The Green Guardian

Chapter 34: Elushia Amisha

        With a touch of the mermaid's hand, Ben was able to temporarily breathe underwater. He was shocked to find how deep the pool was. Tall weeds grew like trees on the bottom. The mermaid dragged Ben through them, not saying anything. She was an expert when it came to remaining mysterious, or maybe she just didn't like to talk.

Ben recalled his and John's journey, when they found the dried-up mermaid just off Maglin Beach. She was actually one of his friends, a friend he met when he stumbled upon Maglin City five years ago. Just seeing the mermaid next to him, he felt a wave of nostalgia. It had been forever since he'd seen his Maglin friends.

At the end of the weed forest was an opening. It passed under the waterfall. The tunnel was dark, but Ben's eyes adjusted. He saw patterns and images on its walls: images that represented fairies and humans. They told the history of how the humans betrayed the fae. Ben brushed his palm across the wall. He and the mermaid swam for a little bit longer, and then they reached the cavern Fororli mentioned.

Strangely, it looked like an underground graveyard. Lines of rocks stretched across each end of the rectangular-shaped room. At the back of it was a single cauldron. Green smoke swirled above it.

The mermaid ducked back underwater, but Ben climbed out of the pool. He pulled wet hair out of his face. He heard the roar of the waterfall, but it was hidden behind some walls that jutted out.

Ben looked left to right, up and down, and then his eyes landed on the tombstones. He walked down each line and examined them. He searched for names and dates, but there were none. "What a strange place," Ben told himself. It definitely felt like the layer of a witch. He looked up from one tombstone, and that was when he saw her. The mermaid. Except, she no longer had her tail.

The blonde-headed woman stood behind her cauldron. The silky red sleeves of her lightweight dress dangled off her shoulders. Her hands gripped the side of her cauldron.

"You," Ben said, amazed. "You're the witch."

"I am Anecka," she said in a mystical voice. "Why have you come here?"

Ben stepped out from the row of tombstones he had been admiring. Even though he was a bit nervous, he remained brave. "You know why. I'm trying to help my friend."

"The fae ranger?"

Ben nodded. "Yes, ma'am. He only has a few days to live, but the only way to save him is for that human, Keegan, to accept him into his and Evie's family–the family of the Pebble Masters. Fororli told me that you know something that may help."

"I don't answer to you, even if you are a king," Anecka admitted. "You humans are the ones who destroyed the magical beings."

"The prophecy clearly says to 'regain lost trust'," Ben argued. "It means the trust between us. Once Keegan accepts Mateo, the Pebble Masters will work together to save the forest. Our worlds will once again be intertwined."

"I don't answer to you," Anecka repeated. "You're the reason why that boy is still alive. I destroy you, and he dies sooner."

"Wait, what?" Ben backed away from her. "This isn't what I wanted."

"I destroy you, and the boy dies sooner!" Anecka repeated, much angrier that time. "We sacrifice one of our own to save our culture." Her long nails scratched against the rim of her cauldron. The green glow shimmered on her pale face.

"But Mateo is my friend." Ben could not believe how naïve he was, all because he loved adventures. He needed to find a way to get Anecka to change her mind. "Please, Your Highness, I understand how you feel, but as king, I must protect my people. Even you. I accept all races in Pinta Country: humans, mermaids, fairies, witches, centaurs, and even dragons. Not only is our kingdom a land of magic; it's also a land of family."