‘What are you doing?’ Adam thought to himself. ‘You can’t just let that kind of thing slip by just because you got a little tipsy, you idiot.’

Adam had returned back to the family estate, though he didn’t spend much time. Once he had grabbed the gems he needed, and the mace from Vonda, he quickly retreated to the shrine.

Once again, he was accompanied by an Iyrman, but he kept to himself. He was too busy berating himself about how much he had let slip to Vonda. ‘Politics, Adam? On your birthday? Seriously…’

“I have heard that it is your birthday today,” the Iyrman said. It was not one Adam was familiar with.

“Yeah?” Adam replied, throwing a suspicious look at the Iyrman, wondering how they knew.

“I hope that your brother returns with great news,” the Iyrman said.

‘He even knows my relationship with Jurot?’ Adam thought. “Yeah, me too.” He wasn’t sure how he felt that some strange Iyrman knew so much about him. ‘I guess he isn’t a stranger.’ He recalled the conversation he had with another Iyrman some time ago. ‘The Iyrmen are not strangers to me.’

The enchanting shrine was made up of six standing stones, each placed to form a circle. Adam did not know if they had to be set up as a circle, he didn’t think too much of the particulars about enchanting, he just did it.

He placed down six gems worth fifty gold on the standing stone, and he placed a seventh gem, a diamond worth one hundred gold, in the centre of the shrine. Since this was a weapon he was going to enchant for Vonda, he was going to enchant it using gems which were worth more than usual.

25.

That was the minimum total he wanted for enchanting Vonda’s mace. His Intelligence granted him a +3 modifier, his Trained Bonus was an additional +2. Then there was the enchanting shrine, which held its own bonus of an additional +2.

Mana: 18 -> 16

Enchanting Check

D20 + 7 = 14 (7)

Omen: 2, 18 -> 2

18 + 7 = 25

Adam plucked a Thread of Fate.

The boy bit into the bread he had been given, eating it ravenously. He had somehow managed to survive past nightval’s cold, though since both nightval and the Twilight Month passed, he was no longer welcome in the garden of the remaining surviving old man. He stepped out into the street, only to trip as misfortune befell him. He tumbled onto another urchin, and by the time he had righted himself, the urchin was gone, taking with them the hot bread which the boy had been eating.

Thus Fate was forever changed.

Adam’s heart tingled, as it always did when he expended any Mana, feeling the magic flow through him towards the gems. They cracked as the Mana filled them, before exploding into dust, which floating towards the mace. As the dust clung to the mace, runes began to form, glowing for a moment before they turned faint. The runes were almost imperceptible to the naked eye, but the enchantment began to take hold.

Once the hours passed, and dusk threatened to spread across the Iyr, Adam was done with the first phase of enchanting. ‘Just two more days,’ he thought, feeling the familiar sensation of the drain. He stretched his entire body, throwing a look back to see another Iyrman he did not recognise, before they escorted him back to the shared family estate.

“Sorry for taking so long,” Adam said, smelling the pizza which had been cooked that evening. The Iyrmen were already gathered around to eat and drink for dinner. Adam lifted up his sister onto his lap, before grabbing a slice of pizza. He bit into the slice, and allowed Lanarot to bite into the crust.

“Hey,” called a familiar voice.

“Yes?” Adam replied, wondering if she was going to start a fight with him.

“Can we talk?” Lucy asked, with uncharacteristic seriousness.

Adam was about to make a joke, but he thought back to how many times he had seen Lucy act so seriously, and decided against it. Instead, he placed down his sister and followed the Demon Lord from another world.

“What’s up?” Adam eventually asked, once they were in their own corner.

“Did you come to this world a year ago to this day?” Lucy asked, her voice quiet.

“Yep,” Adam said. “I made it my birthday since that makes sense.”

Lucy fell silent again, contemplating her words. It was not like Lucy to think before she spoke, so Adam gave her the peace she required.

‘She’s working hard,’ Adam noted, looking at how rough she looked. Her clothes were partly dishevelled, and she had lost some weight, just like him. He couldn’t blame her one bit, since her friend was in trouble, slowly having the life sucked out of her. ‘I doubt we can manage to save her this year.’

“I think I came to this world at this time too,” Lucy said, finally.

