Nightfall took over. On the rocky bank, a handsome young man was fighting countless vines. His fighting skill was good, so not a single vine was hooked at his body, but these annoying vines surrounded him, forming a thick wall that hindered him from saving a helpless young man that was dragged by an old woman to the river.
The wicked, old woman kept pulling Vince to the center of the river. Vince's body was fully submerged, but she didn't stop yet!
"Dari!"
The prince's miserable call echoed again and again. Vince's heart ached. His whole body was submerged in the river, but he could hold his breath underwater for a few minutes, so he started composing his mind to think of something that could save him, but he was tightly bound and couldn't even move his fingers.
"I need to find ways."
Vince kept thinking. He couldn't move and the old woman was pulling him, he only had a little time to save himself.
"What should I do?"
Vince was thinking when the old woman tightened her grip at his mouth. She was pushing Vince's head downward.
Vince was mad and desperate. In this state of helplessness, he bit the old woman's fingers.
There was a loud and eerie scream. It was so loud that even Vince, who was underwater, could hear it.
The old woman pulled his fingers, but Vince didn't let go and bit those stinky fingers with all his might.
Two fingers were severed.
Another loud and eerie scream echoed. A few seconds later, Vince's body loosened. The vines that tightly bound him were untied. These vines were drifted in the current.
Vince quickly got up, spat out the severed fingers, and rinsed his mouth. The old woman was standing still. The foul smell was gone. Her red eyes turned back to normal, but this pair of old eyes were looking at him with terror. Later, she fell in the water and was also carried by the current. Vince hesitated for a moment, whether to hold her or not.
"Dari!"
The worried prince came over. Vince smiled.
"Prince Aiji! That old woman..."
"She's dead."
Vince looked at the old body that was going farther. He just severed two fingers, how did it kill her?
"Dari, it was an evil soul. Her body being carried by the water is a good end for her. If she was caught by the tribe kings, she would be burned alive."
Well, that was a better end indeed!
Prince Aiji held Vince's wrist to the riverbank. There, Vince was examined thoroughly.
"Prince Aiji, I'm fine."
"I'm sorry Dari, I wasn't able to help you. That witch was too powerful."
"Prince Aiji, you don't have to. I am supposed to be your protector, but the role was reversed because of my memory loss."
It doesn't matter, as long as you are fine..."
Vince smiled, then there was a brief silence.
"Prince Aiji, why did I kill that old woman? I only severed two of her fingers..."
Prince Aiji sat on the rocky riverside. Vince followed.
"The old you was good at fighting witches and all kinds of evil souls before. Maybe because you have King Danli's powerful blood and you got the powerful cloth. The wound you made to her sucked out her powers."
"Thank goodness I did bite her. Though it was gross. I had to gargle many times."
Vince smiled, thankful and amazed by Dari's powerful bloodline.
"I was worried, but I didn't lose hope. Dari, you were the best young fighter in our tribe and I know you still are, I just hope you will recover your memory...soon."
Vince smiled, but he was guilty inside. Dari was supposed to be the one protecting Prince Aiji, but he took over Dari's body, so the prince carried all the burden.
"I will try to improve my fighting skills." Vince said. He cannot promise the prince to recover his memory because he isn't Dari. He can only improve his strength and fighting skills.
"Dari, don't think too much about it, we did survive the worst challenges so far. I will take care of everything, just stay safe and don't force yourself."
"Prince Aiji, thank you very much."
Vince was really grateful.
"You don't have to thank me, I'm doing this because... it is also my duty to protect you."
The soft voice was timid.
Vince stared at the prince's handsome face. The prince evaded Vince's eyes and looked at the flowing water.
Another moment of awkward silence.
Where are going now? The night is breaking..." Vince broke the awkward silence.
"The other side isn't too dense and the water here is shallow, we will cross to the other side. I will go back to get our things, and the little animals."
"Okay, I'll help you."
Two people climbed up the steep bank using the vines that pulled them down earlier.