Chapter 6- “Marine's Scheme”
Early next morning before the sun is even fully over the horizon, Tahu and Lewa are awake, already folding their mats and readying for the journey past Tajun's royal borders.
Ashton cracks his eyes open, his head throbbing from the crying he did last night. Tiredly he sits up and rubs his eyes, then sees his breakfast of dried meat and beans, realizing his meal was already getting cold, and the the Toa Nuva had already finished their food.
Lewa looks over and smiles, “Morning Ash-breath! Time to get moving... best eat your breakfast and roll up your mat...we need to quick-move and save Marine.” he says.
Ashton scoops his beans and lets them plop. His stomach was already gurgling from last night's dinner, it was only going to get worse after having another serving of beans for breakfast. Ashton only nibbles, then says, “I'm tired of beans now... maybe we can find something else to eat later.”
Tahu rolls his eyes, “Kid, eat them or go hungry... I have a feeling that's all the food any of us can get our mouths on for the day; so eat it or deal with a grumbly tummy later.”
Ashton pouts and grudgingly eats his food as told, certainly not enjoying it as he crams it down to get past it and 'quick-move' for Tajun as Lewa stated.
Once breakfast is done, and all is packed away, the sun starts to shine brightly over the horizon, and Yats signals for the Toa to come over and look at three large crates being carried in the cart with several more large boxes. “All right, listen you three...I've emptied out some contents from these crates, and have managed to cram them into some smaller boxes. It's going to sound awkward, but in order for me to get past the border, you're going to have to cram yourselves into these crates and act as cargo..that means no noise and no shuffling. Also, to be on the safe side, I plan to cover you with soot blankets and add a layer of coal on top..it shouldn't be too heavy. No doubt the guards at the gate are going to inspect the crates and make sure each one is holding coal shipments; when they get to yours, they'll see coal and not suspect you're lying beneath.” explains Yats.
Tahu lifts a brow, “Did you say coal shipments?” he asks with surprise.
Yats nods, “Yeah, that's right. I have no clue why, but the water kingdom has been making large coal orders, and I've been taking multiple shipments of it through their gates for the past two weeks...”
Tahu finds this very puzzling. Lewa cocks his head and shrugs, “Seems most odd for a water region to want so much coal.... What would they need it for? Other than steam baths I suppose... But I thought they already had hot springs in their region which are naturally hot-heated.”
Tahu winces in thought, “I agree Lewa..it doesn't seem quite normal; but we don't have time to worry about it right now. It's best we do as Yats says..and stay silent.”
The toa climb into the crates, and Yats covers them with soot blankets, then a layer of coal, just as he said. It feels very odd being covered; already Lewa dislikes the minimal air flow from being stuck in a crate, and hopes to himself the journey isn't long. Yats is swift to hide the Toa and place their crates side by side; then gets on the wagon and starts the drive as quickly as possible, hoping the other market tradesmen didn't notice him smuggling hitchhikers of great power in boxes of coal.
During the next half hour wagon ride, Lewa scrunches his face next to the side of his crate, trying to get a breath of air through the cracks. “I hard-hate being in a tight situation..” grumbles Lewa.
Tahu rolls his eyes and mumbles in through his crate cracks, “Lewa, what did I say about being silent... quit complaining about airflow, and zip it.”
Lewa pouts, “Hey, I'd rather fast-run from guards than be stuck in here.... this tarp stinks!”
In the middle crate Ashton remains silent, his eye starting to twitch with irritation from Lewa's grumbling and Tahu's heated ranting. Suddenly he feels an odd discomfort in his belly which gurgles and twists like a knot; Ashton bites his lip, realizing the beans he had for dinner, and the beans he was required to eat that morning were getting to him. Finally he just can't hold it, and lets outs the built up pressure, which causes his crate to vibrate briefly.
Tahu and Lewa stop ranting when they feel the vibration through their crates, eyes widened by the interruption. “Lewa...was that you?” asks Tahu.
“No, I didn't eat beans... remember?” returns Lewa.
After a moment of silence, Ashton starts to snicker, and says with choked giggling, “How's that for air flow, Lewa?”
Lewa gapes, “Oh, Ashton... and Tahu thought I shouldn't eat beans?” he chuckles.
