss her?

 

Undoubtedly.  He half hoped she'd kill the veteran warrior. Their paths crossed at strange times, bringing the po-matoran a strange happiness whenever he saw her face among a crowd of mercenaries.  The Company brought them together again, albeit in a nonsensical manner.  

 

But the morning wasn't time for idle thought.  He had responsibilities, a purpose pumping through his bloodstream: chaos.  He lived a new life in his new body.  Of course, he still planned revenge for the past.  That would never change, but now he had power to go with his plotting.  He existed to stir the primeval pot of frustration and rage, lived to feel the exhilaration of death missing its mark on his flesh.  Where to start?  

 

It wasn't a hard thought.

He left the room quietly, a small note asking Dervish to retrieve the gear from Ferron before meeting at the Bazaar propped against a mug of water on the table by her bedside.  The Golden Pickaxe was heating up downstairs with the morning's orders, but Ishi skipped breakfast in exchange for a brisk walk toward the center of Onu-Koro's government: the Akiri's hut.  

All the plans were falling into place.  Just a few more daring adventures to go...

 

"I'm on business from Akiri Hewkii; I'd like to request an audience with Akiri Nuparu."

 

He liked the look on the guards' faces.  

Edited February 27, 2015 by Kughii

[Void Emissary]

IC: Wolfram

 

"Understood."

 

He wondered who he could help in this search. Spreading out individually wouldn't be very productive.

 

IC:

 

It had been a long time since Rynekk had visited Onu-Koro. The village had grown beyond what he could have possibly imagined; he had heard rumours of its blossoming into an technological powerhouse, but it was hard to get a sense of proper grandeur from rumours.

 

Now that he saw it, it was a massive jewel of iron and industry, sprawling and impossibly vast, like a steel web reaching across the depths of the island, as unimaginable as an inverted night sky glittering in the dark.

 

And oh yes: it was so very very dark.

 

That was not to say that Rynekk was afraid of the dark, for he loved it. He loved it too much, that was the problem. He was afraid of what that love would drive him back towards.

 

Need to find someone need to find someone sane to latch onto.

 

"Hey!" he shouted to the cloaked Toa (Wofralm or something like that, he could not remember exactly), walking over to him with a grin plastered on his face. "Mind me tagging along? Been a while since I was last here, you know; wouldn't trust myself not to get lost."

 

-Void

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

"Just Krayn." The De-Toa corrected quietly, without much of a change in demeanor. His rank insignia and badge, with a second glance, were conspicuous by their absence. The former Lieutenant paused a moment, breathing deeply. His muscles burned, and his heart was still marching to a quicker drummer than normal. He had moved as quickly as he could between the two villages, and such a marathon took its toll on his stamina. Normally he would have sought a meal and a bed but there simply wasn't time. 

 

"Where is Hari?" The question was direct and without preamble, but he was beyond niceties. Even with his exertion Krayn stood tall, as though he was ready to storm Mangaia itself at a word. His exhaustion was clear, but the look on his face was undiminished from the moment he left Po-Koro.

[25K Now!]

IC: Naona

 

"We are looking for her," said Naona bluntly.

[sunflower]

IC: Dehkaz

 

The toa of Magnetism nodded in greeting to Krayn as Naona spoke.  He assumed that the De-toa had followed from Po-Koro, and given the fact that he had come at all meant that he must have known at least a small bit about what was going on. Dehkaz made a note to ask about the current lack of rank insignia upon his person later.

 

"We followed a lead to here, an ex-mercenary by the name of Roth," Dehkaz explained, "We plan on checking to see if the Ussalry has any records of where he could be found, if that doesn't work, we'll just have to find him the old school way."

[Krayzikk]

IC:

 

The De-Toa nodded, pulling his hands out of his pockets and resuming his stride. "Then I've delayed you too long. Let's keep moving, you were going the right way. How long ago did she go missing?"

[Nato G]

IC: Nariya.

 

Try as she might, she couldn't shake the memories. Just when she thought she'd succeeded, they'd float back up to the surface of her mind, haunting her every time she closed her eyes. That Matoran, lying lifeless on the ground. The painting sitting next to the body, a mocking reminder of the fact that its subject had once been alive. 

 

The killer was a true monster, and she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep easy until they were caught. 

[Geardirector]

IC: Oliphko (Cave)

 

Oh Mata Nui. Not combat. "Uh.. I'm not sure about this, Ferron" I say and look at his pickaxe like if it was a terrifying Rahi. "I'm not very good with fighting.. does a Toa even need to fight? Strength isn't a virtue, after all.."

 

IC: Ferron (Cave)

 

"It's important not to understate the importance and wide-spread application of a Toa's duty," Ferron replied, "I've known battle since the very beginning of my time as a Toa. Quite frankly, I think it's very likely that sooner or later you will have to fight, if only to save your life. The island is dangerous enough yet."

