M.I.A. Ch 7

*Over 17,000 years ago*
"So Hakann, care to explain this?" Said Terun. The Toa of fire toyed with the vial which was filled with a transparent, sickly green liquid.
The Skakdi's hideous smile grew wide. "Wouldn't you like to know."
Xipher placed his hands on the table. "We know you're not the smuggling type, so why the big risk?"
Hakann leaned back against his chair. "It pays well, why else?"
"That doesn't surprise me." Xipher spat as he took his turn examining the vial.
Terun then spoke. "Just who paid you and where are you taking this to?"
The Skakdi shrugged. "Don't know, don't care, so long as I'm getting paid." He then smiled and raised his cuffed hands. "Although, if you want, I'm more than willing to give you guys a cut if you let me out."
Xipher gripped the vial firmly and gave a cold glare. "Forget it."
"Oh that's right, you're 'great and noble' Toa. I almost feel sorry for you. So caught up in the spoils of fame that you cannot see the shadows behind the shadows."
"What's that supposed to mean?" said the Toa of fire.
Suddenly both Toa felt a surge of needle-like pain penetrate their minds. They placed their hands on their heads and screamed. The Skakdi stood up and grinned as his cuffs glowed bright red. With one good pull, he yanked the chains apart. He shot another barrage of mental bullets at the Toa. His faced beamed with pleasure as they collapsed under their buckling knees.
So focused on his mental pain, Xipher didn't notice how tight his grip was until the vial shattered, spraying the liquid all over him. Hakann cursed under his breath. The Skakdi then heard the sound of Toa approaching.
"Guess I'll have to kill you some other time." he growled.
His eyes glowed red and a beam of heat shot out, blowing a large chunk out of the wall. He ran out, leaving the Toa half conscious.
"Xipher! Terun!" cried Naromia as she ran in.
Xipher moaned and opened his eyes. "Oh my head."
Slowly he sat up. When his hand lightly brushed the floor he hissed and pulled his hand back.
Naromia noticed the shards of glass embedded in his hand. "Brothers, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," spat the Toa of fire as he got up.
"Same here," replied Xipher, who then hissed after trying to remove a shard.
"Here," She held Xipher's hand gently, "We'll get that cleaned up."

Xipher cringed his teeth and hissed.
"Hold still, will you?" snapped the Toa of water. "What is this stuff anyway?
"No idea." He replied as he wiped his mask. The glowing orb of water soon dispersed and Xipher was free to move his other hand around.
"How's that?
"Better. Thanks."
She acknowledged him with a slight nod. "So what did you get out of him?"
"Nothing really," he said flatly. "But there was something he said that bothered me."
Naromia tilted her head. "And what's that?"
"From what he's implying, there's something big going on and we're oblivious to it."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"A little help here?"
Scott then stood back and watched as Xipher dragged a large log through the forest with little difficulty. He followed him to the beach, where a cluster of logs was being measured and chipped away with hatchets. Sam, Josh, Mike and Daniel worked in teams, carrying fat branches on their shoulders to their makeshift hut, where Saber placed them on the roof. Amanda was also arriving with handfuls of long, palm tree-like ferns.
Once the branches were in place the ferns were laid out on top and held down with a few more limbs. Scott took a step back to admire their hut. It only had one wall, facing the forest, but it had more than enough room for the marines to sleep in.
The leader was interrupted as Xipher cleared his throat. "Well, I think four days is more than enough. It's time for us to go."
"Oh come on. No one's forcing you to leave." pleaded Sam.
"I helped you build your…. 'house'. What more could you want?"
"A raft?" said Josh.
"You have all the material you need." He gestured at hand towards their stockpile to make his case. "Now if you'll excuse me I'm going home."
As he began to walk away, Saber took a few steps, but stopped and glanced at the Humans before continuing on.
"Oh and one more thing." He stopped and turned halfway. "I wouldn't venture north if I were you. A thick blanket of fog constantly covers the area. It would be a shame if someone got lost." He turned around and walked into the forest, where they eventually disappeared in the midst of the foliage.
Scott sighed deeply. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's build a boat."
"We just built a house," complained Josh. "Now you want to leave before using it?"
"I never said we were going to leave today. We just need to start working on the frame and tomorrow we'll have ourselves a raft."
"We can't just strap up a pile of logs and call it seaworthy," said Daniel.
"Then what do you propose?"
Daniel picked up a stick and drew in the sand. "I say we build an outrigger canoe. It would have two hulls connected by arms that then extend outward onto supportive floats. A deck can be built between the two for our supplies and a sail." He finished his drawing and looked at the staring faces.
Josh had a finger on his chin. "Where exactly did you get this idea?"
"My girlfriend and I went to Hawaii." He said sheepishly.
Scott rested his head on his chin. "The idea is good, but what you're proposing could take weeks to make. Plus we would need to find logs thicker than what we have."
"I know, but the payoff might be worth it. Just imagine being able to island hop knowing you can control where you go, and if the winds are in your favor you can let it do the work."
"What about getting the logs? We'll need Xipher's help and Mr. Personality still doesn't seem to like us," reminded Josh.
"We won't bother him," said Scott. "Besides, I'm pretty sure we can handle this project on our own. We're Marines after all."
"Hu-rah to that." Mike cheered.
Some of the men smiled in response, including Scott. "And I know where we can get our first log."

