City in the Dark

[Perp]

IC: Kharadak (Southern Streets)

 

WAIT WAIT HUNT CHECK SEE

 

Kharadak couldn't hear any other sounds. He stopped his baiting and took a peek around the corner.

 

Only a few small Rahi skittered about, and quickly scurried away when the Skakdi approached.

 

HUNT HUNT HUNT

 

Okay, shut up.

 

HUNT HUNT HUNT

 

I will hunt. Just be quiet.

 

HUNT HUNT HUNT HUNT HUNT HUNT HUNT

 

Just stop! Gah!

 

HUNT HUNT HUNT

 

Grrrrrrraaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhgggggggg...

 

Hunt.

 

Kill.

 

Consume.

 

The Beast in the Shadows sniffed at the air, his mind craving food.

 

OOC: Open for interaction.

[Geardirector]

IC: Wherya (Tawhito's Hall)

 

"Alright then" I muttered, hiding my discomfort both with having to work outside my comfort zone and having to ask someone else a question, "where do we go first, and what do we do?"

 

IC: Kareva (South Road)

 

Her shift in the mines were over for the day, and the Tarore walked her usual way back to Katipo, unfazed by the darkness around her. The vision she'd stored in her weapon earlier while working with the lightstones served her well now, she could see the path before her clearly.

 

OOC: Here ya go, EternalShadow

 

IC: Gallith (Hammer HQ)

 

It was a simple gesture, but coming from him it was unexpected. The Kodura bowed to his fellow specimen as he passed, his one good eye blinking enigmatically.

 

OOC: sorry about lack of posting, been a little busy. Back now though.

[The Lorax]

OOC: sorry about lack of posting, been a little busy. Back now though.

 

OOC: The same goes for me too. It's great to have exams over with. Now, where do I owe posts?

 

GM IC (Orde): "We'll move out within the hour, like Tawhito said" Orde replied to Kware's question. "I'll need to talk to Turano and then head over to Guard HQ. Before I get there though, you three could take a message there. Tell them to get all hands on deck, assemble in the training hall and I'll be over shortly to explain everything"

 

And so it was. 40 minutes later, a force Katipo Guards was assembled in front of their headquarters on the central concourse, all briefed that a small group of Dark Hunters had been discovered outside of Katipo, and it was they who had been kidnapping citizens at night. The plan was simple enough. Turano had seen enough of their hideout to know that the hunters had a bolt-hole at the back of their lair, and planned to escape further out into the uninhabited darkness of Mangaia if they were attacked. The escape tunnel was old, however, and not at all concealed. If it could be collapsed or blocked, the hunters would have a difficult time getting away.

 

Orde was taking no chances with this. He had assembled some 40 guard members for the expedition, more than enough to take down the four hunters in most circumstances. The stronger species of Katipo were well represented here, along with contingent of Matoran guards clinging tightly to their weapons. Even in this isolated underground city, the Dark Hunter's reputation was fearsome indeed. At the head of the column were the three Toa of the group: Wherya, Tarua and Orde.

 

"Move out" came the order. "Have courage, shoot straight, and fight for your brothers! Do not fear the darkness nor those who hide in it! Move out!"

 

The guards struck North-east out with a shout, a clanking or armour and the tromp of heavy boots. Away down a side street, a figure in the shadows fled away in the opposite direction.

 

OOC: So yeah, timeskip to the action. It would be nice to RP through all of this, but I'd like to get through as much stuff with the DHs as possible before Zakaro disappears in July. And elsewhere...

 

GM IC (Bo-Kal): A few minutes later, the same figure climbed through the trapdoor that lead into The Hammer's secret headquarters. "Bo-Kal!" the messenger gasped, interrupting the newly-begun meeting. "The guards are assembling for an attack! Forty of fifty of them were in the central concourse. They must know we're here and they're coming to wipe us out!"

[BionicleBordeaux]

IC:(Vosa)

 

Vosa just licked off the Blood off of him,Hey,do you hear something?

 

(Sorry I only have limited time on BZPower.)

Edited June 17, 2014 by BionicleBordeaux

[Some Random Phrase]

IC Kaltok:

Kaltok continued yelling 'EWW!' until finally opening a portal and using a towel to dry himself off. He tossed his warhammer in carelessly, and closed the portal. "No."

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

IC: Tarua (Guards)

Taking the middle, while she wasn't in front Tarua was the one lighting up the path ahead of them, letting her staff blaze with flames, letting out mostly light over heat, which could only be felt by the other Toa next to her and not much more than a simple torch would. Her other hand swung next to her, a shield on her back, as the Ta-Toa lit the road ahead for Orde to point the way.

 

IC: Eplou (Hammer HQ)

While he said nothing, the Hammer member scowled and cracked his fists, putting his helmet on and adjusting it so his eyes glinted through the tiny eyeholes, fangs razor sharp below.

Zakaro

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Kware (Streets)

 

Kware was glad they were finally moving, but something was wrong. Maybe it was the grandiose display of force--some forty individuals marching up the streets--or maybe he was just on edge now that he was on his way to get Teota back. Either way, he felt uncomfortable. He wanted this to be over with.

