The rain had stopped several hours ago, but dark gray clouds still rumbled occasionally above the Arcadian sky. The sun was still high in the sky. Akimitsu and Shahin took the opportunity to nap. Ogai went into town in search of his missing son. Shiro, meanwhile, stepped outside and sat on the large rock in front of the Coral to meditate on the current situation.
Outside, the wind swayed the leaves with a gentle rustle, beams of light pierced through the thick foliage of the tall cryptomerias, invisible animals cried and sang loudly, and finally, the forest exhaled a fresh breeze that every soul could savor freely. With a peaceful mind, a serene face, and a contented smile, Shiro sat with his arms crossed on his stone throne: he was the king of the forest.
In these moments of solitude, in harmony with nature and at peace with himself, his troubled mind allowed his body to release a slight sigh of satisfaction. But this serenity was quickly disturbed by the snap of a dry branch.
He sensed a presence in the underbrush. His eyes fixed on a shadow crouching, motionless. It stayed that way for several seconds. When he stood up, the shadow fled into the depths of the Arubi Forest. He refrained from chasing after it...
When he opened the door, the other Pleiades were seated, waiting for him. Ogai entered shortly after him.
"Take a seat, Shiro," he said sadly, leaning against the window frame. "We need to talk."
Shiro stood before his companions as if he were about to reveal a great secret.
"Riga is in the woods," he stated.
All eyes turned to him.
"What!" Shahin shouted, getting up from his bed.
"So you saw him?" Akimitsu asked.
The giant stood up with his long, heavy frame and began to handle his long wooden staff carefully. Although he showed some interest in Riga's whereabouts, in truth, he did not really care.
"No," Shiro replied as he sat on a chair, "but I felt his presence."
Shahin was determined to chase after the deserter, but his father stepped in before he could act.
"It doesn't matter," Ogai said, looking out the window. "As long as he doesn't decide to join us, we will act without him. Well! To move faster with our mission, we will split up. I will go to Genib while you search for Pegasus. I believe that with Akimitsu's help, you will eventually find him. I will leave tonight. As for you, it would be better to leave at dawn when visibility is good so that you have the whole day ahead of you. One more thing: avoid splitting up and remember that the Arubi Forest is teeming with trolls."
"That's true!" Shahin exclaimed, snapping his fingers. "I had forgotten! People talk about them a lot in the center. Some villagers who ventured into the forest years ago claim they were attacked by trolls with a hideous appearance. Some even showed me their scars, but I'm not naive. I know where they really got them: after losing at gambling!"
"Oh, I don't believe much in those troll stories because I've never seen one," the giant grumbled.
"Be wary of them," Ogai said, momentarily amused by his son's story. "It seems they contribute greatly to the legend surrounding the Arubi Forest. It is said they are extremely aggressive and attack in hordes. We never know if they truly exist, so be very careful."
"You be careful too," Shiro said in turn.
Ogai smiled at him as if to thank him for his concern.
"I have a question," Shahin said, raising his hand like a student.
He looked ridiculous, sprawled on his bed like an idle sovereign.
"Go ahead," Ogai said with a friendly gesture. "I'm listening."
"Who are you going to find in Genib?"
"Three men: Kentaro, Ginji, and Averkane."
"Averkane, you say…" Shiro said thoughtfully. "I think I remember that when the Rassan pass was still open, I saw someone by that name in Arcadia. He was young, maybe fifteen, yet he defeated six opponents in a row, six adults skilled in martial arts."
"Six adults!" Shahin said, astonished. "Well, either they were incredibly weak, or that man was incredibly strong. In my humble opinion, they were weaker than he was strong."
"You're mistaken," Shiro said with a sly look. "Those six men were indeed strong, as they were the best students of a martial arts school. After that, the humiliated students and master had to close their dojo."
Shahin cleared his throat and immediately fell silent. Ogai added, as if to drive the point home and dispel any of the young boy's misconceptions:
"Moreover, at fifteen, he was already taller than you and me."
