Chapter 4

Ignoring the warnings that lit up its visor as it patrolled along the edge of the shoreline, the Gahlok-Kal surveyed the terrain in the dwindling light of the late afternoon.

For thousands of years, it had slumbered with its fellow Bohrok-Kal in the same cryogenic sleep as the swarm, waiting for the time when they would be called upon to fulfill their purpose. Only recently had it awoken to find an infestation had spawned on the surface of Mata Nui and that six meddlesome warriors had disrupted the Cleansing. It seemed to the Gahlok-Kal that opposing these Toa Nuva was the unfortunate purpose for which its kind had been intended – the closest thing to a destiny that the Bohrok-Kal knew.

A week had passed since Tahnok-Kal had instructed the Bohrok-Kal to search for the Kanohi Nuva. While Nuhvok-Kal and Lehvak-Kal had voiced their reluctance to deviate from their mission to locate the Bahrag, the Gahlok-Kal and its allies relished in the opportunity to humiliate the Toa Nuva further, and to avenge the fallen swarms in the service of the queens. Operating off of intelligence overheard by a Pahrak Va, the Gahlok-Kal now scoured the desert for a Kanohi Nuva rumored to have been hidden in the coastal buffs of the island’s northern-most point.

Catching a glimmer of sunlight reflected on an object half-buried in the distance, the Gahlok-Kal paused to consider its next move, feeling the disagreeable sensation of sand in its circuitry. Could this be some trace of the Kanohi Nuva it sought?

Shifting into ball mode, the Bohrok-Kal propelled itself towards the curious glimmer, taking care to avoid the crevices in the plateau. As it drew closer, it gradually became clear that the quality of the ground was changing, shifting slowly from solid rock to brittle earth and finally to the fine coastal silt of a curved sand bar. It would be difficult to gain traction beyond this point.

Faintly aware of a Makika leaping from the rock it had been basking on, the Gahlok-Kal rolled to a halt and continued the final stretch manually, waddling with purpose past the scattered rocks that littered the terrain, taking care to examine the shoreline it now found itself on. Adjusting its optical sensors to compensate for the glare of the setting sun, it lowered its gaze to inspect the artifact that had caught its attention.

A cracked Bohrok faceplate.

Red in color, the chipped screen had presumably been torn from an unfortunate Tahnok unit during the Siege of Po-Koro. Examining it closely, the Gahlok-Kal inspected the severed wiring of damaged Bohrok circuitry. The rest of the unit and its krana were nowhere to be found. Exactly what task a Tahnok would have been performing in this position was unclear.

Raising its head to conduct another sweep of the surrounding area, its Krana-Kal detected a strange sound somewhere in the vicinity of the nearby plateau. Unfazed by the revelation, the Gahlok-Kal turned in anticipation.

It was only then that the crimson outline of Toa Tahu crested the lip of the dune, Magma Swords drawn. Even from this distance, it was obvious he had happened across a replacement Kanohi Nuva since their last encounter. His appearance was far from striking for the Gahlok-Kal had been expecting further interference from the Toa, though it was unwelcome nonetheless.

“I believe you owe me a Nuva Symbol,” he said with steel in his voice.

Affixing his Magma Swords together, the Toa of Fire flung himself onto the legendary Lavaboard and propelled himself down the edge of the dune, as though he were surfing in the molten flows beneath the island. He began to pick up speed almost immediately, though his improvised assault would do him no good.

“I warned you not to cross my path again,” rasped the Bohrok-Kal, turning its back to the ocean and charging its Magnetism Shields. “Not even a Toa can escape the Swarm!”

The Gahlok-Kal released a shockwave of energy that halted Tahu before he could kickflip, sending both the Toa and his Magma Swords tumbling into the sand for the remainder of his descent down the slope. Unable to right himself, Tahu thrashed and writhed in the cascading sand until he ground to a halt as a backwash wave crashed against the ocean, triggered by the magnetic pulse.

Almost believing any further attack to be excessive, the Gahlok-Kal activated its powers and magnetized the Toa of Fire’s feet to the metals deep beneath the sand, locking him in place. Tahu’s eyes widened in horror from behind his Akaku Nuva. No doubt his ambush had hinged upon at least landing the first blow.

“Perhaps I will leave you standing there until the tide comes in,” grated the Bohrok-Kal, advancing on the struggling Toa. “It would seem a fitting end for so meddlesome a Toa.”

But Tahu wasn’t listening, the telescopic lens of his mask whirling as the Gahlok-Kal grew wise to his intentions.

“Ja-Kal, eh?” he remarked aloud. “And here I thought you might be the leader.”

