Madgy raised his snout and looked eastward, deciding that the nearest colony was somewhere in the thicket off in that direction. Off trail, everything was even more overgrown, making it near impossible to know which direction was which. And the deeper we ventured, the more overgrown it became. Blocking out the sun and causing shadows to spawn when normally they'd be hiding at this time.

Even with the robe on, branches found a way to mark my flesh. Leaving red gashes across the top of my skin like somebody dragged their fingernails across it. It didn't sting much. It was just more of an annoyance than anything.

The trail snaked down and down into a herd of trees with enormous trunks, weathered bark, that told of its age, and rose high as the eyes could make out. I squinted trying to find the top, but it was hidden by the oversized limbs that staggered to the tippy top.

Madgy closed his eyes and took a long breath. "We're close … You see these trees here? They're ancient trees of the forest. Beneath them, in soils of the earth is where they reside … we just have to find their cavern entrance."

Tykka raised his eyes. "These trees are enormous. What if the grubs are bigger here?"

Madgy winced while he laughed. "Not a chance. I've hunted in the woods for nearly a hundred years."

"You're that old?" Tykka eyebrows raised.

"Older," he nodded, "though I feel as scrappy as ever. Anywho. Like I said, the Queen is what you have to worry about. She's as large as I am."

Panchu rolled his eyes. "Don't lie to the tribling, badge … you're no good at it. You as well as I do know that you bound to him because time was running out for you."

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Madgy teeth rattled. He wrinkled his snout, "don't be speaking nonsense in the ears of my shaman or I'll have to give you a whippin like I had done in the good-ol-days."

I raised an eyebrow. "But I thought Guardians can never die."

"We can't." Panchu said confidently. "But that doesn't mean we don't age. And if we get too old we become weaker spirits … but if we become too old we become something else entirely."

"What?"

"Ancients." Madgy grimaced. "The shepards of The Great Spirit himself."

An ancient?

I heard of them before but never had seen one. And as far as I knew, nobody in our village had either. They were supposedly the largest and the strongest of the ancients. Ones taller than the trees who were to be the shepards of the lands.

"Some spirits want to be Ancients. Others failed to do the will of The Great Spirit." Panchu stared at me intensely. "But as one you're a slave to The Great Spirit … until he too has fallen."

"So it's true." I mumbled. "Even a God can die."

Panchu nodded, "yes. And I have heard in the wind, the songs of the birds, and the whispers of the forests that The Great Spirits time is coming. And many of the Spirits are fighting to become the next one."

Madgy's voice weakened. "And if a grim or a beast is chosen … then the world can be covered in darkness like the Age of the Black Forest.

"Mmhmm." Panchu nodded. "A grizzly time indeed."

Tykka raised his ear. "I've heard of that … when the world was covered in dead, black trees. And nothing grew cause the ground was like tar."

"Things grew … dark things … like the grim and the beast spirits." Madgy rattled his teeth. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. "So the guardians had to fight … had to come together and kill The Great Dark Spirit. And killed we had." He stared off like he'd seen those days. His lips sunk. "And there is still an evil out there that wants to blacken the world once more, but this time, for the last time." He moved his snout from left to right, taking a breath. Gazing east, he said, "this way!"

We roamed eastward around the enormous, ancient, until we came to one with twice the girth as the others. A tree that'd seen centuries of seasons. And would see centuries more. At the base was a breach that was black and surrounded by roots thick as my body. How deep the cavern went was anybody's guess, but I wasn't waiting to find out. I sensed the darkness. And the hairs on my neck stood.

"We have to go down there," Tykka's voice trembled. I was thankful he'd done the asking. "Maybe that's not a good idea."

"Man up, Shaman." Madgy heckled. "You're going to have to face your fears one day." Panchu and I looked at him curiously. "The boy doesn't like the dark."

Tykka shook his head. "It's not that I don't like the dark … I just don't like what resides within the dark."

“There’s no time to worry about that now,” Panchu said, “we’ve got company.”

I drew my eyes over to the tree. Four slimy, pale bodies that were as long as the limb of trees scooted from the breach. Red-rounded eyes on their heads. And several red nubs, at least two dozen, made up their feet. They scooted out of the darkness. Arching and stretching their bodies. Two enormous mandibles snapping beneath their eyes.

