Deserts are boring, Tadan thought as he walked. It was around noon and the sun was beating down hard on him, Gawae, Hoei, and the dozens of matoran they had to escort to Po-Kyla. If the decision was up to him, he would have Cas teleport all of them over, but that would be too taxing on her, so here they are walking for who knows how long.
Stohn had been itching to send matoran out into the world, to reclaim their lost villages, and return to life lost. Stohn also knew that jumping in head first into the deserted wilderness would result in a few deaths from Lord Takan's attacks. Ga-Kyla had to be protected, and the matoran were doing a good job of setting up defenses. Now the nearest village, Po-Kyla, had to be reclaimed.
Tadan looked up from his thinking and saw Gawae also lost in thought, tapping her on the shoulder, he asked what she was thinking about.
"The southern Ga-Kyla was reduced to rubble by the Glacier. No trees or huts remained. Po-Kyla is safe because it's built into a canyon, where the Glacier couldn't get to. All the other Ga-Kylas, the one I called home, and the eastern ones are gone. What happened to Baror-Kyla, Le-Kyla, and the swamps? Do you think the trees are still there? Can we rebuild all of Barordak?"
Tadan had seen the ruins of Ga-Kyla. The only trees left were half-buried in the sand. The only trees left were at the new Ga-Kyla, and even then most were cut down for defenses. The Glacier would have leveled the jungle by now.
"Gawae. Ko-Kyla is our answer."
"That Barren Life Plan?"
"Exactly. That will have everything we need to rebuild."
"But, Tadan. There's no way his base isn't there."
"Then we'll kill him. For Barordak." Tadan looked forward, past the infinite expanse of desert. He didn't see anything other than the horizon line, but he knew Lord Takan was there, plotting.
The matoran who had agreed to this trip was mostly Po-Matorans, eager to see their old home, hoping for some memories to come back. Solurae had also agreed to come along, his wandering gears starting to lock up. Hoei was entertaining the Matoran with the description of Po-Kyla, long and tall stone buildings built into the side of the mountain itself, with densely populated buildings and rooms for everyone. A large river with lots of water rushed right through the canyon, and somewhere, the elusive Kolhii arena. The Matoran asked Solurae what Kolhii was.
"Hmph, a barbaric and useless game of throwing rocks around with sticks. I've never been one for it."
Hoei, who was leading the expedition, stopped and put his palm to the matoran. Everyone stopped while Tadan and Gawae went up to Hoei.
"What's going on?" Gawae asked
"Keep walking forward. Act normal." Hoei kept his hand close to his hammer, which he had a matoran make a buckle for. "I saw something moving to our right. Something shiny. It might have had spikes."
The Matoran were scared and clumped together. Tadan walked slower and broke them apart. He would guard the back, and Gawae would take the right. A bit later Gawae saw it, a yellow-backed creature with 3 silver spikes coming out of its back. Its sleek head was looking out from a rock. Gawae shifted her head forward and whispered.
"You're right Hoei."
"Keep walking."
Tadan was the last to see it when it jumped out from its rock and bolted towards the group. A flat yellow head with red eyes slid into a curved yellow back with sharp spikes, shining brightly in the sun. It had no arms as if they were ripped off, but its mighty legs were running at an immense speed. Gawae brought her shield out, Hoei his hammer, and Tadan his sword. Once the Rahkshi of Heat Vision was close, it shot two beams out of its eyes and struck Gawae's shield. Hoei and Tadan ran towards it, hitting it with a combined power of fire and hammer. The Rahkshi's body flew back and fell limp.
"Look out, there might be more. That was too easy." Hoei said
The Toa and Matoran were watching all sides, anticipating another attack. Tadan shot a beam of fire at a suspicious rock, blowing it up. The rubble flew to his feet but nothing was behind it. The Rahkshi started to stand up. When Hoei surrounded it with a dust storm, it screamed in Matoran.
"Stop! Stop! I surrender!"
The Toa looked at each other.
"Why should we? You just tried to laser us." Hoei asked
"I don't want to hurt you!" The Rahkshi screamed
"And yet…"
"I'M SORRY!"
