Amnesia

Duman stared at the scepter so rigidly his eyes seemed as if they were going to pop out of their sockets.

'Perhaps the scepter is affecting her powers.' His reasoning seemed valid, at least to him, who didn't want to accept that there was someone more skilled than his father or him when it came to plant's elemental control.

"Why do you want the Legacy?" Duman questioned. It really displeased him to have to speak in this disparate position; he, a hilmir of great renown being looked down upon from above in a contemptuous manner by someone other than the Great Ríg.

The woman tilted her head again, but to the other side.

"Legacy? Is this what you mean?" she asked in confusion. "So, they call it Legacy, why?" Then she looked at the scepter and shook it with interest. The wind chimes that hung to the side produced pleasant sounds that reverberated throughout the place.

"Don't play with me, if you followed us here it means that-"

"What do you mean 'follow'? I was already here when you arrived," she interrupted him to clear up his misunderstanding. Picking a fight was one thing, but being labeled a 'stalker' didn't strike her as funny.

The intruders exchanged glances, and the woman, oblivious to the fact that the paladin could use telepathy, calmly waited until they finished staring at each other like lovers in a drama before continuing.

"Miss, may I know how long you've been here?" asked the purple-haired man in a more subdued tone.

If it wasn't for the small detail that minutes ago Zagan had launched hundreds of arrows at her with the intention of impaling her like a meat skewer, then she would have thought that he was a cordial young man, although too obedient to her liking.

Moreover, first, they wanted to kill her, then they framed her as a thief and stalker, and now they were questioning her as if all of the above had never happened.

The woman seriously thought that the order was wrong, however she looked at it, but as irritated as she was, there would be nothing to be gained by putting up a stubborn front. Less if she planned to use them to get off this island.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips. She really didn't want to talk to them anymore. If it were up to her, the moment they aimed at her neck, she would have already returned the favor. Well, not her, but the plants and beasts acted as her hands and feet, so it was almost the same as doing it herself.

"Four days…? Three…? To be honest, I don't know," she admitted after much thought. "I lost my memory." The last was an exaggeration, but it was partly true. Her head was a mess and she really needed someone to clear up her doubts.

Also, if she pretended to know absolutely nothing, it would be easier for both sides. They would let their guard down thinking they were dealing with an ignorant girl who could be brainwashed, and she could ask anything without raising suspicion and, at the same time, get to know their masks better.

But the sharp gazes turned reticent in the blink of an eye.

It was obvious that no one believed her.

"All I remember is a pillar of light," she murmured, fidgeting with her veil to hide her embarrassment. One of the vines noticed her actions and wrapped itself around her restless hand, stopping her.

Duman's brain was the first to whirl around at full speed, scheming and calculating.

If this woman had been on the island when the aether explosion occurred, it wouldn't be a surprise if she was dead. However, just having lost her memory seemed like a very small price to pay. Besides that, she had obtained the scepter in the process.

"Do you know where we are now?" Elisha tried to elicit information from her to check if her claim was true.

"If you don't know, how do you expect me to know," replied the woman sarcastically.

Elisha pursed her lips and took a deep breath before continuing.

"We are inside the Milbong rainforest, do you know how infamous this place is?"

"A rainforest!?" she exclaimed, astonished. "Even if I leave this island, do I still have to cross a jungle before I find a town or a city?" Lamenting her misfortune, she didn't notice the blue-haired girl's hesitation.

"City?" Now it was Elisha's turn to be surprised. 'What is a city?' It was the first time she'd heard that term.

Both women were puzzled, mainly the turquoise-haired one, who started rubbing her temples with her free hand. Ever since she had encountered these people, her frustration has only increased.

"Do you remember where you're from? Or your name?" It was Duman's turn to spring into action with a new plan in mind.

"I already told you, I don't remember anything…" she denied with a distressed voice.

Even if they could not see her face, the sadness that permeated the girl's voice was enough to imagine what the veil hid.

For her, the most regrettable thing was not remembering her name. Without it, she felt that her existence was superfluous and trivial.

A feeling of emptiness squeezed her chest, but now was not the time to drown in her laments.

"All I want is a place to stay until I get my memories back, that's all." The woman bluntly stated her purpose. "And from what I saw, you want to take this 'legacy', but you can't, am I wrong?" she added in a provocative tone, alluding to the scepter in her hands.

In a way, she was making an indirect proposal: "if you give me a roof, I'll give you the scepter". But since she hadn't expressed it openly, it didn't mean that she was really going to hand over the legacy to them just like that.

For minds as quick and calculating as the man with teal-colored hair, such allusive tactics were the best. He kept his face and she got a place to live for the time being. Not bad, right? It was a win-win scenario for both sides.

A sly smile crept across her face, but no one could see the intentions behind the veil that reached to the base of her neck.

Duman narrowed his eyes, still unconvinced by the woman's words. But she was right about the latter; he needed that scepter, and if he couldn't even store it in the space gem, then it was better to use her as a temporary carrier until they reached the capital, Iabet.

On the other hand, there was a high probability that Vikram's blood ran through her veins, so it was necessary to consult with his father.

There was a way to verify their blood relationship, but to do so, he required Blas' aid, who had been waiting in Belenos' district. He was sure that he would get results faster than anyone else.

And if it turned out that this woman was really his half-sister, then it was better to win her over than make an enemy out of her. Because of the way she acted, she didn't seem to be interested in power either, otherwise, she wouldn't be hinting at her purpose, and putting the scepter at stake.

Had it been him, he would have already silenced everyone present and escaped with the legacy. There was no point in staying behind to negotiate.

After careful consideration, Duman agreed to her proposal.

"I have a suggestion for you, miss." His tone had taken an impressive turn this time, sounding as loving as if he were dealing with a lost child. He even smiled warmly at her.

'He should be an actor', the woman thought at his drastic change in demeanor.

But, at the end of the day, what mattered was that they had struck a deal.