Ackar knew there was no time to waste. He and the other Glatorian immediately began organizing the defenses of Tesara. With the aid of Mata Nui and the Agori, they erected crude stone walls, mounted Thornax launchers, and dug pit traps in the sand. Kiina worked with the Agori, teaching them how best to use their weapons against mounted foes.
"What makes you so certain the Skrall will strike here next?" Mata Nui asked Ackar as they worked.
"It's the only thing that makes sense," Ackar replied. "As soon as we saw the Bone Hunters are working with them, a lot of things began to make sense."
"Like what?"
"Not long ago, the Bone Hunters started targeting Kiina's village, Tajun," Ackar explained. "Raiding trade caravans, killing Agori, doing everything they could to cut the village off from the rest of Bara Magna. Since Tajun sits on an oasis, you hurt them, you hurt everyone, because they run the water trade."
"That does make sense," Mata Nui agreed.
"After Tajun, what village has the most valuable resource? Iconox, to the north—they have a huge deposit of Exsidian, a metal that resists wear even in the worst sandstorms. It's much prized for use in weapons. If the Skrall want to eliminate our ability to fight back, that's the most logical place to strike."
"And Tesara?"
"Lies right between the two villages," said Ackar. "The combined Skrall-Bone Hunter legion hit Tajun, and they'll want Iconox. But they can't afford to leave Tesara sitting behind their lines. They'll be out to destroy it before they move on Iconox. Once that happens, vulcanus will be forced to surrender without food or water."
Mata Nui heard a cheer coming from the other Glatorian. He turned to see that the walls were complete and the pits concealed.
"Well done," said Tarix. "We did it."
"The Skrall will never know what hit them," added Gresh.
I truly hope not, thought Mata Nui. But are the Skrall somewhere even now, saying the same thing about us?
X X X
That night was a quiet one. Kiina stood guard with a group of handpicked Agori, watching for any movement in the desert. The other Glatorian and villagers tried to rest, though sleep proved elusive for most. Bone Hunters were known for making night attacks, often traveling without torches or any other means of illumination. It was frequently the case that by the time a village knew they were coming, it was too late to do anything about it.
Kiina was standing watch on the eastern edge of the village when she heard a sound. It was the barely audible noise of armored feet treading through sand, but it was not coming from beyond Tesara. No, it was from off to her right. Someone was slipping out of the village and into the desert.
The traitor, she said to herself. Now I've got you. She readied her trident and moved off in the direction of the sound. In the pale glow of the village torches, she caught sight of an Agori walking swiftly away from Tesara. Doing her best to stay silent, she followed.
Kiina caught up to the Agori just as he reached the Tesara hot springs. Seizing him from behind, she spun him around. In the moonlight, she could see clearly who it was, and she was not a bit surprised.
"l have to admit, I was really hoping I was wrong," Kiina said, then held up her weapon. "Don't move, traitor!"
Berix looked up at her, panic in his eyes. "What? No! You've got it all wrong. I was following—"
A soft voice came from behind the Glatorian. "He was following me."
Berix and Kiina both turned at the sound.
"You!?" said Kiina in surprise, seeing the actual traitor.
The shadows around them began to move. The next instant, a dozen Skrall and Bone Hunters closed in on them, weapons primed and ready.
X X X
"…and this is how you block a Certavus double-strike," Ackar said, showing off a defensive move it had taken him years to master. Tarix, Vastus, Gresh, and Mata Nui looked on, suitably impressed. Of the lot, only Tarix was agile enough to duplicate the maneuver, and even he doubted he could do it without lots of practice.
The demonstration was interrupted by Metus. "Ackar! Mata Nui!" he shouted. "The Skrall have kidnapped Berix and Kiina!"
"What? How?" asked Ackar.
Now Raanu rushed up to the group as well. "I saw them, too," he said. "They were being dragged away through the hot springs."
"We must go after them," said Mata Nui, "before they get too far. We cannot leave them to the mercies of the Skrall."
