Chương 956: [904] - Y04.004 - Dangers on the Road

"Come home safely!" the chorus of the children's voices echoed into the distance while the figures headed out towards East Port. Adam and Jaygak stood side by side as they watched the figures leave towards the village, the group continuing along their way after saying their goodbyes to the Village Chief.

"It's a good thing Director Shikan decided to go with them," Adam said, letting out an obvious sigh of relief.

"Uncle only returned for your wedding."

"Well, he returned for both of his nephews."

"He returned because his son bullied him to return," Jaygak joked, though she knew it was true.

"Do you think they'll come across any hydras?"

"If they do, Laygak will fight well against it."

"Of course, since he's Taygak's older brother."

"Yes," Jaygak replied, a small smile falling across her lips.

"Jaygak," Adam whispered, switching to the Iyr's tongue.

"Do you think a thousand gold was enough."

"Yes."

"I feel like I should have given them more."

"If they cannot deal with their task with a thousand gold, what can they do?"

"Should we have given them the silver plaque?"

"Jurot," Jaygak called, with Jurot's ears twitching, his head snapping towards her.

"Did you hand over the silver plaque."

"Yes." Jurot blinked.

"Jurot, you can't do this to me. Jaygak, how can he be so smart, handsome, and strong? It's not fair at all."

"At least you're strong too."

"Aren't I also handsome?"

"You're lacking horns."

"What about Jirot and Jarot? They've got no horns either?" Adam asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Jirot and Jarot have such beautiful skin, like a leaf seen through the reflection of fresh morning dew." Adam furrowed his brows.

'Since when did you get all poetic?' However, a smile forced its way onto his face.

"Yes. They certainly do." Meanwhile, the Seventh Hope glanced about himself to the Iyrmen accompanying him, including the Director of the business. He ignored the sulking archer, who wondered what she was doing there when the Director had decided to come along. He had mostly kept to himself, though he had felt the glare of the devilkin Iyrman upon him often. He recalled what the young woman had said to him the previous year.

'Grandaunt, if she stepped here, not the Seventh, not the Sixth, not even the Fifth Hope could fell her. I will allow the Fourth and Third to claim they could not be easily beaten, but it is only the First Hope and the Second Hope who could dare to even suggest they could defeat her.' He couldn't read her true strength, nor was he impressed by her companion, the same companion who brought apprehension to the First and Second Hopes, the Mad Dog.

'That crippled old man provoked such fear?' Hope Thomas couldn't believe it, but his pulsing arm reminded him of the last time he had dared to underestimate the Iyrmen. No, it was not the Iyrmen he had underestimated, but a figure who did not provoke enough apprehension upon the land.

'Goblin children and a demon child?' The Seventh Hope muttered a quiet prayer under his breath.

"Thank you again for assisting us, Director Shikan," Mother Florence said towards the handsome Iyrman, whose hair fell down to his shoulders.

"It is our honour to assist a Mother, and a Hope, of Life's Rose."

"I have heard the Front Iyr Elder holds the same family name as you."

"Elder Lykan," Shikan confirmed.

"He is my cousin."

"Is it true that your family has gained the title of Chief twice previously?"

"We are one of the few families who has reached such a title twice. We are known for having the largest number of aides to the Chief."

'The aides?' Florence thought, recalling the figures she saw speaking with the Chief the day before and in the morning.

"Is the title so grand?"

"Those who cannot gain the title of Chief often become aides to the Chief."

"…" Florence furrowed her brows.

'I suppose it is like how those who cannot become Rays can become Mothers?'

"Your family has such a great heritage."

"Within the Iyr, all families have a great heritage."

"There was an issue in the previous year…" Mother Florence began, allowing her curiosity take the best of her. Her eyes glanced aside to the devilkin, or as the Iyr referred to them, Iyrman.

"The Gak family has not had such a fine time recently."

