BZPRPG: Po-Wahi

IC: Tera was about to answer when the Akiri entered.She saluted."Akiri. Very well, actually. Yourself?"

IC: "As well as can be hoped." Hewkii gave her a smile. "How are our recruiting efforts going?"

IC: "We're working on that. Sentinel Prei and I were discussing potential strategies."

IC: "What have you come up with?"

IC: Ta shrugged and decided to eat a donut.

Really, he had to ask himself when he had last consumed a confectionary. The answer to that question was, of course, prior to his Enlightenment. Then he had decided to deny himself both ascetic sensibilities and hedonistic pleasures. At the moment, however, to consume these strange confectioneries of flour and sugar kept appearances up. Eating a donut, he was not Ta. He was simply a guardian of his village at work. He was another person in a crowd of many.

He knew his own name.

He grimaced. Now was not the time to be thinking of these things. Life is too short, he reminded himself. He had honor, principles, and the standards so lacking in the society about him. At least in the Sentinels, there was a vestige of the old ways and a kind of staunch fighting spirit borne of a thousand misfortunes, not merely the Rahkshi or the Infernavika but Hafu and Onewa. They knew what it was like to know imminent defeat and still fight.

Only when people know what it's like to lose can they ever gain, he reflected bitterly. As I did.

Wrath--no, Ta--shook himself from his musings. He had other things to do. He chomped down more of the floury creation and turned to Decaia as the pair rode through the Koro on their kikanalo, practicing their dual patrol.

"Salutations, accomplice. I trust you have found the cuisine of our village, likewise, to be unhealthily filling?," The berserker said with a distasteful glance at what remained of his donut. "The cuisine, however, is not so important as the Akiri. What is your assessment of Hewkii?"

This was his mission. Here was a Toa, once the embodiment of acedia, who yet staggered under the weight of his troubled past. Ta would make this Toa stand proud as one befitting the title of his race. It was the least he could do.

After all, life was too short.

IC: Prei

"Doughnut discounts," said Prei, face showing no expression.

IC - Decaia - Po-Koro: The village of stone was as active as ever--at least, as much as Decaia had ever seen. The loss of life in Po-Koro before and during the Makuta's attack had been monumental, much worse than in other villages. It was easy to see the difference in resident density if you had been there before. The Toa of Water had not, generally avoiding the place due to its dry climate. As a result, he often forgot that fact--what the Dark Time had brought to Po-Koro.

It made him feel uneasy, especially with his already precarious situation in the eyes of the villagers. News had spread over the last three months of the Toa Daedra's grab for power in Ga-Koro, and along with that had been the spread of Decaia's name as an accomplice. He had tried to atone, helping with the defense of the village that had so kindly accepted him, yet he knew it was not enough. Not yet. For the past was not so easily forgotten, nor grievous wounds to trust so quickly healed. Still, he took heart in the fact that they hadn't been cast out. Hewkii had accepted them, given them a place to live, even trusted them enough to guard the village.

That had to mean something, right? For the Toa of Water, anyway, it did: Hope.

Hope as potent as the sugary coating on the doughnut in his hands, glittering in the sun overhead as he took a bite. That was when he saw him.

As Ta approached, Decaia was once again reminded of a time not-so-long ago, when he and the Toa of Plasma had been far from friends--close to enemies, in fact, despite their common cause under the banner of the Toa Daedra. And once again, Decaia was reminded of just how fickle the world could be, how quickly a bond could form between two Toa when placed in a situation where everything is collapsing and turning against them.

Granted, there had been other forces at work, not the least of which being Ta's betrayal of the Daedra to begin with and moral prodding by a certain Akrainid shortly after, but still. Pushing the thought aside, he waved, a friendly smirk on his face as he saw what his fellow Kikanalo Rider was eating.

"Great minds think alike?" He held up his doughnut. "Good morning, Ta."

"Salutations, accomplice. I trust you have found the cuisine of our village, likewise, to be unhealthily filling?" The berserker said with a distasteful glance at what remained of his donut. "The cuisine, however, is not so important as the Akiri. What is your assessment of Hewkii?"

