Each dwarf sported long beards and wore baggy clothes, as well as no shoes on their huge feet. One of the dwarves' beards was white, while the other's was brown.
Fororli, the older and more serious dwarf with the brown beard, sauntered to Ben. He still held his sword at the ready. Fororli slapped it away. "We don't need this accessory, Your Highness."
Fororli's younger brother, Notmuth, cheered. "Oh my gosh!" He rushed to Mateo. "So he's the new Green Guardian."
Ben grabbed his muscular arm and pulled him back. "Yes, he is, but he's very ill. We can't be loud around him."
"No worries. No worries." Notmuth released himself. "Euphorbia sent my bro and me here to guide you to Seranet. Right, bro?" He winked at Fororli.
He merely rolled his blue, beady eyes. "Please, Notmuth, we're not children anymore. We don't have time for this. Euphorbia is waiting."
Notmuth jumped up and down. "But I'm excited! I did not expect her to choose such a young kid as her successor. I already love him." Without warning, he picked up Mateo's head and squashed his cheek to his.
Mateo coughed. His chest ached. Rivers of sweat soaked his clammy skin and white, puffy-sleeved shirt.
Fororli narrowed his bushy brown eyebrows. "We need to move. The forest sickness has reached his lungs."
Ben knew how the sickness worked. It usually started in the tummy, then it moved up to the lungs, and eventually the brain. Time was running out for Mateo. It was not uncommon for the sickness to cause its victims to go brain-dead just before they died.
Ben pushed Mateo back into Joey's saddle. He put his cape over him to keep him warm. He followed the dwarves through the forest's dense section.
Fororli remained serious. "He has every single symptom: sweating, cough, chills, headache, dizziness, nausea, a high fever, and a rash."
"But he won't let us take him to a doctor," Ben shakily said. "Sir, I don't think he breathed the sickness in. I think he was attacked by something that had it in it."
Notmuth was optimistic. He hopped over a hole in the overgrown path. "Not to worry, Your Highness. We're going to get him better."
"How?" Ben was starting to think it was already too late for his friend. Even if he did get better, his mental health was still suffering.
Ben gestured at Mateo's tummy. "The poison is trapped in his small intestine. I also think he has some internal injuries."
Notmuth glanced at him. "Krysta, the ranger paramedic, will treat him in Seranet. She has agreed to take care of him over the weekend, so there's nothing to be worried about."
Ben rolled his deep brown eyes. "He's not going to let her treat him. He doesn't want anybody to touch his tummy."
"I beg to differ," Notmuth said with a small wink. "The boy is stubborn, yes, but he's starting to change. Euphorbia told us he played with a fawn earlier. We don't need an antidote to heal him. What we need–"
"–is for Keegan to accept him," Ben interrupted.
Notmuth poked his chest. "Exactly!"
Fororli scoffed. "That's as if he doesn't die before Keegan can do so."
"Oh, bro, why are you still a pessimist?" Notmuth pulled his brother close. He rubbed his knuckles on top of his head.
Mateo shivered from Joey's back. He tightened Ben's cape around him. "I want my mom," he whimpered. He wanted to feel her strong arms around him. He did not want to die without somebody holding him.
Ben patted his shoulder. "Just say it, Mateo. It's okay."
Mateo hesitated a little. His lips quivered, but he found his words: "Ben, I'm scared."
"I know you are," Ben calmly told him.
"I want my mom," Mateo repeated. "Or at least Maria."
"We will get you Maria," said Ben. "Your mom is not available at the moment. First, we need to get you settled in Seranet." He gave him one last pat and approached Fororli. Ben whispered to the dwarf, "How long does he have?"
Fororli clenched his yellow teeth and replied, "Three days. No more than that. Keegan needs to accept him, or else we're going to lose him."
Notmuth's squeaky voice broke the tense moment. "We're here! We've made it to Seranet!" Sure enough, he, Fororli, Ben, Mateo, and Joey just reached the village's gate–the waterfall.
