A Dark Hunt Preliminary Poll - Nidhiki

[Velox]

Vote here for your favorite Dark Hunt story; entries have been randomized. Please MAKE SURE YOU READ ALL ENTRIES BEFORE VOTING.Voting begins now and will end on July 1st at 11:59 PM EST. Entries that do well will move on to the Dark Hunt Final Poll, which will be posted at the conclusion of the 10th round preliminary poll.

 

Choice #1:

 

"Blind Hostilities"

"Ow!" Nidhiki yelled, stumbling forward and colliding with the wall. For perhaps the three-hundredth time so far in his Dark Hunter career, he began cursing his imbecilic partner. (Obviously, this was still rather early in said career.)He also, for perhaps the hundred and fiftieth time, cursed the power of Roodaka's mutation spinner. The ability to crawl across walls and ceilings was all very well, but when trying to navigate a Makuta-black room he much preferred having two legs. And actual hands.Hissing imprecations under his breath, he had resumed his clumsy search, when suddenly a voice spoke from behind him. It was Subterranean, the third Hunter on this mission."What's the matter now, Nidhiki?" he said wearily. "I've been hearing you cursing and tripping over yourself for over twenty minutes." The arachnid could hear him smirk. "And while your opinion of Krekka's intelligence is probably accurate, I don't think the Shadowed One will be happy if you actually rip him to shreds - or do any of the other things you've been muttering about.""Oh, be quiet, Subterranean," the ex-toa snapped. "Don't you have better things to do than eavesdrop on people three rooms away?""Farther, actually. I was on sentry duty outside until a minute ago - watching out for any natives that might come by and discover our little hideout. And it's hardly eavesdropping if I can't help hearing you." The mutant's super-hearing was one of his greatest strengths, and also the reason he had been sent on this mission. Their target was guarded by a village of De-Matoran, some of the most naturally stealthy beings in the universe. "But you haven't answered my question. What's Krekka done this time?"Nidhiki's anger intensified at the mention of his partner. "Oh, nothing," he spat sarcastically. "That buffoon has apparently interpreted the instructions to 'show no light' as 'break all the lightstones,' that's all! So now I'm stuck looking for the mission instructions, in complete darkness!"Subterranean burst out laughing. "Really, Nidhiki? That's all? Honestly...if you can't handle a task like that, you shouldn't have become a Dark Hunter." He paused. "Not that you had a choice, of course - 'Toa' Nidhiki."Nidhiki stiffened. "I had more than you did," he shot back. "I heard you were run out of Metru Nui because of your looks. At least there's one good thing about this situation - I don't have to see you right now.""As if you're one to talk. Aren't you the one the Shadowed One mutated to ensure you'd be too monstrous to leave?""Maybe, but it was you who gave him the idea."Subterranean seemed to have no answer to that. Nidhiki grinned triumphantly before continuing."Now if you're not going to make yourself useful, you can leave. I have to deal with the mess created by my moron of a partner. Again."Subterranean silently obeyed, leaving Nidhiki to his dark hunt.

 

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Choice #2:

 

"Fearsome"

 

The waves still washed at the foot of the cliff. The spires of the ancient fortress that crowned the cliff still gnawed at the sky above. The figure still crouched, shadowed by the overhang, where the shore met the water of the Silver Sea. He crouched and waited with colorless eyes.

 

The ship must have wrecked last night. Debris littered the shoreline. It reminded him of a time he had almost forgotten, but not quite. Four millennia, was it? Maybe more.... But the years were meaningless to him. This was his home now—his realm. Even his name was lost to time.

 

Before him, the body of the blue-and-gold-armored creature bobbed with the tide. It was the only survivor of the wreck, it seemed. He squinted down from his shadowed perch, tail swishing back and forth as he weighed his options: It would be easy to end the thing where it lay. Just a glance, and the shore would be a wasteland of glass. Yes, it would be easy. Too easy.

 

Old memories arose: memories of rolling surf, sand against his face, coughing up seawater, and then struggling up the shore. It had been night, pitch black. He’d set one of the thorn-trees aflame with his vision to provide some light, then lay beneath it, weak and shivering. Eyes had glittered beyond the firelight, and fear had paralyzed him for a time. But then his will had returned, and he’d met the gaze of those beastly eyes with the fearsome power of his own.

