Revenge of the Skull Spiders

by Ryder Windham

  CONTENTS

  TITLE PAGE

  CHAPTER 1: THE PROTECTORS ASSEMBLE

  CHAPTER 2: SKULL SPIDERS ATTACK!

  CHAPTER 3: THE MYSTERIOUS CAVE

  CHAPTER 4: AN UNEXPECTED ALLY

  CHAPTER 5: ESCAPE FROM THE SPIDERS’ LAIR

  CHAPTER 6: THE HEROES REUNITE

  COPYRIGHT

  Vizuna, the Protector of Jungle on the island Okoto, climbed quickly to the top of a tall tree at the edge of the jungle so he would have a better view of the battle on the bridge. The bridge was a monumental structure with towering supports, and it extended over a deep, wide chasm to the City of the Mask Makers. Hoping to stay out of sight, he concealed himself behind the tree’s broad leaves, and coiled his sensor tail around a thick branch so he wouldn’t fall. He pushed back the leaves and peered through his green mask’s visor at the six armored warriors on the bridge. A steady stream of clouds flowed through the chasm, occasionally obscuring Vizuna’s view. From what he could see, the warriors had already taken a pounding from the monstrous six-legged Lord of Skull Spiders, who stood at the center of the bridge. The monster’s four red eyes glared at his opponents.

  The six warriors were the Toa, elemental heroes from beyond time and space. Although Vizuna had heard legends of the Toa since childhood, they had arrived only recently on the island. Of the six, he had met only Lewa, Master of Jungle, who wore green armor, and was armed with swords and battle-axes that could be transformed into an X-glider that allowed Lewa to fly. But because Vizuna was so familiar with the legends, he easily recognized the other Toa.

  Pohatu, Master of Stone, wore tan armor and carried a dagger and two stormerangs. Onua, Master of Earth, wore purple-and-black armor, and wielded an earthquake hammer and turbo shovelers. Tahu, Master of Fire, wore red armor and was equipped with two golden swords and a pair of fire blades that could be combined into a surfboard for traveling over lava. Kopaka, Master of Ice, wore white armor, and carried an ice spear and a frost shield that could be reconfigured as avalanche skis. And Gali, Master of Water, who wore blue armor, and was armed with an elemental harpoon and shark fins that enabled her to swim at incredible speed.

  All six Toa wore Golden Masks of Power. Ekimu the Mask Maker had crafted the masks thousands of years ago because he had predicted a day would come when the island’s Protectors would need help fighting evil. Everyone on Okoto knew the legend of the Mask Makers, and how Ekimu had been forced to fight his brother, Makuta, who’d created the deadly Mask of Ultimate Power that nearly destroyed the entire island. Although Ekimu prevented total destruction, his battle with Makuta caused a cataclysm that radically transformed the island’s six elemental regions into uniquely hostile environments, and left most of the island’s cities in ruins. Many generations of Protectors had waited to fulfill Ekimu’s prophecy. Ultimately, the duty had fallen to Vizuna and his five fellow Protectors, who had gone to the Temple of Time and summoned the six comets that delivered the Toa to Okoto.

  Subsequently, each Toa arrived in a different region on Okoto, and the Protectors had accompanied the heroes on quests to obtain the Golden Masks. Now, after many days of fighting skull spiders and other menacing creatures on their own across the island, all six Toa had finally arrived at the outskirts of the City of the Mask Makers in the Jungle Region.

  But they’re not united, thought Vizuna. Not yet.

  From his treetop perch, he watched in horror as the Toa stumbled into and over one another. They appeared to be competing to determine which of them should lead the attack on the Lord of Skull Spiders. But the monster responded by spitting web fluid and flicking its legs at the Toa, easily knocking them back across the bridge. Vizuna wondered if Ekimu’s prophecy had been wrong, and he shuddered at the thought.

  Vizuna held his breath as the six warriors regrouped. Behind his back, he felt his sensor tail twitch, activated by a sudden charge of elemental energy in the air. He watched the Toa surge forward in a coordinated attack against the Lord of Skull Spiders, and he felt his heart race.

