Foundations of War

[Irrie]

Welcome all to my new Bionicle Epic!
 
This records the travels of Kordé, a De-Matoran as he embarks on many adventures across the Universe.
 
Review topic: http://www.bzpower.com/board/topic/14806-review-topic-foundations-of-war/

 
 
 

Part I ~ The Enemy is Masked

 

 
 

Chapter I

 

 

 

 
Kordé walked down a long pathway. It was made of gravel and was covered on both sides by tall grass. Looking around, he saw the many workers of the land. He was a De-Matoran, clad in black noble Ruru.  
The Matoran of this faction were a conglomeration of the various breeds. According to legend, a large group of Matoran from different settlements arrived on the island from the north. They were radically different in design and culture, making them one of the most diverse settlements in the universe. That is, until The Death struck. The Death was a disease that came from a location unknown to even the brightest minds of the Koro. When it struck the Matoran, their histories were dimmed to the point in which memories seemed like vague dreams. They were also physically weakened. The weakness was so horrible that they all looked the same after it was eradicated: no higher than two feet. 
After The Death, the Matoran chose a leader among them. Her name was Naugall, a Bo-Matoran, who was the one least affected by the plague. Although her bodily form was diminished just like the others, her memories were the least tainted. Because of this, everyone looked to her for sage guidence. 
 
Kordé’s errand was not to work, for he had already finished his shift. His mission took him outside the wall. 
 
After Naugall was elected the ruler, she organized the Matoran into one village: The Koro. The Koro is located on a peninsula at the north western point of the island. At the edge of the land that the Matoran cultivated, a wall was erected. It was made from rock mined by the Onu-Matoran in the deep places of the world. Naugall claimed that beyond the wall rested The Wild, where dark things sleep.
 
Despite this, Kordé did not fear The Wild. In fact, he was intrigued by it. The guards at the wall were lenient and did not care if anything left the walls...so long as anything other than a Matoran didn't come back in. After around thirty minutes or so of walking he finally arrived at the entrance. They saw him approaching, so they began to pull the wrench.
The old stone doors groaned and creaked as their ancient mechanisms came to life once more. 
As Kordé ventured into The Wild, he turned left. There he saw The Wold, which was the great forest that grew near the wall. He walked on the path that he blazed for himself long ago.
“Today, I’m going to go further than I've gone before,” he said to himself. Most of the time he would walk until it got too steep and then he’d turn back. This time, he planned to go further and see what was at the summit of the land’s elevation. 
He passed by the same old trees and the same old plants. There were occasional pockets of ferns that grew every so often. He learned from Gaffo, another Bo-Matoran, that ferns liked cool climates. 
“If you’re stuck in The Wold and you’re overheating,” she once said. “Then find a patch of ferns and make camp there. They enjoy cooler microclimates, so that’s a clear indication of a good spot to rest.” 
Although it was never so hot that he needed to do that, he often remembered Gaffo’s words, for they might be useful some day.
 
He found the tree that he would often rest under. Its long and gnarled roots were exposed from the ground and offered a naturally-made bed. Kordé paused there for a moment, however didn't plan on resting for very long. It was then that he noticed something odd. The ferns up ahead were smothered down. 
Walking over to investigate, he assumed that a rahi rested there a while ago. However there was something shiny on the ground. Getting down on his knees, he looked closer. They were daggers. On the bottom they were flat, and on the top they had rounded sides. This gave them a three-sided tip. 
Kordé put them into his knapsack. Returning to the trail, he continued on his walk. 
Some fifteen minutes later, he saw another Matoran ahead of him. He wore a grey Great Huna.
He called out to him.
“Hello, there!” 
The Matoran looked up at Kordé and blinked a few times as if coming out from a daze. There was a long pause between the two.
“Hello?”
Silence.
Many minutes of awkwardness passed. And then out of nowhere, the Matoran reared back its head and broke out into a sprint toward him. 
“Wait, what are you doing?” shouted Kordé, turning around to flee. It wasn’t long before the attacker had overtaken him. Kordé tripped on a root and fell on the ground, the contents of his knapsack spilling over the ground. Scrambling to his feet, he picked up the two daggers that he had collected earlier. 

The attacker was now upon him. Kordé threw the first blade at him. It hit with grim accuracy and sank into his chest. The Matoran staggered backward a few paces, but began chase once more. Surprised, Kordé ran up to him and drove the blade into the left eyehole of its mask. The body collapsed, but not without stirring. It was soon back on its feet, chasing him once more. 
Just when it was about to tackle Kordé, he heard a whiz in the air, followed by a twang. Then another, and then another. Turning around, he saw that his attacker was being loaded with arrows. More and more kept coming and striking until it looked like the Matoran had turned into a porcupine.
Into view came a giant. It was towering and intimidating, and wielded a long bow with black-feathered arrows. He bore a handsome noble Kakama. He was grey and black.
“That little guy probably won't cause anymore problems now,” he said in a strange tone.  
The giant walked towards Kordé. 
“Hello, there small one. What are you doing so far from The Koro?”
“I...I come to The Wold every day.” 
“Hm, that is good, that is good. I cherish in some company every so often. Tell me small one, what is your name?”
“Um...Kordé…”
“Kordé. Good strong name. Mine is Fhargall. It is nice to meet you. Now, if you excuse me, I’ve got to get down to business.”
Fhargall bent down and pulled out the daggers from the Matoran’s body. He handed them to Kordé.
“Those are made from some quality metal.” 
“Um...excuse me...mister…”
“Yes?”
“What are you?”
“Why, I’m a Fa-Matoran, a musician, a traveler, a frontiersman, and an explorer.”
“H...how? How are you a Matoran? You’re HUGE!” 
“I’m not a Matoran from around here, let’s say. But that is a tale for a different time. Now, let’s get down to business.” 
He then proceeded to examining the satchel that the Matoran had. He noticed that Kordé was still looking slightly stunned.
“What’s wrong, little one?” he asked.
“You...you just killed him…”
“No, that poor fellow died long ago. His body was reanimated by...someone. Don’t worry, I didn’t kill him. I rather disabled his bodily functions. His spirit departed from this plane of existence many years ago from the looks of it.” 
Kordé, still quite unsure of the situation, sat down. Fhargall was still rummaging through the dead Matoran’s satchel. 
“Why did he attack me?”
“Well, whoever reanimated his body wanted put him here to guard one of three things: A person, a location, or an object. Seeing that there is no one else here, we can rule out the first option. He could have also been guarding the location, which is unlikely because you come here frequently, so he would have attacked you before then. That leaves the third option to be the most likely.”
“How do you know so much about this?”
“Experience, lad! Experience.” 
He continued rummaging. 
“Actually, I do not believe that he was placed here to be a guard at all. In fact, he was probably a courier who saw you as something that would jeopardize his mission. And I think I’ve found something…”
He held aloft a glass orb, solid black like the night. 
“Interesting,” he said, placing it into his pack. 
He got up to his feet. 
“Say, Kordé...would you like to stay with me for the night? I’ve been very lonely wandering these woods alone.”
Kordé was unsure as to how he should answer. 
“Can I trust you?”
“Little one, if I was untrustworthy then I would have killed you right now on the spot. However I have not. I have the weaponry to do so, but I chose not to.”
“Yes, but you could kill me later.”
“True, but if I were to do that then I would not be bringing the topic of the conversation to the prospect of me slaying you.”
Kordé pondered this.
“Um...alright. I’ve always wanted to sleep in the woods for some time now.” 
Very well. I’ve made camp just up trail. Follow me.”
On the way, Fhargall pulled out a guitar-like instrument, and began to play a tune. He began to sing to it, his harmonious voice blending richly with the nature around them. 
Kordé couldn’t quite describe what Fhargall sang, but it was a mixture of the songs and customs of the many cultures of the world, so fabulously weaved together in perfect unison. It was like magic. 
When they arrived at Fhargall’s camp, it was nearly nighttime. His tent was made of leather with several cloth patches in it. Once there, Fhargall began to build a fire while Kordé sat and watched. 
“So, little one. Do you have any questions for me?” he casually asked.
“Um...yes...I do. Why are you so tall?”
“Haha, you’re inquisitive! Well, I shall tell you little one.”
He walked over and sat next to Kordé on the log.
“You see, I’m an adventurer. I’m a traveler. And as a journeyman, I have seen many different cultures, and heard many tales. Ones of courageous heroes and diabolical villains. Of justice and treachery. You see long ago, when the world was new, there was a noble Matoran named…”
The melodic sounds of Fhargall’s voice caused Kordé to nod off to sleep. 
 
He was awaken by a stiff prod in the stomach. 
“Sit up, but don’t make a sound,” hissed Fhargall. 
Slowly, Kordé rose and sat on the log.
“We are being watched,” he whispered, gesturing to a pair of eyes in a distant shrub. A second after Kordé saw them, they disappeared. He also saw another pair in a tree, but it too vanished. 
“Keep low, and have your daggers at the ready,” he said. 
Fhargall placed a lone arrow on his bow, and drew back the string. Kordé held his twin blades tightly in his hands. The forest around them was alive with the unknown foes. 
Each second seemed like a year as they stood perfectly still. At last, Fhargall released the bow from the string, and it whizzed through the air. The muffled yelp that followed indicated that it had struck the intended target.
Moments later, Kordé saw nothing more than the blackness of the bodies that were mobbing on top of him. 

Edited December 23, 2015 by Irrie: The Loremaster

[Irrie]

Chapter II

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kordé slowly awoke. Although his eyes were opened, he saw only darkness his limbs felt numb and the ground below him was cold. As he climbed to his feet, he heard the sounds of many people breathing. He was not alone.

“H...hello?” he said. His voice echoed off the walls and the bodies around him stiffened. Some moments passed when he heard the strike of flint. Light began to burn dimly from a torch far off. On the opposite wall, another flint was struck. A torch ignited there as well. Two more were lit on the remaining sides of the chamber.

As Kordé looked around, he saw the glint of eyes. The torches slowly grew brighter and he saw that they were actually Matoran. But strange ones.

They were tall, but not as tall as Fhargall was. Their arms were long and curved with spikes jutting out of them. They had two fingers on one hand and three on the other. They had two large and awkward-looking toes. The most unusual feature that they had was the fact that they all wore great black Komaus.

He saw that Fhargall was standing behind him, however he was on his knees and chained.

The crowd of Matoran parted and out walked a one that bore a Noble Komau. He stood there for a moment, studying the them.

“Welcome,” he said. His voice was cold and mysterious, however not so much that it seemed evil.

“Welcome,” he repeated. “To the Kinship of the Black Komau. The fact that you have already heard our name is a danger to us, so we would like to make this quick. You have something that we want.”

“What...what is that?” asked Fhargall. This was the first time Kordé heard him stammer.

“Search him and collect it,” said the Matoran. Several of the other ones sprang onto Fhargall. He tried to defend himself, but he was chained down so he could only flail about. They pulled his knapsack off his back and rummaged through it. After a few moments, one of them held aloft the black globe that they found the previous day.

“Tell me, where did you find this?” asked the Matoran.

“We found it in the possession of someone that attacked this little one here,” Fhargall said. “I disabled it, and we claimed the contents for ourselves.”

“Interesting,” said the Matoran. “Elaborate.”

“Why should I? Why should I feel inclined to give you knowledge? If you intend to use my information for purposes that I do not support.”

“And what would be those reasons?” asked the Matoran rather smoothly.

“Telling you those reasons could be used against me.”

“Ah, but without knowledge of your reasons, we cannot properly tell you if you should inform us or not.”

Fhargall was silent.

“How about him?” asked the Matoran, pointing at Kordé.

Kordé said nothing. He glanced at Fhargall.

“Tell them what you think they should know. This is your decision, not mine.”

He paused for a moment.

“I...I was attacked by a Matoran. I stabbed him several times...but he did not fall. It was until he was shot by Fhargall that he gave up...and he didn’t surrender until he looked like a spiked rahi.”

“Do you know anything else about the Matoran?”

“He...well...according to Fhargall, he was a reanimated Matoran…”

“Just as I thought,” he said. “As it turns out, you and Fhargall have finished a task that we were about to begin.”

“Could you tell us where we are?” asked Flargall.

“Yes...we can. Kamjeo, escort them to The Room.”

A Matoran that had the exact same mask as the others walked out of the crowd and unchained Fhargall.

“We had to lock you down because of the damage that you did to several of our operatives,” said the lead Matoran.

They then proceeded to follow the one named Kamejo. The air was dank and murky, which indicated that they were underground. They were led into a hallway with ominous stone statues of various beings carved into the sides. Torches illuminated the area, however only slightly. The passage began to go downward some until they turned off into a small side hallway. It led into a large, circular room. Instead of torches, dim lightstones were fixed into the walls.

The Matoran then turned around. “Based on how you answered the questions that were given to you by The Fearless Leader, we analyzed them to determine your moral character and goodwill. That is currently being debated by the other one hundred and fifteen. In the meantime, we shall judge you with a more practical method.

“Excuse me...Kamejo? Why are you doing this?” asked Kordé.

The Matoran turned around. “That will be explained in due time.”

He then said a word in a language unknown to them. A flash of blinding light shown in the room, but disappeared in a second. Where there once was nothing stood a spindly creature. It was towering in height, taller than even Fhargall by many feet. Its head was narrow and serpent-like with gleaming silver scales that danced in the light. One one arm it had a long gnarled claw and in the other it had a drill-like weapon. It had no armor on the front, and they only saw a red skeleton. However there was a shell on hits back.

At the sight of this, Kordé jumped back immediately. However Fhargall stood his ground.

“This is Taog, one of our associates. Although she is not a member of the Kinship, she is aligned with us nonetheless. She shall decide if you are worthy.”

Taog took a few steps toward them. She opened his mouth as if she was going to speak something, however a beam of light erupted from her maw instead. It, like the light before, vanished in an instant.

Taog turned to Kamejo.

“They are ready,” she said. “Very ready indeed.”

“Very well. Follow me.”

He turned and exited the room. Kordé and Fhargall followed, leaving Taog in the room alone. They climbed back up the same cold passageway until they came to the chamber where they met earlier. This time, the Matoran were arranged in rows with the Noble Komau in the front.

“Are they acceptable?” he asked.

“Yes,” replied Kamejo.

“Acceptable for what?” asked Fhargall.

All of the Matoran took a step forward simultaneously.

“We have analyzed your behaviors ever since we found you in your camp. Based on the very way that you walked allowed us determine your character and goodwill.

We needed to collect the globe from you. By revealing ourselves, you have no choice but to join us.”

“What?” cried out Fhargall and Kordé simultaneously.

“Yes, it is the sad truth of the Kinship of the Black Komau. Once we have revealed ourselves to someone, we either induct them into our ranks or...dispose of them. We cannot be revealed because it would jeopardize our objective.”

“What is this objective that you speak of?” asked Fhargall, narrowing his eyes.

“You will know once you are sworn in as an associate of the Kinship.”

“How do we know that the objective is something desirable and not a brutal trick to force us to do your dirty work?” countered Fhargall.

“Because the cause you will be working for is a righteous one. You shall protect the Matoran of this island from the threat that is arising in the east. You shall see more of this land and the other lands than you ever expected to see. This could be your only chance to escape the brutal laboring of The Koro.”

At that moment, Kordé realized he was talking to him.

“Alright. I shall join you,” he said. “Can you guarantee my survival?”

He paused. “No,” he said after a while. “But we shall ensure that your death - if you have one - is valiant and for a just cause.”

“Very well,” replied Kordé.

“And the tall one?” he said, turning to Fhargall.

“I have joined many organizations in the past,” he said. “I have explored all of this universe except this area. I will seek that your will is done as long as I can adventure while doing it, and the will is of good moral. Otherwise...I leave.”

“Do not worry. You shall receive many assignments to the various parts of the island and her neighbors while carrying out the orders to preserve justice.”

He then walked towards them and extended his right arm. It was then that they notices that he had a ring on one of his fingers. It was made of a golden material with a dull green gemstone embedded into the middle.

“Get on you knee and kiss it,” he said.

They did so, however it was very awkward for Fhargall since he was so tall.

“You are now associates of the Kinship of the Black Komau. Follow Kamejo here and he will give you a brief history of our organization.”

They were led down the same tunnel, however they exited at a different room. This was small and rectangular. A short table carved out of stone was situated in the middle with three stones situated around it for chairs. They sat down.

“Now, listen to the tale of The Kinship of the Black Komau.

"It began two hundred years after we were brought into existence on the island of Mata Nui, named after the Great Spirit himself. Our Fearless Leader was digging in the deepest parts of the Onu-Wahi mines. While he was alone, his discovered something called the protodermis layer. At the time, it was said that it was impermeable. He did not believe so. He gathered a group of Onu-Matoran that totaled up to one hundred and sixteen. He ordered them to strike the protodermis layer all at once. It took ten hacks, but the stuff of life finally broke open. Curious, we climbed down to explore. However we began to regret our actions once we noticed that the protodermis began to repair itself, thus sealing us off from the rest of Mata Nui. We had no choice but to soldier on. Our Fearless Leader was at the head of the pack until he stumbled and fell unconscious. We were worried, however his dormancy lasted for only a few minutes and he awoke bearing great tidings. He had received a vision. In that vision, he saw a black Great Komau destroying a vine that bore many spikes and was entangling Matoran within it. We kept digging some more until we reached a sea of liquid protodermis. We improvised and made rafts out of whatever we had in our possessions. It was a long journey, but we eventually arrived at the shores of a strange island. It appeared to have once been civilized but was now in ruins and abandoned.

Once we were there, we explored the place. Our discoveries are recorded elsewhere and you can research into those later if you feel the need to. After several months of living there, Our Fearless Leader found a package of one hundred and sixteen masks. They were all Great black Komaus, save one, which was a noble Komau. Our Fearless Leader took the noble one and we all replaced our masks with the ones we just found.

It was then that Our Fearless Leader named ourselves the Kinship of The Black Komau. He said that in his vision he saw an evil different than that of the Makuta, which was the only darkness that we knew of at the time. He said that there was evil elsewhere in the universe that we should be the ones to stop. Using various materials from the island, we built many boats, one for each of us. And then we sailed southward to seek out where destiny intended us to go. We found many lands, some nice and some dreadful. A lot of them were dreadful for the first part of the journey, but they gradually got better. And by better, I mean uninhabited. At last we arrived here. On the shores of this island, our scouts reported that it was civilized by Matoran. After many hours of pondering, Our Fearless Leader determined that this was where the will of the Great Spirit intended for us to go.

We decided that we were going to keep our Kinship secret until the time was ripe for us to strike. When we descended into these halls that we found by pure chance, we discovered an evil that was growing in the east. The Matoran of The Koro were slowly disappearing then and now. We also learned of The Death some time later which is confirmed to have been the enemy’s deeds. These reanimated Matoran similar to the one that attacked you earlier are also servants of the enemy.”

“Why must you be so vague?” asked Fhargall. “Is the enemy in the east a tangible being or is it a hive mind? Is it one or is it many? Is it physical or is it a spirit?”

“The state of the enemy is on a need to know basis,” replied Kamejo. “It shall all be explained in due time. Now, as I was saying…

"We have also thwarted several attacks of the enemy against The Koro. From what we know of, they do not know of our specific existence, however they are aware that someone or something is working against them.

"Recently, Our Fearless Leader received another vision. He saw a warrior leading the Kinship into battle on a desert plain with the vines and thorns of the enemy on the other side. Just before the warrior lay a blow to the vine, it disappeared. Where it once stood rested four black globes.

"He interpreted this as a hero will be summoned once the four black globes were collected. We already had one in our possessions, for it was looted from an enemy stronghold that we raided many years ago. The second one was won by fierce struggle against the east which was made even harder by keeping our identity secret. And you have found the third it seems. Our associates in the field are currently trying to track down the fourth.”

“So what shall our job be?” asked Fhargall.

“What most of the other associates are doing: trying to find the fourth globe.”

Edited December 23, 2015 by Irrie: The Loremaster

[Irrie]

Chapter III

 

 

 

It was a week later. Kordé was poised on a cliff face. It was nighttime, and the stars overhead glowed brightly. At the bottom of the valley rested an encampment of the enemy. Using his De-Matoran hearing senses, he tuned in on the conversation below.

