Omen: 6, 20

  “Should we expeything strahan three hydras?” Adam asked, ing the various scales. They left the hides over the walls to dry out, with Lady Sara and Dunes watg over them. They used their magics to speed up the process the hides.

  Jurot began to list a rge number of creatures, some which Adam was familiar with, and others which sounded like jibberish. Meanwhile, Korin was making all manner of facial expressions upon hearing the names of the creatures.

  “Noonval elks are prized, but we should not expee across them until month,” Jurot said. “There are also fmehounds, which are extremely on, and hold great fiery maginately. Most possess cores, and some possess more.”

  “More?” Adam asked.

  “They possess Living Fire, but that is rare.” Jurot gave Adam a pointed look, as though he fully expected to e across su item with Adam at his side.

  “I see,” Adam replied, slowly nodding his head. “What’s the most dangerous creature we might e across?”

  “A Dragon.”

  “Oh. Yeah, I guess that makes sense.”

  “They will not wish to face us uhey are powerful, since we are too many, and we possess such great magical ons.”

  “Will we really split the hide with the other Aswadians?” Korin asked.

  “I said we will, so we will,” Adam said, simply.

  “You’re quite ho.”

  “I have to be,” Adam replied, firmly. His lips formed a ile. “My brother’s an Iyrman.”

  Jurot nodded, firming the words. Korin smiled in response, nodding his head slowly iurared at the pair, gng between the Half Elf and the Iyrman. He had heard the tale of how they had met, though there seemed to be something greater betweehan just what he had heard.

  “I wonder if Lanarot is enjoying the festival,” Adam thought aloud. “You think she’s watg the fights?”

  “She may,” Jurot replied, thinking about his little sister. The tiny girl who enjoyed watg the fights more than perhaps any other Iyrman he knew. “She will scream well.”

  Adam threw a look towards Jurot, frowning slightly. “Jurot, you ’t corrupt my children like you’ve corrupted Lanababy.”

  “I have not corrupted her.”

  “How you say that when she’s so thirsty for blood?”

  “She is an Iyrman,” Jurot stated, as though it were obvious that she would be thirsty for blood. “Even the most docile Iyrmen bee thirsty for blood if the situation calls for it. If the Iyr is threatened, or if a child of the Iyr is killed.”

  “When was the st time a child of the Iyr was killed?” Adam asked, cautiously.

  “The st time was Churot,” Jurot said.

  “Oh…” Adam remained silent.

  “The time before that was seventy years ago, in Aswadasad,” Jurot said.

  “In the mountains,” Korin firmed. “Beyoain and the Order of Ten Bdes.”

  “Oh man,” Adam said, smiling slightly, before dropping the smile when he recalled they were talking about dead children. “It must have been a big deal if you heard of it.”

  “It was.” Korin thought back to what he knew of the situation. It was something which had put the Shen in such hot water, and had such deep sequences for Aswadasad.

  “What do you know of it?” Jurot asked. Since he was from Bck Mountain, he surely knew much of the story.

  “I heard, uh…” Korin began, trying to find his bearings. “I heard that a child was killed iain. An act. A mert was making their way through the town while riding a horse, and though the Iyrmen grabbed the child, the another horse mao trample onto their head, and…” Korin cleared his throat.

  Jurot nodded. “I have heard the same.” Jurot stared at Korin. The Iyrman’s eyes pierced deep into Korin’s soul as he waited for the Aswadian to tinue.

  “Over the months, Iyrmen were spotted he area. Some were Iyrmen who had retired in the many towns of Aswadasad, those who reached Mithril and Gold Rank within the Adventurer’s Guild. Then came the group from the Iyr. Some were Iyrmen who had never been seen before. Most were Masters, but there were many Grandmasters. I heard there were Paragons too. They went from the northern fort, taking the river up, passing several orders, including Ten Bdes. Elder Pead the Chief were with them, I recall.”

  “Elder Wrath too,” Jurot added.

  “They spoke with the Saib, the ruler of the town, and demao see the mert to hear what had happened. Obviously, bringing hundreds of Iyrmen into the town and demanding to see the mert, such a sight did not sit right with the Saib, who rejected the request. The Iyrmen stepped back. They sent a letter to the mert, who refused to meet with them.”

  Jurot tio wait, w what else the young man would emit, or what he would mention.

  “The Iyrmeowards the western town, stating that they would be cursed for ten years.” Korin swallowed, avoiding Jurot’s gaze as he stared firmly at Adam. “Within three months, the Saib was dead. The rest of his family too. The mert, and his entire family, were killed too. It all happened on the same night.” Korin fell silent for a moment, and prayed lightly to Lady Arya.

  Jurot remained silent, as Adam felt his brow grow slick with sweat, and not from the sun.

  “A great being made its home within the river betweewo towns, and raiders began to pluhe local vilges arouain, f them to the town. The Ten Bdes, who were known as the Thirtee the time, sent many warriors down to speak with the Iyrmen in the western town. Three of their Thirteen Bdes, and at least twenty more Experts at least, but they disappeared. An army was raised iain, a few hundred, along with the new Saib, and weeks ter, their bodies floated to the western town, where the Iyr watched them float by. The Iyrmen drank and ate as the townspeople fished them out of the river. They say the group were attacked by the great being, and a Dragon.”

