The Iron Toa
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Ouch. "Doo Heads". Glad that didn't last long. This is interesting, the three-finger island sounds like a cool idea, it may have been too much of a hint though, even if it wasn't called that in the story. Some of the mask designs look good, too. And it's nice to see another one of the people that made Bionicle talking about it online.
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End of YrentaChapter Eight==Yrenta Region, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==~536 AGC~
The Toa woke comfortably the next morning. The sun was already bright, and Morok appeared to be dozing. However, when the Toa got up, he immediately stood and bid them good morning. The Toa looked around, and after careful inspection noticed about a dozen small creatures watching them from the trees and vines. Morok smiled as he studied them, then he caught sight of the staff Imlen carried and stared.“That staff,” he said reverently, “that is Tanu's staff. My old friend's...”“Ah, yes,” said Imlen, suddenly embarrassed. “I hope you don't find it offensive.”“Offensive? No, I know Tanu would be proud to know that, in this way, the heroes of this time carry his legacy,” said the Turaga.“There's much more to his legacy than this,” said Imlen. “But I'm proud you think of it that way. Also, it's not like I broke into his tomb to retrieve it. I found this on the floor of the Ce-Kini.”“On the floor?” said Morok. “The temple was defiled, wasn't it?”“It was. Seemed like a long time ago,” said Vilam. “Probably not long after you visited it for the last time.”“Well, that is far from the worst of Teskor's crimes,” said Morok, shaking his head sadly. “But the time has come to put a stop to that. One careful step at a time, of course.”“Indeed,” said Imlen. “We noticed in your records you wrote that the De-Matoran had left their home mysteriously deserted. We considered investigating, but decided to find you first.”“It sounds like a good next step,” said Morok thoughtfully. “I do not wish to send you back north until you are ready. And if we can find the De-Matoran, we may gain allies that remain unknown to our enemies.”“You're sure they're not all dead?” asked Paqyar.“No, I'm not sure,” said the Turaga. “But when I looked, I saw no bodies, and no signs of a struggle. The walls appeared to have stopped the flood from doing any damage, and the land was damp, yet inhabitable when I investigated. And I did not dare to search for long, but in the short time I was there I saw no records explaining their disappearance.”“Did it look like they packed up and left?” asked Vilam. “I mean, did they leave things behind like they were in a hurry?”“I don't remember seeing much left behind,” said Morok. “But I don't remember their dwellings standing out as being exceptionally clean either. It was too long ago for me to be sure of the details.”“Sounds to me like they got going quickly, but not in a terrible rush,” said Imlen. “But we should go and look ourselves.”Before the Toa prepared to go, Morok gave them advice in combat techniques and the use of their powers. After a few hours of lessons and training, they packed their things. Before they left, Morok had some more advice to give them.“I will remain in the jungle. You know how to find me. Enter it, and my friends will inform me, and we will meet you. Remember, keep a low profile. Try to avoid being seen, by people and by Rahi. However, if you find the De-Matoran, it should be okay to reveal yourselves to them. Soon, we will advertise our presence to the rest, but not yet. For if you did, the news could spread to the Makuta and the Dark Hunters, and they would move against you. Or the Matoran might rise up against their enemies too soon, and be slaughtered. I must have you know this: your careers as Toa have begun in a more dangerous time than any before in this land. Remember that, and be careful.”“We will, Turaga,” said Imlen. “Farewell.”“Farewell, and may we meet again soon!” the Turaga said, and he retreated into the jungle, signaling it was time for the Toa to leave.By that afternoon, the Toa had made it to the western bank of the river. They walked across the land carefully, and were unmolested the entire way to the former region of the De-Matoran. Their fortress lay silent on the horizon, in the midst of a wide plain of tall grass. As the Toa approached, they noticed that though the fortress was whole, the effect of centuries of dereliction were clear. What were once sharp, clean corners had been eroded, and various mosses and ivies were growing on the walls. The main gate was left slightly open, and the Toa entered through it. In the fading light, the rows of empty stone buildings were eerie. A lone bird cawed and came down to roost on a nearby roof. Paqyar scrutinized it carefully, and was satisfied it was merely a wild Rahi, and not under the control of an enemy. He joined the others in searching the town.As with the exterior, the only visible damage was the result of the passage of time without maintenance. Any footprints the De-Matoran had left had faded long ago. The Toa searched the houses, and found they were left in a condition much like Morok had described. The few possessions that were left were large items, such as furniture, and were left in rather careless positions. It indicated a population that had time to leave, but not a long time, and only what they could carry. Imlen began to search the past of various objects while the other Toa looked for physical clues. They looked carefully for signs of a fight, but there were none. Imlen tried many times, and still failed to see the time the fortress had been abandoned. After a while, he took a break from that and helped his friends search. They spent the rest of the day examining the village, and Imlen studied the past of some more objects. Still, they found nothing more of use.That night, they entered a modest building that seemed to serve as a library, or a hall of records. The Toa studied the most recently written tablets. The accounts of the community's history were meticulous up to a line that told about Toa Vibrak going to meet with his brothers to end something that was threatening the Matoran living under the mountains. After that, the records ended abruptly. It seemed to Vilam that they were being blatantly secretive about their fate, deliberately teasing whomever might read their records. The library was quite cozy, and it was late, so the Toa decided to sleep there. Vilam offered to take the first night watch, and while the others slept, she searched the building some more. She wondered if there was more worth investigating than the fortress's recent history. Her efforts were rewarded when she found a few tablets with personal records engraved by Vibrak.By the time she had found them, it was Imlen's turn to watch. She wished to read what she had found, but knew she should get rest, so she handed them to Imlen. He noticed that Vibrak's entries were minimal and far between. Apparently, he had only written things that were very significant to him. The accounts were interesting, and one was quite disturbing – the one telling of the time he had been caught in an illusion and killed some Matoran – but to Imlen's frustration, his last entry was long before the time he had gone away. He had presumably died on that journey anyway, and the De-Matoran had not left until after that. Still, Imlen had been hoping to find some sort of clue. After many attempts, he managed to scry on the last time Vibrak or the De-Matoran had handled the tablet. As he expected, it had been put away for a long time before the De-Matoran had disappeared.Imlen growled in frustration and dropped the tablet. His mask power was incredibly useful, but it could also be so frustrating. Even if it found the time he was looking for, that did not guarantee there would be anything useful to be seen in that time. He realized that he should not have been using it at the time anyway, since he was supposed to be guarding his friends as they slept. As he spent his shift in silent contemplation, something else occurred to him. Since the Water village was not far to the east, and although there was much more space to live in seclusion to the north, the north was much more dangerous. So, if the De-Matoran had gone elsewhere, they had probably not gone north or east. That left south, which would mean leaving the continent entirely by sea, or west. If they had sailed away, it was unlikely they would be found. But Imlen decided that it would be worth the effort to search for them to the west.After Paqyar's shift, the Toa got ready to go. Vilam took the time to study Vibrak's journal herself. She found nothing of use in it, but decided to bring it with her. She hoped the De-Matoran would be grateful to have it returned to them. It was still dawn when they left the Fortress of Sonics, as they expected a long trek ahead of them that day. The plains stretched for many kio to the west before terminating at a ridge of hills, the unofficial western border of Yrenta. The official border, when there was one, had moved depending on the prosperity of the region, but throughout their history the hills had been explored little by the Matoran of Yrenta. They were not nearly as dangerous as the northern Wasteland, but were judged long ago to be unfit for colonization, and the Matoran living on either side of the ridge had little interest in getting acquainted. Imlen was not sure exactly what it was, but there was a reason the hills had been left alone, and he was sure they would be at their most dangerous in this era.The hills did not look particularly intimidating to the Toa when they were arrived. They were more barren and rocky than most of the terrain in southern Yrenta, but looked easy enough to navigate. The Toa reached the summit of the first hill just before noon. From that height, they could see why no Matoran lived here. There was a small valley before them, and more hills beyond that. All were desolate and windy. The Toa could see large Rahi moving all around, as well as swarms of voracious insects. They stopped to rest for a short time, then continued on. They did their best to stay out of sight, but the vegetation and rock formations were sparse in the valley. The three of them had just reached the bottom of the valley and were beginning to scramble up the steep opposite slope when they heard a sound like a row of glass bottles shattering.A pack of Nui-Jaga was upon them, calling out with that distinctive cry. There were eight of the scorpion-like Rahi, and they were rapidly scurrying down from the northwest. Before the Toa could retreat, they were surrounded. The Jaga advanced, and at that moment they learned the folly of attempting to prey on Toa. Vilam struck first, with bolts of lightning that knocked out three immediately. Imlen formed a glowing, electrically-charged fog around the rest while Paqyar attempted to subdue them. He found that it took more energy and concentration for him to call forth plants in a barren place, but managed to summon some dry scrub that entangled the Rahi. Imlen increased the temperature of his plasma, while Vilam poured more lightning into it. The plants holding the Nui-Jaga caught fire and burned away, allowing them to flee. The Toa congratulated each other and moved on.The western slope was difficult to climb at first, but gradually became more shallow as the Toa ascended. They heard a loud buzzing as below them a swarm of insects descended on the three unconscious Nui-Jaga. The large Rahi were devoured in seconds, and the swarm moved for the Toa next as the travelers stared in surprise. A quick blast of lightning sent several of the bugs to the ground and scattered the rest, and the Toa continued their hike. Soon, they were attacked by a group of spider-like Rahi they did not recognize. Again, the Rahi were easily defeated, but the Toa were becoming weary. Vilam hoped that there would be no more encounters for a while. Her wish was denied her, however, for Visorak scurried around the opposite side of that hill. Paqyar spotted them first, and urged his friends to take cover, but it was too late. The Visorak had seen them.The Visorak were fierce, strong, and battled to the death, but it was much easier for the three to beat them now that they were Toa. Still, these Rahi were far more of a challenge than the wild beasts they had fended off earlier. And they were followed by reinforcements. After a fierce battle, Vilam fried the last of them. Just then, the Toa heard a familiar hum. Three Rahkshi landed in front of them and brandished their staffs. They were obviously eager to fight, after all, they had never had the opportunity to fight Toa before.Review
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The awkward name changes right after the beginning, and the clumsy attempt to justify it in-universe. I still don't get how the new names are less offensive if they're pronounced the same, anyway.Also, I thought the entire final battle against Makuta was awesome, but unfortunately they weren't able to properly convey the enormous scale of the robots. But it wasn't that big a deal for me.
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End of YrentaChapter Seven==Yrenta Region, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==~536 AGC~
Paqyar shoved his friends out of the way just before the enormous feline Rahi's jaws closed around him. Vilam and Imlen shouted and retaliated together, forcing the beast to release Paqyar before he had been seriously hurt. Its extended neck retracted and it brought its entire body forward on rapidly-spinning treads. Imlen dodged raking claws as Vilam parried them. She delivered a painful shock from her sword, and the Muaka roared. It staggered, but resumed attacking even as Paqyar got up and began bombarding it with arrows and thorns. Imlen's plasma heated its armor until it glowed a dim orange, and still it battled them. Another swipe of its claws sent him flying into a nearby tree, a row of scratches across his breastplate. It extended its neck at him, and his friends focused their attack on that part, forcing it to retract it and come at them again.“Even a Muaka should have gone looking for easier prey by now,” said Paqyar.“I know,” said Imlen, getting back up and rejoining the fight. “We might need to just kill it.”“I'm trying,” said Vilam as she parried its claws and unleashed blasts of lightning. “Wait, there's something strange about its Kanohi.”The Muaka bore a dark Kanohi mask on each of its shoulders. Vilam summoned a forceful bolt and knocked one mask off, then the second. As the Kanohi clattered to the ground, the Muaka paused. It growled for a moment, sounding confused, then retreated into the foliage. The Toa picked up the masks it had left behind and examined them. The masks were rusty and scarred, and the Toa felt slightly nauseous from just holding them.“Infected masks,” said Imlen. “So corruption spreads among the beasts here, too.”“We've long noticed something wrong in the jungle,” Paqyar said. “But nothing so overt as this. We must be cautious.”The Toa began traveling quietly again. Still, they had several more encounters. A few more of the Rahi they battled also had infected masks. Each time the infected masks were removed, the Rahi would cease their attacks and disappear. Some had even seemed grateful to the Toa, but none had remained with them. They soon reached the other side of the jungle. They were dismayed by this, as they had found no trace of the Turaga. After traveling a short distance north, they reentered the jungle and began to search that area. They searched until dusk, and the Toa were weary. Paqyar said they should make for the eaves of the jungle again immediately. Not far into their journey back out, they were challenged by another Rahi. Paqyar caught his breath as it slithered out of the vegetation.“What's wrong, Paqyar?” said Imlen, noticing the Toa of the Green's concern. “It's just another Jivri.”“No, no,” he stammered. “Not just another Jivri. The Jivri Nui.”“What's a Jivri Nui?” asked Vilam, readying her weapon as the serpent coiled menacingly.“Not 'a' Jivri Nui,” said Paqyar as he grasped her shoulder and pulled her back. “The Jivri Nui, the King of Snakes. Get down!”Paqyar shoved Vilam to the ground as a Rhotuka spinner buzzed past. The snake Rahi lunged towards them, forced to stop just in time by a ball of plasma.“We beat four other Jivri today,” said Imlen. “I think we can take on this one.”“Maybe,” said Paqyar as he helped Vilam up and assumed a battle stance. “But it's a legendary, one-of-a-kind Rahi. If it's stayed alive this long...”His point was punctuated by the snake's next move. It ignored Vilam's sword as it bounced off its scales and twisted, scratching her with one of the seven blades on its dorsal surface. The Toa of Lightning cried out in surprise, then continued the fight. A moment later, the venom took effect. A feeling of numbness spread from the wound, slowing her. Her friends came forth, allowing her to retreat. The Jivri Nui coiled around Imlen's staff, apparently attempting to slither up it and bite him in the neck. As Imlen heated his staff, he realized too late it was a feint. The serpent dropped down and plunged its fangs into his foot before he could react. Imlen jumped back, clutching his foot, and the Rahi fired another Rhotuka from the launcher at the end of its tail. With remarkable accuracy, it struck Paqyar in the center of his chest. He screamed, not just from the pain of the poison burning into him, but also the fear of what would come next. Vilam had collapsed, her limbs paralyzed, and Imlen was on the ground too, his injured leg quickly numbing.“What... what does the venom do?” he asked fearfully.“The paralysis you feel will spread until you are unable to breathe,” said Paqyar, who had also fallen to the ground. “And you die. Don't worry, he'll wait until then before he starts eating us. Or so the stories say.”The Jivri Nui appeared to be in a hurry today, however. As Imlen found himself unable to move, the Rahi slithered to his vulnerable neck, bared its fangs, and... stopped just short of striking as a voice called out.“Not so fast, my old friend,” the voice said. The serpent hissed subserviently in reply. “I thank you for your concern, but we have nothing to fear from these three. Indeed,” continued Turaga Morok as he floated down from the treetops, “I think I have been waiting for them for a long, long time.”“Turaga Morok?” said Imlen in a mixture of disbelief and relief. He could not quite see for himself, for the venom was preventing him from raising his head.“That is me. I can tell you've been looking for me,” said the Turaga as his feet touched the ground and his mask turned off.“A little help here, please,” said Paqyar out of the side of his mouth. The paralysis was starting to affect his face, and Vilam could only mumble unintelligibly.“Oh, right. Don't worry, someone with a Toa's constitution should last about another fifteen minutes before the paralysis stops your lungs. But, luckily for you, the antidote is right here.”“Great. Could you hand it over – I mean, you'd better just pour it down our throats,” said Imlen awkwardly as his mouth began to numb.“You misunderstand. I don't have it. He does,” said Morok, pointing to the serpent. “If you'd be so kind, friend...”Morok took out a trio of small glass vials as the Jivri Nui slithered over. To the awe of the Toa, it raised its head before Morok, allowing him to squeeze the venom sacs at the base of its fangs. The poison dripped into the vials. When an adequate amount of the liquid was present in each vial, the Turaga thanked the snake and released it. Next, he cupped his hands and conjured a small amount of some sort of herb. After rummaging through his pack for a moment, he pulled out a pestle and mortar, and ground the herbs into a powder. He sprinkled a few pinches of the herb powder into each of the vials, then held them up triumphantly. Then he went about feeding it to the Toa. He started with Vilam first. At this point, she could not even open her mouth without help, so Morok lifted her mask, pulled her mouth open, and poured a vial of the potion into it. She gagged, and Morok strained to pull her upright.