King Solomon had only just returo his castle, a he was sed with paperwork. Though he had gained a great deal of influehrough the war, he had to immerse himself in the various matters of the Royal Court, capitalising on the influence.

  A King’s work was never done, after all.

  “The drakken have bee strangely quiet,” Master Whiteheart said. He was the brother of the Lord of Westfort, and held a seat on the cil. He, along with the retives of the other Lords and Ladies of the various forts, remai the capital city to act as one of the cil members, who would look after the Kingdom’s issues whilst the King was at war and assist him in running the Kingdom during times of peace.

  “Do we know why?” Solomon asked. He had expected them to grow quiet, but to not tact them either?

  “We believe they’re fightiween one another,” The Queen replied, taking her pce beside the King. She was tasked to keep an eye on the cil members, taking on the King’s role when he was at war, so the King had no worries about the various advisers ag up, but she would remain on the cil wheurned for a short while to assist.

  “The Iyrmen’s doing?” Solomon assumed, tapping his finger oable edge, feeling it’s hard wood.

  “We aren’t certain,” Whiteheard said. “Lady Bckheart is irely forthing with the matters beyond the fort.”

  “Lady Bckheart is more than willing to allow any of your soldiers beyond the wall to check for themselves,” Master Bckheart said, smiling. “Shall I send a messenger bird to let the good Lady know the soldiers of Westfort, who have been behind the walls sihe beginning of the war instead of in the rest snow of battle, are to arrive soon?”

  “There is no need for that,” Master Whiteheart said, smiling ily. “Our soldiers are still to defend against the or the other side of the mountain.” The mountain which cut right through the ords and the drakken’s nds.

  “Indeed,” Bckheart said. “I recall Lord Whiteheart is irely forthing with the matters beyond the wall.”

  “We will o prepare for Daegyar and Rogryaen,” the King interrupted. The two always bickered with one another, and he would o stop them from ag up.

  “Shall we first throw a celebration?” Master Blueheart asked, admiring the two men as they fought one another. Master Blueheart’s influen the cil erhaps sed to the King, sidering the role her family pyed with trade on the seas. “We will raise the required, if the King is willing to accept.”

  “We will throw a celebration to lift the people’s spirits,” King Solomon said. “Sihe North has been at war, their tribution will be decreased, and it will be picked up by the other fions.” He was not willing to accept Blueheart’s offer, for it would have been too awkward to gift her more favours.

  “We will set forth the budget, yrace.” Master Redheart smiled, rubbing a gold with her thumb.

  Bckheart to the North, Whiteheart to the West, Blueheart to the East, and Redheart to the South. These Hearts were those who were the Lords of their ions, ahe keys to the success of his grandfather’s time.

  Whiteheart desded from Bronwyn the White, a man who wore pure white armour, and carried with him a bde equally as white. He had been tasked with Westfort, to fight against the orcs.

  Blueheart desded from Sea Queen Joriel, someone who was distantly reted to the current King, and was in charge of the sed rgest city after the capital, as well as the sea to the east. She took and of the fleet, making sure the east and south were safe on the seas.

  Redheart desded from Fargo the Blood Sword, who was the first to bend the knee, before assisting in quering the Sea Queen. Redheart would keep the south safe from the savages.

  Each were his greatest threats, and equally, his greatest allies.

  “Ohe Iyrmeurn, we should reward them.” The King tapped his fingers oable further, trying to think.

  “Isn’t the fight a good enough reward?” Whiteheart asked. He was familiar with the Iyrmen, sidering how many times their aors had cshed in the past. His family erhaps the most familiar with the Iyrmen, who were the greatest threat to their south, whereas the orcs were the greatest threat to their north. Their home was safe between the mountains, cut off from the ions by the giant mountain range, afort was the only pce they could be assaulted with any real efficacy. As such, the King had the least amount of influen the West.

  “Even the Iyrmen know the value of gold,” King Solomon said, noting the look in Whiteheart’s eyes. “It’s a good idea to keep them on our side.”

  “We should reward them with a portion of the dragon,” Whiteheart offered, jabbing at the King.

  “No,” King Solomon said, obviously. “They will keep whatever loot they mao find. If we skimp them on battle loot, they may be less likely to se aid iure.”

