Enchanted Twilight

The next day, the horse carriage that their butler had just ordered arrived at the front of the house, waiting for the two of them.

Raphael walked first toward the carriage, opening the door for his sister behind him, wearing a more practical suit than her usual gown. He invited his beloved little sister to enter the carriage first, which was enough to carry four people, before jumping in and closing the door.

The chariot driver said nothing and immediately pulled on the steering rope, leading two dark brown horses to move the cart away from their house.

“Be honest, Ursula. What’s the real deal?”

“Oh, you find out quickly ...,” Ursula murmured, pursed her tiny lips when looking out the window.

“You rarely invite me out. Especially invite me to go to the forest. Were you really afraid to go to the forest because you got lost back then?”

“That was when I was nine years old! It was natural to be afraid at that age!”

“Oh. Really?”

“You don’t believe me, Brother? Hmph! You’re annoying!” Ursula folded her arms across her chest, puffed her cheeks, and frowned in annoyance.

“It’s not that I don’t believe it. I’m just curious.” Raphael laughed softly at his younger sister’s reaction, then turned his gaze out of the window, staring at the row of houses on the street they were on now.

“I’ve trained myself to face my fear. So I’m not afraid to go to the forest anymore. Besides, I brought you here, as it’s all related to you.”

“Related to me? About what?”

Ursula no longer folded her arms across her chest. Now her hand is on her thigh. “When I was at the academy, I spent my time in the library. I tried to figure out how to balance the energy in your body.”

Suddenly, the scene outside the train window no longer caught his eye. He looked at his younger sister’s face, which looked so serious when he said it, letting her continue what she said.

“My talent is not in potions like you or Dad, so I was researching through other routes; through legends, fairy tales, and myths of ancient people’s beliefs. I tried to connect all the possibilities.”

“And then?” Raphael became curious. “Did you get anything from that?”

Ursula nodded. It was unexpected coming from his sister, as he hesitated to believe her words, which sounded illogical.

“There is one legend that caught my interest.”

“What legend?”

“Dragon.”

“Dragon?” repeated Raphael, amazed. 

His sister nodded, leaning toward him in a half-whisper. “According to legend, if someone met a dragon and kill it, then bathed in the dragon’s blood rushing from the dragon’s neck, all the sickness and misfortune that had enveloped that person would disappear without a trace.

“Some say that the person who bathes in dragon blood will get immortality. How about that? It’s pretty interesting, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. But they’re just legends. It’s not real. So?”

Ursula clicked her tongue, looking impatient. “Of course, we’re looking for the dragon right now.”

“Right now?” Raphael smiled wryly at his sister’s ridiculous suggestion. “You know, dragons went extinct long ago. So how can we find creatures we’ve never even seen?”

“Tsk, don’t underestimate me,” Ursula moved away from him, took out a piece of paper from the backpack that his sister had brought. “There is a place deep in the forest that we’ll be heading to. It has never been touched by anyone because it is difficult to find and dark. Plus, there are so many traps and wild monsters.

“The place that I circled in red might be where the dragon is. In my research, while gathering some information about the forest and the cases of people who could not return after passing through the forest, I found the same pattern.

“My guess is that there is an ancient spell surrounding this place. Well, if we can break this spell, Brother, we’ll be able to meet the dragon and then kill it.”

“It’s just your guess, isn’t it? Then what do you plan to kill them with?”

“With my magic arrow. I also took stock of the death potions on your shelf, hehe.” Ursula stroked the back of her neck after opening the backpack, showing several bottles of potions that his sister had taken. 

His hand flicked his little sister’s forehead, smiling wryly. Holding back his annoyance at knowing his sister had walked into the potion room without his knowledge to take some dangerous potions without his knowledge. 

“Ouch! That hurts!!”

“It’s your fault. You know, this potion cannot be touched carelessly. It’s dangerous! What if the bottle broke, and you accidentally inhaled it without knowing it? How will you explain it?!”

“I’m not that stupid, Brother! I follow the standard protocol. At least, that’s what I remember from Dad’s potion lesson.”

“But—”

“Besides, we can’t depend forever on Dad’s potions. I’ve heard from Dad. The potion lost its effect, isn’t it?”

He bit his lower lip. After Isaac visited his house the day before yesterday, he discussed his findings with his father, and his father asked him to stop taking the potion until a new, more stable formula was found.

“Regarding permission, you don’t need to worry. I told Dad and Mom that we went to the forest to look for dragons.”

“And they just believe it like that?”

“Do we have any other options?” Ursula shrugged her shoulders. “My magic skills are not as good as yours, Brother. But when it comes to sword, arrow, and fighting skills, I get the highest rank in school.”

“I already know that part.”

“Also, Brother Isaac definitely doesn’t want you to die.”

“Isaac?” He was a little reluctant to mention the man’s name. “Why did you suddenly mention that person?”

“Oh. Did you have a fight with Brother Isaac?”

“No,” he argued, avoiding Ursula’s curious gaze.

“You’re lying. You are bad when you are lying, Brother. No wonder I didn’t see Brother Isaac at home yesterday. Though usually, Brother Isaac will always be the first person to greet me every time I come home.”

“He came the day before you arrived. But not for long. He is busy with the kingdom’s matters.”

“Tsk.”

“What’s with that attitude?”

“Usually, no matter how busy he is, Brother Isaac will take the time to visit our house. At this rate, my hopes to get additional money have disappeared.”

“Is the money you get from me and Dad not enough?”

“It’s not like that. But you know, the more, the merrier. Something like that.”

“Geez,” Raphael chuckled, looking back out the window. Their train had already moved out of the town they lived in, heading towards the border area before reaching the forest they were going to.

***