 

At the head of the group, Tarua's flame guided them onward. She stood in between the other two Toa. Seeing the three smaller beings guiding the group brought a wry smile to Kware's face. It always struck him as odd that Toa, smaller in stature than his own species, were significantly more powerful. He had faced one before in battle; it was the shortest and most dangerous battle he had ever participated in, and the only thing that saved him from death was the Toa code. They were a force to be reckoned with.

 

But that was before he'd met Teota, before he'd found his strengthening feeling. He might not be able to match a Toa, but the two could certainly give one a run for his or her widgets.

 

A guard bumped into Kware and knocked him out of his reverie. Scanning the area around them, Kware continued alongside the group.

[The Lorax]

GM IC: The road out of town continued for a while, just a track of discoloured dirt making its way through the wide open darkness of Mangaia. Tarua's light showed the terrain around them was dotted with large chunks of rough stone, both residue from the original tunneling of the area and the building of the city and more natural formations, the great stalagmites that towered over them. Within this giant cavern in the bowels of the earth, even their great force seemed small, and Tarua was just a pinprick of light wandering through the blackness.

 

Still, their light was strong, and it was not quenched by the ocean of shadow around it, and the group came to the edge of Mangaia. The wall loomed out of the darkness, black stone as high as the light would reach and stretching away to either side in a massive dome around the city. The rock was rough and uneven, and it was into this that their path lead. It became a low tunnel, and the path at their feet was no longer firm and easy. It became littered with smaller rocks and stones, uneven and treacherous. Their light reveled the eyes of rahi in corners of the passageway, insects drawn to the illumination. Some larger species loomed out of the darkness of side tunnels, but these stayed away, weary of the large force.

 

It was through this maze that Orde lead them on. They walked in silence for ten minutes before Orde raised a hand for them all to halt.

Quietly now. the toa of psionics said, speaking his thoughts into the minds of those around him. We are almost there. Remember that our first priority is to block their escape route. Here we go.

 

So saying, he stepped around a corner in the tunnel, and a light became visible away down the passage and around another bend. He moved towards it quietly, and felt the minds of ten beings there. Six he identified as prisoners. They were tied up and bound together, and he felt their discomfort through the telepathic link. Three hunters were with them, roughly dragging the groggy group to their feet, seemingly preparing to move them someplace else. The last hunter stood alone in the centre of their hideout, apparently on watch. Orde gave this hunter a quick mental nudge, smoothing away their worry and replacing it with boredom. He shuffled his feet a bit, before turning away from the tunnel entrance and said something to the other hunters, apparently trying to strike up a conversation. It was in this moment of distraction that Orde stepped around the last corner and into the light, followed quickly by as many other guards as could fit through the constricting entrance.

 

The cave they found themselves in was much as Turano had described it: roughly circular and about 20 bio across. Another narrow tunnel entrance open out into the back wall, and a small alcove on the left held the prisoners. The guard Orde had distracted was revealed to be a massive, hunched brute in black and silver armour. There was so much of it that his species could hardly be determined. Turning back to them, he was quick to load the kanoka disk launcher on his shoulder and raise some sort of canon. There was a deafening report and a blast of energy issued from it, streaking towards the guards.

 

This drew the attention of the other three hunters. Quickest among them to react was a lithe female in blue and green. She was a blur of movement from which knives flew with deadly accuracy. Behind her, a tall hunter clad in black and silver spikes bellowed a challenge and rushed forward. He whipped his arm thorugh the air and in response, a cloud of rocks and dust rose from the cave floor and shot outwards towards the attackers, apparently demonstrating some kind of telekinetic power. Last among the hunters was a short, horned being who whipped his six blades through the air so quickly he appeared to have three arms. It was only by looking closely that it became clear that two of the blades were in fact held by the hunter's tail.

 

The battle had begun.

 

IC (Bo-Kal): "Silence!" the Kodura roared, quickly quelling the panic rising among the hammer members. "If the guard has truly assembled to crush us, they will be moving slowly. We have time to escape this. Each of you must leave this place individually, and disperse throughout the city. Use your alibis if you need to. I will send out a message to regather once the threat has passed. Now..."

 

He was interrupted by the arrival of another messenger. "Bo-Kal!" the Tarore cried. "The guard is leaving the city. It is left exposed. Where do we strike?"

"At their headquarters" Bok-Kal replied, taking only a second to react to the change in prospects. "This is a perfect opportunity, and we may never get another like it."

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

IC: Tarua (DH Battle)

She dives downwards and rolls to the left side, allowing the more heavily armored of the Guard to focus on tanking the damage for a time while the Ta-Toa tightens her focus and her grip on her staff, freezing in place for half a second before thrusting the weapon outwards and sending a beam of twirling, spinning, high-heat flames outwards towards the telekinesis user, and away from the prisoners.

Even while she attacks Tarua is glancing to either side, keeping track of each opponent in the battle as it initiates.

Zakaro

[Perp]

IC: Kharadak/The Beast in the Shadows (South Road)

 

Consume.

 

Consume.

 

Consume.

 

The Beast sniffed at the air. It could smell prey nearby.

 

The thought of the hunt dominated the Beast's mind, as it carefully stalked in the direction its nose was leading it.

