"General!" called out Sehun, straining his eyes to see through the heavy snowfall.

Suho brought his horse to a sudden stop, allowing the White Knight some time to catch up. "At least this blizzard will give us some camouflage."

"If we don't freeze to death first," replied Kyungsoo, crossing his arms across his chest to conserve heat. "Maybe I should've just kept that cloak for myself."

Sehun wrapped his left arm more tightly around the King's waist, offering Kyungsoo the warmth of his body, while using his right hand to steer their horse forward. "Admiral Park will thank you someday for lending it to him."

"I can hardly wait," replied Kyungsoo sarcastically. "How far is this Mine City anyways? And what exactly are we supposed to do when we get there?"

Suho gave Sehun a knowing glance before replying carefully. "The best we can hope for is to find some shelter from the storm, my lord. After that, hopefully Kai and Chanyeol will send some good news."

 "And what if they don't?" asked Kyungsoo, feeling his frustration rising. "How long do you expect us to hide at this Black Mountain Inn?"

Sehun squeezed the small King a little harder from behind, hoping the gesture would subdue his fiery temper. "Maybe we should head to the mountains and look for Luhan."

"The mountains?" questioned Kyungsoo. "Why would Luhan be going there?"

Sehun paused, trying to find words that wouldn't sound too condescending. "It's where the Black Sword was forged, wasn't it? At the Black Mountain, the volcano north of the Black City."

"How do you know all this?" asked Kyungsoo in an incredulous tone.

"I read about it, when I was studying at the school Luhan's parents founded. We had to learn about all kinds of Black Mythology. We were told that becoming familiar with our enemy's history might help us find their weakness. But surely, they must've taught the royal family all of these things too."

Kyungsoo shook his head. "They didn't teach me anything of the sort. I was too busy practicing useless protocols and being smothered by white robes."

"What else do you remember about the Black Sword?" asked Suho, as they continued forward through the maze of trees.

Sehun paused for a second, racking his brain to unearth the distant memories buried somewhere in the recesses of his mind. "I just remember reading that the Black Sword was fabled to have magical properties because it was