BL10 - Driven Back

Tahu hovered in midair and began rapidly absorbing all the heat from around Krika. Sensing what was about to happen, Krika tried to turn intangible again. But Tahu was faster, and Krika began to ice over halfway between his solid and ghostly state.

“Very… good, Tahu,” Krika said, his voice sounding hollow and far away. “Too easy… perhaps… but it is about to become much more difficult. Look behind you.”

“Do you really think I am going to fall for that old trick?”

“No… I am counting on the fact you won’t,” answered Krika. “Since there really is something behind you…”

Against his better judgment, Tahu looked over his shoulder. Diving down toward him were Antroz, Chirox, and Vamprah, and their three shadow Matoran. All of a sudden, his team was badly outnumbered.

This would have to be the first time a Makuta has told the truth, he said to himself. “Onua! Gali! Hunt cover!” he shouted.

It was useless, of course. Antroz’s first blast of shadow energy shattered the ice forming around Krika. Vamprah flew to join Bitil, and the two closed in on Onua. Chirox hauled Gorast out of the mud, and the two circled Gali, arguing over who would make the kill. Tahu managed to land some fireballs on Antroz, but not to any great effect.

Now the six Makuta formed a V-shaped wedge in the sky and bore down on the Toa Nuva, their attacks forming a solid wall of shadow energy. Tahu, Onua, and Gali were driven back until they were pinned down near the Codrex field. One more step backward and they would hit the protective energy around the sphere and be hurled straight toward the oncoming Makuta.

“Any ideas?” Onua asked Tahu.

“Yes,” said the Toa of Fire. “We take as many of them with us as we can when we go.”

The Makuta hovered in midair now. “It appears your theory that we need you alive is about to be proven wrong,” said Krika. “Goodbye, Tahu.”

Antroz raised his arm, shadow energy swirling around his claw. Just as it was set free in a devastating burst, a sphere of super-hard ice materialized around both shadow bolt and hand. Blocked, the energy fed back into Antroz, jolting him like an angry avohkah.

“I hate good-byes, personally,” said Kopaka Nuva. He had plunged out of the mists above, flanked by Pohatu and Lewa. Not far behind came the Matoran villagers Solek, Tanma, and Photok.

“Us too,” said Pohatu. “In fact, we hate ‘em so much we couldn’t let three Makuta take off without us.”

“Ever-cute idea, Antroz,” chuckled Lewa. “Making your quick-retreat from above look like a planned attack on below. Did they teach you that at lying slime-sack school?”

On the ground, Tahu smiled. The Toa Nuva were still outpowered by the Makuta, but now the numbers were even. And he would take his team of Toa against any enemy, any day of the week.

“Well,” he said to Onua and Gali. “Are we going to let those three show up late and have all the fun?”

“I’m for a rematch,” said Onua. “How about you, sister?”

Gali bumped armored fists with her two partners. “Let’s get them.”

The three Toa Nuva lifted off from the ground, soaring into the final battle.


- BIONICLE Legends 10: Swamp of Secrets, Chapter 5