Eternal Darkness

Eternal Darkness is the final novel in the Xaterex Multiverse Storyline.

Teaser
''Vahrikaan has risen. Darkness has fallen over Xaterex.''

''For the allies of the Resistance, whose war has been long, deadly, and filled with pain, the treachery of Saren Naghara has destroyed their ranks. The rebellion has collapsed in on itself, even as the Ix are at their strongest, and the only beings that have a chance of stopping the ascending Dark Lord have been scattered across the universe..''

''Shardak and Valkryia’s only hope of victory against Vahrikaan lies in unraveling the cryptic Prophecy of Time, which states that at the end of worlds, the Spirit Toa shall make a choice that will save or annihilate the universe forever. Blast must confront the being who holds the key to his past, which holds a secret so great that it could change the tide of the war. Fairon and Luxa, captured by the mysterious Mindeaters, must journey beyond the known worlds to stop a plan that threatens to end all hope for survival.''

''All of these allies must come together to stand against Lord Vahrikaan. And as darkness closes in on them, the fate of the Resistance— and the Xaterex Multiverse— rests on a single choice that will preserve or destroy existence itself.''

Prologue
''"What happened then?" asked the Toa. His voice trembled slightly as he faced the hooded being, whose face was shrouded in the darkness. Only the being's eyes could be seen.The Toa could not read the expression within, but could feel the force of the eyes upon him, staring intently into his own.''

''"I failed," The hooded being said simply. “I failed, and eternal darkness fell upon the universe.''"

''"You failed?" asked the Toa. His voice was incredulous. "But how?"''

"My friends had fought well. My allies were strong. But, in the end, the battle came down to a single choice, a choice foretold hundreds of years before. And because of this choice, I have journeyed across the strands of time for thousands of millennia."

''"So that's how everyone knows of you, and knows your title." said the Toa. ''

''"Yes," the being answered. "I have seen the uncountable pasts, the varied presents, the incalculable futures. But everything came down to the single choice at the end of time, a choice that had been foretold thousands of years before." ''

''"What happened?" the Toa demanded, real fear in his voice now "At the end of time? How did you fail? Who are you?”''

''For a moment, all was silent and still. The hooded being said nothing, merely continued to stare into the Toa's eyes. Almost unconsciously, the Toa dropped his gaze. For a few moments, neither being spoke.''

''"Who are you?" asked the Toa again, breaking the silence. But the hooded being could feel his aura, and he knew the Toa already knew. ''

''"I will tell you of the final battle, then." said the being at last. "I will tell you how it all ended..."''

And he lowered his hood.

Chapter 1
Var'kala hung above Xaterex like a grim premonition of doom, its presence creating a dread aura of fear within the hearts of all beings below. The jagged grey surface of the mobile planetoid hovered just below the nighttime skyline, revelling in the fear that it instilled in the hearts of the warring Toa, Glatorian, and Ix below. For the presence of Var'kala, the Citadel of the Darkness, meant that the Dark Lord, Vahrikaan, had returned to Xaterex.

Within the open chambers of the Resistance base, Shardak stared at the skies above him and, unconsciously, shivered as he felt the force of Var'kala's dark gaze upon him. While he couldn't feel any enemies nearby, the sense of shadow energy around him was palpable.

Beside him, Valkyria Rhai shivered slightly in the aura field as she, too, looked at Var'kala. Shardak knew without question that she felt the darkness here as well.

"It's odd we haven't encountered any of Saren's guards here yet." said Shardak, breaking the almost oppressive silence. He tore his gaze away from Var'kala, accessing the situation before him. "You'd think they'd be everywhere, especially after Var'kala appeared. Vahrikaan knows the Fells are the heart of the rebel's territory, and he's likely to mount an attack here."

"It is strange," Valkyria agreed. "And worrying. Maybe Saren's abandoned the base, and left us here for the Ix?"

But Shardak could tell she didn't believe it. Saren was too canny a strategist not to hold onto his territory, especially now, when his forces were engaged in a life-and-death struggle at the heart of the Ix Empire. The treacherous Resistance commander who had sent his warriors to capture him and Valkyria in the Void would not have abandoned his last, most easily defended base in the Fells so easily.

"We have to get out of here as soon as possible, though." said Shardak grimly, turning his gaze back to Var'kala, which still hovered above them like a massive, all-seeing eye. For the first time, Shardak wondered if Vahrikaan could actually see him with his highly advanced auric abilities, or if he could see any of his friends, all of them scattered across the worlds. Many could be dead, for all he knew, they all could be.

There was Blast, with the ancient being Moru Kul and the bounty hunter Nightwatcher on Noctxia Magna, fighting alongside Ixtil and his interim government, the Hand of Mata Nui, on the Resistance's side. Whether or not he was aware of Saren's betrayal was unknown. There was Jareroden, the Toa who'd likely been killed in the Void, but whose body had not been found. Two of his other friends, Fairon and Luxa, had joined the Akkadians and the Veythari in their attempt to defeat Saren at Calos. Shardak was unsure of the outcome of the battle, or if either of them were still alive.

Only Valkyria was left to stand alongside him as he attempted to complete his mentor Atarus' last plan, hunted from all sides by both Vahrikaan's armies and the Saren's Resistance.

The words of the Prophecy of Time, the unfinished final prophecy of the enigmatic race known as the Ancients, seemed to whisper the first lines to Shardak once again.

''The end of worlds has been declared, the Spirit’s allies are ensnared. The Spirit must choose now or never, or time shall fall, worlds’ death forever...''

His friends and allies were indeed ensnared, scattered across the worlds as they fought to help Shardak complete his destiny.

But how? Shardak wondered. It had been simple when he'd had Atarus to rely on, but now the Elemental was dead, his plans for Shardak unknown. His only instruction, the only thing Shardak was sure he knew would somehow lead him closer to defeating Vahrikaan, was simple: ''seek out the rest of the Prophecy. ''

But if the knowledge had eluded even Atarus, how—

"Shardak, look!"

Valkyria's voice, tinged with a slight note of fear, brought Shardak back to the present. He could see they were standing in one of the larger gathering chambers of the Resistance. Dim torchlight cast illumination across the room, and on the corpses which lay sprawled across the floor. Only then did Shardak first smell the reek of death.

There were dozens of the dead beings scattered across the chamber, all Resistance members, from commanders to simple warriors. Glatorian, Agori, Matoran, Vortixx, Steltians...all dead. There were no Ix or Veythari among the corpses.

"Were they attacked?" wondered Shardak aloud. It seemed impossible; he and Valkyria, bound deep within the heart of Saren's base, would have heard sounds of fighting. And as Shardak stared at the fallen corpse of a Steltian, he saw that the being hadn't even been wounded. The same was true for the rest of them.

"What could have done this?" asked Valkyria. She sounded shocked and fearful, and it surprised Shardak. Having lived for years as an Ix warrior, Valkyria was a master at concealing her emotions, something that had prevented Shardak from trusting her during their tentative first alliance in the Void against the bounty hunters known as the Sharidir. Shardak was even more afraid, though tried not to let it show. It was as though every being here had been lain low by some unseen enemy.

Then the truth slammed into Shardak, so hard and horrifying that it was almost a physical blow. "The Ancient's virus in the Void. There must be another Void portal, one that Atarus didn't know about, in the Fells."

For a moment, Valkyria was silent, then the implications of what Shardak was saying hit her like a lightning bolt.

"But even then, it was unlikely that the virus would survive long enough to escape onto the surface, considering how deep the Void is below the surface of Xaterex." said Valkyria. "Still, there's no other explanation."

"So all of Xaterex could be in danger," said Shardak. "And thousands could be dead if we can't somehow stop it. The virus wiped out almost every complex lifeform that existed in the Void."

"We have to find the Void portal, then," said Valkyria. "And seal it off. Is it possible it could be within the base itself?"

"Yes..." moaned a new voice, and Shardak and Valkyria whirled around to identify the speaker.

It was Skar, the brutal Glatorian who had captured Shardak and Valkyria in the Void. However, now his face was contorted in pain, and he was gasping for breath. "Yes, Saren has a portal in the fortress," he gasped.

Shardak saw Skar was staring at him with almost dead eyes, and the Toa realized the Glatorian didn't recognize them. "To the Void. It wasn't enough, though, not enough to protect us. The Void power that Saren gave us when we were sent to the Void...wasn't enough to defeat—"

The Glatorian fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Slowly, he grew still, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps.

Shocked at what they'd witnessed, Shardak and Valkyria, immediately knowing in the aura field what they had to do, turned away and ran toward Saren's personal headquarters, where, less than a month ago, Shardak, Valkyria, Fairon, and Luxa had confronted the treacherous Resistance commander. Still more corpses were scattered across the hallways, many of them civilians and lower-ranking warriors as well as Saren's own commanders. All of them victims of the virus which had been unleashed into the Void.

Shardak and Valkyria had not been present during the final stages of the battle, when Freztrak, fighting the Ix high commander Reyna, had ordered them both to flee before Atarus' massive explosives detonated. Atarus had sacrificed his life to kill Nightshade, an Ix apprentice, and to seal off the Void. Later, when Valkyria and Shardak had returned, they'd found the portal destroyed, and the corpses of both Freztrak and Reyna. Both Skakdi and Ix had sustained horrible injuries in the battle, and the vial had been broken.

The hundreds of Ix, and the massive army of Shadowdermis beings they'd created there, had been wiped out by the virus, as had almost every complex lifeform within the Void. Shardak had remembered walking through the deserted streets of the Nameless City, which was littered with corpses, and dreaded thinking about the same thing happening to Akkad, Iskar, Drakos, or Ecbatana.

Shardak knew from experience that the virus did not linger in the air for long. Assuming that these corpses were more than a day old, which he was sure they were, the virus would no longer be present in the Resistance base. However, if the virus had somehow escaped the airtight confines of the base and entered the atmosphere...

Hoping desperately that the plague had not spread beyond the Resistance base, Shardak opened the door to Saren's chambers. He could see several beings lay dead here as well, and one of them was lying against the wall, his hands reaching upward, as though, even in death, he was trying to somehow break it down.

"That must be the Void portal's entrance," said Shardak. "Skar must have told them how he knew of the Void energy and how Saren maintained his power. They must have been desperate enough to risk trying to somehow absorb some of the power for themselves."

Shardak was wondering inwardly how Saren had managed to do it, but put that out of his mind quickly. If they survived, he would figure it out.

Finding Saren's secret entrance to the Void wasn't difficult. The wall slid backward if pushed hard enough, and then, if pushed horizontally to the side once more, opened an entrance to the Void. It was a cord-like structure, which descended downward. Forcing his aura against the rocks, Shardak felt his power tear through his body for a single moment, then vanish into the earth. He could feel Valkyria adding her strength to his, and soon the steps which led into the Void were buried forever.

Sealing the secret door, Shardak and Valkyria considered other viable exits from the base, in case any of the beings had survived long enough to escape. There were none. They'd sealed themselves tightly within the base in case of an attack, not knowing it would instead become their tomb.

"There's no way out by land," said Shardak. "They'd have to—"

"Go by starcraft." finished Valkyria. "And there are starcraft here. Nearly thirty, in case of emergencies. Even Saren never used them when his base was under attack by the Ix! One or more of the carriers could have escaped in a starcraft vessel!"

Shardak nodded grimly. As he turned away from the Resistance command room, however, he stopped, standing silently in the dying torchlight for a moment. In this room he had met with the leaders of the Resistance many times— Arkhan, Atarus, Freztrak, Parikon, Ion— all beings who were now dead. It was unlikely that he and Valkyria would ever return to this place, but Shardak hesitated for a moment to leave it. There were memories here, memories of a better time.

He looked one final time at the ancient runes enscribed on the wall, depicting champions of ancient battles, then sealed the chamber behind him and followed Valkyria through the narrow corridors of the base. The small starcraft fleet seemed to all be in place, and Shardak could see the fallen form of a Glatorian, another victim to the ancient virus that had claimed the lives of so many. Shardak saw that every starcraft seemed to be in its place, until he saw— and felt a cold dagger of fear flash through him.

One of the starcraft was missing. While there was no sign of any bodies, Shardak already was certain of the truth.

Some of them escaped in a ship.

"Even now, probably not realizing the truth, they're heading to join Saren at Iskar, or at Ecbatana..." said Shardak.

Valkyria nodded. Although they both knew it, neither of them mentioned the worse possibility— that the starcraft had crashed on Xaterex already as its pilots fell victim to the fatal pathogen, discharging the lethal toxin into the air of Xaterex. It would strike and wipe out every being on the planet's surface within twelve hours, then fade away just as quickly.

"The pathogen is still out there," said Shardak, as the full, horrible truth became clear to them. "The ship is carrying the live virus."

Two months earlier...

A single axe lay abandoned within the Nameless City.

The axe had fallen from its wielder's hands, a Vortixx, during a battle there almost three years ago. As the city was long abandoned, the axe remained there, a lone, slightly damaged weapon, abandoned and unused.

The Ix warrior, a Limiter recently sent by his superiors to investigate this area of the Nameless City, even as more and more Ix arrived within the city by the day, did not know anything more than it was a slightly damaged weapon. He did not know that its wielder had been a Vortixx, that it had been used in battle against a Mindeater three years ago, and he did not know how truly powerful the axe was.

And he did not know that axe as so much more than a simple weapon, but the Axe of Eternity itself.

The Limiter had thought it was worth bringing back to his superiors. A weapon was always useful, no matter what type. He reached out, and his fingers closed around the axe.

He had made the biggest mistake of his life.

The moment he lifted the weapon, the Limiter ceased to be. Death closed in around him, even as a new consciousness began to flow from the axe into his body, taking control easily. With slow movements, as though not entirely used to having a physical body once more, the Limiter rose to his feet.

Though he was no longer a Limiter any longer.

The being controlling the Ix's body brought the Limiter to his feet, and felt his fingers tighten around the Axe of Eternity, the weapon that had held his consciousness within for nearly three years.

"Time to begin again, it seems," hissed the being, enjoying the sound of using the Limiter's voice. He knew several ways to leave the Void, and with slow, purposeful steps, began to walk toward a destination only he knew.

The being twisted the Limiter's face— his face— into a hideous smile.

Now, to at last complete my plans...

Chapter 2
Far away, far beyond the stars and planets of Xaterex, the massive, forgotten diskworld of Penumbra spun slowly around its massive, dying star. The citadel, once the great and mighty capitol of the ancient Mindeater Empire, had long since fallen into disrepair. The ancient city, made of ancient silver iron, was dilapidated and collapsing in many areas. However, it was still inhabitable, and as Toa Fairon had learned, still remained under the control of the Mindeaters themselves.

Following the battle of Calos, when the combined Illieran, Akkadian, and Veythari forces had defeated Saren Naghara and the Ix, Fairon, the rogue Limiter Kalix, and the Illieran female Luxa had gone to the Void portal in the Eternal Game arena. While they'd been successful in sealing off the Void, Kalix had then turned on them both, handing them over to the Mindeaters.

Now, as he and Luxa were led through the ruins of Penumbra, Fairon had no idea what to expect.

He knew nothing of the Mindeaters. Knew nothing of what they wanted, why they were in an alliance with Kalix in the first place. But they'd made it clear that they wanted the two prisoners alive, though for what reason Fairon could not begin to comprehend.

Until a few days ago, Fairon wouldn't have even considered Luxa an ally. During the years before the Fall of Arcaea, before the Fall and the Eternal Game which had changed him beyond recognition, Fairon had been a young, idealistic Toa. He'd enlisted in the militia of the Fire Kingdom of Arcaea, and during the war captured Luxa, who had been charged with aiding Arcturas, the Elemental Prince of Fire who was one of the ringleaders of the Ix revolt. Luxa had refused to tell Skarvosk, the Toa who was Fairon's superior, the location of Arcturas, and Fairon had watched Luxa almost bleed to death before she told Skarvosk what he'd wanted to know.

Fairon had later learned the truth about the Toa Order, and how corrupt it had been during the Ix revolt. And the Eternal Game had twisted him, subjected him to the horrifying visions of war he knew must have haunted Luxa in the days after the Fall. However, as Fairon had been the one ultimately responsible for what had happened to her, he'd been shocked and guilt-ridden to see her again, now one of the Illieran commanders and an ally of Atarus'.

Fairon looked at her now, unable to read the expression in her eyes. Despite the fact she'd been wounded by Kalix during the battle in the arena, she looked okay. Better than Fairon, who'd been scarred by the Mindeater's Amphistaffs during the battle. He and Luxa had formed an uneasy alliance during the battle in the Fells against Saren, and fought alongside each other again at the Battle of Calos. While Fairon still felt guilty around her, he trusted her not to betray the Resistance to the Mindeaters if they proved to be enemies.

The worst horror of their capture was not of fear of what would happen to them. Fairon had stared into the eyes of death before, he knew it was unlikely he'd survive even a day on the front lines of battle. But what was destroying him from within were the thought of his friends, Shardak, Valkyria, Atarus and the others. All of them were still fighting to seal off the Void and stop Vahrikaan's rising. He could only hope they'd suceeded, and the Dark Lord had been forever sealed within the Void.

Now the Mindeaters, all wearing solemn hoods and gray robes, gestured with their peculiar Amphistaffs for Fairon to keep moving. None of them spoke, though Fairon knew the Mindeaters understood their language. The one time one had spoken to them was as they approached Penumbra, when he announced they were nearing the ancient capitol of the Mindeater Empire itself.

Now, filled with questions and apprehension, Fairon, escorted by the elite Mindeaters through the citadel, suddenly halted outside a large domed building. Unlike many of the others, this was perfectly perserved, a massive, ancient remnant from the glory days of Mindeater power.

"Enter," ordered two of the guards to Fairon and Luxa. "Lord Thrazkul will speak with you now."

Fairon did not recognize the being's name, but knew he must be the leader of this Mindeater remnant. Whoever he was, all of the Mindeaters answered to him, and with any luck at all, Thrazkul would be able to answer his questions.

Stepping inside the gathering chamber, Fairon examined his surroundings. They were in a massive room, rising to its peak high above them. A massive, vacant throne was at the center of the room, carved of the same silver iron. At the foot of the throne, concealed within shadow, stood a solitary Mindeater.

This being wore no hood, and his cold eyes were a striking red, rather than the dead white of most Mindeater's eyes. In one hand, he carried a massive Amphistaff, in the other, a long bladed dagger. His eyes fixed on Fairon's, and the Toa involuntarily shivered at the aura of power contained within his stare. Fairon knew immediately this being had to be Lord Thrazkul. The other Mindeaters did not speak or even acknowlege the Lord, but Fairon knew they possessed potent psionic powers, and were probably using them to communicate with the Mindeater Lord.

''Welcome, outsiders, to Penumbra. ''A voice, hoarse and cold, spoke within Fairon's mind. Fairon recoiled, and he saw from the expression on Luxa's face that she, too could hear Thrazkul's voice speak. I can communicate through the physical plain, but I prefer to speak within your minds.

"I—" Fairon began, but Thrazkul cut him off.

''I know what you are thinking, Toa. I know what the Illieran is thinking as well. My psionic will is among the most powerful in this universe. However, I can also sense the energy, what you would know as the aura field. ''

Thrazkul's eyes fixed on Luxa's sword, Isidar. One of the Mindeaters was carrying it, along with Fairon's own, larger sword. ''And I can sense the presence of a legendary object here. Hand me the Sword of Air.''

Worldlessly the Mindeater guard complied. Fairon thought the Mindeater looked almost relieved to part with the weapon, he knew exactly how insidious, how almost vampiric the four elemental swords could be. They drank in emotion, strength, and energy to strengthen their weilder's skill in battle, and had a will beyond Fairon's understanding.

However, as Thrazkul's cold fingers wrapped around Isidar's jade green hilt, he smiled. ''It has been many years since I have last seen this weapon. ''he said, his voice cold and filled with barely supressed anger. The traitor's sword, Isidar itself.

Traitor? Fairon thought. Who—

You mean you do not know? The traitor is the reason you stand before us today. said Thrazkul. ''And why my people, the Tur'aenath, the do not still reign over these worlds. It was because of Isidar that the rebel forces were able to challenge our rule, because of Isidar that the greatest of the Tur'aenath rulers are dead. And because of Isidar that Glatorian, Agori, Ix, '' and the rest of them all dominate Xaterex.

"Isidar was used to bring down your Empire?" asked Fairon. At the mention of the green sword's name, every Mindeater stiffened, stepping away from the throne. Even Thrazkul seemed annoyed that he had spoken aloud.

''Do not speak the name of this accursed weapon in the presence of us. ''he ordered, impressing upon Fairon the strength of his psionic will. For the first time, Fairon felt truly helpless. Thrazkul was within his mind, there was nothing he or Luxa could do to stop him. If they displeased him, the Mindeater lord could easily kill him.

Thrazkul regarded Isidar's blade again in distaste. ''Where it not for our ally's wishes, and if it were indeed possible, I would have this sword destroyed. However, it seems there is yet a use for it.''

''Ally? ''Fairon thought. Who is your ally?

Thrazkul smiled coldly. "You know him by name already." he said, speaking aloud for the first time. Can you not feel his darkness here? It is everywhere, spread across Xaterex. It is on his orders that you are here, and is the reason why his servants delivered you to us. Giving him Isidar will be an excellent gift."

"Whom do you serve?" asked Fairon.

"What has he promised you?" said Luxa.

"Serve is a poor choice of word." said Thrazkul. "He is our willing ally. He is also your mortal enemy, Toa. Surely you know of Lord Vahrikaan."

Shardak scanned the bleak plain ahead of him, staring at the burned wreckage all around him. The remains of the destroyed settlements and villages were not unique, he and Valkyria had seen similar signs of destruction all across the Akkadian Mountains. The smaller cities had been burned and razed by the Ix's armies, and the survivors had abandoned those that remained, heading deeper into Akkadian territory, where they were safer.

Despite the fact they'd seen evidence of the burning and carnage that had torn through Akkadia during the past three weeks, Shardak was still in shock at the destruction. Even now, an Ix army could be moving further north, toward Akkad itself.

In siding with the Veythari and the Illierans at the Battle of Calos, the Akkadians had brought the entire collection of mountain city-states, so long ignored by the Ix, under attack. And while the Fells had been attacked twice during the war by the Ix, the devastation that the Sarkanian clones and the small Ix strike forces had created there was nothing to what had fought its way through Akkad. The Ix, emboldened by Vahrikaan's rising, were striking back.

"It's probably even worse in the flatlands that border both the Fells and Akkad," said Valkyria grimly, riding up alongside Shardak on one of the Rahi they'd purchased two days ago in Caleh, an Akkadian outpost which bordered the Fells. Caleh was not officially allied with Akkad, but was already making preparations for attack. "Saren's armies have passed through there, and they'll have to fight for every step of it, if they plan to lay seige to Iskar or Ecbatana."

Shardak nodded, thinking over the map within his mind. Iskar was south of the flatlands which lay ahead of them, and to reach it they'd have to pass through Resistance-controlled land, the shortest route being through New Metru Nui, the city which had recently fallen to Saren's former commander, Reid Vaethar. However, the flatlands were massive, and there were other routes, but they were all still under Ix control.

And Ecbatana...Shardak knew he'd never make it anywhere near the city. Ecbatana was built within the mountains directly south of Iskar, forming one point on the triangle it shared with Iskar and Drakos. While neither city was far from Iskar, they'd be forced to head into the very heart of Ix territory, where the fighting, even now, would be thickest.

And the Resistance, devided, with no commanders left alive save Saren and possibly his ally Tiral, would be defeated long before Vahrikaan interfered.

Time was running out.

Unless Shardak could find and unravel the Prophecy, all was lost.

Shardak turned over some of the information he knew about the Resistance. While the Fells were in turmoil, they'd be able to hold as long as Akkad and the Dargon guards at their border in the flatlands held, which, as the armies moved through the mountains, Shardak had to admit was an increasingly likely possibility.

There was also New Metru Nui, a city recently conquered by Saren's former commander, Reid Vaethar. Now, in the wake of the Battle of Calos, Shardak was unsure of the state of the current state of the city, and indeed the state of the Resistance army itself. The Akkadians in Caleh had assured him that, as far as they knew New Metru Nui remained free from the Ix. However, that news was days, maybe weeks old, and in order to get the latest information, they'd have to head further south into Akkad, which would be walking directly into a war zone.

''The army has to be rallied somehow. ''said Shardak. ''If only I could contact Ixtil somehow. Tell him and Nightwatcher and Blast about what's going on here. But we'll have to somehow gather them ourselves, before Saren beats us to it.''

He and Valkyria had discussed their possibilities on the journey through the Fells. They had to somehow join with the scattered Resistance army, which was fighting an increasingly risky, defensive war against the Ix in the flatlands and in the Drakos Mountains. Then they had to reunite it, hopefully with the help of Atarus' other allies, the Illierans and Dark Talon, a crime syndicate now working under the orders of Mersery, another Resistance leader. Shardak had heard nothing of their status, but hoped that the Illieran leader, Iskandar, would be there and be able to help them.

They'd left the Resistance base by starcraft, making sure the base remained sealed to prevent any remaining living virus from possibly escaping. While it was unlikely any was left, Shardak knew they couldn't take that chance. Before they'd left, they'd found Skar, who had also died. Having beaten the virus with his mysterious Void power at the dreadful cost of his own sanity, he'd run himself through with his own sword.

He and Valkyria had then traveled on foot to the edge of the Fells, stopping in the border town of Caleh. None of the beings there knew anything about a disease, so it seemed that the starcraft carrying the live virus had not been released into the atmosphere yet. Shardak had seen how quickly the plague acted— it had brought death within twelve hours to thousands in the Void. It had been at least four days since the infected starcraft had left the Fells, certainly long enough to have wiped out all of Xaterex by now.

No, the virus had not been unleashed. But Shardak still found it ominous that the vessel had seemed to vanish, and wished he had a way to track it down. However, he and Valkyria had no chance of finding the starcraft or the Prophecy of Time on their own. They needed to find the rebel army, and quickly.

"How far do you think we are from New Metru Nui?" Shardak asked Valkyria as they neared the edge of Akkadian territory. The next stage of their journey would be far worse then what they'd experienced in Akkad; they'd be walking into territory little better than a war zone. South of New Metru Nui would be nothing but chaos.

"Less than a week." answered Valkyria. "But it will probably be longer, especially if we run into enemies here."

Neither of them said the unspoken truth, however, though both of them were thinking it. That within a week, Vahrikaan might attack. Within a week, the pathogen might have been released. But what could they do? Surrender? No, he and Valkyria had vowed to Atarus to find the Prophecy of Time, and they would continue fighting, even if they were going to their deaths.

He could tell Valkyria felt the same. He'd become extremely skilled at reading her subtle shifts in the aura field during their quest to stop Vahrikaan's rising on Corona Magna. During the battle, before they knew the truth about the Ix's plan to free Vahrikaan, Shardak and Valkyria had formed an alliance to escape Var'kala, and suceeded with the help of a Caronex named Makour. Eventually, Valkyria had learned the truth about the Ix's plans, and been cut off from her entire culture and branded a traitor after the battle for choosing to save Shardak and stop the rising.

Since then, he and Valkyria had been fleeing from Saren's allies, and been part of Atarus' attempt to rally the Akkadians and the Illierans to his side to defeat Saren at Calos, and had been chosen to join Atarus in the attempt to seal off the Void. During the many battles they'd faced together, he'd trusted Valkyria with his life.

But Shardak still remembered the time before they'd known of Vahrikaan's plans, when they'd both been on the Resistance's side, or so he'd thought. His friendship with Valkyria had slowly evolved into something more over that time, but had been brought to an end when Valkyria had rejoined the Ix. But he'd known she'd felt the same way as he had then.

Now she'd been cut off from the Ix forever. But despite the fact they'd journeyed together with Fairon and Artonix in the aftermath of the battle at Corona Magna, and now were alone, Shardak had not the courage to speak with her now, beyond what was necessary. His feelings were already far too confused.

And yet... if they all died within a few days, would it matter? Their lives were in danger. Anything could go wrong. If he died before he could tell her—

Shardak saw they were no longer in Akkadia. They were in the middle of the flatlands now, with no sign of civilization in sight. However, as the minutes turned into hours they rode through several abandoned towns, which showed no signs of war. The inhabitants had obviously deserted the town, heading into more populated areas. Fleeing from the war.

"I didn't expect it would be so far north," said Shardak, shaken.

"They must have sent their armies through this area into Akkad as well." answered Valkyria.

They passed by several more abandoned villages, then larger towns, which had been completely burned. At times, they also found the charred corpses of beings who had not fled.

"There has been some heavy fighting here recently," said Valkyria. "We could be nearing a Resistance or Ix outpost."

Shardak nodded. He'd always felt exposed and vulnerable in the flatlands, and that was before he'd seen his Skakdi friend Torak killed by crossbows there and Valkyria badly wounded by a poisoned bolt. They'd both almost died that day.

Sure enough, they passed through more burned areas. At times, there were even living beings there as well, but they all ignored them. None were Ix or Resistance warriors.

Warriors like to burn things up. Thought Shardak, eyeing the ruins of one town. They'd avoided it, but they knew it was still occupied by remnants of the population who had returned after the battles there. The Ix army had not been subtle during it's attack on Akkad. These villages had probably been under the control of the Resistance, and had been burned and abandoned as a consequence.

Shardak suddenly felt Valkyria tense in the aura field, warning him. ''Ix. ''Shardak looked around him wildly, and saw them racing toward him. A patrol of sixteen Limiters, all of them armed to the teeth.

''Karzahni. ''Shardak thought. He and Valkyria were excellent fighters, but even they could not defeat sixteen of the brutal Ix elite warrior class alone. He could see Valkyria's fingers tighten around her longbow, but he warned her to stop in the aura field. He himself wanted to fight, but he knew that was merely an urge from the weapon he carried, the Sword of Fire. He was used to denying the urge to fight.

"We'll have to negotiate with them," he said. He knew they probably wouldn't recognize him as the Spirit Toa at first glance, he was wearing a Glatorian helmet and armor, made in Akkadia. Still, he carried the Ignika with him, and the Kanohi gave off a powerful aura. Most Ix were sensitive to the aura field, and it was likely that they would pick up on it. "With any luck, if you can convince them we're allies, they'll let us go."

"But the Ignika—" Valkyria began, but broke off. The Ix were already surrounding them, their leader an older Limiter with a scarred, pitted face and two curved daggers. The rest of his men wore the usual skull masks of the soldier elite, and carried long, curved scythes, rather than the usual scythelike knives.

Shardak felt the last of his hope begin to drain from him as he realized the Ix commander was an aura user, as were all but two of his men. The Ignika was such a powerful force in the aura field that it probably could be sensed a mile away.

''You must fight! ''Shardak thought suddenly. He felt his hand immediately go to the Blade of Arcturas' hilt.

''Fight! Fight them! They cannot stand against you, the Spirit Toa!''

He was already drawing the sword free, feeling the familiar throb of the flaming blade in his right hand which filled him with strength, but now it was different. The sword was urging him on.

Suddenly, before Shardak could pull the weapon out and confront the Ix, he felt Valkyria touch him in the aura field, warning him. Slowly, as her will added itself to his own, he lowered the sword.

