Shriek whistling filled the air and the entire outpost scurried into action. Adam and the older Iyrmen taking to the walls, their eyes taking in the sight before them. A gentle rolling dust approached from the horizon.

“What do you think?” Adam asked.

“It will be a good fight,” Jurot replied.

“Tell me, Jurot, what do your Iyrman eyes see.”

Jurot narrowed his eyes. For a moment, he thought of the statement his brother had just made. Adam had said that specific phrase multiple times. ‘…’ “Birdcats.”

Adam slowly nodded his head, before turning back. “Birdcats! Get your prayers in now while you can, and then let’s…” Adam spotted Vonda nearby. “Politely deal with their lives and take little to no pleasure with it.”

Vonda’s helmet hid her playful smile, before the young woman raised her shield, Dunes doing the same as the pair began to chant a prayer to fill their companions with vitality.

“You know…” Adam began, glancing around the outpost. “Wasn’t there the other outpost here?”

“Yes,” Jurot replied.

“What happened to it? I didn’t really see much evidence of it.”

“The land may have reclaimed it,” Jurot replied, avoiding even thinking about the other outpost, which they had created a few years ago, and which had been taken over by the tribesfolk.

“Yeah, fair,” Adam replied, slowly nodding his head. “Do you want me to spell you up?”

“Which spells do you have prepared?”

Adam checked his spells. “You know what, not many I can cast on you. I forgot to swap out my spells, and I swore I had certain spells that I don’t…”

“It is fine.”

“How did I not even take Mirror Image?” Adam asked, shaking his head. “And Blur? Seriously, it’s like I’m asking to die.”

“It is more fun when it is difficult.”

Adam let out a sigh, shaking his head lightly, though his lips formed a smile. “Iyrmen…”

The archers stepped onto the walls, preparing themselves. Lady Sara stepped onto the walls too, Korin standing nearby, ready to take her place once the creature’s were closer.

‘I shouldn’t use any fourth gate spells, they’ll probably have a heart attack if they know I can cast them…’ Adam checked his spells once more. ‘Why do I have Counterspell? Are birdcats going to start slinging out spells?’

“Everyone is too relaxed,” Amira said, glancing between the group. The farmers seemed slightly anxious, though the porters didn’t seem bothered one bit, quietly making jokes between one another. Only a handful of them were under the effects of priestly magic, but everyone else was too relaxed.

“We have faced such creatures previously,” Dunes replied, thinking back to a couple of years ago, when he got to reveal his abilities as an Expert.

“It’s still dangerous.”

Dunes smiled, readjusting his shield, before brushing along its face. He glanced over towards Vonda and Jonn. The half elf was assigned to protecting the priest, in the same way Amira was tasked with protecting him. “You haven’t seen it yet.”

“Seen what?”

Dunes pulled up his visor, revealing the smirk across his face, before he dropped it once more. He heard Amira huff quietly, the young woman glancing around again.

Brittany held her bow in hand tight, inhaling deeply, before letting out a soft sigh. She stood alongside the others who were ready with ranged weapons, the two farmers, Kitool, Faool, and the two mages. The two priests also could have joined, but Adam wanted to make sure the two were involved with very little combat. Lady Sara stood beside the half elf in puthral, perhaps the safest place within the entire fort.

“How are you feeling?” Adam pat Brittany’s back gently.

“I’m… okay.”

Adam smiled, before reaching down to his amulet. “May Lord Sozain watch over me so that he does not watch over you.” Adam placed a hand against her shoulder.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Trick: Guidance

The young woman felt the gentle tingle of magic run through her, though the thought of the source of the magic filled her stomach with a chill, for the Half Elf prayed to Lord Sozain, the God of Death.

“I don’t want to die,” she said, the words cutting through the silence.

“I was about to say that doesn’t make you special, but I fear we may actually be in the minority, considering how many Iyrmen are all about us,” Adam joked. “There’s Nirot, whose grandfather is a crazy old man who takes arms from Vice Commanders.”

Nirot stood a little taller from one of the side walls. This was finally a real chance to prove herself as a granddaughter of Mad Dog Jurot.

“What about Faool, whose grandaunt, Shaool, is considered to be one of the top ten strongest in the Iyr?” Adam asked.

Faool remained silent, clutching his staff tight in hand.

“Even if he’s Jaygak’s cousin, Laygak’s pretty amazing too. His grandaunt is crazy in her own right, coming face to face with the like’s of Lord Asa and getting out of the situation more unscathed than even me against his son!”

Laygak was glad his helmet was on, the young man grinning wide underneath it. He understood it was all for the young woman, but he didn’t mind feeling the joy which came from Adam’s overstated praise.

“There’s Naqokan, whose family is well known for taking the title of Chief so much they should probably ban them for a few generations.”

“The title of Chief is based on merit,” Naqokan said. “If my brother is best, he will claim it.”

