Arylos walked down the street with Iris on one side and Bellona and Eir behind him as they approached one of the shopping districts. The Titan felt frustration grow in him as he became concerned about just what the Templarian women will do to him now, primarily Bellona. The entire idea filled him with dread as he couldn’t picture himself sitting through another day of shopping, waiting around for the women to get what they want and only talk to him when it’s time for him to pay. The Titan began to truly wonder what he got himself into.

“One more shopping trip, huh?” Arylos asked with a frustrated growl.

“Well, we’re going to be leaving by the end of this week, so why not?” Iris said with a cheer in her voice as she grabbed onto Arylos’s arm.

“I get that, but did you really have to bring her?” Arylos growled while turning his gaze towards Bellona following closely behind them. “I’m okay with Eir, but that demon scares me.”

“Do I really concern you that much?” Bellona asked while resting her hands on her hips.

“I’m with Arylos on this one,” Eir said shyly. “Everytime you come with us, you always make him mad with how much you make him spend.”

“I’m just preparing him for a life with Iris,” Bellona said with a hearty laugh.

“Ironically, you’ve been my biggest issue; Iris has been well behaved,” Arylos said with a dark chuckle.

“Awe, thanks!” Iris cut in with a big smile.

“That does not mean I’m going easy on you though,” Arylos sternly corrected. “We have to take all of this stuff back home so try not to go overboard.”

“Part of me kind of doesn’t want to go back, is that a bad thing?” Eir asked in a soft voice.

“A little bit,” Arylos answered.

“But on the other side that means you enjoyed yourself,” Iris cut in with a smile.

“You spend a long time wanting a vacation, praying for that day to finally come,” Arylos said while musing and stroking his beard.

“And then when it gets here, you end up bored because you have nothing to do,” Iris finished with a laugh.

“Okay, that’s creepy; don’t do that,” Bellona said with a twitch in her eye.

“Do what?” Arylos and Iris asked at the same time.

“That,” Bellona said while pointing at the duo. “You’re finishing each other’s sentences and speaking in time. That’s creepy.”

“I think it’s cute,” Eir said with a laugh. “It means they’ve grown close together.”

“It’s still creepy; I don’t want to be talking to Iris and Arylos is the one who responds,” Bellona said while shaking off the thought that creeped her out. “We don’t need Iris turning into a mini Arylos.”

Arylos and Iris looked towards each other, exchanging unspoken words for a moment before they began to laugh in unison.

“That, stop that!” Bellona pleaded while rubbing her arms.

“Oh come on now, we’re having fun,” Arylos said while trying to get his laughter to stop.

“I can imagine it now; if Bellona is creeped out by that, how will she take to us having kids?” Iris asked while giving Bellona an entertained look as she laughed.

“Nanananana, nope; don’t want to hear it,” Bellona said while plugging her ears. “I do not need the image of your hellspawn running around and terrorizing me.”

“What? You don’t want to be Auntie Enyo?” Eir asked while trying to stifle her own laughter.

“Listen here you little shit; keep that up and I’ll kick your ass into next Monksday!” Bellona howled while threatening a laughing Eir with her fist.

“I’d pay good money to see that,” Arylos said while laughing.

“Who do you have your money on?” Iris asked while crossing her arms.

“500 Marks on Eir,” Arylos said confidently.

Iris thought for a moment and looked towards Arylos while trying to understand his logic. “Really? I figured you would have your bets on Bellona; she is more experienced and stronger after all.”

“Yeah, why don’t you have my back?” Bellona asked as if offended.

“She’s also an old woman; my money’s on the young valkyrie,” Arylos said with a nod.

Bellona felt like Arylos ran her through with a hot knife as the words ‘old woman’ echoed in her mind. “Do you really think so little of me?” she asked while trying to scramble together her mind.

Iris laughed as she watched Bellona and turned her gaze back to Arylos. “You have a point honey; I’ll wager 500 on Eir.”

“Traitor! Why would you agree with him?!” Bellona called out with a shocked gasp.

“Kind of hard to be a traitor; I’m just following logic here,” Iris said with an evil laugh.

“I’m going to beat the shit out of all three of you myself!” Bellona howled as she popped her neck. She ran forward with a mighty punch but before she could land it, Arylos sidestepped her and trapped her arm in an iron grip. Bellona pulled at her arm and shouted but Arylos had his eyes to the distant horizon, as if he was searching for something.

“Let go of me!” Bellona howled while trying to free her arm.

