Wasteland

[Eyru]

IC

The Queen took the stone carving from Elara, gently tracing the crude face with a finger. "Hello," she whispered. "Who are you?" She gazed at the tablet for a long moment before looking back up at her guest and waving a hand.

 

"Take her to the fountain. Go. Leave me."

 

Takava nodded, then placed a hand on Elara's shoulder. "Come, little one. Your reward awaits."

 

 

IC

"Everybody out!"

 

Dessimus' shout was a little latecoming, but at the very least it gave the Mataron in the Wastes a direction to run in. Most of the villagers were already halfway up the slopes of the plateau, with a few stragglers only now making their way to the bottom, desperately trying to hold on to the day's findings as they ran.

 

IC

The desert was silent as Zavarix walked, although the tension remained. Who knew if the worm was underneath him at this very moment, ready to burst through and swallow him whole...

 

IC

Uri clambered over the top of the cliff; somehow, he had managed to hold on to the scrap he and Hanari had found. He looked out over the Wastes, heart thumping.

 

"You okay?" he asked Hanari.

 

IC

As Kuur rocked on the ground, he heard a voice.

 

"He-ey," Nix asked worriedly. "Are you alri-ight?"

 

IC

"What're ya doing?" Maru yelled, watching Toku run off into the sand. "Get out a' here!"

 

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Toku:

 

"C'mon you big meat slab!" She shouted, not knowing if the worm could hear her, or even if it was indeed taking the proverbial bait.

 

All she could do was keep running, hoping to lure it away from the others.

Edited June 20, 2016 by Strider!

[Nato G]

IC: Elara - The Tower.

 

"Was that... outburst... normal?" She asked quietly, forcing herself not to try to shrug off the bony fingers gripping at her shoulder, "She wouldn't really leave everyone in Canus to die, would she?" 

[FallenAtlas]

IC: Agonos

 

 Agonos had barely stepped from his hut, new weapon in tow, when broke loose in Canus.

 

 "Sandworms." he muttered, running to the edge to catch a glimpse of the creature tearing up the wastes below. "Good." The slower ones would die, and the more veteran Matoran would survive. Weed out the new comers, bit by bit. Even if it took a sandworm to do it.

 

 He paused in his reflection and rubbed his chin. But why? What would awaken such a thing as a sandworm now? Curious. He didn't have the answers now, but he would soon. He had an idea where to look. He looked back up at the chaotic scene below. "After the new comers die."

[SnowyAegis]

IC:Hanari

Hanari sighed.

"Y-Yeah. Climbing with one hand is a little hard. But..." She glanced back out.

"There are people out there with ramshackle spears trying to fight that thing. I can see them, kinda. And here I am with a sharp, intact longsword, and here I am running away." Hanari grumbled as she climbed.

"It just...feels wrong."

[Virid]

IC: Zavarix - the Wastes

 

Zavarix neared the base of the cliff, sensing the tension in the air; some were fleeing for their lives, while others remained behind to defend them. Zavarix was trying not to think about what had happened, or what could happen. He wondered about fleeing, after what he'd seen nobody could blame him for running. However, whether from shock or forgotten past experiences, he was feeling oddly calm. At any rate he needed to tell people what was out there if they had yet to see for themselves, though that would be hard considering he couldn't speak...

 

 

IC: Keristary

 

Keristary was almost on level ground once more, had she really made it? Excited by the prospect of not only making it back alive, but with something to trade for water, she let herself get her hopes up. However, this excitement faded when she looked below at those still making their way up, and out into the wastes where the worm hid.

[Ghidora131]

IC Dessimus

 

Dessimus gritted his teeth angrily as his throat stung. As soon as any Matoran made it to the top, he would be there to...

 

Another Matoran was standing a ways off, simply staring into the wastes. Agonos. "What, are you incompotent or something?!" Dessimus roared at him, his face flaring with rage. "Help them get out!!"

 

 

He turned towards the wastes and saw that Keristary was nearing the top. Skidding down a small slope, he reached his organic hand out to assist, although the hand still fell short by several feet.

