Abrogation: A Story Serial of the Origins of Voriki by DarkMaestro

Chapter 9: Speak to Me

Click click click…

Vrmmmmmmmm…

Agh…

Aghh…

Aghh!

AGHHHH!!

AGHHHHHHHHHHH-

Green eyes snap open.

The matoran laid still, silently breathing. Everything was quiet. Very, very quiet.

Where am I?

His eyes try to survey his surroundings, but all he can see is blackness.

“Hello?” he tries calling out- but there is no sound. He tries again- nothing.

He knew he was speaking, he felt his mouth moving; why couldn’t he hear anything?

He tries to prop himself up, but his body refuses to cooperate with him. If it weren’t for him feeling the stony surface underneath his body, he’d almost be convinced he had no body.

He’s afraid.

Where was he, and why couldn’t he see or hear anything?

Why can’t he move?

Suddenly he feels something new- something is resting on top of his left hand. It feels… warm? At the same time, it feels like tiny pinpricks where it’s touching him. It’s a hand, he realizes as it gives a gentle squeeze. Was someone there, trying to reassure him?

“Hello? Is someone here?” he asks; yet his voice remains unheard. The hand grips a little tighter.

He freezes.

Something is touching his head.

Something cold.

Whatever it is has firmly latched onto part of his head; pulling, turning. The matoran hears thuds echoing throughout his mind. Fear grips him, but the hand gives a squeeze.

Click.

There’s a pop.

“- a better way of doing this? This is kind of… invasive.”

There’s a feminine voice; twinkling with levity but touched with concern. Before the matoran can say something, another voice resonants from behind his head.

“Not in my current design, no. All the processing components are accessible from the back of the skull; easy to get to in case of adjustments."

This voice- or voices?- made chills run down the matoran’s spine. It was as if multiple beings were blended into one, layered with a harsh raspiness and clicks. He was terrified of seeing whoever- or whatever- was the owner of that voice.

He feels a touch on his arm.

“Hello, can you hear me?”

He pulls himself from his fears, “Y-yes.” His voice sounds like he hasn’t spoken in days.

“Lovely, it also seems language codex is working properly,” the creepy voice assesses. “Matoran, is everything functioning correctly?”

“I-I can’t see. It’s black everywhere.”

“Ah, that should be no problem. Give me a moment.”

The cold sensation returns to his head.

Click.

The matoran blinks a couple of times as his sight comes to. He’s staring up at a domed ceiling, ringed with metal beams. Lightstones illuminate the room in a warm yellow light.

He slowly pulls himself up, groaning as his arms struggle to hold his weight.

“Motor functions seem operational as well. Should we test durability?”

“Don’t you even dare-

The matoran finally looks up ahead of him.

Two beings stand before him. On the left is a matoran similar to himself, but female and with a more solid build. She has brilliant light blue eyes and a stream-lined mask. Thin, almost translucent blue clothing gently cloaks her upper legs. Noticing him, she flashes him a smile and waves.

The other being is something else entirely. Much taller than the female matoran, the being has bone-like armor all over his body; thorny and angular. His mask was long and pointed, spiked and cradled by a set of mandibles. Behind the mask sat a pair of different eyes; one a blazing scarlet, the other a set of venomous green orbs.

Apparently, his fear was showing on his face, since the female matoran’s smile faltered.

“I know you’re probably confused, but we’re not going to hurt you. I am Voriki; a matoran, just like you.”

The large being leans in, “You both were created by me. I am Karzahni; a Great Being.”

Questions ran through the matoran’s mind. Who were these guys? What was a Great Being? Why were he and Voriki created? But, most importantly…

“… who am I?”

Voriki casts a glance at Karzahni. The Great Being closes his eyes. He shudders for a moment, mandibles clicking together in agitation. Then; he stops, eyes opening.

“Found you.”

The matoran unconsciously pulls himself away from Karzahni, “Found… me? What- what does that mean?”

“Karzahni wears a mask that allows him to see into different realities,” answers Voriki. “So he finds your… soul signature? Something like that, and then figures out your name.”

The matoran tilts his head in confusion, “Ok…? Who am I then?”

Karzahni lets out a chuckle.

“Oh, a very peculiar matoran; dedicated to knowledge and life, but came about a world who wanted to control both.”

Karzahni leans in, and even though his mouth was obscured behind his ancient mask, his eyes told the matoran he was giving a sly smile underneath.

“Perhaps you will find a better fate here… Mavrah.”

End of Act I: Growing Pains

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oh gosh he’s krika

I love it

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Act II: Abyssus Abyssum Invocat

Chapter 10: Another Medium

Contrary to popular belief, despite Karzahni’s abnormal appearance and tendency to look like the fusion of a rahi carcass and overgrown ivy vines; he had standards.

It would be expected for a monster like him to sloppily slide into the protodermis pool and slosh around like Kane-ra in deep water. With him at the end of weeks of non-stop construction and fatigue, he would be tempted to let go just this once.

But no; after that embarrassing lack of control he had months ago, he swore that he would alway ensure that he carried himself in a dignified manner. He owed himself that.

So he would enter this pool gracefully.

His clawed right foot slowly descends into the protodermis, barely causing a ripple. His body follows the motion and gently settles down into the pool, until only his pointed head and boney shoulders are above the surface. He lets out a content sigh; truly out of all the things he has created, galvanized protodermis would be up there as one of his greatest. The regenerative properties and smidgen of stamina boost did absolute wonders. He closes his eyes, a rare content smile creeping up his face as he lets the protodermis take effect…

Except, Karzahni has good hearing.

And what he’s hearing is the shuffle of timid footsteps approaching from behind his head.

So much for getting some peace and quiet.

He waits a little, pretending not to have heard the footsteps. He hears them approach closer, then heads towards the right of him. Then it stops. Finally, after a moment of silence, Karzahni peeks with one of his eyes.

There’s a matoran by the pool; rather small and almost frail, with slender hands that tentatively hover above the protodermis’ surface.

“It won’t hurt you, Akhun,” Karzahni finally says. “In fact, it would probably do the opposite.”

Akhun doesn’t look up at him, instead focusing on the pool. The matoran’s unique mask focuses, the telescopic lens moving back and forth.

That was admittedly the fault of Karzahni; as Akhun was the latest matoran, the deity was running out of… “spare parts”. Thus, he had to get a little creative with giving them binocular vision- and hey, it would be an interesting experiment one way or another. Thus, Akhun’s left eye was a special telescopic lens that could magnify and focus on objects.

Right now, it seemed that the matoran’s focus was the protodermis.

“I assure you, it’s safe.”

“… Do you want people to understand? Or do you just want to believe you’re the only one suffering?”

Karzahni frowns. That’s also the issue with Akhun; the matoran didn’t seem… all there. They rarely speak, and if they do it is always something cryptic and out of place. What did Akhun mean with what they said? Did they believe Karzahni was suffering in some way? It really didn’t make sense.

Part of him considers that there was a possibility that somehow some of his mask’s powers transferred to the matoran, and now Akhun was seeing different realities.

But, that was a theory to test another day.

For now, Karzahni was going to enjoy his rest.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Voriki points her index and middle finger forward, aiming at the training dummies a couple of meters in front of her. Another hand comes up beside her, copying her position.

“Keep your eyes focused on the target; specifically where you want to hit.”

The female matoran beside her gives a nod, “Ok, gotcha. Then what?”

“Then, gather the power within yourself,” says Voriki, “and channel it through your arm and out.”

Sparks fly from the tip of Voriki’s fingers; in a flash, a bolt of lightning arches across the room and obliterates the wooden dummy.

She flashes a smile to the other matoran, “Like so.”

The other matoran scoffs, “‘Like so’, she says. Yeah, no big deal.”

Despite her complaints, Voriki notices the playful glint in the matoran’s eye.

“Of course, a trivial thing for ‘Ivna the Invincible’.”

Ivna rolls her eyes, “Ha ha, so funny. Can I try now?”

Voriki concedes, and gestures towards the dummies. Ivna glares down her arm, her thumb an imaginary crosshair locked onto the training dummy. She grins, feeling the energy welling up inside her-

A couple of sparks sputter out of her fingers with a POP!

Frustrated, Ivna shakes her hand, “Come on! I’ve been trying this for weeks now! Why isn’t this working!?”

Voriki puts her hand on her chin, “Yeah you’ve got me; I thought for sure you would get it this time…”

“Ugh this sucks!” Ivna shouts as she stomps in agitation. She crosses her arms and pouts.

Voriki glances at Ivna. She was a female matoran like herself; however Ivna was slightly taller than her, and a more lean athletic build compared to her solid type. Her acid green eyes glinted within her spiked and sleek mask, her anger taking over her thoughts.

Voriki places a hand on her shoulder, “Come on, Ivna; don’t beat yourself up too much. You actually got sparks coming out of your hand, which is more than could be said than the others.”

Ivna sighs, seeming to ease into Voriki’s touch. Her arms loosen up and fall to her sides.

“Yeah, that’s true I guess. You’re the only one who has full control of lightning.”

“That was after months of training; it didn’t come to me all at once.”

Ivna raises an eyebrow, a mischievous smirk creeping up her face.

“Really? ‘Cause if I remember correctly, you said you got powers when you were suuuper pissed at Karz.”

Voriki stiffens, “That was different!”

Ivna starts chuckling, which earns her a light shove from Voriki. They both give a little laugh.

“But seriously, don’t let it bother you that much,” says Voriki. “I’m sure you’ll get it down in no time-”

“HA! WHY BOTHER WITH LIGHTNING WHEN YOU CAN DO THIIIISSS!!-”

Voriki and Ivna barely have time to register the sudden outburst when a burly matoran rushes past them, towards the dummies. With a massive hand, he grabs the dummy and chokeslams it into the stone floor.