"It is well known the Gak family have been unfortunate for generations," Shikan said, recalling the countless tales of the Gaks who rose to great fame, only to die before they could secure lasting glory for their family. He thought of his aunt, Gangak, whose greatest claim to fame was that she was refused it. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"I spoke with Jaygak, a niece of yours?" Florence asked, having slowly figured out how the family structure within the Iyr worked. Shikan paused for a moment, his eyes slowly glancing towards the Mother.

"Yes?" Florence wondered why he reacted in such a way.

"She speaks so…" She realised the other Iyrmen about, and thought against speaking of it so openly.

"She speaks so proudly of her cousin, Taygak."

"Laygak's younger sister," Shikan confirmed, motioning his head to the heavily armoured Iyrman who escorted them, the only Iyrman who wore armour, while the Ool, Kan, and Jin families each wore only their furs.

"Jaygak is an Expert?"

"Yes."

"Is she not considered strong within the Iyr?"

"Jaygak, and Laygak, and all my nieces and nephews here, are Experts. They are considered strong for their age, but all Iyrmen, save for those born ill, grow to become Experts." Mother Florence had heard the rumours, which she had chalked up to fantastical fancy. After all, if all Iyrmen became Experts, it would mean they would be able to match the great might of all of Aldland.

"What of your One Hundred Grandmasters and your… One Hundred Paragons?"

"One Hundred Grandmasters and One Hundred Paragons," Shikan confirmed.

"Many of the One Hundred Paragons are greater than Grandmasters, but are not officially Paragons." Mother Florence understood that much, since it didn't make any sense that the Iyr could truly have a whole one hundred Paragons. Even among Aldland, the number of active Paragons could be counted upon one hand, while the number of unofficial Paragons was about the same.

Shikan decided against speaking of the number of unofficial Paragons, though he himself didn't even truly know, as it was one of the Iyr's open secrets that they had a questionable amount at any time. Such ambiguity could only work within the Iyr since they were Iyrmen.

"I fear I may misspeak, so I hope for your forgiveness. The Iyrmen… you are of many different types."

"We are only Iyrmen," Shikan replied.

"Visually, you are…" Florence wondered how to say it.

"One might say, and they would be incorrect, in calling you a people formed of three."

"You are correct in that it would be incorrect."

"I would be incorrect in saying you are formed of humans, devilkin, and harcs."

"Yes."

"It would also be incorrect to say you are formed of half dragons, goblins, and demons?" Shikan stopped, his nieces and nephews stopping immediately. He caught Mother Florence's eyes, while the Hope could feel the overwhelming chill which surrounded them. Brittany also glanced between the figures.

'They're not going to kill them, are they?' It was the fact that such a question could even be asked which made the Iyrmen the Iyrmen.

"The children…" Shikan began, choosing his words carefully.

"The children call me baba, which is translated to grandfather or equivalent, as opposed to dado, which is one born before their parent's generation. It, too, can be used as familiarly as baba, or in general capacity, like that of a Min family child who may wish to refer to me as such, though we have only met once."

"I pray for the children, for the others do not know them as you or I," Mother Florence said, understanding the dangers the children could suffer, and the danger she was in.

"Do you know them?"

"I know they are innocent children, who want for nothing but love." Shikan slowly nodded his head.

"Within the Iyr, we pray to Mother Soza too, Mahtu, as mother of Baktu."

"Lord Sozain," Mother Florence said, knowing of how the Iyr prayed to their Divine, though they had their own names of them, and their own interpretations.

"We of the Iyr pay great respects to Mahtu. When a child of the Iyr is not tattooed, they are considered children." Shikan paused for a moment.

"The child who clung to my uncle Jarot, Mad Dog, or perhaps your order is more familiar with his epithet of the Undying?" Florence bowed her head once more, recalling the one armed, one legged Iyrman.

"He lost his arm to the Azure Terror, and he lost his leg to Lord Asa."

"No." Shikan shook his head.

