Arylos and Iris sat in the barracks surrounded by a small fire and wrapped in blankets with hot soup, Arylos recanting what had happened in the smouldering ruin of Gurindai; the fight against a Templarian who could not be injured and how Arylos’s own strength was the only thing that could break that.

“So Odin sends Baldr after you,” Sentarus summarised. “And in the process, burns down one of my cities and kills my people.”

Arylos nodded after taking a drink from the warm soup. “He came alone, which means, as Anoron ordered, Odin’s taking care of this personally.”

“This is a lot sooner than I had hoped,” Sentarus lamented, stroking his beard and becoming lost in thought. “Had I my way, I would have killed Baldr the moment I found that I could injure him. No one has been able to do that, not even Anoron himself.”

“That’s precisely the problem,” Arylos cut in. “If I killed Baldr, then that gives Odin a reason to run crying to Anoron and that old bastard may just be inclined to help Odin. On the other hand, if I send Baldr crying back to his mother’s arms, the outcome is different. Baldr burned down a city while I just left him battered and bruised; I showed restraint on my part.”

“But how could he resist Arylos like that?” Iris wondered aloud, cupping the warm bowl in an attempt to bring life back to her hands. “You cut his head off after you disembowelled him and he got back up like nothing happened? Eir reincarnated after taking my sword to the face.”

“That’s the mystery,” Arylos explained. “No one knows exactly what happened, but nothing can touch him. He can’t feel pain, warmth, hunger, anything. And his body heals rapidly and does not reincarnate.”

“It’s some kind of ancient and deep magic I’ve never seen,” Sentarus followed up, trying to find the words to explain it. “I’m pretty sure even Anoron doesn’t know what ails the boy.”

“Then how could you hurt him?” Iris asked, trying to put the pieces together.

Arylos shook his head. “For once I don’t have all of the answers. I don’t know what afflicts him and I don’t know why I was able to hurt him even though my sword couldn’t do anything. I haven’t seen magic like this before, not in Templarians at least.”

“You’ve seen this in other races?” Sentarus asked.

“To a degree,” Arylos explained. “Nothing like this though.”

The two stared at the Titan in disbelief. Arylos felt their gazes drilling into him and it made his cheeks and ears warm. “Could you let me enjoy this moment of not knowing something? It happens so rarely,” he complained while trying to mask his embarrassment.

Iris elbowed Arylos’s side with a giggle, to which he responded with a pained groan.

“That’s another thing,” Sentarus cut in once more. “This is the longest I’ve seen you take to heal. What the hell is going on with you?”

“If I say that I don’t know, would you believe me?” Arylos responded.

“Depends on if you’re trying to hide something from me,” Sentarus answered, forming an intense glare into Arylos.

“You would know if I am,” Arylos responded while rubbing his sore neck. “This body is ancient and isn’t the strongest I’ve taken. More than likely, with all of this excitement lately after being asleep for two millennia, I’ve drained it.”

Iris remembered the metaphor of the glove that doesn’t fit; forcing your hand into it would only make it tear. Arylos has been straining himself a lot lately so the body may not be taking to it well.

“Then we just need to give you a new body,” Sentarus quickly answered. “One of my guards should be good enough, I would hope.”

“NO!” Arylos exclaimed in a booming voice that scared everyone present. After a moment’s silence, he continued in a more calmer tone. “Just don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

Sentarus thought for a moment before waving the two off and heading for the door. “Bellona will lead a search party into Gurindai. Since you two have done your part, you are free to return home when you are able.” With that statement, he left the two alone in the small building.

“So, when do you want to head back home?” Iris asked, wanting to gauge Arylos’s condition.

“We can head back whenever you want,” Arylos answered. “I’ll just drop my ass on the sofa to sleep when we get back.”

“Good, I get dibs on the torotsu,” Iris replied with a smile.

“Girl, didn’t I buy you a bed?” Arylos spat back with a smile of his own.

