The sound of banging horse hooves caught Evie, the campers, and the counselors’ attention. King Benjamin cantered into the meadow. John followed him from behind. He still couldn’t fly, so he just jogged with the horse.

Ben pulled back on the reins when he reached Mateo and his group members. He looked regal sitting on Joey.

Everybody dropped to their knees.

Mateo gave Ben a slow nod. “Buenos dìas, Ben.”

“Buenos dìas,” Ben said back. He rubbed his palm across Joey’s long neck.

“What are you doing here?” Mateo wanted to know.

Ben hopped off his horse. He ran his fingers through his mane. “Well, as king, I have to grant my subjects’ concerns. Your mom and Maria asked me to look out for you today.”

“Aw, sick!” Ashlynn blurted out. “Not only do we have the most handsome man in the whole camp; we’re also going to help the king! This is truly a magical day for the Never-Ending Rangers!”

Evie and the rest of her group members gave her a funny look.

“What?” Ashlynn said. “It’s the truth.”

Mateo let out a heavy sigh. Were Maria and his mom really that worried about him? Since when did they think he couldn’t handle a little mission by himself? “All right, Ben, I’ll let you tag along,” he said. “However, this is my job, and I would like to teach the kids myself. I need some practice for the baby.” Just thinking about fatherhood, he shivered.

“Oh, don’t worry,” Ben replied behind a cheesy smile. “I’ll be quiet.”

Would he, though? He loved adventures.

Ms. Julie grinned. “All right, then.” She faced the campers and clapped her hands together. “It’s time for the first lesson.”

***

The groups broke off from the main group. They each went to a different part of the Paperblank Forest. Evie and her friends soon found themselves trapped in an everlasting display of enormous trees.

Forest animals looked up from their meals, eyeing them carefully.

Ben and John led the way. Joey trotted like a dressage horse.

Ben took John to a cluster of purple flowers. Smirking, he dismounted Joey. The young king glanced at the bird and said, “Hey, John, these are Norin Flowers. They are said to be the best-smelling flowers in all of Pinta Country.”

“Really?” John asked. He always liked smelling flowers. It was one of his favorite hobbies during spring and summer. Curious, he approached the cluster. John pushed his nose up against them. Right when he did, the flowers sprayed pollen in his face. It was both gold and purple.

“Ah!” John yelped. He ferociously flapped his good wing.

“Gotcha,” Ben chortled.

John shook like a dog to get the pollen off. His feathers puffed out. He looked like he had gained twenty more pounds. “Oh, ha, ha, very funny,” he told his friend.

Ben patted his back. “Hey, I’m just having some fun, and I’m trying to make an image for Mateo.” He leaned in close to his friend’s ear. “Remember, we’re trying to show him the joys of young adulthood.”

John inhaled deeply. “Well, if that’s the case, then I guess it’s okay.”

Walking had never been so hard for Mateo. He struggled to breathe, so he rested his palm on a tree trunk. He gripped the shoulder strap of his blue and black hiking pack with his other.

Evie’s group members sauntered over to Ben and John, but Sam and Evie stayed behind.

Evie nervously glanced at her counselor. She then looked at Euphorbia on her shoulder. She was also struggling a bit to breathe.

“Niños,” Mateo called, “we need to keep moving. The watering hole is just up this path. That’s where we’ll have our first lesson.” He took his hand off the trunk and stumbled forward a few steps.

Evie caught his arm. “Mateo, no. You need to rest.”

“I don’t need rest,” he wheezed.

“Yes, you do,” Evie said in a stern voice. “Listen to me.”

Mateo released his arm. “Please, Evie, we’re really close.”

The watering hole was about a ten-minute walk away from the meadow. The small, clear pool was at the base of a waterfall. Evie brushed her hand across the numerous ferns in the area. She, her friends, and Ben took a seat on some rocks that wrapped around the pool. John and Joey slurped up some water.

