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This article was written by Shadowmaster. Please do not add to it without the writer's permission.
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| Twisted Shadows | |
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| Story | |
| Setting |
Prime Universe
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| Date Set |
N/A
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Twisted Shadows is a story, featuring a great war between a rebellion and Shadowmaster, who has successfully taken control of Spherus Magna. The story also features Marendar as a major villain.
Part 1 ~ Overture[]
Prologue 1[]
Darkness. A word with many uses. But at this moment, it could be used to describe that which spread over the skies of Spherus Magna.
As beings fall, others come to take power, and start a new regime. This day, it would be a being known by the title of Shadowmaster.
If one looked to the blackened skies, they might have believed a storm was coming. But the darkness that blotted out the sun, the darkness that shielded the planet from light, was much more. It was alive. It was Shadowmaster. The dark one was the sky, just as he was the land, and the sea...and the void. He saw all. He was all.
Heavily-armored, powerful disciples of the darkness prowled through the streets, ready to enforce their master's will, no matter the cost. Their lives didn't matter. The Agori's lives didn't matter. Nor did the Matoran's, or the Glatorian's, or any others. No life mattered. None but the master mattered.
One might have been satisfied by simply ruling a planet. But Shadowmaster was not. He had control of a society once and he had lost it - he had vowed then that he would govern every single atom, every speck, and nothing would escape his rule. His empire had expanded to several universes now, and he didn't plan to stop there. But this large planet held something important to him, and he would find it before he turned his attention to the rest of the universes.
As he looked down upon the ruins of what once could have been considered a great, rich civilization, he called out to his minions. The machine must be activated. The mask must be found. The interlopers must be eliminated. Though the messages were vague, Shadowmaster knew his followers would interpret the commands. It was their job to do so. They didn't forget the fates of the others who "failed to understand". They wouldn't suffer the same fate. They would rather choose death, but they knew their master would not allow that.
With a diabolical grin, Shadowmaster watched as his servants departed to enforce his will. The eye of Shadowmaster saw all, and with it, he would ensure that he was granted his every wish, even at the expense of his allies. But if there was one thing the dark one could not see, it was the impending spark of rebellion that would end his dark regime once and for all.
Prologue 2[]
The unkempt cavern halls stretched out far, forming a complex web of passageways that one could rightfully call a labyrinth. However, the cloaked being of immeasurable power that walked through these neglected, forgotten chambers now was not one to be stopped by a simple maze. If a wall obstructed his path, nothing could stop him from blasting it into dust. Though this being did not know this universe, it certainly knew him. His true name had been lost to the ages, but his title had been passed down through generations, and the tales of his boundless strength and cruelty had forged his title into one that, upon its very utterance, instilled fear into people's hearts: the Dark Lord.
The Dark Lord paused as he arrived at his destination. Like the rooms that had come before it, it had been depreciated, as if its owner had long since forgotten of its existence. The blackened, lapidarian walls were practically blanketed in cobwebs, and the floor was littered with shattered bones that were only half-visible, buried within the layers of the cavern floor that had built up over time. The illumination in the room was scarce, the only sources being scattered lightstones that obtruded from the walls. Upon further inspection, the Dark Lord could discern a round, ancient stone table, lined with eleven chairs. They, too showed the same signs of neglect as the room they resided within, and webs had accumulated in such abundance as if they had not been touched in years.
The chilling silence of the place was interrupted by a loud rumble. One of the chamber walls exploded, splintering into fragments. It seemed as someone had tried a different approach to the labyrinth, the Dark Lord thought with an amused smile. As the smoke cleared, several beings emerged from the rubble. The Dark Lord counted eight. Some of them, such as Sovnoron and Benjarmin, he recognized, but others were a mystery to him. He'd never seen beings like them before, though certainly, their own power did not match his.
An eerie voice reverberated throughout the chamber, a calm, deep voice that demanded loyalty. "Why, you've all made it. I'm almost impressed, actually. It's not every day that you get to see eight beings who hold limitless power at their command struggle to figure out how to find their way through a maze to which they were given specific instructions on how to navigate. But perhaps I was holding too high expectations of you. It's not like everyone can read."
The comments of the disembodied voice were met with backlash, mumbling and growling from the nine beings who had assembled. The Dark Lord found himself even more amused as his crimson eyes surveyed the disgruntled looks on the masks of the other eight beings. His amusement was not to last, as two more beings appeared from thin air. One was slightly larger than the average Toa, adorned in black and white armor, with a hideous, spiked insectoid skull. Two beady, crimson eyes protruded awkwardly from its skull, hatred burning within them. The other was much taller, around twice the size of the one standing at his side. He wore black and silver armor, and a long cape that reached his feet. He wore no mask, and his face resembled a bleached skull, looking all the more menacing. His red eyes glowed brightly within the skull, reflecting an emotion that the Dark Lord couldn't quite read. This being was obviously the one that had assembled the nine beings here.
The taller being gestured towards the chairs, pulling out the largest one and settling in it. "But I digress. I'm sure, with your 'impressive' intellect, that you've managed to deduce why you've been brought here." The other beings in the chamber sat down as well, all but the white-armored being, who stood at the side of the taller one. "I understand that you may view this meeting as an inconvenience, no? I've literally pulled you away from your universes, your very lives, to attend to this matter. But you should not view it as an inconvenience, and I feel it necessary to say that even if you do, I really don't care. No, you should view this as a grab for power," said the tall, black-armored figure. "Upon reflection of my life and accomplishments, I really can say that you could call me a god. A being with unrivaled power, one that makes the average person's existence look like nothing, a speck in history. But despite this, I've managed to keep quite a low profile over the years, in spite of my age. However, I have been forced to reveal myself, in sometimes the most inconvenient of times. Some of you may have heard of me from tales of those occasions, tales that have no doubt been passed through the ages. All of you may know my likeness by different names. In order to preserve the secret of my true name from those lesser figures who do not deserve to speak it, I like to refer to myself as the Master of Shadows, or for simplicity's sake, Shadowmaster, and I would very much appreciate it if you referred to me as such too."
A Makuta, by the name of Malok, spoke. "So, are you going to tell us why we're here? Or are you going to ramble on about trivialities?"
There was no response from Shadowmaster. He had now completely disappeared from his chair, nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, the dark entity appeared behind Malok and telekinetically hurled him across the room. Before the Makuta could move, he felt his armor beginning to compress around him, collapsing into itself. The Makuta attempted to will his antidermis to escape through the cracks in his armor, but he realized he could not. He was trapped in what little space was left in his armor. Then, quickly, his armor retracted and twisted into its normal shape, albeit the many cracks that now showing through its frame.
Shadowmaster chuckled. "Is that why there are so little Toa of Iron in your universe now? It's sad that a mere Toa could bring your entire race down." He turned back to the others in the chamber. "Witty antics, the tendency to question the tasks you are given...these are qualities I respect - in an enemy. But within my own ranks, I demand only loyalty. There is no questioning. The only one who needs to think is I, for too much thinking leads to rebellion, and we don't need that, do we? Of course, you question why you are here. I suppose you have a right to, since I haven't told you yet. But patience is another virtue you must become used to, so, to put it in simple terms, sit down and shut up. I have brought you here in order to propose...an alliance. Of course, I'd appreciate if you'd keep things interesting and use your brains for once, since there's no use in making an alliance with those who find themselves...intellectually challenged, if you will."
Merodos chuckled, glancing down at Malok, who was crumpled on the ground. "I suppose you're going to threaten to kill me after I ask this question. That's always the reward. But, what's in it for me to help you? Which raises another question, what's the alliance for?"
"As a ruler of a planet, you see, I am quite busy. I have business to finish, an artifact to find, and a planet to obliterate before I leave. Of course, that would take...quite some time. It's not any easier when you have a rebellion squirming at your feet the entire time, asking to be destroyed. So, I have a proposition for you. You all will assist me in eliminating this rebellion, stamping out every trace of its existence...and I will offer you a special position in my empire and the freedom to enter and leave the bounds of the empire as you wish," Shadowmaster explained.
Millennium ran his claws along the blade of his Axe of Eternity as he spoke. "My plans extend to the farthest reaches of time and farther, plans that those of the weaker mind could not even begin to comprehend, and such plans require very, very intense supervision. While I won't even ask you how this rebellion is so important and powerful that it would compel you to pull us from our own universes to deal with it, I ask you how you expect us to deal with our own issues as well as this matter."
Shadowmaster cackled. "I don't. Your problems are your own problems. However, considering the time flow of this universe, a year here is but a millisecond where you came from," Shadowmaster replied, with full knowledge that he was lying. He didn't take the "Nothing will happen in the time you have gone. Now then, by agreeing to this pact, then you agree to offer your services, and the services of your own army forces, if you have any, in order to aid my cause. Are we all agreed?"
Glances were passed between the numerous villains. Merodos was the first to nod, with a grin on his face. Others followed, some fearful and others simply in pondering. Millennium could not stifle a grin as he nodded, various plans passing through his mind.
Shadowmaster grinned. "Very well. You are dismissed." The figures turned to exit the room. The Dark Lord followed, but Shadowmaster's order interrupted him. "Not you. Stay here."
Time passed, as Shadowmaster's blood-red eyes met The Dark Lord's. Silence overtook the room, as both analyzed each other's strengths and weaknesses. Finally, Shadowmaster spoke.
"Well, well, well. We finally meet...properly, 'Dark Lord'." He addressed the being's name as if he was not worthy of the title. "We've met once before, but that was an uncertain time of battle. We never really had a chance to...chat."
The Dark Lord did not reply. Shadowmaster spoke again. "I brought you here for a reason. You are rumored to be more powerful than the others, this I know and admit, though in my own, 'arrogant' opinion I'd say you couldn't rival my own."
"If you're so powerful as you believe, why not contain the rebels yourself?" interrupted the Dark Lord.
Shadowmaster's grin did not fade. Instead, a goblet materialized within his hand. He took a sip, then turned back to his visitor. "Why? I have several reasons. Reason 1: I don't know where they are. Reason 2: I'm busy. I have things to do, plans to complete."
"And what does this have to do with me?" inquired the Dark Lord.
"You and I are much the same, you know. Both dark beings, trying to grasp at ultimate power and universal rule...isn't that right? But what use is it to fight? Why not ally?"
"Because I know what you will do," the Dark Lord replied. His gaze never wavered, and his eyes narrowed at the sight of Shadowmaster's response.
"And how do you know that you will not betray me as well? We both know that one of us will betray the other, eventually. But wouldn't it be great to get an opportunity at the upper hand? Who knows, you might actually get lucky and kill me. And when we're not trying to kill each other...the Empire of Shadows and the Fallen Empire will make a formidable attack force. We could conquer universes!" bellowed Shadowmaster.
The Dark Lord persisted. "Nothing I haven't done before."
"Then I shall bid you good day," the dark one hissed in response. He pointed, with a clawed finger, towards the doorway. "Just throw another opportunity in the trash, if you wish."
"Fine. I will ally with you...for now. But know that you cannot order me."
Shadowmaster hurled his goblet onto the ground. It shattered, and the content, a red liquid, spilled out and onto the ground. "I've never had anyone say that to me before. Very well, I shall accept your terms. But know to make sure that none of the rebels, or the others I have gathered, will escape. If you fail..."
"Oh, please. Remember who I am. I'm not another one of your servants. I told you not to order me around," hissed the Dark Lord.
"Sorry. I 'forgot'. Either way...ensure that. I may not be able to give you orders, but if you make a move that opposes my will - know that I am in power here. I can, and will crush you if I must."
The Dark Lord simply ignored him. He turned away, and departed the chamber.
Shadowmaster growled, and taunted The Dark Lord in his dark, twisted mind. There will be no need to listen to orders after your use has expired. Once the rebellion is wiped out, I can continue my master plan. You will interfere no more.. Shadowmaster chuckled, and spoke to himself out loud, a true display of his instability. "It begins."
The fortress of the Great Beings was a great sight. A massive maze of an intricate design that spanned miles wide, and a volcano which highlighted the very center. A newcomer would think only a madman could design such a thing. And, considering the Great Beings, it was likely, too.
The Great Beings had a long history. They were creators. They had brought life to millions. They created that which would eventually save their planet. They were heroes. At least, that was how one native to the Matoran Universe would describe it. If one spoke to an Agori, Glatorian, or perhaps even a Great Being themself, they would call them destroyers. For it was they who had let a planet die. It was they who nearly brought death to an entire race with the use of their own creations. And it was they who were about to bring death to another.
Marendar had been created to kill all Toa, in the event of an attempted takeover. It would be activated when it sensed too many Toa at one location. As they poured onto Spherus Magna now, it knew it was time to rise.
The robot activated, the hue of its single eye shifting from dormant black to a blazing crimson. It clenched its fist, and smashed through three feet of solid protodermis with brute strength. The door splintered open. Marendar activated its sensors. It could sense them. The Toa. Their very presence was enough to drive the machine insane. It needed to eliminate them. Now.
Chapter 1[]
A massive fortress of stone stood in the cover of the jungle trees. It was a sight to behold. Giant pillars held up the upper half of the construction. From behind a large, protosteel door was a beautiful courtyard, beneath which was a vast system of tunnel structures that was home to hundreds. All in all, a masterpiece.
Most would be surprised to discover to whom this establishment belonged, though. Any bypasser would believe it to be some kind of property owned by Shadowmaster, but this belonged to a much more unexpected force. Yes, this fortress belonged to the Paladin, one of the 4 factions of the rebellion that acted in opposition to Shadowmaster's rule. The Paladin faction of the rebellion was only around 200 strong, the forces of which would seem to stand no chance against the dark one's own forces, which were greater in number and armed with state-of-the-art weaponry. It was a surprise to many that such a small force could build this great fortress, or, if they did not build it, that they could have survived long enough to find it. Thankfully for the Paladin, and in spite of the massive size of the fortress, it was so deeply hidden in the jungle that it was undetectable even by Shadowmaster's army. Still, some wondered how long they could remain at their home before they would be found, just like the others, and crushed.
Things were looking even worse for the rebellion than normal. The base of the fellow rebellion factions, the Frost Wolves, had been discovered at the same time as they lead an attack on Shadowmaster's fortress, and in the midst of both attacks around three-fourths of their number were eliminated, though they had managed to keep their hold on their base. The Enlightened were still staying mostly out of the battle, leading only minor attacks towards Shadowmaster's fortress, and refused to give aid to either of the fellow factions. A team of Paladin rebels had also disappeared on a mission to aid the Matoran villagers in the captive cities. By now, Jarodin knew they would not return. As for the Void Warriors, Jarodin had no interest in their activities. The Void Warriors were distinguished from the other factions by their distinct motives. While the Paladin, the Frost Wolves, and even the Enlightened were driven by the desire for justice, all that could be said of the Void Warriors was their greed, ambition, and bloodlust. They were but an assembly of brutish fiends, bandits, and other cruel beings with no moral standards. Jarodin had no intentions of dealing with them, nor did see them as a large enough threat - he was sure they would end up destroying themselves in the end. In any case, it looked as if the rebellion was fated to an unpleasant end.
But faith that the dark lord could be obliterated was enough to drive this Toa to complete his mission. Faith and a motivation Jarodin kept mostly to himself: a lust for revenge. One year ago, Shadowmaster had torn him and his beloved, Galika, from their universe, and placed them in his own, twisted, corrupted universe. For whatever sick reasons the dark one had done this, Jarodin did not know, but after that day, he had been separated from Galika. He had never seen her again. It was only a hope for him that Galika may one day return, but until then, Jarodin would be driven by a lust for vengeance against the one who had separated him from the beloved, as he was sure the dark one had to countless others.
