Death of a Guardian

Chapter 21

It wasn't as bad as Aleks thought, sitting out sun poisoning in the building. Before his face swelled, he walked around the inside to look at everything. There were only a few people inside, but standing there, he finally understood why not everyone could fit inside during the winter.

Along the back wall was a trench dug in the ground that flowed with water from the lake. There was a long board that was leaning against the wall that could cover it. There were also empty cups sitting nearby which anyone could use.

"The water cures any illness, so no one is worried about passing on germs," Zofia said to him.

There was a door in the center of the wall. Zofia opened it to show him two more doors; one on the left and the other on the right. "They are the bathrooms. You'll see another trench that comes through under them. All the water flows in one direction, so you don't need to worry about contamination while washing. And while it's magic water, nobody cares about that detail. Otherwise, the toilets are the same as they are everywhere else in the Kingdom."

"But doesn't it all just run out into the ocean, which crashes back into us on the island?" Aleks asked.

Zofia smiled. "Mareno mentioned the group from Mishigamaa, right? They are Manitou, able to switch to spirit form—water, fire, air, or animal. Their leader, Mashkawizii-Aki, identifies as two-spirit and is an earth Manitou, helping the plants here grow strong despite the arctic conditions. They help the waste breakdown faster into fertilizer and help keep the roots of the plants strong even while the ground above is frozen."

Aleks listened as she continued and tried to remember what Emryk's mother told them about Manitou. He couldn't remember much. "Two-spirit people are revered in their tribe. Mashkawizii-Aki is an earth manitou. They are why all the plants grow strong here. It isn't typical for trees to grow as tall here in the arctic."

Aleks leaned in closer, his eyes wide with fascination as he hung on to Zofia's every word. "What else can they do? They, as in the general they for all of them and not just Mashkawizii-Aki."

Zofia smiled at Aleks's attempt to clarify. "You will get used to it and learn quick enough how to address everyone. While fire spirits stay in Mishigamaa, likely because they can't survive being trapped under ice, the others are animal and water spirits. You can tell what they are when they are chanting around their fire. I won't spoil it. I want you to see it firsthand."

Aleks thought about his next question. "How did they all get here? Did the magicians capture them?"

"They don't talk to outsiders," Zofia started. "But no, the magicians captured Mashkawizii-Aki, and the others came here on their own to protect them. They could leave, but Mashkawizii-Aki is stuck. I don't know how their abilities work, but from what I heard once, the spirit form cannot physically touch you, but they can send psychic attacks to your mind and soul."

Aleks found it fascinating and kept listening. "Or, with Mashkawizii-Aki, their spirit is that of a tree, so they can influence all plants. With a fire spirit, they can manipulate heat. If that heat is in your body, they can make you boil alive."

"Wow. That's horrible," Aleks said.

Zofia's lips turned into a smile as she nods and continues. "An amphicyon spirit can speak to other similar animals and convince them to attack. I hear the one called Makwa in the group is an amphicyon spirit. He is the biggest and strongest in the group. He is very imposing, but he seems very sweet when you catch him talking to their group. But he doesn't speak to us."

Aleks thought back to when he walked by them with Mareno. "But they all spoke to Mareno."

"He's different. Everyone loves him and is pulled to him."