Bzprpg - Ga-Wahi

[Snelly]

IC: Savina - Liara's Home, Ga-koro -

 

Savina could see that Tehlin and Liara were getting along swimmingly! She was sure that Tehlin's ribs would be fixed in no time at all, then they could go have dinner with Anthyn.

 

Speaking of Anthyn, this reminded Savian that she still had something very important to talk to her angel about, she also wasn't sure if she wanted anyone else to be around when she did...

 

"Hey Tehlin...I'm gonna go back home and see if Anthyn is there...meet me there when the doc is finished with ya! Okaythanksbye!" And she was out the door before Tehlin could say anything.

 

***

 

Savina hadn't taken her time to get back, when she finally arrived back at Anthyn's home she was panting heavily, it seemed she was the only one there. She panted some more, catching her breath, "Made...it....ha...."

[Void Emissary]

IC:

 

Once upon a time, there was a being whose soul burned brighter than a thousand supernovas.

 

Then, one day, just as the being was on the cusp of manhood, he began to die. It was a slow, painful, intimate affair. Death wasn't quick at all about it. It clawed at the being, tore him apart and hollowed out his soul, until he was nothing but a shell of his former self, scarred and broken beyond repair.

 

It all began with a blaze, he remembered. Not one of glory, no, but of depravity, of uselessness, of pointlessness. This flame was not one warmth and light but of death and hunger; it became a creature with only one goal, and that was to feed. It was constantly trying to appease its hunger, and it didn't care what was sacrificed to do so. It consumed everything and anything it could: the good and the evil, the young and old, the innocent and corrupt.

 

That was where this being's death began; the blaze consumed his happiness, and left him to perish in the dark. But he couldn't. No matter how much he may have wanted to at times, that being wouldn't die. Not quickly, anyway. He stubbornly clung to life, like a child to their mother, with the unwavering refusal to let go of this world.

 

Sometimes, that seemed like a mistake. Because as much as the being did not want to do, he hated to live.

 

But, Death doesn't care about how its victims feel about it: it comes and goes as it pleases, does what it wishes, without permission or apology. And try as the being might, it would not visit him. No matter how many enemies he faced, he would emerge victorious. No matter how much he abused his body with drink and drug, it valiantly trudged on in spite of him. And so, every morning, the being would open his eyes, and realize he had yet to pass on to the next world. He would not weep, or scream at the heavens.

 

No, instead, he take up a bottle of spirits, and drink, and pray that he was one swig closer to death, one breath nearer to his demise, one movement--

 

There was a knock at the door.

 

Three knocks, technically, against the creaking, wooden door watching over the sole occupant of the house which it was guarding.

 

The being, now sprawled over a bed, one hand clutching a bottle of whiskey, and the other drifting through the air lazily, let his head flop to the side, in order to look at the door. A pair of leaf-green eyes, clouded over by years of masochistic rituals and self-destructive habits, watched the structure carefully, silently praying that the noise would go, and reveal itself as just another hallucination of his addled mind.

 

But the knocks returned, louder this time, accompanied by a cry of "Excuse me, Kapi Draen? Is anyone in there?"

 

The being, who wasn't Kapi Draen, almost grimaced, slowly bringing himself into a seating position on the bed, letting his feet sink slightly into the sandy floor. The voice was female, he realized, and slightly high-pitched. A Matoran probably. This island was lousy with them.

 

He climbed to his feet, keeping his bottle in a tight grip around its neck, as if he were trying to strangle it. The glass was cold, even after being in his grasp, though, in truth, everything in the being's house was cold. There was never a fire going, and as long as his heart stubbornly continued beating, there never would be. If he was cold, he had heatstones. If it was too dark, he had lightstones. That was good enough for him, and far better than a fire. Flame had destroyed him; he would never invite it back into his life.

 

The being walked over to the door, his tired mind absently taking down a list of his possessions. One house, one bed, one rifle, one box of munitions, two knives, three sheets of paper, one pen, two paragraphs, one table, two letters from people claiming to be his family and one body.

 

He was living large, he was.

 

Slowly, methodically, the being opened the door, letting the first rays of the dawn light into the house. He had to duck slightly to get through the door; this house had not been built to accommodate his kind. No leniency was given to Vortixx, the being thought, unless the Matoran needed some mechanical help.

 

And speaking of Matoran, here was one now, standing before him. She was Ga-Matoran, wearing bright blue armour with hints of turquoise peeking out from between the plates. Her eyes were bright yellow, like two miniature suns shining through a Noble Komau. Her features were avian in nature, making her look younger than she probably was, but there was no doubt that this Ga-Matoran was new to this world. A satchel was strapped across her chest, and a letter was clutched between her fingers.

 

The being stared at the arrival for a moment, taking a small swig from his bottle during it, before asking, "Are you the postwoman?"

 

The Matoran smiled brightly, "Yup, that's me! And I've got a letter fo--"

 

The Vortixx cut her with a sweep of his hand, "What happened to the last one?"

 

"Well, there was this boating accident and, um, she didn't...make...it," the postwoman's became more and more subdued, as if worried the occupant of this house might be angered by her news.

 

But she needn't be concerned; the Vortixx didn't seem remotely interested in the death of the last postman, simply muttering a "too bad" and snatching the letter away her. Setting his bottle down on the ground, the being was just about to begin opening the envelope, when the Matoran piped up again.

 

"Sooo, you're Kapi Draen, then?"

 

Without a moment of hesitation, the Vortixx replied, "No."

