CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: THE GUARDIAN OF KO-ARA

Kopaka was about to turn to make his way to the Ta-Ara library when the ground began to shake. "Oh for Spirit's sake…" he moaned, clutching the pillar as Gali clutched him, "…What is it now?"

A cracking sound split the air as a fissure made its way along the ground like a snake. He pushed himself free from the pillar and lunged out of the way as the crack reached him, pulling Gali along for the ride. The obsidian tower sank into the fissure, and minute cracks split off of the main crevasse to enter various parts of Ko-Ara.

The sound was terrible - ice splitting and cracking, the remaining huts following suit as they fell down the cracks. Kopaka could only watch as his entire village was engulfed into a spider-web of cracks and holes. It was then he heard the sound.

Footsteps.

He drew his spears, and saw Gali draw her axes as well. Good, she had heard them too. The footsteps grew louder, coming closer. What Kopaka had initially pegged as a nearby Toa was actually much larger and further away.

A hand the size of a Toa reached up over the edge of the infinite chasm they had passed. Gali's breath hitched in her lungs as a massive angular head arose from the deep gorge. Teeth as long as Kopaka's spears dripped transparent fluid as the creature smiled nastily at the pair of Toa.

Kopaka wasted no time. "Gali, do as I say," he commanded, "Switch to your Huna!" He switched to his Kakama as she changed to the Mask of Invisibility. "Now take my hand and focus on sharing the power of the Huna – do you understand?"

Gali nodded once, and she felt the most unique sensation of two masks battling for supremacy within her, and neither attaining it. Her body faded from view as she felt the familiar quickening of her body that marked the activation of the Kakama. Kopaka faded from sight as well.

"Now, Gali, charge at him. Do not release my hand!"

Together, the white and blue Toa rushed the monster. Gali felt herself lifted clear of the ground as Kopaka lunged through the air, bringing his spear down on the hand that supported the behemoth's weight. It shrieked as the spear pierced through its gigantic claw, but held on.

"Gali!" he called to her, "Kakama!"

She changed to the mask he'd been wearing as he shifted to his Pakari. They took off at blinding speed again, but this time they had the power of the Pakari building behind their assault. Kopaka's foot connected solidly with the monster's face, and Gali saw it actually reel backwards before regaining its balance.

"Split!" he called, "Use the Pakari!"

They released hands, and Kopaka felt the speed of the mask leave him. Likewise, Gali suddenly felt the surge of power that accompanied the awakening of the Pakari drain from her body like water from a sieve.

Kopaka fired a steady stream of ice from his hands as he activated the power of his Pakari. The sheer force of the blast crushed into the creature, lifting it free of the cliff and slamming it into the wall. It froze solid, but Kopaka knew the seal wouldn't last long. This creature was at home in the ice, and he had to act fast.

Gali, however, was one step ahead of him. She threw her Aqua Axes at the frozen form of the monstrous creature. They connected, shattering the frozen monster into billions of tiny shards. Kopaka changed to his Matatu Mask of Telekinesis to retrieve her weapons, and then slumped down in the snow.

"Kopaka… what was that?"

Kopaka jerked his thumb toward the shattered remnants of the creature, "That was the so-called mythical Ice Guardian. I never believed it existed… until now, that is."

Gali slumped down in the snow next to him, shivering slightly as she pulled out her HeatStone.

"We're going to have a long road ahead of us," grumbled the stoic Toa, "There was a legend about seven of those. There is one in each Wahi and one that governed them all, according to myth. Supposedly, the one that governs the rest can only be defeated by a Toa Geni."

Gali sighed, "Then what are we supposed to do? We're merely Toa Nuva."

Kopaka unbuckled a hip flask of Ta-Koronan Ale and took a swig before offering it to Gali. She gratefully accepted and took a small sip. "We push on," answered Kopaka, "And hope we don't meet any more of them until we come up with a plan."