The Green Guardian

Chapter 22: Whispers of the Fae

The king nodded. He re-mounted Joey. "Thank you. We'll get them when we come back. Now let's go."

The wait for the others was very hard, especially since Evie had to look after Mateo.

He weakly lifted his hand and tried to grab thin air. It was like he was looking for another hand. The poor guy was beyond delirious and obviously scared. "Mo-Mo..." He could not finish his word, but Evie guessed what he meant.

"Do you want your mom?" She grasped his shivering, splotchy hand.

"Mo-Mo..." Mateo tried again.

Crystal appeared next to Evie. "We need to get some water in him," she said. "After throwing up so much, he is extremely dehydrated." She peered over her shoulder at the continuous forest behind her and the little girl. "Where are they?"

Mateo, still not totally responsive, turned onto his side. He put his head on his arm.

Evie brushed her hand up against his shoulder blade. "Poor baby," she whispered.

***

Seranet was at the very end of the path, behind a single waterfall that flowed down the side of a sharp cliff. Evie's group members, Sam, Ben, John, and Thebes made it to Evie and Crystal, soon after Evie comforted Mateo. He had woken up more, but he was still exceptionally weak. Ben let him ride on Joey again.

Mateo took a sip from a water bottle he had pulled out of his backpack. He pointed at the waterfall. "That's the entrance to the fae village." He still did not know that he was fae.

Crystal stopped in front of the falls. She nodded. "Yes, Mateo. However, you are the only one who can open the gate."

He looked confused. "Why?"

"Now's not the time to ask questions," Crystal said in a serious voice. "The basilisk."

A low roar emerged from the air currents.

Evie and her friends gulped.

"Where's Euphorbia when we need her?" Sam asked himself. The basilisk never attacked if she was present.

Thebes helped Mateo down from Joey. He glared at the humans and bird as he escorted him to the waterfall. Before long, the two men stood in front of it.

Crystal gave Mateo a slow nod.

Evie and her friends watched intently. They wanted to tell their counselor he was fae, but they did not think he was ready, especially since he was still really sick. His beat-up body could not take any more stress.

Mateo lifted his tan hand. His water bottle was in his other one.

Thebes kept him steady by clamping his shoulders. Mateo was unsteady on his feet. His legs shook under him. Yet, he held his palm out to the waterfall. "One with nature," he mumbled.

At his command, the waterfall's water glowed aqua. It now had a luminescence appearance to it. Fairy figures conjured by the falls' magic leaped out from either side of the curtains. They whispered to one another and flew around Mateo's head. He had trouble keeping up with them. He did not notice that translucent, fuzzy wings had popped out of his back. They disappeared as quickly as they appeared. Blink, and one would miss it.

The figures returned to the waterfall. Their tiny, liquid hands pulled the curtains apart. A dark, torch-lit tunnel emerged from the falls' depths.

The basilisk's roar drew closer.

"Go, go!" Mateo yelled at his friends.

Ben drew his sword. He held it in front of him.