Part 129: The Underground Resistance

Main story folder & table of contents: "Return To Manitou Island" 
Previous chapter: "Part 128: Stupid Is As Stupid Does" 

PART ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE:
The Underground Resistance

THE LITTLE BALL of fur popped out of the gateway and tumbled down the slope, rolling through the grass and bumping over rocks until it slowed to a stop at the edge of the great field. It sat quivering for a minute, then slowly unrolled itself. Marten got to his feet, tottered left, tottered right, shook his head, rubbed at his ear...then promptly set off on all fours, dashing toward the Sky Tree.

"Gotta get to Glooskap! Gotta get to Glooskap!" he repeated himself, racing through the grass. He hopped over a little hillock and kept running. "Gotta get to Glooskap! Gotta bring him back! Gotta take down Malsum once and for all!"

He reached the Tree and started scampering nimbly up the trunk. As soon as he reached the lower branches he hopped from one to the next, making his way over the little bridges and past the dangling crystals. He looked around for the entry into the trunk and finally found it, dashing inside and down the hallway. "Gotta get to Geezhigo-Quae!" he panted. "Gotta bring back Glooskap!"

He stopped at every doorway he found, yet none of them seemed right. "Gotta bring back Glooskap," he muttered, pausing, then racing on again. "Gotta go to Crack-in-the-Island. Gotta find the Borderlands, gotta fight Malsum, gotta save the Island." He at last noticed a doorway that smelled different from the others, and, ears pricking, dashed toward it. He jumped up into the air and the door disappeared, and he tumbled down into the great room with the sloping floor and the cabochons set into the walls. He came to a stop at the bottom and blinked a few times, finally spotting a face looking back at him from the balcony. His eyes grew.

"Wow!" he exclaimed. "Your face is all different! And your balcony is on the ceiling!"

Geezhigo-Quae stared at him with furrowed brow, then her eyelids lowered a fraction and her ear twitched. "You are upside-down," she said.

Marten blinked again, then blushed. "Oh yeah!" He rolled over and stood up, rubbing at his ears again and patting at his cap to make sure it was still in place. He dusted his clothing off. "I came here for an important reason! Really important! I have to use the Sky Tree to get back home!"

Geezhigo-Quae frowned slightly, tilting her head. "Why you must do this--?"

Marten drew himself up to his full diminutive height. "I've gotta get Glooskap and bring him back and get him to crack the border and pass under the land!"

Silence. Geezhigo-Quae stared at him for so long that he began to fidget, then a very odd look indeed came to her face.

"Who told you he needed to do this...?" she inquired.

Marten puffed himself up again. "It was that Nixie-One fellow! You know! Messy Feathers!"

The manitou woman raised her eyebrows, then her eyelids lowered again and this time both of her ears twitched.

"Do you mean, you must bring him back, and get him to the Borderlands, beneath Crack-in-the-Island...?" she suggested.

Marten blinked. "Yeah, that's what I mean." He blinked again. "Why? What'd I say?"

She shook her head and started across the room. "Nothing...follow me, the hub room is this way."

Marten scampered along after her. They reached the room with the cabochons and doorways, and Geezhigo-Quae touched her hand to one of the crystals; it lit up green-blue, and Marten started hopping up and down as the door retreated and vanished. Through the doorway it was dark, the moon shining down on the rocky hilly land far below.

Marten jumped up into the doorway and sniffed. "Salt! That's it!" He turned back to the manitou and waved his arms. "Hold the door for me! I'll be coming back with Glooskap!"

Geezhigo-Quae rolled her eyes as he turned and hopped through. "I cannot wait," she said, as the Mikumwesu disappeared.

* * * * *

Marten ran like the wind, well, if wind moved like something small and furry. He raced down the slope and toward the pine forest, and had actually gone on for several minutes before halting abruptly and slapping a hand against his head.

"Duuhhhh!" he exclaimed. "I can take a SHORTCUT!"

He started looking about for one, and at last recognized an old fallen tree; he dug and poked around at its base, struggling to dislodge a rock, before at last revealing the little hole that he'd long ago dug beneath it. A big grin spread across his face. "Found it! This'll take me RIGHT THERE!" He hopped into the hole and scampered down the tunnel.

