It didn’t take long for the group to retreat away from the area.

Sir Landon insisted on bringing the corpse of the Elder Hill Wolf, and seeing the look in his eyes, and hearing how stern his voice was, no one decided to argue.

The Porters grabbed the bodies of the Wolves, taking the heads of each Hill Wolf at least as proof.

Jurot managed to find them a place to rest at, in the side of a hill which gave them cover against the elements, as well as safety from the skies.

Mana: 14 -> 11

Spell: Adam’s Tower

Adam called forth his magics, creating a tower from thin air. The boy stared at him, wide eyed. He hadn’t realised that Adam had brought him back alive, so seeing such magic was a surprise to him.

Fred hadn’t gotten used to it yet, but he was still more surprised by Adam’s magics. ‘He definitely cast Revivify, and he can cast magic like this too? Is that how it works?’

“Hey,” Lucy called once the tower emerged. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Adam replied, looking to Charlie, the young boy. “Are you okay?”

The boy nodded slowly. He had only spoken once since he had fallen quiet, just to say his name when Adam had asked, but he seemed to not want to speak.

Lucy continued to stare at Adam for a short while. He remained fairly close to the boy, and was quieter than usual, which was pleasant to her ears, but not quite so pleasant to her heart.

“Hmm,” Adam said. “I’ll take a bath first.”

“You’re taking a bath?” Sir Landon asked. He hadn’t expected Adam to summon forth a bath today.

“Yeah,” Adam said. “I need to fight with as much morale as I can, so I’ll be taking a bath real quick.”

‘Is he a fool?’ Sir Landon thought.

Adam could see the thoughts on his face. “Since you decided to bring the corpse along, I need to make sure I can fight at one hundred percent.” ‘Two can play at that game.’ Adam cursed the Noble within his head as he went to bathe.

“Hey, you can have a bath too,” Adam said once he was done, putting on his breastplate.

“You’re an Elf?” the boy gasped as Adam appeared.

“Only half.”

The boy stared at him, squirming slightly. His grandfather didn’t like Elves, and had always spoken poorly of them. He retreated towards Jurot, who was an Iyrman, and though his grandfather spoke slightly poorly of them, Harold didn’t.

Adam frowned slightly. “I save his life and he bullies me. It’s not fair.”

Lucy pat his back gently.

Jurot had finished with butchering the pelts and was midway through cooking the food when he decided to bathe.

“Hey, kid, you should go bathe too,” Adam said. “Sir Vonda, is it acceptable for you to assist him?” Adam asked, though quickly realised what he had asked her. “As a woman and a Priest, I think it’s less awkward if you do is all.”

She bowed her head towards him. “I will make sure he cleans up.”

“I’ll clean his clothes,” Adam said, having used Tricks to constantly clean his own. There was something about feeling fresh in the wild which gave him so much strength, and the others appreciated it quite well, even Sir Landon and the Knights.

“Are you okay?” Jurot asked in the night before they were to take watches.

“I’m fine,” Adam replied. He smiled slightly, thinking about how his friends were checking up on him.

“The child was killed before you,” Jurot said.

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“Yeah,” Adam said. “I brought him back, though.”

Jurot nodded his head slowly. “It was quite the price. Three hundred gold.”

“Yeah,” Adam replied, simply.

Jurot remained silent, losing himself to his thoughts.

“Don’t think too deeply,” Adam said. “I just did what anyone would do.”

“No,” Jurot said. “Not anyone would do such a thing.”

Adam sighed, looking up towards the sky. “Yeah,” Adam said. “Sometimes, Jurot, you need to let me lie.”

“Lies sully the heart, Adam.”

“Yeah, but sometimes you need to lie to yourself to sleep at night.”

Omen: 7, 14

“You again,” Adam said, unnerved. He stared at the figure, a stranger who seemingly wore a large hat, before it was revealed to be a large bird.

“Crowseer,” Jurot whispered in his tongue.

“I warned you previously,” the Crowseer said. “You are making too many waves, Son of Fate.”

“Who is that?” Lucy asked.

“I don’t know,” Adam admitted. “The Iyrmen know him, somehow. I didn’t really ask, but he’s a guy that knows who, and what, I am.”

“You also need to be careful,” the Crowseer said, tapping his cane to the floor, staring at Lucy. “There is a thing as too much attention.”

