Kellen and Vex limped toward the others, their feet dragging through puddles of rain glittered with the high noon sun above. Unable to believe his eyes, Kellen looked up again. There could be no mistaking the jagged rim of broken rock and the sky above, nor the total absence of the ever present storm mana that had once swirled within the totem. The Storm Horse was gone. Whether freed from her prison or vanished forever, Kellen didn’t know.

Raiqo and Skystrike were already at Shani’s side. Next to them lay the small, curled form of a purple canine pup—Inferi’s Ward form. It shivered and pushed closer against Shani, whining softly. As Kellen and Vex approached, Raiqo lifted his head and Kellen saw the severity of Shani’s injuries in his expression.

“She is not well,” he said. “If she does not find help soon, I fear she may pass on to the Great Beyond.”

Kellen reached into his pocket and felt his fingers curl around the pearl given to him by the Storm Horse. Without pausing to explain himself, he rushed to Kiypu’s side. The mummified man lay face up, mouth open in a death grimace. The rubies had fallen from his eyes and lay on the ground next to his head, making Kiypu look very much like the preserved husk of a man he was. Vex nudged Shakraa with his nose. The bird’s skeleton held together but appeared as nothing more than old bones.

“I hope this works,” Kellen muttered. He dropped the pearl in Kiypu’s mouth and sat back.

Nothing happened. Kellen hung his head, wondering if he’d lost two of his friends. His eyes closed and tears ran down his cheeks.

A terrible hacking, gagging cough caused him to look up. Kiypu bolted into a sitting position, clutching at his throat and wheezing. On the ground beside him, Shakraa gave a weak caw as her skeletal wings clattered against the rock when she waved them.

“Huh? What? Why can’t I see anything?”

Kiypu’s hands felt around until he found the rubies serving as his eyes. He popped both into place as shook his head, stretching and working his jaw around. “Little brother!” he exclaimed, seeing Kellen. Before Kellen could stop him, the mummy threw his arms around him and pulled him into a hug. Trying not to gag from the smell of wet, centuries old preserved skin, Kellen gave him a single pat in return before pulling away.

“Alive!” Shakraa cawed. “Alive!”

“Shani needs your help,” Kellen said. “She’s hurt bad.”

Groaning as he forced his old bones to stand up, Kiypu walked stiffly to the spot where Shani lay on the ground, Inferi beside her. Kiypu knelt down at once, waving a hand over her head and muttering something Kellen couldn’t make out. A warm, green light swelled in his palm and passed over Shani. The color returned to her face at once and the scowl of pain faded. Even with the scar running from eye to chin, she looked at peace for the first time since Kellen had known her.

“Just in time, I think” Kiypu said. “She will need time and rest to recover, but no damage has been done to her beast heart, thankfully.” He stood and stretched, like someone who’d just awakened from a long sleep.

“How do you feel?” Kellen asked, tentatively.

Kiypu’s ruby eyes caught Kellen and he tipped his head in what Kellen thought might be an approximation of a wink. “Better, much better, little brother. Things are… coming back to me now. It seems you’ve learned a thing or two since we last saw one another.”

“Not enough,” Kellen said. Now that he knew Shani and Kiypu were stable, the weight of his failure settled on his shoulders. “I didn’t stop the Frog Priest. The power of the totem is broken.”

He followed Kiypu, who hobbled over to the spot where the Frog Priest had fallen. In place of the body, a deep indent in the rock remained, the stone pitted like it had been melted away by acid.

“There was a portal,” Kellen began. “A white snake appeared, like a ghost. The portal pulled her in and—”

He stopped. Why did he consider the snake a she? A sudden haze filled Kellen’s mind and he swayed where he stood.

Kiypu reached out and grabbed his shoulder with a steadying hand. “It is time for a rest, I think,” he said. “There will be much time for talking and understanding later—for both of us.”

“Amen to that,” Vex said. “I feel like I could sleep for a week.”

Sensing a powerful source of storm mana overhead, Kellen raised his weary head. Winoyah levitated down toward them through the crack in the totem, her eagle Mana Beast Windwake circling in descent around her. She touched down on the ground, apparently unsurprised to see Kellen and company.

“The totem’s power is broken,” she said before anyone could offer up a recounting or explanation.

Raiqo stepped forward and bowed his head. “It is, honored Paragon. We have failed you.”

Winoyah’s electric blue eyes gazed around at each of them. “It appears you fought with your all and have slain many of those who sought to destroy this sacred place.” Her gaze fell on Kellen. “I am surprised to see you here, spirit traveler. We must have words once you have gathered your strength.”

