The creek beside them bubbled gently, and the soft wind stirred the trees above. Sunlight sparkled through the leaves like dancing coins. The six boys sat in a circle on mossy rocks, taking a short break after collecting two types of herbs.
Yuuv leaned back against a tree, his little silver wand resting on his lap. His eyes blinked sleepily, and his fingers curled slightly as if already dreaming.
"He's dozing again," Iuro said, munching the last crumb of his biscuit.
"He always dozes," Rick whispered, poking Yuuv's cheek.
Yuuv stirred. "Hmm… not nap time yet?"
"Not unless you want to sleep through the rest of the quest," Lui said, standing and brushing leaves off his tunic. "We've got four herbs left."
"Let's find the next one before Yuuv becomes a tree ornament," Izumi added, already checking the map again.
They packed up their bags, double-checked their herbs, and started walking east along the trail. The trees got taller, and the sunlight dimmed as thick branches overlapped above.
Rick pointed ahead. "Hey! That light! It's green!"
They stepped into a new clearing—a wide open glade filled with glowing green leaves, all fluttering without any wind. The air smelled of lemon and mint, and the plants shivered softly like they were whispering secrets.
Izumi's eyes lit up. "Whisperleaf. That's the third herb."
Iuro raised an eyebrow. "Do they actually whisper?"
"Only if you listen close," Izumi said with a grin.
Yuuv crouched beside one and tilted his head. "I think this one said 'boop.'"
Rick gasped. "Mine just called me a cucumber!"
"You two are hopeless," Ishi muttered—but even he cracked a small smile.
They began carefully harvesting the Whisperleaf, being extra gentle not to shake them too hard. The leaves shimmered brighter when touched, like they were happy to be noticed.
Suddenly—
Snap!
A loud crunch came from nearby bushes.
Everyone froze.
Lui raised his hand, motioning them to be quiet. They all ducked low.
Another rustle. A shadow.
Yuuv slowly stood up on his toes, peeking over a bush.
Then—
A squirrel jumped out, squeaking angrily and flailing its tiny arms.
"AHH! SQUIRREL!" Rick yelped.
"It's one of the royal ones!" Iuro whispered.
"Don't insult it!" Izumi hissed.
The squirrel sniffed, strutted over to Yuuv, and—without warning—jumped onto his head like it was claiming a throne.
Yuuv blinked.
The squirrel sat down calmly, curling its tail around like a royal cape.
Everyone stared.
Yuuv slowly raised a hand. "Do I… bow back?"
The squirrel squeaked once.
Ding~
Yuuv's wand rang quietly.
A tiny shimmer wrapped around the squirrel like a faint crown of sparkles.
Izumi's mouth dropped open. "Did he… just get blessed by a squirrel prince?"
"I think he did," Iuro whispered.
The squirrel gave one more squeak, patted Yuuv's forehead like a farewell, and leapt off into the trees.
No one spoke for five full seconds.
"…We are not going to tell anyone about this, right?" Lui said flatly.
Rick raised a hand. "I think it should be in the history books."
Yuuv yawned. "Can we name him Sir Nutters?"
"NO," everyone replied.
With the third herb collected and the royal squirrel encounter behind them, they marched on, still giggling occasionally. The path twisted downhill, where the forest turned darker and cooler. Thick moss grew along the rocks, and the air buzzed faintly.
Izumi pointed ahead. "Glowmoss. Our fourth target."
The moss clung to the rocks in thick blue-green patches, glowing like quiet stars. It sparkled when touched.
But the path here was trickier. Slippery rocks. A thin stream. Yuuv almost fell twice and was only saved when Ishi caught his arm.
"Careful," Ishi said softly.
"Thanks," Yuuv mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "I'm awake. I think."
Lui helped spread the map on a dry stone. "Two more herbs. One's near the upper ridge, and the last one… is right near the cliffs."
"Cliffs?" Rick tilted his head. "Sounds fancy."
"Sounds dangerous," Ishi replied.
But the rule was simple: return by sundown with six herbs, or fail.
So they kept going.
By now, the boys were tired. Their boots were dirty, bags heavier, and hair messier than when they started. Still, they didn't complain. Not once.
When they finally reached the upper ridge, the fifth herb—Starpetal—was waiting for them. It was a delicate flower that looked like a tiny blue star. They each picked two carefully.
Only one herb left now.
The cliffs weren't far.
As they neared the edge, the air became clearer and cooler. The forest opened up, revealing a breathtaking view of the land below—rolling green hills, a river like a silver ribbon, and the faraway glint of towers.
They found the final herb near a bend in the cliffside trail. It was a short plant with golden pods: Sunsprout.
Iuro reached out to grab one—
"WAIT!"
Izumi stopped him. "Only touch the stalk. The pods explode if pulled too hard."
"…Oh."
They harvested the Sunsprout carefully, not breathing too loudly.
But as Yuuv leaned over to grab his, his foot slipped slightly on the pebbles near the cliff's edge.
"Yuuv!" Lui shouted.
Ishi darted forward and grabbed his collar just in time, pulling him back from the ledge.
Yuuv blinked, then looked down.
Then he sat.
"I… think I'll stay here a moment."
Everyone exhaled in relief.
"Don't scare us like that," Rick muttered, plopping beside him.
Yuuv gave a soft smile. "At least we got all six herbs."
Izumi nodded. "Now we just need to return safely."
They stood together, the six of them, backs to the sunset.
Tired. Dirty. A little bruised.
But complete.
They had done it.
Their first quest—almost finished.
As they turned to leave, Yuuv looked at his wand. The bell didn't ring. But it shimmered, just slightly.
He smiled.