  “They must send a hundred men, as part of the treaty, regardless,” Whiteheart said.

  “As per the treaty,” Blueheart added, whose people had never faced the Iyrmen.

  “Yes, but they could easily send a hundred of their weakest, and then we would have lost a great power.”

  “As you wish, yrace.” Whiteheart smiled, retreating from the matter.

  King Solomon didn’t like the smile, but he khat Whiteheart wouldn’t start any trouble for the moment, not while the King had won the war. “We still heir help, in case any of the savages of the south begin to act up, or the giants wish for another war,” the King’s eyes fell to Whiteheart’s, “or the orcs decide to attack.”

  “Of course, yrace.” Whiteheart bowed his head once more. The King was revealing just how much faith he utting in the Iyrmen, outsiders. Suformation would be quite demoralising to the people, as well as shameful for the other Hearts of the region. The Kingdom was still new, and as such, was still able to be broken, piece by piece.

  It was around that time the drakken, many miles to the north, were g out with joy.

  “Hurrah! Hurrah!” cried the drakken, who had taken over several vilges and outposts nearby. They had forced the weary vilgers and soldiers to surrender and join their resistance, or to die in battle.

  However, the mood between the Royal Guards and the Iyrman was chillier than the fresh snow falling from above.

  The loss of Charles, who provided mueeded light, had caused a rift between the party, especially after the disagreemeweeher to cremate him or bury him. Iyrmen were buried, but the Royal Guard were cremated. Akrat gave in, as he had not known Charles for as long, but he had passed the story of Charles through the drakken, who would tio sing it.

  Akrat sipped the drakken ale, feeling the burn in his throat. He remaianding aloop the watch tower. He looked all across the ndscape, illuminated by the star light. He thought for a long moment, dragged down by Charles’ death, and his story.

  “It still bothers you,” Captain Kendrick said from below, leaning back against the wall. He sipped some drakken ale, coughing immediately afterwards.

  “No,” Akrat said, still sipping the drakken ale, which burnt at his throat. “It is no bother.”

  Kendrick chuckled. “No bother, huh?” He tio drink the fiery ale. “When I first met Charles, I didn’t particurly like him. I know what the ander was doing when he sent these idiots to me. Even so, they’ve grown ohe past few years.” He had finished m for his panions.

  “I heard the tale of what happeo his family, to his bree told me.”

  “Nasty business,” Kendrick said, shaking his head. “Politics.”

  “I did not know that your people did such things to one ao scheme and plot, to take over the family’s nd.” Akrat shook his head. “The nd of the Iyr belongs to all Iyrmen.”

  “Belongs to all, huh? Then how are you going to live in peace?” Kendrick still wasn’t used to the Iyrman.

  “By spilling blood.”

  “So you also sy one another for nd? Then what’s the differeween you and I?”

  “No, we don’t do that,” Akrat said, leaning back to look at him, his brow raised. “We Iyrmen don’t kill one another.”

  “You just said.”

  “No.” Akrat stared down at him. “If anyone wishes to war with the Iyr, we will sy them. We Iyrmen don’t kill one another.”

  “Ah, well, that’s not what I was asking.” Kendrick drank more of his ale and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I meant, what happens if an Iyrman bees an adult and wants a house.”

  “They must make a request, or earn it through battle or ,” Akrat replied, simply.

  “What if they want a house belonging to another.”

  “Either they are adopted into the house, or they stop requesting for something foolish.”

  “Foolish?”

  “Why would an Iyrman want the house of another?”

  “It’s bigger than their house?”

  “Then it is simple. They must have more children.”

  “What?” Kendrick shook his head.

  “Houses are expanded once more children are born.” Akrat recalled the size of his house, which was one of the rgest. He art orc, after all.

  “What if you want a bigger house, but don’t want another child?”

  Akrat thought deeply. “If there was such a foolish Iyrman, then they could use one of their favours from winning a tour.” Still, he did not uand the want for a rger house.

  “Do you guys have tours in the Iyr?” Kendrick asked, before rubbing his face. “No, don’t ahat. Of course you do.”

  Akrat wondered how drunk the Captain was. “I have heard Iyrmen are banned in your tours.”

