The Tables Have Turned

The Tables Have Turned is the first Epic in the Dairuno Toa Series by BZPower and C.I.R.C.L.E. member Auserv.

Prologue
There once was an island far to the east of Metru Nui. Unlike that great city, this island could best be described as ‘rural’. Those who inhabited the island were few and far between, with several villages scattered all around. The island was called Ayomeii, but most simply called it ‘the beautiful countryside’.

Once, long ago, the Toa there led normal lives, or as normal as being a super-powerful defender of justice allows. That was long, long before the day that their Toa of Water, Roqini, discovered a strange liquid in a cave unearthed by a strange shaking of the earth... To understand the rest of this story, first the story of their transformation from normal Toa to concept-controlling Toa-Kal must be told.

***

Krakana, Toa of Earth, was still slightly disturbed as he followed the light of Fire Toa Grunekt’s torch blade down further into the darkness. He remembered the events that had brought them there. The sudden rumbling, all throughout the island... He had sensed nearby the opening of a chasm... The Toa had descended to find the cause of the earthquake, and now they heard sounds of the earth itself quivering below them, growing louder and louder with every step they took.

The chambers were lit by the magma that flowed through the area, giving the Toa just enough light to see in front of their faces. A lava rat scurried away as the Toa passed a dark alcove.

Krakana braced himself for the worst as the Toa finally rounded a corner into a large chamber. What he saw...was nothing. No giant, fear-inspiring Rahi or anything. The most abnormal thing in the entire chamber was a tiny stream of a silvery, thick-looking liquid. There were also several holes in the ground that the liquid was passing over, slowly filling them.

Xironu, the team’s Toa of Jungle, chuckled to himself. “How horrendous,” he murmured sarcastically. “So some liquid made the earthquake?”

“No...” Krakana murmured. “But the earthquake made some liquid. It must have been trapped in the earth, and it found a way out when the earthquake struck. But what is it?”

Roqini was examining the liquid carefully, using her knowledge of water to try to figure out what it was. “It’s not energized protodermis, or anything else I’ve ever seen...” Using her powers, she commanded all of the substance to pool together in the holes, filling them close to the brim.

Guutana, Toa of Ice, stuck his hand into the substance. As if it was alive, it began to flow into his hand and through his body.

The island’s Plasma Toa, Desurk, knew Guutana well and had discovered over the years that the Ice Toa was almost always right when he did something impulsive. Desurk stuck his hand into a separate pool of liquid. One by one, the Toa stuck their hands into the pools of liquid, and felt it come into their body and course through their veins, empowering them, changing them from the inside out.

When they had sucked the puddles dry minutes later, they looked around at each other and themselves slowly. Nothing externally had changed at all, but internally they felt energetic and powerful.

But little did the Toa know, they had just absorbed a substance incredibly similar to the one used by the Bahrag, far to the west of Ayomeii, to mutate six Bohrok into the Bohrok-Kal as a failsafe in the case that the queens themselves were stopped somehow. When Bohrok suits of armor were exposed to the substance, control of fire became control of electricity, control of water became control of magnetism, and so on. When Toa of those elements were exposed, they took on a new element–more of a “concept”, really–that had to do with their mask power. For this reason, although none of the Toa would ever know exactly why the name occurred to them, the Toa of Ayomeii renamed themselves Toa-Kal after their bath.

Krakana, wearing a Kakama, received Speed. Desurk gained the ability to control Thought, because of his Kanohi Komau. Guutana, bearing a Hau at the time, became a Toa-Kal of Courage. Roqini’s Kiril, only able to mend inorganic things, could now heal any wound. Grunekt wore an Akaku, and it gave him the power of Vision. And finally, Xironu’s Rau was responsible for his becoming a Toa-Kal of Speech.

And from this point, the tale of the Toa-Kal begins...

Chapter 1: The Gathering
Toa-Kal Roqini pulled herself out of the sea surrounding Ayomeii slowly and heavily, with a sad sigh. She looked out into the sea. She had once been a Ga-Matoran, years ago, and even then she was a very powerful swimmer with an equally powerful love of water. Upon becoming a Toa, she was strengthened in both of those things. But after she had touched the liquid from that cave yesterday, she no longer felt any connection to water. She could still swim alright, but it no longer provided her the joy it once did, and the waters no longer answered to her command.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Both of those things would make it seem like the transformation had hurt the Toa, having removed their elemental powers. But in place of the elements had come powers much more amazing. Roqini had discovered that she now controlled Health. Just as if it was Water, Roqini could “drain” health from the air, causing a cloud of poisonous gas to arise in the air’s place. She could inflict sicknesses in any being, or heal them. She was even experimenting with healing wounds. It was a great power, but she missed controlling the water.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">She turned to see a huge white and blue figure bearing a Hau. She was startled for a split-second, but as soon as she realized who it was, she concentrated on how unafraid she was of the being. Slowly, the figure shrunk into none other than former Toa of Ice, Guutana.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Spying on me, Guutana?” she asked, smiling and raising an eyebrow.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Just testing my new powers,” he said, scratching his mask with his large sword. “You’ve already learned how to counter this one, I see.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“How exactly do you make yourself all scary-looking like that?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I’m not actually transforming at all. To myself, I look just like I do to you now. But being a Toa-Kal of Courage, I can also be a Toa-Kal of Fear. I took away your Courage, making myself seem much larger and scarier. By concentrating on being unafraid, you stopped my powers from influencing you.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Roqini nodded. Then she grinned discreetly and Guutana began a fit of coughing.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Good one–“Guutana was interrupted by another fit of coughing, then resumed speaking when done–“now heal me.” She nodded. And as quickly as it had come, the coughing subsided.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“There’s no way to overcome my sicknesses unless I want you to,” Roqini bragged.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Anyway, Roqini, I came here to tell you that Turaga Onathei has summoned the Toa-Kal to the center of the island to discuss our new powers. He sent me to find the others, and you were the first I found. You want to help me find the rest?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Sure, Guutana,” came her answer. “It’s not like I have something else to do.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">***

