Omen: 7, 7

“You two really have gotten much better,” Adam said, feigning to wipe his brow. He had finished playing sockball with the children, and Taygak stood tall and proud at winning, while Saygak was smirking, having done quite well for himself. Adam’s feet still throbbed and ached, having not yet recovered from the almost two months of nearly daily travel.

“I will play too,” Jaygak said, having returned back to the estate, and Adam sat down against the wall, watching them play, before noting Mara was assisting the Gak family in cooking.

“Oof,” Katool said, sitting down beside him. “I am so tired, Cousin Adam.”

Adam smiled, reaching down to brush her little bob. “You have worked so hard, Cousin Katool.”

“Yes,” the girl said, sitting up straighter, before leaning back against the wall. “I have one more sister now.”

“Jitool?”

Katool’s bob bounced as she nodded her head. “She is so small.”

“That’s right. Just like Lanarot when she was small, right?”

“Babies are all so small,” Katool said. “Why?”

“They are small because they are young.”

Katool nodded her head. “Why?”

“They say it was because Humans evolved to have children out of eggs for one reason or another, but I assume it’s because of magic in this world,” Adam said, smiling at the girl.

Katool nodded her head, though she did not understand most of what Adam had said. “Cousin Adam.”

“Yes?”

“I am not Human, I am Iyrman.”

“That’s right.” Adam smiled.

Katool watched as her sister returned, before she quickly hoisted herself up with a grunt, before rushing to Kitool.

He watched as Jaygak bullied Raygak, specifically aiming to beat only him, causing the boy to rush up to her to wrestle, though his sister easily dealt with him. The sight was quickly overtaken by Lanarot approaching Adam, sitting down beside him, before showing up her block.

“Look,” the girl said.

“Wow,” Adam said, brushing her hair.

Lanarot smiled, and returned to playing with her block, lifting it up, and turning it around, touching all across the patterns which were engraved lightly into the block.

“Where is papa?” Adam asked.

“Papa,” the girl said, looking up at Adam.

“Where is papa Jurot?”

Lanarot looked around, before getting up to explore, checking under the table and stools, and even behind the Iyrmen. She lifted up a blanket to the side, and entered it, calling for her brother.

Meanwhile, Jurot approached the Elder, who was sitting at his desk, double checking the papers for the morning.

“Jurot,” Zijin said, glancing up at the boy, waiting expectantly.

“I wish for my right as an Expert,” Jurot said.

Elder Zijin knew the rights which belonged to an Expert, and those which belonged to Masters, as was his rights as an Elder. He knew which right Jurot was talking about, though he hadn’t expected Jurot to have claimed them so young. Jurot was not part of the one hundred Iyrmen who had been plucked from childhood to form the one hundred, but he had already reached, and surpassed, many of them.

“The world changes after a Great Twilight,” Jurot said. “I wish to step into the pool.”

Zijin remained silent, deep in thought. He had to take into consideration whether it was the right time for Jurot to claim his right, and though he could delay the right, he could not refuse the right. “I will consider the matter,” Zijin eventually said, his thoughts too jumbled at the moment.

“I am weak, Elder Zijin, but one day I will be strong,” Jurot said.

“I already know of your intention to become Gold Rank, Jurot,” Zijin said.

“No, Elder Zijin. I will become Diamond Rank.” Jurot bowed his head and turned, leaving the Elder to his thoughts.

Zijin’s eyes remained on Jurot until he had left, and he leaned back, falling into thought. He sighed, knowing it wasn’t a coincidence that the three of them had come to claim their rights on the same day. ‘I knew Jurot would come soon, but for Jaygak and Kitool to come and ask first…’

The Elder’s heart was warm, and he reached up to his chest, rubbing at his heart gently. The two of them had stated their intention to become Steel and Silver, meaning one who was stronger than an Expert but not a Master, and the other was a Master, though it would be through the Adventurer’s Guild. However, that had been before. Even when they had left with Adam, even after becoming Experts, they had kept those goals.

Yet, today each of them had come to inform the Elder of their intention. To become the foundation of the Iyr by increasing their strength and decreasing their freedoms. For Kitool, whose grandaunt had travelled the path, it was half expected.

Jaygak, though? Could she truly do it? To give up on the freedom to play her little pranks? To give up on the freedom to show him, her Elder, such disrespect? To give up the freedom of bullying her little brother, who Zijin had to hand an extra pepper or ten when she went away to adventure?

‘I would like to see it,’ Zijin thought. “It seems I will be busier for the next few months…” The Elder stood, and make his way to speak with the Chief, for he would want to know about these matters, though they were to be reported at the end of the week.

‘Ah, no. I should go see him first.’

