The Night of Toa and Kama’s arrival was met with a festival of sorts. To Kanaloa, meeting with Toa again after 6 years was a good a reason to have a party as ever. He had all the festivities planned, food and drink were shared with the whole village. Laughter and merriment could be seen on the faces of the local natives. It was a beautiful sight to see… except one problem. Toa was no where to be seen, and the reason…
Her name was “Lei” a beautiful woman standing at about 5’ 4” and with beautiful long black hair. Her face was accentuated with high cheekbones and beautiful pouty lips, and her body did not lack in any other place as well. A perfect woman to many men’s standards but she did not have eyes for just any man. She was on the hunt for just one man, a man who did not revere her as anything special, but did not look down on her as just a pretty face. “Toa where are you?” Lei said with a pouty face, she had been looking forward to seeing Toa again for so many years and now even with her enhanced Soul Search, the first stage of Soul Finding she couldn’t find him.
Yes, Lei was indeed a Soul Finder and she was one of the top 10 Soul Finders in all of the islands of Moku. Standing as an accomplished 4th stager she was known through many islands as “Demonic Eyes Lei”. So named because she had absorbed the spirit of a King Falcon, a beast feared by almost every resident in the islands of Moku. The King Falcon was a huge bird, It’s body stood upright at about 20’ and when it’s wings are fully expanded the falcon’s wing span was about 50’ in length. It could hunt and devour Demon Boar which on average weighed 1,500-2,000 pounds with just a sweep of its tallens. It truly was a “King” of the animals. But she managed to capture a King Falcon and assimilate its soul into her body. Attaining the sight, strength, and some of the abilities of the the King Falcon.
What angered Lei at the moment was not that Toa wouldn’t meet with her. No, It was because even though She had the enhancement of the King Falcon’s eyes along with Soul Search (which was child's play to her) she could not sense or see Toa.
Right at this moment Toa was hiding on the rooftop of one of the many thatched huts in the village of Manuiki. He was staring at a beautiful woman with both fear and longing. Doing his utmost to suppress and hide his soul aura, Toa couldn’t help but utter to himself. “Why did it have to be here of all places? She shouldn’t even be on this island… I left her on Pohakuiki island 8 years ago and now she’s on Loa? Why do the gods hate and tempt me?”
Toa met Lei 12 years ago, he had met her by chance on one of the smaller islands in Moku. Pohakuiki is situated about 5 islands away from loa and 9 islands away from Polu. On this island, 12 years ago, Toa was already a stage 4 Soul Finder and as he was traveling and island hopping he came across a beautiful Woman. What attracted him to her was not the fact that she was an outstanding beauty (even though it did play a huge part) it was because she was in the middle of a brawl between 5 hulking men. In just a few moments the confrontation was over, the 5 men laid sprawled on the ground and in the middle was the beautiful woman triumphant holding onto a small club.
To the bystanders looking at the spectacle they could only see a woman with a martial arts background. I mean, it would only make sense she was a martial artist, how else could she beat 5 men alone. But to Toa who was using Soul Search the first stage of Soul Finding, he saw that the small club she was concealing held a strong soul aura. With a smirk he looked at the woman with slight admiration.
At seeing Toa smirk at herself lei felt a little angry, ‘Is this punk looking down on me’ Lei thought to herself. ‘I’ve already had to deal with 5 thugs who wouldn’t take no for an answer, and seeing this smartass look at me like i'm no big deal…’ Lei’s thoughts became muddied and it was obvious that she didn’t take well to Toa’s meaningless smirk. Admiration, was mistaken for condisention and Lei called out to Toa with a look of pure disgust “You there, you think just because I’m a girl I’m no good huh?!? Step up if you think you can handle me better than these losers did.” Toa was confused at the sudden situation. “The hell is wrong with this chick” as Toa looked at Lei with utter confusion he wrinkled his brow. “Oh, too good to fight a woman? aren’t you a gentleman... you queer” These last words broke the little patience Toa had left. Stepping forward he let loose his soul aura and stared at Lei unflinching.
