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This article was written by BionicleChicken. Please do not add to it without the writer's permission.
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Timeless Heroes is a story written by BionicleChicken. In an alternate version of Generation 2, the Protectors replace the Toa as the main protagonists.
Story[]
The Legend[]
This was a story told to me by my father and to him his father. Whether or not it be true, all of us still believe in it. As a parable to learn from.
Many years ago, it was a time of relative peace. The island of Okoto was home to many wonders. The most famous of them were the Masks of Power. Artifacts that granted the power of the elements themselves to the wearer. After an event lost to time, only eight exist. The six Masks that allowed control over Fire, Water, Jungle, Earth, Ice, and Stone. The other two belonged to the Mask Makers.
The twin brothers Ekimu and Makuta wore the Mask of Creation and the Mask of Control respectively. What power the Masks granted were a mystery, but nonetheless the two were responsible for the existence of such powerful items on Okoto. We accepted them as one of our own, but it was clear that the twins were different. Their armor and flesh were dissimilar to our own. The plates that cover their body were golden, shining, untouched by filth. Not even the ashes of their legendary forge sullied them. The body beneath the armor appeared to be made up of energy. Ekimu seemed to be made of lapis lazuli, bright blue and crystal. Makuta's was violet, like amethyst.
For the longest time, they were responsible for forging the weapons and equipment Okoto's defenders required for their duties. These Protectors defended their tribes and villages from threats from a horrific dimension known as the Shadow Realm. We know not of its origins, but all accounts tell us that the Shadow Realm coexists with Okoto, sitting on the same plane as us, and yet somewhere else entirely. Every once in a while, the borders between our worlds would open, and nightmarish creatures would come through these openings to disrupt our peace. The Mask Makers and the Protectors worked together to fend off these monstrosities. One such threat were the Skull Raiders, undead abominable perversions of our ancestors.
But our way of life was soon to be changed. The revered twins began shifting in equality. Ekimu became the favorite of the Okotans. His creations were prefered. Makuta grew jealous, even though we still looked up to him as much as we did his brother. The reason behind what happened next, we are not certain. Perhaps he did it of his own free will, blinded by envy and an arrogance he was known for. Maybe he was spurred by the darkness of the Shadow Realm, influencing him to question his bond with his own twin. Whichever the case, Makuta broke a sacred rule: he used all the Elements of the island to create the Mask of Ultimate Power. The very Mask that our precursors declared was too much for one being to have, as it would disrupt our unity.
Makuta placed the Mask upon his face, and was transformed. He turned into a twisted version of himself, malformed and giant. The Elements of the island went haywire. Okoto was being torn apart by Makuta's failure to keep the Mask of Ultimate Power under control. Despite Ekimu's pleas, Makuta refused to take the Mask off. We often ask if he could in the first place or whether he self-centeredly believed he would eventually have full command over it. Before this question could be answered, Ekimu worked quickly.
Swinging his mighty hammer, he struck the Mask of Ultimate Power off of his brother's face. The blow unleashed a powerful shockwave across the island. When the dust settled, Makuta was gone, and Ekimu was sent into a deep slumber. The Mask Maker was not dead, but he might as well be in the eyes of the Okotans. No one knew how to continue the twins' work, and no one believed they were worthy enough to try.
An age of sorrow began that day. We try to this day to keep our spirits up. But danger grows.
And who knows how much time we have left before something just as cataclysmic happens again?
Chapter 1[]
"You think Ekimu might come back someday? Maybe he'll fix everything," said the young boy. Narmoto, the Protector of Fire, sank back into his chair. The question was asked before, but Narmoto never had the proper answer for his seven-year-old son.
"I'm not so sure, Bitone," the Protector said. "It was a long time ago, you know? So long that I'm not even sure which of your grandfather it was. We've lost count of how many 'greats' he's supposed to have."
Bitone murmured tiredly. He loved the story of the Mask Maker and would occasionally ask Narmoto to recite it for him. Narmoto never truly understood this, as the legend was not particularly anything comforting, in his opinion. By the time Narmoto ruminated on this, he looked up and saw that his son had comfortably fallen asleep. He tenderly rubbed his boy’s head before turning to leave the tent, waving his hand to snuff out the fireplace.
Narmoto stepped outside. The state of the Village of Fire was not great. If he could even call it a village. It was more of a camp. A camp that was his responsibility ever since his father, the previous Protector, died and passed the mantle onto Narmoto. The other inheritance Narmoto acquired were his father’s Mask of Fire, his twin Flame Swords, and his Elemental Blaster. The Mask granted Narmoto power over all of Okoto’s fires and heat, which the Protector could project using his swords, and could fire condensed pellets filled with the island’s Elemental Energy from his blaster.
His father could not have passed to the next life at a worse time either. It had only been a year since Narmoto's wife had died. He never knew how, just that his father had approached him with the saddest expression on his mask one day to tell him. Narmoto had no time to grieve for both his wife and father, he had to focus on being the Protector and a father to Bitone.
Narmoto navigated his way through the village on his way to attend to important matters, mentally noting how the village had a similar layout to what has been described about the Fire District in the ancient City of Mask Makers. It was every Okotan’s dream to one day return to that place. But Okoto’s golden age had long rusted.
The Protector exited the village grounds, nodding to the guards to keep up their good work, even if he saw in their eyes uneasiness as Narmoto made his way out. He entered the jungles and traveled for a while until he saw it, glowing in the distance: the Temple of Time. It was the most sacred place on the entire island of Okoto. Within it was rumored to hold the fabled Mask of Time. Nobody was ever able to make sure. The last time Narmoto remembered someone attempted it, that person lost all sense of time, and flip flopped consciousness between the past, the present, and the future. Some of his fellow Protectors suggested that they listen to such victims, but the others, including him, argued that madness was sure to be a factor of such a predicament and the motion was vetoed.
Narmoto continued his trek to the Temple, and eventually sighed in relief when he arrived at its entrance with little to no problem on the trip. Rumors abound of the return of the Skull Raiders. Dying didn’t scare him, but dying and leaving all of his friends, family, and allies helpless did. Narmoto shook the thoughts away as he ascended the stairs into the Temple, zig-zagging through its labyrinth of stairways until he made it to an open air chamber with a well at the center. Surrounding it were five people that wore masks resembling his own, only colored differently to represent their respective elements.
“Look who finally decided to show,” said Izotor, Protector of Ice and the rudest person Narmoto knew. “Bed wetting from the boy?”
“Izotor,” scolded Korgot, Protector of Earth in her usual sisterly way. “Don’t worry about Bitone causing delays, Narmoto.”
Narmoto nodded in appreciation, but then made a mental note that he’ll have to be ready if Bitone made a mess again when he gets back.
“Shall we get to business?” asked Narmoto, joining his fellow Protectors around the well.
“Who’s the wise guy who suggested this, anyways?” asked Izotor, arms crossed.
"Not one of us, if I recall," replied Vizuna, Protector of Jungle. At the base of his spine, his unusual tail wagged, as though to show that the Protector was secretly and excitedly itching to get what they were planning over with. "Discussing the Skull Spiders led to one thing then another, then the Prophecy was brought up. I warned you guys, like always.”
“Kopaka help us,” Izotor pinched the bridge of his nose. “I hate when you just don’t do anything useful with that damn tail, Vizuna. Can you at least tell me what my future actually holds?”
“I would, but you’ll just stammer in confusion when I tell you about how you're going to team up with an ape-rhino.”
"Wh-wait, wh-what? A-what did..." stammered Izotor in confusion.
“Guys, are we going to get through with this or not?" asked Kivoda, Protector of Water. "The more time we waste, the more those spiders or whatever those things are get the chance to tear Okoto apart. I've heard whispers of things happening over at the City of Mask Makers.”
The Protectors turned their attention to their friend.
“Whispers? Why, what happened?” asked Narmoto.
Kivoda shrugged worriedly. “One of my villagers happened to have passed by the City. I don’t think he meant to since we usually try to keep people away, but he said he saw… people wandering that place. They didn’t look… normal.”
“Not normal? In what way” asked Izotor.
“Something about the way they moved. Like their limbs were stuck at the joints. Like it was hard for them to just walk around. Can we just get to the Prophecy already, I don’t like to think about this.”
