Bionicle Genesis: Book 1-Creation

[Antak3000]

Chapter 2-Before The Storm

Nelvac. The realm of shadows. the afterlife for the unfaithful, a world of torment. It is so much more than that. The seal in Ta-koto’s region always called to me, I spent many years meditating at its center. My questions of these seals, and this realm, were only answered with propaganda and recited prophecy. So, I sought my own answers. It was here that the dark voice first spoke to me, It was here that I began to see through the illusion of our world. The voice haunts me even now, as I carve these words. Even as I make the very preparations it demands, it claws at my mind. We are allies of convenience, at best. It offers me my freedom in exchange for its own. It offers me knowledge in exchange for my soul.

-The Covenant of Makuta

Part 1

The coming of the Avoras was violent and sudden. It exploded from the deep tunnels of Onu-koto with the force of a volcanic eruption. It laid waste to the small outpost near the cave entrances. Its legs punched through the fortification, tearing through the walls, allowing her swarm to pour through. The guards tried to flee, but they were swiftly overwhelmed and enslaved. Their screams abruptly cut off as the Aranos fastened over their heads.

Not even pausing to admire her handiwork, Avoras and its swarm turned towards the mountainside, towards the center of Okoto. The Toa were headed there, along with the Domari. Her enemies would all be in one place. Across the entire island, Skull Spiders and their enslaved hosts emerged from their hiding places. They rose from the swamps, clambered out of the frozen wastes in the north, out of the shallows in Ga-koto and the hidden caves and canyons of Ta-koto and Po-koto.

The villages were left alone, as Makuta commanded, but nothing in their path was spared. Animals were pinned down and ensnared, adding to her numbers. Trees and undergrowth were broken and trampled by the sheer mass of the swarm. Avoras’ wrath was coming for the Toa and their guides. Nothing could escape the might of her swarm.

---

Far away, on the roads between Onu-koto and Ta-koto, four travelers were making their way to the center of the island. Korgot was knelt on the ground, her hand on the ground. She had a talent for feeling the vibrations of the earth, sometimes an early warning for an enemy, especially against the tunneling insects that constantly attacked their village. This was another level altogether. She’d sensed something was off, the whole island had been silent. Not a bird in the sky, even the trees seemed fearfully quiet. But the earth trembled, just beneath the surface. Nearby, the massive frame of Onua, Toa of earth, sat patiently. He watched carefully, studying her. Behind him, Tahu, Toa of Fire, paced aggressively while an annoyed looking Narmoto stood nearby. They had met shortly after departing Ta-Koto, not terribly surprising, the villages were fairly close and there was only one road. Finally, Narmoto spoke.

“We already know the Spider is rampaging across the whole island.” He walked over, placing a hand on her shoulder. “We have to keep moving.”

“It’s coming from everywhere. Everywhere.” Korgot shook her head. “I can’t even determine the direction.“

“Everywhere except the city, I suspect.“ Narmoto shook his head. “At least we know its coming.“

She picked up her mace, a tall, two-handed weapon. “You’re right. We keep moving. Hopefully the Toa can handle it.”

“I believe they can. I just hope it’ll stay dead this time.” said Narmoto. “Avoras has been destroyed before.”

Korgot nodded. “They must have missed something. Maybe it’s like the Andaru, it just is.”

“I certainly hope not.” Narmoto pulled his hood up. “I think it is somehow tied to the Aranos masks. Why are they all the same shape? Exactly the same, even the ancient broken ones that decorate the walls of Ta-koto. Surely it can make something else with its power.”

Korgot paused, thinking. “Maybe it hasn’t thought to try yet.”

Narmoto didn’t like the thought of that. That foul monster was powerful enough. They had long assumed the spider was Makuta’s creation, or at least ally. But they had no idea where it had really come from or what it was. It was no friend to the Markoa, at least.

“What’s with the cloak?” Korgot changed the subject. “You trying to look mysterious for the Toa?”

“I happen to enjoy wearing cloaks.” Narmoto walked back towards the path. “Come on, We’re leaving.”

---

The two Domari were took the lead, chatting like old friends. Onua stood up, stretching his legs. He was a bit shorter than Tahu, but his broad shoulders were twice as wide. A hammer hung from his back. He shielded his eyes from the sun, uncomfortable with the daylight. Tahu was unsure of how to act. He wasn’t sure what to say to the huge, soft spoken Toa. He felt that he was the leader of the group. He didn’t know why, but he felt somehow responsible for them.

“So you really remember nothing?” Tahu finally asked. He’d asked earlier, but was eager for any more clues the newcomer could provide.

Onua’s voice rumbled. “Nothing clear. But there were the dreams. Always the same, fighting, dying, washing up on the shore. Sometimes I saw others. I think you were there. The others died too. When I washed up on the shore, I wasn’t sure that the dream had really ended at first.”

Tahu nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. “So the same thing in my dreams. Have you ever seen an endless stairway? A sort of tower that keeps going up? In the dreams, I mean.” He left out the part about him finding his own body.

“No…“ Onua paused, lost in thought. “Pretty sure I would have remembered that.”

“Where was your mask hidden?” Asked Tahu, awkwardly changing the subject.

“Oh that was interesting. A strange puzzle. It was deep beneath the village, completely dark. Had to swim through a really cold pool of water in a flooded tunnel.” He laughed. “Not exactly built for swimming. The tunnel opened up into a huge pit, my mask was in the center of it on a stone pillar. Surrounding the pillar was sand. I stepped into it, it immediately started collapsing. Almost got sucked in. Korgot helped pull me out.”

“Couldn’t you just move the sand?”asked Tahu, not entirely sure how earth powers worked.

“Sand is more like stone, chips of rock, ground up sea shells. Not my thing at all. I tried making a bridge over it, but I couldn’t get something stable enough. Anything I tried almost dropped me back in the sand pit.” Onua paused, looking pleased with himself. “So I dug up to the flooded tunnel, and drained the water into the sand pit, and swam across.”

“Clever” Said Tahu, impressed by the resourcefulness. “Were you attacked by the skull spiders?”

“Oh yes, I was getting to that. Had to be hundreds of them, came pouring out of the hole I made for the water. Intimidating display, but they were in our element. We collapsed the ceiling on them.” Onua laughed, a deep rumbling sound.

They walked in silence for a while. Onua didn’t talk much, he was friendly, but quiet. Korgot and Narmoto were arguing about something further ahead. It left Tahu alone with his thoughts. It was deathly quiet. But even the eerie ambiance couldn’t diminish the beauty of the island. As they got further away from the volcanic plains of Ta-koto the land became vibrant and green. A sweet, wholesome smell was in the air. The sky was a striking blue color, the sunlight filtering gently through the trees. The soft sound of a stream trickled nearby, a comfort to the stark silence of the wildlife. It felt like the island he sometimes saw in his dreams. Maybe they were memories, lost to him except in sleep. Perhaps visions of the future. Onua stopped for a moment, looking over to Tahu. The Toa’s green eyes seemed to look through him for a moment.

