CHAPTER 33: THE MAP

They spilled out of the inn, feet echoing on the worn stone stairs. A winding road threaded between the buildings, alive with the music of watermills and birdsong ricocheting through the air. Sunlight poured in golden ribbons from rooftop to rooftop, unfurling across the open, treeless plains.

"Wow, this is..." Aletha commented as people hurried back and forth on the road. "Very different from what I had in mind."

They gathered close, weaving through the bustle of villagers and blacksmiths, while dogs barked joyfully, darting after laughing children. Aletha and Asahi watched as birds swooped after butterflies, both carried on the gentle, comforting wind.

"Everyone seems so..." Asahi muttered. "...happy."

Sadiki picked up on their hushed words as they drifted from one sunlit corner of the village to another.

"Of course, this place is not under the rule of The Queen of Pladtioa," he said as they reached another corner . "People in Pladtioa city seemed to be slaves to the ruler. But out here, in the open..." He clicked his tongue. "Freedom is just within sight."

Watching the carefree children roam, Akwan’s eyes sparkled with mischief as he stepped forward, offering them something unexpected...

"Here, if you two ever feel lost." He said, lending them a roll of two maps, continuing. "Know that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west."

Back in the old world, when they still had their powers, Asahi and Aletha could have opened a map in their mind.

With their powers stripped from them , they resorted to using written and illustrated maps.

However, the map that Akwan gave wasn’t just about Pladtioa, nor was it just some ordinary map.

"Vehemat?" Asahi mumbled. "Gincad, The Adtraic’s world?"

With his eyes gazing at all corners of the map, he saw illustrations of pyramids, mountains, and dreamy wonderscapes that seemed so out of place for their planet. Nonetheless, what really caught their attention was how the map referred to Gincad as the "Adtraic’s" world, knowing full well they lost grip of it.

As they rolled up the map and placed both copies into their pockets, Asahi asked.

"Where did you get this?"

"It was no other than Canyon who gave me these," Akwan said as he mentioned his experience out of his centuries of being alive. "When I was in Linuxinia, I stumbled upon an abode resting on the southernmost corner of Linuxinia. From there, he gave me both of these maps as a gift."

"So... he traveled the entire world?"

"Not just him," Akwan said. "But his parents and great great grandparents as well."

Fallen in shock at this sudden reveal, they realized where they were...

There was no other continent to the east; all of it was just...

"One big island," Aletha muttered as she pointed her finger at the inscription. "Pladtioa isn’t a continent but a giant island."

This made them wonder, what ocean did they belong to? What else could be beyond this secluded chunk of the world?

Akwan snapped his fingers, pulling up yet another copy of the map. Just when they thought it wouldn’t get crazier, he informed them.

"If you find a table, make sure to place the map down. You can enhance and magnify it with just two motions of your fingers."

Their minds reeled in awe. They had never imagined holding a map so magical and powerful, not even The Forbidden Book compared. After tucking it away, Asahi, Aletha, Akwan, and Sadiki wandered deeper into town, where green trees behind the houses danced in the wind.

At the heart of Milmoor village, a stone well stood sentinel. They circled it, exchanging warm greetings with the villagers bustling nearby.

But then, as Akwan prepared to settle down on the outskirts of the village, a green-haired girl shouted out to them.

"Akawn? Asahi? And Aletha, too?" She said as she dropped farming equipment. "How have you both been? Why are you not in the city?"

Aletha, surprised to see her here, began muttering.

"Wow, I didn’t know you lived here."

"Umm, who is this green-haired girl?" Sadiki asked the wanderers as she posed. "Have you two met her before?"

"Of course," Asahi said. "Akwan’s disciple, if I’m not mistaken."

"How has life been treating ya?" Aletha asked Clover as she continued to harvest. "Do you live here?

"Pretty good." She said with a genuine smile on her face. "The city is a lot more depressing than here. I can actually feel ALIVE and around this. And yeah, I live here with my parents. Well, anyway, how have you two been?"

"Nice." Aletha and Asahi said in unison.

As the two began to situate themselves near the well, Sadiki quickly intervened.

"Sorry," He said as the people shuffled back and forth. "We are kind of busy."

"Busy with what?" Aletha asked, irritated that she couldn’t talk to Clover anymore.

"Training." He replied. "We have some training to do."

