Chapter Six

The rest of Lesovikk’s and Kualus’s journey was uneventful. No Visorak were hiding in the hills. Apparently they had all been in the village or had come down when the battle had started. When they both returned to the village the daylight was starting to fade. The repairs to the huts were slowly coming along, but were nowhere near to being finished.

“What are you going to do now?” Kualus asked as they walked through one of the openings in the wall.

“I am going to call a meeting,” Lesovikk said, and then walked towards the center of the village again. Most of the Visorak had been cleared away, but you could still see the signs of the battle.

“Could all Matoran please come to the center of the village,” Lesovikk shouted. At once a few Matoran came, followed by the rest. A few stragglers came in last, but no one wanted to miss this. Once they were all assembled Lesovikk spoke again.

“Thank you. Now I know that you all must have some questions, and I have some of my own. So I will answer any of your questions if you answer mine.” As soon as he said this the center of the village erupted with noise.

“One at a time!” Lesovikk shouted over the clamor. This brought the questions to a halt and everyone quieted down.

“Now, let’s try this again,” Lesovikk said and waited. One of the Matoran raised his hand.

“Yes?”

“Are you a Toa?”

“I—” Lesovikk started, then looked at the ground. After a while he looked back up and said “yes”. The whole crowd of Matoran erupted in murmur. Kualus didn’t say anything, but stared at Lesovikk, who ignored him.

“Am I the first Toa you have ever seen?” Lesovikk asked. The crowd nodded. “Well, don’t call me ‘Toa Lesovikk’.”

“Are you a Toa of air?” said one Matoran in the crowd.

“Yes.”

“What is your mask power?” said another.

“It allows me to copy the powers of Rahi,” Lesovikk replied, getting slightly annoyed with the conversation.

“Where did you come from?” said a Ga-Matoran.

“Far away.”

“Did you come from the legendary city of Metru Nui?” said a Le-Matoran in the back.

“No.”

“Did you know we were in danger?” said a Po-Matoran.

“No, I didn’t.”

“How did you defeat those creatures?”

“With lots of training, and luck,” replied Lesovikk.

“Why didn’t you save my friend?” said a Ko-Matoran, referring to the Ta-Matoran who was killed.

“Because there wasn’t time,” said Lesovikk. “I am sorry.”

“Are you going to stay and help us?” said an Onu-Matoran.

“Not for long.” This did not go over well with the Matoran.

“Why not?” “How long?” “Where are you going?”

“Look, I will tell you when this meeting is over,” said Lesovikk. “Now, are there any other questions aside from that?” No one raised their hand. “Right, now—”

“Wait!” said a Ga-Matoran.

“What is it?” Lesovikk said.

“I just wanted to say that if you hadn’t come, who knows what would have happened to us. So thank you. Thank you for saving us.” The rest of the Matoran nodded in agreement.

“You’re welcome,” said Lesovikk. “Now it is my turn. Do you know what those creatures were?”

“No, we had never seen them before,” said a Ta-Matoran, as the rest shook their heads.

“When did they come here?”

“Just today,” said an Onu-Matoran, “I was the first to see them. I think it had been daylight for maybe two hours when they arrived.”

“Though we heard them before we saw them,” piped up another.

“What happened before I got here?”

“They just kept us here,” said a Ko-Matoran, “in the village center. They did not attack us, though they seemed like they wanted to. They only went crazy after—” the Ko-Matoran held back a sob, “after my friend made a run for it.” Then he couldn’t hold back any longer and broke down. Lesovikk knew the feeling, and waited before continuing, while two Matoran comforted their friend.

After a while he said, “Have any Matoran gone missing?”

“Just a Ga-Matoran who arrived yesterday,” said a Po-Matoran, “when we went looking we couldn’t find her.”

“You left the village even when I told you not to!” said Lesovikk.

“We couldn’t just leave her,” said the Po-Matoran defiantly, “what if she had been hurt.”

Lesovikk sighed. “Just don’t go out anymore tonight. You can check again for her tomorrow.”

The Po-Matoran nodded.

After a bit Lesovikk said tentatively “Do any of you know anything about the Manas?” The Matoran crowd shook their heads. Lesovikk let out a sigh of despair.

“What are they?” asked a Le-Matoran.

“They are vicious, crab-like Rahi,” said Lesovikk. “They are guarding my friends, and stopping me from reaching them.”

Lesovikk stood, lost in thought, for a minute. Then, realizing that the crowd was still there, he spoke up again.

“Now, to answer your last question, I will be staying for one more day, then leaving the next morning.”

“Do you have to leave so soon,” said a Ta-Matoran, “we have never met a Toa before. Can’t you stay with us?”

“I am sorry,” said Lesovikk, “but I must move on. Now everybody should get some rest. I will keep watch overnight, and in the morning, I will scout the island again and check the coast to see if the Rahi have come back.”

Lesovikk then walked off towards the western part of the island, which faced the opening of the hills. When he was about halfway there, he heard someone following. Lesovikk turned to see Kualus coming up behind him.

“Go back, Kualus, get some sleep.”

“But you need help,” said Kualus as he walked up to Lesovikk.

“Not now, get some sleep.”

“But if you are watching the western side of the island, what happens if those creatures attack from the northern side, or the southern?”

“I think I will manage to look in all four directions,” said Lesovikk. He then knelt beside the Ko-Matoran and looked Kualus right in the eye. “Now please, get some sleep.”

Kualus looked at Lesovikk for a few seconds, then nodded his head and started walking back into the village. Lesovikk watched him until he was inside one of the huts, then turned his attention back to the dark expanse of the hills, the small forest and the spire of rock.