Adam narrowed his eyes, slowly nodding his head. He had also thought of it long ago, that she had arrived to this world around the same time as himself. There was a shared look between the pair of them, allowing the message to simmer in the silence.

‘Three people, appearing from different worlds at the same time?’ Adam wasn’t sure what had brought them here, or why. ‘If only Belle was still here, then I could ask him. Not that the bastard would tell me anything.’

After the long moment of awkward silence, Adam eventually smiled. “Happy birthday, Lucy. Next time I’ll get you a proper gift.”

“Adam,” Lucy said, her eyes cold. “There’s only one thing I want.”

Adam’s smile faded. He placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. “I know.” ‘I’m not the only one getting all depressed it seems.’

Lucy looked up towards the darkening sky for a moment, before her eyes quickly fell to Adam, not wanting to lose herself to her thoughts. “Happy birthday, Adam.”

Adam nodded at her, patting her shoulder. “We’ll figure everything out as the days pass. From the reason why we’re here, which bastard sent us here, and mostly importantly, saving my future wife.”

Lucy winced at him, feeling the cringe hit her in the face. “She came with me. Back when I was…” Lucy fell silent again, deciding against telling him what had happened when they were torn from their world.

‘So this is how Vonda felt,’ Adam thought, patting the Demon’s shoulder. "Once we rescue Mara, it won’t be long until you’re the Demon Lord again.”

“I’m still the Demon Lord,” Lucy grumbled. “Even without any followers.”

“Right,” Adam scoffed. “A King without his people is no King at all.”

“I’m no King,” Lucy replied, lightly punching Adam’s arm. She turned on her heel and returned to eat pizza.

Adam looked out to his companions, looking to each of them. He wasn’t the only one with goals. ‘From Vonda wanting to regain her Order’s artefact, to Dunes wanting to find his friend, to Brittany wanting to explore the world.’

He returned back to the rest, finding that his little sister had dropped the pizza after eating the crust, before finding some fruit to eat. Adam enjoyed the evening with his companions, pouring some tea for them all from his stash.

“Is that a Persevian tea pot?” Elowen asked, noting the design of the tea pot Adam had brought out.

“Yeah,” Adam replied. “Cost me quite a pretty penny too.”

“I have no doubt,” Elowen said. “They say the clay of the Persevian lands are magical, and their skills are greater.”

“It is quite a beautiful pot,” Adam said, looking down at the diamond pattern all along the edge of the pot.

“I didn’t realise you were so interested in the crafts,” Elowen said.

“I’m not so much, really,” Adam said. “I’m more interested in tea, and, you know, need a tea pot for that sort of thing.”

Elowen sipped the tea slowly, tasting the strawberry hints. “You have an interest in tea?”

“A little,” Adam said. “I grew up drinking it. Two or three cups a day, usually. Not this tea, though. A little milk, a little sugar.” Adam wondered if he’d be able to taste it again. He could have used one of his spells, but there was nothing like having a proper cup of tea. Magic was one thing, but using magic made the tea taste less… magical.

Once night had come, Adam brought out thick blankets to the courtyard, and sat atop them. He had brought Lanarot with him, laying her down beside him as he looked up towards the sky.

“You’re sleeping outside tonight?” Lucy asked. She had set up outside, right near the Rot family walls.

“Yeah,” Adam said. “I thought I may as well.”

The trio lay down, staring at the stars above. Lanarot’s eyes were glued to all the colours, pointing and babbling up at the colours. Adam lay beside her, letting her hold onto his finger. Eventually, she yawned.

“Go ahead and sleep,” Adam whispered, brushing her hair.

“Oofbooboo,” Lanarot said, quietly.

“Of course,” Adam replied. “I’ll be right here, unless you decide to give me a present in your clothy.”

Lanarot’s eyes slowly closed shut, her head falling beside him, pressing up against his arm.

Silence filled the courtyard.

Adam threw a look to Lucy, who was staring up at the sky. He noted that she would always look at the sky. He wondered if she was trying to find the stars she had left behind, just like him.

Adam looked back down to the sleeping form of his sister, who had a thumb in her mouth, her hand gripping his finger tight.

“Don’t worry,” Adam whispered, near silently. “I’m not going nowhere.”