Chương 1203: [1124] - Y06.024 - The Skirmish I

Fred met Rick's eyes, the pair staring at one another, and through one another simultaneously.

'Holy shit,' Mork thought, his fingers shifting from position to position to ask for forgiveness from Lady Tempest.

'Did he hold back against me?' Bael thought, frowning. Even though Adam had beaten him in a single round, it wasn't quite as clean.

'Is that why she asked the Priest hand over his blade? Too bad it's so stormlike, otherwise we could have a more enjoyable fight.'

"It must be some… dark magic," Vice Commander Harrow said, unable to believe his eyes. He tried to force away the illusion, for there was no way that the Grand Commander who he liked to annoy had died so easily to some foolish leaf ear.

"I hope you keep your word, Vice Commander Harrow," Elder Peace said, though she noted there were several who were more powerful than him around, but since he had spoken up, he would need to take responsibility for his words.

"You cannot be serious!" Harrow exclaimed, clutching at his blade's hilt tightly, but he tensed up and slowly relaxed. Ah. Of course. He should have expected his much from the Iyr.

"Do you intend to go back on your word, Oathsworn?" Elder Peace asked, her voice as neutral as possible, since them keeping their word was still good for the Iyr, and she needed to live up to her title.

"You must answer for this, Elder Peace," Harrow stated firmly.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing."

"What dark magic did you use, leaf ear?"

"…"

"Do you have nothing to say for yourself? Does the guilt overwhelm you? You should not have plotted as such."

"Don't pin this on me, Aldishman," Adam began, clearing his throat.

"Everyone here knows you're just trying to break your word, Aldishman. How pathetic, Aldishman. Aldishman, Aldishman." Harrow narrowed his eyes.

"If you have no excuse, you must be guilty."

"I just used the powers bestowed upon me by the great Lord Sozain," Adam almost shouted, glaring at the Vice Commander.

"Do you have something against the Divine, Vice Commander Harrow?"

"Do not twist my words!" Harrow snarled, suddenly filling with the want to kill the leaf ear, more so than before.

"Do you intend to draw your blade?" Elder Peace asked, her eyes narrowed slightly, the woman still rubbing along the white bead, but her thumb brushed along the edge of the red bead.

"You cannot possible think we would accept this… this… farce!"""Do you wish to take back your word?"

"We wish to confirm the situation, to make sure justice was dispensed."

"It is confirmed," Elder Peace replied simply.

"Drop your blades. We will tie you and take you to our prisons. Your Orders may procure you for a reasonable, fair fee."

"Elder Peace, are your words serious?" Harrow asked, narrowing his eyes back towards the woman, who continued to rub her beads.

"Drop your blades…" Elder Peace stated, and for a moment, she stopped rubbing her beads, "or draw them."

"You should stop this before it escalates out of your control," Harrow replied, glaring into the woman's eyes. Adam blinked, recalling how this situation played out previously. Those were similar to the words the King had used to try and stop them from getting their justice, their vengeance. Except, the King was much more powerful than the Vice Commander, he had them surrounded, and they hadn't brought quite as many Iyrmen that time. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve.

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'Did the Iyr… expect this?' Adam thought.

"We have warned you, Aldishmen," Elder Peace said, trying her best to sound soothing, as to not offend them.

"Do not resist."

"Do not act this way, Iyrman."

"Do not resist," Elder Peace repeated, allowing them to decide their own fates. The silence filled the air once more, the pair glaring at one another. Meanwhile, the Aldish glanced around towards the Iyrmen, who seemed completely relaxed. So what was the Great Elder doing? Did she really want to take them on? There was no way, was there? An Aldishman cleared his throat. He was older, with greyed hair, a thick beard, and he carried a large blade upon his back.

"Elder Peace, we find that the situation here rather… curious."

"What is curious, Hammer Hand?" Elder Peace replied. The old man smiled innocently, his large, clenched fist in front of his mouth as he pretended to clear his throat once more.

"You see, it is rather unbelievable this boy managed to kill our Grand Commander. Indeed, I feel as though I am under a spell myself. If you could allow us some time to confirm the matter, we would be willing to speak with you about this matter another day."

