[Would you like to spend XP to empower the weapon?]

‘500,’ Adam replied. This wasn’t any old mace, this was going to be Vonda’s mace, so Adam wasn’t going to skimp on the weapon’s enchantment.

XP: 7400 -> 6900

‘Nice.’

Mace

Requires Attunement

You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.

Upon stating the command word, can glow up to 10 metres for ten minutes. The glow can provide a gentle warmth, and can be dismissed with a thought.

Once per day you may heal anyone of your choosing within the glow 2D6+3 Health. This ability recharges at dawn.

[Would you like to name the weapon?]

‘Vonda’s Dawn.’

Vonda’s Dawn

Requires Attunement

You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.

Upon stating the command word, can glow up to 10 metres for ten minutes. The glow can provide a gentle warmth, and can be dismissed with a thought.

Once per day you may heal anyone of your choosing within the glow 2D6+3 Health. This ability recharges at dawn.

XP Gained: +500

XP: 6900 -> 7400

Great enchantment learnt!

XP Gained: +200

XP: 7400 -> 7600

‘I hope she likes it,’ Adam thought. He was certain she’d enjoy the ability to heal with the weapon, but he wasn’t sure how she’d feel about the weapon dealing more damage.

The Iyrman who was with him that evening escorted him back to the estate.

“Oh,” Adam said, staring at the figures before him. “It’s been a while.”

“Welcome back,” Naqokan said. The Iyrman, Shikan’s niece, was currently holding Lanarot’s hands, allowing her to walk with support. Damokan and Kalokan were sitting beside her quietly, playing with small trinkets.

“What did you enchant today?” Nirot asked, carrying her little brother on her back. Turot’s arms were wrapped around her neck and he rested his cheek against her neck, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the piggy back ride.

It wasn’t just her, as Laygak was playing with his siblings too, both Taygak and Saygak, and Faool held his cousin on his lap.

‘When did they get so close to the children?’ Adam wondered. It was not a normal sight to see, considering how distant the older siblings usually were. “A mace.”

“Is it done?” Vonda asked, pushing away the awkwardness.

“Yep,” Adam said, holding the weapon out to her. “It’s not my finest work, but I think you’ll like it.” If Adam had infinite time, and more money, he’d be able to do much more with it. ‘Hold on, didn’t I have another three thousand gold?’

Vonda accepted the weapon from his hand, feeling the magic within it. “It’s not just a basic weapon?”

“No,” Adam replied, as though it were obvious. “It can glow for a short while, though you can dismiss it and make it glow as you please. You can also heal anyone within the glow once per dawn.”

Vonda’s first reflex was to decline the mace, but it was her birthday gift, something Adam had spent so much time and money to create. Not just that, but the others within his group also held such great weapons, especially Dunes, the other Priest. “Thank you, Adam,” she said, softly, smiling from behind her scarf.

Adam could see the gentle warmth in her eyes, and he glanced aside. “Yeah.” ‘I’m just giving her a gift, just like Kitool and Jaygak.’ Adam pushed away the fact that he hadn’t gone on a date with either of the Iyrmen.

Naqokan lifted Lanarot up to her lap, her eyes glued to both Adam and Vonda. ‘A Demon. A Dragon. A Priest.’ Naqokan understood that her competition was fierce.

Shikan, who was stirring the pot as it was their turn to cook, wondered if he should call his niece to come and cook with them.

Adam felt a shiver run down his spine, before he caught his Aunt’s gaze. He looked to Vonda, who was standing before him awkwardly, and then back to his Aunt. ‘Oh.’ He cleared his throat quickly. “Anyway, if you stick around with us, I’ll be sure to make you something much better. I forgot that I had more gold than I actually had so I didn’t spend the right amount of gems.”

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“This mace is great,” Vonda replied. “I need no other weapon, Adam.”

“Even if it can heal greater than the mace?” Adam asked.

“I have my own strength too,” Vonda replied, not wanting to outright refuse something which would assist her with healing, but she couldn’t accept so much of his favour.

“Here I thought I was good with my words.” Adam chuckled.

Soon dinner was ready, and Adam’s other companions came to dine with them too. They would sometimes dine with the families here, but sometimes they would dine with other Iyrmen, who wished to share their tales to the Aswadian Priest of Wahtu, and a previous member of an Order like Jonn. Nobby was quite the sight for the Iyrmen, who wanted to wrestle him, since he was tall and strongly built, greater than even some Iyrmen. Brittany enjoyed hearing the tales, and the Iyrmen were glad to see a village girl wishing to fight for freedom. Fred enjoying hearing the tales like Brittany, but remained quiet.

