Chapter 2

Beisbeis sprinted on the Road from the cliffs, bursting over rocks, running over plants, water, mud - anything in his way. He was feeling the beginnings of an emotion that had not truly come to him in a long time: fear. It had never really affected him throughout the wars because the thought of BZ-Koro safe helped to comfort him if he were ever to be slain.

But now, the chance that their village might have been discovered was making him anxious. Many other warriors were gone helping the other Koros, so he was left with ill adapted and unequipped trainees to aid their defense. Now would be too good of an opportunity for the Bohrok to miss. Nervously, he turned his head and found Také still running, but definitely slowing down. He stopped for his younger companion.

"Can you keep up all right?" he whispered urgently. He had not scanned the area for Bohrok with his Akaku Nuva yet, so it was best to be safe than dead.

"Sir," Také panted, breathing heavily, "I can run long distances, but I can't run them as fast as you can. We must have covered half a kio in an hour's time…" Beisbeis shook his head.

"Well, it doesn't matter, we still have a quarter of a kio to go, and it will take us at least another half an hour, maybe more, to get there-"

"Wait, sir. Can you explain what's going on first before we continue?"

Beisbeis turned around to look towards the soldier. Také's face was not full of excitement or even fear, as Beisbeis had expected of most soldiers his age, but of curiosity and concern. Beisbeis sighed. He quickly glanced around the area, decided it was safe, and then turned back to address him.

"Do you know what that thing back there was?"

"Well, it was a Pahrak Va, wasn't it?"

Beisbeis nodded. "Has there ever been Bohrok on The Island?"

A few seconds passed, then Také's eyes began to widen. "Do you mean that Pahrak Va knew we were here?"

"My guess is no," Beisbeis replied, "Because a Bohrok Va usually does not travel alone if they are attacking. They might know now and send more, however – which is why we need to hurry back, and warn the people about what could be coming." As he stood up, Také voiced what Beisbeis was thinking.

"Do you think we'll survive, even with more time?" Beisbeis stopped once again and watched Také anxiously await the answer. The captain dropped his head to the ground, searching for an answer, and sighed.

"I don't know."

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The city of BZ-Koro grew closer as the twosome jogged on. The territory become more familiar as cultivated fields, then small huts and larger houses started to appear more often. Finally, they could the large structure in sight, surrounded by a small number of trees. Guards stood on the walkway as sentinels, watching the sun descend below the horizon. The enormous gates of the Koro were pushed apart and Beisbeis and Také entered the city.

The bustling courtyard in the far right corner was filled with busy Matoran that continued their business, unaware of the dangerous information Beisbeis carried with him. The fountain in the center continued to spray water for any Matoran that needed it as the captain moved left with Také following close behind. They descended the small steps down into the Great Council Building that was next to the entrance of the Koro.

Beisbeis shut the door after Také had already gone in. Darkness immediately overcame them, save for torches lit every few feet. Beisbeis and Také walked down the only hallway, and soon came to a passageway leading three different ways; a pair of immense double doors blocked the largest path in front of them. The guards on watch examined the two, deemed him safe, and opened the two doors. Beisbeis and Také stepped inside.

They were standing in a massive dome-shaped room, with nine raised seats in an almost complete circle, each occupied by a Matoran. The brightest light in the room poured onto the center, through the stained glass window in the top; all the torches along the side were lit, also. They were all whispering amongst themselves until Beisbeis and Také reached the center, and all was silent.

"Beisbeis," boomed the Matoran in the middle pillar, raising himself from the outer darkness and into the light, "You're late. I believe we called you yesterday afternoon." This Matoran wore a dark green Mahiki to match his dark green body. His eyes pierced through the holes in his masks, eying Beisbeis intently. He was someone that anyone near him could never sense his emotions, his intents. It was an unnerving quality for a leader.

