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Six Kingdoms: Apocalypse -- Gameplay Topic (IC)


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IC Kanohi and  “Collector” - Tobduk-Koro

Collector glanced at their hand, “Sorry, I had not noticed. The blade as I said produces enough cold to freeze water, and the lofting cold can be … calming to me.” They paused, thinking, “Our meeting might be fortuitous. I do not know much of the Aspects. Perhaps you could inform me of some of the details of your breed? And the costs of desecration.

Kanohi felt his heartlight flutter, and slid to the ground. “O-of course, it’s obvious. My apologies, I should have known. I should have thought of that. They are still s-slaves. That … that should not continue.” He rubbed his head, drumming his mask.

Fool, he should have known. For every grain of wisdom and understanding Kanohi had gained, his ignorance still dwarfed his realizations. He … he needed to remember this, as a Matoran he had privileges that no Vahki or Vortixx knew. And no matter how well he meant, he still was unaware.

But still, the fact was that while the Vahki had to be freed, if Tobduk-Koro attacked the ruins of the city, there could be war. And Kanohi could not brave that, could not risk more deaths. S-so many are dead. S-so many. He was … he was a coward. Karzahni, lives were on the line!

Finally he looked up and said, “I … I had thought too small previously, but I did have a plan I was going to propose, to send a small group to scavenge the outskirts of the flooded remains of Metru-Nui, and salvage some of the tech of the sunken Vahki hives, so a hive could be built here. But, perhaps that team could instead try to liberate the remaining hives of the city, and free the Vahki? Break Aurax’s control over them? I … forgive me if I speak nonsense, I am not very skilled at advanced technology.

OOC: @Toru Nui

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"Danger is the anvil on which trust is forged"-Jaller(Jala) :smilejala: 
"We're on our own here-like we've always been-and we'll stand or fall on our own"-Tanma
"He may seem slow and strange to you, but his simple words often carry a hidden wisdom"-Turaga Vakama on Kapura

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IC: Whisper - Kini Nui/Ruins of Stone

Change was something Whisper had always strived to embody and embrace, but her circumstances had shifted so rapidly in the past month that she was still struggling to keep up. 

After decades of stagnation, she had taken great strides towards completing her wish. She had encountered new people, new places, new powers. She had borne children into the world, and spread their power among the populace of the village she'd been welcomed into. But more than anything else, what had changed most was her perspective. 

She understood how it felt to be alive. To breathe in and out, to feel blood pumping through her veins, to see and smell and experience... her day co-inhabiting Vulimai's body had been a gift unlike anything she'd experienced before or since. Shere had been no blood and battle, no pain and punishment, but even the mundane day had been utterly marvelous. But with the exhilaration had come a measure of regret, for now she understood what she had taken from the beings she had killed in the past. 

It had left her with ever more questions, and doubts that had deepened with every day she'd spent since, existing amongst the villagers as they relocated and renewed their lives in this new location. Were the powers she offered truly worth the blood price that they came with? Were there other rites out there that could help her share her gifts while causing less death, as the Infectious Kraata taboo had? If this world had previously been inhabited by Matoran and Toa, then what had the purpose of Aspects been during their time? What was the point of Aspects now?

Both Stannis and the Administrator had spoken of the past, but Whisper had been too preoccupied on other goals to truly take in what they'd had to say. She regretted it now. She needed that knowledge, to help her make sense of this world and her place in it. Fortunately, what she sought was within easy reach.

She drifted across the valley towards the portal of kaleidoscopic colour that led through to the Ruins of Stone. From what she understood, the Administrator was simultaneously present in all of the temples. The strange entity hadn't spoken kindly of Aspects, but it had spoken of them with the kind of certainty that could only come from someone intimately knowledgeable of a subject, so she hoped it had the information she sought... and could be persuaded to share it.

She floated through the portal, finding herself in a chamber similar to the final room of the temple she'd seen in the swamp.

"Hello, Administrator?" She called out, "I wish to speak with you."

@Unreliable Narrator

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IC: Vulimai (Kini-Koro)

Keeping guard from inside of a watchtower, overseeing the silver lake of Kini-Nui, Vulimai gazed out towards the growing village in the hills, Kini-Koro, and the Matoran who worked within it. Vulimai let out a sigh of relief, a brief flicker of hope still burning within her. A month ago, the Matoran were sorrow-stricken, mournful, and without hope; but now? Smiles were upon her people's faces, them taking satisfaction and joy from a long days work, each Matoran working together to at last, build a home that will stand. They truly did come a long way.

A month prior, Vulimai's hope was for the Matoran to return to Metru-Nui, to establish a home. But that hope died when she learned of the city's sinking. Vulimai spoke with the Toa "King", Aurax, upon the idea of the Matoran's return to the city, and though Vulimai didn't know if he attempted to hide the truth, she found out regardless. It was a demoralizing blow, to learn that Metru-Nui was truly lost, that there was never to be a triumphant return to it.

But hope was not completely lost yet, as Toa Orieus soon returned and brought news of the Matoran village, Tobduk-Koro, and of the ancient ruin it surrounded, one that held a portal to paradise. Vulimai dared to allow herself to hope, as memory of another ruin to the south peaked within her mind. She knew she was desperate now, but at that point, it was a desperation she had to follow.

When Vulimai had brought the news, there was initially protests, outrage, and fear at the thought of abandoning yet another home for some distant hope. But the Matoran needed hope more than ever, and Vulimai wasn't going to give up on them. With the help of Knichou and the Taku, the Matoran began their migration south. Fear and trepidation continuing to fill the Matoran's minds, till the reuniting with the transformed Toa Leklo, and his news of the NUVA portals activation.

At last, the Matoran had hope for a brighter future, and that hope had so far continued to rise, with the establishment of Kini-Koro. Yes there were a few initial surprises and tough decisions, such as Atamai and their Kaita Mech, the apparent return of Nuju, and what to do with the transformed Matoran, but Vulimai had taken it all in strides. For the first time, in a long time, Vulimai felt like she could finally relax.

...

This is Stannis Maru on the Ambling Alp. I am—as the hotshots said in Le-Metru—coming in hot and am way out of my element.

Karz, Vulimai lightly swore beneath her breath, her radio picking up Stannis' signal. Looking up towards the sky, Vulimai could make out to rapidly approaching shape of the Ambling Alp as it peaked over the valley. Immediately moving into action, Vulimai tuned into the Kini-Koro radio network, delivering a message to the operator on the other side to get the Matoran to return to their homes as quickly as possible. After that she began to tune her connection to get a hold of Knichou.

But not simply being one to stand by, Vulimai leapt into action. Literally so, as she vaulted over the watchtower's railing and began to slide down the side of it, her armor adapting to the sudden acceleration and rapidly forming thrusters along her feet and hips to slow her descent, her legs bracing for impact. Taking a half-second to steady herself, Vulimai began to sprint, trying to find a large enough flat area where Stannis could at least crash land with no injury or damage to Kini-Koro itself.

