“Gali — Toa of Water”

The waters lifted her, carrying her along in a soft current of warmth. She didn’t know who or where she was, but she knew she belonged here in the calm, cool blue of the sea. That was perhaps the only thing she knew for sure.

That and her name: Gali.

But I can’t just float here forever, she reminded herself. She opened her eyes and ducked beneath the waves. I have things to do. If only I knew what they were…

She had no certain memories, but many uncertain ones — fragments of thoughts and images. There was urgency in those fragments, though some of them hinted at peace as well. Especially one, an endless sea of calm waters surrounding an island, embracing it and soothing its hills…

Gali kicked swiftly forward with her flipperlike feet. Her hooked arms cut through the water, and the ridged edges on her blue mask sent bubbly ripples out to the sides as she swam. The sea around her was full of life, but Gali felt strangely alone.

As she swam past a forest of drifting algae, she felt a shivering tremor radiate through the water. A brightly colored eel raced past her. A couple seconds later, several schools of fish followed, seeking refuge among the jagged crevices of the ocean floor.

Gali paused and stared in the direction the creatures had come. What had frightened them?

More fish rushed past her in a panic, along with several crabs and snails and even a small shark. Gali pushed forward, swimming against the tide of fleeing sea creatures.

A large coral reef blocked her view of whatever lay beyond. As she swam around it, Gali saw a gigantic creature barreling toward her. The water churned around its vicious-looking snout as its long, powerful arms pulled it forward toward Gali faster and faster.

Gali gasped. She had no idea what the monster might be, but she could see why the other creatures had fled. The predator wore a dingy-looking, ugly mask over its triangular face, and its gleaming red eyes were ruthless and savage.

There was no time to outswim the huge creature — it was already too close. For a fraction of a second Gali thought of using the coral reef for protection, but she’d have hated to imagine what might happen if the monster followed her. But she couldn’t stand to imagine the creature crashing through the delicate structures, destroying the living coral.

Gali let her instincts take over. Pushing off of the coral, she bulleted through the water off to one side. Then she shot toward the surface, her strong, flipper-shaped feet propelling her faster and faster. When she broke through the water, she extended her arms, not sure why she was doing so.

She felt the waters gather and respond to her call. As the giant sea creature burst to the surface a short distance away, an enormous wave formed around her. Her vicious pursuer leaped forward, but she forced herself to wait, and just rely on the water.

A second later, the creature’s teeth clanged together, but its victim was gone from where it had been a moment before. The tidal wave rocketed Gali away toward the shore, faster than any creature could swim. Gali smiled, relishing the salty sprinkle on her mask and limbs as the waters carried her to safety. “So this is what I am meant to do”, she thought. “I am here to command the seas. But for what purpose? I must find out more!”

A few minutes later, Gali shook herself dry as she stepped out of the surf onto the beach. She stood there for a moment, looking around, strangely reluctant to leave the water. Her blue body, which so perfectly blended in with the water, stood out on land. She felt exposed and uncertain.

She glanced across the beach. A thick, dripping jungle began where the sands left off, and Gali started for it. The humidity of the place reached out, beckoning to her, and she could not resist its call.

The jungle was teeming with life, just as the sea. When Gali closed her eyes, she could almost feel the living creatures surrounding her. The trees, the animals, the birds, insects, even the earth itself.

This place is full of life, of the joy to live, Gali thought. And still…

She frowned, trying to catch a feeling that’s been eluding her. The dark, dangerous flow of… something. Like that vibration she had felt before the sea predator appeared, yet different. What could it be?

She closed her eyes, took deep breaths, trying to lure this feeling out of the air. But suddenly, a faint wind surrounded her, diverting her attention. Gali’s eyes opened wide from the surprise.

“What the heck?” she murmured, confused.

“Hey!” a voice yelled from above. “You down there! What are you?”

Gali looked up to see someone sitting on a thin branch right over her head. He almost looked like her but his body was a tad leaner, and his mask green just like the being itself.

“I am Gali,” she shouted at the stranger. “That’s all I know. Who are you?”