 

In the morning, he’d awakened to find the remains of their bodies. Ravenous Kavinga and razor-toothed Hapaka, feral and gaunt. Their corpses were burnt and half-destroyed, but worst of all was what he found among them: the seven-toed tracks of the night-stalking Muaka. Muaka Elnikrai: the Dark Hunter. He knew the tracks, but no body remained. The beast had escaped into the darkness. It was still out there, somewhere, and his fear of it had bitten deep....

 

A sound brought him back, and he focused once more upon the figure in the surf. It was moving now, struggling up. Water dripped from its armor and face. Was that a Kanohi it wore? No, it was no Toa. In fact, they were much alike. The same species, perhaps. Sunlight gleamed on the being’s armor as it rose. It did not see him yet, hidden in the cool shadow. It surveyed its surroundings: side to side, then upward. Its gaze lingered upon the fortress atop the cliff. Such irony, that both of them should end up marooned on this island; forgotten, just like the Beings who had raised that fortress in ancient days....

 

Their eyes met suddenly, gaze to gaze. A long moment passed, and another memory leapt to the forefront of his mind then. It was amid the stones of the fortress high above. Years had passed since he’d been marooned, and he had survived. He had established himself as the strongest predator in this island realm. Any creature that opposed him fell to his gaze. All but one...the Dark Hunter stalked him still, cunning and terrible. It pursued him always, lurking just beyond his sight.

 

Until one night, when he had led it on a long, dark hunt through the night, high upon the cliffside, into the stony heart of the fortress walls. And there it had ended, same as now. For a moment he had hesitated, creeping through a courtyard, and in that moment the Hunter had struck. Claws raked, teeth bit, and he had thought his death was near.

 

But then morning had poured over the broken walltops, and the beast had recoiled from him, blinking, as he collapsed in the shade. Their eyes met—one bathed in sunlight, one in shadow—and the Dark Hunter had perished at last.

 

And now? The silence stretched. Neither figure moved. The one who crouched in shadow felt the sudden urge to act. He was the Dark Hunter now. He was the dark.... He would hunt. He felt the fearsome power welling up behind his eyes. And then—

 

“What is your name?” the other being asked, and something changed. The moment was broken. The power.... It ebbed away.

 

“I...I have forgotten,” he said, hesitating. The words felt strange. “I have lived...in shadow...too long.”

 

“Well, shadowed one, my name is old and forgotten too. In fact, it is beyond ancient. I see you wear the skull of the Muaka Elnikrai...”

 

“...I believe you must be a fearsome Hunter.”

 

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Choice #3:

 

"A Scientist's Reverie"

 

The Ga-Matoran scientist walked home slowly, enjoying the moonlit night. The muted sounds, the darkened sights, of these Ga-Metruan nights, she whispered poetically. Clouds blew quickly across the sky, but the full moon remained unshaded.She walked into the vast, black shadow of the Colosseum and shivered slightly. She increased her pace somewhat as she crossed the last bridge between her and her destination.Still, for a moment she paused. The gentle herald of a thunder, goes before the skies are-Suddenly a dark shape launched out of the canal below, arcing low over the bridge and carrying the Matoran into the protodermis on the other side without a hint of a splash. There was a sudden explosion above the surface, and pieces of the bridge fell into the water all around them. She feebly struck at the face of the humanoid who held her, as she was carried through the water at alarming speed. Then they suddenly halted, and through the water she could see a pair of glowing yellow eyes behind a Great Pakari, and a single finger held up to indicate the necessity of silence. Kind, though serious, eyes. Toa Naho's.She gasped as they surfaced, pulling in the air that she so desperately needed, the impact and the cold water having robbed her of what energy she had. Toa Naho kept them both low in the water, below the peaks of the small waves. The Toa scanned the surrounding rooftops and the walls of the canal. Then, without warning, submerged them both again.Projectiles splashed into the water where they had just been, sending silvery fountains into the moonlight. This time they swam a long way, Naho taking turn after turn through the canals without hesitation.They emerged in a large culvert, deep in the darkness. There was a horribly smell, and loud echoes of the water farther in the labyrinth of sewers. Surely we're safe here, she thought, her heart slowing.Release the scientist, Naho.A deep, female voice echoed into their hiding place. Naho's grip only tightened.Something fell into the water in front of them, but Naho had already made her move. They were going deeper, deeper into the sewers.You must take a deep breath, little scientist. And hold it.She did as she was told, just as an explosion brought down the tunnel, their route to safety. And they plunged again.Rushing water, black as Makuta's mind, a friend before, an enemy behind.

