Morning sunlight poured in from the window and as before, filled the inn room with morning light. Iris awoke with tired eyes. Today was the day; she and Arylos would take to the road on their journey to the capital and continue east. No destination; only a journey. To get away from it all and see the world, not from a small village to the far southwest, but to walk through the world and see it with her own eyes.
She arose from the bed in her new satin sleepwear, ready to face the day. She glanced over at the meditating Titan in the corner. A part of her felt bad. Not only could his kind not sleep, but he took to sitting on the floor and meditating, waiting for her to awaken.
Arylos’s eyes shot open, awake and alert. He looked up to Iris. “You’re awake early,” he told her.
“What did you expect?” Iris replied. “I’m not about to waste this opportunity.” She rubbed her eyes and headed towards the bathroom. “I’m going to take a bath, is that okay?”
Arylos nodded. “I will get everything ready then,” he assured her. She smiled and closed the door. She had many thoughts to sort through now that her excitement of yesterday passed. She was still excited, her heart still pounding, but now her head was a bit clearer.
Is this all happening too fast?
She began running the hot water, the idea that hot water can be pulled directly from faucets still new to her; a city of blacksmiths can do a lot apparently. She began to undress as she processed everything that happened. Her village destroyed, travelling with a Titan who was apparently trapped in a mortal body; now reality is starting to set in. What about after two years of travelling? Or five or ten?
Titans have no beginning nor end.
Titans don’t, but mortals certainly do, as Iris was painfully reminded. Would Arylos grow tired of travelling after a while? What about when Iris inevitably grows old, would he stay around? Would she be living in a new city? The questions flooded Iris’s mind as all she could do was soak in the tub, all but abandoning the idea of taking a full bath outside of a brief hair wash, her hair still wet with soap.
The warm water at least provided her with some comfort as she sank deeper into the water, blowing bubbles to amuse her. Was it really a good idea to travel with a Titan that even the gods, much less Iris, knew next to nothing about? He doesn’t seem like some evil being, but he is hiding a lot at the same time.
She ran through the Templarian gods in her head. She knew the name Odin, or Eorhin as the Kaiyumae call him, of the Aesir. The Aesir of Asgard were one house among many of the Templarian gods; Rha of Akhet, Izanagi of Tengoku, and many more. The houses were numerous, practically a new house for every culture that had a belief. It allowed Kaiyumae to accept other religions as they all have their place in the heavens. All houses were united under Anoron, the king of Templarius and the Kaiyumian god of time.
However, in everything Iris knew about Templarius, there was no mention of Arylos nor Helion. In fact, she doesn’t know if she’s ever heard of the Titans save for one book that talked about “The Ones who came Before” but was very vague. The Reig were just as much unknown as well. The only thing the Kaiyumae preserved about them was that they came down from the heavens and invaded Kaiyumi which resulted in a drawn out hundred year war between the two races before the Kaiyumae got the upper hand and won. Maybe Arylos could tell her about the war?
Iris could feel her fingers gain wrinkles and decided that she had cloistered herself long enough. She would have to face these challenges head on if she wanted to get through them, not lock herself in the bath to mull over her thoughts. She got up from the tub and rinsed her hair and body of suds. She stepped out of the steamy room into the cold breeze of reality that made her hair rise. Part of her wanted to go back into the comfortable and welcoming water.
Arylos was nowhere to be seen, likely to give her some privacy. She put on her armour and reached for Helion and tied it to her left side. She decided to put it off for now; all of this was still pretty bizarre to Iris. She checked to see if she forgot anything but the room was clean. Arylos must have grabbed everything.
She headed downstairs to the dining area and saw Arylos in a dining booth looking at a map with two black satchels on the table. She took her seat across from him, accidentally bumping Helion on the booth seat and table as she sat down, causing Arylos to look up at Iris who was trying to get the big sword to cooperate.
Iris sat in silence as Arylos stared at her. “It’s bigger than I’m used to,” she told him.
Arylos chuckled to himself, no doubt entertained by Iris. The duo ate a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs while discussing the plan. They were going due north to a city called Mornyr Khai, a repurposed Reig stronghold from the Dragon Wars. From there, it would be north east for five days until they get to Sentoraya with only smaller cities and outposts along the way. This means they should stock up at Mornyr Khai before moving onward.