The water pushed apart, and a small, familiar figure flew out of the tunnel behind it. Euphorbia.
The dwarves kneeled to her.
"Your Majesty, we've brought you your successor," Fororli stated.
"And we're excited to get him back on his feet," added Notmuth. "I can't wait to see his wings."
"Well done, Notmuth. Well done, Fororli," Euphorbia chimed. Her gaze switched between each dwarf. "Ranger Krysta will be here soon with Maria."
"We've lost the basilisk," Ben included. "Hopefully, it will not bother Mateo or Paperblank Village until Keegan changes."
To show she understood, Euphorbia gave him a quick curtsy. She wasn't worried about the basilisk; she was worried about the hunter.
***
The rangers kept Keegan quarantined and away from other people that night at Paperblank Village. They did not want the evil spirit inside him to attack. It was for his, the villagers', and the camp crew's own good. Evie and Charlotte understood the severity of the situation, so they kept their distance. They and Maria kept Ms. Brook company in the hospital's ICU for a good while.
The older woman was on a ventilator, in a deep, medically-induced coma, but she was stable and recovering. She had a blood-soaked bandage tied around her breasts and broken sternum. At least the bleeding had finally stopped.
Charlotte held her sister's hand, and Evie slept on her mother's lap. The younger woman rubbed the little girl's back with her free hand.
Maria watched her do so. She sat in a wooden chair next to the mother and her daughter. "Mrs. Madison, is it fun having a child?" she asked.
"Oh, it's wonderful," Charlotte replied. She and Maria met eyes. "A child is the greatest gift the gods can give you. Keegan and I tried for so long, but finally, they blessed us with Evie." She kissed the back of Evie's head. "Children mean the world to you. You want to protect them with your life."
Maria's focus turned to Ms. Brook. "I can understand. Mateo means a lot to your sister. She proved that tonight. Ever since he was a little boy, she's protected him. My parents never loved me as much as she loves him." She released the breath she was holding and set her palm down on Ms. Brook's blanket. "But when I'm with Ms. Brook, she feels like the mother I never had."
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Maria rose to her feet. She paced back and forth in the small, square-shaped room. "I don't know if I'll make a good mom. I never learned how to take care of a child."
"Maria,–" Charlotte's voice was stern but sweet, "–you'll make a wonderful mom. I've seen how much you and Mateo love your baby, even though she isn't born yet. Y'all are the cutest couple I've ever laid eyes on. You should feel blessed that the gods rewarded you early."
Maria gripped the foot of Ms. Brook's bed. The sound of her heart monitor calmed her. Despite that, she looked lost in thought.
Charlotte knew she was thinking about Mateo. "I'll watch over my sister. You need to go to your fiancé. His mom is not available when he needs her most, but he still has you."
Before Maria could speak, the ICU's door opened, and in came Ranger Krysta, dressed nicely in her uniform. Maria turned to her. "Ranger Krysta."
A little worried, Krysta ran her palm across her face. "Ranger Anthony is in Seranet. He's already asked for you, Maria."
"Really?" she inquired.
Krysta nodded. "I've set it up with the Union to stay in the village over the weekend and take care of him."
Gulping, Maria rubbed her palms together. "How bad is he?" She hated to ask, but she had to know.
Krysta sighed. "From what I heard, the sickness has spread to his lungs. He's coughing a lot more. He wants somebody he knows to comfort him. I guess what I'm saying, Maria, is that... I don't know. Will you come with me? Seranet will give you some nice quarters to stay in."
Maria exchanged looks with Charlotte.
She smiled feebly and stood up, with Evie still in her clutches. Charlotte hugged the child to her shoulder. "He needs you, Maria. We'll be okay. I'm sure your baby is worried about her daddy, too."
"Are you sure?" Maria said.
"Absolutely," Charlotte answered. Her voice sounded like a meandering stream running through a mountain.
