Wotz

IC: Kuhrin (North bank of Lake Pala) I hate you. You made me die, you made me kill, you made me hate, you made me suffer, you- You made me. I love you. You gave me life, you set me free, you let me kill, you let me hate you let me die you- The water is still, today. It reflects the sky, the trees, the buildings - but not me. I am nothingness, a ghost. The Huna affords me that small mercy. There wasn't much left of it when I found it - in fact it was a miracle it still worked. Every now and then my image flickers, as if to remind me that no matter how badly I may desire the contrary, I am still alive. I could die now, if I deserved to be treated fairly. I could take off this mask and let myself fall into the water, sink and join the half-decayed bodies at the bottom of the lake. But would I then be assuming my right to join those who died fighting for the light? I could shatter my skull with a sonic blast and haemorrhage my own brain. My life would be obliterated in one agonising second. But do I then grant myself the right to stop thinking? To forget? Could I grant myself the right to die? Once I thought I didn't deserve to live. After Kre- after I killed Krell, it seemed like a miracle that I survived. I thought that The Darkness was still out there, watching over me, its loyal servant. Did I know it was gone? Could I sense it? It wouldn't be my first sip of denial. If anything, that was me finishing the #### chalice. I know now that there was no darkness; it was me - I was alone, clinging to life like a parasite, willing to do anything to prolong my miserable existence. I was supposed to die. But Ferron would spare me, the righteous fool. He withheld my permission. Ko-Koro... I should have been there. Maybe if I had killed a few of those scum it would have made some small difference. But I knew then and I know now: It wouldn't. Nothing can repay the debt I owe to the people of this island, to Life itself. If I had been there, if I had fought the servants of the Dark Lord as I had once fought with them, I would have been doing it for me. To feel better. And, maybe, to finally die. I could die an unknown martyr. How ironic that would be. "There are some things that can't be forgiven or forgotten. They can only be left, and... healed from. As much that's still possible for me, at least." Noka was right. At least she had the privilege of being able to leave me behind. I can't leave myself. Perhaps if I could somehow shed my body, shed my face, I could begin to escape my past - but I would still be me. ... The voices of Pala-Koro's inhabitants are audible to my ears, even from this distance. Earlier, looking across the lake as I do now, my longing eyes searched for anyone I recognised, but it was futile, and foolish. If anyone recognised me, which was far more likely, I would be hunted and most likely killed. Far too merciful a fate. But also a tantalising one. Nervously, I deactivate my mask and flicker back into visibility, relaxing a muscle that I always keep tensed. Immediately the whole of my body is soaked through in this familiar sinking feeling, this liberating, disgusting feeling, like being suspended over the edge of a cliff, and I hate, hate it, and even so savour its lustful allure. To be seen was to be real, to be accused and judged by the Light and all who value it. I am not one of them. The Light shuns me, that's why it gave me the Huna - it doesn't want to touch me. ...I don't know if it's just me, or if it's real, but my skin burns in the light now. It burns. I reactivate the mask, and disappear into safety once again. That little masochistic episode was a foolish and pointless move. To say "I can't help it!" would be a lie - whenever anyone says that, it's a lie. I can always help it. But I don't. At least I always regret it. If only that counted for something.

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) "Maybe round the side somewhere." He waved his hand dismissively. "I'll have to postpone my eulogy - I nearly froze to death out there, too. I need rest more than he does." With that, he dragged himself out of the room brainlessly, and disappeared back up the stairs.