“Could it be the Skull Raiders?” asked Korgot, ignoring Kivoda who grumbled under his breath.
“Ghost stories,” scoffed Nilkuu, Protector of Stone. “The Skull Raiders were banished to the Shadow Realm. We don’t know how, but it can’t be them. The last time the Shadow Realm was opened, a lot of devastation was described in the legends. Pretty sure we’d know about it. Especially me.”
As the other Protectors talked, Narmoto stared up at the night sky. He looked at each moon that hung above Okoto. Six of them hovered up there, each colored for each six Elements.
“What… what do you think will happen? If we do this?” asked Narmoto.
The Protectors turned their attention to their Fire counterpart.
“What do you mean?” said Korgot.
Narmoto’s eyes didn’t leave the sky. “"We were told of this 'Prophecy' ever since we were kids. It was hammered into our minds until we could recite it in our sleep. But Dad never told me exactly what it'll do."
"My father said it'll solve our problems, but only the dire ones," said Nilkuu. “We’re in a pretty dire situation now.
The Protectors all nodded. The ghost stories. The rumors of the Skulls. Villagers attacked, gone missing. Mysterious creatures popping up here and there throughout the jungles. People were scared. The Protectors didn’t know what to do. Only the Prophecy could help them now. The Prophecy of the Heroes, which would bring to them the legendary Toa; the Masters of the Elements.
A moment of silence lingered. Then Izotor piped up, ”Are we going to do it, or…?”
I think we're stalling for some reason," said Kivoda.
"Why?"
"I have no idea."
"Look, let's just..." sighed Narmoto. "Let's just say it and see what happens, alright?"
Everyone nodded. If there was anybody's judgement to trust, it was Narmoto's.
They all cleared their throats and spoke in unison:
"When times are dark all hope seems lost, the Protectors must unite, one from each tribe. Evoke the power of the past and future, and look to the skies for the 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."
As soon as they finished, the Protectors all turned their eyes upwards. They stared long at the sky.
Nothing happened.
“...So,” said Izotor. “What exactly are we expect–”
Suddenly, a bright rainbow beam of light shot up from the well the Protectors surrounded. The blast of brightness and wind caused the Protectors to stumble backwards, hands shielding their eyes. It was barely useful, as the light was so blinding the colors were bleeding through. Just as quickly, the light and the wind died down. The light from the well returned to its normal state. The Protectors cautiously opened their eyes again as they looked around for any signs of change.
“What… what just happened?” breathed Kivoda.
A flash in the sky erupted. The Protectors looked back up to the sky. Narmoto’s eyes widened at the brilliance of what he saw. “Look to the skies for the answer...'” he recited under his breath.
Six comets were descending from the moons. And much like the moons, each colored like the Elements of Okoto. They split away from each other.
“They’re landing! Where are they landing?!” shouted Izotor, as his gaze followed the white comet.
Narmoto watched the red comet, which he assumed was for his own Element of Fire. He watched as it headed straight for a volcano in the Region of Fire. The comet entered the opening, and Narmoto felt in his mask some kind of trembling. “They're heading for our Regions. It’s like the Elements are coming home…”
"Timeless heroes," muttered Korgot as she watched the purple comet land in the direction of the Region of Earth, a large dirt cloud erupting from its impact. "Could it be that they...those are the Toa?"
"Oh, I hope they didn't hear us take their names in vain..." said Kivoda, a worried expression on his face.
“Narmoto,” said Vizuna, suddenly alert and his tail twitching. “Get to the volcano, now. Something’s going to lead you there.”
“Something? What somethi–” Narmoto’s attention snapped towards the treeline surrounding the Temple of Time.
“Narmoto?” Korgot carefully approached the Protector of Fire. “What is it?”
Narmoto didn't say anything. He felt a presence. It was drawing him, some aura was pulling at his interest and beckoning him to follow. He finally spoke, "There's something in the jungle outside."
"What?" Izotor grunted. He turned to Vizuna. "Do you see anything with that thing of yours?"
For once, Vizuna looked confused as well. "I… I don’t know. I knew something would call to him, but I can’t… see what it is.”
"It's invisible to your tail?" asked Nikluu. His hands were slightly raised, as though he was ready to grab his Sandstorm Blaster from his back.
Before anything more could be said, Narmoto suddenly broke into a run, quickly descending the stairs. The Protectors glanced at each other before also breaking out into a run after him.
Chapter 2[]
Narmoto sliced through all the thick bushes and branches of the jungle with ease as he dashed through. He was making a beeline towards the volcano in the Region of Fire, almost in a trance. By the time he reached the foot of the volcano, he was out of breath, his legs strained from all the running. Narmoto had snapped out of whatever entranced him as soon as he stopped and stared up at peak.
Oh.
It was higher up than he remembered as a child. Then again, he never actually got close to Okoto’s three volcanoes and seeing them from a distance probably made them seem much smaller. It dawned on him then and there that he never found the three volcanoes within such a small vicinity to each other strange until now where he was up there close to one. His father would brag about how surfing within those volcanoes was a favorite pastime of his and his ancestors before him. He explained that the sports the other islanders would partake in had become dull and mundane once one experienced the powers of the Mask of Fire. Narmoto himself never partook.
"Don't...do that!”
Narmoto spun around with Flame Swords ready, startled by the noise Izotor made. He and the other Protectors were stumbling out of the jungle, panting heavily and barely keeping themselves on their feet.
"What…what brought us here, anyways?" asked Korgot, who was wheezing.
“I…” Narmoto looked around. It was only the Protectors at the foot of the volcano. There was some kind of bird in the sky but otherwise that was it. “I don’t know. It just called to me. It felt really familiar.”
"By the way, several of those Skull Spiders are coming at us from within the jungle," said Vizuna, turning around to face the trees.
"What?!" shouted Kivoda, as he also turned towards the trees in a panic. "Why didn't you say anything?!"
"I wasn't supposed to yet."
"You are just useless, aren't you?" growled Izotor as he grimly listened to the skittering sounds of incoming creatures. The Protectors have encountered some of these Spiders before, but not the many that sounded like they were charging at them.
“Hold on, guys,” said Narmoto as he looked up at the volcano. He spied some kind of ledge along the slope above, with a cavernous entrance. “I think there’s some kind of opening up there. I don’t know what I’m supposed to find in there, but I think I’m supposed to do it alone.”
“Then we’ll cover you,” said Korgot as she cracked her neck and twirled her mace-like Star Drill.
"Anything we should tell your boy if anything happens?" asked Nilkuu as he stood poised with his Sandstorm Blaster.
"Nothing," Narmoto said firmly as he sheathed his Flame Swords. "I'm gonna be back."
Narmoto then jumped forward, his hands grabbing at any protruding edge along the slope he could find to climb.
The Protectors all stood ready as their friend climbed up the volcano. Then they heard gravel tumbling and some stumbling footsteps as Narmoto inelegantly fell back down next to them. He awkwardly popped back up, wiping the dirt from his body and stared blankly at the others.
“Can, uh… can one of you…”
Nilkuu rolled his eyes and grunted. He planted the blades of his Sandstorm Blaster into the ground in front of Narmoto and fired. The Protector of Fire only had but a brief split second to prepare himself before he was launched into the air by a pillar of stone popping out from the jungle floor, his high-pitched shrieking fading away as he flailed towards the opening on the volcano.
“Sometimes I can’t believe that guy was trained to lead us,” said Izotor indignantly.
The other Protectors murmured in agreement (besides Korgot who half-heartedly tried to argue) right as the Skull Spiders burst out from the jungle.
Narmoto cried out in panic as he hauled himself up onto the ledge protruding out from the volcano’s side. He almost didn’t make it when he felt his ascent slow down at the apex, and frantically grabbed at the ledge, which thankfully was within reach. It was here that it occurred to him just how much weight he had on him. Between his weapons, his armor, and his mask, it was a miracle Narmoto was able to do anything physical.
Climbing to his feet, Narmoto heard the sounds of struggle below and cursed. A tinge of guilt washed over him as he pictured his friends down there, fighting off the Skull Spiders while he was up there, looking for Toa Tahu. Oh, that’s right, Toa Tahu.
