Varkanax39

Chapter 5 The cold Fellsian wind battered against Shardak, the chill seeping through his armor and into the muscle beneath. Shuddering, the Toa drew his black cloak around him, trying to conserve warmth. He hadn't realized the higher mountains of the Fells grew so cold at twilight. Ion had warned him of it, yes, but in the face of the dangers posed by the Ix and Jekart, he'd almost ignored it. Torak stepped next to him, his eyes fixed on the map Ion had given them. Badly incomplete, it only showed the Fells, the Northern Wastes, and the southern kingdoms, including the Scar Mounatins and Akkad. Torak had to hold the map tightly and later place it in with the blue diamonds, for the winds grew so strong they nearly tore it from his hands. Shardak stopped at the edge of a gorge, and Valkyria, Blast, and the others did the same. It wasn't large, almost leapable, but Shardak knew at once that the two Matoran could not make the jump. Once again, he wished his element was more useful, or he had sufficient auric control to simply levitate them all across the chasm. "Should we try to jump it?" asked Shardak. Valkyria nodded. "You, Torak, and I can easily make it across, and once one of us is on the other side, we can hand the Matoran over from one side to the other." Torak grunted in agreement. The taciturn Skakdi was not one for a large amount of words, and simply gave a one-word reply or a grunt when he needed to voice his opinions. Shardak had wondered at first if they'd done something to bother him, but Torak certainly didn't seem annoyed. "I'll go across." said Shardak to Torak. "Then you and Valkyria can hand the Matoran across the chasm to me." Steeling himself for the jump that he knew he could make, but also knew certain death awaited him if he didn't, Shardak leapt across the void, grabbing onto the jagged edge of the cliff. For one moment, his eyes fixed on the dizzying drop below him, and he almost let go of the cliff in shock. Quickly tightening his grasp, he climbed his way up the jagged edge, and finally rose to his feet on the other end of the gorge. Now Silver was being passed across the gorge. Shardak knew this had to be done very carefully, for if Valkyria's grasp faltered, even for one minute, he and Silver would both plummet to their deaths in the Void. Shardak leaned over the gorge, Silver now being supported by both Valkyria and Torak, but still unable to bridge the chasm. Shardak leaned further, abandoning all but the slightest of handholds. He felt his fingers close around Silver's, and he hauled the Matoran onto the surface of the cliff just as Valkyria let go. No sooner was Silver safely across when Torak began helping Dust across. Twice the Skakdi's grip almost faltered, but both times he managed to save himself and the Matoran narrowly, finally letting go when Shardak and Silver pulled Dust across to the other side. Valkyria easily leaped across the chasm, grabbing hold of one of the jagged handhelds and dragging herself out of the Void. The Ix girl had seemed more at ease on their journey, talking politely to both Silver and Dust, and seemed more relaxed and at ease. Shardak remembered Saren's wishes to kill her before Shardak left the rebel base, and realized how hard it must have been for her to live for four months in a place where her kind were hated and reviled. Torak seemed more wary, staring down several times into the abyss before finally leaping across. He fell short by several meters, and Shardak had to reach across the chasm and grab his hand in order to pull him across. Torak grabbed hold of the cliff's edge, rising shakily to his feet next to Shardak. "That was...interesting." said Torak, guarded. "I prefer flat ground to the Fells, though." Shardak understood how that felt; after years of being raised in the Fells, the flatlands in the Circle and, later, the Nameless City, had seemed strange to him. Shardak drew his cloak once again around his body and began to follow his allies deeper into the Northern Mountains. The mountains were only growing higher, they were far above the rebel base now. Suddenly Shardak saw more lights, and a dark weapon flashed from the gloom. Shardak reflexively raised the Blade of Arcturas, deflecting the attacker's sweeping scythe. Shardak instantly recognized the heavy black armor and the cold, dark eyes. Ix warriors. Shardak had no more time to think, only time to react. He couldn't even see how many attackers there were, only watch as Torak raised his shield and water spear and charge forward, slamming against a tall Ix warrior. The Blade slashed through the being's armor, but Shardak could see no more, for suddenly he was fighting a second Ix warrior, shorter and less heavily built then the first, but no less fast. Shardak flung himself forward, launching into a fast but not extremely complex fighting pattern, a vague combination of the Sila and Lihtne combat forms. The Ix seemed surprised at his attack in both the aura field and the physical world, and for one moment he hesitated. However, he quickly recovered, and brought his scythe down on Shardak's shoulder. Blood welled from the wound. At one time, that would have stopped Shardak. But Shardak was no longer the naïve young warrior who had once sought battle with the Ix and their allies. He'd been trained by some of the greatest weapons instructors alive today, and whatever Saren thought of Ion, the Toa had trained him well. He quickly recovered, forcing the Ix once again on the defensive, and then began to batter at the Ix warrior's already weakening mental defenses. However, while surprised by his ferocity, the Ix warrior was still far more skilled then Shardak. He quickly lashed out again, his weapon smashing against Shardak's with such ferocity that the Sword of Fire was nearly dragged out of Shardak's hands. The Ix warrior swept his weapon then to one side, following his first attack with a wildly confusing attack pattern that tore through Shardak's defenses and tore a gash along his arm. Shardak was quickly being forced backward, and suddenly he was fighting not one, but two beings, an Ix and a Kranr. He saw flashes of his allies in the darkness, saw Valkyria battling a Kranr soldier, Silver and Dust mobbing a Glatorian. Neither Torak nor the other Ix warrior was anywhere to be seen. Within seconds, the Kranr had forced his way past Shardak's defenses, and was battering at his chestplate with his spear. Before he could impale Shardak completely, the Toa brought his weapon down across the Kranr's armored back, feeling it sink through first armor, then muscle. The Kranr staggered backward, opening his mouth in a roar of rage that quickly became a scream as he vanished from view. Shardak was confused for one moment, then realized he'd staggered over the edge of the cliff. Shardak hadn't even noticed the cliff's edge was directly in front of him. There was no more time to think, only react as the Ix warrior battered against his defenses again and again. Shardak felt him overcome the last of his defenses, heard the Blade of Arcturas fall to the ground. He pulled it toward him in the aura field, felt his fingers close around the handle. The Ix warrior snarled as Shardak deflected his attack once again, then suddenly swung the scythe in the opposite direction. Confused, Shardak had barely enough time to register a blue blur before Torak slammed into the remaining Ix warrior, slashing open his throat and chestplate. Mortally wounded, the Ix warrior fell to the ground, his weapon falling from his hands. Shardak looked around for any signs of surviving Ix warriors, but three Kranr lay dead, and he could see the mangled remains of the other Ix lying near the opposite edge of the cliff. He could see both Silver and Dust were alive, though one of the Kranr had torn a gash across Dust's arm. However, none of them were badly wounded, not even Torak. Shardak looked up at the darkening skies, and knew it was almost time for them to set up camp for that night. They had all suffered light wounds, but even those could become infected without treatment. He wished, not for the first time, he could somehow heal with his Toa powers. It wasn't even a wish--he was sure there was a way-- but neither Arkhan nor Ion had taught him how. "Lucky that none of us were seriously wounded." he commented to Silver. "Yes..." answered the Matoran. "But it's strange. Almost as if they knew we were here." Silver's words sent a chill of foreboding up Shardak's spine as he echoed Saren's words from the day before. Why would any Ix warrior be in the Fells, when nearly all of their elite warriors were based in Drakos Capitol and the surrounding cities? There could only be one explanation. Someone in the rebellion had told the Ix that they would be there. *** Not for the first time, Blast opened his mouth to speak to Shardak, then remembered the Toa wasn't there. As he strode through the flat plateau along the border between the lower cities and the Fells, he reflected on how little he'd been able to speak with his best friend before he was sent away on yet another mission for the rebellion. He wished he'd been able to explain to him about the dreams he'd had. They seemed so vivid at times that Blast was sure he'd actually lived through them. His most recent dream had been his most vivid. He'd been fighting on a cliff against a group of tall, heavily armored beings, beside a heavily built being that looked a little like Ion, but wore blue armor and had red eyes. But these eyes were not at all like those of the Ix. They were kind and almost appeared both old and young at the same time. Then, suddenly, he was somewhere else, standing in a cave beside a being who looked like a Toa, flanked by several Glatorian. The blue-armored being was there as well, holding Blast's scythe and Fairon was there, standing beside a white-and-yellow Makuta. Then he'd awoken, wondering how much of the dream had been true. He'd wanted to speak with Fairon, but the Toa was far away, fighting against the Ix in the Canyonlands. Deep in the Void, four months ago, Blast had learned he'd been posessed by an ancient entity known as Millennium, who had wiped all memories of his previous life and, in an elaborate illusion, influenced him to believe he'd always lived in the Fells. He'd been an outcast until he met Shardak a few months later. Now Blast was desperately trying to make sense of what had been real and what had been false. He still had not recovered his memories, even after the death of Millennium, and while Fairon had told him that he'd once taken part in the Eternal Game, he remembered little else. "Blast!" a voice broke through the maelstrom raging within Blast's mind. "Blast, follow me. We're ready to continue." For the past day, he, Jareroden, and Ion had traveled to the borders of rebel territory and crossed once more into the Ix Empire. They were now in the middle of the wild plains generally labeled the Wastelands, though Blast had seen they were far, far more then that. They were roamed by tribes of wild Vorox, Zesk, and Rock Steeds, as well as other creatures far more wild and dangerous. They now stood atop a large hill, the massive peaks rising in the distance beyond the swamps and the Fells alike. Blast knew that somewhere, high above him, Shardak was traveling, with a Skakdi, his two Matoran friends, and an Ix warrior. Blast had never been sure what he thought of Valkyria. On one hand, she'd saved Shardak's life in the Void, on another, she was an Ix warrior, who could never be trusted. Despite the fact she'd been sentanced into the 175th Eternal Game, Blast still didn't believe she hadn't gone willingly. "Coming!" he called back, racing over to join Jareroden and Ion. Both Toa looked grim as the winds grew colder and the skies grew darker. "We're almost to the camps of the Dargon tribe." said Ion. "Hopefully they will be convinced to join our cause.' Their mission was to find the camps of the enigmatic Dargon race and convince them to ally with the rebellion. The majority of the rebellion's warriors were of the various Veythari clans, who were all allied against the Ix and lived in the upper regions of the Fells. The next greatest group were disaffected Matoran, Agori, and Kranr, and the remainders were Glatorian or Toa. They needed more allies before they would be able to assault the Empire's cities. While they may have been able to win several victories in the Fells and the Canyonlands, they had certainly not gathered a stong or large enough force to take on the more powerful of the Ix's cities, certainly not heavily fortified districts like Gigas Nui or Drakos Capitol. Suddenly, a second flash of light interrupted Blast's thoughts. A tall, blue-armored being stood before them at the base of the cliff. Blast instantly felt vulnerable, for they were standing at the edge of the mountain, and to fall from the cliff at this height would mean certain death. Blast recognized the being immediately, his cold orange eyes and sapphire armor all too visible in the broad daylight. This was the being who had captured them all those weeks ago in the Circle, the being who had taken them as prisoners to the Circle. Ion unsheathed his long, curved broadsword, and Jareroden raised his Toa tool. "Banrax..." Ion hissed. The Elemental smiled, a cold, grim expression that spoke of little more then death. "I am glad that I have mnet you again, Ion, and you, Glatorian." he said, fixing his gaze on Blast. "Now you shall perish."

Chapter 4 Shardak stared at the massive cliffs that bordered the rebel base in awe as he, Valkyria, and Torak walked toward the gates. Ion and Arkhan stood there waiting for him, both carrying weapons. The usual, uniformly gray-armored guards were conspicuously absent. Since his training had begun, Shardak had sparred many times with both Ion, Arkhan, and Saren at these gates, and he was almost annoyed to leave them after his four months here. Then he remembered what today would bring. Today was the beginning of his search for the Annulus fragment, today was the start of his first day as a warrior of the rebellion. He looked at Torak, Silver, and Dust, who looked likewise excited, and at Valkyria, whose expression was unreadable. Not for the first time, Shardak wished he could speak to her, tell her that they were among friends and there was no need to continue hiding her emotions, but he could find no way to put it to her. "You will have to travel south, through the Sourthern Mountains." said Ion. "Eventually, they'd lead into Arden, but you'll stop at a city about midway known as Akkad. The Akkadians have long been able to remain independent from both the Fells and the Southern Kingdoms due to their large supply of iron ore, and this continues to this day. The city is neither ruled by the rebellion or the Empire, much like the northernmost cities of the Fells. "There you will find the information broker known as Jekart. He, like all of the other Akkadian information brokers, is neutral, but has disturbing ties with a bounty hunter known as Skorr currently employed by the Empire. However, he is the only being who deals in the information that you seek, and the only being brave enough to deal in information about the Empire." "What information do we need from Jekart?" asked Shardak. "The latest movements of the Ix's armies." answered Ion. "You can't expect to remain in Akkad and recover the Annulus. He will give you the location of the Obsidian Cliffs as well. We expect they're somewhere north of Arden, perhaps in the Scar Mountains, since that's where the Ix have been seen lately. However, the cliffs have always been heavily guarded by Ix, so no one here knows their exact location." "How long will the journey to Akkad take?" asked Shardak. "Ideally, we would send you through the Canyonlands along the Arden border. However, the fighting is too thick there for us to send you that route. It'll take you two or three days to reach the city of Akkad along the Fellsian route. While the Ix presence may not be as thick along the edge of the Fells, but there's still a large possibility you could be attacked, either by Imperials or mercenaries. The Southern Mountains have always been full of bounty hunters, and you can be sure the Ix have a bounty on your head." Shardak nodded, remembering Nightwatcher. The thought of him, and the Nameless City, suddenly caused him to think of Saren's revelation. What if Ion was trying to get them all killed? "You'll be fine, Shardak. Arkhan has trained you well, as has Silencer. Torak, Silver, Dust, and Valkyria are all strong fighters." Ion reassured him. Shardak nodded again, relieved that Ion hadn't been able to read his wariness as well as Arkhan had the day of the High Council meeting. "How will we deal with this Jekart?" asked Torak, his voice a low growl. "He certainly doesn't sound like the type who'll simply hand over the information freely." "You're right." said Ion. "Jekart is, perhaps, the most expensive of all the brokers in Akkad. Perhaps this will convince him that you can pay him accordingly." Ion handed a satchel to Shardak, who opened it. The bag was filled with at least seventy blue diamonds. Even one of these could fetch an exorbitant price of at least one hundred. "This will certainly be enough." said Shardak. "I'll hand them all over to Jekart, then--" "No!" interjected Ion. "If you give Jekart the entire bag, he'll simply ask for more. Give him exactly a fourth for the information you seek, and if he does not give a complete answer, give him more. Under no circumstances should you let him see the full contents of the bag, or empty it completely." "I understand." answered Shardak, and Ion smiled. "One more thing." the mutated Toa said. "You handed this to Atarus your first night as a rebel warrior. Now I give it back to you, with the hope that you will keep it safe." He handed Shardak a dark black, ebony stone, one that seemed to absorb light rather then reflect it. Shardak recognized it immediately: the heart of the Ix's power, the fragment of the Annulus' power source. The Shadow Orb. "But why?" asked Shardak. "It's safer with the rebellion, isn't it?" "Not any more." Ion said cryptically, and Shardak knew he would not elaborate further. Seeing his expression, Ion said, "You are ready for this, Shardak. We never expected you to simply allow us to keep you safe in the Fells." Shardak responded politely, still a little wary of Ion. But even still, his mentor's words filled Shardak once again with expectation. He stared once again at the Blade of Arcturas, then at the sack of diamonds, and knew that he was ready for the journey that lay ahead. Silver, Dust, Valkyria, and Torak had already passed through the gates, and Shardak followed, stepping through the gates and once more into the world beyond. *** The clash of weapons rang through the air as Fairon nimbly sidestepped a thrust from a Kranr warrior, followed suddenly by a backslash from the Glatorian standing next to him. Fairon slashed through the Kranr's breastplate, and as the mortally wounded being fell to the ground, he surveyed the battlefield. Nearly half of Kharix's warriors were dead, but they had slain many more Imperial soldiers in the conflict. Slowly, Kharix was pulling her warriors back, allowing Galika's troops to reinforce them. Here, Fairon knew, the battle was turning in their favor. Nearly twenty dead Imperials lay killed by spears thrown by Galika's warriors hidden among the cliffs, and the remainder of the first wave of attackers were being systematically cut down as they attempted to follow the spearfighters up the cliffs. Fairon slashed to one side, parrying thrusts and slashes from Kranr and Glatorian alike. The reflexes he'd gained in the months following the Eternal Game took over, and seven Kranr lay at his feet, dead. A Glatorian charged toward him, and the Toa of light tore the weapon from the soldier's hand and felt his weapon bury itself in the attacker's leg. As the Glatorian staggered backward, frantically reaching for his weapon, two spears felled him. Fairon looked around for any sign of his rescuers, and saw two Agori, armored from head to foot, ready their spears once more and prepare to combat the second wave of attackers. Fairon could see Kharix, surrounded by eight of her warriors, fighting against the onslaught. Galika, despite her tactical advantages. was faring little better-- nearly half of her warriors had fallen to the attackers, either dead or wounded. "Lieutenant!" he called. "Pull back! Hold the cliffs!" Kharix nodded once, then disappeared back into the fray. Despite Galika's heavy defenses, the second wave had managed to scale the cliff despite losing a third of its warriors. Fairon could see one more wave of perhaps twelve already wounded attackers reinforcing their comrades, but despite their losses, Galika continued to hold the cliffs, leaving Kharix and her surviving warriors able to concentrate on forcing their way through the remnants of the second and first groups of attackers. Fairon felt his scimitar tear through a Copy of Corpse, causing the machinelike being to stagger backward and collapse, then, in the same motion, deflected a thrust from an onrushing Kranr. As the Kranr forced his way past, Fairon used his elemental light powers to create burst of burning white light. The Kranr staggered backward, momentarily blinded. Fairon easily disarmed him, then turned and vanished back into the fray as Kharix's troops pushed forward, leaving the Kranr and his group of warriors lying dead on the ground. Fairon could see their forces were about even now-- while the attackers still outnumbered them by maybe ten warriors, he still had at least twelve beings guarding the cliffs, and six of Kharix's warriors were still alive as well. Fairon charged into the battle beside a badly wounded Skakdi, who was firing bolts of heat vision from his eyes every few seconds, while at the same time slashing through the enemies' armor more effectively then Fairon would have believed possible. Now the Imperials were pulling back. Galika's forces had slain the remaining enemies on the cliffs, and the remnants of the small platoon were pulling back as Galika's remaining warriors charged toward them, slamming into them from the side as the remainder of Kharix's group charged toward them. The few remaining warriors who still lived had either dropped their weapons and fled, or were pulling back, leaving their dead comrades behind on the battlefield. Only there were only a few fleeing now: of the nearly sixty Imperial warriors who had engaged them at the start of the battle, only about twenty still lived, half of those badly wounded and in no condition to fight them any further. Fairon watched as the last of his enemies disappeared into the shadows. "Let them go." he ordered. "They won't trouble us any further." The battlefield after the battle had always disturbed Fairon. The corpses of both allies and enemies lay strewn across the canyon, the conflicts they'd had in their life meaning nothing now in death. The majority of the fallen beings below were Kranr or enemy Glatorian-- most of Kharix's troops had fallen in the canyon beyond, Galika's had died defending the cliffs. "How many do we have left?" Fairon asked Galika, dreading the answer. He knew that Kharix had lost almost all twenty of the beings under her command, and Galika could not have done much better. "Fourteen of my group still live." said Galika. "And Kharix has seven who survived the battle. However, at least four of these beings will not recover, and only twelve would be able to fight, including us, if we were attacked." Fairon nodded acknowledgement; he'd expected far worse. However, with only twelve beings able to fight, he certainly couldn't continue his offensive. He hadn't expected to be able to, either, with only forty beings under his command, he was lucky any of them still lived. They'd be forced to fall back to the Wastelands, where he knew at least several detachments of rebel warriors were, guarding the border between the sourthern portion of Xaterex and the Fells. They'd have to resupply, then return to the Canyonlands, to hold the territory he'd gained from this battle. The Toa of light could only hope that the Fells were not being attacked along another front. While it was difficult for the Fells to be attacked from the Canyonlands, Fairon knew the border with Arden was dangerously undefended, and the Mountain range in which several of the larger districts were built, while more heavily guarded then the other borders, could probably not hold against attackers from one of the far larger and more powerful Ix strongholds. Fairon continued thinking about the many fronts of the war, including the battle that raged on Noctxia Magna, and whether they had enough troops to attack the heavily guarded cities just south of the Fells. Slowly, however, he began to gather his surviving warriors. He toyed with the idea of leaving several to guard the border, but realized that there was no way they'd be able to stand against another group of Ix, not even a small one. Fairon knew they had won a victory against the Ix, but with so few surviving beings under his command and being forced to retreat to the Wastelands felt much more like defeat. For the first time in many days, Fairon thought about his friends still at the base in the Fells. There was Blast, the Glatorian who had been his ally in the first Eternal Game, Jareroden, who'd been an ally in the second Game, and Ion, who had helped train him for the war in the flatlands. But mainly, he thought of Shardak, the Toa of aura, who, along with himself, Galika, and Jareroden, were the last surviving free Toa in the universe. He wondered, exactly, where Shardak was, and what he was doing now. Had the High Council deemed him ready to join the war effort? Or was he still waiting in the Fells, wondering when they would allow him to begin? And do you really want Shardak to join us? Fairon thought. Our past three months have been nothing but ceaseless battle along the Fellsian border. Slowly, night began to fall, and his surviving warriors began to set up camp. Fairon helped, but his mind was elsewhere, lost in memories of the friends he'd lost, and the friends he had left behind. Finally, he began to calm, to relax from the long battle they'd fought. We have to continue. While I have waded through two bloody arenas and now still fight on. I promised the Ix silently, that night after the first Eternal Game, that I would make sure no other being had to fight in the Eternal Game again. I will not surrender.