Jarodin was pulled from his thoughts as a loud voice echoed through the halls, and seconds later, Jarodin's chamber door burst open. A being stood in the doorway, his armor battered and bruised. He wore a distinctive flame-shaped helmet, and his battered armor was a hue of red and yellow. He leaned against a wall while trying to catch his breath. Jarodin recognized him as one of the members of the squad that had disappeared, Flardrek. Was it possible that they had survived?
After a minute or so, Flardrek finally gained the composure to speak. "We...tried....to rescue the villagers...but they caught us by surprise..." he panted. "They...captured us. They made us watch the villagers die, and then...they let me go."
Jarodin's eyes widened with surprise. "They let you go?"
"But...they took my weapons and armor," said Flardrek. As Jarodin eyed the Glatorian, he did notice how different he looked. He was far thinner than before, and parts of organic tissue that had been not visible at all before were now completely visible. Shadowmaster's forces obviously did not want any further damage to be done to them, so they stripped away everything the warrior had to fight them. But what bothered the Toa was the fact that Flardrek had been released. What motive did these dark beings have?
Flardrek collapsed upon the ground, his breathing ragged and heavy. He was still conscious, but just barely enough to push himself back to his knees. He attempted to speak again, but no words came out. He collapsed once more as two beings appeared. One was tall, at least 10 feet or more, clad in armor of a gold hue, with menacing horns and his mouth filled with sharp teeth. Though his appearance was monstrous, Jarodin knew he was an ally. The other was around the size of a Toa, wearing a Kanohi Kraahkan, Mask of Shadows. His name was Nightwatcher, and he too had been dispatched on the mission to locate Shadowmaster's fortress and aid the Matoran, despite being a new recruit. He had insisted on going alongside Flardrek, and Jarodin saw no reason to keep him from going. Of course, he'd have seen one now - that the new recruit could, and would most likely, easily die on the mission. That did not seem so now, though either way it was odd that while the experienced members had all died and Flardrek, the leader of the operation, had been badly injured, the newest recruit had arrived unharmed.
"Our mission was in no way successful, but we did discover something, a contributing factor in the failure of the mission," Nightwatcher reported. He produced a paper scroll, unfolding its contents to reveal a map of the central area of Spherus Magna. To the northeast of where Atero had once been settled, in the Skrall River, was a massive jungle before the Valley of the Maze, in which Jarodin's own fortress was settled, though nothing was mapped, indicating that Shadowmaster had not yet discovered the position of the Paladin fortress. Beneath that was a stretch of desert leading into Roxtus, which had one year ago been the hideout of the savage Skrall. Beneath, leading into the area surrounding Vulcanus, the earlier location of the Fire Tribe, was a massive fortress establishment surrounded by a village. To the west was a large landmass marked "Bota Magna". The Paladin had believed this to be the location of Shadowmaster's fortress, just as it had been the location of "New Atero" settled by Tahu and Vakama but nothing was there but ruin.
"But...why would Shadowmaster settle in Vulcanus? What strategic value is there?" Jarodin remarked, puzzled.
"To force us to go through the desert, perhaps, to reach his fortress. He knows it is filled with nothing but danger," replied Nightwatcher.
"Well, either way, we know of the designs of his fortress and its exact location. We have all we need, and our time runs low. I have no choice," grimly said Jarodin. Shadowmaster's forces were growing, and it was time to strike them down before any further harm could be done. "Escort Flardrek to the medicinal chambers, and try to contact the Enlightened and the remainders of the Frost Wolves. We are going to war," said Jarodin. The dark one's days were numbered now. It was time to fight.
The demon leader of the Void Warriors, Despirax, let out a disgruntled snarl. Moments ago, a messenger had burst into his throne room, rambling on about an attack on the Void Warriors' fortress. He'd barely finished his statement before a huge being smashed its way into the chamber and dispatched all of Despirax's Toa guards and his messenger in seconds. Their lifeless forms were now scattered across the stairway leading to the demon's throne now. Several of them had been torn in half by the monstrous figure's assault, and their Kanohi masks shattered, the shards spread across the chamber floor. Their murderer was a massive mechanical being, dwarfing even Despirax himself. Its most striking feature, however, was its single glowing crimson eye. Its armor was of a shining silver chroma, the light from the chamber's torches glinting off of its polished surface. Its crimson eye gazed upon the fallen Toa of Shadows at its feet. Then, it turned. Dark energy crackled within Despirax's claws. He hadn't seen a fight in years, but he was sure he had the edge in this battle. No piece of machinery was a match for his power, after all. To the demon's surprise, though, the figure completely ignored him as if it had not even seen him, as it turned and lumbered away. Despirax narrowed his eyes. Something was wrong here...
Jarodin stood at the apex of a large stairway, his faithful right hand, Mersery, at his side. The jungle vegetation was visible from behind the 20-foot high walls that surrounded the chamber. A small raised platform and the stairway were the only things that separated the leader of the Paladin faction from a crowd of likely 200 strong. He could have been amazed by this number if he had not already seen millions of horrible creatures come in and overtake Spherus Magna with his very own eyes. Was it a day of faith or a day of worry for the time to come? Jarodin would have picked the latter. He kept within him the mourning of the deaths that were to come. He was very sure he would not even keep his own life during the battle, but as one would say, "It's worth a try." Or was it? The impending days would determine this war's worth.
After what seemed like hours of bickering within the crowd, Jarodin finally raised his hand for silence. The crowd was immediately still. "For a century of terror...for constant months of war, death, and mourning, we have suffered by the hand of the dark ruler that has seized Spherus Magna. We have lost our number, as have our once-allies, and even our enemies who oppose him. But this will go on no longer. I have pondered, and I have made my decision. To lose our lives in battle is even a greater fate than the lives we live now. We shall go to war!" Screams of cheer and celebration erupted within the crowd, shattering the grim silence that overshadowed it. For the first time in a century, Jarodin smiled. "And although all of us may not live to see the final outcome - even I believe I shall fall before those hours...we will succeed! We may not win today, but we shall press on. We shall overcome the shadows!"
So the stage had been set.
A mysterious being clad in gold armor, glowing with power, watched grimly as the dark event ensued. They were giving themselves false hope, and even he could not stop it. After centuries of torture, it was nature that they would fight back. He could only hope he could prevent the deaths before the battle would begin, but he had already failed. He would have to stop the Fallen One himself, no matter the cost. He would have to face his brother. And only one would survive. But who?
Chapter 2[]
"You fancy yourself a 'Great Being', and yet here you are now, on your knees, and ready to die at my command. You may be revered by universes, but here, you are but a captive. Your very existence is equivalent of a parcel of my own storied lifetime. You are at my mercy, and unfortunately for you, I'm not one that's known for my mercy. But perhaps if you make yourself useful and tell me everything you know, maybe it'll redeem you and your kind of your great failures. What am I saying, what kind of chance is that? Your people have failed at everything, it's simply irredeemable and inexcusable. But I could let you carry on your miserable existence. Just tell me everything I need to know."
The Master of Shadows' face flashed on the telescreen, watching his captive, his dark eyes gazing at him. His captive only looked back at the telescreen, his eyes boiling with rage.
"I will tell you nothing. You are not worthy of knowing the secrets we hold! Go back to the dark pits from whence you came and rot, vile fool!" growled the Great Being, as he clenched his fists together.
"I seem to have angered you, am I correct? Now the great observer is a pitiful beast rattling his chains because he knows he cannot escape. He knows I will not let him. Not until he gives me the information I want. The information I need," hissed the dark one with demented glee.
"I said what I meant. I will tell you nothing," said the Great Being.
"You know exactly what answers I seek. I don't have time for delays, so tell me what you know about the history of the Great Beings now."
"What are you talking about?"
"Ah, yes, the history traces farther than they want others to think. It all started a good million years ago, on a planet called Alchemica Magnus. The Great Beings ruled in prosperity, but those who worked under them were rebellious. And so a war began, and the leader was exiled, thought killed. You would know this, wouldn't you?" Shadowmaster bellowed.
"Where are you going with this?" the Great Being asked.
"In order to prevent any...exiles from returning to their land, the Great Beings created a seal to prevent anyone from reaching their land. In that prosperous land, they forged a mask. A mask with the power to alter reality to the wearer's wish, in the event that it were ever needed. But some were greedy. The mask was stolen, and it ended up here, on this very planet, in this very universe. I seek this mask, and you know where it is. So...enlighten me," Shadowmaster growled.
"I will tell you nothing," the Great Being retorted.
"Then you are of no further use to me. How unfortunate. Well, I don't want you to go off having too much fun thinking I'm going to let you live, so I'll just share that bit of information with you before we part," Shadowmaster hissed. He glanced at two hulking figures in the room. "Dispose of the Great Being. Keep his body intact, I wish to see what secrets lie within that brain."
As the brutes dragged the being away, he looked into the eyes of the projection of Shadowmaster on the telescreen once more and spoke. "Hypocrite. You are pathetic. You will not get away with your crimes. You are a monster, and one day, if not today, but one day, you will feel all that you have done come back to you."
"I know," replied the master of shadows. "And when that happens, I'll be kind and everyone shares my fate."
Jarodin growled as his Rock Steed collapsed, starved and angered as the desert winds engulfed him. So far, the squad of Paladin warriors were not faring too well. One warrior had died of starvation already. Another was picked off by a wild Nui-Jaga. Yet another disappeared. He had brought only 30 warriors along with him, to prevent a large blow to his forces. Now it was only 27, in less than 6 hours. At this rate, he would have around 10 to fight an entire army. He had to speed things up.
He was not so confident that the Paladins would be so successful as he had been before. 27 warriors, 20 Rock Steeds, 2 Muaka, and a war wagon, against a massive, 300-kio long, 100-kio wide establishment filled with machinery of death. He did not like those odds. With luck, they would manage to take down a building. Mersery had suggested that they attack from the southwest, below Vulcanus, the move that Shadowmaster would not expect. From there, they could free as many villagers as possible and flee. So far, it was not going as planned.
A shout of agony erupted from within the crowd of warriors. A large, centipede-like creature burst from the ground, swiftly killing at least 6 of the Paladin's number. Another few were pulled downwards into the pit from which the beast came. They would not emerge again. The serpentine, insectoid monster reared backwards and plunged into the herd of Paladins. They fought at the creature, attacking it with all forms of weaponry, but it did not even flinch. It only roared, and...
Jarodin widened his eyes as several knights of different sizes, all clad in black-and-white armor, emerged from both sides of the centipede, their crimson eyes locked upon the small group of Paladin warriors. With that, the creature came to a halt, seemingly dead. Or perhaps... A vehicle!? inquired Jarodin.
Several bolts of light from the war wagon's mounted Midak Skyblasters were hurled into the approaching wave of dark knights, but they were not fazed. The dark wave pressed on, and tackled the Paladin squad with all of their might. One such warrior, the largest, charged at Jarodin, knocking him to the ground. He followed up the attack with a flurry of swift punches. Just as he raised his blade in triumph, the Toa's dark adversary slammed face-first into the ground, knocked off of the ground by an unknown assailant. The warrior regained his senses to discern the new being standing before him, side-by-side with Jarodin. He was about 2 bio tall, and temporal energy radiated from the silver and black armor he adorned. He held the head of his staff at the dark one's throat.
Meanwhile, Flardrek was having troubles of his own. A large, mace-wielding brute charged at the former Glatorian as he felled his opponent, eyes glazing with hatred. He swiped clumsily at Flardrek, missing. Flardrek countered with a swift blow to the head, knocking the dark barbarian to the ground. He responded with a kick to Flardrek's legs, dealing a bloody wound as several barbs on his feet plunged into the veteran warrior's ankle. The brutish knight gained his footing once more, and dealt another blow with his mace. This time, it hit Flardrek's shoulder. The Paladin warrior screamed as a piercing pain rushed through his shoulder and the rest of his arm. Some kind of poison was spreading through his body, given contact through the deadly spikes of the mace. He collapsed, limp and lifeless as the poison took hold.
At the same time, Mersery and Jarodin turned, to aid in the trouble of their ally. Mersery gathered his focus and prepared to manipulate the battlefield to bury Flardrek's assaulter in a flurry of sand, but he was too late. A sudden bolt of nebulous power engulfed both him and Jarodin, stunning both of them. Mersery struggled under the darkness, but it was too powerful. It all went black as the bararian warriors cackled triumphantly.
The "Great Being" examined the walls of his prison. Even if he had not known Shadowmaster before, he would have known that the grim fiend would not make it easy to escape, even for one of his caliber. He was not a true Great Being either, no expert at creation. All he was truly good at, he realized, was keeping the dark ruler at bay. And he would continue to do that, as soon as he breached the bars of this prison. He was in Shadowmaster's base now, and from here, he could wreck his plans from the inside out. All he needed was time. Something he certainly did not have.
Chapter 3[]
1,001,100 years ago...
The mountaintop that was eventually to be the sight of the vast, amazing labyrinth of the Great Beings was, right now, a warground.
"You have betrayed me, you pathetic wretch. I created you, I brought you life. And this is how you repay me? You are not worthy of life. I shall revel in your agony for the next eternity!" Shadowmaster growled, looking down upon his fallen foe. "You have weakened me, and turned your brother, my very own creation, against me! You have been the first to draw my blood. You shall be the last."
Koratak looked up, into the once-empty, crimson eyes that now blazed with hatred and anger. He closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling the matter warp around him...and success! A fist of pure energy erupted from underneath Shadowmaster, knocking him off of his feet and sending him flying straight into the air. Seconds later, he came plunging back towards the ground, and through it. The Deity of Creation unsheathed his sword and prepared any second for his enemy to come leaping towards him.
"Where are you looking?" hissed a voice from behind him. Chains made of burning shadow materialized from thin air, and wrapped around Koratak's neck. The Deity of Creation struggled to breathe as the chains tightened. With a last burst of strength, the Deity hurled his sword at Shadowmaster, so swiftly that even the dark one could not dodge. The blade plunged into Shadowmaster's leg. With the lack of concentration, the hold on Koratak was released. Quickly, the Deity regained his footing and lunged at Shadowmaster with his fist. The dark one simply caught his fist and hurled him across the mountain cave's expanse.
Koratak regained his footing right before impact with the cavern wall, and, concentrating, created another sword. He charged, swinging directly at his dark rival's chest. The blade cut in to his chest, shredding open a barely visible scar in Shadowmaster's armor. Shadowmaster growled and conjured a scythe-like weapon, swinging it wildly around Koratak's head. The Deity of Creation leaped backwards, and kicked at the shaft of the scythe. The impact sent it scaling across the chamber. Shadowmaster responded with a hard blow to the deity's head, knocking him to the ground. The collision forced him to drop his sword, leaving him defenseless.
"Traitorous worm. Now you see the punishment inflicted upon your kind. I made an example of your brothers, but you are to suffer a far worse fate. And you are ready to accept it, it seems...I had expected more from the Deity of Creation. Have you finally lost hope? Do you no longer care about the people you had sworn to protect?" Shadowmaster droned. With a gesture of his hand, the Fallen One's scythe lifted off of the ground, and levitated back towards its master. He twirled the blade above his head and reared back, preparing for the final blow.
Koratak closed his eyes. He was the Deity of Creation, and he could only hope that he was as effective at destruction. Pointing all of his focus at the rock ceiling, he felt the atoms deteriorate, and...
The cavern ceiling began to shake and shudder. Small fragments began to dislodge, followed by large blocks of rock, raining upon the ground as the cavern collapsed. One such fragment pierced through Shadowmaster's chest, sending a demented screech reverberating through the mountains. Koratak took advantage of the distraction, and grabbed his sword, prepared to make the last blow. Shadowmaster bellowed as he grabbed hold of the large rock that had impaled him. Mustering all of his strength, he pulled, tearing the fragment out of his chest and leaving a large, gaping wound.
