Omen: 12, 13

“Today?” Adam asked the knight.

“Now,” they replied.

“You sure are demanding, considering how hard I-,” Adam began, only to recall the knight wasn’t a friend so he couldn’t make that kind of joke. “I have some business to deal with today, but I should show my face to the good Sir Landon.”

“It is the matter of your reward,” the knight explained.

“Oh! Why didn’t you say so?”

The knight blinked.

Adam donned the rest of his armour, and once the group were prepared, they made their way to Sir Landon’s estate. Several carriages had been prepared, since the teen Iyrmen were also invited to join them, as well as the one who could have been mistaken for an Iyrman.

‘First. Second. Third.’ Sir Landon thought about how ridiculous it all was. He hadn’t managed to take the top three spots once, but twice, technically. He stared at the large group before him, who were currently feasting on the breakfast he had prepared.

He had chanced upon meeting them a couple of years ago to assist him with hunting wolves. He reached up to rub the scars on his face, which pulsed gently. ‘From wolves to beating the greatest warriors within their age range. Iyrmen are truly monstrous.’

‘These nobles really know how to enjoy some good fruit,’ Adam thought, eating his fill.

“You have all done me a great service,” Sir Landon Littlesea began, motioning a hand to one of his servants. They brought forward a large chest, filled to the brim with gems and gold. There were two sets of blue gems, a set of red gems, and a set of black gems, as well as piles of gold. “Five thousand gold.”

“Five thousand gold?” Adam replied. He stared down at it, and tried to complete the maths in his head.

“Since your young warriors also fought in my name, I thought to reward them,” Landon said. He decided against mentioning Jaygak, though had also offered gems equal to a thousand gold for her too. He had bet on each of them placing in the top four, which meant his bets had returned back eight to one odds. His eyed fell to Nobby, who he had bet on achieving first place, which returned odds of roughly twenty to one. This bet, however, was the greatest bet of all.

“Sir Landon, you’re really…” Adam cleared his throat, trying his best to stop relaxing while in the presence of even minor nobles. “I thank you for your magnaniminity?” Adam furrowed his brows.

“Magnanimity,” Sir Landon replied.

“Yes, thank you,” Adam replied, chuckling. “I’m neither good with numbers, words, or names. I can beat the future heirs of all kinds of people, but I just can’t remember their names.”

Sir Landon wondered why Adam was always trying to get himself killed. “I hope you are still willing to assist with my request?”

“Right, the request,” Adam replied, as though he hadn’t forgotten.

“I have come to the conclusion that I need the core of a wraith, or a similar creature.”

“Wraiths?” Adam frowned, recalling how tough they were in his previous life. “You want to present her a wraith core?” ‘Is it some kind of noble jewellery stuff?’

“It can be used to create a Greater Enhanced magical weapon,” Sir Landon replied.

“Oh?” A smile crept on Adam’s face. “Now, that would be a good gift. Alright, sure, we can handle some wraiths.”

“They can be found across the wild lands within the north,” Jurot explained. “There are many forests which they call home.”

“When do you want this wraith core?”

“The sooner the better,” Landon admitted.

Adam thought for a moment, before glancing to Jurot. “Should we take the farmers?”

“Are we taking our cousins?”

Adam paused to think. He could feel their expectant gazes. He had already refused them a great fight previously, perhaps the greatest in their lives. “Yeah.”

“We should take the farmers.”

“Alright. I suppose we can all go and deal with it. Having more than twenty people is useful. We can have two people on watch at all times, along with Zeus and Hades.” Adam wasn’t sure who else he could take with them to increase the number of warriors on watch. ‘Although, we need to go and meet Dunes to help him with Amira. Should I just hand over Wraith instead of killing the wraiths? Is that why he mentioned wraiths specifically?’

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“Since you have managed to place so well, there are many nobles who wish to meet with you,” Sir Landon said, before motioning a hand to one of his servants, the young woman who worked as his butler, stepped forward to reveal a scroll which could not fit within her sleeves, and she held it out to Adam.

Adam took it, unrolling the scroll, which unfurled almost from his head to his knees if he stood. He placed it on the table, holding down either end, before the butler offered a pair of marble blocks which pinned the sides to the table. His eyes scanned across the offering the various nobles had offered his group in order to meet with them.

The words were written neatly, in blocks of text over six columns, starting from light blue from the top left, to red at the fifth column, which held fewer headings, but far more offerings.

‘Damn!’ Adam could see the minimum offer was at least a hundred gold to each person the nobles wanted to meet. There were easily two dozen families which wanted to meet with him. “What’s with all the colours?”

“Those in blue are those considered to be minor powers, those in black hold greater authority, while those in red are considered major powers,” Sir Landon replied, deciding against being coy about such knowledge.

