Chapter 2
The beast burst through the forest, its feet moving over grass, rock, bark, and water. Its orders from the Queens were clear, and it could not lose what it had been told to watch. The creature increased its speed as it ran along a fallen tree trunk, which was hanging over a small stream and ended resting on a large boulder covered in a light green moss. The beast halted spontaneously as it reached the boulder, and found again what it was spying on.
A group of near two hundred Matoran was on foot slowly, oblivious to the creature listening to the right of them. The beast watched as the many people passed through the edge of the tress. The spy crawled to the right to see for itself what they were staring at.
The Matoran stood uneasily within sight of the outpost. Two of the mass stepped forward and turned to face the armed Matoran in front. One with a green Mahiki brought them over with a swift wave of his hand.
"Go check the outpost out and report back," The Matoran said, "And keep it quiet." The soldiers nodded and broke off to search the settlement. Five minutes later, they came back with shocking news.
"All the Matoran and Bohrok inside are dead, sir. They were killed a while ago – maybe when Beisbeis escaped."
"Dead? You mean you've led us into a trap?" A voice from the crowd made those in the front spin around to the sound's origin.
The creature saw the eyes over it and tried to hide in the shadows, but by the time it did so a dagger embedded into its shoulder. The force from the weapon pushed it off the rock, falling into the small stream below, turning the water red.
Soldiers rushed to the corpse, weapons at the ready.
"It's a Lehvak Va, sir," one said as another punctured the Krana. Sori ran to the men, his eyes widening the longer he stared at the body. For the first time since he had turned on Beisbeis, he felt a new emotion: fear. Despite his General status, he knew relatively nothing to deserve the rank. His feelings were mutual with in the others; shouts of death were heard among yells of advice.
"We need to get out of here – now!"
"We're all going to die!"
"Mata Nui save us!"
"We need Beisbeis back!"
"Now wait a minute!" All turned to Niwan, eager to hear what their leader had to say. "Beisbeis planned this! And even now he is at BZ-Koro, spawning Krana to enslave us to the Bahrag, too! We need to stop him – before he overtakes us!" A sound of agreement flowed through the congregation. Sori ran back to Niwan as he signaled for the Matoran to begin moving again in five minutes.
"Sir," he said in a whisper, "Could we talk?" Niwan nodded friendly, and the two walked a short distance away from the Matoran.
"Now, Sori," Niwan said softly, "What would you like to talk about?" Sori breathed heavily, then turned to face the forest, Niwan behind him.
"Sir… Wouldn't it be better if we were sure which side Beisbeis was on?" Niwan shook his head he looked at Sori's back disbelievingly.
"I have beyond a shadow of a doubt in my mind which group Beisbeis is sided with," he said firmly.
"But – Wouldn't it be better, just to be certain?" Sori said timidly as he turned to face Sori once more, "He is, after all, what the people need – a strong and moving leader – "
Sori suddenly found Niwan pinning him to the tree behind him, the rough bark scraping across his neck.
"And why am I not that leader?" Niwan said in a deadly whisper, his fierce eyes piercing a glare into Sori's now-terrified face. "It sounds startlingly to me that you might possibly be with Beisbeis and the Bohrok?" Sori shook his head hastily, fearing the potential retribution. "Then if you would like to keep your position, I suggest you listen to what I tell you to do. Stay with me, and you'll find your reward in the end. Alright?"
The General meekly nodded, and Niwan gave a long, stern look before turning to the group of busy Matoran ready and willing to set off once more. Sori followed after a few seconds of silence, wondering whether keeping his rank was really worth all this trouble.
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'I sense it. It's becoming more pronounced…'
The Bahrag lay in their dark lair far below the surface of Mata Nui, their servants gone to complete their tasks. Cahdok nodded her head as she felt a new presence within their sphere of influence. However, the being was so faint the Queens could hardly sense it, let alone touch it; but anyone they could perceive was worth trying to control. Gahdok strained with her power while her Sister urged her one.
