BZPRPG - Po-Wahi

[Silvan Haven]

Telne- Po-koro

 

The Lesterin sat at the back of the crowd, atop his kikanalo and beyond the rang of the now aborted gravity attack. He had waited to see if the Vortixx's move would work before trying his own.

 

Raising a hand above his head, Telne activated his mask and created a wall of telekinetic energy above the head of the Toa of Gravity. With a sweep of his hand, the Sentinel brought it slamming down, aiming to smack the fugitive into the sand of the street.

[Snelly]

IC: Rekirar

 

Rekirar smirked, the whole idea had been to get closer, and now it seemed his opponent was helping him do so. Rekirar pulled the trigger in the launcher, The cable began to reel back into the gun, the Toa was holding onto the hook steadfast, and seemed to have no intention of letting go, well neither did Rekirar. Vortixx were bigger and taller than Toa, so they naturally had a bit more weight, it wasn't difficult for him to remain right where he was, though his feet began to slide toward the Toa, and the Toa slid toward him likewise. With his other hand Rekirar pulled his sword out of the ground, doing so made him fly faster toward the Toa due to only holding the launcher with one hand.

 

As he got in range of the Toa he swung his massive sword diagonally at the Toa's center, he didn't have any intention of killing the Toa as of yet, but he had no problems with injuring him. The Toa would have difficulty avoiding such a long and massive weapon if he didn't keep his distance.

[Wotz]

IC: Stendhal

 

With the sword coming down on him, Stendhal let go, and fell back onto his two arms, which he used to propel himself forward. However, with the use of his mask, instead of rising forth into the Vortixx, he diverted his gaze to the open space visible through his opponent's legs, and instantly appeared there. Incidentally, as he did this, a wall of telekinetic energy created by Telne the Lesterin came crashed down on the spot he was just at.

 

The Toa turned to see the sword-wielding Vortixx behind him and smiled, even as the others registered what had happened and resumed their pursuit. With another gaze, this time through the gate into the desolate wasteland outside, Stendhal vanished again.

[Snelly]

IC: Rekirar

 

Of course he's able to teleport. Rekirar thought to himself as the Toa vanished from his sight, he felt something hard and powerful slam into his head from above, some sort of invisible force, he crashed onto the ground.

 

Rekirar slowly got up, his head was pounding, he wasn't sure who was responsible for the telekinetic attack, whoever it was they'd better hope he never found them.

 

He wasn't about to just let his quarry get away, he had more pride than that. He 'acquired' a Kikanalo from the nearby stable by the gate and was off in full pursuit of the Toa. He spotted the Toa in the far far distance thanks to his visor, but only barely. He forced his Kikanalo to go as fast as it could in pursuit.

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

[Outskirts of Po-Koro, Mahi range; morning]

 

"Like what?"

 

Golyo leaned back in his chair and lit his pipe once again, a twinkle in his eye. "Oh, nothing much. A sssimple request actually. Sssomething that will help an old man and his limited mobility these days." he said, tapping his knee. I took a very quiet breath in patience.

 

"Such as?"

 

"Herd my Mahi for me."

 

"Herd Mahi?"

 

"Ya hard of hearing sssonny? Herd my Mahi, and I'll give you the Charm of Ssstrategy."

 

"So you DO have one!"

 

"Of course!" His retort was as sharp as it was quick. "Didn't I say that in the beginning?" He gave his pipe a crossed puff.

 

"Nooo... " I clenched my fist, desperately trying to keep a straight face. His mannerism were as odd as they were maddening, and it took every ounce of my being to keep it together. "That aside... why Mahi? I mean, why not play a game or something that involved strategy? What in the name of of Rahkshi does herding Mahi have to do with strategy-"

 

"Because it does!" he coughed, giving me the eye, "The Principle we live by in Po-Koro teaches us Strategy; it is why we are so good at Kohlii, and why our sculptures are made so well. It allows Kolhii players such as yourself to think ahead and plot strategies to use against opposing teams. I am of the belief that herding these beasts is an excellent way to practice it - not to mention some of yer best opponents did this for practice themselves! Ya ARE Toa Joske, the most proficient and prolific Kohlii player that ever lived, right?"

 

I just kinda stared at him, my mind trying to wrap around what had just happened. As usual I seemed to be two steps behind the times no matter what I did or how fast I did things. Eventually I managed to snap myself back to the present.

 

"So I herd your Mahi?"

 

"Yup."

 

"Using 'strategy'."

 

"Yup."

 

"Then I get the charm."

 

"Yup."

 

Rounding up dumb rahi? I even had a Kakama for Mata-Nui's sake! I snorted, complete with a handwave. "A cinch."

 

Golyo didn't react, but I could see the smile on his face as he leaned back for another puff. "Whatever ya say, sssonny... whatever ya say."

 

* * *

I might as well been trying to grip sand. You know, the more you squeeze, the more it slips through your fingers?

 

These Rahi were slipperier than a Skakdi arms dealer - not that I had the chance to meet one yet, just going off reputation here. But the fact still remains; even with my Kakama I was barely holding my own. For every one Mahi I managed to corral, as least one of not two would slip away, all the while those that were penned were trying every dirty trick in the book to get back with the rest of the her-

 

BAM!

 

I flew forward, yelping in pain for the two-hundredth time, eating sand. As I watched sand pour from my mask as I lifted up my head I could swear their odd bellowing calls sounded exactly like laughter, as if they were taunting me. I rubbed my sore bottom, trying not to flinch. There was also that. The butt-ramming. Every-time they got. I probably wouldn't be able to sit down for a week with what I had accumulated so far.

 

I thought I could hear a chuckle from Goylo in the distance.

 

I sighed, staying knelt in the sand. I'd been at this for nearly an hour already with not much headway. My head still hurt, my bottom now was hurting (and this is saying nothing of my pride), tired, sweaty, and caked from head to toe in dirt and sand and grime to the point where I had taken off my armor to prevent chaffing, every time I chewed my the inside of my mouth crunching from all the grains of sand.

 

Clearly I was doing something wrong. If an slow, old, creaky matoran could do this obviously I could. I was just missing something. To be bluntly simple I was probably using the wrong strategy for this little game of Goylo's.

 

The question was... what?

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

"Having fun there, sport?"

It was common knowledge that Po-Wahi was kind of like what would happen if you got the cheapest, most shoddily made range oven ever, poured a beach's worth of sand in there, and then seasoned it lightly with almost a thousand Po-Matoran and rolled it down a hill. It was hot, it was humid, it was a mite unfriendly, and what's worse is that I'd come here on Guard business, which meant if I left I was liable to end up in a jail cell out somewhere in the desert, far away from any source of water - or, worse, far away enough that I couldn't reach out and just wring Agni's neck for placing me here in the first place. Anyway, I'd come here on Guard business - the serious kind, the kind that got me not only off for life, but also got me my own biography and enough money that I could buy myself a hundred million Grokk statuettes to toss off buildings - and while Agni had taken Tuara and said he was off to link up with some old friends, I was free to wander the village and consider myself a tourist as long as I found just one guy: a Kolhii player and part-time hero that went by the name of Joske Nimil.

 

He was exactly as Agni had described him, but his appearance didn't so much as ring the bells of my memory as it did punch me in the gut as I realized I could have been this guy; depending on the way the light hit his face, we had the same shade of blue in our eyes. There was a passing resemblance around our jaws but his countenance was more wholesome and prom king-esque than my features, which, admittedly, were kind of like what would happen if you sprinkled pure libido on obsidian and then cut it into a face. Whereas I had opted for my typical gotta-make-sure-that-I-don't-dessicate-in-this-desert-wear and worn a dark grey scoop shirt with a v-neck and oxblood leather pants that allowed me to tuck my revolver into a side loop, he was wearing sleek and light armor that afforded him mobility of movement for almost anything - except herding cattle.

 

I make it a habit to keep things real so I'm not going to change that here - I was kind of taken aback deep down. Not only was he just the most adorable little thing you ever did see as he lay there, half-buried in the sand and sputtering out breath, but there was a familiarity about him. A warmth. Like I could be what he was, and he could have been what I was - I wouldn't have put the age difference between us as more than twenty months, and to be honest I wasn't quite sure who was older. There was something instantly gorgeous about Joske Nimil that I couldn't put my finger on, and for the second time ever I got a weird feeling, one that I couldn't quite sum up with words off the top of my head. But if I tried, it would probably go something like, Wow. This guy is gonna change my life.

 

I raised my eyebrows then winked at him, flicking the toothpick I had between my teeth upwards and putting one hand on the fencepost. With a simple leap I had jumped cleanly over it and took careful steps towards him, helping him stand up with a quick, strong pull and dusting him off.

 

"You of all people should know, right? Every Kolhii team needs two players!" I reminded him cheerfully, grinning innocently as the two of us stared down the Mahi. "Hiya. I'm Dorian."

 

-Tyler

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: The desert was wide and bright, desolate and inhospitable. Perhaps that was why Brykon had chosen to have Bad Company's main camp there where none would traverse without reasons and specific destinations. The great toa had pulled his chart from his armor and trudged with certainty through the expansive landscape, Jin's taller and thinner shadow quietly following his tracks single-file, as he led the way to the long-abandoned herder settlement he claimed as his own.

 

Po-Koro's canyon walls melted into the distance, as did the curious sight of a toa whizzing back and forth with a Kakama which Brykon dismissed with a shake of his head before trekking onwards, not even seeing the grey man who joined the quick one. He had no time to waste -- his path was clear and scheduled. Water breaks at the oases on the way, timed according to the needs of he and Jin in the morning desert sun.

 

He knelt down on the hot sand, then pulled an ornate and fancy compass from his vest and flicked it open. Cross-referencing it with his wristdial he oriented the map and pointed towards a speck in the horizon. "First stop is an hour that way," he said and packed his things again, then wasted no time in marching forwards.

 

It was a procedure he repeated five more times that day. Talking wasn't encouraged outside of resting in the oases, and even then the two mercs were too busy refreshing themselves to converse with any animation, and since animation was their style they said nary a word. Only Brykon's reminders of time and distance broke the silence. Finally, as the afternoon sun, the same sun Brykon graciously greeted at dawn, beat down on them mercilessly they found their final destination.

 

To spend time composing a poem for the dead settlement would have been a waste of time. There was nothing great about the place, just a selection of five domed huts made of dried mud arranged in a semicircle around a dried well. Their doors were covered in dirty linens that fluttered a little in the evening breeze. "There's a sandstorm coming," Brykon announced quietly after a quick scan of the skies. He brushed aside a drape and opened the door behind it, then vanished into the darkness of the biggest hut in the cluster.

 

Brykon struck a match and lit a lantern which he set to the side. The hut, his hut, was altered when he moved in and he dug a small basement to stash his secrets. He heaved a sandstone slab from the ground with a little effort and laid it aside. Dust blew up from the abrupt landing and Brykon and Jin had to cover their eyes and mouth against it. "Close the door, tightly," he said, remembering the upcoming storm. "We'll wait the sandstorm out from in here." He then returned to digging his documents out.

