Adam remained with the frost giants for a few days, watching them go about their daily lives. Lotag had rested up after the fight, and though he was about to make his way away, he instead disappeared without the rest of his Iyrmen.
“Hey Nirot,” Adam said, walking up the girl. She was sitting down nearby the other Iyrmen, now in the care of Rotag, Lotag’s brother.
“Adam,” she said, pulling aside to let him sit down.
“Where’s Lotag?”
“He has gone with the frost giants.”
“Where?”
“To make a new story,” she said, proudly. “He has gone to fight an iceworm.”
“An icewyrm?” Adam asked, surprised. “That’s amazing. I want to go fight an icewyrm.”
“An iceworm,” Nirot said, noting the slight change in the tone. “Not wyrm.”
“Worm? The underground creatures that burrow?”
“Yes.”
All Adam could imagine was a tiny little white and blue worm, one that panted out small puffs of frost. Adam assumed that an Iyrman wouldn't spend the effort killing a tiny worm, and so it must be a deadly creature. He wondered how large the worm was, and what abilities it possessed. He almost lost himself to his thoughts, but quickly snapped back to the sight of Rotag looking at him. The man's gaze brought a shudder through Adam. He returned his gaze to Nirot. She sat with her arms and legs crossed, listening intently to the giants and the other Iyrmen.
The giants spoke in their own tongue, and the Iyrmen remained still. Nirot seemed to struggle, her eyes sometimes narrowing as though trying to catch a word here or there. Did she know giant as well? Or was it that she was learning? How did she already know the language? The Iyrmen kept surprising him.
Adam waited to speak with Nirot some more. He hadn't really spent much time with her, and he felt as though he should get to know her more. She was not yet a woman from what he gathered. She had yet to finish her rite, but as an Iyrman, she was probably able to fight a grown man with a decent chance of beating him.
"Adam," came Entalia's voice from behind him.
Adam turned to look at the faux-elf, seeing her in her breastplate, no blade at her side. “Yes?” he asked, standing up, partly to respect her, partly because he was afraid to be under her.
“I’m going to be leaving for some time.”
“Leaving? Why?” Adam asked, furrowing his brows together. There was a hint of worry in his words, but also a touch of suspicion.
“I need to tend to my home.”
Adam remained silent, raising his brow. Entalia did not deign to reply, however, leaving him to his speculation. What was a dragon’s home like? Was it a cave? She was a silver dragon, so maybe an ice palace? Or perhaps an underground castle? A fort? A simple cabin? He wanted to ask, but it felt like a trap. Did she want him to ask her? Perhaps she’d try to scoop him away with her. Or was she actually just telling him in order to inform him? He wasn’t entirely certain when it came to her.
“Okay.” Adam stared at her for a long while.
She remained silent for some time. “Then I’ll see you in a week,” she said, reaching out to shake his hand. He shook it, trying to keep his anxiousness to himself. She smiled and then left.
Adam narrowed his eyes as he made her way towards the mountain. That was it? She had just come to say goodbye? Perhaps she did want him to join her, and considering how much she had helped him so far, it was rather rude of him to not assist her. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.
“Adam,” called Joti.
Adam turned to face the giant as he approached. “Yes?” Was Joti also going to invite him to go adventure? He was becoming so popular, though he wasn’t sure how he felt about that.
“May we speak?” Joti asked, motioning with his head. Adam followed him through the city, heading out towards the outskirts where the palace was.
“What do you need?” Adam asked, throwing a glance over his shoulder to see that someone had followed them, not that he minded at all since it was one of Joti’s Runeguard.
“I wish to discuss with you a certain matter.” Joti turned to face the much smaller half-elf. “We have sent a group to slay an iceworm for the festival soon. I too must leave to slay a creature, an icewyrm, with a group of my choice.”
“An icewyrm? As in a dragon creature?”
“Yes, that kind of wyrm.”
“Oh, right… are you asking for my assistance?”
“Yes,” Joti replied back, firmly. “I know of your abilities, and I wish to slay an icewyrm with your assistance. There may be another issue at hand, for it is not quite so simple, but I would like you at my side.”
Adam raised his brows, filling with emotion. He had been joking before, but Joti did want him. “Me?” Adam asked. He blinked a few times. “I… will?”
“You do not sound certain.”
“When are we leaving?”
“Tomorrow, most likely.”
