The journey to the capital should have been smooth.
But of course, nothing was ever simple with them.
At first, everything went well. The sky was bright, the weather was nice and Jack hummed a peaceful tune while holding the reins. Rowan was sitting in front of him while carrying Cardin with both hands as if holding a very precious baby. Even with a sword body, Cardin still made an effort to enjoy the breeze as much as anyone else.
Then the horse suddenly stopped walking.
It just stopped without any warning or reason. The horse froze like someone hit a pause button. Jack signaled to the horse to continue moving by pulling on the reins.
"Alright, boy, let's keep moving."
But the horse blinked once. Then it refused to move. Rowan leant forward to get a better look at it.
"Ugh... Maybe he's tired?"
But Jack shook his head.
"We haven't even reached halfway."
"Maybe he senses danger?" Cardin said. "I used to have a horse like that before."
Then the horse sneezed loudly.
"He sneezed! Oh no! Maybe he's sick! Maybe he needs soup! Should we make him soup?" Rowan rapidly asked.
Jack just stared at his son for a while.
"Rowan, no one feeds soup to a horse."
"It could work..."
"It won't."
But Rowan looked back at the horse while panicking.
"What do we do then?!"
Jack sighed and rummaged through their bags.
"We should try to feed it first."
And so, they fed the horse with carrots. Then apples. Then the bread Jack packed. Rowan even offered his own emergency snacks. And the horse ate all of it happily.
But still, it didn't move. Rowan nearly cried while watching the horse swaying its long tail but still not moving.
"Why won't he go?!" Rowan complained.
Cardin suddenly let out a sigh.
"Maybe he hates walking. Maybe he hates working. Maybe he hates you. Who knows?"
"He hates me?! But why?! I fed him snacks!"
"Maybe he thinks you're too loud."
Jack tried pulling the reigns a few times before he finally gave up and dismounted.
"Alright. We should stop wasting time here. Let's just walk." Jack said.
Rowan groaned.
"But the capital is still far!"
Jack ignored his son's complaints and already slung one of the bags over his shoulder and started walking forward. Seeing this, Rowan puffed his cheeks, hugged Cardin and followed his father.
And the horse?
He waited about two seconds then he trotted happily behind them. When Rowan saw it, he dramatically pointed at it.
"Hey! Why is he following now?!"
"Ah. Maybe because he prefers you doing the walking, lad." Cardin dryly answered.
Jack also looked at the horse and let out a tired laugh.
"This horse is either lazy or smart." Jack said.
Rowan pouted.
"He's just bullying us."
The walk dragged on for hours. Jack remained calm, Rowan complained every three steps and Cardin would have long thrown this talkative lad into a bush out of boredom if he still had a body.
But on the brighter side, Rowan tried to carry him comfortably. Although he kept shifting him in his arms.
"Is this angle okay?" Rowan asked for the fifteenth time.
"I don't have a spine." Cardin replied. "I can't get uncomfortable even if I wanted to!"
"Oh. But maybe your sword soul aches?"
"I'm already aching from your talking!"
Jack watched his son talk to the sword he was holding for a few more minutes before sighing and calling him.
"Son, remember this. When we reach the capital, do not talk to your sword uhh... friend. People will stare at us if you do."
Rowan looked horrified.
"T-Then what do I do? Cardin will still talk to me!"
"Oh, wow. As if I am the talkative one here." Cardin sarcastically said. "Anyway, I can stay quiet for a while."
Rowan gasped.
"You can?!"
"Yes."
"Are you sure you'll be okay?"
"I bet I will not die again if I become quiet for a few hours."
When Jack saw his son still talking to the sword, he gently put a hand on Rowan's shoulder.
"If you talk to your sword in front of strangers, they will think you've lost your mind."
"But Cardin is real!"
Jack slowly nodded his head and gave Rowan a calm and pitying look.
"I know, I know. But keep it down anyway."
Rowan looked at his father before he nodded his head.
"Oh, I see. Your father thinks you're a little unstable." Cardin suddenly chimed in.
"But I am not!" Rowan yelled.
The horse neighed loudly behind them as if saying otherwise.
After that, they continued walking until the white capital walls appeared in the distance. When Rowan saw it, he raised Cardin triumphantly in the air.
"Cardin! Look! We made it!" Rowan cheered.
"Yes, yes. I can see. Please stop waving me around like a flag." Cardin said with a sigh.
Jack rolled his shoulders. He looked a little tired but still smiling.
"We're almost there, son. Let's stay calm, alright?"
Rowan seriously nodded in reply.
"I promise, dad."
But the horse behind them neighed again.
"Don't you start!" Rowan said to the horse with a glare.
After another hour of walking, all of them had finally arrived at the capital. The moment Rowan, Jack and Cardin the sword entered the capital, it felt like stepping into a giant pot of boiling soup. It was hot, crowded, loud and full of strange smells Rowan couldn't identify.
There were lots of people everywhere. The merchants shouted, the children ran around, someone was selling grilled meat and someone else was selling what appeared to be meat but Rowan wasn't sure.
All of a sudden, Jack grabbed Rowan's collar like he was catching a runaway chicken.
"Stay with me, son." Jack gently warned. "Don't wander too much."
"I'm not wandering!" Rowan said while already staring left, then right, then up and nearly tripping over a stray cat.
Seeing this, Cardin sighed inside Rowan's arms.
"You look like someone who is seeing the world for the first time." Cardin said.
"I don't go out much!" Rowan whispered defensively.
Cardin snorted.
"Yeah, sure. I can see that."
The capital was painfully familiar to Cardin. He could picture all the corners of this place even without his human eyes.
There was the fruit stall where he once argued with the merchant about the price of pears. There was the old bakery where his companion once passed out from eating too much cinnamon rolls. And right in the middle was the huge ancient tree that still giving perfect shade to everyone tired of the sun.
"This place is still the same, huh." Cardin murmured.
Rowan thought he was talking to him and whispered back.
"Cardin, don't talk. Dad said people will stare at me."
"He should have said that they will think you are insane." Cardin corrected.
Rowan nearly dropped him.
"D-Don't say stuff like that!"
Soon, a royal knight climbed onto a wooden platform and shouted an announcement.
"The hero's funeral will begin in one hour! Citizens, gather in the main square!"
Soon, people murmured with respect. Rowan hugged the sword while holding the bundle of flowers he picked earlier.
"I want to go near so I can offer these to the hero."
Jack nodded.
"We will. Just stay close."
Rowan nodded firmly. But then, he bumped straight into someone.
"Waah—"
He nearly flew backward but a hand shot out and grabbed his arm.
"Easy there." the stranger calmly said. "Watch your step."
Rowan bowed in panic.
"I-I'm sorry! And thank you!"
He turned around to leave. But the man stopped him.
"Wait." the man said.
Rowan froze.
"H-Huh? Yes?"
"What are you holding in your arms?" the man asked.
Rowan blinked his eyes in confusion.
"Uh... A sword?"
"Show me."
Although still confused, Rowan carefully lifted the broken and rusty sword for the man to see. The stranger looked at it with a complicated expression.
And before anyone could speak, Cardin sudden burst out laughing.
"Pfft... Hahahaha! You?! Of all people?! Hahaha! It's been a while, Lark! How's life these days?"