"Agreed," said Ackar.
"I'm going with you," Gresh spoke up. "My wound has healed. I'm ready."
By now, the whole village was roused. The Agori crowded around the Glatorian. Some wondered aloud what was going on, while those who knew looked at the Glatorian with worry on their faces.
"No," said Raanu. "You can't just leave us. Don't you see, this is just what the Bone Hunters and the Skrall want. They'll lead you away, then wipe us out—just like Tajun."
"He's right," an Agori villager shouted.
"You have to stay!" said another. The cry was picked up by the rest of the crowd, born of panic and unreasoning fear.
"l understand your feelings," Mata Nui said to the assembled Agori. "But we cannot turn our backs on our friends."
"Kiina is just one Glatorian," Raanu answered, "and Berix is a worthless thief—everyone knows that."
"No one is worth sacrificing, no matter how small," countered Mata Nui. He cast a glance at Click on his shoulder. "We stand together, as a team."
"So you'd leave us defenseless?" demanded Raanu. "A fine thing! We trusted you with our lives, and you repay us with betrayal."
Mata Nui looked at Ackar and Gresh, then back at Raanu. "I was once forced to abandon my own people. I will not do so again. The Glatorian will remain here. I will go after Berix and Kiina…alone."
"No!" said Gresh. "You can't!"
"One being alone, even you, Mata Nui, against a horde of Skrall and Bone Hunters?" said Ackar. "It would be suicide, my friend, and it would help Berix and Kiina not at all."
Mata Nui held up his hand to silence them. "We will see each other again. I promise you." Then he turned and walked out of the village.
"Let me go with him," Gresh said to Ackar. "He doesn't stand a chance alone."
Ackar watched his friend disappear into the darkness, to be alone with his thoughts and to get ready for the task. The last glint of moonlight reflected off the shell of Click, perched on his master's shoulder. "He's not alone," the Glatorian murmured.
X X X
Dawn found Ackar climbing a rise toward a great petrified tree stump. Mata Nui sat atop the stump, deep in meditation. "l thought I might find you up here," said Ackar gently.
Mata Nui smiled. "Thank you, Ackar, for everything."
Ackar shook his head. "l should be thanking you. I'd lost faith in others…and myself." The Glatorian held a rolled-up piece of parchment out to Mata Nui. "Here. This might help."
Mata Nui spread the parchment out. It was a map of this hemisphere of Bara Magna. Ackar pointed to a spot in the northeast, labeled "Roxtus" on the map. "My guess is they'll be there," said Ackar. "Berix may not be a valuable prisoner, but Kiina is. Of all of us, she's the only one who ever came close to beating a Skrall in the arena. She's a Second Glatorian and the best-known and most successful female Glatorian on Bara Magna. They'll make her the star of one of their matches…before they kill her."
Mata Nui could hear what Ackar was leaving unsaid. Kiina meant a lot to the Glatorian. It was tough on him, leaving her safety in the hands of someone else. But the alternative would be rebellion by the Agori—or worse, their surrender to the Skrall.
Hot-tempered and impetuous, Kiina could sometimes be a trial to be around. But, as Ackar had said, "I don't always agree with her methods…but I would trust her with my life." She was fiercely loyal to her friends and relentless against her enemies. If nothing else, that was something Mata Nui needed to save.
Still, the most striking thing about Kiina was her intense dislike of Bara Magna. She was not native to the region, originally living north, near the Dormus River. She was in the desert fighting a battle during the Core War when the Shattering took place. Although she could have returned to the river, the presence of the Water Tribe Agori convinced her to stay and defend them against threats.
Her fondest wish, since then, has been to get off the planet. She was convinced that Spherus Magna was not the only inhabited world in the galaxy and that someday she would find a way to reach one. Other Glatorian have laughed at her about this and even made wagers with her about the notion of other populated worlds existing.