"And yet it's so delicious. " Decaia said, chuckling. "We'd best watch ourselves--don't want to end up like... overweight people." He had been on the verge of mentioning Gluttony, though cut himself off.

He paused before shifting to Ta's question. "Akiri Hewkii is as honorable as they come," he said simply, shrugging as he stared in thought at the center of his own doughnut. "I respect him--and am grateful, to put it simply. I mean, he accepted us, right?" He chuckled. "Can't get much more admirable than that, especially considering everything this village has gone through. What about you?"

IC: Korru (Guard HQ)

"Uh, excuse me"

If Tera and Akiri Hewkii would've turned at the sound of the voice, they would see a massive, lumbering Stone Lesterin come stomping into the building. Large hands with fingers thicker than what could possibly be legal, a Matatu that at first glance was almost twice the size of a regular one. An improbably large broadsword strapped onto his back, and some uncomfortably large metal boots encompassing still giant feet and legs that could pass for tree trunks.

"I came to join the guard" he said simply, his Matatu's eyepiece twitching nervously while he looked at Hewkii and Tera in turn.

IC: Hewkii smiled and nodded. "Of course." He said. "Come right in. Let me get out of your way." He said, and stepped aside.

OOC: Gah, name confusion

IC: Korru

"Thanks, Akiri Hewkii" Korru mumbled as he walked over to the counter. Preparing to accept whatever paperwork he would need to join.

"Commander" he nodded at Tera as he passed her.

IC: Prei

Looks like we did not need a recruitment drive to obtain more members.

There went my idea.

IC Sernon:

The Toa of Stone relaxed once more, and resumed his position at the wheel. He was starting to truly appreciate Kale's craftsmanship - the skiff responded to his lightest touch, even after what it had just been through, and it seemed to Sernon that he could feel the craft through his hands and feet.

Inspecting his surroundings, the poet adjusted the wheel just slightly, angling their bearing directly towards Po-Koro. It wasn't called the "lost village" for nothing, he mused - the old road was gone, and the shifting sands made it nigh-impossible for any outsiders to locate. No Po-Koronan would ever get lost, though - there was something about the way the sun touched the cliffs here, how the sands gently drifted here and here, how that far-away rock formation looked when viewed from just there...to a Po-Matoran, these were as good as the flags the Ko-Matoran placed around their mountain.

After what seemed like no time at all, they were fast approaching the gate of the village. Kale released the ropes, and the skiff slowed sharply. As they came to a final halt, one of the Sentinels on the gate drifted over to inspect the craft. Sernon reckoned the Toa of Iron would be keen to show off his creation, so he made his farewell.

"Thank you for the ride, Kale. All the best of luck with your endeavours, and I hope I'll get a discount when these are eventually on sale?"

Grinning, he strolled past the guards on the gate, who nodded to him - he was reasonably well-known in the Koro. Proceeding down the main street, he was jostled by sellers, merchants and the rest of the motley crew that made up the population. Sernon smiled. Good to be back.

Eventually, he reached the Akiri's office, and entered, only to be informed that Hewkii had gone to inspect the Sentinel HQ. Shrugging, the poet leaned back in a wickerwork chair to await his return. A book entitled A Short History of the Carvers sat on a small table next to his knee, and he began leafing through it.

Perhaps I can find inspiration in lumps of rock, he thought wryly.

IC(Quert): Quert's jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw the massive recruit lumber in. He saw large Toa before, but this one has got to take the cake on largest. "Kraz, he's large." Quert whispered to himself.

IC: Prei

I did not know how I missed Quert standing nearby. He usually is not so hard to notice.

Although I was focused on doughnuts, a recruitment drive and the massive being who had just joined our ranks.

IC:Trench coats were completely, and utterly, a necessity in Po-Koro.

 

At least, in the opinion of this Gukko Force officer. If he had to deal with sand being thrown all over his armor and into his joints every time a gust of wind came, he'd have been miserable. His hat was similarly effective at shading his face, and protecting his head from the same tiny grains. If his outfit had been odd in Le-Koro, it was perfectly suited for his current location.

