Adam wondered if he should go and enchant without telling Taygak. He recalled how stern the girl was, being the oldest of the children she was their de facto leader, and held a strong sense of justice.

‘It was difficult to have her speak to me, I can’t just betray her…’ Adam sighed.

He went to find the children, who were where they always were in the morning, in the courtyard playing with each other.

Adam walked up to Taygak, who noticed him approach, and quickly marched her way to him.

“Adam, come,” she said, reaching up to grab his hand.

Adam stared down at the girl, letting her lead him away. ‘This is new.’

Taygak led him to the other children, where she pointed to Raygak. “Raygak, bad,” she said.

“What?”

“Raygak, bad,” she repeated, looking up at the Half Elf with a disapproving look.

“Raygak is bad?”

“Bad boy, Raygak.” She confirmed with a nod of her head.

“No,” Raygak replied, staring up at them both in surprise. “I am good.”

“Raygak no help dishes,” Taygak said.

Raygak frowned, clenching his fists together. He looked away, as though ignoring the accusation.

Adam stared at the pair of them, blinking. ‘What the hell is going on?’

“Bad Raygak!” Taygak declared.

The other children had stopped with their playing and were watching the situation. Raygak turned redder, gritting his teeth.

Adam cleared his throat, quickly interrupting so that the situation didn’t escalate. “Raygak, Taygak, come with me,” he said, motioning with his head as he stepped aside.

Taygak followed, but Raygak stayed still for a moment. He noted the other children staring at him, so he quickly followed Adam as they stepped aside.

“You guys continue playing,” Adam said, looking to the twins and Katool, raising his brows expectantly.

They did as he asked, returning back to playing with one another.

“Now, tell me what happened,” Adam said, looking to Taygak.

Taygak sighed, looking up at Adam disappointedly.

‘What did I do?’ Adam wondered.

“Raygak no help dishes,” she said, shaking her head up at Adam, crossing her arms.

“So, you didn’t help with washing the dishes?” Adam asked, looking to Raygak.

Raygak looked away, ignoring Adam, pretending as though he couldn’t hear.

“That’s not like the nice and intelligent Raygak I know,” Adam said, dropping down to a knee. “Raygak certainly isn’t ignoring me when I’m speaking with him.”

“I did not want to wash the dishes,” he said.

“Why not?”

“It is boring.”

“That’s true,” Adam said, shrugging his shoulders. “Who washed your dishes?”

“Father.”

“Uhuh,” Adam said, nodding his head. “Does he feed you too?”

“No,” Raygak said. “I feed myself. I am a big boy.”

“Right, you are a big boy, and big boys wash their own dishes,” Adam said, staring at the boy.

“I do not like it.”

“I know, but it’s what we have to do, right? It’s our responsibility.”

Raygak frowned.

“Look, sometimes we have to do things we don’t like,” Adam said. “That includes eating our vegetables.” Adam turned to face Taygak, raising his brows.

Taygak’s brows raised up in surprise. She hadn’t expected Adam to flip the script onto her. “No…”

“Taygak, you are older than Raygak. If you don’t eat your vegetables, how can you expect Raygak to be a good boy if you don’t be a good girl?”

Taygak furrowed her brows angrily at Adam. “Taygak good.”

“Aunt Citool spent a long time cooking yesterday,” Adam said. “She made that food for you to eat, so you need to eat it. And Raygak, you’re a big boy now, so you need to help your father wash dishes too, even if you don’t like it.”

Taygak stood next to Raygak, half hugging him, patting his back gently. “Adam bad. No listen.”

Adam shook his head. “The Raygak and Taygak I know were a good boy and good girl. I’m going to go and enchant my axe, and I hope that when I return, I’ll see my good boy and good girl, okay? Otherwise, I’ll have to let other people play with that magical axe, like Katool who has been good, and Damokan and Kalokan, who are always very nice too. I don’t have to hear about them being good or bad. Is it because Jaygak’s always a troublemaker?”

“Jaygak good,” Taygak said, angrily. She waved her fist at Adam and then pulled Raygak away.

‘Damn,’ Adam thought. ‘I should have placated them. It was so hard to get Taygak on my side.’

Mana: 10 -> 5

Enchanting Check

D20 + 7 = 9 (2)

Omen: 18, 20 -> 18

20 + 7 = 27

The baby was pushed up towards the sky as the dusk sun’s rays fell across his body. He stared up at the sky, bored out of his mind. The cult members chanted as they allowed the baby to bask in the falling sun.

