BZPRPG: Le-Wahi

OOC: Going to color...hopefully no issues will pop up.

IC: Kewa

The matoran turned to look at Ryzen. "Ah, that's part of one of the weapon racks. Seems like it is one of the backings, you'll need to find the hooks." Kewa glanced around, and found one of said hooks. "Look around for these, attach them to the backing, and place them on the walls if you would. I'll begin constructing the actual forge."

Upon saying that, Kewa grabbed one of the chunkier things, and began to attach various do-dads to it. He had essentially memorized what his dream forge would look like, after all.

IC: Ryzen

Ryzen looked at Kewa. "Hold onto your widgets, for now. I've got nothing to do around here, perhaps I could help you with your business." He shrugged again. "Like, maybe as a job."

IC: Kewa
A possible employee? Already?
Kewa pondered the offer. "Yeah, having someone work would be nice. In fact...I already have an idea." Kewa ran upstairs. He found a paper, and began writing.

Are you dissatisfied with your current arsenal?

Want a brand new sword, shield, or even some new arrows?

do you want guaranteed quality, or your widgets back?

Then come on over to Kewa's forge, located northwest of the Bright-Star Inn!

You will not be disappointed!

Kewa brought the paper downstairs, and showed it to Ryzen. "Could you possibly make copies of this, and post them around the Koro? I have paper and writing utensils if you need any. You don't have to do this if you don't want, though."

OOC: Tivanu, Viima and Orderin from Ta-Wahi.

IC Viima

(Le-Wahi):

"Ah, back to the jungle..."

IC: Tivanu

Tivanu smirked a bit as he remembered the past

"You know it would be funny if Orderin could move like one."

IC Viima

(Le-Wahi):

"Well, I think teleportation is even better", Viima said. "If I ever become a Toa, I'll choose a Kualsi to wear. Even if I had the chance to get a Kakama."

IC: Tivanu

Tivanu arches his brow slightly

"Are you sure it isn't because a certain toa-hero wears a kaulsi?"

IC Viima

(Le-Wahi):

"Uh... what makes you think that?"

IC: Tivanu

Tivanu cocked his head to the side as he considers this

"Really... your idolize orderin and he just so happens to wear a kaulsi.. it is pretty obvious."

IC:

 

Contempt. What an interesting emotion; one that had fed me for quite a while. And now I heard it in Tuara's tone. It wasn't the same for me anymore, though; where before it had been a sweet nectar, now it was some witch's brew, bitter and vile; poison. Cutting like a knife. But I wouldn't let that be seen. No, I simply sighed, shaking my head. What apology could I make? None that would be accepted, of course; what could I say to her? Nothing, really. Nothing to try and make up for how much I had wronged her specifically in the past, if only by doing nothing to help her.

 

"If I only knew," I said, and it was truthful; I had little idea as to why I was here, other than that I had come to see Utu. Turning my eyes, I looked upon the sleeping form on the bed. Sleeping peacefully...that was a phrase he'd never thought he'd be able to use for Utu. And, of course, he was strapped down, preventing him from moving; beyond that, though, I recognized new scars on him. Signs of new wounds. Signs of some sort of degradation, almost; strapped down like this and hurt as he seemed to be, it was as though this once towering man had shrunken in on himself. He almost looked small.

 

Beyond that, though, was the mark. Where before it had been crisp in appearance, standing out against his skin like all the others' (and my own) had, now it was twisted, bent, corrupted beyond its own inherent corruption; as though it had molten and reformed as some horrid parody of what it had once been. Spiderlike did his veins stand out with it, almost like some poisoned web had been laid over him. He was sick. To me, it looked like he was dying. It was a painful sight...I'd confronted mortality once, and that was with myself. But this man who had seemed almost immortal to me before, now reduced to this...

 

As the silence grew in length, it grew in discomfort. I cleared my throat, preparing to speak - and the words caught. What could I say? What could I comment upon? Would I move simply to inane banalities, for a lack of anything else, or might I manage some actual conversation? I had no idea what to do, what to say; yet I had to say something. Slowly, words began to come out, and I was surprised at how hoarse my voice sounded.

 

"I...Tuara, I'm so sorry for what happened. If I'd had some control, I assure you, I'd at least have tried to make things different..." Ah, the words I'd been needing to say to one of them for so long, now; why not the one who was most harmed by all of us Mark Bearers? The one who I likely could have helped, had I at least thought to do so, had I been able to control myself...Power was such an addictive drug, that I'd learned, and blinding, too...

 

But that was in the past now. And there was rather little I could do to try and make up for it; for now, I'd learn everything I could about Utu's condition, to try and help him, keep him alive; no matter how underserving of it others might think he was. I turned to Tuara, my intent gaze meeting her disapproving glare, and began to speak again - this time maintaining better control over my voice.

 

"What's happened since last I saw you? Since last I saw Utu? I need to know, Tuara; I need to find some way to help him, to free him from the taint of his mark. Surely you understand that."

IC: Matrixa

 

"Well, I'm Matrixa, spelled with a x, not an cs, I would take offense if you though that I wasn't a toa."

 

She thought for a moment.

 

"I guess I could offer my field experience, I know how to work in very, well, different situations."

 

IC: NPC Forceman - Wind-riders Recruitment Office

The forceman nodded, "Very well. And powers?"

IC: Tuara Drigton - Le-Koro

Tuara's face was hardened and plain. She wasn't particularly angry or disgusted, she simply didn't care much for Praggos' apology. She hadn't really gotten over what had happened, but she kept moving on regardless. Not to mention, there really was no way for her to look at the man without wondering if he had some sort of ulterior motive. She remembered how interested he was in the Marks and those that wore them all those years ago. The world wasn't going to stop and wait for her. She crossed her arms curtly, her fingers curling into fists in the cover of her red and black arms. Her lower jaw jut out a little with attitude as she spoke, "What's it to you."

Praggos turned to look at her as she continued, "I never knew you to be a man of charity Praggos," she paused, "I've never seen you do anything for anybody if you didn't think you'd benefit too, so I'm going to pretend for a moment that you really could do anything for him and he isn't beyond our reach, and I'm going to pretend that I also want to help him when I answer your question with another question," Tuara looked in the Toa's eyes, "What do you get out of it? Some notoriety? The Mark? Are you looking for clues Praggos?" she stepped closer to him, her voice dropping to a dangerously quiet level, "I saw how you looked at those things. They're gone forever, so whatever it is you're thinking, you can't bring them back."

IC Viima

(Le-Wahi):

"I'm not a fanboy", Viima said. "It's just... er... admiration."

Viima grinned at Orderin. "Ya know?"

IC: Tivanu

Tivanu leaned down and said in a sly little tone

"Oh really now?"

IC:

"Of course I get it." Orderin tapped his mask, "This has never really been a popular mask you know, looks like I'm starting a new trend."

IC Viima

(Le-Koro):

"Really useful. The mask", Viima said with a nod. "That's what I mean, Tivanu.

*

The trio arrived in Le-Koro shortly. As soon as they had ascended to the village via one of the newly built chutes, Viima led his friends to his home. It felt strange having Tivanu there as well. Just a few weeks ago this would not have been a possibility.

"I have something left behind by Surina", Viima explained as he went through his drawers. "Kive-phu can use it to get her scent."

From one of the lower drawers Viima pulled out a light-blue blanket.

"This here belonged to Surina. It shouldn't be hard to get her scent from that, right?"

OOC: I think I should mention here that since Surina is currently underground, her scent won't be carried in the air.

IC: Tivanu

Tivanu held his arm out for kive-phu to crawl down it and she hesitantly sniffed it seeming to consider the blanket before she took off into the sky circling above the group for the time being

"Seems that was enough."

OOC: It may not travel but it would lead to the last location she was above ground which would be an entrance to Onu-koro.. That is likely the closest we could get to finding her.

OOC: Agreed.

IC Viima

(Le-Koro):

"Figures", Viima said with a nod. "Let's follow her."

IC:

"Onward then." Orderin watched Kive-Phu as she circled above them in the sky, "I wonder where we'll end up, seems like we're always running around chasing something."

IC: Tivanu

Just as Viima said that Kive-phu shot off and Tivanu was already off after her

OOC: So since you know the entrance she used care leading the way Toatapio

OOC: Ah, right. Of course.

IC Viima

(Le-Koro):

"She's going towards Ta-Koro...", Viima muttered as he ran in the jungle with Tivanu and Orderin. "I guess this proves that the Ga-Matoran was Surina."

OOC: Viima, Tivanu and Orderin to Ta-Koro.

EDIT: Haha, the last post in Ta-Wahi is still the one I made when we took our trip here. Either one of you will have to make the return post.

IC:

"I want to get rid of his mark," I growled back. "If I learn anything new or confirm anything old in the process of doing so, that's a side point and doesn't particularly matter to me; first and foremost, the Mark must be removed." I shook my head, trying to exert some manner of control over the thoughts running through my head. She had no knowledge of why I acted as I did - really, she only had my previous actions to go by - so I had no reason to be angry with her, despite whatever urges towards it I may have felt.

And she was right; I wasn't a man of charity, not by nature. By choice, yes, I had become such - and perhaps that wasn't even proper charity. I still, one way or another, acted for myself, though now my payment was more some intangible feeling of redemption, that would serve nothing except to light the same warm glow in my stomach that my wine would, when none of those who I had truly harmed and needed to prove myself redeemed to were seeing it. Nor, truth be told, were they likely to believe it as truth.

Perhaps now I could take a step in that direction, though. Speaking again, I was almost - almost - surprised to recognize that my tone now was the same as that I had affected whenever engaged in trying to learn about either my mark or those of the others, whenever I was trying to figure out who 'Arekule' was, whenever I found myself engaged in some odd quest to cure myself of my mark or unlock yet greater abilities with it. Ah, what version of its taint remains in me still, in the form of curiosity mixed with undue seriousness...

