Lanarot screamed as though possessed by the God of Death, g her haedly. Konarot looked to her aunt, whose eyes were glued on the pair.

  Iyrmen are scary.

  Sonarot smiled as she watched the realisation appear on Adam’s face. Every since Jurot had begun training Nobby, her son had always spoken to her about how much he enjoyed his role as Nobby’s mentor. Jurot had sparred with Nobby almost daily, and had watched over his growth.

  Yet, Jurot had revealed something to Sonarot, something that she had not yet told the Great Elders. Although Jurot had drilled the basito Nobby, it had been their adventures with Adam which had grown the seedling into a tree. Nobby, who had been but a boy when they had first met, had bee almost an Expert.

  The thought came to her. Jurot’s words echoed within her mind as she watched the pair fight. It was something which had shocked Sonarot, though she hadn’t disagreed.

  Tough Spirit: 1 -> 02D6 + 5 = 14 (4, 5)Health: 37 -> 51

  Attack - AxeD20 + 6 = 15 (9)D20 + 6 = 25 (19)Critical hit!2D6 + 2D3 + 4 = 13 (1, 5)(1, 1)Damage resisted!7 damage!

  Attack - AxeD20 + 6 = 14 (8)D20 + 6 = 23 (17)Hit!1D6 + 1D3 + 4 = 7 (2)(1)Damage resisted!4 damage!

  Onward Soar: 1 -> 0

  Attack - AxeD20 + 6 = 10 (4)D20 + 6 = 19 (13)Miss!

  Attack - AxeD20 + 6 = 14 (6)D20 + 6 = 23 (19)Critical hit!2D6 + 2D3 + 4 = 19 (3, 6)(3, 3)Damage resisted!10 damage!

  ‘Nobby, what have they been feeding you?’ Adam thought, before g his axe tighter in hand. He could feel the aura the young man was giving off. This was not the sweet little Nobby he was used to, but someone who had trained viciously under an Iyrman.

  ‘What did you do to him, Jurot?’

  Adam inhaled deeply, feeling his muscles tense as he was reinvigorated with the spirit to fight even harder. He charged towards the young man, who had been a bourer for most of his life, and was yet to bee an adult truly.

  Nobby stood tall as Adam smmed his axe against the young man’s shield. He winced only momentarily, but mao gather himself quickly.

  ‘Sorry, Nobby, but I ’t lose in front of my sister,’ Adam thought, hearing the wailing screams from nearby, which spurred him forward. He mao strike across Nobby’s shield, causing him to almost step back.

  As Nobby made to swing, Adam forced himself forward, feeling the rush of strength, s forward as he tried to cut across Nobby.

  ‘19 is a miss?’

  Adam pulled back, barely dodging a blow from the young man who was built like the walls of the Iyr. In the gap, he mao strike Nobby true, slig into the young man’s side, drawing blood once more.

  Nobby wore the typical attire of the Iyr, though it in, uhose which Adam and his children wore. He had no armour, and wielded only a shield, ahe young man’s Defence was at least 20?

  ‘What the hell?’

  If Nobby was an Expert, I would lose.

  Jurot’s words weighed heavily on Sonarot’s mind as Adam realised the wall known as Nobby. Jurot had realised quickly that Nobby was not only strohan him naturally, but he was tougher, and far mile. Nobby, who was a bourer, had truly been born in the wrong pce, for if he was in the Iyr, he would have been first among his peers without a shadow of doubt.

  ‘You are fortuo have met my son,’ Sonarot thought, gng between Adam and Nobby.

  Adam barely mao deal with Nobby’s onsught, all the while thinking about Nobby’s Defence. ‘19? That’s crazy! Is he cheating? Bell, what the hell is with that?’

  Fighting Spirit: 3 -> 2Health: 51 -> 56

  Attack - AxeD20 + 6 = 8 (2)D20 + 6 = 21 (15)Hit!1D6 + 1D3 + 4 = 11 (5)(2)Damage resisted!6 damage!

  Attack - AxeD20 + 6 = 14 (6)D20 + 6 = 26 (20)Critical hit!1D6 + 1D3 + 4 = 18 (5, 6)(1,2)Damage resisted!9 damage!

  Adam rushed forward, managing to strike Nobby once more, realising his Defence robably 20 or 21, but even so, it was still a sho. He mao draw blood as he cut across Nobby’s chest, the blood trig on the floor, and the screams echoed louder.

  Yet, even after taking Adam’s onsught, which would have downed any normal Expert, Nobby stepped forward, and swung his axe wildly, f Adam babsp;

  Health: 56 -> 31

  ‘What a god damn monster!’ Adam thought as his arms pulsed with effort, and his thighs burned as Nobby tio force him back. ‘If he doesn’t go down with this blow, I might have to smite.’

