The Surfer And The Ranama

[WriterofReapers]

I was too fond of this story to let it go to waste just because it was a bit too long, but I also think it is far better than what I ended up submitting. Of course, that can be blamed on time constraints and having absolutely no idea what story I wanted to tell when starting to write the second one...So, here it is! Hope you enjoy.

The Surfer and the Ranama

A group of Matoran gathered around Vakama’s hut, all with the same hopeful look upon their faces. It was the time of the day when Vakama would tell them stories of a past they couldn’t quite remember, and a person who no one knew. It was those stories that they waited so patiently for, each wondering what adventure today’s tale would recount.Meanwhile, Vakama paced around his small hut, his brow furrowed in concentration. When he had created the character of Lhii in order to honor the memory of Toa Lhikan, he had not expected the villagers of Ta-Koro to take such a liking to Lhii. Ever since then, he had spent every spare moment trying to come up with more stories to tell.Well, he had finally run out of ideas. He had already told them about Lhii’s heroic rescue of the Ussal crab trapped in the volcano, and he had also told them about the time Lhii lured a swarm of Nui Rama out of the village through a combination of his cleverness and surfing skill. What else was there to say? What story was left to tell? Vakama knew not the answer.Suddenly, a small sculpture of a Ranama caught Vakama’s eye. The depiction of the amphibious Rahi slowly gave him an idea, but it was still only in the early stages and nowhere near ready to be told the village. Just as Vakama began to work out the details, he heard a knock on the door of his hut. Grumbling under his breath, Vakama opened the door to reveal a small Ta-Matoran standing meekly before his stern gaze.He would have to make it up as he went along; the Matoran were growing impatient.“One day, Lhii was on his way home from a long day of surfing when he was stopped by a Ranama, who said-““How did the Ranama talk?” The question rang out from amongst the crowd, its source hidden from sight behind the mass of red and yellow armor. However, Vakama didn’t need to even look up to know who had asked the question.Takua.Vakama, who was beginning to feel rather irritable, couldn’t help but make his answer reflect his mood. “Because it was magic, just like everything else on this island. Magic and mysteries, that’s all you’ll find here. This is simply one of those “mysteries”, now be quiet and let me finish.”“As I was saying before, a Ranama stopped Lhii and challenged him to a race saying, ‘If I can beat you from the heart of the volcano to the village of Ta-Koro, I will be the fastest in the Wahi. Oh, and I’ll also go on a rampage.’ Lhii, being the perceptive and kind-hearted Matoran he was, immediately asked what would happen if he won the race. The Rahi spent a moment trying to decide if Lhii was kidding or not, but eventually decided to play along with the Matoran, saying, ‘You will be the fastest, and I won’t harm any of the villagers.’ Lhii agreed, of course, to the Ranama’s terms.At this point, Vakama stopped talking and looked at all the Matoran. He could see the eager anticipation in all of their eyes as they waited to find out what happened next. After clearing his throat, Vakama continued his story.“When the race began, Lhii quickly realized that he was at a disadvantage. He could only go as fast as the lava would flow, but the Ranama could swim through it with ease. As such, it didn’t take long for the Ranama to gain a massive lead on Lhii, and before long he couldn’t even see the Rahi. Despite knowing this, Lhii continued to surf with all his might, his determination to save his friends giving him the strength he needed to go on even when all seemed lost. After what felt like ages of surfing, Lhii caught sight of the Ranama nearing the village. Just as Lhii feared that all was lost, a single brave Ta-Matoran appeared and challenged the Ranama in an attempt to protect the village.“Lhii saw this and knew that he had to act quickly, so with all of his skill he surfed down to the village and won the race while the other Matoran distracted the Ranama, saving the village from a Rahi rampage.”“What happened to the other Matoran?” asked Takua.“Oh, he died horrifically. And that’s the moral of the story; do whatever it takes to win, even if it means sacrificing a fellow Matoran. Now then, I must be getting back to staring at the mystical fire in my hut. I think we might be getting some new expendables soon..."

Edited May 30, 2012 by Despair

[fishers64]

Oh my goodness!What a twist! What a shocker!Seriously, though, this doesn't sound like a story Vakama would tell. I guess it reflects his bad mood. (Is anyone impersonating Vakama like Turaga Dume? I would have totally gone for that angle with this kind of a story. Especially if Makuta himself had done it - the last line sounds like something he would say.) And I would have entered it into the contest as well - the shock value alone would have scored you bonus points IMO. So yeah, great job. Have to hand it to you here.

[WriterofReapers]

Thanks! I was just aiming for really cranky, and have always imagined him pressing his ear against his door to listen to all the confused Matoran as they wonder what in the world they were just told. Now that I think about it, though, his character in this story seems similar to how he might be portrayed in a comedy, that is, with one trait ridiculously exaggerated. In this case, it would be his old-man crankiness. XD