Omen: 12, 13

‘I guess I should make something to sell,’ Adam thought. A weapon using his Omen would have been fairly decent, as long as he rolled average during his enchanting, he’d be able to create something he could sell for a thousand gold or so.

He worked out lightly that morning, still feeling heavy from all the food he had ate the previous day. ‘I have to be careful, otherwise I won’t be able to see my six pack.’

“I will beat you,” Turot declared that morning, kicking the ball into one of the drawn ellipses on the wall. There were three markings, one of which was extremely large, drawn by Taygak, as she was tall enough to reach higher than the rest. The next had been drawn by Turot, roughly a third of the size of the mark which Taygak had made, and the last had been drawn by Saygak, who made a mark about half the size of his torso.

When the ball bounced back, it was Adam’s turn to kick, and he casually kicked the ball towards the marking, barely kicking within the largest marking, giving him a point.

The children stated their colours, marking down on the floor their points. Taygak and Kalokan held the greatest number of points, followed by Saygak and Katool, then Turot and Damokan, who were joint last.

Adam had counted out the points to make sure Saygak and Katool had beaten him, partially since Katool had done so well that morning. “You’re a hundred years too early to beat the likes of me,” Adam joked, ruffling Turot’s hair.

Once the morning workout and play were done, Adam bathed in one of the cool streams which diverted from the rushing river. When he bathed, he stared down at his reflection, noting how large his arms were. Adam hadn’t been so built in his first life, and it was still strange to see the Fey beauty he held, and the thick body he possessed which was made of muscle.

Adam returned to find the four families in the courtyard. Every family in the Iyr lived together, sharing a block. It was made up of four walls, each corner of which belonged to one of the families, up to the pathways which led out in the middle of each wall. The courtyard was where most of the children spent their time, and the adults met there multiple times a day, and Adam had grown quite close with the other families due to it.

“Adam, are you enchanting today?” Shikan asked, eating the porridge which the Ool family had made.

“Yeah, that’s the plan,” Adam replied, sticking his fork into the scrambled eggs Citool had made for him. It was lightly salted, and he noted the taste of milk. He poured himself some water using his clay cup, catching Taygak’s eyes as he drank from it. She smiled, and shuffled to herself happily, before returning back to her food.

‘Damn, my Cousins are so cute,’ Adam thought.

“I do not like mama,” Katool cried aloud, pouting up towards her mother.

‘Uh oh,’ Adam thought, returning to his food. ‘Right, even Iyrmen children are still children.’ Thinking nothing of it, he brought up a spoonful of scrambled eggs.

“I like Adam,” the girl declared.

Adam choked on his eggs, quickly drinking down some water, before his eyes snapped to the little girl with the bob cut.

“Mama does no play with me,” Katool accused, pointing at her mother before crossing her arms as she looked away. She misspoke due to her frustration.

Adam could feel Zorool’s glare against him, and he wondered what he should do. “Katool, what are you saying?”

“I do not like mama,” Katool asserted once more, keeping her back to her mother.

“What about dada?” Adam asked, noting how she used the speech of a baby in her anger.

“Dada okay,” the girl said, smiling up at her father. “Sometimes dada plays with me.”

“So you don’t like mama?” Adam asked again.

Katool shook her head, her little bob cut jiggling.

Adam could still feel the glare of the girl’s father against him. He threw a glance around to notice that the others were staring at him, and he brought a hand to his chin in thought. ‘How can I get out of this without fighting with her parents?’

The Half Elf caught Citool staring at him, her eyes curious as she stared at him. He understood that she would not come to help him. ‘Fine then,’ Adam thought.

“Since you don’t like mama, you can play with me all day then,” Adam finally said.

Zorool stared at the Half Elf. He had seen first hand just how strong Adam was, but he would still beat the boy up if it came to it. However, Adam had dealt with Kaygak quite easily, and Zorool himself was slightly weaker.

Adam smirked at Citool, who was still staring at him curiously. “Come, Katool.” He pat the seat beside him and Katool hoisted herself up, scampering to Adam. “Don’t forget your food.”

The meal continued, with the Iyrmen wondering what Adam was doing. It was within the realms of something he’d do, but they didn’t understand what he had planned.

Once breakfast was done, Adam remembered he had wanted to enchant. ‘I can’t really do that now, can I?’ He hummed quietly in thought. ‘Wait, doesn’t she have school?’ Adam looked at the children, who were all together, staring at him.

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“What?” Adam asked.

“Will you play with us too?” Turot asked.

“Sure,” Adam replied. ‘Might as well, since Katool might get a little bored.’ “What should we do?”

“Can we play Warriors and Wanderers?” Turot asked.

“Let’s do that a little later, before lunch?” Adam offered.

“Okay,” Turot replied.

“What do you usually do for fun?” Adam asked.

“We play,” Turot said.

“Obviously. What do you play?”

“It is after breakfast, so we walk,” Turot said.

“Yeah, let’s do that.”

Adam followed the children as they walked, chatting in their tongue with one another. Eventually they grouped up with another group of children, talking with them too. Adam remained some ways away, not comfortable with being close with the children of strangers.

“Is that Adam?” a child asked.

“Yes,” Taygak replied. “It is Cousin Adam.”

“Unrivalled Under The Heavens?”

Adam winced at the name, but Taygak smiled, before the group began chattering about Adam and his stories.

“Come,” Katool said, motioning Adam with a hand.

“I’m a little tired after the morning,” Adam said, sitting down against a wall.

Katool walked over to him. “You okay?”

“I’m okay, just a little tired.”

Katool sat down beside him, and soon the children swarmed all around him to speak with him, some in their own tongue, and others in Aldish.

‘What is this hellish nightmare?’ Adam thought, doing his best to reply to their questions.

“Adam, pick up?” Katool asked.

