Cederak

26: The Voices We Loved The return to the surface was quiet and dismal for the Vapseron. Finding the control center of the Aether Network was a small victory, but they knew what waited over the horizon. Beneath the starlit skies, the six biomechs marched north through Echo Canyon - each wishing their transformation had granted them night vision. The contours of the canyon were clear and noticeable, but it felt odd travelling through the night without an artificial light source to assist them. The atmosphere was darker than the shadows in Aspire, with no civilization in sight. Vault was a lonely realm even when Amtra dwelled there, and now it was empty. The stars and the Vapseron were companions tonight - uncertain of their final destination."How long do you think they were planning this?" Endico asked, brushing against a stone wall."Specifics, please," Selpiar requested harshly."The Kyllidahk," Endico spat. "They had to have thought about this plan to reunite with their maker for some time before putting it into action.""Maybe," Verton considered. "But you have to remember, they're machines. Do they even need time to think? As fast as our computers and technology respond back home, Omtazic could have considered the idea of reunion and immediately conjured a plan to join the thought. If anything in the plan changed, his mind reconfigured a solution.""Are we walking through fog?" Endico wondered."It's mist," Aurozi replied. "This place used to be plateaus, but they were slowly ground apart by the constant crashing of the waves. Back to Verton's theory, though, he could be on to something.""Sounds logical," Landrak chuckled, "just like a machine would be.""They aren't ordinary machines...they learn differently," Selpiar muttered. "When the Kyllidahk first came to Arc, we rarely saw them. One or two might have flown overhead now and again, or attempted to interact with someone, but it wasn't often. They waited on Iridescent, clearly intent on studying us. Using the night sky as their cloak, they probably found a wireless method of scanning our databases and observing our behavior. I think Domilius mentioned them being capable of such an ability. They saw how dangerous we were, even before the war. They feared the day we might take our violent hands to Iridescent, potentially wrecking their last haven.""Which would explain why they secretly tunneled beneath Aspire and lifted a colossal chunk of Radiance into the atmosphere," Talise replied."Exactly. While we waged war against one another, the Kyllidahk were safe and sound behind the reinforced walls of Desire, knowing we would exhaust ourselves eventually. They were fueled by energy cores, absorbing ambient particles while they dreamed of a reunion," Selpiar continued, becoming more disturbed by how close to the truth he might be coming. "And then a day came when they could no longer wait for us to destroy one another. Omtazic spoke with his trusted brethren about a great plan, and took up the guise of Carzandus. He descended upon Radiance, deceiving us. And in return, we lifted him up and let his dream live. His years or seconds of constructing a convoluted scheme were coming to fruition while we killed each other, and none of us would stop him.""That's a scary thought," Endico muttered."Mostly because it sounds correct," Landrak added. "Omtazic has no concern for us...we're just pawns in a plan. If he has a code, I have yet to decipher it.""Kyllidahk seem to obey those laws inherent to the universe," Selpiar replied. "And in some twisted way, we have watched them give physical manifestation to those laws. They appear driven to do so.""At least they adhere to their laws," Verton growled. "The Arc War brought out the nature of biomechs. Killing seems programmed, and unstoppable, no matter how fiercely our society rejects it.""I feel the same way some days, Verton," Selpiar murmured. "I think biomechs in every universe will have altercations until the end of time. It's how they choose to settle these disputes that will define them. Our world exploded into war, but I imagine somewhere out there in the vastness of the void, at least one planet was smart. One planet saw the spiral ahead of themselves and saved millions of lives. That's why we need to go home.""Well said," Talise smiled. She looked up and readjusted her eyes. The sky was taking on a light tinge of blue, suggesting sunrise was coming in a few hours."I think I see something," Aurozi stated excitedly.The Vapseron scoured the canyon's vista until they spotted the same object."It's a personal airship," Landrak replied confidently."Ideality?" Endico asked in a worried tone."It's possible," Landrak nodded. "Stay on guard, Seraphs."The Vapseron followed the canyon's path down to the shore, hearing the rush of the Iron Sea's waves blast the rocks below. Upon closer inspection of the airship, it was clearly abandoned."This can't be Diltac's ship," Talise whispered."It isn't," Landrak sighed. "My assumption is that this was Veladri's method of transport to the continent. Fortunate for us, it appears to have six seats.""Do you think Veladri planned this?" Aurozi asked. "He didn't seem very convincing about giving us a victory back at the palace.""I think we got lucky," Landrak replied shortly. "And I think it's time to go home." <<<>>> Veladri gazed emptily out Ascension's bridge windshield, staring into the clouds. The entire Arc Sentinel fleet had been assembled over Dawn, awaiting his orders. Letting his head rest against the glass, Veladri closed his eyes and sighed. Ascension no longer felt like a home and neither did Radiance. After his battle with the Vapseron, Veladri remembered the light and shadow energies consuming him, shredding his form back to atoms. When he reformed, it was atop Starlight Tower, and his body had reverted. None of it made sense at first, but the entity standing a bio from Veladri gave him the answers."Open your eyes," Carzandus whispered. "This is a magnificent day.""This is wrong," Veladri muttered, whirling to face his only company."It is necessary," Carzandus argued with a grin. "You must understand by now that no one and nothing can possibly avert what I have set up. You fought your destiny once, and I sent my brother to alter your course. Landrak and his team were more innocent pawns, but they are playing their roles perfectly.""How did you get Diltac to agree to this?" Veladri wondered."We both know Diltac well enough to know his blind loyalty to the Axiom. He’s your soldier now."Veladri slowly marched up to the airship's computer and let his finger hover over the communications button. Shutting his eyes tight, Veladri gulped and blinked rapidly. He then held the button and prepared himself. "Link signal to all Axiom military connections within Dawn city limits."The computer processed his request in a fraction of a second. "Link established. You may begin transmitting when ready.""This is Sovereign Veladri," he began, his voice shaking. "A Kyllidahk war armada is en route from Desire as we speak. We also have reports of Phantom Faction agents causing chaos in our finest cities. Airships have been given a designated station over Radiance as per the training procedures for such an event. All pilots are ordered to reach their post as quickly and safely as possible. When our enemies are in range, you may fire at will."Veladri felt angry tears falling from his face. "The Union shall prevail." He released his finger from the button and glared at Carzandus. "Will that be all?"Carzandus lightly clapped for a moment. "Bravo. That will be all, my Lord-Sovereign.""Please don’t call me that," Veladri growled. "Stepping down may have let the chain of command give me dominance of the Axiom, but neither you nor I are fit to lead the Union's citizens."Carzandus smirked. "Let us return to Prime."Veladri shook his head. "I want to oversee my fleet to Sincerity first.""Very well," Carzandus nodded. "When the Kyllidahk flood the streets, try not to dwell on the deaths of the civilians and the soldiers. I have summoned the machines primarily to destroy the Phantoms."Carzandus teleported away, leaving Veladri alone on the bridge. He was reminded of how disgraceful it felt to be on Ascension, and fell in a slump next to the controls. The airship would be headed for Sincerity in a matter of moments, returning him to his first home in the Axiom. He wanted to see it one last time, if only briefly, to look upon the skyscrapers and breathe the scent of the waves. The memory of that wondrous place was one of Veladri’s few positive influences, but it was only so much. The new Sovereign could hardly bear to continue living the way he did, and he wanted more than anything to make the world go away. But it was not yet time, and Veladri knew this. When he had seen enough of Sincerity and returned to Starlight Tower, he would wash away all the sorrow and torment. And after that, Sovereign Veladri would never feel pain again. A C T . III . C O N C L U D E D. Review