'I almost have it…'
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He was in the same unending void – the lack of any dimension, along with the swirling mixture of colors and moving portraits made it evident. Soon a dot could be seen in the distance, which grew into the shape of a Toa. Beisbeis smiled; he knew who this was.
However, the smile faded away when he saw Hapori Tohu's face reveal one of sorrow. Once again, the images froze; but this time Beisbeis' picture stood in between them. The Toa began speaking, and the Matoran listened meticulously.
"You have decided your path,
There is now no other way to go,
You must endure with your choice,
And survive using what you know.
Come to me, and save what you may,
Lest all you love be lost this day."
And for the second time, Beisbeis watched Hapori Tohu step backwards. Despite all his many questions welling up inside of him, he hesitated, watching the Spirit tread away… until…
Beisbeis sat up on the mat, his breathing slightly elevated. The memory of his dream passed through his head, and he shivered slightly; the look on Hapori Tohu's face made him uncomfortable, as if the Spirit was searching him and pitying him at the same time. He shook the dream out of his mind and glanced around the room. As his sight passed over his meager belongings, a realization hit him in his head.
'I don't see my mace! Where is- "
Suddenly, the comprehension of where he was came through past his curiosity of where his mace was, and his heart sank. He sighed, pulled himself out of the itchy blankets, and grabbed his Akaku off the hard, cold floor. As he put the mask on the powers attracted to his face, and his vision came into sharp focus, revealing his cell.
Beisbeis was in the same prison he had been kept in nearly two weeks before. He had been taken immediately after the incident with the Krana; all he was waiting for was a trial to be organized. Unfortunately, with the Council wherever they were, nothing could be done yet; and even if they did show up, Beisbeis did not imagine it would be just, anyways.
His face brightened when he heard the rattle of keys and Také walked into the cell, carrying two small bowls of various foods. The soldier had been granted permission to visit the prisoner, as long as a soldier was standing guard. For this Beisbeis was truly grateful, if not just for the daily fruit and bread; none of the people wanted to even come near him, fearing he might kill them. He shook the feelings out of his head as a Madu fruit was handed to him.
"How goes everything?" he said through gulps. Také looked back, shaking his head slightly.
"They've set a trial," he said; Beisbeis looked up disbelievingly, "Whether that is good or not for us, I don't know." He watched Beisbeis nervously as the prisoner stewed over this new bit of information, slowly picking at the scanty remains of a Ruki fish while he did so.
"S-Sir…" Beisbeis looked up from his meal to look intently at an anxious Také. "Why did you… you know…"
"Put on the Krana?" Beisbeis finished quietly, almost to himself. Také nodded; he was glad his Miru covered his burning cheeks. Beisbeis sat back on the protodermis wall, lost at what to say.
"…Well…" Beisbeis glanced at the soldier standing at the door; he was more concerned with other things at the moment, "…This might sound a bit crazy, but… Well, I had a dream with Hapori Tohu in it, and he told me I needed to 'seek the darkness in order to find the light'. I assumed that is what he meant."
Také nodded blankly. Beisbeis knew what he was thinking; dreams involving Hapori Tohu should not be taken lightly, yet imagining the Leader of BZ-Koro telling a Matoran to become enslaved to a Krana was unlikely. After a few seconds, Také glanced at Beisbeis and whispered:
"So what did you learn from the Krana?" Beisbeis sighed quietly.
"Well, I found out the Bahrag are looking for something… I'm pretty sure it's not on the east side of The Island or inside BZ-Koro – otherwise the Bohrok would most likely have it by now. That's all I figured out." Také stared depressingly.
Do you think it was worth the sacrifice you made for that information?" He whispered calmly. Beisbeis was sure that was not the way Také wanted to say it.
Beisbeis hesitated. "I would think so. Are you worried that- "
He was seeing red again. It filled his senses, his mind…his emotions. It blinded him… until his sight was cleared.
A Matoran was in front of him.