Reminded of what he was up there for, Narmoto made his way through the large doorway carved onto the volcano side. He had never come up here before, and the presence of architecture would’ve confused him if he wasn’t so focused on entering the mountain. He felt the heat of the lava within sizzle off the specks of dirt on his armor and Mask, but he used the power of the latter to shield himself. The thought of seeing the legendary Toa Tahu, Master of Fire and patron demigod of his people put feelings into Narmoto that he never thought he’d ever feel. A kind of excitement that only existed in the most special, bizarre, and dangerous of circumstances.
Part of him wondered how he was supposed to present himself to the Toa as he made his way into the massive interior cavern of the volcano. The large lake of lava below was filled with ruins of half-submerged old buildings and structures. At the center of the lake, Narmoto saw a large crater. The indenture had massive spikes of lava rock sticking outwards from the impact epicenter, and the lava was circling it as though repelled by some kind of force.
Narmoto stared at the center of the crater and saw a golden mask, shimmering and reflecting the orange glow of the lava around it.
But no Tahu.
The Protector stared and blinked for a moment, scratching his head and looking around the volcano to see any signs of some humanoid figure that matched the carved depictions his father had often shown him. The mask in the crater certainly looked the part but it was missing its wearer.
"'Bring timeless heroes' huh?" muttered Narmoto, confused but also a little disappointed by the lack of Toa Tahu.
A screech behind him snapped Narmoto to attention. He just barely managed to dodge a Skull Spider that was lunging at his face. It screamed a horrible noise as it fell, abruptly cut off once it hit the lava. Narmoto looked and saw that a sizable swarm of Spiders were approaching him. They must’ve somehow gotten past the other Protectors and caught up with him.
Cornered, Narmoto activated his Elemental Blaster and began opening fire on the creatures. The pellets launched were supposedly generated from the essence of Okoto itself, and would reload themselves given enough down time. Narmoto found himself very quickly running out of pellets as some of the Spiders turned out more clever than they appeared and managed to dodge the projectiles that sent their fellow critters to their fiery doom. The Blaster was eventually reduced to clicking, as if complaining about the lack of ammo Narmoto was demanding it fire.
Narmoto unsheathed his Flame Swords, ready to swipe at the Spiders who came flying for his face. He wasn’t going to last long, and with where he was now, if he didn’t fall victim to the Spiders, he would certainly just fall victim to falling to his death in the lava below if he slipped. He didn’t know if his skills with his ancestral Mask were sufficient enough to withstand splatting onto very very hot, melty lava.
Narmoto grabbed a quick glance at Tahu’s mask. A possibly blasphemous but desperate idea came to mind as he narrowly swiped away yet another Skull Spider. He looked down and saw that he and the Spiders were standing on a large stone slab, like the remnants of a bridge that once expanded across the inside of the volcano but soon collapsed into the lava. He shook his head in disbelief at himself as he heated up the blades of his Swords and dug them into the stone. The Skull Spiders all froze, startled by their prey's actions. With a mighty yell, he pulled the Swords apart from each other, slicing the chunk of the rock with him on it away from the rest of the slab. The Spiders broke from their confusion and leapt after the Protector as he plunged into the lake of lava, desperately trying to plant his feet on the long, flat chunk of rock he had just split off.
This really wasn’t how Narmoto thought he’d learn lava surfing.
The battle between the Protectors and the Skull Spiders continued on as much as both sides could muster. The Protectors had their weapons and masks, which allowed them to easily swat away or immobilize any Spider that lunged at their face. However, the Skull Spiders had numbers on their side against the meager five. Pellets flew and weapons swung, and spiders bounced violently on the ground.
Nilkuu pointed his Sandstorm Blaster at the ground and swept across in a crescent curve, creating a wall of stone between the Protectors and the Spiders, who they could hear crashing into the wall Nilkuu had just summoned. The Protectors backed up against the mountain side, out of breath and checking their blasters.
“I’m almost out,” panted Izotor, giving his blaster a good frustrated smack.
“Mine too,” said Kivoda, his mouth dry. “You don’t think those Spiders we missed got Narmoto up there, do you?”
“We can’t worry about that now,” said Korgot, as she spun her Star Drill and cracked her neck. “Until he comes back, we’re going to stay here, and keep those Spiders at bay. If this many are here, we can at least thank Onua they’re not terrorizing our villages.”
Suddenly, the skittering from the Spiders abruptly stopped. This didn’t escape the Protectors’ notice, as they paused and listened in caution. The silence continued until a hoarse voice rang out. A voice like gravel ground under a boot. The Protectors didn’t know what was said, but heard heavy footsteps and the clanking of rusty armor approaching the stone wall.
Some of the Protectors yelled as the wall suddenly exploded. Following the flying rubble was a staff weapon that had three large hooked blades at its tip. It swung upwards and brought itself down between Korgot and Izotor, kicking up a dust cloud as it was dragged back out through the newly created opening in the now destroyed wall.
“What in the–” Izotor’s startled cry was interrupted by a hand swiftly reaching through the dust and grabbing his neck, which then pulled him out from the Protectors’ temporary refuge from the Spiders.
“Izotor!” yelled Korgot as she pulled back to thrust forward her Star Drill. Another explosion of the wall threw her back, as the same hand grabbed her too and threw her forward onto the ground. Before she knew it, a Skull Spider screeched and jumped onto her mask.
The Protector of Earth writhed on the ground as the disgusting underside of the Skull Spider wrapped itself around her mask, its legs folding around her head. Her body then went slack, then stiff, against her will. She felt her body being pushed by an unknown force to stand and stumble forward, turning around, then plopping down onto her knees. Korgot heard other Skull Spiders screeching and her fellow Protectors shouting in muffled screams as they shambled over beside her in a row and dropped down on their own knees as well.
Peering through the holes of the Skull Spider that attached itself to her face, Korgot saw a figure stiffly shuffle its way in front of the Protectors. She looked up as much as she could, her body a prisoner under the Skull Spider possessing her and her head was immobilized. The figure standing before them was skeletal. He was a very decomposed corpse wearing ancient, grayed armor. He was a very tall figure, staring down at the Protectors with empty eyes and a slightly lopsided head. The skeleton leaned close to look over the Protectors one by one. Korgot was dismayed to realize she couldn’t recoil in any way as she glimpsed the interior of the skeleton’s rotting skull, layered with remnants of internal organs and cobwebs..
“Toa…?” growled the skeleton, what little remained of his muscles shifting slightly. “No… not… Toa…”
The skeleton stepped back, the Protectors noticing crumbs falling off of his armor and bones. He tightened his grip on his staff, then lifted it.
“Where…are…the Toa?” hissed the skeleton.
The Protectors felt their mouths loosened by the Skull Spiders so they could answer their master. They were simply stunned silent by the undead being before them.
“What… are you?” asked Vizuna quietly, uncharacteristically in disbelief.
The skeleton made a motion with his head that indicated displeasure, and lifted his weapon higher above his head, ready to strike down the Protectors for failing to do as they’re demanded.
Suddenly, an explosion rang out above. The skeleton snapped his attention to the sound. The Skull Spiders holding the Protectors hostage were startled as well, and momentarily loosened their grip on their bodies’ mobility. The Protectors quickly tore the Spiders off their faces as they staggered back away from their skeletal enemy, and looked up as well.
At the entrance into the volcano high above, a fireball had erupted out from the barely visible doorway. What seemed to be Skull Spiders flew out, burning up into ashes before they could even hit the ground. Another explosion, but this fireball twisted and turned, directing itself towards the ground. The skeleton realized the trajectory of the fire and leapt back right as it smashed into the ground. All those present recoiled from the heat of the burst of flame that emerged from the resulting crater, Protectors, skeletons, and Skull Spiders alike. The flame began to twist, steadily turning itself into a fire tornado. From the tornado, smaller fireballs launched out in many directions, striking all the Skull Spiders and incinerating them. Several struck the skeleton, but he either smacked them away or simply took them, no worse for wear besides some scorching on his ancient armor.
The tornado slowed down, receding into the crater. All the heat and flames coalesced into a single humanoid figure at the center of the indenture in the ground.