Chapter 3 Fairon stood atop the cliffs, surveying his troops below. The division of warriors, Glatorian, Agori, and Skakdi, mainly, were standing below, armed and armored heavily. All had the glint of determination in their eye, ready to face the Ix once more. Sometimes, Fairon couldn't believe that nearly four months had passed since his escape had passed. The arena always seemed directly behind him, and he almost felt as though the arena loomed ahead of him as well, though he knew he'd never participate in another Eternal Game. The rebellion would never allow the Empire to capture him alive. Almost immediately after he'd escaped the arena, the rebellion had appointed him leader of a division of warriors, with two other victors, Galika and Kharix, as commanders under him. He'd been sent after two weeks of rest to attempt to force the Ix onto the defensive. His division had taken three Imperial outposts in the past month, including one along the Shadewater River, which ran through Arden and the Mountains as well as the Fells. It had been a better month then the last two, which involved several defeats along the New Metru Nui front which had forced him into retreat toward the Fells. Recently, he'd regained the offensive and pushed further, across the Shadewater. Now he stood in the Canyonlands, the wild border between the southern lands known collectively as Arden and the northern provinces of Gigas Nui and the Fells. Several of the canyons were far too deep to pass through, others allowed easy passage between the two areas. However, every single one of the passable canyons was guarded by heavily armed Ix warriors. The majority of the troops were conscripts, Kranr, Agori, and Matoran making up the bulk of the forces, but Fairon's scouts had reported several Ix warriors with them as well. This was unusual, for the bulk of the elite Ix warriors were currently tied down fighting in Noctxia Magna, where the war was thickest. The other planet the Empire ruled, Calos, was still officially neutral, but Fairon knew it was wavering toward the rebellion. "Commander." a voice broke through his thoughts. Fairon turned to see Kharix, clad in silver and green armor, walking toward him, two Glatorian warriors following her. "The Ix warriors have been sighted. Three of my scouts have fallen and we are waiting for the order to engage them." Fairon followed Kharix down the ridge, toward the valleys below. The Canyonlands were filled with his helmeted warriors, numbering just over forty. While he and Kharix been enemies in the Eternal Game, Fairon had been on better terms with her after the Game, when they no longer had anything to fight about. She treated him with respect, if not friendliness. Kharix turned, gathering her warriors. Fairon nervously began to worry that his force could not defeat the massed group of Kranr below, for there were far more Ix warriors then he had under his command. Most of his battles had been skirmishes, a subtle push and pull back and forth. This was the largest battle he'd ever ventured into, and he realized they had little hope of winning. He surveyed the battlefield. The Ix warriors would have to come through the narrow openings to reach them, but at the same time, they'd have to do the same to break through their lines. Calling Galika over to him, he whispered an order to the Toa of Water. "Kharix will be going into the battle first, Use your twenty warriors to defend the pass, and make sure no Ix warriors get through. If Kharix falls back, then reinforce her. I'll follow Kharix, but you'll guard the pass behind us." Galika nodded, her face grim. Fairon knew she missed Jareroden, her friend who was currently still at the base in the Fells. They hadn't had contact for the past month, since Fairon had been given his newest orders. Once he broke through the canyonlands, he was to meet with the officials in the city on the edge of Arden known as Vatru in an attempt to convince them to join the rebellion, thus giving them a foothold in the south as well. Fairon had no more time to think of his mission. He could see that Kharix was already leading her troops toward the Canyons, while Galika's warriors took up positions on the cliffs above. Fairon drew his scimitar, a replacement for his lance that he'd used in the Void and lost after the Eternal Game began, and followed Kharix's warriors into the battle. *** "It is imperative." began Saren, his voice a low whisper. "That nothing I tell you leaves this room. This is dangerous information, but as you join Jareroden's command, Blast, and your mission begins, Shardak, you cannot afford not to know this." "What?" asked Blast. "What could be so dangerous that you couldn't mention to the High Council?" "I believe that there is a traitor in the rebellion, someone in our inner circle." said Saren. The two beings gasped in shock. "What?" asked Shardak, surprised. "Why?" "Remember the way Nightwatcher located Jareroden almost too easily, then proceeded to capture you? Do you honestly believe that even a bounty hunter of his caliber could simply locate you that easily? Later, more proof was given of this, when we were forced to evacuate Void's Edge." Shardak remembered that day, when he'd met with Ion, Atarus, and the rest of the rebellion's high command, and then had to abruptly evacuate the base when a troop of Ix warriors attacked moments later. It had almost seemed uncanny how easily they'd discovered the allegedly well-hidden base. "Yes, I almost came to the same conclusion." said Shardak. "But how could the two incidents be related? The only member of the rebellion who was with us in the Void was Ion." "Yes." said Saren. "It pains me to say this, but I believe that Ion is the traitor." "What?" Shardak exploded. "Ion would never betray the rebellion! He did everything he could to escort us to the rebels until the Shadow of Ages attacked!" "Yes, I know. Ion has always seemed like one of the most loyal of all our members. If Atarus were here, we would be able to use his Rode to scan his mind, but he'll be in Noctxia Magna for at least another month before he'll be able to return. I can't imagine what motive Ion would have for betraying us, but one thing is certain: you must be on your guard. Trust no one you meet in your mission." Saren's voice seemed almost hopeless, and Shardak realized how hard this must be for him, to even consider that his friend could be a traitor. He didn't exactly know what to think of this, for he couldn't believe, after everything Ion had done, that he was a traitor. Yet the Ix found you almost too easily one other time Ion was with you. a small voice whispered within Shardak's mind. Near Void's Edge, the day that Silencer died... The thought of his first mentor's final sacrifice so that he could join the rebellion always shook Shardak, more so now that he'd heard Saren's suspicions. Silencer had fought to the death against an Ix commander far more skilled then he. His brother, Melnox, had then decoyed the Ix away from Shardak so he, Blast, and Kyhrex could escape them. Sometimes, he wondered about Melnox's final fate. He'd certainly never made it to any of the rebel's bases on Xaterex. "That is all I have to say." Saren finished. "Be on your guard, Shardak and Blast, and may Mata Nui protect you in your coming trials." Shardak answered politely, then followed Blast out of the Command chamber. He would have to now gather the rest of his group, Silver, Dust, and Valkyria for their mission. Inwardly, despite Saren's disturbing revelation, he was filled with both happiness and abstract fear at the thought of the quest he had ahead of him. Finally, after the weeks following his escape from the Circle and the deadly Eternal Game, his quest had begun. Thoughts of the Annulus and the trials he would face raced through his mind faster then he would have normally believed possible. While he'd certainly never have wanted to go back to war, he couldn't let Fairon and Jareroden and his other friends fight for the rebellion while he remained in the Fells. "So, this is where the war begins." said Blast, his voice oddly emotionless. "Yes." said Shardak, his voice grim, but resolved as he turned and followed Torak down the narrow corridors of the rebellion's base. Raising the Blade of Arcturas, and examining the ancient, runic designs on the Blade, Shardak knew he was ready. He had to be.

Chapter 2 Wind howled across the open plains below the Fells, and Shardak almost shivered in the chill cold. Above them, the great binary sun Solis Magna was rising, a burning globe of liquid fire in the east. Slowly, the striking pink and red clouds began to vanish as the sun climbed higher. Once again, the plains were being replaced by forest, and ahead, Shardak noticed the base. The rebellion's base would never have been spotted by the casual observer, and Shardak only recognized it because he'd lived there for nearly four months of his life. It was an ancient building, the foundation and the west wall were slowly being overtaken by vines. However, the most of the building had been restored and nearly completely rebuilt. Even the walls were painted in camouflage, and while he could not see them, Shardak knew that several skilled archers patrolled the wall. Two spear wielding guards nodded as Arkhan passed them. The Glatorian whispered the password, then the remainder of the strike team did the same. Then they were in. Shardak strode through the long hall, awaiting instructions. Arkhan disappeared through a paneled door, ready to report their mission's success to the High Council. There, the most senior members of the resistance met, to discuss their many campaigns against the Empire. Slowly, he walked away from the door, passing by several other armed resistance members. They were being sent to reinforcer Fairon, who was leading a campaign against the city of Gigas Nui, his homeland. While Shardak knew little of the rebellion's long-term war plans, he knew that Fairon's division was one of many, and several others were fighting on Xaterex, trying to take down the large districts nearer to Drakos Capitol. Shardak was so absorbed in his thoughts he nearly ran into a tall, armored being he recognized as Darvath. One of the leaders of the rebellion, Darvath's species had nearly been completely destroyed during the fall of the ancient Elemental kingdom Arcaea, and had fought against the Empire ever since. "The High Council wishes to see you." he said, his voice formal and rather flat. "Follow me." Shardak felt a burning ray of hope rise within him. Finally he would be able to speak with the leaders of the rebellion, as he had not been able to since the first day he'd awoken in the small base at Void's Edge, shocked to find that his rescuers were Silencer's allies. Darvath opened the paneled door and walked through. Shardak followed, and stepped into the command chamber. The room was ancient, far older then any other in the base, and ancient pictures depicting Arcaea at the height of its glory were carved onto the ceiling, walls, and even the table where five other beings were seated. Shardak immediately recognized Arkhan, his face slightly grim. To his left sat the Glatorian warrior Saren Naghara, who smiled at Shardak and waved in greeting. The tall, enigmatic being known as Parikon stood to Arkhan's right, his face inscrutable. Facing them were the Skakdi known as Freztrak, a powerful Skakdi warlord from the Fells who had allied his large tribe with the rebellion, and Tiral, the commander of the Rebel's Starcraft fleet. There was a sixth being standing in the chamber, and Shardak, to his surprise, recognized it as his friend Blast. He waved to the Glatorian, who had been fulfilling similar duties to those of Shardak since their escape from the arena. "Please be seated." said Saren, waving to a chair on his right. Both Shardak and Blast sat, Blast beside Freztrak, Shardak next to Saren. All of the rebel warriors wore grim expressions, and Shardak wondered what had been troubling them. "What are the latest updates?" Freztrak asked Saren. "Still no word from Mersery. He and his detachment are pinned down between the Northern Wastes and the Fells. However, Fairon has captured and destroyed several fortresses in the Scar Mountains, and is ready to strike at several larger targets in the valleys below." "Any reports from the bases south of Arden, Parikon?" asked Tiral, who seemed slightly annoyed. Shardak guessed she was loathe to abandon her fleets, even for a few days, and wanted to return to the larger cities in the Fells where the rebel fleets were based. "Yes, but nothing good." said Parikon grimly. "They were overrun, and completely destroyed. Several of our outposts along the Fellsian border are still intact, however, but have no chance of making a counterattack or surviving an assault." "What of our attack on the Imperial fortresses on the edges of the Fens?" Arkhan asked Freztrak. The Skakdi stayed silent for a few moments before answering. "We managed to defeat a group of Imperial soldiers, but suffered more casualties then we caused. I am not eager to continue pressing an attack against the Empire in the Fens for fear they will eliminate the neutral tribes that occupy the area." All of the commanders nodded in understanding. Shardak knew that none of them were eager to alienate more neutral kingdoms by invading the Imperial outposts in the Fens. The tribes that occupied the area, both primitive Kodax, Skakdi, and Glatorian, were all nominally ruled by the Empire, but the Ix would not hesitate to use them as an example to alienate more kingdoms from joining the rebellion. "So, Shardak, this brings us to you." said Saren. "We are ready to formally accept you as a member of the resistance. However, there are certain things you must know."' "Until now, the Empire has been tyrannical and oppressive, as well as dangerous." Parikon began. "However, they've seemed distracted recently, preoccupied by something that goes beyond expanding their rule over Noctxia Magna, were the fighting has been thick for the past half century. "Rumors abound that another force is at work here, something that the Empire has been searching for for many, many years. Have you ever heard of an artifact known as the Annulus?" "Yes." said Shardak, almost surprised. "Silencer mentioned it once. He said, 'The beings that existed before the coming of the Great Beings, known as the Forerunners or, more commonly, the Ancients, made many creations, principle among them the Annulus.' I barely payed any attention to it, however, I had many far more pressing concerns at the time." "The Annulus is an ancient legend, but is, like many things across the worlds that were once Arcaea, has more then a little truth to it. The legend is that the Ancients, whose past is shrouded in mystery, created a single ring of power, which contained the spirits of a race that predated the Ancients themselves. The vengeful spirits, sealed within by a mysterious power source, could grant the bearer of the Annulus nearly unimaginable heights of power. However, eventually, the Annulus was destroyed, shattered into three fragments. The power source was also broken, albeit later, in half. After many bloody civil wars over the fragments of the Annulus, the beings who had fought over it, the Great Beings, turned their talents to creating new life and the Annulus disappeared from history, until it was eventually relegated as a myth. "This year, we recieved undeniable proof that the Annulus exists." "What?" asked Shardak, wondering slightly what this had to do with the rebellion. "You handed it to me." answered Parikon. "The Shadow Orb was the power source of the Annulus, where the beings who lived before the Ancients are sealed. The Shadow Orb is full of both auric and Elemental power, and any Elementalist or aura user could tell you." Arkhan nodded. "The half of the Shadow Orb you handed Parikon contains enough auric power to tear apart an entire