 

"Okay...does Kapi Draen live here?"

 

"No."

 

Suddenly, an expression best described as indignant appeared on the Ga-Matoran's face, and she placed her hands at her hips in the classic way one does when they're trying to make a point, but have no idea how greatly outmatched they are.

 

"Well, then you'll have to give the letter back," she announced, glaring furiously at the strange Vortixx attempting to open someone else's mail, "I mean, you can't just go around looking at other...people's...mail..."

 

Once again, the postwoman's voice grew smaller and smaller, her gaze locked on on the Vortixx's left hand. Following her line of vision, the appendage's owner slowly realized what had stopped her, and the mistake he had made. This mail carrier was young, but she must have been old enough to hear the rumours.

 

There were stories across Mata-Nui of an assassin so powerful and so terrifying that even the shadows hid from him. They had called this killer many things. The Kavinika, the Devil of the Air, were some of the more colourful, but the most well-known name this being went by was a suitably understated one for such a remarkably unseen opponent.

 

Nika Draen, the Wolf of Mata-Nui.

 

Without another word, the postwoman bolted, hurling herself into a sprint back towards her village. But even at top speed, she couldn't beat the agility of Vortixx, whose whole adult life had been spent hunting. A strong hand caught her by the scruff of her neck, pulling her back until she toppled onto the sand.

 

Crouching down next to her, Nika Draen, brought his left hand, no longer flesh and blood but metal and wire, down onto her throat, applying the slightest of pressure to remind her of the balance of power here.

 

"Listen," he said in his usual monotonous voice, "I don't really think you saw anything here that's worth bringing up in conversation."

 

The Ga-Matoran seemed to be confused for a moment, so, the Vortixx continued, "For now on, I am just another house on your route. You are not to speak of anything that happens here. Do you understand?"

 

She nodded furiously, squirming in vain under his grip.

 

"And I assume you understand what will happen if you do say anything about me?"

 

Another bout of nodding, with tears now welling up in her eyes.

 

In response, Nika released his grip on the Matoran, bringing himself back up to full height, "Now then, what is your name?"

 

The postwoman clambered to her feet, her eyes wide with fear, "L-L-Lithus."

"Very well, Lithus," he replied, "I have a few things to tell you. Number one: this is a hard life. Do not expect the world to grant you any favours."

 

"Number two: if you ever see a letter like this," the Vortixx continued, shoving the letter he had taken from the Ga-Matoran into her face, "I want you to throw them into the sea. Let the sea Rahi have them."

 

The postwoman nodded, tears of terror dripping down her mask, before tilting her head up, and straightening her spine, trying to muster all the bravado she could, "A-Anything e-else, Mr. Draen?"

 

Nika Draen shrugged, already heading back inside his home, "Don't do drugs."

 

And then the being closed the door behind him, before finishing the remaining whisky in his bottle. Tossing the bottle and the letter aside, the assassin settled back onto the bed, as shadows began to trickle into his mind.

 

-Void

[Parugi]

IC - Decaia - Ga-Suva: Golden armor littered the lily pad floor before Toa Gali's feet, glinting in the pale sunlight with a radiant glow that felt dissonant with the rest of the scenery. Shimmering reflections of the surrounding bay swam on the wet surface of the metal plates, reflections of a chaotic world posing as something calm and peaceful, perhaps even orderly. It was a lie, of course; all of life was. The true nature of the world was hidden behind an illusion, a force creating a series of seemingly important events that only served to cover the actual story, the true influential actions and forces the directed everyday life. And behind those were others, and so on, and on, and on.

 

Such were the Arete. The Daedra. Ga-Koro. Decaia. He had to wonder what the point of it all truly was. What did it accomplish? What did participating in it, even thinking about it, accomplish? As he paced in silence around the Ga-Suva, contemplating this, he could think of only one answer:

 

Literally nothing. There was no point. A life of deception, deceiving and being deceived; of control, controlling and being controlled; of agony, being hurt and hurting others... There was no point. Likewise, with such actions in constant motion, a life on the opposite trail was equally pointless. No amount of action taken one way or the other would ever serve to truly help or hurt change the status quo of life. It would only feed into the illusion.

 

As the Daedra had done.

 

As Decaia had helped to do.

 

What point was there, really, in any of it? None at all. Were he a true man of action, perhaps the Toa of Water would have sought a way out--indeed, for a moment the thought of self-induced drowning seemed welcome to him--but he was not. As he headed back into the village of water, Decaia resigned himself to his fate. He would simply need to stick it out until an opportunity to disappear presented itself. Easy enough, he supposed. He prayed the worst would come swiftly...

 

After all, he didn't exactly deserve a peaceful death...

 

OOC: awkward return post because I was writing just whatever due to having no idea what to post.... :3

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: "That sounds like a winning deal," Anthyn agreed. "Take care and don't get into trouble," she counseled as she stepped off the ship. She finally waved back before fading into the Ga-Koro fisherman's market; Anyanka merrily waved back.

 

Anyanka seemed pleasant to the Valkyr and someone she instantly connected to. There were many things about her that were on all levels of awwww and Anthyn indeedly looked forward to dinner that night. But first, her job. Embok was nowhere in sight. He was probably skulking off somewhere, brooding at his utter impotence, but he was man enough to not require Anthyn's chaperoning. Savina, however, perhaps needed some more attention. It had been over an hour since she left the Toa of the Green at her house, and she hadn't come after her, so it was logical that Savina would still be there, so Anthyn made her way to her house.

