Oh yeah, disclaimer thing...
Disclaimer thing: I don't own any of the BIONICLE elememts, but the Twi Nui saga and characters are of the creation of me, Operater139, Kitara Tomo, and Rorzakh13. Special thanks to those people.
Part Two: When Blood Flows Freely
Andramir stepped cautiously into the large grove of trees carefully. He had been tracking someone all day. They had obviously stopped in the grove of trees to camp. Andramir walked silently in and crouched behind a bush. A single Lictor sat around a small fire, chomping on unsanitary looking meat. Andramir rubbed some dirt on his body and walked up to the Lictor. "Hoy! It's good to see another living ally!" Andramir faked in a gruff voice. "Aye, I've got a matey joining me tomorrow, but you're sure welcome to stay the night 'ere in me camp." The Lictor replied. Andramir accepted. "So 'ow did you get out 'ere, eh mate?" "Well," Andramir lied, "Me squad was out raidin' some villages when those blasted Elves went out an' killed me 'ole crew!" "Aye. Them Elves are nasty ones all right. An' they can fight, too." The Lictor replied. They talked into the night, then they went to sleep. Andramir was on his guard the whole time.
About an hour before dawn, Andramir got up. He grabbed a knife in the dirt over by a log, and walked over to the sleeping Lictor. He was about to give up at the thought of killing a living being in cold blood, but then he remembered what this creature would do if he was free, and who had started the fire that killed his girl. He quickly slid the knife over the Lictor's throat. It was over with a gurgle. No sooner had he slain the Lictor, he felt a sword tickle his neck. "What have we here? A treacherous back stabber?" Andramir looked up to see a large Lictor holding a saber to his throat. Andramir narrowed his eyes at the imposter and made his move. He whirled his leg and kicked his enemy hard in the back of his leg joint, sending him to the ground. Andramir threw himself upon his opponent and the struggle began. The Lictor bit into Andramir's arm and they began rolling all over the camp. Andramir tried to ignore the blood draining from his entire body, and saw his chance. He timed the rolling perfectly and made the Lictor roll straight into the fire. The Lictor let go of his death grip with Andramir and screamed in pain. This gave the Elf time to unsheathe his swords and slice at his enemy's head. Andramir stood up and held his bloody arm while watching the bloody hewed head roll down the hill. He kicked the rest of the body down after it, and went to go find some plants to stop the bleeding. He had not walked far when he found a large, squirming sack. With one hack of one of his swords, Andramir opened the sack, and to his surprise, revealing a gagged and bound Ga-Matoran. Andramir snapped the crude ropes and untied the gag on the girl. He rolled his eyes inside. He could have snapped those ropes with his legs easily. "Oh! Thank you so much!" The pretty Matoran thanked him, "It was so horrible being dragged around by that awful monster, but you saved me! You're so strong, and brave, and masculine! How could I ever thank you?" "By shutting up and walking the other way." He replied coldly. "You'll find a camp with a bag of supplies in it. Take the bag and head north-west towards Ga-Twi." With that, Andramir walked away from the open mouthed Ga-Matoran. He had not walked far when he heard a terrified shriek. He ran back to the camp, only to find that she had fainted at the sight of the dead Lictor, still lying on the ground as if he were sleeping. Andramir shook his head and hoped she did not notice the other, less peacefully slain Lictor at the bottom of the hill.
Andramir held his bowstring taut. He was aimed down into a window in which a Lictor held a crossbow, waiting for the Turaga of Le-Twi to come out of his important meeting. It had been a year since Andramir had left En-Twi, and since then, he had discovered the realm of double assassin. A being he never met had employed him, and he had traveled around Twi Nui, protecting the important beings on the island. Now he was waiting for the Lictor to shift his position. High in a tree, Andramir was invisible to everyone, but he had a clear shot at everyone… except that Lictor that was leaning against an open window pane. The doors of the Turaga's huge meeting hall flew open. There was no time to wait now. Andramir let his shaft loose, and grabbed another in case the first didn't do the whole job. Glass shattered as the arrow flew through the window and struck the Lictor in his heart light. A Matoran in the procession line screamed as the Lictor fell from the high window into the street below. Andramir watched the chaotic scene below. He shook his head in despair. They were completely oblivious to what would have happened if he had missed. Andramir swung down from the tree on a vine. His wondering who his employer was would change today. He had arranged a meeting with them at noon at the white cliffs near Le-Twi. As he walked he remembered all he had done under the guidance of this mysterious person. He had been to almost every single village on Twi Nui to protect the important.
Andramir reached the white cliffs and saw two Matoran enjoying the view. He walked over to them and looked over the edge. Then he commented casually, "I like cheese." "Swiss?" One of the Matoran asked. "Gouda." Andramir replied. The other Matoran looked around, then ushered Andramir into a nearby cave. There were five torches that lit up the room. The Matoran motioned for Andramir to sit down. Andramir did so. The Matoran left the cave. Andramir looked around suspiciously, but his doubts were vanished when a tall female Toa walked in. "So, you wish to know who I am?" She asked Andramir as she sat down across from him. "Yes, but wouldn't it be better to take a walk outside and discuss things?" Andramir suggested. "You are an Elven Toa, yes? And that is why you are so skilled with the bow, correct? Then it would make me sad to ask you to set down your bow, but yet I must." Andramir did so cautiously. "And your swords too, please." Andramir once again obeyed with cautions. "If you would kindly do the same with your knives." Andramir pulled two hidden knives out of his belt. "And the third?" "I keep it." Andramir said, innerly amazed that she knew they existed. "Tut, tut." She scolded him, "You act as if you were wary of me." "There are very few I trust." Andramir replied frostily. "Now, now. There is no need to get cold. After all, I am your employer." "I serve none. I merely took your opportunity to serve the people of Twi Nui." He said, now becoming a bit tempered. "Fine then. Keep your knife, for I see you are strong willed." She replied, "Now then, what can I do for you?" "I want my part of the deal. Information on the massing of Ushii's creatures." "Well then, follow me, Andramir." She put her hand on a rock and a secret door opened, leading to a pathway. She motioned for him to go first, but he rejected. "Ladies first." "Ha, I like you, Andramir, you would be smart, IF I was to try and trap you." While they walked through the long pathway, Andramir matched every step of the mysterious female Toa, just in case there were trip lines or trap doors. They finally reached a large room that appeared empty. "Well," she said, "Here we are…" Then a boshi jumped on Andramir and knocked him out.
