The gazes fell upon the Iyrman as he stepped out of the carriage, noting some of the workers still withiate, though mostly the young children remained. He approached the group, making his way to the two Managers who waited for him.

  “You must tell me,” Jurot said simply.

  Once Jurot was informed, he remained silent. He could envision the se within his mind. The Iyrman tensed up several times, beating away the rage which dared to overwhelm him. He could only wonder what the childre at the time. His own thoughts fell back to when he was a child, and the most danger he had been, held hostage by Balrog the Bane, and the shame which had filled him since. His father and aunt had let them go peacefully in order to protect him, but…

  Where had he been when his nied nephews were in trouble?

  “Okay,” the Iyrman said, his voice cold. “Gather the workers.”

  “Jurot,” Kamrot called, approag his grandnephew as he took and of the business. “Okay?”

  “Okay,” Jurot replied, his voice holding a slight rasp, inf Kamrot of his true feelings. “Thank you for watg over the business.”

  Kamrot rubbed along his freshly shaved head, gng aside for a moment. “It was my mistake. I should have watched over them, as their babo.”

  Jurot shook his head. “It was the mistake of the Order.”

  “It is a matter of the family?”

  “Yes.”

  Kamrot slowly nodded his head. “I will go.”

  Jurot closed his eyes. “Adam will decide.”

  “I must go,” Kamrot stated. “I will speak with him.”

  “Adam will e,” Jurot promised. “Will you remain at the business and watch over it?”

  “I will,” Kamrot promised, shaking the young Iyrman’s forearm, before g the boy’s hand within his own. “Are they well?”

  “Jarot does .”

  Kamrot shut his eyes tight, feeling the chill run through him. He tained his rage, the old man having decades of practise in dealing with such emotions. “I will not be able to face Rirot if I ot sughter them.”

  “Adam is dealing with the matter.”

  “ he?”

  “Adam is Adam.”

  Kamrot slowly nodded his head, and pulled away, leaving the Iyrman be. He returned back to the wall, his sharp eyes demanding the nearby Iyrmen to keep on guard, though none required such a look.

  The businessfolk gathered before the Iyrman, the Iyrman who held the same tattoos as many of the Iyrmen nearby, the blue circle fnked by blue diamonds. The Managers, the Leads, and all the other businessfolk waited for the Iyrman to speak. Bil stood behind the Aswadians children, Jasmiood beside her fully clothed panion, and Bael sat to one side, leaning his jaw against his fist.

  The air hung heavy within the air. The businessfolk could feel it on the air. It was that kind of feeling, the feeling that someone wao cut you down, and it was only a matter of time for them to draw their bde.

  “The Iyr will assist in our defences indefinitely.” Jurot closed his eyes, tensing up slightly. Though he could feel the knot in his heart and throat, Adam had made it obvious that he o ease their worries. “We, the Executives of the United Kindom, are sorry to have caused such distress to you. We made a mistake, and it will not happen again.”

  Dunes could feel the air grow heavier around them. He felt a hand against his, and he squeezed it gently. He took in the sight of Jurot, whose nephews had been killed. Jurot usually stood so tall and proud, carrying an aura of fidence, which delved into a practised arrogance. He oood like a tiger, but now he was a house cat.

  “Our business will close its gates for a short time,” Jurot began. “I will begiraining once more. Lead Jonn will train you once I return to the Iyr.”

  The words cut deep as Jonn swallowed. He swore his Oaths to Adam, not his brother, but the half elf’s heart remained heavy with the burden of failure. He, who had meant to protect the children, had allowed them to be killed right beside him.

  “Bil, Siten, thank you for your assistance. I will inform the Enter of your tributions.”

  Bil bowed his head, and with a whisper from Jasmine, Siten also bowed their head, more a nod that was kept for a moment too long.

  A silence befell the business. For a long moment, the businessfolk stared at their Executive. The Executive that was the son of their president. The Executive who was the grandson of the Mad Dog. They could still feel the uhed bde hanging in the air.

  Jurot was uain of how to tinue, but thankfully, the Silver Fate Squad returned, and the Iyrman dismissed the businessfolk.

  Nirot approached Jurot, stopping ahead of him. He threw a look to the others for a moment, swallowing slightly. “I am sorry. I should have remained here.”

  “No. The vilges needed your assistance.”

  “How are they?”

  “Little Jarot does . Adam is dealing with it.”

  Nirot’s heart dropped, the young woman’s bitirembling lower lip. “ he do it?”

  “Adam is Adam.”

  Nirot blinked away the thought of her arving to death. Her eyes met her cousin’s, filling with a simmering rage. “Will you go?”

  “I will.”

  “You must take me with you.”

  “No.”

  “I must go,” Nired. “They are my oo.”

  “You must remain.”

  “I ot.”

  “You must, for it is not your tale,” Jurot stated firmly.

  Nirot blinked, as though she had been spped in the face. “You would deny my rights?”

  Jurot remained silent for a long while. His eyes met his cousin’s, their dark eyes holding one anaze. “Jirot awakens with nightmares. She will need you.”

  “She needs you too.”

  “He is my brother.”

  “He is my cousin,” Nirot said, her voice shaking slightly. “I must go.”

