Bionicle Alternatives: Empire of Makuta III, Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

--At sea--

    Lesovikk awoke to feel himself moving, even though he was tied and bound to the floor. It took a few seconds for him to realize that he was on a moving boat-- different from the one he and his team had been traveling in. Just as he was starting to recall what had happened before he had blacked out, a metal boot came into view.

    "Awake, are you?"

    Lesovikk was turned onto his back and he found himself staring up at a fearsome looking being. Said stranger flashed him a wicked grin.

    "Nice friend you had, that Fa-Matoran. Knew how to keep to his word."

    Lesovikk scowled. "He's no friend of mine anymore."

    "Well, what else do you expect? A true friend always stabs you in the back." The stranger let out a harsh laugh, which Lesovikk cringed at.

    "Who are you?" the Toa of Air asked.

    "My fellow Dark Hunters call me Triglax. I was never much one for code names." He gave another hideous grin. "And you're the one they call Lesovikk, correct?"

    "How do you know my name?"

    "One of your comrades was kind enough to provide it," Triglax said, motioning his head to a restrained Arctur. "For a Toa, he's a bit cowardly."

   Lesovikk glanced at the Toa of Gravity, who briefly met his gaze before looking away in shame. Returning his focus to Triglax, the Air Toa said, "What do you want from us?"

    "Arctur, for the most part. The Vortixx do not like seeing their 'masterpieces' out on the black market, and since the Shadowed One has good relations with them, he was willing to send us to capture one of the biggest offenders."

    "So we're just bonuses," Lesovikk muttered.

    "Exactly. Guess you're smarter than you look." Chuckling to himself, Triglax stepped up to the ship's helm, where a red-armored Dark Hunter steered the vessel. "How much longer now, Lurker?"

    "Shouldn't be much," Lurker grunted. Sure enough, no more than ten minutes later, the island of Odina came into view. As the boat began to approach the Dark Hunter homeland, Triglax turned to Lesovikk with a sneer.

    "I hope you enjoyed the trip, because for you, it's all gonna go downhill from here."

--Artakha--

    "They're through the walls!" Samuii heard a Matoran sentry cry.

    The Ko-Matoran turned around in time to see hordes of Rahkshi, Visorak, and Rahi swarm in from the ruins of the outer wall. Matoran were firing at them from all sides, but it did little to impede their assault.

    For the first time in his career, Samuii panicked. When the Makuta had raided the Great Refuge fifteen hundred years ago, he had been a mere lieutenant, serving under the then-Captain of the Guard. Even when the Makuta broke through their defenses and stole the Kanohi Avohkii, Samuii's superior never dropped his mask of resolve. Of course, back then they had only been attacked by one Makuta and his army-- not the entire Brotherhood.

    Despite the fear he felt, Samuii continued giving out orders, hoping to buy enough time before Artakha himself decided to show.

    Which might as well have been never.

--Destral--

    Icarax could hear screaming.

    While he was used to such sounds in the Makuta Fortress, this was no ordinary screaming. No, it was the screams of the six Rahkshi he had left outside to guard his throne room.

    Just as the Makuta of Karzahni shot up to his feet, the front door came down and a nine-foot-tall being in dark armor stormed in, wielding a sparking blade built into his arm. In his trail were six dead Rahkshi.

    "For someone who managed to fell the Great Spirit, I can't say I'm impressed by what you have for an army," the being hissed.

    Eyes flaring, Icarax brandished his Twin Blade and Rotating Shadow Blades. "Who are you? How come you here?"

    "I am Mallake, leader of the Hand of Artakha and protector of Mata Nui. My followers and I have come to Artakha to take the Great Refuge... but your legions happen to be in the way."

    Icarax barked out a laugh. "Protector of Mata Nui? You haven't been doing your job very well, then."

    "I have been absent from the world for several millennia. And I am appalled by what has befallen it."

    "Get used to it; it's only going to get worse." The Makuta of Karzahni spun his Twin Blade around in his hand. "Now then, do you intend to just stand there, or do you plan on fighting me?"

    "Neither." Red eyes flared behind Mallake's mask. "I plan to kill you."

*  *  *

    Not practical, but it'll have to do.

    Flexing the arms of the Exo-Toa which he had taken to inhabiting, Makuta Tridax returned to the fight. These mysterious invaders-- which numbered no more than twenty-- appeared to be formidable combatants. To one side, a Kanohi Garai-wearing Morcian was taking on Vamprah and Gorast while a Vortixx clashed with Chirox. To the other side, an Ankorian clashed blades with Antroz while Mutran dealt with a Skakdi.

    Of his fighting brethren, Tridax noticed a jarring absence; Bitil of course was leading the assault on Artakha, and Icarax was at the main fortress... but where was Krika?

    Before Tridax could search for his missing brother, he was suddenly jumped on from behind by a six-legged creature, gibbering nonsense as it clawed at him. It came to Tridax's quick realization that the Exo-Toa provided very limited mobility, as he tried to take aim at the creature with his Electro-Rocket.

    A bolt of lightning from Antroz rid him of this situation.

    Still struggling with the Ankorian, the Makuta of Xia growled, "I saved your hide, now you save mine."

    If he still had an expressive face, Tridax would have smirked as he fired his Electro-Rocket. Upon contact with the Ankorian, the projectile exploded into electrical energy, causing him to size up. This allowed Antroz to strike the Ankorian with his claws, knocking the being out unconscious.

    As Tridax walked up to join his brother, Antroz turned to him and said, "Continue to fight these invaders off. I must see Icarax."

    Tridax grunted. "Now? You won't be getting him to fight."

    Antroz simply chuckled. "That's what I'm counting on."

    Before Tridax could ask for clarification, the Makuta of Xia was already headed for the fortress.

--Artakha--

    "Master, the invaders have broken through our defenses. They are swarming in."

    Although he could not see the ancient being in the blinding light of the Forge, Tiber could still hear Artakha's mighty footsteps as the legendary creator moved away from whatever he had been doing.

    "How many?" Artakha asked.

    "Legions, master. The entire Brotherhood of Makuta is invading."

    Silence at first. Then, a large shadow cast itself over the Matoran.

    "Stay here where it is safe. I shall deal with these spawn of shadows."

    For the briefest of seconds, Tiber caught his first glimpse of the being he had served for thousands of years before Artakha left the chamber, toting the warhammer that would soon deliver justice.