Omen: 14, 16

Adam stretched out his back. He had managed to send some Mana into Churot, and it had gone well, well enough that Lanarot could hold onto his finger as she slept. Lanarot eventually awoke for breakfast, allowing Adam to go bathe and help with cooking.

It was the last day for the Kan family to cook, tomorrow it would fall to the Gak family, which meant Adam’s tongue would feel numb until his Aunt would cook. He assisted with grilling the meat, which had been marinated in all kinds of spices for the last night.

Shikan was making the flat bread for each of them, two for each person, and even a small flat bread for Lanarot. The children would only eat a single one at most, but the rest would be divided among the adults, and saved for later if there were any leftovers.

Lanarot looked up at Adam’s wrap, grabbing onto his arm to pull it down so she could take a bite.

“Who is this little thief?” Adam asked. “What a cute little thief she is, though.” Adam brought his wrap to her lips, allowing her to bite into it, before she pulled back, chewing on the food.

The Iyrmen looked to Sonarot, who did not react to the word.

“No,” Taygak said, pointing at Adam. “No!”

“What?” Adam asked.

“No thief!” She huffed out angrily towards Adam. “Iyrman.”

“Oh? Is she an Iyrman?” Adam asked, looking down to Lanarot.

“Yes.”

“Oh. My mistake. Lanarot, you are an Iyrman, not a thief.” Adam leaned down to kiss her forehead, before ruffling her hair.

Lanarot finished chewing her food, before opening her mouth for more, and Adam tore some flat bread for the girl, and then crushed some meat for her, placing them down in chunks before her little table.

Taygak glared at Adam, keeping an eye on him, in case he acted up.

Adam cleared his throat. “However, isn’t it obvious she’s a thief?”

The Iyrmen’s eyes flashed wide, and they all looked to Sonarot again. Jurot was wondering what Adam was talking about, but Jaygak smirked, throwing a knowing look to Kitool.

Sonarot thought only for a moment. “It is because she has stolen your heart.”

Adam snapped his finger, winking at his Aunt. “Exactly.”

Jogak groaned quietly, which caused Jaygak to look at him. Her eyes dared him to say it, and as her father, he accepted the dare. “Now there are two of them.”

Jaygak grabbed onto her father’s head, who grabbed her by the head too, finding it much more difficult now to deal with her daughter. She had become an Expert, so he wasn’t able to pin her down as he used to be able to.

“It is breakfast,” Lavgak said, sighing. Her husband and daughter quickly let go of one another, but the others had taken note of how difficult it had been for Jogak to try and wrestle her.

As much as Adam aggravated many of the Iyrmen, he had done so much for them. They had no doubt the Great Elders had thought the same. If Sonarot hadn’t tried to protect Adam so fiercely, he’d have found himself buried deep within the Iyr.

“I should get to enchanting,” Adam said, hopping onto his feet.

“You are enchanting so soon?”

“Yeah, I need the money,” Adam admitted.

“You should speak with Elder Zijin,” Sonarot said.

“Oh? Sure.” Adam made his way out, feeling the gazes against his back. ‘That’s my own fault, this time. I shouldn’t joke around calling Iyrmen thieves.’

Elder Zijin was in the middle of checking his books, and one in particular Adam had seen some time ago. Adam narrowed his eyes, wondering where he had seen the book before.

“Adam,” the Orcish Elder called.

“Hey, Elder Zijin. Aunt Sonarot said I should come speak with you. I was planning on enchanting a weapon today to make some money.”

Elder Zijin placed the book down, revealing the mathematical equations, comparing them to his own notes. “Did she say anything else?”

“Just that I should speak with you.”

Zijin assumed why. “Would you be willing to enchant weapons for the Iyr before you are to leave?”

“Sure,” Adam said, shrugging his shoulders. “What kind of weapons?”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“If you could enchant the…” Zijin paused, recalling what they were currently working on with Adam. “Greater Enhanced, please.”

“One second,” Adam said. ‘Is a 23 good enough for a greater enhanced?’

[Barely.]

“You’re in luck, I could probably start it today,” Adam said, nodding his head. “What kind of enchantment?”

“When one grows weak, the blade becomes more powerful,” Zijin said.

“Same as before?”

Zijin nodded.

“Alright. I hope you’ll pay me well,” Adam said, smiling down at the Elder. “Do you have the weapon and the gems?”

“You may take them from the warehouse,” Zijin said, writing something down, before tearing off a piece of paper for the Half Elf.

Adam glanced down at it, where it said Adam was allowed to take up to two thousand gold in gems to be used in enchanting, as well as a weapon of his choosing. It also stated his payment was to be prepared, two thousand gold, which would be handed to Elder Zijin.

“Show them the token Elder Gold gave you,” Zijin said, before dismissing Adam with a nod. He watched as the Half Elf left. ‘What am I to do with you, Adam?’ He sighed. With Adam’s propensity to frustrate the Great Elders, Zijin understood he needed to assist Sonarot in trying to keep him alive.

The Iyrman stared at the note for a long moment, before his eyes fell to Adam. A Half Elf who could enchant with Elder Gold’s Token?

“You are Unrivalled?” the Iyrman asked.

Adam sighed. “Fateson,” he replied. He couldn’t give in to such a cringe name, not yet, not when his sister was still growing.