Beisbeis raised one of his eyebrows as he said, "I was a bit busy, Niwan. Maybe we should ask you where you go every once in a while," he muttered, though loud enough for everyone to hear. Niwan's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I'll ignore that last retort if you tell us what you were doing for the past day."

"Well, sir, I was fighting a Bohrok Va."

Talk burst out, but were quickly silenced with a shout for silence from the Main Matoran. His eyes, scrutinized, watched Beisbeis carefully - and dare he say cautiously?

"Please explain."

It took a short ten minutes to recall discovering and fighting the creature. When the story was finished, Niwan spoke again.

"So you believe they know our location?"

"I don't know, which is why I suggest we prepare ourselves for the attack, so we are not caught unawares."

Whisperings occurred for a moment, but soon became silent.

"We cannot do that," said the Main Matoran simply, while the captain jerked his head to him, his mouth open disbelievingly. "We must act as if we do not know anything. They might not even know we are here. If we do anything, they will be sure and know, but if we keep this quiet, we have a chance that they will not discover anything." Beisbeis nodded disapprovingly, which was unlike him to do so – no one stood up to the Council.

"From what I've seen, I doubt it – so if you're going to be fools and just let them overtake us without any action - "

"You will show respect to those in higher authority than you."

The Main Matoran, now incensed at his remark, responded tensely to Beisbeis. The rather quiet noise surprisingly echoed through the large room. After a few seconds, the captain bowed unconvincingly, fury also showing in his face.

"I should, you're correct. But I only bow to those who do not let their own power cloud their senses –"

"You will show respect to those higher in authority than you!"

Niwan was now standing, bellowing at Beisbeis, rage etched over his face. Beisbeis stared defiantly back.

"Then you need to accept the fact that they will know we're here and that they are coming."

Beisbeis' remarks created a dead silence in the Council. The Main Matoran stared through his mask at the captain for a few seconds, his eyes narrowed in hatred.

"We will do no such thing. There is no need to do so. Meanwhile," Niwan pointed a finger at Beisbeis, though it was obvious he was restraining the urge to go up and use his fist instead, "You will leave this room at once. If you tell anyone about these ideas about defending something that will not come to us – " Niwan's mask glowed, and a image of shackles materialized in front of Beisbeis, floating in the air, "We will find out about it, Beisbeis. Go, now."

Angrily, Beisbeis spun around and climbed the stairs out, with Také close behind, their steps echoing again. When they reached the safety of the outside, Také whispered, "…Now what?"

"We need to make it out on our own – right now. I expected opposition from some, but I didn't expect the whole Council to turn on us. We'll grab some weapons, then leave… and…" Také became nervous.

"And? And what?" Beisbeis shook his head.

"Well, we'll figure it out from there. C'mon, we better hurry if we're going to make it out before they arrest us for something ridiculous."

Beisbeis and Také hurried off the Lower Level, watching the now silent courtyard for anything hiding in the shadows as dusk fell.

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'BZ-Koro was divided into two sections, the Upper and Lower. The Upper was where many of the larger buildings were located, such as the Armory, Library, Infirmary, etc.

The Lower Level was the home of the Matoran. They lived, dined, and performed other activities underground, along with storage of most of their food. There was only one staircase down and up to the Upper and Lower Levels, to prevent attacks from enemies.

History

BZ-Koro holds a great legend regarding Metru Nui–

As the picture grew fainter, a disappointed Cahdok released her hold on the Bohrok.

'Is this all of the Wall of History you could see?' she asked the Tahnok.

'Chikt-chikt-chikt.'

'The rest was rubbed away?' The Tahnok nodded.

'Very well. You may leave.'

When the Bohrok exited, Cahdok started talking to herself.

'We didn't get all we wanted.'

'But we confirmed the existence of the Koro,' reminded Gahdok, 'that will get us started.' Cahdok distantly nodded.

'Yes…' Suddenly, her head jerked up.

'Send the Bohrok to BZ-Koro.'