 

Click, clack, click, clack. The Beast could hear its prey now.

 

Consume.

 

Silently, intently, the Beast rounded a corner, and there was his prey.

 

A tall, amoured figure was walking down the path, its back to the Beast, who sniffed the air, taking in the glorious scent of pure protein beneath the metal.

 

The Beast would eat well today.

 

Consume.

 

Knife gripped tightly in its clawed hand, the Beast silently stalked towards the figure, preparing to cleave through the metallic shell of this morsel and dine upon the succulent meat beneath. The Beast was practically salivating.

 

Drip

 

Drip

 

Drip

 

CONSUME

Edited June 22, 2014 by Perpetual Darkness

[Hiram McDaniels]

Ic: Sorquva

Sorquva set up his business on the basement floor of his apartment. He poured a glass of whiskey and reclined in his chair. The sign outside read "Need to find things? Just ask". It was direct.

 

Ooc: open for interaction

[Geardirector]

IC: Wherya (DH Battle)

 

Light, practically everyone here needed light.

 

Except me.

 

I couldn't help but smile smugly as I ducked into a dark corner, letting my night vision and close connection with the earth all around us guide my movements better than any flame could.

 

Tarua was attacking the telekinetic. I followed suit by sending a swirling, forceful column of soil and dirt at the knife-wielding hunter from the darkness.

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Kware (Dark Hunter Battle)

 

As Kware rounded the corner, he felt a small amount of extra strength seep into his limbs. His headache began to fade to a dull ache instead of a throb. It was good thing, too, because the Dark Hunters weren't messing around. The heavily-armored sentry attacked first, firing a kanoka disk launcher in the direction of the guards. Kware couldn't see what the projectile was in the dim light, but he thought it best not to wait around to find out. He had come in hugging the left wall, but seeing Tarua go that way, he dodged to the right and ran along that wall. He didn't see the result of the sentry's attack, but the others had already followed suit.

 

Kware continued along the right wall as Tarua and Wherya attacked the telekinetic and the knife-wielder. Kware raised both of his arms and, aiming at the telekinetic, he fired a single blast from each of his kinetic emitters.

[The Lorax]

GM IC (Orde, Lariska, Devastator, Shadow Stealer, Gatherer, Teota and NPCs): The cavern shook as more and more guards squeezed through the entrance to join in the fight. Projectiles and blasts of energy were flying everywhere but the Dark Hunters stood strong. They were the world's greatest mercenaries, with more hours of combat training than most beings in Katipo had spent talking to their friends and neighbours (and thanks to the city's long isolation and small population, they had gotten to know each other quite well). They weathered the first assault, blocking or countering the guard's strikes and throwing back a few of their own.

 

"Leave the prisoners; go for the exit!" Lariska yelled just as Wheya's column of earth flew at her. The Korumine quickly rolled and ducked under the attack, but the earth impacted heavily on the wall just behind her, shrouding her a a cloud of choking dust. A few stones fell from the roof of the exit tunnel at the impact, and a pair of Skakdi with the Katipo Guard raised their powers of earth and stone to complete the job.

 

Meanwhile, Tarua's flames clutched like  at Devastator, the telekinetic hunter, like vines of the daikau plant. They reached out to entangle him but found only empty air. Similarly, Kware's blasts thudded harmlessly against the cave wall. "He's turned invisible!" yelled one of the guards, but it soon turned out that this was not the case. He had turned his body into sand, and camoflaged by Wherya's attack, has crossed the room to attack the toa of earth. He flew at her face like a swarm of insects, ready to invade her eyes, nose throat and ears.

 

As this happened, the light of the hideout changed. All of the shadows in the place moved, rushing in towards a hub where one of the hunters stood. What they left behind wasn't exactly light. It didn't illuminate anything, though it did make things easier to see. It was more of an absence of shadow, if such a thing could exist without being light. As this happened, Shadow Stealer, the diminutive hunter who had done this, seemed to grow as he absorbed them. His height didn't change, but every muscle in his body bulged with added strength, doubling and even tripling in size. It was bizarre, to watch a small, monkey-;like figure to suddenly turn into such a hulking gorilla.

 

Orde didn't wait around to stare at this unlikely event. He rushed towards the hunter, firing off strong telekinetic bursts while pressing his mind against the hunters, seeking to break his will and control him. The blasts never struck home. Shadow Stealer melted into a pool of shadow at his feet and an instant later he was rising out of another that had been left behind Orde. Strong arms wrapped around the Toa of psionics, pulling him into a headlock and crushing the breath out of him. Some of the guard ran to help him, but were stymied by the hunter's tail, which wielded its blades as effectively as any of their hands. He beat back their advances, while Orde's face turned a completely different shade of blue.

 

The last hunter, Gatherer, had retreated back to where the prisoners were, pursued by many of the guard. His armour was proving to be incredibly thick and resilient, and though it now bore many dents and a few smoking holes, it had not yet been pierced. The prisoners themselves, while they had originally been groggy, were now beginning to wake up to what was going on around them. They yelled encouragements and peas to the guard, or thanks to Mata Nui for their rescue. One, however, spotted a figure in the crowd of fighters and called his name. "Kware!"