"What's your name?" Gawae asked.
Tadan and Hoei gave her looks of confusion, but without fear, she smiled at the Rahkshi.
"My… name?"
"Yeah! You must have one, right?"
The Rahkshi looks down at the swirling sand, glistening in the noon sunlight. With a look of confusion, it lifted its head. "I'm not sure."
"Gawae, what are you doing?" Tadan whispered
"Making a friend." Gawae walked over and examined the beast. "Can you tell us your powers?"
"Oh, sure! I kick and have heat vision!"
"Are your spikes special?"
"They… glow?"
"Alright then, that's something to go off." Gawae looked back at the scared group. "They aren't harmless you dolts."
"Well… yeah… but they attacked first," Tadan said
As the Rahkshi stepped forward Tadan lifted his sword, "I don't even have arms you Toa!"
"You have those eye lasers!"
The Rahkshi closed its eyes. "Does this make you safer?"
Hoei put away his hammer, "Open your eyes, Sunspike."
"S…Sunspike?"
"Your spikes glow like the sun. Sunspike."
Happy, the Rahkshi did a little dance, "Sunspike… I like that! From here on out I am Sunspike! Friend of the Toa!"
Hoei picked up a random matoran from the group and brought them to Sunspike. Once he had been acclimated, the other Matoran went over. Except for Solurae who stayed with Tadan.
"Rahkshi usually have arms. Or at least every one I've seen had arms." Solurae told Tadan
"They do?"
"Yeah. They also wield spears that enhance their abilities."
"Then… where's this one's spear?"
"Good question. Act nice. Go ask."
"I'm not taking advice from a matoran."
"I know more than you, dolt."
"That makes twice now today."
"Maybe you deserve it."
"Was Takan this… unaccepting?"
"Usually."
"Well screw that." Tadan stepped forward toward Sunspike and patted its head. "Sorry about…"
"Don't be." Sunspike looked embarrassed, "I didn't want to hurt you guys, I don't feel like the other Rahkshi."
Everyone's faces dropped at that. Other Rahkshi? It wasn't THE other Rahkshi, there were more Rahkshi out there and Sunspike.
Tadan grabbed Sunspikes shoulders and shook them, "Other Rahkshi? How many others? How many are there?"
"Augh! About… thirty?"
Tadan let go and fell backward onto the sand. Hoei started burying him underneath the sand.
"Very funny." Tadan stood up and dusted himself off. He looked north again, trying to envision the snowy peaks of Ko-Kyla, and the menacing figure of Lord Takan, creating an army of Rahkshi. Looking back at Sunspike, he remembered why he had walked over. "Where are your arms?"
Looking at the stubs of shoulders, Sunspike said that the Metal Man had ripped their arms off to use. Though they knew it wasn't the arms that he wanted, it was their spear.
"Why your spear?"
"You know of the Great Volcano, don't you? They sent my spear there. That's where it went."
"We're heading in that direction," Gawae said, pointing north, "Why don't you come along?"
Sunspike blushed and tilted their head away "Really?"
"Yeah!"
And so Gawae and Sunspike lead the march to Po-Kyla. As they got closer and closer to the sheer drop of a ridge, Hoei noticed something he hadn't before. In between the grains of sand and patches of rock were little bugs scurrying about, trying to dig holes in hopes of finding groundwater. Barordak was becoming alive again.
The Matoran felt safer with a fourth large being. Once they had reached the edge of the canyon, the Matoran were stunned by the sight. Tall buildings were carved out of the walls, walkways between roofs, and who knew what was hidden inside the walls? Hidden passageways to other buildings? The mysterious Kolhii arena? Maybe a small library of forgotten texts, or a miner's recluse.
"How do we get down?" A Matoran asked.
Everyone turned to Hoei who explained how when he had been here before he had Cas, and they were already down by the river. In other words, he had no idea.
Sunspike crouched down to the side and watched the floor. "Follow the bugs."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hoei asked
"These bugs are entering this crack, and look how far it goes." The crack in question went far in both directions. "I think it's a hidden staircase."
