Just before Asahi could reach it, Drimi, clueless about the Scarf's importance, took it away and shoved it in one of her pockets. She then forcefully pushed Asahi away from her, along with Aletha, too.
Akwan's eyes widened in surprise. Sally merely shrugged. Belial, meanwhile, silently handed the wanderers a canister of rich, earthy soil.
Not one of them, with the exception of Akwan, knew how important this scarf was for them.
The forest's chorus crept in, filling the uneasy hush that settled over the group, until Asahi broke the silence once more.
"Give it back!"
Drimi hesitated, bracing herself and shaking her head. Asahi and Aletha lunged—fists flying—but Drimi slipped away. Kicks came next; she sidestepped gracefully. Even their final, desperate efforts were met by her swift and unyielding defense.
Without warning, Drimi hurled both wanderers aside. She landed a punch on their stomachs. Then, with a powerful sweep, she knocked their ankles—her fierce strength suddenly revealed.
"Don't try," she said through heavy breaths, landing a fist on Asahi's chest. "I am a professional. Violence will do no good."
After a tense pause, Aletha realized surrender was the wisest choice. Yet Asahi, spellbound by the scarf, lunged forward once more.
(Swoosh)
But an arrow nearly skimmed his hair. Belial, holding onto his bow, warned the wanderers as Drimi applauded in his efforts.
"Don't mess with Ms. Drimi." He said as he lifted his back. "She is far too powerful to be messed around with."
After a tense moment and a brief recollection from The Forbidden Book's Drimi, Asahi and Aletha, having exhausted every attempt to grab the scarf, reluctantly complied with her. Drimi's dark hair caught the wind as she pulled out the brown scarf, her fierce eyes locking with Asahi's. She clicked her tongue and said…
"Tsk tsk tsk." She said as she waved her finger. "It will take a lot more to get this scarf. Much like all things in life, everything must be earned."
"Earned?" Asahi said with painful mutters. "That's our mother's! Give it back!"
"Your mother's?" Drimi retraced the boy's words. "I don't understand. What's so special about your mother?"
It would be at this time that he would try once again to grab the scarf by force.
Although he could barely gather the memories of their mother , he could remember Akwan's efforts to steal the scarf.
Now that they had come and thought about it, it was the scarf that led the wanderers into their world in the first place. However, this was something different.
It wasn't a lure anymore, but rather a snare that led to the nation's problems. If they ever want to retrieve the scarf…
"You must earn it," Drimi said as she placed the scarf on Sally. "Until we build a trustworthy bond, you shall never get it."
"Never?" Aletha questioned as Asahi clenched his fists in rage.
"You know what I mean," Drimi said with a wink. "I'll give it to ya once you prove your worth to me, Sally, Belial, and Akwan."
"Okay." Asahi and Aletha said in unison, sighing
After having complied with Drimi's orders, Belial, Akwan, and Sally, the wanderers, decided to join them for the time being, in hopes of earning the scarf.
The evening moved on as the group processed what had happened.
Leaves drifted from towering treetops. Wind whistled through echoing trunks. Birdsong wove a melody around them. At the edge, Asahi and Aletha lingered, reluctant to join in. If they hoped to reclaim the scarf, they would have to play along.
"Look, sorry about earlier. My name is Drimi." She introduced herself as she bowed her head. "I wouldn't say I like those who yap all the time. Best I'd better run away to shut their darn mouths. Isn't that true, Be-Be?"
It seemed to the wanderers that Drimi was referring to Belial. In response, he closed his eyes and released a lengthy sigh.
"I told you… Not to call me that name, Drimi," He said as warm air brushed his dark hair. "And yes, that is correct."
Drimi let out a rough laugh, slapping her thigh, then turned to Belial with a mischievous glint in her eye and a friendly lilt to her voice.
"You don't have to be so sensitive, Be-be! I'm just using your usual nickname," Drimi said with an easy laugh. "Now, since we're all gathered around the campfire, it's time for these two to introduce themselves. If they want to earn my trust, we need to know them."
Drimi, showing her true non-formal side, made Asahi and Aletha question her personality. But instead of asking for information, they heard conversations trading above their heads as Belial whispered to the two.
"She can form a unique personality sometimes," Belial said as his emerald eyes darted back and forth among the wanderers. "Most likely referring to her dead father. It's best if you don't mess with her."
Drimi, after shaking off her fake personality, hoisted her arms into the air and said.
"Well, aren't you going to introduce yourselves…?"
"OH, yeah, right," Asahi said as Aletha and he nodded their heads. After their long white hair blew in the wind, Asahi bowed down and gave a formal introduction.
"My name is Asahi," He said. "Part of the Adtraic family. We are here to find our parents and our younger sister. And come from this world."
As he was introducing, Drimi whispered to herself with a glow in her eyes.
"Parents?" She said, "Sister?"
As Asahi concluded his introduction, Aletha stepped forth and said.
"My name is Aletha, and I am also part of the Adtraic Family. Nice to meet you all."
The wanderers bowed their heads, and then sounds of applause had resonated within the wooded space. Drimi,with her grip and strength, embraced the wanderers silently. Afterward, as the birds sounded over the tree tops, Drimi whispered.
"It seems you two will get along with us just fine," Drimi said as she held onto the shimmering scarf. "But for now, you've got to come with us. That's the first step. Every big journey has to start somewhere."
