Voyage Of The Villainess

"Let\'s go back now, I have prepared a meal for you." Kayden turned around readying to leave. However before he could take a step, Malaya grabbed his left hand, to stop him.

"When," Malaya was stuttering, however, she persevered to say her words. "When my memories return, I\'ll give you my answer."

"Malaya!" Both of them were startled when someone hugged Malaya from behind her. It was no other than Hyun Jae. The hand that was holding Kayden retracted.

"Milady!" Dorris ran after her.

Malaya looked confused seeing the unfamiliar yet familiar girls. She lightly pushed Hyun Jae away, "Um, who are you both?" She asked which shocked Hyun Jae and Dorris as well.

Seeing this, Hyun Jae and Dorris looked to Kayden. Their stares definitely asked what happened to Malaya.

"She lost her memory," Kayden said.

"Why did she lose her memories?!" Hyun Jae screamed, completely horrifying. "How did this happen?"

"Yow, long time no seeing." Iris arrived behind them. A moth hovered in front of her. And soon as she walked towards them, the moth disappeared. "It has been three days now since the last time we saw each other." She looked at Kayden. "And we haven\'t heard anything from you, those two are so worried." She gestured towards Hyun Jae and Dorris. Then she looked at Malaya.

"So our dear captain, lost all her memories?" Iris walked towards Malaya and cornered her into a tree. A malicious grin escaped her lips. "This is interesting."

---⚓⚓⚓---

All of them were back inside the house where Kayden and Malaya were staying. The whole group was sitting at a round table discussing things about what happened to Malaya.

"So you\'re saying, Arnes was the one who did this?" Hyun Jae said, with complete disbelief in her eyes. 

Kayden simply nodded his head.

"And that guy right now is locked away in some cave," Iris added which earn them another nod from Kayden. "And he didn\'t say anything about how Malaya\'s memories will return." 

There was complete silence in the air. Dorris fell into tears. "If I don\'t get separated from Milady, this will not happen."

"No," Iris said as she massaged her head as if she had a terrible headache. "Even if you are here, from what that Siren caused us, you will not be able to do anything. What terrific magic he has. And we have a lot of problems at our hands right now."

"Then maybe I can help to heal Malaya\'s memories." Hyun Jae suggested as she glanced at Malaya who remained silent all the time. She was just listening to all their talks.

"Have you healed a case like this, Hyun Jae?" Iris asked.

Hyun Jae shook her head. "I haven\'t. But I can at least try."

"Then please try," Iris said as she looked at Malaya. "As I have introduced before, we are your friends. And Hyun Jae has the ability to heal any ailments, however, healing someone who loses memories is something she still hasn\'t tried. If it will be alright with you, will you let her try to heal you?"

Malaya simply nodded her head without saying anything. Seeing this meek reaction, Iris couldn\'t help but scowl. "Tch." Malaya flinched seeing Iris\' expression.

\'Why does she look so irritated with me? Did I do something bad?\' 

"Malaya, if you may, I\'ll start the healing process." Hyun Jae\'s sweet voice rang. She stood up and sat beside Malaya.

"Then I\'ll be in your care," Malaya said as she smiled. \'What a kind girl, compared to that one...\' Malaya immediately reverted her gaze when Iris\' was looking at her as well.

"Then please close your eyes, Malaya." Hyun Jae said. Malaya glanced at Kayden and the latter nodded his head, indicating that it was alright for her to do so.

Malaya slowly closed her eyes. And soon, she felt a warm touch on both sides of her head. Hyun Jae started chanting, and golden light erupted from her hands. Malaya felt a warm and comfortable sensation run inside her head. Her tense self started to relax with the sensation.

However moments later...

"You may open your eyes now, Malaya." Hyun Jae said.

Malaya opened her eyes. And everyone looked at her with expectant eyes.

"Do you remember us, Malaya?" Hyun Jae said as she clasped Malaya\'s hands. However, to their disappointment, Malaya shook her head.

"Sorry, but I still don\'t remember anything," Malaya said with a sad expression.

Hyun Jae\'s face became gloomy. "Then it didn\'t work."

Seeing this, Malaya felt the urge to say something so that she would not be too sad. "Ah, it\'s alright. Somehow, all of my fatigue has gone with what you do. I don\'t feel the soreness in any of my joints either." 

Hearing this, Hyun Jae looked at Malaya. She didn\'t know what else to say and feel rather helpless. But seeing Malaya trying to cheer her up. She couldn\'t help but just smile at her. Even with or without her memories, Malaya was still cheering her up whenever she was sad.

"I\'m sorry, Malaya." Hyun Jae squeezed Malaya\'s hands lightly. "I promise, I look for ways to bring your memory back."

"Milady, even with or without your memory, I will never leave your side now," Dorris said as she formed fists on her lap.

"Too bad," Iris said. "You quite owe me a lot of money. And you simply forget it all." 

"Iris," Hyun Jae looked at Iris with a scolding gaze.

"All right, all right!" Iris raised her hands in defeat. "I\'ll just move out now," she stood up. "Kayden, can I have a word to you, outside?" 

Kayden glanced at him for a quick second, "Alright."

---⚓⚓⚓---

Outside the house, Iris was facing the dense forest. She felt that Kayden was already behind her.

"This is worse than I thought. To think that Malaya lost her memories." Iris started. Knowing that Kayden really rarely speaks, when he just needed to or want to, she continued on with her words. "Oliver, Rein, and the others are now helping out the people in the kingdom. That is why they are not here. You must have an inkling that someone even greater is behind to incite the beastmen to have a war. And to think my Baru got used to their schemes."

"Did you have a plan for that already?" Kayden finally spoke. "Ah. I forgot you got a bribe for their wine."

"Ehem. That is my weakness, well anyways, the important thing is none of us is severely hurt. And I didn\'t know that Malaya and Oliver would do something crazy to be ultimate villains just to stop the war." Iris held her head. "However because of what they did, whoever was behind this, their plans were completely thwarted."

"Then does it mean they have targeted us as well?" Kayden asked.

"Yes, there is a probability like that. So we better be prepared at all times. And now that Malaya lost her memories, this is more troublesome." Iris sighed. "I thought that when we reached outside the Red Current, we would just have a smooth sailing of discovering places. Well, we did discover places, but we are now caught up in its problems. So what did you find out when you said that you sensed a strong surge of dark magic when you left us?"

"I don\'t find anything, other than this." Kayden brought out a purple stone in his pocket then reached it towards Iris.

"This is?"

"I don\'t know," Kayden asked. "The place where the concentration of dark magic is thick, there are a lot of stones like this there. However, I don\'t find any strange things in the stone."

"Hmm," Iris observed the stone. "The kingdom authorities might know something. However, things are still chaotic there. I just keep this, and if we have a chance we can ask them."

"That\'s all I want to tell you. Plus now that Malaya is like that, I want you to look after her." Iris sighed. "We don\'t know what\'s to come with us in this new world."

"I always protect her," Kayden said as he stepped inside. 

Iris put both her hands in her pocket. The wind blew and her orange hair that grew to shoulder-length now compared before fluttered. She annoyingly tied it back with a band that was on her wrist. \'I should get a new haircut soon.\'

"Hah. Wherever we are, a lot of shits is still happening to us." A grin formed her lips. "But I think things will get more interesting again this time. Being in the place that not of the Fate of the Stars contains, is really something.\' She raised her fist in the air. "So this is what it feels like to be unsure of the future now and keep living our lives in a new world, different from what we used to."

Memories of how the beastmen self-destruct themselves like they had gone completely gone crazy. \'But what evil people do something such as those.. Nothing is certain now, but bigger shit is coming soon.\'