Island of Lost Masks

by Ryder Windham

  CONTENTS

  TITLE PAGE

  CHAPTER 1: THE HEROES ARRIVE

  CHAPTER 2: QUEST FOR THE GOLDEN MASKS

  CHAPTER 3: DANGER IN THE SHRINES

  CHAPTER 4: THE MYSTERIOUS CITY

  CHAPTER 5: SKULL SLICER STRIKES

  CHAPTER 6: RETURN OF THE MASK MAKER

  COPYRIGHT

  When the young boy saw the skull spiders skittering toward him, he screamed and accidentally dropped the long stick he’d been carrying as a weapon before he turned and started running for his life. The spiders’ sharp-tipped legs stabbed into the ground, leaving trails of holes in the jungle mountain’s foothills. The boy ran up a path along the edge of a cliff, heading for the woods. He was hoping he could make it to his hiding place when he saw more skull spiders ahead of him, blocking his way. He came to a quick stop.

  Like all the people on the vast island of Okoto, the boy wore a sacred mask. Unable to move forward or back, he realized his only choice to escape the spiders was to jump off the cliff. As the spiders moved closer, he trembled and clutched the edges of his mask and cried, “Help!”

  The boy jumped in surprise as a powerful blast of sand smashed into the spiders behind him. The blast knocked the spiders off the path and over the edge of the cliff, and they screeched as they fell. Wondering about the source of the blast, the boy turned quickly and saw an armored warrior running up the path from below.

  The warrior wore a brown mask and held a staff-like weapon with two glowing ends, and he shouted, “Duck!” The boy dropped to a crouch while the warrior, still running, fired again and again, volleying blasts of sand that sailed over the boy’s body. The sand crashed against the spiders on the upper trail, and they screeched as they, too, went over the cliff’s edge.

  The warrior came to a stop beside the boy. “Are you all right?”

  The boy gasped as he stood up. “Yes. Thank you!”

  The warrior bowed his head slightly. The boy pointed to the warrior’s weapon and said, “You … you are Nilkuu, the Protector of Stone! My father told me stories about you and your sandstone blaster. I am Bingzak.”

  Nilkuu looked around, scanning the area for any sign of danger. “Bingzak, why are you here, so far from the nearest village?”

  “My village is gone, destroyed by the skull spiders! I alone escaped with my mask. I have been hiding in the jungle ever since.”

  Nilkuu shook his head sadly. “I am sorry, Bingzak. This is a dark time for our island. Many have lost their masks to the skull spiders and fallen under the control of the Lord of Skull Spiders.”

  “May I ask why you are not now in the Stone Region?”

  “I have traveled to the Jungle Region for an important mission. I must get to the Temple of Time immediately.”

  “The Temple of Time?” Confused, Bingzak said, “But … if you wound up here, you must have taken a wrong turn on the mountain trail. Are you lost?”

  Nilkuu snorted through his mask. “Of course not. Protectors never get lost.”

  “Never?”

  “Well, almost never. It is not often that I leave the Region of Stone. Also, this jungle is so full of trees that look the same to me.”

  “I can guide you to the temple.” Bingzak pointed to the woods. “I know a shortcut.”

  Nilkuu thought for a moment, then said, “It would be wrong of me to leave you here alone. It would be best if you accompanied me to the temple.”

  “Come on, it’s this way.” Bingzak started walking toward the woods. Nilkuu followed.

  Darkness began to fall across the island, making distant stars and other planets visible in the sky. Nilkuu and Bingzak proceeded past towering trees, across a mountain stream, and up a steep slope until they arrived at a clearing. In the middle of the clearing, silhouetted against the sky, stood the Temple of Time. The temple resembled an enormous metronome, complete with a long pendulum that made a rhythmic ticking noise as it rocked back and forth from its pivot point at the base of the temple’s foundation.

  Five warriors stood outside the temple’s entrance. They wore similar armor and masks, but each was distinguished by a different color and carried unique weapons. Bingzak immediately recognized the green-masked warrior as Vizuna, Protector of Jungle, and realized the other warriors were also Protectors. Izotor, Protector of Ice, wore a white mask and held an ice saw. Kivoda, Protector of Water, wore a blue mask, and had two water-propulsion turbines secured to his back. Korgot, Protector of Earth, wore a mask of dark purple and carried a large, star-shaped drill. And the red-masked warrior was Narmoto, Protector of Fire, who carried two flame swords.

