Eldrigan Hanabas stood slightly apart, his heavy obsidian-black armor gleaming faintly in the solar eclipse.
He leaned against one of the towering pillars, arms crossed, his sharp eyes fixated on the couple standing nearby. Xander Fedres and Farrynelle Skyrover were at the edge of the teleportation platform, speaking in low, affectionate tones as they waited for Phaenora to finish casting the circle.
Xander, dressed in his polished white knight armor, was adjusting the straps of his gauntlet, but his attention was wholly on Farrynelle. She stood beside him, her lightning blue hair tied back in a battle braid, her dark armor shimmering faintly.
Eldrigan watched as Xander leaned down slightly, brushing his forehead against Farrynelle's, a soft smile playing on his lips.
"You're sure you're ready for this?"
Farrynelle laughed softly, her eyes sparkling despite the gravity of the situation.
"I was born ready, Fedres. Or have you forgotten who won our last sparring match?"
Xander chuckled, shaking his head. "I let you win."
"Let me?" Farrynelle arched an eyebrow, her lips curving into a smirk. "Is that what you tell yourself at night to feel better? Because I distinctly remember you flat on your back, staring at the sky."
"I let you win."
Farrynelle reached up, brushing her fingers lightly against his cheek. "You're not allowed to die, Xander. Do you hear me? If you do, I'll drag you back from the afterlife myself just to yell at you."
"Same goes for you," Xander replied, his hand finding hers and squeezing gently. "I don't care how strong you are, Nelle. If you think I'm letting you face danger without me, you're insane."
Eldrigan let out a soft huff, shaking his head as he watched the exchange.
"You two do realize we're about to walk into a battlefield, right? Not a ballroom."
Farrynelle turned to him, her smirk widening.
"And? Just because we're going to war doesn't mean we can't enjoy the little moments, Eldrigan. You should try it sometime. Maybe then you wouldn't look so perpetually grumpy. Your girlfriend isn't here to say goodbye one last time anyway."
Xander chuckled, clapping Eldrigan on the shoulder as he walked past him.
"She's right, you know. Not everyone gets this chance. Might as well make the most of it."
Eldrigan rolled his eyes, though there was no real annoyance in his expression.
As Xander and Farrynelle continued their playful banter, Eldrigan found himself watching them more closely. There was something almost surreal about their ease with one another, the way they moved and spoke as though the world wasn't about to collapse around them.
For a moment, he felt a pang of something unfamiliar. Envy? Longing? It was hard to say. He shook his head, brushing the thought aside. There was no time for such things. Not now, not with what lay ahead.
"The circle's ready, gentlemen and lady."
Phaenora stood at the center of the platform as the teleportation circle began to hum with energy. The runes beneath her feet glowed brighter, casting an eerie blue light that danced across the crowded plaza.
"Last chance to back out. Not that I expect any of you to take it. Also, you'll be teleported right in the middle of the fight. Believe me, the second you arrive, you will start fighting."
Xander and Farrynelle stepped forward first, their hands still intertwined as they approached the circle. Eldrigan followed a step behind. As the group gathered on the circle, Farrynelle glanced over her shoulder at Eldrigan, her expression softening slightly.
"You're not as stoic as you think you are, you know."
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, that you care more than you let on. And that's not a bad thing."
Eldrigan didn't respond immediately, his gaze flicking between her and Xander. Finally, he let out a quiet sigh, his lips fading into something more serious.
"Just make sure you two keep each other alive out there. I'd hate to have to drag your bodies back to the present."
Farrynelle grinned, reaching out to lightly punch his arm. "Don't worry about us, Eldrigan. We've got this—"
The air in the plaza shifted abruptly as a sudden gust of wind swept through. Eldrigan, who had just been turning to leave, stopped mid-step, his sharp senses catching the sound of rushing wings. He barely had time to react before a voice rang out.
"Eldrigan! Wait up! Don't go yet!"
Before he could fully process what was happening, a blur of black descended from the sky. Peroncerea Ceres was hurtling toward him at breakneck speed. Her dark wings flared out at the last second but her landing wasn't what anyone would call graceful.
She crashed straight into him, her momentum sending both of them tumbling to the ground. The impact was loud enough to make the wooden floor of the plaza groan and form a sizable crack. Eldrigan let out a grunt as he landed on his back, the wind knocked out of him.
