Gilda isn't dead!

'How far am I going to go? I think my struggle to find Arthur was just for nothing. Was Arthur so mad at me that he did this?'

Even though he was tired, Gus was still looking for his best friend, whom he hadn't found until now.

"If Gilda had time to enter this forest, I would have been able to find traces of her or at least the smell of human bodies. But, I must not give up. I'm sure there must be something around here!" muttered Gus ambitiously.

Gus continued to walk down the woods without giving up. Unfortunately, the distance he traveled made him thirsty, and he forgot to bring provisions. Luckily, he found a puddle of water on the ground that seemed to be the remnants of last night's rain. Without waiting long, he rushed to drink the water as if impatient because of the dehydration he had experienced during these two days.

"Ahh," he said with relief.

As he was about to continue his journey back, something blocked his sight until he stopped his steps for a moment. A reflection of the light of sheen led to his eyeballs which, of course, made it difficult for him to look towards the street.

"What light is that??" asked Gus.

He also approached the source where the light came from. Such light appears through the sidelines of the bush with holes about five centimeters in diameter. As he approached, the light grew more prominent and more significant as if to signal that Gus had found the right point. The ancient rabbit then revealed a bush filled with sharp thorns that caused Gus's arm to be in pain. After the bush opened, Gus was surprised to see a metallic gray sword with antique carvings in every corner. Although there are some worn-out parts, the sword still looks very dashing.

Pierre opened the sword from his container. He looked through the details of the sword to find out who the actual owner of the sword he was currently holding was.

"GILDA VALRICK," the engraving inscribed with a name familiar to Gus, is excellent. The writing strongly characterizes this sword as not an ordinary sword but a sword given in descending or as an inheritance.

"Oh, so this sword belongs to Gilda?" Gus said.

Gus realized something that Gilda had passed through this region. However, what happened to him until he left his sword here? It's impossible if he did it on purpose without one thing happening.

"But, it's all possible. It may be that the first time Arthur met Gilda, Arthur immediately finished the girl without any residue. Alright, that makes sense," Gus's interim opinion.

Then, he also traced the traces to find out where Gilda went while carrying the sword she found. And finally, Gus's struggle was a little fruitful. Not far from where the sword was found, he found a footprint that can be ascertained as the footprints of his best friend, Arthur. The shape of the footprints can be seen very clearly walking towards the northern part of the forest. However, as Arthur's footprints were found, Gus lost track of Gilda's shoes which he had also found. Nevertheless, this complex situation, which is very confusing, did not make Gus give up easily. he followed in the footsteps left by Arthur until he could find his best friend.

Step by step, he traced until finally Gus was stopped in a dead-end valley because it was blocked by a high cliff that towered upwards. For a moment, Gus felt confused about where else he should go while Arthur's traces were no longer found.

"Is it possible that it climbed up there? If so, what did he avoid?" asked Gus again, a monologue.

He could conclude that because there was no other way Arthur could take except by climbing the cliff. Even if Arthur died in someone's hands, there were remains of his carcass still left around the forest, or at least along the road that Gus found. Although there are still many questions in his mind, Gus puts all of them aside so that the most important thing is that he can find Arthur first. Because at this time, his feelings say, it won't be long before he finds his best friend.

****

While Gus is busy looking for Arthur, at this time, Emmett is preparing his defense just in case at any time the Jotuns will come to attack. The reason is that Gilda's departure, which never returns, made residents panic, including Emmett himself. According to him, this indicates that the Jotuns are flying the war flag at humans, namely their villagers.

"Apsel, have you done what I told you to do earlier," Emmett asked, smoking his old cigar.

"I have, sir. Sir, I have something to say as a representative of all Tanee villagers. We are sorry for the loss of Princess Gilda. We are sure Princess Gilda must be in the most beautiful place with Mrs. Hela," Apsel told her master.

The words of sorrow do taste bitter. However, Emmett did not receive any words of condolences from his citizens because there was no definite evidence that Gilda was dead. Instead, Emmett threw his hand on Apsel's cheek, causing a red mark that was indeed very painful.

Apsel lowered his head as he held his cheeks, enduring the pain. If Emmett has played physically, then he must be furious.

"Brazen! What do you mean by saying so? My daughter is not dead! How dare you guys offer my condolences while we haven't gotten any information about Gilda!" concluded Emmett with both eyes rounded.

"Forgive us, sir. W-we didn't mean it that way. It's just that... it's been almost a week, and Princess Gilda hasn't returned yet," Apsel replied softly.

"You don't have to deduce anything about my daughter! Your only duty is to obey my orders, understand?!"

"Yes, sir. It will be attributed to other residents."

The night before, Emmett had ordered the residents to better his village's defense from the Jotuns' attacks. They draw up the best possible plan and find a way out of emergencies if needed. The entire area of Tanee village has been stuck with torches that light up when the sky gets dark. They did this to be more vigilant about Jotuns if they came on Friday night.

"What are your plans now, Jotuns? Last Friday night you didn't come, and now Gilda, my daughter... also disappeared. So what are you really planning?"