small country. Imagine the power that a being would possess if he reassembled the entire Annulus." "This is what the Ix want?" asked Shardak. "Do they have any fragments?" "Yes. They have a single peice of the Shadow Orb, but we do not know who currently posesses it. If they have it, they've certainly not been using it." "But what about the rest of the Annulus? Do you know where it is?" "No. That's what we are assigning you to find out." answered Parikon. "Your mission is to track down a large group of Ix warriors whom our spies have recently learned are heading north, toward the Obsidian Cliffs. There are many, many warriors with them, far too many for this to simply be a scouting team. No, they're hunting for something, and our spies seem sure that it is an Annulus fragment." "But why now?" asked Shardak. "Why has the Empire chosen this moment to try and discover the Annulus." "Rumors abound that the Empire has a new leader: a tall being who wears a hood pulled over his face. Apparently this leader wishes to spread his rule far beyond Xaterex: he wishes to conquer Noctxia Magna, a planet that has long resisted the Empire. "Many other unsettling stories are running through the Imperial cities now at war: that a mysterious new enforcer has gained much power across the Empire, that the Imperial warriors are once again using Elimination, and that Shadowdermis is once more out in the open. Things are shaping up to be like what they were last time." "Last time?" asked Blast, who had stayed silent throughout much of the discussion. "The fall of Arcaea and the rise of the Empire, as well as the ongoing wars across Noctxia Magna." answered Parikon. "What is Shadowdermis?" asked Shardak. "Silencer never once mentioned it." To his surprise it was Saren, not Parikon, who answered. "It was created many, many years ago, and the circumstances of its creation have always been shrouded in mystery. However, we do know this. Shadowdermis is a sentient virus, not at all like Elimination. It is a highly aggressive and intelligent variation of Energized Protodermis, and was used by the Empire's leaders during the Arcaean war to support their insurrection. "Shadowdermis, supposedly, can do almost anything, and the Empire's leaders used it to seal each kingdom of Arcaea from interdimensional travel, this allowing only their own warriors to pass through the gateways." "So you see why the rebellion is in danger of falling." finished Parikon. "We stand little or no chance against an enemy with such powerful weapons at their disposal. and with the Annulus in their hands, nothing will be able to stop them." Shardak paused, allowing this to sink in. He thought about the horrible stories he'd heard about Elimination, and the knowledge he'd gained about Shadowdermis and the Annulus made the Empire seem even more terrifyingly deadly. "Will you accept this mission, Toa Shardak? We have tried, for too long, to keep you under guard, for fear that the Empire would capture you." "That's another thing." interrupted Shardak. "Why do the Ix want to capture me alive? What do they want?" Parikon did not answer at once, and as he was opening his mouth, Saren interrupted him. "So you'll accept? Good. Now, we move on to more pressing matters, such as when we will execute the Ix warrior." It took Shardak a few moments to grasp that Saren meant Valkyria. He remembered their earlier discussion in the Void, when Blast and Fairon had suggested they do the same thing. "No." said Shardak. "Valkyria's just as loyal to the rebellion as I am. She saved my life in the Void, and in the 175th Eternal Game." "I'm sorry, Shardak, but I simply can't believe that. You of all people should know how insidious the Ix are. They lure you in until you trust them completely, then the next thing you know it, one's standing over you with a dagger in his hand." Shardak remembered Nightshade, the Ix warrior who'd pretended she was his sister for nearly ten years while they both lived with Arcturas. She'd done the same. But surely, after all that they'd been through togetehr, Valkyria would not betray him as she had? "Yes, but why would she? The Ix sentanced her to the Eternal Game!" "Yes, but even still, you can't trust the Ix! Why in Mata Nui's name are you defending the Ix warrior who killed your friends in the Sanctum of the Mind?" "Because we can't just kill her, even if she didn't come willingly and we'd captured her. Killing our enemies in cold blood makes us just like the Ix." "He's right." answered a new voice. All of the heads at the table turned to look at the speaker who had just entered the room. "Ion!" yelled Shardak and Blast. The massive mutated Toa nodded a greeting. He turned to Saren. "Sorry I'm late." he said to Saren. "My patrol was...delayed." "He's right." repeated Ion, taking a seat beside Parikon. "Killing an Ix warrior who has yet done nothing to suggest she is considering betraying us is taking one step toward beings like her. We may not have yet wiped out her entire race, but do you think the Ix themselves started? They didn't plan at first to use Elimination, they probably started out the same way we were considering, by killing a single captive Toa. Once they'd taken the first step, it would be easier for them to use Elimination." "I cannot argue with that." Saren said. "We'll let your prisoner live, on the condition that she accompanies you on your mission." Shardak nodded, relieved. Valkyria was one of the deadliest warriors he knew, she'd be a valuable asset to his strike team. "Who else will come with me?" asked Shardak. "Two other beings who you know very well. Silver and Dust will accompany you, as will as another being." he backoned to a blue-armored being standing at the door. "Torak, come forward." A heavily armored Skakdi stepped through the doorway, carrying two massive sickles. He half-smiled at Shardak, who nodded once in acknowledgement. Skakdi had a brutal reputation as unrefined killers, but a large group of Skakdi under Freztrak had allied themselves with the rebellion, and Shardak knew they could be trusted. Two Matoran, a Toa of aura, an Ix warrior, and a Skakdi. thought Shardak. This might be the most unlikely strike team ever assembled in the history of the rebellion. Saren seemed to feel the same. "You cannot fail." he said. While Shardak was still quite inexperienced reading the aura field, he could tell the Glatorian still seemed apprehensive. "Many hopes are following you." said Parikon. "It is imperative that the Ix do not recover another Annulus fragment." He turned to Blast. "You will have your own mission, in time. Speak to Jareroden, he will tell you of his commands." Blast nodded. "Are there any other things we need to bring before the council?" asked Parikon. Not one being answered. "Then the meeting is adjourned. Shardak, Torak, gather Silver, Dust, and the Ix warrior and then find Arkhan. He will show you the path." Slowly, the High Council began to leave, one by one. Finally, only Saren was left, standing half hidden in the shadows. "Come with me." said Saren, once the last council member had exited the chamber. "There is something I must tell you."

Chapter 1 The Toa of Aura peered through the trees, lime green eyes darting back and forth, alert for any sign of approaching beings. His armor, green and gray, blended well with the cold, uniformly green plant life of the northern forest. Though unwounded, he had a long scar across his shoulder, and carried a long, red scimitar that smouldered with red light. Shardak heard a twig snap, and turned, alert for any sign of attackers. His training, honed and sharpened by months of practice using the Sword of Fire caused him to raise his weapon in a defensive Lihtne pattern almost instinctively. Tensed, prepared to fight, he lowered his weapon when he realized it was simply a small, catlike Rahi, racing across the forest floor. It feels as though I've been with the rebellion forever. Shardak reflected, slowly beginning to calm once more. In reality, it had been four months. Four months since the final day in the bloodthirsty Eternal Game at the heart of the Ix Empire, four months since his battle with the Elemental known as Skorpix, four months since his training as a warrior in the rebellion began. Now, he was once again about to face the Ix, the enemies who had haunted his nightmares since his narrow escape from Skorpix and the arena. He and his allies had been sent to eliminate a small group of Imperial warriors scouting across the edge of the forest near their base. There was no option but to eliminate them or force them to abandon their mission. Shardak felt a hand on his shoulder. Panic shot through him as he whirled around, Blade of Arcturas raised. Slowly, he lowered the weapon as he recognized his friend Blast. The Glatorian warrior was too disciplined to question him, but raised his hand in a signal that Shardak recognized well. Enemies near. "Where are Arkhan and the others?" asked Shardak under his breath. "He's leading them around, to cut the Imperial soldiers off." answered Blast. "There are eleven Kranr warriors, and two Stalkers." Shardak almost felt his old shoulder wound sting as he remembered the viscious semi-invisible Rahi used by the Ix. One of them had attacked him when he, Blast, and Kyhrex had escaped an Ix stronghold known only as the Circle. Kyhrex had managed to finish it off, but not before it had torn open Shardak's shoulder. The wound had troubled him until, eight days later, the rebellion was able to heal it completely. "Here they are." whispered Blast. Shardak followed his gaze toward a grove directly in front of them, and recognized the familiar pale green and white armor that the Kranr wore. There were no sign of any Stalkers-- yet. Blast raised his weapon, a long scythe. It looked unremarkable, but held far more power then Shardak could even feel in the aura field. Blast had been taught to use it in battle, and could even channel some of its lesser energies, such as using it to attack. However, Shardak was sure it could do much more, he had seen it used once in the hands of a Makuta known as Dredzek, and knew exactly how dangerous the Scythe of Creation could be. Shardak readied his weapon, ready for the first battle he'd fought since the fateful duel with Skorpix. He was tense, but tried to allow himself to relax, knowing that agility played a great role in allowing him to survive a lightning-fast Stalker attack. Two more of Shardak's allies moved to stand behind Blast, the Matoran known as Silver and Dust. Both had been present in the emergency council after he, a Toa of Light known as Fairon, and several other beings had escaped the Eternal Game using the Scythe of Creation, and both were highly loyal and deadly warriors. Shardak had no more time to think, the sense of danger was palpable. Both Toa, Glatorian, and Matoran all readied to face the Imperial soldiers. Then the Kranr were upon them. Shardak felt his weapon strike against a Kranr's armor, saw the eyes of his enemy glaring at him through the helmeted visor as the Kranr trust his sword at Shardak, alternately blocking and thrusting as Shardak slowly began to force him back, deeper into the foliage. The Kranr suddenly whirled to one side, tearing past Shardak's guard and tearing through his armor. Shardak felt a brief flash of pain, easily ignored. Reaching out in the aura field, he caused the Kranr to stagger backward, then easily disarmed him. For one moment, the Kranr froze, suddenly realizing what Shardak had done. The Toa stepped forward, ready to finish his attacker. Suddenly there was a flash at the corner of his eye, and Shardak, recognizing it at the last second as a Stalker, whirled around, feeling his weapon tear across the Stalker's armor and draw blood. The Stalker snarled quietly, but in doing so had given away its position once more, and the Blade of Arcturas tore deeper into the Stalker's armor. While Shardak was occupied fighting the Stalker, however, the Kranr had grabbed his weapon. He charged toward Shardak, weapon ready. Shardak deflected his first thrust and managed to keep the stalker away as well, but the Kranr followed his first attack with a series of hammering blows that forced Shardak completely onto the defensive. At that moment, the Stalker struck. Shardak felt the Stalker's claws dig into his armor, unable to draw blood. However, suddenly, Shardak felt himself fall to the ground, the Stalker leaping at him. Slashing upward with the Blade of Arcturas, Shardak felt the weapon bury itself in the Stalker's throat, saw the Stalker become fully visible in death. Before Shardak had a chance to recover, the Kranr was upon him, his weapons drawn. Shardak had no time to block the weapon, and suddenly he had once again become the defenseless Toa who had once battled the Ix in the Void. As the Kranr's weapon descended, Shardak suddenly saw a blur of light flash by him, striking the Kranr through the heartlight. The startled being staggered backward, his eyes glazing over. His body shuddered once and then fell still. Shardak rose to his feet, looking at his rescuer, the final member of their strike team. Ix warrior Valkyria Rhai gave him a half-smile as he rose to his feet, looking around for any signs of more Kranr. She was wearing the scaled, green armor favored by the scouts in the rebellion's armies. In one hand she carried a long, curved dagger in one hand, her longbow in the other. Valkyria had been part of the Ix strike team sent to kill Shardak and recover the Shadow Orb. However, when she'd failed, they'd been forced to make a temporary alliance against the dual threats of the Shadow of Ages and the serpent known as Sarkanian. Later, she had been betrayed by the Ix and sentanced to fight in the Eternal Game, and had joined the rebellion after they'd escaped the arena. Shardak scanned the forest for any signs of Kranr or Stalkers, but saw none. Arkhan strode toward him, white armor stained with blood. Two lean Agori following him, only slightly injured. Shardak noticed one of their team was missing, and knew he'd been killed. He'd barely known the other member of their squadron, he'd been a Glatorian with gray armor. Still, any loss of life in a battle was another warrior who could not be replaced. "We lost Marad." reported Arkhan. "A Stalker hit him from behind, he didn't have a chance. None of the Kranr escaped." "None of the Kranr who attacked us fled." said Shardak. "We suffered no losses." Slowly, the rebellion group made its way back toward the hidden fortress. Shardak walked beside Blast and Valkyria, wondering what the rebellion's leaders would think of their successful defeat of the Kranr. He hoped they would reward him by allowing him to participate in a more useful mission, as his friend Fairon was now doing. For the past four months, they'd simply been either travelling toward the base in the Fells, or being sent on unimportent missions such as these. Arkhan seemed to notice what he was thinking. "Every strike we deal to the Empire is useful. We cannot match them in strength or weapons, our greatest battle is one of survival." Shardak cursed inwardly, wishing that for a moment he could cloak his emotions behind a mask of nothingness, as Valkyria could. He could still barely control his aura, and had seen in his battle with Skorpix how risky that could be. Any competant auric user could control him in the aura field without him consiously resisting. "Come." said Arkhan, as he watched the bodies of the fallen Kranr, Stalkers, and Glatorian be consumed by fire. It was imperative that the rebels left no trace of where they'd been, and watched as Arkhan, after waiting for the fires to consume the fallen, doused the fire. Shardak was surprised to learn that, like his friend Kyhrex, Arkhan was a water Elementalist, one of the few Glatorian who could control an elemental power. Shardak followed Arkhan toward the hidden base, in his mind wondering what his future would bring.

