Chapter 4
I open my eyes to a dim sunset fading in the west. A breeze blew into my face as I stand on the BZ-Koro wall, watching some Matoran climb the steps and grew larger every second.
But how did I get here? And what was this all about? As I ponder these thoughts in my mind, a deafening crash jerks my head to the south. A great smoke starts to billow from the Pöuri forest.
"Get some more men up here!" One of the Matoran yells. Two soldiers quickly dash down the steps to fulfill the command. I notice the cloud of smoke is moving close - too close. Trees are falling to the side; a roar is heard from the heat.
A faint answer comes from Mount Rûn, followed by another explosion, the smoke concealing the sun. The panic in the city elevates as some start screaming from the frightening sights. Another snap from a tree spins me around, rooted to the spot in shock.
Scores of swarms of Bohrok leave the protection of the forest, steadily approaching the city. I see that the Lehvak are not alone anymore; Tahnok, burning all in their sight, and Pahrak, uprooting the Earth, join them on their way to destruction. I try grabbing behind me for my mace, but my arms refuse to move. I watch in horror as a Lehvak floats onto the wall and slash a guard's stomach. The soldier stares at his bleeding wound in disbelief, then falls off the height and with a sickening thud hits the ground as more Matoran begin to climb the steps.
The Bohrok waste no time in the massacre. More Lehvak fly onto the wall, quickly silencing anyone coming to them. The Tahnok quickly brought the wooden door in flames, while the Pahrak started to smash the walls. I watch in horror as each new wave of Matoran is easily wiped away by the ever-increasing numbers of Bohrok. The bodies on the steps swiftly grow beyond; tears welled up in my eyes as I weep for each of these deaths to a world that could not see me.
Suddenly, a Pahrak swerved around and finally seemed to notice me, as if I had appeared out of nowhere. I watched, heart pounding as the Bohrok ran to me, and with a loud "Chikt!" I was thrown over the wall, the Bohrok under me looming closer, until I hit –
Beisbeis burst up onto the pad he was laying on; sweat dripping and tears pouring; although with his face drenched, he couldn't really tell one from the other. Gasping for breath, he wiped the liquid onto his hand, wondering what in Mata Nui's name this nightmare meant.
"Sir? Are you all right?"
Beisbeis snapped out of his state to find a teal Miru staring back at him.
"Yeah…I'm okay, Také." The captain tried standing up, but complete exhaustion overtook him as he quickly collapsed onto the dusty ground. Také immediately helped support Beisbeis onto a tree root and revealed a canteen of water, feeling uncomfortable.
"Are you sure you're all right, sir? You looked like you were having a fit or something…"
Beisbeis' eyes shot open as he sat up propped up on the tree and was given the canteen. Did he know what was in his dream, as well?
"I…I don't know what you mean…" Také's eyebrows sank in concern.
"Sir, if you need me to talk to you about anything – "
"I will, thanks," Beisbeis said abruptly, wanting to get out of this conversation. There was no need to worry Také any more than he had already done so. It was just a bad dream – that was all…
Disappointed, Také sat back down awkwardly. After a minute or so, another Matoran ran up and saluted nervously. A blue Hau covered his nervous face. His body was a light, almost pastel blue; his restless hands were white. Beisbeis simply nodded; he was too tired to do anything else.
"What's your name?"
"Sori, First Class Lieutenant, sir," The Matoran began nervously, "And the leader of the hunting expedition that left BZ-Koro two weeks ago."
Beisbeis sighed, relieved that they found some possible help in the fight - but he was still curious about something. "Who ambushed us in the forest?"
Sori shifted uncomfortably. "…We were the ones that did that."
Beisbeis' eyebrows raised, but Sori continued, "We thought you were Bohrok. They ambushed us and we've been trying to follow them through the forest to see where they were going. We lost them after a while and had to give up the search because some of our men were wounded."
Beisbeis sighed once and slowly pushed himself up from his resting spot, reaching for his mace and pack, his face showing the pain he feeling as he stood up. Také watched intently, while Sori was confused.
"What are you doing, sir?"
Beisbeis glanced up at him for a moment, and then continued grabbing his items.
"What does it look like I'm doing? I think that for a soldier, it would be obvious," he said curtly. Sori shook his head in disbelief.
"Sir, a wound in the arm, head and torso can kill a Matoran, let alone knock him out for several days. You have no strength left, and can barely stand as is. Get some rest before you travel."
