A Moment of Wild Freedom
From now on, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy life peacefully. It’s been a while since we’ve been caught up in something extraordinary, leading to a momentary lapse in perception… so it’s only natural, isn’t it?
So come anytime. Let’s meet in Solinar and see the ice lakes too. And we can explore the frosty forests as well. I even have wine made from fermented tree sap.
To be more precise. With conviction. In his most casual and relaxed tone, Arkin spoke with effortless ease.
Are you smiling right now, Nefetia? Arkin thought about her as he gazed at her retreating back, recalling her sun-kissed eyes that sparkled with desert warmth and the gentle curve of her lips. And the adorable dimples that danced on those cheeks.
Once the tournament concludes, I’ll be occupied for some time, but when we meet again in the future, I’ll likely be married myself. And who knows, I might even have children by then. As a king, as a husband… welcoming guests will be far more convenient…
Even if I invite her, by then Arkin, the new king of Solinar, will have a spouse by his side. It would be perfectly natural for the monarchs of Solinar and the Sand Kingdom to receive their distinguished guests with honor and splendor.
Nefetia and Arkin rarely had such relaxed conversations. Six months would pass in the blink of an eye. Upon returning to their respective kingdoms, each would be buried in countless duties, and soon they would forget each other entirely.
The life of a monarch—overseeing governance, caring for the people, and planning the future—would rush by like a fleeting dream. Guiding their kingdoms, ruling their subjects… time would inevitably turn today’s moments into distant memories.
***
The elephant’s slow, heavy footsteps up the remaining hill made Arkin wonder why it had slowed so much. They were supposed to simply follow the path lined with palm trees, yet here they were, veering off course.
The once docile elephant suddenly began to act strangely. It shook its massive head left and right in a restless manner.
The accident happened at the worst possible moment.
“Hey, you came riding an elephant!”
“You seem to be quite skilled with it.”
The workers assigned to take charge of the elephant emerged one by one along the roadside. But the real issue was that Coco the elephant didn’t seem particularly welcoming to them.
“Drive them this way!”
“You can dismount here!”
The instant Arkin saw the long poles clutched in their hands, his sharp gaze narrowed. He didn’t know why, but his instincts screamed that something was about to go wrong. He instinctively pulled Nefetia’s waist toward him and tucked her securely into his arms.
“Arkin?”
“Hold on tight. I’ve got you.”
Arkin grabbed Nefetia’s hand and made her seize the rope hanging from the elephant’s neck. Thump, thump, thump—the workers surrounded the elephant and beat the poles, trying to drive it forward.
Prrrrrrrr!
The elephant lifted its trunk powerfully and let out a defiant bellow. Then, without warning, it twisted its body and charged straight into the dense, lush forest instead of staying on the path.
“The crazy elephant is running away again!”
The sudden change in the elephant’s behavior sent the workers clutching the poles screaming and scattering in every direction.
No matter how honored the guests Arkin and Nefetia were, right now the only way to survive unharmed was to escape far away from the elephant’s trampling hooves.
“What? Why is it doing this?”
The moment Nefetia’s panicked cry reached them, the elephant let out a rough snort—Puuu!—and then bolted in earnest.
Kyaaaah! Prrrrr! Prrrrrrrr!
A single elephant bellowed in triumphant freedom as it raced through the fog-shrouded forest path.
The workers chasing the elephant through the misty woods gradually disappeared from sight, while the two humans clinging to its back clung on desperately for dear life.
Prrrr!
Even in the thick fog, the elephant never lost its way and refused to slow down. It seemed to have perfected the art of teasing humans, occasionally shaking its body with savage glee.
Arkin clung tightly to the rope near the elephant’s head, barely managing to stay upright. He locked his legs firmly against its flank and wrapped one arm around Nefetia’s waist, pinning her securely beneath him so she wouldn’t fall.
“Get excited if you want, but just hang on a little longer, okay?”
Nefetia’s light body bounced dangerously up and down several times. Arkin wrapped her even more tightly in his arms and pressed her flat against his chest as the elephant plowed through the forest.