Epilogue "Join us...join us, Toa Shardak." Skorpix rasped. Shardak tried to blot out the Elemental's cold voice, but couldn't. Skorpix was within him, his aura still following him wherever he went. "You to take your father's place as a member of our Order...I was wrong, when I said you had only survived because your friends had died for you. Join us, and you will have power that Arcturas once knew, power that will allow us to end the rebellion and the other factions who oppose our rule..." "You cannot escape me...this is your destiny...to be the greatest of all of our Order. Join us, Toa Shardak, and Arcaea will rise once more under your rule..." Skorpix's eyes were boring into him once more, staring intently into him, twin crimson pits of abyssal rage and raw hatred scorched his pupils- *** Toa Shardak awoke to pitch blackness. His first sensation was confusion. Where was he? How had he come to be here? Why had he entered this strange place of darkness? Had he been blinded? Then his confusion was replaced by excruciating pain, coupled by a rush of memories of the horrible battle with Skorpix, and the Elemental's devastating revelation. While he wanted it to be a lie, wanted it desperately to be untrue, he could not blot out the Elemental's voice from his mind. Now that he was once again awake, he was sure Skorpix was still not speaking to him, but he could not block the Elemental's voice from his mind. It's true. What he said was the truth. The being I knew was just a lie, another one of their lies. They'd all lied to him. All of them. Silencer, Melnox, Nightshade... All of them, except Skorpix. a small voice in his head whispered. He told the truth. And sometimes that can be more hurtful then any lie. For a few moments Shardak lay there, devoid of any hopes or dreams. Then another, more pressing concern came to him. Where am I? Standing, he was surprised to see the Blade of Arcturas, glowing brighter then he'd seen it gleam in many days, lying beside him. He lifted it, feeling the warmth from the Sword of Fire spread through his arm, and then noticed something else. His Stalker bites no longer pained him. He looked at the wound, and could see that it was healing quickly. The injuries he'd suffered during the Game and the fight with Skorpix were likewise quickly healing, and no longer bothered him. Rising to his feet, he allowed the Blade of Arcturas to shed light to his surroundings. He was standing in a darkened chamber, blank save for several blade marks that had scarred the walls. He did not recognize his surroundings, but a new, more deadly possibility occurred to him. What if he'd been captured by the Empire? He knew that Skorpix had still not given up on trying to change his allegiances to the Ix. Racing to the door, he opened it, surprised it had not been locked. He could hear sounds of muted conversation in the room beyond, and, half-scared to enter the room for fear that the Imperial soldiers were deciding his fate. "We've lost touch with our operatives in New Metru Nui, but sources prior to the end of the Games believe that an uprising may have occured there." The voice was male, deep and commanding. His voice, while brisk, did not resemble that of a Kranr or an Ix warrior. "Permission to lead a group of our surviving warriors to guard the parameters around the base. The enemy could be anywhere." another being asked. The second voice was younger, but had the same stern tough edge to it. Shardak paused to listen as the first being answered, his voice lower now. "You know I can't authorize that, Arkhan, not while there are Ix warcraft patrolling the skies around this area. As soon as we can get word to our allies in the surrounding countryside of Gigas Nui, we'll set up a rendezvous point there and join with their group." "Are you sure they're still active and have not been eliminated, as they have in New Metru Nui?" asked Ion. Ion! the name tore through Shardak's mind, and suddenly he felt a wild hope rise within him as he opened the door. He was certainly not prepared for what he saw within. A tall, golden armored being carrying a long scimitar was seated beside two other beings, a tall, heavily armored Glatorian, and Ion. Nearby, two other beings, an Agori and a Glatorian taht he did not recognize, stood beside them, their faces grim. Next Ion stood Fairon, his face grim, Jareroden, burned but still alive, Valkyria, holding a dagger in one hand, her face its usual mask, Kyhrex, looking slightly worried, and Blast, wounded but still holding the Scythe of Creation upright. All of the being's eyes turned to Shardak as he entered the room, and Blast's eyes lit up with happiness. Fairon rushed over to greet him, and even Valkyria seemed to relax slightly. Shardak breathed a sigh of relief that his friends had escaped the Games alive. "Are Galika and Flardrek alive?" he asked immediately. "Yes." said Fairon. "After I pulled you through the gateway, we ended up back where we began: the Nameless City. Arkhan's patrol found us, and brought us here, to Void's Edge." The white Glatorian nodded. "It's slightly out of sync with the rest of the plane's time and space." said Ion. "So the Ix will have a hard time following us here for the next few days." Hearing Ion speak was hard, harder then Shardak would have believed possible. The pain of the truths that Skorpix had told him came flooding back, and it took all of Shardak's willpower not to scream in rage at the Toa that had never told him the secret. "What..." he began at last. "All will be explained to you." said the golden-armored being. "But first, you must tell us what you saw and experienced after the teleporter took you from the Game. It is important we know how you escaped." Shardak began, in halting tones, to tell of his transportation to Arcaea, his meeting wth the Ix and Skorpix, and Skorpix's tale of how Arcaea was destroyed and the Ix Empire came to be. He told them of the battle they fought, and how Skorpix had overpowered him. Finally, when he was ready, he told them Skorpix's final, deadly secret. "Why didn't you tell me?" he snarled at Ion, his words incoherent. "Silencer recognized Arcturas' name when I told him, I know he did. Why didn't you tell me that he was one of the Ix's Order? You--" "Shardak." Ion held up a hand. "We did not tell you this because--" "Why?" Shardak hissed. "Because you thought I wasn't ready? Or that it was simply another peice of information I didn't need, like the rebellion's location? The--" "Shardak, let me finish." said Ion, when Shardak had finished. "You demand answers, yet you will not let me give them. Let me finish." Shardak nodded. "We did not tell you this not because we thought you didn't need it, but that the full knowledge would put you in still more danger. There is one last part to the tale that Skorpix did not tell you. Atarus will explain." He pointed to the golden being. "Arcturas had joined them to do what he believed was right, Shardak. He truly believed that Skorpix's order, the order that would become known as the Shadowed Ones, were trying to bring about peace to a war-torn Arcaea. He was not alone, many, many beings supported them then, Toa as well. "Arcturas did not recognize the depths of his friends' ambitions until far too late. Even they had started out with the best intentions, and eventually, perhaps, the power they held corrupted them. When the Shadowed Ones began taking over the government by force and using the plague Elimination to wipe out Toa, he betrayed them. Their order was dealt a horrible blow, which allowed the scattered resistance groups to reform and take control of many cities along the edges of Xaterex and across Noctxia Magna. Arcturas, no longer wanting any part in the chaos, fled into the wilderness of Xaterex, to the city that became known as Intax." Shardak began to calm, accepting what Atarus had told him. Finally, the story that Kyhrex had told him about Arcturas and Skorpix's devastating revelation made sense. But there was one thing that still bothered him. "But Skorpix said more. He said that the Toa Order and the Arcaean governments had grown corrupt and weak, and that they were in the midst of a small war when the Shadowed Ones were formed. Were the Toa no better then the Ix, then? Were they just as tyrannical?" Atarus paused for a few moments, as though considering his words, then replied, "For many, many years, The Twelve Kingdoms of Arcaea were the greatest in the multiverse. Slowly, however, all of the external threats were defeated, and the government became weaker. While the Toa never descended to the level of darkness the Shadowed Ones did during their purge, their actions were certainly not justifiable. "At the time of the Fall, nearly any being would have listened to anyone who promised to eliminate their problems and restore Arcaea to its glory. No one knew how determined the Ix were to rule the universe until it was far too late to stop them." "But--" Shardak began. "There is no satisfactory answer to your question, Shardak. Yes, the Toa Order had descended into corruption by the time the Ix rose to power. However, many individual Toa protested, and these were the beings who fought against the Ix before the Elimination Plague struck." Shardak knew there was nothing more Atarus could say. Perhaps, he thought, the Toa Order and the Arcaean government had been seen as evil by the people of Arcaea, and perhaps Skorpix and Arcturas had once been just as determined to rebel and cast down the unjust government as he was now. He knew now that if Atarus had answered, no, Skorpix had been lying, he would not have believed him. "But on to the present. Fairon has told us of how he allowed you to escape from the arena, and as soon as Saren's scout team returns, we shall depart for our base on Xaterex. "Your escape has fanned the flames of the dying war between the Empire and the rebellion, Shardak. There have been armed uprisings all across Xaterex, and for the first time in years, the most solidly Imperial world has been rocked by the flames of war. The situation is different on the Noctian front, they've been fighting nonstop for years. However, we've brought our plans ahead, and the waning war will only grow in scope." Atarus paused, then said, "So I ask you this, Toa Shardak. Will you stand by us? Ion has spoken highly of your courage, and your escape from the Sharidir in the Void was impressive and daring. Your companions have all joined us. Will you stand beside us as we begin our largest campaign in the history of the Xaterex Resistance?" For one moment, Shardak was shocked that Atarus had even given him a choice. He'd fought for the past two weeks in Silencer's team and the Void and the Eternal Game, had he not proven that he would never give up fighting the Ix? He was done running from them. A flame of new hope gleamed in Toa Shardak's eyes, the spark that had become a fire across Xaterex. "Yes." he whispered. "Excellent." said Atarus, and he rose to his feet, weapon in hand. "Welcome, Shardak, to the Xaterex Resistance." Continued In: The Darkest Light XATEREX MULTIVERSE STORYLINE Volume I: Into the Darkness / Review / PDF / CBW Page | Volume II: The Shadows Coil / Review / PDF / CBW Page | Volume III: The Darkest Light / Review / PDF / CBW Page | Volume IV: Shattering / Review / PDF / CBW Page | Volume V: The Final Prophecy / Review / PDF / CBW Page | Volume VI: Eternal Darkness / Review / PDF / CBW Page

Chapter 27 The battle was only growing larger, though Fairon was barely conscious of any attackers. His wounds had pained him at first, but now, his only thought was to somehow keep fighting until they were all consumed in a fiery inferno. He stepped over the body of Jaina as he fought Graf across the flames. The Toa of Starlight was desperate now, and suddenly, he fell to the ground. Fairon saw that Kharix was still fighting as well, her dagger burying itself in Graf's spine, killing the victor instantly. Among the surviving victors were Galika, still battling Shadowplayer, Blast and Valkyria, wounded badly but still fighting Kharix across the flames, and Flardrek, wounded so badly Fairon knew that unless he was helped, he would die. With the teleporter gone, Fairon knew there was no reason to continue fighting. However, only Shadowplayer knew that Shardak had won, the others were still playing the Game to the last. Even as the inferno devoured the corpses of the fallen, Shadowplayer, Kharix, Blast, and Valkyria seemed ready to fight until they were all killed. Suddenly Fairon saw a flash of familiar yellow armor beside him. Shardak! he gasped. "What are you doing here?" yelled Fairon. "You won the Game!" "It's not like that." said Shardak, his voice hollow as the curtain of flame descended upon him. "But it doesn't matter now." Fairon longed to ask him what he was talking about, for him to explain what had happened when he'd been teleported out of the arena. The explosions were growing larger now, and Fairon almost wished they had some way to escape this, some way that would allow them all to escape alive. He remembered Blast carried the Scythe of Creation, and wished desperately that he could operate it. The Scythe had to be given willingly to another being, or taken from a fallen owner, to truly possess its power. Fyxan had been an owner, as had Blast and Leviathos. He wished desperately that they were there... "Nightwatcher and Antidax are the most deadly threat now." said Leviathos. "We have to stop Nightwatcher from destroying everything, and with Mata Nui's help"-Leviathos shot an ironic glance at Mata Nui-"I believe we can defeat this threat." "But Dredzek may arrive at any minute!" protested Tanuva. "We have to stop him, as well." "I will stay." Fyxan spoke quietly, his voice steady. "I'm the most wounded of us all. I'll hold him and his machines off as long as I can. Until I die." "But the caves will collapse around you as soon as Blast leaves the caves." pointed out Leviathos. "If you die before he reaches you, he'll escape unharmed." Blast unlimbered his Scythe. "Take this, Fyxan. The Scythe contains the power to hold the time walls up a few more minutes." Fairon stared at his friend, and watched as Blast gave away his most prized possession to the Kodax. He handed the Scythe to Fairon, who passed it to Fyxan. And at that moment, Fairon didn't care that everyone in the Kodax Empire was watching, every one of the remaining Toa stood within the chamber. This moment was only for the two friends, parting, unlikely to ever see each other again... He'd handed the Scythe to Fairon. Fairon remembered now. He'd handed it to Fairon, then passed it to Fyxan... An idea began to form in Fairon's mind as Shardak stood next to him, watching the contestants battle below. All the while the fire was only growing. He watched Shadowplayer's claws descend at Galika, slashing the Toa to the ground. Shadowplayer, sensing weakness, leapt toward the wounded victor. Then Flardrek struck. As Shadowplayer's claws were about to rip Galika's head from her body, Flardrek tore and hacked at Shadowplayer's armor. The Cryomancer simply flung Flardrek away with a blast of kinetic energy, causing the victor to stagger away. Kharix lept forward to continue Shadowplayer's battle with Galika, then the entire scene was obscured beneath a curtain of flames. Within minutes, the horribly wounded Shadowplayer staggered from the flames as Flardrek stepped forward, driving his weapon through the Cryomancer's neck. The dying victor disappeared once more into the inferno. The idea was insane. For it to fail meant more then certain death. It meant the end of hope for any of the contestants to escape the arena. But then, Fairon reflected, all of his ideas, during the 174th Game, the Void, and these Games, had been insane. "Hand me the Scythe." he ordered Blast. "What?" asked Blast, still watching Galika and Flardrek fight Kharix across the burning battlefield. "You wouldn't remember." said Fairon. "You gave it to me during the 174th Game." Blast looked confused, but, desperate, handed Fairon his Scythe. Immediately Fairon felt the same crackling power surge through him as soon as his fingers touched the cold metal. He knew the feel. He'd held the Scythe for less then a minute, but it was enough for him to become its owner. He felt himself being drawn into the power within the weapon. He could see the gateway that Nightwatcher had opened, he could see the door, still open, the Scythe on one side of the gateway, the Nameless City on the other... Fairon reached out with his powers, touching his aura through the Scythe to Shardak's. He reached out for Galika, and Flardrek, and was surprised to find Jareroden alive as well, wounded badly. Touching the aura of the scythe, finally, to Kyhrex, Valkyria, Blast, and Kharix, willing the power to work, believing it would work, he opened the gateway. Fairon felt the now familiar rush of air, felt himself being pulled into the gateway that was the Void. The fires grew dimmer, like dying embers being devoured slowly by darkness. This was coupled by a massive loss of energy as Fairon felt nearly all of his remaining drops of vitality being drained from him. Slowly, the remnants arena grew even further and further away as he tumbled through the darkness, through the gateway... Fairon felt the shadows of the Void envelop him once more as the world turned black.

Chapter 26 Shardak felt a pull as his body began to re-materialize on the other side of the gateway, similar to the pull that he'd felt after Nightwatcher had hauled him through the gateway. He could barely make out anything in the shadows, and for one moment he was confused. Where am I? Shouldn't the teleporter have taken me to New Metru Nui? Slowly, his eyes began to adjust to the darkness, and he looked around. He was standing in a massive, rubble-strewn courtyard, a dilapidated palace rising in the distance. The entire area was silent, and the courtyard was filled with dust and ashes. Suddenly he noticed a large group of Ix warriors, standing half-hidden in the shadows. As usual, they wore fanged masks and long dark cloaks, and carried several scythes. Their faces were cold and impassive, and gave not a single hint of the hatred they surely felt. But Shardak barely payed them any attention. His main focus was on the large being standing directly in front of him. He was tall, armored in black, and carried a long, curved scythe. It was far larger then the daggers usually used by the Ix warriors, and his eyes shone red. His mask was intricate, silver and black, covered in markings and symbols. His armor was so black it appeared almost red, and Shardak saw that unlike the Ix's cloaks, it gleamed like a black diamond. "You have caused us a great deal of trouble, Toa Shardak." said the being. His voice was deep, but had a slightly nasal and raspy undertone to it. "Now give us the Shadow Orb, and I will end your life." "No." said Shardak. "I've won the Eternal Game. The battle is over. Let me go." The being laughed, a chill rasp that made Shardak shudder. "Do you expect us to simply let you go after all the trouble you've caused us? You and Ion and Silencer and your pathetic resistance? You have lost all of your allies now, and soon you will be dead as well. "We made sure you were the first to use the teleporter. We made sure it was you who would find it, by elimating any victors who stood in your path. You needn't have feared Fairon would betray you, for he was, perhaps, you only true ally in the arena...it is almost ironic that your journey ends where it began, here, in the Empire." "I'm not going to die here." said Shardak, trying to sound more confident then he really was. However, in reality, he knew that this battle was hopeless. Within moments, it would be all over. If this being didn't destroy him, the Ix warriors would. "I'll fight against you." The being laughed again. "Such spirit, Toa Shardak. Such power. However, it is useless to use against me, for I am far, far too powerful to be defeated by a mere Toa of Aura, only half-trained. I am Skorpix, the greatest of all Elementals, the lord of the Ix. And you are Toa Shardak, the rebellion's last hope for victory, the last surviving member of the Toa Order. "However, it would be far too terrible for you to die in ignorance, for tonight is the night that our Empire's troubles have been solved forever. "Let me tell you a story, Toa." whispered Skorpix, his eyes cold eyes burning far brighter then the flames of the inferno in the arena. "A tale of another place, another time." "Once, this place was a paradise." began the Elemental. "A paradise of elemental power, a paragon of all worlds. It was the crossroads of the universe, it dwarfed the cities built by the Mindeaters and the Forerunners and the Ancients themselves." "Arcaea." whispered Shardak, remembering the paradise that Silencer had described. "I know." "Imagine this world." said Skorpix, and Shardak felt a host of visions invade his consciousness, and suddenly he was no longer in the courtyard of the ruined city, but standing-- No flying, simply floating in the air, a massive city of spires and minarets seemingly floating through the clear azure skies as well... Swimming within lakes of sapphire water, the massive jeweled cities of reflective blue diamonds on the lake's banks, the oceans gleaming in the sunlight of a great binary star... A massive palace of obsidian, like the Spire in the Circle but so much more beautiful, hundreds of beings of all types walking through the gates freely... "These were the Twelve Elemental Kingdoms of Arcaea." rasped Skorpix, his voice bringing Shadak once more into reality. "The greatest cities the multiverse has ever seen." "Until you destroyed it!" snarled Shardak, suddenly remembering who was facing him. The phalanx of Ix warriors had moved closer to him, cutting off any hope of escape. "Silencer told me Arcaea was destroyed by the traitors that became the Ix, and their allies." "Is that what he told you?" said Skorpix, eyes gleaming. "Nothing could possibly be farther from the truth. The kingdoms of Arcaea were corrupt, enacting badly thought out laws, always competing for land. And the Toa Order protected these corrupt kingdoms! They were so secure, the elite guardians of the kingdoms, that they knew they had nothing to fear from these broken worlds. They could sit back and