Keeper of Kraata

IC: Ahri - Oki Village, Wakiru The last of the Dashi were being loaded; several stragglers, bringing wounded. Those that couldn't move were put in the main boat. Soon, all the Dashi had been loaded, either on the main boat or the rafts. There were a few Saihoko, enough to put one on each raft and a few on the main boat; they weren't sailors by trade, but all of them knew enough about boats to be able to help around. High tide was coming in; Yuna pulled from further in the surf by pulling with the water, while the other Dasaka and several of the refugees from the rafts pushed the fishing boat back onto the water. Loaded down it was an even harder task, even if it was now empty of water. As Ahri pushed against the fishing boat with his back, he spotted a last Dashi at the edge of the woods; he had seen her blue noble Komau several times around the camp and helping in the forest. Apparently, she never talked. "We still have room, come on!" His hands busy, Ahri cocked his head towards the boat. She ran to them, helping to push the vessel. Ahri heard affirmative cries from the deck as the boat shifted, and the pressure from the sand eased as the Wakiru eased onto open water. The other Dasaka and Dashi pushing onto the boat scrambled back to their rafts or onto the deck, with the old fishing boat groaning. Yuna and Ahri stayed in the water for this part; together, they used their Mindarm to reverse the vessel so its jury-rigged rudder wasn't damaged in the shallow water. As the Wakiru began drifting out to sea, the Saihoko on its deck unfurled its patched sail, and the trawler began moving north. Ahri ran to the side of the boat and started clambering up. A hand helped him crawl over the railing - the Komau-wearing Dashi, the last of the little ones to board. He took her hand, and was surprised when she was sturdy enough to pull him onto the boat. Then again, the Dashi had strength that belied their small size; after all, it was they who worked the fields and felled the trees. His body was tired with exertion, but still tense. They had taken a huge step, and soon they'd be back in Sado. But Ahri didn't know for certain if that meant safety. And before any of that, they had the journey, which was no small thing. The sun's reflection glittered in the sea as the motley procession of boats sailed north towards the horn of Iki. Ahri settled down on at the front of the boat, watching the horizon. Even with the rising sun, the smoke from Hanaloi was still visible. Before, he had held some faint hope that Hanaloi wasn't burning, but it was from part of Mount Koshiki, but the further north they sailed, the view made it very clear that his adopted island home was the source. He didn't speak of it, instead trying his best to keep a lookout. OOC: @Lady Takanuva @Click @The UltimoScorp

IC: Zueya - Dark Walk She saw the blow coming; if she had been on the ground, a twitch could roll her out of the way. Alas, she was flying through the air, the Rahkshi's reflexes matched hers, and the monster had the longer reach. Block, use the momentum. Zueya heeded the voice in her mind as if by instinct. She brought her staff low and tucked her legs in; instead of impacting her side, the rahkshi's stave met her own. Using the impact like a springboard, the Vo-Toa deflected herself to the Rahkshi's side. She rolled once before kicking back into a crouch. Her arms were numb from absorbing the blow, and she could faintly smell the acrid smoke of a burning body. Her own? Her Calix was still working though. Sparks flew through her limbs as she gripped her staff at one end. Like a piston, she pushed forward, driving the end of her metal staff at the spot above and behind the rahkshi's shoulder, the base of its spinal cavity. OOC: @Light

IC: Raiyo - Ko-Koro Gates Travelling with the Vilda Toroshu had afforded Raiyo many experiences beyond what a dashi normally experienced; Raiyo was aware that Oki was quite unlike many other places in the empire, and her travels with Robalta had let her see the gleaming towers of Sado firsthand. Even under her cloak, the cold bit into her, and she shivered steadily. She had been frightened during the first snowfall; it had reminded her of ash. But after the initial shock, there had been joy. Now, however, she was just cold. An entire city surrounded by ice... She had barely believed Datsue Mako when he had described a city in the mountains, encased by ice. But she could still scarcely believe that people lived here, but it was undeniable. The locals, so many men, had strange shapes and stranger colors, but most of the 'matoran', the local dashi, were recognizable enough. Though was growing to recognize them not by their coloration, but by their lack of warmth-retaining accessories and quiet, contemplative demeanor. At least this seemed familiar. "Datsue, Turaga, are we expected? Are we meeting anyone here?" OOC: @Mel @Geardirector @Endless Sea (Alaki Nuva)

