Kora: Mata Nui 119

"We should not be doing this!" Storm panted as she ran through the Great Temple.

"No. No, we should not." Matoro agreed, skidding around a corner as he easily kept up with the Kora, but his blue eyes were locked onto the Ta-Matoran ahead of him.

Takua knew his way not just through the Great Temple, but all the temples and suvas on the island really, better than anyone else now. He wasn't shy about using his knowledge, ducking a side path more than once to keep up with the changed Kora. There was a story happening all at once and he wasn't going to miss out. Nor was Matoro letting his friend out of his sight and into any kind of trouble they couldn't get out of again. Both Matoran had seen what was going on, mostly with the 'leaders' of the group, how the Kora where moving and acting.

As an accomplished hunter himself, Matoro knew the signs of someone tracking, the habits of Bionicle and Rahi alike, and how the Toa in general hunted. Not just Kopaka, as over the years the Language Master had seen the other Toa in action as well. From safe distances watching Lewa dive from the sky to land on a Rahi, to how Gali fallowed or being followed by a shark and then the fish stakes that night. Or fallowing in the footsteps of Tahu with the Ta-Koro Guard, and quiet grace of dark shadows at night when Onua and Pohatu in their nocturnal hunts. Takua had seen the same, and seen those traits reflected in the Kora. They were hunting, tracking something with other senses that Toa had, just like the Turaga mentioned. Something the guardians had beyond a vague sense the Matoran did, guiding and whatever it was the Kora picked up on triggering this hunting reflex first in Tala and Deni, then the others.

Despite himself, despite knowing full well that he was going to be tossing himself Kanohi-deep in trouble, Takua was grinning. He clutched his staff, flipped around so the hammer side was in a position to use for attack or defense. A quick glance back proved that Matoro had pulled his hunting spear and sled-shield from subspace. The two Matoran moved in tandem, moving to the right and up a set of Matoran sized stairs that were little more than stone pegs just big enough for a Matoran foot and spaced apart for a stride. It would put them right over head level of the Kora and most Matoran.

It also put Takua mask to face with the creature that had lifted up on the wall to almost hesitantly peer into the temple at the same time. The wedged shaped head was less than a few finger-spands away from his Kanohi, the brown eyes of the creature seemed almost as surprised as it focused on the Matoran's own tri-colored, glowing gaze.

"Kharzani!" Takua yelped, jerking back as the creature gave a short shriek and flailed back and almost off the outer wall as well. The creature was holding on by its grasping feet while the Ta-Matoran dropped back into the temple and onto Matoro, his arms flailing before the two scrambled back away from the window. "Okay, that's new!" Takua said as he used his athletic experience to spin up to his feet and grab the white shoulders, pulling Matoro back even more.

"Don't you dare!" It was, unexpectedly, Deni that launched over the Matoran and up on the window and reached through. Muscle cables rippled as the newly unlocked, natural Bionicle strength surged through the dark blue Kora. He grabbed a hold of the metal covered helm-head, not a Kanohi at all, and then yanked with all he could, slamming the Rahi's head into the think stone of the temple. Then again, and a third time before letting the thoroughly stunned rahi go and fall to the ground- further dazing it.

Currently as Deni was, he couldn't really physically fit through the window. He might, but he wasn't sure of the still developing armor, the new weight and 'clearance.' The Kora dropped back down to the stone-tile floor on the inside, pausing for a moment at the reaction he had. As well as the momentary, but intense instincts that had kicked in when he saw that flash fear in the two Matoran.

"Mata Nui Deni!" The Chronicler said, brightening up as he pulled his shield out of subspace, while Matoro got a hold of his spear once he was up right again.

"Um...I did that?" Deni asked, turning as the Tala was running ahead of the group and to the open door.

"Yes Kora- go!" Matoro pushed at a dark shoulder and back, towards that doorway as Telem and Storm skidded around the corner. He and the Ta-Matoran weren't far behind, knowing the Toa programming for defiance would kick in, but they at least had some practice.

Almost at the last second, Takua fumbled to skip to a stop, backtracking to the main corridor again. The Matoran gave a sharp, ear piercing whistle that was a three tone whistle, it echoed down to where the main group was, including all those Guard members. His alarm had distant scrambling echoing back to him as he felt a pulse of elemental energy, fire that he knew so well from Tahu, but not as much.

Later Takua would find out from Matoro that one of the Rahi-creatures had taken a swipe at Storm, making the Kora reflexively dodge. Bending back as if in a limbo game, only this involved a long blade, and the fear triggered the camouflage to break. It almost had a chain reaction with Lee, who was caught in the fire, and after much yelling on the part of the Kora and the rahi.

By the time Pohatu charged out first, his claws snapped out and forward, ready to defend, there was a group of rather embraced, awkward Kora, the last Rahi running away into the wetlands with singed armor, and bruising between the armor from the flying rocks.

Kara looked up at the stone giant from beside Telem who was nursing a spot where she had been hit with a fallen tree brach from the Rahi. Kara was the only one who hadn't lost her human disguised so she blushed with red over her cheeks, "Um… we did a thing, and things happened. Well we heard- no felt something and fallowed it, then we did a thing and a lot of things happened all at once."

"Owww..." Lee and Deni were nursing burn marks, and the very embarrassed Tala was using a Ko-Matoran made hunting knife to chip off the ice that had Takua stuck to the ground. Storm had her head burred in her hands, looking like she wanted to melt into the ground as Matoro patted her shoulder.