He had to make sure to take the right turns, as the shortcut could lead in one of various directions, and he didn't want to get lost. A few times he slowed down and mesmerized himself staring at the glowing webs on the walls before shaking himself out of it and dashing onward. He spotted a pretty pebble beside the tunnel wall and stopped to pocket it before running on his way. He noticed a new crack in the ceiling and puzzled over how much it looked like a face, before scurrying along. By the time that he at last reached the familiar sea caves, a while had passed, though he had no idea how long, and he started glancing around.

"Glooskap! Glooskap!" he cried, running from cave to cave. "Where are you? Glooskap! It's important! GLOOSKAP...!"

He dashed into a cave and immediately spotted Glooskap standing staring at the wall. "GLOOSKAP!" he yelled. "I have to talk to you! It's IMPORTANT!"

Glooskap turned and made a face at him. "Cripes, like you need to yell so loud! What've I told you about yelling in my cave--?"

Marten hopped up and down. "But it's important--"

Glooskap rolled his eyes skyward and let out a great sigh. "Very well, what is it then? Stop getting your tail in a tizzy and just spit it out!"

Marten spat on the floor and rubbed at his mouth. Glooskap stared at the damp spot as he started to speak. "I came to get you myself! That Nippy-Wom guy sent me! He said I have to bring you under the board so you can crack the land!"

Glooskap stared at him for a minute or two. Then he nodded sagely. "Ah. The Borderlands, beneath Crack-in-the-Island...right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Marten's brow furrowed. "Why, what'd I say?"

Glooskap waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind...okay then, let's go. I guess that young lady's finally gotten that Chakenapok fellow right where she wants him." He pursed his lips as they walked from the cave. "Not too bad, I have to admit. For a twenty-first century person!" He gestured at the walls. "Why, back in my day, it only took about..."

"Oooooohhhh," Marten groaned. "Can't it wait until LATER? We have to get back to crack the border and land under the board! Can't we take my shortcut--?"

"NOT ON YOUR LITTLE FUZZY LIFE!" Glooskap boomed, and Marten cringed. Glooskap cleared his throat and straightened his feathers. "I have my own shortcut, you know," he said. "One which I save for special occasions, but still, I suppose this is as special an occasion as ever. Where did you pop out from? Was it terribly far?"

Marten shook his head. "Nuh-uh! It was about the same as last time, maybe a foot and three inches or so to the left! At the top of that big hill with all the rocks and grass and stuff, just outside the forest!" He picked up his pace and hopped atop Glooskap's shoulder as he walked. "You mean this is a special occasion? Do you mean because we're going to go fight Malsum again--?"

"That? Goodness, no." Glooskap made a face, then smoothed his feathers again and straightened the fringes on his outfit. "I mean because I'm going to get to say hello to Geezhigo-Quae again!"

Marten's eyes rolled back in his head and he let out a big sigh, but there was nothing he could do.

* * * * *

Glooskap's shortcut was considerably...shorter...than any of Marten's, and so by the time that they finally appeared in the Sky Tree, the Mikumwesu was scowling jealously and no longer quite so chipper. Geezhigo-Quae stepped aside as the door disappeared, then furrowed her brow when a great glow of light emerged--hadn't it just been nighttime out there? The glow halted in front of the door and stayed there, hovering, so that after a few moments she stepped toward it and cocked her head, looking it up and down. She reached out one hand to tentatively touch it to see what it might be.

She found her hand being held in someone else's, and blinked. She lifted her head and found Glooskap smiling at her ever so politely, Marten sitting atop his shoulder.

"Hello again, dearest," he greeted, and kissed her hand.

Geezhigo-Quae rolled her eyes and pulled her hand away. "Greetings, Glooskap," she said in a weary voice.

Glooskap stood straight and smoothed down his clothing, which was now decorated with all manner of quills and shells and beads and feathers. "What do you think?" he asked, gesturing. "I wore my very best outfit, just so I could come and defeat the monster! Do you think it's a little too much...?" He frowned and poked at a stray bead.

