Chapter Four

Not exactly knowing how he was to travel to the villages, nor how many villages there were, Takua decided to head back to Po-Wahi by boat. Once there, he started toward the mountain along the stone path I had not yet taken.

The path was uneventful. The sands of Po-Wahi soon gave way to the rocks of the mountain. Eventually, he reached the entrance to a tunnel. Two large crab-like creatures were there along with their attendant. Seeing Takua, he took a reed out of his mouth and winked.

“Howdy, Traveler. Need a Crab to Onu-Koro? Awful dark in there, but Puku knows the way. I heard there’s another Ussal race coming up. Make sure you catch it if you’re in town.”

“What race?” Takua asked.

“The Ussal Crabs are strong and loyal,” he began. “They help us with many things here, from mining to transportation, but mostly racing. I’m usually at the track, but with all the problems these days, there isn’t much time for it.”

As they spoke, one of the crabs was chirping happily and brushing against Takua’s hand. The attendant grinned and gestured at it, putting the reed back in his mouth. “Someone seems to have taken a liking to you… Puku.”

“Who is Puku?” Takua inquired.

“Puku’s a retired racing crab, used to belong to none other than Onepu himself. Took the title three times with him. She’s a bit long in the tooth now, but still fast!”

“What is Onu-Koro?” Takua wondered aloud.

“Onu-Koro is the great undercity of Onu-Wahi, where the mines sink as deep as Mount Ihu is tall! The wise Whenua rules here.”

Takua nodded. A fast companion who knew the way seemed like a very good idea, and Puku seemed fond of him already. Takua said, “Goodbye,” saddled up and soon they were off down the long, dark tunnel.

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They reached the city quickly. Puku was indeed still fast. There were many huts here in the darkness, lit only by the occasional torch or candle. A guard was posted here at the entrance. He had a large disc strapped to his back, and he saluted at Takua as he passed.

The nearest hut was one of the brightest, and Takua eagerly went over, poking his head in the door. It seemed to be a stable, for an array of Ussal Crabs were housed inside. Someone was tending to them. “You there! Fetch those saddles!” he ordered an attendant. “And we need more Discs. Step to it!”

Catching sight of Takua, he shook his head. “Try to stay out of the way, Traveler. We’re organizing a patrol. With all the lights out in Onu-Koro, the Rahi have stepped up their raids. Take care when traveling in the deep mines and tunnels—the Kofo-Jaga can appear at any time. Battling them takes special skill.”

“Who are you?” Takua asked.

“Onepu, at your service,” he replied with a slight bow and the ghost of a grin. “I am the Captain of the famous Onu-Matoran Ussalry Regiment, Champion of Ussal Racing, and Special Aide of Whenua, our great Turaga.”

“What are Kofo-Jaga?”

“They are small creatures,” he frowned, “but incredibly fierce and cunning… they attack by surprise, and always in large numbers. They shun bright light and use darkness and fear as weapons. Their nests are scattered throughout the Underworld, and woe betide the miner who breaks through to one! Usually, Whenua uses his special drill to detect these nests before they are opened, but he has been busy and the miners have been desperate to find more protodermis veins.”

Worried, Takua shifted on his feet, “How do I battle the Kofo-Jaga?”

“The Regiment depends on its gallant steeds, and a healthy supply of Discs, when fighting the Kofo-Jaga,” Onepu replied. “The darkness gives the Makuta’s minions strength. It’s good to have a Lightstone with you, if you can find one.”

Takua thanked Onepu for his help and then told him goodbye. The captain caught sight of Puku in the door behind the Chronicler and nodded up at her. “May your Crab ride swift and true!” he said as Takua exited.

Takua wandered among the huts, trying to find one belonging to Whenua. From the village square, the vendors of a large market bustled with activity. A Ga-Matoran shouted, “Fresh fish! Imported from Ga-Koro! Get your fresh fish here!”

“Statuettes! Souvenirs! Excellent Po-Matoran craftsmanship!” came a Po-Matoran voice.

Then, rising above the other voices was a Ta-Matoran: “Torches! Don’t be left in the dark! Ta-Matoran made!”

After crossing through the market, he came across a large hut with a shrine in front that reminded him of the one he’d seen in Ta-Koro. Perhaps Whenua was here. He began to enter the hut, but the sounds of a loud conversation were already drifting out.