1.) Beyond the post count images, there aren't a lot of visual indicators to tell you what BZP is about.2.) Probably not.3.) Yeah. It's lacking the sense of Bionicle that the home page has.4.) It couldn't hurt to look at some other ideas.5.) Absolutely.6.) In general, yes.7.) Only if you feel your point has been made. -Ced

25: Form Fits Function The Vapseron marched through the passage to the planetary core's chamber, victorious over the best efforts of a Kyllidahk. The core was nearly impossible to look at directly, but the Vapseron could make out metallic rings built around it - spinning a slow, constant orbit. The metal rings worked to feed power throughout the chamber through multiple conduits, into a single, empty gateway at the back of the room. Around the gateway was a large ring in the floor that contained at least 100 tiny lights. Many of the lights emitted a bright blue glow, but many others were red, and some failed to glow at all. The problem did not exist in the lights, but rather, the objects they represented. This was the hub of the Aether Network that required total reactivation."Stand aside!"Domilius dropped from the ceiling, slashing at Aurozi and throwing her against one of the core's orbiting rings. The Vapseron fell to the floor, unconscious. Calirry gracefully descended from the ceiling and approached Aurozi, lightly kicking at her side a few times."This one won't give you any more trouble," Calirry reported.Talise and Verton ran head on for Domilius, unleashing their elemental powers on him. Plasma and lightning met one another, striking the Kyllidahk with immense force. Selpiar bolted for Calirry, taking her captive by the neck. He dragged the machine across the room, holding her above a ledge that overlooked a drop into infinite darkness."Domilius!" Selpiar shouted.Domilius held back the elemental barrage with one open hand and glanced at Selpiar. Selpiar acknowledged he had the Kyllidahk's attention and smirked. "I'll drop her if you don't stand down!"Domilius glared at Selpiar, taking a look at Calirry before grinning. "Do what you must."Selpiar let her go and Calirry took the opportunity to blast him with electrical current, severely weakening him. There was no avoiding her descent into the shadows, and Selpiar imagined the Kyllidahk had presumably fallen to her death. As Verton and Talise kept up their attack, Endico remained fearful of employing his element. The chamber appeared ancient and unstable, and bringing down chunks of rock to bombard their enemy with could result in entombing everyone or critically damaging the core."Verton, stop attacking!" Talise yelled.Verton followed the order and watched Talise's lightning arc outwards and around Domilius, wrapping back in and creating an electrical field. Domilius attempted to escape while random bolts wore down his energy reserves. Talise had the upper hand, but she was desperately fueling her attack to keep Domilius imprisoned.Talise stared at Verton and sighed. "When I let down my attack, at the very last moment, I need you to hit Domilius with everything you've got!"Verton nodded, charging plasma between his hands. He focused on the electrical field, and waited patiently. Domilius was just as ready, planning to strafe whatever Verton had in store. At last, Talise disengaged the machine and Domilius attempted to escape. The instant the field dropped, however, Verton was already a couple bio from Domilius. The Vapseron punched the Kyllidahk in the chest with a plasma-charged fist that sent him rocketing into the pure core. Domilius fell on his face, a considerable portion of his life having been drained. His armor had been damaged in the process as well, but he couldn't help but laugh at the Vapseron."Turn around, you arrogant weaklings!" Domilius roared."I'll check," Endico volunteered. "Everyone else should keep their eyes on Domilius." Endico whirled around, surprised to find Calirry floating in the air, hovering toward Domilius."I will aid you in purging our home of these unwanted guests," Calirry hissed.The Vapseron were unprepared for what happened next. Domilius outstretched a hand to Calirry and she touched a finger to it. The pair of Kyllidahk exploded in a wave of blinding light, merging to become a single entity. The new machine was three times as tall, creating a mighty broadsword from ambient particles. It swung the weapon one time, bringing down the three remaining Vapseron."Kneel to my power!" the machine growled. The male voice suggested Domilius was in control of this new, more monstrous form.Talise, Endico, and Verton rose back up in defiance. "I'll die before you make us kneel, Domilius!" Talise shouted.The machine laughed in a vicious tone. "I am an existence beyond Domilius, requiring Calirry to join in a union of power. I am Gemidelus!"Gemidelus swung his sword again, only this time, the Vapseron successfully evaded. A concussive blast of sonic energies then struck Gemidelus - disintegrating a portion of his head. Gemidelus turned around in time to watch a second sonic burst punch a hole through his shoulder and energy core. The Kyllidahk fusion glared at his attacker, secretly amazed by his tactical skills. Somehow or another, Landrak had escaped."You thought a test tube would keep me confined?" Landrak smirked, unleashing another sonic barrage.Gemidelus strafed the attack, rushing headlong at the Vapseron. Landrak recharged his element and stood ready. Gemidelus raised up his broadsword and prepared to bring it crashing down on Landrak's head. Before he struck, Verton used the distraction as a chance to hit the Kyllidahk with a stream of plasma. Landrak gazed into the machine's stunned expression for no more than a second. After that, the Kyllidahk was already tumbling over the ledge, disappearing into the darkness below. The Vapseron loomed near the ledge, staring into the shadows. Their conflict was over."How did you escape?" Selpiar questioned."I think I overloaded the test tube," Landrak replied casually. "I kept letting loose waves of powerful sonic attacks, and I could see stress fractures on the glass. It could only take so much before shattering."Landrak approached his team, kneeling next to Aurozi first. She had been badly injured from making contact with the core, but she would recover."She'll be all right, yeah?" Talise asked."Aurozi just needs time to recuperate," Landrak nodded. "By the way, I'm sure you did a fine job leading everyone to safety.""Thank you," Talise replied, hugging Landrak. She pulled her head back just slightly, staring intently at her leader. "What's your next move?"Landrak leaned in to kiss Talise, but Talise inched away. "...I meant the core."Endico, Verton, and Selpiar stood awkwardly nearby, and Landrak quickly recomposed himself. He walked up to the network's control panel and typed in a command for resetting the program."Error," the internal computer informed him. "In order to perform a total reset, one of two conditions must be met. Either each individual portal must be activated from its starting point, or the network must be reset from Dark Aether Station.""Locate Dark Aether Station," Landrak replied into the vocal receiver.The computer processed his request and displayed a hologram of Planet Arc above the controls. "The station is at the blinking coordinates on the map."A bright red dot signified the station's location, but Landrak was confused. "The coordinates are right here.""I think I saw that station," Talise spoke up. "It was far below me, when I first entered the portal to Iridescent. It was in a place of antimatter, or at least, that's the closest definition of what I saw.""I wonder how we can reach it..." Selpiar pondered."How can we reach a place of antimatter?" Landrak asked the computer."The nearest detected antimatter signature is at the following coordinates."The red blinking dot moved across the globe and Verton immediately recognized the location. "Those coordinates are on the northern Iron Sea," Verton stated."Carzandus told us about the other key to reactivating the network. The signature isn't on the Iron Sea, it's above it, on Desire," Endico explained."Reaching Desire is impossible," Landrak replied. "The entrance is always sealed.""Carzandus has access," Talise reminded him.Landrak nodded. "Then we'll have to travel to Prime. We're going to force the leader of the Axiom Union and the Kyllidahk to meet our demands.""And like so much of our journey thus far," Selpiar chuckled, "that is easier said than done." Review

