CHAPTER 3 - Doom's Lair
Octina's razor sharp tarsus made a series of foreboding clicks on the black marble floor with every step of her six legs. The Visorak queen, as she was known, walked behind her rider: A purple masked warrior. Xin's footfalls were relatively silent in comparison to her loyal steed, but would have been so even without Octina's presence, due to years of stealth training. The two were no longer near Trader's Pass. They had weathered the earthquake in Po-Wahi, now they walked through a dark corridor toward Makute Doom's throne room.
Xin eye'd the pillars by the walls that held up the ceiling. There were cracks in several of them and one just ahead had completely collapsed. It seemed nowhere had been unaffected by the tremendous earthquake several days ago. Up ahead, the distant sound of hissing and growling could be heard, getting louder as Xin grew closer. A short time later, she entered the throne room.
Rahkshi and a few Bohrok stood about the expansive room, gathering rubble that had fallen from the ceiling and stabilizing the four gigantic pillars. Makute Doom sat upon his throne, grumpily watching the work progress. His head and eyes turned to look at Xin as she entered. She did not hesitate to regard him with a respectful nod, then made her way to the center of the room and stood in front of him.
"You know what I don't see, Xin? A certain Matoran in your possession. I hope you have a reasonable excuse for this." His deep, yet poisonously genteel voice rumbled.
"I saw Crystal at Trader's Pass a few days ago, Your Highness, but I did not engage her." Xin said honestly, her voice devoid of emotion. One brow of Makute Doom's black and red mask lifted to form an expectant but skeptical expression. He was waiting for an explanation.
"I was unexpectedly outnumbered." Xin continued, "It seems your Matoran has acquired a set of Toa protectors to escort her on her way. I counted four of them, but it's possible there were more."
Makute Doom's red eyes shone with extreme displeasure as he rolled them and lifted his head against the back of his throne. "Of course she did." He sighed in exasperation, then lowered his head to look at Xin once again. "I assume it's the rebels from before?"
"Yes. It was Magma, River, Leachan and Glacier." She confirmed.
"Typical. You allow a handful of Toa to live and suddenly they feel they can rally together against you. Well, Toa are nothing if not predictable. They come together like magnets, no matter how far apart you put them, especially where Matoran and Agori are concerned." Makute Doom said, clicking his talons impatiently upon the arm of his seat. Slowly, he turned his head toward a red Rahkshi standing nearby. "Summon Scorpio and Vain." he ordered. The Rahkshi nodded and obeyed, retreating down another corridor on the opposite end of the room. Xin watched it go.
'Scorpio and Vain? If those two could do anything about their former companions, they would have already done so.' She thought, but did not dare voice her skepticism.
Scorpio was an Earth Toa, known just as much for his strength and for his scheming nature. He had betrayed his fellows many years ago, choosing to serve Makute Doom rather than live as an exiled outlaw on the run. Nevertheless, Xin didn't trust him. He seemed far too pleased with his choice to be against everything Toa stood for.. Though it seemed contrary, Xin felt she would be more comfortable if he appeared more conflicted.
Vain, on the other hand, was a different story. He was a stone Toa that had always been loyal to his fellows. He would never choose to serve Makute Doom, that was why Xin knew she could trust him: His servitude wasn't by choice, but rather the control of a Kraata. It was an experimental procedure; a Toa who's body was completely under Makute Doom's command, but thus far it seemed to be working. Vain couldn't double-cross them if he couldn't move for himself.
"Your Highness, I wish to speak with you about Crystal." Xin said suddenly, finally taking her eyes from the hall where the red Rahkshi had gone. "I sensed a powerful aura coming from her; one even greater than the aura of the Toa.. What is she exactly?"
"That is none of your concern, Assassin!" Boomed a gurgling voice from behind. Xin turned and scowled the moment she saw it's maker. The voice belonged to one of Makute Doom's many Glatorian generals: a mutated fellow with four arms, dark blue spikes, and large teeth.