Geezhigo-Quae looked as if she wanted to collapse into sleep. "You look fine," she said, and he immediately perked up, sidling toward her and taking her hand again.

"Thank you, my sweet! You were ever the very model of a perfect gentlewoman!" He batted Marten's tail out of his face. "Actually I thought you might enjoy it--designed it just with you in mind. See? Here's a robin...and over here's a cloud...and down here..." He paused and looked at his moccasins for a moment. "Hm. I'm not quite sure what that is. Oh no, wait." He plucked it off. "Just a leaf." He tossed it aside and the manitou woman ground her teeth. "Anyway, I thought I should look my absolute best, for the absolute best woman out there--"

"I thought you were needed in the Borderlands," Geezhigo-Quae interrupted.

Glooskap's face lit up again. "Oh, that's right! Yep indeed. To fight the big bad Wolf." He smiled at her winningly. "You do know, after I defeat him, and help save your Island, you're going to owe me--right?" He didn't even take notice of the clouds entering her eyes. "I was thinking a nice dinner...out on the Atlantic...with the waves crashing, and the moon shining, and you and me, with a plate of oysters, and a pearl in each one..."

Marten started hopping up and down. "Gloooooooskaaaaaaap! C'mon! We have to go back to the Island! It's IMPORTANT! We've gotta board up the crack and crack the landing!"

Glooskap's face screwed up and he grabbed Marten by the tail. "DON'T YOU EVER STOP TO THINK THAT THIS MIGHT BE IMPORTANT?! MY FIRST DATE IN FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AND ALL YOU CAN DO IS WHINE ABOUT IT! I SHOULD GET YOU A BABYSITTER!!"

Geezhigo-Quae stepped back and gestured at the doorway leading from the room. "If you go across the field, you'll find the entrance to the Island," she said. "From there you head northwest, and in the interior, on the opposite side of the great field, you will find Crack-in-the-Island. There is a gateway there which leads into the Borderlands, which is where you are needed right now."

Glooskap blinked, then gave Marten the most venomous look he could muster. "We're not through with this!" he hissed, and the Mikumwesu shrank in on himself. Glooskap gave his best smile again and strode toward the door, though he did take the chance to grasp Geezhigo-Quae's hand again, folding it between his own. "Sorry that I have to bail out on you so quickly--but important matters call," he apologized.

"Indeed," Geezhigo-Quae said flatly.

"But I'll keep that dinner date in mind and I hope you will, too! Once all of this unpleasant stuff is out of the way--I'll have to swing by again and give these Great Lakes of yours a chance! Maybe we can dine on sturgeon instead--?" He opened one hand and smiled from ear to ear, a pearl resting in his palm. He placed it in Geezhigo-Quae's hand and stepped toward the doorway, waving farewell. "Goodbye again, sweet lady! Until the next time danger calls!"

"Which cannot come soon enough," Geezhigo-Quae said, and Glooskap and Marten disappeared out of the room. The manitou woman stared after them for a moment, then looked at the pearl in her hand. She rolled her eyes, sighed, and reached out to drop it out of the cabochon doorway before it could close again.

* * * * *

Charmian stood struggling in the entry to the cave, Peepaukawiss and Chibiabos holding her arms fast; Moon Wolf, Thomas, and Manabozho looked on from behind them, their eyes all wide. Chakenapok stood at the far end of the cave, arms spread and a cackle escaping his throat; Mudjikawiss roared with fire, flames shooting from his arms and legs and head, and his eyes flared brilliant fire-hot blue as the flames gathered around him in a blazing mass.

Charmian yelled at the top of her lungs. "Mudji! YOU HAVE TO STOP! If he kills you--"

It was as if Mudjikawiss didn't even hear her at all. Chakenapok grinned and spread his arms wider. "Give me everything you have, Big Brother!" he crowed, and Mudjikawiss bared his teeth and drew his flaming arms back, his eyes alone looking hot enough to sear the rock itself.

"GLADLY!"

FLOOM! He hurled his arms forward, all of his feathers flaring as if blown by a great gust of wind, and the fire surged out away from him and billowed across the cave. It rose and crested in a giant hideous wave, dashing back down at Chakenapok, who just grinned gleefully and held out his arms, waiting for it to come.

