“You smell pretty strong,” the stranger said, picking the baby up. “What are you, some kind of baby God?”

The baby blinked at the creature. It looked like a normal man. A handsome man, certainly, but the baby knew what it was.

“They really shoved you into the open stomach of a wolf to keep you warm?” he asked, wiping the baby clean. “I have a feeling you’re going to lead me to a lot of fun. You know, I’ve never met a God, but I do know a Lord.”

‘Oh no,’ the baby thought. ‘He’s a talker.’

Omen: 6, 17

“Hey, Vonda, everything okay?” Adam asked.

Sir Vonda had sat on the wall, something which Jurot had invited for her to do, so she could admire the landscape. “I am well, thank you, Adam.”

“It’s beautiful, ain’t it?” Adam asked.

“Yes. I did not expect to come here. I come from the Order of Life’s Rose, and though the Iyrmen are kind to us, we usually do not have many dealings with them. They’re quite fond of our ability to fight.”

“Yeah,” Adam said. “Iyrmen are crazy, right? No offence,” he said, turning to Jurot.

Jurot nodded.

“The festival is lovely, isn’t it?” Adam asked.

“It is. They give out so much for free.”

“Yeah,” Adam said. “Crazy.’

“Do you not wish for wealth?” Sir Vonda asked, looking to the Iyrman, who was staring out to the snowy landscape in front of him.

“We have wealth,” he said. “The Iyr is rich.”

“It’s a wonderful place, full of secrets,” Adam said. “Though, you probably shouldn’t be like me and aggravate them.”

“Do you like to flirt with Death?”

“Death likes to flirt with me,” Adam stated, smiling. “Ain’t that right, Baktu?”

“You speak so closely with Baktu,” Sir Vonda said. “As though you’re friendly.”

“Well,” Adam replied, unsure of how to respond. “We’re, you know, close.”

“Close?”

Adam smiled. “Let me keep some secrets, Vonda.”

“Adam…”

“Yes?”

“I have… seen you with your sister. She is an Iyrman, isn’t she?”

“Yep.”

“She is your sister?”

“It’s a long story,” Adam said. “Jurot’s my brother, and Lanarot is my sister.”

Jurot nodded.

“I… I lost my family a while ago, but they welcomed me in.”

“I can see she loves you dearly, and that they all care for you.”

Adam smiled. “I’m just an embarrassment,” Adam said. “Luckily, she can’t see that much.”

“You are no embarrassment, Adam.”

“Yeah?”

“How are you such?”

“You know. I’m weird, and I say stupid stuff all the time. I can’t help it sometimes. Sometimes, I can, but I don’t.”

“You are someone firm in his conviction. You are someone who has acted for the good of all.”

“Pish posh,” Adam said, dismissing the praise, looking aside. His cheeks were growing warm from the praise.

“You saved a boy you knew nothing about, spending hundreds of gold you were likely not going to receive back.”

“Gold is gold,” Adam said. “Plus, I was rewarded quite a bit.”

“You did not know the reward was coming,” she said.

“Right, fair.” Adam shrugged his shoulders.

“Will you guide me around the festival today?” Sir Vonda asked.

“Oh, I…” Adam was going to go and enchant that day, since he had rolled such a lovely Omen. “Sure.”

“Will you bring me a drink before you go?” Jurot asked, casually removing himself from their group.

“Sure.”

Once Jurot had his drink, which he sipped alone, the pair left.

‘Has Dawnval come so soon?’ Jurot thought, closing his eyes.

The pair went around the festival, finding all kinds of food they could eat. Adam spotted a chef, a familiar face, and walked up to him. “I can eat one for free, right?” Adam winked at the Iyrman.

He smiled at Adam.

“Sir Vonda, go ahead and pick one,” Adam said.

“May I?”

The chef motioned to a dough ball, and Sir Vonda picked it up. She brought the dough ball from above the scarf to her mouth, biting into it, still hiding her mouth.

Adam waited. He frowned. “So, you’ve betrayed me?”

“I have run out of peppers,” the Iyrman admitted.

Adam sighed, shaking his head. He took a dough ball, and almost bit into it. “Is this one spicy?”

“No,” the Iyrman said.

Adam bit into it, and then guided her away. “Damn.”

“Was it meant to be spicy?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure you are not Jaygak’s brother?”

“Why?” Adam asked. “What have you seen?”

Sir Vonda’s eyes smiled at him, knowing things he did not.

The pair then sat down on a roof, watching a fight from afar. There were two Iyrmen, twins in fact, who were facing each other in battle with spears.

“I think the handsome one with the spear is going to win,” Adam said.

“I think the other handsome one with the spear is going to win,” Sir Vonda said.

Adam smiled, shaking his head at their little joke.

The handsome one with the spear won, and the the pair continued to walk around the festival, before two Dire Wolves leapt up at Adam.

“Hey, hey,” Adam said, brushing their fur. “I’m walking here! I’m walking here!”