Koratak thrust his sword at the dark one, a blow that Shadowmaster parried with a swing of his scythe. The Deity of Creation took another swing, this one aimed at Shadowmaster's wound. Before he could make contact, the dark lord clenched his fists, and hurled the raining boulders at Koratak. The Deity dodged, but not before a smaller rock impaled his foot. He cried out in pain, but still managed to retaliate. Maintaining a standing position, he lunged, barely missing Shadowmaster's shoulder. The two traded blows for what felt like hours, until, finally, Koratak made the last strike.
With a swift-as-lightning swing, the Deity beheaded Shadowmaster. The dark one's body collapsed and dissipated into a puddle of some black, unknown substance. Suddenly, Koratak collapsed, stunned by immense amounts of nebular energy. From behind him, his assaulter stood with pride. It was...Shadowmaster?
Shadowmaster laughed. "Thought it would be that easy?" Koratak did not reply, and simply struck out with his foot at the dark entity's leg. His foot simply passed through, as the Shadowmaster clone faded away. He turned to face several more duplicates of the fallen one, all filled with darkness and rage. All spoke in unison, with the voice of only one. "I can do this all day, my friend. You are mortal, but I am not. I have yet another advantage."
As Koratak shook his head in confusion, he saw his brother standing among them, his eyes glowing blood red. They showed of the same rage within the eyes of Shadowmaster. One of the dark entities stepped forward. "Goodbye, old friend." He conjured a spear, and ran it through his rival's chest. The Deity of Creation would not rise again.
A thin ray of light penetrated the cavern's ceiling. This temple, and the caverns that lay beneath it, had been settled long ago, in the formation of the universe, by the Great Beings and their powerful brothers. Its purpose was known only to them, and inscripted within its walls were several messages in other, unreadable languages. Those that were in Matoran were complete gibberish.
Of course, a historical expedition was not what was on Ahkmou's mind as he crept through the darkened tunnels. No, all that was on his mind was to find the being that lurked within here and get out. He wouldn't have had much trouble if it wasn't for the fact that the tunnel itself was alive. Slowly, tendrils of earth began to emerge from the ground and wrapped themselves around Ahkmou's ankle, threatening to drag him under the ground, to his grave. He unleashed a bolt of darkness at them, causing them to recoil long enough for Ahkmou to break into a run down the tunnel. Around him, the plantlife that did thrive in this tunnel slowly became animate and chased after the corrupt Po-Matoran.
The Matoran halted as he saw a pair of crimson eyes in the shadows. The plantlife and earth tendrils caught up to him now, encasing him in a cocoon of earth and plantlife. He struggled to breathe. As the crimson eyes came closer, a being came into view. With a wave of his hand, the plantlife shriveled and died, and the stone tentacles receded into the ground. Ahkmou struggled to breathe again, looking upon his rescuer with awe. Then, the figure grabbed Ahkmou by the throat and lifted him.
"Why are you here?" the being inquired, his voice ancient.
"I have heard...of the legends," Ahkmou replied.
"They have all heard of me. All who have come here know of my existence because of the legends that surround me. All of them never survived to see the next day," the being said, gesturing towards the skeletal remains of a Glatorian. As Ahkmou glanced at them, he noticed that they were moving, slowly assembling themselves into a form, and decided to look away. The being continued. "So, I ask again...why have you come here? If you provide a good enough answer, perhaps I shall spare you. I always hate to destroy the creations of my brothers...but I am afraid that I have had to, for my survival. And, the way I see things...my survival, with all of my knowledge, is more integral than that of such a small, useless being."
"I have come to make a deal with you," Ahkmou replied.
The being paused, dropping Ahkmou to the ground. Ahkmou looked closer at him, and noticed that the being was bound to the wall by chains. The chains began to writhe and move as if they were alive, which would not surprise the Po-Matoran, then quickly became normal again. "I am...intrigued. Continue."
"I once served the Makuta of Metru Nui. He was the just leader of the Brotherhood of Makuta," Ahkmou said, pausing as he heard the being lightly chuckle. "The Makuta watched over Metru Nui, protecting them from the Toa, who he knew were traitors, and Mata Nui, who he knew planned to eliminate the Matoran. He eventually put Mata Nui to sleep, ending his plans before they could begin, but he was opposed by the Toa Metru. I lost my memories because the Metru did not care for me, they abandoned me, but Makuta saved me. And I vowed to end the Toa Metru and their successors. Even in Makuta's success, I vowed to rule over Metru Nui as a just ruler. But Makuta died, and I was left purposeless, and imprisoned. I imagine you would know of that feeling."
The being laughed. "My, my, Matoran, your memory is a lie. But that's not the matter now. Even if your entire life is blank, a shell filled with your 'Makutas lies, I know of your feeling. Of your purposelessness. You were imprisoned for a year, left mutated, having become a creature of shadow. I was left here for 100,000 years, only left to watch as my brothers' creations prospered, and my brothers lived happily in their fairytale up above. I know of no purpose. But I grow bored of your tale, Matoran, and it does nothing but justify my plans to kill you. So continue, and make it interesting."
"I need you to bring Makuta back. I've heard of your powers. If you can bring him back, then I will set you free," Ahkmou hissed.
"Hm...and you have that power, while I do not? If you were capable of setting me free, little Matoran, then I, no doubt, could have done it long before," the being growled. "However...I have no chance of setting myself free now. My brothers may or may not know it by now, but we are...dying. Our millions of years of existence are coming to an end, and even as our creations prosper around us, we face the fact that age is catching up to us. I, myself, have not much time left, and I've only been left to live as I have because of my powers." The being slowly walked around the underground chamber. "I was imprisoned here 100,000 years ago, kept in this dark chamber, outcast, as everything around me came to life. I had no control over it. Anything around me came to life. But then, then I learned to control it. I could control it. I had been cursed by the Ignika, with full control over life, and though I did not know it, it had granted me its powers as well. If I could bring things to life, I could end them too, I could prosper off of their life. I could bring things to life whenever I wished, even if it was dead. Like how I can bring your Teridax back, as long as you can fulfill a request to me."
"Alright. What is it?" Ahkmou inquired.
"I have not much time to live anymore. All that keeps me alive is the life I consume. And there is no more life to consume, except yours, which would never be quite satisfying anyway. But...whilst you have not the powers to free me, you have the power to bring me more life. 100 beings. Bring 100 beings, exactly 100 beings, down here, for me to consume their lives. It will grant me all of the strength I need to escape from my bonds, and the amount of time I need to live to finish my plans," the being said.
Ahkmou gulped at the mention of his "plans", but it did not matter, as the resurrection of Teridax was now in his grasp. "Alright. I'll do it, if you bring Teridax back."
"It's a deal, Matoran," the being said.
Slowly, Ahkmou walked off. He was not greeted by tendrils of earth this time, but only the crimson eyes of the figure behind him. 100 beings would be no deal. It would be easy. And then, Makuta Teridax would return to this world.
Behind him, the being pondered as well. He was dying, yes, and even 100 beings would not be enough to sate him for long. Still, he was weakened now. He'd since learned to master the skills of life, and he knew how to absorb the very life force and strength of a living being. This would be quite easy for him, and absorbing the life force and strength of 100 beings would be just enough to give him the amount of time to initiate his grand plan.
A pair of light blue eyes flashed open. The being looked around, to no avail. It was all black. Nothingness. He struggled to lift his hand, but it was locked firmly in soil. Focusing his energy and strength, he moved the soil around him, and pushed forwards with his arm. Air! He struggled, and emerged from the ground, gasping for air. He was in a dark tomb now. Bones were littered around the ground. He had escaped from his prison now. Now he had questions to answer. Mainly, who was he, and why was he here?
His arms felt stiff, as if his muscles had been turned to stone. He felt his torso, which bore a deep scar. Something was wrong here. Had he died before? What was going on here? He needed answers. He needed to find them, now. His mind had been engulfed by dark dreams, nightmares, which he could not explain. He felt as if he had a mission now, a job to accomplish. The being grabbed a bone from the ground to examine it. To his amazement, it erupted in a blaze. As the fires cleared, it was now...a sword?
Amazing! thought the figure. He pointed it at a firm, sealed iron door at the head of the chamber, and with but little concentration, a beam of pure energy erupted from its blade and splintered the door into several fragments. He had a mission to accomplish, and he had made the first step towards achieving that gain. But fear took hold of him. Whatever he had been meant to face was not a force to be reckoned with.
Chapter 4[]
A sharp pain coursed through Jarodin's head as he collided with the wall, swiftly awakening him. He was now in a rattling, moving chamber, which resembled the innards of some kind of insect. He was within the beast. He tried to summon his elemental powers, but nothing happened. He was cuffed to the wall with some sort of bounds that drained his own powers. He turned his head. The other surviving Paladin rebels were lined up in the same fashion, all unconscious, and no trace of their weapons.
The Toa pondered, thinking of how to escape. His powers had been stripped. He was too weak to break his bounds alone. Even if he was certain he could use his mask powers, which he was certain he couldn't, they would be useless anyway. His only hope would be to awaken his allies. He opened his mouth, but within a flash, a dark figure materialized from thin air. He was different from the brutes the Paladin leader had encountered before. He was clad in ebony and gold armor, and floated above the ground as a transparent wisp.
"What are you doing?" hissed the creature. As he spoke, the voices of several beings spoke with him, entwined together into a horrific voice that made all shudder. Jarodin did not reply, simply gazing into the demonic apparition's eyes with defiance. "I see...that you have encountered my...allies," said the being. "My name is Kinyami. I am...an associate of the one you call 'Shadowmaster'."
"What are you planning?" growled Jarodin.
"You are a fool to think that I would tell a mere mortal such as you of any plans I have in mind. However, I will give you a hint," Kinyami snarled in reply. He gestured towards a banner on the wall. It had an insignia printed on it. Although Jarodin did not recognize it, it brought memories to mind. Specifically, those of Galika. A sudden dark pain pierced his mind as the memories flowed through. Still, he could not put his finger on this. What was this insignia?
"They have seen the greater option, the greater potential. They have seen the truth, the truth that you cannot even begin to comprehend. While you stood there, caring and plotting to save the weak, they found bigger things," boasted Kinyami. He conjured a spectral sword, and pointed the shaft of the blade at Jarodin's throat. "But it's too late for you, I'm afraid."
Before Kinyami could do anything, Jarodin kicked out his legs, landing a blow on Kinyami's wrist and forcing him to drop the blade. It came flying through the air, and plunged straight through Jarodin's bounds, freeing him. He grabbed the sword and, with a swift swing, sliced Kinyami in half. As he looked around, his allies were regaining consciousness. He shattered their bounds, and turned back to Kinyami. The Demon King had managed to heal his wounds, and generated another sword. Quickly, he rushed behind the Toa and held him in a headlock with one arm, pointing his sword at his neck with the other. Mersery was the one to attack, as he charged at Kinyami from behind, knocking both to the ground.
Startled by the sound of battle, several black-armored brutes burst into the chamber, but they were quickly overtaken by rebels. Even as the Paladin forces rose, however, they were beaten down as several more barbarians rushed in, overpowering them. The vehicle came to a startling halt as the Paladin rebels were knocked back to the ground and unconscious. They were led out of the vehicle in line and into a harsh, desert dune. Jarodin struggled to keep his senses as he was led into the sands. As it all faded, he could make out a character standing in a cave opening, though. The figure gazed at the rebels with eyes the hue of fresh blood.
Shardak shook his head. One moment, he had been in a desert. The next, a living vehicle. Now, a cavern littered with bones and skulls of those who had inhabited this hellish place before. He was locked within a cell, unable to escape, or so it seemed. No doors. No windows. Nothing but uneven walls of black stone and bones, and a few scattered corpses. However, whoever had imprisoned him before had made the mistake of leaving him with his elemental powers intact. As he gazed at the walls, he saw a flash. Something was off. He rushed towards the wall, almost expecting impact, yet simply passed through it. His elemental powers had not lied to him. It was an illusion!
He walked slowly through the subterranean halls. He saw several statues shattered across the ground. They resembled some sort of alien creature, with a long helmet that extended to a spike at the back of the helmet. It almost resembled a Skrall. Although he had never encountered one on his time in Spherus Magna, Shardak had heard tales of the Skrall. They had originated from the north of Spherus Magna, and then migrated to the Black Spike Mountains. Whoever had seized the rebels had occupied the mountains. Or did they? He had recognized seeing a new being within the cavern and he saw no trace of the barbarians he had fought here. As he padded through the halls, he saw something else. It was the emblem of Shadowmaster's forces. It all made sense now. The brutes had been an outside force, dealing with Shadowmaster's own minions. But who were they? The time for questions was later. Now, he had to find his allies and aid them.
Eventually, the thin hallways opened out to a massive, vast chamber. A statue resembling Shadowmaster's likeness stood in the center. Crimson gems had been planted within the ground beside it. They spelled something in Matoran lettering, but the shapes were jumbled and strayed from the known alphabet, almost in another language, as it seemed. There was no doorway, and even with use of his elemental powers, Shardak could see no way out. No illusions. He reached to feel the hilt of his blade, but the memory of his weapon's confiscation flashed to him. He could attempt to find another way out through what had been his illusionary prison, but it was doubtful.
A stream of water trickled across the ground, but thinned out as it met the statue. A thought occurred in Shardak's mind. An unlikely notion, but enough to resort to, with his predicaments. He felt the statue, and with all of his strength, pushed as hard as he could. To his surprise, it moved several feet. He could see, now, some kind of device beneath the stone figure. He pushed again, and with ease, the statue slid across the ground and toppled. It shattered upon impact with the ground, splintering into hundreds of shards. The stream flooded into the device, promptly activating it. The whole floor began to shudder, sinking into an abyss. It came to an abrupt halt, startling Shardak and knocking him off of his feet.
Before the Toa of Aura stood a dark entity. He wore what appeared to be a great Ruru, behind which shined the same pair of eyes that had belonged to the being within the cave entrance. This had to be one of Shadowmaster's affiliates.
"Well done, my friend, well done. I wasn't quite expecting anyone to arrive so...abruptly," remarked the figure. "My name is Shale. I am what you could call a Makuta. One of the last of my kind."
"Where are they?" growled Shardak.
"Where are who?" hissed the amused Shale.
"You know who. My friends. The Paladin. Where are they!? Where have they been imprisoned?"
"Ah, the pests...I believe you'll be glad to know that they are safe and sound...for now. Unfortunately, that offer is for a limited time. Their original captors told me to ensure that it was so...as did my master," the Makuta proclaimed.
"And who are these 'original captors'?" inquired the Toa of Aura.
"Those who claimed to side against Shadowmaster. But, you see, in truth, they are very much allied with him. They called themselves rebels. But they are not. They have embraced his regime, and pledge to serve him in return for guarantee of their own safety. Don't you see?" Shale answered.
Shardak wondered, which group of rebels could this be? Before he could deduce the answer, Shale waved his claw, unleashing a bolt of energy and knocking the Toa of Aura to the ground, stunning him. As Shardak regained his footing, Shale gathered the darkness around him, and released a mass of shadow intertwined with blue energy, which eventually opened out into a hand. Shardak bolted for the now-visible exit, hoping to escape the Makuta's deadly shadow hand, but to no avail. The Makuta concentrated, and, exploiting his control over the powers of gravity with a swift hand gesture, he brought forth a hail of stones, blocking off the single visible exit. The Toa of Aura leaped out of the Makuta's way as his shadow hand nearly enveloped him. He closed his eyes and focused. He was about to regret what was about to happen, for he did not know what the result would be. Within instants, his Kanohi Ignika flashed, and, lightning-quick, unleashed a spike of golden energy from its face. It engulfed the Makuta, and a loud scream echoed through the cavern as it drained his energy. Shardak watched in horror as Shale coiled in pain, glowing with power that penetrated his armor, cracking, folding, and chipping it away. As Shardak retracted his powers, he looked down at what was now a half-dead Shale, aged at least 10,000 years via the Mask of Life's power. His armor was now a useless hull, cracked and rusted beyond repair. Green energy leaked from his armor, floating away to search for a new form to occupy.