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The two found Desurk, Toa-Kal of Thought struggling against a blue energy hound in a clearing in the nearby forest. “Hi guys,” he called out, waving. The energy hound lunged at him, but he held his club out sideways. Instead of biting into his chest, the energy hound slammed into his protodermic club, fracturing a yellowed tooth.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Look out!” cried Roqini as the energy hound prepared to pounce again on its unsuspecting target. Desurk twisted out of the way just in time and shoved his spear into the its side, piercing its armor and the muscle beneath. It gave a mournful bellow and promptly swatted the Toa-Kal into a tree.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Guutana, observing the battle silently, decided to do an experiment. Focusing bravery into Desurk and fear into the energy hound, he grabbed Roqini and jumped with both of them to one side of the energy hound. The Health Toa-Kal gave a cry of surprise, but was quickly silenced by Guutana’s hand over her mouth.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">In the tiny brain of the hound, fear was causing its eyes to take in sights that were not there. Suddenly the single brown-and-red Toa had become thousands, an entire army of beings all with their sharp clubs aimed at the terrified Rahi. Part of it was telling it that there was no logical way for that many Toa to just appear out of thin air, and it was just seeing things. Of course, Rahi hardly care about logic. The energy hound bolted at its highest speed, hoping the Toa would not follow.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Roqini finally understood why Guutana had grabbed her: if they had not moved, the hound would have trampled them. But she was confused. How did Guutana know it was going to flee? It had given no warning!

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Desurk voiced Roqini’s concerns. “What just happened?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I guess it just got scared of your ugly mask,” Guutana replied. Immediately he put his hand to his mouth. “I–I didn’t say that!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">A green and blue figure jumped into the midst of the three Toa-Kal, grinning widely. “Xironu!” shouted Desurk, using his power over Thought to give Xironu a migraine. The clever Toa-Kal of Speech put his hand to his head and his grin dematerialized instantly.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I’ve been looking for you guys,” Xironu said when his headache had subsided. “Turaga Onathei–“

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“We know, we know,” Roqini interrupted. “He’s summoning us to discuss our transformation. Guutana and I were looking for you and the others for the same reason.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Well, then I guess you’ll be happy to know that Krakana and Grunekt are already at his house. Let’s go!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Desurk shook his head. “I still want to know what happened to that energy hound.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“To make a long story short, I used my power over Courage to make it very, very afraid.” Guutana hardly felt like explaining exactly why the energy hound got scared. He was eager to talk to someone other than the other Toa-Kal about the transformation.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Desurk looked like he was about to press for a better explanation, but apparently decided against it and simply said, “Okay, let’s go.”

