“There’s another wall?” Adam asked, staring up at it. It went from the horizon on his left, to the horizon on his right, right before the mountain truly began.

  Adam had been impressed by the first wall, but this was another beast entirely. It wasn’t just that it was made of stone, or that it was easily five times as tall as he at a servative estimate, but the fact there was a rushing river which threateo sweep away any creature which came within five steps of it.

  Suddenly he felt naked without his armour, which was being carried by Kandal in a rge backpack made of wood. He had been told it would have been a harsh journey with it, so Kandal was going to carry the mail on his behalf.

  He thought nothing of it.

  SpellGuidanbsp;1D3 = 1 (1)Perception CheckD20 + 2 + 1 = 6 (3)

  He muttered a few words, trying to spot any other features, any outposts the Iyrmen may have, but was uo see anything against the rocks. ‘That’s probably iional,’ he thought. ‘Damn. The Iyr might really be impossible to invade.’

  The raging river gave him pause, gng over towards it. With how steep the mountain was, the rushing river actually sprayed all the way to the group, which stood easily twenty paces away from it, which was as close as they dared to stand.

  “Since you’re not going to tihe story, will you at least tell me why you left the children behind?” Adam asked. He was ied in hearing more about the tale. ‘Did King Solomon mao march his army all the way here? What would he have said?’

  “The Front Iyr is where they will remain until they are picked up,” Argon said. “That is best for them. The Front Iyr is a much easier pce for outsiders. If the children are brought to Big Iyr, they will be overwhelmed.”

  ‘Big Iyr?’

  “The story will be told to you iime, Adam,” Dargon said, smirking at the half elf.

  Adam grumbled, but he followed the Iyrmen further in. They started their ast up the mountain, as as the hours passed, Adam was gd that Kandal was carrying his mail. It truly would have been a gruelling journey if he had worn his armour. Though the armour would have distributed well all over his body, he could only imagine how much he’d want to cut off his feet by the end of the trek.

  As the te sun began to crest beyond the mountain, they finally approached what Adam assumed to be the Big Iyr.

  “Another set of walls?” Adam gasped, finding another set of walls far more impressive tha. “Just how many walls do you guys have?” Adam cried out, staring at the rge walls before him.

  “This is not a wall,” Argon said.

  “It’s a fehe other Iyrmen tinued.

  Jurot smirked, finally able to say the joke to his first person. It was something all Iyrmen wished to say, and he mao say it so young.

  Adam squinted his eyes at the Iyrmen. It was definitely a wall, a wall made of mountain, with a rge gate upfront. The gate was at least six times as tall as him, and the gate was slightly smaller, fnked by six statues, three on each side.

  Two Iyrmen stood tall on the walls, which made them look like little dolls. They wore thick cloaks, and carried with them their family’s ons, as well as a longbow. They, too, were like statues.

  A third Iyrman sat in the room above the rge wooden doors. She climbed up and stood atop the walls, crossing her arms as she stared down at them.

  “We have returned,” Argon decred, staring up at her.

  The Iyrmahe group up, noting the stranger in the mail, before nodding her head. “Opees!” she shouted.

  The doors shook open, the might of eight Iyrmen f it so. These were Iyrmen who were nearby during the call, and had taken it upon themselves to assist. There were ropes which led upwards from the doors, no doubt to a traption which would opees easily.

  ‘Do they do it the hard way on purpose?’ Adam thought. ‘Of course they do, they’re Iyrmen.’

  The woman dropped down to greet Argon, speaking iongue some ways away. She g Adam, before nodding her head, returning to her versation with Argon.

  Adam was too busy staring at the Iyr to pay attention to them. The Iyr was huge, bigger than the vilge he had recalled in his st life. ‘Whoa.’

  The Iyr was built partly in the side of the mountain, a few tunnels leading elsewhere, small cliffs overlooking the Iyr and the houses. There were hundreds e square blocks built ahead of him, before the walls blocked off the yer.

  “This is Big Iyr,” Jurot said.

