Piranha pointed to their own, shimmering orange in the dark. “Didn’t you see them? They were glowing. She must have a Divine power. If we're here long enough, I bet yours will start to do the same.”
I placed a hand up to my face. “Everyone’s eyes are glowing, even yours.”
They turned to each other, and then back to me, perplexed.
“No, they aren’t,” said Willow. “You see them glowing?”
“Yes!” I threw up my arms. “Are you saying that none of you can see it?”
“It’s probably a residual effect from the Fruit,” suggested Sharp. “The Divine energy in this forest is profound compared to the Valley. Hopefully the doctor returns soon. I want to know what else you can do.”
“Are you looking for Dr. Gold-and-Silver?” said a new voice, deep and soft. A man carrying a box of food stopped on the other side of the narrow street. His hair was pitch black and his skin stone-gray, but a pair of glowing emerald eyes made up for the lack of color. Other than that, his features were plain, but also familiar, like I had seen him in the market before.
Sharp stood upright and handed him the folded note from her father. “Good afternoon, sir. We’ve traveled from the Valley on the advice of Dr. Glass Of-the-City to meet with the doctor who lives here.”
He opened the note and read it with a still, unnerved expression. “Gold-and-Silver is my mentor, but he isn’t home right now. Is this because of Wild Fruit?”
“Yessir,” I confirmed, raising a weak hand.
He muttered something under his breath, tucked the note in his shirt pocket, and gestured inside.
The interior of the house certainly didn’t match the personality of the doctor’s substitute. Warm lights of a dozen golden lamps illuminated a large semicircle room crowded with cushy poufs covered in thick, knitted blankets. The walls were decorated with an eclectic variety of abstract paintings in several different colors and styles, all joyful and vibrant.
“Wow, it’s beautiful here!” Willow twirled and floated luxuriously onto the biggest, squishiest chair. “I wish all doctor’s offices were like this!”
“This is common throughout the Savage Wilds,” grunted the man. “Lack of sunlight can lead to increased feelings of sadness and despair. We use light, color, and texture to combat these symptoms. Make yourself comfortable.”
“Incredible!” I exclaimed. “How clever!”
The apprentice met my eye for the first time, and a dark shadow fell over his visage, a shadow that filled the colorful room.
“You,” he whispered. His eyes burned bright green, and the ATMOSPHERE changed.
I put a hand to my chest. “Me?”
He spoke fast, with a fearful voice and pointed at the door. “This is not a safe time to be visiting this territory. You kids need to go home, right now.”
“Now wait a moment,” commanded Sharp. “Dr. Gold-and-Silver owes my father a favor. We already came all this way.”
He was talking to Sharp, but his piercing glare was directed at me. “You misunderstand. The reason you’re here is the reason you’re not safe. The Sapphire Clan has been targeting young people like yourselves, trying to recruit them to fight King Wyvern in the north.” His eyes flashed to the scarf around Willow’s arms.
Sharp rested a steady hand on the hilt of each blade. “Recruitment? How long has this been happening?”
He pointed at the door again, dodging the question. “I’m going to insist you travel back home as quickly as you can. There are many doctors in the City that can help you.” He continued glaring at me, as if I was the last person he wanted to see. “You of all people should have known about these consequences. Go back to the Valley.”
The reason this stubborn man felt so familiar struck me like a punch in the face. I’d seen the outline of his profile, the shape of his eyes, and the thick curl of his hair somewhere before. My own reflection.
“You…you’re Pyrite.”
My friends gasped. His jolting reaction confirmed I was right. This man was my biological father, and my first impression was less than ideal.
His mouth was a straight line. “I am.”
I found a louder voice inside myself and stood straighter. “My name is Badger Of-the-Valley. I’m Puma and Robin’s son. Your godson.”
He closed his eyes tight, as if in pain. “I know who you are, and that’s why you need to leave this place.” The eyes opened, glowing with sincerity. “How would your mothers feel if they never heard from you again?”