Shardak walked over to the Makuta's shell, and salvaged his staff. Directing it at the now-sealed opening, he let loose its energies. A massive beam of shadow, intertwined with Shardak's own elemental powers, burst outwards and disintegrated the pile of stones.
The Toa of Aura found himself in an ascending hallway now, unaware of the crippled yet alive Makuta crawling from behind him. Shale crouched and pranced, armored fists lifted into the air, ready to pummel this pest to a swift death. Before he could make contact, a blade from an unknown assailant found itself impaled in the Makuta's neck. He collapsed, what had been left of his armored shell now useless. Shardak turned to face Mersery, second-in-command of the Paladin rebellion.
Mersery pulled out the sword, a weapon that had originally belonged to one of Shadowmaster's soldiers, a soldier who had found himself at the jaws of a Muaka...a tale Mersery wished not to tell. "Any clue of the Paladins' location?" the Mersion inquired.
Shardak shook his head. "Unfortunately not. However, I may have discovered some information on the attackers that captured us."
Mersery nodded, intrigued. "By all means, continue."
"The Makuta...Shale, he said that they were once rebels, allied with Shadowmaster now," explained Shardak.
"What?" Mersery was shocked.
"I'm very sure that they are one of the other rebel groups...the one lead by Despirax, I'm sure," stated the Toa of Aura.
"Despirax? An ideal ally of Shadowmaster, yes...but why would he do such a thing? He is a being of power. Surely he would try to seize control for himself, instead of aiding Shadowmaster?"
"Let's find out. Our first step is finding our friends and getting out of here."
Shardak and Mersery pressed on. Eventually, as the scenery spanned from a cavern to actual hallways, the duo was lead into an even more massive chamber, at least 50 feet tall and illuminated by torches. In the center was a bubbling cauldron of some kind of mutagenous liquid. Above it hung the surviving members of the Paladin squad, now only ten strong, suspended in the air via chains. Their weapons were strewn across the wall, nails shoved deep into their hilts to keep them hanging, as a reminder of the fates of those who opposed the Fallen Empire.
The horror that bored into the minds of Shardak and Mersery was interrupted as another being entered the chamber. He clapped his hands in amusement. "Oh, my dearest congratulations, old friends. I see you've stumbled upon my collection. These little toys have been amusing enough to watch, but I'm afraid I can't allow them to take up so much space. Just as is appropriate, I shall destroy them, and perhaps I'll be nice enough to allow you to follow them, and spare you of having to live on such a miserable existence. Of course, since you've been such a thorn in my side, maybe I'll simply make you carry on an endless existence of torture within the deepest depths of my fortress, forgotten by all, rotting, while time eats away at your bodies. It all really depends on how generous you choose to be."
Mersery examined the calamitous entity with caution. His form glittered, and he stood at least 3 bio tall. His face was that of a skull, yet intimidating, with sharpened teeth. He was adorned in black and silver armor with hints of white, like that of Shale's, but much more intimidating. The Mersion even thought he could make out the silhouette of wings within the frame of the dark entity. No doubt, this was the legendary master of shadows.
"Set them free at once!" Mersery exclaimed, no spark of fear in his eyes.
"To be fair, Mersion, I would set them free. However, the great difference here is that I'm not being fair, nor am I ever going to be. So, in short, your answer is 'no'," sneered Shadowmaster.
"I will not hesitate to fight you if I must," said the defiant Shardak.
"Are you actually considering the notion of mercy, Toa? The only affiliation mercy has ever had with me is the begging for mercy from my opponents. Go ahead, strike me. As if it makes a difference. Besides, even if you tried to make one move," a lever materialized beside Shadowmaster, "...your friends would have a rather...rude awakening."
Shardak backed off, and glanced at the weapons littered across the wall. The knowledge that he was now in possession of Shale's staff had entered his awareness, but he did not reach for it. Not yet.
Shadowmaster waved an armored hand. The Blade of Arcturas and Mersery's Chronal Staff unhinged themselves and levitated to the dark being, landing softly within his hands. "You won't be needing these, will you?"
Shardak grinned. "No...I won't." Shardak reached for the hilt of the staff, but Shadowmaster had anticipated. He lifted the Chronal Staff, and slammed it into the ground, knocking both Shardak and Mersery off of their feet. They hit the ground hard, forcing Shardak to drop the staff and Mersery his looted sword. Shardak got to his feet first, and in a swift move, reached for the staff and unleashed its energy. A beam of shadow energy erupted from the shaft of the blade. Shadowmaster barely dodged the blast, leaping into the air with lightning speed. He retaliated with a beam of light from the Blade of Arcturas upon landing, laced with large amounts of nebular energy. Shardak shielded the blow with Shale's staff and leaped towards the master of shadows. He was too late, though, as the evil entity reached for the lever beside him. He pulled, and above him, the rebels were lowered into the pit of mutagen.
Shardak rushed to reach the lever and save his allies, but he never even reached the target. Through his own powers, Shadowmaster generated a mass of dark energy. It entered the Chronal Staff, and was conjured as a Rhotuka spinner. It flew through the air, and upon impact with Shardak, the Toa of Aura doubled over in pain. He covered his ears. Darkness had engulfed his eyesight, and he could hear nothing but the high-pitched screams of dark forces surrounding him.
Mersery felt a presence within his mind as he regained his footing. His staff was alerting him. A being other than him had made use of its power. He scowled and glanced over to the wall to which the weapons were attached. Focusing his telekinetic powers, he brought fourth his Midak Skyblaster. Leaping to grasp it, he let loose a barrage of light bolts at Shadowmaster. The dark one grasped his chest in pain as the light bolts passed through his body. Mersery took advantage of the distraction, and lunged. With a blow to the head, Shadowmaster was knocked to the ground. The hold of his Rhotuka diminished as he lost concentration. The Mersion grabbed hold of the lever at the last second, and pulled it back. The descent of the rebels into the mutagen ended with an abrupt halt, right before contact. Shardak, regaining his senses, kept a cautious eye on Shadowmaster, while Mersery toppled the pit of mutation-inducing water. It spilled across the chamber, seeping through the cavern halls as it went on.
"Well done, I must say. But you are still at a loss. My rule still stands, and you have not even a victory! You have even lost several of your number!" taunted Shadowmaster. The dark one brushed Shardak aside with the Chronal Staff, and landed a blow straight to Mersery's head with the staff's shaft. The Mersion regained his footing almost immediately and elbowed Shadowmaster twice, in the head and the chest. He let loose a wheezing cackle as he faltered to the ground.
Shardak ignored the dark being's jeer, and grabbed hold of the Blade of Arcturas. The Toa of Aura felt comfort in finally feeling the hilt of his blade rest in his hand once more. He pointed the blade directly at the chains that bound the rebels, and fired a thin beam of light. The Paladin allies dropped, caught safely by Mersery.
Shardak growled. "This game is over, Shadowmaster. Surrender at once." He pointed the blade at Shadowmaster, ready to strike at any moment.
"Is it?" the dark one hissed. He lifted his hands in the air, and Shardak swung the blade. It passed through Shadowmaster's neck, but to his amazement, Shadowmaster only shimmered out of existence. He reappeared again, and several beings materialized behind him. Shardak recognized one of them as Shale, now outfitted in a shining suit of armor, identical to the old. One of the others was humanoid, with the head of a Vahki. He beared vicious claws and held twin daggers. His armor was crimson in hue, and stained in blood of the same color. Another was clad in white, black, and red armor, and held a shield with spiked protrusions. The final being was a female, and wore ebony armor. A fierce grin showed behind her black Kaukau, Mask of Water Breathing.
"Well, neat trick, isn't it? My allies here are quite real, but this form is but a hologram. One that can hurt you quite easily, but its own destruction is of no harm to me. You actually believe I would confront you myself and endanger myself?" Shadowmaster cackled. "Now surrender."
The remaining Paladin warriors, regaining consciousness, stood poised for battle, boring into the eyes of Shadowmaster and the beings who had come to his aid. Shadowmaster and his colleagues could easily take down this assemblage of pathetic mortals, but he had no time to waste. He pommeled Mersery's Chronal Staff into the ground and teleported away. The others followed, phasing out of existence.
Mersery shook his head. The mission had ended in horrible failure. 20 beings had died in this short a journey, and others injured. He had suffered a wound himself, robbed of his Chronal Staff. As well, now they weren't even close to Shadowmaster's establishment. Looking around, the Mersion pondered, and an idea came to mind. They were in one of Shadowmaster's establishments, even though not the main one. If the rebellion was to take this out, a blow would be dealt to Shadowmaster's forces.
Mersery turned to Jarodin, and seeing the look in the Paladin leader's eyes, he could see that the idea had been reflected in his mind as well. He turned to the remainder of the squad. "Gather your weapons and get ready to take everything that you can see down through whatever means possible. And then...run."
Chapter 5[]
Koden, Toa of Sand, was quite impressed by the plans to destroy Roxtus. Flardrek had, in his years on Spherus Magna in the Fire Tribe training camp, experimented with the Thornax plant. While experimenting, he had accidentally placed a rare Todari vine next to an explosive Thornax fruit. The results were...very surprising. To say the least, the Fire Tribe spent the next month performing maintenance repairs.
To his surprise, Koden, only a mere rookie, had been assigned to locate the Todari vines, which supposedly grew along the cliffs of the Black Spikes. Of course, this was a dangerous task, so Jarodin had decided to go along with him.
Koden dug his feet into the rocky surface of the mountain. Nearly every step had found itself lodged in some form of skeleton of a Rahi, Skrall, or some other creature native to Spherus Magna, grinding it into a fine powder and releasing it into the air. The Toa of Sand coughed as the shattered bone product entered his eyes and lungs, but he pressed on. There was absolutely no sight of any form of plantlife here. All that was visible was the black, rocky ground, the long-deceased corpses of whatever creatures had lived here, and the vast desert dune that stretched out below. At last, he saw what appeared to be a bluish-gray vine, wrapped at the pinnacle of a massive pillar of stone.
"Leave this to me," said Jarodin. The Toa raised his hand, and materialized a large block of solid iron, which reflected the glint of the sun beating down upon its surface. Waving his hand in an overhead gesture, the block was hurled into the pillar. Both the block and the pillar's base splintered into several fragments which bounced across the mountaintop and over the edge. The top of the spire fell to the ground, landing at Jarodin's feet. The Paladin leader leaned down to reap the rewards, but before he could, a strong hand landed a blow straight on his mask, cracking it and sending him flying across the mountaintop. He landed barely on the ledge, and pushed himself to his feet to face a nightmare. It was a being that stood taller than the average being at about 2 bio tall, clad in black and green armor that shined, illuminated by the barely-visible sun. His armor showed the signs of intense battle, scarred and pitted, worn through thousands of years of existence.
The malevolent Makuta leaned down and pried the vine off of the fallen spire, holding it outwards with his claw. "Looking for this, old friend? How unfortunate for you that I will not allow you to have it."
Jarodin's visual receptors reflected shock at the sight of his arch-enemy. "You are with Shadowmaster!?"
Benjarmin chuckled. "Oh, so you're onto me? Indeed, I have allied myself with Shadowmaster, for my own purposes. And I will not allow you to hinder his forces."
"Too late," Jarodin hissed, the shock in his mind fading away, replaced by hatred that burned hotter than a thousand suns. He raised his blade and charged, but the Makuta phased out of existence before the Toa could even reach him, disappearing in a blue glow and leaving no trace. He reappeared behind Koden, and unsheathed his blade. He held it at the Toa of Sand's throat.
"You're far bolder than the Jarodin I knew. He cowered in the shadows, but you face me with no fear. Fear this, Toa." Benjarmin dug his claws deep into Koden's neck and prepared to make the killing blow. Swiftly, Jarodin summoned all of his power. To the shock of his Makuta foe, his opponent's sword flew out of his hand, influenced by Jarodin's elemental magnetic force. Taking advantage of the distraction, Koden let forth a kick aimed at Benjarmin's chest. Instead, it turned into a sweep, knocking the Makuta off of his feet and dazing him. Jarodin rushed towards Benjarmin and raised his blade above his head, only to be stopped by Koden.
"Remember the Toa code. It may have dissolved politically, but it remains in our spirits. Respect it, or you are no better than him," Koden remarked, gesturing towards the fallen Makuta. Benjarmin simply replied with a menacing laugh, and unleashed a powerful wave of sonic energy, followed up by a massive cyclone that tore apart the ground as it hovered towards the duo. The power of the two attacks together disabled the two Toa as they doubled over.
Koden slowly regained his footing, and unleashed his own power upon the land surrounding. Sand from the dunes below floated into the air, called upon by Koden's elemental forces, and wildly flew around, blinding Benjarmin. The Makuta lashed out, unleashing numerous bolts of lightning. The Toa of Sand narrowly dodged each one, but a single bolt struck home, streaming energy through his body. He screamed, feeling the tentacles of pain wrap around him and engulf him. Numbed and unconscious, the Toa collapsed, defeated. Benjarmin stood triumphant over the unconscious body of Koden, but his expression hardened as he glanced around. Jarodin was nowhere to be seen. He turned, but his opponent was gone. Pain thrashed through his body as something struck him from behind. A massive block of iron collided with his body, applying pressure and cracking his armor at several points. His antidermis leaked out of his body and floated into the dust-filled air.
Jarodin followed up with a headlock and slammed the Makuta into the ground. Benjarmin elbowed him, and snatched his sword. He swung, but Jarodin ducked, and kicked out to the Makuta's chest. He ignored the blow and parried with a heated beam of shadow from his dark energy rifle. The pulsating, black stream of nebulous energy headed towards its target, aimed precisely for the kill. Jarodin called forth his mental strength, and his mask glowed with power. A deflective shield emerged in front of him, and as the beam of darkness collided, it headed straight back to Benjarmin. The Makuta tried to duck out of the way, but was too late. His chestplate disintegrated upon contact, releasing more of his energies into the air. He screamed in agony as very parts of his consciousness slipped away, floating and dissipating, out of his control.
Jarodin stared down at the screaming Makuta, with no pity. Benjarmin turned his head to look at the Toa, rage highlighting his emerald eyes. He raised his hand and gathered a large amount of molecules to form the shape of a chain. The weapon coiled with electricity. The Makuta swung it around and aimed directly for Jarodin. The Toa held out his sword, and grinned as the chain wrapped itself around the blade. Gathering his focus into the Electro Blade, he channeled its electric powers and released them, all at once. The galvanic forces coursed through the shaft of the blade and into the chain, bringing along the energy of the chains as well. All struck Benjarmin at once, flowing into his body at an alarming rate. He screamed as electricity engulfed him, wrapping around him in a coat of bluish energy. By the time it had left his body, his armor was but a scorched husk of useless metal. A white flash of power blinded Jarodin, and the Makuta was gone, the stolen Todari vine the only trace of his presence.
Koden awakened, still stunned, but alive. Jarodin had reaped the rewards of this fight, and held the Todari vine, victorious. Still, the Toa was bothered that Benjarmin, his arch-nemesis, had managed to escape. Either way, the battle had been won, and he had a mission to complete now.
Flardrek snarled. His left arm hung useless at his side now, having been rendered numb from the mysterious attackers' poison. He had been forced to set his blade aside, as the most important aspect of the plan he had devised required use of his Thornax Launcher. Still, he worried that the plot would never even take affect now, as Jarodin and Koden had not returned yet. As soon as he prepared to call off the plan, two panting beings, their armor rugged and damaged, burst through the doorway. Jarodin carried a blue vine in one of his hands.
