“There it is. The Guardian’s Tree.” Pausing, Crystal hovered in front of the familiar, canopy-covered tree. Evie's nostrils picked up the sweet scents of the pink flowers. She remembered the tree where she and Sam first found Euphorbia.

“It’s beautiful,” Evie said out loud, but then she quickly shook her head. She could not fall victim to the tree’s mystical appearance. She had a mission.

The medical helicopter was already waiting at the tree’s enormous base. It, too, sported the Ranger Union’s theme colors and logo. It was a very fancy-looking vehicle. A couple of paramedics/rangers stood around outside it. They already had another gurney ready. They carefully studied the area, in case any danger was nearby.

Evie and Crystal landed in front of them.

Gasping, the paramedics quickly backed away from them.

“Don’t worry. I’m a good guy,” Evie explained. She placed her hand to her heart. “I’m Evie, and this is my alicorn, Crystal. I’m one of Mateo’s campers.” She swung her leg behind her and hopped off Crystal. Her ride folded her wings.

The paramedics calmed down.

“Where’s the boy?” one of them, Dr. Anderson, asked.

Evie stabbed the butt of her staff into the soft soil under hers, the rangers’, and Crystal’s feet. A gust of wind blew her long ponytail over her shoulder. “The ambulance is coming. I’m the other Pebble Master, so it is my duty to guide them here.”

“You?” Dr. Anderson almost scoffed. “You’re just a kid.”

Evie smirked. “Am I? Or are you upset that I’m a girl?”

Dr. Anderson shut down. He did not expect a little kid to give him the cold shoulder.

Evie turned to Crystal. “All right, Crystal, tell me what I need to do. Where are the others?”

“The others?” Dr. Anderson wanted to know.

“There is a platoon of Bittersweet soldiers hiding here somewhere,” Crystal explained.

Dr. Anderson’s eyes widened. “The Bittersweet? Do you mean the indigenous people of the Paperblank Forest?”

Crystal nodded. “That’s exactly what I mean. We are expecting the hunter’s army to try to stop us from saving Mateo, so we have a lot of people to cover for him and the medics.” She glanced at Evie. “Come with me, Evie. I’ll show you where to put Euphorbia’s pebble. It will release the spirit of the Guardian, who shall help us.”

“The spirit of the Guardian?” Evie asked. Dang, that sounded cool. She gasped when her staff transformed back into the pebble. It shimmered in the palm of her hand.

Crystal took her over to the tree’s trunk. It was the largest one Evie had ever seen in her life. Crystal gestured for her to climb back on, and Evie did. She flew up to the exact center point of the trunk. “Do you see that hole there?” she asked. “Put the pebble in there.”

It was hard to see, but finally, Evie found it. There was a single small hole in the direct heart of the trunk. It was so easy to overlook.

“Only a Pebble Master can release the spirit,” Crystal continued. “However, Mateo is out of sorts at the moment, and Sam missed his chance. Therefore, it’s up to you, Evie.”

Evie took a deep breath. She suddenly felt not as brave, even though she wore a warrior helmet on her head. Could she do it? Dr. Anderson was right. She was only a kid. But... Mateo needed her. If she didn’t succeed, then he would die. Well, he wouldn’t die yet. Evie had a sickening feeling deep in her gut, but she tried her best to shake it off. Inhaling deeply, she placed the pebble in the hole.

Nothing happened. The tree remained still and silent. Oh no! Was Evie too late? Was she really the Pebble Master she was destined to be? She shook on Crystal’s back and puffed out her cheeks. “Crystal, I tried,” she sobbed. She started to think that the prophecy was wrong. How could she and Mateo reverse the events of sixty years ago?

Just before she could give up hope, the pebble flickered again. It then unleashed a blast of light that temporarily blinded Evie. Strings of light escaped the tree’s heart and provided it with rings. They moved toward its canopy.

Down below, the rangers watched open-mouthed with astonishment. How did a little kid do that?

Crystal backed away from the Guardian’s Tree so she and Evie could witness the phenomenon. The bright magic reached the canopy. It ripped leaves and flowers from their branches and launched them into the sky. Euphorbia’s pebble leaped out of the hole and returned to Evie. She caught it. Right when she did, the pebble changed back into the staff.

The leaves and branches swirled together into a wide-range tornado. They, too, started to take on a different form. A pattern of leaves and flowers created a pair of enormous, triangular-shaped wings. They attached themselves to a long body that had four large feet and an extensive neck. To finish off the transformation, a leafy tail appeared behind the being.

Evie could not believe what she was looking at–a dragon. She knew there were dragons in Pinta Country, but they were endangered. The nature dragons were nearly extinct.

The dragon tilted its leaved head back and roared. The familiar blue light washed over the treetops of the Paperblank Forest.

***

The Bittersweet and Evie’s family and friends were ready for action. King Benjamin was the leader of the Roman-themed legion of soldiers and the camp crew. Since he did not have his horse, Ranger Julie let him borrow one of Bittersweet’s gryphons. The ambulance was at the very front of the legion. It had not yet started to drive. Like Ben, it was waiting for the signal.

