Omen: 12, 19

‘Nice,’ Adam thought. He could enchant something decent today, though he knew that soon he’d have to leave.

“We must leave today,” Jurot said to him over breakfast.

‘That was quick,’ Adam thought. “Why’s that?”

“The villages have been struck by the Undead.”

“I thought it was meant to happen next week?”

“Yes.”

Adam slowly nodded in response. More than likely it was also a mystery to Jurot, otherwise he would have explained it.

Once Adam was done with breakfast, he hoisted his little sister up. “Papa needs to leave now, Lanababby.”

Lanarot squealed, bringing her hand up to suck on it as she smiled up at Adam.

“I know, I know.” Adam pulled her in close to his chest, gently rocking her in his arms. He spent a short while with her, until he couldn’t procrastinate any longer.

“We had already placed Iyrmen in the villages,” Jurot admitted as they started their preparations to leave.

“Yeah?” Adam replied, checking his items, wondering what he should take. ‘Oh, I forgot about this blood gem.’ He wrapped the gem he had found in some thick cloth, before putting it aside. He’d need to put it in one of the boxes upstairs, otherwise Lanarot could get to it.

“We will spend the night in Front Iyr before we leave,” Jurot said, grabbing his pack and waiting for Adam. Iyrmen were able to leave within a moment’s notice if required, but he understood that the others wouldn’t be able to move so swiftly.

The others also prepared, grabbing their armour and weapons, and their packs. The Iyr provided them with a basic set of gear they would need, from fresh rations to torches, as well as some spare clothing.

“So we’re all going then?” Adam asked, looking to the group.

They were almost a dozen, quite the large party.

“I fear I’ll grow fat and lazy within the Iyr,” Dunes said. “I haven’t had a good fight in some time.”

“It is best that we leave,” Vonda said, who was eager to leave due to being a follower of Mahtu, Mother Soza, the Goddess of Life.

“I should have expected as much,” Adam said, chuckling. He had finished his own preparations fairly quickly, before he picked up his sister again, who was admiring the shiny purple armour. She slapped the breastplate, before grabbing at the cool metal.

The other children were all ready to follow them to the gates, but Adam’s legs were far too heavy to move. Had he known that he would be leaving so quickly, he would have spent more time with his sister.

“You’d better listen to your mama, okay?” Adam kissed his sister’s forehead. “If you bully your mama I’ll stop feeding you my bread.”

Lanarot babbled up at him, reaching up to grab his hair, before he brought her down for a hug again.

“Adam, we should leave,” Jurot said.

Adam brushed the girl’s hair, feeling her weight in his arms. “Lanarot, don’t grow up too quickly.” He handed the girl to Jurot.

Jurot wrapped his arms around her in that way, and Lanarot melted up against her brother until they were one.

‘This guy keeps rolling so well on his hug check,’ Adam thought. Adam wasn’t sure how Jurot did it, but Lanarot always enjoyed hugging her brother the most.

Sonarot took the girl from her son and helped her wave, watching as the group left, with the children following them out.

“Is that Phantom?” Adam asked, having only noticed the axe at Jurot’s side.

“Yes.”

Adam smiled. “If you wanted Phantom, I would have given it to you before.”

“Grandfather forced me to take it.”

“Don’t make it sound like you were hesitant.”

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“I was.”

“Why?”

“It is your axe.”

“It was my axe, and now it’s the Rot family’s axe.”

“You are a member of the Rot family.”

“Yeah, yeah, but you know what I mean.”

“No,” Jurot replied, sternly. “I do not.”

“Either way, I’m glad it’s in your hands.”

Jurot nodded his head, but remained silent as they made their way through the estates of the Iyr, before they approached the large walls.

“I forgot how big they were,” Adam admitted.

“You forgot?” Lucy asked, raising her brow at him. Ever since that time at the Awakened Forest, Lucy had some trauma against the Iyrmen. She had watched them, a hundred Iyrmen, butchering the Aswadian soldiers like they were pigs. She shuddered at the thought.

The gates were easily several Adam’s tall, and the walls were equally as tall and thick. Nearby Iyrmen helped to open the gates, which required the force of a great many of them, though they could have used the rope system already in place.

The nearby children all gathered about, including the group of children which had followed their siblings out.

“You all need to be good for your mummies and daddies, okay?” Adam said, wagging a finger at them.

“Okay,” the children replied.

Adam looked at the children. This may very well be the last time he saw any of them, and that thought hung in the air.

“I’ll be sure to bring back lots of gifts for you all, so you better be good.”

“Okay,” they replied again.

The children embraced their siblings and cousins, with Turot hugging Adam too. Adam ruffled each child’s hair, before waving at them, and the group made their way out.

“Come home safely!” came the chorus from behind, the children shouting the same three words they always did.

