Chapter Four

Takua made fast progress across the island, and it was not long before he found the landscape giving way to vast jungle.

He stopped. Po-Wahi was in the far north of the island, whereas Le-Wahi was in the far south. How did he get all the way from there to here without passing through the frigid tundra of Ko-Wahi? Did he make a wrong turn somewhere?

Takua sighed. He would have to backtrack, it seemed, but since he was here already, he decided to press on to Le-Koro.

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If Takua hoped that Le-Wahi would be any less large, uniform, and intimidating than Po-Wahi, he was to be sorely mistaken. The desert took up the central region of the north and covered most of the northeast, but Le-Wahi’s expansive jungle encompassed the entire southern half of the island. The area consisted mainly of the Fau Swamp to the west, the Kumu Forest in the central south, and open jungle that dominated the rest. The counter-clockwise curvature of the island’s southern tip embraced Kanae Bay, which fed into Lake Kanae and the smaller Lake Pala. As the southern tip of Mata Nui became smaller as it jutted out into the sea, it formed the series of Kumu Islets, the last visible pieces of land before the endless ocean beyond.

As Takua made his way through the jungle, he was drawn to a series of green vines with red stripes down the middle. These seemed to increase the closer he got to the jungle, and they all appeared to be leading in the same direction. Such vines would be meaningless to the bestial Rahi, but for discerning sapient travellers they had been arranged to indicate a clear path.

A path to Le-Koro.

The sight of the village overhead took Takua by surprise. There were no gates to mark the outskirts as one approached the village, not that they were particularly necessary. The village’s structures, which were made from the organic materials of the forest, were suspended high above the forest floor and just beneath the sky itself. There they sat perched in the treetops with the richest, cleanest air in all the island, revitalized as it was by the many plants of the jungle, far above the Fau Swamp and away from the Rahi below.

Away from travelers, too.

At the base of the tree, one Le-Matoran was lying in the mud where he seemed to have fallen from above. “They just laugh and call me joke-names, they won’t let me join in any Kewa Bird games!” he moaned. “Every time I try to play with the others, I get knocked off the ledge! There must be some way to get my own Kewa Bird!”

Takua looked up. Green and yellow movement flashed among the treetops as birds weaved in and out of branches at high velocity.

Following his gaze, the Le-Matoran frowned. “It’s Kewa Bird riding. Try to knock the others off theirs without getting knocked off yourself. I’m good at hurl-throwing, but not good at catch-wrangling. It would be easy to get one with a flute, but they’re not allowed in the game.”

The Le-Matoran turned back to Takua when his eyes fell on the Volo Lutu Launcher hanging on the traveler’s form. “You know,” he said thoughtfully. “I’ve heard that mad-skill with the Volo Lutu Launcher will help you get-latch a Kewa Bird.”

Without waiting on Takua for a response, the Le-Matoran grabbed his hand and ran over to a nearby stump.

“I’m Afa,” he explained quickly. “I’ll happy-help you get into the tree-village. But first I have a game to win up-tree, and you’re going to help me.”

“A game?” Takua panted. “What do I have to do?” His muscles still burned from Koli.

“You will be my second,” Afa said. He mounted the stump and pulled Takua up after him. “Kewa love to down-glide by this low-tree. It was their safe-home before it age-fell. Many Le-Matoran can jump-land on them as they come. But I can’t.”

Takua took a few steps to the center of the stump, but Afa grabbed him and pulled him back.

“That’s how you find-learn why I was in the mud.”

Before Takua could respond, a Kewa swooped in from seemingly nowhere. The red and orange bird glanced around and let out a ca-caw before spreading its wings and taking flight again.

“Next time one of them does that,” Afa said, “Volo Lutu launch-fire.”

Takua pointed the launcher at where the Kewa had been, and Afa held fast to the back of Takua’s armor. Barely a minute had passed before another bird had glided down and landed on the stump. This time the Kewa was green and deep violet, with the long, hooked beak and protracted claws distinctive of the species.

“Now!” Afa shouted.