 

• • •

 

Anthyn still seemed utterly content as she ambled back home. Upon rounding a corner, though, she saw Savina panting outside it, apparently tuckered out. Despite curiosity about what she had been doing, Anthyn merely stepped aside from her and hummed contentedly to herself as she stepped up the ladder to her house. Savina would likely follow anyway.

[Snelly]

IC: Savina - Anthyn's Home, Ga-koro -

 

Savina did just as Anthyn expected and was following her angel right up the ladder. When they were both inside Savina spoke up. "Hey Anthyn! Welcome back home!" She said cheerfully, apparently already recovered from her run.

 

"I found an old friend of mine, well, two actually." Savina began. "You probably saw the Ash Bear swimming around outside, and the other one is currently getting his ribs fixed...anyway..."

 

Savina decided to just get to what she really wanted to talk about, even though she was slightly nervous to ask. "Do you think...it would be possible to...um...."

 

"To what little dove?"

 

"Do you think I could become more like you? Could I get wings of my own?" She almost blurred it out.

Edited January 21, 2013 by Snelly

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: "To get... wings?" Anthyn asked, unsure what the toa was suggesting. "You want to be like me."

 

"Mmhm!" Savina chirped back with a tight little grin, happy to see Anthyn understanding her question.

 

Anthyn's eyes were still loving but her body was cold. "So you want to be a Valkyr." The irony was palatable. Savina had become vanquished of her former self, a near literal shamble of the once free ranger before the ritual stripped her of herself and fed it to Anthyn. "To become a Valkyr would require a ritual I don't think I know everything about. And I know we would need a sacrifice for it to work at all," she said, touching her chin in thought. She couldn't recall everything about the ritual, only what happened afterwards and what the victims had told her. Even as she scoured the memories of the souls she devoured no memories could surface about the ritual, though it was the first time she tried to do so.

[Snelly]

IC: Savina - Anthyn's Home, Ga-koro -

 

"I think I remember." Savina said. "I was there for the whole thing after all." Savina thought back to the ritual, trying to remember as many things as she could about. "There was the chanting...a magic circle, they needed our souls as well, and...and I think someone's life force."

 

Savina told Anthyn as much as she could recall, or at least from what she had seen from her perspective. "There was a matoran at the ritual...Nixie I think her name was, she seemed to know the most about it out of everyone there..."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"I don't think there's any onboard," Anyanka reported glumly before visibly perking up. "Yooooo! We could go to the market and look for some, though! I hear they get some of the best honey from across the island depending on what stall ya go to!"

 

-Tyler

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: "Nixie, the astrologer?" Anthyn asked. Indeed, Nixie had set up half the entire ritual but fled before Anthyn could see her, leaving the Valkyr clueless about her presence. This was the first she heard about it. "Well, if she was there, then maybe she would be able to piece together what I know about the ritual. But we would still need a sacrifice. It would be best if we could have the ingredients ready when we ask Nixie for cooperation.

 

"I'm sure Embok would be happy to work with us. You said you have an old friend...?" she asked, a wicked smile spread on her face.

[Snelly]

IC: Savina - Anthyn's Home, Ga-koro -

 

"Uh yeah...Tehlin. He was at the ritual too, actually...maybe he'll want to help!" Savina said with enthusiastic...then she put two and two together and got slightly worried. "I don't know if he'll go for the whole being a sacrifice thing though...I mean...maybe if I asked him really nicely, he is rather fond of me..." Savina frowned, "He wouldn't die from it would he?" She asked, looking at Anthyn. Tehlin was a good friend to her, and it would be a shame to lose him.

 

"It's hard to find friends as nice as him...what if we only took...most of his lifeforce?"

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: "I'm not sure, but what if he did?" Anthyn asked, remaining gentle even as she knew she was toying with Savina's emotions. "If he's a true friend, wouldn't he be happy to give himself up if it was to help you fulfill a dream of yours?"

[Snelly]

IC: Savina - Anthyn's Home, Ga-koro -

Savina hummed...thinking it over. "Yeah, you're right...if he's really my friend he'd be more than happy to do this for me!" She said with a grin, she then turned to Anthyn though and put on a slightly more serious face. "Though all the same, we probably should sugar coat it. He'd probably be more willing if he doesn't know about his probable death."

Edited January 21, 2013 by Snelly

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: "I agreed," Anthyn said, her clever mind spinning with ideas. "That's two people to use, and it may be enough for the transformation.

 

"But seriously, Savina, becoming a Valkyr means more than having wings, it also means losing who you were and becoming a part of something far bigger than you've been in yet. There is nothing left of Danerys, the woman I was before the ritual, left in me. She has just become one of ten voices I hear at night, one of a crowd that inhabits my body and mind. No doubt it would be similar for you. Savina would just be a relic of the past," she warned. "But if you truly wish to become a Valkyr and ascend to a higher calling, I can help you do it."

[Snelly]

IC: Savina - Anthyn's Home, Ga-koro -

 

Savina's heart thumped loudly as Anthyn explained this, know full well she would quite possibly forget everything that made her who she was, she might even forget those who she once knew...even Anthyn...this thought scared her a bit.

 

But at the same time, if she really wanted to be like Anthyn, she had to be willing to risk it all, plus...without her soul she'd never really be Savina again anyway, she was but a shell.

 

"I do wish to become a Valkyr." She said with the utmost seriousness.

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: So so it had to be.