24: Core Assault Talise stepped out of the portal, staring at the entryway to the planetary core. The previously sealed gateway was now unlocked, its source of power having been destroyed."Let's move," Talise ordered, taking the lead.The Seraphs started down the vast hallway, scanning ahead for any sign of their objective. There was no sign of anything that remotely resembled an energy core capable of fueling an entire world. The massive chamber ahead was a maze of portals, interconnected like walls - a hall of mirrors with a single exit."This network hub appears to be a network within itself," Selpiar noted."The Great Beings couldn't afford to let just anyone access it," Verton considered."This was all beneath Amtra's home," Aurozi reminded him. "No one expected Amtra to abdicate his role and vanish. I have a feeling Domilius is behind all of this, much like the Kyllidahk lock he installed on the main door.""It's probable," Selpiar nodded.Domilius phased through one of the warp mirrors, accompanied by Calirry and another machine. "Welcome back, Vapseron.""Where's Landrak?" Talise questioned.Domilius smirked. "Landrak, like yourselves, is an offender to this place. He was fit only to live out his days in a tube of my design.""Are we going to fight now or something?" Endico wondered."Soon perhaps," Domilius mused. "You'll need to navigate this labyrinthine design, and face my brother here.""That's a Kyllidahk?" Selpiar asked, pointing to the still machine at Calirry's side."Yes," Domilius grinned, patting the machine on the back. "One of the only Kyllidahk unaligned with a specific gender, it refuses to speak our language. The potential is there, but it has never spoken. Omtazic decided to name it Polynthox. We're not entirely sure of the extent of free will Polynthox has, but this Kyllidahk is loyal as a soldier's blade. I say that because a blade must swear to the allegiance of its wielder - not that it has a choice. Polynthox may have the choice, but without voicing or acting in defiance of me, I can never know. All I am certain of is that I am Polynthox's wielder now."Polynthox surveyed the Vapseron with slight amusement, inching its massive, clawed fingers back and forth in anticipation. Similar to Omtazic, Polynthox was the wiry frame of a biomechanical form, with a bright red eye on the left, and one that constantly altered its color on the right. The chrome parts that composed Polynthox appeared strong and durable, but also thin and a tad cheap. It was unknown what purpose such a design might serve."Kill these Vapseron," Domilius commanded, turning away to the portal. "Let's go, Calirry."Calirry and Domilius strolled through the mirror portal, disappearing from view. The Vapseron immediately charged their elements, preparing for anything. Polynthox summoned a barrier of energy around itself, remaining completely still."I've never heard of this Kyllidahk," Selpiar admitted."How many Kyllidahk do we know of?" Aurozi asked."The Axiom has officially documented twenty three different Kyllidahk over the years. In that archive, there is no mention of Omtazic, Domilius, Calirry, or Polynthox. It was the Axiom's belief that Magnyrh was their leader," Selpiar explained."I wonder how many undocumented Kyllidahk are really out there..." Talise said with a trace of fear in her voice."Omtazic banned travel from Radiance for over two decades. That's plenty of time for his brethren to take up residence all over the world. There could be Kyllidahk at the bottom of the Iron Sea, and maybe even a few that left us alone in our travels - unconcerned with our presence," Selpiar reasoned.The barrier around Polynthox suddenly fell and the machine took a step forward, only to stop short. The Kyllidahk then tried to step backwards, splitting apart from a duplicate of itself in the process. The cloned Polynthox stood in front of the original, just as empty and emotionless. The Kyllidahk and its copy proceeded to split once again, leaving the Vapseron awestruck to what they were seeing. Having created three new machines, the original Polynthox screeched at the Vapseron, suddenly forcing the copies to split once more.Verton hurled a disc of plasma energy at one of the clones, slicing it through the chest. The top half fell to floor before shattering into particles."They're weak," Selpiar smirked."Stay on your guard, Seraphs," Talise warned. "We don't know what else they're capable of."The clones and their creator dashed off into the maze, disappearing from sight. The unmistakable sound of Polynthox duplicating itself could be heard echoing across the mirrors, and the Vapseron knew they were in trouble. Entering the maze, Talise led her friends around reflective corners, intent on hunting down every last Kyllidahk. Talise was prepared to do whatever it took to reach Domilius and save Landrak. The Kyllidahk had forced her friends to endure a great deal, and the idea led her into a rage. Talise summoned a pair of lightning bolts into her hands, fashioning the energy into swords of electricity. The Vapseron then left the Seraphs behind, slashing through mirrored walls and any Polynthox clone unfortunate enough to cross her path."Let her get this out of her system," Selpiar recommended to the others, keeping a cautious distance from Talise.More mirrors fell to Talise's fury, and the Kyllidahk duplicates stood no chance. Near the end of the maze, Talise caught sight of the original Polynthox. It stood in a stance suggesting it was prepared to fight her alone. At this, Talise screamed out, running headlong for the Kyllidahk as fast as she could go. Polynthox then took a step back, parting with nearly half of its power to produce a much stronger clone. Before the copying process was complete, Talise met up with the machine, slicing through Polynthox with both electrical blades. She continued on for a few more steps, finally looking back at her work. Polynthox turned to face Talise, emotionless and calm. Static bursts of half-formed Polynthox clones burst out from the Kyllidahk, like the plasma waves of a star. Polynthox fell to the floor and shattered to pieces before exploding. The maze suffered the same fate a few seconds after."Feeling better?" Verton asked.Talise's breathing was heavy, but she was trying to calm herself back down. She kicked a piece of the glass maze across the room and nodded. "I'll be fine." Review

Thanks for reading my epic, Toa of Italy. I have to admit, Acts 2 and 3 are probably my least favorite, despite them being the last sections to be written. It's not that they are any less important, but I had a lot more fun writing Acts 4 and 5. Some of the events may seem random and unorganized, but its a very intentional contrast to Act 1. Hopefully, once I start posting Act 4, you'll enjoy it as much as (if not more than) the first act. -Ced