“Do they have four queens?” Tykka asked.

Madgy shook his head. “Nope. Those are just patrol grubs.” He blinked and squinted. “Never seen them so big …”

“I’d say,” Boy gulped. “They’re the size of you.”

Madgy nodded. “This might be a bit more difficult than first anticipated.”

“Nah!” Panchu shook his head. “I’ll take two, you can take one, and the boys can manage the other. Right Kai?”

I clutched my spear, “I guess … yes.”

“Wait … what?" Tykka shook his head. “That’s not how Spirit Shaman fight. We are to command the guardians.”

“It doesn’t always work like that, kid.” Madgy snapped. “And you’re not fighting shaman … you’re fighting grubs … creatures that are just trying to survive.”

Panchu nodded. “Right.”

One of the grubs whipped at the other. “Did you hear that?” It’s mandibles snapped. “There’s something out there.”

The four creatures stretched half their elongated bodies, weaving from side to side, looking in our direction.

“There’s nothing out there.”

“Ya … you’re just hearing things … get back to work.” One of them snapped. “The Queen wants to make sure everything is ready for the wendigo’s ceremony.”

We looked amongst each other. “What do they mean by that?”

Panchu turned his head. “Seems these grubs have aligned with our friend Xukai.”

“Good thing we’ve learned that now.” I replied. “Taking care of the Queen benefits us even more.”

Tykka's brows furrowed. “If they’re aligned with that creature then not even darkness can stop me.”

Madgy’s lips curled. “That’s the spirit—”

Tykka stomped out from his hiding place, rolling up his sleeves. He pointed his badger totem staff. “Hey! Grubs … I’ve got a bone to pick with you.”

“What is he doing?” Madgy snapped. “These shaman these days know nothing about the element of surprise …”

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“Look there!” One of the grubs snapped. “I told you I sensed something.”

Panchu sighed. “We’ll … looks like we’ll have to go out and help him.”

The grubs Mandible's snapped together as they moved towards the boy. Inching. Not very fast, but they didn’t look like they were trying to get too close.

“Now!” One of them said. “Silk string!”

All four of them elongated their bodies and tilted their heads. From a red mark on their foreheads shot a white string. It hit the boy. He screamed, “help!” as his limbs began to stick to his torso.

Panchu looked at me. “You’re going to have to take one by yourself.” I nodded feeling my heart beat like a war drum. "They are distracted. We still have the element of surprise. Attack!”

Together we bursted from the bushes. Roaring. Hissing. Yelling. The old bear and badgers fangs out, and my spear tip readied. We charged. The grubs rounded eyes grew. They halted their string attacks and turned towards us. Boy collapsed, tangled.

“There!” One snapped. “There’s more of them—”

They were too slow to respond. And we were much too quick on our assault. Panchu leaped between all four, drawing their attention. Madgy grabbed one from the rear, whipping his head back and forth. His fangs tearing into the squishy flesh, white goop poured out. I speared the one next to it. They both raised their heads and snapped their mandibles. When they turned them on us, lunging our way, I rolled then found my feet. The creature dove head first into a stone. Dazed, I leaped up then drove my spearhead downward. It pierced through the shell of the grubs head, finding dirt on the other side.

I turned to Madgy, who was devouring his own: head, mandibles, and everything. Panchu took his paws and slammed the other two grubs heads together with enough force to have them explode. Red shell, sticky string, and white goope covered the earth. Afterward he too feasted.

I grimaced watching them take chunk after chunk into their mouth. “Disgusting …”

Panchu guffawed, “that’s cause you’ve never tried it, kid.” He pointed his snout. It was covered in the white goope. “Go on. Help yourself.”

I gagged. “I’ll pass, thank you.”

“A little help, please?” Tykka fought the sticky webbing, but the more he fought the more his body contoured; his heels at his butt, and his arms behind his back. “This really hurts …”

“I’m coming.” I said, ripping my spear from the grubs head. The carcass rolled into a ring, lifeless.