"I won't deny that there are questions that arose with me and the others back when we still had the Marks that I would love to have answers to," I said quietly. "Nor will I deny that this is not entirely out of charity - though your thoughts as to why I might try to help Utu would likely be wrong entirely. But still, if my guess is correct, the Mark is killing him, and I've had enough of death caused by these blasted bits of poisonous metal. I'd like to have them and their taint gone from the world, a wish that I would imagine you of all people might agree with." I stepped around Utu, around Tuara, to look at the mark upon the giant ice cube's shoulder. Twisted, bent, altered from what it had been...the arm around it healed - if one could say that - from whatever had nearly destroyed the mark, spidery veins showing through the skin and around the armour there, some of them swollen as they led from the mark itself.

An instrument for causing death upon others now turned against its wielder. Fitting.

"So, Tuara, will you tell me what you know, so that I might attempt to make things right, or will I have to try and blindly grope in the dark here?" I turned back to the Toa of Fire, my jaw set much as hers was. "Because you'll find that one thing about me hasn't changed, and it's that I will do whatever I need to achieve this goal of mine."

IC:

"Are we going to go, or not?" Atea asked, her patience slowly starting to run out as the others seemed to be focused inward.

IC: Kewa

A possible employee? Already?

Kewa pondered the offer. "Yeah, having someone work would be nice. In fact...I already have an idea." Kewa ran upstairs. He found a paper, and began writing.

Are you dissatisfied with your current arsenal?

Want a brand new sword, shield, or even some new arrows?

do you want guaranteed quality, or your widgets back?

Then come on over to Kewa's forge, located northwest of the Bright-Star Inn!

You will not be disappointed!

Kewa brought the paper downstairs, and showed it to Ryzen. "Could you possibly make copies of this, and post them around the Koro? I have paper and writing utensils if you need any. You don't have to do this if you don't want, though."

IC: Ryzen

Ryzen nodded. "Sure. I'll start now, really." Taking the stuff from Kewa, he bega doing so.

OOC: Thanks to Eyru and Ghosthands for their contributions =)

IC:

How does one start an adventure? By stepping outside your door each morning, perhaps, to see where the day will lead by chance. Or by following a call to action, joining a cause to fight for. In Leah’s case, it had been the latter. And what an adventure it had been. They had defeated the greatest evil they knew, only for their victory to leave the island in a greater state of uncertainty than it had ever been in before.

The villages had retreated back to themselves, trying to heal their wounds. But with each day, suspicions had crept in. Maybe it was the lack of a common enemy after such a long time that had been the reason for it. Maybe the Matoran couldn’t image suddenly having peace and nobody there to threaten them anymore. And so, they had begun to suspect each other. She could only imagine what might have happened.

It was that thought in the back of her mind, that made the Toa Maru of water appreciate the luxury of being able to just take a stroll down the suspension-bridges of her home-village, enjoying the warm air, the slight breeze and the sounds of the jungle all around and no island-wide threats to worry about, at least for the next few hours.

The Toa of Air slipped out of the hospital, his new cloak fluttering behind him. New to him, that is. Previously owned, but he couldn't be asked to pass up such a gorgeous shade of dark green.

It came with a hood as well, which was what he was after. Drawing it over his head, he hoped to make it out of this village quickly, before anyone could recognize him. The possibility was slim, but very much there: every Matoran in Ga-Koro had known his face only a few months ago.

This would have been much easier with a Kualsi, he mused as he walked down the street. But, somewhere between the Wahi and the Koro, he had lost it. Whether it was broken or simply lost was a mystery, but the effects were the same: he would have to escape the old-fashioned way.

Steady pace. Head slightly tilted down. Act like you have nothing to hide – because you don't. You're not Ketan – you're Greed.

Of course, walking around the village these days was different from what it had been like back in the day. Not just the new perspective that came with not being a Matoran anymore, but also with the reactions of the people around her. Every Matoran and being native to the island had at least heard the Maru’s names mentioned in passing and the Matoran that lived in Le-Koro especially knew who she was. One of their own turned guardian of the village of water. So strolling around in public as she did now did attract stares. Some called out to her and greeted her, others just smiled and waved, but only a few paid no attention at all. Which didn’t bother the Toa of water at all, but she registered it.

It was because of that, that she noticed the Toa-sized, cloaked figure making its way across the square at a determined pace. At first, she didn’t pay it much mind, but a few seconds later the feeling that something was odd about the figure was still there and wasn’t going anywhere. For starters: Why the cloak? It was warm, it was bright and not raining. So why bother with a cumbersome cloak in such a climate?

But the thing that really drew her attention was the aura of shifting orange and yellow that only intensified as she concentrated on the single being. She didn’t know what to make of it, but her feet automatically started to carry her in a parallel direction to the other Toa. It might not be anything big, but if it was, then she had to check it out. That was the beauty and the curse of the Ruhaku: Being aware of every dishonesty around oneself revealed an ugly side of society nobody but her could see.

The other Toa was obviously paying attention to his surroundings, he probably noticed her on the square, being as anxious as her Kanohi revealed him to be.

Greed moved a little faster, ducking into an alleyway between several huts that he knew, from experience, led from the main square to the very edge of the Koro. Out of the corner of his eye, he had seen a Toa of Water abruptly change direction and begin moving after him; whether it was a coincidence or not remained to be seen.

Either way, he would prefer to deal with any problems in a more discreet place.

Leah watched the conspicuous being disappear into an alleyway leading to the fringes of the village, a move that reinforced her suspicion that something was going on here. And although she was sure he’d noticed her, sticking out blue in a sea of green had its advantages in this case: The other Toa would not count on her local knowledge. Leah knew where the alley was leading, but she also knew that there was a quicker path leading to that same point if she continued going straight and took the next suspension-bridge leading right.

He’d thought a Toa of Water wouldn’t know the ways of Le-Koro like he did. He was wrong.

The Toa appeared in front of him as though by magic, and Greed realized belatedly that there was another way around that she must have used to corner him.

“Excuse me,” he said, disguising his voice to sound rougher than usual. “I need to pass.”

“People in a hurry often do.” She replied. “But only a few of them wear cloaks in warmth and broad daylight. I wonder why that is.”

“It’s my own business, Toa,” he growled. “If I wish to boil to death, then so be it.”

“That’s your prerogative, so long as no others come to harm. Then it becomes my business.” The Toa stood tall, blocking the other Toa’s path; not in an aggressive way, but definitely showing that she wasn’t fooling around.

Greed clenched his fists under the cloak, keeping his face turned down. “You cannot detain me when I have done nothing wrong,” he said in an injured tone. “Keep your suspicions to yourself.”

A grim smile tugged at the corner of Leah’s mouth. “I was merely stating facts - you’re the one who quick-jumped to harsh tones.” she said.

This conversation was going nowhere; the longer he stayed here, the more likely he would be recognized. He had to get out, and that meant this Toa needed to move.

“Get out of my way,” he hissed through gritted teeth, and threw out an arm. The resulting gust of wind was less powerful than he’d hoped, but it was enough to shove the Toa of Water of his path. He dashed by, his cloak flying as he made a break for the edge of the Koro.

A solid wall of water formed out of the moisture in the air right in front of the fleeing Toa, and collapsed backwards, washing over him. The Toa of Air found himself on his back, not hurt, but completely soaked and entangled in the cloak with its hood removed. Leah started walking towards him, one of her hands encased in a sphere of water, ready to use.

“Rule number one: No capes.” she said, pulling out her staff with her free hand. “Rule number two: Don’t go up against a Maru on her old home turf.” She would have added a number three, but then the Toa looked back at her and she paused. She recognized the face - Hahli had had sketches of him and the others back in Ga-Koro.

“Ketan…”

Calling upon the wind, the only ally that had remained at his side through his rise and fall, the Toa of Air blew himself off the ground in a sweeping kick that brought him to his feet, his cloak swirling. He stood there for a moment, tall and proud, and, for just a moment, he almost looked the king he had once been.

Then his lip curled at the mention of his old name. The illusion broke, and with a sweep of his arm he threw a blast of wind at the Toa of Water.

Leah reacted instantly. Holding on to something or crouching down and weathering the blast would have given her opponent ample time for a follow-up attack to his opener. So instead, she mirrored his movement with her own arm, hurling a sphere of water into the gale. Water and air collided in an explosion of rain that sprayed them both.

The Toa Maru stood at the ready, staff raised. “Your evil cause is lost, Ketan and yet you fight for it.” she said. “Why?”

Her words were wasted. The explosion of rain covered her enemy’s retreat, and as he ran for the edge of the Koro he threw another gust of wind from over his shoulder. His elemental attacks, not particularly powerful to begin with, were getting even weaker: the loss of a Kanohi mask was affecting his abilities. Nevertheless, it looked as though he might escape.

Leah ducked to the side as she heard the rush of incoming air, before taking off after Greed. They were close to the edge of the village and if the Toa of air made it into the thick of the jungle she would have a hard time finding him again. Not unless she sent Korero to fetch Sulov from wherever he was right now.

Greed was fast. Time for another shortcut. As she ran, Leah checked the branches of the trees to her left, until she spotted several with vines hanging from them. Without hesitation, she lunged off of the walkway. For a second she was in freefall, then her hands clasped around one of the vines and the momentum started carrying her forward. As the swing carried her up again she grasped the next vine and swung again, keeping up with the running Toa of air, now to the side and below her. This time, Leah was aiming. At the right moment with the best possible height and speed, she let go. The momentum carried her forward through the air and with a backflip, she landed in front of Greed, spinning around while throwing both arms forward, palms erupting with a blast of water.

He had hardly anything left, but he tried anyway. Leaping as high as he could, he summoned the wind in a desperate bid to carry him over his pursuer. The air moved, responding to the Toa’s call, and it came up behind him, grasping his body and flinging him into empty space.

Ketan flew over Leah, his cloak billowing, and his leap of faith carried him off the edge of the Koro, down through the foliage and out of sight.

The Toa of water cursed mentally. She couldn’t let him get away… not like this. After all, she’d made a promise, not just to herself, but to others too...

------------------------------------------------

OOC: Some amount of time earlier, one day before the Akiri summit.


Rain had fallen over night, coming in from over Naho bay and sweeping westwards over the island, vaporous curtains billowing in front of fierce winds, drenching the lowlands with an intense rain. It had caught up with the three travelers just after dark, who had wisely made camp before they were caught in the downpour, which had come up behind them like a wall of grey, by retreating into a slightly elevated alcove dug into the side of a hill at the edge of the forest.