Chapter 2: The Prophecy
<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Turaga Onathei had–long ago–been a Toa of Jungle, and was responsible for the existence for three of the Toa-Kal: Xironu, Desurk, and Grunekt. They had all been Matoran on Ayomeii once, as the island only actually had Matoran of Jungle (Ota-Matoran), Matoran of Plasma (Tai-Matoran), and Matoran of Fire (Ta-Matoran). Krakana, Guutana, and Roqini had come from a different island and became Toa on Ayomeii with their own Toa stones. Still, he felt responsible for the care-taking of the entire Toa team, much like how a Rahi cares for her young. So when he learned of their transformation, the first emotion he experienced was a great deal of concern.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Have you noticed any side-effects to the transformation?” he asked them, a worried expression worn on his sky-blue Noble Mahiki.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Well,” Roqini began, “The sea no longer answers to me. I mean, I can’t control my element anymore.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“That is to be expected,” Onathei replied. “Your new powers take the place of your old elements.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Xironu has been getting a lot more annoying since the transformation,” joked Desurk.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“And you’ve been getting a lot uglier,” replied the Toa-Kal of Speech. He used his powers to cause Desurk to agree with him, which got a laugh out of a few of the Toa-Kal. Then he caused Desurk to say, ‘For a Toa-Kal of Thought, I sure don’t have any’, which brought even more laughter. Even Onathei had to hold back a grin. But he immediately was serious again.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Xironu, Desurk, this is no laughing matter. Perhaps that liquid poisoned you. Or worse, perhaps it turns those it touches against the light!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“But Turaga,” Xironu said in a sarcastic tone, “it’s been a whole day and nothing’s happened yet!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“It means nothing. When I was a Toa, a member of my team was poisoned by an offering of food from a Dark Hunter we thought had turned to our side. The poison didn’t take affect until five days later, when we woke up one morning and found her, dying...” His voice trailed off.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Guutana tried to imagine what it would be like if Roqini was ever poisoned like that. He didn't like to think about it. He finally broke the silence. “Well, there’s no way of knowing if it was poison or not until the time it would take affect comes, so there’s no use in even thinking about it.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Onathei nodded silently. “Now then,” he said at last, “I have something important to share with you. A prophecy, in fact.” A few of the Toa-Kal moaned. The Turaga ignored them. “This one speaks almost certainly of you. Here. Read it.” He produced a stone tablet and extended it to the Toa-Kal. Krakana grabbed it and read it aloud.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“ ''Six heroes, once split by their homes, will unite on one island, under one dome–''<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Grunekt stopped him there. “That could be any six Toa. Just because we aren’t from the same island doesn’t mean anything!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Let him keep reading, Grunekt,” replied Onathei. Krakana nodded and kept going.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“ ''Far below, they shall find a mysterious fluid. It’s touch will give them new powers, but of them their old ones rid.''<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Grunekt interrupted again. “Never mind, that’s us.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Keep going, Krakana. What it speaks of next is yet unfulfilled and very interesting.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“ ''Then, a Plague shall come upon the land. It shan’t stop‘til all left is sand. The six will try to stop it–try but fail, and then be confronted by Death and Betrayal! To undo the prior events so sour, The heroes must sacrifice their great newfound power.''<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The room in Turaga Onathei’s hut was completely silent as soon as Krakana finished reading the tablet. No one knew exactly how to respond.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Finally, Onathei spoke up, very softly. “It’s...it’s a rough translation. A few Matoran found it underground a few days ago and I haven’t been able to translate it fully yet. But I think this is the basic idea.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“A plague...? A sickness, I wonder?” Roqini asked. “It wouldn’t last long with my powers.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“But it says ‘Betrayal’. If you betray us, then you won’t be able to help much,” Desurk protested.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“No way I’m going to betray the team. I’d rather die first!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Well, it says ‘Death’ before ‘Betrayal’, so...”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Onathei saw a fight was coming and broke it up. “Now, be reasonable. It could be entirely symbolic. Perhaps it will be a famine, and without your elements of nature anymore, you would be unable to do anything about it. The death could refer to plants, and the betrayal could be the land betraying the Matoran by keeping food from them. Then, in the end, to stop the famine, you’ll need to relinquish your powers and take back your old elements.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Good theory,” Guutana said. “Maybe it won’t come true at all. Maybe it isn’t even referring to us, or anyone who will be alive in our lifetimes. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Anyway, it hardly matters,” Krakana said, finally speaking up after reading the prophecy. “We won’t understand what it’s talking about until it comes true. That’s the problem with prophecies. Maybe the world wouldn’t be in such a bad state, with all the Dark Hunters and such, if the prophecy writers had just done a better job of making the prophecies comprehensible.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">That got at least a chuckle out of everyone, and everyone agreed. Thus, the meeting was adjourned and the Toa-Kal were left to play around with their newfound abilities. Little did they know that the prophecy was going to be fulfilled...very soon.

Chapter 3: The Plague
<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Off the coast of Ayomeii, a ship was drawing near to a long-forgotten dock on the outskirts of a forest. No one saw the boat, but if anyone, anyone at all, had seen it and realized which six beings the boat carried, they would have sunk it right then and there. For those that it carried were the beginning of something to plague the island for days, and to leave a mark forever... and it was called the League of Six Kingdoms.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">On deck, two of the beings were about to begin a battle. A tall, lean, blue figure stood facing a shorter, yet intimidating, dark yellow-armored being. The first one spoke, with an deep, scratchy voice. “Carapar,” he said. “We still have a good half hour before we can get onto the island, so I propose we play a little sword-fighting game. If I win, I get this island once we conquer it. If I lose...which I won’t...you can have it.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I accept, of course, Takadox. But are you sure you want to? It would be humiliating for you to get beaten in front of your armies, when they get here. You think they would obey you after they saw you losing so badly? I know my army wouldn’t if I lost...not that I would.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Takadox smiled, a hideous sight. “Carapar...when did I ever say anything about the loser of the battle living to be humiliated? After this battle, they’ll call us the League of Five Kingdoms Whose Sixth Member Died Disgracefully.” Without warning, Takadox drew his sword and plunged it into Carapar’s shoulder.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The yellow being gave a cry of pain and rage and lunged at Takadox, swiping furiously. Takadox parried every last one of his attacks with ease. Takadox slowly advanced, pushing Carapar back towards the edge of the boat.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Carapar realized too late what Takadox was doing. Backed into a corner, Carapar struck out mindlessly with more power than before. Taken off guard, Takadox was cut badly on his lower left arm. He ignored the pain and kicked Carapar powerfully.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Cheater!” the shorter being yelled as he fell to the ground. Takadox threw his sword aside and grabbed Carapar’s.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Prepare to be slain by your own sword, Carapar.” Takadox aimed the sword for Carapar’s heartlight, and...

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Takadox! Carapar!” A tall, handsome, white being walked out onto the deck. “We need you both to be alive for this invasion. There’s supposed to be a full Toa team on this island.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Toa are nothing, Pridak,” Carapar said, having grabbed his sword from Takadox and stood up. “I could take on four at a time!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Yes, Carapar,” said Pridak. “I remember the last time you tried that. You killed one Toa and knocked out another...then the other two merged and you were calling for help. Your armor had more holes than your brain that day.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Carapar looked like he was going to protest, and then thought better of it. He knew that Pridak, his leader, was not to talked back to. Pridak wouldn’t kill you, Carapar knew. He would never do something that could disadvantage him. Instead he would debilitate you, keeping you from doing anything without extreme pain for weeks. Carapar wouldn’t put it past Pridak to rip off a limb or cut out an eye.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“We’ll be there soon, so just rest in your cabins.” Pridak said.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“What’s our strategy again, Pridak?” asked Carapar.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Carapar, I’ve explained it at least twenty times to you, and I’m not sure doing it again will help you understand it at all. But for the record, Ehlek will have his people surround the island’s waters on all sides, barricading it from trading ships trying to bring supplies. Then we will either have them surrender, or if we must, we will bring in our armies. Soon this island will fall to our might... the might of the Barraki.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">***

