Zaekura flipped through her notebook, eventually finding a blank page and hastily scribbling something down. Turning back to Neton, she said, "Alright, I'll see what I can do. For now I'd say just focus on another block."

The Rahkshi nodded and was off. She then turned to Erad, and Charla applied her powers to allow Zaekura to understand their hissing.

"Wow, that's more than we were expecting," she said, jotting down the figure. "Good thing with our Stone and Iron Toa being busy with reconstruction."

Erad made an additional note.

"Right, good point. Well, when they're free we'll have them conjure up what they can, and that should give us enough of a head start that I'll have time to organize a long-term plan for mining Iron Canyon. If you could, stop by the armory and look for a Rau, then go meet with the workers who've stuck around and talk things over with them."

When they left, Zaekura paused to breathe, and Charla chuckled a little. "You're holding up well."

"You too. At this rate we should have Xia up and running in no time! What's next?"

Charla reached out over the city, but then frowned. "Oh…it would seem she has arrived, Lady Zaekura."

"…Ah," Zaekura said, her enthusiasm dimming. She tucked away her notebook. "Okay, let's go meet her."

The two of them made their way through the city, careful to avoid getting in the way of the ongoing reconstruction. The Xians who had elected to stay were hard at work alongside the Rahkshi—on occasion they revealed an unease behind their actions, but still, such feelings were set aside and work progressed harmoniously. Zaekura was relieved to see that was the case. It wasn't perfect, but it was a start.

Soon they had reached the gate, which had been left open for their visitor. Many paces away, the Sand Lord could be seen approaching the city, flanked by half a dozen Vorox guards; Zaekura and Charla met her halfway and bowed before the elemental.

"Welcome, Sand Lord," Zaekura said. "Please forgive our state of disrepair. It'll still take a while to get things pristine, but we wanted to contact you right away."

The Sand Lord gave a vaguely melancholic hum. "Where are they?"

"This way."

She led the Sand Lord into the city, through the streets to the central tower, and down into the dungeon beneath it. Crowding the stony vault were countless free-standing stasis fields, each of which held a mutated Vorox. The Sand Lord silently stepped up to the nearest one.

"This seemed the safest place to keep them," Zaekura said. "We have guards stationed around the clock—nobody's getting in here without permission."

A cloud of sand drifted out from the Sand Lord, gently rolling through the room before eventually returning back into her body. "This is all of them. You truly did keep your promise…thank you."

Despite the gratitude offered, Zaekura felt only shame. "…I'm sorry this happened to them. I swear to you, Sand Lord: I will find a way to reverse the process and return them to normal. They'll be able to walk Spherus Magna free, too."

She looked up as the Sand Lord turned to meet her gaze. Quietly, the Sand Lord said, "You shall be held to that."

Zaekura nodded.

"How, exactly, do you plan to follow through?"

"About that…I'm expecting figuring it out will require blood samples, both from affected and unaffected Vorox. But, I wanted your permission before I took any."

"Very well. Take what you need from the sick, and from my guards. Afterwards, however…I must insist that we take our brethren back with us. Do not think that I doubt you—"

"But we're a military target, and that's not very safe," Zaekura finished. "I understand. We'll be happy to help in any way we can."

The Sand Lord took a step towards Zaekura. "…You're being quite generous. I have not yet agreed to become your ally, Zaekura."

"Your answer to that won't change anything. I'm not offering this help to try to get help back, if that's what you're thinking."

"Then why?"

"I…" Zaekura shrugged. "I just want to help. That's really it."

The Sand Lord stared at her a moment. Then, she turned and walked towards the door, saying, "I will leave you to take the samples you require."

"Thank you, Sand Lord."

"And then…I believe it wise we conduct a strategy meeting. I wish to know how we plan to proceed in this campaign."

Zaekura smiled. "Of course. I'll inform you when we're ready."


