Keriuh invited me to the Collisuem, where the tallest tower(due to my shortness, maybe?) sat in the center, connecting all the metrus together. The place of this was one of the most amazing, phenomenal scenes I've ever registered in. This may be way better than discovering Atlantis.
This was paradise.
He rented a boat from a nearby Matoran dressed in the complete color of the same green, and they chuckled briefly over some private joke, before we got in, and the Le-Matoran rowed me where I assume my 'home' for the time being is. I examined my fingers carefully, which were silver and turquoise, and I laced them carefully together, sighing in brief depression.
"What's so worth to sigh?" the Matoran of Air, then I looked down. "Nothing, really. I just..."
"Well, whatever that is, you got to happy-cheer up!" He grinned. "It's a brand new life for you, and you just started it. Sighing isn't the most awesome way to start them." I continued staring at my new hands, and thought about his statement, encouragement deeply. He's right. Sighing for my family isn't really a good option to blend into this kind of life the voice gave me. I have to cheer up a little.
"Thanks." I flashed a smile at him, and his broadened. "No problem-trouble."
We reached a gate, the sky a brilliant blue there, not as green as Le-Metru. It was perfectly clear, no clouds interrupting the peaceful shade of blue. Keriuh talked rapidly to the Ga-matoran there, and they chattered for quite a moment before the Ga matoran let us in with a big smile at me. "Welcome to Ga- Metru." She talked excitedly. "My name is Qwero."
I shook her hand. "Claire Ryders."
"Excuse me for my manners, but you have a odd name indeed." She let out a giggle.
If I can be not that polite, I would roll my eyes. I had never saw a name that basic as mine here so far. "It's okay. I kind of like the name."
She waved at me goodbye, and I turned to Keriuh. "You're popular, huh?"
He flashed me that kind of boy smile that can attract girls's whole attention. "You can say that."
As we walked, the sight in front of me was a complete mesmerizer.
Spetacular spectrums shot into the scene like rockets, arching across the spectacular scenery of waterfalls, whoosing into the low horizon, creating a misty, mysterious scene around the city in the center, which was towered into a highly complexed designed buildings with one of them featuring a sharp tip that reached the sky separating flocks of seabirds that swooped around gracefully, some of them having healthy moss creeping up them, yet it only made the scenery even more mystically ravishing. Canopies of trees protected some of the buildings from the soft sunlight showering on them, adorned by gorgeous flowers.
It was truly a city build on water.
Unfortunately, I was so enchanted by the scene, I couldn't pay attention to where I was going. Soon, I trampled onto a huge chunk of rock laying nearby, before plummeting into a cliff, screaming before a glimpse of shock painted on Keriuh's face, and fell with the waters drumming into the water, my heart now overheated by frantic. Just before I thought I was about to lay flat on the water like cold tar, a wind like grasp snatched me from the fall, and I watched as I still went into the water, only in a more peaceful way and belly flop- free.
The mysterious figure that held me tore through the waters powerfully and we had landed on safe ground very soon enough. Coughing and spluttering water, I widened my eyes as I scrambled into a warm slab of stone, and looked up to see my rescuer.
judging from the looks, she easily looked like a Toa, just with wings with three rows of the skeletal structure showing, and faint skin covering them. She donned a mask that covered the eyes with faint glass, two oxygen pumps charged into her mask, like she was ready to scuba dive anytime. Her arms, armed heavily with something I can barely call a machine gun with big red bullets poking out, and a three bladed weapon with a handle in another armored hand. She looked down at me, and pressed a hand on my chest.
At first I thought she would be listening to my heartbeat, but as she closed her eyes, I felt the water that was making my day terrible by blocking my throat evaporate through my mouth. Then, for the next few seconds, my body was cry as well. In shock, I stared at her, and my first guess was Gali, what they call the Toa of water, the 'gentle one' in the Nuva Team.
"What in the world were you thinking, going into the water like that?" She muttered with a slight annoyance in her tone.
Okay, she's Hahli.
"Sorry..." I muttered, and she gave a small snicker of mild amusement. "Just be more careful sometimes. Hey, I never saw you anywhere here. Are you new?" I can see the the light orbs in her eyes widening. I nodded. "I guess I am."
"In this time? No way."
"What do you mean, in this time?" I rose a eyebrow.
She hesitated to answer, then mildly shook her head. "You'll know later. Anyways, what's your name?"
"Claire Ryders." I turned to see Keriuh panting at this way, looking as if he went through six three mile marathons. "Claire Ryders, Toa Hahli." He repeated, and slammed his head on the block of stone. "For the love of Mata Nui, I thought you were dead or something!" he exclaimed. "Do you know exactly how dangerous is it to plummet that long, approximately TWO KIOS?!" He emphasized on the last two words, and I got confused. "What's kio?"
"Something that's used for measurement." Hahli muttered. "Boy, I hate this kind of situations."
