The Iyrmen

  Jurot’s mind was empty. Every so often something slipped into the emptiness, the proper way to hold the axe, the proper way to fell the tree, but those only appeared once every few minutes as he cut down the wood.

  It would sometimes seep in too. The darkness which kept whispering into his heart.

  The Iyr was such a wonderful pce.

  What need was there to leave it?

  It held his mother and sister.

  These thoughts tio cycle through the emptiness, but Jurot kept them at bay. He drank from his gourd, resting along with his two sisters, Jaygak and Kitool.

  “I’m surprised he isn’t enting as much as he used to,” Jaygak said, basking uhe warmth of the noonval sun. She had been spending the time in the Iyr enjoying the sun as much as she could, helping by cutting down trees and assisting the farmers.

  Kitool only bowed her head, but said nothing about the matter. Adam was too fusing to uand, and though she kept an eye on him to inform the Elders what the Half Elf could do, she tried not to think too deeply about him, finding that her mind would rot from the heavy thoughts.

  “He has worked hard,” Jurot stated. “He does not enjoy resting.” Out of the trio of Iyrmen, it was he who knew why Adam worked so hard. Adam, who wished to spend his days assisting the Iyr and creating great magical ons. The gold would help him create a foundation, something which he could use for that.

  “We’re lucky we got to meet him,” Jaygak said. “If we hang around him, we might actually bee Diamond Rank.”

  “Yes,” Jurot said.

  “Or we will die a gruesome death,” Kitool said, trying to moderate the versation, as was her role.

  “Yes,” Jurot repeated.

  “Speak for me,” Jaygak said. “If anyone’s going to die at Adam’s side, it will be me.”

  “No, it will be me, for I am his brother.”

  “You?” Jaygak tilted her head in an exaggerated motion. “You’re to to die before me.”

  Jurot wasn’t sure how to respond to the point, since Jaygak was teically right. “If you die before me, then I will be too weak to stop it.”

  “There’s a ce those ditions are met,” Jaygak said.

  Kitool rubbed her elbow against Jaygak’s, both for fort and as a warning.

  “What?” Jaygak grumbled. “It’s true. Jurot’s stronger and tougher, and you’re far more skilled and mobile.”

  “We have not fought in some time, we will not know who is truly stronger.” Kitool and Jaygak fought rarely, and though they sometimes sparred, they did not fight too harshly against one another.

  Jaygak gave her a look. She, who had been born with a weak body, uood the differeween herself and the two. Whereas Jurot was no doubt going to be extremely powerful thanks to the way his family raged, Kitool was someone who had defiaken after their grandaunt. Even if Kitool did not believe it herself, Jaygak was certain she was strong. If she and Jurot fought, it would have been closer than they would have imagihough Jaygak was certain Jurot would have won.

  Kitool caught Jaygak’s eyes, before the Iyrman sighed. She remembered what Jaygak had told her back then. She had now informed Jurot of her thoughts, and though she was often someone who joked, like Adam, the pair knew when Jaygak joked, and this wasn’t it.

  They tiheir work, cutting down the wood, clearing aire se by themselves, before they returned back to their estates. Later in the evening, Jaygak and Kitool sat in the er, staring at the stars as they began to appear.

  The pair did not speak of the matter from earlier in the day, leaving the words unsaid.

  “Adam is close with the children,” Jaygak said.

  They were words she had heard from Jaygak previously. They were her answer as to why she was so morbid, speaking of her death so easily. “He is.”

  “I’m sure, pared to me, Taygak will do much better.”

  “She will only do so because you have dug the foundations for her success,” Kitool said.

  Jaygak threw her a look, letting her know that the pair were Iyrmen, so there was no need for Kitool to try and make her feel better. “You just o keep your promise.”

  Kitool threw back almost aical look. The pair were Iyrmen, so there was o firm whether Kitool was going to keep her promise. If one could believe in anything, it was an Iyrman’s words.

  Jurot was going to read Lanarot a story soon, but he thought about telling Kitool and Jaygak about the darkness in his heart.

  You’re to to die before me.

  Jaygak had spoken the words like they were fact, but Jurot khat life did not work that way. Yet, she seemed so reassured by them, by the fact Jurot was more powerful than her. He decided to allow Jaygak to keep that strength. He would remain the lightness within her heart, as she, Kitool, and Adam was to his own. He swallowed his worries ahe darkness within his heart.

