THE IYRMEN

  The six Iyrmen trekked through the thick forest withi Aldnd, heading northwards. There was a singur Iyrmen who held the rank of Mithrilk, and the rest were all Bronze and Steel, save for the you, who had barely bee a man.

  “e, Tonogek,” called Tonagek, grasping his son’s forearm to assist him up across the pile of trees which had fallen to block their way.

  “We must be close,” Gortol said. He was the stro of the group, and brought up the rear.

  Raknuu, the scout of the group, wiped her brow, the noonval heat bearing down upon her. She narrowed her eyes and k down to examihe broken branches on the ground, before noting the discolouration.

  It was then they felt it, the vibrations which ran through their bodies. The Iyrmen raised their ons, Tonagek quickly darting to his son as the bushes nearby burst as the rge form crashed towards them.

  One head stru Iyrman across the side, smming them against the tree, before another darted towards him, trying to bite into his powerful thigh. A third head roared at Tonagek, and crashed against his longsword, while a fourth head slipped past towards the young Tonogek, who tried to ssh at the head, barely nig across the thick flesh.

  The head mao knock him aside, almost knog the young Iyrman out in a single blow. A bde hummed in the air, as a fming greatsword cut one of the many head apart, causing the hydra to roar and cry, before a pair of daggers sank into its side, each filled with deathly magic, turning its flesh fky.

  The st Iyrman, Arfan, struck across the creature’s back with his axes, one of which was icy, the other which was fiery. The hydra tried to swings its head to the side, only to find its head falling beside its feet.

  “Why am I always the first oo get hit?” Mosen asked, rubbing the side of his neck. His bde urely red, like that of his u was only a Basic magical on, uhe bde which was his uncle’s namesake.

  “Enough talking,” Raknuu said, managing to duder a snappi of jaws, before tearing into the side of the hydra’s neck, while Gortol’s fming sword systematically worked on cutting the heads of the creatures, four heads already on the ground, while four remained upon the creature’s form.

  Toood, raising his shield above him as he slowly stepped around towards the creature’s back. His heart ounding, his fist cmmy. A hydra was a great foe to face during an Outing, something which had stopped him pining so much since he had been denied so many Outings in the past.

  He circled around to its back, and ohe hydra possessed only a single head, he stuck his bde into its hind. The hydra roared, but cmped down its jaw against an Iyrman’s thigh, tearing through his armour, before its head fell.

  “Father!” Tonogek shouted, before darting towards the older Iyrman.

  Mosen tackled the young Iyrman to the side as the hydra fell, almost threatening to crush him, before letting him go.

  Tonagek flexed his muscles, managing t off the fatigue which had struck him. He he ck of blood at his thigh, seeing that, luckily, the hydra had not mao p down against his skin. ‘How fortunate.’

  “Okay?” Tonogek asked.

  Tonagek pat his son’s shoulder, smiling down at him. “You did well. You took a blow aur.”

  The young Iyrman smiled from behind his helmet, before the pair embraced.

  “We should part it quickly,” Raknuu said. “The other hydras may cim its territory and she should not be so close.” Before Mosen could respond with something funny, her eyes fell to Tonogek, whose armour was slightly dented from the heavy blow.

  The group quickly went to work on butchering the hydra, before they packed the various hides atop their backs and began to head out. They trekked through the forest for some time before they began to make their little fort, spending close to four hours making a small camp.

  “Did I not promise you a great Outing?” Tonagek asked, patting his son’s back.

  “Yes,” the young man replied. “Oanagek returns, I will tell him I had struck a hydra.”

  “If he tries to bully you about his adventures, I will be sure to deal with him,” Tonagek promised.

  Tonogek smiled, biting into the hydra meat. His older brother was not much older than himself, though he had left the Iyr early to adventure, moving right before their cousin, who had already made a name for himself.

  “I should request a new bde,” Mosen said, looking to his red sword. “I am firmly an Expert, so I call for my rights freater bde. Will you speak with your Nephew?”

  Tonagek frowned. “If you wish to request a bde from him, ask him yourself. You have the gold.”

  “I thought you would not like it if I asked him myself.” Mosen smirked.

  “Must you joke so much, Mosen?” Raknuu asked.

  Mosen chuckled.

  Many days passed as the group trekked their way north, wanting the young Too experience a greater Outing. The Iyrmen travelled up using the river, swiftly making their way into North Aldnd, though along the way they found a group of Tribesfolk, each of whom were utack by rampaging aurochs. These were not the same aurochs one would find in the south, they were northern born, much tougher than their cousins found elsewhere.

  The Iyrmen desded upon the beasts with great fervour. Somehow, Tonogek mao skewer one by himself, the rest making easy work of the aurochs. The dozen Tribesfolk, all Human, also drew their own ons and magics to strike down the heavy creatures, with iron and fire.

  “It is a pleasure,” one of the Tribesfolk said, g their her hands together. She was the oldest of the group, and had used magic to deal with the aurochs.

  “We will cim some of the hide and horns, but we will leave the rest to you,” Gortol said.

  The Tribesfolk smiled, the Iyrmen more, though they refused, allowing the Tribesfolk to take as much as they could back to their vilge.

  Tonogek paid great attentioween the dealings, knowing that the Iyr held treaties with many of the Tribesfolk. None were hostile to the Iyrmen, but there were a few which the Iyrmen were closer with, though such secrets were not revealed to him.

  “It was fortunate we had e across them when we had,” Gortol said. Though the Tribesfolk were friendly with the Aldish of the north, they still preferred not to meet with them often. It was only whereme situations occurred that they would petition for aid.