IC: Sydelia - Sado, Izakaya A ripple flickered through Sydelia's illusion, as if something had dropped in a reflection. Her mask warped into an ugly smile. "You want... them. The Fursic name may be worth less than dirt right now, but I still use it because people recognize it; the Mashtet crawled up their own ass and disappeared years ago. I can count the survivors on one hand. Mind you, not even my own hand, I mean one that belonged to an idiot who thought she could grab a soul blade." She planted an elbow on the table, resting her head in her hand. He was just another person using her for her old family. "Last I heard, the last Mashtet Menti and Datsue set off with a Plangori expedition, trying to find wood for the war effort." The illusion shuddered; Sydelia almost said my mother, but the fortunate thing about speaking through an illusion was she had a chance to examine her words before 'speaking' them. "My cousin probably thinks she can claim the old castle, but she's woefully stubborn. The Datsue is a Carver, and might be able to get some supplies to continue her craft, maybe pass it on. Ironic that the Fursic aren't here to capitalize on that." She poured herself more sake. "When they get back, I can have you meet them; Mashtet Askha doesn't much care for me, but I'm sure if I vouch for you, Somei will, and if she vouches for you, Askha will tell you anything they found." It wasn't much, but a small voice told her that the healers needed those herbs. She noted both the fact that he was holding them as bargaining material, and that they were being used to set up a simple meeting. OOC: @EmperorWhenua

IC: Sydelia - Sado, Izakaya The adopted Fursic tried very hard to not choke on her sake; her illusory self spasmed and flickered out of existence. She took a moment to compose herself, filling up her cup again as she resumed her Mindeye projection of herself. "Well, that certainly explains why a man with such excellent taste is wearing a ronin's robes," her illusion said, leaning into the conversation. Why was a disgraced battlemaster, formerly suspected of murdering the previous Rora t(wice-previous, actually, now that she thought about it) paying attention to her? Obviously, if this was his way of telling her, he was deep in hiding. He must need something from her, specifically. But what? The real Sydelia sank further into a slouch as the illusion leaned back in her chair. "So, Korae Inokio, if you still go by that, you still have my interest. What can I do for you? OOC: @EmperorWhenua

IC: Mashtet Ahri - Oki Village "I don't know." He didn't know at all. If the Mashtet were still there, defending against an onslaught, or if they were already dead. They might have set the blaze themselves to cover a retreat. His head throbbed and arm hurt as he remembered what he did of the secret tunnels beneath the Mashtet estate; the blood and choking heat. "I don't think so. Not anymore." Ahri exhaled a shuddering sigh, focusing his mind. "If there's any Mashtet left, they'll have regrouped at Sado. So our goal still remains the same; we need to go. Sooner rather than later. I'll let the others know." He glanced once more at Yuna, not meeting her eyes. When they reached Sado, they could figure this out. .:Mitsuri, Raika, Yoka, the boats are ready as they're going to be, and Yuna has a route for us. I'll have the refugees start packing up and boarding, but we should hurry.:. OOC: @The UltimoScorp @Lady Takanuva @Click @ARROW404

IC: Sydelia - Sado Restaurant Sydelia sipped her sake. "I would, since you have me at a disadvantage." The voice was close and from behind the stranger; he wasn't the only one who could speak privately. Her mask had twinged when he had reminded Sydelia of her birth clan. In reality, she tersely picked at her salad. "You've piqued my interest. Not a Fursic, though not many of us are left. I have the most respect I've ever had; what you hope to tell me to gain my trust must be something." OOC: @EmperorWhenua IC: Ahri - Oki Village The Menti smiled. "Don't forget I'm also a mindarm; I'm confident we can work together." Ahri stood, taking a breath; the smell of the sea and the forest was... familiar somehow. He spotted something to the east, squinting to block the rising sun; there was a column of smoke in the distance. He frowned as he glanced back at the map, mentally making measurements. It was beyond the peak of Mount Koshiki, to the north, so it wasn't Sado, thank Zuto Nui. Not south enough to be Kozu, but... A cold feeling gripped Ahri's gut. He clenched and unclenched his fist as he stared at the distant column of smoke. Somehow, deep down, he knew. Hanaloi was burning. OOC: @The UltimoScorp @ARROW404

