“She really doesn’t like me,” Adam said, watching Elder Gold leave.

“It’s not that,” Sonarot said, rubbing Adam’s shoulder gently. “She is worried for the Iyr. You are an enigma, something we cannot understand. Even though you’re treating us kindly, there will be many others in the Iyr who will be wary of you. They do not know your story.”

“I guess,” Adam said. “I’m sorry about making it awkward for you. I didn’t mean to get you all in trouble.”

“There was no trouble,” Sonarot said. She walked to Jurot to rub his face and brush his hair as well, trying to calm him down.

Jurot was sure he’d be in deep trouble, but sighed in relief as his mother smothered him in affection. He was glad the situation was resolved, mostly due to his mother’s actions. His words had also formed a shield for Adam.

The other Iyrmen exchanged glances between one another, sending wordless messages. They had learnt many new things about Adam, things which continued to surprise them.

“I don’t like him,” Elder Gold said, sitting before the other Great Elders during the evening meeting. She has been stewing on her thoughts for hours, and her suspicions had only grown.

“Here we go again,” Elder Forest said, rolling her eyes, bringing up some tea to her lips.

“He shows no respect for the rules!”

“Are we going to spend another evening speaking about him?” Chief Iromin asked, reaching for a snack. “Or are we going to discuss preparations for the festival?”

“I have dealt with the preparations for the festival,” Elder Gold replied. “Each Elder understands what must be done, and it will move as smoothly as it had done the each festival as before.”

“I’ve also passed on the message about the athletic events,” Elder Wrath said. “A fair prize has been offered.” His eyes fell to Elder Gold.

“I have dealt with the matter of the ovens. The excess food will be dealt with accordingly,” Elder Forest said, before her eyes fell onto Elder Gold.

“There is also that matter which we need to speak of,” Iromin said. “I’m sure he will accept, we just need to ask him for his permission.” His eyes fell to Elder Gold as he bit into his snacks.

“I’m sure he’ll accept too,” Elder Teacher said. “I believe he would be willing to spread it under his name if we offered it.”

Elder Gold noted how everyone threw their gazes her way. “What?”

“Someone will need to ask him,” Chief Iromin said.

Elder Gold’s eyes flashed between the each Elder. “You want me to ask him?”

“You are Elder Gold,” Elder Wrath said. “It falls under your responsibility.”

Elder Gold continued to glance between them all, full of shock. “You can’t be serious. I refuse!”

Omen: 11, 20

“Will you begin enchanting today?” Sonarot asked, placing down a shield as Adam finished his morning meditation.

“I should,” Adam said, smiling at her. “I’m feeling extremely lucky.” He noted the shield, which was quite tall, and rounded at the top and bottom.

“Will you be back on time?”

“I’m not sure. If the beginning of my enchanting goes right, I’ll have to continue.”

“I will have food ready for you,” she said, brushing his cheek and kissing his forehead.

Even now her affection was awkward for Adam, but he accepted it.

“Here,” Sonarot said, dropping some gems into his hand.

“I was just going to use my gems,” Adam admitted, feeling the warm gems in his hand.

“You are making a shield for my darling Jurot.” The older Iyrman smiled, closing the half elf’s fingers over the gems.

Adam noted that the Tiger Eyes were slightly larger than those he previously used, and she had handed over a gem he hadn’t seen before, which almost looked like a golden ball. “I’ll do my best,” he said.

“Adam is leaving again?” Turot asked, watching the half elf go with the shield Sonarot had brought from the family vault. ‘We haven’t played yet…’

“He is,” she said, simply.

“He’s enchanting a shield for cousin Jurot?”

“That’s right.”

“Can he really make it so it’s like Thunderwave?” Turot remembered the weapon which had allowed him to cast Flame Bolt. He had played with it a little, as did the other children. Flame Bolt was a Trick, however.

“What do you think?”

Turot stared up at her, deep in thought. ‘His enchanted weapons have been strong. Even cousin Jurot thinks they are amazing.’ If Jurot had thought the weapons were amazing, they must have been so.

Sonarot allowed him to think in peace, sitting down in her chair as she began to knit.

‘A shield isn’t a weapon,’ Turot thought. ‘A shield is a shield. Shields are important. Shields are hard.’ “I don’t know,” the boy admitted after a few minutes.

Sonarot smiled. “Then let’s wait and see.”

Turot grabbed his book and began to write and draw in it beside her as she knitted. For once, he didn’t play with the other children in the morning. Instead, he tried to write down and sort his thoughts in his book, as he had been taught.

