Later, Betty presented a dress to Akib. On it were all manners of drawings, shapes, and creatures. There were weapons also, but they were in thin and scribbled lines. The pattern wasn't particularly designed for a specific sex, as it was loose at the extremes to allow free swinging movement of both arms in all directions. Its neck area was done with simple stitches, and that was how the other parts of it appeared as well.
"What's it for?" he asked, spreading it forward.
Grandma Betty collected and examined it, as if she was not the one who had given it out in the first place. She lifted it up, then brought it to her chest. She seemed satisfied with the size, but she neither smiled nor showed dissatisfaction. She then threw the dress back to Akib. It fell over his face.
"Just like in the good old days. I'll get you something to hold it in place," she said.
Betty inserted her hand into her pocket and produced a rope.
"Don't just stand there. Wear the dress and use this to hold it," Betty said as she handed him the rope.
Akib didn't like how this woman was taking charge of everything concerning him. He thought there should have been some discussion before deciding on giving him a garment. Looking at it, he couldn't agree she was giving him a dress—this was a garment.
"Yes, this is a garment, not a dress!" Akib was troubled in his thoughts.
His biological mother had never given him her dress. How could this old woman think he would be interested in what she was presenting? He could have rejected her offer, but for the fact that she was the only one who could help him to get to the land of warriors. She was the only person who had a history that aligned with his desires and aspirations. Definitely, he needed Grandma, and he had to be careful.
After Akib thrust his head through and applied the rope as expected, he had a new appearance—that of a young sorcerer. The garment reached his knees.
"You should take it for free. That's what I used when people knew me as a warrior," she said.
The reason for this size was due to her robust shape. The size allowed her to freely manage any activity. Akib still couldn't really understand why the dress had to be for him. He could have gone on the adventure with what he had on.
"Grandma?" Akib called out, still expecting her explanation.
"Akib, I'll tell you all there is to know. The little strength you have is in the physical, but only that will be useless soon. With that dress, you'll be able to do the unimaginable. That can work between you and Maron, and I can still be of help. You know I can't go with you like this," Grandma Betty explained.
"This garment is a connector, isn't that what you mean?" He wanted to get her idea clearer.
"Yeah. Though I can't guarantee what you will face, help will always come from external sources," she replied.
Elated, Akib took another look at the garment. This time, he touched the cotton material with sacredness, and his confidence grew about it.
Overwhelmed with joy, he embraced her for the first time.
"Thank you, Grandma!"
Old age would not allow Betty to join both Akib and Maron on their journey, but she had devised a means to reach them. She had not been to the land of the warriors either, but with these arrangements, she was sure to be on top of the situation.
All was set, except that she had not explained how he was to communicate with Maron and how Maron could relate with him. Maybe she had forgotten to disclose this, but any time she mentioned Maron, Akib still found him and her not compatible. For this reason, he didn't want to remind her of the communication matter.
For now, he had the staff, the garment, and himself to make it through.
That night, Akib had the mind to see Eskamay, but without the knowledge of Betty. He waited until everyone was asleep. As he was sure there was no more sound, he took the garment and the staff and headed out. As soon as he got outside, there was Maron, roaming about. He could have hidden to avoid her, but they came face to face. It was like she was asking where he was going. Though she didn't talk, that was what he felt she meant by the look.
"I need to go out quickly. I'll be back," Akib said, and then he ran past her.
The road was as he had wanted—no one was there to challenge him.
He placed his hand on the wall. His heart jumped, but he still continued to fumble around it.
"What do you think?" he said without looking at his side.
Akib kept trying his feeling, maybe he would have the kind of result he once had. The ground didn't shake, neither did it shift. He was disappointed. He tried to remember how everything had happened before. He realized that Grandma had not discussed with him how he would gain access into the building.
"I should have asked her," he regretted.
"Hey, I knew you would be here," a voice came from behind.
He jolted back to his environment and turned around. He hadn't thought anyone could be around at this time—and more than that, the talker had a familiar tone. But when he turned around, he saw nobody, and there was darkness all over. Then, a shadow of a human reflected underneath the moon's influence.
He understood that this person must have known a lot about him, and he had mentioned his plan to meet him in Eskamay. He'd rather focus his attention in rapt awareness of his surroundings than face the building.
The same figure ran through the darkness again. This time, he was sure there was someone there and that he had probably determined to frighten him before doing what he had in mind.
"Who's there? Show your face."
Don't be a coward," he said.
Instead of getting a response, he heard footsteps coming closer. Coming closer without a word could mean disguise, which could be harmful, so he stretched forward the staff. Already, his garment had been worn before he got there. He waved his staff to shine some light. The person stopped and started walking away until there was no more sound.
Akib took advantage of that backward movement to take cover in the nearby forest. For some minutes, both of them were in a tie, as no sound came from either side.
Having waited for a while, Bren came forward.
"Akib, it's Bren. Restore my staff to me," Bren ordered.
"How did you find me here?" Akib responded as he joined him at the center.
"I knew you would be here. I've been looking for you here every night. When someone fell from that building, I knew it was you," Bren said.
Surprised.
Akib didn't know that someone could recognize him. With the amount of light that surrounded him, he thought they would be blinded. Now that Bren had mentioned it, there was no point denying it.
"It could be anyone else, Bren," Akib replied.
Bren laughed. Then he stopped.
"I was making that mistake until you proved it yourself. You know when you ran in this direction, you got some inspiration from the house," Bren pointed toward Eskamay.
So, Bren saw all these things. He tried to deny it again.
"You're saying I can't defeat you by my strength?" Akib smiled.