IC: Ahri - Oki Village Halfway through the night, Ahri had taken a break; the use of Mindarm to haul and chop lumber, along with pushing his burgeoning Soulsword abilities, were exhausting. When he awoke, he was sore but refreshed; the good type of sore that came with remembered physicality, like stretching after a long time bound. He walked around the beached ship; the rudder had been repaired and the hole had been patched. Several newly-made ropes stretched out from the fishing vessel to smaller canoes and makeshift rafts; many of the refugees were either resting or moving their few belongings onto the ship. Ahri found Yuna; he hadn't seen much of her since she started working on the boat, since most of his work had been in the jungle. She looked different somehow. She still had the air of skittishness about her, but she seemed happier somehow, content. He considered asking why, but decided against it. "Yuna, there you are. I think we're almost ready to set off. You know these waters better than most of us, and if anything goes wrong with the boat, we're going to be relying on you." He withdrew the wakizashi Raika had found for him; where was she? A matter for later. Using the short sword still sheathed, Ahri drew a rough map of Oki, Iki, and Sado, planting the sheathe where the village they stood in lay. "Do you think we should head north or south?" Ahri traced a route along the islands as he spoke. "If we head over the north horn of Iki, it's a shorter trip, but after the strait between Oki and Iki," Ahri pointed to the distant stretch of sea, "I think we hit deep ocean for a bit." He turned, pointing to the south strait. "Alternatively, we head south and stick to waters deep enough for the boat, curving around the small island south of Sado until we reach Sado's south port. The journey be through shallower coastal waters, but would take about half again as long... almost all of it within sight of anyone." OOC: @The UltimoScorp @Lady Takanuva @Click @ARROW404

IC: Ahri - Oki Coastline Making his way back to the refugee camp, Ahri had gathered a bundle of wider, taller bamboo and hefted it on his shoulder. When he entered the camp, many of the inhabitants stared at him in confusion, bemusement, curiosity, or worse, with nothing in their eyes. The despair had already taken them. "The village down the coast is safe," Ahri started, resting the bundle on his shoulder. "We found a fishing boat large enough for most of us, but it needs repairs. I see among you Dashi, Ringti, Saihoko. If we're going to get off this island, to Sado, to safety, then we all need to do our part. We need your help; you all have worked this land, have sculpted its bounty, have set off from its beaches, and we need you to do that again, at least one more time." Some of the refugees stood; not enough. Others were looking desperately around and at the jungle around them. Ahri shifted his weight; he probably hadn't needed to gather the bamboo yet, but he had wanted his appeal to come off as a fellow servant, rather than a command from a superior. "We need everyone; if people can't work, they can keep watch. If they can't walk, they can count; if they're not awake, then they need to be moved to the village. Everyone has a duty. Let's go." Spotting a hatchet lying against a makeshift tent, Ahri telekinetically called it to his grasp before turning and walking back. Behind him, the camp was active; everyone was either getting tools or preparing to move the wounded. He led his work team, close to a dozen Dashi, back into the jungle a short time later, after several Ringti and Saihoko had gotten them estimates of what materials they would need. While they might be able to fit everyone onto the ship if the need was dire, it would be close to sinking and absolutely packed; instead, the former fishing ship could serve as the main ship, with a series of rafts and smaller boats trailing behind and carrying any supplies and extra room in case of an emergency. Several smaller trees and a lot of bamboo was necessary, including more fiber to weave lots of rope; tents could be disassembled to fix the sail. Fortunately, in addition to several hatchets, there had been a crystal-toothed fiber saw for felling larger trees. The work was coming along, with Dashi felling bamboo and lumber and dragging it by skiff back to the village to be cut by teams of Saihoko and Ringti. Several patrolled the work area, keeping counts of who was where. When Ahri heard a bout of cursing, he immediately abandoned the smaller tree he had been working on and rushed to the source, his scavenged wakizashi drawn. "What's wrong?" The source, one of the stronger Dashi, stood back up off the ground, rubbing her shoulder. "The saw snapped while we were almost halfway through this big one; perfect size and age, but it'll take us most of the rest of the day to get through this with hatchets." Ahri nodded, understanding the frustration. He knelt to the cut line, running his hand along it. The Dashi continued: "A tree like this, and we'd usually get a friendly soulsword to speed us up. But you're Mindarm only, right? Not to say that it hasn't been useful," the Dashi laborer said, standing back awkwardly. Squinting in focus, Ahri concentrated on where the tree met his fingers, his thumb on the edge of the cut. A friendly soulsword. Was I just a Mindarm? He exhaled, focusing his will through his body. He imagined a blade; nothing. An axe, nothing. A whip? Still nothing. That would have been useful right now. He pictured the smallest ember he could in the crack where the saw had been pulled out; a small wisp of smoke rose from the bark, but he felt no heat on his hand. He stood, removing his hand from the tree, and a stationary spark, glowing red like the tiniest bit of coal, glowed in the trunk of the tree. "Apparently I'm more useful than I thought." Ahri pulled his hatchet to his hand and chopped at the spark; the crystal of the small axes head struck the spark and it exploded, sending a wider, longer cut into the tree trunk. He glanced back at the Dashi, who at this point were mostly watching him. He pointed at a few that had been working on felling this tree, tossing the nearest his hatchet. "I'll place the soulsword embers, you all strike them; we'll fell this in no time." Ahri and the Dashi fell into a rythym, Ahri placing sparks of soulsword and the Dashi striking them, driving directional cuts into the trunk. After several minutes, Ahri held up his hand. The tree's trunk groaned and cracked as it started to fall; Dashi scattered, but the lone Menti planted himself in a solid stance and focused his Mindarm, slowing the tree's descent until it touched the ground. They couldn't risk making more noise than they already were. While the tree settled, there was a moment of silence among the workers as everyone watched the forest, watching for some sign of something watching them. When nothing happened, work resumed; branches were hacked off and Ahri helped lift the timber onto a skiff, and helped pull it, along with the other lumber and bamboo the workers had collected, towards the village. OOC: @Lady Takanuva @Click @The UltimoScorp @ARROW404

