I Can See Evolution Paths

The group was still figuring out how they were going to navigate the changed Everglades. Arthur suddenly stopped. "Wait."

Vedas looked back. "What?"

Arthur reached into his belongings. "I just remembered something," he said.

He pulled out the old map he’d bought before entering the Everglades. Eden immediately floated closer. "What’s that?"

Arthur unfolded it. The map was large enough that Athy leaned over to see it. "That’s huge," she said.

Eden flew above it. "I can’t see!"

Arthur raised the map slightly.

Eden’s voice came from behind it. "Now I can’t see you!"

Arthur laughed. "You were complaining about not seeing the map."

"Now I can’t see you!"

Vedas shook his head. "You’re both ridiculous."

Melo, resting on Mithra’s shoulder, raised one tail. "I think she’s making a good point," she said.

Arthur looked at Melo. "You’re supposed to be on my side."

Melo turned her head away. "I don’t remember agreeing to that."

Athy giggled.

Arthur finally got the map positioned properly. Luna approached, her expression immediately changing. "That’s an old map," she said.

Arthur looked at her. "You recognize it?"

Luna nodded, pointing toward one section. "That river isn’t there anymore," she said.

Arthur blinked. "What?"

Luna pointed again. "It used to be there."

Athena stepped closer and examined the map. "Are you certain?"

Luna nodded. "My grandfather took me there when I was younger."

Athena compared the map with the surrounding terrain, her expression becoming thoughtful. "Then the geography has changed," she said.

Arthur’s eyes immediately brightened. "The Everglades changes?"

Luna nodded. "Sometimes."

Arthur looked down at the map. "How often?"

Luna shook her head. "I don’t know."

Arthur smiled. "That’s interesting."

Vedas sighed. "You really do enjoy problems."

Arthur looked up. "They’re not problems." He tapped the map. "They’re discoveries."

Vedas gave him a look. "Only you would say that."

Arthur grinned.

The discovery reminded Arthur of something else. His expression changed. "Wait," he said.

He reached into his belongings again. Vedas immediately recognized what Arthur was looking for. "You have something else?"

Arthur pulled out the old compass. Luna suddenly froze, her eyes widening. She slowly pointed toward it. "You have one," she said.

Arthur looked at her. "You know what this is?"

Luna nodded. "My ancestor used one."

Athy leaned closer. "What does it do?"

Luna looked at the compass. "It doesn’t point north."

Vedas raised an eyebrow. "Then what’s the point?"

Luna answered, "It finds what its wielder wants most."

Arthur turned the compass over in his hand, examining the strange markings around its edge.

"It finds what its wielder wants most," he repeated.

Athena’s expression became thoughtful. "That’s an unusual function for a compass."

"It’s not really a compass anymore," Vedas said. "It’s a search tool."

Luna nodded. "That’s what my grandfather called it."

Arthur looked at the needle. "So if I genuinely wanted to find something..."

"It should lead you toward it," Luna said.

Arthur’s eyes brightened.

Eden immediately leaned closer. "Can it find treasure?"

Vedas glanced at her.

"That’s the first thing you thought of?"

Eden nodded seriously. "Treasure is important."

Melo’s ears perked up. "I agree."

Arthur looked between the two of them. "We’re surrounded by ancient ruins, strange Beasts, mysterious Mirrors, and things nobody understands, and you’re both thinking about treasure?"

Melo calmly raised one tail. "And food."

Eden nodded. "Food is also important."

Athy giggled.

Arthur sighed. "Fine. We’ll look for treasure and food while we’re saving everyone. Now let’s see where it points."

He held the compass but nothing happened.

Eden tilted her head. "Maybe it’s broken."

Arthur looked at her. "Why would it be broken?"

Eden shrugged. "It’s old."

Vedas immediately said, "Don’t."

Arthur looked at him. "Don’t what?"

"Whatever you’re thinking."

Arthur gave the compass a small shake.

Vedas caught his wrist. "Don’t shake the ancient artifact."

Arthur blinked. "I wasn’t shaking it."

Vedas stared at him. "You were."

Arthur looked at the compass. "A little."

Athy giggled. Melo covered her mouth with one tail. "He definitely was," she said.

Arthur sighed.

Athena watched the compass carefully. "Perhaps it requires you to focus on what you want," she said.

Arthur became thoughtful.

He looked toward the forest. There were still too many things he didn’t understand.

The purple fog.

The Five Mirrors.

The strange Beasts fleeing through the Everglades. The ancient ruins hidden beneath the swamp. And now the barrier trapping everything inside.

Arthur slowly closed his eyes.

What did he want most?

It wasn’t treasure.

It wasn’t power.

He wanted to know what was waiting deeper inside the Everglades. He wanted to see what nobody else had seen. The unknown itself was what drew him forward.

Click.

The compass needle moved.

Slowly the needle pointed deeper into the forest.

Eden’s eyes widened. "It moved!"

Arthur opened his eyes, his own eyes shining.

Luna stared toward the direction. Her expression slowly changed. "The Steaming Cavern," she said.

Arthur turned toward her. "You’re sure?"

She nodded. "Yes."

Athena looked from the compass to the forest. "So the compass is responding to your desire to explore the Everglades," she said.

Arthur smiled. "Looks like it."

Vedas looked toward the forest. "And it had to point toward the most dangerous looking direction."

Arthur laughed. "We don’t know if it’s dangerous yet."

Vedas sighed. "That’s exactly why I said dangerous looking."

Arthur looked toward Luna, then held the compass toward her. She blinked. "Why are you giving it to me?"

Arthur gestured toward the forest. "You’re our guide," he said.