"What the—?!"
But before he could say anything else, Peroncerea was on top of him, her arms wrapping tightly around his chest. Her dark shoulder length hair, slightly tousled from her flight, framed her face as she buried it against his neck.
"Cerea? What in the world is going on? Are you okay?"
Peroncerea didn't respond immediately. Her grip on him tightened and he could feel her trembling slightly. It wasn't like her at all. This wasn't the cool, composed demon strategist he knew.
"I…"
Her voice was muffled against him but he caught the waver in it. Slowly, she lifted her head, her blue eyes locking onto his with an intensity that made him freeze.
"I couldn't let you leave without saying it. I can't.'
"Say... what?"
Peroncerea's cheeks flushed a faint pink, her usual confidence wavering.
"I'm scared, Eldrigan. Scared that this will be the last time I see you. Scared that you'll… that you'll leave me behind. I know I'm not a fighter like the others but I can't just stand here and pretend I'm okay with this."
Eldrigan's expression softened even further. He opened his mouth to respond but before he could get a single word out, Peroncerea leaned in. Her lips pressed against his in a kiss that was both desperate and tender, leaving him momentarily stunned.
A sharp gasp came from behind them.
"Uh, wow," Farrynelle said, her voice laced with amusement. "I was not expecting that."
"Same," Xander added. "But hey, I'm not complaining. This is a good distraction before the bloodbath."
Eldrigan pulled back slightly, his face now as red as molten lava. "C-Cerea, what—"
Before he could finish, Peroncerea placed a finger against his lips, silencing him.
"Listen to me, Eldrigan. If you come back alive and in one piece…"
She leaned in, whispering something in his ear so softly that even the enhanced hearing of Farrynelle and Xander couldn't catch it. Whatever she said made Eldrigan's entire face flush crimson. His usually stoic demeanor crumbled completely as he stared at her, wide-eyed.
"C-Cerea…"
Peroncerea pulled back just enough to look at him, her smirk returning, though it was softer than usual.
"That's a promise, Hanabas."
For a moment, there was silence. Then, something shifted in Eldrigan. His usual reserved nature gave way to something more primal. With a sudden burst of movement, he rose to his feet, effortlessly scooping Peroncerea up into his arms in a princess carry.
The demoness let out a soft yelp, her wings twitching in surprise.
"Eldrigan—!"
He didn't give her a chance to finish. He leaned down and kissed her again, this time with all the intensity he'd been holding back.
Farrynelle let out a low whistle.
"Okay, now that's romantic. Take notes, Xander."
Xander raised an eyebrow. "Take notes? You want me to carry you around too?"
"Maybe," Farrynelle replied with a sly grin. "Depends on how this battle goes."
Meanwhile, Eldrigan pulled back from the kiss, setting Peroncerea gently on her feet. He kept his hands on her shoulders.
"You better be ready, Cerea. Because I'm not losing. Not now, not ever. And when I come back, we're going to finish this conversation properly. And don't you dare run away."
Peroncerea's eyes widened slightly, but then she smiled. A genuine, radiant smile that lit up her entire face.
"I'll hold you to that, Hanabas. Don't die."
Xander clapped a hand on Eldrigan's shoulder as he stepped up beside him.
"Looks like you've got your motivation sorted out. Good. We're going to need it. Now let's go."
Eldrigan glanced at Peroncerea one last time before turning back toward the teleportation circle. His steps were steadier now. As the circle flared to life, he could still feel the warmth of her kiss and her whispered words lingering in his mind.
Whatever happened in Volxane, he wasn't going to let it be his last battle. He had a promise to keep.
Phaenora faced Peroncerea and smiled.
"Adelasta talked to you to do this, didn't she?"
"I... yeah. But why are you here? Shouldn't you be helping the Halo Islands?"
"Well, with Vastarael gone, I can't use his essence so I'm relying on the Spire's power. Also, Halo Islands is the safest place to be. Even though there's going to be a lot of cleanup after this battle is over..."
Phaenora walked away as she made a teleportation circle for herself by thought.
"Don't die, Cerea. See ya."
Phaenora vanished, leaving Peroncerea looking at the evacuation happening around her. She sighed deeply as she began flying back to the Tree Palace to prepare for the battle.
"Why do I feel like Phaenora knows where Vastarael is and what he's planning?"