Repelling the Toa back with a magnetic push, the Gahlok-Kal activated its Ja-Kal and conducted another proximity sweep. As close as this, it would ordinarily be impossible to penetrate the opaque faceplate of a Bohrok-Kal, a lesson that the Gahlok-Kal had taught to Onua Nuva the hard way just two days prior. Before its radar senses could pick up anything, however, it came to realize the Toa was just a single turning cog in a larger scheme.

That was when the first boulder landed, connecting squarely with the exposed gears of the Bohrok-Kal’s neck mechanism and dealing a crushing impact that rocked its head forward. Staggering, the Gahlok-Kal stumbled into the spray of a wave rolling up the shore and twisted to examine the damage, losing its hold over Tahu in the process.

The shadow of the attacker leapt for cover in the sandbank above, a shape distinguishable only by a sudden flash of movement. An instant later, one of the rocks wobbled from its perch at the lip of the slope then rose into the air. Lewa Nuva stood beneath it, a boulder the size of a small Matoran village now above his shoulders.

“Another goal for Le-Koro!” proclaimed the Toa of Air, hurling the stone.

As the boulder shattered against its magnetic forcefield, the Gahlok-Kal found there was little it could do to dodge the rock fragments, feeling their immense weight. With an armored shell fashioned to deflect much harder debris, however, it emerged from beneath the rubble, battered and a little too impaired for its liking.

“Perhaps you forget how easily I could crush you, Toa of Air,” it challenged, stepping forward and knocking a fragment of rock out of its path.

Lewa reached for another boulder.

“I don’t fear-dread the Bohrok anymore!” he challenged, hurling the stone with one arm and watching the Gahlok-Kal struggled to dodge. “You have taken my village, my people, my wind-powers, even my mask. Now it’s time you did some wise-learning of your own.”

Stifling a rebuttal, the battered Bohrok-Kal stepped back into the waves so as to keep both Toa in its field of vision, then conducted another sweep of the shore with its Ja-Kal, detecting a scattering of metallic components buried beneath the sand. Activating its Magnetism Shields, it pulled the fragments to the surface of the beach before launching the pieces at the powerless Toa. Flashes of crimson revealed the remains of the Tahnok unit along with pieces of Matoran boats that had been washed ashore over the centuries.

The Toa Nuva stood firm as the projectiles rained down on them. Emboldened, Lewa Nuva sliced through an incoming chunk of Tahnok armor with such remarkable strength that the metal split in two. Again the waves surged and crashed, pulled by the sheer power of the Gahlok-Kal.

“I warned you Toa not to cross my path again,” it rasped, charging a magnetic maelstrom of energy that sent the ocean waves rippling in further fury. “Now you will know the wrath of the Bohrok-Kal!”

“Strike us down and you will spend an eternity digging for the Bahrag Queens,” countered Tahu, deflecting a jagged engine component with the flat of his Magma Sword. “You would do well not to underestimate the Toa Nuva!”

“You draw breath only because the Bahrag would have you suffer for your transgressions against the Bohrok Swarm,” snapped the Gahlok-Kal in response. “I will tear you apart in a storm of metal the likes of which you have never seen!”

Purple energy streaked across the coastline as the waves crashed in a tempestuous frenzy. The magnetic pulse tore splinters of metallic detritus from deep within the beach and redirecting them at the Toa with lethal force. This time a sizeable mass of silver collided with Tahu, giving the Gahlok-Kal occasion to hesitate.

A Pakari Nuva.

“Thanks for seek-finding this for us,” gloated Lewa Nuva as he tore himself free of the magnetized shards. “If not for you, we would’ve been slow-digging for days to retrieve this!”

The Bohrok-Kal allowed the Toa to relish in their momentary victory, its Ja-Kal now detecting something moving in the shallows of the ocean. Bathing the shore in its magnetic pull, the Gahlok-Kal felt the source of the disturbance lurking just beneath the surface. Sensing its powers brush against the metal of a figure in the depths, the Bohrok-Kal reeled in its prize with satisfaction.

“Foolish Toa, you cannot hide from Gahlok-Kal!” it grated, increasing the intensity of its powers.

The form of Pohatu Nuva broke from the waves, though it did not appear his armor that had been snared in its magnetic grasp, for the Toa of Stone was mounted atop the shoulders of an impossibly large reptilian-Rahi that bristled with hostility. The turquoise shape collided with the startled Bohrok-Kal with the force of an avalanche. Before it could react in kind, sharp teeth clamped shut around the Gahlok-Kal’s metallic casing.

Tarakava.

“An old friend of ours,” quipped the Toa of Stone, patting his Rahi steed with tender affection as he dismounted. “They gave us a lot of trouble a short while ago. Feels only fitting you two should meet.”

