“Take care of yourself,” Argon said, placing his hands on his brother’s shoulders.

“You don’t have to worry about me, you’re the one heading south,” Dargon joked.

Argon narrowed his eyes, but they shook forearms.

“Next time we meet, I will defeat you,” Amokan said.

“Bring it,” Adam said, shaking his forearm.

“We will meet again,” Timojin said, shaking Adam’s forearm. “Do not lose before then.”

“If I lose, I lose, but at least it won’t be to you.” Adam smirked.

Timojin laughed.

The others exchanged their goodbyes with one another, and soon they each left. Okvar led them south towards Ever Green, and Wujyn led Adam and the rest towards Red Oak.

They continued to travel for days, stopping at the second village and then at Lipetal, where Adam met a familiar face he had completely forgotten about.

“Oh,” Adam said. “Brittany.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, nodding her head. She could feel that she had been forgotten. “I’ve been practising.”

“Show me,” Adam said, following her to see a number of trees full of marks, before someone had the bright idea of making a target they could pin to a tree instead. “Not bad,” Adam said.

“So you’ll take me with you?” Brittany asked.

Adam turned and looked to Jaygak and Kitool, before glancing back to Brittany. “Do you think you could beat them in a battle?”

“No,” Brittany said, staring at him like he was an idiot.

“There’s a high chance they die out there, and you think you can do better than them?”

“I understand the danger!” Brittany urged. “I want to go out into the world! I want to leave this small village and explore the land! I want to see the mountains! I want to see the sea!”

“I know,” Adam said. “Now is not the right time. It’s only been a few months, and you need to keep training. We, uh, the Iyrmen have trained for years to go out and explore. I’m not saying you can’t go out and explore as you are right now, I’m saying that you can’t protect yourself, and I definitely can’t protect you. I promised you that I will take you to adventure, to see the world for yourself, but give me time.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently.

Brittany sighed and bowed her head. She didn’t protest, instead going off to dwell in her thoughts.

“What’s the story between you two?” Jaygak asked. “Jilted lovers?”

Adam glanced back to Jaygak. “That’s what you thought that was?”

“I don’t know,” Jaygak said, shrugging her shoulders. “So what’s the story?”

“Some village girl wants freedom, and she thinks I’m the path towards it.”

“Are you?”

“I am one path, sure,” Adam said. “My path is more difficult than she realises, and I’m not sure I should bring her out when she could die so quickly, not while I’m this weak.”

Jaygak nodded her head, understanding the sentiment behind what he said. “Do you plan on taking Lanarot out of the Iyr with you to see the world?”

Adam smiled. “One day.”

“When you’re strong?”

“Yes.”

“Kidnapping children is a terrible crime in the Iyr.”

“I’m not going to kidnap her!” Adam snapped. “I, as her older brother, will plan a trip to the outside world. It will be done according to the rules of the Iyr, or, I will speak to Sonarot about it and see what she thinks. This will be once I’m powerful, and with the ability to send her back quickly if something goes wrong.”

“Once you’re an Expert, you might be able to take her out,” Jaygak said.

“Expert?”

“When mages can cast Fireball, and when warriors can strike like lightning.”

“Ah,” Adam said, nodding his head.

They relaxed in the village for the day before heading out to Red Oak.

Omen: 2, 9

The huge walls of Red Oak invited them. “It’s been too long,” Adam said, staring at the stone walls. In comparison to the Iyr, the walls of Red Oak were so puny.

Kendal and Eshva sighed, having expected a fight on the way through the forest, but they had been lucky, or unlucky, and had come through unmolested.

Rokat and Wujyn shook their heads at the pair. “It’s obvious we wouldn’t have fought anything,” Wujyn said. “What beasts would dare come to so many Iyrmen, especially a group led by a Mithril Rank?” Wujyn smiled, avoiding Adam’s stare.

‘I knew it!’

Dargon gave them his sympathies too, patting their shoulders. “We’ll fight another time.”

Currency: 10CP -> 9CP

Adam flicked the guard a copper coin, nodding his head towards them. The coin clattered off the guard’s chain.

“What are you doing?” the guard asked.

“Paying the gate fee,” Adam said, picking up the coin and offering it to the guard. ‘That was embarrassing.’

“Oh, you’re not an Iyrman?” the guard asked, taking the coin.

“No,” Adam said, pointing to his helmet. “I kept it on.”

“Why?”

“I prefer keeping my helmet on.”

“That’ suspicious.”

“I’m walking around with almost ten Iyrmen,” Adam noted.

“Fair play.” The guard nodded his head and let them through.

They approached the Adventurer’s Guild, which loomed over the area to one side. Wujyn opened the doors and the adventurers within all glanced towards the group, noting the mass of Iyrmen, and quickly returned to their drinks.

At the desk was a young woman, with her red hair and her beautiful smile. “Welcome,” she said, noting the group. She saw the one in puthral, wondering who it was, before seeing Jurot and the other Iyrmen.

Adam took off his helmet, causing her eyes to flash towards him. “Good afternoon,” Adam said, flashing a smile. “It’s been a while.”

“Yes,” Emma said, switching around some papers. “It has been. We thought you two were dead, considering you hadn’t come by.”

“Fortunately not,” Adam said. “There was a minor issue and we recuperated in the Iyr. We had some matters to attend to too.”

“Is that… puthral?” Emma asked, blinking at his armour.

“It is,” Adam said. “Doesn’t it look pretty?” He knocked against the breastplate.

“Plate mail?”

“Yep.”

“Is that…” She looked at the weapons each of them held. “Are those magical weapons?”

“Yep,” Adam said, smiling at her. The Iyrmen knew not to reveal the secret, partly because Adam had spoken to them about it.

