Even after the cataclysm, Ko-Metru was as warm as ever, which was to say as cold as Nuju's scowl whenever someone was annoying him. It was, however, that very reason Vakama had come. After all, if Nuju were as predictable as hoped, he would have sought refuge in his 'home turf', given the obvious fact that he was more familiar and capable in colder terrain.
The Hordika side of him hated the facts, but even he could not deny the instinctual likelihood of it all. 'Why is this one even relevant?' He grumbled in Vakama's mind. 'It's not as though we don't have an ice wielder already.'
"Because," Vakama growled under his breath. "he may be a second ice user, but that isn't the point of why I want to find him."
'Then what is the point?'
"The point is that he was my Brother, and even if he hates me I'm going to try and get him out of this mess, even if it kills me."
The Hordika in his mind growled irritably at this answer. 'I don't know if I should commend your loyalty or take over and slap us for you. Face it; Nuju hates us, the others almost all hate us, and you hate me. Why even bother with any of this nonsense in the first place when you know they'll all want to kill you in the end anyway? It's not like they trust you anymore.'
"You think this is about gaining their trust?" Vakama asked incredulously, pausing in his wandering bout. "What part of 'he was my Brother' did you miss?"
'I fail to see it as important, considering that he probably wants to kill you the moment he finds you. For all you know, he's been hunting you this whole time.'
Vakama paused at that, looking tentatively over his shoulder, half expecting to see Nuju mere moments from attacking. He wasn't sure if it was a relief or not when all he saw were his own footprints. "He... he wouldn't attack me on sight." E agreed feebly. "Nuju's smarter than that."
'People do funny things when they go crazy. You killed your own father, and nearly killed those kids. Not to mention you almost slaughtered Nokama, and whoever else tried reasoning with you.'
Vakama cringed as though someone struck him. "Stop reminding me about that. I can hate myself well enough on my own without you helping."
The Hordika barked a laugh. 'I am you, Vakama. I can hate you all I want, and you have no way to stop that.'
"I'll find a way." He replied, albeit unconvincingly. "I'll get rid of you somehow. I just... I just haven't figured it out yet."
Trying to ignore the Hordika as he laughed, Vakama set off once again, shivering and pulling his cloak tighter around himself. He had to keep moving, lest he get too cold to even do so any more. Of all the drastic changes he had gone through, one that haunted Vakama the most right now was his increased temperature sensitivity. He needed heat to stay mobile, and staying mobile was the best way for him to generate heat. Vakama had known this before even setting foot in Ko-Metru, and even with the known risks he had – quite foolishly, perhaps – gone through with his plan. Now he was wondering if he had made a bad call. "I should make a fire and warm up..."
'Have fun finding somewhere.' The Hordika snorted. 'You would have better luck finding innocence in Roodaka's nonexistent heart.'
"Instead of berating and mocking me," Vakama finally growled. "you could try to be helpful and ensure our survival that much more by offering advice." When he got no answer, he merely signed and continued on in silence, searching for somewhere he could take shelter and warm himself at.
He didn't know how long it took, perhaps mere minutes or possibly hours, but eventually the shivering outcast found the remains of a building that was still sturdy enough to take refuge in. In fact, Vakama had scarcely ducked into the ruined structure before the weather outside grew severe, hail and snow pounding against the shelter with an otherworldly animosity. So violently, in fact, that it made Vakama wonder if Nuju was to blame. There was little to confirm or deny it, however, and any clues were likely out in the storm itself, and the wayward warrior knew stepping out there now would be the death of him. Sighing in defeat, Vakama set about building a small fire, sitting so close that he was nearly setting his cloak alight.
The heat was almost intoxicating to him, small tingles spreading through his every fiber. His right hand twitched as he held it over the flames, allowing its orange tongues to lick his palm whenever they were tall enough o touch. He felt his eyelids droop as he moved his left hand directly into the fire, unharmed by its heat as he let it wash over his scaled skin. A delirious sense of comfort and security settled in his mind as his eyes closed, memories of better days flickering through his mind's eye. Images of trials he and the Toa Metru had endured, had conquered, played in his mind as he lost himself to thought. It drew up a memory from seven years ago, at a point in time where he and Nuju faced horrific odds, where on e wrong move would have been the death of them...
"J-just leave me, Nuju…" He whimpered, afraid to look at how out of place his wounded limb really was. "I'll just s-slow you down…" The icy Toa seemed to ignore his Brother's words as he carefully lifted Vakama off the floor and proceeded to continue down the hallway, and around the corner. "Nuju…p-please just go…"
"That's what I'm doing." The Toa of Ice responded weakly. "And you're coming with me, like it or not."
Vakama couldn't help but muster a weak smile as Nuju said this, though the heavy and labored breathing that came with it worried him. "You n-never could listen to a leader, could you?"
Nuju coughed a faint laugh. "Of course not. Someone has t-to be a rebel at some point or another…" He glanced ahead of them, most likely looking for somewhere they could hide and try to regain a little strength.
Vakama watched in silence, the agony of walking on his severely injured legs beginning to catch up with him as the adrenaline in his blood ceased its function. Struggling to stay quiet, he couldn't help but wonder how Nuju felt. He hadn't ever heard his Brother scream before, let alone the way he had when he swallowed the antidermis. And if it could last a few hours like Teridax had claimed, it must've been horrific.