When Andramir recovered, he was bound tightly to a large boulder in the cave he had been knocked out in. "Ah, he's finally recovering," Andramir heard as the mysterious female Toa came walking up to him. "So… you weren't so keen after all?" she mocked him. Andramir simply sat there in his bonds, staring at her coldly. With a sudden jerk, Andramir broke the ropes and yelled, "Eulaliaaaaaaa!" The female Toa jumped back and screamed at some boshi, "I thought you tied him twice with the strongest rope you could find!" Andramir smiled wickedly as he picked up a piece of the broken rope that was longer than the others and began twirling it, "Yes, they did… but the bloodwrath comes in handy…" Then he leapt upon four boshi and began smacking his newfound weapon upon them. The mysterious female Toa walked backwards in horror. She could have sworn that his eyes were dark blue before, but now they were a misty red. She was afraid for the first time in a very long time.
Andramir swung the rope and it wrapped around one of his enemy's necks, then he pulled it, choking the boshi. He twirled the rope the opposite way to free it, then turned around and smashed a fleeing boshi's skull. All Andramir could see was his enemies… and a blood red mist. Then he saw the one who betrayed him trying to run away down a side tunnel. He suddenly ignored the fleeing boshi and ran after her. The female Toa was running through the tunnel for her life. She had never known true fear before, not like this. All of a sudden, she tripped and fell down. Andramir took this opportunity and slid down just behind her. He grabbed her leg with one hand, and with the other he drew his third knife from her belt. "The last mistake you ever made was crossing me," Andramir whispered to her. She looked wide-eyed in horror as he put the knife to her chest. "All I have to do is make one quick thrust, and… well, you know. Now, I want to know two things. First of all, why did you cross me?" "Because… because I had to. Ushii commanded me to. The double assassinations were to test your skill and how much of a problem you might be, then I set this trap to capture you and take you to Ushii." The female Toa replied, breathless. "Now, I want that information on Ushii's forces." "No." She replied defiantly. "Hmm, I take it back then, THAT was the last mistake you ever made. Now, if you answer me well, I will give you a thirty second head-start, however, if you don't…" "I get it, I get it." She answered, "They are massing and planning a large attack on the Po-Twi defenses, and while everyone's attention is turned to that, a small force will slip in Ga-Twi and hold the city for hostage. That is all I know." "I am everywhere, and when you least expect me to be watching, I will be. If you have lied to me, you will be dead before the full moon." Then he proceeded to sheath his knife and let go of her leg. "Thank you. That was hardly the way to treat a lady." She said huffily. But Andramir was not listening, he was counting, "Twenty-six, twenty-five, twenty-four…" Then the female Toa ran off down through the tunnel. Seconds later, Andramir watched as she slipped in her hurry and began to fall down a chasm. "Help me!" She screamed. Andramir walked over to her casually and said coldly, "Caution: Floor may be wet…" Then he walked away. He did not even look back to see the results, because he knew she could not make it back up. No female could.
Andramir stopped walking and leaned on his bow. He looked up to see the great Po-Twi defenses. He had traveled for weeks to get here ahead of Ushii, and now he had succeeded, barely. He turned around to see a black mass growing in the distance. Then he turned his sight back to the great structures before him and doubled his pace. He reached the defenses at nightfall and entered to speak with Pormya, Toa of Po-Twi, and leader of the great defenses. Andramir knocked on the Toa's hut, only to hear a groan and a pillow muffled, "Go away!" "And what would the Toa of stone be doing sleeping in his hut at this time of night?" Andramir asked in a joking tone. He heard footsteps inside and then the door opened to reveal Pormya with drooping eyelids, "Waddaya want, pesky 'ol Matoran?" "If you would actually open your eyes, you could see that I am your friend Andramir." "Oh! Andramir, long time no see, brother!" Pormya said, brightening up a little. "Yes. But I bring bad news. A slew of Ushii's forces have been marching here and aren't far away now. They should get here by noon tomorrow, and we need the defenses to be held against them." Andramir told his friend. "Yes, well, I'll see to that," Pormya called to a nearby Matoran, "Jacian! We need you to sound the call to the defenses! Hurry now, little one!" Without hesitation, the Matoran strode dutifully to his hut and blew a sharp blast on his horn. It was answered by seven others, and Matoran everywhere dropped what they were doing and ran to their assigned defenses. Andramir and Pormya walked to the foremost one. The Elven Toa told his friend of Ushii's plan to capture Ga-Twi. They resolved to take a force to Ga-Twi after contributing to the battle in Po-Twi.
Morning came drizzling and dark as the leaders stated their plans they had come up with during the night. A scouting party had gone in the night and done a reconnaissance mission under the cover of dark. They reported back to the leaders of Po-Twi. "It is perhaps eight thousand strong, many Boshi and Lictor. If what the Elf says is true, I would say four hundred split off to capture Ga-Twi at the Konaren River." "Good, good. Now rest up for the battle. We must sit tight and wait now." Poryal sat with Andramir, who was putting on his battle armor. "Wow, nice gem you have in your breastplate there, mate." "Thanks," Andramir replied quietly, "It was given to me by Keyla a few days before she died. I have vowed to always remember it before I go to battle against her slayers." Poryal nodded, knowing his friend could not take very much more conversation on that subject.
By noon the enemy was almost in range. Lines of archers stood with their bowstrings knocked and taut. Andramir was roaring out orders in the lines of archers, "Wait 'til you see their eyes, then shoot to make 'em close permanently. Slay or be slain. Remember; draw, aim, release, follow up, reload." "What about you?" A nearby Matoran asked after noticing that Andramir wasn't pulling back on his bowstring yet. "Oh, I just skip the first two." Andramir grinned. Andramir returned to his post and then yelled out, "Ready! Take you're target… FIRE!" Andramir pulled his bow up, wrenched the string back into overdraw, and let the string fly in one movement. His shaft passed the Matoran's and slammed into the first boshi. The first line of arrows cut down almost the entire front line of Ushii's creatures. Andramir let another missile fly toward one of the last remaining Lictor on the front line. Andramir was rewarded with a screech of pain. He looked over where the Lictor was and saw that the one he had aimed for had died instantly when the arrow ripped through his flesh, and the screech had come from the boshi behind Andramir's target. The arrow had gone all the way through the first Lictor's chest, then buried itself in the second line boshi's hand. The archers continued to mow down the front lines, then they were ordered to stop. The enemy took the opportunity to get up close to the walls and put up the ladders. The archers gave way and armed Matoran filled the defenses. Andramir strapped his bow onto his back and pulled out his double flame swords. He and some other Matoran began the tedious job of cutting ladder lines. They waited until the saw several enemies fairly high up on the ladder, then they quickly sliced the ropes, sending the creatures hurtling down to earth, sometimes landing on their own ranks. Matoran with axes greeted the lucky few that made it up the ladders.