Charmian's eyes goggled. If that hits him--then he'll be stronger than EVER--!

She managed to get one hand free and flung it up. "Fire!" she yelled, hoping to send the fire veering to the side, but all that she managed to do was make it billow out even more--since Mudjikawiss was already controlling it, it must be too much for her to handle. As if catching on, Puka bared his teeth in panic and flung up his own arms, letting her go; Chibiabos followed suit, his eyes wide and his face nearly white.

"Wind!"

"Water!"

A whirlwind soared up toward the cave ceiling, then flared outward; a wash of spray joined it and they plunged forward at the fire. They struck it broadside just as it seemed to explode outward, a million tiny flames shooting all over the cave and striking the walls with a harmless fizzling noise. Charmian and the others blinked at the millisecond of glare, their eyes watering, then looked around themselves in confusion. Mudjikawiss gawked in disbelief; even Chakenapok gaped at the scorchmarks left on the floor before him, his own mouth hanging open.

Puka's feathers all quivered and his voice came out tiny. "Did...did I do that...?"

A soft hissing noise came, and Charmian's head jerked up. She spotted now the haze of steam that had formed near the middle of the cave, and as it began to dissipate she could make out a vague form standing halfway between Mudjikawiss and Chakenapok, on the other side of the room. Everybody turned to look at it; the haze slowly drifted away, and Charmian's eyes grew when she found herself staring at...Glooskap and Marten, their clothing soaked straight through and little tendrils of steam drifting up from them, as if they'd just come out of the world's wettest sauna.

They blinked a few times, eyes shifting from left to right, then Glooskap made a face and lifted his soggy arms. "As much as I enjoy a good entrance, I think that was overkill," he mused, examining his sopping feathers.

Chakenapok's face screwed up and he bared his teeth. "Who the hell are you?" he yelled.

Glooskap frowned at him. "Glooskap!" Charmian shouted, catching his attention; she flung one hand out to point at Chakenapok. "That's him! THE GUY MALSUM TOOK OVER! HE'S the one!"

Glooskap's brow furrowed and he looked at Chakenapok, then back at her, then glared at Marten. "I thought you said I was NEEDED here!" he exclaimed in frustration.

Chakenapok blinked, then his eyes narrowed. "I remember you now," he growled, his fingers curling into fists. "You're the one who locked him away in the first place. That manitou."

"Glooskap!" Charmian waved frantically. "Malsum's still controlling him! We have to get to him, but we can't do it by fighting!!"

Glooskap just shrugged helplessly. "I can't fight Malsum until the Shell is defeated! You do remember this, don't you--?"

Charmian squinched her eyes shut, wanting to ram her head into the wall. "But we can't win by FIGHTING him!!" She pulled at her hair but forced herself to take a deep breath and let it out. "There has to be something ELSE we need to do--"

Mudjikawiss snarled and lifted one hand. "You RUINED my attack!" he bellowed, making them cringe. "I would have had him DEAD AGAIN by now if you would just stop INTERFERING!"

Charmian shot to her feet, swinging her fists at the air. "How many times do I have to pound it into you that YOU--CAN'T--DO--IT--ALONE!!"

Mudjikawiss's lip curled back. "Watch me!" he shot back, and whirled toward Chakenapok, who looked back at him when he raised his hands and spouted fire again. Charmian was about ready to yank her tongue out of her throat and strangle herself with it.

Glooskap tilted his head. "Let me guess--he's the stupid one."

Thomas and Moon Wolf pulled her back into the tunnel this time, and they all crouched down on the floor as Mudjikawiss started hurling his fireballs, Chakenapok alternating between letting them hit him and throwing them back. "What are we supposed to do?" Charmian cried. "We have to separate him from Malsum but we can't do it by FIGHTING! It just makes him stronger!"

"All you know for sure is you need all four brothers?" Glooskap asked, and they all jumped, Charmian letting out a little shriek; he and Marten now stood directly beside them in the tunnel. He waved at their baffled looks with an annoyed look of his own. "You were told you really couldn't fight him--?"