Flardrek gestured to the pile of Thornax at the center of the chamber. "We've planted Thornax at every accessible floor of the cavern. We'll plant the Todari here, at a safe enough distance that only a Thornax aimed directly at the vine would set it off. My experimenting has proved that the explosions set off a chain reaction. The small explosion will activate the other Thornax, and so on, laying ruin to every floor and destroying anything here. Nothing could survive through that. That's why we need to ensure that we can get out safe."
"And what if we can't?" inquired Mersery.
"We will," Flardrek assured him. He gestured towards the pile of Thornax. Jarodin slowly walked over to it, and gently placed it beside the Thornax, then ran. "Go, now!" Flardrek exclaimed. The rebels rushed towards the cavern exit as Flardrek followed behind. He gripped his launcher firmly in his hand and pulled a Thornax fruit from his pack. He loaded and fired. The golden sphere hurtled through the air, and landed directly on the Todari vine. The following events could be described as...amazing.
A burst of energy erupted through the subterranean realm. Flames engulfed the cavern chamber, and a cloud of fire-covered, uprooted earth spiraled upwards, punching a hole in the cave roof. Massive rocks rained upon the chamber, burying any vestiges of life, but were destroyed as newly-provoked explosions rocked the ground and disintegrated the fallen boulders. As the Paladin rebels escaped the cavern, they watched the event unfold before them. Rock from the mountains above fell down onto the ground, but were destroyed as flames burst upwards, and so on as rocks fell again until the rocking explosions came to a halt. The small assemblage of Toa and other beings viewed what now stood before them in amazement. The wonder that had once been a towering mountain range was now a land of ruin. The mountains had collapsed, and the cavern mouth was invisible, covered by the wall of fallen boulders.
Their deed was done.
"The Dark Lord" gazed at the vast, deserted land below in amusement from the spiraling tower that held his personal chambers. For miles, dunes stretched out, creating a tan blanket over the earth. Through the sandstorms, the only structures that he could make out were the ancient ruins of the natives' work, enveloped in a coat of dead vines that wrapped themselves around it as if they were snakes. So much potential...wasted, he thought.
"What generosity of our guests, hm?" an ancient, high-pitched voice hissed from behind. The Dark Lord turned and faced the being, who was adorned in white and black armor. "This is not suiting enough for you? Perhaps my master could install a new...more fitting appearance to this land."
"You worship that being? That abomination that actually believes he is my superior?" the Dark Lord growled.
"Always better to be on the winning side, I say," Coronus chuckled.
"I am the winning side. It's but a matter of time, before I take complete power. And your 'master' will not hold it for long. If you wish to be on the winning side - "
Within an instant, Coronus sprung off of his feet and was at the Dark Lord's throat. He held a vicious, dual-bladed sword at his neck. "You're speaking to the wrong person. Perhaps my master will find a better use for you...such as his "pet's" next meal."
The Dark Lord scoffed and landed a blow on Coronus' skeletal crest with a strong, armored fist. The deity of twilight flinched and regained his balance before he fell. Coronus spoke again, this time in a low snarl. "You will serve your purpose, the reason you were brought here, and you will not interfere. Is that clear?"
A horrible grin appeared behind the Dark Lord's pitted mask, and his crimson eyes flashed as he sat back into his own, personally-made onyx throne. Then, he disappeared, his long cloak the only sense of his former presence. Within moments, he reappeared behind Coronus, his arms wrapped around the deity's neck. "I take orders from nobody. Must I say that again? I will do as I please here." He released his hold over Coronus, and the deity turned to face him again. He was gone, back in his throne, the grin still plastered upon his face, as if it had never even happened.
"My master...has sensed something. In sight of the future, he has witnessed the rise of a new power, one that could devastate both the rebellion and our own forces. And, it may interest you, 'Dark Lord', that he holds quite a power, one that could bring forth the power of a thousand Toa and put it to the wielder's own use. We will ensure that he manages to crush the rebellion, then take his power for our own. One of our agents has been dispatched to watch over the turn of events and make sure it is so. Meanwhile, we've already managed to crush the Paladin. Although they brought upon...an unfortunate turn of events, they will be shocked when we see the surprise we left them."
The Dark Lord rolled his eyes, instead intent upon the rise of this new force. Still, he nodded his head, pretending to listen as Coronus rambled on. The deity's babbling came to a halt as an alarm screeched through the chamber, reverberating through the walls. There was an intruder.
Chapter 6[]
Shardak trekked through the desert edge, alongside the remaining members of the Paladin squad. The operation had met in slight success, but he still felt as if something was...off. He felt like something was waiting. He continued to ponder as the sands surrounding him eventually faded and were replaced by the greenery of the jungle and the compact dirt of the jungle floor. It was...quiet. Too quiet.
Suddenly, a booming noise erupted through the lush realm, halting the journey of the rebels. A beam of red light flashed through the air and came into quick collision with a tree. It sliced the plant clean in half, the insides charred black and coursing with energy. It collapsed and came into contact with another tree, and so on, opening a hole in the canopy which covered the area. In the now-visible sky, Shardak could see several birds soaring frantically away.
The squad rushed towards the source of the commotion. Shardak stopped, able to hear the slightest noise, almost a screech. It was coming from where the beam of light erupted. The sight that was beheld was a horror. The Paladin fortress was in ruin. Bright orange flames wrapped around the splintered fragments of what were once the walls. The masks and helmets of Matoran and Agori were mounted on poles outside, cracked and burnt. As Shardak focused, he could see a string of flames, which marked words in the Matoran alphabet. Though he was slightly lacking in knowledge of the language, he could understand the gist of the message. "Oppose us and die." He didn't even have to ask who had written this threat, it was obvious what had happened.
A tinge of guilt entered the mind of Jarodin, the Paladin leader, as he realized what had occurred. Flardrek had, earlier, been released by Shadowmaster after being imprisoned. Now he saw why. Not only were they sending the message that villagers would die if they took action, but they had followed Flardrek back and attacked when the Paladin squad had left. His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of another figure. It soared through the jungle and hovered above Jarodin's head. Shardak rushed to his side, trying to comprehend its shrill whistling.
The creature wore ebony and silver armor, and several black feathers were visible from beneath. Its eyes glowed brightly in a blue hue. He could recognize this bird through texts, ancient field guides, and tales told by Mersery. This was a Versuvian Glider Owl. Shardak had never seen one up close, as Shadowmaster had outlawed them due to their use as communication between rebel groups. Despite this, he had seen many of them in the skies occupied by Shadowmaster, closely watching all. He could infer that they were feeding information to Shadowmaster, making the journeys far more difficult.
This owl was frantic and worried. It rolled out several, high-pitched quick whistles and chirps. Mersery rushed towards it. Then, he began chirping as well. The rebels stared at him as if he had gone insane, but he continued, determined. When Mersery turned back, his expression was one of worry. "Terkla has informed me of some grim news. While we were gone, two attacks were delivered to our fortress. The first were some...shadowy warriors. Then came some silver-clad robot. She explained something odd as well...the robot targeted the Matoran and Toa only."
"Did our villagers escape?" inquired Jarodin.
"Barely. Any who didn't escape were buried in the rubble or killed. As if there's a difference," replied Mersery.
"Let's go in. Maybe we can salvage our communication tools and contact the Frost Wolves. They might be able to help us, they've regained their forces," explained Shardak. The others nodded in agreement.
Shardak entered the ruined fortress. Smoke and rubble lined every inch of the now-ruined establishment. The soil on which it was built was charred, as were the stone tiles that had been placed to create the cold floor of the fortress. The Toa could still feel the cold beneath his feet, even as the flames burned around him. Had he the ability to cry, this sight could have brought tears to his eyes, if the burning hatred against the one who had done this did not prevent him from doing so. He had lived here for years, viewing it as his very home, and now the once-familiar halls lined with stone walls and often an occasional bookshelf were simply ruins that housed ash and flames. The walls had been shattered, the bricks that formed them lining the ground. Even the lush trees that surrounded had caught fire, their trunks charred and their leaves incinerated under the power.
He turned and arrived at a metal door, surprisingly still intact. He opened it to come upon the announcement chamber. Hundreds of seats were lined across the ground, before a stairway and a theatre-like stage linked to it. Even when the meetings had been held, most of the seats were vacant due to the lack of rebellion members, so it should have been no surprise to see them absolutely deserted. But still, it just seemed...alien to be seeing such a thing. Once a beautiful establishment, now a pit of fire - a death trap. Shardak looked at the damage that had been done. The stairway was ruined, a large chunk missing from one side, the other burnt and chipped. Shadowmaster's forces had definitely taken their time when they were attacking.
Now the curtain on the stage opened, to reveal the rarely-used screen. It was a variant of the telescreens used all over Spherus Magna now, able to receive transmissions via satellite, though without the implanted camera that was within Shadowmaster's own model. Surprisingly, it was not damaged at all. Odd, Shardak thought. Even if the curtain was hiding it, it makes no sense, because I can see significant damage was done to the curtain as well. The telescreen suddenly flashed on. The being that met Shardak's surprise was not one of the rebellion leaders, as he had seen on the face of the screen before. It was Shadowmaster himself.
"Well, I see you've enjoyed my little...surprise," Shadowmaster said. Shardak widened his eyes as he realized that the dark ruler was speaking directly to him. This was not a public broadcast. Even so, it seemed odd to the Toa to hear Shadowmaster speaking directly to him, even in spite of having encountered him before he destroyed the fortress. But almost every time he had seen the face of the dark one and heard the deep voice that accompanied him, he knew that he was speaking to the entirety of Spherus Magna in propaganda broadcasts, to instill a sense of false hope and even sometimes fear into the Matoran, even though he knew that they were too smart to fall for his ruse, after what he had done to them and their allies. Some of them, at least. Shardak came back to the present, and shouted back at Shadowmaster.
"Why did you do this!?" Shardak shouted, barely able to control the anger that burned as a flame within. What had been a mere candlelight of rage had now erupted into a storm of madness as Shardak faced the one who had done this once more.
"Oh, so I see you aren't exactly content with my work. I apologize for the horrendous work of my associates, they're rather lazy, I say. I mean, I'd think you'd be able to tell by seeing the status my fortress in the Black Spikes has been forced into. Oh, by the way, thanks for the organization help you gave me on that one. Rocks and metal everywhere. A good portrait for visitors, don't you think?" Shadowmaster remarked.
Shardak ignored his sarcastic statement and retaliated. "You've ruined everything. You ruined my life, and the lives of thousands, maybe millions of others more than it could possibly be. The lucky ones, you've murdered, and made their friends suffer. All you bring is agony. And you've just done one more thing you can add to the list when you face justice and reflect on your past. Your miserable past."
"Ah, quite a temper there, Toa. I thought you were trying to cut back on that. You weren't quite...rebellious last time we met. Aside from the attacking me and the destroying my fortress and all. Oh, and by the way, I give you thanks to you for the weapons you and your Mersion friend so generously dropped off for me. I'll put them to good use. Back to the important matter, I've come to bring a message to you and your little allies. One, you're going to die. That's obvious. The second point is best summed up in this little slideshow I created called 'real life'," Shadowmaster hissed.
The screen flashed and Shadowmaster's image became distorted, then it cut to a view of Spherus Magna. Matoran lined the "streets", cowering in terror. Shadowmaster's disembodied voice continued while the scene played on. "If there's one thing I love more than ever, it's killing people. Murder is an interesting word to make it a bit more entertaining. Of course, there's so many ways to murder, I can't choose. Though the easiest one to take so many people out is explosions. Explosions are caused most often by bombs or bomb-like tools, you know, like the one you used to destroy my secondary base. Another kind of interesting explosive is the mine. The land mine. I must say that those are quite entertaining. Weight-triggered and deadly. A nice way to blame someone for their own death if they accidentally step on one. My researchers looked at a mine once. They worked on it a bit, and by my order, they made it so that it could be operated by a detonator instead."
Shardak saw the horror coming. He knew what Shadowmaster meant, and he could not allow this to proceed. "No!" he shouted. He was too late, though, as he was forced to watch the shocked and agonized Matoran burnt to ashes as the mines flashed and erupted into a cloud of flames. Shadowmaster cackled at both the horrendous event and Shardak's response. The event felt like years, but it only lasted a minute. When the noise died down, the screen only displayed the wrecked and flaming buildings surrounding, several corpses lining the ground, those that were not devoured by the weapon of destruction. The screams were all gone now, as if it had never happened, as if it had always been like this. Silent. And dead.
"Silent and dead, of course," said Shadowmaster as he flickered back on the screen, having brushed against Shardak's mind and seen his thoughts. "And you won't be so lucky if you continue to oppose me. Fair is fair, I say. You lead an attack on me personally, and destroy my fortress, then I will destroy your fortress and make you watch your precious Matoran die. Now you see that you are the destroyer. You think you are doing the universe a favor by ridding of me, but in truth, you are simply endangering the lives of your pathetic allies. I'll make sure to give a broadcast of this, too. And I'll be sure that they know who brought it on. Soon, you'll be drowning in the hatred of your once friends as they mock you and berate you for having single-handedly killed their friends. Know this, Shardak. Continue your worthless mission to kill me, and more will die."
Shardak picked up a rock and tossed it at the screen as Shadowmaster convulsed in laughter. Even with the dark one's image destroyed, he could still hear his dark cackling in his mind, but he forced himself to block it out. The fires that burned now in Shardak's mind were not only an inferno, but one so powerful it could engulf Spherus Magna itself. As if his hatred at Shadowmaster was not enough, now he experienced self-hatred. Several thoughts passed his mind. Eventually, though, he thought of his allies. Those he were closest too now, the family that had been crafted after Shadowmaster's takeover. If he surrendered, they would die too, and so would he. Was it worth the risk? The death of thousands compared to the death of a small group? No, but it was the only choice. Thousands would die anyway, with the rebellion fighting or not. Shadowmaster would eventually grow bored and either conquest more or kill his own civilians, most likely both. Death was the easy way out of the torture. The difficult way was through the rebellion's efforts. Now it was time to focus on the difficult way.
Despirax sat at his twisted throne, having watched the event that just ensued with amusement on the digital screen. Then, he clicked it off. He had made quite a profit with this latest little scheme. He hated Shadowmaster, he did not need to say that again. He despised him in every way, yes. But he was a demon of opportunity. And he saw an opportunity when Shadowmaster offered him an alliance. An alliance, that would forbid the dark lord from killing them, so long as they aided him. Despirax did not think - he knew, that Shadowmaster was no fool, no matter how much he loathed him. But making an alliance with a demon with such malicious intent was pure foolery. He thought that the very moment that Shadowmaster's twisted Po-Matoran informant walked in the door, however he had made it into the fortress in the first place...
Despirax thought things out a long time ago. Very, very long ago. And what he thought was that he would pull off a betrayal. But not yet. First, he had a task to perform. Being the head of an opposing rebellion fraction, he had to seize opportunities to destroy other portions of the rebellion when he saw them. He would allow Shadowmaster's forces to damage a rebel faction, then attack himself and seize control. Then he would expand, until all the rebels were either gone or had joined his side. The winning side. With such ground, he could expand his rule and attack Shadowmaster's fortress himself. He would seize control of his massive empire and rule the universe under an iron fist.
Of course, this plan was but a dream now. Only the first part was reasonable, but eliminating Shadowmaster was another thing. For one, nobody truly knew the extent of Shadowmaster's powers, and even legend experts knew that he had only been defeated three times when it didn't suit his plans, and this was by the hand of very powerful beings. He could only focus on the present now. But he saw an advantage. The Paladin had suffered a great loss. Now with the loss of their fortress, an ambush could be pulled off with ease. He only needed to wait for the right time.
