Omen: 8, 13

  “How are you all feeling?” Adam asked, looking to Rid the farmers. Three of them were wielding long pikes, which would be used to strike from behind the others. Ivy and John both were holding their bows, sitting down at the wall, waiting for the creatures to appear.

  “We are well, Adam,” Rick said. “Thank you.”

  Adam nodded. He was adorned in his own puthral pte, wearing his nightval bear leather to keep him cool. “Nobby? Brittany?”

  “Good,” Nobby said.

  Brittany nodded her head, holding her deadwood bow tight. “Fine.”

  “You two will be fine.” Adam smiled. “I’ll raih from the heavens and you deal with the remaining few.”

  With over twenty of them, it certainly felt cozy withipost, and Adam was gd he had made it bigger than they hey each stuck to their own groups, with the archers, the porters, and Nobby ready to provide cover from the walls with their ranged ons. The others were also on the walls, but they were also ready to approach the gate, which would be open for the creatures as they approached to walk into their death.

  They still o spot the creatures to know which gate to open, but they assumed it would e from the dire where the Hakorians had appeared.

  Fred stared out to the ndscape, taking in the sight. ‘This could be my st day.’ He inhaled deeply, a out a soft sigh. ‘It’s not a bad day to die.’

  “Fred,” Vonda called.

  “Sir Vonda?” Fred replied, awkwardly.

  “Thank you for taking care of Nobby and Brittany,” she said.

  “Of course.” Fred’s lips twitched as he tried to smile.

  Vonda had asked Adam to pce Fred in charge of taking care of the pair, and the Half Elf had agreed almost immediately. She hoped that it would help the young man, and that he would step up to the task.

  “Beautiful day, ain’t it?” Remy asked.

  “Aye, it is,” Jeremy said. “Lovely javelins, aren’t they?”

  “Aye,” Remy said, looking down at the pile of javelins beside him. “That they are.”

  Adam looked out to the other outpost, which had been informed the previous evening. They were all ready to fight, Oliver having whipped them into immediacy. Adam wondered if there had been some push back by the Iron Rank parties.

  ‘I hope they’ll be okay,’ Adam thought. ‘If they die now, it’ll be harder for us ter.’ He wondered how they’d split the loot if aire party died.

  A whistle was blown by the other outpost, and a wave of excitement filled the air. Adam’s heart pounded as his eyes sed the horizon, before they saw the creatures in the distahey had certainly appeared from where they assumed, tiny specks in the distanbsp;

  Adam’s heart pounded aapped his breastpte, causing the others to gn his dire. “Sorry,” he said, fshing a smile towards them. “The wait’s killing me.”

  “It’s always the worst,” Lady Shamia said. “The waiting.”

  “I ’t say I agree,” Jaygak said. “The worst is when their cws are at your throat.”

  “Jaygak?” Jurot asked.

  “Don’t pare me to you, Jurot,” Jaygak said, smiling. “I might be an Iyrman, but I’m sane. I ’t die before I find a nice guy with beautiful horns.”

  “Don’t say that,” Adam said.

  “What?” Jaygak asked.

  “Sir Vonda, stay with Jaygak,” Adam said. “She raised her death fg.”

  ‘Death fg?’ It was a shared thought between them all.

  Rick wondered how they could all joke like this, when the creatures were approag. His hands were sweaty, and beside him, Charley tapped her legs, trying to keep them awake. Ivy pulled her bow close to her chest, and she muttered a prayer.

  ‘Fuck,’ Adam thought, shaking his head. For a moment, he thought about Lanarot. His face twitched, aried to keep the ive thoughts out of his head. ‘There’s twenty of us. Yeah, they might be an issue for Experts, but there’s plenty of Experts here. With enough Fireballs, even Experts would fall.’

  “You know,” Adam said, feeling his throat dry up. “I’m thinking about the kurabaras. How strong are these guys in parison?”

  “Much weaker,” Jurot assured.

  “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  “Oh.” Adam inhaled deeply. The kurabaras numbered roughly a quarter of the creatures ahead of them, but this time they were in their own fort, and the kurabaras were tough.

  “Adam,” Jurot called.

  “Yeah?” the Half Elf replied.

  “You are strong.”

  Adam smiled. “Damn straight.”

  “Many will fall under a single Fireball,” Jurot assured. “We will up the rest.” He could tell Adam was shaken, but he was pletely reassured. “We are stronger.”

