Chương 1163: [1090] - Y05.090 - Despair VI

It marched into the fort as though it were the fort's owner, wearing a long cloak, dark as death. It was adorned in full plate of the deepest of blacks, and at its sword rested a blade, ready and eager to be drawn. Upon its breastplate, carved into the armour, treated with magical flames, was a the symbol of a skull. The symbol of the God of Death. However, it was not the reason why the various Orders glared at it, for the stench of undeath clung to the creature like a stain.

"What are you?" King Merryweather asked, feeling his entire body burn with righteous fury. It continued to walk towards them, even as several knights of the various Orders stepped forward to block its path, until it was only a few steps away from them.

"I have brought a list of the Iyr's demands," it said, its voice raspy, low, and calm. Dogek tensed up, and Shagek narrowed his eyes, while Tonagek tried to place why the voice sounded so familiar. Jarot's eyes remained firmly fixated on it, which smelled of undeath, like one of those beings.

"The Orders of the Thousand Hunts, the Floral Sun, and the Cherry Blades, in the form they take today, or the form they take in the future, will return to their stronghold, and to close their gates for one hundred years. Any members who steps outside the gates will be subject to our Right to Hunt."

"Only I have the authority to state such a demand," Elder Peace stated firmly, her eyes focused completely on it.

"Your authority is overruled," it said, reaching into its cloak, before revealing a token made of obsidian. Elder Peace almost floated towards the being, ignoring the complaints and demands of the Orders around her, before taking the token, closing her eyes as she listened intently. Upon hearing the advice of the Great Elder, Elder Peace bowed her head.

"Explain yourselves, Iyrmen! What is this creature which defies the will of the Divine?" Sun Sword Zachary asked.

"I am a Harbinger," it replied, overruling even the Chief's authority.

"Why do you wreak of undeath?" King Merryweather asked.

"Baktu has blessed me."

"You are from the Iyr?"

"I am a servant of the Iyr," it said, not even pretending to play politics.

"First demons, and now abominations?" Fifth Blade asked, reaching for her blade.

"Before you leave today, you must explain yourself, Chief."

"What is there to explain?" Iromin asked.

"You spit on the Divine!"

"We are blessed by Baktu," called a gentle voice, and there she stood, upon the roof of a building, appearing from nowhere. She was a woman as old as time, adorned in thick clothing, black as the starless sky. She wore a medallion made of black wood, shaped into the skull of Baktu, and wielded a staff made of the same wood.

Upon her forehead were small hollow circles, also a deep black, and unlike most of the tattoos in the Iyr, these tattoos were small and uniform, while the central circle held the symbol of Baktu.

"We thank his grace for our existence."

"How utterly profane!" Suddenly, the Orders, who had hesitated to draw their blades, readied themselves, if not to slay demons, than to slay the undead which had caused them problems for millennia.

"You cannot," Elder Peace said.

"What?" Sun Sword asked.

"If you wish to face them, do so under the understanding that even I will be unable to stop the Iyr from taking action. They are under Elder Story's command."

"Stop," King Merryweather commanded, a shiver running through his spine.

'Elder Story?' Adam raised his brows in alarm, noting the look upon the Iyrman's faces. Even they didn't understand what was happening, and the confident Baztam, had withdrawn slightly, his eyes falling to the Chief, who also held an uncertainty. Jurot's breath hitched within his throat, feeling the gaze of the being before him focused solely upon the young man.

Even though the being held no ill intent, Jurot could feel the gap between them, which was perhaps even greater than the gap between himself and King Merryweather.

"Those who arrived with the Bearded Dragon, come," it said.

"We will escort you away."

"Will you allow the abomination to leave?" Vice Commander Harrison asked.

"Do you have the ability?" Amokan asked, his voice light, the Iyrman barely able to contain his vitriol.

"When I am the Chief, I will not allow you to speak with such confidence."

"If nothing else, I will claim the leaf ear's head!" Harrison's blade hummed to life, and steel rung against steel, as Amokan caught the Vice Commander's blade, the young man growling in pain as the thunder exploded against him again. However, the Vice Commander brought up his blade, clashing against another blade, as Otkan, her body hot with rage, almost cut through his throat. It drew its blade, formed of the blackness known as deathsteel, the scent of death filling the air, as it held its blade with both hands.