Reaching up to her comn bead, her armor bracing her body and propelling her forwards, Vulimai called out to Knichou. "Toa Knichou, an airship has broken into Kini-Koro airspace and is out of control. Can either you or Toa Nale fly up there to safely land the thing? I've already informed the citizens to return to their homes and am currently looking for a safe place for you to land it. Also, because I think you might want to know, it's Toa Stannis flying the ship."

OOC: @BULiK

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IC: Cravious - Skakdi of Lightning

Location - Kumu Peninsula

With - Whira, Tekmo

 

The journey to leave Irnakk’s Tooth had been both easier than going in and also super crazy hard. Once they had successfully exited, Cravious knew he never wanted to set foot there again if he could help it. Irnakk was too near, too real there. The god lingered close, never revealed yet always behind you with a heavy presence. Cravious had a few sleepless nights after that.

But as Whira filled him in on the Taboo and what would be required of him, his mind turned back to his purpose in life. Well, not widgets. His second purpose in life. Creating things. Modifying things. He spent a month teaching himself how to create merged Kanoka and further refined and honed his mask making technique. Now he was able to make a Kanohi perfectly almost every time. Once he made Whira her mask of Shadows, he wouldn’t be at fault if the process failed in any way.

After Whira directed them south, Cravious looked on in awe as the island had seemed to have deteriorated in a way that no Skakdi warband could ever cause on their own. Suddenly he doubted if Uraborask would ever return to him. To remain safe, they lowered the Cube into the water, instead of trying to navigate through the Fau Swamp, and cruised to what turned out to be the Kumu Peninsula, not the Kumu Islets. That was also a very concerning discovery, but one that could potentially be good for business. More Aspects with access to the mainland meant more Aspect bodies to build.

Testing Kanoka became much harder once they got to sea, but he had spent enough time testing the merged Kanoka to realize that while the effects were much more powerful, they were now only temporary. And the more you merged discs, the stronger the effects were, but so too were the effects even more temporary. 

Two mergings were of particular interest to him. One made things float, and the other that increased a thing’s weight. Visions of a flying Cube danced in his head, but he didn’t have time to set any plans in motion, nor even to make any detailed plans. They remained in his head for now.

His focus instead was on Whira and practicing for making the mask of Shadows. Well, kind of, he couldn’t help but work on his other projects. Like making ACRs, Aspect bodies, weapons, vehicles, and… okay the word “focus” was hard to define for him. He mostly worked on refining his mask making techniques, where “mostly” meant an amount of time more than everything else combined, but some days just barely.

The day after Irnakk’s Tooth, Cravious had confided in Sagacious and Preceptor about what the future might hold, and what he needed to find and do. A willing giver of their life was hard to come by, especially in the world they lived. Sagacious had said she would work on it. Preceptor seemed sad, which had confused Cravious, as he had never seen a Skakdi sad. Angry, yes. Furious, of course. But sad? It was weird.

One day while they were sailing south, Cravious had noted a crashed boat on the shore with his Vision Powers. Investigating, they found several Skakdi from the Rig, all dead from various large wounds and impact damage. Irnakk graced Cravious that day, as one of the Skakdi still barely clung to life, though his wounds were too grievous to be able to be healed by any of them. Cravious certainly wasn’t going to pass up a sentient Heartlight and so he had generously allowed the Skakdi to slip into the afterlife by removing it.

He debated long and hard with himself about whether he should use the Heartlight immediately to have Whira Desecrate him for the second time or wait in case a later step of her Grand Wish required it, but ultimately he decided to wait. Maybe it would come in handy later.

Well the month came to a close and they arrived at the Kumu Peninsula. The Gundunka kept confirming the Rig had been destroyed, which meant so had most of Cravious’ businesses. At least his savings were still safe, hidden from all. Cravious still had his future ahead of him. He would keep striving forward and deal with Whira if the time ever came. He had spent a good amount of time since meeting her conceiving of ways to trap her.

Cravious kept the Cube and his minions out of sight of the Aspects and Whira and he set out in search of some purified energized protodermis. Whatever that actually was.

Looking at the bleak surrounding of black rock and intimidation in the form of old bastions, he finally decided to have Whira Desecrate him the second time. Well, until a Toa showed up, that is. Which, well, one, that was surprising that the Toa wasn’t hiding, and two, that was surprising because so far, Whira and he had only seen other Aspects in this place.

The Toa was green and blue, which, if Toa were like Skakdi, and Cravious had no reason to doubt that they were, then this being was a Toa of the Green. Good protection against his Zamor Spheres, but weak against his Seismic Pickaxe. Well, what wasn’t weak against his Seismic Pickaxe?

The tools and weapons the Toa carried appeared mechanical in nature, with a shield whose edge looked like it came to a point. Which, that certainly wasn’t normal. Perhaps the edge of the shield had been sharpened into a weapon in its own right. Cravious could respect that.

Cravious’ weapons, which he had nary put away in this place, were in his hands, but remained lowered. He didn’t like having to rely on his weapons, preferring his fists, but Aspects were too tricky.

The Toa couldn’t hide from him either, since he was able to at least sense where the Toa’s mind was. Soon enough he would start being able to read minds with his Kraata. Whira just needed to get stronger.

As the Toa approached, Cravious remembered just how small Toa were. This one in particular. Cravious was already half a head taller than most other Skakdi, and Skakdi were much taller than Toa. But this Toa seemed even shorter than most Toa he had seen. Okay, the few Toa he had seen.

Cravious’ mind raced with opportunity, though. Toa were far more morally upright than Skakdi and Aspects. Perhaps he could make some kind of deal here. No idea what that deal might be, but still, opportunity abounded. Though he kept his mouth shut, as he had done since Whira and he had come to this place. There was no need to anger an Aspect out of ignorance. When they came to him to buy bodies, he held all the power. But out here, exposed on the jagged obsidian, he was just another morsel to the Aspects. Some plaything of Whira’s.

Whira could handle all the interactions. He was content to let her take all the heat of mistakes.
 

OOC: @~Xemnas~ @Toru Nui

Here at last. Time to get started with SK:A!

Edited by Kal the Guardian
Formatting.
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--------- “BRUH” -Makuta, probably ---------

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IC Stannis | Kini-Koro Airspace

20 hours ago, Tarn said:

[Nale] hastily got up, now very interested in seeing how this would turn out--and if the Toa of Stone knew how to land.

Whether the Wanderer's prophetically divining ears had somehow been able to hear Nale's thoughts over the din of chaos or simply said something serendipitously timely, he decided to add to his broadcast a final plea of, "And I have no idea how to land this thing safely."

