Onwae, Mowak, and Tuma ran up on me like three wild animals on the hunt.

"There you are, Kai!" Onwae panted. "We've been looking all over for you."

Tuma nodded, wiping sweat from his face. "What are you two doing taking a nap? We need to get going!"

Mowak shrugged. "Go. Stay. Doesn't make any difference to me."

I pointed a thumb over my shoulder. "The old bear is resting," I replied, over his abruptive snores. "And I'm not going to wake him."

Tuma's face wrinkled and his face reddened. He snapped, "And why not?"

I smiled at my guardian, proudly. "Because he worked all night and deserves a rest."

"Worked?" Tuma looked between us then glared at Panchu. "He rested while we did all the work ... don't think we didn't notice."

Onwae found my eyes, "it was him. Panch, who delivered us all those fish, wasn't it Kai?"

I nodded. "Worked all night while we all rested. That's a large task to hunt for close to fifty people."

Mowak and Tuma's eyes grew and sparkled. Mowak wore a crooked grin and said, "Looks like you misjudged him."

Tuma raised a fist at her and snapped, "I didn't misjduge him. I just ... don't like his attitude, that's all."

Onwae giggled. "You know, Tuma, your temper is worse than his is."

The boys head shook and he bit his tongue. "Remember what the wise woman said." He whispered. "Remember what the wise woman said." He closed his eyes and took a breath. "You're right. Panchu did a good thing."

"And because he did a good thing we should let him rest."

Tuma grumbled, "he should be hibernating in his totem ..."

"Enough, Tuma." I said, waving a hand. "Let him be. Panchu and I will stay behind and catch up with you all at mid mountain village."

Tuma nodded and looked at the girls. "You heard him. Let's get going."

"I'm not going anywhere," Onwae said, twiddling her thumbs. "Sapphire and I will stay with Kai and Panchu."

She gave me one of her warm smiles and I gave her one of mine. "Appreciate it."

Mowak plopped down on a log and kicked her moccasins up on another.

"Come on, Mowak." Tuma waved. "We have to catch up with the others.

She stretched her arms and yawned. "I think I'll take a little nap myself."

Tuma's lip quivered. "But ... we have to get going."

Mowak crossed her arms and pressed her chin against her chest, eyelids pinched. "Why? I'd rather stay with Onwae and Kai then be with that bunch. Especially the chief's daughter, Meeka. She's become a real pain since becoming a shaman."

"That settles it. We will stay and you can go ahead with the group."

"Alone?" Tuma right lip sunk.

"You've got Sqakron."

Tuma rubbed the back of his head. "I guess I do ... but ... but we're a party ... and a party sticks together." He plopped down next to Mowak. "So I'm staying put. beside, you need somebody with my prowess to stand guard."

Mowak said hollowly, "oh, whatever would we do without you ..."

Tuma raised his fist, "Shut it, you!"

Onwae giggled and I chuckled as we sat together, leaning our backs against each other.

"I guess we can take a nap too."

Onwae grinned, "Mmhmm!"

It was a loud, long roar that made me open my eyes, grab my spear, and jump to my feet. Onwae, Mowak, and Tuma rubbed the sleep from their eyes, sitting up.

Onwae asked, "What was that?"

Panch guffawed, "finally you triblings have awoken. For a moment I thought you were all hibernating."

I looked to the old bear and yawned into a grin. "You're awake."

"Good thing too." He said, looking around the forest. "Don't you triblings know a thing about survival? There always needs to be somebody on the lookout."

We all glared at Tuma. He shrugged. "What?"

"I thought you said you were going to stand guard ..."

He yawned and brushed the dirt from his robe. "We'll everybody else was sleeping ... Seemed like it was the thing to do."

"Silly, boy." Panchu shook his head then looked up at me. "You should never leave that one in charge of our lives."

Tuma crossed his arms and scowled. "What do you know ..."

Panchu turned his snout downward. "I know that while we were sleeping, something came into this camp."

We all followed his gaze. Several tracks were around us. All with five oval pad prints, five claw prints, and one larger, oddly shaped pad print. I knelt down and touched the dirt.

"Still warm …"

"They were here recently, alright." Panchu said, bringing his snout upward and drawing in a long breath. "I can still smell them."

"What is that?" Tuma narrowed his eyes. "Wolf or cougar prints?"