  “Yeah, you aren’t kidding,” Adam said. There were thousands of people all moving around, with children scampering about, whag each other with paper ons.

  Some of the children had heard the shout and noticed the returning Iyrmen. They wasted no time in dispensing with their games to rush up to the returning Iyrmen, all squealiedly in their nguage, no doubt asking fifts.

  Argon and the others pulled out small items made of bone, mostly just decorations or jewellery, but there a few bones which were decorated with a design.

  “Bones?” Adam asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.

  “Animal bones,” Argon replied. “We won’t anger Baktu by bringing human bones back to the Iyr in such fancy ways.”

  “How do you know that they’re all animal bones?” Adam asked, politely. Having something made of people bones was a little weird.

  Argon smirked. “You should know the ao that, Adam.”

  Adam wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but he slowly nodded his head anyway.

  “Jurot, why don’t you lead us to your home?” Argon said, patting the young Iyrman on his back.

  Jurot smiled. “Yes!” He quickly marched forward, heading to a block many minutes away.

  The blocks were made of several two storied buildings, with an archway at the tre which led inte courtyard. Each block was made of stohough there were a few blocks which had wooden sed stories, or an additional small room atop.

  They passed by many blocks on the way, and each were near identical, though some were lohan others, and some held a few different designs on the rod wood.

  He could hear, and sometimes see, the many people who were rexing in the courtyards. Some sparred, others crafted, and some here were a few which were beginning to prepare a meal.

  Jurot led Adam to a block, towards a specific house in the er. The door was made of wood, like the other houses, but there ecific symbol carved atop. A circle in the middle, with diamonds at the side, each painted blue.

  Jurot knocked on the door, two light knocks, followed by two harder knocks.

  Adam’s heart began to pound a little harder. He inhaled deeply a out a soft exhale. ‘Calm down.’

  The door opened slowly, revealing a tall and heavily built woman. She had long bck hair, which fell down her shoulders, dark eyes full of exhaustion, and a very round, pregnant belly.

  Wisdom SaveD20 + 2 = 5 (3)Omen: 7, 9 -> 79 + 2 = 11

  “Jurot?” Sonarot said, seeing her darling son appear. Her face was lit with surprise, though her lips were a smile.

  “Mother! I have returned!” Jurot decred, before stepping in to hug her tight.

  Argon and Adam grabbed one shoulder of the Iyrman, who had been trying to hug his mother, pulling him back quickly.

  “Oof.” Jurot gnced back at them, fused.

  Adam took a step back. ‘I should have worn the helmet,’ he thought, the suddeion striking his gut. He ched his jaw before reag up to hide his eyes, quickly rubbing away his tear with the back of his thumb knuckles.

  Finally.

  After all this time.

  He had seen it.

  Sonarot and Jurot together.

  ‘Is he g?’ Tazwyn thought, staring at the half elf. When he had taken the half step back, she had been ready to draw her bde, but she took a moment to pause, seeing him rubbing his eyes.

  “Who is this?” Sonarot asked, staring at the half elf, who had beeing his fair share of looks, and was currently rubbing his eyes clear.

  “This is Adam, son of Fate,” Jurot replied. “He is a Copper Rank Adventurer who had taken his test on the same day as me.”

  “So you came back to show me your first friend from out the Iyr?” she asked, reag up to brush his hair.

  Jurot flushed slightly, letting her brush his hair. “It’s not like that.” He revealed his Copper Rank tag to her, which she smiled at.

  “Please, e inside,” she said, looking to Adam and the other Iyrmen. She hadn’t been told there were going to be visitors, but she should prepare for them all the same.

  Tazwyn looked ton, who nodded his head, before he followed Jurot and Adam inside.

  The others remained outside, with Eshva taking the back window, and Kandal remaining at the front. Tazwyo go inform the Elder, just in case.

  “Take off your boots,” Argon said, as he removed his sandal boots and pced them aside the front door.

  “Jurot, why don’t y out the cushions for uests?” Sonarot asked, taking a seat in a sturdy wooden chair, covered with a b and many cushions.

