Queen's note: I really want to just get chapters out for my stories... so they might be shorter as I try to get back into '1,000' word minimum again instead of 2,000-3,000
Kora: Mata Nui
Chapter Twenty Two:
A spirit that sees the present veil
Matoro looked up at the sudden movement just to his left, and was able to get his hunting knife out of the way before he had a lap full of confused, cursing Kora. The Language master blinked but then smiled, he likely was one of the few Matoran that knew full well what was said. "Are you alright Kora Tala?" Matoro asked, setting the hunting knife aside to his right and set his hands on the shiver white metal. "Its alright, you're fine and whole." the Ko-Matoran added, thinking Tala wasn't used to seeing her real Bionicle body again.
"I'm fine- its all okay- ow..." Tala mumbled into the Matoran's lag, not moving at first, the Kora was still, feeling Matoro shifting only to reach out and rub at some exposed organic parts, where tension built up against the integrated armor.
Feeling a sigh, Matoro leaned to his right and smiled at the Rua that lifted to meet his gaze. "Better?"
"Yeah...sorry fer usin' ya as a latchin' post." Tala said, her words still muffled at first before she sat up slowly on her hands and knees, setting back down beside Matoro.
"Still having some bad dreams?" The Matoran asked, frowning for a moment in worry.
"Not so much bad," Tala said, staring at her hands, that looked more alike to Matoro's then Kopaka right now, "Confusing. It was a tundra with no moons, then desert on Bara I think? Maybe I was reading too much to the made up stories before we came out here."
The just as pale Matoran shrugged, "You did eat a lot once you were walking again, You likely just had a strange food-dream Tala."
The Kora nodded, looking at the blue-silver-white eyes that glowed in the dim light of the hut they were in. She looked around and hmmed, taking in the differences in the style this village used. "The Ga-Matoran I think are better at improvising," She noted, reaching out to pick up a cup made of three parts of the same kind of shell joined almost seamlessly, sniffing at the cool tea inside.
Matoro chuckled, "Yes, don't tell any Ta- or Po- Matoran but I like the crafing style here more."
Tala looked up, "Wait, is this were you got those plates and bowls?"
The language Master nodded, "made from larger shells and polished. Looks like ice crystal don't they? And don't worry, its not the Turaga's tea Tala, I made it after waking up earlier." he chuckled as the Kora gave a revealed sigh as she lifted the cup up.
"Soo... silly question?" Tala asked, tilting her head at the male beside her.
"You know you can trust me for silly seeming questions," Matoro grinned now at his friend, he liked that Tala trusted him to ask what even she thought would be embarrassing to ask just anyone or the Turaga.
"Is shell fish a thing here?" Tala asked, focusing on her words to make sure she wasn't mixing too many English words into what she was saying. "For food and generally tasty things?"
Matoro took his hunting knife and slipped it into the sheath on his leg, rising up he smiled again, "Yes there is, lets go find some food we don't get in Ko-Koro." He offered a hand, helping the Kora up to her feet beside him.
"How long until its dawn?" Tala asked after they found themselves outside of the hut they had been offered to sleep in as the owner was off making a boat and wide awake.
"Probably another few hours, about four and half, maybe five." Matoro said as he looked up at the other moon world and Bara in the sky. "Tala?"
"Yeah?" The Kora tilted her head away from an odd study of what was viable of Bara Magna. Tala paused and stopped when the matoran did, who was looking down at her. "Did I do somethin'?"
"No, what did Turana Nokama say when she talked to you? About growing?" Matoro wondered, lifting a hand to hold over the Kora's head, "You're matoran size, in that human form and now."
"Its apparently gonna to happen pretty fast, over the nest few weeks." Tala said, wondering why Matoro of all Bionicle wasn't told this. She caught his wince and gave a lopsided smile, "I know, its gonna hurt a lot."
"You'll be gaining mass as well as height." Matoro worried, the white colored male looking around before hugging Tala, "I don't know how you'll change, but I will hunt for you as well. I might not get nearly as much as Kopaka can..."
"...thank ya Matoro." Tala hugged the male back, understanding the offer wasn't from someone wanting to invest in a protector, but really worry. "I'm grateful for the offer, "
"You're one of my friends." Matoro said, he didn't feel he had many true friends outside of the Chronicler's Company he was apart of.
"And ya're my friend," Tala stood back, hands on Matoro's forearms, his were on her shoulders, "Ya've just seen me as Tala, not Kora. An put up with my madness." She grinned.
Matoro smiled back, making a quiet mental note of this now that it was spoken aloud. "Still hungry?"
Tala looked sheepish, "Yes."
Matoro pulled Tala with him down the dock, waving to some Ga-Matoran that were wide awake on the beach not far away, they had a soup pot and he headed that way. It seemed to have enough for two more to eat. "Hello Ga-gi," Matoro said politely smiling at the females.
"Good morning Language Master, Kora!" one of the three said, waving them to join, Matoro recognizing the Speaker as one of the two who owned the hut he and Tala has slept in.
"Thank you Niru, for letting us stay in your hut," Matoro sat down second, pressing his feet together like the other Matoran were, and Tala fallowed suite.
"You're welcome, we're normally awake in the night anyways." Niru said, shifting to let Tala see what she was working on, weaving baskets out of the piles of purple tinted reeds beside each of the Ga-Matoran. "We're making some baskets for Po-Koro crafters, Kora."
"You're really fast at that," Tala praised, starting to sip on the soup's broth as soon as she was handed a bowl. "Really fast." She said again watching the quick fingertips working the treated reeds around and through.
"Well," another of the Ga-Matoran looked up, smiling in pride as she didn't have to look to get the weaving right, "We have been doing this for several centuries."
"Point well made," Tala said as she chewed on something like a clam but sized more like a chuck of lobster or crab. "Can I try?"
The last Ga-Matoran looked up, who was sitting on the other side of Matoro, and smiled, she spoke in a very soft, shy voice, "I can teach you some basics." She peeked up at the pale male beside her, "Both of you?"
"I...ah," Matoro hesitated, and as Tala elbowed his left arm gave a soft humming, the Bionicle equivilent of a blush. "I'd like that Garoro..."
The soft spoken Matoran, Garoro ducked her head, humming as well. "You...you'll need some reeds, when you're done. Eatting that is." she glanced over at Tala who was getting another bowl, looking confused for a split second before realizing the giggles of the other two were for the Ko-Matoran's silent reactions.
It was several hours later when Gali found the little group laughing, most of them, as she was checking in on each of the younger elemental in her village herself. The Toa arched up an eye ridge of her Kanohi mask, "You are doing well Matoro," she said noticing the nearly complete basket in his lap, though at least six beside the Ga-Matoran.
There was another set of giggles, Matoro looked up with a soft smile and amused chuckle. "Thank you Toa Gali, you should see what Tala has made."
"Noooo, you don't," The Kora said with a sigh, tossing up her arms and glaring down at the lopsided...plate? It was in her own lap, "Give me some ice crystal to make spear heads out of, or a gator but I can't get this down."
Gali chuckled, kneeling and leaning over to see exactly what Tala had been attempting to weave until it was held of for inspection. "...ah, you're first attempt?" she asked.
Tala huffed and tossed the weble thing to the side with four other odd shapes before reaching for her bowl and the cooking pot, "No." but she smiled, as the Kora knew her failures of basket attempts, were a source amusement for the Matoran and now there were calling her by name instead of just 'Kora.'