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This article was written by DarkStalker719. Please do not add to it without the writer's permission.
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| Convergence | |
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| Story | |
| Setting | |
| Date Set |
Post-Abyssal War
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| Media Information | |
| Released |
June 25, 2018-Unknown
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| Written by | |
| Timeline | |
| Previous |
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| Next |
Continuum
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Convergence is the first story serial in DarkStalker719's Prelude trilogy. It is to be succeeded by Continuum, and marks the beginning of Makuta Saakhral's attempts to conquer the continent of Onuuss.
Story[]
Prologue[]
The coast of Onuuss was quiet, with only the singing of the Rahi insects and the lapping of the waves against the shore breaking the silence. Moonlight bathed the sands in a pale light. The drone of the insects quieted as the call of a solitary Brakkas monkey echoed through the night. The insects resumed their calls, filling the night with a quiet background.
The quiet rhythm of the beach continued, its constant noise blending into a single hum that steadily grew in volume until the insects themselves hid from the noise. A flight of birds lifted off from the jungle beyond the beach, and the Brakkas monkey hid beneath the canopy, its small body quivering with fear.
A shadow slipped over the waves, obscuring the moonlight, sliding towards the beach like a ghost. The shadow drifted onto the beach, before touching down of the beach, the maniacal humming ceasing, and the beach quiet once more.
A single, tentative buzz began, as the beach’s calm returned. The wave's soothing sound slipped over the coast, the area returning to calm. The insects resumed their calls, and the Brakkas slipped out onto a branch to snatch a ripe fruit. The hiss of hydraulics shattered the peace, as a panel slid down from the side of the shadow, cutting through the noise of the night, leaving a gateway of pale light in the flank of the shadow.
Several hunched figures rushed from the shadow onto the beach, each bearing a staff and marked by spines rising from their backs. The creatures glanced around the beach before standing to attention around the doorway into the depths of the shadow.
A tall, slender being strode out of the doorway,and stops between the sentinels. Her eyes burned a deep red as she surveyed the coastline.
”Tomorrow we will slaughter our enemies, paint the ground with their blood,” she hissed, her eyes fixed on the horizon and her wings shifting restlessly. “But that will all come in good time…”
“Tonight, though…”
“Tonight, the hunt shall begin!”
She stood aside and let her Rahkshi rush past her into the jungle. By dawn, her blades would taste flesh. Tomorrow, her prey would be nothing but meat for the worms.
Chapter 1[]
Verrnec walked over the rocky flanks of the volcano; Inverrnaus to most, but known to him, like so many veterans of the Abyssal War, the Gate to the Abyss. He ceased his march and looked out over the wooded valley that the dormant volcano loomed over. For years the valley had been rebuilding itself after the devastation of the Abyssal War, its ecosystem recovering from the footsteps of a thousand warriors. Only recently were trees reclaiming the once scorched hills and hollows of the nearby area, the new shoots and leaves painting the valley a soft, hopeful green.
After gazing at the valley for another moment, Verrnec turned and continued to climb up the volcano’s side. His sword and shield hung loosely from his back, both covered in scratches and chips, both a testament to the numerous battles each had endured, and a testament to the ferocity of the conflicts they had been wielded in. He carried the weapons as a reminder of the war. They had served him ever since his original sword broke during his time as a novice Toa.
Verrnec had roamed this area for hundreds of years after the end of the Abyssal War. He had left the Army of Courage after that final battle, disillusioned by the wasted lives and pain of the war. He had once been a legend, a heroic Toa, a shining example for warriors battling the Demons everywhere.
He hated that side of him. The side of that him believed if your intentions were good, you could do no wrong. The Toa of Fire had reveled in the joy of protecting those who could not protect themselves, of doing the right thing. He had seen everything in such black and white.
Not any longer. The death of his teammates, of his friends in the final battles of the war had changed him; let him see the true nature of conflict. It had let him see the finality of death.
He sighed and continued his trek down the rocky slope. After the end of the Abyssal War he had remained at the volcano, tending to the dead from the enormous battle that ended a war that most simply wished to forget. Verrnec stopped at a gravestone carved from hardened magma and engraved with three names. Isvara. Wheren. Rynis. They were Toa that had made up his former team. They had been killed during the attempt to cut Nocturnus off from his powers, one after another, until Verrnec was the only survivor. Even he had fallen, wounded and trapped under the body of an Abyssal Knight, and had witnessed the surviving Avatars’ sacrifice that had truly ended the war.
I failed you all, he thought. I was young. Foolish. I should have been able to help you.
The Toa of Fire shook himself, tearing his gaze away from the grave, tears gathering in his eyes. He looked up at the crest of the volcano, high above the rocky crag where he stood, and watched a Gukko fly over the volcano and into the forest beyond.. He glanced back at the gravestone.
“I have stayed on this mountain to take honor you. To remember you,” the Toa said, his voice hoarse from disuse.
But you while you wallowed in your self-loathing, did you ever think about those who you once protected? A voice whispered in his head. Death, pain, suffering, it will not end just because you leave everything behind. The only way to defeat them is to try. Hiding, begging. Those efforts make no difference. Try. Don’t think. Try
Verrnec had been through similar trains of thought before, but the first few times he had still been greiving, his wounds had been too fresh. But now he had been recovering for over 900 years. Now he felt ready to leave his self-imposed exile.
Verrnec turned and glanced over the valley once more. Then I will try, he promised himself. I have spent the past 900 years hiding. It is time to come out of hiding. It is time to make a difference.
The Toa began to climb down the slope of Inverrnaus. He had a long trek ahead of him.