The two finished their preparations and left the inn and Iris glanced back at the inn and noticed something odd; the same tattoo Jhullus’s son had on his arm was engraved on the top of the door frame of the inn. She pondered for a moment before following Arylos, decided against asking; maybe it has something to do with that secret order he mentioned yesterday.
The two made it to the gates on the north edge of town. Iris could hardly contain her excitement, practically bouncing with excitement as the two continued on their way, her worries from earlier abandoning her once again. They passed the northern gates and nothing stood before them outside of a roughly walked path through an open field, curving with small hills. In the distance, a tall and lonely mountain pierced the sky like a spear surrounded by smaller ranges.
Dulsereik, the tall mountain at the edge of Kaiyumi’s borders. No one had gone further north than the mountain range so no one knows what is out there. Sentoraya lies at its base, forever in the shadow of the giant mountain.
Arylos and Iris continued their walk for what felt like hours until Iris could feel her legs getting tired. She was not used to going on this long. When Arylos said they would go on foot, she imagined all of the journeys in books she used to read where they would just suddenly be at their destination after a nice journey. This is the real world now, and each agonising step reminded her.
Arylos seemed to be faring well better than her, wearing the face of purpose and determination while keeping his eyes open for threats. Do Titans even feel anything? He really didn’t seem bothered while fighting Eir.
Iris needed to know more about this Titan, so she decided it would be fun to punch Arylos’s side. After the hit, an audible “ow!” escaped Arylos’s lips.
“Ha!” Iris exclaimed. “You do feel pain!”
“Why did you do that?” Arylos complained, holding his lower ribcage.
“I’m apparently the only one dying from all this walking,” Iris returned a complaint, “and you were shrugging off getting a spear shoved through your chest the other day. I had to make sure you could feel pain.”
“Well of course I feel pain!” Arylos bit back. “This body is still mortal after all.”
Iris had a sudden realisation. “Wait! That means you actually felt all of that?!” Arylos nodded, confused by Iris’s surprised tone. This means that he knowingly went through all of that pain with Eir trying to stop her. Iris had yet more questions about Arylos; why would he do any of that?
Iris decided to contemplate all of this in silence. She had so many more questions, but would it be right to ask? Iris continued pelting Arylos with various questions along their path as they continued northward in relative peace. No creatures on the road, no issues with highwaymen or the like; a nice quiet path.
In the distance, Iris could see a large city at the top of a hill, a tall tower surrounded by nine smaller towers along the city’s circular wall that glistened bone white. Mornyr Khai was on the horizon.
“You said Mornyr Khai was a Reig settlement, right?” Iris asked.
Arylos nodded. “When they ruled it, they named it Morn’r’khai in their tongue; the city of death. It was home to a Reig Lord who took Kaiyumian prisoners as slaves and worked them to near death.”
Iris lowered her head. The Dragon Wars were deadly and victory was achieved at a great cost that still has scars in today’s people, almost three thousand years after the wars ended.
“Why did the Reig invade?” Iris asked.
Arylos stopped and thought to himself. Iris thought either he didn’t know or he couldn’t answer. He spent time trying to formulate a proper answer.
“That’s a complicated question to answer,” he explained, “however I think the simplest explanation was that your ancestors were in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Reig were peaceful for a time, however when a certain king took over, he thought your people were more useful as slaves or dead.”
“Kalndahvok.” Iris replied. Every Kaiyumian knew the name, the ancient king of the Reig who brought about the war. Apparently, his name means ‘king of death’.
The two continued their approach and Iris could see the walls clearer; bone white and adorned with carvings that also included defaced dragons. The people who settled here after the Reig left must have defaced them from the walls so they would not be remembered.
However, Iris could feel her waist become tired from the walk. She was used to her shortsword before but now carrying the much larger Helion was stressing her in ways she was not used to. As a result, she would have to rest a moment or reposition the sword on her waist.
“How long are we resting here?” Iris asked.
“We will stock up and leave,” Arylos responded. “So we should aim to leave by this afternoon. We can rest the night here if you want.”
Iris tried to mask her groan as she replied “Yes please”. Arylos glanced back and could see her limping her left side while repositioning Helion yet again.
“Give me Helion,” he instructed, stopping and turning to Iris with his hand outstretched.
Iris felt a wash of embarrassment come over her. “I’ll be fine,” she told Arylos, yet he did not budge from his spot. Iris gave up and untied the belt holding Helion to her waist and handed the sword to Arylos. He adjusted the belt and took the blade over his shoulders, wearing it on his back.
