Adam avoided Sonarot as best as he could, but he had fallen ill after enchanting and it was difficult to avoid her when she would come to check up on him. She would bring him a bowl of soup or porridge to feed him too, as his entire body was a wreck after enchanting three times in one day.

‘I can’t believe I rolled a natural 20,’ Adam thought, thinking about the second roll of that day. He had rolled two 20’s with his Omen, and then another 20 when he was enchanting. It had taken a toll on his body, but he had managed to complete the initial step, and he could spend the rest of his days casually enchanting the weapon.

“Papa,” Lanarot called once he was healthy, reaching up so that her brother would pick her up.

“Lanababy, did you miss me?” Adam asked, hoisting her up, before planting a kiss against her cheek.

The girl sucked her thumb, resting her head against his shoulder. She hadn’t spent much time with him the last two days, and had missed him ever so dearly. Adam brushed her hair gently.

‘I won’t enchant like that again,’ he thought.

He went to enchant that day, beginning the process of finishing the greatsword he had enchanted.

Omen: 3, 5

Adam glanced between the pair, who stared up at him expectantly. He narrowed his eyes, tilting his head from side to side, before he rubbed his chin. “Hmmm.”

The children waited with bated breath, staring between Adam and the other two.

“Hmmm,” Adam repeated, squinting his eyes until they were almost entirely shut. “Something is wrong.”

Katool let out a snort, before placing her hands against her mouth to stop herself from making any more noises.

His Aunts watched too, sighing at his antics. They would have stopped him, but the children were excited for it.

“Aha!” Adam said, snapping his fingers. “You are Amokan and Naqokan.” Adam made the same face Turot would make when he was proud of himself for knowing something Adam didn’t.

The twins scoffed, all the while the other children laughed.

“No,” Damokan and Kalokan said.

“What? You’re not?”

“No,” the pair replied.

“Then who are you?”

“Kalokan!” the girl said.

“Damokan,” the boy added.

“What? No. No way. You two are too big, too strong. How can you be my adorable little Kalokan and Damokan?” Adam raised his brow, as though he didn’t believe them one bit.

The pair sighed at him, but soon the antics were over, and Adam handed them the platinum coins he had given their parents. “Remember, no one can steal this from you. If anyone does, tell me and I’ll be sure to teach them a lesson.”

“Thank you,” the twins replied, before pocketing the coins. They stared up expectantly at Adam.

“What?”

“You cannot pick us up?” Kalokan asked.

Damokan blinked at Adam, still waiting.

“Oh, right.” Adam reached down to Kalokan first, and tried to pick her up, pretending to struggle. “Oof! You’re too big Kalokan.”

A hint of a smile appeared on her lips. Damokan remained stone faced even when Adam joked with him, before he finally let the pair go to their parents. They received some cool milk, which they drank happily.

Adam sighed, arms crossed as he stared at the pair while the other children passed on their gifts. ‘I need to keep my promise to them too…’ The pair had turned eight, being slightly older than Turot, Raygak, and Saygak, but younger than Taygak. ‘Ten years at best, eight at the worst.’ That’s how long he assumed he had until they were done training with the Iyr, and he would need to assist them.

‘Alright, no more trying to piss off Nobles,’ Adam thought. ‘I need to make sure I live long enough to see my adorable cousins fly.’

Naqokan played with the pair that day. They were far brighter and noisier during the play than typical, before they finally left towards the Kan family estate.

Adam decided against enchanting, but only because he was preparing for a game to run on their birthday. He decided that the children could come and play with their parents for a one shot.

Once the group had gathered in the evening, Adam stopped to take note of them all. They were all checking their sheets, with the fathers also having their own sheet. Adam basked in the moment, feeling a warmth deep within him as he saw them all.

“Adam?” Jurot called. “Okay?”

Adam continued to glance around, before sighing. “Yeah.” He nodded, a smile painted across his lips. “Okay.”

Adam spent the next few days enchanting, before he was finally done with his blade. He had kept it a secret, even from his Aunt, and handed it to Elder Zijin for safekeeping. He relaxed with his companions, and also prepared for the journey ahead, though he did not need to.

