Omen: 10, 13

“Brightly coloured stuff, eh?” Adam said, staring at the stalls within Eagle Wing.

“Yes.”

“Mmm.” Adam slowly nodded his head, recalling someone informing him about Goblin sight previously. ‘So that’s why they liked Jaygak.’ “I’ll buy a bunch of that sort of thing then.”

“Okay.”

‘Should I ask Jaygak about jewellery?’ Adam thought as he finished buying up the items from Eagle Wing.

Their journey had been disappointingly smooth. For whatever reason, many creatures left them be. It was as thought they had been walking around with a terrifying creature, like a Dragon, within their midst. Once at Eagle Wing, Adam allowed them an extra day, but he was eager to head to Red Oak, where he had several tasks to handle.

“Hey, Jaygak,” Adam called out before settling down with her and the other Iyrmen within the guild. “Since you work with jewellery, could you make stuff for the kids if I get you some gold and silver?”

“I could.”

“Would you?”

Jaygak remained silent for a long while. “Perhaps?”

“How can you do this to me?” Adam whispered. “After all I’ve done for you?”

“What have you done for me?”

“I only teased you a little when you lost the tournament.”

Jaygak hummed quietly in thought. “That’s true.” She smirked slightly. “I’ll think about it.”

“I guess the kids don’t need any jewellery yet, but I thought it would be nice for them to have something you made in their hoards, you know?” Adam said.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Alright, alright.” Adam waved his hand, dismissing the topic since Jaygak was being difficult. He eyed up the group, noting how smooth everything was going. ‘We might not be this lucky next year when we adventure. I should make us some rings? I could enchant them with protection magic and it should be able to bump our Defence.’

“Stop thinking so much, Adam,” Jaygak grumbled. “You’re making the food taste bad.”

“You sure are talkative now, Jaygak.”

“It’s because you’re thinking too often.”

“I’m always thinking.”

“It’s always annoying.”

Adam frowned. “Don’t go too far, Jaygak.”

“When you think about your children I leave it be,” Jaygak replied.

“You can tell?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“If the look on your face is stupid, you’re thinking about something stupid. If it’s really stupid, you’re thinking about your children.”

‘Are my thoughts always on my face?’ Adam thought, making a face.

“You’re not thinking about your children that time.”

“If I’ve become so predictable, that’s rather dangerous…”

The next day the group set out of Eagle Wing, heading down towards Deadwood. As evening began approaching, they found a camp of soldiers who were making their way up towards Eagle Wing.

‘Oh no.’ “Jurot,” Adam whispered. “You do the… Kitool, you do the talking.”

“Okay,” Kitool replied, going up with Sir Vonda and Jurot to speak with the group of soldiers.

‘If I talk, I’m pretty sure I’ll start a fight,’ Adam thought, glancing across the plains on either side. They had been lucky, too lucky, recently, and he was certain their luck was going to run out soon. ‘I’ve got a bad feeling about this.’

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“They wish for war tax,” Kitool stated.

“That’s it?”

“Yes.”

“Alright. We’ll hand over thirty gold, then, a little extra to make sure they don’t bother us,” Adam replied, slowly nodding his head, but more thoughts began to invade his mind. “Or should we give exactly as much as we should to not tempt them into doing more? No, maybe we should show the plaque?”

“You’re thinking too much,” Jaygak said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Calm down.”

“I’m very calm,” Adam replied, before noting the ways the rest of them were glancing at him. “Thirty gold should be fine.”

“Are you okay?” Vonda asked.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

“We are almost to the Iyr,” Vonda said. “We will return by the end of the eighth month.”

“I hope so.”

Vonda bowed her head slowly, understanding why Adam was becoming more tense as they neared the Iyr.

The days continued as they made their way to Deadwood. The spotted a caravan ahead of them, making their way from Deadwood to Eagle Wing. The caravan was at fifteen vehicles long, and Adam could see each was guarded by at least four warriors, some of whom were seemingly unarmoured, but were darker skinned. There were two sets of mounted guards, each guarding the front and back of the caravan.

“Trouble?” Adam asked, noting the large number of warriors ahead of them.

“No,” Jurot replied.

The front group of riders numbered six, each who were darker skinned rode up towards the group. They were adorned in chain armour, wielding long spears in hand, and carried shorter blades at their side. A hammer dangled beside their saddlebags. They wore long cloaks, black, with white letters within a circle, though they were of a foreign language.

