The Front Iyr was as Adam recalled, though it was still vastly different from the inal Front Iyr he had stepped into three years ago. Beyond the mighty walls and gate, through the valley of death, ohe small vilge known as the Front Iyr. It had been a vilge of a few thousand at most, surrounded by a small wooden fence.

  Yet the Front Iyr before him was a Front Iyr also made by the very same Iyrmen, a, was so different. Where ohey could see the open pins which hid mysteries unknown to outsiders, there were rge walls of jagged rock, like those of mountain peaks. Where where once a sparse, expansive vilge of wooden s dotted across the nd, now y hundreds e estates. The ground floor of each estate was made of hard stone, and the few buildings with more thaory, the upper stories were made of wood. However, Adam spotted a handful of building which reached towards the sky, three stories tall, made pletely of stone.

  ‘Did they ge it again?’ Adam thought, gng around. He was uain, for the Front Iyr had once been bed in snow even outside of nightval, and now the snow had disappeared, revealing a new Front Iyr. ‘What’s that?’

  The group could hear a geune pying throughout the Iyr, as though there was a distant bard coaxing them. Yet as they approached the tral square, which grew more expah its buildings and open spaces, the music still appeared to be in the far distahere, sitting and drinking wiogether, were the forms of Burgwing and Wingburg, the bronze scaled man and the bck scaled woman.

  ‘Where’s Wiseraith and Lord Stokmar?’ Adam thought, gng around, but not finding them anywhere.

  “I was w when I would see you,” Burgwing called, motioning a hand towards the group to approabsp;

  “It’s good to see you, Burgwing,” Adam said, shaking the bronze scaled drakken’s forearm, though he was certain he was not a drakken, but a dragon in disguise. “You too, Wingburg.”

  “It’s a pleasure to see you too,” she replied, her eyes calm and rexed pared to the st few times Adam had seen her. Burgwing, too, was far more rexed.

  “How are your children?” Burgwing asked, chug lightly to himself. “Are the goblins growing well?”

  “All children grow well in the Iyr,” Jurot replied firmly.

  “Are you pig a fight?” Adam asked, gng aside in annoyahey’re growing up too much! Let me tell what my daughter did!”

  “We heard from Lord Morkarai,” Burgwing said, chug lightly. “Do not take it to heart, boy, for she does not truly mean what she said.”

  “I know, she’s just bullying me, because that’s how she is.”

  “You will five her because she is cute.”

  “What else I do?”

  “Careful, or she will bee as useless as me,” Burgwing chuckled.

  “You must not be useless if the Iyr called upon your aid.”

  “Are y to seduce me?” The drakken grinned wide, his eyes on the verge of tears from ughter.

  “I’m not gay.”

  “You’re not?” Burgwing replied, his brows raised in shock. His brows furrowed as he thought back to their previous versations. “Yes, you did mention. I was surprised by that too.” ‘How did I fet something like that? Ah, right, it’s because he’s an outsider.’ Burgwing chalked it up to the stress of being beside Grimraith and Lord Stokmar for so long. ‘Does he not also have three other children?’

  “Are you pnning to cause a mess in Aldnd?” Wingburg asked, the woman to pour Adam some wine.

  “I hope not.” Adam smiled as he sipped the fruit wine slowly, letting it loosen him up, the warmth beginning to flow through him. “Though now that the Iyr is open again, I do feel more fortable causing trouble.”

  Burgwing ughed wildly. “Some of my children have also caused such a mess.”

  “Right, children do cause a lot of messes.”

  “What am I to do? They all fight on different sides believing their cause to be mhteous.” Burgwi out a sigh as though to say he truly didn’t care of the matter.

  “I’m surprised to see you both here sidering the Iyr’s open again,” Adam said, slowly sipping his wine as he caught their eyes. “Thought you would have left.”

  “We’ll leave soon, once we finish earning our pay.”

  “Ah, yetting paid a lot?” Adam asked.

  “More than you could possibly imagine,” Burgwing assured.

  “I mean, I imagine a lot.”

  “I was offered priceless artefacts.”

  “So was I,” Wingburg added.

  “Oh? What kind of artefacts?” Adam asked.

  “Why do you wish to know that?” Burgwing asked, narrowing his eyes, his lips f a wider smile, though not quite as cheerful as before.

  “Just,” Adam replied, shrugging his shoulders.

  “Just?”

  “Yeah. Just asking. Making small talk and all that.”

  “To ask someone about their artefacts… that’s too much, young boy.”

  “Alright, sorry,” Adam replied, before his eyes fell twing, but instead of causing more trouble, he gnced around. “Where’s Wiseraith and Lord Stokmar?”

