Chương 1738: [1635] – Y07.135 – Gold Mountain V

Dawn blanketed the noisy, smelly, comfortable city. As the rays of the sun bore upon the capital, it was a young fool's smile which burned brightly.

"Thank you again, Om," the half elf said, bowing his head gently, smiling as a Mo would to an Om.

"Aryashukhur, Mo, it was our blessing to assist," the Malawi assured, the woman's smile full of stress.

"I will never forget how you welcomed my family and I," Adam said, turning to his brother, almost causing the woman to fall from the stress, though he plucked the box from him, a box formed of a beautiful wood, engraved with all manner of symbols, those of the Lady of War, those most familiar with the Iyr.

"A gift for the temple. I hope you can forgive us, it is only a Basic sword."

"Mo, a gift like this is too much," the Malawi replied the woman's lips forming a wider smile, the creases reaching her eyes, and her heart began to throb.

"As always, it is Lady Arya who blesses me," the half elf said, bowing his head once more.

"You may not know this, Om, but the Lady and I are much closer than you think."

"I have heard there was a connection," the Malawi replied, recalling how he mentioned it a few times. The Malawi relented, accepting the blade.

"If it was not Lord Sozain, it would have been Lady Arya," Adam assured, his eyes holding a dangerousness upon the surface.

"Even now, should the Lady require my assistance, my sword, she has it." The Malawi could hear something within the half elf's words, something she hadn't expected, a level of humility, reverence, even, towards the Lady. At first she thought he was paying lip service, but glancing aside to Black Mountain, she realised she had been a fool. If the half elf was this close with Black Mountain, then certainly the half elf held a greater connection to the Lady. Then there was the fact that… The Malawi's head throbbed.

The Sword of the Lady had passed through, and though she had greeted the woman and spent some time with her, they hadn't exactly shown much more than that.

'You cannot forget. You and Black Mountain share the same root. Do not ever forget. You and Black Mountain share the same heart. Never forget.' The fact he had to say it so many times and she almost forgot meant she needed to spent more time in prayer.

"Your family is always welcome within Saint Brandon's Grand Temple of Lady Arya," the Malawi stated clearly, and then made the wisest decision.

"I hope next time you will bring a Greater sword?" The half elf's eyes widened, almost as wide as the grin on his face, and the Malawi returned the smile, feeling the heaviness in her shoulders grow even heavier, until, finally, as the half elf's laughter faded, and the carriages flew away, the pressure disappeared.

'I hope she takes my advice,' Korin thought, though as he narrowed his eyes, he realised he had only imagined going to speak with her, and would need to find some time to speak with her later.

'It seems I have been struck by great stress too?' The sandy gold buildings continued along the horizon, the parks welcoming them as they passed through. The noisiness was kept at bay, the smells muted from within the carriage, but the colours assaulted their eyes, and as they continued towards that place, he eyed up the fluttering scarves, his eyes almost glued to them. The half elf's lips formed a gentle smile.

The carriages came to a sudden halt, though as the movement begun, the children half falling, various arms wrapped around them, keeping them pinned close. Shadows emerged quickly, steel glittering under the noonval sun, but as the Death Swords readied themselves for battle, with a few Iyrmen beginning to step out, they saw a figure who had lifted up the mule, who continued to wrestle under his great strength, only to stop a moment later.

However, the Iyrmen remained on edge, all the while the massive fellow continued to calm the mule, until he finally placed the creature down. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Aya! You bastara! What are you thinking?" the old man snapped, leaping off his cart, reaching up towards his heart as he grabbed onto the collar of the large mule.

"What was it? Did you see your shadow? Craven! How is it that I named you Craven and you became a cowardly fool?"

"Akh," the large fellow called, and as the old man turned to face him awkwardly, he followed the fellow's eyes, and then saw the large train of Iyrmen. The dark skinned fellow began to turn pale, staring up at the Iyrmen like a deer under lantern's light.

'Noor take me!' A sleepy looking Iyrman said something, and another who was short, but carried a greatblade said something in response.

"My eyes are not that bad. Yet."

"Sam, what do you think?"

