Omen: 12, 15

  “Oo,” Jirot said, looking up towards the Elder.

  “Good m,” Zijin said, reag down to rub her head. The girl swiftly crawled away from the Elder towards her nana, who lifted her up.

  Adam smiled wide towards the Elder.

  “What?” Zijin asked.

  “I definitely didn’t do something wrong this time.”

  “That would have been taken into sideration,” Zijin replied, simply.

  Adam frowned.

  Zijin made his rounds, greeting the adults and the children, cheg up oates to see if they needed repairs with his own eyes, before he motioned his head towards Adam.

  Adam followed him, bringing along his twins. “They should explore the Iyr now and again with their father.”

  Zijin was going to make tea, but decided against having boiling liquid he grasp of the tiny pair, whose eyes were expl the Elder’s estate.

  The silence was killing Adam like a slow poison. “Hey, Elder Zijin. Should I know why the Iyr’s so different now?”

  “The Iyr is on high alert for the year,” Zijin replied.

  “Should I ask why?”

  “Two Great Elders are missing for the year,” Zijin said, simply. “Sine of them is Elder Peace, it is awkward for the Iyr, as we will be uo call for a war immediately.”

  ‘So Elder Peace, and Elder Wrath?’ Adam thought. ‘She’s probably gone for a year to do something with Strom? Then Elder Wrath is probably gone for the war? Will it only st for a year, then?’

  Zijin wondered if he should correct the thoughts on Adam’s face, but decided against it. He had already given Adam too muformation, and it wouldn’t do for the Elder to spill all their secrets to the Half Elf.

  “Whose the stro Great Elder anyway?” Adam asked. If Elder Pead Elder Wrath were go meant that two of the Iyr’s greatest were indisposed. ‘Didn’t they say there were at least ten Paragons? So with the Great Elders, that would mean there are roughly twenty Paragons?’

  Elder Zijin smiled, still refusing to let slip who the stro Great Elder was.

  “So the reason why the Iyr ged was because Strom died?” Adam thought. ‘Elder Peace’s departure meant that they had to close their gates to protect themselves? Elder Wrath’s departure probably wasn’t taken into sideration at the time, meaning they’re weaker than before…’

  “Yes.”

  “Damn. Just one guy cause that much…” Adam noted Elder Zijin’s look and decided against finishing his sentence. “Are you sure you should be revealing this kind of information to me?”

  “The Iyr has gathered at least two hundred Grandmasters and several Great Elders to deal with an issue because it o,” Zijin said. “sider it a threat in case you step out of line.”

  “I’m not that stupid.”

  Zijin smiled. “Perhaps it was to put you at ease, so you rest easy knowing that your children will be safe within these walls.”

  “You know, Elder Zijin, you ain’t so bad.”

  Elder Zijin smiled, w if he should tirusting Adam with more. ‘No. There is only so much I do.’ “I have spoken you today to speak of such matters because I trust you this much.”

  “You trust me?” Surprise fshed across Adam’s face, who hadn’t expey trust from the Elder. sidering all they knew of Adam, even Adam wouldn’t trust himself.

  “You have given your trust to us, Adam. All those who know you, know how much you care for your children. You have allowed them to joi family as Nieces and Nephews. I know there was trouble in doing so. If there are Iyrmen who do not obey the rules, even if they are the Family Head or Family Elder, you may speak with me.”

  “Isn’t this a matter of the Rot family?”

  “Yes, but there are rules every Iyrman must follow, even at the level of the individual. To accept your children based oher or not they held your blood, or due to their race, it is not done.” Elder Zijin’s voice was firm in this regard. However, it was difficult if Adam did not request his assistance.

  “Well, I don’t know anything about that sort of thing…”

  “There be no misuandings in such matters,” Zijin said, firmly. “We are not Aldish. We are Iyrmen. We Iyrmen were only Humans. Then came we, the Horcs, Half Orcs. Then, as you know, by Jarot’s virtue, Devilkin became Iyrmen. The rules have been put in pce sihe foundation of the Iyr, before eveime of Horcs, and such rules ever be broken, not unless it is to admit that we are no longer Iyrmen.”

  Adam could hear the underlying anger within the Elder’s voice, and the shame which filled it.

  Zijin sighed. “Your retionship is peculiar within the Iyr. You are a Nephew, and your children have been adopted in the same manner, rather than as true Iyrme, you are a brother to an Iyrman, and they treat you well, better than just a Nephew, different than a true Iyrman, a simir in so many ways. Even I am uain of what our retionship is, Adam.”

  “Right, it is a little awkward,” Adam admitted. It wasn’t that he wasn’t sure, it was that everyone wasn’t sure of their retionship.

  “I ask that you allow us to make mistakes in regards to our retionship.”

  “Sure, but what about when I make mistakes,” Adam asked. “The mistake was rather egregious, but what about when I do something that bad too?”