“Now that I think about it, we have a fairly balanced group,” Adam said, looking to his companions. “We have plenty of people with magic, and plenty of people without magic. We have multiple people in the same roles, so we can split the party pretty much in half too.”

“Another idea of yours?” Dunes asked, sipping the salty soup.

“I’m just saying,” Adam replied, sipping his own soup. He broke some bread for his sister. “Once the others return, we’ll have everyone together, so we can…”

“What?” Dunes asked, noting how Adam fell silent.

“Hold on. Aren’t the Undead going to wake up soon?” Adam asked. “We should get ready to help the nearby villages.”

“No,” Dunes replied. “Why would the Undead awaken this month?”

“Didn’t they wake up around this time last year?” Adam asked.

“A Great Twilight has come across the land,” Vonda said. “The Undead will remain silent for at least another month.”

“Oh,” Adam said. “Is that how that works?”

“Yes,” Vonda replied. The others each had their suspicions, but this had all but confirmed that Adam was not from this land. He may have been from another continent, or even, another realm.

“Cool.” Adam broke another piece of bread for his sister, who tossed a small piece of bread away, before eating another. “Guess I don’t really need to worry about it until Jurot and the others return. Do we know when they’ll return?”

“It will be midway through the month,” Nirot said. “We will not know if they have fallen until then.”

Adam choked on his soup, coughing against his arm. “Why did you have to say it like that?”

Nirot’s nostrils flared. “It is a great honour to…” Nirot caught the way Adam was staring at her, and fell quiet. ‘It is no matter, I cannot reveal much about it.’

“Speaking of which, where were you four?” Adam asked, looking to the teens. He hadn’t seen them during the first week of dawnval, and had only just realised he didn’t see them on his birthday, or Katool’s.

“We-“

“Wait!” Adam gasped.

Nirot, and the other Iyrmen nearby, stared at the Half Elf after his outburst.

“Katool.”

Katool, who was chewing on some of the meat, looked up at Adam.

“You did not bring me back any pizza on your birthday.” Adam frowned.

“Oock,” came the response from the little girl, who brought her hands emphatically to her mouth in shock. “Sorry, Cousin Adam.”

Adam narrowed his eyes at her. “Since you are such a good girl, I’ll forgive you this time.”

“Okay,” Katool replied, smiling up at the Half Elf, before she held up her bowl. “I give you soup?”

“It’s okay. You’re a big girl now, so you need to eat all your food so you can grow bigger and stronger.” Adam nodded to the girl.

“Okay,” the girl replied, sipping her soup with vigour, before her mother held the bowl and pulled it back gently, trying to get her to drink moderately.

‘Why is my Cousin so queer?’ Nirot thought. “We were guarding the borders.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Adam asked.

“Yes,” Nirot replied, smiling up at him with pride.

“You Iyrmen really are built different,” Adam whispered. “Is it safe for you to guard the borders?”

“We are guided by an Expert during the patrols.”

“That’s good then,” Adam said. “Do I need to guard the patrols?”

“You are a Nephew, Adam,” Nirot said. “Guarding the borders is for Iyrmen to do.”

“Did you have fun?” Adam asked.

Nirot smiled, wondering if she could mention the fact that the group had managed to slay a Giant Boar. “Yes.”

“That’s good then,” Adam said. “Does the Iyr need me anywhere during the month, then? I’ll just enchant and smith while I have the chance, before we have to leave.” Adam threw a look to Vonda, who bowed her head.

“We do not need you anywhere,” Nirot stated, firmly.

“You know what I mean.”

Sonarot rubbed her cheek. “Why are you always in such a rush to work?”

“Because,” Adam said. “I’ll be able to grow more powerful the more I work.”

“You are already powerful enough for your age,” Sonarot said, before her eyes fell to Sir Vonda, who had also managed to become an Expert before nineteen years of age, and even without Adam’s assistance she was so close to it.

“Yeah, but…” Adam wasn’t sure what to say.

“Your sister will be so lonely,” Sonarot said.

Adam fell silent. He sipped his soup, narrowing his eyes at his Aunt, who smiled innocently towards him.

Lanarot tossed another piece of bread away from her.

“Stop wasting so much food,” Adam said, holding the girl’s face, squeezing her cheeks gently. “Is it because I haven’t been playing with you?”

Lanarot babbled and squirmed against his touch, before returning back to eating her precious bread.

‘It’s a good thing that you’re in the Iyr, otherwise I’d go crazy,’ Adam thought, brushing the girl’s hair gently. ‘Right. I don’t need to worry about her safety at all, so I should just focus on my own plans for now.’