“That was a powerful far-“ Jurot stopped once he felt Adam’s hand on his shoulder.

‘Jurot, what the hell are you saying? She’s just a kid!’ Adam’s eyes twitched at the Iyrman, trying to send his thoughts to the Iyrman.

Jurot stared stared back at the half elf who was admonishing him, recalling how it had only been moments since the half elf had threatened to beat a ten year old girl.

Adam cleared his throat, glancing slightly at the little demon girl, who was curled up into a ball. She was adorned in loose clothing which wrapped her from head to toe, and a long cloak. She didn’t have anything else on her, no pack, no food, nothing.

“Oh boy, I sure am hungry,” Adam said, reaching into his pack to find his rations.

“We had just-“ Jurot began, only to be cut off again.

“Oh boy,” Adam repeated, staring at Jurot, staring at him with the look he had only just given, “I sure am hungry!” He raised his brows, trying to send his intent with his facial expression.

‘Why are you looking at me like that, son of Fate?’ Jurot thought, blinking at his companion.

Adam brought out a set of his rations, revealing the dried fruits and smoked meats for the girl. “Here,” he said.

“How do I know it’s not poisoned?” Lucy asked, peeking through the cracks of her fingers, her hands still hiding the rest of her face.

“Oh?” Adam tilted his head, smirking. “Jurot, do you see how this mighty Demon Lord is afraid of some rations? You know, I hear little children are afraid of their fruits and vegetables.”

“Who said I was afraid!” Lucy snatched the rations and shoved them into her mouth. If they truly had wanted to harm her, they wouldn’t have used poison, something which she was resistant to. She ravaged the rations with her teeth, like a wild beast. Once she was done, she stared up at Adam.

“What?” the half elf asked.

“Do you have any more?”

“Do I have any more, what?”

“Food.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I’m looking for the magic word.”

Lucy squinted at him, before saying something which sounded like grinding bones and the scream of a flayed goat.

Adam blinked.

“What?” Lucy asked.

“What the hell was that?”

“You wanted a magical word, didn’t you?” Lucy furrowed her brows at him.

“Not that kind of magical word.”

“Do I look like I know Divine Magic?” She rolled her eyes.

Adam rubbed his forehead. “No, that’s not what I meant. If you’re asking someone for something, what do you say?”

“Oi, you, hand it over.” She held out her hand.

“I mean if you’re not the Demon Lord.”

“Why would I speak like I’m not the Demon Lord?” Lucy narrowed her eyes.

“I meant respectfully, you little brat!” Adam scowled, rolling up his sleeves again. “Jurot!”

Jurot stepped forward, but Lucy pulled back.

“Hold on! Don’t you dare touch me!” Lucy cried, pulling away from Jurot. “Please! Please give me more food!”

Adam beamed at her brightly. “Well, why didn’t you say so?” He offered her another set of rations.

She rubbed her stomach once she was done, having eaten four days of rations, two from Adam, two from Jurot. “The food in this world isn’t so bad,” she said, licking her lips.

“We should get out of here,” Adam said, glancing to Jurot. He had no idea what to do, so would leave it to the Iyrman.

“Let’s go!” Lucy leapt onto her feet, though she quickly tumbled. She still wasn’t fully recovered from the poison of the spider.

“Here, I’ll carry you,” Adam said, squatting down in front of her so she could climb onto his back.

“I don’t need you to carry me,” Lucy said. “I’m the great me! I wasn’t even carried by my parents!” Her body was full of pride, but the pair could see the look on her face, which darkened the area.

Adam and Jurot glanced between one another. “You’ll slow us down, so hurry up and get on my back.”

“Just you wait until I get older! I’ll be the one to spank you!” She then stepped up towards Adam, who stepped away, staring at her with a disgusted look. “What?”

“I don’t feel comfortable knowing you want to touch my butt,” Adam admitted.

“What! Y-you!” She turned completely red. “You were the one who wants to touch my butt! Pervert! Gross!” She thumped his armour with her fists, her face completely red.

“Alright, alright, sheesh,” Adam said, grabbing her wrists. “When you get older, you should pay me back for saving your life, and the huge meal you just had.”

“Tch! You fiend!” She climbed onto his back. “Enough with this nonsense! Let’s go find Mara!”

“Who is that?” Adam asked, feeling her wrap her arms around his neck, and her legs around his stomach.

“Mara is my maid, and the one who should be carrying me. She’s my most trusted aid.” Lucy nodded her head. “We were split apart a little while ago, though I don’t think she’s in here with me, otherwise I would have found her already.”

“What does she look like?” Adam asked, following Jurot, who had led the way through the tunnel.

“Tall. Red hair. Big, fat, traitorous boobs!” Lucy huffed. “She’s almost as pretty as me.”