 

While most foreign agents had been expelled from the village, this Lieutenant was an... Odd case. Having spent the majority of the past eight months of his life in the village, serving on the Aggressors, and being a member of the crew of the Fowadi, he had become something of a familiar sight in the village. While not necessarily trusted by the populace, he had wormed his way into at least a measure of acceptance. Not to mention his current job as the Gukko Force's liason to the Sentinels.

 

Somewhere along the lines, his CO had worked out that he spent most of his stockpiled vacation time in Po-Koro, and decided to give him an official capacity there. It worked out well for them both. He got a capable ambassador, Krayn got to spend time with the closest thing to family he had.

 

Which is why he was currently wandering the streets, eternally grateful for his coat.

IC:

"Good morning Krayn!" A voiced called from behind the Gukko Force Lieutenant. Before the Toa could even react properly, he felt arms wrap around his abdomen and a chin on his right shoulder. The male Toa already knew that distinct voice, the tone, the inflection, as it belonged to one very particular person. A female Toa of Plant Life, young, optimistic, and ever full of energy. She "So how is Po-Koro treating you today, well I hope?"

She came around in front of him, her eyes the shade of dark turquoise, her skin from where it wasn't covered by the light armor she wore was sea green glistening like the waters surrounding Ga-Koro. That infectious smile was plastered across her Mask of Healing, shaped similar to the Kaukau, but with softer edges. She was warm and welcoming, immediately filling others with joy and excitement despite all that occured, she had a knack for that.

"So thinking of heading over to the HQ? I suppose I have to report to the new Commander. You might want to see her too, given your new position Ambassador." The Toa of Plant Life said, emphasizing Krayn's new title.

IC: Korru, and now it's staying that way (Guard HQ)

"Welcome to the guard"

The Matoran clerk accepted the form from Korru, takin a quick note of what he'd listed.

Name: Korru, Age: 100, Special Skills: Survival, pathfinding, swordfighting and fistfigthing.

Korru nodded and looked around at his new commanding officer, the two other guard members and the village's head.

"At your service, sir" he said and raised his massive arm to salute.

IC:"I'm almost sure that the title was given to me because the actual Sentinels/Gukko Force ambassador, for lack of a better word, spends all his time anywhere but Le-Koro."

The De-Toa commented, a hint of amusement coloring his voice. That was another part of Po-Koro that had taken getting used to; it was harder to hear people sneaking up behind you if you weren't paying attention. The sand muffled the sound. Hari's voice, on the other hand, was impossible to mistake. Especially with a De-Toa's ear.

"But in answer to your question, yes. I was thinking about going to the headquarters, see what's happening. And in answer to your even earlier question, today is going quite well.""How about you, Hari?"

IC-Nokth:

Nokth rather well liked the desert. Large, dry, and yet with surprising biodiversity; Ta-Wahi, on the other hand, was a land with naught but predators, and those were few. Unlike others of his subspecies he did not prefer the lands of Ta-Wahi; there was little room for one to live, and littler even was the amount of life to be found.

But now, in Po-Wahi, he found a place where he truly felt like he could live. Now, ranging out far from Po-Koro, he was searching for resources that could be used for the village; extra, besides the Quarry's. Po-Koro could use a surplus of pure water, as the sea's could be dangerous taken alone, and any other materials or space could come in handy.

And so the Akrainid roamed about this large, arid Wahi, forgoing the Kikanalo that others had taken, such as Ta and Decaia, the two who he'd first...stolen the idea to come to Po-Wahi from. Of course, he had also never officially joined the Sentinels. Still, he doubted the Akiri or any of the guards would refuse any gifts he might be able to bring or show. So now he merely hiked through the region, mapping out any interesting landmarks or such that he had found, or any extraneous spaces; a small, abandoned old village, more arable land, what-have-you, such that he could show those who would be able to utilize them. Still, he felt he was likely to stay out in this blank desert for a rather long time.

IC: "I will leave you to your business." Hewkii said to Tera. He removed himself from the Sentinel HQ and returned to his office, where he spotted Sernon.