[FallenAtlas]

IC: Agonos

 

Agonos' world was narrowed back into focus by a rude voice commanding him to do a job he rather wouldn't do. But face must be saved.

 

Agonos jogged over to the edge and saw what Dessimus was trying to achieve. "Huh." He unslung his iron rod, raised it high, then tossed it down. "Use this!" He shouted. The extra few feet would help.

 

Unfortunately.

[Nato G]

IC: Aurelius - Canus.

 

Leaning back off the rocks with one hand anchoring himself in place, he tossed his scrap, sword and shield up onto the plateau, before heaving himself the last few bio up onto the top. Climbing these cliffs in heavy armour was an arduous task, especially when there was a giant monster somewhere nearby that could try to eat him at any time.

 

But he'd made it, uneaten. He just had to hope the worm couldn't climb. 

[Virid]

IC: Keristary - the Wastes

 

Keristary neared the top when she slipped on some loose grit and began to slide backwards. She looked up to see Dessimus offering a hand, but he was just out of reach. Trying to retain her dignity, she tried ascending the slope once more, only to slip on the exact same spot. A hint of deep red spread across her as she tried to control her annoyance.

[Ghidora131]

IC Dessimus

 

Suddenly, after a few mumbles he couldn't hear, being too distracted by the situation at hand, a pole slammed into the ground next to him like a javelin. He stared at it for several seconds before yanking it out and adding a few extra feet to his reach.

Edited June 21, 2016 by Ghidora131

[Virid]

IC: Keristary - the Wastes

 

Keristary reached out for the pole that Dessimus held and, with his aid, made her way up onto level ground.

 

"Thanks," she muttered to Dessimus and Agonos, hoping that if she acted like everything had gone to plan then they would forget about her struggle to climb a slope.

 

Her embarrassment was short lived, however, as a quick glance into the wastes reminded her of the new threat that had appeared, and what would happen if it didn't disappear.

 

"So... are giant worms considered normal around here?"

[Ghidora131]

IC Dessimus

 

"Depends. Agonos will help you the rest of the way out."

 

It was only a minor slope, but with the previous attempt Dessimus was unsure of Keristary's capability. He looked around for anyone else, but his eyes immediately locked onto Maru and wouldn't let go.

[FallenAtlas]

IC: Agonos

 

"I think the standard for normal changed several days ago." Agonos replied matter-of-factly. He pointed up the slope to the rusty village. "Come, let's ascend."

 

He paused and turned back to Dessimus. "Keep the staff for now. I'll expect it back when this is done." He turned to the female, who's name escaped him. Not that he cared to remember it anyways. Filthy newcomers. "Can you get up this slope yourself, or do you require a boost?"

[Virid]

IC: Keristary - the Wastes

 

"I can manage," she replied, not liking the fact that her abilities were being question. "I just prefer gathering information than scrap, trouble is both these things seem equally difficult to come by in this dull village."

[FallenAtlas]

IC: Agonos

 

Agonos began to scale the slope quickly and with ease. He had done it a million times before and it was just second nature now.

 

At the top, he turned around and offered a hand for the female to grab when she grew close. "There is nothing easy in Canus. Scrap, information? That could kill you."

[Eyru]

IC

Maru watched Toku run off, yelling, then cursed under his breath and turned back towards the cliffs. No sense in sending two to their deaths when one might do.

 

IC

Takava shrugged at Elara's question. "The queen does as she will," he said as they began to descend the stairs. "It's her kingdom, after all."

 

IC

Uri shook his head. "Not wrong. Smart," he said to Hanari. "The Wastes aren't the place for heroics."

 

IC

Almost all the remaining Matoran had managed to escape the Wastes. Those who looked back saw nothing but empty sand; the worm was gone. All that remained were the dark holes it had left behind when it tunneled deep into the ground.

[Nato G]

IC: Elara - The Tower.

 

"Not exactly comforting," she grumbled, continuing her descent, "What was all that about a mask, anyway?" 

