Violet was upset. Understandably so.

"Why didn't you save the others?! We could have left sooner; you could have saved them, right? Why can we only save Iris?"

Daire plodded next to the moving cart, eye on the ground as he avoided tripping on underbrush.

"It's not like I didn't want to save them..."

Violet wanted to continue her outrage but couldn't when she glimpsed Daire's forlorn expression.

"I couldn't. Even if I arrived earlier, I would have been useless—a weak human incapable of fighting by their side. Any warning I gave would have gone unheeded."

"You don't know that."

"Maybe. They might have listened. We could have fought them off, but for how long?

Daire urged Trinket to stop the cart. Trinket dropped it gently, scratching an itch. Daire leaned his back against a tree, crossing his arms.

"Even if I saved them, how long before something else happened? An army I couldn't predict? The next army that came to "subjugate the barbarians" would likely be thrice as large and strong. I can only plan to save Iris because I know her story. Saving Leya, Riah, and the others would change too much."

A long sigh.

"Besides, that shady shifter told me I had only four years. If I chose to come sooner, trained like hell, and saved them all, I would miss protecting everyone else that Liam left behind."

He clicked his tongue. The only options available were sub-par. So he chose the most selfish one that allowed him to save those he knew best, letting sleeping dogs lie.

"I had to choose. To either save the Blacks at the cost of many others. Or save Iris alone..."

Daire's fingers grooved into his arms, white-knuckled.

"I am trying to save who I can. I've made backup plans for backup plans. Yet, it's still not enough, and never will be. When things go off-script, I have no idea how to act. Like when Trinket attacked, or the wolves did. I resorted to instinct, and someone ended up getting hurt."

Sucking in air through his teeth.

"Luck. Timing. Adaptability. If we are delayed too long or are too far from Iris, we may still fail."

The scent of wet grass perfumed the air, reminiscent of days spent playing outside after light rains.

"This is a living, breathing world. Full of life! People are living their lives here, just like in my world. You are proof of that, Violet."

Daire gazed into Violet's eyes, getting lost in them again.

"You weren't a part of the story. Yet you are here. You have lived a life that I never knew about. If I weren't deposited in that clearing, we would have never met."

Violet paled at the thought. The days spent alone already feeling like a bad dream she didn't want to go back to.

In the back of her mind, she was aware of it all. Violet would have been equally powerless if she knew. So, how could she expect Daire to prevail? The image of Daire metaphorically falling into her lap, handling the wolves, and felling Trinket like a superhero...

Heroes were mortal too.

But Violet couldn't help feeling helpless.

"I don't blame you, Daire. I am just upset we were too late to save everyone."

His expression softened, seeing Violet crestfallen.

"It's okay."

He whispered.

"We can still save Iris."

"We can save others too. I mean... If we see people in trouble, we can help them too, right?"

Violet didn't want to turn a blind eye to something that happened in front of her.

"Of course. I'm no knight in shining armor, but I won't just stand by while someone is being hurt."

Violet beamed brightly, causing Daire to smile too.

He couldn't sit by while a good person gets executed in front of him. It wasn't his nature. Watching death play out in front of him wasn't a movie he wanted to attend. Daire would likely do something stupid while acting on emotion, unable to make a suitable plan. Together with Violet, however, they could make a team that filled in each other's weaknesses.

Daire gestured to Trinket that they were about to move again, it was still midday, and they needed to cover more ground if they wanted to hit civilization any time soon.

"Do you plan to show yourself, Violet? To other humans?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Violet tilted her head, puzzled.

"I mean, in Meist, human society generally doesn't take well to non-humans. They likely have never seen a Pixie before. Not all of them would be rude or hostile, and I am sure some would even be fascinated to see you. But you will be putting yourself at risk if you fly around in the open."

Violet thought about it for a second.

"Isn't that true for anyone? Just by leaving Willow, I am in more danger. I wouldn't have left if I didn't accept the risks. Besides, I have you with me."

Trinket let out a mooing sound.

"And you, Trinket."

A small tongue stuck to her cheek. Causing Violet to chuckle.

"You too, Pebbles."

Daire smiled at the sight.

=

When night fell, and they made camp, Daire couldn't help but think he miscalculated somewhere.

Trinket was a bear.

A bear!

Why did he need a bear to pull the cart? Daire probably could have used his Earth magic to glide the cart along the ground. Sure, it would use up his concentration, but it was the perfect opportunity to train. If they moved at the rate of consumption, wouldn't that be a win-win for everyone?

Trinket scaring away mundane predators was negated by the fact that he also scared away the prey, forcing Daire to feed him bunnies. Being a bear and loving calories, he was eating up Daire's stock.

