“How is it that such things always happen to you?” Dunes ughed. The buzz of alcohol permeated through him, as it did for most of them.

  The group was no longer in the guild, but an inn which Kitool had found for them. There were a fair number of patrons, with quite a few who seemed to wear fine clothing, with rings that deheir families. They were taken to an underground room lit by small gem stones, and food and drinks had been brought to them before they were left be for the hour, with walls which could not hear.

  Jaygak frowhinking about how useful she had been to Adam. ‘Attag him first was good, but…’ She looked to Kitool who had brought them to a pce they could speak freely, somethiremely valuable to Adam, who wao speak his words freely. She gnced aside, noting the ck of Jurot, who had goo do what was expected of him. He had done so much for Adam, unlike her.

  “It do be that way sometimes,” Adam replied, shrugging his shoulders. Siool had said it was safe to speak, he had decided to tell Dunes as much as he could, all the while sipping his tea. He had decided against drinking, wanting to keep his mind clear.

  “Anyway, I’ll be here for at least a few weeks to try and help you. I’ve got gold to burn, so let’s not spare any expense in helping you find your wom-, friend.” Adam cleared his throat, though his eyes sparkled mischievously.

  Dunes sighed, fighting away the flush on his cheeks. “It will be awkward to fiill. There are almost two million people in this city, and two million across the region at least.”

  “We’ll find her,” Adam assured. “Jurot said he might know some people who help.”

  Jaygak’s brow twitched, and she slumped slightly. ‘Jurot will probably meet one of his tacts. It’s awkward for me to move freely since we’re i Aldnd.’ She looked to Uwajin, who erhaps the only one who would find it more difficult to act alone iy, due to West Aldnd’s general hatred of Horcs, though of course she was no Horc, she was an Iyrman.

  “You don’t have to spend any in helping, we sort it out diplomatically,” Duated.

  “There are two metals which allow diplomacy,” Adam said. “Gold and steel.”

  “Steel is not a metal, it is an alloy,” Korin spoke up, sipping more of his drink right after.

  “You know what I mean,” Adam grumbled, while they tio drink a within the underground room. The bread here was soft, not quite as bnd as typical bread. ‘Did they put milk into it? I bet Lanababy would love it.’

  While the group were having fuing and drinking their fill, Jurot was busy with his own business. He had decided to head to a particur building on a particur road, to pce doarticur amount of , to meet with a particur fellow.

  Jurot was led to a room in the back, where he sat by the dle light, his arms crossed. “How long have you been following me?” Jurot asked the darkness.

  “Not that long,” the young man replied, before stepping out from the shadows and into the light, grabbing the chair, turning it around so that his back was free to leap away in peace. “Shouldn’t you give us a report before you make a request?”

  “I give my report to you,” Jurot replied.

  “So what’s your he young hooded man asked.

  “You should introduce yourself first.”

  “You call me Tarren.” He fshed a charming smile towards Jurot.

  “Jurot, son of Sonarot.”

  “First p the Noonval Tour,” Tarren noted. “I’m rather scared to be stu the same room with you.”

  Jurot retty sure he could beat the young man, though it would have been awkward due to how swift they could move. If he could have the first swing, he’d win for sure. Still, it would have been an awkward fight. “What is your rank?”

  “Silver.”

  ‘Is he the …’ Jurot let the thoughts fall away. “I am in need of you to find someone.”

  “Who?”

  “Amira. She is a Devilkin from Aswadasad.”

  “You think she’s here?”

  “She may or may not be,” Jurot replied.

  “Are you calling in a favour?”

  “We will pay for it.”

  “How much?”

  “What is the price?”

  “Hmm.” Tarren tapped his , leaning his head forward slightly. “I’ll o send a bunch of the coppers out to search for information, and I’ll need a few other silvers to take charge. If you don’t want to personally ask old, then we charge you a thousand gold s for each month.”

  “Okay,” Jurot replied.

  “Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  “…” Tarren remained silent for a long moment. “Why is this Devilkin so important you’re willing to spend a thousand gold each month to find her?”

  “Are you calling in a favour?”

  “sider it a curiosity.”

  “She is a friend of a friend.”

  “You’re willing to pay so much for a friend of a friend?”

  “I am not paying.”

  “Who is?”

  “My brother.”

  Tarren remained silent, trying to remember if Jurot had a sibling. “Third pce?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay,” Tarren said, as though his curiosity hadn’t been piqued. “Are you going to report now?”

  “Yes.”

  Once Jurot finished his report, he returned back to the inn that Kitool had takeo.

  “A thousand gold a month?” Adam asked, nibbling on the bread. ‘Isn’t it like twelve gold a month for the average wage? So they’re moving, what, a hundred people or so? No, probably less, they’ll need some of the gold for bribes and stuff probably.’