 

Parchment scrolls, tablets with lists, dossiers of Company members past and present; each and every one was laid out on the floor when Brykon was finished. Finally he pulled folding chairs out from a corner and sat down. The winds howled outside by then. "Now, we plan."

 

The colonel sighed deeply before he asked his big question of the day. "What do you think of our current employers?"

[Void Emissary]

IC: Rynekk

Rage

Panic

Rage

Panic

Like the tick tock drone of a clock, the beating of a heart, or the rhythmic crashing of my Kakama-powered legs across the sands, those two emotions pounded in my soul. On and on, like a church bell tolling; an inferno of anger would ignite in my stomach at the factors, mundane or divine, which led to this point in time; only for it to be drowned in terror at the thought of my personal poltergeist loose on the world.

Rage

Panic

My mind was a pendulum of swinging sentiments, and each of these motions paralleled one sweeping step across the sandy avenues of Po-Koro, propelling me out into the dunes surrounding the “Lost Koro”. I barely registered passing the farthest Kikanalo rider -- it resembled nothing more than a greyish-brown blur against the desert scape -- and within seconds, the blue and gold speck of mystery known locally as Prisoner Zero entered my viewing range. A grim smile passing over my face, I abruptly shut off my Kanohi, letting momentum carry me over to Stendhal, until I had come to a slow stop behind him.

“Are my visits getting that unpleasant, hm?” I asked, spear clenched in an protosteel grip, a mischievous tone slipping into my voice, “I’m almost hurt that you’d go these lengths to avoid me...”

-Void

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

[Outskirts of Po-Koro, Mahi range; morning]

 

"Having fun there, sport?"

 

My internal, critical-thinking monologue was interrupted by a voice I had never heard before. My head immediately swiveled to the side to see a curious individual. Then again, his appearance wasn't so much as curious as a prompt slap to the face as I realized I could have been this guy; depending on the way the light hit his face, we had the same shade of blue in our eyes. Well, not quite; with my brush with the Element of Light my eyes constantly glowed with outrageous intensity unlike any other being on the island. Still, that aside, it was eerily familiar. Not only that, there was a passing resemblance around our respective jawlines... but his countenance was more roguish and corner-streetlight bad-boy than my features, which, I admit, were more similar of like what would happen if you sprinkled starlight on a slab of pure gold and then sculpted it into a face. Whereas I had opted for sleek and light armor that afforded mobility of movement for almost any situation without sacrificing protection, he was dressed in a dark grey scoop shirt with a v-neck and oxblood leather pants (a look that screamed gotta-make-sure-that-I-don't-dessicate-in-this-desert-wear) - something that allowed him to more readily hide small objects on his person if need be. But it wasn't the ever-so-slight suspicious bulge that got me.

 

He was wearing clothes!

 

I try make it a habit to keep my reactions as reasonable as I can all things considered, but I'll be blunt - I was kind of taken aback deep down. Toa wearing clothes? Unnatural. I mean, it's one thing if you wish to accent your look with say a sash, or a belt, or a scarf, but a full-on set of woven clothes? What were we, organics? Unnecessary and downright absurd if you ask me, but that's my opinion; it was a fad these days apparently, or so I heard in passing. Then again, despite this initial appearance, not only was he just the most oddly-dressed yet astoundingly-defined stud you ever did see, smiling and looking all-pleasant-like, but there was that eery air of familiarity about him as well. A withdrawn sadness. Like I could easily be what he was, and he could have been what I had become - the age difference between us couldn't of been more than two years at most, and honestly I wasn't quite sure who was older it was that hard to tell. Yet there was something instantly alluring about this Toa that I couldn't put my finger on. It was a feeling, one that I couldn't quite sum up with words off the top of my head. But if I tried, really tried, it would probably go something like...

 

Ah, nope. Too many conflicting signals to get a clear reading. Oh well. Somewhere in the back of my head I could hear "destiny" chiming in, but I discounted it as quickly as I thought of it.

 

I watched as he raised his eyebrows and then of all things winked at me, flicking the toothpick he had been chewing on between his teeth upwards, placing one hand on the fencepost. With a simple leap he jumped cleanly over it and took careful steps towards me, helping me stand up with a quick, strong pull and... dusting me off. Mata-Nui, it was like looking at another version of me, albeit perhaps a darker one? Or more perhaps...

 

... perhaps if I had become a Toa but in all other regards never changed?

"You of all people should know, right? Every Kolhii team needs two players!" He reminded me rather cheerfully, grinning innocently as the two of us stared down the Mahi. "Hiya. I'm Dorian."

 

All I could conjure up at the moment was a blank, confused look as I gazed out over the range of obnoxious Rahi. Had he been listening in? Following me? Did he know anything about the Charm? How much connection did he know about this task, Kohlii, and strate-

 

My thoughts came to a sudden and crashing halt as I forced my mind to stop thinking. Really, I needed to take a chill pill and stop looking for shadows; Mata-Nui knows I've faced more than my fare share already in my life. I raised my own eyebrow at him.

 

"Dorian, right. Well, if you're gonna help I'm going to need to know your strengths, skills, powers... if we're going to plan this out properly I'll need to know what I have at my disposal."

 

Not to mention know who this wondertoa who just showed up is, I thought dryly to myself. Still, convenient toa is convenient, and until otherwise noted I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

 

I mean, it's not like he's some cold, ruthless, heartless mercenary who killed the turaga or something.

[Eyru]

IC (Jin)

 

Good question. Like, a really good question.

 

Truthful answer: I thought the "Peers" were evil. Who goes around trying to rip apart a civilization? Only villains. Genocide and cold murder don't exactly make paragons of everything good in the world.

 

At the same time, those were the people who'd always hired me. I worked for people who wanted others dead; Aurelia and her gang were exactly the same, just dialed to eleven.

 

But I was the same too. Like it or not, I'd followed their orders, even when Bry gave me the chance to leave. I was scum. I'd murdered innocents and helped carry out genocide, and those were just the top two on my long list of sins. In a way, we were perfect for each other.

 

I didn't exactly feel like telling Brykon all that, though. I was a merc; this was the life I'd chosen time and again. If I wanted out, I could get out. Seeing as I was still here, I obviously wanted in. Didn't really have a problem with murder or crime; this was the life for me. Just wanted to carry on and prove it. Prove I still had guts; nobody had to know that Ta-Koro haunted me like it did.

 

I was Jin, after all. Vortixx extraordinaire. Nothing fazed me.

 

Right?

 

I decided to give the short, simple answer. Easier.

 

"I think they're our employers."

 

Well, duh.

 

"They pay us, and we do what they need to get done. Mutually beneficial."

[shadow pridak money gang]

IC:

 

It's a good thing that I fought through my cold, ruthless, heartless phase, or I would totally have let these stupid walking steaks run Joske down.

 

Luckily, I'm now in my strapping, eternally studly 'sure, let me give you a hand, handsome new Toa' phase and as such, Joske's little predicament not only piqued my curiosity but inspired me to help out. Without giving him an immediate answer I got into a position on the ground like I was about to do a pushup and put one foot forward like a runner, half-crouching and half-suspending myself lying down as I checked out the Mahi. There they were, making baahing and grunting noises and kicking up dust everywhere and looking just a bit too oblivious to not be suspect. Slowly I looked up at Joske and lifted myself up. However, when it seemed like I was about to draw to full height I stopped and kept squatted at about Matoran height, hands on my knees.

"What's the purpose of this, again?"

"To obtain the Charm of Strategy. Considering how much you already seemed to know about me and now I thought you were privy to this already?"

"Ehhhh...not really. I'm a...consultant for the Guard. Agni sent me; he and Tuara told me a lot about you," I explained concisely. "For now, I need you to bear with me here. How is it that some geriatric old Po-Matoran has the ability to herd these suckers whenever he wants, but one of the island's best and brightest athletes is totally left at a loss after exhausting everything at his disposal?"

Joske didn't have much of a reply so I steamrolled right over the space where his answer would have gone in a conversation.

"I think you're focusing too much on using your powers for this. You're a Toa. Cool. You and pretty much a quarter of of the island's population at this point. You have powers, big deal. Try not focusing on our powers for a second. Think like a Matoran again for a second. Try looking at this like it's a Kolhii maneuver in a playbook. Work with me as a team. Now, with all these things in mind...how are we gonna beat these things?"

-Tyler

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: Ignorance? Or just bliss?

 

Yes, Brykon thought, Jin is a relic of my past, embracing a furry arm despite knowing full well it belongs to an angry bear. The Vortixx was playing with fire, that much was certain, amoral and objective. If there was anything left in Jin to be molded into a good personality again it died when she murdered Turaga Vakama. Despite her competence she was still a follower, whether obeying orders of tracing a trail of payments; she could afford to remain in the state she was in.

 

Not so for Brykon. Things weren't so easy when one was in charge. Eyes were opened when one was in charge. Brykon was stuck in a world of being fully aware of everything around him. That was his curse, that was his price. Payment given in full.

 

He silently peeled open a scroll as he spoke. "I worry that without a direction and mission for the other members to undertake, they will grow renegade and uncontrollable. Right now we only have a few of the old members: Illicia, Marfoir, you and I."

 

"And Liacada?"

 

Brykon mused for a moment then shook his head. "She's enthusiastic and willing, but I don't think she's cut out for this work. This is not a realm she belongs in. Grokk is gone ever since Dorian left, and Sev vanished, no doubt gambling away somewhere. But in a way, the four of us is perfect. It's large and diverse enough to take on threats and small enough to manage." Abruptly Brykon chuckled gently. "I just realized that makes three Vortixx led by one toa. ... you're like my little posse." His tone darkened again quickly, though. "But our job remains grim and the reality is far from that fiction."

 

He spread the scroll out on the ground. "These are missions I was given as a to-do list that I was told needed to get done eventually but are in no rush. I think we should do them now."

 

Demolish ancient Valkyr temple in Ga-Wahi

Find a broken mansion in Ta-Wahi

Assassinate Kethrye

Extort Toa Alyo

Destroy the Infernavika

Cleanse Hiemalis' lairs

 

"I'm thinking we tackle item number three first."

[Vezok's Friend]

OOC: Gentlemen...brace yourselves. This jam is brought to you by the juggernaut that is the Tyler-Veef Duo.

 

IC:

 

I lifted my hand to shield my eyes against the first rays of sunshine hitting my eyes from the east, casting long shadows of the sand-stone huts lining the village-streets. I let my eyes wander over them. Ah, Po-Koro. Haven’t seen you in a while, thanks in no small part to your efforts. The roads are gone, it’s nothing but sand and rocks all the way to your outskirts. But the lost Koro, as some call it, is not as elusive as the nickname might imply. Walled in villages seldom change their location completely, even if it decides to remove all previously establish access-routes.

 

On the one hand, after everything that had happened here, I could understand it. On the other hand, it was one of the things a lot of people were bewildered and bothered by, aside from the climate. For me personally, it wasn’t the heat or the mood of the desert-city though; those were easy to deal with as a fire-elemental. A hot gust here is a welcome breeze in the bowels of my home. No, what bothered me were my memories of Po-Koro, before the quest. Before the fight against Makuta turned into a war.

