Myths and Legacy

Out of Their Elements

Written by Nicrophorus

Jaller and Kongu swam in silence.

It was not unusual to remain silent after a brush with death. Often, no words could truly encompass one’s fresh awareness of mortality. The Toa had recently been drained of their life force by sea squids and attacked by two Barraki, Carapar and Kalmah. A passing observer might easily have mistaken their silence for shellshock. But this silence was not cold or pallid; it was simmering, ready to burst into boil.

Kongu spoke first. “You took the deal.”

Jaller didn’t speak or turn his head.

“I’m sorry, maybe you didn’t clear-hear me,” said Kongu, taking on an indignant tone. “You took the deal?”

Jaller swept his dimly glowing sword in a slow arc. At his feet, a Hahnah crab still followed, drawn to the light. “I’m focusing on my mask power,” he said quietly. “Trying to sound out the path.”

A moment later, Kongu fired his cordak blaster, throwing up vast clouds of silt. Jaller grabbed his mask, briefly pained by the noise, as the Hahnah clung to his leg in fright. Jaller spun around and glared at Kongu.

“I am trying,” Jaller bellowed, “to get us out of here!”

“You took the deal!” said Kongu. “We’ll way-find Mahri Nui. But first, I want to know how you’re getting out of that.”

Jaller gave a long, heavy sigh. Kalmah and Carapar had ambushed the Toa after they were weakened by vampiric squids, left in no shape to fight. In exchange for their lives, Jaller had offered to share the Mask of Life with the Barraki, restoring them to their original forms if the Toa were allowed to use it to save the universe. Kalmah had added one condition: that the Toa kill Pridak, leader of the Barraki.

“Yes. I took the deal,” said Jaller. “Would you have preferred to become seafood? We weren’t left with a lot of options.”

“We could have kept them smug-talking,” Kongu offered. “They could have gone on about the glory days for long-hours, I could tell. Once we’d built up our life-strength-”

“Kalmah might talk, but Carapar doesn’t seem the patient type. A peaceful retreat was the quickest and safest way out.”

“I see you had it all deep-thought,” said Kongu, nodding derisively. “Tell me - did the Toa code ever enter into your think-plan?”

“That’s what you’re upset about?” Jaller scoffed. “Neither of them believed we’d actually do what we agreed to, not even Carapar. My guess is they just enjoyed seeing us grovel.”

“So a Toa-hero’s word is no better than a Barraki’s?” said Kongu. “I thought Ta-Matoran were meant to be honor-proud.”

“We are fighting for our lives, Kongu!” The water around Jaller seethed out in a boiling tide. The Hahnah shrank back, but Kongu kept his unforgiving gaze fixed on Jaller. “This is not a Naming Day resolution. This is about saving the Great Spirit’s life!”

“Do you think I don’t ever-know that?” said Kongu. “This is my duty-quest, too. But I have to deep-think: what happens if we get quick-caught by the Barraki again, and Kalmah demands you kill his leader?” He narrowed his eyes. “Would you do it?”

Jaller opened his mouth, then closed it. Silt settled all around him.

“I don’t care that you dark-lied to the Barraki,” Kongu continued, “but where do you draw the line, Jaller? Would you break the code if it were the quick-safe option?”

“I try to keep my team, my people, and my universe as safe as I can,” said Jaller. “Sometimes, that means making tough calls. You might not always agree with them, but-”

“But what, Jaller?” said Kongu. “I duty-must follow your orders?” The Toa of Air laughed - a full, deep-throated laugh. “You’ve done nothing to convince me since we came here.”

Jaller seethed. “You’re out of line, Kongu.”

“No! I’m the only Toa on the team who’s trying to follow you!” Kongu rounded on Jaller, jabbing a pointing finger at his mask. “Hewkii and Nuparu are on a rampage, Matoro’s quick-friended a robot, and we don’t ever-know where Hahli is!” Kongu shook his head. “I’m sorry - ‘Hahli the Barbarian’, as you said. A fitting title for someone who drown-threatens Matoran and happy-talks with Barraki; more fitting than ‘Toa-hero’, I’d say.”

WHAM.

Kongu staggered back and hit the ground, as his mask floated to the ground a few feet away. His vision blurred; he could vaguely see an orange shape grab his mask and approach, kneeling down to place it on his face.

“I’m sorry,” Jaller was saying, his voice tinged with shame. “I shouldn’t have done that. In the Guard, that’s grounds for-”

“They dark-frown on it in the Gukko Force, too,” said Kongu wryly. Jaller offered a hand, but Kongu shook his head. “I need to ground-rest.”

Jaller nodded. “I’m sorry, Kongu. I don’t know why I…”

“You deep-know why,” said Kongu, scowling. “And so do I.”

The Hahnah crab circled Kongu warily, picking prey out of the silt he had kicked up.

“I’m sorry,” Jaller repeated.

“No, I’m sorry,” said Kongu, with a sigh. “I went too far; said dark-things I don’t true-mean.” He smirked. “Hahli would right-thrash me for that. You just quick-saved her the trouble.”