  “Why do you wish to know where they are?” Wingburg asked.

  Adam sighed, sipping more of his drink, before standing up. “I’ll just go bother Lord Morkarai.”

  Burgwing chuckled. “There is o run from us, we won’t bite you.”

  “I know, you’re not that-,” Adam spped his knee, inhaling deeply as he stopped his foot from entering his mouth. “You are both such wonderful guests of the Iyr, so I know you’re det.” Still, the half elf tio make his way out. ‘Dragons, man.’

  “He seems annoyed,” Burgwing said, eyeing up the half elf’s brother.

  “Larot was retly born, but Adam left quickly after to adventure,” Jurot said.

  “Larot?”

  “Adam’s sixth child.”

  “Another?” Burgwing asked. “How busy has he been?” The bronze scaled man howled with ughter, fshing his pearly white smile for all to see.

  Wingburg’s eyes fell across the group, noting their gear, their magical ons, armour, and even how much wealth they carried, smelling the st of gold and gems which g to the group. Adam had held the most of any of them, but these Iyrmen were also carrying great wealth with them. ‘What are they pnning?’

  Adam made his way towards Lord Morkarai’s estate, where an Iyrman stood at attention. Adam owards the Iyrman. “Is Lord Morkarai inside?”

  “He is w,” the Iyrman replied.

  “Oh.” Adam stood awkwardly for a moment as he thought.

  “Lord Morkarai will finish soon.”

  “Right. Sure. Would you let him know that I, Adam, am in the Front Iyr and would love to chat with him.” Adam sighed, befoing for a walk.

  “Adam,” called a familiar voice.

  “Dunes,” Adam replied, as though he were heartbroken. “Finally!”

  As they approached, Adam ignored Dunes’ arm, instead embrag the Aswadian, who hugged the half elf awkwardly, patting his babsp;

  “What is wrong?” Dunes asked, fairly certain this was the first time they had hugged.

  “Dunes, we’re friends, aren’t we?”

  “Yes?”

  “Why are you replying with such a questioning tone?” Adam let go of the hug, huffing out in annoyanbsp;

  “I am fused as to why you would ask su obvious question.”

  “How you be fused by something like that when it’s me?”

  “…” Dunes slowly nodded, before they csped forearms. “What is the matter?”

  “I’m annoyed, Dunes.”

  “Why?”

  “Why do we have to leave the Iyr? It’s such a wonderful pce? Little Larot is going to be so lonely without me, you know? What about the old geezer? He’s going to steal my children away from me!”

  Dunes pat Adam’s shoulder. He uood what Adam was doing. He was getting rid of all the pent up ge before they were going to leave the Iyr. ‘Hopefully it will reduce the trouble on our travels…’

  “Dunes?”

  “Yes?”

  “If I…” Adam fell silent for a moment, feeling the tension in his neck. As he stepped out of the Main Iyr, it meant he was stepping closer to death. “If I go too far, you o stop me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If I… you know… start killing people, you have to stop me.”

  “…” Dunes blinked. Adam? Kill people? “Shouldn’t you ask Sir Vonda?”

  “I’m sure she’ll speak up, but just in case she’s not around at the time,” Adam replied.

  “Is something wrong?”

  Adam let out a sigh, feeling the tension pulse within his shoulders and the rest of his body. “The Iyr has corrupted me, Dunes. I… I ’t say much more than that, I’m afraid.”

  “I don’t believe you’ll go too far, but if you do, I will be sure to stop you.” Dunes realised how ridiculous it sounded, sidering he had almost killed the goblins when they had first met, while Adam had stopped him. ‘Just what has the Iyr doo you?’

  Adam inhaled deeply before he let out another exhale. “I’m serious, Dunes.”

  “So am I.”

  Adam nodded his head slowly. “Thanks. Oh, and here.” Adam pulled out the diamond from within his robes, handing it to the Asriest. “Just in case.”

  “I already have three,” Dunes replied.

  “You do?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh.”

  “I thought you only had one or two?”

  “I procured a diamond during our travels,” Duated.

  “Oh. That makes sense, yeah. I thought you and Sir Vonda only had two, so I brought enough to make sure we at least had three each.”

  “I believe Sir Vonda also has three.”

  “Oh? You’re rather close with Sir Vonda, aren’t you? I thought you were-,”

  “Sir Vonda and I often speak of the trouble you cause,” Dunes replied, fshing a charming smile towards the half elf.

  Adam smiled, slowly nodding his head in respohat was a good one.”

  Dunes is a real one.