Omen: 1, 10

  “Nobby, let’s go meet with your ma and pa,” Adam said over breakfast. He had already finished his hot bath that m, having enjoyed himself thhly. His magical tower was great, but there was nothing like a bath in a town.

  “Okay, mister boss,” Nobby replied, simply.

  Jonn’s and Dunes’ groups made their way out that m to quest, off to sy some manner of beasts. At first Adam had thought to send Vonda’s group out instead of Jonn’s, sih groups would have had Priests, but upon seeing the deathly gre of the Demon Lord, he decided against it. Plus, Dunes riest of War, and Vonda riest of Life, so he supposed that Vonda wouldn’t have felt fortable with syis and such.

  ‘Politics.’

  The pair of Aswadians followed the Demons out, exging gnces between one another. He certainly must have known their feelings when putting them together, though he didn’t seem to mind them w together. He hadn’t warhem either. Did he expect them not to kill the Demons? Or did he have that much faith in the Demons? Or was it his faith ihrough Dunes?

  Adam and Nobby made their way through Red Oak. Adam wore his breastpte over his thick clothes, providing him some prote as he travelled through the town, and carried Wraith at his side. He decided against bringing along his shield, finding it too awkward to carry. However, since he was a Half Elf, he also wore a scarf around his head, hiding his pointy ears. Nobby walked alongside the Half Elf, taking away half the attention. He carried a his side, since he followed the way of the Rot family.

  ‘Now that I think about it, what is Nobby’s retionship with the Iyr?’ Adam thought, but he decided to let the thought go.

  They weaved through the various alleyways, dodging clothing lines, as well as stray cats, before finding a small shack. Adam stepped aside, motioning with his head, and Nobby knocked on the door with a gentle rasp.

  “Yes?” called a quiet voice.

  “Ma,” Nobby said.

  The doors flung open as the thin woman revealed herself, her dark hair now cut short. “Nobby!” She swung her arms around the rge boy, but quickly stepped back when she saw Adam’s puthral armour in her peripheral vision.

  “It’s good to see you, Annie,” Adam said, smiling.

  “It’s a pleasure to see you, uh, mister Adam.”

  “Just Adam, please,” Adam said, wing at the name. He he thin woman had gained a little bit of weight, but she was still fairly thin. “Is Anne here?”

  “She’s at the school,” Annie replied, before stepping inside. “e in.”

  Adam stepped inside, noting how empty the pce was, save for some clothing nearby. “Is Ted at work?”

  “Aye,” Annie replied, p some water in for the pair, before beginning to chop some vegetables.

  “No issues with the money I hope?” Adam asked.

  “The guild sends it on the first of every month,” Annie replied. “Nobby’s pay and Anne’s fees.”

  “Good, good,” Adam said, before he pced down a gold onto the table. “If you need any more , just pass a message to the guild, and I’ll be sure to send some more .”

  “Oh, you’ve treated us well, mist-, uh, Adam,” she said, before bringing some cut vegetables for the pair of men, both of whom were taller and strohan the average man.

  Nobby waited for Adam, who reached for a vegetable disd ate it, before Nobby began to eat. Adam slid the gold forward to Nobby’s mother. “I’ll increase the few months pay a little. Though he’s not an Expert, Nobby probably fight one pretty well, and I’d guess he’d win at least half the time.”

  “My Nobby?” she said, looking to the rge boy, who was slowly nibbling against the food. “You’re that strong now?”

  “Yes,” Nobby replied, assuming Adam was telling the truth.

  “We sparred at the end of st year and he almost made me wet myself,” Adam joked. “Well, maybe not that, but he did scare me. I’d rather fae of the Iyrmen I know rather than Nobby.”

  Annie smiled nervously, rubbing her son’s arm gently. “Are you listening to the good man properly?”

  “Yes,” Nobby replied.

  “Jurot’s the oraining him,” Adam said, shrugging his shoulders. “Still, he’s rather happy with Nobby. He told me retly that if they were both Experts, Nobby would beat him most of the time. Your son’s very special.”

  “Yes,” Annie replied, her smile losing her nervousness. “Nobby’s always been special. So big and strong, my little Nobby.”

  Nobby’s cheeks turned red as his mother rubbed his arm tenderly, praising him so early in front of his boss. Adam blinked rapidly for a moment, feeling his heart drop while watg the se.