“That’s very quick.” Adam recalled that he was meant to take it easy for a while. However, he did want to slay a wyrm.
“What’s the… why are we slaying an icewyrm?”
“For the festival. We are to slay an icewyrm so the year goes well. We will share the carcass amongst ourselves and our people. Half for the people, half for us.”
“Can we make powerful weapons with them?”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“We can.”
“Alright.” Adam nodded. “I’ll come with you.”
“I am glad to hear that. We will use my magic to navigate through the snow lands, and to rest at night. I am able to sing to the snow to keep us protected, though during the fight the magic will be less reliable.”
Adam had no idea what he meant about singing to the snow, but it did sound fascinating. He decided against asking more about it, for it was best to actually see it in action. He was certain he had seen the magic work before, though he didn’t have a good look of it.
“Can others learn to sing with the snow?”
“With enough time and effort.”
“What about me?”
“You will need to learn giant first.”
“Do you channel it through the giant language?”
“In some ways,” Joti replied, brushing his beard. “There is a bellow one cannot get through other languages. Only those who speak the giant tongue or the dragon tongue can utilise the magic.”
“The dragon tongue? Not just giant? I expected giant and dwarven since they use the same script.”
Joti shook his head. “No. Though dwarves do have their own song magic, as do other kinds, like the fey.”
Arcane
D20 + 8 = 21 (13)
Adam recalled that elves did had an ability to cast magic with their voice, not unlike Lazina, but in a way which evoked more from nature. Elves could sing and shape the earth around them. They sang the most beautiful songs, whereas the tones of the giants were much different.
“Dragons can channel it too?”
“Dragons have the ability to cast magic the best, as is their nature.”
“Why are they the best?” Adam asked, trying to think.
Arcane
D20 + 8 = 20 (12)
“They’re conduits of magic,” the pair of them said.
“Yes,” Joti said, nodding his head.
“They hold a core within them, most of them do, and as they grow older they become more powerful.”
“The strongest spell which has been cast belongs to a dragon, one that had been alive for thousands of years.”
“What was the spell?”
“We do not know,” the giant replied. “It has been lost to history.”
“Lost to history?” Adam thought. “What about the Iyrmen, would they know?”
Joti shook his head. “Very few possess the knowledge. The Goddess of Knowledge may know.”
“I should ask her next time I see her,” Adam said, trying to say it as a joke, before realising it was a very real possibility. ‘I should ask her the next time I see her.’
Joti stared at Adam for some time, trying to figure out whether or not he was crazy. It was obvious because giants held their emotions on their face, especially that kind of emotion.
“What?” Adam asked.
“I am wondering if I regretted my actions in asking you to accompany me.”
“Is that a joke?” Adam asked, smiling nervously.
Joti remained silent. There was a small shift of his beard, as though he was smiling. Adam gave a nod of his head as he looked around.
“Any chance it’s too late for you to ask me to leave?” Adam asked.
“It is,” the giant replied, nodding his head.
“That’s good then. You wouldn’t want to be rude, right?”
“It would not look good.” Joti agreed.
“Is there anything you would like me to bring?” Adam asked.
Joti eyed Adam up and down. “I have heard you need a weapon.”
“I do,” Adam admitted, embarrassed. “I have lost my weapon to a particular dragon friend of ours.”
“I have heard.” Joti bowed his head. “Are you able to wield an axe?”
“If it’s human sized,” Adam replied.
“The size of a human, or sized for a human?”
Adam smiled. “Joti, you’re a funny guy. Something sized for these tiny, supple hands of mine.” Adam raised his hand and wiggled his fingers to emphasise his point.
“Very well.”
Adam left the giant, heading back to the group of Iyrmen. Now they were sparring with the giants. Nirot remained sitting the same way he had left her, arms and legs crossed. Adam sat down beside her and they watched the Iyrmen fight.
“Are you having fun?” Adam asked.
“Yes,” Nirot replied.
“I’m heading out to hunt an icewyrm.”
Nirot’s head snapped towards him. “An icewyrm?”
“Yeah,” Adam said, shrugging his shoulders casually, as though it was an unimportant matter.
“When?”
“Tomorrow we’re heading out, I think.”
“With the giants?”
“Yes.”
“Will you tell me the story when you return?”
Adam nodded. “I will.” A stray thought caught him, but seeing Nirot smile took away his thought.