Narmoto stepped forward, glowing with molten power… and wearing a golden mask.
The Protectors all stared in awe at their Fire counterpart’s aura of power.
“Is that…?” said Kivoda, his mouth hanging open.
Narmoto took another step forward, but failed to intimidate the skeleton as he simply stared the Protector down with defiant empty sockets for eyes.
The Protector of Fire scowled as he raised his Flame Swords, and charged them with more energy than he or the other Protectors ever thought possible until they were glowing nearly white and causing the air to ripple intensely.
“Leave. Now,” said Narmoto fiercely.
The skeleton twitched. He wheezed in spite of his lack of visible lungs. He held up a bony hand. Suddenly, he was pulled into the thick jungle behind him, vanishing as though he was never there.
Narmoto let his swords drop by his side, dissipating the power that quaked through their blades. The Protectors cautiously approached their transformed friend, stepping over the ashes of the burnt Skull Spiders.
“Narmoto?” asked Korgot.
The Protector of Fire turned around to face the others. They all froze as he stared from behind a new face. After a moment of tense silence, Narmoto doubled over and let out a huge labored sigh of relief.
“By the sacred flames of Tahu!” breathed Narmoto, who dropped his swords with a clatter onto the ground. “I didn’t know how much longer I could’ve–”
The Protector then trailed off, and fell face first into the dirt, unconscious.
Chapter 3[]
The skeleton continued shambling through the jungle, thoughts bouncing around his empty head. He and the others saw the light from the Temple of Time. They saw the comets fall upon Okoto from the moons above. He saw them each land in the Regions they belonged to.
And yet, the Toa were not here. When he went to the volcano to find Toa Tahu, he was met with a smaller being that wielded his mask instead. The other smaller beings he encountered alongside him had similar Elemental Energies coursing through their bodies, but not as potent.
These were not the Masters of the Elements that were to be summoned in dark times. Dark times that the skeleton and his dark master engineered.
The skeleton twitched and turned to the monster hiding within the trees around him. He wheezed out crusted phlegm through the vents of his horned helmet. The shrill noise he gave out was accepted by the massive creature. It growled, causing the trees to shake. It shot out a web, pulling the skeleton onto its back. The two began their journey home.
The Toa were not here.
But the plans remain the same.
They simply need some adjustments.
“Narmoto?”
Mumbling to himself, Narmoto shifted in his sleep. He tried to ignore the echoing voice calling his name, wanting to continue to slumber as his body felt drained. In the darkness of his sleep, he saw a vague shape. Five horns. On some kind of mask. From the mask formed the shape of a person. Someone who is the size of a Protector and yet…
“Ow!” yelled Narmoto as he felt a slap leave a hot sting on his cheek. He sprung up, rubbing the side of his face in pain. “What the..?”
“Sorry! Sorry!” Kivoda raised his hands as he backed up, the other Protectors leaning over him to stare at Narmoto. “Izotor made me do it!”
“You were the one who suggested it, you little wuss,” Izotor retorted. “I would’ve if I had to, though.”
“Yeah, me too,” shrugged Nilkuu.
“Yes,” said Vizuna.
“You wouldn’t survive if I did it,” said Korgot a little arrogantly as she held out a hand for Narmoto. The Protector of Fire took it as he was helped up by his Earth counterpart, still rubbing the side of his face that was struck.
“I… wait, did I pass out? How long has it been?” asked Narmoto, ignoring the fact that his friends were perfectly willing to smack him.
“Not too long,” said Izotor, staring at Narmoto’s new mask. “We tried to get you up, but then Kivoda had his bright idea.”
“I’m sorry,” reiterated Kivoda.
“But what is that? What happened to the Mask of Fire?” asked Korgot.
“I went into the volcano to find Toa Tahu,” explained Narmoto. “But all I found was this mask. I was cornered by the Spiders so I had to improvise and grabbed it. Next thing I knew, I had it on. I just… felt the power. And let it loose on those Spiders and came out to protect you guys.”
“What’s it like?” asked Izotor, a hint of envy in his voice.
Narmoto turned around, looking at all of his surroundings.
“I can see… the lava in the volcano. I can see the heat from all of your breaths. Well, it’s not like I can actually see it, but it’s like I just… know where everything related to fire and heat is on this island. Like I’m connected to all of it.”
“Whoa,” breathed Kivoda. “But… but no Toa Tahu? Then… the Prophecy didn’t work?”
The Protectors all stood for a silent moment. They had been hoping for their legendary heroes to come from the sky to save them. But instead they found their symbols.
“No,” said Narmoto. “No, they… they had to have come. Maybe their masks came separately. Maybe the Toa have arrived in Okoto and.. And they need our guidance.”
“Hmm, the legends do speak of the Toa having the counsel of some of the first Protectors,” said Korgot.
“If the Toa are indeed destined to come and help us, then they should stumble their way into us on their own, shouldn't they?" said Vizuna. "And Nilkuu, don't.”
“Do what?” asked Nilkuu, but Vizuna didn’t answer, his tail wagging. “Yeah,” agreed Narmoto. “Yeah, I’m getting this thing off. It’s… it helped, and its power is undeniable, but I might’ve blasphemed against Toa Tahu, and I don’t want him to show up and see me wearing his mask.”
Narmoto reached up to take off Tahu’s mask. He pulled.
“Uh.”
“What?” asked Korgot.
“It’s not getting off.”
“What?” repeated Korgot.
“It’s not coming off. And it’s… uh, it’s kind of shaking a little. I think it’s moving.”
“Okay, that’s it,” said Nilkuu, pulling out his Sandstorm Blaster. “I’m getting that thing off.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” asked Narmoto, beginning to panic at his situation and the determined look in Nilkuu’s eyes.
“I’m getting that thing off,” reiterated Nilkuu as a tendril of Stone suddenly popped out of the ground and wrapped itself around Narmoto’s head. He felt Tahu’s mask tug on his face.
“I told you not to,” Narmoto heard Vizuna said right before he felt a great force pull on his face. He struggled and stood his ground, his muffled yelling for Nilkuu to stop falling on deaf ears as he felt the Stone tentacle pull harder and harder with each unsuccessful tug. Narmoto could hear the other Protectors loudly protest at their Stone representative as in his lack of vision, he could see the figure from before appear more and more.
As Narmoto tried to get the others' attention about the vague image, Tahu’s mask vibrated with increasing intensity. Suddenly, Narmoto’s vision was filled with white. He saw the silhouette of the figure standing before him, but he was out of focus, as though incomplete.
“I don't recognize you," said an ancient voice. "You are not who I expected, but you appear trustworthy. Search for me, hero. Search for Ekimu. In–”
The stone suddenly broke apart as Narmoto fell backwards and caught his breath.
“Dammit, the thing’s resisting,” grumbled Nilkuu as he stepped forward with his Blaster.
“Wait wait wait!” shouted Narmoto, holding out a hand at the Protector of Stone. “I saw something!”
“What was it?” asked Kivoda.
“A… a message. A message from the mask. I think...I think Ekimu was trying to talk to me.”
The Protectors all gasped.
“Impossible,” whispered Korgot.
"The Ekimu?" asked Izotor. "The Mask Maker himself? What did he say?"
“He… he didn’t finish.”
“Then maybe we should keep trying,” said Nilkuu, once again holding up his Blaster.
“No!” exclaimed Narmoto, holding up a hand in defense. “No, it’s not that. It’s… I think it’s just… fragmented. Like the message was incomplete.”
“So.. what do we do to complete it?” asked Kivoda.
“We search for the masks,” said Vizuna.
“Did your tail tell you that?” snorted Izotor.
“Pssh, no,” chuckled Vizuna. "Just common sense. Narmoto got a mask. He got part of a vision, so we get the other masks and we get the rest of the vision."
“Hmm,” Izotor briefly looked lost in thought. Then he shrugged. “Then let’s get those masks. I’m off to the Region of Ice to grab Kopaka’s mask. See you weirdos in a bit.”
Izotor sprinted off, disappearing into the jungle.
“Eager guy,” said Kivoda, having watched Izotor leave.
“His family’s always been proud,” said Korgot. “If Izotor doesn't strive to be the best of all of us, he'd be doing his line a disservice.”