 

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Choice #4:

 

"Coldest Night"

"It was such a cold night when we went. It was too cold- that's what Nuju said. He told me we shouldn't have gone out tonight, but we did anyway. See, me and Matoro had been searching for our friend Kopeke for a few nights now. If we didn't find him soon, he'd be ruled dead. Then, we'd n-no longer be allowed to search for him. S-see, that's why we came out here. To find our friend."But as the night grew colder, we found that we had to retreat into a cave. As we now know, this was the worst mistake either of us ever made. For when the winds came in, the entrance was an entrance no longer. The once-life-giving portal to survival had become an iced-over trap- and a tomb. The cave was long- longer than any cave I'd ever been in. We realized we would never be able to dig our way out, and so we yelled. We yelled for hours. We yelled until our throats were sore, and then we tortured ourselves so that we would keep yelling. "But help never came. We found Kopeke, though. Oh, yes, we found him. Corpse preserved by the cold when we found him there, a slab of stone and an etching pen in his hands. It was almost a day later that I discovered how appeasing Matoran is when you're starving. If not for this discovery, I wouldn't have outlived Matoro. See, there was something else in the cave. We could always feel it, but we never knew when it would come. The first time, we offered what was left of Kopeke. The second, all I had to do was shove Matoro back. Just one shove bought my escape. And yet, I can still hear him. Why does he still talk to me?"With no light, I am the prey to hunter, always hunting me in the dark. And one day, very soon.""Is that all?""Yeah, that's where it ends. Nothing else. Turaga Vakama- do you know who's writing this is?"Vakama looked mournfully over the slab once more. "Unfortunately, this is definitely Takua's writing," he sighed deeply, "I knew he'd been missing, but I hadn't expected this. You said this has been buried for...""Three weeks.""Hmm. Contact Nuju immediately. He might know something about this.""Um, sir? He's currently hunting for more bodies right now. No one's seen him in days."

 

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Choice #5:

 

"Stars"

Lyke sat by himself in the dark. He was used to it, and he generally enjoyed it, but the jungle at night always disconcerted him. The way the tree canopies blocked the sky made him feel claustrophobic.

He jumped as he heard a rustling in the bushes, and instinctively grabbed a stick and thrust it toward the noise. Konepu barely had enough to leap out of the way before being impaled.

"Woah, Lyke!" he yelled. "No need to be so jumpy. Everything that can kill us is asleep!"

Lyke blushed behind his Akaku. He had a point. "Sorry-- where you able to find the nest?"

Konepu shook is head. "I went as far back as the river but I couldn't find any nests." He looked up. "We've still got some time left before light and I don't want to come out for another hunt tomorrow if I can avoid it. Would you mind checking south toward the coast? I can keep an eye on our stuff this time."

Lyke chucked aside his stick. "Certainly. If the glowbug nest is out there, I'll find it."

"And look carefully. I don't want to have to tell Matau we couldn't find Le-Koro's precious light source. We've been borrowing enough lightstones from the Onu-Matoran and they won't be happy to lend us another emergency supply."

Lyke offered a solute. "I'll do what I can, boss. Don't let the swamp rats get my berries." And with that he took off.

Lyke took out a lightstone so he wouldn't kill himself while bushwhacking. But when he came to a clearing, he put it away. Partially so his eyes could catch the soft glow of a glowbug nest, and partially because the stars where out- and he loved looking at them. Even where the rest of the Matoran wanted to look down, Lyke wanted to look up. Oh, he understood why no one shared his sentiments- Rahi were dangerous. Lookouts where necessary, and many precious materials necessary for defense came literally from down… in the Earth. There was no benefit to the stars. And no matter how hard he tried to persuade others to join him for late nights on the Ta-Wahi coast, he could not get anyone interested. "Science for the sake of science is a waste of time" he was repeatedly told. He acknowledge the truth in the statement, but still felt wished his fellow Matoran weren't so afraid to branch out their knowledge a bit.

His thoughts were interrupted by Konepu calling out his name. Lyke cursed- he knew he was spending way too much time out here. He got up and ran toward Konepu's voice.

"Sorry I took so long," he said. "I wanted to check out the trees for good measure. I didn't find anything." It was a lie, of course. And not a very opaque one, either.

"So you definitely weren't checking out the stars again," Konepu said sarcastically. "I know you think they're pretty, but we have a job to do. And if you had been paying attention you would have seen a nest not more than two hundred feet in that direction." He pointed back in the direction their camp was, and held up a jar of glowbugs for proof. Lyke couldn't deny his search was sloppy. He rubbed his neck with embarrassment.

