Kora: Mata Nui

Chapter Thirteen:

A spirit that moves

"Wow." Jala stared down there at the lava flow from his position up on the outer, main defensive wall of Ta-Koro. Or rather, he was watching the large figure surfing on the lava as well as the smaller figure clinging to the Toa's back screaming as loud as she could about something that included amputation.

"I didn't know anyone could hit that pitch." Takua's voice said before the Chronicler ducked under taller Jala's arm for a better look at what was happening, sometimes he disliked being one of if not the shortest Ta-Matoran.

"Being female may help in that regard Takua." Kapura commented, standing behind the other two, having come up to the Caption with the Chronicler just a moment ago. The black and dark red Matoran was well able to look over their heads, and just about any other Matoran's head, to watch as well. Kapura shifted, bracing himself and smiling as he let Takua climb up his side and perched up on his shoulders.

All three Ta-Matoran watched their Toa introduce their Kora to more than just the concept of lava surfing. Every minute or so one, or all, would wince as the caught a (rude) word or two that they could understand, most of what Storm was yelling (screaming) was in one of her two native languages. The Kora was doing a wonderful impression of a boi-leach on Tahu's head and shoulders according to Takua's opinion and experience, the only one of the three to spend a lot of time in the Ga and Le Wahi zones.

"Is this Kora Storm's first time lava surfing?" The Chronicler asked after a while tilting his blue Kanohi, he had gotten back from his trip to Le- Onu- and Ga-Koro.

"Yep." Jala attempted to repressed a smiled as he remembered the scene not twenty minutes before. Of the Toa 'convincing' the younger fire spirit to come with him. Mostly it had been Tahu picking Storm up, half tossing his Kora on his back- the spot she and the Matoran on a whole favored for free rides. Before Storm could ask where they were going, Tahu had jumped up to and then off the other side of the Ta-Koro outer wall.

Since then, Storm had been making full use of her knowledge of three different languages, plus a Toa sub-dialects that was programmed in and recently popped up. Including some things she'd learned from Tahu himself as he took his fire-sister on a tour of first the lava fiends and then later planned to go through his favorite, half underground lava tubes and passages.

"I believe you all," Turaga Vakama's voice drew the attention of the line of Ta-Koro Guards (and one wanderer) that had been watching the show and all turned to look at their elder. Nine masked faces had the same expression that said something like 'I've just been caught with my hand in the sweet berry bowl!'

Once he was sure he had the Matoran's attention, if a bit shocked, the Turaga made a sound not unlike one clearing their throat, "Have things to do rather than stand there leaving the gates unguarded." He finished.

There was a predictable scramble as the nine Ta-Matoran suddenly remembered all at once they had things to do. No one could give a scolding like Turaga Vakama could without sounding like it at first. The elder's orange on red eyes narrowed at the edges in that way that said he was smiling as he waved at Takua over, wanting to hear of his earth brother and what the Chronicler had to say about the other Kora he met on his journey to the other villages.

Before fallowing Vakama turned partly to watch his people's living elemental spirits, their guardians and protections. Vakama's eyes widen at the argument and yelled words that were flung back and forth between the Toa and Kora of fire. The elder face-palmed and sighed before hobbling off to the Chronicler's home, listening to him as Takua excitedly told of how he met three other Kora.

Elsewhere the local Toa smiled to himself at the tone of his younger sister, then frowned as he sensed something he really didn't want to deal with right now. The volcano under and around them, the thing that ate up the rock only to rebirth it as the semi-liquid lava flows and raining ash was churning its insides deep within the heart of the great volcano. Tahu glanced over his shoulder as the first signs of one of the larger lava waves started to show, an over flow from deep below.

"Hang on sister!" The elemental warned as he shifted his stance on the joined swords that doubled as Tahu lava-bored.

"I AM!" Storm paused, no longer on Tahu's head but still hanging onto his shoulders, "Why?" she asked eyeing the back of the Toa's head.

"We're going to have a flood and go off the falls." Tahu replayed in oddly calm, and matter of fact tone. Unusual for the Toa who's tones were filled with passion in one form or another. Like his inner fires always changing in intensity with his moods.

"Oh." The Kora blinked a few times, half sliding into that position on the Toa's back that seemed to have Matoran sized hold build into the armor. She dared to peek around the red colored bulk that was Tahu after a moment and saw the 'falls' that he was talking about. "Ohmygod! No! Ta-HUUU!" Storm re-glomped her brother with all the force of a Onu-Matoran as they were launched into the air once more. She squeaked as she belatedly sensed what the elder of the two fire spirits already did, building and rolling behind them like so many charging Rahi.

Magma and molten rock gushed out of the tunnel they just fled and added to what was already falling.

"Badday! Badday! Badday!" Somewhere in the back of her mind, Storm noted that she must have spent too much time with her cosine and best friend, she was picking up on some of the things she would say.

"Storm, stay on my back!" The Toa said flipping to get his swords in both hands before doping into a free fall to let his sister scramble to readjusted her grip on the dark grey and red armor. Everything narrowed down to the here and now. Tahu was focused only on what he was doing, no other thought outside this pocket in time and space, gathering energy to activate his Kanohi Hau Nuva, the grate mask of shielding, as soon as he attached his person to the nearest wall of rock with his twin swords.

The younger Kora looked up after Tahu had slid to a stop, and watched in a horrified fascination as the glowing molten rock bursting from the tunnel in a spectacle display of nature's wrath, the metaphorical pulsing blood of the Mangai volcano. The lava lit up the dim underground magma 'cross road' area they were in, one of several.

Time seemed to slow as the magma ark down in the air and made its way to where Toa and Kora where. It was so completely beautiful in a raw, terrifying sort of way. Storm could feel the heat, the liquid fire above and in her. She was sure Tahu did too as he seemed to grow, becoming larger and more powerful as part of his element came plummeting at them like a runaway bullet-train. It was like he was absorbing it all to be added to his already powerful, inner inferno.

With a near start the younger fire spirit realized that that was what was happing, and not just to Tahu but to the Kora herself as well, only on a smaller scale since she was obviously not a Nuva. Storm could feel herself getting stronger in the blazing heat that would have already killed a true human several times over, and the after affects of the Makuta's sickness was fading away.

Then time realized that it should go back to its normal pace, and the lava streaked towards the two. Just when it seemed that they were in essence and maybe literally going to be toast, Tahu activated his mask's power.

Tahu wasn't the only one to relish in the feeling of his element surging past him on all sides. His smiled when he heard Storm yell in a triumph behind him, no fear was in her voice this time as she shook with adrenaline.

It was a full five minutes later when Tahu dropped down on a carved path way used for those who had to hike back up to the Koro after lava-surfing. He turned as he felt the Kora shift, let go and dropped down, Tahu arched up an eye ridge as he spotted the glow of Storm's now reviled heart-light, as well as the change in color of her skin. A proper dark gray in Tahu's opinion instead of that odd pinkish shade.

"You. Are. Horrid." Storm said after staring into Tahu's tri-colored gaze, unaware of the changes that happened as well as those she and the other Kora were about to explode into.

Tahu smirked as he crossed his arms, "Thank you."