After seeing that the battle was going well, Andramir and Poryal took a score of Matoran and went out through a secret passageway. They took guccos to a spot near Ga-Twi, then they proceeded to go over the plans. Once everyone was sure what they would do, and two spies came back from checking out the situation, everyone moved out. Ushii's creatures had already reached Ga-Twi and taken over. A boshi was sitting in the street, feasting on the flesh of a Matoran that had resisted. The last thing he heard was, "Eulaliaaaa! Ssssthunk". He keeled over with an Elven arrow sticking out of his skull. A hail of arrows and slingstones flew from the liberators of Ga-Twi and struck the slow creatures that were too busy harassing the inhabitants of the city. Andramir led the charge into the fray with his two flame swords merged into one longsword. Boshi and Lictor limbs flew everywhere as the liberators took the enemy by surprise. Warcries rent the air as the captured Ga-Matoran covered their ears and closed their eyes against the carnage before them, "Eulaliaaaaa! Give 'em blood an' stone!" "Liberatioooon!" "Ushiiiii! Nakaruuu!" The pincer movement that the liberators created did the trick. The enemy resisted harshly, but they were no match for the determined liberators. Andramir, Poryal, and the rest of the Po-Matoran carried the day and freed Ga-Twi. It is said that all four hundred of Ushii's minions were slain, whereas only a half a dozen Matoran were lost. Andramir did not participate in the celebration the Matoran held. Instead, he walked off to the outskirts of the city and sat alone. "Ushii must have known that I had discovered his plans," Andramir thought aloud to himself. Then it came to him. Ushii knew the liberators would leave Po-Twi somehow. If he was watching carefully, he could find the spot and break through there. Andramir jumped up and yelled to Poryal for him to get the troops and follow. Andramir ran frantically while trying to call the guccos. He had to get back quickly. He saw a gucco pass by, and he grabbed its' tail. He held on for all he was worth as the gucco shot straight up, trying to shake Andramir off. Not looking where it was going, the gucco accidentally ran into some other birds and flopped toward the ground. Andramir let go and spread eagle to slow down so that the rahi would be falling slightly faster. Then, when he was positioned correctly he went into a diving position, soaring down to the gucco. He grabbed the gucco's back and steered the great bird toward Po-Twi, barely missing the ground. He sped up the gucco, wanting to get to Po-Twi as fast as possible. They flew past the trees at breakneck speed, then Andramir spotted the city across the desert expanse. He urged the gucco on to further efforts, not wanting to get there too late.
As they got closer to the defenses, Andramir saw a huge Kane-Ra ramming into things. Sure enough, Ushii's army had attacked at the secret entrance. The gucco flew right over the defenses, and Andramir jumped off, free-falling for sixty feet before landing on one of the huge towers. He pulled his bow off his back and thwacked a boshi that was lunging toward him. He pulled out an arrow and drove it through a Lictor that was seeking to behead him. Andramir pulled out the bloodied arrow and knocked it onto his bow. He pulled it back into overdraw and aimed for the Kane-Ra that was trying to take down the tower Andramir was standing on top of. The arrow looked like a pinprick on the huge rahi. Andramir notched five arrows to his bowstring, hoping to have a bit of effect. He struggled to keep it in overdraw, then let go of the string, watching the five arrows speed down and disappear into the monster's flesh. Andramir then leapt down on the Kane-Ra with his swords pointing downward. The monster emitted a roar of agony as the burning knives went deep into his body. Andramir was bucked off and flew down to the ground. The huge Rahi made a highly abnormal noise, and flopped down, nearly crushing a half-conscious Andramir. Andramir felt himself fading away when he heard the shouts of the liberators rushing to the battle with Poryal at their lead. Then all went away.
When Andramir woke up, everything was misty and dark. The smell of burning carcasses had awoken him. He tried to pull his legs from under the Kane-Ra's lifeless form, and finally he succeeded. He limped past the dead forms that lay on the soggy ground, noting a few that he had fought beside. He found the source of the fire when he climbed on a large pile of dead beings. Straight in front of him was a score or so of Lictor sitting around a fire, eating away at the bones of Matoran. Andramir looked behind him and saw another fire about a half mile away. He could see the forms of a few remaining Matoran sitting around it, burning dead bodies for warmth. Suddenly a gag tightened around Andramir's mouth. "Wait! Save him, he's the one Ushii wants." A Lictor said nastily, "Bring 'im to the fire." Five Lictor chained his arms and legs together and dragged him over to the fire. They ungagged him and forced a foul smelling stew down his throat. He had to try very hard not to puke it up, as he knew exactly what it was: Matoran flesh. The Lictor poked fun at their prisoner all into the night, not even going to sleep the whole time. Andramir cursed silently as he watched the fog roll by, angry at being chained, soaked, and ridiculed. Every time he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep, a Lictor would sneak up on him and whip his bare back. Eventually he gave up on sleep and tried to pick up some of what his enemies were saying. "I say we take this 'un back to the emperor first thing In the morning, then we can get our reward and set out spendin' it," one creature suggested. "Aye, but then how are we going to split it between fourscore of us, eh, mate?" Another Lictor questioned. "Why, I'll just give some to me mateys, and keep the rest for meself, of course." The creature replied. "Well what about us that 'taint yor mateys, eh?" A voice in the back answered. "Yeeeah, what about usss?" A short Lictor hissed. "I say us true Lictor of the emperor should get it!" A big Lictor with Ushii's emperor regiment sign stamped on his helmet bellowed. "Well that's jussst too bad!" The voice in the back hissed back, "Cause it's mine!" "Oh yeah!" Another creature screamed. At first, only a few creatures flopped into the brawl, but soon more and more piled in, supporting their friends. Andramir chuckled under his breath as he watched the spectacle. It was rather handy being able to speak in perfect Lictor dialect. He watched as the wrestling match turned into a full swing civil war. Those who did not jump into the fray were dragged in, or cut down by accident. As the count of live contenders dwindled, Andramir found his chance. He combat crawled over a dune, and rolled down the other side. He continued this tactic until he had gone a full mile, and the sun began to peek over the horizon. He chanced a full-fledged laugh when he thought that he had single handedly taken out an entire regiment of Ushii's creatures, over nothing!
