Chapter 7
Banrax grinned coldly as he walked the two Glatorian prisoners down a darkened corridor. The air within this corridor seemed to be laden with dread, as though the memories of all who had wasted away in this spire still lingered here.
"This is your cell." Banrax's voice jolted Shardak back to the present. They were standing in front of a large cell carved into the rock itself. Shardak felt despair sink into him. There was no way they could ever escape that.
"We will continue interrogation tomorrow." said Banrax, his cold eyes staring at Shardak intently as they entered the cell. The interior was lit with the same cold blue flame torches that had hung within the rest of the spire.
"More of that horrible torture?" gasped Shardak, enraged. "What have we ever done to you? We were just looking for-"
"Silence!" snarled Banrax. "I do not know why you trespassed on the Circle's territory. Nor do I care. Your interrogation will continue tomorrow." he looked down at Blast's unconscious form. "As will your friend's."
The way he was looking at Blast made Shardak shudder, as though he was slowly destroying his friend's mind and enjoying every moment of this. The yellow Glatorian wondered if Blast would ever awaken, and if he did, forgive him for getting into this mess.
He heard the door slam shut as Banrax departed, and felt within that sound grim, cold finality.
It was over.
Their short, ill-fated expedition had come to this horrible end, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.
Over the course of three days, more interrogation sessions with the Ix followed. Shardak and Blast rarely spoke, but it was because the interrogation sessions left them completely drained, tearing all of the vitality from their bodies in a single decisive swipe.
In the spire, time lost all meaning. After one sleepless night, his time in the Holding Cells seemed to ebb and flow all around him, and hours seemed to last for years. During moments of icy clarity, Shardak wondered if this was a feature of the Ix's terrible torture- to lose one's grasp of time itself.
During one such moment of clarity, Banrax entered the cell, informing them that Blast would now be separated from Shardak for "security reasons." Part of Shardak's mind rebelled, but he was unable to protest as Blast was led away before his eyes.
What seemed like the next moment, he was suddenly, startlingly awake for the first time since the two Ix had tortured them. From outside he could hear the lock rattle, then watched as the door swung open.
Shardak's breath caught in his throat. Was it Blast? Or was it Banrax, his horrible, hungry-looking mask about to tell them it was time to continue interrogation?
Then he saw it was neither. The being that stood before him was tall, heavily armored in dark crimson mail. He carried a massive curved scimitar in one hand, a spear in the other. His eyes were blue, warm and generous. They spoke of great suffering, but also great wisdom.
However, his face was a mask of urgency. "There's no time to explain." he whispered to Shardak. "You have to come with me. Just let me tell you that I am no friend of the Ix and do not intend to harm you. Come!"
He reached out an armored hand, but Shardak declined. Was this an elaborate trap? A complex series of mad designs orchestrated by the Ix themselves? What did this being want?
The crimson being sighed. "If you don't come with me, all is lost! The Ix are close to figuring out who you really are. Once they find out-" he broke off suddenly. "Trust me!"
For one brief moment, Shardak hesitated. He had no idea whether Blast was still alive, or what the Ix wanted of him. For a moment he wondered if it had something to do with the "aura field" the Ix torturers kept mentioning. Then, confused, desperate, scared, yet still hopeful he could find Nightshade and bring this nightmare to an end, Shardak grabbed the being's hand.
The crimson being's eyes brightened. "I know the way out." he said, "And I've already disabled several Copy guards that tried to stop me."
"What about the Ix?" asked Shardak, his voice scared. "They've been-"
"I know what they do to prisoners." said the crimson being darkly. "I've been in their claws before." Something about his voice made Shardak lose all thoughts that this being was lying. As they raced down the darkened corridor, Shardak felt his old curiosity begin to return. Perhaps this being could answer all of his questions about the Ix, Banrax, and the obsidian beings. Perhaps there was some way out of this after all.
Then he remembered the cold, sardonic eyes of the Ix watching him being escorted to the spire, and the horrible interrogation sessions, and his hope began to crumble once more.
"We are here." said the being. Shardak looked up and saw the being was about to open the door to the spire. Quickly undoing the lock, they left the spire.