 

The last time I’d been to the village of stone on a business trip I’d gotten into a bar-brawl, fought a psychotic duo, had somebody die at my feet and an unfortunate run-in with a shadow; all in two days worth, while trying to find a slaver and help another Toa regain her lost memory.

 

So I was not particularly looking forward to the place itself. But that was part of the job. And like the last time I had walked through the village’s gate I was not on my own. The three of us had checked in with the sentinels, after a lengthy over-night trip through the desert, navigating our way by the stars, though the choice of destination had not been that of my two companions. In fact, coming along with me had not been their choice at all. But I only felt sorry for one of them; though I didn’t say it out loud.

 

The other, well…

 

 

 

------------------------------------------

 

 

 

One day earlier.

 

 

It was an overcast day in Ta-Wahi. Thick, grey clouds slowly drifted by overhead, darkening from the moisture inside and merging with the rising column of ash and smoke drifting up from Mangai’s main crater. Somewhere in the distance, lightning flashed, thunder followed. The rumbling sound broke against the foot of the mountain, echoing in the Tren-Krom Break and coming back to the village, where it failed to faze anybody. In Ko-Koro, maybe; they like the silence there; but not here. Live long enough inside an active volcano and you get used to the rumbling in less than a day. Everything’s rumbling here: Side-craters endlessly spewing lava, hot magma roaring through underground tunnels, magma-chambers erupting because of pockets of hot gas. And the ground is always shuddering, either from the lake of molten rock surrounding everything, the giant bridge being lowered and raised or from the new geothermal plant below.

 

This is the village; Ta-Koro. It’s not the most comfortable place to live, but it’s a good place and it’s safe. Probably one of the safest places on the whole Island, thanks to the men and women of the Ta-Koro Guard keeping things running smoothly and the other upstanding people that help to uphold the law. They’re headed by Akiri Jaller, appointed Matoran Leader, former captain of the guard and as tough as they come. His temper is a fiery as the molten lava around it, but he’s always got the best interests of the village in mind. He has to, ‘cause there’s a lot of them. Close to a thousand beings live here together.

 

About three quarters of the citizens are Matoran, the rest are an eclectic mix of different species. There’s Skakdi, Vortixx, Lesterin and other oddball figures that don’t fit in anywhere. And there are Toa. Over the last hundred years there’s been a steady increase in their number. Many used to be Matoran from the Island, same as me, but a far larger part came from distant lands.

 

But not all Toa are the heroes that the name implies. Today I am looking for one of them.

 

My Name is Agni. I carry a badge.

 

It was about six in the morning when I stepped out of the guard headquarters and out into the unusually empty main-street leading down to the bridge. I was wearing my dark golden armor, same colour as my Kualsi, with the black scarf hanging from my shoulders, wrapped around twice. The metal was polished; the very visible guard-insignia on the shoulder-plate reflected the diffuse light as I moved; my back straight and with purpose in my stride. I was walking with the authority invested in me. I’m a Toa warrant officer. That means I’m not stuck down the line in the chain of command. I’m beside the chain and I answer to two people and two people only: The Akiri, and the Captain.

 

Normally this part of town would be already be packed with people heading to and from the markets that would open soon, but the dark clouds above had made good on their promise; and rain was one of those things you didn’t get often in the village.

The floodgates had opened, the heavy drops falling down into the hot pit of Mt. Mangai. Most of it turned to steam before hitting the ground, creating a foggy orange haze hanging over the entire village. The rest hit the rooftops hard, washing them down and running down into the streets and turning the ash and dust covering everything into a reddish-brown sludge that made a squishing noise with each step I took and spattered my shin-guards - just after I’d cleaned them yesterday. But with nobody out, I would reach my destination quickly and get out of the downpour soon.

 

I was heading west, roughly in the direction of the main-gate, to a place called the Lavapool Inn – one of the more famous transient hotels and a favourite bar for the locals. And it was the employer of the person I was looking for. It hadn’t been hard to track him down. A former inmate, he’d gotten himself parole and a reduced sentence for doing profiling work for the department while in jail. So the guard knew exactly what he was up to now. It was a nice change from routine not to have to do a ton of legwork before getting to the people you wanted. Besides, there would be more than enough of that later - which was precisely why I needed Dorian Shaddix.

 

I shook of most of the dirt under my feet at the entrance of the Inn, then wiped them on the doormat and stepped inside.

 

----------------------------------------

 

 

"So. Tell me about yourself."

 

The request seemed inocuous enough by itself, so as I turned to the Toa of Earth at the bar with his innocent grin and his lean physique and cute golden eyes, I smiled back and leaned down in front of him, pouring a shot for both of us.

 

"Uhm, well. My name's Dorian. Shaddix."

 

"It's a good name. Proud name," the man complimented. "Anything else?"

 

There was a stir in my chest at his words, a familiar, desperate stir that flipped my senses into overdrive and caused me to meet his eyes dead on as my grin faded and I took the shot. Barside confessionals usually didn't get flipped around on their head like this, but I needed to spill, and he was ready to listen. The shot glass slipped numbly from my fingers as I slid it away and put my chin in my hands. The Toa of Earth focused on me with warm eyes and a gentle smile. Man, what a nice smile.

 

"Uhm...my name's Dorian Shaddix," I repeated with a dazed laugh. "I have a hot girlfriend. I've got a ton of cash. I've got a job I don't need, but parole that needs fulfilling, so I'm stuck wasting my potential from 9 PM to 3 AM at this dead end bar every other night. When I get home, my girlfriend's generally curled up in the fetal position in a minefield of empty vodka bottles. And lately...lately I stopped sleeping."

 

"Stopped sleeping? Why?"

 

"There was...a guy."

 

"Ahhhhh," he realized, his grin growing wider. "I see. A guy. Your guy?"

 

"No. Well...yeah...no. Kind of. We..."

 

"You're not my toy? I beg to differ. Look how you react to my touch. You're entirely compliant, if I want you to be... and I'm enjoying myself. What other functions does the perfect toy serve?"

 

"I'll go to sleep, and then I'll wake up, and everywhere I got battered and bruised and stabbed, it will burn all over again. It's like...at night, I go back to that forest. And he's there, waiting for me, because I know that he's not done with me. People don't just...get away from him like I did. You can't just get away from a guy like that. So I wake up, and this scar on my navel, it's always torn open again and I have to stop myself from bleeding out. It doesn't matter if I put gauze on it the night before, or I cauterize it, I always wake up and it's bleeding all over the sheets, all over me, all over my girlfriend...and it's always the same time. Always 82 minutes after I first went to sleep."

 

"And...it's recurring."

 

"Yeah, it happens nightly. It's...it's become a pattern. He's become a formula in my head. And he's not going away like he used to anymore."

 

"So...have you talked to anyone about this?"

 

"No."

 

"You've just stopped sleeping."

 

"About right."

 

The Toa of Earth smiled in full, and instantly that twitch in my chest came back. I knew what it was, recognized that grin for what it was: primal. In a flat second my eyes had made their way over the matte black armor, the golden eyes, the lean, attractive physique, then they made their way to the face and his grin grew a bit wider, a little colder and a lot hotter. His hand reached out to take his shot calmly; when he set the alcohol glass down the hand wandered over to my shirt and lifted it, looking for the scar on my abdomen with one finger and making an "aha!" noise when he located it. Slowly, he traced his finger down its length and then smiled up at me.

 

"Well. That just won't do."

 

I blinked twice and he disappeared. Fighting the urge to audibly gasp my hand went to my face, to the cigarette I was still nursing before my shift started. The kick from the mirage had come from the sound of a door opening and closing roughly. A Toa of Fire walked in and sat down across from me at the bar; his armor was newly polished and official looking, and he sported a scarf around his neck and a badge on his shoulder that were small little distractions from the overall pristine, uniform appearance of his body. His eyes were hardset, determined embers that glowed freshly as they looked me up and down.

 

"Smoking the good stuff, huh?" he asked me gruffly with a nod at my cigarette. I blinked again and pulled it away, examining its contents, before I smirked, balled it up while it was still lit, and tossed it into the trash bin beneath the bar.

 

"Something like that," I answered him, leaning into the bar. "What can I do you for?"

 

Meanwhile, behind the mahogany bar that divided me and the cop, the first drop of blood hit the ground.

 

----------------------------------------

 

There he was, right behind the bar. He was easy to spot, not just because of the small number of patrons in the inn. At this point, I would have recognized him anywhere, even in an Onu-Koro market during a sale - all thanks to brooding over reports, profiles, including mugshots.

 

I crossed the room, glancing left and right like any other lost soul strolling into this place, as if looking to see if there wasn’t some company to be found - but not at this hour. Those that were there were busy with themselves or already too drunk for conversation. New patrons that might have taken an early-morning detour leading here were staying at home, not willing to brave the rain. Last call was approaching fast. Gather up your jackets – move it to the exits. Dorian was working the last shift.

 

Yeah. I’d know that scarf anywhere. And the face right above it. Azure eyes; high, defined cheekbones, narrow bridge of the nose, strong jawline, hint of a grin playing across the mouth, lips wrapped around a cigarette; all in relatively good proportion to each other. I checked that against all the information I had taken the last week to learn inside and out and factored in the psych-profile as well. The kid had the whole pretty-boy scoundrel aesthetic going for him rather well. That amount of self-confidence he carried himself with didn’t come without merit. Except that the façade was flaking. He tried to hide it, probably managed to fool the rest of the people in the inn, but not me. I could tell by the eyes. Behind the blue was the look of a haunted man.

 

As I reached the bar I casually grabbed one of the stools by the back without looking at it, slid it between my legs and sat down, propping my arms up on the counter. We sized each other up; he took another drag from his cig.

 

“Smoking the good stuff, eh?” I asked casually. He blinked; then looked at the cigarette in his hand before balling it up and tossing it in the trash. I noticed the slight trembling of his fingers.

 

"Something like that," he answered, while resting one elbow on the bar as well. "What can I do you for?"

 

I nodded my head to the right, indicating the insignia on my shoulder-armor. “The name’s Agni. I work the homicides for the Guard.”

 

I grinned and put out my hand for a shake, still in too good of a mood from anticipation of my sojourn with Tuara to particularly mind dealing drinks to a cop.

 

"Dor Shaddix. I work the homicides for the Guard."

 

“I know. Your name’s been coming up a lot lately in the office, mostly in reports crossing my desk. Convicted consultant profiler and bartender – now that’s a first. Not an officially recognized rank, but worth a chuckle; especially after reading the transcripts of your trial.”

 

"What can I say? I've got no brain-to-mouth filter."

 

“So it seems.” I said, a small, grin tugging at my lips. I lowered my voice slightly. It was a public place, but the words didn’t need to be heard by all. “But it does raise some interesting questions. Like how a man found guilty of fourty-two counts of first degree murder is still able to obtain parole, have a legitimate job and live with a former deputy of the guard. Mind explaining?”

 

Of course, I had read what happened, I had spoken to people. But he didn’t know that and I wanted to hear it from the man himself.

 

"Obviously, I'm good at what I do. Which would be, namely, everything."