“You think this place is familiar too.“ He said.

“Its like the dream.” Tahu nodded. “At least some of it”

“Yes.” agreed Onua. “The pleasant bit, before the death.”

[Antak3000]

Before The Storm Part 2

Far from the warm woods on the edges of Ta-koto, four travelers clambered through a swamp. There was a path, an old road that once led through the wetlands. But it was broken, submerged, or overgrown. The air was heavy and strangely cold, despite the thinning trees allowing more sunlight through.They were at the edge of Ga-koto, where the ponds and streams stagnated and seeped into the earth. It was eerily silent, aside from the unpleasant squelch of their footsteps in the soft mud. A green armored warrior carrying a bow led the way. The two groups had met near where the mountains should be, Lewa and the Domari Vizuna, and Gali with the Domari Kivoda. While the company had been welcome, they had made little progress since finding each other.

“We’re lost.” Gali sighed.

They had been moving around the wetlands for what had to have been hours. She had finally gotten fed up and marked a tree with her trident. They had just passed it for a third time. She had a feeling of urgency she couldn’t explain, the silence of the wilderness disturbed her. There should be wildlife here, it was green, and there was water everywhere. But she didn’t even see insects flitting around.

Lewa wasn’t listening, already bounding ahead. “Let’s try this way!”

He had flown up through the tree’s a few times, but that had helped less than they hoped. The forest had thinned out as it entered the swamps, but it all looked the same from the air. Lewa was new to flying and had struggled getting any higher. The muck and overgrowth concealed deeper pools of water, all of them had slipped into the swamp at least once. But it did little to slow down the Toa of Air.

“We have lost the road, not the direction.“ Vizuna. “Stay close to the group.”

Lewa splashed back into a shallow pool. “Sorry!“

Kivoda followed behind, staring at a map. “The wetlands are larger than they used to be” he said sheepishly. “There’s supposed to a road here. It’s been swallowed by the marsh.”

There was a partially submerged totem, carved in the shape of a face. It was overgrown with moss and leaning to one side. They typically marked the road, but it had clearly been taken back by the wilderness. Unfortunately, Vizuna was mostly familiar with Le-koto and Kivoda was young, and had rarely ventured this far from his village, save by boat.

“More rain than usual. Much of the forest is getting swallowed by these marshes. It gets worse every year.” Vizuna had spoken very little, a bizarre contrast to his excitable Toa. “Be careful in the water, there are places that are far deeper than they look.”

As if on cue, there was a solid thunk and a splash. Lewa probably, trying to fly ahead.

Gali ran down the worn, barely visible path. As they passed the marked tree yet again, Lewa was pulling himself out of the water.

“Oops!” He said. “Just testing my wings again. Its deeper than it looks.”

Sighing again, Gali walked ahead. “We need to stay together, we might not be able to find each other if we get separated.” She wanted to be out of the swamps.

Kivoda ran up to her, still clutching the map. He wasn’t quite what she had expected. Earnest, a bit timid, very curious. More like Lewa than her. “I don’t like this. There’s nothing, not a sound. I’ve only been up this way more than once. The forest is rarely a quiet place.”

Vizuna spoke “Something is scaring the animals. Even the predators are hiding.”

“I thought we agreed it was the Lord of Skull Spiders” She replied. Her foot sank into the mud. She freed it with an awful squelch.

“Avoras has been very aggressive since your arrival.” Vizuna frowned. “It might be gathering its forces.“

“What do you mean?” Kivoda asked. “Hasn’t it been doing that for centuries?“

“Gathering them in one place.” Vizuna clarified.

“How many are there?” Gali shivered. The Aranos had been everywhere since her arrival, and now they seemed oddly absent. The thought of all of them in one place was disturbing.

“Tens of thousands.” Vizuna looked down at the barely visible trail ,and then up at the sky. “Pick up the pace. We don’t want to be here after sunset. There are other monsters in the wild, the kind of things that don’t get frightened off.”

---

Lewa was humming to himself again. Gali couldn’t help but be annoyed at her companion. He had raced ahead at every opportunity, made all kinds of noise, and didn’t listen to anyone. How had he even gotten his golden mask? Hers had been deep underwater, held in place by a fierce undercurrent. It had taken all of her skill as a swimmer and all her power over water to claim it. Lewa could barely manage a short flight without another crash.

Vizuna paused. Looking up at the sky, he followed the path the sun was taking. “It’s dangerous” he said. “But we’re leaving the path, If we head westwards, we will eventually hit the mountains.”

Kivoda looked nervous. “We’re never supposed to leave the roads.“ He’d heard the stories.

“Finally!” said Lewa, who had not heard the stories.

“Keep your voice down” Vizuna snapped. “There are all kinds of threats that lurk outside of the path. We keep on the roads for very good reasons.”

Now that he had the groups attention, he took Kivoda’s map and spread it out. “We are going here,” He said, pointing to the ring marked in the center of the island. “We are somewhere here” He pointed to the the area nestled between the two mountain ranges. “We go west, until we are out of the swamps. Hopefully we’ll find the trail again.”

They started forward, following Vizuna. Footsteps sloshing in the mud and water echoed ominously through the trees. Gali shuddered at each step, as though the sound might wake something.

“How bad is it?” Gali whispered to Kivoda. “What are you afraid of off the path?”

“Things like the Avoras. Things we tell our children about to make them behave.” He shuddered. “Our people rarely return if they go out of the villages alone. I was very lucky, I used to explore nearby regions when I was younger and more foolish.”

Gali glanced back at Lewa, who was chatting excitedly at the sullen Vizuna. “We all grow out of it eventually. What made you stop?”

Kivoda looked over his shoulder, eyeing the treeline, as if he were afraid someone was listening. “A shadow, out of the corner of my eye. Its eyes were red, it had antlers, or horns. It was tall, like you.” Lowering his voice, he continued. “It closed in as I tried to get away. every time I looked back, it had moved closer.” He shook his head. “I finally stopped seeing it after I cleared the treeline.“

Gali frowned, he seemed to expect her to know the name. “What was it?”

“The great hunter. We call him Umarak. He’s never been known to attack Okotans, at least, not that any have lived to report. But there are too many things that make our people disappear for us to know for sure.”

Gali looked through the gloom. The trees had opened up a bit more, and she could hear a stream in the distance. “Why do you fear him if he doesn’t attack?”

Kivoda thought for a moment. It was a long story. “He attacked our ancestors at the apex celebration, long ago. Some of the story has been lost to time, but the battle is said to have lasted three days.”

“So they defeated him?” Gali asked.

“No.” he replied. “Makuta defeated him.”