Mowak rolled her eyes, "have you ever tracked anything other than your next meal?" Tuma raised an eyebrow. "Whatever beast made these prints has five toes. No common wolf or cougar can make that track. They all have four toes. This was obviously made by a guardian or a grim."

"And by the smell of it, it was a sly as a fox." Panchu grumbled. He drew his eyes eastward. "I sense something else … Come on … we must make haste."

We gathered are things, then found the trail that led to Mid Mountain. It didn't take us long to catch the ashy scent in the air, one that Panch smelt long before we had.

Onwae pointed to the great orange and red light that flickered in the tree. "There," she pointed. "Over there! I see it!"

"Fire." I said, clutching my spear harder. I moved my legs quicker. "Come on!"

The four of us sprinted down the windy trail, leaping over logs, and dodging around trees and under limbs. We slid in the dirt, feeling the heat of the wild flames.

I raised my arm to shield my face. "We're cut off ..." I looked around the passage of the cave. "The fire has completely engulfed the entrance."

Panchu looked around then brought his snout down towards the dirt where pebbled, red stones rested in a pile. "Here."

I knelt down and scooped them up, bringing them to my nostrils. I smelt the foul, ashy scent coming off them. "Fire runes ..."

Tuma's jaw dropped. "You mean somebody started the fire?"

"Probably Meeka if I had a guess." Mowak replied. "She doesn't seem very fond of Kai and Panchu."

"Really?" The old bear asked with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "I thought she was warming up to me."

"No." I shook my head. "You've just gotten too close to that fire, that's all."

Onwae rubbed her chin. "Doesn't Meeka have a three-tailed fox as her guardian?"

Mowak nodded. "She does ..."

"Why would she do such thing? We were all friends not too long ago."

Tuma squeezed a fist until his hand turned red. "I'll get her! Wait until she see mine and Sqakrons wrath!"

Suddenly a purple orb shot from Tuma's neck and hit the ground, forming into scales, wings, feathers, and a beak. The creature screeched. Gobble. Gobble. "Did you call, master?"

We all blinked at the dragon rooster several times.

Tuma's cheeks twitched. "What are you doing out? I didn't call upon you!"

The cocktrice fidgeted right then left, corking his head sideways to gaze upon Tuma with his left eye. "No call?"

Tuma shook. "No!"

"Intolerable." Gobble. Gobble. "Intolerable."

We all chuckled. Tuma's face reddened, looking to erupt. He yanked the rooster-head totem from his neck. "Retreat!"

The Cocktrice nodded. "Sure thing, master. But first ..." Gobble. Gobble. "Do you got any seed?"

Tuma raised his hand and dropped them. "unbelievable ... I said retreat!"

Sqakron screeched. "I can't sleep on an empty stomach!"

"I don't have time for this!"

"Just give him some seed, Tuma." Onwae said, kneeling down and scratching below the creatures beak. She smiled when he cooed. "If it helps, you should give it to him."

Tuma shook his head. "I'm his master ... he needs to listen to me!"

I rubbed my forehead. "Tuma, just give the bird the seed ... we have bigger problems to deal with, like putting out this fire."

"Fine." He swore, burying his hand in his robe, then littered the ground with tiny yellow seeds. "Are you happy?"

Panchu shook his snout. "No."

"I wasn't talking to you, abandoner ..."

Panchu glared at Tuma then turned his eyes on me. "What I meant was, no, we can't put out this fire ... It's a rune fire ..."

Tuma shrugged, "so ..."

Onwae nodded. "Rune fires burn much hotter and longer than natural fires ..."

"Meaning?"

Mowak sighed. "Meaning you need a water rune to put it out ... and last I checked, none of us are carrying any water runes, nor know how to use them to enchant our guardians."

Tuma fell to his knee, lip trembling. "You mean to tell me we are stuck here?"

Sqakron pecked the ground a few more times, then scurried over to the boy, coiling himself up on his lap. He looked upward. "You ok, master?"

"Do I look ok?" Tuma snapped. The cocks eyes corked, one up, one down. "I'm sorry ... I'm not mad at you." Tuma pat the creature's head.

Panchu's voice boomed. "Stop giving up so easily. Kai, I told you I know a quicker way to Spirit Ridge. We just need to go down and through the mountain."

Onwae's bit her lip. "Down and through mount Korba? We can't!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"My father mined runes from these mountains ... but it did not come without it's hardships."