“So off to get our masks?” asked Kivoda.
“Well, Vizuna is,” said Korgot. Kivoda turned to where Vizuna stood. In place of the Protector of Jungle was empty space. “But more pressingly, I think we've forgotten something else.”
“Our villages!” gasped Narmoto. He ran into the jungle.
“We’ll look for our own masks!” called Korgot from behind him. “We can meet up wherever they tell us to go!”
The Protector of Fire didn’t shout back an answer but silently agreed to the plan. First things first, he needed to return to the Village of Fire. He’d completely forgotten how long the trip to the Temple and the battle at the volcano took. Some of the threats they had been trying to deal with might’ve already taken advantage of the situation.
Narmoto prayed to his mask that he would find his village the same way he had left it.
Narmoto reached the border of his village. He was still within the trees when he stopped and stared in relief. The Village of Fire was still intact. People were still going about their day, guards were still patrolling the grounds, staring right at him and pointing in a panic, aiming their Elemental blasters in his direction and--wait a minute.
The Protector of Fire ducked just in time as the trees behind him burst into flames thanks to the Fire Pellets fired from the village guards. Narmoto popped back up frantically flailing his arms at the guards.
"Wait!" He shouted in a panic. "Cease fire, it's me!"
The order came a bit too late. The village guards finally recognized the Protector but some had already fired their Blasters. This time however, Narmoto found himself unmoved and unintimidated by the incoming projectiles. He planted his feet and raised his hand. The pellets froze in mid-air. Narmoto let his arm drop to his side as the pellets all popped harmlessly before him, falling to the grass as embers and ashes.
"Sir!" shouted a guard Narmoto recognized as Jaller. "We're sorry, we, uh, didn't recognize you."
Narmoto breathed heavily. "Yes, it's...it's been an interesting couple of hours. I understand. Any trouble while I was away?"
Jaller relaxed his Blaster, as did the other village guards. "We saw a horde of Skull Spiders heading in the direction of the village an hour ago. We readied for attack, but they suddenly shifted directions and headed towards what we believed to be one of the Region's volcanoes."
So something was controlling those arachnids to come after the Protectors. Most likely whoever sent them expected the Toa as well, and were as surprised as they were when they didn't find any legendary heroes where the comets landed.
"We can't let up," said Narmoto. "Continue lookouts. Those things were after either this," Narmoto pointed at his mask. "or whoever it was meant for."
"Is that mask what I think it is, sir?" asked a guard named Kapura.
"Yeah," breathed Narmoto, calming down. "The mask of Toa Tahu, Master of Fire. But I think something went wrong and now it's...stuck."
"Oh," said Jaller. "Wait, you put on Toa Tahu's mask?"
The other guards stared in judgement at their leader. Narmoto sighed and shook his head.
"I'm just waiting for the other Protectors," said Narmoto, heading into the Village of Fire. "Keep up the patrols! I want to be informed if anybody looking nothing like an Okotan shows up! Understand??"
The guards affirmed their orders and hurried to return to their routes.
The walk through the village was an uncomfortable one. Narmoto thought he had left the stares behind since he's become a Protector, but now he has to endure more now that he's wearing a fabled mask of a fabled hero. Surely the villagers are filling up with inquiries about what had happened during his absence, but are too mesmerized by their leader's transformation. They were too stunned to be able to process what they wanted to question him on.
Narmoto arrived at his hut, and entered swiftly. He softly entered his son's room, to see if he's still there, or dragged off by some four-legged creature Narmoto would love to burn to ashes. The last part was starting to look good as Narmoto saw that Bitone's bed was empty.
A wide-eyed scowl compressed his face as he rushed out of his hut. He looked around before finding a staring villager walking past.
"Excuse me, have you seen Bitone?"
The villager tried to quickly get over Narmoto's new appearance. "Uh, yes, Protector," she answered. "Little Bitone came out of the hut when those strange comets fell. I believe he's with his friends right now."
Narmoto gave thanks to the villager, who pointed in the general direction of where she last saw Bitone. He snaked his way through the collection of huts until he found his son talking amongst other children. The kids gasped in shock at the sight of him.
"Who's that?" asked a boy next to Bitone.
Bitone leaned forward, eyes squinted. "Dad?"
Narmoto's son ran up to him, giving him a hug around the waist. "What was that in the sky? What were those things that fell? Did you say the Prophecy? What are you wearing? Is it a new Mask of Power? Where did you find it?"
The Protector of Fire kneeled down and placed his hand on Bitone's head, silencing him. "Those were comets, this mask is one of them, yes we did, I'm wearing what the other Protectors and I think is Toa Tahu's Mask, maybe, and I found it in that volcano over there." Narmoto pointed towards the volcano where he had last been.
"So you said the Prophecy and that thing fell into that volcano?" said Bitone, energetically curious.
"We're still not sure what 'this thing' is anyways," said Narmoto standing up. He went over to a spot near the group of children and sat down. He sighed, as if finally having a chance to relax in a while. "In fact, who knows. Maybe this IS Toa Tahu's mask, and if he comes here, he'll be very grumpy about me taking his mask."
"You met Toa Tahu?" asked a boy.
"No, I just found this mask," answered Narmoto patiently. "But the other Protectors and I are confident the Toa are just...lost or something. Tahu will probably come by and take this, actually."
"Does he have to, Dad?" asked Bitone, who sat in front of his father. "Maybe he'll let you keep it. You probably need it more than he does and I know you deserve it."
"No, Bitone," said Narmoto, his tone laid-back. "The Prophecy explicitly said that the Toa would come for these. So even if I liked having it, I'm duty-bound to fork it over to Tahu."
"What's 'explicitly' mean?" asked a girl.
"To be clear, having no double meanings."
"So you came back to wait for Tahu to come get the mask?" asked Bitone.
"Well, that and the other Protectors are finding the masks," said Narmoto, suddenly feeling interrogated. "If the Toa come, we have gifts to present them this way. Why all the questions?"
"I don't know, Dad. You don't seem like you want to give that mask to Tahu."
Narmoto paused.
"Like I said. Even if I liked having it, I'll have to give it back to him if he comes along. For the time being, I'm staying here until...well..."
"Until what?"
"Until the others tell me what to do next."
Chapter 4[]
Izotor groaned in annoyance as he decided he was fed up with the blizzard. He concentrated and felt his mask shimmer with power. He waved his Ice Saw, prompting the snowstorm to cease its winds. It dimmed for a moment, before appearing once more. The Protector of Ice continued trying to make the storm vanish, but to no avail. Either his Mask wasn't strong enough, or something was resisting him.
The Golden Mask of Kopaka.
But this storm is hindering his visibility. How was he supposed to partake in a scavenger hunt if he can't even look for whatever he's looking for? The Protector thought hard, determined to get Toa Kopaka's mask, if it was indeed what he was after.
The winds. Izotor perked up, realizing that he was being blasted with the solution already. If his suspicions were true, then the mask ought to be in the direction of the icy gusts. Izotor began his journey, heading in the direction from where the wind blew.
It was only a few meters from where he stood when he saw a silhouetted figure against the storm. Izotor knitted eyebrows and tightened his grip on his weapons. Raising his saw slightly like a shield, he stepped forward, feet sinking slightly into the ankle-high snow.
He approached the figure, then used his Mask to briefly tone down the storm. He relaxed his stance when he saw that the figure was an Ice Villager whose back was turned towards him. Izotor sighed in relief, "By Kopaka, villager. You had me worried there. What are you doing so far from home?"
The villager turned around. Izotor gasped and quickly returned to his stance. On the man's face was a Skull Spider, thicker than the ones he and the other Protectors encountered in the forest. This must be a breed that was more accustomed to the colder climate of the Region.
The controlled villager screeched, the noise barely heard over the winds. Noisy as the terrain may be, Izotor heard spiders emerging from the snow around him. They had been waiting for him. That skeletal being back at the volcano must've ordered them to ambush him. A spider lunged at him, but Izotor was quick. He blocked the creature's attempt to take his body with his saw, pushed it into the air, and blasted it with an ice pellet, freezing it solid. The cube of ice containing the arachnid fell into the snow with a crunch.
