The Mask of Power: Stump Smash Crosses the Bone Dragon #6 (Skylanders Universe)

The Mask of Power: Stump Smash Crosses the Bone Dragon #6 (Skylanders Universe)

Stump Smash to the rescue! Stump Smash Crosses the Bone Dragon is the sixth book in the ongoing Mask of Power series of illustrated original novels set in the Skylanders universe. These all-new stories feature favorite characters from all the Skylanders video games. In this installment, Stump Smash must lead the Skylanders on a journey that begins in the Giggling Forest and ends with a terrifying battle against an angry dragon. Onk Beakman has devoted his life to chronicling the greatest adventures of the Skylanders. Though he was hatched on the icy wastes of Skylands’s Frozen Desert, this book-loving penguin now lives in a shack on the beautiful sands of Blistering Beach with his two pet cucumbers. Chapter One: Missing   Stump Smash was having a bad day. All the Skylanders were. It was a day they thought would never happen. Could never happen.   Master Eon had disappeared.   No, it was more serious than that. Master Eon had been kidnapped—spirited away by agents of Kaos, their archenemy and the wickedest soul Skylands had ever produced. The Skylanders had no idea where Master Eon had been taken. They weren’t even sure how it had happened—although they had some very nasty suspicions.   As he stomped through the echoing corridors of the Eternal Archive, Stump Smash replayed the events in his mind. The Skylanders had been searching for the eight Elemental fragments of an ancient weapon known as the Mask of Power. They were still a little unsure what the Mask of Power actually did, although legend suggested it could make its wearer all-powerful. Kaos was also searching for the fragments, and had managed to get his evil little hands on the Tech piece already. Fortunately, the Skylanders had beaten him to four of the other fragments, guided by the Book of Power and Other Utterly Terrifying Stuff (Vol. 3).   The book was held right here in the Eternal Archive. Or, at least, it used to be.   The book had gone missing, along with Master Eon. Only a Portal Master could read its pages. A Portal Master like Master Eon. Or Kaos.   At least Kaos hadn’t managed to reach the fragments that the Skylanders had already collected, thought Stump Smash as he strode through the archive’s vast vaults. The Water, Air, Earth, and Undead pieces were safely locked away. Nothing could get them.   “What do you mean Kaos got to them?” Spyro the dragon spluttered as Stump rounded a corner.   Spyro was standing openmouthed, staring at a large robotic figure in disbelief. Chief Curator Wiggleworth was a Warrior Librarian, the protector of thousands of powerful books here in the archive. Like all Warrior Librarians, he was an imposing figure, towering over Spyro in a suit of gleaming mechanical armor. At the heart of the suit squirmed Wiggleworth’s true form, a tiny and incredibly old bookworm who was also one of Master Eon’s most trusted friends.   “I don’t know what’s happened,” Wiggleworth said. “No one should have been able to open the vault except Squirmgrub or me—”   “Squirmgrub,” rumbled Stump Smash, interrupting the conversation. “The Warrior Librarian you assigned to help us guard the fragments.”   Wiggleworth’s head drooped.   Squirmgrub had been one of the curator’s most trusted librarians, until he was revealed to be an agent of Kaos. He had spirited Master Eon away to goodness-knows-where and stolen the fragments of the mask for his dark master.   “He was a traitor,” Spyro growled. “A double agent.”   Stump Smash had never seen Spyro look so angry. The purple dragon was many things. Adventurous, yes. Impulsive, definitely. But he always kept his temper in check. Unlike Stump himself.   This time was different. Spyro’s red eyes were burning with rage.   “Don’t you see, Wiggleworth?” Spyro said. “This means Kaos now has five of the eight fragments.” The dragon turned toward the open safe. “We should never have stored them here. We should have taken them to Master Eon’s citadel. They would have been protected there.”   The curator shrugged, his mechanical shoulders whirring. “But Master Eon said . . .”   “Master Eon is gone,” Spyro snapped, whirling around. “Because of you!”   Stump Smash raised his mallet-like fists, trying to calm the situation. “Spyro, this isn’t helping . . .”   The dragon turned on the Life Skylander. “But we let him down, Stump. We let Master Eon get captured.”   “We didn’t even know he was in danger,” Stump insisted.   “We should have! We’re Skylanders. We protect Skylands. That’s what we do!”   “That’s what we were doing,” Stump reminded him. “We were busy, and Kaos struck—but we’ll find Master Eon. I promise.”   Spyro took a deep breath, his raised scales relaxing slightly. “I know,” he said finally, nodding. “Have we heard from the others?”   Stump Smash wished he was bringing good news. He shook his trunk. “Lightning Rod and Zoo Lou are searching Fantasm Forest. Scratch and Flashwing are on their way to Molekin Mine.”   Spyro sighed. “It’s