"A gee, eh?” Adam said, narrowing his eyes. “Gilbert?”
The boy looked up at Adam incredulously, sitting right beside Fred.
“Don’t look at me like that. We already have a Gilbert, I thought maybe it was the same. Wouldn’t that have been nice?”
“George?” Fred asked.
The boy nodded emphatically.
“Okay, okay, obviously it was George, I’m just saying. If I had said Groderick, or something, maybe you could look at me like I was crazy…”
Fred decided not to say any more to his boss, the same boss who had handed him a magical weapon, a Basic Enhanced weapon of all things.
“Seriously, wouldn’t it have been cool if he was named Gilbert too? What? Don’t look at me like that. George is a fine name, but if you had the same name as Gilbert, then it would have been like Fate…” Adam stopped after seeing the way George was staring at him from beside Fred. ‘I’ll leave you to Fred then…’
Adam sighed, leaning back in his chair as he sat by himself in the corner. He sipped his wine lightly, tasting the sweetness, his eyes glued to the plain wall.
‘Is he thinking about his children again?’ Jaygak thought, drinking her own wine from the corner.
“Adam,” called a gentle growling voice.
“Vasera.”
“Your Executives are offering us a split of the coin from the hydra,” Vasera said. “We can’t accept it.”
“Why not?” Adam asked, before glancing her way, noting the glare within her eyes.
“We’ve accepted the coin for the task, and we’ve accepted the hydra parts, but we can’t accept this coin. We have a deal, and the coin has been promised.”
“Can’t you accept it as a tip?” Adam asked.
“An additional bonus?”
“Yeah.”
Vasera narrowed her eyes. Adam offering her the bonus did spit on her pride, but she understood Adam was queer. “We’ll accept only half of it.”
“Okay.” Adam nodded. “Anything else?”
“No.” Vasera remained there for a moment. She was about to turn, but paused once more.
Adam raised his brows expectantly.
“Why are you offering us the gold?”
“We’re offering Life’s Rose a portion of the coin too.”
“So you offered us the same?”
“In a sense. We gave them about two hydras, whereas you got one. We’re splitting the gold the same way. I hope you don’t take any offence, but it is the Order of Life’s Rose, so we have to show them more favour.”
“No offence,” the woman with dragon blood replied. She wasn’t quite a half dragon, truly, nor a drakken, though she was descended from a dragon. She could feel the greed fill her, wanting all which Adam offered to her, but she was someone who had sworn an Oath of Gold. She had to be careful not to press for more gold, otherwise she would lose some of her powers, and though it was Adam offering the extra coin, she couldn’t form a reputation of accepting more gold than what was agreed upon.
“We’ll accept half, but you can take it and give it to the children,” Vasera said.
“Oh?” Adam replied, forming a small smile. “You want to give a hundred gold to my kids?”
“No, to the kids at the temple.”
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“Have they charmed you already?”
Vasera growled quietly. “I do not like children, but I do not believe they should starve.”
“How can they starve while in the employ of my business.”
“Since when did you begin to speak like a noble?”
“Hey,” Adam replied, frowning. “Alright, alright. I’ll make sure they know you handed them all some gold. I’ll split it evenly among the kids and their elder siblings.”
Vasera nodded and left, feeling Adam’s gaze follow her. He noted she returned back to Rook, though the others weren’t about. ‘Where are the others?’
“How long will we stay in East Port?” Jaygak asked, sitting opposite the half elf.
“I don’t know, probably a few days at most. I would like to leave quickly, but… just in case the Marquise sends anyone, it’ll be awkward to kill them while the Manager’s fasting.”
“Even I would feel awkward if we had to kill then.”
“I’d like to see your rematch against Sir Seahill,” Adam said, careful to keep up the proper respects while he was in the city.
“Are you so eager to see me lose?”
“I just want to see Kavgak smile while listening to how her older sister beat up a… noble knight.”
Jaygak watched as Adam winced. She smiled, feeling a gentle hint of pride. “You’re working hard, Executive.” Jaygak poured a cup of wine for her companion.
Adam sighed, raising his glass. “Thank you, Executive.” He brought the cup to his lips, but before he sipped, he paused. “Executive Jaygak?”
“Yes?”
“You’re sitting so close to me…”
“Yes?”