Kiina and Ackar helped save Gresh, Strakk and two Agori out of a difficult situation. The party was bringing a wagon-load of exsidian to Vulcanus, the wagon and its contents were lost in the Skrall River. Kiina came up with the daring idea of tricking the Skrall into salvaging the precious metal, then stealing it away from them. Amazingly, the plan worked.
Kiina fought in the Battle of Atero and later returned to Tajun. When Bone Hunters planned a raid on Vulcanus, Kiina and Tarix discovered the bodies of two dead Glatorian trainees from that village in the desert. Determining they were killed by Bone Hunters, Kiina rode on to Vulcanus to warn them. With some reluctance, she stayed to fight in the defense of the village. (Although she believed that trying to fight off a horde of Bone Hunters was suicidal, she had remained out of loyalty to Ackar.) Shortly after that, she traveled to Vulcanus for a match and stayed to watch Ackar, which led to her meeting Mata Nui.
"l wish I could go with you," said Ackar. "l know, I know…you're ready." Pointing down to Tesara, he added, "The question is, are they?"
Mata Nui followed his gaze. Down below, the Agori were laboring to pull their two massive shelters together. Two structures separated by an arena were more vulnerable to a "divide and conquer" Skrall attack. One could be more easily defended. "Uniting the two halves of Tesara is a start," said Mata Nui.
"Let's hope the rest of the villages survive long enough to join us," Ackar answered. Ackar suddenly feinted a jab at Mata Nui's face. Mata Nui moved like lightning, bringing his hand up to block Ackar's fist. Ackar burst out laughing. "You've learned well, my friend," he said, slapping Mata Nui on the back.
"I had a great teacher," Mata Nui replied, smiling.
"We'll be alright, until you come back," Ackar said. "Between myself, Gresh, Vastus, and Tarix, the village will be well-defended."
Mata Nui had to agree. He had come far in his learning from Ackar, but the veteran Glatorian still had much longer careers in fighting. He had learned much just from short conversations with them.
Tarix had a long and legendary history on Bara Magna. He was credited as one of the founders of the Glatorian system and was still among the top fighters ever, currently holding the title of champion.
Many thousands of years ago, Tarix was a skilled warrior in the Core War. He led an entire battalion in the service of the Element Lord of Water, and in fact once clashed with Ackar and his fire troops in Spherus Magna's Field of Mist. He was honored for almost single-handedly seizing control of an ice fortress and led the charge at Lein's Drift.
Just before the Shattering, Tarix led a patrol into the desert of Bara Magna. When the planet split apart, he and his troops found themselves trapped there. Most died on the journey to find refuge, but Tarix, Kiina and a few others made it as far as the village of Tajun.
As time passed, it became apparent that some method of resolving conflicts had to be found. Another war would lead to the extinction of the Agori on Bara Magna and the destruction of their villages. Tarix worked with Certavus, Ackar, and Vastus to create the basics of what was known as the Glatorian system today. (While Tarix dealt with reluctant fighters, Ackar took on the job of convincing Agori the system would work. He often said Tarix got the easier job, since at least if a warrior complained too much, Tarix could hit him. Dealing with Agori required a lot more patience and tact.)
From the start, Tarix was one of the top four Glatorian, although he did not win any championships in the first few thousand years. Following the death of Certavus, the field became more competitive, with Tarix, Ackar, and Vastus usually battling right to the end for the title in Arena Magna. Tarix would go on to set a record, winning the tournament 93 times (and years) in a row.
Mata Nui respected Tarix because he had trained Kiina and worked with Gresh, and always made time to work with newer Glatorian. Unlike some veteran warriors, he didn't see newer fighters as rivals, but rather as the future of the Glatorian system. Most recently, he aided the escape of refugees from the fall of Atero and fought alongside Ackar against the Bone Hunters in Vulcanus. His support was certainly key to getting the Agori to listen to Mata Nui as a newcomer.
Meanwhile, Vastus was a similarly experienced fighter with more of a hidden past. But while working with him, Mata Nui had quickly gained his respect and put some pieces together with what he had heard from Ackar and Tarix.
