A calm and emptiness that was soon broken by the sounds of the Training School's door opening and closing, and the sound of little feet approaching his position. He opened his eyes to see a young blue Kacheek standing before him, dressed in the traditional clothing of a trainee.

"I'm here for my training, Master Ryshu," the Kacheek said, giving a bow as she did so.

"I'm glad you have come, young Trena," Ryshu said, standing and giving a bow of his own. "Did you bring the codestones needed to take the class?"

In response, Trena reached into her pockets and pulled out three tan coloured stones with different markings and held them up. Ryshu gently took the stones and walked over to a chest, where he temporarily kept them for safekeeping. But he suddenly stopped, and held up the stones individually.

"Is there a problem, Master Ryshu?" the Kacheek asked

"There could be," Ryshu answered. You see, one of these codestones is..."

"Is that some sort of new fighting technique, Master Ryshu?" the Kacheek asked sceptically.

"No. A counterfeit is a fake. A forgery of sorts. Not a new fighting technique" Ryshu deadpanned.

Ryshu took a few steps towards the archway, where several other students were diligently training. A sense of despair clouded his thoughts, and Ryshu now scratched his head, taking a moment to reflect on the recent change of events.

"I'm afraid... I'm afraid there is a ring of trouble-makers supplying these counterfeit codestones to unsuspecting students such as yourself." Ryshu huffed out in frustration.

"But, I- I had no idea any of these codestones were fake!" the Kacheek yelled out nervously.

Now some of the students were beginning to notice. Ryshu had to act quickly. He had to protect his students from finding out the truth. He took the Kacheek's hand and began walking to the armoury.

"Hey, wait a minute! Master Ryshu? Where are we going?" the Kacheek inquired, yanking her hand free.

The Nimmo stopped in his tracks and turned to face the Kacheek. Where there was once trepidation was now a different type of feeling, one of adventure and excitement. The sun beat down steadily as the two stared at one another.

"Why, we're going to start your training." Ryshu began to smile. "Now quickly! We need to stop by the armoury to retrieve a few tools."

"So you're going to train me! Even though I don't have enough codestones? But why? How!" the Kacheek stammered, now following the Nimmo intently.

"I'm trusting you to keep this a secret..." the Nimmo began. "If a counterfeit codestone was to be thrown into the Volcano, it could result in a catastrophe affecting not only the Training School but the entire Mystery Island..."

Ryshu took a moment to steal a glance at the steam billowing from the mountaintops nearby. He had to put an end to this before the situation got out of hand.

"That's why... You- You're going to help me track down the Neopets responsible for this." Ryshu explained, now firmly grasping the counterfeit codestone in his hand.

"You're going to help me track them down, and I'm going to stop them from bringing ruin to the school and this island!" Ryshu said triumphantly as the Nimmo's grip tightened and in a split of the second, the codestone was reduced to rubble.

The Kacheek nodded in agreement, completely fired up and determined to try her best. Ryshu began walking again, stopping after a few moments to peel back a few leaves hiding the entryway to the armoury. The Kacheek's jaw dropped in amazement as the armoury sparkled in the mid-day sun.

As the Kacheek continued to gawk at the assortment of weapons on display, Ryshu took out a key from his robe. "Now tell me...have you ever heard the story of how I found the Golden Orb?" Ryshu smiled cheekily.

“Erm, yes, sure.” Ryshu agreed with Kacheek’s telling of the story, choosing not to correct the embellished parts.

“But what does that have to do with counterfeit codestones?” “Cannibal Village is the heart of Mystery Island. The natives there worship Mumbo Pango, who oversees everything that happens on this island. Nothing happens that Mumbo Pango doesn’t know about. We find Cannibal Village and Mumbo Pango, we find out the source of our counterfeit codestones.”

“But surely you know the way, Master Ryshu? After all, you had to go there once to get the Golden Orb.”

Master Ryshu contemplated the Kacheek’s question. “After I obtained the Golden Orb, and returned it, the natives felt their village and culture was compromised. Not huge fans of outsiders. They moved to a new location, and I haven’t been able to find them since. Until now…

"W-what? Why? I can't I'm just a-" the Kacheek spluttered.

"I will not be able to go with you because they know who I am. Don't worry, I will give you proper training and materials first." the Nimmo smiled kindly but the smile never reached his eyes. "I must warn you. This journey will be long and hard and unlike anything you have ever encountered. It is not what you signed up for, I know. Do you wish to continue forward?"

Trena stood there, hesitant. Ryshu watched her eyes flicker around uncertainly as she weighed her choices. The black eyes darted back and forth a final time before closing and reopening with a newfound fire blazing inside.

"I wish to continue." Trena stated. "When do I start training?"

"Immediately. I will teach you everything, including learning their culture. You will need to infiltrate the natives and act as one of their own in order to retrieve the information from Mumbo Pango."

“We will start with some brief readings,” he said, determinedly. “I will have you read the first five pages of Kacheeks Going Island. I’m certain that some of the natives will be Kacheeks and it is vital that you establish your first connections with them. Then, let’s take a look together at some of Mystery Island Jungle Lore. It has essential information on the customs and traditions of the Islanders. They will take to you so much more if you can demonstrate that you know about their culture. Finally, I’ll tell you all there is to know from my days with Mumbo Pango. There are no biographies of him but the Underwater Chef’s memoirs will be invaluable to your quest.”