  “Well, you bme us? You didn’t follow the rules.”

  “We had not known the rules.”

  “Ignorance is a sin.” Kendrick sighed. “Though I’m sure once we return to the King, you could ask for the ban to be lifted as part of your reward.”

  “My reward?”

  “Your reward for killing Bck Wing and assisting the Royal Guard.”

  “I will be rewarded by your King?” Akrat blinked.

  “Of course,” Kendrick said, gng over at him. “Were you doing this just for the story and Dark Wing’s loot?”

  “Yes,” Akrat said, nodding his head. For what was a greater reward than that?

  Kendrick sighed, shaking his head. “I’m not sure I’ll ever uand you or your people.”

  “There is o,” Akrat said. “We will sy Dark Wing, and we shall return home. We will be praised by our people and hohroughout time.”

  Kendrick smiled. “Well, maybe I uand that at least.”

  When m came, Akrat picked a dozen warriors from the group. Six experienced drakken, and six young drakken, who would learn uhe drakken, who in turn would learn under Akrat and the others.

  The drakken soldiers who had been picked were adorned in scale mail mented armour made of metal ahers, and wore cloaks over their shoulders made of thick cloths or furs. Each carried with them a spear and a shield, a sedary on of their choosing, from shortswords to axes, and carried javelins at their side. The younger drakken wore thick furs and cloths to pad out the armour which had been hao them from the older drakken.

  “Just us eighteen?” Kendrick asked.

  “Any more and the drakken will be in danger,” Akrat said. “They have lost enough.”

  Kendrick sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “Alright.”

  “oal is simple,” Akrat said, addressing the warriors. “We will sy Dark Wing! For honour! For freedom!” He raised his sword towards the sky. “We will return with the head of Daegyar, or we will not return at all!”

  Kendrick drew his sword and poi to the sky, followed by the rest of the Royal Guard, then the drakken warriors who were to set off. The people cheered, shouting and hooting wildly.

  They began their march further north, through the snowy nds. The hills slowed their travels, but with how few of them were setting off, it did not impede their travels too harshly.

  A week ter they moved along the mountain trail, heading ever further towards Dark Wing’s territory. The trail was treacherous, not because Dark Wing could appear at any moment, but because the there was a sheer drop beside them, and the mountain wall to their other side was about three growaller than them. For the Iyrman, the drakken, and Timothy, they were used to moving on such terrain. Kendrick, Gee, John, and Randal, however, were not the kind of people to leap between rocks so gleefully.

  “That’s a big fall,” Randal said, looking down the edge, gulping. It was misty white, and the unknown was more terrifying than knowing how deep it went. “Any tips?”

  “Don’t fall,” Akrat replied, following the lead of the drakken who was familiar with the trail.

  “Anything useful?” Randal swallowed, staring down the side of the near sheer cliff.

  “Don’t look down.”

  “Okay,” Randal said, looking up instead. “That’s much better. Hey, what’s that?”

  “What?” Kendrick asked, bringing up the rear. He gnced over to see a shadow in the sky. “What is that?”

  That’s when it struck them.

  The magical fear.

  Their entire bodies seized, and three of the young drakken and one of the older drakken fell from the side of the cliff, tumbling down.

  They couldn’t even scream.

  “Daegyar!” Akrat excimed, grabbing onto Bili, whose body had seized up. He pulled the boy back up, patting his back.

  “Royal Guard! To arms!” Kendrick excimed, managing to fight off the fear. If not for Akrat’s words, he may have fallen.

  Through the whiteness came the form of the giant dragon, pletely bck, as though it had been carved out of obsidian, darting towards them. It opened up its giant maw, letting out a heavy breath of bck poison, which swarmed through the entire group.

  Akrat threw his cloak around Bili, proteg him from the poison. He felt the poison invade his body, but he shrugged it off. No poison would be enough to kill an Iyrman. The drakken, being born with bck scales, were able t off some of the poison naturally.

  As the dragon darted forward, it grabbed onto Gee, who was vulsing from the poison whivaded him. He coughed, reag up to grab the dragon’s talon which was ed around him, his hand as bck as the dragon. “You foul creature!” He elled his magic, that which had caused many of his peers to fear him.