“I'm alright,” she said through a partially responsive mouth.Morok let her down and went to the others. Imlen was last, and he noticed the poison affecting his breathing by the time the cure was poured down his throat. Immediately, the effects ceased, and began to quickly reverse. Soon they were able to stand up, though they were tired and sore, and decided to remain seated. The whole time, the Jivri Nui stared at them. It looked as concerned as Morok had been for their health.“We're both very sorry about that,” said the Turaga. “Can't be too careful in these times. When we encounter three powerful strangers wandering through the jungle, we play it safe – safe for us, that is – and subdue them before talking to them. Or flee.”“How – ” Vilam began to say.“How did I befriend the legendary, ferocious, venomous, terrifying Jivri Nui?” Morok interrupted. “Why the same way we made friends back home, with a gift of pretty plants, friendly conversation, and helping with the chores. But no, really, not long after I began my exile, I found him injured. He had been in fight with one of the Makuta's creatures, and mortally wounded. He was... resistant to my help at first, but I managed to heal him before it was too late. And he has repaid the favor many times since. But you surely have many more questions than that, and I have some questions for you. So, let's get started then.”“Where do you live? Shouldn't we go there first?” asked Imlen.“Where do I live? I live in the jungle, silly!” laughed Morok. “I would not be very good at hiding if I stayed in one place for five hundred years, now, would I? And before you mention it, don't be too afraid. Most of the things you've encountered are my friends. Most of the rest aren't so bad either, but keep to themselves. Regardless, the only ones you have to fear now are the ones under the Makuta's dominion.”“One other thing, Turaga,” said Paqyar. “You said we were three strangers. We have not seen each other for a long time, so I can forgive you for not recognizing me.”“Oh, Paqyar! No hurt feelings, I hope, friend,” said the Turaga bashfully.“Not at all,” said Paqyar with a smile. “It's so good to see you again, after all these years.”“It is. It really is,” said Morok quietly. “But, now to business. There's a lot to talk about, and even more to do. First, I'd like to know what's going on, and how you became Toa.”The three Toa told their story to Turaga Morok. As they told him, he did what he could to tend their wounds. The venom did not damage organic tissue, only paralyzed it, but their armor had been badly corroded where they had been struck. Paqyar's chest armor was in especially bad shape. Morok did the best he could, instructing the Toa of the Green to temporarily reinforce the damaged metal with wood. Meanwhile, he responded to the details of their story. He knew of the war between the Dark Hunters and the Makuta, but was appalled by their account of how bad it had gotten. He listened excitedly to the tales of their several narrow escapes and sighed mournfully at the death of Rodas. The tale of Mosori's sacrifice thrilled him, but he also expressed sadness for his death. When they got to the part about how they became Toa, he stopped them. It was now late at night, but they did not end their discussion quite yet.“So, did I hear you correctly when you said there was a Toa working for the Makuta?” he asked.“Sadly so, and a ruthless one too, from what Rodas told us,” said Vilam.“How terrible,” said Morok with a sigh. “What could drive those who are supposed to be our heroes to do such things? I have known of such things happening before, but these days... trust and goodness are becoming rare. The Makuta's influence is everywhere. In fact, Makuta Teskor could be speaking to you at this very moment! Of course, I'm not Makuta Teskor. If I was, I would be able to do... this!”Morok stood up and held his hands in the air. Nothing unusual seemed to happen.“What was that?” said Imlen anxiously.“That was nothing, because, whatever it was, I couldn't do it,” chuckled the Turaga. “I am just Turaga Morok, and you have nothing to fear from me.”“You're... different than I remember,” said Paqyar hesitantly.“Oh? Stranger, you mean? More eccentric? Well, maybe it's because I've been a hermit for over five hundred years!”“Uh, right. Just to make sure you're not the Makuta,” said Vilam, “answer this: what did you do the last time you visited the Ce-Kini?”“Last time I... oh, well I went to deposit some records, and equipment for any traveler that happened upon them. But how could you know that?”“My mask lets me see the history of objects I touch,” explained Imlen. “While we searched the temple for clues, we figured that out, and eventually I saw you. From that, we found the items you had stashed.”“Ah, of course. The Mask of Psychometry. I've never seen one in action. On another note, I could tell you that it's said Makuta can read minds, but I'd better not. I don't want to worry you too much. Oh drat, I just said it, didn't I?”“Don't worry, Turaga, we trust you,” said Paqyar. “But I want to know why Imlen's figured out how to use his mask, and Vilam and I haven't.”“Oh, it will come to you,” said Morok. “In fact it's very unusual for one to learn that so soon after becoming a Toa. I call such things 'strange twists of fate' and I suggest you get used to them.”“So, anyway, we read the tablets you had written and came here to search for you,” Imlen briefly finished the story.“So, now what?” asked Vilam.“Now, we rest. It's the middle of the night, and there's much to do tomorrow. Don't worry, he's going to bed,” said Morok, pointing at the Jivri Nui hiding in the trees, “but more of my friends will come watch over us as we sleep.”“He's still here?” said Paqyar incredulously, staring at the serpent.“Not for long,” yawned Morok. “He's done more than his share of help today.”The Toa unpacked their belongings and went to bed on the jungle floor, trusting Morok's Rahi friends to watch over them.Review
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End of YrentaChapter Six==Yrenta Region, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==~536 AGC~
Again, Imlen saw a Turaga shuffle across the floor of the temple. He had seen this Turaga in the mask's previous visions, and although this Turaga had not been around for over five hundred years, Imlen instantly recognized him. It was Turaga Morok. This scene was different than the other visions of the Turaga he had seen. Morok was alone, and looked worse than Imlen had ever seen him. His armor was battered and dirty, and he looked sad. Not just said, Imlen noticed, but also worried. Or even afraid. Morok walked past Imlen's field of vision, and the Toa of Plasma carefully willed the mask to expand the scene. For a moment, he lost control, and feared he had broken the phantasm. But then the temple came back into focus. Morok was doing something to the Suva – Imlen couldn't tell what – and then the Turaga stepped back as a small secret compartment at the base of the dome opened. The sight of Morok depositing something in the compartment and closing it shocked Imlen out of the trance, and he snapped back to the present.“There's something in the Suva,” he said.“Something? I don't want to get near that thing again,” said Vilam.“I think it'll be alright – look,” said Paqyar.In transforming the Toa, the broken Suva had used its last energy. Its inner glow had died out, leaving it nothing but a cracked stone dome. Imlen approached and examined it. Halfway up the side of the dome, in a straight line from the middle of the room, was a large button. Imlen pressed it, and the Suva rumbled as something opened. It was not the compartment Morok had opened, however. The top section of the Suva rotated and split open, revealing a compartment that took up most of the dome's interior. It was empty except for half of a Kanohi and some fine metal dust. Imlen checked to make sure there was nothing more to that section, then pressed the button again. Thin sections of stone slid upward and together, resealing the Suva. Imlen beckoned to his friends, and they examined the exterior of the Suva carefully. Something near the bottom caught Paqyar's eye. He brushed it off, disturbing a large amount of dust.“I think... I found... something,” he announced between coughs.“What, what?” said Imlen eagerly.“Just a little writing – mostly illegible, but come see what you think.”“'Place the mask carefully' ...” read Imlen. “No... 'potential Toa' ... 'stone' … 'transform' ... 'Toa' … I don't see how this could help.”“Ah, the word 'open' is here,” said Vilam. “'Only' … 'only n' … 'natural elemental' … ah, it says 'only natural elemental energy can open' ….”“Now we're on to something,” said Imlen. “So, only a Toa or Turaga can open the compartment. But where is it? We can't just blast the Suva randomly.”“Maybe here. Something looks just out of place in this spot,” said Paqyar, indicating a small part of the Suva in front of him.“Worth a try. But be careful – we don't want to break anything.”Paqyar channeled a miniscule amount of elemental energy into the point he had noticed. To his surprise, instead of manifesting as plant life, it formed a glowing green vapor that was sucked into a widening crack in the stone. With a quiet thud, the compartment they had been searching for swung open. Paqyar beckoned his friends over as he held his lightstone into the small chamber. There were some more tablets within, as well as some small pieces of equipment such as a compass. There was also a strange mechanical contraption built into the walls of the compartment, made evident by the presence of moving metal parts.“Don't touch that,” Paqyar warned. “I think I can see what it does. See, it's supporting this stone block here, and keeping this valve closed. This trigger here will drop the block and open the valve.”“Ah, I get it,” said Imlen as he touched the valve very carefully. “Ouch, acid. It's designed to trigger if someone attempts to break in. Forcing this open will cause the contents to be crushed and dissolved. We're lucky it wasn't set off when the Suva was damaged.”“I didn't expect any of the old builders to have been so... crafty,” said Vilam.“I'm glad they were. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been the first to find these,” said Paqyar, retrieving the compartment's contents.The Toa of the Green placed the items on the floor where the three of them could look them over. There was a set of basic traveling equipment, including the compass. They were already well-equipped, but took the supplies as spares, just in case. Morok had even thought to include a pack of ageless ration canisters. These very rare canisters contained concentrated food energy, and would keep well indefinitely – even centuries had no effect, unless the containers were ruined. Hence, they were useful for placing in hidden caches for emergencies. But the most important find was a series of inscribed tablets. In a refreshing change, the letters in these were perfectly legible. None of the three Toa could recall what Morok's handwriting looked like, but it was obvious enough that this was his work. The Toa arranged the tablets in order and began to read.“As of the time of this writing, it has been four weeks since the disaster,” the engraved letters said. “That day, the earth cracked, buildings crumbled, and the sea rose up as far as the village of Sonics. The water is receding, and the Ga-Matoran were unharmed, but the De-Matoran have disappeared. Their fortress is intact, but deserted. We have not been able to investigate. On the day of the disaster, the Toa were below the mountains. There was great damage to Metaku's realm. Many were buried in the quake, and I fear the Toa were among them. In addition to the initial casualties, the disaster has had more dire consequences. Everything is dimmer, less vibrant. Even the air feels strangely listless. All these point to one thing: Mata Nui himself has been gravely hurt. Initially we feared he may have died, but if that had happened, we would have all died with him. Then we hoped he had merely been briefly stunned. But after weeks, it is clear to us that he is asleep. The universe still functions, but it has changed for the worse, and will not be restored until he wakes.“Though I fear what this portends, we have more current problems. Mere days after the disaster, the Ukzokth attacked in overwhelming force. Many small communities were eradicated or enslaved. Fortresses that should have been able to hold out for months were breached in days. Just as those bastions were overcome, a new side joined the war. At that time, many of the Ukzokth halted their attack. The others were slain. But though our people rejoiced, Siok and I were afraid. For the one who had 'saved' us was our old enemy, the Makuta Teskor. He claimed he had conquered the Ukzokth just in time to stop them from wiping us out. Now I see he has always been behind them, working behind the scenes all the time we had thought him dead. His lies were accepted by the Matoran all too readily. His past deeds forgotten, he has been accepted as a savior.“His influence is quickly spreading, and we are powerless to stop it. Already, those who speak against him have begun to disappear. Siok and I have refrained from publicly commenting. We have spread dissent quietly, but it has not been enough. It shames us, but we must hide. Siok and I will disappear until the time comes. We have done what we can to set the rise of our next Toa in motion. Two of the Toa Stones, the remaining two of a set we made long ago, are in the Ce-Kini. Only Vibrak knew where the others were hidden. Siok has spoken of leaving Yrenta to get help. It sounds like suicide to me. Perhaps we should not simply wait for heroes to arrive, but the lands beyond are dangerous. Who knows what has happened out there since the disaster? And Teskor would surely hunt us down. I hope Siok has abandoned that hopeless idea. I do not know where he will go. We have agreed to stay hidden, even from each other.“I can only hope that Siok finds refuge before Teskor finds him. As for myself, I do not need to go far from home. The jungle is not the most vast region of Yrenta, but there are many places to hide there. Even if enemies find me there, the jungle will protect me. My village has stood for millennia, and has only now been conquered through deception. But the plants and Rahi are not so easily swayed by deceitful words. They know things for what they are.”“I... I don't believe it,” muttered Paqyar, as he stood up. “All these years, and he has been hiding in the very same jungle.”“He made a good point about that, however,” said Vilam. “Even if you had been looking for him there, you might have never found him.”“I know, trust me. No one knows that better than us Green Matoran,” said Paqyar. “But it's just... if he was there the whole time, why didn't he tell us?”“You know how things are, Paqyar,” said Imlen. “Had he shared that secret, the word would have been spread, and the Makuta would have found out. You read it, the two Turaga did not even tell the other where he was hiding.”“What do you think of the rest of it?” asked Vilam. “I wonder if Turaga Siok did leave Yrenta.”“If he did, he did not succeed in bringing back help,” said Imlen grimly. “Now, I noticed something curious. If the fortress of Sonics was not destroyed in the Cataclysm, why did the De-Matoran disappear?”“Good question,” said Paqyar. “I had assumed they were wiped out, but then I never got the chance to actually look for myself.”“Me too. We all had other things to worry about. Their disappearance was just one more thing to add to the pile,” said Vilam.“Also, there is a possibility we must consider,” said Imlen. “Turaga Morok may have not made it back to the jungle after he deposited his recordings here.”“True,” sighed Paqyar. “I hope that's not the case, however. So, how about that fortress of Sonics? Should we investigate it? It's close, isn't it?”“It is close, but I think we should head to the jungle next. Morok should know of us as soon as possible, and we need guidance from him. Besides, something might have wiped the De-Matoran out. If it's still there, I'd like to get some combat experience first. We'd better not rush off to die.”“I concur,” said Vilam.“Me too,” said Paqyar. “Besides, I can't wait to get back home.”“Unfortunately, we'd better not reveal ourselves to the Matoran yet, for the same reason Morok did not,” said Vilam. “I'm sorry, Paqyar.”“You're right,” said Paqyar regretfully. “At least it will be good to see the jungle again. I have been away for years.”Their path clear for the moment, the Toa camped in the temple that night. The next morning, they packed their equipment and left. They headed directly east, towards the distant river. Their longer legs and heroic endurance let them travel at a much faster pace. Later that same day, they arrived at the banks of the river. Since the Cataclysm, the Ga-Matoran had relocated to a site not far away. The Toa were careful to keep their distance, and were only spotted by the occasional Rahi. The river was much wider and more wild than it had been in past ages, and the Toa had to travel a considerable distance to find a safe place to ford it. It was only early evening when they made it across the river and to the eaves of the jungle, but they set up camp there and went to bed early. Paqyar had insisted that the inexperienced should never travel the jungle at night, even Toa. Imlen and Vilam were nervous that night, spooked by the calls of unknown Rahi and intimidated by the vast, all-encompassing plants that lay before them. Paqyar, on the other hand, had trouble sleeping for the opposite reason. Returning to his homeland had invigorated him.Before his disappearance, Turaga Morok had confided his fears to Paqyar, along with a handful of other trusted Matoran. That same day, he had disappeared without announcing his departure. Even the village's best trackers had been unable to find him. In the following years, the spreading corruption had touched the jungle, but the village remained well-insulated. And so, about three hundred years ago, Paqyar had decided to travel the land and do what he could to improve the lives of his fellow Matoran. His situation became more dangerous as he regularly committed acts in opposition to Makuta Teskor's authority, and even more dangerous when the war against the Dark Hunters reached his homeland. Only by teaming up with the small band of heroes led by Imlen had he survived. Over the years, members of their team had died and new members had joined. Now he and the other two Toa were all that were left of that group.Early the next morning the Toa rose and entered the jungle. Paqyar guided them, keeping them to the safest path. He pointed out signs of wild Rahi, and which plants were dangerous. Imlen attempted to use his Kanohi to look for evidence of Morok's passing, but he found that the mask's power did not work on living targets. What bare rocks or patches of earth he could find showed nothing of any use. Soon the Toa figured that the best way to find the Turaga was to let him know they were looking for him. Unfortunately, that would also alert the local predators to their presence. They stopped traveling stealthily, and in the next few hours they encountered various aggressive Rahi. Most of these fled when given a taste of their elemental powers, and posed little threat to them, so the Toa had let their guard down when a Muaka pounced on them.Review
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Wait a minute - an energy that grants mental powers, including telekinesis?It's the Force!
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I don't see why Psionics couldn't be absorbed, it could have effects ranging from making the target forget their current thought to destroying their minds entirely. It was just decided for some reason that they couldn't. I think it's said they can do Nova Blasts though, which would consist of a mental attack that could make its targets stunned, unconscious, mindless, insane, or dead.
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All the Elements 'worked' for me, but most of them weren't explored in the story enough.
