Episode 4

Thinkha felt as if his heart was being squeezed and all the blood in his veins was getting sucked. Though he always Are we not there yet, Minkha?", impatiently Nanda asked the coachman. He can't still believe that he was on the way to make an official greeting toward another country.

"Almost there, are you already tired from traveling, sir?", Minkha answered back while looking at him. It has been three days since they departed from their home country, Tharyarwaddi.

"Well, of course. Due to a certain person, I do not even get enough time to rest though I serve the country enthusiastically. Poor me! How could he bring me who just came back from the battle to go on a three-day trip! You know, three days non-stop trip!” While revealing his thought, Nanda looks at the other party with an unsatisfied look. That person always likes to give him extra tasks. Like now, he will randomly drag him to participate in a festival where just finished the peace treaty with us.

"FUUU", the person who is sitting facing him is shaking his shoulders in silent laughter. His eyes look amused by the troubled face of his friend.

"Hey, don't laugh. I already told you that I am not fit for this trip. Besides, you wish me to behave as a chancellor. Me! A chancellor! Seriously! I am really bad about conversations. For me, using the sword is better than the word. And yet you are putting that chancellor position toward me. Just what the heck is wrong with you to come personally?"

He asked the other party annoyingly. The young man who is sitting in front of him smiled.

"Don't worry, I definitely won't let you become a permanent chancellor. I already have a nagging chancellor with a strong temper. So, No, thank you. I don’t want another one. And as I told you before, I have to meet someone there." Thinkha answered back while checking the last report he got from the capital, Tharyarwaddy.

It has been a long time for Thinkha to go out or show himself in front of other people. After his conquering over the states in Southern, he spent most of his time in the room that filled with countless reports. So, everybody was surprised when Thinkha decides to go out. Moreover, he chooses Linkar, a small country, located at the border of East and North. He decided to go there as soon as they agree to make a peace agreement within countries.

“Oh ho, who is the lucky person that got your attention?” Nanda asked while crossing his legs.

“ You will know when we meet that person.” Thinkha did a smirk and replied.

“Come on, tell me!”

“……………..”

“ Man! you are so sneaky. But you can meet that person after all the formal greetings within the countries and other required arrangements, right? That’s what we always do. And besides, (he did some hesitation in his words) I thought that you would never want to come to Linkar again.”

That’s the thing that he wants to ask him, the reasons why he wants to go Linkar, and why he agreed to have the peace treaty with them.

He just couldn’t understand Thinkha's way of thinking.

'Thinkha Naw Yar', the youngest Empire of Southern in  Nanmar continent, within 5 years he occupied all the 12 states of the southern Empire and became the only one ruler of Southern area. Including Southern Empire, the Nanmar continent alienates into three main parts. The Northern Empire includes sixteen states in total and rules by the Yhama, Takhar king as emperor. However, The Eastern area is different. They do not have an exclusive ruler, each king is managing the divided state in the Eastern area by themselves, and there are a total of six states.

“ There is someone I absolutely must meet by myself. I want to observe how that person would respond when she sees me.” Though he is smiling back, the smile somehow is scary. The look in his eyes is burning with hatred and anger. It shows how much he determined about meeting that person. And from the way he responds, depending on that person, the treaty between the two countries might have changed. Nanda felt as if this trip might not be a simple one. He does not dare to make judgments anymore.

“Sir, we just arrive at the boarding gate. I am going to get the boarding pass from the in-charge person. Please wait for me here.” With the voice of Minkha, both of them stop their conversation.

Linka country is one of the smallest states in the Eastern Area, near the Maryar River that regards as the borderline of Eastern and Southern areas. Naturally, the people worshiped the Water God since they believed the water god of Maryar river is protecting them from any kind of danger. The only way to enter the Linkar country is by using Ships. And there are only two Ships which transport from the Southern border to Eastern border a day. The ships are at least thrice bigger than regular ships and specially built to carry the vehicles also. They do transportation only twice a day.

