All is revealed. BTW, I have a picture of Raia's vrecelet on DA. ShadowBound Book 1: Lost Hope Collecting Chapter 6: The 'Burg
Raia's large blue eyes scanned the view of the large chunk of ice from the Wave Glider. She was dazzled by the white, powdery stuff that dusted the place and made it sparkle.
"What is that?" she asked more to herself than her two brothers behind her.
"It's snow." Asor said, smiling down at her.
"Snow..." she repeated. Asor chuckled, patting her on her head.
"Don't encourage her!" Stearlor called from the nest above.
"Can we go play in it?" she asked, eyes enlarging.
"We can," Asor said, "but I think it'd be best if we find this Isald fellow first."
"Oh..."
"Hey, you two going to help, or what?" Stearlor called. Seeing their confused looks, he said, "We're near the port."
With a squeal of delight, Raia dashed about doing what she was ordered to do. She was all to happy to set her feet on the shiny powder that had fallen on the 'Burg the night before.
"Where does she get that energy from?" Stearlor asked himself. "Raia be careful with those ropes!"
In no time, Stearlor had docked the Wave Glider. Much to his displeasure, Raia was getting a much better look at the snow.
"Raia!" Stearlor called. He sighed, realizing she was in her 'state' once again. "Grab her Asor."
Asor nodded and grabbed the Ta-Matoran about the waist.
"Hey!" she protested.
"We have work to do," he said, "remember?"
"Fine." she huffed.
(Space)
"Where do you think everyone is?" Raia whispered when they reached what looked like a village, adjusting the shoulder straps of her bag.
"Hidding." Asor suggested. "Or getting away from the cold."
"Or planning an attack." Stearlor frowned.
"What makes you so sure they'd—" Raia began, but stopped when the sharp end of a spear was shoved in her mask. She looked about to see that they had been surrounded in a tight circle by various Matoran, all armed with very sharp spears.
"What are you doing here?" the Le-Matoran snarled at her.
"Um, we... we came to see Isald." she said, trying to duck away from him and his weapon.
The Le-Matoran narrowed his dark green eyes at her.
"Who sent you?" he asked.
"N-Nikolas." she stuttered.
He lowered his weapon and the Le-Matoran smiled. His fellow members did as well, a few of them chuckling.
"You're friends of Yuka?"
"Yuka...?" The petite Ta-Matoran rolled the name over in her mind. "Oh! You mean Nikolas? Well, I wouldn't call us friends, but we know him, yes. He told us to come here and to talk to Isald. If you don't mind me asking, who is Islad?"
"Isald is our friend." the Le-Matoran chuckled. "I'm Iatu, an old friend of both Yuka, Ruvun— our captain out here—, and Isald. You should be careful mentioning their real names. We in the Planet Wide Guard have plenty of enemies wanting our heads."
"Oh, sorry."
"It's alright. Follow me, now, tell me, where are from and what are your names?"
"We're from Voya Nui. I'm Raia. The Ko-Matoran is my older brother Stearlor. And the Toa there, that's Asor, my younger brother..."
Raia explained to him why they were on the 'Burg and how they had gotten there as Iatu lead them to a large building.
"Oi, Captain, we've got folk here to see you!" Iatu called.
A Po-Matoran walked over to them. Raia eyed the Matoran curiously. Whom ever it was, was taller than her and his shoulders were broader. Strapped to the Matoran's back were two spears. A smile was plastered on his mask.
"Welcome, friends." the Po-Matoran said. "Thank you, Iatu, old friend. I'm Captain Ruvun. And you are?"
Raia was about to speak, when Stearlor introduced them.
"I am Stearlor the Fisherman. These are my siblings, Raia the Clueless—"
"Hey!"
"—and Asor, Toa of Thunder. We were sent by Yuka the Guard. He told us to find Islad and ask for help."
"Well, you're in luck." Ruvun, said, smiling. "Isald is in today."