Mateo put his bag down. He pushed his way into the pool and held his arms out to his sides. He turned to face his campers. “All right, so the first lesson is ‘Listening to Nature’.”

“What?” Emrys asked. “That’s boring. Let’s learn magic.”

“Yeah,” Amanda, Ashlynn, and Tate agreed.

Mateo did not look at them. He put his hands behind his back. “Magic is not what rangers rely on. We speak to nature and ask it to help us.”

Sam and Evie sat close to one another. Sam had pulled his sketchbook out of his backpack. Evie noticed he was drawing a picture of the watering hole. He was a talented drawer for his age. However, the activity came with some consequences.

Mateo sensed he wasn’t listening to him. “Sam, would you join me, please?”

Sam was too in-tuned to his sketch. He did not realize he had been called until Evie bumped his shoulder. The little boy looked up.

Mateo glanced at him. “Come on. Don’t be shy. Bring Euphorbia, too.”

Sam rose to his feet. Evie handed him the fairy. She patted his shoulder. “You’ll be fine, Sam.” She was relieved that Mateo called him instead of her. She hated going first.

Mateo sensed that, too. “Evie, may you also join me?”

“Aw, dang it,” Evie mumbled. Her group members laughed a little.

The two friends carefully approached Mateo.

He fixed his attention on the waterfall. “We’re going to start with a basic exercise–” he said not only to Sam and Evie but also to the other children, “–learning to listen to water. After all, water is one of the most intelligent things in all of nature.” He straightened each child’s shoulders. “Stand tall, clear your head, and listen. Tell me what the waterfall is saying.”

Ben, John, and Joey were beyond fascinated. They wanted to try the exercise, too. Their feet jiggled under them.

Sam and Evie gave the exercise a try. They cleared their heads and listened. They heard nothing. The falls was silent.

Stolen novel; please report.

“Mateo, I think it’s dead,” Evie said.

Sam couldn’t help but agree. “It’s as quiet as the night.”

“No, you’re wrong,” Mateo calmly stated. “This waterfall is eager for a conversation. Watch me.” He took a step closer to the running water. He peered into its invisible eyes. “Good morning, Bruce. It’s been a while.”

The waterfall’s wise voice filled his head: “Good morning, Mateo. Thank you so much for choosing me as your beginning subject.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Mateo replied. “These children have a lot to learn.”

The waterfall chuckled. “Well, I’m glad to help.”

“Whoa, so cool,” Ben said. How did Mateo do that? He had to know.

Ben jumped up. He rushed into the watering hole.

Evie and Sam opened the path for him.

Ben shoved Mateo off to the side. Knocked off balance, he landed face-first in the water. Bubbles appeared on the surface around him.

“Talk to me! Talk to me!” Ben impatiently told the falls.

Mateo released his head from the water. He was soaked from head to toe. “Ben!” he snapped. “I told you not to interfere.”

Ben ignored him. He stuck his hand under the waterfall. “Hello! How are you?”

The falls said nothing. Instead, it sprayed water into the king’s face.

“Aw, come on,” Ben added. “Mateo, why did it do that?”

“You need to be calm around nature,” Mateo angrily said. He pushed himself up, but his legs shook under him.

Ben was too excited. His behavior impaired Evie, Sam, their friends, John, and Joey, too. He was a bad influence. Before Mateo knew it, the whole party had gained up on the poor waterfall. It was scared. Mateo felt it. Like Ben, the group rammed him away. That time, he landed on his butt in the pool.

Euphorbia also felt the waterfall’s fear. She slowly flapped her wings and dropped out of Sam’s palms. Dumb humans. They did not know that nature was a living, breathing thing. Their behavior was an insult to the whole fae community.

Euphorbia and Mateo leaped in front of the waterfall to protect it. Mateo slammed a wave into everybody before they could scare it further. The humans and bird fell backward, but the horse remained standing. He shook the water off his mane.