“Feel any better?” he asked.
Iris nodded. With the added weight removed, she could actually move easier now. The two continued on the way and by midday, arrived at the southern gate at the foot of the tall white walls with defaced dragons and writing in languages she could not read, the tall central tower nearly out of sight, blocked by the walls from this angle. The southern gate had a lot of traffic but was otherwise unrestricted. Iris looked east and saw a massive cemetery full to the brim with white headstones, all facing the city. She counted at least a thousand graves, but did not know for certain since it was too far away.
The two made easy entry into the city and Iris admired the narrow grey stone streets between the tall buildings of stone. It was cramped, but in a way that felt secure under the shadows of the surrounding walls. The narrow streets full of people coming and going as red robed monks walked with them, carrying incense, and delivering packages to various buildings. The sheer scale of this city made Iris feel small; her second city visited and she was already enjoying new experiences.
Arylos chuckled. “Just wait until you see Sentoraya,” he mocked.
The two continued down the street until they came to a tall inn on the east side of the city walls. Arylos explained that the inn was not only affordable, but also useful being on the east side since they will be heading east on their travels from here as they make for Sentoraya.
Afternoon approached after hours of Arylos and Iris supplying at various merchants. Various cocktails and potions, new socks for Iris, cured and other road-friendly foods, and the like. Arylos even showed Iris how to properly fold clothing so it fits in packs without taking up a lot of room while cushioning items so they don’t get damaged.
With a productive afternoon wrapped up, little was left for the duo besides to rest. Arylos decided that since Iris had issues carrying Helion, they will spend the night; the next city is two days away so forcing Iris to continue is unrealistic.
He wrapped up their provisions and once again took Helion on his back. “I’ll be borrowing Helion for a while,” Arylos told Iris, “I’ll give it back by morning. For now, take a look around the city.”
Iris nodded and set out on the streets of the bustling city, taking in the sights. She decided one thing she wanted to do was visit the central tower. She made her way through the winding uphill streets until she got to the tower in the centre of a large plaza with monks roaming between the tower and other buildings.
The monks stood out to Iris the most now that she was up close. They wore dark red robes with their hoods covering their faces and gold decorative chains wrapped around their torsos. As they walked, they hummed strange and sombre melodies, as if they were all mourning.
She approached one monk and tried to speak with him, but while the monk acknowledged her, he refused to speak, still humming his melody. He eventually pointed to near the entrance of the tower across the plaza.
By the tower, Iris saw a single monk who wore a purple robe and black chains instead. His hood was over his head but his face was covered by a white and gold mask. He was directing what appeared to be visitors to the tower. Iris thanked the monk she was trying to talk to and headed off towards the purple monk.
“Good afternoon,” Iris greeted with a bow.
The monk bowed in return, “And to you. How may I help you?”
Iris was taken aback for a moment. “Are you the only person here who speaks?”
The man nodded. “That is correct. We are Mourners and I am known as the Speaker. A Mourner’s daily duties is to chant names of the deceased and offer prayers for them. I speak on their behalf.”
It made sense; the melody that last Mourner was humming was really a hymn for someone who had died. Breaking that hymn, even to talk, would be disrespectful. She had never seen this side of Kaiyumian culture before.
Iris had more questions. “So, people gather here to mourn the dead and you Mourners will mourn with them?”
“Correct,” the Speaker confirmed, “this way, we ensure no one is grieving alone.”
Iris thought for a moment before the Speaker continued, “do you have someone you wish to mourn?”
Iris nodded and the Speaker guided Iris to the inside of the tower, eerily quiet save for footsteps, whispers, and the everlasting humming of Mourners in their chants. The tower’s base had a central fountain with different chambers surrounding it on every floor, the centre of the tower open on every floor as light shone in from stained windows, painting the marble floors with a rainbow of colours.
Iris explained to the Speaker what happened at Nageki, although leaving out that immortals were involved; merely stating that raiders came to the village and burned it down. Her friend, being Arylos, saved her but was too late to save the others so he helped cremate them.
“That tragedy is horrifying,” the Speaker told Iris in a soft voice, “unimaginable in almost every way. To lose everyone you loved in a single night is a pain many do not recover from.”