watch for any external threat while all of us languished in misery as wars broke out and Elementals were killed." "No, that's not true!" protested Shardak. "It can't be. The Toa were the defenders of Arcaea, and they would never have allowed--" "They thrived on it!" snarled Skorpix. "Their order thrived on the chaos, knowing that they need do nothing while the kingdoms fought save watch for any threats from beyond Arcaea. They let the kingdoms fall!" "No!" snarled Shardak as Skorpix circled him, tensed like a Muaka Cat about to strike. "We would never have--" Skorpix cut him off with a blast of cyclonic energy, which flung Shardak to the ground. Shardak lashed out with the Blade of Arcturas, and Skorpix's eyes gleamed at the sight of the weapon as their weapons met. Shardak knew instantly it was a hopeless battle. While he could hold his own against even an Ix, the Elemental was simply too fast and strong for him to defeat. "Pathetic." said Skorpix. "You cannot hope to hold your own against me. If this is all Silencer has taught you, I am disappointed in you. I would have expected the corrupt Toa Order's last hope to be far stonger." "My Toa-father Arcturas fought you!" snarled Shardak, fighting Skorpix back across the courtyard. "And you killed him!" Skorpix tore the weapon from Shardak's grasp in a single fluid stroke. Shardak watched as it clattered to the ground, but Skorpix leaned in close to him, his eyes inches from Shardak's own, the cold red raking through his pupils as though the Elemental could see through them like they were gateways to his mind. "Young Toa..." His voice had dropped lower now, his voice no longer full of hatred, as though he was simply stating a fact. "No one has ever told you the truth about Arcturas, not even the Elemental himself." "How can I trust you?" asked Shardak. "You're evil!" "Answer me this, then, Toa..." whispered Skorpix. "If I have been lying to you, and we are evil, then why did Arcturas join our order? He was our greatest ally." For one moment, time seemed to stand still. Shardak felt as though the world had ended, that a knife had gone through his heart, that all of his senses were lying, Skorpix was lying, this couldn't...Arcturas couldn't... "He was much like you, really." Skorpix added. "He too had many friends, he too wished to make up for wrongs he didn't commit. He recognized the evil that the Toa Order had become, and joined us to build a better world." "And that was your vision? The Toa exterminated, the Ix and their allies ruling a universe of darkness. You lie!" burst out Shardak, the pain at Skorpix's revelation fueling his anger. "Arcturas was your enemy, the only being to escape the Empire and live!" "Why would I lie to you, as Arcturas and Ion and Silencer have?" asked Skorpix. "Is there any reason I would lie, so close to your death? Search your soul, Shardak. You know it to be true." "No!" said Shardak. "Why would you tell me this? What do you want?" "For you to take your father's place as a member of our Order..." whispered Skorpix. "I was wrong, when I said you had only survived because your friends had died for you. Join us, and you will have power that Arcturas once knew, power that will allow us to end the rebellion and the other factions who oppose our rule. You have vast potential, Shardak. Arcaea could rise once again, under your control." "It can't be!" snarled Shardak. Tears blurred his vision, his voice was filled with rage. "Kill me then. Kill me like you killed him, Skorpix." "Are you sure?" whispered Skorpix. "You have more potential then Arcturas ever did." "Yes." hissed Shardak, voice filled with rage and pain. Blast, Fairon, and Valkyria were dead-- all for nothing. It was time he joined them. "So be it." said Skorpix, and the Elemental raised his obsidian blade and lunged at him. The first strike was a long slash at Shardak's side, which Shardak barely blocked with a parry. Skorpix was fighting slower then usual, his weapon matching Shardak's in speed. His eyes gleamed as he toyed with the Toa, his second strike tearing a wound across Shardak's leg. The third and fourth attacks were so crushing that Shardak almost lost his grip on the weapon as Skorpix attempted to sever his arm. He was absolutely sure now that Skorpix was trying not to kill him--yet. The grace and ease with which the Elemental hacked and slashed at his armor were unparalleled. He could have finished him off at any time. Within minutes, Shardak was being forced further back, toward the waiting Ix warriors. He could see the teleporter, lying tantalizingly just out of reach, just beyond the Ix warriors. If only he could grab it without assuredly sealing his fate... Skorpix was attacking once again with a barrage of black lightning, which tore across Shardak's chestplate, tearing the armor apart. The pain was horrible, but Shardak barely registered it. He had suffered so many wounds in the Void and the Eternal Game that he simply couldn't hurt worse now. Shardak tried to seize the offensive as he deflected another of Skorpix's thrusts, but Skorpix responded with a burst of rust-red shadow energy that Shardak had to leap out of the way to avoid. While he was distracted, Skorpix closed in on him, weapons flashing in the shadowy illumination as they slashed across Shardak's chestplate, drawing blood. Within minutes Shardak had abandoned all hope of regaining the offensive, and was simply trying to delay his inevitable death, Shardak knew that as soon as he was next to the Ix warriors, they'd kill him, if Skorpix didn't first. The Elemental, however, showed no signs of stopping now. His weapons tore open Shardak's forearm, and the Toa had to duck to avoid being decapitated by one of Skorpix's slashes. All the while, the Elemental was firing bolt after bolt of small lightning at Shardak, it was painful and distracting, allowing Skorpix to wound him over and over again. Shardak felt as though every drop of vitality was being slowly sucked from his body. Skorpix, on the other hand, showed no sign of tiring. The Elemental calmly deflected his attacks, both physical and auric, all the while forcing Shardak to stagger back to avoid being run through immediately. "Nearly time to end it now, I think." said Skorpix, his voice a sibilant hiss, like that of a snake. They were nearing the Ix warriors now. Shardak was staggering away from Skorpix's attacks, and he knew that any minute, the Ix warriors would fall upon him, tear him open with their scythes. Skorpix was fighting him in both the aura field and the physical world now, and Shardak, unaccustomed to battling on both planes at once, began to feel Skorpix's power surging through him, forcing him to his knees against his will. "Bow to me." hissed Skorpix. "Bow to death, Shardak..." Shardak felt himself being lowered to the ground, and against his will, felt his head bow. Skorpix smiled coldly. "This battle is over." No! thought Shardak, fighting against him, but nothing he could do could break the hold Skorpix had on his mind. Slowly, the Elemental was draining his life force, causing his breathing to become labored. He strove against his bonds with blasts of auric power, but Skorpix seemed unconcerned, his red eyes gleaming in triumph. Shardak continued to struggle against the bonds...allowed his raw auric energy to build up inside him... a meterialization of the raw desperation he felt as Skorpix's sword descended upon him... There was no time to react...not enough time... Suddenly, the pure auric power that was within Shardak seemed to tear through him like a lightning bolt. The energy flooded through him. Instantly Skorpix's power was broken, and suddenly he was within the Elemental, his own power forcing Skorpix to stagger backward-- More visions invaded Shardak's consciousness, more memories that the Elemental held. An inferno, not unlike the fire he'd just escaped from, devouring screaming beings as the flames rose higher and higher, blotting out the stars... A being, cornered, trapped, holding the Blade of Arcturas in one hand, the Shadow Orb in the other. Before his eyes, the being brought down the weapon and shattered the Orb into bloody fragments... Shardak barely had time to think about what he was about to do. Instantly freed from Skorpix's power, he simply leapt into the air, dragging a surprised Ix warrior to the ground. Skorpix, quickly recovering, fired a second barrage of shadow bolts at him, an Ix warrior slashed open his leg with a scythe, but Shardak hardly payed the wounds any attention. He raced toward the teleporter-- "Stop him!" roared Skorpix. As one, the Ix warriors surged forward... ...Just as Shardak's fingers closed around the teleporter. The Toa felt a rush of air block out the Ix warriors' shouts, Skorpix's screams of rage. He felt his vision go black, his body vanish...he was going back.

Chapter 25 Shardak could hardly believe that Duuril was dead. The Turaga had been his last link to the Void, last link to Meilo and the visions that had haunted him in the Sanctum of the Mind. The battle had lasted all of a few minutes-- yet when it was over three enemy victors and three allies had been killed. Valkyria seemed completely calm, Shardak wondered why. Only one of them could win this Game, and he was sure it wouldn't be him or even Blast or Kyhrex. Compared to Fairon, Flardrek, Galika, and Jaina, they were far too inexperienced to last beyond a few days, when the alliance would collapse. We need to leave. thought Shardak. He'd trusted Fairon in the Void, but now...with only a few competitors left, the Toa knew that the alliance would disintegrate. Smaller alliances, such as Tronica's and Shadowplayer's, would survive, but not for long. Seeing that even Fairon was still resting, he called Kyhrex, Blast, and Valkyria over. "What is it?" whispered the Ix girl, suddenly alert. Kyhrex and Blast still looked tied, but Valkyria had sensed his fear in the aura field. "We have to get out of here." whispered Shardak. "Today will be either the last, or second to last, day in the Game, and we have to find a way out of the arena." "A way out of the arena?" asked Blast. "It's impossible. They have invisible barriers surrounding the entire grounds, even the sky is barricaded by an invisible force field that keeps flying beings from escaping. We're walled in." "We have to find a way. Today the alliance will break, and they'll begin fighting." He stopped, and touched Valkyria briefly in the aura field, trying to let her know that then they could settle their battle over the Shadow Orb. Valkyria gave him an almost imperceptible nod. Shardak, relieved, continued. "Do you honestly think that Fairon, Jareroden, Flardrek, Galika, or Jaina will let us live?" asked Shardak. "We have to escape before the alliance breaks and the entire Game ends." "Agreed." said Blast. "Millennium mentioned that this Scythe has the power to create gateways between different places, like the portal Nightwatcher created." "Let's go." said Kyhrex. "You're right, they will try to kill us. They all certainly want to win the Game." As the group of allies exited the cavern, Shardak kept an eye on the remainder of their once-great alliance. Fairon was waking, and he certainly didn't want to be caught by the Toa. He and Kyhrex broke into a run, and Valkyria and Blast followed. Eventually, when they were certainly out of hearing distance, they stopped. "Do you know how the Scythe works?" Shardak asked Blast. "Do you remember any of the past Millennium said he wiped?" "It's coming back." said Blast. "Bits and peices, mainly. Nothing about the Scythe yet." Shardak realized how hard it must be for Blast, to find out that his entire life he thought he'd led in Intax had merely been an illusion planted by Millennium. He wondered if Blast, when or if his memory recovered, would chose to share it with him. Shardak suddenly noticed something lying on the ground. It was a small device, made of solid protosteel, that resembled a Midak blaster slightly. He picked it up. Suddenly, Shardak heard rustling in the jungle foliage behind them. He whirled around, scimitar in one hand, the strange device in the other-- "Drop the teleporter." said Kharix. Shardak was so startled he actually listened to the female victor, and the device fell from his grasp. Kharix smiled coldly as Shadowplayer seemed to appear out of the shadows and stand beside her, a long, curved scimitar in one hand, a spear in the other. Both victors looked satisfied, and they both stared at Shardak, Valkyria, Blast, and Kyhrex as though they were already dead. "What have we here?" hissed Shadowplayer, his voice sounding slightly raspy and full of venom. "The four remaining contestants in the Game who are not already victors. This battle is over before it has even begun." "Drop your weapons." ordered Kharix. "And we will give you the mercy of a quick death. If you do not, we will finish you off slowly, as is my specialty." she smiled coldly. "And when I am done even an Ix lord would weep at the sight of your remains." Shardak reached out for the teleporter, but stopped when he saw the gleam in Shadowplayer's eyes. The Cryomancer's gaze held nothing but the promise of death for them all. Blast, Valkyria, and Kyhrex faced the two enemy victors, then raised their weapons, despite the fact they were sure it would mean certain death. Shardak turned and faced his friends, and knew that all of them, even Valkyria, would go down fighting against the last remaining beings in the Games. "We will not surrender." said Shardak at last. Valkyria and Blast nodded. "We will fight you to the death." said Kyhrex. "So be it." hissed Shadowplayer, then leapt toward them without warning. Shardak tensed, waiting, knowing that any minute the death blow would land-- Then the arena exploded into flames. Shadowplayer, Kharix, Blast, Kyhrex, and Valkyria all froze as an explosion of flame tore its way free from the ground. Several smaller explosions rocked the arena, and Shardak staggered backward. As the ground began to burn, he could see Shadowplayer, his red armor gleaming in the fire, charge toward him, reaching out to grab the teleporter-- The next morning dawned clear and cold, the sun seeming cold and distant, the skies gray. The ground was wet with the rains, and the waters of the lake had risen as well. Fairon knew that today would be either the last day in the arena, or at the very least, the day the alliance would break. He wondered how many would remain loyal to him when he told them what he planned to do, and how many had already guessed his intentions. With only three competitors (who were not currently his allies) out there to worry about, Fairon was, for the first time since they'd entered the arena, able to think clearly. The Ix believed that Shardak was a Glatorian, and the heavy alterations that Arcturas had made to the mask of life allowed the disguise to hold. But after the Games, the Ix would-- There's nothing you can do about it. thought Fairon. The Game will be over within days, and we'll all be dead. Shardak has allies out there such as Ion, who will help him rejoin the rebellion. All around him, his allies were waking. They were discussing their next plans, which seemed to involve tracking down the remainder of the contestants, before eliminating those who remained alive. But Fairon knew it was not that simple. Sooner or later, the Empire would try to create a massive finish to the Game, whether it was a flood, a fire, or something even more deadly and dramatic. So far, these had been an extremely fast-paced Games, with only a handful of players left after three days. And today it will end, one way or another. Suddenly, Fairon realized that Shardak, Kyhrex, Valkyria, and Blast were gone. Flardrek and the others had noticed as well, but before they could speak, a scream tore through the arena. Fairon rose to his feet and was about to race out of the cavern, but Jareroden held him back. Fairon tore free from his grasp-- That was when the explosions started. Fairon raced toward the caves' entrance just in time to see a pillar of fire rising from the forest. Fairon remembered the fire only too well, and knew without a doubt Shardak was down there somewhere. Fairon raced out of the cavern, the other allies by his side. Within seconds they'd reached the lakeshore, where the explosions of flame were tearing free from the ground, as they'd done the first day. Fairon charged toward Shardak as he saw Shadowplayer leap from the flames, trying to wrestle something free from Shardak's hands-- the teleporter. "Not so fast." hissed a new voice beside him, and Fairon saw Jaina beside him. Her eyes blazed, and Fairon saw she was carrying some type of weapon, a long chain that ended in a curved dagger. She slashed it at Fairon again and again, and Fairon felt pain tear through him as the chain-and-dagger struck his shoulder. Blood poured from the wound as Jaina speared him with it again and again. Suddenly a black blur flashed past him, and Jaina was flung to the ground, a spear embedded in her shoulder. In her place stood Graf. Jaina was rising to her feet, and Fairon, leaving her and Graf to fight it out to the last, raced toward Shardak and Shadowplayer. In the firey halflight, the Cryomancer's features appeared even more demonic then they usually did as he tore the teleporter from Shardak's hands. Fairon charged toward him, rage and despiration giving him strength. All around him their alliance was collapsing, he couldn't tell who was friend or enemy, his only focus was on tearing the teleporter from Shadowplayer's hands. Shadowplayer's sword flew from his grasp, clattering to the ground as Fairon hacked at his arms with his scimitar. Suddenly he recognized the weapon-- it was Shardak's. He saw the Toa of Aura race toward it, picking it up and turning on Graf, who had appeared suddenly. Flardrek was badly wounded, and was staggering toward him, weapons swinging wildly as Fairon ripped the teleporter from Shadowplayer's hand. Shadowplayer reached out, grabbing Shardak's old scimitar and charged toward him. Jareroden leapt at him, but a single bolt of flame fired from the Cryomancer's hands sent the Toa spinning backward, into the flames. The battle was becoming even more confused, as Jaina and several of the allies were now fighting with each other. Fairon only focused on Shardak, defending him from any being, allied or enemy, that came toward him. He saw flashes of the battle, saw Kharix throw a dagger that took Blast in the arm, saw Galika fall beneath Shadowplayer's claws. He saw Jaina charge forward, fighting both Flardrek and Shadowplayer at the same time, and saw the badly wounded Graf grab Kharix's leg, dragging her to the ground. Arrows, daggers, scythes, weapons of all kinds were being thrown at them, but Fairon and Shardak deflected them all. In the horrible firelight, Fairon was once more fighting Iruka, Serrakaan, and Dredzek, and was once again sure that the price of failure was death. This time, not only his death, but Shardak's as well. Fairon saw Jaina rear up above him, a scimitar in one hand, a dagger in the other, and slashed her to the ground with a single stroke from his weapon. He had no way of telling whether she was alive or dead, but didn't care. He only cared about protecting the teleporter, and escaping the battle so Shardak could get to safety. Suddenly another shadow appeared above him. Shadowplayer lunged for the teleporter, tearing it free. No sooner had he grabbed it, then Kyhrex, Blast, and Shardak all charged him, and the Cryomancer was forced to drop the teleporter, which clattered to the ground near the edge of the fire. Fairon, half crawling to it, reached out for it, knowing that Shadowplayer was also reaching for the device-- Shardak was racing through the horrible maelstrom of blood, fire, and weapons when he saw Fairon fall. The Toa of Light was wounded badly, two of Valkyria's arrows had struck him in the back, and Kharix's dagger had gone through his leg, but he was still fighting. It wasn't until a second dagger struck Fairon in the shoulder that he fell to the ground, reaching for the teleporter that was inches away. However, Shardak knew it was hopeless. Shadowplayer would get to it first unless he attacked. Charging out of the bloodred haze of fire, Shardak grabbed the teleporter just as Shadowplayer's fingers were about to close around it, and lifted it. The teleporter was surprisingly heavy, and Shardak remembered from Silencer's talks about the Game that it was the only way out of the arena. "Shardak!" yelled Fairon over the roar of the flames and the clash of arms. His voice sounded raw and desperate. "Shardak, use the teleporter. Escape the arena! Win the Games!" "I can't leave my friends!" yelled Shardak. Fairon's eyes were filled with despiration now. "Do you think you have a choice? The teleporter only works for one being. You have to escape. Do you want us all to die for nothing?" "Take this." said a new voice. Shardak saw that Valkyria was standing behind him, her weapons drawn. She was slightly wounded but otherise unharmed. Shardak gasped as Valkyria handed him the Shadow Orb. "Bring it to your friend Ion." said the Ix girl. For a moment, Shardak hesitated. He knew that was what Valkyria would have done. What Jareroden or Kharix or even Fairon would do if they were in his position. But he couldn't leave his friends. Which, as he thought about it, they all were, even Valkyria. He wouldn't have left her die during the battle with Sarkanian, and he couldn't let any of them die now. "Shardak, in the Eternal Game there can only be one victor." said Fairon. "This is not just abouyt you! You are the Spirit Toa. You cannot die, or this world will remain under the shadow of the Ix forever. You will be saving many more lives if you leave." Shardak thought of Barit and Silencer, who had died so that he could live. He thought about Melnox and Ion, who could both be dead by now, for all he knew. He thought about Xatax and Treedaka and Sayna, and all of the other beings who had died in the one hundred seventy five years of the Eternal Game. Then he looked at Fairon and Valkyria, determined to fight to the death so that their cause could go on. Against his will, Shardak lifted the teleporter, and fired. The last thing he saw before he vanished was Fairon's grim smile as he disappeared from the burning arena.