“YEAH!! Didn’t see that coming, didya!!”

Ivna steps forward and sneers, “Oi, you oversized kavinika! I was still using that!”

The burly matoran gets onto his feet, striking a victory pose over the fallen dummy.

“You were taking too long, Ivna! And really, what lightning got over my fists!?”

Voriki shakes her head, “Gevnuk, please. We’re trying to practice.”

His pose deflates.

“But Voriki, lightning is no fun when you can just smash things!”

“I understand that; but do that on your own time,” she scolds. “Not Ivna’s, not mine.”

Gevnuk huffs, but concedes to Voriki’s discipline. It was funny; the large matoran stood a good head and a half over Voriki, and was over twice as wide. He was a brickhouse of pure muscle, and seemed to only respect physical prowess and strength.

Voriki smirks. Probably why he respected her words; she was the only person he couldn’t beat.

But that wasn’t fair. After all, he didn’t really have a deific monster to be his sparring partner, and Karzahni had been busy with… something, as of late.

He told her it was something to do with the matoran, and part of his overall plan. All she was certain of was that it was actually outside the citadel, given the amount of noise.

That in itself was intriguing to Voriki. It was… more than a year now, and she hadn’t even seen the outside of the stony walls. She only gets glimpses of the sky when in the Restoration Room.

What laid outside of her home?

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Mavrah looked down at his hands, observing the tiny creature that nestled within his fingers.

It was a bright red crustacean, with small pincers and large blue eyes. Its tiny silver legs quickly moved about as the small crab observed its surroundings.

It was fascinating. Such a small creature, yet it was so unique, such a natural marvel.

All in the palm of his hand.

“That is a juvenile hahnah; a crab species around the isle’s waters.”

Marvah glanced over his shoulder, towards the voice, “Isle’s waters?”

Karzahni was behind him, examining a skull-like mask. His clawed fingers gently followed the contours of the mask.

“Of course. The isle that my citadel resides on is surrounded by an ocean,” states the Great Being. “The mainland of Artakha is about thirty miles to the southeast of here.”

He places the mask back down on a table and strides over to Marvah.

“These young hahnah inhabit the shallow waters until they mature, where they then will travel to deepers shoals. I’ve found that they are quite impressionable, and easy to tame.”

Marvah looks down at the hahnah. Its bright blue eyes stare back at him. A smile slowly grows on the matoran’s face.

Karzahni’s clawed fingers delicately pick the crab up from Mavrah’s hands and place the creature in a nearby container. Mavrah instinctually tries to get to the container, only for a thorny arm to block his path.

“Don’t fret; you can bond with the rahi later. Right now, we need to meet up with your fellow matoran; I have something of importance to share with all of you.”

With a defeated look on his face, the matoran obliges and heads towards the door. Karzahni flexes his fingers in mild annoyance. Out of all the new matoran to be created, Mavrah seemed the most skeptical of Karzahni. To be fair, that was a very valid feeling to have, especially about a monster like himself. It sort of reminded Karzahni of an earlier Voriki.

Which was also why it was getting on his nerves. Karzahni did not need a repeat of last year, thank you very much. Plus he certainly favored Voriki over Mavrah; he would not be the least bit concerned with starting over with Mavrah. But alas, Voriki and the others had taken a liking to the rahi-enthusiast, so Karzahni had to make do for now.

Plus, after seeing some of the alternate fates of Marvah, it was an entertaining hypothesis to see if Karzahni could have this version prosper.

Hopefully the matoran doesn’t go near any giant sea rahi.

They emerge into the main hall, where the other matoran are waiting. Gevnuk is dozing off against the wall, Voriki and Ivna are sitting with each other, sharing some quiet conversations with one another. And Akhun… was staring blankly at the ceiling.

Karzahni certainly had a batch of odd matoran.

“Matoran; today, I have something to share with all of you.”

Ivna waves her hand, “Heya Karz, whatcha got to show us?”

Karzahni sighs, “Please refrain from using nicknames. And if you would all follow me, I shall show you.”

Mavrah taps Gevnuk awake as Ivna and Voriki get up to follow Karzahni.

“One day, you’ll warm up to the nicknames.”

“Unlikely.”

Voriki stiffles a giggle, which plasters a grin on Ivna’s face.

The five matoran follow behind the Great Being as he leads them down different corridors…

Voriki frowns, “Wait, was this hallway always here?”

“Not exactly. It was here, but it was never open for you until now.”

The group proceeds down a path of curving stairs, illuminated by glowstones. Finally, they reach a large circular room with a massive pair of metal doors.

Karzahni turns to the group, his eyes bright with a rare excitement.

“My little matoran; for months now I’ve been slaving away at the next phase of my project. Today, you get to see and experience the fruits of my labor.”

Gevnuk smashes his fists together, “Yeah! Let’s see it!”

Karzahni strides to the door, and places his hand on a circular indentation. The door suddenly illuminates a greenish glow, with patterns and symbols snaking around the surface. The matoran give an audible gasp. Then, the glow fades away.

CREAAAKKKKK

The sound of whining gears and sliding metal erupts from the door. The group of matoran look on in awe as the doors slowly open up, the bright sunlight invading the once sealed citadel.

Voriki squints her eyes, trying to adjust to the sudden brightness. She focuses her eyes…

“… wow…”

It’s a village.

No, not quite a village. It’s bigger; a city.

There are dozens of buildings in front of them, metal walkways going to and fro all around. Purple tiled roofs reflect in the daylight, the large glowstone lights sparkling. The buildings are all on metal platforms; as Voriki glances down through metal grates, she sees massive pillars extending from the ocean, holding the city up.

“Karzahni…” Voriki whispers, finally finding her voice, “this… this is-”

“Geez… how did you even do this?” murmurs Ivna next to her.

Mavrah stares wide-eyed at the infrastructure around him.

Karzahni has a wide smile; not malicious, but one of exuberance, of pride.

“My matoran, welcome to your new home.”

Gevnuk audibly gasps, “WHAT? We live here now?!”

“But wait,” pipes Mavrah, “what about the citadel?”

“The citadel was a place to keep you all safe until my production was finished. After all, while my citadel is large, it’s not big enough for a colony of matoran villagers.”

Ivna looks up at the deity, “Wait, there’s going to be more of us?”

“Of course,” chuckles Karzahni. “That was my plan from the start.”

He clasps his clawed hands together.

“You’re free to explore to your heart’s content; find a place to call home, see the world around us. Just bear in mind; I have no name for this place yet, so have some consideration to what to name this city.”

Gevnuk pumps his fists in the air, “OHHH YEAAH!!!”

His massive hands latch onto a very surprised Mavrah and lift him into the air.

“W-what are you doing!? Put me down!!”

“WOOOOO-”

The burly matoran, with his unwilling passenger, race off into the city streets.

Ivna chuckles, and grabs Voriki’s hand.

“Come on, the bonehead is onto something for once. Let’s check it out!”

Voriki gives a glance back at Karzahni, who motions her forward. She smiles and follows Ivna’s lead, their laughter echoing in the metal city.

That leaves one.

Karzahni glances down at Akhun. While he didn’t expect an energetic reaction from the matoran, it still was a bit off-putting that the little matoran gave almost no acknowledgement to Karzahni’s reveal.

“It took a while to get this together,” Karzahni starts, “after all, planning and logistics are a pain to do alone, even for a Great Being.”

Akhun stares forward.

“Getting all this metal was a pain too; I had to travel back to Artakha many times and pull some strings with the natives; thankfully they’re unaware of my falling out with my brothers. Those pillars underneath us were also-”

“A storm is approaching.”

Karzahni stiffens.

It is a bright, clear day out. The suns shining upon his newly created city.

He glances back at Akhun-

Who is staring intently at him, their white eyes locked onto him.

Karzahni’s mandibles click nervously.

“… can you elaborate?”

They remain silent, staring. Finally, they turn and slowly walk into the city.

“A storm is approaching.”

^^^^^^^

Oof, finally an update. Finally entering Act II.
I’ve been super busy; I just started a podcast with my fellow audio producer, The Imposter Syndrome Podcast. Plus, I just released my debut album, the RNG Experience. Both have eaten up a lot of my time, but at the same time has kicked my productivity into high gear haha.
Anyways, enjoy!

3 Likes

This is great! I love how far Karz and Voriki’s relationship has gone. I’m looking forward to seeing how far this “civilization” develops, unless it’s that kind of storm.

1 Like

very nice

Chapter 11: Momentary Bliss

One year.

One year has passed since Karzahni opened those massive doors. One year since Voriki and her fellow matoran were given homes of their own. One year since she got to see the world outside the citadel.

And now…

The City of Lightning, Elsia, has become a bustling metropolis. There were now hundreds of matoran here, with their own homes and businesses, friends and even families… who would’ve believed this was possible.

Voriki strides down the boardwalk, her teal half-cape gently swaying in the sea breeze. As she passes various matoran along the path, she sees faces lighten up, smiles, and nods of respect.

Though, it was not an odd occurrence; after all, she is the leader of Elsia.

Voriki chuckles to herself. That had been a wild day; Karzahni basically promoted her to being the city’s ruler on a whim. When she tried to stammer out a rejection, he deadpanned and said, “Look, you were the first matoran, you’re the strongest matoran, everyone respects you- why not?”

And now she’s here, making her way to Jouwi’s office to discuss the construction plans for a new dock. Karzahni had been adamant about keeping Elsia a secret from the other Great Beings, but eventually conceded to at least having a dock for fishing and exploration purposes, so long as matoran avoided Artakha. Mavrah had been extremely excited to explore the seas- his research into ocean rahi had only expanded in the past year.