Antroz knocked on the door before slowly stepping into the room. Emsar sat in a chair next to the window, her ankle connected to the bed by a long chain; she looked up as the Makuta entered, shifting her weight and smiling.

"Quite a comfortable cell, I have to admit," the Vortixx said. "Not worried I'll find a way out?"

"There was no room left in the dungeon," Antroz said. "But even with a proper cell, I am sure you could escape if you wished to."

"Hm. Maybe."

"Emsar, might you satisfy my curiosity? What is it you plan to do from here?"

Leaning back, Emsar said, "What can I do, Makuta? I am a prisoner. Few roads are open to me now."

"What I mean is that you need not remain a prisoner. We would benefit greatly from your help, Emsar. I would much prefer to work alongside you again than to keep you captive."

"My, so quick to trust? Or need I go through a Shadow Trial to earn this freedom?"

Antroz shook her head. "No, nothing so extreme. I imagine there will be some conditions to your release, but that is something I shall have to discuss with Zaekura and the other Makuta. You will still need to earn our trust."

"Ah, I see…" Emsar's gaze wandered out the window.

Coming closer, Antroz said, "You said you were afraid that the Great Beings would label you a traitor. But here, you are safe from their reach, and—"

She stopped as Emsar began to laugh. The Vortixx leaned forward and said, "Wrong approach. Everyone knows you can't truly guarantee safety from the Great Beings. What you should be saying, Makuta, is that now that I've failed to stop you, then whether I stay in my comfortable cell or join you on the battlefield, the Great Beings are likely to react the same. I have already lost their good graces."

The silence lingered briefly. "…I've no desire to threaten you," Antroz said. "Loyalty acquired through fear is meaningless. If you believe you have a reason to fight this battle, then we will gladly accept your help, but if not, we shall not force you. And we will still do all we can to protect you should you find yourself a target of the Great Being's ire."

Emsar watched her closely, a thoughtful look on her face. "Those same pesky morals you've always gone on about?"

"…I suppose you could say they've changed a bit as of late."

"Oh? In that case, Makuta: are morals worth adhering to if they've already proved inadequate? How are you still able to have such solid conviction in something now revealed to be fluid and changeable?"

Antroz took her time in thinking of a response. Ultimately, she said, "Truthfully, Emsar, I've begun to feel it is better this way."

Emsar raised an eyebrow. "Better?"

"Before, I was so convinced of the completeness of my morals that I refused to see anything that conflicted with them. I was willfully ignorant, and stubbornly self-righteous, and my morals grew stagnant as a result. That is the reason they failed. But now, now that I have started to open my mind, to take in new information and learn different points of view…perhaps in changing, my morals are being refined, being further honed into something stronger than they were before."

"…How intriguing. Then, the most moral thing to do is to let your morals change?"

"Not change completely. But we must allow ourselves to grow…and perhaps, sometimes, the only way to truly do so is to realize that certain values you once believed in must now be shed."

Emsar leaned back once more. "Hm. Food for thought, I suppose."

"Emsar—"

"I would ask you give me time to consider it. I'm sure you realize such a decision does not come easily?"

"…All too well. I shall leave you, then. Rest easy."

No further response followed her out. After locking the door, Antroz headed for the staircase, planning to find a way to contribute to the reconstruction effort; however, a telepathic signal from Charla came to her mind, letting her know that the Sand Lord had requested a strategy meeting be convened. She gave a brief reply, and then went to the first floor of the tower and waited for the others to arrive.

I suppose, she thought, we shall have to make a plan that does not include Emsar's assistance.

She was soon joined by Krika, then Bitil, then Zaekura and Charla, before the Sand Lord herself finally arrived. The Element Lord spared Antroz a glance, but said nothing. Zaekura cleared her throat.

"Thanks for coming," she began. "Good news: the Sand Lord has agreed to ally with us! We'll be working closely with her and the Vorox from this point on, which is going to be a huge help."

"Many thanks, dear Sand Lord," Krika said. "We look forward to a prosperous partnership."

