Chapter 10
Nuju opened his eyes. He was sitting in the Ko-koro sanctum. He pulled his ice pick toward him and stood up. He motioned for his translator, Matoro, to follow him. The Turaga of Ko-koro emitted a series of chirps and clicks, reminiscent of those the gukko birds use.
“Who comes, sir?“ Matoro asked, he was the only one on the island who understood Nuju’s strange language, and because of that he had become Nuju’s translator.
The Turaga emitted some more whistles and clicks.
“Toa? On the island?” Matoro was surprised, he had only read about to in legends, and when the Turaga held meetings.
More clicks.
“Well, in that case, it seems wiser to stay inside.”
Nuju stared back at Matoro and gave three more clicks and a whistle.
“Well, then what can we do about it?” Matoro questioned.
Three clicks, a whistle, and two more clicks.
“Oh,” Matoro replied, almost walking into one of the sanctum’s pillars.
Nuju continued chattering to Matoro, un raveling his plan. Matoro just trailed behind and nodded.
Kopaka drove his sword into the side of the icy mountain, he hauled himself up to the nearest foot hold while reaching for the nearest hand hold. He began to thing that climbing straight up the mountain wasn’t such a good plan, but going around it was simply taking too long. He pulled his sword out of the mountain and drove it in again, repeating the move. He finaly felt the path come up again against his hand. He hauled his body up over the edge of the mountain and back onto the path. He looked up. He still had a ways to go.
Kopaka heard crumbling and crashing to his right. He spun around with his sword at the ready as a rocky bluff exploded.
“Watch out!” a voice echoed from somewhere in the ever coming onslaught of stone. Kopaka raised his shield over his head, protecting himself from the shower of oncoming stone. He failed, however, to protect his knees, where a particularly hard boulder struck, causing him to crumble to the ground in pain.
When the pain finaly subsided, Kopaka opened his eyes and tried to get up. But to his horror, he was trapped under several large boulders. The attempt caused the pain in his legs to act up again. He glanced up, his gaze meeting that of a figure about his own size, staring down at him, resting his weight on one of the large stones pinning down Kopaka.
“Sorry ‘bout that,” the stranger said in a deep, booming voice. “You alright?”
“I would be,” Kopaka returned icily. “If you weren’t standing on me.”
The stranger leaped back a few steps and extended an arm. “Here, let me help.”
Kopaka struggled with the rock on top of him for a moment, then grunted, “Thank you, but I don’t need help.” He went back to trying to lift the boulder above him.
“Let me do it.” the stranger urged Kopaka, “It’ll be faster.”
“I can do it myself.” Kopaka grunted, switching his attention to the boulder to his left. He already grew tired of this stranger’s pushy chatter.
“Are you sure you don’t need help?” the stranger asked again.
“No!” shouted Kopaka, finaly freeing the boulder to his left. causing the one on top of him to crush down violently on his back. “Ghaa!” he screamed as it rolled off his back.
“Here,” the stranger said, extending a hand toward Kopaka. “Le’me give you a hand.”
Kopaka reluctantly accepted, hauling himself to his feet with the help of the newcomer. “Thanks,” he mumbled. The newcomer grasped his hand and shook it.
“I’m Pohatu, toa of stone,” the newcomer introduced himself. Kopaka ripped his hand away.
“Kopaka,” he said striding away. He was stopped, however, by his knee falling out from under him. Pohatu leaped over to him, once again helping him up.
“Toa of falling over?” Kopaka didn’t appreciate the joke, trying to pull away. But this time he was stopped by Pohatu, who held his arm tight.
“Now, I just wouldn’t feel right, walking’ away from here, knowing that your still up here, falling over things,” Pohatu said, gripping kopaka tighter. “Where are you going any ways?”
Kopaka decided that fighting with this “toa of stone” would take more time than it deserved, so he decided to let Pohatu help him up the mountainside. “Up the mountain,” Kopaka snarled.
“Oh,” Pohatu said, smiling, Kopaka knew he said the wrong thing. “That’s where I’m going! I heard from someone at my village that there might be a mask up here.”
“Yay,” Kopaka mused, unenthusiastically.
“Have you met any of the other toa yet? The Turaga of my village claimed that there were were six of us.” Pohatu asked.
Great Kopaka thought. “I work alone.”
“By choice?” Pohatu returned quickly. ”Or just because no one can stand you?”
Kopaka almost smiled at that. Almost. This toa of stone was irritating, and far more chatty than Kopaka could stand. But he seemed to be very strong. Perhaps he could come in handy after all. Especially if they came across any rahi.
Kopaka and Pohatu staggered away from Ko-koro back up the mountain. They had been told that there was a mask hidden somewhere on a peak at the top of the mountain. After a few minutes of walking, with Pohatu chattering away, the two reached the peak. Kopaka spotted the smooth, frozen shape of a mask lying on the ground in front of them.
“There you go,” Kopaka said, pointing toward the shape on the ground. “It’s yours.”
“Thanks,” Pohatu stepped forward and picked up the mask. He looked it over for a moment before putting it on. The shape of his new mask morphed back into that of his old kakama. Kopaka turned around and stared out over the Island. He leaned forward and zoomed in with his mask of x-ray vision. The toa of ice was tempted to disregard what he saw, but he realized that he might as well face th inevitable.
“We have to go,” he told pohatu abruptly, hating the thought of what he was about to do. “Now.”
“Why?”
“No questions.” kopaka was tired of conversation. “Just follow me.” The two headed down the icy mountainside, Kopaka noticed that the pain in his leg seemed to be receding. Pohatu skidded and slipped on the fresh coating of ice that covered the path. kopaka forced himself to move slowly so the other toa could keep up.
