Ohe group had fiheir bread, Adam made sure they all had at least a basket of bread they could take back to share with their families and friends.

  “e,” Adam said, nodding his head to Fate’s Golden. “We o talk.”

  “Privately?” Jurot asked.

  “Yes.”

  Jurot nodded. “I will lead us.”

  “Sure?”

  Adam followed Jurot, who took them through busy Red Oak, and down a few winding alleyways, until they found a small, unassuming building, in which they entered. It had been abandoned for some time, but Adam he ck of dust.

  ‘Hmm,’ Adam thought. ‘These Iyrmerickier than I thought.’

  Ohey were all situated, sitting down against the wooden furniture which had been stacked about, Adam smmed his hands on the floor.

  “Remember when I talked about the inn stuff?” Adam asked. “Inns with smithing and alchemy services. A pce to find where I could ent in pead all that? Well, I’ve been thinking about it. I want to create a tempte on to sell. I want to be able to create a on with the same specificatioher the design, the entment, or both, ahem off. Something simple, like a basic magical on, but with just a little extra. A little bit of fire, or ice, htning on top of the basius. Shields which provide ara bonus, but maybe do something else. Then, of course, the bespoke magical ons for Nobles.”

  “You could create the magical ons for Nobles now,” Jurot said.

  “Isn’t it awkward?” Adam asked, but if Jurot was saying it was fine, shouldn’t it be? “The Iyrmen have already aued off some ons I’ve made, but I don’t want to say I’m the enter.”

  “What is the story?” Jurot asked.

  “Story. Yeah. That’s a good idea. A story. We could say that an enter has e to living within the Iyr, and is willing to work for ? They are a service for some time, but may leave?” Adam nodded his head. It was the truth, teically. “Though, it might still be awkward for the Iyr. I don’t want to make something which could be used against them…”

  He wondered if he should e up with a list of approved entments for the Iyrmen. ‘Then charge gems for them? I’ll need my own enting shriually, though. I could use the Iyr to make a name for the enter first, and then….’

  “We o find a way to…” Adam began, only to pause. “What if we said that the enter employed us because we were talented, or because we saved their life?”

  Jurot tilted his head slightly. “It is true, in a sense.”

  “We o figure out the most important thing.”

  “What?” Lucy asked, expeg something stupid.

  “The name.”

  ‘I k.’

  ‘The Golden Road? The Royal Road? The Silk Road?’ Adam mused in thought. ‘Wandering Inn? No, no, we already vetoed that. Wanderer’s Road? No. That would ect Warriors and Wao him since he ied it.

  “We need something whivokes the diverse services offered, and spoke to the quality, and something with a sense of authority…”

  The others paused with him, thinking. They had their own names, but they weren’t sure what exactly Adam was going for.

  “United Kindom,” Adam said, barely able to tain his ughter. He coughed into his fist. “United under a single banner. We’ll deal with anyone, regardless of one’s race, where everyone is wele. Just like the Iyr.”

  Jurot couldn’t help but feel that Adam may be more of an Iyrman than any of them expected. ‘He is my brother.’

  “Who should the business be uhough? It ’t be any of us…” Adam thought deeply. “The Chief?” He looked to Jurot.

  “No,” Jurot said. “It ot.”

  Adam sighed. “Then I guess we’ll figure that out ter…”

  Jurot fell deep in thought for onbsp;

  “Ah, right,” Adam said, turning to Dunes and Sir Vonda. “I was w if you two would be willing to train up Priests iure. I’d pay for their education, and you’d be allowed to instil your own beliefs into them, of course. The farmers and the porters have children, and they want them to bee learned, and priestly.”

  “I need some time to think oter,” Vonda said, surprised by his request.

  “I need some time too.” Dunes bowed his head slowly.

  “Sure. I was thinking that I wo sets of Priests. Those who remained within the busio heal and take care of the workers and their families, and those who would go out as bat medics. Seeing as that they line up with my friends’ ideals, I just thought perhaps it was… Fate.”