Omen: 1, 6

Adam left with the rest of the Rot family, and Asoyah, to the Rot family estate. Churot was sitting beside his grandfather, with his young cousins all about, each of whom were excitedly chatting with him.

“Big one three, eh?” Adam said, ruffling the teen’s hair. “Have you been behaving for your grandfather and grandmother?”

“Yes,” the teen replied, simply. He hung to Adam’s side as the food was brought and they all drank and ate together.

Many brought Churot a plain book for his birthday, which he happily collected to one side. Fakrot brought Churot a stylus with a small gem which would last the boy some time. Cirot and Sirot, Fakrot’s twin daughters, brought the boy a storybook, one full of his grandfather’s stories. Churot accepted it eagerly, showing it to Jarot, who smiled down at the boy.

“You did not come to our birthday?” Cirot accused, appearing beside Adam with her twin sister.

“When is it?” Adam asked, leaning slightly away from her. A bead of sweat formed atop his forehead.

“The seventh of this month,” Cirot said.

“Oh?” Adam said. “The same as the other twins?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry about that, I didn’t realise.”

“If you truly sorry, then you must accep-,” Cirot began, only to find her father’s hand atop her head, gently squeezing it.

“Sorry, Adam,” Fakrot said, smiling down at Adam politely. “They will not bother you today.”

The twins stared at Adam, excited to finally claim him as their own. “We are sixteen now, so we are of marria-,” Cirot said, only to find her father’s hand across her lower jaw.

Adam threw the father a nod, allowing him to take the struggling Cirot away. ‘Should I take them with me on the journey?’ Adam thought. ‘No. Once they’re eighteen, maybe.’ He shuddered at the thought.

Churot sat beside Adam, sometimes casting spells for Adam to praise him. Eventually, Adam brought out a small pearl and handed it to the boy. “Here,” the Half Elf said. “Do you know what this is for?”

“Identify,” the teen replied.

“That’s right. You’re an Iyrman first and foremost, so there will come a time you will need to assist the Iyr with all your spells. Careful, though, for some items are cursed, and I don’t want you to suffer.” Adam brushed the Devilkin’s hair.

“Okay.”

The others gave Jarot and Mulrot a look, but they did not mention anything about handing a boy a pearl worth a hundred gold coins. It was a gift Adam had thought about for some time. He had first thought about handing Churot a different gem worth a little less, but Churot did not have the spell, and Adam wasn’t sure he should encourage the boy to take it, not when it could kill almost any normal person.

“I’ll be going tomorrow, so I’m going to need you to look after Lanarot, okay?” Adam said.

“Okay,” the teen promised.

“You can’t steal her away from me, though.”

“Okay.”

Adam smiled. “You might not use an axe and shield, but you’re a Rot, right?”

“Yes.”

Adam hadn’t been sure about Churot at first. The boy had come to him at the end of the last year, when Lanarot had slapped him and stole a bite of his sandwich. The boy had asked Adam to help him become strong. He wanted to learn magic, like Adam. To see Churot away from his grandfather had shocked Adam, and he had promised to think about it.

‘I haven’t really taught you anything other than maths,’ Adam thought, wondering what he could say to the boy. “Do you want to come and play Warriors and Wanderers today?”

“Yes,” Churot replied.

“Great,” Adam said, leaning in to whisper. “Do you want to betray everyone else?”

“No,” Churot said. “Iyrmen do not betray.”

“That’s right!” Adam pat the teen’s back gently. “What a great young man you are.”

Churot smiled at Adam’s praise, glancing aside shyly. He quickly returned to his typical stone faced demeanour.

“I hope you don’t change, Churot. You have to stay the smart, sensible Churot you’ve always been, okay?”

“Okay.”

Adam smiled. He sighed, looking out to the rest of the Iyrmen. That’s when it came to him. “Churot, I am going to teach you something that you need to remember forever. It may even be more important than maths.”

Churot looked up at him, waiting for the words which were more important than maths, the same precious maths which the teen loved most.

“With great power comes great responsibility.”