Takua fired, even as the Kewa reacted. Alarmed, the bird took flight again, but not before the launcher’s red sphere caught hold onto it. And as it soared into the skies, Takua and Afa were swept up after it.

“Wooo!” Afa cried. “Sky-high flight-sight!”

Sure enough, as the gap narrowed between them and the bird, it broke through the canopy, to a sight that left Takua breathless and almost caused him to lose his grip. The green expanse of jungle stretched in every direction like a vast green carpet, before ending in ocean on the left and crawling up Mount Ihu on the right. The brilliant blue sky vividly contrasted the bright orange of Po-Wahi on the far end of the island.

The only glaring exception to this beauty was what looked like a giant tan stalagmite growing out of the midst of the jungle. Unlike the rest of the land, it was sickly and unnatural, and black dots of far-off Rahi seemed to circle it.

With a “click,” the Volo Lutu Launcher connected with its projectile, and Afa scrambled over Takua onto the back of the Kewa. Reaching down, he pulled Takua to safety.

“Now the real fun begins!” he shouted over the gust.

Leaning down, he directed the bird in the direction of other Kewa circling nearby, each of whom sported one or two Le-Matoran on their backs. Like madmen, Takua and Afa hurled projectiles and swooped close to the other riders, whooping and shouting. The Ta-Koro villager had never been in flight before, but he could barely process it now.

Together, Takua and Afa managed to knock several off the backs of their birds before being knocked off themselves. Takua’s breath caught in his lungs as the pair tumbled into the trees and to the mossy earth below, but Afa held him fast and directed their fall to a soft patch of earth. When they landed, they landed without injury.

“That was amazing!” Afa gasped. “We have to have down-knocked the most riders off of anyone! We were such a great team, Takua! Want to go again?” The Le-Matoran, originally a bright light green, was now covered head to toe in mud. But this time, he didn’t seem to mind.

Takua picked himself up woozily. “Trees—” he gasped, trying to regain his breath. “Village—”

“Oh, right,” Afa grinned. “The village. Well, to get up there… we’re going to have to catch another Kewa.”

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The treetop village of Le-Koro afforded a beautiful view of Lake Kanae not far away. The Matoran of Air lived in huts which resembled beehives, collectively disguising the village to look like hanging jungle vegetation. Some huts were affixed to large trees, hanging from the top or side of the dwelling, while others were supported on the bottom by makeshift catwalks connecting one home to another.

As Afa and Takua glided to a halt on one of the platforms, a lone green Matoran with a bright bluish Miru met them, his arms folded.

“Your master-skill at riding the Kewa Bird is impressive!” he remarked. “I am Kongu, right hand of Turaga Matau and Captain of the Le-Koro Gukko Force.”

“Bet-reckon he’ll be eligible for the Force!” Afa agreed.

Takua laughed, extending his fist. “Thanks! I’m Takua of—”

“I wise-know who you are,” Kongu said, returning the gesture, but then folding his arms again. “Word of your hero-exploits travels far, traveler, and I must ask for your help. Matau, the Turaga of our village, has been kidnapped. Only Matau knows the secrets of the Toa Lewa Stone! You must rescue him if you can…”

“Oh no…” Afa gasped.

“Inevitable and lightning-speed,” Kongu frowned. “However, Matau anticipated the attack and made arrangements for your arrival. He wit-permitted himself to be captured to gain intelligence on Makuta’s designs upon our forest.”

Takua frowned. “What designs would he have besides the capture of the Turaga?”

Kongu smiled wryly.

“While you were high-flying above, you might have noticed the ugly-stain in our forest tapestry. A hive-nest. The Rahi have spent weeks on its construction, no doubt under the control-influence of Makuta. But for what purpose, we have not yet discovered.”

“I see,” Takua remarked. “You said Nuju left arrangements for me?”

“Yes,” Kongu said, guiding them over to the Suva. “I will tell you exactly what he told me.”

Afa nodded, trotting behind them. “Kongu has a fantastic memory. He remembers almost everything that he is told!”

“This,” Kongu said, picking a staff up where it lay positioned near the Amaja pit. It was an Ice Pick, the famed staff of Turaga Nuju, “Is for you. It belongs to Turaga Nuju, although our own Turaga was borrowing it.”

