Naomasa groaned as a feverish sweat came over him that was joined by a stinging pain that ran through his body. He slowly opened his eyes and could see a faint outline of someone standing next to him, the person’s actions unclear to him. He groaned as he felt a cold and damp towel rest on his forehead as the soldier struggled to retain consciousness.

Naomasa groaned as his head began to spin and he tried to keep his eyes focused on the person sitting next to him. He watched the shadow move away and come back with bandages and began wrapping his head. Naomasa watched as his eyes finally focused and could clearly see the person more clearly, trying to recognize the brown-haired woman that treated his wounds.

“About time you wake up,” he heard the woman’s say to him, soft yet an audible smile to it.

Naomasa groaned once more as his eyes lost focus for a moment but when they returned, he could see the woman’s face more clearly. “Lady Iris,” the soldier said with a dull groan.

“Please, you can drop the honorific,” Iris retorted with a soft laughter as she continued to wrap Naomasa’s bleeding scalp.

“Did we win?” Naomasa asked softly.

“You could say that,” Iris answered in a soft voice that soothed Naomasa’s nerves. “The fighting is over, but we still have a lot of work ahead.”

“And what of your husband?” Naomasa asked.

Iris gritted her teeth for a moment as if the word stung her like a bee. “Well, he’s not my husband yet, first off.”

“I’m sorry, I did not mean to offend,” Naomasa said with a soft exhale.

“No, you didn’t offend me; just remind me of some business we never took care of,” Iris said as she finished tying the bandage and reached for a towel to wipe the blood from her hands. “But I haven’t heard anything yet. He’s out there, I know, but I haven’t heard any news so far.”

“I’m sure he’s fine; if he is half the man lord Sentarus says he is, then he has to still be out there,” Naomasa said in an attempt to comfort Iris.

“Oh I know,” Iris said with a soft laugh as she put the towel away. “That idiot knows that he better not die on me.”

Naomasa laughed in turn and wanted to comfort Iris. He reached up with his right hand but saw that the bandaged stump of his arm came from under the blanket. Iris’s smile faded as she pushed Naomasa’s arm back down. “An Eikon tried to infect you,” Iris said in a shameful voice, unable to take her eyes off of his severed limb. “It bit you and I could see it spreading up your arm. It was the only way I knew to stop it.”

Naomasa took in the explanation and cut a soft laugh while waving Iris off with his good hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure being a cripple is better than being one of those things.”

“Well, at least you’re in a good mood about it all,” Iris said as her smile slowly returned to her.

“I’m alive, that counts for something, right?” Naomasa returned while cracking a big smile. “Go on now, I’m alive for now. There are others that need you more.”

Iris nodded, satisfied with her work, although a part of her wished she could do more for his lost sword arm. She gave Naomasa a gentle pat on his chest and looked over the rest of the camp. She rose to her feet once she felt sadness come to her; watching the once bustling city reduced to hurting survivors hiding in a cave. She wondered who else she could help as she moved away and made her way back to the crowds of refugees trying to find help and a place to sleep.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Yet she couldn’t get him off of her mind.

Iris felt pain grip her chest as she lost herself in worry. She knew there were a lot of dead, but she prayed for Arylos’s safe return. She wanted to have hope that he knew what he was doing, yet the human in her still worried for him. She covered her face, trying to hold back tears that plagued her heart and soul. She ran her fingers through her hair while taking a deep yet shuddered breath.

Iris then gave her cheeks a gentle slap as she tried to swallow her fears. She couldn’t explain them away, but she could leave them alone for now; she had other things to worry about before she could let herself fear for Arylos. As she turned away from the crowd, she heard a distant voice calling for her. Iris buried her emotions deep in her heart and put the mask of determination back on as she turned around. She could hear the voice calling her, but she couldn’t see who in the group was calling for her.

She walked forward, passing by the refugees that were all huddled around their loved ones and small fires. As she snuck through, she could hear the voice a little clearer along with indistinct murmuring. Iris eventually found herself having to push through a crowd that murmured even louder in Iris’s ears. As she approached, she could hear it was Bellona’s voice calling her name, causing Iris to quicken her pace.

Once she pushed through, Iris let out a loud gasp as the emotions she tried to bury came out like a geyser. She saw Bellona holding a broken and dying Arylos from her shoulders, his limbs limp and black blood dripping from his mouth. Iris felt tears rush to her as she watched Bellona set Arylos on the ground as he looked around weakly with eyes that refused to stay in one place, moving past Iris as if he couldn’t see her. Iris’s lips quivered as she approached the Titan and lifted her hands, unsure what to say or do.

“I found him next to the body of that monster,” Bellona explained as she came towards Iris and rested a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him though, but I don’t think he has long.”

Iris let out a soft gasp as she held Arylos’s face in her hands, feeling his peeling burnt skin flake in her hands like burnt parchment. As she touched him, she saw his expression soften and his eyes slowly focus on her. He gave her a smile as he reached out with a broken hand, gently stroking her cheek as his dry skin rubbed against hers.

“You’re okay,” she could hear him gently wheeze with a growl that carried many other whispering voices.

“Yes, I’m okay,” Iris said as her emotions took over her and she held Arylos tight, crying into his neck as he held her gingerly. She rubbed his scalp and rocked him back and forth as she continued to cry. “I was so worried about you; I thought you died,” Iris said in a quivering voice as she held the broken Titan tighter.

“You’re okay,” Arylos whispered again softly as he rubbed her back, rubbing against her like he used to, like a dog returning to his owner.

Iris sighed softly as she gave Arylos a gentle kiss on his cheekbone, her lips quivering as she tried to contain the tide of her emotions. She held him tighter, not wanting to lose him again as his grip on her weakened. She didn’t know what to say to him but she wanted to make it all better. She knew she needed to take Arylos away so he could be treated without prying eyes. As she tried to push herself up, she found that Arylos didn’t move, slowly going limp as he barely clung to her.

“You’re okay,” Arylos whispered again in a soft voice, speaking as a human as he lost his grip on her and nearly fell to the ground again. Iris held him close as she watched his face soften and his eyes remained fixed on her as the red light of his eyes began to fade.

“No, don’t go,” Iris pleaded softly as she began to cry, continuing to rock Arylos and rub his chest, wondering if chest compressions could help him. She frantically looked for any way to help him. “Don’t leave me. I don’t want to be alone,” she whispered softly as she brushed the hair from Arylos’s face.

Arylos reached up slowly with one of his hands, brushing a tear from Iris’s cheek as the light in his eyes continued to fade. “You’re okay,” he whispered once more as the red glow of his eyes faded and his irises turned a blue-ish green. Iris reached for his hand as it fell and his body went limp, his pupils going gray as the heat within him faded.

Iris stared at Arylos for a moment as reality began to set in. “Arylos…?” she whispered softly, hoping for a second wind to come to him, yet he was cold and silent like the day she found him. She felt her emotions swim over her as she clutched Arylos’s body close and screamed loudly as the pain sank its teeth into her. She sobbed uncontrollably as she rocked Arylos’s body, muttering pleas for him to come back that he could not hear.

Iris’s screams broke Bellona’s heart as she watched Iris cling to Arylos’s body. Bellona approached the screaming girl and reached out a hand, resisting touching the mourning girl at the last moment before finally resting her hand on Iris’s shoulder. She knelt down next to Iris who cried into Arylos’s neck, tugging on his hair in vain attempts to get him to wake up.

Yet the Titan remained silent in response to Iris’s screams as they filled the caverns.