"Ah, Sernon." He said. "How are you this fine day?"

IC:

Auron, as per the usual for once in his lifetime, was hanging out around the Sentinel HQ.

He'd made a bit of a habit out of that, but there really wasn't much the Ta-Toa could do about that.

OOC: And so, Auron, open to interact.

Kale Ironshaper- Po-koro

IC: With a wave to the poet, Kale moved to furl the sail and tie all the ropes down where they would not get blown away by some random gust of wind. Several of the Sentinels nearby moved closer to inspect the rather odd craft, it had hardly been a secret that he had been working on it, but most people did not know how much progress he had made. Jumping over the gunwale Kale walked towards them with a grin on his face.

After a few minutes of small talk and explaining just how the thing worked, the Toa of Iron explained his desire to show it to Hewkii and the commander and his problem with getting it through the streets by himself. He was quickly supplied with several Mahi that were hooked up to a harness at the front of the skiff. Despite their fairly small size, the goats were sturdy and often used as beasts of burden when nothing else was available.

So set up, Kale made his way through the busy streets of the koro, nodding to people as they waved to him in greeting and shouting back when they called to him. It only took him a short tie to arrive outside the Sentinel HQ, it seemed that people tended to get out of the way when a boat was coming towards them, even on land. Getting out, he took the Mahi to the caravan stables and then made his way into the HQ.

Finding the person he was looking for in one of the larger rooms of the building, he stepped through the open door and called out,

"Hey, Commander! I have something to show you. I think you're going to like it."

IC Sernon:

Looking up from the book he's somehow become engrossed in, Sernon stood.

"Akiri." he said, nodding. "I've brought some of my work for your appraisal."

Opening the small pouch he kept on his hip at all times, he removed a few small flax-parchment scrolls and handed them to Hewkii.

IC: Hewkii accepted the scrolls and looked them over, running through each one a few times. Finally, he nodded. "You have quite the gift for words." He said, handing them back. "I do always appreciate your work."

IC:

Sernon bowed his head.

"Thank you, Akiri. Is there anything with which I can be of assistance?"

IC: Now Ghoti, Toa of Water, had been hiding in a Po-Koro tavern for a while now. Last time she was out, there were still roads. She was hiding out because she had been hired by a group of criminals in Le-Koro hired her to beat up a Ta-Koro merchant. Unfortunately for her, the merchant was not a Matoran, but a Toa of Fire with a Pakari and a bad temper, which accidentally incited before even attempting the assault by accidentally kncking down all his merchandise...into the lava...along with all his money. She had apologized profusely, and thrown gold at him to to try and repay him, but she accidentally hit him in the face. So she ran like Karzhani and decided to hide in Po-Koro until the man's temper went down, and the Le-Koro gang forgets about her contract. Unfortunately it has been a long time now, and the money she was using to pay the tavern owner for food and bed, as well as bribe him to keep his mouth shut about a non-native being in town, was running low. Her current hope was that she could wait until the water runs to low, and use her powers to sell very fresh water to all the villagers. Part of realized this may not work, but all she could do was hope. As part of her disgusie she wore a large cloak, and had Stone toa armor put over her current armor. She sat down in the tavern and decided to order her food. "I'll have a plate of Barbecue Husi wings, a plate of spicy Husi wings and some Flaming Hot Cheese puffs."

IC: Hewkii thought for a moment. "You're not the type to serve in the Sentinels." He said. "What would you say to serving as Po-Koro's Ambassador to Ko-Koro?"

IC: Korru

As the glaring sunlight Po-Wahi was infamous for washed over the Lost Village, a huge shadow was cast, suggesting a number of things about whatever cast it. Or whoever, in this case.

Korru's sheer mass already demanded quite a bit of respect from people. And now that he was carrying the offical badge of the Po-Koro Sentinels, one could be safe to assume there were few people willing to mess with him.

His first assigment was mere routine. Patrol the city and do what he could to help the people of Po-Koro go about their day.

The massive Lesterin stepped into a tavern, his giant frame temporarly blocking out the sun (which was quite an achievement in Po-Wahi). And took a look around.

