Omen: 6, 12

  Adam awoke early m, stretg out his entire body. He had thought more about his business, and the manner in which he wao proceed. After his m bath, spending far too long rexing i water, he made his way down for breakfast.

  He found some of his panions together in their own er, though he ck of Iyrmen, as well as Nobby and Brittany.

  “M,” Adam said, dropping down beside Vonda, who he had spent some time thinking about.

  “Good m, Adam,” Vonda greeted. “Did you sleep well?”

  “I did, and yourself?”

  “I did.”

  Adam slowly nodded his head. “Are you enjoyi Port?”

  “I am.”

  Adam tio nod his head slowly, and Vonda waited for him to tinue. “You, uh, you know, the business?”

  “Yes?”

  Adam gnced around and whispered, doing his best to make sure no one could see his lips either. “You’re still willing to join?”

  “I am.”

  “With a shrio Mother Soza and all?”

  The Priest bowed her head slowly. She had to make pns for retirement since she was an Expert. ces were, she’d retire within the en years, after she’d learn Fate spells, due to the ws surrounding those who learnt greater spells. Adam’s offer erfebsp;

  “I will teach the workers and those who wish to bee Priests to the good mother will learn id the business must not send them to battle,” Vonda said, quietly.

  Adam slowly nodded his head. “That’s all good, still?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good, good.” Adam had wao make sure, just in case Vonda had ged her mind. However, it would take many years to train ao learn magid they wouldn’t be able to start until year anyway. However, having the name Sir Vonda of Life’s Rose attached to his business would lend it some credibility.

  Food was brought out as the Iyrmeurhe group prayed before eating. Adam prayed too, lightly. ‘Baktu, thanks for all you’ve done. I thank all the gods for what you’ve dooo. Unless you’re evil, then no thanks to you. Actually, thanks to you too, since I don’t want you to bother me either. Thank you.’

  “I should visit a temple,” Adam said, rubbing his stomace he was doh his meal. ‘Being a Priest sure is easy, knowing all those spells without having to…’

  Vonda smiled, before notig the look on Adam’s face. Jurot, too, he look on Adam’s face.

  ‘Bell?’

  [Yes?]

  ‘Don’t tell me that, this eime, I could have taken the first level into Priest and would have had access to all Priest spells…’ [Okay.]

  ‘Bell?’

  [Yes?]

  ‘Not like this!’

  […]

  Adam checked how it worked, but found that he didn’t get access to all the Priest spells unless he paid a great sum of XP. However, he could still gaiaiures, which were useful regardless of having access to Priest spells.

  “Who is the God of F?” Adam asked, noting one of the Priest’s abilities.

  “Fia, in which the term is derived from,” Vonda replied. She hadn’t expected to state something so obvious. She had assumed Adam khe main pantheon, though he supposed that Fia was one of the least popur deities since she only truly received prayers from smiths.

  Though, Adam was also a smith…

  “Does anyone have a e to Baktu?” Adam asked. “Is there any feness in him?”

  “Ozatu, Lord Oza, the Great Bde,” Jurot said, speaking of one of the minods who were teically sidered Lord Sozain’s children.

  “Oh? That’s a pretty cool name. What’s he like?”

  “He fed the Death Bdes,” Jurot whispered, though his voice shook with excitement. “A give, an axe, and a sword. Each have brought great death upon the nd for Baktu, though they have not been seen siimes of old.”

  Adam slowly nodded his head, uanding Jurot’s boyish excitement. Other than how terrifying and awful that sounded, it did sound kind of cool. “’t I just pray to Baktu and be a Priest of the Fe?”

  “Will you pray to Baktu to revive your rades?” Vonda asked. “Will he ahe call to your prayers if you wish to revive your Iyrmen panions, when he weles their death so eagerly?”

  “That’s true…” Adam hadn’t thought about that. The God of Death would probably be more hesitant to revive the dead, especially Iyrmen. He didn’t have so much of a retionship with the God of Death in this life, though he supposed he didn’t have much of a retionship in his previous life either.

  “I suppose…” Adam began, tilting his head as he thought. “What about Lady Arya?”

  “Do you wish to pray to her because of Dunes?” Vonda asked, hiding her disappoi with ease.

  “No, it’s not because of that. Lady Arya and I have a e. I was surprised to learn that she…” Adam paused. He was fairly certain he hadn’t told Vonda his story yet.

  “You have a e with Lady Arya?” the Priest asked, trying to coax out more.

  “Yeah. Though, won’t she be mad if I use axes?” Adam asked, sighing. “Politics.”