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Krakana was the first of the Toa-Kal to notice the ship, pulling up at a long-abandoned dock with six ships sailing in far behind. He had been timing how long it took for him to do a lap around the entire island at full speed. He was about two seconds into his trip and had gone halfway around the island when a ship caught his eye and he stopped.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The dock had been abandoned for two reasons: it was dangerous and inconvenient. It was on the edge of a forest and the dock was at the edge of a small cliff. Large ships could safely empty their passengers onto the dock, but smaller ships’ passengers had to scale the cliff just to get to the dock, and regardless of the ship's size, the passengers would have to travel through the forest to get to the nearest village. Thus it was promptly deserted.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Generally, ships just meant trade; however when seven ships showed up at a dock that was no longer used, it wasn’t abnormal to be a little concerned. Maybe they just got a little confused,<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;"> Krakana hoped. I’ll go talk to them. <span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Hey!” he called. “Anyone there on those boats?” Krakana heard no reply, so he decided that they were too far away to hear him, and he somehow had to get onto one of the boats. It was times like these that he wished he still had his old element. He could have created pedestals of earth rising out of the sea, going to the boat.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">He looked around. He was standing outside of a forest. One type of tree growing on the edge had a vine growing off of it; it was long enough to reach partway down the cliff. Krakana began to develop a plan; he only wished he had a Calix to help him carry it out. He grabbed the vine and pulled it backwards into the forest to its full length.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Using his power over Speed, Krakana dashed forward too quickly to be seen. When he reached the edge of the cliff, he jumped and immediately slowed the movement of the vine to examine things. Alone, the vine would never reach to the boat. He couldn’t stop the vine’s movement for long... Finally, he lost his hold on the speed of the vine and it swung forth suddenly.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">When Krakana reached the end of the arc of the vine, he felt a breeze. He used his powers to speed up the breeze to a gale. He leaped off of the vine just before it started to swing back and the momentum, along with the wind, got him about half a bio. He ended up hanging off of the railing on the edge of one ship’s deck. He allowed the wind to slow back down and flipped up and over the railing.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Hey!” he called again. “I know you can hear me!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The being known as Takadox came onto the deck, having heard the Toa-Kal and been disturbed out of his sleep by his shouting. “A Toa?” he mused. “How did you get here?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Who are you?” Krakana already didn’t trust the newcomer. “Why are you here?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“That, Toa, is for me to know and you to find out–if you live long enough.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Now that Krakana knew the being was hostile, he was ready to attack. But before he could even make a move, Takadox had delivered a powerful and unexpected blow to Krakana’s head, knocking him out instantly.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The Barraki slung the unconscious Toa-Kal over his shoulder. “Sleep, little Toa. You’ll need your energy.” Takadox threw him into a storage room and slammed and locked the door.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I need the energy, too... The conquest starts soon.”

Chapter 4: Siege
<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">On the island of Ayomeii, Matoran held a Festival of Nature every other month, to honor their Toa and their island. It was one of the few times all of the island’s Matoran get together. They cycled through all six of the Toa’s elements a year, and this festival was the one to honor Toa Roqini. Since the Matoran were unaware of their Toa’s transformation, the festival was not a Festival of Health, but of Water.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Thus, dozens of Matoran were on a beach, celebrating with food, games, and playing in the water. The festival was going perfectly well, aside from the fact that Turaga Onathei was unable to attend. His excuse, his right-hand Matoran told the others, was to decipher a prophecy that had been unearthed recently.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Of course, if he or any of the Toa-Kal had been there, perhaps that last calm moment before the next few days of horror could have lasted a little longer.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">A Ta-Matoran was the first to notice, while swimming, that several green figures lurked deep in the waters, farther off shore. These slender green shapes gathered a small crowd, until finally a Matoran of Jungle decided to check them out. He took a deep breath and dove under, while everyone else watched with anxiety.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">When he reached one of the green things, it grabbed the Matoran and slashed it. The Matoran floated up to the surface. The other Matoran quickly realized their friend was dead. His chest had deep gashes, and he floated perfectly still.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The Matoran swam for their lives, but the green beings had already erupted into action, chasing down Matoran and killing them. By the time the fearful Matoran had made it to shore, at least fifteen unlucky Matoran out of the hundred or so in attendance still floated in the ocean, too late getting to land and now dead.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The survivors kept running, though they soon stopped when they realized the murderous green things weren’t coming out of the water. One curious Matoran went up to try to talk to them. “Hey! Who are you guys? What are you doing here?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The green thing in the lead rose out of the water, and finally the Matoran got a good look at them. They bore little armor but many spikes, and their eyes glowed an eerie shade of blue. They bore large talon-like claws. They also each had a strange apparatus over their head, which, some of the smarter Matoran theorized, allowed them to breathe out of water.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">But easily the most surprising thing about them was that they could speak Matoran. “You fools. We are your worst nightmare! Our coming heralds the takeover of your island. We have laid siege to your entire island. Any trade ships will end up like those Matoran.” It threw back its hand, gesturing to the several dead Matoran floating in the sea. “I suggest running to your Turaga or your Toa, so they can decide if they want to surrender now or die trying to avoid being conquered.” The Matoran who had tried to talk to them nodded slowly and began to back up.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Unfortunately for him, the beast that spoke grabbed him and slashed out his heartlight. The Matoran cried one final time as the creature tossed him into the water. At this sight, the other Matoran ran for their lives. The leader of the legion signaled to the others not to follow the fleeing Matoran. They wanted to leave some Matoran alive to conquer.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">***

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">To anyone watching, Desurk was obviously asleep.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">But in his mind, he was in a Matoran village with the other Toa-Kal, fighting off hundreds of strange beings of all shapes and sizes. And suddenly, six shadowy figures appeared...

