The shuffling steps of the adventurers resemble the cautious movements of deer. They're behaving like prey in the presence of a predator, fearing what they don't understand. If it were not for Mother's orders I would have already left these fools to their own devices.

  "Keep up. I don't want to spend any more time around you than I have to, humans."

  I get no reply from the frightened band of adventurers. We cross through Swarm Forest, the swarmers giving me a wide berth as I use a trickle of mana to push their interest away. The humans look afraid as we walk between the gnarled oak trees. They don't know I can affect the swarmers with my magic. I could tell them, but I like seeing them squirm.

  Not much more time passes before we arrive at the door to the Wildwood. The poor humans behind me look really frazzled, but relief washes over their faces upon seeing the exit. We step through the door into the Wildwood. I'm greeted with the scent of freshly fallen rain and the lingering stench of burning wood.

  "This is it. Go back through the door and you'll be out of the dungeon."

  The humans look between me and the door. A few of them shuffle outside as fast as they can, while one at the back looks nervous. The young man clears his throat before addressing me for the first time since I started escorting them.

  "T-Thank you for helping us."

  My brows raise in surprise. This human is thanking me?

  Before I can say anything in return the human scurries off to catch up with his companions. I'm left with a somber feeling as they leave. I have to wonder if this business with invaders will get in the way of my plans to meet with those adventurers... The time for our meeting is drawing near.

  Thoughts of humans slip away when I hear a twig snap behind me. Turning around I'm greeted with a familiar cloaked figure--Mother. She approaches me with a calm air about her.

  "Mother, what brings you this close to the surface?"

  "The preparations I mentioned to you before are complete. I've created a place meant to ward off invaders, and it is time for you to create the guardian to live in it."

  "Truly? I'm honored you'd allow me to do this, Mother!"

  I follow Mother with a slight smile playing upon my lips. While this isn't an affair I want to take pleasure in, the act of creating new life is exciting. With mana and my own mind I'm going to sculpt the perfect guardian to protect Mother and I's home.

  ~

  Darkwick is a very different kind of forest. At a glance it appears lifeless and hostile, yet it has a thriving ecosphere that hides in plain sight. Despite appearing dead the spiderwick trees are completely healthy. The muckwort help maintain the nutrients in the soil, breaking down the dying or loose parts of the trees.

  What Darkwick lacks is animal life. Mother tasked me with creating a guardian, but it is important I give this area a more robust ecosystem.

  "Mother, may I add some animals beyond the guardian to this region?"

  Mother's posture straightens a bit, and she nods her consent. I turn away from her and do my best to apply Mother's teachings and my own skills. Mana moves through my staff and into the air in front of me as I work.

  I can feel Mother's gaze on me as I work. She's watching as I create wood, a solid chunk of living wood shaped like a bird. Images of this type of bird linger in the back of my mind--perhaps a gift from Mother--and I create it. Mother puts her hand to her mouth as she sees me mold the wooden chunk into the shape of a crow. I am not done yet.

  Mana surges from me as I transform the wooden model into flesh and blood. The strangled cries of the bird sting my ears as it falls to the ground in a twitching heap. Fear and worry cloud my focus as I finish the procedure, looking down at the crow with tears stinging my eyes.

  "O-Oh no, have I done this wrong somehow?"

  "No, you've done well. It will recover after some time, Silva."

  I watch with bated breath as the crow slowly stops convulsing and starts to adjust. It goes from lying in a heap to standing up on its two legs, using its beak to try and smooth out its ruffled black feathers. The thing's beady eyes look quite intelligent for a bird.

  "See? You did just fine."

  "It is a relief... I don't know if I could forgive myself if something went wrong, Mother."

  My hand reaches out and sends a trickle of mana to the crow. It responds by flexing its wings, beating them a few times before taking flight. It lands on my outstretched hand and looks at me with curiosity in its dark eyes. I use a single appendage to gently pet it, rubbing the back of my finger along its smooth feathered body.

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  Eventually the crow grows bored of this. I am left alone as it takes flight, looking out across the moonlit expanse of Darkwick.

  "Don't worry about creating more crows. I'll give you a stable population later."

  "I understand, Mother."

  It is a strange thing seeing Mother work her mana. I've not once seen her when she does it, but the effects are always so grand. Maybe the reason I never see her face when she is using her mana is because it is too potent. So powerful she needs to seclude herself just to use it safely? Mother must bear serious burdens.

  Seeing my mana reserves are already partially depleted from one crow, I deign not to create more basic animals. I need to create the guardian creature Mother wants. To do this I will use all the mana left within me.

  What Mother needs is not a normal animal, but a monster.

