Chapter 39: Death of a Phoenix
Chapter 39: Death of a Phoenix
A Tarakava shot out of the darkness but had to change directions really fast if it didn’t want to swim right into an axe blade.
Hahli had sunken down into the water as well to help Gali fight even if she couldn’t move as fast under water as her friend.
The Tarakava were swimming around them in circles like hungry sharks, some of them starting attacks from time to time.
“They want us to get tired”, Hahli presumed.
“We have to concentrate on the infected Kanohi”, Gali said, “It might be like the last time. If we get rid of them the Rahi might regain control over their own bodies and just swim away.”
“But have you already tired to hit one of them? They can avoid your attack really quickly.”
The Tarakava were getting nervous. Normally their prey was fleeing and not swimming on place ready to fight. Those two were also tougher than the normal prey. It was only a matter of time until the creatures would start the real attack.
Two of them were rushing into the Toa’s direction. This time they didn’t even try to evade the weapons. Blades were scratching over their skins but missing the infected masks.
Gali was able to dodge the claws but still she was pushed down where already some more Tarakava were about to begin their attacks. A purple light ball was shooting out of the darkness and hit the Tarakava above her then shot over to some of the other creatures like a ball-lightning gone crazy. Gali was finally able to hit the Kanohi of a completely distracted Tarakava.
“Hahli, are you alright? Where are you?”
“I’m okay. Just a few scratches but it didn’t really hit me.”
Hahli was swimming closer to the other Toa of water again while the light was still whirling around and hunting Tarakava. Was it just imagination or did the Toa really hear laughter coming from it? Some unmasked creatures were already fleeing.
After the last one was finally gone the light shot up to the surface. The two girls were following.
“Have you missed me?” was the first thing they heard after they surfaced. “As you can see, I kept my promise.”
“Tupua!” Gali shouted. “How did you get out of that thing?”
The dark Toa was floating some centimetres over the water but it seemed as if he wasn’t really there because he was flickering. The reason was that he couldn’t fly and repeatedly teleported himself back to the same spot when he started falling.
“When this thing was rising up I was catapulted out somehow. I could feel it, something had completely gone wrong but, heck, what should I have done? I was drifting somewhere in the ocean, my connection to Mata Nui was cut off after I gave him what had been in my Kanohi, didn’t even know if you all were still alive. This all is Makuta’s handwriting, isn’t it?”
The two other Toa just nodded.
Tupua slowly sank down into the water. “Well then, we have to get back to the island over there. Metru Nui I think.”
“Can’t you just teleport us?” Hahli asked.
“Darling, I would have to get pass a god. He would notice Toa energy around him and catch me out of the air before I could even react. But swimming is nothing too Toa related. He wouldn’t care if three – compared to him – tiny things are swimming to the land.
~~~***~~~
The Rama hadn’t been able to storm the jungle on the flying island, now they tried to take over the one on the surface. And the last remaining Rahkshi had decided to come with them. Using burning discs sure was a good idea – the Nui Rama feared the fire – but the major disadvantage also was that the Phoenix riders had to watch out not to burn down the trees by themselves.
Takua’s sword had hit several Rahi so far but not wounded them so badly. The Toa of light didn’t want to see more dead bodies than absolutely necessary and so he tried to get rid of the infected Kanohi first. As he was flying between the Kewa riders he had to watch out for flying discs as well.
A Rama suddenly hit its claws into his back, trying to bring him to fall. He was not a Toa of air and flying and fighting the same time already cost him enough concentration, besides this Rahi was not a lightweight. He was losing height too fast, couldn’t catch himself up again.
“Watch out, boy!”
The Nui Rama was hit by … a Koli ball?
Before Takua could even realize that the Rahi had let go of him and he could try flying again, he was caught by someone.
“You should better learn flying, pal”, Hewkii said with a grin and let him down to the floor again.
“Before I learn flying you should rather learn swimming”, was Takua’s answer. “Heck, thanks, but why are you here? Have you shot the ball?”
“Nope, it was Pohatu. I didn’t know he still had it in him after years without practise. He’s taking care about some other Rahi right now. We had to leave the desert after we had run right into a Bohrok and Rahi camp. As long as there were just two of us we would have had no chance. And it looks like we’re not the only ones.” He pointed up in the air where two of the last Kewa they had left in Ta Metru were flying. They carried Onua and Nuparu, Kopaka and Rui.
“We couldn’t even get up the mountains very far. Everything was crowded by those stupid bugs. At least we could sneak away undetected tanks to my invisible friend”, Rui shouted when they were flying over the place.