At the sight of the forest’s trees glowing, the young king nodded to himself. He lifted his sword over his head and said, “That’s our signal. John and Edger!”

John and Edger, who stood next to him, nodded. “Right!” They were the legion’s scouts. John’s wing was still a little sore, but he did not let the pain interfere with his mission. He and Edger leaped into the sky and soared in front of the ambulance.

As per the plan, it went next. It turned on its lights–but not its sirens (it did not want to scare the gryphons)–and rushed out of the village into the meadow.

Finally, it was time for the army. Ben pointed his sword forward. “For the Paperblank Forest! For Mateo!” he yelled. Together, he and Bittersweet’s gryphons galloped forward.

Maria, who sat behind Ms. Julie on Allister, wrapped her arms around her tummy.

Keegan and Charlotte had been given one of the new recruits. The young gryphon stumbled all over the place in line. Yet, he was having a ball. It was like he did not even know that what was happening wasn’t a training course. It was partly Keegan’s fault, though.

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“Keegan, what are you doing?” Charlotte asked her husband.

“Well, I’m sorry!” Keegan said. “It’s been a while since I’ve flown a gryphon.” The last time he did was his rite of passage.

The gryphons that made up three-fourths of the legion’s edges (not the front of it) opened their wings and flew past Ben. They surrounded the ambulance on either side and created a protective border. The Bittersweet soldiers riding them unleashed their battle cries. All of them wore white and red paint on their faces.

John and Edger kept their eyes and ears wide open. They knew the journey to the tree wouldn’t be easy. They expected an ambush, and they got one.

From out of nowhere, the undead army lugged themselves out of the meadow’s underground. A good number of them rode on skeletal horses. Each member of the army carried a sword and crossbow. A few horses opened a path in the meadow, and a familiar, short figure walked down it.

“Fororli!” Notmuth shouted from the gryphon he steered.

Indeed, it was Fororli. He was the last straw. Defeating him would release the hunter’s spirit and save the forest.

“Ambush!” Edger called back to Ben.

Ben and the army were not surprised. Smirking, Ben said, “This is it. I’ve been waiting for this.” He and his soldiers went in full force. The gryphons knocked riders off their horses and ripped bones off their bodies. The gryphons protecting the ambulance did not move. Every time an undead soldier tried to attack it, the warriors shot their bows and arrows.

Ranger Krysta was the only paramedic brave enough to drive the ambulance. Even though she was getting attacked, she did not jerk. She just continued forward at a careful pace.

In the vehicle’s back, the other paramedics had strapped down both Mateo and his gurney to protect him. It probably was a good thing that he wasn’t awake to see what was happening.

One paramedic slid open a small window at the front of the vehicle’s trunk. He peered through it to Krysta. “You’re doing great, Krysta! Just keep moving forward!”

“Got it!” she said. So far, she hadn’t lost any of her protectors. The paramedic slid the window shut and released his walkie-talkie-like device from his belt.

He quickly called the Union. “Professor Eryx, we’re on our way to the tree right now. Bittersweet’s gryphons have created a border around the ambulance, and they are covering for us.”

“How’s Mateo?” Eryx asked on the other line. He was in the Ranger Union’s control room, along with a couple of Mateo’s friends and the mechanics. All of them carefully watched the enormous screen in front of them. It provided an overview of where all the rangers were in Pinta Country. Krysta’s dot, as well as her partners’, moved toward the Guardian’s Tree.

The paramedic quickly answered Eryx’s question. “At the moment, he’s stable. We’ve got him strapped down. Out of all of us, Krysta is the best driver.”

Chuckling, Eryx said, “I know she is. Just be careful, y’all.”

“We will,” his colleague said back. He looked over his shoulder to Mateo. “Just hang in there, Mateo. We’re going to get you out of here.”

***

Evie and Crystal heard the battle cries over a gust of wind. That was the cue for the platoon of Bittersweet soldiers to come out of hiding. They leaped out of the forest, weapons at the ready, and created a barrier between the tree and the meadow.

The paramedics were so shocked that they stumbled on their feet.

Crystal soared down toward them. She seemed to smile at Dr. Anderson. “Told ya,” she said in a proud voice. She and Evie returned to the nature dragon.

“Come on!” Evie called. “We’re trying to protect the Green Guardian!”

At the mention of the “Green Guardian”, the dragon roared again. It flapped its wings and followed Crystal and Evie in the direction of the meadow.

One of Bittersweet’s warriors left the platoon and approached the tree. He used his magic to create a barrier of vines that protected it.

The second the dragon reached the meadow and saw the battle, it changed its form. The leaves and flowers twirled into another tornado. Now, instead of a dragon, the spirit was a basilisk. It snuck up on Fororli’s army.

An undead soldier noticed it. If he still had a face, then fear definitely just flashed across it. “Dragon!” he screamed.

“What?” Fororli looked over his shoulder. His beady eyes widened. “No! Not good! Not good at all!”

The spirit stabbed each line of undead soldiers with its long body.

