Jaygak remained silent, falling deep into thought. ‘Am I allowed to deal with this?’

Count Eaglewing smiled politely towards the Iyrman. His short hair was stark white and made him appear older than he was, even though his wrinkles were barely seen. Like most nobility, the Count had learnt the martial ways, but the difference between Eaglewing and other nobility was his close relationship with the Order of Eagle Wing.

‘He is roughly a Grandmaster,’ Jaygak recalled, studying the Count from this close up. Even now she could see the way he carried himself, relaxed within his estate, but not quite relaxed to allow a blade to stick through his throat. Jaygak’s blade remained within arm’s reach, resting against the table to the side, far enough away the guards would have ample time to see her grab her blade and react accordingly.

“That would depend on what the exactly order of business would be,” Jaygak eventually replied.

“A Greater Enhanced blade, one which would spark to life with fire,” the Count replied.

Jaygak remained silent for a long moment, waiting for him to give more details. “That could be arranged, depending on the payment offered.”

“Though the war has emptied the coffers of other towns within our fair country, the coffers of Eagle Wing have yet to be emptied. The payment I offer will be more than appropriate.”

“Then I am assured that for the appropriate offer there will be an appropriate magical weapon of appropriate strength to be sent after an appropriate amount of time.”

“Ten thousand gold.” Count Oscar could see the rising playfulness in the Iyrman’s eyes, the mischief which sparkled so brightly.

“Our business requires half upfront, and we require the rest of the half before delivery.”

“The payment will be sent upon delivery.”

“You may procure your weapons elsewhere if our terms are unsuitable.”

“Will you not consider my heritage?”

Jaygak’s lips formed a wider smile upon hearing the Count’s words. “Why does the United Kindom need to consider the heritage of Aldishmen when it works upon the Iyr’s lands?”

“The Iyr’s lands which have been protected by the blood of our people for millennia?”

Jaygak’s lips formed a wife smile. “The Iyr’s lands which have been protected by spilling the blood of your people for millennia.”

“The stories of the Iyr’s are always of great joy to listen to.”

“In the Iyr, our history are our stories,” Jaygak began, calming her heart. “In Aldland, our stories are fables.” She leaned back, sitting taller, prouder. “Before I was born, my grandaunt’s stories were cut short in Aswadasad. It was around that time when other stories were born in Aldland. When you were a child, you must have heard them, the tales of our Iyrmen.”

“Your Chief’s tales are well known in Aldland.”

“The stories of our Great Elders were written in blood,” Jaygak stated. “Drakebane. Deathhand. Wildheart.”

“Mad Dog,” the Count added, recalling the name that was spoken among them. “There were many Iyrmen who had made names for themselves, but those from my time know of those four in particular. Drakebane, who slew draconic beings as though it were the fashion of the age. Deathhand, who painted with blood so effortlessly. Wildheart and Mad Dog, both who were so ravenous to fight. Wildheart was near undefeated, and defeated many of the legends I grew up hearing about.”

Count Oscar sipped his wine, narrowing his eyes towards the girl. “The Kid. Undying. Mad Dog. An Iyrman who did not know when to step back. An Iyrman who was defeated again and again, until one day, stories of him defeating, and slaying, all manner of nobles and legends began to spread like wildfire.” ‘He even overshadows greater figures, like the Duteous, and the Bearded Dragon…’

“Stories of the Iyr,” Jaygak replied.

“I have no doubt that your people are great, who could deny the strength of the Iyr, but there are few Iyrmen who have reached such heights as those four. For every Drakebane, there is an Eagle, a Black Hawk, a Golden Hand.” It was only upon seeing Jaygak’s smirk that the Count realised why those names came to him first, for the rumours were that the Mad Dog had defeated them all. “We have Rain Blade, Gold Blade, Black Blade, and so many more. Even if one considers the Grand Commanders of all the orders, the Vice Commanders too, even if the Iyr possesses two hundred Grandmasters, and a handful of Paragons, Aldland possesses a far greater number.”

“There are many great warriors all across Aldland, from North Amber, all the way to Jaghi, all the way to West Fort, all the way to Red Oak, all the way to Eagle Wing, all the way to East Port.”

Count Oscar remained silent, trying to understand Jaygak’s point. She was admitting to him that Aldland possessed great warriors from all across the land, and yet, somehow, her tone suggested the Iyr was superior.

“You can speak of Aldland’s greatness, but the United Kindom is familiar with many great warriors of the Iyr. My grandaunt, Flame Brand Gangak, is a great warrior, what one might consider a Grandmaster. Executive Kitool, who is escorting the Prince, her grandaunt, Shaool, is one of the Ten Paragons.” Jaygak smiled as the Count’s brows twitched in surprise. “Executive Jurot, who remains to watch over the Ray, is the grandson of Mad Dog.”

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Oscar knew that much, since the tattoo on his forehead said as much, but he had no idea that the devilkin girl before him was related to someone so powerful, nor that the other Executive, the quiet Kitool, was related to a Paragon. ‘So three of the Executives of the business are filled with the heirs of such great families?’

Jaygak could see the way the Count was suddenly calculating the matters within his head, certainly taking the wrong impression from her words. She had no doubt that the Aldishman had no idea that her family, the Gak family, was considered one of the weakest across the entire Iyr. ‘That’s right, even we of the Gaks, the weakest in the Iyr, cannot be threatened by just a Count!’

Once the matter was resolved, Jaygak returned to escort the Prince, only to be informed that the group were spending the next day in Eagle Wing too.

