The group went on the road towards the southern gate. Iris kept to herself as she considered where she stood on everything. She secretly wondered if Arylos and her could work out together so that days like today could continue. She wondered if this would be the best time to approach him about this; talking to him about it would make it better. Yet he could always reject her and that scared her.

“Is everything alright between you and Arylos?” Bellona whispered softly just out of Eir’s earshot.

“What would make you think that?” Iris responded nonchalantly.

“Something is on your mind and it’s obviously hurting you,” Bellona responded while resting a hand on Iris’s shoulder to pull her close. “You let me vent and that got you hurt. The least I can do is be here for you too.”

“It’s not really something I need to vent; just something I need to think about,” Iris responded softly.

“Did you two have a falling out or something?” Bellona asked.

“Nothing like that,” Iris responded while shaking her head. “Trust me; I just need to think for a bit. It doesn’t change anything about any of us.”

Bellona chuckled softly and let Iris go. “Alright, but if you need some help to talk you through those thought processes, I’m always available.”

“Thank you,” Iris responded while rubbing her arm, feeling shyness come to her that was soon dispelled by the sight of a few carriages near the edge of the southern gate. She felt her spirits be lifted as the prospect of where they were going started to warm her up.

Iris felt excitement as she beheld the group of carriages, each one looking large and more than spacious. She admired the dark stained wood reinforced by dark metal and even had lanterns alongside them. The wheels were made from reinforced metal; much more solid than the metal wheels Iris was used to. In the commotion of the carriages, she could see people going back and forth between various boxes and even other people as the carriages were loaded.

Amongst the carriages and people, Iris saw a familiar man talking with one of the carriage drivers. Iris felt the warmth grow as she approached the familiar Titan.

“The others are here,” Iris called out in a cheery voice.

Arylos turned around and let out a relieved sigh. “That’s good; that means we can hit the road soon. Iris, I’m sure you remember Keratos; he’ll be taking us to Inamura.”

“Haha! Well if it isn’t the little girl Arylos talks about all the time,” the familiar tanned man with thick white hair laughed while kneeling down a bit to get a closer look at Iris. “It certainly has been a bit since I’ve seen you. And somehow, you’ve gotten shorter.”

A fuse popped in Iris as she instinctively lashed out with a flame and lightning filled punch that cracked the air. Yet the magic imbued attack was caught flawlessly by Keratos as he wore an entertained smile on his face.

“Well, you’ve gotten stronger, but you still have a ways to go before you can take on a Khymr Master,” Keratos laughed as he let go of Iris’s fist.

“Just make sure you wear thick waist protection,” Arylos commented cautiously.

“Agreed; pipsqueaks do have impeccable aim, don’t they?” Keratos let out a bellowing laugh.

“That’s it!” Iris shouted while reeling back for another punch before Arylos quickly grabbed her from behind and began gently rubbing her head. Iris took in the affection and calmed down while cracking a big smile.

“You see, rub her head and it instantly improves her mood,” Arylos said to Keratos while laughing.

“Only you get to do that,” Iris returned sarcastically.

Keratos laughed at the duo while stroking his beard. “You weren’t lying when you said she’s like a cat.”

“You know I’m a horrible liar when it comes to things like that,” Arylos returned with an innocent smile.

“So I take it we’re going to be heading out soon?” Bellona asked after the entertainment of the morning passed.

Keratos nodded and pointed to four carriages in total. “We have some other routes in the Kadahn region so there will be four carriages in total. That gives us a carriage for Arylos and Iris and another for Bellona and Eir. They’re camping carriages so they’ll be comfortable with just two people each. One carriage will carry some merchant goods we’re delivering and a final one for some patrols coming with us.”

“Camping carriages? Meaning we can sleep in them?” Eir asked excitedly.

“That’s it, my girl!” Keratos answered proudly. “We’ll make 3 camping stops along the way but the carriages should be comfortable enough for night travelling. In total, it should take us about nine days for us to reach Inamura.”

“Nine days with only three camping stops sounds bad for my back,” Iris commented while breaking out of her trance from Arylos rubbing her scalp.

“The carriages should be comfortable enough so that won’t be a problem,” Keratos commented with his hands on his hips. “The three stops will allow you to stretch intermittently without increasing travel time.”

“I like the plan,” Arylos answered while finally letting go of Iris. “Let’s all get settled in for the ride.”

The women cheered excitedly and Iris ran for one of the carriages and jumped into the back of it. Keratos certainly had a point; the carriages were long and had plenty of space; almost enough for Iris to stand up straight. Off to the side, she could see a selection of bags and bed rolls and cushions. Iris sat down on one of the benches along the side and realised that the bench was long enough for her to fully stretch out; just like the last time the two of them rode with Keratos.

Iris quickly threw off her boots and grabbed one of the cushions and laid down to relax just as Arylos climbed into the back on the carriage. “Wasting no time getting comfortable, huh?” he commented while laughing.

“Not even a second wasted,” Iris responded in a happy voice.

Arylos laughed and reached for one of the bags off to the side and took out a dark and thick blanket and draped it over Iris as she wrapped up in its warmth. “Let me know if you want something to eat; I had some stuff prepared just in case.”

“I’ll be good for now,” Iris answered while enjoying the comfort. She watched Arylos chuckle and sit down on the bench across from her and look out the window. Iris felt an urge stir in her as she looked at Arylos again; a part of her admiring this softer side of him even though she knew the creature inside him. She tugged at her blanket for a moment as she debated what to do.

“Aren’t you getting comfortable,” she finally asked while hiding her face under the blanket.

“I will when we actually get going,” Arylos answered while smiling.

“Don’t lie to me Arylos,” Iris ordered in a stern voice. “You’re planning to stay awake the entire trip so that if something happens to us, you can spring into action and protect us.”

“I’m not anticipating trouble, but it never hurts to be prepared,” Arylos answered with a nervous smile.

Iris grumbled and reached over in the bags and found exactly what she was looking for. “Then explain this,” she ordered as she lifted Arylos’s sword from the bags.

Arylos’s face went red as he felt Iris calling him out. “H-How did you know that was there?”

“Because I know you, and I know how you think,” Iris grumbled.

Arylos sighed, giving up on hiding everything. “We’ll be out in the open so I brought our swords just in case something happens.”

Iris sighed and sat up as she set the sword back down. “Arylos, we’re on vacation. Stop worrying about protecting us. Stop worrying about me; that’s an order.”

“Vacation is exactly when I should be alert,” Arylos answered while rubbing his hands nervously. “I don’t want anything to happen to you while my back is turned.”

Iris sighed once more and got up from the bench, keeping the blanket wrapped around herself. She came over to Arylos and sat next to him, rubbing against him as she wrapped the blanket around him too. “Just turn your brain off, alright?” she ordered softly while rubbing her face against his shoulder. “Let’s just enjoy our time together, okay?”

Arylos gritted his teeth as his muscles tensed at the idea. “But what if–”

“Shush,” Iris whispered softly in Arylos’s ear. Under the blanket, she reached out for Arylos’s hand and held it tight to remind him she’s not going anywhere. “We’re going to have fun, alright? Just you, me, and some friends. No Templarius, no Eikons, no one. Just us.”

Arylos gripped Iris’s hand as he nervously laughed to himself. “Just us and no one else,” Arylos confessed while holding his dreamcatcher tight.