“We must insist upon an escort,” Sky ander Sienna said in the m. She had already given up on ving the Prio remain, but she wouldn’t allow him to leave with a pair of demons, without also sending along a few of her own. She vaguely recalled the nearby dragon, but she was certain Karza wasn’t stupid enough to cause trouble in the order.

  “I will sider your iions well, but I am already receiving an escort from the United Kindom,” the Prince assured, but he could see how resolute she was, not just within her eyes, but within her authoritative voice.

  “I ask that you sider our position. We are the Order of Eagle Wing. How we allow you to walk the nearby nds without the reliable bronze of our order?”

  Morkarai’s insistence would only beore awkward if he tinued. He go the side towards the businessfolk, since he was teically esc them. ‘How troublesome.’

  Adam gowards his brother, who was deep in thought, something whinerved even the half elf. ‘Are we going to get ourselves killed? What are you thinking about so deeply?’

  “We will allow you to escort the Prio Eagle Wing, and to the nearby fort, in exge, we Iyrmen would like to drink tea with the Grand Treasurer before we leave.”

  “Who are you to request a meeting with rand Treasurer?” Sienna asked, suddenly taking in the sight of the Iyrman.

  “I am Executive Jurot of the United Kindom,” Jurot replied. “You know of my grandfather.”

  “Do I?”

  “He is the Mad Dog.”

  Sienna blinked, but though the blink sted an instant for those looking at her, the blink sted a near eternity for the Sky ahe Order of Eagle Wing had barely ged i tury, though it had added a few extra estates for its growth, the walls of the order were the same, the nearby fields were the same, and even the rge courtyards were the same.

  The rge courtyard, but a hueps away, had been the same when she was a girl too.

  She had pyed often in the courtyard, kig the ball with her patriots, some of whom had long passed due to bde a. It was the same courtyard in which she had watched her mentor leave, a Via the time, who returned as the Sky ander when the Sky ander of that time was killed upotlefield. When her mentor returned, he had gained a new scar, that which had taken his left eye, as though an axe had threateo cut through his skull, though his bde had mao stop it in its path, barely.

  ‘It was my mistake,’ the Sky ander had said back then. ‘I should not have uimated the threat the Iyrmen pose.’

  The one who had taken the previous Sky ander’s eye had been Mad Dog, that Mad Dog who gained so many niames, one might have thought him a myth. It was a name, however, which the geions had all but fotten, but not the likes of Sienna, and not the likes of the Right Wing, the Grand Bishop, or the Grand Treasurer.

  “You… are the Mad Dog’s grandson?” Sienna asked, calming her heart.

  “I am,” Jurot replied, inhaling deeply, pride filling his lungs. He didn’t want to show off too much, but it was a ce for the Iyrmen to meet with the Grand Treasurer.

  “Our warriors will escort the Prio your business.”

  “To a fort before the forest,” Jurot replied.

  “We will send four of our own.”

  “Okay.”

  “If the demons are seen as a threat, our members will have full rights to kill them.”

  “Please send your best so that we may enjoy the fight.”

  ‘He is defihe Mad Dog’s grandson.’

  “Seriously, how many Orders are we going to have to beat up this year?” a voice broke through the silehe young half elf letting out a sigh.

  “If the Order of Eagle Wing wishes to sy them, they must first request permission from Life’s Rose, as I, Ray Vonda, have been tasked to watch over the demons.”

  Sienna gowards the Priest of Death, adorned in his heavy pte of purple, wearing an obsidian amulet of the Iyr’s Lord of Death, then her eyes fell to the Priest of Life, who wore an amulet of a silver suh the amulet of Mother Soza, Goddess of Life.

  “If you fail in reigning them in, we will be forced to act,” the Sky aated.

  “I will not fail in my duty,” Vonda replied.

  “I pray that you do not.”

  The Ray bowed her head lightly, and the Sky ander bowed her head iurn. Vonda was fairly certain the Order members would behave, for they weren’t of the Thousand Hunts.

  The Iyrmen made their way to speak with the Grand Treasurer of the Order of Eagle Wing, while Jasmiched, w why the Iyrmen were so ied iing such a figure. Her eyes theo Crowseer, following him as the being said his goodbyes, stepping out along the road with his e in hand. She recalled his gaze upohe previous evening and shuddered. Though she couldn’t see his faor his eyes, she had a strange sehis figure was something more than even she expected.

  “Your nd has had little iion with Crowseer,” Morkarai said, keeping most of his thoughts tempered. He thought little of the Iyrmen’s want to meet with the Grand Treasurer, or the figure known as Crowseer.

  “I do not recall.”

  “It is not as though you are unfamiliar with his work.”

  “How so?”

  Morkarai shook his head, smiling politely towards the woman. His eyes gnced across her panion for a moment, before his thoughts drifted away.

  “I am Viander Evelyn,” the woman said. She was lightly tanned, with dark hair and dark eyes. Her bronze full pte gleamed uhe noonval sun, and she wore a bde at her side, and upon her back a rge round shield, which covered her pack. “I will be leading the group which has been tasked with esc you all, and the Prince, across the nd.”

  “I am Executive Kitool,” Kitool replied, before bowing her head lightly towards the Viander. “We are grateful for your assistance.”

  The Viander’s eyes darted towards the demons. As the group began to leave, the Order fhe carriage of the Prince, while the Viander and another followed the carriage of the Ray, which held both demons.

  “How e you went to go meet with the Grand Treasurer?” Adam asked, rexing in the driver’s position, his brother carving wood beside him.

  “The Grand Treasurer is the most powerful member,” Jurot replied in the Iyr’s tongue.