Despirax's time of ponder came to an end as he rose from his throne. He looked around his chamber. A few torches mounted on the walls, held by statuesque claws that mimicked those of the Nui-Rama. The walls were lined with weapons, those that had been claimed from the people Despirax and his army had killed. Trophies. Among them were masks as well, and even a skull taken from a deceased Toa. So many had been killed by the chaotic regime that Despirax had enforced, and now that regime paled in the shadow of Shadowmaster. For now... the demon lord thought, ...but not for long.
Despirax walked over to the single door at the side of the chamber, and opened it. Now he was in an underground hallway, one of those which made a web across the catacombs under the demon establishment. On the walls were portraits of several images, several of those being depictions of the apocalypse or portraits of Despirax himself. As well, as the demon ruler ran his clawed hand across the wall, he felt the outline of statues. Truly, it was a beauty in his eyes. And soon he could only imagine the glory of Shadowmaster's fortress. Sitting at the conference table he had seen in propaganda broadcasts with his demon affiliates, Shadowmaster's very head mounted in the middle, he could only imagine. His conquests would continue. Soon, he thought, soon.
He eventually arrived in a round chamber, in which there were two other beings. One of them was stocky and clad in black-and-red armor. More notable was the long-craned helmet he wore on his head, and even more so were his four arms, each of which held blades with mysterious symbols on them, looking as if they had come from the north, from the Black Spike Mountains. The other was taller and thinner, adorned in black and silver armor. Bladed protrusions came from his shoulders, and spikes were visible on his shins. He also sported a skull-like face, on which was attached a rare Sensory Enhancement Apparatus, and a sharp, venomous tail. Even without the sight of the Plasma Launcher in his hands, anyone would know that this being - as with the one beside him - was a very deadly force.
Which was exactly why Despirax had summoned them. "Excellent. So you're here. We can proceed, then."
Skorr, the thin being, snarled. "Well, on with it. I could be making a profit elsewhere right now."
"I have a new target that must be eliminated. The Paladin is weakened. Their forces are dying out, and now they are more vulnerable than ever. The key figures must be killed. Jarodin and Mersery, the two leaders, must be eliminated, in order to proceed," said Despirax.
"And how much will this service pay?" inquired Skorr.
"You and Zwardmorder will split the reward," Despirax answered.
"You never answered me. And it's beginning to look like perhaps the Frost Wolves would be more grateful for my services," Skorr hissed with a devious grin.
"Very well. I'll give you thirty thousand widgets for this, as with Zwardmorder. No more," Despirax growled. "That aside, I also have a special weapon for use against Jarodin," Despirax replied.
Skorr growled. "I don't know about your four-armed friend here, but I have an issue with that. I am a top-class bounty hunter. I enjoy the thrill of the hunt. And the sound of it suggests that this will only make my job a lot easier. If there's one thing I despise more than a scumbag who is hard to kill, it's a scumbag out in this big, empty universe who can die easy."
"You took up the offer. I'm making the job easy for you. An easier kill is an easier thirty thousand widgets, I say," Despirax persuaded.
"If you insist, maybe I'll make my argument a bit more convincing with a piece of evidence in my favor," Skorr said, gesturing towards his Plasma Launcher.
Despirax gave a light chuckle. "Oh, bounty hunter, what do you think a fight with me will do in your benefit? Pride? I've kept a low profile here. Any bounties to be placed on my head are...unlikely. I've thought that through. I know who you are, Skorr, and I know what you can do. So you don't have a chance of winning anyway." The demon let out a sharp growl that rebounded through the room and the halls surrounding. In response, several servants, vicious beings clad in black, spiked armor, materialized. "If you have something to work out with me, then you can work it out with them, too. Maybe I'll be kind enough to let you live and turn you in to Shadowmaster's security forces when I'm done...if any of you will be left. So, just think about it. Do you really want to fight me, here, now, or do you want to live, get your payment, and scurry away?"
Skorr growled. He didn't like offering his services to imbeciles, especially overconfident ones like this. He could, with ease, leave after he had been dispatched for his "mission". He contemplated an attack now. Despirax alone he could deal with, but with the servants against him, the odds were reduced drastically. After all, he wasn't even sure what side his "comrade" hunter would be on. Even if he was the amateur hunter Skorr thought him to be, combined with the forces of Despirax alone, the odds were against his favor. So despite how much it discontented him, he had to play along.
"Well. It's a deal, then. Don't expect my services again," Skorr hissed.
Zwardmorder spoke at last. "I hope that you do not get too convinced that I don't have the same issues with this as him. And I don't prefer working with others. But I will take the job. I do, however, wonder what this 'special weapon' is."
"This special weapon is to be without fail. For Jarodin has a weakness - his emotions. And this is simply the pure exploitation of his emotions. Behold!" Despirax made a gesture, and out of thin air, a blue-armored female Toa appeared. "Her name...is Galika."
Chapter 7[]
The chamber was dark, but even in the little light, the features of the room could be seen. Ornamental claws had been carved from the walls, and nails held up a number of Kanohi masks robbed from the corpses of Shadowmaster's opponents. The entrance was a large iron door, like most in Shadowmaster's fortress. At the head of the chamber was a dormant screen, much like the telescreens that dotted the cities. Now, it was soon to be the site of a meeting.
As four beings entered the chamber, the screen flashed on. Shadowmaster, adorned in imperial robes he wore in all public broadcasts, appeared on the screen, his crimson eyes locked on to the four beings. "What news do you bring?"
The golden-armored Kinyami was the first to speak. "My spies have intercepted word from the Paladin rebels. They plan to make a migration north, united with the Frost Wolves."
The image of Shadowmaster chuckled. "So they plan on fleeing, then. Interesting. So it seems that my generous peace offering has been accepted. It is unfortunate, for them, that their only peace comes in death. Track them down and eliminate them properly. Send scouts for the mask as well."
Nightwatcher spoke this time. "I have...additional plans. I have located a Matoran who may be willing to aid our cause. His name is Ahkmou."
Shadowmaster's eyes flickered. "We both know that Ahkmou's allegiance remains with Teridax, and Teridax only," he hissed. "If the Makuta is dead or not, who is to say that he would serve us willingly?"
"There is no guarantee..." said Nightwatcher, "...but after all, can he be trusted any less than these...mercenaries? After all, we stand against the beings that destroyed Teridax. He would find us to be more worthy allies than them."
Kinyami growled in response. Shadowmaster only nodded. "Very well. If you believe he can benefit my cause, then go ahead. But if his loyalty wavers at our cost, know that both of you shall meet the same fate as the rebels."
With that, several ebony-armored figures entered the chamber. A smaller being was restrained in chains behind them. One of the armored beings spoke.
"We found him near the fortress. We were going to kill him, but -" He was interrupted by another voice. "But someone recognized him." Coronus stood in the doorway, a diabolical smirk on his face.
The face of Shadowmaster flickered off of the telescreen, and his own likeness appeared in front of the chained being. He eyed him up and down. His stature was almost reminiscent of that of a Toa. He sported white and blue armor, like that of a Toa of Ice. But he was different. Much different. His eyes widened. "Interesting...quite interesting indeed. What brings this jester to come to interrupt my business?"
The being spoke for the first time. "I don't remember what happened to me, or who I am, or who you are, but I do remember one thing - you did this to me. I know you must be defeated, and I must be the one to stop you."
The dark deity put on a false grin, and chuckled. "What do you know about how this place was created? Who I am? Nothing. I didn't think so. You and your little rebel fools may get a laugh out of this, and I'll get a laugh out of your deaths. You try to mock me with false images of the past? I'll show the villagers what happens to those joyful spirits that dare to challenge me in this way."
The other beings eyed him oddly as he screamed. It was strange for a dark entity such as him to concern himself so much with a supposed Toa. He glanced back at them with a scowl, and ignored their gazes of confusion. After some time, he turned back. "Kill him and broadcast it. I want the Matoran to see that mockery is not viewed lightly." At the signal, the guards closed in on the captive, but he retaliated, knocking two off of their feet with a sweeping kick. The others gripped their weapons, but Shadowmaster raised his hand to halt them.
"You think I'm something to be made a mockery of? A fool? I know who you're pretending you are, but you don't. And you don't know who I am, do you? I killed him, and that's why I know you are a fake. A mere buffoon trying to amuse your partners by bringing an aspect of my past back to life. Now I'll show you how amusing it is," he growled. He produced a sword, and swung it at the Toa-like being. He dodged and thrust his palm out at Shadowmaster's shoulder. The dark one only swung again, but the captive rolled to the side and kicked the blade out of his hands. With a leap into the air, he grabbed the sword and sliced straight through his opponent's chest. Shadowmaster glanced at the wound in shock.
Suddenly, in a flash, his form was replaced by a thin metallic figure. Slowly, the machine's bisected frame toppled as Shadowmaster reappeared. His angered expression was replaced by one of amusement. "Perhaps...I was mistaken. Indeed, I seem to recall this. The skills. Could it be? Hmph. I have much to learn."
The guards moved in again, but Shadowmaster held them back once more. "No. Do not kill him. I may have a use for him later. If he has truly returned, then perhaps I can know how and achieve more power to further my goals. Until then, throw him in the dungeon." The guards nodded, and dragged the prisoner away.
His eyes locked into the dark one's as he was pulled away. Defiantly, he stated, "I will be the one to defeat you. Your treachery will not reign forever." Shadowmaster only grinned in response, then turned back to the others. "Now that that's taken care of...you were saying?"
Jarodin looked at the sky. Serene and blue, like the ocean. The ocean, he thought. Not along ago, it had seemed, that he had discovered that he was only a miniscule part of a massive mechanical figure that had spent millennia in slumber on an ocean. He had seen the ocean before. Artificial, of course, as it was only a part of the illusion within Mata Nui's structure. It was protodermis in its liquid form, the synthetically-made element that composed everything that had lived in the Matoran universe. Nearly everything, he corrected himself, as he thought of the vicious Makuta who had destroyed everything he knew. He thought of the ocean again as his mind trailed off. Still, of what he had seen, the synthetic, false ocean, it had given him the slightest idea of the appearance of the true ocean, the one that was now a part of Spherus Manga. He'd wished to see it, but it was only a short time after his arrival to Spherus Magna that the disaster occurred. He was torn from his own universe and placed in somewhat of a duplicate, with the difference that a crazed, god-like being had taken control. He never knew exactly why. Perhaps he had killed too many people during his takeover and wished to refill the population. Maybe he just wanted to torment more, or expand his grip into other universes. Either way, that day, everything had been taken from him.
Then, he had been lucky enough to escape. In the brink of death, he had found Mersery, a Mersion former scholar who had been in pursuit of a time-manipulating dark figure called Millennium, who he believed to be working with Shadowmaster for his own gain. And then there was Shardak. He never knew so much about him. He was somewhat of a Toa, who had come from another universe entirely, much similarly to himself. Although Shardak did not disclose the details of his past, he had earned Jarodin's trust in the time that would come. And then there was Tarran, a veteran Toa that had led several attacks against Shadowmaster's forces in the past. He had known much more about Shadowmaster than the others, having been inside of his fortress before as a captive. Jarodin both sympathized and related to him, and, knowing his knowledge of the details of Shadowmaster's armada and residence, decided that he would be a valuable ally. In that time, they had formed the Paladin rebellion, a formidable force opposed to the dark one's own army. They were intended to wipe his dark influence off of the planet forever. It sounded like an easy task.
As it would seem, though, things are easier said than done. In that time, the Paladin had reduced greatly in its size. Other rebel groups had formed to oppose this, including the Makuta who had tortured him for so long. Not only did these rebels challenge his own, but he had lost some of his number in the formation of the groups as well. He thought of Sayna, who had formed the opposing Enlightened rebel force. And then, in the sequential attacks on Shadowmaster, they had lost more. Now their home was gone. Three-quarters of their number were dead or had fled. The others were either with him or had been on missions. He didn't expect them to return, as if they had anything to return to if they succeeded. Which they wouldn't. He knew from the start that they were doomed. But he couldn't tell them. They were so with their cause, that even if he did, they would never give up, and perhaps that would be the better. Best to die in battle than endure the ages of torture under Shadowmaster's iron fist. And perhaps they knew for themselves that their cause was an empty one, but they wouldn't give up. Either way, they were doomed. In the next few days, he would die, and they would die, and there was nothing he could do to prevent it.
Jarodin shook his head. A simple thought of the ocean had suddenly become his life story and his plight. He had to think positive. He thought once more of the ocean that had bore him and all life. Then he thought of her as the thought of the ocean had crossed his mind. What he had been suppressing this whole time. Galika, Toa of Water, and the one, perhaps the only one, that he had loved. Love was rare, especially among Matoran and Toa, but not forbidden. And so it was. But this was no happy ending for either of them. Galika had been taken from her universe along with Jarodin, and he knew only that he hadn't seen her since. For all he could have known, Galika could be dead, or worse, still in the clutches of Shadowmaster.
The ocean returned to his mind. But this time, he did not think positive. The ocean had not been what had bore him. The darkness that Shadowmaster had created had bore him, born into what he was now. Born into something what would ensure that every last being who had brought this age of chaos upon the world would not live to see the next day. He needed no ocean for consolidation. All he needed now was the thought that by the end of this war, Shadowmaster's head would be mounted upon a pole for all to see, to ensure everyone that his dark reign was finally over.
Skorr watched as the sun passed overhead, slowly. Dusk was arriving, and it would be safe to pass through the night to perform his duty. He couldn't deny being slightly enthusiastic about being hired to kill Jarodin, an important figure in this war. However, he also wasn't confident about his payment. Thirty thousand widgets would last him a day with his way of business. Sure, he may have been worth that much himself at a time, give or take a thousand or few, but for him, that would go fast. Business outlets had found themselves growing fast since the takeover. Thirty thousand widgets was, by this point in time, much less in other currencies. It was essentially useless now to even insist in paying anyone in that form. His bet was that Despirax was just some ignorant fool that tried to manipulate those who worked once in the Matoran Universe by offering them such a high amount of a worthless currency. But he wasn't going to ask for another payment form. He could probably even make an easy score by doing the same. He would have to trade the widgets for another currency, and either gain or lose an amount in the process, depending on the idiocy of the trader. Then it was time for business. Weapon upgrades. Then he would have little to nothing left later.
All in all, this was the worst deal he'd been offered since his arrival. But he had been forced to agree with it. And he was stuck with two amateurs now as well, one four-armed "psychopath" and a foolish Toa of Water that didn't know her place. Of course, he had an easy solution to the problem. He'd leave. Despirax was a fool to leave him away from supervision. He could walk off at any moment, and nobody would stop him. He was sure that the four-armed assassin whose name he never bothered to learn wouldn't stop him. He would probably be happier, considering that he would get the full reward. The Toa, he didn't know. She didn't really talk much. He'd heard she had amnesia or something. He didn't care, really. If she opposed him, he'd kill her with ease. Who knows, maybe he'd even get a bounty for her. Of course, he wasn't going to walk away. A few cleverly-placed knives here and there and his "companions" would be out of the picture, and then he would be free to make the kill himself, and receive his profit from a much more competent payer, perhaps even Shadowmaster himself. He knew the crazed dictator wanted Jarodin dead just as much as Despirax did, perhaps even more.
Skorr looked at the sky, disturbed from his thinking by the noise of the wildlife around. Night had fallen. The threat of Shadowmaster's own patrols was gone. He had been generous enough to leave the areas around the Spherus Magnan mainland undisturbed already. Any patrols would be coincidental, and they were unlikely in the night. As for the rebels themselves, they would be sleeping or tired at the least. Maybe a member on watch, but he would be easy to dispatch. 3 bounty hunters against 1 or 2 tired, hungry fools. It would be no problem. Then the real hunt would begin, or so he hoped.
