Someone deciding to fall on him was the exact motivation he needed to get up and do… something. Jaawu caught the fellow adventurer and righted them on their feet. “Alright there? Good thing I was here, these walls don’t look too nice to hit your head on.”
He looked in the direction of Makuta, who seemed to be at the door with someone running at him. “I think I’ll be off. Punch Makuta, or something like that.”
With that, he started running towards Makuta with the internet to ram into him, hopefully doing something. However, he halted this endeavor when he saw someone seeming to be doing the same thing. This gave him quite the idea. He would let the other do what he would and then use Makuta’s moment of weakness to get a few good blows in. It was better than just sitting, at least. So, he went to put his plan into action.
“Uh,” Katau began. He wasn’t sure how to word his reply.
“Makuta decided to give us a test by fighting us.” he finished.
Fight. Makuta. Ok, I can do that. I can do this. Cheshie thought dumbfounded for a moment before giving Katau a brief nod. Then she ran at Makuta, shield first.
At last, he was free from the dreaded cloud, maybe now his vision would finally start to clear. As an added bonus, he had survived being inside the cloud with makuta. Things were going exceptionally well so far, hold on, was he still alive? In stories, he heard as a child, people who were dying would usually describe their experience as going towards a light and the only thing he could see currently was a light.
“KARZ, I’M DEAD! I’M DEAD!” or at least that’s what he would’ve said if he wasn’t so rudely interrupted by the sensation of falling. Normally "going towards the light” was followed by the feeling of ascension, but i don’t know if you know this, but falling is quite the reverse of that. If he was dead, he was fairly certain now that he was going someplace other than towards the light,
Then something caught him and soon enough his feet were under him once again, wait did they just talk? Okay, maybe he exaggerated just a tad too much. Clearly he was still under the effects of the mist and while he wasn’t dead at the moment the longer the mist clouded his vision the more chances he would have to be murderd by a clearly insane mask maker. “Where’s Makuta!” Palios shouted, obviously this was quite the poor decision in hindsight as it could pose the possibility that Makuta would be able to locate one of his targets.
Makuta waited until there were enough footsteps coming towards him, and with satisfaction closed his eyes.
The searing bomb flew from Ilya’s grip, rocketing across the room towards Makuta. Once it was close enough that it might hit one of the people charging him - he really couldn’t see to know for certain - it finished its detonation, spitting shrapnel around the room and into anyone close enough.
Makuta’s hammer turned on the ground and began sliding towards the Mask maker, gaining acceleration. If the explosion didn’t clear the lane, perhaps this would.
Cheshie snapped her attention toward the now whining bomb, turning her shield in an attempt to block the oncoming shrapnel, leaving her front and back exposed.
Henan’s neck joints creaked as he gazed at the massive statues adorning the entrance to the forge. Amazing craftsmanship. Henan thought to himself. Probably took a year to make .As he began to climb the enormous flight of stairs,He solemnly noted to ask about the techniques of the carving,and the type of stone used.As he neared the door,it seem to be sealed shut.He again looked at the carving,and then,trying not to break the craftsmanship,knocked on the door multiple times.
With a smile of satisfaction, Makuta felt the footsteps of Chesie turning about in place. His hand extended, his hammer flew across the floor, climbing into the air and-
-and the hammer’s handle stopped a few inches from his fingers, his face immediately falling into a disappointed scowl underneath his mask.
The hammer changed trajectory, flying back across the room in a sweeping curve aimed at Ilya, giving him a good amount of forewarning with an exaggerated turn and beginning to spin as it rounded the curve. The mask maker took the opportunity to go back to the door and open it barely enough to see outside.
“Name.” His eyes cleared momentarily to get a good look at whoever was on the steps.
Ilya flinched violently as the bomb detonated in his hand, pain arcing across his hand, wrist, and lower forearm. He barely felt the pain, instead seeming, like the bomb, to freeze. For a moment, all he could do was stare at the blinding white, the tiny shards of black clay shrapnel suspended like so many little comets, trailing white tails of fire. His eyes widened, the pure euphoria of fascination fading and twisting into something else … something else …
Shock.