My blood was burning, and I snarled, “They would feel a lot of worry and sadness, the same way they feel about you.” He seized up and I continued, “Not even a letter? All these years and you had no time to visit? I hope you had a good reason.”
He opened his mouth, but I couldn’t stop my tirade. In the moment, I wasn’t sure why I was so angry. I had cared about him so little up until then. Maybe it was unfair to expect him to care about me…but why did he stop caring about them?
“My mothers know exactly where I am and what I’m doing,” I asserted. “Didn’t you ever think about how they felt when you dropped off the face of the continent? All they wanted was to know you were alive.”
The following silence was what I hoped for. After a beat, he sighed. “The Wilds is a wide and dangerous place, Badger. I’ve dedicated the last few years of my life trying to make it safer, serving the king and fulfilling my duties. I regret losing touch with your family, but it wasn’t an act of selfishness.”
His frown was deep and his posture was unpleasant. I wasn’t buying what he was selling.
“They’ll be happy to know you’re okay.” I softened my tone and put my hands together. “But I need your help. I made a mistake, and it’s too late to take it back now. I need to understand what happened to me. Gold-and-Silver is in the Pantheon, so he’s the one we need.”
My friends had all but backed out of the room, standing around the cushion by the furthest wall.
His eyes seared, appraising me. “Out of curiosity, what happened after you took the Wild Fruit? I was under the impression you inherited Lucent from your mother. It’s rare for natural powers to become Divine.”
I told him the story, and he grew more and more dumfounded. When I finished, he said, “That shouldn’t be possible. Unless…” He muttered and paced about, forgetting we were there. After it became too awkward, I cleared my throat.
“Um. Pyrite?”
He startled. The severe look on his face was replaced by a curious scrunched forehead and squinting eyes. “You said your whole body disappeared into the Unseen Dimension?”
“Yes, sir.”
Pyrite tapped a finger on the wall, looking past me, at the symbol carved on the door. “I’ve changed my mind,” he decided. “I’ll help you. Unfortunately, I don't have the power of Gold-and-Silver, so I can’t give you a comprehensive exam.” He turned to the clock on the wall and muttered something. “Come with me to Banyan, first thing tomorrow. He’s likely near the border there.”
Willow floated a foot above the floor and gave me a thumbs up. Piranha, on the other hand, had taken to cowering in the shadows, their bright orange eyes watching Pyrite carefully.
“If you think it’s too dangerous, we don’t mind waiting here until he returns,” Sharp conceded.
He shook his head aggressively. “Absolutely not. Frankly, he won’t return, not with both Wyvern and the Sapphire Clan looking for anyone in the Divine Pantheon. The doctor is hiding somewhere near the border with our allies in the Topaz Clan, and I know where to find him. You’ll stay safe at my home there until I can bring him to you.”
Pyrite beckoned us into a cozy kitchen. The air was thick with the smell of cinnamon, and tea steamed from a silver kettle. He placed some fat blue mugs around the table, shoulders slumping as he poured the tea, the light emphasizing heavy bags under his eyes.
“I apologize for being cold,” he said, “but I wasn’t exaggerating about the danger. The clans are in a dispute about who is going to serve the throne next. The Topaz wants peace with Wyvern and the Sapphire wants to fight by recruiting anyone with Divine strengths. Stay away from the Sapphires at all costs.”
Sharp tried to probe him with more questions about the conflict with King Wyvern, but he insisted the less we knew about it, the better.
We were in a better mood after a hot meal of soup, dumplings, and salted greens, but the uncertain danger still loomed. We volunteered to clean up, so Pyrite left the room to gather bedding for the night. After working in silence for a minute, Sharp whispered, “No offense, but your godfather is an ass.”
The previous ATMOSPHERE was tensed like a coiled wire, so a mild swear was enough to make us all snort with laughter.