 

A single, dry chuckle escaped my mouth in spite of myself. He was funny, had a way with words, I granted him that. But he was deflecting the question. You can learn a lot about a man from the way they try to obscure the truth. Karzhani, that's one of the core principles this whole job is based on. And right now, the guy was sending me two messages: Either he was as much of a hotshot as he thought he was or his real emotions were buried under more layers of a fake con-man act than there were layers of snow on Mt. Ihu and the man's behaviour I was seeing was as real as a mirage over the Motara desert. Judging by the expression on his face he had when I walked into the joint, I was leaning towards the latter. Maybe it was time to give him a bit more incentive to be straight-up with me.

 

"And yet, here you are. Must be one heck of a Kardas Dragon you're mixing in this place." I replied, with an unimpressed slight sneer to my tone.

 

"I promised Tuara I wouldn't use blood money to support her, and bartending is psych with better tips," I replied with the same sneer. "If you don't believe me, you can try my Kardas Dragon."

 

"I'm sure she appreciates the effort." I replied. I knew Tuara, from our time together on Joske's quest when she'd still been with the guard. She'd quit shortly before we'd reached our goal for personal reasons, but I considered her a friend. But that's neither here nor there. Back to the point.

 

"No thanks, I'll skip the drink. I trust your word on that one at least."

 

"Well, here's another thing to trust me on: I don't have to be here. Matter of fact, I don't want to be here. Tonight, Tuara and I are leaving and we'll be outta your hair for good, pinkie promise."

 

"Tonight?"

 

"Yeah, tonight!" I confirmed with a chipper wink. "I felt like a change of scenery. I am a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar~"

 

Just like that?" I asked.

 

"Just like that."

 

"I don't think so." I said, a slightly wolfish grin forming across my face. "And what makes you think you can just pack up and fly away like that?"

 

"Well, I was doing regular Guard stuff - walking around, investigating woodpeckers for destruction of property, and along the way I looked up at the birds and thought, 'Wow. I want to be able to just go wherever I want to, whenever I want to, just like those birds and those normal people do.' From there, the logic just fell into place."

 

"Except you're forgetting a little detail...you're out on parole; which means you're not going anywhere until your parole-officer says otherwise."

 

"You mean Tuara, who has generously taken responsibility as my legal guardian from the good Captain himself?"

 

"That condition only applies as long as you are a resident of Ta-Wahi, which is part of your parole-terms, which Tuara knows very well. She's doing this gig because she's best suited to keeping an eye on you and because the guard trusts her. But you know she resigned; which means if she wants to enable you to leave, she has to go through official channels. And being the smart kid that you are, you already know those all lead back to the captain. You think he'll just let you skip town with a rap-sheet like yours and the girl he's been with up until a few months ago? I'm sure that'll go well."

 

I let that sink in for a second; then I went on: "So as you can see, you're not getting out of this Wahi, much less this village, until the guard signs off on it, which I know it won't. Not unless somebody puts in a good word for you."

 

"A Toa warrant officer, for example."

 

"I'm following you, but hesitantly."

 

"Good. Keep following. Because this is the part where you scratch my back and I scratch yours - but only if you work with me."

 

"Yeeees?"

 

"It just so happens that I'm working on a case you - especially you - can help me with. If you do, I'll sign off on any paperwork Tuara and you need to pack up and go. All I need is your help to find a few people."

 

"Right. What kind of people?"

 

"The kind that assassinates the Turaga."

 

"I can't help you," I said automatically. Agni leaned back like he was disappointed for a second and then stared me down with a look that obviously intimidated the ever-holy Karzhani out of petty and lesser crooks but kind of just made me feel like I was being watched in the shower - it wasn't exactly overly creepy but if he had come across the right person it would probably scare their spine from their back.

 

"You can't help me," he repeated slowly, as though tasting the words in his mouth. I leaned forward again and spoke in a quiet whisper, not a hiss but more of a casual stream of softly spoken words that clung together like they were coated in seran wrap.

 

"You are asking me to betray not just the only group of people to ever take me in as family, you are asking me to give up my life, the life of my girl, and the life of everyone I've ever so much as shared public transportation with, just so you can figure out who killed a bunch of geriatrics who didn't have long for the world anyway. You want the people who killed the Turaga? Fine. But you won't get them."

 

“Hmm…”

The sound formed in the back of my throat, sounding more like a growl than a pensive hum. I could feel the Ta-Koro temper inside me flare up. My jaw muscles tightened, mouth frowning and eyes glowing. But then I relaxed, one eyebrow raised.

 

“That’s all a narcissist like you can think about, isn’t it? Always you. Even when you say it’s about your family or your girl, it’s about you. You couldn’t give to piles of Muaka-dung about the people who suffered because of the actions of these people you’re protecting. Because the geriatrics you’re talking about have led these villages through some darn dark times before you showed up. They’ve kept it together when it seemed like there’d be no tomorrow more than once and that’s why the Matoran looked up to them. When you go through times like that, a village becomes a sort of big family as well, with the Turaga as parent-figures to the majority of them. And these people murdered them. That’s not some small-time crime. This is premeditated and organized murder of our elders. By law, these people should be drifting on the endless ocean in exile. That’d be justice. But you don’t care about that. You just care about yourself and those few others. And you only care about them because you still get some sort of validation from them.”

 

I slid off of the barstool, standing up to full height, looking slightly down at the Toa of iron.

 

“Very well. If you won’t help me bring them in, I can’t help you either. Don’t bother packing. I’ll have every gate and outpost know your plan before this hour is up. You’re not going anywhere.”

 

"Screw you."

 

"And a good day to you as well." I turned around and started walking to the door. "I hope you enjoy mixing drinks, you'll be doing it for a while I reckon."

 

"Which is why this time next year, I'll be out and about, doing my thing with Tuara at my side, and you'll still be stalking the streets of Ta-Koro looking for people who sneak baguettes from display cases. That is, if you're not just as deep underground as the Turaga are right now."

 

No answer. Agni just walked, and my teeth gritted to prevent a growl.

 

"You won't catch them. There's no way."

 

I stopped at the door, looking back over my shoulder coldly. I tapped my Kanohi Kualsi, mask of quick-travel and then used those same digits for a lazy two-fingered salute.

 

"It'll happen faster than you think, trust me. And when I bring them in, I'll be sure to make mention of your refusal to assist in an official investigation, directly violating your parole-terms. And when that happens you can forget about doing your thing, forget about freedom. You're not going to pass go, not going to collect two-hundred widgets, you're going directly back in the joint. And you're going to stay there until your scarf turns to dust."

 

I turned back around and looked him directly in the eyes. "If I step out of this door, that's what's going to happen, I promise you. So, last chance. You can either give me the names...

 

Or you can bet the rest of your life on it."

 

I took a step back towards him, my boot making a heavy, dull thud on the floor.

 

"Who killed Turaga Whenua?"

 

"Drawing a blank."

 

Another step.

 

"Who killed Turaga Matau?"

 

"Short answer: No idea. Long answer: Dunno."

 

Another.

 

"Who killed Turaga Onewa?"

 

"Technically, his Parakuka. Who made it freak out? No idea."

 

Another.

 

"Who killed Turaga Nuju?"

 

"Couldn't tell you."

 

One more.

 

"Who killed Turaga Nokama?"

 

"You might as well be asking a Magic 8 Ball."

 

I stood back in front of the bar, staring him down.

 

"Who killed Turaga Vakama?"

 

"Oh, that one's easy. I did."

 

“That so, eh?” I asked. “So, a select few individuals get hired to almost simultaneously murder the elders of every village and you claim to have no knowledge of any of them despite the obvious coordinated effort put into this.”

 

“Yup.”

 

“Except for Vakama who’s murder you freely admit to, incriminating yourself.”

 

“What can I say; I’m a glutton for punishment.”

 

“And I suppose you created the timed distraction as well.”

 

“What distraction?”

 

"There were explosions in the village square. Fireballs."

 

"Have you had any luck talking to the volcano next to your Koro about that?"

 

“We did, actually. His reply was ‘You think I created controlled explosions that coincidentally provided the perfect distraction for an assassin; do you think I am stupid?”

 

"Ooh. The volcano got feisty on me overnight. Wonder if it's going through hot flashes."

 

"Well, he doesn't like it when people accuse him of things he didn't do."

 

"Can't pretend I know the feeling."

 

“Don’t worry, we’re getting there. “

 

I bit my tongue to prevent a slip of any that's what she saids.

 

And there it is: that oncoming sneer. It didn't take years of training to recognize the expression. It was unmistakeable. Smirk©, by Dorian Shaddix. Or Blue Steel, whichever you prefer. I was curious to see how long it'd last when I brought out the big guns. After all, I was just getting warmed up.

 

"Do you know why you were able to get parole despite the charges against you?" I asked. It was only a rhetorical question; I cut him off before he could reply: "Because I know for a fact that it wasn't you who killed Vakama."

 

"How'd you become detective again?"

 

"Observational skills." I replied with a chuckle. "Starting with the fact that your rather devious plan to distract the guards by killing innocent bystanders apparently lacked a clear exit-strategy besides running like Karzhani."

 

"There were two pairs of tracks leading from the backdoor of Vakama's home. One definitely belonged to you, but the other belonged to a Vortixx. You came through the hut first because the second set of tracks disturbed the footprints left by you."

 

"In the hut itself however, we only found the Vortixx's footprints left on the ground, thanks to ashes that settled on the ground because of somebody stabbing the poker through the smoke-shelf and blocking it. Whoever did that left before the Vortixx entered the hut."

 

"But that's still not enough to completely absolve you and prove it was somebody else, is it, hm? How about some more evidence...like the spatter-pattern of the Parakuka's blood? I've been looking at the files and the crimescene a lot these past three months and that Parakuka-blood...whoever stabbed that slug and killed Vakama in the process was definitely taller than you."

 

"Joke's on you. I wear chick's heels sometimes."

 

While I had been talking, my hand had reached down and settled into the satchel hanging from my waist. I kept a number of useful things in there: A lighstone; a heat-stone; a can of energy to recharge; medicinal herbs, small tools and a small wooden carving given to me a by a Le-Matoran girl some five-hundred years ago; and a piece of paper, which my fingers currently were wrapped around.

 

I lifted it out of the satchel casually and placed it on the counter between us.

 

"And then there's this." I said, with a knowing smile. I turned the paper around so Dorian could read it. There was a list on the small scrap of paper - a list of eight names. Names Dorian obviously recognized:

 

-Sev, slayer of Turaga Onewa

-Illicia, slayer of Turaga Onewa

-Marfoir, slayer of Turaga Matau

-Liacada, slayer of Turaga Whenua

-Dorian, slayer of Turaga Vakama

-Jin, slayer of Turaga Vakama

-Grokk, slayer of Turaga Nokama

-Brykon, slayer of Turaga Nuju

 

Dorian had the time to read the list. Then read it a second time, and a third. And then, before his eyes, the piece of paper burned to ashes by the snap of my fingers. He looked up at me. I calmly looked back.