---

Gali mulled over the strange tale in silence. She had absorbed whatever history she could, but there was nothing that helped her loss of memory, and not enough to prepare her for their quest. There were gaps in the Okotan’s stories, and it was hard to tell what was history and what was legend. Makuta had once been a protector, like Ekimu or the Domari. Jealousy seemed like too simple of a reason to betray everything. Had he just been evil from the beginning?

“Single file!” Vizuna’s voice rang out. “Watch the person in front of you. The swamp is deeper here, and there are things beneath it we don’t want to disturb.”

The sun was low in the sky, and a mist had formed above the waters. As Vizuna had said, the ponds were deep and cold, clear water visible beneath patches of moss. There was a raised path through the body of water, but it was a winding, inconsistent trail. The stagnant murk didn’t make a sound, save for the occasional gurgle of a foot slipping into it. Gali gripped her trident tightly, and even Lewa was unnerved enough to stay quiet. It felt like the swamp itself was weighing them down. In front of her, Kivoda nervously looked down and checked his weapon. It was a momentary distraction, but that was all it took. His foot slipped, and he plunged into the swamp. Gali reached out, catching his arm. Vizuna and Lewa watched as she pulled him out.

“The water” Vizuna whispered.

Ripples formed where Kivoda had fallen, the awful silence was barely broken by the faint gurgle of water as something rose from the swamp. It was a head, similar to the Aranos in appearance, but rusted and pitted. A faint gleam of eyes could be seen beneath the mask.

“Back away slowly”said Vizuna. “They can’t see well, but the slightest ripple will give you away.”

Kivoda struggled back to his feet, and they slowly inched along the path. Gali instinctively started to calm the water around them, though she was unsure of what this threat actually was. The lifeless eyes didn’t follow them, but the mask did. Eerily drifting through the water, it seemed to glide towards them like some sort of drowned specter.

“What is it?” Lewa whispered, drawing his swords.

“A Vorakul. large, powerful, and deadly. Keep going and don’t make a sound. ” Vizuna had his own weapon ready but clearly wasn’t keen on using it. “There’s rarely just one.”

The head floating behind them, moving smoothly without a sound. It stayed away from the raised path they followed, finally vanishing back under the water, without a sound. Gali could still feel the water rippling around it. It was bigger than the small head suggested. She could also feel that it was still moving towards them. They quickened their pace, she could see the trees starting to thin out, and the edges of the mountain were in sight.

“Stop!” Vizuna hissed. In front of him a second mask rose from the water, Its dead eyes seemed locked on his, it was moving straight for him. Vizuna aimed his bow, not for monster’s head, but below the water. This was the perfect distraction for the first Vorakul. Long, bladed limbs erupted from the water, striking at the Toa of Water.

A sharp talon clamped onto Gali’s leg, yanking her off of her feet. Her trident slipped from her grasp as she splashed into the water. She could hear Kivoda shouting something while his weapon fired, though the monster ignored him. It pulled her closer, sweeping her away from her friends, its lifeless eyes not even looking at its prey. Gali called on the waters, trying to push the monster away. Its grip loosened, just enough for her to twist out of the way. The bladed arm plunged into the water where her chest had been.

Gali swung her shield, bashing the edge against the creature’s arm. Its grip tightened, squeezing her leg. Desperately, she swung for its head as it pulled her closer. The mask split, and the head snapped to the side. The bladed talons released her, and she pushed herself away from the creature. She hadn’t wanted to hurt it, she hadn’t even hit it that hard. The head was tilted at a grotesque angle, mask barely attached. And the creature was still coming after her.

She grabbed the hilt of her weapon as she clambered out of the water, just in time to see the monster rise from the murky depths. The broken neck dangled obscenely, weeds and moss dripped from its powerful limbs as it moved towards her. It stood at full height, towering above her. Four long, spindly legs suspended it above the swamp. It lunged, its bladed arms going straight for her neck.

Gali sent a powerful jet of water at the beast, forcing it back. It was fast, getting back onto its feet and striking again. A blade slipped past her shield and sank into her shoulder. She cried out in pain as it pinned her to the ground. She desperately tried to break free, but every move made the limbs bite further into her armor. To her horror, its torso split open, revealing rows of razor sharp teeth. A hollow sounding moan came from its gaping maw. Ichor dripped from the loathsome mouth as it pulled her in.

“Stay down, Sister!” Lewa’s voice rang out.

She listened, pushing herself against the ground. She felt a rush of air. The creature shrieked in agony. Two of its limbs were sheared off at the knee, one still sticking out of the mud next to her head. Lewa had thrown one of his weapons. Tearing herself free, she channeled her power. She was surrounded by water, muddy and foul as it was. A powerful blast sent the monster sprawling.

It staggered back up, a horrible moan coming from its gaping jaws. The teeth snapped shut over her trident, and it pulled them both back into the swamp. It had terrifying strength, she could feel it dragging her deeper. It would’ve worked on anyone else. She focused, bending the current around her, and pushed them both down. It was taken completely by surprise, slamming back first into the waterbed.

Gali’s trident was still gripped tightly in its jaws, her full weight was behind it as it struck. The tip of the weapon speared through the roof of its mouth, punching through the armor on its back. Tearing free from the Vorakul’s grasp, she swam for the surface as fast as she could. She emerged from the swamp, gasping for breath. Lewa and Kivoda helped pull her out.

The second Vorakul was pinned underneath a broken tree. Her companions had fought a desperate battle of their own. Several of its limbs were broken, but the rest flailed about, desperately trying to escape. She shuddered. Revolting and horrible as they were, she hated causing pain and death for them. “I had to kill it…”

Vizuna looked at her. “It might survive. They don’t die easily. I would have finished this one if the Toa hadn’t denied it.”

Lewa shrugged. “It’s helpless. No reason to hurt it further.”

“Right, so leave it trapped to be slowly eaten by smaller animals instead. ” Vizuna shook his head. “Are you hurt?”

Gali looked herself over. She was bruised, with several cuts from the creature’s bladed limbs. “I’ll be fine”

The Domari nodded. “Good. Don’t feel pity for these things. They’ve destroyed much of the wildlife here, and killed countless travelers like us.”

Gali was still disturbed. Fighting the Aranos was one thing, they weren’t even alive. But these other monsters were, and it felt wrong to harm them. Lewa seemed deep in thought too, falling in step behind her without any of his usual chatter.

---

They finally reached the road, Vizuna had led them true. The sun was setting, a soft reddish glow spread across the horizon. The wetlands and trees gave way to the mountains. Their brothers awaited somewhere along this path.

“Thank you, Lewa” Gali finally said. “I might not have gotten away from it without your help.”

Lewa laughed. “You had it handled. I was just practicing my aim.”

Gali looked at her brother with admiration. He had been irritating and childlike for their journey together. Running ahead, talking nonstop. But the moment it had counted, he was a dependable warrior. She wondered what the others would be like.