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Then one of the Toa-Kal disappeared. Desurk looked around wildly. Who was missing? There was Roqini, Guutana, and Grunekt... Where was Krakana?

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Suddenly, Desurk felt a horrible pain and looked down. Protruding from his chest was a sword... Someone had just stabbed him in the back! It must have been Krakana; he was the Toa-Kal who had mysteriously disappeared... Then all went black... and everything got bright again.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Desurk sat up in his bed, breathing heavily. He was relieved that he had not just been stabbed, but then he was immediately troubled again. Had he just had a bad dream? Or was it a vision? If so, why had Krakana stabbed him? Desurk moaned and wished he’d never had the dream. He needed to find Krakana...

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">***

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Unfortunately, Desurk really had no hope of finding Krakana, who was trapped in the cargo hold of the Barraki’s ship. He was pacing back and forth, trying to find some way out. There were no windows, the door was metal and bolted shut...

Think, Krakana,<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;"> he said to himself. ''You control Speed. What good does it do in this situation?''<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;"> Krakana remembered something then that he had learned back at his home island, back when he was a student before being entrusted with the power of a Toa. All protodermis was composed of tiny particles that jumped around at a certain speed. A slow speed made an object a solid. A higher speed made it a liquid. And once it passed a certain speed, it turned into a gas. Gases could be walked through.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Krakana focused a huge amount of speed energy into the door. It glowed red-hot and began to melt. Krakana tried to ignore the heat. Finally, it started to boil away, turning into a gas. Krakana hurried through the steam, as it was still unbearably hot. It condensed on his body, burning away parts of his armor. As soon as he slowed the door’s atoms down again, parts of it were encrusted onto his body and the ship, and there was no door anymore. On top of that, he felt drained of a good deal of his energy.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Well, at least I’m out,” Krakana muttered, ignoring the burns. “Now I just need to hope whoever put me in there doesn’t do it again.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">On the deck, all six Barraki stood, preparing to leave. The green Barraki, known as Ehlek, was the first to notice Krakana.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Hey, the Toa escaped!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Carapar’s eyes lit up. “Can I fight him?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Pridak sighed. “Sure, Carapar. You can try.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Krakana hesitated. The short yellow-brown being looked almost comical. He was supposed to be able to beat a Toa-Kal? He laughed.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Carapar drew a sword and charged. Krakana slowed Carapar to a speed that a shore turtle would’ve thought was slow, and stepped out of the way before speeding him back up. Carapar charged into a wall, stabbing a large hole in it.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“What the? What kind of Toa are you?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I’m a Toa-Kal, my friend. I control Speed. Your speed, my speed, and that door’s speed.” Krakana gestured to the remains of the cargo hold’s door. “And what kind of Toa are you?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I’m not a Toa,” Carapar replied, pulling his sword out of the wall. “I’m a Barraki. One of the leaders of the League of Six Kingdoms. We’re here to add this island to our conquest. And if that means you’re going to die, we couldn’t care less. In fact, that makes it even more fun.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“You know what would make this a little more fun for me?” asked Krakana, speeding up the molecules in Carapar’s sword, turning it to a gas. “Cheating.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Carapar looked stunned as the particles of his sword floated away. Krakana slowed them down after they had already dispersed, causing sword ‘droplets’ to rain down on the deck. “I don’t need a sword. I can kill you without one!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Yeah, I know,” Krakana replied. “The smell of your breath has almost been enough to knock me out already!” Krakana lunged at Carapar with his bident, who just barely dodged.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Carapar tried to think of a witty reply, but was unable to. Instead, he just roared and charged at Krakana again.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Krakana dodged, but Carapar was quick enough to stop himself this time before hitting into the wall. “Wow, look! He learns from his mistakes!” Krakana joked.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I never did figure out why you Toa were always so talkative in battle. Is it because you’re nervous? I bet you talk to the Rahi you fight, too.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Well, seeing as how I’m talking to you, I would agree.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Carapar paused, not understanding the joke. By the time he got it, Krakana had used his powers to create a hole straight through the ship under Carapar. He fell in, and a splash could be heard far below. Krakana resealed the hole (a little messily) and made a run for it.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The other Barraki tried to catch him, but he slowed them down and sped himself up, using his powers as well as his Kanohi Kakama. He leaped off of the ship, but he didn’t have near enough momentum to get to the other side. He fell into the water below. In the distance, he could see Carapar struggling to stay above water and get back on the ship.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Krakana attempted to use his power to swim quickly through the ocean to a beach, but nothing happened. He couldn’t do anything speed-related. He had run out of elemental energy. Or, in his case, conceptual energy. He just hoped it recharged like his Earth elemental energy had.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">He activated his Kakama instead, which helped him through the water, but not near as much as his powers would have. He reached a beach, and saw a sight that would horrify him for days: several dead Matoran were floating in the ocean over thousands of familiar green shapes. He realized with horror why they were familiar: they were all the same species as the green Barraki he had just seen on the ship.

