Emerging from the trees came something Adam hadn’t expected. It wore a breastplate across its chest, made of metal which was silvery blue. At its centre was a symbol, a tree, one with fruits in the shape of stars. However, that wasn’t the strangest thing about the being.

With long antlers on its head, a skull which covered it’s face, and a lower half which matched Zeus, it was something Adam had never seen before. It carried in its hand a long bow, and strapped to its waist was a blade.

‘Oh, damn it,’ Adam thought. ‘I forgot to summon Zeus.’

“Begone vile creature!” the Elk Centaur demanded, it’s voice screeching throughout the forest, causing even the trees to shudder.

The Knights had drawn their weapons, but Sir Landon had raised his hand. “Declare yourself at once!”

“This is no matter of yours, son of man,” it replied, holding its bow tight in one hand, its other hand resting against the blade at its side. The blade was a short blade, but seeing its design, Adam couldn’t help but think it was magical, for it glowed even with the Nightval sun barely falling upon them.

“What’s your problem with me?” Lucy asked, gripping her Destroyer in hand.

From the moment it had appeared, its eyes were glued to Lucy, and not once did they pull away from her.

“You! Demon!” it screeched once more, the trees still shaking. “Begone! Begone vile creature of death and destruction! We will not share this forest with you!”

‘God damn it,’ Adam thought, before raising a hand to Lucy. “Relax, Lucy.” He wasn’t sure what this creature was, but it seemed powerful, considering it had come so eagerly to meet them.

The creature drew its blade, which glowed blue and white. Lucy narrowed her eyes towards the sword.

“Holysteel,” Jurot warned.

Adam slowly nodded his head, understanding how serious the situation was. “How about we talk this out?”

“Talk? Talk?” it asked, screeching once more, its voice beginning to echo, as though an unholy choir was chanting along with it.

“Do you know what it is?” Adam asked.

“A Guard,” Jurot said. “They do not come out unless it is important.”

‘That doesn’t sound good,’ Adam thought, staring at the creature. “Let’s keep it cool, yeah? Isn’t it Nightval?”

The creature turned to face Adam, cocking its head towards him. Adam could see its eyes now, which matched the colour of fresh steel. “Do not stop…” The creature fell silent, staring at Adam.

Adam was a Half Elf, a Fae, just like it. Yet, there was something else about Adam, something strange.

Something foreign.

Just like her.

It shifted its position, moving two steps to the side, and a step back, so now that both Adam and Lucy were within its sights. “What are you?” it asked, staring at the pair of them. “You are not of this land.”

Adam chuckled. “Don’t give away all our secrets, buddy. You don’t see Jurot here spilling all your secrets in front of everyone, do you?”

It snarled at Adam, snorting through its nostrils. The skull hid most of its face, but it no doubt held a vaguely human face, just like himself.

“Do you speak the good tongue?” Adam asked.

“Do not besmirch the good tongue,” it snarled back in Aldish. “How dare you!”

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“Alright, jeez,” Adam replied. “Calm down before we put you down.”

“We should not threaten the Guard,” Jurot said.

“Not threaten the Guard? He, she, it comes here and starts talking a bunch of nonsense after shooting an arrow at us and you want us not to threaten it?” Adam pointed at it, as though his finger were a sword ready to pierce it. “I’m getting sick and tired of your shit. If you want to fight, we’ll kill you and be done with it. If you don’t want to die, I suggest you change your tone.”

“Strangers! Foreigners!” it screeched, waving its sword, which caught the light.

“Alright!” Adam shouted back, grabbing his axe.

Jurot stepped forward quickly, understanding that Adam was finished with his diplomacy. “Lucy is a guest of my family.”

The creature, who had wound up its sword, readying its magic to smite down the strangers, froze. “This is no matter of yours, son of Iyr.”

“This matter includes me,” Jurot replied, simply. “Lucy is a member of our party. We have brought no harm to the forest, we should not be treated this way, Silver Strider.”

The Silver Strider’s eyes narrowed towards the son of the Iyr, who had dared to call it out.

‘Silver Strider?’ Sir Landon thought, burning the name into his mind. “You know what it is?”