The shout had barely left her mouth when Gatherer's fist came down hard on her head, knocking her to the ground, where she lay still. The other prisoners became very quiet.

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

IC: Tarua (DH Fight)

Oh. 

The Ta-Toa's eyes widened as the gravity of the situation set in. Those were the people she had sworn to protect. That was someone who was hurting them, without a second thought. Gritting her teeth and taking note of who she was with and the situations going on, she made a split second decision even as anger sparked inside her.

Kware would doubtlessly go after the one who had just attacked the prisoners, so as much as her heart cried out to cook the being in his armor and capture him in a melted mess of metal, she just threw a fireball at his face- from where she stood, it was easy to tilt it so that the prisoners wouldn't be in the line of fire if he dodged, and turned her attention to where Orde faced off the titan wrapped in shadows. 

That was something she needed to take care of. 

Yelling aloud as she let her powers rise, Tarua leapt forward, getting to the head of the line of guards around Shadow Stealer. Since the Dark Hunter had come up behind Orde, and so facing his back to the guards, it was simple to raise her staff and let a nearly completely white and blue flame explode towards the back of the Hunter, even while the Ta-Toa narrowed her eyes, focusing intently for any movement that might mean he was turning to use Orde as a shield and so would need to adjust the path of her attack. 

Zakaro

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Kware (Dark Hunter Battle)

 

The Dark Hunter simply disappeared before Kware's blasts could hit him. Kware froze and scanned the area where the Dark Hunter had been. Someone yelled something about him being invisible, but Kware's attention was dragged toward one of the other Dark Hunters. He seemed to be drawing shadows into himself. His body bulged with muscles. Orde charged the Dark Hunter, and recognizing the danger this Dark Hunter posed, Kware started to do the same.

 

"Kware!"

 

That voice. Mata Nui, that voice.

 

Energy pulsed through Kware's body as his limbs seemed to harden and the remnants of the pain in his head vanished. That feeling he had so long been accustomed to returned, invigorating his body and mind. The power rushed over him--and then it stopped as abruptly as it had begun.

 

Kware jerked his attention toward the alcove where the prisoners were held just in time to see one of the Dark Hunters following through with a punch and Teota slumping to the ground. All sounds in the cave faded. His peripheral vision darkened. All he could see was the Dark Hunter.

 

Drawing on the strength he had already absorbed from Teota's love, Kware pulled his mace off his back and charged toward the Dark Hunter.  A fireball seared toward him. Tarua. Kware would have to thank her later. He raised his left arm and fired a kinetic blast as he approached, and then raised his mace to prepare a swing.

 

He had killed many individuals in his lifetime. Time to add a Dark Hunter to that list.

[The Lorax]

GM IC (Orde, Shadow Stealer, Gatherer): Tarua's flickering flames created new shadows, and rather than absorbing them for further strength to break Orde's neck, he disappeared into them, appearing among a group of guards and causing havoc among them. With the raging flames dismissed, Orde fell to his knees, gasping for air and recollecting his weapons from where they had fallen. Other guards rushed to surround their Toa, helping him to his feet.

"Thank you, Tarua" he gasped, before descending into a coughing fit. "Needed that".

 

Seeing Kware's challenge, Gatherer rose up to meet it. He swatted the fireball away with a freezing kanoka, and then lumbered up to the angry Hirohi, easily catching the mace blow on his shield. To follow up, he slashed viciously with his blade at Kware's midsection and began charging up his energy canon.

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

IC: Tarua (DH Battle)

She only nods as she focuses on the Hunter who had just escaped her attacks and quickly figures out a different plan of attack that wouldn't allow him such easy escape. 

No beam or flare of flames came from her staff this time, just a narrowing of her eyes as they tracked the figure through his tussling with the guards. And slowly, surely, his armor would begin to heat up, the warmth increasing exponentially as the air around the Ta-Toa doing this dropped a few degrees and brought in a slight, cool breeze. Soon she hoped to make it searingly hot, then scalding, and perhaps beyond if Tarua could keep it up to that point.

Zakaro

Edited June 24, 2014 by Zakaro

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Kware (Dark Hunter Battle)

 

The jarring contact of his mace on the Dark Hunter's shield resonated through his arm, but Kware ignored the pain. He lunged backward, partially succeeding in avoiding the Dark Hunter's attack; the blade gouged his armor and left a shallow scratch along his stomach. He felt that one a little more, but he'd had much worse.

 

The Dark Hunter's cannon began to charge. Lifting his left arm, Kware fired a kinetic blast at the cannon. He hoped it would damage the cannon, or even break it off, but he would be happy if it simply skewed the weapon enough that it would miss. As soon as he fired the kinetic blast he ducked and swung his mace low and wide, aiming for the Dark Hunter's feet. It was an awkward attack, and a bit of a stretch--dodging the Dark Hunter's attack had placed him a few paces away--but he needed to keep the Dark Hunter busy. Even if the attack missed, it would hopefully keep him a little off balance.

[The Lorax]

GM IC (Gatherer, Shadow Stealer, Orde, NPCs): Gatherer pressed forward, preparing to block once again with his shield as he raised the energy canon to chest height and blast Kware point-blank. The shot never reached its target. Just as Gatherer pulled the trigger, his weapon was hit with a strong kinetic blast, and shocked at the moment when it was most charged, full of destructive energy begging for release. The canon exploded.

