Omen: 7, 11

Adam rubbed the giant elk’s neck. “Did they treat you well, Zeus?”

‘Yes,’ the giant elk replied.

“Did you work hard?”

‘Yes.’

“Good, good,” Adam said, before glancing to Merl, the Chief’s granddaughter, who was one of the most beautiful women he knew.

The young woman’s eyes were were glued to the young man, who was built like a damn auroch. Even now, young Merl, who would take the mantle of Chief one day, was unsure of the huge boy. He was barely a man, and held little wit.

“Careful with him,” Adam said, nodding his head towards Nobby. “He’s quite strong.”

“He’s built well, but he’s still young, inexperienced,” Merl replied.

“That’s what you think, but I’m sure Nobby can take on quite a number of Experts. Jurot speaks highly of him, and when I crossed axes with him, well…” Adam rubbed his forehead. “He scares me more than I’d care to admit.”

Merl remained silent, still doubtful of the young Nobby. She watched as the group made their way out, taking with them the steed which Adam had supplied the village over the last few months. Zeus had been more than useful, a creature which was greater than any of their mules, requiring no sustenance. To the group, Zeus was a great boon too, already carrying many of the group’s resources. Above, Merl could see Adam’s familiar flying, keeping an eye out for them.

‘I wonder what they will do this year.’

“You know,” Adam began, bringing his senses back to his body. He had taken his familiar’s senses for a moment, seeing far in the distance as he flew around, all the while Jurot assisted him in trekking forward slowly. “Should we have taken the dire wolves?”

“It would be difficult,” Jurot admitted. “They would be hunted throughout this year.”

“Right, right…” Adam sighed. The dire wolves and the Awakened Wolf would have been a great force for them to utilize, but he supposed he had to give them up. ‘I’m probably already going to spend a lot on all of us anyway.’

As it approached midday, Adam spotted two figures in the distance with his owl familiar. He needed no Perception Check to note them, since the pair were following the trail towards them. One was a dark skinned man, with fiery red hair, wearing chain mail, and carrying at his side a blade. The other was a woman, a Devilkin.

“A couple of figures up ahead,” Adam said. “I don’t think they’re a couple of monsters who could kill us all, but with me you can never tell.”

The group prepared themselves, keeping an eye out around the surroundings, just in case there were other figures in the forest around them.

The pair ahead of them stopped some ways away, noting how large the group was. They seemed to speak with one another, and Adam and Jurot exchanged a glance, before moving up on ahead. The pair of strangers noticed the two men approach.

“Hello there,” Adam called out, a little too quietly, so he repeated himself. “Hello there!”

“Hello!” came a response from the man in chain mail. “Iyrmen?”

“I am,” Jurot replied. “Jurot, son of Sonarot.”

“Korin, I’m from the Order of Black Mountain.”

“Why does that sound familiar?” Adam whispered.

Intelligence Check

D20 + 3 = 22 (19)

“Do you know someone named Dunes?” Adam shouted.

The strangers glanced between one another, taken aback by the question. Adam noted the Devilkin, who wore fine clothing, had a gem set within her forehead. It was a deep red, like blood, though Adam had no idea what it was, or what it meant.

“You know of Dunes?” the Devilkin asked.

“Yeah, why?”

“We were looking for him.”

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“Oh!” Adam chuckled before turning back. “Dunes!” Adam motioned with his hand, beckoning the Aswadian towards them. As Dunes approached, he noted the figures.

“Sara?” Dunes called, before removing his helmet. “Korin?” Dunes assumed, since he was the one that was most likely to move with Sara.

“Dunes!” the pair cried, the relief washing over them. They swiftly approached, with Korin embracing Dunes with a heavy hug, before they shook forearms, with Sara taking both of Dunes’ hands in her own.

“What are you doing here?” Dunes asked.

“We were looking for you,” Korin said. “Have you found Amira yet?”

“No, not yet. I’ve tried to speak with her with Sending, but I was unable to contact her,” Dunes admitted. “She must be in a place which the magic cannot penetrate.”

“Sending?” Korin asked.

“A Third Gate spell?” Sara asked, surprised. Even she only knew Second Gate spells, and she was greater with magic than Dunes when they had last seen one another.

Dunes smiled. “Let me introduce you to my companions. This is Jurot, an Iyrman, and this is his brother, Adam.”

Adam removed his helmet, revealing his Fae features. “A pleasure to meet you. Any friend of Dunes, is a friend of mine.”

“A Half Elf? Dunes, what would Thordan say?” His voice was light as he refrained from laughing.

“Adam’s not just any Half Elf,” Dunes admitted. “He’s got quite the story. He’s…” Dunes rested his arm against the blade at his side, the same magical blade which Adam had created for him. At one point in time it was perhaps the greatest magical item Adam had created, though it had been beaten out by a few others since. “He’s treated me well, and I’ve found him to be a fine friend to fight beside.”