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End of YrentaChapter Five==Yrenta Region, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==~536 AGC~
“Well, here we are, team,” said Imlen as they looked up at the gate. The remains of a giant stone mask loomed above a partially-collapsed entrance.“If anyone lives here,” said Vilam nervously, “I'm not sure I want to meet them."“What if it's one of our old heroes?” said Imlen.“Well, there's a chance of that,” Vilam admitted. “Alright, let's go.”It was dark inside the temple. The only light came from the entrance and a hole in the ceiling. The Matoran each took out a lightstone. The stones illuminated the walls, revealing scratched carvings and shredded tapestries. They were in the central chamber, which had a smaller room on each side. At the back of chamber was a damaged stone dome. A strange tingling feeling affected the Matoran as they came close to it. Suddenly a flash of right erupted from the cracks in the dome. Startled, the Matoran jumped back. Imlen's equipment spilled out of his pack, including a pouch that hit the floor with a clatter.“Isn't that Rodas's pouch?” asked Vilam as she picked it up.“Oh, yes,” said Imlen. “I had forgotten about it. I took it from Mosori's body before we buried him.”“It's taken a beating,” said Vilam, placing the bag's broken contents on the floor.“During the fight with the Rahkshi,” explained Imlen. “Let's take a look at it.”“Just like puzzle stones,” said Paqyar as the Matoran sat down and reassembled the fragmented tablets.“Keep at it,” said Imlen, glancing up from the pieces. “I think I saw something.”The room to the right had a small hole in it, letting a shaft of light inside. Something in the dim glow around the shaft caught Imlen's eye. He stood up and went to investigate. Holding his lightstone high, he looked upon the platform at the back of the room. It seemed to have writing and decorations on it, but had been defaced. As Imlen stepped closer to investigate, he almost tripped on something. It felt like a metal pole, but when his foot touched it, he felt an unfamiliar sensation. He turned and directed the lightstone along its length. As he saw what it was, his eyes brightened. He gasped.“Vilam! Paqyar!” he called excitedly. “Guys, come here!”“What, what is it?” said Paqyar and the two Matoran scurried into the room.“Look at this,” said Imlen, picking up the object with a grunt.“That's a Toa-sized weapon, alright,” said Vilam.“Not just any Toa tool,” explained Imlen. “This was the staff of Toa Tanu.”“Hm. He's buried in the north, but this must have been another memorial,” said Paqyar, examining the back of the room. “Someone's defiled it, too.”“Right, looks like the staff is meant to fit... here,” said Vilam, indicating a damaged frame on the platform. “Maybe it'll stay if we put it back carefully.”“Wait,” said Imlen. “Here, touch it. Feel that? What is that?”“I... don't know,” said Paqyar as he touched the staff carefully.“We should put it aw – wow, what is that?” said Vilam, fascinated by the sensation.“Maybe there are carvings around here that explain it,” suggested Imlen as he lowered the staff gently.The Matoran searched the room, but there was nothing legible left. All the engravings had been ruined by whatever had defiled the temple.“Hmm, I think I saw a picture of the head of this staff on Rodas's carvings,” Paqyar said when they finished searching.“Maybe there's something in the other chambers that can explain it,” said Vilam.“Worth a look,” said Imlen. “Here, help me bring it to the center.”The feeling the staff gave them when they touched it changed as they brought it to the central chamber. Somehow, it felt like it resonated with the dome in the back. The Matoran were curious, but they ignored that for the moment. They placed it on the ground next to them and looked over Rodas's carvings. The fragments of the carvings were small, and had been tossed around a lot during their travels. Each work took a rather long time to reassemble, and each one, while interesting, gave them no clear information they could use in this situation. At last, one of them, covered in both pictures and text, got their notice.“'And so the Turaga placed the two remaining' ...” Paqyar read. “... 'remaining' – can't read this next word – 'on the central Suva, where future heroes' … drat, I can't make out the – ”“Oh!” interrupted Imlen. “Of course, a Suva! That's what the dome there is. Both a memorial to Toa and something they use to store their masks in. But what did the Turaga put there?”“I'll go look,” offered Paqyar, and he stood up.“Paqyar, wait,” Vilam ran after him. “That thing could be dangerous.”“You're right,” said Paqyar, but he ran to the Suva anyway. Vilam followed him.“I don't like this,” said Vilam. “This feeling is almost overwhelming. Who knows what sort of energy is leaking out?”“Look, these must be what the Turaga left here,” said Paqyar, picking up two polished stones the size of his fist. “Weird, feels like Tanu's staff. Check it out, Vilam.”Vilam reached out and touched one of the stones. Imlen watched, and touched Tanu's staff curiously. The sensation was stronger than it had been, and seemed to be guiding him towards the Suva. He could not explain his reasoning as he picked up the staff and dragged it as he walked over to his friends. He was a few bio away from it when suddenly it erupted again. Bolts of energy flew wildly from the Suva, striking the Matoran. The stones Paqyar and Vilam held disintegrated. They screamed, until they realized they were not being harmed. The feeling was uncomfortable, but invigorating. The three Matoran stumbled and fell. Paqyar and Vilam tumbled down the small steps that the Suva rested on, and Imlen landed on his back, his hand grasping the staff tightly. Vilam cried out as Paqyar's foot shot into her face. Reflexively, she pushed it out of the way. The light had vanished, but the three of them were still dazzled. Vilam wondered how Paqyar's leg had reached so far when her sight returned, along with the others'. Though at first, they were sure their vision was still not working. For the appearance of their friends, and of themselves, was unfamiliar.“Us?” said Vilam in disbelief as she stood on her elongated legs. “We're Toa?”“Not what I was expecting to find, I admit,” said Imlen, holding the staff, which was now just the right size for him.“So, now what?” said Paqyar. “We save the Matoran?”“Not so fast,” cautioned Vilam. “We have plenty of enemies easily capable of killing Toa, and we're far more prominent targets now.”“You're right,” said Imlen. “And we need to learn to use our new abilities. I still feel dizzy in this new body.”“Right. Let's see what I can do,” said Paqyar.The new Toa of the Green called upon his elemental power, growing a small stem between his fingers. Before he could stop it, the power was flooding out of control, causing the stem to grow into a growth of vines that covered the room. The Toa sighed with relief when the growth stopped, but the plants remained.“We'd better save the testing for outside,” said Imlen. “Wait – your weapons, look!”Paqyar and Vilam checked the weapons strapped to their backs. They had changed to match their new bodies. Their masks gave off a strange feeling too, but the Toa failed to harness whatever new powers the Kanohi had been given. They decided to try again later, and to keep searching the temple for more information. In the chamber to the left of the entrance they found a broken sarcophagus. A scrap of golden armor and the letters 'lokk' were the only clues to who had been laid to rest there. The Toa did not recognize what that meant until they consulted Rodas's carvings. Searching through the carvings, they found one that referenced how the Toa of Yrenta were established. The engraved letters triggered long-dormant memories in their minds. The first Turaga of Yrenta, Turaga Varlokka, had been buried in this room. Whoever had defiled the temple had apparently taken her, too.“I've seen enough,” said Paqyar, as he stood up and left the room. “I just can't wait to get my hands on whoever did this.”“Paqyar, wait!” called Vilam. “We haven't thoroughly – ”“We'll come back and search more later,” Paqyar turned to reply. “I need some fresh air.”“I agree with him,” said Imlen. “I think we should also step outside for our first practice session.”“Good point,” conceded Vilam. “Alright, but let's be careful. We don't want to attract any attention out here – or kill each other.”The three novice Toa left the Ce-Kini interior. At the bottom of the front steps, they split up and began testing their powers individually. Imlen's first use of his elemental power summoned a large, formless cloud of plasma that was quickly dispersed by the wind. With concentration and practice, he managed to conjure smaller and larger masses of plasma, and keep them intact longer. After experimenting for about an hour, he tried something new. Aiming the tip of Tanu's staff – now his staff – at a chunk of rock about ten bio away, he channeled his powers through the weapon. Concentrating on it, he managed to keep a ball of plasma intact and rapidly launch it at the stone. He missed. He tried again, and hit this time, melting the rock. Meanwhile, Vilam and Paqyar had been testing their new powers. The Toa of the Green beckoned to his friends.“Hey, check this out,” he said, growing a small shaft of wood in his hands. “Now I just need to find out how to grow them pointed,” he added as he nocked the shaft on his bowstring, pulled it back, and released it.“Brilliant, Paqyar,” said Vilam. “What do you think of this?”Vilam spun around and swung her sword in swift, agile motions. Their physical transformations had made the Toa awkward at first, but their new forms were more lithe. Vilam was quickly becoming accustomed to the change and learning to harness her new gracefulness. She finished by shooting lighting out of her sword and causing it to arc back into her other hand. She soon found she could not hold the absorbed energy for long. She tested how long she could control it, and when she reached her limit, she released out of her sword again. But it did not blast out of the sword as she had expected. Curious, she inspected the hilt's capacitor and found it to be warm. She willed the stored electricity out of the capacitor, and this time it shot out of the blade.“Interesting,” she said to no one in particular. “I had expected the sword's battery and capacitor had been ruined in the transformation. But it seems it can still generate a little power on its own, and store a little extra power if I give it some.”“Alright, team,” said Imlen a little later. “Do you have a decent grasp of your element now?”“Well, I've learned a lot the past couple hours,” said Paqyar.“Me too, but we're far from being proficient,” said Vilam.“What I meant was, do you think we could duel without really hurting each other?” said Imlen.The Toa agreed that a mock-battle would be a good idea, if they were careful. They started with a free-for all. Forming a triangle formation five bio away from each other, they began. Paqyar tried to summon shafts of wood for arrows, but fumbled, instead creating misshapen chunks. Imlen checked Vilam's position, then blinded Paqyar with a bright cloud. He misjudged how long that would take, and was struck by Vilam's electrical attack. He composed himself and countered, summoning a shield of plasma to absorb the lightning. He and Vilam remained in a deadlock in this manner for a long moment, then suddenly vines pulled them off their feet. Paqyar chuckled and caused the vines to tighten around them. The entangled Toa released their elements unfocused through the whole of their bodies, burning the plants away. Vilam got back up faster, and after stunning Imlen with a quick jolt, ran after Paqyar. Paqyar managed to get some arrows off, but they did not slow her. He desperately released a burst of random plant growth from his off hand, which Vilam quickly hacked through. Paqyar staggered back – and was suddenly hit in the chest by a ball of plasma.“Hey, you stole my kill!” laughed Vilam.“Watch it, Imlen!” croaked Paqyar. “That actually hurt.”“Sorry,” said Imlen.Vilam offered to help Paqyar up, but he shook his head and they resumed the fight. After some more intense battling, they abandoned all pretense of competition and declared it a three-way tie. They were burnt and battered, but had been having more fun than they had had for a long time. Now the sun was dimming, and they remembered the seriousness of their situation. In a week, they had lost most of their closest friends. They had undergone an unexpected transformation that could one day lead to them saving their homeland, but now they were just high-profile fugitives. They were powerful, but that power was untamed, and they were alone. Imlen sighed and lead his friends back into the temple. At the stop of the stairs he paused and laid his hand against the broken gate, wondering what had transpired here.In a way he had never expected, he question was answered. He felt a strange sensation and turned to address his friends. But his friends were gone. Instead, he saw a team of Po-Matoran replacing broken flagstones in the road and repairing the stairs at his feet. The statues and totems were suddenly whole, as was the stone Kanohi Miru above him. Startled, he willed himself to concentrate on the vision, for he realized what he was seeing. He was glimpsing the temple's past. He tried to look at a different time, but could not control the power. A boulder in a dark quarry – the source of the stone he was touching – flashed before his eyes, then the phantom scene was gone. He heard his name being called.“Imlen?” Vilam repeated. “Are you alright?”“What happened?” asked Paqyar. “Your mask was glowing.”“It... it was?” Imlen touched his mask. “I guess I activated it somehow.”“Somehow?” said Paqyar. “How?”“I... I'm not sure. I just was wondering about the temple's past, and suddenly I was looking back in time. I saw the temple being repaired, and where the rock I was touching was dug up.”“The mask lets you see the past?” asked Vilam.“Of an object I touch, apparently,” amended Imlen. “I haven't figured out how to control what I see, or when it activates.”“What luck!” Paqyar exclaimed suddenly. “Don't you realize – with that power, you could learn... well, almost anything, but for a start, what happened inside the temple.”It was indeed an incredible stroke of good fortune. Yet that fortune seemed to fade as Imlen searched the temple again. Most of the time, he could not even get his mask to activate. When it did, he saw many scenes, most of which showed no one in the temple. A few showed people visiting, or repairing the structure. He once caught a glimpse of a new team of Toa being formed, but lost track of that vision too quickly. A few times, he saw Turaga, but what he saw was irrelevant to his current quest. Until, viewing the history of a random tile that had come loose from the floor, he saw their greatest clue yet.Review
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End of YrentaChapter Four==Yrenta Region, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==~536 AGC~
The Matoran traveled for several more kio that day, but Mosori's injuries eventually began to cause him trouble. He had endured much strain during the day's action, and when that caught up with him, he could walk no more. Fortunately, the Matoran were in pleasant, peaceful country. For three full days they made camp and rested while Mosori recuperated. On the fourth morning, Mosori insisted he was fully healed. The other Matoran made him prove it, and when they were satisfied, they continued on. They traveled through a small forest, which Paqyar claimed had been grown by a Toa from his village. Vilam pointed out that while Toa of the Green could create plant life, they couldn't account for the water sources that sustained the forest. Merely to pass the time, she and Paqyar argued about it until they were tired. That night their camp was assailed by a Rahi, but Mosori drove it off. They left the forest without further incident early the next day.A series of low hills separated the forest from the plains that the Ce-Kini was built in. Large herds of Cows and other Rahi roamed wild here. The Matoran had seen no other people or enemies (barring wild Rahi) since the day Rodas was killed. Some of the hills were high enough for the Matoran to see for many kio over the flat lands before them. Still, their destination was too far away for even sharp-eyed Paqyar to descry. Imlen was relying on memory to guide them to the temple. Where exactly it was wasn't clear to him, but he was more sure than ever before he was supposed to find it. Such strong hunches did not come to Imlen often, but when they did, they always proved true. Or almost always, at least. Imlen wondered what this one would lead to. As Paqyar had implied, the Toa and Turaga were most likely dead. But any clue to their fates would be better than nothing, and the Ce-Kini seemed a good place to look.Maybe they would find some information about another Toa – the evil Toa of Ice that Rodas had told them about. Imlen vaguely recalled stories of Toa that would turn from the side of good, but he was curious about why this one was working for the Makuta. Where did he come from? Was he part of a team? If so, were his teammates evil too, or did he betray them? Imlen tried to reassure himself that the Makuta would not waste such a rare ally punishing Matoran. The Toa would probably be sent into battle against the Dark Hunters, and even a Toa wouldn't last long in that war. But Imlen still couldn't stop worrying about it. As Mosori had said in Rodas's hut, the wish that a Toa would come to Yrenta had been fulfilled in a horrifically twisted manner. Still, anyone who deliberately murdered Matoran was not a true Toa, not in the literal sense of the word. The Matoran could continue to hope that someday new heroes would come. Until that day came, the Matoran would suffer through the time, and ones like poor Rodas would suffer most of all. Imlen felt helpless, and not just because he was still unarmed.The fact that he was unarmed struck troubled him especially at this moment. For he heard a rumble, and Paqyar called out “Stampede!” Imlen looked to where Paqyar was pointing, down the hill to the east, and sure enough, a herd of Cows was running madly down there. The herd was far below, but coming closer quickly. And Imlen was not worried about the stampede as much as what had caused it. These Rahi Cows and their Kane-Ra allies could sometimes startle easily, but would not keep stampeding so far unless seriously threatened. It was a large herd, they should have been able to eliminate the threat. Something must have made them very afraid. Imlen was only a little relieved when the herd passed them a safe distance away. The sound of a hundred hooves was still nearly deafening when one far more frightening sound reached the Matoran's ears. It was the hum of a Rahkshi in flight.The Matoran gasped and quickened their pace. If there was anywhere to run to, they would have sprinted at full speed. But there was nothing but bare hills all around. Perhaps the local Rahi would have allied with them against the Rahkshi, but it had already frightened them all away. Dread overwhelmed Imlen as the Rahkshi swooped low. A bolt of electricity shot from its staff and bounced from one Matoran to the other, frying all four of them. Fighting pain, Imlen and the others managed to get themselves up as the mechanical abomination stopped a short distance in front of the group and landed. With that one attack, the Matoran were nearly defeated already. Vilam managed to delay the end a little longer, as this time she held her sword high when the Rahkshi attacked, and the blade absorbed the electricity. Its charging unit nearly overloaded, so Vilam released the excess electricity harmlessly into the ground. With no other way out of this situation, the Matoran ignored the electrical tingling of their muscles and charged together, except Paqyar, who took out his bow and arrows.With a kick that looked effortless, the Rahkshi knocked Mosori to the ground. Vilam was next, and Imlen grabbed her sword in time to hit the end of the Rahkshi's staff with it, absorbing its third lightning attack. Imlen managed to parry and dodge a few blows until Mosori, still on the ground, bashed the Rahkshi's ankle. This caused it to stagger for a moment while the Matoran of Stone and the Matoran of Lightning stood and reentered the fight. Imlen ran behind the Rahkshi, and as it turned to him he tossed the sword back to Vilam. That was a foolish move, for Vilam did not trust herself to catch the sword by the hilt. She dodged it, and while she was picking it up the Rahkshi turned to her and shocked her. Thinking quickly, Mosori and Imlen touched the Rahkshi, so that when its chain lightning redirected itself at them, the Rahkshi was shocked by its own power as well. Encouraged by that, the Matoran reacted faster than the Rahkshi did, and gave it a hard shove. Then they ran.“Nice moves,” said Paqyar as they fled. “You gave me time to get some decent shots off.”“Didn't you run out of arrows?” said Vilam. The Rahkshi was now flying after them.