Chapter 24 Shardak raced through the darkness, the faint, smouldering red light that the Blade of Arcturas always gave off illuminating the area five feet ahead of him. He raced through the blackness, Jareroden supporting Galika, Flardrek and Fairon ahead of them. Nowhere in the blackness could he see any sign of Valkyria or Blast. He'd hoped they'd made it out, but he couldn't be sure if they had. When the dark vapor had surrounded them, sucking the air from their lungs, he'd awoken immediately, and following Jareroden's orders, ran. Now, he could see the horrible fog blanketed their entire area of the arena, from the jungle to the lake. Shardak was now gasping for breath, and he could see that Jareroden and Galika weren't faring much better. Ahead, Fairon was beginning to slow down, though Flardrek continued running through the darkness. With a gasp for breath that simply wouldn't come, Shardak raced after them. The Blade of Arcturas suddenly felt heavy in his hands, even his Kanohi-- the Kanohi Ignika-- seemed to be slowing him down. Quickly, Jareroden fell behind him. Even now, the battle for survival was hardly over, for while Shardak had now pulled alongside Flardrek, Blast and Valkyria were nowhere near them, and Galika and Jareroden were falling further behind. Now he was growing desperate. He was holding his breath now, to even breathe in would mean certain death. He was no longer walking, but staggering, hoping that soon it would end, soon the fog would lift. However, if anything, the darkness seemed to be growing more oppressive. Shardak realized that it no longer mattered that he and Blast could not both win the Game, for within minutes they'd all be dead. Each time he exhaled slightly, he knew he was letting out a little more of the precious oxygen he needed to survive. He began wondering if any of them would escape this trap alive... Then, suddenly, it was over. Shardak was standing, knee deep in water, gasping for breath. Beside him, Fairon had fallen to his knees and was drawing in lungfuls of precious air, gasping out the last remnants of the horrible fog. His vision, somewhat hazy, was beginning to make out the scenery. They were standing by the edge of the lake, and Valkyria had walked out of the shadows. The mist hadn't seemed to have effected her, Shardak wondered if she'd used the aura field somehow to allow her to pass through the fog without any mists, or if she'd just recovered quickly. Blast staggered out of the darkness as well, breathing heavily. Flardrek and Fairon, mostly recovered, looked around for any sign of Jareroden and Galika. There was none. "Did you see them?" Fairon asked Blast. The Glatorian, still gasping for breath, could do nothing more then shake his head. Worried, Shardak began to wonder if he should suggest going back to search for them, but suddenly Jareroden emerged from the darkness, Galika by his side. Both Toa gasped for breath, then both fell to the ground. Fairon raced over to them, helping Jareroden to his feet. The Toa's breath still came in short, sharp gasps, but Shardak could tell they would live. Slowly, the fog was lifting, the sun chasing it away as it had done to the Shadows Coil the previous night. Shardak knew that the danger had passed, but was still badly shaken by the experience. Had the Ix tried to eliminate their entire alliance? No. If the Ix had meant that trap to kill us, we would all be dead now. It was probably just a ploy to drive us toward the other competitors. "Jareroden!" called Flardrek, breaking through Shardak's thoughts. "Shardak! Jaina, Treedaka, and Sayna are coming." "Is Duuril with them?" asked Shardak, hopeful for a moment. "I don't see him, no." said Flardrek. "But why is Jaina with them?" he wondered aloud. "She's not one of our allies." Shardak saw that Treedaka and Sayna were slightly wounded, but looked otherwise unharmed. Jaina was a tall, strong-looking Toa of Fire who carried a broadsword and two smaller handaxes. Shardak saw that Treedaka had overheard Flardrek. "She is now." said Treedaka. "After the initial battles, we formed a temporary alliance to defeat several other victors led by Lothia. She escaped, only to be killed by Azzurok. However, we spent the past two days searching for all of you and Duuril, but found none of you." "Were you attacked by any victors today?" asked Fairon. "No, Lothia's alliance was destroyed the day before, the first night in the arena, though she was only killed by Azzurok this morning." Shardak felt a rush of hope as he realized they were now the largest alliance in the entire arena. Now, he thought, there was hope they'd be able to survive. The victors, as one, began to rise to their feet, beginning to plot their next move. If they remained here any longer, they would surely be attacked, either by a loner like Graf, or worse, Shadowplayer's alliance. *** Night was beginning to fall once more as Fairon led his patrol of scouts, consisting of Galika, Blast, and Sayna, back to their new camp. It was nearer to the lake, hidden well by the tall trees. None of the contestants had found it yet, nor had any predatory Rahi. The entire arena seemed to be holding its breath for a storm about to come. It was literally about to rain, Fairon realized. The moisture in the air was palpable, and since it rarely rained in the arena, Fairon knew the Ix would be gearing up for another trap that would end in the deaths of many more victors. He wondered briefly if the Ix had been attempting to eliminate them with the black fog that night, but quickly pushed the idea from his mind. If they'd wanted them dead, they'd all have been dead by now. Returning to camp, Fairon woke Treedaka, telling him to gather his patrol to guard their territory. Treedaka nodded, and Shardak and Kyhrex rose to their feet and followed the Toa victor. Fairon decided he'd take the first watch. Despite the fact that the sky was growing darker, and more and more stars were disappearing behind black clouds, the Toa and Glatorian were alert, Valkyria was holding her bow in one hand, a dagger in the other. Even Shardak seemed uneasy. Suddenly, a scream tore through the night, and Fairon recognized it as Treedaka's. Instantly Fairon was on his feet, Jaina was racing toward the lake, Shardak and Valkyria following her. The clash of arms tore through the darkness, and Fairon emerged from the woodlands to see that the winds were picking up and the waves were crashing against the shore. He could see Struxx and Tronica racing toward him, Kharix drawing a second knife, and Azzurok dragging himself away from the horribly bleeding body of a Toa. Fairon suddenly recognized Treedaka, and before his eyes Azzurok drew a second knife and buried it in Treedaka's throat up to the hilt. "No!" Sayna screamed, racing toward Treedaka. Before she could run far, however, Kharix raised her long scythe and slashed Sayna across the mask. Fairon reacted instictively, raising Blettnox's Shatterer and firing round after round at Azzurok. The dead Mattrelor sank beneath the waves, his upper body damaged beyond repair. Everything was happening amazingly fast all around him. One of Valkyria's arrows struck Struxx in the shoulder, and Jaina was fighting Kharix, forcing the female victor backward, toward the waves. Half swimming, half charging toward Struxx, Fairon had no way of determining who was alive or dead, enemy or friend. It was a throwback to the first day in the arena, when all of the contestants had been battling furiously, and as Fairon fired pulses of elemental light at Struxx, causing the Makuta to vanish beneath the waves, Valkyria fired several arrows at Shadowplayer, forcing the Cryomancer onto the defensive. Suddenly, Fairon felt cold claws grab him, dragging him under. He could see Struxx, smiling coldly as he struggled in vain. Beside him, he could see Jaina, too distracted by Kharix to help, and Shardak, Blast, Kyhrex, Valkyria, and Flardrek, all fighting Tronica and Shadowplayer, were unaware of his plight. "Say good-bye, Toa Fairon." sneered Struxx, as the Toa was dragged beneath the waves. Fairon struggled, but was unable to escape Struxx's hold. He writhed desperately, but Struxx simply held him below the crashing waves... Suddenly there was a flash of green armor, and suddenly Struxx staggered backward, blood pouring from a wound in his throat. There was a flash of silver, and Kharix's dagger impaled Struxx's attacker through the heart. All around him, chaos had broken loose once more; Struxx collapsed, his eyes glazing over, Jaina had buried an axe in Kharix's side. In the midst of the chaos, Fairon rushed to the side of the dying being, the being who had saved his life. All around him, the chaos was growing larger, Jaina had thrown an axe which felled Tronica, and Shadowplayer was being forced backward. Kharix was fighting both Kyhrex and Shardak, but both were unable to finish her. But Fairon barely payed the conflict any attention, for he suddenly recognized it as Duuril, the Turaga from the Sanctum of the Mind. Seeing the wound, Fairon knew instantly it was hopeless. Kharix's dagger had speared him directly through the heartlight, and it was beginning to flicker and dim. Feebly, the Turaga reached out a hand, fighting to keep himself above the thrashing waves. Then he fell below the water, vanishing into the darkness. Nearby, his allies were beginning to retreat, their stricken looks confirming that there was no way to help Duuril, Treedaka, or Sayna, no need to finish off Struxx or Tronica. Fairon looked around for any sign of Kharix or Shadowplayer, but saw neither. "Where'd they go?" asked Fairon. It was Shardak who answered. He was bleeding slightly, but despite Shadowplayer's attack, he seemed to be faring well, despite the shocked look in his eyes at Duuril's death. "They retreated after Struxx was killed." he answered. "Valkyria wounded the silver female, but Shadowplayer escaped unharmed." The others were all wounded. Valkyria had been slashed across the thigh by one of Kharix's daggers, both Galika and Jaina were wounded badly. Flardrek was standing beside Jareroden, watching as the waves continued to grow. Six contestants were dead, eleven still lived. Three who had been killed were their allies. While Fairon knew they should leave now before Shadowplayer or Kharix or Graf came to find them, he felt they should stay, to remember what Treedaka, Sayna, and Duuril had sacrificed. Despite the fact that Fairon had known they'd all have to die, including himself, so that Shardak could win, seeing Duuril, Treedaka, and Sayna die before him had made it irrevocable, real. Soon, their third day in the arena would be over, and at the rate the contestants were dying, it would be all over tommarrow or the next day. It was nearing midnight when Fairon, Jareroden, Galika, Valkyria, Shardak, Blast, Kyhrex, and Jaina returned to their camp. Their alliance of eight was far too large to be attacked openly by any of the remaining contestants, and as Fairon walked back, toward their camp, he was thinking over possible situations. He did not know if Jaina was to be trusted, and he doubted Valkyria would allow herself to die so Shardak could win. She'd probably remained with their alliance thus far because there was more strength in numbers. As they were nearing the camp, it began to rain. The storm had broken, but Fairon knew that, for the eleven surviving competitors, the true storm had yet to begin.

Chapter 23 The late afternoon sun began to fall below the trees, and the shadows began to return at last. Hidden within a grove of vines, Skarge smiled. The twilight was his time to strike, it was the time that he could hide within the half-formed shadows, before the larger alliances went hunting for loners yet after the battles that day had died down. He'd had been surprised when he'd been chosen for this Game once again. Pleased, but surprised. He'd won the Game against beings far more skilled by hiding the the shadows and assassinating them, and was confident he could do it again. While he was wary of Shadowplayer's alliance and dared not attack them yet, he could see that the other alliances and loners would easily be defeated. As if he'd summoned her, another competitor, one that Skarge recognized very well, strode toward him. It was another surviving Toa, the one known as Lothia. She seemed to be following someone, and in the shadows he could make out her quarry in the distance. Duuril. While the lone Turaga was vanishing into the distance, he would be an easy kill, Skarge was certain of that. He stood no chance against Lothia, one of the younger victors. However, if he allowed her to kill Duuril, he'd lose his oppertunity to kill one more competitor. Skarge smiled. His knives were already drawn, his weapons ready to strike. Lothia had still not sensed him, indeed, she had began running now, intent on catching the Turaga. He smiled at her ignorance. This battle is over. he thought as he leapt at Lothia, slamming into her. Years of skilled assassinations, first for his master, Makuta Malok, and then in the 125th Game allowed him to place his weapon, driving it through her armor and finally through muscle and bone. Lothia staggered backward, blasts of shadow flying from her fingertips, before she collapsed on the ground. Skarge walked over to her, checking to see if her breathing had stopped. As he did, he saw that her body was changing. Her black armor was becoming blue, her eyes becoming sapphire. Quickly, "she" rose to her feet, returned to his original form. Skarge staggered backward, dagger in hand. He was now facing Azzurok. He tried to flee, but another being emerged from the shadows, scimitar in one hand, dagger in the other. Kharix smiled as the Makuta realized their deception, then, before he could move, slashed her weapon across his neck. Skarge staggered backward, gasping for breath. His eyes misted over, his mouth whispering protests. Finally, he fell still. "I knew disguising as the Toa of Shadow we killed earlier would give us the advantage needed to eliminate this assasin." said Azzurok, satisfied. "Now, let us rejoin Shadowplayer and Tronica. Soon, Blettnox, Struxx, and Krimsonnar will rejoin us, and the arena will fall before our might." *** Fairon raced through the trees, hoping to eventually find Struxx's trail. Following him closely were Shardak and Valkyria. However, the Makuta, while wounded, was also fiendishly clever. He'd chosen to cross paths in an area where many beings, both Rahi and competitors alike, had passed through. Then the trail went completely cold, and Fairon remembered that Struxx was a Makuta, a shapeshifter. Once he'd healed enough, he could have easily taken to the air. Karzahni. thought Fairon. There's no hope of finding him tonight, as he's obviously rejoined his remaining allies. Who's with Shadowplayer? Kharix, Struxx, Azzurok, and-- Tronica! Fairon thought. That was the name of the silver-armored victor Treedaka had been fighting in the initial battles, the fourth ally whose name he couldn't remember. A powerful Glatorian, she'd won her Game by pretending to be weak until the stronger contestants had killed each other off, then defeated the remainder easily. While not as powerful as Azzurok or Struxx or as skilled and deadly as Kharix or Shadowplayer, she was still another competitor, and one whom he could not afford to underestimate. He knew she could kill viciously. The shadows were lengthening by the time Fairon returned to their camp. Jareroden, Blast, Flardrek, Kyhrex, and Galika were waiting within the cavern. "No sign of Treedaka, Sayna, or Duuril." Fairon reported. "Or Struxx." "Did you run into even a single competitor?" asked Galika. "Not one." said Shardak. "They could be on the other side of the lake, near the small forest." "True." said Jareroden. "However, it bothers me that no other competitor has come hunting for us. While none of the loners, like Graf or Lothia, would, there are other alliances simular to Sligorian's and Klugron's." Suddenly, the Kodax's voice echoed through the arena, congratulating the competitors who had survived a second day in the arena. He then began to list the death toll. "Klugron, Sligorian, Krimsonnar, Grennkirro, Lothia, Skarge." That was all. Then the voice vanished, leaving the contestants once more with no ties to the world outside once more.Six dead today. thought Fairon grimly. Seventeen still alive, and six, nine if you count Sayna, Treedaka, and Duuril, are Shardak's allies. "Lothia and Skarge are dead?" Jareroden said, keeping his voice flat and expressionless. Fairon felt a stab of sympathy for the other victors, he knew how hard it must be for them to fight and kill again after all those years since their games, when they'd done their best to forever forget their experiences in the arena. "So who else is still alive, besides our and Shadowplayer's alliances?" Flardrek asked. Fairon could see that the Glatorian was not badly injured, by tomarrow, certainly, he'd be able to run and fight again. Galika, on the other hand...she'd been hit by a Shattering bullet on the leg and another on the shoulder, and Fairon knew that while it would take more then that to kill her, such a wounded Toa would not last long in the Games. "Not many." answered Jareroden. "Duuril, Treedaka, Sayna, Graf, and Jaina are all out there somewhere." "We'll have to resume our search for them tomarrow." said Jareroden. "And I don't think it's wise for us to remain here for another day either. If we do, another contestant will be sure to find us." For a while, the contestants continued discussing the possibility of more alliances developing later in the Games, but all the while there was the unspoken battle raging between all of their allies: they all could not win the Game. Fairon was determined to help Shardak win, so that he could return to the Void and return the Kanohi Ignika to the other surviving rebels, Zhrek and Shardos. They obviously had more allies, and would make sure that he would be protected as the last Toa still free from Imperial control. And soon, nearly all of those will be dead. Fairon thought. Out of the twenty-odd victors who had not been chosen for the 175th Game, only three others were Toa. The trouble is that I don't know if Valkyria will stay loyal to us if it comes to a battle. Fairon thought. I'm sure Jareroden, Flardrek, and Galika will side with me, but what of Blast? And if we find Treedaka, Sayna, and Duuril, what then? The cold night gave Fairon no answers. Slowly he began to drift into sleep, waking Jareroden for his watch before closing his eyes. However, despite the fact he knew that these were his allies, Fairon was only half-asleep, during the three weeks that he'd spent in the arena, he'd slept with one eye open, and now that he'd returned to the arena, he could not force his mind to sleep fully. However, he hardly noticed when the room was filled by more shadows. However, he soon felt his breathing becoming labored. He could see they were all struggling to breathe now, and that Jareroden was shaking the others awake. Fairon gasped for air, but found he was losing oxygen rapidly. "Run!" Jareroden managed to gasp out, half-dragging Galika to her feet. Fairon tried to create a small light, but failed in the oppressive darkness. He raced out of the cave, still half blinded, and staggered through the blackness, Jareroden and Galika by his side. With no way to determine whether the rest of his allies were following them, or, indeed, were even alive, Fairon raced through the blackness, hoping desperately that Shardak and the others had survived.