I went ahead and posted.

IC: Raiko - Docks Raiko's mask flushed. "Uh, yes ma'am. I mean, no, I-I mean... I'll go get us a cart." With a curt bow, she pivoted on her heel and started weaving through the crowd towards land. It struck her that this wasn't just an elaborate dock; she was in Ga-Koro, where all these strange beings lived, and she still wasn't on solid land. The Dashi clung her bag to her bag, feeling the subtle outline of the cleaver she had inside it. It was a small and empty measure of comfort, but she felt slightly safer in the crowds. Her feet sunk into the sand on the beach, and she felt a weight on her shoulders lift. The first time on actual solid land since she left Sado. The forest, distant due to the development along the coast and strange as it was, seemed to be calling her; its similarities to Oki were comforting, its exoticness alluring. But Raiko didn't let herself get distracted for longer than a moment; she had a shaky grasp of the round script the Matoran used, but fortunately, a pictogram of the crab... service? pointed the way. "Excuse me," Raika said to the attendant dark-colored matoran, "I need to book passage. For... four? To Ko-Koro." The onu-matoran glanced her over. "You're one of the Dasaka. Whatcha got to pay?" The Vilda dug out an Imperial Dragon from her satchel. "Two of these each?" The Ussal tender took out a lightstone and held the coin in front of it, examining its facets. "I guess that sounds fair, I was going to take some cargo to Onu-Koro anyway, its a different tunnel." Shortly after, Raika had stored her sparse luggage with the Ussal crabs and made her way back to the elders. "I'll take your bags, Toroshu." OOC: @Mel @Endless Sea (Alaki Nuva) @Geardirector

IC: Sydelia - Sado She had ordered a salad and a light drink; for all her other vices, she did not much enjoy alcohol, and she did not want a hangover or a stomacheache when she returned for her next shift. And don't forget that you'd probably be saving a life, that too, Sydelia. She flashed a smile. "Of course!" She felt a strange thrill, and slight dread, at letting an admittedly cute stranger into her mind. Fortunately, she wasn't a stranger herself to these kind of meetings. She hadn't said a word; only continued to nibble on her salad, watching the male's face. She let her Sighteye do the talking. OOC: @EmperorWhenua IC: Ahri - Oki Coastline The coastal breeze was invigorating, and with the rush from Mindarm and the breeze, Ahri almost forgot the circumstances he was stuck in. He looked over the boat, and at Yuna inspecting it. "You know, we're going to need lumber either way, plus extra. I'm going to go get some of the more able refugees and organize some teams. Need anything else from the camp, Yuna?" OOC: @Click @ARROW404 @Lady Takanuva @The UltimoScorp