Beisbeis stood straight and stared at the Lieutenant. "Every minute we stay here, the Bohrok move closer BZ-Koro and its destruction." Sori still shook his head.
"How do we know the Bohrok will come? How do we know that they know we exist?"
Beisbeis immediately dropped his things and grabbed the Matoran by his collar, dropping his voice to a deadly whisper.
"Listen, Lieutenant. For the past three days, I have known the Bohrok knew where we were and that they were coming. No one that was not with me at the time it happened has believed me - absolutely no one. I've been shot at, fallen off a wall, ran an entire night, nearly been decapitated multiple times, been stabbed in my stomach, and now knocked unconscious. You're right, my body can't take much more without help, but I'm going to fight the Bohrok no matter what else happens. Are you going to help me, or not?"
Dead silence covered the grove as Sori, surprise and fear flooding his eyes, nodded after a few seconds. Beisbeis let go of his collar, grabbed his pack, and looked down at the Lieutenant; he was staring vaguely at no particular place at all, resentment starting to come through.
"Just give me a squadron right now, and the rest of your group can leave for BZ-Koro when you have rested - but leave tonight at the very latest." Sori began to regain his composure as he nodded once more. Beisbeis turned to Také sitting on the root. The soldier stood up quickly, clearly shaken by his leader's change of attitude.
"I'll go get the squad, sir."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Beisbeis slowly walked though the dense underbrush of the forest, going from boulder to bush. As he scanned the area with his Akaku, he signaled behind him. Forty more Matoran along with Také slowly crept behind looking apprehensively through the foliage. One soldier with a maroon-like Ruru right behind him quietly grumbled to his neighbor, "He's been doing this for the past hour! Why is he just wasting time?"
Beisbeis silently turned around and stopped the group. He stared at the complainer.
"What's you name, soldier?"
The Matoran, realizing he had heard him, suddenly began to stammer. The others held their breath, watching the outcome unfold.
"My – my - name is Khora, Private, sir, but – but I didn't –"
Beisbeis raised his eyebrows. "Do you wish to become an officer someday, Khora?" Khora chanced a small smile.
"Well, if I could, then yes, sir." Beisbeis turned away, scanning the area.
"And why do you think BZ-Koro chooses the officers that they do? Hmm?" The captain turned to Khora again, his cold eyes staring harshly. "Maybe because they know what to do and when to do it, and to not run blindly in a dangerous situation?" Khora shifted uncomfortably.
"…Yes, sir…"
Beisbeis stared for a few seconds then turned away. The company breathed once more. After a few more seconds of surveying, he turned to Také.
'I've been noticing with my Akaku an excessive amount of heat over together in the north. I'm almost sure now that they are Bohrok - which is why I'll need you to lead some archer Matoran behind where and surround them except to the north. From here, I'm assuming it appears they have quite a few more than us, but if they try to escape through the opening, the swordsman will be ready to take them out, and finish them there. Again, surprise is the element, here – you've proven that you know what to do, Také." Také nodded silently, elated by the compliment and turned to gather the archers.
As the company began to march, Beisbeis noticed Khora staring into the forest, still put out by Beisbeis' remark. The captain came to the Matoran, patting him on the shoulder.
"Come on, let's keep going."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A Tahnok stood at the burned field, listening for sound from the silent forest, awaiting orders from its commander.
Clean it all. It must be cleaned.
Another Tahnok, a squad leader, came to stand side by side to the other Bohrok.
Not the entire island. We must search for what the Bahrag want for the mission. The first one nodded.
And then it will be cleaned. And it will be as it was, in the Before-Time.
A loud shout came from the forest, and the last thing the Bohrok saw was arrows flying everywhere into the swarm. One shot into its headplate, lost to its sight, and black slowly enveloped its vision.
It will be cleaned…
As the Bohrok tried to escape the only way not shooting arrows at them, Beisbeis yelled one more time, "Now!"
Suddenly, Matoran leapt out from behind the many bushes and immediately began slaughtering the surprised Bohrok. Také and surrounding archers quickly began volleying shots everywhere into the group of Bohrok. After a few minutes, the Bohrok began to regroup and to take revenge by grabbing the nearest Matoran. Khora watched in shock as their claws erupted in flames and almost instantly enveloped the captives – people he knew - in fire.
Beisbeis, hearing the screams of pain, feared for their lives and called, "Hold back! Get to a distance where they can't reach you! Archers, keep firing!"
The fires however spread and surrounded some of the soldiers. Beisbeis noticed the dire situation and shouted, "Hurry - help them out of there!"