“Of course it’s you,” Jaygak said, before noting Sir Vonda. “Where’s Jurot?”

“He’s drinking some wine, probably napping on the wall.”

Jaygak waited, her eyes darting around.

Kitool placed a hand on her shoulder, sensing Jaygak was about to ruin everyone. “Come, Kit’a, Jay’a,” Kitool said. “We should return to see the fight.”

The Dire Wolves circled around the pair, before darting away.

Adam nodded his head at them, but narrowed his eyes. ‘I feel like something’s happening that I’m not aware of.’

The pair continued on, finding an Iyrman speaking a tale in Aldish, and they settled themselves nearby with a bottle of wine, and some cups.

As they sipped their cups, in their own little corner, hidden by shadows, Sir Vonda pulled down her scarf so she could breathe properly. Even if there was a shadow half hiding her, his Half Elf eyes could still see her clearly, and he quickly glanced to his drink.

‘Do I ask? I know I can’t ask her weight or age, but does that count?’ Adam, for once, made the sensible decision of not asking stupid questions.

“Why do you call yourself the son of Fate?” Sir Vonda asked.

“I’ve been guided by her for a while now. In fact, my entire life was guided by her. My powers are too, I’m a Diviner of sorts, I suppose, but…”

“Yes?”

Adam glanced around, noting that no Iyrman was overtly looking at them, leaving them in peace. “Let’s say I’ve met her before.”

Strom, who was drinking on the roof, smiled. ‘Show off.’

“Fate?” Vonda whispered. “You have met Her?”

Adam nodded. “Yeah. I’ve met Her before. It was during a meeting I had with… other beings, let’s say. We met and, well, it’s not that important. I felt like we had a connection, and I thought it was a cute way of introducing myself.”

Sir Vonda had been leaning in, listening intently. “I… I also believe in Fate. I believe Fate is neutral. Balanced. There is good and there is bad. In fact, I almost gave my life to Lady Elaveil, but in the end I chose Mother Soza.”

“Why?”

“For things to be balanced, there must be life, and death. There must be gain, and loss. Sometimes, when you follow Lady Elaveil…” Sir Vonda fell silent. “Could I truly remain neutral for both? No. I will save lives. I was born for that. Mother Soza has guided me thus far, and I shall follow her will until the end of my days.”

“And may you live long,” Adam said. “I try not to kill people. I mean, I’ve killed before, but most of them are creatures, which might still be an issue to you. I’ve also killed a couple of Dragons, but I told myself that they don’t count. They’re so much more powerful, they’re beyond us, you know? Bears and Wolves? They’re beneath us, so they don’t count either.”

Sir Vonda slowly nodded her head, but she waited, seeing that Adam looked away, in thought.

“But… I don’t know. Are they really all that different? Dragons, I mean. I don’t kill people, but Dragons are people too. My friend, Enta- I mean, a friend of mine is a Dragon, and she’s a person. Right? I mean, I wouldn’t kill her anyway, she’s my friend and all. Would I kill her if she wasn’t? My rule is so… inconsistent.”

“Must you kill?”

“There’s someone I need to save. She’s a friend of a friend. What am I saying, you know who I’m talking about!” Adam laughed. “It’s Lucy. Her friend, Mara, she’s…” Adam frowned. “She’s dying. I need the heart of a Dragon, an Adult Dragon to be more specific. I made a mistake before and I gave her the heart of a Young Dragon. I got her hopes up and…”

“It didn’t work.”

“No,” Adam said. “It didn’t. I still feel bad about it. She didn’t talk to me for a month, and the next time we met, we fought. It wasn’t that long before we met, actually. It’s why I left the Iyr during Nightval.”

“How much is Lucy paying you for the Dragon heart?” she asked. “You have enough gold, don’t you? Is it really worth killing a Dragon for the heart?”

“Nothing,” Adam said.

“What?”

“She’s not paying me anything.”

“A Dragon’s heart is worth so much, Adam. She… she’s not paying you for it?”

“Of course not,” Adam said. “She’s my friend, and she’s trying to save her friend’s life. Like you said, I don’t need money. What’s ten or twenty thousand, or a hundred thousand gold?”

“That’s rather kind of you.”

Adam shook his head. “Jurot is my best friend. My brother. It was a sort of rapid friendship which grew into a brotherhood. If he was hurt, I’d do so much to get him back. I don’t think I show him that respect, though. I should probably try and work on that.”

“I’m sure he knows.”

Adam sighed. “I love this family dearly. They treat me so well, though I’m no Iyrman. The thing that bothers me, the thing which I hate the most, is that there are Iyrmen who think I’m taking advantage of them.”

“Are you?”

“I hope not.”

“I don’t believe you are,” Vonda assured.

Adam smiled. “What about you? What of your friends, your family?”

“I have two families,” Vonda said. “That of East Lake, and that of my Order. I used to have a baby brother, but…” She stared down at her drink. “There was a fire when I was young. It burnt my face and neck, and it took him from me.”

‘Damn.’