 

Bright white light filled the entire cavern, blocking out everything else for a time with its intensity, even the thunderclap sound it made and Gatherer's scream of pain. When the light receded enough that the epicentre  could be seen, Gatherer was lying in a shallow crater, gouged out of the bedrock. His armour was cracked and splintered, and his  whole right arm and shoulder was a ruin. with blood dripping out of the charred remains of the limb at an alarming rate. Kware, who had fortunately been further from the source of the blast, was thrown backwards. Behind them all, the prisoners seemed shaken but mostly uninjured, Gatherer had put a good distance between them and himself when he went out to respond to Kware's challenge.

 

 

All throughout the battle, the effects of the explosion were being felt. Fighters paused to throw their hands over their eyes and ears, unable to strike a blow when such blinding brilliance stole their vision. For Shadow Stealer in particular, the light was devastating. His sensitive, shadow-adjusted eyes screamed at him, while the total elimination of all shadows in the cave cut off his source of strength. His muscles began to deflate like punctured tyres, and in his current state of disorientation, he was unable to reactivate the power to draw in more, even once that shadows returned. On top of this was Tarua's heating of his armour, and it burned his flesh like a swarm of hot pokers. He yelled out, but was unable to ward off the sources of his discomfort, or even to move at all.

 

Orde, who was back on his feet and surrounded by a protective shell of guards, had locked eyes with the hunter and held them with a fiery intensity. Shadow Stealer's weakened and confused state had allowed Orde access to his mind, and acting quickly, the Toa had taken control and and countered any impulse to movement with a command of his own. Frozen and fighting a losing battle within his own mind, all he could do was stare back at Orde in dumb rage and fear as the guards he had been fighting quickly disarmed him, knocked him out and bound him within a block of stone created by a Skakdi.

 

Two Dark Hunters were down, leaving only Lariska, who was dueling hand-to-hand with several guards at once, and Devastator, who was attacking Wherya.

[Samus Aran-Bounty Hunter]

IC: Tarua (DH Battle)

Alright, this was good. Half the attacking Dark Hunters were down (were they defending? attacking? Tarua wasn't sure on how that worked at the moment, but that's digressing.) , so it was time to capture the other two. 

 

Let's see. She couldn't do much to help Wherya at the moment, so Tarua turned her attention to the other Hunter, the one with the knives. Knowing this one would doubtlessly be able to throw those projectiles, the Toa opted to get her shield off her back and onto her arm, so it could be used to defend her front versus her back.

 

With that precaution in mind, she quickly decided upon a course of action and raised her staff for a second before tapping it on the floor. A small snake of flames sprouted from the tip of where her weapon met the stone, and it slithered its way quickly over to where Lariska was fighting off a group of guards. It slipped under a guard's feet, having reached it's full length of about 3 feet of snake-like flames, and reared up at the Korumine's ankles, lashing out with scalding tongues of heat and aiming to singe the feet of the Hunter, to perhaps slow her down and stop the constant fluid motions of her fighting.

Zakaro

[The Lorax]

GM IC (Lariska, Orde, NPCs): Lariska's primary skills were her speed and accuracy, as she was proving to an increasing number of guards. She was the only visible Dark Hunter left, and the force swarmed in around her. Those who could not crowd into the circle around her were left just to stare at the strong, smooth, deadly finesse on display. Lariska's fighting style, however, made Tarua's flames largely ineffectual. Moving at such speed, she moved through the fiery rope like swift fingers through a candle flame, never staying in contact long enough to get burnt. It wasn't too much longer, however, before she was overwhelmed by sheer weight of numbers.

 

Orde put in a well-placed rhotuka and a sudden force-field blossomed between the Korumine and a Tarore guard whom she was about to gut and swing past. Suddenly unable to move in that direction, Lariska turned to find herself face-to-face with a line of Kodura, all with their kinetic weapons trained on her. There was nowhere left to go, and the combined blast threw her right through the press of guards around her. She hit the ground limp and unconscious before skidding a little further to fetch up against the cave wall where the prisoners had been.

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Kware (Dark Hunter Battle)

 

Light.

 

Darkness.

 

Pain.

 

With a sharp half-grunt, half-exhalation, Kware's eyes snapped open. He knew he was awake, but aside from the ache that covered his body, his senses were slow to respond to his consciousness. The area around him spun and twisted erratically and a high-pitched whine assaulted his ears.

 

Slowly, the room stopped spinning and the whine faded. He blinked and focused his eyes on the Dark Hunter--what was left, anyway. Kware's shot at the cannon had been a little more devastating than he had expected. The explosion had done a number on the Dark Hunter and knocked Kware back against a wall. He hoped the prisoners were--

 

The prisoners.

 

"Teota..." The word came out as a croak. Kware grunted and tried to stand. His limbs protested, but finally obeyed. On his feet, he steadied himself against the wall and turned his attention to the prisoners. A sigh of relief escaped him. They didn't appear to have been too badly affected by the explosion.

