ABOUT
When I began to write Demigo Storyline, I had very little idea what I was writing about. Now, I have much more clear idea of what I want to write, including actually having a map. Important reason why I decided to rewrite this story is because of a reworked elemental system. While I was working on redoing that, I came up with other major changes and additions.
Demigo Storyline will be structured in books. For foreseeable future, there will likely be a single book and a few short stories set in word of Akara. I still want to do other things in between, such as Feratu. After Book 1 is finished, I will likely move on the properly planned setting I previously mentioned.
Sometimes after that, I want to write Book 2. I think Demigo storyline will eventually be at least three books long. But that is a future matter.
Without further addo, let’s once again jump into the world of Akara.
DEMIGO STORYLINE
BOOK 1-COMING OF THE TOA
Six Heroes. One Destiny.
I-I -X- I-I -X- I-I
Work of Demigo lies in chaos.
I-I -X- I-I -X- I-I
All that is originates in the Stars.
I-I -X- I-I -X- I-I
Look above and below to discover the Truth.
Chapter 1-A Burning Star Descends
Segment A-Awakening
A fire that was not a fire stood before him, burning inside an ornate and ancient stone bowl whose name was the Vessel of the Great Spirit. This inexplicably Prismatic Fire glowed primarily in radiant shades of white, but through its flame, colors possible and impossible could be seen appearing and disappearing. The fire radiated no heat, but sense of calm could be felt in its presence.
Then, a mechanoid hand of twisted and corroded metal jumped out of the Primordial Darkness surrounding the scene, sweeping rapidly in direction of fire. As it closed in, its outer coating crumbled into rusted flakes, revealing a sharpened claw made of burning shadow. The malign hand extinguished the sacred fire before burning to ash in a burst of crimson flames.
"Prismatic Fire is fading" spoke an ancient voice coming from everywhere at once.
As the voice faded, he awakened from this strange, almost prophetic, dream.
I-I -X- I-I -X- I-I
All around him was darkness. All encompassing black emptiness devoid of all light surrounded him. It was as if he stood in some primordial void.
It is time.
As that thought passed into his head, light appeared from above, allowing him to see and to examine his true surroundings.
He was standing inside a cylindrical room, its walls made out of shinning metal. He could see his reflection in shine of the wall, a tall figure of red and orange, its radiantly green eyes seen peeking through a peculiar Mask of Power.
Before him, there was a sliding door consisting of two pieces. On one side of this entrance stood a control panel displaying the Vermillion Sign, while on other, a long thin pipe whose ends were forged in shape of a Rahi’s Jaw was leaning against the wall. Above, a crystal placed in middle of ceiling radiated light, illuminating the cylindrical chamber.
Centuries pass by and I am still in my place of sleep…
Once he made sure of his surroundings, he strode swiftly forward, and grabbed the pipe. In his hand, the tube morphed into a sword. “Who dares to wake me, the great Tahu from my sleep? Show yourself!” Only reply was the echo.
Unsettled, Tahu remembered last words Artaka told him before he went to sleep in this very chamber. He could remember that moment clearly. Artaka approached him and his brethren, speaking in his clear, ringing voice, his ornate mask shining in bright light of lightstones.
When Uru-Arua grows dark, descend to Akara to light the fire.
Something seemed strange about the sentence. It was like it was torn from its context. Then, something even more confusing occurred to Tahu.
Wait… Who exactly is this Artaka?
When he tried to recall, Tahu realized something very disconcerting. Most of his memories were gone erased during his long sleep, as if washed away to the black seas of oblivion. This made him angry.
“Why I cannot remember? Why?” Tahu asked the empty room, his eyes growing brighter and narrower before returning to normal.
Through most of his memories were gone, Tahu could feel some remaining as shattered fragments hidden deep inside his mind. He gathered these memories, trying to piece them together.
He knew he was a Toa (through what was that supposed to mean was unclear to him), and that his name was Tahu. He was one of six Toa. Each of them was sleeping deep, wakeless sleep inside a cylindrical chamber akin to his, waiting to be awakened when time is right.
When that time came, Toa were supposed to work together to complete some sort of a great quest, through Tahu could not remember its purpose. He also could remember that someone named Artaka existed, and was old ally of the Toa, and that his home was Uru-Arua, one of two places Artaka mentioned. Tahu knew that many centuries ago, he went to rest in this very place, sleeping a wakeless sleep, until something, or someone, awakened him.
All six of the Toa had power over a part of the Radiant Power, a powerful force used to create the world. Like a stylized depiction of a sun, the Radiant Power was divided into Rays. Each of the Toa had power over a different Ray and its aspects. This power was innate, but could be better channeled through their instrument. Tahu could not remember the names and powers of others, but he knew he was the Toa Tahu, wielding fiery power of Vermillion Ray using Vermillion Instrument, supposedly forged in fires of the tallest mountain of Vulcanus by sacred Demigo himself. But who this myśterious Demigo was, Tahu knew not.
Segment B-Entering Ta-Wahi
Tahu was rather angered that he could not remember. Almost all his memories were mysteriously gone, as if wiped by an unknown hand.
“This is certainly the work of the thrice cursed Disruptor!” Tahu muttered angrily, before realizing that he could not remember what he was talking about, again. At least he could remember his capabilities rather clearly.
The Vermillion Ray Tahu wielded was known as the Ray of Volcano. It allowed Tahu to control heat and manipulate sufficiently hot things such as flames or lava. This power could amplified by and channeled through his Vermillion Instrument, which could change shape between two forms, the Searing Sword, and the Dragon’s Pipe.