"Today, you will decide whether you will keep your word, or if you will break your word and fight your way out to live another day so shamelessly," Elder Peace replied softly, her tone implying she wasn't picking a fight, even if her words were clearly doing so.

"I understand there are quite a few great warriors on your side," another spoke up, the woman's eyes darting between the men who had spoken up.

"However, there are a great many warriors upon our side too, not the children which were brought previously."

"You have brought quite a few warriors, Wandering Spear," Elder Peace confirmed, her eyes darting around towards the various figures. She had already surmised most of the figures, while her aides had worked on understanding who had arrived, and their general strength, as well as how old the information was. The warriors here weren't nobodies, that much was for certain.

Wraith Blade nestled his forearm against between the hilt of his blade and his waist, while Shade Dagger thumbed around the hilts of her daggers, and Wind of the Tempest leaned against her glaive. Each one of them would have commanded great respect across all of Aldland. They had come for justice for their fallen comrade, even if the fallen comrade was not a part of their original Order. Except, there was one thing which annoyed the Great Elder.

If this newly formed Order had come for justice, and then wished to go back on their word, shouldn't they have brought their entire Order?

"Adam, you may return back to the fort," Elder Peace said, rubbing along her bead.

"I'm a little scared, Elder Peace," Adam said.

"Jaygak has told me how treacherous the Aldish are, and I've seen it first hand."

"They will not attack you." Adam rested Sentinel's Rest against his shoulder, the half elf's eyes glancing between the faces before him, seeing all the familiar faces of his family and his family's family. After a breath for courage, the half elf began to walk forward, away from the beheaded corpse of the Grand Commander. Harrow cleared his throat.

"Sentinel's Rest belongs to the Order."

"It belonged to the Order of the Thousand Hunts," Elder Peace said.

"It was then lost when the Grand Commander of High Garden lost it to we of the Iyr."

"We are still discussing the matter, but I understand the half elf is not an Iyrman."

"The discussion may be discussed when you tied within our prison, while Adam is allowed to gift the item to the Iyr with his own hands." Harrow finally drew his sword, pointing it to the earth, but the threat was clear.

"Do not misunderstand my mercy for weakness, Elder Peace." Hammer Hand clicked his teeth, annoyed the fool had drawn his blade. It had escalated the situation more than he had expected, and considering it was the Iyr, even if they were still trying to twist their arms, they weren't fools. Unfortunately for the Aldishmen, as the Vice Commander drew his blade, Elder Peace stopped rubbing the white bead.

"Ehm!" Hammer Head tried to gather their attention.

"I see that-,""Kill them," Elder Peace finally said, feeling the expectant gaze of the Chief at the back of her head. The entire time, the Chief had been waiting. Though peace would have been a good solution, especially to show the Iyr's good faith after what happened the previous year, what was she meant to do when the Iyrmen begged for death? As the blood lust increased within the area, blades were drawn, and the song of death began.

Wandering Spear spun her spear around herself as the Iyrmen leapt into battle, her spear clashing against another. Wraith Blade drew his blade, which turned ghostly, the Aldishman grinning wide.

"I told you, did I not? You cannot negotiate with savages."

"Yes, yes," Shade Dagger replied, holding both of her daggers, which turned black as the shadow beneath her. Wind of the Tempest clashed her glaive against another who also wielded a glaive, the pair glaring into one another's eyes.

"It is a shame it has come to this, but what else did you expect?"

"You have made a mistake," Hammer Hand said, sigh towards the Iyrman.

"Once the King hears of your treachery, you will find his mercy as short as your patience." Elder Peace smiled.

"Are we of the Iyr considered impatient?"

"From what I have seen, it is the case." Hammer Hand drew his large blade, which hummed to life, the blade pulsing with great power.

"So, are you my opponent?" Rajin stretched his neck, the Iyrman drawing his own blade, stepping towards Hammer Hand.

"I must kill you cleanly, for my Jijin."

"I told the Grand Commander we should have requested for the King's assistance," Hammer Hand groaned, preparing to face the Iyrman.