Luna hesitated. "But—"

Vedas nodded. "You know this place better than we do."

Athy smiled. "And you know where the Steaming Cavern is."

Eden immediately raised both hands. "I vote Luna!"

Arthur laughed. "Then it’s unanimous."

Luna looked at everyone, then down at the compass. Slowly she took it. "Okay," she said.

She looked toward the forest.

Arthur smiled. "Then lead the way."

Luna began walking. The others followed.

The group moved deeper into the forest, the compass remaining pointed ahead. For a while nobody said anything, the quiet settling over them naturally as everyone let the strangeness of the compass sink in.

Then Arthur looked toward Luna. "So."

Luna glanced back. "Hm?"

"Your grandfather knew about Pathfinder Academy?"

Luna nodded. "He did."

Athena looked over. "How?"

Luna answered simply. "He was a student there."

Arthur’s eyes widened. "Really?"

Vedas raised an eyebrow. "Your grandfather was a Beast Tamer?"

"Yes."

Eden flew closer. "Was he strong?"

Luna smiled faintly. "Not very."

Eden blinked. "Oh."

Arthur laughed. "That’s brutally honest."

Luna giggled. "He used to say the same thing."

Vedas smiled. "At least he knew himself."

Arthur looked at Luna. "What rank did he reach?"

"Bronze."

Arthur paused. Athena’s expression changed. "He stayed Bronze Rank?"

Luna nodded. "He said he didn’t really care about becoming stronger anymore."

Arthur tilted his head. "Then why did he become a Pathfinder?"

Luna looked ahead. "Because he wanted to explore."

Arthur smiled.

"So he was a Pathfinder because he wanted to see what was out there."

Luna nodded. "He used to bring back things he’d found during his journeys."

Eden immediately became interested. "Like treasure?"

Luna smiled. "Sometimes."

"What else?"

"Strange plants. Broken pieces of ruins. Old stones. Once he brought home the skull of a Beast."

Sun looked over. "Why?"

Luna shrugged. "He said it looked interesting."

Arthur’s eyes lit up.

"I definitely like your grandfather."

Vedas sighed. "Of course you do."

Arthur looked at him. "What’s wrong with liking interesting people?"

"Nothing."

Vedas glanced toward the direction of the cavern. "I’m just worried you’re going to start acting like him."

Arthur grinned. "He sounds like a good guy."

Athy quietly nodded. "I agree."

Eden raised her hand. "Me too!"

Arthur looked at her. "There are only two of you."

Eden looked at Athy.

Athy shrugged. "She’s counting herself twice," she said.

Eden nodded proudly. "Exactly."

Arthur laughed.

They continued walking, the forest shifting around them, and the conversation naturally settled into something quieter and more personal as the miles passed. Arthur remained curious. "You said your grandfather was a student with Principal Steven?"

Luna nodded. "Yes."

Athena became more interested. "They knew each other before Steven became Principal?"

"Yes."

Luna smiled. "Grandpa always talked about him."

Arthur looked toward her. "What did he say?"

Luna thought. "He said Steven was always trying to go somewhere nobody had gone before."

Arthur immediately grinned. "That sounds like him."

Athena laughed softly. "It really does."

Luna continued. "They explored together sometimes."

Vedas looked at her. "Even after they graduated?"

"Yes."

"They stayed friends?"

Luna nodded. "Grandpa would visit him."

Arthur’s eyes widened. "He would visit Steven?"

"Yes." She smiled. "He always came back talking about him."

Arthur laughed. "What did he call him?"

Luna looked confused. "Steven."

Arthur paused. "That’s it?"

"Yes."

Arthur shook his head. "I expected something more impressive."

Athena smiled. "Steven probably wouldn’t want anything more impressive."

Arthur nodded. "Probably."

Vedas looked at him. "You should ask Steven about your grandfather when we return."

Arthur’s expression became thoughtful. "I will." Then he smiled. "I’d like to hear what he was like from someone who actually knew him."

The group continued deeper. Arthur looked around at the massive trees, the strange plants, the unfamiliar Beasts. Then he suddenly stopped. "Wait."

Luna looked back. "What?"

Arthur pointed around them. "You actually lived here?"

Luna nodded.

Arthur’s eyes widened. Athena’s expression changed as well. "Your entire life?"

"Yes."

Arthur looked around again. "Inside the Everglades?"

"Yes."

Arthur looked genuinely fascinated. "That’s amazing."

Luna tilted her head. "Why?"

Athena shook her head.

"Most humans don’t."

She looked around the Everglades. "Secret Realms are usually too dangerous for permanent settlements. The environment changes, powerful Beasts migrate through them, and some regions can become completely different within a few years."

Luna stared at her. "But this was home."

Athena’s expression softened. "Exactly."

Arthur looked around the enormous forest again.

Suddenly, the Everglades felt different.

Until now, he’d been looking at it as an unexplored Secret Realm.

Luna had grown up here.

She had played here.

She had eaten here.

She had explored these forests when they were simply the place she called home.

Arthur smiled. "That’s amazing."

Luna blushed. "Really?"

Arthur gestured toward the forest. "Of course! You’ve seen an entire world that the rest of us haven’t. Plus! You’re the first person I’ve actually met who grew up inside a Secret Realm."

Luna gave a small smile. "I never thought about it."

Arthur laughed. "That’s probably because you’ve never lived anywhere else."

Vedas nodded. "That would make it feel normal."

Melo quietly added, "It’s certainly different from home."

Luna looked at Melo. "You have a home?"

Melo smiled. "Of course." She settled comfortably against Mithra’s shoulder. "And I’m very fond of it."

Luna smiled while Mithra laughed.

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