While the Matoran with them,had laid down to rest not long after, the two Toa of water and ice respectively had split the watch-duties. He'd stayed to keep the Matoran - Akiri Hahli - safe, while the other had walked out into the storm, unfazed by the cold rain. She returned a short while later, carrying enough wood to start a small fire, completely dried out by application of just a fraction of her element.

Her companion looked up at her, sitting cross-legged up against the wall of the alcove. He raised an eyebrow, in a way only he could, and shot the other Toa a slightly disapproving glance.[/size]
"Y'know, Leah - and stop me if I'm wrong - but, I assumed you'd be able to spare us this tempest, being the most powerful water-Toa and all."

Leah returned the glance as she placed down the firewood between them, sat down and tucked in her legs underneath. But Reordin found her expression less easy to read than usual.[/size]
"There is a saying among Windriders and Sailors alike, Reordin." she said quietly. "You may have heard it before: Respect the wind." the Toa of water replied. Reordin harrumphed softly as he turned his head to look out into the dreary weather again, before freezing the droplets of rain on his shoulder and arm and flicking them off.

"You sure we need the fire?" [/size]he asked. Leah knew what he meant. He required no warmth for comfort and neither her nor Hahli were concerned with rain. Yet, she nodded in reply.[/size]
"I'd prefer to get some rest, but there's still infected Rahi out in the wilds. This'll keep most of them away. If anything bigger is on the prowl...well, I guess my hunky Toa Maru of ice will be there to wake me up in time."

The white-clad Toa sighed, any objections brought down before he could utter them by her smile, then asked her for a handful of water. One use of his mask later the liquid had become flammable in nature and a few sparks from scraping a rock along the edge of his ice-axe quickly started a small flame, quickly growing in size as it fed on the dry wood. Leah watched it for a while, thinking that the flickering tongues sometimes looked like dancers, until she became aware that her eyelids had started to sink dangerously by themselves. There was not enough room for the two Toa to get close, and so they each nestled up against the wall as much as possible before drifting off into a light sleep.

The next morning, the trio got moving rather early, resuming their trek just before sunrise, moving like spectres through the fog clinging to the ground, until disappearing in the trees of the jungle, marking the border between Ga-Wahi and Le-Wahi. Since they were traveling with the Akiri, Leah had suggested a lesser-known path through the jungle. On its own, it was rather risky, but with not one, but two Toa Maru to accompany her, Hahli had voiced no objections. The sun had just started to rise, filling the space between the trees with a fine golden-lit mist. Dew was clinging to the leaves of the plants and trees, the colours around them becoming all the richer for it and the air was heavy to breathe, laden with moisture that was slowly evaporating into glistening vapour rising into the air in soft-edged wisps. With the more distant trees quickly fading into the haze, the scenery before them was almost surreal. The only word to describe the mood of the place that Leah could think of was 'serene'. Serenity, which was suddenly interrupted by a sharp sound.

Slap!

Slap! Slap!

Hahli and Leah stopped in their tracks, looking back at the Toa of ice walking behind them. He was still moving, but he was more focused on the palm of his hand where a smear marked the end of a fly, but seemingly hundreds more were hovering nearby. "You okay?" Leah asked, halfway between amused and concerned by her teammate’s antics.

"I would be - " Slap! - "if it weren't for the gnats. They've been swarming ever since we passed that first clearing with the bushes."

Leah squinted slightly as she got a suspicious feeling.
"Did you pick any of the fruit?"

Reordin paused waving his arms around for a moment. "The incredibly tasty ones you said not to touch? I might have...why?"

"Oh dear..." Leah sighed. "Yeah, you're not getting rid of those flies for a while."

"What!?"

"Those berries, the ones you ate? They cause some sort of reaction when ingested that results in this weird odour...drives them crazy. And they're not going anywhere until that smell fades."[

"And you didn't think to warn me about that before?"

"I figured 'don't touch or eat those berries' was warning enough." Leah groaned.

There was moment of frustration marked by an expression of 'you've-got-to-be-kidding' on the Toa's face, until he suddenly smirked and snapped his fingers. That same instant, the buzzing insects all around froze in mid-air and fell to the ground. Reordin snorted at the women, which almost sounded like a 'ha!'. Obviously satisfied with is impromptu extermination and without another word, the Toa of ice walked past them, demonstratively turning up his nose. There was a moment of quite, then Leah chuckled and followed him, wrapping one arm around his waist as she caught up. "On the upside, we can't really smell it...though there's this persistent rumour that says it subconsciously makes others attracted to you."

Reo glanced at her. "You're pulling my leg."

She shook her head. "Totes serious."

"Hmm...okay, maybe it's not all bad then. Maybe when we get to Le-Koro I'll see if there's more to the rumour and - "

Leah tightened her hold on him a little, a not-so-subtle hint, followed by an intentional frown.

"What? I can't test it with you, you're already biased."

"Touché."

She let go of him and smirked. "But if you do that I might do some testing of my own."

"You wouldn't."

"Uh-huh, you bet I would." she replied while poking the Toa before she quickly skipped ahead a few steps to avoid the inevitable retribution for the attempted tickle.

"Ahem."

They turned their heads to the Akiri who'd cleared her throat. "Just reminding you two Toa-heroes that this is not a trip meant for pleasure."

The two Toa exchanged glances as the continued to walk, a bit like young Matoran siblings being told off after a mishap. "Of course Akiri." she said, serious for a moment, before breaking back into a smile. "But you might not see it as strictly once we get to Le-Koro proper. Just think of the music, the markets...Kongu and his flyboys - but I guess you prefer men with a more...fiery temperament."

She shot the Akiri a wink. Hahli rolled her eyes, but otherwise didn't react. The Toa of water chuckled and started walking again. Reordin looked from her to the Akiri who had quickened her pace and was now walking beside him. She looked up at the Toa Maru and shrugged. "I sometimes forget that our guardian hails from these parts...including her humour."

Reo looked back to Leah. He had not noticed it before, at least not consciously, but the closer they had gotten to the village of air, the more excited Leah seemed to get. If it hadn't been noticeable before, it did become quickly obvious once they reached the main-road to Le-Koro again for the last part of their trip before making their way to the meeting. There was a certain spring in her step, moreso than in her usual athletic walk accompanied by a happy, broad smile, as they approached the elevators. The guards greeted them pleasantly and let them pass. [/size]
They filed into the elevator and with a rumble and creak, the bamboo-construction began to rise. While the bottom had been diffusely lit, they passed through shifting shadows as the platform was lifted past branches, until eventually, the light became continuously brighter, until they stepped out onto the sun-lit main-square of Le-Koro.

Leah made her way to the center of the platform, turning around herself and drinking in as much of the scenery of her home-village as she could, before stopping and looking at Hahli, who was also smiling pleasantly. [/size]"You must have missed the village of air."

"Aye Akiri, I have. It is as much my home as Ga-Koro. I am caught between the sea and sky...much like half of the Maru were caught between homes when we were transformed. Speaking of which, there is one final stop I need to make before we proceed to the great temple."

"Korero?" [/size]Reordin asked. Leah nodded. "Yes. If things are as tense between the Koro as it seems, then perhaps traveling to Kini-Nui together with Kongu and him might send wrong signals to ther others. I did want to check in on him for a while though...see how he has been faring since our last meeting."

The Toa of ice nodded. [/size]"I will escort the Akiri to the Gukko-Force building. I'm sure they'll let us borrow some birds."

"With your disarming smile and Hahli's authority, that's a given."

Hahli chuckled. [/size]"As long as you keep the time in mind, I would prefer not to arrive late."

"Don't you worry about that. I know my way around this town like a Muaka knows its territory."

"Indubitably."

Leah winked, then turned around and burst into a run towards the edge of the platform. A few Matoran gasped at the sight of her leaping off the side. But instead of falling, she landed on one of the branches, using the rebound to propel herself up into the foliage and out of sight.

Reordin chuckled. "So, when's the last time you saw leafrunning Toa of water?"

-----------------------------

Less than five minutes later, the blue figure sat perched like a Gukko, concealed in the treetop above another platform, watching the door to the particular hut located on it. Just as luck would have it, there was flash of white, and a green figure materialized out of thin air in front of the steps leading up to the huts entrance. He took a step forward, but suddenly whirled around, as Leah dropped down from above, landing behind with a soft thud. Smiling, she straightened her legs again, standing back up to her full height.

"Nice to see a former Le-Matoran can still surprise the Toa Maru of air. Hi, Korero!"

But Leah was greeted not by the open-mouthed surprise she’d expected, but with a relaxed and knowing smirk.

“Maybe she thinks she can, Sister,” he replied, folding his arms. “But few things in the jungle escape the eyes of the Force. The scouts spotted you hours ago. I wouldn’t be here now otherwise - we keep Matau’s hut as it was when he lived in it, as a memorial to the old man. I’ve got my own hut.”

Though his smile and cheerful tone never wavered, sadness flickered in his eyes while he mentioned the late Turaga.

“Anyway, it’s good to see you again, Leah,” he said, greeting her with a comradely fist-bump and warm hug. “Are you staying in Le-Koro long? I’m guessing you’re on your way to the Akiri summit…”

Leah nodded. “Indeed, that is the purpose of this trip. Reordin is organizing us a pair of birds for the hop over to the great temple as we speak. I assume you will join Akiri Kongu and the rest of us there, won’t you?”

Korero’s smile waivered slightly as he slowly shook his head. “Kongu’s already left. I’m not going.”

While the Toa of air had managed to keep his surprise at her sudden appearance rather well-masked, her’s was plain to see. Considering Hahli had asked her to join the summit, she had expected the other Akiri would do the same, or that each of the Toa Maru would make their way to Kini-Nui on their own. And so, with concern in her voice, she asked:

“You don’t seem particularly thrilled about the prospect of remaining behind; what’s happened to make you stay?”

Korero paused as he considered how best to phrase the situation.

“Kongu is...concerned, shall we say, for the safety of Le-Koro in his absence,” he explained. “He told me that if anything were to happen to him, he wanted me to lead the village in his stead. That's why I'm staying behind."

Smiling ruefully, he sighed and shook his head.