 

 

This was his first assignment as an associate of The Kinship. He expected to receive some sort of training, however what he got was nothing physical. The only thing he actually learned for his operations was how to shield his mind from being probed. He wasn’t very good, but he was told that the skill took practice and would become better at it over time.

What he did do in the past week was study. He studied the history of The Kinship, the biographies and autobiographies of its members, as well as an extensive encyclopedia on the rahi that could be found on the island. 

When he asked why he didn’t receive any physical training, he was told that his missions were not for warring. They were for information retrieving. From what he heard, The Fearless Leader was overjoyed when he discovered that he had enlisted a De-Matoran into his ranks, for their acute hearing is legendary.

Fhargall got all the physical training that he could possibly get, however. Since he was a Fa-Matoran, they planned on sending him on one-manned ‘sacking and salvaging’ missions. Those are when he would go to an enemy point of operation, destroy the place, and take an object of value. Since he had very attuned internal compass, he wouldn’t get lost going out or returning.

 

 

Kordé lowered his head down the cliff some more, attempting to catch another conversation. From what he could hear, the encampment had several reanimated Matoran, some intellectually enhanced wolf-like rahi, and a few beings that he didn’t recognize.

He turned around and saw the rest of his team in the grass behind him, which included Fhargall. He whispered to one of the Kinship members that accompanied them.

“Three Matoran, five sapient wolf-rahi, and two unknown beings.”

The Onu-Matoran pulled out a spyglass from his knapsack. He crawled over to the cliff ledge and peered into it.

He turned around after a few minutes.

“Two Low-Class Stelt. This is going to be tough,” he whispered back.

“What’s Stelt?” asked Kordé.

“It’s an island to the far north,” replied Fhargall. “I’ve been there twice in my travels. There are four species that inhabit the place, the Upper-Class, the Central-Class, the Low-Class, and the Underlings. The Low-Class are brutal and strong, used mostly for guard tasks.”

“Alright boys, let’s get this over with,” said the team leader. “We’ll scramble straight down the cliff side. Although it’s night out, our black images might show up against the tan dirt, so I want this to be done quickly. Understand?”

They all nodded. Kordé knew that he was to stay behind. They allowed him to keep the knives that he found in the wold the week before in case he was attacked while the others were out. He watched as their bodies stealthy and gracefully glided down the slope. He peered through the spyglass and saw them approach the camp. The wolf-rahi were stiffening. They began speaking to the Stelt.

“I smell Matoran, and not the servant ones. These are musty odors. They are from the earth itself,” said one.  

One of the Stelt stood up. He walked over to the wolf-rahi.

“Stay on guard,” he said. He picked up a long sword from the ground. The other Stelt went into one of the tents and came back out with a spear in one hand and a shield in the other.

Then Kordé saw the Kinship leap into action. They used their swords to hack at the wolves first. They managed to wound three, but one of the wolves was able to strike a vicious blow to the team leader. In response, he sunk his sword into the neck of the rahi causing it collapse on the ground.

The rest of the team moved on to the Stelt. They ganged up on the one with the shield. Their method seemed to be attacking from behind and attempting to crawl onto it. The other Stelt came and began to slash the Matoran off of his companion when  Kordé noticed that Fhargall had pulled himself up to the Stelt’s neck and was strangling it. The other one used his sword to knock the Matoran off, sending him flying into the air. He landed next to the one remaining wolf rahi. Seeing the teeth of the beast, he rolled over just as he was about to be bit. He grabbed the creature by the ears and threw the beast into the air with surprising strength. It landed on the ground unconscious.

By this point the rest of the team was winning against the Stelt. They managed to wound the one with the shield, however the sword one was still on his feet. Fhargall ran over to the shielded one and climbed up its back again and put his arms around his neck. The Stelt tried to throw him off, but his grip was too strong. Fhargall began to strangle him once more. The monstrous guard fell to its knees, being deprived of air. It then fell to the dirt, dead.

The other Stelt had wounded one of the other team members and was thrashing wildly around. The Matoran, now joined by Fhargall, made a circle around the guard. They were about to make an attack on it at once, but Fhargall ran out before the others. He jumped into the air with surprising agility and landed on the back of the Stelt. He grabbed its head and twisted it to the side. An audible snap echoed across the valley as the humongous guard fell to the ground.

The rest of the team entered the tents. After a few moments the bodies of several reanimated Matoran were tossed out. They were missing their heads.

The team came back to Kordé with some sacks slung over their shoulders.

“We’ll analyze our findings once we’re back at base,” said the leader.

A month later, Kordé found himself positioned on the bank of a small river that ran through the wold. He was by himself. Reports from the Kinship’s connections downstream indicated that something was clogging the water, reducing the river to a mere creek. Although this mission didn't involve finding the fabled glass globe, this would greatly help with undoing the work of the enemy's presence in the west. 

Keeping as quiet as possible, Kordé walked further and further up the river. It slowly curved westwards as he kept moving. At last, he heard voices. He ducked behind a tree and began to listen.

“...but where can we get any more mortar?”

“We’re too far from camp to get any.”

“Thanks, but we all know that.”

“How about we use mud?”

“Can it support the weight?”

“I guess we’ll have to find out.”

“Hang on...I think she smells something.”

“Of course I smell something! There’s a Matoran nearby!”

“Excellent. Another convert to the inventory. Go dispose of it, but keep it clean. We don’t want a damaged servant, now do we?”

Kordé immediately bolted away from the tree and down the slope next to the river. After some time of running, he heard the loud footsteps behind him. They sounded like several people running at the same time, and yet it was one being. The ground below him seemed to cry out in pain as the feet of his pursuer passed over.

Kordé was becoming winded. He couldn’t go on for much longer before he had to stop, and the shortness of his legs wasn’t helping either. He looked over his shoulder and beheld what was chasing him.

A Catapult Scorpion.

As soon as Kordé saw her, she saw him. He knew that there  was no use running anymore. He pulled out his knives. The beast summoned a ball of magma and it began to cool. It was about to launch, when Kordé ran at it.

Confused and surprised by this sudden move, the scorpion hurled the ball at the Matoran. Ducking down low to almost a sliding point, Kordé nearly missed the projectile as it bounced past him.

Getting back on his feet, he charged at the beast again. He heard the monster curse under its breath as it saw the De-Matoran approaching once more. It reared back and opened up its large pincers. Slashing them wildly, the scorpion advanced on the Matoran. Just as they were about to fell Kordé, he leaped over them, spinning wildly in the air. He landed square on the monster’s back.

Hissing furiously, the beast tried to shake him off. This proved useless as he grabbed on to a spine located at the base of its stinger. The scorpion then tried to use its stinger to stab him however that proved to be useless since it couldn’t reach that point on its body.

Kordé raised his daggers and sunk them into the scorpion. It howled in pain and jumped into the air to the best of its ability. It kept swinging around and around but the Matoran held on. He stabbed the beast again and again. Black blood began to leak from its wounds, pouring out faster and faster. The gushing ooze splattered all over his mask, but that did not stop him. He kept hacking and hacking at it until the stinger fell off of its body. With a powerful twist of its abdomen, the Catapult Scorpion launched Kordé into the air. He hit a nearby tree and fell to the ground.

“You...you...you fiend! You barbarian! You have deprived me of the very thing that makes my species who we are! Animal! Savage! Swine! I’ll kill you! I’ll sever your head and send it back to that wretched thatch-barn city that you call home!”

She opened her pincers wide and charged at him, faster than he had ever seen something move before. In the heat of the moment, Kordé jumped into the air and landed on the scorpion’s back. He found a hole in its shell right on its neck and drove his knife into it. Immediately it fell limp, although its legs kept twitching afterwards.

Kordé knew that the others back at the dam would come looking for the Scorpion soon. He also knew that since the rahi could talk and had the ability to reason, it was certainly affiliated with the enemy.

Knowing that the arrival of her former companions was inevitable, he took one of his knives and severed one of her claws. He took hauled the rest of the body into the riverbed and cut off the head to insure its death. He walked back over to the clearing and took a large stick and wedged the face onto it. He planted the stick into the ground as a warning to anyone who walked by here.

However he took the claw for himself as a trophy.  

Edited December 23, 2015 by Irrie: The Loremaster

[Irrie]

Chapter IV

 

 

 

Kordé and Fhargall stood inside the chamber of Ninian.

“So, who...or what shall we be taking with us on our expedition?” asked Fhargall.

The abnormally-built Po-Matoran turned around to face them.

“Just a minute, gentlemen. I shall go retrieve them now,” he said in his hoarse voice.

His crooked figure disappeared into a dark room. There was some audible rummaging that lasted for a few minutes until the strange Matoran emerged once again.

“Here you go,” he said. He handed them two round discs that fit into the palms of their hands.

“Thanks,” said Kordé as they walked out.

They went back up the underground hallways of the Kinship’s base. They eventually came to the Central Chamber, where they found The Fearless Leader waiting for them.

“Alright, this shall be your most dangerous mission yet, pupils,” he said to them. “In the four months of your training here, I expect that you are now capable of executing this task.”

The two exchanged glances.

“Recently, two of our associates have gone missing. Their names are Drust and Cynwrig. They are a Skakdi and a Ga-Matoran, respectively. They are both long-time and loyal helpers of the cause, so it is vital that they return.”

“You sent a Skakdi and a Matoran on a mission together?” asked Fhargall.

“Drust had the Spine Slugs on him removed so he is much more docile than most members of his race."

They were still uncomfortable.

“This mission is extremely important. I would send some of my more powerful associates, but they are currently dispatched raiding the enemy’s many strongholds.”

“Where should we look?”

“Here is a map,” he said, pulling out a scroll. Unrolling it, they recognized the familiar landscape of the wold. He pointed to a small depression in the land.

“Have any of you been at this location before?” he asked.

“I have, but only a couple of times,” replied Fhargall. “I usually tramped around the northern parts.”

“Well, you’re going to become very familiar with this spot quite soon. It’s not too far from the base entrance. I assume that Ninian gave you the devices?”

“Yes, he did.”

“Good. Carry those with you. They are tracking devices in case you get...taken by the enemy.”

This didn’t help their moods at all.

“You two will be dispatched as soon as you have your weapons and are ready.”

They left The Fearless Leader and went to the armory. Kordé picked up his daggers while Fhargall got his bow. When they came back to the Chamber, he directed them to the exit. They walked on the upward path until they arrived at a ladder. They both climbed up it and emerged on the surface.

The entrance to the base led down from a hollow tree trunk. Once they were out, they headed southward on the trail. The leaves on the trees and the leaves below them rustled as the crisp wind blew in the air.

“It’s getting colder,” remarked Kordé.

“Indeed. I wonder what this foretells,” said Fhargall.

They kept walking many more strides. They had to cross some shallow streams a few times, however nothing too serious befell them.

At last they came to the location that The Fearless Leader described.

“Well, here we are. I don’t see any sort of encampment,” said Kordé.

“No, but look at that.”

There was a small pillar laying flat on the ground. It was made of stone and had carvings etched into them. Fhargall rolled it over, which revealed a small hole in the ground.

“Rahi nest? Methinks not,” said Fhargall.

Kordé climbed in first. The hole was tiny and pitch black. Its temperature was cold, but not a normal cold. It was an evil cold. A sinister chill filled with spite and malice. It wound down, to the side, down, up a little, down, to the side, and down some more.

“Strange. I feel quite uneasy in here,” said Fhargall.

“As do I. One would think that we would have gotten used to being below the earth by now.”

“This must not be a natural tunnel. It can’t be. It was drilled by the enemy. I can smell it.”

They descended further and further. At last, Kordé spotted light. It was a pale orange. He scurried to it with Fhargall on his heel. When they arrived, they noticed that there was a door made of a golden-colored iron that blocked the tunnel.

“Do we dare open it?” asked Fhargall.

“You shouldn’t, and not just because you can’t,” said a voice in the darkness. It made both of them jump.

“Identify yourself!” said Fhargall.

“You don’t want to see...you mustn't...tell me, why are you here…”

“We come to rescue captured comrades of ours.”

“Well...that’s good...you’re speaking to one of them right now…”

“Don’t be shy! Come out of the darkness and into the light! We want to see you!”

“No! You cannot! The very sight of me will horrify even the strongest of the Kinship’s associates.”

“Do you want to condemn us to ignorance, ye who lurks in shadows? Do you? Shall we go home, cursed with wondering who that was for the rest of our lives, knowing that we left a fellow Kin to rot away in these tunnels?”

Silence was the response. Kordé and Fhargall slowly saw a shape of a being walk into the torchlight. It was a Matoran, but not at the same time. She had a mask, but it looked as if it was fused to her face. Her body shape was hunched and bent over, and she had claws for hands and talons for feet.

“Take a good look at me,” she said. “Look at what I have become. I’m a monster!”

“Who did this to you?” asked Kordé.

“The...the enemy…” she croaked. “Living shadows. They turned Drust into a rahi beast, maddened with rage and instinct. They were about to convert me when I escaped. By the time I was free, my body was mutated yet my mind is still sane.”

“So are you Cynwrig?” said Fhargall.

“Yes...but after what they did...I don’t know who I am anymore! Oh woe betide!”

“Do you know what is behind this door? Can we open it?”

“Drust...Drust…” she sighed. “They transformed him into a rahi...and they put him in there…”

“Alright. If there is nothing we can do for Drust, I say that we get you and move on,” said Kordé.

“And leave him here?”

“What else can we do?”

“I...I don’t know! But he must be saved! Saved, I say, Saved! Oh no, there is nothing we can do. Oh no!”

“Come on,” said Fhargall. “You can lead the way.”

The three climbed back up the long twisted path of tunnels. They stumbled many times but at last they saw a bright light which indicated the top. They crawled faster towards it. However they began to realize that it wasn’t the light of sunlight. No, this light was bioluminescent. Slowly, another light opened next to it. They were crawling into the face of a creature.

They slowly backed up. The monster’s looming eyes narrowed. They heard its mouth open, breathing out dreadful fumes. They kept crawling backward, but the eyes never seemed to become more distant, nay, for the monster was coming closer. Its hungry pupils never blinked.

“What do we do?” whispered Kordé. The loudness of his hushed tone echoed throughout the tunnel. The creature, taken by surprise, launched forward to the three Matoran. That was the last that they remembered of that place.

Cynwrig awoke with a start as she hit the ground. She felt that she was on dirt. Opening her eyes, she looked around. She was outside, in the wold. Nighttime. There was the sound of many footsteps, however they were walking away from her. Not trusting who that was, she scurried in the opposite direction.

She saw many things that she didn’t normally see in the night, for she was used to seeing in the dark after so many long weeks. In the distance she spied a group of people. Intrigued, she walked closer. As she neared, she saw that they were Matoran. With Komaus.

She bolted off toward them. Leaping over bushes and shrubs, she fell face-first into the path of the Matoran.

They unsheathed their swords and pointed it at her.

“State your business,” said one.

She scrambled to her feet. It then donned upon her that she was taller than she had once been. Usually she looked up to the strange Kinsmen, but now she looked down to them.

“My...my name is Cynwrig…”

The Kinsmen exchanged glances.

“Escort her back to the base.” Two of them moved away from the group. Unlike the others, they had spears instead of swords. They prodded her from behind.

“Move.”

She complied, secretly praying that she didn’t look too different from her former self.

They came to the entrance. Walking down the tunnel and into the Central Chamber, many of her former associates looked at her with worried glances. They marched her through the Chamber and up the long winding staircase that led to The Fearless Leader’s quarters. When they arrived, they found him sitting at his desk carving into tablets of stone.

“Come in,” he said, not looking up from his work.

“This...thing....claims to be one of our associates.”

“Oh, really? Which one?” he still didn’t look toward them.

“It says that it Cynwrig.”

“Ah,” he said. “Has anyone seen Kordé of Fhargall?”

“No, but we were placed on a search party for them. Their trackers indicated them moving eastward, and fast. We believe that they were kidnapped.”

The Fearless Leader got up from his desk and turned around. When he saw the mutated Ga-Matoran, he didn’t flinch at all.

“Tell me,” he said, “what is the name of this society?”

“The Kinship of The Black Komau,” she replied.

“What do they call me?”

“The Fearless Leader.”

“Who were the two Matoran who came to rescue you?”

“I don’t know...they didn’t tell me. But one was very tall and the other was really short.”

“I see...gentlemen, you are relieved,” he said. The two Kinsmen departed.

“What happened to you?” asked The Fearless Leader. “I see within you both Matoran and Rahi.”

“The...the enemy…” she replied. “It...transformed us into beasts. Our bodies were changed and maimed to the point in which we were hardly Matoran and Skakdi anymore. They were about to corrupt our minds, but I escaped first. Drust...he wasn’t so lucky…”

“Hm...I see. And by the looks of it, Kordé and Fhargall are currently being held hostage. They are honest and true, but I believe that the enemy shall get a very healthy supply of knowledge if they torture them enough.”

“They’re going to do what…”

“Do not worry about it. I will see that they are rescued. Until then, go to Ninian and see if he can find something to cure you.”

She paused for a moment before replying. 

“Yes, Fearless Leader.”

She bowed and walked out. As she raced down the stairs, she decided that she was not going to Ninian. She sped up the entrance tunnel and jumped out of the hollow tree. She raced down the wold, searching for Kordé and Fhargall.

Edited December 23, 2015 by Irrie: The Loremaster

[Irrie]

Chapter V

 

 

 

Cynwrig ducked behind a bush. She saw a red figure off in the distance. It was coming near her. Poking her head from the shrub, she spied that it had a tall grey helmet. It was around her size and held a long spear. On the end was a silver pointed tip.

Its stride was solid and stiff. The ground shook beneath it as it strode. Piercing red light illuminated from its eyes. She walked out from the bush.

“Hello,” she said.

It swung around and stared her in the face. Its long legs bent a little and it launched itself at her. Taken by surprise, Cynwrig ducked down low and the robot flew over her, landing into another shrub.

The Ga-Matoran got to her feet and ran, however her pursuer soon caught up. Bolts of electricity shot out from its spear tip. Diving wildly to the side, she avoided them just barely. She got to her feet and ran past a large patch of ferns. The robot shot several more bolts. They set the plants ablaze.

Escaping the rising inferno, Cynwrig kept sprinting through the trees. Although the mist obstructed her view, she assumed that she had lost him, however she didn’t stop running. Soon enough, she was too winded to continue at that pace. She sat down on a rock and recovered her strength. Not after long, she got back up and began to walk.

 

Kordé awoke on the shoulder of a being. As his vision cleared, he saw that there were more beings like it around him. He was tossed on the ground by the mysterious figure. Beside him lay Fhargall.

These creatures were red and grey. They had long, soldier-like helmets and carried spears. Their feet were very wide.

He panicked when he realized his knives were gone. One of the beings strode up to him. It held its spear up to his mask. He tried to back away, but he realized that another spear was pointed at him from behind. Fhargall was still asleep.

One of the beings had no spear. It walked up to Kordé as the rest of its kind moved aside to allow it to pass.

It stood before him. He felt his mind being probed. Trying to remember how to block it from his training, he began to build up a shield. It deterred the robot for a few moments, but it came back with too much power. He felt as if two beings were inside of him...he couldn’t stand it.

“Get out! Get out!” he cried, but they were deaf to his pleas. It searched further and further into his mind. He began to see images...of trees...and one hollow tree…

Suddenly there was a snap and a thrash. A rustle and the sound of an unsheathe. A mob of bodies was upon them. Bolts of elemental energy unleashed. It all happened so quickly that even to the end of his days, Kordé could never recall it properly. His arm was grabbed by one of the Kins’ associates when a stray blast of ice shot his rescuer in the back of the head. He fell over, dead.

Kordé pulled Fhargall back to behind a large rock. He peered behind it to get a look of the area.

There were the mysterious red people firing bursts of elemental energy from their spears. On the other side were the Kinsmen and their associates, desperately fighting back.

Dawn broke just as the fighting began. He saw the sun’s brilliant rays filter through the trees. With the new light, he also beheld a terrifying creature.

It was a large, elephant-like rahi. It stormed through the wold, tearing down trees and underbrush. On its back was a tall pagoda-like structure. Feeling terrible about his decision, Kordé left Fhargall behind the rock and scurried over to the elephant. No-one saw him, for he was small and most of the ferns were taller than him. The elephant had a small rope ladder dangling from its side. With tremendous strength, Kordé lept up to it. It swung violently with the added weight. Pulling himself upward, his tiny frame slowly ascended the ladder. When he came to the top, he realized that the pagoda was situated on a large saddle. There were two of the red guards waiting for him. One of them used their spear to fire a blast of lightning while the other shot bursts of wind.