"What kind of hardships?"

"The kind with fangs and claws." Onwae lowered her eyes, fiddling her thumbs nervously. "There's an angry spirit that lives within the mountain who'll kill any and all who enter the lower passages."

Panchu nodded. "Yes. But if you know how to navigate them without disruption, it’ll save a full day.”

“And how do you know?” Tuma asked, looking to him suspiciously. Sqakron gave the old bear the same look. “Is that where you go to hibernate?”

Panchu guffawed, rising his lips to reveal his fangs. “Kawah and I roamed these caves in search for the spirit that resides there … but we never could find him.”

I asked, “how come?”

The old bear shrugged and said, “we couldn’t figure out how to bait him out … we tried meat, and to drive him out with smoke and noise, but nothing seemed to bother him.”

Onwae pondered. “I wonder why it’d attack the miners?”

Mohawk leaned against a tree. “Maybe it didn’t like the sound of the pickaxe’s driving into the stone.”

“Could be.”

Tuma crossed his legs. “I’m not going in there … sounds too dangerous.”

“So what?” I shook my head. “You’re going to wait here until the rune fire dies down? That could be a week … and I’m not waiting here with you.”

Onwae replied. “Me neither.”

Tuma glanced over at Mowak as she spat. “All of you are going in there?”

Mowak grinned, and rubbed her head. “Why not? If the creature does come out, we could capture it.” She snickered. “Something as fierce as that would make a great addition to my team.”

“I’m sure it would,” Tuma grumbled. “You’d like anything that brings fear to others.” He sighed, then held out his totem. “Sqakron, retreat!”

“Yes, master!” The creature shrieked, glowing vibrant purple. And in a blur, drew back into the totem. Tuma snapped the totem to the leather around his neck. “I’m ready, I guess.”

We found our way back a mile to where the original trail spilt. The second path was hidden by overgrowth. Fortunately, Panchu could see even being blind as a bat. Together we ascended down the hillside, through switch back after switch back, until we reached the lowest part of the forest. There waiting was the black mouth of the cave. The wind howling through it, making a sound that reminded me of some feral beast.

“We have to go in there?” Tuma asked, trying to stand tall. He raised his fist. “Well, whatever is in there is going to have to take on my guardian and I. So it best stay hidden!”

“Careful, now.” Mowak snickered. “The spirit might have a liking for chicken.”

Tuma’s face reddened and he spat, “He’s not a chicken … he's cockatrice!”

“Whatever you say …”

Onwae narrowed her eyes. “I can’t see a thing … Oh, I know!” She pulled the butterfly totem from her neck. “Sapphire, awaken!” A bright blue light burst from the totem. The butterfly formed and glided in a circle, flapping softly only a few feet away from her tamer. Onwae grinned. “Please, be our light, while Panchu is our guide.”

“Bright idea,” I winked.

Onwae batted her eyes while her cheeks grew red as roses. “I thought you’d like that.”

We ascended into the mouth. An icy draft brushed against our skin and we shivered. Panchu shook unphased. The further we sank into the stoney abyss, the darker, and tighter the cave became. Narrowing around us. The air thickened with each breath.

“How long does it take to cross?” Tuma asked, staying within Sapphire’s light. It seemed to bring him less fear. “I’m not afraid or anything … just want to know for the sake of the girls.”

Onwae raised her hand and giggled.

Mowak rolled her eyes, “I feel safer already …”

I tried to keep from chuckling but it slipped and I didn’t fight it. Even the old bear guffawed once or twice. We came to a halt at a three-way fork in the cave. Panchu raised his snout and took three drawn breaths. He turned right then left.

“This way …”

Tuma raised his nose and sniffed. “Are you certain? I don’t smell anything.”

“You best hope so,” Panchu grumbled, “because your stink might be throwing my senses off. And if that were to happen, I may lead us to the creature's lair.”

Tuma brought his nose to his chest. “I washed this morning.”

Mowak snickered, eyeing him coldly. “Seems shades stink is still lingering. But I think it helps your body odor reek.”

“Body odor!”

He lunged and I grabbed him by the chest, wrapping my arms tightly. He flailed his arms and legs. “Let me at her! Let me at her!”

“Calm,” I gasped, “down.”

Mowak placed a hand on her hip and waved the other. “Let him come.”

“Let me go! I can take her!”

“I’m doing this for your own protection!”