Five Matoran ran out to help their comrades, while the Bohrok quickly seized the chance to regroup. Beisbeis whistled. "Everyone - follow me!"
The scrambled regiment ran on the rocky terrain southwest, while the archers leapt through the treetops. The captain did not notice where he was until he looked up and saw the familiar moss-covered rocks. They were back at the boulders, where he and Také were first seen. They could be used to their advantage. Beisbeis halted them and said, "There, all archers and spearmen - quickly, to the top of the rocks! Let's see if they can withstand one more surprise attack!" Také nodded, and the archers began scaling the edifice as fast as their legs would allow. Beisbeis and the remaining swordsmen moved out of sight behind the boulders, readying their swords, also.
After a few minutes, the Bohrok came charging through the forest, then suddenly stopped, just out of the trees. One Bohrok JA was sent out to scout around; the Matoran took aim, but Také shook his head and pointed to the much smaller swarm of Bohrok just barely in range. Silently he pulled back his string, aimed at the farthest one, and released it with a twang.
The arrow whooshed through the air and sank deep into the Bohrok's neck. A hideous screech echoed through the forest, and the Swarm looked up to see their enemies - only too late for some. Arrows zipped into their targets, while some Tahnok tried to blast fire onto the Matoran. Stepping back, Také watched the fire burn high onto the rock, then slowly die away before it reached the top; this time they were too high to be caught in the flames.
The Bohrok realized this rather quickly, and started their way around the boulder. Také watched them tromp through the damp soil and called out, "Sir! They're coming!"
Beisbeis gripped his mace hard, heart thumping, ready for them; but there was no sound coming from the Bohrok. Silently, he nodded, and the group slowly went around, waiting for Bohrok. The captain heard Také yell, "Watch out, sir!" and moved just in time to see a Tahnok fall, its Krana VU sliding out of the headplate, while the remaining Bohrok came out from behind the rocks.
"Hurry! Finish them off!" Beisbeis shouted, while grabbing his dagger and throwing it into the few still alive. Také and the archers quickly finished off the remaining Bohrok and hurried to the ground, while Beisbeis and his swordsman began destroying the Krana. While they hacked away, the captain counted the remainder of the squadron still standing. He dropped his hand in disbelief.
"Only twenty-five?" he whispered to himself. He sighed, and after a few seconds, turned to a Matoran about to slaughter a Krana.
"Wait, don't kill that one. Let me take it." The soldier, confused, watched Beisbeis pick up the Krana gingerly and place in his pack. Beisbeis stood up, pointed to a group and issued out commands.
"You, please bury your fallen comrades. And make sure you write down their names, also - we do not want to forget them." Beisbeis tried hard to not to reveal tears from under his mask, again, but he quickly shook it off. "After you are done, wait for Sori to come and meet you." They silently nodded and began to run to the encampment. The captain turned to the other remaining Matoran; most were grouped together, sharpening their weapons or keeping a watch for more Bohrok. Khora, however, was a few bios away from the group, on a stone; as Beisbeis drew closer to him, he could see his body shaking uncontrollably. The captain was reminded of himself, some years ago, when he, too, had to overcome the shock of fighting in battle.
"Are you all right, Khora?" He whispered as he sat down next to the private. Khora turned to face him; his whole body jerked wildly as he distinctly shook his head. Beisbeis put his arm around his shoulder.
'My friends – they j-just – I can't st-stay - " He jabbered quickly, and shivered slightly. Tears rolled down his cheek. Beisbeis sighed and looked into the forest before them.
"I've had some of my friends die in battle, too; and although it was painful, the only way I survived is because I knew giving up now could not be an option. I'm going to need you for the rest of this war, Khora; we are going to need all the help we can get. There will be a time to mourn for your friends. Letting their deaths fuel fear and shape your actions, however, will not do anything for you right now except let you be a casualty."
The two Matoran sat for a few seconds, the rest of the group still packing. Khora slowly nodded, wiped his face, and turned to Beisbeis.
"Thank you, sir."
Beisbeis smiled. "You're welcome."
Také quickly came up and interrupted the quiet moment. "The squadron is ready to move, sir."
"Good, good," Beisbeis said. He stood up and began his walk pack to his pack and weapons.
"Excuse me, sir," asked Také curiously, "But where are we going to go now?" Beisbeis turned to him, his eyes bright blue. He sheathed his mace as he turned to point north.
"We're going back to BZ-Koro."