Kordé jumped over them, landing on the doorway. He then raced toward the lightning one and shoved it off the edge of the saddle. It went flying downward and landed on the ground below them, splitting apart on a pointed bolder.

The wind-powered one focused all of its strength into its spear and shot it at Kordé. The vacuum of air pushed the tiny De-Matoran against the wall of the pagoda. He struggled for breath, but found none. Devising a strategy on the spot, he placed his legs against the wall and launched himself upward. Soaring into the air, he came flying back down and landed on top of the soldier. When he landed, he toppled it over, losing its grip on its spear. Taking advantage at this moment of opportunity, Kordé crawled forward and grabbed the spear. It was long, and the weight was focused at the end, making it almost impossible for a Matoran with a stature as small as his to utilize.

He wondered if he could use its elemental power. By now, his attacker was on his feet again. Using the mental training that he received from The Kinship, he concentrated on firing elemental energy…

A blast of sound erupted from the tip of the spear. It was a mix of low and high frequencies all happening at once. The elephant rahi groaned, the wooden pagoda cracked and splintered. The soldier, who was in the epicenter of the blast, was launched backward with such high velocity that there wasn’t much left of him when he landed.

However Kordé was not well after the blast. Although it wasn’t aimed at him, he was stunned for a few moments. After recovering his sanity, he turned around and entered the pagoda. The first tier was empty...just empty. A ladder on the far side of the wall that was made of wood caught his eye. Running across, he failed to see the tile that was more awkwardly affixed than the others. As he placed his foot on it, it sank into the ground. A blaster was raised by a robotic arm from behind a vase and it shot. Only by ducking to the left did Kordé avoid being incinerated. Scampering to the ladder even faster now, he began to climb.

As he poked his head onto the second tier, he saw that there were two guards talking to a Matoran. These robots were different from the two that he battled with outside. They were bigger and bulkier with more mechanical implants and had a scope on one of their eyes.

Making sure not to cause any sound, Kordé remembered the stealth training. He sneaked along the sides of the walls, making sure to stay in the shadows. Luckily, the guards were more focused on talking to the Matoran than observing the room. He figured that his priority should be not making any noise.

He was soon at the ladder. He climbed up to the top tier and saw that it was an office. A desk with many papers scattered about was the only significant thing to see. He ran to the desk and jumped behind it. There he found a discarded satchel. Curious, he opened it. What he saw inside it shocked him to the point in which he almost lost consciousness.

The Fourth and final black globe. He quickly sealed the satchel and tossed it over his shoulder and around his waist. He returned to the ladder and tried to stealthy descend.

It was a failure. The guards saw him and began to give chase. He bolted across the room and jumped down to the bottom tier. Running out of the room and onto the elephant’s back, he saw very few ways of escaping. As he turned around, he observed that they were almost upon them.

He began to concentrate. He concentrated as hard as he could, focusing his mental energy into the spear. He let it loose.

An even bigger blast of sound exploded from the tip. It swarmed through the pagoda, knocking it off of the elephant’s back, sending it crashing downward to the ground, killing all within it and all who lay in its path. The elephant rahi bucked and roared. Moving ever so swiftly, Kordé climbed down the ladder just before the elephant crashed through the trees, running away.

The falling pagoda had decimated the bulk of the enemy’s forces, however there still remained some. Kordé ran back over to the rock that he left Fhargall behind. When he arrived, he saw that his friend was not there. He was about to look for him when he heard the footsteps behind. Large, metallic ones. As he whirled around, he saw one of soldiers pointing its spear right at him. He was about to grab his and perform another sonic blast, but he didn’t have any time to focus his willpower, for a bolt of plasma was already erupting from the blade. It rocketed across the air toward him. It moved so fast that not even the nimble Kordé could have dodged.

Suddenly, he saw a flash of blue. A body leaping in front of its path and was stuck by searing plasma. Taking advantage of this moment of opportunity, Kordé grabbed the spear and shot a pulsation of sonics, decimating his attacker. He dropped the weapon and ran to the Matoran who saved his life.

It was Cynwrig.

“Cynwrig!” he yelled, standing beside her dying body.

“Cynwrig, talk! Talk to me!”

She didn’t respond.

He bowed his head. He felt an emotion that hadn’t ever been very prevalent in Kordé, for he was of the docile sort. Rage.

"She...was innocent..." 

He clutched tightly to the spear once he picked it up. He stood up from behind the rock and examined the battlefield. The soldiers of the enemy were winning.

He raised it into the air high. He concentrated more than he had ever done before in his life. He swing it down. It struck the ground with grim accuracy and out came a blast of sonics so powerful that it sent Kordé flying backward into a tree. The forces of the enemy were blasted into the air with so much speed that it was believed that they landed on an entirely different island.

The Kinsmen were able to duck away from the shot just in time.

The battle was over and done. Kordé found that Fhargall had regained consciousness and returned to the fight while he was raiding the pagoda. They both mourned the death of Cynwrig, for it was a sad one indeed. The Kinsmen took the bodies that had not been destroyed by the sonic blast back with them for investigation. Kordé and Fhargall also found their weapons lying discarded on the battlefield.

“Never again shall I enter battle without you,” Kordé said to his knives as they walked away from the scene.

Once they were back at the base, Kordé presented his prize to The Fearless Leader.

“My Lord, I give you this gift.”

He opened up the satchel and gave him the globe.

The Fearless Leader raised it above his head.

“So it is,” he said to himself. “So it is.”

He called a meeting that all of the Kinsmen and associates were present for. It was in the same clearing in which the battle took place. He gave Kordé the honor of bringing out the four globes. Once they were all out, they realized that they began to glow when they were closer to each other. The Fearless Leader placed all four of them together and they suddenly illuminated, filling with bright white energy. 

A beam of bright light exploded from them and shot into the air. It curved and shot northward until it was out of view.

“May it be,” said The Fearless Leader. “May it be. Our savior shall come from the north. Now we must wait and prepare for their arrival.”

The following day, a funeral was held for Cynwrig. Her body was placed into a coffin made of protodermis mined from the deep places of the world. The Fearless Leader held the ceremony.

“And so passes Cynwrig, Matoran of Water, Associate of The Kinship of The Black Komau. She died saving a friend, a death that shall remembered until the end of time itself. We shall sing songs of her good deeds and her generosity and servitude to this world.”

Her coffin was lined with floral engravings. It was placed in the now-flowing wold river, where the sea would claim the body and she would return to the substance from whence she was born unto.

Fhargall asked if there would be a funeral for Drust, the Skakdi that accompanied her.

“No, for Durst is not yet lost,” replied The Fearless Leader. “We shall strive to save him from the fate that has befallen, even if we do not see him for many a year.

In the meantime, we must prepare for the coming of the hero.”

Edited December 23, 2015 by Irrie: The Loremaster

[Irrie]

Chapter VI

 

 

 

Kordé walked along the old dirt pathways of The Koro. It was a month after the battle and the claiming of the four globes.

The Fearless Leader sent him back to his village to keep the Kinship updated on the happenings there. Although they would send in scouts and shapeshifters in, he said that they needed someone to get an ear inside the places that most of their spies couldn’t get to.

When he got back to his homeland, he had to come up with an explanation for his several month long absence. As it turns out, everyone believed that he either died or went mad and became a hermit out in the wold, so they were shocked to see his return. When they questioned him, he said that while exploring, he was chased by a Spine Bear deeper into the woodland. Wildly diverted from the trail, he was lost for many months until he found home once more.

Some were skeptical about the actuality of this, however most were willing to believe it. Once that was out of the way, Kordé went back to his house. His tiny hut was located on the side of a cliff that overlooked a deep, thin valley. A small river ran through it.

His home was about a mile away from the center of The Koro. Being a De-Matoran, he valued his solitude greatly, however his mission required him to go against his natural desires. He packed up his things and moved into a house in the heart of The Koro. He got a job as a carpet maker. It was a profession that would rarely be taken by Matoran other than that of plantlife, since the fabrics in The Koro were made from plant fibers. However he did know the owner of the shop, Gaffo, who was a Bo-Matoran who was an old friend of Kordé. She had a dull pink Kanohi Cogar, a powerless mask of charisma. Her armor was green like grass. 

She would often inquire him about his adventures while he was absent. He would tell her that it was mostly of long woodland treks and sleeping on makeshift shelters. He tried to avoid the topic altogether, but Gaffo was persistent in her questions. Several times he had to walk out of the conversation to avoid revealing anything about The Kinship.

 

 

He was expected to report in to an operative of The Kinship monthly about the happenings within The Koro. He and the associate would meet on the banks of the river that his old house overlooked. They spoke on many things, exchanging information. It took place in the dead of night. Although the Matoran of The Koro were able to secure their borders from The Wild (with help from The Kinship, unbeknownst to them), they still made sure that the ears of the enemy didn’t pick up on their conversations by making it as secretive as possible.

One night, Kordé lay awake on his sleeping mat. He stared up at the wooden ceiling. The quiet sounds of the night poured in through the windows, amplified in his ears. On the opposite side of the room was Gaffo already asleep. Their shop was on the front of their house with their living quarters located behind the wall that divided the building.

Anxious, he got up from his mat. He planned on going outside for a walk. He stood up from his mat, stretched, and walked to the door.

Slowly sliding it open, he walked out and into the shop. He then left.

The Koro was silent at night. Very few people walked around after dark, however Kordé was obviously not like them. He enjoyed the town at night, for it was much less noisy than it was in the day. He walked to the edge of the city. There was a small bamboo forest that lay just beyond the last couple of houses. The Koro was the only place in that land that featured bamboo plants. He followed the pathway into the woodland.

Then it occurred to him.

“What am I doing?” he asked himself. He got out of his bed and was walking out of the town. Usually he would only stroll a few blocks away from the shop. But there was something...entrancing about the bamboo forest. Like something was calling for him on the other side.

“I come here almost every day when it’s light out,” he said. “Why am I going now?”

His feet moved without his will. He walked down the path, getting deeper into the forest, further and further away from help.

He saw a white light emerge at the end of the path. He sped toward it. As he got closer, the world around seemed to get darker. When he was upon it, he felt like he was floating in a black void, the ball of light being the only hope of escape. He reached out to it and touched it. As soon as he did, the light filled his eyesight.

He awoke in...well...something. Everything around him was white. He saw nothing but that.

“Hello?” he called out. “Hello? Where...where am I?”

No response.

“Where am I? Hello? Help? Anyone?”

 

Fhargall sprinted down the trail. In his possession was the map to an underground weapon storehouse that was occupied by the enemy. Behind him sped a soldier, firing enormous fireballs at him from his spear. The forest around him was burning, the smell of withering trees filled his nostrils.

A huge wall of fire came crashing through the woodland. He launched to the side, landing behind a tree. The inferno soared past him, however not without igniting his cover. He kept running, into the blaze.

The soldier was now upon him. Using his advanced height, Fhargall jumped over him and grabbed the robot by its head. He lifted it up into the air and threw it on the ground. Stealing its spear for himself, he kept running.

These spears were, as the Kinship had discovered, connected to the user’s elemental powers. Since Fhargall was a Fa-Matoran, he could use the spear to tap into his dormant magnetism powers. However he was too busy running to take the time to do so.

This also lead to another discovery, this one much more disturbing. The enemy had the ability to not only reanimate life and grant sapience to beasts, but could charge its soldiers with elemental powers.

 

Fhargall was now reaching the end of the forest fire, however he knew that it would keep spreading. The burning forest eventually turned into lush green pines, as it had been earlier. His pace slowed down some.  Although he was gigantic and thus had much longer legs, even he had his limits sometimes.

“Oh how I wish masks worked for Matoran,” he grumbled while adjusting his Noble Kakama.

He kept walking for quite some time, going over various terrain that he had already covered in his travels before joining the Kinship.

“Such a shame that part got burned,” he said. “The ferns that grew there were quite lovely.”

Eventually he came to the Kinship’s base entrance. He climbed down the tunnel and into the central chamber. He delivered the map and the confiscated weapon to his dispatcher, and was then relieved from his daily duties. Usually he would explore the base’s tunnels during his free time, but today he wanted to go outside.

“Fresh air,” he said to himself. “Not burning air, fresh air.”

After exiting the lair, he walked to the setting sun. The last time he had gone this way was half a month ago when he was on the raid party that was going to ransack an encampment. It, like most of their missions, was successful.

This particular pathway lead westward along the northern end of the wold. It takes a sharp turn and heads straight north and runs dead into the ocean.

Fhargall stood, looking out over the sea.

“Haven’t smelled that in a while,” he said, taking in a deep breath. “The taste of the ocean. Reminds me of when I was traveling. Maybe the Kinship will send me to another island one day. More stuff to explore and discover.”

He knelt down on the sand and picked up a handful. It slowly fell through his fingers.  

“As a matter of fact,” he murmured. “The Kinship hasn’t sent me anywhere but the wold. I would sure like to see the plains of the east again. Or the mountains that lay on the south side.”

He stood up.

“There’s so much out there. So many things and places to explore.”

He felt a rumbling in the earth. He got on his knees and placed his head to the ground. It sounded like something was tunneling. Tunneling fast, and determined.

Fhargall got to his feet and sprinted away, back into the trees. He heard an explosion behind him, followed by a vile and spiteful hissing sound. Fhargall spun around and loaded an arrow onto his bow. Through the brush emerged a huge mantis-like beast. It was about ten feet tall and its armor was solid black. Its eyes bulged out of its head, and its jaw was unhinged and loosely flailing below its mouth.

He released the string, and the arrow went flying through the air. It hit one of the eyes with grim accuracy, however it bounced off. The mantis began charging toward him, screeching hideous noises, sounds unheard before by most beings. Fhargall loaded three more arrows and shot them, each being deflected by the beast’s armor.

The monster was now upon him. He jumped into the air and landed on its back. He was about to try to strangle the creature when four great wings unraveled from below its armor. It flew upward and into the air, soaring past the tree canopy at great speeds. Fhargall had no choice but to hold on as it went higher and higher into the air. It began shaking violently.

“It’s trying to throw me off”, he thought to himself. He crawled forward and tightly placed his fists around its neck. It had no effect. The black mantis spun and twirled around, each motion loosening Fhargall’s grip. The creature made one final jerk and Fhargall fell. He fell further and further downward, the ground’s looming hand outreached.

“Never thought it’d end like this,” he murmured.

And then, as if the entire state of reality was smiling upon him for some odd reason, he felt himself falling slower and slower. He eventually touched the forest floor, safe.

“Guess I’m not going to end like that,” he said. “I would sure like to find out who the kind fellow was that did that.”

It was then that he heard rustling. Looking up, he saw a small figure wandering through the woods. It was Kordé.

Edited December 23, 2015 by Irrie: The Loremaster

[Irrie]

Chapter VII

 

 

 

 

“Kordé?” Fhargall called.

“Fhargall? Where are you?”

“I’m right here, see?”

The Fa-Matoran walked over to Kordé. He wasn’t facing him.

“I...I can’t see anything.”

Fhargall paused for a moment, confused. He knelt down. “Where is my voice coming from?”

“Um...I don’t know. It seems to be everywhere, sort of.”

“Can you feel this?” he began prodding him in the shoulder.

“Feel what?”

Fhargall stood up and walked over to a plant. It had a large orange flower and its leaves were shaped like nonagons. He plucked one off and began rubbing it. He returned to Kordé and placed it up to his mask.

“Do you smell that?”

“No…”

“Hm, even anosmics can smell the leaves of a wild Lox plant,” he remarked. He picked up the small De-Matoran and slung him over his shoulder. “Let’s get you back to base.”

Fhargall carried him back down the trail. While they were walking, they spoke of many things.

“Fhargall...what’s the best place that you’ve ever visited in your travels?”

“Well, that’s quite a broad question, my friend. Let’s see...Visorak was a lovely place before some idiot came with a bunch of spiders. Now its one massive web, quite disgusting if I might add.

"There’s also the Northern Continent, as its called. I personally think that it needs a more original name, but whatever. Anyway, it has many different settlements there. In fact, there’s one that’s home to only De-Matoran.”

“What’s it like there?”

“Well, it’s quiet. REALLY quiet. It makes Ko-Matoran seem like a swarm of savage Kikanalos. I was actually kicked out of there for making too much noise.”

“What did you do?”

“I sneezed.”

“Sounds like a lovely place,” said Kordé.

“There are also some other villages. There’s one that’s home to Ta and Su Matoran, and another that has Ga and Ba ones. There’s also the Tren Krom peninsula, which isn’t so nice.”

“Where are you from?”

“Ah, well I’m from...oh, look! We’re here!”

He climbed down the tunnel and into the underground chamber. Once there, he walked into a pathway that led to Ninian’s cave.

“Ninian!” he called once he was there. From the other side of a wall walked the Po-Matoran, limping as usual.

“I found Kordé wandering in the wold earlier.”

“What’s wrong with him?”

“He can’t see, feel, or smell.”

Ninian looked perplexed. He motioned for Fhargall to set him down.

“Wait outside,” he said. “I’m going to examine him.”

Fhargall crawled out of the cave and waited in the tunnel. Many minutes passed by. Just when he was about to go back in to see what was going on, Ninian came out.

“He has experienced blockage in his receivers. It was intended to halt all fifteen of his senses, however a malfunction probably occurred when it was deployed, thus only blocking three. And it’s a good thing, too. If he lost all of them, he would have become a prisoner of his own mind.”

“I want to see him.”

“Wait, I haven’t finished. By clearing several blockages in the receptors, as well as having to repair them, I’ve undid the effects of the blockage.”

“I want to see him.”

“He is still recovering. You can visit him in a couple of hours.”

Fhargall nodded and left.

Kordé met Fhargall in his bunker later that day. His vision was blurry, however it got better eventually. The next day, they were summoned by The Fearless Leader. When they came to his office, they noticed his behavior was grim.

“Kordé, your recent accident has given the Kinship ill tidings,” he said. “You fell into a trap laid by the enemy, and it was within the borders of The Koro. They know more than we thought they did. They are aware of our presence.”

He stood up.

“Our cover is blown! We foolishly made our presence too open!”

He kicked his desk. He then sat down and sighed.

“Forgive me. The stress of leading often overwhelms me, but it has passed.”

Kordé and Fhargall exchanged glances.

“Not only has the enemy slipped past our eyes, it has found why we sent you there.”

He stood up again and began pacing.

“The fact that they were trying to cut off my communications within The Koro suggests that it have its eyes on them. We have been squaring off with its forces in the wold for quite some time now. It wants to move forward and claim its prize.”

He sat down.

“The enemy’s forces are entering the wold faster and faster. They know of our existence. They know our purpose. The hour is upon us, and I have a special task for you two.”

“What is that?” asked Fhargall.

“There is a beach just to the north of here. It’s not the one you were at earlier, this one has actual sand. Anyway, I want you two to camp there. I have seen the chemistry between you two, so that is why I am giving you such a crucial task.”

“You want us to camp there?”

“Yes. I want you to defend it with your lives. It is too important for us to lose.”

“What is so vital about the beach?”

The Fearless Leader leaned forward.

“Listen carefully. The safety of this entire island, other islands, maybe the universe rests on you protecting that beach.”

“Yes, Fearless Leader,” they replied in unison.

That night, they both stood on the sandy shore. Their tent was made behind them. They had not fire, for they were informed that their mission was to be in secrecy.

They both gazed at the stars. The gentle sounds of cricket rahi echoed across the cove. Fhargall told Kordé many things about the celestial bodies that lay overhead. The constellations, their interpretations by the many different cultures, so on and so forth.

“Fhargall?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t think that we got a chance to talk about this before, but...where are you from?”

“Ah, yes. That question. I believe that you asked that a long time ago but you nodded off to sleep before I could answer. Interesting how coincidences of nature happen like that. It is as if the world is seeing us and our every move. Odd, isn’t it? An example of such phenomena happened just yesterday. I was being chased by a savage mantis-beast. It flew me into the air and dropped me to the ground. Just as I was about to hit, something cushioned my fall.”