Evie took the opportunity to leap off Crystal’s back. She tackled Fororli. Both of them rolled across the meadow and stopped at the top of a hill. The next part of the plan was for her to distract Fororli long enough so that his army could not receive orders from him. She also had to try to break the spell.

Evie jumped to her feet. She planted her heels and held her staff in front of her.

Fororli also stood up. Chuckling menacingly, he said, “Evie, I’ve waited a long time to finally meet you.”

Evie knew that it was her great-grandfather talking and not Fororli. “Fororli, don’t let him control you,” she begged.

“Forget it!” shouted the dwarf. “He’s my master!”

“But he’s evil!”

“I don’t care! You humans destroyed the bond between people and magical beings!” Fororli glared at Evie. “Even though you’re a kid, I will not hesitate to kill you to please him. He will kill your cousin and rule this forest.”

“Are you sure about that?” Evie asked with a smirk. She lowered her staff and hugged it to her side. Removing one hand, she snapped her fingers. She recalled Mateo’s lesson about being “one with nature”.

At her command, the leafy face of the Guardian’s spirit appeared behind the hill. It moved up it and soon hovered directly over Evie. Again, she snapped her fingers. The spirit changed its form back into a dragon.

“Evie!” a voice shouted from the sky. Another gryphon soared down from the atmosphere. Instead of carrying Sam on his back, he held him in his claws. The young boy hugged Notmuth, Fororli’s brother, to his chest.

As for the dwarf himself, he carried one of John’s tranquilizer guns.

The gryphon dropped them off next to Evie. They stood on either side of her.

“Sam!” she said. “Thank you!”

“I couldn’t let you have all the fun,” Sam chuckled. He patted Evie’s shoulder and faced Fororli.

“Fororli, please!” Notmuth begged. “It’s me! Notmuth! I can’t watch the hunter do this to you!”

“Quit it with the small talk! Don’t you dare patronize me!” he shouted.

Evie could tell the dwarf was scared. His crossbow shook in his hand. She knew he was fighting her great-grandfather. If her father could overthrow his possession, then so could Fororli. They just had to believe.

“Fororli, do you remember when we were children?” Notmuth asked his brother. “You always beat me when we raced each other to the other end of the forest. You also always got a bullseye when we practiced with our crossbows.”

Fororli yelled through the mental pain. With his squeaky voice, it honestly was a bit amusing.

The nature dragon soared over Evie, Sam, Notmuth, and Fororli’s heads. Mateo needed it more than Evie. Working together, she, her uncle, and her friend could free Fororli from the hunter’s control. They did not need to kill him to do so. That was not the ranger way.

Notmuth did not yet raise the tranquilizer gun. He continued to bribe his brother. “The Paperblank Forest is our home. I know you don’t want to see it overrun by such a heartless man.”

Evie and Sam surrounded Fororli. Evie knocked his crossbow out of his hand with her staff. She then batted him in the side and knocked him down.

Fororli’s sword slipped from its sword hilt. He crawled toward it, but Sam picked it up before he could.

“Listen to your brother!” he ordered.

“I don’t take orders from humans, even if they are Gifted!” he said.

Notmuth pointed the tranquilizer gun at his brother’s neck, but he did not pull the trigger. “Fight him,” he begged. “Do you remember what gives Pinta Country and the Paperblank Forest its magic?”

“Argh!” Fororli clutched his head. Memories of his and Notmuth’s childhood invaded it like a foreign nation disrupting a peaceful one. He remembered his and Notmuth’s early days when they would explore the Paperblank Forest with the rest of the magical beings.

***

They found a river once that flowed over a miniature waterfall. Together, the dwarven brothers floated downstream, with their feet in front of them, and rode the waterfall into a pool.

“Ouch! My butt!” Fororli shouted when his backside hit a rock.

“Ha! Ha! You fell the wrong way, brother,” Notmuth teased. He playfully splashed him.

Even though his butt was sore, Fororli cracked a small smile. “That was fun! Let’s do that again!”

***

“Argh!” Fororli screamed. He punched the grassy hilltop as hard as he could.

Notmuth kept trying to get through to him. “It’s love,” he said. “Remember, it’s the most powerful weapon in the world.”

“Love,” Fororli whispered. He studied Sam and Evie who continued to surround him. “Sam and Evie.”

“We’re family,” Evie explained. “Love is what keeps us intertwined and what allows us to accept new members of our kin. Like Mateo and Maria’s baby.”

“Love,” Fororli repeated. Reaching for Notmuth, he fought the demon in his head. He clutched his brother’s free hand. “Oh, Notmuth, I’m sorry.”

“Keep fighting him,” Notmuth said. “Remember our childhood.” He wrapped his meaty fingers around his brother’s tough skin. “You are the last straw. You can save this forest. I believe in you.” He and his brother bumped foreheads and closed their eyes. “I love you, brother,” Notmuth whispered.

“And I love you,” Fororli said back. He and Notmuth embraced.

Evie and Sam relaxed their stances. They grinned at one another. However, their smiles quickly vanished when they remembered that they still had one last thing to do. The final battle had only just begun.