Omen: 7, 16

Adam awoke in the morning, holding Lanarot to his chest. She snoozed lightly, her chest expanding with each small breath. He stared at the ceiling, deep in thought. Though he had not dreamt ever since he had died, he slept with dread, which was only kept at bay thanks to Lanarot’s tiny, warm hand which held his finger.

Lanarot groaned awake, before looking up to see her brother. Her sleepy, confused eyes stared at him for some time, before she smiled. She squealed quietly before she rested her head against his chest again.

“Good morning, Lanababy,” Adam whispered, brushing her hair. He tickled the back of her head.

The girl squealed and babbled up towards him, before pushing herself onto all fours, staring down at him again. She sat down on his stomach, looking at down at his face, her hands on her thighs.

It was her power stance.

“…” Adam stared at her, silent.

She smiled.

“I can’t believe you’ve done this.”

Adam changed her clothy, applying the lotion mixture of the Iyrmen to the girl, before wrapping the next clothy around her waist. “You smelly girl,” Adam whispered, glancing around to see whether the Iyrmen had heard him.

He quickly bathed, before assisting the Iyrmen with their cooking, today helping the Gak family, who were cooking a main pot, and a small pot to the side. Adam made Lanarot’s food that morning, scrambled egg, with some cut up salya, the Iyr’s banana.

“Cousin Adam,” Turot called, his eyes pleading Adam.

Adam could feel it, the gazes of the Iyrmen children all about him. They had been excited to continue Warriors and Wanderers, but Adam had work to do, as well as to assist Churot’s Awakening. However, he had given so much favour to Lanarot today, so they were probably feeling left out.

“I’ll think about it in the evening, okay?” Adam replied, thinking about what he should do. He could play with them a little before meeting Churot, he supposed.

Adam grabbed the black axe, before stepping out of the shared family estate, making his way out.

“Elder Zijin is calling for you,” called a voice from behind him, causing Adam to tense up.

He slowly turned around to see a young Iyrman, adorned in the noonval clothing of the Iyrmen. Adam remained quiet in thought. ‘I didn’t do anything that could get me killed, right?’

“Good morning, Adam,” Elder Zijin said, seeing the Half Elf before him. He smiled, offering Adam some snacks from a paper tray.

‘Oh no.’

“You are not in danger,” Elder Zijin assured.

“Alright,” Adam said, sitting down before the Elder, accepting the fried dough snacks which were lightly salted. “So, uh, what’s up?”

“It has been some time since we spoke on matters outside of business,” Zijin said.

The Iyrman who had escorted Adam remained silent. ‘What?’ She was wondering what the Elder was up to. Did the Elder really call Adam just to talk?

“Yeah?” Adam replied.

“How are you?”

“I’m alright,” Adam replied.

“If you need to speak with someone, you can always speak to Sonarot or I.”

“Yeah?” Adam furrowed his brows. “What’s this about.”

Elder Zijin motioned with his hand, dismissing the other Iyrman. “Jarot came to me last night. He said that something happened. Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” Adam replied. “I’m… okay.”

“What happened?”

“Just, I was reminded about something I hadn’t thought about.”

“Have you really died twice previously?”

“Yeah. I informed the Chief about it.”

“You are afraid that you’ll die a third time?”

“No,” Adam replied.

“Is this in relation to how you knew so much about the Iyr?”

“Yeah.”

Elder Zijin remained quiet for some time. “When my niece was five, she reached for my tusk and tried to break it. What a silly girl she was, for she was too weak at the time. Perhaps now, she would have been able to break it. Before she left she asked to wrestle me, but I told her it was inappropriate for an Elder to beat a child.” Zijin smiled at his joke, before fiddling with a snack between his fingers.

Adam smiled too. It sounded like something he would have said too.

“When I heard that she was surrounded by crumbled statues, I was glad she was given a good death,” Zijin admitted. “Though I miss her, I am at ease. Baktu has claimed her soul, and she will enjoy herself in the Life Beyond.”

Adam slowly nodded his head. “Are you okay, Elder Zijin?”

Zijin nodded his head slowly. “Adam.” He paused for a moment.

“Yeah?” Adam replied, after a long moment of silence.

“We Iyrmen do not forget.”

Adam slowly nodded his head, though his eyes were full of confusion.

“We remain distant to outsiders, and even to our own, but it is for the Iyr’s safety. However, we do not forget. We always pay our debts. There are times we do not thank you with our words, but we always repay our debts. Even if it is frustrating, please understand, this is how the Iyr works.”