As a warrior in the Core War, Vastus was an enthusiastic soldier. He firmly believed that the Jungle Tribe had the right to own the incredible substance seeping from inside the planet, and he fought bravely and even savagely in battle. Vastus led an elite unit sent to infiltrate enemy villages and perform acts of sabotage.
During one mission, his team was to sneak into the ice village and trigger an avalanche to block the main road off the mountain. An error led to a much larger slide than anticipated, which wrecked half the village and killed hundreds. Most of the dead were Agori who were not active in the war…innocents. The incident made Vastus re-examine his life and he began to feel guilty about the things he had done. Shortly after this, the Shattering brought an abrupt end to the war.
Stranded on Bara Magna, Vastus was determined that there would be no more wars. He worked with Certavus and other veterans to create the Glatorian system, which would make conflict between armies unnecessary. Although Vastus has been a very successful Glatorian, and a champion more than once, victories mattered less to him than the fact that Agori were not having to march into war over resources.
Vastus fought in the Battle of Atero. During the Bone Hunter attack on Vulcanus, Vastus at first rejected Gresh's plea for aid for that village. He made clear that a Glatorian's first responsibility was to his own village and he would not leave Tesara undefended. He later had a change of heart and joined with Tarix and others in an attack which drove the Bone Hunters off. The lesson had stuck with him, as he now united with the other Glatorian once again. Vastus' support was key in the decision to suspend Glatorian matches until the Skrall threat was dealt with.
A little-known fact about Vastus was that his training went beyond merely physical practice. He had told Mata Nui that, during the Core War, he stumbled upon records of ancient meditation techniques practiced by ancestors of the Agori. Using these, he learned how to enhance his senses in combat. Although his helmet hid it, Vastus would sometimes close his eyes in battle, allowing his hearing to guide his blows. This, on top of Ackar's training, Mata Nui found fascinating.
Incidents like Strakk's cowardly attack on Ackar from behind never happened to Vastus, as he was able to sense the air movement that accompanies an attack, even if he couldn't see the attack happening. Agori traders from Tesara have practically begged Vastus to ride with them, since it was said he couldn't be ambushed. Vastus, though, only agreed to do this in special cases.
"As for Strakk," Ackar said. "I hear Iconox was still debating how to punish Strakk for his actions in Vulcanus when the Skrall attacked Tajun, forcing the village elders to put the subject aside for now. Although he was reluctant to follow your lead, now that the other Glatorian have united behind you, Strakk will feel forced to go along before long."
A great boom suddenly rocked the desert. Mata Nui and Ackar looked down below to see that the Agori had succeeded in uniting the two shelters into one. While both large metal structures had looked impressive before, connected together they were a formidable sight that might make even a Skrall hesitate before invading.
But their new appearance had an even more profound effect on Mata Nui. His eyes narrowed to make sure what he was seeing was true, then they widened and he gasped. Now he knew why the huge shelters had looked so familiar to him. It had been right in front of him all along, but with all that had been going on, he hadn't seen it.
"Incredible…" he whispered to himself, as the mental revelation continued to wash over him.
"What is it?" asked Ackar, looking back at the village but still seeing nothing.
Mata Nui wanted to shout the answer to the skies. It was amazing, surprising, terrifying, and wonderful…and it could be the key to his regaining his lost universe. But now was not the time to reveal what he had learned to Ackar, not when the Glatorian faced such a serious threat. When the Skrall were defeated, there would be time to share his revelation.
"l will explain…later," he said, beginning his descent back down the mountain.
Ackar watched him go, wondering what had gotten into his friend. Sure, seeing the shelters coming together was a good start, inspiring, even…but hardly "incredible." Well, sometimes there is no figuring out Mata Nui, he thought, and that was to be expected. He was from a completely different world, after all. Will he ever make it back home? Ackar asked himself. I know that's what he wants. But I am not so sure Bara Magna can stand to lose him.