"But let's talk about happier things," he said. "Why don't we go to my hut?"

Leah nodded. “Sure!”

She followed her brother in arms as they walked back through the village. “So, what else is new in the village, aside from the chutes? I noticed a few people windriding Nui-Rama while I was up-trees; you’re branching out?”

Korero chuckled.

“Back home for five minutes, and you’re already slipping into Treespeak?” he joked. “Yeah, Kongu commissioned a special new unit. Rama only. Wants to be prepared for anything, give the Force some extra versatility in case…well, in case anything happens.”

As they reached the door of his hut, he slipped a small key out of his belt and unlocked it, ushering Leah inside. The dwelling was larger than the average Le-Matoran’s, but only to accommodate the Toa’s larger size, and relatively sparingly furnished. To make even the wealthiest Ko-Matoran collector jealous, however, was the leaf-green axe that hung on the wall.

Leah stepped inside behind the Maru of air and closed the door. “Rama make sense - they can keep up with most birds and they can turn and hover in place effortlessly.”

Korero nodded. “Exactly.”

“Truth be told, the tamer’s were discussing it some years back already - but with Makuta around, Rama were just too dangerous to use.”

She sighed. “The good old days, huh?” Korero chuckled. “You say that now, but come on: It was Karzahni at the time.”

Leah joined in on his little laugh, then sighed. “I know, I know...it’s just that I’ve missed this place. It’s still my home, in a way. I guess I just didn’t realize how much it meant while taking care of Ga-Koro full time. Didn’t sleep properly either until I got myself a hammock to get the tree-swaying feeling…waves just don’t quite feel the same. Anyway, enough about me...how’s the village been treating you so far?”

“If truth be told, Leah, I feel more at home here than I ever did in Ko-Koro,” he said, moving over to the heatstone-stove in the corner and opening the cupboard above.

“Have you eaten?” he asked.

Leah smiled, obviously glad to hear the answer to her question. “No, in fact I have not had the chance yet...Reordin had some berries on the way over here, but I skipped out on them.”

“Berries?”

“Small, orange-red, very sweet and tasty, the ones every local warns you about?” Leah asked. A look of realization emerged on Korero’s face. “Oh.” “Yep.” There was a serious silent second, then they both started laughing.

Still chuckling, Korero reached into the cupboard and retrieved a couple of eggs, an oil-flask, and a cast-iron pan.

“You’d think living in the jungle would be difficult, having to remember which berries not to pick and which hollows to avoid, and every other trap you could fall into,” he said, placing the pan on the stove and pouring oil into it. “But it’s been wonderful. The Wahi, the village, the people…Kongu...I feel like I really belong here, you know?”

He deftly cracked the eggs on the sides of the pan, one in each hand. The transparent goo began to sizzle.

“It feels like home,” he said, with a smile over his shoulder. “More than home ever did. Not that we haven’t had our share of problems to deal with...”

He took a paper-wrapped package of bacon from the cupboard as well - the local merchant was kind enough to supply him with it fresh every other day.

“Just yesterday I had to deal with a crazed Toa who attacked the village and tried to poison us,” he continued, annoyance creeping into his voice slightly. “I interrogated him...barely got anything out of him, and what I did get wasn’t exactly clear. Wouldn’t have minded having your mask back there.”

Korero’s back was to Leah, but she could sense his wry smile.

“I bet…” Leah replied, stepping up besides the Toa of air. “The marines stop by every other day and ask me to come over to the holding-cells to listen to the captain interrogate some troublemaker.” She started rummaging around the cupboards quickly until she found plates, glasses and cutlery. “It pays off, but it can be a burden sometimes.”

Korero looked up from the pans for a second to glance at her. “Is that so?”

She shook her head slightly. “It’s not my duty that’s bothering me. But the Ruhaku is always active - and it catches every little lie people utter throughout their days to get by, not hurt anybody, not embarrass or inconvenience themselves.”

“It’s interesting you should say that,” Korero replied, and his tone was less cheerful. Pensive. One might almost say grave. “I’ve wondered myself whether these great masks we’ve been given might have more consequences than we realise. I mean, take the Auporo. Oreius sees every single weakness of everyone he meets. What does that do to a person? That’s to say nothing of Stannis - he hasn’t even told us what the Hiripaki does.”

The smell of bacon frying was at odds with the sudden tension in Korero’s voice.

“Do you remember the day we killed the Makuta?” he asked, turning to face Leah. “Or rather, the day Stannis used his mask and Makuta disappeared. That mask is more powerful than we imagine and he won’t tell us a word about it. I’m not saying I don’t trust him; he’s our leader. But don’t tell me it sits well in your heart that he’s keeping things from us.”

With a slow sigh, he turned back to his cooking, subdued once more.

“As for me...well. I haven’t noticed anything from the Hiko, but all the same, that kind of dimensional meddling might have side-effects. What if I’m tearing a wound in the world every time I Jump?”

“I wouldn’t worry too much about the Hiko, brother.” the Toa of water answered, noticing the slight tinge of yellow creeping into Korero’s aura.. “It does exactly what you were told when we were given these Kanohi...there would have been a warning if it really was that dangerous to use. The Hiripaki on the other hand…”

Leah sighed, thinking quietly for a moment. She did indeed remember the day they had defeated Makuta. She could recall everything that had happened that day clearly in her mind: The journey to the Suva, reuniting with the team, the reveal of Korero’s destiny and Oreius’ prophecy, their transformation, the battle with the Rahkshi, the Keeping Place, the fight in Mangaia and Makuta’s disappearance...and exactly how the disappearance had come to pass.

“I do not doubt Stannis, but...he has not told us the truth. He said the Hiripaki helps him understand prophecy. But judging by what has happened, it doesn't help to understand prophecy...it seems to make prophecy become reality.”

Korero’s aura gradually cooled back to a relaxed green as Leah spoke. His Sister’s voice was calming, like clear, soothing water.

“Yeah,” he replied. “I wonder if he’ll ever give us a straight answer about it. No use worrying now, I suppose...”

Reaching into another cupboard, he withdrew two plates and cutlery, and scooped the now-cooked breakfast onto each Toa’s plate. He carried them over to a table, setting out the two places, and poured a couple of cups of Bula juice alongside before seating himself and gesturing for Leah to take hers.

As he tucked in, he laughed briefly.

“And I said we were going to talk about happier things!”

Leah chuckled. “Indeed we were, but...are you expecting more company?”

Korero paused, looking a bit puzzled. “What d’you mean?”

She pointed at the plates in his hand, then indicated the ones she’d already placed on the table. “Well, we’ve got enough plates set up, unless you invited more people, which I would not mind at all.” She grinned.

Korero blinked a couple of times.

“Karz,” he swore, breaking into a sheepish grin. “All this serious talk is making me absent-minded.”

“So why so serious?” she asked, with a wink.

“Eat up, or I’ll keep being serious.”

“Oh no, the horror!” she exclaimed in mocked fear, before devouring a fork piled with bacon and egg.

Korero chuckled as he raised his own fork - carrying a much more modest load of food - to his mouth.

“You seem famished,” he commented, preparing another forkful. “Didn’t Akiri Hahli think to bring enough food for a journey all the way to the Kini?”

He smirked cheekily.

“Or has Reordin already eaten it all? I wouldn’t put it past him.”

“Oh we did eat before leaving, but I was the one who went for a swim beforehand and dealt with village politics and...yeah, I’m hungry. Not the best state to be in when representing two villages for the Maru at the meeting.”

“All the same,” replied Korero, a little more sincerely, taking a sip of juice to wash down the greasiness of the fried breakfast, “I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to go in my stead. I’m glad Le-Koro’s still a home to you.”

Leah paused - her plate now empty - and looked Korero in the eyes. “Thank you for your trust, Korero. The village of Air is and will always be a home to me. And I will do everything in my power to keep it safe along with the other villages. Whatever it takes.”


-----------------------------------------------------

OOC: Present.

Leah watched the Toa of air leap over her, turning as she followed his jump with her eyes. As soon as she had an indication where his jump was leading, she started moving herself, jumping after him. She used leaf-running maneuvers to break her fall, bouncing off a large branch and using another to turn her fall into a swing and backflip, ending in a three-point landing. She looked around, trying to spot the fleeing Toa of air. He obviously knew his way around these parts and if he got too far, she wouldn’t be able to track him. Unless… The ground underneath her feet made a wet noise as she stood up. The Toa Maru allowed herself a small grin. They were outside below Le-Koro now - in the dark swamp. Before Makuta’s fall it had run rampant with the shadow’s corruption. Infected Rahi were on the prowl day and night. Back in the day, she and Sisk had often braved short excursions in the line of duty.

Nowadays, the swamp was considerably more safe, but it was still a nasty quagmire. The air was heavy with moisture and laden with the smell of rotting plant matter. But right now, Leah was thankful that it was exactly the way it way...because there were square kios of water for her to use. She knelt down again, placing her palm in the small puddle left behind in her footprint. She concentrated and called upon her element. Like the waves in a pond after dropping a stone, her consciousness extended, spreading out in all directions around her until she could practically feel the swamp. She felt insects and small animals moving inside it, a few larger Rahi in the area - and the repeated disturbance of footfalls moving away from her, not too far away.

Gotcha! Leah thought and started running.

Exerting her control over the groundwater, she made it flow in the direction Ketan was heading, unseen from above. Then, when it had zeroed in on his location, she concentrated the water on the immediate area in front of him. To the naked eye, the ground ahead was unchanged. As soon as he stepped onto it though, the soaked earth gave way and the Toa of air sank into the mud, up to his shoulders.

The Toa of Air cursed, but all in vain: he was trapped, helpless, in the earth’s grip. He managed to twist his arms out before they were completely caught, but the rest of his body was held in a vice. Had he his Kanohi, or even full command of his powers, this prison wouldn’t have held him for long. But he was weakened, and he had nothing left. He’d lost everything.

He flailed once more, but his efforts earned him nothing.

Now he was only a rat in a trap.

It didn’t take long for his pursuer to catch up now. Leah found him not five minutes later, still very much in place. He turned his head as he noticed her arrival by the rustling of leaves and approaching footfalls. His eyes followed her as she walked around him so they were facing each other. She met his grim stare with a serious look of her own, but he noticed that she did not have a weapon drawn on him. The Toa of water took a deep breath.