Their laughter is suddenly cut short by a terrible smell. Ashton grimaces and starts to cough, then says, “Oh man! I can't stand myself... I want out of this crate!”
Tahu and Lewa both turn their faces to the cracks of their crates, hoping to get a breath of fresh air as the smog of Ashton travels from his crate to theirs.
“It doesn't help that we have a large tarp drape-laid over our crates.” grumbles Lewa, who tries to summon air through the wagon goods, but still the smell remains.
The wagon shakes as the Toa squirm in their crates; Yats lifts a brow, not understanding what the problem is, but then sees Tajun's royal borders up ahead and he takes in an uneasy breath, banging on the crates and heatedly growling, “Hey, shut up back there! I'm nearing the gate..hold still, and hold your breath.”
In their misery the Toa go silent and tense up as Yats drives up to the gates of Tajun palace. Outside they hear guards who bang on the side of the wagon as Yats explains he has another coal shipment for them.
Yats is signaled to come off the wagon and allow goods inspection; and does as the guards ask. When he lifts the tarp off the boxes and the guards near, one of them flares his nostrils and looks at the other and says, “Oh my word....! Did you do that?!”
The other guard shakes his head, “No, but I sure do smell it..” He then looks at Yats and says, “Smells like rotting beans... Do you have bad food on board or something?”
Yats grins, “Well...I do eat a lot of beans, so that might be it.” he says, now realizing why the Toa were squirming so much, and hiding the real culprit of the smell from grimacing guards.
The guards deal with the awful smell, look over basic food shipment boxes first, then get to the main crates, tapping on them. “Could you open these crates and show us the contents?” one of the guards asks while rubbing his hand over the lid.
Yats complies, cautiously and worriedly, hiding his unease and feeling very tense inside as the guards lift the lids off the coal crates. They start to rub their hands over the coal, making it clinks and tumble, digging their hands in slightly to check for any hidden material.
Ashton tenses as he senses the guard's hand nearing dangerously close to the tarp which covers him beneath the layer of coal, his heart thuds so hard he fears the guards could hear it, but remains tensely still. Finally the guards finish and look at Yats, nodding with approval. They put the lids back on and get off the wagon; “All right, you're clear to go.” the one says while signaling Yats to enter through the gates which they open.
Yats nods, “Thank you.” he says while climbing back on the seat and driving through as quickly as he can. He rides halfway into the palace grounds and parks in a shaded area of garden trees covered in pink blossoms, letting out a relieved breath seeing they made it past the borders without getting caught. Noticing the coast is clear, he smirks and climbs off the wagon seat, then pops the lids off the coal crates and whacks the sides; “Okay guys, the coast is clear, you can sit up now.” he signals.
The first to jolt from the crate and sit upright is Ashton, gasping for clean air, and coughing in his own misery. “Oh man...finally!” he chokes.
Yats takes a step back and waves his hand in front of his face, grimacing, yet grinning in amusement as the other two Toa sit up from their crates, coal tumbling off them as they fold the tarps away.
Tahu slumps his shoulders and glances at Ashton unamused. “I think you and Lewa are both on the 'do not eat beans' list...” he grumbles.
Lewa snickers as he crawls out of the crate. “Yeah.. never knew a fire-spitter could make so much bog-wind.” he says while smirking at Ashton.
Ashton face palms. “Come on guys...you're the ones who made me eat beans for breakfast, after I already had my fill in last night's dinner!” he pouts.
Yats starts to laugh as the Toa crawl off the wagon. “So...that's what all your squirming was about..the young fiery one let one loose; I knew it.” he snickers while shaking his head amused.
Ashton grumbles and thuds to his feet. “Come on.. I suffered the most from myself... A..and at least I didn't catch the crate on fire...”
Yats and Lewa both glance at each other and start to snicker, then break into a chuckle at Ashton's pitiful irritation.
Ashton folds his arms and grumbles, walking away from them and pouting.
Tahu suddenly speaks up. “If you two are done laughing about our little bog-air incident, I'd like to get a move on..we have a duty, and we're wasting time.” he says sternly.
Lewa stops chuckling and sighs, “Yes..fearless leader, we should quick-move and fast-save Marine... I hope she's alright.”
Tahu nods. “Let's get into the gardens... And Ashton, behave yourself and do as you're told.. Remember we're here uninvited; the same goes for you, Lewa.”