  Fighting Spirit: 2 -> 1Health: 31 -> 36

  Attack - AxeD20 + 6 = 9 (3)D20 + 6 = 24 (18)Hit!1D6 + 1D3 + 4 = 11 (5)(2)Damage resisted!6 damage!

  Adam inhaled deeply as he focused, and as Nobby brought down his axe, Adam slipped into the gap of the blow, and smmed the handle of his axe against Nobby’s neck. Though he had struobby’s neck, Adam didn’t feel any slight give, as though he was striking into stone.

  Yet, Nobby swayed, and Adam dropped his axe to the side, catg the young man before he could fall. Nobby’s body was heavy against Adam, as the Half Elf id him down to the side, moving the shield and axe away.

  Victory!NobbyXP Gained: +400XP: 16 200 -> 16 600

  The children cpped excitedly and Lanarot squealed with utter delight, shaking in her ughter. The triplets quickly rushed up to their father, and hugged at his leg. They whimpered quietly, but Adam lifted them up.

  “Why are you so sad? Daddy won, didn’t he? I didn’t even have to use magic.” Adam spun his children around once before letting them down. They remained near him, clutg at his trousers.

  “You fought well,” Sonarot said, keeping the other children at bay, who were excited to swarm Adam to bother him about the fight.

  “Did you know he was a monster?” Adam asked, trying to stretd limber up. He hadn’t expected Nobby to be so powerful. ‘If his Defence is 20 with a shield, that means it’s 18 without a shield. As a Rage Dancer his Dexterity and stitution form his Defence score. Does that mean he has an 18 in both, or a 16 ierity and a 20 in stitution? He probably has a 16 or 18 in Strength too? Damn, what kind of cheater is this kid? Is he someone like me too?’

  “I trust in Jurot’s eyes,” Sonarot replied, simply, smirking slightly.

  “Yeah…” Adam stared at Nobby, who was greater than he inally managed. ‘My number one enforcer?’ He wondered if he should really train Nobby to be more powerful. ‘If you grow stronger, you’ll probably be able to beat Jurot…’ Adam frow the thought. ‘I’ll just leave that choice up to you, Jurot.’

  The children quickly swarmed Adam, jabbering at him excitedly.

  “Good fight,” Taygak praised, patting his side gently. “Very strong.”

  “I was just lucky,” Adam said, sitting down and stretg out his legs. ‘If I didn’t have my magical shield, Nobby would have beatehe guy has as much Defence as I do when I’m fully adorned in pte mail…’ Adam’s lips slowly formed a smile.

  “Nobby is strohan I imagined,” Vonda admitted, looking over the unscious form of the teen. Nobby was just seventeen, a couple of years youhan herself and Adam. Yet, already, he was s. ‘There is a high ce you will bee an Expert before you tureen…’

  Dunes shared the same thoughts as Vonda, havi Nobby before her. He had watched Nobby grow for some time. ‘To think he’s already such a… monster?’ Dunes looked to Adam. ‘Jurot has trained him well, but it’s mostly likely because of Adam…’

  Fred’s eyes fell down to Nobby. ‘He beat me.’ Fred was certain of it. He watched over Nobby as he trained early in the m, before he’d go on to work for the Iyr, b for it. He did not pin onor did he pihe Iyrmen tried to spar with him. ‘Scary.’

  Brittany stared at the rge form of Nobby. They had joined Adam around the same time, and he had assisted her too, but the differeween Nobby and her was big, too big. Nobby had assisted her against the duabears during the Outbreak, but she was certain that he was much stronger now.

  “What happeo the sweet Nobby I knew?” Adam asked, his voice full of m. “He was so cute, and now he’s… he’s been corrupted by Jurot! How you do this to me, Jurot? Why would you turn him into someone so scary?”

  Though Adam was pining, everyone could see the smile on the Half Elf’s face.

  Nobby awoke some time ter. He awoke to the sensation of a sore body, though he had been bandaged up, and to the smell of food. He sat up, wing, before he sat with the group to the side.

  “How are you feeling?” Adam asked, the boy some soup.

  “Good,” Nobby replied.

  Adam slowly nodded his head. “Well, it looks like I’ll o start saving up money so I afford you when you turn into an Expert year.”

  “Okay, mister boss,” Nobby replied, sipping the soup.

  “We’ll spar from now on, alright?”

  “Yes, mister boss.” Nobby smiled slightly.

  ‘I o find more people like Nobby,’ Adam thought. ‘Just four more, one for each kid. No, maybe two for each kid? No, no, definitely five.’

  ‘So that’s what he looks like whehinking something stupid,’ Filliam thought, noting Adam’s face.

  Nobby! Why have they corrupted you so?