Omen: 6, 16

The group readied themselves to leave, with Adam checking up on the Goblin babes, who were as tiny as ever. They had awoken several times in the night, but the Iyrmen had taken shifts in taking care of them, as they had when they were on watch in the middle of the wilderness.

Adam pat Zeus’ head. “Thank you for all you’ve done, Zeus.”

The giant elk bowed his head, and Adam took the saddlebags, carrying them personally. They had carried most of their food stuffs, but had been replaced by other items they had procured as they journeyed, though they had little time to buy much of anything.

Except for that, of course.

“It feels like a waste to dismiss you…” Adam threw a look to the Chief, who was currently speaking with Rasam.

“What is it?” Young Merl asked.

“I was just wondering if you needed the help of a magical giant elk,” Adam said.

Merl looked at Zeus. “We can’t control something like that.”

“Why not?”

“Aren’t you the one to control it?”

“I could tell Zeus to listen and obey the Chief. I’ll tell him not to fight anything, not unless the Chief asks for it, and to hold back not to kill anything. He’s useful, and can carry more than typical mule.”

Merl stared at the giant elk still, the suspicion in her eyes slowly flowing away as reason filled them. ‘It would be useful…’

“Just give him a day off per week, otherwise I’ll feel bad,” Adam said, rubbing Zeus’ back. “He doesn’t need to anything, but talk with him sometimes, and praise him when he does well. If he tells me you’ve been treating him bad, I’ll be thinking twice about coming around here and helping about.”

“We always treat our animals right,” Merl replied, her lips pulled taut.

Adam smiled. “I’m offering you Zeus for free, for now. I might change that, later. Ah, well, we could consider it a trade for the gate fee?”

Merl looked at Zeus, and considering his size and strength, it was a good deal. Sometimes they needed more strength around the place, and a magical elk which was intelligent, well that was quite something. “I’ll speak with grandmother.”

Adam nodded. “Jonn, have you dismissed your elk yet?” Adam called.

“No,” Jonn said, before concentrating.

“No, wait!” Adam shouted, but it was too late, the giant elk disappeared. “Resummon it and let it work in the village.”

Jonn stared at Adam. ‘That’s a good idea.’ The thought surprised him, since it was about Adam having good ideas.

Adam narrowed his eyes, sensing the Half Elf’s thoughts. He turned to Merl. “Sorry about him, he’s not all there in his head. It’s the Elf in him.”

Merl smiled slightly. “I’m sure.”

“I’ll leave Hades behind too, to keep an eye out around the place. Please let the villagers know not to shoot him, otherwise I’ll be annoyed. He’s quite the expensive little owl, and though he doesn’t eat, he has high standards for everything else, including lodging.”

Merl wasn’t sure how to take that information, so remained silent.

The group eventually made their way into the Iyr’s lands, over the bridge to the Iyr’s lands. The hills welcome the group, though the hills were not kind to Adam as he carried the various bags.

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Adam threw a look over his shoulder towards the old man, who had decided to come with them. “What’s your business with the Iyr, anyhow?”

“I wanted to see it,” Asa replied, simply. His eyes scanned across the hills, noting there were a large number of structures nearby, each of them hidden. He also noted the appearance of the other Iyrmen, each of whom were carefully eyeing him up. There were at least six of them, and at least two of them were decent in strength.

The group stopped to deal with the Goblins, though they quickly found themselves surrounded by six Iyrmen.

“Damn it,” Adam said. “Every time.”

Shaool smiled at Adam, though she was mostly focused on the stranger. He was definitely strong, that was what her body told her, and if he had come alone, she would have tried to deal with him quickly. However, there was another matter to attend to.

“I see you have brought more guests,” Shaool said.

“Well, I mean, he just followed us,” Adam said.

“I meant the Goblins,” Shaool said, staring down at the babies, who were staring up at the world, though they could not see too well still.

“Oh.”

There was another Iyrman, one Adam recognised from the first time he had appeared within the Iyr. She was a scruffier woman, a woman who embodied the wildness which some believed the Iyrmen possessed. She wore the skull of a silverdeer as a mask, antler and all, with curly black hair which fell back across her shoulders. The skull was carved in such a way which revealed her tattoo, a black tilted cross, with several eight pointed stars flowing out. Thick furs fell across her entire form, hiding the rest of her body, coloured a tannish grey. Grasped tightly within her hands were a pair of shortswords, made of bone with intricate carvings, designs of the Iyr, which the Iyrmen understood.

Thirst for Blood.

Jurot’s heart pounded. The appearance of this particular Iyrman stated the Iyrmen meant business. Last time, they had been tasked with checking after Balrog, but Balrog was mortal, and he wasn’t as powerful as Asa, that was for certain.

“It seems there is another guest,” Shaool said, staring at Asa. “May I ask for your name and business, stranger?”

“I’m just here to visit the Iyr, and I will be gone soon,” Asa assured.

Shaool wasn’t sure if she should accept the figure, especially not since everything which was happening, but considering that the Front Iyr was already full of so many great figures…

“Then allow me to escort you all,” she finally said.

The Iyrman in the skull took the pair of baby Goblins from Okvar, before she withdrew with two Iyrmen. Shaool and two other Iyrmen remained, and began to lead the group forward to the Front Iyr.

“Jurot?” Adam asked, his eyes scanning the Front Iyr.

“Yes?”

“This is the Iyr, right?”

Jurot eyed up the area around them. He wasn’t entirely sure. They had walked through the large gates, which Asa had taken a moment to admire, and they had stepped into the area known as Front Iyr.

The Front Iyr had been renovated for some time, but they had come across something else entirely. The village was more like a fortress, with a large number of Iyrmen moving about, carrying all manner of earth, wood, and stone. The area around the Front Iyr, which had been quite flat, was now walled, and the walls around the area were half made of mountain which seemed to have appeared from nowhere, and half made from thick stone which had been lain together with cement.

There were small towers, each spread out about a hundred paces from one another, and they continued around, walling the front of the Front Iyr, but Adam noted the walls continued to the side, blocking even the rolling plains.

Iyrmen marched through the front Iyr, carrying all manner of materials, from earth and stone to ore and wood. Some were also pulling rickshaws full of sacks and barrels stuffed with food, wheat and oats, Adam assumed. He had once carried the food around, and the sacks and barrels used were similar in colour and size.

“You have returned?” called a familiar voice, and a tall, dark skinned man with fiery red hair asked.

“Yeah,” Adam replied, nodding his head to Morkarai. “It’s good to see you, Lord Morkarai.”

“You as well,” the Giant replied, before looking to the rest of the party. “I see you’ve all had a tough time.”

“You can tell?”

Morkarai nodded.

“What’s all this?” Adam asked, motioning his head to the walls, which had seemingly appeared within the span of a couple of months. Half the walls were made of rock, like those which engulfed the Main Iyr, mountains which the Iyr had built itself into. Yet, Adam was fairly certain the earth around here was mostly hills for a few miles.

Morkarai looked to the mountainous walls, and then looked back to Adam. “The Front Iyr.”

Adam blinked at the Fire Giant. “Yeah.”

“Did you bring me back a gift?” Morkarai asked.

“Oh. Uh…” Adam threw a look towards the drink which Morkarai had offered them. They hadn’t drunk much, not after what happened near the start of their journey. Adam held out the axe he had bought. “As a Nephew of the Rot family, I value axes. You can have this one.”

Morkarai glanced towards Adam’s hand, taking the axe from him. “Where is your other axe?”

“I lost it.”

Morkarai remained silent for a long while. He turned, throwing a look over his shoulder, thinking deeply. ‘It couldn’t be…’