"Sorry," he said. "But how can you not appreciate them? Mata Nui must have put them there for a reason."

"He also put the Le-Wahi swamps in for a reason. And I doubt it was for the benefit of Matoran. Now come on, let's head back. Matau will want these."

The two headed back to the Great Tree, the stars being blotted out by the lightstones. If only we can see them closer, Lyke thought. Maybe Matoran will appreciate them more. Discover more. Figure out their relevance. His thoughts then drifted toward his Akaku, and how the lenses allowed him to see smaller objects with greater clarity. What if he could replicate the device, modify it… and point it in the other direction?

Ideas formed wild in his head. He would build just such a device! And like a proud Ga Matoro resident shows off an ocean sunset, he would use his invention to show off the stars. And he knew just which coastline to put it on.

 

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Choice #6:

 

"Fault"

A scream.The Vortixx Eris awakened, a film of sweat on her face, and fumbled in the dark for the knife on her bedside cabinet before realizing she had been dreaming.Just as she had been dreaming for the past month.She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. She would sleep no more.* * *A few thoughtfully placed lightstones illuminated the Xian inn’s hallway and stairwell. Two flights of steps down, the corridor opened into a large lobby. Eris crossed the lobby between the front doors and receptionist’s desk and entered the inn’s modest bar and restaurant.Only a few people were awake at this hour: another Vortixx, slumped over the bar; two Matoran murmuring, their heads almost touching; and a Steltian with a scar over his left eye and a grimace on his face as though his drink was too bitter.After purchasing a frugal meal (she would eat no more of the inn’s second-rate breakfast than she had to), Eris deliberately took a seat two tables from the Steltian’s and ate silently. It was amazing that no one else could hear the boiling emotions incarcerated in her gut.One of the Matoran approached the Steltian with a few terse words. His response was equally brief, and the Matoran returned to his table, unbeknownst that he gave Eris the final proof she needed. This was the one.The Steltian finished his drink and exited the restaurant. Eris counted to three before following — risky, yes, but she was impatient. Her sheath felt heavy against her thigh.* * *The air outside the inn was cold, but it kept Eris awake.She kept her distance from the Steltian, stretching her arms and yawning a couple times as if she had just woken up. It was only an act (she tried to convince herself), but her subconscious nevertheless reminded Eris to sleep in tomorrow, or at least go to bed early tonight.When the Steltian finally looked at her, she was gazing at the sky, tinted violet by dawn. In her peripheral vision, the Steltian paused by the front display of a store as if window shopping. She didn’t stop walking till she was past him and he entered the store.No stores in Xia were open at this hour.There were two obvious possibilities: Either the Steltian was obtaining something in the store — legally or otherwise — or he was using it as a shortcut into a back alley.The third possibility, which Eris realized only after slipping into a neighboring alley, was that the store was his hideout. She prayed not.The Steltian wasn’t behind the shop. Eris approached the back door and placed her head against it, listening. Even her acute hearing could barely recognize words.“...not enough. I spent more than time getting this...”More mumbling. Something about being cheap. Then a tinkle of coins.Apparently the storeowner was a customer.When the Steltian exited, Eris had resumed her position and ploy of a tired Vortixx on an early morning stroll. She could tell he was suspicious by the glance he gave her, but he said nothing as he passed.She waited till his back was to her before leaping onto it and pressing a drug-soaked rag upon his face.He struggled mutely and then went limp. Eris dragged him into the alley and out of sight and fell to a sitting position beside his body, her heart galloping.This was it.* * *Eris’s knife was out of its sheath and resting against the Steltian’s neck when he awakened. His eyes were wary, but he otherwise displayed no surprise or recognition.“You know me,” Eris prompted.He was silent for a brief time before comprehending. “Yes,” he said, his tone markedly formal. “Yes, Eris, I do.”“You know Thora?”He was silent longer this time. “I think I’ve heard the name.”“You should. You killed her.”“I don’t kill people.”Eris’s knife hand was shaking. “You killed her,” she repeated.“I did not, Eris. That was you.”“You made me!”“You had every ability to deny the job—”“That’s false, and you know it!”“Regardless, I’m not a murderer.”“If you’d told me I’d been hired to kill her—”“You never asked,” said the Steltian.The final straw.The scream replayed in Eris’s mind. She nearly repeated it aloud. On an impulse, she pressed the knife against the Steltian’s neck—And froze.Recoiled, gut churning.Pulled it away and, cursing, ran back into the street with burning eyes.