Chapter 2[]
As the blow sped towards her, Kaalii ducked under the axe blade and vaulted over the second swing. Her opponent whirled around to face her as she whipped out her left leg and swept her foe’s legs out from under him. The red and grey armored warrior rolled aside as Kaalii’s blade impaled the spot where he had been lying. Her opponent sprang to his feet and he swung his axes at her exposed side. Kaalii pivoted and knocked the first blade to the side before catching her foe’s wrist. She twisted the Pakari-wearer’s arm behind his back and put her sword to his throat.
“Dead,” the Toa of Ice smirked as she released him from the arm lock, “For the ninth time in a row, might I add.”
Her opponent, a Sentinel of Light named Tenras laughed; “We all know that you’re better than me. The only reason you fight me is to keep yourself tuned.”
He whirled his wrist-axes once before slamming one into the floor of the training area, the axe blade penetrating the light padding before being stopped by the stone floor; “That’s how it’s going to happen in our next match. BAM! You’re dead,” the Sentinels of Light’s armorer said.
“You wish,” retorted Kaalii, rolling her eyes.
Around the two were several groups of Sentinels training in various forms of combat. Off to the side of the room, near the corridor that headed into the heart of the Sentinel’s fortress, stood several spectators. The room contained several weapon racks, as well as three small padded arenas for unarmed combat and wrestling.
As Kaalii and Tenras finished their bout, a Le-Matoran jogged up to them. Kaalii turned to acknowledge the Matoran, clamping down on her smile. During combat she always felt liberated, more carefree.
“What is it, Pohlic?” she asked, her voice sharpening as she noticed the urgency in the Matoran’s eyes.
“Asceli wants you in the command center in five minutes,” said Pohlic.
“Is something wrong?”
“I don’t know,” Pohlic shrugged. “Asceli didn’t seem particularly concerned, but then again, she isn’t one for showing much emotion anyway.”
Kaalii nodded and began to head towards the door, waving to Tenras as she left. Throughout the time that she had been a part of the Sentinels of Light, she had never seen Asceli show more than a little emotion. She walked through the doorway and up a long corridor that headed deeper into the Sentinel’s base.
The Sentinels of Light were formed in the aftermath of the First Abyssal Invasion. The Avatar of Life created the group as a fail-safe in preparation for a day when the Avatars might be destroyed. Asceli, a Toa of Light, was placed in charge of the group. Throughout the group’s existence, they had battled numerous threats to Onuuss and its inhabitants. Although the Avatars had been wiped out in the Second Abyssal Invasion, the Sentinels of Light had continued their mission.
Kaalii continued down the corridor, the lightstones mounted along the tunnel illuminating her path. The Sentinels’ main base was built into a small mountain on Onuuss’s south-eastern coast, far away from any settlement. A large part of the structure was underground, connected by a series of tunnels that wound through the stone. The training center Kaalii had just left was in one of the underground portions, and Kaalii frequently trained there, although she disliked the underground sections and preferred to stay aboveground.
She continued to walk down the hallway. The passage forked and she turned to the left and began to ascend a large flight of stairs that leveled out and remained level. The passageway’s roof was made out of glass, allowing natural light to shine in from outside the base. The Toa of Ice reached the top of the steps and strode along, her mind working as she tried to figure out what Asceli could need her for. It seemed unlikely that the base was in imminent danger, or Tenras probably would have been ordered to come as well. Deep in thought, she did not notice Deferan standing to the side of the passage until she nearly walked into him, coming to a sudden halt as she noticed the Toa of Air.
“Watch where you are going!” Kaalii snapped, annoyed. Although Deferan was not really in her way, she wasn’t about to cut him any slack. Deferan was a new recruit, brought into the Sentinels only recently, and was only moderately talented, mainly used reconnaissance and scouting operations, and was significantly outranked by Kaalii.
“Ah, well, uh, hi Kaalii,” stuttered Deferan.
“Is there something you need?” asked Kaalii curtly.
“I was, um, just wondering if… Uh wondering-“
“Just tell me what you want and get going.” Kaalii was starting to get annoyed. I do not have all day! She growled in her head.
“Well, I was, um, kinda wonderingifyouwantedtohavedinnertogetheratsomepointinthenearfuture?” Deferan said nervously, speaking the words so rapidly that they blended together into one chunk of sound.
“I- Wh-,” Kaalii was speechless. Is Deferan asking me out? She had not prepared for this kind of thing her entire life. It was not that Deferan was cruel or stupid. I just never- Just no. this is not okay. I have no desire to be paired up with someone my whole life. Just no. She had noticed that Deferan had been following her around for several weeks, but she had thought that it was simply her rank and prestige, not that he was attracted to her.
Deferan stood in front of her, his face turned away from Kaalii. “I’m sorry if this came at a bad time, bu-, he began, but Kaalii cut him off. “ There will never be a good time for this! You and m-, wait no, there is no you and me! There can never be a you and me! I have a duty! You have a duty!”
Deferan stared at her, shock mixing with hurt. “But-,” he started but Kaalii continued, rolling over his words; “Call me cruel for doing this, for saying this, but it has to be done! Go, I don’t want to see you again!” Kaalii screamed, losing her calm for a moment.
Deferan turned and walked numbly down the hall, his head down and his arms hanging limply at his sides. Kaalii watched him leave before turning and continuing her journey, her stride stilted and her mind churning as she walked along. She had let the whole exchange get under her skin, and it had left her unsettled.
She paused at the entrance to the command center to compose her thoughts. Kaalii took a deep breath and smoothed her face into an emotionless expression as she opened the door and walked into the room.