"Okay, who's idea was this?" exhaled Amanda as she wiped the sweat off her forehead. Then then faced Scott. "Oh wait, it was yours!"
She and the other Marines rested against the four-foot wide log they dragged.
"Look on the bright side," Scott panted. "Only one more to go."
"Oh hell no!" moaned Josh.
"When we do find another one can we please make sure it's less than a quarter mile away?" suggested Sam.
The tired leader looked at her and gave a weak smirk. "Well then tomorrow you can scout out one for us." He patted her on the back before getting on his feet and walking to the camp. "Come on guys we're done for today.
She stared at her leader in disbelief. As Mike walked past her he stopped.
"Mind if I join you?"
She looked up at him and smiled. "Not at all."

"How about this one?"
Sam shook her head. "Nah, too thin."
"You've gotta make up your mind. I think we crossed your suggested quarter mile limit three miles ago."
"I know, but everything's too fat or too thin. Let's just keep going."
Mike followed her for over a mile through the fogged forest. Occasionally they would freeze when an unfamiliar Rahi sound startled them. They soon found themselves traversing up a gradual slope. Partway up Sam stopped. She examined a tree that they were about to pass.
"I think this is the one," she said with a smile.
"Finally." Mike took his pack off and pulled out a hatchet. He went up to the trunk and took a stance with his legs apart. He took deep breaths and made several loose, mock swings. Then he stiffened up, tightened his grip on the handle and exerting his strength into a blow. Whack! The blade cut its way a half inch into the bark.
Sam grinned. "Take it easy, it's not an axe."
He wriggled the handle until it came out, and then made another blow, this time taking a small chip out. This went on for an hour, in which the two took turns chipping away at the fat tree.
"I think it's time we stop," panted Mike. "It's getting late."
Sam looked up at the sky. "You're right."
When they turned to go back they stopped and noticed the fog had thickened.
"Which way did we come from exactly?" asked Mike.
They scanned around, but could barely see fifty feet in front of them.
"Well this is great," said Sam. "Now what?"
"How about we keep going up the hill? Get above the fog and find our bearings."
Sam replied with a shrug and followed.
It was a gradual climb, but as they got higher their visibility got poorer. Soon they could only see twenty feet out. They made their way around a large, dome-shaped boulder and took a rest.
"This is ridiculous." Mike said before sitting down. "I can't even see the trees."
Sam leaned up against the boulder and scanned the surroundings. "That's because there are none."
He gazed up at her with a confused look. She pointed to his right, where another large boulder lay. A third could barely be made out behind it, all three being around the same height. He stood up and turned to the one behind him. The stone was almost half covered in moss and vegetation. He placed his hand along the worn and exposed surface. Sam walked around the formation and stopped when she noticed a square hole that was located above her waist.
Near it was a much larger hole, starting from her chest and going all the way to the ground. Crouching down, she peered inside. Her eyes went wide and she stood back up.
"Mike, this is a house."
"What?" The Marine went over and looked inside.
The rock was hollow and she could barely see a large slab of stone against the wall, with various pieces of corroded metal on top, which appeared to be tools.
"That would make this some kind of village." Mike stood back up and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked around. "What exactly lived here?"
"The real question is where did everyone go?"
"Well we can play CSI later. Let's just get back to camp." He turned around and saw that the fog had enveloped the other huts. "Or we can stay here for the night," he said sheepishly.
"I don't see any other option." Sam pulled out the radio. "Scott." There was no answer. "Scott?" Silence. "Batteries must be finally out," she spat.
"That doesn't surprise me." He crouched down and crawled into the hut, then turned around with his hand held out. "Coming?"
She took his hand and bent down as she made her way in. While both could barely stand up to their shoulders, they gladly took advantage of the wide space. Sam pushed the tools aside and sat on the bench, while Mike was on the floor with his legs sprawled out. He took off his pack and pulled out some dried meat and a canteen. He handed her some and they took turns drinking.
"So," Mike wiped his mouth. "What'd you think happened?"
She shrugged. "Could've been anything. War, plague, natural disaster."
"I didn't see any bodies. Did you?"
"No. It's like they just left."
Soon it was dark. Mike yawned and saw a small and tattered brown cloth. He spread it across the floor and curled up on top. He placed his head on the exposed cloth and patted it. Sam laid down and face her back against his.
"Ready for another cold, dreary night?"
"I guess," smirked Sam. She then shivered. "Oh if only we had a fire."

