Chapter 21:The task at all hands

 One day later, In a thick forest. Ekiu and Equ was navigating through the forest. The snow that stacked on the tree was falling down as Equ hit the tree to make marks of the place they already passing by.

 "Uh... How should I put this... Brother." Equ look at Ekiu who was walking in the front.

 "I know... I hate to admit this but... We lost."

 Equ sigh and look around. She thinks for a second before looking back at her brother.

 "What do we know about this client again?" Equ lay down her axe and sit down under a tree.

 "It's a magician who lived beyond this forest. But there is no specific direction stated in this letter." He said as he put down his bag that contains a total of 30 potion bottle.

 "Is this magician actually here? We've been wandering this forest for a total of 17 hours."

 "I can't say that for sure but... This is indeed weird. I can't shake that feeling. The feeling of something was wrong in this forest."

 The twin rest for a moment before continuing their walk through this endless forest.

 Meanwhile, In The Denials bar...

 "What do you say? A crystal again? I don't feel like going for another crystal hunt." Black Blade said as he lean againts the chair.

 "You sure? It's not holy crystal okay? It just a normal magic crystal." White said as he drinks the drink in his mug.

 "What do we know about this requester again?"

 Codex who was just finish clean herself walk out from the door at the back of the bar and walk up to the two. She was wearing her usual magician attire but with a towel twisted on her head.

 "It's a lady from a kingdom in Sunaris. Presumably a princess from there. She said that the crystal were worth 25 gold coin each."

 "Did you say 25? Is it that high for a single chunk of diamond?" Black Blade said nonchalantly.

 Codex walk up to him and slap him with both her hand at both his cheek. She then explain that the crystal contain a stable amount of mana. They need it as a source of energy to face the winter.

 "Oh yeah. That's the thing. they have a relic that could change mana into somesort of energy." White said as Black Blade slammed his mug on the table.

 "Fine fine, I'll go. Am I going with Emerald?" He ask as he hold both Codex hand as she didn't remove it yet from there since she slapped him.

 "Nope. You're going with me." Codex force his face to look up at her.

 Black Blade looking at her face still looking lazy at this point. Then his eye widen.

 "What?! How about my dau- I mean Emerald!?"

 "She will be training Magic Flow Control with Madam Silence so... she will absent." Codex said with a smile.

 "What did he said again? My daughter?" White teases and laugh at him as Codex also chuckles to that.

 "Hey! You two! Since when did you two having the same brain wave?! I don't understand!" He shout as he blushed slightly to his slip tongue.

 Black Blade stand and want to go to his room but Codex hold his shoulder and stop him.

 "You are going with me you hear that? Give you lovely daughter a break." She said as she chuckle teasingly.

 Black Blade didn't say anything and go to his room to get ready for the mission. Codex and White look at him as he walks off the bar area.

 "Daughter heh? He really think of that Holy Crystal that way." White say as his expression turn slightly serious but there is still a hint of ignorance in it.

 "Yeah. He still didn't know the fact that Emerald is actually the Holy Crystal herself. I've already confirmed it with my book and it's positive." Codex said as she sigh.

 "Well it's alright. If a magician like him couldn't suspicious even a bit to that innocent girl, Why not we just let it be? At least we know that 'our' crystal is safe and sound."

 She sigh and nod in agreement to the statment that White said. She say nothing and leave to pack her things as well before Black Blade finish.

 15 minutes later, Black Blade and Codex ready to set off as Emerald who actually want to tag along waves at them goodbye and they start to ride away. The snow melt slightly at the time since it has been a day where it didn't snow and the sun rise so it's actually a perfect day for the ride.

 "So, we need to go to Groovelock in Brightstone and then rides back all the way to Sunaris who was at the opposite side of the paninsular. Am I get the plan right?" He ask and already lethargic from the plan alone.

 "Yep, That's true." Codex said with a playful giggles.

 "It's gonna be a at least 7 days worth of horse riding. And adds up another 3 day to return from Sunaris to the bar back. So, It will be 10 days and not to mention of any disturbance and maybe it's snowy again. It's at least 15 days of work. I'm booked." He said slightly irritated to this.

 Codex chuckles at his rant but say nothing. She realised that since the day he's crying alone on the snow. He turns to be a bit stressed. Okay, correction. Very stressed out. The two keep riding towards Brightstone South-west from Lothal.

 "BrightStone. Also known as Riverstone, The house of dark magicians." Codex suddently break the silence between the two.

 "Hmm. Yeah."He sigh.

 "Why? You seems very unmotivated right now." She ask as she ride her horse closer to his.

 "Well, Groovelock is far away from the main base of 5 Lunaris of Dark Magician. I kinda want to meet all of them."

 Codex raised her eyebrow before remember what he was talking about. The famous DMA Five Lunaris. She didn't know that much but she remember that Black Blade was like a fanatic to this five

 "Five Lunaris hmm? I can tell that you would have that idea to begin with. Emerald say something about you met one of the five, Lady Purity."

 "Yeah... I met with her like... two month ago? When I retrieve the Holy Crystal from Notherneil. It was short meeting but yeah... It's an honorable thing."

 "Well you may have the chance to see her again. Since... lately, the chaos energy in Melloyern increase noticibly since the first snow. Yet, there is no trace of The Blizzard of Iria at all. Usually with this much disturbance in mana flow... The blizzard of Iria already start wiping the land." She said with a frown.

 Black Blade thinks for a moment. He also realized that it's actually make sense when think of it. The fact that Vengeful Spirit like Eiria could be that strong to even create a domain of the past, It mean that this is indeed disturbance in Chaos energy in Melloyern.

 "Is it our job to restabilize the mana flow?" He ask.

 "Nope. Just let it be. Holy knights and Royal knight already competent enough for that."

 "So we just need to focus on task at hand hmm?"

 "Most Likely is." Codex said and she fix her glasses position.

 Meanwhile in Denials bar.

 "So I just need to do this and this?" Emerald successfully cast a fire based spell.

 "Yes. You're doing very greatly. I've expecting something more difficult. Anyway. How old are you again?" Lady Silence ask with her usual gentle smile.

 "Oh... I'm actually hmm... 1.5 month old." She said with her usual innocent smile.

 Lady Silence smile calmly while he insides was like in total shock.

 "You're not kidding?" She ask.

 "Nope. I just know the world a week before I met with Master."

 "I see..."

 "Why? People actually born from nature like I did, right?" She ask again and look at Silence as she sense a hint of confusion in her tone.

 Madam Silence sigh for once and look at her with her eyebrow knitted together

 "Well... It's kinda long explanation. You will understand someday."

 "hmm? Why? Something is wrong?"

 "No... Just focus on the training."

 "Okay..." She pouts before continue training controlling other magic element. 

to be continued