Adam, Jurot, Kitool, Vonda, Dunes, and Sara, stepped up to meet them. The leader dismounted, rubbing the side of his horse gently, before he removed his helmet to reveal that he was much younger than his companions. He had black hair which fell down to his shoulders, and his beard was thick, but short and well trimmed.

“Aswadi?” the young man asked, eyeing up Dunes and the others.

Dunes removed his own helmet, nodding his head. “Chakari?”

The man replied in Aswadian, and Dunes nodded. The man asked another question in their tongue, and Dunes looked past him to the group of guards behind them. Dunes replied with a rather casual response, motioning his head to Adam.

The young Aswadian stared at Adam, before his eyes fell across the Iyrmen beside the Half Elf. The young man said something, causing the others behind him to laugh.

Dunes smiled, before giving his response. “Adam, remove your helmet.”

Adam did so, revealing his handsome face, and his pointed ears. ‘…’

“Acha!” The young man nodded his ahead approvingly, flashing more of a smile. He turned his head back to his companions. “Kal, ajuk.”

One of the other riders dismounted, a man who wore a peculiar helmet which was more of a box at the top, but as he removed it, he revealed a white, box like hat which contained his hair, which was almost as white as his hat. His wrinkled face betrayed that he was at least in his forties, but his white hair made him appear much older.

“I am Adil Al Zuhd,” he said, his words permeated with a deep accent.

“Adam Fateson.”

“I translate.”

“Sure.”

“You are the leader?”

“I am.”

“Our leader, Zain Al Zuhd.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“He say the same.”

Adam looked to Dunes, wondering why he wasn’t translating. Dunes replied with a shake of his head, and Adam left it at that.

“You are head to Deadwood?”

“Yes.”

“Trouble on road?”

“We have been very lucky,” Adam said, shaking his head. “I can’t say the same for another group.”

“Noor watches over you.”

Adam smiled, tapping his amulet. “Baktu, Lord Sozain, seems to not bless me.”

“Mm.”

“Do you have any trinkets to sell?” Adam asked. “I’d like to buy some for my children.”

“No trinkets, only treasures.”

Adam reached into his tunic, and though the heavily armoured warriors tensed up behind them, Zain and Adil did not seem to react. Adam held out a gem. “Then I’d like to buy a few treasures for my children. I have five, but I should buy some more for the other children too. I’d like at least… fifty items?” Adam reached into his pouch and pulled out another tiger eye. “If you don’t mind.”

“Very rich Half Elf,” Adil said.

“I made a lot of money betting in the tournament.”

“Aha, bets in tournament? Very good?”

“Very good,” Adam said, motioning a hand to Jurot. “My brother here came first place, and Kitool here came second. Nobby here, and my Cousins, also placed very well, first through seventh in their segment.”

“Oho! Very strong! You fight too?”

“I did okay too.”

“Very okay?”

“Very okay.” Adam smiled. “I beat Vasera, if you know of her.”

“Golden Savages?”

“That’s the one.”

“You beat Vasera?” Adil asked once more, narrowing his eyes at Adam.

“Yes.” Adam smiled. “I beat everyone I fought.”

“You place third.”

“I beat everyone, but I surrendered too.”

Zain said something in their tongue, before Adil replied, his eyes never leaving Adam’s. Zain eyed Adam up, narrowing his eyes at the Half Elf. He spoke, mentioning Vasera’s name, and Adil replied to him in their tongue.

“We trade,” Adil said, nodding his head to Adam, before handing the gems to one of the riders, who brought it back to a merchant. The merchant pulled out a tiny monocle and stared at the gem.

“The gems are from the Iyr, aren’t they?” Dunes said.

“Yeah,” Adam replied.

Adil shouted something back, and the merchant glanced their way. The merchants eyes fell across the group, taking in the sights of the Iyrmen, before he pocketed the gems and called for one of the servants to bring some trinkets.

Adil asked something in Aswadian, causing Dunes to laugh, before the Priest of War smiled wide. He replied something in their tongue, motioning his head to Jurot.

“Why did you choose the God of Death?” Adil asked, his eyes staring suspiciously at Adam.

“I like him,” Adam replied, before thinking back to his past life. “It’s probably more correct to say he chose me, though?”

Dunes and Sara turned towards Adam, even more surprised he’d admit to something like that.