Elder Lykan stared at the note. He had read it once when he had received it, and had read it immediately again, before he paused, only to read it a third time.

  It didn’t make se first, but after reading the note, and seeing a partiame, he realised it had made perfect sense.

  He had expected two of the guests, but the third was pletely ued.

  ‘Why?’ he thought, w why they had arrived.

  “Elder Lykan,” called one of his aides.

  Lykan sighed, rereading the name of the Half Elf. “Brihe bck chest.”

  The aide brought the bck chest, and the Front Iyr Elder double checked its tents. An Iyrman, whose greatest skill was their ability to appraise gems, assisted in making sure the gems, which swam in the pile of gold, were of the fi quality.

  “Is it firmed?” Elder Lykan asked.

  “It is,” the appraiser said. “Over one huhousand gold.”

  Elder Lykan nodded. He didn’t care that it was over one huhousand gold, as long as it met the target number. Even if there was ara ten or twenty thousand, it wasn’t a huge issue, since he wao make sure that they uood that the Iyr truly valued their dealings.

  Now they just had to wait to greet the group.

  Wow!

  Tariel stared at the huge walls of the Iyr, holding the paper in front of her with the single word. She had even written it on a new page to emphasise just how her thoughts were pletely focused on the single word.

  Morkarai stared at the wall. It was his first time visiting the Iyr too, though their dealings went back geions. His eyes sed across the walls, which stretched across the horizon, following the curves of the hills. He had thought the stories were greatly exaggerated, but standing in front of these walls, he felt so…

  Small.

  ‘Why am I here?’ Morkarai thought. ‘If we had these walls, would we have been forced out of our nds geions ago?’

  “Wow…” Lady Shamia whispered. Her bodyguards also stared at the walls, in utter awe. ‘If only we had these walls in Hakor, then perhaps the Empire wouldn’t dare to fight…’

  The boy, who retending to be Kitool’s cousin, broke from his act for a moment. His eyes were wide, sing across the huge walls. He, too, had heard tales of the walls of the Iyr, but he, like everyone, assumed they had beely exaggerated. ‘These walls are greater thahose of West Fort!’

  Fate’s Golden stared at the first timers, basking in the se.

  They were meeting the force of nature which was the Iyr.

  As they approached the rge gates, Jurot sent out a call. “Jurot, son of Surot, returns with Guests!”

  The group waited, moments passing, but there was no sound. It was thees opened, revealing the handsome Front Iyr Elder, who was fnked by a dozen Iyrmen, ten of which were wearing Mithril Rank tags, and the other two wore the long robes of the Shamans.

  “It is a pleasure to greet such esteemed Guests,” Lykan called. “I am Elder Lykan.”

  Wow!

  Tariel tapped the word with her finger, her eyes sing across the Iyrmen, each of whom wore the Mithril Rank tags of the Adventurer’s Guild she had heard so much about. There were each as powerful as her own Elders, though her Elders wielded the great powers of primal magibsp;

  “I have e to ahe call,” Morkarai said.

  “Thank you, Lord Morkarai,” Elder Lykan said. “We are forever gracious for your assistance.”

  Morkarai nodded, still feeling so small before the walls.

  “Lady Shamia,” Lykaed, taking her hand, and raising it, though he did not kiss it. “ Waterveil is always wele.”

  “I must give my thanks for aodating us on such short notice,” Lady Shamia replied, smiling at the Elder.

  “It is our honour.” Elder Lykaepped forward to Tariel, who stared up at him. Lykan paused, still w what she was doing here. “Starmoon Tariel, it is the Iyr’s honour to wele you.”

  Tariel wrote in her book, taking a long while, though Elder Lykan waited patiently. He didn’t want to upset the Druids, especially since he had no clue as to why she was here. The Iyr hadn’t called in the Druids for this matter.

  Sorry! I didn’t mean to bother you, but I really wao e here!

  Elder Lykan bowed his head. “Please, Star Tariel, there is no need for apologies.”

  The Shamans both weled Tariel, speaking in a nguage that Adam couldn’t uand, befuiding her into the Iyr, while the rest guided the rge group through the gates. They walked up the ine, with tall walls oher side of them in the death pit, towards the gates of the Front Iyr.

  Lykan threw a look down to Adam. ‘Of course it just had to be you.’

  “Jurot,” Adam said, his eyes sing the area. He wasn’t sure what he was looking at. “This is the Front Iyr, isn’t it?”