Finally, Nuju located a storage room they could hole up in and, after barricading the door with anything that could be useful, sat down near where he'd propped Vakama up against the wall, and set about aligning the Toa's broken bone as best he could, using a broken broom handle and many rags to come up with a makeshift cast. As he worked, Vakama asked weakly. "Think there's any hope for us, Nuju?"
"There is always hope. Even in places such as this."
"I wondered when you would come to find me, Vakama."
The familiar voice snapped him from his thoughts, his bright eyes searching his surroundings for the source. His gaze quickly found the vague outline standing in the doorway, just barely visible in the storm. In spite of his wolf-like deformities, however, Vakama knew full well who this was. Hastily getting to his feet, the fire wielder took a quick stock of his situation before speaking. "I did come to find you, but not for the reason you think."
"And how exactly do you expect me to believe you aren't here to kill me, or drag me off to the Coliseum?" Nuju asked sharply, his tone as cold as the weather behind him. "How am I supposed to trust you, when the last time we met you tried to kill me, simply to amuse yourself?"
'He has a point on that.' The Hordika in his mind commented.
Vakama ignored the voice. "Nuju, the fact I haven't attacked you should say something, at the very least. Do I even look like I'm crazy right now?"
"No, but you didn't last time either." Nuju countered. "I'm not going to believe you, Vakama, not without solid evidence to back up your claim. You have a choice now; leave Ko-Metru, or try chasing me and find out what happens to traitorous reptiles when they get too cold to move. You have until tomorrow night to make your decision and act upon it." Even as Nuju said this, he stepped back, vanishing in the stormy darkness.
"Nuju wait!" Vakama shouted, stumbling over to the doorway and peering out into the veritable blizzard in a desperate attempt to stop the icy Hordika from leaving, though his actions were too late.
'Bah, let him die out there.' His feral side grumbled. 'You don't need to waste your time chasing an idiot.'
"Shut it." Vakama growled, plodding back to his campfire and settling near it, his gaze fixed on the flames dancing before him. "I've had enough of your selfish demands, and I'm done worrying about my own survival. I'll use tonight to regain my strength, and tomorrow my hunt will begin."
'It's a fool's errand.' The Hordika pointed out bitterly. 'A crazy notion that will get you killed.'
"Someone once said a person has to be at least partially crazy to even qualify as a Toa. It's time I returned to that. For now though..." He thrust his hands into the fire, drawing from its warmth again as he closed his eyes. "For now, I prove I still deserve the title Lhikan gave me."
Night passed without trouble, and by the time Vakama awoke, the previous night's storm had blown itself out. Standing at the doorway, Vakama – now fully rested and warm – confirmed his choice in his head before bracing himself and stepping out into the snow. The morning was bleak and grim, as it had been since the cataclysm struck, but Vakama paid it no mind. He had one goal to focus on, and nothing was going to get in his way. Not this time. Cloak wrapped around him, the Hordika of Fire set off, deeper into Ko-Metru, watching everything around them for any sign of his icy quarry, or anything that would try to get in the way of finding him. Webs laden with icicles hung over everything, silvery white with frost and glinting eerily in the rare patches of increased light that could be found.
Everything was silent save the crunch of snow beneath Vakama's clawed feet. He knew he was leaving an easily followed trail, but he didn't care. He wanted to be found, to have Nuju know exactly where he was and what he was doing. If Vakama couldn't find the elusive ice user, then at least he could be found instead.
The whole time he trudged on, Vakama heard nothing from his feral counterpart, something he decided was a great blessing to be granted. With no voice heckling him, thinking and planning were a lot easier to accomplish, both of which Vakama needed full reign over for his plan to succeed. Any distraction could mean destruction in this now deadly game of cat and mouse, especially when there was no knowing just which player was the cat.
As the Hordika progressed, a storm slowly began to build, threatening to get severe as the minutes passed, though Vakama paid it no mind; if anything this was exactly what he had been searching for. Willing himself to start exerting more heat, he quickened his pace, plunging deeper into the growing storm. If Nuju wanted to play his cards like this and expected Vakama to back down, he was sorely mistaken, and soon would be learning this fact the hard way. Pulling his cloak tighter, the crimson Hordika shouted into the blizzard, knowing full well that he was sure to draw someone's attention, be it his target's or someone else. "Nuju! Hiding from me won't stop me from finding you and sorting this out!"
As he had expected, there wasn't an answer. Nuju wasn't the sort to answer a simple call such as that, he generally never had been. What Vakama said next, however, was bound to work.
"Stop acting like a coward and face me like a Toa! OR have you let fear consume your mind during your time in seclusion?!"
The sound of crunching snow came from somewhere to Vakama's left, Nuju once again coming into view. "You're that desperate, Vakama? Fine." His clawed hands drew two crudely fashioned swords from their hooks on his belt, their edges serrated and as jagged as any alpha predator's teeth. "If you are so determined to pick a fight, I'll put you in the ground myself!"
It seemed that there was only one option left; fight Nuju , or die trying.