The group extinguished the fire they had lit earlier while setting up camp, and set off. The scenery quickly changed as they moved. Through the dark, Skorr could see the abandoned desert dunes transform slowly into natural dirt ground covered in luscious jungle plants. The trees extended high into the sky, blocking out any light that the moon would reflect onto them. It would have been safe to cross through here by day, though the chances of their being caught would be much more. So it had been decided to go by night. The risks had increased, though. Skorr himself had found himself accidentally tangled or tripping on occasion, even in spite of the sensory apparati he had installed. Now he knew why the rebels had chosen a spot like this. Secluded. Dangerous. Obviously not intended to be inhabited by people, in contrast to the simple deserts and level cities Shadowmaster had chosen to set his empire within.
Zwardmorder had already begun using his four swords to cut down the greenery that barred their path. Skorr decided to do the same, tearing through the vines that enveloped the jungle quickly and efficiently with his Protosteel Iron Sword. As he trudged through the humid jungle, he occasionally saw an animal or two. Some looked as if they were Rahi from the Matoran Universe, others stranger, like the Spherus Magnan natives, and others looked simply unnatural. He wouldn't doubt that Shadowmaster wasn't above tampering with the wildlife. Every time he saw one, he thought of the people who instructed the common folk to ensure the dangerous ones that he was not a threat. He would do the exact opposite, and he raised his Plasma Launcher to ensure them that he was a threat. Some backed away, some came closer, and others just stood there, watching. The latter two groups both ended the same way, though.
The jungle had begun to wore on the group even so. Galika, the Toa of Water, had grown weaker. Skorr considered leaving her, but he was met with a barrage of water even at his first mention of it. The Zeverek bounty hunter eventually grew tired as well as the harsh, humid climate of the place caught up with him. After all, once it was his turn to "stand guard" - assuming that Zwardmorder trusted him enough with the role - there would be 2 less people going on this journey. And Skorr didn't intend on one of them being him.
Skorr used one of his tools to ignite a stray stick, and shoved it into the dirt ground. "Sweet dreams."
Zwardmorder only gave a scowling look in response. "I'll stand guard. I'd suggest you not get in my way."
"I don't really think you have a way to get in, my fine, foolish amateur friend. We're stuck here for the night. Now just run along and go about whatever you're doing while go ahead and make the plans. We've got an hour to sleep if we want them dead before nightfall. So get the little sleep you can while I stand guard," Skorr said in a sing-song voice.
Zwardmorder only gave him a look that gave that he wasn't buying Skorr's act. Galika was exhausted, so if Zwardmorder held any obligation to the group, he'd be with her. Skorr knew he was only in it for the profit of the kill, just like him, but they had to band together. Or so they had been lead to believe. Skorr believed, more likely, that it was just an attempt by Despirax to keep them all alive so he could split up the payment. He didn't plan on that. With any luck, he'd get full pay, even if he returned to Despirax and not a more trustworthy payer.
The Zeverek resolved to "scout ahead". At least this would provide him time to make the kill himself, start the hunt. And all the pay would go to him when he returned with the heads of his victims - what were their names again? Jarodin and Mersery. The second name brought something back to him...yes, he remembered now. He had met Mersery before, once, some time after the reformation and before Shadowmaster's takeover. He had been employed by Millennium, some time-entity that reminded him of Shadowmaster in a way. Cold, emotionless, powerful, same kind of guy. Back then, he had been employed to capture an important relic for the being. On the way, he fought Mersery, defeated him, and left him alive for the sheer thrill of haunting him, as the being's hours ticked away, as they feared and wondered when he would strike next. It looked now like it was time for him to strike next.
Slowly, he sliced his way through the jungle, careful not to alert any rebels around. The smell of smoke was near, and it was not coming from the south, where the others had settled. No, this was coming from the north. The rebels were near. By the estimate, this would be harder than he thought. Ten of them at the very least. He'd have to kill them fast, or at least get them away from the others. As he trekked further into the lush realms, the smell of the smoke became stronger. Very close by now. Taking extra precautions, he activated his cloaking device, his form fading into the jungle until it perfectly matched the surrounding green, gone completely from view of the human eye.
A few more minutes. No beings in sight. And then...target in sight. His suspicions were correct. There were around ten of them, maybe a few more or less. All were armed. Only one was on guard, a large being taller than an average Toa and much more muscular, though his look put him off as a Toa. He carried a large battle axe that showed scars of battle. Skorr could disable while still cloaked with ease, a little poison from his tail. It wouldn't be enough to kill him, but it would be enough to at least weaken him long enough for him to kill Jarodin and Mersery and make a run for it. Of course, this wasn't his way. He was a bounty hunter. He took pride in his kills, and he didn't run afterwards. But it looked as if he had no choice now. Now he knew why Despirax had employed 3 people to kill just the two of them.
Still, he would have to try. These beings would go for a large amount of pay "on the market", as he called it. If he could just get close enough, quickly, quietly, swiftly. He would sneak up slowly behind the guard, and puncture his back with his tail blade. It would be enough. The scream of pain would alert the others, so he would have to quickly dispatch of the two he was supposed to kill. Quickly, painlessly. He had hoped it wouldn't have to be like this, but it would. He would have to renounce his own ways to make this kill. Slowly, he crept up behind the guard, still cloaked. He raised his tail into the air, and then...
The guard dropped dead. But the thing was, he didn't drop dead. At least, not at first. He started flying. Then he dropped, dead. Or was he flying? Of course not. He had been lifted by something much larger, crushed, then disposed of. Skorr looked upwards to see this new figure. Tall. Clad in metallic, silver, shining armor. It sported something resembling horns on the top of its head, and a single, glowing eye. As it glanced down towards the still-invisible Skorr's position, it changed from a hue of green to yellow, then flashed red upon seeing the rebels. With a swift and powerful strike, the machine brushed Skorr aside, disabling his cloak and knocking him into a nearby tree. The rebels were awake, now, but they were not focused on the Zeverek that had materialized from nowhere. They were looking at the murderous robot that stood before them, ready to unleash havoc upon its sad, doomed victims. And so it would.
Chapter 8[]
Skorr shook his head, clearing his vision. A minute ago, he had been about to end the life of 2 doomed leaders of the rebellion. Of course, this was not of any personal grudge, just of the request of his employer, Despirax. He had been assigned two partners, both of which he could not care any less about. Despirax had obviously cared about them, but Skorr did not - and for Skorr, his word went. His mission had gone off-track when a massive mechanical figure had started a massacre - well, as much as a massacre as it could be. 10 beings had been here before it arrived, and now their numbers were down to 8. The machine had already killed another of the guards, and now it was targeting the Ignika-wearing Toa, the being who had been identified as Jarodin, and a brown-armored Toa. The 5 others were left firing bolts of energy that had no affect on the robot, bouncing off of its metal frame. It completely ignored them, only pushing them aside if they got in its way.
Skorr glanced at the one being he recognized, Mersery, who was aiming useless attacks with his Midak Skyblaster at the machine. At the very least, Skorr could kill one of the two beings he had been assigned to kill. He made a leap towards Mersery, tackling the Mersion. Drawing his Protosteel Iron Sword, he landed a blow on Mesery, but the being kicked him off and drew his own blade.
Glancing at the Zeverek Bounty Hunter, suddenly recognition dawned upon him. "You...I recall you were the one who raided a village on Bota Magna's outskirts. I see you still waste your skills on attaining profit that you covet while the world crumbles around you - and you don't even know it."
Skorr chuckled as he activated his wing blades to hover slightly above the ground. "Oh, I know it. And that's where my profit is coming from. Think about it - if there was no war, the Paladin would not exist, and then you would not be a leading figure of it. So I wouldn't be hired to kill you. We all profit from chaos - I just profit a little more than everyone else." Skorr aimed his plasma launcher at Mersery, but the Mersion expected this and fired a blast from his Midak Skyblaster, knocking the weapon out of the Zeverek's hand.
Skorr looked around. One of the others, the Toa wearing the Ignika, had noticed Skorr's entry and was firing light beams at him. Skorr raised his left arm, equipped with a combat gauntlet, and a sonic scream erupted through the area, stunning everyone but Skorr, who moved to grab his plasma launcher. The massive mechanical figure glanced towards Skorr for a moment, startled by the noise, then, disinterested, turned back to the stunned Jarodin, lifting his arm to crush him.
Mersery managed to regain his senses to see Jarodin in danger, and leaped towards the mechanical monstrosity, blocking its arm with his sword. The confrontation quickly became a test of strength as the figure forced Mersery down with its arm. Unexpectedly, it lashed out with its other arm, knocking Mersery backwards and into a tree, leaving him barely enough time to dodge a blast of plasma from Skorr.
Struggling for breath, Mersery turned to see two new figures entering the fight - one resembling a four-armed Skrall, and one a Toa of Water wearing a Rau. They, too, were surprised by the events, too stunned to notice as the mechanical being turned around and fired a rocket directly at the Toa.
Mersery debated over whether to attempt to save her or not - she was too far away, he knew nothing of her intentions, and attempting to save her would likely result in harm to himself. He didn't have to make the decision, though, because Jarodin made a leap to push her away from the rocket, just narrowly avoiding it. To Mersery's surprise, she only retaliated with a stream of water.
Skorr chuckled and aimed another of plasma at Mersery's back, striking him and knocking him to the ground. He clutched his back in pain, the plasma having melted through a large portion of his armor, as Skorr stood before him, ready for the kill. "You were a lot easier this time. It looks like I made a mistake waiting for another challenge from you," Skorr snarled. He aimed his plasma launcher at Mersery, sparks beginning to crackle at its barrel. "Your skills weren't quite as much as they were last time. Age finally caught up with you? Speaking of age, might I guess 100,000 years? Let's see how 100,000 years looks burned to a crisp."
Mersery managed to hold himself together long enough to use his mind to telekinetically wrest the plasma launcher from Skorr's hand. The bounty hunter's eyes widened, but he was not phased, pulling out his blade for the finishing blow. Mersery did not need to use telekinesis to save himself this time, though, as a sudden blast of light from Shardak knocked the bounty hunter to the ground. Now he was joining the fight. Skorr glanced at Zwardmorder, who was in the midst of combat with a blue-armored Glatorian.
"Zwardmorder, you incompetent fool! Help me fight the one we've been hired to fight," Skorr said, leaping out of the way of a beam of light as he re-activated his Wing Blades to glide into the air. Zwardmorder turned to face him, hesitated, and then joined the fight, knocking Shardak to the ground and holding a blade at his throat. Skorr turned back to face Mersery, who was pushing himself back to his feet in agony. "Don't struggle," Skorr hissed. "Dying's a lot easier."
Mersery did not reply. He only raised his hands, feeling the chronal energy gather within them, and launched a beam at Skorr. Taken by surprise, Skorr was knocked off his feet, as he felt the beam's powers take effect. Startled, the bounty hunter looked around. Galika was locked in combat with the Toa identified as Jarodin, Zwardmorder parrying blows with Shardak, and a Glatorian clad in red armor, one that Skorr recognized, was launching blasts of elemental energy at the mechanical figure to no avail, alongside the brown-armored Toa and a blue-armored Glatorian. Nothing was changing, but it seemed like everything was changing, as Skorr himself began to feel weaker. He was getting older, all from the effects of Mersery's blast. That wouldn't do. He turned, aiming his gauntlet at Mersery, though his vision was off. Still, with precision enough, a dart would easily take away the Mersion's powers and leave him weak prey.
The Mersion seemed to anticipate the attack, and called upon his own powers around him, willing the environment to obey him. He aimed a punch towards Skorr, knocking the bounty hunter back to the ground, as he used his powers to will plantlife to wrap around Skorr. Skorr struggled, quickly beginning to break free of his vine prison, but another light beam from Shardak, who had managed to fend off Zwardmorder for now, managed to blind the bounty hunter and render him less than a threat for the moment.
Mersery turned back to his allies, now locked in a fight with the robotic monstrosity that threatened to kill them all. Even as pain screeched around him and threatened to take him into unconsciousness, he resisted, and raised his Midak Skyblaster. Several bolts flew into the air and struck the target. The light powers of the weapon did nothing, but the time powers that had been intertwined with the bolts managed to age the robot in certain spots. It glanced back towards Mersery, giving Koden, Toa of Sand, just enough time to make a counterattack.
Koden steeled himself, and ran full speed at the machine, leaping up to it and landing a kick at its head. At the same time, Flardrek channeled his fire powers through his sword while firing explosive Thornax at the target, damaging the robot. All of this managed to take the machine off-balance, causing it to fall. Another kick to its head from Koden smashed open its head, while Flardrek lit it aflame. Whatever this thing was, it was gone now, of no threat to anyone anymore. So consumed in their victory that they did not notice the Zeverek bounty hunter preparing to finish the fight.
Coinciding with the fight between Mersery and Skorr
Jarodin dodged a bolt of electricity from his mechanical opponent's hand. Whatever this thing was, it was a formidable opponent. He'd just been saved by Mersery after having been stunned by an unknown assailant, but there was no time for finding out who it was, as he was now locked in combat with this thing - and it wasn't willing to let him get away. He turned to his right just briefly to see two beings emerge from the jungle. One was a complete stranger, clad in black and red armor, matching the description of a Skrall, but with 4 arms. The other was familiar - not just familiar. Jarodin saw her blue armor and Kanohi Rau - he swore this was Toa Galika!
This was no time for reunion, as the robot turned to face Galika now. It aimed its silver arm at her and a rocket flew forth from it, ready to meet its target. Jarodin would not let this happen. Ignoring all combat around him, Jarodin gathered all of his strength and leaped, pushing Galika out of the rocket's path. Jarodin sat and stared, wordless, at Galika. He'd thought her dead, and now here she was, alive and well.
Galika only stared at him, with a glare of confusion, and even...pain. Then she pointed her arm at Jarodin and let loose a stream of water, knocking him away. Jarodin could not express his disbelief as Galika advanced on him, drawing a pair of daggers. She lifted her arm and tossed one at Jarodin, who, by instinct used his mental energies to activate the power of his Kanohi Kezrak. A blue shield of energy materialized around him, and the dagger instantly bounced back at Galika.
Jarodin watched in horror as the blade flew back to her, wondering if he could stop it. He gathered his magnetic powers, but Galika leaped out of the way before the dagger came close, and pointed the remaining dagger at Jarodin's throat. What had just happened, Jarodin wondered. First his very allies were being massacred by a metallic monstrosity and, from what he'd managed to make out, a bounty hunter. Now he was about to be killed by Galika, the one being he had waited for, the being he had thought dead. And now she stood before him, very well alive, and ready to kill him. "Galika!" he shouted.
The Toa of Water gave a look of puzzlement, lowering her dagger for a second, then pointing it back at Jarodin's throat. "How do you know my name? Who are you?"
Jarodin's eyes widened. "What? Don't you remember?"
"What are you talking about? What is there to remember? If you're trying to stall me, don't bother. I'm not going to give up an opportunity like this," Galika replied. With a sweeping kick, she knocked Jarodin to the ground, and raised her dagger above her head, preparing to land the finishing blow.
Jarodin summoned forth his control over iron, crushing the dagger instantly. Galika dropped it, startled, but did not hesitate to continue with her attack. "Stop!" Jarodin retaliated. "I don't want to fight you!"
Galika unleashed a stream of water at Jarodin, the impact knocking him off of his feet. "If you fight like a coward, then you'll die like a coward," she hissed as she launched herself towards the Toa of Magnetism. Jarodin managed to dodge, and Galika landed hard in the dirt. She pushed herself back to her feet, grumbling, then drew a launcher from her heel.
Jarodin did not wait. He activated his mask once more, drawing a shield around him. "Galika, don't you remember? It's Jarodin!" Galika paused, then shrugged. She raised the object to shoulder level, and for the first time Jarodin could make it out - a Zamor Launcher. The projectiles within gave off a bright silver glow, the distinct color of Energized Protodermis - a substance that could instantly transform or destroy anything it touched. The glowing sphere quickly flew from the barrel of the weapon, too quickly for Jarodin to dodge. He realized too late that it posed no threat to him - but it posed a threat to Galika instead. The sphere bounced off of Jarodin's shield almost instantly and headed straight for Galika, and there was nothing Jarodin could do to help her.
