Excerpt Twenty-One

Lewa Nuva looked around at his friends. All of them seemed shaken to their core, even Tahu. But it was left to the Toa of Air to voice what they were all thinking. “So we have a trail to follow… but without our elemental powers, what will we do if we find the thieves?”

“It’s not ‘if’ we find them,” Tahu snapped. “We will find them. We will get our powers back.”

“Um, Tahu,” Pohatu said, pointing toward the right. “I think those things up there might have something to say about that.”

The others followed his gaze and saw a sight they had thought… hoped… never to see again. Six Bohrok stood assembled, fairly crackling with power… and it took but a moment for the Toa Nuva to see that these were not the Bohrok they had fought before.

The six insect-like beings moved forward, the metallic parts of their bodies gleaming in the sun. On their faceplates were inscribed serpentine designs. If there had been any doubts that these were not members of the original swarms, they were dispelled when one of them began to speak.

“We are the Bohrok-Kal. We search for Cahdok and Gahdok, queens of the swarms.” Its voice sounded like a thousand roaches skittering across a cavern floor. “Tell us where you have hidden them, and stand aside. We have no wish to harm helpless foes.”

Lewa Nuva was many things — quick, agile, and brave. But patience and even-temper were never qualities he possessed in abundance. Seeing his symbol being carried by one of the Bohrok-Kal, he invoked the power of the Mask of Speed and charged forward.

“Helpless? A Toa Nuva is never helpless!” he cried.

Lewa never reached his goal. With a gesture, the Gahlok-Kal sent out waves of magnetic force that pinned the Toa Nuva’s feet to the ground.

The other Toa Nuva moved to the attack, each in their own fashion, and each found themselves countered by the Bohrok-Kal. Finally, Tahu Nuva threw up a force shield around himself and his allies to buy a moment to think.

“Your search is doomed,” the Toa of Fire said. “The creatures you seek have vanished from Mata Nui.”

“You lie!” hissed a Bohrok-Kal. “They are here and we will find them… free them… and awaken the swarms once more!”

Twin beams of gravitic energy lanced from the claws of the Nuhvok-Kal. In less than a heartbeat, Tahu Nuva felt the pull of gravity double, triple, quadruple, until he was slammed into the ground. And when he fell, so too did his shield…

The battle, if it can truly be called such, was short. A combination of sonic force, vacuum power, and raw lightning sent the Toa Nuva down to oblivion on the sands…