“It’s time we talked.” she said.

There was a long silence.

Then Greed laughed.

“So like a Toa,” he sneered. “So upright and just. You hunt me down just so you can throw your goodness in my face, and be assured of how superior you are. Very well, let’s talk. Let me hear these wise words that will, no doubt, show me the error of my ways, and convince me to repent.”

Leah remained calm, she wasn’t going to join in on antagonizing snark, the situation was too important for that. “This isn’t about me - It’s about you. And considering your crimes you of all people should know the difference between doing one’s duty and merely doing good for personal gain and self-gratification. I went after you because of what you did. And because of what I fear you might do. Because if you continue down this way, you’re not just going to harm the people I’ve sworn to protect, you’re putting your own life at risk.”

“Spare me your pity, you arrogant Mukau,” he replied. “There’s no one here to impress with your piety.”

Leah frowned. “You don’t get it, do you?”

OOC: Part 2 following via Eyru!

OOC Continuing the above jam... (yeah, it's that long)

IC

The Toa of Water frowned. “You don’t get it, do you?”

He snorted. “What I get is that you think you’re too good to kill me. Or even arrest me. You haven’t called the Gukko Force, have you? No, your arrogance goes beyond that. You’re so assured of your own righteousness that you won’t even kill the Toa who murdered your Turaga. You’re pathetic.”

There was a glare in the Toa’s eyes as she spoke, looking down at the Toa sticking out of the ground in front of her and spewing insults.

“No. I will tell you what is pathetic: A man who had every chance at greatness but passed it on at every single possible turn. A man who wanted to be the hero of Ga-Koro and you know what? You could have done it. If you had only done exactly what you did, if you had helped the people, shown them kindness, good will and done the duty of a Toa you would have been rewarded with all the respect and reverence you desired so much. But instead, you faked it, faked all of it! And for what? Because you wanted more, you wanted to own the village, you wanted to rule! You didn’t understand it then and you still don’t understand it now. That kind of respect is earned through servitude, not subjugation.”

She took a deep breath, then continued: “There was another Toa like you, not long ago. So blinded by his own desires that he went down a road that was so dark he could never find the light again. In the end it cost him everything: His power, his reputation, his brothers and even the very thing he had done all those terrible deeds for. And in the end, he paid with his life. That is the fate that awaits you if you continue down this path. In your hubris you thought kindness and compassion to be weaknesses and by doing so you brought about your own downfall. So if believing in doing good makes me pathetic then I will gladly bear that label. Because the only thing you have left now is your life, stuck in a hole in the ground with no mask, almost out of power and nowhere left to run because of it and calling me arrogant for it. What’s more pathetic now?”

“What’s pathetic,” he snarled, “is that I’ve lost everything, and yet I’m still more powerful than you. For all your words and all your strength, you won’t strike me down. Your kind never does. Too blinded by self-righteousness to realize that the world is laughing at you.

“So go ahead.” He spread his arms wide. “Hit me. Kill me! I dare you. Just for once, see what it’s like to watch a man bleed out. Any fool can die for a cause, but the ability to kill? To take what you want? That is real power, Toa... and you don’t have it.”

“You took something you had no right to in the first place.” she replied. “And you didn’t even take it yourself, standing idly by while you let some Piraka do it for you. If you are so powerful, why didn’t you do it? If you are so powerful, why couldn’t you hold onto what you stole when it was contested? If you are so powerful, why couldn’t you command any loyalty from the other Arete? If you are so powerful why are you all alone with nothing in your hand? Is that the power you speak of? Or do you actually believe the ability to kill another being makes you stronger somehow?”

“Do you know how much it would take to kill you right now? How much effort I would have to pour into silencing you forever? None. All you had and ever will have, gone in a single moment. But I’ve watched enough men and women bleed out. And each of them had more strength and courage in them than you. They died so that others might live. That includes you. Our kind acknowledges that, if only subconsciously. You can call it self-righteous, silly or whatever. But you, me and every other Toa on this island exists today because of those that lived and died before us. And if we fight in their memory, so that their struggle wasn’t in vain, then even somebody like you is worth saving.”

“If I take you in now you will be taken back to Ga-Koro and summarily executed. If I let you go and you continue in your way you will die. Either by the hand of the guards or one of the snakes you try to ally yourself with, but it will happen and there is nowhere left to run. But right now, you still have a life and a possible future. Your choice.”

“Do what you like,” he said, crossing his arms. “If you truly have the power to choose freely, then prove it, and do so.”

“Implying that that power you value so much comes from discarding all rules, when you yourself had to subscribe to them in order to get that power in the first place. You should be a comedian if you ever turn your life around.”

Leah chuckled dryly, but there was no hint of amusement in her voice. “Funny proposition, really, but you continue to misjudge. Your shackles are the same as mine, only of a different moral colour. But unlike you, I don’t have to prove anything. You only get that choice as long as I you’re willing to consider change. If not...well, you better start thinking about your preferred choice for a last meal.”

Even now, he had his cardinal rule. Even now. He had to. Even if it meant prostrating himself before this self-righteous Toa… he had to. His pride ached, but he was not Pride. He was Greed. And he was greedy for life.

“Very well,” he sighed. “I hate you, but I see you’re right. There’s no way out except to reform, and perhaps to one day gather my courage to go seek Akiri Hahli’s forgiveness. Fine. I’ll lead a new life. Or try. I won’t make any promises.”

Leah was quiet for a few seconds, watching the Toa before her. Going by feeling alone, she didn’t feel quite sure about his sincerity yet, but his aura pulsed green and violet. That didn’t give her a hundred percent clarity either, but at least he was being honest for the time being.

“I don’t want a promise from you, nor do I expect you to become a saint. You can go and do whatever you want. If you wanna try your hand at being a hero again, great; if you wanna live out your life for yourself that’s fine as well. The only thing I ask is that you do no more harm.”

With a small wave of her hand, she pushed the water in the soil away again, instantly turning the mud into dry, loose earth which allowed for movement. Leah stepped forward and offered a hand to help him climb out.

“Deal?”

The Toa’s grip was stronger than her frame belied. As the mud solidified beneath his feet, the Toa of Air stepped up, and then he was standing before her, his lower half crusted with dirt.

“Very well,” he said stoically. “Deal.”

Leah nodded slowly, just the one time. It was a somewhat stiff movement and a sign of her disdain for Ketan’s crimes. There were truly no amicable feelings lost between them. Without another word, the Toa of Air turned around and started to walk into the jungle. Leah waited until his aura faded away behind the trees.

Then she turned and broke into a light jog, then a run, jumping up at the first low-hanging branch and climbing higher before leaf-running back to Le-Koro. As she moved through the green, she thought back to the Akiri summit. It had gone well, very well in fact. That paranoia and distrust that had been felt throughout the villages the last few months were gone, the issues mostly resolved in a matter of a few hours. Overall, things were looking up after many, many years of darkness and peril. Or so she thought, for the moment. By the time she arrived and nimbly dropped out of the green onto one of the numerous suspension-bridges, she had found her positive attitude again.

It did not last long though, as the first guardsman that spotted her came running up to her. “Leah Maru, Korero Maru has requested you find him at your earliest convenience!”

Leah felt like rolling her eyes; it still felt weird being addressed with such reverence inside her own home village, but the tone of urgency in the Matoran’s voice instantly pushed that thought away.

“What’s happened?”

“He wouldn’t say, just that you are quick-needed.”

“Well in that case...I’ll need your flute.”

The air rider was quick on the pickup and handed her the small instrument from his belt. She raised it to her lips and and a specific signal rang out, usually meant for Gukko pilots to tell them something of interest had been found, or somebody they were looking for had been spotted. Leah lowered the instrument again, handing it back to the Forceman. She suspected her brother would arrive within the next ten seconds.

Leah wasn’t disappointed. A Toa’s silhouette suddenly appeared high above the village, seeming black against the bright blue sky, and after a moment or two swooped down towards her.

Korero’s legs bent as he landed on the platform, wind buffeting out around him as his flight-currents dissipated.

“Leah, I need to talk to you now,” he said urgently. Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed her arm, and one flash of light later, they were standing in Kongu’s office. Leah took a second to look around and get her bearings again. She had not been in the office of the Captain turned Akiri in a long while.

How does one start an adventure?

“Akiri Matoro’s been murdered.”

IC:

Liacada was sitting down by herself, asleep with her head on the table after a breakfast that was probably better than anything she'd had in a long time. Agni was off to comfort his own girl, or friend, or whatever she was to him. Utu had gotten out of surgery an hour ago. He was looking like he'd live, at least for now - he'd sustained a gunshot wound during the battle that had nearly killed him, probably from one of the servants of Makuta (said the doctor, an amiable man with no particular ability to associate names to reputations, or wounds to pistols hanging on that reputation's thigh). Tuara had been carted in with a growing lump on that hot head of hers, with two apologetic Gukko Forceman who had gotten one look at me and begged me to please, good Toa, not cut their throats with a garrote made of their own tooth enamel. They were only following orders.

They were lucky I make such a cute good guy.

Only Cael and Joske were detached from the post whoopin' Festivus; Cael stood fretting by herself, gazing down the hallway with the stare for soldiers in battle and other types of dead men walking. Joske was still off and about somewhere - that wasn't like him, either. He would have come back for a rousing speech on how we'll get 'em next time, tiger. Don't go off the deep end worrying about revenge. At least we saved Utu!

He can't have just not come back yet.

Don't panic; killers never panic around death. Don't cry; now wasn't the place or time for tears. Now was not the time to develop half-notions. I had to double check. I had to keep whistling. Songbirds never stopped whistling. I had to be cool. I had to do so many things to keep steady. All Joske had to do was be alive.

IC:

Liacada, having just awoken, sat back in her chair. A server came to her assistance quickly.

"Can I take your plate?" he asked.

She nodded, pushing it towards him. With a sigh, she briefly considered running. There was no guarantee Dorian's friends wouldn't kill her- or worse, put her in jail.

She just prayed none of them were Onu-Koroans.

IC: Matrixa

"I'm a vo-toa, but..."