But before she sees Jouwi…

Voriki smiles as she detours down a sideroad, idly waving to friendly shopkeepers. There’s a newfound excitement in her step as she makes her way to a crude-looking storefront.

Behind the counter sits a bored female matoran, green eyes blankly staring at some mechanism she’s idly toying with.

The matoran notices Voriki approaching, “Hello, welcome to my repair shop, what do you-” the matoran pauses upon recognizing Elsia’s leader, “- oh, Vor. Need something?”

“Well, Ivna…” Voriki starts, gingerly resting her elbows on the counter, “I seem to have a problem.”

“Oh?” Ivna raises her eyebrow.

“Yeah, I’ve got a long and boring meeting ahead of me, and it’s probably going to last until the evening.”

“Uh huh.”

A mischievous smirk slides up Voriki’s face, “Soooo, I thought it would be a good idea to see my favorite matoran to alleviate my upcoming turmoil.”

Ivna stares at Voriki. Voriki stares back.

Finally Ivna sighs, “Karzahni help me, you can be so needy.”

Voriki can’t help but giggle.

Ivna walks to the edge of the shop, exits through the door and makes her way to Voriki.

“Don’t blame me if you’re smelling like burnt metal later.”

Two arms wrap around Voriki and gently hold her. She rests her head on Ivna’s shoulder, returning the embrace.

“Jokes on you, I like the smell.”

Ivna lets out a laugh, causing Voriki to smirk. “Nah, you’re just used to it.”

The two stay in a hug for a long moment, before Voriki breaks it off.

“Thanks, I really needed that.”

A slight blush appears on Ivna’s face, “Of course, no problem. I mean, you can stay a little longer if you want; it’s a slow day here.”

Voriki smiles, “I should probably be on my way… but I’ll see you tonight, ok?”

Ivna grins, “Totally; I’ll stop by Gevnuk’s to see if I can grab some things so I can make some razorfish stew.”

Voriki’s eyes perk up, “Ohhh that’s a good idea! Looking forward to it!”

With a smile on her face, she continues on her trek of daily responsibilities.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Akhun sits on a bench, blankly staring into the sky with an expression that would be best described as “vacant”. His fingers idly tap his thigh to some unknown rhythm.

“… You really don’t think that tapping means something?”

Akhun doesn’t react to the hushed voice to the right of him.

“Nah,” another voice responds, “I’ve tried working out some sort of cipher but it’s too consistent. I think it’s just him tapping.”

“Or perhaps the message is not words, but a beat?” pitches a third voice.

Akhun watches the clouds drift by, massive white fluffs drifting in a bright blue sea. He pays no mind to the group of onlookers that have gathered around the corner. All their eyes are on him, tablets in their hands, intently waiting for something. Specifically, waiting for Akhun to offer some unseen wisdom.

“Calu, look, it’s been an hour already,” a matoran grumbles, “can’t we go grab a bite already?”

“No!” hisses Calu, his visor-like mask glinting in the sun. “What would happen if we missed something important? If we aren’t here right now-”

“If you weren’t here right now,” a new voice interrupts from behind, “nothing will change.”

The inquisitive matorans turn to see Mavrah, a frown etched onto his face. By his feet scuttle a small hahnah crab, a pile of packages on its back.

Calu grimaces, “Ah, Mavrah, you simply don’t understand. Akhun’s wisdom needs to be documented!”

Mavrah shoots him a look, “He literally only speaks gibberish. I’m pretty sure Karzahni fried his brain making him.”

The group of matoran gasps in horror.

“How dare you!” one yells, “Akhun’s words might be cryptic, but they are prophecies and knowledge hidden within!”

Mavrah rolls his eyes, “Good grief, just drop it already. You’re just taking advantage of the fact that he can’t properly speak to hound him all day! Why don’t you go and actually be productive for once!”

Calu sneers, “That’s rich coming from some loner with his head beneath the waves-”

Suddenly, Akhun stands from the bench. The group freezes, watching him intently. The cryptic matoran slowly turns to them, his telescopic lens focusing in and out for a moment…

He takes a breath.

The matoran group anxiously waits.

“… Mangosteen.”

With that, the enigma of a matoran begins taking slow, awkward steps down the main path. The stunned group of matoran glance at one another.

Mangosteen… what could that mean?”

“Perhaps it’s an instruction, ‘main, go steen’?”

“No no, it could be a different language- ah! The language of the Great Beings?!”

Mavrah, with an absolute look of annoyance and loathing plastered onto his face, leaves the fanatic group to their musings. His hahnah companion chirps and follows close behind.

He runs to keep up with the wandering Akhun. The strange matoran doesn’t pay him any mind when Mavrah walks beside him.

“Hey, listen,” Mavrah starts, “you don’t have to humor them if they’re bothering you. I know you don’t really… talk?”

Akhun slows down, curiously glancing at his fellow matoran. The rahi enthusiast seems surprised.

“I just…”

Mavrah searches the matoran’s eyes for any semblance of understanding.

“What I’m saying is… look, if you want them to leave you alone, don’t be afraid to find me, alright?”

Akhun stares at him. Blankly.

Mavrah sighs, “You really are messed up in the head, huh? Nothing I’ve said is getting to you.”

He begins to walk off when he feels something grab his hand. He glances down to see Akhun’s hand in a firm grasp around his own.

“What?”

The telescopic lens zooms in- and for a moment, Mavrah sees something in Akhun’s eyes. Something alive.

No, someone alive.

“Walls have ears, doors have eyes. Trees have voices, beasts tell lies…”

Something cold washes over Marvah as Akhun’s eyes bore into his, a soft smile forming on the cryptic’s face.

“Beware the rain, beware the snow. Beware the one, you think you know.”

Mavrah pulls his hand out of Akhun’s grasp, a panicked look etched on his face. Akhun’s small smile fades away, a dull absentmindedness in its stead. Mavrah watches the matoran turn on his heel and walk down another path, seemingly at random.

Exasperated, the rahi enthusiast rubs his eyes.

“I don’t know why I even bother.”

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

“… what do you think, Lord Karzahni?”

An agitated click of mandibles sound in the quiet room.

“Kiromo, I believe I told you there was no need for formalities here.”

“Y-yes! Lord Kar- I mean, yes, Karzahni.”

The Great Being nods his head, “As for turbine designs you’ve created, my only issue would be transferring the stored power back up to the city.”

Kiromo stares down at the blueprints, “Well, I mean, we can create some cables…”

“But it’s a bit of a distance between sea level and the city; you’ll have to find a way to ensure power doesn’t get lost in transit.”

The matoran thoughtfully nods his head, “I see… I’ll work out some prototypes and inform you when we’re ready to test.”

“Very good.”

Kiromo bows, then stiffens back up.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to disrespect… Well I meant to pay respect but you asked not to be so stern with conduct and I disregarded that-”

“Kiromo, please relax before you hurt yourself,” Karzahni chuckles, “I hold no ill will towards you.”

Kiromo pauses for a moment, gazing at the Great Being with gratitude- before quickly bowing again.

“You truly are a merciful Great Being! I won’t disappoint you again!”

The matoran scampers out of the room, almost smacking head first into Voriki as she’s entering the room.

“AH!” Kiromo squeals, “Toa Voriki! My humblest apologies!”

Voriki smiles, hands out placatingly, “It’s no problem, Kiromo, it was just an…”

Before she finishes, the anxious matoran rushes past her, disappearing into the city streets.

Voriki turns to Karzahni, whose face is buried in his palm. Voriki takes a seat at the table in front of Karzahni; a cheeky grin crawling up her face.

“Y’know, I would’ve thought you’d like matoran holding you to high esteem.”

Hetero-chromatic eyes glare through wiry clawed fingers, “Once in a while, not every minute. I swear it takes twice as long to go through things with Kiromo than anyone else.”

Karzahni himself plants himself in a seat opposite of Voriki, “In fact, he’s the only one I know of that constantly calls you Toa.”

Voriki strugs, “ I mean, you’re the one that called me that in the first place.”

“Because it made sense to me -” he taps his mask, giving her a knowing look, “- plus, it’s been a year and so far you’re the only matoran capable of wielding lightning effectively. You’re special somehow… I just don’t know how.”

Voriki leans back in her chair, “Maybe… y’know, my experiences?”

Karzahni scoffs, “We both know I can’t find the answer to that ethically.”

“True.”

Karzahni clasps his hands, “Well nevermind that; an answer for another day. I assume everything went well with Jouwi?”

Voriki brightens up, “Yes! Construction should begin in a couple of weeks.”

“Wonderful. We’ve really done it, haven’t we?”

Voriki stops. There was an… unusual softness to his voice. She studies Karzahni’s face.

The Great Being… seemed… content? Peaceful?

A big smile stretches across the Toa’s face.

“We certainly have.”

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Voriki and Karzahni emerge from the citadel, walking down the main path. The suns hover over the horizon line; a warm orange glow cascading over the city.

“Hey, if you’re not busy, why not come have dinner with us tonight?” Voriki asks. “Ivna says she’s making razorfish stew.”

“Oh, that does sound appetizing; though I would hate to intrude.”

Voriki snorts, “Yeah too late for that, I’m pretty sure Gevnuk’s going to find his way to our home.”

Karzahni’s mandibles click happily, “Ivna’s stew is that renowned?”

“Quite so.”

Karzahni looks ahead of him, watching the sunlight bask over the many streets and buildings of the city.

His city.

He hears Voriki let out a content hum next to him.

No, he corrects himself. Their city.

