Omen: 16, 18

  “I ’t believe the Iyr is going to steal away my little babies,” Adam said, cuddling with Jirot, peppering her forehead with kisses, causio squeal and giggle. He did the same with Jarot too, cuddling them both tenderly.

  Elder Zijin smiled, though there was an awkwardness which g in the air between himself and Jarot, ithin arm’s reach of the twins.

  Adam donned his armour, and grabbed the pack which had been prepared for him. Once his preparations were made, he cuddled with his five children once more, before notig the other Iyrmen who had been tasked to assist.

  “Ah,” Adam said, looking to his Iyrmen panions. He should have guessed that it would have been Jurot, Jaygak, and Kitool who would support him. ‘Of course.’

  “It will be dangerous, but you I believe in your abilities,” Zijin said, nodding his head towards the four. He waited another moment to allow Adam to give his third goodbyes to his children.

  “Papa?” Lanarot asked, holding onto Jurot’s trousers, staring up at him with her tiny, curious eyes.

  “I must go now.”

  “Ooooh?” Lanarot groaned, clutg at his trousers harder, pouting up at him. “No.”

  “I must go now.”

  “No!” The girl burst into tears, though her mother swiftly picked her up. She poi her brother. “No!”

  Jurot reached up to her finger, holding it gently. “I will return soon, Lanarot.”

  Adam decided against spoiling his sister in the moment, allowing Jurot and Lanarot to have their tiny moment together. ‘I want to say goodbye too.’

  It was ie afternoohey arrived at the Front Iyr, which was bed white from the gentle snowfall. They approached the tre where familiar forms seemed to be rexing together. There was the form of Lord Morkarai, as well as the two who Adam assumed to be Dragons, as well as a fourth figure. The fourth figure was a Drakken with white scales, and Adam assumed they were a Dragon too.

  ‘Lots ons in the Iyr…’

  Lord Morkarai and Burgwing, the bronze scaled Drakken man, were sharing drinks and talking with one another, while Wingburg, the bck scaled Drakken woman, rexed nearby, humming to herself quietly. The older white scaled Drakken remained some ways away from the fire, though he perked up on the arrival of the new group, his eyes falling to the fner with a familiar st.

  Adam caught his eyes, bowing his head to the figure, who narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the Half Elf. ‘He must not like me very much,’ Adam thought. ‘Is he an Aldishman?’

  “Adam, e and join us,” Lord Morkarai called, raising a drink to the Half Elf.

  Adam threw a look to Elder Zijin, who had led them the entire way here, before joining the pair. “Good afternoon,” Adam greeted, nodding his head to the pair. “How do you do?”

  “I am well,” Morkarai said, pig up a gourd and it to Adam.

  “I am well as well,” Burgwing said, his eyes pierg deep into Adam with a knowing look. “I have heard that you have five children, Adam.”

  “That’s right.”

  “Half Dragons, I have heard.”

  Adam narrowed his eyes. “They’re very cute.”

  “Silver scales?”

  “Beautiful scales.”

  “I am certain,” Burgwing said, wiggling his brows at Adam, before leaning back. “It seems we have something in on.”

  “Which is?”

  “We have Half Dragon children,” Burgwing said.

  “Yes, but mine are the cutest,” Adam replied, unashamedly. “Isn’t that right, Lord Morkarai?”

  “They are cute,” Lord Morkarai said, though not firming Adam’s words. He realised he o be careful, especially sihe Dragon beside him was a Wing, and that woman’s brother.

  “I’m not sure about cute, but mine are certainly strong,” Burgwing said.

  “Big and strong?”

  “Yes.” Burgwing smirked.

  “My childree and small,” Adam replied, fshing his own smirk.

  ‘Ah,’ Burgwing thought, realising the kind of father Adam was.

  “It’s a little lonely with you tw fellows, mind if I invite my brother and friends?” Adam asked.

  “I won’t refuse an Iyrmen in their home,” Burgwing said. “The more the merrier, I say.”

  Adam packed away his things quickly before returning with Jurot and the others, wearing only a breastpte, though he carried his magical shield and his axe at his side.

  “I have heard that you were able to beat the young Prince,” Burgwing said, his eyes gng towards Morkarai for a moment.

  “Who?” Adam asked.

  “Prince Morkarai.”

  “Oh,” Adam said. “Right, right. Well, I hear there were no Princes in the Iyr, so I fot.” Adam cleared his throat. “I was very fortuo beat you, Lord Morkarai, and I don’t want ao think I’m actually strohan the good Lord.”

