Omen: 14, 14

  “Hey, Jurot, who’s that?” Adam whispered.

  “I do not know,” Jurot replied, though he was certain he reised the figure.

  The pair was sitting within the Chief’s courtyard. Sitting beside Strom was a short, stout Dwarven woman, with long sideburns which fell down to her . Adam was sure it was a Dwarven woman because she didn’t have a beard, but then he wondered if Dwarven women had beards. He had met a Dwarven girl and she didn’t have a beard, but she was a girl and not a woman.

  Adam had brought Asoyah and Bavin, along with the teens, to meet with Strom. However, seeing the pair drinking and chatting away happily, Adam thought it was best not to disturb them.

  “Sorry, you guys meet him properly aime,” Adam said. Though Asoyah had teically met Strom before, he hadn’t spoken to great figure before. He had been too shy, and so had Bavin, but Adam had brought them here so they could speak with him properly.

  Adam and the others ehe festival. It was on this day that the Rot, Gak, Ool, and Kan families all made some food for the stalls. The group ate the food, listening to the music, watg the wrestliually they all returo their estate a few hours before dusk.

  The families made a rge fire, and they all gathered together to rex, drinking wiing the food they had brought back from their own stall, as well as from the nearby stalls.

  Adam had been w why it hadn’t been ridiculously hot as it normally had been, but he was caught by ahought. He watched as the Iyrmen danced around the fire, but that wasn’t what had caused him to stop thinking.

  The Iyrmen were wearing masks.

  They were made of wood, each styled to a different animal, and though there were only a dozen of them being passed around, Adam wasn’t sure he had ever seen Iyrmen wear masks. It felt s.

  “What’s with the masks?” Adam asked.

  “They are made of supple wood,” Jurot replied.

  “No, I mean, what’s with them?”

  “They were carved well.”

  “No, I mean, I thought you didn’t hide your tattoos?” Adam asked.

  “We do not,” Jurot said. “We do not wear them to hide our tattoos, we wear them because they are fun to wear.”

  “Oh.” Adam expected a story as to why they were signifit.

  The Iyrmen danced close to the fire, and the adults attacked it, swiping their fists ahrough the fire.

  “You ’t do that, Lanababy,” Adam said, ruffling her hair. “It’s dangerous.”

  Jaygak donned a mask, before she danext to the fire. She wore only a skirt, something Adam had only seen on a dozen Iyrmen even during the festival, and she danext to the fire, sometimes cartwheeling around the fire, passing her legs through the fmes. Her body moved as though she was being pushed by the breeze, sometimes jerking awkwardly, before she hummed a song.

  The children had been watg ily, but upon hearing her humming her song, they sat up excitedly. Within moments, Jaygak brought her hands together, and ted. A sea of fmes assaulted the fire, before mixing together, and the children squealed and howled excitedly.

  Lanarot cpped her haedly and squealed.

  ‘Damn it, Jaygak.’

  Jurot reached over and pced his hand on her head, causing the girl to sit up straight, before her eyes followed the arm to see her brother. She stared up at him before smiling.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I do not know,” Jurot admitted. “She is very excited.”

  “Yeah,” Adam replied, before raising his brows, Lanarot to him.

  Jurot picked the girl up. “You like fighting?”

  Lanarot babbled in response, ying against him.

  “Of course she does. She’s our sister.”

  Jurot brushed her hair gently. “Yes. You will grow big and strong, one day.”

  “No,” Adam said.

  “Yes.”

  “No.”

  “Yes.”

  Adam made a face at Jurot. “This betrayal shall never be fotten.”

  “Do not fet it,” Jurot replied, kissing Lanarot’s forehead. “You will bring great honour to our family, Lanarot.”

  “She’ll do whatever she wants,” Adam said. “I’ll pave the way to make sure it happens.”

  Jurot nodded.

  Adam sipped some wine, before noting the figure in the er. “I’ll leave Lanababy to you.” He picked up a bottle of wine, and brought it to Sir Vonda, who was sitting in the er, away from the fire. A ntern flickered nearby, providing her some light as she worked.

  “What are you sketg?” Adam asked, p some wio her empty cup, before sipping his own.

  “Thoughts,” Vonda said, revealing the picture to Adam. It was a crow, ly sketched.

  “How ominous,” Adam joked.

  Vonda smiled. “We are in the Iyr, where Lord Sozain is most present.”

  “Is that true?” Adam asked. “Is he most present within the Iyr?” He wondered if Sir Vonda could feel that, being a Priest.

  “I am certain. The Iyr and Lord Sozain have beeogether for turies,” Vonda said, before correg herself, “millennia.”

  “Fair enough.” Adam gnced around. “I’m pretty sure he hear us too.” Adam had been informed of the matter by the God himself. He noted Lu the er, staring up at the stars. She was nearby, however, having moved towards the pair when Adam had sat down. “Lucy, do you want to sit with us?”

  “Sure,” Lucy said, sittiween the pair, crossing her arms.

  “Want a drink?”

  “Sure.”

  Adam poured her a drink, sighing quietly. “You okay?”