“Good,” she whispered with a darkness Adam hadn’t expected.
“Are you okay?” Adam asked.
Nirot looked up at him, the look of a craziness taking root. “I would like to hear the story. You have said you’ll tell me. Very exciting.”
It’s as though she was a different girl entirely. She seemed so excited that she had forgotten how to speak. Was this an Iyrman thing, or just a Nirot thing? Adam wasn’t sure. Adam slowly withdrew from her, returning back to the where he was staying.
Ylra was there with Rojer, as well as the princess. Rojer was currently rocking the babe within his arms. Redboulder and Elowen were missing, presumably exploring the city.
“Adam,” Ylra said.
“Ylra,” Adam replied, tossing a nod to Rojer, who returned it back. “I’ve been invited to go slay an icewyrm.”
“For the festival?” Ylra asked.
“For the festival,” Adam replied, nodding his head. “I’ll be getting an axe as well.”
“A giant axe?”
“A giant made axe, I think.”
“Do you need another weapon?” Ylra asked.
“I’ll be alright. I have a javelin, just in case. Worst case scenario, I’ll buy another one.” He shrugged his shoulders.
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow, probably.”
“You don’t rest, do you?” Ylra smiled.
“Apparently not.” Adam sat down and then stretched out his legs. “I should fix that, one day… maybe when I return to Red Oak.”
“Everyone needs a rest sometimes,” Ylra said. “Even someone as ridiculous as you.”
“I’m not that ridiculous.”
Ylra tiled her head, raising her brow at him. Adam understood what she meant by it, but he crossed his arms anyway. He looked aside to avoid her gaze, and then felt another set of eyes on him.
“Alright, I am a little ridiculous.” He felt a third set of eyes on him. “Not you too…” He shook his head.
“Do you need any arrows?” Ylra asked.
“I’m alright, thank you. I don’t really have a bow and I’m not very good at using one.” His abilities to use a bow was poor considering his statistic. He also realised he had another level to dip into, but he decided against it for today.
“Is Adam here?” Elowen asked.
Adam looked up at her. “Yeah?” He stood up as the woman asked him to follow her. Adam had nothing better to do, so he followed her out.
“Chief Joti has told me that you are to leave tomorrow morning.”
“Word travels quick,” Adam said, surprised. “Yeah, I think so.”
“Are you to slay an icewyrm in Lady Arya’s name?”
“I probably should,” Adam replied. “I…” He thought back to the fight with the mud giants. “I haven’t really kept my side of the bargain,” he whispered to himself. “I will slay it in her name.”
“Do you have a weapon?”
“I will, in the morning.”
“What kind of weapon?”
“A giant made axe, I presume.”
Elowen stared up into his eyes for a few moments. “Very well,” she replied, nodding her head.
“Is that all?”
“No,” she said. “Please take care of yourself. You work too hard to die in the snow lands.”
“I’ll keep it in mind. I wasn’t planning on dying, if it eases your mind.” Adam smiled.
“It’s a dangerous land up there, far more dangerous than our journey.”
“I’ll be with Joti at least. He’s a powerful ally.”
“A powerful ally, yes, but not someone who can bring you back from the dead.”
“He’ll keep me from dying, and if he can’t do it, I’ll do it.”
Elowen stared up at him for a moment. Adam could see a look, a look of slight regret, worry, and questioning one’s own life’s decisions.
“Are you okay?” Adam asked.
“I’m fine,” Elowen replied.
Adam cocked his head slightly, in the same manner as Ylra. “Are you sure?”
“Good luck, Adam.” She reached out a hand. Adam shook her hand and then returned back with her to their living quarters.
“Aye laddeh,” Redboulder called out, “ah heard yer leavin’.”
“Man, word does travel quickly. I am.”
Redboulder grabbed at the short sword at his side and held it out. Adam looked at it and then up at the dwarf.
“What?”
“Take it.”
“Uuuh…” Adam looked to Elowen and then to the dwarf. He then reached out to take the weapon. Even Adam wasn’t stupid enough to deny taking a weapon a dwarf offered. “Thank you,” the half-elf said.
“Aye,” Redboulder said, nodding his head. He then withdrew back to the princess to play with her.
Adam looked to Elowen, then Ylra, and then Rojer. There was an aura about them that understood what had happened, and if they knew what was happening, then Adam would let it go.