“Yeah, but I made more.”“Made more?” said Imlen. “How?”“Scrap metal and – look out, Vilam!” Paqyar warned, and Vilam absorbed another attack. “And wood I harvested. You didn't expect I – here he comes – got this far without learning that craft, did you? Not like I can just go to the store and – ”“Less talk, more running,” said Imlen as Vilam nearly dropped her sword absorbing a fifth lightning bolt. “Where's Mosori?”The Po-Matoran was the slowest of the group, and he had lagged behind. The Rahkshi zapped him, but missed. Hissing in frustration, it landed to finish him off. Mosori's friends turned and watched in horror as he took the full force of an electric attack. His body sizzled and fell to the ground. Imlen couldn't bear to watch. He looked away, and heard the buzz as the Rahkshi took flight again towards him... but something sounded odd. Imlen looked back and was surprised by what he saw. The Rahkshi was struggling to fly as Mosori, badly burned but more determined than ever, clung to its leg with all his strength. It was strong enough to carry him easily, but the awkward balance its unwelcome load gave it was greatly confounding it. Mosori kicked it, his mighty Po-Matoran legs denting its armor. In response, the Rahkshi shook and twisted violently, but still Mosori held on. It flew higher and faster, but this only gave Mosori time to climb onto its side. He grasped its ridged back tightly.Paqyar was nervous about hitting Mosori, but risked shooting the Rahkshi. His first shots were far off the mark, but Mosori seemed to take notice. He responded by kicking at the Rahkshi's hands and staff, and Paqyar realized his intent. The archer shot several more arrows, aiming for the Rahkshi's hands. The Rahkshi was twisting and turning in midair, but – more out of luck than good aim – one arrow finally hit the joint in its wrist. Mosori followed up immediately, kicking with all his might. As a result, the Rahkshi's staff fell to the ground. Again, it hissed, but this time it sounded almost afraid. Either in pursuit of its staff or simply attempting to move the battle to the ground, it dived suddenly. As he and the Rahkshi rapidly approached the ground, Mosori let go of the Rahkshi's spines and jerked its head back with both hands. The Rahkshi struggled, and his legs lost their grip on its body. He swung around in front, still gripping its head in his hands. Then the Rahkshi punched him, and he felt himself losing his grip.It was too late for that to change anything, however. At that moment the Matoran and the Rahkshi hit the ground. The Rahkshi had been flying at full speed still, and the impact nearly knocked the other three Matoran off their feet. Astounded by this strange end to the battle, they cried out and ran to the crash site. As they feared, Mosori lay dead. He had survived more than many Matoran could, but few indeed could have survived that impact. The Kraata controlling the Rahkshi was one of those few. The crumpled heap of Rahkshi armor struggled to rise, failed, and the Kraata fell out. It released one far weaker bolt of lightning at the Matoran before Vilam stepped over and cut it into pieces. Then the Matoran let themselves fall to the ground, exhausted, relieved, and saddened at once. Imlen fought the urge to let himself lose consciousness. Danger was still too close.“Better get up,” said Vilam. “We're not safe out here.”“I agree. And we're much less safe without Mosori,” said Imlen.“We'd better bury him,” said Paqyar.“True,” said Imlen. “But that's a shame. I can think of no grander monument than this scene.”“It won't be undisturbed for long,” said Paqyar. “We'll make sure people know the story.”Yet again the Matoran worked quickly to bury their companion in the wilderness. The grave was far more shallow than it should have been, but all three of them kept glancing at the horizon, expecting more danger to come any moment. When they could wait no longer, they lifted Mosori's body and lowered it in. Then they covered it with dirt, and as a last touch, Vilam engraved a simple message in the earth with her sword, its electricity melting the words into glass: “Mosori. He defeated a Rahkshi. Really.”The Matoran marched in silence for the rest of the day. There was still nowhere to hide, and the fear of the next encounter was driving them crazy. It was after midnight when they found an abandoned Rahi burrow they could fit in. Once they were confident it was truly abandoned, they went to sleep. It was around noon when they woke up. All of them had slept at the same time, instead of taking shifts, but they had been undisturbed. Now that they had left the hills where the herds roamed, there were few Rahi about. Imlen wasn't sure what had made the burrow they had slept in. The Matoran could hear no sound other than the ones they made themselves and the occasional howl of wind all that day. That night, they were unable to find shelter. They decided to sleep directly under the sky, and this time they took shifts. Nothing came to them that night. They were grateful to be away from enemies, but the solitude was unnerving.“This is pleasant enough land,” said Imlen later that day. “I wonder why no one lives here.”“Hmm,” wondered Paqyar. “I don't know. Never thought about it.”“I'm afraid to find out,” said Vilam.“Me too,” agreed the Matoran of Plasma. “Could just be social or economic reasons, though.”“True. Not much to eat, I guess,” said Vilam.“Looks like you could farm here, though,” Paqyar pointed out.Just the thought of an unknown danger lurking in those lands convinced the Matoran to travel through the night. They finally stopped the next morning, and after a short sleep with no shelter again, they went on. On the morning of the day after that, Paqyar noticed something on the horizon to the northwest. It was a building. The Matoran turned and traveled closer to it, and soon discovered they had gone too far to the southeast. They had passed the Ce-Kini hours ago. But now they had found it. Soon they came to the remains of a long-untended road. It was barely there, only marked by occasional flagstones surrounded by short grass. As they came closer, the stones gradually merged into a recognizable path. There were still a few hours until noon when the Matoran found themselves walking between small stone totems marking the approach. Chunks of stone littered the ground on either side. A quick inspection revealed these had once been statues, and they had been deliberately smashed. Someone had been here since the temple had been abandoned. Yet the statue fragments had been lying there for a long time. Whoever did this had done so many years ago.Review
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End of YrentaChapter Three==Yrenta Region, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==~536 AGC~
Before Imlen could get even a moment of full sleep, Paqyar woke him up urgently.“Huh?” he groaned sleepily. “It can't be my turn already...”“No Imlen, get up, quick!” said Paqyar. “They're coming, the Brotherhood, they found us again!”At that, Imlen snapped wide awake. Now he could hear voices of Brotherhood forces descending upon the abandoned village. The door to the hut was in plain view, there would be no escaping that way without being seen. Thinking quickly, Imlen beckoned Paqyar and Vilam to him. Together they struck a part of the wall on the side of the hut facing away from the village center. The damaged area crumbled, forming a hole wide enough for a Matoran to squeeze through. As he helped Rodas get up and through the hole, Imlen heard shouts and questions from outside. The noise of the wall breaking had been noticed, and the Brotherhood soldiers were coming closer. Rodas hobbled away as quickly as he could, and Mosori was next. Mosori's injured legs wobbled, then with great effort he ran after Rodas. Imlen sent the other two Matoran in front of him, and squeezed outside just in time to see a Visorak peer into the hut. It fired a Rhotuka spinner, too late to hit Imlen. The spinner flew through the hole behind him, past the fleeing Matoran and hit a rock outside, discharging into a splatter of acid.“Rodas – here, I'll help you,” said Imlen as he helped Rodas climb onto his back. The Po-Matoran was heavy on his shoulders, but Matoran were strong for their size, and this was an emergency. Imlen kept running.“Where's the inexplicably friendly Dark Hunter when you need him?” whispered Vilam as she did the same for Mosori.“It's time we relied on ourselves – dodge left!” said Paqyar, glancing backwards and seeing some sort of projectile zoom towards them.“Behind the rock, there,” said Imlen as the Matoran dodged. “Then we turn right and make for the shrubland.”The five Matoran paused for a moment behind the rock formation Imlen pointed out. Then they came out on the other side and headed south. Mosori insisted he would be able to run now, and though his legs wobbled at first, he was soon able to match his friends' pace. Paqyar took Rodas on his back, allowing Imlen to go unburdened for a turn. Behind them, the Makuta forces were no longer in direct pursuit, but they were spreading out to search the area. The Matoran slowed to a brisk walk, until a few kio away they came to a swath of small, dry vegetation. Exhausted, the Matoran dropped down into the bracken. Voices of soldiers and Visorak sounded behind them, far too close for comfort. The Matoran kept going on their stomachs, panting as they dragged themselves quietly through the undergrowth. Finally, they stopped to rest under a large bush.“Here... is... good...” panted Imlen. He had not slept for almost a full day, and was unable to hold it off any longer.“Just for a little while,” yawned Paqyar. “They can't see us now, but we should find a better place to hide.”“It's almost dawn,” said Rodas. “You all get some sleep, I'll wake you if they get close.”This time, Imlen felt refreshed when he was woken, though it couldn't have been more than a few hours. The sun was still only about a quarter lit. Rodas warned him that the searching Makuta forces were getting closer, and they woke the others. Soon they were on the move again. Imlen did not have a particular direction in mind, they only worried about staying out of sight and getting far away. Several times enemies came frighteningly close, but failed to spot them. After hours of crawling, the Matoran noticed the searchers start to turn back.“Finally,” said Vilam. “I can't believe they put so much effort into finding five Matoran in the first place.”“I know, don't they have a war to – ” Paqyar gasped and stared behind him. “Oh, no.”“Up!” said Imlen as turned and he saw the growing fire. “Grab the Po-Matoran and run!”Now their hunters' final plan was revealed. The Matoran were forced to reveal themselves to escape the rapidly-spreading fire, and a few remaining Visorak went after them. These were Vohtarak, the red Visorak that were naturally resistant to heat. What had been a good place to hide was turned into a deathtrap. The Matoran had been staying in the thickest areas, now they ran along the most barren path they could find. If they could make it for another kio, they would be clear of the flammable vegetation. But the fire was catching up too quickly, and so were the Visorak. Paqyar cried out in pain and fell as a Vohtarak's Rhotuka hit him. Even if they had not stopped to help their brother, the Matoran were too slow. As huge sheets of flame roared closer, one last desperate idea struck Imlen.“Get down! Dig, dig as deep as you can!” he called. The Matoran, except Paqyar, who could only moan in pain, got on their knees and plunged their fingers into the dry earth. A wave of heat nearby blasted them over. They forced themselves to keep working, until when the flames were nearly upon them, they had made depressions that might have been deep enough to save them. They lay in the shallow ditches face down, covered by a thin layer of dirt. Imlen helped Paqyar, then buried himself. He hoped he had not just dug his own grave. Then the flames came over him. He felt like his armor was going to melt. He struggled to remain conscious. Then, the fire was gone. Imlen's back ached, but was not badly burned. But he had nothing to breathe. For a moment, he thought he could not summon the strength to free himself. Then he made it. He lifted his head out and breathed deeply – only to catch his breath suddenly. He was face to face with a Vohtarak. Then he registered sounds of battle to his left. His companions were fighting off another Vohtarak.The Visorak in front of him lunged forward, snapping its mandibles. Imlen ducked back into his hole just in time. The Visorak climbed over him, clawing at the dirt. Imlen managed to reach his axe and swung upwards, cutting the Visorak's unprotected belly. It wasn't a lethal blow, but it distracted the Rahi long enough for Imlen to burst out of the ground and shove it aside. He looked over at his friends. Rodas and Paqyar were on the ground, dead or alive, he couldn't tell. Vilam parried the other Vohtarak's jaws long enough for Mosori to intervene with a crushing blow to its head. Vilam finished it off as Mosori moved to help Imlen. The Matoran of Plasma raised his axe defensively, and the Visorak's jaws closed around it. The blade shattered, and Imlen dropped the splintered hilt. Mosori jumped in just in time and grappled bare-handed with the Vohtarak's mandibles. The Vohtarak responded by launching a Rhotuka at him. He let go and dropped to the ground. The spinner flew over him harmlessly. Imlen picked up Mosori's hammer and attacked wildly while Vilam came in from behind. That Visorak was killed, but more were coming. The Matoran dropped as more Rhotuka zoomed overhead. Imlen returned the hammer to Mosori and checked on the two fallen Matoran. Paqyar was just now overcoming the effects of the spinner that had hit him, but Rodas was wounded. They did not have time to check how badly.“Take my hammer back, Imlen,” offered Mosori as three more Visorak closed in. “I can fight bare-handed better than you can.”“Alright,” said Imlen. “Paqyar? Paqyar, can you fight? Look!”“Uh... uh-huh,” grunted the Matoran of the Green as he stood and took out his bow. “The rest of you, take cover.”Paqyar released one arrow each at the advancing Visorak, and ducked to avoid the incoming spinners. The Vohtarak fired again, aiming lower this time, so the Matoran were forced to jump out of the way. The Vohtarak stopped advancing, and the Matoran realized they would surely be hit again before Paqyar could finish them off at range. The archer focused on one of them, and took it down just as a spinner flew straight towards him. Vilam leaned forward and blocked it with her sword, falling over in the attempt. She got up and Imlen called her over to help with Rodas. The Po-Matoran groaned and stirred as he was dragged behind a nearby rock. Mosori and Paqyar followed. The rock provided momentary cover, but the Visorak changed the direction of their attack and managed to hit Imlen. Overwhelming, burning pain brought the orange Matoran to his knees.“Imlen!” cried Paqyar. “Hang in there, you'll be alright. How's Rodas?”“Looks bad,” said Mosori as he took his hammer back. “Visorak mauled him badly.”“I'm almost out of arrows,” said Paqyar. “It took almost half of what I had left to kill that one.”“I see one way out of this,” said Vilam. “Paqyar, keep that one distracted. Mosori, we'll rush the other.”“Can't think of a better plan,” said the Po-Matoran, and they charged.Vilam's electric sword dispersed incoming Rhotuka. She and Mosori covered the distance to the Vohtarak and attacked. Again, she parried its attacks as Mosori brought his hammer down. This time, however, the Rahi was not stunned. Instead, it hissed and charged Paqyar, knocking the other two Matoran down. Vilam got up and attacked it from behind, but her sword bounced off its hardened shell. She shouted a warning, and Paqyar ducked to avoid its spinners. He stood long enough to release his last arrow at the other Visorak. It pierced its green eye, goading it into charging too.“Sorry I need to borrow this, Rodas,” he said as he picked up the maimed Matoran's cane and desperately used it to defend himself.“Regret not bringing another weapon now?” said Vilam as she and Mosori came to support him.“Your turn to use this, Paqyar,” said Mosori as he threw his hammer with all his strength at the Visorak opposite him.The hammer bounced off the Visorak's head, staggering it for a moment, and Paqyar picked it up, dropping Rodas's cane.“Whoa, heavy,” he commented as he brought a clumsy two-handed blow down. It missed his intended target, but hit the Visorak's jaw, damaging it. The giant bug Rahi screeched and moved two steps back. Meanwhile, Mosori grappled with the other Visorak, trying to provide Vilam with a weakness to aim for. Just as his strength was spent, Vilam found an opportunity to lunge below the Visorak and stab it hard in the stomach, shocking its innards. That one died, and the remaining Visorak recovered and leaped at Paqyar. Imlen broke out of his pain-induced incapacitation then, and grabbed the Vohtarak from behind, stopping it. Its shell warded off all attacks, but together the Matoran managed to subdue it and strike a lethal blow to its underside. They were safe for now, but too late to help Rodas. His internal systems were mortally damaged by the Visorak, he had only seconds left to live.“Don't... be too sad,” he coughed. “This was... not my time.”“What do you mean?” asked Paqyar.“A cripple... wouldn't last long... anyway... but a hero...”Rodas could speak no more. With his last strength, he offered the pouch of belongings he had brought to the Matoran. Mosori accepted it. He and the others watched Rodas die, then he looked inside the pouch.“He may have been a cripple,” said Vilam, “but he was a hero too.”“Hmm, mostly carvings. Interesting,” said Mosori as he examined the bag's contents. “I wonder what significance he meant by handing these to us.”“We'll have to decide later. We'll bury him, but we cannot stay long,” said Imlen.After a short service, the Matoran departed. Paqyar thought he saw enemy forces moving on the horizon, so the Matoran changed direction and found themselves traveling south again. They were weary now, but Imlen convinced them to keep going for a while. Their perseverance was soon rewarded, for about a kio to the south the land began to become more lush and fertile. Trees and ponds dotted the area, and a small forest was nearby. A short while later, they were resting in a grove of large trees, comfortable but hidden. Mosori opened the pouch Rodas had given him and examined the carvings contained with in. There was a small figurine of the Toa of Stone Gareki, along with a few tablets with carvings depicting adventures of the Toa, as well as landscapes, villages, and fortresses. Mosori felt a rather heavy piece at the bottom of the bag and took it out curiously. It was a stone model of a building, which looked familiar somehow, but he couldn't quite tell why.“Do you recognize this building?” he asked.“Hm, looks familiar, but I can't say,” said Vilam.“Me too,” said Paqyar.“Oh, I recognize it,” said Imlen after considering for a moment. “It's an ancient temple, used by our Toa long ago. The Ce-Kini, it was called.”“Huh. I wonder why Rodas had a model of it,” mused Mosori.“He remembered the Toa better than most,” said Imlen. “Better than he remembered his own life, sometimes.”“And what does this mean?” Mosori showed them a tablet with a detailed etching. “Looks like some Toa and some glowing stones.”“I'm not sure. He sure seemed to know a lot more about Toa than he ever told me. I wonder...” a strange thought struck Imlen. “Could it be that this is a clue for us? He mentioned heroes – maybe there's somewhere we can find out what happened to the Toa and the Turaga, somewhere like the Ce-Kini!”“Kind of a stretch, don't you think?” said Mosori, as he blinked in surprise.“He was a good artist,” observed Vilam. “But if you're suggesting he was some kind of mystic too...”“Not a mystic. He just might have remembered things the rest of us forgot.”“Like what? What do you expect to find there?” asked Paqyar.“I... I don't know. Something that can help us, I hope. Even if it's just information. I think we're on to something. Trust me.”“I think we can guess closely enough what happened to the Toa,” argued the Matoran of the Green.“He has a point, actually, Paqyar,” said Vilam. “I got this sword from an old memorial, remember. And even if we find nothing there, perhaps we could use it as a place to gather allies to us.”“Alright, I can't come up with any better ideas anyway,” admitted Paqyar. “But what memorial? I don't remember where you got that sword.”“It was for an old village leader named Kuchapi. She was killed in battle while wielding this sword. When I found it, I thought it was time for it to be put to use again.”“It should be safer there, too, at least from the Dark Hunters and the Brotherhood,” said Mosori. “If you're sure about this, Imlen...”“Sure?” Imlen glanced at him and chuckled. “Call it a hunch.”Review
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Interesting start. Miraculous plant growth on Zakaz, a mysterious being made of shadow, and unnatural disasters on an island... I wonder how they could be connected.
