"Sometimes I wonder if you're even real," Cristine said as she watched Strax.
"Huh?" He looked at her, surprised.
"I mean, look at you. Don't you think you should take this world a little more seriously? You almost died, you know?" Cristine glanced at the scene around her.
Strax was lying down with his arms spread out, while the mother-daughter duo hugged him on each side, and Samira was peacefully sleeping on top of him.
"Well, everyone needs to rest, right? Especially after almost dying," he joked with a comic tone.
Cristine sighed, crossing her arms as she looked at Strax with a mixture of exasperation and disbelief. "You always do this," she said, rolling her eyes.
Strax shrugged, still lying comfortably with a carefree smile on his lips. "Cristine, relax. If I start taking everything too seriously all the time, I'll end up exploding from stress. Trust me, I've been through way worse."
She shook her head, unconvinced. "You might think nothing affects you, but that doesn't mean you should underestimate what's coming." She glanced at Samira, still sleeping on him, and at the mother and daughter who clung to him. "You have people who care about you... I care about you."
Strax's expression softened slightly, though he maintained his playful air. "I know, Cristine. And I care about you all, too. But if I don't stay calm and keep some humor amidst all this madness, how am I supposed to protect you?"
Cristine sighed again, but this time there was a touch of understanding. "I just don't want to see you pushing your luck so far that you end up without another chance to get back up."
Strax grinned wider. "Don't worry. I've still got plenty of lives left."
She glanced at his hand, then finally relented. "You better have, because we're going to need every single one of them."
As the hours passed peacefully, dawn arrived, bringing with it a light mist that hovered over the camp. Samira was the first to wake up, her eyes blinking slowly as she adjusted to the morning light.
Still lying on Strax, she moved gently, feeling the warmth of his body beneath hers. "Hmmm..." she murmured, lazily rising and looking around. Cristine was already awake, sitting and watching the horizon.
Beatrice and Monica were still asleep, visibly more relaxed after the previous night's events.
Strax, as usual, kept his laid-back attitude, opening his eyes with a soft smile. "Sleep well?" he asked Samira, his voice low and comforting.
Samira yawned and shrugged. "Not bad... considering we almost died yesterday." She replied with her usual sarcastic tone, though there was a hint of gratitude in her voice. Strax's smile widened.
Cristine, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow. "You guys need to stop treating life-threatening situations like they're part of some boring routine. We still have a long road ahead."
Beatrice, stretching beside them, mumbled something incoherent as she moved towards the group, clearly struggling against her exhaustion. "So... breakfast before another suicide mission?"
"Good idea," Monica commented, waking up and fixing her messy hair. She always seemed ready for anything, but even she showed signs of wear.
Soon enough, the smell of fresh food filled the air. A simple breakfast was quickly prepared. The sky was clear, with a few scattered clouds, and the serene environment sharply contrasted with the tension they'd faced.
Sitting around the table, the group ate in comfortable silence, savoring the moment before the long journey ahead.
"Did you find him?" Strax asked Yennifer, who was holding a strange book in her hands. The book appeared to be crafted by an artisan.
"He's dead," she said flatly. That was the original plan, after all. "Here's everything he stole from your family: the details about the incidents with your brothers, the knight routes, the plans of Xenovia's mansion and the others', and even how to enter the Garden of Swords. Honestly, this guy deserved a medal. He was an incredible spy."
"And his body?" Strax pressed on, knowing the mission was to identify and eliminate the spy.
"Frozen," Yennifer responded.
"Any chance he's still alive?"
"I broke him in half," she concluded.
"Great, thanks," Strax said, taking the book from her hand. "Are you coming with us?" He gave her a slight smile.
"Well, it's not like I have anywhere else to go, right?" Yennifer smirked. "Besides... I have to protect that one." She glanced over at her twin sister, Cristine.
"I don't think she needs protection. I'm here, you know—" "Protect her from you, you degenerate. You think I don't know about your little special night with her?" Yennifer shot him a look as if he had committed a crime.
"Hey, hey, I didn't force anyone, alright?" Strax defended himself. "If she enjoys what I've got here, that's between her and me, okay?" He chuckled, teasing the jealous sister.
"If you hurt her, what you've got between your legs will be cut off in the most brutal way I know."
"O-okay."
...
With preparations complete, the group finally set off toward Vorah. The journey would be long, but they were ready. Strax led the way, with Samira, Yennifer, Cristine, Beatrice, and Monica right behind him, forming what felt like his personal guard.
The walk was peaceful at first, everyone either in silence or engaged in light conversation. But as the hours passed, fatigue began to settle over them. Even so, Strax kept spirits high, constantly cracking jokes or talking about how excited he was to get back to the city and sleep in a real bed.
Samira, usually more reserved, was chattier than usual, likely because she felt safer around Strax. "I wonder what Vorah has in store for us this time... Hopefully, it's not more suicide missions. That bitch Diana really set us up last time..."
Cristine sighed but nodded. "Vorah always has some kind of surprise waiting... and they're not always good ones."
Yennifer, on the other hand, seemed more thoughtful, her eyes fixed on the horizon as they walked in silence. Monica beside her was equally focused, as if mentally preparing for the challenges ahead.
Beatrice, always practical, glanced at Strax and asked, "So, what's the plan once we reach Vorah?"
Strax smirked. "First, I'll make sure everyone's okay. Then... well, let's see what fate has in store. There's always something interesting happening in Vorah."
Beatrice shook her head. "Always so relaxed."
They kept walking, the sound of their boots on the dirt road the only constant noise. Though they had overcome many challenges to reach this point, everyone knew the road ahead wouldn't get any easier.