“That’s all I need to hear,” Korin said, shaking Adam’s forearm. “Korin, a Guardian from Black Mountain. I’m no Expert, but I fare well in a fight.”

“A pleasure to meet you, Korin,” Adam replied. “Adam Fateson.”

“Lady Sara,” Sara said, holding both of Adam’s hands. “I am from Black Mountain too, though my parents are both Peysh.”

“Lords,” Dunes explained.

“A noblewoman?” Adam asked. “I don’t have a great record with nobles, though I suppose Lady Shamia didn’t seem to mind me much. Perhaps it’s just noblemen who don’t like me?”

“Perhaps,” Dunes said, smiling slightly, “though you did not try to aggravate her.”

“Who did I aggravate?”

“Sir Harvey? The High Alchemist of Red Oak?” Dunes replied.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Adam began to complain. “He started aggravating me.”

“I remember, but it does not change the fact you did aggravate him more than you should have.”

“If he wasn’t a racist scumbag, I think we would have gotten along well,” Adam stated firmly. “Anyway, where are you both headed to now that you’ve found Dunes?”

“We wish to find Amira,” Korin said. “We heard that she left before we returned to our Order. We thought she left with Dunes, but we found out she left before.”

Sara sighed, a sigh which was definitely only for Amira and her antics. “It is the way she is.”

“We’re also going to try and find her, so I guess you’re joining with us?” Adam asked.

The pair looked to Dunes, who nodded. “It would be good fortune for you to join us. Lady Arya will bless our company thrice.”

“Twice, right?” Adam asked. “She blesses me too, I think.” Then he looked to the Iyrman beside him. “Okay, maybe it won’t increase by much, but still.”

“It must have been Fate for us to meet,” Dunes said.

“Yeah,” Adam said, a smile on his face. It quickly dropped, and his eyes glanced around the area. “Fate?” he called out, expecting something to happen.

Korin and Sara looked to Dunes again, who shrugged his shoulders.

“I do not sense anyone,” Jurot said.

“I suppose if they wanted to talk to me, they would have revealed themselves to me,” Adam said. “You think Crowseer is around?”

“I do not know.”

“Alright, well…” Adam nodded towards the path. “Let’s head on forward. If we’ve found your friends this easily, then maybe finding Amira might be easier than we thought.” Adam winced. “Damn it. I jinxed it.”

“Is he always like that?” Korin whispered.

“Yes. You will not get used to it for some time. Adam is…” Dunes paused. “Adam is Adam.”

“Oh, right,” Adam said, turning back to the new pair. “We have a rule in our party, and if you’re coming with us, then you need to agree to the party fund rule. Ten percent of whatever we make while partying together goes into the party fund, which we’ll use to pay for our living expenses and such.”

“We agree,” Sara replied, trusting in Dunes’ judgement.

The group continued forward, heading towards the next village. Dunes spent the time chatting with his companions, filling them in about his adventures thus far.

“You must be careful when mentioning babies or children around Adam,” Dunes whispered, before noting the look of disgust on Sara’s face. “Not like that. He has five children, and he will take any opportunity to speak of them.”

“He seems quite… queer,” Korin said.

“He is a Half Elf,” Sara replied.

“He is, but…” Dunes chuckled lightly. “He’s the strongest here.”

“He is?” Korin looked to Jurot, and then to Nobby. “Stronger than them?”

“I think so.”

“How strong?”

“We could face him together and we would lose,” Dunes said.

“You know Third Gate spells,” Korin said.

“I do.”

Korin remained silent, taking in the information. “What can he do?”

“He is an Expert in both martial and magical abilities,” Dunes said.

“So he’s a Master?”

“No. He’s much stronger than a Master?”

“A Grandmaster?”

Dunes thought about Adam’s fight with Lord Morkarai. “In some ways strong, in other ways, weaker.”

Korin slowly nodded his head, accepting what Dunes was saying as fact. “Then I should be thankful for his assistance.”

“We should be careful since his presence brings forth all manner of wicked monsters,” Dunes said. “Beings greater than even the Princess of the Red Desert.”

Sara raised her brows towards Dunes. “You can say that so eagerly in front of me?”

Dunes thought back to the foe that had defeated the great companions around him, even knocking Adam unconscious in a single moment. “I can.”

Sara frowned, though did not refute Dunes’ words. If Dunes had said something so serious, she would need to take it into consideration.

“Why are there two Demons in the party?” Korin whispered, motioning his head to Lucy and Mara.

“The Demon Lord is Adam’s friend,” Dunes replied, simply.

“Oh.” Korin’s ears twitched. “The what?”