"He gave up his arm after he killed Forgryn, and he lost his leg to the Blood Knight." Florence narrowed her eyes, glancing towards the Iyrmen around, spotting Naqokan, her tattoos of the yellow five pointed star and the purple flowers which flowed out from it, and then back to Shikan, who held the same tattoos.

"I heard it was a Kan who clashed with the Blood Knight."

"He lost his leg and mother clashed with the Blood Knight," Shikan explained, before continuining.

"You have seen the boy who clings to the Mad Dog and his wife, the Family Elder of the Rot family."

"The red skinned boy?"

"Yes, the boy with the horns," Shikan added, since his uncle clung to Larot closely too, but he was not the topic of discussion at the moment.

"He does not yet have his tattoos." Florence nodded, recalling the quiet boy, who was in his teen years, a few years younger than the Iyrmen around her.

"Within the Iyr, Mahtu's influence takes great hold. Any Iyrman who is still a child, without a tattoo, shall be brought back to life if killed. It does not matter how they are killed, by the steel of a blade, by the forces of Nahtu, by the Azure Terror, who tore my nephew apart." Shikan paused to calm his rushing heart, feeling the bloodlust of the Iyrmen around him. Florence remained silent.

She had heard a great many tales within the Iyr, many of the families she was surrounded by, even the Jin family, which was technically not one of the four shared families of the Rot, Gak, Ool, or Kans. Yet, she had not heard of this tale.

"I pray he will forever know love," the Mother said. Shikan wanted to say more, to explain to her of how dangerous Jarot truly was, but he could not bring himself to speak further of the topic. They continued along their way.

"Will Adam's children also take the tattoos." Shikan froze, the Iyrmen freezing in place with him once more. The Seventh Hope fell still too, his eyes wide through his helmet as he stared at the Mother. Brittany's eyes remained completely focused on the Director, who was first and foremost an Iyrman. Her entire body refused to move, and even her breath fell still. Shikan's throat closed up, his heart thundering within his chest. His eyes remained glued to the Mother Priest's, who remained on the precipice of death.

The rage of the unknown burned deeply within the Director, who could not even dare to answer this question, for he couldn't bear to hear the words. For a moment, the thought of killing them here came to him.

"If they do not take the Rot family's tattoos, they may take our tattoos," the voice said, cutting through the tense air. Shikan's eyes snapped towards Laygak, who raised his visor to reveal the largest smile.

"They love my grandaunt the most." It was on this day Shikan's appreciation for the Gak family increased tenfold. He was, somehow, glad that Jaygak had corrupted her cousin like this.

'Who would dare to hurt my adorable niece and nephew?' Laygak thought, before realising how deeply he had been corrupted by the trio of Jarot, Adam, and Jaygak.

"It is a fortune that a Ray is now their mother," Mother Florence stated, calming her aching heart, which had almost stopped from the sheer intense terror imposed by the Iyrmen.

'Fortunate…' Shikan sighed, and he continued to escort the Mother.

"When the Mad Dog went to slay Forgryn, Laygak's grandaunt, Gangak, could not go, for she swore not to step foot within Aswadasad."

"Why?"

"She made a promise to the various orders which gathered together to force her away."

"…" Florence furrowed her brows.

'What?'

"Aunt's tale was cut quickly, like many of the Gaks before her. It is perhaps her greatest tale." Shikan smiled, though his thoughts shifted.

"No. That will not go down as her greatest tale."

"What is her greatest tale?"

"It is not a tale I can tell you," Shikan said. He thought back to his nephew, who had adopted the goblins as his own children, before the half dragons came to him. Though the relationship of the half elf was a mess with the Iyr, it was much worse previously.

'Now, it is the fact that you accepted the twins before even the Rot family, which is your greatest tale.' Florence glanced to the side, towards the figure who was large and tall, and built like a damn auroch. He carried an axe at his side, like that of the Rot family, except he was neither related to the families through the main four, or even the Jin family. Instead, he was the grandson of one of the previous Great Elders of the Iyr.

She wanted to learn more about him, but in her great wisdom, she realised she had already managed to survive a great danger with her words already.