Ignoring the sounds of combat around him, Jarodin gathered all of his force. He had waited so long for this, and he would not let Galika die now, whether she was trying to kill him or not. He dived towards the Toa of Water, but he was too late. He closed his eyes, expecting some kind of scream - but none was to be heard. He heard a thump, opening his eyes to see that the robotic attacker had fallen, knocking Galika off of her feet, and the sphere had just narrowly missed, passing through the trees to an unknown destination. Jarodin wished not to find out.
Jarodin rushed to Galika's side. She had been knocked unconscious by the impact, but she was still alive, and that meant that Jarodin could find answers to whatever was going on here. Jarodin lifted Galika up and carried her off to his comrades, solemn thoughts plaguing his mind. He'd found Galika, something that had never happened in his dreams before - but now he'd thought it better not to have found her. Then again, this could not be the real Galika - she attacked him. Silently, Jarodin prayed that this was all but another nightmare.
Skorr grumbled as he grabbed his plasma launcher from the jungle brush. It felt strangely heavy to him, and odd in his grip, but he knew that no change had taken place to the launcher - only a change to him. He was weaker now. He had no bad injuries, but he'd aged quite a few years simply from the powers of Mersery. The Mersion had been trouble enough now, and Skorr was ready to end the Mersion's miserable life, collect his payment, and avoid a run-in with the Paladin for another few years. He pointed his launcher towards Mersery's head and edged towards him.
"It'll be a shame to end such a worthy opponent, won't it? Then again, there's enough of your kind that you won't be missed, right?" Skorr growled at Mersery. He prepared to pull the trigger just as he realized his circumstances. The machine attacker had been destroyed, Zwardmorder barely conscious, and Galika not conscious at all. Those wouldn't have been so bad if he wasn't also surrounded by 8 very angry beings.
The red-armored Glatorian, Flardrek, tightened his grip on his Magma Blaze Sword, and flames began to crackle around its blade. "I didn't think I would see you again," he said. Skorr recognized him now. He'd fought him. He had fought alongside Mersery and been defeated just as badly, and he hadn't learned his lesson. But now wasn't any time to teach it, Skorr thought, as the beings advanced.
This time, Mersery spoke. "I'd let you leave here unharmed if it meant we'd never have to see your face again, bounty hunter, but I know that would be quite unlikely, considering your nature. So tell us - who hired you?"
"Who hired me? Well, now that's something I'd be glad to tell you - at a price," Skorr chuckled.
"Is there something that makes you think we have any reason to let you live?" Jarodin asked.
"Abandoning your Toa Code, now? Well, now...why would I need you to let me live? I'm already doing such a good job at life, it's almost unfair of you to try to deprive me of it, now," Skorr hissed. Too late, Jarodin realized that Skorr had been stalling for his Xian Combat Gauntlets to recharge. A loud sonic scream erupted through the jungle, instantly stunning all but Skorr. The bounty hunter activated his Kanoka Wing Blades and glided into the air, glancing down towards his fallen "allies", Zwardmorder and Galika. "Sorry, but there's only room for one!" Skorr shouted downwards as he glided into the sky and hurtled away.
Jarodin managed to regain his stamina too late - the bounty hunter had already escaped, and even more of the remaining Paladin had been killed off. Action had to be taken. He had to find the others, or they would be left to die, forgotten, in the jungle, and there would be no chance of Shadowmaster being usurped from his position. The universe would be left in an eternal shroud of darkness. Still, this hadn't been entirely a loss, had it? He'd found Galika and the other bounty hunter was in their custody now - they could find out the answers they needed. Even so, Jarodin felt a feeling - was it sorrow? Guilt? Whatever it was, it nagged at the back of his mind, and he was unable to push the feeling away.
Before he could have more time to ponder, a sudden rustling of the trees nearby broke Jarodin's train of thought. What now? Were even more attackers coming to finish him off? He was both relieved and surprised as he saw a similar face emerge - that of Rando, the being he had left in charge of the fortress in his absence. The look on Rando's face was one of both weariness and relief.
"Jarodin! It's good to see you're okay...I guess it's no news to you that our base was destroyed," Rando said, with a tinge of guilt in his voice. He probably expected Jarodin to blame him, Jarodin thought, and it was reasonable to assume so - Rando had never been the best at handling a task, but Jarodin trusted him enough to perform his job well. And if most of the members of the Paladin were safe, then he had done so. The other members of the Paladin, recovering, moved to join Jarodin, interested in whatever Rando had to say. "But...I have some good news as well. Follow me and I'll tell you everything."
Lewa paused, and looked around him. Matoran and Toa alike were hard at work, each one assembling different pieces of weaponry, with the watchful eyes of mechanical Exo-Toa guards behind them. He couldn't remember a day that hadn't been like this - at least, not anywhere in the past year. Before then, it had been simpler times. Perhaps a battle with a Skakdi or so, but nothing too pressing. But ever since the rise of Shadowmaster, the Matoran had known no peace - only hard labor. Those were days to be missed, and days to be remembered. He looked into the pain stricken eyes of the Matoran besides him, a sight he couldn't bear. Nobody should be forced into labor like this, he thought. He'd learned that not everything was fun and games...but things shouldn't be like this.
Lewa heard the footsteps of the Exo-Toa behind him. Then, Toa Lewa did something he had never thought he would do. He grabbed a blade he had assembled and turned to face his mechanical oppressor.
"I've had a terrible-bad day, but I can make it bad-worse for you," Lewa said, with a smirk on his face. Suddenly, the Matoran beside him joined him, drawing their own weapons and pointing them at the Exo-Toa. Lewa saw what he thought was surprise in the eyes of the apparently emotionless machines as he spoke his next words. "It's time to quick-make your decision."
Chapter 9[]
Jarodin followed Rando, his 7 allies and the 2 captives in tow. Galika was still unconscious, and Zwardmorder had not yet spoken or responded to any of Mersery's inquiries. The bounty hunter had already been caught struggling with his restraints once, and immediately stopped when he was called out. Jarodin worried about having such a dangerous figure in their presence, but if they were to get the information they needed, then they needed Zwardmorder.
Rando halted and gestured for the others to stop. Several makeshift tents were set up across the jungle clearing, and charred firewood laid out in the middle. Rando made a sharp whistle, and a gray-armored Toa emerged from one of the tents, aided by two Matoran at his sides. He was obviously weak and unsteady on his feet. Jarodin immediately recognized the being as Tarran, one of the co-founders of the Paladin.
Jarodin recalled the time the Paladin had thought they lost their co-founder. Back in those days, the Paladin had no established base, and were forced to relocate as Shadowmaster's forces stretched out and crushed them wherever they settled. In one such battle, a veteran member of the Paladin had been killed, and Tarran badly injured and sent into a coma. That had been shortly before Jarodin settled in the jungle fortress of the Paladin they currently used - until now. Nobody thought that Tarran would recover, but they were proven wrong, as the figure stood before them now.
Tarran spoke before Jarodin could say anything. "What have I missed?"
Jarodin's expression was grim as he recounted the tale. The destruction of Shadowmaster's Roxtus base, the failed assault on Shadowmaster's fortress, Flardrek and Nightwatcher accidentally leading Shadowmaster's forces back to the Paladin base, and the attack of Marendar. Tarran only nodded slowly as Jarodin continued on.
"Well, it's obvious that the next action that must be taken is to settle a new base," Tarran said, after Jarodin had finished.
"Several of our number retreated east after we were attacked. I told them to stay here, but they didn't listen," Rando explained.
"Are any of the other rebel factions still active?" Tarran inquired.
"Yes. All of them remain. However, the Frost Wolves just recently lead a full-scale attack on Shadowmaster's fortress, though, and all who went were captured or killed. So they've been relatively weakened, but by now they've managed to replenish their ranks. As for the Enlightened and the Void Warriors, both are refusing to help any of the other factions," Mersery annotated.
"And we suspect that the Void Warriors are in an alliance with Shadowmaster," Shardak added.
"Well, the solution is obvious, then. We are weakened, and the Frost Wolves are weakened. If we join forces, we could stand a viable force against Shadowmaster," Tarran said.
"Brilliant! I'd almost forgotten how inventive you were, Tarran," Jarodin remarked.
"But how would we contact them?" Shardak asked. "Shadowmaster managed to take control of our communications devices to contact us, and I destroyed them. There's no way for us to speak to them in advance."
"Well, we'll have to go there ourselves, then," Tarran said.
Nightwatcher, who had stayed behind and was listening to the conversation, offered his own advice. "There's three ways we can go - north and into the desert, south and into the desert, or east, directly through the White Quartz Mountains to Iconox, where the Frost Wolves are. I don't know about you, but I think I'd pick east."
Koden spoke up. "Oh, no, you haven't heard the tales about the land between Bota Magna and the White Quartz Mountains? Nobody knows why, but they think those lands are cursed. Shadows move there," the young Toa shivered. "They call it the Land of Living Shadows. Pretty appropriate name according to the tales, if you ask me."
"That's just superstition," Nightwatcher said sternly, though Koden's words had managed to rouse the nearby Matoran.
"Either way, it's the fastest way through. Cursed or not, we'll have to take the risks, or deal with whatever dangers await for us in the desert. I'll take my risks," Jarodin said. "But we should rest first, then we can make a final decision. After all, I want to see if our captives have anything to say before we leave," he said, glancing at Zwardmorder, who did not react to Jarodin's words, only giving him a harsh stare, making the Toa uneasy.
"Alright. Let us rest," Tarran said. Jarodin nodded and walked off to a tent. As the sun peered over the horizon and the remaining Paladin warriors prepared to rest, though, Jarodin thought he could hear Zwardmorder whispering to himself and shuddered.
Sayna glanced out of her window. All that lay before her was desert. Another being would claim this the fault of Shadowmaster, but the Toa of Air was wiser than that. She knew that everyone was to blame, for allowing such corruption to manifest itself like this. She would not have this. When she finally gained power, there would be order, not chaos. And there would be no betrayal. No evil. Just loyalty to her empire, so the Matoran could live a peaceful, prosperous life for all time to come.
Jarodin had insisted that this outlook was wrong, and Sayna did not appreciate this. Since he was so ungrateful of her views, she decided to form her own rebellion, and this was it. Now, the Enlightened were prepared to launch their own attack on all of Spherus Magna. But first...
"Sayna, Nightwatcher brings news," Treedaka relayed, having appeared in Sayna's doorway.
"Excellent, what does he have to say?" Sayna inquired.
"The Paladin are about to form an alliance with the Frost Wolves. They're going through the Land of Living Shadows to reach Iconox," Treedaka explained. A grin formed on Sayna's face.
"Then we can trap them there, eliminate our competition. And I'll deal with Jarodin personally, and...get him to see things 'my way'. And he can see how successful we are when we finally restore order to Spherus Magna," Sayna said.
Treedaka stifled a shudder. Sayna had not always been like this, but Shadowmaster's invasion of Spherus Magna had worn on her too much, and now she saw a solution and held views that Treedaka saw a bit too radical. But perhaps she was right. Was there really anything bad about complete order? There would be no crime, no wrongful deaths. It was more Sayna's attitude that bothered Treedaka, to kill innocents to achieve her goal, but maybe, just maybe, such a goal was that important. After all, Treedaka would be mad to betray Sayna, the one closest to him, so he resolved to stay by her side.
A thought popped into Treedaka's head, of the biological weapon the Enlightened's scientists had been ordered to produce. "The weapon is almost ready," he said, wondering to himself if this was truly necessary. "We'll have to test it, but when it's unleashed on the populace of Shadowmaster's forces, it should kill them, though it may kill the villagers in the cities around Shadowmaster's fortress as well."
"It's a risk I'm willing to take. And I know just who to test the toxin on," Sayna hissed. Noticing Treedaka's uneasiness, she gestured to him. "Come, Treedaka, the time is almost here. Soon, Shadowmaster's empire will fall, and we can make the move to restore order to Spherus Magna. We're so close to our goal, and neither Shadowmaster nor the Paladin can stop us."
Iskan sat upon his throne in the heart of the Black Spike Mountains. The fortress in which he resided had been built over and within the remains of Roxtus. This place acted as a home to notorious criminals, bandits, and the remainder of the Skrall who had once lived here. Now they served under him - this was his own little "empire". Except, of course, the fact that he was not the emperor.
After the defeat of the Skrall by the hands of Mata Nui and Tuma's self-imposed exile, Iskan, being the opportunist he was, had been quick to seize control of the weakened Skrall. Then, he turned them into a militaristic force into a band of criminals who hid in the shadows. He could've given them names now, rather than simply calling each by the same name, but he didn't want them thinking too high of themselves. Then, he reeled in other criminals and bandits, such as those who had once served in the ranks of the Dark Hunters. He had effectively created his own dominion. And then...
Then the Element Lord of Rock, the original leader of the Rock Tribe within which the Skrall served, rose from nowhere and swayed the Skrall to his side. Iskan was reduced to a mere servant, and he had to work his way up to the highest in the Element Lord's ranks. His throne had been stolen from him. He tried not to think too much of it, though - the Element Lord was weak, and deluded by his own insatiable lust for the power that the Great Beings had once held. He would make his way to the top of his ranks, and reclaim his power when the Element Lord was vulnerable. But now, he had to wait, and bide his time, simply pretending he had the power that he truly did not.
Sahmad, a former member of the Iron Tribe that was now lost to history, entered Iskan's chamber. "The Element Lord wants to see you, Iskan."
Iskan rolled his eyes and leaned back in his throne. "Bah! You should consider yourself lucky, Sahmad, that you never had to deal with one in the Iron Tribe."
Sahmad growled and moved his hand towards the Thornax Launcher on his belt. "Don't ever speak of them - you're not worthy of even mentioning the name of that tribe! You never had to endure the suffering we had."
Iskan laughed. "Oh, you don't know, Sahmad, what I've been through. Now, tell me, what does that talking pile of rock want from me?"
"Why does it matter? Just talk to him yourself," Sahmad said.
"Or is he...hiding something from you? You should never put such trust in a being such as that...especially when he failed to save your people when they were in danger. Where were the Skrall, where was the Element Lord of Rock when the Iron Tribe collapsed?" Iskan remarked. "Nowhere. Nowhere to be found. You should give some more thought towards the Element Lord before you continue serving him. So, enlighten me. What does he want from me?"
"Alright, I'll tell you. He wants you to go to the..."Land of Living Shadows", they call it, to search for any clues of the Great Beings," Sahmad revealed. "He says it's a dangerous place."
"Still on that ridiculous mission of his, is he? Good," Iskan said with a grin. "I can finally get out of this pit of misery. Just tell the old Element Lord to watch his back, because if I find anything there, maybe a weapon or artifact...it's mine to use."
Chapter unfinished...
Characters[]
- Shadowmaster
- Coronus
- "The Dark Lord"
- Sovnoron
- Benjarmin
- Millennium
- Dredzek (Not mentioned by name)
- Kinyami
- Malok
- Merodos
- Nightwatcher
- Marendar
- Jarodin
- Flardrek
- Galika
- Botar's replacement (Not mentioned by name)
- Despirax
- Mersery
- Enthydenius (Not mentioned by name)
- Koratak (Flashback only)
- Ahkmou
- Shardak
- Shale
- Deathblade (Not mentioned by name)
- Koden
- Skorr
- Zwardmorder
- An unnamed Toa
- A deceased Toa of Shadows
- An unnamed Great Being
- Several barbarians
- An unnamed being that feasts on souls
Trivia[]
- Shadowmaster planned yet another rewrite of this story, as you can see here. However, as of his departure, this endeavor remains incomplete.