The afternoon sun shines brightly down upon the land. From up above one can see a family of six walking on a road. Well four are walking while two of them rode a horse.
"Rain dear be careful now."
A melodious voice fills the air as Lucia lightly called out to her youngest son that was not too far ahead in front of them all. She holds onto Ouro's shoulder softly to ensure she won't fall from the horse they're currently riding on.
Rubia smiles faintly as he holds the rein of the horse.
"It's fine isn't it? He's just excited, children should be like that."
He looks towards the brown horse that his wife and youngest daughter was riding on.
"Right Duststrom?"
The brown horse shakes it's head lightly the majestic mane it had flows freely in the wind.
"Neighhhh!"
Rubia chuckles as he pats Duststrom's body lightly.
"Good boy."
Finix walks on the other side of the horse to make sure his sister and his mother won't fall or be there to catch them when they do so.
Vulpi whistles as she follows behind her older brother, occasionally she pokes her brother on the sides and giggles as she evades his hand that tries to grab her.
The atmosphere between the family members was very harmonius. It was the equivalent of a warm hearth.
"Dear."
Lucia calls out gently towards her husband.
"Yes my love?"
Her husband looks back at her with a smile still on his face.
"We could've walked you know? There's no need to ride Dust just to get to the village."
"Neigh!"
She pats Dust gently on the back when he shook his head in indignation. As if he's hurt that she thinks he's hurt when they rode her.
"I'm sorry Dust. I just don't want to burden you too much. Besides, it felt a bit unfair if only the two of us rode you."
"Honey."
A stern voice comes from her husband which made Lucia stop talking to Dust and looks at him.
Rubia's face was serious as he looks up at her quietly before he smiles and pat her legs softly.
"We've been married for 18 years now. Yet you're still so modest."
He laughs as he shakes his head.
"Don't worry, after the harvest we should have enough money to buy a carriage to fit all of us. Besides, this is good exercise for the young ones. Right children?"
Grinning widely, Rubia calls out to their children walking with him.
"That's right father!"
"Indeed, it is good exercise."
"I prefer to walk, Finix can't grab me like this hah."
Chuckling as he listened to Finix and Vulpi play around on the other, Rubia nods proudly.
"That's right. You heard them my love!"
*sigh*
"Alright, fine. I got your point oh husband of mine."
Lucia smiles at her children's antics and her husband's words.
"Besides."
Rubia whispers gently as he looks back at Lucia with a gentle gaze that was filled with conviction.
Her hands adjust the blanket on Oura's calm visage. Who is clearly asleep, perhaps since a while ago.
"I made an oath that day."
Lucia's eyes became soft and teary as she already knew of the oath her dear husband was talking about.
They've always have this talk throughout the years. But it was still touching to hear him say it.
"I swore that you'd live a happy and comfy life."
Rubia his head to look towards the entrance to the village that's not too far away.
"No matter what it takes."
He whispers knowing she heard it.
"My dear Luxalia"
The Rubia family reached the village, Cottonroad.
…
…
…
'I seem to have heard something important just then, about an oath or something?'
Looking quietly at my father as he help mother down, Oura looks hilarious as she tried to act like she didn't fall asleep all this time. Her drool still hasn't dried yet down on the corner of her lips, this kid.
Shaking the thoughts from my head as I try to forget about father and mother's exchange of words just then. Overhearing them like that feels more intruding compared to seeing them being loving on each other.
Perhaps that's why I tried to distract myself from their discussion and tried to grab Vulpi more seriously.
*pull pull*
Though she's livid with me. That's why she's currently pouting while pulling my cheeks.
"I already apologized my dear sister."
"You think and apology would cut it oh brother of mine?"
Vulpi's voice was deadpan but her eyes shows that's she's not truly angry with me.
Well, she's a bit livid perhaps. But that seems more like indignation rather than anger.
Probably cause I surprised her for once, which is rare. Seems like she doesn't like it when I use her own weapon against her-
"Finix, are you listening?"
Vulpi complains as she kneads my cheeks while turning my face towards her again
I blink as I snap away from my thoughts.
"Yeah I heard you."
"So you agree then?"
Her eyes looks quietly at me, as if trying to make sure I truly did heard what she said.
"Ah, yeah I do."
A smug grin slowly appears on her face. That's when I realized I seem to have messed up.
'ah, crap. I messed up'
Just as I thought that she starts to pull me along.
"Hehe, let's go then! There's a cute necklace I've been eyeing since we visited the village a week ago!"
She hums happily as she walks, her hand was still holding mine.
"Finix, Vulpi"
We heard father's gruff voice which was laden with warmth. Turning around we saw him approaching us with two small pouch. Probably filled with coins.
"Here, spend wisely both of you. Don't waste too much on food or knickknacks okay?"
He gave me and my sister a pouch each and ruffle our head.
"Go on then, I have business with old man Cane. Oura and mother will be with me."
He looks around, probably looking for Rain. Who disappeared the moment we enter Cottonroad.
"Also, look for your little brother and take care of him."
Father exchanged a quiet look with me. I can almost hear what he's saying.
"Psemuel?"
"Psemuel."
I nodded in affirmation, father pat my shoulder then ruffle Vulpi's head before he walks back to join mother and Oura who's now looking a bit giddy but still keeping up her act of a noble lady.
"Psemuel?"
Vulpi bump her shoulder against mine as she asks.
Shaking my head, I tried to deflect her question.
"Let's go see the necklace my dear sister."
This time I held her hand and pull her along with me.
"Huh? Wait, do you even know the stall I want to buy the necklace at?"
Vulpi asks me in surprise.
I nod calmly to her question.
"Yes I do, the one near the apothecary right? The one with the lady that has a red scarf on her neck?"
To this answer Vulpi blinks on surprise as she turns speechless for a moment.
"Huh? How did you know?"
Glancing at her from the corner of my eyes I grin smugly.
"Don't underestimate me. I remember last week that's the stall where I picked you up from when we were leaving the village."
I wiggle my eyebrows at her with pride.
"In fact, I can even show you which necklace you wanted me to buy for you. Wanna make a bet?"
Shaking her head was the clear answer I got from her.
"No way, I'm not making a bet with you dear brother."
She pouts and huff.
"You don't make bets unless you're sure you can win them. So no way am I playing a losing game with you."
I smile as I ruffle her hair.
"Okay, okay. My bad dear sister. Let's go to the stall then, I'll pay for the necklace."
I poke the tip of her nose playfully
"Only half of the price however, deal?"
She rolls her eyes but there's a faint smile on her face.
"Alright, I'll take it. Thank you oh brother of mine. It's a deal."
She smiles happily as she hugs my arm as we walk together on the cobblestone path.
The village was quite quaint. Most of the people here built wooden houses, some of them are made from stones.
The roads are built with cobblestones but not all of them. It starts from the town square and along the path all the way to the entrance of the village.
The entrance to the north that leads to the ruler of this land was paved with cobblestone.
The west entrance also had cobblestone that continued onwards reaching all the way to a town which is larger than our village.
The eastern entrance was a dirt road, that one leads towards the farms. Including ours and continue onwards to the mountains.
The southern entrance was a dirt road as well, which leads to another village. It was Rockload if I'm not wrong.
My thoughts was cut off when my vision suddenly turned dark as I felt hands covering my eyes.
"Guess who?"