The Iyrmen spoke their tales as they made their way back to the Iyr, along the forested hills, then through the pins, then the hills, passing through Eagle Wing. From Eagle Wing, they made their way south west, and it on that road, Adam could feel his breathing grow difficult. It was only then he realised how close he was to death.

  At the fort, the thought of esg came to him. The Iyr would do nothing to his children, he khat mubsp;

  ‘No,’ Adam thought. ‘They might not want to kill me, maybe they want to talk about it first? I mean, they could have killed me already.’

  Jurot remained silent, the heaviness of the guilt, the shame, and the grief filling him. Even now, he couldn’t speak to his brother. Adam hadn’t spoken to him either, and Jurot uood it was for the Iyrman’s sake. He didn’t even have the strength to pray to Baktu.

  Terry watched as the carriage approached, his eyes falling to the Iyrmen, who had been waiting patiently. He had no idea what the Iyr’s business was here with the carriage, but they had all but locked the vilge down for it. ‘May the Divine help us.’

  The vilge left the Iyrmen to their business in oion of the vilge. Adam sat opposite the fire, staring at it. He hadn’t worn his armour, but carried his axe at his side. He clutched at the axe, feeling its magigle through his fingers.

  Hope.

  He hadn’t realised how much soce he was going to find within it so shortly after naming it. It was his granduncle’s axe, Sarot, who had left abruptly to die.

  ‘At least I’ll get to see you again soon, eh?’

  Adam uood he wasn’t going to die that day, since he didn’t see the Chief, but one of his aides. He was certain the pair of them would be present for his death. Jurot, of course, would be there, since he trusted his brother the most.

  ‘I hope Jaygak and Kitool will be there too,’ the half elf hoped.

  As rays of dawn came, the carriages left.

  “Hey,” Bael said, as they rapidly approached the Iyr’s nd. “Now that I think about it, I didn’t really hear many of your stories.”

  “My stories?”

  “You mentioned some of it, the start, the end, but you didn’t tell me much about the middle.”

  “Ah, well, maybe I’ll tell you aime,” Adam said, a sad smirk across his lips.

  “Why don’t you tell me now?”

  “If you want to know, my brother will tell you,” Adam said.

  “The brother you won’t even talk to?”

  “Do you wao beat your ass again?”

  “Onext noonval es and you’re still alive, I’ll show you what it means to be so cheeky to the great me!” Bael howled with ughter, but even he could feel it brimming from the Iyrmen.

  The carriages approached the vilge, but instead of entering it, they went around the walls, all the way to the bridge, and tinued over it and onto the Iyr’s nd.

  Within the fort, steps approached the temple, that which doubled as her home. “A carriage has e. I will stop it, and you speak with him.”

  The figure remained upon his knees, praying deeply. He tio t, even ign his wife’s words. He did so, even knowing she regnant.

  “He will want to see you,” she said, firmly, causing the ting to fall silent.

  “I ot face him,” Dunes replied simply, even now feeling the siess rise within him.

  ‘Morn…’ Amira wished to call out to him, but seeing his shoulders uo bear the weight of his guilt, she left the Priest to his prayers. As she stepped out, the warm air of noonval against her skin, she could feel the stain upon the air. She gowards the walls, with half a thought to watch the carriage, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

  The carriage tinued passed the fort, with the pressure of the Iyr falling upon them.

  “Hey, let me go greet my kids,” Adam said, daring to speak up to the Iyrmen. The carriage stopped, and Adam raised his brows. ‘Oh, I guess they-, ah.’

  As Adam stepped out, he saw him. He was an older man, with long hair, streaks of white breaking up the red of the dye. A strong jaw, shaven, a wide, ft nose, and small eyes. He wore silks, bck as the starless night, golden threads darting along the hem. At his side, he wore a longsword, a fusion of bone aal.

  Adam let out a gentle sigh, smiling slightly as he saw the Chief, and standing behind him, his grandaunt, and finally, a third figure he vaguely recalled. “What’s this? The Chief himself has e to wele?”

  Iromin remained eerily silent.

  Adam gnced between the Chief, then to Shaool, and then to her. A scruffy woman, who embodied the wilderness. She wore the skull of a silverdeer as a mask, antler and all, curly bck hair, which fell back across her shoulders. The skull was carved in such a way which revealed the tattoo on her forehead, a bck tilted cross, and several eight poiars. Thick furs, tannish grey, fell across her entire form, hiding the rest of her body. Grasped tightly within her hands were a pair of shortswords, made of boh intricate carvings, designs of the Iyr, which Jurot uood.

