“I would like to thank you personally for saving Charlie,” the man said.

  He was older, in his sixties or so, and spoke clearly and calmly. He was normal enough, slightly handsome, with white hair which had beeo one side, and a small beard which had growhe course of a month. He wore thick clothing, and there was nothing particur about him Adam could gather.

  “Yeah, no problem,” Adam replied, simply. “I happeo have a spare diamond on hand.”

  The older man stared down at the Half Elf. “Which Half Elf family are you from?”

  “None of them,” Adam replied. “Though, how do you know them?”

  The old man’s eyes remaiaring deep into Adam’s eyes.

  Adam had heard that someone had wao meet him in the m, so after his bath and breakfast, he hung around at the Guild before he was taken to the side. He sipped some of the peach tea which he had brewed, and the old man sipped the tea Adam had poured him.

  “Poor kid,” Adam said, noting that the old man wasn’t going to reply to him. “His grandfather’s probably dead. Taken by Gryphons. We killed one, mostly because it killed the kid. Apparently, the previous King’s Sword outwed it.” Adam shook his head. “Luckily, the Guild said they’d smooth things over, though it’s not like it matters much. I doubt Sir Merry has much time to e after little ol’ us when he’s having fun in Ever green.”

  ‘Sir Merry?’ The old man tio stare down at Adam, noting a few features which betrayed Adam’s closeo the Iyr, other than the shiny puthral armour. ‘Is he trying to…’ It was after a moment that he uood that Adam had no idea. “Are you not afraid?”

  “Afraid? Of what?”

  “The previous King’s Sword, Sir Merry.”

  “Why would I be afraid of him?” Adam asked. “I stared down a Great Elder who wao kill me, and sidering they’re about even in strength, it should be fine.”

  The old man blinked.

  “Besides, I don’t thihat type of guy. If he’s a terrible guy, then I’ll just hide in the Iyr. What’s he going to do? e to the Iyr to take me away? I’ll just get married to… someone.” Adam thought about all the Iyrmen who would want to marry him.

  “Oh, well… I guess I don’t o hide, since I wasn’t the oo kill it. Jurot and Lucy did, so I guess he’ll get sent home to live out his days in a pce that’s muicer than even Ever Green, and Lucy will, well, I’m sure she won’t be sad since she’ll be surrounded by hunks.” Adam ughed.

  The old man blinked again.

  “Anyway, if that old man wants to act up, I’ll handle.” Adam nodded his head fidently. After all, there was no way the previous King’s Sword wouldn’t be ied in him once he revealed some of his secrets.

  The old man held in his ughter, g his knee. “What is your name, young man?”

  “Adam,” he replied. “Son of Fate.”

  “You’re Adam?” he asked, before noting Adam’s appearance. ‘I wondered why he seemed familiar.’

  “You’ve heard of me?” Adam asked, smiling at the old man. “My reputation precedes me.” His smile quickly faded, recalling the Crowseer’s warning. ‘Damn it.’

  “Sir Royce spoke to me about a young man who was quite close with the Iyrmen, filled with youthful spirit,” the old man said.

  “Sir Royce?” Adam said, trying to recall who that was.

  “You suckered him in to owe you a favour.”

  “Oh! The Knight of Death, right?” Adam smiled, recalling the memory. “Yeah, he tried to attack me, and so I made him owe me a favour. I was really scared, you know? I wasn’t an Expert back then, so I couldn’t defend myself. Lucky for me I had a few Iyrmen about, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to save Charlie.”

  “Yes, I have heard.”

  “How do you know him?” Adam asked.

  He heard a small gasp from behind him, before looking to see Jurot, who had stepped into the room after taking his bath. He had heard there was someone waiting to meet with him. His eyes were wide as he stared at the man.

  Adam turned back to look at the old man, who looked like any old man he had seen before. No, not like any old man. ‘He’s pretty well built…’

  “You’re Sir Merry, aren’t you?” Adam said.

  “You didn’t know?” Sir Merry asked.

  “No,” Adam replied. “I didn’t.”

  Adam stared at the old man for a long while. He didn’t have any ons or armour on him, meaning if there was a fight, he had a ce. He had quite the few spells prepared, just in case he did o fight.

  “We’re not going to have a problem about the Gryphon, are we?” Adam asked.

