ParadiseIsland

Chapter Four:

New World Start

He jerked awake, panting. His eyes wide and staring strait up and the first thing that he saw of the hut he was in was the ceiling. The hut its self was a homely little place, though it looked like it was made out tightly weaved plant matter. There were designs on the walls, some painted on others expertly and almost seamlessly woven.

There were small stone sculptures of many unknown creatures and humanoid beings were on a few shelves that he could see. Everything was illuminated in the soft light of glowing stones as well as a greenish blue light from the middle of the floor that made crisscrossing patterns on the ceiling.

It was…calming. Almost hypnotic really.

Wait.

When did Jackson get here?

How did he get here for that matter?

What was going on? Where was the rest of SG1!

"Ahh…so you're finally awake." An old voice said, somewhere behind and to the left.

Jackson whipped around, and than promptly wished that he didn't as the hut and all its contests spun around a few times and tried to flip upside down. The man had to grab the cot he was on to stay up right.

When the world around Jackson settled back onto its proper axis and the slow, unfelt rotation, he looked at what seemed to a small robot of sorts that was sitting at a low table to the side of the hut. No, it wasn't really a robot, her for 'it' had sounded female, eyes held an ancient wisdom and vast intelligence. It looked a lot like the other little biomechanical he'd met…

Memory reinsured itself with that thought. Though it was somewhat fuzzy and hazy on the edges after being tackled off the path, images blended together

The biotechnical being was mostly an azure shade in color, eyes a crimson red with a more pale yellow and orange colors in place of iris and pupils. It, she had on a cloak with a pattern that remarkably looked like it was of First Nations design, but at the same time not, of what looked like a water emblem was draped over her hunched back and shoulders. She carried a blue staff that had a clear stone (maybe a type of quartz crystal?) in the shape of a trident end.

As the being almost but not quite hobbled, leaning a little heavily on the staff as she came over to Jackson. It was obvious to the man that she was an elder of some kind.

"Be at ease far wander." When the being spoke, the smooth sapphire colored mask it had on glowed softly. She offered a slightly trembling hand out to the human, "I am Nokama, the Turaga of Ga-Koro."

"Ah…My name is Daniel Jackson," The man lifted a hand in some surprise to find his glasses there, if there was a small crack now that he was paying attention. "How do you know-"

"Your language?" Nokama chuckled as she gripped her staff with both hands, leaning on it a little more. She motioned to her mask, "I have the Kanohi Rau, the noble mask of translation."

"Kanohi…" Jackson echoed tilting his head and sounding the word out. There was no equivalent in any language. New word, new meaning?

"Here," The Turaga (was that a word for elder?) reached under part of the cloak and held out a stone medallion that hung by leather, or leather like strips that made the cord, "You will need this for your stay here wonder."

"Thanks…" Jackson took the offered medallion, it was a little heavier then it looked, peering at it first in curiosity then amazement at the finely detailed work, the strange cercal like carvings he's seen in the temple was almost deictically caved into the sides and outer rim. The man pushed his glasses up again and held the stone closer, "What is it?" he asked.

"It is a translation stone from Po-Koro." Nokama said, "It is easier to have you ware one rather then the whole village, while the Toa or Kora find a way to send you back to your own world."

That caught Jackson's attention and he looked up from the medallion, "Send me home? You mean through the Stargate?"

The Turaga tilted her head slightly, "I have not heard of such a thing wander." She turned but only to walk to a shelf to pick up a handless cup, returning and offering the cup, "Drink this, it will help to be sure none of the fire fervor is left in you."

The man took the cup, eyed the dark liquid inside and sniffed experimentally. It didn't smell so good.

Nokama chuckled watching him, "You are far from the first human that has taken the Ta-Wahi sickness. I have seen and treated Matoran and the Kora before their change. The tea is admittedly a little bitter, but it will do nothing but good for your body. Drink." She spoke in a tone of authority and age, someone use to leading and guiding.

Jackson took a sip and just kept himself from gagging. The biomechanical being was watching him, not unlike a grandmother making sure her little grandkids were taking all of their cough medicine. Trying to and failing to come up with a reason not to drink the draft of horrible tasting tea, the man made a face before downing the cup in three large gulps that made his throat a little sore and the need to retch had to be fought down with all his will power.

It just wasn't polite to throw up in front of a being that just spent who knows how long helping you.

"That's…" Jackson's voice was a few notches higher then he would have liked it to be, "That is…"

"Very bad tasting," Turaga Nokama chuckled again in understanding as she took the cup back, "I know, but it will keep you healthy from fervors."

"What happened to me exactly?" Jackson looked around again, taking in a few more details, and noticing for the first time that there had been a fog hovering in the back of his mind. It was clearing as he also noticed the slight movement that gave away a structure that was floating on water.