She looked down on the ground

"... It backfires, the energy. Don't count on it."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4N31oFeinFY

Recommended listening.

"Life is an ugly, awful place to not have a best friend."

-Sarah Desson

IC:

When I snuck in, I half-expected him to produce a broadsword from a hospital robe and cleave me in two when I spoke. The pathetic creature that greeted me instead wasn't the one I knew and kind of liked, despite myself.

Utu Kotore had been a veritable tank, when his life had been certain and out of danger; when he'd stood, he'd towered over most of the other Mark Bearers and matched every one of them for bulk, and when his eyes glowed that deep purple you'd swear to God he already had one hand through the door to the big old beyond, ready to smash it closed forever. Instead, somewhere along the line, he'd stumbled and fallen through the door, and now the blob of distasteful, diseased blood and flesh with black crawl marks of decay, stretched across its taut, pallid surface, marked the places where Artahka's rugs had left him carpet burned. In the midst of the skin where his tattoo crept from his shoulder down, a small black hole was stitched up and left unnoticed, lost inside the rot. It was the only time I'd ever scarred him; it was not the first time I'd ever marked him, and it wouldn't be the last.

I doubted he had the energy to speak, or even move very much within his own power. Only his eyes were open - thick, lidded eyes that fell like wet curtains over blue eyes that saw nothing, but beheld all. The eyes of a corpse.

"Hey, tiger. You're looking great," I said, with as much cheer as I could muster. I leaned there against the entrance, one hand on the doorknob, drumming my fingers on the lock button. "You been working out? Trying new wardrobes? Got inked up?"

Utu pointed at me weakly, with one particular finger. I expected that.

"You still have spunk, for a guy who spent a year as a jilted science nerd's ###### and got the island's most nauseously heroic celebrity murdered on his behalf," I laughed, hooking a chair with my foot effortlessly and dragging it over to Utu's deathbed, like a best friend should. "Good. I was worried that someone had taken it from you. It's been a while, huh, man? Did you see Tuara out there? She's looking bad as ######, huh? We hooked up. We're a thing now. What a world."

Utu pointed at me weakly, with one particular finger.

"Well, it's not like you could do much better," I defended, gently easing his finger down onto the bed. "You were never exactly a stud yourself, and it's not like you have a killer personality. If anything, you're an actual personality killer. And a people killer, to boot. No wonder you're wandering around single. There isn't a Mrs. Festering Ooze, is there?"

Utu pointed at me weakly, with one particular finger.

"Okay, okay, I deserved that. But it's been a while. It's been...almost a year and a half, wow. Sixteen months. It feels like just yesterday, with us in the Kumu Islets, me randomly killing little kids on the church steps, the constant parade of "I'm Arekule! No! Imposter! ###### imposter! I'm Arekule! And then you, standing outside, bellowing and moaning about your destiny."

"You...left...us. Me. B...######."

However surprised I must have looked, it must have surprised Utu more; he slumped back into the bed, most of the juggernaut's once-formidable reserves of power robbed by just the vindictive accusation, coupled with the venomous curse. What he said had a point, too - I had abandoned him, abandoned them all to probably die at the hands of some who-knew-what-kind of fate. Even Nikarra had been left in the dust when I needed her to be, and had I known she was alive even now I can't promise I would have gone to her at the time. The rough-and-tumble experiences were fun, but that's still what they were - rough-and-tumble. Being a Mark Bearer wasn't conducive to survival. Hanging out with them was tantamount to pissing it away.

Utu hadn't lost his. It was on his shoulder, even now, creeping across him for every foul deed and dark memory. It reminded me with a distinct unease of another tattoo, and my own inked up fists clenched with the memory of how Tuara Drigton and I had become entwined for the second time in as many years. My own subconscious had given me a hot girlfriend, a steady job, a nice loft, and a new start. Utu's was sapping away everything that he was, and turning it into ugly stains on his chest. Everything he was, he was because of his own choices; then again, if the Marks had really been removed by all the Bearers uniting at once, maybe it was my fault for leaving him. Strangely, that settled with me a little. But probably not as much as it should have. Baby steps. Joske would have been proud.

If Joske were alive. If he wasn't, that was on the tank here.

"Yeah. I did leave you. Heuani was a better deal at the time. He chose me. Word on the street is you didn't see the wisdom in letting him make that choice. Can't say I'd do things differently if I had the choice, honestly, your little kingdom of nomads was such dull, sociopathic company..."

"Why."

"Because he was hot, he had power, and he made me feel like I was going to be a part of something. We came to blows, you know, not far away from the temple - he did a number on me, but I held my own, and I survived. He chose hundreds of people, but only I got away without dying. Could you have promised me those odds? Ever?"

Utu pointed at me weakly, with one particular finger.

"Oh, don't be like that. I liked you, in my own way. We were a team. We squabbled when we had to, and then we'd turn around and go back to back and take on enemies who wanted nothing more than to lynch us in the streets. I annoyed you, but I never made you angry; you peeved me, but I was never afraid of you. The two of us have always been perfect for each other, Utu. Even when you hated to admit it, even when I disappeared to do my thing, the very mention of each other's names would always give the other the leeway it needed to do what we needed to do. We could have been kings together, if only you'd realized that a king never makes himself predictable."

Utu looked like he wanted to raise a finger, but couldn't. He faltered once. Just this once.

"You. Friend." He sounded a little sardonic.

"I'm your friend," I promised, and I took his hand and kissed the knuckles; they tasted like acid and fear and death, rolled up into one. "Until the day you die, you can count me as a friend."

Utu Kotore pulled his hand away, but didn't lift a finger. He didn't have it in him to lift a finger anymore, and finally he took a deep, pained breath and leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling. I let my gaze wander up there myself for a minute, wondered fleetingly if there was anything up there that he could catch a glimpse of that I wasn't privy to, and when I saw nothing but ceiling I figured it had to be so. Whatever it was, he must have been transfixed by it; he didn't turn his head back to me for the longest time.

"Whatever. ######."

"I love you too," I deadpanned, and he breathed and tried to grin ruefully. It didn't work the way he probably anticipated it. Not a handsome man, but a chiseled one, not quite plain. Strong. Something about him attracts the eye. It was weird, sometimes, the way you looked at people and suddenly felt like you were looking at them for the first time, took in every detail, studied every line, absorbed every inch of their face like you'd never see it in this fashion again.

"Sorry, buddy."

It happened so quickly.

His eyes widened and I pinned his hands to the sides of his deathbed, crushing the wrists in my grip and spreading him out into a crucifix shape as I slipped up into the bed like a kitten and put my elbows on his biceps, feet on his knees, pinned him down. I took a large whiff of the smell of rot and corrupt, coarsing through the sparse few inches between his veins and my chin. If he hadn't been here to keep breathing, people could have been saved. If he'd died during the procedure, there would have never been another Mark. If he'd kept it to himself, every Bearer would be alive and well. If he'd listened to me, he'd be a king. If he'd been smarter, he wouldn't have gone to Heuani. If he had just laid down and died, I would still have my Kolhii star. If he had been a little more of a man, Tuara would still be a little less of a husk.

I blinked, and it was me I saw underneath my own tender grip; I felt a sudden rush of energy and I realized that I must have been channeling Tuara. Utu struggled and thrashed as much as his feeble body would allow at this point, head bobbing uselessly from side to side on a gelatin neck. We were two lovers on a deathbed, sharing a final, tender moment. I repeated myself. Sorry, buddy.

Almost of its own accord, the pillow slipped out from under Utu Kotore's head, and pressed against his face until his mask snapped in two, and the breaths came like hot daggers in his lungs that dulled with every stab.

...

-Tyler

IC: Colx (Fau Swamp)

"Det var da som..."

Colx didn't get to finish his Skakdi swear, because he was quickly interrupted by a swipe from the angered Ash Bear that knocked him to the ground.

"Yeah, yeah," Colx mused, "you're not happy about getting a club in your head, but that's the way of things. I was bored, you were around, it's quite simple, really"

The Ash Bear didn't seem to share his viewpoint, as it stood up on its hind legs and delivered a savage roar at the now upright Colx.

"Yes, big hug" Colx snarked as he met the Ash Bear in a wrestling grip. Or he would have had he not first used his Impact Vision to give it pounding headache, and then rammed into it with his own, admittedly sturdy frame.

The Ash Bear toppled over, belly up, it's legs waddling around in the air like Bog Snakes rising from the swamp to look around.

Colx calmy walked around, to meet the Ash Bear face to face, brandishing his Zamor Launcher at it calmly, and fired off a oceanic green sphere.

The effect was instantaneous, the erratic swinging of the Ash Bear's legs slowed til they looked like seaweed flapping gently in the ocean currents, it's roar turned sluggish and deep, coming off like a bizarre squawk you'd rather excpect out of a drunken Hapaka. The Rahi was trapped in slow motion.

"And now to give it the old heave-ho" Colx chuckled as he laid his club down beside the Bear's head, even as it began twisting to turn itself around ever so slowly.

"Fooore" Colx called and...

*twack*

"Ugh, that's quite a mess"

IC: Ryzen

Ryzen stood. Handing the finished papers to Kewa, just to look over. "So you want me to put these around. I'll be out then." He grabbed the papers from the matoran, then headed out the door.

Walking at a fast pace, Ryzen did as he was supposed to. At some stores, street lights, everywhere as he managed to. Finishing up, he stayed out on the street. Jut for a bit...

OOC: If I may...

IC: (Fau Swamp)

"Fooore!"

It was a voice. A word the wild Toa have never heard before. Loud enough to catch his ear. Shouting usually meant somebody was fighting, or in pain. Fighting usually meant the jungle was being disturbed for no good reason.

He was immediately among the trees, leaping through them in the direction the sound had come from.

OOC: If I may not, let me know and I'll erase this.

OOC: I don't mind at all.

It's funny, I was actually considering making a "feral" character myself, shouldn't surprise me someone beat me to the idea.

IC: Colx (Fau Swamp)

One headless Ash Bear later, Colx was sitting atop a viny tree root puffing trickles of smoke through his pipe to mix with the murky gray of the swamp fog. It was an old-fashioned, stylish sort of pipe, crooked so one could grip it with ones mouth. Colx chuckled a little as he imagined the way he looked, all he needed now was a monocle and a pocket watch on a chain and he'd be the spitting image of an upper-class git.

