Lykan stared at the boy. He was the second most troublesome visitor they had received, outside of Tariel.

The boy stared up at the Elder, his eyes full of defiance.

“You are now a member of the Ool family,” Lykan said. “You will remain with them.”

“You will not help me?” the boy asked, glaring up at Lykan.

“They will keep you safe.”

The boy frowned. It was not what he wanted to hear. He was happy to pretend to be an Ool, but this was something else. “What about my home?”

“We will keep you safe within the Iyr. One day, perhaps you may be able to view it as your home.”

The boy’s lip quivered and he held onto his knees, clenching at them. “What of my uncle? He…” He swallowed. “Can’t you kill him?”

“We can,” Lykan stated, matter of factly. “We will not.”

“Why not?” the boy snapped. “He killed my mother and father! My brother and sister too! He killed them!” Tears welled in the boy’s eyes.

“We Iyrmen keep our word,” Lykan stated. “Stay within the Iyr. We will protect you. No one, not even the King of Aldland, will be able to hurt you. That is all that we can offer you.”

The boy, who had lived through the assassination of his father and mother, of his entire family, who had starved on the street for a year, finally wept.

“I want to kill him! He! How could he? He sits where my father sat! It is not his throne! It’s not his! It’s not mine! It’s fathers!” The boy continued to weep.

Lykan placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “It must have been difficult for you. I cannot tell you to forget your rage, or your thirst for vengeance, but I also cannot promise that we can assist you in this matter. Not while the treaty is in effect.”

The boy shook and cried, all the while Elder Lykan squeezed his shoulder. “You must never speak of it again. Keep it in your heart, but do not forget. For now, you are an Iyrman, and we of the Iyr never forget.”

During this time, there were also other royalty who were staying within the Iyr.

“Ah!” Strom sighed with joy. “Firewine, oh firewine! How you sing to me, to me!”

Morkarai remained heavy with stress as he shared his firewine with Strom. He hadn’t expected to meet with His Excellency, for he exuded such a great presence, even though Morkarai had a one in ten chance of getting lucky and perhaps bringing the old man down to a knee.

“You were just a wee babe when I saw you last, but look at how you’ve grown,” Strom said. “That may have been the last time I had drunk your firewine. I drunk it at the start of your life, and you bring it to me at the end of my own.”

Morkarai winced. Hearing that someone like Strom was dying brought a great darkness to his mind. He, who had only ever known the world with Strom alive, couldn’t imagine a world without the man. “I am sorry to hear it, Your Grace.”

Strom clicked his teeth. “What did I say?”

“Forgive me, Lord Strom.”

Strom narrowed his eyes.

Morkarai smiled nervously.

“I heard your father has grown ill recently,” Strom said. Recently had meant in the last decade to Strom, who worked on a time scale different to even the Giants. “I brought over a treasure of mine.” He revealed a pulsing gem, darkly coloured, with swirled of pure white within it.

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“A Heart of Lorkim?” Morkarai gasped. First Stormdrake, and now a Heart of Lorkim?

Strom tossed it to Morkarai, who quickly snatched it out of the air, his heart pounding wildly in shock.

“Is this for my father?”

“Why else did you think I asked the Iyr to call in their Edict?” Strom grumbled. “Even if your old man and I don’t like one another, I think he should at least see you grow up properly.”

Morkarai was shocked. Strom had called in the Edict? He wasn’t exactly sure of the connection between Strom and the Iyr, but it seemed that even the Iyr respected Strom. “Th-thank you, Your Gra-,”

“Strom,” the old man corrected. “Don’t forget to leave Stormdrake behind, it doesn’t belong to you.” His eyes narrowed towards the Giant once more.

“I will make sure to leave it here, Sir Strom,” Morkarai managed. “I wouldn’t dare to keep it.”

“I’ll be handing over Thunderwyrm’s Lament, so don’t get too greedy,” Strom said.