[Zhyndea]

I like the way you depicted Lewa and Gali’s personalities–not quite G1, not quite G2, but a mix of both–and the Umarak foreshadowing was clever. I am getting the strange feeling that Makuta might not be as bad a guy as everyone says…

[Antak3000]

Characterization was tricky, partly because managing six characters at once is hard to do. I focus in on Tahu’s PoV quite a bit for this reason. I did try to blend in both personalities though.

G2 Makuta is complicated.

[Antak3000]

Before The Storm Part 3

Farthest away from the other Toa, in the cold wastes between Po-koto and Ko-koto, a third group of adventurers made their way to the center of the island. Very little grew there, animal or plant, so the silence wasn’t as noticeable here as it was across the rest of the island. What was noticeable was the silence between the two Toa as they climbed the worn stone path.
Pohatu and Kopaka had nothing to say to each other, though unlike Lewa and Gali, the problem was because of their similarities.

Neither wanted company, and both were confident they could make it on their own. Of course, it didn’t help that Pohatu had accidentally caused an avalanche on their first meeting, and Kopaka freezing the Toa of Stone’s legs to the ground hadn’t exactly smoothed things over. Aside from Pohatu laughing at the Toa of Ice when he slipped on patch of wet snow, they had traveled in tense silence for the last several hours.

The two Domari, in contrast, were getting along great. Nilkuu was happy to be away from the village of stone, it reminded him of the days when he traveled across the island with the caravans. Izotor was always happy to meet new friends, something that set him apart from most of his kin.

“So he was doing okay right up until meeting Kopaka?” Asked Izotor.

“Not the friendliest Toa, but he passed his test with flying colors.” replied Nilkuu. “Maybe they’ll get along better with the others?”

Izotor sighed. “We knew they wouldn’t have memories, I guess we should’ve expected personality issues. Are you disappointed?”

“Give them time” The Toa were well out of earshot, lagging behind the Domari as they talked. “They’ll warm up to each other.”

Izotor laughed gently. “Warm up to each other? Poor choice of words. But I trust the prophesies.”

“Its been years. How has Ko-Koto been? ” Nilkuu pushed the conversation away from the the irritable Toa.

“Oh it’s magnificent. We’ve been hard at work, using the tools your tribe sent us to carve into the mountains. Korgot lent us some of her miners to aid in the excavation.” Izotor smiled. “We’ve added an entire level to our village, a safe haven if we’re attacked, and room to grow. It was getting a bit cramped inside those walls, I wish you could see it.” Izotor beamed.

Nilkuu nodded. “It’s been too long since we were able to travel freely. I love Po-Koto, but sometimes I want to see something other than sand and rock. We’ve taken up fishing at the harbor though, some Ga-Kotans were kind enough to show us the ropes.”

“And The Aranos leave you alone?” Izotor asked.

“No, but our lands are flat, and dry. Not many places to hide once you pass the canyons. And the Avoras’ spawn stay away from the water.” Nilkuu shrugged. “And food is too scarce not to risk it.”

“I don’t think it can handle the currents, those spider masks are too light.” Izotor nodded. “Does it still avoid your village?”

“They are always there, watching. But never in the village.” Nilkuu confirmed. “Odd, considering the increasing aggression we’ve been seeing of late.”

“It nearly overwhelmed Kopaka at the pass. His mask was hidden along an unstable Ice flow. They were waiting for us, despite no one visiting the shrine in centuries.” Izotor replied. “The wildlife in our lands has largely disappeared. When we catch sight of a wild beast, it wears an Aranos.”

“And it’s coming for us.” Nilkuu added. “You don’t need Korgot’s earth-sense to feel it.”

The two continued talking, shifting the discussion to the Markoa, which thankfully had stayed away from both their villages. Avoras seemed to attack them on sight outside of the ruined city. It was curious that two servants of Makuta seemed to have opposing goals.

Back along the path, the two Toa continued to avoid eye contact. Kopaka wanted nothing more than to leave these companions and fight Avoras on his own. He didn’t see how the city would be a problem either, it was just a matter of finding Ekimu. Nothing about the Toa of stone struck him as useful in a fight, his clumsy attacks would certainly do more harm than good. And he was sure the others would be just as problematic. He had seen flashes of them in his dreams, and the dreams were never pleasant.

The sun was setting, filling the sky with a soft, reddish glow. If it weren’t for the silence that stifled the island, it might have been beautiful. But now, with the silence in the air, it felt more like a warning. Kopaka paused. Something had moved along the ridge behind them.

If Pohatu noticed, he didn’t say anything. As Kopaka watched, a sleek, silver creature slipped over the ridge. It was far away, were it not for the lens built into his mask he might have missed it. The creature was followed by two more just like it.

“We’re being followed” he snapped.

Pohatu looked at him. “By what?”

Kopaka winced at his loud voice. Subtlety was lost on the Toa of stone. And caution too. He focused the lenses on his mask. The creatures kept to the edges of the mountains, nearly out of sight. “A pack of animals, looks like predators.”

“Aranos?” Asked Pohatu

“If they were, I would have said Aranos.” Kopaka rolled his eyes. “They’re moving with stealth. Avoras doesn’t seem to have much subtlety.”

There was movement on the other side of the trail. Kopaka zoomed in with his mask. Three more of them were silently moving towards them.

“Three behind us, three more moving to cut us off.” He ran ahead, catching up to the Domari. Pohatu wasn’t far behind. “We have creatures tracking us. A pack of six.”

Izotor nodded and loaded his weapon. “Probably Koribahn. They don’t often venture this far past the tundra, but they’re the only large predators in this region.”

Nilkuu readied his axe. “They’re not the hardest thing to scare off. They usually back off if they’re noticed.” Okotans gathering timber from this region had been known to wear masks on the back of their heads to scare the creatures off.

Pohatu seemed annoyed. “So not dangerous?” he asked. “It’s six creatures. Ordinary creatures.” He thought for a moment. “They are ordinary, right?”

Izotor laughed. “No powers if that’s what you mean, but they are quite dangerous. They must be hungry if they’re venturing this far from their territory. But we have an advantage. We know they’re coming.”

---

The sun had set now, and Kopaka could only make out the glint of eyes as the predators closed in. They were nearing a narrow bridge that would take them to the gathering place. The beasts would make their move soon, while they could still surround the group. But they seemed to hesitate. A faint tremor ran through the earth.

“What was that?” Pohatu had felt it the most, being in tune with the stone more than anyone. “It felt like… ”

Nilkuu’s eyes widened. “RUN!!!” There was only one thing it could be.

There was no argument, something in the Domari’s tone told them there was no time to argue. The four of them took off, as fast as they could, the six Koribahn loped after them, though it was hard to say if they were giving chase or fleeing themselves. There was a gorge up ahead, with a short stone bridge across it. The tremors were a loud rumble now, Kopaka risked a look back. He wished he hadn’t.