Sam opened her eyes to a gurgle sound. She rubbed her stomach and turned over. Mike was still asleep but wouldn't be for long if her hunger kept announcing itself like a whale. To her relief sunlight shone through the window. She quietly crawled out of the hut.
The fog had cleared away but was lurking out in the ocean, waiting for the winds to push it back inland. She finally got a scope of how big their discovery was: several dozen of the abandoned huts surrounded her. There was an ominous silence to the place as a breeze passed over. For a moment she thought she heard the sound of crashing waves. She followed it several yards outside of the village until she could go no further. Below her, the cliff face dropped into the water a hundred feet below. Her eyes followed it to the shore, and then out to sea where she saw that the whole village was on the cliff.
Before she could marvel at her findings her stomach called out to her. She sighed and went into the forest. Keeping the village in sight, she found a bush with green, peach-shaped berries. She picked a handful and shoved them in her mouth. She took her time chewing as she savored the mildly sweet fruit. After eating three handfuls she filled a small cup and took it back to the village. Mike stepped out of the hut just as she approached.
"Morning," he yawned.
"Get a good night sleep?"
"Yeah, but this morning I thought I heard a cow."
Sam cracked a smile and handed him the cup of berries. "You heard that huh?"
"Yeah." He grabbed a small handful at a time as he looked around. "So where are we?"
"A few miles north of camp. We should get going though. Scott's probably worried."
A troubling bellow echoed through the forest. Mike stiffly raised his index finger. "I agree. How about we hightail it out of here and run?"
"Good idea."

Whack! Whack! Whack! Daniel stood back and wiped the sweat off his face. The bark was finally off, but it still resembled nothing like a boat. He tossed the hatchet aside and sat down for lunch. Scott sat on the opposite side, staring out into the sea.
"Come on Scott, Sam and Mike know how to take care of each other. They'll be fine." He reassured.
Scott didn't reply.
"In fact they're coming back right now."
"Very funny," he said dryly.
Josh came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder. "No, really. There they are."
The leader looked over his shoulder and saw two figures out in the distance. Sam and Mike soon arrived with weary faces.
"Guys," Scott said, "What happened?"
Mike went over to the hut and laid down, while Sam sat on a log.
"We found a suitable tree, however it's at least three miles away," said Sam.
"What?! How'd you manage that?"
She shrugged. "Got lost in the fog."
"You went north?! Xipher said not to."
Mike raised his head. "I don't think pea soup fog is the reason he wants us away. You know that cliff to the north? There's a ghost town on top."
Scott's expression was a mix of surprise and concern. "Really? How big?"
"Pretty decent size."
"Any evidence of what happened?"
Mike shook his head. "No, we didn't stay long, but we noticed that there were no bodies, no sign of a struggle or even a fight taking place. They just left."
Scott took a moment to think.
"We'll have to see this village for ourselves when we have the time." He looked over to Sam. "And while Mike shows us, you'll be looking for a new tree. One that's closer to home."

