Chapter 5 comin' at ya.
Starainbow12:CONGRATULATIONS,YOU WIN A GOLD STAR. Emor is Rome spelled backwards (although, it wasn't a city in Greece, it was in what is known today as Italy). Emor got it's name this way becauseof thegladitorial-like entertainment that Daskus likes to arrange and the Roman-like garments and armor the people wear.
Meanwhile, back at the palace, the General relays the news of the prisoners' escape to Daskus. Daskus is very disappointed, the day's events were ruined by a stupid beast that couldn't do a simple thing right and the Outlanders had escaped. But then, something clicks in his mind. "Which way did they flee, General?" he asks.
"Towards the southeast, sire. Shall I put together a scouting party to retrieve them?"
"No, at least not yet," and Daskus walks out onto a balcony that looks out into the northeast, allowing a wicked smile to cross his face. 'Let them try to get through that region,' he says to himself, 'With all of the ferocious beasts out there and the poor condition of the environment, there's no way they'll survive.'
In a part of the desert with sheer rock cliffs and faces and canyons, the darkness of night has settled. It's here where the Toa Metru and Kikanalo have decided to make camp underneath a rock outcropping for the night. While Vakama and Onewa work on starting a camp fire, the Kikanalo starts sniffing around the nearby rocks when it starts digging and poking around with its snout. All of the Toa, save for Nokama and Onewa, are baffled as to what could be so exciting to the Rahi. "Looks like it's found something it likes," says Onewa.
"Like what?" asks Matau.
"Like that," Nokama points to a silverish crystal in the Kikanalo's mouth, a crystal that they recognize--protodermis. Walking over to get a better look in the hole the Rahi made, Whenua discovers that their friend had found a cache of protodermis. With their fire crackling, the Toa gather in a circle around it. The Kikanalo lopes over to them and settles down on its stomach, contentedly grunting now that its belly is full. "How did you get here, big fella?" Whenua asks the Rahi. The Kikanalo goes into a series of grunts and snorts as Nokama deciphers them.
"It and its herd were. . .trying to find a way out of Metru Nui. . .when it got separated from the others. After wandering. . .for some time, it found a room. . .that had a crystal sticking out of a rock. One minute he was just. . .sniffing it then it. . .began to glow. . .and the next thing it knows, it's here. About a. . .few hours later. . .it was discovered. . .by those men. It tried. . . to fight them off. . .but there were too many."
"A room with crystal sticking out of a stone table," Nuju muses, "Sounds like our new companion found his way here the same way we did," Nuju comments.
"But, what now?" asks Nokama, "Where do we go from here?"
"Simple," says Onewa, "We find a way off of this crazy island."
"But we don't even know where to start," says Nuju, "We were unconscious for about half of the way to the palace."
"For once in a long time, I have to agree with Nuju," Whenua approves, "For all we know, we could've been anywhere out in the desert when they found us."
"Before they captured us," Vakama muses thoughtfully, "I heard one of the guards whisper to the Captain about something called a crystalgate, like it was something important."
Just then, the Kikanalo starts conversing, and Nokama translates, "Kikanalo says it remembers a village about twelve miles north from here when they took it to the palace. Maybe we can find some information there."
"No offense sister, but I'm not too eager to get locked up again, if you know what I mean," says Onewa.
"Don't worry," the Toa Metru of Water assures him, "We'll stay out of sight and wait until dark to go look around."
And so, with a plan in mind and tired from the day's events, the Toa and Kikanalo decided to call it a night and were fast asleep within minutes.
The next day, the group began their trek to the village, with the Kikanalo as their guide. Although, because the animal had so much room on its back, the Toa agreed to take turns at rides. The hot temperatures forced most of the Toa, Nuju especially, to seek as much shade as possible in the Kikanalo's shadow. Vakama and Onewa, however, weren't as bothered as the others because they were used to working in the heat. Although, to Vakama, the heat of the desert is nothing compared to the heat at Ta-Metru's forges. Finally, they reach the village, and with hours to spare before sundown. They locate a clearing that they choose as their campsite and wait for evening, with at least one member keeping an eye on the village below. A mere two hours had passed when Vakama and the others heard Whenua call to them. Joining the historian, Whenua points down to a pyramid-like temple. By the looks of it, the entire village has gathered there, and at the top is a man in dark red robes. Walking up the steps are two guards carrying what appears to be a small child between them. It's kicking and screaming, as if in fear. "Looks like they're getting ready to perform some kind of sacrifice," says Whenua. Nokama, meanwhile, puts two and two together and forms a very good guess as to what's going to happen next. 'They're going to sacrifice that small one,' she fearfully realizes. At the temple, the robed man grabs the little creature and hoists it over his head as he shouts something about a god wanting the village's children, and he throws the child towards a roaring fire on the level below. Before anyone can stop him, Matau, without thinking, conjures up a wind to blow the child away from the fire and towards safety. Upon seeing this, the crowd immediately bows down, thanking whatever benevolent force was responsible for saving the innocent child. The priest looks on, bewildered, as the young girl disappears beyond the rocks, but not before he notices some figures in the distance.
That night, the Toa and Kikanalo approach the village as carefully and quietly as possible. They stay to the outermost borders of the village until they find the hut they're looking for. Hopping off of the Kikanalo, Vakama walks to the door and knocks. A man with graying hair and a broad, red stripe of a tattoo across his face answers and before he can cry out a sound, Vakama covers his mouth. "Don't be afraid," he pleads, "Please, may we come in? We believe we have something that belongs to you."
The man observes the group, gives Vakama the ok to remove his hand, and says, "Meet me at my shed in the back." Sure enough, shortly after they find their way there, the shed's sliding door opens and the travelers are let inside. The shed's big and spacious with plenty of room for the Kikanalo to turn around with ease. The man and a woman with red hair and yellow streaks on either side of her face starting beside her nose and moving down her face, then curling up into loops on her cheeks look expectantly at the Toa, wondering what they could have that's theirs. Onewa takes a bag slung from his shoulder, sets it down, and reveals its content--the little girl.
"Papa," says the girl, and the man gathers her up in his arms as the woman holds her head in her hands and kisses her daughter.
"Thank you," says the mother.
"Our pleasure," replies Vakama with a bow of his head, and he and the Toa begin to head out the door.
"No wait," calls the man, "Please, stay. At least for the night."
"Thank you, sir," says Nokama, "but we couldn't-"
"I insist, it's the least I can do. What's mine is yours."
The Toa look to each other in thought.
"We could use some new lodgings for the night," says Whenua.
"No thanks to Matau's little stunt today," Nuju points out.
"Aw, we were going to be search-looking for a new hide-spot anyway," scoffs Matau.
And so, with that settled, Whenua and Onewa give the man a hand at closing the door. The man introduces himself as Manor, as well as his family, Nevis, his wife, and Lera, his daughter. After the Toa introduce themselves, Nevis runs into the house to get some food for them. Meanwhile, as Lera plays with the Kikanalo, Manor fills the Toa in on what's been happening on Emor.
