Mask Maker
Part III of III
"Here it is," Vakama said as he handed the completed mask to Lhikan. The Toa examined the Ga-Matoran water-breathing mask and grinned.
"Perfect," Lhikan said. "Just what I was looking for!"
Vakama smiled, glad that he had pleased his friend. "Great. Now I'd better be off to work…" The Matoran turned to start walking to the workshop when his friend put a hand on his head and turned him back around.
"Wait just a minute there," Lhikan said with a grin. "I want you to meet my friend first. He'll want to meet the talented Matoran that crafted such a fine Kanohi Mask."
Vakama fumbled nervously with his fingers. "I don't know…" he said. "I don't want to be late for work…"
"Oh, don't worry. It won't take long," Lhikan reassured him. Before Vakama could protest, Lhikan jumped on his flying board and grabbed Vakama by the arm, setting him down on the flying board.
"Oh no…" Vakama said, knowing what was coming next. He wrapped his arms tightly around Lhikan's leg, bracing himself.
Some Ta-Matoran reported hearing someone scream as they walked to work that morning.
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When Lhikan stopped, Vakama plopped down on his rear. As Lhikan stepped off of the flying board, Vakama looked around and noticed a small crowd. They were all Ta-Matoran, none of whom he recognized except for…
Nuhrii? Vakama thought. What's he doing here?
"Toa Lhikan," Nuhrii sighed in an annoyed tone, "some of us have work to do… Why are you wasting the judges' time with this?"
Judges? Vakama thought to himself. When he looked at the Matoran again, he realized that they did look familiar…
Vakama gasped internally as he realized the truth. They're the judges from the Mask-Making Contest! What could they be doing here?
Lhikan ignored Nuhrii's complaints. The Toa smiled at who seemed to be the leader of the group and clanked fists with him. "Brander, my friend," he said, and then motioned for Vakama to join them, "I would like you to meet my friend, Vakama."
Vakama scuttled over nervously to the group and bowed respectfully to Brander. Brander nodded his head in return. "This is one of the Matoran who tried out yesterday?" he asked Lhikan and the latter nodded. Brander scrutinized Vakama and the tool-maker gulped nervously.
"Hmm…" Brander said and looked up at Lhikan. "One of the reasons why we allow other Matoran to watch the Mask-Making Contest it simulates the pressure that mask-makers are under as they work. It is important that a mask-maker can cope with the stress of working with a high level disk or working under a looming deadline."
"Yes," Lhikan said, "I understand that. But is it also not true that it is just as important – if not more so – that a mask-maker have the desire to mask-make?" Brander pondered for a moment, and then nodded his head.
"Go on," Brander encouraged him.
"You see," the Toa continued, "Vakama loves to mask-make. You know, Brander, that a worker is more valuable if he loves what he does." Brander nodded his head again. Lhikan handed Brander the mask that Vakama had made. "Now, look at that mask. Can you deny that it was not crafted by a Matoran who loved to mask-make?"
Brander took out an eyepiece and closely observed the mask. The other judges crowded around him and whispered to one another. Vakama shifted his weight uncomfortably, and looked up at Lhikan, who smiled reassuringly. Vakama smiled in return, and felt some of his fear dissipate.
After several minutes, Brander removed his eyepiece and looked at Vakama in awe. "You made this?" he asked.
"Yes," Vakama said.
"But how do we know that?" Nuhrii interjected angrily.
Lhikan glowered at the Matoran, and for perhaps the first time in Nuhrii's life, he knew the true meaning of fear. After all, it wasn't wise for a Matoran to anger someone twice as tall as he was, especially if that someone was a Toa.
"I gave him the Kanoka Disk he made it with," Lhikan said. "He didn't have any level-six disks or any masks made with one. Besides," Lhikan continued, "Vakama doesn't lie." He looked down at Vakama and then at the judges. "I'd be willing to stake my honor on that."
Lhikan folded his arms resolutely and Vakama watched the proceedings in awe.
"Well," Brander said, "this is certainly the craftsmanship of a mask-maker in the making." He looked at his fellow judges, all of which nodded their approval. Brander smiled at Vakama. "Very well. Vakama, you will begin work tomorrow."
Vakama couldn't contain his joy. He jumped into the air and cheered.
He blushed as the judges chuckled at his show of enthusiasm, but he didn't care – he was a mask-maker!
"But, but…!" Nuhrii began to protest, and then stopped. He knew that he had lost.
Brander approached the sulking Nuhrii and grinned. "Well, Nuhrii, you're a mask-maker, aren't you? Why don't you train our new apprentice?"
This second blow was worst than the first. Brander knew that Nuhrii was jealous of his apprentice's skill, so he figured that maybe Nuhrii could learn a little humility by being Vakama's mask-making mentor.
Nuhrii groaned loudly as Brander and the other judges escorted him back to work.
Lhikan and Vakama were the only ones left remaining. Vakama hugged Lhikan's leg. "Thank you! Thank you!" he cried out.
The Toa laughed heartily, putting a hand on the Matoran's head. "Don't thank me," he said and Vakama gave him a curious look. Lhikan smiled. "I didn't forge that mask – that was all you."
Vakama thought about this for a moment. "Yeah…I suppose I did," he said, a smile growing on his mask.
"Well, mask-maker," Lhikan said with a grin, "I think this calls for a celebration. What do you say about a trip to the beach?" He knew how much his friend liked the ocean, even though Vakama lived in the Village of Fire. If there were such a thing as male Ga-Matoran, Lhikan could have imagined that Vakama might have been one.
"Yes," Vakama said, smiling, "but on one condition."
"What?" Lhikan asked, curious.
"Only if we can walk," Vakama said.
Lhikan chuckled. "Deal."