 

"These names were taken from a note left by Vakama before his death. And before you ask: The original note is hidden and safe. In the end, the old man had a trick up his sleeve still, as did the other Turaga. They knew you were coming. Vakama left Jaller that note who in turn entrusted the information to me. We've kept an ear to the ground since, waiting for your friends to show up again, but with the recent lack of communication between the villages the Akiri, the captain and I decided it's time to take action. So here I am, talking to the first person on the list whose whereabouts we definitely knew."

 

"And as you can see, we already know who the others are. And the investigation shows you didn't kill Vakama. There is nobody left that you can protect, except those that are responsible for this mess in the first place; the ones that ordered the hits. And their time is running out as well."

 

"You've got no idea, old man. Absolutely jack #### zero."

 

My momentary surprise at the fact that the old man had accumulated a list of the executioners of him and his fellows had dulled and numbed into the sheer shock and gall of this guy to assume he had something on the people behind Bad Company. Behind me. The same people who had taken the greatest man I ever knew and cut away at him until he fit into a niche that not even he knew he could occupy. The same people who kept me around as eye candy and practically had me dance for their amusement as they watched through my eyes. The same people who destroyed Jin. The same people who, even now, were somehow responsible for everything Agni thought his people had built.

 

"This goes so far beyond what you can even comprehend," I chuckled, finally growing somewhat serious. "It's about forty steps above your pay grade."

 

"If you can understand it, I'm pretty sure I'll do just fine," the cop said wryly, just before the first punch rocked him square in the face.

 

It wasn't some wide roundhouse like you always see in the movies or read about in books, it was just a bona fide hook that culminated in four knuckles into the center of his face and sent him sprawling back a couple steps. By the time he had refocused I was over the bar already - the Calix was my third love - and was ready to throw a second punch.

 

An explosion of white blocked my vision, my head rocked back like that of a Kahu-rider who'd failed to duck under a branch in time and I suddenly tasted something metallic in my mouth, feeling the hot liquid run out of the corner of it. I blinked rapidly, sparks dancing in front of my eyes. I blinked them away, saw him jump the counter. We sneered at each other for a second. He sneered a little better than I did as his fist came round for seconds.

 

I didn't feel like it. My hand came up, caught the punch before it connected, fingers clamping down on his right like vices. He hadn't counted on me being that fast, not while wearing the mask he did. And granted, I wasn't the fastest Toa on the island...I'd just trained him.

 

The same second I'd grabbed his fist I yanked at his arm ‘til it was stretched out, pulling him right into my left elbow which I was moving in the opposite direction, repeatedly and fast. First connect repaid the favour, the second split the skin on his cheekbone and drew blood. Upon third connect I let go of his right, the impact sending him sprawling on the floor of the bar.

 

I drew in a heavy breath; then spat out the blood in my mouth. I looked down at him, pity in my eyes.

 

“I know what you’re doing, Dorian. But it’s not working, is it? You try something, it doesn’t work out; so you leave, trying the next thing that comes to mind. Always on the run, but you can’t escape. Because ultimately, the things you’re running from are within yourself, your own ghosts and demons. And let me tell you…you can’t run from those.”

 

 

 

----------------------------------

 

 

 

Now

 

I had left him lying on the floor of the Lavapool Inn, before I had gone back to his place and explained the situation to Tuara at the door. We saw eye to eye on a lot of things and so she had agreed to help out. I wasn’t entirely sure if it was more out of a desire to see justice done or for Dorian’s sake, but I didn’t think about it too much. I trusted her. She wasn’t working for the guard anymore, but she was still a soldier. Maybe she was a little softer around the edges nowadays but at her core she was as tough as fire-Toa were made.

 

And I was thankful that she had agreed to come along, mostly due to Dorian, who’d made it a point along the journey to be as difficult as he could possibly be without risking more harm to his cheekbones. Luckily, I was good at ignoring his constant snarky commentary and we’d still managed to make the trip in good time.

 

The only surprise along the way had been at the gate, when the sentinel had remarked I wasn’t the first Kini-Nui defender to make their way to the village – Joske and Cael had found their way here as well, along with a Toa named Merror. I’d heard that name before, even seen him once, quite some time ago, but hadn’t had any dealings with him otherwise.

And they were all staying with Toa Maru Stannis - the granite guardian. Him, I had met, though I doubted he’d know my name. There hadn't exactly been time to play meet and greet.

 

But I was happy to hear about my old friends. The last time I had seen them had been after the battle for the great temple, where we had parted ways. I had not heard from them since, knowing they wanted time off and to themselves, to recuperate from the events of the previous weeks and understandably so. They had gone through a lot together…

 

It had not been part of the initial plan, but I was excited to catch up with them and talking to Stannis and Merror could be useful to our quest as well.

Of course, seeing the beginning sunrise and knowing my friend Joske, I knew he was probably not at Stannis’ home at this hour. He was an early bird if there ever was one. So, after making our way to the center of the village, I had sent Dorian to find him, which left me and Tuara to seek out the rest. The sentinel at the gate had told us where to find Stannis’ hut and so now we were walking casually back in that direction, while I was keeping an eye out for the red colour of a Ta-Toa among the Matoran out and about this early.

 

And as our luck would have it, we spotted the familiar colour soon enough, though it was not Joske.

 

“Hello, Merror.” I greeted the other Toa of fire. A few Po-Matoran stopped to look at us. Three Ta-Toa in one spot was a rare sight this far north of Ta-Koro, after all. I smiled at him.

 

“Looks like our paths are destined to cross once again and…ohh, is that a pancake wrap?”

Edited June 3, 2013 by Vezok's Friend

[ToaDraconixMahvi]

Ic;: "Time I stopped getting drunk..." Devounx moaned in the bar, getting up and using the sonic powers to keep his headache from getting worse as he muffled the sound waves around. "Now I need to find a home...I'm here for 8 days, maybe my sandstoneiron home is done? One way to find out..." Devounx muttered to himself, leaving the bar and heading across the street o the home, and goe to the catapult scorpion tail couch and went to sleep. 8 hours later..."Ohhhhhhhhhhh...my heads better..." he moaned.Ooc: I'm open for interaction., please knock on protosteel door.

[Light]

IC: The Sentinel nodded at Lekua. "Go on through."

[Palm]

IC: Tuara Drigton - Po-KoroTuara stood beside Agni in the lost Koro her hands on her belt. She looked relaxed about being here. Inside though she wasn't so comfortable. Koro relations wasn't the best at the moment, and Tuara wasn't sure how well this villages Akiri would enjoy seeing so many Ta-Toa in his village. Hewkii wasn't known to be very temperamental from what she had heard, but that didn't mean that with all the heightened arms at each Koro that Hewkii wouldn't have changed the way he'd begun to look at things. Aside from that, it didn't help that Tuara wasn't feeling the greatest about working with this group of people. Last time, she'd walked out on them for a reason that wasn't really a reason.Needless to say, Tuara wasn't in the best state of mind during that incident, and her mental health had been steadily decreasing.Things weren't so... shaky now. Still. It felt strange.She stood and listened before turning her head to look around that the village around her. It was a nice morning, and the coolness that characterized the nights in Po-Wahi had begun to lift as the sun rose, sending ripples of warmth up and down her back. That was the nice thing about Po-Koro. The day's were warm, even if you were likely to get sunburnt. It was nicer than freezing to death in Ko-Wahi though. Her stance was demanding of presence as she stood up taller, her large warhammer on her back, layered over her throwing disk. She hadn't left Ta-Koro since the Rahkshi attack.It was nice to be out again, and Tuara looked like it. She hadn't brought her flask with her by choice, opting to rather not waste Agni's time with needless drinking. Oh, also because her drinking was a frightening self-destructive habit that she constantly had issues avoiding. That was not something she should be putting on Agni's back either. He had enough to worry about as it were, and as far as she could tell, he was busier than usual.“Looks like our paths are destined to cross once again and…ohh, is that a pancake wrap?”Yep.Busier than usual.She smirked as she started to sort of pace around the area as Agni spoke with Merror. Browsing around the small stands and merchant tables in the street she'd come across something that she'd pick up before setting down again. Usually small statues. A common theme tended to be statues of Pohatu or Onewa. This sort of stuff was never of much value to Tuara, but she always had an appreciation for the work that must go into making- Oh #####. #####, #####, #####. A cracking sound was heard as the statue she was holding became a little more than assorted sections, crushing it in her hand. Tuara quickly scrambled to catch the head of Pohatu Mata and try to put it back into place. She looked behind her, Agni and Merror still speaking. Turning back around she held the head in one hand and the rest of the body in the other. Resting the neck carefully into place Tuara accidentally crushed the entire model, what was left of it falling as dust.She promptly dropped everything and turned around, walking away from the stand again briskly. She floated past Agni and Merror giving them a little wave and a whistle as she stepped into the next shop, looking to distance herself from the crime scene she'd left behind. Stepping into the next place she started looking around again, whistling casually, this time refusing to pick up any wares to admire.

Edited June 4, 2013 by snoip lion

[BBBBalta]

OOC: Well, that was easier than I thought it'd be.

 

IC: Lekua was somewhat surprised at the ease with which the guard and allowed him passage. Given the whole "hidden in the desert" thing and what he'd heard about the koro's views on foreigners, he'd figured they'd suspect him of being a Gukko Force spy or something like that. Of course, he didn't mention the thought aloud; no sense in giving them ideas. "Thank you," he said with a nod. Before either of the guards could change their minds, he'd vanished into the city. Or at least vanished as well as he could with a giant hawk following him around.

Edited June 4, 2013 by Baltarc

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

[Outskirts of Po-Koro, Mahi range; morning]

 

I'm a...consultant for the Guard. Agni sent me; he and Tuara told me a lot about you.

 

Angi. Tuara. Boy did THOSE names bring up a lot of memories.

 

Unfortunately I didn't have the time to fully wrap my head around that statement and the full implications before Dorian continued to talk, even when there was the appropriate pause he continued to steamroll and didn't let me formulate and answer to his series of questions... only to barrage me with helpful insight and sage-like wisdom as he proceeded to give me what was for all practical purposes Kohlii-training 101. Think like a Matoran? Kohlii manuvers? Playbook? Work as a team? I admit I felt a little wounded. Not that I showed it though. This was all basics, something I knew in an intimate sense and didn't need a refresher in.

 

What he didn't know was that the mere presence of a second person changed the game completely. Now everything he was saying could come into effect, whereas before with only one such advice - and more importantly execution - would have been difficult.

 

Let's just say in the midst of his monologue I came up with a plan. The moment he stopped speaking I placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a neutral if not positive stare.

 

"How we gonna beat these things? Simple: do as you say. Play as a team. And as I have the most experience playing forward, you get the distinct honor of playing goalie. In other words... stay here and look intimidating. Capiche?"

 

I gave him a dazzling smile, patted that defined shoulder of his three times, and then let him eat my dust in a literal sense as my Kakama activated, covering him in a small coating of sand.

 

Really the proper term was devious smile, but I don't think he noticed, pep talk and all...

* * *

Ok, I admit, I'm not above using people. Hero as I am I'm not perfect, a little flawed to be honest, but he presented such a good opportunity that I just couldn't pass it up.

