CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: THE GUARDIAN OF LE-ARA
Kopaka turned his back on Gali, motioning for her to follow him. She did, keeping close as they walked through the deserted streets of Le-Ara. Kopaka's eye was darting in all directions; looking for the Guardian of Air.
"Gali," he said, "Do you feel something?"
Gali's Aqua Axes were at the ready, "Like?"
Kopaka shook his head, "I don't know… the air feels different; almost heavier."
A branch lifted up in front of him, and before Kopaka could contemplate why, it smashed into his face. He was lifted from the ground and hurled into Gali, knocking them both to the ground.
"What the hell?" he snarled, standing up and facing the floating branch. He noticed that a micro-tornado was carrying it, and he theorized it was part of the Air Guardian's power.
"Are you going to show yourself, coward?" he asked the tornado, dodging the stick that came hurtling his way, "Or throw sticks like a baby Matoran?"
The small twister began to grow, and Kopaka wished he hadn't opened his mouth. Roots shot up from the ground, twisting around the tornado like protective armor. Legs began to form, each as thick as a tree and similarly shaped. A pair of massive arms, formed from twisted vines, snaked outward from the cyclone to lash at Kopaka and Gali.
Finally, to complete the change, a head made from a stone carving lifted from within the tornado, resting upon a framework of vines and branches. The result was a tornado with arms and legs, along with a rather heavy looking head.
"Oh shi-" Kopaka began, but a vine snaked off of the closest arm and belted him in the stomach, knocking him to the ground again. "-t…" he finished, picking himself up, "The things I do for Matoran…"
Gali was dodging the vines with her usual grace, and Kopaka had to focus not to become enraptured by the beauty of her acrobatic assault. Instead, he lunged forward and grabbed hold of the vine-covered leg that connected the Air Guardian to the ground.
Hand over hand, the Ice Toa began to climb up the leg. When he reached the thigh, however, he encountered a problem. The legs disappeared into the cyclonic body, and he would be torn to pieces if he ventured inside.
He looked around for an alternate means of ascension, and saw the vine that had interrupted his curse hanging from one of the arms. He braced himself against the leg and lunged, catching the vine near the bottom.
"Oh Spirits!" he cursed, noticing that it wasn't a vine he had grabbed, but a form of Makara Snake. Before the snake could react and bite, however, he shimmied up its scaly body and latched onto the Air Guardian's arm. He kicked out, sending the snake down into the foliage below.
Grunting with exertion, he heaved himself up onto the gnarled bicep of the Guardian. He was about to make his way toward the head when he heard Gali let out a scream. He turned abruptly; almost losing his balance, and saw her in the grip of the Guardian's opposite arm.
"Damn," he swore, running across the behemoth's shoulder-blades and down onto the opposite wrist, "I'm coming, Gali!"
He clutched tight to a root that was jutting from the forearm and slammed his spear down on the monstrous hand. Tree sap squirted everywhere as the Guardian howled in pain, dropping Gali. Kopaka took the incentive to leap back up to the shoulder and begin severing the vines that held the head to the body.
Unfortunately, he slipped and saw the inside of the cyclonic body rise up to meet him. He closed his eyes, hoping he would at least feel little, but was surprised to feel the ground meet his body instead of the sharp wind.
He opened his eyes and saw the Guardian had moved, and that Gali was clutching its face is a death grip. She had jammed her Axe into one of its eyes, and was tearing the vines loose from the head.
The stone carving that made up the Guardian's visage collapsed, and the body followed suit soon after. Kopaka shook his head, "Thanks," he said, clearing his vision, "I didn't fancy being torn up like a leaf."
Gali smiled at him, "No problem, Kopaka."