“So, how should we deal with it?” Adam asked. “I’m not going to be great since I’m in heavy armour. I could take it off and trust my shield, I guess?” Adam’s Defence would decrease by such a huge amount, and it was one of his greatest strengths.

“You can remain within your armour and use your magic,” Jurot stated. “Kitool and I can approach the sea, and Jaygak can remain a short way away with her magic.”

Adam did have a number of spells which he could apply to increase his damage, and Chaos Bolt was a great spell, especially if he could cast it infinitely. ‘Damn, this is really crazy…’

“I can assist,” Vonda said.

“No,” Jurot and Adam replied.

“I can.”

“Without Mahtu’s strength, you will burden us.”

“Damn, Jurot, you didn’t have to say it like that.”

“…”

Adam cleared his throat. “Sir Vonda, please remain a safe distance away, with Remy and Jeremy. Who is to assist them if something happens to us?”

“I know that I will be unable to assist them,” Vonda replied.

“We’re going to aim to kill it, so you should be careful, just in case it will affect your relationship with Mother Soza when we return,” Adam explained, doing his best to try and keep her safe.

“Very well.” If they were going so far, Vonda couldn’t refuse. She sighed, not liking how weak she had become without her Goddess’ guidance. Vonda’s ability to cast Third Gate spells was perhaps her greatest strength, but even her tricks would have proved useful. She touched her magical mace, feeling its magical tingle.

“We’ve got to wait until evening for it, I guess?” Adam glanced across the Goofs, who were each jabbering away quietly, pointing towards Kitool and Jurot. Adam kept his spell up, since he could use it infinitely, and could understand they were admiring their handsomeness. Every so often, they’d look Adam’s way and gag.

‘I should beat them up.’

The group made their way to the Goof’s village, settled atop a cliff as it overlooked the sea. Huts made of wood logs which had been cut in such a way they fit together, while they covered the gaps between with a deep green, near black, sludge. There were easily a hundred of them, though most were young children, perhaps three or four years old in Adam’s estimation.

“We feed you all, come, come,” Chaka Chi said. He was the leader of the Goofs, as evident by his dagger, which Adam swore was the same as the rest, but was assured it was made of a better bone.

Adam wondered what kind of sickly things these creatures ate as they set their fire. They began to grill fish moments later. ‘Sometimes I surprise myself with how dumb I can be.’

“Ooooh!” The Goofs gasped as Jaygak threw out fire into the air. “Fire God? Fire God! Fire God!”

“What are they saying?” Jaygak asked.

“They’re wondering how long the fish will be done…”

“I can’t believe your brother would lie to me, Jurot.”

“What are they saying?” Jurot asked.

“They’re calling her Fire God.”

Jaygak smirked wide, revealing her pearly white teeth.

“Are you going to joke even to me?” Jurot asked, causing Jaygak to narrow her eyes at him.

Adam chuckled. “Nice. Unfortunately, they are really calling her Fire God.”

Jurot had already known it was the case, but he wanted to join in on joking too. He allowed Jaygak to bask in their attention, glad she was feeling better.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“I hope everyone else is okay…” Adam stared at the fish, which Jaygak was shooting fire towards, narrowly charring the scales.

“They will be fine,” Jurot confirmed. “Even the weakest are nearly Experts.”

“That’s true…” Adam continued to frown. “Our adorable Cousins are in danger, Jurot.”

“They will be fine.”

“What about Nobby?”

“He is strong.”

“Brittany?”

“She is skilled with her bow.”

“What if she doesn’t have her arrows?”

“She can use her shortblades just as well.”

Adam sighed. “Jurot, do you think Lanababy and the others are having fun?”

“Yes.”

“Konarot, Kirot, and Karot, I’m sure they’re behaving, but what about Jirot? What if she bullies your mother?”

“Mother can handle it.”

“How can she handle it when my daughter is so cute?”

Jurot’s eyes fell onto Adam, whose shoulders were slumped as he waited for the fish to cook. He wondered how much Adam truly thought of his children, and if he would be the same. “Mother is strong.”

“Yeah.”

“Jarot will grow well.”

“I can’t believe you’d call your grandfather by his first name.”

“…”

Adam smiled, thinking about his youngest son. “Let’s hope he can rein in his sister.”

“Yes.”