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“Turaga,” began a purple fellow with the large disc strapped to his back, “the mining guilds have hit an underground rock layer that they cannot break through. We fear the protodermis will run out if we cannot continue our digging!”

“How far does it run?” asks one with the staff that looks like a drill. Though he was more diminutive than any of the Turaga Takua had met, he guessed this was almost certainly Whenua.

“Shaft 3 and Shaft 8 have ceased protodermis mining because they cannot break through this rock layer,” replied the purple fellow.

“That’s the entire mining area!” Whenua exclaimed.

“Yes, Turaga,” the purple fellow replied. “For all we know, the strata extends beneath all of Mata Nui, except perhaps the Mangai volcano.”

“Are you certain there is no soft spot to dig through, Captain?” asked Whenua.

“We’ve been over every inch of the surface,” replied the Captain. “There are no fractures, no fault lines, nothing!”

“How much remains of the surface deposits?”

The Captain looked down at his feet. “They are running out. We may have to look elsewhere for more protodermis. Like Ta-Wahi, or Po-Wahi.”

“What is this layer made out of?” asked the Turaga.

“Our prospectors believe it to be rock, but it has higher organic levels than any mineral composite we’ve seen.”

“Organic?” Whenua seemed surprised.

“Yes,” the Captain affirmed. “It seems to have more in common with an Ussal Crab shell than any normal stone strata.”

“Strange. I wonder what we will find if we break through?” wondered Whenua.

The Captain seemed eager to press his point. “Turaga, I must have more men and more machines if we are to know. You must allocate more resources to the mining guilds!”

“Captain, I am doing everything I can,” replied Whenua. “No one wants to see the protodermis run out. But Onu-Koro has many problems right now.”

As if waiting for the opportunity to jump in, one of the other attendees piped up. “Without a fresh supply of Lightstones, we cannot light the digging site.”

“Have you been able to continue the tunneling at all?” Whenua asked, turning to him.

“Yes, but we are working at about 25 percent capacity. It is too dark down there to work safely!” complained the miner.

“The Le-Koro Highway must be completed soon,” Whenua insisted. “We need safe passage between the villages.”

“Turaga, we cannot ask our workers to continue under these conditions!” exclaimed the worker.

“Taipu says he can dig by torchlight, without difficulty,” stated Whenua.

“Taipu is very stubborn, and strong,” said the miner. “But he is slow even when he has a team of diggers to help him. One Matoran cannot dig a tunnel to Le-Koro!”

“Foreman,” said Whenua resignedly, “until we can repair the flood damage, there is little I can do.”

“You can give us more Matoran, and more equipment!” pleaded the Foreman. “The Guilds and the Traders have extra. We can use those!”

“They do not have extra,” Whenua corrected. “And how would it help if they did?”

“The air is bad because of the torches, and the Rahi attack frequently because of the darkness,” stated the Foreman. “If we had more workers, we could alternate teams before they get ill. We could put more guards on duty.”

“Foreman, I understand the problems you are facing,” Whenua commiserated. “I am doing everything in my power to get you the help you need. But you must be patient.”

The Foreman reluctantly quieted, but now the third attendee facing Whenua stepped forward brashly. “Turaga Whenua, I will not tolerate this kind of delay! The Trade Guilds have contracts with four of Po-Koro’s most influential artists.”

“I understand that,” growled Whenua, “and I am doing everything I can.”

“Protodermis production is stopped,” complained the tradesman. “Stonemasons are slowed by the darkness. And half the shipments were lost to Rahi attacks!”

“Ta-Matoran torches are being used to light the stone quarries now,” Whenua explained patiently. “Those deliveries will be made.”

“The Kofo-Jaga are not afraid of torchlight,” the tradesman insisted. “And what of the protodermis? The Po-Matoran cannot trade stone for nothing!”

“The Mine Captains are working to break through this rock layer. Until then there is little we can do.”

“They make goods from the protodermis. Without it they cannot trade for stone! We will lose that market.” The tradesman was clearly concerned.

Whenua was less so. “There are other markets,” he said.

The tradesman pressed on. “And what of the Le-Koro highway? It was to be finished months ago. My caravans refuse to travel to the south until it is complete!”

“The Le-Matoran will have to come trade at our market until it is finished,” offered Whenua.

“They try, Turaga!” exclaimed the tradesman. He is now quite agitated. “But they can no more come north than we can go south!”