 

Savina was Anthyn's friend of sorts, but if she had anything that could remotely resemble a child, this toa was it. The Valkyr couldn't possibly understand the concept of kin or parenthood and, had she been confronted with it before, would likely simply off the suggester and be done with it. But this was different. Savina was growing on her almost as fast as she liked Anyanka. Just the night before she had murdered ten people before her eyes and forced the girl to mature in a way unthought of before. But what was truly driving Savina's core right then?

 

What made Anthyn tickled even more was Savina's desire to become like her. The idea that Savina wished to become so similar to her liege was found more akin to goddess worship than aspirations of adulthood, and the former was a principle Anthyn could relate to in a far more familiar manner, as a deity rather than as a mother. Even as she stood thus and heard Savina out, her mind wafted to the intricacies of the situation.

 

"Then I will help you reach for the sky," Anthyn declared. Despite the thoughts in her head that objectively surveyed the issue her answer came almost instinctively, as if brought about from a primal emotion than as a contemplated choice. Deep within her she felt a tingling urge, a voice left unheard since her inception. It said do it.

 

She smiled in recognition. It was the spirit of the Dark Valkyr a toa named Danerys had welcomed into her body, the true spirit of Anthyn, and it recognized this moment as a chance to introduce yet another angel of strife into the world. Anthyn felt something swell from Savina -- indeed, the toa was destined to become like she was.

 

What a crazy day it has been, Anhyn thought.

[HamboneKablooey]

IC: Aria

 

Aria lounged lazily on her seaweed couch. She hadn't been to this house in a while, and the ocean air was making her sluggish. Perhaps next time she would go to her home in Ta-Koro, or maybe Po-Koro. Somewhere a little more...dry.

 

But anyway, Aria lounged lazily, irritated by the slow pace of things lately. Business had been declining, not many people wanted to hire someone with her particular talents, after all. No, the work of a professional assassin was in short demand, and it made Aria angry. She toyed absent-mindedly with her Mask of Quick Travel, hoping beyond hope somebody would come and give her a job. Anything would do.

 

 

OOC: Aria, assassin for hire, is open for interaction. She'll do any job, as long as the coin is good! It doesn't even have to be an assassination!

[Snelly]

IC: Savina - Anthyn's Home, Ga-Wahi -

 

Savina couldn't help but smile the biggest smile she'd ever made. She went up to her angel and gave her a big hug. "Thank you Anthyn."

 

With Anthyn's promise to help her Savina knew it wouldn't be long now, soon she'd be just like her angel. It was exciting and yet terrifying at the same time, but somehow Savina knew, deep down, that it was meant to happen. It just felt right.

 

Without breaking the hug, Savina looked up at Anthyn. "Shall we get started then?"

[Krayzikk]

IC: Liara

 

"Yes, and it was something I could quite clearly tell myself." Liara retorted, grabbing a bottle from the cupboard, and stepping over to Tehlin. "What I'm going to do is check the job you did setting it, and pump you full of painkillers."

[sunflower]

IC: Tehlin

 

Savina walked out of the hut. And my brain instantly went on over-drive mode. She was gone, there was no time to waste. The doctor shot sometihng back at my last comment, but I didn't entirely hear it. She stepped oer to me, holding some kind of bottle in her hand. I reached up with one hand and grabbed her wrist to get her immediate attention, while holding up a finger for silence. I glanced towards the door, and listened carefully. Nothing. Good, she was gone. One didn't survive in the jungle as a hunter if they weren't completely aware of their surroundings, something that I learned quite quickly.

 

I released her arm once I was absolutely certain Savina was gone. "Before you do, or run me through with a conveintly placed dagger, or I ruin that wonderful conversation we were having, listen to me for a moment," I said, dead serious as I looked intently into her eyes. "I don't have much time, and you're the only person that I can talk to as of now."

 

With that, I quickly gave her a run-down on my situation. Starting from where Anthyn had drained the souls of both me and others, transforming a Toa into what she was now. I doubted that she would believe me, but someone needed to know. I can't always go it alone. I ended my short monologue with what was happening now, how the same being had gained a position of power within the village itself, supposedly a "hero".

 

"...You don't have to believe me, heck you don't have to help me, but if nothing else, tell someone. Anyone." Finished, I leaned back into the chair, my ribs aching from the extented breathing and feeling as if I had just wasted all that time explaining it to the doctor. As well as ruined my reputation within a village full of Ga-Toa.

 

"...And apologies for dumping this on you, I'm rather short on time..." I added wearily.

[AlchemistMayCry]

IC: Veros

 

I glanced around, looking for some sort of tree or SOMETHING that I could beat my head against. "I'm sure it's something, but I think the stupidity would break my mind," I remarked, trying hard not to just teleport into the air, flip over, and land on my head, hoping that the ensuing brain damage would leave me dead or crippled or both. I saw a particularly thick tree. Perfect. Without any regrets I ran towards the tree and started headbutting it repeatedly. When I could see stars, or at least blurred vision, I fell back on the thankfully soft forest floor. "If it's any consolation, the word I believe you're looking for is 'butch'. I think. That might be the brain damage talking."

[Light]

IC: Natalia sighed and aimed carefully, loosing a newly created arrow to pierce right between her earlier shot and Veros' friend's.After the display of head smashing she ran to Veros' side. "Do you need healing or was that on purpose?"

Edited January 22, 2013 by Jon Snow

[AlchemistMayCry]

IC: Veros

 

"On purpose. Sometimes Crim can do some things that are incredibly...stupid," I replied blearily. I could feel a headache starting to form. "Actually a little healing would be wonderful. That way I can get up, do some more head smashing, fall back down, get healed, wash, rinse, repeat until I get the stupidity out of my system!" That might be the head trauma talking. I think. I'm not quite sure now. Ow. Owwwwwwww.