"What do you think?" asked Daniel.
Scott took a step back, while everyone else circled around to admire the boat.
"Looks great. Just need to find a perfect match."
Josh walked by with firewood in his arms. "I don't know about you but this calls for a celebration, and by that I mean a day off."
"How do you have a day off surviving?" asked Daniel.
He shrugged. "We're on a beach right? Let's just kick back and relax, boost morale or something."
Scott rubbed the back of his neck and looked at the canoe. "Well it did take us a week to finish this. I suppose we could forget about our problems for a day."
Josh smiled. "That's the spirit." He went to the hut and took off everything but his shorts and grabbed his sleeping mat.
After making it halfway across the beach he placed the mat down, put on his sunglasses and laid in a relaxing pose. Oscar and some of the other Marines got the same idea. Sam and Amanda went over to the hut to rest. Sam noticed Scott was packing a few things and checking his gun.
"And where are you going?"
He threw the pack over his shoulder. "I'm going to take a look at that village you were talking about. Anyone care to join?"
"I guess I'll go," said Daniel.
"Same here," replied Mike.
"Alright. Sam, you hold down the fort."
"Yes sir," she replied with a mock salute before lying back down.

Scott slowly moved through the lifeless village. Its eerie silence hadn't faded since Mike's last visit. Scott approached one of the huts and looked inside.
"Well, whatever these people are they left in a hurry."
"I know, but why?" asked Mike.
"They had to have left some kind of clue." Daniel walked past several huts, until they came across one slightly larger than the rest.
Above the door was a carving partially covered in moss. He dug his fingers in and scraped the moss off to find a circle with a set of perpendicular lines filling the lower half of it. He kept scratching until he unveiled six large circles, each with smaller circles, lines, or both inside.
"Hey guys, check this out!"
Daniel turned around and saw Mike at the edge of the village. He and Scott rushed over. On the back end of a hut was a claw mark composed of four gashes, each over a foot and a half long and nearly two inches deep.
"What do you think did this?"
"Don't know," replied Daniel "but it kind of looks like Xipher did."
Scott gave him a look. "What makes you say that?"
"Look at the pattern. It's made by one hand, but with two sets of fingers." He raised his hand and separated the index and middle finger away from the other two, which looked like a horrible attempt at a Vulcan salute.
"Who else on this island has the same kind of hand?" he concluded.
"It could've been someone else. And why strike only one house? Doesn't sound like an attack to me," argued Scott
"We'll just have to ask Xipher about this." said Mike
"But, what if this is the real reason he doesn't want us up here?" asked Daniel.
Scott and Mike gave each other concerned looks.

The three Marines had dreary expressions as they lumbered back to camp. But as they approached the campsite they noticed only Josh was present. He was sitting down roasting some meat.
When Scott made it over he dropped his pack and let gravity pull him down to the log. "Where is everyone?"
"They're with Xipher."
His eyes lit up. "He's back?"
"Yeah, he came to check up on us." He pulled back the stick and examined his snack before putting it back over the fire.
"Does he know where we went?" Mike asked nervously.
"Nope. As far as he knows you're out gathering firewood."
"So, where did they all go?" Scott repeated.
"To find another tree. They're been gone for over an hour now."
They then heard chatter in the distance. As it grew louder they heard a large amount of vegetation being disturbed. Soon Xipher emerged out of the forest with the end of a fat log on his back, followed by the rest of his team. He continued to pull the trunk along until he was three quarters of the way to the water. His spikes folded and he raised the log into the air. With a good push upwards he tossed the log over him and onto the ground where it made a loud boom.
Xipher took deep breaths. Despite his arms appearing limp, once he stretched himself he looked like he could keep at it for several more miles. He turned around and saw Scott.
"Where were you three?"
"Looking for a tree," said Scott "But it looks like you found one already."
"Well don't expect me to build this whole thing for you." He then faced the completed canoe. "Have you even tested this yet?"
"No," replied Daniel. "We don't even have paddles made."
"I suggest you do and make sure it's sea worthy." He started to walk back into the forest. "I'll check up on you next week."
"Wait."
Xipher stopped. His spikes and ears went down as he looked over his shoulder at Daniel.
"I-I was hoping you could teach us your written language."
Scott gave him an uneasy look.
"Why?" Xipher asked coldly.
"Somewhere along our way we'll have to do some reading." He remained stiff as Xipher stared silently.
The Toa took a long breath. "Fine, but on the condition I learn your written language."
Daniel smiled and nodded.