Jurot and Rook replaced Kitool and Jaygak the next morning, allowing them to relax the next day.

“Greater Enhanced for ten thousand?” Adam replied, rubbing his chin while Jaygak assisted the devilkin children with their lunch. “It should be fine, I guess.”

“The Count paid the entire coin upfront.”

“Did you bully him?”

“Just a little.”

Adam inhaled sharply, before clasping Jaygak’s forearm. “Good.”

‘How much disdain does he have for nobles?’ Jasmine thought, glancing between the group as they ate. Without the dragon there, her heart was at ease. She understood the dragon had probably guessed her identity, especially if the Prince had managed to identify her. It was then she caught Vasera’s eyes, the half dragon nodding her head gently, causing Jasmine to return a nod of her head. Jasmine’s heart quickly began to beat once more, just realising the third figure who could have figured her out.

“Hey, why are you keeping Alya and Asya so close to you?” Adam asked, narrowing his eyes towards Jaygak.

“They’re more comfortable with me.”

“How can they be more comfortable with you?”

“It’s because we have horns, don’t we?” Jaygak said, reaching down to tickle the twin girls’ horns gently. The girls squirmed slightly, before smiling up towards Jaygak, mumbling in Vilspeech.

“Hey, that’s not fair!”

“Karim,” Jaygak called before saying something in Vilspeech, causing the boy to chuckle lightly, looking towards Adam, before glancing up towards Bilal.

“Hey now, what did you say?”

Jaygak smirked.

“Kitool, how can she do this to me?” Adam asked. “Does she think I won’t beat her up?”

“If you continue to behave this way, I won’t praise you in front of Kavgak,” Jaygak said.

Adam inhaled deeply. “Just you wait until we get back and I talk with Jibaby.”

“I’ll steal her from you first.”

“Kitool, how can she say this?” Adam asked, mimicking his troublesome daughter, even with his brows and pointing with his entire hand.

‘He’s really an idiot,’ the Vice Commander and Princess thought.

The day in Eagle Wing passed uneventfully, before the group made their way south. As they approached the fort to the south of Eagle Wing, the walls of heavy stone raised upon large mounds, with a large V shaped ditch circling around it. The fort was hexagonal in shape, with small towers at each point, and compared to the new forts being made towards the Iyr, this fort was worthy of the title.

The guards here were as eager as the guards in Eagle Wing, though the presence of the Vice Commander and the Ray allowed them smooth entry. The Iyrmen acted normally, that was to say, they were slyly judging the fort.

‘Eagle Wing must have had greater influence on this fort,’ Kitool thought, glancing around to note that the soldiers stationed here were adorned in the armour of Eagle Wing, while their Captains were each from the nobility of East Wing.

“I swear this road wasn’t here,” Adam said as they drove along the new road, which was as wide as the previous roads, though the stones cobbled together were far smaller, the size of a fist rather than the size of a bull’s head.

“Eagle Wing works swiftly,” Jurot replied.

“They made this road?”

“They started and finished it last year,” Jurot confirmed.

“I have to admit it’s a little embarrassing to hear that…” Adam was surprised to see how quick and effective Aldland was in creating whatever it needed, not quite as quick as the Iyr, but faster than his civilised modern country from his first life. ‘Damn.’

The second fort was not quite as impressive, built slightly further away than a typical day’s journey, was more like the outpost built towards the villages. It was here the Vice Commander watched the group continue on, not southward, but westward, veering slightly north, towards the other minor fort, following the newly built road. She had expected them to go southward, towards the village, not towards the other minor fort.

“Phew, finally…” Adam inhaled deeply once they had left, and let out an equally deep sigh. “I half expected her to follow us. Actually, I fully expected her to pick a fight.”

“They must have received word of our confrontation with the Order earlier this year,” Jurot said, though he hadn’t expected the Order members to pick a fight anyway. “They are zealous in their duty, but they fight threats as a small army, not as handful of warriors sent to deal with two demons.”

“Yeah?” Adam realised he didn’t know much about the orders, just bits and pieces. ‘I should study Aldland more, just in case…’

As the group continued back to the business, Jasmine continued to ponder Morkarai’s words. It was only upon seeing Adam finally step forward that she understood what Morkarai had meant.

“Isn’t the fort meant to be dealing with threats like this?” Adam asked, swinging his axe in front of him as he stretched out his muscles. “Since it’s undead, I can kill it, right?” ‘Damn it. We’re almost home and you’re bothering me? You’re courting death.’

“Yes,” Jurot replied, strapping his own shield, readying himself.

In front of the group floated several creatures, one full of black death, the others a deep blue, reeking with the stench of death. The black creature was larger and thicker, domineering over the deep blue strands which formed vague humanoid shapes.

“I thought wraiths were a Northern thing?”

“It is far south,” Jurot admitted. It was rare to see such undead so close to the Iyr’s land, only the mindless skeletons were typically so fearless.

The wraith reached out a finger and beckoned them closer. The soft raspy breath filled the air. It spoke words of an ancient tongue long lost to man.

“Do you know what it said?”

“No.”

“If I allow you to fight, will you give me its core?” Karza asked, grinning wide.

“If you wish to fight, you may, but tickling them with your lightning will only assist so much,” Jaygak teased.

Karza frowned. “Even if my lightning only tickles them, it will still harm them.”

“You know, consider how much trouble I thought you were going to be, it should be okay for us to-,”

“Adam,” Jurot called, readying himself as the mass of undead spectres charged towards them, the wraith floating behind them.

Battle Order

D20 + 1 = 6 (5)