I stood over Tykka and began slashing right and then left. Each hack removed the binds around him. It only took a minute to get through them, and after a few tugs, the boy was freed. It took another twenty to get the webbing off, and by that time the grubs were gone, and Panchu and Madgy’s bellies were full. They laid on their backs, paws up, grinning.

“That was sure good eaten,” Madgy said, licking the last of the goope from his snout.

Panchu belched. “I’ll say … the best I’d had in years.”

They both let out a snarling laugh then bumped paws.

I frowned. “So glad you’ve all enjoyed yourselves, but we’ve got work to finish. If you’ve forgotten, Juk is about to become a statue and Meeka is about to become bound to a grim.”

They both shrugged and laughed, pounding paws once more. I drove the flat end into their bellies hard enough to make them both glare and growl.

“Get up!”

“Kai, we need thirty minutes,” Panchu said. “It’s not good to battle on a full stomach.”

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Madgy wrinkled his snout. “I agree.”

“Well you should’ve thought about that before you both indulged … there will be plenty of grub eating if you do as you’re told. Now get up and let's go.”

Panchu and Madgy rolled onto their bellies, both groaning like the old beast they were. Tykka came behind us as the four of us looked down into the blackness wondering what awaits.

"How're we going to see in there?"

"We badgers are nocturnal." Madgy said, lips curled. "I'll lead the way!"

"That doesn't help us though." Tykka replied, pulling a red runestone from his satchel. "But we have this."

I raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do with that?"

"Ignite Madgy, of course." He grinned. "He can stay in spirit form and lighten our path."

Both the old bear and badger shook their heads. "Not a good idea," Panchu said.

"Light will draw the grubs to us," Madgy replied. "It'll also drain your spirit energy, and while in spirit form I cannot be of any use. Only in flesh form can we Guardians attack."

Panchu nodded his head several times. "What he said."

I sighed, knowing I'd have to be the voice of reason. "We have no other choice. We have no torches or a lantern to light our way. We'll have to do this and take our chances."

"But they're already low on Spirit Energy," Panchu whispered for only my ears. "If we drain them, who will we have to fight the Queen, and worse, the Wendigo when it comes to it? Me."

"Enough!" Tykka's furrowed his eyebrows. "I respect your guardians opinion, but this is the only way. We waste too much time in discussion. We need to take action. And if this is the wrong course, it'll fall upon me."

"But it is the wrong course," Madgy snapped. "Don't let what happened to your brother anger you and be your downfall—"

"Stop! Don't speak of him," Tykka's eyes watered and voice trembled. "I command you into Spirit Form!"

Madgy looked up at Panchu who shook his head, defiant as ever. Madgy sighed then looked at Tykku and said, "this will be your funeral."

In a flash, the bader's flesh and fur became a green energy, still shaped like the beast. The runestone in Tykka's hand burst into a fiery orb. Boy drew his arm back then forward. In a flash of flames and vibrant red light, the spirit guardian stood a vibrant, flaming red and orange.

Madgy floated an inch off the ground. Legs dangling. Then took the lead, illuminating everything in a ten foot perimeter. He flew to the breach below the giant tree. The light chasing away shadows. He floated there for a second then turned and looked upon us.

Tykka said, "he wants us to follow him. Let's go."

"I didn't hear him say anything …"

"That's because he's in spirit form." Tykka tapped a digit to his temple. "But we can still communicate through here … our mind."

Panchu nodded at me "Same thing happens when you're in Spirit Focus. That's how we communicated in the caves. Remember?"

"I do."

We passed through the threshold between the outside and the cave beneath the tree. The tunnels were rounded as the grubs, and large enough to fit a second Panchu inside. Normally the cave's I'd been in were damp and cool, but my skin was greeted by a warm, thick air that reeked of earthy pus. I gagged, trying to keep whatever was in my stomach inside.

The three of us hung a little back from Madgy to keep our eyes from the bright light he was expelling. And I kept my hand raised to shield my eyes, helping me to see much better. Patrols of grubs came and went through the tunnels. Everytime they did, we ducked into a side cave or between roots, using Panchu's enormous frame to conceal Madgy as he glowed.

“Where are we going?” Panchu asked. “There are too many tunnels we can go down.”

“No, Madgy.” Tykka shook his head. “We need your light.”

