Omen: 11, 12

“Jurot, come,” Jarot called, forcing Jurot to wear the baby carrier, and his twin niece and nephew against his chest.

Adam crossed his arms, annoyed by the fact he had to give up his children, but he remained silent, allowing Jurot to leave with his grandfather.

“Papa,” Lanarot called, tugging on Adam’s leg, before reaching up with her arms.

Adam lifted her up, rubbing his cheek against her forehead, before nuzzling against her nose. “Did you miss papa yesterday?”

“Oo,” the girl replied, resting her head against his shoulder, fiddling with her gloves.

“Sorry, sorry,” Adam apologised, kissing her cheek. “You can stay with me, smelly girl.”

Lanarot giggled quietly, cuddling up to her elder brother. She babbled quietly at him, sometimes pointing to the wall and snow. She raised her hands up questioningly.

“You’re absolutely right, Lanababy,” Adam said, pulling her closer into his chest, brushing the strands of hair which peeked out of her hat.

“Will you enjoy this festival without enchanting once?” Sir Vonda joked, smiling at Adam from behind her scarf.

“I have children now, so I have to take the time off properly,” Adam replied, nodding his head.

“May I accompany you?” Sir Vonda asked.

“How could I refuse?” Adam asked, letting Lanarot down, allowing the girl to lead the way.

“Oof,” Lanarot said, pressing herself against a stall, trying to climb atop it to grab at the treasured bread. As the bread passed over her to her brother, she groaned and cried, but Adam brought it to her lips, silencing her cries with deliciousness.

“She really loves bread,” Vonda said.

“She’s always loved bread,” Adam said. “She has good taste.” Adam smiled, and Sir Vonda could see something deeper within the smile, which forced away some of the darkness which she sometimes saw.

They travelled together through the Iyr, filling up on the snacks of the Iyr, even finding Dunes, who held out a wrap for Lanarot. She bit into the wrap and smiled, before her eyes went wide. She groaned, blowing out against her lips.

Adam brought some snow to her lips, which cooled her lips, and the girl stared suspiciously at Dunes. The Half Elf took her wrap, tearing off some of the bread, before finishing the spicy kebab wrap in her stead. “I can’t believe Dunes betrayed you like this, Lanababy.”

Lanarot angrily bit into the flat bread, before hiding herself against her brother’s leg. She babbled affirmatively at Adam’s accusation.

“Who dares to betray our little Lanarot?” called a familiar voice, who whisked the girl up into his arms.

“Baba,” the girl said, pointing up at Strom.

“I did not betray you, you smelly girl,” Strom said, causing Adam to tilt his head. “Is it this Priest? That’s why I said you can’t trust Priests.”

“Oi,” Adam said, narrowing his eyes. “I’ll have you know that Vonda and Dunes are quite dependable, actually.”

Strom smiled. “Is that the case? Well, I will have to take Lanarot away to tell her the truth.” Strom floated upwards, taking the girl away from the pair, waving goodbye with his fingers.

Lanarot dropped her torn flat bread, but was too distracted by the snow which fell across her to notice.

“He just kidnapped my sister,” Adam said, looking to Vonda in shock. “Do I chase him?”

“It should be fine?” Vonda replied, staring at the figures at they left, hearing the squealing on the wind.

Adam and Vonda exchanged a look, before they continued enjoying the festival together. Dunes understood what Strom had done, and eventually the pair also understood.

They found a place in the corner of a shared estate and sat opposite one another, sharing some wine. Adam made a mental note only to sip a cup or two, but not to drink any more.

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“We are worried, Adam,” Vonda began, deciding to break through the awkwardness.

“What?”

“You have not been well.”

“Haven’t I?”

Vonda bowed her head. “It is what I have seen. A stress in your face, a nervousness. If you need someone to talk to, Adam, I am always here for you.”

Adam smiled. “Well, you know how I am. I almost die, have five children thrust upon me…” He sighed. “No. They weren’t thrust upon me. I chose to have them even though I know I’m weak. It was stupid, but… I couldn’t just abandon them.”

“You chose life, Adam,” Vonda said, a smile within her eyes.

“Yeah, something like that,” Adam said, sipping his wine. He recalled Shama, who had completely cut through himself and his companions, many of whom were quite tough, like they were made of butter.

“He was strong,” Vonda said, knowing what Adam was thinking. “The stranger was powerful, but he was not someone that we would ordinarily meet. Such threats are not something we should meet again.”

“You don’t understand, Vonda. That kind of threat isn’t normal, you’re right, but that’s for you guys. For me, that sort of thing is normal.” Adam frowned, thinking back to even his previous life.

Vonda remained silent, seeing Adam fall into thought, the same way he usually did. It was about something important, she gathered, since it always led to eyes full of grief, and wanting.