The Sand Lord rustled. "Let us hope. For the time being, how are we planning to proceed?"

Bitil waved his hand, creating a purple light projection of Spherus Magna. "That's a good question. Right now, we're mainly concerned with settling into Xia…" On the map, an area connecting Xia to Nynrah turned from purple to teal. Ga-Koro turned gray. "The walls have been fortified, and things should be in working order in a matter of days. At that point, we'll be able to start manufacturing weapons and armor."

"There's a good deal of raw material still in stock, and we have Toa of Iron and Stone on-hand to conjure more," Zaekura said. "However, we don't want to overtax them, so we're going to need to acquire some resources the old-fashioned way. Iron Canyon is the most obvious answer."

The canyon flashed yellow. Charla said, "However, there are some concerns. With how long Iron Canyon has been in use, most of the ore still there is deeper in, which makes it more difficult to transport large quantities back to the city. Also, there's Atero to consider." The great, sprawling city at the northern exit of the canyon flashed. "Now that Xia is ours, they will likely be the new source of arms for the Great Beings' forces, meaning they will be making increased use of Iron Canyon as well. Even aside from that, the canyon provides a very convenient route for them to attack Xia. We will need to be extremely vigilant."

Zaekura nodded. "I want to get what we can from Iron Canyon, but we definitely want to look into alternatives. That being said, we can't exactly go mine in the Northern Frost or Black Spikes, not with Atero standing between here and there."

"I can offer assistance," the Sand Lord said. "The Vorox know of several untapped deposits scattered throughout the desert. I cannot assure that any run especially deep, but we will mine what we can."

"Excellent! I was worried we might not have many options until we expand our territory a bit more."

"What about Bota Magna?" Bitil suggested, rotating the globe so that the immense jungle was visible. "Xia is fairly close to the border—we could easily set up a route to ship resources along. The Great Beings leave the region alone, save for Karzahni, but that's far to the northeast."

Zaekura rubbed her chin. "Hm, not a bad idea. Though, aren't there people living in the jungle? I know I heard stories about them at some point."

"Ah, the Le-Koronans," Antroz said. "I've had some interaction with them: they keep to themselves for the most part, though if we were to begin mining their lands that could very well change."

"Right. So, what do you know about them? How do you think they feel about the Great Beings?"

"As I understand it, they're a self-made tribe composed of Matoran who prefer life in the wilderness to life in the Great Beings' cities. I doubt they feel particularly loyal to the system."

"Alright. In that case, we can probably negotiate with them. Once Xia's stable, let's pay them a visit, see what they have to say." Zaekura looked back up at the map. "Going off of that train of thought, what about Aqua Magna? We've got easy access to it, and we know Kojol won't bother us. Obviously we're talking a different type of resources, but still."

"First things first," Krika said, extending his finger to point at a coastal city far to the north. "While it may be some time before we control it, we need eyes and ears in Stelt. We still have the Odinans to worry about, and if one of their ships comes into port, we want to know immediately."

Zaekura grimaced. "Oh, good point. Bitil, think you could pick a couple of Rahkshi suited for that?"

"Of course!" Bitil said. "I'll confer with them and report back by tomorrow. Consider the situation handled."

"Thanks. Well, other than Odina—and with how far north they are, we can easily avoid them—the only inhabited island is Mahri-Nui…"

Antroz faced Krika. With a sigh, the other Makuta said, "Yes, ah, in regards to that…you may recall, Lady Zaekura, that there was something we wished to inform you of prior to marching on Xia?"

Zaekura tilted her head. "Huh? Oh, that's right…it has to do with Mahri-Nui?"

"Indeed. You see…hm, where to begin. When I went to Civitas Magna, I posed as a Toa who had been newly transferred from Mahri-Nui and, with the way that situation escalated, it came to be that Makuta Yarion ended up contacting Mahri-Nui to verify that I was who I said I was. The Makuta of Mahri-Nui vouched for me."