"May we speak to him?" Asor asked expectantly.
"Of course. Maerin," Ruvun said, calling a Ga-Matoran over, "take them to Isald's quarters."
Raia couldn't help but noticing the wink the Captain gave Maerin.
"Yes, sir." Maerin said, obviously ignoring the wink. "This way, please."
They followed her through a dimly lit hallway. Raia noted how the walls were made out of stone.
Strange, the exterior was made of ice.
"In here." Maerin said, holding a door open. Raia went in first, gasping at the sudden heat wave from the crackling fire opposite the door. Stearlor followed her seconds later, also gasping. Asor ducked in sheepishly, muttering his thanks to Maerin.
"Isald will be here soon," the Ga-Matoran said, smiling gently, "please be patient. While you're here, make yourselves at home. It's not like he's in his quarters enough to make use of them." She noted the quizzical looks on their masks. "Isald is hardly ever around. He often falls asleep on a couch somewhere. It's a hassle to find him when you need him." She paused. "I think you'll like him, so long as you ignore the fact he is constantly trying to know about foreigners and such."
Raia was about to press further, but Maerin just smiled wider and closed the door.
And so they sat, waiting patiently for the mysterious Isald to appear, listening to the fire pop and fizzle on the dry wood. Stearlor wondered where they'd get wood— dry wood, more specifically.
Raia and Stearlor sat themselves at the table, diagonal from one another. Raia set her bag at her legs. Asor made himself comfortable in a corner near a small window that looked out into the frozen world of the 'Burg.
About a half an hour later, the door opened and a Ga-Matoran walked in. He blinked at them with two curious, green eyes
"Hello," the Ga-Matoran said in a startlingly deep voice. "Who are you?"
"Ah, I'm Raia." the Ta-Matoran said shyly. "And—"
"Oh, so, you are the ones Maerin told me about! Sorry it took me so long, but I fell asleep on one of the couches in the library. A few days without rest will do that to you, you know? Anyway, may ask why you came here?"
"We... don't know— exactly."
He looked at her, green eyes even more curious han before.
"You... you are an experiment, are you not? What island are you from?"
"Yes, I am. I was known as Experiment 0972564, but I go by Raia, now. To tell you the truth, I don't know what island I'm from. I was never told. But it was somewhere near Voya Nui."
"It is an honor and a blessing to meet another. I was Experiment 0782554." the Ga-Matoran said, sitting down across from her and next to a stiff-backed Stearlor at the table "My name is Isald. Tell me about Voya Nui, will you, Raia?"
"What would you like to know?" Raia asked.
"Well, what did you do there? Did you attend a school of some sort?"
"Unfortunately, I didn't attend a school. I worked with my brother, Stearlor. He's sitting next to you. We fished for the most part."
"Fishing is no proper labor for a girl like yourself. Tell me about the daily— What is that?" He pointed to the bracelet around Raia's wrist.
She held the gold chain up to the light, making it easier for him to see. The chain was as warm as the sun's rays in the morning. Dangling off the chain, was a polished black stone.
"It's bad luck." she said. "Since I found this thing, all it has brought me is bad luck. And I can't get rid of it. I was told to protect it from... someone. A tall being with bright, yellow eyes gave it to me. Do you know any Toa with bright yellow eyes?"
"Raia, we went over this," Asor said, "no Toa has yellow eyes."
"That's not true." Isald said, blinking his green eyes behind his transparent Kaukau at him. "I have met a Toa with yellow eyes. He would not tell me his name, though. But whomever this Toa is, he most certainly does exist."
"When I last saw him, he looked worn and very tired." Raia said. "Did he look that way to you?"
"Indeed, he did, I'm sad to say. He was in much need of rest. Pity he did not have time to, he said he was quite busy and in much of a hurry."
"We came here for your help," Stearlor said, quite annoyed, "Do you think you can help us or not? If not, then we're leaving."