“Lewa,” the other answered with a brief, jingling laugh that caused the leaves around him to jitter. “At least that’s the name I gave myself, and so far no one’s had an arguequalm with it. Where did you come from? How long have you been here? What have you lookseen? How…”

Gali interrupted him, laughing. “Enough with the questions, brother,” she yelled, the remark rolling off her tongue with ease. “I can only answer one at a time. If I can at all.”

Lewa smiled. “Sorry, sister,” he said, “but I had no one to talk to since I left my village.”

“Village? What village? Where is it?”

“Overcliff in deepforest, beyond wide, pebbly roadground, after the ancient grove.” Lewa gestured slightly to the south. “It’s called Le-Koro. I think it was named after me, or me after it, I forgot to ask.”

Gali had some trouble following the odd speech. The description gave her no idea where the village her brother talked about could be. But she was excited to hear about its existence.

“Tell me about your village,” she urged. “What did you learn there?”

Lewa shrugged, crouching down on the branch to get in closer. “Oh, just the dutysense,” he said suddenly. “You know, there’s this evildoer, his name’s Makuta, who evildoes on the island.”

“Island,” muttered Gali. Another piece of the puzzle solved. “This is an island! Of course! I should have realized!”

“Anyway,” Lewa continued,” it seems there’s six of us, the Toa. We all get our strengthpowers from the masks we wear.” He got silent for long enough to touch his green mask. “And our dutytask is to find the rest of the masks, to victoryfight against this Makuta.”

Gali nodded slowly, she understood all. It fit together with what little she had recalled from her disturbing dreams. “Please, tell me more.”

“That’s all I know,” Lewa shrugged again. “Makuta stolehid the masks all over the island, and guards them with his slavemonsters. It won’t be easypie to get them all.”

“But we must,” Gali said, deep in thought. “I see. Well then, I believe it would be best if we find the others. The other Toa.”

Lewa blinked once. “Why would we?”

“What do you mean why?” Gali asked. “Didn’t you just say that our duty is to find the masks?”

“Yeah, you’re trueright,” answered Lewa. “But who said we have to seek them in a tightgroup? If we go alone, the dutyjob will be much more quickdone.”

Gali frowned, she didn’t quite understand. Why isn’t Lewa burning to find the others who resemble him? Doesn’t he have the same heart as her?

“Perhaps you’re right,” she said. “But perhaps not. To me, it seems like our task is to find the others. Then, when we have found them, our path will be clearer.”

Lewa nodded impatiently. “I thinkguess so,” he said. “But it could be a big timewaste that hinders us in seekfinding the masks.”

“Who said we can’t do it either way?” Gali smiled at him reassuringly.” Right?”

“I thinkguess so,” Lewa repeated. He sighed. “Okay then, honeytongue. Let’s jointtravel for a while, and we’ll see how it goes. Deal?”

“Deal,” Gali replied. “Which direction were you headed?”

Lewa pointed up and north. “You can’t see it from here, only leaftop,” he said. “But that way there’s a snowbigmountain. My leafbrothers told a mythtale that there’s many masks hidden on the iceslopes.”

“Ice?” Gali shivered, she didn’t like the sound of that word. But she nodded. “Then let’s go.”

They cut through the jungle. Lewa was leading the way, jumping from branch to branch. Gali was wading through the wet ground below the trees.

“You can’t fastwalk in that splashwater,” Lewa remarked after a few minutes. “Come up here toptree.”

“You mean I should jump among the trees like an overgrown bird?” Gali asked. “No thanks.”

“Why are you spitetalking this planthought?” argued Lewa, grinning. “You think you can legsprint faster than I can vineswing?”

“Only one way to find out,” Gali shot back. “The last one to reach that rotted tree trunk over there has to do a handstand in the swamp.”

“Prepare for sorryfailure, sister,” Lewa shouted. “I won’t be getting hairwet.”

Gali held back a smile as Lewa sprang forward, swinging from tree to tree with new-found strength. She didn’t bother trying to keep up with Lewa, who was somersaulting his way to the tree trunk.

This small, lively, green stranger is unpredictable, Gali thought, though he was to her liking. What could the other Toa be like? she wondered. Will she ever find them?