As much as the Iyr was about death and glory, the children would always shout for them to return safely. The children continued to shout, even far after they were out of ear shot.

As always, Adam’s legs felt so heavy as he dragged himself out. “Shouldn’t we take the wolves?” Adam asked, breaking the silence.

“It will be awkward since the beast waves were only recent,” Kitool replied.

Adam nodded.

Towards the evening, the Front Iyr came to sight. It was a small village with a fence around it. There were no more than a thousand or so Iyrmen about, and they were all quite young.

Elder Lykan greeted them as they approached. “It is good to see you again.”

“I forgot how handsome you were,” Adam said, shaking his forearm. “You definitely are a Kan.”

Lykan smiled. “I see you are in good humour as always.”

“I’m quite sad, actually.”

“Why?”

“I’m leaving my adorable litt-,“

“Come,” Lykan said, turning and leading them into the village, taking them to where they would be sleeping that evening.

Adam hadn’t expected the Elder to so rudely cut him off, but he smiled.

The evening passed by the same way it always had. There was a feast for those who were leaving, with two other groups who seemed to be leaving the same day as Adam’s large party. They ate, drank, and sang until it was night.

The entire group met together before they slept.

“We’re a rather large party,” Adam said, glancing at the ten other party members.

“Do you wish to split us in two?” Kitool asked.

Adam nodded. “I’ve been thinking about it a little.” Adam’s eyes fell onto Brittany and Nobby, each of whom were the weakest in their party.

“Did you have any ideas?” Jaygak asked.

“I can’t believe I’m going to be saying this but…” Adam swallowed, wincing. “Jaygak, I want you to be the leader of the second party.”

Jaygak’s brows flashed up in surprise, and a wild grin appeared on his face. “Adam, you-,"

“Jaygak, please,” Adam said, raising a hand. “It already hurts so much.”

Jaygak laughed, crossing her arms as she sat up straight. “Obviously you picked me because of my horns.”

Lucy narrowed her eyes at Jaygak.

“It’ll be me, Jurot, Vonda, Kitool, and Fred.”

“Which leaves me with Brittany, Nobby, Jonn, Dunes, and Lucy?” Jaygak looked to the members of her own group.

“Yep.”

Kitool wasn’t sure how she felt about Jaygak leading her own group. She was there to make sure Jaygak didn’t get into any shenanigans, but Adam seemed to have figured out a balanced group.

“Jonn will look after Brittany, and Dunes will look after Nobby, whereas Lucy can go wild, and Jaygak you can…”

“Lead?”

Adam winced. “Yes.”

“Why can’t I be the leader? I’m the Dem-,“

“Lucy,” Adam interrupted. “You’re too horny.”

“Hey,” Jaygak said, frowning.

“The other kind of horny.”

“Oh.”

“If I give you the leadership role, you’ll just end up fondling guys with the excuse of being the leader.”

Lucy huffed. “I wouldn’t do that.”

Adam remained silent.

Lucy narrowed her eyes.

“Anyway, I think that Jaygak can…” Adam inhaled deeply. “Jaygak can…” He reached up to his heart.

“You’re lucky you’re stronger than me,” Jaygak replied, narrowing her eyes at the breathless Adam, who was unable to say anything good about her.

Adam smiled.

Omen: 10, 14

“I wish you the best of luck, Adam,” Lykan said.

“I’m feeling pretty lucky today,” Adam replied, shaking the Elder’s forearm. “Thank you.”

“Come home safely.”

Adam raised his brow. “Shouldn’t you be wishing me a good death?”

“Not this time.”

Adam gave the Elder a curious look. “Why is that?”

Lykan shook his head, unable to say more.

The group said their goodbyes, leaving before the other two groups who were leaving the day after. Adam hadn’t expected that they’d leave separately, and he wondered if it had anything to do with what Lykan seemed to be worried about.

“What was all that about?” Adam asked.

“I do not know,” Jurot said, though he could only assume. However, since Lykan didn’t mention it was about Aswadia, Jurot believed it to be something they couldn’t know about.

The group trekked through the pathway towards the nearby village before Adam stopped.

“Oh sh… snap.” Adam shook his head.

“What?” Jurot asked.

“I forgot my tea set.”

Jurot placed a hand on Adam’s shoulder. “I am sorry, Adam.”

Adam looked up towards the sky. “I suppose I’m more Iyrish than British.” He narrowed his eyes, wondering why it sounded weird. ‘Oh! That’s such a good joke!’ Adam laughed with such vigour, that the group was taken aback. They hadn’t seen Adam bellow in such a manner before.

“Jurot! I’m more Irish than I am British!” He slapped Jurot’s back, before he grabbed onto his knees, trying to keep himself from falling. “God damn! I’m so funny!”

‘We’re all going to die,’ Fred thought.

Fred thought the same when he saw the horde of Undead attacking the village in the evening.