"…Huh? Wait, why?"

"I dare not speculate. However, that Makuta has since contacted me, saying that he wishes for an audience with you. I believe it in our best interest to quickly open negotiations with him."

"Huh…well, if he's open to it, then definitely! If we ally with Mahri-Nui, then we basically have control of Aqua Magna."

"Yes, and should things go well in Bota—"

"Krika," Antroz interrupted.

Krika fell silent. Zaekura glanced at Antroz, asking, "Is there more…?"

"You should know more about the Makuta of Mahri-Nui," Antroz said. "He is not a being to be trifled with. While he does pursue what is best for his people, he is arrogant in a truly dangerous way…and if he cuts ties with the Great Beings, if he no longer has loyalty to their rule restraining him, there is no telling just what he will do."

"So he's a wildcard."

"That's putting it mildly," Bitil said. "He actually believes that it's impossible for a Makuta to be wrong about anything. Makuta like Antroz and Kojol might be a bit self-righteous, but Makuta Pridak is so convinced of his own purity that he thinks anything he thinks or wants is inherently right only because he thinks it."

Zaekura shifted. "…Yeah, not liking the sound of that. How does…I mean, Makuta disagree, right? If he thinks they're both automatically right when they want different things—"

"I know, it's absurd," Krika said. "None of us have quite wrapped our heads around it, so you'd have to ask him personally. Though, I wouldn't recommend bringing it up during negotiations."

"Should we negotiate with someone like that?"

"That is for you to decide. Personally, I would rather keep him close so that I can watch him, rather than let him do as he pleases under the Great Beings' banner."

"I'd prefer to avoid dealing with him altogether," Antroz said, "but it seems that option is not available to us. At the very least, I think we should honor his request to meet. It is difficult to say beyond that."

Bitil and Charla both nodded. The Sand Lord said, "This being sounds untrustworthy…but the odds we face demand we utilize every opportunity we discover. I would advise against letting such a valuable one pass by."

Zaekura slowly nodded. "Well…guess I'll be planning a trip to Mahri-Nui ASAP. But we don't need to go over that right now."

"Back on topic, then," Krika said. "As I was saying, should we secure an alliance with both Pridak and the Le-Koronans, it would provide us with quite the hold. The Great Beings were keen to situate themselves as far away from their subjects as possible…" He gestured towards the Valley of the Maze, and then down to Civitas Magna. "…that is something we can easily turn to our advantage. If we can cut them off, form a border so well-defended that travel between the Maze and Civitas Magna is unreasonably dangerous, then the people will enjoy freedom from their rulers, giving them the comfort necessary for vocal dissent."

"That's true," Bitil said, shifting the projection so that the teal coloring joined and consumed both Aqua and Bota Magna. Giving a hum, he then rotated the globe. The other side of the planet was highlighted in red, lacking any sort of real detail. "Although…that would still leave Valwahi…"

A tense silence hung over the room. Breaking it, Zaekura said, "Unless we ally with them, too."

Every eye turned to her.

"That's a discussion for another day. Right now, we focus on Xia, Mahri-Nui, and Bota Magna. Sound like a plan?"

Her allies were in agreement. The Sand Lord was first to depart, along with Bitil, who offered to help in transporting the stasis-held Vorox; soon after that, Zaekura and Charla went to resume overseeing the reconstruction. Krika tapped his fingers, lost in thought.

"Do you truly think she will be safe if she visits Mahri-Nui?" Antroz asked.

"I plan to ensure that she does," Krika said. "You and Bitil are needed here, and ideally I suppose I should be the one to clean up my own mess."

"…I shall leave it to you, then."

"Please, don't sound so excited about it." Brushing some dust off his armor, Krika started making his way towards the door. "Our fight begins in earnest now—acknowledging every possible front at once rather than focusing on a single goal at a time. None of us will get to be hands-on with the entire process."

"True."

