As the group resumed their long travel, Gresh and Kiina both had a hard time believing Mata Nui's story about defeating a Rock Steed in such a small amount of time, but when Ackar corroborated the tale, they begrudgingly accepted it.

Dawn brought a return of stifling heat to the desert. The group had been spending the days under whatever shelter they could find, but this morning there was no need to hunt for a cave or a rock outcropping. As they came over a rise, they could see two villages in a large patch of jungle. Great trees dominated the landscape, with vines trailing everywhere. A Glatorian arena sat in the center, separating the villages, but it did not look at all like the one Mata Nui had seen in Vulcanus. This arena was constructed of wood and vines, which formed a latticework roof over the fighting area.

"Where are we?" asked Mata Nui.

"The twin villages of Tesara," said Ackar. "Gresh's home."

The "twin villages" of Tesara sat in the middle of a rare area of jungle on Bara Magna. Once there was a vast, green area here, but the climate changes caused by the Shattering led to much of the plant life dying off. Only the heartiest trees and shrubs survived, living on the trickles of water that came down from the peaks of the Black Spike Mountains.

Ackar and Gresh explained more about the village, between Gresh's modern knowledge and Ackar's history of Bara Magna's past. Together, they told Mata Nui that Tesara got its nickname shortly after its founding. The Jungle Tribe had been deeply divided over the Core War, with some supporting it and some opposed to it. When a large number of them became stranded on Bara Magna after the Shattering, they did not want to live together. Realizing that unity among the tribe was important, but rivalry could be put to immediate use, the village elders issued a challenge—whichever part of the tribe built the best settlement the fastest would be allowed to live in the jungle. The losers would relocate south to the desert.

Both sides worked hard and long constructing their villages. But the elders purposely arranged things so that neither side had everything they needed to get the job done. The two factions had to turn to each other for help, and by the time the building was done, the rifts in the tribe had healed. Later, the Arena Tesara was constructed between the two settlements.

Gresh continued to elaborate on the Agori of Tesara, who spent much of their time up in the trees, gathering plant life for food or for herbal remedies. As a result, their limbs had altered over time to be better suited to climbing. This sometimes caused them to look awkward when walking on the ground. They were known as skilled healers, treasure hunters, and historians. Their primary export was food and they traded with Tajun for water, Vulcanus for tools, and Iconox for exsidian.

"Ah, it's good to be home!" the jungle Glatorian said with a stretch, dismounting the vehicle when Kiina slowed it to a stop. The sound of cheering drifted up from the villages. "Sounds like a match is about to start. Vastus must be fighting today."

"Not if I can help it," said Ackar. The others looked at him, surprised both by his words and the fierce tone in which he said them. The Vulcanus Glatorian ignored them and started marching toward Tesara. After a moment, the rest of the group followed along behind.

In the arena, Metus sat with Raanu and other Agori in the stands, watching as the Glatorian were announced. The main match for the day pitted the very experienced Prime Glatorian Vastus of Tesara against the reigning champion of all Glatorian, Prime Glatorian Tarix of Tajun. Both were experienced fighters and two of the original creators of the Glatorian system. Had the great tournament in Atero taken place this year, it was possible Tarix would have been robbed of his title by someone else, most likely a Skrall Glatorian. But the Skrall attack on the arena had brought the tournament to a violent halt, so Tarix remained the official champion.

Following the main match, there would be training matches between some of the newer Glatorian Metus was managing. That had brought Raanu here, in hopes of finding a new fighter for Vulcanus. Ackar and his team had reached the outskirts of the village by now. Berix lagged behind, glancing uneasily from side to side.

"Why so jumpy, thief?" asked Kiina. "Rip someone off around here? Or just looking for a Skrall to tell our plans to?"