  “Yes, mother,” Jurot replied, kig off his sandal boots and quickly finding the cushions and stools for everyone. ‘Mother must have beeing a lot of bread. I should go and sy that boar with Adam.’

  Adam removed his boots, before stepping inside, onto the b which y on the floor. The room was fairly bare, though it was quite rge, with several rge crates io store things and to be used as furniture. There were a few shelves about, full of various pots and pans, and each wall had at least one axe pio it.

  Jurht the rge cushions and some bs, pg them over the crates, which he slid into position so they could sit down fortably.

  “I didn’t expect you to return so soon,” Sonarot admitted, looking to her son, smiling at him. “Did you miss me so much?”

  “Adam wished to speak with you,” he said, flushing a little more. “He knew of your name.”

  Sonarot threw a look towards the half elf, who was quite the handsome young man. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” she said. She gave a quiod of the head ton, who nodded back to her, and the pair uood what it meant fon to be there. Her entire focus fell ba to Adam, who was unarmed, and wore a longsword and warhammer at his side.

  Adam gon, who had his arms crossed, staring at Adam. Unbeknownst to Adam, the man held a small gem within his hand, just in case. He wasn’t sure how much he should say in front of the man, but he had already let a few things slip out.

  “Well, you’ve never met me, I suppose,” Adam eventually said.

  “Have you met me?” Sonarot asked, smiling politely.

  “In another life.”

  Sonarot’s brows raised for a moment, before rexing. “I do not know how elves live. They are quite rare, even for us Iyrmen.” Her lips formed a pyful smile.

  “I’m only a half elf,” Adam said. Even now, he wasn’t getting sick of the joke.

  ‘Does he say that every time?’ Argon wondered.

  “A whole son to your parents, no?” Sonarot asked.

  “I’m the only one of my people,” Adam admitted, his lips quivering slightly. He pushed away the thoughts for the moment.

  Sonarot’s pyful smile quickly fell away, leaving a sorrowful frown. “I am sorry to hear that. I wish you a thousand children.”

  “Speaking of children,” Adam said, clearing his throat. “I… I have a lot of things to tell you, but I suppose I should speak of my request. I have e to ask for permission to use an Enting Shrine.”

  Jurot pulled the axe out of his pack, which had been ed up in some furs. Adam would have pced it in his pack, but his was full of fear already, as well as his precious spellbook. He uned it, revealing the on to his mother, his lips f a wide grin, proudly presenting it to her.

  “What a fine on,” Sonarot said, pig it up. She felt the softness of the wood, and he patterns, the same patterns she had seen hundreds of times. “Jurot, did you make this handle?” she asked, as though she didn’t already know the answer.

  “I did,” he said, nodding his head proudly. Of course his mother would instantly reise his craftsmanship, though the design of his family was also a dead give away.

  “What of the bde?” she said, noting the purple which glinted off the light. She knew Jurot didn’t have such ability, for the bde was definitely of Iyrman make. It held small amounts of puthral, which was hard to work with, but would make the on lighter. It was made to be easily thrown, but there was no doubt it could cleave into a man’s skull.

  “I made it,” Adam said, smiling slightly.

  “You?” she asked, staring at Adam for a moment. ‘How we know how to work puthral so well?’

  “It’s a gift.”

  “A gift?” Sonarot stared into Adam’s eyes for a long moment. “For who?”

  Adam’s eyes twitched down to her stomach before they returo Sonarot’s eyes. “For Lana.”

  For Lana.

  Sonarot smiled slightly, but her mind was keenly aware of all the ons nearby. The bde at the half elf’s side, as well as the warhammer. There was Jurot and his axes, who would be able to match the half elf, and would react at her word in an instant. Then there was Argon, who had his greatsword at his back, and more than likely was fiddling with one of the many gems of the Iyr which would restrain Adam.

  ‘Should we kill him?’

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  Wait.

  Jurot didn't die before he met his mother?

  ???