CHAPTER 5: SLIGHT PROBLEM
Kopaka hadn't even stepped four feet from the tunnel mouth when he heard a feral scream echo from within the cave. Turning around probably saved his life, as the enormous fireball that issued from the tunnel struck him in the right arm, rather than full in the back. Grunting in pain as the searing flames ate at his body; he was lifted completely into the air and slammed spine-first into a stout tree.
He crumpled to the ground, seeing Lewa run back into the tunnel screaming profanities and telling Tahu exactly which Rahi was his mother. Kopaka lay there on the forest floor, pain filling every inch of his body. He lay facedown in the loam, wanting momentarily to die. No… not die… He forced himself to hands and knees, and then used the tree he had hit his back against to rise to his feet. He swayed momentarily, proud of his accomplishment, but his knees promptly gave out, dropping him back into the dirt.
Stupid Tahu… he thought, miserably as darkness began to eat at the corners of his vision …stupid son-of-a-Muaka… I'll kick his ass so hard…
The thought was never finished as he heard a scream echo in his head. For the first time in his life, Kopaka wanted to die. Leave it to Gali to show up like this when he was his weakest. He banished the darkness from his vision and tried to force himself up again. The result was a rather messy looking push-up as he collapsed again. Mata-Nui that hurts…
Gali was kneeling next to him, summoning water and running over his body. Great Spirits bless you…he thought as the pain slowly began to recede. His legs actually didn't feel broken anymore, and he was actually able to see things without the annoying haze. He managed to force himself up into a sitting position, leaning against the tree. His one visible blue eye looked evilly into the cave as he contemplated what he should do to Tahu.
Speaking of the fiery Toa, he promptly came hurtling out of the cave, twisting in the grip of a tornado. Thank Mata-Nui for Lewa…
Gali's hands were on his face, and he suddenly realized that he must be as red as Tahu himself.
"Kopaka?" she asked, tentatively, "Are you alright."
Kopaka looked over to her, Spirits she's beautiful, "Please take your hands from my face, Gali."
She withdrew them as though he was Makuta himself. "Sorry…"
Kopaka forced himself further up; using his spear as a staff, "That… does it…" he winced, walking toward the tornado that contained his 'brother'.
"So Tahu," he gritted, leaning on his spear, "This is how you treat your brother Toa? Mata-Nui would be ashamed of you."
Tahu spit square in Kopaka's face, writhing in the grip of the windstorm as Lewa walked up beside him. Kopaka ignored the saliva running down his mask and directed his attention to Lewa, "Release him."
Lewa looked incredulously at him, "What-say?"
Kopaka shook his head, "Release Tahu; NOW."
The windstorm abated, dropping Tahu into the leaf litter that carpeted the woods.
"We have an unfinished discussion… 'Brother'…
Kopaka used his Miru for the second time that day, whisking Tahu up where neither of the Toa on the ground could see them. After a few minutes, Tahu came spiraling down from above, smashing through the upper branches of a high tree and crunching to the forest floor. Kopaka lowered himself gently down as well.
"Trust me, Brother," he said, ominously, "You don't want to hit me again."
He turned to depart, leaving Tahu in Gali's care. Tahu wasn't finished yet, however, and managed to raise his head enough to spit one last time at Kopaka's back. It fell short, and the Ice Toa looked back at his beaten brother, annoyance apparent in his blue eye. "Don't spit, Tahu, as you can't raise the humidity by a hundredth of a degree around here. Go to sleep now, brother."
He thudded the shield against Tahu's head, and the red Toa slipped into the merciful depths of unconsciousness.