Adam coughed, almost losing himself to laughter. He hadn’t expected her to describe the woman’s breasts, especially not in that way. “What the hell are you saying? Mind your language.” Adam chuckled, trying to not cry from keeping his laughter in. “Is Mara single?”

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“She’s married to her job,” Lucy said, wrapping her arms around his neck a little tighter. “She belongs to me.” The whisper was threatening.

“What a shame,” Adam replied, chuckling still. “She sounds like my type.”

“You disgusting perv! Gross! Yuck! Once we find Mara, I’ll be leaving!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find her for you.” Adam smiled. “If she’s as beautiful as you say, who knows, I might become your General.”

“Who do you think you are?” Lucy clicked her tongue at him. “Mara is worth a hundred, no, a thousand of you! Why would I want you when I have Mara? Gross! Pervert!”

Adam just chuckled, following Jurot, who led the way through the tunnels. There would be times when it would become completely dark, and Jurot would use the back of his axe to lead himself, but it seemed as though he was following something.

The Iyrman stopped, glancing around. “This way,” he said, leaping up a small rock wall, and hoisting himself over, before dealing with the dirt and rock ahead of him. As he dug into it, the dirt and rock fell all around him, threatening to bury him.

“Jurot!” Adam shouted, his eyes wide.

Jurot kicked off the stone and dirt. “Come,” the Iyrman said, once the earth had dislodged itself around him.

Adam climbed up the wall with ease, using the dirt and rocks which had fallen as a step. The rock he was on was barely enough for him to crouch over. Jurot had already moved along, but Adam could see the light of the world peeking through.

“I’m going to need to place you down so we can get through,” Adam said.

“I want to go first so I don’t see your stupid ass,” she said.

Adam rolled his eyes, allowing the Demon Lord to go on ahead, before following her out.

“Don’t look at my butt,” Lucy said.

Adam rolled his eyes, letting her go first until she was out of sight, before following through the small tunnel Jurot had created with his axe and fingers.

Once he was out, they were on some solid rock, and there was still more earth to climb up. However, they could hear the signs of life, the various creatures and critters, above them.

“Mind helping Lucy up there?” Adam asked. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to do well with my armour, stuff, and her.”

Jurot nodded his head in response, stepping towards her, but the girl pulled back towards Adam.

“I won’t let no human get his disgusting paws on me!”

“Why not?” Adam asked, brow pulsing.

“Hmph! I trust him less than I trust you!”

“I trust Jurot with my life, and yours. So get your ass up there before I push you back into the tunnel. I’m sure there are plenty of spiders to keep you company.”

She growled at Adam, but climbed onto Jurot’s back. Jurot etched his words into his his mind, before he climbed up, with Lucy on his back, with ease.

Athletics Check

D20 + 4 = 17 (13)

Adam managed to follow with some difficulty, grabbing at the various rocks which allowed him something to grip onto, but he was still wearing and carrying a lot of gear. He had half a mind to drop his stuff, or to have Jurot pull it up using rope, but he needed to look cool in front of them.

He managed to finally hoist himself up, his arms burning. He looked down to where they had appeared, but it was out of sight, appearing as though it were a short drop, but it curved awkwardly so the rest of it was out of sight.

“A new forest,” Jurot said, glancing all about. “I do not know of it, or the path.”

“A new forest?” Adam asked. “You mean, the forest which had only just awakened?”

Jurot nodded his head. “Something has died for it,” he said.

Adam threw a look to Jurot, and then to Lucy. He swallowed. “Let’s go.”

"Huh, why are you guys so solemn now?" She stared at the pair of them, raising her brow.

"It could be that we’ve lost a bunch of our friends and family,” Adam said. “We came here in order to help Jurot’s mother, who may die if we do not return in a timely manner.”

Lucy kept her mouth shut, understanding that there was a limit to how much she could act out. She couldn’t just be a bother when they were half in mourning, it wasn’t proper.

Adam picked her up, and they followed Jurot through the forest path, until dusk began to gather all around them.

“We should make camp,” Jurot said, glancing around. However, he grabbed his axe and dashed in front of Adam and Lucy, ready to spill blood.

Adam grabbed his blade, summoning the other into his free hand with a word. “Jurot?” Adam whispered.

The brush rustled.

"You two are safe," came a familiar voice. Emerging from the brush was an Iyrman, with long black hair which fell to his shoulders, and a large greatsword at his back.

“Dargon,” Adam said, sighing with relief, sheathing his blade and dismissing the other.

The other Iyrmen each appeared, all eight which had come with the group. They each smiled at the pair, glad they hadn’t lost the youngest of the group.

“It would have been a shame to lose you,” Dargon said, shaking their forearms.