IC: Raiyo (Ga-Koro Docks) Nearby on the docks, Vilda Raiyo turned her head, her travelling shawl clinging to her as she brushed through the crowd towards the three elders. "Um... Excuse me, Datsue Mako, Datsue Pradhai?" She offered a customary curtsy. She hadn't known Mako by much more than reputation back in Kentoku, he was gone enough from the Vilda seat of power. Pradhai, though, was a rare sight. They were together with one of the Mata Nui Datsue. "Is it true? Are you heading to Ko-Koro?" Hopefully Ko-Koro and Onu-Koro were near each other. OOC: @Geardirector @Mel @Endless Sea (Alaki Nuva)

IC: Somei - Mashtet Fortress "You may find our observatory to the north; by flight, it is the tallest tree you will find, near to where our forces first met." Somei hobbled up to Vazaria, offering her a pair of kraata, the color of embers and blackened soot, the other an evolved green and blue. "Forest fires were a danger that always loomed, but the Fursic had tried to set fires before; we were able to limit it by controlling where it could spread and start. What we feared was a skystrike of lightning; sudden, uncontrollable, and it could happen anywhere." "This one will set fires, but this one," she said as she picked up the green and blue kraata by its midsection, "is an energetic little one. It's lightning will catch multiple parts of a single tree, or multiple trees close together. Ideal for your purposes... that is, if you are fast enough." The datsue smiled as the creatures crawled onto Vazaria. "But you are a champion of Zataka, so I have no doubt of your success." OOC: @Nato G @a goose

IC: Hanaloi There were nods among the Kaazi; some wore determination on their masks, others shame. Hambra stood with the supplies. "Well said." Turning to her tribe, she continued. "We have faced crisis before, and now we face a crisis again. And we can adapt again. This is not a betrayal of our allies and ancestors; if they were here today, they would come to the same conclusion. Today, we adapt and find a new path for our people. Maybe we cut our losses and withdraw from Kentoku altogether, maybe we stand and fight with the Imperials and our Taajar kin. But we choose." There was no cheering, too much tragedy had occurred the determination could be felt like a ripple. Within the hour, the entirety of the camp was packed and was bounding south. The Kuychar were startled when an entire tribe of Kaazi emerged from the forest; while depleted of much of their warriors and not a large group to begin with, it was still larger than they knew to be on the island. By the light of the moon and a few lightstones, the Kaazi joined the Kuychar in preparing canoes to once again leave; soon, the expedition's ship was there. One of the saihoko aboard the vessel served as ship's doctor; Askha had screamed while they scrubbed her maskless face clean of kraata ichor with saltwater to avoid infection, and the cut was now bandaged; her Iden still bore the scar, but it was still intact; under it, only one of her eyes shone, as the other was covered. Beneath decks, Riko had been stabilized and bandaged as well, but had passed out from the pain. "We have some logging equipment, we can lash together rafts and get out of here." In the former Mashtet fortress, Somei had taken a break from remaking the built-in illusions and viewed the forest. She knew this would be the last time she viewed the forest as it was; still, Caana's orders were not annihilation. It would be transformed, much like she was doing to the fortress now. She glanced at the moon, at its apex. OOC: @Mel @a goose IC: Ahri - Abandoned Oki Village Sweat poured off Ahri, washed away by the tide. He caught his breath as he slowly approached Yuna and the hull of the fishing boat. "I can get us wood from the forest, but it won't be best until prepared. Scavenging from the houses seems to be the best solution, since it would have already been treated against seawater." He looked over the wreck. "It can hold most of the refugees for a quick trip, but the rest would either have to wait for a second trip or we tow them on rafts or canoes." The Dasaka looked up the coast towards the refugee encampment. "We should probably bring them over here to help; they can help work on it with some direction, plus put together rafts so we can tow the rest. And I think we're going to want some rowers with oars anyway. OOC: @The UltimoScorp @ARROW404 @Click @Lady Takanuva IC: Fursic Sydelia - Sado Sydelia shouldn't have been surprised the place was still running despite the ongoing disaster; some of the clientele were rougher, now that most of the Umbralines had fled and Dastana had taken up their posts in the palace, but soldiers still needed a place to relax. Fortunately, the brewery still operated with a degree of dignity; its customers, mostly displaced aristocrats and Dastana officers, kept the place in business wanting to buy respectability by eating refined. Most of her Fursic comrades would have scoffed at the 'new money' eating here, but Sydelia was surprisingly restrained. After all, she was intimately familiar with trying to be seen as someone of different, higher status. OOC: @Umbraline Yumiwa