The te afternoon sun began to fall across the Iyr. The five had e to meet once more, a gathering which hadn’t held all five of them in some time, not since Elder Peace assisted with the iatioweewo kingdoms.

  A heavy air filled the meeting, as this meeting was unlike any other which they had taken. The previous year, the Year of Silence, had been unpreted within the Iyr’s history, and though it was far more troubling than the current day, they couldn’t overlook any threat to the Iyr.

  “The kingdom has split, but we ot overlook how little the situation has ged for the Iyr,” the Chief said, motioning a hand to the map before them, as well as all the tiny bits and pieces which represented so many different threats, from great figures to soldiers. The Chief motioned a hand to a few of the pieces, three which were of particur attention.

  “King Merryweather is f them out, and they will settle withiral Aldnd or East Aldnd,” Elder Gold said. “West Aldnd was uo create a satisfactory offer, their orders would not allow it.”

  “If they do not end up i Aldnd, theral Aldnd is where we should look,” the Chief said. “If they settle withiral Aldnd, the King may bequeath a fort to them.” He pced the tiny items along the new forts which were currently beied by King Bckwater.

  “The number of forts the King has called for ot be uated,” Elder Forest said. “When the Aldish spend as freely as the Iyr, it is a prelude to greater chaos.”

  “The Aldish ot spend as freely as the Iyr,” Elder Gold replied. “There are too many politics within the nd to allow for such a thing.”

  “The King’s army knew great defeat,” Elder Wrath said. “His political strength has decreased.”

  “If he has mao spur the nds to obey his decree, it must mean he has given up mupromise,” Elder Forest said. “The King had allowed the o form their own knightly orders of limited numbers for his inal pns, but if he is to reform his pns, he may have increased their autonomy iing their own knightly orders.”

  “The greater knightly orders the nobles make, the greater likelihood the three grand orders in each region will react. They will not allow the o gain equivalent privileges, not when they had already beeraio their positions, they may also call freater autonomy.”

  “King Merryweather has forced the orders within his nd out, it may be a way for the King to seize the orders for his own ends.” Elder Forest’s eyes fell across the map. “If he is the orders, he could offer to fund the migrant orders, or perhaps offer to repruly orders under his domain.”

  “If King Bckwater’s pn to create his Grand Army e to fruition, what need will Aldnd of their orders?” Elder Gold asked. “Perhaps the time of the orders as we know it will e to an end, or perhaps they will be forced to adapt to the new winds blowing, and will bleed to create a sturdier order.”

  “The King of Aldnd wishes to create his Grand Army, one which will numbers more thaens of thousands of professional soldiers, of which we are familiar, but also greater than the hundreds of thousands of farmers who were once used to feed the nd,” Elder Peace said. “One huhousand professional soldiers shall form a threat for any nd around the kingdom, including that of we Iyrmen.”

  “The Aldish will en times the force if they wish to ihe Iyr.”

  “If the Aldish raised two million farmers, we had very little to worry about such,” Elder Peace agreed. “If they raise two million farmers, with the support of one huhousand professional soldiers, and thousands of such great warriors as one finds within the orders, with their Guardians and Priests, even the Iyr must take appropriate measures against such threats.”

  “We have begun preparations for the geion,” the Chief said, thinking about all the various vilges within the Iyr which may o be called up. “We should ask the outer vilges to tio have children, for the Main Iyr and the Front Iyr will o remain at a bance.”

  “The quality of education ot suffer because we have decided to move quickly,” Elder Teacher said, his eyes gng towards Elder Wrath and Elder Peace. “I will need assistan guiding the education, for the threats are still vague like fog.”

  Elder Peace bowed her head while Elder Wrath grunted affirmatively with a nod of his head, for they would o figure out what kinds of threats the Iyr may e across in a geion. What would Aldnd look like withiy years? How well would their soldiers perform? It was something whieeded to be estimated accurately, and then they would double the estimates to make sure they would be able to handle such a vast threat.

  “The Shamans will o bless the fields,” Elder Forest said, writing down a set of notes. “If the number of Iyrmeo double, we will reater mountains and fields, for we ot rely on divine magics to shore up the ck of produce.”

  Elder Forest was in charge of using the resources of the Iyr, in which bour was the best currency. She wielded bour as though it were a bde, and she cut whatever she could into the Iyr, making sure there was more than enough food to go around to feed Iyrmen, as well as to make sure they were all well equipped. However, a specific power was also avaible to her, and that was to terraform the Iyr in any way she saw fit, though she would also he support of both Elder Wrath and Elder Peace too.

  “Elder Gold, what of the iments outside of the Iyr?” the Chief asked.

  “We have the fortune of finding an iment which leaks gold into the Iyr,” Elder Gold said. “Ohey return, we will find our coffers filling, and bodies which will be trained by an outsider for the sake of keeping our coffers full.”

  The Chief nodded, gd the Great Elders had stepped back when it came to Adam. However, he also knew of the situation that Adam had dug himself into. The Iyrmen around him had yet to ask for the Iyr’s assistance, so he didn’t make a move to assist. ‘I shall pray that you all return safely.’

  “Let us speak of Floria,” Elder Peace said, speaking of the newly formed kingdom.

  The Chief wondered if they had mao reach the camp almost two thirds the way to Life River safely. ‘I am sure you are in trouble.’

  The Chief, of course, was right.

  Adam’s eyes remained focused owo dozen heavily armoured knights, each mounted on mighty steeds who also wore heavy barding. ‘I knew I shouldn’t have let them go.’ He go the side slightly.

  Omen: 17, 18

  ‘Good, but no crits…’

  Adam spotted Sir Ivy, but she was not the knight leading the group. Ihere was another, a man who wore heavy pte like his panions, except he wielded a bde which seemingly was made of silver. His armour had as maails as Sir Ivy’s, but the armour was made of deep blue, like the depths of the o, and he rode on his horse as though he owhe world around him.

  “Morn,” Amira called, her voice full of annoyance. “Deep blue armour.”

  “As long as he doesn’t have a scar across his face, it may be someone else,” Dunes replied.

  As though he had tempted Fate, the knight removed his helmet to reveal his face, his deep blue eyes, and his dark grey hair, and the scar running across his face.

  Dunes shrugged his shoulders towards Amira, gd he had cast his spells upon the group with Vonda beforehand. Together, they had mao cast spells on almost everyone, save for the Executives.

  ‘Why didn’t they accept the spell?’ Cobra thought, feeling the holy magics fill her. Almost all the warriors, from the devilkin who weren’t Iyrmen, the Aswadians, the Aldishmen, the Iyrmen teens, and everio of snakes, all had been blessed by Lady Arya and Mother Soza. It only made seo her that the Executives, the most important members, who perhaps were the strooo, would accept the spell first so they could fight with eveer zeal.

  “I am Lord Benjamin Gravesea,” the figure stated. “Marshal of the East.”

  Adam narrowed his eyes slightly, his heart pounding in his chest. ‘That sounds important.’

  Dunes let out a sigh. He exged a look with Amira, who gave Duhe most vicious look, but she didn’t step back. Korin and Sara stood with them too, ready to face off against the small mounted army.

  ‘Lady Arya, please,’ Amira thought.

  ‘Lady Arya, I’ll at least have a good showing,’ Korin thought, his eyes gng towards Sara, whose lips formed a calm smile.

  ‘How polite,’ Sara thought, eyeing up the way they were positioned so perfectly for her.

  ‘It just had to be Lravesea,’ Duhought.

  Oh no.