Charmian nodded, brow furrowing. "That's what Snow Bear said--and all it seems to do is give him more power, every time we attack him! If we keep attacking him, he'll get too powerful to defeat--there's no way we can fight him and hope to win!"

"Maybe you can think of something else to do? Something not so violent?" Marten suggested.

Thomas's eye twitched. "I don't exactly think sitting down and inviting him to tea would work much."

Puka fiddled his fingers, grimacing. "It's too bad we can't just put him to sleep or anything, and then get that Malsum fellow out of him...it would be so much easier that way...!"

Charmian's face lit up. "That's it!" she hissed, and fell forward onto her hands. "We subdue him--and then all four of you go after him using your powers. Since he won't be fighting, then none of you will be fighting! If you just use your powers without attacking him then he can't get stronger!"

Manabozho and Thomas both looked at her as if she were nuts. "Subdue him?" Manabozho echoed. He gestured wildly. "Excuse me but are we even watching the same PERSON? How do you imagine you can just SUBDUE him--?!"

Charmian turned to Thomas. "That attack we used on Chepi," she said. "At Devil's Lake. Fire and ice! It confused her! Then Moon Wolf could grab her, so Niskigwun could take her down!" She glanced back out at Chakenapok, who was still cackling insanely as Mudjikawiss chased him fruitlessly around the cave, occasionally getting fireballs slammed into him for his efforts. "Moon Wolf, you and Thomas and I could hit him with this and confuse him just long enough to get a hold of him. It'll give him a little more power, but not too much, because the three of us are the least powerful in the room. Then as soon as we get a hold of him, you four go after him--WITHOUT fighting! With all four of you using your powers it should defeat him for sure!" She gasped and jerked back when Chakenapok landed not that far away, but all that he did was hold up his arm to ward off another attack, his lips drawn back in an awful grin. She tried not to shiver too hard as she turned to the others. "Then YOU take over!" she said to Glooskap, who frowned but nodded.

"Sounds as good as anything," he admitted.

Puka started chewing on his fingernails. "What makes you think YOU three can subdue him?" Manabozho asked with a scowl. "Especially seeing as you keep insisting so much that FIGHTING is what makes him stronger!"

"It's the only chance we have," Charmian said. "And all we have to do is hold onto him for a few minutes--long enough for you guys to go after him. Everything from then on is up to Glooskap. But I'm going to need your help to get Mudji to agree to try it."

They all frowned now, but nodded after a moment. "I guess it's a plan," Thomas sighed, and they all turned to look into the cave. Glooskap cocked his head, then stepped toward the entry.

"Allow me," he said. They watched as he stepped into the cave, ignoring all of the fireballs and hunks of rock being hurled about, and stopped beside Mudjikawiss, touching him on the arm; the big man halted abruptly in his attack, his eyes growing wide but his limbs freezing in midthrow. Chakenapok halted as well, hovering a foot or two above the ground; he stared at his older brother for a moment, then turned his head to glare at Glooskap malevolently.

"You want some of this so badly yourself, old man?" he hissed.

Glooskap rolled his eyes. "Oh, wow, how original. If I didn't know any better I'd say you've been watching too many action movies."

Chakenapok's face grew exquisitely ugly. "I hardly have time right now for you, old man! Step aside and let this dolt meet his fate, and THEN I might deign to deal with YOU! Burying your problems and hoping they will simply disappear, the same as everyone else!"

Charmian crept out of the tunnel and waved at Thomas and Moon Wolf to follow. "That old Wolf and I are twins, I'll have you know," Glooskap was saying. "So if I'm an old man, then I suppose that makes the two of you...old coots! What's wrong now, big dumb doggy, you have cooties--?"

Chakenapok's eyes grew livid, then his head whirled around, eyes fixing on Charmian. "WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" he bellowed, making her jump and cringe. "Trying to sneak out of my cave? After taking so much trouble to get here--?" He lifted one hand and fire flickered. "If you think you will simply run away and leave this at a stalemate then you have another idea coming! I will HARDLY leave this game without an ENDING!"