Adam narrowed his eyes. “Who are you?”

“Another time,” he replied, simply.

“How is it that the two times I meet you, there’s always someone whose lost their way,” Adam said, motioning his head to Fred.

The Crowseer remained silent, but he smiled. His eyes fell to the boy for a moment, before he bowed his head. “Is it time for that, already? Good luck, Son of Fate.”

The Nobles remained silent, allowing the Crowseer to pass in peace. There was something about the Crowseer which unsettled them, and they understood there were times to remain silent.

‘Not even Lord Stokmar received so much respect from the Nobles,’ Adam thought.

Omen: 7, 14

‘Weren’t those the same numbers as yesterday?’ Adam thought when he awoke in the morning.

Soon the walls of Ever Green greeted them. Adam, who was getting sick of trekking up hills, sighed. The walls of Ever Green were built upon raised ground, with a gate set under the walls.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Adam said, seeing the way the road swerved several time on the way to the walls, which hid the town behind them. “What’s with the road?”

“It is to protect the town,” Jurot said.

Adam grumbled quietly. “Let me complain about it in peace.”

Eventually they approached the Guards, where the Noble paid for their entrance fee, and they stepped inside.

Ever Green was very different to any place Adam had been to. The roads were wide, with small clusters of buildings dotted around the area. The buildings were fairly small, though they were stacked quite high, three to five stories tall.

However, no matter where Adam looked, all he could see was greenery. There were as many parks as there were streets, some of which became paths which people could walk through from one area to the next.

The town had a grid layout, as other towns did, but there were many sections which gave to a more natural layout, where buildings of old had been made, some curving and winding this way or that way.

As they trekked through the town, which bustled with life, Adam noted how similar, yet different it felt to Red Oak.

“It had to have multiple levels to it?” Adam asked, staring at he steps which led to another level. “How do they get carriages to the inner town?”

“There are large roads on either side,” Jurot explained. “They are for carriages and carts, keeping the town centre clear.”

“Damn,” Adam said, noting all the flowers, herbs, and greenery on display. “I’d retire here.”

“Many do,” Jurot said. “The area around here is calm, and many prefer it. They say the workers here only work for eight hours a day, and they receive a day off every month.”

Adam blinked. “Is that good?”

Jurot looked back to Adam. His lips almost twitched into a smile. “Yes.”

“Wow,” Adam whispered. “You know, if I was the Lord of my own place, I’d want to make my town look like this. Though, I’d probably have better labour laws.”

“Most towns and cities have their own culture,” Jurot said. “Ever Green has a very different culture to most other towns, including Deadwood and Red Oak.”

“They say that most Adventurers retire here,” Sir Vonda said. “I know that many Priests also make their home here. It may be the town with the highest average strength in its populace due to how many powerful individuals choose to retire here.”

“Well, it’s pretty good,” Adam said, glancing about to see all the people working hard. ‘Eight hours a day, twenty seven days a month? Scary.’

“Ever Green has nice tea,” Fred said, wanting to include himself in the conversation. He then sighed, thinking about how stupid his statement was.

“You don’t say?” Adam asked. “Once we’re done at the Guild, why don’t we find some nice tea? I should buy myself a tea set for the road too.”

“You can make your water taste like tea,” Jurot said. “You can also warm your water up. Why do you need a tea set?”

“I can’t magic up the benefits of tea, Jurot.”

Jurot nodded his head.

“It’s because of tea that the Greylands was so amazing. With all the rain, it was only obvious that we’d rule the seas and make tea.” Adam chuckled at his own joke.

“I’m just excited to make some gold,” Lucy said. “I’ll be able to eat as much as I want. I’m going to buy a whole pig and roast it.” She licked her lips.

“Speaking of pigs,” Adam said, adjusting his helmet as he walked by some Guards. “I just remembered how careful I need to be in this place.”

“It is the South,” Jurot said. “Ever Green’s relationship with Elves is awkward.”

“Why is that?”

“It is now the closest town to the Elves, though there has not been any bad blood between them,” Jurot said. “Rock Hill was only a few days away from Ever Green, though there is no paved road between the towns, so when the Elves attacked, it was difficult for Ever Green to help.”

“You should be quiet when speaking about Elves and Rock Hill,” Sir Landon warned, noting some people whispering between themselves. “Let us quickly make our way to the Guild.”