Kellen nodded. He had quite a bit of explaining to do to.

“Are you strong enough to fly?” The Paragon asked Raiqo and Skystrike. The winged horse nodded. “I can bear them from the totem, honored Paragon.”

“Good,” Winoyah said. “Windwake will carry some as well. “Let us leave this place for now. You have earned your rest.”

Shani awoke on a pile of blankets and furs. She groaned and blinked, mind trying to sort through her disorientation. The walls of a tipi surrounded her. A fire crackled in the center of the tent though she could still see her breath misting in front of her. Lifting back the blankets, she saw someone had bandaged the cut in her leg and the stab wound in her side. Both were sore but far better than they’d been when she’d lost consciousness.

A small, purple and gray figure curled up in a nest of furs caught her eye. Her beast heart thrummed with recognition. Inferi. Or rather, Inferi at Ward strength. The small pup let out a yawn, then buried herself deeper in the furs. Shani left her alone, sensing a peace and calm about the Mana Beast she’d never experienced before.

Sensing something in her hand, Shani uncurled her clenched fist. A blood red fang flashed in her hands. As if from a great distance, she thought she heard a hungry wolf let out a forlorn howl. She tucked the fang beneath her furs and pushed it from her mind for the time being.

A moment later, the tent flap opened and Kellen’s head poked inside. Seeing Shani sitting up with nothing but a clutched blanket covering her torso, he flushed and ducked out of sight.

“Oh, for storm’s sake,” she heard Nokom mutter outside. A moment later, her grandmother pushed into the tent, followed by Tama.

“You are awake,” Nokom said, wrinkled face widening in a loving smile. Shani nodded.

Tama knelt down beside her daughter, squeezing her forearm. “I am proud of you, daughter.”

Nokom found another blanket and placed it around Shani’s shoulders. “Winter found us while you were inside the totem,” she said, then glared at the tent opening. “It is safe to come in, silly boy!”

Kellen ducked into the tent. He shook the snow from his brown hair. Their eyes met, then he looked away again, finding something of interest in the rising smoke of Shani’s fire.

“Sit down!” Nokom said, waving a hand. “You are a Guardian now. You may as well get used to the presence of a woman—dozens of unwed girls will be throwing themselves at the door to your tent, if they can get past the parents and grandmothers lined up with marriage offers.”

“What?” Kellen’s eyes widened. He looked horrified at the prospect. “I’m not getting married!”

“Bachelors for life!” Vex called from somewhere outside the tent.

Tama cleared her throat. “Perhaps we can speak of this at another time. How do you feel, Shani?”

“I will be fine,” she said. She’d meant it to sound firm but to her ears her words sounded tired and drained.

“You have slept for several days,” Tama said, her hand still resting on Shani’s arm. “If not for Kiypu’s promise, I would have thought you may never wake.”

“I was a fool,” Shani said. She let her eyes fall to her furs, ashamed to admit her mistake to the three people in the tent with her.

“Perhaps,” Nokom said. “Though I do not think any here will judge you.”

Shani raised her head and caught Kellen watching her. He gave her a small smile, which she returned with a brief nod.

“Much has happened while you were asleep,” Nokom said. “Raiqo Windstalker declared to his grandmother that you and Kellen saved his life. The Goroshu Tribe waits to honor you, Kellen and Kiypu once you have recovered.”

“We were named an honor ally of the Goroshu,” Tama said. “Our people will never want for food or safety as long as we remain guests of the Goroshu.”

“It would seem saving the life of a great tribe’s most promising young heir is not done without appreciation,” Nokom said.

Kellen cleared his throat and their attention turned to him. “I should get going,” he said. “I’m supposed to meet Kiypu this evening before dark. It will be our first time training since leaving the tower. I-I don’t want to be late.” He paused and look at Shani again, cracking a hesitant smile. “I’m glad you’re better.”

Before anyone could stop him, Kellen was gone. Nokom snorted and Tama grinned at some joke Shani did not understand.

“He has hardly left your side since the Paragon delivered you from the peak of the totem,” Nokom said, then grinned. “Except for when we changed your bandages, of course.”

Shani decided to end that line of talk before it went any further. “What will the Elders and the Paragons do now the Great Totem’s power is broken?”

Tama’s face fell into a frown. “The Paragons have called for a great council with the chiefs of the large tribes and the Beastcaller Elders. The Fire Bison are beating the drums of war against us and that they may not wait for spring.”

“There is little word from the chiefs and Elders of the outside world,” Nokom said. “Only one thing is for certain: the Thunder Plains will never be the same now the Great Horse has fallen.”