Tahu would use Searing Sword if he needed a physical tool. Being a sword, it be used to cut through objects. Already sharp, it could cleave through obstacles if heated with his powers. If a conflict came, Tahu could use the sword as a weapon.
Mechanoid beings were fortunately resistant to being damaged by ordinary weapons, their special armor of a peculiar metal shielding them from many forms of damage. In a fight, the primary goal was to instead knock off the opponent’s mask, at least in case of honorable fighters.
Mechanoids needed Kanohi masks to function properly. Without mask, a mechanoid would be greatly weakened, eventually falling into an unnatural sleep. Thusly, weapons in a honorable fight would be used to topple the opponent and remove their mask, not to injure them. Unfortunately, not all were honorable, and there were weapons and other means able to hurt, maim or kill a mechanoid.
Some mechanoids lacked sapience, being merely wild animals, and those could not be excepted to follow codes of honor.
In addition to being a tool and a weapon, Searing Sword could also be used to channel Tahu’s elemental powers. In this it was sufficient, but if he needed to focus on his command over fire, he could choose to transform his tool into the Dragon Pipe.
To use the Dragon Pipe, Tahu would heat air inside the pipe, the flames spewing from its ends like a dragon’s breath, then bending to his will. Outer coating of the pipe was made out of an isolating material to protect Tahu from scorching heat of pipe’s fiery insides.
The pipe was specifically designed to amplify his elemental powers, being carved with same Runes of Power that give power to the Kanohi Masks.
His own Kanohi mask held a great power, but Tahu knew not how to use it and what that power even was in first place. This frustrated Tahu, again reminding him of his amnesia.
Tahu knew that Kanohi masks held power inside them, through not all were able to use this power. In right hands, Kanohi could achieve great things. Some masks were more powerful than others, and few held a legendary, world changing, power.
Having gathered his thoughts, Tahu placed his hand upon the control panel. The door to the cylindrical chamber split in two, both pieces sliding into the wall. As opening widened, Tahu stared, confusion being visible in his green, glowing eyes.
This place… it is not Uru-Arua. Where am I? And why I am here? The Disruptor…it must be his doing!
“What in name of Demigo is this trickery?!” Tahu shouted to the empty room.
Scattered pieces of memories flowed confusedly through his head.
Uru-Arua was a great city, located in center of the world of Arua. Many mechanoids of various species lived here, watched over by a wise being called Artaka. There were several worlds composing the known universe, Arua being especially ancient. Who Demigo was, Tahu could not remember, but he knew they were important on a cosmic scale.
Who the Disruptor was was still as mysterious as before, through Tahu vaguely remembered that this unknown foe was connected to the Primordial Darkness, same darkness seen in his dream, an ancient force some claimed was older than the universe.
As if anything could predate the Work of Demigo, except Demigo himself…
Wait.
Again and again, my thoughts are in confusion. Why I know not what I am saying? Who exactly is responsible for this?
Tahu returned to examining the unfamiliar place that laid beyond the door. Whatever it was, it clearly was not Uru-Arua. Before him, a wide open landscape could be seen, its incredible vastness utterly different from distantly familiar halls and chambers of Uru-Arua. Tahu stepped outside the open door, noticing that he was standing inside a crater, cut into the ground by some great impact. He climbed out.
Before Tahu’s eyes stretched a landscape of grassy plains, interrupted by hills and rocky cliffs. Along with grass, bushes grew in this land, bearing round, thorny fruit. Tahu could see smoke rising from the ground, and noticed that in many places, foliage seemed to be younger than in others. It could be infered this was place of frequent fires.
In distance a smoking volcano towered over the land. Closer the landscape was to the volcano, more scorched and desolate it was. Tahu could spot molten lava flowing in distance.
This is a place of fire. Fitting that I arrived here.
Above stood the sky, a vast expanse of blue in which floated imposing clouds. In each of four directions shone a sun, while the fifth sat at the apex of the sky. Tahu was thankful that his eyes could withstand the searingly bright light of the suns, allowing him to examine these heavenly lights.
Looking back, he saw that he just exited a great cylinder of reflective metal, standing tall inside the burnt and scorched crater. Tahu then realized something. The chamber where he slept for millennia was located inside a container, which managed to somehow detach from Uru-Arua and fall to this strange world.
It was not the Distruptor who brought me here. It was will of Demigo.
Tahu was by now getting used to saying things he knew not, but appearance of these thoughts was still jarring and eriee, with unknown mysteries looming over him. Regardless of his confusion, a great realization dawned upon Tahu, concerning the nature of this alien world.
This is the place Artaka spoke of.
Akara
Tahu knew he was in this unfamiliar place on a quest of great importance. Something told him that his dream was revelant to his quest, but what it could all mean, only Demigo knew. Regardless of his purpose, Tahu was drawn in a certain direction, something guiding him on a meandering path through this region of fire. He felt Mata Nui calling him forth to ignite the Prismatic Fire.
This is a strange world. I have many questions and few answers.
…Mata Nui? I recognize that name. Artaka said this about him:
“Mata Nui is known amongst the Matoran as the Great Spirit, the Bearer of the Worlds, the Prismatic Fire, the Origin Point of Radiant Force, and many other names. But few call him other, more ancient names: the Light, the Axiom, and most curiously of all, the Foreign Sun”