 

What I couldn't do in an hour his mere presence allowed me to accomplish in ten minutes.

 

See, a goalie in Kohlii had one job and one job only: to defend the small space, the goal, from the ball. In this case the goal was the space behind him, and the ball was each and every Mahi. Which meant he literally was ordered to stand there and guard that one spot. Which also meant in the end... he actually didn't do anything. To his credit, he did follow through, though it took him a few minutes to realize that he had been slightly hoodwinked as I did all the work as he for all intents and purposes sat and watched.

 

During my previous hour I had observed the fact that the Mahi were simultaneously individual and heard creatures; as much as they moved together, they were not above spreading out and moving independently if pushed in a direction they felt was unnecessary. Which meant up until that point every time I managed to get one or two in a certain direction, a few others would happen to go the other way, leading the rest of the heard with them, negating all my previous work. Well, with Dorian standing there, that direction suddenly became undesirable to them, as to them he was another herder. But they couldn't go my way either, because well, they wanted to get as far away from me as possible. And with a fence on a third side there was in the end only one way to go: into the direction of the pen. I was a red streak, only fully materializing to move a particular Mahi, all part of a strategy to get them going in the one direction they needed to go. Pick one up and drop him off there, shove another there... nudges. Helpful hints. Hints that they got swimmingly and after some coaxing were rapidly running into the pen as the momentum I started gained speed. Ten minutes later I placed the last of the stragglers in the pen, latching the gate shut with a satisfying click. In the end it was astoundingly easy... just needed the right strategy, not to mention the right state of mind. With a bemused smile I sauntered over to Dorian, who was by now standing hear the decrepit shack and Goylo, the elder Matoran chuckling wryly.

 

"Clever lad... " was all he said, flipping me the charm as one would toss a coin. I caught it deftly in midair, lifting it up over my head to inspect it, the bright sunlight reflecting off the polished white stone. Placing it in my pocket I crossed my arms, giving Dorian a satisfied smirk.

 

"Thanks for the help Dorian. Now, back to my earlier question: how is it that you came to 'work' with Agni and Tuara as a consultant? And they're here? There is a karz a lot more to you than meets the eye and I would not mind a few explanations as we make our way back into town to meet up with the rest. As much as I appreciate convenient help I also understand it's rarely a coincidence as my past experiences have taught me. You have a unique and alluring charm, are a smooth talker, and from the way you carry yourself, your physique, and your mask you're probably able to perform top-notch in more ways than one... let's just say you remind me of another Toa I know intimately well."

 

I could have carried on, but I left it at that. People - let alone Toa - don't suddenly drop into my life without good reason, this much of destiny I knew well. I may not be Stannis the Prophet, but I understood a significant event when I saw one. And he was a definite significant event.

 

I was trying to piece together just how significant.

[Eyru]

IC (Jin)

 

I looked over the list and snorted. "An assassination? Easy. Who's Kethrye?"

 

Nice and simple. Taking a life. I still had game. The fact I didn't know the guy proved he wasn't anyone special, so it didn't really matter if he kicked the bucket or not. Get the job done, get off free, show Bry I'm still on my game. Fun times.

 

Yup. Murder. Fun. Let's do this.

[EmperorWhenua]

Ic: "Leader of the Island Liberation Force." Brykon would have said something to the effect of he is not an easy target, but then again... neither were the turaga. "They have a settlement called Pala-Koro and used to kep to their own agenda, but their new leader -- Kethrye -- has become a nuisance." He picked up another scroll marked "#3"and opened it, too. "There's already been unrest," he said, paraphrasing what the scroll said. "An ILF member named Esao tried to stage a coup. It was unsuccessful but fomented a seed we can exploit. Esao cannot be used as an agent but he can be seen as an asset. If we want to help him take power, it says here he will help us as he can."

 

The howling winds outside threw sand on the hut with hisses and whistles, casting an eerie and haunting setting to the hut's occupants. They really were very fortunate to have arrived in time, Brykon realized. Perhaps Mata Nui was looking after him even then?

 

"We'll need all four, even five of us for this job. Subtlety and some reserved power is essential. I was considering sending an envoy into the village to relay a simple message to Esao, then we make a couple of us known to him and set a trap for Kethrye. Then we gut the . But there are other possibilities. What do you think?"

[Eyru]

IC (Jin)

 

"If this Esao tried to stage a coup, then he's probably got a bit of a following. If we can play the two sides against each other, they could do the work for us."

 

That was my rational side speaking. The other half of me wanted to barge into Pala-Koro and cut through everyone I saw until I found Kethrye and did him off. That would be exciting. Thrilling, even. Dancing on the edge of the knife. Do or die. Forget about everything, and live in the moment, doing what had to be done.

 

But Bry didn't pay me to have fun. He paid me to do the job, and do it right. And, like it or not, doing it right meant playing smart.

 

Playing smart like killing civilians.

 

"We should do some intel to figure out how much of the ILF is loyal to Kethrye, and how many would follow Esao."

 

I paused. "And didn't the ILF fight Makuta? What're their goals now that the big guy's gone? Give 'em an enemy -even if it's an internal one- and they'll go to town just for something to do."

[- JL -]

IC......

 

Let me give you a monologue of my life.

 

I am Examus. You can call me Exa for short, that's what people say. Apparently it's something about Examus sounding wise, but whatever. Obviously they don't think I'm stupid. In any case, I'm the future ruler for everyone. The Akiri, those guys? Nah. They might be holding the villages together now, but I think everyone knows of the tension that's been building up ever since the Maru popped out of nowhere and took credit for something that I never saw them do.

 

Which is b#^*$&@!, by the way. I'm telling you, they simply found some way to dig into that big hole, walked out at the same time after some supernatural thing and took credit. "Oh, hurr, duh, the, the village got attacked? W-well, we, uh, just killed Makuta..D-don't b-b-b-uhlieve me? D-d-there's some other people at the other Koro's.......I think they said the same thing."

 

In aaaany case, today I'm in Po-Koro. I.....wait a second, is it morning? Where am I??

 

The sunshine first came through the cracks in the roof, glaring down on my Sohfir. I still didn't have full control of that mask, but I've been practicing. By now, I can skate on rock without wheels, which is awesome. What wasn't awesome was that It looked like I'd chosen to sleep in some awesome place last night, because right now it was crowded with Mahi. I'm not sure how they got there, but I was more worried about my mic. "Where the heck is my mic?" I muttered, using my sonic powers to make sure it annoyed the Rahi but nobody else. Thankfully, it was safe, and no dung had appeared on it like a miracle summon from the ground.

 

Unlike me.

 

I blew and sneezed, and rubbed and shook, but all the Mahi dung seemed to love to cling to me. I still don't know how much water was in these Rahi, but dang, must've been quite a lot if they could produce such a sticky substance while under the glare of Po-Wahi's desert sun.

 

Quickly, I activated my Sohfir, and, covering my hand with a bunch of sand, started to rub myself. This time, the increased friction easily rubbed off the poo; what was left quickly dried from the heat, and once that happened it was even easier to get off my armor. Still, I had bits and pieces of dried brown stuff on my armor, especially in the chinks, so I'd have to go find a source of water soon.

 

AND not get caught getting out. Sheathing my epic awesome mic slash weaponized tripod onto my back, I quickly opened the door of the pen, and stepped right out.

 

It didn't even occur to me why there was a door as I yawned, stretching, and walked slowly towards the village square.

 

 

OOC: Toa of arrogance, lack of skill and ego, open for interaction!

[Ghosthands]

IC (Merror)

 

Merror turned, a slightly bemused smile on his face.

 

"Agni," he said. "Now there's a name I've heard a lot recently."

 

He looked down briefly at the paper-wrapped pancake in his hand.

 

"And I'll have you know," he continued, in mock officiousness, "that this pancake currently has a certain speedster's name on it."

 

Merror sighed and rolled his eyes. He was still somewhat frustrated by Stannis' violent response to Joske's harmless (if provocative) joke. He knew that the Toa Maru's justification would be 'it didn't do any lasting damage, which was frankly missing the point entirely. It was the principle of the thing that the middle-aged Toa of Fire objected to. But there was one thing to be glad of - Joske had walked away. Not escalated the situation further. It showed a strength of character that Merror approved of.

 

"Short story is, Joske pulled a prank on Stannis, Stannis didn't like it and lashed out, Joske stormed off to look for the Charms. Leaving all his equipment (not to mention his breakfast) behind. So I'm looking for him."

 

He shook his head, and smiled again.

 

"But enough of that. We've never really spoken, have we? I know you by reputation, and by the sound of things, you know me...and, of course, we crossed paths back in Ga-Koro when you took charge of our quick-moving friend. But we haven't ever had the chance to actually meet each other."

 

He held out his free hand.

 

"And it's a pleasure to do so at last, Toa Agni."

Edited June 4, 2013 by Ghosthands

[BBBBalta]

IC: It didn't take long for Lekua to find a local who could direct him to the home of the most famous Toa in the village. Of course, he had to listen to a rather long-winded explanation of how it wasn't really Stannis' house; he was borrowing it from someone, a Toa who used to... Lekua sort of zoned out around that part - good thing he wasn't in a hurry, at least. A few minutes later the Matoran's monologue had somehow shifted to an explanation on the migration patterns of mahi compared to those of the husi, a subject Lekua was fairly confident wouldn't help him much in finding his friend. Smiling and nodding, he backed into the crowd. The Matoran didn't seem at all fazed by his departure, continuing to ramble on to a merchant who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

A few minutes later, he'd arrived at his destination. He stepped up to the door, raised his hand, and paused. Slowly, he lowered it again. Was he really prepared for what he might find behind that door? He shook the thought from his head. He hadn't been prepared for anything he'd faced in the past year. Why start now? He reached out and knocked sharply on the door. Once, twice, silence.

[Friar Tuck]

IC

 

[Outskirts of Po-Koro, Mahi range; morning]

 

Before Dorian could answer however, I raised a hand, something coming to the forefront of my mind.

 

"Hold that thought."

 

Swiveling my head I looked back at Goylo, who was rocking contently in his chair, clearly pleased with a "good day's work" that WE accomplished for him. Figures. Still, I had the Charm of Strategy - which begged the question. The question I suddenly remembered.

 

"So since you had this one... who where the others are?"

 

All I got was a lazily-raised eyebrow. To which I sighed.

 

"Please?"

 

"Only because you're as perssssistent as you are annoying," he grumbled, shifting in his seat, "I'll tell ya. But something tells me yer not going to like it."

 

"I'll be the judge of tha-"

 

"Hewkii has it."

 

I stuttered to a stop mid-sentence, my mouth slightly agape. "What?"

 

"That's right, sssonny; Akiri Hewkii is in possession of it... or at least last I checked, which was a few years ago." He furrowed his brow, taking in a long, thoughtful puff. "Kept it in his hut. Didn't care much for it, misplaced it a few times, but was sssmart enough to hold on to it knowing that it was sssomehow important. Whether he still keeps in in his old residence, or still has it at all, you'll need to ask him yerself."