  Working together, the Toa blasted and slammed the six-legged monster from every angle. In less than a minute, they managed to subdue the Lord of Skull Spiders, reducing him to a heap on the bridge’s central observation deck. Onua raised his earthquake hammer and brought it down hard on the bridge, breaking a large chunk of the bridge under and around the monster. The chunk fell away from the bridge and into the chasm below, carrying the monster with it.

  Vizuna almost cheered out loud, but quickly remembered that he didn’t want the Toa to know of his presence. Staying quiet, he watched as the Toa proceeded across the bridge to the City of the Mask Makers, which rested atop a neighboring mountain. The city’s structures included many stone spires, all of which were covered with green moss and wild vines. One such structure was the tomb of Ekimu. Even though the Toa had defeated the Lord of Skull Spiders, Vizuna imagined the city was filled with many other dangers.

  After the Toa moved out of his range of vision, Vizuna descended the tree and returned to the ground. He ran quietly through the jungle, making his way toward an area where he’d planned on meeting the other Protectors. He was still running when he felt his sensor tail twitch, just a moment before he heard a branch snap behind him.

  He imagined a harmless creature might have caused the noise, but he wasn’t taking any chances. Without glancing back, he sprang forward, grabbed a dangling vine, and swung himself up onto a broad branch that arched high above the forest floor. Pivoting on the branch, he drew his elemental flame bow and aimed it at the jungle floor. His keen eyes peered through his mask’s visor, searching for any sign of movement.

  Below him, a wild plant’s broad yellow leaves rustled slightly. He watched a skull spider creep out from behind the plant. The spider moved on four sharply tapered legs, and its evil eyes glowed as they flicked back and forth, eagerly searching for a victim.

  Vizuna was well aware that skull spiders clamped their bodies over islanders’ heads to instantly transform their victims into servants of the Lord of Skull Spiders. But now that the Toa had defeated the Lord of Skull Spiders, he wondered if skull spiders would behave differently. He silently shifted his body to aim his weapon at the spider.

  He didn’t see the other two skull spiders until they hit him. The impact knocked him off the branch, but the spiders clung to his green-armored back as he fell. He knew in an instant that they must have been lurking on an upper branch, waiting for him.

  Vizuna didn’t need his sensor tail to tell him he would hit the ground hard if he didn’t move fast. Keeping his grip on his weapon with one hand, he reached out with his other to snatch a vine. With both spiders still on his back, he clung to the vine and let his momentum carry him toward a nearby tree trunk. He rapidly shifted his legs, causing his body to turn so he was facing away from the tree. The two spiders were between him and the tree when he slammed into it, smashing his attackers.

  The spiders fell away from Vizuna. They crashed against the tree’s thick roots as he released his grip on the vine. Tumbling across the ground, he rose fast, holding his flame bow in front of him as he stepped into a clearing. He scanned the surrounding trees and bushes, looking for the first evil-eyed skull spider. He was surprised when a voice called out, “Down, Vizuna!”

  Vizuna recognized the voice and dropped immediately to the ground. A rapid burst of projectiles sailed over his back, tore through the thick leaves of a nearby bush, and struck the spider that had been preparing to pounce on him. The spider let out a loud screech as the projectiles sent it crashing against a tree trunk.

  Vizuna rose and turned around. He saw an armored figure wearing a black-and-purple mask step out from around a tree. Vizuna said, �
��Good shooting, Korgot.”

  Korgot, the Protector of Earth, wore a chest-mounted rapid shooter, and carried a pair of throwing knives and an adamantine star drill that could bore through any substance. She looked at Vizuna and said, “Are you all right?”

  “No harm done,” Vizuna said as he brushed himself off, “at least not to me.” He gestured to the fallen spiders and added, “I can’t say the same for those three. They were definitely working together. The first skull spider made a noise behind me, which made me swing up to a high branch, where—”

  “Where two more spiders were waiting for you,” Korgot finished. “A trio of spiders tried the same tactic on me, shortly after I entered the jungle.”

  “Really? The spiders lured you up into a tree, too?”

  “Well, they tried,” Korgot said with a shrug. “But I just blasted them.”

  “Oh,” said Vizuna. He felt his sensor tail twitch again. “I sense the other Protectors are approaching.”