"Training, at this hour?" Asahi said in protest.

"Do you want to get the scarf?" Sadiki asked, using it as a bribe as if it were a dog treat.

With that ’secret weapon’, of mentioning the Scarf, it persuaded Asahi and Aletha deeply to abide. All they had ever wanted, ever since the beginning of the journey, was the scarf and nothing more.

It was the chase after it that led them to return to this world in the first place.

Deep in their souls, they had deep regret dropping it. But after both, knowing it was safe, motivated them to try again.

Sadiki continued while Drimi was seen on the other side of the well, silently gazing at them.

"If you want to gain Drimi’s trust, you first must come into training," Sadiki said. "It’s not coming from me, I’m no messenger. But I do agree with her. I have seen how you two fight against her and that creature from The Ending. You two are nothing but mere mortals," he took a deep sigh. "If you want to win a fight against Drimi, you would need more than just training."

Aletha released an exasperated sigh. "Do we have to?"

Asahi squinted at her and covered her mouth, shuffling back and forth .

"Like I said, do you want the scarf?" Sadiki asked, smiling, knowing Drimi was there.

Asahi and Aletha both nodded their heads, Asahi releasing a grasp of Aletha’s mouth.

"Sometimes, you just need to be quiet," Asahi said, scalding Aletha. "We need the Scarf. Alright, Sadiki, do your worst."

"Your worst?" Sadiki said. "All Drimi and I want is for you to grow. We don’t want to punish you." Drimi, having had enough of the shenanigans, stepped forth and snapped her fingers.

"Alright, I’ve seen enough," She said, holding a smile behind her mask. "You two, if you want this scarf, it’s gonna take A LOT more than asking. If you two want it, you must prove yourselves. Show me that you are worthy of my trust. It’s two on one."

Asahi, Aletha, having not prepared for this moment, came to a conclusion.

"Not yet!"

Now, after recollecting the moments with Drimi and how she fought, he finally came to the realization,

"We are weak."

And so, just before they engage in a fight with the strong woman, Drimi, it led both of them to inquire.

"Fine, we’ll do your stupid training," Aletha said with a pouty tone.

"I’ll comply." Asahi informed them, " If it’s for our mother’s scarf, I will do anything."

Clover, having no idea what they were saying, muttered.

"What are you two talking about?"

"This dumb training that my brother and I..."

Drimi interfered. "It’s not stupid." She said, pushing her dark hair back to the side. "It’s efficient. To survive in this world, it will take training. Sadiki told me of your rough summoning. I will not let that afterimage stick in your brains. As I said, I want to help you."

After she snapped her fingers, the welcoming rays of sunlight peered through the roofs.

"First, we’ll start with endurance," Drimi said as she led Sadiki over to the sandy edges of Milmoor village. "Sadiki, make sure they don’t stray over the track. I shall make sure they stay and not stop."

The breeze danced through the trees, rustling their leaves in a gentle chorus.

Resting on the horizon, puffy, brilliant clouds spanned over a nearly endless ocean. The sun blazed high at its brightest, inviting its gaze on the shadows below.

Asahi and Aletha broke into a jog, wiping sweat from their brows. Their hearts thundered, lungs filled with air, and for a moment, their spirits soared with the memory of running wild and free in their old world.

As they sprinted, recollections of their father flashed: a man with long white hair, magenta and gray eyes, holding onto a strange black trident covered in shadow and white essences.

Then, another memory flickered in their vision. A tall man grasped a trident with one arm and threw it along with several million lightning bolts, absorbing the Engulfing Light away. A complete demonstration of absolute power.

He then summoned a helmet on his face, and as he levitated on the tallest mountain in the floating city, his right hand absorbed all the souls that were left astray. At a glance, he had used all of their powers to protect the kingdom from The Engulfing Light,

Just when they reached the entrance to the forest, one last memory flickered. A memory that hadn’t belonged to them. A cyan luminance, a blonde man, a blue suit. Though it was very foggy compared to the recollection of their... father, it stood still. A woman with white hair, holding hands...

Before the memory continued, Asahi and Aletha found themselves in a forest, with slimes bouncing about.

"This is it... Your first test," Sadiki said. "Defeat the slimes with only sticks. Do this, and you shall gain a little of her trust."

"Slimes?" Asahi and Aletha said in unison.