The bronze scales glittered above, even as dusk began to fall all across the nd. The soldiers marched to the walls, while the various captains and their aides brought out barrels of arrows, though not just any barrels, those which had been painted pletely bck. However, though the captains of the various units had brought out the barrels, they did n the barrels to their own soldiers, ihey went to a particur group.

  Sir Katherine ran her finger along the b, feeling how smooth it was to her fiip. It was made of vulfaire, a e creature from the north, with the softest fur one could imagine, and with a hide which could be used to create some of the best bs.

  “Sir Katherine,” one of the Captains called, pg down the barrel before the leader of the Whirlwind Arrows, named after the woman herself.

  She only nodded, letting the several Captains leave, while the Captains of her own squads began to dissemihe arrows between themselves. There was one particur barrel which remained, a bck barrel with a single white skull painted across its top. She pulled off the lid, revealing the arrows within. She reached for one of the arrows in the tre.

  It was an arrow made on bohe faint tingle of magining through her fingers as she held it within her hand. She looked up towards the dragon, watg as it tio fly overhead.

  ‘If yoing to reveal those arrows…’ the bronze dragon thought, smelling the vile st of the arrows from the fort, even this far away. The arrows were not typical arrows, but those on sying, which would strike viciously against his kind.

  ‘Should I go down to have a chat?’ The dragon yawned, feeling the tiredness set within his bones. ‘No, I should return and kidnap a bard to read the stories to me.’

  The soldiers watched as the dragon sped up to its maximum speed, veering off to the side slightly, around the minor fort. However, they did not rex. They watched as the dragon slowed until it was cruising once more, and as the minutes passed, it disappeared across the horizon.

  Katherine sighed, gd the dragon had decided against attag, or ing down to chat. They were still in an awkward spot, so a dragon ing to speak with them would have been quite some news, and would have put their newly fledged kingdom in an even more precarious position.

  “You were rather focused on the dragon,” Adam accused, his eyes glued to the young Asriest.

  “It was no doubt a dragon from Aswadasad,” Dunes replied, simply.

  “Why’d you think that?”

  “Where else but the sands of Aswadasad would a bronze dragon find their home?”

  “The federacy?” Adam replied.

  Dunes shrugged his shoulders, narrowing his eyes at Adam, smirking slightly. “That is a fair point, but I’m certain this bronze dragon, who has left us be, is a det dragon.”

  “Are there dragons who aren’t det?”

  “Many, but I will not hem.”

  “Why not?”

  “It might find its way to a dragon.”

  “Is that a problem?”

  Dunes smiled wider. “Yes. I may end up dead.”

  “Does that happen?”

  “It has happened, yes.”

  “Oh…” Adam blinked. ‘I guess that makes sense. Dragons are basically nobles with the power to put the people beh them through sheer force.’

  While the soldiers returned back to their posts, a specific Captain made his way to the ander of the fort.

  ‘The grandson of the previous Elder Wrath?’ Lady Marcia thought, trying to recall the young man who had fought in the spar against the soldier. ‘The grandchildren of Mad Dog. The cousins to a pair of Chief didates. Why has such a group e to us?’

  The soldiers kept a on Adam’s group, which had brought them so much stress without doing anything.

  “Alright, we’ll have someone on wat the camp, just in case the dragon es back,” Adam said.

  “We should sleep peacefully,” Jurot said. “The soldiers will keep watch.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay.”

  The group prepared to sleep, while a soldier came to speak with Jurot. The Iyrma with the soldier, making their way to the rgest building in the tre of the minor fort. He sat opposite the beautiful noblewoman, the ander of the minor fort.

  “Thank you freeing to meet with me,” Lady Marcia said.

  Jurot nodded.

  “You say you stepped out of the Iyr this year, before assisting with the outbreak for Red Oak?”

  “Yes.”

  “Was the assistance as an Iyrman, or as an adventurer.”

  “Yes.”