  “You did well,” Tonagek said, patting his son’s babsp;

  “Should we tinue northward?” Raknuu asked. “This is a great Outing already.”

  “Let us tinue north, to North Amber,” Tonagek said. “It is good to see what was ohe northern boundary, before the Aldish tiheir expansion.”

  The Iyrmen each tiheir way towards the North, following the road which headed up along the hills, passed the towns. Gortol knew of a Dragon which lived nearby, though he was certain it was friendly with the nearby towns, with a secret alliance. sidering its position, it could have easily formed an alliah three towns, across two different states of Aldnd, but that was merely jecture, aher the Iyr did not know of true matter, or it was not handed down to Gortol.

  “Careful!” Raknuu shouted, noting the number of rukhs above them. The noonval sun above caused the air to seem hazy, even as they trekked up along the hills. It was a dangerous to move with so few, but they were Iyrmen, and so they could dare to move along the roads with only six of them.

  The rukhs tio circle around them, even as evening approached, and the group made their way to a nearby outpost which had been carved into the mountain. It was then the rukhs made their py, diving down towards them.

  The ravenous birds tackled the Iyrmen, one each, before they tried t Arfan up with them, who caused them tret su a as the axes tore into them. The other Iyrmen all held simir luck, managing to deal with the rukhs effectively.

  Tonogek cried aloud as he struggled against the rukh, which clutched at his shoulders with its wicked talons. Another rukh came to assist, noting that Tonogek was not striking at them, and assisted in carrying him off.

  “Stop!” Tonagek grabbed the boy’s arying to climb up his son’s body in order to assist him, though the rukhs mao lift him up further towards the mountain.

  The Iyrmen on the ground tio fight, trying to deal with their rukhs. Gortol slew two rukhs, before dashing towards the mountain, beginning to scramble up it, leaving behind the other Iyrmen to their fights.

  It had taken him a short while before he came across a rukh, and Tonagek’s limping form in the distance. He dashed past the Iyrman heading towards the siing screaming and shouting. He arrived moments after the young Iyrman fell silent, swinging his greatsword wildly to force the rukhs away. He tore into oh his fming bde, which caused the others to flee.

  Tonagek dragged himself forward towards his son, who was ying in a pool of blood. He reached down for his son’s helmet, removing it, seeing the boy’s face, which was covered in blood. The boy was still, and his body was being cold.

  Tonagek remained silent, his hands brushing his son’s hair, feeling the hot blood which matted it. He let out a groan, bringing his son’s head to his chest. The rest of the Iyrmen found him a short time ter. He remained silent, and the Iyrmen began to form the camp in the area.

  THE CHILDREN

  The trio ons purred as they found a small cave, one which held the smell of a creature, though it was faint. They had travelled for a long while, and though they had some trouble on the way, they were finally within the mountains, where they could use the terrain to their advantage.

  Unfortunately for the Dragons, a few days after they had found the cave, there appeared a rge creature, the very same creature they had smelled and assumed had left this area.

  The rge furry figure roared at them before it barrelled towards them on all fours. The oldest of the Dragons, who was still tiny, leapt with frightening speed towards the rampaging creature, before darting to one side. The trio charged the rge furry creature, nipping at it, but with a single swipe of its mighty cw, the eldest was batted aside, with fresh marks beside her eye. The tiny Dragons cried, before quickly scampering away from the violent creature.

  They swiftly flew upwards, the youwo guiding their eldest sibling as they flew, before they were far enough away to finally rex. They purred and cooed, lig at their sister’s wound to try and heal it.

  A few days ter, they approached a stream which they pped at, and hunted some fish. They each y withiream to cool themselves off from the noonval heat.

  They remai the stream for some time, before the eldest felt something pull her towards it. She couldn’t smell it well, for the smell was dampened by water ah, but there was just a hint of it which had flowed towards her. She swam down into the water, and he dirt away, before she felt the magics of a small gem.

  The magic within the gem was great, flooding all across the area. Even upon nuzzling against it, she could feel her entire body rocked with great power. She opened her maw and swallowed it. Her entire body glowed for a moment, causio float, before she finally dropped down.

  Her siblings nuzzled against her, trying to uand what had happened, but the eldest fell asleep, the gem taking away her strength.

  The Dragons remai the stream for a short while longer, before four ferocious creatures desded upohey were smaller than the previous creature, but more nimble, and they worked well together. They circled around the Dragons, howling at the trio, before they leapt forward.

  A ser, and the four creatures froze. They remained airboru time, covered in ibsp;

  The Dragons turo their sibling, who had awoken for a moment, her eyes glowing, before she slumped, returning back to her slumber, exhausted. Her siblings carried her along, making their way along the hills.

  “Boss,” called a voice from nearby, staring at the three creatures. “Dragons.”

  “Shut up, Jim. You’re always going on about…” Boss, whose name just so happeo be his occupation, stopped in the middle of spping Jim against the back of his head. “Jim, there’s Dragons.”

  “That’s what I said.”

  “Boys, Dragons.”

  “Dragons?” called the others, who stared down from the rocks above towards the Dragons, which were carrying their eldest sister.

  “We’re going to be eating well soon, ds,” Boss said.

  “I heard Dragoastes good,” Jim stated.

  “No, you idiot!” Boss spped Jim across the back of his head, finishing what he had set out to do. “Baby Dragons must be easy to catch. Imagine we sell ‘em off. How much gold would we make?”

  “You’re a genius, Boss,” Jim said, rubbing the back of his head.

  “That’s why I’m the Boss.” Boss motioning with his bde, pointing at the Dragons. “Get ‘em.”

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