Lewa gapes. “Hey..what are you sharp-pointing fingers at me for?” he says in a playful grumble. “If trouble comes, I will quick-speed ahead and warn you.” he says while saluting.
Tahu rolls his eyes and the three Toa head into the palace gardens in search of Marine. Tahu shakes Yats's hand before departing, “Thank you...”
Yats nods, “Good luck, and don't get caught...”
The trio walk through the palace gardens, keeping a high alert out for passing guards and local bounty hunters. Every now and then Tahu signals for them to drop down behind a tree or ferns as guards skim past. The third time this happens, the guards pause, right in front of the fern beds where Tahu and Lewa sit.
“Have you seen any sign of the princess yet?” the one guard asks the other.
“No, but the bounty hunters which the queen has aloud in the region seek for her as well... I know she's meant to be found, but I hope the royal guard will find her before hunters do. Scum like bounty hunters shouldn't be given a right to touch royalty.” the other states bitterly.
The first guard nods, “I can't disagree..let's continue our search and try harder to find her.”
When the guards pass, Lewa looks at Tahu concerned. “Did you hear that? The search for Marine has become a sorry-bad situation.”
Tahu snorts, “I know that Lewa.. that's why we need to hurry and find her before anyone else. Let's go.”
Lewa nods and signals for Ashton to follow close behind as they continue to scout, and splash through some puddles around a bed of willow trees.
Ashton grumbles, “Ah man...I just got mud between my toes... gross”
Suddenly the sound of rippling water, and a shuffle in the trees is heard. Tahu flinches and holds his hand up, mid step in a puddle, “Ashton, shhh”. Tahu glances around and quietly steps forward, signaling for Lewa to follow quietly. The two start looking around cautiously, and Ashton follows six feet behind, wincing as he wades through the muddy puddles.
Things get oddly silent, Tahu's senses go on high alert and he senses they're being watched; before he can say a word, a flash of a blue figure jumps from the trees and lands on Ashton, causing him to yelp and panic.
Tahu and Lewa glance around in shock and see a blue figure fighting with Ashton, who's neck is in a choke hold with the handle of a blade; a woman on his back with her legs wrapped around his middle as she fights him and causes him to make choking sounds. He puts his hand out and stares at Tahu for help.
Lewa's eyes get big and he sees who's on Ashton's back. “Marine! Wait, stop..we're friends.” Lewa says in a panic, coming over and pulling her off Ashton as gently as he can.
Marine growls and panics, trying to hit Lewa, who catches her wrists and looks her in the eyes. “Marine..please..it's me, Toa Lewa, spirit of air..” Marine stops struggling and calms down, happy to see a friend. “Oh, Toa Lewa... Why are you here?” she inquires.
Lewa smiles, “I've been hearing the bad news, and brought help.” he says while pointing at Tahu. “That is Tahu, spirit of fire, my brother.”
Tahu comes forward and nods. Marine smiles, “Nice to meet you...” Tahu smirks and looks at Ashton who grumbles and rubs his neck. “You must be Marine, I'm Toa Tahu, and the kid you just tackled is named Ashton.. He's with us.”
Marine winces and glances at Ashton. “Oh, I'm sorry for attacking...I thought he was a bounty hunter..” she says while lightly bowing in apology to Ashton, who simply shakes his head and keeps his eyes to the ground, still rubbing his neck.
Tahu shrugs. “It's all right. Lewa tells me you're in danger, mind filling in the details of what's been going on here? Like what's up with all the coal shipments to a palace of water?”
Marine pauses in thought, “Coal shipments? That is puzzling...even I am confused by that, but I may be able to fill in the blanks.” she starts. “My mother, Queen Nilla, hasn't been behaving normally. She's been exceptionally aggressive... At first I just thought she wasn't feeling well and needed rest, but then something seemed terribly off. Any worker in my kingdom who displeased her have been vanishing, I don't know where to. Seeing that I'm second ruler means I have the responsibility to protect and understand my people, so I went to speak to my mother about the missing servants, wondering why they displeased her, but when I tried, I was scolded. The more questions I asked, the more she ordered the guards to lock me in my room and keep me in my chambers, knowing it's my duty to guard and oversee river hall. She's been doing everything in her power to keep me out of the way. After awhile I felt threatened, and knew there had to be something wrong, so late in the night I fled from my kingdom in hopes of discovering what's wrong with the queen, and figure out where all my missing servants are behind her back. Soon after that the queen sent guards out after me, their orders to retrieve me, bring me back, and lash me for disobeying direct orders to stay in my chamber while the queen carries out some kind of odd ritual she calls “The Cleansing”... I don't like the sound of that." she says in a worried tone.