  Marcia slowly nodded, realising her words had not been veyed correctly. “Did you assist Red Oak in the official capacity of the Iyr, or as an adventurer.”

  “As an adventurer,” Jurot said.

  “Have you any business with the cities of the Aldish in the official capacity of the Iyr?”

  “No,” Jurot said.

  “Do-,”

  Jurot raised a hand, narrowing his eyes slightly. “I do have business with the cities of the Aldish in the official capacity of the business of the United Kindom, which is a business which works with the Iyr, with many high ranking officials who are Iyrmen.”

  “You mentioned you worked for a business,” Marcia thought, slowly bowing her head.

  “My mother holds the title of the President, and is of the same rank as the Enter,” Jurot replied.

  “Is your mother a high ranking individual within the Iyr?”

  “Yes,” Jurot stated. “My mother is the Family Head of the Rot family.”

  ‘A Family Head?’ Marcia remained silent for a long while as she thought. “Is your business intending to work with the Aldish?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is that the official position of the business?”

  Jurot narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking about her words. “The business will work with those who wish to do business. We have business with Duchess Dalia Eastsea, not the nd of the Aldish. The business may also do business with other nds, if they provide adequate pensation.”

  “So the business would work with Floria?”

  “Yes, if Floria provides adequate pensation.”

  “I have heard that yroup is an adventuring group.”

  “Yes.”

  “Is it also a group of the business?”

  “We are currently Fate’s Golden,” Jurot replied. “We are an adventuring group. Some of us work for the business of the United Kindom, but the fort has yet to be made.”

  “The fort?”

  “A fort for the business.”

  “Why does a business need a fort?”

  Jurot remaione cold, staring into her eyes. Since she wasn’t budging from her stupid question, the Iyrman inhaled deeply. “The Iyr is creating a fort in partnership with the business. The fort will be made in the Iyr’s nd. The fort is to provide safety for the people of the business.”

  Marcia remained silent, w how far she could push the topic. “Yroup, Fate’s Golden, has quite some figures within it. The grandchildren of Mad Dog, the grandson of the previous Elder Wrath, two cousins of a Chief didate. Are you currently undergoing operations under official authority of the Iyr?”

  Jurot thought for a long moment. There was a thought which ran through his mind, a thought which had only appeared while he was trying to think of an answer for the noble. A sedary thought entered his mind too, wishing Kitool was here to reply instead. “We Iyrmen are here to adventure as members of Fate’s Golden while the fort is built.”

  “Is it a ce that yroup is full of individuals with es to such great figures?”

  “No,” Jurot replied. “I am Jurot, of the Rot family. I grew up with members of the Gak, Ool, and Kan families. The Kan family has produced many Chiefs, and Amokan wishes to tihat legacy. The Jin family also do the same, and Timojin wishes to tihat legacy.”

  “What of the young man by the name of Bavin?”

  “He is the grandson of Bovin, the previous Elder Wrath.”

  “Why is he wish yroup?”

  “Bovin has requested we assist in training Bavin,” Jurot replied.

  “Why?”

  “Bavin is meek.”

  “…” Mararrowed her eyes. That Iyrman was meek? She had watched the fight, and if that’s what the Iyr sidered meek…

  Jurot waited to see if the ander had any more questions for the young Iyrman.

  “You said the farmers and porters were Experts?” Marcia asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Are they also members of the business?”

  “They are sidered to be members of the business,” Jurot replied.

  Marcia thought about the farmers and porters in the group. “Are the farmers and porters from Aldnd?”

  “Yes,” Jurot replied, before keeping the woman’s gaze with his own. “They are from Red Oak.”

  “…” Marcia slowly bowed her head. Red Oak was in quite the spot, sieically it art of South Aldnd, which had now bee Floria, but it had worked closely with Aldnd, and had certain assurances from the Iyr.

  “What is your opinion on Floria?” Marcia asked.

  “Your King is strong,” Jurot replied, the shadow of a smile appearing on his face.

  He's n.