“The tunnels are flooded. We couldn’t get anywhere else than back through another tunnel”, it came from Onua.
“Oh great…” Takua sighed. “We’ve planned to tear Makuta apart but right now it seems as if he had the same idea.” He watched Onua’s and Nuparu’s Goku Kahu. Both weren’t used to flying in a greater height than they would reach through jumping but at least their bird was an experienced one and prevented them form a crash.
“Why have they all come here?”
“Someone in Ta Metru must have told them that the jungle is under attack”, Hewkii shrugged.
“They should have stayed in Ta Metru. Just in case…”
“It’s a citadel. No one would bother fighting against those walls. It must be decades ago or maybe a few hundred years that there were fights in there, if ever. Well, I will get myself some good things to kick and you should go kickin’ some Rahi butt as well. And try to stay in the air this time.”
He gave Takua a quick grin and a thumbs-up then ran off. The Toa of light turned around as well, took a few steps start-up and took off.
Discs, balls, other things used instead of balls, Rahi attacks – Lewa might have had fun flying through this chaos but it slowly got a bit too much for Takua. He had just taken down two more Rama when the Rahkshi appeared. At first it was following him, jumping from one tree to another then started flying as well.
“Isn’t it a good night to battle, Toa?” Lerahk chuckled when he was close up to Takua and pointed his staff towards him. “Maybe it’s also a good night to die.”
The Toa of light evaded the green beam shot at him. The tree behind him was cut into two pieces.
“Oh, you’re familiar with the air I see. But can you also fight while flying?”
Takua dodged another attack and now readied his sword as well. But compared to him the Rahkshi was very skilled fighting in the air. He was able to evade the light beams and blocked the blows.
“Is that all you’ve got, little Toa? Now I will show you what real fighting means.”
Takua had to let himself fall down. The beam only missed this head by a centimetre. Now he had only one thing in his mind: get away as fast as possible. Up here he would never have a chance. He shot away like a golden lightning, followed by green beams. A Rama suddenly appeared in his way and he crashed right into it. Behind him Lerahk had already readied for another attack. It was too late to avoid it, not as long as he was still fighting to get the Rahi off him. Giant wings grew into his sight, behind them he could see green light coming. His head shot up to the rider.
“Get away, Tamaru!”
Too late. The Matoran was hit in his chest and fell backwards.
Takua stabbed his sword into the Rahi’s body and kicked it away as hard as possible – he didn’t care anymore if the creature would die or not – and raced behind Tamaru even though he knew he couldn’t catch him anymore. The Kewa had panicked after its rider was gone and Kapura tried his best to get it down to the ground again.
“Who do you think you are?” the Toa heard Lerahk shouting. “You can’t quit a battle and run away just for a little Matoran. Do you hear me? I’ll get you anyways. We’ll meet again. I’ll be waiting for you. On the highest spot in the red city. Come if you’re Toa enough and want to get revenge.” The Toa of light barley listened to him. His eyes were only fixed on Tamaru.
The green Matoran disappeared between the leaves of the jungle trees and Takua had to slow down if he didn’t want to crash into a few plants. He could see Pohatu and Hewkii running to that place as well but they couldn’t get any further because the swamp was getting deeper and their weight would have dragged them down.
“Are you sure, you want to fly into there?” he heard Pohatu’s voice. It was merely a whisper.
“Yes, as long as there’s still the slightest bit of hope.” The golden Toa’s voice was trembling. He had seen what Lerahk could do with this staff. How much hope could there be left?
He didn’t have to search for long. A trail of blood was swimming on the water. Leaves had prevented Tamaru from sinking in. He still was breathing but he was barely alive anymore. Takua sank down and carefully picked him up.
“This Rahkshi … gone is now?” Tamaru whispered.
“Don’t speak. Spare your energy. You shouldn’t have done this.”
“Would have killed … you. Toa here … to safe the cities … me just … unnecessary … easy to lose …”
“No, for us you are worth thousands of cities. You’re more than just an ordinary Matoran. We’ve fought on the Kini Nui side by side, your idea saved this city twice and now you’ve saved my life. And you’ll be alright. I’ll get you out of here.”
Tamaru’s eyes started flickering. “Kick this … Rahkshi butt … for me … you will?”
“Please hold out, Tamaru”, Takua pleaded, “You can’t die. Not now.”
But it was unsure if the Matoran had still heard it. His eyes had closed and his head slowly sank back.
Takua stopped and floated on the same spot. He lowered his head. Tears he couldn’t choke back anymore were slowly running over his face. The second time he cursed his destiny, cursed Mata Nui for choosing him to be a Toa.
