Chapter 78: The Great Catastrophe

                                    

                                          
~Jimmy~
Yes, yes, I know, it hadn't even been forty-eight hours since Fwhip had decreed that every empire pave a new path to another kingdom, but unlike some people, I was determined to get the order completed as soon as possible. 
              I had instantly gotten to work, planning with my council the route that would lead around a rocky cliffside down towards the ocean to a dock that headed straight to Lizzie's. It's about time that I got more connected to my sister's empire.
              The roadway was marked already, and the evening process to level the ground had begun. I had been supervising the entire thing, but I had also heard Fwhip was in the area...might as well get his approval before the road becomes permanent. 
              So, I sent out a letter. 
              I wrapped my tail around my waist onto my lap, waiting on the ground underneath a sheltered gazebo. The sky was swirling with different shades of grey, casting shadows over the already muddled swamp. Rain was coming, but that wasn't too uncommon. It always rained here. It matched my mood at the least. 
              I had been picking at the gravel trapped between the beige and loosely littered green scales of my tail when I heard the crunching of someone wandering down the dirt path leading up to the gazebo. 
              "What's got you looking so down oh great Codfather of the west?" Came a voice I recognized well. I looked up to see the ginger Count of the Grimlands strutting towards me, wearing a slight grin, the emperor crown perched on his head.
              I rolled my eyes, pushing myself to my feet. "And what's got you in such a good mood?" I countered, dodging the question. 
              "We've been testing out some new equipment in Eastvale! The things we could do with some of the machinery now that we've advanced is quite extraordinary, I should show you sometime." He replied cheerfully. "Now, what was it you wanted to show me?"
              "Oh, yes—" I began, attempting to regain my composure. "The drafts for the road have been finished and laid out, I wanted to show you to get approval—" 
              "Oh?" Fwhip said, raising an eyebrow. "Finally, someone taking this seriously. Gem's already refused."
              "Really?" I asked in surprise. "Why—"
              "Says there's a 'situation' taking place in Azurite, and she needs to deal with it before doing anything extra." He cut off, raising his gloved hands to perform air quotes. 
              "Huh," I frowned. "What kind of situation?"
              "No idea, she won't give me any details. But apparently I have to exclude her because she's my sister—" Fwhip said with a roll of his eyes. "Stupid if you ask me. But anyways, back to the road!"
              "Right!" I agreed after a moment, turning in every direction as I tried to remember where the road was. "Uhhhh, this way!" I declared as soon as I realized which way we were supposed to go.
              I led Fwhip down the rather muddy pathways of Ora. A/N Ora is the capital of the Cod Empire. Pavement was needed, desperately needed, and this road hopefully would lead to more paths being improved throughout the capital and the rest of the empire.
              "Almost there." I said after nearly fifteen minutes of silence other than the trudging of our shoes against the pebbles and sand. We neared the coast, the violent winds coming off the sea so strong I needed to shield my face. A storm was definitely coming, and the waves lapping harshly against the shore, creeping higher and higher up to the wall wrapping around the edge of the seaside was not a good sign. Waves splashed against the docks, soaking the wood, and forcing the supports to creak. I shielded my face further, the salty air stinging my nose as I led Fwhip along the top of the wall, level with the rest of the city, that dropped down to the rocky beaches.