[25K Now!]

IC: [Atonal]

 

"No head-butting trees," said Atonal, sighing. "You can find less lethal ways of expressing your despair."

[AlchemistMayCry]

IC: Crimeia

 

"Aw quit yer whining! And your head-butting!" I said, trying not to glare at Natalia. She was good, that was true. I put away my bow and walked up to Natalia and Veros. "You need to lighten up, Ver. Like old, times, ya know?" I turned to Natalia. "You're a good shot. Call us even."

 

"I'll lighten up," Veros said, rubbing his forehead. "Around the time you learn to take something serious for once. Deal?"

 

I grinned. "Deal. Heal this idiot up before he tries to put himself into a coma. Didn't that happen once back at home?"

 

"It's gonna happen again if a certain someone doesn't heal me! Oh god I think I'm seeing plaid..."

[25K Now!]

IC: [Atonal]"Is this an usual occurrence?"

[AlchemistMayCry]

IC: Crimeia

 

"Well, considering how much time we spent running on the higher parts of Ta-Koro, especially the rooftops, I'm sure it happened once or twice. At least for us. I'm pretty sure there were a couple people in the group who had more falls than us two." I said, shrugging. "He'll be fine. Right Ver?"

 

"I think I can taste purple," Veros said. Well, that's a new one.

[Friar Tuck]

OOC: from Onu-Koro

 

Thanks to VF and Tyler for their input. Sorry if now I am going to pit you two against each other

 

IC

 

[Ga-Wahi delta, Old Fusa Path, near Hura-Mafa River; early evening]

 

Ga-Wahi. Warm, wet, wild Ga-Wahi. The place where you could cut the humidity with a knife and dull the blade at the same time, the home of swimming pools, Kohlii stars, and all the pretty fisherwomen you could lay eyes on. Stunning beaches, magical plantlife, a getaway resort of vaccination proportions. Here... here is where it all started. My first dream-like vision. Where I fought the Tarakava and almost died. Met Cael. Got transformed into a toa. Trained to be a warrior. Outside of meeting the Wanderer's Company - and everything that went with it - nearly every important recent event in my life happened here.

 

I've come back full circle.

 

We meandered along the Old Fusa Path, following the Hura-Mafa River down to the bay in the distance, Harakeke and Bamboo plants proliferating all around us. We had entered the area through a little-used tunnel from Onu-Wahi, and upon doing so realized just how late it actually was. Being underground messes with your internal clock, no sunrises or sunsets to gauge the passage of time. When we emerged to the surface it was clear that the light was waning, not quite sunset, but long shadows indicating that it would be soon. There was no way we could reach the Village of Water before dark, but we could make good headway with the hour or so of solid light we had before we were forced to break for camp. The walk was done in relative silence, the events and words surrounding the fight earlier in the day having a heavy impact on all of us.

 

Particularly me.

 

My spirit was troubled, and despite my best attempts I knew it showed. Angelus had presented a worldview radically different from my own, one that flew in the face of what I personally held dear. More specifically: the Toa Code. The strict moral code, the Unspoken Word amongst those that bore the title "Toa", the very rule and law that, ideally, every one of us should follow. I... I was having trouble reconciliating the two. I could not deny the truth in his words, but at the same time I could not accept the fact that the Toa Code was useless either, which was what he had indirectly said. Or had he?

 

I needed to know.

 

"Angelus," I said quietly, as if not to disturb the songs of the birds around us, "what is your view of the Toa Code? Your comments earlier, about letting everything go, about doing anything an everything you needed to survive... what's your take?"

 

His reply was almost immediate. "The Toa Code is cool; I've got no beef with the Toa Code. But the problem is that it's a theory, put together in an era where Toa didn't deal with the same limitations and issues we now take for granted because we face them every day. The Code didn't factor in Makuta, or Heuani, or the sort of Toa who waltz around this island with glowing tattoos that eat your emotions and use 'em to buff up."Where I come from, you learn to evolve, or you die. Stagnation is frowned upon, because if you stagnate, you won't make it where I come from. You learn to release your inhibitions, one by one, because if you don't circumstances will only get worse and worse for you until you're either dead or you're so melancholy that you want to be dead and it never comes around."So that's the Toa Code for me: it's a theory, always evolving, always adjusting, and depending on the day and age you're a Toa in - take ours, for instance - you have to put emphasis on some parts and decrease emphasis on others. But it's all subjective, so... "

 

He let that hang, and it was heavier than the humidity around us. I stared at the dirt path under my feet, trying to come to terms with that. Here was another Toa that, in essence, did not follow it. Good guideline, but that was about it. Open to interpretation; all of it. A set of rules that are prone to, and indeed do, change on a regular basis depending on person and situation. I closed my eyes trying to grapple with it; had it been anyone else I would have laid into them like I did Rit all those weeks ago... but I considered Angelus a good friend, a solid warrior, someone with an even more solid head on his shoulders, and extremely smart. How could such a person have such a view unless they were right? And even if he somehow wasn't, the argument he presented...

 

It was a bewildering experience to say the least.

 

I happened to glance next to me, Agni walking straighter than usual. No, more like a board. Clearly he wanted to say something, but was too polite to come out and say so. I raised a slight eyebrow.

 

"Have something to say about that?"