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End of YrentaChapter Two==Yrenta Region, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==~536 AGC~
The Matoran were caught now. There was no way they could outrun Rahkshi, and Energy Hounds could track a being to anywhere in the universe. And it was clear this soldier would not take prisoners. With a gesture, he ordered the Rahkshi forward. One of the Rahkshi was surrounded by a swarm of small insects, which it sent to sting the Matoran. The other raised its staff, and clouds gathered overhead. Hail pelted the Matoran, and lightning struck frighteningly close. Paqyar managed to nock an arrow and shoot, but sudden winds blew it wildly off target. Vilam and Imlen tried to make a stand against the Rahkshi, and were quickly knocked down. Mosori yelled and charged the Energy Hound. He dodged past the Rahkshi, raised his hammer, and struck the tracking Rahi hard on the head. A clang sounded, and the creature staggered. Then it recovered and growled. The Brotherhood soldier released its leash, and it pounced on Mosori.“Mosori!” Vilam cried out as the Po-Matoran was ravaged by the hound's teeth and claws.“R... run!” Mosori struggled to say. The other three Matoran tried to get up and flee, but were pinned down by the Rahkshi. All they could do was dodge their attacks for a little longer.“I don't think so,” said the Brotherhood soldier. “Enough delaying, you little worms are d – ”He was cut short by a knife in his back. He cried out in pain and turned, just in time to see the Vortixx Dark Hunter the Matoran had encountered earlier. In the time it took for him to blink, the Vortixx had covered the distance and swept his sword over the soldier's shoulders, cleanly decapitating him. The Energy Hound was next, thrown knives caused it to release Mosori, roll over, and die. The two Rahkshi turned away from the Matoran and struck back, but did not last much longer. The Hunter's curved blade slashed through the machines' armor and killed the Kraata inside with swift, precise swings. Imlen, Paqyar, and Vilam stood up as the insects and unnatural weather dispersed.“You followed us!” said Paqyar.“Not exactly,” said the Vortixx, pointing up at the Rahkshi's fading clouds. “That could be seen for kio around. I guessed it would be worth investigating. I'm sure I'm not the only one.”“You're right,” agreed Imlen as he walked over to help Mosori. “We need to move on, quickly.”“I... can't go,” coughed Mosori. “I don't think I can... walk... leave me here.”“No, Mosori, we – ” Vilam began, but was interrupted.“He's right, he can't walk,” said the Vortixx. “He'll just slow you down.”“He's not hurt too badly,” protested Paqyar. “We can't leave him to die here.”“I won't let that happen to him. I think I can help,” said the Vortixx.“You? You want us to trust you with him?” said Vilam.“Ah, right, because I'm a Dark Hunter, and I'm supposed to kill you all, or at least abduct you or something. If that's what you want...”“No, wait!” said Imlen. “What... what do you have in mind?”“There's a village nearby you can take him to, isn't there? Don't worry, my allies in the Shadowed One's army don't know about it.”“You're right,” said Imlen, unsure whether to be worried or relieved. “We'll head there.”“Let's go, I can hear others approaching,” said the Vortixx urgently. He picked up Mosori and sprinted away.“I don't like this,” said Paqyar as the Matoran rushed to catch up.“We don't have much choice, now be quiet and let's get out of sight,” said Imlen.Moving stealthily through rock formations and foliage, the Matoran followed the Vortixx. They knew of the village he was referring to, but it was actually barely even a village. It was a recently founded collection of huts known merely as Yotvis's Home. Yotvis was the Matoran that had founded it, but he was gone now. The most popular story was that goblins got him when he was traveling. All that was certain was that he had been a Ba-Matoran who brought his friends here where they hoped to survive unnoticed by the sinister forces of the world. Their seclusion had lasted for a few years, then Teskor's minions found them and ensured they were part of the Makuta's new social system. Imlen had visited a few times before, and knew that the inhabitants were especially sympathetic to his cause. Most of them would not dare to openly rebel, but he was confident he would find shelter for Mosori here. The Vortixx stopped where the village was just out of sight, and the Matoran caught up.“Here's where we part, Matoran,” the Dark Hunter said, letting Mosori down. “I don't wish to be seen here, and I must return to my allies.”“What is up with you?” demanded Paqyar. “You're no ordinary Dark Hunter.”“We're not all so bad,” said the Vortixx. “Some of us are just trying to make a living. Some of us even have some noble personal quest.”“But...” Paqyar said, too late. The Vortixx ignored him and jumped away.“I guess we were lucky,” said Vilam. “Or else this is part of an elaborate Dark Hunter plot.”“Looks like we have something else to worry about,” Imlen called from the hill he stood on. “Come and take a look.”Mosori leaned on Paqyar's shoulder as the three Matoran came to Imlen. They could see Yotvis's Home below. There were no Matoran outside in the village, which was not unusual, but even from this distance it was clear something was wrong. Most of the huts were open, and there were no lights, although it was getting dark. It was all disturbingly still and silent. The Matoran carefully came closer, and no one came to greet them.“Looks like we missed something,” said Vilam as they walked through the village center. “The Brotherhood must have come and taken them away.”“Let's see what we can find here anyway,” said Imlen, looking around curiously. “If this was for labor, they wouldn't have brought everyone...”“I see footprints. Leading to the north, alright,” observed Mosori. “Matoran and... some bigger kinds. Rahkshi and other enforcers, I expect.”“Do any of the Matoran prints look like – ” Imlen was interrupted by a muffled cough coming from one of the huts.As a precaution, the team ran in with their weapons drawn, although the sound did not seem to come from anything threatening. Indeed, a dusty brown mask popped out from a pile of damaged tools and other junk. It was a Po-Matoran.“Imlen?” he said with relief. “Oh thank goodness, I was afraid they'd be back.”“Rodas, what's going on?” asked Imlen, recognizing the Matoran from his previous visit. “Let me help you up there, then you can explain.”The Matoran of Plasma walked across the room to the junk pile and held out his hand to Rodas the Po-Matoran. Rodas took it and accepted the support in standing up. When he stood, Imlen's companions noticed that he was missing most of his right foot. Such a condition was not as uncommon in these times as it used to be. Without letting Rodas lose his balance, Imlen stooped to retrieve the Po-Matoran's cane and handed it to him. Rodas gave a short bow of gratitude, then he shuffled over to an overturned chair. Imlen righted it for him, and he sat down. Once he was settled, he began to explain without needing to be prompted again.“They came to take us to work, as we knew they would. They used to always let the crippled Matoran stay behind if they didn't have any work for them. And they rarely do, since most of it's bricklaying or smithing. They have no time for any other sort of crafting, these newcomers. Just making walls and weapons... anyway, when they came yesterday it was different. First, it was who came. They were a few Rahkshi, but there was someone else leading them. He... he was a Toa.”“A Toa?” Imlen's companions cried out in disbelief.“Not in the traditional sense of the word of course,” explained Rodas. “He was no hero like Gareki or the others. But he had the characteristics of one, you know, tall and slender, fancy weapon, elemental powers. This one was a 'Toa' of Ice. White armor with fancy silver, and a nifty spear too.”“What did he do?” asked Imlen. He did not like the sound of this.“Well, when he was gathering up all of us to go to work, instead of letting Miruka, Vatai, and Basi – the other maimed Matoran here – instead of leaving them behind, he killed them. He called them 'broken' and had their bodies taken away for 'resources.' He would have gotten me too, but I saw it happen to the others first, and I hid. Even creepier, he attacked Toruba for no reason I could tell. He called her 'defective' something and didn't kill her, but watched her like a Kahu the rest of the time. I was as bewildered as everyone else when it happened, but now I've thought of it for a while. I've learned a bit about Kanohi, and I bet that 'Toa' had a mask that gave him mind reading ability. Makes me shudder to think about it. Anyway, after that he and the Rahkshi took everyone off north. It was all very abrupt, no time to clean up before leaving as you can see. He was very brusque, just told us to gather up and move out. He didn't answer any questions, or converse with us at all really. Just the orders and his strange insults.”“So a Toa who murders those who are no use to him and who might be able to read minds is working for the Makuta,” summed up Mosori as he sat down on the floor. “Great. My wish has been fulfilled, a Toa has been delivered to us. A Toa who happens to be a sociopathic killer. I should have been more specific in my wishing.”“Yeah, this is bad news,” said Imlen. “And we came here helping to find shelter for Mosori here. He's been hurt.”“It's not too bad,” said Mosori. “I think I can almost... ouch, no, I can't stand yet.”“I don't expect them to come back soon,” said Rodas. “Make yourselves comfortable, we'll spend the night here.”“'We'll'?” said Paqyar, noticing the pronoun.“When you go, I'm going with you,” explained Rodas. “Don't even try to argue against it.”“Of course. I was going to suggest the same thing,” said Imlen with a smile.“He's coming with us?” said Vilam skeptically. “No offense, Rodas, but we live a dangerous life.”“Consider this. Everyone else in this tiny settlement has gone away,” said Rodas. “The only ones that used to keep me company while the others went away were just killed. If their killer finds me, he'll probably kill me too. They took most of the food too – the only thing they did bother to pick up before leaving, actually. Handicapped or not, I'd rather go on an adventure, even a very dangerous one, than sit here until I starve and rust.”“I'm sorry, I hadn't thought of that. I've always judged new members of the team by how good they'd be in a fight. And seeing as you can't stand up without support, well, you know...”“I'm honored to be called a member of your team so soon,” chuckled Rodas. “But my intention is only to accompany you to the next community that I can settle in. One where I won't be killed off because I'm missing a foot, preferably.”The Matoran closed the door and made themselves comfortable. The land was rather arid, so a hot day gave way to a frigid night. Wind howled outside the windowless hut while the Matoran huddled around a pile of heatstones within. To the northeast eerie flashes of lightning illuminated Mount Tasle in the night. But few Matoran were known to live on that mountain now. Most of the Lightning folk had mingled with the others, partly because of Ukzokth attacks, and partly because Teskor's labor recruitment enforced it, bringing Matoran from all around Yrenta to work in his fortresses. Imlen debated with his companions about hiding on the mountain later while they also asked questions of Rodas to satisfy their curiosity.“No, sadly, it was a construction accident,” answered Rodas after Mosori asked him if his foot had been lost in battle. “I was a clumsy builder, and the tools we use for cutting stone on a larger scale, for buildings for example, can go right through you as easily as the rock.”“Have you ever been in a battle?” asked Vilam.“I must have, long ago... I've been around a while. But I don't remember much. The days of waiting for the Toa to return, and when the Makuta revealed himself, those take up much of my memory, so that the times before that are vague.”“I know what you mean,” said Imlen. “Some things I'm not sure if I was around for or not, but I remember the stories. You remember Toa Tanu, don't you?”“Of course I remember Toa Tanu. He was the leader of our Turaga's team when they were Toa. And... he died. How, I do not recall.”“I was told Makuta Teskor killed him. I believe it.”“I can believe that too. But... it hasn't even been three thousand years, and it feels like such a long time ago.”“It's Mata Nui's sleep,” said Paqyar. “Nothing's been the same since the Cataclysm.”“I agree, Paqyar,” said Vilam. “Now, I don't have a universe to run, so I'm going to sleep willingly. I'm exhausted.”Vilam found a comfortable corner to curl up in and went to sleep. Imlen set a schedule for keeping watch, then the others followed her example. He took the first shift, and while he did, he tended to Mosori's wounds. Had he strained himself, the injuries could have become much worse, but in this condition, he would hopefully be fully ambulatory by morning. By the time he was done, it was his turn to sleep. But that did not come easily to him. Today he had witnessed the deaths of three of his closest friends, and many other brother and sister Matoran. He had been in several narrow escapes and been rescued twice by a mysterious potential ally, or perhaps a sympathetic enemy. And now he was resting in the site of another disaster, one which a Toa was apparently behind. It had been an eventful day. After what felt like hours of reflection, he finally began to fall asleep.Review
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Nice story. I like the detail you put into Xia, and the characters' personalities. It's nice to see a Vortixx that goes against the stereotype of being manipulative and greedy. I just had a friendly male Vortixx in my story (just a minor character however), funny coincidence. One thing that didn't quite work for me was Emeder's crazed reaction when Tignioni showed up. It's believable that he'd be sensitive and kind of crazy about it, but maybe the brief backstory didn't have enough of an effect. I suggest maybe going over that in more detail, to emphasize how bad he felt about it and why.
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<p>This is the review topic for my third epic, <span class="bbc_underline"><a href="http://www.bzpower.com/board/index.php?showtopic=4219">End of Yrenta</a>.</span><br /><br />It is still in progress, and currently at 55 chapters.</p>
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End of YrentaChapter One==Yrenta Region, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==~536 AGC~
“Imlen, get down!”Imlen ducked. A disk flew over his head and hit a wall, triggering a fireball that left a smoldering impression where it struck.“We're over here, run!”Imlen ran after Vilam. Around a corner, they came face to face with the rest of their team and some other Matoran. They paused there to catch their breath, but were soon interrupted. The building they were hiding behind disintegrated. Projectiles crossed the empty space where the building had stood. A Rahkshi backed away from the battle, seeking an escape. It had just knocked Najma out of the way in its retreat when it was struck by something and exploded. Najma, who had traveled with Imlen for four hundred years, was killed instantly from the resulting shrapnel. Dozens of other Matoran fell around him, killed or wounded by numerous ranged attacks. This was not collateral damage. After routing the Makuta forces, the Dark Hunters had begun to slaughter every laborer they saw. Imlen had been nearly too shocked to react. Such a massacre had never occurred during this war.But it was a war, and inevitably innocent Matoran would get caught in it. Imlen did not know what started it, but he had heard it had been raging across the universe for centuries – since soon after that terrible earthquake that was dubbed the Great Cataclysm. Whatever strife the aftermath of the Cataclysm had caused between the Makuta and the Dark Hunters, that disaster had had grave effects on the remote region of Yrenta. Buildings crumbled, the ocean swelled over the plains of De-Wahi, and the Toa were missing, presumed dead. They had been underground when it happened, gone off to put an end to some mysterious threat. Whatever the Matoran of the underground feared, it had not come back to them, but neither had the Toa. Without the Toa, the Matoran were overrun by the Ukzokth, twisted creatures often called 'goblins', in a matter of days.Makuta Teskor had saved them from that menace, revealing himself and the dominance he had attained over the Ukzokth before the Matoran were wiped out. Few remembered who he was, and those few had misgivings. Some had spoken out against him, claiming he had done horrible deeds in the past and was probably behind the Ukzokth all along. Those individuals did not last long, as Teskor, well-intentioned or not, quickly demonstrated that he had no tolerance for dissenters. The Turaga had quietly disappeared as well. In exchange for keeping the Ukzokth from getting carried away (he didn't seem to mind if they harassed the Matoran a little, killing and pillaging occasionally) he had requested that the Matoran honor him over Mata Nui. For the first few centuries, it seemed to be all about him. Statues honoring Mata Nui and the Toa were torn down and replaced with ones for him, old tombs and temples were buried, and every Matoran pitched in to pay him tribute.Then the war came to the borders of Yrenta, and he got serious. The people formerly ruled by Metaku (one of the dissidents who had disappeared) were put to work mining and crafting for the Brotherhood of Makuta army. The old fortresses that used to defend the Matoran from goblins were renovated in preparation for Dark Hunter attacks, and tribute was tripled to pay for the war. But although many of the older, wiser Matoran, as well as some of the bright and brave young ones, had spoken out and disappeared, a few others had more success at staying alive while doing nothing to help Teskor and his brothers. Among those rebels were Imlen and his companions. He had been opposed to Teskor since day one, remembering old stories about him slaying a Toa from his village, and he soon had a following. Over the years, he had lost companions and gained new ones.Today it seemed likely he would lose all his companions, and his own life too. The attempt to liberate the Matoran laboring in this fortress had gone all wrong. Imlen and his friends had joined the community of Matoran that kept the walls and weapons in order, hoping to lead the Matoran in deserting Teskor's forces when the Dark Hunters attacked. But the Rahkshi, Ukzokth, and other beings the Makuta commanded had kept the Matoran from leaving until the Dark Hunters had destroyed them. Now it was clear the Dark Hunters did not intend for them to leave alive either. It was a ruthless strategy: cripple the enemy's army by destroying the slaves that supported it. In Imlen's experience, the Dark Hunters were all corrupt and greedy beings that would do anything for money and power. But whoever was leading today's attack must have been especially heartless.Several Dark Hunter soldiers charged. A thick-armored warrior with enormous hands and feet picked up Vilam and tried to crush her. Grimacing with pain, she pressed a button on the hilt of her sword, and the blade became electrified. Neither the jolt nor the blade's sharpness were enough to hurt the Dark Hunter's hand much, but it was a nasty surprise. He cried out in shock and dropped his Matoran of Lightning prisoner, and cursed as she bolted out of reach. One of his companions threw a stack of deadly bladed disks at the fleeing Matoran, but the villagers took cover behind another building just in time. They kept running, and only after making a few random turns in an effort to evade the Hunters did they dare to stop to catch their breath.“Najma!” gasped a Matoran of the Green with a bow strapped to his back. “I saw him go down, we left him behind!”“I know,” said Imlen. “I'm sorry, Paqyar, I saw him... he's gone.”“And you're next!” said a slender, blue-armored warrior. His red eyes glowed, and the Matoran found themselves inexplicably mesmerized. Only Napruha, another Matoran of Lightning, was unaffected for some reason. She growled and skewered the hypnotic being with her rapier. He yelped, then hissed in anger. He grabbed Napruha's arm, pulled the weapon out of him, and disarmed her with a crushing grip. With his other hand he brought his sword to bear on her. Napruha blocked his initial attacks, but her Matoran-sized shield was no match. She was soon struck a mortal blow. Fortunately for them, however, this broke the other Matoran from their trance.“Go! I will hold him off!” Napruha managed to say. She stood defiantly between the Dark Hunter and her friends, who obeyed her and fled. The Hunter gave her a quick death and pursued the others, but he was too late. He had lost them.Ahead, the Matoran saw a surviving group of Brotherhood soldiers, led by a Steltian lieutenant. It seemed the soldiers had a clear escape route, but if the Matoran accepted their protection, they would lose their freedom. Then it would be back to laboring for the Brotherhood until the next opportunity to escape came, if they lived that long. Imlen considered it. Last time the Dark Hunters had captured a fortress, Teskor had sacrificed a considerable number of Ukzokth to take it back, an act which was beneficial to the Matoran. However, after that, dozens of Matoran had been worked to death improving the recaptured fortress and laboring to make up for the Brotherhood's losses. Fortunately none of the Matoran had actually been sent into battle, as they served the Makuta better as laborers, but Imlen feared Teskor might do something rash as a result of this recent defeat. Matoran were no match for the Dark Hunters' army, but if he was willing to throw away the lives of the Ukzokth, he might decide he had more than enough Matoran to waste. Yet, the Dark Hunters would certainly kill them all immediately. In a choice between death and slavery, Imlen would choose the latter, at least for a little while.But it seemed the choice would be made for him, one way or another. The lieutenant had spotted them and ordered two soldiers forward to retrieve them, while the rest retreated. They were halfway to the Matoran when another Dark Hunter emerged from an alley. This one was a male Vortixx, an unusual specimen to find away from their homeland of Xia. His quick, precise movement set him apart from the other Dark Hunters – the Matoran sensed something especially dangerous about him. They were soon proven right. As soon as they turned to him, the Brotherhood soldiers sent to escort the Matoran were dead. His sword moves were some of the fastest Imlen had ever seen. As the bodies hit the ground, the Vortixx turned to the Brotherhood lieutenant and his group. The lieutenant took another step back nervously, and ordered the rest of his company to attack. The warriors, consisting of four recruited soldiers of different species, three Visorak, and a Rahkshi, attacked together. Imlen gestured to his friends, and they took the opportunity to flee.The Matoran stopped short as a series of knives landed in the ground in front of them, thrown by the Vortixx as a warning. He had barely turned away from the Makuta forces. Intimidated, Imlen and the others paused. They wondered what it was for. The Dark Hunter could have easily killed them. He certainly was doing well in his fight. A hail of shuriken stung the recruited soldiers, distracting them while he took out the Visorak. The Rahkshi, a Turahk, attacked with its fear power. This slowed the Vortixx enough for the soldiers to score a few hits, but it was not enough. Seconds later, the Rahkshi was scrap, and the four soldiers were next. The last one standing, the terrified Steltian, held up his axe and shield as the Dark Hunter charged him, but it was no use. The Matoran were still standing in place, almost equally afraid as the lieutenant when his head was removed from his body.“Well, well,” said the Vortixx Dark Hunter as he leaped backwards and landed smoothly in front of the group. “Four Matoran trying to escape. And judging by your weapons, you are not mere laborers.”“Are you going to kill us?” the Po-Matoran known as Mosori said bitterly.“Those are my orders,” the Dark Hunter admitted. The Matoran prepared themselves, but he did not act yet.“We won't make it easy,” said Vilam, trying to sound more certain than she was.“Hmm... but you do have some spirit, don't you?” chuckled the Vortixx. “You're renegades of some sort, I can tell. Rebels, bandits, adventurers, whatever you call yourselves, whatever others call you. I think it would do the Brotherhood some harm to let you go. Don't you think?”“Certainly,” said Imlen hopefully.“Well then, I think it would be in both our best interests to let you go. Agreed?”“No doubt,” said Imlen, more confidently this time.“Better run. Sounds like my friends are coming,” warned the Vortixx. He was right, the Matoran could hear others approaching.They took his advice and fled. Fortunately, the fortress wall had been damaged nearby. A hole had been blasted in the inner wall, and the outer wall was weakened significantly. With moderate effort, Mosori kicked the damaged section down, and the four Matoran spilled outside. Nearly stumbling, they continued down a hill and stopped half a kio away. There a large rock formation provided cover, and they rested.“Kara-Naja, there it burns,” said Paqyar, referring to the fortress. “I wonder if Aki-Naja is next.”“I doubt it,” said Mosori. “We Po-Matoran put our best into the Fortress of Valor, and I know Makuta's got it full of his forces up and down the hour-chart these days. Not that it makes much difference to us.”“Don't say that,” said Imlen. “You know there are still many of our brothers and sisters trapped in there, working for the Makuta until they drop dead or die in the war. I won't stand for it. If battle ever comes to that fortress, I swear I'll be there to help them escape.”“We need to see to our own survival first,” Vilam pointed out. “Look, our group is almost half gone. Weti, Najma, and Napruha, all of them are lost.”“I know. I... I don't know how we can...” stammered Imlen.“The Matoran must save themselves,” said Paqyar, answering the unspoken question. “We must show them: if they are to be free, they must work together to achieve it. They can't rely on a small group of rogues to do it for them.”“So that's your plan, is it?” said an unfamiliar voice.“Not again!” groaned Mosori.“We were followed!” gasped Vilam as she and the others stood. “That treacherous Vortixx – wait, that's... oh, Kraata slime.”Vilam's curse was a terrified whisper. For she and the others peered around the rock and saw a Brotherhood soldier flanked by two Rahkshi and led by a leashed Energy Hound.Review
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Fate of Yrenta
Chapter Four
==Yrenta Region, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==
~Circa 2,000 BGC~
The sky was darkening quickly as the Toa approached the mountain range of northern Yrenta. No Rahkshi had confronted them since they left the temple, but both the Toa and their steeds were exhausted. The dark outlines of the rocky peaks seemed utterly impassible at the time.