  “Actually, we’re already here!” came a voice from the forest. Vizuna and Korgot turned to see Narmoto, the Protector of Fire, push his way through a cluster of tall ferns that grew between two trees at the edge of the clearing. Narmoto wore a red mask and armor, and carried a fire blaster and two flame swords. The white-masked Izotor, Protector of Ice—who wielded an ice blaster and a large, circular ice saw edged with sharp teeth—followed him. Next to arrive was the blue-masked Kivoda, Protector of Water, who carried an elemental torpedo blaster and wore two turbines for underwater propulsion.

  The five Protectors bowed to one another in greeting. Facing Vizuna, Narmoto said, “It appears only Nilkuu is missing. I’m sure he’ll be here soon, but does your sensor tail tell you how long we must wait for him?”

  Vizuna shook his head. “My sensor tail can’t predict everything.”

  Korgot adjusted her weapons and said, “Maybe Nilkuu got lost again? Like the last time we met at the Temple of Time?”

  “I didn’t get lost!” responded Nilkuu as he stumbled into the clearing. “I just took a slightly wrong turn in the mountains.” Nilkuu, the Protector of Stone, wore a brown mask and carried a powerful sandstone blaster. He bowed to the other Protectors.

  “It is good to see you again, my friends,” said Izotor. “Many weeks have passed since we summoned the six Toa from beyond time and space to fulfill the Prophecy of Heroes.”

  Korgot said, “Because we’re all here, I trust we all managed to greet our Toa allies after the comets delivered them to our island? And that all six Toa obtained their Golden Masks of Power before they proceeded to the City of the Mask Makers?”

  The other Protectors nodded their heads in response. Narmoto said, “I’m sure we all have stories to tell of our adventures with the Toa, but now is not the time. We are on a mission!” He looked to Vizuna. “We are close to the city’s gateway, yes?”

  “Quite close,” said Vizuna. “I’ve already scouted the bridge. Actually, I watched from afar as the Toa arrived. They united to fight the Lord of Skull Spiders, and—”

  “Did they defeat him?!” asked Kivoda.

  “Yes, they did,” said Vizuna.

  Hearing this, the other Protectors’ eyes went wide. Although Narmoto had just discouraged everyone from telling stories, he said, “You witnessed their victory? Tell us more!”

  “Well,” Vizuna continued, “at first, the Toa seemed to be fighting among themselves. But then they started working together, and their combined attack stunned the Lord of Skull Spiders, and he collapsed on the bridge. Then Onua swung his hammer down to knock a chunk out of the bridge, and that chunk carried the monster down into the chasm. Then the Toa left, moving on into the city.”

  “Wow,” Korgot said. “I wish I’d gotten here sooner. I would have loved to have seen that fight!”

  Izotor said, “Even with their Golden Masks and all their elemental powers, the Toa may need our help as they venture into the city in search of Ekimu the Mask Maker.”

  “That is why I suggested that we meet here,” said Vizuna. “It may be their destiny to find Ekimu without us, but if the Toa require some help, it may be our destiny to assist them.” Vizuna tilted his masked chin toward a cluster of trees at the far end of the clearing. “The bridge is that way. Follow me.”

  Vizuna led the other Protectors across the clearing and out of the forest. They arrived on a path that brought them into view of the monumental bridge that spanned the cloud-filled chasm to the City of the Mask Makers. Vizuna pointed to the bridge’s damaged central area and said, “See the large gouge in the middle? That’s where the Toa defeated the Lord of Skull Spiders, and where Onua used his hammer to send the monster falling.”

  Gazing at the moss-covered city in the distance beyond the bridge, Nilkuu said, “This city has always given me the creeps. It looks like an enormous graveyard.”

  “It wasn’t always that way,” Izotor said. “To our ancestors, thousands of years ago, this city was vibrant and full of life.” A large cloud drifted by, briefly obscuring the city. As the cloud passed and revealed the city again, Izotor took a deep breath. “It’s been a long time since I’ve looked upon this place. One can never forget such a sight.”

  “Oh!” said Nilkuu. “Speaking of never forgetting, you’ve just reminded me of something. Toa Pohatu has no memory of his past!”

  “Really?” Korgot said. “Toa Onua doesn’t remember his past, either.” Glancing at her fellow Protectors, she said, “What about the rest of you? Did any Toa arrive with memories?”

