On the busier road now, Chess, Iris, and Varian walked along, Ruddiger perched on the horse's back that Chess had taken from the stables back at the inn. "Gosh... that's nuts!" Chess laughed as the other two finished telling him about everything that had happened so far. "You really should have seen Varian when he was tiny! It was really cute." Iris laughed, gently nudging her companion in the shoulder who was beet red. "I- I wasn't cute!" he flusteredly muttered, causing Chess to smile.

As they walked along the path they would occasionally pass a wagon or another traveler. For the most part though it wasn't all too busy of a road, They enjoyed some conversation and Varian reexplained about the guardians to their newest group member.

"So you brought me along because you think I might be one?" Chess asked, giving his gem an interested turn over in his hands. Varian nodded. "I think you and Iris may be future guardians!" He exclaims excitedly, to which the young adult cocks his head, "You too though, right?" He asks, noticing that the alchemist only said him and Iris. The boy sadly shook his head, "I mean, I could be... I guess?... but I don't think so. Not only do I not have a gem, but I also don't think someone like myself could become or do something like that." He answered Chess. "A. Who ever said you need a gem to be a guardian?! B. If thats so, then what's that, just a decoration or something? Because it looks an awful lot like what your girlfriend and I have!" He said back, confusing Varian of what he was talking about. Iris could only give him an annoyed glare, she knew her retaliation was fueling his jokes, so she did her best to ignore him.

"Is what a decoration?" Varian asked, baffled.

"That." Chess says, pointing to something on his head.

"My goggles?" He asked again, even more confused now. The alchemist then took them off to further inspect. "Right there." The thief said, pointing to a golden and silver gem embedded into his goggles on the left side. 'How did I not see this before!?' He stared with bulging eyes, jaw agape. "How long has that been there!?" he asked, Iris looking over his shoulder. "Like the entire time, now that I think about it!" She said, realizing it as well. "How did neither of us notice!?..." Varian asked again, still dazed.

Chess snickered, "When you have an eye for riches and know what you're looking for it becomes obvious." He answered, "And you said that Iris only found out about the guardians today right? If so, then she definitely wouldn't have noticed. It was just another part of your outfit to her." The man further explained. The two younger travelers nod, finding his reasoning logical. "Wait, how long have you had these!?" Iris asked, still just as startled as him. "A while, Xavier was the one who gifted them to me!" the boy answered, "Wait wasn't he the one who told you about the legend to begin with?" The siren pointed out.

"No way!" Varian cried, making Chess laugh harder. "I guess it was meant to be!" He snorted, "Anyways, what's the plan?" Chess asks, after they've had some time to try to wrap their heads around the whole thing. "What plan?" Iris asked. "Then plan for getting to the mountain!.. Are we going to just keep walking in that direction until we get there, or do we have a charted course to help us see where we should go and what we should do? Do we want to stop in any kingdoms?... What's the plan?" The used-to-be waiter elaborated.

Iris and Varian kinda just looked at each other, "Um... We never made a plan..." Iris laughed. The alchemist snickered as well, "I guess we kinda just decided that we'd keep going in as straight of a line as possible till we reached the mountain!" They both laughed. Chess could only chuckle along with them and shake his head, "If you had done that then you'd be toast. See here?" He asked pulling out a beat up map that was torn and carefully marked in multiple places. "This is right in between us and the mountains." He pointed to a strangely colored area on the map and in red ink nearby was written 'The Sanguine Bloodlands' It read, and next to it was written: 'avoid at all costs!' "This map belonged to my uncle... He gave me this map in hopes I'd continue his work of exploration and adventuring." The man said, spreading the fragile paper in his hands gingerly. "He died though... and uh, that may or may not be why I didn't leave the tavern for so long... But I've been feeling ready for a while now; I guess i just needed a little shove." He finishes, taking a sad sigh at the memory of his father coming in with the terrible news. His uncle's lucky dagger being all that they were able to recover of his body.

"Chess, I-" The siren went to comfort him but was cut off as the thief shook it off, quickly looking around briefly and returning his mind back to the conversation at hand. "Right, uh, My uncle was a well known professional adventurer and quester, so his map will help us get to the mountains with the best path possible!" He explained. Iris nodded, catching on that he didn't want to talk about it at that moment. "Right then, Sounds like we have a good bit of mapping ahead of us tonight when we make camp." she says, helping him change the subject. "I haven't been on the road very long at all, but If you ask me, it only makes sense that we don't get too ahead of ourselves!..." Varian added his opinion, "because we don't know what all will happen; it might be best if we kinda make checkpoints.., if you know what I mean." He continued.