[Ghidora131]

IC Dessimus

 

As soon as Maru turned towards the cliffside, Dessimus was moving towards him. He skidded to a stop about 15 Bio away, and a shrill whistle soon followed. "Everyone up the slopes. Now! no hesitations!" It escaped his mind that almost everyone was already heading up the cliffs.

 

"Maru" he panted, "You have to come. There's nothing more we can do here." His face stung with emotion, the weight of the sand in his boots not bothering him at all.

[Tarn]

OOC: I haven't seen Cor on in a while...

​IC: (Hekua)

The Onu-Matoran slowed down.
​"Wait, s-stop! It's gone..."

[Virid]

IC: Zavarix - the Wastes

 

Zavarix made his way back towards Canus with the others, looking back at the sandy landscape now pockmarked with holes. In the end he had decided not to try to explain what he'd seen, he'd probably just have got in the way, and had decided that he would wait till they'd returned to Canus. Still, for such a thing to exist so close to the settlement and for no warning about it to have been given, it made little sense. But with no memories prior to the previous day, nothing made sense. He shouldn't be worrying about a currently absent threat, particularly since said threat had eaten everything he'd found that day, save for his iron rail.

 

 

IC: Keristary - the plateau

 

Knowing she would get nowhere by making a fool of herself, Keristary grabbed Agonos' outstretched hand and allowed him to help her with her final ascent up the slope. The wastes were silent once more and those who were still there seemed to be making their way back, but Keristary still felt an odd sensation somewhere between fear and relief. She had made it up the cliff without running into the monster and was now on her way back to Canus with an item to trade for water, but had the creature really given up that easily? Had it had its fill? And what would happen when they returned to the wastes the next day, or the day after that? These were the questions running through the mind of a Matoran used to knowing everything.

 

"Has anything like this ever happened before?" She asked Agonos.

[SnowyAegis]

IC: Hanari

The Av-Matoran finally reached the top of the cliffs proper, hauling herself up.

"Yeah, I suppose. Guess I'm letting morals get to me." She sighed, turning and looking out over the wastes.

"Looks like it's gone. For now, at least. Anyways, I guess we should head back with what we have." She stretched her shoulders, rubbing the shoulder with no arm attached.

 

She still didn't remember how she lost it, last memory she had she still had it. She'd forgotten. Her and her memory issues. Wouldn't it be nice if she uncovered it one day? How long ago had she lost it? Her last memory involved complete, stable structures. How had there been such a massive gap between then, and waking up in the middle of the desert, minus one arm? Her memory was bad, but not usually that bad.

 

She shook her head, discarding the thoughts. Trying to solve that mystery would get her nowhere now, unless somebody in Canus knew how to reattach an arm. She had more important things to focus on.

[FallenAtlas]

IC: Agonos

 

Agonos looked out at the destroyed wastes, the gaping holes of the worm. He thought those might be a good way to explore underground; he still thought his idea about a civilization under the sands had merit.

 

He turned to the female and shook his head slowly. "I have no idea. I have no idea at all."

[Virid]

IC: Keristary

 

The response Agonos gave was not very reassuring, but at least she now knew that he, and presumably the other inhabitants of Canus, were just as clueless as she was. Perhaps she could profit from this in the future... Whatever that monster was, she needn't worry about it for the time being; it had gone and dehydration was once again the biggest threat to her. She just hoped the broken sword got her enough water to survive till she next ventured out into the territory of the worm.

[Eyru]

IC

Takava shrugged again. "The queen sees many things, little one. Things that have been or that may be. I choose not to doubt her, but you can believe what you will."

 

The duo reached the base of the stairs. Turning towards a small door, Takava produced a iron key from somewhere and proceeded to unlock the door. It opened to reveal a dimly lit room with a floor of sand. A musical sound came to Elara's ears: in the centre of the room, a small, lively spring bubbled from the earth, cold and crystal-clear.

 

"Fill your pockets," her guide said somewhat sarcastically. "Taste of the queen's generosity."

 

IC

Maru planted the butt of his spear into the rock, using the weapon as a tool to help him scale the cliff. After a tense minute, he pulled himself over the lip and rolled over, gasping.