Charmian stood up and clenched her fists. "FAT CHANCE! I'll stick around so long you'll be BEGGING to get rid of me!" She gestured at Glooskap. "Remember him? That's right--the guy who defeated MALSUM! That big stupid Wolf giving YOU your power! The minute you're defeated, that Wolf is going right back where he belongs--beneath a mile of rock! See if he can drag himself out to help you again THEN!"

The look on Chakenapok's face began to slowly change, and he turned his head to look at Glooskap as if he'd never seen him before; Charmian hesitated, not quite recognizing the look. It was somewhat surprised, somewhat pensive, but not quite either. She didn't get to think about it too much before Mudjikawiss was attacking again, and she clenched her fists once more, though Chakenapok again didn't seem to be putting up much of a fight.

"DAMMIT, MUDJI, KNOCK IT OFF!!"

Glooskap raised his hand and Mudjikawiss froze in place again, though his eyes still blinked and he managed to get out a furious-sounding "What--?" Puka, Manabozho, and Chibiabos rushed forward to grasp onto him and pull him back toward the tunnel, the other three following; they crowded in its entrance as Mudjikawiss began to get his muscle function back.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" he bellowed as soon as he was able; Manabozho and Chibiabos immediately clapped their hands over his mouth.

"Listen, moron!" Charmian hissed under her breath, seeing how blue his eyes glowed. "We're TRYING to figure out how to attack him WITHOUT fighting him! If you want to prove what a BIG STRONG guy you are, then you're going to have to do it without fighting! The only thing it's doing is making him STRONGER!"

Mudjikawiss growled something around their hands which sounded like, "This is a bad thing--?"

Charmian grabbed onto his necklaces and yanked. "It is if you ever want this damn thing to end! We need you to HOLD OFF for a minute--Moon Wolf and Thomas and I will go after him and grab hold of him--then YOU four give him what you've got--WITHOUT FIGHTING!" She bared her teeth and made herself look as ferocious as she could, which admittedly wasn't much. "Got it? That means YOU use your strongest power--and Manabozho uses his--and the others too--all at ONCE. NOT just you! And no hurling fireball after fireball or whatever the hell it is that you keep trying! Just ONE concerted attack--to drive Malsum out. That's it!"

"Then can I kill him?" Mudjikawiss mumbled around their hands.

Charmian rolled her eyes but gave up. "For God's sake, FINE, then you can kill him. If you know how to kill a dead person!"

"Sounds good enough to me," Mudjikawiss muttered, and they let him go. He scowled and dusted at his necklaces as he stood. "You might consider keeping your hands to yourself," he started to growl, before his head hit the ceiling, and he made a face.

"Whatever," Charmian said, and waved them toward the entrance. Glooskap was facing Chakenapok now, tilting his head back and forth and spitting out insults; Chakenapok was giving him a look that was somewhere between disbelief and fury. He looked as if he wasn't certain whether to boo Glooskap out of the cave or knock his head off.

"...Your face is so ugly, that the family dog tried to bury you under a rock!" Glooskap said. "Your mama was so fat, that when she sat around the wigwam, she REALLY sat around the wigwam!"

"HEY!" Manabozho roared at the top of his lungs. "THAT'S OUR MOTHER, TOO, YOU KNOW!!"

Glooskap winced and waved his hand at the air. "Sorry! Guess I watch too much improv!"

Chakenapok turned his head to look at them. "Finally," he growled, his eyes narrowing to yellow slits. "If THIS clown were to keep it up much longer, I might just die AGAIN from the boredom!"

"Well, sheesh!" Glooskap huffed. "That's what I get for subscribing to satellite TV!"

"You wanted a fight?" Charmian said. "Then fine, you're going to get one." She gestured at Thomas and Moon Wolf and they joined her, both looking the slightest bit uneasy. "I hope you're ready to stop being a Shell and to be stuck on your own for once."

"You three?" Chakenapok raised his eyebrows, then snorted and smirked. "This is rather a step down from what I was expecting!"

"Sorry to disappoint you so much," Charmian said, and glanced first at Moon Wolf, then at Thomas. You guys know what to do? she asked, and they both nodded slightly. She turned back to Chakenapok and clenched her fists when he smirked at her again.

