Lord Stokmar growled, his eyes falling across Jurot’s face, trying to etch it into his mind, but he looked the same as most of the others. No, not quite the same.

“That tattoo of yours,” Lord Stokmar growled. “I see. You are one of those.” He placed down a paw against the floor, which did not make even the hint of a pat. “Ah, yes. You are of that family.”

“I am Jurot, son of Surot,” Jurot repeated, firmly. “It is a great honour for me to meet you. I wish I had a gift worthy of you.”

“How polite,” Lord Stokmar growled. He understood Jurot’s point, as the Iyrmen were like that, and worried in such ways. He glided past Jurot, for his steps were so smooth that it could not be considered anything else. “What of you?” He glared down at Sir Landon, who was kneeling, head bowed, unable to gain the strength to change his position.

“Sir Landon of East Port,” he managed to splutter, without any semblance of grace. “Third son of Baron Ramon of East Port.”

“Why was it that you killed all these people?” Stokmar asked. “They had brought me many gifts.”

“They assaulted-“

However, Lord Stokmar had glided past him towards Adam and Lucy, sniffing at them.

“If you’re smelling something, it was probably Lucy,” Adam said. “I haven’t shit my pants, yet.”

“Shut up,” Lucy managed to growl back, wiping the drool from her mouth as she calmed.

“Curious,” he said, circling around them. “You two. Just what are you?”

Adam cleared his throat. “I am Jurot’s brother, and this is our friend, Lucy. If you’d like to know more, we can talk away from so many eyes and ears.”

“No,” Lord Stokmar snarled. “You two bring great misfortune. Begone at once!” He roared towards the pair.

Strength Save

D20 + 6 = 21 (15)

Pass!

Adam stood tall, like Jurot, as Lucy was thrown back from the force of the roar, rolling about until she finally came to a halt, face first on the ground.

“Then we shall leave,” Jurot stated. “I will speak of your Awakening to the Iyr. I am sure the Chief will wish to speak with you.”

“What need of I of your Chief?” Lord Stokmar growled, dismissively.

“He is of the Min family.”

“Oh?” Lord Stokmar’s lips formed a wicked smirk. “Since he is so, I shall permit it. What of your Gek family?”

Jurot remained staring deep into Lord Stokmar’s eyes, feeling that safety had washed over his group. “I will send word.”

“Good, good,” Lord Stokmar growled with a hint of joy. “I shall await the good news, and the gifts!” With that, as quickly as he had appeared, he disappeared, melting into the ground, though there was no sensation of any movement as he disappeared into the earth.

Adam blinked at the ground, staring at where the creature had been. “What the fuck just happened?”

Jurot inhaled deeply and crossed his arms. “We have met Lord Stokmar!” Jurot declared, a great smile across his face. The only times Adam had seen him smile was when he was complimented by his mother or during a good fight.

“Who the hell is that?” Adam asked, looking to the Nobles, who were slowly gaining their strength.

“He was once a companion of Konagek,” Jurot said. “During the Time of Two Shens.”

“Jurot,” Adam said. “Do I look like I grew up in the Iyr?” He wiggled his ears at the Iyrman.

“The Aswadasad Kingdom was once an empire,” he said. “It was spread far and wide, twice as large as it is today. This was after the Second Blackwater Crisis, two generations after Brandon the Bold’s death. Within the span of a single generation, the Aswabayad Kingdom as it was called known back then, truly took shape as the Aswadasad Kingdom as we know it.”

“Wait,” Adam said, trying to process what he was saying. ‘They really had to make the names so similar?’

After waiting for a few moments, Jurot continued. “It had expanded so far, and when they had finally swallowed up new land within their borders, they sent a force to South Fort.”

“South Fort?” Adam asked. “You mean in Aldland?”

“Yes. South Fort fell to their force, but new ground could not be made,.”

“What? South Fort fell? Even with the Iyr’s help?”

Jurot nodded. “The Aswadasad Empire tried to call for peace, but the Iyr sent a large force to take back the fort.” Jurot looked to the Nobles, still grinning. “Once the Iyr had taken back the fort, Lord Stokmar appeared. He was the companion of the Black Lion, which the Empire was named after, the ancestor of those who still rule Aswadasad this day.”