  Something to strike fear in human invaders.

  Mother watches as I raise my staff for a second time. The mana I push through it causes leaves to sprout before withering and dying in a rapid loop, the surge of power flowing into the air before me. Wood materializes in a big boulder sized clump as I get started.

  The shape is the first thing I tackle. While my creature is still a statue I shape its body into a roughly humanoid form. Two legs, two arms, and a head. The similarities to humans end there--For the creature's legs are both sturdy and muscular. I model them after canines, a species I know of yet have never seen. These sturdy legs end in dense hooves.

  For my beast's arms I give it something resembling a human's structure. The muscles and ligaments are connected in ways suited to grabbing and tearing, while instead of hands it is given two monstrous claws to slice apart prey with.

  The monster's torso is muscular and dense. An especially unsettling feature I give it is external ribs--a thick bone cage acting like armor for its midsection and chest. The beast's spine is exposed, a sturdy length of bone that serves to confuse and alarm any human it comes across.

  And finally, the head. The creature's head is modeled after a canine, with sharp teeth meant for ripping apart flesh and a maw big enough to bite a man's head clean off. Then I modify it to be far more intimidating. Not only does it have the maw of a canine, but it has a deer's skull grown to its face, the antlers intact and growing as it ages.

  It doesn't look like anything natural. Humans will mistake it for an abomination.

  With the shape of my monster complete I finally bring it to life. The creature's body is coated in a black fur similar to the shadowy darkness that bathes Darkwick. Its eyes' dark hue make them practically invisible, meaning it looks like two empty eye sockets sit behind the deer skull affixed to its cranium.

  Finally, it is done, and I watch as it starts to spasm with life. Pained howls fill Darkwick as it screams out into the moonlit night. Its features make it a blend of several types of animals, and yet it fits no single category. The ground is scoured with claw and hoof marks by the time the beast finally adjusts to its body.

  It stands tall on its two muscular legs. It stares down at me with an eerie silence. I can tell it is considering if I am prey or not, and if it should attack me or run away. My answer is a faint trickle of mana, which causes it to ignore me.

  Then it looks toward Mother. The towering antler bearing monster suddenly changes its posture. There's no hesitation, the monster raises its hackles and drool drips from its jagged toothy maw. My eyes widen as it leaps at Mother in one blur of motion.

  "No! How dare you-"

  I turn and go to scold the beast as well as protect Mother from its deadly body, but I am instead greeted with a strange sight. Mother is standing there trembling whilst the monster I created is gnawing on a blue spherical barrier. Apparently Mother can make shields such as this, and they're capable of holding back a lot of force. She is impressive as always.

  "C-Could you calm it down, Silva?"

  "Pardon? Oh, yes Mother."

  Another flash of mana is all it takes to get the beast to leave Mother alone. The translucent blue tinged barrier vanishes as if it was never there. Mother then clears her throat before turning to face me. I can tell she has questions.

  "Where did you get the idea for this creature, Silva?"

  "The idea? I just thought of what humans would find frightening, and went from there."

  Mother is quiet for a long moment. I worry, my expression falling as she doesn't say anything. Have I perhaps made a mistake with the design of my monster? As if reading my mind, Mother answers my unspoken question.

  "You didn't do anything wrong, I just find this creature to resemble some fictional beasts I know of. I was wondering if you somehow knew of them."

  With a soft shake of my head I deny such a thing. Mother nods before moving on.

  "Regardless, what will you name this monster, Silva?"

  I turn away from Mother with a thoughtful expression. This monstrosity deserves a name fitting of its stature. It had the audacity to attack Mother, something I have never seen any other creature in the dungeon do. Naming it 'megadeer' or 'wolfbeast' won't do at all.

  Then it hits me. Somehow I know what it should be called, like a distant memory whispering it to me. This is a wendigo--but not quite. That beast Mother was thinking of isn't the same as what I've created. I'll have to give it an original name, and I think I've got one.

  "I'll name it wendigir."

  My satisfaction at the name is not reflected in Mother's face. She looks at me like I'm messing with her, the curve of her mouth the only thing visible to me, yet I feel she thinks I jest somehow. I raise my hands in a show of surrender as I speak.

  "We can change the name, Mother! I'm sorry if it offends you somehow!"

  Mother sighs before shaking her head.

  "No, Silva, the name is fine. I'm just a bit surprised."

  "By what, Mother?"

  The both of us watch the wendigir chase a few crows. Its lumbering body makes quite the sight as it prances in the moonlight. It is eerily quiet for such a huge hooved beast. Mother answers my question as she smirks.

  "You're terrible at naming things, aren't you?"