Vizmar.
Xin did not like him at all and the feeling was quite mutual. "Your job isn't to know the details, your job was to find the Matoran and bring her back here at any cost. You failed miserably!" The behemoth lectured as he marched over, "All because you couldn't take four puny Toa-- But why should that surprise me? You're practically a Toa yourself. Maybe your inner goody-goody got the better of you."
Xin felt her chest become hot with rage. "I have never been a Toa!" She snapped before she could stop herself. She was usually good at suppressing her emotions, but Vizmar rubbed her the wrong way. He was a loud, obnoxious, unpleasant, and unnecessarily violent brute; a vicious Glatorian who took pleasure from causing pain in mass numbers. Her exact opposite in every way!
"No? You were a Matoran once, weren't you?" Vizmar taunted, "The only time one of those pipsqueaks gets big is when they become Toa... And you have powers." The brute's eyes went to Xin's arms, as if to direct everyone's attention to what was happening there: Electric pulses coursed down her shoulder, forming sparks at the ends of her hooks. Xin began to tremble with anger, furthering the elemental activity.
"There has never been, nor ever shall be, a Toa of Lighting." Xin growled.
Whatever Makute Doom's thoughts on the matter, he said nothing. His expression was merely one of boredom, and it was clear to the Rahkshi and Bohrok throughout the room that he wasn't going to put a stop to this.. Thankfully, something else did.
A strange whirring and rumbling noise suddenly came from the hall where Xin had entered, and in a moment's notice, several more Rahkshi and Bohrok flew into the room. Xin's electric pulses stopped the instant her attention was turned elsewhere. All eyes were now on the strange intruders. No one recognized these recruits: Three blue Rahkshi; one a darker shade than the rest, a red Rahkshi with a twisted spine, a white Rahkshi with a black foot, and several Bohrok of mixed and matched colors! Even Makute Doom seemed surprised by the sudden appearances of these creatures and rose from his throne. For several minutes, the intruders buzzed about the room as if challenging anyone to stop them, then all at once came to a standstill in front of Doom's throne, just behind Xin and Vizmar. The room fell silent as everyone waited to see what would happen next.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?" Makute Doom asked coolly.
The dark blue Rahkshi stepped forward, coming between Vizmar and Xin. Slowly, it lowered it's head in a bow. "The Legend hasss awakened." It hissed, "We ssserve the ssshadow."
"You know what I don't see, Xin? A certain Matoran in your possession. I hope you have a reasonable excuse for this." His deep, yet poisonously genteel voice rumbled.
"I saw Crystal at Trader's Pass a few days ago, Your Highness, but I did not engage her." Xin said honestly, her voice devoid of emotion. One brow of Makute Doom's black and red mask lifted to form an expectant but skeptical expression. He was waiting for an explanation.
"I was unexpectedly outnumbered." Xin continued, "It seems your Matoran has acquired a set of Toa protectors to escort her on her way. I counted four of them, but it's possible there were more."
Makute Doom's red eyes shone with extreme displeasure as he rolled them and lifted his head against the back of his throne. "Of course she did." He sighed in exasperation, then lowered his head to look at Xin once again. "I assume it's the rebels from before?"
"Yes. It was Magma, River, Leachan and Glacier." She confirmed.
"Typical. You allow a handful of Toa to live and suddenly they feel they can rally together against you. Well, Toa are nothing if not predictable. They come together like magnets, no matter how far apart you put them, especially where Matoran and Agori are concerned." Makute Doom said, clicking his talons impatiently upon the arm of his seat. Slowly, he turned his head toward a red Rahkshi standing nearby. "Summon Scorpio and Vain." he ordered. The Rahkshi nodded and obeyed, retreating down another corridor on the opposite end of the room. Xin watched it go.
'Scorpio and Vain? If those two could do anything about their former companions, they would have already done so.' She thought, but did not dare voice her skepticism.