Shardak was shocked at how quickly the Blade had asserted dominance. He'd felt this same thing two times before, once during a battle in the Resistance, and once during a fight with the former bounty hunter, Nightwatcher. He'd allowed the sword to gain full dominance over his aura, and he'd killed more than thirty Ix alongside Luxa and Fairon and defeated Nightwatcher and his Rahkshi in single combat. He'd ended up both times utterly exhausted and drained of strength.

Shardak remembered Saren's words to Atarus before he, Valkyria, Torak, Silver and Dust had left for Akkad nearly three years ago, on their first mission as Resistance warrios. Before they'd known of Saren's treachery.

''"He should not have it!" Saren said.''

"He needs it. He's powerful enough. He's a Toa, he needs a powerful weapon."

''"True." Saren conceded. "But there are other swords, less ancient, less...hungary than this one.''"

He'd never given any thought to the words. Saren was a traitor anyway. He'd probably been planning to seize the sword for himself. However, as he felt his hand ready to pull the Blade free, Shardak wondered if the Glatorian had been right. He—

Valkyria was talking to the Ix commander now in their hidous, scratching language. He couldn't read the Ix's expression, though he was clearly using the aura field to communicate with the other Ix, who were slowly closing in around them.

"We're journeying to Iskar," finished Valkyria.

The Ix commander seemed almost amused. "Well, then," he said. "Seperated from the Fellsian attack force during the battle," he said. "And this Glatorian one of our allies from Akkad."

The Sword of Fire throbbed with power, and Shardak had to resist, once again, immediately attacking the Ix.

"Yes," said Valkyria, but Shardak could sense she thought something was wrong. There was something almost tense in the air as they spoke. The Blade of Arcturas seemed to feel it too, and Shardak had to resist its will once again, which was far stronger than he'd imagined. He could almost see the past wielders of the weapon whispering to him, telling him he could win, promising him victory. Scenes of battle flickered in and out of his mind, each of them showing victories against overwhelming odds by the bearer of the sword.

"Then why," asked the Limiter, his voice still calm. "Are you carrying a legendary Kanohi with you?

Shardak wasted no time. In the blink of an eye he'd drawn the Blade of Arcturas and lunged forward, spearing a Limiter through the chest. Then, before any of the attackers could even react he switched his grip on the Blade and slashed another Ix soldier's throat open. The red, gemlike sword gleamed in the twilight as Shardak dismounted the Rahi.

"The Spirit Toa!" yelled one of the Ix. "Valkyria Rhai!"

Amazed at having run into them here, the Limiters charged, but Shardak was ready for them. The Blade of Arcturas was right, with it in his hands, he could not lose. Three Limiters charged toward him, all of them carrying scythes twice the length of the Sword of Fire. But instead of stepping out of reach, as the Limiters hoped, Shardak charged toward them.

Stunned by such a seemingly suicidal maneuver, the Limiters slowed for a fraction of a second. As three of their scythes descended, each of them aimed with deadly precision, Shardak dodged them all, spinning out of the way of the last easily. Not one even came near him, and before the Limiters could lift their scythes once again, Shardak lunged forward and hacked a Limiter to the ground in one easy, killing strike.

Two more Ix immediately took his place, but they were no threat to Shardak. He dodged every one of their scythes and felled another Limiter, then charged a third, dodging, hacking, stabbing and killing anything that came into his path. All the while the Blade of Arcturas seemed to glow brighter until it burned with red light that seemed to Shardak as bright as the dying rays of the sunlight itself.

The Limiter commander loomed before him, but Shardak had no fear of his scythe any more than he had a fear of the others. With two easy slashes he cut off the Limiter's hand, then, before the Ix commander could retaliate, slashed off his head. The decapitated Ix commander crumpled to the ground.

Then all was silent.

Shardak and Valkyria were standing alone, the corpses of sixteen dead Limiters lying in midst of the burned village.

Shardak surveyed the battlefield, and was shocked to see that only four Limiters had been hit by Valkyria's arrows, and two of the hits were not killing wounds. The rest had been killed with the Blade of Arcturas, slashed open over and over again until they'd fallen.

"I—" Shardak began. Then the fatigue hit him. He was suddenly so tired he fell to the ground, leaning against the ruins of a broken building. "That was tiring." he joked, but broke off when he saw Valkyria was staring at him with apprehension and— was it possible?— almost fear.

"You killed almost all of them," she said. "How—"

"I don't know." said Shardak. "The sword just kind of...took over."

Valkyria nodded, but Shardak could tell something was bothering her. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Should I have spared them? They were going to attack us!"

"No," said Valkyria. "You were justified in attacking. However, you seemed to almost...enjoy the fighting."

Of all the things that Valkyria could have said to him, that was the worst. "What?" he asked, almost angrily. "I barely remember any of it. I just remember the sword being drawn and then...all of the Limiters were dead. I don't ever enjoy fighting. That's something only the Ix do."

"I know you don't," said Valkyria at last. "But it seemed—"

"I didn't enjoy it." said Shardak flatly. "It had to be done, or they would have killed us, even if we'd tried to flee. The Blade of Arcturas saved our lives."

"Yes, I know. But...watch out for the Sword of Fire. I know the legends about the four Elemental swords, about how powerful they can be. It takes an extremely skilled aura user to control one."

Shardak thought back to the two other beings he knew who owned Elemental Swords, Nightwatcher and Luxa. Nightwatcher was an extremely skilled warrior, and Shardak had fought against him, defeating his own Elemental weapon with the uncontrolled power of the Blade of Arcturas. He'd also dueled Luxa once, and remembered hwo the Blade of Arcturas reacted to Isidar, memories of past battles flashing in his mind's eye as they fought.

"Hopefully I'll be able to speak with Nightwatcher or Luxa about it," he said at last, as he mounted his Rahi. "Maybe they have some tips on how to control the power."

Staring at the Ix's corpses in the baleful twilight, Shardak suddenly felt uncomfortable. Maybe Valkyria was right. He'd let the sword take control too easily, and now he was paying the price. Not only was his strength failing him after the fight, his aura was drained as well.

Night had begun to fall. Neither Shardak nor Valkyria said another word on that subject, but Shardak was rather unsettled, and not only because of the battle with the Limiters. In the darkness he could see Var'kala clearly above him, where the Hooded One, or Vahrikaan himself, might even be now.

And soon they would be heading into the heart of the war zone itself, where his enemies would be all around him.

Chapter 3
Atarus' first thought when he awoke deep within the Void was that he was supposed to be dead.

His arm burned with pain, the arm where he'd been hit a bullet fired by Nightshade, the Ix apprentice. He'd swept her into the Void with him, then set off the explosives in the attempt to kill them both.Confused, he looked around him, seeing nothing but blackness. No sign of Nightshade either. Or Freztrak. Or Reyna. Or Shardak and Valkyria.

The memories of the battle in the Void came back to him. How long had he lain here, wounded horribly, before he'd awakened? Where was he?

Deep within the Void, that was sure. Somehow, he hadn't been blown to peices by the massive explosion he'd set off, in an effort to seal off the Void. He was deep within the earth, maybe even farther below than the Nameless City itself. But they said there was nothing deeper than the Void...

Atarus was sure his arm was broken. He could never climb out of the Void without the use of his hand, so how could he escape this place?

Slowly, his vision had begun to return. He was deep within the earth, on a flat plateau similar to the one he'd left, the Great Plain. There was no sign of the cliffs anywhere in sight, or of the remnants of the Cord, the destroyed portal that had led out of the Void and into the Circle. He'd done his job well. Too well, in fact. All that was left for him now was to die.

''Shardak will have to find his destiny on his own. There was so much more I wanted to tell him...''

But there was no way he could now. His arm was still bleeding, and yet he hadn't died, which meant he must not have been here long. He'd been falling for hours, probably. Even days. And yet, the last thing he'd seen was the massive explosion of light after he'd detonated the explosives.

"No, it is not your time to die now," said a new voice.

"Who...." Atarus began, but his voice was hoarse and weak. He could not see the speaker, so hidden was he by the oppressive darkness. "I can't..."

"Atarus," said the being's voice. "Do you not remember me? It's been a long time since Arcaea, but how could you have forgotten?"

Then the being stepped out of the shadows. He was tall and thin, wearing black robes which blended perfectly with the darkness himself. His face was hidden by the dark hood he carried, but his green eyes could be seen peering out from beneath the hood. He raised one hand, his left, and Atarus saw that it was completely skeletal, with no trace of armor, skin, or muscle. Only bone.

But the most unsettling thing about him was his aura. He was not merely invisible in the field, like the Vorgaan, He had none at all, and didn't even feel like anything in aura field. He was simply a void, a void in which you could drown forever in endless shadows. Atarus had no idea how long he'd been standing there watching, but knew he would probably never know. But he did know that he recognized this being.

"You." Atarus said, surprised but unable to summon any note of urgency into his voice. "What do you want?"

"To help you survive. As I helped you survive before. I helped you against the Ix in Arcaea, remember?"

"You were there," Atarus remembered. "You were there when Arcaea fell."

"It was the final battle, Elemental," said the being wryly. "Everyone was there."

"But you—" Atarus began, then stopped. He couldn't continue speaking. He was far, far too weak.

The being with the skeletal hand seemed to sense this. He stepped forward, and raised his right hand, touching Atarus' injury. Slowly, the injury began to heal itself. Atarus had no idea how he could have done it without the use of his aura, but did not stop to ask. Slowly, strength began to fill his body once again, and unsteadily he rose to his feet, staring at the hooded being standing before him.

He'd seen the being with the skeletal hand three times before. He was a shadowy figure, but many beings who had survived the Fall knew of him. No one knew what he was, or whom, if anyone, he served. He was neither Ancient or Ix, Elemental or Great Being, of that Atarus was sure. But he'd been around long, long before Arcaea, he was sure of that.

The first time he'd met the being had been when he was younger. The being had spoken to him then, and his words Atarus had remembered for the rest of his life. How could he ever forget them? He'd been in the Fire Kingdom of Arcaea, a young Elemental standing alongside his brother Arcturas, staring at the hooded being with the skeletal hand, a being who had remained the same throughout the many years that had passed since then.

"One day you will meet one of the last Toa," the being had said. "A Toa, sensitive to the aura field, born after the end of everything you now know. You have yet to meet him, but his path will shape your destiny."

He had indeed been telling the truth. He'd met Shardak, trained him, and the Toa's path had shaped his choices and decisions. But, at the time, he'd payed no attention to the words, and within a few days he'd forgotten them entirely. That was, until the war had broken out on Arcaea between Arcturas and his allies, the Ix, against the Elementals and other beings in the Elemental Kingdoms. He'd—

"I am glad you have survived," said the being at last. "You still have a role to play."

"And what is that?" asked Atarus. "How am I still alive? I was at the very heart of the explosion, I shouldn't have survived—"

"I saved you," said the skeletal-handed being. "The Void is an easy place to open portals into and out of, and I saw you were in danger. As you fell, wounded horribly, I teleported you deeper into the Void before the explosions started."

"Then we're—" Atarus began, but again the being cut him off.

"Below the Cord, yes. This area is uninhabited, and now its only path to the rest of the void has been cut off completely. You are level with the Nameless City now, Atarus, You are at the bottom of the Void."

"What do you want, then?" asked Atarus. "How did you get here? Can you get us out?"

"Yes, I can get you out," said the being. "And I created a portal to get here. I can do the same to get us out of here."

''How? ''Atarus wondered. Such a feat was far beyond the abilities of any mortal being, even probably an Ancient, the only being he knew with even close to enough power to do that was Shardak, and he wasn't skilled enough for such a feat. Even then, it would probably kill him. And the skeletal-handed being had no aura. How could he accomplish something that had taken the Arcaeans millennia to create within a few moments?

"As for what I want," said the being. "My goal is to see you alive. That, and I need you to help me. If another being succeeds in this goal before I do, all is lost."

"How can I trust you?" asked Atarus. "I know you helped me before, but how do I know you're not working for Vahrikaan, or another of my enemies?"

"Because I freed some of your friends," said the being. "Silver? Leviathos? Dust?"

Three beings stepped out of the shadows. One was a massive, powerfully built Noctian Atarus didn't recognize at first. Then he recognized the being. It was the Noctian from the 174th Eternal Game, the one who had fallen into the Void. He hadn't been seen since, though the Resistance's discovery that the Void had been a prison all along meant he could have survived. Silver and Dust, on the other hand, had been sent on a mission two years ago with Torak, Valkyria, and Shardak. Torak had been killed, but Silver and Dust had never been seen since.

"How did they survive?" asked Atarus. "Where were they for almost three years?"

"It's complicated," said Silver. "We were transported to a world which appeared to be Arcaea, and captured by a group of Vorgaan led by this being, who took us to Var'kala. Later, though, he freed us, and fed Vahrikaan's servants lies about how we'd gone to Corona Magna. But most of our time was spent in the Arcaean dimension, which was out of sync with the rest of time."

"My creation," said the being dismissively, seeing Atarus' confusion. "I created a world which appeared to be Arcaea, with the intention of freeing all of the Eternal Game survivors who had fallen into the Void. These included, along with the beings you see before you, two allies known as Iruka and Ghost. However, the Order got to those two before I could."

"We'll explain everything as soon as we've left the Void," said Silver. "But it's vital that we suceed in this."

"What?" asked Atarus, feeling more and more confused. "Who are you?" he asked the being again.

"Throughout the ages I have had many names, many titles. But you may call be what I was first called on Arcaea: Varkanax."

Atarus gasped in shock and horror and Silver, Dust, and Leviathos all turned to him. "What? What does it mean?"

"In the langauge of the Ancients, the beings who wrote the Prophecies...it means Death."

Battlefields after the battle are depressing places, thought Blast.

The bird Rahi were already circling above the battlefield, just one of the many scattered across Noctxia Magna. Blast, who had been working with the Hand of Mata Nui on Noctxia Magna for nearly three months now, had seen many unexpectedly bloody skirmishes in the wake of the defeat of Mordrax's Shadowdermis army, but the moans of the fatally wounded as they lay dying on the battlefield was something Blast could never bear without wincing.

That was why he was searching the battlefield for any beings who might still be alive and could be rescued, whether their allegiance was to the Resistance or the Ix. Blast was one of the very few beings to do this, most of the beings on Noctxia Magna would let the beings allied with the Ix die. Most of the beings who could be saved who had fought for the Resistance and their allies, the Hand of Mata Nui, had already been saved.

Still, there were a few who were helping him. His friend Kyhrex, the Glatorian Elementalist from the Circle who had guided Shardak and Blast through the Labyrinth and helped them in the Void. A Glatorian whom Blast didn't recognize were also there, and Vale Iskara, the commander of the Veythari on Noctxia Magna, who believed valuable intelligence could be determined from interrogating the survivors of the enemy force. They weren't, after all, the usual opponents they'd faced, not Ix or Kranr, but Glatorian and Matoran who were all loyal to the Ix.

Only four Ix warriors had been found on the battlefield, but they had all been killed. The Veythari had taken no prisoners, nor had they suffered any casualties. The Veythari had always seemed rather haughty and aloof to Blast, but he didn't question their skills in battle, which were equal to those of the Ix themselves.

Blast suddenly felt a hand wrap itself around his armored leg. Confused, he turned around, and found himself staring into the eyes of a dying Steltian, bleeding horribly from a slash across his chest. Three Veythari arrows had buried themselves there as well, and Blast could tell immediately he was mortally injured. Nothing they could do would help him. Still, he was desperately clinging on to life, gasping for breath as he stared into Blast's eyes.

From a remote island on Xaterex, the Steltians had served as laborors for years for the Arcaeans, and more recently as slaves to the Ix or mercenaries for the Resistance. Still, he was obviously on the enemy side. Neither Ixtil, the Ko-Matoran who had become the interim ruler of Noctxia Magna, or Vale, who was the sole head of the Veythari and most of the army, would have hired any mercenaries to aid them.

"Yes...I knew someone would find me. Another follower of our lord," gasped Steltian. "Is that you, Mevon?"

"Yes," said Blast, playing along. "It's me, I'm here,"

The Steltian immediately seemed to relax. "I know one of us would find me. You get me back to the Shadow's camp as soon as possible, okay?"

"The Shadow?" asked Blast, interested now.

"The Shadow of Ages," said the Steltian, confused. "Our lord waits for us there. He expects us to return with news from Noctxia Magna, remember? We have the starcraft..."

Blast gasped in shock. It had been many years since he'd last heard the name of that organization, but he remembered them easily. They were an organization led by the dark mastermind Millennium, who had been killed in the Void.

Millennium, in order to survive, had possessed Blast's body and erased his previous memories, deluding everyone— including Blast himself— into believing he'd lived in the city of Intax all his life. It was only when Millennium had once again taken control of his body in the Void that Blast had recovered a few of his memories, but much of his past still felt like a half-remembered dream to him. He could remember a few fights in the Eternal Game, but that was all. Nothing more.

"The Shadow of Ages," Blast repeated. "Who's their leader now?"

"Millennium, of course," said the Steltian. "He gave you our orders personally, don't you remember?"

Blast felt his blood run cold.

''Impossible. Millennium can't possibly be alive.''

"But Millennium is dead," said Blast. "He died in the— in the Eternal Game."

He'd almost said, in the Void.

"No," said the Steltian, a faint note of triumph in his voice. "He survived, in another being's body. He still carries his axe, the axe which he held his spirit within while he was trapped within the Void. He gave you our orders personally."

"Where is he now?" asked Blast, slowly recovering from the shock.

"On Nagra, of course. In the middle of the Noctian Islands," said the Steltian. "Where the rest of the..." His expression changed to one of confusion. "But, Mevon, you know all this. Why do I have to tell you?"

"I'd forgotten, that's all." said Blast, trying to make his voice sound normal, when in reality he was still reeling in shock from the news. "I'd better take you the starcraft as soon as possible."

"Yes," said the Steltian. "Gotta give Millennium the successful report...he has to know we learned the strength of the Ix and the Resistance, and killed a lot of enemies...he'll promote us both, I hope..."

His voice trailed off slowly. "Gotta stop getting hit by these arrows. Hurts..." he gasped out. "I'm going to rest now, okay? Will you help me? Get me back to the ships? But it's so dark..."

The Steltian's ragged breathing stopped and he did not move again.

Blast stood above the fallen corpse of the Steltian, too shocked to even move. Millennium was alive. He was somewhere out there, still plotting to reach his unfathomable goals.

And he still held the key to Blast's memories, a hope that Blast had thought had been lost forever. If he could somehow force Millennium to give him his memories back—

"So, he's been working with the Shadow," said a voice from behind Blast. Startled, Blast whirled around, then relaxed as he saw Vale Iskara standing behind him. She was still wearing her silver Veythari battle armor, and carried her longbow over her shoulder. She held a dagger in one hand. "I'd heard rumors they were still active in that area, but if that Steltian's right, and Millennium's alive, then he needs to be eliminated."

Vale was the leader of the Iskara Clan, which was arguably only second in power to Reid's Vaethar Clan. Indeed, her father had fought and been killed in the Battle of Shadowfell in the aftermath of the Fall of Arcaea, a legendary display of bravery by some of the greatest of all Veythari warriors.

After the death of Zaxar Vaethar, who had been killed during the first battle with Mordrax's armies, Vale had taken over the command of all of the Veythari legions on Noctxia Magna. Later, after the defeat of the Limiters and the death of Mordrax and the Sarkanian clones she had been promoted by Ixtil to the commander of the entire Resistance and Hand army on Noctxia Magna. To see her alone, without her usual ensemble of Veythari guards, was rather disconcerting.

"Do you think he was telling the truth?" asked Blast. He could tell from her expression she knew exactly how dangerous Millennium's return could be. "That Millennium is alive?"

"Yes," answered Vale without hesitation. "He had no reason to lie, and we have another prisoner who was also working for the Shadow, a Glatorian. He's told us the location of their starcraft."

Blast nodded. If Vale believed him, then it was likely that they'd be able to wipe out the Shadow and hopefully also take Millennium alive. If he could find some way, any way to regain his memories, then he would, without hesitation.

"Soon we'll be leaving Noctxia Magna for Xaterex, to aid them in the war," said Vale. "Things are going badly for Saren, as the Akkadians have entered the war, and have convinced the Illierans to join them against us. If the Shadow is active here, however, we may have to delay our departure to stop them."

Blast knew she was right. Millennium was doubtlessly up to something, probably still trying to complete his mysterious master plan only he understood. But Blast hardly cared about that. He had to know whom he was before Millennium had interfered with his past. At first, after the battle in the Void in which Millennium had been seemingly killed, he'd given up that hope.

But if Millennium was alive...

"Come with me," ordered Vale. "We must inform the Council of this."

New Metru Nui was openly preparing for battle. Illierans and Veythari were the primary defenders, though there were a large number of loyal Resistance warriors there as well, who had formerly been under the command of Saren and were now loyal to Shardak's allies.

Shardak had been surprised at first. He'd expected to have to deal with Saren's loyalists, who were no longer loyal to the Resistance in the Fells. However, the vast majority of the rebel army hadn't known of Saren's treachery, and, in a few skirmishes in which the few beings still loyal to Saren had been killed, the garrison in New Metru Nui had joined the Veythari and the Illierans. No word had been received of Saren's current location, or that of Tiral, the only Resistance leader still loyal to him.

They'd been able to enter the city without much trouble. The Veythari guarding the gates had recognized him almost immediately, despite his careful disguise as a Glatorian. They'd had some reservations about allowing Valkyria into the city as well, given the long-running hostility between the Ix and the Veythari, but the guard's demeanor had changed, becoming almost friendly when Shardak had told them she was Valkyria Rhai, the Ix warrior who had fought the Hooded One on Corona Magna. Still, they all seemed wary of them both.

Now the Veythari were escorting them to meet with the leaders of the city. Shardak stepped within the heart of the citadel, where repairs were still being enacted, and saw several Veythari, one with the insignia of the leading Veythari Clan, the Vaethar, on his helmet and armor. Beside them stood a Mersion he didn't know by name but he guessed was Mersery, alongside Fultran, the nominal leader of Dark Talon. He recognized the next commander, the Dargon Areop, who was giving orders to a group of Matoran workers, but the main leader, whom even the Veythari seemed to obey, was Iskandar.

Shardak had only seen the Illieran Lord once before, during the Resistance's meeting in Akkad. He was thin but strong looking, and wore a war helmet instead of the crown he'd worn during the meeting. They'd never spoken, but, as the Veythari guards approached, Iskandar smiled. "Spirit Toa," he said. "It is good to see you still live. When Reid Vaethar left for the Fells, he said he'd send back word if he found you or Atarus, but could find neither."

"We were captured by Saren and held in the old Resistance base," said Shardak. "The one that was abandoned after Saren's defeat. He'd left some guards behind,"

Slowly, painfully, Shardak told Iskandar what had happened during their mission to seal off the Void, beginning with Atarus' account of the Ancient's virus and ending with their capture by Skar's men and their escape from the base.

Iskandar sighed. "These are grave times," he said at last. "Atarus and Freztrak are both dead as well, when we need as many allies as we can find. Saren may be silent for now, but he has not surrendered. And..." Iskandar's eyes fixed on Var'kala, which gleamed in the light of the rising sun, and the Shadow of Vahrikaan, which hovered on the horizon far in the distance.

"Yes," said Shardak, staring at the Order's base, which seemed even nearer to the surface of Xaterex than it had been before. A thought struck him. "Are Fairon and Luxa here?"

Silence descended upon them all. Iskandar's face turned grim. "No, Shardak, they're missing. They disappeared in the arena, after they sealed off the Void, along with Kalix. We found the bodies of the two Resistance guards we sent with them, however. It doesn't look good, though. We stopped searching about a week ago."

Shardak knew they were dead then. For them to stop searching for beings as useful as a former victor and one of the Illieran leaders meant they were sure both of them had been killed. He hadn't known Luxa or Kalix well, but knew both of them to be among the best of the Resistance's warriors. And Fairon had been one of his closest friends.

But he couldn't let that affect his judgement now. Soon he would need to fight once again. So he forced himself to push his feelings aside and said gruffly. "And what's the situation at the moment? Are we ready to attack Iskar?"

Areop answered this. "No," he said at last. "The Ix will make us fight for every inch of territory we take, and we're pulling more and more of our troops and sending them into Akkad. If the city falls, then the Ix have a clear route into the Fells themselves."

"Have any of the Order's troops shown up to reinforce the Ix?" asked Shardak, thinking of the elite Ix warriors and Kodax he'd seen on Var'kala, along with the Vorgaan, beings who had the ability to render themselves invisible in the aura field. They weren't a large force, but they could tip the scales decisively in favor of the Ix.

"No," said Areop. "But listen. We may yet win a victory in Akkad. We may even take Iskar and possibly also Ecbatana. But there's no way we can win this war without eliminating Vahrikaan. He's definitely on Var'kala, where we can't get him. So if you have any ideas on how we can stop him, we need them now. Did Atarus mention any possible weaknesses that Vahrikaan could have?"

The desperation in Areop's voice shook Shardak slightly. The Toa was not one to easily give up hope, but Shardak realized now that the war did seem hopeless now, without Atarus to lead them and Saren and Vahrikaan both against them. He tried to remember everything Atarus had told him about the Dark Lord, which was little to do with weaknesses.

Vahrikaan was cunning, creating plans which took decades, if not years, to complete. He'd enginnered the Fall of Arcaea, and through the Hooded One, his mysterious disciple, engineered the Fall itself. And now he had the Annulus, the amazingly powerful, destructive ring which had been powerful enough to contain Vahrikaan himself.

"No," said Shardak at last. "Atarus said little about Vahrikaan's weaknesses. Only his strengths. Perhaps he thought he'd be around longer, to tell me how I could defeat him. The only thing he told me was that I had to find the Final Prophecy."

Iskandar nodded. "If we ever needed you to know the truth about your destiny, Spirit Toa, we need it now. Atarus doubtless wished to tell you this personally, but I have a copy of the Final Prophecy here. Nightwatcher salvaged it from the ruins of the Prophecy Chamber beneath Noctxia Magna."

"But I thought Atarus said it was lost," asked Shardak, confused. "If he had it all along, why did he keep it from me?"

"Because, at the time, the events in the prophecy had not come to pass. In truth, Atarus and the Ix have both known the entire Final Prophecy for years. We thought— or hoped— that perhaps they never would. However, now that Var'kala is here, we have lost the last of our allies, and are worse than trapped, you need to know the Prophecy. And because—"

Because of the choice, said Shardak. The choice I must make, at the end of time, to save or destroy the universe. But he didn't say it aloud. He could sense in the aura field that Iskandar was hiding something. The Illieran was obviously skilled at concealing his emotions and was hard to read in the aura field, but years of instruction from Atarus had payed off, and Shardak could sense a tremor in Iskandar's aura. There was something the Illieran lord wasn't telling him.

"If Atarus knew of the Prophecy, why didn't he tell me the entirety of it at the gathering in Akkad?" asked Shardak.

"For the same reason he concealed the truth from you after the Battle of Gigas Nui, and the unsuccessful hunt for the Annulus on Xiost," said Areop, unconsciously looking at Valkyria, who had, like Shardak, unintentionally played her part in rising the Dark Lord, "To protect you. If he'd told you of the Prophecy's entirety then, or before the mission to Drakyr, or in Akkad, then the Ix would have definitely been more careful. They wouldn't be on the offensive again, and Vahrikaan wouldn't be readying for a final assault so soon. We've drawn him out into the open, now we can only hope that you can fulfill the Prophecy,"

This must be one Karzahni of a Prophecy, said Shardak. But he understood now. Atarus had planned this well, better than he could have. Still, if he was wrong, and the Prophecy went unfulfilled—

"I need to help you with the war," he said at last. "We have to capture Iskar, whatever it takes. And find out why Vahrikaan hasn't yet attacked with his own armies."

"I can answer the second," said Iskandar. "Rumor is out that Vahrikaan is searching for something. A weapon. A weapon so powerful that nothing could ever defeat him. In the meantime, he's leaving the Ix to wipe out the Resistance. But I don't see why he'd need it. The Resistance is not a real threat to him. Unless he's somehow learned we have the Prophecy."

''It's because of me. Because Vahrikaan knows the Prophecy too, and knows I'm a threat to his power somehow. ''Shardak was sure he was right. He had the Sword of Fire. Vahrikaan was searching for a weapon that was even more powerful than his own.

"Let me fight," he said. "If the Ix are attacking Akkad, we'll have to take Iskar before they're able to defeat the Akkadians and consolidate their forces. Once Iskar is ours, we can concentrate on Ecbatana."

"Neither city will fall easily," said Iskandar. "But it's the only thing we can do, now. Can you take on any of the Ix elite if they confront you?"

"Yes," said Shardak, sure that the Sword of Fire would give him victory. "We were confronted by Ix outside the flatlands." he said. "They're all dead."

"Ah, yes." Iskandar regarded the Blade of Arcturas with distaste. "The Sword of Fire. I heard Atarus let you keep it. I'm not sure if that's wise. There are other swords less dark, less...hungry then that one."

It was an eerie echo of Saren. "Luxa has— had Isidar," said Shardak, surprised at how defensive he was of the weapon. "And Nightwatcher has another of the Elemental swords. What is wrong with using the Sword of Fire?"

"The Sword of Fire has a long, dark history," said Iskandar. "Which I will not go into now. All of the Elemental Swords require great mastery, but I believe that of them all, the Fire Sword has the darkest past. Still, you may yet need it."

Shardak wanted to know what the Illieran lord meant, but he didn't dare ask now. Too much was at stake at the moment to delve into ancient tales of the Elemental Swords. But, unbidden, memories of the Blade of Arcturas flowed into Shardak's mind, even as New Metru Nui faded around him.

...A massive, powerfully built being, carrying the Blade of Arcturas in one hand and a sword of crackling silver-blue flame in the other slashed his way through the massed army before him, laughing as he fought...

''...A lone warrior in steel-gray armor facing off against another being, the silver-blue sword in his hand amidst a mound of corpses. His enemy fell, then, without warning, a massive horned being appeared out of the shadows and raised the Blade of Arcturas, slashing the warrior to the ground...''

''...A young Arcturas, or a being who looked very much like him, carrying the Blade of Arcturas as he faced a dark-eyed female carrying a scythelike scimitar. He laughed playfully as they sparred, each time the Sword granting him victory...''

Startled, Shardak's first thought was that he recognized the dark-eyed girl. She was the being he'd seen in an earlier vision from the Blade of Arcturas, the being who'd given his father the sword. Who—

"Then the Ix know you're here," said Iskandar, breaking through his thoughts. "Then we have to strike fast. If the Ix confronted you, even if they didn't recognize you at first, doubtless they'll know by now. They have soldiers scattered across the flatlands north of New Metru Nui, readying for a strike at Akkad."

"None of them confronted us," Shardak said. Valkyria nodded agreement. But inwardly he knew the Ix knew he was here. Even if they hadn't spotted them traveling to New Metru Nui, he was sure it was not beyond Vahrikaan's power to sense him from Var'kala. "We'll—"

Suddenly one of the Po-Matoran workers raced toward them. "Commander Areop," he said, "Lord Iskandar. Spirit Toa. Nightwatcher has arrived, and he wishes to speak with you."

Chapter 4
"We are almost ready to depart for Xaterex," said the Ossoona commander. "The fleet is in order. However, we cannot leave until we are certain the Ix are not ready to attack again, in full force, once our leadership is off planet."

