The next day passed quickly. 

Cayden and Kat took turns carrying Nazine, still a deadweight. Cayden had to constantly remind Kat not to step into the shadows as her form flickered under every tree. Though Rena offered to help, neither of them would let her. Through the newly formed bond between her and Cayden, she could guess why. 

She found herself becoming increasingly distracted by random things. Noises and scents that hinted at a threat. Trails of ley through the air that called to her. Despite her joke to Cayden about raw meat the night before, Rena found it hard to keep the grain-based food that was lunch down. The birds soaring overhead looked much more appetising. 

Rena didn't deny the reason behind the thoughts anymore, but that didn't mean she wouldn't fight it until Nazine was safe. She'd accepted her fate, that didn't mean it was going to distract her from the purpose she'd found. 

Night claimed the land before long. By the light of Rena's fire, they continued for a few additional hours before finally stopping. They made the usual arrangements--phoenix, fire, food of both the ley and physical kind--and it wasn't long until Rena's job was done and she was able to stretch her fingers towards the flame, soaking up their warmth.

"We'll be at Leristith by tomorrow, given everything goes smoothly," said Cayden. 

"So, give it another week then, shall we?" said Rena, putting her untouched food to the side when they looked away. 

"Sounds about right," murmured Cayden. 

Kat stood up from the fire and brushed herself off. "I'm going to go to Leristith tonight, make sure that everything's in place for your arrival tomorrow, maybe see if I can get an elemental to come pick you up." She glanced at Nazine, the corners of her mouth tilting down. "Might have to be a coach. He might not be strong enough for an elemental journey, but it'll be something. I feel like you've both done your share of walking in the last week or so." 

"Feet?" asked Cayden. "You mean those fleshy things permanently welded to the insides of my boots?" 

At the mention, Rena wriggled her toes. That was something else that'd been bothering her. Her boots didn't feel right anymore. She'd almost taken them off today out of sheer longing to feel the grass beneath her. 

Cayden glanced her way, the slightest frown on his face. Rena gave him a reassuring smile, though she was sure he didn't believe it for a second. 

Even after the emotional high from the bond's creation last night had died down, she was still aware of a presence at the side of her own mind, intermingled among her own thoughts. It seemed to pull at her in the strangest way, like it was enhancing certain traits towards him, only it couldn't figure out how. Like the bond had a key to her head, only to find out that her head no longer fit that mould, that it'd melted down to a completely different, unrecognisable shape. 

Cayden looked back to Kat. "If there's the possibility of not walking, I'd be eternally grateful. Pigeon boy isn't exactly light."

"Always fun to wake up a few cardinals and give them a sleepless night," said Kat with a grin. "Did you want me to bring back a ley guard or two so you can sleep through a night for once?"

"One more night won't kill me," said Cayden. He lowered his voice. "Besides, I'd rather them not know about Rena's condition until absolutely possible, and, well..."

Rena pretended she hadn't heard, relaxing her ears against her head and curling up on the ground inside her tails. She noticed the extra two--it was annoying to find a comfortable place for them, considering she'd just managed worked out the first five, but at least they gave extra cushioning. She didn't feel the cold anymore. 

"I understand," said Kat. "I'll see you at Leristith, if not sooner. You too, Rena."

With that, she left. Cayden, seeing Rena already curled for the night, offered to take first watch, and she didn't object, drifting off into a dreamless sleep. 

It was only when she woke up to the dawn that she realised Cayden hadn't woken her for a watch. 

It bothered her. Didn't he trust her? Sure, she might be losing her sanity, but she hadn't yet. She was clinging to the scraps for Nazine--for Cayden. 

Rena stretched herself out, tails and all, drawing Cayden's attention. 

"Was wondering when you'd wake up," he said. 

"Why didn't you wake me for my shift?" she asked, joining him beside the firepit. With a quick flick of her fingers, flames fuelled by ley flared to life. 

"Kat came back during the night," said Cayden. "Said there was an escort that should arrive by dawn. Figured there wasn't much point waking you after that, and you looked like you could use the sleep."

"I'm not the only one that could use it," muttered Rena, noting the dark circles under Cayden's eyes. 

He shrugged. "I can sleep on the coach if necessary. It'll still be a few hours. Worst comes to worst, I take a hit of ley and stay awake for another twenty four hours." 

They waited another half an hour or so, watching the sun and making small talk. Through the bond, Rena felt how he held himself back, how he waited for her reaction after every word. When the sound of distant wing beats eventually grew louder, into the realm where they were no longer imagining it, both of them were more than a little relieved. 

Rena could hardly believe her eyes as the sound grew closer. "Are--are they pegasi?"

"Looks like it," said Cayden. "Geez, we must be special or something if they've got the pegasi Mythics on call. They're usually ceremonial." 

Rena's head swam. "Why are they in their full Mythic form? I thought the Order said the unicorn Mythic was hibernating!"

"A harmonised Mythic can switch between their full human and Mythic forms or anywhere in between," said Cayden. "It's how Kat shadow walks. She literally turns herself into shadow. As for the unicorn, a unicorn and a pegasus are completely different. A pegasus is full fae, while the unicorn's a halfling, part fae and part energy. They just look similar." 