  “They do trol all the gold, so I see that,” Adam whispered in Iyrspeech.

  “No, she is the most powerful. She is almost a Paragon.”

  “Oh… really?”

  “Yes. She is a porary of King Merryweather.”

  “Oh. Cool.”

  “Sir Harper took her position as Grand Treasurer many years ago, before even Sir Arthur, who became the Right Wing of the order.”

  “Right Wing?”

  “One of the Two Wings of the Order of Eagle Wing. The Right Wing is sidered senior to the Left Wing, and is usually grao the stronger betweewo, but Sir Arthur is sidered slightly weaker than Sir Leo.”

  “So how e he has the position?”

  “The Grand Treasurer, the Right Wing, and the Grand Bishop are from the geion previous to the Sky ahey hold the greatest influehrough the Order with their positions, from trolling the gold of the Order, to trolling the ear of the Sky ao trolling what the future Order members are taught.”

  “Yeah that makes sense…”

  “Sky ander Sienna is still sidered one of the stro in the Order, sed to the Grand Treasurer, along with many others.”

  “How strong is she?”

  “Greater than a Grandmaster, weaker than a Paragon.”

  ‘So about fourteen to fifteen then?’

  “It is assumed she has the abilities grao her from her Oath.”

  ‘So she’s probably about fifteen then?’ “Hold on, isn’t she kinda young for being s?”

  “Yes.”

  “Whoa.” Adam thought about how strong Jarot was, and to think that old man was teically weaker than the Sky ander... “I really shouldn’t mess around.”

  “It is wise to be cautious.”

  As evening fell across the nd, the walls of Eagle Wing greeted the group. The walls were long and wide, ing around the hill, which the yered town was built upon. The guards stood tall and proud, adorned in their breastpte, stamped with the symbol of an eagle, with dusky tan cloaks around their shoulders, pared to the vibrant brass cloaks of the Order members. The guards carried short bdes at their sides, but wielded spears in hand. Their helmets were patterned with wings across the side, though did not jut out much, especially pared to the Order members. While the guards iher towns were more x, these guards were pletely focused upoask, and though they but shadows pared to the Order members esc the group, these guards were still far more impressive than those found in most other towns.

  “Halt!” the guards excimed as they approached the gate, the pair throwing out a hand simultaneously.

  “Sir Evelyn, Viander of the Order of Eagle Wing,” the Viander called, handing over a small badge to the guards, waiting for the to process the group.

  “What brings a Viander along with such a group,” the guard asked.

  “We are esc Prince Morkarai through the nd.”

  “Prince Morkarai?”

  “Seventh Prince of the Fire Giants.”

  Ohe guards finished firming the identification of the Viander, double cheg the information they had received that m, they allowed the group in ohe gate fee aid.

  The pathide, easily allowing fifty people to walk side by side. The ier of the city began a half mile ahead, with its ow of walls and guards, but the bustling people withiown made it difficult to see. The floor was smooth, the buildings to the side made of stone or wood, each small cubes. Muted tans and creams domihe city, even the people, who wore very little colour, as opposed to those i Port. Many of the cityfolk within wore small bdes or axes at their side, while some walked with a staff in hand.

  “Let’s stick to an inn oside.”

  “Okay,” Jurot replied, already feeling the gazes of all manner of figures eyeing them up.

  As the group settled within a rge inn, one which was more like a rge estate than an inn, a group of guards approached. These guards were not like the guards of the toere already impressive, but those who wore bronze breastptes, almost like the order members, save their bronze was slightly darker, and their capes were white with silver trim.

  ‘Oh man…’ Adam thought, preparing himself for trouble. He blinked, watg the guards escort Prince Morkarai away to the t’s estate. ‘Oh.’

  Jaygak followed the Prih Kitool, letting out a sigh. ‘Why do I have to go too?’ She gnced aside to the pair of Order members following them. ‘The Viander should have followed.’

  Jurot thought about whether he should remain within the inn sihe Viander was there to watch over the demons, but his eyes theo Vonda. He inhaled deeply and made the decision to leave, to go deal with matters of the Iyr, noting the pinly clothed guards following him. It was always awkward for the Iyr to move freely in Eagle Wing, so he made his way to the nearby market stall, pr some wood quickly, and trapped between two pieces of wood, a small slip of paper.

  Jurot prepared himself to fight as he returned back to the inn, only to find it peaceful, with the Viaig to one side, keeping an eye on the demons, while Adam assisted the Aswadian toddlers with their meals.

  “Mustafa, I know you’re cute, but you o eat yetables.”

  The boy bli the half elf, before being distracted by the ilk brought to his lips, sipping it slowly.

  “Seriously, this is all your fault for spoiling them, Bil.”

  Bil was still unsure of how close Adam was getting to the children, but he had already pined about how he was going to take good care of them at the business as part of the deal previously.

  ‘You must be very stressed if you are behaving so adorably,’ Vonda thought, before tinuing to feed the youwins.

  Jasmine’s eyes remained focused on the half elf, unsure of how to sider him. She gnced between Adam and Vonda, and sidered how plicated and how simple the half elf seemed. ‘Is he… just a husband and father?’

  While the group were rexing within the inn, Kitool and Jaygak were full of stress as they watched over the Prince while the t eained him. As the Prince dismissed himself, Kitool and Jaygak stood, ready to follow the Prince, before the t called for them.

  Jaygak and Kitool gnced between one ahe pair were tasked with watg over the Prince, so Jaygak gowards Kitool, allowio refuse the t.

  “Executive Jaygak will remain to speak with you,” Kitool said.

  ‘Eh?’ Jaygak thought. ‘Me?’

  Kitool? Are you okay?