Cadias

OOC: .... Quiet, you! =PIC: Cadias"Funny, isn't it? War touches those who are completely innocent just as much as those who are fighting it."He looked down at the locket, curious. "Who is it?" He refrained from asking what had happened to them, as he had a feeling that Vrana was about to do just that.

OOC: Indeed. We simply need to plot more. =PIC: CadiasChoosing to ignore the first part of Vrana's response, the Toa looked up. "Why do you keep bringing up freedom?" Seeing the locket in the Avian's hand, the Toa frowned. He was fairly sure he'd seen Vrana holding it before...

OOC: Indeed, indeed. Wouldn't be Vrana without it!IC: CadiasCadias sat down with a sigh."Perhaps you're right. Perhaps I will be forgotten. Perhaps it won't matter."OOC: I do have to stay in-character, you know. Which means that our plans just got derailed. =P

IC: CadiasCadias laughed bitterly. "You just don't get it, do you?""All my life, I've done nothing. This isn't the first time I've realized it. I knew that I must have a purpose, that there must have been something I could do besides drifting around. It's like a part of me is missing, Vrana- it's like I'm only half of myself. And now, I've discovered my purpose, as glaringly obvious as it was, only to find that I've come nowhere close to fulfilling it.""Perhaps I have this power through sheer luck. Perhaps I was chosen. It doesn't matter. What matters is that I do have it. And perhaps, if others with this power cared to use it, we would have stood a chance. But we've lost our window of opportunity. The Makuta is too powerful for any one group of Toa to face him- no, almost all of us would have to to stand a chance. And that's what frustrates me, Vrana- no matter what I do, more people will die, because the others won't stand! What point is there in my protecting Matoran if more are inevitably going to die? And if I can't protect the Matoran, then what do I do? Go back to drifting? The longer this fight stretches, the deadlier it will become! And there's no way to... stop it......"He frowned, as if something he hadn't thought of before had occurred to him. After a moment, he focused back on Vrana."What's the point of being free, Vrana, if you have no purpose?"

IC: CadiasCadias waited until they had walked a fair distance into the jungle. Then, his anger and frustration exploded into action, as he drew his sword and slammed it into a stump. "It's not that!" He gave the sword a quick twist, widening the crack it had made in the wood. After a moment, while he regained control of his emotions, he pulled the blade out and sheathed it.When he spoke, his voice was quiet. "The word Toa is more than a species name, Vrana. It's a title- a symbol of honor, courage, sacrifice. A title I don't deserve."He pointed toward the village. "The reason that the Matoran are selfish, Vrana, is because it's one of the few ways they can protect themselves. It wasn't like this, back when the Mata arrived. Because they knew that they were cared for. Looked after. And so, they cared for and looked after others."But now? The Toa are selfish- myself included. Our duty is to protect the Matoran, and yet we don't. We've been granted this power for a reason, and yet, we never fulfill that reason. Now the Matoran must look after themselves- something they can't do, now that the Makuta has gained so much power. Now, even Toa can't fight him. The reason they abandoned you, Vrana, is because the Toa abandoned them. I abandoned them." As suddenly as he had started, the Toa stopped. There was a brief pause."I'm a failure, Vrana. And perhaps, if I wasn't, this island would be a better place."

IC: CadiasIf Vrana were looking at Cadias' face, he might have seen the angry expression that appeared for just an instant, or have noticed the Toa's jaw clenching momentarily. "Don't say that." Cadias' voice had an unusual edge to it.He couldn't get that Ta-Toa's speech out of his mind. I've failed as a Toa... utterly failed..... I have incredible powers, yet I don't use them.......

IC: Cadias"I quite agree." Gently, he grabbed Vrana's hand. "Calm down. Act normal. Running will only draw attention, yes? We can put on speed once we're out of sight." Glancing back, he added, "I doubt that they're after us, anyway. It's not like we've done anything."Calmly, the Toa walked through the sand. Inwardly, his heart was pounding, but he wouldn't have admitted that to anybody. Did I do anything? I'm almost certain that I didn't.... did Vrana do something? I'll have to ask, but that can wait....

IC: 7If 7 had had any eyebrows, they would have been raised. As it was, he held up the key. "Fascinating. I have located the key, sir!"

IC: 7"The floor, sir?" The robot walked out into the middle of the room and began to search."How could they have hidden it on the floor, sir?"

OOC: No prob. It's easy to forget- I've done it before. XDIC: 7"An excellent idea, sir. If it is hidden from sight, then perhaps we can find it with touch..." The robot, who looked small in comparison to the Air Pirate, began to run his hands over the odd walls.

IC: CadiasNoting the look on Vrana's face, Cadias couldn't help but wonder what would happen next. He found Vrana hard to predict.... one of the Avian's explosions of anger, perhaps?"Alright. I suppose that you won't tell me what it is until we get there?"

OOC: Um.... what's the room like? Is it empty, is there furniture, so on so forth?IC: 77 walked in behind Kreinan. "Excellent, a room. I will begin searching for the key immediately." And so, he did.

IC: 77 continued walking down the strange, shining hallway with his Captain.OOC: It's not like you gave me much to respond to. =P

IC: 7"So it does. With any luck, it won't be on the other side of the door. Shall we continue on down the other passage, sir?" The robot wasn't being pessimistic (having no emotions, that was impossible anyway) as much as he was just saying his thoughts out loud.7 kept looking around at the walls. He wanted to know why they were still so remarkably intact... there had to be some reason.

IC: 7"This is odd." The robot looked around. "It's almost as if everything here was taken to a different place." There was a pause while he considered other possibilities. "Or perhaps the inhabitants had a love of hallways."

IC: 77 continued onward. After some walking, they rounded a bend in the highly polished hallway. "Another room, Captain. Shall we investigate?"7 hadn't realized that the answer to most of his questions was obviously 'yes.'

IC: 7"Of course, Captain." The robot looked around. "What shall we investigate first?"OOC: I'm understandably reluctant to try and describe the ruins, because, you know, I have no idea what they're supposed to be like. XD

IC: 77 nodded, following Kreinan. "And, if we're lucky, there won't be a giant monster buried under it all!" The robot's voice echoed, slowly fading. The silence that followed, however short it was destined to be, was made all the more eerie by the gleaming walls.7, of course, wasn't bothered in the least.

IC: 7"It never hurts to double-check, sir. Where shall we begin?" Idly, 7 tapped one of the walls, expecting nothing more than a ping.OOC: I couldn't think of anything else for 7 to do. I'm not expecting anything more than a ping, either. XD

IC: 7"I see, sir. Captain, are you going to venture into the ruins, or remain with the ship?" 7 looked around once again. Fascinating, these polished walls. It is curious, however. One would expect them to at least have gathered dust over the years.

IC: 7"Yes, Captain!" The robot began to march off, then paused. "We have a base, Captain?"

IC: 7"I see. Anything of value, then." The robot nodded, then looked around."That is.... odd. This polished surface would suggest constant maintenance. Perhaps it is simply a quality of this material.... but we would be wise to be cautious."With another glance around, just in case, 7 walked up to a wall and looked at it more closely. "If this material has a permanent shine, Captain, then perhaps it could be valuable?"

IC: 7"I see. But you are constantly mentioning treasure, sir, and your search for it. What are you looking for?"OOC: So, are the in the ruins yet? Assuming they are, description please? XD

IC: 77 followed the Air Pirate through the hole. Just in case, he asked, "Sir, what would you define as treasure?"