  Jurot remained silent for a long moment, noting the resolution within the woman’s eyes. She was the Mad Dog’s granddaughter, there was no doubt of that. “We will discuss this ter.”

  Nirot swallowed, allowing him to drop the matter, the young woman st off to the side. The businessfolk quickly gnced away from her as she made her way to the Manager’s estate, where the children were watched over by a handful of Iyrmen and the children’s families.

  Naqokan inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. ‘Jarot…’ When she had returo hear what happehe Iyr had already retrieved the bodies. She had half expected Adam to lose his mind. She gowards Jurot once more, feelihroat close up. The cousin of hers who had been so resolute since she could remember, Had she ever seen him like this before? So… lost?

  Uwajin wao speak up too, of the children she had carried the previous year. They were so small, how could anyone dare to harm them? Little Larot, too, who may have been a demon, but he remaio himself, bang the trouble his elder sister caused. He erhaps even more well behaved then even little Jarot. The guilt filled her heart, for she had made the promise, a had been reassigned by the Iyr.

  Faool inhaled sharply, and allowed the emotions to flow through him. From what he knew, his cousin, Kitool, had not been informed of the matter due to her situation. If that was the case, he would o step forward in this matter o was time. Though he was not as close as his cousin to the children, who was also not as close as even Jaygak, how could he step back?

  Laygak remained silent, watg his panions step away. He gnced aside to Bavin, slowly nodding his head towards the Iyrman, before eyeing up Jurot again.

  ‘Papo Laygak, you are always w!’ Jirot had accused so long ago. ‘I will tell you off!’

  Laygak’s eyes burhe Iyrman blinked away his tears, stepping away to one side, reag up to rub his forehead. He thought of little Jarot, who would no longer eat peppers from his hands after the little prank he pulled. ‘Jarot, you must eat. I will not trick you any longer.’

  Bavin approached Jurot, the young Iyrman, who was almost like Nobby in his stature, and evehe same boyishness, though he was the previous Elder Wrath’s grandson. “May I e?”

  “You should remain,” Jurot said.

  “I owe Adam…”

  “I know.”

  Bavin bowed his head lightly, accepting the words, the young Iyrman making his way to Laygak, pg a hand on his shoulder, tapping it gently. Laygak sniffled, wiping his eyes, before they made their way to the estate.

  When evening came, Duepped out towards the courtyard to one of the empty estates. He drew his bde and began his nightly routine, swinging his bde. He had waited for Amira to fall asleep, having promised at least the nights to her. He taught, prayed, and trained, but he o spend some time with his wife.

  As he finished his bde prayer, he turo the side, taking in the sight of the Iyrman. He bowed his head, and Jurot returned a bow of his head. The pair remained silent for a long while.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Jurot slowly nodded his head towards the Priest, who had wasted two of the business’ diamonds, but that was not why he was sorry.

  “If only I was a little…” Dunes shook his head, his bde suddenly feeling so heavy.

  “It is not your fault, Dunes.”

  “I… remember when they were born. The rain on my skin. The mud beh my boots. The chill from the gre.” Dunes swallowed, staring at the past. “I feel the shame of my thoughts at the time.”

  Jurot slowly nodded, noting the gleam that fell down the Aswadian’s cheek. Then, their eyes met. Jurot stared into the Aswadian’s eyes. He bowed his head and joihe Aswadian in his prayers, swinging his axe until the pain distracted him from a touch of his grief.

  It was around this time when he finally received word too.

  “…” The Princess fell silent as the Prince opposite held up a hand, furrowing his red brows in tration. It was only upon the blink, which transformed his face from a gentle curiosity to a sudden stupor that she uood her betrothed had received a most terrible message.

  “I uand,” the fire giant replied, reag up to cover his eyes, rubbing his pounding forehead. “Thank you for inf me.”

  “What is the matter?” the Princess asked, who was only a foot shorter than her betrothed. Her skin was the colour of the o, with small gills around her neck, her fingers slender and webbed. She had long hair, curly, like silver kelp. The woman was adorned in sea silk, with bits of scale armour across her body, though it was the bde that rested at the table that would have caused people to think twice to bother with her.

  Morkarai closed his eyes, shaking his head lightly. “I o send word back to the Iyr once I have collected my thoughts.”

  “Did they kill that friend of yours?” Merza asked, smiling slightly. He had long curly hair, adorned in golden scales, with a golden trident within arm’s reach.

  “No,” Morkarai replied.

  “They let him live?” Merza joked, before feeling a stab against his foot, pulling away his feet to under his chair, crossing his legs as his eyes darted to his sister.

  “I must request that you send my bde to the Iyr,” Morkarai eventually said.

  The mermen Prind Princess raised their brows in surprise towards the fire giant Prince.

  Just what was it that had happened in the Iyr for him, a member of the Rai family, to entrust their bde to the mermen, and to send it aloo the Iyr?

  Morkarai remained silent, lost within his thoughts. hat Adam had died would have troubled him, but not this much. He reached down to his red beard, g it within his rge, dark hand. He recalled the tiny green fists which would tug upon his beard, their i curious eyes mesmerised by his fiery red hair, their babbles of delight as they caused him to wince.

  Morkarai closed his eyes. He could think of no words to say to his young friend, whose heart had been torn, like the fire giants of old when they had been exiled from their homend.

  No.

  This was much worse.

  Sad.