Izotor quickly bolted towards the direction where he was going. He paused for a moment before grunting and taking the spider-faced villager with him. Once he got Kopaka's mask, he might be able to free this man from the body-jacking he was going through. From the sounds of snow crunching and legs skittering, the Skull Spiders were giving chase.
"Idiots," Izotor grinned, thinking back to the power Narmoto wielded back at the volcano. Soon enough, he'll have the Ice equivalent of that, and these bugs will regret wasting their time hiding in the snow for him.
Eventually, Izotor reached his destination, and saw that it had transformed into a small field of ice spikes. At the center of it all was a spike tall enough to be a large pedestal. Atop of it was Izotor's goal: Kopaka's mask. Like Tahu's it matched its description in the legends. Most notable of its design was the three-lens scope over the right eye. With it, Izotor would be the Protector with the literal best vision.
The Protector of Ice was snapped from his thoughts by the approaching Skull Spiders. He turned to the controlled Villager, whose spider-face was screeching at him harmlessly. Izotor figured that this creature didn't want to let go of a body it just got and had resorted to showing its resistance by being loud and annoying. With a quick shove away, Izotor aimed his blaster at the villager's feet. An ice pellet impacted with the snow, and the man was encased in ice.
Being from the Region of Ice, the villager can obviously handle being frozen better than others, but Izotor will still need to hurry before the guy freezes to death. He placed his saw on his back, giving himself a free hand, and dashed towards the spike field.
"Hmm," pondered Korgot as she completed her circling of the Village of Earth. "Nothing. Looks like nothing happened while I was gone."
An Earth villager walked alongside her. "Is that not good, madam?" asked he.
"No," Korgot quickly shook her head. "No, actually this is a relief. I was worried this place would be crawling with spiders while I was away, but looks to be devoid of any danger. Save for the fact that we are literally living on the side of large cave walls..."
Korgot looked over the stalagmite railing and into the abyss below. Even though she was now a fully grown mature woman, she still felt like the little girl who would be afraid to venture down there with her father. He would always chuckle in amusement over her fear. It still baffled her how he never worked to make that fear vanish so that she could eventually take his place.
"Anyways," sighed the Protector of Earth. "Inform the villagers that the Prophecy of Heroes has been recited at the Temple. Have them spread the word, morale may need a boost with our...current situation."
"So the Toa have arrived?"
"Not...necessarily," Korgot looked away in uncertainty. "We brought something down for sure, but not really what we expected."
"Whatever the case, as long as it helps us with the spiders, I don't think the villagers will care, nor will I."
"Another thing: tell everyone that I'll be in the Underground."
"To look for Toa Onua?"
"Maybe. If he comes along without me, don't assume the worst, he probably wandered off from where he landed."
The villager nodded and walked away, heading towards the nearest villager and spreading the news. Korgot made her way to the Crystal Mine entrance. This was where the projectiles for the Protector's blasters came from, or at least their material. Many unknown years ago, someone discovered a way to encase the Elements themselves into self-reloading ammunition to be fired from a device that could be shoulder-mounted. They used the Crystals found in the Region of Earth, as they were found to be mystically in harmony with the natural world Okoto was situated in.
From a guess, Korgot estimated that Onua's mask may have landed somewhere within these mines. When she was above ground, she saw a large crevice had been created, leading to deep underground. From where she stood, she had spotted the dim glow of the violet crystals that naturally grew from the cave walls of the mine.
The Protector entered the mine, and began what she would soon discover to be a rather tedious search. After about ten minutes of walking, Korgot was already impatient. She didn't seem to be closer to the large room she saw from above ground. All she saw so far were tunnels, lined with glowing purple rocks that lighted her way but failed to provide any hints for her journey.
Then came scurrying. Korgot froze in place, recognizing the sound. She spun around towards the noise, her mace-like Star Drill at the ready. She saw, burrowing from the ground, a Skull Spider. And following it were more of its brethren, all of them coming from the Earth. These looked different from the ones that she encountered at the Region of Fire. These must be more adaptive to the subterranean environment of her home.
Korgot fired her Rapid Shooter at the spiders. She got several, but many replaced the ones that perished and began scurrying towards her. Raising her Star Drill, Korgot smashed through a tunnel wall, appearing in another rocky corridor. But even here, the Protector found herself faced with more Spiders. They were within the walls, travelling by burrowing through the rock. As she ran, she felt afraid for her village. She now knew that the Skull Spiders were situated within the cave walls of the Region, ready to strike at the Village at any time they or whoever their controller was desired.
The amount of spiders crawling at her told Korgot that she would not be able to take care of them all with her Rapid Shooter nor her throwing knives. So she ran, her Star Drill pointed forward to take care of any obstacles she wanted out of the way. However, the more tunnels she entered, it seemed that the number of spiders multiplied. One pathway would be filled and Korgot would be forced to go down the one with the least amount of arachnids.
Korgot turned and ran, almost absolutely refusing to even look at the spiders pursuing her. She began regretting entering the mines. Why did she have to be born, raised, and assigned to protect a Region that is infamous for tight spaces? And what do you know: a dead end. Korgot was out of breath, leaning against the rock wall. Obviously not a problem, but the pursuit was exhausting. She's traveled across Okoto many times, but she doesn't recall a moment of her life where she ran as hard as she did here.
All of the spiders closed in on the female Protector. They came in slow, as if savoring their victory.
"Ha," breathed Korgot as she pulled back her Star Drill. She thrusted it forward, smashing a hole into the wall she was against. As she fell through, she tapped the peak of the opening, feeling her mask energizing and surging its power into her Drill. It burst through the weapon's tip, causing the opening to fill up with debris.
Korgot sighed in relief as she laid on the cave floor. As she got to her feet, she could hear skittering and digging from the other side of the cavern wall. The spiders were coming through anways. The Protector turned to survey the room, only to be met with an incredible sight.
She was in a large room, and there was a large hole in the ceiling. She moved her sight to the direct beneath the opening and breathed a relieved laugh. It was Onua's golden mask, resting atop a crystalline pedastal. All around the area, there were crystals protruding from the walls, as if something had caused them to grow spontaneously. The power of Onua must have nudged the ore vein within the island to create them.
Korgot heard rocks falling away behind her, the familiar cry of a Skull Spider pierced her ear. Surely an entire horde was behind it as well. Korgot darted towards the Mask to meet her unfair challenge. Unfair for the Spiders, anyways.
"Underwater," muttered Kivoda. "Of course it's underwater."
The Protector of Water was standing on the edge of a small bluff, facing the endless ocean of the world Okoto was resting upon. When he was up here, Kivoda would often wonder if any other lands existed out there. Was Okoto, this large, divided island of the Elements, alone on this planet? Never in his life had he heard of any accounts of foreigners. It seems that Okoto just appeared one day and the islanders were along for the ride.
Kivoda looked down at the waters below. To any normal observers, it would be still, nothing out of the ordinary. But Kivoda was not a normal observer. He was practically the island's specialist on water, despite the absurdity of such a title. He's seen disturbed waters before, and what he was looking at were some very disturbed waters. Kivoda shrugged, and the twin Aquatic Turbines attached to his shoulders came to life, flipping outward so their blades faced his front and back.
With a deep breath, he stepped forward and leaped into the sea. The impact didn't bother him, but he still felt some pain on his body. He must've screwed his jump up, miscalculating the position of a limb his father instructed him on.
Kivoda passed various reefs and rocks. Everything was laid out for him, but he still couldn't see much. Where was Gali's mask? It was at this moment that Kivoda felt the currents of the water shift. Something was drawing the flow of the sea towards it. It must be something elemental. The Protector of Water started up his Turbines with his mind and was propelled forward. He inched closer to the anamoly, the currents growing stronger and pulling him forward like some kind of gravity well.
A twitch in his mask was felt, and Kivoda turned off his Turbines. He drifted closer to the source of the currents as he looked around, wondering what his mask had sensed. He then felt something swim behind him, and Kivoda turned towards it. Still nothing but the vast ocean.
