Queen's Notes: This chapter was co-written with In The Light
Fire From The Past
"Good to be home!" Takua said from where he was back on Pewku the next morning, the group had decided to spend the night on the border of Le-Wahi's jungle. Well, more up a tree for safety and had spent most of the next morning traveling through the charred forest.
"Long as we can get some water." Macku muttered, she and Tamaru weren't the happiest at the steadily increasing heat, but not overly so.
Lhikan was more than glad to be in a Koro of fire, for once not feeling too out of place like before. He grinned, "Looks just like it did on the map." He said remembering the odd but also oddly accrete map Takua and Macku had made out of berries. Now it proved that their map making skills, no matter the medium.
"Only not edible." Tamaru could help it as he laughed, the group entering in through the main gate. Behind the roadway over the lake of lava started to sink back down in. The Le-Matoran hopped up and off the Rahi, stretching and flexing first with a call of "Highgood greetings!" to one and all.
Lhikan smiled again as he hopped off Pewku as well, grateful that they had arrived and in once piece thanks to Lewa keeping an eye on them all. "The Toa's name here is Tahu, am I correct?"
"Yes," The other three nodded, Macku hadn't gotten down, she didn't look quite ready too as she eyed Tamaru doing a little 'hot foot' dance.
Watching the Le-Matoran for a moment, Lhikan smirked. He then took another look at the village, spotting some Matoran patrolling the wall and others as well. One Matoran was heading to the group, a dark red and black Ta-Matoran that was probably one of the tallest Ta-Matoran Lhikan would ever meet.
Takua, on the other side of the size scale, laughed as he waved to the large Matoran, "Kapura! I'm back! And I have friends!"
That is certainly a taller one, Lhikan commented to himself brightly, still glad to be in the village of fire. Takua was even shorter next to Kapura, who Lhikan guessed was some sort of role in the Guard.
"Hello," Kapura said, in a surprisingly soft voice, smiling as he tapped fists first with Takua, Tamaru, and hugged Macku before offering his closed fist to Lhikan, "I am Kapura friend, second in command of the Ta-Koro Guard."
"And," Macku put in, holding up a finger, "A member of the Chronicler's Company!"
"Lhikan," Lhikan met the fist with his own in a friendly tap, "Nice to meet you." Second in command... and Jaller- Lhikan's look alike, was supposed to be the Captain.
Kapura tilted his head and then nodded, "As the drums said, welcome to Ta-Koro." He said, walking with the others as Takua started for one of the few larger structures. "Turaga Vakama says he wishing to speak to you Lhikan, when he returns."
Lhikan nodded, no doubt having his own questions for the Turaga when he returned. "Thank you. It's good to be in a familiar environment,"
"It's nice to visit, but I like it here in Ta-Koro best." Kapura agreed, watching Takua duck inside his half home, half library and then popped back out, holding two flat things over his head.
"Well, Since the Turaga isn't here..." the Story Keeper grinned impishly.
"Are those lava boards?" Macku asked, leery, and her tone was echoed in Tamaru's expression.
Lhikan blinked first before grinning, starting to see what Takua had in mind to pass the time until the Turaga got back. "I'm assuming they are, they certainly look like boards,"
"You can have my spare Lhikan," Takua said juggling his load before tipping a silver board like thing the gold wearing Matoran.
"Crosswired firespitters." Tamaru muttered shaking his head.
Lhikan took the offered board, ignoring the Le-Matoran, with a grin. "Thanks Takua! Is it very hard to do?" he asked, looking the silver board over.
"It's like normal surfing," Macku said with a long sigh for the insanities of this Ta-Matoran sport, "Only if you fall of, you-" she made a shocking good impression of armor fizzling and melting, "Instead of getting wet."
"I think Lava Boarding is fun." Kapura said, blinking.
"I've actually done some surfing," Lhikan said thoughtfully. He smiled at Macku. "They say I'm pretty good at it, too."