“Sure,” Adam said, taking the chance to escape from the children. He hadn’t expected Katool to climb onto his shoulders, holding onto his head as her legs fell across his torso.

‘This is weird,’ Adam thought, walking with Katool on his shoulders, the children following after him.

They returned back to the estate, where they played a game of Warriors and Wanderers. They were getting closer to finding out what had happened to Sonarot and Jurot’s characters who had been missing for some time, but first they had to protect a small village, which they did so eagerly.

“Can I play a Scribe Mage?” Saygak asked innocently after his character had died.

“Sure,” Adam replied, helping the boy to make a character for their next session, before reading them a book.

Lunch time came quickly, and Katool sat with Adam again, where they ate the food the Ool family had made. Adam sipped on the soup, wondering how he could get Katool to return to her mother. He sent Citool a look, though Citool’s eyes only held curiosity still.

‘I guess I’m all alone then,’ Adam thought.

They walked around again, though this time no children accosted them. Taygak led them back to the estate so Katool could nap, while the rest drew and wrote in their books quietly.

Dinner was equally as awkward, with Katool eating with the Rot family again. Lucy had come to eat with them after a rough day at work, noting how Katool was sitting next to Adam. For once, she made a wise decision in not getting involved.

Katool played with Turot in the evening, but eventually, she stood up. “Good night,” she said, before walking towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Adam asked.

“I go home,” Katool said.

Adam stared at the girl, before smiling.

Katool walked up to the door, and knocked on it. “Mama, dada,” she called.

Citool opened the door, seeing both Adam and her daughter. “Yes?”

“Tired, mama,” Katool said, yawning.

“Hold on, Katool,” Adam called. “You said you didn’t like mama. You should come and sleep with us.”

Katool stared up at Adam, her brows furrowed together in a state of absolute perplexity, as though she had just been told that Iyrmen were a cowardly lot. She stared up at him for a long moment, before looking to her mother. “I sleep with mama?”

“You can’t do that,” Adam said. “You said you didn’t like mama.”

Katool looked back up at him, grabbing her mother’s leg. “I sleep with mama?”

“You can’t,” Adam said, looking down at the girl.

“No?” The girl’s lower lip quivered.

Wisdom Save

D20 + 3 = 23 (20)

Adam felt his heart sink as her lower lip began to quiver. He threw a look to Citool, but she remained silent. The large Half Elf dropped down to a knee and he placed a hand on the girl’s shoulder, rubbing it gently. “Katool. You said you did not like mama.”

Citool stared at the pair, finding the matter too interesting to interrupt. Zorool was also paying attention, sat nearby.

Katool sniffled, looking up to her mother. “I sleep with mama.”

“Why?”

“Mama. Mama is mama. I sleep with mama.”

“You don’t like mama, though,” Adam said.

“No sleep?”

“No.”

Katool’s eyes grew wet. “I sleep with mama!”

“Now, now,” Adam said, looking up to Citool for support, but she remained steadfast, even after seeing her child cry. ‘Damn it!’ Adam lifted the girl up, patting her back gently. Katool continued to whine and cry. “You said you didn’t like mama, and now you want to sleep with her?”

“Mama,” Katool whimpered. “I want to sleep with mama.”

“Yes, but didn’t you say something really mean to mama? Why will mama want to sleep with you if you are going to be mean?” Adam asked, staring at Citool awkwardly. ‘Hurry up and take her from me.’

“No,” Katool replied. “I want to sleep with mama.”

“Yes, but you were quite mean saying that you didn’t like her.”

Katool looked to her mother, before shaking again with tears, reaching out for her mother, who accepted her.

“It’s not a nice thing to say to mama, right?” Adam said, sighing with relief.

“No,” Katool said.

“So you need to apologise, right?”

“Sorry, mama,” Katool said, hugging her mother tight.

“Right,” Adam said. “You can’t just say sorry. Make sure you make it up to mama, okay?”

“I make up with mama,” Katool sniffled, still holding her mother tight, her face in her mother’s neck.

“That’s right,” Adam said. “You need to make up with your mama. How will you do that?”

Katool looked up to her mother questioningly.

“What does your mama love?” Adam asked.

“Mama love Katool,” she said.

“What else?”

“Staff.”

“And what else?”

“Honey.”

‘Damn,’ Adam thought. ‘Katool, you’re stone cold. Your father doesn’t even get a bronze medal?’

Katool sniffled.

“Okay,” Adam said. “You need to be good to mama and dada, okay?”

“Okay.”

“They’re working really hard, so sometimes they can’t play with you, but they still love you, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Do you love mama?”

“I love mama,” Katool said, holding her mother’s face, before kissing the woman right beneath her eye.

“Good,” Adam said, sighing with relief. “Good night, Katool.”

“Good night, Cousin Adam,” Katool said, sucking her thumb as she rested her head on her mother’s shoulder.

Adam returned back to the Rot family, dropping onto the blankets.

“Did it go well?” Sonarot asked.

Adam stared at the ceiling. “I think so.” Adam rubbed his chest, feeling how heavy it had become. “Katool crying was so cute, but it broke my heart. I hope that I don’t have any daughters.”

“Will your sons cry?” Sonarot asked.

“I suppose so,” Adam said. “Though I think it’s different.”

“How?”

“Boys are boys, so you’re meant to let them cry?” Adam replied.

Sonarot gave him a look. “You must let all children cry.”

“Yeah, but…” Adam paused. “Did Jurot every cry when he was a boy?”

“Yes,” Sonarot said. “My Jurot was so cute when he cried.”

“Do you miss it?” Adam asked.

Sonarot smiled. “Yes.”

Adam smiled. “I hope my kids cry even when they’re older.”

Sonarot wondered if she should mention marriage, but allowed Adam his peace that night.