For the next week, mass preparations were made. Soldiers stationed in Alabast were pulled and sent to Eda immediately by the order of the general. All the while, Iris could only hope that they would get there fast enough. She had faith though... after all, Alabast was only two days to the West. The thing she was worried about the most was whether or not there would be enough of them to protect her hometown.
"You shouldn't look so worried, Ingred. Everything will be fine," Zayn said as they ate breakfast, "I do not take death lightly. I understand that for every person killed, there will be a family affected... and there are many families in Eda. I swear to you that you will have your father when you go home..."
"I appreciate that, General," she replied.
Iris then looked over at Kayde, who was smiling slightly at Zayn's remark.
When you go home... Iris noted immediately that he said when, not if. Even though she knew that he would have her head if he knew the truth, she was relieved to hear the word. It gave her hope.
"What do we do now?" asked Iris after a moment, "You've spoken to everyone you needed to. We have the Token's information. And now, the soldiers are on their way to Eda. Should we linger here in Alabast much longer? Or do we continue our pursuit toward the fortress?" As she spoke, she made direct eye contact with Zayn.
"No. We shall not stay here. We leave for the next big city, Wallfront. And we leave tonight. On our way, we will pass through the villages of Chroma and Garn... but we will not stay there longer than a night. From here on out, we have to be fast in everything we do. I miscalculated when planning for the attack on Krenshai. I thought that they would halt the attacks on our towns if they had the Eldian force at their throats... I suppose I was wrong. We need to stop Erodyne, whoever he is, before he gets a chance to destroy even more of our country."
"Wallfront... that name sounds familiar..." she trailed off, trying to remember where she'd heard it.
"Yes, you have heard it. When we first encountered Kayde. That is where he is headed... that is where he leaves our group," the general reminded her, and then looked over at the guardian, "Thanks for the help you have given us."
"Do not thank me until later. We could still be attacked on our way. I could very well be killed," he reminded the general. While the words were somewhat foreboding, Kayde still looked rather cheerful.
Iris hadn't thought of Kayde leaving the group, in truth. He'd made a promise to train her and protect her... but could he really do any more from here on out? She wouldn't ask him to help their group invade the Token fortress. After all, it could cost him his life... and that wasn't in his and her father's agreement. Not that she would allow it anyways.
"I remember now," she said, looking over at her companion.
"Either way, I suggest you all go get a couple hours more of sleep and a good meal. We leave tonight, right as the moon rises..." Zayn said, "Chroma is about three days south... and even then, we will not really get a chance to rest. We won't get good rest until we arrive at Wallfront."
Everyone in the scouting group nodded and began to branch off. It was only Ingred that stayed with the general.
"Why are you still here?" he asked her, his voice not unkind.
"Why are you?" the rogue retorted.
"You should go rest, Ingred. I mean it. I know you have a gods awful habit of staying up late, like I do. But you will need your strength. I'm serious," he seemed to smile a little bit as he said the words. Iris noted it, and another retort started to form in her head. Before she could say it, though, he began to speak again.
"Go on, now," he urged her.
"You'll need your rest too," Iris pointed out, "In fact, you are our general... you'll need your strength more than we will. Why are you not headed toward the inn?"
"I am. I am waiting to make sure you go first."
"That sounds like mistrust," Iris said with an even rougher voice than usual, "Fine. Let us walk there together, then."
"Very well," he nodded, "And do not misunderstand me, I would trust you with my life. After all, you have taken an arrow to save me before."
"I see," she narrowed her eyes, "If you trust me that much, surely you would let me go about my time alone? Instead, right now, you seem to watch me like a hawk, as if the opposite is true. Would you really trust me with your life?" Iris was mainly joking, but the question was a serious one.
"Aye, I would. But I wouldn't trust you with yours. Let me reiterate... you took an arrow, intentionally."
She shrugged. "Perhaps you are right."
After that, both Iris and the general started toward their inn room. Iris wondered if Kayde was already there waiting on them. She knew that he wouldn't sleep until she was there. He was sent there to protect her, which meant always making sure she was where she should be. Not to mention the fact that it took a bit for him to fall asleep. At least, from what she had seen on the night she had stayed awake.
"Forgive me for noticing," Iris said with a curious expression as they made their way to their destination, "But you seem to smile a lot more now than when I first met you at the training camp."
"Yes, it seems so. What of it?"
"It is nice to see happiness is still in the world. These are hard times, general. With the war and tragedy that has been brought upon Eldia... it's hard to believe that it still exists. A smile is always a welcome sight to see," she said without an expression. Now, the general smirked slightly at her.
"Then why don't you?" he asked, knowing the reason.
"I do smile," she argued, and gave him a small smile, "See?"
"Not happy ones. Just nonchalant ones. Of everyone in this group, you're the only one who hasn't smiled. Why? Are you not happy?" he asked. He was mainly giving her a hard time, but there was some truth behind the question. From what he'd seen in the picture, Iris hadn't seemed to be the happiest person either, even when she lived with both her aunt and her father back in Eda.