IC: Grolasch (Fort Garsi) "...Whattya say we scrap the storytelling and get to making some new stories right here in this hall?” Grolasch, by absolutely no degree of cunning, somehow pinpointed this sentence in the mob and immediately set his petulent eyes on locating its origin. Finding Kirik and Krex nearby, he grabbed the both of them by the backs of their necks, and demanded their attention. "Now, that sounds like the first smart thing I've heard from you all day, Kirik! How 'bout this-" letting go, he flung his trunk-like arm out to his right, feeling until he laid grip on a pair of flagons, mid-'cheers'. These he snatched in the air with in his gigantic hand and brought before the pair of Skakdi in front of him proudly, announcing, "-a drinking contest! One for you-" he slammed Kirik on the back, "-one for you-" he slammed Krex, also, "-and one for me-" and grabbed a flagon off of a nearby table, which could only be assumed to be his,"- and all of Irnakk's nightmares upon the Lesteri:Nii that crosses our paths after! HA HA HA HA HA HAAAA!" Without waiting for a reply, he opened his mouth like a treasure chest and poured.

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) There was a silence after the Toa left that Kahlynn felt was somewhat undeserved. He shoved Gak's limp form a little with his foot. "So, uh, you guys burying this guy, or what?"

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) "My name's Bronk," said Kahlynn. He extended a courteous hand to shake, half-buckling as he shifted Gak's weight into one hand, and spread his disgusting mouth into an admittedly not-wholly-unpleasant grin.

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) At the mention of a 'proper burial', Khalynn became hesitant. He barely had any idea who Gak was, let alone the nature of the treasure he had been leading him to, let alone what attention may be drawn to the identification of his body or the blatant, gaping wound in his face. Dropping his poorly-structured pretences, he insistantly demanded, "No, nonono, Gak should be buried here." After a moment of silence, during which everybody present stared at him with justified suspicion, he added, "It's what he would want. Annywayyy-" he flopped his hand at the stranger who had taken his shovel, "-go ahead and bury the guy. I'll drag him outside for you." True to his word, so to speak, he stepped over to the bloody corpse and pulled him into the open, leaving a copious crimson trail in its wake. Even he was somewhat alarmed by the state of that injured face - had the wound gotten wider? Regardless, it seemed the story - the truth - that he had died from the cold had landed fairly effectively, so he opted to clarify: "Yeah, he kinda... Fell, as we were carrying him. I'm aware that this doesn't look good." The howl of the winds outside was, for a moment, punctuated only by the metallic shuffle of Gak's bloodied body being slid across the stone platform on which they stood. Kahlynn paused as he passed the strangers: "I didn't kill him. I didn't, really. It was the cold, like, uh..." What was his name...? "...Like Merc- no, uh, like Marsh said... The cold. It was the cold."

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) Kahlynn nodded with the upmost courtesy. "No problem, at all," he replied with total corporatism dripping from his tongue, "that's actually very interesting, as I had no interest in treasure hunting either." He pushed the shovel into this other, more apologetic stranger's hands instead.

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) Kahlynn ahem'd, a little peeved that Mar had stamped out his oportunistic attempt at breaking even on this shambles of a treasure hunt. They were ready to pay! Serves me right for associating with a Toa. Lousy merc, as well... "Well, now that you mention it," he cut in, snatching a shovel from Mar's hand and passing it to the green armoured stranger. "You ever dug for treasure before, Toa?" As he spoke, he shot Mar a look that demanded secrecy - unaware that Gak's crumpled body was beginning to unravel, his arm flopping out of the doorway and into plain view. OOC: Sorry, my tags aren't working but y'all know who you are.

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) The Skakdi, meanwhile, upon realising that cable car had nearly arrived, shoved the body behind a doorway with his foot and tried to position himself in such a way as to obscure the body from view, remaining unaware that the body had already been seen by the strangers. A thin splatter of blood adorned his golden chest armour. He spat on his hands and wiped back the spines on his head. Okay, Kahlynn, time to turn on the charm... "Hello there!" He waved at the approaching vehicle with both arms. "Welcome to the Official Ko-Wahi Toll Gate! Please have your widgets ready, or be prepared to turn back the way you came!"