Chapter 5: All Left is Sand
<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“What?!” Turaga Onathei was shocked. A group of Matoran had just come to him, giving reports of aquatic green beings who electrocuted Matoran. Normally, the worst threats were Rahi. But the Matoran mentioned that the beings seemed intelligent, and spoke of taking over the island. His thoughts immediately jumped to the prophecy: ''Then a Plague shall come upon the land. It shan’t stop ‘til all left is sand.''

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“The Festival is cancelled. Go back to your homes. I will summon the Toa, and we shall take care of this.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Fortunately for Onathei, Grunekt was already in the village. He had just hung around after the meeting, having nothing better to do. When Onathei told him the story, he immediately wanted to go to the beach to see. But Onathei insisted they find the other Toa-Kal first.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Desurk came to them, looking for Onathei for something. Grunekt told him the story and Desurk said his problem could wait. Desurk then used his powers to contact the other Toa-Kal in their minds. Guutana, Xironu, and Roqini said they would head there right away. Krakana said he was already there and had been about to leave to tell Onathei.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The two Toa-Kal and one Turaga got there fairly quickly, and the other Toa-Kal had beat them there. The green beings sat in the water, unmoving. They were waiting.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“What are we supposed to do about them?” Grunekt asked at last.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“There’s no way to drive them off,” Krakana pointed out. “There’s hundreds, and only seven of us.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Remember, Krakana,” Onathei said. “Quality over quantity.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“We can try and talk to them,” Desurk suggested. “I could send thoughts into their mind. What should I say?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Don’t bother,” Xironu said. “They killed over a dozen Matoran, and you think they’re going to stop because a few Toa told them to?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Good point,” said Grunekt.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I can try and scare them,” Guutana said. He stood very still, channeling fear into the monsters. But his fear seemed only to cause them some restlessness. A few stirred. Others acted as if nothing had happened. “No. It won’t work. They’re fearless.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Sensing that one of the Toa-Kal had made their first move, one of the monsters exploded out of the water. Immediately, it ran for Guutana, its claws ready to slash. Guutana dodged narrowly, then lunged at it with his sword. Grunekt charged forth as well, cutting into its arm. It grabbed the Toa-Kal of Vision and slashed at him, but Toa are much harder to hold still than Matoran. Grunekt wriggled out of its grasp and took away the beast’s vision. It swung around wildly, trying to figure out why it had suddenly become blind.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Roqini took the chance to suck the health out of the air around the being, poisoning it and causing it to fall to the ground, coughing. Xironu used his power to do something he had never tried before: he forced the enemy to scream only, instead of breathing. Between its coughs, it screamed at the top of its lungs. Blind, coughing, and unable to breathe, it eventually became unconscious.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The Toa-Kal who were using their powers to hurt the beast finally relaxed. They had won. Now if only they could do that about seven hundred more times...

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">For a moment, there was utter silence. A fallen, wounded monster lay on the shore and six Toa-Kal and one Turaga looked into the sea and into the eyes of hundreds more like it. And no one made a noise. Finally, reality seemed to sink in to the other monsters, and they all charged onto land at once.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Krakana used his Kakama to escort Turaga Onathei home and then raced back. He still had none of his powers back, but he really didn’t feel like explaining to the other Toa-Kal why. He joined the fight, slashing at monsters with his bident. Quite a few times, he was shocked, but Roqini had put a healing mist over each of the Toa-Kal, keeping them from taking too much damage as long as she had some energy left.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Desurk was trying to put thoughts of surrender into the monster’s heads, but he couldn’t concentrate long enough to do so. One slashed him badly across his chest. He watched silently as the wounds slowly healed, thanks to Roqini. Eventually he just started melee fighting, like everyone else.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">If the monsters weren’t currently lost in thoughts of surrender, Krakana was. He remembered his fight with Carapar. He had been on a equal level of power with him, and in the end only won due to being more cunning. Each of these beings had the power of a Barraki, and thus the power of a Toa-Kal. The phrase ‘quality over quantity’ really meant nothing here.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The Toa-Kal of Speed may not have been able to control Speed right then, but his mind was racing, even as he traded blows with a monster. He had defeated Carapar by outwitting him. Maybe these creature were a little dim as well. If so, a well-maneuvered attack from Desurk could hit these beings where it would hurt.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Desurk!” Krakana called. Desurk looked positively startled, as if he expected Krakana to kill him. “Can you try to hurt these guys in their minds? You know, give them a real bad headache?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I already tried! I can’t work fast enough before they can attack me!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Guutana too seemed to realize what Krakana was talking about. “Everyone protect Desurk!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The Toa-Kal formed a tight circle around Desurk. “Now, Desurk,” Krakana continued, “Send mental pain into their minds!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I don’t know if I–“

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Just do it!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Suddenly, a wave of mental pain hit the five Toa-Kal guarding Desurk. But even as they fell over, grasping their heads, monster after monster dropped to the ground, totally unconscious. Their minds were weaker and less prepared for a mental onslaught. The Toa-Kal were much more mentally skilled and thus more resistant to mental blasts.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">When the Toa-Kal had recovered, Xironu was infuriated. “What was that? You attacked us, too!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I was trying to say ‘I don’t know if I can hit them without hitting you,’ but Krakana told me to do it anyway.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Xironu scowled.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“What do we do now?” Roqini wondered. “They’re going to wake up soon.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“And we won’t be here when they do,” Guutana added. “We already know we can’t drive them off. So we’ll have to rest and find a better way to get rid of them.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The Toa-Kal, only halfway victorious, fled before the monsters could recover from that mental assault. When the brightest of all the monsters were groggily waking up, rubbing their heads, the Toa-Kal were already back with Onathei and deciding to split up. And again, the monsters simply returned to the water, waiting... And then, all left on the beach was sand.

