Chapter Three

Toa Mahri Matoro and Makuta stood over the battered mask and armor of the long-dead Toa Tuyet.

“You are insane,” said Matoro. “I won’t do what you ask.”

“I must have missed the part where I gave you a choice,” Makuta replied. “I want you to use your mask power to reanimate this corpse, and I want you to do it now.” After a moment, he added, “I could just kill you, Matoro, take the mask and do the job myself, but it’s so much more amusing this way.”

“Even if I bring her back, she won’t be able to help you recreate the Nui Stone,” insisted Matoro. “She’ll have no spirit! She’ll have no mind!”

“I have always found the minds of Toa to be vastly overrated anyway,” said Makuta. “Now get to work.”

Matoro concentrated, triggering the power of his Mask of Reanimation. He knew Makuta meant what he said — he would kill Matoro without a second thought. Beyond that, the Toa of Ice was curious to find out just what it was Makuta was up to here. Once he knew that, he could always send Tuyet back to the grave by cutting off the power of the mask.

At his feet, the Kanohi mask and armor began to move, slowly coming together. What had been a pile of junk a moment before now had taken on a form. Other pieces of armor were rising up through the layers of mud, struggling to rejoin the rest. It somehow managed to be amazing and sickening at the same time.

Slowly, the body that once belonged to Toa Tuyet rose from the floor of the Pit and stood unsteadily, waiting for commands. And that was when Matoro noticed something — incredibly tiny, almost microscopic pieces of crystal embedded in the dead Toa’s armor.

“Behold,” said Makuta. “When the Nui Stone exploded so many thousands of years ago, most of it vaporized, but some fragments survived buried in Tuyet’s armor. With these I can recreate the stone as it once was. All I need is the proper tool.”

“What tool?” asked Matoro.

“The Staff of Artakha,” answered Makuta. “And unless I am mistaken, your old friends the Toa Nuva are about to get it for me.”