The Sentinels of Light had, over their lengthy existence, managed to build up their base into a state-of-the-art facility, and the command center was no exeption, with communications areas linked to the group’s few outposts, as well as monitors connected to motion activated and thermal cameras. The overall picture in the large room was that of controlled chaos, with Matoran rushing back and forth from different screens, a small group of warriors reporting the results of a patrol, and two Matoran and a Steltian analyzing reports from across Onuuss, as well as dozens of Matoran studying monitors and filing paperwork. Asceli stood at the head of a small table near the back of the room, in deep conversation with a tall Toa of Gravity.
As Kaalii walked up to the table the Toa of Gravity bowed to Asceli before striding towards the exit, nodding to Kaalii as he walked past her and out of the room. Kaalii bowed to Asceli, who nodded at the Toa of Ice; “Sir,” said Kaalii briskly, before sitting down on one of the chairs around the table. Asceli sat down at the opposite end of the table and leaned forward, her wings folded neatly on her back. The Toa of Light had overseen Kaalii’s training and was the closest thing to a friend that Kaalii had in the Sentinels.
“The reason I called you here is because our perimeter sentries have noticed that something appears to be studying our defenses. We have not been able to catch it on security footage, and the sentries themselves have been unable to spot it,” Asceli began.
“I am not particularly concerned about this, as it is probably just a Rahi rooting around unusually close to the base, but I would rather be certain that it isn’t a spy or the precursor to an invasion,” Asceli continued.
“I want you to take two other Sentinels and find out what, if anything, is out there. Take your pick of any of the Sentinels who are off duty.”
“Yes sir!” Kaalii stood and saluted. The Toa of Ice turned and jogged out of the command center.
On a rocky outcropping several thousand feet from the Sentinels of Light’s base, a winged, blue armored being stood, her claws twitching restlessly as she studied the base. After another moment watching the base, she turned and, spreading her wings, leaped off the crag and slipped down over the forest surrounding the base.
Chapter 3[]
Carrun stood on a walkway along the end of the valley that led to the Sentinels of Light’s main base. He glanced out over the valley, which was sporadically covered in tall trees, their leaves beginning to turn to the vibrant colors of fall. The Toa stood on a long catwalk that ran along the valley’s eastern edge, concealed by branches and vines which formed a canopy that hid the walkway from view. The plants had been shaped into their form by a Toa of Plantlife, several hundred years ago, and were still thriving, even after the Toa’s death. Carrun turned back to glance back to his companion, a Toa of Earth by the name of Everon.
“This is the absolute worst job there is,” griped Carrun.
“Tell me about it,” grumbled Everon. “While we sit and stare at trees all day, there are other Sentinels who are out there in the field getting to fight agents of the Brotherhood of Makuta and save Matoran. I mean, nothing ever comes near this place anyway. We just stand around and do nothing.”
Carrun nodded. The Toa of Sonics had been recruited into the Sentinels of Light several years ago, and his rank had stayed low. Most of his career had been spent on sentry duty, which he found himself on once again after getting into a fistfight with a Sentinel returning from a mission.
“It doesn’t seem fair that we’re still on guard duty while Kaalii is already second in command of the entire freaking group! She was recruited two and a half years after I joined and what do you know, she is already up at the top!” he snarled.
Everon glanced over at Carrun. While he resented guard duty, he disliked Carrun’s fanatical hatred of Kaalii and his insulting of the Sentinel’s chain of command in general.
“Well, she really did earn her way there to that position, you have to admit,” he said, narrowing his eyes at Carrun.
“Yeah, but it just seems as though we should get some sort of reward for the time we’ve spent in the Sentinels.”
"I’ve gotta agree with you there. At the very least we could get a cushy desk job if not some sort of mission. I mean, I joined the Sentinels after one of their operatives saved my village from a gang of slavers. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m really grateful for what they did, it’s just tha-“
But Everon never got the chance to finish his sentence. His words were cut off as a flash of Protosteel whipped across his throat. The Toa of Earth struggled to take a breath from what remained of his throat. Makuta Kyaele flicked the blood off of her dagger as Everon slumped to the ground in front of her, his blood dribbling off of the platform and into the forest below.
Before Carrun could react to the death of his companion, a pair of Rahkshi scrambled onto the walkway beside him. As Carrun whirled around to face the new threat, one of the Rahkshi, armored with red and orange plating unleashed a blast of laser vision that caught the Toa of Sonics in the shoulder and blasted him back and over the railing of the platform and sent the screaming Toa crashing into the trees that dotted the valley floor. Neither Toa had been able to turn on their communicators to call for backup.
Kyaele turned away from the Rahkshi as Kzanex, a white and red armored servant of the Brotherhood of Makuta loped up to her. He dropped to his knee at the feet of Makuta; “Mistress, the other sentries have been neutralized.”
“Very good,” hissed Kyaele. “Bring in the rest of my force. Prepare to attack the main base at my signal.”
“Yes, Mistress,” said Kzanex before turning and vaulting off the walkway and into the valley below.
Kyaele remained on the platform for another moment. It had taken months of searching to locate the Sentinel’s base. It had been several weeks more before her strike force had been ready to launch an attack. But finally, she was ready. Everything was coming together.
Kaalii jogged out of the main entrance to the Sentinels of Light’s base, the Protosteel gates swinging closed behind her. To either side of her were two other Sentinels.
“We are going to check in with sentries at the mouth of the valley to see if they have a general idea of where whatever it is that’s moving around the base is. After that we will spread out to cover more ground,” Kaalii said.
“Uvar will take the south side of the valley,” she said, gesturing to the Toa of Ice to her right.
“Starna will take the north,” Kaalii continued, gesturing to the yellow-armored Imbiber to her left. “And I will take the center.”
