After finishing the meeting with Zenash, Draven left the main hall accompanied by Yruza, who was going to take him to where Taliah was.
Taliah was waiting in one of the palace’s hundreds of rooms, together with the official who had begun preparing the documents necessary for the journey.
At first, Yruza remained silent, and Draven watched her for a few seconds.
"Yruza."
The demon slightly turned her head.
"Yes?"
"Thank you for accompanying me this far."
Yruza made a small bow.
"It is my duty."
Draven smiled.
Unlike other people, Yruza had never been overly expressive in front of others and, ever since he had met her as a child, she had always maintained that serious attitude.
Even now, after so many years, it was still difficult to know exactly what she was thinking, but Draven knew her well enough to notice the small changes.
A longer look, a minimal gesture, a pause before answering, which was why Yruza was one of the people who understood him best.
"I also want to thank you for training me all these years."
Draven said, and Yruza lightly shook her head.
"You learned because you trained without rest."
"But you taught me the fundamentals."
"Because it was necessary."
Draven smiled.
Yruza belonged to the berserker clan, one of the strongest warrior groups in Fernus.
Within the videogame, the berserker clan was known for producing some of the best close-combat fighters, and Yruza was considered one of the most talented warriors of her generation.
But the most important thing was the trust Zenash placed in her.
The future queen could distrust nobles, question military reports, analyze every political decision, but with Yruza it was different.
Zenash trusted her completely, so much so that she even allowed her to accompany Draven without worrying too much.
’And precisely because of that, Yruza took advantage of that trust.’
Draven knew a side of Yruza that no one else could see.
They walked through several corridors of the palace where the movement of officials and soldiers diminished as they moved farther from the main area.
Until they finally arrived at a less-trafficked zone, which was a side hallway that connected to the inner gardens.
There was no one nearby.
Draven continued walking normally.
"Everything all right?"
He asked, but Yruza did not answer, so Draven slightly turned his head and then, in an instant, Yruza drew closer.
Draven barely had time to react before she took his face and kissed him.
For a few seconds, Draven was completely surprised, but not by the kiss itself, rather by the fact of the place where they were.
That kiss was nothing new, not for them.
When they finally separated, Draven looked at Yruza with a mixture of surprise and concern.
"Yruza."
She watched him calmly.
"I’m sorry, I couldn’t hold back."
Draven quickly checked the hallway.
"Are you sure no one saw us?"
Yruza did not answer immediately and, instead, looked both ways, but then returned her gaze to him.
"That’s right."
"Completely?"
"Completely sure."
Draven sighed.
"You can’t do something like that inside the palace."
"I did it because I knew there was no one nearby."
Draven looked at her.
"That doesn’t change the fact that if someone discovers us..."
"That won’t happen."
"Zenash would find out."
Yruza kept her gaze fixed on him.
"I know that very well."
That answer made Draven fall silent because that was precisely the problem.
Zenash knew nothing.
For some time now, Draven and Yruza had been maintaining a secret relationship.
It had not happened overnight and neither had it been something planned, but both knew the consequences.
Zenash was his fiancée, the heiress of Fernus, so if she found out about that relationship...
"You have to be more careful."
Draven said, and Yruza crossed her arms.
"I always am careful."
"That’s what you say, but..."
"And it’s true."
Draven sighed and Yruza drew closer again, but this time she simply rested her head against him.
"I missed you quite a bit."
The voice was much lower and less cold.
In front of others, Yruza was a serious warrior, but when they were alone, it was different.
Draven ran a hand through her hair.
"I missed you too."
Yruza closed her eyes.
"Then you should visit me more."
"You know I can’t simply see you in secret."
"I know."
"Besides, you can visit me too."
"Zenash always comes with me."
Draven understood immediately.
That was one of the reasons they had kept everything hidden, and it was that Yruza was loyal to Zenash, but she also had feelings for him.
"Yruza."
"Yes?"
"We have to keep being careful."
"I know."
"I don’t want this to cause more problems for Zenash."
"It won’t."
Draven looked at her.
"That doesn’t depend only on us."
Yruza remained silent and then hugged him more tightly or, rather, far too tightly.
"Y-Yruza..."
"What?"
"Don’t squeeze so hard."
She did not answer while Draven tried to breathe normally.
"I’m serious."
Finally, Yruza loosened a little.
"I’m sorry."
Draven smiled.
"You still have too much strength."
"That’s because you have a weak body."
"Thanks."
"It wasn’t an insult."
"It sounded like one."
Yruza lifted her gaze.
"It was only an observation."
Draven shook his head.
She was exactly the same, even after so many years.
"Do you still not trust Taliah?"
Draven asked, and the change in Yruza’s expression was immediate.
"Correct."
Draven had already expected that answer.
"Taliah isn’t dangerous."
"She’s strong."
"That isn’t a reason to distrust her."
"She’s too close to you."
Draven sighed.
"Yruza."
"She looks at you too much."
"We’re just friends."
"I don’t care."
Draven observed her.
"Are you jealous?"
Yruza did not answer and that was enough of an answer, so Draven smiled slightly.
"That’s a yes."
"I didn’t say that."
"But you didn’t deny it either."
Yruza looked away.
"If something happens to you during this journey..."
"I’ll be fine."
"If you’re not."
Draven noticed the change in her tone, since Yruza was speaking completely seriously.
"I’ll make sure Taliah pays."
Draven opened his eyes.
"What?"
"I won’t allow anyone to hurt you."
"Yruza."
"She’s strong, but..."
"She’s my friend."
"I know."
"Besides, you have no reason to think she’ll do anything."
Yruza fell silent and Draven placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Taliah is someone I trust, and so do you."
Yruza’s expression softened a little.
"Promise me you’ll be careful."
"I promise."
"Not only for me."
Draven understood.
"Also for Zenash, right?"
Yruza nodded and, even though their relationship was complicated, she still cared about Zenash, so she did not want to see her suffer.
"Everything will turn out fine."
Draven said.
Yruza watched him for a few seconds, then drew closer and gave him a short kiss, much calmer than the previous one.
When it ended, she separated and, as if nothing had happened, her expression returned to being completely serious.
"We should go."
Draven shook his head.
"I don’t understand how you can change so quickly."
"Daily training."
Yruza began walking, to which Draven followed her and, when they arrived back at the main area, Taliah lifted her gaze.
"I thought you’d take less time."
Yruza answered immediately.
"We ran into some guards."
Taliah observed her, then looked at Draven, who kept a calm expression.
"Nothing happened."
Taliah narrowed her eyes.
"You’re acting weird."
Draven smiled.
"We’re always weird."
"Well, you’re weirder than normal."
Yruza simply walked toward the carriage and Draven decided not to answer.
Shortly after, everything was prepared, so Draven and Taliah finally left the capital of Fernus behind.
The carriage advanced toward their next destination, the fields of Nerathis, the area where the creature lived that could grant him the achievement necessary to enter the academy.
Taliah observed the road with her hand near her sword.
"How long will it take us to get there?"
"A few days."
"Good."
Draven looked at her.
"Are you excited?"
"No."
She answered too quickly, to which Draven smiled.
"You are excited."
"I want to test my sword."
"That’s being excited."
Taliah looked away.
"It doesn’t matter."
Draven looked forward again.
The journey had only just begun and he knew the creature would be dangerous, but he also knew something else.
If he managed to defeat it, his path toward the academy would be much closer and, after so many years of preparing, the next stage of his life in Valkaen would finally begin.