"I calculate there is a 92.9% chance this is unlikely," Blast heard Ixtil's quiet, meticulous voice say steadily. "If the Ix wanted us wiped out, they could have done so long before, using Var'kala or their main fleet. Why would they attack now? Noctxia Magna is nothing to them."

"Still, we have to make sure all remaining threats have passed," said the Ossoona. He was the head of the Enforcers of the Noctian Reign, a subdivision of the hand of Mata Nui, and spoke for his own people, the Ossoona, as well as the Noctians.

All of the beings gathered here at the heart of Noctia, the capitol of Noctxia Magna, spoke for some group of beings, Ixtil for the Hand of Mata Nui, Vale for the Veythari, and Blast for the Resistance. Moru Kul was also there, though Nightwatcher was not present. Blast was wary of them both, though even Nightwatcher was less enigmatic than Moru Kul. The poweful, enigmatic entity had made it clear he was only helping them because he wanted to see Vahrikaan defeated. Other than that, his goals were a mystery.

"I have something to say about this," said Vale Iskara. "During the skirmish yesturday, we managed to gain information from a dying Steltian. He told us that not only he was working for the Shadow of Ages, but that their leader, Millennium, is alive."

"Impossible," said the Ossoona. "Millennium was killed during the 174th Eternal Game. We all watched it happen, I'm sure."

"No, he survived." said Blast. "As I told the Resistance on Xaterex, he survived and Shardak and I fought him and his order in the Void. We thought he'd been killed, but it's very likely he's still alive somehow. He has the ability to bind his soul to other beings, as well as inanimate objects."

"He's dead," said the Ossoona. "He has to be. The Steltian was probably lying."

"He wasn't lying. I have two prisoners who, while they were at first reluctant to give up the information, have confirmed the Steltian's report," answered Vale. "What's more, they confirmed that they have operational starcraft, and a base somewhere in the Noctian Islands."

"Then they have to be stopped, Millennium or no," said Ixtil. "However, the situation on Xaterex is worse than ever now. The Resistance there has fractured into splinter groups, with Saren, as the only surviving Resistance leader other than Reid Vaethar, his ally, trying to reign in the chaos. As you know already, the Illierans and the Akkadians both joined in the war against the Resistance, but apparently the Spirit Toa, Shardak, has gone missing as well."

Blast thought of Shardak, who he hadn't seen in months, and grew worried. He'd heard the reports from Xaterex, telling of massive battles south of New Metru Nui, the Shadow of Vahrikaan returning, and Var'kala appearing in the skies above. The rumors were even wilder, some saying that—

"What of Atarus?" asked Blast, thinking immediately of the leader of the overall Resistance. Surely he wouldn't permit such chaos on Xaterex.

"We received a report from Saren this morning, stating that Atarus is missing, presumed dead, along with the Skakdi leader, Freztrak" said Ixtil. "They was last seen in Akkad, where an Ix army is currently stationed. And with the Akkadians fighting against the Resistance..."

Blast knew what he meant. While Ixtil didn't state the odds, it was unlikely that Atarus was alive.

"Saren's a competent commander, but not all of the Resistance's allies will follow him. I can understand the Akkadians joining the Ix, but the Illierans...I expected more from Lord Iskandar and Luxa. Still, I suppose even the best allies will submit to a being as powerful as Vahrikaan," Ixtil sighed.

"What of my people, and Vaethar?" asked Vale. "Have you recieved any word from them?"

"Saren says they're still allied with him, along with Tiral and her fleet. No word on the Dargon, though Areop was a friend of Atarus', and is probably loyal to his sucessor. Still, the command structure is poor, and we need to join them soon, or risk the entire war effort collapsing in on itself."

"My warriors are ready to travel," said Vale. "And eager to join our allies on Xaterex. However, we cannot overlook the threat that the Shadow of Ages poses to Noctxia Magna."

"No," agreed the Ossoona commander. "But we cannot spare an army to attack them, especially not a naval force. It would take time to gather more than a few ships, and even then we have no guaruntee of success. The Noctian islands are swarming with Ix soldiers, and it could take years to clear them all out. We can't afford to send a large party of beings to take Millennium out."

Suddenly an idea lept unbidden into Blast's mind. "I'll go. Alone. With th Scythe of Creation. I'll find out what Millennium is up to, and try to stop him."

"Then you're going to your death," said the Ossoona flatly.

"I think I can defeat Millennium," said Blast. "In the 174th Eternal Game, I used this scythe to destroy him in the caves. Then, when Shardak, Valkyria and I faced him in the Void, I wounded the body of the Vortixx he was controlling with the scythe. I can hold my own against him, and I think that if I can find out what he's planning, then I may be able to stop him, or, at least inform the commanders left behind on Noctxia Magna, who can deal with the threat. Besides, I have my own score to settle with him."

"You're a valuable warrior," said Ixtil. "And this is a very dangerous plan you propose. Millennium is a very powerful being, and while he is not the equal of Vahrikaan or Moru Kul, he is perfectly capable of killing you. I'm sure I don't need to share your odds of sucess, even with the Scythe?"

"No, you don't," said Blast. "But I have to try. And if I fail, at least the leaders at Noctia will learn what Millennium is planning, and be able to stop him."

"You can't go alone," said Vale Iskara. "I would accompany you personally, but I need to be present on Xaterex for the war with Vahrikaan. I will send two of my Veythari with you, however."

Blast knew that with two Veythari on his side, the chances for his success were far greater. Veythari were almost as skilled as the best Ix warriors, and the only beings who had been able to successfully repel an Ix invasion in the wake of the Fall of Arcaea. The event, the Battle of Shadowfell, was one of the greatest tales of Veythari heroism and the Ix's only real crushing defeat.

"Thank you," said Blast. "With two other beings travelling with me it will be even easier for us to keep the leaders at Noctia informed of Millennium's plans. Then, if we cannot stop him and the remnants of his order by ourselves, we'll return to Noctia and the next course of action can be determined by the leaders there."

Blast looked around at the beings gathered there. The Ossoona still looked skeptical, Moru Kul's expression was unreadable, Ixtil's was calculating, and Vale Iskara was looking at him curiously and almost...respectfully. Blast was confused at first, then he remembered the Veythari warriors in the Fells throwing themselves against the enemy, allowing the Glatorian and Agori there time to escape with their own lives, as well as the Battle of Shadowfell, where almost every Veythari there had been killed by the Ix. If it furthered the Resistance's cause to die, then die the Veythari would. Vale respected his willingness to go to what she thought was certain death.

But Blast knew something that Vale didn't. A reason why Millennium wouldn't kill him outright, why he might yet survive. It was a wager that could cost him his life, but what had he been living? A false string of memories created by Millennium. He had to learn the truth, or he would die trying to find it.

''Millennium won't fall for me trying to join his Shadow of Ages as a spy for the Resistance. Nor will he be easily killed. '' But his greatest strength, his ability to control other beings physically with his spirit, is also his greatest weakness. It's given me a way to track, hunt, and corner him...and then he will return my memories.

That is, if I don't die first.

Shardak ran over the words of the Final Prophecy in his head, again reading the lines carved onto the ancient stone tablet. Who had carved them there, he could not say, but it was written in an archiac form of Matoran lettering that must have been only recently emerging at the time the Last of the Ancients carved the words onto the stone, the words that spelled out the fates of thousands in Vahrikaan's darkest rising.

Shardak was almost surprised at how calm he felt. Even as he stared at the words again, reading over the verses of the Prophecy that spelled out his fate and the fate of countless others, he could not summon up any fear, anger, or doubt. He felt something more akin to relief. Relief that the lies were finally over, that he knew the truth, and the reason why the Ix had hunted him so mercilessly, as well as what Atarus believed was their only hope to defeat Vahrikaan.

The end of time has been declared,

The Spirit’s allies are ensnared,

The choice must be made now or never,

Or every world shall die forever.

His path is long, his road is steep,

Through mountains high and valleys deep,

In dark he walks, though endless strife

Cutting bonds that bind dark to life.

The hidden Toa you must seek,

When the path to last grows bleak,

Four swords unite in power,

To aid the worlds in darkest hour.

But the Spirit cannot ignore fate's will,

Or the ticking, never still,

His hunt shall reveal the fire and those

Hidden in the Realm of Souls.

<p style="text-align: center;">The path is beyond life and death,

<p style="text-align: center;">Where dark robs bodies of their breath,

<p style="text-align: center;">And break a mind with endless hate,

<p style="text-align: center;">And reap your soul and seal your fate.

<p style="text-align: center;">To the Spirit comes the Blade,

<p style="text-align: center;">By his hand the choice is made.

<p style="text-align: center;">As he stands before the night,

<p style="text-align: center;">He must be sure his choice is right.

<p style="text-align: center;">Time is falling, falling, falling,

<p style="text-align: center;">Worlds are collapsing into night

<p style="text-align: center;">Face your allies, face the shadow,

<p style="text-align: center;">And know the choice must be made right

<p style="text-align: center;">If the darkness’ fate is sealed,

<p style="text-align: center;">And the flames above revealed,

<p style="text-align: center;">To the will of fate you must arrive,

<p style="text-align: center;">The Spirit Toa cannot survive.

Most of it seemed more than unclear. All of foretold a choice, a choice he must make at the end of time while he faced Vahrikaan, a choice that would mean the end of the universe or the continuation of existance. And the Ix and Vahrikaan were desperate to kill him before he could make the choice, because his choice would determine the fate of Vahrikaan as well.

But, despite the lack of clarity, there was one part of the prophecy Shardak easily understood. The reason why Atarus had withheld the knowledge of it until now.

The Spirit Toa cannot survive.

The choice would determine his fate as well. And if he "chose right", he would die. If he didn't, everyone would die, except maybe Vahrikaan.

Not for the first time, Shardak wondered what Vahrikaan wanted. Did he want the universe destroyed? No, he wasn't insane. But—

As Shardak gazed at the final stanza of the Prophecy, he was again surprised at how calm he was. It said he would die, but it didn't feel real. It didn't feel like it was him, that he was the Spirit Toa mentioned in the Final Prophecy. He couldn't connect his death with the lines written on the stone tablet lying before him.

The Spirit Toa cannot survive.

He, Shardak, could not survive.

Numbly he turned those words over within his mind again, feeling almost guilty that he didn't even feel shocked at what he'd seen. It was as though he'd known, on some level, what type of doom lay over him all along, and that the words that the Last of the Ancients had carved into stone were merely confirming the fact.

The door to the room opened. Shardak was almost blinded by the bright light from outside the fortress for a few moments, then he recognized the beings standing before him. Iskandar's green eyes were filled with sadness as he faced Shardak, and behind him he saw Nightwatcher. The bounty hunter's features were hidden behind his Kanohi Kraahkan, and the look in his dark green eyes was unreadable.

"Shardak. Are you okay?" asked Iskandar.

"Yes," the Toa responded. "I'm fine."

"I just wanted to tell you to remember that the Prophecies of the Ancients are all very open to interpretation," said Iskandar. "While this one has been lost for years and doesn't really have many interpretations, it doesn't mean it's impossible that—"

"It's not impossible to misinterpret this," said Shardak, staring at the stone tablet. "It's easy to understand what this means for me." there was a grim, almost resigned tone to his voice as he spoke.

"Believe me, Shardak, Atarus would have—"

"I'm all right," Shardak said, cutting him off. "I'll do whatever it takes to defeat Vahrikaan. Better I die than have Vahrikaan destroy the entire universe."

"Ah, yes," said Iskandar. "Vahrikaan's plan is highly complex, I do not believe even Atarus knows how the Dark Lord plans to manage to bring about what the Prophecy calls the 'end of time'."

"Most of the Final Prophecy seems very hard to understand," said Shardak, relieved to be off the subject of the implications of what the prophecy meant for him. "What does—"

"We'll discuss the Prophecy when we gather at the war meeting," said Iskandar. "But Atarus had several opinions on the Prophecy of Time,as well as the two other prophecies of the Last of the Ancients."

Stopping before the door to face the two Glatorian guards, Iskandar waited for their confirmation. One nodded as he recognized them, and they stepped inside the large room currently serving as the Resistance's command center. Shardak could see Valkyria, Mersery, a black-armored Glatorian he didn't recognize, and Fultran, the Dark Talon leader were there. Three Illieran soldiers were also there, probably Iskandar's elite generals.

All of the leaders stood facing a large map of Xaterex, which was dotted with pins colored black and red, representing the movements of troops and soldiers. The black far outnumbered the others, and Shardak guessed from their positions— scattered across the flatlands and Akkad, and grouped in large numbers around Iskar, Ecbatana, and Drakos— that they represented the Ix's armies.

"Our forces are currently engaged in battles in the Canyonlands, Anshan and the flatlands, and cities north of New Metru Nui." the Glatorian was saying. "Still no report from the situation in Akkad, or at Gordion—" he broke off when he saw Iskandar, Shardak, and Nightwatcher enter the room.

"Lord Iskandar," said the Glatorian. "We will continue this later. All excuse themselves save Valkyria and Mersery."

As soon as they'd left, the Glatorian walked over to Nightwatcher, Iskandar, and Shardak. "Has he read the Prophecy?"

"Yes," said Iskandar. 'We're ready to discuss and interpret it. But first, are there any new developments I need to know regarding the war?"

"There's very little news on any front," reported the Glatorian. "Still no sign of Saren or Tiral. Our forces we sent to Iskar have been stopped at Anshan, though the city won't hold out much longer. No reports from Gordion or Akkad, but there's no indication either have fallen."

Iskandar nodded. "You may go. You as well, Mersery." he said. The Glatorian bowed and left the room, leaving only Valkyria and Nightwatcher with them. Valkyria's expression, as well as her presence in the aura field, was heavily cloaked, as was Nightwatcher's. However, Shardak, adept at reading Valkyria in the aura field, knew from one look that she'd read the Final Prophecy. That she, too, knew the truth.

"We have recovered the Final Prophecy," Iskandar said. "You all know the truth about our last hope to defeat Lord Vahrikaan. However, it's highly cryptic, and as you know, we've had very little success in deciphering it."

''The only part of it that's clear is that I have to die. And that my death's the only way we'll stop Vahrikaan.''

"One part of the Prophecy we understand somewhat, however. Atarus believed that the lines Four swords unite in power, to aid the worlds in darkest hour. I believe, as Atarus did, that this refers to the four swords of Elemental power, which includes the Blade of Arcturas, Isidar, and Nightwatcher's sword, Aquaros.

"However," continued Iskandar. "Atarus shared with me still more about what he believes the Prophecy means. He told me that, if he died, that I was to share the Final Prophecy with Shardak, and tell whomever I chose among my warriors to know the Prophecy as well. Much of it is completely indecipherable, however, this much Atarus knew.

"In order for you to understand the truth, you must know what Atarus never told you. You know about who Arcturas was, and why he joined the Shadowed Ones?"

"Yes," said Shardak. Arcturas had joined them to do good, but had become disaffected with their deeds and scattered the Order by breaking the Shadow Orb, the power source of the Annulus. It would take the Order many years to regain the fragment of the Shadow Orb, the only fragment of the Annulus they were missing, and free Vahrikaan.

"It is time, then, that you learn the truth about the Shadowed Ones, and about the Fall of Arcaea. I do not know every detail, however, Atarus shared with me the tale of Arcturas, and what his brother had done during his time with the Shadowed Ones, the organization which became the Order years later.

"The truth is painful," said Iskandar. "And I wish Atarus himself was there to inform you. However, circumstances beyond our control have taken him from us before he could even tell you the full prophecy.

''Neither Atarus nor Arcturas told me anything. ''said Shardak. And they both died while I was watching, and there was nothing I could do for either...

"As you know Arcturas joined the organization that became the Shadowed Ones to do good in Arcaea. They were a powerful group of influential Elemental Princes and Lords from the next generation which would have led Arcaea, had the Twelve Kingdoms survived. Many are now dead, and later the Shadowed Ones became a much larger order composed of many other beings, but the core seven members who created the order where those who knew the greatest of their plans.

Iskandar sighed. "I was young then, and I remember them all well. So brilliant, so arrogant, so powerful, so flawed... Arcturas of the Fire Kingdom, Windeus of the Sky Kingdom, Skorpix of the Earth Kingdom, Nex of the Jungle Kingdom, Lyria, representing the Ix, and—" Here Iskandar's voice faltered— "And Eostra, of the Shadow Kingdom. There was a seventh, as well, but he was killed during the Fall."

"Eostra?" asked Shardak. Of the names, it was the only one he didn't recognize, the only one he'd never met. But he remembered the name, heard it once before, spoken by Atarus with fear and dread. "Who is she?"

But memories of his dream began to surface once more, the nightmare that had haunted him since Arcturas' death, that of the Fall. He knew suddenly, somehow, without reservation, that Eostra was somehow connected to that vision.

"Eostra is a being of many secrets," said Iskandar. He spoke her name as though it hurt him to say it. "Every survivor of the Fall knows of her and dreads her. There is no other, apart from Vahrikaan, whom beings fear more.

"During that time, Shardak— you must understand, beings were plagued by fear. The Hand of Mata Nui and the Toa Order had become decadent, corrupt, secure in their power over what seemed like an eternal paradise. But in the lower orders, particularly among Ix and Glatorian, there was dissent. The seven beings banded together to change that.

"But they had another motivation as well. While some of them may have been at first unaware of the Order's full goals, or if the Shadowed Ones, arrogant in their power, believed that by allying with Vahrikaan they could take Arcaea for themselves, I do not know. Slowly, as more and more followers and cultists of Vahrikaan led by the Kodax Velnax joined them, the leaders of the Shadowed Ones began to plan their offensives. They already wielded great power, and soon they began to become the only power.

"As tensions escalated and open war began to break out among the Kingdoms, the Ix, under the Shadowed Ones, began to unleash more and more atrocities against the Hand. They barred off entrance between kingdoms by destroying gateways between them, created their own portals and means of transportation for their loyal followers using dark power, and unleashed Elimination on the Toa, as well as other biological agents designed to eliminate species of Elementals that opposed them. The Water Elemental Banrax, a loyal supporter of the Ix, helped allowed the Ix to take his genetic sample and turn it into a pathogen which killed countless Water Elementals who opposed them, and the Psionic Kingdom was likewise devastated. And at the head of the armies, forming all of the plots and schemes, were Eostra and Arcturas."

"What?" asked Shardak. "Arcturas sanctioned this? The genocide of Toa and Elementals?" he couldn't believe it, and yet when he thought back to his conversation with Skorpix during a battle in the remains of the Earth Kingdom, he realized the truth of Iskandar's statement.

"He was our greatest ally." Skorpix had said. Until now, Shardak had not known the truth about what Arcturas had done. Now he knew.

"Yes," said Iskandar. "It was not until the Fall that he joined us. His motives, as his motives for working on the side of the Ix, are unclear."

"But—"

"Allow me to finish." interrupted Iskandar. "During the final years of the war, long after the Year of Darkness which precipitated the conflict, Arcturas, Skorpix, and the Shadowed Ones were fighting at the heart of Arcaea's capitol, a plain of existance in itself, distinct from the rest of Arcaea— Shadovar, the City of Mirrors. Ordinarily, no rebel force would have made it this far, but even now much of the general populace sided with Eostra and the Shadowed Ones, and many being saw them as their liberators. In addition, they'd discovered a way to cut off the dimensions that made up the Twelve Kingdoms and Shadovar from each other, and also create their own interdimensional portals that only they could access.

"But there was heavy fighting. By now, the Shadowed Ones had revealed their true colors, and the City of Mirrors was divided. But Vahrikaan's plan was as devious as it was complex. It called for travel through the plain of Mirrors— another dimension beyond our reality— into the heart of Shadovar. Within the confines of that city lay a device which held the Elemental forces across Arcaea together, allowing the elemental kingdoms, shaped by the Ancients thousands of years ago, to coexist side by side on an inter-plain level. This device, Ilsidar Shadovar, or 'Mirror of Shadovar', or, more literally, 'Shadovar Codrex'. The word Ilsidar, or Codrex, translates roughly as core, though it can also translate as double or mirror."

"So whoever controlled the Shadovar Codrex controlled all of Arcaea." said Shardak. "Because he could control the way the elements all across Arcaea worked, and alter them at will."

"Not just Arcaea," said Iskandar. "The Codrex could manipulate all Elements everywhere, even beyond Arcaea. The Ancients used this device to create the Elemental plains themselves, and the Great Beings to shape the Elemental plains into the Twelve Kingdoms. However, the Codrex had spawned as many wars as the Annulus and the four Elemental swords have, because it was too powerful. This was the artifact that Vahrikaan's strike force had been sent to seize control of at the heart of Shadovar, led by Arcturas himself, while Skorpix, the youngest of the seven, led the main attack force. By now, the Annulus had already been reassembled, and Vahrikaan himself had risen."

"But I thought the Annulus required a Spirit Toa to reassemble it. Isn't that why the Ix needed me? To free Vahrikaan?"

"Arcturas possessed many of the same abilities as you. He was a Spirit Elemental, in a way. One of the reasons why Vahrikaan recruited him into what eventually became his Order was because of this ability. He passed it on to you, as well."

"Then why did they kill him?" asked Shardak. "Wouldn't it have been easier to take him prisoner and force him to complete the Rising?"

"Because he'd already completed a Rising." said Iskandar. "And once he'd used his power to do that, he could not again, for reasons we never understood. Anyway, he never had the same power that you have, and the Rising probably robbed him of most of his abilities, whereas yours was barely diminished. Your aura strength is far greater.

"Anyway, the chronicle of the Fall is fragmentary and incomplete. Arcturas' strike team, composed of a small group of elite Elementals, succeeded in passing through the Plain of Mirrors, though it is such a hideous, distorted realm of madness that it drove several of the strike team completely insane and left the rest at least somewhat mentally damaged. By now, Arcturas had been having severe doubts about his role in the Order, and he'd become disillusioned with the sheer dark power of Vahrikaan, even as Eostra and Skorpix and the rest grew ever darker beneath Vahrikaan's shadow.

"All that happened beyond this point is open to interpretation, though this is how the chronicle is usually told. Skorpix and his generals, after slaughtering their way through Shadovar's defenses and crushing most of the opposition. By then, Arcturas was ready to betray the group, and he had several beings also on his side, including Eostra, who, as the co-leader of the group alongside Arcturas, had pretended to begin to have felt guilt at the blood on her hands."

Shardak began to feel still more uneasy now as Iskandar continued. Somehow, he knew what Iskandar would say next.

Then, once Vahrikaan, Eostra, Arcturas, and Skorpix had all gathered, for reasons that have never become entirely clear, Arcturas shattered the Shadow Orb, and the Annulus itself, into five fragments. Then he used his greatest power— the Fiendflames, dark fire twisted by shadow into something vicious, sentient, and hungry— and fled with you, the Spirit Toa."

"Me?" asked Shardak. "But I—"

"All of the seven knew of your existance," said Iskandar. "And of your destiny. We believe that Skorpix or Vahrikaan may have given the order to kill you to prevent the Prophecy from being fulfilled, and that was what turned him against his order in the final battle. When he'd escaped, you were still young, and I believe he probably wiped your memories of the Fall.

"The tide turned then, even as the Fiendflames burned across the City of Mirrors," said Iskandar. "However, Eostra, who had not known the full implications of Arcturas' plan, but still pretending to be his ally, had been assigned by Arcturas to defend you and his other allies from the attacking Ix and escape Shadovar while he fought the rest of the Order and the Ix. However, now that the Annulus had been broken, Eostra's only hope was that the Spirit Toa would survive to adulthood, so he could free Vahrikaan from the fragments of the Ring once more.

"Arcturas escaped the battlefield earlier than expected, scattering the remnants of the seven temporarily. Then he confronted Eostra, who he'd realized was leading into an ambush created by Skorpix, who, as the attacking armies' general, was outside the city with the rest of his elite Ix guard. He arrived in time, and by now the battle of Shadovar had grown so chaotic no one knew what happened next. But Arcturas escaped as well, with you beside him, so we can assume he succeeded in thwarting Eostra's plans.

"However, before the Fiendflames devoured Shadovar, one of the seven managed to gain temporary control of the Codrex, and, added with the destructive power of the fire, which burned through the portals that were being opened all across Arcaea by the Codrex. Everything on Arcaea was destroyed, many of the dimensions simply collapsing in on themselves, leaving nothing but darkness behind. The rest were burned by the Fiendflames and torn apart by the elemants. In the battle, the Codrex of Shadovar was lost, devoured by the fire, as was the Annulus itself, which was not recovered until years later, one fragment found on Xiost, one on Corona Magna, and the third taken by the Ix."

"But the Ancient's spirits inside the Annulus said that they'd placed this fragment on Xiost for thousands of years," said Shardak, confused.

"Yes," said Iskandar. "Atarus mentioned this to me, but it has puzzled us both. Perhaps Arcturas escaped with a fragment of the ring, then returned it to Xiost, following the orders of the Ancients."

All grew silent then. Shardak did not speak, nor did Iskandar or Valkyria. Shardak suddenly felt weak as he thought of the Prophecy, and Iskandar's horrible tale of the Fall...it was too much, to much to take in.

"Who was Eostra?" he asked, his voice weak but filled with anger. "Who was she? How did she convince Arcturas to go along with her plans?"

"You have met her yourself. Once on Corona Magna, and once in the Fells. She is the leader of the Ix— the Hooded One."

Shardak felt dread run through him as Iskandar spoke those last words. He wasn't shocked, or even very surprised. It was as though he'd always known, somehow, on some level, that Eostra was the Hooded One. The peices of his vision of the Fall where not all clear, however. Who was the cloaked female who'd tried to help him? And the blue-eyed being who'd cut her in half in revenge. Who were they? Did it still matter?

"During those days the Swords of Elemental Power were not as uncommon a sight as they are now," said Iskandar. "And many beings where aware of the legend. The Legend of the Sword of Time.

"It is said when the four Swords of Elemental Power are united, which we assume means gathered all in one location, they will be bound into one blade, known as the Sword of Time. This is the ultimate weapon that we believe Vahrikaan is seeking."

"The Sword of Time? Then why hasn't Vahrikaan sent his soldiers to hunt me down. He probed my mind during his attempted rising on Corona Magna." said Shardak. "He knows I have it. Why didn't he take it then?"

"I'm not sure," admitted Iskandar. "We're not even sure this theory is correct. However, it makes sense, and coincides with rest of the Prophecy of Time. 'Four swords unite in power.' It corresponds well with the rumor that Vahrikaan is seeking an ultimate weapon of some type, a weapon that he plans to use to crush all opposition to his rule."

"But he already has the Annulus," said Shardak. "What more would he need?"

"He already has the Shadow Orb and the Annulus, which he could use to rule over this era," answered Iskandar. "But if Atarus' guess is correct, if he had the Sword of Time, a weapon old before the Ancients were young, he could control all of the powers of the four Elemental Swords. Not only that, but he'd be able to gain great power over time. How much is unknown, but it would be enough to ensure that we could not topple him ever again."

"Where are the other swords?" asked Valkyria, speaking for the first time. She'd remained quiet, listening to Iskandar throughout his tale. "We have Aquaros and the Sword of Fire here, but Isidar is missing. And what of the Sword of Earth?"

Iskandar opened his mouth to answer, but then Areop opened the door. The Dargon cheiftain nodded briefly to Shardak and Valkyria, then turned back to Iskandar. "Lord Iskandar, the Anshan detachment is ready to reinforce the battle. They await your orders."

Iskandar nodded. "You have had a long journey, and this is enough information for you to absorb." he said. "I must prepare another division of troops to reinforce the battle at Anshan, while you both will be accessed for physical combat skill. You are both too valuable to waste in open combat."

For a moment, Shardak was confused at Iskandar's kindness. Given the long-running hatred between Ix and Illierans, he'd have expected Iskandar to have hated Valkyria. Then he remembered that Valkyria was half Illieran, and to the Illerians, a half-Ix who they'd doubtless heard had betrayed the Empire to work with the Resistance was valuable as well. As for the information, Shardak didn't mind how much Iskandar had told him. provided they were finally telling him with the truth.

Then he remembered the Prophecy, and the Sword of Time. The Spirit Toa cannot survive.

It was beginning now. The Final Prophecy was approaching. Shardak knew that when he next faced the Ix, he would have to be ready.

Chapter 5
Jekart stared at the massive rim of Var'kala, which hung above Xaterex like an omen of doom, and sighed. A fire burned at the center of the camp, the only light other than the stars, which were mostly obscured by clouds.

The information broker, once proud to have delivered nothing but the best information to his clients, was no longer sure what was going on. His network of informants still kept him up with all the latest developments with the war, but even they were unable to make sense of the rumors that were running rampant across Xaterex.

Jekart, however, understood one thing perfectly. He'd been the best informant of them all. He'd gained extravagant wealth from Ix and rebels alike, including a large payment of blue diamonds from the Spirit Toa Shardak himself. Akkad's neutrality had kept him above the unrefined brutality of the war, and he'd been able to snag thousands of widgets through careful double-dealing and through a massive network of loyal bounty hunters and spies.

That was, until the war came knocking on Jekart's door.

Akkadia had been invaded. By ''Ix. ''Ever since Varana, the ruler of Akkad, had declared war on the Ix and joined the...

''Who, exactly? ''Jekart wondered. From his most recent reports, it sounded as if the Resistance had been broken into hundreds of smaller splinter groups, with no one clearly on any side. The two most prominent names he kept hearing where Saren Nagahara and Atarus, who were apparently warring among themselves for control of the Resistance, but the confused, tangled web of allegiance was impossible for him to keep track of in the middle of the Akkadian Mountains.

Akkad had probably fallen by now. Jekart didn't know. For an information broker, it as akin to him feeling helpless.

When the Ixx had invaded Akkad after the Battle of Calos, and as it quickly became apparent they would win, and Akkad itself would fall, Jekart had sent word to an elite team of mercenaries and bounty hunters, holding them on standby to help him escape if Akkad came under seige. When it did, nearly a week ago, Jekart, along with the mercenaries, escaped Akkad and fled into the mountains.

Jekart had been forced to leave behind most of his wealth in Akkad, except what he could carry. And, of course, the extravagant amount of widgets he'd been forced to pay the bounty hunters who'd helped him escape.

"We're leaving."

The voice jerked the twisted information broker out of his thoughts. Arzok, his brutish Skakdi associate, stood above him, sword in hand. Jekart sighed inwardly. Ordinarily he'd never employ this Skakdi as his bodyguard. However, all of his best bounty hunter associates had been outside Akkad or, like in the case of the Zeverek Skorr, in the employ of the Ix.

''Skorr. ''From him, Jekart had learned much about the Ix's plans. Enough to have warranted a death sentence from any Ix overseer. However, either due to Skorr's long association with Jekart, or because he was among the most valuable informants, he'd been allowed to live, even when he'd faced the cold dark eyes of an Ix high commander.

"Leaving?" asked Jekart. "Why? It's far too late to leave now."

"Ix. Apparently the bounty hunters sighted some of them nearby. They say they'll leave you behind if you don't come now."

That caught Jekart's attention. If the bounty hunters were threatening to leave without the final installment of pay he'd promised them upon his arrival at Iskar, then they had to be telling the truth. "I'm coming now." he said to Arzok. The blue and gold Skakdi nodded curtly as Jekart drew the long dagger he was armed with. He was under no illusions about what would happen to them if the Ix caught up with them. Information broker nor no, his safety only existed within Akkad, and now that Akkad was no longer neutral, the Ix would probably kill him on sight and ask questions later.