"Please say you'll help us." Raia said, pleading Isald with her large, blue eyes.
The poor Ga-Matoran was taken aback by the petite Ta-Matoran. She needed the help and guidence of a scholar, not the help of a stratigest.
"Tell me about your bracelet and I'll see what I can do." Isald said, composing himself, ignoring those eyes of her's.
"I'm not sure what it is, but I think the mysterious being— the Toa— called it an Elemental Stone Locator, whatever that means." Toa and Ga-Matoran popped interest. "It was glowing the night Asor was turned into a Toa, but it hasn't done it since. We thought it would glow in the dark, like a night light."
"Raia, do you how valuable that stone is?" Isald asked darkly. The Ta-Matoran shook her head. How was she supposed to know? She was just told to protect it! "There are powerful forces that would do absolutely anything for this. It was created so only a Matoran of pure mind, body, and soul could weild it. A Matoran such as yourself. It locates Toa Stones that have been missing for centuries— since the Golden Age began.
"These missing Toa Stones are the ones that the legendary Toa Merchim are supposed to find. Your brother, Asor, is one of these Toa. There are five others out still out there. I would suggest quickening your pace, if you are going to find all of them in time."
"In time?" Raia asked, confused. "In time for... what?"
Islad leaned forward, closer to her. He encouraged her and her two bothers to come closer. The three did as they were told. Silently, the Ga-Matoran said, "ShadowBound."
Stearlor and Asor burst out laughing.
"You must be joking!" Stearlor managed to breath.
Frowning, Raia asked, "What's 'ShadowBound'? Why haven't I ever heard of it?"
"Just something the Toa Nuva of Water predicted to happen." Asor said, wiping tears away from his eyes.
"It is no laughing matter. Many great military minds have already been discussing it. And your sister finding the Elemental Stone Locator just proves that ShadowBound is assured to leap into action." Isald scolded. "I would be wary, if I were you. No Toa ever takes anything lightly, especially predictions made by those older and wiser."
"Isald, I am not trying to insult you," Asor said, struggling to hold down another fit of laughter, "but honestly! Do you believe in such nonsense?"
"It is better to believe in something, rather than nothing."
"I get it's a prediction, but what is it!" Raia demanded.
"My, so very like the rest of us." Islad chuckled. "ShadowBound is indeed a prediction made by the Toa Nuva of Water. She predicted that Teridax would rise to fight our Great Spirit, Mata Nui, once more. But first, the light must be subdued by the darkness."
"Huh?"
"There will be a great battle. The light, our side, will lose. We will be slaves to the darkness, until all of the Underground, that would be us experiments, faded and disappeared altogether. It is then and only then that Mata Nui will rise with a great army and defeat his brother once and for all.
"The Toa Nuva of Water called it ShadowBound because we are bound to fall into the shadows. She is seen as the wisest of all Toa ever to have been created. Mata Nui made her so himself. He realized that her brothers needed the kind, wise spirit that is ravishingly beautiful."
"You have seen her?" Raia asked, excitedly.
"Once. She was the one who delivered the message to the island I was created on. I saw her and knew she brought bad news with the look in her eyes. They are the most beautiful shade of gold. It is no wonder as to why her brothers love her so."
"I wish I could have seen her."
"Do you know who delivered the message?"
Raia shook her head. "I'm sorry, but no. Enoy and Rodunn were the ones who told me."
"Enoy and Rodunn?"
"They are my creators... I think. They were my first ever family. Do you know them?"
"Why... actually, I do! They work in the medical bay. Well, the used to, anyway."
"What... what happened? They aren't here anymore?" Raia asked, worried for their lives.
"Unfortunately—"
"Sir!" a muffled voice said through the door. "I have an urgent message!"
Cursing, Isald opened the door. "Can you not see I am entertaining?"
"But sir, we're under attack!"
Song: Falls on Me (Isald's Theme) Artist: Fuel Album: Natural Selection Review for more updates!