“You’re within the range of gratitude.” Adam held her gaze as he slowly sipped the cup, feeling a gentle spice within the wine. “It’s very good, thank you.”
“Since you’re working so hard, I need to work hard too.” Jaygak was glad she hadn’t played a prank on him. If he was being this sharp, then it must have been really bad. “Adam?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m not confident in a fight against Sir Seahill,” Jaygak said. “If something happens to me-,”
“Jaygak-,” Adam started to interrupt.
“Adam,” Jaygak said, her voice stern, staring into his eyes. “If something happens to me, I want you to hand Great Moon to Kavgak when she’s able to leave the Iyr.”
The complex emotions swirled within Adam’s heart, feeling it drop. He couldn’t allow Jaygak to die. ‘Sorry Jaygak, but…’
“You cannot interrupt the fight between Sir Seahill and I,” Jaygak said, adopting the tone of the Iyrmen. “If I die, then so be it.”
“…” Adam wasn’t sure what to say. ‘Is she really asking me to let her die if it comes down to it?’
“You have to do this as my friend.”
“I’m just a friend? You should at least call me your best friend if you’re asking me for that much!” Adam growled back at her, gritting his teeth, his entire body tensing up. ‘Why do you have to be so damn annoying like this, Jaygak?’
Jaygak smiled. “You’re right. You’re my best friend, that’s why I trust you to do it.”
“I’m not going to do it,” Adam said, glancing aside, avoiding her gaze. “Ask Kitool or Jurot.”
“You will do it,” Jaygak said, sipping her wine. “I am leaving it to you.”
“You can’t have me return without you. What will I tell Kavgak?”
“You will tell her I wasn’t strong enough, but she will be.”
“Aren’t you going to be the Maelstrom?”
“I don’t intend to die to Sir Seashill, but if it comes to pass, I want to make sure Kavgak gains a gift too.”
“A gift?”
“Raygak will learn my tale as his gift,” Jaygak said, almost pausing upon seeing the fury in Adam’s eyes, but she didn’t falter. “He already has the blade, but Kavgak and Maygak, they’re too young. Kavgak will receive Great Moon, and Maygak…” Jaygak smiled. “I’m sure she’ll receive something even greater from the Enchanter.”
“Hmph! You still need to speak with her to create a weapon, don’t you? So don’t go dying on me just yet.”
Jaygak bowed her head, and the pair continued to drink together. Jaygak’s thoughts fell to Raygak and the others. She grew up within the Iyr, where death was like shadows in dusk. The Iyrmen were so eager to die, and she was an Iyrman too, so she knew her path in her life. She could become like any other typical Gak, assisting the Iyr with menial tasks, or she could go out in a blaze of glory, facing a knight who was so much greater. She had already clashed once, and dying while facing the knight a second time, surely it would inspire her brother and sisters, as well as her cousins.
‘I won’t be able to bring the Gaks up, but if I die now, Taygak will be inspired when she steps out. Raygak will follow her path, and Saygak, he’ll be sure to be the best Blood Mage. I know the four babies will grow well too, especially with Adam watching over them…’
Jaygak closed her eyes, feeling the alcohol spread through her like a gentle warmth.
‘This is all I can do for you.’
It was during that evening that another sat at his desk, hearing the gentle scribbling of the young teen writing away in his book, calculating all the matters for the Iyr.
Elder Zijin stared down at his book, staring at all the notes. He slipped out a note he had kept in every single of the books. It was a note written with what seemed to be scribbles, though the Elder knew the words for he had read them hundreds of times, if not thousands.
‘What terrible handwriting…’ Zijin smiled, slipping the note back into his book. He glanced towards the pen, picking it up, before writing a note. Though he merely wished to write with the practised hand he had spent years learning after his daughter had been killed, he wrote a note.
He folded the paper, sealing it with a particular wax. He felt the smooth paper at his touch, staring at it, his hand pulsing at straining to write so neatly.
‘I can’t retire yet…’ He let out a long sigh, one which threatened to age him. Being the Elder to Adam came with a great set of difficulties, and surely his successor would find him troublesome too. He thought about who he had picked.
‘This is all I can do for you.’
It was a sentiment mostly for his successor, who would watch over Adam.
As long as he didn’t get himself killed…