“A shame to your story, or would you have been sad?” Adam asked, raising his brow.

Dargon frowned. “Do you think we wouldn’t have wept for you?”

“It’s a joke,” Adam said, chuckling. “Now that I’m surrounded by Iyrmen, will I die?”

Dargon just nodded, whereas the other Iyrmen exchanged glances, having thought they had understood Adam as they had travelled, but hadn’t expected such cheekiness.

“Who is the guest?” Okvar asked, staring at the girl. ‘A demon?’

"Ho ho, Iyrmen!” Lucy scrambled off his back and then stepped forward, standing tall as the shortest among them all, and crossed her arms, like an Iyrman. “You may bow before the great me! I am Lucy, the greatest Demon Lord!”

"A Demon Lord?” Okvar asked, staring down at the girl. ‘Hmm.’

"That's right!” She grinned wide. “Bow before my magnificence."

The Iyrmen stared at her as she grinned smugly at them. However, they noted how she was sweating, her eyes darting between them all.

‘How handsome!’ Lucy thought, her heart racing. ‘Look at those muscles! That orc man and that horned lady are strong! I’ll make them into my Generals for sure!’ "You guys seem quite strong, I will allow you to join me!"

The Iyrmen’s eyes all fell to the youngest pair, who had brought back quite the surprising guest.

"Actually,” Adam began, rubbing his chin. “If you wanted to gather an army, the Iyrmen are your best bet."

Jurot, and the other Iyrmen, nodded their heads, agreeing with Adam, even though they were still waiting for the youngsters to tell them what was going on.

"Oh? They're not so bad." Lucy continued to stare at them, ogling the orcish and devilkin Iyrmen.

"Not so bad?" Adam asked, glancing down at her. “Most of the Iyrmen are between Jurot and Dargon, but when it comes to the active Iyrmen, this is pretty much the average composition,” Adam said, making an educated guess from what he saw back at the Iyr.

“There are more people as strong as the orc and horned ones?” Lucy asked. ‘What is he saying?’

“If I had to take a guess,” Adam said, glancing between the Iyrmen. “I’d say there are at least a hundred about Okvar’s level, and maybe a thousand around Lokat, and several thousand around Dargon’s,” Adam said, motioning to each Iyrman.

“You think I’m stupid enough to believe that?” Lucy asked, raising her brow at him. “I wasn’t born yesterday.”

"Once we head back to the Iyr, you'll see." Adam smirked.

Jurot smirked too. ‘A hundred at Okvar and Wujyn’s level?’ Even though he didn’t know much about the deeper secrets of the Iyr, he knew at least how many legends who had retired within the Iyr.

Okvar hadn’t expected Adam to be so accurate in what the Iyrmen had shown him. None of the Iyrmen corrected him, keeping their secrets. After all, only Okvar and Wujyn knew the true extent of the Iyr’s strength, thanks to their rank.

'He’s joking right?’ Lucy thought, eyeing up the Iyrmen. ‘So many at such a level? That’s impossible…’

“We will camp the night here,” Okvar said, nodding his head at the other Iyrmen. “We will continue to the city in the morning. We will set watches, Jurot with I, and Adam with Wujyn. You may sleep, Demon Lord, for no one will bother you with us around.”

Lucy stared up at Okvar, an orc, wondering how impudent she should be considering their great strength. She noted the others, the humans, but they seemed to be under Okvar’s bidding. “Since you seem to care for me so much, I will listen!” ‘How is it that an orc is commanding these humans? What kind of world am I in?’

"Would you mind if I take the first or last watch?” Adam asked. “I really don’t like being woken up midway through my sleep.” He smiled awkwardly.

“Jaknuu, you may take first watch with Adam.” Okvar nodded. It didn’t matter if Adam wanted to take a separate watch, and there was no need to deny such a simple request. It was best that they were all at their strongest in such a foreign place.

"Lucy, here," Adam said, handing her one of the blankets the Iyr had given him for the journey, one with a small pattern of the Rot family printed onto it.

"Good job, Captain," Lucy said, wrapping the blanket around herself as she leaned up against a tree.

"If you need anything, just ask." Adam smiled. ‘Captain?’

"Of course, it's only right that you should be subservient to me, the greatest Demon Lord!"

Adam flicked her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Demon Lord Lucy."

"Hmph!” She rubbed her forehead. The girl dropped up against a tree and passed out instantly.

"Is she really the Demon Lord?” Dargon asked.

“I think so,” Adam said.

"It is hard to believe, even from your lips,” Dargon admitted.

"Yeah, I know, but..." Adam looked at the little demon girl. "We both have something in common."

"What is that?"

"You'll find out one day." Adam smiled. He leaned his head back. He hadn’t expected to learn something so interest on that day.

There were others, just like him.