“Something?”

“Yes. I’m not quite sure what, tho. My falling just slowed down. Weird, right?”

“Yeah.”

The stood there for much longer. Eventually they went to sleep in the tent.

It wasn’t long after that when Kordé’s De-Matoran hearing picked something up. He sat up, still as can be. Fhargall woke up to this, however he did not get up, for that would interfere with Kordé’s hearing. After some few minutes, he spoke.

“They’re coming,” he said.

“Who?”

“The enemy. I hear them, the marching of their feet. They are far off, but they move quickly and in our direction. They are determined, I can sense it in their feet.”

Fhargall sat up.

“We need to get rid of the tent. Throw it in the water, hide the fact that we were ever here.”

“Fhargall, The Fearless Leader said that we must defend this place with our lives.”

“We are. But first we must figure out what we’re up against. After we get rid of the tent, we will hid in the trees or bushes and evaluate the situation. How close are they?”

“About a ten minute’s march, maybe faster at the speed they’re going.”

“That’ll be just enough. Let’s go.”

The two friends picked up their shelter and hauled it off to the sea. They tied stones to it to make sure it didn’t float. They then selected a place to hide. Kordé positioned himself in the crook of a tree, while Fhargall was below in the bushes.

Before long, a mob of bodies swarmed out of the wold. Their eyes were deep red, filled with sinister malice. Their spears gleamed in the starlight. About thirty of them were there.

It was then that Fhargall realized the crucial flaw in his plan.

“We forgot to hide out footprints!” he thought. Looking up at Kordé, he nodded. He loaded an arrow on the string. He pulled it back. Just as he was going to release, a horn blast echoed across the land. The soldiers turned around and ran towards its origin.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he placed the arrow back in his quiver. Kordé climbed down from the tree.

The sun emerged from the waters. Its gleaming beams filled into the cove.

“Look!” said Kordé, pointing at the water. There was a body lying on the beach, half submerged by the sea. They ran toward it.

It was a Vo-Matoran.

Edited December 23, 2015 by Irrie: The Loremaster

[Irrie]

Chapter VIII

 

 

 

Kordé and Fhargall pulled the Vo-Matoran out of the waves. She was blue and white with a Kanohi Zatth. She was the same height as Fhargall, however she had a broad silver armor piece that covered all of her torso. She had a belt that was loosely hanging around her waist. In it were two swords.

“Is she dead?” asked Kordé.

“No, not dead. However she isn’t breathing either.”

“What should we do?”

“Probably take her back to base and see if they can revive her.”

“But it would be too dangerous! The forest is crawling with the enemy’s forces, we would almost certainly be found!”

“We can defend ourselves.”

“You can, but that’s because you’re trained in both bowmanship and unarmed combat. The only thing I’ve been instructed in is reconnaissance!”

“Yes, but I -”

The Matoran sat up, gasping for breathe. She coughed and gagged, spitting water out of her mouth. She panted, her head gazing down.

She looked up at them.

“Where am I?”

“You’re on a beach, just outside of the wold,” replied Fhargall.

She gazed around, confused.

“Why am I here?” she asked.

“That we don’t know,” said Fhargall. “Allow me to introduce ourselves. I’m Fhargall, and that’s Kordé.”

“How did I get here?”

“Like I said, we don’t know. What we do know is that you washed ashore a couple of minutes ago and you spontaneously came back to life just now.”

She shook her head.

“How...how did all of this happen? I was just swimming and I felt the current pull me...then I felt like I was being driven through rock, rock harder than anything I’ve ever felt. Suddenly I was falling through air, and...and…”

“Don’t relive such harsh memories while your body is still weak,” said Fhargall. “Tell us, what is your name?”

“I’m Alvek,” she replied. “Matoran of Mahri Nui.”

“Mahri Nui? Is that place real?” asked Fhargall.

“Is it real? It’s my home!”

“I have heard stories about that place. Some have said that it rests in a great body of water above the sky, others say it floats in the cosmos…”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Whispers in the wind. If you listen closely, it can tell you many things.”

Kordé tilted his head to the side. He’d never heard Fhargall talk so extravagantly. And he always talks extravagantly, so that was really saying something.

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid the wind is mistaken,” said Alvek. “Mahri Nui is a sea village that fell below the waves. There isn’t much to it other than that.”

“Well the fact that it exists is remarkable in of itself.”

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the bushes. Out of it jumped a Matoran. Kordé drew his daggers, however Fhargall motioned for him to stop.

“Do not worry,” he said. “It’s a Kinsman. Look.”

His mask was a black Komau. They both ran over to him. Alvek slowly stood up, her legs feeling weak.

The Kinsman was panting hard. His armor was damaged and his mask has several holes in it.

“The...the enemy….the enemy has...has...has...has gotten to...the base. It’s...lost…”

“What?!” they said in unison.

“Yes...they ransacked...the place...The Fearless Leader...has ordered...retreat...to east...it’s too...too dangerous to go west...the enemy has gotten to the wall…”

“The Koro!” shouted Kordé. He was about to turn around and bolt into the wold, but Fhargall placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Wait,” he told him in a commanding voice.

“He wants us...to regroup on the plains...on the eastern edge of the wold.”

Fhargall picked up the tired Matoran and slung him over his shoulder. He turned to Alvek.

“Can you walk?”

“Yes, sort of.”

“How about run?”

“I can try.”

“Good, keep up. This is going to be a long one.” He paused, looking at her belt. “Are those swords your weapons?”

“Yes they are. Eletro-blades, as we like to call them.”

“Good, let’s hope they work.”

Fhargall took off with amazing speed, for his determination was great. Kordé and Alvek followed behind, trying their hardest to keep up.

As they sped through the wold, it was apparent that a great battle had taken place. Weapons and pieces of armor were scattered all around. Small fires burned in the underbrush, and there were deactivated soldiers laying here and there. No matter how far they ran, they kept  finding signs of struggle. Clearly there was battle that took place in the entire wold.

The trees eventually thinned out into saplings and they gave way to grass. They stopped there for a moment to catch their breaths.

“Where did The Fearless Leader say they were going to be regrouping?”

“Um...I’m not sure,” said the Kinsman.

“Well, we’re just going to have to walk.”

They trekked the grasslands for quite some time. The sun was at its highest point in the sky by the time they saw a group of people. As they got closer, they saw that they were Matoran.

“Strange. Those are not the Kinsmen,” said Fhargall.

“How can you tell?” asked Kordé.

“They are too small to be Kinsmen. These are some of your folk, Kordé.”

Just as they were saying so, there was a rustle in the grass. Turning around, they saw to Matoran appear. One had a Kaukau, while the other wore a Faxon. They wore green and blue armor and carried long spears.

“Fhargall,” said one. “I thought that we said you were no longer welcome here. Why have you returned?”

“I am looking for a group of comrades that fled from the trees. Forgive me for trespassing, but it is vital that we reconnect with them.”

“Would they happen to be The Kinship of The Black Komau?”

“Yes, they indeed are.”

“They passed by here not long ago, moving northward. I advise that you make haste quickly, or you shall lose them.”

“Thank you.”

“Now, leave our territory.”

They were prodded away by the guards.

“Who were they?” asked Kordé. “I’ve never seen any of them before.”

“Those were Le-Matoran. A couple of months after The Death, all of the Le-Matoran of the Koro fled into the wild. They claimed that they were following their destiny, however there haven’t been any specifics released on that matter. They migrated through the wold and they now live on these grasslands as plainsmen.”

“Why can’t I remember anything about them?”

“Most of the Matorans’ memories from around that era are fuzzy. You were there, you just forgot.”

“Why did they say that you weren't welcome?”

“Ah, we’ve had some...uneasy dealings in the past. I’ll tell you about it later.”

The group picked up the pace. Eventually they found a gathering of various beings near the sea. Small boats were line next to the coast. They were greeted by several of the Kinsmen, however The Fearless Leader wanted to talk to Kordé and Fhargall alone. They entered the makeshift tent that he had set up for himself.

They arrived just as The Fearless Leader was giving a speech.

“...today, our Kinship has suffered a grave defeat. Our base is destroyed, and the enemy is advancing into The Koro as we speak. We must now sail to the edge of the peninsula, where we will set up camp on the far eastern edges of The Koro…

...if it is still standing by the time we’re there…”

Edited December 23, 2015 by Irrie: The Loremaster

[Irrie]

Chapter IX

 

 

 

 

 

Kordé and Fhargall stood inside the tent of The Fearless Leader. A small lantern blazed on the ground. 

“Who is this Vo-Matoran that you have brought with you?”

“Her name is Alvek,” replied Fhargall.

“Where is she from?”

“Mahri Nui.”

He closed his eyes and took a sighed.

“I have heard stories of Mahri Nui. The earth can whisper you many things. A village in the heavens, coated in waters black as night. At first I thought there were mere Turaga-stories, however I seem to have been mistaken.”

He rose to his feet.

“Gentlemen, do you know what this means?”

They shook their heads.

“I believe that Alvek has been summoned by the gathering of the globes.”

“What makes you think that?”

“In my vision that I had so long ago, I saw the warrior had a blue Zatth and two blades. Also, the beam of light from the summoned globes went northward. Mahri Nui is said to be above the Southern Continent, which is many kio north of here.”

“Yes, but almost everything is north of here,” said Fhargall. “The only thing that’s not is a barren, volcanic island that rests at the most southern tip of the Universe.”

“However...I stayed after all the others left the spot. And I saw it move upward at the last moment before disappearing from my sight. Gentlemen, I can assure you that she is the one that will save us.”

“Shall we tell her?”

“No, I sent a few of the other associates to do that. They are enlightening her as we speak.”

“Is that all?”

“No, I have to inform you about the days to come. Since the Battle of the Wold, a grim hour has become upon the Kinship and The Koro. All of our connections beyond the wall are gone, so we know nothing about their state. For all we know, they could have been overrun by now.

"This is when you, Kordé, come into play. Once we make landfall on The Koro’s shores, I will need you to go and speak Naugall, the ruler of your village.”

“With all due respect, that cannot happen. I have disappeared once and now again. Naugall will not trust me, for many thought that the time I spent in the wild had driven me mad. Besides, that’s only if the land hasn’t been ransacked yet.”
“We are trusting that the enemy will need time to regroup outside the wall before launching an invasion into The Koro. As for your other point, we can disguise you.”

The next day began with the Kinship loading themselves into tiny two-manned boats. Kordé and Fhargall were in one together, while Alvek was in the one beside them. In her boat was also Taog, the creature that Kordé and Fhargall met when they first joined the Kinship. They sailed directly northward and eventually curved to the west. The Fearless Leader told them that they needed to stay as far away from the coastline as possible for the time being, because the enemy might be patrolling the shores. It was noon by the time that they curved back and eventually came inland. They made landfall at a tiny beach. It was only a few meters long before it turned into a sheer, steep, rocky cliff. They loaded their knapsacks and climbed the winding pathway upward. Once they were at the top, they saw a small cottage. It was made out of stones and mortar. There was no glow of torch inside, so they kept moving.

As they walked down the long winding trails, they asked Kordé to navigate for them. Many of the Kinship had been there before, however they didn’t know it as well as he did. Leading the way, the rocky terrain eventually gave way to golden fields. He stopped when they saw a tower in the distance. He told them that that was the pinnacle of Moya Castle, the château that Naugall lived in.

The Fearless Leader summoned Taog, and he instructed her to perform a spell. A dull orange light emerged from her long, snake-like eyes, that lanced outward. The bolts hit Kordé, knocking him backwards.

When he stood up, he looked down at himself. Although he still possessed his keen hearing, he saw that he was now a Ko-Matoran, white and grey. His Ruru had transformed into a Kualsi, and his two knives were now a compass and scroll.

“You’re the same Matoran, just with a new appearance,” said The Fearless Leader. The spell will wear off in about a day, so be quick. The scroll that one of your knives was transformed into is to be read by Naugall herself, understand?”

He nodded. Turning around, he ran down the dirt pathway.

He soon came into town. It was dusk by this point, so most were about to turn in for the night. However those that were still up glanced suspiciously at this new Matoran that they had never seen. As he moved through the many streets, he came to the gate of Moya Castle. One of the guards was at the top of the wall looked down at him. Kordé expected that he had to come up with a reason for wanting to enter, however the guard opened the gates. He saluted him as he walked in.

Although he was confused as to why he was allowed in so easily, he didn’t complain. He kept running through the courtyard and into the castle itself. He entered a grand golden hall and sped up a spiral staircase, engraved with gems from the deep places of the world. It spiraled higher and higher, passing closed doors. He came to a great one that was silver and had carvings of ancient battles on its front. The eyes of the creatures were jewels that glittered in the torchlight.

There was a Ta-Matoran standing there, leaning on a long spear. Behind his Calix there was an expression of pure boredom. Taken by surprise at Kordé’s sudden appearance, he jumped back as soon as he saw him.

“State your business,” he said while pointing his weapon at him.

“I come wishing to speak with Naugall, The Most Wise Ruler,” replied Kordé.

“Who are you, and what is your intention?” he asked.

“My name is...um...Gesond. I come wishing to give Naugall this letter. It is from my superior,” he said, making up a name and purpose on the spot.

“Hm...you don’t seem like you’re from around here. I don’t know of any Gesonds in The Koro.”

“Oh, I live out in the fields. I’m a farmer.”

“Who would hire a Ko-Matoran to be a farmer?”

“Oh, um...I don’t work for anyone. I farm alone.”

“Ah, I see,” said the Ta-Matoran, narrowing his eyes. “How about you give me that letter of yours?”

“No, this is for Naugall. It’s from my superior.”

“Your superior? You just said that you weren't hired by anyone.”

“No, no...I’m...um...I’m in a fraternity. Our leader has done business with Naugall in the past, so he sent me here to deliver it.”

“Why didn’t he go himself?”

“I know these parts better than him.”

“Didn’t you say you lived in the fields? How can you know these parts very well?”

“Just...please let me in!”

“I’m sorry, but I cannot. Your reason isn’t valid enough, and you talk WAY too much for a Ko-Matoran.”

Kordé, not knowing what to do next, shoved the Ta-Matoran aside and ran through the doors. They swung open, revealing a royal chamber. At a large throne in the center sat a Bo-Matoran, her expression cold.

“Dallior! Why have you let this Ko-Matoran in?”

The guard, whose name was Dallior, rushed in behind Kordé.

“I’m sorry, he knocked me over, and…”

Naugall narrowed her eyes.

“Why are you here? Speak now, Kordé! Your disguise might fool others, but I can see through your deception, De-Matoran!”

Taken by surprise, Kordé was speechless for a few moments before he could regroup himself.

“I...I have a scroll from my superior.”

He walked to her throne and handed it to her. The unrolled it and examined it closely.

“So...The Kinship is in trouble. And so are we by the looks of it.”

“You know about us?” asked Kordé in disbelief.

“Yes, I do. We have done dealings in the past, mostly concerning security on our borders. However it seems as if The Wild has become restless.”

She looked up from the paper. She handed it back to Kordé, and told Dallior to bring her someone. The Ta-Matoran bowed, and ran out of the room.

“Have you heard of Dallior?” she asked.

“No, your highness.”

“Ah, that’s right. I appointed him after your ran off into the woods. Dallior is my right hand in The Koro. I appointed him as doorwarden since I trust him the most, however he complains that it is incredibly boring.”

By this time he had returned with a Po-Matoran.

“I am going to pay a visit to some friends of mine. I’m placing you in charge, Verlaat.”

“Yes, Wise Leader,” said the Po-Matoran. Naugall slipped out of throne, and was replaced by the one named Verlaat. She motioned for Dallior and Kordé to follow her.

They walked down to the basement of the château. Inside, they found three wolf-rahi. Each of them mounted one.

“Do not worry about steering,” she said to Kordé. “These wolves know to follow me.”

She shouted something and the dogs sprang to their feet. The three of them sprinted up the stairs and back into the main level. They raced out of the courtyard and into the streets of The Koro. The houses eventually thinned out, and they came into the fields. There they found The Kinship, who had set up camp.

Dismounting the wolves, the three of them walked into The Fearless Leader’s tent. Naugall bowed to him, and he did the same. She instructed for Dallior and Kordé to be dismissed.

Kordé found Alvek and Fhargall sitting beside a wooden fence in the fields.

“Oi! Kordé!” called Fhargall. He sat down next to them.
“Alvek was just telling me about all that happened to her.”

“Care repeating it?”

“No problem,” she said. “So I was out with the Hydruka, farming air. In Mahri Nui, we have these scorpion-like rahi that help us harvest air bubbles, which we use for surviving below the sea. We were just about done when I saw a beam of light coming up from the depths of the sea. As it was drawing closer and closer, I noticed that it was aiming for me. I ducked behind a rock, however it passed through it and grabbed hold of me. I tried to pull out my electro-blades, but before I could do anything I was being dragged. I saw the cliff in front of me slowly vanish as I was falling into the darkness. I kept going downward and downward until I hit the rock bottom. I thought that that was the end, however I kept going. I felt as if I was tunneling through the rock, but it gave no resistance. I was going deeper and deeper until I was suddenly flying through the air. Then I hit water, and that was the last thing I remembered until you two found me.”

“Do you know the significance of the light?” asked Kordé.

“Y...yes. I was told about that,” she said, getting up.

“Where are you going?” asked Fhargall.

“Just...somewhere…” she said, leaving.

Kordé and Fhargall sat there under the stars for the rest of the evening.

Edited December 23, 2015 by Irrie: The Loremaster

[Irrie]

Chapter X

 

 

 

Kordé rode his wolf mount. Beside him was Dallior, The Fearless Leader, and Naugall, each on their own steeds.

It was one day after he escorted Naugall and Dallior to their encampment. The Fearless Leader had ordered them to come out to the wall to examine what exactly the enemy was doing.

They marched down the dirt path that Kordé had walked on so long ago when he found Fhargall for the first time. As they saw the wall approaching, Naugall took the time to explain to them the significance of the spot.

“See that dark blue pound that is just below the wall? That is the Pool of Rel-Gatalad. He was a great hero among our people many days before The Death struck. It is said that he charged into The Wild with only his hands for weapons and would return each night with a slain foe. He was a Ba-Matoran, and had a special Pakari, one that he called a ‘Pakari Nuva’. Where he got his mask still remains unknown.

"One day he was walking down this exact same path. He saw that pool and walked over it to wash his feet in, for they had become dusty. When he gazed into it, he saw the blackness of the water, and said that it was cursed with spite and malice. However while he was examining it, his arch nemesis Shalmaneymoia, a treacherous Su-Matoran, snuck up behind him. They had battled many times in the wold, for Shalmaneymoia lived in a hut on the eastern side.

"He ran to him and placed his hands around Rel-Gatalad’s neck. He strangled him, and threw his dead body into the pool. However he was being watched the entire time by a Ce-Matoran named Gādan. She came out from hiding and shoved him into the pond. Instead of seeing him swim back up, she saw his descending body slowly fade out from existence until it became one with the black waters around it.

"For avenging Rel-Gatalad’s death, Gādan was named The Koro’s leader, and she chose me to be her left hand. Her right was a Fe-Matoran named Kuku.”

“What ever became of her?” asked Dallior.

“She was walking on the edge of the very cliff that you arrived from. The rocks were slippery, so she fell to her death. A terrible way for a Matoran as great as she was to have died.

"After she passed, Kuku became the new leader, and made me his right hand while choosing Dallior as his left. He ruled for quite some time, however when The Death came, he fled into the Wild to escape the infection. He was a noble Matoran, but made a cowardly move at the end.”

The company rode up to the wall. Dismounting, they climbed up the ladder. Once they were at the top of the wall, they beheld what was before them. They saw many of the enemy’s soldiers standing on the other side. They were not attacking, nor showed any intention of trying to do so.

“State your business!” called Naugall.

There was no answer.

“What do we do? We have an army on our footstep, how shall we drive them off?” asked Kordé.

While they were talking, they didn’t notice the pair of gleaming red eyes that emerged from behind a tree. They didn’t hear the sound of the arrow being loaded onto the bow.

By the time they heard the arrow whizzing through the air, it was too late. Naugall was struck in the neck by the bolt. She fell backwards off the wall, and into the water, descending into the Pool of Rel-Gatalad where she too passed from existence, never to be seen in this world again.