''Either that or take me back to Ecbatana or Drakos for interrogation. ''Thought Jekart grimly, as he rose, quenching the fire, and followed Arzok and the other bounty hunters through the shadowy fells. The night was shrouded by mist, and in the fog Jekart could barely make out his surroundings, only that the bounty hunters, who knew they would not be paid if he was noty protected, surrounded him on all sides, Arzok directly ahead of him.

Snick.

Jekart barely had time to register the sound before a sharp steel projectile flew through the air, flashing before his eyes in the cold darkness. The bounty hunter standing next to him gave a grunt of surprise, then fell to the ground. Blood poured from a wound in his throat.

One of the bounty hunters, a Steltian, was quick to react to the danger. "Archers!" he yelled. ''Snick. ''Another bolt flew through the air and buried itself in the Steltian's chest. He fell as well. The other bounty hunters scattered as more of the arrows felled two other beings.

Jekart himself wasted no time. Without bothering to worry about the safety of Arzok or any of the others, he threw himself beneath a large grove of trees, hidden behind the foliage of a large bush. With one eye he peered through the undergrowth, watching the battle. It didn't last long. The bounty hunters who hadn't immediately fled where killed or badly injured. Jekart didn't see what became of Arzok, but guessed he wouldn't live much longer.

Nor would he, for that matter. Hoping desperately the attackers would not find him, but knowing that they would, Jekart cowered beneath the shadow of the trees and listened to the attackers' nasal tones, which he easily recognized as those of the Ix.

"They're all dead?" asked one of the archers. "Pity. I was hoping one of them survived. What of those who escaped?"

"There are Limiters surrounding the entire area," said another voice he didn't recognize, cold, female, and calculating. Jekart shivered slightly as he heard her speak. "They will not get far."

Jekart saw the shadowy form of one of the archers nod to the hooded female Ix. Then he saw another being, whose features he could not make out, but was obviously not an Ix, appeared. He carried a massive blaster in one hand. "Oh, there's a survivor." he said, and then Jekart recognized the voice.

''Skorr. ''

The information broker cursed inwardly. The only being who would recognize him on sight was here, along with several archers, Limiters, and at least one high ranking Ix. It was then Jekart realized how much of a mistake the bounty hunter team had made. For one of the Ix elite to be here, that would mean that they couldn't be far from the main Ix army which was attacking Akkad, or, at least, a large group of Ix soldiers. They'd walked into the midst of an army, and now he was about to pay the ultimate price.

"Come out, Jekart," Skorr said, almost lazily. "I know you're there."

Jekart felt the force of Skorr's gaze on him, and, knowing that if he wanted to have any chance of survival, he would have to hope that Skorr would intercede on his behalf in front of the Ix, stepped out of the shadows and in front of the Ix army, half expecting an archer to shoot him the moment he moved.

Jekart's eyes, adept at gauging a situation, studied each being in turn. Skorr and the Ix female where the most striking, Skorr in his usual silver-grey armor and the Ix female in silver chainmail, which bore an insignia that Jekart couldn't make out in the shadows. She wore an ornate helmet that hid her features, and her eyes were the same color as the night itself.

The Ix archers appeared, in the fog, like nothing more than shadowy phantoms, their longbows and crossbows raised to kill if he moved. As though that weren't enough, Skorr raised his blaster, the same blaster that Jekart had seen dispatch dozens of rivals, and pointed it at him.

"This is Jekart," said Skorr. "Apparently he decided to leave the mountains in the face of war. and join up with a group of bounty hunters. I thought you were long past those days, but it seems I'm wrong, eh?" Skorr idly lifted his blaster up a centimeter or so, toying with the fear he saw in Jekart's red eyes.

"The information broker from Akkad?" asked the Ix female, interested now.

"Yes, Chi'rin Faal." hissed one of the Ix archers.

Jekart felt his last hope plummet as he stared helplessly at Skorr and the Ix female. She was not just a commander, or even a high commander, like Reyna. No, he'd run into a Chi'rin, one of the Ix's elite warmasters, tasked with only the most important war missions. Her presence here could only mean one thing— the Ix planned to conquer the Fells the moment they'd finished Akkad. They meant to crush the Resistance once and for all.

It also meant Jekart's odds for survival had dropped to almost zero.

"Please," he whimpered. "I have worked closely with the Ix in the past. I have served your will. I fled Akkad, and was going to Iskar, to join your people and Vahrikaan! I am your loyal servant!"

The Chi'rin regarded him with contempt. "A loyal servant who has dealt with traitors such as the Resistance, and enemies such as Toa Shardak. You deserve death."

Jekart lowered his gaze, unable to meet the Ix's eyes, unwilling to die now but knowing there was nothing more he could do—

"You deserve death," continued the ''Chi'rin. ''"But you will have a chance to live. You have lived in Akkad for many years, and have sold information often to Fellsian rebels. You could be of great use to us, or you can choose to die. I am sure Skorr will show you no mercy."

Jekart's mind was working quickly as he looked into Skorr's eyes, seeing no mercy there. However, as Skorr looked him in the eye, Jekart caught the implied meaning in his eyes. ''Join us. You can live. ''

Jekart didn't want to join the Ix. The rumors he'd heard before he left Akkad had been beyond horrible. He didn't want to submit to the Ix Empire. For the first time, Jekart felt something like defiance. He was an information broker. He served beings for pay, not because an Ix and her servants were threatening him with blasters.

But what choice did he have? He was not ready to die. And Jekart was, above all else, concerned with preserving his own life. And if he had to submit to the Ix to survive, then that's what he'd do. He hadn't survived for years before his peaceful existance in Akkad without intelligence.

"Of course I will help you, Chi'rin Faal," said Jekart. "I shall obey your orders, and that of your Empire."

He'd considered adding that he was going to join them anyway at Iskar, but he didn't dare. The Ix might be inclined toward sparing his life now, but he knew not to underestimate the Ix female. The Ix's society was ruthless and competitive, with alliances formed and broken within a few days. While assassinations occured rarely, backstabbing was the norm. For this Ix to have risen to the rank she now held meant she was a paragon among the Ix: the epitome of their culture, their darkness. Jekart didn't dare make one mistake with anything he said.

"Very good," said the Ix. "With your cooperation, our work here will be brought to an end decisively and easily."

Skorr nodded, then lowered his blaster. His eyes met Jekart's, and the information broker knew that, for now, he'd survived.

But, with the Ix elite armies invading Akkad, it was anyone's guess how long he'd last before the Ix decided he was no longer useful.

No amount of training, not even any of the previous battles that Shardak had fought on Xiost, Drakyr, or Corona Magna could have prepared the Toa for the battle at Anshan.

Rank upon rank of Ix soldiers ringed the city, the Limiters holding off the large attack force composed of rebel soldiers. Reinforcing the Ix elite soldiers were mercenary bands of Skakdi, Glatorian, and Agori, fighting alongside lower ranking Ix and other bands of Imperial warriors. Nowhere did Shardak see any signs of the Order's troops, either the Kodax or Vorgaan he'd encountered on Corona Magna.

All around him was the chaos of war, of hacking, stabbing, and killing. It was flatland warfare, alien to Shardak's eyes, fought on Rahi mounts and long spears, rather than the hand to hand, hit-and-run combat that was favored in the Fells. The sheer scale of the battle at Anshan made the Battle of Corona Magna and the Ix ambush in the Fells look small in comparison.

"It's even worse, at Iskar," Nighwatcher had said, seeing Shardak's stunned reaction. "And an assault on Media will be even harder. Ecbatana's never been taken, not by assault, not by an invading army, not even by the Ix."

The battle for Anshan, initially designed to be a seige, had intensified into open battle. The Ix had struck without warning, decimating many of the large seige engines before the Resistance could mount an organized counterattack. However, the Resistance had gathered their forces and, rather than continue the siege, openly attacked the city.

While Shardak stood with Nightwatcher and several Illierans, rarely did any of of the Ix made it close enough to Shardak to be worried. It had been one of Iskandar's conditions that Shardak remained under heavy protection.

"We're fighting for our lives here." the Illieran lord had said. "And while I will not prevent you from going to Anshan, I must keep you under heavy guard. Nightwatcher and two elite Illieran commanders will serve as your protection."

Shardak had agreed, biting back resentment. He hadn't seen them do the same to Valkyria. She'd been immediately led away by two Illierans to be evaluated for combat, then sent to Anshan. The same with almost every soldier. But Shardak could not fight on the front lines where he knew his friend was now, where even now an Ix could kill her. He would have considered trying to escape from his bodyguards, but since Nightwatcher was among them, he didn't dare try.

"Are we winning?" asked Shardak, as Nightwatcher pulled back to stand alongside Shardak, leaving the Illierans to deal with a group of enemy Glatorian pikemen.

"Difficult to say, really." said Nightwatcher. "On one hand, we're probably going to take the city. On the other, that will give us a direct pathway into Media, and the Ix won't give us a chance to penetrate the heart of their territory so easily. So they'll probably bring in reinforcements."

Shardak knew that, tactically, it was the best thing to do, but tactics didn't seem to matter to Vahrikaan. He'd allowed the Resistance to challenge his rule for years simply to gather all of his enemies into one place. And, despite the fact that Shardak was sure he could, Vahrikaan had not, as of yet, taken over full rule of the Ix empire, nor had he ordered his massive army on Var'kala to attack New Metru Nui or the Fells.

''What does Vahrikaan want? If he wants me to be removed as a threat to his power, why hasn't he made any major effort to eliminate me?''

Shardak didn't know what Vahrikaan was planning, but knew Vahrikaan to be the consummate strategist: his every setback was a gain, every gamble merely presenting another way he could win. Confronting him would be a daunting task one that would cost him his life.

The Spirit Toa cannot survive.

Then there was all of that about the end of time, and what Iskandar had told him about Arcturas. While Shardak understood why Iskandar had wanted to share him how Vahrikaan had been defeated— the Annulus had been shattered. But that had been before the Ancient's safeguards on the Annulus had been destroyed. How Arcturas had managed to avoid them without destroying them, and simultaneously free—

Shardak barely had time to think about this before the reality of the battle returned. Nightwatcher was watching the battle, a satisfied expression on his face as he watched the Resistance slowly drive the Limiters back toward the city.

Suddenly there was a flash of steel, and Shardak saw a cheer rise up from the massed ranks of imperial defenders. The Limiters, who had remained silent, suddenly renewed their attack.

"What is it?" he asked Nightwatcher.

"Reinforcements. Several hundred Limiters." said Nightwatcher. "They've prolonged things, that's all. Anshan's going to fall, it's only a matter of time." he said, seeing Shardak's expression. "However, you might see some real combat."

"Can I go onto the front now?" he asked, anxious and worried. He'd seen no sign of Valkyria during the battle, nor any indication that she was still alive.

"No," said Nightwatcher. "You're staying with me. You're too valuable to risk in pointless combat, especially a battle that's already won."

Shardak, Nighwatcher, and the Illierans watched as the Limiters began to force the Resistance line back slowly. The ranks gave way slowly at first, then began to fall back at the ferocity of the Ix's assault. More Limiters attacked from both sides while the bulk of the Imperial army renewed the attack on the Resistance's front line, charging over the fallen forms of the dead.

At first, Shardak thought the Resistance would rally and continue to hold, but as the Ix began to force the Resistance closer to the second rank, Nightwatcher's expression began to grow slightly worried and steadily more grim.

"I'm going in," he said, as the Resistance began a panicked retreat. "The Limiters seem to number quite a few more than we originally thought. We have to stop them now. Watch him," he ordered the Illierans.

Iskandar's royal guards nodded, then they and Shardak turned their attention back to the battle. As he watched, Shardak noticed something strange. The Limiter front rank, while it was quite large, had very little backup. Indeed, the vast majority of the army was massed behind the Limiters, only creating the illusion of hundreds more Ix.

The only real reinforcements are the Limiters attacking at the sides, said Shardak. ''It's all psychological. We still outnumber them. Our entire front rank's going to be slaughtered for nothing.''

Nightwatcher was gone. Valkyria was still out there. He needed to strike now. As the Ix charged ever closer and the Illieran royal guard's attention was turned from him and onto the battle, it was easy for Shardak to slip away from them and into the battle.

The moment he charged toward the Limiters, the Blade of Arcturas raised, the world began to grow red around him. He slammed into the nearest Ix soldier, cutting him to the ground. A second Ix immediately rose to take his place, and Shardak ran him through before charging toward another. An Ix slashed him with a scythe across the thigh, but Shardak barely noticed, parrying another Limiter's thrust and, after knocking him back into another Ix by manipulating his aura, charged onto the front rank, fighting alongside several Glatorian who were being attacked by an even larger group of Limiters.

"The Spirit Toa!" yelled one of the Ix in surprise, even as Shardak was raising the Blade of Arcturas for a final blow. At his cry, the Ix mobilized, charging with new resolve toward them. Shardak felt terror race through him as the Ix bore down on them, terror that was suddenly quenched by the fires of the Blade of Arcturas.

''I will lead you to victory. ''The sword promised. You cannot fail.

Emboldened, Shardak charged toward the Ix to meet them, following the front rank of the rebel army. Shardak spotted Nightwatcher, and the bounty hunter's eyes widened in surprise. "What are you doing here?" he yelled over the clash of steel on steel.

"I saw the Ix 'reinforcements' where mostly an illusion," said Shardak, feeling the Blade of Arcturas burn in his hands as it drew close to Nightwatcher's sword, Aquaros. "So I decided we should try a little psychological warfare of our own."

Suddenly Nightwatcher pointed Aquaros directly at him. Elemental water laced with shadow flashed from the tip of the weapon. Shocked, Shardak realized he had no time to dodge, that Nightwatcher had aimed to kill, that within seconds he would be dead—

—The enemy Limiter standing behind Shardak fell to the ground, dead. The massive scythe fell from his hands.

"You need to pay more attention to your surroundings," said Nightwatcher. He said nothing more, but turned calmly back to face a Limiter, dispatching him with ease. Nightwatcher was an extremely skilled fighter, flowing from one combat form to the other with complete ease. No Imperial soldier, Limiter or not, could stand before him and live. Every strike of Aquaros signaled the death of another enemy.

Shardak looked around the battlefield for Valkyria. It was impossible, however, to make out anything beyond his narrow range of vision before another group of Ix charged toward him. Shardak slashed one to the ground, then another fell as well to an Illieran's sword. Shardak felt the Blade of Arcturas begin to assert control, and Shardak, unable to rein it in and also focus on defending himself, allowed it free reign, allowing it to slash, stab, hack, slice, and kill every Ix that attacked him. However, it became apparent quickly to Shardak that he had to try to control the Blade, or he would be killed. The Limiters, while slower than the Blade, where still fast, and several of them dealt him wounds which would have normally slowed him down.

With an effort of will, Shardak brought the Blade back under control. He saw Valkyria was fighting a Limiter, directly ahead of him. She was wounded slightly, but was holding her own.

For a few moments, Shardak wondered where the rest of the Resistance army was. Then he heard them yelling warnings to him, telling him to retreat. Shardak looked around him, seeing only several Limiters. He could defeat them, and the Resistance would—

Then he saw the Vorgaan.

The beings had appeared without warning, their invisible auras allowing them to avoid detection by even Valkyria. However, Shardak wouldn't have sensed them even if they'd had a presence in the aura field, so distracted was he by the battle. In addition, several elite Ix warriors, Limiters in black armor, had melted out of the darkness to surround them.

He and Valkyria were surrounded.

Time seemed to slow as Shardak stared into the Vorgaan's dead, pitiless eyes. All of the wild, maniac energy that the Blade of Arcturas had poured into him seemed to drain from his limbs as quickly as it had come as the Vorgaan charged toward him, their spears stabbing out from behind their shields.

There were about sixteen total, all of them closing in around Shardak and Valkyria. Shardak raised the Blade of Arcturas, charging toward one of the Vorgaan, but their fighting style was completely alien to them. Unlike the Limiters, the Vorgaan did not use any style recognizable as a combat form, but used their shields for cover as they speared out with the long pikes. Their shields, large and made of iron, prevented his and Valkyria's shorter weapons from hitting the Vorgaan easily, and the Vorgaan's spears would skewer them before they even got close.

Shardak saw Nightwatcher was fighting his way through the massed ranks of Limiters, trying to reach him in time. Valkyria was still fighting the Vorgaan and had killed one with a throwing dagger, but the others were surrounding her. She was fast, faster than they, but the Vorgaan had the advantage of numbers. As for himself, Shardak could barely move without facing another Vorgaan with a spear.

"We have been hunting you far too long, Spirit Toa." hissed one of the Vorgaan, speaking for the first time. He was wearing ornate green and cold armor and a demonic, lacquered helmet. Two dark eyes were visible beneath slitted eye slots. "But it seems that this game is over, no? Lord Vahrikaan wishes to see you in person."

"I—" Shardak began, but words failed him as the Vorgaan spoke the last sentance. In his heart of hearts, he'd known when they hadn't encountered Vahrikaan in the Void, that the Dark Lord had risen. The appearance of Var'kala had confirmed it. But Shardak had yet to have heard the words spoken from an enemy's mouth. Until now.

"Ah, yes. When you know of his true plan, you will scream in terror as you realize the impotence of your Resistance. All you are doing is slowing the inevitable, fighting your own fate."

The Spirit Toa cannot survive.

"We'll end your life, however. The Dark Lord is only too happy to let us finish you off once you have done his bidding. A true fulfillment to the Prophecy." said the Vorgaan, satisfaction audible in his voice. "But for now, you still have work to do."

"I will not serve Vahrikaan!" snarled Shardak. "Nor will any of us!"

"Yes, you will." said the Vorgaan. "When you realize the truth, you will know that there is nothing you can do other than serve. You, the Spirit Toa, are useful to us. However, your allies are not."

Shardak looked around wildly, and saw that Nightwatcher and Valkyria had been surrounded by Vorgaan. Both were still fighting, but the Limiters had surrounded them.

It was all a trap. Shardak remembered what Iskandar had said, about why he'd been protected by the Illieran guards, but then realized exactly what had happened.

"Valkyria!" he yelled, watching as the Limiters bore down on her. But there was nothing he could do to help them. They were too far away.

Nevertheless he charged. Toward the Limiters, toward the Vorgaan. But he was too slow, too weak. The Blade of Arcturas was no longer a burning brand of pure energy, but a dead weight in his hands. As he stood and faced the massed armies of Vorgaan, Shardak saw another being, cloaked like an Ix lord, standing in their midst. One hand was wrapped around a dagger-scythe, but it was the other hand that held his attention.

It was pale white, and completely skeletal.

The Vorgaan leader's eyes flashed with satisfaction as Shardak charged. Then, nothing more than a blur to Shardak's tired eyes, he struck. Shardak crumpled to the ground, and blackness closed in around him.

Chapter 6
It was dark when Shardak awoke. He was lying under an open sky, several stars burning above him. He could see the distant blue shape of Noctxia Magna and the craggy gray surface of Calos as well. But he barely stared at the skies for more than a second. He realized he was bound hightly in some type of metal he didn't recognize, and that the beings that had bound him were standing all around him. Shardak stared at a tall Vorgaan in green armor, who was talking in a language he'd heard once before, on Corona Magna.

The Order had been on Xaterex all along, and they'd succeeded in capturing him.

Shardak cursed inwardly as one of the Vorgaan, seeing he'd awoken, barked at him to stand up and continue walking. Surrounded by several elite Ix and fourteen or so Vorgaan spearmen, Shardak was powerless to escape.

"Where am I?" he asked. "Where are you taking me?"

"We're in Media," answered Valkyria. Shardak turned to face her, and saw she was slightly bloodied, and had a long gash on her shoulder where a Vorgaan spear had struck her. Nightwatcher was there was well, much more wounded. It seemed that the Vorgaan had literally had to batter him into submission in order for him to surrender. Shardak was surprised they'd even taken him alive. "They're—"

"Silence!" snarled a cloaked Ix. Seeing him, Shardak suddenly remembered the being he'd seen, the being with a single skeletal hand. He didn't seem to be here, however, or if he was, Shardak didn't see him. They were no longer in the flatlands, but obviously deep within Media. Unlike the Fells, which were mostly forested and with Veythari cities scattered few and far between, Media was a massive military complex. As they walked silently through the gray hills, Shardak passed many towns, all of them guarded heavily by Ix Limiters.

''The Resistance can't face all of this. And they're going to invade the Fells once they crush Akkad. ''Shardak thought. And they plan to assault Media after they're finished with Anshan.

Shardak cursed himself again. He should have listened to Nightwatcher, and not joined the battle. Because he'd chosen to join the attack, just as the Order's forces had known he would, he'd been captured by the Ix. And it was easy to guess what would happen next. They would bring him before Vahrikaan and he would die, as the Prophecy had foretold.

''But it says I have to 'cut the bonds that bind the dark to life' first. ''Thought Shardak. ''And I haven't completed that, or found the three other Elemental Swords. ''

"The Spirit Toa, Valkyria Rhai, and the traitor Toa Nightwatcher." the Vorgaan gloated to Nightwatcher. "Three known Resistance warriors, all captured easily. Just as Vahrikaan said they would be."

Shardak waited for Nightwatcher's reaction, but to his surprise the bounty hunter remained extraordinarily calm. "Oh, we were caught easily." he said. "But you've been caught even easier."

"What?" asked the Vorgaan, suddenly alert. "What do you mean?"

"I meant exactly what I said," said Nightwatcher. "If you'd had more Ix with you, I doubt they'd even have gotten away with it, but it seems that your Limiters have not been as entirely skilled as usual."

The Vorgaan commander turned and snapped at the Limiter standing next to him. "What does he mean? Are there Resistance troops in the area?"

"No," said the Limiter, confused. "The last outpost we've passed is one commanded by my own people. There are Ix following us, but they're—"

"No!" hissed the Vorgaan, the truth seeming to dawn on him. Shardak was still confused, but Nightwatcher was still smirking, and comprehension seemed to be dawning on Valkyria. Shardak felt her aura touch his. Search the aura field.

Shardak reached out for the first time, and sensed more Ix hidden in the shadows of the small forest they were passing through. Like all Ix, their auras were hidden. But, unlike the Ix from the Order and the Vorgaan, their presence in the aura field did not have the Mark of Vahrikaan branded on it. They were normal Ix soldiers. For a moment, Shardak was disappointed, but then he felt a familiar presence in the aura field touch his.

''Kalix? ''He thought, registering surprise in the aura field. He'd thought the Limiter, who a traitor to the Ix Empire and Vahrikaan's Order, to have died along with Fairon and Luxa.

All around him, the Limiters from the Order had begun to realize the truth. When Kalix's Limiters had been cloaked, they hadn't been able to tell the difference in the field between allies and enemies. But now they'd felt Kalix in the aura field. Skilled aura users, the Limiters had somehow detected his allegiance, because they yelled. "Enemies! Traitorous Ix!"

The Vorgaan whirled around. "How many?" he snarled. "When we come before Lord Vahrikaan, I shall personally have him punish you for incompetence!"

The Limiter was about to answer when Kalix and the hidden Ix soldiers charged into the battle. Shardak realized how cunning they'd been, disabling the sentries that the Ix had posted surrounding their traveling party and replacing them with their own men. It was then that Shardak realized that he still stood a chance of survival.

"Get to the Spirit Toa!" ordered the Vorgaan leader as he charged to meet the Limiters. "Threaten to kill him if they attempt to free any of the prisoners!"

Before his soldiers could react to his commands, arrows flew from the darkness, striking several Vorgaan dead-on with bloody, messy precision. They fell to the ground, even as Kalix's own soldiers charged into battle. Several Vorgaan obeyed their leader's orders and charged toward Shardak, but Kalix's archers felled them before they drew near.

Shardak tried to use his aura to break the chains that bound him, but found to his frustration they wouldn't snap. Nightwatcher was suffering from the same problem. "They're bound." he called to Shardak over the sounds of battle. "They're unresponsive to most Elements." he said, seeing Shardak's confusion. "We'll be fine. Kalix planned this perfectly."

The Vorgaan leader was fighting for his life now, surrounded by three Ix Limiters. At first, the enemy Ix seemed to have an edge, but the archers who supported Kalix's Limiters tipped the balance quickly in favor of the attackers. Alone, surrounded by Ix, the Vorgaan was slashed to the ground, mortally wounded.

Kalix was running toward Shardak, concern evident in his eyes. The Limiter touched the cuffs, trying to snap them with his aura, and then, when he realized they were bound, instead barked an order in Ix to a Limiter. A few moments later, the Limiter appeared out of the shadows and handed a single key to Kalix. Kalix unlocked Shardak's cuffs, then did the same to Valkyria and Nightwatcher.

Shardak opened his mouth to thank Kalix, but the Limiter cut him off.

"Come." hissed Kalix. "There are enemies everywhere. We've taken out all of the Limiter sentries, but there are Ix everywhere. I want a complete explanation the moment we're back at my camp."

Shardak did not hesitate. While he was usually loath to trust the word of an Ix, Kalix and these Limiters had just saved his life, and Atarus had trusted Kalix. Kalix hissed another order to his Limiters, and they turned and raced into the forest, their camouflaged armor allowing them to blend perfectly with the forest. Shardak, Nightwatcher, and Valkyria followed the Limiters into the forest.

In his heavy battle armor, designed for frontline combat, Shardak had a difficult time keeping pace with the Ix soldiers. Nightwatcher, who wore even heavier armor, was actually faster than he was, and Valkyria, though also dressed in full combat gear, could easily keep pace with the Ix warriors.

Kalix eventually stopped in the middle of a barren, empty clearing beneath the taller mountains of Media. Shardak stared at the larger cities in the distance and knew that, somewhere among the mountains lay the Ix heartland, Ecbatana and Drakos Capitol. The heartland that the Resistance was to subdue if they were to win the war.

"Here," said Kalix, gesturing the the small cavern that led slowly downward. The Limiter gave a thin smile. "One of my little hideouts in Media." he said. "It's perfectly safe."

Kalix gave several other orders to the Limiters that Shardak didn't understand, and most of them vanished into the forest, leaving only Kalix, Shardak, Valkyria, Nightwatcher, and two other Limiters.

"I see you do indeed have more followers," said Nightwatcher, eyeing the Ix.

"I told you there were other Ix who think like I do. Who believe that Vahrikaan— and the current war— must be stopped at all costs." said Kalix.

Nightwatcher nodded in acknowledgement. "So I see."

"So, what brings you to Media?" asked Kalix. "I confess, to see you captured by Vorgaan, Shardak, and you Nightwatcher, was rather shocking. But when my Limiter warriors reported your position to me, I had to follow. How were you captured?"

"Someone decided to rush into the middle of the battle at Anshan, and I had to go after him," said Nightwatcher, looking pointedly at Shardak. "But there were Vorgaan hidden among the Ix, and ambushed us when they recognized the Spirit Toa. Fortunately they weren't very well prepared, they'd obviously not expected to find Shardak there. It seems they were acting under Vahrikaan's orders, but they seemed rather disorganized for beings entrusted by the Dark Lord himself to capture Shardak."

"It confuses me as well," said Kalix. "Why didn't they take half the army away from Anshan to escort Shardak, instead of several Limiters and fourteen Vorgaan? Vahrikaan doesn't care about losing his cities, and if he'd captured Shardak, he'd have won the war."

"They were rather disorganized," said Shardak. "Maybe Vahrikaan made a mistake?" The thought didn't give him much hope or comfort. Vahrikaan had been trapped for thousands of years in the Annulus, and had manipulated countless beings in a millennia- long plan that had ended in his freedom. It was highly unlikely that Vahrikaan had made a simple oversight and Shardak had escaped because of it.

"No. But I'd like to know why, if Vahrikaan is desperate to capture you, why the Vorgaan were less prepared," said Kalix.

"As would I," concurred Nightwatcher. "Now, Kalix, how did you survive? We were told you'd been killed."

"There was an attack," said Kalix. "But not by Vahrikaan's agents, or by Ix. Otherwise I would be dead. We sealed off the Void entrance, as planned. However, as we were readying to leave the arena by starcraft when cloaked beings attacked us. They used some type of device to render us unconscious. When I awoke both of the Glatorian guards were dead, I was badly wounded, and Fairon and Luxa were gone."

"Do you think they could have escaped?" asked Shardak. He'd barely known Luxa, but she'd been one of the Resistance's greatest allies and supporters, and he hoped desperately that Fairon was still alive.

"It's possible," said Kalix, but Shardak could sense doubt in his voice. "If anything, they were captured by some unknown foe. It's probably better to hope that they died quickly."

Shardak nodded. He'd expected nothing more, though it was still hard to accept. He couldn't dwell on it now, however. ''Focus on your mission. Focus on the Prophecy. ''

"Then you went to Media after Vahrikaan's rising." Nightwatcher surmised. "Why? Why go into the heartland of your enemies?"

"Because of the Sword of Earth," said Kalix. "Because of the Prophecy of Time."

As Kalix said those words, Shardak felt a chill run down his spine. The words of the Prophecy, the words that spelled his death, still didn't feel real to him.

"The Sword of Earth?" asked Nightwatcher, raising Aquaros almost instinctively. Shardak felt the Blade of Arcturas burn in his hands as it sensed the presence of its twin weapon. "What does that have to do with the Prophecy?"

"The line about the 'four swords uniting'." said Kalix. "What other weapons could they refer to, other than the four Swords of Elemental Power? Two of them are here, something that hasn't happened in years. And two of them were present during the battle in the Fells, the Swords of Air and Fire."

"Isidar?" asked Nightwatcher. "Luxa had it, didn't she?"

"Yes," said Kalix. "It's disappeared, along with her. What happened to it is a mystery. As far as my spies within the Empire know, it's not in possesstion of the Ix. However, not many Ix know what's really going on in the Empire now. If Vahrikaan wins the war, I shudder to think what would become of this world."

"Atarus and Iskandar think that Vahrikaan is searching for the Sword of Time," said Shardak. "That Vahrikaan is trying to gather all four weapons and unite them into one blade so he could gain limited powers over time."

"Limited?" said Kalix. "Maybe for a being like you, or even Nightwatcher, but for Lord Vahrikaan? It would be catastrophic. It's highly likely, and it makes sense," he added grimly. "The four swords have not been gathered in one place for millennia, not since the very dawn of the ancient Forerunners themselves. Even the Elementals and Great Beings never united the swords, even at the height of their power.

"But in recent years, the swords have been drawing closer together," continued Kalix. "Luxa brought Isidar from Calos to Xaterex, you, Nightwatcher, brought the Sword of Water with you here. And, of course, Arcturas' son carries his father's blade."

Something about the scornful way he said it made Shardak ask, on impulse. "You where there? You knew him?"

"Only distantly," said Kalix. "He was a hero to the Ix, until he betrayed them and Vahrikaan. I have on good authority that he was never the same after he touched the Sword of Fire. It has a long, bloody history, and it is said that once the sword is drawn, it cannot be satiated until it has drawn the blood of something, even if the wielder must cut himself to satisfy it."

Shardak didn't believe all of what Kalix had said, but, staring at the peerless, blood-colored crimson blade of the longsword, he could feel its hunger. Shardak thought back to the battle in the flatlands against the Limiters, and remembered how powerful the sword had been.

