“Who dares to appear before I!” exclaimed the huge mountain of a man, whose hair was sun kissed, and kissed by the silver of time, eyes like piercing ice, adorned in heavy furs over broad shoulders, a giant axe upon his back, one may think he was aiming to cleave the world. He, like many before him, wore little steel, and it was his muscle, strength, and heard which defended him from the steel of the world.
“Since Steel Strike and Silver Sword of the Wastes stepped out, I, too, wished to step out,” a figure said, the woman adorned in steel from head to heel, and upon her back she wore a great halberd, that which wore the face of an axe upon the tip, and a leaf shaped head above it.
“Who are you?” exclaimed the huge mountain of a man.
“I am Yizys,” the woman replied.
“What is your epithet?”
“Iron Statue.”
“I know of your epithet, but you are not as I would imagine,” the man admitted.
“You are thinking of Steel Statue.”
“No, no, Steel Statue I have met, for he is tall, and firm, almost like that one, Duteous.”
“Then you may be thinking of Stone Statue.”
“Grey skin, quiet, wields a greatsword?”
“Yes,” Yizys replied, even if he did just describe Rajin himself, and not just his cousin.
“Ah, yes, Stone Statue it is,” the man replied, nodding his head.
“I am more well known in the east, where I gained my fame, but you know of my cousin, who shares the family name of Zys.”
“Yes, I must do…”
“Lozys, one of the Ten Paragons,” Yizys said, and then the man before her nodded, for he did know him, for who did not know of the Ten Paragons, even when they had seemingly changed recently?
“Are you as strong as he?”
“Should he need to step back from his duties, I may be the first to take his position,” the woman replied simply.
“Then, tell me, Iron Statue, why is it that you and your…” As the northerner glanced aside, towards a great many faces, he paused, for there he saw an Iyrman who was familiar to he, and the look within her eyes suggested something, and so he returned to look into Yizys’ eyes. “What happened?”
“Children of the Iyr were assaulted.”
“You have need of our assistance?”
“We do not require the assistance of the Mountain Tiger of the North,” Yizys replied sternly. “It is the Grand Army of Aldland, led by Death Dog, which assaulted them.”
“Ah, that damn brat?” Mountain Tiger of the North replied, letting out a low groan, and as the seconds continued to pass. “Aye, that makes a great deal of sense, if it is he.”
“…”
“What are your terms?”
“Surrender.”
“Will you guarantee the lives and safety of my men?”
“Yes.”
Mountain Tiger of the North glanced towards the Iyrmen around, and all the faces, many of which he knew, some of them he recognised personally, and some, which he recognised through descriptions of his peers. ‘Aye, that makes a great deal of sense, if children of the Iyr were assaulted. If they were killed, they would not have shown such kindness.’
Yizys sighed, for Mountain Tiger of the North had accepted, and she heard the cries behind her.
“Damn it!” Jaytol exclaimed, threatening to pierce the world in half with his greatblade. “I thought for certain he would at least wish to test the waters, and we could slaughter them all!”
“I told you he would not, for last I saw of him, he was wise, for he is a northerner.”
“I expected, between Mountain Tiger of the North and Advisor Sword, Mountain Tiger of the North would have certainly drawn his axe!” Jaytol said, no less than a Grandmaster, for such was required.
“Grandfather, please, you are embarrassing us in front of the Aldishmen,” Raytol whispered, the young woman reaching up to cover her face.
“He cannot understand our tongue.”
“You are speaking Aldish.”
“What! Has the King barred Iyrmen from speaking his dirty tongue? I dare him to do so, and we shall see if his King’s Sword will protect him from my greatsword!”
Raytol looked to Yizys, who was the Commander, and begged her with her eyes.
“Stop it, Jaytol.”
“Aw, Hel!” Jaytol snarled, and he waddled off, his greatblade over his shoulder.
“I would draw my axe to make him feel better, but my soldiers, they’re decent people, even for southerners.”
“I suppose once you are imprisoned in the Iyr, we shall allow you to spar,” Yizys said.
“Thank you.”
It was around that time when Advisor Sword, too, had received word.
‘What?’ Advisor Sword thought, turning to look slightly to the south, and then back to the Iyrman before her. “Ah, it was Death Dog, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” Donoyah replied, adorned in his steel, a greatsword upon his back, for he had not begun the chant, for he knew Advisor Sword took after her name, and was wise and fair, and understood the difference between her soldiers and his.
‘No wonder they sent so many great figures,’ she thought, noting all the faces before her, including Donoyah’s cousins, each of whom had long stepped into the realm of Masterhood. “Do you have terms, Iyrmen?”
“Surrender, and we shall guarantee the lives of your soldiers, and you shall be treated fairly until the matter is dealt with.”
“It seems I do not have much of a choice, considering the great warriors you have sent to greet us, and I would imagine, you have sent to the other nearby fortresses. I assume you have slain the other fortress already, so four of such armies, they must be of grand muster.”
“Three.”
“Three?” Advisor Sword replied.
“That fruit has yet to ripen.”
‘I hate dealing with Iyrmen,’ Advisor Sword thought, and she slowly nodded her head. She supposed it was not a terrible idea for them to stir up such dark emotions, considering it was that place which deserved this hatred from the Iyrmen, and yet the Iyrmen did not aim their steel towards them, that unripe fruit.
That unripe fruit was known as the Order of High Garden.
PATREON FOR 30+ CHAPTERS!
I can't believe the Aldishmen are so wise.
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