The three Sentinels arrived at the foot of the ladder that led onto the concealed walkway that guarded the mouth of the valley. Had the three Sentinels been a few minutes faster, they would have witnessed the murders of Everon and Carrun. Had they been a few minutes faster they would have died with the fallen Toa.
Kaalii reached the top of the ladder and stepped onto the catwalk. And stared in shock and horror at the scene that awaited her on the platform.
Everon’s body lay in a pool of blood and droplets of it slowly dripped off the walkway and into the forest below. His head was almost completely severed from his torso, his throat brutally ripped open. His face was set in an expression of shock and disbelief, his dead eyes blank and vacant. His partner was nowhere to be seen. Kaalii sprinted back to the edge of the platform, where Uvar had nearly reached the top of the ladder.
“Get back to the base as fast as possible!” she shouted at Uvar. “Someone killed Everon and I’m betting that if they took out the sentries here that they will be heading to the main base soon!”
Uvar nodded and began to head back down the ladder.
“What about you?” yelled Starna from the forest floor.
“I’m going to see if there are any more attackers up here. I also haven’t seen the other guard’s body, so he might still be around here somewhere,” Kaalii replied, already examining the walkway, searching for any sign of an ambush.
As Starna and Uvar raced back to the Sentinel’s base, Kaalii crept cautiously along walkway, every sense alert. There was almost definitely an ambush set, and she did not intend to be caught in it. Kaalii continued down the catwalk, stopping short when she noticed the claw marks in the platform's floor. That was the only reason she survived the first blast of laser vision.
Kyaele strode through the burning fortress, her daggers stained with blood, the corridor behind her littered with the bodies of the Sentinels foolish enough to challenge the Makuta. To either side of Kyaele prowled a silver-armored Rahkshi of Chain Lightning. As the Makuta continued up the passageway, a Toa of Plasma sprinted from further up the hall towards her, bellowing a battle cry, his mace held in a high grip. Kyaele barely glanced at the Toa before unleashing a blast of chain lightning that struck the Toa in his torso, sending him crashing into the wall at the corridor’s far end.
The Makuta continued down the hallway, passing the Toa of Plasma’s prone form and striding down the remaining length of the corridor before reaching a large door set at the end of the passageway. Kyaele lifted a hand and fired a bolt of molecular disruption into the door, disrupting the bonds of the molecules that made up the door, completely destroying it. Kyaele entered the massive rectangular room that made up the Sentinels of Light’s vault, which Kyaele knew held their reserve Kanohi and weapons, as well as some of the most dangerous weapons captured from the Sentinels enemies.
The vault remained one of the last points of resistance in the base. The Sentinels, taken utterly by surprise by Kyaele’s assault had been unable to put up effective resistance, and their defenses had steadily crumbled. The command center and armory had both been secured by Kzanex and most of the Sentinels in the base were dead.
And now, thought Kyaele, the last will die.
Kyaele glanced around the room before focusing on the cluster of figures near the back of the large room. The Sentinel’s vault was around 150 feet long and 75 feet wide, with several racks of various kinds of weapons along the left wall. In the back of the room were several large stacks of crates as well as a small set of Protosteel shells built into the wall, which was presumably held powerful weapons. Along the left and right walls were rows of columns which supported the ceiling.
Near the back of the room several crates had been dragged into a small barricade. Behind the makeshift wall stood a Toa of Air who held a long blade, as well as a Le-Matoran. Next to the two green-armored beings crouched a female Selavian with her eye to the scope of a sniper rifle that was aimed at Kyaele’s head. To the Selavian’s right stood a tall Toa of Light, armed with a long spear and a round shield, with large wings curving gracefully out of her back.
“I had hoped that the Makuta had all died during The Fall,” shouted Asceli as she lifted her spear to point it at Kyaele. “My sources informed me otherwise, but I had thought that the Brotherhood would be too weak to show aggression. Clearly I was wrong.”
Kyaele laughed; “And it will be your downfall, Toa. Your precious Sentinels are all dead and your base is in ruins. Your group will die with you.”
Asceli’s wings flared slightly as the Selavian adjusted her aim. “And what do you hope to gain from attacking the Sentinels of Light. You have lost Rahkshi, time, and most importantly the element of surprise. The Brotherhood of Makuta cannot win a war against all of Onuuss,” Asceli shouted.
To her surprise, Kyaele began to laugh again; “Do you really think that the Makuta are that stupid! Of course we can’t win a war against all of Onuuss. But there will be no war.”
“Think about it: now that the Sentinels of Light are no longer a factor on Onuuss, there is nothing to protect against every threat to the cities and villages of this continent. While I admit that the Nehriim Council could be a significant enemy if they had sufficient time to prepare for a war, they have no way of knowing that the Sentinels are already destroyed, and even if they did, the Council will soon be removed from the picture as well.
So, put quite simply, we are dividing and conquering. And as this little battle has proven, it is most effective.”
As the first blast of laser vision screamed over her head, Kaalii was already in motion, throwing herself to the left, away from the direction that the laser vision had come from, her sword already in her hand. As Kaalii was moving, two Rahkshi, armored with aquamarine plating, dropped onto the platform from where they had been clinging to the canopy above the walkway. Behind them, a red and orange Rahkshi rushed along the platform towards Kaalii. The Toa of Ice looked at the two Rahkshi directly in front of her and smiled.
“Rahkshi of fire resistance, eh? She grinned. “Unfortunately for you two, I don’t do fire.”
