On the way, Ogai and his son once again crossed paths with the group of young men they had encountered on their way to the castle.
They were sitting by the edge of a fountain, some watching while others boasted. The young man who had bumped into Riga was also there. This time, he had a half-eaten carrot in his mouth as he recounted his escapades. At one point, he raised his arm and rolled up his sleeve completely.
It was a shock for Ogai. Over time, he had forgotten that his sons had distinctive marks that made them recognizable among all; remembering this, it would have been much easier for him to confirm the survival of his son, Saif.
Indeed, Riga had a blue birthmark just below his heart, and this street youngster had a red one on his right shoulder... just like Saif, the missing son! He wasn't dead after all! He was right in front of him after twenty years of separation! Looking at him more closely, Ogai felt as if he were staring into a mirror from twenty-five years ago. Moreover, he was surprised not to have noticed it earlier. The young man was only slightly shorter than him, with a build similar to Riga's. His body was muscular, and in his large, almond-shaped, light eyes, one could discern a formidable energy. His round and jovial face seemed made for laughter.
He has slightly almond-shaped eyes, Ogai thought, more convinced than ever that this boy was his lost son, just like his mother's…
"Saif! It's you, my son!" said Ogai, approaching the young man, somewhat losing his composure. Riga trotted behind his father, a bit bewildered as well.
The supposed son stopped mid-sentence and turned around slowly with a disdainful expression.
"I am your father," Ogai declared. "I thought I had lost you after your birth, but you're alive after all…"
The young rogues looked at Ogai, wandering over with an incredulous smile on his lips.
"What? Are you out of your mind? I don't have any parents! I was found in a trash bin!"
"Yes!" his friends said in unison. "He was wrapped in a purple cloth and chirped like a sparrow when the elders found him."
"No," Ogai said calmly, stepping closer to the young man, who was quite impressed by his stature and, above all, by his gaze. "You are my son. I saw the red mark on your right shoulder.
"So what!" the young man shouted angrily. "Just because you saw my mark, you claim to be my father?"
Ogai placed his hands on the young boy's shoulders, who remained captivated for a moment before quickly regaining control of himself:
"Don't touch me, old geez!" he shouted, jumping back.
What a piercing gaze, he thought. I've never seen eyes like that. This man doesn't scare me, yet there's an irresistible aura about him…
The forehead sweaty, he now hesitated to believe this stranger simply because of a look. Being born an orphan, he had been taken in by the Band of the Locusts, who fed and raised him as best they could. Thus, he had grown up with several surrogate fathers and had never wondered what had become of his biological parents or why they had abandoned him. He didn't care in the slightest because he was happy with his companions in misfortune: he had food, a roof over his head, and warm moments to share. And now, here was a stranger who wanted to upend his entire life!
What have I done up to now? he wondered. What have I known? I've built nothing, no house, no family. Nothing stops me from accepting this man as my father. But if he isn't…
Ogai turned to Riga and pointed at him:
"Look at this man. Don't you see a resemblance between you two? Show him, Riga."
Riga lifted the hem of his vest to reveal the blue mark under his heart.
"Do you think many people have marks like these?"
The young man was perplexed. Now, sweat was streaming down his forehead, his hands were clammy, and his body was trembling, but he didn't know why.
"So… if you're my father, why am I only meeting you now, huh? Why?"
"Well, I'll tell you. Come, follow me, Saif," Ogai replied, placing his arm around the young man's shoulder.
"My name isn't Saif; it's SHAHIN!" he shouted, pushing his hand away.
Now, he was shaking with anger. He had had enough of enduring this stranger's delusions. He clenched his fists to intimidate him, but instead, Ogai stepped closer with a smile full of fatherly affection. He embraced him and said with all the love a father could have for his son:
"And my name is Ogai, my son."
At that moment, Shahin felt something he had never felt before. An indescribable sensation: paternal warmth.
He let himself be embraced as if he were powerless. For a brief moment, he thought of hugging him back and even closed his eyes to savor that fleeting instant. Ogai stepped back and lifted the lock of hair falling over his forehead: there were three blue marks at the root. Shahin could not suppress a cry of surprise. His distrust vanished, but tears streamed down his cheeks instead.
Am I dreaming, he thought, I'm crying, I'm actually crying! Because of him, because of this man, because of my father! My father… What a shock! Why am I crying?
"I know it's hard to take in, but if you wish, you can come to my home at the edge of the forest to discuss it. It's your home too. Come, Riga, let's go. Let your brother reflect on the path he wants to take."
"My brother…" repeated Shahin as tears streamed down even more.
"Yes, this man is your brother. You were born on the same day but under two different stars. Yours is red and his is blue. You are fraternal twins."
Ogai, deeply moved, gave his newly found son one last smile before turning away, followed by Riga. Shahin did the same, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth in frustration. He moved past his friends without giving them so much as a glance.
Damn! Damn! How could I have cried? he thought, wiping his cheeks with the back of his hand. What a disgrace! Me, crying! Ugh!
The life he had led until now and the life he might have lived if Ogai had not appeared were both shattered in an instant. No matter how much he wiped his tears, they did not seem to stop flowing, as if deaf to his pleas. He stopped by the edge of a well and let his clenched fists fall onto the well rim. Warm tears fell onto the stone, making a sharp sound. Shahin leaned over the water, which was level with the surface. Before it was disturbed by the salty drops, he could see his reflection. The reflection of a strong, invincible, and unshakeable man had given way to the distorted, rippling, trembling image of a frail and vulnerable boy, which filled him with deep shame.
"Come on! Enough! I must stop crying. A man doesn't cry, a man never cries! " he raged.
He struck the well rim with his fist.
"And he didn't really think I would go to his place, that old geez… No way. I hope he doesn't believe that, just because he's my father and the other is my brother…"
He was trembling violently now. He understood why he was crying.
"I… I missed them so much!"
He tried again to hold back, biting his lips, clenching his jaw, and tensing all the muscles in his body, but he only managed to shake even more. Finally, he succumbed to emotion and collapsed against the rim.
"Oh! And what's the point, anyway? I'll let all the tears in my body flow out now, so I'll never cry again…"
The next day, Ogai and Riga waited for him, but he did not come. Instead, a royal messenger appeared:
"The king has sent me to inform you that we found Shiro, but he refuses to come. However, if you wish to see him, he lives at the mill to the west of the kingdom. The king also informs you that a renowned shepherd named Akimitsu can be found at Hankari Farm, in the northwest of the country."