I asked, “what’d he say?”

“That he wants to return to flesh form … he thinks it’s the only way we’ll find the queen.”

Panchu nodded, “he is the only one with the snout for it.”

“I agree. You enchanted him with a fire rune. How long will it last while he’s in flesh form?”

“The enchantment can last for hours in spirit form.” Tyjka said, looking upon the badger. “In flesh form, only a couple of minutes.”

“We must be getting close.” Panchu said sternly. He looked down the cave. “I can smell something.”

Tykka lowered his head, defeated. He looked to Madgy. “Flesh form.”

In a blink, the badger was flesh and fur again. An aura of fire around him, though no heat was expelling off of his body. He looked between all of us as his lips curled downward. “Looks like I’m going to have to do all the heavy lifting here.”

Panchu guffawed, “good thing too … my belly is as full as it can get.”

“Mine is too.” Madgy snapped. “I need a nap after this. Our spirit energy is too low.”

Tykka yawned and rubbed his eyes, “this is no time to talk about sleep.”

“No matter what, don’t use Madgy’s enchantment. You’ll use up all your energy. Only claws and teeth.” I said. “Do you understand?”

Panchu nodded, “The boy does make a point.”

Madgy looked to Tykka curiously. “I think he’s right … no matter how sticky things get, don’t cast a fire spell. Let the enchantment burn out.”

Tykka looked between our faces then took a step down the tunnel. “Sure,” He frowned. “Whatever you all say.”

When he was out of ears reach, Madgy said softly, “the boy’s been through a lot, losing his brother and all. Be patient with him.”

Boy’s voice echoed, “Are you all coming or not?”

Madgy’s eyes drooped. “Very patient …”

“Seems like you two are a great fit.” Panchu guffawed. “Both angry and both unwilling to use your heads.”

Madgy’s snout wrinkled, “don’t get me mad, Panchu. Best you shut up before I make you, yet again.”

He followed after the boy. Panchu and I tailed him. “What do you mean by that?”

“He never told you?” Madgy winced and laughed. “The time I whipped him? That was before we was friends …”

“I was only a cub then,” Panchu sighed. “And you didn’t whip mem”

“Don’t lie to your boy. You were whipped. Got what was coming to you too. A well deserved whipping.” He curled his lips displaying his fangs. “One I’d be happy to give you again.”

“I’m much bigger and you’re much older.” Panchu contested. “It’ll be a much different brawl this time.”

Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. “I'm just as ferocious as I was when I was young. Don’t test me old bear. I warn you.”

I raised an eyebrow, “what happened?”

“Nothing that doesn’t concern you.”

“It don’t,” Madgy nodded, “but it’s sure funny to tell … you see, back in the day Panchu believed he was the toughest guardian in all of the forest. Even greater than the three-eyed eagle.”

“I’ve always been stronger than that bird …”

“Quiet!” Madgy snapped at the old bear. “Can’t you see I am trying to tell a story?” He rattled his teeth. “Anywho, Panchu threw around his weight to anything that looked at him the wrong way, expanding his territory, defeating one beast spirit after another.”

I glanced over at the old bear and he made certain not to catch my eyes.

“But then he came to my territory, bared his fangs, and bullied me into a fight.” He winced with laughter, wiping his eyes with a paw. “It didn’t take long for him to be running the other way.”

“If I recall, I knocked you over twice.”

Madgy rattled his teeth laughing. “You knocked me over once when I tripped over a log backing up, but even then I regained my footing.” He curled his lips and showed his fangs. “It only took a few hisses, and to charge you without any fear, and you were off scampering in the bush.” He whispered at me. “You see, bears can be mean and scary, but if you act big, mean and scarier they tend to retreat.” Tsk. Tsk. Tsk.

“Enough of this,” Tykka said, waving his hands. “I’ve found something.”

Panchu, Madgy, and I ran over to him. We stayed hidden behind a pile of dirt, gazing down into the cavern. It opened up into a large cavern with several entrances. At the center of the cavern were hundreds of white pulsing eggs. Glowing. Throbbing. Slushing. Black creatures moving inside.

“It’s the nest,” I said, squinting my eyes. "We found it."