“Hmmm.” Adam spotted that the two minor powers offered a fair amount, even more than some of those in black. He read each column slowly as the others kept eating, and Sir Landon spoke with Jurot and the others.

“You are greater than even I imagined,” Sir Landon admitted. “Is your grandfather also great?”

“Grandfather is strong,” Jurot confirmed. “I cannot defeat him.”

“How did he come to possess only one arm?”

“Grandfather lost his arm to Forgryn, the Azure Terror,” Jurot said, his voice lowering slightly.

“The Azure Terror?” Sir Landon asked, sitting up straighter. “The Blue Dragon which once made its home in Aswadia?”

“Yes.”

“A wicked creature which once lived within the desert of Aswadia,” Sir Landon regaled. “We receive news from Aswadia through the port and stories of the Azure Terror were quite popular in the last few centuries. It dared to harass the nearby Dragons which lived within the desert, the Princess of the Red Desert, and the Shen of the Golden Desert. Not just those that lived in the desert, but it was even spotted hundreds of miles away, over the mountains, over the seas. For your grandfather to face it and come out alive, it’s a miracle he only lost one arm.” Sir Landon hadn’t realised Jurot was the grandson of such a great figure. ‘It makes sense why you placed first.’

“After grandfather and grandaunt killed Azure Terror, they returned home,” Jurot explained, before glancing downward. He closed his eyes, recalling his first few memories. His lips almost formed a frown.

‘What did he say?’ Landon thought, staring at the Iyrman before him. ‘Did he just say that…’

“Jaygak’s grandmother and Kitool’s grandfather fell in the fight,” Jurot said. “Grandfather cut his arm to repay their deaths and retired.”

“What?” Landon said, unable to control the words escaping through his lips. “Your grandfather didn’t lose his arm to Forgryn, but he cut it off himself?”

“Yes.”

Landon fell silent. He had heard that the Azure Terror had been killed by Iyrmen, but he had no idea it had been Jurot’s grandfather, nor the grandparents of those at his side. “If they died to Forgryn, I am certain it was a good death.”

“It was certainly a good death,” Kitool said, bowing her head slightly, while the other Iyrmen nodded their heads.

“If they were your grandparents, were they also the grandparents of the teens?” The young sir asked.

“Yes.”

Sir Landon’s eyes grew wide. He wasn’t sure about the way the Iyr’s family system worked, but if they were descendants of those that killed Forgryn, then weren’t they fairly high ranking families? ‘They should be at least the level of a Marquis or Duke within the Iyr.’ “I had no idea I was in the presence of such great families.”

The Iyrmen sat up taller and straighter, even Uwajin, whose family hadn’t been mentioned.

“Each of our families are great,” Jurot said. “The Ool family holds the greatest honour among us.”

Landon looked to Kitool, who bowed her head slightly. “How is that?”

“My grandaunt is one of the Ten Paragons of the Iyr.”

“Ten Paragons of the Iyr?” Landon asked, not recalling anything about the phrase.

“The Ten Paragons of the Iyr are those who have reached the strength of Paragon,” Jurot explained. “They are tasked to remain within the Iyr to defend it. It is one of the greatest honours in all of the Iyr.”

“The Iyr houses ten Paragons?” Landon asked. “Those as great as the Grand Master of the Order of the Thousand Hunts?”

“Yes. Ten Paragons, Hundred Grandmasters,” Jurot said, stating the second group which were also tasked with protecting the Iyr.

“Hundred Grandmasters?” Landon wasn’t sure how that was possible when the Iyr was so small. It did enter his mind that perhaps Jurot was exaggerating, but he had yet to lie, and he hadn’t heard of Iyrmen lying before. “Is your grandfather one of the Hundred Grandmasters?”

“No. Each family typically has a Grandmaster, though our family does not at this time,” Jurot admitted. These statements were the only statements he could truly mention, anything more would be dangerous to let slip. The Iyrmen spoke the truth, as it was true the Iyr had a group called the Hundred Grandmasters, and that each family typically possessed a Grandmaster.

However, what he decided not to mention was the fact that the Hundred Grandmasters of the Iyr were a separate entity entirely, and did not include any Grandmasters outside of the group. The Hundred Grandmasters didn’t include the Grandmasters of the various families, nor those who had retired outside of the Iyr, who could still be called upon to assist the Iyr.

Sir Landon tried to count how many Paragons were across Aldland, and how many Grandmasters there roughly were. He was sure the land had about as many Paragons as the Iyr, but the number of Grandmasters was greater. ‘Even if the Iyr matches the number of Paragons and Grandmasters, it is only useful for defending themselves. They couldn’t take our cities with so few of them.’ Yet, he still couldn’t help but think.

‘What a scary group.’

Adam hummed quietly at the last block of text he read. It was smaller than the other red blocks, and though it was similar in value, it was valuable in different ways. The last red block had revealed the Duchess’ gifts for them. ‘What a scary woman.’