 

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Choice #7:

 

"Escaping the Fiercest Hunter"

Kongu made his way through the jungle in the middle of the night. There was a full moon overhead, but none of the light reached below the jungle canopy. For those on the forest floor, it was as dark as the underground shadows.Ordinarily, Kongu would’ve never been out in the jungle this late, much less on the forest floor. But he had been flying his Kahu in the late afternoon, and his poor bird hurt its wing and was forced to land far from Le-Koro. After making sure his Kahu was safely roosted, Kongu started off for his treetop village, so he could return with medicine for his bird. And since the tree limbs above were filled with Fikou webs, he was forced to make the journey on the ground.Kongu heard the sound of something behind him. He knew of many predators in the jungles of Le-Wahi, and whatever was behind him was big. It could just be one of the larger, peaceful Rahi. Or it could be something out to get him.Kongu picked up his pace, leaping over tree roots and bushes. But then he heard the creature move, and a shadow leapt towards him. Using his quick reflexes, Kongu came to a halt and ducked down, and his attacker sailed over his head.Kongu managed to get a good look at the beast, despite the darkness. It was a ferocious Muaka cat. Of all the hunters in the jungle, Muaka were among the fiercest.Panic began to fill him, and Kongu started off at a sprint. He wasn’t heading towards Le-Koro or anyplace in specific; he just tried to get away from the Muaka. Unfortunately, the Muaka turned around and continued the chase.The beast was almost upon him. Kongu took a sharp turn around a large tree trunk, and the feline missed him. But it would be back. Kongu tried to brush aside his fear and think. He couldn’t outrun the Muaka, and his agility would only help him so much. He needed a way to outsmart the beast.But how could he outthink the jungle’s greatest hunter? What could possibly stop the mighty Muaka?A sudden idea came to Kongu. He jumped into the low branches of a nearby tree, and started to climb skyward. He was halfway up the tree before the Muaka below sighted him. If Kongu thought climbing would save him, he was sorely mistaken. The Muaka flexed its claws and sank them into the trees bark. The massive beast began to climb up the tree behind Kongu, tearing away the branches and foliage that got in its way.Kong climbed onto a long branch, and ran out across it. The Muaka reached it seconds later, and with a swipe of its claws broke it free. Kongu leapt at the last moment and snagged a vine hanging from another tree, and used it to swing to its trunk. But the Muaka pounced and leapt through the air, landing on the branches right below Kongu.Kongu ran and jumped, even as the Muaka’s claws slashed at the leaves directly behind him. Ahead, he saw what appeared to be a clearing beneath the treetops, and he dove into the darkness. Behind him, the Muaka leapt too. It extended its neck, and its jaws sprang towards Kongu and threatened to close down on the Matoran.Suddenly, something caught the Muaka and checked its fall. The Rahi roared, and tried to break free, but the thin strands wrapped around its legs and stuck to it. It had been caught in a Fikou web.Kongu had just been able to see the outline of the web when he jumped, and he aimed for an opening which was wide enough for him to pass through. The gap, however, was too small for the Muaka. Even as it tried to break free, the Fikou spiders moved in on their catch. They were no match for the Muaka, and the fierce cat would eventually break free. But not before Kongu could get to safety.The Le-Matoran landed safely on the ground below, and quickly resumed his journey towards Le-Koro. When he got back, he could tell all his friends of how he had bested the fiercest hunter in the jungle... in the dark, no less.

[Excelsior]

It was a close choice between 3 and 6, but I went with 3. 2 and 7 were good too. 4 was well-written, but much too dark for me.

 

May the best story win!

 

-Excelsior

Edited June 30, 2013 by Excelsior

[fishers64]

1 was the best out of this set. I really appreciated the wit. 2 I really didn't get. Not sure what the author was going for there. 3 is very good - I liked the connection between Naho and the Ga-Matoran, even though it didn't get my vote. 4 was really dark and creepy, but it was so disturbing it seemed forced; 5 is a nice Le-Matoran story that almost didn't fit the theme well; and 6 was very well done. I liked the details the writer of 6 brought to Xia, but the ending was confusing. 7 is another Mata Nui Matoran story.

 

Good luck to all.

[Velox]

Polling period over; topic closed.