“Even though the Iyr went against them?” Adam asked.

“Konagek almost died to the Black Lion,” Jurot stated. “The Black Lion, impressed by her abilities, allowed her to live. He refused her death, and instead, stopped the war, in exchange for her company.”

“So they got it on?” Adam asked.

Jurot remained silent, waiting for Adam to explain.

“You know,” Adam said. “They liked each other and do what people who are close do.”

“They fought many times, yes.” Jurot nodded.

“In bed?” Adam smirked.

Jurot blinked. “We do not fight in bed, Adam. Beds are for sleeping.”

“Not that kind of fighting,” Adam said.

“He means fucking,” Lucy eventually said.

“Oh,” Jurot said. “No, they did not fuck.”

“They didn’t?” Adam asked.

“No.” Jurot exhaled through his nose, unimpressed by the statement. “They went further south and east, growing the empire once more, to triple its original size. Konagek continued to explore, returning after two decades, and Lord Stokmar came to Aldland. They say he had left north, to the Tusks, and he had not been since that time.”

“So he’s a friend?” Adam asked.

“Of the Gek family,” Jurot said.

“Who are they?”

“Relatives,” Jurot replied, bluntly. “Lord Stokmar is a great being, Adam.”

“How great is he?”

“Greater than even Queen Silvari,” Jurot stated.

“Really?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Damn.”

“Lord Stokmar can do as he please because very few can bypass his defence,” Jurot said. “The rock like skin of his, it is impervious to most blows. He can move through the earth as though he were flying through air.”

“Yeah, I noticed,” Adam said. “Crazy.”

Sir Landon sheathed his sword. “He is but a beast.”

Jurot glared at Sir Landon. “I speak only of the stories I have heard. Not even Sir Merry could face Lord Stokmar so easily.”

“Sir Merry? You mean the previous King’s Sword?”

Jurot nodded.

“What do you know of Sir Harold?” Sir Landon spat. “He was the greatest King’s Sword this land has ever known, and he could gut through Iyrmen without breaking a sweat!”

“Yes,” Jurot agreed. “Sir Merry could gut through most Iyrmen without breaking a sweat, but there are many in the Iyr who could take from him as he slew them. Yet, no Iyrman would dare to offend Lord Stokmar, as there are some that one must not offend.”

“You Iyrmen and your stories.” Sir Landon dismissed Jurot’s tall talk.

“Lord Stokmar was one of the creatures shaped by the hand of Sahtu,” Jurot stated. “We should be careful when speaking of him.”

“Who?” Adam asked.

“The Salt Mother,” Jurot said.

“The Dwarven Goddess?” Adam asked.

“Yes.”

“Whoa,” Adam whispered. “Isn’t that really amazing?”

“Yes,” Jurot stated, glad that someone understood how amazing the meeting was.

“I don’t think I’ve ever met the Salt Mother,” Adam said.

The Nobles stared at him queerly, but returned to fixing themselves up, and then to the captives, who Sir Vonda was keeping an eye on.

“We need to find their hideout,” Sir Landon said, looking to Jurot. “Are you able to track them back?”

Jurot scanned the area, taking some time to look around. It was difficult, as the group wore little armour, and little anything, meaning their tracks were much lighter. However, they were not trained well to hide themselves, so he managed to find a number of tracks, following each, before finding the tracks which would have been formed from at least twenty of them.

“Well…” Adam said, looking down at the naked people. “What do we do with them?”

“Some of us should remain behind to watch over them,” Sir Landon said. “The rest will follow the trail to their home and deal with any who may remain.”

“Fred, Lucy, and a Knight can remain behind,” Adam offered. “Sir Vonda. Do you want to come along, or would you prefer to remain behind?”

Sir Vonda looked to the captives, then back to Adam and the rest. “Will the captives be safe?”

“They will,” Adam said, looking to Lucy. “You wouldn’t kill unarmed, naked captives, would you?”

“As if I would,” she grumbled, narrowing her eyes at him.

“Fred’s not going to kill them, he’s got no reason to, and the Knight, well…”

“He will not,” Sir Landon stated. “We will not provoke the ire of Mother Soza.”

“Then I will come,” Vonda said, unsure if they would kill if she wasn’t there.