#elegyverse.

@nicholashillecrest is doubting us

It was worse than anything Iris had seen before. 

She had seen war, watched families torn apart, watched villages being raided. She had seen natural disasters take victims and even helped open portals into alternate planes where it was so hot your skin would melt off your face. But this... this chaotic indulgence of horror, the sheer amount of power and destruction they were up against...

It was more than daunting. 

And yet they endured. This was the most awe-inspiring part of the mortal spirit. Despite everything that happened around her that was horrible and unforgiving, Iris only felt herself more inspired and steeled into action than before. She knew Bahamut guided her magic, be it divine or arcane in nature, just as he guided the sword and shield that had found its way to her side. 

Nothing was coincidence, in this life. She believed that, fully. When iris had found herself in the company of the King of Swanica, she had felt her deva push her in the direction of his steed immediately. For some reason, the Gods wanted her and Nicholas together, defending their world (for it was Bahamut’s world, too). 

So when he voiced his worries, iris didn’t blame Nicholas in the slightest. She was no true healer, but she did her best with the training she received and the guidance she had from those wiser than her on the other side. Iris smiled to herself, tightening the cloth binding on Nicholas’s thigh, before looking up and leaning into his personal space to answer him. 

“Of course we do, Nicholas,” she answered with ease, also forgetting to address him as required (with ease). She raised a scorched hand, raw with the overuse of her magic, to pat his cheek thoughtfully before pulling back and resting on her knees. 

“I was with the Starchildren. Just before this,” Iris said with a nod and a smile, glancing in the direction of the monastery where she had come from prior, “they are... they really are heroes. I thought I was good, but I could barely scrape the surface of what your younger brother brought to the table as their arcane support.” 

She looked down then, allowing her body to relax if only for this short moment. Iris closed her eyes, mind focusing on the magical formulas running through her mind. Using her arcane recovery, she refreshed her magic reserves, spellbook clipped onto her hip glowing briefly in confirmation. She opened her eyes again, offering her other, less burnt hand to the King.

“They’ll be here. Have faith in them, and if not them...” she trailed off, looking skyward, “Bahamut himself. He brought us all together for a reason. I don’t believe He would do so, just for us all to fail together.”

Standing, she helped the crippled King to his feet. Iris braced herself for the added weight of his armour, gritting her teeth as a tired laugh escaped her. 

@nicholashillecrest 

The smile she wore was one Iris displayed with ease. In fact, her whole body felt relaxed in a way that she hadn’t felt in years, as if things were finally falling into place. As if... His plans were finally starting to make sense, and it wasn’t all for nothing. As if — 

Ah, right. She opened her eyes again, honeyed gold meeting striking blue as she let out a quiet snicker, after catching herself falling into her own thoughts again. A dangerous pastime, for someone with a studious and curious mind. Her hand that had been lightly stroking his chest stilled, moving to rest along his neck softly. 

“The Arcanum is good for many things,” she corrected finally, rolling her eyes playfully, “usually people is not one of them. But I have been told I’m an exception to many things, yes.”

With his accusations however, Iris raised her eyebrows mischievously. She pursed her lips, ready to respond in kind with another jest, but found herself distracted by his next words. She stared as he spoke, her playful expression fading into one of genuine appreciation, coupled with a slight reddening in her cheeks and the tips of her ears. 

“First off, I think Bahamut will forgive you this time,” she said, attempting to stifle her laugh. Iris let it fade into a hum, as she lifted her hand to press two fingers into his collarbone, “secondly. You do know I’m going to be a terrible Queen in all the official ways, right? I know I pretty much list off the reasons why every day, but I still feel the need to warn you...”

She huffed, cutting herself off sharply and closing her eyes again. Iris still smiled though, as she leaned closer into his warmth.

“Sorry, I did it again... heh. For what its worth, I’m really happy with you, Nicholas. It was never some ploy. I fell in love with you, just how Bahamut intended.“

Giving his hands a squeeze, she then pushed forward once more, pressing her lips to his softly. She lingered close by after, lips barely apart, as she pulled one of her hands free to caress his cheek instead. 

Once again the lightless huffed in response, puffing out her cheeks and folding her arms across her bare chest. Her starry hair floated wildly behind her, only adding to her childlike appearance in the face of this very grumpy, tall man.

"And I'm telling you that I'm not tired! I need to see them!" She said, moving closer to the tiefling. He looked pretty scary, but she knew better than to judge someone because of how they looked. Effy had met lots of tall scary looking people who were really nice!