 

"I know," he said to Dessimus. "We need t' get t' safety. Lead 'em in. Further in t'wards th' village."

 

IC

"Come on," Uri said to Hanari. "Let's get back. At least we got something."

 

[Nato G]

IC: Elara - The Fountain.

 

She didn't need telling twice. Yanking the waterskin off her shoulder, she rushed to the fountain and began filling it up, pausing every few moments to sip greedily from it. After over a week of rationed water, it felt good to indulge herself.

[Specter Knight]

OOC

I'm back!

 

IC-Revenant (Canus)

 

As soon as the sand worm appeared, Revenant immediately ran from Canus with the rest of them. from his brief time out in the desert, he had felt more alone, isolated, and vulnerable than ever before. Upon his return to the dust-covered settlement, he silently vowed to never venture out into the wasteland again, unless absolutely necessary.

 

OOC

Revenant open for interaction.

[Virid]

IC: Zavarix

 

As he trudged back towards Canus, the horror of what had happened struck him all over again. Specks of dried blood still dotted his armour, a reminder that, by all respects, he should be dead. He tried to calm himself down, but could not help feeling a deep sense of despair as to his situation. He'd awoken in a strange desert and been told he had to gather scrap day after day just to survive; now a giant worm was roaming free. He was almost grateful when his thirst brought him back to the issue of getting water. He could trade in his iron rail, but then he would be without a weapon. Then again, weapons would most likely be useless against the worm and the inhabitants of Canus had given him no reason to fear them.

 

 

IC: Keristary

 

Keristary approached Canus and with thoughts of the worm pushed from her mind, she could think clearly enough to decide to carry straight on to the Tower. She needed water and didn't feel like sitting around in Canus while the others discussed the worm situation, despite what she could learn by sitting around. Perhaps the Queen would want to hear about the worm...

 

"I'm going to the Tower," she said to Agonos, already heading to her hut, to collect her empty canteen, not waiting for a response.

[FallenAtlas]

IC: Agonos

 

 Agonos laughed at the statement the female made as she left. The Tower? For what? The Queen doesn't care about us. The people of Canus are but play things in her hands. Agonos' mood darkened as he stared out across the dunes. Eventually, he'd find something in the wastes. A weapon. Armor. Something powerful. And Agonos would strike down the Queen for good.

 

 Eventually.

[Ghidora131]

IC Dessimus

 

Those still in the wastes seemed capable of getting out and were near the edge. Except for Toku, who was either going to be dead from a worm, or going to be dead from Dessimus beating their face in later.

 

He hauled himself up, only now noticing the sand on his legs and growling at it.

[Endless Sea (Alaki Nuva)]

IC: Kuur

 

Amidst the Matoran scrambling up the edge of the plateau or helping the stragglers up, Kuur appeared.  He'd heard the commotion from where he'd been dragging his arm through the sand, and, curious and distracted, wandered over to see what had happened.

 

Now that he was there, though, he wasn't entirely sure what to do.  There was a lot of bustle and noise, enough to make him want to stay in the background, and he'd completely forgotten what it was he was doing before.  Probably something important?  It'd come to him eventually.  Maybe.

 

OOC: Kuur open for interaction.

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Toku:

 

She slowed her pace, not hearing the sands shifting any longer. She knew better than to stop entirely, moving was her only way of keeping alive, whether for scavenging or this creature.

 

It didn't seem to have gone after anyone else, so she started a large loop to head back to Canus.

[Eyru]

IC

Takava watched, uninterested, as Elara drank from the fountain, until she had sated herself. Then he prodded her out the door and locked it behind him.

 

"Anything else, Matoran? Or shall I send you on your way?"

 

IC

Although she had slowed her pace, each one of Toku's footfalls sent a puff of dust into the air. She imagined, in a similar way, the vibrations each footstep sent down into the darkness of the earth. She imagined the worm burrowing through the sand, then adjusting its course to the sound, and rising up, up, up into the sunlight and swallowing her whole...