Words failed to describe how much pain seemed to be lifted from both Shardak's body and mind as a rush of cold air washed over him. In contrast to the dark, claustrophobic atmosphere of the spire, the city seemed open and bright. While it had done nothing to ease his fear that Banrax, the obsidian beings, or the Ix would notice them, nor had it eased the strange dread he felt within this city, it had cleared his mind of the Ix's dark designs.
Then reality rushed back. Shardak noticed armed guards, both obsidian constructs and pale-eyed beings, patrolling the inner wall that surrounded the spire. There was no way out. To Shardak's surprise, none of the beings seemed to notice they had just emerged from the spire. They looked warily at the doorway, but did not seem to notice they'd opened it.
"Why haven't they noticed us?" he whispered.
"A simple trick. I cloaked the door's opening using an illusion, and are cloaking our presence in the physical world with the aura field. Thank Mata Nui there were no Ix guarding this area, they'd see right through it. I'll explain everything after we're out of danger."
Shardak looked around and saw that, indeed, they seemed to be slipping through the shadows themselves. They were almost completely invisible, and if anyone even spotted them, it would only be for the briefest of moments. They'd dismiss it as a trick of the eye.
Quietly, the crimson being and Shardak approached the gate. In the cold green light, Shardak saw that the gate was bolted. The being, however, acted like nothing was wrong. Slowly, both he and Shardak began to grow even less visible, and vanished altogether. Shardak saw a field of energy, like the one surrounding Blast and the Ix, enveloped their invisible bodies as they passed through the wall itself.
"What happened?" he asked, when he'd recovered from the shock. They were standing in the long, winding road at the center of the city. For a moment around frantically for some sign of obsidian beings or Ix, then relaxed when he saw there were none.
Slowly, they began to grow corporeal again. Shardak saw them both briefly materialize in the physical world, then slip into the realm of indistinct shadows once more.
"My mask power is- or, was, intangibility. I can still access the power. I'll tell you everything soon." said the being in reply. Shardak opened his mouth to respond, then paused when he saw the tall, mechanical form of obsidian being walking past them. Shardak thought then they were lost, but the being passed them as though they were not there and Shardak breathed again.
"We're here." said the obsidian being after a few moments. Shardak looked up and saw they were standing before a nondescript, rather run-down building on the edge of a narrow street. A single of the menacing lampposts shed light on the house, revealing two dented windows and a stone door.
Slowly, the being pushed open the door, then breathed in deeply when they were both inside. Suddenly dizzy, Shardak leaned against the wall, and when he recovered he saw that the being looked extremely tired.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"An aftermath of the Aura Cloak I used. I'll recover."
Shardak felt as though his head was going to explode with questions. Who were the obsidian beings? Where was Blast? What did the Ix want with them? What did this being want with them?
The being must have somehow sensed his confusion, because he raised a single hand. "Please, sit. I will tell you everything, starting at the beginning.
"First of all, my name is Silencer," he said. "I am- or was- a Toa."
"A Toa?" asked Shardak incredulously. "They disappeared ages ago, long before the Kodax. And besides, I know what Toa look like. They resemble Glatorian, and you really have no resemblance to one."
"I said I was a Toa. I am no longer. But for me to explain, I need to know where you come from, and a little about you and your friend. How much do you know of the Ix?"
"Very little." admitted Shardak. His mind was awhirl; could he really trust this total stranger? Then again, he'd freed him from the grasp of Banrax and the Ix, so it was possible he was a potential ally.
Oh, Karzahni, He thought, finally, and began, describing their life in Intax under the petty and brutal Kodax. He then told Silencer about Arcturas and Nightshade, but not revealing their names, and how they'd returned home to find the street burning, He described the obsidian beings, their threats, and Arcturas' death at the hands of the cloaked Ix. He then recounted how he and Blast had discovered Nightshade had been captured, and how they'd pursued the obsidian beings through the strange void. The told of their battle with the strange white draconic beings and their capture by Banrax, the journey through the void and the strange energy fields.
Finally, in a ragged whisper, he told of the horrible torture he'd suffered at the hands of the Ix for what had seemed like years. He told Silencer that Banrax had separated him and Blast, and how the Ix kept asking if he knew how to utilize the "aura field."
Finally, Silencer asked, "Your father. What was his name?"
"Arcturas." replied Shardak.