“Our Turaga is on good terms with almost everyone,” Afa said. “Especially Vakama. Matau and Vakama are said to be good friends. Although from what I was told, Matau has lost his Kau Kau Staff. Have you seen it?”

“Afa, please,” Kongu frowned. Looking again at Takua, he continued. “The Kau Kau Staff has not been lost, fortunately. But our Treekeeper has asked me to inform you, and I quote: ‘We have a major problem here in Le-Koro. Makuta has ruined our Vuata Maca Tree, we’re not sure how. In order to restore this tree to health, you must find the two Vuata Maca Tree crystals for it. After you find them, return them to me. We know you can help us, Takua.’”

“See what I mean?” asked Afa. “Remembers everything.”

“This may be useful,” Takua said, turning the Ice Pick over in his hands. It was a half-truth. He couldn’t anticipate needing a pickaxe in a jungle.

“Lastly, the Rahi that took Turaga took the southeast flight,” Kongu said. “My scouts report a dark-fate for him if you do not go quickly. The Turaga was adamant that I stay my hand, but if you do not return soon, the full might of the Gukko Force will descend.”

“I hope that will not be necessary,” Takua frowned. “I’ll leave at once.”

✴        ✴        ✴

As he walked, Takua fiddled some more with the Ice Pick. To his surprise, a bit of experimentation showed that it created small, temporary pillars of ice. In fact, the tool worked nicely in conjunction with the Volo Lutu, giving him an at-will structure to latch onto for travel.

After his prior adventures, Takua expected the two Vuata Maca crystals to be difficult to find. To his pleasant surprise, he was mistaken. One radiated such life that the flora around seemed to lean in closer. Even the large, heat-emitting orange beetles known as Hoto that had been left to guard the crystal were too transfixed by their energy to stop Takua in time. As he retrieved the object from before their eyes, they made an effort to shove the Matoran off a ledge, but Takua froze them with a jolt from the Ice Pick.

The path dead-ended, so he backtracked and found a branch that led him high into the trees. Takua emerged dizzyingly high in the canopy — so high, in fact, that he spotted a giant Taku nest. Yet his trip here had not been in vain, for he soon spied the other Vuata Maca crystal. Pleased with the ease with which he was progressing, he started back down the path.

With one of his queries already found, things were looking very promising. Yet the most important one remains, he thought. Matau, where are you?

Takua took two more steps before his feet left the ground. Talons that gripped him barely afforded much maneuverability, but from their crimson hue, the distinctive curved beak, and the cries above, he knew at once what now carried him:

A large Kewa vulture.

The winged Rahi was a cross between an eagle and a vulture, and bore a distant cousinhood with the more famous Kahu windfowl. As Takua shouted, helpless, he was flown high into the air to fly over the canopy of Le-Wahi. And as he watched in horror, the Kewa flew to its nest in a tall tree, where young duck-like birds known as Taku rested, an aquatic bird that at full strength retrieved food for the Kewa that protected them and brought them food. Some were blue and teal, while others were red and yellow. And on this particular occasion, all their hungry mouths gaped, awaiting the next course in their meal.

I’ve come all this way… to be dinner?! Takua thought.

No, he decided. With a roar, he fought and thrashed with all his strength, swinging the sharp Ice Pick above him. Startled, the Kewa loosened her grip, then fumbled and dropped the Matoran.

As Takua plunged, he could have sworn he heard a gasp coming from inside the nest. But he couldn’t see anything except a flash of green that disappeared among the young Taku in the nest before he plummeted through the branches and bushes. Without Afa to control him, Takua fell sloppily, landing hard in a mud puddle. As he looked up woozily, he saw the Kewa circling in search of more food.

That bright green, Takua thought. Could that have had something to do with the Turaga?

He hadn’t observed Matau in the nest, that was for sure. But the flash had been a distinctly recognizable hue of Le-Koro. Perhaps it was the Toa Stone embedded in the nest?