  “If you say that, it will hurt my pride as a warrior,” Morkarai said.

  “Whether it hurts your pride or not, it’s true,” Adam said. “I had a one in ten ce of beating you or so, and that’s what happehat day.”

  “I hear you refused the offer to be a Hill Lord too,” Burgwing said. “Though, since you’re in the Iyr…”

  Adam smiled. “My brother here takes good care of me and my family, so I ’t betray him, you know? Plus I have a busio deal with iure that the Iyr is helpih. I hear the Empire is threatening the federacy too, so…” Adam looked to Morkarai.

  “The Empire has begun to encroach within the easterories of the federacy, though there is also instability to the west, with the breaking of Aswadasad taking away some of the attention away,” Morkarai said, though much of what he said was jecture. He was not within the court, and therefore he could only guess as to the response of his people, those of Greater Voodur.

  “Lots of war happening,” Adam said, thinking about what he knew of the federacy. “I hear it’ll be a bad time for the seveates.”

  “Three have been overwhelmed quickly, but it will require much greater effort to beat the rest of the federacy,” Morkarai said. The voloes of Voodur will be troublesome for the Empire, and soon warriors will be gathered to take back the lost territories of the federacy.”

  “How e the Empire took over three states so quickly anyway?” Adam asked.

  “There was a famihin the region to the east,” Morkarai expined. “We sent supplies to the east, but as we had, the Empire swallowed the three regions in rapid succession. The supplies were seized, and the escorts dealt with.” Morkarai’s tone of voice was factual, without a hint of emotion. “With the instability to the west, I am certain that soldiers will be seward first, to secure the border, and then preparations will tio deal with the Empire.”

  “Why prepare against Aswadasad first?” Adam asked. “Surely the Empire is a more immediate threat.”

  “The Empire is new, and though Aswadasad has split in two, it has remained a great force for over a thousand years, though it is ruled by Humans. There are very few regions which have held such a long tradition with the short lived races, with the same family ruling for over a thousand years, it is unheard of. Aldnd has done so, with the support of the Iyr, but Aswadasad? Their faith in Noor is great, and their traditions have held for this long due to their zeal, and their great military might. Even in the westerories of the federacy, there is a simir tradition of faith and strength, though they would not rejoin Aswadasad.”

  “Why not?” Adam asked.

  “Those within the federacy believe in Noor, as those within Aswadasad, but they believe in a different interpretation of the God,” Morkarai said. “I believe it is that they believe that Noor take an Avatar form and that Khan was the form of the Noor as man, but those within Aswadasad believe that Noor is Noor, and Khan was merely a worshipper.”

  “Isn’t it easy to find out the truth?” Adam asked. “You just need a det enough spell and you could probably find out the truth.”

  Morkarai shook his head. “Even within our nds, the Law of Fifth Gate, holds.”

  “Law of Fifth Gate?”

  “Only Head Priests of the various faiths learn Fifth Gate spells, and those who have learnt Fate spells are also restricted. If there is anyone who learns spells of Fifth Gate her without permission, there is a coalition of warriors sent to deal with the offending party. It is usually made up of at least ten Masters from each region or state, from Aldnd to the federacy.”

  “Yo,” Adam said, raising his brows. “So even the federacy would send, what, one hundred ay Masters?”

  Morkarai nodded. “Typically, Aldnd and Aswadasad send at least ten Grandmasters. It has not been invoked withi two turies at least.”

  Adam whistled. “I better not learn Fate spells then.” Adam exged a look with Jurot, who bowed his head.

  Morkarai also looked to Jurot, and bowed his head. He khat the Iyr had broken these ws, though teically they were not a part of the agreement of the nds whied the Laws of Fifth Gate, which had suppressed the magic of the nd and its people. Such a suppression reached from Aldnd through to the federacy. There were small pockets of Tribesfolk which may have possessed great Mages too, though they were kept in cheo doubt thanks to the Iyr too.

  Though there have been times Iyrmen have caused trouble within the nds, with a not insignifit number of warlords, who went arouabilising regions, holding Iyrmaage. However, not once had it been any kind of Mage.

  “Will the Giants call a warmoot?” Jurot asked, almost hopefully to Morkarai.

  “If the Empire takes half of the federacy, the ces are likely,” Morkarai said.

  “What’s a warmoot?” Adam asked.