Hundreds of Aranos were pouring over the edges of the mountain, along with larger shapes that were clearly hosts. Possessed skull wasps flitted ahead, Crovorak could be seen near the front. The poor beasts didn’t have a chance. One after another, the were pinned down and overwhelmed, with terrified sounding yelps. Aranos fastening over their faces, and they fell in step with the advancing swarm. Nilkuu snapped him back to reality.

“Get over the bridge!” he cried. “Their numbers are far too great!”

Pohatu wanted a fight. So did Kopaka, but he had seen just how many there were. They ran for the bridge. A skull wasp dove, stinger flashing as it went for Kopaka. He froze it solid by reflex, wincing a bit as the unfortunate insect dropped down the gorge. One of the Koribahn, leapt over the advancing swarm, talons flashing at Pohatu. It was stopped dead by a boulder striking it in the face. The creature crumpled, its Aranos split in two. A second skull spider snapped over its face, immediately reclaiming the host. Kopaka froze it with a wave of ice.

“I had it!” Pohatu protested.

Kopaka ignored him, yanking the Toa back as more spiders scurried over the bridge. The pair made it to the other side, spiders right behind them. Another wave of Ice froze the closest ones. Nilkuu and Izotor opened fire with their elemental blasters, taking out the skull wasps that followed them over the gorge. But it was like fighting grains of sand, and there was no end in sight.

“Stand back!” Pohatu shouted.

Pohatu didn’t wait for them to respond. He slammed his foot down right where the bridge met the mountainside. It splintered and cracked, splitting along its length. As the Aranos engulfed it, the bridge shattered, and the spiders plunged into the gorge below. One Aranos managed to scramble over the edge to the two Toa, but a hurled boomerang pinned it to the ground before it could get any further.

“That should hold them.” Pohatu sounded unconvinced.

The Toa and Domari looked over the collapsed bridge at the opposite side of the gorge. Silently staring at them, the Horde of Aranos stood motionless. Kopaka could see villagers, all manner of wildlife, and so many spider masks that he couldn’t see the ground. There was a malevolence to their gaze. An anger at being thwarted.

“That won’t stop them for long” said Izotor. “We have to go.”

Glancing back at the motionless army, Kopaka nodded. That had been a very close call. Pohatu yanked his boomerang out of the ground, flicking the broken Aranos off. “Pity about the bridge. Looked old”

Nilkuu nodded. “My ancestors carved it. It’s stood for more than eight hundred years. But bridges are easier to replace than people.”

---

Far away from the gathering Toa, but swiftly approaching, Avoras seethed at the loss. It would take relatively little time to span the broken bridge, her Aranos were already linking themselves together to make their own bridge. The larger creatures she had at her command would have to left behind, but it hardly mattered.

But they couldn’t catch the Toa before they reached the standing stones. As confident as she was, fighting six of these warriors at once wasn’t her first choice. They had been powerful individually, evading or defeating her Aranos. And she had been defeated in the distant past by Domari wielding a fraction of the power the Toa commanded. Why did they fight her? She had protected them from the Markoa all these years, and subjugated the most dangerous beasts. They needed her protection to survive! Why couldn’t they see it?

But her swarm outnumbered the wildlife on the island, save perhaps for the smallest of creatures. And she had grown powerful in the centuries after her first defeat. She could feel herself growing more powerful even now. The Domari were nothing but a distraction to her now. The Toa would fall, and the mask maker’s sleep would never end.

[Antak3000]

Before The Storm Part 4

The group of twelve met at the center of the island, six Domari, and six Toa. Six mighty pillars protruded from the ground, towering over the gathering like watchful guardians. The stonework was ancient, any markings on them had long since faded from the elements, with the exception of a unique symbol. One for each Toa, carved deep into each pillar. The three roads they had traveled to get there converged at the center, before leading towards the city.

Aurokoto loomed ominously, the keep of the dead city looming above the southern mountains. A canyon stood between them and the city, spanned by a massive bridge. Despite it being in sight, they were at least a day’s travel away from it. Kopaka and Pohatu’s narrow escape from the Aranos made it clear that there was little time for planning or deliberation. Unfortunately, the Toa had done little but argue. Tahu, Kopaka, and Pohatu had gone back and forth on the same subjects for nearly an hour now. Onua looked like he’d rather be anywhere else, especially with the sun so bright. Gali had largely given up trying to break into the conversation, and Lewa was bored out of his skull.

“This isn’t going well” Narmoto’s head was buried in his hands in a futile attempt to block out the arguing.

Korgot was angrily pacing “The prophecies didn’t say they were sending us children.”

Vizuna was watching the perimeter. Kivoda seemed embarrassed to be there, Izotor and Nilkuu were nervously checking their weapons. The trees were scarce up here, they would see their foe coming, but they also had nowhere to retreat to, except for city. A city crawling with murderous cultists.

“We can just go straight to the city.” Kopaka insisted. The Aranos stay away from it, there’s no reason to fight them now.”

“Yeah but it’s chasing us,” Pohatu insisted. “Why would it stop for a city? You saw their numbers.”

“We can just take this bridge out once we’re across.” Kopaka felt like he was talking to children. It was such a simple problem.

“And how do we get back? How do the Domari get back?” Tahu demanded. “And then we just hope Avoras doesn’t destroy the villages while we’re gone?”

“Avoras is a distraction.” Kopaka clenched his fists. “We waste our time fighting it. It would take years destroying all of the Aranos.”

“Destroying Avoras would stop all of them.” Narmoto interjected. “It happened once before, if our oral history is to be believed.”

“It won’t show itself if it’s the swarm’s only weakness.” Kopaka snapped. “That’s stupid. We can hunt it down when we get back.”

“It’s a threat now! We can’t just ignore it!” said Tahu. “Its been terrorizing the villages for centuries. It’s our duty.”

“It’s destroying the island.” Gali added, quietly. “The wildlife is enslaved, unable to fulfill its role. We saw it in the swamps, and the overgrowth. It’ll get far worse if balance isn’t restored. ”

“It’ll keep until we get back.” Kopaka growled.

“And what if we don’t make it back?” Gali demanded, finally raising her voice. “What then?”

“We’re the prophesied heroes. We’re the ones who will vanquish Makuta. We’re not going to lose to the Markoa.” Pohatu felt more and more like he was siding with Kopaka. He hated that.

“You’re fools to assume a prophecy protects you from failure.” Korgot snapped. “It’s a guiding light, not a shield for stupidity.”

“Then I should handle it on my own.” Kopaka glared at the others. “The rest of you can stay and fight the spider.”

“We all stay and fight.” Tahu took the most assertive stance he could muster. He felt he had lost control of the argument, if he ever had it in the first place. “We owe it to the Domari, and the Okotan’s.”

“Who put you in charge?” Pohatu demanded.

“I was always in charge.” Tahu tried to sound confident. “Remember the dreams?”

“I remember dying a lot in the dreams.” Pohatu glowered. “Maybe it’s because you were in charge.”