“Perhaps the sea is a better route,” pondered Whenua.

“There are even more dangerous Rahi in the waters than on land!” the tradesman complained. “What of Onua? Is he doing nothing to help Onu-Koro?”

“Onua did not descend from the heavens to help your profits, Guildmaster.” It was Whenua who is agitated now. “He is pursuing a great quest that may yet save us all.”

The Guildmaster was not dissuaded. “I demand that more attention be paid to the needs of the Trade Guilds! The Great Market is Onu-Koro’s most valuable asset!”

“Guildmaster,” began Whenua wearily, “I will speak with Onepu. Perhaps he can spare an escort for your caravans until the Highway is complete.”

With the Turaga’s hands full, Takua decided he would make his introduction later.

Beyond Whenua’s hut was another tunnel. Outside the tunnel was a map with three symbols upon it: a flame, a Lightstone, and three wavy lines. Intrigued by the wavy lines, Takua heads up that path first.

To his surprise, the tunnel dead-ends quickly. There were miners here hard at work. One of them was throwing all his strength and energy against the wall as he tunneled, and Takua wondered if this was Taipu, of whom Whenua spoke earlier.

“It’s hard to dig when there is no light. But Onepu says I have to try,” he says enthusiastically. “Someday we will reach Le-Koro.” He nodded at Takua. “If Rahi attack the site, traveler, stay near me. I will protect you.”

“Why are you digging?” asked Takua.

“We are building a highway to the village of Le-Koro,” Taipu replied. “Whenua says I’m the strongest of the Onu-Matoran, so I am leading the way.”

“What is Le-Koro?” asked Takua.

“It is a village in the south, where the Le-Matoran live in trees. I have never been there. Onepu says there are tall, pretty forests, and huts built in the sky! Onepu says the Le-Matoran are great musicians, too, and play music all day long from the treetops.”

Curious at the repeated mentions of Onepu, Takua asked, “Who is Onepu?”

“Onepu is my best friend in Onu-Koro,” Taipu beamed. “He is very smart and knows a lot about Ussal Crab racing and fighting Rahi. He is supposed to be digging, too, but he showed me how I can do both of our digging at the same time. THAT’S how smart he is!”

Takua was surprised at the peculiar arrangement, and he would have to inquire about it later. Still, perhaps greater light will help the miners. Takua said, “Goodbye,” and quickly headed back up the tunnel, in the direction of the Lightstone carving he had seen on the map earlier.

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The tunnel was very dark, even with his Lightstone held out in front of him. Takua inched forward in the darkness cautiously. Finally, he saw a light ahead of him. It was a Lightstone marking the fork in the tunnel. Recalling the map, he decided to follow the left path.

Two flickering torches marked the entrance to the Lightstones mine. He wandered in a distance until he met up with some of the miners. Evidently there had been some sort of disaster here. There was lava flowing everywhere out of the pipes and onto the floor.

The miner to his right, who was holding a large key, looked miserably at Takua. “Better steer clear of this area, traveler. There’s a runaway lava flow that burst from Ta-Koro. No way to get to the Lightstone mines until it’s rerouted.”

On his left, one of the miners spoke to another. “We lost a bunch of drilling equipment when that flow burst. It’s all stuck on the other side of the firelake! If only we could get across!”

How can you cross lava? Takua wondered to himself. Is such a thing possible?

He gasped. Taking the backpack from his back, he pulled out the long, narrow Lava surfboard. I must know how to surf across the lava if I have a Lava surfboard, he thought to himself. Right?

There was only one way to find out. Before he could change his mind, he threw it down into the lava and made a running jump for it.

It was an exhilarating ride as he glided across the top of the lava. Fortunately, just when he was about to lose all momentum, he arrived at the other side of the lava pool.

There was a pump here, but it clearly was not working. Takua took a closer look. Only a few of the buttons were lit up. He needed to somehow get all of the buttons to light. He began pressing a few buttons to see what happened, and after some time, he figured it out. Before long, all of the buttons were lit and the pump sprang to life.

As the lava started flowing through the pump, the valves on the leaking pipes began to close until no more lava was flowing into the hallway. Soon, the lava had receded and the miner with the key ambled over.

“Leave it to a Lava-licker,” he grinned, unlocking the Lightstone mine. As he unsealed the chamber, the sight before Takua took his breath away.

