The glow of the day's eve was quickly vanishing, and throughout the woods, the voices of nocturnal animals were already echoing beyond the obscured silhouettes of the trees. Along the winding road where there should be naught but silence, the muffled sounds of hooves continued to softly drumming against the frozen ground, slowly moving south through the evening chill.

"Chi-Ch-Ch-CH-Ch-CH-CH-ChaaraK!"

Territorial cries of nesting dawnbeaks resounded loudly through the rising mist, and the rhythmic trots of the two horses immediately came to a standstill. Shuddering, both horses began whinnying nervously, having sensed the creature that had awoken from its slumber.

In the dim light, Zirus' two silvery eyes were already glowing menacingly as it slithered out onto Kaidus' shoulder. With a low pitched shriek, it paralyzed both horses and silenced their anxious cries before opening its mouth to let out a lethargic yawn. "Ch-chi-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch…" The dawnbeak's cries traveled through the air once more, and with one look at its master for permission, Zirus propped itself upward to stretch its glorious wings. With a single beat of its two forewings, it propelled itself into the air and catching an unnatural breeze that had suddenly twisted around them, its six pairs of transparent wings flared outward, shooting Zirus up into the sky.

"I don't think I will ever get used to seeing that thing…" Narissa remarked from behind as she rubbed her horse's neck to calm the frightened animal.

Watching the growing serpent leave to hunt and feed, "Let us find a spot for the night." Kaidus proposed as his mare began taking timorous steps backward.

It has been eight long days since they left the town of Garnikul, and although Narissa's curiosity had revealed itself shortly after departing the town, two days of forcing her to keep up on the road had quickly simmered her down and made her less inquisitive. Whether it was due to the fatigue of arduous riding or the knowledge that further interrogation would not be welcomed, Kaidus was glad she had understood the subtleties and left his privacy to himself—for the most part. Fortunately for them both, the trip had been a relatively quiet one ever since.

Moving in front, a small orb of light materialized before Kaidus and began to slowly hover into the woods. Promptly dismounting his horse, he led the nervous beast into the trees. Narissa quickly dismounted and followed closely behind.

…

The warm blazes of a small campfire was burning brightly by the time the last of the day's light disappeared. Having found a nice spot underneath a large overhanging tree, the both of them–exhausted after a long day's ride–were sitting quietly across one another, just taking in the warmth of the fire. Tied to two trees a few good paces away, their two horses had already been watered and were left to feed on fallen leaves and small plants.

While waiting for the soup by the side of the flames to cook,

"My arms and legs feel like they're about to fall off." Narissa complained loudly while slowly massaging her aching legs. Sitting sideways, her head plates were reflecting the glow of the fire, giving them a soft shimmer every time she moved or twisted her body. Her traveling leathers were already off, and she was barefooted while wearing only her upper garments and a black long pants.

Paying no attention to Narissa's complaints, Kaidus continued to stare at the fire as a smile made its way onto his face.

Having traveled with her in close company for the past eight days, he had learned that she was quite a puerile and impulsive person. Although only a few years younger than his own mother, Adalina, where his mother would be more reserved with her words and quietly press forward, Narissa had been fairly vocal ever since their first night out. Long periods of silence appear to unsettle her, and when it came to cooking, while he himself had learned how to cook from Adalina, Narissa on the other hand could barely boil water. The presence of an educated lady could be felt in the way she spoke along with how she composed herself, yet for some reason, Narissa herself was trying to keep the presence subdued.

"We passed by quite a lot of people today. Are you not curious why?" Narissa questioned while letting out another pained groan.

"A little."

Kaidus quickly recalled the hundreds of strangers they had passed by the past few days. It was very different from when it was just Vick and himself. From when they first arrived and would walk for days