“Right? Amokan and Timojin are both clashing for the title. Speaking of the Jin family, don’t get me started on Uwajin, whose grandfather can make the best drinks, enough for the likes of Lord Stokmar, which is only outmatched by his skill with a greatsword.”

Uwajin nodded.

Brittany thought of all the ridiculous stories she had heard in the Iyr. She was born in a village near the Iyr, so she had grown up hearing of the rumours, but she had dismissed them as true, but greatly exaggerated. It was only when she had travelled with Adam across the land, meeting figures which made even her nightmares tremble, she realised all the stories of the Iyr were not just true, but vastly understated.

“Grandaunt is not crazy,” Jaygak said.

“I don’t mean crazy as in insane, but crazy as in… you know, strong, and more than willing to give up her title as the Family Elder just so she can go and fight in a war even though she could dote on my adorable children?” Adam shook his head. “No, I take it back. She has to be crazy to do such a thing!”

“I’ll tell her you said that.”

“Go ahead!” Adam huffed.

Brittany glanced around the party, before a thought came to her mind. “…”

“Adam?” Jaygak called.

“Yes?”

“You forgot Bavin.”

“What do you mean I forgot Bavin?” Adam asked, glancing back towards the mass of muscle. ‘He’s so quiet, how am I meant to remember him?’ “Everyone knows how strong Bavin is. Do I need to state that the grandson of the previous Elder Wrath is strong? Last I checked, the only one who could beat Elder Wrath was Lion King Ashmir, and it’s not like we don’t have his son here, either. I just didn’t want Nirot to feel inadequate, that’s all.”

“I would not feel inadequate,” the young Iyrman replied. “My grandfather can only be defeated by the likes of Bovin, who is considered one of the greatest in several generations. It is our honour.”

“Did you hear that? Greatest in several generations. Then we have Bavin, who became an Expert before his grandfather, who was considered the greatest in several generations!” Adam’s laugh filled the air. “Then, when you consider the fact that these amazing warriors of the Iyr came second to the one assigned to protect you, the same young man Jurot and I taught? Doesn’t it mean you’re the one whose the most well defended from any of us?”

“…” Brittany turned her head to look at Nobby, who wielded his axe and his shield, a shield which had been traded to Adam from Vasera, the Golden Savage, and was magical. It was one thing to have a magical weapon, but a magical shield? She gripped her bow, made of the famous deadwood.

“The birdcats will be upon us soon,” Jurot said, before squinting his eyes once more.

“There are duabears behind,” Kitool added.

“You hear that everyone?” Adam asked. “We’re eating good tonight!”

“Dunes,” Amira whispered, leaning in the young priest. “Did he say Lion King Ashmir’s son is among us?”

Dunes remained silent for a long moment. ‘Did I not tell her?’ “Once we have slain the creatures, we can speak of the story.” Dunes wondered how, in all the times Jurot, Jaygak, Kitool, and Adam had spoken of the tale to her, they hadn’t heard how Lion King Ashmir was his father.

Adam gripped Strong Shield tight, holding Wraith loosely in his free hand. “Jurot, Kitool, you two will set the pace of whether you’ll be leaving the walls to hunt them down. Jaygak, Laygak, we’ll be too slow to keep up with them, so we’ll stay.”

Jaygak nodded, having made no plans to leave the safety of the outpost.

“Lucy, Mara, you can follow Jurot and Kitool out if you want.”

“I don’t need your permission to fight,” Lucy said, holding her Great Destroyer in hand.

“Jurot,” Adam said, motioning with his head.

“Lucy,” the Iyrman said.

“Fine…”

Mara stood up taller, crossing her arms in front of her navel. Jurot noted the demon shifting from his peripheral, slowly turning his head to meet her gaze. The pair glared between one another, one the right hand woman of the Demon Lord, the other the right hand man of the crazy fool.

Adam’s heart began to pound in his chest. As the seconds passed, he could feel how cold he was becoming, the sweat on the back of his neck beginning to slip down his back. As a half fae, Adam rarely sweat, but even he couldn’t help but sweat when the darkness invaded his heart.

“If we want to preserve their fur and all that, I probably shouldn’t Fireball,” Adam joked, clearing his throat.

“If you don’t Fireball, I won’t be able to use my magic,” Jaygak complained, waving her javelin at him threateningly. “Laygak will feel awkward too.”

The porters exchanged a look between one another, while Rick gripped his pike tighter in hand, their eyes trailing up towards the half elf who stood atop the wall.

Adam inhaled deeply. The distant sounds of the creatures began to fill the air, while the wolves behind started to howl with excitement, drowning out the sounds. Adam’s heart continued to pound harshly within his chest.

Though his head hung loosely, Jurot stood tall, holding his javelin in hand, ready to toss it from one side. Lucy and Mara waited to assist with their axes in hand, just in case. No one spoke as the rumbling ground and the howling filled the air.

Then, a voice cut through the air.

“Nock!” John shouted.