They really had done it, hadn’t they? It seemed like it was only yesterday that his plans were that of a delusional mad god- but here they were. Through trials and tribulations, they beat all odds and succeeded. What was once a volatile test subject was now a treasured pupil… a friend?

And though he can’t see it from where he is now, Karzahni ponders about Artakha. Since he began his matoran construction on site, he had stopped getting parts from the mainland. What did the island look like now? How were the other Great Beings faring?

… did his brothers miss him?

But as Voriki talks about how she hopes Ivna had brought some Vuata fruit home, he pushes those thoughts aside. He didn’t need to care about the state of the mainland, nor whether or not his brothers had any regrets.

Because for the first time in his long existence-

Karzahni felt at home.

He feels a tug in his chest.

Karzahni frowns. Were emotions getting the best of him? Oh dear; for a God of Chaos he had gotten pretty soft.

He turns to Voriki- except she’s not at his side. She’s a few feet behind him, in the middle of a stride but… not moving.

“… Voriki?” Karzahni asks in a timid whisper.

She offers no reply as- to his encroaching horror- she begins to slowly step backwards.

No, not step backwards.

Her steps are reversed.

Panic seeps through Karzahni as he looks around him; matoran, birds, the distant suns- all begin to slowly reverse.

And then it hits him.

A horrible, low growl escapes his throat, his fingers elongating into knife-like claws. He grows taller and taller, tentacles seeping out of his body. His back convulses and tears as two massive leathery wings fan out, huge gusts blowing with every motion.

And deep within his twisted soul, with every ounce of hatred and fear, newfound hope and love; Karzahni, the Great Being of Causality and Chaos, lets out a guttural scream to the stars.

“MAKUTA!!!”

^^^^^^^

Kept you waiting, huh?
After a year of podcasting, V-Tubing, just life in general- I finally got around to continue this bad boy. Maybe the next update will be sooner rather than late.
Enjoy!

2 Likes

it’s Eljay isn’t it
he’s coming

1 Like

Chapter 12: My Brother, the Dragonslayer

The blood red glow of the sunset creeps across the landscape. The once-green trees now appear as a sea of fire, the gray stonework of the palace now gleam like rubies. The violet clouds overhead draped in a crimson blanket that stretches to the horizon.

To many, it would be a beautiful sight to behold; one to savor, to ingrain into one’s memories.

But to Makuta, the vista around him is meaningless.

The broken stone pillars and cracked walls are meaningless.

The coughing, battered form of Ekimu on the floor is meaningless.

No, it is what’s in his hands- a gold, engraved mask that morphed the light around it- that’s what mattered to him.

The Vahi.

In his massive hands, the golden mask seems so delicate, he could crush it in his palm. But the Overseer knows better, he knows the power this mask wields, a power that surpasses he and his brothers.

Maybe even…

His grip tightens around the mask. He’s wasted enough time already.

Makuta has had enough in indulging Ekimu’s wishes. Unlike his naive brother, he doesn’t need to constantly visit the villages of the matoran to know the state of the island.

He knows of the seeds of doubt, planted there by those infuriating elemental spirits. The questions. The mistrust.

Those simple homunculi dared question the role of the Great Beings. But he can’t totally fault them; after all, it’s understandable to lose confidence in your rulers if one were to look at Ekimu and Karzahni. How many times had he slain legendary beasts that tore through the island, created on Ekimu’s whim? How many times has he been pestered by those annoying gnats about their missing brothers and sisters, with the culprit not showing their revolting forms for nearly a year now? And of course, it lies with the Overseer to clean up the messes of his lesser brothers.

But Makuta is responsible; he knows his duty.

The golden mask gently rests on his face; the sights and sounds of the world around him fade into darkness.

So he shall.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

The world desaturates around Ekimu, the crimson sunset fading into a dark gray. The only color remaining in his eyes radiates from the Vahi upon his brother’s face, emitting a brilliant golden light.

With a sharp inhale, Ekimu tries to push himself up. He manages to get on his hands and knees before his torso convulses in pain. He grits his teeth.

“Makuta… brother,” he wheezes out, “you have to stop…”

Ekimu knows it’s unlikely his brother could hear him, even more so that he would listen.

Turning his body, he collapses his back against the wall, his limbs going slack. He feels the effects of the mask tightening around his body- he may not be able to move, but he can still think.

And all Ekimu can think is why. Why did this happen? What caused his brother to finally snap? Did he do something?

Perhaps it was as that ice spirit- Melum?- warned. Perhaps Makuta wanted control, to have not only the matoran, but the brothers be subservient to him.

Ekimu’s vision begins to blur, consciousness slipping away into darkness. It seemed, regardless of the motive, Makuta will get his way.

With that last thought, Ekimu’s eyes go dark.

But…

If Ekimu had stayed awake for just a moment longer, the Creator would have witnessed a mass of giant wings and thorns rush past him, claws outstretched, aiming for the supposed victor.

The God of Chaos has arrived.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Karzahni’s sharpened fingers clamp onto the Overseer’s head, yanking the Great Being backwards. Before Makuta can react, he is greeted by his face being dragged across the stone floor of the palace, followed by a sharp impact of going through a stone wall.

Karzahni watches his brother’s body tumble over the debris and slide across the polished floor. Karzahni, a monster of tentacles and thorns and claws, pulls himself through the hole.

He stands in the main hall; a beautiful cathedral of ornate pillars, rich murals and detailed sculptures of the Great Beings.

The deep red of the sunset trickles through the overhead skylight, starkly contrasting with the acidic green glow of Karzahni’s eyes.

Those eyes are locked onto Makuta who, with an annoyed grunt, picks himself off the floor. He pulls the Vahi off and turns towards his monstrous brother.

“Of course; it would have been too easy if you didn’t show up.”

Karzahni’s mandibles widen, baring his teeth.

“Give me the mask,” he hisses.

Makuta extends his right arm forward, palm facing downward. Purple flames emerge from his hand.

Makuta darkly chuckles, “If you desire the Vahi, then you will have to take it from me.”

A plume of purple fire springs from Makuta’s hand; when it dissipates, a massive greatsword stands in its place.

“… but you already knew that.”

His bulky fingers wrap around the handle and he lifts the greatsword in the air. Makuta looks over his blade; a simple, geometric design, save for his insignia at the hilt. But his sword has brought many monsters to an end. Zivon. The Rahi Nui. Spirah.

And now…

Makuta, after attaching the Vahi to his hip, grabs the sword with both hands, tilting the point to his brother.

“Karzahni; we have fought countless times in the past, but only with words,” Makuta says casually. “You know that you cannot best me in a battle of the body.”

Karzahni growls, “Give me the mask before I tear off your limbs, Makuta.”

“Your shape-shifting abilities do not give you the advantage you think it does,” Makuta replies, seemingly ignoring the threat. “Do you recall the beast Krahka? No matter what form she took, she could not best me. Perhaps if she fled she would have lived to see another day.”

Makuta’s eyes glint in anger, “You should do what she did not; flee now, brother, or you will suffer.”

Karzahni’s claws dig into the marble floor, the tendrils around him poised to attack. His singular red eye glows like a wild flame.

“Sorry, brother; but I believe that mask belongs to me!”

By the time Karzahni launches forward, Makuta is already winding back his greatsword. His purple eyes narrow with hatred.

“The mask is MINE.”

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

The sun has set in the horizon.

The still form of Ekimu lies on the stone floor, unaware of the destructive conflict within the walls of the Palace nearby.

As the structure shudders, as horrific screams echo throughout- something unusual occurs. Stone tiles near Ekimu break from their mold and slide away, revealing the earth beneath. Rising from the dirt is a sapling, rapidly growing and spanning out until a budding tree has formed.

Next to Ekimu now stands the hazy outline of two figures. One is orange in color, adorned with crystals and stones. The other is a burly figure, tree roots wrapping around his legs and flowers blooming upon his large shoulders. The two figures study the unconscious Great Being.

Finally, the stone-being turns to their companion, “I still don’t think this is a good idea, Terak.”

The one called Terak hums in thought.

“Perhaps not- but perhaps some good will come of this as well.”

“It would be easier if the Great Beings wiped themselves out!”

Terak glances at his brother, “Ketar, I think you’ve been spending too much time with Ikir’s followers…”

Ketars sighs, “Apologies, but still! The Three are dangerous! Why are we saving one?”

Roots peel from the ground and wrap themselves around Ekimu. Slowly, and gently, they begin dragging Ekimu away from the Palace.

Terak sighs, “It is true that the Great Beings are… unpredictable. And it is true that they should relinquish their grasp on the matoran.”

Terak eases Ekimu to the perimeter of the palace grounds, away from the conflict.

“… but we will not be the ones who dictate their demise. I think they still have a role to play in this story of ours.”

Ekimu lies on the soft earth of the surrounding forest. The two elemental beings stand over the Creator once more.

“Well,” Ketar starts, “at least this guy. But-”

A horrible screech radiates from the palace as a portion of the roof collapses. Nearby Rahi flee the area as the ground subtly shakes. The two elemental beings share a solemn look.

Then, Ekimu is alone.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Makuta narrowly dodges another massive tentacle as it crashes down beside him. With a twist of his torso, his greatsword cleaves through the limb. The remaining stump recoils back in pain, accompanied by a monstrous screech from Karzahni. Makuta doesn’t have time to appreciate his counter attack as two more tendrils begin closing in on him.

Surprisingly, for a being his size, Makuta can move fast. Usually someone with that much armor would be perceived to be a slow powerhouse; an assumption Makuta often takes advantage of.

Makuta dashes behind a pillar just as it’s pelted by boney thorns. Makuta exhales.

