‘What is he doing?’ the newer thought. He was a t figure even without his warhorse, his eyes pressing upon the half dragon’s shoulders. The heavy armour hid him from sight, intricate engravings patterned all throughout his beautifully crafted armour, most of which were in respect of the Divihe bde at his side was one of the greatest across all the nds, ahis half dragon stood tall and proud against him.

  He must have been one of those.

  “Many blessings to you,” Sir James Greatwood said, his voice deep and full of power. It was that kind of voice, the kind that knew he was one of the stro across all of Aldnd.

  Bael remained silent, his eyes staring deep into the eyes of the Aldishman.

  “I am Sir James Greatwood, Grand ander of the-,”

  “I know who you are,” Bael replied, his lips slowly f a grin towards the Grand ander.

  “May I ask your name?”

  “You may.”

  “…”

  Bael smiled even wider, raising a brow towards the Grand ander, coaxing him to ask right in front of all these heavily armoured warriors of the Order. They all wore cloaks, but while some wore cloaks of dark green, others wore cloaks of dark gold, and the st, a darker shade of cherry. The Grand ander himself wore a cloak of dark green.

  “Did we offend you?” James asked.

  “I had po sy several hydrae st year,” Bael replied.

  “…”

  Bael did not expand, the pyful gre within his eyes turning darker as the seds passed. His eyes remained glued to the Grand ander’s, not allowing him to look away.

  “What is the name of your respected family?” James asked.

  “You would not know it.”

  “We know much.”

  “No,” Bael replied, narrowing his eyes slightly.

  “Do you io block our path?”

  “Something like that?” Bael tilted his head.

  ‘Why did he fight against us st year?’ James thought. ‘How did he join up with that fiend?’

  Bael tio gre at the old man, ign the various gazes falling upon him. The Grand ander aragon, and though Bael was certain the heavily armoured Oathsworn was strong enough to csh with him, even surrounded by the rest of the Grand ander’s Order, the half dragon did not show a hint of fear.

  “May I ask you to step aside?” James asked, though his tone was no longer quite as respectful, holding the whisper of a threat.

  “If I refuse?”

  “You will leave me no choice.”

  “We all have a choice, young man,” Bael replied, grinning even wider.

  The crackle of energy broke the sile had sted a moment, but the sound of steel being drawn filled the air, though the Grand ander did not react. Even surrounded by dozens of bdes, the half dragon did not flinor take his gaze away from the Grand ander.

  Fortunately for the pair of them, a group approached the half dragon and the Grand ander, led by a woman. She wore blue tattoos upon her forehead, that of a circle fnked by three diamonds oher side. Another had also followed her, a figure the Grand ander had not expected.

  “Grand ander James,” Sreeted. “I am President Sonarot of the United Kindom.”

  “Mother’s blessings to you, President Sonarot,” Grand ander James replied.

  “Do you have business with the United Kindom?” Sonarot asked, as though she had no idea why they were truly here.

  “I have business with the Iyr.”

  “What is the nature of your business?”

  “…” James remained fixated on the woman’s gaze. “You know of the business, I am certain.”

  “What a shame,” Sonarot replied, but before she could tinued, she turned her head, hearing the sound of wood striking the floor, and with each step he took, it grew louder.

  It was the whimpering, however, that darkehe atmosphere, for within the arms of the older red skinned Iyrman, two green skinned children clutched at her chest.

  However, the Orders had only g them for a moment, for their eyes became glued to a particur figure in purple, who was fnked by two figures in full pte. However, their eyes theo a particur crippled Iyrman.

  ‘I told you to remain behind…’ Sonarot thought, feeling her head pulse, knowing whose idea this was. Thankfully, the children were surrounded by the appropriate Iyrmen, from the likes of Jarot and Gangak, to Baztam and Dogek, who would make the Orders paused before stepping forward, while the presence of their kakos and papos soothed the twins.

  “It has been many years,” James said.

  “It has,” Jarot replied.

  “It is a shame we have met like this.”

  “It is.”

  “Sir Kris spoke of you often.”

  “Does he still speak so much?”

  The Grand ander’s brow pulsed, gring into the Mad Dog’s eyes, while a wild grin spread on the Iyrman’s face.

  “Have you e to speak with the Great Elders?” Jarot asked, his voice almost a whisper, filled with a joy the Aldishmen hadn’t expected.