IC: Grolasch (Fort Garsi) Everywhere around the room was filled with brutish merriment and violent drinking. Grolasch would go around slamming his comrades on the back, whatever bile they were drinking spilling out the sides of their mouth, and in return receive whatever was left of the flagon smashed across his head, which he welcomed in good humour. Someone tugged his shoulder with undue force. "Look at you, Grolasch: FILTHY!" It was Crokshnak, some savage piece of cannon fodder masquerading as a sentient being. He raised an upturned horn filled with something red and foul-smelling. Grolasch opened his gigantic mouth and allowed the poison to pour wholesale down his gullet. Then, after brewing briefly, he reopened his jaw and unleashed a thunderous burp into Crokshnak's grinning face, before promptly picking him up and launching him like a javelin through a nearby table. The mob of surrounding warriors erupted into rowdy cheers, each trying their hand to topple the gigantic Skakdi where he stood, to no avail, as he poured more of whatever-the-red-stuff-was into his gaping maw.

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) "To me... To me... To me..." Kahlynn called out, regretting the decision to carry Gak headfirst down a spiral staircase. Each step was only about a third the size of one of his enormously oversized feet, clearly not being designed for one so well-endowed. He chanced a glance over his shoulder, and saw that only a few steps remained, but then- "To me... To me, to me tometometomeeeeeeeeee-" He fell back, pulling Gak with him - Mar, wisely, let go of the legs at this moment - and the two rolled down the stairs like a red and blue snowball, till they crashed at the bottom- and Kahlynn heard a sickening splat. Regaining his sense, he pulled himself off the ground to find that Gak's face had split in half on the bottom step, spilling blood in a(n admittedly very neat) circle around the blue Skakdi's head. "Well..." Kahlynn looked up at Mar nervously. The littering of Skakdi teeth around him rendered the scene reminiscent of a child who had just broken a xylophone - a sentient one. "If he wasn't dead before, he sure is now, right? Ha, ha." His smiled faded as he quickly deduced that Mar was far from amused. "Look, maybe, erm, you just go get the shovel? I can drag him outside from here."

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) Kahlynn opted not to interject there - Mar was right, the body needed to be disposed of. He stepped over and, once again, lifted the shoulders of his ill-fated guide. "You grab the legs. Careful on the stairs."

OOC: tagging isnt working but hey guys, supporting character alert IC: Grolasch (Fort Garsi) "...And, boss, plenty of Drink™ in the cellar!" The beastly Grolasch chimed in. He raised a triumphant fist and bared his grotesque teeth in what might be referred to as a 'grin' - evidently eager to get to celebrating the bloodshed.

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) "Aw, Karz." He dumped Gak back on the floor and dashed to the neighbouring window to Mar. "Hmf. You know, sometimes it's like there are more Toa than Matoran on this rock." His head whirled around, smirking. "Guess you're gonna be right at home, Mister Moral."

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) "Alright, I'll meet you outside. It looks like the blizzard's clearing up." Kahlynn raised his hood and bent down to haul Gak's body towards the stairs. Now that the brunt of the cold had worn off (save the chill in his bones), he found he was incredibly exhausted - but there was no way he'd be sleeping here side-by-side with a corpse. He lifted up Gak's shoulders, just as he had on the way up. "Hey, would you mind...?"

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian) That's it? Tut, tut, I told you so? What's the deal with this guy? "For starters, Toa, don't-" he momentarily surged forwards, "-talk down to me. Secondly, you're-" he was tempted to say some words to the effect of '-not such a hero after all, are you?' but thought better of it. Evidently this Mar character had a bit of an internal conflict of interests, and Kahlynn was in no mood nor condition to press the buttons of a Toa. "...You have to help me bury this body. There a shovel in this dive?"

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian) Kahlynn's face, which had risen slightly so as to convey a lighter manner, collapsed into a more characteristically grim expression. "Then you know I didn't kill him, right?"

