Omen: 2, 18

“This snow is going to make it rough to travel and adventure,” Adam said, dipping some bread into his soup. ‘Speaking of which, we’ve finished a few quests so we should probably do that.’

“We should continue training,” Lucy said, her eyes falling to Adam. “A little bit of snow like this is nothing and shouldn’t stop us from becoming stronger.”

“Right, right. I’m not saying we shouldn’t train, we just should keep in mind to do it safely. Safety was our number one priority, remember?”

“Can you still say that after everything which has happened?” Lucy raised her brows at him expectantly.

“Yeah, yeah.” Adam sipped some of the salty soup, feeling the warmth fill his bones. “We’ve got an important task to do during the middle of Dawnval which is going to be extremely dangerous so we can train during then too.”

“Is there something we can hunt?” Lucy asked. “Something which the three of us can tackle as three Experts. The Twilight Fox was pretty much nothing compared to my General’s axe, so we can probably go for something more powerful with that Phantom of yours.”

Adam squinted his eyes at her. “Friend,” he corrected. “I guess we could. Is there anything you suggest, Jurot?”

“We have already faced a Nightval Bear,” Jurot said. “It was quite dangerous.” He recalled how the Porters had fallen almost right away.

“It was just a little lucky, otherwise I’d have punted it to the moon and back,” she grumbled quietly.

“I wouldn’t mind hunting a few more Nightval Bears. I bet the core could be used to make a nice fan.”

“A fan?” Jurot asked.

“Yeah,” Adam replied. “You know, for Noonval, for when it gets hot. I don’t like the heat at all, and it was so awkward using Tricks to cool myself down. I haven’t had to use it much to warm myself up during Nightval, but it’s much easier to warm yourself than it is to cool yourself down.”

“You would like to use the Nightval Bear cores to make a fan?” Jurot asked again. He wasn’t sure how much Adam was joking.

“Multiple fans then?” Adam replied, noting the rare expression of shock bubbling under the surface of Jurot’s eyes.

“You would use Nightval Bear cores to make multiple fans for the Noonval heat?” Jurot repeated for a third time.

“You’re underestimating how nice these fans will be, Jurot,” Adam said.

Jurot and Lucy stared at Adam. ‘Why am I the only one with any common sense in this party?’ the pair thought.

“We should quest for another few weeks, maybe a month, and return to the Iyr in time for the festival,” Adam said.

“You just want to see Lanarot,” Lucy accused.

“Yeah, obviously,” Adam replied. “I miss her so much. Her cute little chubby cheeks, I want to pinch them so bad.” He mimed pinching her cheeks into the air.

‘Cringe,’ Jurot thought.

“They say that during Nightval you’ll suffer from a lack of vitamin d, but I’m suffering from a lack of vitamin l!” Adam sighed. “What if she’s forgotten us? What if Nirot really has stolen her away from me.”

‘I should pick another General,’ Lucy thought.

“What of the Beast Wave?” Jurot asked.

“What about it?”

“It happens during the Twilight Month, and you wished to assist Red Oak,” Jurot reminded him.

“Right, right…” Adam rubbed his chin. “There was a reason why it wouldn’t work though, right? Didn’t I annoy the High Alchemist?”

“Yes,” Jurot said. “Sir Harvey’s recommendation is quite valuable.”

“How valuable, exactly?”

“Without his favour, it would be nearly impossible to procure Red Oak,” Jurot replied, simply.

“Oh,” Adam said. “My bad. Sorry. I know you wanted to work with the wood, but it looks like I cocked it up.”

‘Cocked?’ “It is no matter.”

“Then I guess we should go out to find a Nightval Bear,” Adam said. “Might as well farm them while we can.”

“Why do you always use weird words to describe things?” Lucy asked.

“I’m British, innit,” Adam said, before hopping to his feet. “We should probably be careful of using the private rooms too much, it’ll bring us too much attention. I should find a spell that lets us have our own place.”

“Like your tower?” Lucy asked.

“A secret place, one which people can’t spy on,” Adam replied, simply. “I have no doubt in my mind that there’s a Guild Worker, a shadow of some kind, currently listening in on our conversation.”

“Probably,” Lucy said.

“We can worry about that another time.”

The group made their way out, taking with them Zeus and the Porters though it was dangerous. Jurot led the way forward, though even he was having a difficult time after it had begun snowing.