Immediately he leapt from his seat and threw his enemy to the ground a moment later. Whatever he could do to stop it, kill it; whatever he could do to complete the mission. His opponent was struggling, but he became weaker… The task was becoming easier…
Suddenly, the Matoran grabbed a cup of water and threw it at him. He tried avoiding the liquid – only Krana meant for Gahlok could survive underwater – but it splashed on his face and –
Beisbeis gasped, the water slowly dripping off his face. He wiped most of his drink off with his sleeve, the shock ebbing away like the tide. Také lay on the ground, massaging his neck. After a few seconds, he looked up at Beisbeis; the prisoner saw a small tear trailing down his cheek.
"Was it worth it, Beisbeis? You're affected by it now; was it worth your sacrifice?"
Beisbeis sat, bent over, silent. Také stood up with another wet glisten in his eye, and walked to the cell door, snapping it shut. He walked up the stairs to the Upper Level, leaving the lone Matoran to himself and his doubts.
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The next day Beisbeis awoke to Khora and another guard unlocking his cell. The prisoner stood up as the Matoran walked in.
"C'mon… sir…" Khora whispered; the event would not change habit, or the respect he had for his Captain. "It's time for the trial."
The convict nodded and lumbered for the door. The soldier looked on him with pity as they made their way out of the prison.
When they came to the Upper Level, Beisbeis squinted from the vigorously brighter sun; he had been underground for so long it had already started to affect his eyesight. As his Akaku assisted to correct his vision, many Matoran bodies became clearer, along with a small wooded riser built to the side of the partially crumbled fountain in the center of the plaza. A gentle push moved Beisbeis up the scaffold's stairs, where he could see the many Matoran watching him much clearer, although this did not ease his anxiety.
"Beisbeis," a voice to his right from the audience boomed; the loud noise startled him slightly, "You have been charged of treason by collaborating with the enemy, and also assaulting a fellow Matoran. How do you plead?"
Beisbeis watched the stares of others bore into him. He took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly, trying to ease his aching heart for the hatred he was now receiving.
"I will only say I am guilty," he said quietly, "If I am allowed to speak."
A few seconds passed, then another voice rang out, "What do you want to say?" Beisbeis wiped his brow before continuing.
"I'm not going to deny I did it." He looked around the whole crowd, some of who were chattering about this new revelation. "But I did not do them because of what you may think I have done them for. I put on the Krana to discover why the Bohrok were on the Island, and what the Bahrag were after. I was trying to stop this war sooner, save many lives, and save BZ-Koro."
"Yes, that's true," someone shouted from deep within the crowd. Beisbeis' Akaku adjusted his vision, focusing until he found Karon smiling at him. "We watched him do it. We tried to restrain him, but he broke free and… well…"
"How can we trust you?" Another voice asked, as the Matoran leaned forward to reveal distrust and wary on his face – the same older Matoran he had almost killed. Beisbeis' head dropped down; he was still ashamed of what he had almost done. He brought up his head as someone coughed loudly. The assembly turned to the source, up on the platform behind Beisbeis; Khora watched everyone stare at him, nervously breathing as he stepped in front of the convicted.
"I just have a small part," he began, "Beisbeis led a squadron of us against the Bohrok. He had the chance to turn us over to them, but he didn't. I think that would count for something in this." Beisbeis smiled gratefully at the soldier he had once rebuked. Someone in the front, however, shook his head.
"While I must agree that he did have the chance to take BZ-Koro, there are many reasons that he might have not done so. It is not enough." The older Matoran nodded his head almost pityingly as talk broke out in the congregation. Beisbeis' heart fell; he could think of no other way to convince them otherwise. A gavel quickly silenced the crowd once more. The old Matoran suddenly stared fiercely at Beisbeis for a few moments.
"I can think of one more test that might prove to us whose side you are on," he said slowly, "If it is consented with everyone else. We must give him the Krana back and see what he does."
A gasp rose from the multitude. Several minutes passed away before they quieted themselves again. The old Matoran shook his head slightly.
"If he is with the Bohrok, the Krana will lure him, he will take it, and we have archers to make sure he doesn't escape. If he is with us, he will kill it. Is this agreed?" He looked at Beisbeis hopefully. The accused nodded his head, gulping slowly.
