Mya didn''t speak anything when Dorris entered the room.


    ''It seemed I was always put into unconsciousness. I don''t know how many times I have been in this situation.''


    "Mdy are you alright?" Dorris asked, her face full of worry and concern.


    "I''m fine," Mya replied with a sigh. "What happened?"


    "Mdy, Elred forced the ring out of your hands but he couldn''t. Instead, it suddenly disappeared and you passed out."


    "I see."


    "The illusion was also gone with that and we are now back at the normal route towards Herez. And I think this might belong to you, Mdy." Dorris reached out the single tarot card of The Fool to Mya.


    Mya just gave a slight nod as she get the card.


    ''Hah.'' She just stared at it for a while. ''What did I even reveal the true form of my ship for?''


    Mya reversed the card and started chanting.


    "Hide thy truth to the fool." The card illuminate brightly and cards started toe out from it and got stered on the boat. The once steel interior and exterior changed into the wood.


    "Mdy! This is..."


    "Bituins real form will only cause amotion that''s why it was better to conceal her like this," Mya exined which earn a nod from Dorris.


    "So our sleeping princess is awake." The door opened once again. "Ah right, how can this heavy peasant be at the mere presence of her highness?" Iris said emphasizing the word heavy. She was carrying a basket containing apples.


    "Iris," Mya smiled wryly. ''She surely holds a grudge isn''t she?''


    "This princess doesn''t mind such peasant like you," Mya replied. "And as a good ruler to her subjects, I could give you some advice on healthy diet lifestyles."


    The once light expression of Iris turned into a frown. She picked up one of the apples and threw it at Mya.


    "Hey!" Mya caught the apple swiftly.


    "Don''t throw food like that, hahaha."


    "I didn''t throw it," Iris said as she walked beside Dorris. "It''s my new way of giving things that I just discovered right now. Here." Iris reached the basket Dorris which thetter epted.


    "Go feed that to yourdy. She''s too skinny." Iris said as she walked back to the door.


    "Hey, I''m not skinny!" Mya retorted. "It''s called being sexy hahaha."


    "Yeah, whatever." Iris walked out of the door leaving Mya and Dorris in silence. Ah no, Mya was stillughing when her stomach growled.


    "Mdy! I''ll get you some food now!" Dorris said as she started panicking. Mya just hold her right hand to keep her still.


    "It''s alright, Dorris," Mya said as she stood up. She felt wobbly for a few moments but it disappeared sometime.


    "This would suffice." She then


    "I''ll go outside to see things as well."


    "About that Mdy," Dorris paused for a bit. "We finally reached the Herez."


    "Huh?"


    Mya stood up she went outside. As soon as she reached the deck, her line of sight caught the dark ind in front of them.


    ''Just how long am I unconscious? Is that why I feel so wobbly and tired?''


    "Mdy!"


    "Lady Mya!"


    "Captain!"


    Rein, Elred, and Rhyme greeted Mya as soon as she came out.


    "Hah." Rein let out a sigh of relief. "You''re awake. Are you feeling better now, Mdy?! I''ll go prepare some nice food today."


    "Hmm..." Mya just simply didn''t respond and watched as Rein walked away with hurried footsteps. ''If someone asked her she was alright again... Nevermind.''


    "How long since I am unconscious this time?"


    "Almost two weeks now," Iris said as she walked towards her with an annoyed expression.


    "Mdy, every day she has been bringing you new apples," Dorris whispered.


    "Really?" Mya nced back to Iris.


    "We can''t have our captain dying anytime now is it?" Iris crossed her arms as she turned her gaze to the horizons.


    "Don''t worry. I''ll try to prevent myself from fainting again." Mya said, apologetic to everyone. ''Though I can''t really control it. But darn all those situations.''


    "By the way, where''s Maru?" Mya asked as she remembered there was another man on board their ship.


    "He is in his room. Comtemting about life." Iris simply stated.


    "I see..." Mya replied.


    "We have been around in front of this ind. We didn''t venture in and wait until you''re awake." Iris leaned on the railings of the ship with one arm supporting the weight of her body. "You said it would be your stepping stone for crossing the Red Current."


    "Yes, this would be one of my stepping stones to..."


    *Growl* Mya stomach''s once again growled.


    "Let''s have lunch first, everyone!" Rein called out.


    "That would be indeed a better idea." Mya sighed as she started to walk towards Rein. He already set a table for everyone to eat too.


    ┈ ????????? ┈


    Extra Scene:


    Two weeks ago.


    "Lady Mya!" Elred being the nearest, rushed when he saw that dark smoke was starting to envelop Mya.


    He tried to remove the ring from her grasp. But the ring seemed stuck to her hand.


    "Lady Mya! Let go of it!" When he turned to face Mya, she was in dazed as if she was not hearing something.


    "Mi-mdy!" Rein slumped down on his knees when the illusion barrier he cast was getting destroyed.


    "Mdy!" Elred gestured for Dorris to note near them or she might also get infected by the curse of this unknown ring.


    "Always." Iris angry voice echoed. "There are always things suddenly happening when I just temporarily turned away."


    She took a bigger stride towards Mya, carrying a huge bucket containing water.


    "Wait!" Elred tried to stop Iris.


    "Snap out of it!" She screamed and with all her force sshed the water towards Mya.


    Elred also got afflicted as the water sshed directly to his face. But he felt all of the sudden, the discharge of dark magic from the ring was dissipating.


    Mya''s body slowly fell and Elred caught her swiftly.


    "There. Problem solve." Iris said and at the same time, Rein felt that the illusion magic entrapping them was also diminishing.


    His gazeced with worry at the unconscious girl in his arms.


    "Hey!"


    Back to the present situation...


    There were some things that Dorris purposely omitted like how Iris sshed water to Mya or how Elred carried her back to her room when she was unconscious. And Dorris didn''t understand, why she needed not to tell this to Mya.


    "Eat more, Dorris," Iris said as she patted Dorris almost making thetter cough up all her food.


    "Yes, you should eat more," Elred said as he put more cabbage on Dorris'' te. He was smiling at her nonchntly.


    ''These two are weird.'' Dorris thought as she drank a ss of water.


    ┈ ????????? ┈