“Come on.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Let’s trade then,” Entalia said, frowning.

Adam smiled. “What do you want to trade for it?”

“I’ll trade you a gem sword for this sword,” Entalia said.

Adam blinked. “I’m not that stupid.”

“What’s wrong with a gem sword?”

“I’ll trade you your entire hoard for a piece of my hair,” Adam replied.

Entalia narrowed her eyes. “I’ll trade you one for one!”

“Bring me a magical sword of greater value and I’ll think about it.”

Entalia narrowed her eyes. She thought he’d be willing to give up this sword in order to appease her, but it seemed he didn’t know who she truly was.

“I thought you wanted to be friends?”

“I do,” Adam said, smiling at her. “Friends don’t scam other friends.”

“I’m not scamming you! F-fine! I’ll give you two Rubicule blades then?”

“I want Sapphicule, and I want at least three,” Adam said, raising three fingers.

“Why do you want Sapphicule?” Entalia asked.

“Won’t it match the Rot family’s colours?” Adam asked, motioning a hand towards Sonarot’s tattoo.

“If that’s the case, why are you using a sword?” Entalia tilted her head, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

“I’m an idiot, that’s why,” Adam replied, simply.

“Sapphicule weapons are so expensive,” Entalia said. “I’ll get you two.”

“Three,” Adam said. “It’s nice that they’re expensive, but this sword is my best weapon to date. You are so impressed by it, and are so desperate for it, so you should at least pay the price for it.”

Entalia grumbled. “Fine! You better enchant that sword really well!” She couldn’t believe he wouldn’t give up on the sword as easily as she wanted. It was such an honour for his weapon to be a part of her hoard. “If you don’t enchant it well, I’ll come and retrieve all the blades from you!”

“Then you can return my precious Lightsear back to me at that time,” Adam said, smiling at her.

“I’m serious!” She stared at him. “That sword is for a friend’s daughter. If it’s bad, I’ll be disgraced, and they will no longer respect me.”

“I will make the shortsword great, you can count on that.” Adam nodded his head, hoping she would see how serious he was.

“Alright, fine,” Entalia said.

“Just to confirm. I will enchant two of your weapons, and this magical weapon will be traded for three Sapphicule weapons, right?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Entalia grumbled.

“I want a Sapphicule sword and two Sapphicule axes specifically,” he said.

“I’ll get you three Sapphicule weapons, but that wasn’t a part of the deal,” she said.

Adam exhaled. “Alright, but if you try to scam me, you’ll lose a friend for life.”

Entalia made the weapon disappear. “Right.”

“You know, you could just make the sword into a ring,” Adam said.

Entalia stared at him. “What?”

“The sword can turn into a ring,” he said.

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“It can?”

“Yes.”

“You enchanted that?” Her eyes went wide. ‘What kind of Enchanter is he? There’s no way he could… so that’s why it smelled so powerful?’

“I did,” Adam said, crossing his arms, puffing out his chest in pride.

“Then do that for the shortsword,” Entalia demanded, her eyes beaming down at him. ‘If it can be a ring, then that should be more than good enough!’

“First, you should return my sword,” Adam said. “Secondly, that wasn’t a part of the deal.” Adam smiled wide.

“Return your sword? It’s my sword!” Entalia narrowed his eyes at her. “Are you trying to back out of the deal?”

“No, but I haven’t been paid for it. If you’re going to take my sword, then I will consider it payment for what you’ve done previously.”

“That isn’t a part of the deal,” Entalia said.

“I’m not so stupid that I’ll allow you to leave with my prized possession without paying me.”

She narrowed her eyes once again before handing the blade over, though gripped it tight as he tried to take it away, before he smiled warmly at her and she let go.

“If you’re unmoving, a river will erode you,” she said.

“If you’re so cheap, I’ll tell everyone that you’re kunjas.” Adam smiled.

She grumbled.

“So…” Adam said, holding up Lanarot. “Dragon form?”

“Fine, but let’s do it elsewhere,” she said. “I don’t want to destroy anything here.”

Adam looked to the Chief. “Where can we go?”

“It must be done outside of the Iyr’s lands,” he said. “We cannot have her flying around the Iyr and finding out our secrets.”

“As if I’d do that,” she said.

“You may not be as intelligent as you appear,” the Chief replied.

Adam almost let out a laugh. “I didn’t expect you to be so snarky.”

“Snarky?”

“Nothing,” Adam said, chuckling. “Come on, Chief. Look, she’s not that stupid! She even handed back my sword.”