  “I have.”

  “…”

  “…”

  “I did not expect to see you here, Bear Mother,” James finally said, greeting the Grand ander of the Steel Bears.

  “I wished to speak with an old friend,” Anne replied.

  “I was informed you were quite close with some Iyrmen. I had not expected them to be involved iter.”

  Anne could feel the accusation strike her like a bde, the woman’s eyes wing slightly at the words as she tried to calcute how to respond appropriately.

  “I, unfortunately, ot involve myself iter,” Malfev spoke up, reag up to brush his beard gently, the old man smiling, though his eyes cked any light of humour.

  “Were you not within the fort?”

  “There were many within the fort who were not involved.”

  “Am I to uand you were at the fort tally?” James asked, his sarcastie trying to press down upon the Iyrman.

  “I was at the fort t back the bodies to the Iyr,” Malfev replied, still beaming ily, though the darkness within his eyes remained.

  “You were to return the bodies, but you were not involved?”

  “If I was able to draw my spear, your Viander would not have returned,” Malfev said. “Though our Amokan, half his age, fought him well enough.”

  “Did you hear?” Amokan whispered to the twins, reag out with a fio tickle the boy’s cheek gently. “I fought their Viander well.”

  James ighe provocation, his eyes falling to the nearby figures, each Iyrmen he held a slight familiarity with, save for two. “Duteous.”

  “Sir James,” Dogek replied.

  “Bck Shark.”

  Baztam grinned wide. “I prayed to Baktu you would e.”

  “Why is that?”

  “If you e with your own two feet, how we deny you yhts?” Baztam asked, holding out his hands in front of him before praying lightly. “Baktu, it is my privilege to accept your blessing.”

  The threat did not go unnoticed by the Grand ander, but he remained silent in the face of it. After all, he was here for one man, and one man only.

  “Huu,” Jirot whimpered, before clutg at her nano’s colr. “Nano! Nano! I must tell mummy!” Her voice was barely a whisper as she urged Gangak to return back to the fort, and hopefully, bae.

  “Do not cry,” the old Jarot said. “There is o ow. You are safe. Do you see? You are within the vilge, but they do not dare to draw their bdes.”

  James had noticed just how many of them had smirked at him. From Bael, to Malfev, to Jarot. Each had tried to rile him up, in order to cause him to make a mistake. Outside of the twitchy bdes drawn for Bael, the Order had given no reason for the Iyr to spiuation into their favour.

  Jarot began to howl with ughter. “Do you see? Jirot! Jarot! Do you see? These are the warriors of the Orders, and even upon their King’s nd, no, the Aldish King’s nd, outnumbering us so, they dare not to attack you. They know you are of the Iyr, and they know the sequences.”

  “You sider the goblins Iyr-,”

  “Iyrmen,” the Iyrmen corrected, their voices clear, even arming the twins as they hid their faces within their greatmangak pulled back slightly, stepping away from the others, with Baztam and Dogek stepping away with them. They uood why, for after the deaths, the children required clothies. It had been brave of them to not soil themselves on the way.

  ‘Give me a reason,’ Jarot prayed. ‘Do it!’

  The Iyr would not make the same mistake as they had the previous year. Though Jirot and Jarot were upon Aldish nds, it would have been difficult for any of them to try to kill the children. Thankfully, there were three great shields in the way. Duteous Dogek and Bck Shark Baztam, each who could csh with their greatest warrior, and finally, the third figure, who invited in all the gres.

  “It was you, wasn’t it?” James asked, staring past the two heavily armoured figures, to the young man in puthral. “You were the oo murder my Viander.”

  “No,” Adam replied, inhaling sharply, flexing away the nerves.

  “No?”

  “I didn’t murder Kris or Melissa, whatever her name was.”

  “Melinda,” James stated, calming his heart, not allowing the young man to bewitch his heart.

  “Murder implies it was unwful.”

  “I should have killed you all those years ago.”

  Adam undid his visor, and with the audacity that could only e from the grandson of the Mad Dog, a small smirk appeared on his face. “Heh.”

  ‘Oh, Adam.’ Jaygak sighed, feeling the intense pressure in the air, as Adam did what he did best.

  Court death.

  This might be ge of me to say but I think Bael is cool.