The Marines sat around the campfire, each one using a stick to write their names in the sand. Xipher slowly walked around them to observe their progress. He stopped at one.
"You're name is Bqott?"
Scott looked up and over his shoulder. "How can you not tell what it is?"
"It looks like a 'B' and a 'Q'. Try again."
Scott erased the first two letters and tried again. "Okay, how about now?"
"Still looks like a B and a Q"
Josh couldn't help but smile. "Turn your head. Maybe it'll look more like an S and a C."
Xipher did so. "Nope."
Everyone chuckled. Xipher continued his observations. Once he made a full circle he stopped. "Not bad for your third day."
"Alright now let's see your progress." said Sam.
Xipher stood still for a moment, then knelt down and began to write. He had found that English was harder than he thought due to the fact it had two forms: upper and lowercase. Slowly he drew in the sand. X-I-P-H- he stopped halfway through the next letter, trying to remember what he was missing. He eventually recalled it and drew the middle line to complete the E.
Once done Scott gave a quick look over. "You got it right."
Xipher gave a quiet breath of relief.
"So, what'll our next lesson be?" asked Daniel.
Xipher let out a yawn. "I think that's it for tonight. In fact I think that's all I know." He stood up. "Just practice on your free time and we'll see how it goes." He walked up to a large tree and leaped up to a thick branch, high above the ground.
"Hey Xipher."
He glanced over to Scott.
"You know, there's room in our hut."
Xipher was quiet for a moment. "Perhaps another night." He replied, and then laid down.
"Don't you want to at least talk a bit and socialize?" pleaded Mike.
"No." he said coldly and shifted his head on the other side of the branch.
Sam stood up and walked to the hut. "Well, I think he has the right idea. Goodnight guys."
The Marines bid her a goodnight.
She looked up at Xipher. "Goodnight."
The Toa moved his head enough to give a quick glance. He only stared at her before putting his head back down and closing his eyes.

It was too early in the day to hear laughing and cheering. Xipher opened his eyes, then squinted them back as the sunrise tried to blind him. When he could see again he saw the Humans around a circle dug out of the sand. In the center were Mike and Oscar fighting with their bare hands. He groaned to himself and sat up. After jumping down he walked over. Daniel was the first to notice him and stepped out of the way. Amanda and Sam did the same thing.
"What are you doing?"
"Refreshing ourselves," replied Oscar. "Gotta keep those skills sharp." He went in for an uppercut, but Mike pulled away.
Mike then jabbed him in the gut. Half of the group cheered.
"I'm next," said Sam.
"I can't hit a lady," smiled Mike.
"How about you take on Xipher?" said Josh.
"No, not this again," said Scott.
"I don't mind." Mike replied. "I've been wanting to see how a fight like this would turn out."
Xipher smirked. "Alright." The Toa stepped into the ring.
Josh leaned towards Scott. "This is going be interesting."
Scott rolled his eyes. Once again Xipher stood still as Mike paced back and forth, fist at the ready. The Toa snorted and reached out to push him, but Mike moved out of the way. He thought nothing of it and reached out for him again, but Mike pushed his arm aside and went in for an upper punch. His fist only reached into Xipher's cape, but it was enough to make the Toa jump back in surprise.
Mike stepped back and made a gesture for him to make a move. Xipher acknowledged with a small growl and swiped at him. The crowd tensed up as Mike stepped back in time to doge the strike. He sidestepped around Xipher and bobbed down again to miss another swipe. As he did so he spun around and did a back fist into Xipher's side. While the Toa yelped in surprise, the Marines cheered. Xipher quickly recovered and with only the slightest effort he kicked the Human on the stomach and sent the man stumbling back and into the ground.
"You were lucky that time kid," he hissed, "but don't expect the next match to go so smoothly."
Mike smiled. "I'll remember that next time."