"I'm perfectly chipper," she said, "What's not to be happy about? Well, besides the looming fact that I might die tomorrow."
"Hmm," he said, shaking his head.
"Perhaps that can be a good thing, though. Gives my life some sort of purpose. A lot more purpose than I had before," she added.
"You had purpose before, I'm sure."
"Not like this. I was a mere caretaker. The only good thing about Eda ever... was my father and aunt. They're the only ones there that cared about me. But, I had no reason to live then besides protecting my father. Before this quest, I didn't have much for friends. In fact, I'm pretty sure I didn't have one," her words were harsh, but she was not. Iris didn't seem sad at all that she had no one to call 'friend'.
"I was never one to have any acquaintances either. And, in a sense, protecting your father is still your purpose. Unless you have found another?" he said it as a question.
"Perhaps, I have," she replied, "Protecting my country as a whole, for one. But my real other purpose..."
It was silent for a few moments.
"Yes?" said Zayn.
It was then that she looked him in the face.
"Finding myself. That is my purpose," she told him, "I think it is high time to become who I was meant to be. Don't you?"
"You think that you were meant to become an Eldian soldier?"
"Of course. Don't you?"
"I think so. You have definitely put a lot of heart into it. A soldier is a very worthy thing to become," he told her. Iris agreed silently. There was a time in her life where she wondered what could come out of adventure and fighting, but now she knew the answer. And it is: a lot of things. She had formed friendships. She had some honor. She had helped save an entire village. She had found her courage.
"Do you think anyone could become a soldier?" she asked him, "Even a weak man? Even one with all the odds against him?"
Then, the general smiled a little.
"Yes, Ingred. I do believe that. Because everyone has a cause to fight... and if you threaten that which they hold dear, they will."
"Do you believe everyone deserves to fight for the things they care about?"
"Yes. I do."
----
When they arrived back at the inn, Kayde was still awake. In fact, he seemed to be waiting on both Iris and the general... as he was staring straight at the door when they walked in. This did not surprise Iris in the slightest, but it did startle Zayn a little. Before Kayde could say anything to either of them, Zayn went to bathe.
Now, it was only the two of them. Iris mind flashed back to an earlier conversation.
"Will you really leave when we arrive at Wallfront?"
Kayde's eyes shot to her face.
"I think so. That is when I said I would leave, is it not?" he said. As he spoke, he tried to keep his tone neutral, but Iris could hear some emotion in it.
"Yes," she said quietly, "It is. I... I wish you wouldn't."
Kayde smiled lightly. "It's not good-bye yet, dear girl. I will stay with all of you until you leave Wallfront, if circumstances allow." He took. "But after that, it will be time for me to return home. Iris, I've done everything I can to protect you. You will do alright. I've taught you everything that I know to teach you. You are very, very prepared for what is to come. I promise," he assured her with kind eyes. "You'll make me proud no matter where I am."
"You...," Iris began. "...I owe you everything. Do you know that?"
Kayde was silent for many moments. "You owe me nothing."
Iris took one of his hands in both of hers, to further emphasize the gratitude she felt. "But I do. I can never repay this debt." She looked him directly in the face. "You are the truest friend I've ever had. You really are."
He looked down at his hand and said. "I... you too, dear girl. And how about you repay me by staying alive? Does that sound fair?"
She dropped his hand. "I'll do what I can."
Kayde let out a soft laugh. "I will miss this adventure of ours, Iris. I wish I could see it out to the end, but I cannot."
"Why can't you?"
"Because this is your destiny. Not mine. You need to find it on your own, and you hardly need looking after. As a Remorda Guardian, I know that there are a lot of people far less capable than you that also need help. Especially with the war at hand, I imagine we're stretched thin," he told her with a small smile, "And the general expects me to leave when we reach Wallfront, as you know. That's what I've told him."
"I do need looking after," she debated, "It seems I go looking for trouble far too often. Who's to say I won't get myself into a mess?"
"You will get yourself into a mess," he paused, "That's inevitable. But... I believe you will also get yourself out."
"Comforting words," she said with a snort.
"They're the best I have, dear girl. Either way, we need sleep. If the general walks out of the restroom and sees us chatting, he'll have your head for not resting. With good cause. You will need your strength and wits."
"Very well."
And with that, Iris and Kayde climbed into their beds. Even then, Iris did not immediately shut her eyes. Instead, she stared at the ceiling, thinking. She, in truth, was scared for Kayde to leave. She would truly be left to her own devices, but that was not what affected her the most. It was that she would be saying goodbye to the first person she'd ever truly befriended.
The only comforting thought was that she'd still have the scouting group there with her. She'd still have General Zayn to look after her. She'd still have the rest of the group. They all knew how to fight.
Iris sighed.
"Better stop worrying and get some sleep," she mumbled under her breath, and cleared her mind of thought. Even so, it took awhile for her to fall asleep --enough time for Zayn to lay down himself.
She slept last.
"Everyone has a cause to fight... and if you threaten that which they hold dear, they will." -General Zayn Rothstead