It wasn't long before the pegasi arrived, and they were every bit as elegant and graceful as Rena had always imagined them. Four in total, two were pure white, one silver and the other ash grey, each pair took on the burden of what looked like a carriage stripped of its wheels. One harnessed in front with the other behind, the redesigned carriages hung underneath them as they flew. 

With the carriages lowered to the ground, a group of five emerged, practically tripping over their own robes as they rushed over. 

Rena's eyes fell to the pegasi as they regained their half forms, practically indistinguishable from that of an angel. The only thing missing was the halo. 

"On the way back, I'm flying in front," said the ash-grey pegasus to one of the whites. "Your wing beats are so hard to match."

"I told you to fly with Aelfa, Trina," said the white. 

Rena didn't get a further chance to eavesdrop as the group of five arrived at Nazine's side. Four crouched. Their sharp movements flattened Rena's ears as they crowded the phoenix and touched fingers to his key. It was only Cayden's touch that stayed her as they examined the phoenix. 

The fifth member, a woman in the Order's robes addressed Cayden. 

"You are the phoenix's ley guard, correct?" she said. Her eyes shifted to Rena. "And you, the kitsune who was originally taken with them?" 

"Correct," said Cayden. 

"My name is Kian," said the woman. "I'm a cardinal within the Order. The other four beside the phoenix now are the best healer Mythics of varying disciplines we could find within the time we were given. They'll be doing what they can to stabilise the phoenix before we depart." 

As Cayden ran Kian through the details of Nazine's feeding and the events of the last few days, omitting all details related to Rena's encroaching feralness, Rena couldn't help but wonder why they hadn't used the pegasi to reach Leristith in the first place. She asked Cayden as much once Kian walked back to the healers. 

"Like I said, the pegasi are usually ceremonial," he said. "There isn't that many of them trained enough to go on expeditions like this, not to mention strong enough. Sort of the same thing with the elementals like the cardinals use to travel occasionally. Lacking numbers of ones capable of doing it, and they have a recharge period." 

"And Nazine wasn't important enough in the first place?" asked Rena. "They knew the Unbounds might attack us, didn't they?" 

"It's why we had the archangel, he was supposed to be the extra security," said Cayden with a sigh. "But they were worried Nazine's halfling status would conflict with the elementals. Fire tends to be the element that doesn't play nice with wind or earth, the elemental types used for fast travel. Not to mention his energy side is capable of completely throwing them off course." 

Rena accepted the information and went back to staring at the pegasi, still stretching their muscles and poking fun at each other as they fiddled with their harnesses. 

Eventually, the healers stepped back. 

"There's nothing we can do, short of what the kitsune has already been doing," said one of them, a female with violet skin. "I'm surprised they've got him this far, given the state of his key and the volatile nature of a phoenix." 

"Very well," said Kian. "Get the phoenix into the carriage with his ley guard and the kitsune and we'll return. Kosi, to split numbers, you'll be travelling in the phoenix's carriage."

Rena helped Cayden carry Nazine to one of the carriages. In its resting state, the carriage floor was flat on the ground, so it was a simple matter of walking inside and placing Nazine on one of the plushed benches and closing the sides after them. 

The pegasi harnessed themselves back, reverting to their full Mythic form in a transformation of shifting muscles and stretching limbs. The harnesses needed nothing but a few minor adjustments, something completed by Kian. Rena's curiosity as to how they planned to get off the ground was answered by a flurry of furious wing beats, and one terrifying stomach-lurch later, the pegasi were off the ground, and their carriage with them as the distance started to disappear behind them. 

Rena watched it until the violet-skinned Mythic closed the slim windows to reduce the howling gale ripping through the interior. 

"Impressive, isn't it?" said Cayden, catching sight of Rena's eyes. 

She turned to look at him. There were still glimpses of the man who'd saved her from the chaotic at the portal what felt like a lifetime ago, but he was no longer central in the eyes. That man was now a loyal, steady base to the experiences that'd built him to more in recent weeks, experiences that had given his eyes a softer edge when he looked at her. Experiences that knew sacrifice, what it was to lose colleagues, friends for duty, and experiences that knew it wasn't over yet. 

Rena wanted to place her hand on the side of his face, the action lost under the gaze of the  violet-skinned Mythic that rode with them. She wanted to tell him she was okay with it. That she was ready. She'd done her part, and she'd said her goodbyes. 

The violet-skinned Mythic coughed gently, breaking whatever had held Rena captive. 

"If you wish to rest, it will be a few hours before we reach Leristith," they said. "I will continue to observe the phoenix. He is in safe hands, I assure you." 

Cayden didn't move, continuing to stare ahead, the bond fluctuating as it mirrored his turmoil. It was only after Rena curled her tails around her and faced the wall that she heard him finally shift, and a few minutes later, soft snores she hadn't heard once throughout the entire journey, yet were unmistakable as Cayden's. 

*+*+*+*

A/N - Welp, this part got longer than I thought it would. This was supposed to take up, like, the intro part of the chapter anddd here we are at 2k words and the next bit of the chapter not qutie feeling like it's the next bit of the same chapter anymore. Wups.

Please remember to vote and/or comment if you're enjoying Mythic, orrr mebe the superfast updates ^_^ Next chapter's gonna be a big one, plot wise. Bonus points if anyone guesses why.