  “I suppose soon I’ll have to increase the pay to twenty five gold,” Adam grumbled, though he smiled. “Then, after everything’s paid off, I’ll increase it to fifty gold as promised.”

  Annie could still hardly believe it. Her Nobby arently quite strong, almost to the level of an Expert, and two years had yet to pass. When Adam had first said he would make Nobby an Expert, she thought he had been some kind of chartan.

  “The tract doesn’t tier he bees an Expert,” Annie reminded him.

  “It doesn’t?” Adam asked. “I must have do for one reason or another. Nobby, will you work for me after you bee an Expert?” Adam already khe answer, since he had already told Nobby that he’d make him much strohan an Expert.

  “Yes.

  “Well, that’s good enough for me.” Adam smiled, nodding his head slowly. “Is Aing well?”

  “She is.”

  “Good, good.” Adam smiled again. “Alright, well, I best be going. I’ll let Nobby stay with you today, but he’s got to go on a quest tomorrow, so don’t keep him up all night. The gold I’ve left is for Anne, so please make sure she gets it and spends it freely.”

  “Yes, of course,” Annie replied. “Thank you again, Adam.”

  “Any time. Oh, actually, would you mind if I came back tonight and took you out to dinner? I wao speak with Ted and you about the pn.”

  “It’s no bother,” Annie replied. “You don’t o take us out to dinner, I cook food.”

  “I suppose that’s true,” Adam said, before pg down two gold s. “I hope that’s enough to get some more meat. Nobby, make sure you help your mother with carrying groceries and all that.”

  “Yes.”

  Adam threw them a casual salute before heading out. He walked through the town, heading back to the Adventurer’s Guild. His thoughts were of his first life, and to his family. He stopped at the field, noting the few adventurers who were practising their ons. He watched them for a few moments, his eyes narrowed as he saw a different time, and a different world.

  “What are you looking at?” an adventurer asked. It was a woman ie thirties or so, with short dark hair. She wore a steel breastpte, with a purple scarf around her neck. At her side was a bde.

  “Nothing,” Adam replied, before bowing his head slowly, and making his way to the Adventurer’s Guild.

  “You say we’re nothing?” the adventurer asked.

  Adam stopped. “No. I’m saying that I was looking past you, reminisg about something.”

  The adventurer cocked her head slightly. She wasn’t sure how to take his words. They were so blunt and queer, yet seemed to hold true. Upon seeing that she wasn’t going to respond, Adam stepped up to the guild’s doors.

  “Yeah, walk away, boy,” the adventurer said.

  Adam had his hand pressed against the door, but stopped. He looked back, finding that the adventurer’s panions had turo watch the se. Their tags were Steel, a rank higher than his own Bronze, and were stamped a few times, meaning they weren’t just typical Steel Rank adventurers.

  Adam could feel it at his side. A magical axe, still yet to draw blood. It called to him, but he noted how many advehere were. He pushed the guild doors open, peeking io see his panions inside.

  “Jurot,” the Half Elf called, the adventurers gathering together. The Iyrman stepped out of the guild, beside Adam. The adventurers noted his tattoo, and the thick furs of the Iyr. Their eyes darted between the pair.

  “Adam,” Jurot replied.

  “What do you think?” Adam asked, motioning with his head to the woman. “If I were to fight her, who’d win?”

  “You,” the Iyrman replied, near instantly. He gnced between the rest of the adventurers, each who held a greater rank than him, but none which could defeat even himself. “Are we fighting?”

  “No,” Adam said, before stepping into the guild. Jurot sed the adventurer’s faces, before he turned and followed Adam in.

  “Assholes,” the adventurer muttered under her breath. “The Iyrmen think they rule this town. Didn’t they fail i war against the Elves?”

  “Speak a little louder,” a nearby guard said. “They’re not oo run away from a fight.”

  “Doesn’t seem like it.”

  “You expect them to kill every dog which barks at them?” the guard asked.

  “Do you want to have a go?” The adventurer sized up the guard.

  The guard smiled. “No, don’t think I will.” He tipped his helmet, before chug as he walked by, tinuing his rounds. “Bill, ol’ boy, yonna have a riot when you find out an idiot tried to mess with the boy in purple. Didn’t hear about no Awakened Beast in town, though. Did he kill it?”

  Don't interrupt Adam when he's reminisg.