Tuma eased and his weight became less burdeness. He stood up and looked into my eyes. “You don’t think I can take her?”

I shook my head. “I know you can’t. Remember what happened last time? She threw you on the ground in less than a second.”

His face twisted. “That was a long time ago!”

Onwae giggled. “That was just last month."

“And I’ve improved since then.”

Sapphire brought her eyes upon him. “Would you like me to put him to sleep, Lady Onwae? It may make it easier to just carry him the whole way.”

“Nobody is carrying me!”

“I second that,” Panchu grinned. “We can put him on my quill.”

“Keep talking, you, and Sqakron and I'll make a rug out of you—”

Buh-cock! The dragon rooster formed. “Did you call, master?”

Tuma smacked his forehead. “You’re only supposed to come out when I say awaken, you dumb bird!” He clenched his hands into fists and shook. “Retreat!”

“Whatever you say, master.” The rooster nodded. “But first … you got any seed?”

“Fine,” Tuma buried his hand into his pocket. He frowned. “I’m all out …”

“Intolerable.” Gobble. Gobble. “Intolerable.” The creature's head pivoted from side to side, watching his hand. “I can’t sleep without some seed.”

“I just gave you some before we got in here!”

“But I need some every time before I rest.” Gobble. Gobble. Buh-cock! “It’s the only way I can sleep.”

Sapphire glided over. “I can put him to sleep.”

Panchu nodded, “that’d be real helpful, Lady beautifly.”

Onwae raised her hand, “Wait!”

Tiny blue sparkling dust cropped over Sqakron. He blinked twice, his eyes spun then stopped. The cocktrice dropped like a sack of potatoes.

Tuma fell to his knees. “You’ve killed him! That winged pest killed him!”

“He’s not dead.” Onwae promised. “He’s only sleeping.”

Panchu said, “now only if we can make the boy sleep.”

Sapphire spun in the air. “I can arrange that.”

“Enough!” I raised my spear then tapped it three times. Their eyes all fell upon me. “No more of this nonsense … we need to get out of this cave and if we’re going to do it we need to do it together —”

Sunlight passed through an opening in the roof, drawing to the back of the cave wall. A golden-orange orb slowly raised from the darkness. Bright as the morning sun, casting light at them all.

They threw up their arms.

"What is that?" Tuma stuttered. "Is that the evil spirit?"

"No" Onwae said, shaking her head. "That looks to be a spirit orb. Maybe one of the tribe miners who was killed by the creature. It must be stuck in here and can't return to the life force."

Sqakron's head shifted from side-to-side as he fought his eyes open. Both blinked wildly and out of sync. He turned his beak towards the glowing orb, tilted his head, then raised his beak into the air.

Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo!

Mowak pressed her hands to her ears. "Why's he's doing that?"

Tuma shrugged, "I don't know …"

I pointed at the orb, "he thinks it's the rising sun!"

Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo!

"Quiet you dumb rooster!" Tuma said, smacking him on the head. Sqakron shook his head and continued his morning call. Tuma's face reddened. "Retreat! I said retreat—"

From deep within the cave came a mighty, shrieking roar that rattled the walls and the ground.

Shade pointed her head down the right path and sniffed the air. "Whatever you've awoken stinks …"

"You're one to talk," Tuma gumbled, pinching Sqakrons beak closed.

Sapphire glided over. "I can put him back to sleep!"

"It's coming," I whispered, "we've awoken the cave spirit."

Panchu glanced up at the orb then looked at Onwae. "You said the miners were attacked here by the creature when they were mining?"

"Mmhmm." Onwae nodded. "Why?"

"Do you remember if they brought roosters with them?"

She rubbed chin and looked upon Sqakron. The creature kicked and pulled, trying to break free from Tuma's grip. "Settle down!" He screamed.

Onwae eyes brightened. "They did … they brought roosters to wake them up in the morning before the sun rose."

"That's it!" Panch looked upon us all. "When we came here we could never bait out the creature … but it's the roosters call that awakens him from his slumber … the roosters call is the bait."

Tuma's lips sunk, "but he's not a rooster … he's a cocktrice—"

Swakron yanked free, Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo! Cock-a-doodle-doo—

Tuma snatched his beak shut.

A second roar shook the cave sending dirt and pebbles trickling down the wall.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

And then the ground rumbled as our bones rattled. The fear within growing on each boom!