Island of Lost Masks by Ryder Windham

Author:Ryder Windham
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2015-08-17T04:00:00+00:00

High in the mountains in the Region of Jungle, at the very edge of a cliff, a majestic gateway with intricately carved details served as the entrance to a long, monumental bridge that was the primary access to the city of the Mask Maker. The bridge spanned a deep chasm, and despite the bridge’s obvious age, the sharp edges of its towers had not dulled over time. The bridge’s foundation vanished into a river of clouds that flowed through the chasm, and the clouds created the illusion that the city was floating in the sky.

Green jungle growth had consumed most of the city, covering nearly every surface. The gateway and bridge were also adorned with incredibly large spider webs, made by the skull spiders to scare off or snare trespassers. At the center of the bridge, spider-spun cocoons, holding the spiders’ victims, dangled below an octagonal observation deck.

Onua, Gali, Kopaka, Lewa, and Pohatu arrived at the gateway at the same time. All were wearing their Golden Masks. They gazed at one another skeptically, unsure about what to say to one another, when Tahu, carrying his surfboard and also wearing a Golden Mask, emerged from behind the gateway.

“Greetings! I am Tahu, Master of Fire. The prophecy has brought us together under my command.”

“Your command?” said Kopaka as he shifted his grip on his frost shield. “Did your brain catch fire? I am Kopaka, and I work under no command!”

Tahu and Kopaka glared at each other. Hoping to break the tension, Onua said politely, “I am Onua, Master of Earth.” Pohatu, Gali, and Lewa quickly identified themselves.

Ignoring the others, Tahu and Kopaka snarled simultaneously, threw down their weapons, and charged each other. Fists clanged against armor as they fought in the gateway’s shadow. Grappling in their heavy armor, they toppled to the ground, and continued wrestling as Gali stepped up beside them, jabbed her harpoon between their bodies, and said, “Stop it, you idiots!”

Tahu and Kopaka didn’t listen. They kept hammering away until Onua leaned over and grabbed their heads with his massive hands. Onua lifted them up until their feet dangled beneath them, then shifted his hands to force Tahu and Kopaka to face each other. Onua let out a good-natured laugh before he said, “Don’t fight.”

In Onua’s grasp, Kopaka and Tahu looked like helpless puppets, but they continued to exchange menacing glares until Tahu said, “We still need a leader.”

Gali said, “We’ll have a vote, then.”

“I vote for Onua,” said Lewa. “He knows how to grab attention.” Lewa chuckled loudly.

“Quiet,” said Pohatu as he looked toward the bridge. “We’ve got company.”

The other heroes followed Pohatu’s gaze. Onua was still holding Tahu and Kopaka, and he adjusted his grip so that they also faced the bridge. All were astonished to see something that resembled long, articulated black spears rising up over the edge of the bridge’s central observation deck. A cloud billowed across the bridge, temporarily obscuring the heroes’ view.

Onua released Tahu and Kopaka. Keeping his eyes fixed on the bridge,

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