Silencer was good at concealing his emotions beneath his helmet, but he was unable to stop the jolt of recognition from flashing across his face. He stared at Shardak in complete shock for a few moments, then let out a ragged whisper,
"Did you tell them his name? Did you tell the Ix Arcturas' name?"
Shardak suddenly felt horribly ashamed that he'd elicited this reaction from Silencer. And while his time in the Hold was a blur, he remembered telling the Ix that his name was Arcturas.
"Yes." he whispered. "They forced me to tell them."
Silencer's face was grim. "Then it is even worse than I thought. No wonder there were no Ix present on the streets today."
Shardak was growing impatient now. Silencer seemed to be deliberately not explaining anything about this "Circle." to him, and he finally asked.
"I've told you everything I know." he said. "Now, you have to explain. What is the Circle? Who are the Ix? What is this aura field they keep mentioning? What are the obsidian creatures? Do the Ix control them? What-"
"I will, indeed, answer your questions, though there is much I do not know." said Silencer. "So you come from the Kodax's small empire in the Eastern Fells. I'd expected this, if you lived within any of the other mountain kingdoms or in the Ix's cities, you'd have been discovered by now."
"Hold on." Shardak said. You mean the Kodax only rule a small part of the world? They don't control anything beyond the Fells? They said-"
"I am aware of the propaganda." Silencer cut him off. "But you're still only asking questions and not letting me answer any of them. Please, be silent. I am aware of what the Ix did to you, but if you wish to survive, you have to listen."
Silencer paused, and Shardak nodded mutely. After a few minutes the former Toa began,
"For over one hundred years, there was a great order that ruled over much of this world, Xaterex, and many of the worlds beyond. They kept the Kodax that dwelled in the mountains at peace, and forced them to free many of their slaves. It was a golden age, Shardak. An age of peace known as the Arcaean Age, after the Twelve Elemental Kingdoms of Arcaea, a paradise of Elemental light and power. But all was not well there or here on Xaterex.
"I was born during the dying days of this order. I was taken among potential candidates for Toa Stones, as it was done during those days, and became a Toa. By the time I came into existence, however, the order was already close to extinction, having been scattered by war between a corrupt leaders of the Shadow Kingdom.
"Six years after I was born, a total solar eclipse fell over Xaterex, which lasted an entire year. This had been prophesied centuries ago, and it was said there that the year would bring an end to our ancient order.
"While there had been peace since the ancient Storm Wars over a century ago, powerful Makuta with ambitions began striking out that year. Their aim was to rule the entire known universe, and they came close to defeating the entire order. During that year, in the insane turmoil that followed the defeat of the Makuta rebels, a new order was founded; one that was supposed to keep peace among the various factions that existed."
Silencer sighed, as though the memories were horribly painful. "The Ix corrupted this order from within. They turned the leaders against the common people, made them so arrogant that they began to believe their destiny was not to serve, but to rule. The war that followed was the bloodiest and most chaotic since the Storm Wars themselves, and when it finally ended, the Ix controlled nearly the entire planet. And Arcaea, from mighty Shadovar, the City of Mirrors, down to the smallest outpost of the Earth Kingdom, was no more. The Shadowed Ones, as they called themselves, and their Ix allies, had destroyed it all."
Shardak was struck silent. In a single blow, Silencer had annihilated all of his old beliefs about the universe. Some of this he'd known, of course. Many ancient Matoran who were born in the years following the Storm Wars still told of the bloody battles in Laverna Realm that created a massive war. He'd never heard, however, of this mysterious order, or of the Ix.
"I fought during that final war." said Silencer. "I watched as the Ix destroyed the final remnant of everything we'd worked for for hundreds of years. This is how I came by my mutation. During a battle my body was mutated by energized protodermis, ruining my Toa powers and many of my powers in the aura field."
Shardak suddenly felt very sheltered. The horrible fear that a rival Kodax tribe would destroy their leaders seemed small and far-off now.
"And since then, for more than one hundred years the Ix have fought us." finished Silencer. "For reasons known only to them, they left much of the Kodax's mountain territories alone. Ironically, the once bloody Fells are one of the safest places to live on Xaterex, as well as a safe haven for surviving rebels."