 

4 hours ago, BULiK said:

"This is Knichou," he said, opting to leave out the usual pretense of his 'rank' so as not to confuse the old man. "There should be a gauge on the control panel marked altitude, is that dial moving? First thing's first, make sure it's stable, there should be a throttle that controls altitude. You'll want to do everything you can to slow down too, so idle the engines," Knichou continued, pausing as he realized his potential mistake "By engines I mean thrusters, that's different from the levitation throttle. Thrusters low, levitation up, but only if your altitude is going down, got it? Over."

"Ah! Hello, my friend!" Stannis nearly screamed back at the radio, managing to grasp the shaft of the radio control and depress the little joystick button in between scans of the dials and quick glances through the windows. "Can you hear or read me? Don't answer that. I am currently stable and the dial is not moving... much. I do know how to fly, it's everything else that's more not my realm of understanding. So you want me to idol the thrusting engines? What prayer should I give them?"

Under his breath, and just barely audible on the other side, he said, "Seems blasphemous, but alright..."

 

 

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IC: Knichou, Kiri-Koro, Bridge of the Taku

Vulimai's message came over the radio, and Knichou already was making his armor's radio tune into both her and the Ambling Alp's frequency while she explained the situation. He turned to Berys.

"Get us airborne and follow our-my lead, we're going in," he said to the pilot. He glanced at Nale awkwardly and remembered she couldn't fly. "Err... I'm going in."

He used his suit's radio to transmit back to Vulimai. "We're aware of the situation and are on it, stand by."

Berys slowly increased the throttle and the Taku began to hum as more and more levitation disks began impacting the levitation engines. Knichou spun the wheel to unlock the circular escape hatch at the top of the bridge while looking over to Nale.

"Why haven't I replaced the rest of your armor yet? After having seen it... closer, you might be due for a replacement anyhow." The engineer said, wincing as he finished the sentence. Smooth, buddy, insult her armor quality and appearance, you've really outdone yourself this time.

Before Knichou could add enough qualifiers to that last statement, Stannis's response arrived. Knichou was slightly startled at how loud Stannis introduced himself, but quickly refocused on the details of the situation. Knichou shook his head and transmitted back. "Turn the engines off - but not off... turn them down! Just... just stay in the air, I'm on my way."

He climbed out the hatch and looked down at Nale, too busy juggling four conversations to know how to tread in this minefield he'd created. "Uhhh.... remind me to do that sometime. I'll be back soon. "

The ex-Ghost jumped off the ship and activated his adaptive armor's boosters, flying towards the approaching airship. Berys retracted the Taku's landing gear as it raised itself into the air, and turned the ship to follow him.

Edited by BULiK
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IC: Nale Vella - The Taku (Captain's Quarters)

She raised an eyebrow. My armor...?

Nale looked over herself, taking notice of all the scratches and other blemishes in the armor she'd wore since becoming a Toa. A contrast to the parts of her that were now covered in a nanite "skin." Maybe Knichou was onto something about a full suit...

"Go lend him a hand, flyboy. Good luck."

@BULiK@EmperorWhenua

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IC, Whira: Kumu Peninsula

A Toa? Whira hadn't expected to see a Toa in the area, let alone one that seemed really friendly.

"Hello Toa. Are you lost?" she said.

@Kal the Guardian @Toru Nui

IC, Aurax: Coliseum

"I mean, we wouldn't actually settle in the mountains, but like near them, but I see your point." 

Aurax looked at the titan. "Say, how would you feel about leading an expedition to find us a new home? You would be provided with an airship and some Vahki, of course."

@Nato the Traveler

 

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IC: Knichou, Kini-Koro Airspace

Knichou steadied himself, the wind pushing his arms and legs close together, as he continued to blast towards the Ambling Alp. It began to turn away from him, and he adjusted his course slightly to compensate. He would have responded to Stannis, but the engineer knew it would be futile with the air howling past him. He was so close, he could wait to explain in person how to land. Knichou and the airship were rapidly approaching one another, and as they drew close Knichou cut his thrust and rotated mid air, then began a deceleration burn as the Ambling Alp approached. He soared over the windshield and landed on the top of the center of the airship, splaying himself flat and making handholds with his iron powers to stay attached to the top of the ship. He activated his radio.

"Wheres... the... door..."

Edited by BULiK
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IC: Xaril - The Coliseum

He did his best to conceal how eager he was for any excuse to leave the sinking city. "I'd be happy to do so, Barraki," he intoned. "But... would it not be simpler to conquer someone else's stronghold? Or even integrate with the other survivors from our universe? You made them a similar offer not so long ago." 

@~Xemnas~

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IC Stannis | Kini-Koro Airspace

"It is you. The door is on the starboard side. I'll open it now. Uhhhh  hhhh... ah! There we are." He finally found the button again, despite being distracted by managing everything else in the cockpit with only the barest of competency, and he could hear the loud whoosh of wind that poured in from the ajar access ramp. After the characteristic thump of a person falling into the airship was heard he closed the door again and returned to his pilot duties in full.

"This is where you tell me with absolute certainty that, firstly, you are not a nui-rama, and secondly, I will not die and take the entire village with me. Also, good to see you too.

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IC, Aurax: Coliseum

"I'd rather not start any unnecessary wars right now- they use resources, and right now we need all the resources we can get. As for integrating with others from the big robot, well, that is always an option, but the problem is that everyone who isn't currently in the city doesn't quite, uh, agree with my rule. If we were to try and integrate with, say, Metru-Koro, then we would all be subject to a different leadership. And I have no idea how many of the people here would want that."

@Nato the Traveler

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IC: Xaril - The Coliseum

"Very well," he nodded. "What kind of terrain should I be looking for? How much space would we need?" 

@~Xemnas~

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IC, Aurax: Coliseum

"I would try to look for terrain that's flat and solid. No sand or mud or anything. Try to pick a spot with a decent amount of space- maybe try to eyeball the size of our current civilian settlements and look for an area that can fit people comfortably, with room to spare in case we need to expand."

@Nato the Traveler

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IC: Knichou, Kini-Koro Airspace

Knichou rolled over to the starboad side, then grabbed ahold of the edge of the airframe and swung himself around, the momentum flinging him inside the ship with a thump. The door closed behind him, and he took a look around. It was a remarkably well-furnished airship, but he was sure he'd get a tour later. He turned to his right and entered the bridge, taking the co-pilot's seat and beginning to familiarize himself with the layout of the controls.

"Yes, eventually, no, and thank you," Knichou replied, succinctly addressing each point in order. He flicked a clearly-labelled switch that transferred full control from the pilot to the co-pilot, and began to adjust several dials and throttles, idling the twin thrusters and checking the levitation systems to see if any kanoka were depleted. A few kanoka had lost power, but luckily enough were still active to keep the ship in the air and with control, albeit uneven control. As he checked each system, bulbs throughout the dashboard slowly began to turn off or change from orange to green. Satisfied, the ex-Ghost pressed the button to broadcast over the radio.

"This is Commander Knichou, I'm aboard the Ambling Alp, we're steady now. Where did you want us to set down Vulimai?"