 

Stumbling over to where Teota lay, Kware knelt down. She was still unconscious. Kware gingerly lifted her upper body off the ground and embraced her. Cooling, soothing energy seeped into his limbs. He held her for a long moment. He wanted nothing more than to stay here with her until she woke up.

 

However, he could still hear sounds of battle, and Teota wasn't safe until all the Dark Hunters were dead or otherwise incapacitated.

 

"Keep an eye on her, would you?" Kware said to the other prisoners. A knock to the head probably didn't compare to the pain they had all been subjected to, but he was worried about it all the same.

 

He lowered Teota back to the ground and, rising, turned back to the main cavern, just in time to see the female Dark Hunter hit the ground hard and skid. That was another down. He picked up his mace and stepped out of the alcove. It took him a moment to see that the shadow-stealing Dark Hunter was also incapacitated. One to go.

[Geardirector]

IC: Wherya (DH Battle)

 

My hands rush to cover my face, letting out a spiraling blast of soil and dirt as my back bumps into the cavern wall. This is not a question of how or when, but if. If it works, all's well and good, if it doesn't, well let's not talk about that.

Edited June 26, 2014 by Gyro Gearloose

[The Lorax]

GM IC (Devastator): Adding more airborne particles to the cloud of dust, earth and sand did very little to deter Devastator's attack. Some of his sand was caught up with clods of earth, but millions of tiny grains continued to worm their way into the crevices in Wherya's armour and around her face. Some grouped together behind her mask, and more joined them, forcing it away from her face. Other, smaller collections formed from those grains that had wriggled into her mouth and ears. Only a few millimeters across, these aggregates of stone punched hard into soft tissues, continually rocketing around inside her as Devastator used his new body to devastating effect.

[Geardirector]

IC: Wherya (DH Battle)

 

I gargled something incomprehensible as I fell against the wall. My most recent cigarette long gone and my consciousness about to go the same way.

Edited July 3, 2014 by Gyro Gearloose

[The Lorax]

IC (Orde, Tarua, NPCs): The guards were making quick work of bundling up the defeated Dark Hunters and readying them for transport back to Katipo, but one still remained to fight them. Exactly how that was to be done, however, was far from obvious.

"Do we shoot the sand-thing?" a Rori asked.

"No, or we'd only hurt Wherya" a Tarore replied.

"But we can't just let it kill her" a matoran put in. "Orde, can you mind-control it to keep still, like with that other one?"

The Toa of psionics focused his concentration on Whenya's coughing and gagging form, but then quickly returned his mental presence to the group of guards.

"Not easily" he admitted. "That thing's body is so different from anything I'm used to controlling. A thing with arms and legs, and a mind built to move them I can deal with. But a mind that is driving millions of grains of sand all at once like they were limbs is just too alien to me. I would be trying to open a lock with a twig, it's just..." He cut himself off as Wherya's mask at last parted company with her face and fell to the cave floor. Barely a second later, the toa's face was assaulted anew by so much sand it could no longer be seen.

 

And then Tarua was there, trying to wipe away the grains with her hands. The sand came off in clods, and immediately attacked again. Wherya's face cleared for barely half a second, but that was all the time Tarua needed to whip off her own mask of intangibility and slam in onto Wheya's face. "Come on, Wherya" she muttered even as the sand started coming for her. "Fight this thing. Activate the mask".

 

Seeing what Tarua was doing, Orde did what he could he help. He entered Wherya's mind, not to force it down and control it, but to lend Wherya's fading consciousness his own mental strength and will. He couldn't activate the kanohi himself, but he could give Wherya the best chance possible.

[Some Random Phrase]

IC Kama:

Kama would do something, but even he could see that hasty action would be fatal to somebody. So he focused on watching the prisoners.

[Geardirector]

IC (Orde, Tarua, NPCs): Wherya's face cleared for barely half a second, but that was all the time Tarua needed to whip off her own mask of intangibility and slam in onto Wheya's face. "Come on, Wherya" she muttered even as the sand started coming for her. "Fight this thing. Activate the mask".

 

Seeing what Tarua was doing, Orde did what he could he help. He entered Wherya's mind, not to force it down and control it, but to lend Wherya's fading consciousness his own mental strength and will. He couldn't activate the kanohi himself, but he could give Wherya the best chance possible.

 

IC: Wherya (DH Battle)

 

It was Orde's bolstering of my will that dragged me back to the material plane and allowed me to follow Tarua's instructions. And so I did, activating the Mask of Intangibility to slide way from the Dark Hunter's assault.

[The Lorax]

GM IC (Devastator, Tarua): As the mask glowed into life, the cloud of flying sand passed harmlessly through and out of Wherya's body. He swirled around angrily as an amorphous dark mass, but found himself unable to further attack the toa of earth. With her wearing Tarua's mask, however, a new new target became immediately obvious. The Toa of fire was, for the moment, maskless, weakened, and dangerously close to the sand-cloud.

 

That window of opportunity closed with the force of a heavy stone portcullis being dropped on Devastator's head. Tarua had scooped up Wherya's mask of memory and placed it firmly on her face. With the rush of energy it gave her, she began to glow white-hot. Any sand that tried to worm its way inside her would be quickly turned to glass, a transformation that, she suspected, would be fatal to the Dark Hunter.