The old woman, too, held out her staff, ready to chant her spells.

"I'm never going to forget," Adam called out, his voice cutting through the air.

"Those of you who dared to deny me my justice! Those of you who dared to harm my friends and family! Those of you who killed my precious children! I won't forget it! When the Reavers come, and you have a need for magical weapons to defend yourselves or your homes, the United Kindom's doors will be closed to you. Greater Enhanced? Greater? I wouldn't even piss on you if you were on fire!" Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

As Adam's voice filled with life, Jurot gripped his axe tighter, while his companions prepared themselves. Even Dunes, who had thought they wouldn't fight, realised that he should have expected it, since it was Adam.

"Will you fight?" Malfev asked.

"No," Bear Mother replied.

"Okay."

"Sir Dunnock, is the abomination not under your jurisdiction?" Sun Sword asked. Sir Dunnock remained deep in thought, her eyes shut tight, while her companions remained at bay. She remembered it. The first time she had met Adam, he had worn puthral then too. It was only upon hearing the name of the business that Sir Dunnock realised why Adam sounded so familiar to her recently. He had donated to the Order of the Wings, to Sir Magpie, who had spread the silver and gold to the rest of the Order.

However, she had also warned the other members of the Order.

"Sir Dunnock, have you forgotten your Oaths?"

"I will not draw my sword against it," Sir Dunnock stated firmly.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"If it is within the Iyr's control, we will not step forward today." Sun Sword gripped his blade tighter in hand, glancing aside towards the other three Orders, those of the North, which had readied to fight.

"Chief Iromin," King Merryweather called.

"Do you still wish to take full responsibility?"

"Yes."

"I will ask for you to leave. I must thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, but due to your actions here today, this gathering will continue without the Iyr."

"Okay," Iromin replied.

"Lord Merryweather, will you allow them to leave?" Vice Commander Kaleb asked, his body still aching from the fight with Jonn.

"Your Grand Commander must bring the matter to the Iyr officially," King Merryweather stated, feeling the exhaustion set within him.

"All those who are displeased with my handling with this matter may leave the gathering, and we of Floria will bear no ill will."

"If you have an issue with it, you may come speak with me, since the King takes all the fun for himself," Lord Royce declared, his eyes upon Kaleb. Since the King had ended the matter there, and the Iyr had revealed its wickedry, and given the Orders a chance to deal with them in an official capacity, the Orders realised they could delay the matter for the future.

Only a few of them had realised what folly it was, partly because they thought their suspicions had been confirmed, that the Iyr dabbled in dark, twisted, demonic magic.

"Sky Commander," a voice called.

"Thank you for allowing us to meet the Grand Treasurer." Sky Commander Sienna caught Jurot's eyes, staring at him in disbelief, her body still aching from the vicious beating at the hands of the Iyrman. The pair held one another's gaze for a long moment, before Jurot continued, but she understood the threat in his voice.

"It seems I will have to let you go today," Jaygak said to the Primrose Sword, her lips curled up coyly.

'Who let who go?' the Primrose Sword thought.

"Jaygak…" Rory called, staring out to the young woman.

"Sir Rory."

"What are you doing here?"

"My nephews were killed."

"Is it true? That they are goblins and demons?"

"They are Iyrmen," Jaygak replied, smiling politely towards the young man.

"Like me." Rory stared at the young Iyrman as she turned and left, noting the burden she carried upon her shoulders.

"Malfev," Bear Mother called. Malfev stopped, glancing over his shoulder towards the woman.

"…"

"I will pray for the children." Malfev bowed his head, before following his sister out. As Adam stepped out, he met Royce's gaze. The half elf bowed his head.

"Consider us even."

"I'm sorry about your children." Adam bowed his head, and continued to step out, feeling his heart beat quickly, unsure if he would truly make it out of the fort alive, even as he approached the gates. Chief Iromin remained silent, deep in thought. They had managed to delay the issue for another day, but now with the reveal of the Harbingers, there was certainly going to be a greater pressure against the Iyr. One thought above all else plagued him.