Chapter 6: War
<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">That night, Desurk had another dream. In it, he was fighting the green things, like earlier. He saw... an energy hound? It was running through the crowd of green monsters, headed straight for him. Guutana saved him, scaring the energy hound away, only for Desurk to hear a laugh from behind him. He turned, seeing a shadowy figure...the outline of a Kakama... And then the figure stabbed him. All went dark...

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Not again,” he muttered, waking up and sitting up in his bed. He had been having this dream all night... Every time, it became increasingly obvious that Krakana was going to kill him. In the first dream, he had been the only Toa-Kal missing. This time it had been the outline of his mask. Desurk knew no one who wore a Kakama other than the Toa-Kal of Speed.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">He wanted to talk to Turaga Onathei about it, but the entire island was worrying about the green monsters. Apparently, they were not only surrounding the beach but the entire island, claiming they had laid siege to it. It was very disturbing.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">But what was even more disturbing was what was happening miles away from Desurk’s home, in the forest on the village.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">***

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Alright! We gave them twelve hours to surrender, and they have not. Now is where you come in.” If anyone had returned to the forest that the four Toa-Kal had fought an energy hound in not too long ago, they would have seen the Barraki Pridak, speaking these words as he gestured out over his and the other Barraki’s armies. “Move in! Head for the central village! That’s where the Turaga is!”And his troops did move in. Thousands of beings, some banned from their homelands, others beings the Dark Hunters rejected, and others still beings who had joined the League of Six Kingdoms when their homes were invaded by it; all of these flooded into Ayomeii.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Pridak couldn’t keep himself from smiling. He loved seeing island after island fall under his mighty fist. Back when the Brotherhood of Makuta had employed him, when they had given him a small amount of territory, he had never thought it possible to rule the entire inhabited universe. But now, he and his five allies were coming so close... This island was just another milestone on his way to world domination.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">***

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Turaga Onathei woke from a nightmare only to find himself in another one: beings of power were in the central village, destroying Matoran homes, looking for him. The honorable thing to do, he thought, would be to turn myself in. But who knows what they will do then?

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">In the end, Onathei walked out into the open. “Are you looking for me?” he called. All of the beings turned to him.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Why, yes...” said one, a male Vortixx replied. Obviously, he was the leader of the troop invading the village. “We are here to discuss your surrender.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Surrender my island to you? Never!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Then I suppose you have some Toa for us to fight? Or are you the most powerful thing on this island?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Onathei tried to reply, but the Vortixx interrupted.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I hope you are, because I am the weakest, dumbest, most pathetic life-form in the entire universe,” he said. He spun around afterwards, looking surprised at what he had just said. Suddenly, a green-and-blue blur came out of nowhere, tackling the Vortixx.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Xironu!” Onathei chuckled.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I thought I told you not to talk to strangers,” Xironu said, not taking his eyes off his opponent. After a brief struggle, he knocked out the Vortixx with a well-placed punch. The other soldiers hesitated, then immediately surrounded Xironu. “Turaga, run!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The Turaga did so, and the Toa-Kal of Speech fought valiantly, though he was incredibly outnumbered. He used his powers on soldier after soldier, ‘choking’ them on words as he had the green creatures yesterday.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Soon, Xironu’s powers began to drain and he stopped using them, but he still fought with his sword. A few times, though completely accidentally, he would stab a soldier, killing them.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Some Toa you are,” mocked one soldier. “I thought they teach you in Toa School not to kill?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I thought they teach you in Villain School to watch out for swords!” Xironu cried, slicing off the soldier’s arm cleanly. The soldier fell to the ground, wincing in pain. Xironu only chuckled. “Killing you can sometimes be more merciful.” He kicked the soldier out of consciousness.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">It became apparent quickly to Xironu that the crowd of soldiers was thinning. Many had been killed or knocked out, but an even greater number had simply fled. Just as he was beginning to feel overconfident, Xironu felt a sword slicing through his Kanohi Rau from behind. It cut into his head partially, but the Rau was split entirely in half. And then he felt a powerful kick in his back.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The Toa-Kal of Speech was suddenly speechless, his mask sliced in half on the ground before him.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">***

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">All across Ayomeii, the armies were searching for Turaga Onathei. Having fled from his home, no one knew where he had gone. The armies attacked village after village. While they avoided killing Matoran, they didn’t hesitate at all to fight the Toa-Kal, and that they did, or else the island would have been lost.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">While hardly any of the Toa-Kal knew what was happening (Krakana was the exception), all of them knew one thing. Ayomeii was at war.

