That evening, not far from Tajun, Crotesius gunned his Cendox V1's throttle. At the same time, Scodonius pushed his Kaxium V3 to its limits. In his cycle's sidecar, Kirbraz gave the motor an extra push. The two engaged in another vehicle practice match, some of the few Agori to compete in the arena.

Scodonius and Kirbraz were Agori of the Water Tribe, best known as the drivers of the Kaxium V3. Their success in the arena led to both of them becoming arrogant, and neither was popular in the other villages. When Kirbraz was injured a few months ago, Berix offered to take his place. Scodonius agreed, though only as a joke, and made things so difficult for the Agori scavenger that Berix quit the team.

Unlike many vehicles on Bara Magna, the Kaxium was actually created before the Core War and used by Water Tribe couriers. A powerful cycle equipped with a sidecar, the Kaxium V3 played a crucial role for Tajun in the war. With enemy armies all around and vast expanses of desert to cover, the Water Tribe needed a vehicle that could be used for rapid scouting. They adapted a courier vehicle, the Kaxium V2, adding weaponry and thin armor, and christened it the Kaxium V3.

Designed for speed more than power, the Kaxium has still managed to win more than its share of matches in the arena. Its major asset is maneuverability. Other arena vehicles simply can't stop or turn fast enough to keep up with the cycle. While they are trying to get into position, Thornax launched from the Kaxium have damaged the opposing vehicle.

The Kaxium V3's main cycle and sidecar were able to operate independently of each other. The drivers would often split the two in combat to confuse opponents. The main weapon on the Kaxium is a mounted Thornax launcher. Explosive Thornax were almost always used in vehicle matches. The wide tires allowed the Kaxium to handle well on sand dunes. Scodonius had outrun mounted Bone Hunters in it more than once. The Kaxium V3 was the fastest of the vehicles used in arena matches, but also carries the least armor, making it more vulnerable to damage.

Meanwhile the Fire Tribe Agori from Vulcanus, Crotesius, was known for being headstrong, bold, and daring, both in and out of the arena. He was a champion vehicle driver and intended to hold on to that title, and so was always looking for new weapons or sources of power for his Cendox V1.

"Cendox" was an Agori word, meaning "serpent strike." The original name of the vehicle, if it had one, was unknown. Crotesius gave it the name it has now. It was originally built by the Fire Tribe during the Core War, and was one of many. Most of these were lost in battle prior to the Shattering. It was possible there were others buried deep in the sand in the same area where Crotesius found this one, but he hadn't found any more.

Crotesius discovered the Cendox V1 half-buried in sand near some ruins to the north of Vulcanus. Reluctant to share his find with anyone else in the Fire Tribe, he hired Berix to help him dig it up and repair it. Amazingly, it still worked, though Crotesius never has figured out what powers the vehicle.

The Cendox V1 was armed with front blades and a Thornax launcher. While not as fast as the Kaxium V3, it was more heavily armored. The Cendox was powerful for its size, but its attacks depended on facing an opponent head-on, since the blades and Thornax launcher pointed straight ahead. In battle, Crotesius used the boosters to accelerate in turns, so that the sides of the Cendox were not exposed to enemy attack any longer than necessary. One of Crotesius' favorite tricks in the arena was to hook an opposing vehicle with the front blades, then pull back on the stick, kick in the boosters, and hurl the other vehicle through the air.

The front blades of the Cendox V1 were plated with exsidian, to enable them to resist corrosion. In addition to allowing for smooth running through sand, they were sharpened and could tear great gashes in opposing vehicles. The Cendox was equipped with powerful boosters that could provide short bursts of great speed. These were Crotesius' favorite feature, because they helped him outdistance pursuit in the desert. The mounted Thornax launcher was usually used for non-explosive Thornax. Crotesius prefered to damage an opposing vehicle and slow it down without disabling it, then finish it off with the blades. Rear tracks made it easy for the Cendox to operate in all kinds of terrain. These were badly damaged when the vehicle was first recovered and repaired by Berix, then later damaged again by a Kaxium V3 Thornax. Crotesius and the Cendox V1 won in the vehicle division in last year's Arena Magna tournament in Atero, and was favored to repeat before the Skrall destroyed the arena.