'Come on, Beisbeis,' he thought, 'don't mess this up…'
A few minutes later, Beisbeis watched the same Krana he had put on a few days before squirm out of the flax pouch. He was handed a sword, then all around him stood back to the archers surround him.
Beisbeis focused his attention on the Krana. Now out of its protection, the parasite crawled blindly around, sensing Matoran, but without the means to reach them. Beisbeis raised the sword, poised to strike, wanting more than ever to finish this problem…
But he hesitated for a second… The Krana was a XA… How nice it would be to serve in that position… Either way, he must serve the swarms… That was his duty…
'What? The Swarms are not my duty!' He viciously shook his head, willing himself of this thought. Every second as his quavering arms rose the weapon over his head once more was an eternity, and even more so when he stood holding the sword in midair. Beisbeis stood, not sure of what to do.
'Come on! Rid yourself of this, Beisbeis – do it now!"
With this thought breaking the firm grip of the Bahrag on his mind, he drew in a large breath and strained all of his very being as he swung the blade as hard as he could into the beast below him, letting out a battle cry as the Krana severed in two, the flakes already breezing away.
It was a few moments of heavy panting before Beisbeis recognized applause from the crowd. He ignored the cheers and returned the sword to the older Matoran,
"Have I earned your trust?" He asked quietly. The Matoran nodded, gradually going faster, contentment in his eyes. Beisbeis returned and staggered downstairs, welcoming sleep once more.
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After returning his possessions to his room, Beisbeis wanted to be in the open for a little bit after being jailed in the uncomfortable cell, so that night he spent outside in the front of BZ-Koro with Také, along with the guards on duty. The cold forced him to his coat; but nonetheless, Beisbeis was grateful to be free, let alone alive. He remembered this as he walked to Také, who was staring out to the west, towards Mt. Rûn.
"What's up?" he whispered. "Is something wrong?" Také did not remove his from his unknowing search.
"I just have a feeling," he whispered, "…Something's not right…"
Beisbeis glanced at the dark Mt. Rûn and shivered slightly. 'Too much cold,' he thought, 'That must mean it's time for bed…'
As he turned to enter the hole where the gate of BZ-Koro once stood, he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"Yes, Také – " he looked at a nervous Matoran who pointed to the pinnacle. Beisbeis followed the arm to where it was pointing to and gave a start.
Small explosions could clearly be seen on the mountainside. Beisbeis could not see what was causing the explosions, but there was not much doubt in his mind who – or what – it was. After a few seconds of staring at the spectacle, Beisbeis felt an impression in his mind, with Hapori Tohu's voice coming to him.
"Come to me, and save what you may,
Lest all you love be lost this day."
Immediately he patted Také on the shoulder and whispered into his ear, "I forgot to mention – I had another dream, where I was told I needed to come to Hapori Tohu's Suva. If we go, we'd better do it now, or might be too late crossing the bridge for good, judging by Mt. Rûn." Také hesitated for a moment then nodded more gradually. His skepticism of these dreams still had him slightly anxious; however, he did follow when Beisbeis walked to the captain's quarters underground.
"All right, just pack everything you're going to need, and have it ready to pick up at any time." Také nodded and walked to his quarters; Beisbeis remembered, almost two weeks ago seeing a very different Matoran walk off to prepare to leave… or escape, as was that case. Luckily, they did not have to worry about jumping from the city wall this time. Beisbeis shook his head with a small smile, then turned into his own quarters to find Karon. He found him sitting in a flax chair by the fireside, reading a book until he noticed his "leader" there. Regardless of what Beisbeis had done, some Matoran were still distrustful, and did not want him back in complete command at once, so the honor was given to Karon for the moment. Karon pretended as if that didn't matter.
"What do you need, sir?" he asked kindly. Beisbeis pointed down the hallway.
"Something has come up, and I need to travel to the Suva. I mean to take Manu and Také; Nora will be with you. I'll be taking thirty; that should be about enough for what I want to accomplish." Karon thought for a moment, then nodded understandably.