It had been three years since Andramir had been seen. Andramir stepped out of the shadow on a ledge on Mount Iru. He walked along the path toward Ko-Twi, his narrowed eyes taking in everything. He passed the guards at the gate to the city without a word, and walked into the marketplace. Several Matoran suddenly ceased their chattering and bartering and looked up in awe at this visitor. Andramir ignored them and walked past the piles of supplies for sale, finally entering the Turaga's hut. The short Turaga peered up at him. Andramir returned the gaze as piercingly as the Turaga. They stared intently at one another for a few more seconds, then Andramir whipped out his flame swords and stabbed them into the ground. "You have no right to treat allies in that way." "Then I am merely an ally, and not a friend?" "You never have been a friend to me, Turaga. You always hated me because my warrior blood could overcome your stupid eyes." "You lie there. I treated you as much as a son as I did my own son. I am assuming that all you came here for was to find him, for you have been gone a very long time." "Not long enough. Now, where is your son, for I desire to speak to the friend in the family." "And why should I let you see my son and poison his mind?" Andramir threw his hand around the Turaga's neck and pulled him closer. "And what would you believe me to be? A servant of the emperor, or a spy for the dark fire? If you were not thrice as old as I, I would have already beat you with in an inch of your life, you fool of Turaga! " The old Turaga sighed and looked at the ground. "Maybe I have been wrong my whole life… maybe you are the one the Great Spirit sent to me." "And what, pray, would you be talking about, old one?" "My son has been missing for a few days. It isn't surprising for a Toa like him to be gone for a while, but what bothers me is that we have had attacks frequently from some monster of the dark fire. I fear he may have fallen to it, but I am much too old to go out and search, and we have none others capable of searching." "I will do it on my own free will. Goodbye, Turaga. I will bring back your son." Andramir said as he walked out of the hut and stepped out into the barren snow of Mount Iru.
Andramir had walked in the freezing snow for a long time. A very, very long time. Andramir kept seeing a flitting shadow through the driving sleet, but he blamed it on his mind. That is, until it shot an energy beam at him. He barely dodged out of the way and landed cat-like. "Don't play out in the snow too long, Toa. It comes back to haunt you…" A sneering voice told him. With that, the shadow shot another bright green beam at Andramir. Andramir flipped over it, but right after landing, was hit by another. He felt the last of his strength draining as another beam hit him directly. The last thing Andramir remembered was a slurping sound, and a mocking laugh.
A young Toa opened his eyes and took in his surroundings. "What am I doing here? Who am I anyways? I don't remember anything…" He thought to himself. He heard a clicking noise coming from a side passage, and soon a six-legged spider-like creature walked in. "Ah, you have woken up, perished one." The being said sneeringly. The Toa almost recognized the voice. "Perished one? Is that who I am?" "Yess, you are the perished one, my slave." "And why am I here?" The Toa asked. "Ah, I had a feeling you would forget. You are here with the others to fight for me, to overcome Ulbaz, the occursed one! Ublaz betrayed me long ago, but soon I will have my revenge…" Suddenly the Toa had a flashback…
An anguished scream, a green flash… darkness… cold, bitter cold. Everything went white. The white faded away, and there were five other Toa. The young Toa ran toward them, somehow feeling that he knew them and that they could help him. Then they vanished, and he saw a shadow through a torrent of sleet. He tried to scream, but he couldn't. He saw the shadow slaying each of the five Toa brutally. He screamed and tried to run, but nothing happened… then it all ended.
The flashback was over, but the Toa was incredibly confused. "Now, get to work forging that axe!" The spider-like creature told him. The Toa walked over to a small forging fire and began working on a half-finished axe. He was pondering situation while working, but nothing would come to him. The horror of the flashback had faded away, but he still knew something was not quite right. He forged the rest of the day, and was given food and ice to drink before he was sent to a cell to sleep. He went to sleep still curious of his conditions, and began dreaming…
"It comes back to haunt you…" His dream ended with those eerie words ringing in his mind. The night had been tortuous. He had seen the five Toa again. They had warned him of something. He saw them about to be killed by many enemies, but each time he had overcame and saved the Toa, but they always disappeared. His master would then slay them, and they would beg the young Toa to save them. The young Toa could not stand it any more. He knew them, he knew them. He kept having flashbacks of cold. Cold, pain, horror… it was all there. He screamed out, but there was nothing there. The green beam flashed across his mind and he passed out.
He woke up in the morning. It was all gone. All except the cold. He passed off the night's torture as a nightmare and got to work on carving a longbow. He had seen several other beings in the cell area, but he had gotten the point that communicating with them was strictly forbid. The minutes passed into hours, the hours into days, and the days into two long weeks. The young Toa had now had the dream near a dozen times, and he lived in hope of death, sweet release from this tortuous cold. For two weeks he lived in the vast cave system, staring into his forging fire with lifeless eyes. There was only one thing that gave him hope: another young Toa. Each morning they would walk by each other, and something seemed to keep the life in the young Toa. Maybe it was some past memory. He did not know.
Finally, after one of the worst days, it was announced that a regiment of Ulbaz' creatures would be passing nearby and that there would be an ambush. All the slaves were encouraged to hone their choice weapon, for it would be a good battle. Suddenly, the young Toa had another flashback...
There was so much carnage. Green beams were taking out hundreds of beings, a large creature blew up and collapsed and smashed a score of slaves. A sudden wind blew and snow drove into the faces of the fighters. Blood flew through the air as a wave of slaves pushed into the ranks of enemies. The snow seemed to turn a sickly dark red as the battle continued. The young Toa tried to turn his head away from the vicious bloodshed, but he could not. There was no escape; he was rooted there, in shock. Another green beam flashed, and an extremely large creature was hit. He watched in horror as the creature slowly careened over and began it's decent to the snowy ground. The shadow of the creature covered the Toa. He knew it would smash him, but he could not run, nor scream. It would all end, no matter how fearful it ended, it would end. He tried to close his eyes, but they refused to shut. He heard the screeches from the other creatures, almost drowned out by the deafening sound of the creature hitting the ground. In a blink, his body was twisted, and the pain seared through his whole. Then all went black.