“Let’s just fight the spiders and get it over with!” Lewa sounded exhausted. “We’re Toa! Heroes! We fight the bad guys and save the people! Let’s just do that!”

“If Avoras doesn’t show up, it’s swarm will eat us alive.” Kopaka put his head in his hands. “We’re counting on a creature that’s dominated the island for centuries to make an incredibly stupid mistake.”

“That’s enough!!!” Narmoto stood, raising his voice over the others.

He stood in the center of the group. He waited until all six of them were paying attention.

“The Aranos are coming here. You need to get to the city, yes, but when this is over, so will we.”

He pointed to the bridge. “You have a natural choke point here, and a retreat towards the city if the worst happens. ”

“You would have a numberless enemy at your back if you chose to ignore the Aranos.” Vizuna shouldered his bow. “The Markoa are worse, and control the city. You would be destroyed.”

“Taking out the bridge won’t buy enough time.” Korgot added. They’ll scale the canyon walls. They’ll tunnel through the earth and stone. There is nothing out of Avoras’ reach.”

“I’ll make your decision for you.” Narmoto continued. “We will fight the spiders, and if we fail, you will flee to the city. As for your leader, I agree you need one. Put it to a vote and be done with it. Meet us at the bridge when your done, and be quick about it.”

---

The six Toa stared at each other.

“It should be me.” Tahu “Remember the dreams.”

“That’s you’re only argument?” Pohatu rolled his eyes.

“No more arguing, friends.” Onua stood. “We will do as the Domari say. Speak your choice for leader, and we will decide. But we are out of time. Speak the name you choose.”

A faint tremor could be felt, running through the ground. The Aranos were coming.

“Gali.” Lewa said. He remembered how focused she’d been at the swamps. How she had tried to learn as much as she could about the island.

“Onua.” Tahu said reluctantly. He didn’t want to vote for himself, and the soft spoken Toa had gotten them to calm down. He would be a good leader.

“Myself.” Kopaka had no problem voting for himself. They needed a logical leader.

“Myself.” Pohatu seemed to be voting more in spite of Kopaka.

“Tahu.” Onua said, calmly. He remembered the dreams all to well. They were more than dreams, and Tahu had indeed been leading them.

They turned to face Gali, the last vote. She was effectively given the choice herself. She didn’t know any of them, except Lewa, and she already didn’t like Kopaka, Tahu or Pohatu. She had half a mind to pick Lewa in defiance. But that would lead to a stalemate, and more arguing. She didn’t want to lead, and she doubted Onua wanted it either.

“Tahu.” She finally said. “Let’s go. We wasted a lot of time.”

The other Toa followed, all kind of surprised. None, except maybe Onua, seemed happy with the choice. Not even Tahu, who had no idea why he had actually been picked. Would they actually follow him? More importantly, could he actually lead them?

---

They met the Domari at the bridge.

“Tahu is leader” Gali said, abruptly. “Let’s go.”

Narmoto glanced at the six Toa. “Good. Put your differences aside for now, and listen.”

He pointed back towards the city. “This path must remain clear. Avoras can and will send its forces up the canyon walls, so do not assume it is safe. But the bulk of its army will be before us.”

“What do we do?” Tahu asked, nervously.

“Destroy as many Aranos as you can. Draw Avoras out, and we will destroy it.” Narmoto answered. “It has seen some of your powers, but not all of them. It will come.”

“What power does it have?” Tahu asked, realizing he hadn’t really thought about the Lord of Skull Spiders beyond the swarm.

“None still living have seen it.” Vizuna said, quietly. “It could have many powers. Or it could just be a strong spider with a mask making hobby.”

“It will emerge from the southeastern road,” Korgot added. “The spider makes its nest deep under my village’s tunnels.”

“The Domari will take position behind you.” Narmoto spoke again. “We will keep the Aranos off of you while you focus on destroying as many as possible. If Avoras does not show itself, then we must flee over the bridge. If it does show itself, do not attack until it is close. It must be completely destroyed, if the Aranos are to be stopped.”

Vizuna called over to the others. “They’re coming over the ridge, and quickly!”

Narmoto took Tahu aside. Lowering his voice.“You must get across that bridge.” said Narmoto. “No matter what happens. If we get separated or overwhelmed, you will leave us and get to the city. Leave us behind if you must.”

“I won’t leave anyone…” Tahu protested

“You have been chosen as the leader. That leaves you with a great burden.” He cast his cloak aside, the blaster mounted on his shoulder swinging forward. "You might have to choose between us and the mission.” He narrowed his eyes. “Choose the mission.”

“There’s no more time.” Korgot snapped, gripping her mace with both hands. “They’re here.”

The sound was almost unbearable, skittering of tiny, sharp legs echoing across the landscape. They emerged from the foliage and trees like waves sweeping onto the shore. They were beyond uncountable, all manner of beast moved along with the swarm. Aranos were clamped firmly over each of their faces. They closed around the gathering like a hand wrapping around the throat of its victim. The Toa and Domari backed away, edging closer to the bridge. As they reached the canyon ridge, they saw it. Looming over the horde, the Avoras moved with a slow, purposeful gait. It was covered in glistening black armor, faintly glowing along the edges like a burning ember. Six hateful eyes were fixed on the Toa. Six powerful legs, each tipped with a razor sharp spike, bit into the ground with each contemptuous step. The Aranos parted as it neared, their advance stopped now that their enemies were pinned.

“Why are they stopping?” whispered Lewa.

Vizuna readied his bow.“Because we have nowhere else to run.”

Narmoto watched the monster carefully. “Remember, let it draw as close to us as possible.“

If the Lord of skull spiders heard this, it clearly didn’t care. It was moving towards them, heedless of any possible danger. It paused as it reached the first ranks of its massive army. The monster glared at its prey. With its silent command, the Aranos attacked.

[Antak3000]

Before The Storm Part 5

Avoras’ eyes swept over her prey, the Toa that had caused her pain, and the Domari who had been a thorn in her side every generation. It was tempting to just crush them, just as they had done to her Aranos. The thought of cracking armor and breaking limbs was almost irresistible, but Makuta had spoken. The Toa must live, the villagers subjugated. The loss of their protectors to her swarm would be enough to keep the Okotans from leaving their villages for a very long time. They would be safe, just as Makuta had commanded.

They had moved to the bridge, the only way to the city, and their only escape route. It would limit the amount of Aranos she could throw at them, but already the spiders were scrambling over the chasm and climbing the mighty supports of the bridge. The Toa and Domari would stand and fight, now that she had presented herself as a target. Then, they would be cut off and overwhelmed. As if moving her own limbs, she willed the Aranos to attack.

Like waves, the skittering creatures moved forward. The sound was unbearable, sharp claws digging into rocks and scraping against the dirt. Trees and undergrowth crushed under the overwhelming numbers. The earth shook under their might. Avoras watched, waiting for her opponents to make a move. She didn’t have to wait long. Her enemies were impatient.