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IC Stannis | Kini-Koro Airspace

Finally done with flying the deathtrap, Stannis leaned back in his pilot's seat and folded his hands on his lap. "You're a commander now? I knew a commander once. Commander Kong... ru...ence, I think it was...?" But he didn't truly luxuriate himself in the divorcement of his landing duties and instead turned his attention to Knichou's every movement and flicker of movement. He resolved himself not to useless in future occasions, even though his heart sank at how pitiful he was currently. 

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IC: Xaril - The Coliseum

"And if I find a suitable spot with an existing settlement nearby, should I avoid the area, or attempt to make contact?" he asked. A mission like this was well outside of his usual wheelhouse, so he was trying to gauge his rules of engagement. "If I encounter anyone who wants to know where I'm going and what I'm doing, what should I tell them?" 

@~Xemnas~

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IC: Vulimai (Kini-Koro)

Dashing through the grassy fields, Vulimai cheated a glance towards the hills where Kini-Koro was located, and in the distance, she could see as Matoran were making for their homes, a few standing outside, curious about the new airship above them. As Vulimai tore her optics away and looked skywards towards the Ambling Alps, Vulimai hoped that nothing was going to go wrong as the Taku soon got close to intercept. A few more moments passed and Vulimai's comns soon lit up, as Knichou's voice came through.

This is Commander Knichou, I'm aboard the Ambling Alp, we're steady now. Where did you want us to set down Vulimai?

"Sigh...I thought we already talked about this," Vulimai whispered to herself before replying, "Can you locate my position? I am near Kini-Nui itself, a quarter-kio southwest of Kini-Koro. Land where I am, it's a flat plain here..." Vulimai was silent for a few seconds, but she couldn't help herself as she said the next part, "And also, the only commander on this comns network is speaking at the moment. So either stick with captain, or build a couple more ships. I might consider giving you the rank of admiral for that, flyboy." A smirk was on Vulimai's face as she said the last part, "That'll get to him."

OOC: @BULiK @EmperorWhenua

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IC, Aurax: Coliseum

”Well, that depends on who you encounter or what you find. If you encounter a refugee, or find a refugee settlement, and anyone asks what you’re doing, you’re free to tell them that you’re looking for a place for us in Metru-Nui to move to. Or you can say nothing. Doesn’t really matter to me. I’ll leave it up to you. 

“But if you find locals, definitely don’t tell them what you’re doing. Try not to engage them or talk to them. They seem pretty opportunistic, so if they were to get wind of our vulnerability, it could be very bad for all of us. Just, like, avoid them if possible.”

@Nato the Traveler

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IC Stannis | Kini-Koro Airspace

"Was that Vulimai? I thought he was the captain. Of the guard, granted." He considered the NATO ranking system and thought about entering a discourse on a subject he was rather decent at, then thought better about it. Instead, Stannis admired Knichou's handling of the Alp.

"You sure can fly, boy," he said humorlessly. 

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IC: Knichou, Kini-Koro Airspace

"You're a commander now? I knew a commander once. Commander Kong... ru...ence, I think it was...?"

"Oh, ok," Knichou quietly responded while he continued to inspect the airship's condition. The half-forgotten name from the old man's ambiguous story wasn't a name Knichou recognized, and he didn't feel like delving deeper would answer much. "Well, truthfully it was originally a joke, since there was some confusion between calling me the captain of the Taku, and Vulimai the captain of the guard... but I've grown into it, especially over the mov-"

The radio crackled to life and derailed the engineer's train of thought.

 "Can you locate my position? I am near Kini-Nui itself, a quarter-kio southwest of Kini-Koro. Land where I am, it's a flat plain here..."

Knichou looked through the large window, craning his neck to see where the matoran was on the ground. Acquiring a line of sight, he fired up the thrusters again and turned left towards her. Hearing the same radio message, Berys maneuvered the Taku to swing around and tail the Ambling Alp. Ever the chauffeur, the pilot had a feeling that Toa Nale would want to be at the reunion with the old man, and that Knichou would appreciate a pickup. "Way ahead of you Captain"

"And also, the only commander on this comns network is speaking at the moment. So either stick with captain, or build a couple more ships. I might consider giving you the rank of admiral for that, flyboy."

"Was that Vulimai? I thought he was the captain. Of the guard, granted."

"You sure can fly, boy,"

Clearly, Knichou's joke-turned-authority had gotten to Vulimai a bit too deeply. He sighed, having a feeling that this would be far from the last time he heard that nickname. Knichou was silent the rest of the short trip, trying to keep his mind off of Vulimai's taunting and onto the task at hand and questions he had. He engaged the landing gear and carefully brought the Ambling Alp down in the plain above the Koro. To the starboard side, the Taku did the same. As the ship settled down and the engines died, he turned to Stannis, who appeared to be watching his actions very closely. Well, maybe. It was hard for the Toa to discern much from those opaque eyes of his.

"Where have you been this whole time? I don't think I've seen you since... Po-Koro? A lot has changed since then, some of it by your hand, I suspect. Where did you get this ship anyhow?"

Edited by BULiK
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IC: Xaril - The Coliseum

"Understood," he said. "I'll depart immediately." 

@~Xemnas~

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IC: Knichou, Kini-Koro Airspace

Knichou pressed the button to open the ship's ramp and got out of the co-pilot's seat, giving Stannis a blank stare. Not angry, and not particularly surprised, but not impressed either. It had been a month since they'd seen each other, and Knichou wasn't used to this level of vagueness. He responded while walking towards the exit, glancing back at Stannis as he reached the ramp's opening.

"Last anyone saw of you, you were leaving with Aurax to Metru-Nui. Later that day, Pridak died and Aurax became king. Quite the coincidence."

Edited by BULiK
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IC Stannis | Kini-Koro Airspace

"Ah, yes..." Stannis said, slumping a little in his seat before giving a slight wink. "How bizarre, how bizarre," he said as he then followed after to disembark. 

Edited by EmperorWhenua
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IC: Vulimai (Kini-Koro)

As the two Toa walked out of the rear door of the airship, Knichou attempting to get some clarification from the elder, waiting for them at the base of ramp would be Vulimai. Her hands on her hips, staring at the two, she focused her gaze towards Stannis, her green eyes piercing through the trans-black luster of her Kanohi.

"Well if it isn't the wanderer himself, Toa Stannis. I admit, I expected you to find us, whether by accident or by 'fate'. But I wasn't expecting you to do so in an airship. Honestly, I'm more surprised that you even know how to fly one."