23: Crystal Clear Verton rammed his shoulder into the base's front door, smacking off a layer of ice in the process. The Vapseron stepped inside, disturbed to find the heaters active and the lights on."Stay focused. Phantom Faction agents could be anywhere," Aurozi commanded, keeping a sphere of ice permanently charged in her palm.The Vapseron walked the corridors, wondering at every turn what surprises lurked around the corner. After nearly an hour of searching, it was clear that there was no danger. Not a single Phantom had been sighted, and an organization like theirs would at least have a few guards stationed throughout the base. Aurozi had no theories as she continued for the base's central chamber, a few floors down. Nothing in the facility appeared severely damaged, or significantly different from her last visit. It was as though the place had remained untouched since, but that seemed impossible. The Axiom allowed Aurozi's teammates to shut down the generators and kill the power. If they had any purpose for the distant facility, why take an interest now?Aurozi finally arrived at the central chamber, hub of all computing in the base. She pressed her hand to the activation panel and watched the doors slide open. A single figure stood on the other side of the room and Aurozi instinctively took aim. Talise rushed to put Aurozi's hand down, urging her to remain calm. Talise walked up to the figure and gave him a slight grin."You're Nerozak.""Yes," Nerozak whispered. "I was dreaming about you today...or someone like you. And then she disappeared.""I escaped a dimension of antimatter to come here," Talise replied. "I had to pass through a warp gate."Nerozak glanced at the other biomechs. "Antimatter is the home of my subconscious, a locale that allows Vapseron like yourself to join with their Vesteron piece.""That's right," Talise said, looking to her comrades. "All of you endured something similar, right?"The other Vapseron shook their heads in confusion, wondering what Talise was referring to."If it happened, I can't recall," Selpiar muttered."This warp gate..." Nerozak trailed off. "Who conjured it? How did it appear? Where was it summoned?""Kyllidahk Calirry extracted a sphere of light from another Vapseron and touched it, allowing it to become a portal to Iridescent.""Interesting," Nerozak replied casually. "The biomechs of Arc share a special relationship with the negative side of this world. It was intentionally part of Amtra's plan when he created each Arc biomech, given that they would live on the world where the Aether Network Hub was located. An additional gateway exists, separate from the network yet interactive with it, specifically crafted in a place of dark matter. It can open a portal to a beautiful location. The entity who made the Great Beings and Kyllidahk is said to reside there. I have never seen it, however, as it would require shutting down the network to do so. The Dark Aether Gateway, as it is so appropriately termed, can immediately reset the network and reestablish full connectivity. All the damage caused by unprecedented activity from the Great Beings or their creations will be repaired. But even returning to the station where the separate gateway lies would require accessing the planetary core within Arc.""Okay, I barely kept up with all that," Endico chuckled. "After you lost me though, I realized you'd probably get along with our friend Selpiar pretty well. He could use another database of knowledge to keep him company."Nerozak glanced at the only biomech who became notably irritated by Endico's words and offered him a polite smile. He then turned his attention back to Talise. "Returning to my point, if you could not travel at will through that negative zone, you are not an Arc-born biomech.""Then what am I?""I have no proper answer," Nerozak declared softly. "You appear biomechanical in design, but that is all. Do you have any memories of a life before your time on Arc?""None," Talise sighed. "I have no memory of being created or the identity of my creator. I remember opening my eyes on Wake and being taken in by Lieutenant Ceyvim. Ceyvim only stumbled across me, he had no answers to my origin either. That doesn't matter now though. We have opened a way to the planetary core and need a way to return there. We were hoping something in this base might be capable of flight. Even if we can only make it to Radiance, we can find a new ship there.""There is no method of transport left behind here," Nerozak made clear. "But I can assist you, by way of teleportation. Traveling with you is too much energy for me at the time, but I wish you the best of luck."Nerozak put his hand out, summoning a portal from the energies of the aether. "I will be returning to Radiance soon, but the planetary core should be the end of your journey. I am confident you will reactivate the network and purge yourselves of the Vapseron energy.""Thank you for your assistance, Nerozak," Aurozi smiled, passing through the portal first. Endico and Verton followed shortly after, leaving Selpiar to wait for Talise."Go on ahead, I just need a moment," Talise said, motioning Selpiar to enter the portal.Selpiar nodded, walking through and vanishing. Nerozak stared at Talise, uncertain of why she had remained behind."I needed to ask you a question," Talise began. "No one really knows what you are, or what to think of you. You're a mystery that chooses to help us for reasons of your own. Anyway, I was curious... What do you want for biomechs on Arc?"Nerozak paused to muse over her inquiry for a moment. At last, his mind conjured an acceptable response. "I wish to see biomechs evolve. To do that, you must comprehend harmony like a Kyllidahk - redefining your scientific ambitions. The Kyllidahk have never gone to war with one another due to the simple fact that they share a common ambition. Each Kyllidahk has gleaned separate information from their experiences, and can share this knowledge collectively to solidify their overall scientific awareness. The individual with the strongest weapon does not necessarily have the strongest grasp of science, nor do they necessarily recognize the objective. The goal of science is to understand natural phenomena. Furthermore, the goal of technology is to apply science for a specific purpose. I'm not waiting for your physical evolution, but rather, a mental one. If you enshrine science and its application, technology, you can sail across the stars in any vessel you desire. But before you can appreciate science for its absolute value, The Axiom must achieve a true union. Biomechs must embrace one another as common brethren, like the Kyllidahk have, or your kind is destined to fail. I wish you the best, Talise...wherever this life takes you.""Thank you, Nerozak," Talise smiled, walking toward the portal. "A bit of clarity in a puzzling world is nice to hear.""At least today," Nerozak reminded her. "The truth has a way of shaking you at times. Your journey has obviously taught you that already, but you still have much to learn. Farewell, my friend.""Goodbye," Talise replied, entering the portal. Once she disappeared, Nerozak deactivated it and prepared to leave the realm of snow and ice. Review