Before the aquamarine Rahkshi could get any closer Kaalii raised her sword and sent a blast of ice at them, completely freezing one and trapping the other’s arm against a railing with a block of ice. The Rahkshi screeched in panic as it tried to wrench its arm free. As its comrade attempted to shatter the ice trapping its arm, the Rahkshi of Laser Vision fired a second blast at Kaalii. The Toa dodged the shot and ducked behind the frozen Rahkshi of Fire Resistance. The red and orange Rahkshi’s third blast shattered Kaalii’s Rahkshi cover and knocked her to the ground, sending several shards of ice into her arm.
Kaalii gritted her teeth as she threw herself to the side as the Rahkshi of Laser Vision blasted the spot on the walkway’s floor where she had been a moment earlier. The Toa of Ice growled and, ignoring the pain in her arm, slammed her palm onto the walkway’s floor, coating the platform in front of the red and orange armored Rahkshi with ice.
“Would you stop trying to fry me?” Kaalii yelled as she dodged another blast from the Rahkshi of Laser Vision.
Kaalii scrambled to her feet and began backing away from the remaining Rahkshi and towards the ladder at the end of the walkway. The red and orange Rahkshi, sensing victory, stepped forward to pursue Kaalii. And slipped on the ice covering the walkway’s floor. The Rahkshi slid forward and collapsed onto its side, claws scrabbling for purchase of the slick ice.
Kaalii leapt forward and launched a kick into the side of the Rahkshi’s head. There was a sickening crack as the Rahkshi’s neck broke. The creature collapsed, its movements ceasing.
Kaalii turned and sprinted to the edge of the walkway, only to stop as the noticed the smoke rising from the direction of the Sentinels of Light’s base. She began to climb down the ladder as fast as she could, with one thought running through her head over and over again; I hope I’m not too late.
As soon as Kyaele finished speaking, Asceli made her move, firing a beam of light a Kyaele’s chest. Had Kyaele been distracted, or had she reacted a second later, she would have died. But the Makuta had been studying Asceli and had noticed the Toa of Light’s shift to calm, noticed her hand tightening as the Toa prepared to fire. Kyaele was already moving as the beam of light shot towards her. The laser missed her by inches, burning a hole in the wall behind the Makuta.
Kyaele thrust a hand forward, her telekinetic blast throwing the Selavian with the sniper rifle flying backwards before smashing into the wall with a crack, splattering blood and brain matter against the wall.
“Ralva!” shouted the Le-Matoran.
He looked ready to run to her body but, after glancing over at Kyaele, her hand still raised, clearly decided against it. Kyaele held Ralva against the wall for a moment before letting her slide to the floor, turning her attention back to Asceli, who had already leapt into the air and was flying towards Kyaele. The Makuta stepped back as the two Rahkshi of Chain Lightning rushed forward to meet Asceli.
Asceli landed in front of the two Rahkshi and lunged forward, impaling the first Rahkshi through the eye, killing it instantly. The Toa of Light wrenched her spear from the Rahkshi’s head and turned to face the second Rahkshi, which had already launched a bolt of chain lightning at Asceli. She ducked under the lightning bolt and rammed her shield into the silver Rahkshi’s torso, knocking it back and giving Asceli a moment to organize her defenses.
The Rahkshi hissed and lunged at Asceli with its staff. Asceli met the attack head-on, knocking the staff aside and driving her heel into its knee, shattering the joint. The Rahkshi screeched and raised its staff to deflect Asceli’s next thrust. Asceli’s thrust was parried by the Rahkshi, only to have a beam of light blast through its head. The Rahkshi dropped lifelessly to the ground.
“Deferan, Pohlic, get out of here!” Asceli yelled over her shoulder as she turned to face Kyaele.
Deferan and Pohlic sprinted to the doorway. Deferan paused before he continued, letting Pohlic continue past him. “Are you su-, “the Toa of Air began, but Asceli cut him off; “Keep running,” she growled.
With one final glance backwards, Deferan ran through the doorway and disappeared from view. Asceli raised her spear and shield in preparation for the coming battle. Kyaele hissed at the Toa and began to circle her, the Makuta never taking her eyes off of Asceli, her claws twitching restlessly. The Toa of Light attacked first, feinting to the left before lunging at Kyaele’s throat. Kyaele caught the blow on one of her daggers and swung the second at Asceli’s side. The Toa lifted her shield and Kyaele’s dagger glanced off of the hardened metal. The Makuta hissed and kneed Asceli on the stomach, knocking the breath from the Toa of Light's lungs. Kyaele lunged foward, sinking her blade deep into Asceli's shoulder.
Asceli grimaced and snapped her wings forward, sending her flying backwards and ripping the blade from her shoulder. The Toa landed and raised her shield just in time to block a blast of heat vision from Kyaele. The Makuta stalked slowly up to Asceli, her daggers whirling idly.
“You fought bravely, but in the end you will die,” whispered Kyaele, her eyes glinting.
Asceli did not respond, instead dropping her shield and pointing a finger at Kyaele. An orb of light began to gather at the Toa of Light’s fingertip.
Kyaele growled and reached out with her telekinetic powers and wrenched the pillar directly behind Asceli, sending the pillar crashing down towards the Toa. Asceli heard the crack as the column began to fall and glanced behind at the huge chunk of stone rushing down at her. The Toa dove to the side as the pillar crashed to the ground, catching Asceli on the shoulder, her right wing snapping from the blow, her light blast fizzling out.
“Tsk tsk, Toa,” Kyaele called through the cloud of dust that filled the room. “We can’t have any sneaky light powers changing today’s outcome.”