Euphorbia clung to the ranger’s shoulder. “Please,” she begged, “tell those humans to leave the waterfall alone.” Seeing nature fearful hurt her.

Mateo nodded. He started toward his friends but cringed when his belly flickered gold. He fell back into the water.

Evie was the first one up. She hurried to her counselor.

He clutched his belly. His black hair hung in front of his eyes. Oh gosh, it was coming. He could feel it. Mateo rushed past the others and returned to shore. He unzipped his backpack and pulled out a bag. Two days in a row, he lost his breakfast.

His group members and friends joined him on the surface. Momentarily, the children looked away. Mateo lowered the bag. He rubbed the sides of his eyes. “Why can’t you guys just listen to me?” he begged his friends.

Evie felt awful. “Mateo, we’re sorry,” she said. “We got a little carried away.”

Mateo shook his head. “Nature does not deserve to be abused like that. I’m trying to teach you guys how to be rangers, and you’re treating it like a joke.”

Ben was especially embarrassed. He loved adventures, yes, but sometimes his excitement went to an unhealthy level.

Evie grasped Mateo’s shoulder. “Let’s take a break, and then we’ll try again.”

Before he could say anything, Mateo’s walkie-talkie-like device beeped from his pocket. He cleaned himself up before he answered. The camp crew, John, Ben, and Joey switched their attention from the waterfall to him.

Mateo touched the device’s Answer button. He forced a feeble smile. “Mateo here.”

Krysta’s face appeared on the screen. “Hi, it’s Krysta.” She looked a little bit worried.

“What’s wrong?” Mateo asked.

“Well, the Union is doing a scan of the forest. It appears that the creature is moving again. It's headed straight toward you.”

Alarmed, Evie looked past Mateo's arm. “What? Why?”

“We think it has something to do with the forest sickness,” Krysta explained. “Have any of y’all been affected?”

“I don’t think so,” Evie answered, but she couldn’t help but look at Mateo and Euphorbia.

“You guys need to get somewhere safe and fast,” said Krysta. “None of y’all may be affected, but I’m positive something in your area has.” She lowered her device but kept the screen on. Mateo saw her typing on a computer. “I’m looking at a map right now. There is a fae village not far from your coordinates. However, it’s guarded by a centaur.”

“Is the village our safest bet?” Mateo inquired.

Krysta nodded. “Yes. At least until the basilisk clears out. I’m going to send you the village’s location information. It’s well hidden, though, so you need to rely on nature to find it.”

Mateo smirked. “Well, perfect. This is what I’m trying to teach my campers. There’s no such thing as coincidences, eh?”

“Guess not,” said Krysta. “Be careful, guys. Mateo, call the Union once you reach the village so we know you got there safely.”

“Will do. Thanks for the warning, Krysta.” Mateo ended the call. Only a few seconds later, he got a message in his device’s inbox.

The children were alarmed, even Evie.

Emrys was not very optimistic. “We’re all gonna die,” he whimpered.

“Nobody is going to die,” Mateo encouraged. “If we listen to nature, we’ll find the village.”

“But you heard her!” Emrys argued. “It’s guarded by a centaur.”

“A centaur is just another magical being,” Mateo said.

Evie was impressed by how calm he stayed during dire situations. Of course, she was sure he was used to it, being Ranger Anthony and all. She had to admit that a fae village sounded interesting. Wait! A fae village. Evie turned on a thoughtful face. She grasped her chin. She wondered something.

***

Evie felt like she and her friends were back in Crows’ Den. The fog along the path was so thick, somebody could cut it with a knife. No wildlife was in the area. It was eerily silent.

Mateo walked in front of his group and friends. He glued himself to his device.

Emrys finally asked, “Mr. Mateo, do you know where you’re going?” He should have not said that.

Mateo paused in his tracks. He shifted his body toward Emrys and put his device up. The young man crossed his arms. “Okay, Emrys. If you’re so sure about that, then why don’t you tell us where to go?” Ouch. When it came to burning Emrys, he was an expert.