"I'm not a traitor or a thief," Berix answered. Then he added nervously, "But I have done a little…collecting…around here, so best to lie low." His eyes chanced upon an axe hanging from a nearby doorway and he reached for it, saying, "Oh, I like that little…I just wanna…"

Kiina slapped his hand away. "This is not the time, Berix. Got that?"

Metus spotted Ackar, Gresh, and Mata Nui approaching. He rose from his seat, smiling broadly. "What a surprise! Welcome, friends. Isn't this great? A sold-out crowd. I knew pitting Vastus against Tarix would pack them in. Mata Nui, I hope your appearance means you're ready to—"

Ackar cut him off. "It's over."

"Over?" said Raanu, confused. He turned to Metus. "What is he talking about?"

Metus shrugged. "Who knows, with him? He might still be upset about that match with Strakk…or maybe he's been out in the sun too long. I'll talk to him." The fight promoter walked over to Ackar. "Uh, listen, Ackar. With all due respect, you don't have any authority here—this is a match between Tesara and Tajun. And you're too late anyway."

Metus gestured toward the arena. The match had indeed already started. Tarix had fired his Thornax launcher, but Vastus dove aside before the explosive sphere could strike him. It slammed into the ground and went off, sending a spray of shattered rock into the air. He hit the ground and rolled, ending up on his feet and firing his own launcher at Tarix.

The Tajun Glatorian saw the Thornax coming at him, but was too late to move aside. He brought his weapon up to block it, but the explosive impact still sent him reeling.

Ackar had seen more than enough. He stepped up to the railing, even as Metus tried to block his way. "Wait, what are you doing?" asked Metus, his tone a little frantic. Ackar might have already seen his best days, but Metus knew he was still a Glatorian that others listened to. If he spoke out against the Glatorian system, who knew what might happen?

Gresh, Kiina, and Mata Nui moved to Ackar's side, pushing Metus out of the way. Ackar leaned over the rail, his eyes scanning the crowd of Agori and the two Glatorian fighters. "Listen to me!" Ackar said. "All fighting between Glatorian must stop. Our real enemy is out there, in the desert, massing as we speak."

The response of the villagers was shouts of, "Sit down, you old fool!" and "Mind your own business!" As serious as Glatorian matches were, they were also one of the few sources of entertainment for Agori. Beings who spent each day just trying to scrape together enough resources to survive needed whatever distraction they could get, and they weren't in any hurry to give it up.

It was the voice of Tarix that silenced the shouting. "Quiet!" said the Glatorian. "Let him talk."

Vastus moved to stand beside Tarix, his weapon relaxed and unaggressive. "l agree. Speak, Ackar."

"Thank you, Vastus. And you, Tarix," Ackar said. "Now listen to me, everyone. The Bone Hunters and the Skrall have formed an alliance."

This provoked a chorus of disbelief from the crowd. Some threw their hands up into the air and turned away. One Agori could be heard saying. "Why are they making us listen to some old loser's fantasies! Get on with the match!"

"It's true," said Kiina. "Tarix…our village has been destroyed. I saw it with my own eyes. We got there too late to help. The Agori who were there escaped, probably out into the sands, but…it's gone…all of it."

"Impossible…" Tarix whispered. "l should have been there. I told Metus this match was a bad idea, especially when you would be in Vulcanus, but Tajun needs the food that is at stake here. And now, you say there is no more Tajun."

"Kiina speaks the truth," said Gresh. "Tajun is gone, and it's just the beginning."

"We must unite, not fight each other," said Ackar. "Time is running out."

As soon as he said it, Ackar knew he had made a mistake. The Agori—before simply an angry and skeptical crowd—had now become a fearful mob. Who could blame them? Many of them had seen firsthand the aftermath of Bone Hunter raids, or the Skrall destruction of Atero. They had witnessed Glatorian running before the might of the Skrall army. Why should they believe Glatorian could save them now that their two worst enemies had joined together?