The Bohrok-Kal paused. Tarakava were known to the Bohrok as a formidable Rahi that dominated the coastlines. Entire squadrons had fallen before the legendary beasts in past conquests. While their armor could be magnetized, the Rahi was backed by enough raw strength to make captivity an unthinkable notion. Ill-tempered and highly confrontational, there were few forces known to the swarm as destructive as a Tarakava on the hunt, especially when pulled from its habitat as this specimen had been.

Feeling a powerful swipe of the Rahi’s forearm crack down across its faceplate, the Gahlok-Kal felt the joints in its neck mechanism buckle. Activating its Magnetism powers, it projected a rudimentary force-field of energy around itself, bracing as the tips of the Tarakava smashed into it again. More red censors began lighting up as the Bohrok-Kal continued to take damage.

A chilling reptilian shriek shook the shoreline as the Tarakava resumed clawing at the unfortunate Gahlok-Kal foolish enough to drag it from the depths.

“This island is infested with vermin,” snapped the Bohrok-Kal, attempting to repel the Tarakava with a desperate magnetic pulse.

“This island is our home!” countered Tahu defiantly. “And we are not the only champions who would rise up to defend it!”

Before the Gahlok-Kal had a chance to retreat into the protection of sphere mode, the Rahi had charged closer and bitten down with its powerful jaws, resisting its magnetic attacks through sheer aggression. All it could see now was the churning maw of the Rahi.

Fending off the Tarakava with its full attention, the Bohrok-Kal could do little to prevent Pohatu from donning the Pakari Nuva. Floundering for leverage, it was only then that it noticed one of its Magnetism Shields had been damaged in the onslaught. For the first time in its waking life, the Gahlok-Kal experienced the sensation of true fear.

“No!” it rasped in disbelief as another talon came crashing down against its armored shell. “This land must be cleansed. You Toa Nuva will yet submit before the might of the Bohrok Swarm!”

Nodding to his teammates, Pohatu broke into a run, charging towards the damaged Bohrok-Kal as he activated his new Kanohi. Backed by the devastating power of the Pakari Nuva, his armored Feet Additions struck the Gahlok-Kal’s underside. Startled, it rocketed weightlessly through the air and out into the open ocean, spinning helplessly as an unfathomable distance grew between the Gahlok-Kal and the island it sought to cleanse. As its heavy armor weighed it down into descent, it came to understand why Bohrok required a krana to fly.

Then, with an almighty impact, it collided with the waves, sinking deep into the open ocean before slowing. Gazing up at the surface of the water with its final vestiges of processing power, the Bohrok-Kal began making calculations, its right arm twitching from the damage and its neck mechanism rocking back and forth involuntarily. Not even its Ja-Kal could determine the direction of the island. The darkness of the ocean depths spanned the unfathomable expanse as far as it could see.

A hairline crack had come to manifest across its faceplate. Only in that moment did it occur to the Gahlok-Kal how few inches of metal separated its Krana-Kal from the waters of this foul world.

New directive: Seek repairs.

✴        ✴        ✴

“We did it, brothers,” chuckled Pohatu with a hearty grin as he soothed the Tarakava back into the ocean. “We actually did it!”

“Spirit-blessed are we!” declared Lewa with a joyous grin, resting an Air Katana over his shoulder. “The Bohrok-Kal will surely twice-think before pulling a move like that again.”

The two Toa chuckled to themselves before turning to Tahu, who cautiously roved the ocean for any signs of the Gahlok-Kal.

“We haven’t seen the last of that one,” he murmured ruefully, grounding his two brothers once more. “And the Bohrok-Kal still have possession of our Nuva Symbols. But something about today gives me hope for tomorrow. Maybe not this day, or the next, but we will win back our powers, and never again will we take them for granted…”

Tahu trailed off, his gaze lost on the horizon. Sensing that a sadness still pervaded their leader’s features, Lewa and Pohatu exchanged concerned glances.

“It’s not going to be quick-easy,” nodded Lewa. “But the Matoran look up to us for more than just our powers. Even now, more vulnerable than we’ve ever been, we can happy-stride onward. In their eyes and in our hearts, we’re more than just Toa-heroes: we are legends.”

Pohatu nodded in agreement, mindful that he would have to spend some time roving the beaches of Po-Wahi for his Kakama Nuva.

“Today we learnt a valuable lesson in humility” he declared with an insightful nod. “I guess, sometimes you have to get knocked down lower than you have ever been to stand up taller than you ever were. Maybe we trip and fall every once in a while, but at least we fall forward.”

Pulling the ghost of a smile, Tahu considered the words carefully, then looked at his brothers with new eyes.

“Let’s make sure the others never find out about this…”