  “No,” said the other Protectors in unison.

  Vizuna said, “Perhaps that’s why the Toa did not immediately work together when they met. Because they had no memories of working together, I guess they didn’t trust one another.”

  “We shouldn’t worry about this,” said Korgot. “After all, the Toa have already battled skull spiders across the island, and obtained their Golden Masks, right? They couldn’t have done that unless they remembered one very important thing, which is that they came here to fight evil!”

  “Then I guess we have nothing to worry about,” Nilkuu said. “Shall we cross the bridge now to follow the Toa, or wait for them to—?”

  A thunderous boom echoed across the chasm, startling the Protectors. Korgot dropped to a crouch, placed one hand on the ground, and said, “That was Onua’s hammer.”

  “Are you certain?” said Narmoto.

  “I’d know that sound anywhere. The impact came from the city. Onua must have—”

  A shock wave struck the Protectors, knocking them off their feet. As they tumbled across the path, they felt the ground tremble beneath them. Nilkuu pushed himself up from the ground, pointed to the bridge, and cried, “Look!”

  Large cracks snaked through the ancient stone of the bridge’s structural supports. The looming towers broke apart and fell, crashing down onto the bridge’s walkway. A dark cloud of dust and debris blossomed in all directions, spewing bits of stone out over and into the chasm. The Protectors gasped as large segments of the ruined bridge appeared to rapidly sink into the river of clouds.

  The Protectors moved cautiously to the edge of the cliff. A broken ledge of stone, the only remnant of the once-magnificent bridge, jutted out over the chasm.

  Staring at the broken ledge, Nilkuu said, “On second thought, maybe we do have something to worry about!”

  Still standing at the edge of the cliff, the six Protectors surveyed the wide chasm that separated them from the City of the Mask Makers. Turning to face Korgot, Narmoto said, “Are you quite certain Onua’s hammer caused that earthquake? I thought the noise sounded like a massive explosion.”

  “I’m completely certain,” Korgot said. “During the quest for Onua’s Golden Mask in the Region of Earth, I fought alongside him long enough to recognize the sound of his hammer. But I never heard it so loud before. Obviously, he struck the ground with tremendous force … but why?”

  “Perhaps because the Toa were under attack,” said Izotor. “The Lord of S
kull Spiders wasn’t the only monster in the city. For all we know, they could be dealing with more powerful creatures!”

  Nilkuu said, “If the Toa hoped to retreat, they definitely can’t come back this way.”

  The clouds cleared briefly, allowing the Protectors to glimpse a pair of biomechanical cliff vultures that soared through the chasm, looking for food. As the Protector of Water, Kivoda was far more familiar with large fish than large birds, and he tried not to sound anxious as he said, “The Toa may need our help. We must find another way into the city.”

  Nilkuu said, “But that bridge was the only way! Unless we all learn how to fly, our only option now is to climb down into the chasm and then climb up the other side. That could take days!”

  “No,” Vizuna said. “There is another way … if it still exists.” He backed away from the cliff and began walking fast, heading north with the cliff to his right. “Come on. Follow me!”

  The other Protectors hurried after Vizuna and quickly caught up with him. Nilkuu said, “Where are you taking us?”

  “To another bridge,” Vizuna said as he walked faster.

  Confused, Nilkuu said, “Another bridge to the city? But … there isn’t another one!”

  “It’s hardly an official bridge. Harvali, an archaeologist from a nearby village, built it. She was also an experienced mountain climber. Years ago, she discovered the existence of ancient reliefs, drawings of Okoto’s Elemental Creatures that were carved into the cliff below the City of the Mask Makers. I climbed with her so she could show them to me. She became determined to build a bridge so others could see the reliefs and study them. I tried to discourage her. I said her idea was too risky, especially with the possibility of so many dangerous creatures lurking around the cliffs. But she ignored me, and she constructed the bridge herself.”

  Izotor said, “But you don’t know if her bridge still exists?”

  “I’ve no idea,” Vizuna said as he walked past a series of large boulders along the cliff’s edge. “The last time I saw it was shortly after the local villagers informed me that Harvali was missing. That was over a year ago.”