'Elder Story, why did you intervene?' It hadn't been the first time that Elder Story had intervened when it came to Adam, and if the Great Elder had wanted to intervene, there were other, simpler ways they could have dealt with the matter. To reveal the Harbingers at this time, at a time with the Reavers, it was… Elder Peace stepped beside the Great Elder, stopping his thoughts. The pair walked away in silence, understanding that this, too, was a rule of the Iyr.

'We know what we must know.'

'I'm… alive?' Adam thought. He glanced aside, towards the figure who smelled of great power and viciousness.

'What the hell just happened?'

"Elder Peace, you may accompany them within their carriages, and we will follow," Iromin said.

"You must go, Chief Iromin," Elder Peace replied.

"…" Iromin bowed his head, following after the half elf as the group made their way to the nearby carriages, while the fresh Iyrmen brought up the rear.

"Chief Iromin," Elder Peace called.

"…"

"Did you notice?" Iromin turned to face Elder Peace, and the questioning look in his eyes revealed he didn't, but Elder Peace only bowed her head, dropping the matter.

"You have a nice sword," Bael said, stepping beside Gangak.

"Where did you find it?"

"It was a gift to our family from my grandson," Gangak said.

"What an adoring grandson."

"He is," Gangak said, feeling Jarot's annoyed glare against the back of her head.

"I am his favourite grandmother."

"You must be, since it is a wonderful sword."

"Can you dare to covet the blade?" Bael sighed, shrugging his shoulders.

"Since it is in your hands now, I can't." Gangak smiled.

"I will tell you the story of how we gained this blade." Bael smiled.

"Thank you."

"The Honeysuckle Sword stopped me from facing the King," Timojin said, teasing Amokan, who had only fought a Vice Commander. Amokan glanced aside, before his grandmother ruffled his hair, and the young Iyrman smiled like a little boy. Lucy let out a long sigh, feeling her entire body ache.

'I can't believe I struggled against such a weakling!' Mara escorted Lucy to the carriage, deep in thought. Even now, after the deaths of those who had harmed the children, her heart still ached.

"You may leave," Iromin said to the figure.

"I must escort them back."

"I will take that role." The figure turned its gaze towards the Iyrmen nearby. Its eyes fell upon Dogek, then Shagek, then Tonagek, and finally to Jurot. It almost turned away, but stopped. Then its eyes fell upon Adam.

"You cannot," Iromin said.

"I know." The figure remained still for a long moment, before it turned to face Jarot, whose shoulder pulsed, recalling the heavy blow he had taken.

"Chief Iromin."

"Yes?"

"Is this an Iyr worthy of pride?" Iromin looked out to the group who embraced one another, from Mulrot holding her grandsons close, to the older Iyrmen each praising their children, and their children's children.

"Yes."

"You have worked hard." It reached out its hand for Iromin's head, and ruffled his hair, as though the Chief were a boy. Iromin smiled slightly, for who wouldn't have wanted to be praised by such a figure.

"Not as hard as you."

"I do not agree." Iromin refrained from smiling so boyishly.

"Thank you, Harbinger." Harbinger. It thought of the word, and then turned back to look at the Iyrmen before it. He smiled from beneath his helmet.

'They have grown up so well.'

"I will stay with Elder Peace," Dogek said.

"You should go with him," Shagek said.

"I cannot."

"You have earned that right."

"I have not."

'Shall I beat him?' Shagek thought.

'Can you?' Shasen thought.

"I will go!" Baztam declared, already charging into the carriage, only to find the half elf slumped to the side, while his grandmother held the boy's head against her bosom. Baztam stepped away, to his nephew in another carriage.

"You should sleep too," Amokan teased Kitool.

"…"

"Sleep," Jaygak said, and Kitool bowed her head, closing her sleepy eyes, instantly falling asleep.

"You fought well," Jarot said. Jurot's lips twitched slightly upwards.

"Next time, it shall be your third time to face him. You should defeat him then."

"Okay." Victory! XP Gained: +1000 XP: 16 500 -> 17 500 Quest Complete: A Father's Vengeance XP Gained: +1000 XP: 17 500 -> 18 500 Quest Complete: Survive XP Gained: +1000 XP: 18 500 -> 19 500