The Toa of Light crawled out from the shadow of the column, her right shoulder shattered, blood running down its length, staining the floor. The wing behind it was limp and unmoving. Her white and gold armor was dented and battered, and smeared with blood and grit. Kyaele strode over to the Toa, wrapping her hand around Asceli’s throat before pulling the Toa to her feet. Kyaele growled deep in her throat and slammed Asceli against the fallen pillar, the Makuta’s knife against Asceli’s throat.
“Now you fall, Toa,” Kyaele hissed.
With a sudden burst of strength, Asceli shoved Kyaele away and grasped her spear in her left hand, raising it into a ready position. Kyaeele snarled and lunged forward, knocking the Toa’s spear aside with her forearm and swinging her dagger at Asceli’s throat. The Toa managed to twist aside and Kyaele’s blade slashed through the air an inch from Asceli’s neck.
Kyaele reversed her swing and rammed her elbow into Asceli’s throat, the blade at the end of the Makuta’s arm plunging deep into the Toa of Light’s neck. Asceli’s spear dropped from numb fingers, clattering to the ground. Kyaele ripped the blade from Asceli’s throat, spraying blood across the fallen column, before letting the Toa slump to the ground, her blood spilling onto the smooth stone of the floor.
Kaalii crept through the edge of the forest, walking silently, stopping as she found a gap in the brush from where she could gaze down at the Sentinels of Light’s base. She gasped. The huge door that guarded the entrance to the base had been blown open and the massive hallway beyond the door was littered with the bodies of Sentinels and dozens of Rahkshi, the walls splattered with red.
I should have moved faster, she thought to herself. I could have saved them.
A more rational part of her mind told her that one Toa would not have made a difference, but she ignored the voice and concentrated on the entrance, tears pooling in her eyes. Near the remains of the door stood about ten Rahkshi of varying colors and hues, each clutching a staff. Beyond the creatures, inside the base she could just make out movement from what she assumed would be even more Rahkshi.
I’ll never be able to make it in alive, she realized.
A slight noise behind Kaalii broke her concentration, a light footfall on dry leaves. She slowly reached down and grasped her sword handle. Behind her the noises grew slightly louder, the sounds of someone or something trying, and failing, to creep silently through the forest. Kaalii whipped around, her blade slicing through the air towards the green armored being’s throat. Deferan? Kaalii checked her swing just before it killed the Toa of Air.
Deferan raised his arms in submission. “I surrender!” he yelped.
“What were you doing, trying to sneak up on me like that? I could have killed you!” Kaalii growled.
“I thought tha-,” the Toa of Air began. He stopped and stared at something beyond Kaalii.
“No,” he breathed.
Kaalii spun around, her sword ready, expecting a squad of Rahkshi to be charging them. Her blade fell to the floor as she took in the cause of Deferan's shock.
“No,” she whispered, mirroring Deferan.
“NO!” she screamed, her features wild.
Standing outside the base was a tall being with blue and silver armor, her wings folded across her back. And in her hand was Asceli’s bloodstained mask.
Chapter 4[]
The sun beat down on Verrnec, leaving a long shadow behind the Toa as he trudged down the narrow dirt road, his armor dusty from days of traveling, his muscles weary from hours of walking. Verrnec glanced behind him at the bulk of Inverrnaus, looming out of the mist behind him. After gathering a week’s worth of supplies from his camp, he had started the lengthy journey across Onuuss to Nehriim. The Toa had been traveling for several days after his decision to leave his self-imposed isolation through the heavily wooded area near the base of Inverrnaus. The forest around him consisted primarily of tall, ancient pines, swaying slightly in the wind. Birds occasionally called to one another across the forest, but the world was mostly quiet, save for the creaking of the ancient trees.
The Toa of Fire glanced up at the setting sun, its last rays of sunlight shining through the tall trees that bordered the small, poorly maintained road on which he was traveling. The sunset painted the sky a vibrant red and pink, the few pale clouds in the sky illuminated with an orange glow. Slowly, the quiet humming of insects began, heralding the start of the night. The Toa stopped and gazed down the road for a moment, before turning off the road and walking for a several yards through the undergrowth before he stopped in a small clearing, shaded by the trees around it. He set his dusty pack down and stood for a moment, before reaching up and drawing his sword and sinking its tip into the soft earth at his armored feet. The Toa leaned on his blade, letting the cool evening breeze wash over him, the only sounds around him the rustling of leaves and the buzz of insects.
Verrnec allowed himself another moment of rest before pushing himself off of his sword and walking into the brush and small trees surrounding the clearing. He spent a few minutes gathering a small pile of dry branches and twigs before digging a small hole in the center of the clearing, encircling the pit with several large, moss covered rocks. He set the branches into a small pile in the center of the makeshift fire pit, digging the ends of the branches into the hole’s edges and bringing the tips together in a cone-like shape.
The Toa bent down over the wood and, reaching out with his left hand, let a tongue of flame flicker into the base of the branches. Slowly, the fire began to gain a hold on the wood, and Verrnec let the flame curling from his palm flicker and die out. He blew gently on the flickering wisps of flame, as they began to reach their way up the wood. Verrnec sat up, watching the fire grow steadily, its flames reaching higher on the branch's dark bark. Despite, as a Toa of Fire, being able to start a fire nearly effortlessly, Verrnec took immense satisfaction from starting a fire without the extensive use of his powers.
Verrnec turned and opened his pack, and pulled a few small yellow fruits out, along with several large nuts with brown and green shells. After skewering them on a long stick, he turned back to the swiftly darkening sky, his mask catching the last rays of sunlight. He reached down and turned the spit over the fire absentmindedly. After several more minutes, the Toa tossed the remnants of his meal into the forest around him. He never stopped being awed by the stars. The natural, raw beauty of something completely out of reach.
