Bionicle G2: New Legends, New Heroes

Chapter 8: Lurking in the Dark

More than two days had passed, but it felt like forever. After departing the City of the Mask Makers, the six Toa split into pairs and traveled across the eastern half of Okoto. It had been Voriki's idea, though Kaze doubted and suspected the motive behind it.

Speaking of the Toa of Air, his patience wore thin while he landed atop the tip of the thousandth tree. From there, he surveyed the Jungle Region's green rooftop that stretched for miles. He searched high and low for any sign of this so-called Forbidden Mask. Of course, the fragment of jungle was hard to find in an area full of trees, grass, and vines. Not to mention, keeping the search a secret was hard when it meant running into a few scouts every five minutes and making up some story about being on patrol.

"Hey there!"

And then, there was her.

After dispelling an energy arrow, Kaze relaxed his posture and cautiously eyed Zala rising from under the shade of his branch. The Toa of Shadows' sudden appearance made him draw his bow, but he didn't fire. That had been fortunate for Zala as she cheerfully jumped on the branch next to his. "Weeeell, you're probably wondering why I'm here..." Zala said and Kaze kept quiet. "No? Well, I think I might have a lead."

Kaze decided to humor her. "And?"

"I heard rumors from the scouts. They said something about a temple north of us. There have been a lot of creatures moving away from it. And I..." Zala stopped herself, glanced around the empty roof and sky, then she whispered to Kaze, "... I think it might be related to what we're looking for."

Kaze doubted that. Zala didn't seem like the Toa to find answers, or do anything important other than stay in the shadows. Kaze hid his skepticism and looked away. "Did you ask the scouts?"

"I, uh, tried to. They wouldn't answer so I listened nearby... They were nice though."

"You were in shadows I presume."

"Yes... but not literally." Kaze rose a long eyebrow in surprise while Zala continued on in a quiet tone. "Some of these shadows... they're not right... I can't really move around like I want to... it's like they're hiding from me."

"I suppose you know that the best," Kaze murmured.

"Hmm, I guess I do!" Zala giggled, not taking the hint as she leaped through the treetops.

While flying behind Zala on his bow, Kaze begged for silence. Even a gust of wind he sent at Zala couldn't stop her from prattling on about the Jungle Tribesmen she had met. She even went on about that crazed recluse, Okil, and described how "strangely nice" he was. Then again, Zala probably saw Ruka's brother as a kindred spirit who loved darkness, completely oblivious of the treachery and mad schemes behind Okil's smiling eyes.

"How much farther?" Kaze asked.

Landing on another branch, Zala stopped her babbling to answer, "Just around here! We should be getting closer!" Her eyes glanced down, and she pulled out her scythe. "Oh, wait a minute!"

Kaze, stopping and floating, blinked to find Zala had disappeared. Had she found something? If so, where did she go?

"Ah, there you are!" Kaze heard Zala from below, and he flew down to find her.

After flying several feet down to the bottom, Kaze was disappointed by what he found. Instead of Zala discovering any artifact, she knelt by a crooked branch holding onto a tree by a thread. On it, a tiny, wingless insect barely dangled on with one leg. "Hey there, little guy. Here, let me help you out," Zala cooed at the tiny insect. She held out her scythe, catching the insect on the S-shaped rod.