“What in the fires are you doing here, Karza?” Gordo snarled, clenching his teeth as green smoke escaped through the corners of his lips.

“I didn’t expect to meet you here,” Karza admitted. “I came to annoy an old friend of mine, but what luck, I get to annoy two friends of mine.”

“You’re a thorn in my side.”

“So you’re saying I’m a beautiful rose? I’m sorry, but you’re too green for me.”

Gordo snorted out more green smoke, which dissipated in the air. “You’re fortunate the Aswadian laws protect you.”

“You’re lucky I’m not going to cause you any trouble this time,” Karza said. “How’s your forest?”

“It’s fine, and unwelcoming to you.”

“I’ve kept my word so far. I haven’t come in the past decade, unless you’re going to tell me that this outpost constitutes your forest?”

“As long as you stay on the ship, you’ll find yourself safe from the tip of a spear.”

“What if I want to-,”

“Karza, shut the fuck up before I beat you,” a voice finally broke through the air, as his brow pulsed heavier. “Lord Gordo, if you want to beat her up, I’ll help you.”

“Finally, a good fae folk,” Gordo said, sniffing the air. ‘Why does he smell so weird?’

“Only half,” Adam replied.

“Morky, tell that friend of yours he better be careful with his tone.”

“Jaygak, that blue dragon is acting awfully uppity in front of you,” Adam said.

“You should understand when and when not to cause trouble,” Jaygak warned, speaking to the pair of them, before her eyes fell onto Karza. “If anything happens to my niece or nephew while on this trip, it won’t just be the Gryns we Gaks will hunt.”

“You Iyrmen would need to chase us for generations if you want to hunt us down.”

“I can only pray we will have such good fortune.”

“…” Karza swallowed slightly, feeling the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end. “You’re lucky these fine Iyrmen are here to keep me at bay, Gordo.”

“You had better remember that,” Gordo replied, letting out another huff, before he stepped back towards the railing. However, before he could continue, Jurot held out a spear wrapped within the cloth. The dragon bowed his head, accepting the scarf and spear, before he bent backwards and fell off the ship, the distant splash revealing he had entered the sea in his half dragon form.

“Are green dragons good at swimming?” Adam asked.

“Yes,” Jaygak replied simply.

“He is better at flying, and so am I,” Karza said. “You should remember that the next time you think your axe can strike me.”

Adam smiled slightly. “So you are.”

Karza exchanged a look with Morkarai, wondering what Adam was talking about, while the fire giant thought about the way Adam could keep up with the dragon.

‘Oh.’

Karza didn’t like the look on the realisation on the fire giant’s face. ‘Eh?’

The green dragon eventually left them be, flying away in the distance once they were further along. Many hours later, the ship approached the Dragon’s Maw, where the land of Aswadasad allowed the ocean to enter through only a few miles, forming a small sea within.

“Captain,” a sailor called, carrying a large chest, which strained his thick forearms.

The Captain, an old man with a bald head, a grizzled face, and a stark white beard, opened the chest, noting all the silver coins within, allowing its scent to float out towards the ocean. He reached into his ragged shirt, and he pulled out a leather pouch which had rested against his heart. He kissed the pouch and tossed it into the chest, before shutting the chest.

“Send it overboard,” the Captain said, while many of the soldiers approached the railing, placing their hands over their hearts, watching as the sailor tossed the chest within the ocean. ‘There goes our beautiful booty.’ Single tears fell down the sailor’s cheeks as they spent a minute standing at the railing, before quickly returning back to their work.

“What’s that all about?”

“Tribute for the dragon turtle,” Jaygak informed, biting into a nut, chewing it slowly.

“Oh, right, silly me,” Adam replied sarcastically. ‘Of course it’s tribute for a dragon turtle, what else would it be?’

The days on the ship continued, with the group passing by several towns and a fort, where they picked up a few soldiers who were making their way to the regional capital, still a couple of days away from the regional capital.