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian) Kahlynn turned and looked at Gak, as if he had actually forgotten about the other Skakdi, and shrugged innocently. It was beginning to cross his mind that he had somehow scared Gak to death - it played on him, but his black heart did not sink; somewhere therein was a sick pride that he attempted to ignore. Feigning obliviousness, he casually strode over to the blue-amoured heap on the ground and jabbed him with his pointy toe. "Hey, Gak, you good there, buddy?"

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian) Hearing Mar coming back up the stairs, Kahlynn dumped Gak's limp form on the floor and returned to the window, pretending not to notice that the other Skakdi had died. As the Toa stepped through the doorway, he called over his shoulder, "We aren't far from the cable car, you know," he faked an amiable chuckle, "I thought Gak got me further than that!"

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian) By now the fire had warmed Kahlynn up enough to deal with the brunt of the chill - even so, his bones still felt frozen. More importantly, his parka was mostly dry, so he slid it back on and rose to observe the view from the window. It was hard to make out through the blizzard, but it looked like they were near to the Ko-Ta- cable car. The surrounding geography was familiar from only the day before, when he and Gak had arrived in the Wahi. Had they only made it that far? The blizzard must have disorientated the pair more than they had realised. Returning to Gak, Kahlynn opted to take his chances one last time. He grabbed the old Skakdi by his collar and lifted him right up till they were face-to-face. "Wake up, Gak! You aren't fooling me. Tell me where the treasure is, or I'll stop Mar. I'll fight him if I have to. You'll die." Half to Kahlynn's surprise, Gak's eyes light up. There was still some faint awareness in there. "WAKE UP!" He roard, shaking his half-frozen guide. A thin, decrepit smirk spread across Gak's face. His mouth opened, as if to say something - but in place of words, a single conclusive breath, almost a sigh, poured out of his grinning mouth. Kahlynn looked down just in time to see the last embers of light dissipate from the old Skakdi's heartlight. The secret had died with him. "."

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian) "Woof woof!" Kahlynn barked playfully at the Kavinika, hurling his stick across the room. "Fetch, boy!"

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) "Fine, whatever." Kahlynn was far from wanting death on his conscience. But to play the hero and place someone else's needs before his own was simply not in his nature. It wasn't like he and Gak were lifelong friends, or related or anything - the other Skakdi was just some old drunkard. They had met in a bar, one of Kahlynn's usual haunts, and in a state of utter inebriation Gak had spilled the beans on this treasure map. It didn't take much convincing for them to leave for Ko-Wahi immediately. But no matter how much Mahi Blud he coaxed the old man along with, Gak refused to reveal the precise location or nature of the treasure, nor would he draw a map. Remembering the Mahi Blud, Kahlynn reached for his hip flask. It squeaked a little as he unscrewed it - the cold - and poured it into his gigantic mouth. It wasn't actual blood, of course, it was made from berries and named as such for its colour. Blud still trickling in streams down his chin, he looked back over at Mar. "You got medical training or something, Marc?"

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) Stunned, Kahlynn retracted his hand, eyebrows raised, eyes darting back and forth between Mar and his Rahi companion. "Alright, alright, jheez!" He returned to the fire, responding defensively with the tone of a knowing mother, "All I'm saying is, if you revive him first, he won't tell us where the treasure is." Finding a nearby stick on the ground, the Skakdi gave the flames a prod. "What kinda merc doesn't wanna get paid?"

IC: Kahlynn "We get him medical help fir--" Kahlynn grabbed his shoulder. "No no no, you're not getting it," his voice had lowered to a whisper, "I have him right where I want him. Sure, we will save him, I'm not exactly in the murder business myself-" he smirked cleverly. "But he doesn't need to know that."

IC: Kahlynn (Obsidian Outpost) "Keep this under your mask, Toa," he leaned in close, as if the Kavinika might overhear. The already-prominent odor of Kahlynn's long-unwashed mouth became all the more prominent. "We were out looking for treasure. Only problem is, he's the only one who knows where the treasure is. Wouldn't tell me anything, Mata-Nui knows why."