What Should I Have Done…?

 “Iris! I’m done! Sorry it took so lo—huh?”

As I exited from the dark room where Aeron and his gargoyle familiars were I saw that the church was dark and empty. The sound of crickets echoed throughout the area and moonlight shined through the hole in the ceiling.

“Damn! It’s that late!?”

I cursed aloud.

“Well, I was fighting for my life against those two gargoyles for…what, hours? It makes Iris leave. But still…we planned a whole date. Perhaps I’ll take her to dinner as an apology…hmm?”

As I walked down the aisle, a small bright glare hit my left eye, making me squint in irritation. I turned to the source of the light and saw a long red sheathed sword sitting comfortably on the pew. Instantly I recognized the design of the blade specifically made by Toto—it was Iris’s sword. The scarlet blade was partially out, the top part of the red metal reflecting the light of the moon onto my body as if calling out to me.

“Iris forgot her sword?”

I picked up the blade and stormed out of the church without any further delay. The streets of Eleiweth were quiet and deserted during the night which made it easier for me to get by. In a few minutes, I was standing in front of the gates of Elendria Academy. I went straight into the forms and ran over to Iris’s room.

“Iris!”

I called out to my girlfriend as I knocked on her door repeatedly.

“Yo! Iris it’s me, Baxter! You up!?”

After a few more knocks the door had finally opened. As it opened slowly on the other side I saw Iris who seemed to be trying to hide herself behind her own door as if she was frightened of me.

“H-hello Baxter…”

Iris’s voice sounded shy and reserved as she spoke—the polar opposite of her hyper energy. Her cheeks lit up with a pink color of embarrassment and the smile that she wore on her face seemed ready to slip off like a mask.

However I had no intention to pry any further to Iris’s weird attitude. It was late, I was exhausted, and I figured it wasn’t a big deal.

“Did I wake you?”

I asked as I entered the room.

“I’m sorry if I did. I just didn’t want to leave you tonight without an explanation.”

“E-explanation…?”

“About what took me so long…Iris, are you alright?”

“E-e-everything’s fine! I-I just…anyway what took you so long with Father Aeron?”

I gave Iris a fake story about how Aeron told me about the days when he was a holy knight. He gave me some tips on how to fight better and he gave me encouragement with prayers. I told her this instead of the full truth because I didn’t forget Aeron’s warning.

It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Iris but more of the fact that I didn’t want her to get involved in the apparent BS I was in. Her future in becoming a Holy Knight could be jeopardized if she knew what I knew.

“Is that all?” Iris asked. “That priest didn’t do anything to hurt you right?”

“Those two gargoyles gave me some trouble, but I showed them what for!”

Iris breathed a sigh of relief.

“That’s good. Those two are insane…”

“…Anyway, I’m sorry for messing up our date today! I’ll make it up to you next weekend, after the midterms!”

“I-it’s alright! I’m just glad nothing was wrong with you…”

“Yeah…did the teachers harass you about how you are covered in bandages?”

“They did and I just told them the truth. I believe they will start passing a rule that students aren’t allowed to go by the slums anymore.”

“Can’t be helped. Also, I hope Dante was giving you any trouble!”

Iris’s face started to sweat profusely and she shouted back.

“W-w-what?! O-of course not! W-what makes you think Dante would give me trouble!?”

I was caught off guard by Iris’s response but shrugged it off as I continued to talk.

“I’m not trying to make fun of the guy or anything but I barely know anything about him other than the fact that he is in the same class as us. I just hope that he didn’t say or do anything stupid that may have rubbed you off the wrong way.”

My girlfriend remained silent for a bit before chuckling. Her eyes darted away from me as if she was trying her best not to look right at me.

“Haha…yeah because you would beat him up if he did right?”

“Huh? Well I mean I don’t just go around punching people but if ANYBODY messed with my girl they would be getting the knuckled sandwich with extra beef and cheese!!”

I declared all of that in a deep voice as I flexed my muscles in a goofy fashion. Iris giggled in response which was what I was hoping for.

“Thank you Baxter and don’t worry about today. We can make up our date any other day.”

Iris nodded.

“Right now we have to focus on the midterms. This is the point where our skills must be polished so…goodnight Baxter.”

“Wha? Oh yeah, goodnight! See you tomorrow!”

Just as Iris opened the door for me and I was heading out my eyes caught something strange on my girlfriend’s shoulder.

Right on the very top of her shoulder, slightly covered by the strap of her tank top multiple small red squares went around in a circle. My brain had clicked as the shape seemed familiar because back in the Town of Lore a wild dog would give me the same thing on my foot if I didn’t run fast enough.

‘Is that a bite mark?’

I said those words in my head as the door was shut right in front of my face. My mind was going a million miles per hour to try and understand what the mark of Iris’s shoulder could be but then the fatigue of all the events of the day hit me hard.

I fought bandits, and gargoyles in a battle to the death. And I learned an amazing technique that can get rid of magic! It was the first of many intense twenty-four hours that I had ever had in my life.

But what was up with Iris? I had no clue at the time. Maybe a piece of me did but in the end, I ultimately decided not to delve deeper unless Iris herself approached me.

Perhaps…that was the wrong move? Maybe it was, but in the end, it doesn’t matter. This is a story from the distant past. The stuff that happened and the choices that were made had already come to pass. But when it’s all said and done and you all see you can tell me…

What should I have done to avoid the despair that I would feel in a year’s time…?