 

Lifting a fist to his mouth he cleared his throat. "The code is one of the most valuable possessions of any true Toa. You know what it means to be a Toa by now, you've seen it in the Mata - to be one of us is to be a champion of the people and a paragon. And the code is that set of moral values which guides us on that path. Toa is not just a name, it is a title...one we have to honor. A fact that is...often forgotten these days."

 

He paused for a moment, hesitating, a dark look in his eyes. I may not know a lot about Agni's past, but I did know that some time ago he accidentally and indirectly killed an opponent; I knew not of the details, but the experience was enough to still haunt him today. Still, he moved ahead, undaunted, giving a sideways glance to Angelus. "With all that has happened, with all the tragedy around us, it seems that the code is no longer relevant. So many committing acts of violence in the name of righteousness, they don't realize anymore that our code is what separates us from Makuta's servants."Angelus' face was neutral, if not a tad hard at the comment. "If that be the case, why then shouldn't we just kill villains?" the jungle-toa questioned, almost as though he was baiting the older Toa of Fire, "Villains like Echelon, where one act of violence can prevent countless others? Or is it just too hard for you to bring yourself to do that?"

 

I wanted to open my mouth to object, to voice that was not a fair question. Agni waved his hand however, taking it with grace."No...killing them would be too darn easy." he responded firmly, his gaze meeting Angelus' before looking back to me. "You know that first hand. All it takes is one step to go from beating and opponent to beating them to death. And it is just what they would do. Mercy is not a word in the vocabulary of evil. Which is why it is so important to us. Mercy and compassion are what separates us from not only the villains, but from the animals as well. Without it, in the end, we end up being no better than they are."

 

The jungle was eerily silent as Agni finished, my mind and body caught between two opposing ideals, not expecting the exchange that had just transpired.

 

I had a LOT to think about.

Edited January 22, 2013 by Friar Tuck

[Mr. Coffee]

IC: Tohi

Tohi sneaked out of the village. She felt uneasy around so many strangers, and outside offered a little bit more of the desired loneliness. She roamed the shore, lost in her thoughts, until she heard three voices. Tohi scrambled to the nearby vegetation, hoping it would provide cover alongside with her black suit. Clumsy as she was at the moment, she managed to break a dry twig with an audible crack. She grimaced but stood still, holding her breath.

[otter]

IC-Mila:

 

"I swear, you've got a death wish," Mila quietly muttered, bent down next to Tohi - thankfully, the way his cloak didn't reflect the light here made it ideal to hid him in this instance. So hopefully he and Tohi would both be well hidden.

 

"I mean, first while fighting that Tarakava, now while sneaking off like this... oi, and I have to be brought with you!" Mila rolled his eyes upon saying that, though it was obvious that he'd been the one to put himself in this position, be it with first accepting to come help. Such is life.

 

"Oh, before I forget..." he quickly reached down, grabbing something out of a pocket on his cloak, his satchel too big - and let's face it, clunky - to have been brought with. It was a scroll, and based on a previous conversation, it likely had to do with the basics of the Matoran language.

 

"Please, be careful with that. And if our friends over there have noticed us and decide they don't like us...just go back to the village. For my sake."

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

[Old Fusa Path, along the Hura-Mafa River; evening]

 

Fire.

 

It crackled and popped, happily consuming the dead wood we had managed to scramble together, giving us a friendly display of heat and warmth. I stared at the dancing flames, the tongues of orange and red, bobbing and weaving in an intricate and beautiful pattern that was only observable to a Ta-Toa like myself. It was comforting, welcoming, even useful, as Angelus pulled through again and provided a hot meal for us.

 

Fire.

 

But now I also personally knew the dark side of that flame, the all-consuming destruction in could wrought. I had been there, if not only briefly, the horrifying other side of this likeable and useful element. An experience that would not leave me any time soon.

 

Fire. All-consuming fire.

 

I leaned up against the tree, staring at the night sky above our heads. If I looked down, I could see the gradual sloping of the landscape until the hill we were on met the sea, the dim lights of Ga-Koro winking in the distance. To my left was the river, and to my right was the path and beyond that endless, dark jungle.

 

I hadn't said much all day, and that seemed to be affecting the group as a whole.

 

By now I not only realized I was the pseudo-leader of this motley crew, but the lifeblood of it. I was the one with an indomitable spirit, a light heart, always upbeat and optimistic... if I was down, it showed, that that unfortunately spilled over to everyone else. I didn't like that kind of responsibility, but it was something I had been forced to learn over the last few weeks since my transformation. To be a toa meant to be in charge of whatever situation you were put in, whether wanted or not, whether you felt like it or not. It was a responsibility that I felt ill-prepared for, but struggled forward with it anyway. In fact, it was only one of a thousand lessons I had been forced to learn astonishingly quickly. Every since that fateful day in Ga-Koro I hadn't slowed down, to think, to reflect, let alone absorb it all. One can only take so much before he begins to suffer under the strain, and that last fight might have been the straw that broke the Kikanalo's back. My experience back at the Temple of Courage? Small beans compared to the crossroads I was facing now. This wasn't some attitude adjustment, or a way to dismantle a prideful ego; this was foundational. How I viewed the world. Which would in turn affect how I interacted with it.

 

Which would affect every decision I would make after this point.

 

This was a decision of what I believed as a person and individual. What and who I was at the core, what was left at the end of the day when everything you had and knew was stripped away.

 

It was staggering.