The young Toa woke up in front of his fire. He knew what he had to do at the battle. He suddenly remembered the other Toa. He would save him from the torture too. Then his thoughts froze. Was he was the only one with the horror? Would he be murdering the only friend he had? He was too confused to do anything, anything but cry. He did not know how long he sat there, but he cried the whole time. His tears dropped into the blazing fire, fizzling into steam, just as his hopes. Eventually he ran out of energy to cry with. He was so tired, he needed to sleep, but he could not. He would be visited by his fiendish nightmares. In a while he drifted off to sleep, unable to save himself from the inevitable pain. He dreamed of those five Toa again, the five Toa that he had dreamed of for a long time. He knew he had to die the next day in the battle, he had to die so that he could join the five Toa, whoever they were.
Dawn awoke him, and he walked over to where he found a beautiful longbow and a quiver of arrows. He had adored them for a long time, and regretted that today he would have to destroy them. "Maybe I'll just take a few enemy creatures with me," He thought to himself, smiling, yet still nervous about the situation. In an hour he was standing in the ranks of slaves, getting their weapons checked for battle. The march was a long one, finally ending above a thin ravine. The conditions were harsh, driving snow and numbing cold. The troops were fed small rations and were placed in ambush to wait for the approach of the enemy. The young Toa was on the opposite side of the ravine as the rest of the troops. The six-legged master had brought the archers with him a ways ahead to scout and give the enemy an onslaught while coming in behind them, forming a pincer movement. The Toa watched in awe as seven massive figures formed through a sheet of snow. They lumbered into the pass and, even through the blinding snow, it was obvious that they were some sort of rahi, encumbered by a sort of shelter on their backs in which a score of Toa-like beings rode. There was also some fifty of the same creatures making their way on the snow. "Seven Kizhee with a score of Lictor each, plus two score and a half in the snow… we have quite a job for ourselves, perished ones. Near tenscore enemies, and seven of them will be hard to dispose of… ah, but that is the price that Ulbaz must pay for crossing Leer. Yesss, this is only the beginning of Ulbaz's worries, perished ones…" Leer, the spider-like creature, hissed. "Now, archers, let those mutated worms have it!" He rasped. The young Toa joined the other slaves in a round of arrows, then they drew their secondary weapons and charged down to the ravine. The young Toa turned to try to see through the confusion. He had to find the other Toa. He was being trampled by charging slaves, and all he could see was green flashes whizzing over his head. It was like the nightmare all over again. He felt the strong breeze as the first of the Kizhee fell to the energy beams. Those who were standing near the creature when it fell were either smashed or blown off their feet and smashed into the enemy ranks. Suddenly the Toa tripped and was pinned to the ground by the melee around him. A spear landed by his foot , and a sword flew through the air after n agonizing scream from on top of a Kizhee. The Toa grabbed the weapon and managed his way up, slashing all in his way, enemy or not. He sliced his way through the battle and the snow until he found the other Toa in a death grip with a Lictor. The young Toa raised his weapon and drove it downward into the back of the other Toa's opponent. Suddenly a spear hit him in the side. He shook it off and pulled the other Toa from the ground. The two ran through the snow, which was now turning to sleet, dodging the feet of the huge creatures that towered above them. Suddenly, the closest Kizhee was struck its final blow, and began to collapse. The two Toa tried desperately to run out of its path, but it seemed to suck them in. The movement of air was incredible. The two Toa struggled to keep a hold of each other. The Kizhee hit the ground, and the young Toa's friend had one of his legs trapped beneath the lifeless beast. The young Toa held on as the air whooshed by him. The air passed, and the young Toa fell to the ground. He pulled with all his might, and his friend came out from underneath with a cry of pain. His leg had ripped off, but he was still alive. The two ran off, with the young Toa supporting his wounded friend. Suddenly another spear hit the young Toa's chest and the mountain ended. The two stumbled to stop their run, but the edge came too soon. The young Toa tried desperately to grab at something, but it was useless. He had accomplished his goal. He would soon be with the five Toa that had graced his dreams…
"Awake, Toa Andramir." The young Toa felt himself being embraced by something warm. The cold had ended. "Have I come to death?" He asked his reviver. She let go of Andramir and backed up so that she was in his view. "Not at this time, for the Great Spirit does not wish your life to be over yet. You have a duty to fulfill." She told him. He looked at the beautiful figure before him. "And who may you be?" He asked her. "That is something for another time, Andramir." She answered him. They embraced once again and they kissed. Andramir felt like it could have lasted forever. The female Toa turned her head and whispered to Andramir, "May your past come back to you, Andramir. Go now, last of the Elven Toa, for we will meet again…"
Andramir woke up and kept his eyes closed. He wished to go back, to go back to where he had so much peace in the presence of whoever that was. "Come now, master Toa, you must wake up sometime!" He heard. He opened his eyes and saw a white female Matoran standing over him. "There you are. You may have gotten two nasty spears in the flesh, but you'll live." She told him. "What happened? Where am I?" Andramir asked, still groggy. "Ah, the herbs haven't completely worn off yet. We found you and this other fine Toa out in the snowfields, half buried in sleet. You've been unconscious for two days since we found you, and no telling how long you were there. You must have had a nasty fall since you came down from all the way up at the pass, the way we figured it. You're in the house of Nadie the hermit. He's our uncle. I'm Hila, and that's my sister, Kassy, tending to the other Toa. My brother Inlo is out gathering fuel for the fire. It's funny, you seemed to be so terribly cold up until a few minutes ago, then you suddenly became warm. We were really worried that you'd never come around." Hila explained. Andramir pondered this for a while and Hila went to go get some food ready for him. "You must be famished!" She called to him from over by the fire. "No thank you. It might sound strange, but I had a dream, and it seemed to satisfy my needs." "Whatever melts your icicle, I suppose." She replied. Andramir tried to go back over what had happened. "Who was that Toa?" He thought to himself. He tried turning over in the bed, but his injuries would not let him do so. "Eh, how's the other Toa doing?" He asked. "Oh, you mean Xiro? Well, not quite as fortunate as you. He probably would have never made it if you two hadn't been surrounded by snow. His leg is healing, but he's still not awake yet. He's been muttering and flinching occasionally, but not much." "Xiro? Is that not the Toa of Ice?" Andramir asked, puzzled. "Yes, everyone knows that!" Hila laughed. "Tell me, you surely did not face death with a famous Toa that you did not recognize, did you?" "I fear I have." Andramir replied. Suddenly he had a flashback…