Chapter 7: Warlords
<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Guutana and Roqini were defending a Matoran village from the new armies, and they were having more fun than trouble. Unlike the monsters from earlier, these soldiers were generally below the level of the average Toa, since most were undertrained, and a few simply didn’t even have the potential to be better. The only thing was that there seemed to be an infinite amount, even more than the green things.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">During one battle, a few Skakdi had teamed up to fight the Toa-Kal. Together, they could use elemental powers, but it was proving of no use to them.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Roqini inflicted a rare condition she had heard of once where two beings with the disease would begin to show symptoms only in the presence of each other. So as soon as two Skakdi attempted to use elemental powers, they had horrible headaches and began convulsing uncontrollably.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Guutana, meanwhile, was using his Courage powers to make the Skakdi afraid of each other, and once they were split up, the Toa-Kal finished them off with ease.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Glad that’s over,” Roqini said when the last Skakdi fell.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Yeah. What do you think they’re all here for?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I have no idea. But I’ll bet it has something to do with those green monsters we faced the other day.” Roqini noticed a wound on Guutana’s shoulder and applied a small amount of her power to it. The armor slashed away instantly reappeared, the muscle tissue was put back into place, and all former pain disappeared. Guutana smiled at her.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Thanks,” he said. Then he paused, hearing something. He ignored it and added, “We should ask Turaga Onathei. Maybe he has a prophecy or something to help us.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Two soldiers walked out from behind a large bush. One of the soldiers, a tall red and black armored creature accompanied by a shorter brutish blue armored one, seemed interested at the mention of the word ‘Turaga’. “You know where the Turaga is?” he asked.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Sure,” Guutana replied. “And I can show you...” The soldier looked ecstatic, as if this was the moment he had been living his entire life for. “...when you’re leaving the island. ” Guutana rammed into the being. Stunned, he fell over and Roqini inflicted a coughing fit on him. The other soldier, trained to attack when his partner fell, leapt into action and onto Guutana.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The Toa-Kal of Courage struggled wildly as the beast pounded on his chest. And then he lay still. Confused, the beast stopped. Then, Roqini, understanding Guutana’s maneuver, shoved her sword into the unsuspecting soldier’s armor. He howled in pain, grabbed his partner, and ran.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Thanks, Roqini,” Guutana said again. “Now... let’s go to Turaga Onathei.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">***

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Roqini and Guutana, however, did not find the former Toa of Jungle they were looking for. They did, however, find a former Toa of Jungle, also known as Xironu, lying unconscious or dead in the center of a mostly-wrecked village. His mask was split in half, he was cut badly in many places, and his armor was dented slightly in the back. Several unconscious soldiers lay around as well, including a disembodied arm.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I think the war beat us here,” Guutana muttered. “Roqini, can you heal him?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“There’s no point in healing the dead,” she warned. “Nothing will happen if we’re too late already.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“It’s still worth a try. Otherwise, we might as well bury him.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I’ll try...” Suddenly, the dent on Xironu’s back returned to normal. His cuts healed. And he groaned quietly.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I’m alive?” he asked, pushing himself off of the ground. “What happened? Where’s my mask? How’d I get knocked out?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Shh, brother,” Roqini said soothingly. “You need to rest.” While Guutana explained to Xironu the recent developments, Xironu seemed to recall them. He told of how the armies were searching for Turaga Onathei, but he had gone into hiding. Meanwhile, Roqini searched for a new mask in Onathei’s hut.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">She found an old Kakama with dust collecting on it. She cleaned it off and then gave it to Xironu. When he put it on, it turned a bright blue, matching the colors of his body. “I feel good,” he said. “Good enough to take on all of these armies at once!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Oh?” came a voice from behind Xironu. “Really?” A tall, handsome, white figure walked out from behind the hut.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Who are you?” cried Roqini, grabbing Guutana’s arm.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“I am called Pridak,” he replied mockingly. “And who might you be?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Are you another one of those soldiers?” Xironu asked. “I took down dozens of you guys, and you’re alone!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Toa can be so foolish sometimes. Isn’t that right, Mantax?” A jet black-armored being walked out from behind the other side of the hut, emanating power and authority.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Yes, and that makes them all the more entertaining to rip to pieces,” said Mantax.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“First of all, Toa,” Pridak said, addressing Xironu, “I was not alone. Second of all, we are not soldiers. Since you’re about to die, I suppose I can tell you three this: we’re Barraki. We’re the ones in charge of all this. And we’re looking for your Turaga, so he can surrender and we can add this land to our list of territories.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Wait,” Roqini said. “Barraki? We’re under attack by the League of Six Kingdoms?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Wow, look!” said Mantax. “The Toa is smarter than she looks. Then again, even Carapar is smarter than she looks.” Pridak chuckled at his joke, although the Toa-Kal did not understand.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“So...uh...you going to rip us to shreds anytime soon?” Xironu asked. “Or do you plan on insulting us to death?

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Xironu made Mantax answer and kept Pridak from talking. “Actually, Toa,” Mantax was forced to say, “I plan to capture you and interrogate you.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Xironu kept Mantax from saying anything else. Roqini caught on, giving Mantax a paralyzing disease so he couldn’t make any gestures to show he had not really said that. “Mantax!” Pridak yelled. “That wasn’t the plan! We were going to kill them!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Xironu forced Mantax then to say, “Well, right now killing you would seem more appealing.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“You dare defy your leader?”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Leader?” Mantax was forced to chuckle. “You couldn’t lead an Ussal crab on a leash.”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">Pridak, enraged, lunged at the black Barraki. Roqini allowed him to move again, but Xironu kept him from saying anything.

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">“Don’t you just love it when they attack each other?” said Guutana, who really had no idea what his two allies were doing. “They cut our work in half! And maybe if we’re lucky, they’ll cut each other in half too!”

<span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,'TrebuchetMS',sans-serif,Georgia,Courier,'TimesNewRoman',serif;font-size:12px;line-height:19px;">The Toa-Kal slowly, quietly, left the fighting Barraki. By the time the Barraki were out of sight, they ran and hoped the two beings wouldn’t try to find them. Because they were looking for someone else entirely: Turaga Onathei.