  An astonished Bingzak said, “All six Protectors of Okoto? Gathered together in one place?” Looking at Nilkuu, he added, “When you told me your mission was important, you weren’t kidding!”

  As Nilkuu and Bingzak approached the temple, the Protector of Ice said, “You’re late, Nilkuu. Did you get lost?”

  Before Nilkuu could reply, Bingzak said, “The Protector of Stone was not lost! He was delayed because he rescued me from skull spiders!”

  “I know this boy,” said Vizuna. “He is from a nearby village.” Facing Bingzak, Vizuna added, “I am relieved to see you are okay.”

  Nilkuu gestured to Bingzak and said, “He was alone when I found him. I brought him here to keep him safe.”

  “No one on Okoto will be safe unless we fulfill our mission,” said the Protector of Fire.

  Nilkuu turned to Bingzak and said, “You must remain here. Wait for me.”

  Leaving Bingzak, Nilkuu followed the other Protectors into the Temple of Time. Once inside, the Protectors opened a vault to remove the Mask of Time and brought the mask to an open area that was exposed to the night sky. At the center of the area was a pool of mystical light. After they placed the mask in the pool, they gathered in a circle around it. The Protector of Water said, “Now we must recite the Prophecy of Heroes.”

  The Protectors spoke in unison:

  “When times are dark and all hope seems lost, the Protectors must unite. One from each tribe.

  “Evoke the power of past and future and look to the skies for an answer.

  “When the stars align, six comets will bring timeless heroes to claim the Masks of Power and find the Mask Maker.

  “United, the elements hold the power to defeat evil. United but not one.”

  Within the pool that held the Mask of Time, the light swirled and became brighter, igniting a brilliant beam that projected up from the temple and into the sky. Several seconds later, the beam vanished, leaving the Protectors in darkness.

  Blinking his eyes, Nilkuu said, “Did it work?”

  “The Prophecy must work,” said the Protector of Fire. “It is our only hope to defeat the evil forces that have risen from our island.”

  Nilkuu said, “What happens next?”

  “We return to our regions,” said the Protector of Earth, “and we do all that we can to defend our tribes as we wait for the stars to align. And for the well-being of all, let us hope the comets come sooner than later.”

  After placing the Mask of Time back in its vault, the six Protectors exited the temple. Outside, Nilkuu found Bingzak waiting and bent down beside him. Nilkuu whispered, “Thank you for not letting the others know that I may have gotten lost in the jungle.”

  “Well, you did save my life!” Nilkuu said.

  Nilkuu gazed up at the stars overhead. “I must go back to the Region of Stone. I hope I won’t take a wrong turn again.”

  Bingzak cleared his throat. “Protector of Stone, I have no reason to remain here. I would be honored if you allowed me to guide you … I mean, to accompany you to the Region of Stone.”

  Nilkuu rose to his feet. “That is very generous of you.
I’ll take you up on that offer.”

  “Great!” said Bingzak. “Come on! Let’s get going!”

  Days later, in a fortress village of the Stone Protector in the Region of Stone, Nilkuu and Bingzak were standing with members of the Stone tribe on the roof of the fortress. The roof was lined with a low, protective wall with battlements—openings that offered a wide view of the surrounding desert and also provided protective cover for the village’s sentries. The sentries were armed with swords and long spears. Bingzak had been helping Nilkuu and the sentries watch out for skull spiders when he looked up at the night sky and said, “I didn’t know you could see different stars from here.”

  “Different stars?” said Nilkuu. “What do you mean?”

  “Back in the Jungle Region, I never saw that constellation.” Bingzak pointed to a cluster of six bright points of light overhead. “That’s strange. The constellation is … moving!”

  Behind his mask, Nilkuu’s eyes went wide. “That’s no constellation.” He turned to the sentries and said, “The comets have arrived. They’re falling to Okoto!”