It was a room unlike any he had ever seen. It was like a million stars lighting up the night sky, only the sky was made of rock and the stars were made of glowing stone. The prospector quickly arrived, surveying the room while the miners set to work.

“Great work, stranger!” rumbled the prospector. “There’s a lot of folks in Onu-Koro who will be glad you found a way to the Lightstones. The Lightstone deposits in this cave will keep Onu-Koro lit for a long time. Pretty sure they’ll keep the Rahi back, too.”

Delighted at the affirmation, Takua made his way back to a now much-brighter Onu-Koro. The miners were rapidly taking Lightstones from the mine and distributing them among the village and tunnels. Remembering what had been said in Whenua’s meeting, Takua decided to head into the Great Mine, to see what troubles persisted there.

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The tunnel was long and dark, and Takua was amazed at the amount of work that had gone into making the mine. Where only a few idle Ussal Crabs and abandoned equipment had been before, all was now abuzz with activity thanks to the Lightstones. One miner sat on top of a large cart, and as Takua hurried through, he accidentally knocked the cart causing the miner to fall in. The miner’s head popped out, and as he climbed back out, he shouted, “Hey!”

The traveler sheepishly apologized and hurried along. At the end of the tunnel, Takua spotted someone surveying the mine near an elevator shaft. Taking one look at the Chronicler, he asked, “Have you brought word from Whenua? Has he figured out how to get through this rock layer?”

“What word from Whenua?”

“The Mining Captains have been trying to get Whenua to give us more workers and machines. If we don’t find a way through this rock, there won’t be any more protodermis.”

Sensing that the miner’s temper was starting to flare, Takua directed the topic away. “What rock layer?” he asked.

“At the bottom of Shaft B; the elevator goes down there,” the other Matoran replied. “Onu-Koro’s had real problems since we hit this strata. Can’t dig through it or blast it. Not even Onua could claw through it; it’s just too strong.”

“Who are you?” the Chronicler asked.

“I’m the Chief Prospector for Mine Shaft 8,” the miner replied. “We dig for protodermis and stone here.”

“Then would you mind if I went down there?” asked Takua. “Took a look myself?”

The Chief Prospector nodded. “Look out for Rahi in the tunnels! It’s dark down here!” he warned. “Take care when traveling in the deep mines and tunnels; the Kofo-Jagas can appear at any time. Battling them takes special skill.”

Takua thanked him and said, “Goodbye.” Riding the elevator down to the bottom of Shaft B, he was eager to take a look for himself at this mysteriously impenetrable rock layer.

The elevator has but one control — a lever which Takua grabbed and pulled down. The descent was uneventful, but he had not realized just how deep the shaft went. At the bottom, he stepped out of the elevator and saw someone pondering the ground in the distance.

Takua moved closer. This had to be the layer everyone was talking about. All around it were broken and shattered tools.

“Who are you?” Takua asked quickly.

“I’m a prospector for the Mining Guild,” the Matoran said. “We’re trying to figure out how to get through this rock layer and mine more protodermis and stone.”

“This strange disk?”

“Yes, the one on the ground over there,” the prospector replied. “It’s covered with strange symbols. We have no idea how it came to be here, buried so far underground, and sunk into this hard rock. It’s very mysterious. That strange disk on the ground is the only feature this rock layer has. I’m not sure what it is.”

He knelt and moved his fingers along the carving. “They look like astrological symbols…” murmured the miner. “If I knew an astrologer, I’d sure have a few questions for him!” He looked at Takua. “Hey, do you know any Astrologers by any chance?”

“I know an astrologer!”

“You do? Great!” the prospector exclaimed, jumping to his feet. He hurried over to a stone tablet and hurriedly scribbled an engraving in it. “Take this message and deliver it. I’ve sketched out this disk. Maybe your friend can figure out if it means anything important.”

Takua wasted no time. After saying, “Goodbye,” he set out.”

✴        ✴        ✴

“Strange…” the Astrologer said, bringing the carving to her charts. “A prospector found this in Onu-Koro? Underground? Who would build a sundial underground? Perhaps there was an earthquake, and it fell beneath the earth…”

She peered closely, studying the sketch. “Yes, this is an ancient sundial, used many ages ago. I am certain that its purpose has been completely forgotten. The strange thing about it is that it has an indicator at 4 o’clock. No other sundials have this marking. I have always been curious as to why.”