"Checkpoints?" Iris asked.

"No, I like that! You have a very good point there!" Chess said, snapping his fingers and pointing at the alchemist as they walked along the worn roadway. "If I'm understanding correctly, You think we should instead of planning the entire path we should take it step by step; we should decide on where to head next, taking our current circumstances into account." Varian grinned back, "Exactly!" He exclaimed, to which the sixteen-year-old girl groaned playfully, "Oh great, More nerds!" She teased. "Hey! Jokes are my thing!" Chess daftly glared. "Well maybe it just rubbed off onto me!" The mermaid scoffed. Varian smirked, "Even then, nerd is a compliment! It tells us that we have a higher basic intelligence than yourself!" He says, quite hotilly, clearly proud of his comeback. "I never said that nerd was a bad thing, are you the one implying that I was trying to offend anyone?" She giggled back at him, shoving him lightly, earning some scoffs and laughs.

"So If I'm not mistaken, our next 'checkpoint' Is the fisherman town up ahead?" Iris asked, watching Chess roll the large map up tightly but carefully, placing it in the horse's saddle pack. "Yup!" He replied, patting the mammal's flank, lightly encouraging it to keep up it's current pace.

"And If we continue on this road, we should reach it when?" She asked again,

"By tomorrow evening, we should be there in plenty of time to look around a bit before we find some place to stay the night." Chess answered again. Iris nodded, "Sounds like a plan!"

With the golden-red sun pulling itself behind the green leafy horizon of the forest trees around them, the trio slowed their pace and eventually came to a stop in a thickly forested pocket a little ways from the road, and not too far from the Chasm Raver's flowing waterway. "So, shall we make a fire?" Chess asked, tying the horse, Cider, to one of the nearby trees. "Yup! I'll make a pit, why don't you two go get sticks." Iris said, wasting no time in searching the ground nearby for large stones. "Alright then, come along Hair Stripe!" Chess chimed, grabbing Varian by the collar of his shirt and dragging him off into the forest growth while he had been taking off his stuff. "HEY!" The boy complained.

After they were a decent distance from the siren who was setting up the camp, Chess let go and began to search the ground for fallen limbs immediately. Varian tripped and fell backward onto the grass. "mph-! Hey!" He cried again, standing up and dusting the dirt and leaves off his clothes. "In case you haven't noticed I have legs!" He glared, disgruntledly helping. Chess smirked, "I know!"

They worked in silence for a moment...

"So... Do you like Iris?" The new recruit asked out of the blue, not even throwing Varian a glance as his face went beet red. "n-NO!" He stuttered, completely caught off guard. "Oh really... Why do you look at her that way then?" He pressed, a sly smile creeping onto his lips. "W-What way!?" the chemist asked again, rapidly blinking as he began to find himself rather clumsy. "You know what way." He coaxed, "The way when you think someone is so beautiful both in and out that you can't get them off your mind!" He snickered, turning to look at the frazzled teen over his shoulder.

"Come on, you can be honest with me!" He taunted, filling his arms with countless dead sticks and twigs. "I- ... Fine. Yes, I like her. Will you leave me alone now?!" He sassily growled trying to follow the thief's lead with firewood. "No, I want to know what you like so much about her!" Chess kept on asking. "Why?! Why does it matter to you the smallest?!" Varian shot back, throwing his large stack of wood onto the ground.

Chess couldn't help but laugh at his reaction. "Because I think you two are cute!" He replies, picking up Varian's wood. He growled, and folded his arms, "Fine! But only to get you to leave me alone!" He huffed, bright pink. "I think she's pretty, funny, charming, kind, smart, selfless, and talented; she makes me happy..." he rambles, put out at first, but then a small smile appearing on his cheeks. "Hdhdh-! Don't tell her I said that though!" Varian blushes more, desperately trying to distract himself by grabbing what measly branches are left on the forest floor.

The man smiled, "I won't..."

"then why'd you ask?!"

"Because I wanted to know if you knew that you liked her... did you ever consciously think all those things before I asked you?" He asked, marching off into the bushes toward where they left Iris. 'I... don't think I did... I guess I really do like her!...' he thought to himself. Ruddiger looked up at him with that same knowing smirk. "Oh shut up!" Varian embarrassedly laughed, picking his raccoon up and following after Chess.