Scorpio was an Earth Toa, known just as much for his strength and for his scheming nature. He had betrayed his fellows many years ago, choosing to serve Makute Doom rather than live as an exiled outlaw on the run. Nevertheless, Xin didn't trust him. He seemed far too pleased with his choice to be against everything Toa stood for.. Though it seemed contrary, Xin felt she would be more comfortable if he appeared more conflicted.
Vain, on the other hand, was a different story. He was a stone Toa that had always been loyal to his fellows. He would never choose to serve Makute Doom, that was why Xin knew she could trust him: His servitude wasn't by choice, but rather the control of a Kraata. It was an experimental procedure; a Toa who's body was completely under Makute Doom's command, but thus far it seemed to be working. Vain couldn't double-cross them if he couldn't move for himself.
"Your Highness, I wish to speak with you about Crystal." Xin said suddenly, finally taking her eyes from the hall where the red Rahkshi had gone. "I sensed a powerful aura coming from her; one even greater than the aura of the Toa.. What is she exactly?"
"That is none of your concern, Assassin!" Boomed a gurgling voice from behind. Xin turned and scowled the moment she saw it's maker. The voice belonged to one of Makute Doom's many Glatorian generals: a mutated fellow with four arms, dark blue spikes, and large teeth.
Vizmar.
Xin did not like him at all and the feeling was quite mutual. "Your job isn't to know the details, your job was to find the Matoran and bring her back here at any cost. You failed miserably!" The behemoth lectured as he marched over, "All because you couldn't take four puny Toa-- But why should that surprise me? You're practically a Toa yourself. Maybe your inner goody-goody got the better of you."
Xin felt her chest become hot with rage. "I have never been a Toa!" She snapped before she could stop herself. She was usually good at suppressing her emotions, but Vizmar rubbed her the wrong way. He was a loud, obnoxious, unpleasant, and unnecessarily violent brute; a vicious Glatorian who took pleasure from causing pain in mass numbers. Her exact opposite in every way!
"No? You were a Matoran once, weren't you?" Vizmar taunted, "The only time one of those pipsqueaks gets big is when they become Toa... And you have powers." The brute's eyes went to Xin's arms, as if to direct everyone's attention to what was happening there: Electric pulses coursed down her shoulder, forming sparks at the ends of her hooks. Xin began to tremble with anger, furthering the elemental activity.
"There has never been, nor ever shall be, a Toa of Lighting." Xin growled.
Whatever Makute Doom's thoughts on the matter, he said nothing. His expression was merely one of boredom, and it was clear to the Rahkshi and Bohrok throughout the room that he wasn't going to put a stop to this.. Thankfully, something else did.
A strange whirring and rumbling noise suddenly came from the hall where Xin had entered, and in a moment's notice, several more Rahkshi and Bohrok flew into the room. Xin's electric pulses stopped the instant her attention was turned elsewhere. All eyes were now on the strange intruders. No one recognized these recruits: Three blue Rahkshi; one a darker shade than the rest, a red Rahkshi with a twisted spine, a white Rahkshi with a black foot, and several Bohrok of mixed and matched colors! Even Makute Doom seemed surprised by the sudden appearances of these creatures and rose from his throne. For several minutes, the intruders buzzed about the room as if challenging anyone to stop them, then all at once came to a standstill in front of Doom's throne, just behind Xin and Vizmar. The room fell silent as everyone waited to see what would happen next.
"Well, well, well. What have we here?" Makute Doom asked coolly.
The dark blue Rahkshi stepped forward, coming between Vizmar and Xin. Slowly, it lowered it's head in a bow. "The Legend hasss awakened." It hissed, "We ssserve the ssshadow."
A look of understanding suddenly came to Makute Doom's eyes. Quickly, he pointed a talon at Octina. "Send a spy to The Mountain Of Whispers at once!" He demanded. Octina retreated, scrambling up the wall into a crevasse overhead. Xin turned with a puzzled expression to see her leader sink back into his throne, his mask overshadowed, but his eyes fierce and in deep thought...
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