Mana: 8 -> 6

Enchanting

D20 + 7 = 24 (17)

“Nice,” Adam said, panting slightly. “This shield is going to be amazing!” He grinned wide, before noting the loss of extra Mana. ‘Hmmm.’

Mana: 6 -> 2

Enchanting

D20 + 7 = 13 (6)

Omen: 11, 20 -> 11

20 + 7 = 27

As he plucked the Thread of Fate, a dwarf fell, slamming up against the human mage, who quickly wrapped himself around his pack, managing to save it in time. However, the dwarf’s hammer fell to into the ravine. The group looked between one another before descending into the ravine, unwilling to leave behind something which could be used to track them.

Adam gasped for air as he lay on the ground. His heart was pounding wildly as he felt his magic course through him. The second round of enchanting had been more taxing than usual, and he recalled how it wasn’t long ago he had almost been taken by a magical disease. ‘I should really be careful.’

Omen: 12, 15

“Jurot, what do you want to name the shield?” Adam asked in the morning, stretching his body.

Jurot, who was one of few Iyrmen who held shields in high regard as part of their family weapons, understood the sentiment behind naming shields.

Amokan and Timojin would have glanced at the half elf with a queer look if they had heard the question.

“Mighty Roar,” Jurot said, after having thought for a long moment.

“Got it,” Adam said, nodding his head. ‘Damn, what a cool name. He has a pretty good sense for naming, I should ask him to name the weapons.’

Mana: 8 -> 6

Enchanting

D20 + 7 = 22 (15)

[Would you like to spend XP to empower the shield?]

‘Of course! The maximum amount!’

XP: 1100 -> 600

Adam blinked as he stared at the shield’s statistics. “Whoa.” He hadn’t expected it to be so good.

He waited to name the shield.

Moments continued to pass.

‘Bell?’

[Yes?]

‘You’re not going to ask me to name the shield?’

[Who names shields?]

‘Oi!’

[Would you like to name the shield?]

‘Mighty Roar,’ Adam replied, shaking his head. ‘Watch it, Bell, you little shit.’ Adam chuckled.

XP: 600 -> 1200

Adam eventually returned with the shield, the Iyrman sent to keep an eye on him then went to report to an Elder.

“Jurot!” Adam called, glancing around to find Jurot.

He was with the others, who were chatting amongst each other. Jurot was currently working on a wooden block, carving something out of it, but upon hearing Adam’s voice, he put it aside.

The children had also heard Adam’s voice and quickly swarmed outside from their rooms, their parents following after.

Jurot grabbed the shield, feeling the raw magical strength within it. He had seen the shield a few times before. It had been his uncle’s, and had been brought back by his grandfather when he was a boy. “What does it do?”

“You’ll need to meditate with it and I’ll show you.” Adam smirked.

‘Meditate with a shield?’ Jurot thought, but he did as Adam asked.

“He needs to meditate with it?” Jaygak asked, rubbing her chin. “That’s quite a rare thing.”

“Yeah,” Adam replied.

‘What kind of shield needs you to meditate with it?” the Iyrmen thought. Even the children, who were excited to watch, thought the same.

Excitement filled the air, but luckily, there were still some calm minds.

Sonarot spoke with the young Iyrmen, having Jaygak and the others pass along a message to the nearby Iyrmen estates. The others then waited, eating snacks as Jurot meditated with the shield.

Once Jurot was attuned to the shield, he held it up, feeling just how powerful it truly was, but he still had no idea how it was used. “How do I use it?”

“You need to will the magic out once you’ve been hit,” Adam said.

“I s-“ he began, only to be cut off by Adam’s wild strike.

Attack (Unarmed)

Hit!

1D6 + 6 = 10 (4)

10 damage!

Adam’s fist flew through the air and struck Jurot in the gut, causing the Iyrman to let out a hiss.

However, as Jurot was struck, he willed the magic of the shield out, and a thunderous roar echoed from the shield as it shook slightly.

Constitution Save

D20 + 5 = 16 (11)

Health: 39 -> 30

Adam grit his teeth as the thunder shattered across his entire body, battering him so hard he almost flew backwards. The thunder rumbled through the air, and Iyrmen from outside began to bolt towards the estate.

The children gasped, and then began to holler excitedly in their language, pointing and bouncing.

“Adam, you-“ Jurot began, trying to compliment the half elf on his enchanting.

Attack (Unarmed)

Hit!

1D6 + 6 = 9 (3)

9 damage!

Adam struck the Iyrman again, who coughed from the blow, but he willed the magic again.

Constitution Save

D20 + 5 = 17 (12)

Health: 30 -> 24

The other Iyrmen watched as Adam was struck by more thunderous force, their eyes wide. The children continued to shriek noisily, clapping their hands as they watched the force of the thunderous might shoot out.