 

As if on cue, the worm burst from the sand only scarce meters behind her, its terrible screech ripping through the air. It dove down on the walking Matoran, its circular mouth gaping wide to reveal far too many teeth.

 

IC

The Matoran returned to the village. Maru supported Ira, who had twisted an ankle in his flight up the cliffs. They wandered into Canus with expressions of shock and vague disbelief. Had life in the sands, against all odds, just gotten worse?

 

Maru decided it had. He couldn't remember seeing that worm before. Maybe Nua would. But first, he had to calm the village down. Keep their hope alive somehow, even though his own was flagging fast.

 

"List'n up," he said loudly. "I got someth'n t' say."

[Nato G]

IC: Elara - The Tower.

 

"No, I think that's everything," she shouldered the waterskin and started towards the exit. "Thank you for your... hospitality." 

__________________________________________________________________________

 

IC: Aurelius - Canus Plateau. 

 

The worm's screech once again tore through the desert air, and he rushed to the edge of the cliff to get a better look. 

[Endless Sea (Alaki Nuva)]

IC: Kuur- Canus entrance

 

Kuur huddled by the entrance to the village, away from the Matoran that had been attacked in the wastes.  He was somewhat more certain of what was actually happening now- someone important was going to give a speech- but still rather confused.  He didn't dare speak up. Speaking meant attention, and there was a crowd nearby, and Kuur did not like attention from crowds.

 

OOC: Just reflecting the move from the Wastes.  I guess Kuur's still open for interaction?  Not that anyone's really going to talk to a stranger while Maru's giving a speech.

[Ghidora131]

IC Dessimus

 

He thought he heard the noise again.

 

Calm down. Your nerves are going haywire.

 

He brushed it off, giving a stern glare around him to hush people up as he picked his respectful place in the miniature masses.

[Virid]

IC: Zavarix

 

Zavarix joined the small crowd forming around Maru, waiting to hear what he had to say. Perhaps he would give an explanation regarding the worm; or perhaps he was just as confused as the rest of them. Either way, Zavarix needed something to mull over so he could take his mind of everything else.

 

 

IC: Keristary

 

It seemed Maru was giving some form of speech, but Keristary wasn't interested; she could find out what he said later. Right now she had her mind set on visiting the Tower and replenishing her water supply. It was something to do, at least, and she didn't feel like talking to others right now. And perhaps she could learn something valuable about the worm from someone in the Tower, as unlikely as that was.

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Toku:

 

Well, .

 

That had worked far better than she'd anticipated.

 

Toku threw herself sideways, trying her absolute hardest not to become more worm chow.

[Eyru]

IC

Takava grinned as he ushered Elara out the door, although the leer was hardly comforting. "You're welcome, little one. Stay alive if you can."

 

The Tower's doors crashed close with a bang.

 

IC

"List'n up," Maru said. "This looks bad, but who c'n know what's happ'nin'. Maybe that... thing is gone f'r good-"

 

The worm's call echoed across the desert as he said this; those Matoran who looked carefully could vaguely make out the shape of the creature a ways off as it arched above the Wastes before diving back into the sand.

 

Maru swallowed. "Or not," he said quietly.

 

IC

The worm's teeth sank into the sand mere inches from Toku, chewing up only dust and rock as the vast creature dove into the ground. It was quickly gone, leaving only another sinkhole in its wake. A silence stretched for a long moment; the creature might pop up anywhere.

[Nato G]

IC: Aurelius - Canus. 

 

Toku... of course it was Toku the worm was chasing... 

 

With a discontented grunt, he began to climb back down the cliffside. Despite the things Agonos had said to him yesterday, the truth of the other Matoran's words, he couldn't stand by and do nothing while one of his friends - practically family, since Canus and its settlers were all he'd ever known since awakening in the desert - was in trouble. 

____________________________________________________________________

 

IC: Elara - The Tower.

 

Shrugging her waterskin back over her shoulder, Elara started back towards Canus, the scorching sun glaring down at her from above like some kind of... judgemental eyeball... of fire?

 

Giving up on the analogy, she continued on her way, refusing to look back at the jagged Tower still looming up behind her.