"Evertyhing alright here?" He asked the bartender. The Po-Matoran in question simply nodded.

One of the waiters was so awed by Korru's size that she failed to watch her step, and promptly lost her footing, sending the food she was carrying falling to the floor.

With pinpoint reaction, Korru activated his Matatu and froze the meal in place, gently floating it into his massive hands.

"I'll take this, miss" he said to the waitress and looked around at the guests.

"Anyone who ordered a dish of Husi wings and Puffs?"

IC:"That'd be me." said Ghoti as she plucked one floating in the air and began to dig into it.

IC:

Sernon thought for a minute. Going travelling far afield wasn't exactly what he'd envisioned himself doing in the near future - but, if Mahon's hunch was right, and they usually were, this could be vital in ensuring lasting peace between the Koros.

"When would I leave?" he asked.

IC: Korru

Korru nodded in compliance and levitated the plate onto the table before the Po-Toa, before he turned back to the counter.

"I'll have an order of fried Husi Wings myself if you don't mind, and a mug of your finest Ta-Koronan Ale"

It was lunctime, and Korru needed a quick break.

"Hope you don't mind if I join you ma'am" he asked as he removed the new sash he'd been granted as a Sentinel. His massive broadsword strapped to it, resting it against the nearest wall.

IC: "Please, come into my office." Hewkii said, opening the door for Sernon. He followed the poet into his office and closed the door. "You would leave almost immediately--there is a merchant caravan departing soon. However, if you do agree to be the Koro's emissary to Ko-Koro, you will have to keep your eyes and ears out for anything and everything that is important to this village, even if your hosts don't want you to know it. Do you follow what I am saying?"

IC:

Sernon fell heavily into the chair in front of Hewkii's desk. It was made for a Matoran, and his knees almost reached his chin. The poet felt foolish, but he didn't want to embarrass himself further by extracting himself.

"Spying." he said, flatly. "I suppose you'll call it diplomacy, though they seem to be much the same thing."

He drummed his fingers on the wooden arm of the chair. "I'll go. I'll keep an eye and an ear open, and I'll report back to you. Anything to preserve the already-fragile peace."

"But with respect, Akiri," he turned to fix his gaze upon the Po-Matoran, "If it should come to my ears that my messages are furthering a war effort, the flow of information will cease. Will you consent to that?"

IC:"I don't mind at all. Lovely sash. It really brings out your eyes." said Ghoti teasingly. "I think it look great on a dress. Prehaps I look at the future Miss Po-Koro?" She then gorged herself on three more Husi wings.

IC: Hewkii shook his head. "Of course." he said, "But if there is a war, it will not start with me. Po-Koro has suffered too much to be lightly thrust into the fire again." He met Sernon's gaze and his eyes were filled with a resolve as hard as the stone walls which guarded the Koro. "Of that, you have my word."

IC:

Sernon nodded, and extended a hand.

"I'll do it."

IC: Hewkii took it and shook, before writing a letter of introduction, one to the merchant caravan and the second to Matoro. "Here." He said, handing them to the poet. "This first will permit you to leave with the caravan. The second will assure Matoro that you are this Koro's emissary. Good luck."

IC:"I don't mind at all. Lovely sash. It really brings out your eyes." said Ghoti teasingly. "I think it look great on a dress. Prehaps I look at the future Miss Po-Koro?" She then gorged herself on three more Husi wings.

IC: Korru

Korru felt the heat race to his cheeks. Which was made even worse by the fact that his blood stood out in stark contrast to the white Kanohi he was wearing.

Korru had never been good with girls.

"That's... mighty kind of you, ma'am" he muttered as his order was placed before him.

With nothing to say at the moment, Korru decided to dig in as well, his massive hand practically shoveling the food down the massive hole he called a "mouth".