His club was leaned against the large root, and his Zamor launcher slung across his back, he listened in on the choir of the swamp as he reclined against the tree.

IC:

"Patience, Atea, I'm still trying to come to a decision," Hasil muttered. Then he shrugged.

"Though it seems I can't particularly bring myself to care much. I'll let one or the other of you make the decision while we fly - for now, though, let us be away." He hopped atop Saran, reaching out a hand to help Atea up as well, before lifting off with the others just behind him.

IC:

When they said Cael wanted to see me first, I cringed. I would have rather dealt with the cop than the doctor; police could use their gut and get inside your head, use their fists to weaken your bladder, and whittle at you until you were nothing but a little carving that would strike any pose asked of you. Only the doctor knew her craft well enough to cut into my heart.

The healer rushed into the room. “Dor, Utu's been-”

IC: Ryzen

Ryzen walked down the street, slowly, foot in front of foot. I should really get back, he though. I've been out way too long. He quickened his pace, heading for Kewa's place.

Ducking past buildings and around corners, he finally arrived, out of breath. Pounding on the door a few times, he waited, and stood by.

IC: Kewa

Kewa opened the door to his house. There was the sound of sizzling in the back, most likely a tool being forged for display. "Oh, hello Ryzen. did you finish posting the advertisements?"

IC:

"One way to end such an encounter," Atea muttered after they took off.

IC: Matrixa

 

"I'm a vo-toa, but..."

 

 

She looked down on the ground

 

"... It backfires, the energy. Don't count on it."

IC: NPC Forceman - Wind-riders Recruitment Office

"Alrighty," he pauses and looks up, "Is there a specific branch you would like to apply for?"

IC: Tuara Drigton - Le-Koro Streets

"Hey Shaddix," Tuara started sort of coldly. There was something about the quality of her voice that made one feel warm, even if she wasn't trying to be particularly heated, "Did you find him?"

"Talk to Stannis when he gets here," Dor stated emphatically, as he had not three minutes before when Cael had asked him the same thing. "He'll explain things better than I could."

Tuara nodded, her teeth grit, "I know you didn't go look for Joske Dor. I know how you decided to spend your time," she looked at him as passersby in the street pretended not to notice the pair in the streets. She crossed over to him, hands gripping her metal-link belt; hard, "Do you realize what you've done?" her brow furrowed, "Obviously I'm referring to the man you murdered in a hospital bed. The man that Joske ####### died for last night. The man that I had to carry on my back for /hours/ as we bled together while I tried to salvage the lives of the people around me; trying to make sure they weren't torn to shreds by Nui-Rama."

"Yeah, Cael told me, I just finished talking to her," she took one step closer to Dorian, "You better explain to me right now why you killed Utu or we're going to have a serious problem."

"Because he was a sick, wounded piece of and he was in agony, and if it were me in that bed I would have begged you for what I did for him," Dor said coldly. "I don't know why people assume I want to babysit all of Joske's friends and fill up his agenda for him while he's off knows where, but for your information I did look for him, and he is alive. No, I don't know where he is, ask Stannis and get off my jock about it."

"You don't think Utu could change could you?"

"No. Neither do you."

Tuara raised an eyebrow as her mouth hardened, almost opening up the cut the Le-Koro guard had given her from kicking her so many times in the face, "Really? Did I?" Tuara got 'nice and close', "Let me remind you that I thought nothing different of you when you stood by and watched me suffer in my own body," the cold was gone, melted away and threaten to be lit aflame, "You like to think that you were better than him, or even Yuru, but you weren't. You were just like the rest of them Dorian. Sure, you might've had your own thing going but every time that you could've done something about either your own condition of the condition of your comrades or even the condition of innocent people you turned up your nose and turned your head. You didn't stand a ####### chance at change Dorian, but you know what happened?" Tuara pointed at the center of her chest pointedly, "I ####### happened Dorian. I decided that I would give you the chance. I saw inside of you," Tuara poked Dorian in the chest just as hard, "What I saw inside of Utu when I pulled him from death and saved his life after you tried to end it the first time."

Tuara took a breath, "Don't tell me that I thought he couldn't change, because Shaddix, I thought the exact same thing about you. Only difference is, I didn't throttle you like a helpless child," she paused, breathing out, "If I didn't, I would've snapped his neck in the jungle just as readily as you shot him."

Dorian Shaddix stared at her for a long time, this girl he loved, and let her rant and poke at him and vent her rage until it reached the point where surely the street would give out beneath her in a massive plume of flame. Her eyes were hot, hot and red, and he realized that not only was she angry, she had no idea. She didn't remember, thsi girl he loved, and for a couple minutes he let her go along with this train of thought and let her scream.

"I tried to save you," he said quietly, to the two inches of air between her head and his eyes, and then he walked past her towards the morgue.

Tuara turned back around, heading for the hospital.

Ooc: Jam between Tyler and myself.

This was originally posted in Ta-Wahi, however it was made at night when we were tired and somehow I figured it was happening in Ta-Koro and Tyler didn't correct me so the whole thing was just very inaccurate, so I've edited and altered it to suit the more correct situation.

This post happens before this post and any Dorian post after it.

IC:

Death always made everything a little louder.

Doctors and nurses buzzed like so many little bees, fluttering through the hallways; Cael had gone off to revive him through any way she could, desperate to make Joske's apparently final request mean something, anything; Tuara was probably trying to beat him to life, and Agni had gone to search for the guy who had made the attempt. Any minute from now, someone would put two and two together and figure out it was me. The summer beat down cruelly on the Koro, so hot and cruel you could feel it shake through the streets. It was, all things considered, a pretty nice day to die, and an even better one to survive.

To be summarily executed for smothering the final Mark Bearer before he managed to kill anyone else of relative importance, though? I always pictured that particular day to be at least a little more cloudy. Fits with the vibe of it all.

For now, though, I was still a Ta-Koro Guard consultant, not a wanted murderer (for a change) and so I sat in the cafeteria calmly, no food in front of me and my right foot slung up on the chair to the right of me, left foot leaning up against the center base of the table. A coin rolled between Protosteel phalanges and clanked as it went.

Any minute now, they'd figure it out.

Stannis, meanwhile, had a much harder time keeping himself low-key. Few people ever actually laid eyes on the legendary Maru leader but word spread quickly when someone as sculpted as he with a mask as unique as the Hiripaki walked into the busy and crowded cityscape. It was difficult being a hero, Stannis found, and that wasn't including the epic battles mentioned in the contract.

He walked with confidence through the village and went directly to several key posted guards, all of whom knew who Stannis Maru was, the Granite Guardian and rumoured godsent prophet from on high. Stannis hated the titles; most were just pinned on piecs of jewlery, frivolous things matoran tacked on for legend's sake. They didn't understand Legend how he did, though. A quick word with the guard here and there and he found his way to the hospital, where he heard a few people matching the descriptions he laid out were at, entered the cafeteria, but not before telling the guard, who of course also recognized him but held back a gasp, to hold back anyone that seemed intent on just getting the esteemed hero's signature on their boobs--

The cafeteria was a dull place filled with depraved souls, people languidly eating soggy meals as they either cried their hearts out for some loved one in a room or just stared absentmindedly at some unseen entity in a far corner of the room. All, that was, except one: Dorian, who had no food before him.

Stannis slipped a sleeping roll from his shoulder and carried it to the table the younger Shaddix was seated at. He wordlessly sat down next to the heartthrob and set the long rolled up blanket on the table. He sat wordlessly for a moment and looked directly in front of Dorian, swallowing sentences before finally speaking. "Fight the demons and don't let go of hope," he said, referencing his previous conversation with Dorian on the Po-Wahi dunes around the Temple of Creation.

"With what? Fists? A gun? A silk pillow and a muttered word?" I asked. "With Makuta, they knew what they were fighting. They knew the people they needed to go up against it. Now...for every one that we kill, there are two more that crawl out of its body and manifest. "

I looked up at Stannis and raised my eyebrows sharply, lifting a finger in greeting the way Utu had.

"Joske's gone."

"'Gone' can mean many things, Dorian," Stannis said with a nod. His unnaturally blank eyes showed no more emotion than they did before, just pure, unending grey that displayed the same bizarre sage they were famed for. "Did you see him go?"

The coin clinked against the table. "I watched the cavern blow. Echelon...I told him it was stupid, it was tactical suicide, and he went in there to hear what Echelon had to say. He'd rigged the whole place. Things spiraled outta control quick and...I was dying, everyone said I was half-dead when I was pulled out, but I saw Joske throw Cael and then...I don't remember anything."

I squeezed the coin so hard between my knuckles that it bent like simple clay, and then cast a sideways look at the roll on the table before staring up at Stannis. The hospital was starting to quiet a little, but maybe that was just the Maru. He had that way about people.

"You're the team leader. What if it was your friend? Would you... should I have died with him?"

Stannis milled that thought over in silence for a moment. His answer would give his secret away -- "He is my friend, too," would have implied his survival too simply -- before he knew if Dorian was ready for it, so he chose a more roundabout way. "Everyone has their own unique destiny, you have to understand that. We don't have a choice in what happens, we just act on what Mata Nui has for us. Even if you think your choice is your own, it's not, so looking back in a glum state wishing you had dome things differently will only hurt your own soul with grief.

"Destiny oft works in mysterious ways. Remember that." He fingered the rolled blanket but didn't do more, just stared at Dorian's sad face with his somber reflection.

I looked back at his fingers, running along the surface of the neatly rolled throw, and then back to Stannis, swinging both legs back to the chair to the left of me now and kicking them up. Something about Stannis seemed off, a little heavier - our introduction had been melancholy as well, but his wit had been dry and at least implied, whereas now he was all business, with an understanding, if detached look to him.

"Well, I might as well roll with it at this point - Joske's gone, and someone needs to wrap up the hunt for the Turaga's murderers, might as well stick around; beats sitting in a loft on house arrest. What brings you here, Stannis? I thought you were back to Po-Wahi by now."

"I came here because of Joske," Stannis said intently. "And because of you."