There was only one way to find out. And as Takua’s eyes fell on a pile of boulders and some glossy red fruit, a plan formed in his head that, while convoluted, might just work…

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“Er… Ca-caw! Ca-caw!”

The large Kewa glided to a halt, flapping her wings as she hovered in spot.

“Ca-caw! Ca-caw!”

Her eyes followed the noise. Yes, they were coming from a few giant, bright red fruit lying on the forest floor, one almost as big as she was. She’d never seen a fruit this large. But there was no mistaking the glossy, juicy red coloring.

She swooped down. Her talons scraped it, looking for purchase. Finding it, she strained and soared into the air, gliding over to the nest and depositing the food into the nest. Without wasting any time, she flew over and did the same thing with the other large fruits.

It was as she was depositing the last of the large fruits that she spied another fruit, one that she had definitely not seen before. This one had two round sections with four extremities sticking out of the larger of the sections. But the sugary aroma emanating from it smelled delicious, and the Kewa would miss no opportunity to feed the young Taku that had come under her protection. Swooping over, she scooped up the odd-shaped berry and deposited it in her nest.

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Takua landed with a thud and a grunt. To his relief, the young Taku all lay dazed — the heavy boulders had done their work. At once, he set about looking for the green object he had seen in his flight.

Then one of the Taku ducks stirred. And Takua’s heart sank. The walls of the nest were so high that if even one attempted to devour him now, there would be no escape. And the Taku were bound to be angry…

His worst fears were confirmed, and the young Taku duck rose to its full height. Takua fumbled in his bag for something, anything that he could throw.

But then the young Rahi seemed to shimmer. Like a glimmering mirage, the appearance of the bird actually seemed to shift and fall away, and within moments, Takua was standing before the Turaga of Air.

“Turaga Matau!” Takua exclaimed. “There you are!”

Matau dusted the debris and dirt from the nest off. “Oh Takua — you saved me! I almost thought I’d have to smile-accept a life-long diet of dirt-worms and Fire Ants. Come, let’s not long-linger. Time to haste-go back to the village.”

Takua looked over the edge of the twiggy nest. “I think a careful climb and my Volo Lutu should give us a safe descent.”

“Then let’s go, quick-fast!” Matau implored, coming over to the edge. “Caretaker-bird returns!”

Takua looked up to see the large Kewa swooping back down to claim him, the Turaga, or both. Startled, he and Matau grabbed hold of each other and jumped over the side of the bowl. Just as the pair apexed over the ledge, Takua fired the Lutu and stuck the projectile onto the edge. As they fell, he triggered its retraction mechanism sporadically, giving them a safe—if bumpy—trip back down to the jungle floor.

“Smart-luck! High-praise, young islander!” Matau cheered. “But we’re not home-gone yet. Follow me back to high-home Le-Koro.”

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When Takua and Matau returned, Le-Koro erupted in celebration and music, with special Le-Koro drums rolled out for a rowdy performance. The Turaga was quickly met by Kongu and a Matoran who introduced himself as Tamaru. The former quickly thanked Takua and departed. Tamaru remained at the Turaga’s side as the three strode to Turaga Matau’s hut, a large dwelling built into a tree.

Once inside, the Turaga pulled over a leafy lounge chair and fell backward into it. “Once again you have proven that a small stature does not prevent great deeds! Words go little-short to say thank you,” Matau said. “So I will give you a help-gift instead.” The Turaga of Air rose and walked over to a corner of the room, retrieving a staff and an Amana Volo Sphere. It was a Kau Kau Staff, a buzzsaw used to clear out jungle growth faster than a simple blade. “An Amana Volo, of course, for your efforts. As a reward for rescuing me, here is my Kau Kau Staff. With it you can clear trees from your path. Use it wisely! Only the foolish use the Kau Kau Staff without good purpose. This should help you way-find your next goal: the Toa-hero Stone. Once you find the Toa Lewa Stone, you must go to the ice lands to the northeast.”

Taking the sphere and the staff from Matau’s hands, Takua answered, “Thanks. Any idea where it might be? It would take me a century to search all of Le-Wahi!”

