After several hours of travel, the carriage finally slowed down.
The driver called out, "We've arrived at one of the middle points, ma'am!"
A soft chime echoed from underground — Bella, still following beneath the carriage, gave a cheerful chirp like a bell tower yawning.
Nyxar's eyes opened instantly. He stretched his arm out the window and calmly de-summoned Bella, the faint shimmer of black mist spiraling back into his palm.
Then he turned to his side — where Ember was still asleep, comfortably drooling on his shoulder.
Nyxar blinked. Slowly.
Then said, flatly, "We're here."
Ember half-opened her eyes. "Mhm… where's 'here'?"
"One of the middle points," Nyxar replied. "Or whatever Sophia said."
Ember smiled drowsily — until she felt the cool patch of wetness on her cheek… and the matching one on Nyxar's shirt.
Her brain caught up in slow motion.
She looked down.
Saw the drool.
Looked up at Nyxar.
He blinked. Once. Still expressionless.
The narrator whispered helpfully, "At that exact moment, Ember mentally attempted to vaporize herself out of existence."
Ember shot up, face red. "I– uh– sorry! I was just— it's— uh—"
Nyxar simply said, "You drooled."
"THANK YOU, I NOTICED!"
Bug, still half asleep, muttered from the corner, "Mhm. Romantic."
Spirit mumbled, "Give them a minute, it's the drool arc."
Ember turned to glare at them both. "Shut. Up."
Arrival Chaos
Once everyone woke up (and Ember finished dying of embarrassment), they finally got out of the carriage.
The small village looked peaceful — rows of cottages, a few stalls, smoke rising from chimneys. A quiet stop on the long road between kingdoms.
Sebastian immediately stretched, helping Belos down from the carriage while Ember began talking with one of the innkeepers about rooms.
Nyxar stayed behind, looking into the carriage.
Belos was still clinging to his mini bears, half asleep.
"Wake up," Nyxar said softly.
Belos mumbled, "Five more minutes…"
Nyxar tilted his head. "No."
"...Ten?"
"No."
Belos squinted up at him, thinking for a moment — then gave up and climbed out. The mini bears toddled behind him, one tripping over its own paw.
The narrator said, "Nyxar is surprisingly good at waking up children. Mostly because he treats it like a military extraction."
Village Vibes
Once the group gathered outside the inn, Nyxar did his usual headcount.
Bug and Spirit were awake but grumbling.
Ember and Sebastian were talking to the innkeeper.
Belos was distracted, poking at something shiny on the ground.
Everything seemed normal — until Belos gasped.
"Hey, look! A cave!"
He pointed at the edge of the village, where a rocky outcrop curved into a dark opening. A man was just entering it, holding a lantern.
Nyxar followed the direction with his eyes.
"Yeah," he said.
Belos turned to him with childlike excitement. "Let's go see!"
Nyxar looked at the cave. Then at Belos. Then back at the cave.
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because that's how people die," Nyxar said, completely serious.
Bug, hovering lazily above, yawned. "He's right, kid. Caves are like… 90% plot device, 10% trauma."
Spirit added, "And probably 100% spiders."
Belos pouted. "But maybe there's treasure."
Nyxar shrugged. "Maybe there's death. Let's get to Ember and Sebastian first."
Belos sighed dramatically, following him as the narrator muttered, "And thus, the child's curiosity was denied… for now."
The group walked toward the inn together — Ember waving them over while Sebastian negotiated for rooms — and in the background, the cave mouth yawned wider, like it was listening.