The Captain kept his mouth shut as the rowdy soldiers enjoyed their freedom, finally able to return back to the after their season within the fort.

The Aswadians spoke between one another, motioning their heads towards the coalskinned red haired fellow and the mermen, before the mermen spoke up. The Aswadians smiled, standing up to approach the mermen and the coalskinned red haired fellow.

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The Aswadian soldiers coaxed the mermen, chuckling between themselves, before the mermen spoke, and quickly the soldiers straightened up, staring at the fire giant Prince. They quickly retreated away from them.

Adam sighed, staring out towards the sea. They were getting further away from where they wanted to be, but he had signed up knowing that, since the ship would allow them to rest up at the towns they approached, especially from now on.

An Aswadian soldier called out towards Adam and Jaygak, approaching the pair. One of them said something, glaring towards Adam.

“What did he say?” Adam asked, towards a nearby sailor.

“He is asking why you were laughing.”

“I wasn’t laughing, I was worrying about my wife.”

The sailor translated, and the soldier replied, causing the other soldiers to laugh.

“What did he say?”

“He said you do not need to worry, since he keeps her company well,” the sailor replied, hiding his smirk.

Adam pushed his tongue against the back of his teeth. He cracked his neck both ways, but he understood it was stupid to do anything to the Aswadian soldiers.

“Dogson,” Jaygak said, causing the others to glance towards her. “Go on. Tell him what I said.”

“…”

“You should do it before I push you off the ship,” Jaygak threatened the sailor, still staring into the soldier’s eyes.

“Ibn kalb,” the sailor said.

The soldiers snapped their heads towards the Iyrman, stepping up towards her, narrowing their eyes towards the young woman.

“You better watch your mouth, you are not in the Iyr any more,” the sailor translated.

“Or else what?” Jaygak replied. “It was only a few years ago we Iyrmen cut down hundreds of your soldiers, and your Shen hid within his palace, afraid to even look our way like a beaten pup.”

“You speak dangerous words, devilkin, for one who is outnumbered five to one.”

“Iyrman,” Jaygak corrected. “You need five Aswadians to look within an Iyrman’s eyes, you need five more to fight an Iyrman.”

The soldier spat onto the floor, before growling a set of words towards her.

“Lick the deck clean, and I will forgive you.”

“The only thing dirty upon the deck are the ten cowards before me,” Jaygak replied, rubbing her knuckles against her palm. “That kind of dirt can only be cleaned by fire.”

The soldiers narrowed their eyes, but before something could explode, Morkarai stepped towards the group.

“Do you have any issues with my escorts?” Morkarai asked.

“No,” the sailor translated, before the soldiers pulled back, heading towards their rooms.

Adam let out a sigh of relief. “Damn, Jaygak, you don’t mess about.”

“Sometimes the Aswadians need to be reminded that they we Iyrmen leave them be out of choice, not out of fear,” Jaygak said, watching as the soldiers left. “We should head back.”

The soldiers each sat within the large room where they bunked for the few days before they would return back to the capital.

“The Iyrmen speak too much, Mulazim,” the soldier said to his officer, the Mulazim. “They called me a dogson. Dogson!”

The Mulazim shook his head. “They think they can speak so freely upon our lands? Noor take them, I will see if they can speak so freely to-,”

The sounds of the door unlocking caused a silence to fall across the room, before the handle slowly turned, and the door creaked open to reveal a figure. Tall, handsome, with hair which fell to his shoulders, and a set of blue tattoos across his forehead. A devilkin Iyrman followed behind him, before another human Iyrman stepped in, closing the door behind her, before it was locked from outside.

Jurot didn’t care that the soldiers each stood, placing hands on their short blades. “Which one was it.”

“That one,” Jaygak replied, motioning towards the soldier she recognised.

Jurot stepped up toward shim, feeling the soldiers tense up, but he stared into the soldiers eyes. “You should pray your Mulazim translates my words for you correctly.”