“No!” shouted Dallior. He leaped off the wall after her, however his foot was grabbed by The Fearless Leader.

“Do not throw your life away so foolishly! Naugall is gone, however now is not the time for grief! Control yourself!”

He hauled the Ta-Matoran back onto the wall.

“Quickly, let us leave this place before they become more hostile!”

“But...we must…” stammered Dallior.

“No! We will avenge her, I promise you, but now is not the time to be irrational!”

The Fearless Leader led them down the wall and back on their wolf mounts. They rode back to The Koro, each of them caught up in his own thoughts.

“Fearless Leader? Out of curiosity, did The Kinship arrive here before The Death?”

“Yes.”

“So, does that mean that you can tell us all of the tales of the before time that Naugall did?”

“No. We only began coming concerned with the affairs of The Koro as The Death struck. It was our doing that helped Naugall preserve her memories so that you will have a wise leader. Now that she has passed, the legends passed with her.”

They continued to ride in silence. Once they were back at The Koro, they went up the stairs of Castle Moya, where they found a Po-Matoran on the ground. A knife was positioned in his back.

“Verlaat!” shouted Dallior. He ran up to the Matoran.

The Fearless Leader closed his eyes and sighed.

Kordé turned around and walked back out of the room.

“We left no guard. No doorwarden. Whoever killed him could have just walked up here,” he said.

“Dallior, how does your village go about choosing a new leader?” asked The Fearless Leader.

“Usually we select whoever is the right hand on the previous one. But I couldn’t lead a village!”

“What about the left hand?”

“Well...you see...Verlaat was the left hand. And he is dead. So I’m the only one that could be considered to lead.”

“Then lead The Koro! Carry on Naugall’s will in your ascent to the throne!” said Kordé.

“It was Naugall’s will to protect us all from the enemy, or whatever it is. How can I fight a foe that I don’t know anything about! Tell me!”

The Fearless Leader put his hand on Dallior’s back.

“Calm down. I shall tell you.

"Long ago, when my folk and I came to this island, we found a creature that was roaming the plains east of the wold. It was surrounded by black vines with long thorns. His eyes were sinister and green. His fingers were clawed and he was enamored in the strongest of all mails. He commanded thorn and vine, and a vision came upon us. We saw him walking behind a line of Matoran. Every time he touched one, it turned into a soldier with a spear. However when he saw us watching him, he fled eastward. Our vision cleared, and we saw him nowhere.

That, my friend is the enemy. He seeks to corrupt the hearts of the innocent to make them his soldiers.”

“Does that mean that the robots that we have been fighting all this time were once Matoran?” asked Kordé.

“Yes...they are.”

There was yet another long silence.

“Dallior, tell your castle officers all that has happened tonight. Kordé and I are going back to the encampment. Let us make haste, for we have much to talk about!”

Leaving the Ta-Matoran in the chamber, they walked back down the stairs, out into the streets, and out of the city.

Once he was back home, Kordé slept in his tent. He had a dream. He was standing on a field of grass, the wind blowing along the field. He saw a Matoran descending from the sky. It was golden and white, and bore no Kanohi.

“Behold, Matoran of Sonics! The hour has come! Let me show you all that could happen, all the may happen, all that will happen, and all that has happened!”

The Matoran grabbed onto Kordé’s arms and everything around them blurred. The grass turned to black metal, the sky became blood red.

“Behold! The wrath of the enemy is drawing nearer!”

In front of them was an elephant rahi with five tusks. It was the color of sand, and its eyes were white. It walked towards them. Beside it was an ape with the head of a Toa, and a frog with translucent skin. The elephant looked up to the sky and sounded a loud blast. It echoed around them.

Suddenly, Kordé looked up and saw bodies falling from the sky. They were of Toa. When they hit the ground, he saw that they were dead, each having died in a different manner.

Behind him, he saw leagues of Matoran, standing in rows. They took no notice of the falling corpses.

Finally, he saw Turaga running around, for their masks were on fire.

He awoke.

He got to his feet and walked out of the tent. It was daybreak. The other members of The Kinship were milling around the area, collecting food and whatnot. He and Fhargall took a walk around the area, discussing all of the events that have stacked up recently.

“Fhargall...I have to tell you something.”

“What’s that, my friend?”

“I’m afraid.”

“Afraid?”

“Yes. Of the enemy. The Fearless Leader describes him as a tall enamored figure with claws and has mastery over thorns. Every time I imagine it, he seems creepier and creepier. Other than a brief description of his appearance, I know absolutely nothing about him! I don’t know how I can fight a force that I can’t see, feel, hear, or smell.

"For the first months I was with The Kinship, I considered myself a mercenary, selling my services to an organization in need. Now, I am fighting for my home. I haven’t told anyone this because I’m afraid of what they will say, but I find my loyalties closer to The Koro than The Kinship.”

“That’s perfectly okay,” said Fhargall with a concerned expression. “Your earliest memories are of The Koro. It’s your home, so you should have a natural calling to it.”

“But...but Naugall is dead! I saw her die. The arrow pierced her neck, and she passed from existence in the depths of the Pool of Rel-Gatalad. She was considered the wisest and strongest Matoran in all of The Koro, and now she’s dead!

I’m scared, Fhargall! I’m scared! I don’t know what it’s going to do to me, my friends from The Koro, my friends in The Kinship, I’m terrified!”

Kordé fell to his knees, weeping. Fhargall put his hand on his back.

“It is okay, Kordé. I am scared, too. I fear for my safety, I fear for yours, I fear for The Koro’s.”

“Why do you fear for The Koro if you are not from here?” he asked, getting back up on his feet.

“Because we are all Matoran. No matter how different we look, act, or behave, we are all Matoran. In all of my travels, I look upon each one of them, and I love them as if they were a brother or a sister. No matter how many times they have wronged me, I see them as a brethren.”

They walked over to a large boulder and sat on it.

“I never asked for this,” said Kordé. “I never wanted to be a fighter. All I want is to see the world. You are lucky, you’ve gotten to travel all over. But not me. The only thing I can remember is living in The Koro for my entire life, constantly wondering what else lays beyond the sea.”

“I have gotten around, but there are still places I haven’t explored. There will always be a place to adventure into. There’s always a rock that you want to turn over, a book to read, a tree to look behind. Our Universe is old and, it has many secrets. I have only scratched the surface of the surface in my travels.”

“Then why are you here? Why aren’t you off exploring? Have you lost your interest in traveling?”

“Oh, no. You see my friend, this IS part of my traveling. Not only do I want to see the Universe, I want to do good in it. I want to protect my brothers and sisters, I want to protect the weak, I want to protect the unfortunate. Leaving you now would be a terrible mistake on my part.”

“So you feel like you’re being forced to stay here?”

“No, no. I want to stay here because every experience that I’ve had here is a part of my travels. Our current conversation is a piece of my explorations.”

“When you leave, can I come with you?”

“If you really want to. I’ve had to leave behind many friends in my day, so it would be a nice change to have some company.”

“By the way...I’m not sure if I’ve ever gotten to ask you this...where are you from?”

“Ah, yes. Well my friend, I come from a land of great wonders, majestic culture, and powerful history. I’m from-”

A horn blasted through the clearing. The Fearless Leader was standing on his rock, about to give a speech.

“We’d better go listen to that,” said Fhargall.

They walked over to the crowd.

“...and so with the enemy’s presence, I believe that it is time that we met them in battle. Dallior is currently marshaling an army in The Koro so that we will be able to fight with greater strength. We will depart at dusk, and shall arrive by midnight.”

Edited December 23, 2015 by Irrie: The Loremaster

[Irrie]

Chapter XI

 

 

 

Kordé walked, carrying his knives in hand. Around him marched the forces of both The Koro and The Kinship of The Black Komau, forming one large group. The wall was looming off in the distance. It came closer and closer, until they were all standing behind it.

A Kinsman blew a blast from his horn. It was a solid note, ringing around the area. They were about to begin climbing the wall when a loud explosion sounded. It was followed by another one, blowing a hole in the wall.

In walked a tall, muscular being. Its eyes were silver and its armor gold and grey. In one hand it held a spinning wheel. In the other it held nothing.

The Kinsmen and Koronans readied their weapons. The Fearless Leader and Dallior walked forth to greet the being.

“State your business. You are trespassing on the soil of The Koro.”

The being looked at them. Its silver eyes glinted with hunger.

“Surrender. You have no purpose in this world.”

“Why should we surrender? You have no reason behind this. If you want us to-”

Dallior, not wanting to wait any longer, raised his hand.

“Koronans, forward!”

The Matoran of The Koro sprang at the being, their swords and spears and bows ready. Seeing what was happening, The Fearless Leader raised his hand also.

“Kinsmen, at arms!”

Both of the armies charged at the wall. The soldiers on the other side readied their spears. The silver-eyed being fired a wheel of energy from his fist. When it struck the ground, it exploded, sending Matoran flying into the air.

However the massive mob of bodies upon him caused the being to back away into the crowd of the enemy’s soldiers. Spears at the ready, the fired bolts of elemental energy. They decimated their targets, however there were more Koronans and Kinsmen than them.

 Kordé encountered a soldier that was shooting bursts of ice. He sped around it, drove his knives into its back, disabling it.

Looking forward, he saw an army of flying rahi swarm down. On their backs they had soldiers. The rahi were dragon-like and shot orbs of fire.  

Once was flying lower down, and came closer to him. Leaping up with all of his strength, he caught the rahi on its wing. He climbed closer to its body. The soldier flying it had no spear, since it was carrying the reins. Readying his knives, Kordé jumped forward, slashing the soldier in the helmet. It turned and began punching him. Using his nimble frame, he swerved around it and grabbed it by the back. He heaved and threw the robot off of the rahi. Taking up the reins, he pulled it upward. Since this dragon had not been given sapience like the other servants of the enemy, it obeyed his commands. It flew up into the air.

He steered it around and began to fly it at the enemy’s forces. Going by instinct, the dragon fired blasts of energy at its former masters. However he noticed that they had brought catapults out from the wold. They were igniting them, and shooting them into the air.

A flaming boulder struck the rahi, sending it careening down. Leaping off with knives in hand, he landed in the middle of the enemy’s mob.

It was then that he realized the true meaning of honor. Willing to lay down his life for the safety of others, he attacked. Although he wasn’t quite sure how, he took down a group of sixteen soldiers.

The Koronans were beginning to break through, however the enemy was bringing reinforcements. Kordé beheld something unlike anything that he had seen in his lifetime.

A fifty-foot tall robotic bear rahi was stampeding through the wold. Out of its metal frame came pouring more and more soldiers. He heard The Fearless Leader call for his men to fall back, but he ignored it. He charged forward, looking death in the eye.

A blast of plasma struck his mask. It began to sizzle and crackle, but he continued on. He found a group of reanimated Matoran, and disabled all of them with the efficiency of ten thousand swordsmen. 

The bear robot was nearing. Trees were smashed and bushes overturned in its path. Its gleaming eyes fired balls of energy at the enemies. Looking behind, he saw that the enemy had breached the wall and was now advancing into The Koro. Turning his back, he advanced toward the bear.

He leaped onto its stone leg and began to climb up. It was difficult because of the movement, but he did not care. He kept climbing, digging his knives into the rock. Once he made it to the top of the bear’s back, he found a hatch. Opening it, he jumped inside. There was a small hallway, illuminated by claw-shaped candles. Speeding down, he turned many corners. All around him, he heard the sounds of battle.

Kordé encountered a soldier. Before it could have a chance to reach, he knifed it in all of its weak points. Stealing its spear, he raced down the hallway, now wielding his sonic powers.

He found an iron door. Utilizing his newfound spear, he shattered the frame. Bursting it open, he found himself inside of a cockpit. Two massive windows were inside, presumably the machine’s eyes. There were no soldiers piloting it, rather there were several machines that were doing it on AI.

Focusing as much sonic power as possible, he sent out a gigantic blast of sound. It shattered the windows, however there was no damage done to the machines.

Cursing, he began to knife them. Still no damage.

“Need help?” said a familiar voice. Behind him stood Alvek.

“Help me disable these things!”

“Step back.”

Kordé walked away from the devices. Drawing her electro-blades, Alvek shot bursts of electricity at them. The sizzled upon impact to the machines, followed by causing them to explode in a flamboyant fireball.

The robotic bear staggered, and fell to the ground, smashing its own soldiers in the process. Leaping out of the robot from the shattered windows, they found that the Koronans and Kinsmen has advanced once again.

He caught a glimpse of a flying wheel, followed by an explosion. It sent him and Alvek flying into the air in opposite directions.

Landing on the ground hard, he scrambled back to his feet. He looked around just in time to see a gigantic mantis-like creature emerge from the brush. Its scales were a dark black and its eyes were pulsing red.

It opened its mouth and flew towards him. Jumping to the side, the rahi passed over him, however it whirled around and flew back. He picked up a large stone and flung it at it. It grazed off. He ran towards it and tried to shank it with his knives, but they slipped off.

The manis was about to land a killing blow to him, but there was a moment that it paused. Then, all different kinds of rock began flying at the beast, coating its armor in the stones. His knives were tugging as if they wanted to fly towards it, however he held them back.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw Fhargall. He was holding a spear and utilizing it to tap into his magnetism powers.

“A lot of these rocks have iron in them,” he said. More and more stones were flying at the mantis, who was in a raging panic. It was about to fly away, however his wings were pinned closed by the rocks. Struggling to keep itself on its feet, its exoskeleton heaved under the intense weight.

It all happened in a blink of an eye. A stray elemental blast hit Fhargall on the back of his head. He fell to the ground. The mantis, now relieved of the magnetic onslaught, flew up into the air, fleeing the area.

“No! Get back here!” called Fhargall, recovering from the blast of gravity that he just received.

The Mantis was gone. Looking behind them, they saw that the Koronans and the Kinsmen had the remaining soldiers surrounded. They advanced on to them, leaving no survivors. They had won the battle...or so it seemed.

There was a flash of light, followed by an audible bang. Standing atop the wreck of the robotic bear was the silver-eyed figure from before. The Kinsmen circled around him. The Fearless Leader demanded to know his name.

“My name? Do you really think it prudent to ask for my name? You want to know my name, and yet you hide behind a title yourself? No, I will not give you my name, rather I will give you my title to make it fair.”

“Hurry up and tell us, or we shall shoot you before you can finish!” shouted a Kinsman, loading an arrow onto this bow.

“You can call me this. ‘The Messenger of The East’. Ponder on that name for as long as you can before I destroy you all.”  

He summoned a wheel of energy in his left hand, and to their surprise, mounted it. He flew away, eastward. Some of the Koronans vainly made some parting shots, however their arrows hit the ground before they reached their target, who was now disappearing into the trees.

Edited December 23, 2015 by Irrie: The Loremaster

[Irrie]

Chapter XII

 

 

 

 

“Alright, beasty! Let’s see what you’ve got!”

Fhargall stood just in the central region of the wold. It was now two weeks since the Battle at The Koro’s Wall, and the Kinship and Koronan forces have advanced forth to reclaim over half of the wold from the enemy. The Kinship set up camp just behind the wall, since they had not reclaimed their base just yet. Fhargall was sent on a special mission to raid an armory located in an underground bunker that was occupied by the enemy. Along the way, he found an old foe of his: the Black Armored Mantis.

The beast roared, its arms thrashing in the air. Fhargall shot off several bolts from his spear, each deflecting off of its hide. He ran forth and jumped over the monster’s head. It whirled back around at him, chasing its prey. The Matoran of Magnetism used his already strong momentum to run towards a tree, walk up it, flip back around, and land on its back. He placed his arms around the creature’s throat, however he was unable to strangle it due to its thick armor. He was swung into the air, landing on a rock. Just as he spun around, the mantis was upon him. Its bulging eyes and gnashing teeth were in his face. He felt the fangs sink into his armor. Summoning as much strength as he still had, he wriggled out of the rahi’s grip just as it bucked it head upward, sending him flying back into the air. Fhargall landed in a tree, where he loaded another arrow onto his bow.

“So...I can’t strike your body or your eyes. Let’s see about your mouth!” he said while letting the arrow soar through the air. It landed into the monster’s gaping maw. Upon impacting, Fhargall heard the sweet noise of an arrow penetrating flesh. It staggered backward, black blood oozing out from where the arrow was lodged. Leaping down from the tree, Fhargall charged toward the beast once more. His opponent did the same. When the two forces met, it was a battle of strength and fists. He didn’t quite know how, but he eventually managed to grab its antennas. He was in mid-flip when this happened, so he fell down to the ground, yanking on the tendrils violently. The head jerked downward, the beast howling in pain.

It reared its head back up into the air. Fhargall was still grabbing on to it, so it acted as a slingshot, sending him rocketing upward. In midair, he flipped around and saw the body of the black mantis rapidly disappearing. Looking forward, he was greeted by a swarm of tree branches. He shut his eyes quickly, but that didn’t ease the pain one bit. He felt like he was flying and crashing in the same time.

After what seemed like an hour of this paradoxical torture, he landed. And it wasn’t a nice, gentle land like what happened when he first encountered the Mantis. No, this was a hard land. It took him several minutes to recuperate his thoughts.

The Black Mantis was long gone. Now, he was standing in front of the mouth of a cave. It was dark, however not sinister. Curious, he began to walk into it.

With only the soft glow of his eyes and heartlight to guide him, he began his descent. He had been in many situations like this before. Thankfully, the Fa-Matoran was able to keep his cool in tight spaces.

He walked forward, into the darkness. The ground below his feet slowly slanted downward. Every so often he would trip over a stone or a loose pebble. Nothing too serious happened.

“This island seems to have many tunnels,” he said to himself. “The Kinship’s old base, the place where we found Cynwrig, the many underground bunkers, and now this. I wonder what makes these inhabitants so found of them.”

He kept walking. The air began to become drafty.

“The underground of this island isn’t too different from other underground places. The temperature is about the same, the humidity, as well as the air pressure. I shall like to know what it is about this island that has such a great ground.”

He kept walking. The air was getting cooler.

“Of course, there was that one little cave that I found when I was exploring the Tren Krom Peninsula. That place was just plain weird. I shall hope I’ll never have to go back there. Then there was that one time when-”

The ground disappeared. He had walked off a ledge. Blinded by the darkness of the cavern, he couldn’t tell how far down he was falling, nor could he see when he would hit the ground. He felt the wind rush against his descending body. The air got colder and colder. He felt like he was gaining speed, but he had nothing for his eyes to render against, so he could not tell.

He kept falling and falling. It began to make Fhargall dizzy, which was something that was truly hard to do. At last, he hit the ground. But it wasn’t rock, nor did he hit water.

This was a strange substance. It was like water, but not at the same time. It felt like it was made of a thick sap. What surprised him even more was that the water cushioned his fall enough to not make his head snap back and go flying off.

He felt a strange sensation come over his body. His fiber-like flesh began to tighten. He tried swimming upward, however he didn’t know which way was up. He was confused.

As if by a pure miracle, he felt a hand grab his leg. He was pulled out of the strange waters. Gasping for breath, he felt the rocky ground below his feet. He fell to his knees.

“You’re lucky you were not killed by that,” said a voice.

“Yes, it would appear so,” replied Fhargall. “Who are you?”

“Who am I? Well, I’m not quite sure about that anymore. Who are you?”

“I am a Matoran.”

“I asked who you are, not what you are.”

“Names are arbitrary. What are you?”

“I am several names, not exactly a specific one.”

“Do you have any light?”

“You don’t want to see me.”

“Why not?”

“I am hideous. A monstrosity.”

“So am I, depending on who you ask. Yah know, this is very similar to an encounter I had a few weeks ago.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He heard the sound of footsteps, followed by two stones striking each other. A dim flame illuminated nearby. In the light, Fhargall saw two eyes. They were round and glossy, emerging from stalks. The pupils were solid black. Fhargall showed no sign of surprise.

“Clearly you’ve seen monsters much worse than me,” he said.

“Why do you see yourself as a monstrosity?”

“Because I am the only one of my kind. I was once a different one, but now I am no longer.”

Fhargall paused for a moment, thinking things over.

“Why are you down here?”

“Because there is no way up. My wings are not strong enough to make a voyage that long to the top of the cave.”

“No, I mean why are you down there in the first place?”

“I would rather not tell you that.”

He looked to the side.

