Chase and Equan casually sat down on one of the empty logs near the fire, as Michael continued to talk about what sounded like The Faceless Man.
"I mean it was like he could see the future and always know where a strike would land!"
He exclaimed as he bit into a strip of overcooked meat.
Chase reached for his bag that rested behind the log he was sitting on and pulled out a poorly made leather coat, as he let it fall around his shoulders.
They were close to The Frozen River, and the air was slowly growing closer with every day of traveled that passed.
He tightly clutched the corner of the coat as he ignored most of Michael's story.
Neveah, who was sitting next to Michael, rested her chin on her fist and rolled her one eye.
Onyx had fallen asleep, laying on a long log that he had kept to himself.
Poppy was wearing a white tunic and black sweatpants as he armor was neatly positioned against the log she sat on.
In her hands was a vibrant ivory spear that Chase knew too well.
She was sharpening the edge of her blade with a scary amount of precision with every swipe of the sharpening stone.
Her eyes told Chase that she was still quite angry, whether it was him she was still angry at or she was pissed off at the spear in her hands, Chase didn't really know, and didn't want to know either.
Lithica had a flute he had bought from the small town the other day resting in his hands, as he leaned against the base of the tree that he had set his log against for a backrest.
He was wearing no shirt, revealing his chiseled chest and abs to the whole of the party, as all he wore was a baggy pair of white pants that were way too big for his strangely athletic stature.
He blew into the flute as a harmonious melody filled the air as Michael continued on with his story.
Equan, who sat next to Chase was staring deeply into the fire with a somber expression on his face.
Neo, Leo, Kaylynn, Reinhart, Luke, Gideon, and Gabriel had all embarked on the journey to the West as they went to gather more students and professors for the rebellion.
Leaving Chase and Poppy in charge of Michael, Neveah, Equan, Lithica, Onyx, and eventually Justin of House Pice and this Jacob guy that Luna had told him to meet with.
Poppy was originally quite angry that Chase had chosen to go to his room before meeting with her at the tavern, as Michael and Onyx had to inform her of the plans for the two week journey.
She of course had no choice but to agree with the plans, and must have felt like she had no say in the matter, which would make anyone as strong as her quite angry.
She raised an eyebrow at Chase, as he realized he had been staring at her with a cocked eyebrow of his own.
"What?"
She mouthed, as she continued to sharpen her blade.
Chase shook his head and quickly looked away.
He preferred not meeting the edge of her spear anytime soon, so he quickly reached for his bag to pull out one of his books as he stretched his legs out toward the fire and tried to relax his body.
His shoes were practically in the fire, as he yawned and leaned back.
"Chase?"
Michael asked, quickly exchanging glances between him and the fire.
"Ignore it..."
Poppy sighed, as she carelessly returned to the sharpening of her blade.
Chase was basically on fire at that point, as he flipped the page of his book, paying no mind to his concerned friend.
As all of this went on, Lithica continued to blow into his flute until he eventually missed a key.
"GODS DAMN THIS STUPID TOY!"
He screamed as he hurled the flute into the forest.
Everyone turned their attention toward the angelic man who usually never had any sort of tempter.
"You good dude?"
Chase asked, as he brushed the flames off of his leather pants and back into the fire as if they couldn't harm him.
Lithica put his palms against his own face, and sighed into his hands.
"I cannot with this mortal form of music..."
Chase tilted his head, trying not to laugh at his normally stoic or humorous companion.
"What would you consider non-mortal music?"
Equan asked with a chuckle.
Lithica lifted his palms off of his face, and rubbed the back of his golden mane.
"I suppose a golden harp, or maybe some ancient war drums would make for quite the time passer..."
Chase sighed, and looked away from his angelic companion, studying the faces of his party once more.
These were the people who would follow him into Rider's kingdom, maybe they all had the same goal in mind... Too avenge their fallen father figure...
However, that did not change the fact that Chase's goals had stemmed out from the simple revenge path that he was once so inclined to follow...
He had a far bigger picture in mind now, Zephyr, Luna, and the strange voice that had showed him how to fight without a sword had shown him the true meaning of the foolish word "Destiny".
He had a grand goal now, and killing Rider was simply a means to end.
But that did not changed what he had planned to do originally.
'I have to be the one to kill him... Otherwise they will fall under the same curse that I have... I will end Rider where he stands, and disrespect his body and soul as I do so... Just as he did to my grand father Leander..."