"Oh, really!"
"And you haven't seen him now that he's a man," Ogai continued. "He is... colossal."
With that, he stood up, resting his hands on his knees.
"Alright! I'm going to get ready to leave."
Outside, squirrels were gathering the last acorns at the foot of the trees. The chirping of young birds grew quieter. Nature seemed to settle down with the sun. A thin evening mist began to form slowly between the tree trunks and swept gently over the ground, still warm from the sun. Inside, Ogai busied himself as night fell.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and a man rushed in. It was Riga! He charged straight toward his father, head down, without looking around. Ogai was so surprised to see him that he couldn't utter a word. Not only was his sudden return unexpected, but the state of his dirty clothes and grime-covered face shocked everyone. His eyes were red, and his eyelids kept blinking. Ogai assumed he must have been wandering in the Arubi Forest, sleeping at the foot of a tree, and feeding on roots. He waited to hear why he had returned and, more importantly, why he had abandoned them earlier in the day.
"Dad…" he said hesitantly, head down, eyes averted, not even looking into his father's eyes. "The blue net… it was me!"
With that, he turned around and went back the way he came. Everything had happened so quickly, and he had left so fast that no one had time to react. Ogai didn't know it, but it was the last time he would see his son. The blue net… he kept repeating, without really grasping what his son meant. He stood there, stunned. The Pleiades were equally bewildered. What a strange man! they thought.
When Shahin suddenly realized he could demand an explanation from his brother, he rushed after him, but Riga had already disappeared into the darkness of the forest. He clenched his fists, looking around, but there was no trace of Riga. He returned, powerless, and asked his father:
"What did he mean?"
"I don't know," Ogai said sadly, lowering his head, his gaze desperately empty. "He spoke of a blue net. In my dreams in Genib, I often dreamed of Venitia."
"So what?" Shahin asked insistently.
"There was always a blue net beside her," Ogai continued.
"I don't see the connection," Shahin said, puzzled.
"Neither do I…"
Total confusion reigned in the room. Why had Riga come back? Had he gotten lost in his own solitude? Did he want to tell his father something else? Or did he intentionally obscure the meaning of his words to leave him in deep turmoil?
A cool, starry night now blanketed the Arcadian sky as Ogai prepared to leave. Standing in front of the Coral, the Pleiades surrounded him with solemn expressions. He was dressed in an off-white armor covered with a long red silk cape embroidered with gold thread – the same one he wore when he commanded the Brotherhood of the Buttercup. His sword was carefully concealed under his cape, and only the bundle in his hand indicated that he was setting off on a journey. He looked up at the star-filled sky and sighed. A misty breath escaped his mouth like chimney smoke. He gave a slight smile that barely softened the sadness on his face.
"In Genib," he said, still gazing at the starry sky, "the sky is veiled: you can't see the stars clearly. No one has ever understood why or how it's possible to see them in Arcadia and not in Genib. Some say the neighboring kingdom is cursed and doesn't deserve the light of the sky. Others claim that Queen Andora uses her dark magic to obscure the stars and trouble the minds of civilized beings. In fact, she wants to prevent her people from dreaming. The light that falls from the stars frightens evil beings, and so Andora fears it. This sublime, pale light scattered across the sky symbolizes hope for all living creatures and serves as a guide in this violence-dominated world. Here, the sky is magnificent, day and night. Before leaving this kingdom, I had never paid attention to it. But now that I am aware, I don't want to take my eyes off it, for fear of losing it forever. I could extend this feeling to life; now that I am aware of its value, I don't want to lose it, I don't want to waste it. That is the purpose of my journey to Arcadia. I will try to secure the lives of both kingdoms. To prevent the lives of their inhabitants from being wasted senselessly."
He looked at the Coral, the Arubi Forest where the evening mist now enveloped the ground, and finally, his gaze rested on his son Shahin, who was watching him intently.
"Well," he concluded,
"I must go."