Trena looked down, incredulously, as Ryshu seemed to conjure these books out of thin air. She knew the first one, in particular, was highly valuable indeed. She was also in awe of how much Ryshu seemed to inherently know how to use her abilities to their advantage. In no time at all, she was equipped with knowledge about Island Kacheeks (even ones living in the Lost City of Geraptiku!), legends of places she only thought she knew like the imposing Techo Mountain, and Mumbo Pango’s appetite for exquisite food. She could even hula dance decently well! As soon as she had this thought, Rhyshu interjected.

“There’s just one more thing, young Kacheek…”

"For the Pango Tribe, their mask is their soul. It reveals more about the wearer than a face could ever show." Ryshu continued, tracing a finger along the design. "Tell me Trena what do you see here?"

Trena inspected the mask, contemplated, then explained, "The Chrysanberry blue along the eyes represents clarity, the Roseatte red around the nose represents tranquillity, and the Tetraberry purple on the cheeks represents health."

"Notice anything else...?" Rhyshu leaned in, smiling.

"Was this... made for me?" She looked at her Master, an apprehensive excitement bubbling up.

Rhyshu grinned wide, nodding just once. "Very perceptive! You must have a good teacher!"

"Master! This is a wonderful gift! I'll treasure it!"

"Congratulations on reaching rank Adept. You are going to need those keen eyes for your quest." Rhyshu said proudly, though his smile faded.

"What's wrong Master?" Trena asked, holding her mask close to her chest.

Rhyshu opened his mouth briefly, then put on a smile. "Although I am confident you are more than capable of investigating on your own, I am sorry I cannot accompany you. The task of inspecting the rest of the codestones for counterfeits is my responsibility."

"You have quite the eye too Master! Finding a counterfeit among all those real ones!" Trena smiled.

"Right you are young Trena!" Rhyshu's real smile sprung up, "And Mumbo Pango too for that matter! You are going to have to utilize all the training I have taught you over the year. Stealth, speed, perception! All of these skills will be put to the test!"

"I'm ready!" Trena exclaimed, raising her mask above her head.

"I know you are." Rhyshu bowed.

Trena straightened up, bowing to her Master, the weight of her quest on her shoulders and the anticipation to prove herself raising her up.

With one last smile she lowered her mask, taking her small bag of supplies, and headed towards the heart of Mystery Island, Techo Mountain...

She felt utterly lost, as though Master Ryshu had chosen the wrong student for such an important task and her pace slowed while nervousness took over the courage she had when she started the journey.

However, through the noises of the jungle, there was something more that Trena seemed to pick up on. A faint but distinct chanting that suddenly returned the young Kacheek's fire to continue forward. Her steps became more deliberate as she fixed her mask and continue forward.

The chanting began to pick up and all of a sudden, she could finally see the outskirts of a village hidden by the trees and a celebration happening with all of the villagers where they sang, danced and ate.

She had to be discreet, work her way into the celebration to find more and that plan would've worked if there hadn't been someone ten feet away near where Trina was near the trees.

"Who are you?" The voice called out, putting Trina on the spot to think fast.

How will this story end?

"Ah, a tribal relative! Welcome, welcome! It is not often we get to meet our relatives from across the sea. Come and greet our deity, Mumbo Pango. He is always glad to see one of our distant cousins."

Trena breathed a mental sigh of relief. So far, so good.

They entered the village, the Guard in front and Trena following close behind. They approached an impressive looking hut which stood on the far side of the village. It obviously belonged to an important personage; it was considerably larger than any of the others and occupied a prime spot which afforded it some privacy. The Guard instructed Trena to wait outside while he went in to announce her to Mumbo Pango, and after a few long moments, he bade her to enter the hut. Taking a deep breath she then did so.

Mumbo Pango sat impressively upon a bamboo throne, massive in size and bedecked in Island flowers. Trena bowed low, and waited for Mumbo Pango to speak first.

"My guard tells me you hale from off-island," he said in a booming voice. "Why are you here?"

Trena repeated the story she had told the guard. Mumbo Pango considered this information in silence for a moment, then beckoned the guard to him. He whispered something in the guard's ear and then dismissed them both with a wave of his hand.

"Begone!" he cried, and Trena felt her heart drop. Had she been caught?

The guard took Trena outside the hut and led her to a smaller hut which stood some distance away. He instructed her to wait and then disappeared inside the hut for a moment. When he reappeared he was carrying a small bag in one hand. He handed this to her with a flourish and indicated that she should look inside. She did so - and her mouth dropped open in surprise. Slowly she withdrew a codestone and a postcard from within; looking casually at the stone she saw it was a counterfeit.

"Success!" she thought...and then looked at the card.

"Congratulations on completing your mission," it read, "you did a fine job! Keep this codestone as a reminder of what you have accomplished - and also as a reminder that sometimes things are not always what they seem." It was signed "Master Ryshu."

Trena frowned. The guard noticed her confusion and indicated she should look at the stone very carefully. Trena turned it over in her hands and examined the reverse side. For the first time, she noticed stamped on the back,

"Souvenir of Mystery Island"

She looked at the guard, uncomprehendingly - and when he removed his mask she saw Master Ryshu looking at her with a huge smile on his face. He patted Trena companionably on the shoulder.

"Next week we'll start yoga lessons, my young apprentice. I think it will make a nice change from subterfuge."

The End,