  The Priests

  “I keep fetting how queer Adam is,” Dunes admitted. He sat opposite Vonda, the pair of them rexing after meeting with so many Iyrmen to speak of their tales to them, and to bless their children with fortu wasn’t a magical process, but the children ehe words the Priests spoke to them.

  “You fet?” Vonda joked, smiling at the Priest of War. “I am reminded of it daily, with all that he does...”

  “That’s because you keep your eyes on him, and I keep my eyes on the Iyrmen,” Dunes replied, smirking at the woman.

  Vonda shifted her scarf slightly around her face, feeling her cheeks turn crimson. “He is a good man, Adam.”

  “A good man, frightened by something,” Dunes said.

  “Do you know what he is afraid of?”

  “He, like any normal man, is afraid of loss.” Dunes decided against saying more. Adam would reveal more when he was ready.

  Vonda remained silent for a long while. She had tried to form a picture of Adam within her mind, but he was too queer for her to figure out entirely. “His business is quite queer as well.”

  Dunes nodded. “A business whipasses so much. I am still not certain if I wish to accept.”

  “Why not?”

  “I am looking for someone, a friend,” Dunes said. “I have been searg for her for a some time now. Si is Aldnd, I am worried.”

  “Why do you worry if she is in Aldnd?”

  “She is a Devilkin.”

  “Oh.” Vonda bowed her head slowly. There were many others who would have pretended not to uand, but that was not Vonda.

  Dunes sighed. “If I was to fihen perhaps I would think more about the matter, but for now…” He shrugged his shoulders. “I am fortuo have met Adam. My life has ged so much. I found my father, and though it was not something I truly cared for, it is at least o know. However…”

  “Your friend is important to you.”

  “Yes. I hope that we will make progress towards it soon. I may ask the Iyr for assistahough I am uain if I afford the price. I am certain Adam will assist me, as he has promised.”

  “Is your friend from your Order?”

  “Yes.”

  “She should be safe,” Vonda said, trying to reassure him.

  “She is no Priest.”

  “A Guardian?”

  “No,” Dunes said. “She does not use magic.”

  Vonda frowned slightly. That would certainly make things more difficult. “Is she a Noble?”

  “Does that matter?”

  “It may assist.”

  “No.”

  Vonda pced a hand on his shoulder. “I am certain that Adam will assist you.”

  “Yeah.” Dunes smiled. “I’m sure.”

  “When I first met Adam, I was sure that Fate had brought us together,” Vonda admitted. “Though I do not agree with everything he says or does, he is a sensitive soul, with a kihat I do not expect from most.”

  Dunes smiled. “Certainly.” He tapped his magical sword, which may still be one of the best Adam had made so far. “I ot help but feel beholden to him.”

  “I sometimes think he does it on purpose.”

  “I’m sure it’s on purpose, but…” Dunes shrugged his shoulders. “I trust him more than I would the average person.”

  “You were there when he went to assist with the White Dragon?” Vonda asked.

  “I was. It was…” Dunes wondered how much he should say. “He rushed to help right away.”

  “For a Princess?” Vonda asked.

  “No,” Dunes said. “For a baby.”

  Vonda smiled at the distin, before Dunes regaled her the tale.

  Those Who Were Lost

  Fred assisted the Iyrmen to keep himself busy, and Jonn trained Nobby and Brittany when he had the ce. He sometimes spoke with Iyrmen to tell them of his story, and some of the stories he had gained under Adam.

  The pair would sometimes spend time with one another every evening, speaking a little of their lives. They had been brought to the Iyr by Adam, who had found them when they were lost in life.

  “He would have kept his word,” Jonn said, finishing a cup of wine.

  Fred nodded his head slowly. Jonn and Adam had fought when they first met. Adam offered his gear, and Jonn offered his Oaths. When Adam had won, Jonn had refused to offer his Oaths, and instead followed Adam to see what kind of man he was.

  “Are you going to keep following him?” Jonn asked.

  “I’ve got nowhere else to go,” Fred admitted.

  The Half Elf looked around at the Iyr, to the families which put them up for the evening. Sometimes they’d sleep with the shared family which Adam knew, and other times they were put up by another family, and sometimes they would be offered a outside of the estates.