“Hey brother, long time no see, Is everything going well?” Minkha greets to the in-charge person of the shipping gate. The person looks at Minkha and smiled brightly.

“Minkha, it has been a long time. Of course, everything is doing well. Your sister just gave birth to our third son last week. we were wishing for your visit.”  He gives a pass to Minkha without even checking for the reason of the trip anymore.

“ Congrats! big brother. Of course, I will visit my newborn nephew after this trip. I can’t wait to see him. Haha. Oh, I have some guests that waiting for me. Let’s talk more later.”

“Sure, Take care.”

Minkha gave the pass to them. Since the ship is almost departing from the gate, they run quickly to catch up. Luckily, all of them get on safely and look around for a place that they can rest on the ship. Though it is not that far, it took at least 3 hours to arrive at the gate of the Eastern area.

“Thin…… arr Master, are you ok?” Nanda looks shocked by the face color of Thinkha. He looked tired and sweating a lot.

“I am fine, just feeling dizzy,” Thinkha replied. But his voice doesn’t sound like it.

“It is your first time taking the ship, sir? Do not worry. Seasickness always happens toward the first time passenger. Please avoid going near the corner of the ship and sit here, sir.”

“OH my! Our mighty Thinkha is afraid of the river, right?” Nanda teased.

Bam!

Thinkha glared at him and slapped his back.

“Ouch! That’s hurt!”

So, are we going directly to the palace, sir? Minkha asked them. He didn’t notice the small fight of his masters.

“A ham! No, we will be waiting for the arrival of others. Since we came here directly as we start our negotiation for our peace treaty with them, we couldn’t bring any presentable gifts for them. Send us to the best guest house in the capital.”  Nanda answered back while rubbing his leg.

“Yes, sir.”

The ship approached the boarding gate of the Eastern area. Minkha brought out the carriage, and all of them ride again to the capital of Linka. When they passed the city gate, it is almost evening. They passed along the busy road. Though it is not the day of the Full moon festival yet, the capital is already full of guests from other countries. They drove the carriage toward the guest house, which is also close to the festival ground and the market. The carriage suddenly stopped on the way.

“What’s wrong?” Nanda asked.

“ I think some kind of an occasion is happening in front of us. So all the carriages are stuck now. Do you mind if I went to check the situation, sir?” Minkha answered back while stopping the carriage near the bakery shop.

Nanda is thinking about what to do. “ Nanda, drive toward the nearest inn. I don’t feel fine.” Thinkha looked paler than before. His body was cold as ice while sweating as someone who got drenched in the water for a long time.

“No way. Hang on yourself. Minkha, drive to the nearest inn. Don’t stop, HURRY NOW.” Minkha looked startled by the sudden changes, but he drives quickly to the guest house. Fortunately, they found a suitable one near the main road. Nanda jumps down from the carriage while carrying Thinkha in his arm. He swiftly rent and headed directly toward the room.

The whole time he was blaming himself for not noticing the situation of Thinkha. “Nanda, Don’t panic. I am fine. So, put me down now.” With the words of Thinkha, he snapped back and put him down.

“Medine, medicine!” his hand was shaking badly. He is checking all the luggage they brought, but could not find the medicine.

“Wait for me outside,” Thinkha asked Nanda to get out of his room while gripping the arm of a chair. His breath becomes heavier while trying to tolerate the pain from his chest.

“Are you sure?” Nanda asked him back while his face is burning with worry.

“Yes.”

Nanda gets out of the room though he is worried. It is not like he will be helpful to him. After all, he was shaking more than him, who is suffering the pain at that moment.  He leans on the wall and tries to calm down.“ Huu, Why can’t I still control it? Why am I still shaking? It has already been 15 years since that day. And Thinkha, we become friends for 15 years and yet he still wants to hide that thing. I wish he would let his guard down at least with me.”

After thinking thoroughly, Nanda went down to talk with the owner of the inn to reserve more rooms for his comrades who are coming to join them.

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