The Iyrman allowed Adam inside to find a weapon, grabbing an axe which was nearly entirely black, feeling the wood against his hand, then the cool metal against his finger tip. It wasn’t just cool, but almost ghostly cold, feeling as though his life was being pulled away.

Mana: 18 -> 15

Enchanting Check

D20 + 7 = 11 (4)

Omen: 14, 16 -> 14

16 + 7 = 23

Intelligence Save

D20 + 5 = 14 (9)

Adam plucked a Thread of Fate, with the young silver scaled creatures finding themselves not alone, and thus Fate was forever changed.

“Phew,” Adam said, brushing his brow. He could already feel the Mana trying to pull away from him, the pulsing of his forehead which he managed to stave away.

Instead of returning back to the shared family estate, Adam made his way to the Rot family estate, where he saw the various other Rot relaxing during the evening. They were about to eat and drink together.

Churot, who was writing in his book, paused.

“Good evening,” Adam said, revealing the axe. “Just finished up with some enchanting and thought I may as well help Churot too.”

“Is it safe?”

‘Will Churot be harmed?’

[No.]

“It won’t harm Churot,” Adam assured.

“Will it hurt you deeper?”

“I don’t think so,” Adam replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Either way, you won’t let me die, right?”

“What makes you say that?”

“How will you explain it to your darling granddaughter that you let her brother die?” Adam asked, smirking up at him.

Jarot grunted in response. ‘Even I am to be played by him now?’

Mana: 15 -> 5

XP: 14 300 -> 13 800

Health: 65 -> 35

Exhaustion: 0 -> 1

Adam panted by the end of it. “Are you alright, Churot?”

“Okay,” Churot replied. He was sweating, but he could feel it, something deep inside of him. It tingled within his heart, an electricity which danced along his finger tips. ‘Magic…’

“I should return before they get worried,” Adam said.

“You will not eat?” Jarot asked.

“It’s not my stomach, but my heart which needs to eat,” Adam replied, simply.

“There are many of your cousins even here,” Jarot said. “Come. Eat and speak with them.”

Adam awkwardly followed the older man, joining the group which were all eating. Sarot, Tarot, and Zirot were also there, eating alongside Mulrot.

“It is good to see you, Adam,” Sarot said, shaking the young Half Elf’s forearm, who continued shaking the various older Iyrmen’s forearms.

“You as well,” Adam replied. “Are you all having fun?”

“We are living,” he replied, simply.

“You can’t say that. I hear you’re going off to adventure, leaving your poor older brother alone.” Adam smiled.

Sarot bowed his head gently. “You are certainly my brother’s grandson.”

Adam wondered if he should wince, but decided against it, having heard that Sarot was even stronger than Jarot. If Adam couldn’t defeat Jarot, who only had one arm, how could he dare to fight Sarot. He wanted to keep Jarot as his only loss for as long as possible.

“You look exhausted,” Zirot said. “Would you like to sleep in the estate tonight?”

“The other day I had left my darling Lanababy without her papa and she couldn’t sleep well without me, so I can’t possibly do it again,” Adam replied.

Tarot looked to Jarot, giving him a look. Jarot threw a look to Adam, before looking back to Tarot. Jarot was fairly certain Adam was not related to him by blood, for he never lay with an Elf during his adventures.

After he had eaten, Adam made sure to greet the younger children, and allowed them to admire the dark axe. He also greeted the baby, who stared up at Adam in shock, before turning back to his mother, who brushed the boy’s hair.

“I’m a stranger even in the Rot estate, huh?” Adam joked.

“You may not be, soon,” the mother replied.

“You said that rather ominously.”

“Uncle says you are to become a pillar of the Rot family,” the mother said. “Is that true?”

“Hmmm.” Adam thought about it. “In a sense. I’ll be a pillar for Lanarot, which means I’m a pillar for the Rot family, and a pebble for the Iyr.”

“Uncle Jarot has bet a hundred gold that you will become a Paragon,” she said.

“Really?”

She nodded. “He has bet you will become a Grandmaster before he passes.”

“A terrible bet,” Adam said. “I’ve already died twice, so I might even die before him.”

“You have lived three lives?”

“Something like that.”

“Then can you not live four lives?” It was an innocent question, but she hadn’t expected the look of dread on Adam’s face. It caused her to step back, while Adam looked towards the ground.

“Adam?” Jarot asked, some time later.

Adam’s head snapped to the older one armed Iyrman. “I should go.” His voice was weak, and he quickly turned and left, taking the axe with him.

‘If I die, does that mean I’ll be reborn in another time?’ Adam thought. ‘Then… what will happen to Lanarot? To Turot?’ A chill seeped into his head, one he couldn’t shake off. Adam was not afraid of death itself, but the concept of another life caused him to grow colder.

“Adam?” Jurot asked, the Half Elf standing in the doorway, letting in the cool night air.

Lanarot was sitting down on Jurot’s lap, and she looked up from the book towards her papa.

“Are you okay?” Sonarot asked.

Adam remained silent for a long moment, before spotting Turot, who was sitting on the ground beside Jurot’s leg, also looking up from his book. The boy’s face stared up at Adam in shock, having not seen such an expression on Adam’s face before.

Adam’s face twitched as he forced himself to smile. He looked around, touching the wall, as though checking if everything was real. “Yeah,” he said, his voice raspy, before clearing his throat “Yeah. Everything’s going to be okay.”