  “Yes.”

  “They won’t scam me?”

  “They will not.”

  “Alright. I’ll prepare the gold. I set up a thousand gold a month for a year, that should be alright.”

  “Isn’t the party fund for the entire group?” Dunes asked, doing his best not to choke on his food.

  “I’m not using the party fund, I’m using my own funds,” Adam stated, firmly. “I’m not that stupid.”

  “No, it’s not about you being stupid…” Dunes remained frozen in shock. “How much money do you have?”

  “Hmm,” Adam replied, trying to recall how much he had. ‘Aren’t I too wealthy now? No, I doubt this would be enough to even allow me to match the Barons…’ “Enough that I spend a thousand gold a month for the year and still be alright.”

  “Adam, that’s too much.”

  “Do you have a better idea?”

  “We don’t have to spend that mu-,”

  “Dunes,” Adam interrupted the Aswadian, “how much money do you think I have?”

  “Fourteen thousand?”

  “I have more than that,” Adam stated. “I’ve got all this gold, now tell me, what am I going to spend it on?”

  “Your business?”

  “Sure, but if I need a few thousand gold, I’ll just work and make a bunch of gold,” Adam said, letting slip his ability to make too much gold too quickly. “I don’t have anything to spend the money ht now, so I might as well help you out.”

  “Adam, that’s too much.”

  “I’m not doing it out of the good of my heart. I’m doing it because it’s an iment in you. I’m sure you’ll repay me in some way, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

  “That’s too much, Adam.”

  “Gold is meant to be spent,” Adam stated. “Just because my children are part Dragons, it doesn’t mean I’m a Dragon.”

  Jaygak let out a cough, stifling her ughter. There’s no way he could be a Dragon, sidering how much wealth he had given up freely. “Yoing to spend thousands of gold on Dunes?”

  “Sure.”

  “Just like that?”

  “Sure.”

  “Adam… are you actually crazy?” Jaygak asked. It was a weird question to ask, since she khe answer. She tio drink down more wiaring up at the crazy Half Elf.

  “If I need money, I’ll just borrow it from the Iyr,” Adam replied, shrugging his shoulders. “I’ll pay them back as much as they want, so it’s not a big deal.”

  “Still, it’s so much money!” Jaygak exged gnces with Dunes, who seemed unfortable that Adam was doing so much for him. However, it wasn’t like she was trying to talk him out of it.

  “Dunes isn’t a strao me,” Adam said. “If I spend three hundred gold bringing back Rick from death, then spending a few thousand gold on Dunes makes sense.”

  “It’s not a few thousand gold, Adam! It’s ten thousand! Ten thousand gold!” Jaygak threw baother shot of wine, sighing. “Do you know what you do with that much gold? If you wao be a noble, you could do so! You could evee a small army with that much !”

  “Bee a noble? What kind of guy do you think I am?” Adam shouted back at her, his jaws tensing. “Jaygak, are y to start a fight?”

  “Draw your axe right now, you crazy bastard!” Jaygak shouted at him. “If you think I won’t beat you up just because I’m weaker than you, then you have fotten I’m an Iyrman too!”

  “It’s my money! I spend it however I want! If I want to give eay children three thousand gold, I’ll do it damn it! If I want to spend it all on Duhen I’ll spend it all on Dunes. If I want to throw it into the sea, I’ll throw it into the sea! You ’t stop me!” Adam shouted back at her, the pair threatening to fight one another.

  “Damn it, Adam! You crazy bastard!”

  “Whose a bastard? You’re the bastard, Jaygak!”

  “Damn it!” Jaygak threw herself at Adam.

  Athletics CheckD20 + 8 = 21 (13)

  They grabbed onto each other’s hands and Jaygak forced Adam to sit back down, pinning him under her. “There’s a limit to how much of a fool you be, Adam!”

  “A fool?” Adam grit his teeth, trying to push her away from him. She almost looked like she really wao kill him, or perhaps it was something else? “You call me a fool for starting a fight with the Duchess, but you ’t call me a fool for wanting to help my friend!”

  “I call you a fool for whatever reason I want! Yold is yold, but my tongue is my tongue!”

  “Jaygak,” Jurot called. “Enough.”

  Jaygak stared down at Adam, the pair still wrestling with one another, hands iwined roughly. She slowly rexed, and Adam did the same, before she finally retreated back.

  “You’re an idiot, Adam,” Jaygak grumbled. “You’re crazy.”

  “If I wasn’t a crazy idiot, you wouldn’t like me as much.”

  Jaygak covered her eyes, her face twitg as she forced herself to calm down. She wiped away the tears with her palms. “Damn it, Adam.”

  Poor Jaygak. She's surrounded by monsters and 't do a damn thing. She did roll really high for that athletics check though!