  “No,” he said, standing.

  “It is an honour to meet you,” Jurot said, shaking the man’s forearm.

  “Is it an honour to meet an old man like me?” Harold asked.

  “You are the previous King’s Sword,” Jurot said. “They say you were the stro King’s Sword.”

  Sir Harold slowly nodded. “That’s in the past. I’m just a retired old man now, one who wishes to live his life peacefully.”

  Jurot stared up at him, w what he was talking about sidering the man’s ret activities.

  “Would you be willing to accept the hospitality of our vilge?” Harold asked. “Since you have helped one of ours, I must reward you.”

  “Well…” Adam looked to Jurot, whose eyes were full of glee, staring deep into his party leader’s eyes. “Sure.”

  The group gathered their items, including the rest of his party, and the others who had apanied him.

  Lucy stared at Harold bnkly, but Adam could see a little drool from the er of her lips. She was currently eating a fine meal as she ogled the man.

  ‘She’s such a weirdo,’ Adam thought.

  As they walked around to the back of the Guild, they came face to face with a rge number of Gryphons, each of whom were zing around.

  Adam blinked. ‘What the hell?’

  “Please, pick a Gryphon,” he said, motioning to the fine creatures.

  Adam approached one of the zing Gryphons, which raised their head towards him. It squawked at him, but quickly fell silent under Harold’s gaze.

  “It doesn’t seem to like me,” he said.

  “Only half of you,” Sir Harold said, climbing onto his Gryphon, which was rger than the rest, and pure bck, like it was carved out of onyx.

  Adam climbed onto the Gryphon, which was saddled, aied the straps around himself, which ected him to the creature, befrabbing the reins.

  Harold whistled, and the Gryphons shook slightly, testing their rider’s straps, all the while the old man threw a quick look around them to see that they were fine, before his Gryphon rushed forward, its wings shooting to the side as it flew upwards.

  Adam bounced slightly on the Gryphon as it rushed forward before it leapt into the air. He forced himself forward as the creature carried him, with all of his gear, and his armour too, with ease.

  ‘Just how strong are they?’ he wondered as they flew upwards, the wind rushing all around him.

  They could hear screaming from behind, but it wasn’t the screaming of fear, but delight.

  “Yeah!” Lucy shouted. “That’s what I’m talking about!” She ughed wildly before a bug entered her mouth and she choked, coughing it out before she fell silent from then on.

  The Gryphons required frequent breaks, twice to thri hour, but otherwise made great pace. They approached the vilge within a few short hours, revealing a walled off vilge with not muotable about it, save for how it acious and green, like Ever Green.

  It wasn’t quite without note.

  Adam whistled, looking about to all the Iyrmen. There were hundreds of them, many of whom were assisting the vilge with their strength.

  “Did you enjoy the flight?” Harold asked, hoisting himself off the Gryphon with the swiftness of a younger man.

  “It’s non,” Adam said, catg a few gnces from the others who hadn’t heard his tale.

  “Yes,” Harold replied. “It isn’t.”

  Fred dropped down to a bush and vomited into it.

  “I didn’t expect to see so many Iyrmen,” Adam admitted, gng about to see no familiar faces among them.

  “They’re here for fun,” Harold said, stifling a sigh.

  “This pce is great,” Lucy said, oggling the Iyrmen and Sir Merry. Most of the Iyrmen here were strong, at least Experts, some eveer, and most were quite elderly too. “The best!”

  Adam squinted his eyes at her. “Hey, stop embarrassing us in front of Sir Merry,” he whispered to her, but she was already gone, making her way to the nearby Iyrmen to speak with them and to invite herself to enjoying their muscles.

  “How e you’re both Sir Harold and Sir Merry,” Adam said, looking to the man.

  Harold sighed. “I am Sir Harold Merryweather.”

  “It is, isn’t it?” Adam said, joking.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Nothing, sorry,” he said, clearing his throat. ‘Maybe it’s not Lucy embarrassing us.’

  “When I cshed with an Iyrmen many years ago, they asked what I preferred to be called. I joked that I wished to be called Sir Merry.”

  “Oh?” Adam said. “That’s it?”

  “That’s it.”

  Did I really spend about two hours sketg this meme?

  Yeah. Yeah I did.