  The Iyr ce Jonn had only heard of when he was in his Order. He had heard so much about it, from its history of being full of savages, to its mighty deeds across the wars and skirmishes of the nd. The Iyr had been instrumental in increasing the nd up North, though they hadn’t mao promote such a growth i Aldnd.

  Yet, he had been told that many of the stories were likely exaggerated, though there were some members of the Order who believed the opposite.

  They secretly run this nd.

  That’s what one of his trainers had said to him, and though he did not believe it, even now, he still couldn’t help but feel the Iyr they were seeing was merely the surface of a deep ke, which held unknown monsters, those which allowed them their lives.

  Fred stared down at his cup. ‘ I do it? I rex like this iure, outside of the Iyr? I get married and have children?’ The thoughts remained for some time as he imagined himself finding a womaing married, having children.

  He wihinking about it all burning down, as it had so suddenly back then. He hadn’t been a man, then, and he had barely mao escape with great fortu was over the course of a day that he had lost everything, and everyone he had ever known.

  ‘I o remain far enough away from Elves,’ he thought, before his eyes darted to Jonn and Adam. The pair were strong, and he had grown strooo, but the Elves were so much stronger. Yet… ‘I suppose Half Elves ain’t so bad.’

  The Trainees

  Nobby trained hard in the m, and assisted the Iyr with general bour to assist in building his body’s strength and stamina. Brittany trained hard in the m, and would tinue more focused training for a short time, before she would also assist the Iyr. She wao train her body slightly, to gain more strength, stamina, and agility. She was learning how to move her body to remain ba all times, trying not to fall with all the blocks of wood she was carrying.

  “Do you think we’ll bee Experts?” Brittany asked, ying down near Nobby, who was eating food.

  When Nobby ate, it was a rare time the Iyrme him be. “Yes.”

  “Why do you think so?”

  “Adam said so.”

  “You believe him?”

  “Mister Jurot said it too.”

  Brittany noted how the words held the same reverence as when he had spoken about Adam. “Yeah.”

  Nobby slurped down the rest of the soup, before eating seds. He was a rge young man, so the Iyrmen were gd to feed him seds and thirds. “This year or .”

  “Do you really think he’ll give us magical ons?”

  Nobby looked to Brittany for a moment, before looking back at his food. He wondered why she asked, sidering she was allowed to use the magical ons they had found iemple.

  Nobby didn’t think much about his future. He’d work hard to bee an Expert, and then he’d work for Adam. He would get paid, and as long as he mao receive a wage which could help his family, he cared for little else.

  “Adam paid for Anne’s schooling,” Nobby said. “He is good.”

  Brittany stared at Nobby for a long moment. Adam really did do a lot for Nobby, and he had done quite a lot for her too. He had seemed hesitant at first, but he had kept his word.

  “Do you think he’ll train us to be Masters?” Brittany asked. Masters were typically thhly Silver Rank in terms of the Adventurer’s Guild’s system.

  “He .” Nobby replied.

  “He , but will he?” Brittany asked again.

  Nobby remained silent for a long moment. “He .”

  Brittany bit into a fruit, w if she should ask. Being an Expert would unlock a life she never would have expected. If she wao, she could have worked for Adam for a few years, befoing off to explore the nd with a different party. However, being a Master meant something.

  Experts were well respected without a doubt, even Nobles respected Experts. Masters, oher hand, held eveer respect among the minor nobility, and even they had to be polite to such figures.

  “The Order of Wings has someone called Robin,” Brittany said, recalling what she knew of the Order. “They say she’s the stro.”

  “How strong?” Nobby asked, his ears twitg.

  “They say she’s a Paragon, and she’s youhan King’s Sword,” Brittany said.

  “Wow.”

  “The Order of Wings is like that, isn’t it? They don’t have a home, but they go around the nd, proteg it. Not just Aldnd, did you know? Aswadia, Dragonnd, and even up north. They say there are Giants far north.”

  “Wow.”

  Brittany smiled, thinking about all that she could do if she was that strong. “They’re s, but they aren’t free. They choose not to be free. They say they’re strong because they o kill monsters. Monsters. I wonder what kind of monsters need seven people who are s?”

  “Dragons?”

  “Big ones?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” Brittany said. “You think I could bee a Paragon?”

  Nobby remained silent for a long moment. “He .”

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