  The villagers looked to the sky just as the comets appeared to break formation, moving away from one another so that each was falling toward a different area of the island. Nilkuu watched one comet grow brighter as it angled over the desert. The comet plummeted toward a rocky plateau to the east of the fortress and exploded in a bright flash, releasing a shock wave that lifted several sentries off their feet and across the open roof.

  Nilkuu grabbed Bingzak and pulled him behind a protective wall until the shock wave passed. “Stay here with the sentries,” Nilkuu said. Taking his sandstone blaster with him, Nilkuu leaped over the battlements and fell away from the fortress. Landing on the hard-packed sand, he sprinted for the plateau where the comet had come to rest.

  White smoke was still billowing up from the comet’s scorched rubble when Nilkuu arrived at the plateau. A tall, shadowy figure rose away from the debris, stepped forward, and emerged from the smoke. Nilkuu saw a brown mask, the same color as the mask worn by Nilkuu, covered the figure’s face. The figure carried a long dagger and a pair of curved throwing weapons that Nilkuu recognized as legendary stormerangs, which could generate sandstorms along their path.

  The figure rubbed the back of his head. Sounding slightly dazed, he said, “What happened? Where am I?”

  Nilkuu bowed. “Welcome, Pohatu, Master of Stone, to the island of Okoto. I am Nilkuu, the Protector of Stone.”

  Pohatu stopped rubbing his head, looked down at Nilkuu, and then turned his head fast to look behind him. Returning his attention to Nilkuu, he said, “You’re, umm … You’re talking to me?”

  “Yes, Pohatu.”

  “Hmm.” Pohatu shook his head. “I never heard the name Pohato before. Never heard of this island, either. Actually, now that I think of it, I can’t say I remember … anything.”

  Confused, Nilkuu said, “Um, Pohatu … You don’t know about the Prophecy of Heroes? That you’re one of six heroes, delivered here by comets? It is your destiny to defeat evil and save our island from—?”

  A loud horn sounded over the desert, interrupting Nilkuu and prompting him to look back at the fortress. “That’s the fortress alarm. Skull spiders are attacking the village!”

  “Skull spiders?”

  “No time to explain!” Nilkuu said as he started running back to the fortress. He’d covered only a small stretch of ground when he felt an incredible rush of wind from behind, and then something grabbed the armor at his back and lifted him high into the air. Craning his neck, he saw Pohatu had taken hold of him, and also saw a small tornado whipping around Pohatu’s lower body.

  “The legends are true!” Nilkuu said as they rose higher and moved fast toward the fortress. “You can fly!”

  “Stop squirming,” Pohatu said.

  Nilkuu looked down and saw that they had already arrived over the fortress. Skull spiders were clambering up the fortress’s outer walls, and the sentries were thrusting spears at the spiders, desperately trying to knock them down. One spider scurried past the sentries and snuck up behind Bingzak. Bingzak screamed as the spider pounced on him and clamped its body over the boy’s head and mask.

  Pohatu released Nilkuu, letting him fall so that he landed a short distance from Bingzak, just as the boy picked up a fallen spear and moved to attack the sentries. Nilkuu knew that Bingzak was not himself, that his mind and body had fallen completely under the control of the Lord of Skull Spiders. Nilkuu drew his sandstone blaster and fired at the spider that covered Bingzak’s head. The spider screeched and then fell away from Bingzak, who collapsed against the roof. Using its remaining legs, the spider jumped through an opening in the battlements. Nilkuu ran to the opening and looked down. He saw dozens of spiders crawling up and across the outer wall of the fortress.

  Still elevated above the fortress, Pohatu angled the swirling base of his tornado toward the spiders on one outer wall, and then he began to circle the structure. Unable to escape the power of the vortex, the spiders were torn from the wall and swept into the tornado, which then sent them soaring away from the fortress. One by one, the spiders fell with skeleton-shattering impact onto the rocky plateau. The sentries cheered.

  Nilkuu knelt beside Bingzak and said, “Are you all right?”

  Bingzak groaned as he rubbed his mask. “I think so. But … I remember it was terrible! The Lord of Skull Spiders took over my mind!”

  “Relax, boy,” Nilkuu said. “You’re safe now.”

  Pohatu guided his tornado into a steep descent and landed near Nilkuu. As Nilkuu rose away from Bingzak, Pohatu said, “Did I not defeat evil?”