Tahu and Lewa both look at each other concerned, then Tahu directs his attention back to Marine. “That is very strange sounding... You're not at all like they claimed you to be, saying you weren't well mentally..”
Marine bows her head, “I know what they've said, but you must believe me when I say there's something terribly wrong in my palace... I fear my people are in danger.. Please, will you help me?” she asks desperately, her eyes pleading as she looks up and gazes into Tahu's eyes.
Tahu nods yes, feeling pity for Marine. Lewa steps up and buts in, “We best quick-work and hard-strike on this case.. Coal shipments, a crazy queen, bounty hunters, missing servants, and a ritual called the cleansing only say sorry-bad news in my ears.”
Ashton stands up and groans, “Great, the air type has gone detective on us... Just the thing I need..” he grumbles.
Tahu glares at Ashton and lightly smacks the back of his head, “Quiet, kid, this mission just got more dangerous from the sounds of it, now we may be saving more than just the princess... and you're going to deal with it, and follow my lead.”
Ahston pouts and sighs, knowing he has no choice, and feeling pained between the legs.
Marine winces and slightly giggles at his childish demeanor, then clears her throat and smiles at Lewa, “Thank you for bringing help, Lewa...”
Lewa nods, “You're heart-welcome...but don't thank me yet, we have much work to do.”
Tahu pauses, “Speaking of which, we now know the princess is safe....Now we just need to get into the palace so we can find the missing servants and discover the queen's plans.” he states determined.
Lewa nods, “Yes, but Tahu, how will we quick-pass through the main gates? And where to start? This kingdom is huge-large. Not to mention you're armor makes you a prime target...same goes for the younger, less hansom fire spitter” Lewa says with a slight smirk while glancing at Ashton, who snaps back, grouchily whining, “Hey!....”
Marine snickers slightly, “Gentlemen... I do believe I can aid in the matter. I have a plan..one that will require some acting... It shouldn't be too hard if we can pull it off, being that I'm the key holder of Aqua Edge Gates, and protector of River Hall, the passageway which leads to my throne room and living quarters.” Marine looks around for a moment and signals for the Toa to follow through a grove of odd blue grasses.
Tahu looks at Lewa, confused at what Marine is up to, and Lewa simply shrugs. The Toa follow, Ashton dragging his feet behind.
Marine pauses and grins, picking up a chalky blue clay from the base of a marsh tree. “This blue mineral should help coat your armor long enough to make you appear as guards of my kingdom.. Once your armor is blue, all we need to do is get you some warrior garb, then you can act like you caught me as ordered, and bring me back to my chambers..”
Lewa grimaces, “I don't know Marine, that sounds awfully scary-risky...Sure it would work?”
Tahu thinks for a moment, “It may just be the only shot we have at this, Lewa.. You two get to pretend as the silent guards and carry Marine along, I'll do the talking.”
Ashton face palms, “Great...just great” he groans upon hearing the idea.
Marine sighs and comes over, “Hold still please, I need to get this mineral on you, we need to hurry..” she says while lathering them with the clay and letting it sit for a few moments, then splashing them with water, making the three Toa tense, Ashton yelping and hiding behind Lewa for a shield. When the water washes off with the clay, the Toa find themselves blue in appearance, just as Marine planned.
Lewa grins and glances at Tahu, “Say..not too bad in blue, eh brother?” he says while chuckling a bit at the sight.
Tahu rolls his eyes and looks at himself in the water, “Not bad...little weird, but not bad.”
Ashton snorts and sees his own reflection, making a double take at his appearance. Ew.... I look like a Ga Toa....” he comments distastefully.
Lewa snickers and Tahu stands up, “Ok, now what about warrior garb?”