"Okay, then." Maria nodded at Krysta. "Take me to him, Ranger Krysta."
***
While Maria and Krysta left, Charlotte visited her husband in his cell: his room at the village's inn. Until he recovered from his possession, she had been given another room.
Still under the effects of the dart, Keegan was fast asleep on his bed. He lay on his side with his head on his hands.
Charlotte moved Evie to her left arm. She felt her hot breath jogging up her neck like excited children during a relay race. Charlotte touched her husband's shoulder. With a few tears in her eyes, she begged, "Please, don't let the evil spirit stop you from accepting Mateo. Fight him."
Charlotte knew Keegan wanted to make Mateo a member of the family. However, he had so much jealousy because of childhood memories with Faelyn... memories that Evie and Mateo's great-grandfather fed off of. His mind was weak because of that and subject to possession. Charlotte could not give up on him. Yes, Keegan was mean and sour, but he was still her husband. She loved him.
***
It felt like a dream being back in Seranet. Maria recalled the era when she was an innocent child–a child who wished to one day see a fairy. Since it was late, the village was quiet. However, the lights in the mushroom houses shimmered on and off.
Ranger Krysta took Maria to Chief Edger’s hut. The dome-shaped roof was covered in straw, and the hut itself was circle-shaped with a flat base.
Maria dragged a suitcase behind her. Her hand sweated, leaving the handle slightly sticky, and her heart beat in her chest.
Krysta knocked on the hut’s front door. It opened, revealing Edger. “Ah, hello, Ranger Krysta. We’ve been expecting you.”
Fororli and Notmuth appeared on either side of him.
Maria’s eyes widened at the sight of the dwarves. They were just as intrigued by her.
Edger approached her. “Hello, Maria.” He picked up her hand and gave it a small kiss.
She blushed. “Nice to see you again, Edger.”
“Come in.” Edger gestured the two women inside.
Krysta turned her body so she could squeeze her First-Aid bag in. Maria’s suitcase bounced over the small bump at the foot of the doorway.
The inside of the hut was homely and spread out. The setup was similar to Thebes’s house: the kitchen and living room were both in one room with a door at the back of the hut. Maria ran her hand across its wooden walls. A line of plants caught her eye. She moved down the aisle and examined each one. The different-sized and shaped pots were intriguing. Not only that, but the whole display was a floral masterpiece. Maria cupped her hand around a purple, sunflower-sized flower.
Krysta and Edger stood in the heart of the room.
“Where is he?” Krysta asked the fae chief.
Hearing her, Maria peeped over her shoulder. Except, her elbow accidentally hit the pot of the flower she had been admiring. It slid right off the shelf and smashed into the ground. The pot broke, scattering glass and flower petals everywhere. “Oops,” she muttered.
Krysta and Edger turned to her.
Maria looked like a guilty child. She held her hands in front of her and said, “I broke a pot,” in a small voice.
Edger sighed, but he smiled. “It’s okay. I’ll clean it up. I think your fiancé is more important than a broken pot.” He gestured at the door in the back of the hut. “Anthony is in there.”
Krysta prepared for the examination. In the meantime, Maria opened the door to Mateo’s room. It was about the size of Ms. Brook’s hospital room. It wasn’t the largest thing in the world, but there was an enormous window on the right wall and a dresser next to Mateo’s bed.
He rested peacefully under the silky covers, with his head propped up on a few pillows.
Nervous, Maria approached him. She sat down on the bed next to him.
At the sight of her, Mateo smiled feebly. “I’ve been waiting for you, Maria.”
She massaged his cheek. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better.” Mateo coughed a little. “How’s my mother doing?”
“She’s recovering,” Maria replied. “Don’t worry, baby. She’s going to live.”
Mateo removed her hand from his cheek. He clutched it tightly. “As long as she lives, that’s all that matters.”
“Don’t say that,” said Maria. “We’re going to get you better, too.”
It wasn’t long until Krysta, Edger, and the dwarves entered the room.
