Cadias

IC: TellusTellus didn't reply. The two had moved out of sight of each other, with the hull blocking their view, but Tellus could still hear armor clanging to the deck on the other side. The other Toa was keeping up just fine. There had to be a simpler way... Instead of increasing the size of the hole to the point where the rivet slid out freely, he simply made it just large enough for the rivet to fit through. He repeated the process for every rivet on an armor plate, then simply expanded the wood beneath the armor enough to give it the push it needed to get started. Gravity did the rest. It was the work of but a moment to return the wood to its former size. It saved him only a little time and energy per plate, but it might just have given him the edge he needed....

IC: TellusNoticing Verak beginning to pull ahead, Tellus began removing rivets even more quickly. Unfortunately, that had the side effect of draining his elemental energy faster.... but Tellus was determined to either finish first or outlast his newfound rival.

IC: TellusTellus grinned again. This time, it was genuine. "Yore on, mate! Just don't forget ta seal up the 'oles- don't want ta set sail in a leaky ship!"He briefly considered counting to three, but shrugged the thought aside. Besides, he had a sneaking suspicion that Verak had already started. Realizing that he had learned Verak's name from Lohkar, he added, "Name's Tellus, by the way."

IC: Tellus"Well, for a Toa o' the Green like me, it's not too 'ard. Ye just use yore powers ta make the 'ole bigger than whatever's 'olding it in, like so." The rivet slid out. "Though I still can't figure out why anybody'd put armor on a ship..."

IC: TellusTellus also rolled his eyes."Whatever floats yer boat. 'Ow's the armor attached?"OOC: But for now, we'll have fun with this budding little rivalry. =P

IC: TellusTellus did not appreciate being growled at. He smiled, though there was nothing friendly about it. "Yes, mate, carpenter. Ship's carpenter 'appens to be the title o' the person who makes repairs when she's at sea, ye know."Lohkar was right- this 'Verak' certainly did seem to have a bit of an attitude problem.

IC: Tellus"I see. So, long story short, a stowaway is workin' on yer ship without yer permission and stealin' me job at the same time?" Tellus' hand hovered over the hilt of his cutlass."Sounds like we 'ave a bit o' a situation that needs resolvin'."

IC: TellusTellus followed suit. "Ready as I'll ever be!"Eager to see the ship, he hurried down the street to a point where he could clearly see the docks and the Infernavika.... then stopped, puzzled. He turned around, yelling so Lohkar could hear. "Ahoy, Lohkar! Did ye 'ire on another carpenter while I was away?"

IC: TellusAccepting a tankard himself, the pirate grinned. "It's good ta know that I 'ave a couple o' good mates ta fall back on. I'll remember it. But if you don't mind, Cap'n, I'd like ta take a look at the 'Vika. Ye said that ye needed a carpenter, and I'd like ta see 'ow tough removing that armor'll be. I think I've 'ad enough shore leave for the time bein'." He laughed, taking a drink."After we finish these 'ere drinks, o' course!"

IC: Tellus"Oh, not too badly. O' course, it wasn't exactly easy- ye saw me house, if ye can call it that." He chuckled. "These Xa-Korans, though... they 'ave no appreciation for good carpentry! I'd 'ate ta be some o' them in a few years, when their 'ouses'll be fallin' down around 'em. The few that did want their 'ouses ta last weren't generous, either. Still, I got enough ta keep me in food an' drink, and what more could a body want, other than a fine ship ta sail on?"

IC: Tellus"No kiddin'? Huh, wouldn't have expected Raknar to go and do somethin' crazy like that. I mean, sure, it sounds good, but do ye know how much it'd weigh?" The carpenter shook his head, almost unable to believe that somebody would try to pull something like that off.Tellus clapped Lohkar on the back. "Haha, now yer talkin'! Xa-Koro's a lovely place, don't get me wrong, but I think I've 'ad a bit too much of 'er of late."