Chapter 22 The sun rose above the arena, chasing away the last whisps of the Shadows Coil remaining in the sky and bathing the arena in light for the first time during the Game. Fairon watched this, listening to the sounds of the Rahi and other animals waking, roaming free through the forests. Fairon, whose watch was last, knew that soon, all of the various contestants would be attempting to carve out their territories in the deadly arena. There had been no action after they'd rejoined Shardak and Valkyria, and he guessed that Shadowplayer's alliance had withdrawn after killing the older victor. Fairon had enough experiance with the games to know that the other alliances would continue to hunt them soon. They could try to track down weaker victors and eliminate them, but in battle they could easily lose the less experienced Shardak. He doubted that even Valkyria, who had fought alongside them to destroy the Shadow of Ages, would be able to take on a victor like Shadowplayer or Blettnox. We need to find Treedaka, Sayna, and Blast. he thought. An inexperienced loner would stand little chance against Sligorian or Lothia, and even Treedaka and Sayna could not defeat Shadowplayer's larger alliance. "We need to find Treedaka and the others." Jareroden was saying, again echoing Fairon's thoughts. "We're the only alliance almost as large as Shadowplayer's, and with three more warriors beside us, we'll outnumber them." "But could we, even then, overpower them?" asked Flardrek. "I know Kharix and Blettnox well, and all of the others I know by reputation." "Do we stand even a chance without our other allies?" Fairon asked. "They'd overpower us easily. We've encountered five of them, and I'm not sure if the other two Mattrelor victors aren't also allied with Azzurok." "Krimsonnar and Grennkirro?" said Flardrek. "Possibly. I didn't see either of them at the initial battle, but it was so wildly confused I could barely tell who was friend or foe." "So, are we all agreed our next move should be to locate Blast, Treedaka, and Sayna?" asked Jareroden, after a few more moment's discussion. "Yes." Shardak answered, and the others began to gather their weapons. There was a steely look of determination in their eyes that matched Fairon's own, and Fairon knew then that none of them would abandon the alliance until they all died fighting for Shardak to win. Valkyria...Fairon couldn't read the Ix warrior's expression, but she seemed willing to go along with the plan. Fairon doubted she was trustworthy. They were in the arena, and an Ix warrior was probably the last being he wanted as an ally in the Eternal Game. However, she'd done nothing hostile to any of them so far, so Fairon was willing to let her live until she did. Fairon wondered exactly how many days all of them had to live. His Eternal Game, with nearly double the number of contestants, had lasted close to a month. The average Game lasted nearly two weeks, but after the high death toll on the first day, Fairon wondered if these Games would be significantly shorter. "Remember to keep silent." Fairon whispered. He knew that none of the victors or Valkyria needed any reminding, but it thought it was best to mention to them all rather then to Shardak alone. "We don't want any one of the contestants spotting us until we've attacked ourselves." Slipping through the early morning dawn, the alliance strode warily through the large jungle, alert for any traps. Fairon remembered how the Fallen Six, during the last Game, had lost two of their allies when beings known as Kawa and Alloystepped on a pair of hidden teleportation traps. Galika, who had a keen eye for detecting traps, was scanning the forest floor while Fairon and the others were standing attentively, searching for any signs of other contestants. Fairon wondered for a moment if there was a larger battle going on somewhere else in the arena, for it had been almost eerily quiet in the jungle that morning. He actually wouldn't mind that. He'd already been attacked far too often during the past few days then he cared for. We won't know until tonight. thought the Toa, his gaze returning once more to the viny undergrowth ahead. A massive tangle of vines and fallen branches had barred the way, and Galika was causing a small flood to wash them away. Fairon knew that a Toa of Fire or Air would have easily completed the task in seconds, but the only two surviving Toa of Air were Treedaka and Sayna, and Fairon knew that only one Toa of Fire was still alive, another victor whose name he did not remember. Fortunately for him, he had not been chosen for the Game this year. Then the still air was broken by a clash of arms, and Fairon was jerked once more into reality. Racing through the undergrowth, Galika and Jareroden using their elemental powers to blast the larger vines out of the way, Fairon raced to the edge of a larger clearing. There he saw Sligorian, black armor gleaming in the rising light, facing off against Blast. The Toa was holding the Scythe of Creation, but Fairon knew that since the previous Game, his memory had been wiped by Millennium. He had no idea of the power it contained. Fairon had seen it in action against a massive alliance led by Malok and Antidax in the previous Game, and when he'd seen the final version of the complete Game when he'd won, he'd watched in amazement as its power had utterly annihilated a Makuta known as Benjarmin. Now, if Fairon did not stop him, Sligorian would kill Blast and take the weapon. And if it falls into the hands of someone who could actually use the power, like Azzurok or Shadowplayer--" Fairon didn't even finish the thought before he charged out of the shadows, Shardak close behind him. Sligorian, who had been about to crush Blast's skull with the mace, whirled around as Fairon charged him, beams of laser vision striking both Fairon and Shardak. Fairon hissed in pain but kept going, but Shardak fell to his knees. For the first time, Fairon noticed exactly how wounded he was; Shardak had suffered wounds all across his legs and burns all over his body. His shoulder was also bleeding slightly, and Fairon could tell that while it had been healing, it would soon become infected if he did not have it healed. Sligorian's mace flashed before Fairon's eyes, and almost instinctively Fairon countered the blow. Sligorian began rapidly battering at his defense in a complex attack pattern that would have disarmed almost any sword wielding Toa. However, Fairon was no longer the naive young Toa who had been recruited into the Eternal Game, his narrow victory over Iruka and the other opponents in the previous Game had given him far more skill then he'd had before. Lunging to one side to dodge Sligorian's laser vision, Fairon used a burst of light to momentarily distract Sligorian enough for him to seize the offensive, his rapid sword strokes causing the Skrall to stagger back to avoid being skewered by Fairon's broadsword. Suddenly, Fairon saw a blur of green armor flash by him and slam into Jareroden, causing the Toa to fall to the ground. For one irrational moment, Fairon thought it was Sayna, then he recognized the armor: Grennkirro. He looked for one moment at Sligorian, but the Skrall seemed just as confused as Fairon was. Sligorian, seeing Grennkirro was busy fighting Jareroden, Flardrek, and Galika, turned to focus once more on Fairon. Completely unprepared for the sudden attack, Fairon could only watch as the club descended-- then fell from Sligorian's grasp as four of Valkyria's arrows buried themselves in the Skrall's arm. Shardak charged toward Sligorian, the sudden attack forcing the disarmed Skrall to stagger backward, his laser vision flying in all directions. Then he recovered, his laser vision striking Shardak, then Fairon. Fairon charged forward, broadsword readied to finish him off. At the last second, Sligorian leapt to one side, the sword bouncing harmlessly off his armor. The Skrall charged forward again, snatching his club from the ground and charging toward Fairon. Then three things happened at once. Grennkirro, having disarmed Jareroden and stunned Galika, charged toward Shardak and Blast. There was a hiss and an explosion as something flashed past Fairon's line of sight, striking Sligorian full in the face as he lunged toward Fairon. Sligorian's helmet and head exploded into shards of black armor and blood as his decapitated body collapsed at Fairon's feet. Fairon whirled around, dodging a second Shattering pulse as Blettnox charged toward him, spraying pulses from his Shatterer. Several struck Grennkirro, but despite his wounds the Mattrelor continued his battle with Shardak and Blast. One hit Flardrek on the leg, tearing through armor and muscle. Fairon had no idea how deep his wounds were, but had no time to think as Struxx's longsword flashed out of the darkness, the powerful Makuta's strike tearing the weapon free from Fairon's hands. Nearby, Krimsonnar, another Mattrelor, and unlike Grenkirro, an ally of Shadowplayer's, was fighting Jareroden and Grennkirro now, allowing Galika, Shardak, and Blast time to focus on dodging Blettnox's Shattering pulses. Struxx, seeing Fairon distracted for one moment, charged forward, his armor shifting and changing, until suddenly the Makuta was holding a second longsword as well as the first. His weapons flashed in the sunlight, and Fairon dodged his attacks, retaliating with a burst of light, which blinded Struxx for a moment. Struxx, half-blinded for a moment, was unable to dodge a pulse fired by Blettnox, and his leg was half-shattered by a ricocheting blast from the shatterer. However, due to his mysterious armor, the injury was repared within seconds. Fairon knew they could not hold them off forever. Krimsonnar had wounded Grennkiro badly, and as soon as the Mattrelor was dead, Krimsonnar would be able to focus on destroying the Toa. And with two Makuta and a Mattrelor against them, it was only a matter of time before one or more of their allies were killed. Struxx was now once again forcing Fairon to the ground, elemental light and shadow flying from both of the combatant's hands and weapons, half-blinding the Toa. Fairon could see Blettnox was still firing shattering pulses, and several had struck Galika and Jareroden. Both Toa fell to the ground. Fairon had no idea whether either of them were still alive, and he had no time to run to their aid. Blettnox was now spraying more rounds from his shatterer, and while he and Struxx had deflected them all so far, it was incredibly distracting. Struxx was hit by several head-on, something that would have killed almost any Toa or Makuta. Struxx simply stemmed the flow of blood with his mysterious armor. Shadows exploded in front of Fairon, and without thinking his elemental light powers countered the blasts. Struxx charged forward, but at the same time, Fairon saw Grennkiro lunge toward him. There was an explosion as several shattering pulses exploded between them. Struxx lept aside and Fairon staggered out of the way. Grennkirro, however, deflected them all with his claws, blasting all of the pulses back at Blettnox along with a burst of acid. Blettnox tried to dodge, but the acid splashed over him, causing him to stagger backward just as the pulses struck him. Blettnox didn't even have a chance to scream before the shattering pulses killed him, his half-shattered body falling to the ground. While Grennkirro was distracted, however, Krimsonnar struck. The red Mattrelor brought his sword down across Grennkirro's neck, slashing his head from his shoulders. Stepping over the green Mattrelor's body, Krimsonnar charged toward Shardak, Blast, and Kyhrex. Fairon saw Jareroden was on his feet now, and that Struxx was fighting him, Galika, and Flardrek. They could not reach Shardak and the Glatorian in time to save them. Fairon raced toward Krimsonnar, but the Mattrelor was ready, and nearly tore the weapon from Fairon's hands with a single slash. Fairon raised his weapon, blasting the Mattrelor backward with a burst of elemental light. Krimmsonarr rose to his feet, flames flying from his hands and striking Fairon. For one moment, Fairon was once again fighting Iruka on the edge of the cliff in the burning arena. Then he was back in the present, blocking Krimmsonarr's relentless attacks. Shardak stabbed out at the Mattrelor, but Krimsonnar easily dodged and continued his relentless attack on Fairon. Struxx, meanwhile, was staggering away from the combined attacks of Blast, Kyhrex, Flardrek, Galika, and Jareroden. Fairon looked around for Valkyria, and saw her firing arrows at the Makuta. Shardak charged toward Krimsonnar again, but he easily fought them both, flames flowing from his fingertips and striking both of the Toa like chain lightning. Shardak fell to the ground, unconsious, and Fairon felt his arm burn and his weapon fall to the ground. Krimsonnar smiled. "This battle is over." As Krimsonnar's sword descended upon him, Fairon flung himself to one side, grabbing the shattering gun. Krimsonnar, seeing what he was holding, backed up, but was too late. Fairon fired six rounds from the weapon in quick sucession, all of them striking Krimsonnar dead-on and causing his legs to shatter into red shards. Remembering that the Mattrelor could regenerate, he fired it several times at Grennkirro's fallen body, scattering the already shattered shards across the jungle floor. Krimsonnar, horribly wounded, dragged himself toward Fairon, slashing at his legs. Slowly, the Mattrelor was reforming. Fairon fired the blaster several more times him, and Krimsonnar vanished, his body reduced to shards of red armor and blood. Struxx could see the battle had turned against him. With one final sneer, he vanished into the jungle. None of the allies pursued him. Fairon could see that Galika, Flardrek, and Blast were all wounded, though none of their wounds were mortal. However, Fairon knew that, without healing, wounds in the arena could become fatal. "They'll be fine." said Jareroden. "But we can't continue following Struxx." "We'll split up, then." said Fairon. "I'll go after Struxx with Shardak and Valkyria. Not to finish him off, but to find out where the rest of Shadowplayer's allies are hiding, and to find Treedaka and Sayna. You and Flardrek will guard Blast, Flardrek, and Galika until they can follow us." "But what if Kharix and the rest of her allies are watching us, waiting for Struxx's signal to attack.And if you and Shardak are killed, what's the chances any of us will win." "We'll have to risk it." said Fairon. "Treedaka and Sayna are still out there, and with eighteen odd contestants out there, they don't stand a chance against a powerful, lone victor like Skarge, much less Shadowplayer's allies." "Hopefully the deaths of Krimsonnar and Blettnox will unsettle Shadowplayer enough to call off any further attacks today. How many allies does he have left?" Jareroden asked. "Struxx, Azzurok, and Kharix. Maybe another, I'm not sure." "May you find Treedaka and Sayna quickly, before they find you." said Jareroden. "We'll go back to the caves. If we're not there when you return, try to lay low until you hear the death toll." Fairon nodded, the words eerily echoing Fyxan's during the last Eternal Game. For one brief moment, he was standing not beside Shardak and Valkyria, but next to Tanuva, Blast, and Leviathos again, and it was not Jareroden he was wishing farewell, but Fyxan. Then it was over, and Fairon was once again in the arena, following Struxx's footprints deeper into the jungle.

