02-12-2016, 11:46 PM
It happened slowly at first. A faint white shimmer on the horizon. Kopaka thought, perhaps, that it was some trick of the light as the sun began to rise over the cool sea beyond the walls of the ruined city. The more the Toa watched, however, the more he realized that the sea itself was beginning to illuminate. Then, great twisting spires of sea water began to spiral together, rising into the hazy void far above, along with hunks of tree speckled hills. This time the progression was rapid, startling even.
And it was coming straight for them.
Kopaka and Magus both looked at each other with blank expressions, both doing their best to remain stoic in a situation that clearly called for panic. With healthy gaites, the two Primes doubled back along the road they had just traveled. Magus and the Toa both continually looked back over their shoulders, maintaining their long distance jogging, to ensure that the devastation was not already upon them.
Just when it seemed like they were going to be okay, a gleaming white fissure in the earth split open on a hill ahead to their left with a splintering crack. All at once, lines of stress spiderwebbed their way across the ground, each partitioned mote of land beginning to sag or ascend according to whatever perverted magic ruled this place. The sound was monstrous as the two Primes began to half sprint, half scramble over terraces that began to form.
Their frenzied steps became enlabored as the land began to slope upwards, or rather, slope downwards behind them. As the shelf of dirt they were on began to drift downward, Magus was barely able to cling to a single trembling cobblestone with one gloved hand. Without a moment's hesitation, Kopaka rushed forwards and grabbed Magus' legs, hunkering down and giving the wizard the boost he needed to get over the lip of the sundered land.
In turn, Magus wheeled around and snatched for Kopaka's hand, but grasped only air as the terrace of crumbling strata drifted further away. Kopaka scowled upwards, not at Magus but at the distance, gauging it carefully. Calling upon the Kanohi Miru, the Toa of Ice was able to blast away from the dislodged earth, the power of the mask just barely putting him within the reach of Magus' arms. As the remainder of the land behind them disintigrated away to flickering white nothingness, Kopaka slowly braced his feet against the soil wall that was the new edge of the island, clambering up onto the grass, safe and sound.
Panting, the two Primes both gazed blankly at the wall of radiance where there had once been a city. Even now, small pebbles and motes of grass were swept up in the rushing vacuum.
"Thanks." Magus managed between breaths. Kopaka hadn't heard the wizard use such pedestrian verbiage up until this point. It was liable to be the extent of any sort of emotional reaction to their near-obliteration. The least Kopaka could do was meet him half-way.
"You too."
Taking only a few more moments to steel themselves, the Primes continued back up the road again. They would have to discuss a new strategy soon. Events were progressing more quickly than expected, and it wasn't as if the artifacts would simply fall into their laps. Of course, the moment Kopaka considered this thought in his mind, a sharp glint of metal up ahead caught his cybernetic eyes. Switching back to the Akaku, Kopaka used the telescopic lens to scope out the source of the blinking light. It wad that near-human from the temple who had approached him, and later Magus as well. Perhaps an accord could still be reached, especially since it appeared he was wearing what quite possibly was one of Teucer's regalia.
...
After meeting with the young man, who Kopaka came to know as Link, it was apparent that his excursions around the island had indeed bore ripe fruit. The Toa was especially interested to hear about the boy's encounter with one of the rumored guardians. It was clear, however, that Link was beaten and tired.
"Either of you have anything to drink?" Link said, wiping away a recurring stream of blood from his face. Kopaka, thinking nothing of it, rotated his satchel of strange, blue food around and dug through it. A moment later the Toa withdrew a strange carton of some kind of liquid. It was probably edible.
"Here." Kopaka said, tossing the carton to Link. The Hylian greedily tore open the spout of the milk and began to suck it down. He almost instantaneously gagged, and had to cover his mouth with a gloved hand to avoid spitting the vile liquid all over the ground. It has a sharp, medicinal taste to it. Whatever it was, the food wasn't spoiled; being strapped to a Toa of Ice had ensured that. Just as Link was about to politely suggest they find a nearby stream, something strange began to occur.
Blue light began to trace around the Hylian's wounds, causing them to slowly weave themselves shut. Magus, Link and Kopaka all stopped what they were doing and stared as the boy's injuries healed before their eyes. So...it was more than mere food. Teucer had provided Kopaka with some sort of sustenance with enhanced regenerative benefits. In hindsight, a powerful boon, and the Toa was glad that he had heretofore abstained from using any of the alien foodstuff for mere nutrition.
...
Half an hour later, Link had eaten nearly two thirds of Kopaka's groceries. It appeared that no wound was too great for the food's ability to overcome. Magus wore a stern expression the entire time Kopaka continued to feed the Hylian, but remained silent. Clearly Link was a valuable and skilled warrior; having him injured would just be a waste of air, or worse, a liability.
"Thank you for your kindness..." Link said with a somewhat ashamed look. There was little he could immediately offer in return.
"Kindness has nothing to do with it." Kopaka said flatly, swinging the woven rucksack back over his shoulder. There was enough food left for one last session of healing. Link appeared to be in fighting shape again; it would be better to save some of the miracle groceries for an emergency situation. Link clambered to his feet and dusted himself off, and along with Kopaka, turned to Magus expectantly.