“Hey!” Entalia growled at him.

The Chief threw a look to the other Iyrmen, seeing the disapproving looks on the Great Elder’s face. “If you do misbehave, we will kill you,” he warned.

Suddenly the Great Elders were much more interested in allowing her to use her fields.

Entalia stared at them all, shaking her head. ‘Eugh, Deathsingers…’

Sonarot held Lanarot tight into her chest. “I will carry Lanarot,” she said, brushing the girl’s hair. She needed an excuse to come and see the Dragon’s transformation too.

Eventually they made their way out, Adam taking the gem weapons and slipping them between his belt and himself. As they stepped out, they found Jurot making his way to the gazebo.

“It’s you,” Jurot said, staring at the Elvish appearance of Entalia. “The Dragon.”

“Little Iyrboy,” Entalia said, sniffing at him. “My my, how delicious you’ve become,” she said, noting how powerful he had grown.

“Yes,” Jurot said, crossing his arms and puffing out his chest.

“What a succulent magical axe you have,” she said, staring at his waist, seeing that beautiful, hard, magical item laying there. It throbbed and oozed with magical energy. She almost began to drool. “Why don’t you let me have a look?”

“Entalia,” Adam said, raising his hand. “I’ll bonk you if you keep acting horny for magical items. That’s an axe I made specifically for Jurot, and anyone else who tries to covet it will get beaten, Dragon or otherwise.”

“You made that axe for Jurot?” Entalia asked.

“Yeah,” Adam replied, simply.

Entalia stared at him. “Wait! Why didn’t you make one for me?”

“Your life wasn’t in danger, and you aren’t adventuring with me,” Adam said.

“Ah! But those Giants almost killed me for passing along your message.” She frowned. “I can’t believe you wouldn’t make me a magical weapon when you almost got me killed!”

“Entalia, that was our deal,” Adam said. “I would make you a magical weapon once you passed on the message.”

“Oh, right. Still…”

“Plus, what would my magical weapon do for you? You already had Prince Aksak’s sword, something which is greater than what I can currently make.”

‘Currently,’ Entalia noted. “Still, it doesn’t count. I bet he didn’t do anything for that axe!”

“Like I said, I gave it to him because he’s in my adventuring party. If I didn’t do that, there’s a higher chance I die. If I die then…” Adam leaned over and grabbed Lanarot’s cheeks with a hand. “Who will look after my cute adorable sister and look after my Aunt when she’s old?” Adam almost turned red from embarrassment.

Sonarot just smiled. ‘What a darling Nephew I have.’

“It’s still not fair! I want a free magical weapon too! I won’t leave unless you make me one for free!” Entalia crossed her arms and sat down, her beautiful Elvish form causing many Iyrmen to stare at her already. They had been mesmerised by her beauty, but seeing how childish she was, the Iyrmen couldn’t help but smile.

Entalia suddenly shuddered.

‘If she continues to cause trouble, doesn’t that mean we can kill her?’

She had felt the thoughts of the Iyrmen, and glanced between them all.

“It wasn’t a free weapon,” Adam stated, noting how she was eyeing up the Iyrmen, quickly standing up as she stepped closer to Adam.

Jurot stared at the woman. He hadn’t expected her to behave like that. “You are Queen of the North?” Jurot asked, raising his brow at her suspiciously.

“What about it?” Entalia asked, staring down at the Iyrman.

Their eyes began their own fight, almost as though there was electricity shooting between them.

“Wait,” Adam said, raising his hands up, forming them into a T. “Hold on. Timeout.” He was still trying to figure out what he had heard. “You’re the what now?”

“You didn’t know?” Entalia asked, staring down at him. “That does explain why you were so indignant towards me!”

“Indignant?” Adam said, raising his brow at her.

She smiled. “I am Queen Entalia, Queen of Drakkenlen! Bask before me, half blood!”

“Don’t be weird about my race, lizard girl,” Adam replied, dryly. He glared at her.

“Lizard girl? How dare you!”

“How dare I? Don’t call me a half blood, then. If you’re going to be weird, I’ll be weird too.”

Entalia puffed her cheeks, which had turned red, and she fumed at him. “You… you…” He did have a point. “Hmph. I was just joking. If you can’t handle a joke, then how can we be friends?”

“Then I was just joking too,” Adam said. “If you can’t handle being treated the same way you treat me, then you should behave properly.”

Entalia remained glaring at him, her cheeks puffed out still.