Shardak, far from understanding, felt more confused than ever. "What does this have to do with me?" he asked. Some part of his being, however, felt as though this had everything to do with him. As if this was some inevitable part of his destiny, and that his life had come full circle?
"The truth is, Shardak, I don't know. But this brings me to the final part of my tale, and hopefully then you will understand.
"I sensed your presence in the Aura field the moment you entered the Circle. You had no idea how much power was within you, and I was afraid the Ix would figure out that you could sense the field. When you passed through the Void between dimensions, your aura somehow reached out and...Melded with mine. Then I began to wonder if you were more than just a powerful aura wielder."
Silencer sighed, as though wondering if he should say something more, then finally said, "The prophecy during the war also predicted the coming of a Last Toa, one who had a destiny..." He trailed off for a moment, and then continued. "Many, many beings were searching for this Toa, but he was never found."
Silencer paused, and Shardak suddenly knew, with horrible certainty, what he was about to say.
"When I touched you in the Aura Field, I knew immediately you were a Toa. And when you told me your father's name was Arcturas, I realized I was correct. You, Shardak, are the Last Toa prophesied during that year."
"Me?" gasped Shardak. "How is that possible? I've lived all my life in the Fells. I've never heard of the Ix, or-"
"If you've never heard of the Ix, then consider it a blessing." said Silencer coldly. "You saw what they were capable of during your interrogation. But I think you know more than even you know, Shardak. Search your memories, and I think one day you will find what you are looking for."
Shardak tried to think back, but like all being's earliest memories, they remained teasingly out of reach. "I...can't." he whispered. Then he asked, "What is the Aura field? The Ix were asking me about this during interrogation constantly, and when I told them I didn't know...they..." he trailed off as he thought of the horrible, pressing darkness, as though he was falling into an endless abyss of shadows.
"I know. I've suffered their torture before during the war." said Silencer. "Anyway, the power of aura is simple. Each being, each object, has a field of energy around them. Tapping into this aura field allows one to be able to sense emotions and ideas. The field has been around as long as the multiverse has existed, and some believe it is a being with a will and purpose of its own."
"So that's why when I fought the white beings in the void I was able to sense their animalistic instincts." guessed Shardak. Silencer nodded. "Advanced controllers of this field can use it as a weapon as well. There can be nothing more powerful than using someone's own aura against him. It is...unusual for Toa to have Aura as an element. Toa of Aura was very rare, even before the war."
"You're a Toa of Aura as well, aren't you?" said Shardak, remembering how Silencer had told him he'd used the aura field to cloak them both from the eyes of the pale-eyed and obsidian beings. "When the obsidian being passed by us, it didn't even notice us at all."
"No, I was a Toa of Fire. Since my original powers were lost, I can only sense and use several limited Aura field powers. Perhaps it was a side effect of the energized protodermis that changed me. And the obsidian beings that killed your friend are Copies of Corpse. The Ix's shock troopers."
"The being that killed Arcturas. Was he an Ix?"
Silencer nodded grimly. "The Fury," He said at last, speaking the name as if it were a curse. "He's a powerful Ix, but I don't know how much sway he holds in their order. The Ix's empire spans many plains of reality, yet they are highly mysterious. While there's talk of a sort of inner circle within the Ix's hierarchy, no one knows for sure."
Silencer's face became unreadable, but his eyes were full of sorrow. "He's been on a personal vendetta to bring me down. He- he killed one of the only two people I loved, and mutated the other."
Shardak's mind was still full of questions about Silencer's past, but Silencer looked so pained and full of hatred that he decided to ask the most obvious of questions that came to mind.
"What do you need me for?"
"The Ix suspect that you are the Toa in the prophecy as well." said Silencer. "That's why they've separated you from your friend. I don't know what they intend, but we've fought them all our lives, and we can't let our last hope of victory slip away now."
"We? There are others with you who fight the Ix?" asked Shardak.
"Not quite," came a new voice. Both Shardak and Silencer almost jumped in shock as two more beings emerged from the shadows.
One was tall, covered in yellow and orange full plate armor. He had three eyes, one set above the others, and his face glistened, as though coated by cold slime, like that of a squid. The other being was smaller, rake-thin and bent over. He carried two long daggers and had a blue-armored head with insect like mandibles and cold eyes that regarded them both intently.
