CHAPTER FIVE
"I think we're being followed," Zaria murmured.
Standing at the front of the group with Gelu, carrying the unconscious Kabrua, Orde glanced at the Toa of Iron. "What makes you say that?" he asked.
Zaria shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's because I see glowing green eyes watching our every movement."
As soon as the words had left his mouth, a spear suddenly flew out of the shadows of the jungle and landed barely than an inch from Zaria's foot. It was then followed by several more, forcing Chiara to use her elemental powers to turn them to ashes as they came.
Once the initial assault had finished, several beings clad in strange green armor- which seemed to have plant-like growths protruding from it- emerged from the bushes and trees, wielding crudely-made axes and clubs. One of the beings, who appeared to be the others' leader, stepped forward and aimed his spear threateningly at the Toa and Gelu.
"Stare your business here," he growled, "before you find a spear lodged into the eye holes of your strange masks!"
"Boy, are these guys a friendly bunch," Zaria muttered as he raised his hands in a form of surrender.
Gelu stepped past the Toa of Iron, walking up to the leader. "You're Agori, aren't you?" the Ice Glatorian asked. "Members of the Jungle Tribe who were left here on Bota Magna during the Shattering."
The Agori leader raised an eyebrow. "You say that as if you're not from around here."
Gelu shook his head. "I am a Glatorian from Bara Magna. Spherus Magna has since been reformed."
The Agori seemed genuinely surprised by this news. The leader then glanced at the three Toa and said, "And what are they?"
"They're called Toa," Gelu replied. "How we met them is... a long story. But they've since become our allies."
The leader grunted. "So you say." He lowered his weapon and the other Agori followed suit. "You may explain your tale on the way back to our camp. There's someone there who I think you would like to meet."
* * *
As the new Chronicler's Company rode into Bota Magna, silence reigning for a short time, Macku decided to break it by speaking her mind to Kopeke.
"So, what's with the sudden change in attitude?" she asked.
The Ko-Matoran glanced at her. "I beg your pardon?"
"You're usually pretty shy and quiet. Now, all of a sudden, you want to go on a potentially dangerous adventure. I'm curious why."
Kopeke sighed. "When Mata Nui finally defeated Makuta and brought us to this new world, I thought it was all over. But then I found out about Karzahni's murder and the Toa Mahri's disappearance...." A frown crossed his mask as his gaze fell to the ground. "I guess I just didn't want my chronicle to end on a sad note."
"I know how you feel," said Takanuva, sitting in the Thornatus' pilot seat. "I feared the same thing when Jaller originally died on Mata Nui."
"But you had the Mask of Light," Kopeke said. "And you brought Jaller back to life. But I don't have any powerful masks or something like that. I... I'm just a Matoran, not a Toa."
"You don't need to be a Toa to be a hero," Takanuva and Garan said at the same time. The Toa of Light and Onu-Matoran then stared at each other in bewilderment.
The latter smirked. "Great minds think alike, I suppose."
Takanuva chuckled. "I guess they do."
"They do have a point," Macku said to Kopeke. "Toa aren't the only heroes around here. Hey, who defended Kini-Nui from Makuta's Rahi? We did!"
The Chronicler gave her a small smile. "True. But Rahi are nothing compared to the greater evils out there."
Macku sighed in frustration- less at Kopeke's pessimism and more at her lack of a strong argument.
However, before she could think of something else to say, the Sand Stalker Tamaru and Vican were riding suddenly stopped and let out a roar, standing on its hind legs. The two Le-Matoran fell off its back as Balta and Taipu's steed started to do the same thing. Once the two creatures had ceased their clamorous roaring, they then turned and ran back in the direction they had come.
Taipu scowled. "Well, that's just great. The Agori didn't tell us their pets were prone to random bouts of cowardice!"
His sentence was punctuated with an even louder roar which shook the earth.
Garan grimaced. "I wouldn't say it was random."
"Speaking of Agori," Macku said quietly, "we really should have brought one along as a guide."
Takanuva nodded. "Yes. Yes, we should have."
*
Note:... do Bionicle characters have eyebrows?
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