Xiro was shot with a green beam, and went down. "It will come back to haunt you…" a hissing voice said. The five Toa were walking toward Andramir. One of them smiled at him… then it was all gone…
"Are you all right, master Toa?" Hila asked worriedly. "Yeah… I'm fine…" Andramir replied, dazed. "You had a funny look on your face, and you just stared into space. Pardon my saying so, but it was very odd." "That's fine," Andramir replied, still a little dazed, "I think I just found out my past…"
Andramir sat with Hila, Nadie, and Inlo. Night had come and they were finishing their dinner. "So, what's your story, Andramir?" Nadie asked. Andramir looked into the fire for a while, then spoke. "I have had a long and terrible past, but I will only plague you with my most recent memories." Andramir told them the tale of his mission to find Toa Xiro, the forces of Leer, and the battle in which they had been injured. When he was finished, Hila began taking up the dishes. "Does your sister never eat?" Andramir whispered to her. "Oh," She whispered back, "She has been at the Toa's side ever since we found you two. I fear she's fallen in love with him, even though she hasn't ever seen him awake." Andramir chanced another glance over at Xiro's bed. Kassy was dampening Xiro's mask with a warm, wet cloth. The Toa of Ice began murmuring in his sleep. "Sorry- don't- green- must- find-" Xiro suddenly stopped and let out an anguished cry. Kassy and Hila immediately stood over him and began tending to all of his bandages and put on fresh poultices. Hila was about to give him another dose of medicine when Kassy stopped her. The Toa began breathing heavily and broke into a cold sweat. Kassy continued dabbing the warm cloth on his mask, and watched as his eyes fluttered open. "Mmh… must slay… green…" He muttered. Kassy bent down to talk to him. "It's alright, you're safe now, Toa." She comforted him. He looked up into her eyes and tried to sit up. She eased him down, and whispered to him. "You aren't well enough to get up yet, you need your rest if you're going to recover from those awful injuries. Xiro looked around and spotted Andramir, who was now walking up to the bed. "Andramir? What happened?" He managed to ask. Andramir looked at the ground and then at Xiro's leg. "It was just a nightmare that we lived through, brother. Nothing more. Now get some rest, you need to heal… not only physically."
Four more days passed since Andramir had regained consciousness, and he had almost healed. Inlo had made Xiro a crutch, and the Toa of Ice was healing. Andramir had now become able to help Inlo hunt, so the two of them spent the day morning out in the snow plains while Hila and Nadie went to the village to trade. Xiro hopped over to the fire on his crutches, and took the bowl of soup that Kassy held out for him. The two had grown to enjoy each other's company, but Xiro knew he would have to travel back to Ko-Twi when he and Andramir were well enough to make the trip, so he spent as much time with Kassy as he could. Andramir and Inlo walked into the sheltered cave carrying a small Muaka. Kassy got up and retrieved it from them, and set it by the fire to warm while she prepared to cook it. Inlo got out his skinning knife and sat by the fire with Xiro, teaching him how to skin a Muaka just the right way. Andramir warmed his hands over the fire while watching Kassy fix the herbs to cook the meat in. He noticed something in her eyes… a longing. He walked over to her and helped her slice the ginger weed. "You'll be disappointed when the Toa of Ice must leave, no?" He asked. At first she did not say anything, but then she sighed and turned to Andramir. "I wish he did not have to go, but maybe it was foolish of me to have such ambitions concerning a great Toa." "No, no," Andramir assured her, "My brother needs someone like you. It does not matter that he is a Toa. I know my friend, if it came down to a decision, he would give up his Toa responsibilities for you if the Great Spirit willed it."
More weeks came and went, and the time the two Toa had spent in Nadie's dwelling was coming upon two months. The Matoran all over the island were harvesting their crops, but the Matoran of Ko-Twi were saddened that they had to spend their first harvest without a Toa to guide them. "Had my father been here, his wisdom could guide us better than any other. Alas, he was a great Toa. Cyinda, Elven Toa of Wisdom. It is a shame my son was never able to know his grandfather, for it may have put a bit of sense into him." The Turaga of Ice mused. Indeed, Cyinda had been a wise Toa, but not in the least way harmless. The short Turaga thought back to his own days of being a Toa. Those days had always been plagued with hatred. Hatred of the ignorant, hatred of the Elven Toa, and a burning hatred for the Dark Fire. For scores of years Matoran had thought there to be only one threatening evil, Nakkaru, wielder of the Dark Flame. But they were wrong. No, there had been two others before Nakkaru. They had created Nakkaru from the Dark Fire. Lukifire and Darthish had plagued the island for a thousand years before their defeat.
It had all begun when a fierce storm had taken a traveling boat unsuspecting. The winds tossed the boat and it's inhabitants through the cold sea, and then they saw the thing they wished they could blot out. The storm had whipped them toward a huge Maelstrom. The inhabitants of the boat watched in horror as the mass of swirling water grew closer. Some jumped overboard, but their doom was just quicker to come. The boat lurched forward and began swirling in a wide circle. The swirling quickened and the circle closed inwards. The wind blew half of the crew off the decks and into the icy grave. Suddenly the boat disappeared from sight forever. Close to a hundred elves were lost in the furious sea. But the Great Ones chose three to be saved.
Jaylo woke up on the shores of a strange island to see two others of his kind laying near him. He recognized the two as Helena and Lecosa, other elves on the boat with him. He dragged their limp bodies up the shore and found a good place for a shelter in the fringes of the forest. He sat for hours trying to piece together what had happened. As far as he could tell, the Maelstrom had swept them through the ocean through a rock tunnel, and brought them to the surface of this hidden ocean that he had washed up in. Just before twilight he left his shelter to find wood for a fire. When he returned he saw Lecosa stir and cough up water. Jaylo dropped the wood in a pile and turned the elf over. Water came streaming out of his mouth, and he began spluttering, Jaylo soon had a fire going, and explained what had happened to Lecosa. Amazingly, Lecosa found his bow still strapped to his back, and Jaylo remembered his Elven sword still in its sheath. They sat together, discussing the future while waiting for the third elf to awake.
