TPTB - Vulcanus to Iron Canyon

The next morning, Kopaka and Pohatu set out to follow Lesovikk’s path. Kopaka had made arrangements that if Gaaki and the Toa Hagah returned with any news, he was to be notified immediately. The Toa of Air’s trail went east, toward the village of Vulcanus. As they neared that site, shifting sands obscured any signs of Lesovikk’s passing.

“Maybe he veered off this trail,” Pohatu said. “We might have missed it.”

“Perhaps,” said Kopaka. “Or perhaps he decided it was wise to cover his tracks.”

“I’m going to scout ahead,” said Pohatu.

“Be careful.”

“Don’t need to be,” the Toa of Stone replied, grinning. “I’m fast.”

Pohatu disappeared. An instant later, he was back. His smile had not returned with him.

“You had better come see this,” he said. Grasping Kopaka, he used his mask power again, racing the two of them across the sand. They came to a stop at the edge of Iron Canyon.

“Look,” said Pohatu.

Kopaka peered over the rim of the canyon. At the bottom, he could see the shattered remains of a figure.

“Dead?” asked Kopaka.

“Extremely,” said Pohatu. “Wait. It gets better.”

Pohatu whisked Kopaka down the steep slope to the bottom of the canyon. Even the Toa of Ice, who had seen his share of gruesome sights, was struck by the horror of the scene. It only took a moment’s glance to confirm that the corpse matched the description Toa Jaller once gave of Karzahni.

“So he was fleeing the camp, made it this far, stumbled and fell into the canyon,” said Kopaka. “Bad way to die, but it happens.”

“If he died from the fall,” Pohatu replied. “Look at his back.”

Kopaka knelt down. There was a gash in Karzahni’s armor. It could have been made by a weapon, or just by one of the jagged rocks as he fell.

“And now look at this,” said the Toa of Stone. He held out his hand. In it, he grasped a sword with a curved blade. Kopaka had seen its like before. Lesovikk had been carrying it.

“You think …?”

“Could be,” nodded Pohatu. “He finds Karzahni, stabs him, and his enemy goes over the cliff into the canyon.”

“If that’s true, he has violated the code of the Toa,” said Kopaka. “We have to bring him down.”


- The Powers That Be, Chapter 1