There came screaming from the distance as heavily armoured Soldiers came across the small village, ravaging through it. The baby sighed, wondering if today was going to be the day it died. As a blade fell across him, it missed him by nearly an inch.

The baby looked west, smiling.

As the Soldier missed, the Priest nearby grabbed at them, their hand black. The soldier screamed as their skin flaked and he fell, dead.

Adam panted as he stared at the axe.

He waited.

And waited.

“Where’s the confirmation prompt?” he whispered to himself, staring at the axe, confused.

“Are you finished?” the Iyrman nearby asked.

“No?” Adam replied, unsure. “I should be finished, but…”

“Aren’t you making a great enchantment?”

“Yes?”

“Did you expect to make it in three days?” the Iyrman asked, staring down at Adam.

Adam remained silent for a long while. “Right,” he said, eventually. ‘It makes sense that it’d take much longer than this to create a decent enchantment.’

He was guided back to the estate.

‘Did he really think he could make a great enchantment in three days?’ the Iyrman thought. ‘I was warned he was… interesting.’

Adam eventually returned back to the estate, seeing them all ready and eager to eat. He glanced towards Raygak and Taygak, who were avoiding his gaze.

“How did your enchanting go?” Sonarot asked, offering him some mixed vegetables. She placed a hand on his forehead, checking his temperature.

“Well,” Adam replied. “I didn’t realise that I’d need more than three days.”

Sonarot stared at him, and he could feel the gaze of the other Iyrmen.

“It would be surprising if even you could create such a powerful weapon so quickly,” Sonarot said.

“How long does it normally take to make great enchantments?” Adam asked.

“A simple great enchantment? If you are one of the greatest enchanters, a month? If it is beyond a simple great enchantment, three? Typically it takes twice as long.”

“So I need that many natural 20’s, huh?” Adam said, rubbing his head. “Well, that sucks.”

[No.]

Adam raised his brows. ‘What?’

[You have finished the original enchanting process. Now you must continue to expend Mana in order to finish the enchantment, but there is no more focus required.]

Adam smiled. “Apparently, it doesn’t matter if I feel lucky or not from now on.”

Sonarot had noted the way he had stopped. It was as though someone had spoken to him in his mind. Sonarot wondered if perhaps that was the secret to Adam. She pat his head and brought it to her chest, protecting him from the glares of the other Iyrmen, who had noted what she had noted.

Adam didn’t notice their gazes on him, but he did notice that Taygak was slowly chewing on the vegetable she did not like, her face almost angry as she ate.

He smiled.

He spent the next week expending his Mana into the axe, but otherwise required no extra enchanting on his part. He didn’t need to focus on the blade as his Mana was sucked out of his hand and into the weapon.

It was halfway through the month when it happened.

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

Adam shook his head as he quickly stood, causing the Iyrman nearby to glance his way.

‘Yeah. What’s the maximum for this weapon?’

[1000.]

‘1000 it is then.’

Battleaxe

Requires Attunement

You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.

Deals 1D6 slashing and 1D6 psychic damage.

Can store up to 3 charges. 1D3 charges are regained at dawn, or by expending Mana whilst holding the axe, at a rate of one Mana per charge. Charges can only be spent when holding the weapon, but require no action.

Spend 1 charge or more to regain 3D6 health for each charge spent.

On a hit, spend 1 charge or more to deal 3D6 psychic damage for each charge spent.

[Would you like to name the weapon?]

Adam was so shocked at the enchantment, he was unable to think. He closed off his mind, wondering what he should call it, away from the prying mind of Bell.

‘Phantom.’

Phantom

Requires Attunement

You gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this weapon.

Deals 1D6 slashing and 1D6 psychic damage.

Can store up to 3 charges. 1D3 charges are regained at dawn, or by expending Mana whilst holding the axe, at a rate of one Mana per charge. Charges can only be spent when holding the weapon, but require no action.

Spend 1 charge or more to regain 3D6 health for each charge spent.

On a hit, spend 1 charge or more to deal 3D6 psychic damage for each charge spent.

XP: 3070 -> 5070

Experience was reduced due to gaining too much Experience from enchanting.

Quest Complete: Make A Greater Enchanted Weapon

XP Gained: +200

XP: 5070 -> 5270

Great Enchantment Learnt!

XP: 5270 -> 5470

“Yo!” Adam said, holding the axe in hand. It felt so powerful, something which filled him with a great tingle. It was only when he held it that he realised that it was missing one enchantment he so desperately wanted. ‘Damn it. Maybe next time.’