Adam picked up Lanarot, holding her in front of the Elder. “I’m pretty sure I didn’t do anything this time.”

The children all looked to the Elder, and then to Adam, giving him a curious look, wondering what he had done.

Zijin smiled. “Come with me, Adam.”

Adam kissed his sister’s cheek. “Good job, Lanababy.” He let her down, though she reached up to be held once again. She cried and groaned, trying to get Adam to pick her up, but Sonarot lifted her up, and soothed the girl.

Zijin led Adam to his estate, and though he could have called Adam, he had decided against it. There were some things which one should do after showing courtesy. He poured Adam a drink and offered the young man some snacks.

‘Nice,’ Adam thought, tasting the date, which was mushy and sweet.

“What are your plans for the rest of this year?” Zijin asked.

“I was planning on enchanting until the end of the year,” Adam said. “Well, I mean, before the Twilight Month, obviously.”

Zijin bowed his head. “The year after?”

“I need to increase my strength.” Adam remained quiet for some time as Zijin measured the look within his eyes. “Ah, and I need to help Dunes.”

“That is a good answer,” Zijin said, smiling at Adam. “Then, I will ask you to continue enchanting for the Iyr.”

“I was planning on making some more proper weapons to sell,” Adam said. “I recently spent about six hundred gold on reviving a pair of dire wolves.”

“I request that you continue enchanting for the Iyr, unless you are extremely lucky,” Zijin said. “I would greatly appreciate it.”

“Haven’t you already figured out the extent of my ability?” Adam asked.

“You will only need to enchant the first step of each enchantment,” Zijin assured. “We will continue to pay you one hundred gold for each time. Of course, if you are feeling lucky, you may work on your own weapons, those which are Great, which you wish to sell or to keep.”

“What about Basic Enhanced?”

“If you so wish.”

Adam thought about it for a moment. Chances were, he could enchant half the time of the Iyr, and half the time for himself. However, it seemed that Zijin wanted him to enchant more for the Iyr. “Is it something to do with the Iyr and all the Dragons you’ve summoned?”

“The Iyr is changing, Adam.”

Adam sat up straighter, having not expected Zijin to have stated such a thing so obviously to him.

“Only we Elders and Great Elders know what is happening,” Zijin said.

“Still. After what happened, I wanted to spend more time with Lanarot. My plan was to enchant only when I was really lucky, and then spend the rest of my time with my little chubby babby sister.”

“I must admit that your affection for Lanarot warms my heart. However, I ask of this as an Elder of the Iyr. I will also guarantee that for the entirety of the Twilight Month, no one will bother you when you are to play with your sister, and your cousins.”

Adam still hadn’t been sure, but when Zijin had used the lower case cousin, he sighed, bowing his head. “Alright.”

“Do you truly wish to become stronger?”

Adam raised his brow. “Yes?”

“Even if it means you must miss Lanarot’s second birthday?” Zijin asked.

“That depends on how strong I can become,” Adam said.

“That is up to whether you are able to grasp the strength for yourself.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“If there was a way for you to grow stronger, would you accept it, even if it was to mean you may not be able to see your sister for her second birthday?”

Adam remained quiet, thinking back to the old man they had come across. Adam bowed his head and thought deeply. ‘I can’t Level Up too quickly though, otherwise…’ He winced, thinking about how Lucy had died without him being able to do anything. “Yeah.”

“Would you also extend that to Jurot, Jaygak, and Kitool?”

“Well, sure?”

Zijin remained silent for a while, wondering if he could do it. It would be difficult, especially since the Great Elders would be torn about the matter, though Zijin could also mention a few things he had begun to build up with Adam.

“Elder?” Adam asked, after an uncomfortably long silence.

“We will speak again soon, Adam.”

Adam blinked. “Sure?”

“Please enchant each item with only the first portion of the enchantment, regardless of how well or poorly you do, as before.”

“I still need to make myself a Greater Enhanced weapon since mine was taken, but…” Adam remained quiet for some time, thinking about what Zijin was trying to tell him. “Sure, I’ll make those enchantments. I don’t really need to make any for myself other than my new weapon.”

Zijin noted that Adam had picked up on what he was saying, and bowed his head. “Thank you, Adam.”

“Thanks for the talk, Elder Zijin,” Adam said, before taking another date and finishing the rest of his drink. He was about to turn, when the thought came to him. “Elder Zijin?”

“Yes?”

“I have some new Cousins now,” Adam said. “There are also the Goblins who were brought to the Iyr…” Adam stared into the Elder’s eyes.

“Your Cousins will be raised well within the Iyr, and the babies will be vouched for by yourself and Jurot,” Zijin said.

“Thank you.”