IC: Dehkaz "Are you having fun, Dehkaz?" The liquid voice was followed by the sharp crack of an armored fist impacting hard against metal. It elicited a short grunt, but nothing more. There was a pause, with the only sound being a few labored breaths. "It's Commander Kyhrilik to you, Rehn." Jazek Rehn, assassin and bounty hunter, with a reputation for not accepting a contract if the job wasn't challenging enough. The lanky Toa of Sonics was arrogant, brash, and had a superiority complex that could be spotted from any given point on the island. The assassin has staked out on Xa-Koro, but with that gone, the De-Toa seemed to have moved onto the mainland. He was also good. Really good, as it turned out, or else Dehkaz probably wouldn't be here. "Yes, yes that's right. You joined the Guard," Rehn mused in a hushed tone, as if Dehkaz had caught some incurable fatal disease. The Toa's expression was distant as he paced slowly before Dehkaz, his thoughts elsewhere. Dehkaz had a few ideas of where, and they weren't preferable places to keep one's thoughts. With a suddenness that would have surprised the Toa of Magnetism if he hadn't been expecting it, Rehn spun on his heel, broad smile on his Huna as he faced Dehkaz. "No matter, we can rectify this inconvenience, isn't that right?" Rehn said happily, directing the last part to a Skakdi, a burly, red-armored female, that stood nearby. The Skakdi's perpetual grin grew, and the next conscious second was filled with blossoming pain that exploded from his jaw. Dehkaz blinked to clear his vision of the multicolor spots that began to appear. The Toa of Magnetism slumped over the table he was currently seated at, though his bound hands and feet made it difficult to support himself properly. Rehn was still talking, though Dehkaz could barely hear it, like the Toa of Sonics was in another room speaking through a wall. "...you see, Dehkaz, abandoning your friends is never nice, especially when you were so good to us before," The teal-armored De-Toa said as if Dehkaz was a child to be lectured. Rehn was unquestionably stupid, but clever enough to make it by as one of the crime lords that had popped up since Xa-Koro's destruction. "I'd tell you to go to Karz, but it'd only be an improvement to where I'm taking you," Dehkaz replied, managing to push himself up from the grimy wooden surface. Rehn's focus grew distant for a moment, before his gaze fixed itself on Dehkaz. He looked bemused, and Dehkaz could barely keep himself from rolling his eyes. The nerve of some of these Brakas. "Is that so?" Rehn asked, eyebrow raised, wearing an expression not unlike that as if his pet ash bear had done some fascinating trick. "Come now, that's not how you treat your fri-" He never got to finish his little speech, as a grease-covered tabletop suddenly slammed straight into his chest with enough force to leave a horizontal dent in his armor. With nothing to stop him, the Toa of Sonics fell back onto the floor, somewhat stunned from the unexpected attack. Dehkaz stood up from the chair, the rope binding his feet together falling away, the Toa of Magnetism having sawed through it with a shredded piece of metal on the chair he was in while Rehn was giving his speech. Unfortunately, the Skakdi wasn't as surprised as Rehn, and she had already gotten a clawed hand around Dehkaz's throat before he could work out a means of disabling her too. She lifted him clear off his feet, and slammed him against the wall, pinning him there with all the prodigious strength granted to her species. Rehn was already recovering, he had to move fast. Twin beams of brilliant violet light punched through the Skakdi's shoulder armor, eliciting an animalistic snarl as the organics beneath were sliced through. Her arm went limp, just for a moment, from the pain, though it was enough for Dehkaz to drop out of her grip. His hands were still bound, and so he simply brought his body forward, his forehead connecting with the Skakdi's face in a nicely executed headbutt, bracing up against the wall behind him. Already reeling from Dehkaz's Kanohi power, the headbutt sent the large Skakdi stumbling back. Just in time, as Rehn had gathered his wits and was already starting towards Dehkaz. The Toa of Sonics was twirling a spear around his body, the weapon only a circular blur as it spun his hand. With a fluid grace, Rehn effortlessly stepped around his Skakdi partner as she stumbled back, his weapon's twirl becoming a swing, the spears sharpened head slicing through the air towards the Toa of Magnetism's body. With a wall sitting behind him, and a spear in front of him, Dehkaz had little choice but to drop to the ground. The spear flew over his head, the blade creating scar in the wall behind him without pause. Rehn twirled the weapon once in his hands, before bringing it down as if to skewer Dehkaz on it, only to get thrown back as the Toa of Magnetism lunged forward into him. Dehkaz had the advantage of size and weight, and even with his hands tied, probably would have been able to pin the smaller Toa to the ground without much trouble. If it wasn't for the fact that a rather angry Skakdi grabbed him by the shoulder