"We'll see who's laughing when they have to scrape you two up off the sand," Crotesius called, rapidly closing the gap as the machines raced to each other.

"Better turn, Crotesius, or you're going to have to patch the Cendox up…again," Scodonius replied, refusing to deter.

The gap was closing, with both parties still racing headfirst toward each other.

"You turn," Crotesius shouted back. "The best way to train for the arena is to practice winning."

Scodonius gripped his handlebars tightly, leaning forward. "And you need the practice, friend!"

The vehicles were about to collide. Before Crotesius' spikes could clash with Scodonius' and Kirbraz's, the Kaxium split into its two components—the main and side cars. As they split, the Fire Agori's Cendox V1 just barely made it through the gap.

"Here—practice recovering from this move!" Scodonius called, as he signaled to his fellow Water Agori.

The Kaxium had the advantages in size and armor, but the Cendox had a few advantages of his own. Crotesius' vehicle was designed for speed and maneuverability. Its rear tracks and front blades allow it to move easily through soft sand, and its booster engines gave it an extra burst of power.

"If you insist!" the Fire Agori yelled. Triggering those boosters, he threw his bike into a powerslide. In the arc of the turn, he aimed his Thornax Launcher on the front of his vehicle at the ground by the Kaxium's main body. The explosion threw the back wheel off, causing the vehicle to wobble before tumbling out of control. Without a cry of surprise, Scodonius was thrown from the vehicle. Kirbraz was forced to stop, since technically the vehicle was disabled.

Crotesius' vehicle leaned to one side, where he dropped a leg to steady it. "So…want to try again? Atero may be wrecked, but I'm betting we're going to be needed for matches soon, anyway."

Scodonius picked himself up and moved to right the Kaxium body. "More likely, defense, if the Skrall go after our villages next."

Kirbraz drove the sidecar next to the body and his partner. "What are they waiting for?" the Water Agori asked. "They destroy Atero, and then…nothing."

"They got Atero because it was undefended," Scodonius reiterated. With a heave, he pulled the Kaxium's main body back onto its wheels and boarded it again. "They don't have the guts to hit a village where there are Glatorian and Agori."

Crotesius wasn't sure what to think, but it seemed likely that whether it was for competing in matches or for defending villages, they'd need to be around. The pair of Skrall scouts above them watching silently on the rocks, however, smiled as Scodonius finished: "Trust me, we've seen the last of the Skrall."

X X X

Mata Nui's Diary - 3

Shortly after my battle with the Vorox in the desert, I encountered Metus. He talked very quickly and offered me a ride to the nearest village, Vulcanus. Although I was hesitant, the thought of walking across a hostile desert was not very appealing, so I agreed. The trip was not without incident, as we wound up in combat with a creature he called a Sand Bat along the way.

Metus is a fight promoter and a trainer of Glatorian, based in the village Iconox. Although the ice village is his home, he is rarely there. Metus spends most of his time traveling between villages, setting up Glatorian matches and recruiting new fighters. Metus has been everywhere and seen it all, and very little can surprise him anymore.

An Agori of the Ice Tribe, he was with the last group that migrated south to the present site of Iconox. While others in his tribe worked on building the new village and making it habitable, Metus concentrated on making deals with other villages. The discovery of exsidian made that job a lot easier, as other villages needed it. But Metus did his work a little too well, getting places like Vulcanus and Tajun so anxious to have the metal that they were willing to go to war for it. It was this which prompted the legendary Certavus (along with Tarix and Ackar) to come up with the idea of the Glatorian system to settle disputes.

This new plan proved to be a money-maker for Metus. During part of the Core War, he had worked in an Ice Tribe training camp, helping to prepare warriors for battle. Teaching Glatorian to fight would be easy after that. He worked closely with Certavus mastering the sort of basic moves that would be needed for arena matches, then taught them to other Glatorian like Strakk and Gelu. A string of early victories by Iconox Glatorian convinced other villages that fighters trained by Metus were better than any others.

