02-09-2016, 11:36 PM
Kopaka was...
...lost. Thank the Great Beings that none of his comrades were around to witness such a humiliation. On Daxia it had been easy to navigate the island by referencing the peaks and crags of the central mountain. Here, wherever this was, the jungle was so thick and oppressive that it was almost impossible to keep a landmark in sight. This problem was made even worse as the clouds overhead began to coagulate into a thick, pewter sheet of oppressive rain. The storm came on so suddenly that there could be no doubt it was a fabricated event. Rain began to pelt down through the canopy of the forest, each fat drop panging off the dome of his Kanohi Miru like bullets. Reproachful peals of thunder rumbled across the landscape, and the once green and bright colors of the jungle were rapidly thrown into grim the grim black-greens of a monsoon.
Seeing any distance ahead was rough, and it was made worse by the fact that everything had a slick sheen which illuminated like a flashbulb with each crash of lightning. Even for a biomech like Kopaka it was disorienting, but the Toa marched onwards. He had a vague sense he was still heading north, but whether it was east or west was hard to tell. All he knew was that the storm seemed to be worse straight ahead, so on a whim Kopaka beared right.
A few hours of trudging through thick mud and tumbling, rainsoaked foliage was enough to render Kopaka's normally serene armor filthy. Large splotches of black muck coated both of his legs, and bits of leaves and vines stuck to his mask and torso, flash frozen to his chassis by courtesy of the interminable deluge. His quietely rasping breaths sent great plumes of fog into the air ahead of him, and the only noise was a constant, baleful roar, punctuated by the occasional thunder clap.
In these conditions, it would not be surprising to identify almost any surprise encounter as a threat, but as Kopaka suddenly emerged from the underbrush out onto a road of some kind, he and his newfound company were able to stay their martial reflexes just long enough to avoid immediate confrontation. Perhaps it was Kopaka's glowing blue eyes, or perhaps it was Magus' unmistakable physical mass, but the two Primes recognized the other immediately.
No words were said for some time before the wizard finally spoke, his words barely audible over the tempestuous howling.
"You intend to keep your word?"
Kopaka nodded.
"I do. And you?"
Magus did not nod, but neither did he give an indication of deceit.
"I have no immediate reason not to."
Kopaka nodded again. An uneasy partnership, perhaps, but searching for perfection in environs such as these would be a fool's errand. Both Primes examined the other for a moment. It was clear that they both had already encountered some enemies, based on visible nicks and gashes. Magus kept staring at Kopaka's face, in particular. The Toa was confused at first, but then realized that the wizard had last seen him wearing the Akaku. On a whim, his Kanohi shined brightly before shifting back to the Mask of X-Ray vision, despite its non-functionality. Magus blinked slowly in comprehension; no further explanation would be necessary.
Finally, Kopaka looked up to the angry clouds which roiled overhead.
"We should keep moving. The storm shall only worsen." Kopaka said, his smooth, synthesized tenor contrasting sharply against the harsh sounds of the weather. Magus responded with the only necessary word.
"Agreed."
Without further discussion, both Primes began walking down the path in the direction that Magus had already been travelling. There really wasn't another option; staying within the storm could have absolutely no discernable benefit, even if it did bring Kopaka closer to the mountains. At least the biomech had managed to gain an ally in the process. It was a fair trade, and Magus seemed to be the kind of person Kopaka would get along well with.
Hopefully the wizard's sensible exterior did not conceal needless treachery...for his sake.
...lost. Thank the Great Beings that none of his comrades were around to witness such a humiliation. On Daxia it had been easy to navigate the island by referencing the peaks and crags of the central mountain. Here, wherever this was, the jungle was so thick and oppressive that it was almost impossible to keep a landmark in sight. This problem was made even worse as the clouds overhead began to coagulate into a thick, pewter sheet of oppressive rain. The storm came on so suddenly that there could be no doubt it was a fabricated event. Rain began to pelt down through the canopy of the forest, each fat drop panging off the dome of his Kanohi Miru like bullets. Reproachful peals of thunder rumbled across the landscape, and the once green and bright colors of the jungle were rapidly thrown into grim the grim black-greens of a monsoon.
Seeing any distance ahead was rough, and it was made worse by the fact that everything had a slick sheen which illuminated like a flashbulb with each crash of lightning. Even for a biomech like Kopaka it was disorienting, but the Toa marched onwards. He had a vague sense he was still heading north, but whether it was east or west was hard to tell. All he knew was that the storm seemed to be worse straight ahead, so on a whim Kopaka beared right.
A few hours of trudging through thick mud and tumbling, rainsoaked foliage was enough to render Kopaka's normally serene armor filthy. Large splotches of black muck coated both of his legs, and bits of leaves and vines stuck to his mask and torso, flash frozen to his chassis by courtesy of the interminable deluge. His quietely rasping breaths sent great plumes of fog into the air ahead of him, and the only noise was a constant, baleful roar, punctuated by the occasional thunder clap.
In these conditions, it would not be surprising to identify almost any surprise encounter as a threat, but as Kopaka suddenly emerged from the underbrush out onto a road of some kind, he and his newfound company were able to stay their martial reflexes just long enough to avoid immediate confrontation. Perhaps it was Kopaka's glowing blue eyes, or perhaps it was Magus' unmistakable physical mass, but the two Primes recognized the other immediately.
No words were said for some time before the wizard finally spoke, his words barely audible over the tempestuous howling.
"You intend to keep your word?"
Kopaka nodded.
"I do. And you?"
Magus did not nod, but neither did he give an indication of deceit.
"I have no immediate reason not to."
Kopaka nodded again. An uneasy partnership, perhaps, but searching for perfection in environs such as these would be a fool's errand. Both Primes examined the other for a moment. It was clear that they both had already encountered some enemies, based on visible nicks and gashes. Magus kept staring at Kopaka's face, in particular. The Toa was confused at first, but then realized that the wizard had last seen him wearing the Akaku. On a whim, his Kanohi shined brightly before shifting back to the Mask of X-Ray vision, despite its non-functionality. Magus blinked slowly in comprehension; no further explanation would be necessary.
Finally, Kopaka looked up to the angry clouds which roiled overhead.
"We should keep moving. The storm shall only worsen." Kopaka said, his smooth, synthesized tenor contrasting sharply against the harsh sounds of the weather. Magus responded with the only necessary word.
"Agreed."
Without further discussion, both Primes began walking down the path in the direction that Magus had already been travelling. There really wasn't another option; staying within the storm could have absolutely no discernable benefit, even if it did bring Kopaka closer to the mountains. At least the biomech had managed to gain an ally in the process. It was a fair trade, and Magus seemed to be the kind of person Kopaka would get along well with.
Hopefully the wizard's sensible exterior did not conceal needless treachery...for his sake.
C O L D