and hauled him up. Her arm was still hanging limply at her side, though she had no trouble moving her other one. No matter. Using the rope binding his wrist as a fulcrum, Dehkaz grabbed the limb with both hands, before throwing the Skakdi over his back, right down onto where Rehn was laying on the ground below. Or would have, if the Toa of Sonics had not melted from view and slipped away as his Huna shrouded his form. Nonetheless, it had the desired effect on the red-armored Skakdi, as she hit the ground rather hard, and didn't get back up. Funny, guess they didn't make them as tough nowadays. The sound of metal scraping against the wooden floor drew the Toa of Magnetism's attention, and he instantly whipped around toward it's source. Just in time to see Rehn's staff, which he had dropped when Dehkaz had tackle him to the ground, disappear from view as the Toa of Sonics picked it up. A literal disappearance, in this case, considering Rehn's Kanohi power. Dehkaz cursed under his breath, glancing around despite the fact that he knew that the action would be useless. With a Huna, there was very little to giveaway someone's position. At least you could still partially see someone with a Volitak... Dehkaz didn't have much time to think on that, spontaneous sonic boom buffeted him with sound, forcing him to take a step back. His head rang from the sonic explosion, the confined space they were in amplifying it. Whatever advantage Dehkaz would have gained from the fact that Rehn would have had to protect his own sensitive hearing from the blast dried up as the Toa of Magnetism stumbled back. It was then, that Rehn deactivated his Kanohi, and faded into view. Of course, you couldn't have killed me without looking straight into my eyes while doing so. It was a mistake that Dehkaz intended to take full advantage of. He still couldn't hear a thing, and he was lucky that he was even still conscious after that. His hands were still bound, and he was unarmed. Relatively speaking. Rehn just stood there, grinning like a madman as more elemental energy gathered in his palms. The Toa of Sonics just had to proclaim his superiority to the world before he did anything. Right then, right now. When I'm frigging deaf. Dehkaz wasn't going to take any of it, and was quite tired of Rehn's little games. As such, it was simple enough for him to gather enough mental focus to marshal his elemental power, and launch it in a wave at the approaching Toa. Rehn was picked clear off of his armored feet by the onrushing magnetic field, and slammed into the wall far behind him as if some invisible hand had slapped him back. A slight alteration to the direction on the field, and Rehn was slammed into the floor. Dehkaz slowly walked towards him, hands still raised as he kept up the force pinning the being to the floor. It was now a simple enough matter to cut through the rope binding his hands with a few well-placed lasers. The Toa of Magnetism rubbed his now-free wrists, and stared down at the pinned form of Rehn beneath him. Karz, his ears were still ringing, and it felt like someone had hit his head with a good sized metal rod. A quick movement with his hand, and Rehn floated off the ground, only to slam back down onto the ground again. Now he wasn't getting back up anytime soon. Satisfied, Dehkaz moved towards the door of the room, it was about time he got out of here. Funny, he wasn't even sure he was still in the village, considering the fact that Rehn had knocked him out completely before dragging him here... Where ever the Karz “here” was. Only one was to find out. Dehkaz pushed open the door, the sudden increase from artificial to natural lightning blinding him momentarily. He blinked, holding an arm over his eyes to shield them from the harsh light. His hearing still hadn't returned, but he could have sworn that there was the sound of weapons being drawn. Of course, it would be just his luck that he was locked in Rehn's base of operations. Though when his vision cleared, he found himself looking down the length of a Guard-issue crossbow, one that lowered as the owner seemed to recognize him. “S-Sir,” The Guard said, a Po-Matoran, slightly taken aback by they Toa of Magnetism's appearance. His voice was muffled, though Dehkaz could still hear him. Mostly. Behind the Po-Matoran stood a broad shouldered Toa of Plasma, who was tying up what looked like a few of Rehn's friends who had stood guard outside the door. “Private,” Dehkaz said, inclining his head. The Matoran handed him his belts of knives, Rehn having taken them from him earlier. “We got reports of some suspicious activity in the area, sir, we didn't expect to see-” “Yes, well, an old associate came to chat. Unfortunately, he wasn't going to pay for the beverages provided,” Dehkaz replied, indicating the two beings knocked out on the floor in the room behind him with his thumb, before strolling towards the door. “Uh, yes sir.” The Toa of Magnetism didn't seem to hear, though it was entirely possible that he didn't, considering his hearing had yet to return in full. Dehkaz donned his fedora, before walking out into the open Po-Koroan air. Brakas. Scratched my knives.