Member Name: CederakEntry Name and Link: All That Glitters -Ced

All That Glitters The world is an interesting place...to say the least. Living here, life can take you to some dark and strange places. And just when you think you've figured out the pattern that life follows, the entire structure is modified. That's what brings me here; I'm a victim of the uncertain flow of life. That's why I am dying one day at a time in this prison, and not in my home. Of course, all events are connected to those that precede them, and my story has yet to deviate from this rule. My name is Ryaric. I am a Ta-Matoran. And this is my account of a terrible crisis in the City of Legends. <<<Seven Months Ago>>> "Another homicide," Ryaric sighed, gently shaking his head. He studied the Ta-Matoran's corpse carefully, unable to tear his sight away for long. A dagger remained in the victim's heartlight, having clearly killed him instantaneously. For a moment, Ryaric imagined it was his own body lying there on living room floor. This was one of his kindred, a fellow soul of the fiery district in Metru Nui. "You find anything, Vitram?" A Ko-Matoran came walking out of the bedroom, a Kanohi in hand. A pair of frustrated eyes sat behind his snow white Huna. "It's a match." Ryaric hesitated. Briefly adjusting his crimson Kakama, he extended a hand. "Let me see it." Vitram handed over the Kanohi and stared at his partner's expression. Ryaric was cringing, carefully handling the mask and looking it over. It was a cerulean Kanohi Hau. Thanks to his time working in the forges, Ryaric could tell this mask was made by a shoddy craftsman. Weak Kanoka had been used to build it, but the feature that most stood out was the shimmering bits of disks embedded in the mask face. The disk bits gave off an unsettling gleam as Ryaric slowly tilted the mask in his hand. "Yeah," Ryaric said at last, glancing up at Vitram. "This was the same murderer. I'm getting used to those Kanoka shards jammed into the masks. Whoever he is, it would take a careful amount of force to jam those fragments in, especially without destroying the already weak mask's integrity. The crafter paid little attention to building the mask, but was very particular with those shards." "So, what's the tally now?" Vitram asked, more to himself than Ryaric. "Two Matoran found dead in each district, save Onu-Metru, and each found with a blue Hau nearby the corpse." "And no leads," Ryaric muttered. "I suppose we should head back to the office and file an official report to Turaga Dume." "You want to head back to that cramped little room in the Coliseum already?" Vitram smirked. "Maybe we should be a little more thorough here. There's bound to be a clue somewhere." "Cut me a break," Ryaric glared. "This Matoran was a forger, like I was! Remember when we had to search the pair of corpses in Ko-Metru?" "Fair enough," Vitram conceded softly. "All I'm saying is that if you want to keep your job as a criminal investigator, we might want to get our success rate closer to that of the Vahki." "There are some things a machine can't do," Ryaric smiled. "You can't replace a good intuition with a computer on legs." "That may be," Vitram agreed, narrowing his glossy, emerald eyes, "but the Turaga doesn't have to put his computers on legs on city payroll." <<<The Following Day>>> Despite their destructive persistence in pursing lawbreakers and Rahi, the Vahki were efficient at apprehending criminals. Not long after the Cerulean Hau Murders began, a Dark Hunter was captured by the Zadakh for attempting to steal tools in Po-Metru. The criminal was promptly imprisoned at the Coliseum and informed that his brethren would be contacted. This was mostly to prevent any backlash by the Dark Hunters upon the city. I had a message sent off to an informant on Stelt, where it would be returned to Odina by a Dark Hunter operative. The message was in regards to the imprisoned Dark Hunter and an inquiry on any information they might have about the Cerulean Hau Murders. Until otherwise proven, their organization was being treated as a suspect, given the history of their activities. I received a message back rather promptly, learning that the Dark Hunters wished to make an exchange. They had captured a Po-Matoran at sea some time back, and were willing to turn him over to the city if the Dark Hunter was to be returned unharmed. I agreed and they consented to meet on a specified date to make the transaction. It was midday in Le-Metru, and the overcast skies left a sense of gloom over the city. A storm was on the way, but the southern port was bustling with activity. Airships were coming and going, but craft by sea were a common appearance as well. A pair of Vorzakh held a topaz armored Dark Hunter in place, making sure he wouldn't escape. His ruby eyes darted here and there, making his anxious state rather apparent. Ryaric and Vitram stood nearby, waiting for the Hunters to arrive. "You think it was right to trust them?" Ryaric wondered, feeling the first drops of rain land upon his mask. "The Dark Hunters are a band of lawless renegades. What do you think?" Vitram replied sarcastically. "You better watch your mouth, Matoran," the Dark Hunter growled at Vitram. "We might own this city someday." "Silence," one of the Vorzakh ordered, tightening its grip on the criminal's arm. Neither of the investigators understood the ultrasonic message, but the Hunter felt its insinuation. Vitram rolled his eyes, turning back to scan the Silver Sea. An ancient vessel was fast approaching, scarred with the damage of years on the waves. It was an onyx craft, seating six comfortably. Along the sides, Vitram could tell some sort of turrets were once connected to the boat. "It took them long enough..." the Dark Hunter grumbled. The watercraft pulled up to the pier, allowing the three passengers to disembark. One was a tall, ebony armored figure. Her features were lithe, but hinted at incredible strength. Ryaric noticed one of her arms to be entirely mechanical and let his imagination wander in search of the cause. In the fingers of her mechanical limb was a Po-Matoran, scared and confused. He was without a mask, and appeared exhausted. Oddly enough, his chest plate was violet in color. The other Dark Hunter seemed to be staring blankly at the city. He was a well armored individual and, as Vitram looked him over, he seemed to be entirely made of armor. The female Hunter motioned to her ally, pointing at the Vahki. "Kraata-Kal, please get our friend from those machines. And make sure to bond his hands." The other Dark Hunter strode forward, walking past the pair of Matoran as though they did not exist. The Vahki released their captive and he took a few steps forward. Kraata-Kal stepped around him, pulling his arms back and holding them together with energy shackles. He then shoved the Hunter forward, suggesting he board the craft. "And this now belongs to you," the female Hunter added, letting the Po-Matoran go. He ran to the investigators, glancing back at the Hunters with an expression of terror. Kraata-Kal did not meet his gaze, busy walking his fellow Hunter to the boat. Only the female stared back, glaring into his eyes. "Thank you," Ryaric awkwardly smiled at the female Hunter. "Yes, of course," she replied apathetically, turning away for the craft. She then looked back over her shoulder. "Oh, and, the Shadowed One wishes to inform you that no Dark Hunters are presently assigned to missions in Metru Nui. He expresses his hope, however, that your mysterious killer will be brought to justice." How long did it take you to memorize all that? Ryaric thought, clearly doubtful of her message. "Yeah...we're working on it." Vitram nodded slowly, turning his attention back to the matter at hand. "Are you going to be all right?" he asked the Po-Matoran. "I will be," he muttered. "Spending six months with the Hunters was...torturous. If it's fine with you, I'd rather not discuss the particulars right now." "That's understandable. Do you have a name?" Ryaric questioned. "Selnocra," he replied, as if trying to remember. "My name is Selnocra." "Nice to meet you," Ryaric grinned. "My name is Ryaric, and this is my partner, Vitram. We work at the Coliseum as criminal investigators. I hope nothing else unfortunate befalls you, but we're the Matoran to speak with if it does. Also, we need to get you a mask." "Thank you," Selnocra said, trying to smile back. "You're very kind." As the Vahki departed and Ryaric struck up a conversation on Metru Nui's better features, Vitram visually trailed the Dark Hunter vessel from port. Keeping focused on the Hunters aboard, he watched Kraata-Kal punch the bound operative across the jaw. <<<A Week Later>>> Ryaric sat alone in his tiny office at the Coliseum, tilted back in his chair. A faint lightstone rested in the middle of the ceiling, barely offering significant luminance. Vitram knew there was a blizzard warning for Ko-Metru, and wanted to return home before it intensified. It was getting late, and sunset had come a few hours ago. As Ryaric read over the reports on each of the Cerulean Hau Murders, there was no solid evidence pointing to a specific killer. It appeared to be random stabbings being committed across the city, but targeting