OOC: @BULiK @EmperorWhenua @Tarn

Edited by Sparticus147
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IC: Nale Vella - The Taku to Kini-Koro

Once the Taku was close enough, hovering by the Ambling Alp's landing spot, Nale leapt from the cargo bay. Landing on her feet with the grace of a muaka kitten that had fallen from a high tree, she turned her attention to the others...especially their prodigal friend, Stannis. It certainly had been a long while since she'd seen him, and Nale wondered what the old man had gotten up to during that time. However, the Toa of Magnetism didn't immediately speak up as not to interrupt Vulimai, but instead walked up and stood close behind the Matoran captain with her arms crossed, waiting for a chance to interject--or for Stannis to eventually acknowledge her.

@BULiK@EmperorWhenua@Sparticus147

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IC, Aurax: Coliseum

"Cool. Let's see here..." the king's voiced trailed off as he played with the heads-up display in his ACR's dome. He opened up the citizen's registry and used the facial-recognition software to determine the identity of the titan. Xaril. Aurax then swapped to another option, and sent a message to the Vahki to let them know that Xaril was going to take an airship from the lot where the last of the city's airships were docked, and to order ten Vahki to his detail.

"Alright Xaril, I've just let the Vahki know you'll be taking an airship. I've also instructed ten of them to go along with you, just in case things get messy. You're free to take anyone else with you if you'd like, though."

@Nato the Traveler

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IC Stannis | Kini-Koro

Hello Nale!” Stannis said cheerily. He breathed a long sigh of contentment, filling his chest with the crisp, alpine air that hovered all about the Kini-Nui region with a beaming sense of pride—he’d come this way expecting nothing more than the temples that had adorned the veritable tiara of Xa for millennia, but instead he’d found his friends, too, the new ones and old alike. 

And, Captain,” he said in greeting to Vulimai. “I was taught how to fly by my old Toa-Sister Leah of the Maru. She never got the chance to teach me how to land, however. It seems the welcome party has come out in full force to meet me.

It’s commander now, and well, it’s not everyday that we get visitors. And pending the kind of visitors, I personally would prefer that to be the case. So tell us, what brings you here Stannis? And what is with the airship?” Vulimai spoke up to the prophet gesturing to the Alp. Of course Stannis found Kini-Koro, him arriving here like the angel of fate that he is, Vulimai thought to herself.

Hello, Stannis,” Nale replied to the Toa of Stone, briefly uncrossing her arms to give a small wave. “Would you believe I’m the one going by captain, now?

You? The very same toa who scorned the authority of the vahki so that she could sequester Knichou and myself away from their prying mandibles and handle things on your own auspices alone? I do not believe my ears, Nale,” he said, both teasing and not at once. It was not altogether that long ago things were all very different; each of them, then, were indeed very different. 

I have come because… well, because this is the Kini-Nui, the spiritual center of this island and a ritualistic locale of undeniable importance, for those of us gifted in those senses,” he said, now answering Vulimai’s queries. “It just so happens to also be where all of you are, it seems. Destiny often works in mysterious ways, I’ve found, but it always works out in the end. As for the airship… why, it is an airship,” he said with a shrug. 

"That's... fair," Vulimai said with not much of a rebuttal towards Stannis’ answer. “And, Toa Stannis, please keep the whole Destiny spiel to yourself. We’re already getting enough of that from Nuju.”

Nale smiled at the old man’s remembrance of the past, and his classic vague answers and mysticism. “I think Commander Vulimai just wants to know where you got your ride from. I’m... curious too.

Nuju. There was that name again, Stannis thought, and he knotted his brows expressively in momentary consternation. Nuju, the Ko-Matoran seer Korruhn spoke of with great admiration?  The scholastic inventor and investigator who maintained the occult laboratory in his knowledge tower? The one who’d somehow learned and kept the first taboo sigil Caedast had encountered since witnessing the ones inscribed on Dume’s flesh wither away to ash? Destiny had worked miraculous things, indeed, regardless whether this was the same Nuju of repute or not. Stannis smiled at Vulimai, kindly and gently. “I’m afraid I do not know that name,” he lied, though it was only a half-truth indeed and one easily shrouded by twisting of words and meaning. 

He balked a second, pausing mid-syllable in his first word to explain the circumstances of the airship and all that he'd done in the time between his visit to Po-Koro and sudden arrival to Kini-Nui, and instead waved to the ground. “Come, let’s go to my office,” he said. “Let’s discuss all these things of importance while we still have each other in relative solitude. This temple complex was built for reflection and knowledge, after all, and… with many of the other luminaries of the world-that-was gone with the winds of change... we are members of the only conclave I hope to entrust, and there is much to talk about!” 

Vulimai looked towards Stannis, her face scrunching up into a grimace at the mention of following him into his ‘office.’ But regardless, Vulimai relented and bidded for the wizen toa to lead the way.

A wanderer with an office? You’ve never been the sedentary type,” Nale joked. She was unaware of the magnetic effect such rooms could have on beings.

The Wanderer simply folded his legs and sat on the ground beside his airship, right where he was standing, and beckoned his friends to join him in the circle they already found themselves in with a gentle gesture of his hand. “A wizard’s office is wherever he is.” 

Ah,” the Toa of Magnetism said, nodding in understanding. “That’s far more your style.” Without hesitation, she seated herself across from Stannis, gesturing for Knichou to join them.

Vulimai remained standing, her arms crossed before herself. Waving a free hand for Stannis to start talking. 

Thank you for joining me, sister Nale. It seems two of our friends still wait without, but we have time until they decide to join us. While we wait, how have you been?” he asked.

Better,” she replied. “I suppose you’ve noticed the change in color scheme. Knichou’s toys. I can do some pretty interesting things, now, too.

"Ah, my dear, there are many more things about you that have changes than your colors," Stannis said, looking up at Knichou with a beaming smile of expectant pride. 


@BULiK @Tarn @Sparticus147

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IC: Xaril - The Coliseum

"As you command, Barraki," he said, stooping to bow. "I'll return when I've found a suitable location." 

@~Xemnas~

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IC: Tekmo (Kumu Peninsula) - Uncharted Territory

"Oh no, no, not at all! I am simply, er, estranged from my compatriots." He was lost, but didn’t want to admit it.

"I am Toa Tekmo. I came here with others to investigate this area and its inhabitants, but it seems that we have been separated by this maelstrom of wind. Two are Toa and one is a Zyglak. I don’t suppose you’ve seen them? If not, could you provide information on my present surroundings?"

@~Xemnas~@Kal the Guardian

 

IC: Ulkarr (Tobduk-Koro) - All Power Demands Sacrifice

"Of course. We come from the Kumu Islets - now the Kumu Peninsula - to the south-west. We are not bound to a physical form as you are, but we do construct and inhabit vessels such as the one you see before you to interact with the material plane." Ulkarr gestured towards his body, and thus himself.

"We all possess control of shadows as I said, as well as one of the many powers granted by what you call 'desecration'. I am unsure how the Rite came to be known as such. It is sacred to us, and the native Skakdi murder each other in hope of offering their kindred’s still-beating hearts to us, so they have no reason to scorn it. In fact, they glorify it more than we do."