Iris thought to herself for a moment before replying, “It is, and I don’t think that wound will go away for a while. But my friend is doing the best he can for me.” She was not willing to give Arylos’s name just in case the people here may recognise his name from somewhere.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
“It is good that he is willing to look after you,” the Speaker told Iris. “Perhaps he understands that it is best that you do not mourn alone.”
“I will say, having him there makes me feel better,” Iris told the Speaker. “The wound’s still there, but his presence makes it hurt less. Although, he blames himself for what happened. I want to tell him it’s okay but he takes it so personally that I feel like I would be offending him if I tried.”
“Do you blame him?” the Speaker asked.
Iris took a moment to really think about the question. Arylos had a point; Eir was there for him so if he wasn’t there, none of that would have happened. Or at least if he didn’t tell Iris to leave him and forget about him, he could have been there and at least minimise the damage done. He blames himself but ultimately it was Iris who woke him up and even if he didn’t do anything, he attacked to protect her.
“I don’t know,” she answered, unsure what to think. “He’s partially at fault, but at the same time I share some of that blame too. But he won’t let me take my share of that blame.”
“Interesting,” said the Speaker, “this man who you just met is willing to take all of the blame while helping you move on. I believe this is his way of lightening the load for you. As you said; the wound is still there, but his presence makes it easier. Maybe him shouldering the blame and giving you a new path is allowing you to focus on a new purpose and not be so caught up in the past.”
“But I don’t want him to,” Iris responded. “He’s taking all of the pain and blame for what happened but he has his own pain. I don’t know what happened to him before but when I get close to finding out about his past, he’s always so sad. He forsook his home and has no family or friends as far as I know.”
Iris sat down on a bench nearby, fresh tears starting to well up in her eyes. “He has been willing to help with my pain,” she continued, “but I know he’s hurting in some way deep down. So why won’t he let me help him? Why does he take all of the burden?”
The Speaker sat down next to her. “I do not know why,” he began in a soft tone, “however he reminds me of someone I used to know. A man who would take any pain and suffering himself so long as it meant no one would have to suffer that pain. That man would gladly take a sword to the heart if it meant no one else would, and he did once so he could save a child from a marauder's sword.”
Iris thought back to Arylos taking Eir’s spear through his chest and going through that pain for people he didn’t know and didn’t have to save. She couldn’t help but see a parallel here.
“Why do you think he would do that?” Iris asked the Speaker.
The Speaker sighed before answering. “I believe he did so because he felt that no one would care about him enough. So as long as he took the pain, then the people who were actually in need of help would get the help they need.”
Iris wiped the tears from her eyes. She resolved that if Arylos would shoulder Nageki, she would shoulder his pains too.
“Thank you for listening to me,” Iris told the Speaker, getting up from the bench. “It felt good to get some of that out.”
The Speaker stood up as well. “You are more than welcome. And please, if you need anything else, do not hesitate to ask.”
“Is there a way I can pay you or anything like that?” Iris suggested. “I feel bad that I just sat here and told you my life’s story for nothing in return.”
The Speaker chuckled softly. “Not at all,” he assured. “You being able to grieve properly is payment enough. We are here so you have someone. However, if you insist on payment, I recommend talking to your friend. It sounds like the two of you have things you want to get off your chests.”
Iris nodded. “I will do just that.” She assured herself that she wanted to be there for Arylos too. She can’t imagine life as a Titan nor imagine what Arylos has been through, but she should do something in return. She left the tower and took in the now evening air, letting it fill her lungs to the brim. There was still sunlight in the sky so she continued her walk.
She continued down one of the residential areas and found Mourners going to various houses, offering prayers and hymns. She understood then that the Mourners are the ones running the city and with their acts as monks to help the people mourn, they serve the people more directly and gain a lot of trust. She admired this culture; a focus that if you must mourn someone, you will never be alone as you do. This allows people to accept death and understand it more, rather than grieving ‘why them? Why now?’ all of the time; something Iris has mostly moved past.
Iris pondered this interesting form of rule. All of Kaiyumi is ruled under the wise king Sentarus, whose name has been passed down from father to son since the time of the Dragon Wars. He oversees Kaiyumi as a whole while individual settlements and Holds are allowed to govern themselves so long as they agree to Sentarus's rule and agreed to his terms, often keeping open borders and allowing trade. Mourners ruling Mornyr Khai would fit well for this region.