Something seemed different about Karzahni.

While the two brothers have never come to blows, there were things Makuta could assume about his brother. Karzahni was a strong being, no doubt; but Makuta deemed that Karzahni preferred psychological warfare rather than physical. He certainly knows that for all the shapeshifting abilities Karzahni has, it mostly is a bluff. At least towards him.

Anytime things got heated between the two; sure, Karzahni would grow and get more spikey and rabid. But it never exceeded that. Karzahni was all bark and no bite; the minute he saw an out he took it, preferring to scheme rather than a direct confrontation.

Makuta ducks as a spindly clawed hand grasps the pillar he’s hiding behind, cracking under the pressure. Pieces of the ceiling fall around them as the integrity of the pillar collapses. Makuta swings, the blade nicking Karzahni’s boney arm as the Overseer dodges the now falling roof.

Karzahni screams, the falling rocks battering his body; but as quickly as it started, the God of Chaos rears his spiked head and roars at Makuta.

This… was something Makuta didn’t expect.

Determination.

His body moves for him as his mind races. What happened to his brother? Why was he acting as if he had something to lose? As if he had… something to fight for.

The point of the greatsword skids across the marble floor as Makuta swings through incoming tendrils.

Impossible. Karzahni doesn’t care for anything but himself. A megalomaniac trapped in the machinations of his own mind.

Yet…

Makuta raises his blade to block Karzahni’s clawed hands, his brother shrieks in agitation, and he can see it, the look in the many eyes of the monster before him. Of course there was malice, hatred for him- but there was determination, a resolve to win this fight, one Makuta had never seen before.

Makuta buckles under Karzahni’s weight, but holds his defense. With a growl, Makuta’s mask begins to glow with a purple aura.

“S T O P”

A flash of purple illuminates Karzahni’s eyes as his entire body goes rigid. Makuta pulls himself away from his claws, his mask now illuminated in a violet aura.

He readies his greatsword, “I do not know what you fight for, Karzahni, but regardless of your intentions, you…”

Makuta’s eyes trail down the frozen form of his brother, towards his left clawed hand. Within his palm, a star of discoloration flares out against Karzahni’s natural plating.

A scar.

Something…

Something harmed a Great Being?

All it takes is a moment, one second of Makuta losing his concentration for Karzahni to break free of the Mask of Control’s power and entrap his brother in tentacles. Makuta tries to swing the sword, but soon finds his body locked into position by a swarm of writhing tendrils.

Karzahni lowers his head to the eye level of Makuta.

“The Vahi.”

No smugness; just anger.

Another surprise.

Makuta grits his teeth and thrashes in the hold as he feels the Vahi be pulled off his person. Soon, the golden mask is in Karzahni’s claws. Without so much as a glance, Karzahni flings Makuta across the hall, smashing through the rubble, his sword clattering to the floor nearby.

Makuta slowly rises from the debris, his armor dented and cracked, before stumbling to the floor.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

If he weren’t engulfed in anger, Karzahni would have taken petty satisfaction in watching his “indomitable” brother tumble to the floor.

But there were pressing matters.

Karzahni looks down at the shimmering mask in his hands. Such a powerful artifact, now in his position.

But now what?

His objective was to stop the time shenanigans, to ensure that Voriki and all his matoran weren’t reversed out of existence. Now he has the mask… what next? Should he destroy it? It would prevent a situation like this ever happening again. But the Vahi was a powerful tool; the possibilities before him…

“…You…”

Karzahni glances up at his fallen brother. A low growl emits from his throat.

“You and Ekimu can’t be trusted with this power. I’m taking the mask to make sure no more reckless mistakes are made.”

Makuta props himself up on one of his knees, glaring.

“Your hand…” Makuta heaves, “Something hurt you.”

Karzahni stiffens.

“No… someone hurt you.”

Karzahni’s tentacles twitch anxiously as Makuta rises.

Makuta’s eyes are wide, “Karzahni, if you have encountered a being that can hurt us, you must tell me now.

“No.”

Makuta’s fists shake in unbridled fury.

“KARZAHNI! You WILL tell me NOW!”

The purple glow returns to Makuta’s mask. Karzahni stares for a moment, before peering down at the Vahi in his hands.

Then…

A sadistic smile creeps up Karzahni’s twisted face.

“Let me tell you something, BROTHER…”

In the encroaching darkness, teeth shine in the golden light.

“… I hate you… I HATE you. I HATE Ekimu. I don’t care if Artahka rots, burns, sinks into the ocean! You all mean NOTHING to me!”

“Cease this nonsense-!”

“And I!” Karzahni barks, “have found a new home! A new purpose! Without ANY of you!”

The mask glows in his hands.

“I was never going to come back. But you… now I must deal with you.”

Karzahni’s last glimpse of Makuta is a Makuta with a very unusual face. A face of uncertainty, of betrayal, of fear

Good.

The glow of the Vahi obscures his sight; then, the world is plunged into darkness.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

The world becomes gray.

Makuta feels his limbs get heavy as time bends around him. His own mask flickers before returning to its normal state.

It was a longshot that the Mask of Control would affect a fellow Great Being; he only planned to use the moment to finally finish the fight.

But I wasted that opportunity, Makuta bitterly reminds himself.

He trudges forward to his brother, who seems immersed within the mask’s power.

Perhaps… there was still a chance.

Time to clean up this mess.

His fingers wrap around the handle of the greatsword.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

It’s dark.

Dark, yet darker.

Karzahni thinks for a moment that perhaps he messed something up and managed to kill himself, but suddenly a beam of light ripples across the dark void around him. It stretches around him, far into the distance in both directions. Like a strand of silk flowing in the breeze, the strand of light gently ebbs and flows in the absent current of the void.

Karzahni reaches his hand towards the strand, before stopping. His once green and bone plated arm was one of shining gold and emerald.

“Fascinating,” Karzahni murmurs to himself.

He reaches for the strand once more and cautiously, with the tip of his claws, touches the golden string.

Like pollen from a flower, images fly off the strand and around Karzahni. He can see a few as they twirl around him-

Some of those fire matoran, engaging in a duel-

A Kewa in flight over the trees-

Ekimu, lying in the dirt.

Karzahni pulls himself back.

“I wonder…”

He closes his eyes and concentrates. A green aura begins to surround him.

He opens his eyes-

And, now, there’s strands everywhere.

What was once an abyss of darkness was now an intricate web of gold, stretching far into the infinite horizon. Karzahni can’t help but grin.

“My mask seems to interact with the Vahi,” Karzahni muses, “and now I can see not only our timeline, but the timelines of alternate realities.”

Oh, what Karzahni could do with this knowledge, the research he could conduct. Truly, it was only fitting for someone like himself to wield such an artifact, unlike-

A scene pops up in front of Karzahni.

A rocky cliffside overseeing a churning ocean, dark clouds swarming overhead. Two figures stand on a plateau; a figure in bright red and orange, determined. And the other; a large winged figure of dark reds and sickly greens, fists clenched in anger…

“Without the Mask of Time, it will take a lifetime’s journey to find both our destinies!”

Karzahni pulls back, sneering. It appears his brother had an attachment to Vahi in alternate timelines as well. Revolting. If he could, he would rip the Vahi from Makuta from every timeline to ensure his control-freak of a sibling would never-

Karzahni stops.

Go a step further.

Why not just remove Makuta?

His mandibles clicked in thought:

Firstly, he had to see if it was even possible to remove certain events/ objects without totally destabilizing the timeline. Obviously, the past was off-limits; no doubt any changes there will alter future events. But present onwards? Nothing was set in stone, right?

All he had to do was erase the Makuta of the present, and everything Karzahni cared about would be safe. And hey- why stop there? Get rid of Ekimu as well, ensure absolute no one could interfere in his life again.

And then, why not do the other timelines a favor? Clearly in that last scene, Makuta was causing trouble again- why not help that Fire Toa out?

Karzahni smiles.

Oh, this is exciting…

He reaches towards the timeline in front him.

“First though; let’s see if I can figure out how to use this mask in the first place-”

There’s a sound of glass shattering that pierces Karzahni’s skull. He gasps in pain.

In front of him, a section of the void shatters like glass, revealing a blinding light. It is as if reality itself was a window pane being broken. And through that blinding light, a massive steel obelisk surges forward, obscuring a portion of Karzahni’s sight.

No, not an obelisk.

A greatsword.

Agony etches itself into Karzahni’s face as the blade comes down.

Voriki-!

He screams.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Makuta holds his blade tight as it cleaves through the Vahi. Karzahni writhes in pain, tentacles spasming around, unearthly screams emitting from his throat. Reality seems to distort around the monstrous Great Being, but the Overseer holds his ground.

“The future will be mine, even without the Mask of Time.”

His fingers wrap closely around the handle.

“And you… you will have nothing.”

In a swift motion, Makuta tears the greatsword from Karzahni’s screaming head. Cracks run though the Vahi, beams of light blasting in all directions.

Makuta falls to the floor, shielding his eyes from the blinding light.

Then, the screams stop.

Slowly, Makuta lowers his hand, looking around.

Karzahni, and the Vahi, are gone.

5 Likes

(Happy belated 810nicle Day! We’re at the halfway point of the story now! )

Chapter 13: Die Anywhere Else

Run, run…

The sun blazes overhead, the scorching heat radiating mercilessly off it.

I-I have to run faster…

The shifting sands of the desert cause Karzahni to stumble, but he persists.

They…

His left arm dangles useless as he limps forward. He dare not look back.

They’re going to-

He feels the bolt of lightning sear his right calf, causing Karzahni to fall to the sandy ground. Desperately, he claws through the remaining dunes to the rocky surface ahead of him.