“We may not find it,” Jurot said. “The snow will assist the Nightval Bear in…” The Iyrman turned, donning his shield before reaching for his axe. “Never mind.”

The group took their positions, with the Porters hiding behind their shields, grabbing their javelins. Zeus covered them with his huge body, providing some protection for the Porters. Nobby remained with the Porters for now.

The Nightval Bear trekked softly as it peered around from a set of trees, its body blurring against the snow.

“Good afternoon,” Adam said. “This time we caught you before you could get to us.”

Battle Order

D20 + 1 = 5 (4)

Constitution Save

D20 + 5 = 17

Pass!

Health: 65 -> 53

Warrior Spirit: 3 -> 2

Health: 53 -> 58

Attack (Flanking)

D20 + 9 = 11 (2)

D20 + 9 = 23 (14)

Hit!

Phantom: 3 -> 2

Mana: 18 -> 17

1D6 + 4D6 + 2D6 + 6 = 33 (4)(3, 4, 4, 5)(3,4)

33 damage!

Attack (Flanking)

D20 + 9 = 10 (1)

D20 + 9 = 12 (3)

Miss!

Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

Mana: 17 -> 16

Spell: Hex

Attack (Flanking)

D20 + 9 = 13 (4)

D20 + 9 = 27 (18)

Hit!

Phantom: 2 -> 1

Mana: 16 -> 15

1D6 + 5D6 + 2D6 + 6 = 44 (5)(2, 3, 5, 6, 6)(5, 6)

44 damage!

Attack (Flanking)

D20 + 9 = 10 (1)

D20 + 9 = 21 (12)

Hit!

Mana: 15 -> 14

1D6 + 2D6 + 2D6 + 6 = 24 (6)(2, 3)(1, 6)

24 damage!

The Nightval Bear roared, causing the air around them to shudder. Adam brought up his shield just in time as the snow and ice blasted him and his two companions. The snow and ice scattered around them, striking the trees around them too, before the creature charged forward to meet them in battle. Adam shrugged off most of the chill, before the trio moved forward to meet it in battle.

Lucy’s greataxe was aflame, swiping down across the creature’s side, though it managed to dampen the blow with a claw. However, facing against so many of them proved to be quite a terrible time for it, as Jurot cut across it’s side, gritting his teeth as he tore into its fur.

Adam focused himself as he always did. He stepped behind it, swinging down across its back, causing it to turn towards him as the psychic energy filled it deep, his Smite stopping from the blood pouring out.

Adam barely ducked under the creature’s paw as he missed a swipe, but he inhaled deeply and forced his body forward, ready to strike again.

“You’re pretty slippery, ain’t you?” Adam chanted, his magic taking root within the creature, causing its body to grow heavier for a moment. The Nightval Bear turned to face him, the greatest threat, giving both Jurot and Lucy a chance for another blow.

However, it was too late for it to regret its choice of prey.

Adam swung his axe down, cutting into its shoulder deep, before forcing his axe deeper still.

“You damn beast!” Lucy roared, swinging Destroyer down against its back. “You ruined my cloak!”

The Nightval Bear dropped before them, Destroyer pinning it to the ground as Lucy snarled.

Victory!

Nightval Bear

+130XP

XP: 5350 -> 5480

“Well,” Adam said. “That was easy.” He pulled his axe out of the creature, and sheathed it, filled with a great sense of disappointment. ‘Still, compared to last time, at least nothing bad happened.’

“It is because of your great abilities, and these weapons of ours that we were able to defeat it,” Jurot said. “If we did not possess such powerful weapons, one of us may have dropped.”

“Again,” Adam said, looking to Lucy.

“Hold on! I wasn’t the only one who dropped down!” she declared, pointing to the Porters. “They dropped first.”

“Sure, but they’re Porters, of course they’d have fallen if it snuck up on them.”

“Sneaked,” Lucy said, indignantly. “Snuck isn’t a word.”

“Yes it is,” Adam said.

“No it’s not.”

“Yes, it is,” Adam replied.

“Whatever,” Lucy grumbled.

“Anyway,” Adam said. “Jurot, are you going to part it? We’ll keep an eye out and then the Porters can deal with bringing it back.”

Jurot nodded, beginning to work on the Nightval Bear.

All the while, Fred watched from nearby. ‘I didn’t even get to do anything,’ he thought. ‘I’m really useless.’ He looked to Lucy, then to Jurot, then finally to Adam. ‘No. It’s not that I’m useless, it’s that I’m only Human.’