Akwan stepped in and intervened. "Well said, Drimi. Well said."
As they all stared at the blazing fire, the wanderers took another glance at their surroundings.
Behind them, towering deciduous trees loomed. A narrow path wound through the forest, skirting a murmuring creek. These woods stood darker than those of The Fountain. Their thick canopies cloaked the sunlight in deep, shifting shadows.
Then, just as they thought the Four Knights were enough, a boy with silver hair and cat ears rested on the ground. Aletha quickly caught eyes and muttered.
"Sadiki?"
Belial inclined his head and pricked his hair, lightly chuckling and replying.
"Yes," he said. "We found Sadiki on the ground when we were at The Great Fountain. He said that he knew both of you, so we took him along with us."
Akwan, raising his hand, questioned Belial with a hasty tone.
"Did you take Clover with you?"
Belial shook his head.
"No," He replied with a cold sigh. "I believe she is at Milmoor Village, far to the west of this nation. If you want to meet up with her, first follow Drimi's orders. Will get there soon enough."
As the wanderers began to take a grasp on their surroundings and people, Belial notified.
"Two evenings ago, before the Fountain day ceremony, the Royal Meeting occurred," Belial said as his fingers touched the grass. "Every ruler in Gincad was there, celebrating and toasting to a new generation. However, when our Queen was chosen to speak, she misrepresented our actions. She made us look like dirt to the world. We have been heroes for this region."
Suddenly, memories of that encounter flashed into their vision. Yes, they did see a meeting, but that was only a fraction, a smidge of the full puzzle. As Belial hyperventilated, he began speaking his mind.
"We saved lives, and we changed people's hearts; we protected the nation for almost fifty years, and we worked with the Queen ever since we were young.
His tone shifted to a darker one.
"Yet even after all the heroic and positive actions that we have done for the Queen and the city, she made us look like wretched mice to the entire world."
After the explanation, the clarity of the situation became stable for the wanderers, and Belial finished his fury-filled words.
"We won't take such a decisive action from the Queen again. All of us hope that one day, we will find The Ruler of Purity and overthrow the throne of Pladtioa."
A long silence swept over the circle as the campfire blazed. The group sat beneath the flickering glow, memories flickering of a scorching cyclone that soared above, collapsing mountains and filling their minds with reminders of past calamity.
After ten minutes of tense silence, Asahi and Aletha remembered the brown scarf resting in that room. They remembered all of it.
As the wind gathered in heavy weight, Asahi and Aletha were given a brief reminder of why they were here.
(For our family.)
As silence filled the area, the platinum-haired woman stood straight and introduced herself.
"M…My name is Sally Brishment." After nodding and lightly smiling, she took another deep breath and shyly began to speak. At first, she looked confident, but after gathering her bearings, she started presenting a stuttering response.
"I… can't. I don't know what to do."
Drimi stared directly in Sally's eyes and firmly grasped her chin, whispering with a small smile under her mask.
"Just say what is in your mind. Don't slump into shambles. Be proud of yourself."
After moments of stillness, Sally parted her eyelids and took a deep sigh.
"My name is Sally Brishment," She said. "I am one of the newest members of the Four Knights, and the younger sister of the Queen of Astait. I… I am seeking to grow prideful about myself, and I want to become brave like my sister."
Despite her gargantuan height, she acted as if a little child, depicting her far more different than the rest. Just as she fell into anxiety, Drimi shook her head and face-palmed. Whispering to her.
"It's okay, Sally. You did it. It's fine."
Then, after the breakdown, the dark-haired, green-eyed young man gave them HIS introduction.
"My name is Belial," he said. "I am from a rural town in the nation of Zomrack. To start, I am a skilled archer and healer, trained almost to death by my parents. But I am lucky to be escorted from the dunes into something more… tolerable."
As Asahi and Aletha responded with wide eyes, Belial shook his head and stood tall, giving them a small grin. "That was a long time ago, though. That Belial is a completely different one from the one you see here. Now that we know who you are, I think it's time we introduce you to the people of this nation."
The sun slowly sank from the noon sky into the afternoon. As he grinned and approached the snoozing Sadiki, he yelled.
"Back in the west, there's this village called Milmoor," He said. "I think it's perfect for you two to gather your bearings."
"Really?" Asahi asked.
"Indeed. It's not too far from here. Do you think Drimi's okay with it?"
A distant voice shouted from the distance.
"Yeah!"
With everyone's agreement, Asahi, Aletha, Drimi, Akwan, Sally, Sadiki, and Belial turned west, leaving the city behind as they headed into the rolling grassy hills.
However, just before they departed, Belial shook Sadiki up and heard.
"Huh? Where am I? Who are you?"
Seeing Asahi and Aletha made him wonder. But they didn't have enough time. Quickly, Drimi pushed Sadiki toward Asahi and Aletha, saying.
"Better catch up," Belial said.
It drifted to Drimi.
"Yes, we're leaving!" she said briskly. "Get up and follow us. We're heading to Milmoor. Do you want to come, or stay here?"
After silent moments of pondering, Sadiki nodded his head and sprinted back to the group, replying.
"I shall come with you."
Side by side, they ventured deeper into the forest, anticipation growing for the wonders and mysteries that awaited them beyond the trees.