The Toa of Fire stretched and reached into his pack and removed his blanket from within it. He spread the blanket onto the ground and sat down on it. The Toa shifted into a cross-legged position, his eyes closed. Verrnec inhaled deeply, and exhaled, pushing all of the air out of his lungs. The Toa let all thought drain from his mind.
Verrnec opened his eyes, his features calm. The Toa had been meditating for several hundred years after the end of the Abyssal War. Verrnec found that it helped with his nightmares, which had begun after the deaths of his teammates. The Toa lowered himself onto the ground, resting his head against a small log. Verrnec found himself drifting towards sleep, the singing of the insects providing a constant backround noise.
Verrnec jerked upright, his hand scrabbling franticly for his blade. The Toa grasped his weapon’s handle and, lifting it to a ready position, fell quiet, his ears straining.
But the Toa was unable to pick up the slightest trace of a sound he hadn’t heard for over 5,000 years. The whisper of a sound he hadn’t heard since his last days as an agent for the Order of Mata Nui. Eventually the Toa fell into a troubled sleep, but in his mind the noise still slipped through his troubled dreams, slipping through his subconscious.
The sibilant hiss of a Rahkshi.
Chapter 5[]
The blue-armored Makuta’s head snapped up, and looked up at the pair of Toa. She stood there for a moment, gazing at Kaalii before laughing quietly.
“Retrieve the Toa,” she slowly ordered the Rahkshi around her.
Instantly the Rahkshi surged forward, as if they had been a wave barely contained by a dam, and the dam had just collapsed. Deferan kooked over at Kaalii, her form motionless as she stared down at the Makuta.
“We have to go!” Deferan whispered to Kaalii through gritted teeth, his every instinct telling him to run, to run, and never look back.
Kalii stood there for a moment, not reacting to Deferan’s plea.
“Kaalii…” Deferan whispered again, his heart racing.
The Rahkshi had nearly reached the Toa’s position.
Abruptly, Kaalii turned to Deferan and began to run, sprinting past Deferan. The Toa of Air breathed a sigh of relief before turning to follow Kaalii. The pair of Toa dashed through the forest surrounding the base, Deferan slightly behind Kaalii. Deferan followed Kaalii as she headed past the Sentinels’ sentry walkway and down into the valley. Kaalii yelled back to Deferan; “We have to head up the side of the valley! If we stay in here, we’ll be easy to cut off and surround!”
Without waiting for him to acknowledge her, Kaalii turned to the left and began to make her way up the side of the valley, her pace slowing as she navigated the steep and heavily overgrown slope. The pair of Toa continued to clamber their way up the valley’s side. By the time they reached the top, Deferan was exhausted. He slowed as Kaalii looked behind them into the trees.
The Toa continued to race through the forest. Through the leaves Deferan could see sunlight ahead. A clearing, thought Deferan as the continued along. In front of him, Kaalii burst out of the forest and into the clearing. Suddenly Kaalii lurched to a halt. Deferan was barely able to stop himself from crashing into her back. He looked up at the Toa of Ice’s back.
Stretching out in front of the Toa was an uninterrupted view of the forest from the top of a massive cliff. Deferan looked back into the forest behind them.
“They’ll catch up soon,” he muttered, mostly to himself.
Kaalii looked back towards Deferan, and grimaced. She turned back to the cliff side, and, after raising her blade above her head, brought it down and sent a blast of ice down the cliff side, creating a spiraling slide of ice. “Get on the slide,” barked Kaalii.
Deferan gingerly stepped past the Toa of Ice and walked up to the ice slide. He touched the side of the ice with his hand, testing its strength, before slowly lowering himself onto the slide. Almost immediately the Toa of Air began to slip down the icy surface. Deferan closed his eyes as he continued to shoot down the slope. The Toa of Air felt the wind on his mask as he slid along before he was suddenly at the bottom of the cliff. Behind him, Kaalii landed on the ground in a crouch, scanning the trees around them. Deferan slowly got to his feet, and retrieved his blade from the ground beside him. “Do you think we should keep-“ Deferan began before cutting himself off.
Kaalii had already begun walking into the forest. Deferan grimaced before following the Toa of Ice into the trees.
Snap.
Deferan whirled around to see a trio of Rahkshi advancing through the trees towards the Toa. Realizing that they had been spotted, the Rahkshi dropped all pretenses of stealth and began to rush towards the Toa. Deferan raised his weapon and unleashed a blast of air at the lead Rahkshi, a red and black creature that gripped its staff tightly in a striking position. The Rahkshi was blasted backwards by Deferan’s attack, and smashed into a tree with a crack. As it rolled to its feet, Deferan caught a brief glimpse of Kaalii battling the two other Rahkshi, the three combatants caught in a dance of ice and blades.
The Rahkshi had returned to its feet and was warily circling Deferan. The Toa of Air gripped his blade tightly and ran at the Rahkshi, his feet flying across the forest floor.
Swing. Duck. Parry. Thrust. Parry. Swing again. Deferan’s mind followed the fight, as he began to push the Rahkshi back. The Rahkshi hissed and swung its staff at the Toa’s head. Deferan ducked under the blow and sent a blast of wind into the space above his head, flinging the Rahkshi’s staff out of its claws. Deferan pivoted and swept his blade into the Rahkshi’s torso, knocking it to the ground.
Suddenly, a mass of ice builds over the Rahkshi, covering it completely. Deferan looked behind him to see Kaalii lowering her blade and turning away from the Rahkshi.
“Come on,” Kaalii said, and began to walk once more. “There’ll be more where those came from.”