Macku rolled her eyes and walked over, taking the silver board from Lhikan, "Well, for one thing, you should get a bigger board because Takua's won't work for you."
"There's a bunch over by the river..." The story keeper offered hesitantly, belatedly realizing the Ga-Matoran was right, the new Matoran was taller then him.
"Okay, then I'll get a bigger one there," Lhikan said with a smile.
"You firespitters can go ahead," Tamaru said, waving his hands, "I'm going to see Takofriend."
"See ya!" Takua called after, using the phrase he'd heard the Kora use, before grasping Lhikan's hand and pulling him in the other direction. Macku lingered behind to say something to Kapura before hurrying after, still holding the silver board.
Lhikan tried to wave to Kapura before Takua dragged him off. The gold-masked Matoran glanced to the story keeper. "Does your Toa lava board as well?"
"Oh yes," Takua nodded energetically, "He's the best right now!"
"Kora Storm dose as well," Macku said, "Several of the Toa can but, in lava boarding, Tahu is the island's best."
"I can hardly wait to meet him, then," Lhikan said with a grin. Who wouldn't want to meet new Toa? And there was also the Kora to meet as well. If you took away the fact that something was off about everything, Lhikan was having a good time. "Do you play any sports, Macku?" he asked her as they neared the river.
"Oh yes!" She nodded, "I'm one of my village's best Kholii players, right Takua?" She playfully poked the Ta-Matoran that was her size, and got a poke back.
"Yeah, yeah." Takua shook his head, having the air about him that said he'd played against Macku many times in this mentioned game. "She's also one of the few Ga-Matoran that will lava surf outside of dire need."
"Not for too long though."
The Matoran of this island must play sports a lot, or at least were excited over them. Lhikan tipped his head as he thought about the sport Macku mentioned she was in. "Kohlii... it sounds like a familiar word. Is there a champion of the island?"
"Each village has won the copper mask of victory," Macku explained and then added, "Mostly Po-Koro and Hewkii! He's the best Kohlii player ever!"
If only I knew exactly what the sport of Kohlii was, Lhikan thought to himself with a smirk. He looked forward and nudged Takua on seeing the river. "This is it? It sure looks like a river of lava." he smiled.
"Yeah, this is the main steady flow that feeds the lake." Takua nodded, waving to a few forms that were out practicing on the lava itself.
The new Ta-Matoran gazed out at the other practicing Matoran and then at the nice, steady flowing lava. He nodded and turned. "Looks good. Where're the other boards?"
"Over here," Macku said, planting the silver board and moving to the right where several lava boards of different colors, sizes and shapes were set up against a rock wall. She eyed them, eyed Lhikan, and then picked out one that was bigger than she was, "Try this one!"
He took the larger board and examined it for a moment, weighing it in his hands before nodding in approval with a slight hum. "Yes, I think this should work, thank you Macku." He looked back to the lava and stepped toward it to get a good idea of the speed of the flow. Hey, this was his first time surfing on lava.
Takua let out an odd cry of "Bonziii!" something else he'd picked up from the Kora in 'English,' and ran forward onto a rock peer of sorts that went out into the lava flow. He jumped out, board under him as he skimmed the surface before hopping up to his feet.
Macku rolled her eyes, grinned at Lhikan and did much the same, minus the odd shout.
Returning the grin, Lhikan took a deep breath and lightly shook his head at the odd word Takua had yelled. The other Ta-Matoran then ran forward and copied the move, soon noticing the slight difference there was when the board hit the lava; it was of course different than water, which was also thinner.
He carefully rose to his feet after a few moments and smiled. All in all, it wasn't too hard at all.
"It's the board!" Takua yelled, flying by somehow at a much faster pace than seemed that should be possible. "The higher up you are, the faster you go!"
"NO SPLASHING!" Macku shrieked to the side at another set Matoran surfers.