"So it is with all of the Elemental weapons. They all are powerful, almost vampiric in nature. But it goes both ways. The swords take on attributes of their wielder. Thus Aquaros contains parts of Nightwatcher's personality, your sword some of Arcturas', and Isidar some of Luxa's. Great events in the sword's history also shape the weapons' alignment. Isidar brought down the Mindeater Empire in the hands of a resistance army, Aquaros and the Sword of Fire were wielded in the distant past by the Ancients, and during the time of Arcaea by Elementals."

"And what of the Sword of Earth?" asked Shardak. "What history does it have?"

"Very little," said Kalix. He looked surprised. "Have you never heard the Legend of the Lost Sword of Earth?"

"No," said Shardak. He remembered another time, a few months ago, when his friend, the late Glatorian Flardrek, asked him if he knew of the Legend of Vahrikaan. Arcturas had not told legends to Shardak and Nightshade, he'd been far more concerned with keeping them alive.

Or so he'd always said. The more Shardak heard of Arcturas' role in the creation of the Order alongside beings such as Skorpix and the Hooded One, the more he mistrusted everything Arcturas had told him. He wondered if the real reason Arcturas had never spoken about the ancient legends was because of the truths they contained; truths that he'd unleashed upon the world during the Fall.

"The Sword of Earth, unlike the other three Elemental weapons, has very little history to speak of after the Mindeater War," said Valkyria.

"It is said that during the war with the Mindeaters that the great lord of that Empire weilded it against Isidar." said Kalix. "But afterword it seems to have disappeared completely from history. As far as we know, it did not see action during the Fall. As far as we know, it has not been discovered since, leading some to believe it was destroyed when Arcaea collapsed."

Nightwatcher looked skeptical. "It'd take a lot more than that to destroy one of these. Like the Shadovar device, they're even older than the Ancients themselves."

"Exactly," Kalix agreed. "I don't believe it was destroyed during the Fall. But it was lost, thousands of years ago, and has not been seen since."

"But you know where it is. Or the Ix do," said Nightwatcher.

It was a statement, not a question. Shardak, Nightwatcher, and Valkyria could all feel Kalix's presence in the aura field; they knew that Kalix would not mention the Sword of Earth if he wasn't sure he'd found the location.

"Yes," said Kalix. "I know where it is, and what the Ix's plans are for the Resistance. There is a reason why they aren't overly concerned about Shardak escaping."

"Why?" asked Shardak. "Does Vahrikaan have Isidar? If his goal is to find the Sword of Time, why—"

"Perhaps his goal is to find the Sword of Time," said Kalix. "And what I've found confirms that it is, indeed, one of his goals. But Vahrikaan is preparing another scheme as well, and the Sword of Earth might be the only way we can stop him."

"I have to get back to the Resistance, then." said Shardak. "They have enough forces to attack Media and find the Sword."

"In a few days, there will be no Resistance left to save," said Kalix.

Kalix's words, spoken with such gravity, took a moment to sink in. "What?" Shardak asked. For a moment, he thought Kalix must have been joking. The Resistance had come to far, all the way to the edge of Media, to fail now. "I thought Vahrikaan was content to wait for us to come to him. He's planning an offensive?"

"Not an offensive. A trap. A trap planned by the Ix that will crush the Resistance completely and making it truly impossible to capture Ecbatana or Drakos Capitol."

Shardak remembered the diagram Iskandar had shown him, with the black Ix armies grouped heavily in Median territory. If they grouped their entire army at the edge of Media, they could probably fight the rebel armies to a draw. But to destroy them? They didn't have enough forces, not unless they brought more Order troops in from Var'kala or Calos, or decided to bring in more Ix elite from Drakos.

"I have on good authority that the Empire, reinforced by Order troops, is gathering at the edge of Media to fight the rebels to a draw. Once they've destroyed the Resistance's main offensive army, the Resistance will withdraw to New Metru Nui, only to find their communications with the Fells disrupted. Once the Ix are done in Akkad, they'll take back the northern flatlands, then move on the Fells."

Shardak's worst fears were confirmed. Not only was their Akkadian ally doomed, the Fells themselves were going to be invaded by Ix. It was horribly simple, but was also a perfect plan. It would force the Resistance to choose between pressing on with the invasion or falling back to help the Fells. And by the time the rebel army had been crushed in Media, it would be highly unlikely that either strategem would succeed.

"How can we stop them?" asked Shardak. "With the Ignika?" he asked.

"No," said Kalix, surprising them. "That Kanohi was once powerful, but due to what Arcturas did to it, it's worse than useless."

"What did Arcturas do to it?" asked Shardak. "Is that why I can't access the Kanohi's power?" He knew that the Ix had destroyed most Kanohi during the Fall, and as a result his Toa friends Fairon and Jareroden had to wear less powerful Noble masks as a result, but surely Arcturas could not have robbed the Mask of Life of its powers?

"If you ever tried to harness the Ignika's power, you'd probably kill yourself," said Nightwatcher. "And then you'd be useless as well. But yes, Arcturas, when he wore the Mask, would drain power from it to fuel his own abilities. However, the Mask would have eventually recovered, were it not for what Arcturas did by somehow stealing its powers."

"He stole the powers? Then they died with him?"

"No," it was Kalix who answered. "You can't take the full power of a Kanohi into your body. It is a skill beyond that of the most powerful aura users, even Vahrikaan could not absorb the full power of a legendary Kanohi such as the Mask of Life. If Arcturas could have done that without destroying himself completely by unleashing the Mask's power, he would have been able to bring back Vahrikaan and never lose a single bit of elemental power. He would be immortal and powerful beyond even the strength of beings such as the Dark Lord— if he was strong enough to contain the sheer power."

"He probably hid the power of the Mask of Life in another object," said Nightwatcher. "An object so small, so insignificant, that it would have been obscured by, perhaps, an even more powerful aura."

Shardak instincively looked down at the Blade of Arcturas, but Kalix shook his head. "It's not in the Sword of Fire, Shardak. I would be able to tell, and so would you and Valkyria and Nightwatcher. The Sword of Fire, while powerful, does not have the sheer auric energy to conceal a power as great as that as that of the Ignika."

Shardak thought about the time he'd used a damaged Olmak, a mask of Dimensional Gates, to escape Skorpix and the Kodax Mordrax, and remembered how draining it had been on both his aura and his physical body. He knew Kalix was right; he didn't have the power needed to harness the Ignika. Not yet.

''I need to learn the extent of my abilities as Spirit Toa. ''He thought. ''So that when I face Lord Vahrikaan, I'm ready. ''

"And you're sure this intelligence is correct?" asked Nightwatcher tersely.

"Yes," said Kalix without hesititaion. "My allies among the Ix have assured me that if we do not act soon, the Resistance army, once they're finished at Anshan, is doomed. Unless we do something. Something that will change the tide of the war."

"What do you need me to do?" asked Shardak.

"If the Resistance was destroyed, it would not help me fulfill my plans. I need them alive, and I need them to win the war," said Kalix. "I was planning to do this errand myself, but with the Spirit Toa, Valkyria Rhai, and Nightwatcher with me will increase the odds that I find it."

"What is it?" asked Shardak, but even as he asked he knew the answer. "What do you need us to find."

"Steal, actually," said Kalix, almost idly. "I need you to help me steal the Sword of Earth from the Ix. I assure you, this will turn the tide of the war completely."

"And where is it?" asked Valkyria.

"In a city under seige, south of Media" answered Kalix. "In Iskar itself."

''The Elemental swords are powerful and ancient beyond your understanding. ''

Thrazkul's hideous voice rasped in Fairon's ears. He turned to Luxa, who was standing beside him, and saw his terror reflected in her eyes. Thrazkul's psionic touch was no longer mere speach. Every word grated through their minds like a knife in the heart, every syllable felt to Fairon as though Thrazkul was stabbing him through the soul. Thrazkul's sheer might made Fairon and Luxa both look insignificant beyond belief, their minds completely superseded by this ancient, powerful being.

Their intent, their will'', has shaped the lives of hundreds of beings. They have provided much glory in combat, and much shame. For the Tur'aenath, my people, Isidar brought us low. But all of the Elemental weapons have caused all races equal glory and shame, Mindeaters, Toa, and Illierans alike.''

Fairon wanted to scream in pain, to fight, to somehow stop the horrific torment that Thrazkul forced on him. But he could not break free, any more than a small Rahi can escape a massive winged predator. Thrazkul had had years, probably centuries, to hone his intellect, and the aura field was useless against him. His sheer psionic power, pure controlled element, was stronger than any auric attack either he or Luxa could create.

''My people were not Vorgaan, not invaders from beyond this world. ''said Thrazkul. ''Our slaves were happy under our rule. Your distant ancestors owed everything they had to the Tur'aenath, the beings you call Mindeaters. We did not destroy your intellect. We helped you on the path to higher intelligence. But for one rebel and Isidar, we would have remained masters of Xaterex. No empire was greater then ours, save that of Vahrikaan's servants. Xaterex, Penumbra, the Void, and Calos, all held under our eternal dominion.''

They knew nothing other than your tyranny! Fairon could hear Luxa thinking. Somehow Thrazkul had made her thoughts audible to him.

''It is not tyranny if you know nothing more. If you do not know what freedom is, is it a prize to be won? ''asked Thrazkul.

''Yes! ''snarled Luxa.

No. Continued Thrazkul, calm as ever. ''We were your rightful masters. When Lord Vahrikaan reclaims Xaterex he has promised us much, so much more than your insignificant masters could ever give. He has offered us all of your races as our slaves once again, so that you can rebuild Penumbra as the great capitol it once was!''

No! Fairon thought immediately, instinctively.

''Yes. ''said Thrazkul. ''It is a shame you will never know Lord Vahrikaan's true plan...but you will help fulfill it, once your minds are broken. But, as Death has said, you must find the Lost Sword, to make sure his plan is successful.''

''Death? What do you''—

Fairon felt a shiver of apprehension run through him as Thrazkul's psionic might focused itself upon him with deadly intent. And, at that moment, Fairon realized what Thrazkul was about to do. He could feel Thrazkul's psionic power burning intohim and Luxa, readying to break their minds and reduce them to slaves, mere puppets to his will. Even if he saw any of his friends again, it would be on the field of battle, and they would be forced to kill him. Fairon could only hope it would be sooner rather than later.

Fairon could feel his mind was burning. he felt a wave of emotions wash over him, and for a moment he wonderd if this was what Shardak and Valkyria experienced as aura-users. He could feel himself touch Thrazkul's twisted mind, then Luxa's. But he was unable to comprehend anything other than the building pain that Thrazkul was creating.

It would soon be over.

Fairon felt his mind, his soul burn with pain. A scream was torn from him, a horrid, dreadful cry of primeval terror. He could see Luxa was suffering the same torment at Thrazkul's hands.

''Good-bye, my friends. ''said Thrazkul. Take comfort in the fact that your next actions will aid Lord Vahrikaan's plan.

Fairon opened his mouth with an effort of will. He had to speak. Had to make amends, somehow, for the one thing he regretted.

"Luxa," he gasped. She turned and looked at him, her dark eyes burning with pain and fear.

"I'm sorry. About— Arcaea,"

There was no way, no time to say anything more. But Fairon saw a brief flash of acknowledgement in her eyes through the haze of pain. She understood.

And then darkness engulfed him and he thought no more.

Chapter 7
Iskar, besieged by battle-weary Resistance warriors and defended by legions of Ix, was about to break into open battle. Shardak had never seen the endgame of a siege before, the only siege he'd ever witnessed was at Gigas Nui two years ago. He had not fought in the final stages of that battle; he and Valkyria had been sent to Xiost to find the Annulus fragment hidden there.

But now, at the city of Iskar, once one of the greatest Ix cities only surpassed by Ecbatana and Drakos Capitol, the storm was about to break. From his position, safely hidden some distance from the city with Kalix, Nightwatcher, Valkyria, and several Limiters, the massed Resistance forces, composed mainly of Glatorian and Agori warriors led by a small group if Veythari elite looked ready to strike. However, the Ix soldiers guarding the ramparts, while obviously much weakened, were still a lethal threat, and if the attack went poorly, Shardak could easily envision the battle turning in favor of the Ix.

"It's been a long siege," said Kalix. "But we couldn't have chosen better timing. The vast majority of the Ix will be distracted, and we'll be able to slip inside the city."

Shardak looked at Kalix's Limiters. Only three had joined them, but they were the most powerful and elite of Kalix's group of traitors, more skilled in stealth than the average Ix soldier. Their faces were grim but determined.

"If we don't get the Sword of Earth out of here, then the Resistance is certainly doomed," continued Kalix. "With three Elemental swords, it's not unrealistic to think we could turn the tide of the war and force the Ix once again on the defensive. Even if we can't, we can at least prevent the Resistance from being completely annihilated in a trap outside Media."

"If the Ix have the Sword of Earth hidden in there, it's unlikely we'll even get near it." said Nightwatcher.

"Not really," said Kalix. "It's not unlikely, especially under the current circumstances, that we can't infiltrate the very heart of the city. Most of the Ix will be busy responding to the Resistance's attacks on the city to notice us, and even then, they'll just assume we're allies."

Shardak was confused for a moment, then he looked at Valkyria, Kalix, and the Limiters and remembered that the vast majority of his companions were Ix. All of them, including Shardak and Nightwatcher, were wearing Limiter camouflage, standard issue for all Ix soldiers. To the Ix within the city, fighting against the Resistance's assault, they'd only appear suspicious if the Ix had time to look at them closely.

Kalix had explained his plan to Shardak and the others on the four day journey to Iskar. The Resistance was in position to attack Iskar, and had been making slow, tentative assaults at the main Ix force there. While the Ix were occupied fighting off the Resistance, whose attacks were likely to get far more daring within four days, he, Kalix, Valkyria, and Nightwatcher, along with the three Limiters, would slip inside Iskar's defense citadel, where the Ix likely had the Sword of Earth. If all went according to plan, the battle would be enough of a distraction for Shardak and his friends to slip away with the Sword of Earth and rejoin the Resistance.

''If we succeed, we'll have three of the four swords. Three will be enough to ensure that we keep the Sword of Time out of Vahrikaan's hands, and that we'll be able to turn the tide of the war.''

"I'm going to find out when the next attack is planned," said Kalix. "If the Resistance attacks before I return, however, do not wait for me. My Limiters know what to do."

The three other Ix nodded, and Kalix slipped away into the shadows, his camouflaged armor rendering him nearly invisible. Shardak grew impatient as he waited for the Limiter leader to return. However, Valkyria and the Limiters seemed to be in their element. In the Limiter camouflage Valkyria was wearing, Shardak could barely distinguish her from the small, forested grove they hid within.

Shardak forced his aura to remain as calm, small, and unnoticable as he could. Kalix had cautioned him beforehand that it was likely there were some powerful Ix leaders here, and they would be able to sense his distinctive aura over a much greater distance, in the same way Reyna and Nightshade had found them in the Void. Even despite Atarus' training, he hadn't had the time to perfect his skills to the level of Valkyria or the Limiters.

Silent as a wraith, Kalix appeared beside them. "Perfectly timed," the Limiter hissed. "The Resistance forces are ready to attack the city. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a way to get into the city at ground level. The Ix's walls, while damaged, are still intact, and we'd have to wait until the Resistance charges into the city to get in."

"So we're waiting?" asked Shardak.

To his surprise, Valkyria smiled teasingly. "No," she said. "We're just not going to get in through the walls."

Shardak looked up, following her gaze to the top of the ramparts. The Ix defenders were scattered and disorganized, and the ramparts themselves were horribly damaged in several areas. If they could somehow get to the top without being noticed or killed in the crossfire, they'd have a clear way into the city.

"Follow me," ordered Kalix, cutting Shardak off before the Toa had any time to do anything other than open his mouth. Shardak didn't understand how Kalix intended to get them over the ramparts, but even if they got to the top without being noticed, it was still a likely possibility that a boulder from a Rebel seige engine or an Imperial defender would take them out unintentionally.

"How will we mount those?" asked Shardak as they neared the base of the walls. Kalix had been correct; the vast majority of the Ix defenders were occupied fending off the Resistance attackers. Neither the Ix nor the Resistance had seen them approach the wall.

One Limiter stood back from the wall, keeping watch. Shardak guessed he was making sure there were no Ix defenders above the rampart who would notice them. He hissed a single word to Kalix in the Ix language.

"Now!" ordered Kalix. Before Shardak could ask what Kalix intended for him to do, Valkyria whispered, "Use your aura."

Then she jumped, using her aura to defy gravity and leap nearly ten feet into the air with seemingly effortless grace and speed. Like a blur, she reached out and grabbed the edge of one of the lower ramparts, pulling herself onto the ledge. Kalix followed, with the same lithe, easy grace typical of Ix.

Shardak had used his aura as an offensive weapon before, and used it to counter other being's elemental powers. But never before had he used it to counter such a force like gravity, and he hesitated at first. He knew his aura was powerful, but he wasn't nearly as well-trained as Valkyria, Nighwatcher, or the Limiters.

Never hesitate. Shardak could hear Atarus' voice whisper. Hesitate, and you will fail.

Shardak jumped. He could feel the strength of gravity, like a massive weight pressing down on his aura, try to bring him to the ground, but he forced his aura against the inexorable pull. He could see the rampart drawing nearer and near, even as his aura grew weaker and weaker. As he drew level with the rampart he reached out to grab it.

But as he did so, he lost concentration. The auric power he'd been using to thrust himself against the pull flickered and died. Fear exploded within Shardak's mind as he fell downward, as he reached out to grab the rampart. However, he'd misjudged his distance from the wall, and was too far away to get a good hold. His fingers brushed the edge of the wall. Shardak felt a strange pull as he began to fall, and another aura touching his. ''Nightwatcher. ''The Toa of Shadow reached out into the aura field, and pulled Shardak with seemingly effortless ease onto the rampart.

Shardak scrambled to his feet, breathing heavily. Fear still made his heartlight throb faster than it usually did, but one look at the situation at the front gates of the city told Shardak they had to keep moving. This low rampart was mostly abandoned, but the vast majority of the Ix soldiers were on the rampart above them. Kalix barely gave Shardak more than a moment to recover before he jumped into the air once more.

The second jump was much easier for Shardak. Not only was he now more used to the strange feeling and less afraid, there was much less distance to be covered. He pulled himself easily onto the rampart, the sounds of battle ringing in his ears as he stood. Kalix's aura touched Shardak's and the others'— a clear warning to be careful.

The Resistance was now bombarding the rampart, not caring where they aimed. The massive boulders hurled from the catapults slammed into a rampart, killing all of the Ix there. One boulder flew directly above Shardak's head and slammed into an Ix archer charging toward them. The Ix were retaliating now, trying to take out the siege engines, but Shardak could tell they were doomed. The front ramparts would fall, and then the rebels would pour into the city.

"Keep moving!" ordered Kalix. "Stay clear of the defenders, watch out for boulders, and avoid being noticed if possible."

There was no time to respond. Shardak saw the Resistance was charging toward the gates, and the Ix guards there were drawing their swords in preparation for a counterattack. Meanwhile, the Ix had managed to set one of the large seige engines on fire, and the Resistance forces were attempting to quench the blaze before the fire spread to any of the other catapults.

There were several shouts to their right, and the sound of harsh Ix voices, and Shradak saw a large group of Ix charging toward them. Kalix hissed an order to the Limiters. One of them charged toward the Ix soldiers, the others followed Kalix in the opposite direction, deeper into the fighting. Shardak hesitated for a moment, then followed Kalix and the Ix.

There, the Ix on the intact ramparts were sniping at the Resistance attackers, and the Resistance was responding in kind. Boulders and arrows whizzed past Shardak, one grazing his shoulder. Shardak had no time to ask why Kalix had sent the Limiter to attack the much larger group of Ix defenders. Had he sent him to his death, to buy time?

There was no time for him to ask. Several Ix grouped around a damaged ballista had seen them, and two charged toward them, only to meet their ends in two quick, fluid slashes of Kalix's dagger-scythe and Aquaros. Before any of the Ix could move a centimeter or register that their supposed allies had killed two of the defenders, Kalix killed one with a throw of another dagger, and Nightwatcher brought two more down before they could even draw a sword.

Shardak saw the Resistance was still being held off by the Ix defenders, who were fighting to the death to defend their city. Still, it was hopeless. "With any luck, the Ix will buy us a bit more time, and we'll be inside the citadel by the time the real fighting starts." said Kalix. Then he jumped off the rampart— and into the courtyard below, which was swarming with Ix defenders. He used the aura field to slow his descent, and landed on his feet easily.

Shardak saw more defenders were racing toward them. While it was impossible they'd recognized him— he and Nightwatcher were both wearing Limiter armor, and from that distance it was impossible to tell they were Toa— but they must have seen the battle with the four other Ix, because they were shouting and their scythes were drawn, ready to attack.

Shardak turned to left, and saw that the third Limiter had disappeared; Shardak guessed the Ix had killed him, then followed them across the wall. Their shouts were growing louder, but as they neared him, Shardak saw another seige engine ready to hurl another boulder at the ramparts. Valkyria leapt from the rampart, landing easily on her feet. The Ix on the ground barely payed her any attention.

"Jump, Shardak!" ordered Nightwatcher, a note of urgency in his voice that Shardak had rarely heard before. Shardak didn't even dare hesitate. He leapt from the rampart, following Nightwatcher and the other Limiters. Moments after he jumped, the boulder slammed into the rampart he'd been standing on moments before. Stricken Ix tumbled from the walls, landing on the stones below. Even the sound of battle outside the city could not hide the sounds of the sickening snap of the bones of the fallen Ix, or their presence in the aura field contracting sharply and then vanishing altogether.

Shardak examined the city around him. He could see more Ix were rushing toward the gates of the city to join the battle, while the ordinary citizens of the Empire were racing deeper into the city, to seek protection nearer to the heart of Iskar. Most of the taller buildings nearest to the north wall had been destroyed by Resistance seige engines, but the defense citadel still stood.

''Run to the citadel. ''Shardak could "hear" Kalix saying in the aura field. ''We have to move fast. The Ix are weakening faster than I expected. In a few minutes, the Resistance will be inside the city.''

Shardak raced through the streets of Iskar, following Valkyria and Kalix. He couldn't make out Nightwatcher or any of the other Limiters in the chaos, but was sure they, too, were following.

Reaching the citadel was fairly easy. No Ix dared halt their path, and most were too preoccupied to even notice them. The gates of the citadel were guarded by a patrol of six elite Ix warriors, carrying stabbing spears. Kalix spoke to them in Ix for a few moments, and the guards immediately stepped aside, clearing their path into the citadel.

The entrance room of the defense citadel was ominously empty. Shardak would have expected, given the situation outside in the city, that the Ix would have been pulling as many reinforcements into the citadel for a final stand if the Resistance overwhelmed the defenders. Shardak saw Nightwatcher and the two remaining Limiter defectors appear from the shadows. He guessed the third had been killed during the battle on the walls.

Suddenly shouts rang out from outside the citadel. Shardak heard screams of "They're inside the city!" and "Attack!" and knew immediately what must have happened.

"We don't have much time," said Kalix. Suddenly the citadel was alive with a multitude of Ix warriors, charging past them. No one payed the five "Limiters" any attention as they raced through the citadel, searching for any sign of the Sword of Earth.

"I'll ask the next Ix we run into," said Kalix. "They probably know that it's here, and even if they don't, they can direct us to their commanding officer, who will."

Shardak nodded, turning down another passageway. However, he felt slightly uneasy, for reasons he couldn't explain. The aura field—

Six Ix suddenly appeared before him. All wore hooded cloaks, and carried spears. One pointed a spear at his throat, another at Kalix. "They're here!" yelled one. "The Spirit Toa and his friends! We've found them!" To Shardak's surprise, they didn't even seem surprised. It was as though—

They'd known we'd be there all along.

Shardak had no time to think, only to act. He staggered backward, out of reach of the spear, and pulled the Blade of Arcturas from its sheath. He raised it to counter the spear, and the enemy Ix was forced back a step. Kalix threw a dagger at an enemy Ix, and the weapon buried itself in his chest. Valkyria had raised her scimitar, Silverblade, and stabbed one Ix in the shoulder, but one of the Limiters had not been so lucky and had been speared in the thigh.

The Ix were momentarily surprised, but the five remaining cloaked beings recovered quickly, slashing out at Kalix and causing him to stagger backward, blood seeping through his Limiter camouflage. Kalix raised his long scythe and hurled it at the attacking Ix head-on. The Ix, not expecting such a ploy, didn't move fast enough to block the weapon and it buried itself in his throat.

Almost immediately another took his place. Kalix drew two throwing daggers in preparation to hold him off, but Nightwatcher, who had already dispatched his opponent, brought Aquaros down on the Ix's back before he could attack Kalix.

Seeing the tide turn against his allies, the cloaked Ix fighting Shardak was momentarily distracted. Shardak wasted no time, but lunged forward and ran the Ix through. As he collapsed, Valkyria dispatched the remaining Ix warrior, and, hearing the footsteps of more attackers, all of them raced down the passageway.

An Ix Limiter leapt from the shadows, his dagger-scythe poised to strike Shardak. However, before Shardak could react, One of his allied Limiter's daggers brought down the attacker. More Ix seemed to appear from all sides, but Nightwatcher and Kalix formed an unstoppable barrier of force that cut down five Ix attackers systematically.

But Shardak knew that unless they could lose their pursuers, they were doomed. Too many Ix were closing in from all sides, and all of them were skilled warriors. Kalix's two Limiters were both wounded, and Kalix's own reflexes were growing slower with each enemy Ix he dispatched. As another Limiter charged toward them, he slashed downward with his dagger, slipping the blade beneath Kalix's guard.

Before Shardak had time to register what had happened, Kalix's sword had severed the Limiter's hand, and the Limiter's dagger had wounded Kalix's side. This was a far more serious wound then his previous injuries, but Kalix ignored it for a moment as he lunged toward the Limiter that had wounded him, his sword spearing the attacker through the heart. However, the Ix knew they'd wounded one of the two most powerful of the attackers badly, and more of them closed in. Shardak saw Valkyria and the two Limiters were being attacked by more Ix, which had seemingly appeared from the darkness behind them.

Shardak raised the Blade of Arcturas and prepared to fight to the death, knowing that if the Ix were allowed to capture him alive they would bring him to Lord Vahrikaan.

"You are surrounded," hissed a new voice. Shardak turned, horrified, as more beings stepped from the shadows.

But they were not Ix.

Two Vorgaan, invisible in the aura field save the distinguishing darkness of the Mark of Vahrikaan, seemed to appear in front of Shardak, their yellow-green eyes fixed on Shardak balefully. However, it was not they who held Shardak's attention, they who made Shardak's heart freeze with fear.

It was Skorpix, the Supreme Commander of the Ix and the Hooded One— Eostra's— deputy. His slitted red eyes burned with satisfaction as they locked on Shardak, the satisfaction of a Visorak as it closed in on its helpless kill.

"Hello again, Spirit Toa," said Skorpix. More beings appeared behind him, all of them elite Ix Limiters. "Looking for this?"

The Elemental raised a sword, pointing it at Shardak. Shardak gasped in shock. It was not the Sword of Earth. Skorpix was holding Isidar, Luxa's sword. It was impossible to read Skorpix's expression beneath his skull-like mask, but Shardak could tell the Ix Lord was smiling. In his other hand Skorpix carried his usual silver scythe. "And greetings to you as well, Kalix, Nightwatcher, and Valkyria Rhai." he said to them. He seemed in no hurry to finish them off, not while Ix were pouring in around them from all sides.

"Where did you find Isidar?" asked Shardak, his voice shaking. Seeing Skorpix holding Isidar had confirmed his worst fears. They'd been chasing the wrong Elemental sword, and Luxa and Fairon had been captured or killed by Ix. "Did—"

"Finding Isidar was an easy matter," said Skorpix. "However, finding what you were truly searching for, now that was much more difficult."

"You have the Sword of Earth, then?" asked Shardak Dread slithered down the Toa's spine. If they had two Elemental swords—

"Of course," said Skorpix. "Did you really believe we had it here, though? In a city under siege, rather than Ecbatana itself?" He laughed coldly. "Of course, this is the last city the Resistance will ever attack."

The way he said it, with such horrible finality, made Shardak hesitate for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"Remember when I met you in the Earth Kingdom of Arcaea?" asked Skorpix. "In one of the last remaining remnants of the ancient realm, I told you the truth about your father. And I told you how we, the Empire, would make things right. This city, Iskar, was defended well, and it cost the Resistance many lives to attack. However, compared to the army that is descending upon the city as we speak, the Resistance's force is nothing. Insignificant. Soon to be destroyed. And when we are finished there, we will move on to New Metru Nui. With our combined forces, it will be easy to devastate Akkad, then the Fells."

"No!" yelled Shardak. The Blade of Arcturas burned in the presence of Isidar, burning with the heat of anger and fear. It was whispering promises of victory, but Shardak knew that Isidar was doing the same to Skorpix. He dared not attack, for he knew the moment he charged forward he would be impaled on the Ix's scythes.

"Now the Shattering begins with the capture of the Spirit Toa— and the destruction of the rebellion!" said Skorpix. The Earth Elemental gave no orders to the Limiters, save for a single hissed command. Though Shardak could not decipher its meaning, the message was clear, and the Limiters lunged forward.

"Focus on taking out Skorpix," hissed Kalix, then hurled a throwing dagger at an approaching Limiter. The Blade caught the Limiter beneath his mask, and he fell to the ground. Shardak charged toward the Limiters, the Blade of Arcturas burning with red light as flames swept across the blade. At that moment, Shardak didn't care about what Iskandar and Atarus had said; about controlling the power of the Blade of Arcturas. If he did not kill, he would die, and his weapon knew how to find the quickest, most efficient ways to bring down his enemies.

The smaller confines of the tunnel meant that Shardak didn't have as much maneuverability with his longsword as the Limiters did with their dagger-scythes, but it also forced the Limiters to come at him one or two at a time, rather than allowing them all to attack him at once as they'd done at Anshan. This gave Shardak and his allies a small advantage, though it was soon lost as more Limiters, emerging from every side tunnel, joined the battle, soon forcing Shardak and his allies into a fight for their lives.

Shardak soon lost track of the battle as he often did when he surrendered to the Blade of Arcturas. The sword hacked, stabbed, and fought its way through the fray of battling Limiters, bringing two down easily. However, these Ix soldiers were more wary of the Elemental sword than many of the other Ix he'd fought had been, and approached him more warily, using a combination of the Lihtne and Vauhti combat forms to counter his Sila. When he fought with the Blade of Arcturas, Shardak was as fast as any Ix warrior, but they possessed far more skill. One Limiter managed to bring his scythe down on Shardak's side, another wounded him badly in the thigh. Shardak winced at the cold, burning pain of the Shredsteel.

The two Limiters closed in on Shardak, sensing the Toa was weakening. In the close confines of the narrow citadel passageway, Shardak was far slower and less agile than the Limiters, and one dagger scythe cut him on the shoulder, drawing blood. As one of the Limiters lunged forward, growing overconfident, Shardak switched his grip on the Blade of Arcturas and brought it under the Limiter's guard. The Ix soldier fell back, his blood spattering against Shardak's armor.