  “There Giant Chiefs will e together and vote to war,” Morkarai said. “Typically, we Giants do not send many of our kin to war, though we supply many arms and equipments, many of whiagics for a year or two, before the magics fade. We prefer to keep to our own nds, though we do send a small number of our kin to war. The federacy does not mind our ck of kin otlefield due to the number of magical items we hand out to the federacy.”

  “How many do you send out?” Adam asked, ied in how the Giants did business, making a mental note of it for his business.

  “The deal is to provide a thousand Basic ons in the first one hundred days, as well as a further hundred monthly. We will also send at least a unit of Giants to war, typically a bloodthirsty Chief and their retinue.”

  “How many is that?”

  “Anywhere between five to ten,” Morkarai said.

  “That doesn’t seem like a lot.”

  Burgwing sat up straighter. “You do not know the strength of the Giants?”

  “I mean…” Adam began, shrugging his shoulders. “I… I guess I do, but still.”

  “One Giant is annoying enough to deal with,” Burgwing said. “Two Giants will keep most Dragons away, and three? Three Giants would make even the eldest Dragon think twice.”

  “Damn,” Adam said. “How many Giants could face Strom in his prime?”

  “Enough with the talk of war,” Stokmar said, dropping dowhe group, causing the Drakken to sit up taller. “We are in the Iyr, and there is enough talk about fighting and war already.”

  Adam opened his mouth to say something, but instantly realised whatever he was about to say was going to be extremely stupid, and he didn’t want to offend the Lord of Earth. ‘Wow. I ’t believe I stopped myself from saying something dumb.’

  Jurot nodded his head at Adam, uand what had happened, and Adam smiled proudly.

  Lord Stokmar had ged the vibe of the area around them, though it quickly calmed again when Jaygak and Kitool spoke with the white scaled Drakken, trying to figure out who he was.

  “So…” Adam said, sipping the gourd full of alcohol. “How’s enting?”

  “I am creating many Basic ons for the Iyr, and armours and trioo.”

  “Tris?”

  “I create jewellery which hold resistao the elements, so that one isn’t too cold or too warm iain climates,” Morkarai said.

  ‘Ah,’ Adam thought, realising what he should have been enting this eime. ‘Once I’m doh the Iyr, I should make those kinds of entments too.’ “What about those which proteeself from blows?”

  “Rings of Protes?”

  “Yep.”

  “I have made many of them too,” he admitted. “I ge what I ent weekly.”

  “Nice,” Adam whispered, nodding his head.

  Morkarai was about to ask Adam about his own enting, but stopped himself in time. “I create many entments, but my speciality is within ons with fire entments.”

  “I wouldn’t have lost that bet,” Adam joked.

  ‘A warmoot,’ Jurot thought. He wished to talk more about the issues of the federacy, but especially the warmoot. A warmoot would excite even the Iyr into a. A warmoot against the Iyr would have been one of the greatest stories to be told, but such a thing would end up with many grave losses oher side.

  ‘Those who could threaten the Iyr are the Giants and Dragons,’ Jurot thought, gng around the area. He he white scaled Drakken, w if he was a Raith. ‘The Iyr is home to three Lords, a Prince of the Fire Giants, and three Dragons…’

  Jurot tried to recall the st time the Iyr had called in favours. He was sure there were other favours called, but in the past, only one or twons were ever called. Teically, the three Lords hadn’t been called, but to call a Giant as well as Dragons? It was all but unheard of. There was oime a Giant and a Dragon were called, but a Giant and more than one Dragon?

  Jurot sighed, letting the thoughts fall away. What was the point of thinking when it came to the Iyr? He would do as he was told.

  “He’s a Raith,” Jaygak eventually whispered to Jurot in the evening, when they were about to sleep.

  Jurot nodded.

  “Wiseraith,” Jaygak said.

  Jurot furrowed his brows, looking to Jaygak with a curious look. “You are certain?”

  “Yes. Kitool thinks so too.”

  Jurot didn’t ask why, sih Kitool and Jaygak thought so. If it was Jaygak alone, he would only mostly believe it, but if Kitool believed it too, then there was o doubt it. ‘Wiseraith?’ His heart began to pound wildly.

  Why did the Iyr call in a being who could match Jaeryael, the Golden Empress?

  Then ahought crossed his mind.

  When could the Iyr call in a being who could match Jaeryael, the Golden Empress?

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  Jurot knows how amazing the Iyr is, but even he's w how it's this amazing.

  Who is this Wiseraith fellow? I doubt we'll ever see him do anything...