“What is that liquid over there?”

“Well, that...that is something that not even I am aware of. It is a little project that I am working on.”

“Can you give me any details?”

“Not until I know that I can trust you.”

Fhargall was secretly frustrated, however he kept his calm.

“It’s apparent that we will never tell each other anything about ourselves if we still haven’t exchanged names. Rather, we could be productive with the time given to us and try to find a way out of here.”

“Do you have any ideas, Matoran? I have been down here for so long that I’ve tried just about every one of them.”  

“You said that you had wings, right?”

“Correct.”

“How long can you fly before having to give in?”

“I don’t know, but not enough to get to the top. Time means nothing down here.”

“Angle the light so that it shows your wings.”

The being adjusted the torch to that it shone on his back. There was a pair of wings connected directly to his back. They were long and metallic, however not very thick.

“Interesting. When you fly, do they move up and down or side to side?”

“Side to side. I’ve tried flying different ways, but they never seem to work with the way my joints are.”

“Do you have any organic matter in the wings?”

“No.”

“What about the part of your back that they’re connected to?”

“No.”

“Do you have any organic matter?”

“Yes, but it’s all in my chest.”

“Alright. How deep do these caves go?”

“They are like a web. They keep going down, up, and down again. I usually stay here with my experiment so that I don’t get lost.”

“Would there happen to be any corpses down there?”

“Corpses?”

“Yes, corpses.”

“Yes, in fact. I encountered a small group of Bohrok down there.”

“Bohrok live down here?”

“They live in all kinds of altitudes.”

“No, I mean this far south. I’ve heard of them dwelling up in the northern parts of the world, but never down in the south.”

“A mystery that not even I know. Follow me, the site is not too far from here.”

Fhargall heard the sound of the great creature heave up and turn. It left the torch on the ground and began to walk away. Fhargall picked it up before leaving.

While walking, it sounded like the creature had two pairs of legs. Fhargall pondered the meaning of this.

In time, they eventually came to the site. The being stood out of the way as he knelt down and examined the specimens.

They were Bohrok alright. However what perplexed him was that they were all yellow and blue, despite having different shaped shields. They also seemed to be made of iron, not the usual protodermis that he had seen on other Bohrok before. He put these thoughts aside and began examining the actual pieces.

He unscrewed several bolts and had to break several wires with some sharp stones. After a half-hour of work, he managed to remove one of the robotic limbs. He did the same with the other one. He also removed its headplate with some ease, however he did not find a Krana inside. No, the spot where it would have been was empty. He removed the head piece, too.

Although he was so intrigued by his work, he did notice the creature got up and walked away.

“I’ll be back once I’m done,” said Fhargall.

“Good,” it replied.

He continued working, the dim flickering of the light ever present. He noticed that the damage done to the downed Bohrok by the creature was not overly brutal. No, it was delicate. A bolt of energy seemed to have penetrated it in the left leg, but found the robot’s circuitry and sabotaged it.  

“I must be careful around that being,” he said.

He continued to rearrange the parts, unscrewing and screwing various bolts. He wished he had a strong enough heating element to weld them, but he had to do it the hard way.

Hours later, he returned to the shore of the pool. The creature was standing there, gazing out into the water. It was then that his torchlight properly shone on it.

It was a four-legged being. It had a long, spiked tail. Its body was spindly and thing, having two wings on its back. Its arms were short, but carried two long blades.

It turned around and looked at him.

“Are you finished?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. How will those help me?”

“They will aid your flight. It will require me removing your wings in order to attach these to your back.”

The creature’s wings were suddenly limp, and fell off of its back. Fhargall became even more weary of its powers.

He took the two wings and began finding screwing the bolts of the additions onto them. It was a tedious and delicate process. The wires needed to be placed into the correct sockets, most of them having to be modified to be compatible with each other.

To his surprise, the wings were made out of the same kind of iron that the Bohrok pieces were. This made it easier to screw together.

The finished product was the same set of wings, but with an added limb extensions. This gave an extra joint, which would allow for the creature to fly with greater mobility, and hopefully for longer periods of time.  

And then, right before his eyes, the extended wings levitated into the air, and landed on the creature’s back. They welded themselves in. The beast flexed its now improved wings magnificently.

“I see that you do not have your own interest at heart. I shall tell you my name.”

“And that is?”

“Only after you tell me yours.”

“I am Fhargall.”

“I am Ki-Te-Kiri.”

Edited December 23, 2015 by Irrie: The Loremaster

[Irrie]

Chapter XIII

 

 

 

Kordé marched down an old, beaten path that wound through the wold. He, along with Alvek and a Kinsman named Urm. They were on a diplomatic mission to contact the Le-Matoran of the eastern plains. However that was not on his mind right now. Fhargall had disappeared two weeks ago. They sent out various search parties to go find him, but they all proved unsuccessful.

“Urm, has the enemy ever harmed the Le-Matoran before?” asked Alvek.

“Oh, yes. Before they reached the wold, there were countless battles of the fields. Many lives were lost during the struggle.”

“So that would make it easier to get them to side with us, right?”

“Wrong. Their current leader, Xeerka, is a weary old Matoran. His people are tired of fighting, and the have longed for peace for many years. Getting them to take up arms again will be hard.”

They continued walking, ever alert for the forces of the enemy. The ferns slowly swayed in the wind, a damp mist lingering in the air. Aside from the occasional howl of a wolf-rahi and their own footsteps, it was a quiet morning.

“Alvek, could you tell us about what it was like in Mahri Nui?”

“Well, air was a luxury for one thing. You also had to watch out for packs of dangerous water rahi if you strayed too far from the camp. There was also the possibility of getting caught in seaweed. Not a pleasant experience.”

“Is it true that it’s in a ocean in the sky?” asked Urm.

“Well, sort of. Not even I know how to answer that. I just know that there’s a rock layer that separates that place from here.”

“Fascinating. I’d wager that Mahri Nui is on the same sea that the Kinship’s homeland, floats on.”

They continued their walk for around forty-five minutes or so. Suddenly, a few figures emerged from behind them.

They were Le-Matoran. They were clad in a Kaukau and a Sanok. Before Urm could speak, the one with a Kaukau interjected.

“We know why you are here.”

Then, they all felt darts hit their masks, followed by a sleep overcoming all of them.

Fhargall and Ke-Te-Kiri were flying. Well, only Ke-Te-Kiri was, but Fhargall was riding on his back.

After Fhargall gave him the wing extensions, Ke-Te-Kiri was able to fly longer and faster. They were now proceeding to escape the deep chasm that was his prison for so long. They were both curious about the origins of the other, however they did not bother to ask. Their mutual trust was still low, but is was stronger than before.

What was on Fhargall’s mind was the Bohrok that he found earlier. They were on the second most southern island in the known universe, but Bohrok were only found in the far north, and even then, only sparsely. What were they doing so far south? And another question was the nature of their matter. They were made of iron, a material similar to protodermis, however not exactly the same. The ones in the far north were built from protodermis similar to that of matoran, not iron. And why were they all yellow, but featured different shaped shields? Very strange.

Suddenly, he saw a light ahead.

Kordé awoke. Beside him was Alvek and Urm. In front of them was a Le-Matoran that had a Kanohi Iso, the powerless mask of fusion. They were in a tent. The Le-Matoran sat cross-legged on a pillow, while two others were by his side, on their knees. They carried spears.

The other two were awakening by this point. Urm got on his feet, however the guards pointed their spears at him. He slowly sat down.

“No one is allowed to stand higher than Potentate Xeerka in his presence,” said one of the guards in a commanding voice.

“Why did you bring us here?” asked Alvek.

“You wanted to speak with us,” said Xeerka. “Now we are here. Talk, Kinsmen!”

“We ask for your assistance in driving the enemy out of the wold,” said Urm. “We are aware of the fact that you have just now exited a war with the enemy, and this will be asking a lot. However, the Kinship has considered that factor while discussing this in our convocation. We see it prudent to ask for your assistance.”

Xeerka looked Urm in the eye. The Kinsman could see the weariness in his vision.

“We...will not help you,” replied the Le-Matoran slowly and deliberately. “We have suffered enough from the enemy. Many of our own have perished. I will not allow this to happen any longer.”

“With all due respect Potentate Xeerka, please rethink this,” replied Urm. “If you aided us in our war against the enemy, it will be gone sooner. It will no longer trouble your plainsmen.”

“No...I cannot let that happen,” he said while coughing. “I...I have seen friendships destroyed because of...of the war. It is better to live in servitude to the enemy than to continue fighting it.”

Urm was clearly surprised to hear the powerful Xeerka talking like this.

“My people...they are men of the plains," he continued. "We will not allow ourselves to be driven away from the land that we love because of us stubbornly resisting the will of the east.”

“But you don’t know that you will be defeated! You sound as if the battle is already over!”

“Because it is!” said Xeerka, standing up. He towered over the three Matoran, rage blazing in his eyes. “The battle was won by the east long ago! I will not resume the war just for the sake of making you and your stupid Kin feel better! You are asking me to take my people and lead them to destruction! Have you no sense?”

Urm stood up and gazed the Potentate in the eye. The two guards grabbed their weapons, but Xeerka shooed them away.

“Listen to me, Potentate. We may have taken back most of the wold, but that doesn’t mean that the enemy will not come back to bite. Should we fall, your tribe will be next.”

“No...we will not. We made a deal with the enemy long ago that if they do not attack us, we will not help their opponents, nor will we attack them.”

“So..you’re a puppet?”

“No, I am not! I am doing what I believe is best for our people! Guards, remove these three!”

Darts were shot into their armor, and they passed out.

Ke-Te-Kiri flew out of the cave that Fhargall landed in weeks ago. The bright sunlight burned their eyes, but they kept on moving. They flew over the top of the tree canopy and into the clouds. Ke-Te-Kiri kept flying higher and higher until the ground below them completely disappeared.

“Where are we going?” asked Fhargall.

“I’m leaving you off at the shore of this island. I’m going to keep flying northward. I have...business to attend to there.”

“Very well.”

They continued to soar over the clouds, until he made an abrupt downward dive. They flew to the ground, where he was able to make a surprisingly soft landing.

They were on a cliff, overlooking the sea. It was very rocky, with huge white-capped waves barreling over the edge.

“Now comes the time that we must go separate ways. I have unsolved situations that I must attend to. The north has become an unstable land nowadays. Various factions are vying for power, and I have a few promises that I must fulfill in order to keep the peace. Hopefully we shall meet again, Fhargall the Fa-Matoran.”

“I say the same to you, Ke-Te-Kiri. Fare well on your travels!”

“As do you.”

With that, the monster raised its wings, and flew to the north. Fhargall stood there watching the shape of him slowly disappearing into the clouds.

“Alright, it’s time I found some answers,” he said.

Urm, Kordé, and Alvek awoke on a grassy field. They turned around and saw two Le-Matoran standing over them.

“You are banished from our lands,” said one. “Bring word back to your Kinship that we will not help you.”

They were prodded in their backs by the spears until they were on their feet. They kept walking toward the wold when a horn blast sounded. Whirling around, they saw Le-Matoran running in panic at the camp. The two ones that escorted them out saw what was happening. They grabbed their weapons and sped back as fast as they could. Although the three of them couldn’t make out what was going on, they heard one sentence over all the others.

“Sneak attack! Sneak attack! They’re in the camp!”

Fhargall walked down the spiral staircase of the Grand Library, located below the fortress of Moya. The only light came from the burning torch in his hand. Several rooms passed by him, however he stopped at the one that was labeled 116. He opened the wooden door.

In the past hours, he had reported to The Fearless Leader and given him a brief summary of what had happened recently. He wanted to learn more about Fhargall’s travels, however he insisted that he needed to go to the library. After some persuasion, he was finally allowed to leave.

As he entered, he saw tall stacks of books lined up on either side of the walls. He immediately walked over to the one on the right.

He held up the torch to the books so he could see their names. As he walked down the hallway, he eyes the various titles scrawled on the spines to himself. At last, he picked on out. It was called ‘The East of the Wold’, a book written by a Matoran named Culfnay. As he opened it, he read the title page as well as a few introductory ones that were listed before the book actually began.

“Yes, this is the one,” he said to himself. He looked at the table of contents. Nothing of value was listed there, so he flipped to the index. He squinted as he examined the small letters. He found one entry that was labeled ‘White and Black Monster’. He eagerly flipped to the page that corresponded to it.

The page was as follows…

“As I made my fifteenth trip through the wold, I decided to take a turn in a direction that I had not been very familiar with. For the majority of the trip, I found nothing of significance. However I did discover a very peculiar object. It was a carving on the side of a cave. I dared not enter it, for it emitted an evil presence. However the carving was in a dialect similar to ours, however the writing was slightly different. Namely the ‘k’ character. Anyway, it translated to ‘Ke-Te-Kiri.’ I suppose that is a breed of rahi, for the carving also depicted an image of a four-legged winged creature. Below it was the text ‘White and Black Monster’.

What was very interesting was that I recognized this creature somehow. I remember when we voyaged to this island from…”

There was a smear in the ink. The text picked up a few words later.

“...near the boat. However it was only in the far distance, and I didn’t get a good glimpse of it. More than likely there is no connection between the two, however there is always the possibility.”

Fhargall closed the book and put it back on the shelf. He kept searching through more books. At one point, he picked up about ten of them that looked like they would be of help, and scattered them on the floor. For the remainder of the night, he read and read, trying to learn the origin of Ke-Te-Kiri. The only success that he had were several retellings of what he learned from the first book.

After many hours, he sat back and heaved a great sigh.

“Alright, so when they migrated from there to here, they spotted something that looked like him. It was also going southward, but it managed to stay out of sight. If that was Ke-Te-Kiri, then he is now going to the north. Why?”

He closed his eyes. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, he was awakened by a voice.

“No luck, I assume?”

As he looked up, he saw Dallior walking into the room. He was wearing a flowing silver cape.

“Actually, I was quite lucky. Problem is, I just haven’t been able to connect the dots yet.”

“Ah, but of course. Mind sharing what you found?”

“I would rather not,” he said. He began to pick up the books and place them back in the shelves. “Does anyone else come down here?”

“Sometimes. Usually it’s just loremasters and Matoran that are curious about our history. Hardly anyone ever comes down this deep, though.”

“Hm. Have you ever read any of these things?”

“Eh, not really. I’m not very favorable of monotonous books.”

“Well there’s some interesting stuff down here.”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it. Anyway, let’s return to the surface. We have several matters to discuss.”

Edited December 24, 2015 by Irrie

[Irrie]

Chapter XIV

 

 

 

Kordé, Alvek, and Urm stood at the edge of the wold and the grasslands. In front of them, the camp of the Le-Matoran was in an uproar. They saw scrambling bodies all around, and figures about the same size as the Matoran that were attacking the plainsmen.

“Should we help them?” asked Kordé.

“Well, they just did banish us from their land. They’ll just have to thank us later,” replied Alvek, unsheathing her electro-blades. Urm pulled out a modified bamboo disk from his back.

Each member of the Kinship had a bamboo disk that they carried with them, however they were free to modify them at will. Urm had rotating blades attached to the underside of his. After using it for so long, he was able to train himself to throw it in such a way that it would come back to him without stabbing his outstretched arm.

 

 

The three ran into the chaos. The Le-Matoran camp was made up of several tents that were all equal in size. With the exception of the Potentate, all of the matoran had to carry their housing, so most of them were small in size. Due to the nomadic lifestyle of the Le-Matoran, their structures were flimsy and did not hold up well against an attack.

As they got closer, they noticed that their attackers were clad in grey armor, however they were of different elements. They had masks, but not any Kanohi that they were familiar with.

These peculiar masks were either red, purple, or black. They had no eye or mouth holes, rather the eyes and mouths were painted on to the mask. The facial expressions of the masks varied between the person, but they all conveyed a wild and ferocious image.

However the three did not have time to marvel at these, for their attackers were armed. They had lightstone rifles, firing brilliant blasts of light and electricity. Many of the Le-Matoran had picked up their weapons, however they were soon taken down by the advanced weaponry of the attackers.

Urm pulled his disk from his pack, and threw it into the madness. Alvek activated her electro-blades and charged into the fray. Kordé grabbed his knives, however held back.

A cloud of smoke soon formed over the camp. A fire was spreading, fueled by the grass of the land. It was a grim situation.

 

Fhargall and Dallior stood inside a storage chamber within the Moya fortress.

“So, why have you brought me here?” asked Fhargall.

Dallior walked forward and picked up a small wooden crate. He brushed some dust off of it and carried it back out into the hallway.

“I found these about a month ago,” he said. He opened the top, and pulled out a strange Kanohi. It looked like a fusion between a Rode and a Pakari.

“It had no label on it,” he said. “It looks like two masks molded together. You’re a traveler, have you ever encountered something like this before?”

Fhargall held the mask up to the light of the torches.

“It doesn’t look like it was welded together. It seems to be the same mask, but a combination of two at the same time.”

He put the mask back in the box.

“There are legends of masks that contain multiple powers by means of exposure to substances that can accomplish said fusion, but that is extremely unlikely. If I were you, I’d keep this locked up well.”

“Alright, thanks.”

Fhargall walked down the halls and out of the fortress. He went to The Koro’s stable and picked out his wolf mount that he used. After attaching the saddle, he jumped on and took off eastward.

A pair of green eyes stared down at a muscular figure.

“So, you’ve got me here. What do you want?”

“What do I want? You know what I want. I want you to help me remove the remaining Matoran.”

“You are asking me to turn against my own kind?”

“No, I’m asking you to attack a breed of Matoran that came from a far off land. You and your people were here since the beginning of time, I witnessed your settlement of this island myself. You have evolved beyond the other ones that dwell in this universe. You no longer need to wear a Kanohi, you no longer need to eat to stay alive. Your people are superior to these weaklings from the north.”

“I know patronizing when I see it. I will not lead my people into battle just because there are Matoran here that are different than we are.”

“Have you seen how they behave? They live in fear of the east, their knowledge of it is little. They see you and your kind as monsters. Should they decide to leave their confines, they will try to eliminate you as quickly as possible.”

“Do not think that I am blind. I have seen what you and your army have done. Your grip on the wold is loosening, you fear that the Kinship of the Black Komau is finally going to win. You only want to use me and my tribe as a tool for you to exploit.”

“No, I do not do this because I want to harm you. I only do this because I want to help you.”

“No! I will not shed the blood of my people so that you can feel secure in your political position!”

“That doesn’t imply that lives will be lost. I can supply you with weapons beyond imagination.”

“If these weapons you speak of are so efficient against the northerners, why haven’t you used them to eliminate them yet?”

“Because, my army is built on loyalty and discipline. Yours is built on honor and sacrifice. In the hands of my soldiers, these weapons are just tools. In yours, they have a life of their own. They will become much more powerful.”

“Must I remind you that your army is composed of brainwashed Matoran?”

“And yours is composed of savage barbarians. It is all a matter of opinion. Besides, if you help me, I will promise to defend your country with all my available resources in the future.”

The figure tilted his head. His tribe was having problems with wild rahi, but nothing that was overly severe. But things could change…

“Alright. I will help you.”

Far away, on the top of a cold mountain, a being was poised atop the highest cliff. A blizzard raged around him. He was shivering. His eyes gleamed blue as he looked down at his limbs.

“I...I shouldn’t exist…” he said to himself. He looked off on the horizon.

“They...they made sure that ones like me couldn’t…But how? My first memories are of...of the protodermis. How? They made it impossible for me to exist. I have too much power! I could accidentally hurt someone, I don’t want to do that.”

Grief and sadness filled his heart.

“I don’t want to exist...I don’t want to be an outcast...no...I want to exist...but not as an outcast...I’m defying the laws of physics by doing this...but I must…”

He gazed at his right arm. It was a combination of six different colors.

“Is it possible for me...a Toa Nui...to exist?”

Fhargall and his wolf steed halted at where the wold gave way to the plains. It was nighttime, the stars shining overhead. He saw an inferno raging on the grassland. He knew that his mount would not go any further, so he relieved it of its duties and continued on foot. He loaded an arrow onto his bowstring.

As he approached the blaze, he saw bodies on the ground. Bodies of Le-Matoran. They had indication that they had been killed by a melee weapon. After closer examination, he saw that they were killed by having their circuitry fried.