The other Limiter was more wary than the first had been, and matched Shardak each time. The two warriors traded a blindingly fast salvo of blows, each knowing that one mistake could mean their death. They were both evenly matched, Shardak possessing the longer blade, the Limiter possessing the advantage of speed. However, in the end the Blade of Arcturas could not be stopped. The Limiter staggered away from Shardak, the Blade of Arcturas' baleful red light illuminating the gaping wound in his chest.

Shardak surveyed the battlefield for a moment, and caught a glimpse of Valkyria, wounded but still fighting. As he watched, she brought down a Limiter, then was attacked by one of Skorpix's Vorgaan guards, who weilded a spear. Valkyria dodged easily, moving like a blur. Her incredible speed and agility, even for an Ix, had always amazed Shardak, and while the confines of the corridor obviously limited her movement, she didn't let it show, easily dodging every one of the Vorgaan's attacks.

Isidar's beautiful jade green blade blazed with elemental energy, bathing Skorpix's pale skull mask in ethereal green light. The Elemental had appeared from the shadows, the sword of Elemental Air burning in one hand. Like two colliding meteors, Isidar and the Blade of Arcturas slammed together, red and green vying for supremacy. However, Skorpix was stronger and more skilled than Shardak, even if his strikes were clumsier. Skorpix began to force Shardak back, each time fire giving way to air. Faster than Shardak would have believed possible, Skorpix swung Isidar toward his side, then raised the sword, aiming to disarm Shardak.

Once, the blow would have been too fast for Shardak to counter, as it had been so many times during his first two battles with Skorpix, once in the remnants of the Earth Kingdom, and once in the Fells. Once Shardak would have been defeated long ago by Skorpix's far superior aura skills. But now Shardak blocked it almost instincively, and Isidar glanced off the Blade of Arcturas.

For a moment, Skorpix hesitated, surprised. Then he hissed in laughter, "You've grown better, Spirit Toa," he said. "Better even than you were the last time we fought, on Corona Magna. However, can you really stand against me?"

"Yes," said Shardak. "Arcturas did."

Skorpix laughed again. "Arcturas!" he said. "Do you really believe that he betrayed us simply to save such beings like you? He betrayed us to further his own goals, which was the reason he'd joined us in the first place."

"You're wrong," said Shardak. "He—"

"He what?" asked Skorpix. "Cared about you? You, one small Toa, only one small pawn in the games of our order? No, he cared about what you could do, how he could use you to bring himself greater power. Why do you think he kept you in Intax, rather than take you to the Resistance?"

The question gave Shardak pause. For a moment, he failed to notice Skorpix's smile, our hear Valkyria's shouted warning. Isidar flashed, a jade blur in the shadows of the torchlit citadel, and sank its curved blade into Shardak's side. Pain, the pain of the elements themselves, burned within him, the full force of the chill power of wind seeping into his body.

Being wounded by Skorpix angered Shardak. But being wounded by Isidar, Luxa's sword, the sword that had brought down the Mindeater Empire itself, a sword that Shardak still considered his allies', made Shardak far angrier. Anger at the fate of Fairon and Luxa gave Shardak strength, and he lashed out again at Skorpix. The Elemental, surprised, raised Isidar to block it, but the Blade of Arcturas slipped beneath his guard and pierced his armor, drawing blood.

For another crucial moment, Skorpix hesitated. Then three Limiters charged at Shardak all at once. "Run, Shardak!" the Toa thought he heard Kalix say.

Shardak didn't hesitate. Turning away from Skorpix, he ran toward Kalix, who had one remaining Limiter standing beside him. Valkyria and Nightwatcher were still fighting the Ix, but were retreating as Skorpix bore down on Shardak.

"Kill the Toa's allies!" ordered Skorpix. "Do not let them escape the citadel!" Black lightning crackled at his fingertips, and he hurled it at Kalix and his Limiter. Both managed to dodge, and the lightning slammed into the wall of the citadel, causing a tremor to shake the building. At the same time, however, Skorpix had raised Isidar, and winds far faster than Shardak had ever felt intensified around them, blasting Shardak to the floor. Nightwatcher was picked up bodily and slammed into one wall, while Kalix's Limiter ally slammed into another, directly into a torch. His body hit the wall with a sickening crunch, and he fell to the ground.

"Use your aura!" yelled Valkyria over the roar of the wind. Shardak opened his mouth to respond, but the winds tore the breath from his body before he could answer. He saw Kalix slam into a wall, collapsing in a limp heap on the floor as the enemy Limiters charged toward Nightwatcher, who was staggering to his feet.

Shardak understood, and used his aura to deliberately increase the gravity around him, shielding himself from the roar of the winds. He struck out at Skorpix with the Blade of Arcturas, but the flames vanished as they met Skorpix's storm dispersing into sparks borne on the winds.

"Keep moving," ordered Nightwatcher, who was using the same strategy. Abruptly the winds abated, and the Limiters rushed at them. "Surround them! Cut them off!" ordered Skorpix, but it was too late. Shardak, Valkyria, and Nightwatcher raced down the tunnel, the sounds of persuit close behind.

Shardak burst out of the citadel, into the open air and into a scene of carnage. It was dusk, and Resistance warriors were giving way in the face of Ix defenders, pulling back from the courtyard and to the fallen city walls. Even more startling, the Ix seemed to far outnumber the Resistance forces now. Fires raged around the heart of the city's defense, but the for every Resistance soldier there seemed to be ten Ix. The vast majority of the rebel soldiers were being killed by the Ix before they even reached the walls.

"Another army," said Nightwatcher grimly. "They overextended us on too many fronts, forced us into too many battles, and now we're paying the price."

Shardak looked around and saw that none of the Ix other than Valkyria were with them. "Where's Kalix?" he asked. He guessed that the two other Limiters had perished.

"If he's alive, he'll follow us," said Nightwatcher laconically.

The battle was rapidly becoming a slaughter. The Resistance soldiers were fleeing in all directions, and the Ix were bringing in overwhelming forces to counter any rebel commanders who made desperate attacks against the vastly superior Ix army. Shardak was nearing the walls when he realized that many of the Resistance battalions had been pushed out of the city itself, and the orginal Ix defenders were now cutting them off, preparing to crush the rebels between the two forces.

"We have to help them!" he yelled desperately. Skorpix and his Limiters had emerged from the citadel, which was now surrounded with nearly a hundred Ix soldiers, and watched, satisfied, as the Resistance was being brought down. Oddly enough, he seemed not to care that Shardak was escaping. Apart from a few orders to capture the Spirit Toa alive if they could find him, he did nothing to aid the search.

Maybe he doesn't care because he thinks the Ix will capture me, thought Shardak. Or maybe he believes that the Resistance is doomed, and that soon I'll no longer have a cause to fight for.

The battle was over by nightfall. The Resistance's legions had fought bravely, but, outnumbered and outmaneuvered, one by one the commanders of the attack force surrendered, not willing to watch as their soldiers were slaughtered pointlessly. Still, more than half of the attackers had been killed, and the rest captured or forced to flee.

Shardak watched, safely outside Iskar in the forests beyond, as the thousands of massed Ix gathered their legions outside Iskar. The torches held by many of the Ix elite illuminated the frightening strength of the army; composed of both Order soldiers and Ix legions. Combined with the armies gathered at Ecbatana, was more than enough to obliterate the Resistance forces gathered in New Metru Nui.

And once they'd destroyed the forces gathered there, it would be more than easy to finish off the remnants of the Resistance in Media, the Fells, and the northern flatlands.

"I must gather my allies from Noctxia Magna," said Nightwatcher. "Perhaps, with the Hand, the Resistance, and even more Ix allies from Media, combined, and with knowledge such as the planned trap in Media, we can hold New Metru Nui on both fronts and possibly subdue some of the smaller Median cities as well."

"I will also go to Media," said Valkyria. "If we can gather enough Ix who oppose Lord Vahrikaan, we might be able to hold off the Ix armies when they attack, and possibly find the Sword of Earth as well if we invade Media."

"Of course," said Shardak, but immediately Kalix and Nightwatcher both shook their heads.

"No, Shardak," said Nightwatcher. "We're sending you back to New Metru Nui."

"What? Why?" asked Shardak. "I—"

"The city is about to fall under seige," said Kalix. "They need to be warned, and they need to know that you're safe. It's not fair to the Resistance to have you to worry about as well, not when their city's going to fall under seige, and the tide of the war is turning in Vahrikaan's favor. I will accompany you as well, though I will probably rejoin the armies as soon as I can, to gather more of my Ix allies."

Shardak understood Kalix's reasoning behind his plan, but he didn't want to allow Valkyria and his friends go back into danger while he wasn't there. Fairon and Luxa were both probably dead, and Blast was on Noctxia Magna. He didn't want to let Valkyria go back into the war, a war growing more deadly every day, without him there.

''I'm marked to die. But I don't want all of my friends to die as well.''

Deep in his heart, though, Shardak knew there was another reason. Because he knew that the Prophecy marked him to die, he didn't want to spend his last days confused about how he felt about Valkyria. He wanted to be able to go to his death—

Seeing Shardak's hesitation, Valkyria said, "We'll be fine, Shardak. Just...stay safe, and help the Resistance hold Metru Nui."

Shardak nodded. "I will." he said at last, reluctantly.

"Good," said Kalix. "In that case, rest. We all have far too much traveling to do tomorrow, and you have to give your auras time to heal your wounds."

Down in the valley below, in the battered, devastated city of Iskar, the Ix's torches began to go out.

But Shardak knew they had not disappeared. The Ix army was heading to New Metru Nui, led by Skorpix himself.

Chapter 8
Saren Naghara watched from the main deck of his starcraft, the Rebel Stand, as the Hand of Mata Nui starcraft hovered over Xaterex. Their fleet, once nearly as large as his own, had been crippled badly during the Battle of Noctxia Magna nearly five months ago, but they were still a formidable armada. During the days of Arcaea, their losses would have been replaced quickly. But the starcraft, a remnant from an earlier age, were an asset only the Ix knew how to create.

But what made Saren even more interested in the Hand fleet was the number of troops aboard. Not only would this fleet hopefully reinforce his own armada, it also contained a small army of Noctians, Veythari, and other Resistance warriors who had been left behind on Noctxia Magna after the battle there against the Sarkanian clones. Since the Battle of Calos and the withdrawal of the Veythari and Illierans from what Saren considered the "true" Resistance, and his subsequent loss of control in the Fells as the Veythari took full control of the rebel armies there, Saren had no land armies left to speak of. He only commanded the majority of the rebel fleet, several groups of mercenaries, and those from his own command and Tiral's who had stayed loyal to him.

A tall, thin being in emerald green armor and a wide-brimmed hat appeared at his side. "Lord Saren," he said, acknowledging his employer almost contemptuously.

''And the Rotaxians. ''Saren added, smiling politely at the mercenary before him, the one named Janneus. He knew the Rotaxians were valuable mercenaries, among the most elite that he could hire, but he disliked them intensely. They always behaved with an air of arrogance whenever he asked them to carry out a task. They treated it as though they were doing him a favor, rather than completing a mission for pay, as they both knew was the case.

Most recently, the Rotaxians, who were technically working for the Ix and, as Saren was still (at least ostensibly), an Ix spy, the Empire had placed the bounty hunters in their service. However, Saren had made his own arrangements with the Rotaxians, in preparation for his betrayal of the Ix. He'd initially planned to order them to retrieve an Annulus fragment from the Ix, but it had become impossible due to several complications, including the fact that Saren had counted on the Ix commander Reyna being killed by Parikon during the confrontation he'd arranged, only for the Rotaxians to kill the Great Being. The Ix had instead killed Parikon, and the Rotaxians had been forced to withdraw to the Fells.

Then, after that, two disasters had hit Saren, the first being the battle in the Fells, the next being the Battle of Calos. Both of those mistakes had been salvageable, but after the mysterious loss of contact with his allies in the Fells, whom he'd sent into the Void to find Shardak, and the subsequent reclaiming of the Fells by the Resistance, Saren wasn't sure what had happened.

He'd heard rumors about a Shadowdermis army being created by the Ix in the Void, and also that Reyna was involved. But he'd lost contact with her too, and Atarus and Shardak, two of his greatest enemies, had also mysteriously disappeared. Still worse was that Saren no longer had the Void energy which had given him the massive amounts of power during his reign as sole leader of the Resistance.

It was all perplexing, and worrying. And since the Rising of Vahrikaan and the appearance of Var'kala, Saren was desperate to score a victory, before the civilians he'd managed to take with him from the Fells began to protest at being kept with the fleet, or, more worryingly, that Tiral would defect from his armada and join the coalition of enemies that had risen to oppose them.

Saren refused to call them the Resistance. In his mind, his was the only true Resistance. Although all of his former allies were dead, or had banded together against him, and he was

"Janneus," Saren said, trying to keep his voice flat, unemotional. "What is it?"

"Your friends from the Hand are trying to contact you, your Lordship." said Janneus, a sardonic smile on his face.

"Give me the comlink," Saren ordered, ignoring Janneus' mocking use of his self-proclaimed title. He was careful not to betray the eagerness he felt.

Janneus handed it over wordlessly. "You may go," said Saren, wanting to be alone while he spoke with whoever the Hand was using as their representative. He guessed it was an Ossoona or a Veythari, not Ixtil. Or maybe it was NIghtwatcher or Moru Kul.

"Why thank you, my Lord," said Janneus. Then he slipped away, leaving nothing but shadows behind.

Saren lifted the comlink. "Hello?" he said.

"Hello, Commander Naghara," a Veythari's voice sounded over the comlink. Young, female. Saren didn't remember her by name, but knew enough about the Noctxia Magna situation to remember that this female had taken over the Veythari warriors on Noctxia Magna after Zaxar Vaethar's death fighting the Sarkanian clones. "I am Vale Iskara, leader of the Veythari warriors on Noctxia Magna. I speak for the Hand as well. We are at your service, of course, and require only an update on the status of the situation on Xaterex."

Saren had expected this. With all of the chaos going on at Xaterex with the Rising of Vahrikaan, his attempted coup within the Resistance, and the loss of communication with the Ix in the Void, the Hand had probably heard many rumors. However, how could he tell them the truth, without losing the support of the Hand— his last hope for a stunning victory over both the Ix and the Resistance.

''While I cannot destroy Vahrikaan, he and I will come to a mutual understanding once I defeat his Empire in combat and cripple their spacefleet. ''thought Saren confidently.

"I'm sure you've heard rumors of a battle in the Fells. While I regret to tell you that this was true, Reid Vaethar has defeated them in battle and reclaimed all of the territory lost during the destruction of Gigas Nui and the rampage of the Sarkanian clones."

"What of the south?" asked Vale Iskara. "How goes the war in the flatlands and in Media?"

Saren hesitated for a moment. His intelligence was out of date, due to Reyna's disappearance, and, as he'd not set foot on Xaterex for nearly a month, he knew nothing about the current situation there. However, if he told what he knew and the Veythari female became suspicious because she'd gained a newer piece of information, Saren didn't want to think about the consequences that might ensue.

At the same time, however, Vale obviously didn't know what had gone on at the Battle of Calos. Otherwise, she'd have attacked him by now. Perhaps she didn't know what was going on at Xaterex even now? He decided he had to tell her what he knew. "I've been with the fleet for several weeks, preparing it for the inevitable confrontation with the Ix over Calos," said Saren. "Thus, I don't have the most up to date intelligence. However, I can assure you that victory in Iskar is imminent, and that we are preparing to move in on Media as soon as the siege ends."

"And you also plan to retry capturing Calos?" asked Vale.

"Yes," said Saren. "As you know, the Ix defeated us in the previous battle. However, with your reinforcements, it should be easy enough to cripple their defense fleet and secure the moon for ourselves."

Once the spacefleet was crippled, Saren knew that the actual land battle would have little meaning. Calos was a far smaller moon than Noctxia Magna or even Xiost, it was not likely that, given the horrors of a prolonged rebel seige, the people of Calos would side with the Ix's ground forces.

No, victory depended on winning the space battle, Saren was sure of it.

"Of course," said Vale. "Should we regroup at New Metru Nui, or aboard your flagship?"

"You or any of your allies may meet with me aboard my flagship, the Rebel Stand." Saren answered. "Then, unless you have any objections, we will proceed to Calos."

"Excellent," answered the Veythari warrior. Then the comlink went silent.

Saren breathed a sigh of relief when he was sure no one could hear him. That had been close, but he'd gained an extra ally, one he needed until he conquered Calos. With one of Xaterex's satellites firmly under his control, he would no longer need to identify himself with the Resistance. With any luck, Tiral, Vale, and the others would be killed in the battle, and if not...

Saren had plans to make sure they would not outlive their usefulness.

Blast bit back a curse as he realized they'd been too late. While the Steltian's information had obviously been correct, he and his Veythari allies, Tarax and Haran, had found footprints of many beings in the location the Steltian had described. However, they'd been too late to halt the launching of the starcraft.

The Shadow of Ages has returned, and this time, Millennium has nothing to lose.

With all of the other threats, from Vahrikaan, from the Empire, and from the battles in Noctxia Magna, Blast could barely consider another complication in the already confused, deadly war. Blast knew that Shardak was the Spirit Toa, apparently the only being who could stop Lord Vahrikaan, but Blast didn't see how Shardak could get anywhere near Vahrikaan without being killed by his massive legions of Ix and Order soldiers.

''And Vahrikaan's far, far too dangerous to ever consider confronting Shardak unless he's sure of victory. He influenced everyone in Arcaea to bring about the Fall, and manipulated the Resistance, the Order, and the Ix into freeing him. ''

Blast turned his gaze to the night sky, where Var'kala hovered above Xaterex. It was no more than a pinprick of light in the darkness, however, its blood red gleam was distinct from the rest of the stars. It served as a constant reminder that Vahrikaan was always there, always watching. Blast thought back to the Eternal Game that he and Shardak had escaped, and remembered how horrible it had felt, to be trapped and at the mercy of your enemies, which controlled your every move. Now he felt as though Vahrikaan was doing the same thing the Ix had, except on a far grander scale. As if everything the Resistance, the Ix, and the Shadow of Ages did was simply a part in his massive game.

"They're not here," he said, staring at his own starcraft, a transport provided by the Veythari. It was not meant to be used in battle, but to make a quick getaway if a situation became untenable. However, if they were forced to chase Millennium through the stars, Blast didn't want to use a transport, especially not if it meant heading into Ix controlled territory. The entirety of the Ix Empire's spacefleet was hovering over Calos, and Order's massive armada was based in Var'kala.

"This is a dead end," said Blast, discouraged. How could they find Millennium, especially since it seemed the being had left hours ago? "We'll search with the transport for a few minutes, but if we don't find him, then we'll rejoin the Resistance."

The two Veythari nodded. Blast followed them into the transport, allowing Haran to pilot the starcraft.

"There," hissed the Veythari. Blast looked at the viewscreen, and saw to his surprise that a small group of transports were gathered in a small group, flying toward Xaterex. The starcraft were not Ix, nor were they Resistance ships. Blast had never seen their like before.

"Those are Arcaean transports," said Haran. "They're old, over two hundred years old by the look of them. It's a marvel they're still usable."

"Undoubtably that's Millennium," said Blast. "He's either aboard, or his followers are. We have to follow him."

"He's heading toward Xaterex," answered Haran. "If we go near Var'kala in this transport, we may be captured by Ix."

"That's a risk we'll have to take. Follow them at a distance," said Blast.

Blast stared intently at the viewscreen. His enemy, the being who had stolen his memories, had never seemed so close or so far. Before, his existance had hardly seemed real, even when the Steltian had confirmed it. Now, however, with Millennium in one of the starcraft directly ahead of him, Millennium no longer seemed surreal, but alive once again.

"Do you think they know we're following them?" asked Blast.

"No," It was Tarax who answered. "They haven't made any turns, and we're out of range of their sensors. However, as we grow closer, the probability increases that we'll be spotted."

"If we continue to follow them, we'll be drawing nearer to Calos," said Haran. "Where the Ix fleet is currently based. It's probably best to avoid the planet, but if they plan to join the Ix fleet, then we cannot continue to follow them."

"I don't think they'll join the Ix fleet," said Blast. "Millennium is an enemy of the Ix. They sentanced him to the Eternal Game, and I destroyed his original body there."

While Blast had seen the Eternal Game, back when he'd hoped that it would somehow prompt a recall, it still felt like he was watching someone else's actions. It didn't seem real that he'd survived an Eternal Game because of Millennium's posession. He knew it was the truth, but it didn't seem as though it had happened to him, to Blast.

"We are nearing Calos," said Haran as they continued to follow the starcraft. Blast thought he could make out other ships in the darkness. Ix ships. "We cannot continue much further without surely attracting the attention of the Ix Empire."

"We'll—" Blast began, but then stopped abruptly. The ships he'd seen were drawing nearer.

"Resistance ships!" Haran sounded surprised. "What—"

Then the Ix ships seemed to appear before them, directly to the side of their ship and facing Millennium. Haran hovered there uncertainly, as did Millennium, knowing that if they moved or made any hostile movement, the Ix starcraft would blast them apart.

Blast looked at the Resistance force, which numbered a little over a hundred ships, a massed group of Hand of Mata Nui fighters, Arcaean ships that had survived the fall, and stolen Ix starcraft. At the heart of the Resistance fleet Blast made out Tiral's distinctive starcraft, alongside Saren's flagship, the Rebel Stand.

However, as Blast stared at the Ix ships as they materialized, their cloaks vanishing, he saw that the massed Ix fleet numbered nearly two hundred starcraft. There were the strikers, broad and lightly armed, followed by Scimitars and Valkyries, light, agile Ix starcraft. Several larger frigates followed, alongside the Ix Fighters. At the heart of the fleet were the mighty Destroyers, surrounded by smaller groups of Spectre warships.

Blast and Millennium were trapped above Calos— in a location that would soon become a battlefield.

Dusk was falling over Xaterex as Kalix and Shardak drew nearer to the city of New Metru Nui. All around him, on the road from Iskar toward the city, Shardak saw signs of the war's devastation, far greater than he and Valkyria had seen on the way to New Metru Nui from the Fells. Torched, empty villages, burned farmland, and empty, desolate areas of devastation was all that he and Kalix had seen. They'd deliberately avoided cities, both Resistance and Ix.

Fear made Shardak eager to return to New Metru Nui. He'd seen the strength of the Ix's army; it was definitely strong enough, combined with reinforcements from Media, to wipe out the Resistance in New Metru Nui. And then, with still more reinforcements from Akkad, the Fells would fall easily before the Ix's might.

The Veythari would fight to their last breath to defend their homeland, that Shardak was sure of. But if the Resistance was defeated at New Metru Nui, then Shardak knew that the rest of the Resistance, save possibly the Illierans, would disband. Morale was already low among the Resistance because of the attacks on Akkad and the prolonged seige of Iskar, and it would be even worse when they learned two Ix armies were converging on New Metru Nui itself.

''If New Metru Nui falls, then it's all over. ''

Shardak heard a small footstep in the darkness, interrupting his thoughts. He and Kalix whirled around, but they saw and heard nothing save darkness and silence.

"There's definitely something following us," hissed Kalix, so quietly that Shardak had to strain to hear him. "But it's unusually sloppy for a Limiter. However, if it is an Ix operative, we can't let it live. Ignore the noise for a moment, but stay on alert."

Shardak dared not give any sign of acknowledgement, not even in the aura field, but Kalix sensed he understood. They continued down the path, but Shardak was alert for any sign of danger. As darkenss fell, and the sun vanished, tension seemed to hang suspended in the air.

Then it broke.

There was a flash of steel in the night, then Kalix's scream of warning. A dagger-scythe seemed to hang suspended in the air for a moment above Shardak's head, then Kalix's sword deflected it centimeters from Shardak's Kanohi. Shardak barely had time to register what had happened before a second flash of metal blinded him momentarily. He staggered backward, just out of reach of the attackers, but a staff snaked out of the darkness, slamming into Shardak's chest.

Shardak screamed in surprise and pain as crackling electricity surged through his body. He collapsed to his knees, looking upward as the attacker's staff prepared to ram the killing blow into his throat

"No!" yelled Shardak, surprise and pain tearing the sound from him. He was staring into the hideous, primeval face of a Mindeater.

Then the staff fall.

Shardak braced himself for the death blow which he knew would come—

Suddenly there was a flash of light, and a black-armored form leapt from the shadows. Kalix leapt toward the Mindeater, his scythe in hand. At the last second, the Mindeater's staff twisted around, and Shardak screamed a warning to the Limiter just as the crackling staff slammed full-on into Kalix's chest.

There was an explosion of light, and Shardak heard Kalix's scream of pain. When his vision cleared again, he saw Kalix slumped on the ground, unconscious or dead. The Mindeater lay on the ground as well, Kalix's scythe buried in his throat. The electric staff lay broken on the ground beside them.

Two other Mindeaters, one carrying a dagger, the other an axe, were walking toward him. Shardak knew they had come to kill him. They were not going to bring him to Lord Vahrikaan.

Then one of the Mindeaters spoke, which surprised Shardak. "Where is it?" he asked.

"Where is what?" asked Shardak, taken aback. He no longer had anything the Ix wanted. The Elimination vial was guarded heavily by the Resistance in New Metru Nui, the vial containing the deadly virus of the Ancients had been broken, and he no longer possessed any of the Annulus fragments. What, then, were the Mindeaters searching for?

"The last fragment," hissed the other Mindeater. "The last fragment of the Shadow Orb."

That took Shardak aback. He hadn't expected that answer. For a long time, he'd carried the Shadow Orb, but it had been taken from him by the Order during his capture on Var'kala nearly four months ago. Did these Mindeaters believe he still had it?

"I no longer have it," said Shardak, trying to keep his voice steady. "The Ix took it from me."

"Not the fragment that you held on Var'kala," hissed the Mindeater on the left scornfully. "Nor the fragment held by the Ix. The fragment that Arcturas held, the fragment of the power source he used to raise Lord Vahrikaan before the fall. Do not lie to us!"

"I do not have it," said Shardak. But even as the words left his mouth, he knew that the Mindeaters would not believe him.

"Very well," said the Mindeater, still unnervingly calm "I'm sure your tongue will be looser after a few hours of interrogation from Lord Thrazkul."

Both of the attackers closed in on him. Shardak deflected the dagger scythe easily, but the axe bit into his side. It was only through sheer luck that he avoided being impaled, as he leapt aside at the last minute, ignoring the burning pain in his stomach where the electric staff had struck him. As the axe glanced off his armor, the Mindeater with the dagger lunged forward, aiming to finish him off.

At the last second, Shardak stabbed upward with the Blade of Arcturas, and the sword buried itself in the Mindeater's neck. Mortally wounded, the Mindeater fell.

The other Mindeater snarled as he saw he was alone, then lunged for Shardak. But with the Blade of Arcturas, Shardak was fast, maybe even faster, than the Mindeater was, and deflected every one of the Mindeater's wild blows. Snarling in frustration, the Mindeater lunged forward— only for Shardak to charge toward him and ram the Blade of Arcturas into his side. Blood poured from the Mindeater's wound.

"You may have stopped us, Spirit Toa," he hissed. "But you will not—"

Suddenly, before Shardak could move, the Mindeater rose to his feet, aiming to ram the hilt of his axe into Shardak's throat in the same way that the Mindeater with the staff had incaptitated Kalix. Trapped, unable to move fast enough due to his injury, Shardak had no time to react, no time to even move out of the way—

The Mindeater fell backward, his eyes glazing over. One of Kalix's throwing daggers was buried in the back of his neck.

Kalix slowly, painfully rose to his feet. He winced, and Shardak realized how badly the Mindeater's staff had wounded him. "I can keep moving," he said seeing Shardak's concern. "But we have to get to New Metru Nui."

"Yes, I—" Shardak began, then stopped abruptly.

"Shardak?" asked Kalix.

But Shardak was no longer looking at Kalix. He was staring into the darkness, at a being concealed by the shadows. For a moment, the moonlight illuminated the being's features, disappearing just as quickly. Not for the first time tonight, shock made him freeze.

Then the being was gone. And Shardak, though he'd only seen her for an instant, could have sworn that the being watching them had been Luxa.

Chapter 9
"If this is a trap, it's very devious," hissed Kalix to Shardak, as, in complete darkness, the two beings followed the footprints the watchers had left behind. "I wish I understood why they didn't just attack, and withdrew and left the Mindeaters to die."

He and Shardak had found several footprints where the figure Shardak thought was Luxa had been standing. He still held on to the hope that she and Fairon were there, but it seemed unlikely that they'd lead Shardak and Kalix into a trap. Kalix had agreed to look, to make sure that the Mindeater's allies had all been killed, but Shardak saw that the Limiter was tiring. He wouldn't be able to hold his own against any more of the Mindeaters if it came to a fight.

''But if it is Fairon and Luxa, then we've found two more allies. ''Thought Shardak. Remembering what Kalix had said about flatland snipers, and drawing on his own personal experience, he tried to make his aura as inconspicuous as possible. Tracking was something Shardak excelled at; before Arcturas had brought him and Nightshade to Intax he'd helped his father track prey. He was still following the trail of the first being, and the flatland foliage provided ample cover for an ambush. Shardak could barely make out Kalix in the darkness, and hoped that he, too, was just as hidden.

"Mindeater," said Kalix under his breath, at once freezing in place. Shardak could make out a hooded figure carrying a staff. He was standing a few yards ahead, and didn't seem to notice them.

Shardak's heart sank. It seemed as though he'd been wrong, all he'd done was drag Kalix into a battle with more Mindeaters. he watched the Mindeater, who still didn't seem to notice them.

That was when Shardak began to expect a trap. They were standing far too close for the Mindeater not to pick them out. Danger emanated from this area, he was certain that something was very wrong. Despite Kalix's Limiter skills, somehow the Mindeaters had led them into a trap once again.

There was rustling noise in the foliage, and another being charged from the darkness. Shardak caught a glimpse of the being's dark eyes, and gasped in recognition.

"Luxa!" he yelled. To his surprise, she didn't even acknowledge him, but raised a staff. It was one of the same electric staffs the Mindeater leader had used, and it took Shardak a few moments to comprehend what he was seeing.

"You—" Shardak began, but before he could finish, the Mindeater staff slammed into his shoulder. Electricity surged through his arm, and he almost dropped the Blade of Arcturas. Scared and angry now, Shardak lunged toward her with the Blade of Arcturas, but Luxa easily deflected it. It was then that Shardak noticed that her movements, unlike the fluid combat forms she'd utilized during their duel nearly a month ago, were slower and almost stiff, as though she was a puppet being moved on a string. He stared into her dark eyes and gasped in horror. They were glazed and empty, like those of a corpse.

The sound of clashing weapons rang out once more, and out of the corner of his eye Shardak saw Fairon racing toward them, swinging a second staff at Kalix. Like Luxa, his normally bright green eyes were dull and lifeless.

Luxa's movements were far slower than they'd been during their duel and when he'd seen her fight in the Fells, with the Blade of Arcturas' raw elemental power he could defeat her. However, he was far too tired to control the raw power the blade offered, he knew he'd immolate himself if he allowed the Blade of Arcturas to devour any more of his auric strength. While he and Luxa were still on equal terms, fear made Shardak hesitate.