 

With that he clammed up, staring off into space without a care in the world, signalling that this interview was over. Turning around I sulked back to Dorian, taking the time to put my armor back on as I thought.

 

Honestly, I didn't know why I was so glum. I didn't have a thing against Hewkii; in fact, the only Akiri I might have issue with was Jaller, and only because of our past... inability to see eye to eye. Still, last time I checked were were at least on good terms, Toa transformation and all. I didn't have any connections with any of the Koro leaders, and had made a fact over my life to stay out of politics as much as possible. I hadn't made any enemies in that regard, and considering the way Hewkii treated me when I showed up apparently I had more clout than I gave myself credit for, defending the Kini-suva and all. What was holding me back was the personal opinion of Stannis, someone I considered (despite the morning's antics) a friend and someone of respectable wisdom and insight. Still, that was his personal opinion, and until proven otherwise I'd give Hewkii, as I gave everyone, the benefit of the doubt. As far as I was concerned I was on good standing with him and them as a whole, no reason to see them in a negative light until shown otherwise.

 

Maybe if I asked nicely he'd give it to me? Worth a shot. Never hurts to ask.

 

Content with the arrangement of my armor I gestured to Dorian. "Right, slight change of plans; we're gonna drop by Hewkii first and see if he still has that last charm. I would still like an answer to my question on the way if you don't mind though."

 

I began to head back to the Koro, Hewkii and his office my next stop.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Friar Tuck

[Wotz]

IC: Stendhal

 

"I've spoken to you all I need to, Rynekk," Stendhal replied, coming to a stop and turning to face his visitor. "My wants and desires mean nothing in the shadow of the plan."

 

Before Rynekk could ask what he meant, the blue armoured being grinned. "Now, it seems, you have gone to great lengths to pursue me, and in the process, you have placed yourself in the sands of doom. I don't know what your people have done, but it seems they do not want their dry, abysmal village to be discovered. And so, you have condemned yourself to death. I don't need to fight or torment you any further, Rynekk. I just need to wait."

[shadow pridak money gang]

"Who am I? I'm just another son of a ###### sitting in a motor home on a film set, and they come looking for Zeus."

 

-Marlon Brando

 

IC:

 

"...let's just say you remind me of another Toa I know intimately well."

 

Back, back in the day, I might've taken that as a massive compliment, but now it came across as a neutral, guarded observation, if not an outright - if a bit veiled - barb. Best not to let him know that, though. If I heard it once, I heard it a thousand times when I was growing up, when I encountered Heuani for the second and final time, when I was in Bad Company, when I was putting myself when I spent three months trying to recover from all of the above while trying to cobble the girl of my dreams back together with some cheap carpenter's glue and preventative measures that never quite seemed to pan out: never let 'em see your scars, and don't let yourself die in this cesspool.

 

Never let 'em see your scars.

 

I opened my mouth to reply but Joske had pirouetted around and gone back to talk to the old Matoran - please please pleaaaase tell me that he isn't always this hyperactive - and deduced something about the new Akiri in town having the next Charm, which was fine by me. We were apparently cutting a detour and heading there as opposed to the beeline back to the indeterminate location that the Toa of Fire was crashing at which was, again, fine by me. Clearly his curiosity wasn't as all over the place as his body though, and after a second he was back to the same old line of questioning, which was - final time, pinky promise - fine by me. He was going to get answers one way or the other; might as well be from me so I didn't have to groan and cut into Agni's explanation later on. Which would probably happen anyway but at least I could do what I could now to try and stop it.

 

"Fine. I'll be straight up with you, but you cannot react loudly, or do anything that would draw attention. Deal?"

 

"What would draw a--?"

 

"Deal?"

 

After a hesitant moment Joske nodded and I looked down slightly, partially so that he couldn't see my face and partially to discourage any lipreaders and allow my voice to get lost in the crowd more easily. As a result, he tucked in slightly too, but his senses were keen enough that there was no real need to bend his head down next to mine and risk us definitely looking suspicious. I thought about taking a second to collect my words, but figured that there was no real need; I always spoke best right off the cuff.

 

"Tuara and I have been dating for the last three months."

 

Or not.

 

"What?" Joske asked in a loud, incredulous voice, and I brought a quick finger to my lips and sshed him. His gaze was still confused and shocked but he piped down quick enough so that I could finish talking.

 

"Stay quiet. We had a deal," I reminded him, "Now. The main truth you need to know about me is that I've done a lot of sketchy things in my life, and I'm trying to make up for them by doing the right thing as much as I can - call it redemption, call it atonement, whatever. Point is that ever since your little misadventures at the Kini-Nui I've been solving the Guard's felonies and helping assign cops around Ta-Koro, and I use the funds to try and bring Tuara back from the brink. A day ago, Agni came by and asked me for help with a group of people that he knew I knew. Bad people. People who I know for a fact did a pretty bad thing."

 

"Like?"

 

I looked around again, specifically for any Matoran who were looking at us. When I was sure that no one was around I popped my head down and kept my voice quiet, a sensual, crooning murmur designed to carry in the mind but not in the physical realm.

 

"They had the Turaga killed."

 

"WHAT?"

 

"Joske, we had a deal!" I hissed quickly. "You are so about to lose your talking privileges, mister."

 

"Did you kill the Turaga?"

 

"No!" I denied emphatically, all pretense of quiet gone. "I tried to help Vakama...as much as he wanted to be helped. He was...it's complicated, but long story short he's not here anymore, and I'm really sorry for that. And I get that you're upset about it. And I get that you're still angry about it. And I get that you have every right to be. But I'm trying to make up for it, and I got sent here to help you so that I could make up for it. If you want me, great. If not, fine. I'm sticking around anyway. Because if I didn't...I mean, if I were just gonna skip off again and do my thing somewhere else...I'd be just like another Toa that I know intimately well."

 

Instantly the scar on my abdomen started to throb with the pressure of continued walking again and my hand instantly drew to it; Joske's eyes widened when followed my hand to my navel and caught sight of the blemish; after all, it was the blade he now wielded that had left it.

 

Trusting others with my scars. Step one, check.

 

-Tyler

 

 

[Void Emissary]

IC: Rynekk

Cue laughter. Drawn out, bombastic, smug, nearly maniacal laughter that flooded the stark landscape, erupting from a crazed smirk plastered across my face. It was the kind that dastardly mad scientists would come out with after shouting “IT LIVES!” at the top of their lungs.

“What are you waiting for, exactly?” I asked as my outburst died down to a chuckle, “The moment when I forget the three months it took me to memorize my way back to the village that I work and live in? Did I never tell you that the Sentinels have to know the paths to Po-Koro like the back of their hands?”

My smile grew wider and more savage, and a faint halo appeared around my face, masterfully hiding in the miasma of morning lights, “Well, sorry about ruining your plans, Stendhal...but I’m afraid that I have to take you back to jail now.”

With that said, I slammed the bottom of my spear into the ground, sending a trial of elemental energy surging through the ground, coming to a stop directly beneath the Ba-Toa. Immediately, a pillar of stone underneath his feet rushed three feet up into the air before halting just as quickly. Not wasting another moment, I leapt at Stendhal with the Kakama-induced speed of one of my sis’ lightning bolts, aiming a swift and concise baseball bat-esque swing to his neck with the butt-end of my spear.

-Void

[Friar Tuck]

IC

[streets of Po-Koro - late morning]

 

Wow. Just... wow. Where do people like him come from?

 

Or more importantly, why do I seem to have a knack of meeting up with them?

 

Let's see, where to start my issues with this. The fact that he's been dating Tuara of all people for three months (which of course begged the question: what the karz happened to Angelus!?)? The part where he's Agni's little experiment? That he's for what I can gather a hardened criminal? Hardened to the point he was part of the Turaga Hit-man Crew? Or maybe where he had relations with Heuani? The volcano might as well exploded in my face for all I cared as I tried to sort and reason out the thoughts flying through my head. Why me? Why in karzahni would Agni send him of all people my way?

 

That is until I saw his face.

 

The way the slight bit of emotion played on his mask as he tried to explain what happened between him and Vakama. How he stumbled for words when up until this point he had been the most lucrative and smooth talker I had ever met (spare one obvious individual). How he flinched when a certain memory was brought to the forefront of his mind and he had reacting accordingly, trying to subconsciously cover a scar that could only be made by one weapon and one weapon alone. A weapon I currently carried.

 

Having been there (and to be honest STILL there in a few regards) I understood that his scars went significantly deeper than the one by his navel. And this is why he was sent my way.

 

My die-hard commitment to second chances.

 

If there ever was a turnaround story, it was me... not that a lot of people knew it yet, it was slowly coming out. Ever since then I had been something of a fanatic to that ideal, even to the point of bending over backwards to see it through, Utu being the most prominent example of it. Despite my deep resentment towards those that followed the shadows and darkness I also had a soft spot for redemptive qualities - something Agni knew very well. Agni knew me well, period; in many cases arguably more so than Cael. He had been there every step of the way, through every trial, every crowning achievement. He had seen it all and was the only one outside Cael who knew what happened to me in every detail; he knew me better than I probably knew myself. I trusted the Toa explicitly and if the old fart told me to jump off a cliff I would probably do so in a heartlight blink. So if he sent me this paroled Toa to be my... uh, partner for a spell, then I would trust his judgement.

 

Still, I was going to grill the Ta-Toa later and rake him over to coals when I got the chance. Who does he think he is, ordering me around in a roundabout way? I'm not even Guard anymore, gave my badge to Tuara. Granted, she gave it back, but as far as I knew I haven't been re-commissioned yet. He's got nerve, that one.

 

So does Dorian, I admitted to myself. He came out swinging, being bluntly honest... in an attempt to gain my trust. He stuck his neck out there big time just now. A part of me said I could do no less.

 

Without warning I took a step forward, placing a hand on his shoulder and steering him to the closest alley. Once I was sure we were out of both sight and sound I reached out with my other hand, gently touching the scar.

 

"Hey-!"

 

"Chill." was my only remark as he started to scoot away at the odd advance, my fingers gently pressing and tracing the line of the blemish. "My betrothed is a doctor; not that it makes me one, but I've picked up a few things over the last few months observing her. Not to mention being a former athlete I know a thing or two of skin and muscle injuries... "

 

Betrothed. Only now did I think about the choice of word. For all practical purposes we had gone long past that point, but there had been no official ceremony. At least not yet. So on paper that was the case while in practice it was very different. In the end a mere technicality, but he very much got the point from the way he looked at me. Content I finally pulled back and leaned against the stone wall, crossing my arms and staring very intently at the ground.

 

"When I spoke if a Toa I knew intimately well, I was referring to myself. The individual you are referring to, however, could also be described in that fashion. He is in fact very much like me, and from what I can gather, very much like you... who is very much like me as well."

 

I gave a slight, sad smile as he gazed quizzically at me, my veiled and circular logic hinting at something that could not possibly be-

 

That's when I pulled out the crystal flamberge.

 

Not all the way mind you; just halfway out of the scabbard. Far enough that he could see it as the very same weapon he had seen Heuani strut around with for years. The same weapon that gave him that slight disfiguration. A weapon that, even in the shadows of this alleyway, captured and refracted the light into dozens of little sunspots that danced along the walls. The only weapon like it on the entire island.

