The Green Guardian

Chapter 13: The Briefing

Ms. Brook tapped her chest. "You were the one who left and made me raise a child all by myself!"

Evie gasped. Wait, Mateo never had a dad? How was he born, then?

Keegan looked just as perplexed as her. Did he not even know he had a nephew? Had his own wife been lying to him their whole marriage?

Mateo and Evie hated being dragged into their family dilemma. It didn't help when the sisters started to argue about them.

Ms. Brook snatched Mateo's arm. She took him away from Maria. "But I've got to admit that I did a good job, much better than you," she told Charlotte. "My son happens to be the most well-known ranger in all of Pinta Country."

"Oh yeah?" Before Evie could run, Charlotte grabbed her. "Well... My daughter aces all her tests at school."

"Oh yeah?" Ms. Brook shook Mateo's arm. "My son won all the dance competitions when he was in school."

"Did he ace all his tests, though?"

Ms. Brook stamped her foot. "Well... My son can use magic! What can your daughter do? Huh, huh?"

"My daughter is only eleven years old!"

"Stop! Stop!" Evie and Mateo begged. They quickly freed themselves from their mothers' grasp.

The women did not shut up. They continued to yell at one another. Every so often, they pushed each other's chests.

Ms. Julie sighed. It pained her when children acted more adult than two grown women. She came between them and pulled them apart. "Knock it off, you two! This briefing is supposed to help your family, not hurt it further."

Evie and Mateo perked up. Wait, so it wasn't Evie's briefing? "But, Ms. Julie, I don't understand," she said. "I'm the one who got in trouble."

"Yeah, about that." Ms. Julie scratched the back of her head. "I apologize, little one."

Evie huffed. For once in her life, could there be no secrets?

***

The Brook family–well, Evie, Mateo, Ms. Brook, and Charlotte–sat in a single line of seats directly in front of the stage. The women were on the very end, with their children in the middle. Keegan, Evie's camp crew, Maria, and Paperblank villagers rested behind them.

Mr. Clovis gestured for Sam to join him on stage.

Sam gulped, but he slowly rose to his feet.

John escorted him over to Mr. Clovis, who held his hands behind his back.

He smiled at the young boy. "Hello," he said. His voice was rather young. Similar to Mateo, there was a touch of a Spanish accent in it.

Sam was perplexed by him. He thought a mayor would be older.

John's face lit up at the sight of his old friend. "Bro! How the devil are you?" Before he could say anymore, Mr. Clovis thumped him on the back.

The interaction confused Evie and Mateo. How did John and the mayor know each other? Things were just getting weirder and weirder. The youths expected Mr. Clovis to take off his hood, but he did not. He kept it on.

To the audience, he said, "It has come to my attention that the basilisk is active again after sixty years." He gestured at Sam. "This boy has been freed by the Pebble Masters: our very own Evie and Mateo."

Evie and Mateo shivered from their seats.

Mr. Clovis started to pace. "However, it has also come to my attention that the Pebble Masters still have not regained lost trust." His deep brown eyes rolled over to Charlotte and Ms. Brook. "Without it, there is no hope to befriend the Green Guardian and defeat the basilisk."

Both Charlotte and Ms. Brook jumped up.

"Forgot it!" Ms. Brook argued. "I will never trust this wretched wreck of a woman again!" She pointed at Charlotte. "She made me raise a child all by myself!"

Mr. Clovis held his hand up to them. "I'm not asking for your opinion on the situation. Hypothetically, Ms. Brook, you and Mrs. Madison destroyed the Brook family. Now it is up to your children to save it."

Again, Evie and Mateo shivered.

"Sam Aitchison." Mr. Clovis glanced at Sam. "You were the one who befriended Euphorbia sixty years ago, so you know what it takes to trust a fairy. You must teach these amateurs what you learned the day you disappeared."

Confusion flashed across Sam's face. "What do you mean 'what I learned'?"

Mr. Clovis took his shoulders. "The people of Paperblank Village are counting on you. Try, try to remember."

"But I didn't learn anything."

"Yes you did, son." Sam could hear the determination and optimism in Mr. Clovis's voice.

Next to him, John said, "Listen to him, man. My friend knows what he's talking about."

"John!" Mr. Clovis snapped.

The two definitely knew each other. Evie tried to remember who Mateo said John was friends with, but it had slipped her mind. She couldn't help but think Mr. Clovis was more than just a mayor.

Sam sighed and said, "Sir, I just want to go home."

"And you will, once you complete your mission," was Mr. Clovis's response. "The first thing you need to do is take this family and find the Green Guardian."

That was a lot of pressure to put on Sam's shoulders. Then again, he technically was a seventy-one-year-old in a child's body.

Ms. Brook and Charlotte clenched their fists. At the same time, they said, "We refuse!" to Mr. Clovis.

The crowd behind them gulped. Murmurs rose amongst it.

Charlotte pointed at Ms. Brook. "I made it very clear that I never wanted to see her again."

Ms. Brook returned her gesture. "I intend to sue the Union for setting up this scheme and assigning my baby boy to the mission!"

"Mom," Mateo mumbled.

Mr. Clovis fought back, but he remained calm. "And I intend to push you two to your limits. You may think you don't, but you still love each other. Love is what holds Pinta Country together. That's what y'all have to learn."

Charlotte scoffed and crossed her arms. Chuckling sarcastically, she tapped her foot. "Who are you supposed to be–the king?"

Evie, Mateo, Ms. Brook, and the rest of the audience focused their attention on Mr. Clovis. An awkward silence followed. It went on for a good two minutes.

Finally, Mr. Clovis stood tall. "Actually..." He reached his hands up to his velvet hood and pulled it down. "I am."

Sure enough, Mr. Clovis was none other than King Benjamin.