"It is Captain Samool," the fellow replied, though only worked up the courage after a half step away.

"I will take to the roofs."

"I will join you," Mulrot said, though her brother and her cousin had also stepped out, the three who had been born into the Fev family clearing the walls with ease. Meanwhile, the large fellow who had picked up the mule couldn't take his eyes away from Shasen, who held him within his sights.

'It is just my luck the Iyrmen were making their way at this time…'

"Oh ho! What a cute mule! Look, do you see?" a fool called out.

"I see, daddy, I see!"

"Do you want to say hello?"

"We can?"

"I'll go ask." The old man, the large fellow, and the nearby civilians, adorned in their loose clothing, who had gathered, blinked. Bavwa? Adam slipped the old man a gold coin, clasping his hands, and as the old man glanced down slightly, the half elf's smile seemed almost threatening.

Though a few Iyrmen had stepped out to take their place beside the children, and even a half dragon, who grinned wildly, it was Adam who stood tall and proud before them all, his intense aura emanating outwards, even causing their hair to stand on end.

"Daddy, I want to buy this mule!" called the girl, as one might expect.

"The ahm likes the mule a lot so I won't be able to buy it," the half elf replied simply, causing the old man to blink, for he was certain the fellow was an oppressive young man.

"Oh. Okay." The girl pouted.

"I'll see if we can't buy a ram or something when we're in Arisa, but… don't you already have Yellows?"

"Yellows is at home…"

"I guess. Don't you have Bael?" Bael slowly turned his head.

"Oh yeah." The girl nodded.

"Okay."

"…" The children finally returned back to the carriages, as Adam glanced around the crowd. The men and the women wore loose clothing. The women wore scarves, with so few revealing their hair, but there were many who were cloaked head to heel, which made it difficult to spot their faces, and some wore so many bundles, it would be easy to hide a dagger or two. However, he returned to the carriage, and the group continued along their way, while various shadows slipped away.

"It is a coincidence," a figure said, clad in darkness, holding up their hands.

"Remove your scarf," Captain Samool said, smiling politely to the figure, who thought they could escape his squad's detection. The figure's eyes scanned the area, and seeing all the Iyrmen around them, they revealed their young face, perhaps in her late teens, but she stepped greater than a typical warrior, perhaps an Adept already, the kind that could be caught by anyone who was an Expert and greater.

However, seeing her youth, and how easily she had given in, Samool reached out a hand, slowly, as though allowing her to pull away, and as he concentrated, he clasped her shoulder, squeezing it almost painfully, and as he opened his eyes, he saw her nervousness.

"Okay," Samool said, withdrawing, and with that, he returned back to the shadows, and moved from shadow to shadow. The woman let out a long sigh of relief, almost threatening to vomit, reaching to her thundering heart, sweat pouring down her face.

'Noorshukhur! Noorshukhur!' The young woman slipped between the shadows herself, moving with a swiftness, not noticing the two shadows following after her, until she finally returned to a building, an inn, in which she slunk into the corner, and a figure stepped out to sit opposite her.

"Were you able to…" The middle aged woman turned, turning to look towards the two figures, cloaked in darkness, wearing wide brimmed hats with cloth covering their faces. The woman blinked. She turned to the younger woman.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing, nothing! I was training my quietness, but then a frightened mule almost crashed into an Iyrman's carriage, and then they found me!" the young woman replied, her voice shrill.

"I didn't do anything!" The middle aged woman stood up cautiously, clasping her palm over her fist with a martial greeting.

"Noorshukhur, Iyrmen. I am Copper Sword Tulya. My apprentice was training. I assure you, we have nothing to do with it. If you require our presence, we will come with you. If you require our assistance, we would be willing to assist, in this matter or another." The two cloaked in darkness reached up to tip their wide brimmed hats, and after scanning them with their eyes, committing them to memory, they stepped away, disappearing from their sights, but not their hearts.

"I knew it! You wished to kill me!" the older woman barked.

"You were trying to kill me!"

'I heard the Iyrmen had come with their children, but what were the chances…' The old woman's forehead throbbed. Surely, the Iyr would not end it there.