"Varian! Did you help at all?!" Iris asked him as he came up on the other two with nothing but his furry grey copanion. Chess smirked, answering before he could, "Nah, he was too busy going on about a girl he likes!" the thief laughed, helping her put the kindling and main firewood into place. "CHESS! YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T TELL!" the alchemist yelled, practically dropping his poor raccoon. Chess laughed as the girl's face lit up, "WAIT! There's a girl you like!? AWWWW! You'll have to tell me all about her!" She cheered, dropping the flint and steel to press her hands against her cheeks.

Varian was beside himself, blushing madly. 'Stupid Chess! Stupid him and his stupid ways and his stupid brain!' He angrily thought, aggressively petting Ruddiger. The raccoon scratched him gently in retaliation, jumping down from his arms and onto the damp grass, near the new flame that was quickly taking to the kindling it had as fuel after Iris had dried off the flint and gotten a spark going. "I-... Chess said he wouldn't say anything!" He flusteredly pouted, coming over and sitting by the fire with them. "And I didn't! I never said who she was!" The young adult pointed out. "Hold up, Why can't I know who it is!?" Iris cried, it was now her turn to pout. "B-Because you don't know her..." Varian lied, trying to hide his face. "All the more reason to tell me! I promise I won't tell her should we ever bump into her!" She pressed, trying to coax him into admitting it. Varian buried his fire red face into his gloved arms, his ears and neck were red too now.

Varian huffed, "Fiiiine! But not right now!" he muttered, quickly digging dinner out of his bag 'anything to change the subject!'

Iris smiled softly, following his lead, 'I wonder who the lucky girl is! Is there a posssibility it could be me?!- I did not just think that, did i!?' Iris's heart hiccuped briefly at her own thoughts, hope filling her heart. She looked up to see Chess pulling some gear from his saddle pack. "Are you gonna cook an entire meal or something!?" She exclaimed, watching him bring a smaller bag with cooking supplies over to the ever hotter flame.

Varian looked up as well, "I don't mind! That tavern food was way better than what we've been eating!" He complimented, earning a wide smirk from the cook as he began to set up a pot over the fire. "I know, and that's why I came prepared." He bragged, pulling out an old, beat up, wooden cutting board and a knife. Iris shrugged, "Hey, I'm not complaining, just a lil surprised is all!" she explained, Chess only smiling in return.

Iris had to admit it was rather impressive to watch the former waiter dice up black beans and mushrooms, throwing all sorts of other veggies and ingredients into the pot of boiling water. very soon, the air was filmed with the most enticing aroma. "I'm so glad we stopped a bit earlier!" Varian drooled, eagerly awaiting the thick, creamy grey liquid that swirled and boiled in the metal pan.

"Teach me!" Iris chimed, scooching closer. Chess laughed, "why should I?" He asked, raising a single thick black eyebrow, grinning, but not taking his eyes off the food. "Because there may be a time when you can't cook, or one of us need to!" She tried to convince him. "You're a spell mixer right?Shouldn't you alredy know how to cook?" He asks, holding up her potion book, still not looking at her as he stirs the soup with a wooden spoon.

"Y-yes... I wish you would stop going through my stuff..." She grumbled, snatching it back. "Oh don't worry, not just your stuff!" He tried and failed, knowingly, to comfort her as he revealed and tossed Varian's Alchemy studies journal to him. "HEY!" the boy cried, fumbling for the book and glaring at Chess. Iris only gave the chef a dead stare. "Hmmm maybe..." Chess smiled, finally looking up. "But not tonight, food's already ready!" He grabbed out some wooden bowls and carefully scooped up the soup and handed it to both of them.

"Why do you use so much wooden stuff!?" Varian asked, confused. "Because metal leaves weird chemicals and after tastes in the food... Also rust... And theyr'e easier to replace." Chess said, blowing the steam away from his bowl. Iris shrugged, "Makes sense to me!" She said, tentatively taking a sip of the well made food. "This is so good!.., Nowhere near as good as a ham sandwich, but still REALLY good!" The alchemist excitedly complimented upon trying some. Chess laughed, "I assume that's high praise?" He snickered, Varian nodding vigorously in response.

After food was eaten, stored for future consumption, and tents were set up, it was decided that the boys would share a tent, and Iris would get her own. Chess was on first night watch, then Varian, then Iris. Luckily the night went pretty smoothly despite the wolf howls that could be heard in the distance.

