Magi: The Adventure to the Southeast [REMASTERED]

✩5. What Happened?

".....Hmm..."

Ardhi was starting to regain his consciousness. He slowly opened his eyes and could vaguely saw glittering night sky and the full yellow moon above him. He noticed he was lying on something that felt like his cape, and a thin blanket was covering him. He stared blankly at it for a while. "Oh, he is awake!"

Ardhi slowly turned his head to his right and saw a certain violet-haired man was sitting there, along with his white-haired friend. "...Sin...bad? And..." Although the moon was shining brightly tonight, Ardhi's vision was slightly blurred that he couldn't see their faces clearly. "...Ja'far-kun?"

"How are you feeling, Nii?" A gentle voice called him from his left. Ardhi immediately recognized the owner of that voice. He blinked his eyes several times until his vision got cleared, then slowly got up and sat cross-legged. He looked around him and saw Shafa sitting next to his left while Sinbad and Ja'far across of her. A campfire was built near them.

Ardhi was about to answer her, but instead ended up coughing. Quickly, Shafa gave him a glass of water. Ardhi took a sip to ease his dry throat. "Ah... Better. Thanks," he said, thanking the girl. "But... how and where...?"

"It was Sinbad-san and Ja'far-san who looked for the water," Shafa replied understandingly. "How are you feeling now?" She asked again.

Ardhi mused. "I... I'm not sure. What happened?" He innocently asked. He tried to remember what happened before, but all he could remember was that he had been sleeping for quite a while.

The other three sweat-dropped. "So you don't remember anything, Ardhi-san?" Ja'far asked him.

Ardhi yawned and rubbed his teary eye in response. "Nope. But hey, weren't you wearing a turban, Sin?" He stared at Sinbad's head absentmindedly. He might not remember what he was doing, but he was certain that Sinbad was wearing a turban since their first encounter until he 'fell asleep'.

"You remember that but forget what happened to you?" Sinbad raised a questioning eyebrow at him as he crossed his arms.

Ardhi nodded. Suddenly he felt cool breeze blowing behind him. It sent shivers down his spine, literally. "Say, isn't it a bit cold here?" He said while wrapping his arms around his body. He blinked when he touched his bare skin, then realized he was topless. He looked at his body and saw his left shoulder was covered by clean white bandage. He zoned out for a moment before his returning memories hit him like a truck. "Aaah! I remember now!" He yelled, raising an accusing finger at the other three, "You guys did this! You were plotting against me!"

"Plotting? What do you mean by plotting?" Shafa smiled innocently at him while Sinbad laughed and Ja'far gave Ardhi an apologetic smile. Ardhi was slightly annoyed at them, pouting.

"Geez, I told you I wasn't ready for taking that..." Ardhi crossed his arms begrudgingly. "A-Achoo!" He sneezed, and immediately Shafa wrapped him with another thick blanket.

"Nii, are you okay?" Shafa worriedly asked him. Ardhi just sneezed again in response.

"It's gotten pretty late. We've decided to camp here for the night, Ardhi-san." Ja'far informed.

The man wiped his runny nose using a handkerchief that Shafa just gave him. "That's a wise decision. Besides, no one will welcome us over there this late."

Suddenly they heard a stomach rumbling. "...Eh, sorry, that was me." Ardhi admitted sheepishly as he grinned.

Shafa chuckled, standing up from her seat. "I will fix us something."

"Ah, I'll help, too." Ja'far followed after her, which she thanked with a small nod.

As Shafa and Ja'far walked away, Ardhi turned to Sinbad. "So? Did something happen while I was out cold?"