Chapter 25:The Oath for the Kingdom

 In the afternoon the same day, they were riding across a long bridge and stop at the end of it to have a rest. Under the bridge, there flows a very fresh looking river and there's fish visibly swimming in it.

 The snow around that area quite thick but not to the level it slows down their rides. Black Blade is the first to get down the horse and wash his face. Followed by Ekiu, Equ and Codex.

 "Codex, I'll leave the fire to you." Black Blade said that and he take his core and turn it into the twin chain spear end.

 "Okay. Leave that to me. Catch a lot. I happen to have a lot of ingredient for cooking." She said as she stand and grabbing her bag.

 "Sure!"

 The spear end at the chain move like a snake in the command of Black Blade and it's catching the fish in the river by piercing it and it stuck and stack at the chain. In a few minutes later, he get almost a bucket of the fish.

 "That's a lot of fish." Ekiu said as he take the bucket from Black Blade and give it to Codex who was just finish setting a bonfire.

 "Well... do you need any help, Codex?" Equ sit down beside her with a knife and a small smile tucked to her cheek.

 "... If you may." She said as she start to process the fish and remove it's gut.

 Equ smiles to that and help her doing that while...

 "Come here!" Black Blade pulling Ekiu's hand and throw him inside the cold water.

 "Hey, not fair!" He cast a magic that push Black Blade into the river as well.

 "it's.... FREEZING!!" He shout and stand up to get out from the cold water but the wind blow make it colder.

 "That's what you get! Take this."

 Ekiu cast another magic that controls the water and it washed over Black Blade. He squeal and jumps to Ekiu and push him falling in water with him. They both enjoying playing the cold water while the two was sitting by bonfire preparing the fish as Codex muttering something under her breath.

 "It should be me... It should be me..." She said repeatedly.

 Her voice is practically slow but Equ could hear that for some reason.

 "Codex?" She said as Codex jumps in shock for Equ sudden calls.

 "Ah! My...!" Something fall off her head when Codex accidentally hit her head while shocked earlier and something pokes up from Equ's hair.

 "Wait... you are..." Codex seems shocked to see a pair of dog ear pokes out from Equ's hair.

 Equ starts to panic as she take a stick and put it back on her head. It functions like a hair pin but to prevent her ear to pokes out. She did so to hide the fact that she was a half dog half human since this kind were pretty hated in Melloyern for some reason.

 "You're... a halfling?" Codex said as she saw that ears before Equ hide it again.

 "um... Yes. My brother was a halfling as well... uh... Am I dead?"

 "No... I didn't hate halfling... I'm just shocked... that's all."

 Equ sigh and she stay silent. She continue to process the fish without saying anything. She fears that Codex might kill her on sight but Codex were cool with it. As she look down, she feels Codex's hand wrapping around her back.

 "It's okay. We're all the same organisation after all. We're cool. Did you see any of us from capital?"

 "I know but... I'm just... scared.... I..."

 "Don't think of that. We all fine here." Codex said in a very friendly manner.

 "Uh... Okay..."

 After an hour later, They all finish eating and they continue their journey to the east. As they ride the horse, Codex start to speak to all of them.

 "We have two ways to reach there. A short way but hard and an easy way but far. Which one?" She ask for everyone opinion.

 "What kind of hard are we talking about?" Ekiu ask.

 "When I say hard, it means there is no inn along the way. We still have like a total of three days even on the short way. So, we might need to stay camping outside with those watcher roaming around."

 " and easy means we have an inn at every night time, correct?" Equ ask.

 Codex nodded as a response to that. She then ask for their opinion. After taking the votes, it was resulting to go to easy but long way. the only one who agree want to go short way is Black Blade only. Since...

 "I know Emerald waiting for my return." He simply said as the other facepalming.

 "So... Your daughter is more important then your safety?" Codex ask.

 "If that the way you wanna put it. I will say yes."

 "Nevermind. we already pick side anyway. So..."

 Codex starts to explain the way they gonna take. they will be entering the Notherneil border from Brightstone and will cross the whole state. They will exit Notherneil in East border and make a short cut through Watcherdome. After the cut, they will enter the Sunaris border and it take at least an evening of horse riding to reach the kingdom of Sunaris.

 They will be in Notherneil for at least 4 days and only taken half a day for the cut. It's a total of 5 day or higher for this trip.

 "... at least five day." Codex finish her explanation.

 " Yeah... if we go through the short but hard way, It will only take two days and half." Black Blade said again still slightly disagree with the long road but he doesn't want to be selfish anyway.

 "Is that true, Codex?" Equ ask.

 Codex thinks for a second before nodded. They all then continue their journey.

 Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Sunaris. The princess Cjinme was standing at the same spot as her last appearance. She was observing the blizard that drawing closer and closer day by day. It's almost sunset there and the snow starts to fall.

 a flake of snow falls on her eyelashes and she blinks. The snoflake still stuck there. The flake somehow reminds her about her meeting with a merchant from the city.

 "I go out earlier this morning and realised that there is a blizard in the sea. I know it's getting closer. Why don't you warn the people like you away do?" The merchant ask as she looks away from him.

 "This year... I don't want my people to suffer like years before."

 The merchant eyebrow knitted together as he asking what does she meant by that.

 "Years over years, we're facing Blizard and everytime it comes, we all need to seek refuge from the city in Metasillca who was safe from the blizard route."

 "What... what's wrong with that?"

 "When they return..."

 She was staring into the bustling street as she remember what she have to see every single years. People were sad and loss. Many have their house and their property that they couldn't bring along while they leave destroyed by the blizard. Some, losses cause to live and so on.

 She snap back to the from the flashback and look at the merchant.

 "This year. I will change that. They will no longer need to scared of the blizard ever again. They have no need to run and seeks refuge from neighboring state. We will get through this."

 As she said so, the flashback ends as she keep watching the blizard from her castle.

 "I will... Change that." She swore.

To be continued.