"So look on the bright side, Antroz: there's a chance none of us will even need to be in the same room as Pridak at any point! Really, I deserve thanks for taking on the burden so willingly."

Antroz shook her head. "Shouldn't you be going?"

"Very well, very well…"

Alone again, Antroz reflected upon the various factors that had been discussed. Assuming Krika could handle Pridak, then the only immediate threat was Atero, and while she knew Miserix was not the type to act impulsively, it would be far better to attack the city sooner rather than later.

We need just a bit of time to find our footing. And, with luck, time to convince Emsar to join us.


The docks of Mahri-Nui bustled endlessly, forming a sea of people even more tumultuous than the ocean surrounding it. Somehow, Krika and Zaekura fought their way through this crowd, making their way to a long stone staircase which they began to climb. The island was built in tiers: the docks were the lowest and widest, and above that was what appeared to be a market district, followed by a residential district, then a ring of laboratories, and finally, a great stone keep ringed in sharpened rocks, mirroring the massive outcroppings that clasped the island itself. Rahkshi could be seen everywhere—Zaekura even noticed several specially-modified aquatic Rahkshi swimming about, paralyzing her with curiosity for a moment—and while they and the other inhabitants kept a very close eye on the visitors, none made any act to stop them.

"Think he'll give us access to the data he's collected?" Zaekura asked as they passed the labs. "Being out here studying Aqua Magna for millennia, I can't even imagine how detailed their research must be…"

"You can certainly ask," Krika said. "Hard to say how he'll respond, but at worst I imagine he'll simply find it odd."

"Huh, so getting on his good side won't be as easy as it was with Bitil."

Krika chuckled. "If I may say, Lady Zaekura, you seem far less nervous than I expected. That tranquility will be quite the boon in our negotiations."

"Yeah, you know me, tranquil as they come."

"I believe in you. Keeping a level head is easy, once you get the hang of it. You begin to see there's simply no point in being rattled by minor inconveniences."

At the top of the stairs stood two towering, four-armed beings sporting rows of spines over their shoulders and down their backs. Before Krika could even make an introduction, the brutes opened the doors of the keep and headed inside, glancing back after a few steps as if expecting the visitors to already be following them. After a brief delay, follow they did. The interior was dimly lit by blue lightstones, with two great, shimmering pools of water on either side of the center path. The room was long, but at its end, back against a wall covered by a dark curtain, was a throne with an unnecessarily tall base, flanked by four Rahkshi and seating a very pleased-looking Makuta.

Pridak's form could easily have been mistaken as muscular by someone unaware of the Makuta's nature. The shell was carefully crafted, an ultra-precise replica of a body of enviable fitness and power, with an imposing height to boot. It was mainly white, but patches of red wisped over it, most noticeably along his limbs and on the Kanohi Arthron he wore. His fingers ended in short claws, and blade-like fins jutted up and back from his forearms and calves, partially obscured by the heavy, seaweed-colored cloak draped over him.

"Makuta Krika, Lady Zaekura," Pridak greeted, remaining slouched nonchalantly upon his throne as he glanced down at them. "I am ever so pleased to see that you have accepted my invitation. We have a great deal to discuss, and I have been quite eager to get started."

"It is an honor to be here, Makuta Pridak," Krika said with a bow—Zaekura mimicked the movement. "I am thrilled to be able to thank you in person for your help in obscuring my identity from Yarion."

"Of course, of course." His cold blue eyes turned directly upon Zaekura. "And the lady of the hour. You've caused quite the stir, haven't you?"

"Wasn't my intention," Zaekura said. "Er, not initially, that is. But now I'm prepared to fight back against the Great Beings."

Pridak leaned forward, putting his hands together to rest his chin on them. "Indeed. I hear you have already conquered Xia in your name—quite the accomplishment."

"We were fortunate no one got seriously hurt. Here's hoping we can keep that momentum going."

"Hm…I see. And, your next target will be…?"