Something latched itself onto Kivoda's leg. The Protector snapped his attention towards it, and saw a Skull Spider attached to his shin. Its exoskeleton was of a different color, and its swift movements told Kivoda that this must be a breed of Skull Spider that was very efficient in water. Another swam at him, attaching itself onto his thigh. Then another on his other shin. Another on his bicep. Another on his forearm. Two more, one on his chest and another on his other forearm. Soon, his body was covered in Skull Spiders save for his head. He struggled. Panic filled Kivoda's mind, but enough rationale remained for him to know that he should hold his breath.
A final Spider swam towards him, turning around so its bottom was facing him, ready to take his body for its own. Kivoda grunted and concentrated. He felt his mask shiver with energy. He wasn't sure if he could pull this off, but the approaching Skull Spider seemed to give him enough time to figure it out.
His mouth still shut, Kivoda exclaimed. The water that engulfed him and the Spiders all over him pulled the arachnids off his body. The Protector's turbines pushed him away from the path of the Spider. He willed the turbines to reach their peak, and he was catapulted towards the current anamoly.
Sure enough, before him, closing in, was Gali's golden mask. How did he not see it before? Kivoda reached his hand out, grabbing for the mask as the Skull Spiders behind him gave pursuit.
The deserts of Okoto were harsh, but home to Nilkuu. He traveled across the barren wasteland, a vast expanse of dust that is somehow adjacent to an icy mountain range and a land of canyons. Nilkuu never thought about such strangeness and only focused on his job: obtaining Pohatu's Golden Mask. Then maybe he'll be good enough.
He had walked over many sand dunes already, anybody who was willing to endure the scorching sun was welcome to follow his footprints. After Pohatu knew how long he had traversed this desert, Nilkuu saw his destination in the distance. A crater with a pillar at the center. Atop it was a golden object. The mask. Nilkuu pointed his Sandstorm Blaster at the ground and fired. The pellet created a pillar of stone that catapulted Nilkuu closer to the mask. He repeated this until he was certain he was at a nice distance, upon which he fired a pellet that created a ramp for him to slide down to ground level safely. Many of his peers had often criticized his reliance on his Elemental Blaster. In his humble opinion, Nilkuu felt he was probably the only one of the Protectors to use his weapon effectively. He was using it both as a tool and a weapon. Was he not using it right then? Such a question kept nagging at him. Nagging that he's not good enough.
Nilkuu stood on the edge of the crater. The large hole in the ground was almost empty save for the sand slowly leaking into it. No threats anywhere. The Protector of Stone gripped his Blaster handle. He stepped forward cautiously. A twitch at a spot of his mask told him there was something here. He took another step. A Skull Spider burst from the dirt like a mine being stepped on. Nilkuu swatted it away with his Blaster, a large fleshy thud eminating from the arachnid's body as it was flung a considerable distance. Alright, there are Skull Spiders possibly everywhere. If Nilkuu kept calm and did what he just did again and again, he'll rid the area of the threats and will be able to peacefully get Pohatu's mask--a Spider sprung, Nilkuu smacked it away. Two more Spiders came out. Nilkuu was now swinging erratically. Skull Spiders emerged from the dirt by the dozen, all of them skittering towards the Protector of Stone. Nilkuu was now swinging wildly, teeth gritted and dashing towards the mask without looking. What was he thinking, he's tiring himself, especially after that long walk. Who knows how many more Skull Spiders there were in the desert. Maybe he had passed many of them and his wild attacks were now alerting the lot. Stupid. He's not Izotor. Don't rush into things. This is why he's still not good enough.
The Protector wedged his Blaster into the ground and fired. But only a click was heard. The pellets hadn't reloaded after his fight with the Spiders at the volcano. And he wasted them just because he got lazy for a second. He had to get excited over seeing Pohatu's mask and had to rush over. Not good enough.
He smacked another Skull Spider away. He stabbed his Blaster into the pillar, using his hand to lift himself up, then stabbing the Blaster into a spot directly above his head. He's nearing Pohatu's mask. With it, maybe he'll meet the level his father was. He'll be good enough.
Vizuna leapt from branch to branch.
He checked on his village. They're fine.
He continued leaping across branches.
He found Lewa's mask, just where he thought it'd be.
There are Skull Spiders.
Meh.
He's seen this coming.
Except for that moment when he didn't. He didn't notice it. Why should he? It's a minor inconvenience. Minor inconveniences happen.
---
Narmoto sharply inhaled as he awoke from his nap. Bitone and his friends jumped at the Protector of Fire's sudden awakening.
"Dad!" cried Bitone, darting forward and hold his father. "What's wrong? What's happening?"
The Golden Mask-wearer sighed. He relaxed. But his eyes remained glazed, hypnotized by something he saw in his mind. "A message," Narmoto replied.
The voice echoed in Narmoto's mind, as did it in the other Protectors' minds. Narmoto didn't know how he knew this, but he did. He listened to Ekimu's voice.
"The Golden Masks of Power. The legendary artifacts of the days of old has returned. And while the Toa have not come, they have called to you six. The people's heroes of Okoto. I am Ekimu. I am in a deep slumber, unable to move but able to communicate to all of you. The Prophecy is underway, thus my ability to guide you to your destiny. To all of Okoto's destiny. At the darkest of the island's hours, the time has come to awaken me. The Mask of Creation is the solution to your problem. Come. Seek me in the City of Mask Makers. And I will help you end this threat and return Okoto to its Golden Age once more. Come, heroes."
Narmoto's head dropped, as if something had taken hold of it and held it up throughout the whole vision. His mind felt free from whatever had grasped it. The message was clear: Ekimu must be awakened to stop the Skull Spiders and their masters.
"What happened, Dad?" asked Bitone.
"Ekimu talked to me," said Narmoto. The children around him looked at each other in surprise.
"What did he say?" was the overall summary of the children's follow-up questions.
"That pretty soon," said Narmoto. "It'll be time for all of us to return home."
Chapter 5[]
“Well, well, well,” chuckled Izotor. “Look at all of us. Finally, looking different. Some individuality for a change.”
The Protectors all stood at the end of a bridge. Once golden, it had decayed into something rustic and peeling all over the surfaces of its floor and the pillars that lined up at its sides. As they looked over the City of the Mask Makers, the Protectors all recalled the tales their parents told them. The City of Mask Makers was once the main hub for the Okotans. Until the fall of the Mask Maker Makuta. Until the Mask of Ultimate Power. Between the betrayal and Ekimu’s sleep, the place just left a bad place in everyone’s mouth and eventually they all moved to separately live in their own respective Regions.
Narmoto stared at the city of legends. Then at the overcast weather above. It just made the place feel even more cursed. All of this thanks to one man’s greed.
“So this used to be our home, huh?” asked Kivoda, breaking the silence.
“Yes,” said Korgot sadly. “I can't imagine what it must have been like to live here.”
“We can find out soon enough,” said Izotor, flexing his shoulders. "What are we waiting for? Let's go wake Ekimu up."
“Wait,” said Kivoda, putting a hand on Izotor's shoulder. “Are we forgetting what I told you guys? Something's in there. It's not entirely abandoned.”
"You said something was wandering through there?” asked Narmoto.
“Yeah. And I'm pretty sure my villagers aren't ones to make up stories about this place.”
“You don't know a lot of people, do you?” asked Izotor. “We all know about this place's reputation. It's a big ghost town. An inspiration for ghost stories around a campfire. Well, guess what. We have the Toa's Masks, for Kopaka's sake. And I’m not going to let some ghost stories stop us.”
“Even so,” said Korgot. “We've only used these masks on the Spiders. That...thing back at the volcano isn't as small or as weak as them. We really don't know what we're up against here.”
Narmoto nodded in agreement when he saw Vizuna out of the corner of his eye. The Protector of Jungle looked oddly concerned. He was usually accompanied with an amused expression, knowing of what is to come, but refusing to say anything about it due to some fear about muddling with the timeline. Sometimes he used this to his own amusement. But now, Vizuna was visibly worried about something. He was unsure.
“You alright there, Vizuna?” The Protector of Fire's question prompted all the others to stare at Vizuna as well.
Vizuna shook his head. “It's this place. Something doesn't feel right. And I'm always sure about how places feel. My tail can't pick up anything.”
“So you can finally stop being such a wise-guy about the future?” snorted Izotor. Nilkuu lightly punched him in the elbow with a small glare on his face.