Two naughty Matoran had sneaked out of their village in the middle of the night. They had been walking on the jungle path toward a Ga-Twi village where one of their friends lived, when one of them heard a noise. He stopped and whispered something to his friend. They slipped off through the jungle, following the sound. They reached the shore beach and scanned the dark horizon. They spotted glowing embers, and crawled toward them. A short ways from the Elves' shelter, they heard the noise again. It was a low moaning with an occasional spluttering. Helena had regained consciousness, but the two other Elves were asleep from exhaustion. The two Matoran grew curious and crawled up into the small camp. One of them accidentally backed up into the burning embers and yelped in pain. Everyone suddenly came wide-awake. Helena and one of the Matoran screamed and backed away. Lecosa armed himself and yelled at the two Matoran in a commanding tone, "What are you and what are you doing here? Speak quickly!" The two Matoran were speechless with fright, but one managed to squeak, "We're Matoran, and we just got curious about who was camped out here. Please don't hurt us, strange thing!"
Jaylo scoffed at the Matoran's remark, "Strange things? If you ask me, you two would be the strange ones." "I dunno, but this strange thing sure is pretty." The other Matoran said as he walked up to Helena. The comment was replied to by a resounding smack that landed the Matoran several feet away on the sand. "Yeah, pretty… pretty strange!" The first Matoran joked. Before he could say anything else, he was sitting upside down next to his companion, and his mask was stinging greatly. "So, who are you?" The Matoran asked as he got up and brushed the sand off himself. Jaylo looked at Lecosa. "They seem friendly enough." Lecosa whispered to Jaylo. "Well, it's funny how it seems we got here…" Jaylo said as he began to relate the tale of the three Elves.
As the days passed into weeks, and the weeks into months, the Elves became accepted by the inhabitants of Twi Nui. In three years time, Lecosa and Helena had bonded greatly with the little Matoran, and had become everyday citizens of the island. Jaylo, however seemed to stay alone, and whenever one of his friends approached him, he reacted crossly. Soon everyone became deeply concerned for him, especially one day when he had gone out, and now it had been a week later and nothing had been seen of him.
Jaylo stumbled through the jungle; he was tired and hungry. His maddened eyes spotted a cave and, since it would soon be dark, he decided to stop inside it and build a fire for the night. He hardly slept at night. His mind was always working, drowning in his thoughts and fears. He collapsed inside and scrambled around, searching for twigs and flint. Once he found some, he started a small fire. He looked around at the cave. A closer look showed that it was actually rather large, and there was a tunnel in the back. His mad mind drove him to inch toward the tunnel, it was if it was calling him. It was if he could feel the whisper. He groped his way through the dark passage. It seemed to go on forever, but he could not stop himself from going on. Suddenly he felt the air grow thinner, as if he had entered a larger tunnel. He felt around for the walls, but he could not find them. He took a step forward, and suddenly the entire area lit up with fire. Jaylo screamed wildly at the sight before his eyes. He was in a huge cavern, but in the middle there was a large gap in which fire was flaming up. In the midst of the fire there was a large demon-like monster that was uncurling itself. Jaylo stood in horror as he watched the massive being uncurl, as if awaking from a long slumber. When it was fully stretched, the demonic being stared into the eyes of Jaylo. The Elf had never known such fear as was put into him in that moment. "Who has awakened the slumber of the dark flame?" It bellowed in a deep, slithering voice. It ran its eyes over Jaylo and then spoke again, "Ha, an Elf, just as the prophecies foretold. I thank you for unleashing me, Elf, but I ask one more thing of you…" A burning hand stuck itself out and reached for a screaming Jaylo, "Your life force." Jaylo's carcass went up in flames as his life force was sucked into the great monster's being. None had ever seen such a sight as was about to unfold, and none did. The huge fire-demon split itself into two lesser, yet just as fear worthy beings. "Today marks the coming of the Dark Flame." They said in unison. The remainder of Jaylo's life force was used in creating hundreds of evil minions called Boshi and Lictor. Evil now had a name.
In two months the Dark Flame had an entire army to support them, and their number was still growing. The two monsters of the Dark Flame, Lukifire and Darthish, sent out the first bands of Lictor and Boshi to wreak havoc on Twi Nui. Throughout the months of harvest, the Matoran were attacked at random by small bands of the servants of the Dark Flame. Finally the Elves and the Turaga decided it would be best to risk an open battle with these evil creatures, and perhaps discover their origin. On one warm, beautiful morning they met in a large crop field. The atmosphere of the two armies was totally different from that of their surroundings. It would have been much more fitting had it been a cold, misty morning to do battle on, but this was how it was. Dew was on the ground, and the charging minions of Lukifire and Darthish were trampling the grass. The two Elves had strung their bows and took down the first line of their enemies along with several Matoran archers. The Elves and Matoran then put up their bows and readied their hand to hand combat weapons. The first wave of Boshi hit like lightning. Most of the Matoran had never done battle before, and they were immensely terrified. The fighting went on for two hours, and there were heavy casualties on both sides. At last a final wave of Lictor hit, taking the left wing by surprise. Helena was in charge of the left wing, and she rallied her Matoran together while calling for reinforcements from Lecosa. The Elf took five of his good Matoran with him to help Helena. While they were running over to the ranks of Matoran, an arrow hit Lecosa in his side. He stumbled and fell to the earth. He motioned for his Matoran to keep running, and they reluctantly obeyed. A big Lictor spotted the Elf and broke through the ranks with his double-bladed axe. Lecosa saw him coming, and attempted to stand to face the challenge. He struggled upright with the pain searing through his side. The Lictor reached him and swung his axe. Lecosa whipped out his sword and blocked the offending weapon. The big Lictor sidestepped and swept the ground, attempting to get the Elf off-balance. Lecosa barely jumped in time, but the axe suddenly swung up. There was a sickening thud, and Lecosa fell to the ground. Several Matoran came running at the Lictor's unprotected back and stabbed him down. They leaned over their Elven friend as he rasped out his final words. "My life-force… you must take it… the Elves must not die out on this island. And don't let the evil win. Never. Promise me." Their frightened faces nodded as Lecosa died. His life force came out and transformed the eight Matoran that were kneeling by him. They became the first Elven Matoran. They felt the Elven bloodwrath come over themselves as they watched their friend and mentor lying dead on the ground. The old Elven battlecry came fresh from their lips as they strode out to finish their battle. The only thing the Lictor knew about what had hit them was the last words that fell on their ears, "Eulaliaaa! 'S death on the wind!"