Lei was dumbstruck “why the hell is a another Soul Finder on my island? After master died, I should’ve been the only Soul Finder on Pohakuiki? O.K. don’t panic he’s unarmed and hasn’t pulled out a soul weapon yet. I’ll subdue him and show him who’s boss” After thinking these shallow thoughts, Lei tapped into the spirit of her club and dashed forward at Toa with lightning speed. At the moment when Lei was about to strike Toa on the face, she was sent tumbling back, her right arm numb to the shoulder. After orienting herself, she sat up and looked at Toa with a shocked expression. In Toa’s hand was her soul weapon, and in just a few seconds Toa clenched his fist and the weapon had shattered.
Every soul weapon is unique, made by fusing the soul with an inanimate object. This fusion isn’t instant, and it takes years and years of constant use to attune an object to a soul. It is also only at the moment of the original user's death that the object becomes a true soul weapon. The enhancement of the object by a soul makes most objects incredibly durable. That is why soul weapons can be found in pristine conditions all around the world even in corrosive environments. The only way to truly destroy a soul weapon is to break the soul inside of the weapon. This also is not an easy thing to do, only those with stronger souls can do it, and that just attests to that person’s strength.
“F… Fou… Fourth stage Soul Finder” The visage of Toa breaking that soul weapon will forever be engraved in Lei’s heart. “You have talent, but you lack foundation. If you had been wiser, you would have used Soul Searcher to see that I am no meer third stage Soul Finder. Also, i wasn’t looking down on you, i was admiring your skills… AND I AM DEFINITELY NOT GAY!” Lei still couldn’t understand the situation she was in, and just stared dumbfounded at Toa. Seeing Lei unresponsive Toa picked up his belongings he had dropped before the standoff and turned around to walk away.
“Wait! Wait! Soul Finder please help me on my path, I was wrong to have called you those names and attack you. I lack a teacher as you can see, and I need help reaching the Fourth Stage. Please help me” Lei called out to him as she slowly got up, her arm was still in the process of getting it’s feeling back. “Absolutely Not” was the curt response Toa gave as he proceeded through the village. “Please Soul Finder, it’s my wish to be a peak Soul Finder to honor the memory of my teacher!” These pleas fell on deaf ears as Toa strolled through the village. But Toa’s actions didn’t detour Lei one bit, she had been training alone for the last couple of years and she couldn’t make any headway in her training. she wasn’t about to let this golden opportunity pass.
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“Soul Finder please”... “Soul Finder why not”... “Soul Finder if you’re not queer, why not look at me?”... For two days while Toa was in the village, Lei nagged him to no end to have him help her train. “OY! My name isn’t ‘Soul Finder’ it’s Toa, and will you not leave me alone!?!” Toa was indeed frustrated, badgered for two days and anyone would go crazy. “Tee hee, I finally got you to talk to me” Lei giggled as she revelled in her small victory. “What must i do to make you leave me” Toa asked in exasperation. “The question is… What can i do for you Toa, in order for You to guide Me on my way to the Fourth Stage of Soul Finding” as Lei said this, she raised the skirt she was wearing up her outer thigh tracing her beautiful body. Toa’s face became beet red as he looked at Lei, then turned to look away.
“Ahem! Mam i don’t even know your name and you dare ask me for a favor?” Toa quickly changed the topic and Lei blushed awkwardly. “What was i thinking? My name is Lei a third stage Soul Finder. I like walks on the beach, beating up idiots, and at night i like to lay nak…” “OKAY OKAY OKAY! i get it, your name is Lei and you need my help” Toa’s face became even more red as he thought of Lei’s last sentence. “This girl is going to bring me to my knees” Toa thought to himself as he looked at Lei.
Over the next few months Toa and Lei had been inseparable, they ate, cultivated their soul aura’s, and slowly became friends maybe even more than friends. After 3 years of being on Pohakuiki with Lei, the duo had made up their minds to capture a King Falcon and have Lei assimilate the animal to become a true Fourth Stage Soul Finder or an “Attuned Soul Finder”. The plan that Toa and Lei had set up had worked and soon Lei would be known around the Moku as a Leader in Soul Finding.