He rested his hand over where his heart would be, for what he knew to be referred to as dramatic effect. "The heart is the cost that must be paid, the life-force reincarnated into Kraata. Unpleasant, but necessary. Attempts at circumventing the Rite are unpredictable, at best. Many of my brothers and sisters often enable the barbaric behaviour of the natives, taking these hearts won by bloodshed, whereas the only heart I have been offered came from its host willingly."

@Harvali

 

IC: NU-8020S (Tobduk-Koro, Vahki Transport) - Mixed Signals

"You are making complete sense, and displaying higher-than-average intelligence. However, constructing a new Hive here would not be impossible, but with Nuparu’s death it will be difficult. But it would not be able to affect the Vahki in Metru Nui. Even if the range could be boosted that far, the League Hives would drown out our signal." NU-8020S was trying to reassure Kanohi, while simultaneously criticizing him.

"Destroying the Hives seems the better of the two options, but this would severely inhibit any possibility of coordinating the freed Vahki, and I have not yet calculated if that is a positive or a negative. They should be free to choose their loyalties, but they may not even be aware that they can do so." She paused for a moment, thinking of her own squadmates, before resuming.

"Regardless of the solution, the problem is real, and must be acknowledged. Not just by Tobduk-Koro, but by the other refugee factions. I doubt freeing us is anywhere on their list of objectives, but the possibility of convincing them to remove us from Aurax’s control is not insignificant. It would deny him a substantial percentage of his army."

@Harvali

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IC: Okuo - Ko-Pou Shelter

It had been a month since Okuo had narrowly escaped from the decapitated head of the dead god, only to find his new home recovering in the aftermath of an attack, and an old friend twisted into a new form by a strange affliction. All the time since then had gone into providing a new shelter for the afflicted, their numbers ever so slowly but surely growing as the people continued to reside in Metru-Koro until finally the village was evacuated through the Ruins of Ice the valley of Kini-Nui... with the afflicted left behind.

The shelter he and a couple others had built for them was a solid construction, built to withstand the cold and harsh weather of the region they'd moved to, and provided each of the patients with their own space for privacy, whatever worth that could be. Food was also provided, be it wild game from the region or crops from Todbuk-Koro and the Kini-Nui settlement, every day Okuo learned better how to prepare the food and ration it according to the preferences of those he was taking care of. With a rudimentary heating system provided by Knichou, comfort was made paramount while the source of their affliction continued to be searched for.

Okuo found himself sitting in front of Vhisola, his mask glowing with a faint sanguine radiance as his cyan eyes beheld her. "What can you remember from the week in Metru-Koro? Any routes you remember taking through the village?" For the past few days, Okuo had been asking the afflicted about various things they might remember about their time before they were changed. Currently he was trying to gauge for locational correlation beyond just the general Metru-Koro area, some specific place in the village the afflicted might all have come near.

@Vezok's Friend@Tarn

 

IC: Iradra - Kini-Nui Settlement

It had been a month since Iradra had narrowly escaped from the decapitated head of the dead god, having found purpose and allies in the aftermath of loss. Her injuries sustained during the escape were not to be understated, though. Bouts of dizziness, headaches, and blurred vision hampered her daily activities, not to speak of the occasional episode where she was robbed of concentration and memory, finding herself confused as to where she was. She had hope this would eventually pass, but even now the aliment lingered, weeks after the fact. She had at first worried this would hamper her usefulness, having sworn to avenge Zaliyah and carry out her final will of freeing the League remnant from the shadow of the old world's tyranny, but soon it became apparent that fighting for freedom and justice would have to wait. Survival itself once more came into question, now for the League remnant as the Ruins of Metru-Nui began sinking into the ocean, dashing all hopes of the territory providing safe harbour for the people on either side of the old conflict.

With little she could do in that regard, she instead turned to her attention to Ostrox, whose harrowing tale of his encounter with an embodiment of her people's chief and singular deity Mata-Nui had done away with any lingering shreds of faith she'd ever had to begin with. With little to do until Ostrox decided on their next course of action, Iradra had taken up residence in the Kini-Nui settlement and returned to her role of healer once more. There she had been since, bestowing her healing radiance upon any who sought her out. Sitting on a chair outside her hut on the outskirts of the village, Iradra took in a breath of fresh air as she looked out over the valley, regarding the structures and the natural landscape with fascination.

OOC: Iradra open for interaction.

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IC: Triage - Ko-Pou Shelter

The medic had been approached by Okuo not long before the Metru-Koro exodus about the mysterious affliction the villagers were experiencing. Unfortunately, an epidemic of people turning into beasts was not his area of expertise, along with being outside the limits of the Mask of Healing, and he quickly informed the Ta-Toa this was the case. Despite this, he'd still done everything he could to aid Okuo in his quest for understanding...and a possible cure. But at this point, one wasn't going to just fall from the sky, and Triage wasn't sure this was curable. But that was a thought he tended to keep to himself, as not to demoralize the Toa of Fire.

The portal between the outpost and Kini-Koro allowed the medic to keep in contact with his fellow Taku crewmembers and return to the ship if he was needed, but his allies seemed to be just as at a loss about solving this particular problem. Currently, the Bo-Toa was standing across from Okuo as he communicated with one of the afflicted, the former Ga-Matoran Vhisola. He hoped that a breakthrough of some kind was imminent, an "aha!" moment to be found. A miracle.

"I just don't get it. Most of those living in the village came from Metru Nui after the impact...was this just lying dormant for that whole time in one of the survivors, or did this come from Zakaz? Maybe we're looking in the wrong places. Maybe it's not the village itself we should be asking about."


@Onaku

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IC Kanohi and  “Collector” - Tobduk-Koro

Kanohi nodded, “you … you are right, Commander Vulimai will need to know. There is something else. I don’t know how much you know of Toa Knichou’s past, but he was a Nynrah Ghost, one of the last. And when he and I met he…

The Matoran trailed off, before snapping to attention, “s-sorry, just, that was a long time ago. Well, it seems that way. But Knichou had been with Nuparu when he was assassinated, and he was able to recover some of the records of Nuparu. And given his … creativity … it seems likely he could build a Hive from scratch, or disrupt the Hives. If he wishes to.

Kanohi said no more, hoping NU understood. Both Councilors knew of the Mask of Creation, it had been a minor point of contention in the past between Tobduk-Koro and Kini-Koro. Namely because it could be used to build better defenses for Tobduk-Koro, and of the two villages, Tobduk-Koro was the front line. Literally. 

Elsewhere Collector nodded and said, “ I knew some of that, your rival Whisper has been busy. That is part of what concerns me, I do not know much of the nature of your kind’s Grand Wishes. What exactly are they? And what do they mean for the Desecrated?

Collector did not know what Ulkarr’s Grand Wish was, but they knew Whisper’s. Or rather, they had heard the rumors. That she wanted to be a mortal, to live and die. That wish was, they knew they projected on others a lot, but part of that wish appealed to Collector. Not dying, but wanted to be apart of the living. To belong.