"... Joske," I said, with a bit more vigor than I'd intended, looking up. "Is he alive? Did he come to you? Is he looking for me? I told Cael that I'd go and find him. I can have him back by the end of the day and she'll be none the wiser..."

"Joske is gone," Stannis said with authority, punctuating his point that there was no way of getting him back. "You have to accept that. But as I said, 'gone' can mean many things."

He gently took hold of the blanket and unwound the twine that bound it, then unrolled it gradually as Dorian's attention grew exponentially attracted to the object within. Finally the item was revealed: The crystal flamberge, once held by Heuani and then by Joske. He let Dorian drink in the visage.

After showing it for a moment he covered it again and slowly said, "I was also present in the caves, Dorian. Joske is safe as he is busy. He is performing his duties as a hero of Mata Nui and is walking a path that, for now, none can follow, not even myself. Do you understand?"

What?

That was Heuani's sword - Joske's sword, wrapped up right there, but Joske was alive, and Cael... and Stannis was here and...?

"I...I understand, yeah," I said quietly, brows drawing together in confusion a little.

"This sword has been held by a villain and a hero, both beings we knew intimately," Stannis said. "I fought the man who used this as a tool of destruction and fought beside the man who wielded it as a prism. I know all too well of its power and the prestige that accompanies it. Whoever has this sword is destined for great things, so listen carefully."

Stannis leaned in to Dorian and embraced him gently with one arm as he gave his charge, saying, "I give this sword to you on Joske's advice that you are deserving of it, and with it I charge you to follow your destiny, because only by following can you become the leader I see in you. There is... something legendary in your veins, so make the best of it.

"Do you accept this gift?"

I could have told him that I already had wielded the sword, as both a tool of destruction and as a prism; doubtless, though, those eyes of Stannis' had already looked into me and figured that out for themselves. There had been another man, in another lifetime, who had a habit of doing that, but where the Maru's eyes were steel and stone the man I'd known had blue eyes, deep and dark and pained and powerful, and thinking about them staring into me gave me all the resolve I needed to reach out and put my palm on the bundle.

"Yeah. I do."

Stannis merely released his grip on both Dorian's shoulder and the blanket as Dorian took what was then his and allowed the moment to sink in. "I will tell Cael what she must know, and then the others one by one. Leave this to me and say no details to anyone; everyone has to know a different truth to be at peace, but your possession of that sword is the key that proves what I say is true."

He reflected on the travels of that sword. Doubtless it had many owners before Heuani, legends in their own rights, and traveled thousands of miles before it made its way to his hands, and then Dorian's. It had its own lore and purpose and either blessed or cursed its owners -- Stannis still wasn't sure which it was, but a similar case was documented in his own Kanohi. Perhaps the two were related?

Feel, don't think, Antrim's voice reminded him. Destiny oft works in mysterious ways and history is sworn to repeat itself he reminded himself.

"So go and fight your demons, don't lose hope and maybe someday you can understand why things are as they are. So long," Stannis said before getting up and walking out as hauntingly quiet as he had entered.

"Hey, I know that man! Nobody with a face as pretty as that can be forgotten easily!" someone else there said, interrupting the stillness of the parlour. Stannis, almost exiting the eating area, braced himself; another hero worshipper? But no, it was a matoran who had just recently entered the cafeteria from another entrance. "That's Dorian, the wanted man! I saw his name all over wanted posters not too long ago--"

"You are wrong, matoran, so mind your thoughts and your tongue," Stannis barked almost harshly, his voice bearing the potency of god and men at once as his holy eyes drove auger holes into the man's skull and quickly caused the man to reel back in shock. "I am Stannis Maru and I deem that man my friend."

None stirred.

And so Stannis exited, leaving the place as shellshocked as it was before he came and then some.

IC: Matrixa

"No not particularly, I can do anything I am needed to for the most part."

Ooc: Jam between Eyru and myself.

Ic: He [Dorian] slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him with a click. The world was quiet.

Cael stood facing the empty bed, gentle tears slowly making their way down her cheeks. She did not move; she hardly breathed. A soft breeze rustled the white curtains hanging over the window, but she didn't notice. Her thoughts were far away from this lonely hospital room.

Her fingers clasped the phial as though it were a lifeline; the crystal took the sun's light and scattered it around the room. But for all the light, she couldn't see her feet. Her lamp -and her path- was gone.

It stayed that way for Cael for several long, torturous moments, until suddenly a nurse's muffled gasp could be heard and then heavy footsteps came up the treepath to the door of the room-hut Cael still languished in.

Stannis didn't bother to knock; he knew Cael still was inside; she hadn't left since Dorian huffed out minutes before, so he just opened the door to the room and stepped inside.

The Maru leader was drawn and composed as he always seemed to be, a statue in contrast to the quietly weeping lady before him, and his voice was calm and honeyed with genuine affection. He could only imagine what Cael was going through, having lost the one thing she thought she had grown so attached to, the one man she could trust wholeheartedly. Stannis had long since gauged how he would speak, what he would say, to Cael, moreso than he did for the others in the team Joske once led until recently. He took a long look at the toa of water and concluded that all his planning was wasted and simply stepped forward and hugged Cael as if she was his sister.

"It's okay to be sad," he murmured to her. "But I am here to tell you you don't need to be."

If she had been expecting anything, it hadn't been this.

The door opened, and Cael half-turned to see a vaguely familiar figure whose features blurred through her tears before being thrown into sharp focus as Stannis Maru, but she hadn't time to process this fact before he embraced her.

That alone was enough to shock her into further silence. She had met him once, had spent a few days in his company, but that wasn't enough to prepare her for this blatant act of affection. The closest she could compare it to was being hugged by Gali, the First Toa, but she had spent many sleepless nights wondering if that had been anything more than a dream, and hadn't come any closer to an answer for all her pondering. This was different. It was undeniably real.

"It's okay to be sad," he murmured to her. "But I am here to tell you you don't need to be."

She struggled to compose herself, but it was a lost cause, so she merely allowed the Wanderer to comfort her for a long moment before she answered.

“I- I know,” she managed at last. “I know Mata Nui has a plan. This was meant to... meant to happen. Thank you.”

"Your bravery is incredible," Stannis commended quietly as he still hugged the meek doctor. "Dorian was here. He showed you?"

"Showed me his true colours," she said, in an uncharacteristic display of bitterness. "A thief and a murderer. I thought- I thought I could trust him."

"You can, and you should," Stannis said as he gently let Cael go and moved to inspect the medical cot. Lots of bodies were placed in such beds and Dorian was supposed to be in that one, but that young toa had such great spirit... He reflected on what he knew of Utu, a depraved monster of fear and hatred that was bulging with power to the point of nearly exploding, but in the end his power had been his enslavement. From what Stannis understood, Dorian's smothering of the toa were not righteous but fitting, and so he found no fault in then. Destiny was as destiny did, and sometimes death was the way.

"I am a prophet, but I don't always understand why things unfold as they do. All I do is say the words that come to me by faith and know that they have reason. Sometimes I don't even know what I even say and it baffles more than the recipient, but I am always sure that what is done is because Mata Nui wishes it so. I'm the messenger, I just... say the words that God gives me. I tell you this because you must know what drives my every action.

"Your passions for your love are truly immense. I gave Dorian the sword hoping that it would lend validity to my words as I express the truth to you and the others but I should have expected your love would confuse you at first, as love does." He breathed deeply before holding Cael firmly in his kind grasp before revealing, "Joske is alive."

The bomb had been dropped.

Had she heard it from anyone else, she wouldn't have believed it. Even though that was all she wanted to hear, she would have hoped against hope and refused to believe had those words come from any other being than Stannis Maru.

Even so, she hardly dared to dream that he was speaking truth.

“What do you mean... how do you know?”

"Because I am the reason he is not with you right now," Stannis spoke in an exhale. He continued his explanation, saying, "I was present in the catacombs while Joske confronted Echelon, unseen and unknown to everyone. When I had the chance after the haze cleared, I spoke with Joske even as you and the others searched for him in vain. I had a message, a mission he alone could receive, and gave it to him there. His sword, the only unique material thing he possessed, was to be the proof of my words' validity. So know that while Joske cannot be with you or even me right now, he is doing his duty and you should be happy for him. He is right now saving us all from peril yet again.

"I don't expect you to understand it all, but I want you to know."

The healer returned to introspective silence, processing this new information. Stannis had been there, in the cave. He had sent Joske away to save the island from some new danger. There was never a lasting peace, and no rest for heroes, as she had feared.

But he was alive, and well. That was all she could ask, and more than she could have hoped for.

She clasped a fist to her chest, and bowed. “Thank you, Stannis,” she said sincerely. “It... it means the world to me... to know he's safe.”

Stannis brushed his sturdy hand down the side of Cael's pretty face. She was beautiful in more ways than met the eyes; her bond with Joske was well suited for them both. Destiny always got it right. "You should know something more. Before Joske departed into the mission he instructed me to give Dorian the crystal sword, not that I would have kept it long myself anyways. But he advised me such for a reason. Dorian may have a torn history and a moral compass still trying to find its true north, but Joske saw something great in that young man. As do I. It may be hard to do it, but trust him. He is sincere and means well."

She nodded slowly, resolute, her tears dried. The baptism of salt water had ended: she had arisen, and was Cael once more.

"I will."

"Good," Stannis said. He hugged her again then, quicker than before, and gave her a final parting gift. "Joske is like a brother to me and so you are like a sister in turn. While I am no guardian angel -- I'm just the Prophet -- I promise you that should you need me..." He handed her a simple amulet, a little granite orb connected to a string of smaller stone beads. "... All you must do is tell the stone and I will come. I owe you this much at least."

The healer bowed her head once more, holding the pendant tight. “Thank you,” she said. “For everything.”

"Please speak of this to nobody and allow me to speak to each member of the team individually as I have with Dorian and yourself. All of you need different amounts of the truth to be at peace. Until we meet again, may Mata Nui lift his countenance upon you and grant you peace, and may Fair Maiden Destiny smile on you as she has on me."

Stannis bowed his head quickly and then quietly left the room, shutting the door with a gentle click, and then Cael was once again left to ponder things, only that time with more faith than before.