Raanu chose that moment to step forward. He held his hands out to the crowd, gesturing for them to sit down and be silent. "Calm yourselves!" he said. "Your village leaders will know what is best for you. We will do as we always have." The Fire Agori was not only the leader of Vulcanus but was also the chairman of the Council of Elders, a body made up of the rulers of the various villages of Bara Magna. It was a position of great power and he was the first modern Vulcanus elder to hold that title.

But Mata Nui could no longer stay quiet. He knew all too well the dangers of underestimating an enemy or expecting that the old methods of dealing with a problem would always work. It was thinking like that which had cost him a universe. "Your old ways will not work," Mata Nui told the crowd. "You are facing a unified army now. I have seen this before. They will not stop until your people are destroyed."

"This is crazy," said Metus. "Let's everyone just think for a minute. It can't be as bad as all that. Maybe…maybe the Skrall and the Bone Hunters just happened to hit Tajun at the same time. There might not be any alliance at all. We could be getting all upset over nothing."

"Nothing?" said Tarix, outraged. "You call the destruction of my village nothing? Be glad you are not a Glatorian, Metus, or I would have your head for that."

Raanu turned to Ackar, his voice a harsh whisper. "We have no weapons, Ackar, not any that can stop the Skrall. You know that. How can we fight back?"

"Enough!" yelled Ackar, as he thrust his weapon up into the air. Fire erupted from the blade, lancing high into the morning sky. As one, the crowd gasped and started to back away.

Silence.

"Yeah, we kinda thought that would get your attention," said Kiina.

"Mata Nui has offered to help us build up our defenses," said Ackar. "With him at our side, I know we can prevail. He is a Toa."

Raanu snorted in disbelief. "Mata Nui? 'Toa'? Why should we trust this stranger?"

The crowd echoed Raanu's sentiments. Mata Nui understood how they felt. After all, he was not one of them. From what he had seen, the Agori lived a hard life. Most likely, trust would not come easily to them, even in the best of circumstances. And this was far from the best of circumstances.

"Tarix, give Mata Nui your weapon," Ackar said.

The Tajun Glatorian glanced at Vastus, who nodded a truce for the match. Tarix nodded in thanks, then stepped forward reluctantly and threw Mata Nui one of his crude swords. He carried twin water blades and a spiked Thornax launcher, which he carried now. However, they were marked by years of use. "What is he going to do with it?"

"Show you the power you already possess," answered Mata Nui. He brought Tarix's weapon to his brow. As soon as the weapon touched the Mask of Life, it transformed, becoming a far more ornate and powerful-looking sword.

Tarix and the Agori looked on, stunned. "I don't believe it," Tarix said, as Mata Nui tossed him his new weapon. "It's…incredible."

Ackar turned back to the crowd of villagers. "What more proof do you need? The time to unite the villages has come. If we stand together, we will win!"

The Agori burst into cheers, all but Raanu. He still looked unconvinced. Gesturing once more for silence and receiving it, he looked up at Ackar. "If we agree, do you Glatorian and this Mata Nui swear to stay and protect us?"

Kiina, Gresh, Ackar, Tarix, and Vastus nodded their assent. Then all eyes turned to Mata Nui.

"You do not have to ask for the allegiance of the Glatorian. You know where our loyalties lie," Ackar replied to Raanu. Then he turned to Mata Nui. "But we cannot speak for you. I will not pretend I have anything left to teach you. Our bargain is settled. But I'll ask: as a friend…will you help us?"

Mata Nui reached out and locked arms with Ackar. "Then, as a friend…I will stay."

The five Glatorian formed a circle around their new ally. Raising their weapons in the air, filled with the hope of victory, they cried out, "We fight together!"

Their shout echoed across the desert, ringing from the mountains and riding the wind across the dunes. Somewhere, a Bone Hunter's Rock Steed cocked its head, wondering at the noise. The beast pawed the ground, every sense alert, eager to charge. For though it could not understand the words the Glatorian had spoken, it knew well the meaning of the tone.

It was a battle cry.