She came into an artisan’s district and admired the various shops of goldsmiths, tailors, blacksmiths, and small eateries. From one of the blacksmith shops, she heard a familiar voice call out.
“I need more heat!” that telltale growling voice now sounding like a roar.
She glanced into the workshop area of the smithy and could see Arylos working the forge. He had taken his shirt and cloak off, and she could see him dripping in sweat and his body covered in scars and tattoos of various designs and runes. The centre of his back adorned with a flaming spear circled by flame and a dragon with words in an unreadable language lining the flames. On his chest where his heart is lay a large scar that cuts through to the other side on his back with more tattoos lining the scar.
Each scar and tattoo must mean something, Iris wondered. Maybe something Arylos keeps hidden in his mysterious past. But why is he here at a smithy?
She could see Helion lying on the table behind Arylos with various tools and measurements jotted down on paper as Arylos was getting the forge hot and working away at an ingot, shaping it out and into a vague sword shape; his teeth clenched and eyes locked on his work yet his movements swift and struck the metal with the force of the gods themselves.
Arylos returned his work to the fires of the forge to reheat and returned to Helion, taking additional measurements, oblivious to Iris’s prying eyes. She really wanted to continue watching him work and see what he was working on, but decided against it; he must have not told Iris what he was doing with Helion on purpose. She went away and decided to get some food as she waited for Arylos to return.
More hours passed and night came to Kaiyumi and Iris stood on the eastern wall, watching the graveyard she spotted earlier. She counted 1,768 headstones and Mourners were walking through the graves, lighting candles at each tombstone. She admired the glowing tombs as she stared in the sky, admiring the moons. Kaiyumi had a rich sky full of stars and three moons decorating the sky; a serene white and blue moon, a deep and rich red moon, and a silent black moon only seen as a shadow across the glistening sky. She rarely had moments like tonight to admire the sky like this and the candles against the white graves reminded her a lot of the stars in the sky.
She finished her last piece of terosaki; a common street food of octopus fried in wheat batter balls. She was relaxing while also trying to work up the nerve to talk to Arylos about his past and why he insists that he shoulders everything. She wanted to know more about him, even if some of that was personal and Arylos was still healing. It was better that he shared it just like she shared her grief with the Speaker.
To her right, she could hear footsteps approach and when she looked, she saw Arylos approaching, still wearing Helion on his back.
“I see you had terosaki without me,” Arylos said, mildly disappointed.
Iris nodded. “Why is this city so focused on death?”
Arylos came over beside Iris and leaned against the balcony. “Do you know how this city was founded?”
Iris shook her head so Arylos explained. “During the war, this was a Reig stronghold. Yet when the Kaiyumae resistance came here trying to free the people, they could not breach the city. So instead they remained out here in the fields, cutting off the supply lines to the city. After a few weeks, the city fell silent so the resistance took their chance and broke in.”
He glanced at Iris. “Do you know what they found?” he asked.
Iris shook her head again and so he continued. “When they got within the walls, they found that the city had already died. The streets littered with corpses, some dead by disease, others starvation, others cannibalism. In the tower, they found the Reig lord ruling this area had been killed. It turns out when the supply lines were cut off, the city starved to death and the Reig lord was feeding off of the people to sustain himself. The people retaliated and killed him but slowly died themselves.”
Arylos looked back at the cemetery across the way before continuing. “And so the resistance buried all of the bodies they found in that graveyard. The Mourners light candles at each tomb so that the dead are remembered since they were buried without names and died indirectly by the hand of the people trying to save them. The people who carried out this task became Mourners, whose descendants still serve that same task; so that no one dies or grieves alone.”
"The people who tried to save them brought about their deaths," Iris pondered. "A two edged sword in some cases." She couldn't help but find more parallels. The idea that trying to save people can actually kill them seemed unreal to her.
“Which reminds me,” Arylos jumped in on himself. He removed Helion from his back and handed it back to Iris. “I think you will want this back.”
Iris looked at the sword and noticed it had a new scabbard; instead of a full sheath, this one covered the blade’s edges entirely but only covered the blade itself at the bottom quarter of the scabbard, the rest remaining open. It was very ornate and matched the sword’s shape perfectly, using a metal interior and leather exterior with gold trim lining the sides that follow the blade’s edges.
“Did you make this?” Iris asked, admiring the work.