4 years after Toa arrived on Pohakuiki he lay on a hammock looking at the stars. As he lay there a beautiful silhouette could be seen coming toward him accentuated by the moonlight. As lei approached Toa, she slowly rolled onto the hammock and snuggled next to him. “Toa, it’s been 4 years since you’ve met me and yet you have not made a move? I know you love me, and I love you too… Why don’t you stay here and make a family with me? I know our lives would be happy” Lei said this while hugging Toa from the side.
Toa was indeed in love with Lei, and as he lay there in his hammock being hugged by lei, he could indeed die happy. “It’s true, I do love you, and it would be my greatest priviledge to be together with you for the rest of my life” as he said this he looked deep into Lei’s eyes and kissed her on her beautiful lips.That night Toa and Lei made love for the first time, and fell asleep in each other’s embrace.
That same night “nngghh… no… no… no…” Toa awoke from a nightmare that was so intense it flared his soul, and he awoke to a fully transformed Soul Search. His nightmare was of a man cloaked in leaves and who had a soul aura of pure darkness. It was the most heinous dream he had ever seen. The cloaked man was holding a beating heart in his hand pulled from the chest of his beloved Lei. The memory of that moment almost made Toa vomit in disgust. “I’m not strong enough to protect the things i hold dear, at least not from him… not from my master”
That night Toa had left In the early morning leaving Pohakuiki and his love behind. Toa had felt that if he was around Lei, she would be in danger and He wasn’t strong enough to protect her.
(Flash to the present)
Toa looked at his beloved with longing and then he made up his mind. “To hell with my fears, my woman is in front of me and I wouldn’t be a man if didn’t make my move now.” Toa jumped down and while suppressing his soul’s aura he stealthily made his way to Lei. When he was right next to her he quickly embraced her. “Ah!” lei gave a startled yelp and jump forward and quickly turned to meet her “attacker”. When Lei saw Toa she stared at him and soon a multitude of emotions welled up in her heart. Than with a smile she walked forward, and Toa opened his arms as to invite a hug. What happened next stunned Toa. As Lei moved within a foot of Toa she balled her fist and slugged Toa in the face.
Unprepared for the strike Toa fell down on the ground and looked at Lei in shock. “Toa you bastard you leave me in the middle of the night 8 years ago after I gave my heart to you. Not giving me an explanation for your disappearance, no word as to where you left…*sob* I didn’t know if you were taken, or killed… *sob*” After striking Toa and releasing all of the pent up frustration she had kept for so many years she began to cry.
As Toa recovered from his shock and looked at his love with tears flowing from her eyes, he stood up and walked over to her. Toa quickly embraced Lei as tears began to flow from his eyes too “I’m so sorry… I was weak… am weak… i didn’t know if i could protect you. But so much things have happened in these last years that i am determined to protect everything i hold dear.” Toa squeezed Lei in his embrace and Lei slowly calming down looked up to Toa eyes red from crying. “I’ve finally found you, and this time i won’t let you get away, not this time...”
That morning Toa introduced Lei to Kama and as if a thought formed in his mind at that moment he quickly called for Kanaloa to join them too. “Lei, Kanaloa, the reason why I am here is to train this boy Kama. At first I planned on training him myself, but after meeting you both I hope that you will help me too”
Lei and Kanaloa looked at Toa than at the boy, and said in turn “Toa my friend, if it’s a request from you, I will give it my all. It’s just that… I’m no Soul Finder, true I can tap the foundations of Soul Finding. But I, myself am just a warrior. What can I offer?” Lei looked at Toa and said “You need not ask... My love, your goals are mine and i will help you with all my power” Toa looked at the his two friends and smiled “Kanaloa, true you are not a Soul Finder… But I need you not for your soul, but for your strength. Kama needs a strong body as a vessel for his soul and I need your help. Lei, my love, i need you to help me train Kama’s foundation in Soul Finding. Your prowess in the first three stages are indeed second to none, and I can think of no one more suited to train Kama in this.
The three masters looked at each other in acknowledgment, they would train Koa from the ground up to become unmatched. Kanaloa in Strength, Lei in foundation training of the first three stages, and Toa looking over it all and teaching Kama through the fourth stage.