“Yeah,” Adam said, nodding his head. He vaguely understood what the Elder was getting at, and he was hoping it was what he thought. “I’m much freer with my thanks, my words, but I’m also more upfront about showing it too. I don’t forget that the Iyr is looking after my adorable little sister. I still don’t know how the Iyr works, or how you view the relationship between me and her, and me and Jurot, but that doesn’t really matter to me. You’ll look after Lanarot as one of yours, and I’ll look after her as one of mine. As long as you keep doing that, I don’t really need much more.”

“I hope our next conversation is not so dark,” Zijin said.

“Every time I hear you or a Great Elder wants to talk to me, my heart skips a beat. I always think I’m one bad day away.”

Zijin smiled. “We will warn you, you have no need to worry about that.”

“I appreciate that.”

Zijin decided against asking questions. “Please, take the snacks with you.”

Adam nodded, accepting the small paper tray of snacks. “Thanks for the talk, Elder Zijin.”

“Thank you, Adam,” Zijin said, watching the Half Elf go.

Adam stopped. “Elder Zijin?”

“Yes?”

“Say, if I make a secret deal with Elder Gold, do you think she’ll keep her word?”

“Yes,” Zijin replied.

“Even if it’s against the Iyr’s rules?”

“If she has promised.”

“What if a new Elder Gold takes her place? Will they keep the deal too?”

“Yes,” Zijin replied, firmly. “The Iyr never forgets.”

Adam nodded, and left again, sighing with relief. He was glad the Elder had spoken to him. If he did die, then Lanarot would be well taken care of.

Mana: 18 -> 15

Enchanting Check

D20 + 7 = 8 (1)

Omen: 7, 16 -> 7

16 + 7 = 23

Intelligence Save

D20 + 5 = 12 (7)

Failure!

Health: 65 -> 41

Adam plucked a Thread of Fate, causing the baby to sigh, and thus Fate was forever changed.

“Oof!” Adam groaned in pain, feeling the onslaught of magic against his mind. He shook his head, rubbing his temples.

“Are you okay?” the Iyrman beside him asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Adam replied, grabbing the dark axe, before making his way to the Rot family estate.

Churot held his book, but his eyes were glued to Adam.

“I just came by to say that I won’t be able to do it tonight, but if you want, you can come and join us for some Warriors and Wanderers?”

Churot’s eyes were full of disappointment. “Okay.”

“Sorry, it’s just that I’m getting some kind of magical sickness. I won’t even be able to enchant tomorrow either, even if I was lucky.” Adam sighed.

Adam took Churot, and Jarot, to the shared family estate. Dinner was still in progress, so the trio joined the group to eat. He lifted up Lanarot first, who was eagerly eating her bit of bread.

“You can’t just eat only bread, Lanababy,” Adam said, feeling the looks of the other Iyrmen. He also felt another set of looks, those from the patient, and expectant, younger Cousins.

“Yes,” Adam finally said to them. “How can I refuse my adorable little Cousins?”

Jarot watched as Adam set up the game, all the while Churot was reading a sheet full of spells, since he had chosen Scribe Mage. Saygak remained beside him to help, showing which spells he had taken.

“So, you look out to the north, where the bandits had ran away,” Adam began.

“No,” Taygak said. “West.”

“North is manticores,” Turot said, giving Adam a look which the Half Elf had become accustomed to.

“Right, I was just checking,” Adam said, scratching out the directions in his notes. “Well done. So, on the way west, you find a new traveller, one adorned in dark robes.”

“Necromancer?” Katool asked.

“No, something far more terrifying. An Iyrman!” Adam gasped.

The children sat up straighter. “You said there were no Iyrmen.” Turot narrowed his eyes.

“It was just a joke,” Adam replied, smiling. “It’s Churot’s character.”

Churot began to describe his mage, but Taygak gasped, causing him to stop. Taygak pointed at him. “Doppelganger!”

“No!” Adam quickly piped in. “He’s not a doppelganger, I promise.”

“You said it was aunt Sonarot and cousin Jurot last time,” Raygak accused.

“Well, it was cousin Jurot, but aunt Sonarot was indeed a doppelganger that time,” Adam agreed. “This time, I promise, as your Cousin Adam, that Churot is not a doppelganger.”

“Okay,” Taygak said.

Adam smiled. It was fun to tease his little Cousins. He wondered if he should make Churot a doppelganger, but he had promised. ‘He could just be an evil necromancer who will betray the party eventually…’