Novelizations from Bara Magna
Metus’ Revenge
Adapted by Jeff Douglas.
As the wind swept sand down the long Sandray Canyon, and as the cries of Cloud Callers echoed along the spiny basin, soft footsteps shuffled along the main stretch of road. Ackar and Mata Nui walked quickly, excited in their stoic fashions, making their way to a towering pile of rubble. Neither could sense the shadow that stalked them from above, and none could observe the wrathful blue eyes that gleamed with madness and envy.
“Now,” Ackar said, stopping in front of the mound. “Let’s see if this maneuver can free the chariot from those rocks…”
He raised his sword. “On my command!” he barked. On Mata Nui’s shoulder, Click clicked eagerly.
Ackar’s sword fell. “Fire!”
Vastus and Kiina erupted from out of the rocks. Channeling their powers midair, water and wind funnels smashed into the mound, hosing the debris away with ease.
The pair landed on their feet and high-fived. “Aha!” Vastus chuckled.
“Woo-Hoo!” Kiina cheered, walking over to Mata Nui and Ackar. “That new power combo sure puts a new twist on things.” She hesitated, before adding, “But I don’t get why we still need to practice. We haven’t seen any Skrall or their boney pals since we blew them away.”
“I have learned the hard way, Kiina,” Mata Nui frowned. “You should never relax your defenses simply because you cannot see your enemy.”
As he spoke, the sounds of some small rocks falling caused Click to raise its head and looked around. Quickly, it scuttled down Mata Nui’s back and scuttled over to the disturbance.
“Mata Nui’s right,” Ackar agreed. “Plenty escaped. They could strike at any time.”
✴ ✴ ✴
Along the rocky peaks above, the serpentine Metus smirked at Ackar’s words.
“Yes…” he snarled. “To crush you all for destroying my life.”
With all his strength, he hurled himself against a large boulder that loomed over the heads of the four warriors down below. It was unlikely that it would be able to kill all four in one blow. But for it to even hit one, the vengeance would taste deliciously sweet. As the old Bara Magna saying went, “Nothing gained if nothing tried.”
By degrees, the boulder seemed to budge, and somewhat miraculously, the four below were too deep in conversation to notice. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for a little Scarabax beetle who popped its head above the canyon rim and clicked angrily.
“You!” Metus snarled. Without warning, he lunged forward and chomped down on the ground where Click had been standing. But the beetle had neatly sidestepped. Metus lunged again, this time faster and harder. But Click had escaped again, and the former-Agori broke a tooth.
“Ow!” Metus roared. Twisting, he spotted the black beetle moving with all the speed it could afford into the highest peaks of Sandray Canyon. With a snarl, he slithered after his opponent.
For Click’s part, it hadn’t particularly started with a plan, but now the element of surprise was lost. As it hurried up the slope, it was conscious that the higher it went, the less room to maneuver there would be. And then the only way to go would be down.
It dared a glance behind itself. But the glistening white scales where nowhere to be seen. Looking back around, its eyes widened as Metus appeared before it. Click skidded to a stop, and as Metus bit down, Click bounced onto his head and ran up his tail. When the overeager Metus lunged to bit the beetle, he missed and bit his own tail. He howled.
Click was on the move, ascending up the ridge again and charging at full speed after the Scarabax, who now scrambled behind a large pile of rocks. A moment later, these rocks sprang to life, rumbling down the mountain and pummeling Metus, who could barely dodge them.
He raised himself to his full height. “You!” he snarled at Click, who merely shook his rear end at the serpent.
With a shout, Metus shot after Click, who weaved in and out of the zagged stone fissures, darting back and forth as Metus’ bulk inhibited him. For a moment, Click expected Metus to tangle himself. But Metus disappeared from behind him, instead rounded a corner and encircling the beetle.
Now the only direction Click could go was backward. Yet even there it couldn’t go far, as he was surrounded by walls so steep even it couldn’t climb them.
Metus cackled.
“You’re mine now, you filthy little Scarabax!” he hissed.
Click clicked furiously and quickly.
“I will start my revenge,” Metus continued, “with you!”
With that, he jumped forward – and then froze. Click wasn’t moving, nor was it making any noise. Yet the bowl around them resounded with a roar… of clicks.
Metus looked around, in every direction. Out of the ground and over the walls came thousands, perhaps millions of Scarabax native to the canyon, all looking down at him from above.
“Oh no,” he gulped.
Click clacked at the beetles all around. And that was all it took. With this, the Scarabax rushed forward like a mighty wave.
“Oh – wait! Wait! I can explain,” pleaded Metus. “It was all a big misunderstanding! No no no… stop!”
As Click started meandering down the mountain, the begging of the former Agori followed him down. When it looked up, it was in time to see Metus hurled far into the distance, to a fate unknown.
“I! Hate! That! Bug!” his fading voice cried. Then he disappeared altogether.
✴ ✴ ✴
The four Glatorian strolled along the main canyon road, entirely oblivious to the battle raging above. Mata Nui felt his shoulder and frowned. I wonder where Click—
Several rocks tumbled down from above, and the beetle’s head popped out from over the rim.
“Hey, watch it, squirt!” Kiina snapped. “You want to start an avalanche?”
Click shook its head and sighed.