Our search for her is taking far longer than expected.
We are deep in uncharted land—territory none of us truly knows. Talon circles above these dense woodlands, but even from the sky, the terrain is unfamiliar. Gideon can sense her presence, but only faintly, as if she's deliberately masking herself. Aron catches hints of her scent now and then, but they fade too quickly to follow. As for me, I rely on the water—the rivers, streams, and currents that whisper where she might have passed.
More often than not, we are forced to stop.
Each of us must return to our kingdoms from time to time. Sienna is important—more important than anything—but we cannot abandon our people for long. She would never forgive us for that.
The only one who never stops is Gideon.
He stays behind every time, turning over rocks, raiding caves, patrolling the woods day and night like a man possessed. No rest. No hesitation. Just relentless determination.
And yet, nothing.
No trace of her.
No scent of flame.
No echo of her power.
It's maddening.
Eventually, we agree to widen our search.
I remain near the river and speak with the freshwater creatures who dwell within it. A salmon tells me of a part of the woods they avoid unless migration demands it—because at the heart of those woodlands lies a thriving, hidden habitat.
I hesitate before sharing this information.
But I do.
"A fish told me that further along the river—at the center of the woods—there's a hidden community. They might have seen her."
"That explains why I never noticed anything from above," Talon says. "The canopy there is too dense. The trees cover everything."
We follow the river until we spot a group of beavers constructing canals along its edge.
Aron volunteers to approach them.
We remain hidden, careful not to frighten the creatures with our auras. Still, the moment Aron speaks, the beavers scatter. It takes time—and Aron's gentle persistence—to convince them we mean no harm.
For a king of such power, Aron has an uncanny way of putting others at ease. He conceals his strength behind warmth and charm.
Eventually, their leader steps forward.
Igor.
"Have you seen a young woman pass through here?" Aron asks politely. "She's small, gentle-looking, with long hair the color of sunrise. Her name is Sienna."
Igor shakes his head.
"We don't know anyone named Sienna."
My heart sinks.
Then his expression brightens.
"But we have met a traveler named Shelly—from the Bunny Tribe. She looks just like the girl you described."
My breath catches.
A bunny? A tribe?
Igor excitedly tells us how this Shelly helped them rebuild their dam, dealt with an infestation of rats, and even befriended a giant snake.
I notice Aron stiffen at the mention of the snake.
We exchange looks. None of us are convinced this girl could be Sienna—but we ask where she went.
Igor tells us she left to search for a mystical plant called ginza. He says she looked desperate to obtain it.
We follow his directions.
The path to the swamp is calm, almost eerily so. When we arrive, we are greeted by the King of Desapo—a frog named Fredo, loud, animated, and visibly overwhelmed by our presence.
"I can't believe the mighty kings would visit me," Fredo gushes. "Shelly was right—I am as great as you are! That's why you're here, isn't it?"
Shelly again.
Why are we wasting time chasing another girl when Sienna could be out there—alone, afraid, waiting?
My chest tightens.
"We're not here for Shelly," Talon snaps, impatience flaring.
I almost agree aloud—but Fredo continues, unstoppable.
"She's incredible," he says. "Brave. Kind. She helped me defeat Machava—the tyrant who ruled before me. She believed in me when no one else did. Not even myself."
Something about his words unsettles me.
This Shelly sounds… familiar.
Aron listens intently, his expression softening. Gideon remains silent, absorbing every detail. Talon, however, grows more restless by the second.
"We don't have time for this," Talon says sharply. "We need to find Sienna."
Just as we turn to leave, Fredo adds one more thing.
"Oh—and Shelly was a devoted believer of Eriu, the Goddess of Abundance. The last time I saw her, she was arguing with a giant snake."
Everything stops.
Gideon's eyes light up at the mention of the goddess.
Aron pales.
"Where is she?" Aron demands. "Did she leave with the snake? We have to save her!"
Talon's expression darkens. Could this Shelly truly be Sienna?
A girl hiding under another name? A tribe that doesn't exist? Always near a snake?
"This isn't the first time a snake has come up," I say slowly. "Is Shelly… Sienna?"
Talon explains his distrust of reptiles—how dangerous they are. Aron admits he's seen firsthand what they can do. Fredo, oblivious to the tension, adds fuel to the fire.
"I kept my distance from that snake," he says. "But Shelly never did. She wasn't afraid at all."
Gideon finally speaks.
"Then we look for Shelly and Sienna," he says calmly. "If they are the same—or if Shelly knows something about the Goddess of Abundance—we'll find answers either way."
It makes sense.
So we ask Fredo where Shelly went.
He doesn't know.
She vanished after receiving the ginza. Just like the beavers, he has no idea where the Bunny Tribe comes from—or where she lives.
Shelly from the Bunny Tribe is just as elusive as Sienna.
And once again, we are left with nothing but questions.
Back at the beginning.