Omen: 4, 15

The knight stood at the entrance of the Adventurer’s Guild, waiting for Adam and his companions to finish with their morning preparations. She had been told to wait, especially for the Half Elf, who enjoyed his baths.

“Hoo!” Adam groaned, stretching out his neck and his shoulders as he stepped out. Adam eyed up the heavily armoured knight in front of him, nodding his head at them. “Appreciate you waiting, thanks.”

The knight’s eyes fell across the group. The Half Elf, who wore his puthral breastplate, and a scarf around his head, and three Iyrmen, one of whom was a Devilkin.

“I shall escort you now,” the knight said, before turning on her heel and marching away. Two city guards brought up the rear as the guard brought them to a carriage, with two large warhorses ready to pull them along. The coat of arms on the carriage was that of a small wave within a large circle.

The knight opened the door for them, and offered her hand. Adam motioned a hand to his companions, entering after them. None took her hand, but Adam thanked her, before he sat down within the carriage, beside Jurot.

“Ooh,” Adam said, feeling the cushion under his bottom. “Nice.”

The knight hopped onto her own horse, and the guards stood behind the carriage as it set off towards the Littlesea estate.

“Did you know his name was Littlesea?” Adam whispered.

“Yes.”

Adam smirked and shook his head. “No wonder he always said he was of East Port.”

“It is a good name,” Jurot said. “He descends from the original Eastport family.”

“That right?”

“Yes.”

“Well, damn,” Adam said. “What happened to that family anyhow?”

“They were forced to step down,” Jurot said.

“Why’s that?”

“They tried to rebel against Aldland, but they failed,” Jurot stated as matter of factly as he always did. “They were spared, but were forced to take the position of Barons Littlesea of East Port.”

“Well, damn.” Adam replied, his brows raised. “Why did they rebel?”

“It was during a time that the royal family’s influence and power waned.”

“Did that happen a lot?”

“More than once.”

“Fair.”

Soon the group arrived at the Littlesea estate, which spread wide and far. Adam assumed at least a few hundred people must have lived here, most of them servants. It was separated by walls and fences, and was beside a few other noble estates. At least a dozen or so guards patrolled around the area, while dozens of other servants went about their work.

The knight offered her hand to assist the group out, but none took her hand. Adam nodded and thanked her, before she began to lead them along the long path towards a large manor, which could have easily housed a hundred Littleseas, but no doubt only housed a handful and their many servants. They eventually veered off to the side to a smaller manor, which would could have houses thirty or so Littleseas, but no doubt only housed just one. There were other manors and small estates which lay nearby.

A beautiful young woman stood at the front of the manor they were brought to, her dark hair slicked back, cut shorter than typical. She wore a small hat atop her head, and carried at her side a dagger. Her eyes were a deep grey, which glared at the group with a deep intensity.

“Greetings to Adam, Jurot, Kitool, and Jaygak,” the young woman said, bowing stiffly at a particular angle. “Please, follow me.” She turned swiftly and almost bounced away into the estate.

It was about as Adam expected, with various plinths which held the busts of all manner of important people, some out of marble, others out of bronze and silver. In the large entrance hall, a suit of armour was posed in a strike, while a stuffed wolf lay under it helplessly. As they continued, Adam noted the other furnishings, and the painting hanging on the wall, great scenes of history, most false, others less false.

As they passed through an archway into a dining room, Adam saw the form of a familiar face, one which was mangled in the noble’s youth. Freshly trimmed black hair, and striking blue eyes, the young form of Sir Landon, who was in his mid twenties or so, sat at one side of a table. The table was a large semi circle, though Sir Landon sat at the side with a flat edge. Two knights stood on either side of him, both familiar to Adam. Adam’s eyes lingered on one of their swords.

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“Fate’s Golden,” Sir Landon said, motioning for them to sit. “It has been some time.”

“It sure has,” Adam replied, taking a seat opposite him. Jurot sat to his right, placing the crimson shield onto the table. Iyrmen could carry weapons wherever they pleased, and this extended to the estates of nobles.

“I didn’t expect you all to come to East Port so soon,” the young nobleman said, pausing.

“Well, you know.” Adam shrugged his shoulders. “We thought about visiting the large city, for one reason or another.”

“Do you plan to quest nearby?”

“Yeah, something like that,” Adam said.

“Have you broken your fast?”

“A little,” Adam replied, assuming he meant if they ate breakfast.

“Bring us some wine and cheese, and the fruits of East Port,” Sir Landon directed.

“Nice place,” Adam said. “You said you were the… fourth son?”

“The third son.”

“Ah,” Adam replied, nodding his head slowly. “I liked the centrepiece in the, what do you call it?”

“The entrance hall?”

“I thought there was a fancier name for it.”

“The grand foyer.”

“That was it, yeah. I liked the chandelier too. Were they sapphires?”

“Sea sapphires.”

“Are they different to land sapphires?”

“They’re worth more.”

“Of course they are.” Adam chuckled. “Right, uh, I told the children that you generously donated some trinkets.”

Sir Landon recalled how much he disliked Adam, his lips frowning slightly.