“If you wish to speak to me, you may,” the Mulazim said, approaching the Iyrman, before Jaygak stepped forward, her hand clasped over her magical blade. “You, a devilkin, wish to stop me.”

“You goatherders need some more original insults for me,” Jaygak replied.

“The journey across the sea is perilous,” Jurot began, staring into the soldier’s eyes. “You should be careful you do not find yourself at the bottom of the sea because you acted like an Aswadian around us.”

“You cannot threaten us,” the Mulazim said.

“You should translate while I still allow you to,” Jurot said.

“Do you beli-,”

“If I hear that any of the soldiers speak ill of my brother or sister again, I will gut your Mulazim like a fish, and I will hang him by his entrails,” Jurot warned. “My grandfather spent his time in Aldland killing many nobles, and even today he lives. We will see if I can do the same in Aswadasad, if your Faro thinks she can punish me for teaching you a lesson, or we will see if she is as wise as the Shen and will hide within the walls of her home, her head bowed when she hears that Jurot, the Savage, walks freely in her city.”

“You should hope the story will play out as you say, Iyrman,” the Mulazim said.

“Do you understand?” Jurot asked.

“Leave, while I still show you mercy.”

Jurot remained focused on the soldier in front of him. “Unlock the door.”

The door unlocked, and the sound of the sailor’s footsteps quickly disappeared, not wanting to be marked by the soldiers. Kitool opened the door with her staff, before stepping out, with Jaygak followed after her, and Jurot turning his back to the soldiers, leaving, the Mulazim holding his hand up to stop his soldiers from doing anything. Silence fell the group for a long moment as they heard the Iyrmen’s footsteps heading away.

“We will see if they act so thoughtless when we return,” the Mulazim assured.

It was in the middle of the night when the Mulazim found his answer, when the sudden yelping and shocked cries awakened him, while the figures, illuminated by the bright light of a blade, beat the soldiers within the span of moments, knocking them out before the scuffle could grow too loud, with the devilkin beating four, the young woman beating another five, while Jurot’s axe slapped against the side of the Mulazim’s head, dazing him. Jurot grabbed the Mulazim by his collar, a hand over his mouth as the Iyrman dragged an officer of the Aswadian army towards the railing. Jurot gripped the back of the officer’s hair, gripping it tight in hand, the Mulazim barely able to see the sea under the starlight.

“Do you understand?” Jurot whispered into his ear.

The Mulazim’s heart pounded within his chest as he stared down into the sea. “I understand.”

“Pray to Noor.”

“What?”

Jurot slowly pushed the Mulazim’s head over the railing, before the officer began to splutter and stutter out a prayer.

“Oh, Noor! All glory is due to you! I praise you! Your name is blessed above all, your majesty is highly exalted, and as the dawn’s rays-,”

Jurot pulled the Mulazim back by his hair again, and the Mulazim stared up at the Iyrman’s face, barely illuminated by the stars. “When we get to port, tell her.”

“Wh-what?” the Mulazim managed between his panting.

“Tell your Faro what I have done. Tell her that the grandson of the Mad Dog beat her soldiers, and tell her that if she wishes, he will continue to kill all those she sends to capture him. Tell her. Do you understand?”

“I-I understand!”

Jurot pushed the Mulazim forward. “It is not Baktu, nor Noor, who has chosen you to live this day, but I, Jurot, he who the Aldish call the Savage.”

Lucy remained silent as she watched the Mulazim pant and stumble his way back to his room. “Why do you have to be so scary?”

“It has been some time since we Iyrmen have caused a mess in the Aswadian lands.”

“Did you have to pick a fight now, when everything’s so stressful?”

“The Prince will vouch for us, or we will sacrifice the Aswadians to ensure a healthy birth,” Jurot replied, in such a way that Lucy understood the Iyrman was completely serious.

‘Scary!’