"Let's find out."
Hoei walked up and planted his feet into the ground, feeling the energy move from his mask down into the sand, he pushed the earth away, and from the crack burst out a staircase. The bugs in the crack scattered quickly and went back to hiding in the shade.
The stairs were long and double-backed on themselves, winding down the side without any railing. The group slowly worked its way down, with only 1 Matoran almost falling. At ground level, everyone raced to the rushing river to cool off. Except for Sunspike, who stood in the sun and basked in its glory.
Gawae formed a small jet of water and sent it at Sunspike, splashing their chest. Laughing it off, Sunspike waltzed over and dunked Gawae's head under the water. Gawae grabbed Sunspike's leg and brought them into the water as well.
Once everyone had cooled off and filled their water containers, exploration of Po-Kyla began. The tall buildings like where Hoei and Cas found Firecougher were residential buildings. Shorter buildings that stretched deep into the walls were workshops where tools must have been made. One particular building, bigger than the rest, had letters etched above the door.
"Dock"
Its big wide doors probably made room for large crates from the Ga-Matoran boaters. Inside the walls were filled with crates of varying levels of preservation. Those with food had been eaten away at, with only mildewing mood and rotten food left. Other crates were cracked open and had been filled with leaves from the beach trees. Now dead twigs, they had little use.
Other crates had light stones and metallic tools, mostly pickaxes and shovels. Lightstones to light the houses and picks and shovels to make the houses.
The Matoran picked a residential building and etched the word "Reclamation" above the door. It would be the base for all new Po-Kyla operations. A few of the Matoran had brought Solurae into one workshop, where a large number of rounded stone balls were in all states of craft. Right after Solurae confirmed them to be Kolhii balls, the Matoran got to work figuring out the carving methodology.
Sitting at the top of a building with his legs dangling off the side, Hoei looked at a map of Barordak that Nekora and Stohn had made. The rivers were drawn out and dots with names marked each main Kyla. The river through Po-Kyla went west to the ocean and east where it curves northward into the great swamp.
"The Matoran found Kolhii balls," The voice behind him was Tadan. Sitting down next to Hoei on the side of the building he looked down. Quickly looking back up he swore not to look down again.
"Who will protect Po-Kyla while we explore the rest of Barordak?" Hoei turned his head to Tadan as he talked.
"Hmm, I always assumed it would be you, but… all three of us need to be together for us to have a chance of success. Who knows what's out there."
"Do you think… we could have Sunspike protect here while we're gone?"
Tadan paused as his heart plummeted. Everyone had warmed up to Sunspike except him. Was that a bad thing? Was he in the wrong or was he failing to protect everyone?
"Tadan?" Hoei asked
"I don't trust Sunspike."
Hoei also paused. "Makes sense. They did attack us, we did befriend them too easily, Gawae is getting attached, and their spear is out there in the hands of Takan. There's a lot not to trust."
"But I still feel wrong for not trusting them!"
"It's fine that you don't trust everyone, Tadan. You can't be everyone's friend, but you can strive to be most people's. And right now those people are the Toa and the Matoran, the people you know you trust and the people you'll give your life for."
"Give your life for… never thought of being a hero like that. It was always beating the evil behind the next door. Death was never a thought."
"The final door. The door we open so others don't have to. Poetic."
"Poetic describes everything you just said, Stohn wannabe."
Hoei and Tadan laughed at that. After a few more jokes Hoei showed his map to Takan.
"We should build a boat and send it west around the coast to Ga-Kyla."
"The first connection," Tadan said
"Exactly, and once that boat comes back with more Matoran, we bring it north to Baror-Kyla."
"Sounds good."
Tadan got up and left the roof. Hoei was all alone again. Looking up at the canyon wall, the sun was behind the fake horizon, and the small window of vibrant oranges, blues, and yellows had returned. Looking down, Matoran were still scurrying around carrying Kolhii balls, crates, shovels, hammers, cloth, and anything else worth investigating. Hoei laid down to take it all in but fell into a nap.