Chapter 21 "It's a Shadows Coil." whispered Jareroden, his voice filled with shock and awe. "A what?" asked Fairon, shouting to be heard over the cacophony of screams that had begun when the formation appeared in the sky. "A Shadows Coil." Jareroden said. "You've heard of the spectral formations the Veiled Ones use to announce the end of the Games?" "Yes." Fairon answered. "This is another of their formations, another way of making announcements. However, I haven't seen a Coil since the Last Great War. The Shadows Coil is a death mark, Fairon. It states that the Ix have taken their revenge, that one of their enemies is dead or as good as dead. It was every Toa's, every Glatorian's, every being's worst fear during the wars, save Elimination itself. It hasn't been seen in many, many years, not since the Order was destroyed." "Imagine you're a Matoran, walking home from a day's work." Galika said, her voice shaken. "Then seeing the Shadows Coil over your home and you know...what you'll find..." her voice trailed off into the shadows, only the screams throughout the blackness. "If the Shadows Coil is here, it can only mean one thing." said Jareroden. "The rebellion is finished. The Ix have won." "It can't be that..." Fairon whispered. All around him, the rest of the Toa and Flardrek were readying their weapons. "We have to find Shardak and Blast." said Jareroden. "If they're attacked by a terrified, fleeing victor..." He didn't even need to finish the sentance. It would be no contest. Fairon wondered if this was how Leviathos and Tanuva had felt, before they'd sacrificed their lives to allow him to win... Now, he was going to do the same. While he knew that it was likely that the Ix had given the other victors special orders to kill him in the arena, he had to help Shardak win, so that the rebellion could continue. And as they raced through the darkness, Fairon hoped against hope that they were not too late. *** Shardak raced through the shadows, the cries of the contestants echoing across the arena. He could barely even see in the shadows, for the massive, shadowy mark hid many of the stars. The moment the screams had started, Shardak realized several beings were hidden several yards away from him, and that any moment, they'd recover from the shock and begin pursuing them. He'd fled immediately, not pausing to consider if the beings would notice and pursue him. Fortunately, none of them even seemed to notice him, they'd been so distracted by the appearence of the mark in the sky. Shardak had no idea what it was, but he did know that if it was able to cause hardened victors to scream in terror, he knew it was something truly horrifying. Racing through the sparse forest, he hardly noticed that it was giving way to a wider, more dangerous jungle. Then, suddenly, a being seemed to appear out of the shadows. Shardak staggered to a halt, his weapon, a heavy scimitar, nearly falling from his grasp. "I knew someone would come, eventually, Klugron." a second being hissed. Shardak could see his attackers, a Skrall and a smaller warrior. The Skrall was carrying a large war mace, the warrior twin daggers. Both were heavily armored, and the predatory look in their eyes locked with Shardak's. "The fact that there was a Shadows Coil in the sky would eventually send someone toward us...someone inexperienced and alone." "Hello, Toa." Sligorian snarled, then charged. Shardak deflected his first strike easily, but saw a blur of darkness flash out of the corner of his other eye. Klugron lept toward him, daggers missing Shardak by inches. Klugron recovered quickly, and Shardak felt pain stab through him as Klugron tore through his armor with a dagger. Sligorian, meawhile, was readying for another attack. As he easily deflected blows from Shardak's heavy scimitar, the Skrall seemed to be withdrawing. Shardak saw his eyes, half-hidden in the shadows of his helmet, were gleaming brighter and brighter. Suddenly, a ray of pure red energy flew from Sligorian's eyes and struck Shardak directly into the shoulder, sending him staggering backward as pain exploded across his wound where the Stalker had bit him nearly five days ago. Seeing his enemy wounded, both Sligorian and Klugron closed in for the kill. Klugron raised his dagger, and Sligorian was approaching more warily, wondering if Shardak had something else planned. The sixth sense that all victors possessed was warning him that there was something- Klugron suddenly staggered backward, an arrow embedded in his shoulder. Sligorian was more lucky, and the next volley of arrows missed him entirely, another striking Klugron in the leg. All three beings turned toward the attacker, and Shardak was surprised to see Valkyria, her camouflaged armor allowing her to blend in perfectly with the darkness. Sligorian snarled in rage and fired more blasts of laser vision at Valkyria, but the Ix warrior dodged them all easily. The laser beams impacted against a tree, charring the bark slightly. Shardak was now battling Klugron, forcing the victor back but unable to defeat him. Pain flashed through him as Sligorian's laser vision struck him again, wounding him badly. Klurgon grinned and lept toward him- He never even touched him. Klugron staggered backward, an arrow through his neck. With a horrible choking sound, the victor fell backward. Then he halved his remaining seconds of life by tearing the arrow free. His body shuddered once, then he went still. Shardak recovered, then looked around for Sligorian, but the Skrall was nowhere in sight. Valkyria walked over to the Toa, her gaze searching for Sligorian but finding nothing. "That's the second time I've saved the life of a Toa in two days." said Valkyria, in mock disgust. Shardak laughed, then remembered who, exactly, he was talking to. He could see the red gleam of the Shadow Orb in the Ix warrior's hand, and wondered why she hadn't given it to the Ix to try to escape the Eternal Game. Sensing what Shardak was thinking in the aura field, Valkyria led him deeper into the forest. Both Toa and Ix were alert for any sounds of danger, Shardak knew enough about the Eternal Game to know that any being could be watching them, waiting for the perfect moment to attack them. "There's no one here." whispered Valkyria under her breath. "I've been hiding here since I escaped the initial bloodbath." "Was Fairon there? Did he escape?" asked Shardak eagerly. "I had to escape that battle quickly.' "He escaped, with little injury. I'm sure you know they lost one of their allies, Xatax. Otherwise, they're all alive, but I have no idea how injured the others are." "How did you know I was being attacked? The aura field?" Shardak guessed. Valkyria nodded. "I could sense the presence of Sligorian and Klugron." she said. "And I knew they were attacking you." "You could have left me to die." said Shardak. "In fact, you could have joined the Sharidir and Sarkanian in the Void, or killed me at the initial battle. Why didn't you tell the Empire who I am?" The last sentance was whispered so low that only Valkyria could hear. "Because we were allies in the Void." said the Ix warrior. "And because the Empire would have forced me into the Eternal Game no matter what I did, for allying with a Toa against Nightwatcher in the Void." Her voice was toneless as she said the last words, but Shardak could sense her sadness in the aura field. He wondered how he would feel if the resistance that Silencer had led had sold him out to the Ix despite everything he'd done for them, and he extended his aura slightly, touching her lightly in the aura field. Valkyria smiled, and for the first time since Shardak had known her, she actually seemed amused. "You need to learn to control your aura more fully. I can read your emotions and ideas far too easily." "I was never taught. Silencer died before he could teach me attacks or defenses in the feild, and since then..." he let his voice trail off into nothingness. Valkyria smiled slightly again, then quickly reverted to her usual, cold mask. Shardak could see she'd felt uncomfortable even displaying slight emotion, after so many years of keeping them hidden, it must have been hard. He did not continue speaking, simply waited there in the shadows, listening for any sounds of conflicts. In the distance, he could hear shouting, but stayed silent. "Who is it fighting?" he asked Valkyria. "Is it Fairon?" "Yes." whispered Valkyria. "They're in danger. Shadowplayer has found them." *** Fairon raced through the trees, searching for Shardak. He wished desperately his friend Rantu, another Toa of aura, was with him now. Shardak could be anywhere now, at the mercy of any of the other victor contestants. He had to help Shardak survive. It was their unspoken promise, the promise that united Jareroden and Flardrek and the other victors who had journeyed to the Void. Suddenly, Fairon was jerked out of his thoughts by an orange light bleeding through the trees. Peering through the undergrowth, he could see that one of the contestants had lit a massive fire, and that smoke was rising up through the trees, vanishing into the rapidly disintegrating Shadows Coil above. Surely not. said Fairon. Surely no victor would ever light a fire in the arena. It's the same thing as yelling "come and get me" to a powerful alliance. Why would-- "It could be a trap." whispered Jareroden, eerily echoing Fairon's thoughts. "There are very few victors still alive that would do something so irrational." Within seconds, their questions were answered. He could hear whispering, and could see a flash of armor in the shadows. He could hear another voice, begging and pleading, and recognized it, to his surprise, as Tonitrus, an old Makuta victor who, unlike Agrana, had weakened over the years. He was probably so confused by being back in the arena he'd forgotten the dangers of lighting a fire. Fairon cursed as he recognized Blettnox's voice. Shadowplayer's alliance had found them, and they were less then a bio away. He could hear another, gravelly voice whisper something, and heard Kharix answer. At least three of the deadliest victors in the entire Games were standing less then a bio away from them, and Fairon knew it was only a matter of time before they noticed their large group. It was impossible to stay hidden from such a powerful alliance for long. Then came the inevitable end, and Tonitrus' voice fell silent forever. Fairon winced as he heard the victors laugh for a few moments, then begin to search once more. Blettnox loomed above Fairon, and the Toa hardly dared to breathe, he was so frightened. However, the Makuta did not seem to notice them, and wandered off once more. The alliance was having a hushed discussion, from what Fairon could hear, they were discussing splitting up and searching the arena for more victors. Then they vanished into the darkness after what seemed like an eternity. Fairon rose to his feet, and breathed a short sigh of relief. Beside him, Jareroden, Flardrek, and Galika did the same. Walking through the clearing, taking care to tread silently, the Toa and Glatorian continued their hunt for Shardak. Fairon kept his eyes alert for any sign of Kharix, Blettnox, or Shadowplayer, but saw none of them. Suddenly, Jareroden whispered quietly, "We've found him." Peering through the undergrowth, Fairon saw Shardak, a long scimitar clutched in one hand, standing beside Valkyria, who had raised her longbow. "Shardak, we're here!" hissed Fairon, under his breath. "Are you all right?" "Yes, I'm fine." whispered Shardak. "Did you run into Shadowplayer? Valkyria sensed he was near you in the aura field." "He was, but we did not fight him. He and his allies were battling a Makuta called Tonitrus. We narrowly escaped him." "I was attacked by two beings named Sligorian and Klugron. We defeated them, though Sligorian escaped. What was that mark in the sky that caused some of the victors to panic?" asked Shardak. "Sligorian called it a Shadows Coil." "It's a death mark that the Ix use when they've defeated one of their enemies." said Jareroden. "It was used during the war." "We need to get back to shelter." said Fairon. "Soon it will be morning. If we want to find Blast, we'll have to rest before the day dawns and the real battles begin once again." "Agreed." said Jareroden, and began to lead them back to the caverns. There are only nineteen of us left alive. Fairon thought. The Empire is certainly not done with their dangers. The Shadows Coil was just the beginning. And soon the truly deadly battles will begin.

Chapter 20 Within that moment, the storm broke. Quickly, but what seemed like an eternity to Fairon, the cylinders opened, and out rushed the contestants. Shadowplayer decided to take the approach Nightwatcher had during the last game, and smashed his way free of the cylinders. Fairon could see the first danger already, the small pits that spewed flame directly in front of them. With no weapons, and the only cache in the water, Fairon raced toward the fire. All around him, chaos reigned as the victors charged past the fire and into the water. Fairon had nearly reached the lake when a geyser of flames exploded in front of him, blinding him for a moment. The Glatorian standing next to Fairon was not so lucky, and he screamed as the fire consumed him completely. Several others were burned, but Fairon saw that nearly all of them had made it past the flames unscathed. Most were already in the water, fighting with the weapons lying scattered across the shore. Without thinking, as though he had been ready for this all along, Fairon raised a spear, just as an attacker slammed into him. The assailant screamed as the spear entered his leg. In the half-light, Fairon could not tell whether the attacker was Toa or Glatorian or Ix, but he left the wounded being lying on the shore. The instincts he'd tried to bury after his defeat of Iruka took over, and Fairon found himself holding a spear in one hand, a sword in the other, thrusting, hacking, stabbing, and tearing at anything that attacked him. His eyes had adjusted to the dim light now, and he could see that all around him, other battles were going on. A helpless Glatorian, staggering desperately away from Makuta Blettnox, was blown to bloody shreds by a Shattering Gun. Xatax, sword in hand, standing over a defeated opponent and fighting several more. In the horrible light of the flames, the battle looked even more darkly intense, with the blood and the water both appearing black. Fairon could see several contestants lay dead in the water, and still more were climbing up the cliff's edge, trying to grab supplies. Nearby, Galika was battling another victor. Fairon caught a glimpse of his mask and spear, and recognized him. Makuta Skarge, a victor who'd won the Games years ago by hiding in the shadows, killing off the other contestants before they had a chance to retaliate. He certainly stood little chance against Galika in the water. Blettnox was now spraying round after round with his Shattering Gun, the pulses ricocheting off the crags and striking anyone in sight. Fairon dodged to one side and a pulse missed him by an inch, and nearby an Agori fell, holding his leg, before the massive currents Galika was creating pulled him under. He did not come up. What was more, the water was growing deeper as he half walked, half swam toward the main cache, and with the spray of water and the flashes of flame surrounding the dark arena, the faces of his opponents all seemed to have a ghastly, unreal quality to them. Struxx was battling Treedaka now. Fairon looked around for signs of any other dangerous competitors, and could see Blast, a few feet away, holding a long, curved scimitar and battling a Makuta. He seemed to be holding his own, despite the Makuta's much more powerful elemental abilities. Suddenly, a shadow reared above him, and as a flash of flame lit up the stars, Fairon caught a glimpse of his mask in the gloom, and recognized him. Agrana, one of the oldest victors, though still in perfect physical condition. His eyes gleamed with an emotion Fairon couldn't quite classify. Was it fear? Exhilaration? Hatred? Or a combination of the three? However, he was carrying a broadsword, and seemed perfectly capable of slicing Fairon apart. A horrible thought occurred to him. What if they've all been given orders for us to die in the arena? That would explain the Ix not searching them for the Shadow Orb or the Ignika. While Fairon knew Arcturas had disguised the mask Shardak wore so well that it could almost pass as a Glatorian helmet, he- Agrana's slash and a spear of pain brought Fairon back to the present. The victor's face was contorted in rage, and as he jabbed his scimitar forward, aiming to run Fairon through. Fairon feinted to one side, thrusting outward with his spear at the same time. Agrana tried to dodge, but he slipped, lost his balance, and plunged into the roiling current. Agrana quickly found his footing, but before he could reorient himself, a scimitar ran him through. Fairon made out Khadix in the gloom, her eyes gleaming with the thrill of the Games as she nimbly sidestepped a Glatorian attacker's sword, then slashed his arm off completely. The Glatorian staggered back, directly into one of the shattering pulses Makuta Blettnox was firing. His horribly wounded body vanished beneath the waves. Fairon suddenly found himself fighting next to Jareroden and Xatax. Jareroden was holding a massive trident, spearing anyone who came too near to them. Fairon half swam to a rocky outcropping, and no victor followed him. He could see Struxx and Blettnox were both still fighting the other victors, while Khadix and Shadowplayer were nowhere in sight. Fairon looked at Jareroden, who seemed just as shocked by the carnage as he was. He could see Galika and Flardrek walking over to them, and the same haunted look shone in their eyes. "I would have thought...there would be more hesitancy." said Fairon. "After all, these are victors, all of whom were forced to kill for the Empire." "What did you expect? None of us won the Games by chance, Fairon. We've all had to become killers in order to win." Jareroden answered. "Where are Sayna and Treedaka?" asked Fairon, scanning the battlefield for either of the Toa, but seeing neither. "I don't know." said Jareroden. "They've--" Suddenly, there was a flash of white light, and Xatax staggered back, clutching his shattered arm. Blettnox, seeing him wounded, fired more pulses at him. Even wounded, the Glatorian victor was still fast, and narrowly escaped death by inches. "Watch out!" Jareroden roared, and Fairon saw Struxx rise out of the water, Kanohi Crast gleaming in the shadows. Xatax fell, his spine snapped in half. "No!" yelled Jareroden, stabbing out at Struxx. However, the Makuta had already vanished beneath the waves once more, and Blettnox was standing on the other side of the cache now, firing his Shatterer at any moving target. Fairon, seeing that the battle was dying down as surviving contestants fled or consolidated the territory they'd carved out for themselves, grabbed several weapons and supplies from the cache before rejoining Jareroden. He cought up to the Toa as they staggered onto shore, on the opposite side of the lake. A sparse forest, which eventually led into a deeper jungle, lay ahead of them. Fairon, however, barely payed any attention to his allies as he staggered ashore, and began discussing where they could hide until morning. He was simply replaying the battle over and over in his mind, another nightmare that would haunt him forevermore. Slowly, Fairon, alongside Jareroden and Galika, followed Flardrek toward a hidden cavern covered in moss, ivy, and hidden from view by several large trees. It was an excellent place to hide a small group of contestants, and it was also easily defended. However, Fairon had learned never to underestimate the Ix. The arenas were always riddled with teleporters to seperate allies, traps that were just as dangerous as fellow competitors, and predatory Rahi. Suddenly, a voice boomed across the arena, another voice Fairon recognized. It was that of the Kodax announcer, the voice that had haunted Fairon's existance for nearly a month. After congratulating the survivors, the Kodax began to announce the death toll on the first day. Fairon payed little attention, trying to focus on names he knew. "Agrana, Mardun, Nazak, Namrus..." the list went on and on. Fairon listened for any more familiar names, but found none. "...Nerstak, Varr, Xatax!" finished the announcer. Then his voice vanished, and Fairon and his allies were alone in the arena once more. "Sixteen dead." said Jareroden grimly. "Twenty-one still alive." The majority of the victors that had been listed Fairon knew only by name, but for victors such as Jareroden, who had known them for many years, the losses must have been greater. Fairon could see that they all were shocked at the carnage, but all of them had a glint of determination in their eye. "So, Duuril, Shardak, Blast, and Valkyria are all still alive." said Fairon. "Who else do we need to watch out for?" "There's Lothia." said Flardrek. "But I didn't see her at all during the battle." "She's a loner, anyway, like Graf." pointed out Jareroden. "She wouldn't be likely to join any of the alliances." "Nor would Skarge." commented Galika. "He's probably going to try his old assassination tricks again." "What other alliances are out there?" asked Fairon. "Well, Shadowplayer controls the largest alliance. Kharix, Blettnox, Azzurok, and Struxx are all under his command, and there may be more." Like the Fallen Six in the previous Game. thought Fairon. They recruited several Glatorian as well. "But we can't rule out other alliances developing either." said Flardrek. "The last I checked, Sligorian had an ally, the bounty hunter Klugron." "Both dangerous victors." said Jareroden. "Wherever he is, I hope Shardak's safe." Mata Nui protect him and Blast. Fairon thought. They're not victors, and if they're attacked, they don't even stand a chance against Struxx or Shadowplayer. Shardak, wounds bloody, raced away from the massive bloodbath, his mask scarred, his armor dented. They'd known he, Blast, and Valkyria were not victors, and he'd only narrowly escaped with his life. So this is what the Eternal Game is. Shardak thought as he watched the flames light up the lake, the shadows of the furiously battling contestants illuminated by the darkness. This is what haunts Fairon's dreams. He'd escaped death, but he didn't even know how likely it was he'd survive past the next day. He was hopelessly outnumbered, and nearly every other contestant here were victors, who had fought and killed beings far more powerful then he or Blast. Even Valkyria, who had been trained as an Ix warrior, had little experience compared to several of these contestants, such as the being Fairon called Shadowplayer. And there's Duuril out there as well... Shardak thought. He's a skilled warrior, but could he ever defeat a victor? Hidden deep within the forest, Shardak's thoughts were interrupted by the Death Toll. The Kodax named sixteen dead contestants, none of which Shardak knew by name except Xatax, Jareroden's ally. He wondered if Blast and Valkyria had both escaped unwounded, or had crawled away from the battle, bleeding horribly, and would die sometime into the night. Shardak listened, but could hear nothing but the usual sounds in the forest. Several Glider Owls called in the distance, and several bats flew overhead. None took any interest in Shardak. Slowly, knowing he was safe, or as safe as a competitor could be in the Eternal Game, Shardak began to drift off into unconsciousness. Then, suddenly, something happened that jerked him wide awake. Darkness began to move, seemingly of its own accord. It spiraled upward, in a formation simular to the shadows that announced the Games were ending. Shardak could see it was twisting, turning, rising higher. Then the formation reversed, becoming a massive, spectral serpent. Within seconds, the shadows had swarmed to cover many of the stars. "What the..." whispered Shardak Then the formation changed again. What was once the snake became a twisted knot, a hideous explosion of shadows that spread across the heavens, blacking out the stars. That was when the screams started.