Chapter Fifteen: Claiming the Staff

There was much less time than expected. Through telepathic broadcast via his spies, Icarax had learned that the Toa Nuva were departing Odina, and he had no doubt that they would have found a way to pry the Shadowed One of his knowledge.

The Shadowed One was always a weak, pathetic individual, Icarax thought. From the start, the Makuta had been responsible for every one of his greatest achievements, and even now the only reason he and his organization still exists is to fight us. The war runs interference while the Brotherhood manipulates the finer parts of Teridax’s convoluted scheme.

After bashing a few skulls and smashing some Kanohi, Icarax overpowered the Vortixx warriors. The males, by contrast, were too spineless to do anything except protest. The Makuta got his information fast and traveled to the region where the Staff was said to be buried.

Upon his arrival, he was directed to a storeroom several floors beneath the plot of a prominent Vortixx weaponsmith. The storeroom was filled with weapons of all varieties, and the Makuta was tempted to steal a few. Some of Xia’s most famous creations were here, and Destral was low on most of them. Icarax noted this place for the future.

The Staff of Artakha occupied a special location within the storeroom, and he took it from its pedestal. The rod was long and sturdy with sleek double-edged blades on either end. It was an impressive weapon, and when Teridax finished with it, Icarax made a mental note that he would have to reclaim it.

Now it was just a waiting game. There were few who earned the privilege of Icarax’s patience, but this was an encounter he happily anticipated. For Makuta Teridax had ordered that no other Makuta face these Toa Nuva, preferring that the encounter be savored for the final battle. But accidents do happen. After hearing so many reports about these Toa, Icarax could be forgiven if his curiosity got the better of him.