"Ion, Melnox. Welcome." said Silencer. "Have you been listening to our entire conversation?"
"No, we've only arrived just now," said Melnox. Shardak recoiled in shock. Melnox's voice was resonant and deep, with a hint of Silencer's own accent. It didn't fit at all with his cold eyes or insect like appearance. "We would've arrived through the front door, but the entire Circle is swarming with Ix."
"Are we safe here?" said Shardak, suddenly worried that the Ix would find them again.
"Probably." answered Ion. His voice was similar to Melnox's and Silencer's. "This place has been abandoned for years. Still, this might be a good time to get moving to another safe house."
"I haven't asked for his cooperation yet." said Silencer. His voice seemed heavy, as though what he was about to ask weighed heavily on his mind.
"Shardak, we can't fight the Ix. Even with your help, we still can't fight them. But we cannot let you be captured by them. It could mean the final ruin of Xaterex and the worlds beyond."
Shardak's mind was still spinning. He'd been taken from torture at the hands of the Ix by this group of rebels who had no way to battle the Ix at all, but needed to prevent him at all costs from falling into their hands. He'd heard Silencer say he believed he was the subject of an ancient prophecy. He felt as though he should have been amazed or in shock at what they believed, but he was simply confused. Even his hatred of the Copies of Corpse, which extended to the Ix now as well, had been dulled to a low ache deep within him.
"What do you intend?" he asked finally.
"We need time. Time to train you in the ways of the aura field, to control your elemental power. I am one of the leaders of an organization who actively opposes the Ix, and I must train you for the battles ahead. Many prisoners are taken from the worlds above the Circle, and we can disguise you as a worker near the Edgelands while we train you to control your powers."
He said now, in a softer tone, "I know how incredibly confusing this must be for you."
"And then..." asked Shardak.
Silencer sighed. "I was hoping you would not ask, but there is more. For years, the Ix have been searching for this, something I have guarded for years. It is known as the Shadow Orb. What they want it for is unknown, but they would kill to possess it."
Silencer raised an object to the light. It was shaped like a crescent, a thin metal object that was formed of pure darkness. Like the Ix's cloaks, the object seemed to absorb light, rather than reflect it.
"If the Ix gain this, it will mean the final ruin for all hope against them. Their masters will regain control of the multiverse once more."
"The Ix's masters?" asked Shardak. "Who are they?"
"No one knows. They are spoken of in many Matoran tales, worshipped as Great Spirits and deities. Many of them are now wandering the Grand Abyss or other myriad planes of existence. They are all scattered, but many wish to rule the cosmos once more. The Ix are part of the same race, but were created after the Fall of Arcaea."
"Planes?" asked Shardak. "Banrax mentioned something about the transfer between planes, before we entered the Circle."
"The moment you entered the Circle you left a plane and entered another. They are all interconnected; all coexisting on different levels of space and time. You have moved beyond your world into another plane, Shardak. In this case, it is coexistent in time and space with your world. You saw how the torches burned with blue flame?" he asked. Shardak nodded.
"Some planes have strange differences. This is one difference that the Circle plane has from your plane; fire is blue and chills, ice is orange and burns. The world you come from is connected to nearly twenty other planes of existence.
"Shardak." Silencer continued his voice lower now. "The Ix do not yet know I am here. But they will soon. I plan to train you-"
"Train him?" Ion broke in, voice unreadable. "Silencer, isn't that dangerous?"
"It is a risk we have to take." said Silencer grimly. "I cannot allow the Ix to triumph."
Join with Silencer? Leave Blast to fend for himself in the clutches of the Ix? Shardak's head was spinning. All of these revelations were throwing his mind into turmoil.
REVENGE! The thought tore through Shardak's mind like a bolt of lightning. While at first he'd thought this was a stranger's war, he knew now that he'd been fighting the war ever since Arcturas' death. The Ix had killed his father. There was no way around that. If Silencer and the others could train him to control his powers over the Aura field, then he could rescue Nightshade and Blast.
"I will join you. There's nothing left for me in Intax now." as he said these words, he realized how true he was. Everyone he cared about was either dead or in the claws of the Ix.
And the Ix would pay for killing Arcturas.
"Good." said Ion as Silencer and Melnox prepared to leave the safe house. "We will need your power very soon."