"Take off your clothes," Arterios said as we entered Zoel.

"What?!" I exclaimed, caught off guard by the unexpected command.

"Your uniform is not suitable for the forest. Change into the clothes I bought for you on the way here," he clarified.

"Oh, so that's what you meant. Okay, I'll be behind that tree. By the way, someone could interpret that in a completely different way," I said, hoping he wouldn’t make the same mistake with someone else.

"Sorry, Maria, the situation is too depressing for me. I needed some fun."

You think it was a joke? I thought.

"Tell me, Arterios, what are you going to do after we find them? The kidnappers, I mean," I asked while getting dressed.

"The most important thing is making sure Artemis is safe. The punishment comes second."

So he doesn’t plan to kill them right away. He cares more about his sister’s safety, I thought.

"Here I am," I said, stepping out from behind the tree. I wore black, skin-tight pants with brown straps holding two small bags on the sides, a white shirt with brown straps to support my back, and a black jacket to keep me warm. The leather boots were also part of the outfit, making it even more comfortable. I was really grateful that Arterios had thought of this in advance.

"How does it fit?" he asked.

"It’s one of the most comfortable things I’ve ever worn," I assured him.

~~

We then headed toward Dracathea and began crossing Zoel, the most direct route. From books I’d read about Elviel and Zoel, I knew there were various animals that could eat us if we weren’t careful. Yet, Arterios didn’t seem afraid at all. Was his fear of losing his sister greater than his fear of dying, or was he just that confident in his fighting abilities?

"Let's stop here for a minute," Arterios said as we approached a water bank. I found a flat stone to sit on, while he sat on the ground nearby.

"Arterios, what happens if we’re not fast enough and they get out of Zoel?"

"Well, if that happens, we’ll have to follow them out of Zoel. It won’t be ideal, but we won’t have a choice."

Out of Zoel?! That would mean going to Dracathea.

"Won’t that be dangerous?" I asked, worried that both he, as an elf, and I, accompanying him, would be in peril.

"It will be, but I won’t let them take my sister."

Right. Okay.

"Let’s go then," I said, getting up. I drank some water from the bank and started walking toward Dracathea.

(Caw caw)

"What is that noise?" I asked, unfamiliar with the place.

"Ravens, maybe? They shouldn’t be here, though."

A large bird with a sharp beak swooped down from the sky and slashed my shoulder. The wound wasn’t too deep, thanks to my jacket, but it still hurt.

"Get down!" Arterios yelled, drawing his blade from its sheath. The shining silver blade, with a brown handle and golden markings, reflected the sunlight into my eyes. He positioned himself in front of me, ready to defend against another attack. The bird dove again, this time aiming for Arterios.

"Art, be careful!" I cried out.

He flinched slightly at the sound of the nickname, which had slipped out of my mouth as naturally as breathing. He dodged the first attack, then the second, and the third. On the fourth attack, he raised his sword and struck the bird. Blood splattered onto his face, causing him to tremble momentarily before wiping it away.

"Are you okay?" he asked, kneeling in front of me and pressing a cloth against my wound.

"Yeah... I think so," I replied, my voice so low I was surprised he could even hear me.

"I’m glad... By the way, Art?" he said.

"Hehe..."

"You still remember that nickname, Maria?" His voice had a different tone, one I hadn’t heard before. He’d always been cold and distant, shaped by the war, but now he looked as happy as a child who’d just received a birthday present.

He seemed genuinely happy. Was it because I’d called him by an old nickname?

"..." I tried to speak but couldn’t find the words. I wanted to reminisce about our childhood, but instead, I said, "Let’s go. We have to save Artemis."

"Yeah, you’re right."