Daire already cooked ten rabbits for the bear. It sat upon its rump, looking down at him. Eyes glistening, and his ears laid flat against its head... Daire thought he saw Trinket's lips trembling.

"No more. You've eaten enough. How am I supposed to sell them if you keep eating them?"

This was going to cut into his profits! He had no spending money to speak of; these rabbits' lives were his livelihood.

Strange how things turn out.

"Tomorrow, you have to hunt for your own food."

Trinket moaned and tucked his face in his paws. Spoiled.

"It's not like you haven't done it before. You are a big, strong bear. There's no doubt you can find plenty of food."

Trinket removed his paws and started panting like a dog. He turned in place before settling down with his head planted in Daire's lap.

"Oof! How much do you think you weigh?"

Daire attempted to wiggle out from under the bear's head. Futile.

Eventually, he gave up and tried to get comfortable, counting himself lucky he'd already eaten.

"I think it's amazing how you can talk to him and he understands."

Violet floated down to land on his chest, dropping Pebbles... also onto his chest.

Sure, why not use me as a pillow. Might as well make it a party.

Daire internally cursed. It should be the other way around! Trinket was clearly the best pillow candidate.

"I think it's just my tone."

Grumbling. He explained further as Violet sat cross-legged.

"With pets or intelligent animals, using the correct tone allows them to get the gist of what you are trying to say. I used a reprimanding tone when I told him no more rabbits, so he pouted. Then I used an excited, complimenting tone to give him back some confidence in himself. It's not like he knew what I was saying. Besides, Trinket acts more like a dog than the wolves do. I know how to handle dogs."

"Hm."

"Hm, What?"

"Nothing."

"It never means nothing. Now you have me scared."

Violet smirked, swiveling around to show her back.

Daire was forced to look past the occupants of his person and up canopy overhead—suffused light poking holes.

He was glad he didn't come out in a desert or tundra. Adjusting to extreme temperatures is difficult when you never even went camping before. Jungles would be hard to move through, and swamps were icky.

Daire read books about characters starting in different locations, encountering different obstacles and foes. There were probably unique terrains in this world, but he counted his lucky stars that he "spawned" somewhere that had terrain and animals he recognized.

The sequoias were new, though. He recognized oaks, pines, spruces, and the like but having sequoias mixed in was really throwing him off, only seeing them in pictures before. In-person, their massive trunks and towering heights were incredibly disorienting. Daire could imagine building an extravagant tree fort, or even a city up there. Elves walking across catwalks, going about their day. They would chat and exchange wares, appreciating the wildlife and going about their merry days...

It's a shame they're endangered.

Some descendants with mixed bloodlines existed, like Liam Ryuji. For the most part, however, Elves were all but extinct save for most secret sanctuaries or most untouchable political positions.

Daire was unsure why the number of Elves was so low. The author of "The White Tragedy" made their numbers low for the sake of world-building. It also served to make Liam Ryuji unique, explaining his insane amounts of magical power.

Daire hoped he would meet an Elf someday. A good one. Not Liam.

Liam can fall in a pit of acid.

Daire wanted to spit in disgust, but that was a poor option at the moment.

Shifting his thoughts, he tried to think about their main objective. The location they would find Iris would change depending on the date, but Daire was aiming for a town called Orlin. It was a medium-sized town within a decent trade hub.

Orlin would be Iris' last stop.

If they turned out closer, they could find her before Orlin, but he didn't count on it. It's has been five weeks since Iris was captured. She would only live for about three more if nothing changed.

Daire knew that once he interfered and interacted with the world, it would change. He was unsure if these changes would affect the book's outcome or the text in his reality. Regardless, the butterfly effect would take place, making it increasingly dangerous.

This was the second reason Daire chose Orlin is because that is where Iris dies.

When a character dies, they no longer have an impact on the world. Unless they are carried in memories, their death used as motivation or hindrance. However, there was no one left to remember her, other than him and now Violet. If Daire whisked her away right before her death, it would be as if she actually died. No one would chase her. No one would be affected. Daire could save her, heal her, and give her a new life.

The only downside...

Daire hadn't told Violet the entire story, stopping specifically at her capture. It wasn't nearly as pretty from that point forward.

His heart ached. All he could do was travel while she went through more pain. Was he doing the right thing? Wouldn't it be better to give her peace and let her join her family in the afterlife?

No.

That was what Ryuji would do. Instead of trying to fix the situation, he would delete it.

Daire would save Iris. He would make it. He couldn't afford to fail.

Brain shutting down for the night, he tried to turn over, but he was perfectly pinned. Lifting his head, he saw Trinket snoozing, and Violet had curled up into Trinket's fur. Pebbles was still sitting on his chest, having escaped Violet's hold. It was staring at him.

A small wet plop impacted his cheek.