The fish was finished cooking, but the Goofs slathered the grilled fish in some sort of brownish liquid, which caused Adam to make a face.

“He’s not that ugly any more,” a Goof said.

‘I should beat them up.’

Adam stared down at the food, checking his spells once more. He reached up to his amulet and began to chant.

Spell: Detect Poison and Disease

Adam’s eyes glanced across the food, but found that it looked no different. “I guess it’s not poisoned.”

“Did he check if our food as poisoned?”

“No. He’s praying because he’s…”

“Oh.”

‘Because I’m what?’ Adam narrowed his eyes at them, before biting into the fish. Whatever they had added to the fish had caused it to taste almost, not exactly, like fried chicken. It was extremely odd, considering how it looked, and how it felt, the texture not quite like fried chicken, but it was similar enough that Adam almost didn’t mind the brownish sludge across it. Unfortunately, the texture was still that of a fish with sludge. Adam chewed it slowly, making a grimace as he ate it.

“It taste good,” Jaygak admitted. “Better than it looks.”

“I don’t know what kind of wizardry they used to make it taste good, but I’m glad they did it.”

The children stared up at the group from afar, eating their own bread, each child taking a bite of their fish before handing it along.

“Why are they so big?”

“They are Mular?”

“No. They have no horns.”

“She has horns.”

“She’s red. Mular are not red.”

“That’s true, Mular are not red.”

The other Goof children agreed, nodding their heads as they ate.

A horn blasted through the tiny village, causing the children to hop onto their feet, and they were quickly rushed to the side. Adam watched as an adult Goof pushed the crates, revealing a hole for them, which disappeared into a tunnel.

“What’s with the horn?” Adam asked, before remembering they could not understand him.

“The horn calls for the Sea God,” Chaka Chi said. “It has come.”

Jurot and the others glanced Chaka Chi’s way.

“Well, I guess we better earn our pay,” Adam said, getting up.

“We cannot pay you,” Chaka Chi stated.

“Ah, it’s just a saying.” Adam donned his shield and grabbed his axe, before he paused. “What?”

“What?”

“You can understand me?”

“Yes.”

“What? Why didn’t you talk to me before?”

“I could not understand you then, but I can understand you now,” the Goof said. “You have eaten with us.”

“…” Adam furrowed his brows in confusion.

“Can you understand us?” Jurot asked.

“Yes, handsome one.”

“What of now?” Jurot asked, in the Iyrman’s tongue.

“Yes.”

“You can understand him too?” Adam asked.

“Yes,” Jurot replied.

The pair of brothers exchanged a glance, before Adam shrugged his shoulders. “Magic, man.”

Chaka Chi led Adam and his companions, with almost a dozen Goofs following them out. They each carried spears and shields made of wood and bone.

‘They probably won’t be very useful.’

The group arrived at the beach a short while later, watching as the waves shook violently, before the water broke and the giant sea serpent, with scales as dark as night, greeted them with its mighty form. It could swallow all dozen of the Goofs in a single bite with its giant maw.

“What a big girl,” Adam whispered, almost whistling at the size of the sea serpent.

“Little ants,” the serpent hissed, its maw forming a wry smile. “Why have you come with your little sticks.”

“Jurot, can you hear it too?” Adam whispered.

“Yes.”

Adam slowly nodded his head, still not quite understanding how they could all speak to one another.

“We have come to ask you to allow us safe passage,” Chaka Chi shouted at the Sea God.

“I have already promised you safe passage,” it replied, hissing out a laugh.

“You destroyed our rafts!”

“I already told you that was because I was having a nightmare!” The creature hissed out a laugh again.

“You will allow us to go freely, or we will fight!”

The Sea God glanced between the entire group, its black eyes full of mischief. “You found yourself some capable warriors, but have you forgotten who I am? I am-,” rather than finishing its sentence, it blasted a beam of water at the group.

Dexterity Save

Voluntary failure!

Health: 78 -> 65

The beam of water cut almost like a blade, but as it threatened to kill Chaka Chi, a wall of purple covered the tiny form, shielding him from the blast, while the others blocked the beam of water from striking the other Goofs.

“You!” Chaka Chi gasped in shock, staring up at Adam and the others.

“Don’t worry,” Adam said, towering over the Goof. “Cocky bastards are our speciality.”