Marine glances around and suddenly hears the sounds of footsteps, tensing and going wide eyed, signaling for silence. The Toa dash into some bushes near to the garden path, and Tahu grins, quickly whispering an idea to Lewa, Lewa smiles and nods. As the three guards pass, Tahu and Lewa sneak up behind them and knock them out, quickly dragging them back to the bushes and swiping their weapons and garb.
Lewa chuckles, “Looks like we quick-found ourselves blue Toa warrior garb.”
Marine peeks out from hiding and winces at the fallen guards, but nods and lightly smiles, seeing her plan can still be carried. “Well done, I guess we have to work with what we're offered”.
Ashton steps out of the bushes wearing the garb and pouting as it flops around, slightly loose fitting. “Am I a shrimp, or are these guards just massive?”
Lewa glances at Ashton and smirks, “If I had to say, I'd fast-agree with your first assumption.” he snickers.
Ashton rolls his eyes, “Shouldn't have asked, knew that was coming.” he grumbles.
The three Toa stand side by side feeling awkward, and Marine comes over. “You now look the part, we must hurry to the gates before anyone spots us out here. All you have to do is claim you caught me, and take me to my chambers. You'll need these to make it convincing.” she says while holding out a set of cuffs.
Tahu glances at the cuffs and Lewa looks at him a bit concerned, but nods and gently cuffs Marine, making sure they aren't fully locked. Marine smiles and nods, “We should be fine.” she says assuredly.
Tahu glances around and steps out onto the garden path. “Let's get moving.. and be prepared to fight if this plan doesn't turn out”.
Ashton snorts and rolls his eyes, “I think fighting might be more interesting than looking like a girl”.
Tahu glares at him, “Your role is silent.. stop grumbling”.
Lewa and Ashton gently take Marine's arms on either side and play their part, Tahu trying to stay as calm as he can, secretly feeling just as ridiculous as they do, and following Marines directions towards the main gates of her palace.
As they near the gates, they go a little tense, seeing the two large guards standing side by side with their blade staffs crossed. “Halt, state your business and report.” the one says, looking at them a bit skeptically.
Tahu takes in a breath, “We have caught princess Marine, and as ordered are bringing her back to her chambers.” he states carefully.
The guard glances around and sees Marin who fake struggles and pretends to seem peeved, Ashton and Lewa keeping their faces as blank as they can while keeping a good grip on her, seeming strong, but being as gentle as possible.
The guard nods, and salutes with a pleased face, “Well done men, you may pass and lock her in her chambers till further orders are given”.
Tahu salutes cautiously and they pass through the gates, quickly walking down the main hall. Marine simply points them in the direction they need to turn. “That way go that way, quickly...” she says in quiet tenseness.
The Toa do as directed and find a clearing away from other guards, glancing around and taking the cuffs off Marine. Marine lets out a breath and rubs her wrists, “All right, welcome to River Hall, I know this place inside and out. I need to make my way to the queen's chambers, see if I can figure out what she's up to..while I do that, I ask that you search for the missing servants of my palace, listen in on conversations, see if you can get a trail to where they've been taken. As long as you stay low you should be fine, same goes for me... The queen must be stopped, I can't keep running.”
Tahu looks at her concerned, and Lewa winces a bit, “You sure you'll be safe-fine sneaking into the queen's chambers alone, Marine?” he ask a bit skeptically.
Marine nods reassuringly, “Don't worry about me, just find the missing servants if you can.”
The Toa worry for Marine, but Tahu gives his say, “All right, we split up, I'll listen in on guards. Lewa, you go and see if you can find any lead on the missing servants, and Ashton, behave yourself and see if your charms get you anywhere.. We all meet back here in this spot in one hour” he states with a slight smirk.
Ahston grins, “Now you're talkin my language...”
Tahu gives him a stern look, “Remember your job.. don't do anything stupid”.
Ashton rolls his eyes, and the Toa split up. Marine runs towards the center of her kingdom and sneaks into the queen's chambers, listening in and hiding, moving from place to place every so often. Tahu stands in between spots looking like a guard and listens to passing guards who walk through the halls. Ashton manages to sneak around and find a local swimming pool where multiple women swim, and smirks, seeing his charms can indeed be put to use. He leans in and waves, “Hi ladies..”