Pohatu considered the look of bewilderment on Takua, and knew in that moment that if the Chronicler was having trouble with grasping a situation it must have been chaotic. He took a breath and held it for a second, "Okay..." he looked in the directed that the rahi had limped off before smiling at the Kora. As Tahu and Lewa came out, Pohatu said with some affection in his voice, "At least you chased off the rahi!" He turned, shifting so his brothers only saw a pointed look to Lewa, "We need to help the Kora with their, our elements."

"I see," Tahu said with a wince seeing the burns and the mortification from Storm.

"Here, here," Lewa purred moving over first, kneeling down as she scanned the ground and staracks to make sense. He rubbed the backs of his claws down Dani's back then worked a little healing energy to help with the burns. "Looks like the same tracks as before Ta-tu."

"I see," Tahu said again, moving to cup his hands over Storm as Matoro jumped back, putting out the new fire that started by absorbing the flames. "Easy sister, fire won't hurt you."

"I hurt them!" Storm yipped, leaning back into one of Tahu's hands, yellow, white and orange tri-colored eyes wide as she hugged herself, yipping as another fire started around her.

"Nothing that can't be healed," Tahu tried to asure, keeping the smaller flames from spreading far.

"Sorry Takua..." Tala said very softly from her spot, glancing up to the others, and seeing Kopaka's gaze on her and the matoran that was balancing using her kneeling for and chipping on the other side of his foot. Something akin to misory at realizing she must have disappointed the white Toa, it formed in her chest and she ducked her head. Missing the view of Tahu putting a Kanohi on Storm to help her stop setting fires and scaring herself into setting more. He produced tow more Matoran Kanohi masks, to toss to Pohato and Lewa.

"Its alright Tala," the Chronicler assured, taking a moment to duck his head and grin at the red and blue gaze, "Really, it is. I've been frozen by Kopaka three times coming up on him, and set on fire even!"

"That's not something we're proud of." Tahu snorted, having heard that.

"Well..." Takua heaved and pulled himself free, flailing his arms and getting caught by Tala. He righted himself, "There! I'm free." He trotted over to Matoro, pulling out a burn cream to rub into his friend's elbow joint. He looked around to notice the new masks, and took some pride noting that they were Ta-Koro made and seeing them charged with elemental energy.

Takua resisted touching his own blue mask, looking around, seeing the different Guard members from different villages were acting as one unit to scan the area for the Rahi with Pohato. Gali was just diving into the water to go check the nearest of the out posts around in Ga-Wahi. Taking careful note of anything going on around him, absorbing it all as he could now, the Chronicler had learned some tricks in regards to memory. This was recovery, Bionicle sorting out what happened and returning back into the temple, Kopaka and Lewa donating their own lesser healing abilities to the injured Kora. Matoro pulling Tala back inside after noticing her staring at the trees and undergrowth. Toa Tahu scooped up the smaller fire spirit and held Storm against his heart light to help calm her down as he stepped back into the temple himself. Takua say how Onua knelt, squinting at the lit but not as much as the Onu-Koro Turaga, and touch the comparatively tiny human form, making sure Kara was alright. Telem was leaning against the black Toa's leg, looking exhausted to the sudden activity, losing and then getting a new Kanohi mask.

"Hmm..." Takua was thoughtful, feeling wavering elemental energies from the Kora and then turned to study one of the tracks from these new Rahi. There was something about the track that reminded him of...something. Takua wasn't sure what it was about the track as he watched it's outline soften from being in mud.

"Takua?" Jaller's voice asked, the taller Ta-Matoran stepping up beside his friend, spotting the look of concentration he arched a golden eye ridge on his mask, "What is it Chronicler?" he asked, not really formally or joking.

"There's something about these new Rahi, Jaller." Takua started softly, just to his friend, not the Captain of the Ta-Koro Guard. It was recognized as Jaller rested his spear on his shoulder, a slightly 'down guarded' position he always did when they were talking away from duty. It was enough that the other Matoran left them alone, Matoro might have come over if Nuju hadn't grabbed the Language master to translate an in depth conversation with the other Turaga and the Toa later.

Jaller knew the topics, and the main subject of how to help the Koro, "What's bothering you Takua?" He asked once they were left, turning after getting a good look at the track, so Takua's back wasn't exposed with no one watching it.

"That's it Jaller, I can't put my finger on it." The shorter male rubbed the side of his Kanohi, staring more into space, "I was face to face with one and... something's just bothering me. Like I'm missing something."

"You hardly ever miss things now," Jaller said glancing to the side, his mostly red eyes looked at Takua's orange. "Even if you don't remember it first, as soon as you start writing you put down almost too many details. That's what Turaga Onuwa said."

Takua smiled up at his taller friend, "Maybe I should Wright this down to night, it did all happen pretty fast."

The golden Kanohi wearing male tilted his head a bit, "It was, I just notice that you were gone, then the Kora where too before I heard your alarm whistle. What happened to make you leave?"

"The Kora," Takua explained that part, "Just suddenly it was like something caught all their attention and I saw Tala and Dani moving like they were hunting."

"So you followed without thinking?"

Smiling at the snort he got, Takua shrugged helplessly, "What can I say? Its who I am I think."

"Come on crazy Chronicler of the island, get back in the temple, I'll check in with Toa Pohatu." Jaller shook his head, pushing Takua in to the entrance and trotting out into the loose wet land jungle.

Takua paused inside, turning he jumped up to the same window as before, staring as he remembered the Rahi's eyes the Matoran frowned. Those eyes hadn't been glowing and... he hadn't wanted to fully admit to Jaller yet they reminded him of Kora Kara and Telem mostly, but like the Kora in their human forms in general.

And that bothered Takua as he remembered what happened to rahi in the past with the corrupted Kanohi masks that Makuta made that mutated several types of rahi.