Night fell across the Iyr. Only the three who had returned from their outings, remained near the fire, which crackled as it began to smoulder. They wore blankets marked with the symbols of their families keeping away the chill of the night. Since they had returned, the Iyr had felt so different, and so much colder than they remembered.

Jurot sipped his wine, peach as was the Rot family’s favourite, feeling the warmth it provided. His cheeks were beginning to flush from the alcohol, and he placed his cup down. Since the other two weren’t going to speak up, he thought, as the eldest, he should.

“I felled a bakaraba,” Jurot said, pouring himself some more wine.

Jaygak groaned quietly, though she raised her cup to him, sipping her own drink. It was expected of someone like Jurot to defeat something like that, a large crab creature, with skin almost like rock. With Phantom in hand, it would have still been a difficult fight, but for someone who could walk right into a Fireball without blinking, neither of them were surprised.

Kitool already knew what her greatest achievement was, the young Iyrman placing down her cup, sitting up straighter. “I returned with a jar of blood,” she said. “From a Red Dragon, in its fifth hundred year.”

Jurot bowed his head, and Jaygak pat Kitool against her back. Returning with a vial, never mind a jar, would have been more than enough for the Ool to show off.

“It’s not fair if you both bring back so much glory,” Jaygak grumbled, sipping her wine. She already knew what she was going to say.

Kitool narrowed her eyes. She was one of the few people who knew Jaygak to the point of seeing through her jokes. Even so, she had no idea what Jaygak had done to pretend to be this dour.

“I slew a wyvern,” Jaygak said. Seconds passed. “Alone.”

For once, Jurot’s brows raised, and even Kitool’s head snapped towards the Devilkin. Jaygak, who had dubbed herself the weakest of the trio, had managed to slay a wyvern, alone? A wyvern was far deadlier than Jaygak, even with such a glorious weapon at her side. Even if the Devilkin was a fan of pranks, there was no way she would lie about this.

Jurot slapped her shoulder, raising a cup of wine to her. “You have done well, Jaygak.”

“Will you keep moaning about how weak you are?” Kitool asked, raising her cup too.

“Of course I will,” Jaygak said. “You’re all so shocked that I faced a wyvern, but if it was either of you, would anyone be surprised?” She tossed back the wine down her throat and swallowed it quickly, before sighing. “It’s not fair if you congratulate me this much!”

“Did you bring its body back to the Iyr?” Jurot asked, wondering how much of it she had claimed.

“Did I bring its body back to the Iyr?” Jaygak repeated, annoyed by the question. “How could someone like me bring back something like that?”

Kitool waited, noting the annoyance on Jaygak’s face.

“Of course I brought back its body!” She whispered angrily. “I brought back its heart too!”

Jurot pat her shoulder once more. “You have done well, Jaygak.”

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Kitool bowed her head, rubbing the Devilkin’s back.

Jaygak’s annoyance only grew at their praise. “Why are you both bullying me like this? I’ll tell Taygak.”

“I will tell her we were not bullying you,” Kitool replied, simply.

“You would do that to me?” Jaygak asked, replying with the most serious of phrases from within the Iyr.

Kitool bowed her head simply, still rubbing Jaygak’s back. “You have done well, Jaygak. Accept it.”

Jaygak huffed, before drinking more wine. “Did I do well?” She reached down to touch Stormdrake, a blade which was considered Legendary. She hadn’t actually taken it with her, taking Bloodseeker instead.

Bloodseeker was a Basic Enhanced blade, one with a Basic bonus, which also held an additional property. Whenever she downed an opponent, her next blow was far greater. Such a blade had been gifted to her by Adam, which she had then gifted to Taygak. However, she had taken it for fear of losing Stormdrake, and to give the blade a greater story.

Yet she would have done just as well with Stormdrake, which was similar in its strength, though gave her certain other abilities too, like being able to use the trick, Shocking Touch. The blade, however, held greater abilities, and was worth more than she could hope to ever earn. Even one hundred thousand gold would be a pittance for such a priceless treasure.

Both weapons had been a gift to her from Adam. Kitool and Jurot both had also received great favour from Adam, both of them gaining two weapons each, and though technically their current weapons were greater than Stormdrake, neither of them would be able to compare with Stormdrake once its potential was realised.

“If it wasn’t for Bloodseeker, I wouldn’t have been able to face a wyvern…” Jaygak’s words were quieter.

Jurot looked to Kitool, relying on her ability to deal with Jaygak. Kitool poured Jaygak some wine. “Even if Bloodseeker assisted you, you are still a great warrior.”

Jaygak glanced between both Jurot and Kitool. “Am I? Who can say I’m a great warrior? You can beat me with an arm behind your back, and does Jurot even need a shield to beat me?”

“You are greater than many warrior we know,” Jurot assured. “You can defeat Brittany and Fred.”

“A little girl Adam picked up, and a warrior who only recently decided he wanted to live?” Jaygak sighed. “You didn’t mention Nobby…”

“I would have difficulty against Nobby,” Jurot admitted.

“Yes, but you didn’t mention his name because you know he can beat me,” Jaygak grumbled quietly.

“Nobby is Nobby.”

“Adam doesn’t need me, not like he needs you or Kitool,” she said. “Adam is just me, but better in every way.”

Although the pair could speak on what Adam could do better than them, it was true that Adam basically possessed the same general strengths as Jaygak. His ability with weapons was greater, he wore greater armour, and possessed magical abilities which could outmatch even Dunes and Sir Vonda.

“It does not matter to Adam that you are weaker than him, for you are still an Iyrman,” Jurot said. “You still hold sway outside of the Iyr by that virtue.”

“Do I?” Jaygak asked, glancing between the pair before her once more. “You can say that because you don’t have green or red skin.”

“You are still an Iyrman,” Jurot said.

“There may come a time when Adam will need you,” Kitool said.

“If there is a time like that, then it means you two will be busy,” Jaygak said. “He won’t think of me first, not for anything. He’s not afraid of me like he’s afraid of you.”

“I do not believe that is true,” Kitool said. “He does not wish to face you when your tongue is so wicked.”

“Even in that way he’s better than me,” Jaygak grumbled.

“Is he?” Kitool asked.

Jaygak couldn’t hide her smile, before she quickly downed the rest of her wine. “Okay, I’ve pitied myself enough. Let’s get back to sharing stories.”

They continued to share their stories, from what else they had slain during their year in another realm, as well as what else they had brought back to the Iyr.

“I brought back its shell,” Jurot said.

“The shell? It weighs more than I do, even in armour,” Jaygak said, narrowing her eyes. Then it must have been because of that. Jurot, too, had grown stronger. She smiled.

Katool, had grown more powerful too, explaining that her fists were able to slip through the defences of many creatures which could resist mundane weapons.

The trio continued to chat about their adventures long into the night, before they eventually settled to sleep outside, under the stars of the Iyr, which they had grown up under.

Jaygak remained awake, hearing the light snoozing of her companions. She stared at the stars, her thoughts remaining on her place in their group. ‘At least I’m funnier than him?’