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Beisbeis and Také walked through the stone stairway that led to the Lower Level, closely watching everywhere about them. They would not be surprised if they were arrested on the spot for an imaginary law and taken to the prison until Niwan's consent. The market had closed earlier than normal, so no one would be there to defend them; they needed to leave, and fast. Luckily, they met no one as they descended the spiral staircase.

A few seconds later, the Lower Level appeared in front of the two Matoran. This place was similar to Onu-Koro, with lighted huts scattered into groups everywhere, and a larger-than-normal dome building in the center, which served as the dining area. Over to the far left corner, just below the entrance of BZ-Koro, was a large stash of Madu Cabolo, a fruit that surprisingly exploded when combined with enough pressure, and were therefore used in combat for clearing away sections of enemies. The captain never felt comfortable with the possibility that he might be blown up by some accident involving those weapons. However, it was silent, the air was stuffy, and no one could be seen. Beisbeis turned to Také, his voice a quiet whisper, trying to keep the silence.

"All right, head to the quarters, and gather anything you need from your bunk. I'll go get my stuff and we'll meet back here in ten minutes." Take nodded, and started walking to where the soldiers were housed, his feet slapping on the ground, until they became a faint echo.

Beisbeis turned to his right to follow the path that led to his quarters. Even though the soldiers and captains lived in the same building, a thick wall separated them from each other. There were only twenty or so captains, and as the rest were either leading BZ-Koro's armies or on duty here, there was no one in the recreation hall when he entered, or in their rooms, from what he could see. Beisbeis silently thanked the Great Spirit's for this small stroke of luck, and then headed down the hallway and to the left, where he entered his room.

There was nothing especially impressive or amazing in this place – just a simple wooden bed, drawer, desk with some unfinished letters to the stations on The Island, and a chest in the corner of the room. Quickly, Beisbeis dipped into his scanty provisions, map, cloak and his valuable Volo Lutu Launcher, a machine that by using two elements of contrasting polarity he could essentially propel in a certain direction, After searching the chest, he looked for any weapons he find on the floor. There was nothing of sentimental value that he had that he could bring – he would have to leave it to the Council. Taking one last look at his quarters, he turned around, pack in hand and mace over his back. As he turned to shut the door, a voice rang out to his right.

"Hold it right there!"

The captain turned to find two soldiers standing side by side. One held his sword in his hand, while the other held an old mace. Both tried to appear firm, but Beisbeis could see both were nervous – their hands tried gripping their weapons, but they did so incorrectly. He could handle younger soldiers.

"You are under arrest for spreading rumors of Bohrok coming to BZ-Koro," one tried to say in a commanding tone, "We are to take you to them to be judged."

Beisbeis sighed in defeat, dropped his pack, and walked slowly with his head down. Suddenly without warning, he grabbed his mace from behind and smacked the closest Matoran's jaw with the hilt. The soldier fell to the ground, stunned, dropping his mace with a clang, while the second raised his sword and pulled a whistle out of his armor. He exchanged blows from Beisbeis, and quickly blew three short notes. Yet, in this he made his mistake: in his moment slight moment of triumph, he forgot about his enemy. Beisbeis smacked his opponent in the head; but in the quiet that followed, he could hear another whistle pierce the outside above.

"Oh, great…"

The Matoran quickly grabbed his backpack from the ground and ran out of the building. Také was already waiting for him at the captain's entrance, his eyes nervously watching around.

"What did you do?" he said nervously over the growing noise.

"Make a mess," Beisbeis grumbled, pulling the slipping pack onto his shoulder, "No doubt the gate will be closed by now…"

"Then how are we going to get out?"

Beisbeis signaled for Také to follow him. As they made their way along the path, lights began to appear inside the huts. The captain picked up his pace as he pointed up to Také.

"We're going the only way we can now – over the wall." Také shook his head, aware of the rapidly growing number of lightstones appearing in the Lower Level.