“Kind of like...those Bohrok that I found back in the tunnels…” he muttered. Fhargall began to become suspicious of Ke-Te-Kiri having something to do with this, but he found a lightstone rifle on the ground nearby, which disproved that horrid theory.

Although he didn’t dare get any closer, he saw faint outlines of rubble inside the blaze. He took the long way and walked around it, making sure to keep his distance. Once he was on the other side, he bent down to the ground and began to look for indications as to what caused this. The grasses were matted down from footsteps, however there was one section that was lower than the rest. It was a straight line...another one ran parallel to it…

“A chariot,” he said. There were also hoof-prints that were between the depressions in the grass. They were probably pulled by some sort of yak-like rahi. He ran after them.

Fhargall was a traveler, so he was used to running for long distances. Had he not been sure of one fact, he would have not been doing this.

“Alvek, Kordé, and Urm were kidnapped,” he muttered. “I’m going to save them.”

Edited December 24, 2015 by Irrie

[Irrie]

Chapter XV

 

 

 

 

A being slowly walked down a mountain pass. The sun rose over the peaks as he did so.

He felt very weak. Not weak for most Matoran, but weak for the standards of a being that had the amount of power that he did. But he knew why. His Kanohi was missing. And he didn’t want it back.

The being remembered the day the Kanohi was created. Six Toa had walked into a room. In the middle of it was a pool of the substance known as energized protodermis. On the other side of it was one of the most hated creatures ever to exist.

Said rahi was a beast known as Keetongu. A myth in Matoran legend said that there was a mystical rahi healer named Keetongu, however this was not that one. This beast was from an alternate universe. How it got here remains unknown, even to the creature itself. The beast wore black armor, and hid its mouth behind a fake mask that was made up of the armor that he salvaged from his victims.

It was terrorizing Matoran on the northern continent, however the Toa Torta organized themselves and challenged the monster in its own lair. The Toa Torta was lead by a Toa of Gravity, Toa Kicho. His deputy was a Toa of Water named Ranot. The rest of the team was Toa Moushi, Toa of Earth, Toa Qanok, Toa of Fire, Toa Relokon, the other Toa of Fire, and Toa Vontabole, Toa of Electricity.

Seeing as that the Keetongu was too great of a threat, they combined will powers to form two Toa Kaita. Kicho, Ranot, and Moushi formed Toa Kaita Montobalo, who bore the Kanohi Intalgak, the Great Mask of Mind. The mask was a combination of Kicho’s Rode, Ranot’s Komau, and Moushi’s Suletu, that took on the shape of the Rode.

The other Toa Kaita was formed from the remaining three Toa. Its name was Toa Kaita Physko, who had the Kanohi Strakatau, the Great Mask of Body. Fused from Qanok’s Pakari, Relokon’s Calix, and Vontabole’s Kakama, it was in the shape of the Pakari.

The battle went on for many weeks underground, and ended in a stalemate. Keetongu, eventually wanting to destroy the Toa Kaita more than he wanted to save himself, grabbed both of the fusions and pull them into the pool of energized protodermis, hoping to kill all three of them in the process. The alternate universe Keetongu was destroyed by the substance, however the two Kaita somehow defied the laws of physics and fused to form the a Toa Nui.

The Toa Nui emerged from the pool with a Kanohi that looked like two masks welded together, in this case the Intalgak and the Strakatau. The Mask of Mind and Body had so much power, it caused the Toa Nui to teleport to random locations in the universe whenever it made the smallest of movements. Having too much unstable power caused the Toa Nui to tear the mask off its face, however it kept teleporting after doing so. After a few days, this mad process slowed down until he was left on the second most southern island. On a mountaintop. Alone.

The Toa Nui still didn’t trust his capabilities. His mind would often scream with pain. He felt like six different minds were fighting inside of his. It was just...too much…

The Toa Nui fell to his knees. The powerful force of the winds carried him off of the mountain pass. He went plummeting into the darkness of the valley below. The problem was...he knew that that would not kill him. Nothing would. He was too powerful to die.

Fhargall ran down the long, grassy slopes of the fields. Dawn was breaking in the sky, so he was able to see that he wasn’t very far behind his target. He saw, very faintly, the shape of some sort of vehicle with another shape of a yak-like rahi pulling it. Being motivated by this sight, he pulled himself forward even faster. However he was not able to go that fast for as long as he liked, and soon had to stop to rest. The tiny smudge in the distance soon retracted from view.

“Well, I might not be able to catch them in pursuit. Might as well have to track.”

He took about a five minute break and then got to his feet. He walked this time, making sure that he was on the trail of the yak-rahi. By noon, he took another break. Once he got back up, he moved a bit faster. His eyes spotted a small object lying in the grass. When he ran over to it, he recognized it as a translator device.

These small, handheld, grenade-like devices could be thrown at an organism that spoke a different language. Upon landing, it would transfer its speech to the native one of the thrower.

“This could come in handy later,” he said to himself.

However what Fhargall didn’t notice was the pair of huge, glassy eyes that were trained on his figure. The black creature watched him high in the sky, waiting for the right moment to strike.

An oddly-shaped Matoran hobbled over to a glass pyramid. The structure was about a foot tall, and was positioned on a silk pillow. The Matoran pressed a button on the side of it, and the clear glass filled with swirling black and green gases.

“Status report, Hamabost,” said a deep voice from the pyramid.

“Things are heating up. The faction that the Koronans know as ‘The Enemy’ is rising in the east of the island. I have not been able to find any specific details about who is in charge of this group, nor of their actual location,” replied the Matoran.

A pair of red eyes emerged from the gases.

“The leader of this ‘Enemy’ is a figure of legend that only beings that are older than we know of,” said the eyes.

“Who can we ask in order to learn more information about this? Who is so old that they would have clear details about him?”

There was a long pause.

“No...you don’t mean…” stammered Hamabost.

“Who else would know?”

“But how will we contact him? In order to talk to him, we’ll need to have someone with enough willpower to be able to talk to him.”

There was another pause in the conversation.

“We will use one of our own,” said the pair of eyes.

“Who is currently not assigned to a task?”

A long, uncomfortable silence descended upon both of them.

“Bitil is already assigned to this region. I will contact him and tell him to meet with you.”

“When shall he arrive?”

“Next week. He is currently two islands south of Artidax.”

“Can we trust Bitil to meet with a being as influential as he is?”

“Hamabost, the only other Makuta that is not on a mission right now is Antroz, and he is about to be assigned to something much more important than this.”

“I thought you said that keeping the Southern Islands free of conflict was essential to The Plan.”

“Yes, however this is only a matter of one island. You will meet with Bitil in a week, and he will be sent to confront Tren Krom, understand?”

“Yes, Teridax.”

Fhargall beheld a massive canyon. It was two days after he started following the chariot. Behind him was regular grassland, but it had a steep drop off. He could not see the other side of the ravine, for a thick cloud of mist covered it. He looked over the edge. In the darkness, he spotted a stone bridge that ran across the chasm that was to his left. And on it, he saw torches. And he heard the sound of yaks stomping the ground.

 

Edited December 24, 2015 by Irrie

[Irrie]

Chapter XVI

 

 

 

 

Fhargall slowly crept along the bridge that spanned the chasm. It was made from stone and had many engravings on its sides. Up ahead, he saw the torches of the company that had taken his friends.

The fog seemed to have gotten thicker. He had to walk faster in order to catch up with the group. As he made it across, he heard voices. He moved faster. The outline of the chariot appeared. There was a dark figure that emerged from it. It carried a long, tube-shaped weapon.

Fhargall loaded an arrow onto his bow. He pulled it back. Fired.

The bolt whizzed through the air. He purposefully tried to miss, as it was but a warning shot. The person turned around when it saw the arrow pass. Fhargall spotted a vague gleam of a heartlight through the mist, however its eyes didn’t give off any illumination. It shouted something to someone inside the chariot. The reigns were pulled on, and the yaks stopped. Two other figures climbed out of the vehicle and walked over to Fhargall.

As they came closer, he was able to see more details on their persons. They had masks. Not normal Kanohi, no. These masks were of various colors, had ferocious faces on them, and covered almost all of their heads. Bulging eyes, huge ears, and gold accents were only some of these helms’ features.

The beings that wore them were all Matoran, but wore the same grey armor. In their arms were lightstone rifles, loaded and trained on him.

“State your business,” said the one in front.

“My business is that I seek to pass this bridge.”

“And you tried to accomplish that by firing arrows at us?”

“No, rather it was a way to get your attention.”

They exchanged glances.

“Come with us.”

Fhargall walked forward. Two of the masked people grabbed him and took his arrows and bow. The other put a blindfold on him and tied his hands behind his back with rope. They prodded him forward with their weapons. Once they were at the chariot, they picked him up and loaded him inside. They climbed into the front part of the vehicle and cracked a whip to start the yaks.

Fhargall, blindfolded and tied up, began brainstorming how he would escape. The others were not on this chariot, so this must be the last in a long line of them. The rest of this trip was rather slow and quite uneventful, for they only stopped a few times to make sure he was still in the back.

After roughly eight hours, they stopped. Fhargall was pulled out and dropped onto the ground. His blindfold was removed.

He was in the middle of a dirt road. On either side of him were many houses. To his left was a huge slope, indicating that this village was built on the side of a mountain.

“Get up,” said one of the yak-drivers. He did as he was told, and was then marched through the town. They arrived at a taller building that was located in the center. He walked up the steps, and into the doorway.

On the inside was a long hall. It had pillars on either side, made from dark green marble. A long red rug was in the center of the passageway, however its main feature was at the end. There, on a throne, sat a very muscular Ko-Matoran. His mask was the most elaborate of them all.

It was dark blue with three eyes painted on it. It had golden eyebrows and a beard added to it. In addition, there were five skulls that jutted from the top. The mouth was huge and had yellow teeth and a red rim. It also had two ears on the lower sides of the mask.

“Come,” said the Matoran on the throne. Fhargall walked forward.

When he stood before him, the Matoran got up from his throne. He looked down at Fhargall, his expression impossible to read from behind his mask.

“Why were you in our land?” he asked. His voice was deep and powerful.

“Why did you take my friends?”

“Answer me.”

“Why?”

“Because I can and will hurt you. Answer me.”

“I was on your land because you took my friends

“You will see your friends again when we will it so.”

“Oh? What about when I will it?”

“Are you challenging me?”

“Why yes, I am.”

The Matoran stepped down from his throne and looked Fhargall in the eye.

“Listen traveler, I don’t know how things work where you come from, but in these parts we don’t tolerate challenges to people in power.”

“Oh really? How intolerant are you?”

The Ko-Matoran grabbed Fhargall by the throat and threw him across the room.

“We are very intolerant. Or at least if we want to stay in our position.”

“What do you mean by that?”

He walked over to where Fhargall was and stood over him, his arms folded.

“In these parts if you want something, you’re going to have to fight me for it.”

“What makes you so confident you’re going to beat me?” replied Fhargall.

“Do you not see my position? I am the ruler of this village! I got this position by fighting for it. Every year we have a tournament. The winner gets to be the ruler until the next year, when they can fight as the incumbent.”

“So?”

The Ko-Matoran picked Fhargall up and held him against one of the pillars.

“I have been the ruler of this civilization for over two thousand years! I have won the tournament for over two thousand times!”

“Nice, you can do basic math. I’m proud of you.”

Enraged, he picked up Fhargall, held him over his head, and threw him across the room.

“We shall fight tomorrow at sunhigh. If you win, your friends are released. If I win, I’m going to have that silly mask of yours mounted on my wall!”

Fhargall slowly got to his feet, his body aching with pain.

“Why do you want my mask? Are you just envious because you don’t actually have one?”

The Ko-Matoran laughed. It was a truly horrible sound to listen to.

“Envious of your mask? You fool! Our civilization progressed beyond the need for basic Kanohi long ago. The only reason why I wear this one is because it’s a symbol of my authority!”

Fhargall didn’t say anything after that. He was escorted by several guards to a dungeon that was below the building.

It was made out of rotting wood. His cell only had a small mattress. There was a wooden door to it, but there were several guards outside. That eliminated the possibility of breaking it down.

He slept there that night. The next morning he was given a bowl of mashed up leaves to eat. They were surprising filling. When he asked why they gave him such nutrients, they said that the village ruler wanted to have a challenge in the fight.

When it was almost sunhigh, he was taken to the town square. It was basically a ring of sand that was fences off by several logs. The ruler was there, waiting for him.

“As custom in our tradition, the challenger may choose the weapon,” he said. Fhargall was presented with an array of arms. Among them were swords, daggers, blasters, morningstars, and others.

He picked up a wooden club.

“Interesting choice,” said the ruler. He too grabbed the same weapon. The crowd was ordered to quiet down as they were about to begin the match.

A Ba-Matoran walked into the middle of the circle.

“Do you, Fhargall, challenge our village ruler?”

“Yes.”

“Do you accept the challenge?”

“Yes.”

“Then you may begin fighting when ready.”

He walked out of the ring. Immediately, the Ko-Matoran advanced on Fhargall. His twisted mask added a fear factor, however Fhargall tried his best to ignore it. He picked up his club and ran at him.

He slashed in an ‘x’ pattern. The ruler dodged a few of these and delivered a some blows of his own. Fhargall ducked down and slid between his legs. He delivered a shot of his weapon to the Ko-Matoran’s lower back. However he was too fast. As soon as it struck his armor, Fhargall found himself being hoisted into the air. He was launched down onto the ground. When he picked his head up from the sand, he saw the Matoran running at him.

A swift kick to the face cause him to roll over. Fhargall crawled away, but the ruler jumped on his back and tackled him. He rolled the Fa-Matoran over and grabbed his neck. He clamped down hard, Fhargall was feeling his air supply draining. Thinking fast, he pulled his hand out from under him and punched the ruler in the side of the head, causing him to topple over.

Fhargall quickly sprang to his feet. He grabbed his club, raised it over his head, and hit the ruler in the face. His mask was shattered but that didn’t make any difference to the fight, since his breed of Matoran learned how to live without Kanohi long ago.

The ruler was stunned from the blow Fhargall delivered. Rather than finishing him off, he knelt beside him. He placed three fingers on the Ko-Matoran’s forehead.

“I can sense the evil within you, but it was not always there. No, for the enemy infested you with a dark spirit long ago,” he said. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. The ruler’s body trembled and his heartlight flashed. A dim green glow illuminated from where Fhargall’s fingers were on the Ko-Matoran’s head.

The ruler screamed in pain, however it was not his agony. No, for the spirit that was controlling him was suffering. Suddenly, and orange beam of light shot out from his mouth. Fhargall instantly retracted his arm. The orange light formed a sphere in the air. It slowly morphed into a humanoid figure. It had two silver eyes, a huge staff, and strong legs. It landed on the ground. By this point, the crowd watching the fight had fled.

The creature stood before Fhargall.

“You will be destroyed for this,” it said.

“Oh really? Just like how the Kinship and the Koronans destroyed your forces at the battle of the wall? Don’t think I don’t recognize you, Messenger of the East.”

“I would destroy you now, but you still have a purpose, Fhargall.”

The yellow creature summoned a rhotuka spinner using his staff. He mounted on it and flew off to the East.

The Ko-Matoran’s eyes slowly opened.

“What happened?” he weakly asked. Fhargall ran to his side and bent down next to him.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” said Fhargall.

“I...um...was walking...and I found a person in yellow armor…”

“Say no more. A spirit was possessing you, but it is now gone.”

The rest of the villagers had returned. Seeing as that their leader was defeated, they began whispering to one another, for they feared Fhargall.

The Fa-Matoran picked up the former ruler and slung him over his shoulder. He walked to the jailkeeper, who was also there to watch the match.

“Show me my friends,” he said.

Stricken with fear, he immediately ran to the prison. A few minutes later, he emerged with Kordé, Alvek, and Urm behind him. They ran to greet Fhargall, however they made sure to leave quickly. Fhargall brought the ruler with him, since he would not be welcome back in his village.

The six of them congregated in the forest nearby.

“Today, I have been put to shame. Not only have my own people thrown me out, but my willpower proved to be too weak to resist an evil spirit. Never again will I look upon myself with as much pride as I once did,” said the ruler.

“What are you going to do now?” said Fhargall. “You’ve got an entire universe to explore.”

The ruler looked off to the north.

“You know, I should. From what I’ve heard, this is one of the most southern islands that have been discovered. I think I shall go north and find somewhere to build a new life.”

The Ko-Matoran walked away into the forest.

“Wait!” shouted Fhargall.

“Yes?”

“What’s your name?”

“Drararius.”

“Oh, okay. Just wondering.”

The Ko-Matoran disappeared into the thick cover of trees. His journeys would take him to many new lands, and he would have many more adventures. He would never be quite as strong and powerful as he once was, however his knowledge of plants, lore, and legends would become very useful one day.

Fhargall turned to Kordé, Alvek, and Urm.

“Well, now that we’re all in one spot, what should we do?”

“I say report back to the Kinship,” said Urm. “The Le-Matoran were almost destroyed in that attack, so they should need some help.”

“Agreed,” said Alvek.

“Very well. Let us return to the west.”

However just before they left, they saw a huge figure stumble through the trees. It was massive, and looked like it was a fusion of six different beings. It had no mask.

“Help...me...please…” it mumbled.

Edited December 24, 2015 by Irrie

[Irrie]

Chapter XVII

 

 

 

Kordé and Urm ran just as the giant collapsed, barely escaping being crushed. Fhargall walked up to its head and kneeled down.

“What is wrong?” he asked.

The giant slowly looked up at them, his eyes partially closed.

“The...the wild men…”

Fhargall looked up at the others.

“Who are the wild men?” he asked the giant.

“No...no...noooo…”

The creature shut its eyes and its head sank. Fhargall gently lowered down to the ground. He looked at the other three, his expression grim.

“He’s too heavy for us to carry, and his life force is waning fast. Urm, return westward. Tell the Kinship and The Koro of these happenings. Run with your life.”

Urm nodded and took off through the trees, the spirit of a thousand Matoran in his feet.

“Alvek, stay here and guard him. Kordé and I are going out to find what injured him.”

“What? Why am I staying here?”

“Because someone needs to guard him.”

“Why not you or Kordé?”

Fhargall leaned in close to her.

“Alvek, I am putting you here because I know you can defend him from any attack, understand?”

Alvek nodded slowly. 

Guarding the creature was quite interesting. It didn’t look like it was alive, but its six heartlights kept flashing.

Its armor looked like it was of six different colors. It had no mask.

“Very fascinating,” she said.

However her focus was on the giant so much that she didn’t notice the pair of glassy eyes staring at her from the cover of leaves.

Dallior paced up and down his throne room. The Fearless Leader was in there with him.

Ever since the Kinship of the Black Komau’s headquarters was destroyed, they were stationed inside The Koro until they could move back out. Dallior had recently called The Fearless Leader to his quarters to discuss a strange event that had just happened.

Citizens were reporting seeing strange rahi dancing in the firelight. Wherever there was a torch, one would spot a strange shadow lurking nearby. Nobody ever got a good glimpse of it, but many said that they resemble huge bugs with long teeth.

“What does this mean?” asked Dallior, frustrated. “What does it mean? We have never seen these creatures before!”

The Fearless Leader was silent for most of the meeting. He sat in a wooden chair over to the side. His head looked upward at the Koro’s leader.

“Aptal Bah,” he said.

“No…”

Alvek sat on a log, utterly bored. She began shooting the dirt below her feet with blasts from her electro blades. When a fire started, she would stomp it out with her boots and start over again.

Suddenly, she heard a sound. It was a leaf crunch. She turned around and saw a dark outline just beyond the tree. Grabbing her weapons, she walked over and investigated. There was nothing.

“Why…” she muttered. When she turned around, she saw two huge eyes staring at her from the other side of the clearing. She ran toward it and saw the eyes disappear. She climbed over a log and examined the area. Nothing.

“Who’s there?”

Silence answered her. She tensed up and slowly turned around and around. Nothing moved. Scuttling.

She whirled around and saw a creature unlike anything she had seen before. It had two huge eyes, a gaping mouth, long legs, and dark colored armor.

A black mantis.

It growled at her. Its giant appendages flexed as it charged forward. Alvek activated her weapons and ducked to the side. The mantis flew past her, then spun around. It gnashed its teeth with sick madness.