Jaller sighed. “Then again,” he admitted, “her idea of a thrashing has gotten a bit more… severe lately. That stunt she pulled with Defilak…” He shook his head. “I don’t know what’s going on behind that mask of hers, and it scares me.”

“I thought you two were heart-close.”

“We are!” Jaller barked. Kongu looked up at him, but the Toa of Fire glanced away. “We were. It’s… complicated.”

Kongu shrugged. “Well, happy-least you can add ‘bargaining with Barraki’ to your shared interests.”

Jaller pretended to laugh.

He sat down in the sand across from Kongu. Both Toa rested, slowly settling into the silt. As they watched, they began to notice life around them on the ocean floor: crustaceans scavenging the wastes, fish camouflaged under the surface, and small forests of worms feeding from the waves. The Hahnah crab walked among them like a giant, ripping prey out of the sand.

“Does the team… respect me?”

“Yes,” said Kongu, without hesitation. “You brave-led us from Metru Nui to here, and quick-rallied the team in many dark-luck times.”

Jaller frowned. “But that doesn’t mean they listen to me.”

“Not always, no,” said Kongu.

With a mighty sigh, Jaller laid back in the sand. “The legends tell so many cautionary tales,” he said. “I don’t want anyone to follow me out of fear, or believe I’m the only one with the answers.” He stared up at the murky waters. “The Guard was different. Everyone came from the same place, believed in the same things. Guards follow orders because they make sense, and because they have courage that their commanders will come through.”

“Trust,” Kongu said slowly.

“What?” said Jaller, sitting up.

“Have you ever quick-ridden a Gukko?” said Kongu. “I know you have. How do you think we get them to wind-carry Matoran?”

Jaller shrugged. “I was just the second. I assumed Lewa was guiding it.”

“Yes - because the Gukko trusted him,” said Kongu. “It trusted Lewa would guide-fly, and way-find a safe path… and that he would ever-thank its service with tasty berries! That’s important.”

“Are you suggesting I should carry treats on the mission?”

“Not unless they’re ever-good underwater,” said Kongu. “But Toa need trust, just as sure as any Gukko.”

“I trust my teammates,” said Jaller. “When have I ever not?”

“Yes - maybe too much,” said Kongu. “But do they trust you?”

Kongu put his hands together, focused all his elemental power, and was rewarded with a stream of bubbles. “The ocean is hard-luck for air powers, Jaller. I know you’re struggling, too.” He sighed. “You were right to take the deal. We couldn’t have quick-won there.”

“Much obliged,” said Jaller, with a frown. “You think the other Toa don’t trust me to act?”

“Down here, you’re being ever-cautious,” said Kongu, “but Hahli can win a fight before you slow-draw your weapon. Why wait for you to give the order?”

Jaller frowned. Kongu’s argument made a little too much sense for his comfort. Did the other Toa really see him as… powerless? Was that why Hahli had been so quick to address Defilak and the Barraki? Why Matoro had struck off on his own?

The Hahnah crab nipped at his feet. It was stalking a tiny squid, flitting above the sandy ground. The crab’s prey was quicker than it, but had mistaken Jaller for some kind of coral, and was attempting to hide in his armor.

“Ever-eager creature, that crab,” Kongu commented, watching the Hahnah grab at the slippery squid.

“Like a miniature Pewku,” said Jaller. “Let’s see if I can’t help.”

The squid was about to escape when Jaller shifted his legs to wall in the creature, placing Hahnah at the bottleneck. The rest was brutally simple.

“And here I thought Carapar was crab-king of the Pit.”

As Kongu spoke, a spark lit in Jaller’s mind. “You know how he and Kalmah beat us?” he remarked. “The Barraki spend almost no effort fighting. Their monsters are more powerful, but the Barraki direct them to the best positions to win. They could have killed us while hardly lifting a finger.”

He looked at Kongu, who nodded. Jaller continued, “Turaga Vakama once told me that the best captains aren’t the best fighters on their team. They’re the ones who can tell the others when to fight.”

“And when not to,” added Kongu.

Jaller laughed. “Why do I feel like that’s the hard part?”

He pushed himself to his feet, then offered a hand to Kongu. “Come on. We need to get to Mahri Nui - and then I’m calling a team meeting.”

Kongu took his hand. Letting Jaller’s mask guide the way, the two swam in the direction of Mahri Nui, followed by the crab. Swimming out of the sea canyon, however, revealed an astonishing sight.

The Black Water churned. Sharks, eels, and sea creatures of all shapes and sizes were attacking and killing each other in a frenzy that went beyond feeding, beyond competition - it was madness. So great was the fighting that the currents were thrown off course, and nowhere did the water lie still.

Kongu looked up through leagues of seawater, so thick with blood and bodies he could not see the surface. “I’ll ever-bet this is Hahli’s fault.”

“If it’s any of our team’s doing, then it’s my responsibility,” said Jaller. In the distance, he could just make out the shimmer of Mahri Nui. “But we’re going to fix the problems we’ve made, together.”

Kongu nodded. Weapons at the ready, both captains swam in harmony towards the sunken city.