“How will... how will we climb those?” panted Morok after his Hypaka stumbled.
“There's a valley a little to the west, see?” said Tanu, pointing to a distant gap in the mountains. “We'll pass through there, it'll be easy going.”
“Hmm. It looks like a good place for an ambush,” muttered Siok thoughtfully. “Are you sure about this, Tanu?”
“We'd be even more vulnerable climbing the mountains,” insisted Tanu. “In fact, we'd have to stop for the night before even trying.”
“If you think the valley will be a safe route, Tanu, I'm with you,” said Morok.
“Now when did I say I think it's safe?” asked Tanu rhetorically.
Usually, the valley was a beautiful, pleasant place. But now, in the dark, with a possible ambush lurking behind every rock and tree, it was quite spooky. The Toa rode close together and quietly. They tried to stay in the shadows without putting themselves in the dark enough to blind themselves to incoming attackers. At this time, Tanu dearly missed his Mask of Sensory Aptitude. He guessed they were about halfway through the valley when he thought he heard Morok gasp. Tanu turned his head, but everything seemed normal. He studied Morok and his surroundings for a moment more, but the only thing he noticed was his steed was unusually restless. But that was not very strange, after all, they had been traveling for hours straight, under threat of attack the whole time.
Siok was a little confused when he noticed Tanu diverting their course ever so slightly, but did not think much of it. The team leader knew this valley, and he no doubt had a reason for moving towards the eastern side of the valley. Siok was more puzzled when his two companions stopped on the other side of a small hill and dismounted. Their Hypaka bolted away the first chance the beasts got, braying frightfully. Siok wondered what was happening until the images of Tanu and Morok shimmered and disappeared, revealing his 'companions' for what they really were.
Tanu chided himself for letting his guard down as he blocked a strike from a Rahkshi's staff with his own staff, then called upon his elemental powers. The tan and blue Rahkshi hissed as its staff was melted by Tanu's. The Toa knocked the Kraata out of the helpless suit of armor with a swift kick, then he turned to face another Rahkshi. A cloud of murky blackness oozed from the staff of this one, which was clad in black and red armor. The darkness threatened to blind Tanu, but a flash of bright plasma banished the shadows. It also gave Tanu's presence away to any other foes that could be nearby. As he melted the second Rahkshi into a puddle, he hoped there were no more Rahkshi on the way.
Morok hit the ground and rolled just in time to dodge a stab from his opponent's staff. As he looked up, he saw a bright flash not far off. As he distracted the three Rahkshi with a burst of vines, he called to Tanu. But although Morok yelled as loud as he could, the Toa of Plasma did not react. Morok realized the strike from the gray and black Rahkshi had rendered him mute as well as deaf. So, it's to be a silent fight, then, he thought as he caused the branches of a lone tree to shoot out and crush a Rahkshi and trip the other two. Then he ran towards Tanu as quickly as he could.
Siok quickly pinned the two Rahkshi to the ground and brought down a nearby pile of rocks on them, but there were more waiting. He turned just in time to see an orange and black Rahkshi looming over him and feel his breath being sucked away. The air returned to his lungs when he forced that Rahkshi to drop its staff. He followed up by pinning it to the ground, and approached to finish it hand-to-hand, but another Makuta-Son jumped out of the shadows. Siok felt weakness return to his muscles as the Rahkshi struck him with its staff.
Is this how it is to end? he wondered as he fell to the ground and the Rahkshi of Vacuum, having retrieved its staff, stood over him and began to asphyxiate him. But just as he thought he would pass out, vines wrapped around the Rahkshi and dragged it away as it shrieked. At the same time, the Rahkshi of Hunger collapsed into a pile of red-hot metal. The next moment, a pair of strong green hands was helping him up. Siok brushed himself off and caught his breath before speaking to Morok and Tanu.
“Thank you,” he said. “I thought I was doomed then.”
“I'm sorry,” said Tanu. “I never expected them to stage such a clever ambush. Morok was the first one to get abducted. Some of those Rahkshi had some sort of illusion power. That explains why the Hypaka were spooked, too – they were being ridden by Rahkshi impostors. Oh no – where are the Hypaka?”
The Toa looked around, but the steeds were nowhere to be found.
“Well, we couldn't have taken the poor beasts much farther anyway,” said Tanu.
“We can't take ourselves much farther,” added Morok. “To travel the wastelands is a feat of great endurance, and look at us. It's hopeless.”
“Well...” Tanu thought for a moment. Morok was right, but what could they do? “Very well. Before entering the wastes, we will find a cave or something to rest in. Each of us will need to take shifts guarding the other two, of course. But we mustn't rest until we reach the end of the valley.”
All three Toa were reluctant and dearly wished for a long rest, but Tanu was right. Fortunately, they were unmolested during the remainder of the journey through the valley. Dawn was starting as Tanu led them among some rocky ridges in the mountain's foothills. Soon they had found a cave that seemed to be an appropriate place to get some sleep. Despite their exhaustion, all three of them argued over the job of being the sentry. Finally, Tanu got the job. He stood guard for a few hours while Morok and Siok slept safely inside the cave, then the two other Toa guarded Tanu as he recovered. Then Tanu insisted they take another round of rest, for they would need all their strength for the next part of their quest. It was nearly noon when the Toa came to the place where the grass stopped growing completely. That was the northern border of Yrenta.
No sooner had Siok, Tanu, and Morok stepped onto the hard, gray earth when they felt a the land's unnatural affliction. The air was cold and dry, and their spirits felt like they were being crushed with each passing minute. But the time spent in the cave had been rejuvenating, and they did their best to shake off the oppressive atmosphere. They had made it to Makuta Teskor's lair millennia ago, when they were just novices. Now they were old and weary Toa, it was true, but they were also experienced veterans. We can do this, they all told themselves. They had to do it.
The bleak, open space and the clear, waterless air made it easy to see Rahi moving far off. Even from far away, the Toa could tell some of the beasts were large and very dangerous. None of them was in any hurry to get into a fight with a Manas, a legendary crab rumored to be from the pits of Karzahni that was said to be able to take on an entire team of Toa. And even a fight with a Nui-Jaga would be a waste of precious energy, energy they needed to deal with Rahkshi, and, though they dreaded it and hoped it were not so, possibly for a fight with Teskor himself.
“Careful, let's skirt around these quietly,” whispered Tanu as the Toa tried to maneuver around a herd of nasty-looking bipedal Rahi they couldn't identify. Morok took another look, and he noticed that perhaps 'herd' wasn't the right word. It looked more like... a legion. Make that a legion that's seen the enemy and is rushing to attack, he noted as the three Toa heard bellowing and the Rahi charged. The stampede would have kicked up dust had the barren ground not been so hard.
“Time for plan B?” said Morok nervously as the horde approached rapidly.
“Yup,” confirmed Tanu.
“So much for stealth, then,” said Siok as he let go of his identity.
The titan formed from the three Toa was named Ilaniuma and he had the powers of Plasma, Gravity, and the Green. He knew what these attackers were, or at least what they were similar to, because Tanu knew. They looked like Thunder Trolls, but their armor was slightly different, and while Thunder Trolls all came in stormy hues like black and blue, these came in a great variety of colors. These foes were clearly a variety of Thunder Troll, however, so Ilaniuma dubbed them “Wasteland Trolls”. Like the Thunder Trolls Tanu had fought with Ilikia many years before, these were a little taller and much stockier than Toa. They had little finesse, they merely charged and tried to pound their targets to scrap with crude, makeshift weapons. At least, that's what Ilaniuma expected until he found a few metal bolts lodged painfully into his arm.
The Toa Kaita growled with pain and let out a blast of scorching plasma. A dozen crossbow-wielding trolls fell, and Ilaniuma knocked seven more aside with a sweep of his staff. Twenty trolls with various shoddy-looking melee weapons howled fearfully as they floated high into the sky, their gravity inexplicably reversed. In this barren environment, the power over plants Ilaniuma had from Morok was weakened, but he mustered enough of it to take out a large group. His weapon weaved back and forth, and scores of the Wasteland Trolls fell before him. Wild Rahi from all around could see the sight, but they were in no hurry to join the battle against the raging giant. Rather, the beasts panicked and stampeded as far as they could go.
Though Ilaniuma was outnumbered a hundred and fifty to one (or three, considering he was an amalgam of three Toa), the trolls were eventually routed. As the remaining savage warriors fled, Ilaniuma raised his tired head at a familiar mechanical humming sound. Almost lazily, the Kaita held out his hand, then made a swift lowering motion. The seven approaching Rahkshi fell to the ground like rocks. Though Ilaniuma was weary from the fight, he willed himself to stay together, for more dangers surely lay ahead.
The titan's confidence soared as he came to the rocky ridge where Makuta Teskor had made his lair. It was here, over thirty-six thousand years ago, the six Toa Yrenta had been defeated by Rahkshi and left at the mercy of the Makuta. But now it would be Teskor who answered to the Toa. Ilaniuma was huge and had great power. Makuta were powerful, too, but Ilaniuma was ready. If Teskor wanted a fight, he would get one. The giant amalgam was about to enter the ghastly cave when he stopped short. Something was happening.
Deep, booming, sinister laughter echoed from within the cave as the Kaita dissolved and reformed into three confused Toa. From behind the nearby rocks, from the other side of the ridge, and from the cave mouth itself swarmed a small horde of Rahkshi.
“You have come far, Toa,” said the voice of Teskor from within the cave. “But you will come to farther. Today, you die, and the Matoran of Yrenta will have no choice but to bow before me.”
When their master was done speaking, the Rahkshi quickly moved into position. The three Toa stood back to back and held out their Toa Tools as they prepared for their final battle.
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Fate of Yrenta
Chapter Three
==Yrenta Region, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==
~Circa 2,000 BGC~
Riding on Hypaka brought fond memories to the minds of the three Toa. The equine-lupine Rahi were used as steeds throughout most of Yrenta. The open plains of De-Wahi were a perfect environment for them, and, had the situation been less dire, the ride would have been a pleasant experience. But joy was not on the minds of the three Toa as their steeds galloped to the Ce-Kini in the region's center. All three feared they would find something grisly at the temple. Varlokka had gone there and not been heard from since, the Toa were being hunted by Rahkshi, and according to Tanu, something had happened to the temple's Suva. It didn't take them much thinking before a fear for their Turaga's life struck them.
“Rahkshi! Look out!” Siok called to his two comrades. Morok and Tanu looked up, and sure enough, another group of Rahkshi was flying at them.
Why do they have to be able to fly? As if they aren't difficult enough otherwise, thought Tanu as he took one hand off the reins, reached behind him, and grabbed his staff. Before he could strike, he jerked the reins with his left hand, directing his Hypaka out of the way just in time. The patch of ground he was about to run over exploded, showering him with clods of dirt and stones. The Panrahk didn't get a second chance. In a flash, the yellowish grasses below it suddenly grew until they entangled the brown Rahkshi. Morok released more of his power, and the grasses became as strong as the toughest tree. The machine shrieked as the animated plants tore its head off, its Kraata falling to the ground and slithering away.
Meanwhile, Siok had ended the flight of two more Rahkshi in a more direct way – he simply made them too heavy for any power of theirs to counter. His Hypaka brayed with fright as the Rahkshi hit the ground with unnaturally great force. Tanu was being harassed by a Rahkshi of Heat Vision, but he wasn't ready to retaliate. A careless attack from him or the Rahkshi could start a fire blazing across the plain uncontrollably. Indiscriminately melting the foe would be dangerous, but he had to stop it before it ignited the vast expanse of dry grass. As he dodged a pair of searing heat vision beams, the answer came to him.
With a strong but careful application of his power, he sent precise jets of plasma aimed at the Rahkshi's head. The hot, ionized gas obscured and damaged the mechanical eyes through which the Rahkshi's Kraata observed the world. One more blast of plasma tricked the blinded Rahkshi into directing itself at the ground. Tanu was well out of the way when it struck, but he could still hear the crash clearly, even as he fended off attacks from the last Rahkshi, a Guurahk. The ground under him disintegrated, and he and his mount would have fallen into the chasm had Siok not reacted quickly to save him.
“Neat trick, Tanu,” said Morok as he launched a cloud of tiny spores around the blue Rahkshi. While his target was distracted, he followed up with a shower of thorns. Finally, he finished with a large blade of plant matter aimed perfectly at the flying Rahkshi of Disintegration. The three Toa rode alongside each other as the remains of their last attacker hit the ground and rolled over and over before losing momentum.
“Well, they found us again,” observed Morok dryly. “Are we almost there, Tanu?”
“I hope so. Wait, look there.” Tanu pointed to the building visible on the horizon.
Soon, the three Toa dismounted outside the temple grounds. There was no reason to bring their poor steeds into unnecessary danger. They didn't need to get close to see the damage. Whoever had attacked had not even bothered to be discreet. A hole had been knocked into the side wall. The Toa took that entrance. The temple was mostly intact inside, but the floor had been cracked and scuffed and a few statues and diagrams had been ruined. They soon noticed the pile of rubble blocking the entrance to the main chamber. Morok attempted to kick the fallen stone away, but to no avail. He did not need to make another attempt, however. The stones burst outward, followed by an armored hand, then two Rahkshi emerged hissing from behind the rubble.
That was their mistake. Tanu was in no mood for a drawn out fight. The Makuta-Sons had scarcely entered the foyer when a cloud of white-hot plasma surrounded them. When it dissipated, they had been reduced to half-melted pieces of armor sticking out of a heap of slag. Tanu strode over, squeezed what was left of one's head until he was sure the Kraata inside had been squished, then stepped over the remains with contempt. Morok and Siok followed him into the room.
The damage in the rest of the temple was nothing compared to the sight that met the Toa's eyes as they surveyed the Suva chamber. The walls and decorations had been defaced in various ways, the Suva itself was visibly damaged, and to their horror, a small, hunched body lay crumpled before it. With a gasp, all three Toa dashed into the room. It was as they feared, Varlokka was dead. The corpse lying in front of the Suva was hers. On the other side of the room, a damaged Rahkshi lay lifelessly, its head and Kraata nowhere to be seen. It seemed that their Turaga had put up an impressive fight, which brought a tiny bit of comfort. But the Toa couldn't imagine how she could take down a Rahkshi.
