If one were to look at a map of the Realm of the Great Spirit, one would notice that between the Islands of Odina and Nynrah. On that island, there were no Rahi. There were no Toa. There was only the fauna and the Matoran.
Odina, for the unaware, was the base of operations for one groups. The group known as the Dark Hunters. Nynrah, meanwhile, was the home of the Nynrah Ghosts. They were the Fe-Matoran who crafted masterful weapons and technology.
On the island between them, that had no name, the Matoran struggled to survive. One Ta-Matoran on that island in particular, was especially sick of these Dark Hunters, as he expressed to his close friend, the Po-Matoran Sukon.
“I just think someone should do something about it!” The Ta-Matoran Jalis said, slamming his fist onto the wall of a hut he was standing next to.
“Yeah, like what? We’re Matoran! To take on a single Dark Hunter, let alone the groups of them that show up here, would be suicide for one of us!” Sukon replied.
“I know.” Jalis replied, looking down with a sigh. “Sometimes I just…we’ve lost so many, Sukon! Maybe if we were crafty about it. Maybe if we laid out traps for them that would spring out and inure them if they would destroy anything.” Jalis suggested, before immediately realizing the foolishness of it. It would never work. The Hunters come in numbers, so after one fell for it, the others would know.
Jalis’s thoughts were cut short, though, by another Matoran running inland from the shore facing Odina, yelling in a panic. “The Hunters return! The Hunters return!” He shouted, running into a hut for protection.
“Jalis, we need to go. Now!” Sukon said, grabbing his friend’s arm. Jalis, however, refused to budge.
“No. I am done running. Today, I stop the Dark Hunters, or die trying.” He said defiantly, grabbing a small sword, matoran sized, that was leaning against the outer wall of a hut.
“Jalis, this is stupid! There is no stop the hunters! There is only die trying!” Sukon replied again, pulling his friend’s arm even harder. Still to no avail.
“Sukon, if you fear for your life, then leave. But I don’t want to live in a world where we are in constant fear of them, where we pray to the Great Spirit that our friends live another day.”Jalis responded, pushing Sukon away.
On the shore, Jalis could see three Dark Hunters coming. He knew them, as many Hunters have come and gone to and from this island. Gatherer, the former Matoran. He collected the armor from those he defeated. Conjurer, he who claimed to have mystic powers, usable through his staff. And Savage, the former Toa, mutated Hordika, and angry at everything. He could hear them in the distance as well.
“Hmm, looks like there’s one Matoran out there.” Conjurer said, indicating to Jalis with his staff.
“Yeah, wonder if he’s got any good trophies on him. That small sword looks pretty nice. So does that Hau. Even if it is powerless.” Gatherer said to him, readying his own weapon.
“Look, we came here to loot and plunder. We’re looking for goods and resources before we shove off to Nynrah for the main trip so I don’t see why we can’t have some fun with the locals too.” Savage said to the both of them, a wicked smile coming across his face as he began already having thoughts of tearing the village and its inhabitants to pieces.
And so Jalis, Ta-Matoran, charged straight forward, right for Savage. Savage couldn’t help but laugh at the sight, as he simply swatted at the Matoran with one of his claws, sending him flying into a large area of brush in the nearby woods. Leaving only his sword behind.
Jalis was knocked out for a long while, and under the radar of the Hunters, who focused on the Village itself.
When he awoke, it was to the sight of burning huts, and only a few Matoran struggling to stay standing. Sukon was not one of those Matoran. Sukon was without his mask, on the ground, unmoving.
And it was from that day that Jalis knew what he wanted out of his life. He swore vengeance upon any and all Dark Hunters, now and forever.
So yeah, this is the second of my 6 RoT precursors. This one begins the origin of Toa Jalis. To clarify, this one, as well as Nerai’s, and indeed all 6 will have multiple updates and continuations. I wanna build up to basically right before RoT.
Skipping parts here and there, but meh.