Lhikan whipped his head to look at Takua, having turned it reflexively on hearing Macku shouting. He caught onto what Takua had said and rose up even more, in response he went faster. He grinned as he started after the Chronicler. "Thanks for telling me that!"
Macku glided closer, muttering and hissing under her breath something about idiots, lava, and having more than enough 'water balls' to knock everyone's mask off. Takua glance over and wisely drifted to put some space between himself and the upset Ga-Matoran.
Lhikan laughed at the Chronicler's move and glanced over at Macku with a grin. "Trouble back there?" he called, slightly gliding from side to side for a moment. He knew enough about females to know that if some unlucky Matoran upsets one, they had better watch out.
"Not..." Macku paused, dipping into subspace before coming out with what looked like a clear ball, shimmering a little. She turned around on her board, took aim and threw the ball at the laughing males behind the three.
There was a distant 'splat!' and a yelp.
"...anymore." Macku finished with a satisfied smirk.
"Nice one." Takua said looking back.
"I agree," Lhikan added with a laugh, smiling. Some unlucky fellow back there got what he deserved. He turned his attention back to the flow of the river and upped the speed slightly. "You know you kind of remind me of a friend back home, Macku," he called.
"Really?" She beamed, glad of it for him as the Ga-Matoran shifted on her board. Though not AS good as Takua (who kept drifting way to do a jump here and there while cackling his head off as he did so) she was doing more than well, but personally not wanting to stay out in the extreme heat for too long. Macku didn't have heat resistance and endurance like Ta- Po- and Onu-Matoran did.
"Yes," Lhikan nodded, smiling as he thought of this friend of his. "You two shared a lot of the same personality. Naluu and you would probably get along great," he glanced at Macku, thinking about the heat. "How much more of this do you think you can do? Takua seems to be off in his own little world at the moment."
"Pushed to it, I can last for a while but I think I'll just go when we get to the gates." Macku said, and stepped back on her board to slow down before looking up as they came into a canyon, his gaze tracing the many holes and openings of lava tubes, some had trickles of the flowing stuff joining the main river.
"Such an amazing place," Lhikan said, awed at what they were passing through as he slowed his board with the Ga-Matoran. "It's a wonder that anyone would try to damage such a place," he commented, remembering the Bohrok.
"It's our paradise," Macku said her eyes softening as she looked around, "Each part, every Wahi as well as the island on a whole. The Great Spirit brought us here... even in dark times, we still know what we have. Turaga Nokama says not many islands are like that."
"She sounds very wise to know that. And she's... right," the Matoran lowered his gaze slightly, in thought. "I hope to meet her, too. Could use some good wisdom on this quest of mine..."
"Turaga Nokama is one of the wisest of the Turaga." Macku said loyally as well as her own personal belief on the matter, "She's also the best healer of the island. She's as good as, if not better in some ways than Toa Gali is."
Lhikan grinned. "Does that mean her healing services are called for a lot?" It was meant as a joke of course. He glanced ahead at Takua as well.
"Yeah..." The Ga-Matoran nodded, suddenly her heart wasn't into the risky and thrilling Lava Boarding sport anymore, "Same reason most of us at Ga-Koro are healers, like a lot, most, of the Le-Matoran too."
"There aren't nearly as many healers back home on Miko Nui, unlike here," Lhikan replied, swaying his board left and right in the lava.
"Probably not as needed," Macku shrugged, "You'll find a lot of Ga-Matoran out in the different villages too because of that."
"Like you," the Ta-Matoran said, sending her a glance with a smile.
"I'm not a healer," Macku shook her head, "I know some things of corse but I travel because I, well, help people travel. Normally by boat. I left one of my boats in Le-Wahi."
Lhikan nodded at her words, looking about. Takua had gotten farther than them by now, since they had been talking back here. "Shall we try and catch up with Takua?"
"Good luck!" Macku laughed, knowing the natives to Ta-Koro were near impossible to catch on lava boards.