‘It has two charges?’ The Iyrmen thought, staring at the shield in shock.

Even Sonarot, who had invested a large amount of funds into the shield, hadn’t expected it to be so powerful.

“Adam, this-“ Jurot froze up, tensing his body, noting how Adam’s shoulder had twitched, readying to strike him.

Attack (Unarmed)

Hit!

1D6 + 6 = 11 (5)

11 damage!

Constitution Save

Voluntary failure!

Health: 24 -> 17

A third thunderous force blasted from the shield, crashing against the half elf. This time, the muscular half elf was flung back as the thunderous force struck him. He landed on his side and coughed, before the cough turned into laughter.

There were two things the Iyrmen learnt that day.

The first was that Adam somehow managed to enchant the shield with three charges of a magical effect, one which was extremely potent. It wasn’t a Thunderwave, but it was still extremely impressive.

The second was that he could tank three Thunderwaves back to back, and still sit up and laugh.

Timojin and Amokan both filled with excitement, but Kitool placed a hand on their shoulders, trying to calm them down.

The children cheered and clapped excitedly as Adam stood, his clothes torn apart from the force of the magic.

“Me next,” Turot shouted, quickly rushing up to the shield to try and punch it.

Adam quickly grabbed the boy. “Now, now, hold on,” he said, holding Turot up in his arms. “You can’t get hit by that.”

“I can’t?” Turot asked, his body tense with excitement.

“No, it’ll kill you,” Adam warned, though the boy would have been safe if he had tried it.

“Oh,” Turot said, body drooping from disappointment. “You were hit three times. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Adam said, brushing the boy’s hair gently. ‘Turot’s worrying about me? How cute.’ However, his body was full of a deep ache from the constant blows.

Jurot stared at Adam. “It was not Thunderwave, but its might was similar.”

“Similar? It’s more powerful,” Adam said.

Mighty Roar (Shield)

Requires Attunement

You gain a +1 bonus to your defence when wielding this shield.

On a hit by a creature next to you, you may command a thunderous force to blast it. The creature must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d6+3 thunder damage and is pushed away from you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn’t pushed.

The shield contains 3 charges and regains 1D3 charges every dawn.

The Iyrmen around, from the parents of the children, the few who had heard the thunderous noise, and Elder Zijin and Elder Gold, who had been informed that Adam had finished enchanting, all heard the abilities of the shield.

“It contains an enchant to boost my defence, and allows me to cast magic, and it can recharge the magic daily.” Jurot sounded out everything which had been told to him, but even still, he could not believe it.

“What a wonderful shield,” Sonarot said, bringing Adam in for a tight hug. This shield wasn’t something she had expected. “Are you feeling well after enchanting?”

“Just fine,” Adam replied, glancing to the side as she continued to hug him tight.

“How much?” Jurot asked.

“Three times a day,” Adam said.

“No,” Jurot said. “How much will it cost me?”

“Nothing,” Adam replied. “You provided the gems to make it. It probably wouldn’t have been so good without the gems.”

“You will not charge?” Jurot asked, unsure if he should accept.

“No.” Adam placed a hand on his shoulder and pat it. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

Jurot stared at Adam long and hard, unsure of what to say. He nodded his head.

“Allow us to at least hand you some more gems for enchanting,” Sonarot said. “Our family isn’t so poor that we can’t do that much.”

Adam made a sour face, wondering how he could refuse but he found it difficult to deny Sonarot. “Fine,” Adam said. “I’ll accept some set of gems for one enchanting.”

“You won’t ask for more?” Sonarot asked, staring down at him.

“No,” Adam replied. “You’ve treated me well, and I can’t forget that the shrines played such a large role in how amazing the shield turned out. Plus, the experience I’m gaining from making these shields is going to help me in the future, and since Jurot and I will be adventuring, it’ll probably save my life.” Adam shrugged his shoulders. He had said it last time, and he still meant it.

Sonarot sighed. "I'm not sure we can accept so much for so little."

"Why not?” Adam asked. “We're family, aren't we?” He fought off the heat in his cheeks. “Didn't I tell you? I'll definitely protect Jurot until Diamond Rank."

Sonarot smiled, reaching up to brush his hair. "You're much more dependable than I thought. Jurot, what a lovely friend you have. You’ve been talking about adventuring and fighting, and here he is creating such magnificent items for you. Do you know what he's done for you?”

Jurot flushed red, noting the other people around. "I understand..."

Adam smiled, only to note the appearance of the Great Elder, who had been awaiting outside until she heard the thunderous noise. “What did I do this time?”