 

Just as quickly as I brought it out I sheathed it once more, the blade once again completely hidden from view.

 

"Now you know my little secret," I said, barely a whisper, a ghost of a smile playing on my lips, "one of only a handful of people who know the fate of the the most infamous Toa to ever roam the island and his even more infamously-known weapon. And yes, I DID take it off his body by right of combat, and yes that means I beat him in single melee. You're not the only one with fantastic secrets Dor... if I may call you that."

 

By now I was smirking, letting THAT tidbit sink in. Notice how I said body, not corpse; if he was as smart as I was beginning to think he was, he might make the important connection. When I first beat Heuani it wasn't by combat, but by will; I managed to follow the Toa Code to the letter and that's how I defeated him. Physical victory came later. I didn't know if Dor would make THAT connection, but over time he might. If he understood these concepts.

 

Doubtful.

 

"Shall we?" I said, motioning my hands back into the street with a bemused smile while simultaneously winking. Baffling other people made my day, and this was no exception; gotta admit, it was pretty fun if not relieving to let someone in on the grand secret of Heuani's demise. Without looking back I strode back into the busy streets and made a beeline to Hewkii's office, pausing at the guards outside.

 

"If possible, I - er, we - would like an audience with Akiri Hewkii?"

 

OOC: Lloyd... knock knock?

[Lara White]

IC: The Sentinels nodded and stepped aside. "Of course, Toa. Hewkii will be back from a trial shortly." One said. "You may wait inside."

 

As the Sentinel had promised, Hewkii returned soon and let Joske into his inner office. He offered the Toa a seat before taking one himself. "How can I help you?" He asked.

 

[Click]

IC: OgekaAfter waiting for a few minutes and staring at practically every detail of the Akiri's reception area, Ogeka noticed the Ta-Toa from earlier walk in, quickly followed by the Akiri.Just my luck, he thought. I've waited here forever with this Su-Matoran and now that the Akiri's back, he's going to meet with a celebrity for another eternity. I should have brought something to do.OOC: Don't forget about the rest of us Lloyd!IC: UitadAfter days of trekking through the desert and following faded trail after faded trail, Uitad finally caught sight of a massive walled city sitting low to the ground like a Makika Toad between the walls of a canyon. As he approached, his mind automatically analyzed his options for getting in.Tall walls: no approaching from another angle.Guards posted around the walls: No getting over without being seen.Regular watch schedules: Dead guards would be noticed quickly.Open front gate: Best course of action.Besides, if I must remain in this city for a time, they might as well know me.Although he was low on energy and water, Uitad managed to sprint the last hundred Bio to the main gate. He slowed to a stop just before entering as a group of guards barred his way."Hello, I am Toa Uitad. I am simply a weary traveler stopping for supplies before continuing my journey. What city is this?"OOC: Once again, I'll add color later. Could a Sentinel posted at the gate respond?

[Geardirector]

IC......

 

Let me give you a monologue of my life.

 

I am Examus. You can call me Exa for short, that's what people say. Apparently it's something about Examus sounding wise, but whatever. Obviously they don't think I'm stupid. In any case, I'm the future ruler for everyone. The Akiri, those guys? Nah. They might be holding the villages together now, but I think everyone knows of the tension that's been building up ever since the Maru popped out of nowhere and took credit for something that I never saw them do.

 

Which is b#^*$&@!, by the way. I'm telling you, they simply found some way to dig into that big hole, walked out at the same time after some supernatural thing and took credit. "Oh, hurr, duh, the, the village got attacked? W-well, we, uh, just killed Makuta..D-don't b-b-b-uhlieve me? D-d-there's some other people at the other Koro's.......I think they said the same thing."

 

In aaaany case, today I'm in Po-Koro. I.....wait a second, is it morning? Where am I??

 

The sunshine first came through the cracks in the roof, glaring down on my Sohfir. I still didn't have full control of that mask, but I've been practicing. By now, I can skate on rock without wheels, which is awesome. What wasn't awesome was that It looked like I'd chosen to sleep in some awesome place last night, because right now it was crowded with Mahi. I'm not sure how they got there, but I was more worried about my mic. "Where the heck is my mic?" I muttered, using my sonic powers to make sure it annoyed the Rahi but nobody else. Thankfully, it was safe, and no dung had appeared on it like a miracle summon from the ground.

 

Unlike me.

 

I blew and sneezed, and rubbed and shook, but all the Mahi dung seemed to love to cling to me. I still don't know how much water was in these Rahi, but dang, must've been quite a lot if they could produce such a sticky substance while under the glare of Po-Wahi's desert sun.

 

Quickly, I activated my Sohfir, and, covering my hand with a bunch of sand, started to rub myself. This time, the increased friction easily rubbed off the poo; what was left quickly dried from the heat, and once that happened it was even easier to get off my armor. Still, I had bits and pieces of dried brown stuff on my armor, especially in the chinks, so I'd have to go find a source of water soon.

 

AND not get caught getting out. Sheathing my epic awesome mic slash weaponized tripod onto my back, I quickly opened the door of the pen, and stepped right out.

 

It didn't even occur to me why there was a door as I yawned, stretching, and walked slowly towards the village square.

 

 

OOC: Toa of arrogance, lack of skill and ego, open for interaction!

 

IC: Korru (Po-Koro)

 

After finishing the paperwork for Ghoti's sentence, Korru walked back out onto Po-Koro's streets to continue his duty, awkwardly navigating his massive frame through the streets.

 

As the huge Lesterin rounded a corner, he lightly bumped into a random passers-by.

 

"Sorry about that, sir" he excused himself

 

OOC: Alright JL, make my day.

[- JL -]

IC: Exa

 

Unlike the sound of metal clanging against metal, the sound of Exa bumping into Korru was the sound of metal scraping dirt.....or something similar. In this case, it was Mahi Dung, but of course, Korru's main issue wasn't going to be that.

 

'Oh, come on!' Exa muttered. He shook his head, and walked for a few meters. Korru continued on his path as well.

 

*Clap!* Exa's hands came as he spun and activated his mask. Instantly, Korru's traction on his feet felt waaaay different from walking on rock. To him, it felt like walking on a wet iceberg, and so came the familiar-slip-slide of expecting it to by dry and rough when stepping on it.

 

Exa was snickering before Korru even started falling.

[Geardirector]

IC: Korru (Po-Koro)

 

The unfamiliar sensation of loosing his footing was just as big a surprise to Korru as his fall was to anyone who happened to be there to witness it. With an almost poetic twirl, Korru soon found himself blinded by the bright sun he was suddenly staring at.

 

when the threateningly large Lesterin fell back first onto the sandy rock, there was almost a minor quake as a result.

 

As he sat up, blinking spots out of his eyes, he noticed the Toa he'd bumped into only second earlier, he was snickering to himself. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots.

 

"Assaulting a Sentinel? Bad decision, mister" Korru grumbled, after which he activated his Matatu and sent a blast of psionic force at the De-Toa.

[- JL -]

IC

 

'Assault?' Exa said, still laughing, 'You have no proof it was me!'

 

And technically, that was true. The only visible instance of assault right now was Korru's telekinesis, and all Exa had to do was let himself get hit to allow some self defense action.

 

The Matatu's energy slammed into him fully, and he was launched backwards through the air. It hurt, but now, all the witnesses would say that Korru attacked him first. After all, Angry Matatu user and a guy randomly flying through the air? It didn't take a genius to connect the dots.

 

'Ok! So it seems like you DO want to have some of it!' Exa said loudly, somewhat amplified by his sonic powers. It wasn't anywhere near a speaker, but it was pretty loud. Drawing his mic, he switched it around to hold the tripod, it's 3 golden bladed stands twisted to face forwards, ready to be hammered into whatever needs-

 

'Taste the power of my Souuuuuuuul!!' blasted Exa as he used his mask to increase his friction for a few steps to easily reach max speed, and then reduce the friction when that happened for him to effortlessly slide towards Korru. 'ROCK THIS!' He screamed, the shrill sounds amplified and smashing towards Korru even as he swung the tri-bladed mic at the Sentinel, using both his hand's and twisting body's energy as well as the power gained from his sliding speed.

[Geardirector]

OOC: Kind of a complicated maneuver for a character that's "not really good at fighting yet", I'd say

 

IC: Korru (Po-Koro)

 

'You have no proof it was me!'

 

"Son of a Tarakava, he's right" Korru grumbled as he got up, glaring at the proportionally smaller De-Toa "this isn't going to be pretty, better end it quickly before anyone gets hurt".

 

His response was cut short when he was struck by triple-threat of power, the tripod hitting him right in the jaw. Korru's head jerked around threateningly far, before the huge Lesterin managed to snap it back and stare down the De-Toa.

 

"If you just stand down, now, that'll be enough reason to let you go"

Edited June 5, 2013 by Geardirector

[- JL -]

OOC: To what, slide and swing a club?.......naw not really that hard

 

IC

 

'I'll stand down when I'm King of Mata Nui!' Exa shouted in response as he continued his slide before coming to a stop as he released the power of his mask.

[Geardirector]

IC: Korru (Po-Koro)

 

"You'll whatnow?" Korru asked, a bit dumbfounded.

[- JL -]

IC

 

'I'll be the king of this island!' blazed Exa. By now he was twirling his mic in his fingers, and his simple shouts were amplified, nothing loud enough to do damage but enough to annoy.

 

Then he came again, using a few steps of high friction to easily reach a high speed before removing traction to easily slide across the rough desert ground. He tried the same trick again, swinging his tripod into Kurro's abdomen!

 

'Hear....the screams of my passion!!!'

[Friar Tuck]

OOC:

OOC: Don't forget about the rest of us Lloyd!

I'll be as quick as I can; I have enough things on my schedule as-is

 

IC

 

[Hewkii's office, Po-Koro - late morning]

 

The Sentinel's promise didn't take long to come to fruition as Hewkii quickly returned, escorting me into his inner office. Dor had to stay in the lobby, but after what I had just pulled (literally) taking the time to sit and think would be a good idea. As Hewkii closed the door behind him he offered me a seat before taking one himself.

 

"How can I help you?"

 

"Well, first, thank you for seeing me on such short notice." I commented, pulling up a Toa-sized seat to his desk and making myself comfortable in it. "As for the help its more of a favor. I was told you have one of these."

 

With that I pulled out the Charm of Strategy and placed it on his desk. I watched as Hewkii casually picked it up and inspect it with interest. "I've been collecting them across the island, and I'm down to the last few. I was wondering, if the rumor I heard was true, would you be willing to part with yours? Granted you still have it at all that is. If not, could you at least direct me to its location? It's something of a... personal burden of mine."

 

The way I said the last part mirrored the way I had spoken to Hewkii yesterday when we first met, when he asked me why I was here. Clearly I didn't go into any details but in not so many words I had answered his question as to my presence in his Koro. I hoped he would be gracious enough to do either of my requests.

 

Simply put I don't think he is as bad as Stannis gave him credit for.