When Varian awoke the next morning, he found that he and Chess had huddled together for warmth. "Gosh... What do I do?!" He quietly whispered to himself as he awkwardly attempted at slipping out from the still sleeping man's grasp. After leaving the tent he brushed himself off and began searching around for Iris, 'She was on last night's last night-watch right?' He thought to himself still looking around. 'i'm sure she's fine... the camp looks normal so I'm sure nothing happened.' The alchemist quickly assured himself again.

Not long after Varian had awoken and decided to make himself useful by checking up on their provisions then did Chess emerge from the tent. "Up already?" he asked, stretching and rubbing his eyes. Varian nodded, "Yeah, I was just about to head down to the river to go refill our waters." He explained, holding all five different cantines. The professional thief only tiredly nodded in response, "Yeah ok,... i'll make sure the fire's out and that the tents are put up..." He volunteered, still rubbing at his face as he came more and more to his senses. "Hey, Have you seen iris this morning?" He called, after mindlessly wandering and looking around for a bit. "No, I'll look for her while I'm down at the banks though." Varian called back, already on his way there.

The morning was rather nice, fresh dew blanketing the tall green grass, Lots of birds going about their business, darting and swooping about the tree's green leaf coated limbs, and the bright sunshine that weaved its way between the brakes in the forest foliage, the air still chilly as it was rather early in the morning.

Sooner than he thought he would, the royal alchemist arrived at the river's churning, wet, rocky shore. He took a deep breath in through his nose as the cold spray hit him in the face. "Man,... it's gorgeous out here!" He muttered, looking out over the rapids. And that's when he heard something rather interesting...

As he took in and marveled at the stunning scenery around him he heard a voice. It was singing. He recognized the voice and got curious. For some reason he couldn't quite remember who or what it belonged to, given it was so ridiculously early, but he planned om finding out. Creeping carefully toward the voice he peeked over the banks. What he saw shocked him...

There, sitting onthe rocks was Iris, only something was startlingly different.

Iris had a long white, scaley tail in place of her legs. She had two large frilly fins at her hip and on her stomach side, armored plates lined the bottom of her tail. Waving back and forth slowly was a large fin. Small patches of shimmering white scales speckled her skin, large gills lining her neck as her wet hair was pulled back, revealing them.

At first Varian was excited, she was a mermaid after all! But then he payed closer attention to the details. Her fins were glossy instead of glittery, her tail was much longer than a normal mermaids... and still with her back to him, she kept singing and humming. He saw the long sharp teeth in her mouth, which was something mermaids definitely didn't have.

Varian pailed, "Y- You're a-!" The boy was in shock. Iris flinched, eyes snapping open and slightly coiling up as she whirled around to stare at him wide eyed, 'oh crud!' Was the only thing she could think as she blushed embarrassedly, "Please don't freak out!" she exclaimed, putting her hands out defensively in front of her. Varian started to breathe quicker, "But don't you eat..." He trailed off again, eyes widening more, pupils dilating, a single finger pointing to himself as realization dawned upon him.

Varian, panic stricken, turned to bolt. The siren lunged forward, using her coiled position to strike, grabbing his ankles and clamping her hand over his mouth once he was down on the ground. She then began frantically shushing him as the frightened alchemist struggled and let out muffled screams. "SHUT UP!" She hissed in his ears, pulling him down to her level, slowly snaking backwards toward the lake. Varian fell on his bum, still struggling till she told him to close his big mouth, in which he obeyed, suddenly very much aware of his captor's fangs.

"Iris? Varian?" They could hear Chess making his way over through the thick shrubbery.

'IM SAVED!' Varian hastily thought, struggling again. "nononononononono!" Iris panicked, "For your sake you had better take a deep breath and hold it!" She angrily instructed, waiting three seconds to let the cryptic message sink into the boy's thick skull.

Varian pailed more than humanly possible, and sucked in as much air as he could possibly fit in his tiny lungs, still desperately trying to break free. And with a slight splash that was muffled by the water's churning roar, Iris drug Varian beneath the surface of the water, using her fins to carry her and him as deep as she could.

Chess emerged from the bushes, paying the disturbed water surface no mind. "Where did they go!?...I don't like them being alone together, it's too early for that." He muttered the joke under his breath, half expecting it to summon Iris to his side with a hard punch to the shoulder.