The reinforcements had arrived too late at the left wing. Helena was fighting like a mad creature, taking down as many enemies as she could before her certain doom came. She formed a ring with six of her little friends, fighting back to back, giving the enemy blood for blood. One of the Ga-Matoran made the mistake of looking down at herself. She shuddered as she saw her body with countless bloodstains and scars peppering it. The seven beings fought for their very lives, but they could not overcome the awful creatures who lived for blood and flesh. Only three remained alive, Helena and two Ga-Matoran. They fought on, but soon they became overwhelmed. Helena managed to gasp out to her two friends and several others who had joined them, "When I die, you must take my life force. We shall have a new line of Elven Matora- ungh…" She was felled by the staff of a Boshi. More reinforcements came running over now that they had won the battle over at the right wing. The number of fighters doubled, and finally they overcame their enemy. The six Matoran who had last seen Helena searched through the countless bodies for that of Helena. They finally found her body and bent over it. "How are we supposed to get her life force thing?" One asked. "I don't know, she never told us." Another answered. As if by magic, the life force came out and covered the six Matoran, transforming them. "We are not alone," One said after becoming an Elven Matoran, "There are others. I can feel it." Lecosa's Elven Matoran felt it too, and they sought after each other. Once they found each other, they vowed to all stay together and to form their own village, En-Twi. They settled in the southern part of the island and began building a walled village. Once it was done, two of the most respected Elven Matoran were chosen to become the first of the Elven Toa. They held a great ceremony for the two new Toa, and they happily began they way of life in En-Twi. Years passed, Toa became Turaga, Matoran became Toa, and baby Matoran were raised to be warriors, smiths, and healers. Forevermore the lineage of the Elven Toa pitted themselves in constant war against the Dark Flame and its servants.
The Turaga ended his memories of hearing that story. And now it was like this. He suddenly heard a rap on his hut door. "Come in." He bid them. A small Matoran came inside, "Sir, your son has returned." "With guests." He added. The Turaga of Ice walked out of his hut into his snowy domain. "They're waiting for you in the Great Hall." The little Matoran said as he guided his elder up the stone stairs to the huge building known as the Great Hall. When the Turaga got to the door, he bid the Matoran go back to his duties. The old Turaga walked in and saw his son standing on the other end of the hall, warming himself by the huge fireplace. Xiro turned at the sound of the door creaking open. He ran over to his father and the two hugged each other. "I'm so sorry, Father." The Toa of Ice said. "I was worried about you, you young rip. Next time don't go off like that without telling me you'll be gone for so long." "Well, I didn't know, Father. Here, sit down. I'll tell you the story as best I can remember it, with a bit of help from my friends at points." Xiro said as he sat down with his father.
In the last month of harvest Xiro and Kassy were married, and Kassy became Xiro's companion, the Toa of rahi control. Andramir left the month following and continued his travels. He had spent much too much time with others, and now he wanted to travel on his own for a while. He traveled north and west, coming to Polu Point after a few months of travels. He spent a week there, contemplating on the beaches that overlooked the northern-most part of the sea. He soon got ready and left once again, his mind set on reaching the great cliffs. Half the year had been spent when he found himself at his favorite place for thinking. He sat on the cliffs, watching the tide roll in. He looked out to sea, thinking of the rumors he had heard of a great monster in the northern sea. Someday he would try to find it. Someday. But then he thought of it again. He hated it. It was always in the back of his mind. He wished the day would never have to come. He left again. He now felt called to go to the lonely mountain. There was some Rahi there. He had seen its shadow before. He had almost been killed by the stalking creature. Now was the time he would have his revenge.
It was the dead of winter when Andramir's eyes rested on the Lonely Mountain. He continued walking down the dusty path toward the mountain. All of a sudden, four Matoran jumped out on the path a ways ahead of him and called out to him, "Halt!" Andramir continued walking, paying no heed to their antics. "Halt, traveler! This is our road and we demand a toll!" One of them said as he grinned evilly and let he sun glint off a protodermic club. Andramir stopped suddenly. This seemed to be a great jest for the other Matoran. Andramir was not one bit daunted. He whipped out his bow, and challenged them, knowing that they were just bullies. "The only thing I'll give you is this," He said as he fitted an arrow on the string. The four Matoran backed off and held a quick conference. "Do you think he really means it?" "I dunno, he looks pretty dangerous with those sharp things," "I say we let him by as long as he doesn't report us," "Oh come on boys, he's a Toa, of course he's going to report us!" "Yeah, but if we don't let him by, he'll kill us!" "Oh come on, Toa are supposed to protect us from evil!" "Yeah, but he might think we really are evil," "You mean we aren't evil?" "You idiot, he's supposed to think we were just playing around!" "Alright, just leave the talking to me," The leader of the Matoran lawbreakers walked up to Andramir. "Begging your pardon, sir, we were just playin' around, sir, weren't we boys?" The lawbreakers nodded vigorously and smiled as best they could. Andramir shrugged and walked past them. He had not taken more than five steps when he turned back around and shot arrows dangerously close to where the Matoran were standing. They screamed and ran off. Andramir shook his head and continued walking.
By nightfall he had reached the base of the mountain. He chopped up a fallen tree branch and started a small fire. He sat there for a long time, staring into the flames, always thinking. He longed to be back in En-Twi with Keyla as his wife, not having to care for the evil outside those walls. But this is how he chose to live, as if he was jumping off a cliff, knowing that his father would save him. He was always traveling, he had few friends, and he lived for the blood of evil. Blood. It was such a powerful thing. You could bribe with blood, you could win with blood, you could lose with blood, and you could live with blood. But most importantly, blood could save you. He felt the bloodlust rising within him. His eyes turned from dark blue to dark red. He stood up and looked around him. The shadow of the forest was not far away. He buried his fire and readied his weapons. He turned from traveler to hunter, and his bounty was blood. He moved swiftly through the shadows, his years of living as a ranger helping him constantly. He could disappear from right in front of you and reappear behind you with a knife in your back. He was Andramir, last of the Elven Toa.