“Yes,” Jurot replied. “We of the Iyr learn of many matters in relation to our neighbours. The history of Aldland, including that of the Blackwater Crisis, and even those of our neighbours to the south, the Fae. After the Massacre of Rock Hill, the matters were retaught to the children.”

The Silver Strider growled at the Iyrman, a low growl of thought, not one which threatened him.

‘Are Iyrmen cheat codes?’ Adam thought. ‘He’s fixing all our problems.’

“Adam, remind him that we have a deal, the Iyr and them,” Jurot said in the Iyrman’s tongue.

Adam, noted that Jurot spoke in a tongue only the two could understand, meaning it was quite important. “Guest of the moon and stars,” Adam began, recalling how to speak politely and properly as an Elf. “I am ever graced by your presence. I should dare to warn my dearest guest that the most splendid Iyr has a deal in place with your ever graceful being.”

Its eyes narrowed again, suspiciously staring at Adam and then the Iyrman. ‘He knows of their tongue? They do not know of our tongue yet, otherwise the Iyrman would have spoken it. He really is a son of Fae.’

“I remain,” it eventually said. “Watchful eyes on the strangers.”

“Jurot?” Adam asked, allowing him to choose whether that was fine. The others knew nothing about this creature, but Jurot seemed to hold some knowledge about it.

Jurot nodded his head slowly. “Lucy is a guest of the Iyr, and Adam is my brother. He is a Nephew of my family. Sir Landon is the son of a Baron from East Port, and the two beside him are his Knights.”

It picked up on what Jurot was telling him, and it bowed its head, slowly moving away until it was out of sight, though its watchful eye remained on them.

“You know a lot, Iyrman,” Sir Landon said. “I didn’t expect your knowledge to be so vast.”

“The Iyr teaches us the world’s history through thousands of stories,” Jurot replied. “We know much of the world because of it.”

“Stories are just that,” Sir Landon said. “There is no need to take them so seriously.”

“Do you know what it is?” Jurot asked.

“A Silver Strider, a Guard of sorts.”

“A Guard of what?” Jurot asked.

“Are you saying you know what it guards?” Sir Landon asked. ‘First that Lord Stokmar, and now this.’

“I have heard the stories,” Jurot replied, simply.

The Noble waited, but Jurot turned, leading them further forward. Sir Landon understood that Jurot wasn’t going to tell him.

“So, what does it Guard?” Adam whispered.

“It is not a story I can tell you.”

“Hmm.” Adam stared at Jurot’s back, but allowed him his secrets. That was the way it worked. Jurot would leave Adam his secrets, and Adam would leave Jurot his secrets. Though, if it were his own secret, Jurot would have told him.

This was not his secret, however.

“Damn,” Lucy grumbled. “I can’t believe you stopped me from fighting it.”

“Leave the Silver Strider be,” Jurot said, his tone carrying the authority of an Iyrman. “There is no good which comes from fighting it.”

“Isn’t it a good fight?” Lucy asked. “I didn’t expect an Iyrman to run from a good fight.”

“It is a good fight,” Jurot said. “Adam has requested for us to live.”

Lucy stared at Jurot. “Is it that strong?”

“No.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“It guards its realm,” Jurot replied. “When its realm is threatened, its realm will come for us. Do you wish to save Mary, or do you wish to die before it?”

Lucy grumbled quietly, but allowed Jurot his peace, and allowed the matter to end there.

“How strong is it?” Adam asked.

“It is an Expert,” Jurot stated.

“So about as strong as us?”

Jurot nodded.

“So we don’t really have to worry about it too much.”

Jurot did not nod.

Eventually the group found a place to sleep in the night, and Jurot cooked using their rations. He brought out a cracker and some cheese he had received from Ever Green some days ago, which was ageing whilst they travelled.

“Have you ever met a Silver Strider before?” Adam asked.

“No,” Jurot admitted. “They do not appear easily.”

Adam shared a look with Lucy. “Let’s hope it doesn’t bother us too much. We’ll get in, do our job, get out. Will it bother us for the Twilight Fox?”

“I do not believe so.” Jurot looked up to the sky, watching the stars. ‘Am I cursed to be unable to fight it?’ He smiled. ‘No. What is a Silver Strider compared to Sir Merry?’ He ate his cracker and cheese merrily.