IC Sernon:

The Toa of Stone nodded. "I'll be on my way immediately, then. Goodbye, Akiri. I'll be in touch."

Sernon left Hewkii's office, and emerged, blinking in the harsh sunlight, back onto Po-Koro's main street. He cut down a side alley, emerging rather close to the Kolhii pitch, and found himself outside what had been Onewa's house. The poet dipped his head, remembering the kindly Turaga. Onewa had been a patron of the arts; Sernon only wished he had discovered his passion for the verse before the old one's sad demise.

After waiting for a moment, he made his way towards the eastern gate, where the merchants' caravan was preparing to leave. Several Mahi were gathered, bleating, around the heavy-looking carts and wagons, and a few huge Rahi Sernon couldn't remember the names of were hitched to their posts. A rather irritable-looking Le-Matoran was gesturing wildly with his arms, bellowing orders to the workers packing, shifting and loading boxes, crates and parcels. Sernon assumed he must be the leader of the convoy, and approached him.

"Excuse me? My name is Sernon; I'm to be the ambassador to Ko-Koro. Here is a letter from the Aki-"

He was interrupted as the trader snatched the note from his hand and inspected it, scowling.

"Yeah, Hewkii mentioned you a while back. We've been expecting someone the last couple of times we've been here. Took you long enough, dinnit?"

Sernon frowned. "I was only given the position a few minutes ago."

The trader looked up at him, head tilted slightly.

"No kidding? Well, looks like you're in for the ride. Likely to be a bumpy one too, given the state of the roads." he guffawed.

"You'll be riding up on the front of the caravan with me. What's your name, chief liar?"

The poet grinned at the description, holding out his hand. "I'm Sernon."

"Yaake." said the Matoran, gripping it hard enough to make the Toa wince. "Hop up then; we'd best be off."

---

The caravan bumped, rattled and shook its way out of town. Sernon hung off the side of the front wagon, looking back towards his home for the last time in what could be a long while. After Po-Koro vanished beyond either the horizon or a cloud of sand - Sernon couldn't tell which - he swung round to rejoin Yaake on the seat at the front of the wagon.

"You been to Ko-Koro before?" asked the trader, who was chewing on something. The poet shook his head.

"Never. I've been most places; many of them quite some time ago; but I've never ventured up Mt. Ihu. Never had any need, really." Yaake turned to him with a look of mock indignation.

"What about the serene beauty of the snowy plains, eh? The cold, pure air? The glittering shards of ice, the fact that your hands fall off if you don't wrap 'em?"

Sernon laughed. "I think you hit the nail on the head, there."

The trade caravan meandered on across the desert, carrying crops, livestock, materials, traders and one slightly apprehensive Toa. The dust cloud behind it looked like the tail of some great beast, until the sand began to lighten slowly to snow.

OOC: Sernon (and the trade caravan) to Ko-Wahi

IC: OgekaA trade caravan, eh?For a Sentinel, that guard was pretty sharp. Ogeka spent the whole night thinking of the possibilities. There wasn't much left for him here in Po-Koro where no one noticed his brilliance. Once he arrived in some other Koros he could get some Protodermis and heatstones and start really working. Who needs Onu-Koro when you've got Ogeka, Wandering Genius!?Inspiration struck, and he pulled out a tablet to start sketching his plans.He's be traveling alright, but it would be in style.