“Have you tried your hand at Kewa Bird glide-riding yet?” Tamaru asked. “Quick-journey it makes. And fast-teaching expert we have here. Matau used to be a master Kewa Bird rider!”

Takua nodded. “Afa showed me the ropes earlier.”

“Jog-memory that does,” Tamaru added, in his thick treespeak dialect. “I meant to ask: Our village is supposed to be hidden. How did you find it?”

“Afa, basically.”

Tamaru nodded.

Matau chuckled. “Possible-maybe he also simply followed the redvines to our home. Only a Rahibrain can’t make sense of those.”

A knock came from the entrance. Afa stepped inside, his armor painted a brilliant shade of bright green.

“Kongu fast-clad me brass-clasped!” he exclaimed to Takua. “I can try out for the Gukko Force!”

Tamaru’s mouth pursed. “The bright-appeal I will never understand.”

“You’re just jealous,” Afa beamed. He looked again at Takua. “I’ve heard that Tamaru is afraid of heights! Can you believe that?”

Tamaru laughed. “I’d much rather live in an underground village like Onu-Koro!”

“I like it up here in the trees. It’s very peaceful.”

Matau chuckled, again situated on his recliner. Gesturing to Takua, he now spoke. “You must hard-search for the uptree with the stone-loot. I’ve heard that a strange tree nearby may provide the answer to the location of the Toa Lewa Stone. Search wisely, and may Lewa look out for you!”

✴        ✴        ✴

As Takua passed through the village, he spotted a Matoran in the colors of the village Treekeepers running toward him.

“Lewa be praised!” he exclaimed. “Thanks for getting those Vuata Maca Tree crystals, Takua.”

“Don’t mention it,” Takua said, handing the crystals over. “Just one question. If these crystals are so important, how are they so easy to steal?”

The Treekeeper frowned. “They are so easy to steal because stealing them has until recently been an absurdity.”

“How so?”

“See the energy that radiates from it,” the Treekeeper said, directing Takua over to where the shriveled plant rested. “The Vuata Maca Tree in each Koro sustains not merely the village, but much of the Wahi that surrounds it. For Makuta to attack the Vuata Maca, it would risk irreparable damage to the environment.”

“So? Wouldn’t that help him?”

“Not if it means the destruction of his legions,” the Treekeeper replied. “The Rahi under his rule need the Vuata Maca’s wellbeing just as much as we do. That’s why the Vuata Maca Trees were raised where they can spread their radiance furthest… places that happen to be vulnerable. For Makuta to strike directly at the island itself… it’s unthinkable.”

“So what’s changed?”

The Treekeeper shrugged. The two Matoran regarded each other for a few moments before both looking at the Vuata Maca Tree, already looking healthier and stronger.

Is it possible… that Makuta has grown desperate? Takua thought. But why? Running out of resources? Running out of… time? But what could cause that?

✴        ✴        ✴

With the help of another Matoran, Takua learned another tip.

“There is a mechanical tree nearby that is missing its gears.”

Armed with this information, Takua knew what he was looking for when he found it: a set of slots for four mechanical gears integrated into the side of a tree trunk in the southern portion of the Kumu Forest.

Takua scrambled off the roots and surveyed the surrounding trees. They were easy enough to find, fortunately, although at seemingly every turn, lime-purple Electric Bugs scurried out to zap him with the jolts jumping between their long antennae. Finding the gears hidden in the nearby trees, he fitted the gears together in the proper order, allowing the mechanism to open.

The first sight that met Takua were silver-red Kuna Bog Snakes which leaped out of the slot and swiped at him with their large jaws and swiped with their stinger tales. With a frown, Takua activated the Kau Kau Staff, and a few swipes with the buzzsaw were enough to drive them away.

Satisfied, Takua returned to the tree. There lay the Air Toa Stone, hidden so long ago yet still glowing a light green. Takua returned to Le-Koro with the stone. Upon his return, Turaga Matau greeted him in the customary manner Takua was now accustomed to.

“Thank you for getting our Toa Stone back! You are now free to go to the next village.”

His work complete, he crossed the island’s regional border into the snowy expanses and mountains of Ko-Wahi.