Edger nodded at the couple. “Hello, children.”
Krysta came within reach of them. She set her bag down at the foot of Mateo’s bed. “Hola, Anthony. The Union has asked me to take care of you this weekend.”
“What about Evie and my group members?” Mateo inquired.
Krysta started to dig through her bag. “Ranger Julie is going to look after them until you’re strong enough to teach again. Now, I need to do an examination.” She pulled out a stethoscope and put it on his chest. "Breathe in. Breathe out."
Mateo tried, but he couldn’t do it without coughing. Wheezing, he reached for his chest.
Krysta nervously scratched her cheek. “Oh yeah. The forest sickness is definitely in your lungs now.”
Mateo shivered. “How long do I have?”
Fear flashed across Maria’s face. “You’re not going to die, babe,” she encouraged.
Fororli checked his surroundings. He seemed disturbed by Maria’s words. He made sure nobody was looking, and then he slipped out of the room.
***
King Benjamin took a field trip to one of Seranet’s waterfalls–the largest one in the bunch. He sat at its poolside and chucked stones into the shimmering water. The waterfall’s rumble sounded like music. Ben stared at the graceful, watery curtain. He jumped when a voice sounded behind him.
“It’s been tough being a king lately, huh?” Fororli had suddenly appeared next to the young king.
Ben glanced at him. “What are you doing here, Fororli? I need some time to myself.”
The dwarf shrugged. He sat down next to him. “Oh, come on. I may be old, but I understand feelings. You’re scared for your friend, right?”
“Pinta Country can’t afford to lose a great ranger like him,” Ben replied. “I just wish there was some way I could get Keegan to accept him sooner.”
“Actually,–” Fororli smirked, “there may be.” Standing, he approached the waterfall’s pool.
Curious, Ben joined him.
Fororli kneeled. He ran his beefy hands through the pool’s warm water. “At the bottom of this pool is a tunnel. Swim through it, and you will find a secret cavern. The cavern is home to a witch. She knows everything about spells, curses, and antidotes, so she will be able to help you.”
Ben observed the gently moving water. “But how can I get there? I can’t breathe underwater.”
Fororli winked. “Don’t worry. I’ll get you an escort.” He gave the pool water a small push with his hands. It swirled a little bit, and then something splashed in front of the running waterfall.
Ben retreated back a few steps when water splashed on him.
The head of a woman rose out of the pool. She was gorgeous. She had long blonde hair and mesmerizing blue eyes. Her skin was so soft; just looking at it, Ben was enthralled. The woman stared at him.
Ben looked beyond her toward the waterfall. That was when he saw that in place of legs, the woman had an orange fish tail. “You’re a mermaid,” he said, and he got down on her level. “Please, I need to help my friend get better. The only way to do that is for a member of his family to accept him. Fororli says that a witch lives behind the waterfall.”
“I will help,” the mermaid said in a mystical voice. She offered Ben her hand.
Next to him, Fororli said, “You’ll be fine, Ben. I can guarantee that after this weekend, Ranger Anthony will be back on his feet.”
“Thank you, Fororli,” Ben replied. He untied his cape from his shoulders and handed it to the dwarf.
The mermaid helped him into the water. Once he was knee-deep, Ben dove into it.
He soon emerged at the surface. He nodded at Fororli. “I’ll be back soon. Tell the others not to worry.”
“Of course, Your Highness.” Fororli bowed.
Ben gave the dwarf a quick salute. Afterward, he ducked back underwater and joined the mermaid. Meeting a witch was always fun, to him at least. If she could indeed give him tips on how to make Keegan accept Mateo, then perhaps there was some hope for him after all. Perhaps Pinta Country wouldn’t lose Ranger Anthony?
Fororli tucked Ben’s cape under his armpit. The side of his mouth twitched. He smiled a wicked smile. Since when was Pinta Country’s king that naïve? Everything was going according to plan. All Fororli had to do now was report his success to his master.