He looked at him one last time in the eyes. The sadness in his father's gaze shook Shahin to his core; a strong tremor made him shiver. An indescribable feeling swept through the young man, though he didn't know what it was. Another feeling, unstoppable since knowing this man was his father, made him throw himself into his arms, into the arms of the father he hadn't known during his childhood. Held close against him, Shahin wished that moment could last forever. The warmth of a father… he thought. Ogai shook hands with Akimitsu and Shiro.
"Thank you for your help. I will not forget it. See you soon."
He turned his back to them and walked toward the Rassan pass.
Hidden in the underbrush, a man wept bitterly as he watched Ogai leave. He would have liked to follow him but did not dare to approach and ask. Especially after what had happened.
At last, as he watched Ogai depart, Shahin shivered. He now understood the indescribable feeling he had felt moments earlier, as if he had read it on Ogai's back: was this a farewell? Yes, watching him leave, Shahin wondered if it was the last time he would see his father.
At the kingdom's border, Ogai rang the bell he held in his hand. Venitia's silhouette gradually appeared. She smiled at him, took his hand, and they soared into the sky above the Rassan pass.
Akimitsu, Shahin, and Shiro entered the Arubi Forest at dawn. A rather unusual sight unfolded before them. Contrary to what they had believed, the forest was teeming with life. The vegetation was lush, birds chirped around their nests, deer clashed in small clearings, monkeys leaped from branch to branch, and bees buzzed in every direction. The sun's rays filtered through the dense foliage of the cryptomerias and oaks, making the dragonflies' wings glisten like sparks, exaggerating the mystical atmosphere. The tree trunks were bent like old, hobbled sorcerers and housed swarms of insects beneath their bark.
All these creatures went about their activities without paying the slightest attention to the newcomers. The three watched the scene with fascination. The forest's reputation greatly contrasted with what was actually happening – at least, on the surface. Shahin paused frequently to snack, looking like a growing child. His two companions were amazed. They both wondered how a young man with such an appetite could maintain such an athletic build.
Suddenly, as they made their way through the gnarled trees, they spotted a magnificent white unicorn with red eyes.
"Goodness!" Shahin exclaimed. "Did you see that? It's Pegasus!"
"No, calm down," Akimitsu interjected, extending his arm. "It's only the unicorn, his mate."
"Yes! That's true. I thought it was too easy," Shahin said, approaching the creature cautiously.
"She will lead us to Pegasus," Akimitsu said, awestruck by the animal's beauty. "Let's approach her slowly."
Easier said than done! The unicorn understood they wanted to approach her, so she moved deeper into the forest, inviting them to follow. They did so without hesitation. But soon, they noticed that she was putting more and more distance between them. Akimitsu feared she might escape them entirely.
"Wait!" he shouted. "I think you shouldn't go any further."
"Why?" Shahin replied, eager to catch up to the animal.
"Because you're scaring her!" the giant retorted. "Only I can approach her; if you follow me, she'll never lead us to Pegasus."
"What do you mean?" Shiro interjected. "You plan to go after her alone?"
"Yes. Trust me; don't worry. Go back to the Coral, and I will join you there with Pegasus."
"Are you sure about what you're doing?" Shahin asked, apprehensive. "You really want to go alone?"
The giant responded with a smile, then turned his back to them. Shahin exchanged a surprised look with Shiro.
"We're counting on you!" the young boy finally called out, using his hands as a makeshift megaphone, for the giant was already far away.
Akimitsu turned one last time to address them:
"Will you find your way back?"
"Don't worry," Shahin said, smiling. "See you later, Akimitsu. Good luck and be careful."
"Same to you, see you later."
On the way back, Shahin, chatty and curious, bombarded Shiro with questions. He wanted to know everything about him. He hopped from root to root, posing a new question each time. But unlike him, Shiro remained taciturn. He answered only with grunts or brief replies. In the end, the young man admitted defeat and, for the moment, gave up trying to learn more.