They also knew a large chunk of the Matoran had their masks desecrated by her. And those masks gave the Matoran … abilities. Advanced abilities. And one of those abilities in particular they needed. Desperately. They … they could not trust the NUVA doors, at least not until more research had been made. But Desecration through masks had happened on a mass scale in Kini-Koro as well as for a few in Tobduk-Koro. And from that, one could poll and study the effects more thoroughly. 

OOC: @Toru Nui

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IC: Journey to the Earth Ruins

  It had been a long and arduous journey through the underground to reach the Temple, but at last, Arkius, Katrin, Kilo, and Jutori stood within the ruins. Along the way, the team had encountered a substantially greater amount of tunnels, caverns, and other subterranean hollows hiding all sorts of dangers than they had initially expected, complicating their journey somewhat.

  The initial legs of the group’s journey had proven relatively uneventful. Despite Jutori being at the wheel, and with frequent directions from the mechanical navigator in the back, steady progress was being made. A minor pause to their journey occurred when the 4-wheeler became stuck in the dunes, but between the four of them and some ingenuity they managed to resume their travels. After that incident their trajectory was altered to proceed on mostly stable terrain. This new trajectory took them southwest, skimming the edge of the desert wastes. This area of Zakaz had been the most impacted by the giant robot head impact. The remnants of mountains littered the region, now nothing more than rolling hills. Halfway through their journey as they began to turn northward again, the group noticed an odd tunnel on the side of one of the nearby hills. A brief investigation revealed a Suva within the tunnel. While the group was curious about what the Suva was doing out in the wasteland, Arkius insisted that the structure was irrelevant and that their present mission took priority. They continued onward, noting its location for later exploration. Finally, the group approached the area where their navigator had calculated as the likely location of their destination. After so long cooped up in the car, those with muscles took the time to finally stretch them, while after so much time with Jutori’s driving the group all worked to suppress the feelings of imminent death they had all experienced. Together they celebrated the unexpected fuel efficiency of the vehicle they had acquired.

  Arriving at the target location was only the first part of their journey. The calculations the group were following indicated the ruins they sought were underground, so initially Arkius burrowed a way down, moving them in a direct line toward the location Kilo had calculated. This was quickly aborted, however, as the group was besieged, halfway to their destination, by immense worm creatures burrowing through the ground, following the tremors of the Earthen Toa’s tunneling. Forced to abandon this route, the group returned to the surface, and to more solid ground, where eventually the monsters lost their trail. Without the direct path underground to expedite their journey, it initially looked as if the best way forward was to head back to Tobduk-Koro and from there change their destination to the already discovered Ruins of Fire. However, this was quickly shot down, not only by Arkius but by Kilo also. With one having set the journey in motion and the other carrying the disks needed for it to mean anything, the group carried on. Thus the following days were spent searching for an entrance they could use, a way into the underground by which they could travel to the Temple more discreetly. The wasteland they had arrived in was filled with unnatural debris, from ruined machines of unknown origin to what appeared to be immense bones, only the tips of which managed to breach the surface of the ground. With Arkius’ improved attunement to the earth he managed to discover a nearby tunnel entrance. Expecting a straightforward path to the ruins like the Suva they had encountered, the group’s optimism was instead tempered by the discovery that the tunnel they had found was part of a much longer network of tunnels. As the underground pathway extended into additional forks, the odd company of beings knew they would have to take a more methodical approach to finding their target.

  Over the next few weeks, the group began the arduous task of exploring the labyrinth of the underground network. Progress was slow, and they frequently had to backtrack in order to rest and recharge, particularly due to their solar-powered companion. When she wasn’t sleeping, Kat busied herself with continuing to train her skills, always asking the others, Arkius especially, to spar. While unable to get a response from the Kralhi besides a brief “Negative,” Jutori eventually acquiesced to her request to use his gravity powers to enhance her training regiment. In return, the young monk taught her companions what she could of her own teachings and abilities. Arkius sat beside the rudimentary fire pit Kat had created at the center of their base camp watching the training in progress. His gaze wandered to the machine next to him, ever silent and still. The Earth Toa focused on the spear that his mechanical ally carried, the one that had recently been hidden in his and Nale’s home. Whatever thoughts he had were interrupted when he noticed the pair of mechanical eyes staring into his own, singular one. Kilo noted the Toa’s eye, more vibrantly green than it had been for the past days, and for a moment the two allies stared at each other in silence. No words needed to be exchanged. Then it passed, Arkius looked away, and the vibrant green glow returned to its washed out hue.

  Days of uneventful tunnel exploration were finally broken by the discovery that they were not alone. Even before it entered their view the Earth Toa and Kralhi could detect it through their honed senses. Not trusting anything on this island to be friendly, everyone hid in their own ways to prepare an ambush. What entered their field of view was an eyeless Skakdi, relatively normal looking aside from the odd regalia around its neck. The mysterious Skakdi continued down the tunnel towards where the group waited, able to navigate perfectly without vision. The head of the newcomer suddenly cocked upwards as its superior hearing captured something out of place in these tunnels: a breathing that wasn’t its own. Before it could investigate, or alert any others, Kilo dropped down from the shadows above, pinning the Skakdi down and knocking the scout out with a precisely calculated amount of force before the trio of Toa emerged from their hiding spots.

  “Nice job, Kilo!” Kat said with a grin to the Kralhi.

  “Reliance on senses besides sight would indicate this being is adapted to living underground,” the machine observed, stepping off of the body.

  “What a strange creature. Akin to a Skakdi but… even more hideous, somehow. Here, allow me.” Arkius said, slinging his axe off his back and approaching the knocked out scout.

  Jutori stepped forward. “Wait, you’re not going to do what I think you are…? We can just leave them here.”

  Arkius turned to the Toa of Gravity with a furrowed brow, his pale green eye narrowing on him. “Leave them here? Whatever for?”

  “We don’t have to execute them,” Jutori replied, gesturing to the unconscious Skakdi. “They’re helpless, already down. We just leave them here and move on. Be more careful next time.”

  Arkius kept his eye fixed on Jutori for a moment, seeming to consider his words… or the Toa himself, an indecipherable expression on his features as he mulled it over, before finally he sighed and shrugged. “I dearly hope your softness does not get all of us killed, Jutori. But I will, for the moment, humor you.” He then put his axe on his back and began walking away.

  With the Toa of Earth’s singular optic now looking away, Jutori clenched a fist in frustration. A glance to Kilo said his thoughts, before he shook his head and continued on.

  Kat watched Arkius walk away with a rare frown crossing her face. 