Meanwhile Lewa carefully sneaks about the halls and gets into the deeper parts of the kingdom, being wary and mindful to remember his way back. As he searches around and listens for anything suspicious, he spots a twitchy water Agori who acts very much aloof. Lewa squints and follows this Agori quietly; the closer he gets, the faster the Agori moves, but Lewa was determined and convinced he was on a hot trail, and manages to grab the Agori by the shoulder, causing him to yelp and freeze up. Lewa leans in and squints, but realizes the man is terrified and he speaks with him quietly. “Sorry to fast-bother you, but may I ask why you're dark-sneaking through these halls?”
The Agori pauses a bit confused, puzzled by Lewa's accent and speech pattern. “Are you..from another region?” he asks.
Lewa lifts a brow, “I'm a Toa hero...Have you seen anything odd-suspicious around here recently, or sharp-heard anything off? I'm here in search of the missing servants.” he whispers quietly.
The Agori gulps and glances around uneasily, “Yes, as a matter of fact I have...” he says a bit nervous, but wanting to trust Lewa. “My name is Argus, one of the queens servants..I do foot massage and pedicure. But lately....something hasn't been right. The queen threatened to beat me because I missed her pinky nail during polishing..Her mannerisms are not as I remember them...”
Lewa squints, getting more concerned, “And how do you great-remember them?” he questions.
Argus sighs, “Normally the queen is gentle and understanding, but stern, never threatening like she has been. It's because of this I fear her, and worse is that some of the missing servants were my friends.. She ordered them to be taken away because they didn't please her. A couple weeks later, and as of recently, I've been doing my own snooping in hopes of finding them again. But what scares me more is that I've been hearing terrible noises through some of the walls, some of which sound like screaming, and it echoes through select halls I've skimmed by.
Lewa's concern deepens more and he glances around, “Can you fast-take me to where you've sharp-heard these noises?”
Argus nods, “Follow me” he says quietly.
Lewa nods and the two team up, swiftly walking through the halls and hiding briefly as guards pass by, till finally Argus reaches the place he's heard the sounds and peeks around. “Dang it...!” he sharply whispers, seeing guards now heavily patrol the area and prevent him from bringing Lewa further.
Lewa glances around and his eyebrows furrow, “Wait..maybe we can calm-hide and see if we can snag a chance.. I'm quick-fast you know” he grins, lightening the mood a bit.
Argus rolls his eyes and sighs, “Very well, I may not be able to get you closer yet, so I'll wait...” he grumbles, hiding behind a decorative vase and keeping an eye on Lewa, who hides behind a floor touching tapestry and keeps his gaze at the hall.
After about fifteen minutes, Lewa and Argus are snapped from their calm wait by the sound of a begging plea and scrapping feet. “No wait! I can do better, I swear!” the voice screams; Lewa peeks around from the tapestry, ready to strike when he sees the man who's pulled along by two guards and dragged through a large, guarded door near to them in the dark hallways. Argus holds up a hand, signaling for Lewa to hold back, shaking his head and giving him a shocked, 'not a good idea' expression.
Lewa regrets having to, but does, nodding and waiting for the guarded doors to be closed, then leaning in next to Argus who signals he wants to talk. “That was one of the workers of the palace.” Argus sharply whispers, “Now I know something isn't right..I told you I heard noises..” he fearfully mutters.
Lewa nods, his eyes filled with concern. “Now I know there's something terrible-wrong, no doubt behind that door there's something bad, but...I know we need to team back with my Toa brothers, pursuing now could get us into more trouble.”
Argus pauses and glances around one more time, then agrees. “I will come with you and be your guide back to this place. If other Toa are here to help, I'm willing to risk whatever it takes to find my friends and missing servants.” he says determined, but shaky.
Lewa sighs and nods, reluctantly heading back for the river halls they split from, a twitchy Argus, highly jumpy at every passing sound, in tow.
Lewa arrives back at the central hall as planned, and just as they get their Tahu comes up, looking around cautiously and squinting. “I see you're back, Lewa...and..friend?”
Lewa nods, “This is Argus, he's agreed to kind-help. Where is Ashton?”
Ashton suddenly dashes over, puffing out a breath, “Woo..I skimmed close, got some news that may be helpful too.” he says, squinting, confused at Argus.