two Matoran in each district seemed too intentional. Ryaric leaned forward, putting the papers back in their file and readjusting his Kakama. As he stared lazily at the calendar on the far wall, he recalled that the Archives closed early on this particular day of the week. It allowed the many Onu-Matoran who worked there to return home early and feel more energized the following day. Only the higher ranking archivists would be working tonight - a few lonely souls roaming the dimly lit halls. As this idea sunk further into Ryaric's mind, he suddenly felt sick. Grabbing his disk launcher, a terrified Ryaric dashed from his office without delay. <<<>>> Ryaric sprinted to his home, throwing the door open. Feeling the wall for the light switch, Ryaric flipped it. Nothing. Flipping it back and forth a few times, it was clear that the power had been cut. Creeping into the dark of his house, Ryaric spotted luminescence coming from a lightstone he kept in the corner of his living room. Crawling along the carpet, the Ta-Matoran could feel spots of moisture soaked into the floor. Ta-Metru was always warm, so the wetness was caused by something recent. Deciding not to dwell on it, Ryaric scooped up the light source and headed toward his bedroom. "Lucky me," Ryaric muttered, taking a disk off the wall. It was a high level paralyzing disk, forged by a few of Ryaric's co-workers when he left to become an investigator. They joked with him that if he used it to capture a criminal, he should tell Turaga Dume to give the crafters a pay raise. Ryaric loaded the disk into his launcher and held the lightstone out. "This is trespassing!" Ryaric yelled, rushing headlong for the bedroom. He whirled back around quickly, only to find that no one was following him. Turning his attention directly back to the bedroom, Ryaric illuminated the far wall and dropped the lightstone almost immediately. "No..." he whispered in shock. Ryaric had to get to the Archives. <<<>>> Ryaric hurried toward the pride of Onu-Metru. Shoving the doorway open, Ryaric flashed his badge to the nearby service attendant. Ignoring his sarcastic commentary, the Ta-Matoran bolted down into the darkness, grabbing a lightstone from the wall to aid him. Running past the countless chambers and pods containing Rahi, Ryaric caught a glimpse of only one other Onu-Matoran at work. Ryaric went unnoticed as the archivist was enthralled by a creature he was studying. The investigator was tired and his pace began to slow. Keeping his disk launcher ready, Ryaric pointed the lightstone down a far staircase. Carefully approaching it, he could see something at the bottom of the stairs, positioned directly beneath a shaft of light. Ryaric glanced over his shoulder and took the steps one at a time, becoming more and more paranoid as he neared the bottom. Halfway down the staircase, it was clear what Ryaric was staring at. It was an Onu-Matoran, dead on the floor - a dagger sticking out of his broken heartlight. More shafts of light could be seen dotting the floor ahead, and another Matoran was standing beneath one. Ryaric narrowed his eyes on the biomech and dashed down the stairs. "Don't move!" Ryaric shouted. "I'm with Coliseum investigation!" The Ta-Matoran leapt from the last step and landed next to the Onu-Matoran corpse. "Ryaric!" Vitram yelled, completely startled. "What're you doing here?" Ryaric trained his loaded disk launcher on Vitram and glared at him. "I found a bunch of blue Hau masks in my home tonight. The kind full of Kanoka bits. That didn't say much on its own, but the wet footprints covering my floor certainly did. I know there's a blizzard in Ko-Metru tonight. Maybe some of that blizzard melted off my home invader?" "I can explain that," Vitram said slowly, reaching for his own launcher. "I can explain that archivist too. Listen, I was coming down here"- "Hands up, Vitram," Ryaric interrupted. "I don't want to fire on you. I really don't." Vitram froze. "Okay. I'm...I'm sorry, Ryaric." With unprecedented speed, Vitram reached for his launcher and fired. Ryaric trusted his friend to do the right thing, and was left defenseless when the disk flew at him. From the darkness behind Ryaric, a red laser blast intercepted the disk, burning it into dust. Vitram stared into the shadows and a second laser shot him straight through the heartlight - killing him before he hit the floor. "Who's there!?" Ryaric shouted, whirling around to face the dark. Stepping down from the stairs, armed with a laser cannon and a disk launcher of his own was a familiar Po-Matoran with a violet chest plate. "Selnocra?" Ryaric breathed. Selnocra fired his launcher, bringing Ryaric to the ground. Walking up to the Ta-Matoran, he stared mischievously into Ryaric's eyes. "Hello again, little detective." "What did you do to me?" Ryaric stuttered. "That was a paralyzing disk I just struck you with. Not a particularly powerful one, but obviously weak enough to floor a Matoran like yourself." Ryaric cursed himself for being such an easy target. "What are you going to do now?" he struggled to reply. Selnocra suddenly shapeshifted into an Onu-Matoran wearing a jet black Miru. "I'm going to complete my assignment." "Your...what?" Ryaric muttered, trying to hide his fear. Selnocra morphed once again, this time into a teal Vortixx. "I work for the Dark Hunters, Matoran. It turns out that shapeshifting can be quite the lucrative ability if you're employed by the right individuals." Slowly pacing around Ryaric, he stared with laughing eyes at the helpless investigator. "The Shadowed One heard about the message regarding a serial killer here in Metru Nui, and did not like our organization being falsely indicted. And so, we decided on a plan that would allow me to infiltrate the city as a Matoran, and return our foolish, tool thieving operative at the same time. I was sent here to determine the true killer and publicly reveal him." "What about the Matoran you captured?" Ryaric growled, futilely attempting to stand. The Dark Hunter grinned. "There never was a Matoran." Grabbing Ryaric by the leg, he began to drag the Ta-Matoran back to the upper levels of the Archives. Ryaric groaned and snarled as the Dark Hunter tugged him across the floor. "The killer is dead, but you remain quite the loose end. Given that I overheard you talking about several blue Hau masks being planted in your home, I think telling the Vahki that you are the killer will prevent them from believing any stories you might have about Dark Hunters being sent here. The evidence will be against you, I'm afraid." Finally dropping Ryaric, the Dark Hunter shapeshifted back into an Onu-Matoran and hurried off to find the Rorzakh. Lying on the cold floor of the Archives, Ryaric stared at the far wall and wondered what his future would bring. They might imprison him in the Coliseum, but there was always the possibility that he would be spending the rest of his life in the Pit. Ryaric tugged at his limbs, desperately begging them to respond. As if by a miracle, he was beginning to regain feeling in his body. Through an underestimation of Matoran strength on the Hunter's behalf, Ryaric had enough vigor to get to his feet and limp from the Archives. He hobbled out into the dark of the night, heading frantically for Le-Metru. As his mind raced, Ryaric knew he would have to elude the Vahki and board an airship. For a moment, his heartlight sunk as the gravity of the situation fully sunk in. Ryaric would have to leave Metru Nui forever. <<<Present Day>>> I broke into an awkward run that night, traveling as fast as my body would take me. As fate would have it, I snuck onboard an airship through an unattended cargo hatch. I rode it all the way to Stelt, where I disembarked to start a new life. I replaced my armor, my Kanohi, and my identity. As far as the world is concerned, Ryaric the Ta-Matoran is dead. But Ticryo, the hopeful criminal investigator from the Tren Krom Peninsula is alive and well. This is my existence now, my prison, if you will. To be honest, I suppose it could be a lot worse. Ryaric glanced up from his desk, seeing a Steltian standing in the doorway of his office. He was a tall, sturdy individual, wearing armor of cobalt and slate - clearly a wealthy biomech. "Please, come in." The Steltian took a seat before the desk, staring hard into Ryaric's eyes. "Listen, Detective Ticryo. There was a brutal murder last night that I need you to inspect. Someone who lived alone was stabbed through the heartlight. His name was Delanax." "This isn't exactly the safest place in the world," Ryaric pointed out, leaning forward in his chair. "Do you have any information on Delanax? Any possible motives or leads?" The Steltian shook his head. "He had no known enemies and nothing appeared to be stolen. We've really got nothing. Just this." Ryaric watched the Steltian pull a Kanohi mask from his back and display it to him. Ryaric stared blankly into the eyeholes of the cerulean Hau, covered in tiny Kanoka disk shards. As the Steltian slightly turned the mask in his grip, Ryaric watched the twinkling fragments give off an unforgettable shine - as if their glitter served only to torment his memory. A cold fear gripped Ryaric's body, and it took all of his willpower not to scream.