“Defacing a temple... murdering a Turaga...” Tanu growled, but his anger immediately gave way to sadness and weariness. He sat by Varlokka's body. His companions joined him, and they stayed there, grieving, for a long time.
Finally Siok stood up. It was clear why Tanu had been unable to use the Suva, it had been destroyed. Siok reached into it in an attempt to retrieve any Kanohi that might have survived, but a surge of power from the Suva's malfunctioning core shocked him and forced him away.
“Tanu, Morok, we must leave...” he warned, “we must go before more Rahkshi show up.”
“You... you're right, Siok,” admitted Tanu, and he rose. “When – if – we return, we will give Varlokka a proper burial. There is no time now.”
To the relief of the Toa, their Hypaka were well and the skies were clear as they rode away from the Ce-Kini. Once he felt they were a safe distance from the temple, Morok rode up alongside Tanu.
“Now where do we go?” asked Morok.
“North, past the mountains, through the wastelands, to Makuta Teskor's lair. It's time to pay him a visit, and put an end to all this.”
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Some pages and images are still missing.
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Fate of Yrenta
Chapter Two
==Yrenta Region, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==
~Circa 2,000 BGC~
After the Toa had been drifting for what felt like hours, the waves finally deposited them on a sandy beach. They lay there for a long time. Finally, Tanu got up. Morok did the same, and offered to help Siok rise, but the Toa of Gravity waved him away and stood faster than his companions expected he would be able to.
“I... can't believe... I mean, the loss of our friends is no longer new to us,” said Morok slowly, “but... so close to home. And those were no wild Rahkshi. That was a deliberate attempt on our lives. What is happening?”
“I fear something terrible has happened here,” said Siok. “We must ensure the safety of our villagers.”
“There's one more thing,” added Tanu. “Something happened to the Ce-Suva.”
“I remember you mentioned the Ce-Suva, but what do you mean?” asked Morok.
“My Suva was being renovated, so I temporarily relocated some of my masks to the Ce-Suva. But I tried to summon a mask from it just before the fight, and nothing happened. We should investigate. But Siok is right, first we should find the nearest village. That would be the Ga-Koro, correct? Wait – where are we anyway?”
The three Toa looked around. The beach they stood on was made of coarse sand. Not far off, tall grass grew. That way must have been north, because they were definitely on the south end of the continent. The beach stretched a long way to the east and west. Siok looked carefully and saw that the coastline far to the west was rocky and impossible to see past. To the east, there was a bleak expanse of wet sand as far as he could see.
“We aren't near the water village. I think it would be best if we head inland and look for the village of Sonics,” he said finally.
“Sonics? That village is hidden somewhere in the middle of nowhere, and silent besides,” said Morok. “It might take longer to walk to the village of Water, but at least we can find it. Just walk east along the shore.”
“I've never been here exactly,” said Tanu, “but I've visited the De-Wahi a few times. I think I can find it. Besides, someone seems to want us dead. I wouldn't be surprised if there was an ambush waiting in our expected destination: the water village.”
“Tanu has a good point,” said Siok, nodding.
“I agree,” admitted Morok, “As long as we can find the place.”
At that, the three Toa began their northward trek through the grassy plains. The plains stretched on for many kio, but Siok felt good. The exercise was helping his atrophied leg muscles regrow. Soon he would be as strong as his old self. The other Toa were tired and sad, but despite the troubles and tragedies they faced, they also had a great happiness growing in them. If all went well, soon they would be amongst the villagers of their dear homeland.
“I haven't seen even one Rahi,” commented Morok, after they had been walking for a few hours. “Not that I wish a Muaka would come and try to eat us, but... it's unsettling.”
“Not to me,” replied Tanu. “It means we're on the right track. The De-Matoran chose where to live carefully. They built their homes far from dangerous or loud Rahi if they can help it. Around their village it's so quiet and open that there's no way for anyone to sneak up on them. Sometimes they even relocate the village, I think they had to do that about twenty-seven thousand four hundred years ago.”
“That's interesting. Seriously,” said Morok honestly, “but I'm... not in the mood for history. I mean, if you know how to get there, great, lead the way.”
The Toa resumed their trek silently. They were close now, and before long they could see simple dwellings on the horizon. The De-Matoran would be able to see and hear them coming for a long way off. But just to be polite, Tanu decided to announce his arrival with a shout and a flare of plasma. Just before he did it, however, he realized that would not be a wise action. It was quite possible the Toa were still being hunted. If it was rude to come into the village unannounced, it would be far worse to barge in while being chased by a horde of Rahkshi.
“Greetings, Matoran of De-Koro. I, Toa Tanu, have returned, with his comrades Toa Siok and Toa Morok,” he said with a volume and tone that made his announcement seem to be directed at his two friends. The village was still a significant distance away.
“The village is still...” said Morok, confused, then he remembered and lowered his voice, “oh, right, De-Matoran hearing. Sorry.”
Soon the three Toa were amongst the De-Matoran huts, and sure enough, the Matoran had been expecting them. Vibrak, the village leader, was waiting for them in the village center. He had been the leader of the Matoran of Sonics since Tanu and Varlokka had founded the system. Before he became a Toa, Tanu had been leader of his village, so he and Vibrak were old acquaintances. Now the Matoran looked relieved to see the Toa, but also quite troubled. He was known for always being vigilant and wary of problems, but now he looked seriously vexed.
“Hello, old friend,” whispered Tanu. “Our return has been far from joyous. I must warn you immediately: we are being hunted. Ilikia and Gareki perished at war, but it was when we sailing home when we were attacked by Rahkshi, and Vesai was killed. Tell me, Vibrak, has anything unusual happened during our absence?”
“Yes,” replied the village leader quietly. “Not long after you left, disasters started happening throughout the land. First we received messages that Thunder Trolls had invaded the lightning village again. Matoran from all around gathered to drive them off. We succeeded, but not after many of us were killed. We called for an emergency council, but even before that could happen, there was a landslide that buried half the village of Magnetism. Then the river near the Ga-Koro flooded. Nobody died then, but they had to relocate until the waters receded. Then Tatakoa erupted, nearly destroying the Ta-Koro, and several other villagers, including ours, experienced sudden Rahi attacks. Several days ago, Turaga Varlokka retreated to the Ce-Kini to meditate on how to deal with these catastrophes, but she has not been heard from since.
“Something has happened at the Ce-Kini. But are the villages recovering?”
“Yes, and it's been quiet since Varlokka disappeared. Some of the Matoran are grumbling about your absence, but I know this is not your fault. You had to leave, and, well, these disasters...” Vibrak trailed off.
“These disasters are not natural,” finished Siok. “I fear somebody has been waiting for this opportunity. Somebody with control over the Rahkshi.”
“The Makuta?” said Tanu skeptically. “Makuta Teskor isn't a nice guy, I admit, but what does he have against us? He just hangs out in his cave up in the wastelands.”
“We'll find out,” whispered Morok fiercely. His emerald eyes blazed. “Vibrak, will the Matoran be alright if we go solve this mystery before helping the villages recover?”
“Yes,” agreed Tanu. “I wish we could help rebuilt immediately, but we will put you all in danger if we do not put an end to this... this attempt to kill us.”
“Very well,” said Vibrak. “I will inform the other villages of your return, if you -”
“No,” interrupted Siok. “I wish we could, but like Tanu said, we would put the Matoran in danger.”
“But please try to boost their spirits,” said Morok. “Now, I suppose we should investigate the Ce-Kini now, right?”
“One moment, my friends,” said Siok, picking a stone off the ground.
The Toa of Gravity took out a small carving chisel and quickly etched a few symbols into it. Soon the stone was adorned with a crude engraving of the symbol of the Three Virtues and a simple representation of a Toa. Then he put the stone down, picked up a similar rock and marked that one, then did the same for another. Finally, he caused all three stones to levitate, and visible energy flowed from his fingertips, imbuing each of them. Carefully, he floated the stones down to the ground before Vibrak's feet.
“If we do not return, use these,” Siok instructed. “Find the next destined Toa. If we do not return, the land of Yrenta will be counting on you and these stones.”
“I will do my best, Toa Siok,” promised Vibrak, “but please, please try to return. The Matoran are worried, and panic would grip the land if I had to announce your deaths. Now... now, if you must travel, take some of our Hypaka. This way...”
The De-Matoran leader showed the three Toa to the stables. The Toa said goodbye, and soon they were riding northeast to the Ce-Kini.
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Fate of Yrenta
Chapter One
==Off the Coast of the Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==
~Circa 2,000 BGC~
The silver waters of the sea rolled gently, then churned in the wake of a small boat as it passed. In the boat were four old and very tired heroes. They had been called “war heroes” but truly, none of them felt they belonged in war. They had lost two teammates, friends they had known for thousands of years, and that was good fortune compared to the fate some other teams had met. Since the very first day they had arrived, they had seen more horrible things than they had seen all through their long careers back home. But now that war was over, and home was the destination of the four survivors.
Tanu, Toa of Plasma and leader of the team, looked ahead from the vessel's bow. The outline of the Northern Continent was barely visible on their starboard side. It was on that landmass that their homeland, Yrenta, was, but they had to sail around the unfamiliar territory to dock in the coastal village where their home's Ga-Matoran lived. As Tanu turned his head to stare longingly at the distant land, he gave a small smile under his orange Kanohi.
Suddenly, the boat lurched and he lost his balance. Leaning backwards into the boat, to not fall overboard, he grabbed a piece of rigging with his left arm. That was the arm that had been injured, and it would never look the same again. Where a large, stylized piece of orange armor had once protected his upper arm and shoulder, now there was a small, plain piece of white armor with some exposed pistons. Tanu wasn't the vain type, so it wasn't the odd appearance that bothered him, or even the fact that his arm was slightly less protected. The replaced armor got his attention because it was a reminder of the war. It was not nearly as big a reminder as the absence of Ilikia and Gareki, but it was a reminder of the dark path Tanu had nearly gone down after Ilikia's death. He stared at his arm for a long time.
At the helm, Vesai, Toa of Water, gestured apologetically at Tanu. She had moved the boat into a current more suddenly than she had meant, with no warning, causing the jolt. But the Toa of Plasma wasn't paying attention. Apparently he had spaced out again, lost in memories of the war. He wasn't the only one. Toa Vesai had made the slight miscalculation because she was deep in thought, too. Vesai had always been gentle and peaceful at heart. She had been a merchant, however, and sometimes had to travel to dangerous places. One day, she was badly injured. After recovering, she had taken to carrying a shield and a Rhotuka launcher to protect herself. But she never killed anything. Even after becoming a Toa, she still tried to act as gently as she could.
She didn't have such liberties in war. If she had been soft on the Dark Hunters, she just would have been killed. So she, along with a hundred other Toa, had been force to use their powers' great destructive potentials. Many warriors drowned before her. Some had holes blasted in them by high-pressure bolts of water. It wasn't something Vesai liked to remember. But the memories wouldn't go away. Vesai had hope that comfort would come soon, however. The Matoran would rejoice at their return, and Turaga Varlokka would sooth their perturbed minds. The Toa of Water looked down from the helm upon her friends Morok and Siok and relaxed.
Siok was lying on a bench in the boat's midsection, not asleep, merely resting his sore muscles, which had recently regrown after he had been terribly injured. He was very grateful to have lived, and now he had the company of his friends. Morok was sitting next to him and talking quietly of the sweet things at home they dearly missed, the things they would soon see again. There were forests and jungles and mountains, wild Rahi to watch scurrying around, and old Matoran friends to assist and protect as they labored. Siok listened and pictured such happy images.
But he was serious by nature and often quite dour. The universe had nearly suffered a disaster. And though the war had been won, so many Toa had died. Toa weren't the only victims, either. Several Matoran had been killed, and their city had suffered greatly. And there were the Dark Hunters. They brought it on themselves, it was true, but they were living beings all the same. Toa should never be proud of killing, and always strive for non-violence. That was what Turaga Varlokka had taught Siok and his teammates. But it was over now, thankfully. Siok dearly hoped he would never have to leave his home again. He knew his three companions were thinking the same thing.
Though to Siok, Morok seemed at peace, in truth the Toa of the Green's mind was swirling madly. He was doing his best to calm it by talking aloud of the wonders of home. For millennia, he had been worried about using his strength responsibly, even before he had become a Toa. There were plenty of times he felt he had been overzealous or careless, and he felt great shame about each time. He was sure he had been on the right side in the war. The Dark Hunters were villains, that was perfectly clear. But there had been such violence. Warriors on both sides had been maimed, crippled, dismembered, disintegrated, and worse. It was almost too much for Morok to take. Back home, he never had to fight so fiercely. Morok put his head in his hands and sighed. Soon he would be at peace in his warm, green jungle home.
Indeed, within a few hours the four Toa could see the coastline of Yrenta. But their journey home was not to be as blissful as they hoped. Just as they were sure their destination was directly ahead, beyond the silver waves, another jolt rocked the boat, this one far stronger than the last one. Still standing at the bow, Tanu yet again nearly fell overboard. As his head leaned over the water, he was the first to see the creatures moving below.
“There's something down there! Something hostile!” he called, just as the boat rocked again. Then the waters were gentle and quiet. Mentally reaching out, Tanu attempted to summon his Mask of Sensory Aptitude from the Ce-Suva, where he had left it before going off to war. Next to his Mask of Emulation, it was his favorite Kanohi, and its powers would quickly help him discover what was harassing them. But oddly, nothing happened. He felt no sensation on his face, saw no glow as one mask was replaced with another. Something was wrong. Even far off on Metru Nui, he had been able to summon his other masks. But now it wasn't working.
Before Tanu could mention that to the other Toa, another jolt came. Morok saw a flash of black and purple armor over the side. Pushing past his weariness, he concentrated and vines burst forth from the end of his staff. The plants plunged underwater, and Morok felt them wrap around something. Before the entrapped entity could fight back, the vines dragged it up above the surface, into the view of the Toa.
It was a Rahkshi, but unlike any Rahkshi the Toa had seen. It had a Rahkshi's basic shape, but it was adorned with fins. Its flipper-like feet had propellers on the heels. In the fraction of a second Morok spent deciding what move to make next, the “Makuta-Son” acted. Its armor grew blades that sliced the vines away, then, before it fell into the water, its fins had turned into sleek wings. The Rahkshi hissed as it soared forward through the air, before shrieking and falling into the sea, its white-hot armor turning water to steam.
A wave of heat and faint electric tingle was emanating from the tip of Tanu's Plasma Staff. But before anyone could comment on his fast move, the faces of four more aquatic Rahkshi appeared above the water. Vesai let go of the helm and began to manipulate the ocean around her. That, however, distracted her from the next attack. Before anyone could save her, a bolt of lightning struck her. The bolt flowed through her, then redirected itself at Morok, then Siok, then Tanu. The silver Rahkshi that had attacked landed at the back of the boat, Vesai's stunned body at its feet. Before it could finish the helpless Toa of Water, it fell, hitting the deck hard.
Siok was standing unsteadily, his hands gripping his Gravity Casters tightly. The other three Toa stood as quickly as they could, their muscles tingling from the electrical shock. The Rahkshi of Chain Lightning rose, too, but not before Vesai surrounded it with a sphere of seawater. The angry Rahkshi attacked again, but this time its electricity flowed harmlessly through the water. At Vesai's command, the sphere of electrified water collapsed inward, and the Rahkshi spasmed as it was shocked by its own power. Meanwhile, Morok and Tanu were holding off the swimming Rahkshi of Adaptation.
Morok shouted, and Tanu looked up to see another group of Rahkshi flying towards them. If the Rahkshi made it to the boat, the Toa would be hopelessly overwhelmed. Tanu decided to not give them the chance. One blast of plasma turned an approaching Rahkshi into a molten comet of dripping metal. Another fell into pieces after Morok threw a volley of incredibly sharp and durable leaves at it. With a sweeping motion, Tanu called forth a cloud of plasma that downed another two. A few more were about to make it to the boat, though, and Tanu and Morok couldn't be fast enough to stop them.
To the relief of the Toa of Plasma and the Toa of the Green, the remaining Rahkshi in the air suddenly plunged beneath the waves. His hands extended, Siok kept pushing the Rahkshi down until he was sure they would never return to the surface. Meanwhile, Vesai had destroyed the silver Rahkshi, and thrown its crackling Kraata overboard.
“Wild Rahkshi have never attacked like this,” said Morok. “What's going on?”
“Something is wrong here,” agreed Tanu, “I can't access masks from the Ce-Suva. We had better – look out!”
Tanu shoved his comrades to the deck as a bolt of energy zoomed overhead. Somehow, another group of Rahkshi had gotten the drop on them. Siok cried out and gripped a flying brown Rahkshi in gravitational energy, but it was too late. A bolt of explosive power shot from the Rahkshi's staff, and hit the deck in front of Siok's feet. The Toa of Gravity stumbled backwards as the bottom of the boat exploded in a shower of water, metal, and wood. The Rahkshi struck again, and before the Toa could react, they were each clinging to a different piece of flotsam. Vesai raised her Water Wand and a cyclone of water shot up from the sea, trapping the Rahkshi of Fragmentation and dragging it under.
Just then, another silver Rahkshi appeared overhead. Electricity flowed from its staff into the water, shocking all four Toa and causing them to lose the pieces of debris they were clinging to. Morok managed to conjure a large floating plant to support himself and Tanu, and Siok called upon just enough of his gravity powers to allow him to float easily. Under his power, the silver Rahkshi's staff became to heavy to hold, and the reptilian machine dropped it into the sea, where it was lost forever. Vesai plunged her head underwater, and saw five more black and purple aquatic Rahkshi swimming towards her.
“More Rahkshi, underwater,” she cried as her head burst above the waves. “Go north, get to the surface.”
“Wait, where are you...” Morok trailed off as Vesai disappeared underwater again. He was about to follow her when the water next to him exploded. He quickly stunned the other Rahkshi of Fragmentation overhead and went to follow Vesai.