“Fine, I will,” Emrys replied in a stern voice. His eyes roamed. He examined the foggy path and trees. They hovered over them like arches.

Mateo smirked. Arms still crossed, he crept closer to the little boy. “Come on, Emrys. We’re waiting.”

Evie, Sam, Amanda, Ashlynn, and Tate smirked. It was quite amusing when Mateo turned on his savage side.

“I’m just thinking,” Emrys argued.

“We don’t have time for thinking,” said Mateo. “It won’t be my fault when the basilisk attacks. I thought you were the one who was scared of dying.” All and all, he was telling the child to never doubt a ranger. They knew what they were doing. He pointed his hand at the blackness ahead. “¡Vamos!”

The longer the group walked, the more Euphorbia and Mateo gave in to their exhaustion. The village was still ten minutes away. Like before, Mateo gripped the bridge of his nose. He shook his head, in an attempt to stay awake.

Ben, who rode on Joey, noticed him. He wanted to make it up to him after what happened at the watering hole. Besides, he promised Maria and Ms. Brook he would look after him. “Mateo, do you want to ride Joey again?”

“No, I’m fine.” Although, Mateo felt like he was going to vomit again. He could tell his fever was coming back. He didn’t even want to get started on how much his stomach hurt. He glanced at his left hand, and his jaw dropped. The rash on his right one had moved to his left. It slowly crept up his wrist and arm.

Ben hopped down from Joey. He started to approach his friend.

“No! Stay back!” Mateo hastily said. He hid his arm behind him.

Ben pointed at it. “Whatcha got there?”

“Nothing.”

Suspicion flashed across Ben’s face. What was Mateo hiding? He and John always shared their concerns.

“We’re wasting precious time,” Mateo added.

Ben did not fall for that. He was a king. He stopped in front of Mateo.

He nervously looked him up and down. “You look good today, Ben. Are those pants new?” Before he could run, Ben snatched his arm.

“What the heck, dude?” he asked at the sight of the rash.

“It’s nothing,” Mateo chirped. “Just some poison ivy.”

Evie and her friends also moved in on the two boys. They were curious about what was going on.

Ben shook Mateo’s hand. “This is not poison ivy. Dude, I’m worried about you.”

Euphorbia rolled off Evie’s shoulder. She may have been weak, but she could still fly. She fluttered away from the friends and in the direction of Paperblank Village.

They did not notice she was missing. They were too focused on Mateo.

The friends had no choice. Stubbornness led to force. The camp crew, Sam, Ben, and John worked together to pin Mateo to the ground.

The young man shook with fear. “No,” he begged. He tried to clutch his belly, but Evie and Sam took hold of his hand. They pulled his arm off to the side.

Ben started to undo his jacket, but Mateo kicked at him. “Leave me alone!”

“We’re not going to until we know what’s wrong with you,” Ben sternly said. He, John, Evie, Sam, and Evie’s group members got so close to pulling his shirt off his belly.

A gruff voice interrupted the tense moment. “I will not tolerate you humans scaring the fae!”

Wait, what? Fae?

A huge creature jumped out of the fog. His long brown hair flowed behind him, and he stamped all four of his gray hooves. The centaur swung his two curved swords over Evie and her friends’ heads.

They hustled away from him.

Mateo was so confused. What did the centaur mean by “the fae”?

The being shielded him from the others. Up close, his brown skin was thick and covered with scars. His gray horse half was larger than any horse Mateo had seen. He glared at Evie and her friends. “If you scare the fae, you have to deal with me! Thebes of Seranet!”

“Sir, you have it all wrong,” Mateo nervously said. “The only fae here is Euphorbia.”

“Euphorbia? The Green Guardian?” Still holding his swords, the centaur glimpsed at him. “I don’t see her.”

Right when he said that, Evie quickly checked her shoulder. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was empty. Where on Earth did the fairy go?