"Is there anything you want me to tell the ones that doubt your true intents?"
Beisbeis bit his lip, his eyes appearing focused. After a few seconds, he shrugged nonchalantly, and grabbed a piece of paper on the desk.
"Here's a letter from me, saying what I'm planning to do. They shouldn't argue since it involves Hapori Tohu; but if they do, just try and calm anyone who suspects us and keep watch for Bohrok, along with him…" Karon nodded intently; there was no need to say Niwan's name out loud. After a few seconds, he stood up, placed the book on the chair, and stretched out his hand.
"Good luck to you, sir. I'll hope you won't him on the way. Well, until then…" Karon pushed his arm out further.
Beisbeis looked shrewdly for a short bit, with a small grin on his face. He gripped the outstretched hand and shook it firmly.
"Until then."
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Beisbeis led the group of thirty out of BZ-Koro along the path west to the bridge less than an hour later. He took Khora with him; there was only a small number he could completely trust right now, and right now he needed all the help available. Of course, he wanted everyone to trust him regardless of who they were with; so after BZ-Koro disappeared, Beisbeis waited until he saw Také and quickly whispered into his ear.
"If people ask about what we're doing, let them know. I don't want them abandoning us right now; they're all we've got." Také nodded, and turned to a nearby soldier whose anxiety was apparent. Beisbeis smiled at his thoughtfulness, and then ran back to the front to continue piloting his squadron.
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It took most of the day continuing along the path the group before the sound of the river could be heard. Instead of relief, however, tension rose among the Matoran when they saw traces of smoke rising near their destination; all had fought when they regained BZ-Koro, and they had no burning desire to face this terror again. Beisbeis could not see any evidence of Bohrok with his Akaku; unfortunately, there were traces of heat there that revived one of his fears when embarking on this journey. He bent his back over as he reached the top of the hill. The group watched him stand up again. Their leader's shoulder drooped dejectedly as he heaved a sigh.
"Come on, it's all right…"
The group walked cautiously to the top to find the bridge over the river almost completely burned away. Only splinters of wood jutting out of the water and small fragments on either side still smoldering stood as the only proof that a bridge had even been there. Many raised their weapons after horrifyingly watching the frayed, broken, and scorched wood still occasionally plopping into the water. Beisbeis looked for signs of Bohrok; caution was better than assumption, and he couldn't see past the first hill on the other side. Before panic overtook the group, however, the captain took control.
"Matoran, it is obvious we cannot continue this way. We will step back a quarter of a kio and rest for an hour. After that, we will inform you what we're going to do next."
The soldiers were glad to comply with these directions. When they had stopped at a clearing a few minutes later, Beisbeis gathered Také and Manu to discuss their dilemma.
"All right, we can't take the bridge, and we don't have boats to go across the delta. I can't see us climbing over Bour Plateau. The only way to go that I can see is crossing Lake Lamén, at the latest, tomorrow morning. That's the only way we'll have enough time to go to Hapori Tohu's Suva and back in the quickest possible time."
Také nodded and leaned forward, looking around to see if any soldiers were nearby.
"Do you still have the, uh… effects of the Krana still under control?" Beisbeis firmly nodded, and Také sat back, appearing relieved. The Matoran sat on watch, nervously waiting to move again. Beisbeis sighed, pulling himself up.
"Well, let's see if we can't get there by nightfall…"
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It took the rest of the day to reach the edge of Lake Lamén. All Matoran were even more frightened when night fell – and the chance of a surprise attack rose. However, when the docks were in view Beisbeis sighed, slightly relieved; there were Bohrok guarding the boats, but they would have the advantage in this fight. He turned to Také and Manu, and whispered almost silently – the enemy could hear, after all.
"I can see five on the shore and three on the dock itself from here – and that's enough to make me suspicious. What I want to do is set two perimeters of archers and swordsman. The first shoot a volley, charge at the Bohrok, and finish them off. The second stays where they are and make sure there are no Bohrok hiding anywhere. Once we retrieve the boats, we'll row to the outpost on the isle, and set up the attack there. Please get your men ready." Beisbeis watched his two leaders sneak to each of their respective patrols, and soon huddled with his own group of ten.
