The Green Guardian

Chapter 45: Euphorbia's Legacy

"You're going to fire me, aren't you?" John whimpered. "Just say it."

"No," Ms. Julie replied, "because I know you. You will learn from your mistakes. We always have to deal with the consequences at some point." She gave John a small wink. "No need to be overdramatic, John." With those words, she left him and led Embrose in the direction of the group of villagers. "There's no time to lose, Embrose. Your people already have the ceremony set up."

Ceremony? What ceremony? Embrose asked in his head.

Ms. Julie read his face. "It's your acceptance ceremony."

Acceptance? Wait, so Embrose's people did accept him, despite all the horrible things he had done?

Ms. Julie hugged him to her chest. She ran her fist across the top of his head. "Do you not remember that the Bittersweet never abandon one of their own, despite what they've done? We're only human, after all."

Her charming personality was what Sam and Evie needed to clear their heads a little.

John still looked disturbed. Where were his children and Infinity when he needed them? He was sure that, despite Ms. Julie's words, the Union would fire him and throw him into jail for attempted murder. If Mateo survived, he would never speak to him again. John just knew it. Some fatherhood mentor he was, nearly killing a twenty-one-year-old, huh? He was going to be the reason why Mateo's daughter would grow up without a dad. Just thinking about that, John shuddered. His guilt accelerated. He jogged to Ms. Julie, who just climbed aboard Allister again, and offered her his neck. "Just take me to jail for attempted murder."

"John, there's no reason to overreact," Ms. Julie said. She patted his hat. "We're not sending you to jail. I'm just teaching you a lesson."

Allister snorted to show that he agreed with her. He kicked his back legs.

"I can't go see Mateo," John whimpered. "He will never talk to me again."

"Okay, fine, but you're missing quite the show," Ms. Julie chuckled. "Mateo's acting like he just got his wisdom teeth taken out. It's quite humorous, and I thought you were all about humor."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better," John said. "Well, it's not working." Turning on his heel, he marched away from Ms. Julie, Allister, and his friends and disappeared into a cluster of plants that were directly in front of one of the tree-sized mushrooms.

Evie, Sam, and Embrose gave Ms. Julie a funny look.

"He'll come around eventually," she said. With that, she dug her heels into Allister's sides.

The gryphon squawked. He picked up Embrose with his beak and set him down behind Ms. Julie. Afterward, he trotted over to Bittersweet's villagers.

Sam and Evie followed because they needed directions on where exactly Mateo was in the village.

***

Sam and Evie literally had the best and worst show ever when they reached the tent where Mateo was staying. It was right under one of Bittersweet's umbrella-like mushrooms. Like the village's other tents, it was crafted from animal skin. Mateo's bed wasn't really a bed per se, but a mattress made from leaves. An orange, mushroom-styled table was next to it. On top of it was a bucket of water that had a rag draped over its wooden side. With Mateo in the tent were Evie and Sam's family members, Maria, and Ranger Krysta.

Keegan and Charlotte rushed to their daughter so they could hug her.

"We need to start putting you in a bubble," Charlotte admitted. "I don't even want to list all the camp rules you've broken in the past week, Evie."