 

I suddenly stood, still staring at the sky, hands on my hips. Yes, we were on a timetable. Yes, we were in a crunch. Yes, I had to get that last crystal and get back the Wanderer's Company before it was too late. But this was something that could not be rushed. I was unsure, vulnerable, conflicted; I was not moving forward until I made a decision. I was going to sort this out. Peel away the layers of my soul if need be until I found an answer. Even if it took me all night.

 

Without a word I left camp.

 

By now I was certain my companions were used to this; wouldn't of been the first time, probably not the last either. They might even be sharing a slight laugh now at it as I pushed through the underbrush, trying to get lost in my own thoughts.

 

Angelus, why?

 

I found myself following the river as I thought, breaking off to follow a small tributary.

 

The code is one of the most valuable possessions of any true Toa. You know what it means to be a Toa by now, you've seen it in the Mata - to be one of us is to be a champion of the people and a paragon.

 

The Toa Code is cool; I've got no beef with the Toa Code. But the problem is that it's a theory, put together in an era where Toa didn't deal with the same limitations and issues we now take for granted because we face them every day. The Code didn't factor in Makuta, or Heuani, or the sort of Toa who waltz around this island with glowing tattoos that eat your emotions and use 'em to buff up.

 

The code is that set of moral values which guides us on that path. Toa is not just a name, it is a title...one we have to honor. A fact that is...often forgotten these days.

 

Where I come from, you learn to evolve, or you die. Stagnation is frowned upon, because if you stagnate, you won't make it where I come from. You learn to release your inhibitions, one by one, because if you don't circumstances will only get worse and worse for you until you're either dead or you're so melancholy that you want to be dead and it never comes around.

 

With all that has happened, with all the tragedy around us, it seems that the code is no longer relevant. So many committing acts of violence in the name of righteousness, they don't realize anymore that our code is what separates us from Makuta's servants.

 

So that's the Toa Code for me: it's a theory, always evolving, always adjusting, and depending on the day and age you're a Toa in - take ours, for instance - you have to put emphasis on some parts and decrease emphasis on others. But it's all subjective.

 

No...killing them would be too darn easy. You know that first hand. All it takes is one step to go from beating and opponent to beating them to death. And it is just what they would do. Mercy is not a word in the vocabulary of evil. Which is why it is so important to us. Mercy and compassion are what separates us from not only the villains, but from the animals as well. Without it, in the end, we end up being no better than they are.

 

Were either one of them right? Both?

 

Neither?

 

I kicked a rock in frustration as all these voiced crowded my head. Tuara with her single-minded devotion and hard justice had a few choice words to say to both, and Rit came galloping through with her own two cents, more or less agreeing with Angelus but wither her own spin on things, that conversation with her not five minutes after my transformation at the forefront. Every toa I had ever spoken with had in way or another a different version of what they believed to be the Code, or not one at all. Angi was the only one I had met that held any sort of literal translation of it, and that's what startled me the most, reviewing Angelus' words.

 

But it's all subjective.

 

All the evidence pointed in that direction. The logic part of me was nudging me hard to that conclusion, but my soul was screaming bloody murder at that idea. If the Code is simply a loose bias, a interpretive set of laws, then are they rules in the first place? If there are more exceptions than than followers, why do they exist? What's the point? To make us feel like we're the good guys? Something for us to hang our hat and pretend that we're a bunch of moral heroes?

 

What is the point of having rules if no-one follows them?

 

I guess the question was then: are they subjective? Are they open to interpretation, or are they immovable, able to despite the age and chivalrous intentions be relevant in any and every era and situation?

 

This was the question I had to answer for myself.

[Krayzikk]

IC: Liara

 

Liara's left hand, the one Tehlin hadn't grabbed, moved away from her thigh. Though her patient may or may not notice, her hand hand been closed around the handle of her sole dagger the entire time. As Tehlin spoke, her eyes continually narrowed. With her hand released, she measured out a serving of the liquid in the bottle, and held it out to the other Toa, after mixing it with water.

 

"Drink."

[sunflower]

IC: Tehlin

 

Too burnt out from recent events, Karz, even past events were starting to pile up on me, I didn't have really have the will to protest. I accepted the glass, muttering softly about this stuff never coming in strawberry flavor, before downing it quickly enough. Heck, that taste. I blinked a few times, and suddenly realised something. "Wait a minute," I said, tilting my head slightly as I looked at the doctor. "I know you. You're one of Ravage's friends, helped Savina out when she was shot in the leg."

 

I couldn't remember what the rahi-like Toa of Crystal had called her, and she had ditched the hot bird-armor from last time I saw her. But it was definitely her. What? I've got a good eye for girls.

 

Yup.

 

Karz, that seemed like ages ago, right before Anthyn decided to give my armor a grey tone. Mata Nui was I ever so stupid back then. "Right before we got our souls drained..."

[Krayzikk]

IC: Liara

 

"I've got no idea what you're talking about." Liara rreplied evenly, her voice remaining normal, with an edge of confusion. "I've never met you in my life. Nor do I recall hanging around a Toa named "Ravage". Kind of an odd associate for a doctor to have, wouldn't you think?"

 

Without missing a beat, she started gently probing the region containing the cracked ribs with her finger tips, checking how well they had been set.

[Mr. Coffee]

C: Tohi

Tohi just stared at Mila, who was apparently giving her a lecture about staying safe again, but seemingly oblivious to the fact that him talking attracts attention just as much, if not more. Sweet irony. The water Toa put a hand over his mouth with barely audible shhh. Soon enough a figure walked by the nearby river. Friend or foe? Tohi thought, holding her breath not to make a sound.

