Chapter 37: Flight of the Phoenix
Chapter 37: Flight of the Phoenix
Takua couldn’t think of a time when he had seen snow in the jungle though it was lesser than it might have been on other parts of the land except the desert.
The walls of Le Metru looked as if they could break down each second. A swarm of about twenty Levahk kept spitting acid against them. The Toa of light had awaited a Rama swarm as well just because the jungle was their natural home. And besides they might have been better to attack a city with walls around it because they would have been able to fly over them. But there was no sign of them at all.
One of the Bohrok looked around and screeched to warn the others. Was it just imagination or were they really happy to see a Toa all alone?
“Fire birds, ready for battle”, Maku called. She, Taipu and Kapura climbed behind the shooters. The Bohrok tried to spit acid after the Kewa but the birds avoided the attacks. Not a single Bohrok tried to fly. ‘They don’t have the right Krana’, Takua thought, ‘But why would Makuta send a creature unable to fly into a region where flying is needed? Where else does he need those Krana?’ A burning disk shot closely over his head and hit a Levahk. The screech was hurting in the Toa’s ears.
If he really wanted to get rid of them Takua had no other choice than landing between them. He had no experience in flying and fighting the same time. It was exactly what the creatures wanted. While the others were still spitting at the Kewa and trying to avoid the flames about ten of them charged at the Toa. Takua whirled around his sword just to block the incoming attacks. “Kapura”, he shouted without knowing if the Matoran could hear him or if Tamaru’s Kewa was still close enough for a shot, “I need a disc!” Another flaming disc shot over his head. The Levahk screeched and jumped apart. Takua ran forward, just tried to hit as many Bohrok as possible. His ears were filled with the mechanical screeches; all he could see was fire, blood, from time to time a Bohrok which tried to attack him. A sharp pain shot through his left shoulder. He had been hit by acid. He turned around, just slammed his sword forward and heard the sound of cracking metal.
And then the attacks were suddenly over. The last remaining Bohrok had fled. Takua stumbled forward a few more steps until he was standing in front of the part of the wall the creatures had attacked. It was dripping of acid.
Behind him he heard the Kewa landing but he couldn’t turn around.
“A good work, Takua”, he heard Taipu’s voice, “You’ve fight like at least three Toa.”
‘Just because I had no other choice’, he thought but instead he said, “It really seems like your Kewa training has paid off. Alone I would have never been able to beat them back.”
“Stay in this town we should. Walls broken are. If Bohrok that know attack again they will.”
“A good idea, Tamaru”, Hafu said, “Beside we need to get discs again. Our Kewa doesn’t have so many anymore.”
The Toa and the six Matoran left the battle field and entered the town. Their Kewa followed them. Takua still didn’t know what the place behind him looked like now and he also didn’t want to give it a look but one thing he knew for sure: he hated this war. And now for the first time he started to hate being a Toa.
~~~***~~~
It happened at the time when Lewa and Kongu had nearly reached Le Metru. Kongu gave a surprised call and pointed at something that came flying out of the trees. It was a very big Rama swarm but it wasn’t heading for the Toa. Instead the insects were flying higher and higher.
“They are flying to Aro Nui!” Lewa shouted. “They want to attack the island.”
“Lewa, our mission is to stir up enemies. The protection is Takua’s part right now.”
“This isn’t just a town. We have a whole island to loose. I’m not sure if Takua thinks about it if he even knows it.”
Kongu piloted his Kewa up as well, “Alright, let’s get them away from the island first then we can always come back. Hey, Lewa, wait for me!”
But the emerald Toa was shooting up like a rocket. The first few Nui Rama had already reached the island’s surface. The Matoran there had no time to prepare for an attack. He was now flying between the Rama but he tried to get to the top. A few of them started minor attacks but when he didn’t react they started ignoring him as well. Lewa tried his best to reach Aro Nui before the Nui Rama did even if he had to make a stand against them all alone. He had already lost his home Mata Nui but at least he wanted to be able to fight for the place where he once had lived.
His landing place was this burned wood they had landed in when they had reached Aro Nui for the first time a few months ago. Kongu was still far behind so he would have no other chance than fight the first few of them alone. Lewa readied his Katanas. Now the Rama saw him as real enemy for the first time and charged at him. Lewa was buried in a flood of claws and stings. His Katanas went wild, slashing through every Rahi he could reach. More and more of them were reaching the island and there was still no sign of Kongu. The emerald Toa desperately struggled to get free of them.
“Hold on, little Toa!”
A flashing and the sound of metal driving through metal. A Rama’s head was separated from its body. For a second Lewa was stunned but then felt new energy rushing through his body now that he knew he wasn’t alone anymore.
When Kongu arrived he saw this green guy as well but at least he was fighting against the Rama and not against Lewa and that was enough to count the stranger as an ally. He jumped off his Kewa, drew his weapons and ran to help Lewa.
Rama never were an enemy hard to defeat. Their only strength was that they always attacked in large groups. The fighting power of the three defenders was enough to get rid of the Rahi though it was hard enough to do so.
“Zaktan, I have to thank you. A second time you have saved my life”, Lewa said when the battle finally was over.
“No big deal, little Toa. You have also saved us from the Ikuta control.”
“But why are you still here and not with the other ones of your kind?”
“They moved on, but I had the need to return because it felt as if something was going on and it seems I was right. Don’t worry, I will find the others again some day. I only need to stay on this island for a while. At least until the major attack waves are over.”
“I think that still could take some time”, Kongu said, “But at least we now know someone who will watch over this place while we’re in Metru Nui.”
“How is it going so far?” Zaktan asked.
“Not too well. We just can’t fight a god so we try to split him up again like he already did once and hope this will make him weaker”, Lewa explained, “But so far it looks like he has enough creatures and doesn’t need to jump into action at all.”
“By the way”, Kongu looked at his Kewa, “I think we should get back again. Right now it doesn’t look as if the island is in danger anymore…” But the same time he had spoken the last word he saw a strange cloud rapidly coming closer. “Oh no …”
The other two looked at him. “What is it?”
“Rama swarm again…”