  Jurot’s eyes were sing around the area too. He was certain they had walked through the terror indug death pit, where there was a long path which led to the front gates of the front Iyr after many minutes of walking, where a huhousand soldiers could be shot and killed with ease.

  “Yes,” he said, certain, but this was not the Front Iyr they were familiar with.

  It was once a small vilge, which had a small wooden fence around it, perhaps the least imposing thing one could see after the death pit.

  Yet.

  The buildings were much rger now, and the first set of buildings were made of stone ah, curving around them as if they formed a wall against any would be intruders which had survived the death pit. The buildings tinued further in, long passed their sight.

  Where ohe Front Iyr had housed a thousand Iyrmen, it now housed at least five times the size, and perhaps more in Adam’s estimation.

  There was alse fort to one side, which Adam then realised was just a giae, with many more under stru all around. Some were in the shape of the typical Iyrmaes and others were more regur.

  Jurot remained frozen, stunned by the situation. ‘The Iyr is receiving Guests.’ That was one message which had been waiting for them when they had returo Red Oak. However, he did not expect this. He was too preoccupied with the other message.

  “Is the Iyr utack?” Adam dared to ask Lykan.

  “No,” Lykan replied, fidently. It was the truth. For now.

  “Is Lanarot okay?” Adam asked, feeling something was wrong.

  “Yes. I have not received news otherwise.”

  “Then…” Adam looked around. ‘Should I ask?’

  “The Iyr is receiving Guests.”

  “Guests?” Adam looked to Morkarai, Tariel, and Shamia.

  The Half Elf tapped the wow repeatedly, her eyes sing across the Iyr eagerly.

  “Please, Lord Morkarai,” Elder Lykan motioowards the giae which had been built out of stone.

  Jurot and Adam exged looks. For once, Jurot had felt just like Adam, for this was unpreted within the Iyr. Even going to war, the Front Iyr did not ge like this.

  Though there was still stru going on around the Iyr, there were many Iyrmen whoing about their day to day lives, business as usual. They all wore hats ht veils to keep the sun away, though Jaygak was basking within it, like the other Devilkin.

  The group were guided by a set of Mithril Rank Iyrmen, though Lady Shamia and Tariel were brought to their own small estates, which the Iyr had built in case they received uests like them.

  “Whoa…” Adam set his equipment down, feeling his entire body ache for a moment, before he gnced around the rge buildings. There were many wooden buildings further into the Front Iyr, and they had beeled he tre, though some rows away, where it was slightly quieter.

  Kitool stayed close with the young boy, pg a hand on his shoulder casually.

  “Familiar faces,” called a familiar voice.

  “Hey, Ashmir,” Adam called, seeing the great warrior who had been adopted into the Iyr.

  “How are you all?” Ashmir asked. He wore the summer clothing of the Iyrmen, which was a short sleeved tunid trousers which were cut at the shin.

  “Well, well,” Adam said, still looking all about the Iyr.

  “Did you just return?” Ashmir asked, looking across the party, nodding to his son, Dunes.

  “We did. I was going to say we had quite the story to tell but…”

  Ashmir smiled. “e. Let me invite you to eat.” He o the others too, inviting all of Fate’s Golden.

  They followed him to a shared family estate, where there were Mirs and other Iyrmen all about. Adam hat his three wives were all rexing, basking uhe sun, their feet in small basins full of cool water.

  Jurot squinted his eyes. “Great fortuo you, Ashmir.”

  “What?” Adam said, noting Jurot was staring at the wives.

  Ashmir smiled. “Yes, I suppose it is.”

  “What?” Adam asked.

  “Let us gratute them for their pregnancy,” Jurot said, taking the other Iyrmen with him.

  The three wives weled the Iyrmen, and they soon got to chatting.

  “grats,” Adam said, nodding his head to Ashmir. “Three kids, huh? Good luck.”

  “Thank you. They forced me to agree to move to the Front Iyr, saying it was good luck to give birth here.”

  “Yeah,” Adam said. “Though, what you do, eh? One wife is hard enough to face against, but three? All of whom will be united against you?”

  Ashmir ughed. “Still, it seems they were right it was good luck.”

  “Really? How’s that?”

  “Shamir has takele of Elder Wrath.”

  “Oh? That’s nice…” Adam stared at Jurot and the others. “Wait. What?”

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