  Vonda slowly hinking about how everything seemed to line up well. She was certain Adam wasn’t trying to manipute them, as he had been ying down the foundations of the idea for a while, and this had beeural evolution.

  Duhought deeper oter. “I o pray on su offer.”

  “Of course.” Adam ughed. “I think I need an enting shrihat’s outside the Iyr. Then I o make a fort around it, so that others ’t barge in to steal everything.”

  “If only it was that easy,” Lucy said. She wondered what Adam really had pnned, since he probably came to them with the most agreeable ideas. ‘Perhaps not…’ she thought, recalling how queer he was.

  “ year it will be more likely,” Jurot said.

  “Why’s that” Adam asked.

  “A Great Twilight has occurred,” Jurot replied, simply.

  “You know, you guys keep mentioning this Great Twilight thing, and it seems to be expining a bunch of random nonsense. What is it, exactly?”

  “During the Twilight Month, the world baself,” Jurot said. “It is due to Ritetu’s influence.”

  “Lady Eveil, right?” Adam asked.

  “Yes. During a Great Twilight, the world is banced more…” Jurot paused, exging a look with Adam, “chaotically.”

  Adam slowly nodded his head.

  “Do you recall the Awakened Forest?”

  “Yeah. Big Ivory, right?”

  “That relude to the Great Twilight. The entire ndscape may ge. Portals may open to other realms. It will lead to a greater Awakening across the entire world.”

  “So it’ll be a woke world,” Adam said, before hiding his face behind his hands, uo trol his ughter. “Sorry, sorry.”

  “ year there is the Great Hunt,” Jurot said, uo tain his excitement. “Many youths from the Iyr will go hunting, in the same manner we had just done.”

  “Scary.”

  “It is fun,” the Iyrman assured. “The Great Hunt is a time where we fe bonds with others. Throughout the seasons, different portions of the nd will be effected. South Aldnd during dawnval, tral Aldnd during noonval. Duskval will affect both West a Aldnd. Nightval will affeorth Aldnd.”

  “What about the Iyr?”

  “Yes,” Jurot said, not eborating further.

  “So year we’ll go hunting, or should we go find the enting shrine?” Adam asked.

  “We could hunt, and ask our cousins in assisting us in looking for an enting shrine. I do not know what must be offered, you must speak with the Chief.”

  Adam nodded his head slowly. “I should probably just speak with the Chief a him know my pns.”

  “So…” Jaygak gnced between them. “Will we be hunti year?”

  “What do you guys want?” Adam asked.

  “We’d like to hunt,” Jaygak admitted. She wao participate in a Great Hunt, gaining more fidence during the Outbreak. “If you want to find the enting shrine, we do that instead.”

  “We always find an enting shrine aime, or I’ll learn how to make one, and we figure it out ter.” Adam shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t want to take away all the fun.”

  Jaygak smiled.

  “What’s the hunting like?”

  “We form a band of at least ten, but many reach up to several dozens,” Jurot said. “I have heard that there are some who form a group of one hundred.”

  Adam whistled.

  “The Great Hunt is a gift from Lady Arya,” Dunes said. “It allows us to join forces with others from different vilges and towns. We will travel all across the nd, sying all manner of creatures.”

  “Even if the Aldish and Aswadians are at war, such a band could still be formed, and they will be able to travel peacefully,” Jurot said. “Uhe right circumstances.”

  “It’s rare to hear that a ills over to a Great Hunt,” Dunes said. “Usually, such things will end in disaster for those spoiling the fun.”

  “That sounds kind of romantic,” Adam said, smiling. “Kinda fun, actually. We do that, unless something ges our pns. We’ll hunt, and figure out the enting shriuff aime. Wheurn to the Iyr, I’ll speak to the Chief about the enting shriuff. I want to make the business some time ter this year. Well, teically, we’re doing pretty well. Nobby should be an Expert within the few years.”

  “I feel strong,” Nobby said. “I will be stronger.”

  Adam smiled, patting his back. “You sure will.”

  “Will we e across Dragons during a Great Hunt?” Lucy asked.

  “It is more likely,” Jurot said.

  Lucy bowed her head.

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