“Spread out!” Toa of fire called. “We don’t want to hit each other!”

“Glad we’re clear on that.” Kopaka rolled his eyes. Not a great start.

The Toa’s powers tore through the advancing ranks. An entire column of spiders was frozen solid by Kopaka. Gali swept dozens of the Aranos over the edge with a massive wave. Seismic energy rippled through the ground, throwing the swarm back. Stones launched forward with surprising accuracy, taking out larger hosts. At the front of the group, Tahu’s fire swept over the advancing spiders, burning them away. Beside him, Lewa swept the spiders into the flames with gusts of wind. Behind them, the Domari’s blasters cut through any of the spiders that got through the onslaught, keeping them away from the Toa. Avoras held back, seemingly content to watch.

It can’t be this easy. Tahu knew there were thousands of Aranos. But it was so simple to keep them at bay. And Avoras made no signs of retreating.

Wave after wave of spiders were shredded by Domari blasters and Toa powers. Dozens fell, then hundreds. The sound got more and more overwhelming, and the shattered masks were beginning to form a wall.

“Push forward!” Tahu called out, barely audible over the sound. “Get that spider!”

He ran forward, swords sending waves of fire into the Aranos. He hoped the others were behind him. They had to reach Avoras.

The spider regarded the advancing Toa. He was powerful, and at least a few of the others were following his lead. But it wasn’t there to lead it’s army. It was the army. It was there as bait.

“Tahu! Wait!” Narmoto cried out. The spiders closed in around the Toa as they got further away. Lewa, Gali and Tahu had moved forward, The others were pinned down.

“I got it.” Pohatu growled. Stone rippled across the ground, exploding into rows of spikes. Aranos were knocked back or speared. “Get back here!”

The three Toa didn’t hear, or if they did, it wasn’t soon enough. The Aranos seemed to be backing away from them, almost clearing a path to the Lord of Skull Spiders. Fire, Water, and Air tore through anything in their way as they punched through the swarm. Still, Avoras waited, unmoved by the threat. The Toa were about to see why.

---

The trap was sprung. A harsh buzzing filled the air as the sinister shapes of skull wasps rose from the canyon.

“Vespirr! Behind us!” Vizuna called out, barely audible over the battle.
Dozens of buzzing insects hovered into view. Vizuna’s bow fired in rapid succession, taking out three of them. He drew a knife, hurling it at a fourth one as it lunged towards him. He twisted out of the way as the Vespirr’s lifeless body slammed into the ground beside him, knife jutting out of the Aranos’ eye hole.

But the wasps didn’t care for their own survival. Recklessly, they slammed into the Domari, claws and stingers going for gaps in armor. Korgot, Kivoda and Nilkuu were pinned, Vespirr holding them down, even in death, as the Domari fought back hard.

Tahu turned around, sending a wave of fire into the air at the wasps. The creatures burst into flames, some dropping out of the sky as their wings burned away. The rest were driven back from the blistering heat. It might’ve saved the group, but Onua and Kopaka got caught in the blast.

“Watch it! We aren’t all fire proof!” Kopaka winced, stepping back from the flames spreading along the ground.

The Vespirr circled back, striking from behind once more. Vizuna felled two more with his bow, but a third clamped on to him and sank its stinger into his shoulder. The Domari landed painfully as with the wasp still clamped onto his back.

Lewa took flight, narrowly avoiding the Aranos as they closed in. A focused blast of air knocked the spiders back. He looked back, just time to see the wasps taking down the Domari. Narmoto was the only one still standing, slashing with his blade furiously.

Avoras struck from behind. Tahu was pinned under its massive body, it’s sharp claws striking repeatedly as it looked for gaps in his armor. A blast of water hit him just as badly as the spider.

“Not helping!” He sputtered. He barely tore free before the spider slammed its full weight down. The earth shuddered under its strength.

“Get back, idiots!” Pohatu launched a barrage of stones into the swarm, and Avoras. He threw both of his boomerangs into the Lord of Skull Spider’s face. It recoiled, staggering back. But it seemed more angry then hurt. Ignoring the other Toa, it turned and charged at Pohatu.

He hastily threw up a stone barrier. Avoras smashed through it with ease. It slammed into him, throwing him to the edge of the canyon. Before he could draw his backup weapon or retrieve one of his boomerangs, it struck again, sending him hurtling over the edge.

“Not good!” Lewa flew after the Toa of stone, ignoring the wasps. He wasn’t sure if he could lift him back up. And he could see more skull spiders crawling over the canyon walls. The Toa were about to be surrounded.

---

Onua and Kopaka weren’t idle. They had fallen back as soon as the skull wasps had attacked. A shockwave from Onua’s hammer cleared the swarm for a moment, while Kopaka’s ice froze most of the remaining wasps. Their wings broke like glass as they hit the ground.

“Go for the bridge!” Narmoto shouted. “They’ve beaten us!”

Kopaka looked back towards Narmoto, just in time to see Pohatu go flying over the edge of the cliff. Lewa dove after him.

“Perfect.” He sighed. Then the Aranos came. Hundreds of them had been scaling the canyon this whole time. Another wave of ice froze the first ranks of them. Onua struck them with a powerful seismic wave, shattering them.

Before Kopaka could do anything else, Avoras slammed into him. Its first attack ripped his shield out of his hand. He desperately tried to get away, his spear wasn’t much good with the monster right on top of him. Onua knocked the monster off.

Avoras landed heavily in the dirt, one of its legs crumpled under the blow. Before it could charge again, it was engulfed in flame.

Tahu and Gali were racing back. Water and fire blasted the Aranos surrounding Narmoto, but not quickly enough. The other Domari were getting back up. Each wearing a skull spider mask.

“GO!” Narmoto shouted. “It’s too late!”

The other five Domari had him surrounded, forcing him closer and closer to the edge. He wasn’t expecting them to fight the monster’s control. They were fighting it. They couldn’t win.

Tahu hesitated, but only for a moment. Every instinct told him to stay and fight. Save his friend. Save all of the Domari. But then, something stronger, and harder took over. This was bigger than the six mentors that had guided them.

“Follow me!” He sent a jet of fire, burning through the spiders blocking the bridge.

Kopaka froze Avoras as it moved to follow them. It ripped itself free, leaving pieces of its own legs behind. It swept Pohatu’s weapons off of its face, tearing through its own armor. As the Toa fled onto the bridge, it followed.

Narmoto was overwhelmed. Korgot had overpowered him, holding him in place as the Aranos moved to take his mask. The four remaining Toa had fled to the bridge. Avoras followed, eyes blazing with hatred. As it stepped onto the bridge itself, it smashed the supports. The end of the structure crumbled away, plummeting into the canyon. More of it broke apart as the monster closed in on the surprised Toa. It had just cut itself off from the rest of its swarm.