  “You’re off to a good start,” Nilkuu said, “but the Lord of Skull Spiders nearly took permanent possession of this boy.” He gestured to Bingzak.

  “Please explain.”

  “The Lord of Skull Spiders controls all skull spiders on the island. When he gains an islander’s mask, he also gains control of that islander. Many islanders have been lost to us, and the evil is rising.”

  Pohatu said, “Are you certain I am here to defeat evil?”

  Nilkuu nodded. “According to the Prophecy, six heroes, the Toa, will arrive on the island. Each will go on a quest for Golden Masks to unlock their great powers. To find your mask, we must journey to the Shrine of the Mask of Stone.”

  Pohatu gazed out across the desert. “When do I begin this quest?”

  “Right now.”

  “Now?” Pohatu looked up at the night sky. “But it’s getting dark.”

  “I shall help guide you.” Nilkuu said good-bye to Bingzak, then looked at Pohatu and said, “This way.”

  Nilkuu led Pohatu out of the fortress and they began walking across the desert, heading for a series of dunes to the east. Pohatu quickly fell into step beside Nilkuu and said, “Will you tell me more about this island? And about the other heroes?”

  “I shall tell you everything I know,” Nilkuu said. “But keep your eyes peeled for spiders. They’re everywhere!”

  As they proceeded, Nilkuu wondered if his fellow Protectors had already located the other fallen comets, and if each Toa had arrived without memories.

  “You don’t remember anything?” said Izotor, Protector of Ice, as he discharged his ice blaster at the skull spiders that were crawling through the snow toward him.

  “That is quite correct,” replied Kopaka, the white-masked Toa, “but I do believe that I know evil when I see it.” He swung his ice spear hard to his right, striking three spiders and knocking them straight into a nearby chasm. “I look forward to fighting the fiend that you mentioned, the Lord of Skull Spiders.”

  “Don’t forget what I told you about the Prophecy,” Izotor said. “You must first find your Golden Mask at the Shrine of the Mask of Ice.” He released another volley of projectiles from his blaster. The projectiles struck the spiders, causing them to freeze instantly. Another spider sprang from a snow bank and angled its sharp legs at Izotor’s mask. Izotor saw t
he incoming spider and responded by activating his ice saw and swinging it upward. The spider sailed headfirst into the saw’s rotating blade and landed in two heaps in the snow on either side of Izotor.

  Kopaka and Izotor were less than three village-lengths from where Kopaka’s comet had smashed into the tundra in Okoto’s Region of Ice. Their footprints from the crash site had already vanished under a fresh blanket of falling snow when the spiders attacked. Kopaka turned fast and saw three more spiders scurrying toward him. He reached for the sharp-edged shield that was secured to his back and slammed it into the ice between him and the spiders. The shield’s impact sprayed ice shards at the spiders, knocking them onto their backs. Kopaka swung the spear again and sent the spiders into the chasm after the others.

  “You are a skilled warrior,” Izotor said.

  “But I have a feeling our fight has just begun,” Kopaka said as he brushed bits of ice from his shield. “Is your island’s weather always like this?”

  “No, only here in the north. Okoto also has regions of water, jungle, fire, earth, and stone.”

  “One region for each Protector and Toa?”

  “Correct,” Izotor said. “Are you certain that you don’t remember the names Gali, Lewa, Tahu, Onua, or Pohatu?”

  Kopaka nodded. “I’m certain.”

  Izotor pointed to Kopaka’s shield. “According to legend, your frost shield is composed of two pieces. Separate the pieces, attach them to your feet, and they become avalanche skis. You should put them on now.”

  “Why?”

  “So we can leave before those spiders get here.”

  Kopaka looked around and saw only a white world of snow and ice. “Which spiders? Where?”

  Izotor pointed to a distant glacial slope to the east that was barely visible through the falling snow. Kopaka gazed at the slope and said, “I see tiny dark specks on that hill.”

  “Look again. Closely.”

  Kopaka tilted his head slightly and was surprised when the dark specks suddenly became larger. He saw hundreds of skull spiders, all marching fast toward his position. He shoved Izotor behind him before he shifted his grip on his own weapons. “There’s no time to escape! Stay behind me while I deal with these monsters!”