The first light of dawn spilled over the horizon, staining the misty woods in gold. Elrick's head lolled gently against Beatriz's back, his breathing slow and even. Each step she took was calculated—heel to toe, heel to toe—avoiding loose stones and dry twigs so as not to wake him.
The sack of treasures at her side clinked faintly with each sway, but her grip stayed firm, her gait steady. For someone clad in sacred armor and burdened with both man and loot, she moved as if the earth itself bent to soften her steps.
Then she saw it—through the thinning trees, a glimmer of water. A small lake, untouched, its surface perfectly still save for the drifting ripples of the wind.
She stopped.
"Elrick," she said quietly, her voice like the low toll of a bell.
He stirred, mumbling incoherently before blinking awake. "Mmh… huh? We stopping? What's—" He sat up slightly on her back, eyes squinting in the morning light. Then his expression shifted from groggy confusion to a slow, dawning smile.
"A lake…" He yawned. "Finally, we can take a bath."
She knelt, letting him slide off her back. He stretched, rolling his shoulders.
"I'll go check the area first," he muttered, suddenly perking up with mock seriousness. He jogged toward the water's edge, scanning the tree line and sniffing dramatically.
He turned back, ready to declare his inspection complete—then froze mid-step.
Beatriz was already unfastening her armor, piece by piece, methodically stacking it on the grass. She slipped out of her undergarments without a word, her movements calm and unselfconscious, as though she were simply preparing for a mission.
Elrick's jaw went slack.
"Oh… uh… right. You… work fast." He spun around so abruptly he nearly tripped over a rock. His eyes, however, betrayed him—darting back in quick, guilty glances. Her long, powerful legs gleamed faintly in the sunlight, her figure an almost intimidating balance of strength and beauty.
Before he could recover from the sight, she was already stepping into the water, her every motion precise, graceful. She dipped under the surface, her hair fanning out beneath the ripples, then emerged, unbothered by his presence, as if his wandering gaze held no weight at all.
"Are you getting in?" she asked without looking back.
"Hey, I was just—" He groaned, rubbing his face. "Fine…"
Soon, the water splashed with his much less dignified entry. They swam for a while, the morning air crisp around them, until the quiet turned to the mundane necessity of washing their clothes.
While scrubbing a tunic, Elrick's thoughts drifted. If I summon the next one now, we won't risk it suddenly popping up in the middle of town… but I don't know anything about them. Some might be… huge.
He glanced at Beatriz. "After this… I'm gonna call the next summoned. If I order you to kill it… would you?"
Her answer was immediate. "If it is your will, it will be done."
That certainty, as always, was like steel in her voice.
Elrick nodded slowly, satisfied. "Good." Then, almost to himself, he murmured, "After we call it… we'll decide if it's worth heading to the city."