Voporak, without question. Bahrag would be my second pick. -Ced

Just the Bohrok-Va. That was a waste of money. -Ced

Golden Kaukau, Golden Kakama, Golden Miru, Trans. Neon Green Miru, Gold Vahi, and a Silver Hau. -Ced

I'd say its a toss-up between Titan Mata Nui and Ultimate Dume. -Ced

I'm not on board with topic tags replacing a description, but everything else isn't so bad. -Ced

I "guested" BZP for about a couple months before making an account. -Ced

A few years back, I was sent an accidental PM by a member that entailed something about his blog here, and reinventing it to garner more attention. I could have probably given him an idea or two, but I went with the easy route and just told him that he messaged the wrong guy. -Ced

There are a lot of areas on the forums I tend to stay away from, because I have no interest in them. But if I had to choose a sub-forum I just don't like, it'd be CoT every time. Compared to any other district of the site, its definitely the craziest. -Ced

22: Cold, Dead Machine Aurozi forced a frozen chunk of Lake Zephyr to collapse beneath Gelidonhr's weight, immediately sinking the machine in the frigid waters. Talise saw a tactical opening and struck the gap in the ice with a powerful dose of electrical current. Beneath the mass of snow and ice, Gelidonhr flailed helplessly, attempting to return to the surface. Aurozi stayed on her guard, well aware the automaton currently held an advantage. Skating carefully over the lake, Aurozi waited for Gelidonhr to reveal itself.The machine smashed through to the surface, crushing a clawed hand into the ice. The razor-sharp claws scratched frozen dust around as Gelidonhr struggled to pull its rear half up. Aurozi summoned a barrier of ice as a defensive measure, but when the Kyllidahk freed itself from the water, the machine ran headlong against Aurozi's shield. Gelidonhr rammed through the thick layer of ice with ease, continuing on over the lake for a moment. The machine then spun back around on its claws, firing an icy burst at Aurozi. The high-speed projectile was easily strafed, and the Vapseron closed in on her enemy.Gelidonhr snorted angrily, scraping at the lake. The machine knew intelligent thought, but the isolation had done damage of its own. In order to survive, Gelidonhr had become the creatures it studied. The automaton had been reduced to a tyrannical beast that raged the lands - challenging any to intrude its territory. The Kyllidahk made a home in the drifts, having gained dominance there. What it failed to understand was that Aurozi's loss had been greater for her than a cold machine's achievement. Nothing would keep the Vapseron from overpowering Gelidonhr.Turning its own element against it, Aurozi fired a massive ice beam at Gelidonhr. The machine was unfazed at first, but the effects slowly wore in. The machine's gears were being overloaded with ice, unable to function properly. Aurozi took a difficult step forward, pushing more of her power into the beam. It was hard to believe that less than a week before, she had only been able to produce mere snowflakes. Aurozi proceeded to focus her attack on Gelidonhr's chest piece, ripping it wide open. The Vapseron then fired multiple icicles into the Kyllidahk's core, like a high velocity cannon. Gelidonhr's core shorted out after so much abuse, and the machine turned onto its stomach, the openings in its chest scraping along the ice.Gelidonhr stumbled for a moment, finally managing to stand up on its hind legs. The Kyllidahk trembled as it attempted to maintain its balance. Acknowledging any further engagement would result in termination, Gelidonhr attempted to flee, begrudgingly limping away."Not so fast," Aurozi growled, summoning a pillar of ice from the lake. The ice grew thicker and sharper, finally impaling the Kyllidahk through its energy core - instantly destroying it. The core's destruction sent a shockwave through Gelidonhr, causing its ice blue eyes to explode and several pieces of armor to shatter.Verton glanced at Selpiar and could see he was actually smiling at the sight, as if somehow proud of Aurozi's deliberate violence. Talise could tell Aurozi's ferocity was clearly linked to the incident that occurred in the drifts years before. Behind the rage, Aurozi was afraid to let others suffer her fate, and was prepared to do her worst to prevent that. Gelidonhr's remaining parts separated into billions of snowflakes, crumbling into the snowy earth and becoming one with the tundra.Aurozi turned to her teammates. "The base is an hour away, and we don't want to be out here when nightfall comes.""Well done, Aurozi," Talise smiled."Seeing what that thing did to Endico," Aurozi muttered, "I had to put it down.""You didn't pull any punches, that's for sure," Endico smirked.The Vapseron continued over Lake Zephyr, heading for the range of mountains opposite the drifts - the treacherous Crystalline Peaks. Aurozi kept point, determined to lead her allies to safety. Talise found it admirable, seeing Aurozi so committed to her duty. Even on their trip to confront Spirarahk, Aurozi risked death on a missile to see her mission through.Talise looked at Endico, still lightly covered in patches of ice. "How're you feeling after your flash frozen experience?""How I assume Selpiar's heartlight feels every day," Endico chuckled softly. "Cold." Review

Mass Destruction has been reviewed. Thanks for coming to the ECC Alt. D! -Ced

Hello, Alt. D, here is your official ECC Review. To start, your main epic topic is to be used for chapters only, not to gather opinions. That's more of a rule here than a critique. Looking at your epic though, I would highly recommend that you edit you chapters in MS Word or an equivalent program that will bring any errors in spelling or grammar to your attention. Also, bear in mind that spacing out thoughts and dialogue as opposed to reading a wall of text is a lot easier on your readers. Now let's take a look at your story. I assume this story is meant to deviate from the canon, as we have a Makuta wearing an intact Mask of Shadows (considering Teridax killed off all other Makuta when he took over Mata Nui and the mask was lost when Icarax was blasted into atoms while wearing it), and characters with very human names. In the course of two chapters, it can be easy to take your own direction, but this story suffers from giving your reader the wrong information. Instead of showing me your story, you're telling me about it. Let me explain. You're taking the audience on a fast paced journey between multiple characters, most of whom I got little to no details about. And so there is a notable lack of feeling in the characters, making them seem hollow in their actions. Don't be afraid to take your time. Give your characters some life. What do they want? How are they doing? What makes them special? The same goes for your scenery. Give some sounds, sights, and features. Writing gives you a world that you are free to build. But if you're rushing through storyline as you've done, readers can miss a lot of what you are seeing when you write. I hope that makes sense. I have been told that there is always room for improvement, Alt. D. If you keep writing, working on your characters, detailing your world, you can only get better. Writing, in a sense, can be like painting. You have an image of what you want to display that exists in your head. But what you create depends on how much of that image is reproduced. If a picture lacks certain parts that you can see in your mind, the person looking at it will never know. The same goes for writing. I can only experience what you give me. As a final note, I should be honest with you. Epics are tough. They are stories on a grand scale that demand a great deal from the writer. Not to deter you from continuing, but you may want to get your feet wet with short stories as well. And remember, whatever you're writing, to emphasize details. The fact that you have begun posting an epic shows me you are determined and have potential. Don't give up. Keep writing, and rewriting for that matter. Best of luck, Alt. D. -Ced