Aranos dropped onto the stone surface behind them. They hadn’t just been climbing the canyon. They had been climbing the bridge’s columns. Avoras had them trapped.

[Antak3000]

Sorry, been a bit slower on this one. Work has been eroding my sanity, and coordinating a fight with 13 characters and numberless swarm is a bit above my skill level. Unlike some of the others segments, I re-wrote these last two sections entirely from the original draft. Hopefully for the better, the original version can be found here, for any that are interested.

https://www.deviantart.com/antak3000/art/Bionicle-Genesis-Before-the-Storm-Part-5-1164581559

(The new one is basically part 5 and 6 combined, and I think the new version is focused better, even if it’s still way too chaotic.)

Here is a crappy MS paint diagram of the bridge, showing the part Avoras smashed off, in case my description didn’t cover it properly.

[Antak3000]

Before The Storm Part 6

Avoras moved forward. Its face was damaged, missing an eye. One of its legs was broken, dragging uselessly behind it. Several of its claws were broken off from tearing itself free from the ice. It showed no signs of pain, or hesitation. Behind it, the swarm was linking itself together. A makeshift bridge, allowing them to climb over the gap the Lord of Skull Spiders had just made.

The Toa backed away, exhausted and battered.

“Use your masks!” Kopaka reminded them.

Each Toa quickly activated their golden Kanohi. In a flash of light, their elemental power was restored.

“My powers might collapse the bridge.” Onua shook his head. “Not good.”

“Not sure how much that’s going to matter.” Kopaka eyed the Aranos scuttling over the sides of the bridge.

“We’ve been through worse.” Tahu insisted. He didn’t know why he said that, it just slipped out. “Onua and I will take the front.” He pointed towards the city. “Stop them from cutting us off.”

“Stop them?” Kopaka asked, dumbfounded. It was obvious that Gali and he combine their powers, but he honestly doubted Tahu was thinking about that.

“No time!” Gali pointed her spear towards the swarm. As her water tore through the spiders, Kopaka froze it. The advancing horde was trapped, but it was a small victory. More were coming.

Tahu hadn’t taken his eyes off Avoras. It had paused for a moment, as if listening to his voice. Did it understand them? Or was it just waiting for backup from the thousands of Aranos behind it?

He launched a furious attack, fireball after fireball, with Onua at his side, reluctant to use his powers at all. Each attack was countered by Aranos throwing themselves in front of their master.

Onua finally struck. His hammer swept the Aranos aside, shaking the bridge.

Avoras lunged forward, striking at the pair. Tahu and Onua were forced back, unable to dodge in such a tight area. It lunged again, only to be pelted with icicles. Tendrils of water snaked around the Toa, and struck it from the sides.

Another blow from Onua’s hammer split its face. It lurched backwards, pieces of it crumbling off like embers from a dying fire.

“What are you?” Tahu asked, more to himself. It couldn’t be alive.

The spiders behind them were still coming, hindered by the ice but not stopped by it. And they were still streaming over the gap in the broken bridge.

Tahu launched a stream of fire, focusing it as tightly as he could. Avoras staggered forward, into the flames. More and more pieces of it burned away. A burning leg knocked the Toa of fire on his back. The spiders scurried past it, swarming over Onua. His slow weapon couldn’t get all of them, not without his powers. And the others couldn’t save him.

“Behind us!” Onua shouted. He dropped his weapon, desperate to keep them away from his mask. “Don’t let them pin us!”

Kopaka turned back to the frozen army of spiders. Dozens were scuttling over the ice, their sharp legs easily biting into the icy surface. He couldn’t stop them, but he could buy them some more time. His spear stabbed into the ice, fracturing it. The cracks spread across its length, and expanded. With a sound like shattering glass, the Ice exploded into fragments. The trapped Aranos were destroyed, and the others were thrown off, into the canyon below. But more were already taking their place.

Avoras hammered Tahu with its mangled limbs. It was barely recognizable as a spider now. Flames ate away at it’s armor, and the strange, inorganic material beneath. He couldn’t break free, his swords were knocked out of his grasp. All he could do was shield his head with his arms.

“Hold on to something!” Gali’s voice called out. But she couldn’t wait long.

A wave of water slammed into the two Toa. Onua was pushed back, but he held on, letting the water tear the spiders off of him. Tahu wasn’t as lucky. Avoras was drenched, extinguishing the flames in sharp hiss. But it didn’t let go, biting down with the twisted remains of its jaws. He could see a flicker of red from a remaining eye.

“Come on!” Gali hurled her spear, straight for the creature’s face. “What does it take to stop this thing?!“

The weapon sank deep into the single remaining eye. Tahu tore himself free, grabbing one of his swords as he jumped clear of the monster’s flailing limbs. It struck him from behind, sending him sprawling. Onua pulled him away before the beast could finish him.

“Any thoughts?” Tahu gasped as Onua pulled him to his feet. “Open to suggestions.”

Kopaka eyed the spiders advancing from behind, and flanking the severely damaged Lord of Skull Spiders. They were surrounded, and using their powers in such a tight place was difficult. And the spider seemed invulnerable, or at least un-killable.

“We keep fighting until it wins.” Kopaka said, softly.

“Okay… anyone else?” Asked Tahu.

“We still have our masks.” Gali reminded him. They had all expended most of their power.

The battered Toa tried to use their masks once more. But nothing happened. Their Kanohi clearly needed to recharge before they could restore their powers again.

---

Avoras was still coming. It seemed unstoppable. It still made no sound, though it seemed to be shaking in rage. It clearly didn’t care how badly they damaged it at this point. It moved towards the four warriors, its swarm just behind it. But in its rage, and eagerness to strike down its foes, Avoras had forgotten the other two Toa. Lewa and Pohatu flew through the makeshift Aranos bridge, breaking it apart. The swarm spilled over the edge of the canyon, hurtling into the valley below.

The Avoras shuddered with each mask as it struck the ground and shattered. Finally, it seemed to feel something like pain. Pohatu dropped in front of it as Lewa swooped overhead, landing gracefully beside the others. Avoras lurched forward, thrashing with its mangled, but still powerful limbs.

A stone spike shot through its torso, pinning it in place. Water, ice, air, and fire forced it back, tearing away more and more of its body. Finally, Onua struck it head on with his hammer, splintering the bridge underneath it. The edges of the stone bridge crumbled as the spider desperately tried to keep its grip. Limbs strained and broke from the onslaught, before finally giving out. Avoras was hurled over the broken edge of the bridge, legs flailing uselessly. The ground shook with the impact, a thunderous sound echoed across the valley.

For a moment, there was silence. It was interrupted by the impacts of skull spiders as they dropped lifelessly from the columns they’d been climbing. Across the island, the Aranos stopped, collapsing like puppets with cut strings. Hosts slumped over, free of the beast’s control at last. Avoras was no more.