"Say bye-bye, Malsum!"

Chakenapok held up his hand and waved his fingers at her. "'Bring it on,' little girl."

Charmian's face twisted up, and she drew her hand back, seeing Thomas and Moon Wolf do the same. An instant later--"Fire!"--a volley of fireballs, then a volley of ice, shot through the air, and slammed straight into Chakenapok's chest.

Chakenapok himself slammed back into the cave wall, a grimace on his face. Charmian and Moon Wolf tossed fire at him, then drew their arms back long enough to let Thomas hurl another round of ice; then another of fire, and another of ice. The others watched in awe, Marten's jaw hanging, as they shifted positions around the room, attacking him from all angles. Charmian saw him just barely manage to lift his head, and his eyes started to open just a sliver, his teeth bared malevolently; he struggled to raise one hand and aim it at them.

Moon Wolf! Charmian exclaimed. Before he gets his power! NOW!

Moon Wolf dropped his attack and bolted past Glooskap and Marten, to the side of the cave. Thomas and Charmian continued hurling fire and ice even as Chakenapok started regaining his senses, snarling and aiming his hand at them. The medicine man reached the wall and spun about, launching himself off of it with his foot; a second later he reached Chakenapok and grabbed hold of his arm, yanking it down abruptly and wrapping his own arm around Chakenapok's neck. Chakenapok gawked and let out a gasping sound as the glow around him disappeared, Thomas and Charmian letting up on their attack--he was still for just a second, then started struggling, baring his pointed teeth and hissing like a feral cat. He grabbed Moon Wolf's arm and dug his fingernails into it deep enough to draw blood; Moon Wolf grimaced but held him tight.

Charmian whirled around and jerked her hand at the others. "NOW!"

Mudjikawiss scowled and the other three looked skeptical, but they dashed out of the tunnel nonetheless, all raising their arms at once. Four bolts shot out, fire and air and earth and water; Moon Wolf let go of Chakenapok at the last minute and dodged for cover, just as the beams struck Chakenapok in the chest in the same way that the first attack had. His mouth flew open and his eyes grew to the size of platters--Charmian could tell that Mudjikawiss was forcing himself to restrain his attack, yet it seemed to be doing the trick. Chakenapok let out a wheezing gasping sound, fighting to move, then managed to double over somewhat, his eyes squinching shut and his jagged teeth biting into his lip. His arms crooked, then wrapped around his middle as if he had the world's worst cramps; he let out another sound, which Charmian didn't like, it sounded so pained and awful. She bit the inside of her mouth and forced herself not to cry.

This is the only way! she thought desperately. I'm sorry, Chakenapok, but it's for your own good--!

She felt something clamber atop her shoulder, and looked to see that it was Marten. "Look!" he cried, pointing one tiny hand. "Something's happening!"

They all glanced at Chakenapok. A vague glow had appeared at his chest, where the four beams had converged, their own glows surrounding him almost like Charmian's spirit attack had surrounded the Shadow Wolf. Her eyes grew when she saw Chakenapok's spirit stone emerge, flaring violent red and black--then the little dark spirit stone within it began to emerge as well, poking its way out from the bigger crystal's side. She clenched her fists and waved her arms. "Keep it up!--it's working!" she yelled, and the four beams grew even brighter, the four brothers struggling to keep Chakenapok under their power.

Chakenapok just barely managed to open his eyes to slits again, lips curled back and one hand slowly rising into the air, fingers crooked--then he grimaced and curled in on himself, sliding down the wall, and when he sat up just slightly Charmian saw the spirit stones again; the little dark one continued forcing its way out, like a fly trying to escape a spider's web. The beams were growing almost blinding in their brilliance when POP--Chakenapok let out a gasp, and the little spirit stone popped out from his chest, arcing through the air to strike against the ground with a plinking noise.

The four beams abruptly cut off when Manabozho and his brothers drew their hands back, and without a word Chakenapok's eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped to the floor.

Continue:

Part 130: Counting Chickens  (13+) The fight is over!...isn't it...? #986977 by Tehuti, Lord Of The Eight

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