"Pardon me, Pridak," Krika said, "but just as a formality: we want to clarify what our relationship will be going forward before getting into such matters."

"Heh. Understandable." Pridak sat up straight. "I have acquired a copy of your infamous interview, Lady Zaekura, and I must say I was shocked by its contents. Supposing you can convince others you are telling the truth, I imagine you will have great success in rallying the virtuous behind you."

"Uh…thank you," Zaekura said.

"This is a turning point in the history of Spherus Magna: the first time someone has stood up to the Great Beings and actually had a chance. I must ask: should you become the next one to steer the planet's fate, where will you lead it?"

"Well, truth be told those points are a bit vague at the moment. I've got a lot of more urgent matters to deal with before we get there. But…" She paused to think for a moment. "I don't know, just something…not as overbearing, I guess. Give people more control over themselves, not teach them to cling blindly to one supreme rule or whatever. If that makes sense."

Pridak nodded slowly. Krika said, "Determined specifics include no longer capturing those with the potential to become Great Beings and freeing the Vorox. That's about the point we're at currently."

"Very interesting. It sounds as though you've allied with the Vorox, then?"

"I'm afraid I can't confirm or deny that just yet. Again—"

"Yes, I know; let's end this coyness already," Pridak interrupted, rising to his feet. "Lady Zaekura…I desire to assist you. Mahri-Nui has soldiers aplenty to offer you, and controls the seas of Aqua Magna with the notable exception of Odina and its route to Stelt. Our power would serve you well, and you will have protected sea access to Civitas Magna—no small benefit, as I am sure you are well aware. What say you?"

"Oh," Zaekura said. "That sounds very generous, Makuta."

"But pray, indulge me," Krika said. "What is your motivation in this alliance?"

"Is my desire not motivation enough?" Pridak asked.

"Should there be more, I cannot help but be curious of the complete picture, brother."

Pridak chuckled quietly. "Indeed…I suppose you could say I wish to have more freedom in how I run Aqua Magna. The seas have served me well, but the Great Beings do limit what commands I can issue them. It sounds to me as though Lady Zaekura will provide an environment in which such limitations are no longer a concern. I am willing to fight for the opportunity to control the seas as I truly see fit."

"Ah, I see. Your 'freedom' nearly sounds like power."

"Freedom is power, Krika. Our goals align in that sense, wouldn't you say?"

"One could say that, I suppose." Krika turned to Zaekura, asking, "What do you think?"

Zaekura crossed her arms. "We would definitely benefit from this alliance…but…"

"You have some misgivings?" Pridak asked.

"Er, well…"

"Worry not: I understand the necessity of caution. As such, I have prepared a gift of good faith to set your mind at ease."

Zaekura blinked. "A gift?"

"That's right," Pridak said, taking a few steps forward. "After hearing of your story, I began to wonder: how exactly did the Great Beings learn that someone such as yourself was living in Nynrah? Someone must have told them, so I set out to discover who."

Bristling, Zaekura said, "You…you found who sold me out?"

"That's right. My servants visited Ga-Koro to question the people of Nynrah, the only ones who might have known of your ability."

"Hold a moment," Krika said. "The people of Nynrah are loyal and compassionate—I will not believe that one of them is the cause of this fiasco."

Pridak grinned. "True, they are a very commendable people. You have raised them well, Krika. We are certain that no one we spoke to in Ga-Koro was responsible for the information leak…but in our search of the surrounding area, we came across another citizen of Nynrah, and they have confessed to their crime."

Krika narrowed his eyes. "The entirety of Nynrah's population fled to Ga-Koro."

"All but one, that is." Pridak produced something from his cloak, tossing it onto the floor between him and his guests. It was badly damaged, but the metal object seemed roughly spherical, with exposed wiring that blinked erratically. Krika quickly recognized it. Instantly, a primal horror consumed his features.

"…No," he mumbled. "No, that can't…"

Soon Zaekura recognized it as well. She glanced at Krika briefly, then back to Pridak. "…You're absolutely sure?"