Adam raised his brows with the sudden realisation. “In fact, he’s probably not even the strongest threat I’ve had to face.” He leaned back in his chair, sighing out, his breath white from the chill of snow. “Having kids when I’ve got monsters like that after me is irresponsible. I can at least take solace in the fact that Aunt and the others are taking care of them, but…”

“But?” Vonda asked, leaning forward slightly.

“It’s not fair to them, you know? They’re looking after someone else’s kids, and that’s not right. I wouldn’t mind if we were related, but I’m just-,”

“You are Jurot’s brother, Adam,” Vonda said, clearly, stating it as a fact. “Jurot believes that to be true in his heart, don’t you?”

“Sure, but that was…” Adam sighed. “He accepted me as his brother before he knew the baggage that came with it. Forcing him to be my brother while hiding how much trouble I am, it wasn’t fair to him.”

“Whether you are trouble or not, and I will not deny the trouble you bring, he is your brother, Adam. The Iyr has adopted you, so you are family, and that is that.”

“The Iyr hasn’t adopted me, the Rot family has,” Adam corrected.

“You are right.” Vonda raised her brows, emphasising her point.

Adam replied with a raise of his own brows, relenting on that point at least. “Once I get my own keep, I’ll move the kids there. I can’t keep accepting their favour freely.”

Vonda blinked. “Freely? Adam, you have spent the last three months enchanting for the Iyr. It is changing, I’m sure you’ve felt it too, and though I do not know why, you have assisted them so much. Can anyone dare to claim that you are living with them freely? If you are living freely, what of Dunes and I? We assist with labour sometimes, and though I grant my spells, it is nothing compared to what you have done for the Iyr.”

Adam rubbed the side of his neck. “I guess.” He sighed. “I’m just worried. The Rot family hasn’t accepted them. Their lives are going to be difficult. They’re Goblins and Dragons, Vonda. Jirot and Jarot, they can be slain because people view them like rats, vermin. The other three might be slain for their bodies, or for glory.”

“What will you do?”

“I was thinking about creating a force, but… I can’t even protect them, so how am I meant to create a force to protect them?”

“I have been with you long enough to know to believe in you,” Vonda said, smiling warmly.

Adam shrugged his shoulders. “I mean, maybe? I’m not sure if that’s misplaced, but… I mean, Nobby might be an Expert soon, I guess. If he’s anything like Jurot, then damn, you know? If I can create a bunch of Experts like Jurot, then maybe I can sleep a little more peacefully at night.”

“I would feel great comfort in that,” Vonda admitted. “Jurot is…” She recalled how Jurot was one of the few who remained up after battling Shama, and he had stood up again, along with Kitool, to try to beat the old monster down. He was the only one who had drawn even a drop of blood. “He is strong.”

“Yeah.” Adam couldn’t help but agree. “Still, I need to be strong. Stronger than anyone else. If I was to create a force… Master, no, Grandmaster, for sure.” Adam nodded his head slowly, sipping his wine.

“I believe you can do it.”

Adam sighed, closing his eyes. Vonda’s belief did little to lift the cloud of anxiety. He had buried the darkness within himself, but it seeped out every so often. The darkness was a greater foe than Adam could deal with. “I hope we can find that enchanting shrine.”

Vonda reached for his hand, causing Adam to jolt upwards, and she quickly pulled her hand back in shock. “Sorry.”

“You should at least warn me before you touch me, Vonda,” Adam replied, chuckling nervously. “Do you know how scary it is for me to be touched by pretty women out of the blue?” Adam thought back to Entalia, and the way she sometimes looked at him. Then there was Lucy, who would stare at the Iyrmen hungrily too. He shuddered at the thought, before smiling, bursting into laughter.

Vonda glanced aside, the heat in her cheeks filling her with warmth. She wondered if she should speak with Adam about her thoughts, but she decided against it. “Excuse me.”

Adam smiled, relaxing in his seat once more. “It’s alright.”

Vonda’s hands awkwardly shifted from the table to her lap. “I must admit, I was shocked when you saved Jirot and Jarot. I would have saved them too, but not because I thought they were like us, but because of the Right to Life. I did not see them like myself, like a person. However…” She paused for a moment, falling into thought. “Seeing them grow. Seeing them giggle joyfully. Seeing how you dote on them. How can they not be people, like you and I?”

“Vonda?”

“Yes?”

“Aren’t my kids the cutest?” Adam smiled with the smuggest of smiles.

“Yes,” she said. “They are.”

Adam continued to sip his drink, speaking of how much he adored his children. Vonda smiled, her adoration for Adam increasing.

‘It is only admiration, isn’t it?’