 

"So think of it as a matter of covering all the bases. If you want to focus your efforts as a Toa in other ways, I won't stop you, but you should have a grasp on everything you might be called upon to do"

 

Then, he smiled.

 

"You're not afraid of an old man, are you?"

 

OOC:

 

IC: Akiri Kongu

 

Kongu nodded, "Good. Then we are agreed. Your support will be invaluable," he stood up, "Jaller and Hahli should not be too difficult To convince. Hewkii may require more persuasion," he took a deep breath, "It will be nice for everybody to be together again," he paused, looking up again at Nuparu with telling eyes before shaking himself back to the conversation at hand.

 

"Now. What plans do you have?"

IC: Ahkmou, Po-Koro (The Golden Pickaxe)

 

"I'm on business from Akiri Hewkii; I'd like to request an audience with Akiri Nuparu."

 

IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's office)

 

"I have a few. Here, let me..." Nuparu began, frantically sorting his notes, but he was cut off by the guard returning again.

 

"Akiri, there's a Matoran here to see you. He says he's on business from Akiri Hewkii"

 

Nuparu raised an eyebrow, looking at Kongu.

 

"What do you think? Could a messenger have gotten back here on foot fast enough to keep up with you in flight?"

[Palm]

IC: Akiri Kongu

 

Kongu looked to the other Akiri as he fingered then twin knives Hewkii had given him in thanks for theor trade agreement, "You are closer to Po-Koro than Le-Koro. They might also be here on other terms."

[25K Now!]

IC: Naona

 

"Long enough for me to not know where she is."

[Geardirector]

IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's Office)

 

"Hmm... very well."

 

"Send him in."

[They]

IC: Ahkmou, Onu-Koro (Nuparu's Hut)

 

After a quick discussion between guards, a runner passing as the middleman, Ishi found himself being ushered through the tight foyer and into the main chamber of Nuparu's study.  There wasn't much to discover of the foyer, but the study held plenty to stimulate the mind of the Informant.  A large desk for paperwork sat on the one side, but the pair of matoran present were gathered around a well-illuminated work table covered in sprockets and half-abandoned mechanical projects.  As a fellow gearhead, he commiserated with the Akiri for not having the time to complete his pet projects.  The one with the orange pakari was undoubtedly Akiri Nuparu; description of the hunched leader was common.  The other, the one who's fingers seemed to itch for the hilts of his knives even as a playful smile danced over his kanohi, was Kongu.  

Ishi hadn't expected another Akiri.  Plans were changing.  How delicious.

 

"I have news from the North."  He said while walking towards the leaders.  He stopped to extend a palm in greeting, then added, "or, am I supposed to bow here?  Etiquette in Hewkii's court is so different from your villages.  So... unofficial."

 

 

[Geardirector]

IC: Akiri Nuparu (Nuparu's office)

 

"Nothing so formal, not at this time" Nuparu dismissed.

 

"What news do you have from Akiri Hewkii?"

[NorikSigma]

 

 

IC: Wolfram

 

"Understood."

 

He wondered who he could help in this search. Spreading out individually wouldn't be very productive.

IC:

 

It had been a long time since Rynekk had visited Onu-Koro. The village had grown beyond what he could have possibly imagined; he had heard rumours of its blossoming into an technological powerhouse, but it was hard to get a sense of proper grandeur from rumours.

 

Now that he saw it, it was a massive jewel of iron and industry, sprawling and impossibly vast, like a steel web reaching across the depths of the island, as unimaginable as an inverted night sky glittering in the dark.

 

And oh yes: it was so very very dark.

 

That was not to say that Rynekk was afraid of the dark, for he loved it. He loved it too much, that was the problem. He was afraid of what that love would drive him back towards.

 

Need to find someone need to find someone sane to latch onto.

 

"Hey!" he shouted to the cloaked Toa (Wofralm or something like that, he could not remember exactly), walking over to him with a grin plastered on his face. "Mind me tagging along? Been a while since I was last here, you know; wouldn't trust myself not to get lost."

 

-Void

IC: Wolfram

 

The Toa of Iron turned to look at the other Toa.

 

"I don't mind. Truth be told, I seem to have forgotten much about his place's layout, so an extra pair of eyes would be great."

[Void Emissary]

IC:

 

"Oh dear; two directionally-challenged people walking about," Rynekk said with a chuckle as he walked up to Wolfram. "That's bound to be exciting."

 

-Void

 

 

[25K Now!]

IC: The Fourth

 

"Unlike you two, I do remember Onu-koro very well," said the Fourth, strolling up to her fellow two Fowad-affiliates. "Do you need any help from me?"