From training fighters, it was a natural next step to arranging matches. The Glatorian system is complicated. Villages had to make sure that they didn't wear their fighters out by scheduling matches too close to each other, along with making sure they matched their best fighter up with the opposing village's best fighter. That kind of coordination took a lot of work and time, and most Agori did not have it to spare. More and more, they started turning to Metus to set up matches as needed. While there were other Agori who did this work—just about every village had someone—none were as good at it as Metus. He was sharp, persistent, but fair and generally honest. He made no secret of the fact that he was trying to make the best deal he could for his village, and others respected him for that.

Metus became one of the few Agori who worked for villages other than his own. If Vulcanus needed a new Glatorian, they would turn to him. If Tesara felt Gresh needed more training, Metus would step in to help out. It was on his journey to Vulcanus to meet with Raanu about Malum's exile when he encountered me, newly arrived on Bara Magna. Metus brought me to Vulcanus with him, and later tried (unsuccessfully) to recruit me to fight in the arena. For defense, Metus carries an ice axe and shield.

My first reaction to Vulcanus was one of utter shock. Right in the center of the village, a crowd was watching two warriors fight in the arena. Was this the sort of barbaric society I had stumbled into, where battle was a sport? Even after Metus explained to me this was how arguments were settled here, in order to avoid wars, I was still troubled by it—where I came from, warriors fought for justice, not to decide who owned a strip of land or a wagon load of metal.

The social structure of Bara Magna depends upon the system of such Glatorian matches, invented by Glatorian named Certavus, Tarix and Ackar a little less than 100,000 years ago. The scattered villages of the desert had limited resources, and it was natural that conflicts would arise between them. But in the wake of a conflict occasionally voiced as the "Core War," no one wanted more battles that could wipe out entire populations. So the idea was born that disputes between villages would be settled by arena battles between warriors called Glatorian.

Most Glatorian are veterans of the Core War. In return for fighting for a village, they are provided with food, shelter, medical care, equipment, and other goods. Given that the alternative is life as a bandit in the wastelands, or worse, most warriors are happy to take the job. Each village maintains two fighters, a Prime and Second Glatorian, along with a number of trainees. The reason for having only two main fighters is that most villages cannot afford the cost of keeping more than that.

Most matches are fought in one of the five villages. Until recently, once a year, Glatorian from all over gathered in the Arena Magna in Atero for a tournament to determine the overall champion. Tarix of Tajun is currently the reigning champ. But I hear that the traditional event ended when the Skrall recently attacked it in the Battle of Atero. Many warriors and Agori were lost in the assault. Whether or not Atero or Arena Magna will ever be rebuilt remains to be seen. There has also been talk of building a memorial there to honor the Glatorian and Agori who died fighting the Skrall.

Whenever a disagreement occurs between two villages over, for example, a water source, a piece of land, or some other resource, each village sends a Glatorian to fight for it. The winner's village gets to claim the resource, while the loser's gets nothing. While Agori do attend these matches as a source of entertainment, they are much more than that—the survival of an entire village may depend on the outcome of a match.

Still, (despite my own personal dislike of this system) in any society, there is right and there is wrong. I watched as the red-armored warrior, Ackar, defeated the white-armored one, called Strakk. I heard Strakk conceded defeat, and then saw him reach for his weapon as soon as Ackar's back was turned. No one else was willing to do anything…but I could not stand by and see someone attacked from behind. I ran into the arena and tackled Strakk, making his shot go wild.

Of course, now I was the one in trouble. He was a trained fighter, and I had only been in this body for a few days or so. He drove me across the arena and then down into the sand, ready to kill me…when a strange thing happened. The piece of Vorox stinger I carried as a crude weapon touched the mask I wore—and transformed instantly into a sword! The sight startled Strakk so much I was able to knock him off his feet. This time, when he surrendered, I made sure he meant it. I didn't realize it then, but that short fight would change my entire future here on Bara Magna.

Mata Nui