 

As of to confirm her thoughts, Devastator backed up quickly, shying away from the intense heat. His sand form had almost killed one toa, but with another on the scene, it had become a liability. The sand cloud swirled faster and coalesced, transmuting itself back into the black armoured titan wielding a heavy stone sword.

 

 

Throughout all of this, Orde remained in Wherya's mind, bolstering her strength, feeling out her body for injuries and funneling his own energy to keep her kanohi active.

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Kware (Dark Hunter Battle)

 

Kware had remained still while the others battled the Dark Hunter in sand form. Now that he was back in solid form, Kware could help. He fired a kinetic blast and then activated his Shelek, focusing its power on the Dark Hunter. It was usually better suited to surprise attacks, but in his own experience, sound was just as important in battle as sight. Hopefully he could put this Dark Hunter at a disadvantage.

 

IC: Teota (Cave Alcove)

 

"That was some impressive work."

 

Teota stepped back from Dior's body and raised her arm toward the approaching Hirohi. He stopped his approach, but kept his unflinching gaze on her.

 

"And who are you?" Teota asked. The Hirohi was strangely relaxed, but she got the impression he could spring into action in an instant should she attack.

 

"Name's Kware."

 

Teota remained silent and scanned the area behind the Hirohi.

 

Kware's eyes drifted to the dead Kodura and then back to Teota. "Do you kill all your suitors?"

 

"What makes you think he was a suitor?"

 

A hint of a smile crossed his face. "I know mad love when I see it."

 

"Then I'm sure you can see I don't much appreciate it." A pause. "You're not a mad suitor, are you?"

 

"Mad? No. Suitor?" He shrugged.

 

Teota kept her weapon trained on the Hirohi for a few moments longer before finally lowering it. Karz if she knew why, but thank Mata Nui she did.

 

"My name's Teota."

 

"She's waking up."

 

Teota felt like a glob of congealed protodermis slowly seeping back into reality. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered why it was taking so long. She was usually able to recuperate more quickly. The words "pain gun" rocketed through her brain like a deranged Toa of Sonics, and she knew why.

 

She grabbed her head where the Dark Hunter had hit her. It hurt, but then, what didn't? With a grunt, she pushed herself upright. She was still in the alcove with the other captives, but their guard was dead. She wouldn't be surprised if Kware was responsible. Looking out into the main cavern, she could see her husband among Katipo City Guard, firing a kinetic blast at what appeared to be the last Dark Hunter standing.

 

Hopefully, this would be over soon.

Edited July 4, 2014 by (Daedalus)

[Geardirector]

IC: Wherya (DH Battle)

 

A wave of soil rose up to greet Devastator when he'd retaken his solid form. Fueled by Orde's assist I had made it to my feed, and it was time for payback.

[The Lorax]

GM IC (Devastator): As the wave of earth rolled towards him, Devastator's outline blurred for a moment as he momentarily transmuted himself back into a cloud of sand. A puff of grains emanated from his chest as Kware's kinetic blast struck home, and those that had made up his legs were scattered by the wave, but then the next moment they flew back in to take their places and Devastator was flesh and bone once again. He couldn't attack with his sand, but it certainly still had its defensive uses.

 

With a bellow, the hunter charged at Kware, holding his huge stone sword out in front of him. As he did, he took the Hirohi in his telekinetic grip and pulled him through the air towards him.

[Some Random Phrase]

IC Kama:

Kama finally saw someplace wher ehe could be useful. He activated his ability and flashed forward, kicking at Devastator's ankle with his considerable strength, hoping to knock the Dark Hunter over.

[The Lorax]

GM IC (Devastator): The sudden attack surprised Devastator, and the hunter fell maladroitly to the ground, ending up on his hands and knees and releasing his telekinetic grip on Kware.

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Kware (Dark Hunter Battle)

 

When the Dark Hunter charged, Kware tried to move, but he was locked in place. The Dark Hunter must have some telekinetic powers. Wonderful. Kware wriggled and squirmed, trying to get out of the charging Dark Hunter's path. And then a guard appeared and slide-tackled the Dark Hunter. Kware was suddenly able to move. He ran toward the Dark Hunter and leaped, swinging his mace overhead.

[The Lorax]

GM IC (Devastator): Kware brought his mace down hard onto Devastator's back, using all the momentum of Devastator's own pull against him. It struck with a loud clang of metal, and Devastator slumped forward, unconscious.

 

OOC: This fight was fun, but it has gone on long enough. Time to end it. Congratulations, Katipo Guard! You now have four unconscious Dark Hunters to bring back to town for interrogation and the captives have been saved.

[The Lorax]

OOC: Nobody wants to post and celebrate this victory or start pondering what comes next? Well OK then, 12 hour rule and all. I'll skip us ahead to when we get deeper into this mystery.

 

GM IC (Katipo City Guard): The fight was over, and, by all accounts, the mission had been a raging success. They had four Dark Hunters bound and unconscious, none had escaped and the guards themselves had suffered no casualties. Some few had suffered injuries from Lariska's knives and stray blasts from Gatherer's arsenal, but in the end, weight of numbers had kept them safe. On top of that, the prisoners had all been rescued, and no further harm had come to them.

