Morning arrived without incident.
Jax rose before dawn and dismantled camp efficiently.
Barrier dismissed.
Fire extinguished.
Feed containers secured.
Gryph dissolved back into Shadow Space without protest.
The Draft Behemoths were fed, harnessed, and ready before the Vixens had fully woken up.
The early morning air carried a crisp chill through the clearing while sunlight slowly filtered through the trees.
Inside the carriage—
the atmosphere was significantly less productive.
Nyxian stumbled into the kitchen area half-awake, hair a complete disaster, one eye barely open.
"…Why," she muttered painfully, "are mornings legal?"
"Because civilization would collapse otherwise," Jax replied while standing at the stove.
"That feels dramatic."
Jax flipped something in the pan.
The smell hit the carriage almost instantly.
Nyxian froze.
"…Is that bacon?"
"Yes."
Nyxian immediately abandoned all complaints and sat down at the table.
"…You're forgiven."
One by one, the others slowly emerged from the bedrooms.
Bunny followed the smell first.
Her ears twitched violently before she even fully entered the room.
"Oh my gods."
She practically floated toward the table.
Llandra entered next, considerably more composed, though even she visibly relaxed at the scent of breakfast.
Zee arrived last, still rubbing sleep from her eyes.
The table slowly filled with plates.
Eggs.
Toast.
Roasted potatoes.
Fruit.
And most importantly—
bacon.
Crisp.
Perfect.
Dangerously addictive.
The Vixens ate with the kind of focused silence usually reserved for religious experiences.
Nyxian eventually leaned back in her chair with visible satisfaction.
"I've made another important discovery."
Llandra sighed immediately.
"That sentence never leads anywhere good."
Nyxian ignored her.
"I love my belly filled with either bacon or Jax."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Zee nearly inhaled water wrong.
Bunny choked on a piece of toast while laughing.
Llandra slowly closed her eyes.
"…Nyxian."
"What?" Nyxian asked innocently. "I'm simply expressing appreciation."
"You cannot say things like that so casually," Zee squeaked.
Nyxian tilted her head.
"Why not? They're both delicious."
Jax covered his face with one hand.
"I walked directly into that."
Bunny was laughing so hard her ears twitched uncontrollably.
"She's not wrong though!"
"BUNNY," Llandra snapped.
"What?!" Bunny wheezed. "She's technically complimenting him!"
Nyxian pointed triumphantly.
"Exactly. Supportive relationship behavior."
Zee buried her face in her hands.
"We are never surviving this trip."
Nyxian leaned comfortably against the table.
"Oh relax. We're engaged. I'm pretty sure discussing Jax-related cravings is legally allowed now."
Llandra muttered something in Elvish that sounded deeply judgmental.
Jax finally sighed and pointed his fork toward Nyxian.
"You are exhausting."
"And yet," Nyxian replied smugly, "you continue feeding me."
Pause.
"…And filling my belly."
Bunny collapsed against the table laughing.
Zee made a distressed noise somewhere between a gasp and surrender.
Even Llandra failed to hide the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
Outside—
the Draft Behemoths snorted impatiently, fully prepared to continue the journey whether the carriage occupants retained dignity or not.
By midmorning, they were back on the road.
As the carriage rolled onward, Jax experimented quietly with his new skill.
He extended the barrier outward again—
this time while the carriage remained in motion.
The barrier wrapped smoothly around the entire structure.
Exterior.
Interior.
Dimensional space.
Everything.
The sound dampening remained active.
The mana suppression held.
Even the alarm effect persisted.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Even inside the carriage, Jax could still feel the faint thread of awareness connected to the barrier.
Ready to warn him instantly if disturbed.
Useful.
Extremely useful.
The road stretched onward beneath warm afternoon sunlight while conversation drifted lazily through the carriage interior.
Bunny enthusiastically retold a story she had already explained twice.
Nyxian had sobered just enough to become dangerous again.
Zee listened quietly while smiling into her tea.
Then—
Jax felt it.
A pulse.
Subtle.
The barrier rippled once.
Not from movement.
Impact.
Something had touched it.
Jax's expression sharpened instantly.
The Draft Behemoths slowed slightly ahead.
Outside, the road curved between dense tree cover and steep embankments.
The barrier pulsed again.
Something waited ahead.
And whatever it was—
it wasn't friendly.