Onward to the Lost Forest!

Legend was on horseback on the road to the Dalmacian capital. Meg was traveling on his shoulder... other times on his head. He would try to sit on the horse's head, but the horse didn't seem to like that. In the end, Meg was only trying to find a position that was the most comfortable for himself. Both Meg and Legend seemed to be in a cheerful mood, enjoying the scenery and the journey.

Legend: Do you remember when we first met, Meg?

Meg: Huh?

Legend: The day we met for the first time.

Meg: Of course... That day at the diner when I hired you and Shin, that ninja friend of yours...

Legend: No, not then… I mean, back in my dimension… Midgard.

Meg suddenly went silent.

Legend: Nothing? You know... It's getting a little hard to trust someone who refuses to be straight with you time and time again...

Meg: I know what you mean... Tell me about it!

There was another moment of awkward silence.

Meg: I'm sorry. But there's a reason for all of this. Something happened to me… and I lost a lot of my memory because of it. Despite everything, you know in your heart that you can trust me... Don't you?

Now Legend was the one giving the silent treatment for a moment. Meg was looking at him, waiting for his reply. After a few moments, Legend finally responded.

Legend: You're right. Well... If we're not going to talk about you... I suggest you come up with another interesting topic because we have a pretty long trip ahead of us... unless you'd rather have a dose of some awkward silence because I'm pretty good at that too, you know? I'm yet to find the so-called awkward silence uncomfortable!

At the Lost Forest

Meanwhile, the Pendragon brothers had arrived at the Lost Forest, and just beyond it, according to information they learned from Sven, they could find a clue to the whereabouts of another of the weapons of the Arsenal of Light.

According to Meg, they needed to obtain this arsenal so they could have the power to defeat the evil fiends that were about to manifest once again in the Arkana. Bravery by itself, despite it being crucial to victory, was useless without the power to defeat the forces of evil, which seemed to be quite powerful only by considering the Dark mage Merlin. So, the Pendragons were on the road to learning the whereabouts of the next weapon that, like the Sword of Light, would give them the power to prevail.

Richard had never once been to this forest. Neither had Rachel. But she had read about it... And she remembered the information pretty well.

Just as Richard was about to set foot in the forest, Rachel warned him:

Rachel: Rich... According to what I've read, this is a treacherous place... We can't trust our senses. Many enter the forest and lose their way... never to be heard from again.

Richard: You know what? I find that most legends are primarily comprised of exaggerations, vast over-reactions, and misunderstandings. But I do trust your judgment. What do you suggest we do?

Rachel: I'm not entirely sure...

Richard and Rachel knew they couldn't take the horses with them into the forest... The layout of the terrain was too inadequate for them. Rachel looked up to the sky and saw the extremely tall trees...almost as if their height had no limit. Then she started to smile… because she had gotten an idea...

Rachel: I've got it!

Richard: You figured it out! I knew I could count on you, little sis!

Rachel: NIMMMMMMROOODDDD!!!!

Out of nowhere, Nimrod came down, flying graciously.

Richard's smile quickly turned into a frown once he heard who Rachel had called, thinking to himself {Him again… the bloody bandit!}.

Richard: You again...

Nimrod: You call; I fly to your service, My Lady.

Rachel: Thanks, Nimrod.

Rachel kissed him on the cheek. Nimrod's face got red, and he nearly fainted.

Rachel: Are you ok, Nimrod?

Nimrod: My Lady, Rachel! Yes! I am! Please tell me... How may I be of service?

Rachel: We need to know if it's possible to fly over the trees of this forest.

Nimrod: My lov—Uhh... I MEAN, MY LADY... It is possible. In fact, it's pretty easy for me… But I wouldn't recommend it. The last time I did that, a group of wackos threw shurikens at me. My skin's pretty tough, but I almost got a heart attack from the jump scare they gave me!

Richard: Almost... That was the saddest part of your story...

Nimrod: Shut up, Sir Nooneaskedyouropinion!

Rachel: I understand... So that means the stories of the ninja clan that defends their territory in this forest are true... I remember reading about them the last time I came across information in my geography studies… It is said that they are quite protective of their territory… maybe a bit excessively protective, if we consider this place's reputation.

Richard: Fighting against an entire clan of ninjas in their own territory is not a clever thing to do... We may need to find another way... but the question is... is there another way?

Rachel: We can do this! We just need to fly a lot higher, so we remain out of their range. That should work!

Nimrod: I can carry you, easy-peasy. But what about Sir tinman here?

Richard: <Sigh… > I suppose I could take care of the horses...

Nimrod: Ha! You do that, Sir horse boy!

Rachel: Nimrod! Be nice!

Nimrod: Anything for you, My Lady!

Rachel: Will it be alright, brother?

Richard: Well, it is not what I would have hoped for, but tactically, this seems like our best course of action. Because I honestly do not see any other way to get across this forest. If not for anything else, I at least trust him to keep you safe...

Nimrod's tongue was itching to say something to rub it in Richard's face. But Rachel gave him one look, and he remained quiet. Since he wasn't supposed to talk, instead, he started pacing manically. It was pretty awkward to watch…

Before they left, Richard gave Rachel a device that Sven had given to him while they were still at the Ancient Library...

~ A week ago~

Sven: Sir Richard! I'm so glad I found you... I didn't see your sister the princess, and I wanted to give you something I developed with help from some machinists.

Richard: What is it?

Sven: It is a device that allows you to track the whereabouts of someone (or something). This pebble emits a unique frequency, which is picked up by this receiver. On it, you can know where the tracking pebble is located. See? The display shows us where the pebble is on the map. We are exactly here, in this spot - Sven showed him while he explained how the device worked.

Richard: Brilliant! Sven, you are a genius! Many thanks, my friend!

Sven: It is always a pleasure to be of service, Sir Richard. I wish you good fortune on your journey!

~ Now~

Richard: If you run into trouble, just push that button there. I would receive an alert and would know where to find you. Keep it with you at all times.

Rachel: I will. I promise. And don't worry, ok? It'll all be fine - she said with a pretty confident smile.

Nimrod: Shall we?

Rachel: I'm ready.

Nimrod picked her up and flew with her atop the trees. He went even higher to try and avoid being in the range of any projectiles from the infamous ninja clan that lived in the forest.

At the same time as their flight toward the other end of the forest, a White mage was entering the forest from the other side. She had a basket in her hand and looked really tense. She was in quite a rush and began running deep into the Lost Forest.