Luxa had no such hesitation. She aimed the staff below his guard this time, aiming to jab him in the chest with the staff's crackling, electric edge. Shardak managed to narrowly deflect the attack, but Luxa continued to force him back, step by step, so that he could remain out of reach of the electric staff.

Kalix seemed to be holding his own. However, Fairon was far more fit than the very wounded Limiter, and Shardak worried that he wouldn't be able to stand against the powerful Toa of Light much longer.

"Why are you attacking us?" he asked.

To his surprise, it was Fairon who opened his mouth to answer. However, when he spoke, it was not in Fairon's usual tones, but in a horribly harsh Mindeater voice.

"Give us the Shadow Orb fragment, Spirit Toa," snarled the voice which spoke using Fairon's throat. "Or I will kill you, and take all that you have from your corpse."

Shardak didn't dare respond. He could feel some dark, controlling aura manipulating Fairon's and Luxa's movements, an aura he didn't recognize. It wasn't Skorpix, or Eostra. Nor was it Vahrikaan. He could feel the being's aura battering his, but he easily deflected it. Luxa remained silent, but attacked again, her staff weaving in a confusing, blurred pattern. All the while, the Mindeater continued to batter at his aura using raw psionic might.

Shardak was sure that the Mindeater controlling them was very powerful. The ability to control two beings from a distance and still have enough power to use a psionic attack, even a weak one, against them was proof that they were facing a being with extremely powerful control over the element of psionics.

Shardak deflected Luxa's next attack with the staff easily, and the Mindeater- controlled Illieran whirled the staff around, aiming to slam the hilt into Shardak's throat. Surprised, Shardak attempted to stagger out of reach, but the hilt of the staff caught him on the arm. As he raised the Blade of Arcturas, wildly attempting to counter Luxa's staff, which had missed his throat narrowly for the second time, Luxa rammed the staff's tip into his stomach, where the other Mindeater had wounded him earlier.

Shardak screamed, the Blade of Arcturas falling from his hands. His vision blurred as the electricity surged through him, and he fell to his knees. He reached for the Blade of Arcturas, but its hilt was just out of reach. Luxa's face was twisted by the Mindeater into a gruesome approximation of a smile.

Then the staff fell.

Shardak barely managed to roll out of the way, and was momentarily blinded by the flash of blue lightning. Kalix had somehow disabled Fairon, and was racing toward Luxa. Shardak looked about wildly for a weapon, but saw none in easy reach, save one of Kalix's throwing daggers. Luxa charged toward him even as his fingers closed around the hilt.

Wildly, Shardak reached out in the aura field, battering at Luxa's mental guards with his own powerful aura. He'd never tried this type of mental attack before, but the Mindeater, whose strength was obviously formidable, began to crumble beneath his assault. Luxa's and Fairon's movements became more wild, they seemed confused. This gave Kalix time to slam the hilt of his scythe into Fairon's Kanohi. The Toa crumpled to the ground and did not get back up.

Luxa charged toward Kalix, and the wounded Ix, realizing he could not dodge in time, simply fell to the ground. For a moment, the Luxa, or rather, the Mindeater, was confused, and Shardak was able to slip past the last of the Mindeater's mental barriers. He reached out, felt where and how the Mindeater controlled Luxa, and severed the control in the aura field.

Immediately Luxa's eyes brightened. She looked around, wildly, and saw Fairon lying on the ground, Kalix standing over him. Her eyes fixed on Shardak, then she fell to the ground, unconscious.

Fairon was now rising to his feet. The Mindeater's control over him was weak, but he still controlled some of the Toa's movements and, wildly, he lashed out at Shardak. Shardak managed to block the other Toa's sword, but Fairon's weapon had a longer blade, allowing him, despite his clumsiness, to block every one of Shardak's blows. Kalix was still conscious, but Shardak saw that he was in no condition to fight.

Shardak felt so tired now. His body ached where Luxa and the Mindeater had hit him with their staffs, and he had several other cuts from his fight with Skorpix at Iskar. What was more, the power he'd used to sever the connection between Luxa and the Mindeater controlling her had taken the last of his auric strength. Shardak doubted he could repeat the process again for Fairon, and knew he didn't have the strength to hold out much longer.

Fairon's sword flashed past Shardak's line of vision again, and he narrowly escaped decapitation. Fairon spun around, momentarily confused, and Shardak lunged forward, aiming, as Kalix had done, to knock Fairon unconscious.

By then the Mindeater was ready. Shardak had no time to react before Fairon snatched his fallen staff from the ground. He picked it up, aiming to hurl it, like a spear, at Shardak.

Then Fairon's eyes brightened. The staff fell from his hands. Immediately Shardak felt the Mindeater's control over the Toa cease, and Fairon, startled, fell unconscious.

Shardak looked around. He saw Kalix and Luxa standing behind them, both Ix and Illieran reaching out to Fairon in the aura field. Like Shardak, they both seemed weak and utterly spent, but together they'd summoned enough auric strength to break the Mindeater's control over Fairon.

"Thrazkul," snarled Luxa, hatred audible in her voice. She sounded hoarse and tired. "That's the last thing I remember, him telling us how he'd use us as his pawns. How long has it been since we disappeared?"

"About a week," said Kalix. "What happened to you? What do you remember?"

"We were attacked, by Mindeater in the Void," said Luxa. Then recognition flashed in her eyes. "You! You were there as well!" she said. Then she broke off, confused. "But I don't—"

"I was knocked unconscious by the Mindeaters at the start of the fight," said Kalix. "You wouldn't remember anything noteworthy that I did."

"But—" Luxa began. Then she hesitated. "Anyway, the Mindeaters took us away from the Void, and to their old homeworld, Penumbra." Shardak heard Kalix give a gasp at this name. "They took Isidar, and brought us before their leader, Lord Thrazkul. He told us how we would help him recreate the Mindeater Empire, then told us of his alliance with Vahrikaan."

Kalix displayed no emotions, save a tightening around his eye, the only sign that the news worried him. "Go on," he said.

"Then he...took us over." said Luxa. "Fairon was saying something, but I can't—" she looked confused again. "I remember nothing after that. My next memory was waking up here, and seeing Fairon attacking Shardak."

"He was going to kill him," said Kalix. "I used what was left of your auric strength to defeat Fairon and break Thrazkul's hold on him."

"Thrazkul has a lot of starcraft," said Fairon tiredly, coming to stand beside Luxa. "At least a hundred. Enough to pose a threat to the Resistance."

He nodded a greeting to Fairon. "Shardak!" the Toa of Light said, walking over to him. Shardak smiled, relieved that both of his friends had survived. As for Thrazkul's starcraft, Shardak felt nothing at this news. He was so tired, that nothing Luxa had said seemed to register with him. It was as though he'd gone numb, in the same way he'd gone numb when he'd read the words of the Prophecy.

The Spirit Toa cannot survive.

He understood what the line meant, understood that it meant the end of his existence, but he couldn't summon up anything more than ambivalence toward the phrase.

"So, what has gone on with the Resistance since Calos?" asked Luxa. "Has Saren been killed?"

"He escaped the battle, and we haven't heard from him since. We have many worse dangers to worry about, anway." Kalix looked up at Var'kala. Luxa followed his gaze and gasped slightly. "So Vahrikaan has risen," she said. "He wasn't in the Void."

"No," said Shardak. He recounted the horrible battle that had ended in the deaths of Freztrak, Reyna, Nightshade, and Atarus. "Iskandar's leading the Resistance forces now." he finished. "But we were defeated at Iskar, and the Ix are planning to spring a similar trap at Media, possibly in Ecbatana. We're returning to New Metru Nui from Iskar."

"However," said Kalix. "Now that we have two more Resistance warriors at our disposal, this puts us at an advantage."

"How?" asked Shardak.

"Two of us can continue on to Media," said Kalix. "Preferably the Spirit Toa. I myself must return to New Metru Nui, but if we send the Spirit Toa on to Media as well, he may be able to reinvigorate the Resistance soldiers there, and perhaps regain the offensive. At the very least, you may be able to help hold back the Median army from attacking New Metru Nui."

Kalix's eyes met Shardak's, and Shardak recognized the gesture for what it truly was: a chance to return to his friends, who were currently fighting for their lives in Media.

"I agree with this plan as well," said Luxa. "I must return to New Metru Nui and help Iskandar prepare the defenses. And to let them all know that I still live."

"I will join Shardak, then," said Fairon.

"Excellent," said Kalix, not giving anyone a chance to say anything more. "We will leave tomorrow morning." he rose to his feet and the others followed him, back to the place which Shardak and Kalix had chosen as a camp."

Luxa stepped forward. "I'll—" she said, but Kalix, realizing what she was about to say, interrupted her. "No. You're not taking watches, nor is Fairon. Shardak and I will." Luxa opened her mouth to protest, but Kalix again cut her off. "I can't risk the chance that the Mindeater Thrazkul will find you again in the aura field. If he did, while the rest of us were sleeping, we'd all be killed or captured."

Luxa nodded grudgingly. She understood the Limiter's reasoning. "Very well." she said.

"Half the night is gone," said Kalix. "But try to rest. Tommorrow will bring still more fighting and travel."

Saren snarled in anger as he saw more ships approaching. While they were, indeed, Resistance reinforcements, they were Akkadian starcraft, from the Resistance on Xaterex. Those aboard were obviously beings aware of his treachery, but there was little he could do to stop them.

The first engagement had gone badly. The wrecked rubble of starcraft lay before them, and Saren saw that many of the lighter Valkyries and Scimitars had been destroyed, as well as two Frigates. The Ix still outnumbered them, for Tiral's fleet had been decimated by the Valkyries and other fast Ix ships. Two-thirds of her force remained intact, as well as most of Saren's, but many of their ships were badly damaged.

For a moment, Saren wondered idly what had happened to the unidentified starcraft that he been caught between the fleets at the start of the battle. More than likely, they'd all been destroyed.

With the Hand ships on his side, Saren could still smash the Ix fleet. But now, with Akkadian starcraft joining the battle, the second engagement could become far more chaotic then the first.

"Make sure that the fleet is kept between the Akkadian ships and those of the Ix," said Saren. "It puts us at risk, but it'll keep them from attacking us."

One of his mercenaries nodded, and relayed the order to Saren's crew. The Resistance traitor smiled. The Ix would do his work for him, and then, once he closed his trap around the Hand fleet and the fleet of Tiral, he could take his place as sole leader of the Resistance and emperor of Calos.

"Sir, Tiral wishes to speak with you." said another mercenary. "And Vale Iskara is awaiting your orders. The Ix have resumed their attack on the Hand fleet."

"Put Tiral on," said Saren tiredly.

"What do you want?" he said through the comlink. At least he would only need to continue his association with this Glatorian fleet leader for a few more hours. She'd been endlessly annoying of late, especially when she'd learned that they couldn't return to the Fells. However, Tiral, unlike all of those Veythari and Illieran traitors, was a disciplined subordinate, and knew her place.

Which was directly below Saren, the true leader of the rebellion. Something that Iskandar and those others had not grasped.

"What I would like," said Tiral. "Is for you to surrender, Saren."

It took Saren a few moments to realize what the Glatorian was saying. "What?" he asked. "Surrender? To whom? The Ix?"

"No," said Tiral calmly. "To the Hand of Mata Nui and Iskandar's fleet."

"What?" Saren asked. "To the traitors? To the—"

"No, Saren. It is you who are the traitor." said a new voice. It was Vale. How she'd managed to get onto his secure channel was beyond Saren, but he listened with barely concealed rage. "You who have betrayed the Resistance."

"Iskandar's forces, along with our Akkadian allies, have confirmed what we have suspected," said Tiral. "I would have continued to follow you, and not believed them, but really Saren? Letting Ix into the Fells? Arranging Parikon's death, and trying to kill Shardak over Corona Magna? And also sending assasins after him and Valkyria on Noctxia Magna?"

"No, no," Saren remonstrated. "It wasn't like that at all. You don't—"

"I understand perfectly," said Vale, her voice angry. "It was you who sealed Parikon and a group of my Veythari warriors in stasis, did you not? And you who attempted to kill Reid Vaethar aboard your starcraft?"

"They betrayed us!" yelled Saren in rage. "Just as you betrayed us!" Even now, he could see on the viewscreen how Tiral's fleet had turned on his, and how the Akkadian and Illieran ships were closing in on the other side. As he turned to face the new threats, he was left completely vulnerable to the Ix ships.

"You are the traitor, Saren," said Tiral. Then she was no longer speaking to him, but said into her comlink. "To Rebel fleet 2, and all loyal Resistance members. Saren has betrayed the Resistance and must be relieved of command. All loyal starcraft will turn on his ships and attack immediately. This includes anyone serving under Saren."

Saren could hear Vale giving similar orders to the Hand fleet, which, reinforced by the Illieran and Akkadian ships, now outnumbered his fleet.

"Sir, Varana's trying to contact you. Varana, the ruler of Akkad. He says that if you turn yourself over peacefully and give command over to the rest of the ships, there will be no more loss of life, and your ships will be allowed to rejoin the rebellion peacefully."

"Never!" snarled Saren. Snatching up his commlink, he ordered, "All loyal Resistance and Hand members from all fleets, stand by me. Tiral, commander of the second fleet, and Vale, leader of the Hand fleet, have betrayed the Resistance and are attempting to join the Illieran and Akkadian traitors. All ships that stand by me will be rewarded immensely when Calos falls!"

For a moment, the Resistance fleet hesitated. Saren knew that the majority of ships from his fleet would stand by him, just as the majority of Tiral's ships would remain loyal to her. But the Hand fleet and the Ix were firmly against Saren— and while he and Tiral allowed their alliance to fall apart, they would be crushed between the hammer of the Ix and the anvil of the Resistance.

Then the Ix starcraft attacked, and the battle began once more. Saren watched as the Resistance fleet simply fell apart, some fleeing, some turning on each other, some fighting most, confused and unsure of whose orders to follow, simply hesitated for a crucial moment.

And then the hammer fell as the Ix fleet charged into battle. Saren's heart sank as he realized how outnumbered he was, and for the first time it crossed his mind that he could lose.

But he could not fail. He had lost all of his dreams of ruling Xaterex, of bringing back Arcaea with the power he'd learned to use from the Void. Vahrikaan had risen, and now the Annulus was out of his grasp as well. But he would not be content to be a servant of the Ix lords. He wanted his own kingdom, and Calos would provide that.

"Do not give ground," ordered Saren. "Think of the civilians on board our capital ships, and remember, that despite our setbacks, we are the true Resistance. And we must triumph over both the Ix and these traitors. Attack!"

Chapter 10
The air rang with the clash of weapons and the screams of the dying as Shardak charged toward another Ix warrior. All around him was carnage, a full-scale battle between the Ix and the Resistance. Beside him, Fairon was fighting another Limiter. As the Ix soldier raced toward Shardak, the Toa could see the recognition in his eyes. Before he could say anything, the Blade of Arcturas ended his life.

They'd been journeying through Media, following the trails of devastation that the battles between the Resistance and the Ix had left behind them. For three days they'd traveled, and then they'd run head-on into a battle in Media. The main Resistance force was there, as was a large group of Ix from Ecbatana. Shardak guessed they were less than a week on foot away from Ecbatana itself, and that the Ix were attempting to prevent the Resistance from reaching the city.

Now they were locked in a brutal, front-line struggle against an army of Ix. Shardak had fought briefly on the front-line at Anshan, but this was far worse. The Resistance army was still larger than it had been before, and the Ix forces, while slightly smaller, had the advantage of fortifications and defense. Currently the tide seemed to be turning in favor of the rebellion.

Another of the Ix, blood spattered across his skull-like mask, charged toward Shardak, closely followed by a group of Ix pikemen. Shardak cut the Ix in the lead down, staggering out of reach of the pike as he did so. Fairon raised his sword, and a burst of elemental light struck two of the Ix, felling them both. The other three began to close in as still more took their place.

Shardak brought the Blade of Arcturas down across the pike-wielding Ix's throat, careful to avoid being skewered on the end of the Ix warrior's wildly flailing spear. He winced in pain as one of the pikes slammed against his armor, the impact almost knocking him off his feet. Before he could recover and lash out again in the aura field, Fairon had used his scimitar to decapitate the charging Ix.

The remainder of his enemies vanished back into the chaos of the battle, and suddenly Shardak was once again surrounded by a mass of dark-armored Ix. He couldn't keep track of the enemies he brought down, but each time the Blade of Arcturas found its mark another Ix warrior fell.

However, the Ix were fast and skilled, and despite Shardak's and Fairon's best efforts, occassionally one of the Limiters managed to break through their defenses. One managed to slash Fairon across the thigh before Shardak knocked him unconscious, manipulating is aura and shoving him against another Ix soldier. Another Ix warrior scored a hit across Shardak's side, and a third put a sizable dent in his breastplate with a mace. The wound bled badly, but Shardak ignored the pain and kept fighting the Ix that charged toward him.

"The Spirit Toa!" one of the Ix's eyes widened in recognition. He opened his mouth to yell again, but Fairon's scimitar brought him down. More Ix soldiers, recognizing Shardak, charged toward them. Shardak brought down one of the Ix soldiers with the Blade of Arcturas, and another fell to Fairon's scimitar. However, all around him Glatorian were falling before the Ix's assault, and Shardak knew he and Fairon could not hold off the tide of Ix soldiers forever.

Another Ix managed to drive a spear into Shardak's leg. As he staggered backward, a second Limiter slashed open Fairon's shoulder with a dagger-scythe. The Blade of Arcturas burned with bloody fire as it ran the Limiter attacker through, and Fairon brought down a second Ix soldier. The third, however, charged forward, aiming to gore Shardak on the end of his spear. Shardak narrowly managed to deflect the weapon, but the Ix dropped the spear and drew two more dagger-scythes.

All around them, more Ix soldiers closed in.

"Well, well, well," said a voice Shardak recognized. "Look who's arrived. I see you brought Fairon with you as well."

Nightwatcher seemed to appear beside them, Aquaros in hand. The Toa of Shadow had barely a stratch on his armor. Seeing him, more of the Ix soldiers bore down upon them, but Nightwatcher easily dispatched one, his sword slicing through one Limiter's throat, then swinging Aquaros around and, in the same fluid motion, decapitated the second Ix attacker. As three more Ix closed in around him, Nightwatcher remained composed, continuing his conversation as Shardak even as the Limiters continued their assault.

But Shardak was rapidly becoming aware of another problem. Aura users. More and more of the Limiters confronting him were using the aura field to attack him, even as more and more Ix soldiers threw themselves at Nightwatcher and Shardak. The aura users were, individually, unskilled, and Nightwatcher blocked them without any effort on his part, but together they formed a formidable enough force to distract Shardak from the other Ix warriors.

"This situation's even worse than I thought," Nightwatcher said, spinning around to deflect a fourth Limiter's scythe. "The main Ix army's still garissoned in Ecbatana. This is the first time they've sent out enough of their forces to pose a real threat to us, but it's obvious they're content to let us slaughter our way to their unassailable city."

"Where's Valkyria?" asked Shardak, parrying another strike from an Ix soldier's scythe, trying to half-listen to Nightwatcher even as Ix aura users battered his auric defenses. "Is she okay?"

"Actually," said Nightwatcher. "I was hoping you wouldn't ask." Nonchalantly, the bounty hunter parried an overconfident Ix warrior's scythe, then ran him through with Aquaros before he could recover.

"What happened?" asked Shardak, momentarily distracted. "Is she hurt?"

"Actually," said Nightwatcher, in the same calm voice. "I'm not sure she's even still alive."

Shardak let his concentration slip momentarily, and the Ix aura users immediately pressed their advantage, overwhelming his defenses and shoving him back, into a tangle of battling Ix soldiers. Shardak saw a blade flash by his Kanohi, slamming into it. Had he been wearing any lesser mask, it would have shattered on impact. As it was, the Ignika didn't even suffer a scratch.

Shardak managed to regain his balance, and thrust out at the nearest Ix soldier. However, before any of the combatants could react to what had happeend, Nightwatcher was among them, hacking, weaving, and stabbing his way through the Ix without any discernable effort on his part. The Toa of Shadow was a lithe, crackling whip of power, and he switched between combat forms so quickly that Shardak had no other words to describe his style beyond deadly.

"Concentrate," hissed Nightwatcher. He seemed slightly annoyed. "You cannot afford to be that distracted by news. Continue."

Shardak wanted desperately to press the Toa of Shadow for further information, but Ix were closing in around them, and Nightwatcher didn't seem to want to continue the discussion. However, before Shardak could decide whether he should press Nightwatcher for the information, a Limiter appeared before him, its features behind the skull mask cold and expressionless.

Shardak soon lost track of the battle. He, Fairon, and Nightwatcher were at the center of a contstantly changing mass of Ix soldiers and Resistance fighters, close to the center of the battle. He and Nightwatcher together formed an unstoppable wall of force that brought down anything that stood against them, but all around them Resistance fighters were falling, overwhelmed by Ix.

On the wings of the battlefield, nearer to the massive caverns delved deep into the mountain. the situation was far different. The Resistance controlled the field, and the Ix were being forced closer and closer together, restricting their maneuverability. The rebel armies, if they crushed the last Ix offensive, would force the remainder of the Limiters to retreat or face annihilation.

However, the Ix still had a substantial amount of forces left on the field. Slowly, as they redoubled their offensive on the Resistance, more Limiters were surrounding and attempting to cage the Resistance forces.

"Fall back!" ordered Nightwatcher. "We're taking too many losses!"

Shardak saw it was true. The Ix were charging over heaps of fallen rebel soldiers, and while the Resistsance could possibly still hold their current position and win the battle, they would take too many casualties. They needed to withdraw to a more defensible position, where more of their forces could help hold it.

Slowly, the rebel forces began to retreat. The Limiters continued charging toward them, and began to consolidate their forces even as the Resistance consolidated theirs. Shardak knew that if they could break the Ix's momentum here, the battle would be won by the Resistance. However, if they were forced back into the cavern, it would be much easier for the Ix to bar off their forces and crush them.

More higher-ranking Resistance leaders were appearing, and they were beginning to stabilize their retreat,holding their position. More of the Ix were attacking as well, but now the Resistance were on the defensive and the battle was turning in their favor.

Shardak saw a flash of steel, which brought down an Ix directly ahead of him. He looked, and saw Luxa standing beside him. She was bloodstained and slightly wounded, but seemed to be faring better than many of the other rebel soldiers.

''Shouldn't she still be at New Metru Nui? Or have they already arrived? ''

Shardak caught a glimpse of several of Kalix's Limiters fighting in the vanguard of the rebel army. Of Kalix himself there was no sign.

"Continue the retreat," ordered Luxa. "Fall back, toward the caves."

"What?" asked Shardak. "We'll lose the advantage!"

"No," said Luxa. "Do not ask me to explain, Toa." without another word, she vanished back into the battle.

"Fall back!" yelled Nightwatcher, and the order passed down the Resistance line. Turning to Shardak, Nightwatcher hissed, "When in battle, obey the commands of your superiors. Doubtlessly Luxa has something planned that we do not have knowledge of. She would not doom the Resistance to destruction."

Shardak had not time to acknowledge the bounty hunter physically, but managed to touch his aura, letting Nightwatcher know he understood. As the Resistance line fell back toward the caverns, seemingly disorganized, the Ix continued to charge over the forms of the slain warriors. Before Shardak knew it, he was fighting at the edge of the cavern entrance, and more Resistance fighters were appearing from all sides.

"Fall back further! Into the caves!" ordered Nightwatcher. This time, Shardak didn't dare question him. He followed Nightwatcher and Fairon deeper into the caverns. Shallow torchlight illuminated the floor of the cavern dimly, which were slick with a black substance.

"Shardak." said Nightwatcher. "Be careful. We have no way other than aura to protect against the invisible poison in the air, and the oil is dangerous as well."

''Oil. ''Shardak thought, then it began to dawn on him what the Resistance was planning. As he entered the caves, he saw the rebel army break in all directions. The Limiters at the lead paused for a moment, unsure of what to do.

Then Nightwatcher. yelled. "Shardak! Keep moving!" Shardak followed the Resistance soldiers deeper into the caverns. The oil deepened, and Shardak, seeing all of the ancient, disused equipment realized they'd landed on a mine. Once this substance had been used quite commonly on Arcaea, and was still utilized as a weapon. Shardak waded through the wet, slick blackness, which grew deeper and deeper.

"After him!" yelled a Limiter. "After the Spirit Toa!"

The Limiter army charged toward them, into the caverns.

"Run!" yelled Nightwatcher urgently, from somewhere behind Shardak. In the half-light The Toa of Shadow was a;most completely invisible, save his gleaming dark green eyes. Shardak ran through the oil-slicked passageways, trying to hold his footing. Slowly, he felt the deeps recede, and now the oil only surrounded his feet. He could see several shadowy forms illuminated by the shallow torchlight, and heard whispered voices mingled with the shouts of Limiters as they charged after the Resistance soldiers into the disused oil mine.

"Shall we launch them now?" asked a voice Shardak didn't recognize. He could make out his shadowy form in the blackess: a large Skakdi in grey armor.

"Not yet," said another voice. ''Valkyria. ''Shardak thought in surprise, as he saw the Ix girl rise to her feet. "Wait until they're deeper into the caverns. The Ix still on the battlefield will expect a trap by then, but by then our own forces will have cut them off from the caves."

Closer the Ix came. Many of them were almost waist-deep in the water when the Skakdi lifted a torch from the walls. "Now!" he hissed.

More light flickered to life, as the rest of the Skakdi and Illieran guards lifted the rest of the torches and threw them at the Ix soldiers. As the fire fell against the oil, the Ix began to panic, and Shardak could hear the shouts and clash of weapons outside. However, all of the other sounds were eclipsed by a massive explosion of flame, and for a moment the cavern was obscured completely in a flash of light.

The flames began to flicker as soon as they began, and they continued to burn across the oil-slicked cavern, only growing in strength. However, the initial explosion had killed all of the charging Limiters. It was difficult to make out at first, but Shardak could see the horribly charred, mangled corpses of the Ix warriors lying in the burning oil.

"Good plan," the Skakdi congratulated Valkyria. "For once, we've outsmarted the Ix at their own game."

"Yes indeed," said another voice. Kalix emerged from behind Valkyria, followed by two of his Limiters. He gave his congratulations to the Ix girl.

Kalix lifted his torch, illuminating the features of the beings around them. Valkyria's armor was drenched in oil, and her face was grimy and stained. Shardak saw she had a long cut on her thigh, blood still running down her leg. The Skakdi and Illierans were also wounded badly, and their breathing was labored and pained

Shardak remembered Nightwatcher's warnings about an invisible poison, and wondered for a moment if Valkyria had been using her aura to defend herself against the horrible conditions here.

"Are we going to have to return across the oil mine?" asked Shardak.

"No," answered Valkyria. "There's another route out of the caves as well, one that we mapped out before we decided to use the torches."

"And we have to move fast," said the Skakdi. "I don't know about you aura users, but we can't take much more of this place."

"We'll stay, then," said Kalix. "Fairon, Luxa, and I. The Spirit Toa should go with you. He's too valuable to risk in open combat again."

Valkyria nodded once. "Follow me." she said, vanishing into the darkness. Shardak followed her, as did the Skakdi and Illieran warriors. Nightwatcher followed close behind.

"So, how have you been?" asked Shardak in a whisper, as soon as he and Valkyria were out of earshot of the beings left at the oil mine.

Valkyria gave him a weak smile. "How do you think?" she asked. Then her smile evaporated. "Ever since we rejoined the Resistance forces, we've been fighting the Ix nonstop here. This larger Ix force arrived from Media two days ago, and Kalix's Limiters and Luxa joined us yesterday. Ever since then, we've been engaged in full battle, defending our position around these caverns ever since the Ix ambushed us here."

"That strategy that took out the Limiters probably ended the battle," said Shardak. "I'm surprised the Limiter fell for it so easily."

"They wouldn't have, had you not been there," answered Valkyria. "Nightwatcher understood this. It's why he and Luxa led you into the caverns- so the Ix would follow you without reservation. Nothing concerns them as much as capturing you, and it makes them take risks that they normally would not."

"I wish I understood it," said Shardak. "If Vahrikaan wants me dead, then he could send the Hooded One to neutralize me, or another of his powerful servants, like Velnax or a high-ranking Ix assassin. But he seems content to allow me to help the Resistance slaughter their way all the way to Ecbatana and possibly beyond before he crushes me."

"Vahrikaan is no fool," said Valkyria. "He will want you dead sooner rather than later, and will not wait until you come before him to challenge his power. However, we can use this delay, however short it may be, to our advantage, If we can conclude the Median war front with the capture of Ecbatana, then we have only Drakos Capitol and the Akkadian front left to deal with."

Shardak was sure they wouldn't be able to hold back the Ix from conquering Akkad. The city would fall, it was but a matter of time. However, if they could defeat the Ix before the fells were taken, and foil the Ix's trap in Media, the full force of the Resistance would be able to confront Vahrikaan at Drakos.

But Shardak knew that in war, anything was possible. Indeed, it was unlikely that everything would go according to their plans. As he and Valkyria emerged from the depths of the caverns below the battlefield, Shardak saw the rebellion regrouping on the battlefield, tending to the wounded. The Ix had withdrawn, the only Limiters left on the battlefield were the dead and dying. Despite the Resistance's victory, the casualties on the side of the rebellion outweighed the number of fallen Ix soldiers.

As he surveyed the battlefield, upon which hundreds of hacked and twisted corpses lay scattered, Shardak suddenly felt very small and insignificant. What was his death compared to the deaths of all of those who had died fighting here today? It seemed such a horrid waste of lives.

And that was when the truth hit him.

The Spirit Toa cannot survive.

He, Toa Shardak, was going to die in this war. He was going to die, likely in battle, and would suffer the same fate as all of those beings who lay dead on the battlefield before them. His entire purpose now was to be a weapon, a weapon that would destroy itself in the process.

For a moment Shardak panicked. ''No! No! I don't want to die! I should try to run. I may not get far. But how can I win against'' Lord Vahrikaan? I—

Shardak's heart throbbed with fear. He didn't want to face the prophecy. But his fate was etched in stone, and there was nothing he could do to avoid the inevitability, the inexorable truth, of the words.

The Spirit Toa cannot survive.

Slowly, Shardak began to calm. ''At least I know how I'll die. Many people have no warning. And who knows how many will be alive by the end of the war? ''

Shardak could see the same resigned expression on the faces of many of the other Resistance warriors, particularly those who fought on the front lines of the war. They knew that it was unlikely all of them would survive the war either.

''You can't suffer when you're dead. Nothing can hurt you. It's the only place you're really safe. ''Shardak thought. ''I am already dead. Nothing can make me suffer. If I accept that, I will be able to bring down Vahrikaan.''

Shardak began to grow calmer as he looked over the battlefield again. In the twilight, the site of so much carnage had a surreal, almost tranquil quality, now that the battle had ended. But Shardak knew that the only thing the bloodbath had proved was that there would be still more battles yet to come.

Saren seethed in rage as the Ix and enemy rebel ships continued tore through the massed ranks of his capital ships. His fleet was wrecked, crushed in battle, and more than half of his ships, when confronted by Tiral and her treacherous allies, had changed sides immediately. His final gambit had failed. This time, Saren knew, the rebellion and the Ix would not allow him to escape using the ploy he'd used during the last battle of Calos. They would surround and crush him, and when his last mercenary-crewed ships fell, unless he surrendered he too would die.

