Rise of the Guardians: Fall of the Guardians

Chapter 5 - Weeding Out The Rat

“Warriors, my dear friends, the time is drawing near,” Pitch said smoothly, holding out his arms wide to them as he sat down in his throne. “With our final member, Jack Frost, we are ready to move on to the next phase in the master plan.”

“Is that my big part?” Trii asked, shaking his hand in the air above him. Pitch rolled his eyes at him.

“No, Korteet. That part is after this one.”

Trii put down his hand slowly, feeling a little dejected. Jack, who stood next to him, nudged him gently, offering him a small smile.

“I’m wit the wee lad, Pitch,” Shamrook interjected. “I thought getting that is the next step.”

“I added one biased on certain circumstance s that appeared,” Pitch explain. He waved a hand, drawing force his shadows. They formed the shape of the Santoff Claussen (North’s workshop). “There is an item in here that is needed. In the room behind his Globe Room, there is a machine that sends power to his entire workshop. That machine is powered by a red gem. I want Jack and Trii to retrieve it.”

“Why us?” Jack asked, drawing the other’s attentions.

“You obviously because you know the layout of the workshop better than anyone else in this room, and Trii because he is much better at sneaking around and he needs practice for the next phase.”

“What is the next phase exactly” Jack asked, stepping forward.

Pitch smirked. “Sorry, Frost, but there is no time to waste. I am sure that Korteet will fill you in on your way, but you really must be getting going now.” Pitch stood up from his throne. “You are all dismissed.”

“What was the point in calling all of us in here if it was only for that?” Shamrook hissed. The others silently nodded in agreement.

“We are a team, which means that we all need to be able to know every single step or action that we take.” Pitch walked up to Trii and patted him on the head lightly. “It is time for you two to head off.”

“I hear you loud and clear, Pitchy! Trii saluted. “Come on, Frosty.” Trii wrapped both hands around his arm, tugging him out the door. Shamrook and Lei Ning followed swiftly behind.

“What are you planning?”

Pitch turned to face the speaker, surprised that the Groundhog wasn’t one of the first ones out the door. “I don’t know what you are talking about. You heard clearly what I was planning.”

“Don’t lie to me, Pitch. You are already walking a thin line with me,” Groundhog hissed. “There is no need to send those two out like that, especially when we are so close to raiding the temple. So, if you don’t mind, tell me what you think that you will accomplish by doing this.”

Pitch smirked and began to walk away. “Simple,” he responded, “I need to weed out a rat and Trii needs reassured of who his true friends are.”

**********

“Trii! Slow down!” Jack shouted as the boy tugged harder and harder on his arm.

“No can do, Frosty. This is my first mission with you!” Trii giggled. “I’m so excited!” Trii barged into his room, kicking the door open as he did so.  “Ribcage!” he shouted. “Trip!”

In a split second, the bone creature was in front of them, hopping around excitedly. A sea of dust swirled around the room from his tail wagging behind him. Trii patted him on the toothy muzzle before hopping onto his back.

“Let’s go.” Trii kicked his heels gently into Ribcage’s side, prompting the creature to race forward, out of the room.

“Trii!” Jack shouted, dashing after him. He and Trii, riding Ribcage, zoomed through the castle, dodging furniture, people, and Pitch’s shadows as they went. Trii’s merry laughter filled the air as they went, nearly drowning out the sound of Ribcage’s clomping steps.

“Better speed up, Frosty!” Trii shouted back to him. “You don’t want me to utterly crush you into the dust now, do you?”

Jack smirked. “As if you could.” Exiting the castle, Jack took to the air while Trii and Ribcage remained grounded.

“No fair!” Trii shouted. “Go faster, Ribcage.”

Ribcage let out a high pitched roar as his flames intensified, though seeming to not burn Trii in the least. Ribcage sped up tremendously, trailing right underneath Jack as he rode the wind.

Jack shook his head. “What am I doing? Trii!” he shouted to the boy, getting lower to the ground so as to communicate better. “What is the next step?”

“Don’t worry. You aren’t really part of it.” Trii stated. “I have the most important part of the phase, so don’t worry about it.”

“But what are you going to be doing?” Jack asked again.

Trii quirked an eyebrow at him. “Why do you care so much? I’ll do my part just fine.”

“I care because we are friends. I want to know what sort of thing that I am getting myself into.” Jack bit his bottom lip. “Friends tell each other things.”

“I suppose they do,” Trii agreed, somewhat hesitantly. “Because of my skills, Pitchy chose e to be the one of sneak into the Temple of Time and get some Eternity item”

“Pitch is going after more of Tai M. Keeper’s items again?” Jack scoffed. “Messing with time is a dangerous plan.”

“But it is necessary if we ever want to get our wish,” Trii insisted. “Besides, if he hadn’t faced the flow of time before, then you would still be with those Guardians without ever knowing what they did to you.”

Jack barely managed to bite his tongue before he could ask Trii what he meant. Hoping that Trii had not noticed any change in his demeanor, Jack flew a bit higher. The scene around them was beginning to get much icier, meaning that they were drawing near to their destination. With every step that Ribcage took, he sent up a barrage of frost and shaved ice in his wake as he shot across the tundra like a bullet.

“There it is!” Trii shouted up to him, pointing towards the familiar building on the horizon.

Jack took in a deep breath before releasing it in a heavy sigh. “Sorry guys,” he muttered under his breath as he went to do Pitch’s dirty work.