"Are you sure you don't want to tag along with us, Nizhoni? I'm sure John would be pleased to meet you considering how much you helped us." I said, offering her my hand one last time.
Nizhoni smiled but shook her head, "I'd love to but I still gotta help the people here with any remaining monsters. Once you all regroup and fix this island, do come by and say hi."
We smiled at each other. I would've loved for her to come with but I understood her reasoning. Akari had a saddened look on her face which she was trying to hide and was doing a decent job at it. I just so happened to notice it.
"To get off this island, just go straight South from the village entrance and you'll eventually find a bridge that leads to the mainland. That's probably where you'll find your friends. I'll give you a map just to be safe." Nizhoni placed a map in my hand, showing the layout of all the islands.
It was incredibly detailed, showing where every town was including terrain and what type of monsters live there. I rolled up the map and placed it into my bag. Nizhoni and I exchanged looks one last time before shaking hands.
"Come back safe, ya hear?"
I nodded, "I do."
With that, Akari and I turned towards the village entrance and set out. Nizhoni made sure to give us enough rations and warm clothes so we could reach our destination without any trouble. Seriously, she was so kind and I don't think I could ever repay her enough.
"Do you think John and the others are okay? I know they're strong but in an unfamiliar environment even a veteran can be caught off guard." Akari said, her stoic face returning albeit with a hint of concern.
"I wouldn't be too worried about them. Honestly, I'm sure we can find them rather quickly considering how efficient we are."
Akari lightened up and let out a soft laugh, "maybe."
For a decent amount of time, we traversed through the snow, the blasting cold making our faces numb. Had it not been for Nizhoni's gear, I'm sure we would've frozen by now.
After what felt like an eternity, we finally found the bridge Nizhoni mentioned. Although we couldn't see the end of the bridge because of the thick snow, Akari and I both knew what was ahead of us.
"You ready?" I asked, nudging Akari's shoulder.
"Yes."
Without wasting another second, the two of us began moving forward.