"Ix starcraft have taken out another capital ship!" yelled one of his mercenaries. Saren nodded tersely, watching as the Ix offensive drove through the last of his Resistance defenders. The vast majority of the ships carrying civilians had defected to Tiral's side, but the Rebel Stand still carried Resistance civilians. Saren knew it was unlikely that any of them would escape, and didn't even try to escape his ship as it entered the battle. He would die alongside his men.

Now the Rebel Stand itself was being attacked. Saren knew his ship had many layers of shields, and was one of the most powerful capital ships in the rebel fleet. However, against the Ix's fleet, and Tiral's and Iskandar's, the ship would not hold out long.

"Come with us."

Saren whirled around, and saw Janneus standing behind him, a broad smirk on his face. The two other Rotaxians stood behind him. All of their crossbows were raised and pointed directly at Saren.

"What—" Saren began, then broke off as he noticed the loaded crossbows pointed directly at his heart. "Put those crossbows down!"

"No," said Janneus. "Our employer wishes to speak with you, my lord," There was open mockery in the Rotaxian's voice as he said the last two words.

"Your employer?" asked Saren. "Who are you working for?"

"The same being you say you work for," said Janneus. "The Ix Empire and Lord Vahrikaan. He is paying us handsomely for keeping an eye on you. Why do you think that your scheme to take the Annulus from the Ix failed? Now, I think, it is time to return to the Empire with you."

"No!" yelled Saren. The Rotaxians knew many of his plans, including many of the plots where he planned to double-cross the Ix. He was sure that the Rotaxians would tell their employers everything. "We are not leaving this ship!"

"Yes we are, your lordship," said Janneus. "The Ix have already come alongside the Rebel Stand. They are sending a transport to bring us aboard one of their capital ships."

"You cannot do this! I can pay you more than—"

"That arguement would have more significance," said the tan Rotaxian, Markein. "Were you not standing on a starcraft awaiting its destruction."

Saren felt the icy claws of desperation snap shut around his heart. They'd trapped him. He almost made a motion for his sword, but before he could shift his weight more than an inch Janneus spoke. "Do not try to fight us. It is impossible to miss at this close range, and your corpse is far less valuable then you alive."

"Then I may as well kill myself now," said Saren. "Since the Ix will probably kill me anyway."

Janneus' mouth twisted itself into a smile. "Yes, you could allow us to kill you. But you won't."

Saren knew in his heart that Janneus was right. He was a coward at heart, willing to risk anything to preserve his own existence. Two of his options led to certain death. But one— provided he could convince the Ix to spare him—could lead to survival. As grim as his prospective fate at the hands of the Ix could be,he did not have the guts to take an action which he knew would kill him.

As long as I still live, there is a chance that I can still carry out my plans.

"Let's go," said Saren. The Rebel Stand would not hold out much longer. Perhaps, once he was gone, his mercenaries would surrender. Or, as was far more likely, the Ix would destroy the flagship once they knew he was no longer aboard.

As they left the starship, Saren saw Markein raise a comlink and say into it. "We have him."

Saren boarded the small transport, and the Rotaxians exchanged their crossbows for long, curved daggers. Janneus piloted the starcraft while the other two watched Saren, ready to kill if he made a single wrong move. But Saren could only stare at the battle in which he'd been defeated. His ship and the remainder of his fleet were isolated and surrounded, about to be crushed by around a quarter of the Ix's fleet. His treacherous allies were no longer even attacking them, focusing on defeating the rest of the Ix ships.

As the transport landed aboard the Ix capital ship, Saren saw the Rebel Stand, the Resistance's flagship, go up in flames, disappearing into a massive cloud of fire.

The same Ix capital ship, which was focused on the defeat of Saren's fleet and the rest of the battle, did not notice the small transport slipping aboard in the midst of the carnage. However, a patrol of Limiters did notice the transport's sole occupant, a Steltian, enter the ship's hull.

When the battle was over, no one was left there. The Steltian lay dead, as did all but one of the Limiters. This one Limiter, once he'd disposed of the corpses, returned to the command chamber of the Ix ship. However, he was no longer a loyal servant of the Ix.

His mind and body belonged to Millennium.

Chapter 11
Shardak, raised in the small mountain city states of Intax, had never seen such a powerful city as Ecbatana, the heart of Ix military power. In size, Ecbatana put even Iskar and New Metru Nui to shame, and, unlike New Metru Nui, Ecbatana was not built for comfort.

Built at the foot of the towering Mount Ankara, Ecbatana was partially shrouded in the shadow of the massive peak. A river flowed outside the outermost city walls, making attack much more difficult. The structure of the city, surrounded by high walls built around a massive, well-defended citadel at the heart of the complex, made it clear that Ecbatana was built for defensive war.

But what truly set Ecbatana apart from every other city were its walls, built around the city in seven concentric circles. The natural formation of the mountain favored the arrangement, allowing each later wall to rise above the earlier one. Each of the seven battlements upon each wall was colored differently, the first white, the next black, the third scarlet, the fourth blue, and the fifth orange. The last two, which rose at least two hundred feet above the ground, had their battlements coated respectively with silver and gold.

Shardak, before he had seen the city, had not believed everything he'd heard about it. He'd remembered what Nightwatcher and Atarus had said, about how it had never once, throughout its long history, been captured. But before he'd been confronted by the massively powerful Ix city, Shardak had never really believed the city was so powerful, or, indeed, that it was real. Ecbatana had hovered on the edge of his imagination: the powerful city that the Resistance could not defeat, yet it had not seemed truly real until he'd seen it for himself.

Staring up at the massive walls, Shardak could feel that Valkyria and Fairon were awed as well. "Holy Mata Nui." Fairon breathed silently. "How can we ever capture that?"

They'd spent nearly a week fighting their way through Media, during which they'd lost less than a quarter of their men. However, despite their battle-hardened, powerful force, Shardak guessed there were over two hundred thousand men garissoned in Ecbatana, with even more arriving from the surrounding areas in Media. Shradak stared up at the massive battlements, upon which soldiers were gathering even as the Resistance approached.

How can this attack bring anything but death?

Now, nearly a week later, the city of Ecbatana still stood, proud and unconquered, and the Resistance's forces were still no closer to capturing the city.

Shardak sat around the Resistance command tent, where the rebellion's elite generals had gathered well outside the city. For nearly a week, they'd tried nearly every stratagem they could think of, but none had come even close to breaching the massive walls of even the first gate, much less the other six. They'd attempted to use siege engines to batter the walls down, but the Ix, because of the carefully positioned arrangement of the walls, were able to take down one of their catapults within a few short minutes. After that, the rest of the catapults were taken out of range.

All of the Resistance's commanders were gathered here. Reid Vaethar, Caltax of Akkad, Valkyria, Fairon, Luxa, Kalix, Nightwatcher, and his old friend Kyhrex were all gathered there.

"We cannot take this city by siege," said Vale Iskara, the Veythari commander. It was a small bit of good news that she and her Veythari had arrived two days ago, along with several hundred Noctians. They'd brought news of Saren's defeat at the second battle of Calos, and how they'd temporarily stopped the Ix fleet. An invasion of Calos, led by the rest of the Noctians, was underway, but Vale estimated it would take less than several weeks.

The other peice of news that had been delivered to them was the fall of Iskar. After Skorpix's attack force had left, the Resistance had been able to mobilize, and capture the city within three days. Shardak was relieved at this news, however, he knew that their hold on Iskar was tentative at best, and that it was likely that once Skorpix conquered or withdrew from New Metru Nui he would turn back on Iskar and reconquer it.

"Ecbatana is far too well defended." growled Caltax. "Likewise, a normal assault will not work, due to the city's position, and the walls."

"The tunnel is, likewise, going poorly," reported Fultran, the Dark Talon commander. "Even with our best equipment, we can't change the obvious: Ecbatana is built upon very rocky ground, making moving large numbers of troops through a tunnel unreasonable. Add that to the multiple walls layout, along with the uphill trajectory...I don't see how it can be done."

"Can you not use Elemental power to blast your way through the rocks?" asked Luxa. "I know it would be difficult, but—"

"We've tried," interrupted Fultran. "Fairon, Kyhrex, even Shardak, have all worked on the tunnel. With their help consistently each day, our progress would be slightly quicker. However, there's simply not enough of them, and they cannot utilize enough power, to blast through every inch of rocky soil. I estimate it would still take at least three months."

"We don't have three months," said Reid. "By then, too many Ix will have reinforced Ecbatana to make taking the city realistic. We have to break their power now, before the rest of the Ix army arrives and closes the trap around us."

"I know," sighed Fultran. "I just don't think that tunneling under Ecbatana's walls is realistic. A siege of this place could take years, and it would take far more men then we can muster. Maybe the city truly is unconquerable."

"No, it isn't," said Nightwatcher, with an uncharacteristic force to his voice. "It isn't because we say it isn't. I have fought in many wars, watched the fall of many mighty cities, and I've never seen anything or anyone that I can't destroy, and by Karzahni, I won't let this blasted city be the exception."

"Brave words," said Caltax. "But—"

At that moment, an Agori messanger burst into the tent. He looked flustered, and all of the beings turned to look at him. "General Aran wishes to notify you that there has been a discovery at the site of the tunnel," he said. "He requests Luxa, Fultran, and the Spirit Toa, as well as anyone else who wishes to join them, present there immediately."

Shardak saw that every other commander mirrored his own confusion. What could be of such paramount importance at the tunnel site that Aran, the Resistance general in charge of the project, would need three Resistance leaders to witness it?

The tunnel was built well outside the city, far away from the eyes of the Ix sentries. Shardak saw a large patrol of Resistance warriors were gathered outside the tunnel, along with two Glatorian Elementalists he didn't recognize, the only other elemental users present in the rebel army aside from Kyhrex. The gathered rebel soldiers all seemed excited.

"What has happened? What has happened, Aran? " asked Fultran, shoving his way through the crowd.

"We've found another tunnel." said one of the Elementalists, who wore grey-green armor. "One that we found when we blasted through the earth deep enough. It's more than fifty feet long, so it definitely isn't a dead end. Nor was it constructed by accident."

Caltax gasped. "But that means—"

"This passageway could lead into the city of Ecbatana itself," Luxa finished.

It took a few moments for Shardak to understand what the Illieran was implying. Then it hit him. A tunnel into Ecbatana would mean an end to the Resistance's current problem. If they could move the army through—

"We must immediately bring this before the council," said Luxa tersely. "Have you or any of your men explored the tunnel, Aran?"

"Yes," said Aran. "Briefly, enough to confirm that it is, indeed, massive, and that it either leads underneath the city itself, or it did in the past. However, we thought it more prudent to wait for the council's decision on how best to utilize this, in case it proves to be an Ix trap."

"Indeed," said Fultran. "You have done well. Do not allow anyone to continue exploring the tunnel. You must attend the meeting with us."

Shardak followed the rest of the Resistance commanders back to the command tent, his mind spinning with the revelation of the tunnel. It seemed unlikely, no, one in a million that they'd find a tunnel into the city of Ecbatana itself. But they'd found an already hollowed tunnel. And if it led into Ecbatana itself, then that meant they'd found a way to break the stalemate, which would soon turn into a crushing Ix victory if the city was not subdued.

"We must use this tunnel," Reid Vaethar was saying, as Aran finished relating to him the news of what they'd discovered. "It is a virtual certainty that it leads into the city."

"Why?" asked Caltax. "Isn't it just as likely it could be a route to another disused mine or other remnant from Lost Arcaea?"

"No," said Vaethar, with complete conviction. "A tunnel built here, so near to the ancient city but so difficult to detect without the use of elemental power, can really only lead into the city."

"But who's to say that the Ix haven't sealed it off? Or that it still exists?" asked Caltax.

"That's a gamble we'll have to take," said Shardak. "Because if we can get a few of us inside— not enough to take on the Ix, but enough elemental and aura users— we could take down the walls from the inside of the city, something we'd never be able to hope for from the outside. Meanwhile, the rest of the Resistance will launch an assault on the outer gates, as a distraction. With the two largest gates destroyed, we should be able to take the city."

"Its risky," said Areop, the Dargon leader. "My Dargon have no elementalists among them, nor aura users. Are you sure that any of them among you would be strong enough to bring down two sets of walls, which are obviously strongly reinforced by auric or elemental means?"

Shardak thought about it for a few moments, He knew that Valkyria, Aran, and the other Elementalist would be valuable in combat, but of all of the Resistance's elemental users, only he could control the amount of sheer energy needed to bring down something as massive as the two main gates of Ecbatana.

And Ecbatana's walls needed to fall. They'd besieged the city for nearly a week, and simply couldn't afford to continue to hold it under siege, not while more Ix reinforcements arrived each day. The tunnel represented the only chance for the Resistance to break the city— before it broke them.

"I can do it," said Shardak. "I will go."

For a moment, there was silence. The Luxa nodded. "Very well," she said. Shardak seemed surprised at first, but when Areop nodded his approval, he realized Luxa must have gone through the same logic of the necessity of his involvement that he had.

However, several of the others seemed dissatisfied with the plan. "We cannot allow Shardak to be captured or killed," said Caltax. "He's the only being who can challenge Lord Vahrikaan, and it's too dangerous to send him on a possibly fatal errand like this."

Fultran was beginning to nod agreement. "There are other aura users in our army who are more expendable. We cannot risk you in open combat, so soon after the Iskar disaster and the battle you fought in Media."

"Listen!" snapped Nightwatcher. "If we don't take down Ecbatana, then it doesn't matter if Shardak doesn't go, because we'll all be killed! The Ix will close their trap around the city, cut us off from the flatlands, then crush us, in the same way they defeated the Toa Order during the Arcaean War. More reinforcements will only keep arriving, and Vahrikaan hasn't even sent in any of his own men to back the Ix up. Karzahni, the only reason we're all still alive is because Vahrikaan wishes it! We're bringing the Spirit Toa right to him!"

Silence settled around the table. All of the Resistance commanders stared at Nightwatcher, who seemed his usual composed self once again.

Luxa was the first to break the silence. "Well, then. That is decided. Shardak shall help bring down the walls of the city."

"I will go with him," said Nightwatcher. "He'll need more protection, and I have enough auric power to sustain his own life force if his aura runs out once he brings down the gate."

Luxa looked ready to agree, but Caltax seemed hesitant. "I do not wish to send all of our most powerful aura users with Shardak. In the event that this fails, we may still need backup."

"Shardak needs me with him," said Nightwatcher flatly. "He will not survive without my help."

"I will join you as well," Valkyria said. Shardak breathed a silent sigh of relief. She was the being he wanted most by his side, one of the few beings who still lived that he trusted irrevocably with his life. He'd wanted to ask her himself, but had been too worried she'd refuse. Valkyria hadn't seemed to change outwardly since the revelation about the Final Prophecy, but Shardak was skilled at seeing past the mask and could feel her change in the field.

"The rest of the strike team should also be composed of aura users," said Kalix. "I'd join you myself, but I must command my Limiters in battle. If so wish it, I can supply one of my Ix warriors to go with you."

Caltax nodded. "That seems reasonable. And I assume that Aran wishes to go to represent the Glatorian, then?"

Aran nodded. "With your permission, general."

"Excellent," said Luxa. "That settles the matter. At dusk we will strike, not by siege, but in a full frontal assault. As the Ix defenders are drawn toward us and away from the main gates, which they believe are beyond harm, Shardak and the strike team will bring down the gates from the inside."

The discussion began to turn away from the strike team and to the tactics that would be employed in assaulting the walls, but Shardak still felt a tremor of unease. He knew that this was their last hope to capture Ecbatana. If this failed, he could not think of a conceivable strategy that the Resistance could use to bring down the massive, unconquerable city.

''What if the tunnel is a dead-end, or has been caved in or is impassible? Or worse, is it a trap, cleverly designed by the Ix? We have no other choice then but to use the tunnel, but what if we are playing into the Ix's hands— and Vahrikaan's?''

When Jareroden regained consciousness, he was alone. Dim pale green light from a lantern hanging on the wall gave the room he lay bound in a ghoulish green light. The Toa of Iron was filled with fear and horror beyond anything he'd felt before, even in the arena.

Failure scared him. Death, of course, scared him, but not as much as that he feared the end of his existance as much as he feared leaving behind all that he still hoped to accomplish. But somehow, knowing that out there Vahrikaan was probably devastating Xaterex while he lay bound with only a single lantern for company, terrified him more than anything else. He'd seen the horrible masked beings, the Vorgaan, and Ix warriors who ranked far higher than any he he himself had seen, and had heard Shardak's tales of Var'kala. It carried a legion of elite Order soldiers, every one of them loyal only to Vahrikaan.

Slowly, Jareroden's eyes began to adjust to the darkness. At first, he could see nothing, nothing but pure darkness. However, slowly, the darkness, impossibly, seemed to brighten. It still remained black as the darkest night, but somehow the shadows had lifted significantly.

And at that moment, Jareroden made out a figure seated in shadow. Slowly, the being lifted his head, revealing ice-cold, bloodred eyes. Jareroden gasped in fear and shock as the being's eyes met his. Jareroden, though ordinarily he had no power to sense auras, could feel this being had an intense concentration of elemental power around him, so intense that he almost blacked out. The being was a brilliant vessal fueled by raw elemental energy, a supernova of raw power which burned through him. And, when Jareroden thought he could bear the being's contact no longer, the Presence withdrew, and the Toa's eyes once again focused on the throne.

The being gave a high, cold laugh, causing an involuntary shiver of terror to run down Jareroden's spine. He couldn't make out the being's features, shrouded as they were in darkness, but could see the spiked crown he wore, a cold white jewel at its center. Jareroden had never seen it in person, but he recognized it immediately as the crown of Lost Arcaea, worn by the Elemental rulers of ancient Shadovar.

"Hello, Toa Jareroden," the being's voice was a hideous rasping hiss, but carried an undeniable aura of power. His words seemed to hang in the air as he spoke, still echoing within Jareroden's mind. "I am pleased to see you are recovering nicely."

Jareroden did not speak. He had never seen Lord Vahrikaan in person, but now he had no doubt that the being he faced was the rebel Ancient lord himself. He wore the crown of Arcaea, and posessed power beyond anything Jareroden had ever felt. Who else could it be but Vahrikaan?

"Not interested in talking?" Vahrikaan said, when he did not respond. "Perhaps you think your role in my plan is ended, and that I will simply kill you. If so, you are mistaken."

"What do you want?" asked Jareroden, but his voice sounded painfully small and weak. "Why have you come to speak with me in person? Why not send one of your servants?"

"I believe my servants have extracted all of the information I need from you," said Vahrikaan. "And much of it is painfully outdated. I know about your plan to seal off the Void, your plans to conquer Ecbatana and Drakos. But you know that as well. I merely have to wait on Var'kala for Shardak to slaughter his way here...though his chances of reaching me have grown far slimmer than they once were."

"Have you come here to gloat?" asked Jareroden. "What do you want from me?"

"I came because I wished to speak with you, the Toa who has been so vital to my plans. You have not caused me as much trouble as Shardak and Fairon, two other Toa in the Resistance, but until you did a great favor to me, I had not cared about what services you could perform for my empire."

"What did I do to help you?" asked Jareroden. "Did Reyna and her armies escape the Void? And what about the virus?"

Jareroden still could not make out Vahrikaan's feature sin the darkness, but he could feel Vahrikaan's detached amusement. "I don't think I'll say. But it has convinced me to allow you to live a little longer, under my control."

"Your control? What are you planning to do to me?" asked Jareroden. "I do not wish to serve you and the Ix! You will bring evil down on Xaterex!"

'"Evil?" 'Vahrikaan regarded him with a sort of detached amusement. "Little Toa, when you have lived as long as I, you will realize how thin that motivation is. Good and evil, what are they but words?"

"Your servants destroyed Arcaea! And if even half of the myths about you are true, you rebelled against your own people!" said Jareroden, fear making him reckless. Vahrikaan displayed not a sliver of emotion at his words.

"No, no," he said. "In my earlier days I was much like your Resistance— simply one being who desired change. Is change a bad thing? No, it brings advancement. But there are those who cannot see the brilliance of what I wish to do, to mould reality as I see fit. They must be changed, or removed. That is the entire philosophy of your Resistance, is it not?"

"We—" began Jareroden, but Vahrikaan cut him off.

"You seek to overthrow my empire, and you tried to stop my rising. Why? Because you wish for change. Because your Resistance believes that it can do a better job at ruling the Empire than I. Those are the same reasons I fought against the Ancients, and against the Arcaeans. During the rule of the Elementals, nothing changed. Do you not find that wrong? The corruption only grew stronger. That was why the Ix, and Shardak's father, and his allies aided my plan."

"No." said Jareroden. "We—"

"Destroying Arcaea was not part of my plan. That was the fault of Arcturas. He hoped that my plan would end there, and I would die. It failed. None can hinder me."

"If your plan is just," said Jareroden. "Then explain to me why you think it is right to use Elimination to eliminate the Toa, so they wouldn't interfere with your plan for Arcaea. And why your servants hunted Shardak without mercy, and why you threatened him with the Ancient's virus if he didn't free you from the ring."

"Soon you will understand," promised Vahrikaan. "When you think as I do, in terms of millions of years, everything that I have done that you consider wrong is insignificant in comparision to what it would mean if the plan suceeds.

"But I have not come to discuss my plans for these worlds with you. I have come to...send you back to your allies. I think that they have a need of you now."

Vahrikaan raised a clawed, corpse-like hand, and pointed it at Jareroden. Then, before Jareroden could open his mouth to speak, the Toa vanished in a flash of light and knew no more.

Chapter 12
Slowly, as Shardak continued through the winding passages beneath Media, he noticed a gradual change in the architecture of the passage. Where before it had been winding and labyrinthine, the tunnel now grew straighter, and Shardak could see it was gradually growing steeper, more uphill. The passageway, once narrow, grew wider and wider. And where before the tunnel had been pitch-black, Shardak now saw light was gradually coming back into the tunnel once again.

Shardak also noticed the passages were slowly beginning to grow far less winding.

"Lights ahead," said Nightwatcher. To Shardak's surprise, he could see not only white light, but other colors as well, namely pale blue and green. At first, Shardak had thought that it was merely Cold Fire, or perhaps the green lanterns he'd seen in the Circle. But then Nighwatcher, Valkyria, and the rest of the strike team stepped into a wider tunnel and Shardak gasped at what he saw.

He was standing in an ancient room, illuminated by massive, gleaming crystals. All of them were of various colors, dark blue, pale green, and blood red. The multicolored light revealed the thousands of runes, written in a language that Shardak did not recognize, carved deep into the walls, ceiling, and floor of the cavern.

"What is this place?" asked Shardak, awed by the sight of the crystals. "Do the Ix know that this is here?"

"The runes are in Arcaean," said Nightwatcher. "Though why they'd be written here is beyond me. And how this place has escaped the notice of the Ix."

Shardak grew more uneasy. Was this place really unknown to the Empire? It seemed unlikely that something so close ot Ecbatana would remain unknown to the Empire. However, as Nightwatcher studied the runes, he saw the Toa of Shadow grow disappointed.

"They're nothing but untranslatable nonsense," he said. "I thought they might have been important, but while they're written in Arcaean, evidently whoever carved these here is using some kind of code we don't understand. Whoever carved this here, they haven't been here for years."

"Nor have the Ix," added Valkyria. "There's no sign anyone's discovered this passageway for over one hundred years."

"Let's move on," said Aran impatiently. "Even now, the Resistance could be attacking Ecbatana. They're counting on us to open the gates."

Before Nightwatcher or any of the others could answer, Aran strode across the chamber, toward the crystals. Slowly, cautiously, the Limiter followed. Nightwatcher did was well, but he seemed wary. "There's something not right here," the Toa of Shadow said. "I can't sense any enemies in the aura field, but something's not right about this place."

Aran nodded grimly. "I don't like this either." he said. "I can't feel anything in the aura field, but I feel as though there is something dangerous here."

Shardak stared at the gleaming crystals, which burned with light brighter than that of the Blade of Arcturas. He too felt something was wrong about this place, something he didn't understand. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the tension in the air was palpable.

As the strike team gradually traveled down the passageways, Shardak realized that the amount of crystals was gradually decreasing. However, the runes on the walls did not disappear; they were still visible in the gradually dimming light. Shardak saw just ahead of Aran, two large, dark red crystals loomed, like two sinister eyes peering out from the blackness. As they drew near to the crystals, however, Shardak felt something different appear in the aura field.

"Aran! Watch out!" Nightwatcher yelled, sensing what Shardak did. Aran half turned around to face them moments after he stepped between the crystals.

Then the trap snapped shut. The two red crystals slammed together, crushing Aran between them. Before Shardak's shocked eyes, the dying Glatorian writhed and thrashed, blood pouring from his body, blood illuminated by the two crystals. Slowly, his thrashing stilled, and he went limp, his crazed eyes clouding over and rolling back in his head.

Shardak stared at Aran's corpse in shocked horror. Even Valkyria seemed stunned. Blood, the same color as the burning red light, poured from the dead Glatorian's body.

"Shardak," Valkyria was the first to recover. "Shardak, the—"

"Limiters!" barked Nightwatcher, cutting her off. Black-cloaked attackers suddenly appeared from the darkness, their white masks gleaming in the darkness.

Within less than a second, Aquaros had appeared in Nighwatcher's hand, and the Sword of Elemental water had decapitated one of the attackers. Shardak had less than a second's time to process Aran's death and the sudden ambush before a Limiter wielding a scythe charged toward him. Shardak, caught, immediately raised his torch, flinging it into the Limiter's face. With a shriek of pain, the Ix warrior disappeared from view.

Another immediately took his place, the darkness making his death-white mask appear still paler. His black armor and eyes blended perfectly with the shadows, Shardak could only make out the barest outline of the Ix attacker in the dim, bloodred light.

As the Limiter's scythe flashed in the darkness, Shardak ducked instinctively, the curved blade barely missing his shoulder. Shardak countered, blocking his assailant's next strike and swinging his own sword across the Limiter's gut. Before the wounded Ix warrior could recover, Shardak brought the Blade of Arcturas down on the Ix again. Wounded badly, the Ix soldier vanished into the darkness.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shardak could see Nightwatcher holding off four Limiters. Valkyria was fighting in hand to hand combat as well, holding off wraithlike Ix soldiers as they appeared from the darkness, their cold masks bathed in the ghoulish bloody light.

In the claustrophobic confines of the dark tunnel, fighting the Limietrs took on a horrible, nightmarish quality. They would appear before Shardak, their scythes raised, their grim white masks bathed in bloody light. The Blade of Arcturas would bring them down, the sword, the crystals, and their blood all the same shade of red.

Shardak could see that the Limiter attackers easily had the upper hand. The Limiter's smaller, more manueverable weapons and greater numbers, as well as their knowledge of the tunnels, gave them an easy advantage. The tunnels were far too restricting of movement for even Valkyria to fight easily, and Shardak knew the Limiters had blocked off the tunnel's exit in Ecbatana as well.

Shardak managed to break away from the throng of hacking, stabbing Ix warriors and raced away, deeper into the tunnels. A Limiter appeared in front of him, but the Blade of Arcturas dealt him a swift blow to the throat before he could attack. Shardak looked around him, and saw Nightwatcher fighting alone amidst the Ix warriors. Shardak couldn't see any of the other strike team members nearby. He saw Kalix's Limiter lying dead beside a fallen Ix soldier, a scythe embedded in his throat.

"Go! Run!" yelled Nightwatcher, Aquaros dealing death to any Limiter in range. Shardak didn't need Nightwatcher to tell him twice. He raced away, deeper into the caverns. Remembering Aran's horrible fate, Shardak avoided contact with any of the crystals. However, as he continued running, he could hear the Limiters behind him

The caverns grew more and more massive as he went on, and Shardak passed row upon row of the gleaming crystals. He expected every one of them to attack and kill him in the same way that they had killed Aran, but none of them seemed to be trapped. Every so often Shardak would pause to catch his breath, then he resumed running as he heard the shouts of Limiters and the thunder of pursuit.

Despite his head start, Shardak could hear the Limiters gaining on him. As he rounded the corner of a long tunnel, he saw two Ix soldiers appear from the darkness. Before either the Limiters or the Toa could move, another Ix soldier burst into the cavern, followed by another. All three of them formed a ring around Shardak, sheathing their daggers and drawing the longer scythes.

Now Shardak was trapped. The Blade of Arcturas, while faster than the Limiters, simply did not have the same reach that the Ix weapons had. And the Limiters were skilled. In numbers, they would overwhelm Shardak.

One of the Limiters charged Shardak, who leapt out of reach of the scythe. The gleam of the pale blue crystal flashed in the Ix soldier's eyes as he swung his scythe again, aiming for Shardak's chest. The Toa narrowly evaded the blade again— only to be slammed by the hilt of another scythe in the shoulder. Thrown off-guard, Shardak fumbled with the Blade of Arcturas, and the three Ix soldiers closed in for the kill.

Suddenly one of the attacking Ix soldiers' eyes bulged in shock. His scythe fell from his hands, and he crumpled to the ground. Shardak saw that a Limiter dagger was buried in his back. The second Limiter immediately whirled around, and the third hesitated to press his attack as Shardak stared at the being who had saved him, a being wearing the usual green-brown Limiter camouflage.

Shardak was confused. Kalix's Limiter had been wearing Glatorian armor, and the Limiter attack force wore black, to blend with the darkness. Who was this Ix? Where had he come from? His face was concealed by a Limiter mask, and in the gloom Shardak couldn't make out his eyes.

Both of the Limiters seemed shocked as well at the sudden appearance of another Ix. "Who—" one began.

He never finished. The Ix warrior charged forward, bringing his own scythe down on one of the Ix attackers. The final Ix warrior's eyes darted from Shardak to the mysterious Ix attacker, both who were closing in on him. He lunged forward, Shardak raising the Blade of Arcturas at the same time and running it through his heart.

"Thank y—" Shardak began, but before he could finish, the mysterious Ix had vanished.

Then chaos broke loose as Ix soldiers charged from another passageway toward him. Shardak saw Nightwatcher racing ahead of them, and realized he'd been trapped as more Ix pursuers appeared from all sides. In the wide cavern, Shardak could more easily hold them off, but more and more Ix soldiers were appearing, and to even hold them off— much less reach Ecbatana itself— before they were killed was something beyond even Nighwatcher's capabilities.

Shardak tensed, raising the Blade of Arcturas. He was ready to fight to death if necessary. He simply couldn't believe it had come to this. He, Valkyria, Nightwatcher, and Aran had been skilled, capable, and powerful. Now Aran lay dead, Valkyria was missing somewhere in the maze below Ecbatana, and he and Nightwatcher were both about to be finished off by Ix attackers.

Then saw another being emerge from the darkness.

It was a being he'd never thought he'd see again.

Atarus.

"Shardak?" gasped the Elemental, staring at him. Shardak looked around him, and saw two Matoran charging toward the Ix soldiers.

"Silver? Dust?" he asked, hardly daring to speak the names of the two Matoran who had disappeared nearly three years ago, beings he'd long since assumed dead. The two Matoran fought alongside the Elemental through the hordes of massed Ix warriors, who were closing in around Shardak and Nightwatcher.

Chapter unfinished...