“Shut up,” Arylos growled in a voice that howled in the air. His command silenced the women and Bellona stopped struggling. “Do any of you hear that?” he asked in his growling voice as his eyes scanned the horizon.

“Hear what?” Eir asked as she slowly approached Arylos.

“That, don’t you hear that?” Arylos asked as his eyes continued their frantic search. Bellona could see his muscles clench as if he was preparing for something.

Iris tried to listen closely but could hear little outside of the chatter of the people in the streets. “What are you hear–”

BOOM

To the west, a shockwave ran through the air followed by several smaller blasts. The group watched as smoke rose up into the eastern sky as the sounds continued. Arylos let go of Bellona as his breathing quickened, looking around as other people noticed the explosions.

“Come on,” Arylos ordered as he made off in a dead sprint towards the explosions. Iris and Eir began trailing behind as they heaved air in their lungs. Bellona, the hardened warrior, stood up straight and proud yet she could just barely follow Arylos’s pace.

More explosions sounded in the air as the ground shook. Arylos didn’t hesitate as he increased his pace, trying desperately to meet the destruction. Arylos could now hear it; the crackle of flames and the screaming of civilians. He felt power surge in his veins as he gritted his teeth, preparing for what was to come. He could only pray it was an accident, some kind of natural event or mechanical failure.

The group ran into one of the streets and they took in the sights around them. The buildings were set ablaze by bright orange flames and the street was broken under some incredible force. All around laid the bodies of people caught in the catastrophe with others scrambling to their feet and pulling along the bodies of their loved ones.

Arylos scanned the buildings and could find no source of the destruction. As he walked forward, he saw that the street had been broken apart violently; the brick road was split in half like torn paper with jagged earth jutting out from underneath.

“What the hell happened?” Bellona asked as she tried to piece together what happened.

Arylos growled as he struggled to find an explanation himself. “You guys help these people get away,” he ordered in a growl. “I’ll find what caused this; focus on getting these people out of here.”

“Got it,” Eir responded before rushing off to help a group of people who were struggling to their feet.

“Iris, go with Arylos and make sure everything is fine; there are bound to be more injured ahead,” Bellona ordered before running towards another group and signalling them to follow her.

Iris nodded and turned to Arylos, expecting him to reject her and asking for permission in unspoken words. Yet Arylos looked at her with burning red eyes and gave her a stern nod. The two rushed off between the burning buildings to the next street over where the flames still burned hot. Street after street, the image was the same; burning and destroyed buildings, broken earth, and countless injured or dead.

Arylos gritted his teeth as he mentally prepared himself, angry that the cause was not apparent. Several streets over, they arrived at a large marketplace that had become completely levelled. Buildings burned with gaping holes in them, stalls were annihilated by an unknown force, bodies strewn about, many burned and others torn apart and bleeding out.

In the centre of the marketplace stood a single man standing in a pool of blood with bodies around him. The man’s grey hair caught Arylos’s attention as Arylos saw the man lower an ornate sword made of purple and blue steel, otherworldly in design as it hummed softly.

Arylos signalled Iris to hide behind one of the buildings as Arylos approached the man cautiously. As Iris ducked away, she watched intently from one of the windows as Arylos came even closer to the unknown man.

Arylos felt his nails unconsciously grow longer as his breath carried a growl. A part of Arylos recognised the man’s blue and black armour as he approached. As Arylos approached, the man slowly turned his head towards Arylos as a hissing growl escaped from his throat. Arylos recognised the half of the face and the man’s green eyes.

And he knew what was about to happen.

Without warning, the man turned around and swung his sword that narrowly missed Arylos. Before the Titan could react, the man was on him again, swinging wildly like a possessed creature. Arylos had little time to react as he reached for a wooden pole and used it to deflect the man’s sword as best as he could. Each attack from the man chipped more out of the pole and Arylos could feel the man’s anger as each strike came dangerously close to Arylos’s neck.

Arylos quickly moved out of the way of a downward swing and kicked the man’s knee out of place yet the man struck Arylos with the hilt of his sword and sent him backwards and into the ruin of one of the market stalls. Arylos growled as he tried to get back up, expecting a follow up attack but the man stood where he was and Arylos watched the man’s knee cap push itself back into place.

The man lowered his sword and swung side to side while letting out a quiet hiss. Arylos watched the man, beginning to realise the creature that he is as the man watched him intently with his burning green eyes. Arylos rose to his feet and clenched his fists, preparing for the fight.

“Reyz,” Arylos said in a dark growl that resonated in his throat.