Emma enchanged a look with Wujyn, but she didn’t give aawy anything. “Alright, well,” Emma said, composing herself. “The next time you complete a quest, please return expediently for your rewards.”

“Sorry,” Adam said, chuckling lightly.

Emma gave a look to Jurot, who nodded his head. “Good. Now hand over your tags.”

Stamps Gained: +4

Stamps: 9 -> 13

Quest Complete: Balrog’s Fall

+200XP

XP: 1600 -> 1800

“We will process your gold soon,” she said.

“How much gold?” Adam asked.

“It will be one hundred gold coins to each of you.”

“Can I get that in gems?”

Emma nodded.

Adam stepped aside. “Good luck,” he said to Jaygak and Kitool.

“Two Iyrmen?” Emma said. “I should have expected, since it’s that time of year.” She smiled.

Paul stepped out from the back room to see Jaygak and Kitool were being processed. “Two Iyrmen? It’s our lucky day,” he said, before glancing over to see Adam. He blinked, unable to process what he was saying. “Is that puthral plate mail?” Paul asked. He recalled Jurot, which reminded him of the swole half elf. ‘What?’

Adam smiled, sitting down in the corner with Jurot. Paul took Jaygak and Kitool away, though glanced back towards the half elf, who was sitting with the Iyrmen.

Rokat sat down opposite Adam and sighed, whereas Kendal and Eshva were drinking away their sorrows, with Dargon consoling them. “The look on his face was hilarious.”

“It’s been a while since I saw Vice Master Paul,” Wujyn admitted. “He needs to come to the Iyr more often.”

‘I’m not sure he wants to,’ Adam thought, recalling how Paul would only go when an Iyrman died nearby.

“What are your plans?” Rokat asked.

“Just, adventuring I suppose.” Adam threw a look to Jurot, who was chewing on some bread, staring down at it. Adam smiled. “Actually…”

Jaygak and Kitool both returned after their examination, passing with flying colours as everyone expected.

“How did the pair of you manage to snag magical weapons?” Paul asked.

“Good fortune,” Kitool said.

Jaygak’s lips twitched, but she knew better than to reveal the secret. She just smiled up at him.

“Fine, keep your secrets,” Paul said, chuckling.

Jaygak and Kitool noted that the boys weren’t there, and that the other devilkin were missing.

“You’re back!” Pam gasped, staring at the pair. Adam, in his infinite wisdom, put his helmet back on. She stared up at Adam for a moment, not recognising him, but her eyes then fell back to Jurot.

“Yes,” Jurot replied.

“Isn’t that the Iyrman’s metal?” Pam asked, staring at the armour.

“You’re right,” Adam said, pulling up his helmet to reveal just his face for a moment, before pushing it back on.

“I hear it’s rare! How did you get it?” she asked, admiring the metal. She had never seen such a beautiful armour before.

“I impressed the Iyrmen,” Adam replied, simply. “Anyway, it’s been a while since we’ve had your jam buns, so let’s order a few. Right, Jurot? You missed them too, didn’t you?”

Jurot nodded. “Yes.”

“We’ll take, uh, a basket of bread, and about…” Adam placed down two gold coins. “However many jam buns we can buy with the remainder.”

“Are you going to return the basket?” Pam asked, squinting at him.

“Of course,” he said. “We’ll pop by in the morning and return it then.”

“Alright,” she said, going off to fill a basket with bread.

Adam rubbed Jurot’s elbow. “Come on, say something.”

“It smells the same,” Jurot said.

Adam blinked. ‘Why are you mentioning smell, you creep.’ Adam sighed, noting Jurot’s ears had turned slightly red. ‘Ho ho ho!’

Currency: 100GP -> 98GP

“Make sure you come back and order some more bread soon, okay?” Pam said, waving at them as they left.

When they finally returned, with the devilkin women gorging themselves on bread and buns on Adam’s insistence, they noted how Kitool and Jaygak were chatting with Paul in their tongue. Braun was also at the counter now, having taken over the next shift.

“Hey,” Adam said, waving a jam bun. “Did you pass?”

“Yes.”

“Obviously.”

Adam placed down the basket. “Then let’s celebrate!” He ate another jam bun, though had already eaten three so was beginning to feel a little sick. They drank in peace too, with Adam glancing at Paul. “Do I have some work?”

“I’ll see,” the Vice Master said. “So, about your armour.”

“Isn’t it pretty?” Adam replied, smirking up at him.

Paul could see Adam wasn’t going to reveal his secrets, so he sighed and shook his head. Even Jaygak and Kitool refused to say anything about it.

Eventually, Adam made his way to the desk. “Good evening, Braun. Our party is looking for a Priest, are there any looking for a partner? They can be new, or they can have a few quests under their belt already, we don’t mind.”

“You’re joining with the Iyrmen?” he asked.

“The Iyrmen, Kitool and Jaygak, are joining us, Jurot and I,” Adam said.

Braun narrowed his eyes, but nodded. “Your party’s name is Eternal Duo?”

Adam coughed. ‘Oh, gods. Did I really name it that?’ “Uh, can we change that?”

Braun nodded.

“Give me a second,” Adam said, returning to the others. “Hey, we need to figure out a new name for our party.”

Kitool bowed her head. “We have spoken of it.”

“You have?”

“Fate’s Golden,” Jaygak said, smirking up at him.

“Wow, that’s a cool name. Who figured that out?”

“Jurot,” the pair said.

Adam smiled, staring at Jurot. “You know, I’ve been thinking you’re really good at naming things. I should come to you more often.”

Jurot nodded his head.

Adam went to change the party’s name, changing it to Fate’s Golden. “Oh, and one more thing.”