The astrologer turned and picked a long, angular piece of metal off the table and gave it to Takua. “Take this gnomon and see if it fits in the center of the sundial. You see, I found it in the foothills of Mount Ihu a long time ago, and since then have been looking for the sundial to which it belongs. You may have found it for me! If it is in a cave, then we may not ever find out what happened every day at four. Unless you have some way to fake sunlight underground!”

Takua took the gnomon and placed it in his backpack. As he rode the boat and walked the paths, he was pensive the whole way. He almost didn’t notice as Midak greeted him. “Howdy, Traveler. Heard you fixed up that problem they were having with the Lightstone mines. Nice job. Take Puku if you need a ride! I think she likes you.”

“Perfect,” Takua said, mounting. “I have to move fast anyway.”

Puku moved fast, and before no time he was back in Onu-Koro. There he bumped into Onepu who was coming out of the stables.

“Thanks to you, adventurer, the roads of Onu-Koro are properly lit, and a bit safer now. We could use more like you in the Ussalry!” he called.

As Takua walked the dark tunnels, and rode the elevator down to the prospector, an idea formed in his head.

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“Hello again, traveler,” the prospector murmured. “Did you find an astrologer? A friend told me there is one living in Ga-Koro. That’s a long way to go, but if it helps us understand this strange disk, it’s worth the trip. We can’t dig it, we can’t drill it, we can’t blow it up… How do we get through?!”

“I did find her,” Takua replied. As quickly as he was able, he laid out what the Ga-Matoran had told him.

“So it’s a sundial after all,” remarked the prospector. “Very odd! Who would put a sundial underground!? Well, the astrologer said something’s supposed to happen at four o’clock each day. Maybe if you can fake sunlight somehow, we can find out what!”

He frowned. “We can’t dig it, we can’t drill it, we can’t blow it up… How do we get through?!”

Takua retrieved the gnomon from his backpack and placed it at the center of the sundial. Remembering the astrologer’s words, he retrieved the Lightstone from his pack and cast its light upon the gnomon such that its shadow fell upon the number four. At first, there was no reaction but then the dial began to glow. The earth rumbled and the sundial slid away to reveal a spiral staircase descending into the depths.

“Looks like we had the right idea, stranger,” cheered the prospector. “That disk was a passage through the rock after all!”

From not far above, the Chief Prospector looks over the rail. “The Mining Guilds will long remember you, stranger! That portal opened a way through this rock layer. I’m not sure what the ancient machines inside it are, but they’re rich in protodermis.”

Takua started cautiously down the spiral stairs. At the bottom, he was amazed to see a gold mask floating in the air above a stone column, although before he could touch it he was repelled by an energy shield. As there was nothing else down here, he reluctantly headed back up the stairs.

With the village seemingly back up and running, Takua figured it was time to head out again. But before he did, he still wanted to meet the Turaga before he left. By the time the Chronicler reached his hut, the others who were in conference there previously had gone.

“Thank you, adventurer, for helping with so many of Onu-Koro’s problems!” exclaimed Whenua gratefully. “I thought the guild masters would never leave me alone! Now that I have some peace, is there anything you would ask of me?”

Just to be sure of whom he was talking to, Takua asked, “Who are you?”

“I am Whenua, Turaga of Onu-Koro,” the elder chuckled. “It is my job to keep things running smoothly around here. A hard task in these difficult times.”

“What is Onu-Koro?” the Chronicler pondered aloud, to see what Whenua thought of his village.

“Onu-Koro is the wondrous under-city of Mata Nui,” Whenua beamed. “Matoran come from near and far to trade at our great Market, and marvel at the work of our engineers. Stone dug from our quarries fuels the creations of Po-Matoran carvers. Protodermis, the stuff of life, is brought from deposits within the earth and traded amongst the Matoran. We also mine Lightstones, and many other precious resources.”

Remembering an unusual name from when Whenua was speaking with the guild masters, Takua asked, “Who is Onua?”

“Onua is the Toa of our village. He is a great hero, engaged on a quest to find the Masks of Power, which he will need to defeat the Makuta…”

With nothing left to ask, Takua said, “Goodbye,” to Whenua.

“Good luck in your travels, adventurer,” proclaimed Whenua as Takua left. “May Onua protect you.”