  “It is hard tet your deeds when your family recites them any time you leave,” Zijin said. “It would be difficult to press you when you have done so much.”

  Adam frowned slightly. “So what’s the limit?”

  “Do not threaten the Iyr,” Zijin said. “Anything else will be discussed between the Great Elders, and I will speak on your behalf.”

  Adam remained silent for a short while, thinking about what he could say. He decided to sor himself. “Alright.”

  “You are a great young man, Adam. You have already aplished so much. You are an Expert, but defeat Masters and Grandmasters. You have sin twons, and have defeated a Prince of the Fire Giants in single bat. You, who could make thousands of gold monthly, have o ever step foot outside the Iyr. Yet, I do not know yoal, Adam. What is it that you dream of? Do you io bee an Iyrman?”

  Adam didn’t expe onsught of questions from the Elder, whose eyes stared down at the Half Elf with ion. “In terms of being an Iyrman, I’m not sure. Most likely not. I’m different, too different. There are things I do and things I ’t do, and some of those things follow along the Iyr’s beliefs, and others which don’t.”

  Zijin bowed his head.

  “In terms of my goals and dreams…” Adam lifted up his children, kissing their foreheads, while they looked up at him and giggled. They bounced on Adam’s p, throwing their hands about. “It’s more than just being a great father. Don’t take this the wrong way, Elder, but I want to create a small version of the Iyr. It will be a pce with simir rules to the Iyr, and though it won’t be at the same scale of the Iyr, I…” Adam paused for a moment. “I want to create something which will assist the Iyr against a great foe.”

  “A great foe?”

  “A foe so terrible that, even after witnessing the greatness of the Iyr, and even if you were as twice as powerful as I imagine you to be, I ’t help but still fear it.”

  “Is there such a foe?” Zijin’s eyes remaiionless, but his mind thought back to the Chief, who must have known about this great foe.

  “I’ve seen it, Elder.” He stared past the Elder, looking to his previous life. Fshes of the creature came to his mind, and the fight in which he had seeweeher Brit and the Eldritch horror. “I pray it never es, but, knowing who and what I am, that’s just wishful thinking.”

  Elder Zijin remained silent. He was fident in the Iyr, to the point of even sying God. Even Adam dared to speak so easily of the Gods, a even he paused for thought at a threat?

  “Of course, I don’t think my goal e true. An army of Paragons? Only the Iyr ma such a thing, not me. Still, a small unit of Paragons. A business which will shake the foundation of the world, with ons and armours which will be simple and effective. That will be used to bankroll my goal, my dream.”

  Zijin was gd that Adam uood how terrifying his goals seemed to be, it meant that his as were not quite so thoughtless, and there was a strange fort in that.

  “Oiyoyoyoyo,” Jirot said, reag up with her hands to catch a small butterfly that passed her by.

  “Right, and then there’s putting my children through uy,” Adam said, winking at the Elder.

  Zijin remained silent, deep in thought. “Are you still willing to give up time with your children to grow stronger?”

  “I don’t want to miss too much of their time when they’re young, but… I think I have to. I’ve got some porters and farmers who are waiting for me.”

  “The nd will remain chaotic for some time. Aswadasad and Aldnd has broken in two, and it is unknown of what the year will bring to this nd.”

  “Right, Sir, uh, King Merryweather? He’s decred independence or something?”

  “The King of Aldnd tried to break the treaty with Aswadasad, and…” Zijin wasn’t sure if he should say more. “An unfortureak of misfortune occurred in the past month, and King Merryweather has raised up arms against King Bckwater. It appears to be the case that he has killed the previous Duchess, aends oing a separate Kingdom through the war.”

  “What has the world e to?” Adam asked. ‘Misfortune, eh? Is it because of me? Is that why Strom asked me not to…’ Adam rubbed his children’s cheeks. ‘Who am I kidding? Am I really that egotistical to think everything is because of me?’

  Elder Zijin, too, thought about how much e Adam had with the events which had passed. The Iyr had mao ect him to the events due to his ability to shift Fate, but if Adam truly had such great abilities, then he would be sidered the most dangerous individual in the nd, perhaps the world.

  “Who do you think will win?”

  “The forces of Aldnd are not to be uimated,” Zijin stated, firmly. “The King has raised more than thirty thousand soldiers, but another one huhousand soldiers will be raised, though their quality will be g. With the Orders, we Iyrmen, and greater numbers, it will be difficult for the south to win an aggressive war, and a defensive have been difficult, but…”

  “But?”

  “The two greatest Knights are within the south, and most of the soldiers within the south are more experienced, save for those in the north, and there is a great being who has retly joihe south.”

  “A great being?” Adam asked, for a moment thinking it had arrived.

  Zijin smile, easing Adam’s worries. “A great being who even Lord Stokmar would think twice before fighting.”

  ‘Yo, what?’

  "then he would be sidered the most dangerous individual in the nd, perhaps the world"

  I'm sure this will never e to py.