There’s a cliff ahead… a dead end, or maybe I can…

I can…

Wait, what?

Karzahni stops.

Where… where am I?

Karzahni looks down at his hands, slowly submerging between the moving grains.

Wasn’t I in the Palace? his mind races. I defeated Makuta, right? So where-?

“Oh good, you’ve accepted your demise.”

Karzahni barely has time to register the voice behind him before pain rips through his torso. His eyes trail down to the blade emerging out of his chest. He wheezes, his breath seemingly sucked out of him.

Slow, calculated footsteps go around the Great Being until two figures stand before him. They both seem to be Toa; one was lime green, with rugged silver armor on his torso- a Toa of Air. And the other…

“… Voriki,” Karzahni tries to speak, but all that comes out is a rugged gasp for air.

The Lightning Toa looks down at Karzahni in a cold gaze, “What a truly pitiful being. Ve- ahem, Lesovikk, what should we do with him?”

The Toa of Air sighs, “Dump his body in the Iron Canyon. I want them to find his corpse, but let’s not make it too easy.”

“Very well, as you wish.”

Karzahni, hand trembling, reaches towards Voriki. She raises an eyebrow, giving him a skeptical look.

“What is he doing? Is he… asking for help?”

Lesovikk chuckles, “It seems the reports were true; the conflicts in the Pit damaged his psyche. Well, it doesn’t matter anyway.”

Karzahni’s vision swims, the edges of his sight going dark. He barely feels his body be pulled forwards.

“Take solace, my pathetic tinkerer; your death is a necessary stepping stone to my conquest,” states the being who looks like Lesovikk.

Karzahni sees the ravine before him; the stone walls traveling down to a dried up riverbed.

… w-hy…

He doesn’t feel when his body is thrown over the edge, he doesn’t feel the wind rush past him as he plummets to the canyon’s bottom. He most certainly doesn’t feel the impact.

However, he does hear Voriki’s dismissive snort right before being sent to his final resting place.

“Good riddance.”

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

The sound of thunder jolts Karzahni awake.

The Great Being quickly picks himself up, hands clasping his chest. A small relief flows through him as he feels the absence of a blade and a hole through his torso. Karzahni eyes his surroundings.

There’s stone rubble all around him, the remains of metal frames bent and twisted. He feels the soft droplets of water from the hole above him; the storm clouds in the sky above slowly drifting in a lazy circle. Then it clicks.

“The citadel…?” Karzahni ponders. “This is the cell block where I held Voriki early on… but I dismantled this section a while ago…”

Karzahni holds his head, wincing as a headache creeps in. How is this possible? Did he accidentally get sent to the past? But then what was that desert before…?

He feels a chill down his spine.

Alternate… realities? Was it possible? Was the Vahi reacting to his own mask…?

fzzzzzz-

It was like a high-pitched buzzing sound, mixed with the grating of metal.

Karzahni turns to the end of the hall, where the entrance to his main lair was. What was once shrouded in darkness was now illuminated with a light blue light, flickering.

fzzzzzzzzzzzzz-

He slowly makes his way towards the archway. As the lights jump around, the Great Being is able to get some glimpses of his main hall.

Cages are shattered on the floor.

The wooden chair is nothing but a splintered mess.

And there, in the center, with bolts of lightning radiating around her-

“Oh, not again…”

Voriki slowly raises her head towards her former torturer. Her eyes are glowing with an intense blue light, with sparks occasionally whizzing from the cyan gems that were her pupils.

“Finally, you’ve shown yourself. I wanted to see you.”

Venom is laced within her voice.

Karzahni sighs, “Voriki, I know you’re angry, and are intent on killing me-”

“Yes, I am.”

Karzahni holds his hand placatingly, “- but do not be rash! I don’t wish to fight, I want to apolog-”

Voriki snarls and throws a punch. Lightning blasts from her hand towards Karzahni’s face.

He raises his arms to block the bolt. His eyes widen as his body skids backwards.

That power…

Gritting his teeth, he looks at his arms; still numb from the shock, his arm platings shredded away into metal fragments.

This Voriki was way more powerful.

“I want to apologize, please Voriki,” Karzahni says, clutching his ruined forearms, “my actions were-”

Voriki readies her arm, “I don’t want to hear anything from that disgusting mouth again! All you spew is lies and falsehoods! I refuse to remain a disposable toy in your sick little game!”

Lightning crackles through the air, gathering around the angry matoran.

“Wait, Voriki-!!”

Karzahni doesn’t even see the bolt hit him, but he feels his muscles clench up as the electricity surges through his body, an excruciating pain as it feels every nerve in his body. A raspy scream tears from his throat, Karzahni struggling to breathe but can’t stop shrieking.

He falls to the stone floor, his body twisting in pain as lightning continues to pour into him.

Voriki stands over his body, her arms wreathed in lightning.

Karzahni; burnt, scarred, twitching in agony, tries to hold up his hands.

“V-Voriki… Have, have mercy…” Karzahni pleads.

“No. Now, I will be the hero and destroy you. But first…”

As her hands flare up for another round of chain lightning, a cruel smile makes its way across Voriki’s face.

“How about we test your durability?”

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

“… I’m sorry, is this conversation not intriguing enough for you?”

Karzahni blinks. He doesn’t register the female voice. Every muscle in his body is tense, still reeling from the electricity that previously blasted through him.

“Are we really sure that he’s worth conscripting?” says a rugged, male voice. “We have the island under our control.”

“Don’t be rash,” another male voice rumbles. “His work will be a huge asset to the re-education centers now that Gali is gone.”

Finally, Karzahni snaps out of his haze and looks in the direction of the voices.

Before him stand three Toa; in front is a red figure, a flaming sword in his hands. The Toa of Fire glares at Karzahni.

The Fire Toa is flanked by two other figures. One is a burly black figure, slightly hunched with large clawed hands. The other is, of course, Voriki. However, unlike the one Karzahni is familiar with, this one has forgo any capes or clothes and wields a wicked looking spear.

Another universe, Karzahni realizes, I will have to approach with caution.

He turns towards the black figure, “Re-education centers?”

The figure nods, “Yes. They are necessary to resolve threats to our Empire before they can come to fruition.”

Empire? Indoctrination? These are some interesting Toa…

The Fire Toa snorts, “Onua, my brother, I see no reason why we should give this monster any position of authority in Metru Nui. You saw his “work” with the matoran.”

“I agree with Tahu,” says Voriki. “He’s a threat to our Empire.”

Tch, Karzahni growls to himself, I don’t think I’m talking my way out of this one.

Quickly, one of his tendrils lunges forward at Tahu, constricting him…

… except that doesn’t happen.

Karzahni quickly peers down at his body. He almost instinctively recoils as he sees nothing familiar. Gone are the tendrils, boney limbs and spindly claws; now his body is bulky, chains dangling off him, and adorned in rugged, green armor. Worse, he feels his body locked into form; no shapeshifting.

This is bad.

Onua sighs, “Perhaps it’s for the best then; safer for a Toa to oversee the facilities rather than an outsider.”

THIS IS BAD.

As Karzahni hears the churning of the earth, the crackle of newborn flames and electricity, he concentrates. Clearly, whatever Makuta did disrupted the Vahi’s powers; so it would stand to reason that the first solution would be to shut down the mask, right? However, the counterargument is that deactivating the mask would possibly strand him in this twisted universe.

Though, now that Karzahni thought about it, was it a bit weird that each universe so far has had Voriki as a constant? Were they bound by some sort of cosmic fate?

Furthermore, why was he ending up in universes where Voriki killed him?

I guess we’ll find out.

Karzahni barely has a chance to attack before the elements tear his body asunder.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Well.

He’s a plant now.

And apparently he’s bargaining with Toa over a silver vial.

Considerable improvement over the last one.

Vakama extends out his hand towards Karzahni, the small vial in his hands. Before he gets closer, Onewa, the Toa of Stone, blocks his path.

“Are you crazy? You can’t give that kind of power to this thing!”

“Toa keep their word,” Vakama replies. “Otherwise we are no better than the things we fight.”

Karzahni can’t stop his vines from grabbing the vial. Energized Protodermis; it sounds like a close relative to galvanized protodermis.

Though he has a horrible feeling that it’s far from the healing remedy that he’s familiar with.

That is confirmed when he feels his body begin to rapidly decay as the liquid is absorbed into his roots.

“It burns! IT BUUUUURRRRNNNS!!”

The seven Toa watch on in a mixture of horror and pity.

“It was not Karzahni’s destiny to transform,” states Nuju. “That left only one other choice.”

“This… this is horrible. Isn’t there something we can do?” whispers Nokama.

Voriki steps forward, spear in hand.

“There’s no point in letting it suffer,” she says. “I will put him out of his misery.”

Lightning sparks to life across her spear.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Karzahni stares, his body shaking as Voriki points the device at him.

“… don’t, please.”

The device whirls to life, the very fabric of reality distorting around it. Voriki stares through Karzahni as she pulls the trigger.

“Hail Denmark.”

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Lightning crackles around Karzahni and Voriki as they fly into the stratosphere, Voriki’s spear plunged deep in Karzahni’s chest. Pieces of his platings burn away in the atmosphere, the sky making way to the black void of space.

The only solace he can take is that if Voriki’s tears are anything to go by, at least she’s not enjoying his death this time.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Over.

And over.

And over.

And over.

And over.

Karzahni can’t even keep track of how many times he’s died. And truly there were no bounds to the creative ways he’s met his end.

But it’s always her.

Please… no more…

It’s always Voriki.

Make it stop…

Make it stop…

Was this how it was going to end? Was this how it was fated to be?