Branches whipped through the air above Arkin’s back. They struck him like merciless lashes, and jagged twigs scratched furiously at his bulging forearm and sturdy thigh, leaving him to endure the savage beating.
Arkin gritted his teeth and endured the ordeal. He had been warned about this exact situation in advance. But because he had let his guard down, he had ended up in this mess.
“That guy’s sneaky. He always drags you straight to the temple just to cause trouble. He’s openly teasing people. Don’t let your guard down even at the end—understood?”
But…
In this life-or-death moment, Arkin felt an unfamiliar thrill surge through him. The unknown adventurous spirit he hadn’t known existed within him stirred, igniting a burning desire for freedom that made his blood race.
What if this had been Solinar instead?
Arkin never would have found himself in such a situation. He would have kept a proper distance from someone like Nefetia, who didn’t take rules seriously, or Zafiri.
He would have lived his life constantly monitoring and strictly controlling his every action to avoid even the smallest mistakes, pushing himself to the absolute limit.
His arms, wrapped snugly around her slender waist, tightened with restrained strength. He knew he should be careful, he knew this was wrong, yet an insidious wave of excitement still spread through his entire body.
What was this sudden desire? What did he want to become with her?
He recalled Nefetia’s absurd words from their first meeting—about being fate’s match and all that. Even now, the emotion remained the same.
But the truth was that Nefetia had unintentionally unlocked a hidden latch inside his heart.
Discipline? Modesty? Purity?
A new Arkin woke up and shouted that restraint, humility, and purity were for everyone else. For the short time they would spend together, he begged, just let him be carefree, don’t let the weight of responsibility crush him.
Please, Arkin…
Don’t be so rigid.
You can be drawn in, can’t you?
All of this was merely a brief detour in the long journey of life. Everyone was allowed to do this much and live.
Arkin Seilir would eventually achieve his goals. Of that, he was certain.
The strange feeling, the impulse, the desire, the curiosity… these were nothing more than small fragments of memory to savor in his youth when he looked back later.
Acknowledging that his heart was being led by someone else was proof of maturity.
Arkin confirmed his cautious heart toward Nefetia. Even in the Alliance of Ten Kingdoms, the forms of love each nation celebrated were all different, weren’t they?
Thinking that way eased the guilt a little.
After all, no one would ever know. This was nothing but a passing breeze. So, he should simply lower his guard, relax, and enjoy the moment.
How many days had he spent locking away and hiding even the smallest parts of his heart?
Isn’t it okay to occasionally feel a little softer, a little ticklish? He wanted to experience that much freedom.
As long as Nefetia didn’t know, everything would be fine…
***
The wild tantrum of the mad elephant ended the moment it left the muddy branch tunnel where it had been thrashing Arkin like a whip.
The air changed, and suddenly the surroundings felt wide open. Arkin cautiously lifted his head and finally understood where the elephant was taking them.
A massive pond filled with golden sunlight lay before him.
Even though it was nothing more than thick, sticky mud, it looked strangely beautiful—like a sacred sanctuary. If only the water had been clear, it would have been even better, but it seemed the elephant preferred mud baths…
“Arkin? What do we do now?”
While his body kept bouncing up and down, Nefetia, who had lifted her head to look at him, grabbed his arm tightly in fear.
“Relax. Nothing’s going to happen.”
Arkin calculated the distance to the mud with a calm voice.
“I’ve got you locked tight.”
Puff! The elephant, utterly indifferent to human fate, flapped its ears and sped up even faster.
Bump, bump! The elephant pounded its feet and dashed straight toward the muddy bathing pool before leaping without hesitation into the large pit of thick, slick mud.
“Ahh!”
Nefetia screamed and curled into a ball. The instant Arkin sensed the fall, he pulled her into his arms and tumbled with her to cushion the impact.
Puuuwuk! Mud splashed everywhere. The two of them fell straight into the cold, sticky mud from the elephant’s forehead.