[sunflower]

IC: Tehlin

 

You've got to be kidding me. I winced slightly as she applied pressure on my cracked ribs, more of a natural instinct than actually from the pain. Her reply was a bit too calm, the sort of measure responce created when a suspect either didn't want to answer the question or was denying something vital. Strange how that investigative training in the Sanctum Guard came flooding back to me at the weirdest times. Well, it was a really comprehensive session, us Ko-Koroans being nuts about facts and finding stuff out. "I suppose so, my apologies Miss...?"

 

I let it opened ended for multiple reasons, but at the same time, I racked my brain trying to remember.

[Krayzikk]

IC: Liara

 

"Liara." The doctor replied, her voice flowing naturally. In her line of work she had a lot of practice at lying, and sounding completely normal. And she wasn't entirely lying, either. Her patient wouldn't recognize her by name, she'd been using her codename the last time they spoke. All he would be left with is a tentative voice similarity, and even that wasn't identical due to the way her previous mask had been made, and how her voice interacted with it.

 

"You seem to have done a reasonably good job patching these up."

[CAPUA]

IC: Aria

 

Aria lounged lazily on her seaweed couch. She hadn't been to this house in a while, and the ocean air was making her sluggish. Perhaps next time she would go to her home in Ta-Koro, or maybe Po-Koro. Somewhere a little more...dry.

 

But anyway, Aria lounged lazily, irritated by the slow pace of things lately. Business had been declining, not many people wanted to hire someone with her particular talents, after all. No, the work of a professional assassin was in short demand, and it made Aria angry. She toyed absent-mindedly with her Mask of Quick Travel, hoping beyond hope somebody would come and give her a job. Anything would do.

 

IC: Aria’s House

 

Aria sat in her house, toying with her mask in boredom and staring out the window. For one of the island’s best assassins, this was nothing short of a waste. There were many who would hire her for her particular talents, the price just had to be high enough. The woman was used to living a life of luxury after all, with expensive states in three villages. So if one wanted to hire Aria, they had to be seriously rolling in cash. For that reason, she hadn’t gotten a job in many weeks and months. There were men on the island who although weren’t skilled in the act of killing, could still get the job done, albeit messier, but for a lesser price then what she was demanding. Still, there were some who saw the potential in the assassin. Some who would pay her in fortunes that she couldn’t even imagine. Aria, master assassin, had gotten lucky today.

 

Just as she figured that she’d die in this house out of a lack of interest, something crashes through one of her windows. Her expensive, reflective glass shattered on to the floor of her house and although it surprised her, she had cool nerves. She didn’t shriek, instead she instantly started to prepare a counterattack with her iron elemental powers. Her eyes scanned for a target, the assailant or robber who had dared to break into her home, ready to slit their throat as soon as she found them. However, she would find no greedy Matoran searching for jewels, all she saw was a black bird. Then her eyes narrowed at the thing on her table. It was no bird, it was a bat. With black fur and giant red eyes, the bat stood on her living room table proudly. Rolling her eyes, she prepared to squash the little thing, but then it did something that intrigued her.

 

It dropped a letter from its mouth which rolled off the table and landed on the floor, opening up. Her eyes flickered over to it and back to the table, but when she looked back, the bat was gone, out of the window it had burst through. Intrigued by the letter, the assassin peered over to see what it had scribbled on it and she became even more curious when she could clearly see her own name staring right back at her.

 

Dear Aria,

 

Your abilities have attracted my attention. An assassin with nothing to do is a crying shame, if I say myself. That is why I have a job to offer you. I am aware of your price range and rest assured I have enough money to pay you. If you are in doubt, reach over to the back of this letter and there should be your first payment. The only thing I want you to do is to travel to Po-Wahi and follow the directions on the bottom of the letter. If you follow them correctly, you will arrive at my home, Casterly Rock. Dinner will be served there and we can discuss my plans for you there…

 

Sincerely, Destro Malkai

 

Laird of Casterly Rock

[sunflower]

IC: Tehlin

“Thanks, I take that as a high compliment coming from a doctor, Liara,” I replied. Either this chick was extremely good at lying, which I already suspected, or she was telling the truth about her name. I wasn't a fan of the whole “lying until proven true” sentiment, so I decided to work with it. Her voice was slightly different than I remember, the tone slightly off and higher pitched. That, of course, could be chalked up to a number of things. One's voice was comparatively easy to disguise convincingly, to the point where only a Toa of Sonics would be able to tell such a thing was forced. I wasn't a Toa of Sonics, and I didn't have a mask of sensory aptitude, and so I couldn't identify that. Outside devices as well could be used.

“I mainly work with negating pain and make so that people can walk, not so much removing injuries entirely.

 

Even so, I was quite sure she was the same person. Hunches weren't just random feelings, more of your body's subconscious way of piecing together information.

[Krayzikk]

IC: Liara

 

"Well, broken bones aren't something I can do a heck of a lot about. For the most part, they have to heal on their own. What I can do, is make sure they're bandaged properly and prescribe a supply of pain killers."

 

The Le-Toa grabbed the roll of bandages from where they lay on the table, without bothering to look at them. "I would, however, recommend you take it easy for a while. Painkillers or no, you'll need some time to recover."

[HamboneKablooey]

IC: Aria

 

Aria read the letter and grinned.

 

"Well, it looks like I'm going to Po-Wahi after all." she said, and grabbed her dagger and various other supplies.

 

 

Aria to Po-Wahi