“Vizuna, I'm sure...I'm sure we won't need your clairvoyance,” assured Narmoto. “Izotor's right. Even if we don't know how to fully use these masks, they are still the Toa's masks. Besides, we get to be the first Okotans to visit and explore the City of the Mask Makers in, what, several generations?”
The Protectors reluctantly nodded in agreement.
“Well, if we’re done with the pep talks and the motivational speaking, the power of Ice and Snow has work to do in our old home,” said Izotor as he turned to walk into the City. Not ten steps later, a tremor was felt.
“Uhh,” muttered Kivoda. “Are we sure this ancient bridge is stable?” He tapped his foot on the bridge.
“It wasn’t me,” said Izotor sternly. He turned around to face his fellow Protectors. “There’s something under the bridge.”
The Protectors stepped forward to join the Ice Protector. They cautiously held out their weapons as they felt the tremors on the bridge and tried to figure out what direction it was coming from.
“There!” shouted Korgot, pointing to the edge of the bridge. Giant legs emerged from the side, hoisting up a humongous Skull Spider up over the edge. It slowly crawled up to the center and turned to face the Protectors. It reared back and roared a much louder, much deeper version of the Skull Spider screech that the masked figures were more familiar with, spreading its jaws wide open and spraying the bridge with large droplets of spider spit.
“Is that… a Skull Spider?!” Kivoda stared at their adversary in shock.
“That… is too big for our faces,” said an equally stunned Narmoto.
The giant Skull Spider suddenly spat out a huge ball of webbing at the Protectors. Narmoto jumped forward and pointed a Flame Sword at it. The jet of flame that erupted from the tip blasted out, burning the ball of webbing until it was a few globs of melted goop that the Protectors still had to dodge. The webs of this giant Skull Spider was thicker than its smaller counterparts.
Izotor dashed forward, his saw spinning. He dodged the blasts of webbing that came his way. The web balls whizzed past him, forcing the others further back to also dodge lest they want to become trapped. Izotor managed to reach the Spider’s massive legs and began thrusting his spinning saw into them. They simply bounced off due to the thickness of the hide. Snarling with frustration, Izotor shot an ice pellet at the ground and retreated back to his fellow Protectors via a newly created ice slide, narrowly dodging a Skull Spider leg crashing down on where he once stood.
“You actually hung back,” snarked Narmoto as Izotor slid to beside him.
“Give me some credit,” Izotor shot back. “I’m not stupid enough to let that thing crush me. We need to find some kind of weakness to it. We managed to beat its little clones with the power of our Masks, an overgrown version can’t be a problem.”
Nilkuu charged forward next. He launched himself with a stone pillar. Pohatu’s mask glowed gold as Nilkuu swung his Blaster behind him. The tip of the pillar broke free to follow the Protector of Stone and crushed itself into the shape of a large spear. Nilkuu swung his Blaster back forward, launching the newly created stone spear at the giant Skull Spider. Instead of impaling the arachnid’s head, it simply smacked it away with one of its jaws, shattering it against one of the pillars of the bridge. Swiftly, the Spider shot a ball of web at Nilkuu, wrapping him in silk and knocking him back the way he came, where he crashed.
Branches emerged from the edges of the bridge, and whipped themselves around the Skull Spider to ensnare it in their clutches. Vizuna stepped forward, Lewa’s mask glowing and holding out his Flame Bow to tighten the plants around the Spider. The creature struggled but was managing to snap more branches and vines faster than Vizuna could summon them.
Narmoto rushed over to Nilkuu and used the power of Tahu’s mask to dissolve the webbing on the Protector of Stone quickly.
“Any ideas?” asked Korgot, who was formulating her own ideas on how to use the power of Earth on the spider. Narmoto’s mind began racing with possible strategies as he watched Kivoda rushing forward but pausing to wonder what kind of water techniques could be useful against the spider. No, Narmoto realized. They needed to work together to defeat this thing. He looked at Nilkuu, then the ice slide Izotor had created. Then he saw the Spider’s eyes, blinking rapidly as it struggled with the plants wrapping around it.
An idea manifested quickly. Narmoto squeezedNilkuu’s shoulder, grabbing his attention before the Protector could run forward and try something else.
“Nilkuu!” said Narmoto, glancing over to see that the Spider was quickly freeing himself from Vizuna's trap. “Hit it with a giant block. We need to piss it off.”
Nilkuu nodded. He took his Sandstorm Blaster and drew a square on the floor of the bridge. He stepped back and struck the ground, and a large block of rock jumped from the area Nilkuu drew on. Pohatu’s mask lighting up, Nilkuu yelled and gave the block a mighty kick toward the Skull Spider’s face. The block smashed itself into the Spider just as it had freed itself, pushing it back towards the other end of the bridge. The Spider shook what constituted for its head, shaking off the dust that covered its face and screeched in anger at the annoying bruises it had just suffered.
“Korgot! Wall!” yelled Narmoto. Nilkuu had fallen to one knee, tired from the size of the block he had created. Korgot moved forward and brought her Star Drill down with a mighty crash. Cracks weaved across the bridge towards the Spider. Just as it tried to charge at its small opponents, a large wall of Earth formed spontaneously, causing the Spider to crash into it. Another angry screech.
Narmoto readied his fire pellets as the giant Spider broke through the thick wall after two or three hits. The Protector of Fire rapidly fired everything he had at the Spider’s face, amplifying their strength with Tahu’s mask. The Pellets struck the Spider’s eyes, burning them out. The Spider tripped and fell forward, shaking the bridge. Blinded, the Spider made yet another roar, now clearly furious at having its sight taken from it and its face bruised and its body stumbling clumsily at the hands of these small attackers.
The Spider managed to get up and charged at the Protectors, determined to flatten them.
“Kivoda!” shouted Narmoto, pointing at the Izotor’s ice slide. “Use the ice to throw him over the side!”
Kivoda nodded frantically and shut his eyes. Gali’s mask glowed as Kivoda held out his hands and melted the ice into a large puddle of water. The Protector raised his arms. The puddle was suddenly a floating pool of water that lifted the confused and blind Skull Spider upwards into the air. Kivoda’s arms shook with strain as he felt the Spider’s weight and struggling in the water, and with a loud yell threw his hands towards the edge of the bridge. The Spider was launched by a spray of water over the side, and descended quickly into the mist below, screaming.
“Please be bottomless, please be bottomless,” chanted Narmoto as he and the other Protectors rushed to the side of the bridge where Kivoda threw the Skull Spider over. They waited with held breath as they stared into the abyss below. They waited to feel any sort of tremor on the bridge to indicate the giant Spider catching itself and making its way up the support beams that held it up. They waited for a big ball of webbing to suddenly fly up at them.
They waited.
And waited.
BOOM.
The village leaders all sighed in relief. Narmoto supported himself against a pillar, as did Nilkuu. Izotor stepped back and leaned on his knees. Kivoda let himself collapse and laid on his back. Korgot fell to her knees. Vizuna still stood, but rubbed his mask as though glad the ordeal was over.
“There… there aren’t more, is there?” panted Kivoda, still lying flat on the floor and staring blankly at the overcast sky above.
“And.. the bridge is okay?” asked Korgot, surveying the sight of the battle. Apart from a bunch of debris and one pillar falling apart, it was fine.
“Oh Tahu,” Narmoto said, coming to a realization. “That… was just the first thing we had to fight.”
The other Protectors collectively groaned in misery.
“You know what,” grunted Nilkuu. “Who cares. We got a job to do. And some… big stupid spider isn’t going to discourage us.”
Izotor stood up. “Yeah. Yeah, we got a Mask Maker to wake up. AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET A MONSTER WE JUST KILLED MAKE US GO HOME!” He shouted towards the City. His shout echoed, no one but the other Protectors to hear him.
“Here's to hoping that didn't alert anybody in there,” groaned Kivoda. The Protectors collected themselves. They sheathed their weapons and all took a deep breath. Then they stepped forward.
Onward to the City. May nothing but the end of the world itself stop them from their task.
To Be Continued
Characters[]
Protectors[]
Skull Creatures[]
- Kulta - not named
- Lord of Skull Spiders - not named
- Skull Spiders