Thank you, Hahli Historian. It took a lot of time to put together this story, but at this point it's just a matter of getting it posted. I suppose you could say this falls into the Bionicle universe in a way that I always thought the Great Beings would go out and colonize other worlds with life. Dynamic Paradigm is the result of that idea. So you have a world inhabited by biomechs, however, it is a world that fears the presence of elemental power. I like Landrak, Endico, and Talise as well. I don't think I could choose a favorite among the story's gallery of characters, which is a first for me. Anyway, I hope you'll continue to enjoy my epic up to the end. =) -Ced

21: Treading Icy Reminders Talise got to her feet, shaking off much of the snow on her armor. Iridescent was entirely quiet and - beside the falling snowflakes - entirely still. The continent was more peaceful and untouched than even Wake had appeared a couple days before. The sun could hardly penetrate the heavy, gray barrier of clouds overhead, though enough light reflected off the snow to maintain a daylight glow.Aurozi was the only Seraph ever deployed to Iridescent, assigned to investigate rumors of an insurrectionist base. The official report found that the base existed, and was still under construction. Aurozi's team succeeded in placing explosives around the inside of the base and detonating them. On the way out, she was shot twenty nine times in her chest.Talise glanced at her friend. "Can you remember where that base was? Our Kyllidahk target may be located there.""I know exactly where it is," Aurozi nodded. "I'll take point from here.""Any idea where we are right now?" Endico wondered."The Icy Tundra," Selpiar piped up. "It's the largest landform on Iridescent, home to durable creatures that made a home in the crystal snowflake drifts.""Thank you, Selpiar," Aurozi replied, narrowing her eyes on the distant mountains. "If we keep heading north like this, we'll eventually reach Lake Zephyr - at the heart of the continent. The ice over it is easily thick enough to walk across."The Vapseron began trudging through the icy tundra, desperately holding on to their dwindling body heat. Selpiar kept a watchful eye on their surroundings, while Endico was busy scouting ahead with Verton. Talise and Aurozi walked side by side, finding a rare moment to speak with one another."How do you think we'll return to Vault?" Talise asked."I can't be sure," Aurozi admitted. "I know you want to rescue Landrak as much as the rest of us, but there isn't a lot of technology out here. Finding anything at the base would be a strike of pure luck at this point.""I wish you were more optimistic sometimes," Talise replied. "I think we'll find a way."The Vapseron fought off the bitter cold as they marched over snow banks, drawing ever closer to their destination. When they finally arrived at the edge of a cliff, every biomech stared down into the valley below. Lake Zephyr was a frozen circle at the heart of Iridescent that haphazardly spread out into veins, like a virus slowly spreading through a host. Talise looked back up, staring out at a mountain range of glossy rocks."Those are the Crystalline Peaks," Aurozi smiled. "I recall hearing that Radiance has records of biomechs visiting the area long ago, but their reason for leaving was left unknown.""They found something," Selpiar added. "The particulars have been stricken from all documentation, but I suspect the Kyllidahk left something behind. This was their first home, after all."Endico slid down the snow-covered hillside, springing to his feet at the bottom. Lunging from its cover beneath a heavy layer of frost, a Kyllidahk roared out before flash freezing Endico in place. The other Vapseron looked on in shock, aware they had found their target. The machine looked up at the guests to its domain and growled."To enter this dominion is to face the might of a colossal glacier. Even now, the ice runs thin beneath you." The Kyllidahk's voice was harsh and bitter."So this is Gelidonhr," Verton smirked.The automaton had the form of a blue-tusked behemoth, standing on all fours. A pair of silver horns adorned its head and the twin rows of sharp, grinning teeth complimented its gaping maw. Gelidonhr had been given a bestial design, easily three times the size of the biomechs. The mechanical monster smacked Endico with one of its mighty paws, shattering his prison and tossing him backward across the lake."Engage the enemy, Seraphs!" Aurozi shouted, bolting down the steep hill, never losing her balance.The other Vapseron followed, charging their elements as they dropped. The Kyllidahk snarled, as if daring them to attack. Aurozi was the first to reach Lake Zephyr, glaring into Gelidonhr's icy blue, dead eyes. Somehow achieving the proper footing, the Kyllidahk starting charging toward the Vapseron. Aurozi held sturdy, confident that her surroundings would yield an advantage. Review

After spending a decade caught up in this enthralling storyline, Bionicle will always have a special place in my heart. Every now and again, I find myself tinkering with parts from sets often left untouched for months at a stretch. The way life seems to go is that new priorities outweigh the old ones, but I'm still drawn back here. Maybe its because I put so much time, money, and spirit into Bionicle, but it was time well spent if you ask me. And I have made no attempt to embrace Hero Factory. Time constraints and lack of interest are to blame there. So the short answer is no, I have not moved on. -Ced

Both Dimension Hoppers and Dare to Dream have been critiqued. As a reminder to other writers out there, the ECC is waiting with open arms to review your work! =) -Ced

Hello, TNTOS. This is your ECC review. As a first note, I should tell you that I saw this epic before creating the ECC, and to be honest, the size was daunting. Coming to request a review, however, essentially forced me to sit through it. And now that I have, I can say it was definitely worth my while. Following Isarot and Kiriah through those extensive eight chapters was quite the adventure, and I intend to follow this epic further. From the beginning, your main characters are quite the pair. They have their own way about them, and it makes for an interesting narrator from them both. Those characters present at the meeting early on, contain that same sense of realism, and that continues to show after the "dimension-hopping" has begun. The attention you paid to crafting individuals like Nasis and Klio remains developed in Lariska and Syala. But Kiriah and Isarot are the stars here, and they shine the brightest, with their tastes and idiosyncrasies available for the reader to pick up along the way. Not to mention, they complement each other rather nicely, in an awkward sort of way. It's appealing to say the least. Spelling was fine, and grammatically, I only came across a few issues. Chapter 1: with an even worse temper. Chapter 2: I had seen a dimensional portal before, Chapter 5: Those Anicans wounded you way too badly I wanted to mention, starting into Chapter 6, I found it rather amusing that your current user anniversary spinney is an Olmak. Irrelevant to your story, but amusing all the same. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed your epic thus far. The amount posted had me hesitant to make any attempt at penetrating the massive scale of what you were writing, but by the time I finished, I discovered that this feels like a journey that has only begun. Which means Isarot and Kiriah are excellent at relaying their lives to the reader, which means your capacity for detail is both sharp and complete. This clearly isn't your first rodeo in terms of writing to a large extent, and that experience shows. You have worked at an eloquent craft, and I hope (and assume) you will continue to produce more written work after Dimension Hoppers concludes. -Ced

Okay, gentlemen. Your epics are on the agenda and will be reviewed in as timely a manner as possible. Thank you for choosing the ECC for your reviewing services. =) -Ced