"The Chronicler ran into you, and you both fell into one of the many rivers of Ga-Wahi, that is the territory we are in right now." Nokama explained as she pulled up a stool so she could sit, rest and still face the human, "Takua is a Ta-Matoran. Very bad swimmers," She chuckled again. "Toa Gali saw your fall into the river and pulled you out. You had the fire fervor. I would tend to guess you may have gotten it from the Chronicler. Once a Ta-Matoran gets that kind of fervor they rarely get it again, but they can give it to others."

"Huh…" Jackson rapidly replayed what was said in his mind a few times to sort out what was said. He could grasp onto a few things.

Toa…

Totem?

A totem was any supposed entity that watches over or assists a group of people. Such as a family or clan, or a tribe setting such as this, at least that's what Jackson was picking up.

"Are you alright wander?" the elder asked looking up at him.

"Yes! Sorry, I was just thinking…" the man smiled, "Where am I exactly?"

"Exactly? You are in Ga-Koro, the village of water." Turaga Nokama stood and moved to a hide-like flap in the wall, grasping the edge and pulling it back to let sun light flood the hut, "Come."

"Oh, uh here let me…" Jackson scrambled and held the hide up.

Nokama chuckled softly, "Such respect for a Turaga that's not your own. Thank you."

"Turaga is an elder?" Jackson ask coming out of the hut after the biomechanical. He eyed the water and then his eyes widened a little when he realized the hut really was floating (come to think about it that would explain the pattered blue light…). There was a board walk like path attached to and going around the hut and board connected it to long dock.

"Yes, in a way. There is a Turaga that leads and guides each of the six Koros, each village." Nokama nodded, pausing on the dock and waited until Jackson was beside her before thumping the end of her staff, the fist size trident shape stone against his side lightly, "That translation stone will do you no good in your hand. Tie the ends and put it over your head." She instructed, the tone of authority back. "I can not stay with you all the time wander."

The man blinked first at the Nokama then at the metalion. He did how ever tie the two ends of leather like cored and slip the so called translation stone over his head letting it rest on his chest. It was warm, but everything was including the air that was humid as well.

Now that he was alert, Jackson looked around and noted how well this Ga-Koro village was hidden. The huts looked like gaint lilly pads almost, some were up high on and in the cliff face. It was almost like they were in a sallow canyon, but not.

Off to his right was a wall of sorts, made of what appeared to be logs, not completely unlike those old, old forts of American settlers. Only the logs in front of the man were a very different in color and texture. It looked like there wasn't any bark, yet at the same time the logs still had that texture giving the illusion of bark.

The log walls were a good thirty, maybe thirty five feet high. Jackson squinted and found that it was both, there was two layers, the one closer to him was thirty feet and wider, making a path way. Behind those was another set to help protect those patrolling along the top.

Jackson glanced down at Nokama, noting her primary blue coloring. Then those nearest him and looked back up. The beings marching back and forth on the wall were red mostly. Now that he was looking closer he saw they looked a little more masculine then the blue being. Most of these biomechanical beings were around five feet, there were young, smaller ones and the red colored ones were just a little bit taller.

"Those are Ta-Matoran," The Turaga said looking, "They are some of the Ta-Koro guard that came to help us with some wild Rahi that have been attacking the village. Vakama sent fifteen of his guard." She gave the impression of smiling, which was impressive with the mast she wore, "There is a hunting party out now with some of our own guard and the Kora." She paused and pointed with her staff at the waters around and under the dock, "Toa Gali is here, checking the under water walls and gates with others of Ga-Koro."

"Are my teammates here?" Jackson asked, though how he managed a straight line he didn't know with all the looking around he was doing. Some of the blue biomechanical beings (…Matoran?) waved at Turaga Kokama and him yelling greetings. There was varying calls of thanks to the elder, good wishes to the man for recovering the fire favor and hopes that he wouldn't have to go through it again.

This place…Ga-Koro, it was friendly. Not the overly so in the way where it'd trigger a sense in the back of your head that things were to friendly in a way that was off. This was real, and how it was all the time.

There was a healing sense in the air of Ga-Koro.

"Teammates?" Nokama frowned, "Toa Gali only found you and the Chronicler."

Jackson opened his mouth to ask if he could impress on her and her people to help him find his friends, or where his equipment was. He didn't get a chance for a set of deep beats (drum beats?) sounded up high and every one froze, listening to the beats.

The Truagan's eyes dimmed as she closed them partly, gripping her staff in both hands, leaning on it as she mentally decoded what she was hearing. She chuckled, "Le-Koro is having another celebration of life next sun set." The elder shook her head, but looked more then interested.

"The Kora of Ice approaches!" a female voice called from beyond the wall in front of them, cutting Jackson off again.

Several of the patrolling Ta-Matoran rushed over to that part of the wall, peered over and one picked up the call. The red and grey being had a clearly male voice, "The Kora of Ice approaches! The Kora of Ice approaches…leads!" he added and motioned for two of his fellows to help with the main gate.

"Come," Turaga Nokama reached up to tug on the man's arm, "Perhaps the Kora Tala has seen your friends. Hmm?"