The sun was fully risen by this point, and another long day was ahead of them. The wizard was glad at the implicit sign that he was still in charge, and smirked as he looked over the remaining landscape. Kopaka looked along with him and clenched a single fist.
And it was coming straight for them.
Kopaka and Magus both looked at each other with blank expressions, both doing their best to remain stoic in a situation that clearly called for panic. With healthy gaites, the two Primes doubled back along the road they had just traveled. Magus and the Toa both continually looked back over their shoulders, maintaining their long distance jogging, to ensure that the devastation was not already upon them.
Just when it seemed like they were going to be okay, a gleaming white fissure in the earth split open on a hill ahead to their left with a splintering crack. All at once, lines of stress spiderwebbed their way across the ground, each partitioned mote of land beginning to sag or ascend according to whatever perverted magic ruled this place. The sound was monstrous as the two Primes began to half sprint, half scramble over terraces that began to form.
Their frenzied steps became enlabored as the land began to slope upwards, or rather, slope downwards behind them. As the shelf of dirt they were on began to drift downward, Magus was barely able to cling to a single trembling cobblestone with one gloved hand. Without a moment's hesitation, Kopaka rushed forwards and grabbed Magus' legs, hunkering down and giving the wizard the boost he needed to get over the lip of the sundered land.
In turn, Magus wheeled around and snatched for Kopaka's hand, but grasped only air as the terrace of crumbling strata drifted further away. Kopaka scowled upwards, not at Magus but at the distance, gauging it carefully. Calling upon the Kanohi Miru, the Toa of Ice was able to blast away from the dislodged earth, the power of the mask just barely putting him within the reach of Magus' arms. As the remainder of the land behind them disintigrated away to flickering white nothingness, Kopaka slowly braced his feet against the soil wall that was the new edge of the island, clambering up onto the grass, safe and sound.
Panting, the two Primes both gazed blankly at the wall of radiance where there had once been a city. Even now, small pebbles and motes of grass were swept up in the rushing vacuum.
"Thanks." Magus managed between breaths. Kopaka hadn't heard the wizard use such pedestrian verbiage up until this point. It was liable to be the extent of any sort of emotional reaction to their near-obliteration. The least Kopaka could do was meet him half-way.
"You too."
Taking only a few more moments to steel themselves, the Primes continued back up the road again. They would have to discuss a new strategy soon. Events were progressing more quickly than expected, and it wasn't as if the artifacts would simply fall into their laps. Of course, the moment Kopaka considered this thought in his mind, a sharp glint of metal up ahead caught his cybernetic eyes. Switching back to the Akaku, Kopaka used the telescopic lens to scope out the source of the blinking light. It wad that near-human from the temple who had approached him, and later Magus as well. Perhaps an accord could still be reached, especially since it appeared he was wearing what quite possibly was one of Teucer's regalia.
...
After meeting with the young man, who Kopaka came to know as Link, it was apparent that his excursions around the island had indeed bore ripe fruit. The Toa was especially interested to hear about the boy's encounter with one of the rumored guardians. It was clear, however, that Link was beaten and tired.
"Either of you have anything to drink?" Link said, wiping away a recurring stream of blood from his face. Kopaka, thinking nothing of it, rotated his satchel of strange, blue food around and dug through it. A moment later the Toa withdrew a strange carton of some kind of liquid. It was probably edible.
"Here." Kopaka said, tossing the carton to Link. The Hylian greedily tore open the spout of the milk and began to suck it down. He almost instantaneously gagged, and had to cover his mouth with a gloved hand to avoid spitting the vile liquid all over the ground. It has a sharp, medicinal taste to it. Whatever it was, the food wasn't spoiled; being strapped to a Toa of Ice had ensured that. Just as Link was about to politely suggest they find a nearby stream, something strange began to occur.
Blue light began to trace around the Hylian's wounds, causing them to slowly weave themselves shut. Magus, Link and Kopaka all stopped what they were doing and stared as the boy's injuries healed before their eyes. So...it was more than mere food. Teucer had provided Kopaka with some sort of sustenance with enhanced regenerative benefits. In hindsight, a powerful boon, and the Toa was glad that he had heretofore abstained from using any of the alien foodstuff for mere nutrition.
...
Half an hour later, Link had eaten nearly two thirds of Kopaka's groceries. It appeared that no wound was too great for the food's ability to overcome. Magus wore a stern expression the entire time Kopaka continued to feed the Hylian, but remained silent. Clearly Link was a valuable and skilled warrior; having him injured would just be a waste of air, or worse, a liability.
"Thank you for your kindness..." Link said with a somewhat ashamed look. There was little he could immediately offer in return.
"Kindness has nothing to do with it." Kopaka said flatly, swinging the woven rucksack back over his shoulder. There was enough food left for one last session of healing. Link appeared to be in fighting shape again; it would be better to save some of the miracle groceries for an emergency situation. Link clambered to his feet and dusted himself off, and along with Kopaka, turned to Magus expectantly.
The sun was fully risen by this point, and another long day was ahead of them. The wizard was glad at the implicit sign that he was still in charge, and smirked as he looked over the remaining landscape. Kopaka looked along with him and clenched a single fist.
C O L D