“What?” Adam asked. “They really liked the trinkets.”

“I’m sure they did.”

“It was a wise decision to make, like graciously allowing us to keep the twilight fox core,” Adam said. “We remembered the favour you showed us, Sir Landon.”

“You’re willing to listen to my request?” Sir Landon asked.

“Let’s see how good your wine and cheese is,” Adam replied, smirking slightly.

The servants brought the wine and cheese, a platter of at least thirty different kinds of cheese, and three bottles of wine, each identical to one another. It was the butler who poured them their wine, starting with Sir Landon, before moving to Kitool, who sat to Adam’s left, and then Adam, then Jurot, and finally Jaygak.

Adam sipped the wine, sweet and smooth. He bit into the various cheeses, though there were some far too pungent for him.

“Salifi gold?” Jurot asked, motioning to a cheese.

“You know of it?” Sir Landon asked.

“I ate some when I was a boy,” Jurot said, cutting himself a tiny piece, chewing it slowly. “It is as good as I remember.”

Adam cut a thin slice for himself, before chewing on it. It was more powerful than he thought, the flavour attacking his mouth with fury. He coughed, chewing it more quickly, before swallowing it. He glanced at Jurot, who was eating a small portion about as thin and wide as his pinky nail. Adam sipped on his wine, before sipping some water, and tasting a more manageable amount of cheese. The flavour was still great, but this time did not assault him so harshly.

“You know what? That is some Gouda cheese,” he said, before chuckling. He elbowed Jurot gently. “Get it? Gouda?”

“No,” Jurot replied.

“It’s like the name of the cheese.”

“Gouda cheese?” Jurot asked.

“Yeah. Gouda cheese.”

“There is no such cheese I have heard of,” Jurot said, who had eaten hundreds of cheese.

“Oh.” Adam blinked. ‘Is it named after a place? Oh.’ “The joke’s funnier if you… it doesn’t matter.” Adam sighed, sipping more wine. Adam picked at the fruit in front of him, tasting how sweet each was. “It really was a good joke.”

“I am sure it was,” Jurot replied.

Adam continued to pick at the fruit. “So, what do you think, Jurot? Is the wine and cheese good?”

“They are good,” Jurot confirmed.

“Your hospitality is wonderful, Sir Landon,” Adam said, slowly nodding his head. “I appreciate the fact that you didn’t ask us to remove our weapons too.”

“I do not believe you are so foolish to attack me in my own home after being paraded through the city,” Sir Landon said.

“You shouldn’t underestimate how stupid…” Adam paused, furrowing his brows. “You’re right, of course, Sir Landon.”

Sir Landon wasn’t sure if he should give so much faith to Adam. “Have you come to enter the tournament?”

“We’ve been thinking about it.”

“Would you be willing to enter under our name?”

“Perhaps. What are the benefits of entering under your name?” Adam asked.

“You would be under the name of a noble, and would be awarded certain privileges that come with that fact. If you would come into any minor trouble, my name would shield you. Of course, if you certainly did do something wrong, my name would take a hit, but I’m sure it is in our best interest for us to both remain on our best behaviour in a mutually beneficial relationship.”

“We were planning on entering with our weapons with the purpose of promoting a business we are a part of,” Adam said.

“Which business is that?”

“We work for an enchanter who works closely with the Iyr,” Adam said. “They made our weapons. You’re familiar with their work, I’m sure.”

Jurot placed Phantom onto the table, causing his knights to tense up for a moment, but they relaxed.

“Wasn’t this axe your weapon?”

“A weapon made by the Enchanter, but another was made for me, and this was found best within Jurot’s hand,” Adam said, carefully.

Sir Landon furrowed his brows. “I am quite familiar with your Enchanter’s work. It is fine work.”

Adam smiled. “It sure is.”

“I would like to offer yourself, Jurot, and Kitool my name,” Sir Landon said. “I would have offered more, but three is best. I will pay you fifty gold for each win in the main tournament, and you may keep all the prize money you earn. I would also like you to assist me after the tournament.”

“How do you want us to assist you?” Adam asked.

“I need your assistance, all your assistance,” he said, glancing towards Jaygak, “in slaying a few creatures. I am engaged, and wish to offer my betrothed something of great value.”

“Romance, eh?” Adam sighed. “You really know how to pull my heartstrings, Sir Landon. Alright, well, we’ll fight for you during the tournament, and we’ll try and assist you after, but we might have some other matters to attend to. I can’t spend too long adventuring, I need to return to… do some business in duskval.”

“As long as I have your word that you will assist me,” Sir Landon said, signalling to his butler, who pulled out a scroll from her pocket, which was far too small to house such a scroll.

Adam read through it, realising it had been written by the Adventurer’s Guild last evening. Adam handed it to Jurot, who scanned it, and returned it back to Adam. Adam gave him a look, but Kitool and Jaygak didn’t seem bothered in the slightest about reading it.

“Alright,” Adam said, signing the document with the name of the party.

“Before you go, my knight would like to face you in combat,” Sir Landon said. “If you wouldn’t mind.”

Adam eyed the knight up, glancing down at his sword once more. “Alright.”