  The dragon screeched in pain as the pain filled it, its skin peeling off from where Gee had touched, but it gripped Gee tightly still. The first thing it o do was to deal with any which spun spells, especially the one which could bring its panions from the brink of death.

  “Gee!” Kendrick coughed, the poison invading his body. He reached out a hand, but Gee was so far from him. “No!”

  John was seized by the dragon fear, trying to break free from it, and both Randal and Timothy had been taken by it toee struggled in Daegyar’s talons, but the creature did not give. As Daegyar’s powerful wings beat, the others were bsted by wind, and Gee ulled away.

  “You scum! You’ve all been such damn thorns in my side!” Daegyar screeched, drowning out the sound of a scream, flying upwards and away with Gee, wanting to deal with him separately.

  Gee tile in the creature’s grip, but he felt something grab at his ankle. He looked down to see Akrat, who had found a safe pce for Bili, and was climbing up using Gee’s armour as they flew over the wall.

  “I am Akrat, son of Ikrat!” Akrat excimed, ing his legs around Gee’s chest, and he grabbed for his sword. “I have e for you, Daegyar!” He stabbed the creature, f his bde through it.

  Daegyar’s scream echoed through the mountain range, and it was the st thing some of them heard before they died, and it dropped the pair of them. They tumbled off the other side of the mountain, before nding at a rge clearing of rock.

  Akrat roared like a tiger, leaping into a right away. Daegyar had nded, and was turning to try and bst the Iyrman with its breath, but the maelstrom of death on him.

  Akrat’s bde pierced through its scales, digging in deep as it spttered wet crimson all over him. “Yes!” he excimed, tasting the blood. The excitement was too much for him, and he couldn’t resist the allure of the dragon. “I will take it! That heart of yours!” He howled with ughter.

  ‘Of course it just had to be a damn Iyrman!’ Daegyar felt the bde in its side, but it spun wildly, striking Akrat with its massive tail.

  Akrat coughed as he was struck, smming up against the rocks at the side. He looked up to see Daegyar bearing its mighty cw down upon Gee, whose shield barely mao block the blow, though Gee was slowly being crushed underh its great strength.

  Gerit his teeth, gng aside for a moment to see the blur that was Akrat, who leapt onto the back of the dragon, driving his bde in deep once again.

  “You damn Iyrman!” Daegyar turs head, only to feel the death magics of the medivade through his scales again.

  “Akrat!” Gee excimed, filling the Iyrman with his healing strength. “Careful!” Gee’s magic had its limits, and he only had a single gem t bae person immediately from a fight.

  “I will sy you today!” Akrat’s heart pounded wildly, filled with the excitement of battle. All he could see was the dragon, and in this moment, he aimed sy it. Gee was here, and he would cim the tale as his too, and the others would soon arrive.

  The dragon s Akrat, biting into his thigh, but it gave Akrat the ce to dig his bde into its eye. Daegyar flung Akrat aside, swallowing his blood as the world went bck to his left. “You! How dare you cut into my eye! You scum! You’re nothing before me!”

  Gee dove over to Akrat, grabbing at his chest. “Oh, Lady of Life, fill my panion with life,” he prayed, filling Akrat with more strength.

  Akrat inhaled deeply, renewed by the magics which filled him, before he flexed his muscles, his rage pumping through his heart. He leapt bato his feet and roared, gripping his bde tightly.

  ‘I o make sure he stays alive,’ Gee thought, knowing he’d die if the Iyrman fell. As long as Akrat was alive, there would still be hope. Hope that Charles’ death wasn’t in vain. ‘This time, this time I won’t abandon you.’

  “Die!” Akrat darted to the dragon, who aimed to sy the Iyrman with its tail, but the orcish Iyrma over it, stabbing it where the tail met its body, sinking deep into its thick scales, drawing dark blood.

  Gee followed into the fray, filling them with magical might. He couldn’t remain too far away, otherwise the dragon would e for him, and he wouldn’t be able to heal Akrat with his greater magic. The safest p this battle was beside the dragon, for at least the Iyrman would be there.

  The dragon bsted the pair with poison, which filled their lungs. Gee coughed up blood, finding his vision fading. He brought up his shield to block the blow of the dragon’s tail, skidding aside, though his bones were quivering.