“I did,” Arylos responded. “It’s designed so you can wear the sword on your back instead of your waist. I also designed it so you can pull it out of its scabbard from your back easily. And since a part of the blade is exposed, you should be able to communicate with it without having to draw it.”
Iris strapped the sword to her back with some guidance from Arylos for the fit and she was impressed with how much easier it felt to carry the sword; using her back and shoulders to distribute the weight felt easier than leaving it all on her waist. She drew the sword and was surprised that since the scabbard doesn’t cover the whole sword, she could pull it away without having to pull it entirely out of the sheath. This made the process of taking it out easier for her shoulder and let her ready the sword quicker than if it was a sheath or if it was strapped to her side. She sheathed the sword again and jumped a few times and was surprised just how well the sword locked in the scabbard without falling out.
She relayed these observations to Arylos, pointing out that it works and feels much better than before, all with a smile on her face.
“Good,” Arylos said with a returned smile, “because I got work for us tomorrow.”
Iris stopped playing with the new scabbard. “You did? What kind of work?”
“It’s a hunting task,” Arylos explained. “Torasu, a city northeast and along the road, is having issues with a creature that has been killing residents late at night. They’re wanting the creature slain. Since we’re passing through anyway, I signed us up for the job.”
This really was turning into an adventure story Iris had read a hundred times before and she was all but excited for the task. But Iris lowered her head, her heart starting to race; there was one question she needed an answer to.
“Arylos,” she called out softly, “why are you here?”
Arylos was a bit confused. “I figured you would be up here, enjoying the sights.”
“No,” Iris cut in. “Why are you here? With me, willing to travel with me.”
Arylos looked to Iris, “Because you shouldn’t be alone.”
“But why do you insist on that?” Iris asked, her emotions getting the best of her.
“Because I’ve been alone for a long time so I know what it’s like,” Arylos responded softly.
“So it’s not just because my father asked you,” Iris responded.
“If you want the truth,” Arylos began, “I would have done so even if your father didn’t ask. All of that happened because I left you so the last thing I should do is leave you alone when you lost your village because of me.”
“But I was the one who woke you up, idiot!” Iris spat back, her eyes starting to moisten. “You don’t have to take all of the blame when I was the one who instigated all of this. Why do you insist that it’s your fault?”
Arylos sighed, his voice getting softer. “Because it’s easier to put the blame on me. So that way it’s my fault Nageki was destroyed. That’s easier to swallow than if you take the blame yourself. I’m a natural killer so it’s better if I take it."
It was clear to Iris; if she blamed herself, she would feel personally responsible for what happened. But Arylos has killed before and makes a habit of it apparently, so it’s easier for him to take that blame; he was trying to spare her from blaming herself.
“But why?” Iris couldn’t process it all. “Don’t you have your own home? Your own people? Why won’t you talk about any of it?”
Arylos thought carefully before answering. “Because I know what it’s like, so let me handle it.”
“No!” Iris spat back, tears now starting to fall. “There’s something you’re not telling me and I’m not dumping all of this on you until you do. I want us to share, not put it all on you because it’s convenient.”
Arylos sighed once more as he looked at the crying Iris. “Alright, I’ll tell you,” he said as he embraced Iris, trying to be of some comfort.
“It’s because I know what it’s like,” Arylos explained, his voice sombre. “I have no family or friends and nowhere to turn. You asked if I have a home and I honestly do not. I am a being drifting through the universe alone because I lost everything I had.”
He pulled away and looked Iris in the eyes after wiping her tears away. “That’s because I’m the last of my kind.”
Iris struggled with that statement. “The last Titan?” she clarified.
Arylos nodded. “The rest of my brethren died a long time ago by our own hubris. After that, I left Mortehksun, our homeworld, and decided to live here.”
Iris couldn’t believe what she was being told. Arylos was wanting to take the blame for Nageki when his own people went extinct? And it was all because he understood; he has no home now and no one to call family, just like her. There was nothing she could say, nothing that would have made Arylos feel any better. All she could do was bury her face in his chest in a tight embrace.
“Why wouldn’t you tell me?” she asked him.
“Because that’s not something you should think about right now,” he answered while stroking her hair. “You have your own pain so there’s no need to get you involved in mine.”
Iris looked up at him. “You should because you shouldn’t be alone,” she told him, using his own words against him.
Arylos gave Iris a warm smile. “Alright,” he told her, “I’ll share things like that with you.”