Deferan continued to follow Kaalii through the forest at the edge of the valley. The Toa had been traveling for two days and had nearly reached the edge of the forest surrounding the Sentinels of Light’s base. The Toa continued their trek in silence, with the quiet broken only by the occasional noises from the Rahi in the surrounding trees.
Kaalii suddenly cocked her head and slowed to a standstill. Deferan also began to slow and finally ceased his movement as he reached Kaalii.
“What is it,” breathed Deferan to the Toa of Ice.
Then he heard it too. Through the trees ahead of the Toa smoke rose into the sky, and Deferan could barely make out shouts and screams. Deferan began to slow and turn towards the shouts.
“What are you doing,” said Kaalii, the Toa of Ice slowing her pace as well.
“We should see what is going on,” Deferan said. “They could need our help.”
“We have to get to Nehriim to warn the Council,” Kaalii said, annoyed. “We have neither the time nor the force to investigate.”
“We should though,” Deferan said. “It’s not out of our way, and if it is that Makuta, we should be aware of her position.”
Kaalii looked at Deferan for a long moment, her gaze examining him for an uncomfortably long time. Abruptly, she turned and began to walk towards the smoke, and Deferan heard her curse under her breath.
The two Toa crept into the undergrowth at the edge of a large clearing. In the middle of the clearing was a small village, with its Matoran inhabitants lined up in the center of the village, with several Rahkshi pacing around them, hissing menacingly. The buildings around the Matoran are in flames, the smoke from the fires drifting lazily into the sky. Suddenly, Deferan heard Kaalii inhale sharply. He turned to see her eyes fixed on a figure standing in front of the Matoran; the Makuta responsible for the destruction of the Sentinels of Light’s base. The Makuta gestured with her hand to one of the Matoran lined in front of her, a Po-Matoran based on his armor color, and two Rahkshi walked up to the Matoran and dragged him in front of the Makuta.
The Makuta leaned down and said something to the Matoran, which Deferan was unable to catch due to the distance. The Toa of Air edged forward slightly and continued to watch the Makuta. The Po-Matoran responded inaudibly. Suddenly the Makuta backhanded the Matoran, his head snapping backwards, before cupping the Matoran’s face in her hands and leaned close to the Matoran. Again, she said something to the Matoran. The Matoran shook his head desperately.
There was a flash, and suddenly a blade had sprouted from the Matoran’s back. He slumped to the ground as the Makuta ripped her blade from his limp body.
Wha- Deferan began to think, already rising to his feet.
“Get down!” hissed Kaalii, glaring at Deferan.
“We have to help the Matoran!” said Deferan, continuing to rise.
“We are two Toa. We can’t defeat a Makuta,” Kaalii stated bluntly.
Deferan turned to look at the Toa of Ice. He was quiet for a moment, looking Kaalii in the eye.
“Would you rather leave them to die? We are Toa! It is our duty to protect those who cannot protect themselves!” Deferan all but shouted, gazing at Kaalii incredulously.
Kaalii returned his gaze evenly.
“And getting ourselves killed doesn’t help anyone either,” she said.
“And sometimes the worst action to take is inaction,” Deferan said fiercely. “At least we would be trying. Trying would be better than ignoring this!”
The Toa of Air looked away from Kaalii briefly before looking back at the Toa of Ice. “If…,” the Toa began, his breath hitching. “If we could rescue those Matoran, if there were just a few Rahkshi guarding them, would you even try?”
“I- ,” Kaalii began, but Deferan began to speak again.
“Do you even remember the Toa Code? What it stands for? Do you remember why Matoran gaze at Toa with such admiration? It’s because we showed them what they could be! The heroes, the protectors that they could not be in their current form. The beings that would help others without any concern for their own wellbeing! That is what makes a Toa what he is. Not fancy powers, not shining armor. The desire to help others.”
Deferan stopped talking and looked a Kaalii, his gaze steady. “And that is why I am a Toa. But you. You seem to have forgotten that.”
Chapter 6[]
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Chapter 7[]
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Chapter 8[]
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Chapter 9[]
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Chapter 10[]
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Chapter 11[]
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Chapter 12[]
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Chapter 13[]
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Chapter 14[]
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Chapter 15[]
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Chapter 16[]
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Chapter 17[]
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Chapter 18[]
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Chapter 19[]
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Epilogue[]
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Story Notes[]
- DarkStalker719 largely based the description of molecular disruption in Chapter 3 off of the Doctor Device from Ender's Game.
- Asceli's growled "Keep running" in Chapter 3 is a reference to the music video for My Chemical Romance's song Na Na Na [Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na], although it is used in a completely different context.
Characters[]
Toa[]
- Ahkir
- Asceli-Deceased
- Barrinus
- Brialla
- Carrun-Deceased
- Deferan
- Everon-Deceased
- Isvara-Mentioned; Deceased
- Kaalii
- Lurvus
- Narev
- Rynis-Mentioned; Deceased
- Tahlis
- Tiyona
- Uvar-Deceased
- Verrnec
- Wheren-Mentioned; Deceased
Turaga[]
- Biros-Deceased
- Furmasa
- Garvan
Matoran[]
- Bantev
- Chizorax
- Pohlic-Deceased
- Sazan-Deceased
Makuta[]
Other[]
- Derxes
- Dihrum
- Ferum
- Kzanex
- Ralva-Deceased
- "Reaper"
- Starna-Deceased
- Tenras-Deceased
Trivia[]
- Convergence is DarkStalker719's first attempt at a large-scale writing project on a computer. Due to this fact, and a perfectionist nature, DarkStalker719 struggles to actually write anything, as opposed to going back and modifying previous work.
- DarkStalker719 is fairly happy of the story's overall narrative, but wishes that more antagonists had been planned to be present in the story.