  Lucy looked to Vonda for a moment. “I’m fine.” She didn’t want to admit it in front of a Priest.

  After a short while, Adam excused himself. It felt awkward to have a good time when his friend was suffering. Adam left, not telling anyone where he was going. He followed the path towards a set of estates to the side.

  “Adam,” Iromin called.

  “Chief,” Adam said, before his eyes fell to Strom and the Dwarven woman, both of whom were passed out from having drunk so much. “Are you okay?”

  “I am fine,” Iromin replied. “What is it that you need?”

  Adam was going to make a joke, but he decided against it. “Are there any Dragos in the Iyr? Those of greater Dragons, you know? Adults.”

  Iromin had wondered when Adam was going t it up to him. He had expected it ba dawnval. “You should speak with Elder Forest and Elder Gold, they would know best.”

  “So I have to make a deal with them?” Adam asked, groaning quietly.

  Iromin bowed his head.

  Adam sighed. “Okay.”

  “You wish to make another deal?” Elder Gold asked. She, and Elder Forest, had both appeared when the Chief called for them.

  Adam sat opposite the Chief, who was fnked by the other two Great Elders. “Yes.”

  “We made quite the deal previously,” Elder Gold said.

  “Yeah.”

  “Is it my turn, then?” Elder Forest asked, smiling at the Half Elf. She, like the reat Elder, wore a breastpte, though a greatsword rested at her side.

  “That depends.” Adam cleared his throat. “I would like to trade for an Adult Drago.”

  “It is an invaluable item that you request.”

  “I’m sure we make a fair trade,” Adam said, swallowing once more. He could feel the eyes of the three Great Elders stare deep through him. He was sure they knew how much it meant to him.

  “Does the Iyr have a need fold?”

  “Gold. Knowledge. Power. The Iyr has a lot of each, but it doesn’t have everything, right?” Adam asked. “I’m sure there’s something you want.”

  “What you offer?” Elder Forest asked, still smirking at the squirming Half Elf.

  “Well, what do you want? You know what I want, but what do you want?”

  “We have need for very little, Adam,” Elder Forest said. “However, that does not mean it has need for nothing. Though, we must know what you offer.”

  Adam had thought about it. He had wao take a while to think about it, but he had already thought about it for a few days. “Let’s not pretend you don’t know what I do. Speak holy, Iyrman.”

  Elder Forest smiled. “Your entments will be handed directly to the Iyr.”

  Adam tapped his knee, waiting for what else they wanted. After a long moment, he slowly bowed his head. “I he escort of some Iyrmen so the Drago be handed over safely. It wouldn’t do well that a Drago ends up being stolen, even if you do gain the entments.”

  “For the escort of Iyrmen, you must trade a magical on,” Elder Forest said.

  “I recall I bet against you for a magical on,” Adam said, smiling at her. “Since you want it returned, I’ll hand it back to you.”

  The Great Elder smiled, nodding her head.

  Adam gnced between the rest of the Great Elders. “An Adult Drago for me to pass the entments I create for my business directly to the Iyr, and a magical on to have an escort of Iyrmen on the way to, and back, from handing the Drago to Big Ivory.”

  The Iyrmen noted how he had phrased the statement, but Elder Forest bowed her head to accept the deal.

  “Thank you,” Adam said, shaking their forearms, before returning back to the shared family estate.

  Elder Forest smirked at Elder Gold, uanding she had gotten the best deal out of Adam.

  “He will favour me more,” Elder Gold said, simply.

  Once Adam returned back to the estate, he threw Lucy a smile. “I’m just letting you know now, I will not be getting married to you, no matter how much you beg.”

  Lucy shot him a gre, but he smiled.

  Adam wondered if giving up such a cession was good, since he did have other things he could have offered. However, he hoped the Iyrmen realised how much he had traded for the Adult Drago.

  ‘No. It’s definitely worth it.’

  Adam sighed. He had so many ideas for entments, some of which were too dangerous to let loose in the Iyr. He had wao entrust them to Sonarot to keep safe a. However, the guilt of not being able to help his friends had ate away at his heart for too long.

  He had wao help Dunes and Lucy, but he had forced them back to the Iyr for the noonval festival. After almost dying to the Beast Wave near Red Oak, he had wao return to safety.

  Yet, they had spent more than two months in the Iyr now, basically doing nothing. ‘I’m su asshole.’

  “Do we have to?” Adam asked during the te evening. He clutched the o his chest, which soothed his heartache. “Lanababy loves her ntern so much!”

  “We must,” Sonarot said, smiling at the Half Elf. “To guide them bae, Adam.”

  Adam looked to his Aunt, and sighed. He relinquished the o his Aunt, not having the heart to do it himself. She tossed the ntern into the fire, which began to tear away into the ntern. The fmes engulfed the ntern, turning it to ash.

  Click banner for Patreon!

  Tomorrow is the st day of quadruple chapters. I am not pnning to do ana dump of chapters until I'm many more chapters ahead. My sleep is still terrible and I'm stantly tired all day. Hopefully I fix it.