It was dusk by the time they arrived at Deadwood. The town was huge, surrounded by rge bck trees, which stood like statues, each spaced twenty metres apart. A sed wall stood tall in front of the stone wall which surrouhe town. Near one side of the town, towards where it met the hills, was a rge tree, one which could be seen even from where they stood.

  “The Deadwood,” Adam said, nodding his head. “Wheown is threatehey be called to defend it.”

  “I have heard of such magics,” Rose said, looking out to the rge trees.

  “They possess wood from the Deadwood, but that’s extremely rare,” Adam expined. “Red Oak be growy good eions, but there’s actually only a single Deadwood tree, which is different to the trees which guard the town. Its branches and twigs fall, and that’s how they get the wood. If someone forcibly removes a branch, it won’t grow again.”

  “There is a simir tree within Aswadasad,” Rose firmed.

  Adam looked her way, though both Jurot and Laygak perked up at the information.

  “Dragontree,” Jurot said.

  “You know of it?” Rose asked.

  “A wood which is as hard as a Dragon’s scales,” Laygak piped up from the back. “It has to be worked with special tools made of particur metals, like dragonsteel ongss.”

  “Of course it does,” Adam said, before smiling. “Where one find dragonsteel and dragongss?”

  “Much of it is made in Aswadasad and Drakkenn, but some is created in Bckwater, though only once a geion,” Jurot expined.

  “When we beasters, we are gifted a ons onsteel,” Rose said.

  ‘Man, this fantasy world is so cool,’ Adam thought.

  The guard hailed the group as they approached, standing tall and proud as they he Darkknight which apahem.

  “You may step ihout the o pay the gatefee,” Sir Kanna said, bowing her head to the group. “The guards will escort you to firm that you slew three big bcks.”

  Adam winced, unsure of how he felt that they called the creatures big bcks. ‘I guess it’s like the shark?’

  The guards did as the knight anded, leading them to the Adventurer’s Guild within Deadwood.

  The Adventurer’s Guild was near identical to the building in Red Oak, save it was made of smooth rock. An adventuring party was currently rexing within the guild, nodding their heads towards the rge group stepping inside.

  The beautiful woman at the ter caused Adam to narrow his eyes slightly. The guards quickly expihe situation, before the rewards were divvied out, and their tokens were stamped.

  Quest plete: Trouble in DeadwoodXP Gained: +200XP: 11 000 -> 11 200

  Stamps Gained: +1Stamps: 17 -> 18

  Adam hadn’t expected the reward to be so middling, for they handed over no more than fifty gold per head. ‘I suppose fifty gold is actually a lot of money.’ Rather than accept the for himself, Adam slipped it into the party fund. ‘Oh, damn. I was meant to spend money to find Amira.’

  Ohe group had settled down within the Adventurer’s Guild, Sir Kanna appeared, approag the rge group. “The tess has extended her warm wele to yroup, Fate’s Golden. If you would follow me, I will situate you within one of her estates.”

  “You guys go on ahead,” Adam said, nodding his head to the others. “Jurot, mind staying with me again?”

  “Okay,” Jurot replied.

  Sir Kanna paused, trying to uand what Adam was doing. “You would refuse the tess’ wele?”

  “The st time I had the tess’ wele, I…” Adam bit his tongue. “Sir Kanna, would you mind speaking with me to one side?” Adam asked, motioning his head to the side.

  “You speak your words aloud, Adam,” she said.

  Adam sighed, looking to Jurot. “You saw that I offered, right?”

  “You did.”

  Adam nodded his head at the firmation. “The st time I had the tess’ wele, I found several of her guards pointing their spears at me to drive me out. No offence, but I’m not ied in that kind of hospitality.”

  Sir Kanna remained silent. ‘What?’ She had just spoken to the tess, who seemed rather ied in these adventurers after hearing what Sir Kanna had to say, but apparently there was bad blood between them? “Perhaps there was a mistake.”

  “There was no mistake,” Adam assured, chug lightly. “There’s a reason why I’m keeping my helmet on, Sir Kanna, and that’s because the st time I took it off, the guards were trying their best to find any reason to fight me.”

