544. Questing V

544. Questing V

Omen: 11, 12

“Adam,” Jurot called, looking out towards the road.

“Are we in trouble?” Adam asked, staring at the large group marching down the road towards them.

Jurot remained silent for a short while, but as they approached, he shook his head. “We should not be.”

All the soldiers carried with them a spear, at least one blade, a bundle of javelins, and a shield. There were those who only wore thick clothing and a helmet, while a few wore chain over their thick clothes. Others wore more with their chain, and the soldier leading the entire group wore a breastplate. Their cloaks were dark, near black, but the sun revealed the hints of blue. A third of the group followed behind the four mules, two of which were pulling along carts. The soldiers themselves all carried at least three wooden stakes over a shoulder.

“We should meet them on the road,” Jurot said, untying the ropes around the logs within the ground, allowing the gate to fall forward like a bridge. He motioned a head to Kitool, who followed him out, and Adam stepped out after them.

The soldiers continued to march until they were no more than fifty paces away, with the leader and her four companions stepping forward. Her companions were those which wore full chain main. She noted the tattoos on Jurot and Kitool, and slowly bowed her head.

“Iyrmen,” the leader said.

“Jurot, son of Sonarot,” Jurot said.

“Kitool, daughter of Citool,” Kitool added.

Adam noted just how young the entire group was, with most of those wearing only helmets in their late teens. “Oh,” Adam said, noticing the woman was looking at him. “Adam.”

“Sergeant Zera Ironwood,” the young woman said, bowing her head slightly. “How many make your party?”

“Twenty people,” Adam replied, including Jaygak in the estimation, who had forced her way into the group. “Plus a couple of animals.”

Zera eyed up the man in puthral armour. She assumed he wasn’t an Iyrman, but with the puthral armour, he must have been close to them. “Are you here to quest?”

“That’s right.”

She eyed up the trio, before she noted the others on the walls, pretending to keep a lookout, but were actually listening on their conversation. “How long have you been here?”

“This is the third day, I think,” Adam replied.

“Any trouble?”

“Boars and hawkbears.”

“Hawkbears?” the woman asked, unable to control her surprise.

“About thirteen of them,” Adam said.

“Ill news.” She straightened up.

“We welcomed them eagerly,” Adam admitted. “Killed them all before they could do much.”

Zera saw his Bronze Rank token, and she nodded. “We will be making camp here for the night.”

Adam bowed his head. “Of course.”

“Can you pay war tax?”

“How much?”

“Twenty gold.”

Adam opened up his pouch, stacking up gold within Jurot’s hands, and the Iyrman stepped forward.

“May Lady Arya bless you in these times,” Zera said.

Adam smiled. “May the good goddess bless you too, Sergeant Ironwood.”

The woman turned and the soldiers began to make their camp, quickly forming a ditch before they set up their stakes and tents. They made their camp on the opposite side, across the river, which was not so deep here and was easily a fifty steps wide. Luckily for the soldiers, there were stone steps they could use to cross the river without getting too wet.

“Anything I should know?” Adam whispered to Jurot within their own camp.

“We should share some of the meat, but otherwise leave them be,” Jurot said.

Lord Stokmar, too, was an Idol, but she was no doubt the strongest Idol they had met. The difference between her and someone who would have just reached an Idol would have been the difference between a Paragon and an Expert. No Expert could beat a Paragon. Though, perhaps with enough luck, it could come to pass.

Lucy’s eyes fell to Adam. When speaking of luck, she couldn’t help but think of him. He was an Expert and had beaten someone who was strong enough to be considered a Paragon.

‘I was lucky,’ the Half Elf had said back then.

‘Lucky? Isn’t that just another way to say chaotic?’

Korin bit into the smoked hawkbear meat, before looking to Dunes. Dunes returned his look with a smile on his face, the Aswadian Priest deciding to eat peacefully.

Omen: 16, 17

The soldiers awoke early in the morning, and didn’t take long to clean up their camp. They filled in the earth, pulled up their stakes, and once their leaders checked everything was in order, they made their way to East Port.

“Lots of young soldiers,” Adam said, watching them go.

“Yes,” Jurot replied.

“They’re from the north?”

“They are.”

“I expected them to be older and grizzled from how you speak of the north.”

“They are a new company,” Jurot explained. “The King has standardised the military. Equipment, ranks, they have all been taken into consideration. He wishes to form a military of at least fifty thousand strong, controlled directly by himself. The nobles are allowed to form their own orders for their own defence, and will be sent to lead armies, but cannot keep their own.”

“So most of the army is made of fodder, given thick clothes and a helmet, to appease the nobles?” Adam asked.

“Yes.”

“That’s not great news,” Adam admitted.

“There are other companies which are more experienced, and hold greater ranks and equipment, so the army has not been reduced so low,” Jurot said. “They will find it difficult even though they outnumber their opponents in the south.”

“Yeah...”

Adam spent very little time thinking too deeply about the soldiers, for soon he had greater matters to think of.

“Jurot?”

“Yes?”

Adam stared up ahead. “Are those what I think they are?”

“Yes.”

“And there’s more than one?”

“Yes.”

“Three?”

“Yes.”

Adam slowly nodded his head, staring at the three creatures which were currently wading through the river towards them. Each was larger than any of them, larger than even the aurochs they had faced not long ago. Each also had several heads, long and almost snake like, with thick scales.

The fort was full of life as the groups each formed their defences, Adam staring at the three creatures as they approached them. Jaygak reached for a quiver, chanting a spell, before the arrows tingled with magic.

“Fire stops their regeneration?” Adam asked.

“Yes,” Jaygak replied, as Ivy pulled up an arrow from the quiver, feeling it tingle. “Use them to assist the young Iyrmen.”

Ivy nodded her head slowly, readying her bow and arrow as the group prepared themselves.

“It just had to be hydras,” Adam muttered to himself. However, his lips formed a wry smile, and Wraith tingled within his hand.

Ironwood is a cool name.