Raising one hand, Pridak said, "Absolutely."

He snapped his fingers, and a servant pulled away the curtain behind his throne. The covering fell away to reveal a large tank of water, currently with only one occupant: a massive, hideous creature not even remotely akin to any other Rahi they had ever seen. Their massive eye gazed out with a look of resignation, and Krika took a single step forward before going completely still.

"Mavrah," he said. "Is this true…?"

Pridak nodded to his servants, who activated a panel on the side of the tank. A voice then emerged from the metal plate: "Yes, Makuta. I was the one who told the Great Beings about the Glatorian."

Krika gaped for a long moment. When he finally found his voice again, all he could say was, "Why?"

"Self-preservation," Mavrah said. "Seldoa found me. She was going to kill me. I told her I was not the one in Nynrah who posed a threat to her."

Krika's gaze began to fall. "…You traded Zaekura's life for you own…"

"Why would I not? Did you think I had a sense of loyalty to Nynrah, or to you? Did you think I came to see you as a friend, simply because you decided to keep me as a pet rather than killing me like the rest of my kind? Did you think you were forgiven, Krika?"

The Makuta did not answer. Pridak faced Mavrah, saying, "What an ungrateful creature. Shall I have them disposed of, Lady Zaekura?"

Zaekura glared at the Rahi, but her gaze was not without pity. "No. That won't be necessary."

Pridak nodded. "Krika?"

Very quietly, Krika said, "No. They behaved in the only logical way they could. It is not my right to condemn them for it."

"…Interesting point of view." Pridak snapped his fingers again—his servants shut off the panel, and then set about raising the curtain once again. Once he was back on his throne, Pridak said, "So, Lady Zaekura. I have demonstrated my investment in your cause. Has this affected your opinion of me?"

"It has," Zaekura said flatly. "…I probably shouldn't say anything official without conferring with my other allies—I don't want them to feel out of the loop. But as long as they don't have any objections, Pridak…then I will accept your alliance."

"Wonderful!" Pridak said. "By all means, take the time you need to gain the others' approval. I await your official decision, Lady Zaekura."

Zaekura and Krika bowed, and then they made their way out and headed back down the long staircase. Somehow, it seemed even longer now.

"It seems I owe you yet another apology, Lady Zaekura," Krika said. "Mavrah most likely learned of your nature from me."

"…What's done is done," Zaekura. "At least we know we can trust the rest of the city. More importantly, we've got ourselves an ally."

"Ah, yes. Then, do you trust Pridak?"

"Not sure I'd say that. You guys were right: he's going to be trouble. But, beggars can't be choosers, and if he directs that dangerous energy at Velika's drones instead of us…"

Krika nodded. Without another word, they returned to their boat, and set sail once again for Ga-Koro.


ADDENDUM:

-January was not as productive as I would have hoped.

-Things are really opening up here, giving a more complete picture of the landscape of Spherus Magna in this universe. Aqua Magna is more or less set, and we'll get our first look at Bota Magna very soon; it might be a bit before we dig into Valwahi, but I'll at least tell you that its name can be traced back to "Valmai Wahi" and grew simpler over time. With the minor exception of Aqua Magna, these places are areas where the Great Beings exert little to no control, largely due to lack of interest, so many potential allies live there.

-Right, so, Pridak. If you know me you might know that I loathe the Barraki. (As characters—the sets were great, except Kalmah.) At first I wouldn't even consider including them in this story, and from there I moved to the idea of a one-off, mocking reference and nothing more. But as I thought more about it, about what sort of Makuta might rule over Aqua Magna, I found myself using Pridak's arrogant personality as a basis, and when I looked at the results, I felt it could offer a very interesting new perspective into the conflicting ideas of leadership in the story. Of course to do that, I needed to make him a Makuta. I was hesitant, so I understand if you have some misgivings, but I truly think this will better the story, so please allow me a chance to prove that.