  “There are a hundred of them,” Adam said.

  “Some will split to the other fort.”

  Lucy grunted with displeasure at the thought. “I’ll kill at least ten.”

  “I will kill aen,” Jurot assured.

  “We should speak moderately,” Kitool said.

  “Let’s aim for two,” Jaygak said.

  “Not that moderately,” Kitool replied.

  “Will the children in the Iyr like the birdcat’s fangs?” Lucy asked.

  Adam blinked. How had it been Lucy asking that question and not him?

  “Yes,” Jurot replied.

  “Then I’ll kill twenty.”

  “I will kill twenty too.”

  “I’ll kill twenty three then,” Lucy added.

  “I think he meant twenty as well,” Adam said.

  “Yes,” Jurot firmed.

  “Oh,” Lucy replied, feeling her cheeks flush.

  “It is rude to kill too many.”

  “Right.”

  “Dunes, you got a prayer for us?” Adam asked.

  “Magic?”

  “No, just a prayer. Though, I suppose you could cast Aid now.” Adam o Sir Vonda.

  Duhought for a moment. “With sword in hand, our enemies will crumble, it is assured. Lady Arya will hear our songs of battle, and she will ahe call. Pray not for your panions beside you, but for the glory your family will share when you return.”

  Then he began ting for Aid, filling himself, Jaygak, and Lucy with his magic. Sir Vonda did the same, but for herself, Jurot, and Lucy. It increased their Health by a small amount for several hours.

  Adam had refused the spell even though he had made sure the Priests had it cast upon them sihey knew Revivify.

  “Nice,” Adam whispered. He saw the creatures ier detail as they charged towards the outpost. They were like panthers, though with light grey fur, and their tails seemed to be spiked. ‘Why the hell are they called birdcats?’

  Rid the others let out a sigh, and stretched out their muscles, far more eager after the prayer. ‘I’ll spend a gold on the library when I go back.’

  “Iyrman,” one of the Aldish called. He was referred to as Twobones, and Adam assumed it was because he wielded a pair of bdes, each of them made of boen gold to see who kills more?”

  “Ten gold,” Jurot firmed.

  “What of one of you?” the other Aldishman, Ironbde called. He was tall and wide, and carried with him a greatsword, though it seemed to be made of something darker than iron.

  “Sure,” Jaygak said. “Ten gold. I’m not as strong as Jurot, but I’m fident in my sword.”

  “Mighty fine sword that is,” Ironbde said. “Want to bet it?”

  “Even if I was fident, I ’t,” Jaygak said. “It was a gift from a friend.”

  “A friend gifted you the sword?” Ironbde asked.

  “A very good friend of mine,” Jaygak firmed. “It will bring me much glory.”

  “What a shame.” Ironbde chuckled.

  Adam smiled from behind his helmet. Then he quickly frowned. ‘God damn it, Jaygak.’ “Sir Vonda, please.”

  Sir Vonda looked up at Adam, but bowed her head. She assumed it had something to do with fgs of Lord Sozain. ‘What does that even mean?’

  “Jonn?” Adam asked, watg as the creatures grew rger, not minutes away. “Don’t you have a spell called Aid?”

  “Yes,” Jonn said.

  “Do you have it prepared?”

  “Yes.”

  “Please cast it on Brittany, Nobby, and Lady Shamia,” Adam said.

  Jonn turo Lady Shamia.

  “Why us? It would be better cast upon those ier danger.” Lady Shamia and the two would remain away from the fight.

  “Just in case,” Adam said. “It will keep my heart calm. Please.”

  “Very well,” Lady Shamia said, giving in to Adam’s request. She wasn’t a fan of others casting a spell on her, but Jonn was a member of Jurot’s party, so she trusted him that much.

  Jonn ted, calling forth his magic, casting the Aid spell uporio.

  Adam swallowed, looking up at Hades, and then back to Zeus. Zeus was to eo block them off if they overran the fort, and his task was to make sure the two youngsters were safe.

  That’s when Adam realised something, something he should have realised long ago. “Jonn?”

  “Yes?”

  “Don’t you have Find Steed too?”

  Jonn remained silent. ‘Oh,’ the Guardian thought.

  “Archers!” John, the archer, called out, finally. The creatures were so close t range, and he had been giveask of anding the archers.

  ‘Oh,’ Adam thought, seeing the creature’s tails, which were feathery. ‘So that’s why.’

  “Nock!” John shouted.

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  So it begins.