  Thirst for Blood.

  “I…” Adam began, feeling his throat strict, even as he grinned wide, “would like to see my children first.” Adam tio smile awkwardly towards the Chief. “You’d give me that much, wouldn’t you?”

  Iromin tio remain eerily silent, before he caught Jurot’s gaze, the young Iyrman quickly closing his eyes. He hadn’t expected this at all. Adam being too joyous, too calm, for what was about to happen, but it all made sense.

  The Chief was unsure of what to say, except other than what all Iyrme to say when young. “Okay.”

  Bael remained silent, unsure of what the Chief was doing, but his attention was drawn io the pressure he felt from it. He wasn’t sure what it was, but there was something that could match his great grandfather’s strength within the Iyr, and it was focused entirely upon him. The excitement within his heart rose, but he repyed the voice within his mind, and quickly uood why the Iyr had sted for so long, and would, perhaps, outlive even him. ‘Ah! You must be the old dy?’

  “You will remain here,” Iromin said, pg a hand upon Bael’s shoulder.

  “I’m afraid I ’t-,”

  “Hey, don’t cause trouble in the Iyr,” Adam said, before the Chief was able to threaten the young man. “Let me go with some grace, won’t you?”

  “…” Bael pulled away, gng towards the fort. He could smell it upon the air, now that his senses returo him, no longer feeling the great pressure. He walked away, heading towards the fort, and then passed it, towards the faint st of iron.

  The Chief stepped into the carriage, Adam following after him, followed by Shaool, and then Jurot. The st figure, with the silverdeer skull mask, sat upon the driver’s eat, and the magical steed led them forward.

  “Did you guys move the children back to the Front Iyr?”

  “The Main Iyr,” the Chief admitted.

  “Oh?” Adam replied. “Was Jirot causing a mess?”

  “No,” Iromin replied, swallowing slightly. “Your Aunt wished for them to return to the Main Iyr.”

  “If that’s the case, then I suppose I’ll o wait longer,” Adam said, swallowing, trying to figure out a way to get out of this mess. “Do you need me to… ent anything, or…”

  “Adam?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I will tio fight for you.”

  Adam could hear something darker within the Chief’s voice. He smiled, uanding the Chief’s hands were tied. “I know. I appreciate that, Chief.”

  “Thank you.”

  “I should be the oo thank you.”

  The carriage moved swiftly through to the Front Iyr, appearing at the Front Iyr far too quickly, the gates already opened for the group, while they tihrough the Front Iyr and then through the hills to the mountains, and finally to the Main Iyr.

  ‘Damn, it feels quicker than before.’ Adam could feel his stomach stir, but he closed off his thoughts. “ht, I want to see Vonda too, if it’s not too much.”

  Iromin bowed his head. “You will meet your family.”

  “Yeah. My family.” Adam winced hard, reag up to cover his eyes. “Would you mind, uh, if I put on my armour? I don’t really want to go down without a fight.”

  “Okay,” Iromin said, allowing them to stop, so Adam could slip on his armour, deying the iable.

  “Will Jaygak and Kitool be there?”

  “That would be difficult.”

  “Could you, uh,” Adam said, sniffling, wiping his eyes, blowing his o a handkerchief. “Would you tease her for me, for not being there to beat me up?”

  “Okay.”

  Once Adam was fully adorned in his equipment, he reached down to his axe, ying it on his p. “This was my granduncle’s axe.”

  “…”

  “I made him a promise, that if Jirot or Jarot had kids, they would name a child after him. I haven’t really told them of it, so could you tell them?”

  “Okay.”

  “Jirot, I don’t think she wants children, so it’ll have to be Jarot, my dependable, sweet Jarot.”

  “Okay,” Iromin replied, unsure of how much more he could take, but he couldn’t break now, for he was the Chief of the Iyr.

  Adam followed the Chief, whose steps were not quite as graceful any lohe Chief prepared to fight. He entered into a tunnel he hadn’t seen before, lit by the gentle glow of orbs embedded within the walls. It was cold, though Adam was already cold enough he could barely feel it.

  ‘I guess it’s a short cut? Or is a secret thing? As long as I get to see my cute kids before I go, it’s going to be okay. I mean, I died twid came back, third time’s the charm?’ His heart beat quicker, thundering within his chest, the half elf stopping for a moment to brace himself.

  The tunnel finally gave way, the glowing brighter, and it was then he could feel the intense pressure of the Chief and Shaool, press upon him.

  Wisdom SaveD20 + 4 = 19 (15)

  F