"It's good to wear this suit again" Tigreal happily said as he showed off his warrior suit to Freya.
"Well, it's been a long while isn't it?" she replied. The two of them did not waste any time and they hurriedly prepared to leave as soon as they heard the news from Pharsa. Freya felt relieved to know that they finally had a clue on where they can find the thing they've been looking for. After wandering across various places, she finally knows where it might be.
"Why you're still wearing those? You're not missing your armors?"
"You know that I don't have them here with me. Well, I'm blessed enough to have this thick cloak though." She said while smiling bitterly "I hope what Pharsa found out will put an end to this."
"If Pharsa's calculations were right then I'll really hate myself for refusing to check that place."
"You can say that. But…. you came there to ask once and they gave you a vague answer" Tigreal gave her a concerned look.
"I know, but I should've persisted. It's too near compared to other places we've been to. How I could neglect such possibility?" after saying those words, Freya was lost again in her own thoughts trying to keep all the pieces of a particular puzzle, intact with one another.
"What if, when you checked back then it's not yet there?" Tigreal asked. "That's possible." He added.
"Maybe… let's give this a shot" Freya said and started walking.
I'm on my way, warrior…
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"Pharsa, Verri has arrived." A teenage girl said as she opens the window beside where she stands.
"Thank you for informing me, Ruby." Pharsa straightened her body and waited for Verri to land at her hand.
"It looks like the goddess has some message for you."
"I see, and I bet that's a comment about the ridiculous riddle I gave to her." Pharsa gently laughed and Ruby proceeds to untangle the cord Freya used to secure the scroll in Verri's feet.
"You're a trustworthy guy, Verri. Pharsa your codes in form of riddle maybe the lamest thing I've engaged with but I am thankful for such" Ruby read trying to imitate Freya. When she finished to read it, she curled up the scroll again and placed it on Pharsa's chest box.
"That's all she said? She's not asking us some more help?" Pharsa said while worrying about Freya.
"I think she finally got some courage to face her own fears and accepted it as another obstacle that kept her away from the right answer all through these years. Besides, she has Tiggy to protect her"
Ruby stated, not letting any hint of her being worried to the goddess also because they know, that for years and countless people who advised Freya to go there, she always refused.
"Do you think they reached the Northern Kingdom already?" Ruby asked.
"The real question here is, if they even set off on a journey." Natalia said, appearing out of nowhere and unannounced.
"Natalia, knock! Can't you?" Ruby exclaimed.
"We know that it is possible. Also, Tigreal won't be able to force her if she doesn't want to."
"Don't belittle my instincts, it tells me they did. Well, at least I hope they'll go because they must." Pharsa replied while caressing Verri's back. "She needs to or else…. she will not have another chance."
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A couple of hours has passed and after reaching such distance, both of them felt the sudden decrease of temperature as if it is going to freeze them in no time. Freya lost her balance; the blizzard is starting to grow stronger and it weakens Tigreal too.
"We should've borrowed a horse, Tigreal. It's quite tiring"
"It's getting cold too. This blizzard is not a normal one. Can you still continue?"
"Yes, we're near already. It is part of her power. An indication of her bad mood, I guess?" she said in a weak voice while starting to get up at her two feet. "We'll probably have a hard time with this"
Tigreal sincerely looked at her, trying to read her emotions and get a gist of what exactly is running on Freya's thoughts but he couldn't get a thing.
Out of nowhere, he asked Freya. "You wouldn't cry, would you?"
"You'll cry first before I do." She said as she bends her body and started to form a ball of snow and quickly threw it on Tigreal's face.
"Don't challenge me, Goddess." He said while wiping off the snow on his face.
"Fight me, let see how strong you are." Freya replied as she quickly dodged the snowball that Tigreal threw at her direction. She laughed at him, thinking he sucks in this type of battle.
As they continued to play with the snow and filled the cold, melancholic place with noise and laughter, they did not notice that they already alerted the Northern Kingdom of their presence. And, in no time they already made a move and fulfill their duty and that is, to protect the kingdom.
A moment of silence occurred when something glistened in Freya's peripheral vision and both of them look at its direction. They saw the breathtaking ice castle of Queen Aurora that domains the frozen seas and admired its perfection. Still, she can't hide the tense she's feeling when she realize that she has no choice but to go again in this place.
Just like what the riddle says...
It can be seen where you haven't been;
Where memories were created and trapped
And unusual occurred in just a snap.
Melancholy took place and romance too.
It is somewhere too precious for the two of you.
"It is indeed, a place where I haven't been. Tigreal, can you resist.. my knock out blow? ." Freya starts to rise her hand, aiming at Tigreal's direction.
"NOW!!!" a command was heard suddenly. They started to fire arrows at their direction. Both of them are now dodging the arrows instead of snowballs that they used to play with a while ago.
"What's happening?" Freya whispered while trying to shield herself with her cloak.
"It's raining arrows now not snow. Oh geez, what rule did we violate?"
"I don't get it and you better ---- LOOK OUT!" An arrow almost pierces Tigreal's body. Good thing, he managed to use his shield to protect himself.
"Why are they trying to kill us when you were a well-known legend here?" he said.
"It doesn't matter, no one can recognize me in a glimpse while I'm dressed like this."
The number of arrows being shot in their direction doubled. They want to cry for help but one wrong move and their blood will stain the glimmering white snow as it drains out from their body.
"S-someone please." Freya begged silently while still trying to not move even though her cloak is already ruined with slashes made by the arrow's tips.
"HALT!!" someone commanded. Silence prevailed until the last thrown arrow dropped near Freya's feet. Tigreal lay down his shield, keeping his head down and somehow scared of what will happen.
Both of them witnessed how they give homage to this person in front of them. Freya grew nervous and Tigreal readied himself for a battle.
"It looks like we have some strange visitors, how odd" a woman with an intimidating aura spoke.
"What brought you here and who---" instead of finishing her question, she stepped down from her horse and walks forward to Freya's direction. Each step she took made them nervous. Her eyes widened and she starts to get even more confused when Freya slowly raised her head to face her.
"Q-Queen Aurora" Freya uttered and with full respect, she bowed down before her.
"You came unannounced, Freya." The queen said in cold voice, finding herself in state of shock and disbelief.
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