"And how are we going to get over there?" Beisbeis pulled out his cloak.

"Just follow my lead. And make sure you watch where you fall."

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The two-cloaked Matoran silently made their way up the large spiral staircase, taking a few steps, then stopping suddenly, as noise would come closer. So far none had actually come on the stairs, and yet the captain's confusion was rising.

"It seems as if they think we are already at the top," he whispered to Také, "But they're not coming down…"

Suddenly, a soldier appeared climbing down and suddenly stopped, bewildered at the sight he was seeing. Také burst in front, pushing under the Matoran's legs and flipping him over. Beisbeis flinched as the body collided with the ground and caused the narrow passageway to echo.

"C'mon, they might've heard that," he whispered, and Také obediently followed behind, anxiously watching from behind.

Moonlight bathed over the Matoran as they came to the Upper Level entrance. The guard on watched turned around with a surprised expression.

"You're not –"

At the sound of the guard, Beisbeis punched his abdomen, rendering him silent for a few moments. Using their advantage, the two Matoran burst to the right and up the stairs to the walkway along the wall. The guard at the top drew his sword, but Beisbeis quickly swung his mace under his feet and yanked forward. The mace grabbed the leg, tripping the guard, while the two runaways burst over him and onto an empty walkway. Far away, Beisbeis and Také could hear the voices of an officer heard shouting, "Quickly, shoot them, before they escape!"

An archer next to him shook his head. "He's a captain – we can't shoot him!"

The Matoran turned to the soldier. "You can if he's a criminal – now hurry, or you'll be searching for him in the night!"

A few moments later, arrows whistled past Beisbeis and Také, narrowly missing them. Both stopped at the corner, while Beisbeis turned to Také.

"Go, go!" he urged. Také nodded, and leapt off of the building. A few moments later, his Miru shown as the Matoran hovered over the underbrush, waiting for the captain. Beisbeis grabbed his Volo Lutu Launcher, blindly took aim, and launched the small ball of Protodermis. He was jerked forward off the battlement as he caught the sphere in the launcher once again. Unfortunately, he still had a few more feet to fall. Beisbeis fell with a pain in his back. Despite the twinge, he picked himself up to avoid arrows from archers at the top that sank deep into the ground all around him. The captain quickly began running away from his home that he had known his entire life.

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The tide of the beach washed over the grains of sand, back and forth, as it had always done since the beginning of Time. Slowly the earth eroded away into the vast sea. The Matoran stood at the head, observing the stars. He wore a tan Rau to match his slightly dark brown body. The mask was a mask he cherished for his occupation – stargazing. The stars had always given him his peace in his life; now, however, he studied the sky with great anticipation, referring to the book that contained all the prophecies concerning the Red Star, the brightest star in the Mata Nui sky.

"The Star is linking with a legend that says war will come to BZ-Koro," he whispered to himself, "But it sounds as if war is coming to us now, and – "

Suddenly a noise from the sea caused him to lower his head. There were shapes jumping from the various strips of land jutting from the sea, coming towards them. As they came closer, the astronomer's eyes widened. He gasped horrifyingly.

The Bohrok were coming.

The Matoran turned and sprinted for the soldier outpost. They needed to know about this, before the Bohrok's terror would come.

The astronomer could hear a small rumble behind him. They were coming for him!

The Matoran quickened his pace, and glanced behind him. He could not see anything.

The noises stopped. His sprint slowed a run, a jog; and then stopped. Something was going on…

Suddenly, he was slammed to the ground. Red eyes and a Krana VU glowed back at him as he raised his claw. The astronomer gasped, his heart thumping, a tear rolling down his cheek.

"Chikt-chikt-chikt-chikt- "

It was the last thing the astronomer ever heard.

The Lehrak dropped the limp body and watched as it sank into the sand, the poisons already working on the corpse.

Silently the Swarms advanced to the outpost nearby.

Their mission was succeeding.