Tahu nods, “Seems we're all here..but, where is Marine?” he questions concerned, looking around and not seeing her. The Toa get a bit worried, but Tahu continues, “We'll worry about it in a moment, first we share details. While I was in the halls, I listened in on guards. It's now confirmed that the queen has invented some kind of disturbing sort of ritual she calls 'the cleansing'. All workers of the palace that don't serve her properly are to be punished and 'cleansed' from the kingdom in the purest way possible...I really don't like the sound of that” he says, anger slightly waving in his tone.
“Wait, a woman at the pool spoke of that.” Ashton buts in; “She gave me a map of the entire water kingdom..” he says while pulling it out. “The women workers of the palace have been equally worried about stuff that's been going on. One of the ladies told me that the workers who have displeased the queen were dragged off to the southern section of the kingdom. She also said that in that section of the kingdom there are laboratory rooms and rahi studying chambers..kind of odd sounding if you ask me.”
Lewa quickly pitches in, “Hold on, Argus and I were swift-exploring one of the halls in that area. We saw one of the workers being dragged through a door, they were beg-pleading...this is why I came back to quick-warn you”.
Argus clinks his fingers, “If anyone knows these halls well, it should be me; I explore them all the time..I can be your guide. If you let me see that map I can mark where we were, and we can make our way back there.”
Ashton agrees and hands Argus the map, letting him mark spots of importance, and feeling a bit more serious about this situation.
Tahu pauses, “I still wonder where Marine is..? She was suppose to meet us back here. And with this news we should warn her.” he states concerned.
Lewa sighs, “No time brother, I too feel concern for Marine, but who knows what's bad-happening to the workers as we speak. They need our help just as much as anyone, and I have a deep-heart feeling those chambers are where we'll find them. We need to seek-find that place...If it helps I can quick-speed ahead and seek out Marine while you and Ashton go with Argus and find the chambers”.
Tahu shakes his head in thought, “No Lewa..we shouldn't split up...you're right.” he sighs. “Lead the way Argus.” he says while glancing at him.
Argus nods and leads them to one of the branching river halls just outside the research chamber doors, the group being careful and avoiding guards as much as possible while grudgingly treading through the flooded halls which sparkle and flow, the water source coming from beautiful fountains that were made to overflow continuously.
All but Argus have a sour face, and Ashton quietly grumbles, “What the heck is up with the flooded sections of this building?”
Argus squints, “Well, they don't call the place river hall for nothing. The queen and surrounding palace dwellers love their element so much they honor it by turning it into a decoration... The fountains endlessly overflow and make rivers in the halls, a beautiful way to relax and restore one's energy, while reminding us of our culture and beginnings. The slogan, 'we are the river that runs through the land, aiding the elements with one mighty hand'.” he smiles, enjoying the moment of culture share.
Ashton rolls his eyes, “Beautiful...? More like insane...who in their right mind ever wants to get wet feet everyday they wake..” he snorts.
Tahu squints at Ashton with a face that implies 'zip it or else' and continues onward, not disagreeing with Ashton, but knowing full well that was an insult to the water types, and could be taken wrong by higher authorities such as the queen.
Lewa steps up as they near guarded doors just outside the research chamber halls. “Brother, let me, I will nice-talk to the guards. Shouldn't be bad-hard getting past them with the right words.” he grins, feeling he can do it.
Tahu agrees, a bit puzzled, but understanding Lewa has always been the more chatty one.
Lewa steps forward as they near the guarded doors, grabbing Argus's arm, much to Argus's surprise, and gets into his act, “Hi, we're here to slip-pass to the research chambers, this servant” he says while pointing at Argus, “has displeased the queen”.
At first the guards are nearly convinced, but little do the Toa realize the blue mineral coating their armor is dribbling off from treading through the wet halls, their true colors starting to blotch through. One of the guards looks down and notices the mineral oozing, the colors of bright red and green becoming more apparent; the guard lifts a brow and glances at Lewa, signaling the other guard to prepare for a fight. Lewa looks down briefly to see what the guard was looking at, and notices the issue, then glances at Tahu with a face that says, 'oh crud'.
The guards get into a fighting position, holding up their blades and preparing to attack the Toa, when suddenly all are startled and broken from concentration by a frightened scream, the scream of Marine, which echoes from what seems to be the studying chamber halls. Even the guards are startled and concerned in that moment, and Lewa yells out panicked, “Marine?!”
TO BE CONTINUED....
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