“I don’t see you putting some hot coals under it so it’s always warm,” Iris spat back.

The two laughed for a moment before gathering themselves and Iris helping Arylos to his feet and the two made their way back home, Arylos’s arm draped over Iris’s shoulders all the while. With this, she couldn’t help but to laugh to herself.

“What’s so funny?” Arylos asked.

“Remember how you had to carry me when we left Torasu?” Iris asked, her smirk widening as she tried to contain her laughter. However her smile quickly faded when she felt Arylos become heavier, and heavier. She strained to hold up the Titan who certainly felt titanic in terms of weight until her legs buckled and the duo fell into the snow.

Iris groaned and lifted herself up to see Arylos still face-down in the snow, laughing to himself. “Payback sucks, doesn’t it?” he teased.

Iris gasped and smacked the back of his head. “If you’re feeling so much better, you can take your ass back home yourself; see if I care!”

“That’s your flaw,” Arylos responded, slowly lifting himself back up. “You do care, a little too much if you ask me.”

Iris’s face went red hot and without hesitation, she put her hands on Arylos’s shoulders and pushed him back face first into the snow, Arylos laughing all the while. A flustered Iris stood up and scoffed, ready to leave the laughing Titan bleeding in the snow. She cast one last glance back to him and felt something take a hold of her in her chest.

Some of the snow started to turn black.

She felt conflicted, she knew why the snow was taking on that hue, but she wanted to close herself from it; trying to be the better person. She could not let her emotions get a hold of her that easily.

But ultimately she does care, maybe a little too much.

She knelt down and wrapped Arylos’s arm around her and lifted him back up to his feet and the two continued down the road.

“Not a word,” Iris growled, not wanting to hear any more sarcastic remarks.

Arylos let out one last laugh, a sound that let Iris hear his smile without ever seeing it. “Thank you,” he answered in a soft voice.

Iris felt that sensation yet again; something pulling at her deep inside. Something in his voice in that response struck a chord with her. An emotion she could not quite understand. She felt a heat deep inside that she had never experienced. Pain? Empathy?

She didn’t know, but she knew that she couldn’t stand Arylos being injured anymore; not for her sake. The duo continued down until they got back to the house, Arylos waving his hand and the door opening for them.

Iris lead Arylos over to the sofa and gathered blankets for him, softening her expression now that they were back home. With Arylos settled, she wrapped a blanket around herself and sat next to him as the two settled their legs under the torotsu in an attempt to heat back up.

“You could have just come back here,” Arylos said softly, taking a deep breath. “You could get seriously sick if you stay out there.”

Iris scoffed, trying to wave off his concern. “Someone had to carry you back here. You were in no condition to come back on your own.”

“I would rather limp back here than you get sick,” Arylos responded, closing his eyes and leaning his head back as he took in the warmth. “When will you learn that you don’t have to tough things out for my sake?”

“And when will you learn that yourself?” Iris snapped, losing control of your emotions. “You don’t have to charge headfirst into a fight just for me.”

“Better me than you,” Arylos answered softly.

“And how can you decide that?” Iris asked, reaching for his cold hand under the blankets. “Why would you fight off someone like Baldr just for me?”

“There are more important things than me,” Arylos answered, drowsiness heavy in his voice. “And even if the sky falls and the land is broken open, there’s no pain that I won’t go through.”

Iris could feel Arylos’s hand tighten around hers, like he wasn’t willing to let go. In that grip, she could feel that he had no heartbeat, no pulse, like he was a walking corpse. The realisation sent a cold shiver down her spine.

“Even if I have to die for you,” Arylos whispered as he fell silent.

Iris felt a sharp pain run through her chest, like a red hot blade. She tightened her grip on Arylos’s hand, part of her wanting to cry out and beg for him to wake back up, fearing the worst. Yet she could see he was still breathing, deeply and caught in the embrace of slumber.

She got control of her emotions again and could feel the blood rushing to her face as she held his cold, dead hand, praying that his fire still burned within.