  “Shall we go to the temple?” Vonda offered. “Perhaps you could find someoo pray to there.”

  “That’s a great idea, Sir Vonda,” Adam said, smiling. “This is why you’re the oeag our workers and not me.”

  “We should go pray too,” Jeremy said, looking to his cousin and nephew. Sihey had mao earn some , they should probably thank the divine.

  Rick looked to the farmers, who nodded. It wouldn’t do for them, peasants who earned very little , not to pay respect to the divine when they came into , especially sihey gave so little pared to the nobles.

  Adam wondered how much gold he should take with him. ‘I suppose I should take enough to drop at least a gold to each god, but also a few more to my favourites?’ However, he wasn’t sure how many gods there were, nor if minods would be included. Adam decided to break some of his gems down so he had more to spend to the gods. ‘Just you wait until after the tour, I’ll be flush with so much .’

  “You should leave your ons behind,” Vonda said, noting Adam had returned with Wraith at his side.

  Adam looked down at Wraith. He blinked. “ht.”

  The group, ohey had pced their ons aside, made their way towards the temple, with Vonda leading the way. They passed over various bridges, and though several districts, before making their way towards the sea. Vonda led them to a long wall, with several archways dotted along it, going further and further away. Clusters of people shifted through the archways.

  Several guards stood outside the gates, each wearing breastptes, and carrying bdes at their side. They also wore amulets, with the symbol of a star within a circle.

  “Halt,” a guard said, stopping the group. “You your shield.”

  “It is my holy symbol,” Vonda said, unstrapping it from her back to show them the symbol against the front. “Sir Vonda of Life’s Rose.”

  The guards pat their chests, greeting Vonda, before allowing the group inside.

  Adam had expected to find a rge building within the wall, but realised he hadn’t seen anything te, save for the trees. This pce was not like the temples he was used to, as rather than e building, Adam found something more akin to a vilge. Dozens of colourful buildings, and a great number of fountains and stalls. Adam could spot a priest no matter where he looked, finding them swarming around the pce, adorned in their fine garbs, each muted or monoe in design.

  The oners moved through the area, wearing their most colourful attire, following the flows of traffic dictated by the pathways, which were separated by greenery, all leading to a pce where they could admire something. They would be greeted by statues, religious artefacts, stalls, or priests who would speak sermons and old tales. People would pce doper for each attra, which was enough for the entire family to partake.

  “This is a temple?” Adam asked, thinking it seemed more like an amusement park, eyeing up the area ahead where people were buying food from the stalls. However, it didhere, for the entire area, which was already quite wide, as much longer, and disappeared behind distant buildings. He wondered hoeople there were, and assumed the number reached well into the thousands.

  “This is the temple district,” Vonda firmed, before leading them forward.

  They passed through the attras, and Vonda led them towards the first temple of many, which was formed of bck stohe priests were adorned in bck garbs too, and carried at their side small daggers. They were currently cooking rge pots of food, and were p food into metal trays, and were handing out the food to any person walking past, seemingly for no . Many only spent moments within the dark temple, quickly praying before the statue of a young child sat upon a throne of bohough many of the eio more time sitting at the benches around the temple, speaking eagerly with one another, and the priests.

  Adam eyed up the statue, which was intricate aailed, save for the face which was vague and nondescript. Adam tried to recall how Lord Sozain looked when they had st met, but found it difficult to find aails. ‘I should have expected that.’

  The farmers and the porters pced their s at the long box at the foot of the statue, where the silver s ked, and dropped to a khey began to pray quietly, muttering to the God of Death.

  Adam pced down an obsidian gem into the box, before dropping to a knee. ‘Hey, Baktu, how are you? It’s been quite a while, how e you never call? Did you find a new chaotic little Half Elf? I’m just letting you know, but I’m the best little Half Elf. Think about it. Who else has such adorable children? That’s right. Don’t fet my cute little sister, her.’

  Adam cleared his throat, shaking his head. ‘Sorry. You know how I am. I hope you’re well. If you need anything, I mean, not that you need anything, but if you would like my assistance you just send me a message. I was hoping that I could pray to you, but I was looking at the Fe Priests. Is there any ce we-,’

  “Adam,” Vonda gasped.

  Adam threw a gnce back over his shoulder towards her, shocked she’d disrupt his prayers, but followed her eyes to the statue. Lord Sozain’s eyes were glowing, but they faded slightly as the glow shifted to the donation box.

  Adam remained silent as the priests quickly darted towards him, clutg at their bdes, while cheg the donation box.

  ‘Baktu damn it.’

  Surely Adam isn't going to start bother with the gods...