  The following days found the group encountering more and more Skakdi as they progressed further into the labyrinth. Each had different markings than the last, and many were covered in cavernous growths like fungus or moss. Some wandered the tunnels at a leisurely pace, keeping watch for any outsiders. Others walked with a clear destination in mind. It was clear that there was some sort of civilization underground, and they did not respond well to outsiders. One such party turned out rather unavoidable, and after an explosive clash, the Mesi Warriors were left laid on the ground, unconscious or immobilised, save for one covered in masks like trophies who cowered in the corner, his eyeless head swaying back and forth, frills quivering, hands raised defensively. Arkius looked upon the cowering wretch and frowned with a disgusted expression. This creature had no doubt slaughtered numerous mask wearers, most likely Matoran, Toa, and Turaga, and taken their masks as trophies, yet here they cowered, as if expecting mercy in return.

  The Earthen Toa huffed, raising his axe, before remembering Jutori’s aversion to killing. “You, creature, give me one reason for why I shouldn’t strike you down right here and now.” He quickly raised his hand before Jutori or anyone else could object, silencing them before turning back to the strange Skakdi, who had turned its head to the source of the noise.

  He let out a soft growl and a hiss, before bowing his head. “I… I can… give mask… yes, I can give mask.”

  Arkius raised an eyebrow. “I could take any mask I want from your corpse.”

  The Mesi ground his teeth, seeming panicked. “I… know which mask of value… might damage valuable mask if you strike and kill, yes?”

  The Toa of Earth sneered, before shrugging. “Very well, grant me a great mask of power and I shall spare your life.”

  The Skakdi perked up and nodded, reluctantly removing a Kanohi from his shoulder before handing it over to the Toa. Arkius nodded and grinned, taking a moment to inspect the mask. It stared up at him, eyeholes scowling and empty, Hau-like in its appearance, enough to easily be mistaken for one. More than that, it was clearly well taken care of. The Skakdi had either kept it in good condition, or had come by the mask very recently. With a self satisfied huff, Arkius flipped it over, and moved to place it upon his face. As the mask slipped over the Toa Nuva Proxima of Earth's face, the Skakdi’s demeanor changed, and he lunged forward, clawing Arkius in the face, sweeping the mask away, and leaving four gashes in the Toa’s cheek. Arkius roared, grabbing the Mesi by the throat, causing him to drop the swiped mask. The Skakdi gasped for air, desperately clawing at Arkius’ arm before the Earthen Toa knocked a few of his teeth loose with a devastating blow to the face, and knocked the eyeless warrior out cold. However, so caught up in his rage was the Nuva of Earth that he seized the arm of the blind warrior, and with elbow and knee, the Mesi’s arm was broken with a sickening crunch that awoke the unconscious Skakdi instantly, who cried out in pain before promptly going lights out again as his head slammed into the ground, thrown down by the angry Toa who subsequently moved in to deal out a further beating. 

  “Whoa, Arkius, stop, he’s done already!” Kat exclaimed, her attention having been drawn by the scuffle.

  Metallic arms wrapped around the body of Arkius, pulling the Earth Toa away from his beaten prey. “Further violence is not recommended; additional beneficial results are unlikely,” his robotic companion advised, continuing to hold him back. “Please stand down.”

  Arkius growled, struggling momentarily against Kilo but eventually stopping, grunting unhappily. “You can let go now.” He angrily said, pulling himself out of Kilo’s mechanical grasp and looking down at the unconscious and beaten Skakdi. With a scowl on his face, he knelt down and grabbed the mask he’d been handed before, slipping it onto his face to feel the power of the mask flow through him, a slight grin slipping onto the mask’s features as its colour turned black. The Toa of Earth’s behavior had left Jutori even more distrustful and cautionary around him. If it hadn’t been for Kilo, and not wanting to abandon their newest ally in Kat, the Toa of Gravity would have been compelled to depart the group and leave Arkius to his inevitable fate against the underground Skakdi. Although he said nothing as the Onu-Toa placed his new mask upon his face, the look from Jutori’s Mahiki was enough. 

  “C’mon, that got pretty noisy, there’ll be more here soon!” Kat said, beckoning the others along.

  As they continued onward, Jutori kept distance between himself and Arkius. He wondered when tensions would finally boil over, and stayed prepared for when that moment would come.

  Following this incident, the daring explorers did their best to avoid as many populated tunnels as they could, but found that the likely location of their target forced them to enter more frequently traveled territory. When they weren’t evading the frequent Skakdi scouts, the group was faced with occasional swarms of Kofo-Jaga that were drawn from their nests by Kat’s heat.

  Unusually, it was Kat that broached the idea of trying the Fire Ruins again. She reasoned that she could be of more help in that area, the group would be better prepared for the trials in this region on their return, and when questioned further, admitted that she’d felt a strange pull toward the area ever since Po-Koro. Kilo strongly opposed the idea, stressing the importance of disposing of the Onu-Metru disc as soon as possible. Unable to add emphasis, the machine resorted to playing back others words in a slightly louder volume. Arkius backed Kilo, providing his own arguments where needed, but for the most part letting the logical mechanical being do the debating for him. 

  “We’re in too deep now,” the Earthen Toa cited, “it would be folly to turn back when we’re this close.”

  “That would seem to settle it, then,” Jutori said. He was already dedicated to reaching the end of this quest, rather than change course. “Kilo has always been good at solving these sorts of things.”

  Steeling themselves once more, the long expedition resumed. With the existing progress and the constant target to aim themselves towards, morale among the group began to rise again. Finally after a month of searching their persistence bore fruit. The tunnel they were traveling down soon opened into a much larger cavern. In the center of the cavern surrounded by a lake of what appeared to be water was a ziggurat structure that they were all familiar with. The Ruins of Earth were finally in sight. Everyone in the group who could breathe let out a sigh in relief at their quest being over, only to notice the final obstacle in their path.  Standing between them and their target was a camp filled with more Skakdi than they had encountered on all of their previous expeditions. Kat, her spirit burning with excitement, voiced her desire to battle through the camp. Though he did not voice it, the grin on Arkius’ face as he reached for his axe conveyed everything that needed to be said. Jutori was less enthusiastic, noting the numbers before them and remembering Arkius’ previous brutality, but nonetheless took hold of his sledgehammer in preparation of what seemed like inevitable combat. Ultimately, it was the logical wisdom of Kilo that decided the matter, suggesting the use of Jutori’s gravity abilities and Kilo’s own climbing prowess to sneak along the ceiling of the cavern. Progress was slow due to the number of bodies involved and the necessity for stealth, but finally the group were above their destination. After another application of Jutori’s abilities to safely descend to the ruins, the group took the time to wait for the activity in the camp to die down before they snuck into the main entrance, Arkius all the while making certain that none of the strange Skakdi had noticed them with his earth sense stretched out across the encampment.

  The trio of Toa and their mechanical companion prepared themselves for anything as they entered the ruins. The last leg of their journey was about to begin...

OOC: @Onaku@pokemonlover360@Tarn@Unreliable Narrator

Edited by The UltimoScorp
Fixing tense issues, added tags
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