The Toa of Water was in combat with the five Rahkshi underwater. She spared a moment to send a strong current at Morok, a clear message for him to leave. Morok had never seen gentle, mild Vesai act so firmly to her friends, and he would never see her act such a way again. In the moment Vesai had her head turned, giving her friend a stern stare under her mask, a Rahkshi seized the opportunity and impaled her on its razor-sharp staff.
Vesai gasped and sputtered as water entered her lungs. Morok began to cry out but he too spluttered and choked. Tanu and Siok poked their heads underwater to see what was happening, and they too saw the dreadful scene. Vesai fell to her knees and dropped her wand and shield, but then she raised her hands and the water surrounding her began to churn madly. Her three companions could no longer see her or the Rahkshi underwater. Siok looked up, saw more Rahkshi circling overhead, and surfaced again. He tried to drag Morok with him but the Toa of the Green struggled until Siok let go. Tanu reluctantly followed Siok.
Morok heard distorted sounds of the battle overhead rippling through the water. He held his breath until the waters stilled and he could see Vesai again. What he saw forced him to exhale. He floated underwater for a moment, staring at what he saw, and finally went to the surface, faint with lack of air and grief. Vesai had been killed. Two more of the Rahkshi were still active down there. He looked up and saw five or six more Rahkshi flying overhead, raining bolts of energy down on the swimming Toa.
“Tanu... Siok...” he said sadly as he swam over to his brothers.
“I'm sorry, Morok,” said Tanu. From Morok's expression, he knew what had happened. “We must leave, now, or we will die too.”
“Yes,” said Siok, as he sank a yellow and green Rahkshi. “Now there is one less Toa to protect Yrenta. We must escape.”
Morok nodded, but then he submerged again, to take one last look at Vesai's body. A Rahkshi suddenly stuck its frightening black face in front of him, before Morok had some seaweed drag it off. Morok surfaced again, used vines to cause two flying Rahkshi to collide, then he began swimming north to Yrenta's coast. Siok quickly took down the remaining Rahkshi, then he and Tanu joined Morok. Morok slowed to allow them to catch up, then they swam as quickly as they could. Fortunately, no more Rahkshi appeared, and they relaxed.
If all three had been exhausted and weary and sad before, now they were much more so. They were on their way home, it was supposed to be happy, easy times, but they had already lost another one of their friends. Before the war, none of them had died. Now half their team was gone. Siok used his gravity powers to allow the current to carry him to shore effortlessly, and Morok summoned another floating plant for himself and Tanu.
As the three Toa drifted, so tired they were barely conscious, to the land, they knew that their return home would not be as joyful as they had expected.
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This is the review topic for my third epic, Fate of Yrenta.It is finished at 24 chapters.
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This is the review topic for my second epic, Wartime Journal of a Toa. It is finished and contains 21 entries from Tanu's journal.
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This is the review topic for my first epic, Tale of Yrenta It is finished and it is 32 chapters long.
End Of Yrenta
in Epics
Posted
End of YrentaChapter Nine==Yrenta Region, Northern Continent, Matoran Universe==~536 AGC~
The Toa attacked immediately. Two of the Rahkshi seemed to vanish, while the third endured their assault and fired a ray of power from its staff. The Toa were caught in it, and were overcome by a feeling of disorientation. One of the other Rahkshi appeared back in the fight seemingly out of nowhere, and battered Paqyar to the ground with a supernaturally fast onslaught. In a daze, Vilam blasted everyone around her. Toa and Rahkshi alike staggered for a moment, and the Rahkshi of Confusion's hold over them was broken. Behind Imlen, the third Rahkshi's concealment was broken, but the Toa of Plasma did not see it in time. The end of that Rahkshi's staff dug into his back armor, and he fell forward. Vilam turned to protect him from a follow-up attack, but left herself open to another Confusion attack. This time, she refrained from lashing out with her power, and stood babbling meaninglessly.“Imlen!” Paqyar called.Imlen rolled out of the way as the stealthy Rahkshi tried to bring its staff down on him. Paqyar tried to snare the two Rahkshi attacking him and Imlen with a growth of vines. The quick-moving Rahkshi dodged, and the stealthy one was entangled just as it was changing colors to blend in with the environment. Imlen got up and prepared to take out the Chameleon Rahkshi while it was trapped, but the Rahkshi of Dodge leaped next to him in a flash and began forcing him back. Meanwhile, the Rahkshi of Confusion bashed Vilam in the face, knocking her mask off. Its hold on her was broken again, but she was greatly weakened without her mask, and stunned from the blow to the head. The Rahkshi followed up with a sweep at her legs, causing her to fall to the ground. She attempted to call forth a blast of lightning, but could not concentrate enough. The Rahkshi of Chameleon broke free of Paqyar's vines at that moment and disappeared.It reappeared a moment later to strike Paqyar, and retreated again before he could strike back. This process repeated over and over while the other two Toa battled their respective opponents. These Rahkshi only had one ranged attack between them, one which did not even do any direct damage, and yet they had the upper hand in the battle. They were much more skilled than the lone Rahkshi Mosori had defeated. Vilam could only weakly defend herself as the Confusion Rahkshi alternated between pummeling her and clouding her mind, and Imlen could barely fend off the rapid strikes of the dodging Rahkshi. Again, he attempted to call upon his element, only to be interrupted by a quick attack that broke his concentration. He tried something different. He feinted striking the Rahkshi's side, then brought his staff to the ground to melt the earth into lava. The Rahkshi was too quick, however, and his move backfired. He had just started to heat the ground when a mighty sweep of the Rahkshi's staff sent him flying back.A short distance away, Paqyar fell to his knees, battered from all sides. Then, the Toa had some success when Vilam managed to grab her opponent's staff, sending a weak electric attack through it. While that Rahkshi was dazed, she reached over and grabbed her mask. She felt power and clarity return to her, and when the Rahkshi recovered, it was hit by another, stronger bolt of lightning. Vilam moved towards Paqyar, but was struck midway by another confusion ray. Paqyar could not hit the Rahkshi that was attacking him, but snared the Confusion Rahkshi as it ran after Vilam. Imlen stood up and surrounded himself with a shroud of plasma, preventing the Dodge Rahkshi from approaching him without being blinded. Concentrating on maintaining that defense, he ran over to join the others. As he came closer, he saw the Chameleon Rahkshi striking Paqyar again, and blasted it. A moment later, the Toa stood together again, though Vilam was confused and all three were battered.“Vilam! Snap out of it, sister,” Imlen said as the Rahkshi resumed their attack.“Don't talk to the Brakas fish,” she mumbled incoherently, and was smacked to the ground by the Rahkshi of Dodge.“This isn't good – ow!” said Paqyar as the Rahkshi hit him next.Imlen blasted plasma all around the ground, giving Paqyar the time to help Vilam up. All three of them were sore and tired, but Paqyar was determined for them to get out alive. Just then, his mask glowed. As he reached out and pulled the Toa of Lightning to her feet, a glow embraced the two of them. The light lingered for a few seconds, and when it was gone, the two Toa stood fused into one being.“Fusion? That's your mask power?” said Imlen groggily as he was struck in the head by the Chameleon Rahkshi.“Y... yes,” said the fusion in Paqyar's voice after a moment. “Vilam's mind... struggles against mine due to the confusion, but the confusion... also makes her willpower... too weak to resist much. Now her mind is clearing.”As it spoke, the merged being lashed out at the startled Rahkshi. As its two minds began to cooperate, it became much more effective. The Rahkshi of Confusion was eliminated by a concentrated barrage of electricity, arrows, and plants. The other two Rahkshi nearly knocked Imlen's mask off, and the fusion caught him as he staggered back.“Fuse with us, Imlen,” said Paqyar. “It doesn't hurt.”Imlen allowed himself to be absorbed into the amalgam, and it glowed as it reformed into a new being. This fusion, instead of being controlled by Paqyar's mind, was a true Toa Kaita, with its own individual mind made of its component parts working in perfect unison. Like all Toa Kaita, he had his own name. His name was Samruna. He paused for a moment to consolidate the unification of his mind, and two remaining Rahkshi attacked while he was distracted. But their staffs could do little damage to the Kaita. With a sweeping kick, he sent the two machines flying back. A blast of electrified plasma destroyed the Rahkshi of Chameleon before it could rise. Next Samruna materialized a giant, primitive arrow – simply a tapered wooden shaft with leaves for flights – nocked it to his bow, and launched it at the Rahkshi of Dodge as it tried to flee. The projectile skewered the Rahkshi, pinning it to the ground, and at the Toa Kaita's command a tangle of branches burst from the wood. The plants tightened, crushing the Rahkshi and its Kraata.The battle was over. Exhausted, Samruna dropped down on his knees and broke into the three Toa that had formed him. The Toa lay on the ground for a moment, then more of the hungry insects swarmed over them. This time, Imlen dispersed them with a small application of his elemental power. Then the Toa rested for a short while, but they soon heard shouts and the screech of Visorak. More Makuta forces were on the way. The Toa were in no condition to fight them off. They were bruised, dented, tired, and low on elemental energy. Most of the enemy force was approaching to the west, so the Toa got up and traveled back the way they had come as quickly as they could. When they came to the steep valley slope, they stumbled down and landed in a dry thicket. A Brotherhood scout was there at the bottom just in front of them. Still lying in the bracken, Vilam shot a lightning bolt out of her sword. Imlen jumped up and finished the encounter with his staff, first knocking the scout's mask off, then knocking him unconscious, but not before the scout could shout.Imlen helped the other two Toa up, and they quickened their pace. The scout's cry had helped the approaching Brotherhood forces pinpoint their location, and they were closing in. The Toa made it to the bottom of the hills on the edge of the plains. They could hear the Brotherhood soldiers and Visorak on the hilltops behind them. Projectiles whizzed past, some exploding as they hit the ground or discharging into bursts of energy, others fragmenting or merely embedding themselves in the earth. One exploded next to the Toa, detonating with a surge of electricity, and blasted them off their feet. As they got up, they looked back and saw some of the faster Makuta units were chasing them, while ranged attackers rained fire down on them from the ridge. There were no more Rahkshi to be seen, but the Toa expected more to arrive at any time.“Any ideas?” said Paqyar, beginning to slow from fatigue.“We might need to just stop and make a stand,” said Imlen, shaking his head. “There's not a whole lot back there, no more than a platoon's worth including the Visorak. But I don't know how dangerous those warriors are.”“It might be better than exhausting ourselves running,” panted Vilam. “Paqyar, can you use your mask again?”“I'm not sure,” said Paqyar as they continued to run. “I'm tired, and can't focus. Wait – the grass is taller up ahead.”“It's still not enough to hide us,” said Imlen.“Maybe not. But good thing I'm a Toa of the Green,” said Paqyar.The Toa ducked as they reached the tall grass, then went down on their hands and knees, crawling as fast as they could. They were far out of range of the attackers on the hill by now, but hiding in the grass only slowed their remaining pursuers a little. More projectiles rained down around them, and shouts sounded not far behind. Paqyar considered the situation. He tried causing the grass a short distance away to rustle, tricking the Brotherhood forces into thinking the Toa were moving through there. The feint worked for a short time. Now the soldiers and Visorak were among the grasses. Silently, Paqyar animated the grass around him. He did not expend the energy to strengthen the plants, and they posed no threat to the enemy, but distracted them while the Toa moved away. Soon a few of them came too close, forcing Vilam and Imlen to blast them and give their position away again.There were only about five or six soldiers in the field now, but there were a dozen Visorak in the field too. Worse, the Toa could now hear the buzz of flying Rahkshi converging above. They dropped to the ground again, changing direction and crawling to the northwest. The grass seemed to actively hinder their passage now. They realized one of the Rahkshi must have been manipulating the plants, though the Rahkshi fortunately had not located them yet. The force on the ground was now passing them, and they ran into a lone Visorak at the northern edge of the group. With desperation and ferocity, the Toa fell upon it and slaughtered it before it could call for help. The Toa stopped and lay still in the cover of the grass. The soldiers and Visorak passed them, but the Rahkshi lingered. Several times they landed, searched on foot, then took to the sky again. The Toa stayed there and rested for a while.The Rahkshi remained, however, and the Makuta's forces resorted to a tactic they had used not long ago to flush out fugitives hiding in vegetation. If they were willing to burn a shrubland to get Matoran, torching an entire section of the plain to catch Toa was not very drastic in comparison. This region was less arid, so the fire did not spread as fast, but there was much more fuel to sustain and carry it. The edge of the tall grasses was not far, but the Toa would be exposed there. That would be better than burning to death, but the Toa had just nearly been defeated by three Rahkshi, and there were now at least five nearby. The Makuta-Sons were relatively uncommon in Yrenta even in this age, but the appearance of Toa probably justified sending all available Rahkshi to eliminate them.“If this is going to be a recurring tactic, we should start carrying buckets of water around,” quipped Vilam.“Can you put it out, Imlen?” asked Paqyar. “Absorb it or something?”“I don't think so. That's a job for a Toa of Fire, not Plasma.” said Imlen. “We'd better get out of here. On the count of three: one, t –”“Wait!” interrupted Paqyar.“What, Paqyar?” demanded Imlen impatiently, as the fire was now uncomfortably close.“I'll catch up, you'll know when to move!” said the Toa of the Green rapidly.Paqyar crawled as fast as he could away from his friends, and risked standing up when he was confident he would not get his friends in trouble too if the Rahkshi saw him. He knew the fire needed something to burn to spread. In this case that fuel was the grass. None of the Toa present were able to absorb or control the fire. But Paqyar could do just that to the fuel. He put his plan to the test. It took an effort, but he managed to convert a swath of grass into elemental energy and absorb it, creating a barren gap wide enough to stop the fire from reaching the area he stood in. Then he got down under the grass again. By then, the fire was almost upon Imlen and Vilam, and they got up and ran. So far, the smoke and flames covered their escape. Paqyar hoped that if the Rahkshi had noticed his diversion, they would come soon, for he was struggling to hold on to the absorbed power.Fortunately or unfortunately, one soon noticed the large patch of grass the fire had been prevented from reaching. The Kraata inside it reasoned that the Toa would surely be hiding in that small safe area, and called his brothers in for the attack. Paqyar saw them coming and gulped. He was taking a big risk for his friends. He did not plan to turn it into a sacrifice as Mosori had, but it would be a close call. This time, he had a slight edge in the form of the plant life he had absorbed. When he felt he could contain it no longer, he released it in a blast at the three Rahkshi landing nearby. The machines were caught by surprise, and one was instantly crippled. Paqyar ran before the other two could free themselves from the grasping vines and thorns. He sprinted wildly, and was pleased to see only more two Rahkshi, these ones following him from the air. No Rahkshi at all would be better, but they had a chance if they could take on the vile things one or two at a time. He saw his friends not far off, and soon caught up to them. The Rahkshi were right behind.“What was that about?” said Vilam as they prepared for battle.“A... plan...” Paqyar panted, and he coughed. “See, only... two... of them at a... time.”Imlen and Vilam got in front of Paqyar, allowing him to catch his breath as the Rahkshi attacked. One of them, a yellow Rahkshi, shot searing red beams from its eyes. This was probably the one that had ignited the plain. Its first attack missed and struck the ground. Fortunately, there was not enough grass here to start another wildfire. Imlen felt some of his elemental power had returned, and he wanted to end this quickly, so he stepped forth to unleash a devastating cloud of plasma. Before he could summon the power, however, the other Rahkshi hit him with a ray from its staff. Imlen was instantly sent into a deep sleep. Worried, Paqyar checked on him, confirmed he was only sleeping, and got out his bow. Vilam sent out a trio of quick bolts, one for each of the Rahkshi and a weak one to jolt Imlen awake.It worked, but he did not immediately shake the effect off. He stirred, and after a moment he got up drowsily just in time to be pushed away by Paqyar. The patch of grass he had been lying on was struck by the Heat Vision rays and burned to the ground. While he was waking up, Vilam had been preventing the maroon Rahkshi from putting any more of them to sleep while dodging the yellow Rahkshi's attacks. Paqyar stood back and peppered both Rahkshi with arrows. He got a lucky hit in the Rahkshi of Heat Vision's head. The Kraata inside was not dead, but hurt, and the machine stumbled. Imlen had woken up by then, and only needed to expend a small amount of energy to finish the yellow Rahkshi off. Alone, the maroon Rahkshi of Sleep did not last much longer. By this time, the other two Rahkshi were advancing quickly.Running to their prey instead of flying was their mistake. On the open plain, they made easy targets. Vilam took out one immediately with as powerful a bolt as she could summon. After a few attempts, Paqyar pierced the other one's knee with an arrow. What had once been one of the Makuta's most dreaded enforcers was reduced to a limping, broken machine. Paqyar prepared to finish it off, but before he could it let out a terrible scream, loud enough to make the ground shake. The Toa were deafened, though that did not save the Rahkshi. Paqyar caused rending vines to sprout from the arrow, tearing the Rahkshi apart. Imlen communicated through gestures which way the team should go next. They were safe for the moment, but would have to move quickly. This battle had been short, but they were even lower on elemental energy now, almost out. They would have to rest before fighting again, and more enemies would surely be on the way. Even if news of their presence had not already been spread, the fire and that Power Scream could be noticed from far away, and were a big indicator something was going on.“That could have gone better,” said Vilam later, when the Toa could hear again.“At least we're alive!” yelled Imlen. The Toa were traveling east, and had not encountered any enemies since defeating the Rahkshi.“You're yelling,” said Paqyar.“What?” asked Imlen loudly. Apparently, his hearing had not completely come back.“You're yelling!” repeated Paqyar, louder this time. “Wait for your hearing to come back!”“Sure, sorry,” Imlen whispered. Vilam chuckled.The southern plains were no longer safe with Brotherhood forces looking for them there and few places to hide. They doubted their chances of making it past the hills. And so, the Toa decided to return to the jungle in defeat.Review