Pure and utter and entirely removed from anything happening now.
Years, Ilya had spent both studying and experimenting with the bombs. While his skill was limited, his knowledge was extensive, and he knew - he knew - the comparatively colossal amount of energy such devices generated immediately after generation. For the Makuta to control it…
His eyes flicked up at the hammer, and he took an uncertain step back … then turned and sprinted further into the room, trying to get behind and around the forge. Yeah, run, coward. Like the Makuta will actually harm you. And yet something else told him that the Makuta wouldn’t hesitate.
He only had one brewed potion left, and frankly, he had no clue what it did. Nor did he have any clay jars baked for him to concoct new ones. He did have components, however, and as he passed behind the forge, he cast his eyes about for any kind of jar or container small enough for a bomb or potion or something.
Having stopped his mad slide toward the door, Katau noticed that yet another newcomer had arrived. He turned toward the others and said,
“Let’s try to surround him or something.” Katau started walking uncertainly towards Makuta, sword raised.
Cheshie’s head whipped backward as she watched the hammer, which had almost taken her completely off guard, fly backward away from her face. She turned back to Makuta raising the butt of her javelin to strike, but paused in confusion as he got the door. She didn’t feel right striking the man in the back, but something told her even if she tried, she’d end up on the ground somehow. Better to at least look honorable before getting your butt kicked. She spared a glance backward as she waited, javelin raised, to see if the shrapnel did any serious damage to the others.
"Henan."The Stone carver replied.Then he narrowed his eyes.“It is good to know at least one of the brothers is in good health.So,what is it that you wished for me to be here for?”
There didn’t appear to be any kind of-
Wait, no, there was one. A circular container made from carved stone with what appeared to be the Mask of Creation engraved in the side with gold plating. It was sitting on the floor on the opposite side of the forge.
Behind him, the hammer hit the wall, made a groaning sound as it scraped along the brick, then turned and began following him again. For a moment it paused in midair, losing its momentum, then it resumed its flight as the front door shut with a resounding slam.
Makuta looked down slightly, trying to recall the list he had written. ‘Henan’ didn’t sound like anything he had scribbled down for a list of addresses. In fact, it didn’t really sound Okotan, if he was being honest.
But problems like this tended to have a way of sorting themselves out if given the right motivation. “In.” Makuta grumbled, his eyes clouding back over once more. In one motion the door was thrown open and Henan tossed inside before slamming shut once more.
Cheshie may have turned back in time to avoid an incoming Henan. Or, possibly not. It was up to her.
Katau, however, could see the door fly open, yet another stranger get pulled in, and then shut again with a little more ferocity than before. It seemed Makuta was getting tired of these interruptions.
Henan sat up,looking around the room.He saw a firespitter,a guard,and others.
“Why was I asked to be here exactly?” He asked.
Cheshie sidestepped Henan as he flew into the room.
“To help get Ekimu. Though we’re fighting Makuta now. I think.” Cheshie said over her shoulder, rotating to position herself between Makuta and the newcomer, Javelin at the ready.
"And how exactly do i help with that?"Henan asked.
“Uh, maybe try to grab his hammer or something?” Katau said. He was at a loss at what exactly to do.
“That’s not what i was asking,Firespitter”.Henan replied.
The chatter had informed Makuta exactly where the closest people were.
He blinked for a moment, the orange film around his eyes finally beginning to clear on its own. Or maybe his repeated manual clearing of it had sped up the process. Regardless, he now saw with the same capacity Palios had been seeing; only a pinhole of vision in otherwise complete blackness.
However, looks were perhaps more important that actual capability, and so Makuta started stalking towards Cheshie with a threatening air. He could barely see, but perhaps that was enough.
Katau noticed this, and he took advantage of Makuta’s limited eyesight and attempted to trip him as he was walking.