The two separated, Iris still sniffling a little. She doesn’t know what came over her but she felt that the two were closer now, like friends instead of someone bound by duty. If they were travelling together, they should be friends and share things with each other.
The duo returned to their inn room and Arylos told her that the bath was free since he had taken one not long ago. She took the opportunity and enjoyed the warmth of a fresh bath.
I’m the last of my kind.
The thoughts returned to Iris as she sank into the tub, blowing bubbles for her amusement. The last Titan, the last of his kind. Maybe he did understand her better than she realised. But what happened to them? If Arylos is an example of a weakened Titan, able to rip the wings off of a Templarian, the rest of them could only be stronger. So how could they all die out? What led to it? That one answer created more questions in Iris’s mind, but she felt that her knowing that the Titans are extinct is enough. She asked Arylos to share so that Iris can take some of his pain, not for her to know everything.
If that little bit helps, then so be it. She already feels closer to him so it’s a start, especially since they’ll be going to fight some strange monster tomorrow.
Iris stepped out of the tub and changed into her sleepwear and tied her hair in a loose ribbon. The room Arylos got them actually has two beds, but Iris was pretty sure Arylos wouldn’t use the other bed. When she left the bathroom, she saw Arylos sitting at the table near the window, losing himself in a pile of old books.
She came up behind him and looked over his shoulder. The books were all in strange languages but had different kinds of monsters depicted.
“Whatcha reading?” Iris asked, keeping an informal tone.
“Fossird’s Commentaries on the Mysterium and Goulish Entities,” Arylos responded, rattling off the lengthy book title like he knew it by heart.
Arylos looked over as Iris stared blankly at him, trying to process what that massive title even meant.
“It’s a summary of a few books,” Arylos explained. “I’m doing some studying based on what was told about the creature, which is not a lot, to see if I can narrow down what it is. The more I know, the better. Fossird makes good summaries of good works since many of them can have embellished explanations or not enough information. His work isn’t perfect, but good for light skimming to cross reference.”
“But you’re a Titan,” Iris went on, “can’t you just rip the thing to pieces like you’ve done before?”
“Not when I have a human to protect,” he explained. “You may be able to fight on your own, but you’re still in my care. I can run head-first into danger because not a lot of things are hazardous to me but I have to make sure you’re safe too.”
Iris nodded; it makes sense. If anything can fight Arylos toe-to-toe, then that thing will make quick work of Iris, and that concerns her.
“This job isn’t dangerous, is it?” Iris asked as she took her place on one of the beds.
“I don’t think so,” Arylos replied, opening a different book, “but it never hurts to be safe.”
Iris tucked herself in and glanced once more at Arylos. “So, you’re not sleeping again?” she asked.
“You know I don’t sleep,” he responded, “and I still have work to do.”
Iris sat up in bed and stared at Arylos. A part of her really wanted to drag Arylos away from those dusty tomes and try to get him to sleep. Expectedly, that part of her was the bigger part. She got up and extinguished the candle next to the desk, filling the room with shadow.
Arylos looked up with glowing red eyes. “Just so you know, I can see in the dark.”
Defeated. There’s apparently a lot more about Titans that she knows nothing about yet.
She eventually resorted to grabbing Arylos’s arm and pulling him from the desk, Arylos protesting all the while. She sat him down in the other bed and sat across from him.
“You are going to sleep,” Iris instructed. “I don’t care if you Titans can’t, you’re going to find a way. You can’t go on about my health and me being in your care when you’re going to be reading old books while I’m sleeping.”
Arylos raised his voice to protest but was silenced by Iris cutting in. “I just said I don’t care. You can turn off your mind and not think about things; that’s close enough. Fake it if you need to. Or meditate if you can't sleep.”
Arylos conceded. “I can try something if it makes you feel better,” he told Iris.
Iris, satisfied that he will at least try, clapped her hands with a solid nod and went back into her bed as Arylos laid down. She didn’t know what he would try but she wanted him to at least try. Having a friend who doesn’t sleep just feels wrong to her. Sure, Arylos isn’t human, but it just felt wrong for Arylos to not sleep while Iris does; like someone who stays up on purpose to watch the other’s back.
Or was it that it was a reminder that he’s not human and she didn’t want that reminder?
Now Iris’s anxiety started to pick up at that thought. Looks like she won’t be following her own advice to get some sleep.