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The Gahlok stood rather leisurely as they watched the docks. As artificial creatures, they filled the space the Bahrag put them in and little more. They watched the surrounding area around them poorly, never noticing Matoran slink over the rocks. It became their undoing.
In less than two seconds, six of the Bohrok fell to the ground with multiple piercing of arrows, most in the neck and torso. The remaining two Krana lived their last moments immediately going into the water, hurrying to swim to the island. Their intentions were short – they died as both were pierced with an arrow in the back of their heads.
Beisbeis leaped out from behind the rock he was hiding, his mace raised, ready to swing, and found… silence. He kept his mace hoisted in the air; he had gone through too much so far to let his guard down. After a few seconds with a lack of noise, however, he warily let his mace down, inch by inch.
Nothing.
"Something is not right," Beisbeis whispered to himself, "Ever since we first fought the Bohrok, they have always ambushed us. They're going against their character." Také walked up next to him.
"That's something out of our control right now. Do you want to explain to everyone how we're going to do this?"
After a few seconds, Beisbeis walked onto the wooden deck and turned to face his men. "Alright, Matoran, we're gonna get in the canoes and paddle quietly – quietly, please – to the outpost. We'll meet up on those docks in the middle of Lamén and attack the Bohrok that might be there. If you see any Bohrok along the way, don't shoot unless your patrol leader tells you to. Once we reach the outpost, let 'em fly as much as you can. Let's get to it."
The Matoran quickly moved onto the boats and began to paddle as silently as they could. As the moon rose over the lake, the boats swiftly cut through the water, never knowing which of their passengers would die tonight.
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There was around an hour of tenseness apparent in the squadron. Most could barely see past the front of the boat; and Gahlok could be anywhere in the water, just waiting to strike. Soon, however, the outpost emerged so suddenly from the haze as if a wall had suddenly come into their path. Beisbeis watched the land come closer as he studied the area.
The outpost had a feeling of over-hastiness ingrained into it. Three protodermis circular rooms were arranged like the three points of a triangle, with corridors as the lines both leading to each cylinder and creating a wall against the outside. Each circle had a small horizontal slit facing the exterior. They were meant to stop invaders from entering, although they had never been used during Beisbeis' life. In the center of the outpost was a storage depot in the center of the outpost that contained food and weapon supplies.
Beisbeis leapt onto the shore as the boats scraped the rough sand beneath it. After a few seconds of lying still on the shore, he beckoned his boat's occupants to follow, and then started crawling up the mound, hoping he would meet anyone along the way.
It was at least ten minutes before he reached the first steep side just below the embrasure. Inside he could hear harsh breathing; as he listened intently, he suddenly gasped when a hand gripped his shoulder tightly. He spun his head around to find Také and Manu lying on the rocks behind him, along with Khora in the front of Také's patrol, gripping his sword tightly. Beisbeis shifted his body to face his men.
"All right, from where we are, there are two stairways – one on the left, and the other on the right. We are next to the right one right now, so at least one patrol needs to crawl to the other side. That will be yours, Manu," he pointed at the Matoran. "Once you're there, we'll sound a 'Chikt' for the go, in case the Bohrok are around. If you hear it, just go anyways; they'll know we're here either way." Také stared at his leader with what seemed like alarm. They had never used Bohrok noises before.
"Um… Sir… Are you sure about this?"
Beisbeis nodded. "Don't worry, Také, everything will be fine. When we're inside, we take out any Bohrok inside and grab whatever we need. Let's move."
Immediately Manu's group began sliding their way under the sliver into the outpost again. As he watched them, Beisbeis felt an intense pain in his forehead. Despite his Akaku, his vision was becoming blurrier, his eyes giving a strange tingling. Red enveloped his vision; only shadows of the Matoran told him he was still where he was.
"Must… do… duty…" he whispered. And all was black.