Morkarai raised his brows in shock. He hadn’t expected that Strom would have given him a Heart of Lorkim and Thunderwyrm’s Lament, two great treasures, though the Heart of Lorkim was far more brilliant.

“Thank you…”

“I didn’t expect you to come so soon,” Strom admitted. “I know how long you and yours take making decisions.”

“I wished to come. I may be the youngest, and certainly not the strongest if you compare me to my siblings, I am the best crafter from them all. My smithing and enchanting is unmatched in my generation.”

“Why did you bring that old relic?” Strom asked. “You should have brought something you made.”

“I am still in the process of learning from it, and I am close.”

“Oh?” Strom said, intrigued. “At your age?”

Morkarai smiled slightly. “I hope that with Stormdrake, it will speed up the process.”

“Take it as your good fortune then.” Strom wondered if this was perhaps the workings of someone greater. “Well, if you use the heart of your brother, perhaps you can make something as good as Stormdrake.”

Morkarai chuckled nervously, swallowing. He had heard how Stormdrake had been made. “Are you… really dying?”

“Yes.”

“I heard many tales when I was a boy. Your story was always my favourite. I heard tales of your fights. What you had done to stabilise the Upper Realms. You, and the other legends, which kept the world tied together. Without you…”

“Well, I’ve given you a Heart of Lorkim and Thunderwyrm’s Lament. It’s all up to you now. I’ve worked so hard, and now that I’m quitting, that rat bastard has gotten annoyed at me. I kept the Order for two millennia, and I’m about to be repaid with a sword through my gut!” Strom snarled. “That’s why you can’t trust the Gods.”

Morkarai frowned. The Gods were important to them all, but the Dragons, they did not hold much care for the Gods. “It won’t be the same without you…”

Strom smiled, a warm, grandfatherly smile. “I have faith in you. I have faith that you, all of you, will be able to handle it. I hope that, if my empire crumbles, that you, and your family, will support that little boy I placed on the throne.”

“I will send your words back to my father.”

Strom nodded. “If only I could see old Flames again. I bet he’d be so angry seeing me like this. A wisp of my former self. Damn it! I want to see the face he’d make so bad!” Strom howled with laughter, as though he had told the funniest joke.

“You’re speaking of…”

Strom nodded. “Right. I forgot you all don’t really like him. He may even start trouble with you once I’m gone, but I don’t think he’s that stupid.”

Morkarai sighed. Strom was bringing him so much stress. His death would bring a darkness across the land. Perhaps not right away, but not long after. ‘It should be fine, as long as the other legends haven’t died.’

“Ah, right. You’ve met that boy, haven’t you? Adam?”

“I have,” Morkarai said, eyes snapping to meet Strom’s.

Strom grinned. “What do you think of him?”

“He’s certainly interesting,” Morkarai said, carefully. He didn’t want to give the wrong impression to Strom, who seemed to take a liking to the boy. After all, he had lost his sword to the young man, and there was no way he’d have lost his sword unless he wanted the boy to have it.

At least, that was what he thought.

“You should get on his good side. He’s got quite the story to tell, though I don’t think it should be told.”

“His story?” Morkarai asked, intrigued.

Strom thought for a long moment. “It’s not my tale to say, but I hope you’ll send your father another message.”

“What is it?”

“Tell him he needs to prepare for a threat which shouldn’t come to pass,” Strom said, his voice deep and clear.

Morkarai swallowed, not liking the serious tone of voice that Strom had taken. He bowed his head, though he wasn’t sure what it truly meant.

“He may not believe you, but pass my words along. Tell him they’re my last piece of advice to him, from…” Strom sipped the firewine. “From a tired old man to a King.”

Morkarai bowed his head. “I will.”

Strom sighed, before smiling. “That Adam is quite the crazy young man. He might even be crazier than me.” He howled with laughter again.

Morkarai wondered how that could be true. “Do you have any advice for me on how to grow closer to him?”

Strom nodded. “It’s simple. Play with his little sister.”

‘What?’