  Jurot slowly nodded his head, recalling the story. His jaw tensed up, and the shadow of a smile appeared on his face.

  “The Shen and the Faro of East Aswadasad were involved with the matter, since Severtain was in the east, and the town the Iyrmen were rexing within was iral Aswadasad. The Shen, personally, went to the town. She brought with her those from the hree orders. The Bck Lions, our Bck Mountains, and those from the Red Sun. The Bck Lions are an unofficial order, sihey work as the private force for the Shen.” Korin wao speak of other matters rather thaory, finding himself growing cold. “She had sent word ahead that she was going on a royal visit to the town, but everyone knew what she was doing. The Faro wanted blood, but the Shen of the time was more patient, and some may suggest wise. It was her wisdom which had mao fend off the Aldishmen for the entire length of her reign, only warring with them twice.”

  Adam threw a war look to Jurot, seeing the way the Iyrman was doing his best not to smile with satisfa. “Is that good?”

  “Yes. The Aldishmen and the Aswadians war often. Sometimes multiple times a decade, but at least once a decade.”

  “How long did she rule?”

  “Fifty years.”

  “That is impressive,” Adam admitted, his head gently boung.

  “When the Shen reached the Iyrmen, she spoke with them. She asked if they had anything to do with the deaths of the Saib, or the meraries, and so on. The Iyrmen replied simirly to the Saib when they had spoken. Their business was their owiatiohrough, and the Sheuro the capital. There were some issues, but the Shen was fortunate due to the war beginning with Aldnd, the first war of her reign, and she allowed the Faro to do as he pleased. The Faro made his way along the sea and…”

  “And?” Adam asked, leaning in.

  “A storm cimed him, they say,” Korin whispered, in a way that stated he didn’t believe in his words.

  Adam stared at Korin, and then his eyes fell to Jurot, whose smile had grown. He uood there was more to the story, and wondered if he should ask for more. ‘The Iyr is so scary…’

  “The war against the Aldish sted some time, and by the time it was over, a draw that was sidered a win by both sides, the matter of the Iyrmen was mostly fotten. A new family, appointed by the Shen, ruled over Severtain, while she paid a visit to the eastern capital, making sure the transition to the Faro went smoothly.”

  “It wasn’t smooth?” Adam asked.

  “There was a minor uproar cause by some local rulers who tried to pin about the new Faro, but the nearby towns quickly fell into line when recalling how close the forts were. There are three so close to the eastern capital, and they have always been fiercely loyal to the Faro’s family, for many of the leaders there are reted to the Faro’s family. There have been times that a family member has made a py, but such would have brought much danger from the Shen.”

  “A parade was sent to mourn the Faro’s death,” Jurot said.

  “It was also used to usher in the new Faro,” Korin admitted. “When one rides beside the East Scimitar, and five thousand soldiers, it is hard to remain steadfast against su appearahen, of course, there was the West Scimitar, and another five thousand soldiers beside the Shen.”

  “That went by smoothly then?”

  “Yes. The situation with the Iyr did not resolve for some years, and wheen years passed, they brought a sack of salt to the town, and thahe order of Ten Bdes for their bdes. It was the only aowledgement the Iyrmen made about the situation, and they returned back to the Iyr.”

  Adam inhaled deeply. “You Iyrmen are savage.”

  Jurot threw Adam a gnce.

  “Ah, I mean, not that you’re savages. It’s a saying from where I’m from. It’s like if someoook my dagger from me, and then I took it back, but before I did, I made sure to carve thief into the thief’s chest, you know? I got my revenge, but damn, I didn’t mess around, you know?”

  Jurot slowly nodded his head, thinking he uood.

  Adam cleared his throat. “So, uh… are you guys cool with Severtain?”

  “The matter was resolved,” Jurot firmed. “It was a shame so much occurred to the town and region.”

  Korin knew of the Iyr and its many rules and stories. Some stories were no doubt exaggerated, but there were many stories in which the Iyr was mentioned, but it was always vague, like smoke.

  Yet, where there was smoke, there was fire.

  When the order was established, it had e to blows with the Iyrmen. He recalled a story, long old, about the Iyr, and how it was almost reduced to nothing. It was a time before history. The order had its own rules, and many of them had been pced due to the Iyr. It artly because they worshipped the same Goddess, in a way, but one of the rules was always clear.

  Do not kill any child of the Iyr.

  It was a rule etched into the stones by Brandon the Bold, Lady Arya’s greatest Champion, who had retired within the Iyr. He had returned oo etch the rules, and it was before the order was established within Bck Mountain. He had carved it with a great on, which had been gifted to the temple. The very same bde had been lost several times, and every time the Iyr found it, they either sent word of where it was, or retrieved it themselves.

  “Manticores!” came a shout from Laygak, who donned his shield.

  Adam looked out to see four manticores in the distance, flying towards their outpost. He stood up, grabbing his axe and Strong Shield. “Man, the Iyr is so scary.” Adam marched his way towards the while.

  Korin bowed his head to Jurot, grabbing his own shield. “Let us kill some manticores.”

  “Yes,” Jurot said, nodding his head towards Korin, seeing the question in his eyes. His lips slowly twitched into a smile, firming Korin’s suspis.

  I fot how crazy the Iyrmen were.