"Well, now I assume you met Toa Hahli, Toa Mahri of water," Keriuh got up and pointed a hand at the blue figure. Toa Hahli nodded. "So this newbie needs a tour around the city, and you volunteer to do it."
The Le-matoran shook his head. "No, no, Toa Hahli, I'm afraid I don't really know Ga Metru very well. It'll be a good idea to have you doing it." He smiled very gentlemanly, and the Toa of water huffed in a small hint of exasperation. "Fine, I'll take her from here." Keriuh spared a smile at me, before leaving. "It was really nice to meet you!" He said as he scurried off.
Once again, I was taken around the world of aquatic wonder, only in a quicker way and I wished I had the same oxygen mask Toa Hahli was putting on. She radiates really great power when I got near her, which made me shudder, as if I was walking with a boss of a company beside me, realistically. Finally, she arrived at a low tower, which, shockingly, resembled some kind of modernly designed center, only in a circular version of the laboratory centers back at my world. Two Ga-matoran greeted us as Toa Hahli slowly ushered me in, and another Ga-matoran in sky blue and sapphire blue plating scurried to greet the Toa.
"At your service, Toa Hahli, may I help you?" She politely bowed, and she placed a gentle hand on me. "Meet Claire Ryder, your new student." At first, the Ga-matoran widened her eyes. "New matoran? Born? But at this time-"
"It's not for her to know for now." her voice was turning a little snappy. "Can you use a little of your skills to educate her, Professor Venui?" The Matoran looked a little stunned at the order, but slowly got her calm self and smiled at me. "Of course, Toa Hahli. Please, let me lead her into her class."
When we were walking among halls painted in sky blue, the professor started to questioning me. "Have you been through you tour here already?" I looked at her. "Yes. It was amazing."
She smiled. "Ga Metru is the pride and beauty of the whole Metru Nui. This is where the Great Temple lays, the most spiritual place among all the other landmarks in the island. She pointed toa ancient building not far from the tower here, the building of a massive, prehistoric temple layed, the bricks yellowed with age, moss and plants creeping up against them, the water flowing peacefully around it. "Spiritual indeed." I whispered.
She laughed. "I'm really glad you love this place. You'll have to get used to this for ages."
"Yeah..." my smile turned into a tight one with a speck of bitterness.
"It's alright, we Ga Matorans are certainly not the most aggressive ones among the six elemental tribes. You will feel no humiliation being a new student."
There was still the awful feeling of having everyone watching you with a weird pair of eyes as I walked in as a new student slammed onto me again, and I couldn't help but bite my lip, and stood in front of a classroom with light blue wallpapers, and pillars merging with the ceiling and walls, which was surrounded by tables and small pods as chairs, filled with students.
"Class, meet Claire Ryder, a new matoran. Be sure to treat her with the best hospitality, matorans!"
Audible whispers started to whoosh around the class like wildfire, and everyone was really looking at me like I'm a tame dog or something. This new matoran thing was starting to make me exploding with confusion, it's like I shouldn't be alive here at all. Professor Venui then placed me in a empty seat beside another matoran, who smiled sweetly at me and waved a hand. "Hello. I'm Kivee." Her voice was really gentle and soft, like a fairy, or a innocent kid.
I almost mistaken her name as 'Kimmy'. "Hi." I smiled back, and stared at the table I'm in, noticing a set of strange language. "Oh, do you need help with that?" She pointed to the first symbol on the paper. "That's how we pronounce 'a'." She translated. "Then there is 'b'... and 'c'..."
The alphabets were the only thing I needed to learn, right before Professor Venui had to transfer me to a advanced class, because all they learn in the lower class was, shockingly, the same syllables as my year seven classes back at my high school. I was happy, and fascinated when Professor Venui introduced me to the main topic they were gonna learn, the ecology, and a odd liquid called protodermis.
When the night finally dawned, spreading lazy purple evening shade into the sky, Professor led me to the dorms, where I could stay temporarily until there is a new village house where I can actually dwell.
"I'm curious." Professor said. "How did you manage to know all the basic knowledge for physics?"
I bit my lip. "It's... a long and unbelievable story. I'm sure you're not up for it."
"I'm a professor. I can register everything. You may tell me something I don't know." She looked at my face, shaded with a frown of uncertainty and laughed softly. "There's nothing to fear. I'm all ears, and if there is something that is a secret, I can keep it."
I took a deep breath, and let it go. "Can I tell you the thing tomorrow? I'm beat." The furniture was so soft I practically sunk into the cushions, my mind already tired from the exhausting visit of the world.
This was all too hard to believe as real... I whispered to myself. This is where my brother and father are? How will I recognize them, if they changed into a form just like mine? I growled as frustration started to creep up my heart. This is almost impossible to accomplish, but, for all means, I have to bring them home, and leave this freaky world(despite Ga-Metru was quite cool), and be back on Earth as a nice, happy family.
Yes. That was my wish.