I can’t handle this…

Let me go…

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Blackness.

A yawning void.

Karzahni floats limply in the vastness of the empty space. He stares blankly ahead, waiting for the inevitable.

But as he sits in the abyss, nothing happens. No deaths, no lightning, no Voriki.

Nothing.

Dark. Darker, yet darker.

There’s no sound in the void, just Karzahni’s own thoughts.

Is… is it over?

Am I…

Free?

And then, it appears.

A speck of red light in the distance; like a faraway comet in the night sky a crimson trail streaking behind it.

The R̷e̶d̴ ̸S̴t̴a̵r̶.

How… do I know that? Have I seen this before?

As Karzahni mulls over the circumstances where he could have learned that name, he begins to realize that the Ş̵͛t̸̻̚å̶̯r̴̗̈ is getting bigger.

No, not bigger.

Closer.

The light that emits off the planetary body intensifies as it draws nearer. The red light bathes over Karzahni- yet, to his surprise, he’s not getting warmer. Odd.

Stars usually give off heat, don’t they?

Soon enough, the R̵͍̅e̸̍͜d̶͠ͅ ̶̟̉Ś̴̭t̶̃ͅã̴̦r̸̈́ͅ takes up a sizeable portion of the Great Being’s vision. Karzahni squints his eyes, trying to get a better look at the gargantuan red mass.

At this range, the sun should give off considerable heat, yet…

He stops.

Wait, what is…

A horrible weight grows within him, almost causing the God of Chaos to vomit. His body shakes, trembling in fear.

Faces.

There’s… faces, in the sun.

Thousands of them, thousands upon thousands.

All of them alive, contorted in agony, in terror…

All of them glued together in a writhing mass of fleshy tendrils and sinew, swirling around in a constant motion.

This R̵̥̎è̷̖d̷̜͋ ̴̳͝S̵̫̿t̸̢͋a̷̬͒r̷͖͠… is alive.

A wave of nausea washes over the Great Being, yet he cannot take his eyes off the monstrosity before him. Then, instead of feeling heat radiating from the sun, Karzahni feels intense hunger, a desire to consume- no, to clean it all, a mantra, an instinct…

He sees Arthaka bathed in a red glow; the sky now a vista of flesh and eyes, long thin threads reaching downwards, all over the island. He can hear a faraway chorus of screams.

He sees the Mask of Creation, the Mask of Control, HIS Mask of Alternate Realities; all engulfed by a gorey, writhing mass.

He sees…

Karzahni clutches his head, screaming in silence, tears coming to his eyes. The pain is unimaginable, a bell thundering within his own skull, a harbinger of the horrors and destruction. He hears it speak, echoing within his mind but without a voice; one word, an understanding of the rapture to come, disillusionment of the universe he once thought he knew, and fear, a great and terrible fear etched into his mind and soul forever.
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R̸̢̢̛̛̳͎̫̫̰̹͖̤̙̹̭͇̩̭̻̤̰̱̭̰͈̯̝̹̺̈́̂̈́͊̏͋͆̽̆̊̃́͗͐̉̃̒͛̐̑͋̇̊̎̅̒́̊͊̊̏̈́̃̿̾͑̿̒͂̌̓̋̚̚̚̕͝ͅ Ȅ̷͔̰̭̎̈́͆̐́͗̌̔̆̽̎̓͝ J̸̨̢̞̱̫̭̝̝̲̪̝̯̞͇̗̱̙͖̰̬̝͚̞͇̼͖̺̼̞͇̮̟͎̈́͛̃̏̃̀̌͌̓̓̐̾̄̋̀̃̀̀̂̉̈́͑̿͋̀̄͐̏̔́̓̑̔͗̋̋̀̑͂̕̕̚͝͝͠͝͠͠͠ͅ Ǫ̴̡̧̨̝̞̙̗̖̩̼̱̩̯̰̳̖̣̲̫̦̽̓̅̓͐̅̽͛̓̎́̑̍̂̾͋̾̾̓̅̇̊̆͊́̈́̾̈͆̊̑̋͒̂͋̕͝͝͠͠ Į̷̨̧̦͖̬̠̯͍̲͉̬̗̭͕͇͉̜͇̺̲̰̰̟̤̣̪͇̬̖͓̣̲͕͎̺̮̙̍͝C̸̨̨̮̣̫͙͈̺̩̦͈͙̜͈̺̩͇͇̣̦̼̻̥̮͇͍̖͕̱̳͚̻̝̮̰̩̭̺̹̰̜̩̰̪̻̺̀̾́̀̓͂͜͜͜͝ Ȩ̵̧̧̛̼̞̲͍̝̫͚̝̼͓̖̲͇̣̰̭̗̮͍̦̪̞̤̻̘̻͔̌̒̀̈́̎̂̍̓̈́̾̃͐͋̇̉̈̈̀͜͜͜͜͠

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4 Likes

Wow… just wow!
Also nice NITW reference

3 Likes

Chapter 14: Leave You

Karzahni doesn’t register landing on the stone with a harsh thunk. He lies motionless for a moment, eyes wide. His breaths are shallow, every muscle in his body aching in a dull pain.

Slowly, he begins to focus; he sees smooth stone floors, reflecting the sunlight from above. He hears the faraway sounds of distant Rahi, the soft morning breeze. He sees that once smooth stone floor marred with cracks and broken rocks.

With every ounce of remaining willpower, he pushes himself up off of the floor, steadily raising himself up. He eyes his surroundings.

The remains of the main hall of the Palace of the Great Beings is empty, save for himself.

And, floating a few meters off the ground; the distorted, fractured Vahi.

It subtly shakes in the air, tiny beams of light peeking through the cracks in its form. Karzahni simply stares as the shaking intensifies, the glow becoming brighter and brighter until-

Krssssh!

The Vahi shatters into fragments- six fragments. And each glowing piece of gold blasts in different directions; some through the openings in the building, others blasting through the stone walls. Karzahni feels one of the shards chip his shoulder before rocketing off to who knows where.

Then it’s over.

The Great Being doesn’t move. He simply stands there, despondent.

It is silent, save for the natural ambience of the wilderness beyond the walls.

Suddenly, it hits him.

Karzahni gasps for air, clutching his chest. It feels as if a lead weight has lodged itself into his torso, twisting in his insides. His clawed fingers dig into the platings, leaving faint scratches in their wake. His legs are shaking; he struggles to keep himself upright.

In the midst of blind panic and fear, a barely coherent thought process drives through Karzahni’s mind.

DANGER. DOOM. DEATH.

EVERYONE. EVERYTHING.

IT WILL COME.

IT WILL DEVOUR.

IT WILL CLEAN IT ALL.

He feels a stinging sensation in his eyes- but, that’s absurd.

After all…

What reason would there be for a Great Being to cry?

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Heavy footsteps sound over the ashen earth.

As quick as his large frame could muster, Makuta sprints up to the edge of the rocky cliff; an outcropping from the volcanic mountains.

As he reaches the edge, his purple eyes scan the horizon; but aside from the grey clouds and maroon skies, there is nothing.

Makuta growls in frustration, fists clenched.

The sound of approaching footsteps make the Overseer turn around.

“My lord, you mustn’t travel these lands brashly…” spills the red-hued matoran, panting.

“You told me you saw a golden light streak across the sky towards here, correct?”

“Yes, Lord Makuta,” the matoran replies. “The ‘falling star’ was heading this direction-”

The matoran leaps back with a squeak as a massive blade buries itself a foot in front of him.

“Then where is it?!” Makuta roars, plunging the blade deeper into the rocky ground. “You claimed it would be here; yet there is nothing.”

“A-a… a thousand apologies m-my lord,” stammers the matoran, “b-but I don’t have an a-answer…”

Makuta glares at the trembling matoran, before finally yanking the blade out of the earth. If the small pebbles and dust that hit the matoran bothered him, he did not dare voice it.

Makuta sneers, “Useless.”

He turns to face the ashen landscapes past the cliff’s edge.

“I-I cannot convey h-how sincere my apologies-”

“Leave me. Now.”

The matoran sputters out some more apologies and regrets, but Makuta doesn’t bother heeding any of it. That worthless cretin didn’t deserve anymore of his attention. No, there were far more important things that required his undivided attention.

The Vahi.

It was a week ago that he had last seen it; its golden splendor gracing the wretched face of the being he hated to call brother. Makuta had been convinced that wherever Karzahni and the Vahi had disappeared to, they were forever out of his reach.

Worse, he couldn’t simply try to recreate the Mask of Time; Ekimu had become standoffish since their altercation- he won’t be willing to cooperate for the foreseeable future.

So it had seemed that this path was lost. This power over time would be beyond Makuta’s reach, possibly for eternity.

Until a few days ago, when he saw a light streak across the sky. And not only him- talk had spread throughout the island’s inhabitants of “falling stars”.

It had to be the Vahi.

And sure- it may be in pieces, from the amount of sightings reported across the island. But if he could find those pieces, put them back together…

Makuta frowned.

The only issue was that if the Vahi had returned, there was a very good chance Karzahni had returned as well. Yet, there was not one sight of his malformed brother anywhere.

And given how long he was gone with the mask, well…

Makuta was sure that someone with that much experience with the Mask of Time was too dangerous to keep around.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Gevnuk… is not a smart matoran.

And it’s not something he’s unaware of, oh no- he knows he’s not as smart as his fellow matoran. Comparing himself to Mavrah or Jouwi, or even Voriki; it’s like comparing Tarakava to a Pikou Spider.

