Chapter 4

Fairon, blissfully unaware of how close to death he'd come at the hands of Spirak, and then Nightwatcher and Girahk, strode silently through the woodlands. He'd seen the Kodax known as Fyxan and Fyxon, along with the massive Noctian, Leviathos, going this way. Fyxan and Fyxon were legendary rebels who had fought the Ix Empire for years, but Leviathos, like Fairon, had never really served any resistance effort. Both of them had been rounded up and captured nevertheless, to please the Ix in the latest incarnation of the Eternal Game. He hoped they'd be sympathetic to his plight and perhaps help him escape the Eternal Game.

Fairon knew that, as a Toa, he'd been lucky to avoid their attention for so long. Indeed, he was lucky to still be alive and well in the Eternal Game. But as a Toa, he knew it was unlikely he'd win, not when the Ix had gone to such great lengths to eliminate the Toa. Only around six Toa had ever escaped the Eternal Game, and they were useless, living lives of pampered luxury in Drakos, the capital of the Ix Empire.

Suddenly a twig snapped, jerking Fairon from his thoughts. The Glatorian Zaeron emerged from the shadows, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"This ends now, Toa Fairon. Perhaps you fancied yourself important enough to survive the Eternal Game, just because you are a Toa? No. This is over."

And before Fairon could say a single word; try to reason with the Glatorian, Zaeron attacked.

One spear lurched at him, which Fairon narrowly blocked. Zaeron slashed his sword down Fairon's leg, drawing blood. The other spear stabbed out at him, narrowly missing. Panting, Fairon tried an attack, but Zaeron easily blocked it. Fairon had fought intense battles against deadly opponents, but this Zaeron was one of the toughest he'd ever fought. Once again, the blade lashed out, ripping a gash in his shoulder.

He's playing with me, Fairon thought. He'll finish me off when it suits him. He slashed out again, but faster than the eye could see, Zaeron blocked. Fairon parried the next strike, but Zaeron had already stabbed him again. With a kick, Zaeron sent Fairon sprawling to the ground.

Zaeron lunged, and the battle dissolved into a brutal, senseless attack. Fairon staggered away, Zaeron spearing. Fairon ducked a blow, and Zaeron kicked him to the ground.

"You are dead," snarled Zaeron as he raised the sword for the final strike. Fairon though about attacking now, but he knew that the spears Zaeron carried would block him.

As Zaeron brought down the blade, Fairon exploded upward. Zaeron was ready, and tore the sword from his hands. Pain exploded through his body as Zaeron slashed the sword down, cutting through his armor. With a last effort, Fairon ripped the spear from Zaeron' hands and stabbed outward, and Zaeron staggered backward.

Then his body turned to vaporous air and simply vanished. Gone like a wind. And Fairon was left standing alone in the dark once more, the wounds the only evidence Zaeron had ever been there at all.

Crystillix stood atop a hill near the volcano as darkness fell, and the Kodax announcer gave the death toll. "Spirak," Only one had fallen today. After only one day in the arena, he was beginning to tire of the constant worry that more of his enemies would find him. Iruka and the Fallen Six were operating near the volcano, he knew, and wondered if they were toying with him.

A dark shape strode into the night, cutting off his thoughts. A tall, well-armored being. Iruka? No. through the stars half-light, Crystillix made out cold white, mechanical eyes. The tall being spoke an inaudible word, and a door in the mountainside swung open. The creature disappeared into the shadows.

What is it? What is he hiding there? Crystillix wondered.

Prisoners, supplies, or... Intrigued, Toa Crystillix drew his weapon, the Scythe of Creation, and raced off in pursuit.

Iruka cursed inwardly.

So Nightwatcher and his alliance had won the initial battles, and his alliance had claimed the weapon caches. Annoyed at this turn of events, Iruka vowed to kill the Toa of Shadow.

Beside him, moving through the shadows like a wraith, the green-silver being, his powerful and deadly deputy Kouhiimaru followed close behind his leader, alert for any movement. Ghost floated silently beside him, while the yellow Glatorian Lekhop and the other Fallen Six followed him. Iruka cursed again, wishing that Ravdev had survived.

The calculating female Glatorian had created the alliance between them, and had been far more intelligent than Lekhop. While he felt no pity for her death, Iruka vowed to kill the Lavawight. She would have made a useful ally, and could possibly have joined the Fallen Six as well. Lekhop, on the other hand, was a sniveling coward, useless in a fight. But at least he would make a valuable throwaway pawn if it came to an open war between Velnax, Antidax, and the others.

All of the Fallen Six were heavily armed. Kouhiimaru carried a long, curved scimitar in one hand that would have taken a lesser being two hands to grasp. A longbow was slung over his shoulder, along with a quiver of poisoned arrows. Kawa carried an axe in one hand, and Ghost had his scythe. Naraku and Alloy both carried swords and wore heavy armor. Lekhop, on the other hand, had fled almost at once from the battle and made out with only twin daggers.

Weakling, Iruka thought, seeing his wounds. Of their alliance, only he had been wounded. But his fear of the wraithlike Kouhiimaru and the powerful Iruka kept him moving in spite of his injuries.

Kouhiimaru drew up alongside Iruka. Of the Fallen Six, Kouhiimaru and Ghost were the only beings who approached his strength; the others were mostly expendable pawns. Iruka eyed the rest of the Six, then nodded to Kouhiimaru, who touched his bow in acknowledgement. The exchange went unnoticed by the rest of the beings.

Kouhiimaru had very explicit orders about what he should do with any of them if they became a problem. Accidents could always happen in the arena.