 

Orde soon had the group forming up to march back to the city. Each Hunter had four guards carrying them, alert for any signs that they could wake up and attempt an escape. Teota,meanwhile, was carried safely home in Kware's arms, while the other kidnapped citizens of Katipo were treated with equal gentleness, either carried back or supported by strong guards if they felt strong enough to walk themselves. The trip back was marked by good spirits among the group, and the darkness around them, while still almost complete, felt less oppressive than it had before, when they had known it to conceal malevolent forces. At the head of the column, Tarua's pillar of fire burned bright, both to give light to the guards and to act as a beacon to those waiting in the city and announce their triumphant return.

 

By the time they fully reentered Katipo, evening was coming on and the lanterns that lit the city were dimmed. Turaga Tawhito met them at the edge of town, and the prisoners were quickly deposited in separate prison cells underneath Guard HQ. They were to remain there, bound and sedated, until they could be questioned the next day. Each was searched for any hidden weapons, and these were removed along with small devices that each of the hunters wore at their necks. Each was the size of a large coin, and a small light blinked at the centre. The purpose of these things could not be identified, but they were confiscated nonetheless.

 

Night had truly fallen by the time this was completed and all of the guards and prisoners had been sent home to rest after a brief trip through the healers' houses. The Dark Hunters also had some attention given them, or at least enough that their injuries would not prove fatal. It was not for many hours after this, however, when Katipo's artificial dawn was almost breaking, when Orde was finally able to drift off to sleep. His mind had been restless throughout the night. He had only rested an hour before a messenger reached his house, summoning him to a meeting at Guard HQ.

 

Turaga Tawhito was re-assembling the group who had met the day before to both interrogate the hunters about their purposes in coming to Katipo and to discuss what they could do next.

[Some Random Phrase]

IC Kama:

Extremely bored, Kama could not think of anything to do while on gaurd duty. He had raced several carts, twirled his weapons forty-zillion times, and had also tried some acrobatics.

[(Daedalus)]

IC: Teota (Kware and Teota's Dwelling)

 

The darkness pushed in around her, screaming and clawing at her body.

 

"Where is it?"

 

Teota's mouth opened as she joined the darkness in it's ghastly song, her voice mixing with others and then fading. She writhed as her body was enveloped in invisible flames, flames hotter than anything any Toa of Fire could produce.

 

"The questions remains the same: where is it?"

 

The torturer's voice was reaching a maniacal pitch, but even as the words fell on Teota's ears they were drowned out by a thumping noise that resounded throughout the cave. It thundered once, twice, three times. The torturer glanced behind him and then brought his face down close to Teota's.

 

"You won't leave until you answer! WHERE IS IT?!" He screamed his final question as the thunder returned.

 

"Stop, stop, STOP!"

 

"Teota!"

 

Teota's eyes flew open. A pair of amber eyes floated above her. Panic rose into her chest and she threw her hand up at the eyes. A soft grunt emanated from where her fist struck. Teota rolled to her left. She fell to the floor with a thump.

 

"Teota, it's me! Kware."

 

Kware. The image of her husband arose in her mind. She froze, breathing hard.

 

"Teota, it's okay. You're safe."

 

The thumping returned, followed by a muffled voice.

 

"Look, I'll be--I'll be right back. Just... I'll be back."

 

She heard Kware walk across the room to the door. It creaked open.

 

"Are you Kware?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Turaga Tawhito requests your presence for another meeting." A pause. "Your wife, too, if she can manage."

 

"Okay, thanks."

 

The door closed, and Kware's footsteps returned.

 

"Are you all right?"

 

Her breathing slowed, Teota rolled onto her back and slowly sat up. Kware was crouched near the foot of the bed, concerned gaze fixed on her.

 

"I'm sorry, Kware. I just--"

 

"It's okay," he said softly. He moved in between Tetoa and the bed and placed his left hand on the side of her head. "Are you okay?"

 

"I'm-- yes. I just-- I had a nightmare, about the... the..." She shook her head. "I'm fine. I can... I can stand." To prove her point, she placed one hand on the bed and rose to her feet. She was steadier than she had expected. The Dark Hunter's torture weapon didn't seem to have any lasting effects.

 

Physically, anyway.

 

Kware stood and stared into her eyes. She held his gaze as he studied her.

 

"Are we going to that meeting?"

 

Kware frowned, taken aback. "That--I hadn't thought about it. I don't think you should--"

 

"I'm fine, for the most part," Teota said, looking down at herself. "I feel rested." When he still didn't look convinced, she pointed to her head and added, "It's the... the memories I have to worry about. This meeting will give me something to do, to keep me, to keep my mind, occupied. That's what I need right now."

 

Kware stood still for a moment, obviously debating within himself. Finally, he nodded. "Then we'd better get moving." He never took his eyes off of her as she started putting on her armor. "And Teota?"

 

"What?"

 

"I love you. More than anything. You being gone..." His voice trailed off, his eyes uncharacteristically misty.

 

"I love you, too, Kware. More than anything." At least, that's what she meant to say. The last couple words caught in her throat.