Well, he thinks, anyway. Not sure if that Rahi analogy works…

Regardless, where Gevnuk fails in brains, he certainly makes up with in brawn. Standing a good head higher than the rest of Elysia’s matoran, and almost twice as wide, he was without a doubt one of the strongest matorans in the city.

So when Ivna rushed into him that night, panicking, instructing him to guard the entryway to her and Voriki’s home, he was a little confused. But he’s good at protecting things.

So he stood guard in front of the door, only letting Ivna in or out. He thought he heard Voriki inside as well, but that sobbing indoors couldn’t be her, right? Voriki was the toughest of the tough, the one opponent in Elysia that he couldn’t beat yet.

Best not to think about it.

Ivna gave him razorfish stew for his troubles, and asked to continue guarding the house until further notice. While he wanted to argue that he was supposed to help with construction in the southern district, Ivna’s pleading look silenced him.

So, he remained vigil.

It would be a couple days of his impromptu guard duty when a swarm of matoran had made their way to the couple’s house. Calu, Jouwi, that one matoran that got all sweaty around Karzahni and Voriki… and a dozen more he didn’t know the names of.

And they were doing a lot of talking- a lot of talking. He didn’t understand most of it; Karzahni was missing? Voriki had a freakout? Ghost sightings? It didn’t make sense to him. Some of the matoran were yelling; angry, confused, wanting answers.

One of the matoran- Laknu, he thinks- tried to make a break for the door.

Gevnuk moved his body in front of the entrance.

“No.”

Laknu sneered at that, “Move out of the way you half-forged brute! I want to know why our leader’s been hiding for the past-”

Gevnuk’s large hand quickly palmed the matoran’s mask, lifted the matoran up and threw him back into the crowd. There were yelps of surprise as a number of matoran fell to the ground. From the floor, Laknu’s indignant look morphed to one of alarm.

Gevnuk growled, “No one enters while I’m here!”

No, Gevnuk is not a smart matoran.

But, for his friends, he will always be the strongest.

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Ekimu sits on a makeshift rocky throne, adorned with a wreath of flowers, a small bowl of fruit perched on his lap. He insisted to the matoran of Tiro that such luxuries weren’t necessary, but his words seemed to be widely ignored.

Not that I’m offended, Ekimu thinks as he plucks another berry from his bowl. After all, I really enjoy the fruit.

The Creator watches the crowd of matoran in front of him find seating arrangements on the stone floors. However, they all are facing away from the Great Being; instead, the Tiro matoran have their focus on a large wooden platform adorned with colorful fabrics and flowers.

A stage.

Hearing footsteps, Ekimu turns his attention to a trio of matoran approaching him. Flanked by guards, the wizened Tiro Elder shuffles her way to the side of the stone throne, where a smaller seat resides. She is draped in a decorated purple shawl with a number of pedants around her neck.

A warm smile crosses her face as she sits.

“I… hope you find… our harvest… to your liking, Creator?” she asks, her voice raspy yet comforting.

Ekimu can’t help but smile, “Without a doubt, Elder Dova. I appreciate these kind gifts your people have bestowed upon me.”

“Please, Great Ekimu… you needn’t be so… humble. Why, when you… came here days ago… you were in a… dire state…”

Ekimu’s smile falters. Dova glances over at the Great Being, concerned.

“I know I… promised not to pry,” she says in a hushed tone, “but are you sure… you are ok?”

Ekimu closes his eyes and sighs, “Yes Elder, do not worry about me. While I was injured, this was a… long overdue conflict.”

He pauses.

“And…” he continues, softer, “it has given me much to think about.”

Dova nods, accepting his answer. She gestures to the stage.

“Perhaps then… for tonight, we… the people of Tiro… can provide some reprieve from your thoughts?”

Ekimu seems to perk up a little. Dova chuckles.

“Yes, indeed…”

Soon, torches are dimmed, and the crowd of matoran grow silent.

Suddenly, light shines on a matoran on the right side of the stage. He’s draped in a purple shawl, similar to the Elder. He raises his hands.

A drum beat sounds.

“Long ago, the island of Arthaka was created by the Great Beings.” the matoran projects from the stage. “It was given life- trees, Rahi, and the Matoran.”

From offstage, six matoran slowly make their way on stage in syncopated movements. Ekimu notices that while they were all Tiro-Matoran, their masks had been colored to represent the other groups.

“With our creation, we were split amongst the six elements- Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Stone, and Ice. While we may look different and wield different elements, we all call Arthaka our home.”

More matoran come on stage- this time in various costumes. Some with wings, some with claws and horns. The drum beat becomes more intense.

The narrator continues, “But our island is not without danger. Rahi beasts roam our forests- and while we call some friends, others seek us as food. We defend ourselves against these threats…”

The matoran on stage are in an elaborate dance, in some mock battle. Suddenly, the matoran part away from the center stage and reveal…

Ekimu’s eyes widen.

“… but other dangers would reveal themselves; more cunning and devious than the Rahi.”

The large Karzahni puppet sways on stage, the matoran on stage cowering in fear. Ekimu peeks over at Dova-

Who’s watching him out of the corner of her eye, a frown on her face.

“However, hope is not lost.”

Ekimu’s eyes snap back to the stage.

“For the Great Beings sent us guardians- beings crafted from the elements themselves to defend our island home …”

The matoran on stage now had decorated cloaks, each matching their mask colorings.

“It is told that one day, a matoran from each of Arthaka’s tribes will receive the blessings of these guardians, vanish the darkness from Arthaka and earn the title of hero… Toa!”

The matoran swirl their cloaks in a colorful display- in response, the monstrous puppet crumples down to behind the stage curtains.

The crowd of matoran cheers. The performers on stage bow as the torches are re-lit.

“What did you… think of the performance?”

Ekimu slowly turns towards Elder Dova.

“The story… where did it come from?”

“Some say… from Terak himself.” Dova answers.

Ekimu stares.

“Be truthful to me, Elder-”

“- I always am… my Creator.”

Ekimu looks down at his now clasped hands.

“Am… am I still welcome in Tiro, Elder Dova?”

Dova raises an eyebrow, “Where did this… come from, Ekimu?”

Ekimu stands from his throne, letting the bowl drop to the floor.

“That puppet looked like my… looked like Karzahni.”

Dova nods.

“You don’t even deny it?” whispers Ekimu.

The small matoran leader sighs, and stands from her seat.

“No, I’m afraid… I do not. The Great Being of Chaos… has done much harm to the matoran of Arthaka. I wouldn’t be surprised… if the other tribes’ leaders… agreed with the sentiment… that Karzahni is dangerous.”

She gives a sharp look into Ekimu’s eyes.

“And I wouldn’t be surprised… if you also agreed.”

Something within Ekimu clicks.

“… you think he’s the reason for my injuries.”

Dova frowns. “Am I… incorrect?”

Ekimu remains silent.

“Oh… my.”

They stand there, as the crowd of matoran slowly disperse into the nightlife of the village. The sounds of the decor being taken down echo in the distance.

“… perhaps I shall take my leave, Elder of Tiro. As I’ve said, I have much to think about…”

Ekimu manifests his staff and begins to shuffle away.

“Ekimu…”

He pauses.

“… you have been… kind to us. You care… for the matoran, you speak with us, treat us… as people. While I cannot… speak for the others… know that you are always welcome in Tiro.”

Ekimu doesn’t seem to react for a moment, before continuing away from the Elder.

There’s a sad expression on Dova’s face, before she turns to one of her guards.

“Find me… a messenger to Kanae. I must… send a message… to the other tribes.”

|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|:|

Ekimu sits on a rocky cliff, overlooking the rolling waves of the sea. His eyes are closed; he listens to the waves crash against the rocks below, the ocean wind that firmly blows against his cape.

He’s stuck.

He feels as if his mask is too tight on his face, that his head is going to crack open and explode with the flurry of thoughts rampaging within his mind. He wants to scream, he wants to cry, he wants to create…

But Ekimu isn’t sure what he wants. What he thinks.

Karzahni betrayed him. Makuta betrayed him. He wants to believe that he can trust the matoran but…

He opens his eyes. He looks at the churning ocean.

“Why… Do you hate us?” he whimpers out.

The wind howls.

“I know I’ve made mistakes- certainly my brothers have- but we’ve done good too, haven’t we?”

The sea water splashes against the rocks.

Ekimu bundles himself closer, “I created this island, its inhabitants, including the six Elemental Spirits! And I have never wronged you… so what else must I do?!”

He looks up to the stars.

“… or is it… have we done enough? Have we completed our duties and are now… overstaying our welcome?”

Is the time of the Great Beings… coming to an end?

No one answers The Creator.

Ekimu lets out a disappointed sigh, staring out into the sea-

There’s something in the water.

Against the deep navy blues of the waves is a glowing green- bright, acidic green- sliding through the water.

No, not something in the water. Someone.

Karzahni.

Makuta would be furious. But right now, Ekimu couldn’t be bothered to worry about the Overseer’s concerns.

But… where was Karzahni going? He was swimming further from the shoreline. Was he up to something? Perhaps the Elemental Spirits were more observant than he gave them credit for…

Or maybe…

His brother… was leaving Arthaka.

Did he come to the same conclusions?

Was their time at an end?

Ekimu watches the speck of green in the sea of dark blues get further away until it disappears from sight.

And… Ekimu feels an emptiness. His eyes begin to sting. He feels the tear slide down his mask.

“Oh, Mata Nui… why am I still here?”

But no one answers the lonesome Creator.

4 Likes

Wow- this was sad… I really liked Gevnuk, he was a real one. Safe to say I got excited when the toa were finally mentioned. Overall this story made for a very good prequel. May I ask, what’s with Dovah’s puses in her speech?

3 Likes