It had a transparent layer of armor protecting its eyes. It slowly unrolled them. One the layer of armor was gone, it fired two laser blasts out of them. Alvek only barely escaped being struck by one of them. She rolled over and sprang back to her feet. Weapons ready, she raced toward the beast. It began to slide the protective armor back over its eyes. Taking advantage of this, she threw one of the electro blades at it. The weapon slided through the creature’s glossy eyeball with grim accuracy.

The black-armored beast screamed in pain as the pulses of electricity coursed through its body. A lavender-colored ooze of blood seeped out from where the blade was embedded into the mantis’ eye.

Confused and driven mad with pain, the black mantis ran over to a rock and began to bang its head on it in a beastly attempt to remove the weapon. It only managed to wedge it further and further into its skull.

The beast collapsed to the ground, driven unconscious by the electric blasts that were still being sent into its body. Alvek strode forward and removed the blade from the eye.

She took a few steps back, confused and out of breath. Suddenly, something caught her eye. It was a small, spherical, metal object. It was right next to Fhargall and Kordé’s backpacks. It looked like it rolled out of Fhargall’s. She walked over to examine it. When she held it in her hand, she recognized it as a translation grenade.

Grinning, she picked it up and walked over to the unconscious mantis and waited for it to wake up.

“What do you mean Aptal Bah?”

“Do I look like I’m joking? I mean what I say.”

“But the Aptal Bah have been extinct for years, I witnessed the destruction of the last one!”

“They are not like other rahi, Dallior,” said the Fearless Leader. “The Aptal Bah can create others like themselves. They spread through spores that they release through the air.”

“What...how? How did you come across this information?”

“Dallior, The Kinship of The Black Komau has been in hiding for ages. We know many things about this strange island.”

“Then...where did the Aptal Bah come from?”

“South.”

“South?”

“South.”

“But I thought you said that this island was one of the most southern ones in existence.”

“One of. There is one more that rests beyond us.”

“Is that where they’re coming from?”

“No...it is where they came from. The ones that are showing up now are the spawn of several spores that were left here. Probably they were frozen somewhere underground and recently thawed out.”

Dallior was silent for a moment.

“Last time, we surrounded the village with torches in order to see them. We then sent out some of our soldiers to exterminate them. Should we do that again?”

The Fearless Leader sat up in his chair.  

“Dallior, the Aptal Bah are not like any other species of rahi. They can release spores at any time they wish. One cannot kill them all.”

“Exactly, I was about to get to my point. Last time, killing them didn’t work. How about we disable their ability to eject spores?”

The Fearless Leader stood up. “And how do you plan to achieve that?”

Dallior paused for a moment.

“Well, we’re going to need to catch one first.”

Alvek smiled as she saw the one good eye of the mantis slowly open. It glanced around, confused. The Vo-Matoran removed the safety clip and the pin on the translation grenade and launched it at the mantis. It landed just in front of it, where it exploded into a cloud of blueish purple dust.

The mantis rose to its feet. For the first time, it did not have the appearance of a brutish creature, nor a monstrous savage. No, for it had a regal and kingly elegance, despite its strange form.

It opened its mouth.

“Who are you?” it said. Its voice was deep and commanding, like that of an old war general.

“My name is Alvek. What is yours?”

“Drust.”

Edited December 24, 2015 by Irrie

[Irrie]

Chapter XVIII

 

 

 

 

“Drust? Were you one of the members of the Kinship at one point?” asked Alvek.

“Yes...please listen to my tale...it is a long and strange one…” replied the mantis.

 

“For many years of my life, I lived a peaceful Skakdi. I rose through the ranks of our militia and soon became a Commander of a Legion. But then one day, I gained a deeper connection to the element of earth. I also gained the ability to fire lasers from my eyes, quite a useful one I may add. Some strange spider-like creatures also arrived on our island that day, too.

“But on that same day, the government crumbled. My brothers and sisters turned on each other and began destroying the civilization that each of us had worked so hard to build. Several assassination attempts were made on me by my own legionnaires. I had to leave the island.

“Swallowing my pride and abandoning my honor, I fled to the beaches of the island. I was followed by several of the assassins, all of which were once my top lieutenants. They fired their weapons onto me. I faked being shot by one of the blasts and disappeared below the waves. I swam as fast as I could, unable to take any breaths. I soon learned that my former lieutenants had assumed me dead and took control of my legions. Much to my pleasure, I also learned that they were all slaughtered in battle days later.

“I swam to a trade barge that was passing by. It was run by several Matoran from the Northern Continent. I climbed onto it and hid amongst the storage. Once we arrived at destination, Nynrah, I fled the boat and jumped onto another one, bound for the Southern Continent. We went there, and so I fled onto the continent where I lived in the wilderness for hundreds of years.

“Much later, I decided to build a boat for myself. I wanted to go and explore the Southern Islands, maybe build up an army of the inhabitants and live in prosperity for the rest of my days. However that was not the case. I landed on a small island, inhabited by mostly jungle. After that I found another one that was nothing but desert, however it did have a huge mountain in the middle that was capped with snow. Quite an interesting sight, however it had little resources so I moved on.

“The next island I couldn’t even go in, for it was plagued with traps. After that, I found twin ones that had very lush forests. The next one was a little further away than the others, but was nothing but rolling hills of sand. After that, I found an island that had many leagues of grassland. It also had a mighty river that poured in from the south side. Then I came across an island with dark pine trees for as far as the eye could see. My journey then took me to a second pair of twin islands. The one on the west was lush and forested, however the one on the east looked like a city in ruin, the remains of tall metal buildings dancing in the sunlight.

“I was tempted to venture into this island, however I wanted to see the rest of the Southern Islands before doing so. I planned to explore the last couple and then come back. However when I made landfall onto the shores of this island, I encountered a Kinsman. He, despite my superiority in size and strength, managed to blindfold me and I was escorted to the Kinship’s headquarters. I later learned that his name was Urm.

“The Fearless Leader questioned me. After I explained I was here for exploration, he offered me a spot in the Kinship of the Black Komau. I graciously accepted, and was soon dispatched on missions involving the securement of The Koro.

“Then it all changed one day when my teammate, Cynwrig, and I were kidnapped by several soldiers of the enemy. We were taken underground, where I was mutated into a gigantic black mantis. I was driven insane with the toxic chemicals they pumped into my mind, and so I became nothing more than a savage beast.

“I encountered a friend of yours...Fhargall I think was his name...several times. Since my mind was in a state of madness, I lost all reasoning and attacked him. I spotted him leaving the wold on a wolf mount, and so I followed him in the skies. When he was taken by the strange Matoran that lived in the mountains, I hid in these woods, waiting for the right moment to come out and strike him. Instead, I found you.”

“So why did you attack me?” asked Alvek.

“My mind goes in and out of phases of insanity and stability. However insanity usually dominates.”

“Hm.”

“Tell me, is Cynwrig alright? Did she make it back to the Kinship okay?”

“No...I’m sorry...she died while saving another associate. However this all happened before my time in the organization.”

The mantis unhinged its jaw and roared in agony. The very ground below them shook with the bellow. It opened up its wings and took flight. Alvek called after it, but it was out of sight long before she could.

That night, she watched the unconscious creature that was guarding. Its six heartlights were still beating, however it was not yet awake. She slowly nodded off to sleep.

In her dream, she was walking down a dirt road. On either side of her were wooden fences and grasslands beyond that.

As she walked down the pathway, she saw a dark shape up ahead. It was tall, however its shoulders were extremely broad. As it got closer, she saw its features. It had a long head with a rough and coarse mane. Its eyes were brown and its muscles were of incredible proportion. It had two axes in its hands.

When it was in front of her, it snorted.

“Who...who are you?” she asked.

“I am the one known as Dance-With-Trees. I am the last of my kind, the kind that once ruled over all of the Southern Islands in the days of Tren Krom. Most of our people were executed by the Greater Ones, however only I remain.”

“Isn’t this just a dream?”

Dance-With-Trees snorted.

“This is a dream, but my people were given the ability to communicate in dreams long ago. I am here to give you a message.”

“From whom?”

“This message is from the land that you stand on, the air that you breath, and the water that you drink. It was delivered to me on the very first sunrise, when the world was new.”

“What is the message?”

“‘The tallest beam of light shall lead, however the ones beside it shall also lead. Then they shall become towers of protection’.”

“What?”

However the world around her began to vanish. Her vision blurred and she awoke in the clearing.

“Dance-With-Trees?” she called. No answer.

She got up from her stop and stomped the ground. Nothing made sense. It was still somewhat dark, so she walked over to one of the torches and set it ablaze.

However in the corner of her eye, she thought that she saw a shape in the light. She turned around, but it was no longer there.

Then, she heard a voice in her head. It was that of Dance-With-Trees.

“Aptal Bah.”

Edited December 8, 2014 by The Irrational Rock

[Irrie]

Chapter XIX

 

 

 

 

 

Fhargall and Kordé hiked down a narrow pathway in a forested area. To their left was a series of old, rounded, mountains. To their right was more forest. They were following the sound of running water, for they had not drank in many hours.

“Fhargall, do you know what we are chasing?”

“Well, I think ‘tracking’ would be a better term, Kordé. But no, I do not know what we are following. Whatever it is, it is certainly dangerous, for it was able to take down a that colossus back there.”

“Speaking of, how do you think Alvek is doing?”

“Probably nothing eventful has happened. If anything was pursuing the giant, we would have found it by now, since we are using the same path that it did.”

There was a long silence. After many minutes, Kordé broke it.

“Have you ever heard of a Turaga Nui?”

“Ah, yes. The legendary Turaga Nui. Said to be one of the wisest beings ever to exist, second only to Mata Nui himself. What about it?”

“The being back there...it had six heartlights. Do you think it was that?”

“Hardly likely. A Turaga Nui would have fallen seriously ill without its mask. That being had none.”

“Well it did fall over, right?”

“True, but it looked like it had been running for quite some time. It wouldn’t have been able to do that had it not had its mask and if it was a Turaga Nui.”

They soon reached a small rock side. They scrambled up it and found a large clearing. It was a rocky platform, several puddles dotted through it.

“Well, this looks like a good outlook spot, eh?” said Fhargall. “I say that we get something to drink and revisit our plans from there.”

“Alright.”

They bent down and lapped up some water from there. As they looked around, they could see many a mountain top.

“If this doesn’t already have a name, I think I’ll call it ‘Spy Rock’,” said Kordé.

“Suits it well.”

They continued drinking. Fhargall suddenly stiffened. He looked around at the tree tops, while grabbing an arrow from his quiver.

“Stand still,” he whispered. “We are not alone.”

Kordé slowly looked up. He didn’t move a mussel. Suddenly, they felt heavy. They collapsed to the ground, as if an invisible force was grabbing and holding them down. Their muscles screamed with pain as their armor closed in on them. Their vision blurred, and they blacked out. But the pain continued on in their sleep.

 

They awoke, confused and stunned. They were on the ground, but the floor was divided. Bricks. Cobblestone. More like cobblestone, but less like bricks. However still somewhat brick-like in nature.

When the fog was out of their eyes, they sat up. Their muscle tissue ached with pain, and their armor had small cracks in them. They got to their feet. They were in a room. Tall, narrow windows surrounded them, while a wooden desk lay in front. It was cluttered with old, worn parchments and books. Although their bodies screamed against it, they walked to examine it.

The books were in a language unknown to both of them. The letters looked like lines, each with a different amount of smaller lines fixed in various positions on them. Kordé peered out a window. What he saw shocked him.

“Fhargall, look! We’re...floating!”

They both gazed out the opening in the wall. Sure enough, the ground was many miles below them, clouds slightly obscuring their vision.

“I see you’ve taken a liking to my engineering,” said a voice. As they spun around, they saw a strange creature.

It towered over them, taller than any being they ever confronted before. It had a wolf-like snout, and tall, pointed ears. A long tails swooped behind him, a dagger tied to it. His left arm was robotic, featuring two jagged claws Its eyes were deep red and bulged out of its forehead. He was well armored, and had huge muscles that emerged from his body.

“Who are you, good sir?” asked Fhargall.

The being sniffed the air.

“I smell fear in you. However not as much as I would expect. That is good. You have seen bizarre creatures before, have you not?” it growled.

“It’s our job to make dealings with the strange,” said Fhargall.

“Excellent.”

“Why are we here?”

“Inquisitive, are we?” the creature said, while walking over to his desk. “Well, you are here because I seek audience with you two. You’re affiliated with The Kinship of The Black Komau, correct?”

They nodded.

“Good. We share a common enemy...in this case, The Enemy.”

“What quarrel do you have with them?”

“Well, we have not formally met yet. However their leader knows of my presence, and would like to eliminate me. Not yet, no. He needs to build up an army even larger than the one he has right now if he wishes to challenge me.”

“So...the probability of them attacking you makes them an enemy to you?”

“Yes, that, and I’ve seen the cruelty that they’ve done to the land. They level mountains in a matter of days to farm molten substances to build weapons.”

Kordé spoke up.

“Leader? They have a leader? Who is he?”

“Their leader…a monster. I’ve never seen him before, but I’ve heard rumors about him. His power dwarfs that of ten thousand Toa, one has said.”

Fhargall talked.

“Why are we floating?”

“Well, I suppose I should tell you. After all, a friend of The Kinship is a friend of me. Anyway, it’s floating because of my powers.”

“Powers?”

“Yes, powers. Listen to my tale, for it is a most interesting one.

 

“Long ago, in the days of Tren Krom, when no star gleamed in the sky, there were Great Beings. They occasionally came and went, for they were the creators of the land. Clothed in dark robes, these people were great inventors and craftsmen. They were the ones that installed...and removed...Tren Krom.

“You see, when they were brainstorming the ideas of elemental powers, they decided that they would create a body that would have complete control over that element in the entire universe. Many of them were reluctant to do this, as they referenced an event long before even that. The specifics on what that was are unknown even to me.

“So, the sixteen were forged from a protosteel even purer than the most prized shard in the entire universe. They each gave sentience and sapience to us, for I am one of them. I am the Body of Gravity.

“We all traversed the world together. However when the reign of Tren Krom neared its end, the Great Beings confronted us once again. They stated that a new spirit was to rule the land, one by the name of Mata Nui. They told us that should he be killed, and no being takes his place, we were to be woken up, and would monitor the stability of our respective elements.

“When we asked them what they meant by ‘woken up’, six containers emerged from the ground. We were sucked into them, and fell into a deep sleep.

“However, after doing some research on the matter, I concluded that there was an error in the programming of the containers. They miscalculated how long we were to be unconscious, and we awoke about fifty thousand years ago.

“My brothers and sisters were bitter that they were put asleep, however they managed to get over that. We all made dwellings on this island, for it was our favorite in the entire universe. We’ve lived here ever since.”

 

“So why don’t you just destroy the enemy?” asked Fhargall. “You have control over all aspects of the universe.”

“It is not our destiny,” replied Gravity. “We were never intended to awake by now. Interfering would create chain reactions that could shake the fabric of existence. It’s too risky.”

There was a moment’s silence.

“Where are the others? Your brothers and sisters?”

“Ah. Brother Green dwells in a forest region far to the east…”

“The wold?” asked Kordé.

“Yes, as you would call it. Sister Sonics lives atop a mountain range not far from here. But that’s about it. Sister Earth and Brother Shadow are far below the ground. Their kingdoms spreads far and wide, so they are technically close, but that’s debatable.”

“So...how can we help you?”

“I actually wish to help you, instead. The enemy has unleashed an old enemy of the people of The Koro. I believe that I can use my powers to your advantage.”

“I thought the fabric of existence would be ripped if you used your powers.”

“That only happens if all sixteen of us use our powers simultaneously and for the same purpose.”

“Then who is the enemy?”

“Aptal Bah.”

“No…” Kordé stammered. “No...no…”

“Yes,” said Gravity. “It is true.”

“I thought they were all dead.”

“Dead, sure. But more are coming. The enemy has unleashed them. They’ve made them even more evil than before.”

[Irrie]

Chapter XX

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alvek saw a lone eye slowly open on the head of the giant. The light that radiated from it was a multitude of colors. Then the other eye opened.

She walked over and stood beside the creature. It slowly opened its mouth.

“Who?” it said in a gasping voice.

“I am Alvek.”

Its eyes slowly shut once more.

 

The Fearless Leader and Dallior stood side-by-side in the throne room.

“How’s the progress?” he asked.

“So far so good. We’re still getting the farmers on the outskirts back in, as well as locating a few stragglers.”

The grand doors opened, and in walked a stout Bo-Matoran, clad in a mask of charisma.

“My name is Gaffo,” she said. “Both of you are requested in basement level 27 immediately.”

The two of them marched down the winding staircases of the tower along with Gaffo. After a long while, they eventually made it to the floor in question. There they saw a large clear cylinder in the middle of the hallway. There were Matoran crowding around it, discussing various things. However it was what was inside the canister that surprised both of them.

“An Aptal Bah,” whispered Dallior.

Held in suspended animation was a large panther-like rahi with two tails that stemmed out from its back. Its fur was dotted with small white specks, and its claws had tiny thorns sprouting from them.

“Yes, an Aptal Bah,” said the Fearless Leader, taking a deep breath. “The stuff of mythology.”

They both walked toward it.

“How can it be here? What’s keeping it from disappearing?” said Dallior.

“We are shining a light through a certain type of lense onto it,” replied Gaffo. “By doing this, we are able to keep it from vanishing. Because as you know, Aptal Bah can only be seen in direct sunlight.”

 

Alvek saw a shadow move in the corner of her eye once more. Her head jerked around, but she saw nothing.

“Who is there?”

No response. She remained absolutely still, clutching her electro blades tightly. A leaf was stepped on behind her. She stiffened. She heard the ever so gentle sound of paws gingerly padding behind her. It was walking toward her. She waited not one second too late, as she whirled around and launched herself at the ground. Rather than hitting the sand, she felt her blades sink into the hide of a pelt. A ferocious roar erupted from the blank space, and she saw a translucent shape in front of her. Behold, it was a panther-beast!

However the Vo-Matoran had to time to marvel at this. The rahi whirled around and roared. It launched itself at her. Activating her electro-blades, she sent bolts of lightning crackling through the air. They landed square on the rahi, jolting it with grim accuracy. The beast spasmed in mid-flight, and stumbled down to the ground, a cloud of dust arising around it. It fell limp, unconscious.

As Alvek approached it, she noticed that it shimmered in the light. Depending on how she looked at it, it became more and less translucent. From one angle, it was almost totally invisible. She bent down and poked the body. But as she did so, she heard an enormous creaking from behind her. As she spun around, she beheld the giant was standing up. Its broad shoulders creaked and moaned with every motion it took.

“Who are you?” she asked. The giant looked down at her with gentle but weary eyes.

“I am the Toa of Many Colors, an abomination of nature, a violation of the laws of physics itself.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am a Toa Nui. I was formed when two Toa Kaita fused together against their will to save a village from a monster.”

“Where is your Kanohi?” she asked.

“Lost. Gone. I’ve been teleporting to random locations in the universe for the past few weeks at a rate of three teleportations per second, because my power is so unstable. I must have lost it along the way.”

“What attacked you like that? I mean yesterday, you stumbled into the clearing all beaten up like that.”

The Toa Nui looked up at the stars. He was clearly very troubled.

“What attacked me was a being that was filled with cruelty and greed. It was clad in orange armor and narrow, silvery eyes. It held a spear in its hand, and attacked me with rhotuka that exploded on impact.”

That image reminded Alvek of the being that she saw yesterday at the village, however she didn’t mention it.

“When it attacked me, it was flying on top of a rhotuka. Rather than asking me for identification, it went on the offensive as soon as it was in range. I was forced to flee, for I feared that my powers would cause too much damage. He continued to lay waste to my integrity until I was able to shake him off my trail at this point.”

“Where is he? I can take him down if you want!”

“No, that will not be necessary. Not at all,” he said. The ground below him began to shake.

It was at that moment that a most odd event happened. The soil below them slowly began to rise. It molded itself into a humanoid figure. As it stood up, it revealed itself to be a biomechanical being like them.

“What is that?” said Alvek. The creature turned and looked at her with bright green eyes that were like slits.

“I have a tale to tell both of you,” it whispered.

Edited April 13, 2015 by The Irrational Rock