IC: Tellus"Then ye've got 'im!" Tellus grinned. Then the grin disappeared."Did ye say metal armor? Why did ye do that?"

IC: TellusTellus shrugged. "Fair enough."Brushing off his tricorne hat (which was in surprisingly good shape) Tellus walked out of his makeshift shelter. "So, how's the 'Vika holdin' up?"

IC: TellusWell, Tellus hadn't been expecting that. Sputtering, he exclaimed, "What was that for?! I'm awake already, blast it!"

IC: TellusTellus sat bolt upright. "Blast it, can't ye see tha- Lohkar?" His jaw dropped. Taking an experimental sip from the bottle in his hand, to make sure that it hadn't gone bad, the carpenter stood up. "I 'eard ye were dead!" Suspiciously, he squinted at the Captain."Er, ye aren't dead, right?"

IC: TellusThe alley was small, even peaceful. Sure, it was dirty, muddy, run-down, and looked barely habitable, but it would do. The fact that it was close to the Black Spot Inn helped, too.If one were to glance down this alley, they'd probably notice the ramshackle lean-to that had been thrown together at the end. If they were to take a closer look, for some unfathomable reason, chances are that they'd spot the pair of feet sticking out. If they were to look inside, they'd see the Toa, snoozing with his back to a wall, tricorne hat pulled down over his eyes, and with a half-empty bottle still in his hand.--Life hadn't exactly been easy for Tellus, ever since the Infernavika had disappeared. Missing the ship hadn't been his fault! ... Well, okay, maybe he shouldn't have had that second glass of rum. Or the one after that. Either way, he hadn't been present when the 'Vika departed.Ever since, he had made his living by putting his carpenter skills to good use. Unfortunately, any money he'd earned didn't last long, and the people of Xa-Koro weren't very picky about the state of their property...

IC: 7"Oh. I see." After a quick glance around to be sure that Krienan wasn't addressing any nearby children, 7 assumed that Kreinan was talking to him. "Yes, sir!"

IC: 77 continued down the hallway, slightly behind Kreinan. "That certainly would have been interesting. However, I am still uncertain as to why we should thank them for not stopping this planet-destroying war you speak of."

IC: 7"Not stopping it was a good thing? How so?" Once again, Kreinan's sarcasm went unnoticed by the robot."You mentioned my creators. Who were they?"

IC: 7"It is possible, sir, although unlikely," the robot commented, unaware that Kreinan wasn't serious.The robot began walking down the new hall. "There seem to be quite a few ruins in this area, sir. Why is that?"

IC: 7"Yes, sir!" The robot unlocked the door, giving it a quick shove to open it.

IC: 7"Interesting indeed. These are in remarkable shape. The inhabitants must have been skilled architects and metalworkers." He continued down the seemingly endless hall.OOC: Timeskip to door after your response?

IC: 7"Yes, sir."While walking, the robot pondered about those strange walls that had caught his interest... out loud."Perhaps they were designed to hide objects like this key. However, it would not explain how they have remained polished for...." He paused. "How long has this place been abandoned, sir?

IC: 7Hmm. Apparently, the Captain hadn't heard him."Sir, I have located the key. Shall we go and unlock the door?"

IC: CadiasCadias didn't mind a bit of relative solitude while he mulled over the day's events, following Vrana by sound. Vrana was right- Toa were easily manipulated by the Matoran, if they acted in the traditional way. Vrana was a victim of that, even if the Matoran perspective was somewhat justified. Perhaps traditional methods would prove ineffective... the Mata, after all, had failed. Besides, he wasn't comfortable with taking on the role of a Toa, as described by the Ta-Toa.... perhaps there was another way, a more indirect way to help the Matoran....He grimaced slightly as the same thought that had occurred to him earlier resurfaced. Pushing his thoughts aside, he did his best to focus simply on following Vrana into the thickening jungle.EDIT: OOC: Cadias to Le-Wahi. XD