  “You’re an Elf?” Sir Kanna asked, while the other adventurers peeked at the pair.

  “Only half,” Adam replied. ‘When was the st time I said that?’

  “I’m sure there was a simple misuanding.”

  “I’m sure there was, but sidering not even the High Alchemist of Red Oak could deal with the issue, or the Vice Master of the Red Oak Adventurer’s Guild, I hope you uand that I’d rather stay here, uhe prote of the guild.”

  Sir Kanna remained silent, trying to build a bridge between the party and the tess. “Do you work for the business? This United Kindom?”

  “I do,” Adam replied.

  “I know Jurot is a… Chief Executive Officer?” Sir Kanna tried to recall the title. “What of yourself?”

  “I’m also a Chief Executive Officer, like Jaygak and Kitool,” Adam said, motioning his head towards them. “I have certain abilities which the Enter finds useful. I’m an alchemist, a fairly good one if I might say so. I was going to assist the High Alchemist with assisting with the tess’ issue when I first came here, but, uh… you know.” Adam shrugged his shoulders. “So far the only people who have beed from my abilities are the Iyrmen, my panions here, and individuals who hold a higher rank than the tess.”

  “Whidividuals?”

  “That’s fidential,” Adam said, before realising he had really said too much. ‘Damn.’

  “Why will you not say?”

  “The business of United Kindom remains the business of United Kindom,” Adam replied, firmly.

  “I am a knight, young man,” Sir Kanna said. “I do not appreciate your tone.”

  “I will be sure to rey your ses, oh Darkknight who works for tess Deadwood, that you wished to know the business of the Enter, and did not appreciate their Chief Executive Officer’s tone,” Adam replied, simply. “I will have Jurot also speak with the Enter, since Iyrmen don’t lie.”

  “I apologise if it seemed I was trying to pry into your business, but I had no such thought to do so,” Sir Kanna said. “I merely had to verify for the tess’ sake, to make sure that your business met certain requirements.”

  “It is a shame, then, that our business will not be w within Deadwood for the ret future, but we will surely see what be done in order t our busio Deadwood.”

  “Does the Half Elf speak for your business?” Sir Kanna asked, looking to Jurot.

  “My brother does speak for the business,” Jurot said.

  “What of your opinion?”

  “My brother’s opinions are mine.”

  Sir Kanna bowed her head. “I will bring word to the tess that there is some disagreement about such matters. I will bring word if she wishes to wele you within her estate, or her town.”

  “We thank you for your uanding,” Adam said. “It would be a shame if we are not wele into the town, for the good tess may find it difficult to tact our business since we do not have a pce where we sistently do business, and we may be too busy enjoying ourselves within towns that do wele us, pointy ears and all.”

  Sir Kanna bowed her head once more, uanding Adam’s threat, before retreating. She would o inform the tess of what happehough she would o speak with Sir Enna to see what happened with Adam previously. Adam was the Iyrman’s brother, so he must have had a special retionship with the President.

  ‘He said he was an alchemist? Are his abilities with alchemy great because of his Fae blood? Is that why the Enter keeps him?’ The thought of Adam being the Enter did not cross her mind, since Jurot had mentiohat the pair were the same age during their versation, and that they had met only two years ago.

  There was no way a man of twenty could be profit in alchemy, enting, smithing, while also being an Expert in both martial and magic abilities.

  It was impossible.

  “Why are you starting a fight with a knight?” Rose whispered. “Even if you work freat enter, how you ask for death so easily?”

  “Rose, I don’t want to treat you like an idiot, so do us both a favour and don’t say anything stupid again, please,” Adam said, as politely as he could possibly imagine.

  Rose blinked, not expeg Adam to snap at her. “I’m not saying anything stupid.”

  “When did I start a fight?”

  “I was here, Adam.”

  “Jurot, did I offer to speak to one side so the situation could be resolved quietly?” Adam asked.

  “You did.”

  “Rose, if you’re smoking some dragonleaf, you could at least share some with me,” Adam said.

  Rose’s cheeks flushed. “If we had dragonleaf, we would not have been able to leave South Fort.”

  “You know what?” Adam slowly nodded his head. “Fair enough.”

  Jurot is a real one. He's always ride or die.