  All the while, Akrat attacked, like a savage beast. He could feel it, his heart pumping wildly to try and assist him in sying the creature. Akrat itting up blood, his veins bulging as the poison invaded his body. Yet, each time he was about to wele the bess of death, he felt a strong hand against his back, filling him with greater strength.

  “e!” Akrat excimed. “e Daegyar!”

  The dragon focused its attention the Iyrman, who shielded the priestly warrior with his body. He whittled them both away, slowly, but even he could feel the heaviness set within his giant body.

  The hand at Akrat’s back became softer, before Daegyar finally let out another bst of poison, which set deep inside Akrat’s lungs. He coughed up blood, his eyes rolling bato his skull, but the hand propped him up, and he was filled with vitality.

  “Coward! e bad fight!” Akrat excimed, before hearing a g behind him. He turned, seeing Gee on his knees before him, his hands ying loosely on the ground beside his knees.

  His face was dark, veins a purple bck, with blood dripping out of his eyes, ears, and lips. His breath did not e to him. “Akrat,” came the ragged breath, blood dripping further down his and onto his armour.

  “Gee!” Akrat could hear the form of Daegyar flee, away from the nightmares that were the two men, leaving a trail of blood to follow. The Iyrman dropped down in front of Gee, grabbing onto his cheeks.

  Gee couldn’t evehe Iyrman, but hearing the muffled voice, and feeling the hot hands on his cold cheeks, caused him to smile. ‘He’s still alive.’

  Akrat had thought Gee was safe behind him. He had his healing magic, but the Iyrman hadn’t realised it had all beeo him as the man slowly died behind him.

  “Take good care of….” Gee’s life faded from his eyes, but the smile did not.

  Just like that, he died.

  Akrat stared at the face for a long while, seeing the smile, the bloodshot eyes, the sied skin which had bee by the poison.

  “Gee! Akrat!” called John. “Gee! Akrat!” When the forms finally appeared over the mountain top, it was revealed to be John, Bili, and the two other young drakken, as well as three of the five older drakken who hadn’t fallen. John walked over, seeing the gruesome form of Gee. “By the gods…”

  “Where are Captain Kendrid the others?” Akrat asked, not having turo face them. He had heard the steps and ted eae.

  “What happeo Gee?” John asked, looking at their dead panion. He almost dropped to a knee, si the stomach. ‘He’s dead?’

  “Where are they?” Akrat repeated. He knew John had a healthy set of eyes, so of course he’d know what happened.

  “They,” John blinked repeatedly, trying to remember why they had separated, “went down to find Randal and Timothy.”

  “What happened?”

  “They fell.”

  Akrat remained focused on Gee for a long moment. His cool skin filled him with a siess. “Stay here,” he said. “The dragon will not return.” With that, he left the group, heading out to find the others.

  John turo the drakken, fighting the quiver at his lips. “Take watch,” he said to the others. He had no idea what else to tell them. He k down beside Gee, sweet Gee, who had always treated them kindly.

  Akrat found them, Kendrick, the guide and another drakken soldier, looming over a pair of bodies. An unscious Timothy y atop Randal, whose arms were ed around Timothy protectively, his head propped up by a rock, wet with blood.

  “Randal’s gone,” Kendrick said, finally speaking for the first time in a while. “He leapt after Timothy, grabbing her as she fell. She’s unscious, but with Gee’s healing, she’ll be as good as gold.” His jaw was set together, his eyes steeled.

  Akrat’s face twitched into anger for just a moment, and he ched his fists. “Gee is dead.”

  Kendrick had heard the words, but he dared not to look at Akrat. If an Iyrman said it, it must have been true, but for the moment, he couldn’t accept the death of two of his panions, not this quickly.

  “We fought Daegyar,” Akrat said. “The dragon fled, heavily wounded. He did not shame his family.” He had to say the words, for he had wit.

  Kendrick remained looking at Randal for a long moment, then at Timothy’s face. He couldn’t bme Akrat, who had almost died to save Gee when he couldn’t. He turo face Akrat, his eyes burning. “At least he did not die alone.”

  “No,” Akrat said. “Iyrmen do not die alone.”

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  Okay so this chapter a chapter are ky bois.

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